Well here we are, chapter twenty. Before we start I want to freshen up those who don't remember that Zazu died at the beginning of this story and Ono is Kiara's majordomo as well as the chief keenest of sight on the guard. Now without further ado here's the next chapter, enjoy.

Ayana grew worried as she and Alexia waited for the return of the prince and the pride. She had plans for Torrent later, she was going to get him to mate her. She has been waiting for a long time and just couldn't wait any longer. A nudge to her shoulder brought the young creamy tan lioness out of her unlioness thoughts to look into the brown eyes of her mother. Ashaki looked away causing her daughter to move her own brown eyes to where her mother was looking to gasp at the two unknown lions following behind the king and queen. She narrowed her eyes when they close.

"Outsiders, you don't belong here." Ayana snarled.

Sherise rolled her purplish-blue eyes. She has had enough of this lioness' attitude. "My parents allowed them to stay. On the count that they rescued my brother."

Ayana glared at the russet red lioness before snapping her eyes towards Kopa and Kiara, "You're going to let them in our pride?"

Kopa was about to respond when Ashaki cut in with a growl. "No, you can't,"

Kiara sighed before nodding her head, "I don't want to but we owe them for saving Torrent's life."

The reluctantly agreed before heading into the cave for the night. Elena and Barton followed after Torrent but as soon as they was close to the den

Ayana growled at them, mostly Elena and said, "Not tonight."

Elena glared as she thought about pining her down and killing her, but turned around and found a comfortable spot outside the den. Barton headed down the slope and away from priderock. Torrent got up and walked outside. As he walked past Ayana he gave her a disgusted look.

Then he laid down next to Elena. "Sorry about that, you can come inside if you want."

Elena gave him a small smile, "I'm okay out here, but you can go back in your den."

Torrent shook shook his head, "No I'll stay out here tonight, I've always liked looking at the stars. Besides I wanted thank you for saving me. I have no idea what I would have done if you didn't show up when you and your friend did."

Elena chuckled. "First off, Barton's my older brother." then sarcastically said, "Probably burn to your death."

From the shadows, of the cave Sherise watched and sighed before heading down the slope into the plains.

In The Plains

Sherise had found a hill where she sat and looked at the stars. She soon laid down and laid on her back with her paws to her tannish chest.

"What are you doing?"

Sherise leapt up to only come face to face with one of the rogues that saved Torrent. "Barton, right?" the cold beige lion nodded. "Well...Barton I'm stargazing. You can join me if you want."

Barton watched the princess lay on the grass on her back. He thought about leaving but this was the perfect opportunity. He followed suit and laid on his back. Which he has to admit felt pretty good.

Barton moved his head to look at Sherise. "So...what is the point of this?"

Sherise giggled and Barton had to stop himself from smiling from the beautiful sound. "You point out a image in stars. Like there, priderock. Do you see it?"

Barton followed Sherise's paw and seen the out lines of the kopje in the sky. "Wow."

Sherise smiled before looking at the older lion. "Can I ask you a question?"

Barton shrugged against the grass. "Sure..."

"What was it like in the Outlands?"

Barton didn't know what to say. He cleared his throat but a heavy sigh came out as well. "It wasn't grand like living here in the Pridelands. It was always train and more training."

Sherise frowned before looking at Barton with reassuring glance. "Here is not perfect. Exspecially with the consent hyena intruding but...at least you don't have to worry about that anymore, right?"

Alot of emotions ran through the mind and body of the former outlander. No one has never shown him the compassion and caring like Sherise has. He had spent a few hours with her gazing at the stars. He has never did this type of stuff before and he has no words to explain.

"Oooh. That one looks like a baby rabbit."

Barton followed the princess' paw again to the dark sky and seen the stars make a shape of a baby rabbit. He laughed at how realistic it looked. Then he caught sight of a shape to the farthest right.

"Yeah... hey! There's one that looks like two lions killing each other for a scrap of meat!"

Barton laughs this is all new to him but strangely enough he likes it. But on the other side that wasn't Sherise's cup of tea, could tell by the way she grimaces. Because in all she knew that image was a scene of the past. She remembers the night her mother brought her and Torrent under the stars and told them about Akan and the darkness that controlled him.

"Ah, I've never done this before."

Which was the truth, Alyssa, his Nalini and Corina who was Jamali and a lioness from the Outlands daughter, would deny his request in a heartbeat. Besides all his time has been on training and what little free time he had went to his son. No one knew about him and he planned on it staying that way. He sighed deeply, his son was only a few weeks old but knows that Renner must miss him. But he was knocked out of his thoughts by a calming voice.

"Really? My parents, brother and I used to do this all the time. My mother says all the great Kings and queens of the past are up there."

Barton looked back at the sky at that. His mother told him and Elena countless times how wonderful a king Akan was. How Kiara brutally attacked and killed him in cold blood without no mercy. How he was to take back a throne stolen. He wondered if he was as great as his mother says is he up there.

"You think Akan is up there?"

They look at each other; causing Barton to get up and moves off.

"No one here thinks he's very great... do they?" the cold beige lion sighed heavily.

After all that's way Kiara banished them in the first place. Just because his mother and some lionesses followed his father.

"Even though he's my father I barely remember him, but he was still..." he sighs gently. "...part of me."

Sherise gets up and sits by the male. "My mother said there was a... a darkness in Akan that he couldn't escape."

Training and begin told he was chosen to kill before he was even born. Made the young lion think, was that all to his life.

"Maybe there's a darkness in me too."

Sherise's ears flickered as she frowned. She puts her paw on Barton's, and they nuzzle. He acts on instinct and nuzzles back. A warm, hot tangly feeling bubbles up in the pit of his stomach. He has never felt this way with Dyna, his son's mother. Dyna. She was suppose to be his co future queen and mate. But he here's cuddling up with the enemy. But he knows...deep down he has never felt anything but lush for Dyna. He loves her for the sake of Renner but what about him? He can't ignore his heart and his heart is screaming Sherise. But how can he love her or she love him when he was sent here to use her and turn her on her family. The cold beige lion cleared his throat and pulled away.

Not a second later concern filled the princess' purplish-blue eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Barton growled to himself before stalking off into the grass.

"Barton..." she didn't know why she wanted him to stay but she couldn't deny that his presence felt good and maybe she was falling.

The voice...it was something he never heard before. So he couldn't say what it sounded like. But it sure enough pulled on heartstrings that he didn't even know he had. He turned around fully prepared to tell her everything. His son, his mother's plan.

"It's just that... my whole life I've been trained to..." he stops, he now can see the hurt look on the russet red lioness' face. He can't hurt her, he just couldn't. "Nothing. I gotta go."

He turns and is fully prepared to leave. Hoping to forget this night.

Sherise lowered her head and pinned her ears as she was on the verge of tears as she watched the lion she fell for walk away. "Barton- wait."

Barton pauses a moment, and looks back at Sherise's face, staring back at him; he looks away and moves to continue, but is stopped by a long finger pointing up from the grass.

"And where do you think you are going?"

TLKTLKTLKTLK

Barram looked around and behind him, when he seen he wasn't followed the dark grey lion quickly dashed across the desert. In long and fast strides he reached the Grassland in a quick amount of time. Without delay he walked over to a cave that was covered with ferns. Barram entered to be greeted by a pair of hazel eyes.

"Barram, it's just you." a dark cream lioness sighed in relief. Before uncovering her paws to reveal a small creamy beige bundle of fur.

Barram looked from the cub to the mother, "I thought you should know that Barton is in the Pridelands."

Dyna nodded before looking at her fussing cub. "Do you think that he'll fall for her?"

Barram nodded and nuzzled the dark cream lioness. "He's bound to betray us. After all it's in his blood. But my dad and Jamali is planning something when Alyssa fail."

Dyna tilted her head. "You sure is confident that they will fail."

Barram laughed before smiling, "Barton is dead. One way or another."

In The Oasis

"You sure about this?"

A old female elephant nodded. "I have been around for a long time. I know the signs."

Ororo sighed deeply before bowing her head. "Thank you, Muwba."

The elephant dipped her large head before heading further into the oasis. Ororo stood and headed for the cave her family waited for her at. Once she entered her son stood and greeted her.

"Mom, what did Muwba say? Is Bahiti going to be alright?"

Logan walked over and nuzzled the black lioness before looking at his son. "Orville. Give your mother a chance to get it out."

Ororo smiled grateful before looking at her son. "Sweetie, nothing is really wrong with Bahiti. She's pregnant."

Orville's light brown eyes widen as he turned to look at his sleeping mate. "I'm going to be a father."

"Congrats, Vill'!" Remi exclaimed before lying by her friend.

Orville was in a state of shock before he shook his head and headed out of the cave. "I need to clear my head. If Bahiti wakes, tell her I'll be back."

Logan, Ororo and Remi nodded before turning their attention to the sleeping golden peach lioness as the young dark beige lion ran out into the greenery of the oasis home.