Hereeeeeeeeee is another chapter!

I'm sick right now so my brain isn't at 100%. Which means I don't have much to say for authors notes. But I will reply to the reviews. :)

L0RD3N: Thank you, that means a lot! I like trying to give Kiara more heart, since she's so compassionate by the end of TLK 2 but you don't really see it when she's a cub. All you see is daddy issues and I feel like Kiara deserves better then that lol.

MysteryWriter175: If you are confused on what's going on in the story I promise it'll make sense sooner rather then later. You should be about as confused as Daniel is right now. And don't write off the white lions just yet, they're nothing like the outcast pride. But I don't want to give too much away! Thanks for the review, I like when people post reviews with a bunch of questions because it shows me what people are paying attention to.

SnowyMarble: I mean unless I do a sequel I don't think this story in particular will go all the way up to Simba's Pride. I don't know how much Daniel and Mjanja would change the course of that story. And don't get me wrong, Mjanja is not a love interest for Kiara, so it's pretty canon compliant for SB. But who knows maybe I'll end up writing a sequel? Could definitely be a fun project. But I'm just focused on Daniel's storyline for now. Thanks for the review, always appreciate it. :)

Thank you Guest who is looking forward to next chapter, hope you all you lurkers and guests enjoy as well!

And to the guest who just asked where the next chapter is while I was writing these author's notes... Insane timing, lol.

Chapter 13

"Reflection of the Past"

They were too late.

There was a face of horror upon Nala, as she gazed up at the towering inferno that stretched the horizon.

She was too late…

The thought flooded her mind and made her weep new tears for her family and home. She was a terrible mother, this had to be true. There was no other explanation for her negligence. She'd allowed her cub to be lost in the elephant graveyard, her other cub to be thrown around like a toy, and now… this. It was over, her purpose was gone, she was not a queen.

"Nala." Simba said quietly, as he too gazed in stunned yet suppressed horror. "It's not too late… they might be…" his words caught in his throat.

Nala shook her head wildly, "Y-Yeah, Mkali protected them right? Sanaa, Kimya…" she laughed quietly, "They were actually there for them, regardless of what happened they were there! And I wasn't!"

Simba recoiled as Nala screamed to nobody in particular, "I was never fit to be a mother Simba."

"You stop that," Simba said, leaning closer and nuzzling her, "Let's go, we might be wasting precious time to save our cubs."

Almost forgetting that there was still hope, Nala shot upwards and shot towards the wall of fire. Animals were still fleeing in the opposite direction, except for elephants who had begun to fight the fire with water from their trunks.

The water cleared away enough fire for the king and queen to enter. They didn't see any pridelanders at first, and they thought the worst. A couple of pridelanders who had followed the duo back were already calling out and searching for loved ones. But no call was returned to them. Running into the canyon where they expected everyone to be, what they saw shook them. Once they reached the bottom they were quickly noticed by what was left of the pride. Mostly women and cubs cowering all in the same cave. "The king and queen are back!" One shouted.

Not many even seemed happy at that. Most of them merely decided to weep to themselves. Nala felt sympathy, knowing that there was a distinct lack of male lions in here, which meant they'd likely been taken… or worse. But regardless of her sympathy the queen jumped to the first thing on her mind, "Where are my cubs?" She said loudly.

A few lionesses cried harder and hid themselves away, as one lioness came up, "W-We failed you. T-They gave us no choice…"

"Where are they!" Nala shouted in terror.

The lioness cowered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please forgive us.." She repeated over and over crying to herself.

"Nala. Let me." Simba said quietly as Nala stormed out of the cave with a growl.

Nala gazed at the rocks around her, it looked like a great battle had commenced, yet there was very little blood, and no bodies left to rot. This gave her some much needed hope. But she still struggled to understand what had transpired. What lie did Zira tell the pride of the sands to get them to attack in this way? And what had they done with Daniel and Kiara? She'd rip anybody apart for a chance to know.

"Momma?" A small voice rang out in the windy canyon.

Nala froze, turning her head to meet eyes with a small white cub she knew all too well. She felt her heart jump into her throat, "Daniel?"

He nodded as he stumbled out of a nearby cave, stepping closer but with very cautious and slow steps, "What have I done?"

Nala looked into his eyes and his face was stuck in a perpetual state of despair. She thought he looked very much the same as when she had found him just a week ago. His eyes relished in a horror that Nala would never understand, "Oh mtoto." She said just as sadly, lying down and pulling him into an embrace, "You haven't done anything…" she licked his head, "Where's your-"

"Kiara's gone. Probably Mjanja and the others too." He interrupted her abruptly, "And it's because of me." Nala sat in shock, and wanted to say something so badly, to tell him everything would be alright, he began to breath heavily and covered his face with his paws, "What's the point of my worthless life anymore. All I do is get people killed…."

"Wait a minute mtoto, she isn't-" Nala began.

"And what if she is?"

"You don't know that." She said simply, just as scared of the idea.

"They said they'd kill us, Nala, straight to our faces!" He protested.

"The great king shouldn't let something like that happen." Nala continued to reason.

"And how do you know!?" He yelled back and Nala flinched. It was at this point that Simba exited in curiosity, and stared widely at his son. "It's not like you were here or anything! How would you know if she's alright? All this talk about great kings and stuff… Wake up! Do you dumb lions ever stop and think once in a while before talking?! Bad things happen all the time to humans Nala, where were our 'great kings' when my dad was shot?! My friends? Tell me that!"

That hurt more than a thousand wounds ever could for Nala. Her son was right, she was gone when they needed her most. And she was working off of faith at this point, the ghosts of Daniels past still haunted him, "Daniel I… they brought you back to me." she started but had nothing else to say, she found.

"Hold on a minute Daniel-" Simba started but got cut off.

"Oh yes I know… I've spoken to Mufasa himself I should believe wholeheartedly right!?" He started whilst seething with anger, "Well you know what? I brought myself to you, on my own two feet! If they actually had the ability to change anything they would've! You both put all your faith in imaginary powers. And I can't do it anymore!" He said with annoyance.

Nala stepped closer and towered over the cub with a half angry and half devastated face, "Do not speak to us like this Daniel! All we've ever wanted to do is help you, and you know it! Cursing our faith and saying it's fake isn't going to make anything better! If you hate it here, and hate our ways, that's news to us!" Nala said, narrowing her eyes.

"Cut it out!" Simba said as the two broke eye contact. He watched them both with disappointed looks as Daniel growled and head butted his own head against the ground and bit his tongue to keep himself from saying more. The cub then sighed deeply.

After a long while Daniel growled to himself, "I shouldn't be here, Nala. I never did belong here, I'm still a human, I'm still selfish and mean. You're right, you deserved better than me. All I've done is make everything into a mess."

The anger from Nala earlier had subsided, and was completely gone now as it was replaced by a worried mother. Daniel's return to using their names instead hadn't gone unnoticed by Nala either, "Daniel, please don't say you're going to try and leave me again? You can't..!" Nala pleaded to him almost desperately. If the worst had happened as he predicted, and Kiara was really gone, she'd be left with nothing other than her mate if he left as well. Not that she was feeling particularly whole as it was. But losing both cubs would hardly help.

"I don't have the energy to leave…" Daniel started sadly as he looked up with apathy, "It will be better if you just do what everyone wants around here and end me…" Nala stared at him with horrified shock for what felt like a long time.

"Now hold on you two," Simba said soothingly as he walked in between us, "They aren't dead, I asked the pride sisters. They were captured and will apparently release them all unharmed if we fulfill their request. Which we are not doing." He emphasized.

"It's me isn't it?" Daniel started with a glint of happiness, "Good, hand me over to them. I'll make everything right-"

"Absolutely not." Simba said. Nala just continued to stare at Daniel with horror. She wondered how she had failed him so badly at this moment when he most likely needed her most. It was like she was looking at the broken human who'd saved her cub and barely lived, instead of the smiling one she had come to know. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"We'll find another way." Simba said simply, and that was that on the matter. "I've told everyone to gather at pride rock so we can figure this out. And to figure out exactly who's missing. Let's go."

Simba eyed Daniel and Nala, noticing that Nala didn't budge. So with a sigh he continued over to Daniel and picked him up by the scruff. And Nala seemed to snap out of it a bit as she began to follow Simba, "Just hand me over to them Simba..." Daniel tried again. But a deep rumbling growl from Simba was a clear indicator of his answer to that.

"Ki…"

"Ki!"

…

"Kiara!" A voice whispered harshly.

Kiara jolted awake as she panicked onto her paws and looked around frantically. Her head felt dizzy and the world was spinning around her, she put a paw to her head and groaned a bit as the feeling subsided. She finally managed to focus as she looked around herself, "Mjanja?" She said confused.

She was trapped inside a wooden cage. She eyed it carefully but realized that it was crafted quite well and could easily keep her contained with ease. She growled, it was dark all around her, the moonlight wasn't very much. The only indication of light was a campfire not far away where she noticed multiple white lions were sitting around.

"Over here Ki." Mjanja said.

She looked out of her cage and to the left at where she heard the voice. Mjanja was in a similar cage a few feet away. "Thank the ancestors you're okay." Kiara expressed with a sigh.

"Since we're in these cages… I'm gonna take a guess and say you were a hero and got Daniel to safety?" She couldn't see his face but she swore she knew he was grinning at her. He knew she hated being called a hero or anything of the sort, and he was still making jabs whilst trapped in a cage.

"Safety? Maybe… I stuffed him in a hole, for all I know he's dying in that hole and can't get out…But at least it's not… them…" she whispered back sadly.

Mjanja sighed, "I'm not sure what their plan is, now that they have us all trapped…" he expressed in confusion.

"Us all? Who's trapped here other than us?" She asked with surprise.

She looked around her, and outside the cage. If she squinted she could barely make out some much larger and sturdier cages that held a couple lions each. She guessed there were at least a dozen and a few more captured lions. Straight across the clearing she noticed three sets of eyes staring at them, "We'll be okay." She heard Mkali's voice suddenly come from said cage.

"Mkali, Sanna, Kimya?" Kiara said worriedly. To which she saw their shadowed bodies nod slowly. Mkali was making a shushing gesture at her.

Kiara turned back to Mjanja, her yes adjusted enough to see his laid back yet worried expression. "So what's the escape plan?" She questioned him.

Mjanja widened his eyes at her and shook his head, and Kiara felt offended, "We aren't just gonna sit and die are we? Let's make an escape plan." All the whole Mjanja tried to shush her.

"There will certainly not be any escaping." An older voice sounded from behind her.

Kiara felt a shiver go down her spine as she turned to the white lioness who was raising an eyebrow at her. "Did It sound like I said escape?" She laughed nervously, "No, no… of course not! I said… that my friend's head looks… egg shaped?" She said growing quieter and quieter by the word.

The lioness seemed to have no reaction to that as she stepped closer to the cage and regarded her, "Princess of the pridelands… Kiara, was it?"

Kiara regarded her with venom. "Yeah, and who're you?"

"My name is Shelyra, queen of the Nchi Kavu. Or… sand pride, as you call us…" the queen said pacing around her small cage.

"My guards say you managed to escape for a good long while. And even managed to trick them and find a hiding spot for your… stolen goods… I might say."

"Are you calling my brother "stolen goods"? How sick and twisted are you?" Kiara said seething with anger.

The lioness actually chuckled at that, "I don't know how else to put it. Do you pridelanders just have an absence of humor?"

Kiara growled, "Want do you want with my little brother? And us for that matter?"

She watched the young princess curiously, "Now why do you persist in calling him your little brother?"

"Uh… my family adopted him, he had no family… so he's my little brother. Does your pride have an absence of intelligence?" She said with a sneer. Shelyra frowned at that as she narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Ki!" Mjanja said scolding her from nearby.

"I have no idea what sort of game you think you are playing, little cub.

"Nevertheless the rest of you will not be returning until they find what's ours. Whether he is delivered… or taken." Shelyra turned her back and sauntered off without chances for another word to be exchanged.

"Kiara! Kiara!" I said as I screamed and slammed my paws against the rock as much as possible. Nothing would budge, I stared at it with despair as I cried my eyes out, "You can't do this…" I whispered to myself.

I heard nothing from the other side, this was it, the reason for my problems had always been myself and nothing more. I stumbled backwards as I released panicked and choked sobs, they were taking everything from me again! I've barely had time to recover from last time!

In my stumbling I slipped and tumbled backwards, out of the hole and down a rocky slope that was only a few feet tall but due to my size felt like a legitimate mountain. My breath was knocked out of me and my body ached, but if I had hurt anything on the way down it hurt considerably less than my emotions.

After all this time, marching on and on…

What was the point again?

This world is cruel, and even more so as a half-animal thing now. Really, why did I think I deserved a family? A new start, a do-over? If Nala knew I was the reason for whatever happens to Kiara, she would blame me, forever. What would Simba think?

I looked around me, a dark and damp cave with little around me to see. It went further through different entrances, there wasn't any easy way out. And as I began slowly traversing the pitch black network of caves, I felt a warm glow to my right. I turned to see a much fainter getting easy to see Miri, walking by my side. She smiled down at me as she always would, her glow emitted a faint light that helped me find my way.

I turned back to the way I was going and nearly ignored her, "Daniel?" She said curiously, a faint echo to her words in my mind.

"Hm." I hummed back uninterested.

"It's okay little one." She said simply.

I rounded in front of her as the ethereal Miri stopped in her tracks, a worried look on her face. "Oh it is?" I said in a slightly challenging tone, "Then tell me, is Kiara okay? Mkali, Sanaa, Kimya, Mjanja. Any of them alright?"

She looked shocked as she lowered her head, "Only you can discover that I'm afraid."

"Then leave." I said, turning around swiftly with a growl.

"But-"

"There is no "but" Miri!" I said seething with anger as I turned to her, "You're dead, I'm not even completely convinced you aren't a figment of my imagination."

"Once you die-"

"You join the great kings of the sky. What have they ever done for me? Because right now, if they exist? I'm seriously considering calling them useless." I said with a shrug.

She gazed sadly yet understandingly, "None of this is your fault, Daniel. But you know we can't intervene like that."

"Yes, I know." I started to cry again, "Just go away Miri. There's other lions in the savanna to watch."

She leaned down and gave me the faintest sensation of a nuzzle, "You are my blessed heir, and it'll be dark. I can't do-"

"Miri, leave, okay?" I said hesitantly. She nodded and backed away slowly. I almost regretted it as the warmth of her presence left and I shivered at the cold cave interior. The great kings were no help to me, I was useless myself… Also what's a "blessed heir"? I should've asked before she left…

After what felt like ages I emerged as the light slowly returned, and caves lead to the outside. I heard nothing so I stayed hidden, until I eventually heard a familiar voice yelling. Soon after I looked out to see a familiar cream colored lioness, "Momma?"

"Daniel?"

"Daniel…"

"Daniel!"

I snapped back to myself, and noticed I was no longer being carried. I looked up at Nala who had been saying my name. We were in our usual cave, the one I'd before come to call home. "Sorry," I said.

She leaned down and nuzzled me, "Just stay in here for a while okay? Me and your father have lots to do, okay? I promise, we'll be back later."

I nodded unenthusiastically, whether they left or stayed didn't matter anymore. She nodded quietly and weaved out of the room quickly, she was in a hurry. I moved over to a small corner, the one with the puddle, and laid next to it. I stared down at my reflection for what felt like ages. How did I ever think that this lion was me? I don't want to be him anymore, he makes everything worse.

Nala entered the main cave, where Simba sat next to his mother Sarabi. She noticed Rafiki tending to her with a face that spoke many unwanted words. She slowly approached Simba's side, and he leaned on her, "She might not be strong enough… to make it." He said so quietly she thought he might lose the grasp on his voice.

She nuzzled him under the chin, "She's very strong Simba. Have faith." But as she said that she felt a dark feeling pass through her.

It was as if Simba had felt the same thing, he shook his head, "I know how Daniel felt…" he started with a shudder, "I thought the same thing when my father died, I cursed the great kings for many years."

"But he's been given so much in such a short amount of time. How can he not believe they helped him?" Nala said with confusion.

Rafiki bonked them both on the head, and they both released a yelp and turned to him in anger. He was raising a brow, "Daniel has talked to old kings and queens many times. It is not their lack of doing something he is cursing. He is giving you two something to argue about while he continues to blame himself."

They both looked at him for more of an explanation, and Rafiki hummed, "A friend told me. One of his old friends."

Nala looked down at her paws and nodded, "Miri…" she said quietly as Simba looked down at her with his head tilted.

They heard shuddered breathing and coughing as all of their attention turned downwards to Sarabi. She stirred, and began to rise a bit as Simba gently pushed her back down onto the ground, "Easy, easy mother. Don't be moving like that."

"Simba?" She said, blinking her eyes a bit and growling in pain as she looked towards the voice. But what they didn't expect was for her to glare at them, "Is Daniel alright?"

The two mates looked at each other in confusion as it slowly clicked in Nala's brain. Nala nodded and quickly nuzzled Sarabi, "We didn't trade him for you, if that's what you're worried about."

She sighed with relief as she eased herself back down onto the cave floor, "And Kiara?" She asked expectantly.

They shared a glance once again, and made a silent nod as Simba leaned down, "Both your grandcubs are fine, mother. Rest, you need it to recover."

Rafiki bonked Simba on the head, then spoke aloud, "Kiara, I'm afraid, is in the hands of the Nchi Kavu. Though she hasn't been harmed quite yet!"

"Rafiki!" Nala said annoyed.

Sarabi's eyes practically shot open as she glared at Simba, "Kiara has been taken and you try to lie to me? My own son!" She said offended as she batted the top of his head multiple times with a snarl.

He relented, "I didn't want you worried while you recover, mother. Yes, about fourteen pridelanders were captured last night."

She rolled her eyes, "I would've found out anyway! I can handle some worry, not like I'm going anywhere with these wounds anyway…" she said as she grunted in pain and rested herself back down. "So what do they want? If they haven't killed them yet then that means they're bargaining." She said with an expectant look.

Nala sighed, "They want… Daniel. We have no clue why, probably so they can hand him over to Zira…" Nala said with a disgusted face.

Sarabi shook her head, "If the outcasts have nothing that the Nchi Kavu want, then they will not trade. The outcasts want Daniel gone, that was their trade. So the Nchi Kavu want Daniel for something… but what..?" Sarabi said deep in thought.

Simba grumbled, "Is it because he's a white lion?" He said disdainfully for the opposing pride.

Sarabi thought about it for a moment, "You think it's that simple?"

Nala and Simba thought deeply for a moment, and Nala sighed, "He's useless to them anyway you put it. He's just a white lion, that's all."

Simba growled, "Well if it's just because he's a white lion, which caused them to take our pride, then we must act."

Sarabi nodded in agreeance, "Do you know where they are keeping them?"

Simba nodded, "I assume it's on the plateau just on the outskirts of our kingdom. Where nobody rules and they can do as they wish."

There was a long pause in the room, nobody had any clue of what to do, or anything to add. Simba and Nala looked at each other for guidance but both saw the same confused expression. Sarabi suddenly grunted in pain and growled as she gently lowered herself. Rafiki eased her again, "Lay and rest, you must heal." He told her.

Simba stepped forward and nuzzled her, "We will figure this out, I promise. Sleep, mother." She didn't protest as she seethed with aches.

Nala nudged Simba, "We must talk to them… Everyone is afraid, Simba."

Simba nodded as he turned to regard his people, a room of terrified lions and lionesses with their cubs. He put on the bravest face he could, though he saw pity from most, as the word of Kiara missing and Sarabi's wound had already spread. He breathed one last sigh as he regarded his mate, "Of course, both of us."

After self-pitying myself for far too long, I looked down at my reflection in disdain one last time. Swiping my paw at it and standing up. I paced back and forth, what was I to do? The pride of the sands were far too confusing and the pridelanders didn't know what they were capable of. There was no chance a considerable fighting force could be made for them. Besides! They didn't even want bloodshed, peace either but well-.. that didn't matter! They just want… me.

I stopped my pacing as I looked straight ahead for a moment. A flicker of shadows on the outside of the room as I thought about what I'd just said. They just want me. They only want me, that's all this has ever been about! Kiara could go free! Mkali, all of them!

My face fell with just as much strength as I stared down at my paws and clenched, feeling the dirt and rock scrape my tiny claws. If I did that it would invalidate everything Kiara had done for me. Everything Mkali, Nala, Simba, everyone had done for me. Even Rafiki! Giving myself to them was potentially the last thing that anyone would want, even those still trapped…

I began pacing again. There was no other way through this as it was, even if by some miracle Simba rallies the pride, we were doomed for time. Who is to say they won't just come back for me another time after disposing of the ones already captured… There are too many unknowable barriers, too much that could go wrong! Isn't the best thing I could do is to go alone? Maybe I could negotiate… or figure out some other way!

Why do they want me anyway? I'm just some stupid kid who can't figure out how to change between a useless white lion, and a useless older kid. This is so dumb! I should be like, playing at the watering hole with Kiara, or practicing hunting skills on Zazu, not trying to save half my family by exchanging my own body for them! I feel like my mind is going to explode, and it's not even my fault! I was borderline suicidal only a few days ago, how am I supposed to cope with this? I'm just so tired... I growled and lowered my head in defeat.

I should make sure first, go see if Simba has already made another plan, some other way this could go. But I should be prepared for the worst should it come to it. I might be alone in this endeavor after all.

I walked back over to the puddle and looked down, glaring hard once again. "You may not be me…" I spoke quietly, and smiled as the reflection mimicked me, "But you are going to save my family, and for that, I am grateful." A smile hinted on the edge of the white lions lips but didn't come. I looked around with determined vigor.

I quietly snuck my way out of the den, which wasn't very hard. Nobody was guarding the cave and most of the pridelanders were sitting in small groups either weeping or talking in hushed tones. I made my way along the left wall of the cave quietly, there were many stalagmites on the ground that I could jump between.

On the far wall I spotted Rafiki and my parents, along with Sarabi who was caked in blood and looked to be gravely hurt. A brief pang of sadness, panic, and worry washed over me. I felt like running over and making sure she was alright, but as she began conversing I knew she had enough strength to pull through. She had to!

I ended up finding myself sneaking as close to the ground as I could, to listen in on their conversation. But as I got closer all I could hear were brief bouts of words, and the rest was muffled. I peaked my ear out and listened intently, "So the Nchi Kavu want Daniel for something… but what?…" Sarabi's voice faded.

Simba sounded unhappy, "…because he's a white lion?"

Sarabi hummed, "…think… that simple?.." I barely made out.

Nala's voice began, rather low and harsh, "…useless…anyway you put it… he's… a white lion…" I recoiled downwards as I held myself steady, was that… no I must've misheard right?

Simba growled, "Well if… because…a white lion, which…take our pride…we must act." His words stringed together in an almost nonsensical way, yet they almost seemed to agree with what I thought I heard from Nala. My chest tightened and I felt suddenly much heavier as a pain rooted itself deep in me. What did Simba mean by "we must act?" Was it in a war declaration way, or a take care of me himself sort of way?

"…where…they…keeping them?" I heard Sarabi ask.

Simba answered, "I assume…the plateau…outskirts of our kingdom. Where nobody rules…do as they wish."

That's where my sister was. That's where all of the people I have ruined the lives of were at. I had to go there quickly. I briefly thought back on what I thought I heard, and felt myself moving to tears. Now I wasn't irrational, I knew it was very likely I had just misheard them and not heard all of their words. But when self doubt is already seeded in your mind it's really hard not to let the idea consume you. It was most likely just me hearing the words I expected to hear, but not the ones I should've heard… I couldn't know. I wouldn't ask them, not now.

What if they had actually said that? Then it made doing what I'm going to do regardless, much easier on me. I had nothing to fight for if my family hated me, hell… I hate myself. I don't blame them one bit.

I quietly looked around me one last time, briefly remembering I'm not safe to sit around here. I snuck as close to the entrance as possible, and when I felt everyone was turned, I made a mad dash for it. And just as quickly slinked around the corner unseen into the night. The fire was still blazing not far away, but at least it was dying away now. The wall of fire was more of a broken battlement at the end of a war than any real wall of defense now.

I was going to miss it here, maybe they wouldn't miss me. But I didn't have to know that. I almost wished what I thought I heard was the truth, because the aching in my heart would be made so much less painful if I could just stop caring. At some point I ended up shifting into human form, and I thanked whatever force behind it for that. It would make the trip much faster, and easier to sneak away.

I looked back again one last time, at pride rock, at the savannah, at my home. All I could think was that it was ironic, maybe beautiful in a weird way. That all of this would end how it all began, running away from a fire…