This chapter is short, but I hope you like it. Sorry if it seems a little off, it was a little rushed

YourFan: Aw, thank you for your review!

SPARTAN-626: We'll see won't we?

pawster-07: Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

It was a few hours before Kweli arrived at Kopa's den, with Kali in tow.

The golden lion glared as he stepped out, his head high and his claws out. "I have afew questions to ask you."

"And what are they?" Kali asked.

Kopa cleared his throat. "Last night, a cheetah cub, barely a few days old, was taken from it's parents. The cheetah informs me that this has never happened before. Where were you last night?"

"How do you know it was not any of the other new animals that have traveled to this land?" Kali spat.

"The cheetahs have no quarrels with the other North Landers. Nothing like this has happened before now."

"Don't you think that maybe some one is trying to frame me? Huh? Get us hyenas kicked out?"

Kopa raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps-"

"Then don't go opening your mouth till ya got more clues, your majesty."

Kweli tensed, expecting Kopa to lash out at her, to tell her that her clan was no longer welcomed. But instead, he narrowed his eyes and sat down. "You may go." He said.

Kweli quickly bowed and nipped Kali sharply on the ear as they turned and left.

Kidogo, who was watching from a tree, flew and landed on Kopa's shoulder. "He... did have a point." He said.

"True, my friend," Kopa said as he turned to walk down to the water hole. "But you did not observe his muzzle."

"What was there?"

Kopa lowered his head and lapped before answering. "Blood." He said.

"What!?"

"Only hints though, as if he tried to wash it off but did not get all of it."

"Do you think he's the killer?"

"Perhaps, but as Kali pointed out, we can not narrow it down to one suspect just yet."

"But we know he's the killer!"

Kopa sighed. "You may know that and I may know that, but I thought about it over night and it was wrong of me to jump to conclusions with the hyenas, they may be what they say they are. And if Kali is the murderer, who's to say the rest of the clan is not innocent?"

"Well,"

"I'm going to meet with the cheetahs." Kopa said as he turned to leave, but Vitani suddenly appeared.

"I don't like this, Kopa. We should just run them out now." She growled.

"Tani', I can't kick them out without good reason."

"Here's a good reason, one if the clan members might have murdered a cub!"

"Keep your voice down! And one hyena." Kopa said as he pushed passed his mate.

Kopa arrived at the cheetahs' sleeping place not long after and felt a lump catch on his throat as he saw the female sobbing whilst the male watched, eyes closed, keeping his last cub close to him.

Kola cleared his throat and approached the grieving parents. The male looked up first. "Your majesty."

"I came to pay my condolences and assure you that we are undergoing a search as to what happened to your cub."

The female growled as she stood. "I already know! Those creatures did something! I know!"

"Nzuri, please. Your majesty, is there anything you can do?"

"I am doing what I can. Later, I will be speaking with the hyena clan."

"Why speak? They won't listen!" Nzuri growled.

"Please, ma'am, I assure you, we will get to the bottom of this."

The cheetah glared. "See that you do."

Kopa nodded as he backed away, in respect.

TLK

Vitani paced, her claws digging in the dirt with each step. "This is wrong. Kopa should have had us run those beasts out the moment they set paw in this land."

Kula frowned as she looked to Tama who nodded in agreement. "Perhaps it was not a good idea after all to name him our king." She said, quietly.

Kula stood. "Don't say that, Tama. Kopa is a great king, he's just trying to do what's best for everyone. Including the hyenas."

"He has a good heart." Vitani said. Suddenly, she wobbled a bit and stumbled but Kula quickly leapt to her side, steadying her. "Sorry," Vitani said, shaking her head. "I'm suddenly feeling light headed."

Kula and Tama exchanged glances before the tan lioness cleared her throat. "I'm going to speak with Kopa." She said before leaving.

She found Kopa a little while later, speaking with Kidogo. Noticing his mate, Kopa smiled. "We'll speak more about this later." He said. The blue bird nodded and flew away.

"What's going on?" Vitani asked.

The golden lion sighed. "A little... trouble with the hyena clan."

Vitani's eyes widened in shock. "They're still here?! They're murderers!"

"We think it was only one. I have Kidogo and Bluu keeping an out."

"What are you going to do?"

Kopa sighed. "I don't know."

TLK

True to his word, Kopa went to speak with the clan later that same day. The hyenas bowed as he approached, but Kopa couldn't tell on whether or not it was respect or fear.

The only one who did not acknowledge his presence was Kali. The hyena was resting by the water hole, his tail dipped in. Kopa nodded his head towards the other hyenas before approaching Kali. The scarred beast looked up and scoffed. "Come to pin another crime on me?"

Kopa ignored his bitterness and took a seat beside him. "I came to ask your forgiveness in this matter. It was wrong of me to accuse you so quickly."

"Apology not excepted."

Kopa took a deep breath. "I only wish to ask where you were at that time of night."

"Where do you think I was? Asleep!"

"I am only trying-"

"Don't try." Kali growled as he stood. But as he did, Kopa noticed a bit of blood dripping from a tooth as the hyena bared his teeth. "Good day."

Night was falling the same day as Vitani waited outside her den, her eyes peering into the darkness, looking for any sign of her mate.

"You're majesty," Kidogo said as he appeared.

Vitani raised an eyebrow, doubting that she would get used to that saying. Nonetheless, she addressed the blue bird with a small tilt of her head.

"Kioa sent me to apologize for he won't be able to join you in the den tonight. He and my brother Bluu are keeping watch over the hyenas tonight."

Vitani frowned. "I hope they don't try anything funny." She growled.

Meanwhile, hidden in the tall grass, Kioa and Bluu sat quietly, watching as the clan settled in for the night. Kali, as usual kept his distance but there was something unusual about his behavior. As he curled up to sleep, he kept peeking over his shoulder as his clan. When the last hyena closed it's eyes, Kali stood and slicked off.

Kopa stood as well and together he and Bluu followed, keeping close to the shadows.

With one more glance over his shoulder, Kali disappeared into some tall grass. Bluu flew quietly over until he spotted the hyena and motioned Kopa to follow. Kali was sneaking towards the cheetahs and Kipa growled softly when he realized why. He was going after the second cub.

Wasting no time, Kopa sped up, feeling the earth under his paws and remembering Kovu's advice. Crouching low, he pounced.

Kali was a lot skinnier then he appeared for once Kopa had jumped him, the hyena slipped out of his grasp and ran the opposite direction. The noise awoke the mother cheetah, Nzuri, from her slumber. Growling she stood and noticed the hyena escaping. Kopa called out to her but his voice fell on deaf ears as she sped through the grass.

Kali whimpered as he tried to escape, but she knew this land better then he. His only hope was to stay in the long grass and zig zag.

Kopa was on his feet and right behind the raged cheetah, but she was, of course, faster. He lost her not long after she took off, so he tried another path.

Kali panted as his muscles started burning. Desperate, he began to take different paths, unknowing that he was racing right in between the lion and cheetah.

Kopa smelled him before he saw and quickly came to a halt.

Kali stopped as well, unable to hear the rustling anymore. His heart pounded in his chest as he swallowed. A small rustled behind him made him jump and turn, but no one was there.

Kopa held his breath as he fixed his ear. A slight whimper told him that Kali was close, but he was unsure where.

The hyena quietly dropped on his stomach and panted heavily. The wind was not in his favor. He suddenly heard a low growl and gaped quietly when he saw Kopa's golden pelt against the moonlight as he walked passed. It was sheer luck that Kopa hadn't looked his way, next time he wouldn't be so fortunate. Carefully, he began to slink away but not before Nzuri pounced on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

Kali cried out in terror as the cheetah growled and placed her outstretched claws upon his neck.

"Nzuri!" Kopa shouted as he approached.

"He is mine!" Nzuru hissed, her mind on grief over the loss of her cub.

Kopa frowned but before he could speak, Kweli arrived. "Her mate told me that he was trying to get her second cub..." Upon seeing her clan member pinned to the ground, she hung her head, ashamed. "He truly is a murderer."

"Nzuri, I am very sorry that you lost your cub but-"

"Not lost." Nzuri interrupted. Then she glared down as Kali. "Stolen."

"But why, Kali?" Kweli asked.

"Becuase! What you don't know about me is that I came from a land led by a lion who would give us anything we wanted! I had three hyenas who were the boss of me and they were good leaders! Once we moved to the land of the lion's dead brother, it was heaven! Prey and water as far as we could see and ya know what? We didn't have to do anything! We had the lion pride hunt for us! That's right! They were our servants! Then the land began to the bad and my leaders were beginning to think that this was a bad idea. So we all made a pact, to say that no matter what happened, we'd stick together!"

kweli frowned as Kali continued. "Then the lion's nephew returned and fire struck the land. And then the dark lion turned on us! Betrayed us! So we attacked him, but we lingered too long in the fire. A lit if my clan didn't make it, but my leaders did. And so did I."

"W-why are you telling me this now?" Kweli asked.

"Because..." Kali growled as he sturggled under Nzuri's grip. "I wanted your place as matriarch. Once my leaders had found me, I'd have a clan of my own!"

"You're put of your mind!" Kopa cried, shocked by such a tale.

The mother cheetah growled as she raised her paw, but Kopa stopped her.

"Nzuri, let me take him. You go back to your mate and cub and tomorrow we will decide what is to be done."

The cheetah glared before stepping off and allowing Kopa to approach. No words were exchanged between anyone as Kopa led his prisoner away from the grieving mother.

We'll find out about Kali's fate next chapter, hope you guys liked it!