Hi! I just want to say I am grateful to all who are still following this little story and if you're just getting here, welcome!

Hope ya'll enjoy this new chapter where we meet both new and old faces.

"Nala was here. And Simba. They all were." Kovu looked up to where the desert lie before him and Kion. "They've crossed it."

Kion strolled forward. "Kidogo, how fast can you fly?"

"Fast enough!" The blue bird replied.

"Good, take to the skies and find my parents. Telk them we're close behind."

Kidogo nodded and flew off, the moon beaming down on his pale blue feathers as he disappeared from sight.

Kion sat down. "Do we follow?"

Kovu eyed the moon which had reached it's peak. "Yes. The night is far cooler then the day. We will go on." Kovu sniffed the ground and gasped. "Mufasa!" His beloved nephew had left them a trail.

"Let's go then, before the trail goes cold." Kion urged.

TLK

Nala was in the lead of the group. Next to Kovu, she was one of the best trackers in the Pride Lands. She trudged tirelessly, eager to find her grandcubs.

"Nala?"

The Queen stopped in her tracks and turned to face her mate. "What?"

"It's late, Mom." Kopa pointed out. "We've been running all night and all day. I think we've earned a night's rest."

"Are you kidding!? I'm not resting until my cubs are in my paws!" Vitani snarled.

"Vitani is right. We can't stop now! Who knows what those fiends have done to Mufasa and Kuona?" Nala cried.

"Nala, you heard what that lioness said. They need the cubs alive." Malka said. "And we'd be in no shape to save them if we're run off our paws."

"Malka is right. We may need all our strength to save them." Simba said.

Nala and Vitani exchanged glances. Neither wanted to stop, but botb knew that the others were right.

Suddenly, Nala picked up traces of Kuona. She yelped in surprise as she followed the scent, which led to a small rock where a tuft of fur lie underneath.The spot was just big enough for the cubs to rest.

"They passed this way." Nala announced.

Simba came to her side and nuzzled her. "We'll pick this up as soon as the sun rises. For now, let's sleep."

Nala reluctantly followed her mate to a spot where they both lay down. Malka, Tama and Kopa joined them with only Vitani remaining by the rock.

Kopa stood and joined her.

" 'Tani?"

"You've heard stories about my mother." She said.

Kopa nodded.

"I was so sure I didn't want kids. I didn't want to turn out like her and be a menace to my cubs..." Vitani frowned. "But... when they were born, I realized... they weren't just a piece of me... but they were a piece of you too." She fell against Kopa's hazel brown mane. "I realized then I wouldn't let any thing happen to them. I wanted to do everything I could for them. And now... and now..."

"And now you'll still do whatever you can." Kopa said. "We are going to get them back."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Are you kidding? My love, we've survived far worse then this." Kopa glanced at his sleeping family. "We all have. Whoever this King Damu is, he's never met the likes of our pride. We've seen horror, we've met death and we've faced evil before."

Vitani sighed as they sank to the ground, with her still nuzzling into his mane.

"Trust me, King Damu doesn't know who he's dealing with."

TLK

Mufasa opened his eyes. He must have fallen alseep for they were in a completely territory now. Nothing but waste lands surrounded them. His breath caught in his throat as he noticed the corpses of sizes surrounding them.

Some had been skeleton for sometime, others though, still had rotting bits of flesh still grasping the bones from which they hang.

Vultures circled above, silent as stars save for the ugly flap of their wings.

Giza and Kisari kept in pace with each other, unbothered by the sights. They walked through the lands before they came to what seemed like a large pit. Mufasa guessed that this was what the Elephant Graveyard must look like back in the Pride Lands.

In the pit were large skeletons, possibly an assortment of elephants and giraffes. But their skeletal remains had been modified into what looked like dens. The most gruesome was the den in the center of the pit.

It was the body of an elephant with the skulls of what seemed lions hanging from the rib cages. Dead grass and old skins hung on the dens, preventing bad weather from seeping in.

Mufasa heard Kuona yelp and guessed she had just woken up.

Ignoring her, Giza and Kisari tightened their grasps on the cubs and slip into the pit. Bones scattered down with them.

Kuona glanced nervously around as she watched lions and lionesses begin to pour out if their caves, each were skinny and all bore scars.

"More recruits?" A pale yellow pelted lion with a shaggy brown mane approached the new arrivals and smiled cruelly. "They're a bit young, eh?"

"They'll grow. The golden one already shows promise." Kisari snarled, referring to Mufasa.

"And I suppose the little brown one will make an addition huntress?" Asked another lioness, eyeing Kuona.

"Their roles will be decided by King Damu only." Kisari warned.

"You are correct, number two."

Kuona and Mufasa both felt the fur on their backs raise in alarm at this new voice. It's tone rang of all hardships of life. It sounded as though it had never know love nor the warmth of the sun as it was a cold, chilling voice.

Suddenly the owner of this voice came into view. He was a giant. With a gray pelt and dirty black mane as dark as the shadows around them. His eyes were piercing red? the color of blood. He bore a scar that streched across his entire face, a scar that resembled a wound he should not have survived from as it stretched to his jaw where peices of flesh were missing, revealing the rough muscles underneath that moved with each word.

He truly was the work of evil powers.

"King Damu." Kisari bowed her head and the King smiled as he glanced at her prizes.

"Excellent, my second-in-command." He sneered. But as he glanced away, he frowned. "Where is Dumu?"

"She failed." Kisari replied, simply.

Damu nodded. "Well... if she decides to bring her sorry hide back here, she'll learn you can only fail so many times."

"Why do you keep giving her chances?" Kisari asked.

Damu rolled his thin shoulders and snarled as he studied his unsheathed claws. "A foolish promise I made to my sister, to watch over her daughter. I warned her that if Dumu proved unworthy she'd join her in death. Caring for the brat made me wish I hadn't had killed my sister." Damu stretched as he started back for his den. "But that's only so I wouldn't have to raise her." He eyed the cubs as if he had forgotten they were there. He tilted his head to a den far from the others. "Throw them with the other prisoners and then take a hunting party out."

Kisari bowed her head and clamped her jaws around Kuona whilst Giza took Mufasa.

Neither cub fought, too exhausted and hungry as they allowed the two rogues to carry them to the den.

Kisari practically spat Kuona to the ground as if she were a piece of rotting meat. "Get inside. Your fellow prisoners will explain the rules. I'm done babysitting."

Mufasa and Kuona looked at each other, uncertain whether or not to obey. Suddenly Giza roared at them and they quickly ran into the dark den.

Mufasa waited for his eyes to adjust, his body shaking in fear. "Kuona?"

"I'm here." She assured, pressing her pelt against her brother.

"Where are we?" Mufasa wandered.

"Welcome to the Dead Lands."

Both cubs jumped, startled. Mufasa raised his hackles. "S-show yourself!" He growled, trying to sound brave.

"Easy, son." The owner of the voice stepped away from the shadows. "No one here is going to hurt you."

He was an older tan lion with a dark, messy red mane. His eyes were turquoise and his smile was warm.

"Who are you?" Kuona asked.

"I am Mheetu."

"Where did you say we were?" Mufasa asked.

"The Dead Lands." A new voice answered and Mufasa and Kuona stared as three more lions and a lioness made themselves known.

The first lion had a dirty tan pelt and a shaggy brown mane. "I am Ni."

"I am Kasi." Said the second male. He was a golden lion with a dark hazel mane and piercing red eyes.

"I am Ranji." The third lion announced. He was a plae lion with a tan and brown mane and gleaming green eyes.

The lioness, a tan lioness with forest green eyes was last to introduce herself. "And I am Tifu."

"Who are you, young cubs?" Mheetu asked.

Kuona stared at her brother. His distrustful gaze was evident, but at this point, Kuona didn't care. These lions seemed a lost friendlier then the ones who were keeping them prisoner.

"I am Kuona and this is my brother, Muffy."

Mufasa looked gratefully at his sister for not using his full name.

"Well, cubs, you look tired and hungry. Come, what little we have is yours." Mheetu them led them to a pile of small prey animals which the young cubs eagerly devoured in minutes.

"Slow down, kids!" Kasi smiled as Tifu leaned into him. Kuona noticed the tired look in her eyes. At once, she felt guilty for eating the prey.

"I-I'm sorry, I-"

But Tifu smiled. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You're a growing lioness you need your strength."

"So do you." Kasi said.

Tifu shrugged. "Our cubs will get plenty."

Mufasa frowned. "Wait, you're with cubs?"

"Yes."

Before Mufasa could asked anymore, he felt himself suddenly picked up by the scruff and dropped into the lion, Ni's paws. Ranji winked as he took Kuona into his own paws and started washing her fur.

"Isn't this a lioness's job?" Mufasa asked as Ni began working on his fur.

"We take turns. You're filthy, you have sand everywhere!" Ni said.

"Did you cross the desert?" Mheetu asked.

"Yeah, we come from a kingdom called the North Lands!" Kuona explained. "Our dad's the king!"

"King, huh? I didn't know I was cleaning royalty." Ranji chuckled.

"We're honored to have you, prince Muffy and princess Kuona, but where are your parents?" Tifu asked.

Kuona frowned as she told them the whole story.

"These miserable termites!" Kasi snarled. "Taking cubs! It's one thing to capture rogues but to steal cubs?!"

"Are you all rogues?" Mufasa asked, drowsily.

Mheetu smiled. "Rest now, cub. When you awake, we'll tell you our story."

Mufasa barely heard the last sentence as he was lulled to sleep by the steady lapping of Ni's tongue. Kuona had already fallen asleep in Ranji's paws who looked down at her with both sadness and wonder. "I hate they stole cubs... but I'm already falling in love with them. It's like I'm a big brother again!"

"Shh! Be the quiet big brother then." Tifu teased.

Mheetu frowned as he glanced out at the clearing where a lone lion was patrolling. Great kings, I pray these were sent by you as help to escape this evil place.

Yep, Mheetu, Tifu and Ni will be making their appearances. In this story, Tifu and Kiara never met and her back story is to be discovered later. Also in this AU, she's at least 2 or 3 years older then Kiara and not nearly as ditzi as she is portrayed in the Lion Guard.