Kiara and Kovu both got unsteadily to their paws, padding over to the ledge and cautiously looking down. Both half expected to see a croc climbing towards them.

Thankfully, though, they were too high up. The crocodiles snapped furiously up at them from the water below, lashing their tails irritably at having lost out on eating the two of them.

"I did it..." Kiara breathed. Relief and adrenaline coursed through the young princess as she let out an excited laugh. "I DID IT!"

Kovu flinched at her loud exclamation, but couldn't help but smirk as she blew a taunting raspberry at the crocodiles. "Take that, losers!" he yelled down at the reptiles before padding away from the ledge, following Kiara to a grassy clearing.

The princess was still feeling the rush after her near-death experience, skipping around Kovu in the grass and rolling in the dirt. "Oh my God, did you see those teeth?! They were like, ROWR-ROWRR-RRR! And you tried to get away but I followed you so good, and-"

Kiara paused, fixing Kovu with a glare.

Kovu sat there calmly, narrowing his eyes at her. "What?"

"You tried to get away," she repeated herself. "You were gonna leave those crocodiles to eat me."

The darker cub shrugged, licking a paw nonchalantly. "So? It's every lion for himself out here." He opened his eyes again, staring her down. "You'd know that if you didn't have it so good in the Pridelands."

Kiara's fur bristled, and she opened her mouth to shoot back a retort, but Kovu beat her to it.

"Besides, I didn't need your help," he went on smoothly, looking down at her with arrogant pride. "I've had to fight off crocodiles a bunch of times!"

"Oh~" He was obviously lying through his teeth, but Kiara's orange eyes shone with naive awe, staring at Kovu like he was one of the Great Kings her father had often told her stories about. "You're very, very brave, Kovu..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Kovu replied, grinning and tossing back his black tuft of mane.

Little did the cubs know, they were being watched...by none other than Zira.

"I mean it," Kiara went on, her orange eyes shining as she leaned closer to him. "I've never met anyone like you...ever."

"Tell me about it," Kovu chuckled, smirking as he puffed out his skinny chest.

Zira narrowed her eyes, baring her teeth as she watched. This Pridelander was getting a little too familiar with her son.

Kiara suddenly got down, reached out a paw and swatted Kovu. "Tag! You're it~" she exclaimed, prancing excitedly around him.

Kovu didn't move a muscle, staring at Kiara in confusion.

"Hello?" Kiara prompted him, tilting her head. "Don't you know how to play?"

"Tch." Kovu rolled his eyes. "That's kid stuff."

"Oh." A look of realization crossed Kiara's face. She crouched down and bared her teeth, growling playfully as she got ready to play-fight Kovu.

"Aha..." Kovu meowed, a little more intrigued by this game in spite of himself. He got down on his belly, baring his teeth in a snarl...

"RRRAWWRR!"

Kovu gasped, looking up to see a full grown lion towering over him, a fierce glare in his red eyes.

It was none other than King Simba.