fun in a mud puddle. A year after I arrived,  Simba abdicated the throne and handed it over to Kiara. But as time soon showed, she didn't seem to be able to produce cubs. Time after time, she either miscarried or delivered stillborns.  Dispair and tension hung over the kingdom, making the pride easily bicker adn snap at each other.  At one point, Kovu refused to mate with her, fearful of losing her after her last miscarrage, where she had lost a great deal of blood.

"Simba? Can I ask you something?" He looked up from where he lay, smiled and moved over. Bowing my head, I tried to think of a way to phrase my question. "If... If Queen Kiara is unable to produce cubs, who would be the next Monarach?" He studied me for a minute, then put his head down. "Well, by law, it would be her younger sibling's cub... but since she is without, it would be Kovu's nephew or niece... which is you. Why?" I jumped up, and raced out of the cave without answering. "Mohadden! Mohadden? What's the matter?" He shouted after me, but I ignored him, turning a corner and fleeing into the rocky lands.  Several hours later, Ma found me there sobbing. "Baby, what happened?"  "Simba told me if Kiara doesn't produce an heir I will be King... Ma, I can't be king... I might turn out like my father! I don't want to be like him."  "Now, sweetie, calm yourself. You won't take after him, I promise. I won't LET you. Train as a king. You might... enjoy it." I nodded and we slowly walked back together.

Some years later, after I had been trained as the next king, we found that Kiara was once again expecting.  I pleaded and pleaded to the Kings of the Past and to my birth mother, in high hopes that I might not be king after all.  Finally, after what seemed like years, twins were born to Kovu and Kiara- one of each, a boy and a girl. Nikkaniel and Kiona, the new prince and princess of the land.  The entire kingdom sighed in relief at the health of the Queen and new cubs. The day after the royals' birth, I watched the sunrise, surprised to be joined by Kovu and Simba. "Hi. How's Kiara?" "Still asleep, but she deserves it." Kovu answered. "Mohadden? You do understand that...erm... the twins being born and able to rule means you can't... won't be king, right?" "Yes, isn't it wonderful? I can't be king, I can't be king, I can't be--" I freeze in my dance and blush at the two royals staring at me, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Simba was the first to speak. "You... didn't want to be king? You sure acted like it..." "I didn't want to dissappoint you. I haven't wanted to be king in a long time. A long, long time... not since Siani passed on..." "Who?" Kovu siad, clearly confused.  "Siani, my mother." Both nodded, then after each had thanked me for being loyal and ready to do a duty I hadn't wanted, they went back inside to say hello to the new borns who were just waking up.

A few months passed, in that time each twin learned about the kingdom and of their responsibilities ahead. As I was  getting ready for a nap one day, I became aware of strange pawprints on the ground. Right after I told Kiara and Kovu of them, I turned around with an odd feeling of dread. Something was after the twins! I didn't know 'who' or how I knew, but I did. Racing to where they both were playing, i leapt... just as a brown lioness did from the opposite side. We snarled, our fight going on forever as the pride came to the scene (a day late and a zebra short, if ya ask me). I kept biting and snarling, until I finally pinned the lioness, my unsheathed claws draing dark red blood.

She gasped"Okay, enough! I give up!" I snarled at her. "Kovu, Simba, she's all yours. Do what you want with her." "Mohadden, are you alright?" Ma rasped as she skidded to a halt beside me and began checking me for injuries. "Mohadden? No... it can't be... you're dead! Are you the son of Shian and Siani?" "Of the Orian Borders? Yes, who are you?" She gave a happy laugh. "You don't recognize me? I'm Sapphire. Remember?" "Sapphire? You... you tried to kill cubs! MY FAMILY!" I snarled. She lowered her head, then it shot back up. "I was desperate! I'm STARVING! And this isn't your family... your father is back at the Borders, making our lives miserable." "I have no family there." She looked astonished, but I myself was surprised such words came out of my mouth. "Now, i suggest you take leave, Sapphire. You might have been my friend, but I have no room for old memories... only my new life."  She gave a sob and shouted. "I AM YOUR BETROTHED... DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME... I AM YOUR MATE." "You are nothing to me. I left that curse of a life and came here to the Pride Lands... you are nothing but a memory... granted, a good one, but still."

She stayed with us that night, leaving me furious of her actions but upset of her words. I was denying my father, though mean and abusive after Mother's death, he was my parent. The decision to go or stay weighed on my mind for three nights, until I finally gave in and decided it was time to face my past. After the sunrise on the fourth morning, with King Kovu and Elder Simba's blessing and over three-fouths of the pride as support, i started off toward the Orian Borders, ruled by Shian.

As my eyes fell on a dark patch of grass in the midst of all the dry cracked ground, i had to turn my head away, drawing unwanted attention to myself, as my mother looked at me carefully. "What's wrong Mohadden?" I looked at her and sighed, my eyes going right back to the spot in sadness. "That's.. where... where my... my first, well, mother died." I watched her look at it, and then she slowly walked up to it and bowed, opening her mouth and speaking. "Queen Siani of the Orian Borders, I wish to thank you. I hate of how you left your prince, but in leaving your son, you gave me one. I wish that things had not gone as bad as they did, but it was a great blessing for me, so I thank you." I had the feeling she meant it, and as she lifted her head, near in tears, I walked up and nuzzled gently. "She... May have carried me beneath her heart for four months, however, as far as I am concerned, you, are my mother. Let's continue."  After about an hour, we came to three lioness' guarding the lands. "Back off, Rogues." "Lighorn, don't you remember me?" I asked softly.  Her eyes widened. "It can't be... Mohadden? But you... you're dead." "No, I left. But I'm back. Ready to take my place as the next king." "Why did you leave? Where'd you get those scars?" "Shian gave me the scars. I left to survive. I didn't think Mother would want me to stay and die from Dad's paws." "You... why didn't you tell me? I might have-" "Been killed. You know what he was like when someone rose up against him. They mysteriously disappeared, or were found dead the next day or so. He would not have hesitated. You know that."  She hesitated in her answer. "Yes, you are right. Come in then." 

At that, she side-stepped and let us through, watching us carefully. "LIGHORN, WHO DID YOU JUST LET IN? I do not recognize any of-"  He stopped as he saw me. "Hello, father. Or did you forget of me, since you no longer could blame me of Zeafrah's crime of murdering my mother?" He snarled. "So, you come to over power me?" "No, I simply come to take my place as the new king. I am the heir. Not even you, Shian, can deny that I am your son. Lighorn knew who I was. Step down. Please, let me reclaim my title peacefully." "Aww, can the wimpy little pussy-cat not fight? Awww... worthless animal. You are not my son."

 "Alright, then i feel no sadness in doing this!" I grabbed his tail and spun him around, slamming him to the ground. "I gave you a chance for peacefulness. You refused." He snarled. "You don't deserve the throne! You ran away! I should stay in power." "Why, because you've done such a good job? I see skin and bones, sunk in eyes, and parched lips. If mother were here, she'd have your tail-end. After all, SHE was the one to be there for me when Zerena attacked. Not you. You never were there for me. I was just 'the young prince' to you. Nothing else. Her death wasn't even my fault, yet you blamed me. I don't even care anymore, just tell me why. Why was it you hated me so, even though you saw and smelled Zeafrah's blood on Mama's claws, when you saw Zeafrah dead, why blame me? She loved you! Do you think she would now, I mean do you honestly believe she would applaud after you scarred me? Every mark I have is from YOU."

He looked bored, at least until i yelped. "Get your claws off my baby!" Vitani screamed as a black lioness sunk her claws into me. She hit the lioness with all her strength, clawing off the ear and eyes in seconds.  "MA!" "Ma? Oh, so you cared for Siani so much you replaced her with this rag-tag mule." "Take. That. Back. BEFORE I RIP YOUR FACE OFF!" I snarled, biting into him as hard as i could. Determined to live up to my name, my claws remained sheathed as a war broke out among the colony and the band from Simba's pride that had accompanied me. "Let go of your hate before it destroys you! Destroys us all!" I plead as