to Kopa. He remembered little Kopa asking him if he'll one day rule the lands. "Here you go son," Simba found himself whispering. "You've got your wish at last." He got up and walked away.

Kopa stared after his father. Kovu looked at him. "Hey, something wrong?" he asked. "Nothing." Kopa was careful to be quick to answer. Kovu shrugged and went back to wrestling his son. Kopa looked at Jasiri. The words Jasiri said about not being king came to him. If only you knew, He thought. Jasiri ran up to him and pinned him down. Kopa and Jasiri played like that until sunset. Vitani smiled at her son and mate. She saw Simba walk in with a smile on his face. "Looks like you had some fun, Old Guy." she teased him. Simba was used to this. She regularly alled him 'Old Guy' because of his age. "Real funny, Vitani." he laughed. "So, Your Highness, I heard you called all the animals to Pride Rock at dawn. Something important?" she asked. "Nothing that. And you needen't call me 'Your Highness' from tomorrow." he replied. "Why?" she asked. "You'll find out soon enough." he smiled at her and went to lie down at the back of the cave. Vitani became worried. Vitani feared she knew what was wrong with Simba, but she didn't tell anybody.

Kopa came in with Jasiri just as Kiara began to give Kiburi a bath. Vitani knew that her gestation period was nearing an end. Soon she would have a cub. Vitani hoped it would be a boy. Kopa nuzzled her and she licked Jasiri. "Hey mom." he said. "Pretty manners ,Jasiri," she laughed. "Saying hello to your mother after a bath." "What!!??" Jasiri yelled. Vitani grabbed him and began to lick him, no matter how much he resisted. Soon, the cubs were asleep. Kovu saw his sister and Kopa sleeping. "You might want to get some sleep." a voice said behind him. he jumped and saw Simba standing behind him. "I still haven't gotten used to that." Kovu panted. "Sorry to scare you." Simba said softly. "But you really need to sleep." "Okay." Kovu replied. He put his head down and fell asleep. Night went by faster than he expected.

As the sun's rays shone over Mt.Kilimanjaro, all the animals were walking to Pride Rock. Zazu had told them to be present at dawn. As the sun's rays envelloped Pride Rock, every animal was present. Simba walked to the summit. "Daddy, what are you going to do?" Kiara asked. "The time has come for me to step down." Simba announced loudly. The animals began to whisper quietly. Kiara stared at her Dad. "There is, however, someone to take my place." Simba said. More whispering. Simba turned to Kopa. "My son." he said. "Take your place as the future king." The animals' whispering became even louder. Kopa stepped to the summit. He took a deep breath and roared. The lionesses echoed his roar.The animals yelled in happiness. Kiburi and Jasiri imitated a roar.

Simba watched his son taking the morning report from Zazu. Nala walked up to him. "So you finally let Kopa be king instead of you." she said. "And a bit of rest for me." he sighed. Nala nuzzled him. "Nothing lasts forever, Simba." she said. "You did the right thing by stepping down." She walked away. "Hey, Dad." Kopa said. "I just wanted to know why you chose to step down." "Well, I'm getting too old to be king any longer." Simba smiled at his son. "And it's time for you to be who you are." Kopa shuddered at those words. He always wanted to be king but now that held the rsponsibility, he felt scared. He didn't want to create violence but what if he made the wrong desicision? He'd let his father down, his grandfather, his great-grandfather Ahadi and great-great-grandfather Mohatu. He felt frightened of stepping into the circle of life. "Okay, Dad." he said. "Bye." He went to Kovu and lay down beside him.

Kovu looked up. He sensed something wrong with Kopa. "Hey." Kovu said. "Something wrong?" "You know, you're lucky not to be the king." Kopa said. "Hey," Vitani replied. She and Kiara had been lying down right beside Kovu. She continued, "What happened to the cub who couldn't wait to be king?" She asked. "That was when I was a cub, Tani." Kopa sighed. "Now it's like everybody's lives depend on my desicision. I'm afraid of letting everyone down." "You won't if you follow your heart." Kiara said. "Yeah, Hakuna Matata, Kopa." Timon and Pumbaa piped up. Kopa laughed. They suddenly heard a sound. "Oh, the cubs are back." Nala said, coming up. Kiburi and Jasiri ran up. "Hey mom." Jasiri greeted his parents. "Hey mom, grandma." Kiburi said. "hey, you're home early." noticed Kovu, as the cubs looked at him. "We told them to." Timon said. "We wanted to show them something." "Like eating bugs?" Kopa suggested. "Not likely." Timon said. "You told us not to tell them that. So we won't." "For once, my pal, Timon, will finally keep his word." Pumbaa announced. 

Kovu rolled his eyes. He was used to Timon and Pumbaa. "Dad, can we go, please?" asked Kiburi. "Sure, go ahead." Kovu said. "Yeah!" Jasiri and Kiburi yelled and ran after Timon and Pumbaa. Kovu looked at Kopa and the two friends shared a laugh.

Chapter 5

"So, what're we doing today?" Jasiri asked, excited. He and Kiburi ran alongside Timon and Pumbaa. "Oh, something wonderful." Timon said. "You don't wanna miss it." Pumbaa said. "Where is it?" Kiburi asked, his reddish-brown eyes lighting up. "Just wait and see." Timon chuckled. Kiburi almost burst with excitement. He couldn't believe that Timon and Pumbaa wouldn't tell them anything. Timon arrived at a large pile of leaves. Behind were green trees. Jasiri looked at Kiburi with a questioning look in his eyes. Kiburi shrugged. "Over here kids." Pumbaa called. Timon lifted a leaf exposing a tropical paradise.

"Welcome to our once home." Timon said.

"You lived here?" Jasiri asked.

"We lived wherever we wanted." Timon answered.

"Yup, home is where your rump rests." Pumbaa piped in.

"It's beautiful." exclaimed Kiburi.

As they walked along the trees, Kibuiri and Jasiri took in all the sights. Timon and Pumbaa kept pointing out things from the time when Simba lived there.

"Hey, that's our old hammock." 

"And those are the trees full of bugs. We made quite a meal of them."

"Ewwwwwww." Kiburi and Jasiri spat into the ground.

"And that's the hot water tub we used to use."

"Hot water tub? In the jungle?"

"Powered by Pumbaa."

"Ewwwwww."

"And that's the place where we used to look at the stars."

"And that's the log which bridges the gap below."

"And that's our old bed."

"Wow. You guys certainly lived an interesting life here." Jasiri sniffed in the pleasant air.

"Yeah right?" Pumbaa said. "I miss the life we used to live."

"Well, Pumbaa. We've got an even better life now, at Pride Rock." Timon said. "You know what? I'm thinking a little singing is not gonna waste our time."

"Oh please." Jasiri groaned. "Can we lay off the singing?"

"Fine." Timon grumbled.

"Well, our home is untouched all these years." Pumbaa agreed.

"Hey." Kiburi called. "What're these?"

Jasiri ran up to his cousin. He saw prints leading into the dark coolness of the sleeping area. They looked just like...............

"Hyena tracks." Jasiri said out loud.

"HYENAS???" Timon and Pumbaa were shivering.

"Let's follow them." Kiburi suggested.

The four went in to find the whole place in ruins. The beds were broken. The trees were drooping. The plants were dead. And there were more hyena prints all over the place. Timon and Pumbaa practically broke into tears seeing their home like this.

"Someone must have been looking for something." Jasiri wondered.

"Dead Right," A voice said behind them. They turned to see a few hyenas, growling and snarling. "And we didn't find it."

Timon and Pumbaa shivered with fright. Jasiri and Kiburi growled, forgetting that they were young cubs and stood no chance against adult hyenas.

"What do you want?" Kiburi growled.

"The crystal please." One hyena replied.

"What crystal?" Timon trembled.

"The one that belongs to the King, of course." Another growled.

"I still don't know what you're looking for." Timon stammered.

"We don't?" Pumbaa asked.

"How would we know there's a crystal here when we don't know what a crystal is?" Timon asked.

"Stop talking," one hyena snapped. "Hand over the crystal and no one gets hurt."

"We don't know where it is." Jasiri growled. "Now turn and go back to the Outlands."

"You're pushing it too far, kid." The first growled. "You don't want to fight us."

"Try us." Kiburi and Jasiri said in unison.

The hyenas lunged. Before Jasiri could strike, Kopa and Kovu lept in front of him and fought the hyenas off. The hyenas