and of what she had been sent to do. She asked him to return to Pride Rock with her, as her mate.

         But Kuhani sensed something within Nala, something from the Great Kings themselves. Finally he shook his head, saying that he could not leave the jungle. He asked to be excused for a moment, and he consulted the Kings on this.

        When he returned to Nala, he had this to say: “It is said that when two souls that are destined to be together, their streams of light flow together, and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being. Somewhere there's someone who dreams of your smile, of your embrace, and his light shines brightest with your light. I see now that I am not your destined, Nala.”

        Nala was hurt and bewildered, but listened to Kuhani as he spoke again. “You are destined for great things, Nala, and so is your own destined one. He is out somewhere in the wild – near here, I sense. Deep in your heart, in your soul, he is that who you love. You may not believe me currently, but in due time, dear, you shall.”

        As much as she had rather not in that moment, Nala trusted Kuhani with her entire being. And with a heavy heart, she left Kuhani. And from there…

“Simba?” asks Aina hopefully.

Smiling, Kiara nods. “And you and Kweli know the rest, I’m sure.”

Kweli sits back on his haunches and laughs almost triumphantly. Aina, too, is happy. She leaps to her paws. “And then came you, mom!”

“And I’m very glad she did,” Kovu purrs, rubbing his head against his queen’s.

Aina plays out the successive series of events in her mind gleefully, thinking fondly of her mother’s retelling of the union between she and her father, and then her father’s rise to become king, followed by her own birth, just minutes after Kweli’s. It is then that she is reminded of the reason for her outburst in the first place and, now glumly, glances up at her mother. “So… we really almost didn’t exist? I almost wasn’t born?”

“That’s right, Aina, dear. Had Nala stayed with Kuhani, or if Kuhani had come to the Pridelands, things would have been much different for a lot of lions and lionesses. But Kuhani was wise and knew that the path to Nala’s happiness and our pride’s saving lay not in his desires. Who knows – maybe the Kings showed him your beautiful little face that was yet to come, maybe that convinced him,” her mother says happily, planting an affectionate lick against her daughter’s face.

Aina grins widely, but is then sorrowful once more. “Then… wow… I’m sorry for saying those things, mom. I didn’t actually mean it, you know.”

Kovu nuzzles his daughter. “We all say things we don’t mean sometimes, Ai. Just be careful next time, because your mother might have a story for that, too.”

After much doting-upon by her parents, Aina stalks over to her brother. Kweli seems to have realized that he is at fault for having upset his sister, and wears a downcast expression. “I’m… sorry, Aina. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I really never mean to or anything.”

Aina lands a small punch against her brother’s foreleg. “I could forgive you, I think, Kweli.” She pauses. “On one condition…”

“Hm?” Kweli stares at her, bemused.

“As long as you promise to clean up after yourself after you eat my dust when I beat you to the waterhole.”

And she is gone.