respected greatly. I have seen their uniqueness myself, and they have certainly earned my respect."

"I had no idea of that." Vitani remarked, awed by what she had just heard about the duo. "But why were they outcast in the first place?"

"Well, Timon left his meerkat colony after several incidents that occurred in their underground tunnels and hideouts." Kiara continued, again remembering well what her father had told her from his teachings on the two. "He continuously pulled down their walls and collapsed tunnels exits because he was trying to make their underground home 'more habitable' by providing light and even water, but things always seemed to go wrong; even when he was trying to pull his weight and help along; because he could also be clumsy at times. The thing is that he just wasn't very happy with his habitat. Then one day he attempted to stand on sentry duty, but he ended up getting distracted and failed to warn his clan when hyenas approached, resulting in several injuries but luckily no deaths. But that was really the point when Timon's fate had been sealed: He fell out with them after the incident and was hated more than ever. So then, feeling that he really could not belong, he decided to take a risk and go as a lone meerkat to set out and find his true place in the world." 

"Certainly seemed like a big risk." Kovu said. "It is a well known fact that meerkats remain as a group so that they look after each other to survive. Any lone meerkat is just asking for death."

"Yes, well, that was a risk that Timon was willing to take." His mate responded. "He was not afraid to go beyond the limits to reach his destiny, and if he didn't do it, he probably wouldn't have survived. So he took a risk, but it paid off."

"After hearing about everything that he did and what he has become, it sure has." Vitani put in.

"Anyway," Kiara continued, getting back on to the rest of the story. "as for Pumbaa, his story was a little different. He and Timon differ in the way that Pumbaa was always careful, seldom clumsy and very willing and helpful to his own clan. On the inside, he is very intelligent, optimistic and tender-hearted; so because of his unique personality traits, you would have thought that there would have been nothing wrong with him. But what got him excluded was his personal scent. He had digestive problems and his resulting flatulence lacked appeal amongst his kind and other animals around him. In a good way, it was considered a defense mechanism from predation, but the lack of attention and social friendships still hurt Pumbaa a lot and he just decided one day that he wasn't going to take it anymore and he moved on to go alone."

"Come to think of it," Kovu remarked, catching on to what his mate was saying about Pumbaa. "I did notice on our first day playing together that he let off gas several times, and I have to admit that the scent was pretty awful, but it really didn't bother me too much because I knew that he was, as you said, Kiara, very kind-hearted and playful."

"Yes, probably not wise to judge someone because of what they do." Vitani added in. "Personality is always key factor, and from what I have seen in him so far, he is, indeed, a very gentle soul. So it seems very unfair at the way he was judged by others."

"Yes, he certainly is gentle and the unfair judgement wasn't wise, so I really felt for him." Kiara responded before immediately getting back on point: "Anyway, after he left his clan, it wasn't very long until he found Timon when he was in his own progression of venture. They both expressed their reasons of exclusion and feelings to each other and it was because of the factors that they were outcasts on a mission and were both 'insectivores', as Pumbaa described, that they agreed to unite and venture together to find their new home. They found a couple of places along the way, but none were habitable or comfortable enough until they found a beautiful tropical rainforest near the east coast of Africa. It had everything: vines, waterfalls, rivers, pools, fabulous landscape views, colorful flora and fauna, and plenty of 'scrumptious' grubs to eat." She quietly groaned in disgust at the idea of eating grubs, let alone the fact that her own father had grown up on a diet of them. She immediately continued despite this thought: "So both metaphorically and literally, they had found the greener grass. This brought the most of their quality of life; or Hakuna Matata; and the rest of the story had just been told."

"And an amazing one for both of them at that." Vitani responded, still very astounded at what she had just learned about the duo. "From becoming outcasts to finding their true place in the world to befriending an assumed predator; they have definitely shown how unique they really are."

"Not to mention their cheeky wisecracking sense of humor." Kovu added with a light chuckle. "Well, Timon more than Pumbaa, really; but either way, all the more fun and enjoyable friends to have around. Anyone without that common sense of humor would be fairly boring company."

"Yes, my father once said to me that you learn to love them, and it is true." Kiara added. "They may seem unorthodox at first, but once you really get to know and hang out with them, they really are a lot of fun to be around."

"True, true." Kovu replied. "Well, anyway, I think I am going to miss them while they are gone."

"Same here, my love." Kiara sadly agreed. "I did enjoy the times spent together dating back to the babysitting days, and even then it was still fun friendly bonds that we shared. I am definitely going to miss that."

*

"I will especially miss them." A sad Simba was saying to Nala back at Pride Rock. "Early pre-exile days aside, I don't think there has been a single day when I haven't been with or seen them. To me, they are my brothers and second parents."

"I know that it is hard to take, my dear Simba." Nala responded in a comforting tone. "But they said that they will come back. They are only going away for a little while to relive some good memories of their past."

"And I just wish that I could relive them as well." Simba replied, cherishing the good times  he experienced in the tropical jungle where he grew up with his two friends. "They were some very important times in my life and that place was really wonderful."

"I could see that. I only wish that we could have spent more than just that one day in the jungle together because it was like living in paradise and it was for that reason that we should have gotten more experience together. I know that you had plenty of it growing up, but I just think that for the two of us, let alone the fact that it was our first love bond, it would have been more special."

"I feel that same way." Simba replied, smiling lovingly. "For two individuals in love, a beautiful tropical atmosphere makes for the perfect vibe. And that is probably another reason why that place is important to me: it was the place where our bond began."

"Yes, my dear Simba." Nala responded dreamily, who then came forward and nuzzled her mate one more time, and he appreciated it again. "A great memory that we will take with us to the stars when the time comes."

"You said it, my darling Nala." Simba lovingly replied again, and the both of them kept their thoughts of love as they stared out to the beautiful distant horizon.

*

Meanwhile, some miles east of Pride Rock, an old baobab tree was situated; and this was the home of the old and wise shaman of the Pride Lands: Rafiki the baboon.
He was presently inside working on his paintings made out of the liquid from his gourds and singing happily in joy at the peace finally settled between the two prides and the well-being of the sacred land. He was singing Circle of Life in the native language of Swahili:

"Ni Uwanja wa Maisha
Na ni hatua sisi wote
Kupitia kukata tamaa na matumaini
Kwa njia ya imani na upendo
Mpaka sisi kupata nafasi yetu
On njia unwinding
Katika Circle
Uwanja wa Maisha."

As he finished, he chuckled lightly and began to speak to his old friend who was up with the Great Kings of the Past in the stars:

"Oh, Mufasa, you have done very well. Our dear Kiara and Kovu are now together like you made them out to be and the two prides have joined as one. Peace has finally been settled in The Pride Lands and The Circle of Life is complete once again."

As he was saying this, he modified the paintings of Kiara and Kovu by eliminating the dark stripe on Kovu's chest - which had represented the former darkness in the lion's heart - that the baboon had once drawn, and adding a West African symbol in the middle of the two lions by the name of Bin Nka Bi, meaning "Bite Not One Another" and symbolizing peace and harmony.

"This will be the meaning of Kovu's and Kiara's connection." Rafiki continued to explain to his friend. "Their bond created a union between the prides and formed the much needed peace within this kingdom as well as all of its inhabitants. Therefore this has become a historical moment and it will live long in our memories and hopefully never be forgotten for the sake of the peace to remain."

He suddenly felt the wind blowing through his white mane. He smiled as he knew that the spirit of Mufasa had been felt. He could then hear The Great King's voice in his own head as this was

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