A New Generation

Chapter 1

Kopa was loitering in the grass when he heard hasty footsteps. He back to see his sister Kiara running to him unable to control her excitement. "It's a BOY!" She yelled. Kopa jumped up. "A Boy?" he asked. Kiara nodded. He ran into Pride Rock. The new king was born.

They named the boy Jasiri. Kopa expected him to grow up and be a brave king but little did he know that nothing was going to go as he planned. Jasiri grew up to be a lively cub who loved to hang out with Timon and Pumbaa. Though he was small, he was adventurous and brave. Things were finally going right for Kopa. Within days of Jasiri's birth,  Kiara and Kovu had a cub named Kiburi.

Kiburi and Jasiri were inseperable as cubs. They both spent a lot of time with their grandfather Simba and loved to listen to his stories. Simba, like Mufasa, had many adventures and thus had many stories to tell but the story he told most was the story of Scar and Mufasa.

One day, Kopa took Jasiri to the top of Pride Rock. Kiburi insisted on coming to see what the "magnificent surprise" was. Kopa allowed him to tag along. At the summit, Kopa showed the two cubs the Pridelands and told Jasiri that one day he would own all that. "But what if I don't want to own that?" Jasiri asked. "That's like saying you don't wanna be king." Kopa replied. "That's exactly what I mean." Jasiri confirmed. Kopa was taken aback. "Saying you don't wanna be king is like saying you don't wanna be a lion." he said. "But what about Uncle Kovu?" Jasiri argued," He's a lion, isn't he?"

"Jasiri, this is about your future, not Uncle Kovu's." Kopa said."I know, Dad. This is my future. Isn't it right that I get to decide what I wanna be?" Jasiri asked. Kopa was fuming. "Jasiri.............................." he began, but calmed down and continued," You'll understand in time, son." saying so, he walked away.

Immediately, after Kopa walked away, Kiburi caught Jasiri off guard and pinned him down. "What do you mean you don't want to be king?"he asked, slightly fuming, "who's gonna be king if you're not?" Jasiri bluntly replied, "You." Kiburi got off him and yelled," You mean to say you'd give up the throne for me? Oh, I love you bro. I promise I'll take care of the kingdom. I'll ............." Jasiri replied," Good for you. But I just don't want to be king." Kiburi stood open-mouthed. He started," Then bro, if not me, for whom? For what.......?" "For nobody and for nothing. I just don't wanna be king." Jasiri calmly replied." You see, this is your adventure and I don't want it. My adventure is out there." He pointed to the horizon. " Okay, then, I'll just stick with being king." Kiburi said. Jasiri sensed that something was coming up. And his suspicion was right. Kiburi burst out," Please don't leave me bro. I need you...I need you. I can't take care of the king's responsibilities on my own. I need your help." "Relax, Kiburi. I won't be going out on my own until I grow up." Jasiri calmed down his brother. " That's a relief." Kiburi heaved a sigh.

Kiburi ran up to his grandmother, Nala, and aunt, Vitani, who were snoozing on a rock. "Hey Grandma, guess what?" he said. Nala put her head up and looked at her grandson. "I'll guess its something really good for you to come and tell me?" she said. "I'm going to be the next king. Jasiri said that since he doesn't wanna be, I am." Kiburi said. Nala sat up." Jasiri's not gonna be the king?" she asked. "Yep." Kiburi replied. "Atleast he knows the laws of the land. I suppose he knew that you were next in line after him." Nala sighed. "Kiburi, go tell this news to your parents." "Great. Where do I  find them?" he asked." Near those acacia trees over there. Go find them and tell them the good news." Nala said. After Kiburi bounded away, she sighed. "And the bad news." she whispered. She looked at Vitani, who gave her a look of horror. She couldn't believe it. Her son, Jasiri, didn't want to be the king. Vitani decided she would talk to him later.

That night, Kiburi and Jasiri settled down for another story from Simba. He told them the story of Scar and Mufasa. Kiburi listened intendly till Simba got to the part where Scar threw Mufasa off the cliff. Kiburi put up his ears. "Really?" he asked. "Yes, Kiburi. Scar pushed Mufasa off the cliff after whispering the words 'Long Live The King' in his ear. He made me believe that I had killed my father and made me run away. I didn't know the truth until Nala found me. She told me the state of the Pridelands and I returned to reclaim what was rightfully mine." Simba said. "Simba, it wasn't all that easy." Nala piped up." He didn't rush back as soon as I told him to go back. It took his father's ghost appearing in the sky to get some sense knocked into him. Don't you remember?" "Nala, take it easy. I'm trying to be a hero for these kids." Simba whispered. "Bed-time." Vitani said, sending the cubs to bed. Kiburi' head was buzzing with thoughts: Was Scar really that cruel even as a cub? Are brothers also evil? What if I have a brother? Would he throw me off a cliff too?

Chapter 2

Kiburi ran looking for his parents. He found them near the water-hole. They seemed really happy about something. He was going to them to tell them about the way he felt about brothers. "Ah, there you are, Kiburi." his father said. "We have good news for you." "Um...Dad, there's something I need to tell you and Mom." Kiburi said. "That can wait for later, I suppose." Kovu replied. "The news first. Your mother is pregnant with another cub." Kiburi jumped. "So it means that I'll be getting a brother or sister?" he asked, weakly. "That's right." Kiara replied. "Isn't it good news? You'll finally have a brother or sister to take care of." "Yeah, Mom, its great news." Kiburi's worst fears were confirmed. He deperately hoped hat it would be a girl who couldn't push him off a cliff.

"This is great news, Kiburi." Jasiri exclaimed. "We'll finally have a new playmate." The two cubs were with the other lionesses. Vitani was giving Jasiri a bath as the two cubs talked. Kiburi had just told him the news of his new sibling. "Oh, and you get to be a big brother. I wish I could too." "I'd gladly give the new cub to you if I could." Kiburi said, sulkily. "Hey, Bro, what's wrong? You don't look to happy." Jasiri noticed. "I'll tell you when we get out of earshot." Kiburi whispered. "Oh." Jasiri realised. "Um, Mom, can I go with Kiburi?" he asked. Vitani considered. "Sure." The two cubs ran onto the plains.

"So, what's the catch?" Jasiri asked. "You know the story of Scar and Mufasa?" Kiburi asked. "Sure." Jasiri replied. "Shhhh. Not so loud." Kiburi whispered. "Oh." Jasiri said in a whisper. Their conversation from then was a whisper. "So, what about Scar and Mufasa?" Jasiri asked. "He was Mufasa's brother, right?" Kiburi asked. "Yeah." "And he killed Mufasa, right?" "Right." "So, what if the cub turns out to be a boy?" "So, what if he's a boy?" "He might kill me too." "Kiburi, are you crazy?!!?" "I'm not." "Then why do you think brothers are evil?" "Well, Scar did kill Mufasa......" "So you expect your little brother to kill you? You are crazy." "Jasiri, listen to me...." "Why would I want to listen to a guy who is afraid of being a big brother?" "Jasiri, you don't understand. Brothers...." "Your dad and Nuka were brothers. Nuka didn't kill him, did he?" "But...." Jasiri shook his head and walked away. "What have I done?" Kiburi wondered.

Jasiri seemed really angry with Kiburi that day, so he took a walk along the water-hole. Kiburi was so rngrossed in thought that he didn't see where he was going and bumped into something. "Hey! Watch it!" said a female voice. Kiburi looked up to see that he had bumped into a brown lioness cub. She looked really mad at him. "Can't you see I'm here?" she yelled at him. "I'm sorry. i wasn't looking." he mumbled, avoiding her eyes as he still was upset about the arguement. "Then better start looking." she growled. "One question," Kiburi said. "Who are you? These are the Pridelands. Outlanders aren't allowed." "I'm a Pridelander alright." she said. "My name's Kuona. I'm technically a part of your pride." "Sorry. I thought you weren't part of the Pridelanders." Kiburi said. Kuona seemed to notice something wrong with him. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked him. "And who are you?" "I'm Kiburi, next in line to be king." He said. "My cousin's super-mad at me right now." "Your cousin's the future king?" "Yeah." "So, why's he mad at you?" Kiburi told her the whole story.

"Wow. That's some conversation. But he's right, you shouldn't be afraid of being a big brother." She said. "You don't know what its like." he said, and began to walk on the rocks in the water. "Don't go there!" she yelled. "Those aren't rocks! They're.........." Suddenly, the rock he was standing on lifted itself up to show a long snout, a scaly back and a mouth with razor sharp teeth. ".....Crocodiles!" she completed. "Couldn't you have told me sooner?!!?" he called, hanging on to the croc. "Hang on! I'm coming!" she yelled and leapt on the nearest crocodile. She used them as stepping stones to reach him. "Follow me!" she yelled. Kiburi had no choice but to follow her. The two cubs jumped on the crocs and reached the bank safely. The crocodiles hissed after them, angry on losing their free meal. Kiburi had no breath left for talking. But he managed to mumble, "Thanks, Kuona." "Don't mention it." she said. Kiburi knew that they would be good friends. Her voice had gone a lot softer than when he had first bumped into her. The two walked back to Pride Rock. They were greeted by another brown cub looking like Kuona, but with blue eyes.

"Kiburi, this is my sister, Nadhari." Kuona introduced them both. "You should meet my cousin, Jasiri." Kiburi told Nadhari. "I'll go get him." Kiburi ran into the den to find Jasiri laying his head against Vitani's body. He put his head up when Kiburi entered. "So, come to apologize, or argue more?" he growled at Kiburi. "About that, sorry bro." Kiburi said. "But I've made some friends I need you to meet." "That's different." Jasiri said. "So, who are these new friends?" Vitani asked. "Their names are Kuona and Nadhari." Kiburi said. "I know them." Kiara said. "They were found abandoned by the hunting party when they were just toddlers. We took them in and one of the lionesses took them in." "As far as I know, they're really nice. It would do the cubs good to make friends with them." Nala said. "Thanks, Mom." Jasiri said as Vitani pushed him forward.

Meanwhile, Kuona told everything to Nadhari. "Ku! You know how you put yourself in the danger. You could have been killed today." "But if I didn't go in, Kiburi would've died. And you'd never get to meet Jasiri." Kuona argued. "Good point." Nadhari said. At that moment, Kiburi ran up with Jasiri after him. "Hey Guys." Kiburi said. "This is my big bro, Jasiri. Jasiri, these are my friends, Kuona and Nadhari." "Pleased to meet you." said Nadhari. "The pleasure's all mine." Jasiri replied. "Hey, you guys wanna come and play?" Kuona asked. "Sure," Nadhari replied.  'If you don't mind." "Nah, we don't." Jasiri said. "Instead, we'd gladly play with you." The four cubs ran onto the savannah. Days were getting a whole lot more interesting for Kiburi and his new friends.

Chapter 3

A hyena ran away from the Pridelands into the Outlands. The Outlands now were full of rocks, ledges and resembled the elephant graveyard. The hyena ran into a separate cave. He slightly shivered from the cold chill of that very cave. The cave was always cold, never warm like the other caves.

Kuua sat on a rock ledge, waiting for the hyena. He trembled from her mere looks. "You're late." she said in a rasping voice. "I'm....I'm sorry, Kuua. The Pridelands are crowded with animals; I had to resist the urge to stop and pick some." he shivered. "QUIET!" Kuua roared. The cave shook with the wrath of her voice. "Tell me what you saw." "There's news of a new cub for Kovu. Its still not born yet, but his cub evaded our crocodile attack." the hyena hesitated. "I knew it." Kuua  stood up and paced. "Crocodile attacks aren't good enough to take those cubs down. We need something bigger, a better plan." 

"You're taking this too seriously." a voice echoed. Kuua looked back to see another hyena, much larger than the one that stood in front of her. "What do you want?" she snapped at him. "Easy." the hyena replied. "I'm this pack's leader. I know how you can get your revenge on Simba." "Simba." she repeated his name bitterly. "He killed Zira." "Who's Zira? " the pack leader asked. She turned on him with an evil look in her eyes. Her two scars seemed to tingle along with her expression. "Zira...." her voice faltered. "She was the only mother I had in the whole world." "What about your real parents." the leader asked. "They didn't love me." Kuua cut in. "My father hated me. He gave me these two scars on my right eye because he got angry." "What about your mother?" the leader asked. "She didn't care about me. She resented me from the moment I was born. They're the reason I'm here after all." Kuua snapped. " Do you know what its like?" "Your life is none of my concerns." The Alpha replied and walked away, leaving Kuua angrier than before.

Kuua paced the length of the Outlands, thinking of a new way to get rid of Kiburi and Jasiri. "If Kopa's dreaded son becomes king," she muttered to herself. " everything will fall. He doesn't know how to be a king." "How do you know Kopa?" the Alpha asked her. He had been lying down right beside her. "Zira had killed him, but he came back." Kuua growled. Her claws clinked on the stone she walked on. Everytime she came near, hyenas would run and hide. She left them trembling in their fur. Her blood-red eyes blazed at the thought of Kopa. "I'm gonna need your help." she turned to the Alpha. "The Pridelands will fall. I'm gonna need you and your hyenas to set another trap for the cubs. If they get hurt, Simba will feel the place is too unsafe for the cubs and will move out." "What if your plan doesn't work?" "Then I will destroy everything. I will do what it takes to honour Zira's memory. Her spirit will rule the land and we will do everything to get her back." Kuua's eyes flashed with the idea of ruling the Pridelands beside Zira.

"I have an idea." the Alpha replied. " Lure them into a trap by the gorge and start a wildebeest stampede. They'll trample anyone who comes near them." "Nah, that theory's out of my mind." Kuua shook her head. "We need a new plan, a plan worthy of Zira, and not Scar." "Or maybe the crystal would help." the Alpha asked, then wished he had kept his mouth shut. Kuua looked at him menacingly, the two scars on her right eye tingling. "What crystal?" she asked slowly. "Well," the Alpha said. "I seem to remember some men come and dig somewhere in the Pridelands. They got a huge crystal. Since it was buried deep in the ground, they couldn't get it out. But it belongs to the king of Pride Rock. Whoever has it is the true king. Simba dug it out and hid it someplace no one would find it." "I'll find it." Kuua said. "Now where would Simba hide a crystal?" "Hakuna Matata?" the Alpha asked. "Good idea." Kuua smiled at him. "We'll try there first. You there!" The hyena she pinted at stood up. "Take the best hyenas you've got and find the crystal. Search for it at the Hakuna Matata Paradise." The hyena ran off.

"Kuua," the Alpha said gently. "Maybe you're taking this too seriously. You might want to stop this." "Why would I?" Kuua asked. "So your mother can rest in peace." the Alpha said. His words shook kuua like a dagger. Tears welled into her eyes. She blinked them away. "She hates me." she said. "Maybe she doesn't." he said. "Maybe if you stopped saying 'maybe', we'd get a good plan to overthrow Simba and Kopa!" Kuua snapped. She stormed into her den. "Some wounds can never be cured." the Alpha muttered to himself. He turned to a hyena. "Go, spy on the Pridelanders." he said.

Chapter 4

" Tag! You're it!" Nadhari yelled, pushing Kiburi. "Oh, yeah?" Kiburi asked, and ran after her. He stopped midway and tagged Kuona. She stumbled and started to run after Kiburi. Meanwhile, Jasiri and Nadhari were trying to run from Kuona. Simba sat on a rock nearby and watched the fun. Zazu landed beside him. "Sire, The morning report." Zazu said. "Leopards are stalking prey. Giraffees are browsing. The wildebeest and zebra are gallopping across the savannah......." But Simba wasn't paying attention. He looked at Zazu and his eyes shifted to the playing cubs. Zazu stopped. "I see someone who enjoys being a granddad." he said. "They remind me of me and Nala as cubs." Simba sighed. He saw Kopa and Kovu run in and play with the cubs. Zazu looked at Simba. "Sire?" he asked. 

"Zazu," Simba sighed. "Being a king is becoming harder for me. I feel like stepping down." "You want do step down?" Zazu asked. "Yes Zazu." Simba said. "I can't do this anymore. I'm not as young as I used to be." " Great choice, Sire." Zazu said. "I'm telling all the animals tomorrow, Zazu. Tell all the animals to be at Pride Rock at dawn." Simba commanded. "Absolutely, Sire. I'll be gone before you know it." saying so, Zazu took off. Simba stared at his disappearing steward. He turned 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 yelped and ran away. Kopa turned to Jasiri.

"What did you think you were doing, son?" he asked. "You could've been killed."

"the main thing is that you're safe and no one got hurt." Kovu said to the two cubs, who had their heads down.

"Lets go home." Kopa said and lead the cubs home.

On the way, as it began to get dark, Kopa stopped.

"Take Kiburi, Timon and Pumbaa home, Kovu," he said. "I need to talk to Jasiri."

Jasiri expected a scolding when Kovu took Kiburi and Timon and Pumbaa away. He tried to hide.

"Jasiri." Kopa called.

Jasiri sat down sadly beside his father.

"Jasiri, that was a very brave thing to do. Standing up for those hyenas by yourself. At this rate, I'm gonna be expecting every animal to tremble in your shadow when you grow up." Kopa said, a little pride in his voice.

"So you're not mad?" Jasiri asked.

"Why would I be?" Kopa said. "I'm proud of you showind your kingly attitude.

"Dad, I told you I didn't want to be king." Jasiri sulked. Kopa considered.

"That conversation can wait for later. Now to the real reson why I wanted to talk to you. This is something my father told me." Kopa looked to the stars. "Look at the stars. All the great kings of the past look down at us from those stars. My great-grandma Sarabi and great-grandpa Mufasa are up there."

"So is Scar up there too?" Jasiri asked.

"Maybe," Kopa said. "But I really don't know."

Jasiri stared up at the stars and tried to imagine Scar looking down on them. Then Jasiri remembered something.

"Dad," he said. Kopa nodded. "Those hyenas back there, said that they were looking for a crystal."

"A crystal?" Kopa asked.

"They said it belonged to the King." Jasiri said.

"Dad never said anything about a crystal." Kopa muttered to himself. He wondered why Simba never told him about it.

As the evening set on the Pride Lands, Kopa went to Simba. Simba himself was confused when Kopa mentioned the crystal. 

"My father never told me about it." Simba muttered to himself. He looked at Rafiki. "Do you know something about this, Rafiki?" he asked.

"That crystal was discovered even before you were born, Simba." Rafiki replied. "Your father didn't tell you for the safety of the Pridelands."

"Hey guys, relax." Kopa said. "If this crystal hasn't been told to anybody, there's no way Kuua'll find it so soon. You know about Kuua, don't you? She looked after me when I ran away but she betrayed me to Zira many years later."

"You never told me, son." Simba was amazed.

"I knew you didn't want to hear that piece of news." Kopa muttered.

Chapter 6

"ITS HAPPENING!!!" Jasiri yelled as he ran up to Kiburi. Kiburi was sunning himself on a rock and got up, annoyed.

"What's it now?" he asked, irritated.

"Your mom.......she's....." Jasiri began to say but Kiburi interuppted him.

"What..? No........She's not..............is she?" he stammered. Jasiri nodded his head.

Kiburi got up and began to run towards the den with Jasiri following him. When he got there, he saw his mother holding a tiny brown cub in her paws with Kovu sitting beside her. Kiburi desperately hoped it was a girl who couldn't attack him but he saw clearly that the tiny cub was a male. He walked over to his mother and the little cub looked at him.

"Well, Kiburi?" Kiara asked. "Aren't you going to say hi to your new brother?"

"Does he have a name?" Kiburi asked half-heartedly.

"Wema." Kovu said. "What do you think of it?"

"We wanted to hear your suggestions for a name, but we just couldn't wait." Kiara said.

"He's amazing." Jasiri said.

"Wema." Kiburi whispered, secretly smiling to himself. "I love it."

Kiara smiled at her new son and licked him. Soon, Simba and Nala came in to hand in their congratuations to their daughter. Later, Kopa and Vitani came in. It wasn't long before the entire pride was there, exclaiming about the new cub. Kiburi felt good about being a big brother but at the back of his mind, he remembered the story of Scar and Mufasa. What if Wema grew up to be like Scar? He looked at Jasiri hopefully. He needed to talk to someone and Jasiri was the only one who could understand him. Jasiri raised an eyebrow and followed Kiburi outside. Kuona and Nadhari saw them but didn't go after them.

"Well," Jasiri asked once they were outside. "What's up?"

"I'm scared." Kiburi said.

"Of what? The cub?" Jasiri asked, realising Kiburi's fears. "How many times do I have to tell you the cub is harmless?!"

"You don't understand," Kiburi said but Jasiri walked back inside.

It wasn't long before Wema was standing and running with the other cubs. He got singled out because of his age but Jasiri always defended him. But they never knew a hyena was always watching them.

The hyena ran beck to the Outlands. Kuua put her head up and growled.

"You're late!!!" she showed her teeth.

"I'm sorry but I was held back a little in the Pridelands." the hyena bowed.

"What happened?" Kuua snarled.

"A new cub has been born to Kiara and Kovu. He's the youngest and not able to fight. He's the weak link." the hyena bowed again.

"Then we'll strike at this new cub." Kuua smiled, her blood-red eyes glinting in the dim light of the sun.

A few days later, as the three cubs played together, Kuua hid in the grass. She was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But she got a little careless and Jasiri heard her. He stopped playing and looked around. He saw nothing.

I must be imagining things. He thought as he continued to play.

But that was the second Kuua chose to strike. She jumped out growling and caught hold of Wema. But Simba jumped out from the grass behind Kiburi and attacked Kuua.

"Get back to Pride Rock!" he roared to the cubs.

They wasted no time and ran back. Kopa seemed to know what was going on and hid the cubs before telling Zazu to check on Simba. When they got to the scene, Kuua had left Simba fatally injured and had left. The cubs were heart-broken at the sight of their dead grandfather. Nala pulled all three cubs towards her and they cried on her legs. Tears were streaming down her face.

"He's never coming back, is he?" Kiara asked Nala.

"No." Nala whispered.

They turned and left, knowing Simba would never come back. But after they left, a hyena came up and saw Simba. She looked at the body and knew that he wasn't dead. She put her teeth around his mane and dragged him to where the rest of her clan were hiding---

Meanwhile, a hyena ran back to the Outlands. Kuua woke up on the arrival of the hyena. She stared at him with her eyes, her scars seeming to tingle. He told her that Simba was dead. She smiled.

"My revenge is almost complete, with him dead." she snarled. "Now all I have to do is kill those traitors: Kovu and Vitani."

"But in that case you'd be killing your own nephew and niece." the Alpha said, in a relaxed tone.

"What do you mean?" Kuua asked.

"Their parents are Tama and Chumvi. Tama's your sister, making them your nephew and niece." the Alpha replied.

"THEY ARE NOT MY FAMILY!!!" Kuua yelled. "They betrayed me and ZIRA! They joined the wrong side! They had cubs with my mortal enemy's children!"

The Alpha shook his head and got up.

"See you later." he said, before leaving.

Meanwhile, Simba was having a dream. He dreamt that Kuua was killing his grandchildren and he saw himself jumping in front of the cubs and attacking Kuua. Then the dream faded into white light and he felt wet. Wet? He shook his head and opened his eyes. A hyena was standing in front of him with Rafiki beside her.

"Oh good, you're up." she said.

Simba raised his eyebrows suspiciously.

"Who're you?" he asked.

"Oh, me?" the hyena asked, looking at him. "I'm Kipanya, you can call me Kip, I'm fine with that."

"Well, now I know who you are, I'd like to find out what you're doing in the Pridelands." Simba growled. "Hyenas are forbidden here. And Rafiki, what ARE you doing with her?"

"I apologize, Your Majesty, but this is my friend from my old home, the Grass Walls. The land is dry and hence, she and her pack have been forced to move to the Pridelands." Rafiki bowed low.

"How do I know you're not trying to kill my family." said Simba to Kipanya.

"I have known Rafiki for as long as I can remember. His family told me about you and how you lead them to a safer place. The clan who started the wildebeest stampede and killed your father is our pack's sworn enemy. We have been fighting against them for generations." said Kipanya.

"So you're not intent on killing me and my family, are you?" Simba wanted to be absolutely sure.

Kipanya shook her head. Simba made an effort to get up and stumbled. Luckily, Kipanya caught his mane and helped him stand up to loud cheering from the rest of the pack.

"Thank you very much." said Simba, guiltily. "I was wrog to jump to conclusions like that. Would you and your pack like to move in to Pride Rock?"

"I'm very honoured, sir." Kipanya said.

"Then we move in today." Simba held his head up, looking at his home looming up in the distance-----

"WHAT!!!" Kuua roared.

All the hyenas around her were trembling with fear at her roar. The Alpha put his head up and looked at her with surprise. She began pacing back and forth.

"It can't be." she said." I slashed him myself with my claws right through the heart. I saw him fall down at my feet."

"Then that makes me right." the Alpha piked up.

"What does." Kuua growled.

"That the crystal protects the king of Pride Rock and his family only. You tried to kill him and he survived." the Alpha said calmly. "Now you see how the crystal will make you invincible. Even better, you can bring Zira back to life again."

"Why didn't you say that before?" Kuua asked. "We'll begin the search for the crystal right away."

"Maybe not right now." The Alpha replied. 

"And why not?" Kuua growled.

"Well, now they know what you did and what you're planning to do, don't you think you should lay low for a while? Because they'll train Kiburi and Jasiri to become fighters." the Alpha said.

"Okay." Kuua said, her red eyes blazing. "But only until they become adults."

Chapter 7

Many years had passed. Kinuri and Jasiri had grown into strong lions. Since the day Simba returned with the hyenas, their fathers had put them into battle training with Kipanya as their tutor. She had been through a lot and taught both of them hyena and lion tricks that they could use to defend themselves. They had trained hard each day. 

A change could be seen in both of them. Jasiri had grown a black mane that lay over his eyes. Kiburi resembled his father more than anything now. He had his mother's colours and eyes. Wema, on the other hand, was now an adolescent. He looked like Simba but was now growing dark brown mane like Simba's. All in all, he resembled his grandfather. Kuona and Nadhari had grown into beautiful lionesses. Nadhari had taken over the duties of Lead Hunter as Kiara's leg was hurt for the rest of her life. Kuona had taken the Assistant Hunter job. Both worked amazingly and always brought home a catch if they went hunting. The crystal was forgotten, and it lay wherever it was, untouched and unknown. It was exactly how they prefered it. 

Life had changed in Pride Rock. Simba and Nala had died of old age and Rafiki had stepped down from being the shaman. He had given his job to his neice. Zazu had also retired and his son had taken his place. Timon and Pumbaa had gone back to the Hakuna Matata paradise to enjoy their last days in their old home. 

Jasiri announced that he would be leaving the pride and searching for a new home. Wema was heart-broken listening to this news, but Jasiri told him to be strong. He also told Kiburi to rule well. He bid goodbye to Nadhari and Kuona. He gave one last nuzzle of goodbye to his parents, aunt and uncle. Then, Jasiri turned and set off.

Soon, Kopa and Vitani stepped down, and Kiara and Kovu and they were killed by poachers. Kiburi promised his parents he would be a good king like Mufasa. But, in the back of his mind, he still felt scared around Wema. A few days into his kingship, he exiled Wema. He was a good king but no one could forget what he did to his brother. Kopa began to wish Jasiri was king instead. Vitani wept for her son every night.

Finally, Nadhari couldn't take the stress anymore and set out to find Wema; atleast he would set his brother right. Unfortunately, this was what Kuua was waiting for; the pride to split up an become weak. She devised a plan to get rid of the Pridelanders. That night, she called all the hyenas to a meeting.

They all gathered around the huge stone she was standing on and looked up.

"You all know why we're here." she said, eyeing all the hyenas in front of her. "Our plan worked. The Pridelanders are divided. They live in doubt, caution and uneasiness. Now is the time to attack. Zira will finally be avenged."

"But what about the crystal?" one hyena asked.

"Leave it!" Kuua growled. "It doesn't do anything, its just a myth. Simba and Nala died, so it can't stop death. We'll attack the Pridelanders ourselves."

"I'm with you." the Alpha said.

"But wasn't it you who told me to stop this?" Kuua looked at him, surprised. "What's up with you?"

"My sworn enemy Kipanya has joined the Pridelanders. She and her pack have betrayed us all by refusing to fight the lions. Now, all I want is to destroy her and show her what it means to betray." the Alpha growled menacingly.

The rest of the hyenas nodded. Kuua turned back at them.

"Then, we're all agreed to do whatever we can to take down the Pridelanders." Kuua shouted. "We shall crush them and make Pride Rock, OURS!!"

Her last line was echoed by menacing laughter and cheering from the hyenas. She laughed evilly and got down--

Nadhari was out of breath. She stopped and panted. She bent down to examine Wema's tracks. She looked up and saw they led to Timon and Pumbaa's home.

"That's the best he could think of?" she grumbled to herself as she walked forward.

She stepped into the jungle and began looking for Wema. She found him with Timon and Pumbaa, on a hammock.

"What are you doing up there?" she asked him.

"Just hanging." he answered.

"Yep, nothing like spending your last days hanging with your best friend's grandson." Timon said.

"Uh-huh." Nadhari said, confused. She rolled her eyes and turned to Wema. "Wema, we need you. You're the only one who can make Kiburi see sense."

"Isn't he glad to be king?" Wema sat up. 

"He is, but its tearing the Pride apart. We can't take it any longer." Nadhari explained.

"Why me, why not Jasiri?" Wema asked.

Nadhari opened her mouth to say something, and froze.

"Nadhari?" Wema asked.

"Anyone there?" Timon asked.

"HELLOOO!" Pumbaa bellowed.

"Wema, you're a genius. Jasiri can control him, I've known him since we were cubs." Nadhari said happily.

"Glad to be of help." Wema grunted.

"I promise yu'll be back in the pride again." Nadhari told the teen lion. "After Jasiri returns, what could go wrong?"

She turned and set out across the desert. The heat almost killed her, but, her determination moved her along. She finally managed to get to the edge of the desert and found a water-hole. She bent down to drink from it. Just as she had taken a few sips, she heard a roar from behind her and turned to find a lion with a black mane leaping on her. She attacked him back and the two were engaged in a fierce fight. She finally pinned him down and looked at the lion.

"Nadhari?" he asked.

"Jasiri?" she said. "It's really you!"

The two friends bumped heads and began chatting as fast as possible. Then he cut her short.

"What're you doing here?" he asked her.

"I came to find YOU." she replied.

"Me?" 

"Yes, you."

"But, why me?"

"Well, Kiburi's rule is tearing us apart. Your parents, aunt and uncle have been killed by poachers. We fear Kuua'll take advantage of this and kill us all."

"But why come after me?"

"I know you're the only one who can knock some sense into Kiburi. We need you to come back. I tried to get Wema but he refused."

"Did you think I was just going to go home like that?"

"I did. We need you, Jasiri."

"I'll have to think about it."

"Jasiri, Kuua's hyenas might be making for Pride Rock already. Do you really want to see your family die?"

"I'm going back, I can't stand another death."

"Good. Atleast you took much lesser time to decide than your grandfather."

"Can we PLEASE, not bring him up?"

"Don't we have a journey to make?" Nadhari asked.

"I was just about to say that, Nadhari." Jasiri nodded. "And I think we have to make a small stop on the way home."

The two lions turnmed and headed back for Pride Rock. Who knew, maybe they were already in battle-----

Kiburi sat in the den. He sighed. Being a king was hard, REALLY hard. He felt terrible for exiling Wema, but he knew he did the right thing. Maybe tomorrow, Wema would have killed him. But, he was drowned in guilt not only for Wema, but also for the deaths of his parents.

Just then, Zazu's son came flying in. Kiburi put his head up, and so did Kuona.

"Sire!" Zazu's son said. "Hyenas! Approaching Pride Rock! Kuua's leading them!"

"WHAT??!!" Kiburi asked.

He frantically looked at the lionesses.

"Get ready for war, everybody." he said-------

Kuua's hyenas circled the grasslands. All the animals ran off when they saw the hyenas. Rain began falling down heavily. The Pridelanders got down and stood in front of Pride Rock, Kiburi in front. Kipanya's hyena pack stood beside the lions. 

As Kuua crept closer, Jasiri, Nadhari and Wema ran at top speed towards Pride Rock. They had to get there in time. Wema was not as fast as Jasiri and Nadhari, but he managed to keep up. 

In the meantime, both forces were looking at each other. Kiburi stood up in front, secretley scared and unsure of what to do. 

"ATTACK!!!"

Kuua's roar pierced the lands as her hyenas ran for the Pridelanders. The lionesses sprang into action, repelling the hyenas. Kipanya's pack leapt on the enemy hyenas and bit them. All in all, it was a fearsome battle. The air was filled by the sound of the lionesses and hyenas.

Kiburi was putting all his training into the battle. He knew when to slice, bite or maul. Just before he could do real damage, lightning struck, and the Pridelands were on fire.

Like didn't have enough to do than fight in the middle of a blazing fire, Kiburi thought.

Jasiri and Nadhari stopped at the edge of the gorge. They looked at the fire spreading towards them. Jasiri looked at Wema, who was looking scared out of his life.

"Nadhari," he said. "Take Wema and find Kuona. Get inside Pride Rock and get the cubs out of danger. I'll look for   Kuua."

"Right." Nadhari and Wema said.

The three parted ways and made it through the gorge. Now they were surrounded by flames. Nadhari followed Jasiri's words and ran for Pride Rock. Jasiri headed for the battle. He could see Kiburi fighting Kuua. She was clearly stronger than him even though he and Kiburi had advanced training. Jasiri couldn't bear to see Kuua hitting Kiburi. All thought vanished from his mind and was replaced by pure anger. He drew his claws and ran forward.

Jasiri didn't know what happened in the last few seconds, but all he knew was that Kuua was off Kiburi with a bleeding mouth. Also, she was facing him instead.

"So, I see the king's son has returned." she snarled.

"And its about time you see Zira again." roared Jasiri.

"I'm not leaving before I finish you off." She smiled, blood trickling down her mouth. "I'm making her proud."

Jasiri's eyes scanned the area for a way out. They rested for a second on Pride Rock on which he spied Kuona and Nadhari carrying cubs and running away. He was relieved to see that the cubs were safe. Then a thought struck him:

Where was Wema?

Jasiri's heart was filled with fear. He looked at Kiburi and the two cousins had a silent conversation. In the spilt second Jasiri tuened to Kiburi, Kuua knocked him flat. Luckily, he wasn't hurt badly, but she had sliced him on his shoulder. He glared at her and leapt at her. 

Both lions fought long and hard. Jasiri did everything he had been taught. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kipanya fighting The Alpha of the enemy pack. He didn't realise it, but Kuua had steered him towards the gorge. He stepped back by one step and slipped.

He caught hold of the gorge's edges with his claws. He looked at Kuua, hatred boiling up in his throat.

"Well, look who's gonna meet his end like Great-Grandad." Kuua sneered, and then put her claws on Jasiri's paws, drawing blood.

"I'm not gonna die." Jasiri said.

"Don't you know where you are?" Kuua laughed. "You're at the place where Mufasa died. You're at the place where Zira almost killed your father. You're at the place Zira died. And now you will join them all." 

She began to push him back when another roar sounded and Kuua was attacked. All Jasiri saw was a streak of brown fur. He managed to pull himself up and looked down.

To his horror, he saw Wema hanging on for dear life on the cliff. Kiburi ran past Jasiri and pulled his brother up. Below, Kuua was also hanging, and the ledge she held was beginning to crack. Jasiri held out his paw, despite his bleeding shoulder. But it was too late. The ledge cracked and Kuua fell down the gorge.

Chapter 8

Kiburi steadied his cousin. Jasiri was really shaken. The fire on Pride Rock had subsided and rain was falling heavily again. The rain drops extinguished the remains of the fire and the air was filled with smoke from the battle. Jasiri looked around to see that everyone was okay.

Kiburi had a bleeding paw and a slight nosebleed. Apart from that, he was fine. Wema had twisted his right paw slightly and limped. Nadhari had a cut in her neck that was deep, but not fatal. Kuona had been luckier. She had only a few bruises on the side of her body. Kipanya had a few scratches on her left leg.

Jasiri had suffered the most injuries. He had a broken hind leg and was covered in cuts and bruises. His shoulders were bleeding really badly. The pain was blinding him. He longed to lie down and give in to it. The pain felt hot. There were too many cuts to lick and the pain from his body was pulling him down. But he fought the pain, as his father had told him to. 

Kiburi walked over to Wema.

"Wema," he said. "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for what I did. I had a mental block about what Scar did to Mufasa."

"Its okay." Wema said, cheerfully."I would have felt the same way."

"Would you like to come back?" Kiburi asked." It'll be useless living in Hakuna Matata now that Timon and Pumbaa are dead."

Tears began to fall down Wema's face. Kiburi looked at Jasiri. He nodded in agreement. Then, both brothers nuzzled. Kuona and Nadhari smiled. 

Now, Jasiri and Kiburi faced the sisters.

"Well, aren't you two coming?" Jasiri asked.

"Where?" Nadhari asked.

"To Pride Rock, of course." Kiburi said.

The rain had stopped by now. Rafiki's niece had tended to all their wounds. All the lionesses and hyenas sat in a circle. Nadhari was standing beside Jasiri and Kuona beside Kiburi. Wema was in the middle. 

"What do you two think you're going to do now?" Kuona asked.

"We've decided to let Kiburi rule now that his greatest fear has passed." Jasiri replied.

"But what about you?" Nadhari asked.

"I'm going back to being a rouge." Jasiri said. 

"You'll come to visit me, won't you?" Kiburi asked.

"Of course I will." Jasiri said.

The sun had risen from behind the mountains and had enveloped Pride Rock in a layer of light. Then Kiburi began to walk forward with Kuona beside him and Wema behind him. Behind them, came Jasiri and Nadhari. Together, the five friends stood at the summit of Pride Rock, over all the animals. Jasiri first let out a roar. It was followed by Kiburi's. Then, all five lions roared. All the animals erupted into cheers. When they finished roaring, they looked up to the sky. Rays of the sun were shining on them.

"Well Done, my grandsons." Simba's voice sounded.

Jasiri smiled as a gust of wind carrying leaves surrounded him. He knew it was his father, Kopa. He let the wind blow through his mane. Simba's spirit looked down upon them all. He knew that he had accomplished what he had come for. Everything was back to normal.

***