I don't own any canon characters.

Kovu felt a twinge of regret as the presentation started. This should have been a happy occasion, the presentation of the next king, and it was, but there was still something missing.

It had been several years since the unification of the prides, and everything had gone smoothly, but for the fact that Vitani and Nuka were gone. This didn't bother him normally, but now the memories of them were starting to bite, and he was filled with a desire to see if they were still alive, somewhere, in the outlands. Simba had declared the Outlands off limits almost immediately after the unification, and they'd all dutifully obeyed.

The ceremony passed well enough, though Kovu paid less attention to it than the others. After the ceremony, he approached Simba, and said "sire."

"Ah, Kovu," Simba said, "a fine day."

"Yes," Kovu said, "and er, I know the Outlands are off limits, but..."

"You want to go and see if you can find your brother and sister," Simba said, guessing.

"Vitani and Nuka, yes," Kovu said, "can I..."

"Yes you may," Simba said, "if it will put you mind at ease, go and find out."

"Thank, thank you sire," Kovu said, then made his way off.

"Father, have you seen Kovu," Kiara asked, a few minutes later.

"He's occupied in a private matter at the moment," Simba replied.

"What kind of private matter," Kiara asked.

"A matter that required bending the rules a little," Simba replied, "and that's one of the reasons it's private."

The Outlands were looking a lot better, Kovu thought, as he made his way through them. Sure, the haze of green was nothing compared to the Pridelands, but then again, they were a big improvement on what they'd been like before.

Wandering further, Kovu was heading for what had long ago been the sleeping cave, when a voice behind him said, "and what have we here, a rogue?"

Kovu turned to where the voice had come from, and found a lioness. "Not quite a rogue," he replied, "and you would be..."

The lioness smiled, but didn't say anything, but smiled, and Kovu suddenly became aware of four other lionesses in a vague circle around him. "looks like we have ourselves a poacher," another lioness said.

"What's wrong prince," a third lioness asked, "things getting lean in the Pridelands?"

"What," Kovu asked, "how did you..."

"Okay, cut it out you lot," said the largest, probably the leader, "let's get this thing back to the king."

"King, what king," Kovu asked, warily trying to watch as many of the lionesses as possible.

"Don't bother about it," the lead lioness said, "you just come with us, nice and easy."

"It doesn't look like I have much of a choice," Kovu said, as he followed the lioness. A thought occurredn to him, and he asked, "how long has there been a pride in these parts, anyway?"

"A few years," the lioness replied, "of course, I though a prince like you would know that."

"How do you know I'm a prince," Kovu asked, slightly off put by the lionesses' attitudes.

"I know a lot more about you than that," the lioness replied, "and anyway, there aren't very many lions in this area, and few are even half as dark as you."

"So who's the king," Kovu asked.

"A lion," the lioness replied.

"'Just' a lion," Kovu asked.

"Not just a lion," the lioness replied, "a lion and a king."

"So, does this king have a name," Kovu asked.

"Kings don't have names," the lioness replied, "lions do, but kings don't."

"Okay," Kovu said, getting annoyed at not getting a straight answer, "does the lion have a name?"

"Yep," the lioness replied.

"Well," Kovu asked.

"Well, what," the lioness asked in return.

"What's the lion's name," Kovu asked.

"Why would a rogue want to know the name of a king," the lioness asked.

"Rogue," Kovu asked, "you just called me a prince."

"In your own territory you're a prince," the lioness replied levelly, "here, you're just a rogue."

"So you're not going to tell me his name then," Kovu asked.

"I'm not sure why you're interested," the lioness asked.

Kovu sighed angrily, and shut up. talking was getting him nowhere, especially as he was sure the lioness was winding him up.

They soon reached the cave, and the lead lioness and one other went ahead of him, and the other three behind. In the middle of the cave, where once his cub bed had been was a dais of rock, with a lion, undoubtedly the king, lying on top of it.

Around the dais were two other lionesses, and at least half a dozen cubs. "Sire," the lead lioness said.

"Ah," the king said, "the hunters have returned." The lion was vaguely familiar, but Kovu couldn't identify him, yet."

"Greetings sire," Kovu said, sounding annoyed, despite trying to control his emotions.

"Greetings," the king replied, "termite."

Kovu's mouth hung open a moment, then, still stunned, he managed to stutter, "N-Nuka?"

"Indeed," Nuka replied.

"But how..." Kovu asked, "I thought you'd died."

"What ever gave you that idea Kovu," one of the lionesses by the dais asked.

"Who..." Kovu began to asked, then recognised the lioness, "Vitani?"

"Yeah, it's me," Vitani replied, rising and making her way over to Kovu.

"How did you do it," Kovu asked, "I thought this place would be dead."

"We're tougher than we look, Kovu" Vitani said, "and anyway, we picked up bits and pieces of how kings operate from the rest of the pride." She then waved her paw to indicate the other lionesses, and said, "I think we've done pretty good."

"Yeah," Kovu said, then turned back to her. "What happened," he asked, "you never came back, you never even showed yourself."

"Don't you get it yet, Kovu," Vitani asked, "we couldn't come, this is our home."

"All of the other came," Kovu said.

"Yeah," Vitani said, "but they weren't any worse off for it."

"You wouldn't have been either," Kovu said in reply.

"Nuka wouldn't have been a king if we came," Vitani replied, "and I doubt I'd have been lead huntress any time soon."

"So you're no going to come back with me then," Kovu asked, slightly dismally.

"I doubt it," Vitani replied, then noticed Kovu's tone. "And don't try blackmailing me either," she said, "it'll only get me annoyed."

"So, do you still despise me," Kovu asked.

"Not really any more," Vitani said, "but if you try blackmailing me, I might start thinking about it."

"I think I'd better start getting back," Kovu said, changing subject.

"By the king's leave," said the lead lioness of the group that had lead him in.

"Oh, yeah," Kovu said, then turned to Nuka, "sire?"

"Go," Nuka said, "Vitani, make sure he gets to the border."

"Yes, sire," Vitani replied, themn turned to Kovu, and said, "come on."

Kovu followed Vitani, and they left the cave and made for the border with the Pridelands. "How are you keeping," he asked, when they were some distance from the cave.

"Well enough," Vitani replied, "and you."

"Can't complain," Kovu said.

"Was it a girl or a boy," Vitani asked.

"Wha... oh," Kovu said, "a boy."

"Hmm," Vitani said, then waited a moment, before saying, "give my apologies to Kiara."

"Okay," Kovu said, "what for?"

"Any offence I gave her when I ran off," Vitani replied.

"Oh," Kovu said, "just Kiara?"

"You were expecting more," Vitani asked.

"No, not really I suppose," Kovu said, a little saddened by the fact that there were still some barriers between them.

"And one more thing," Vitani said, when they reached the river.

"Yes," Kovu asked, just slightly wary.

Vitani nuzzled Kovu a moment, then whispered, "sorry." She then turned, and raced off.

Kovu watched her disappear for a moment, then crossed back into the Pridelands.