***Author's Note***

!READ FIRST!

I, like most fans of the Lion King, preferred the original to the sequel, and after writing my own almost-rewrite of "Simba's Pride" with the involvement of my character, Alex, I realized how much the writers must have absolutely hated Kovu. He did not get a single break in the entire movie until the end, and it bothers me that none of the problems he faced was even his fault. He gets cut off by Simba before he can tell Kiara the truth, then is randomly attacked by Zira before he can really talk to Simba, then… I should remind all of you that Kovu is a highly trained fighter… he is knocked unconscious by a single blow in the very beginning of the fight so he can't even help Simba! I could go on from there about the scar and all sorts of stuff, but those are the main things I have issues with. This story is about how if the writers hadn't hated Kovu, and if he actually got a chance to say what he needed to say before the fecal matter hit the fan. One last thing, the animation in the second movie was waaay worse than the original, so when you read this, know that I used the animators from the original. Enjoy.

-Ben

***Simba's Pride: Kovu's Way***

***Chapter 1***

Kovu paced nervously outside of Priderock's main cave. He had to tell her today, he couldn't wait any longer! But how could he tell her? What was he supposed to say? 'Oh hi Kiara, just thought you should know, I was sent by Zira to kill your father, but I love you now so it's okay right?' Kovu shook his head, frustrated at his dilemma. No matter how he worded it, it never sounded okay… probably because it wasn't okay! He was plotting to kill Simba! How could anyone in the pride ever forgive him of that?

"Kovu?" came a feminine voice from inside the cave.

He groaned inwardly at the sight of his love. He wasn't ready! But he had to try. "Kiara, I need to talk to you…" he was cut off by a sharp growl to his side.

Simba approached the two younger lions with a stern face. "Kiara, I don't want you talking to him!" then his face softened a bit as he continued. "I would like to talk with him."

Kovu breathed a sigh of relief and followed the golden king out into the vast savannah. He needed to tell Kiara the truth, but a little extra time to plan his words couldn't hurt. He listened intently as Simba told the story of Scar. The dark lion was fascinated with the king's version, Scar seemed like a real person, rather than the ideal god that his mother had always made him out to be. The more he listened to Simba, the more he realized the lies that his mother had told him. Scar wasn't as great as she said he was, and even seemed to be the villain! Kovu's head was full of turmoil at his epiphany as he looked at Simba. Scar's killer. The monster that needed to be killed in order for Scar's followers to take their rightful place as rulers of Priderock. Kovu understood now, Simba wasn't the villain, Zira was. He, himself was the villain; an assassin sent to destroy the noble king. He shook his head with revulsion at the revelation.

"There was a darkness inside Scar that he couldn't escape… and in the end, it destroyed him."

Kovu frowned. "I've never heard the story of Scar told like that before… he truly was a killer."

Simba smiled softly as he brushed away ash from the charred ground. "Fire is a killer, but sometimes what is left behind can grow better than the generation before… if given the opportunity."

Kovu stared at Simba, shocked at his former enemy's wisdom. SImba had given Kovu the opportunity, and now it was up to him to grow better than Scar had. The truth had to come out.

"Simba…" he began slowly. "I need to tell you something."

"And that is?"

"The truth."

Simba looked at the younger lion curiously, but waited for him to continue.

Kovu stared at the ground, ashamed to look Simba in the eyes. "I was- I was sent here by my mother… to kill you."

The great king's curiosity changed to anger in an instant. He took a step back and snarled dangerously. "I knew you were up to no good." He growled.

"No, Simba, please!" Kovu begged. "I don't want to do it, I can't do it!"

"You are Scar's heir, your mother's son."

"My mother lied to me! She told me that you were a horrible and unworthy murderer of a king, and I can see now that she was wrong. She lied about everything! Simba, please."

Simba stared silently at the dark lion for a while before his expression softened. "This isn't just about me, is it?"

Kovu sighed and hung his head again. He was already telling the truth, he might as well tell the whole truth. "Zira's plan was for me to get close to Kiara, so I could get close to you." The anger that crossed Simba's face scared the daylights out of the young lion. "But everything changed! I know it may be hard to believe, but… but I love her." He trailed off quietly beginning to realize the futility of his attempt. Simba would never trust him, especially not after he tried to use Kiara as a pawn in an assassination plot. He sighed deeply, still staring at the ground. It did feel better to get it all off his chest.

He waited for Simba to speak, for him to lash out with his claws, or banish him from the Pridelands, but nothing came. "Well?" he asked impatiently, looking up. "Say something!"

A deep and angry growl erupted from Simba's throat and Kovu lowered his eyes again to meet his fate.

"Simba, Simba, Simba…" a sweetly evil voice called.

Kovu looked up to see Simba growling dangerously at a ring of outlanders that had formed around the isolated king.

"Excellent work, Kovu." She purred. "Just as we always planned."

Simba glanced sharply at the dark lion and Kovu froze in horror. If Simba had any sympathy for him before, it had vanished with the arrival of the outlanders. "No!" he tried to explain. "I didn't have anything to do with this!"

"Attack!" Zira commanded, and the first wave of lionesses lunged out at the king. Simba swatted the first few away, but another made her way onto his back. Simba roared in pain as the attackers drew deep red lines in his fur.

Kovu stared in horror as his family attacked his king. But what was he to do? If he fought alongside Simba, Zira would surely punish him as she had countless times in training for showing weakness. He couldn't disobey his mother, it was unheard of!

Kovu blinked in sudden realization. Simba was not the villain here, Zira was. And everything she had ever taught him, was wrong. Well, maybe not everything, he decided. She taught him how to fight pretty well. Kovu roared and leapt at the lioness on Simba's back, knocking her to the ground. He rolled and quickly charged another outlander who was about to strike out at Simba's throat. The lioness froze in shock as Kovu tackled her to the ground and raked his claws across her side.

Kovu let loose a thundering roar at the outlanders who were staring blankly at him. They were shocked at his actions; Kovu was their assassin, why was he fighting with Simba?

Zira growled at her son dangerously. "What are you doing, Kovu?"

Kovu stood his ground in between his family and the wounded Simba. "Don't do this mother." He begged. "He's not the villain you think he is."

"He is SCAR'S MURDURER!" she screamed as she lunged at the dark lion.

Kovu froze at the sight of his mother's charge, in all his training he had never seen her this furious. He flinched as her claws raked across his eye, drawing a deep vertical gash over it. The other lionesses followed suit and soon he was surrounded by familiar, yet angry faces. He had fought these warriors many times before in training, and he knew their tendencies well.

The first lioness' name was Talia, and she came in high, just as she always had before. Kovu ducked low and raked her underbelly as she flew by. Kodata came in next, using her preferred barraged of rakes. Kovu dodged the first few and then blocked a strike solidly, throwing her off balance. He looked back to Simba who was struggling with his own group of attackers. From the look of exhaustion on the king's face, he was wasn't doing too well.

Kovu leapt and threw one of Simba's attackers to the ground. "SIMBA!" he yelled. "Run!"

The great king threw the last lioness off his back and stared at Kovu.

"I said GO!" he repeated, before being tackled by Vitani.

He swatted her away, but she was instantly replaced by another. He looked back and saw Simba disappear over a hill. He continued to fight from his back, but there were simply too many of them. With Simba gone, all their attention and anger was focused on him and him alone. It wasn't long before he was pinned.

"YOU FOOL!" Zira screamed at him. "WE HAD HIM, AND YOU LET HIM ESCAPE!"

Kovu just glared at her. "I did what I thought was right. Simba isn't the villain, you are."

Zira roared furiously and struck him strongly across the head. Kovu struggled to stay awake, but the blow was just too hard. Despite his efforts, he fell into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.

***Author's Note***

Okay, this isn't going to be very long; at the most, three chapters of about this length. And don't worry if you have been following "Nala's Brother: Return to Priderock". It will not affect my updates with that story; I just needed a bit of a refresher from it.

-Ben