Hi! This story was created based on a character that belongs to Vulaan Kulaas who writes the story with me. I hope that you guys will enjoy this one.

Is this a dream? I keep asking myself. I stare at the inert body around which everyone is gathered. I think I can hear Nala cry. I am pretty sure Sarabi is sobbing, too. I take a look at Sarafina, and I see the same thing. They are all crying, all of them, but one person-or should I say two. He doesn't even bother pretending that he cared for one single second. He didn't. He's just watching everyone, his familiar green eyes going through the crowd, and I think that he's smiling. I have to admit that I hadn't seen that one coming. He never talked about it before. It seemed to be a done deal in his mind, and I think it was the same thing in mine. Seeing him like that is weird. I think that I always wanted to believe that he wasn't such a dreamer anymore, but it seems that I was wrong. He's still craving power, and I cannot even understand how I didn't see it sooner. I spent the past years with him, trying to get to know him, having him knowing me, and somehow, I didn't see that.

I'm not angry with him. There's nothing that I can do that will change the past. Besides, maybe he was right to do what he did. That's not what I would have done, but I get why he did it. No one is going to take that throne away from him. I already knew that, but now I know that he's willing to kill to keep it.

I can still hear the lionesses cry. I try, but I don't even manage to get one single tear out. I didn't know the fallen lion very well, but the fact that I'm with them, but not sharing their pain is just another clue telling me that I don't belong. It's true, though. They're different than I. Or I'm different. It didn't seem to matter until now. Before, I loved the fact that I wasn't the same. I loved my ruddy gingery-brown pelt, my creamy underbelly, and my tail tipped with a black tuft. I loved even more the dark stripes on my body, the only memory that I had from my mother.

"Nova," an imperious voice calls.

My heat shoots straight up as I meet my father's gaze. We share the same green eyes, that's what everyone tells me.

"Come here," he demands.

I do as he says. I walk away from the pained lionesses without second thoughts. I am only hurting for Sarafina. She's been so good to me, and I don't like to see her cry.

"Father," I say as I look down, in a bow, and then I eye him. I can't read any emotion in his eyes, but I think that it's just because he's grown really good at hiding how he feels. "Is there something wrong?"

He nods, annoyed. His black mane is filled with rocks and sand. His pelt is completely covered in dust. He seems tired but the victory he just won wipes the weariness away. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen him shine so bright.

"Could you tell the lionesses that I give them the right to bury him somewhere? I'll give them some time to mourn him, but don't let them forget who's King now."

I nod, and he turns around, surrounded by the hyenas that are thrilled. I don't like them that much, but they can be quite amusing sometimes. And they're my father's friends and allies. I can't despise them. It would be like hating a part of who he is, and that's not something that I can do.

I walk back to the lionesses, and I notice that Sarabi is looking at me. I don't even know if she's aware of that because there are tears in her eyes, and I think it must make the whole world hazy.

"You can bury him," I tell them. "He'll let you mourn him for a couple of days." If he's in a good mood, I think. If he's not, he might only give them a couple of hours.

"We can bury him?" Nala explodes. "I don't need anyone's permission to mourn the one I loved! I don't need his approval to bury him, and I will take as many days as I want! And if he's not happy with it, he can tell me himself instead of sending his daughter to do his dirty work!" She starts sobbing after that, and it's like her paws can't hold up her weight anymore, and she falls to the ground. Sarafina comes next to her, and she licks the top of her head fondly, and she whispers something in her ear. Nala nods, and she buries her head into her mother's fur. I see that scene, and it aggravates me. Why isn't Sarafina making sure that I am all right? She used to take care of me the way she does with Nala right now. She's not so caring anymore. Or maybe I'm just spending too much time with my father.

I look down, and I take one step back. I'm about to leave when Sarabi calls my name. I turn around, and what I see contrast with the picture of her I had in mind. Earlier, when she found out that her son was still very much alive, she was the happiest lioness in the Pride Lands. I had never seen this ... alive. And now she's gone back to what she was before, but worse. It's like her son just died another time.

"Do you think you could talk some sense into your father?" she asks me.

"Why would I?" I replicate.

She seems shocked, but she shakes her head. "I just had him back, Nova. You have no idea how painful it is. You don't know anything. I don't expect you to understand, but at least, don't pretend that we can't feel anything."

She turns her back to me, and I understand that she's done talking to me. Nala looks up, and her lovely face has turned into a huge wince of anger. "I will kill him myself," she promises. "How can he do such thing? His nephew." I have never heard Nala talking about killing someone. She hunts, yes, but she would never hurt anyone if she had another choice.

The other lionesses' roars are heard, and I think that they're ready to go to war against my father. Simba had started a war, and they're willing to finish it, even if it's the last thing that they'll do.

I'm about to walk back to my father to tell him that the lionesses have gone mad when I hear someone roaring. Somehow, it sounds familiar, but I can't quite figure out where I have heard that roar before.

I turn around, and there is a whole pride of lions standing there. Looking back, I see my father with the hyenas, ready to fight.

"Well, King of the Pride Lands, seems like you need some help to tame your lionesses." The lion that have spoken takes one step forward, and I am impressed by how fearsome he seems. His fur is a dark rose red, his mane a sandy tan, but what strikes me the most about him is his eyes. They're cold and grey, and they do ring a bell. "I would gladly help you with that."

"And why would I accept your help?" Father replicates. "I have what I want, and I don't need someone to take it away from me."

"I'm not here to be your enemy." The stranger looks around. "I see that your allies might have claws, but they won't do against lionesses. They are the meanest when they want." The way he says it makes me shiver. It's like he knows better.

He doesn't have to say anything else, the lionesses have grown tired of hearing his voice, and they have started to run towards us to attack. I'm caught completely off guard, and I think Father is, too. I see the look on Nala's face. She's out for blood. His blood.