p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"strongDisclaimer: I do not own Lion King, only borrowing the characters and some of the dialogue./strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Sometimes what's left behind can grow better than the generation before, if given the chance." Simba said as he pulled his paw through some dirt to reveal a sprout. Kovu watched intently, Simba had just finished telling him his version of Scar's story and Kovu was inclined to believe him, after all Simba hadn't seemed like the type of lion his mother had made him out to be. They were quickly interrupted by the sound of evil laughing, both lions looked up in alarm. Kovu's eyes widened in panic. This could not be happening now he thought. He was still so unsure. Yes, he was inclined to believe Simba's side of the story and he had enjoyed the time he spent with Kiara but was he really ready to against his mother. To fight opposite everything he had known his whole life. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Zira." Simba said as the lioness came into view. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Why Simba, what are you doing all the way out here and so alone." Zira said as the lions approached both Simba and Kovu, both lions started growling respectively. Simba was slightly shocked by this. As was Kovu, apparently, he had made his decision. As soon as Simba had heard Zira's voice, he had expected Kovu to join her. Maybe he really didn't want to be a part of her pride anymore. Maybe he really had turned his back on the Outlands. With this thought in mind he decided that he would have to ignore anything Zira said about Kovu during the battle and keep an eye on him out of the corner of his eye, and with that the battle commenced. He kept half an eye on Kovu the whole fight and watched as Kovu appeared to have his back. As the lionesses tried to reach him, Kovu would attempt to fight them off before they could. It made it a lot easier for Simba to keep his attention in the front of him and not have to worry about any lionesses attacking him from behind. As the battle wore on the two lions began to tire and soon found themselves nearly surrounded, by a bunch of logs on one side and by lions and lionesses on the other. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Kovu. How dare you betray me? I thought you wanted the same thing I did. Revenge." Zira said. Simba realized that he had been right about Kovu in the beginning but that Kovu was now a lion that he could trust no matter what came out of Kovu's mouth next. Kovu had showed him that by fighting against his own mother. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""While I may have originally wanted the same things mother, meeting Kiara and Simba, and learning the true story of Scar, I realized that you were wrong about everything. I have made my choice. I will fight to protect Simba, Nala, and Kiara until my last breath." Kovu said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""So be it." Zira said as the circle moved to close in on the two of them. Simba looked at Kovu and nodded his head towards the logs. Immediately understanding, Kovu moved with Simba as the two of them moved up the logs as fast as they could. The logs were unstable though and started to fall, he heard one fall and hit a lion but couldn't be bothered to see whom. Simba made it to the top before him and when Kovu started to slip, Simba aided him much to Kovu's surprise. The two lions looked down to see Zira frantically pushing the logs aside and Kovu realized who must have been the lion who was hit by the log, Nuka. Kovu felt a moment of grief for the lion he once called brother but was immediately distracted by the grunt of pain coming from Simba. He ran over and helped to support Simba as the two lions slowly made their way to Pride Rock. As the came into sight of the place he hoped he could still call home, the warthog and meerkat—he couldn't remember their names, that would have to change if he was staying, came to help him get Simba up to the cave. He eagerly accepted their help. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Simba, what happened?" Nala asked as they got to the top of the rock and Simba laid down to rest. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""We were ambushed by Zira and the rest of the Outlanders, if it wasn't for Kovu I probably wouldn't have made it back. Thank You, Kovu." Simba said. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Kovu knew this was far from over. He knew that if he had stood by and done nothing today, he likely would have been exiled. Everything he wanted would have been gone in a flash. As he was thinking Kiara approached him. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""You really went against your mother," she asked softly looking at him with a cautious hope. It was at this moment that he realized a part of her was still holding back. So, he nodded. Kiara's face lit up and it warmed something inside of Kovu. He liked making Kiara happy. He never would have imagined that the cub he met all those years ago would become so important to him. He nudged Kiara softly before breaking away from her and heading over to Simba. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""This isn't over, my mother will come at you again and she'll be even more bloodthirsty than before. The lion that died today was my brother, her eldest son, she will want revenge," Kovu warned. Simba nodded. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Then we will be prepared for it, we will up the patrols and be ready when she comes," Simba spoke. As it was Zira came back much quicker than he had expected. He expected her to take a little time to mourn, but instead she came back the next day. Zazu came flying by in the early afternoon and as Kiara and Kovu were taking a moment for themselves by the river before they left to fight, she realized that she finally understood what her father told her all those years ago. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""We are one," she spoke softly at first to Kovu and then again louder when they were facing off with the Outlanders, Kovu was inspired by her speech as were all of the Pridelanders and Outlanders. Later when it was all over and his mother was gone for good, Kovu took a moment to be thankful for Kiara and Simba, and even Timon and Pumbaa—the meerkat and warthog whose names he now knew, for showing him what life was supposed to be and for guiding him away from the dark path his mother had sent him down. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Sometimes what's left behind can grow better than the generation before, if given the chance." Simba said as he pulled his paw through some dirt to reveal a sprout. Kovu watched intently, Simba had just finished telling him his version of Scar's story and Kovu was inclined to believe him, after all Simba hadn't seemed like the type of lion his mother had made him out to be. They were quickly interrupted by the sound of evil laughing, both lions looked up in alarm. Kovu's eyes widened in panic. This could not be happening now he thought. He was still so unsure. Yes, he was inclined to believe Simba's side of the story and he had enjoyed the time he spent with Kiara but was he really ready to against his mother. To fight opposite everything he had known his whole life. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Zira." Simba said as the lioness came into view. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Why Simba, what are you doing all the way out here and so alone." Zira said as the lions approached both Simba and Kovu, both lions started growling respectively. Simba was slightly shocked by this. As was Kovu, apparently, he had made his decision. As soon as Simba had heard Zira's voice, he had expected Kovu to join her. Maybe he really didn't want to be a part of her pride anymore. Maybe he really had turned his back on the Outlands. With this thought in mind he decided that he would have to ignore anything Zira said about Kovu during the battle and keep an eye on him out of the corner of his eye, and with that the battle commenced. He kept half an eye on Kovu the whole fight and watched as Kovu appeared to have his back. As the lionesses tried to reach him, Kovu would attempt to fight them off before they could. It made it a lot easier for Simba to keep his attention in the front of him and not have to worry about any lionesses attacking him from behind. As the battle wore on the two lions began to tire and soon found themselves nearly surrounded, by a bunch of logs on one side and by lions and lionesses on the other. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Kovu. How dare you betray me? I thought you wanted the same thing I did. Revenge." Zira said. Simba realized that he had been right about Kovu in the beginning but that Kovu was now a lion that he could trust no matter what came out of Kovu's mouth next. Kovu had showed him that by fighting against his own mother. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""While I may have originally wanted the same things mother, meeting Kiara and Simba, and learning the true story of Scar, I realized that you were wrong about everything. I have made my choice. I will fight to protect Simba, Nala, and Kiara until my last breath." Kovu said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""So be it." Zira said as the circle moved to close in on the two of them. Simba looked at Kovu and nodded his head towards the logs. Immediately understanding, Kovu moved with Simba as the two of them moved up the logs as fast as they could. The logs were unstable though and started to fall, he heard one fall and hit a lion but couldn't be bothered to see whom. Simba made it to the top before him and when Kovu started to slip, Simba aided him much to Kovu's surprise. The two lions looked down to see Zira frantically pushing the logs aside and Kovu realized who must have been the lion who was hit by the log, Nuka. Kovu felt a moment of grief for the lion he once called brother but was immediately distracted by the grunt of pain coming from Simba. He ran over and helped to support Simba as the two lions slowly made their way to Pride Rock. As the came into sight of the place he hoped he could still call home, the warthog and meerkat—he couldn't remember their names, that would have to change if he was staying, came to help him get Simba up to the cave. He eagerly accepted their help. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Simba, what happened?" Nala asked as they got to the top of the rock and Simba laid down to rest. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""We were ambushed by Zira and the rest of the Outlanders, if it wasn't for Kovu I probably wouldn't have made it back. Thank You, Kovu." Simba said. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"Kovu knew this was far from over. He knew that if he had stood by and done nothing today, he likely would have been exiled. Everything he wanted would have been gone in a flash. As he was thinking Kiara approached him. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""You really went against your mother," she asked softly looking at him with a cautious hope. It was at this moment that he realized a part of her was still holding back. So, he nodded. Kiara's face lit up and it warmed something inside of Kovu. He liked making Kiara happy. He never would have imagined that the cub he met all those years ago would become so important to him. He nudged Kiara softly before breaking away from her and heading over to Simba. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""This isn't over, my mother will come at you again and she'll be even more bloodthirsty than before. The lion that died today was my brother, her eldest son, she will want revenge," Kovu warned. Simba nodded. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""Then we will be prepared for it, we will up the patrols and be ready when she comes," Simba spoke. As it was Zira came back much quicker than he had expected. He expected her to take a little time to mourn, but instead she came back the next day. Zazu came flying by in the early afternoon and as Kiara and Kovu were taking a moment for themselves by the river before they left to fight, she realized that she finally understood what her father told her all those years ago. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 32px; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;""We are one," she spoke softly at first to Kovu and then again louder when they were facing off with the Outlanders, Kovu was inspired by her speech as were all of the Pridelanders and Outlanders. Later when it was all over and his mother was gone for good, Kovu took a moment to be thankful for Kiara and Simba, and even Timon and Pumbaa—the meerkat and warthog whose names he now knew, for showing him what life was supposed to be and for guiding him away from the dark path his mother had sent him down. /p