Guess who's back? lol sorry to have kept everyone waiting (and wondering if I was dead). And I even left you all at a cliffhanger! Anyway, the cliffhanger will be resolved, leaving probably another one at the end of this chapter lol. Hm..Hope you enjoy this new chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Chapter 17: Hope

"Is that…"

The solemn question hung in the air as Kiara's words trailed off. The light golden lioness hung her head in remorse, already knowing the answer that would surely meet her ears.

Kovu padded somberly back to the Queen, head hung in despair. Around them was a small amount of the Pride, some of the more concerned lionesses who decided to tag along. They had been searching for Nyota when she failed to return home.

They had found her all right.

"It is," Kovu confirmed boldly. He raised his head up to gaze at the sky, the last rays of sunlight disappearing from sky. Stars should be twinkling out by now, but they weren't presenting themselves, as a thick layer of dark clouds covered the sky. The rain began to sprinkle lightly down as the small group of Pride Landers quietly wept. Their future queen, Taraji's queen…was dead.

Kovu turned to the indigo hornbill that rested upon his shoulder sadly. "Nili, lead the rest of the pride here. Tell them…" Kovu pondered for a moment. He sighed and continued. "Tell them that we've lost a beloved lioness. A funeral is to be held immediately on their arrival."

Nili nodded sadly and spread her graceful wings. She took off lightly, but if one looked at her, she would appear to be holding the worse burden of all, chosen to be the bearer of bad news. Kovu watched her fly away, the sparkle gone from his emerald eyes. As the rain grew heavier, he threw his head back and roared mournfully.

Back at Pride Rock, Taraji and the others' spirits sank as they heard the roar and understood its meaning. It echoed through the land for a few more seconds before dying down. The Prince's hazel eyes fell to the ground and he shut his eyes tightly, sighing out painful emotions. Lifting his head back up, he and the others waited for Nili. Once the grieving hornbill arrived, they followed her quietly and solemnly to join the others.

Kovu approached Nyota's corpse again. Most of the meat was gone, the white bones gleaming as sprinkles of rain hit them, but the undeniable black fur, blue eyes, and white tail tuft that remained identified her. He observed the area around them, finally spotting an odd animal track. Kovu peered at it and sniffed it somewhat warily. The scent was fading, but there was no mistaking it.

"Hyenas."

Not much was left of Nyota, but they still managed to give the dark lioness a proper funeral. She had been buried in her favorite spot in the Pride Lands, a place in a lush, green grassy meadow that she would often walk in and enjoy the nice weather. Mournful cries were exchanged and roared, and soon the ceremony had ended.

The lionesses began to depart back to Pride Rock, but some still remained behind. Taraji stood in front of the fresh mound of dirt sadly, his eyes full of sorrow and guilt. As the rain streaked down his face, an unnoticed tear slid down his cheek. Laini tentatively approached him from behind, also saddened with tears in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away as she sat down by Taraji.

The brownish-orange lion sighed and he admitted, voice full of guilt, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't got in that fight with Fahari…and if I had just went after her…" He stopped and looked away shamefully, instead focusing on the muddy grave in front of him. The rain began to fall more freely, now coming down regularly. It was cold and unforgiving and soaked his half-grown mane through. His brown mane hung limply over his hazel eyes and clung to his neck and shoulders as water dripped from his whiskers.

Laini's brown eyes filled with sympathy, her bubbly personality dissolved during the tragedy. She reached over and put her head under Taraji's white muzzle, letting his chin rest on the back of her neck. He didn't flinch, instead sighing into her fur and allowing his friend to comfort him.

"Taraji," she said sadly, but full of confidence. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known that this was going to happen."

He harrumphed once, disbelieving her. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied, although his voice wasn't very reassured.

Laini pulled her tan body away from him, eyes at the grave. "I'm gonna miss her," she replied softly. "We weren't that close, but still…it's always hard to lose someone from the pride. Nyota's mother is taking it really hard."

"Nyota was a wonderful lioness," Taraji stated simply, but melancholy. Laini's eyes seemed to darken a shade even more, if that was possible. She shifted her eyes away awkwardly.

There were only a few lionesses still remaining at the gravesite, roughly the same amount there was at the time of the discovery of Nyota's body. Kovu and Kiara both walked up to Taraji and Laini, a half-hearted smile twitching at their mouth.

"Ready to go home?" questioned Kovu at his son. His dark brown mane was soaked through with water and hanging limply on him, while rainwater dripped off his muzzle. His emerald eyes seemed mournful and lost; since when did hyenas come into the Pride Lands and attack innocent lionesses? They had left years ago.

Taraji hesitated, but then nodded solemnly. He began to pad over to his mother and father, Laini following him.

And that's when they heard it.

The subtle splashing of water and squishing of mud under paws was enough to turn the Pride Landers' head. Their ears twitched as they peered into the distance. Kovu involuntarily stepped between his pride and the approaching animals. The four stood still as the sound of footsteps grew more audible.

A pride of around twenty or so wet lionesses entered their view and, once they had neared them by around 20 yards, Kovu approached them alone. He padded up to the lion leading the front, a young adult with a dark brown pelt and a charcoal black mane. They eyed each other for a few moments silently, until Kovu broke the silence.

"Who are you?" he questioned curiously. The unknown black-maned lion studied him intently with intense blue eyes before replying.

"My name is Ijayo, King of the Grass Lands. Our lands are barren, and we are searching for a place to call our own. Are we intruding?" the other lion replied. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, but speaking regally and confidently. Kovu took this a sign of not wanting to offend him.

"I'm Kovu, King of the Pride Lands. And this," he indicated Kiara and Taraji far behind him, "is my mate and son." Kovu looked at him long and hard, searching for a sign of treachery or mistrust.

The one who called himself Ijayo gave a small head bow. "Honored to meet you, your Majesty," he began, weaving his words and lies skillfully as Rubani had taught him. "My pride is weak, and a is storm is upon us. Would it be a burden to ask a place to stay a night or two?"

Kovu didn't answer immediatly. The young lion's tone was right. His form; unimposing. His expression sincere. What threat was there? And Kovu himself had been in this situation before, hadn't he? He had sought to call the Pride Lands his home, but because of Simba's mistrust, he had been exiled. Somehow, the King sympathized with the wandering pride. Still, something seemed...off. He couldn't quite point it out, but his instincts were nagging him. However, instincts aside, there seemed to be no reason to deny them a temporary refuge.

Sighing, Kovu replied, "Okay, you may stay. But not long. Enough time to rest and regain your strength."

"Thank you, Sir," bowed Ijayo again.

Kovu turned, as did Taraji and Kiara, heading back to Pride Rock. As the Grass Land Pride began to follow, Kovu, looking over his shoulder, warned them, "But don't disturbed my pride. We recently faced a loss, and insensitivity won't be tolerated."

Muttering an "Of course, your Majesty," under his breath, Ijayo smirked cleverly and trodded after the Pride Landers, his pride trudging after him.

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"You did what?!"

Kovu sighed and replied wearily, "Simba, I know your worried...but...well, I dunno. I don't know them and they don't have my full trust, but wasn't that how it was when you accepted me? You didn't trust me at all, but you still let me in, no matter how much you didn't want to. And look, I turned out all right, didn't I?"

Simba pondered this for a moment as he paced back and forth in the lion cave, tail flicking it slight irritation. This, he had to admit reluctantly, was true. Why couldn't he trust his successor's judgement?

"And Simba, its just for a night, or until the weather passes. Just...trust me, ok?"

The rain was steadily becoming heavier as the King eyed the golden lion thoughtfully, before turning and padding towards the cave entrance. And then Kovu departed, leaving Simba drenched with rain and alone with his thoughts.

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"Damn, when will this rain stop?" muttered Rubani under his breath. The wind carried his words away, making it sound as if he hadn't spoken at all. Rubani questioned disdainfully, "Can't we at least stop and get out of this weather? It's nearly dark also." Vitani rolled her violet eyes as the two continued northbound, not relenting in their quest.

"No," Vitani snapped. "Your son's prolly already there. If we stop, by the time we get there, either pride could be mince meat. Or both of them. If you weren't so weak, we could have caught up with them by now."

Rubani harrumphed once and scowled, blinking the rain out of his eyes. The mud and water sloshing under his wounded paws, the two lions were getting closer to their destination. The rain was unrelenting as it poured down in buckets upon them. Both were soaked to the bone and felt the chill of the wind against their drenched bodies.

Rubani's limp was nearly gone, but the pain that still remained from various deep gashes and cuts stung against the force of the rain. The chill made his bones ache and his teeth chatter, but Vitani was seemingly unfazed. Whilst he struggled to remain dignified by desperetly trying not to slip on the brown, slick mud underneath his paws, she trudged on as if she had lived her life on ice. Not once did she slip, and when Rubani did, she would smirk and throw out a degrading wise crack. It was enough to make Rubani's blood boil.

The former king weakly carried himself, holding up the extra weight his soaked mane provided, whilst still barely keeping up with his guide. It was embarrasing, this was. Since when did lionesses lead kings? Rubani growled softly and toughened his resolve.

It was obvious that some of his wounds would leave scars for the rest of his life. The scabs of the deep gashes on his jaw and shoulder blade still broke open quite often as Rubani walked and talked, proving life to be quite painful for him. It seemed as if his fur and face would be permanantly bloodstained for the rest of his life. And yet, he knew they wouldn't.

The marks where Ijayo's razor sharp teeth had dug into his paw were deep also, and twice the trouble. Putting pressure on it shot pain through his paw and lower leg, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to walk normally. His strength had also somewhat increased, from both the wildebeast he had eaten the other day and his body's feeble attempt to slowly replenish the blood he had lost.

But the question still lingering on his mind, and even Vitani's, was the outcome of the battle that was to surely arise. Surely there was something, anything that could be done about the matter. He knew the Pride Landers numbers were greater than the Grass Landers. While they had been trained for battle, there was a fair possiblity that the Grass Landers would not prevail. And Rubani wished not for his family to be slaughtered.

But you know, don't you? Slaughtering him is the only way to stop him, isn't it? Ijayo can't be stopped, Rubani pondered. Mentally, he scolded himself. Stop thinking like that! He's your son, you can't just kill him...

But in Rubani's heart, he knew it must be done.

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In the dark, slightly damp interior of a cave, Ijayo eyed his surroundings with a demented sort of curiousity. The lionesses and lions of his pride warily did the same, sniffing the air, thinking. Ijayo himself contemplated this new place, with all of its unfamilar sights and smells. Marching over to a raised rock in the corner, Ijayo leapt onto in and regally lay down atop it. Shaking the water off them, the others slowly trudged in and found themselves suitable places to rest also.

This place, this cave that King Kovu had sent them to for the night, was what the older Pride Landers referred to as 'Scar's old cave'. Ijayo was slightly surprised to note that it appeared no one had stayed in it in quite awhile. What were they? Scared? Although it did not appear to have the comfort and warmth of the main cave, it was still a perfectly suitable place to stay. It did, of course, shelter from the rain and provide shade from the sun.

Ijayo sighed and shook the water out of his black mane. Droplets flew in various directions, landing on other lions, promptly annoying them. Casually picking the small debris wedged between his paws out, Ijayo instinctivly began to run his plan over and over in his mind again, like replaying an unplayed scene in his mind. It was flawless; victory was guaranteed. As of now, his pride was only slightly too small to battle it out with the Pride Landers, but once the hyenas were summoned, taking this kingdom would be easy. And if, after claiming himself king, if he didn't want the mangy, flea bitten mongruls around any longer, he would simply banish them. Simple as that.

Rain or shine, he knew that tomorrow everything would change.

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As the night progressed and morning approached, two young lions found themselves tossing and turning, ghastly images flashing in their mind.

Taraji, panting from a nightmare, quickly gulped in air to calm his racing heart. It was still dark outside, but Taraji sensed it was nearing sunrise. The storm still raged outside, thunder boomed overhead and he saw flashes of the horrid dream once again. Nyota dead. Slaughtered by Fahari, whose smirk pierced his heart like an arrow, and going to kill him too. Taraji despretly trying to do something, but failing every time.

The reality was not the teenage prince's twisted dream; that's why it was called reality. However, one fact remained: Nyota was dead, and Taraji hadn't been able to do a damn thing about it. In fact, he felt as if he had helped cause it. If he had only allowed Fahari to go after her, or he went after her himself, none of this may have happened.

The prince was hot, sweaty. He needed to cool off, get some air, and trudging out into the storm would do that. So that's what he did. He was careful not to wake the others; Nyota's death had many crying to sleep or at least having trouble drifting off. Taraji went out into the night as thunder rumbled overhead.

Meanwhile, Kutu, wide awake in the eerie, silent, cold cave, imagined things to come. Thoughts of many, many bodies strewn about...and blood, lots of blood, blood on Ijayo, blood on mother, on Cheneta, the Pride Landers, and blood on himself. Blood everywhere. Blood on his father...because of his brother...

Kutu shook his head and covered his eyes with his paws. Clashing with the rain and wind, thunder and lightening now danced in the African sky. Running a paw through his brown, scruffy mane, he turned over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Don't think about it, he commanded himself. The bad guys can't win, that's not how its supposed to happen. The young adult choked down a pained roar, and not able to take the cave's foreboding silence for any longer, quietly rushed out into the howling wind, lightening streaking in the distance.

He scanned the area around Pride Rock, the downpour somewhat blinding him. Ah! Shelter under the promontory. He raced there; not being near Ijayo would be somewhat comforting. Maybe time alone would allow him to gather his thoughts. Slipping around the corner under the large rock, blinking rain out of his green eyes, Kutu sat wearily on his haunches and his shoulders sagged with the burden of his troubles. It was then, that to his surprise, another voice spoke.

"Didn't think there was another lion who feels as bad as I do," the male voice spoke. It was a teenager's, definately, judging from the sound of youth in it. It also had a sorrowful note to it, and Kutu turned around questioningly.

Taraji paced from the shadows, his hazel eyes to the ground sadly. Looking up and sitting down in front of the other lion, he studied him curiously. Taraji noted, that from his mane and size, that this rust-colored Grass Lander was a young adult, maybe only older than himself by less than a year. The other lion half-heartedly smiled and replied, "The prince, right?"

"The one and only," Taraji replied, sighing. He stared across the savannah solemnly and turned back to the young adult. "Taraji," he said, introducing himself.

The other promptly replied, "Kutu."

A few moments of silence passed, the two keeping to their thoughts and inner demons. It was Taraji who broke the silence. "So...," he began somewhat awkwardly, "what're you doing here? You act like someone died."

If only you knew, Kutu melancholany mused to himself. He replied sketchily, "Nothing, just...I've got a lot on my mind, that's all." He sighed and shivered slightly as bit of rain was blown towards the two. He watched as the water dripped down his light orange leg and onto the slightly damp ground beneath them.

"What about you?" Kutu quizzed suddenly. Taraji glanced up and Kutu studied the teenage lion's hazel eyes, clouded with obvious grief. Suddenly a memory clawed its way upward, and Kutu sadly understood.

There seemed to be something moving ahead of them towards Pride Rock...a dark colored lioness with an odd white tail tuft...a Pride Lander...'Kill her'...hyenas...a scream...barking...silence.

"Someone did die, didn't they?" Kutu asked guiltily, already knowing the answer.

Taraji eyed the ground, his wet bangs sticking to his face, quickly trying to blink the tears out of his eyes. Trying to gulp the melon-sized lump in his throat, he replied, "My future queen."

Kutu glanced away quickly, clamping his eyes shut tightly. Why does everything have to end this way? Why has my life always been like this? He thought, looking up at the star-less sky. Why does hardly anyone care for me? His paws flexed as his sadness began to quickly bubble into anger. Why have I never had a father that never cared for me? Why do others have to suffer for my family's mistakes? WHY!? In a sudden, unexpected motion that startled Taraji, Kutu growled loudly in frusteration and powerfully clawed the rock wall behind them with a paw. A cracking sound could be heard, and pain shot through his paw as blood began to seep out of his nails. They had been broken almost completely away, cutting into the blood vessels deep in the claws. Wincing in pain, Kutu withdrew his paw, it slowly becoming quite bloody.

Taraji looked upon this with surprise, confusion, sympathy and strangely, understanding. "Well, whatever things are on your mind must be pretty tough, huh?" he stated. "Was it something I said?" he asked lightly, trying a small half-hearted attempt to make a joke.

Kutu weakly smiled back. "No," he said. Why have I never made a difference in this world?...The young adult sighed and stared at the dark reddish-orange teenage lion's youthful face. Just to think, when morning comes, Kutu may never see this face again...at least alive anyway.

And just to think, these lands could mean nothing after Ijayo began to rule. It always seemed as if a land responded to its ruler. If the ruler was good and righteous, the land would blossom and be fertile. If the ruler were to be evil and cruel...well, Kutu didn't like to think about it. Maybe that's what happened to the Grass Lands, he pondered. When Rubani was consumed by hate, the lands died. Kutu had no idea how this worked; perhaps some greater spirits really were watching over them. He didn't know; the Grass Landers were never religous. The Pride Lands could end up withered if Ijayo were to gain the throne. Looking at these beautiful lands, a deep sadness rose within Kutu at the Pride Lands possible fate.

And what of the Pride Landers? This coming morning may be the last time any of them will walk the Earth alive. One death had caused the grief of one lion, and most likely others. What would several deaths do? Even in the short time he had been here, Kutu had seen so many happy families. The royal King and Queen nuzzling each other for comfort, friends helping one another, and goodness radiating in even the shadiest looking lionesses. And the way each of them stuck together in a time of sadness was remarkable. This was the pride Kutu himself had always dreamed of. The pride his heart had longed for even since he was a cub. This pride gave him hope.

And it was this hope that struck a chord within Kutu.

As the rain showered off the rocks above them, a long moment of silence had passed since Kutu had been thinking. The sun appeared to be peeking over the horizon, lightening the black clouds to a somber gray. Dawn, Kutu thought, when everything begins.

Taraji rose, his white paws splashing in a puddle as he began to walk away. He then looked over his shoulder and said, "Well...I guess I need to go. My dad should be up anytime now. See ya later?" Recieving no answer, the teenage lion then left the shelter of the promontory and started his ascension up Pride Rock.

Kutu watched him go, a conflict waging war inside of him.

Why have I never made a difference in this world?

But you can, can't you?

And even if it means dying...you should.

And this is something worth dying for.

"Wait!"

Whilst the wind threatened to mute his voice as he spoke, Kutu bounded into the monsoon after the young prince. Taraji gazed back questioningly at his aquaintance. They stood there drenched, the morning's first feeble rays shining on them, thunder booming overhead.

Kutu called out over the howling storm, "There's something you need to know!"

Well, i shall leave you there. Hmm...so everything is starting to really heat up and the end of the story is near. Please review, constructive critism welcome (just no flames, or you'll get burned back lol).