LION KING III

Exile

Part 2

Chapter 3

Alone Together

A.N. "Well here I am again... a few years after the last chapter. I hope I've improved. I just found the dusty old file and realized how much I enjoyed doing this. While I do plan on finishing this project- my life has been rough. I used to mention how things seemed to be going down hill for me. Well it continued down hill even after I stopped posting new chapters. I think we are starting to get on our feet again but I know it won't be a quick fix."

Disclaimer- I do not own the lion king, but I own Kamaria, Kabisa, Eshe, Ruzuna, Linje, Ruqaya , Rifaa, Maliha, Tumbo, Banga, Silika, Tau, and Kisasi

Silika's blue eyes blurred open. A soft groan escaped her lips as she tried to wake up. Her whole body ached. She took a deep breath with her nose. Then she was still. There was no smell of burnt sulfur or even smoke. She managed to lift her head, she was laying on her side in a cave. Sunlight poured in, and dust twinkled in it. Sitting up was easier than waking up, she shook her head softly, what had happened? She was running from a volcanic eruption alongside with a cub. Then she was here.

She caught a whiff of another lion's scent and she instinctively on all fours, a low grow sent a caveat to whoever was near. Silika was tired, unsure of her surroundings, and she was not in the pridelands. She had to be extremely cautious. The lion scent was strong, he had been here recently. She started for the mouth of the cave when a silhouette appeared before her.

"Silika! I'm glad you are awake!" a very familiar voice came from the figure.

Silika blinked. Kisasi? Why she was so disoriented when she woke up she didn't even recognize his scent! What was he doing here?!

"And I always thought Tau was the lazy one." he continued, he gave a soft chuckle but she could hear a note of concern in his voice.

Silika lost her defensive stance and frowned.

"Kisasi, I thought I told you to stay in the pridelands!" she growled, trying to hide her relief that it was him and not another lion.

"Everyone seems to think they can order a prince around. I am going to be king one day." he said, an annoyed expression on his face.

"You won't be kind if you get yourself killed," she said, feeling that she had successfully gave him the impression that she was not glad to see him, "My mother is not all alone out there. And she always chooses her allies well."

"Funny how you still call her mother..." he clearly looked unhappy, "Do you think you can kill your own mother? All by yourself? I'm helping. And you can quote me on that as my first command."

She growled, her stomach churning. What if she really couldn't kill her mother? She always had trouble with it. Her blue eyes dropped from Kisasi's red gaze.

"Whatever..." she was going to change the subject, "What happened... before you found me? There was this volcano..."

"What volcano?" Kisasi asked, he looked surprised. "This is a wasteland. There are no mountains nearby."

Silika frowned again. No volcano? How long was she unconscious? Kisasi stepped toward her, looking concerned.

"Silika I found you running as though your tail was on fire. I tried to call out to you but you ignored me. I rammed into you to get you to stop and you passed out. You've been out for a couple of days."

Both Kisasi and Silika were silent. In fact it was completely silent except for the sound of bird wings flapping above. Voices crying out for a strange looking lioness with spots below her eyes, but these sounds were not heard by the two lions standing face to face. Silika looked scared in Kisasi's eyes as she looked at him and whispered, "Will things ever be the same again?"

"IT'S NOT WORKING!" Ruzuna growled. She whirled around and clawed the rock beside her with anger. Her breathing was loud and she looked ready to blow.

"Patience my girl..." Ruqaya hissed, her voice like a snake. "Obviously Kovu has actually been seeking guidance from the great Kings of the past. Very much unlike him and very distasteful. But fear not. The last Great King of the Pridelands is dead. This I know. I am blind but I can see clearly..."

"How do I know this will work? All your attempts to ruin the pridelands have failed." Ruzuna asked fiercely.

"Have I?" Ruqaya purred, "The only true heir to the thrown cares little for his pride, I have successfully made a division within the pride, and Kiara.. Kiara has physical wounds that she will never heal from while her mate has emotional wounds. The line of Abasi(ah BAH see, Stoic, Stern.) will soon end, and a new pride. A new and more powerful pride shall reign.. With you as their queen." A menacing smile curled in her face.

Ruzuna sighed, Ruqaya had shown her exactly what she wanted and told her how it could be done. Ruqaya did manage to do a lot of damage to Kovu's pride. She would trust her... if only for a little longer.

"Very well.." Ruzuna's voice was sharp, "But what shall we do with Kovu? He is avoiding me. He knows he's tempted and he won't give me a chance."

"He will bend... Scar told me. He trusts you but not himself. That is your problem. He needs to be too confidant. Have the other lionesses convince him to meet you privately. Make it sound urgent.. so that he believes he is meeting you on a legitimate reason." Ruqaya said, staring off in the distance with a malicious pleasure in her blind eyes. "It will be difficult I sense, with the Great Kings doing all they can to thwart my plans... However.. I know what is to come. Like I said before, this ending has guaranteed tears."

Ruzuna shivered, she hated it when Ruqaya referred to Scar as though he were still alive. Like he was standing there before them. She turned away and left Ruqaya with an antelope corpse to eat.

Kovu and Kiara lay on their backs watching the stars. Something they had not done together since Simba died. They were quiet, unlike before when they would joke and tease about the star constellations and things that were going on their pack life. But tonight, this crystal clear night, they lay still with worry for their son. Worry for Silika. Worry for Tau. Worry for their pride. Mourning for their hard times. Wishing things were as simple as they where when they were young. Looking to the stars for a sign. A sign of hope that things would turn around. But they only seemed to twinkle back sadly, as though they had no good news for them. Kiara tilted her head toward her mate, his eyes focused on the sky above.

"Kovu...?" she murmered.

"Hmm?" he grunted.

"Do you see any.. new stars?" she looked back at the sky.

"There are so many.. I can't tell." Kovu sighed. "But your dad is up there. You should know. You saw him when you almost died."

"Hmm.." she sighed. Her paws on her chest, as though holding her heart. She missed her father so much.

Kovu looked at his mate, longing to comfort her. But how could he? His eyes returned to the sky and fell upon three stars. Three stars that were in perfect line with each other. He tilted his head, he was sure he never saw that constellation before.

"Kiara.." he showed her the three stars.

"I've never seen them before either..." she remarked. "If one of them is my dad... who are the other two?"

Kovu twitched his whiskers. He honestly had no idea, but he could make a guess. "Mufasa?"

"And...?" Kiara sounded interested.

"And maybe Mufasa's dad." he really doubted his guess was right.

"Hmm."

"Kiara..?" Kovu's voice cracked, "You don't regret loving me... do you?"

Kiara was quiet, it made Kovu nervous.

"No... not at all." she said peacefully, "I will always love you... because no matter what has happened, your intentions were always good. When you wanted to kill my father, you thought you were serving justice. That my father was a murderer. When you followed Ruqaya's paw prints... you were trying to protect us all from these hard times."

Kovu and Kiara were silent again, but somehow felt more peaceful.

Well that's all for now. Sorry if wasn't long enough--- I am a bit busy and I should have more up soon. Please R&R! If you don't- I feel like I'm the only one who cares about this thing and probably will discontinue this fanfiction forever. ;-;

Once again I am very sorry for the wait. I hope this stirrs some questions and some interest. I'm so bad at writing... I hope I can straighten out this plot a bit... :c

Thank you all for all the support you have given me in the past! I really appreciate it. And happy Valentines day! 3333333333