The morning sun streams through the limbs of the tree, begging me to wake up and face the day. I don't want to.

I wish to rest today, all day, so I won't have to face reality. But of course once you go to sleep sooner or later you have to wake up.

My eyes flutter open and instantly the suns rays hit my light eyes. I groan placing my large paw over my eyes.

"Tanabi?" I hear someone call, it sounds like a female. Nala?

I remove my paw from my face immediately, open my eyes, and in all her beauty Nala stood in front of me. "Good morning Nala. " She smiles her, blue-green eyes seem to lighten up the room. "Good morning dear, would you mind taking a walk with me? " I look over next to me and notice that Mheetu and Vitani are still fast asleep. "We'll be back before they wake. Come along. " She lightly shoves me as if I were a cub, I get up, and follow her out of the large tree.

I slide down the tree after her and I walk beside her with enough space between us. "What um...what did you want to talk about?" I ask nervously. This is the queen for God's sake! I shouldn't even be breathing air in the same direction as her let alone walking along side her. "Simba wanted to speak to you, but, he's not experienced in speaking to people outside of the pride. So I decided to speak to you. " "Is Simba okay with this? " I ask just to make sure I don't get slaughtered later on today.

She chuckles a sweet chuckle and looks over at me "if it weren't I wouldn't be here now would I? " She arches a brow. "I suppose not. " I look over at her making eye contact. Her blue-green eyes are so familiar.

Everything about her is familiar, her soft voice, the way her shoulders move when she walks, her creme colored fur, the way she looks at me as if I were family and not a rouge.

"I heard that Rafiki is telling you stories of The Great Kings Of The Past. " She admits as we continue to walk across the savannah. "If you aren't okay with it I can tell him not to-" "No it's fine, in fact I wanted to tell you a story. " I furrow my brows at her but I smile, giving her silent permission to proceed with her story.

"It's about Vitani, she doesn't know this but, most of us do. " I look over at her making eye contact "it isn't gossip if that's what you're thinking. It's about her mother. " I nod and she begins to tell me the story about Vitani and her mother.

"Where do I begin? " She pauses for a couple of seconds and then begins again "when Scar was king all he wanted was for his blood line to rule. He wanted a large family, one big enough so no other can rule. Zira gave him a son who they named Nuka, he perished many years ago in attempt to kill Simba. " She stops and looks at my shocked expression. "That's a different story for a different time. "

I nod not wanting to speak "Scar wasn't pleased with the child because he was too weak and clumsy, unfit to become king in his eyes. He tried multiple times to have children with her but she was unable to have anymore children. She was devastated when she found out he was trying to have children with other females. Even myself, I ran away and my mother told me the rest of the story.

"The months and even years passed and none of the lionesses he mated with became pregnant with his children. He was infuriated and later gave up on his attempts. Since the horrid king and miserable queen were too wrapped up in their own world, a lioness in particular became pregnant with a child that wasn't the kings. We kept it a secret because Scar would kill any child that wasn't his, that's why he tried to kill Mheetu. Anyways, the weeks passed and her tummy had grown, we convinced the king that she was just ill causing her stomach to grow the way it did.

"Then one night, she went into labor giving birth to a blonde, blue eyed, freckled, cub. She was named Vera, her mother was thrilled that she had a child of her own. One that didn't have the fate of being killed since she was under the watchful eye of all the lionesses.

"That same night Zira came out from her cave to do her nightly check up on all the females. That's when she saw Vera and Tama cuddled together. Zira was going to kill the cub but instead she decided to take the cub and pretend it was her own. Tama woke up before she could take her. They fought and in the end Zira banished Tama for having a child without permission from the king.

"Zira showed Scar the little cub, he was disgusted that it was a girl and not a boy, but he grew to love the child as his own. Zira changed the cubs name to Vitani and was made princess of the Pride Lands. " When she finishes the story my jaw and the ground have met each other and my eye balls are seconds from popping out of my skull. "We live in the middle of Africa, sweetheart, something might crawl in your mouth and lay eggs. " She teases after the very serious story she just told me.

I close my mouth and take as much time as I want to process the information.

Vitani doesn't know that Zira isn't her mother. She doesn't know the horrible things that Scar was doing as king. She is oblivious to her "parents" life as rulers.

"Is Tama alive today? " I question even though it's only one of the thousand that are swarming my head.

"Yes, they aren't that close, but Tama knows it's her daughter. " She gives me a weak smile but I don't return the gesture. "How does she know? " "They look a lot alike. The only difference between them is their eyes and fur tone, Vitani is light like her father Tojo. " She explains dismissing some of my thoughts.

"Why hasn't anyone told Vitani this?" "She's only been here two years, she's still learning to be a Pride Lander. If we tell her this now she'll be devastated and heartbroken knowing her whole life was a lie. " "Does Kovu know? Who are his parents? " "Kovu does know, and his parents are Kula and Chumvi, both left the pride and made their own." She explains "where's Vitani's dad?" She looks straight ahead still walking.

I notice that I won't get an answer so I won't push answer's out of her. "He left a while ago to try to find a place for him and Tama to start a pride of their own like Kula and Chumvi.'' She tells me and I'm surprised she actually told me. "Oh." Is my brilliant response, am I not a people person? Or is it that I'm socially awkward? I'm going to say both.

"He left only about a week or two ago. He'll be back soon. " She assures me looking back making sure she got her point across. "You don't have to explain anything. It really isn't any of my business so-" "I know. But, if you're going to be a Pride Lander anytime soon you'll have to know everything about us. " She smiles and I feel the butterflies grow in my stomach and my heart begins to pound rapidly. "Wait..you..you want me to...to be in your pride? " I stutter like an idiot.

"Sarabi..." She pauses and blinks rapidly to stop the tears that have already begun to form in her eyes. I stop walking and she does the same only a few feet away from me. "Sarabi would have wanted you to be a part of our family. " I can tell she's trying her best not to let the tears that are trapped in her eyes escape.

She's stronger that I thought, I guess looks really do fool you.

"I would like that. " I finally say after my thoughts were pushed to the back of my head. "We would too. " She takes a few steps towards me and stops only a few inches away from my face.

I panic and step back, she wouldn't try anything with me but still. "Nala? " I question since she's been staring at me for the past three minutes. "You remind me of my son. "

I want to ask about Kopa, tell her that I know somewhat who he is. I want to find out why this child is so important to me.

But I can't.

"Come on, it's time I get you back to Rafiki's tree. " She doesn't look me in the eye instead she stares ahead and begins to walk again. Her pale paws hitting the ground softly and gently.

After the long silent walk back to the tree I realize I have her eyes. Mine being darker but almost the same as hers.

"My son was a brave cub. " I look over at her so quickly I feel my neck crack. "Nala-" "He was only going to drink water. " She begins to sob, her body shaking harshly, her white sclera turning red with pain. "Then she killed him, he didn't have to die the way he did. He was only nine years old, he was a child. " She stops walking and let's the agony take over her shaking body.

I want to comfort her, hold her and tell her that it's in the past. That she now has Kiara, she has her family.

So I do just that.

"I promised to protect him and I didn't." She sobs into my light brown mane, "it's going to be okay. I promise." I attempt to sooth her but I know nothing will ease the ache of her dead son. "I could have prevented it, I could have gone with him to the waterhole."

The darkness is pulling me in, another memory is attempting to take over. But, this time, I will not let it take over or distract me.

"You have this family now, you can protect this one." The throbbing in my head has begun and I can feel my body grow numb. This shit is really starting to piss me off.

"Tanabi? Are you okay?" She asks in between sobs "I just need to get to Rafiki's tree." The darkness has started to consume most of the vision in my eyes. Fuck. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow,okay.''

I ran from her side.

Literally I took off before she can even say anything. I left the queen mid sob without an explanation.

I honestly don't care at the moment because if I would have collapsed in front of her she would have freaked out even more.

I can't feel my paws colliding with the ground.

I can barely see what's in front of me, but I continue to run, using my nose as my guide. The only reason that I knew I had made it to the tree was because I crashed head first against the damned thing, knocking me out completely.

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"Kopa?" I can hear her soft voice call my name but I make sure not to make a sound.

"Hmm, I wonder where he went." I giggle silently and peek my head out from the corner of my favorite boulder but she isn't anywhere to be seen.

I look around I still don't see her creme colored fur or teal eyes. I flick my ears up to attempt to hear her paws hitting the ground or her soft breathing. Something.

"Gotcha!" I hear my mother yell as she lands in front of me. "Ah!" I jump and dash from her sight, I hear her chuckle and then the pounding of her small paws against the ground.

"Come here." Her laughter fills my ears and that's when I feel her lightly touch my right flank. I stumble a bit then come to a stop so I won't land on my face.

"You're it." She gasps and licks my head.

"Mom you're going to mess up my mane." I whine shaking my head to fix my growing mane.

"Your father said the same thing when grandma Sarabi would do that to him." Her eyes look distant as she recalls the memory.

"What was your dad like mom?" I ask her even though it has nothing to do with the topic.

"He was very brave and very wise. When Scar was king he was driven out of the lands along with the rest of the males, who were cubs at the time, Malka, Chumvi, and Tojo. I saw them all frequently and my father would always tell me stories of when he came across hyenas or anything dangerous." She smiles at the memory and then looks down at me, meeting my reddish-brown eyes.

"He would have loved you." She assures me and I remember the story of a lion named Ni who disappeared.

"Mom?"

"Yes?" She looks at me with questioning teal eyes.

"I love you." I smile and she does the same coming closer, sitting next to me, lifting her light colored paw, and wrapping it around my tiny light orange fur, everyone says it's like my fathers and my grandfather Mufasa but mine being a bit lighter than theres.

After a few moments of her embrace she says "you are my everything Kopa, I promise to always protect you. I love you more than you can comprehend." She again licks my head but I don't complain this time, instead, I lick her paw.

"Come on Kopa, it's getting late." She begins to move away and I feel sad because I wanted to play.

"I'll race you." She begins to run and I chase after her, laughing and frolicking though the tall, green grass.

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I can feel again.

I can hear again.

I wait a few seconds before opening my eyes to see if I can do just that. I take a few breathes and then I open them.

It takes me a few seconds to realize where I am and who is in front of me. It's four different figures, two of them have normal fur while the one in the middle has a furry shadow and then theres another that has a monkey figure.

Nala, Vitani, Mheetu, and Rafiki are hovering over me with worried looks on their faces. I blink a few times so that I can see them clearly and not blurry. "Morning." I joke around and chuckle a bit only to recieve scowls, I make my smile disappear and replace it with a frown. Tough crowd.

"You scared us to death!" Nala yells causing me to cower and remember the dream, memory, that I just had.

She's Kopa's mother. I mean I knew that already but she knows how he died.

"I'm sorry." I bluntly respond. "Tanabi, we thought you died you jerk.'' Vitani adds growling each word. "Well I'm not so stop looking at me like that.'' I growl right back.

"What did you see?" Mheetu asks, since he is the only one that knows of my...issue.

"I saw him playing with Nala." This caught her attention stopping her mid-step. "Don't mention my son. Ever." Her voice sounds so hurt, so...angry. "Nala, I know this is going to sound crazy but-" "Tanabi. Don't." Her voice is stern, but I don't care. "I need to know what happened to him." I take a step closer, I'm being eyed by Vitani, Mheetu and a shocked Rafiki.

No one speaks to her this way, I'm sure of it.

"He has no relation to you. Leave it alone. I told you enough earlier today." She warms me looking over her shoulder. "I can't just leave it alone, Nala. I think I might even be hi-" before I can even finish saying 'him' she has tackled me to the ground and is standing on top of me with her claws and teeth exposed "don't say such bullshit or so help me God I'll-" "Nala, get off of him, he's not bullshitting I promise you this." "Mheetu?" She questions her younger brother with glossy eyes and he nudges her off of me.

I get up and stand behind Mheetu like I always did as a cub. "Tana?" I flick my ears to the voice behind me and meet eyes with Vitani. "Give it a rest." I furrow my brows "he's dead, he has been for ten years. Let him be at peace, please." She pleads me with electric blue eyes full of tears.

"Tani?" She looks away and stares at the bark of the tree underneath our paws. I take her in, admiring her tomboy look and her beauty. She's the air I breath and she doesn't even know it.

"I think it's best that you leave. " She whispers snapping me out of my thoughts. "What? " I take a step closer to her. "They're pissed off and you being here won't help. Just go. "

She says this so quietly that it takes me a few seconds to understand what she said. "I'm not going anywhere. " I close the gap between us but she takes a step back.

"I can't be away from you. No matter how hard I try, no matter how messed up I am, I will never be able to be further from you than I already am now. So don't push me away anymore." I mumble so she is the only one that can hear my confession. 

"Tanabi, I can't-" I cut her off by burrying my face into her neck causing the whole tree to become silent. I can feel her shudder under my touch and the fur on her body to stick up. My own body did the same. 

"Why do you want to know so badly about my son?" Nala interrupts the moment, so I back away and notice that Vitani has tears covering her cheeks. I lick them clean and she gives me a small smile. 

"Because I have been blacking out and having dreams, memories about your son Kopa." I answer honestly and clearly so I won't have to repeat myself. Queen or not, I have the right to be as demanding as I want. 

"That's the craziest thing I have ever heard." Her teal eyes are focused on me, judging me. "You would play tag with him by the waterhole and then race back to Pride Rock. He was your everything and you promised to always protect him. I know this because today when I blacked out I saw it. I saw the way you looked at him, the way your eyes sparkled when he called you mom, the way you would lick his mane and he would complain just like Simba did as a cub. I wouldn't lie about this or create such a thing to get attention. Judge me as you please, as you all please, but I am not crazy and I am in love with the people in your pride, with Vitani. I enjoy watching you all being so loving, I love the way you all seem to care about one another, I love the fact that no matter how completely insane I sound you still look at me as if you have known me my entire life, Nala, I don't wish to destroy you by mentioning your son, I know it's a very touchy subject, I know that it hurts you, but I must know who Kopa was or I think I might go even more mad than I already have. So please, please with your permission I would like to know who he is. Please." 

I have left them all speechless, mouth a gape, and tears in Nala's eyes. But, I don't care, if I got to her by my ranting then I will do it as many times as I can to get some freaking answers. 

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Cliff hanger XD I would like to thank AlainaDotson, lucybird, and CiaralsHungry45 for reading and commenting in almost every chapter and saying such nice things. It really does make me smile when you guys comment and leave such nice ones at that. 

I am still in shock to see that I have 1.9K reads on this book. I yelled when I saw that LOL!! Thank you guys again soooo much for reading this book and actually waiting for my updates.

Please keep in mind that I do get tired of writing after a while this chapter has 3506 words and half of this was pretty damn hard to come up with because THEY ARE LIONS and it's near impossible to come up with cute things since they can't kiss or hug properly. Also, I am a 15 year old girl who has never experienced love and is writing things about love LOL sorry if it's not as touching or whatever. I do try to make it as believable as I possibly can since they aren't humans and are Disney(that's my moms name LOL) animations. 

I love you all soooo much!! Have an amazing summer!

Until my next post!

~Delaney ^.*

P.s. I know I put that Vitani was born during Scar's reign but she was born a bit after that but I didn't want to change it in the story since it wouldn't make sense for Zira to take her for no reason, I wanted to add this twist since I do believe that Vitani and Tama are related for obvious reasons. Okay I'm done LOL. BYYYEEE!