"Simba?"

It can't be, he wouldn't hurt me. Would he? I mean I didn't do anything wrong.

"This is all your fault!" He growls and I can't help but jump by the way his voice echos throughout the silent cave.

"How is this my fault? I have done nothing wrong!" I yell only to get my point across.

"Ever since you got here people have died! Timon and Pumbaa are barely ever here because they are terrified of you! You made my mother die of a broken heart and Sarafina's death wasn't even explainable! She was fine a few hours ago and now she's dead as well!" This shocked the hell out of me. How could he possibly blame their death on me?

"So what? I caused these deaths? I was asleep for a fucking month before I heard that Sarabi was dying! It's been two months since I have stepped foot here! How is it possible for me to go around causing horrid deaths to amazing people? I loved them though I barely knew them! I am not a murderer." I saw the last sentence as slowly and as clearly as my deep voice could muster.

"Get out of this cave and these lands before I-"

"Simba." I whip my head around and see Vitani with the same look in her eyes and her claws fully exposed. "Don't touch him." She growls soaking her words with venom.

"Stay out of this Vitani." Kovu interjects standing in front of a scared Kiara and behind an enraged Vitani.

"No. He can't just blame this on him." Her hard look disappears and is replaced with sadness and sorrow.

"He can and he will, he's the king." Kovu says in a stern voice stepping a bit too close for my liking.

"I lost my best friend once, I won't let it happen again." Friend-zoned.

Really Tanabi? With this shit going on you think of being friend-zoned? Stupid hormones.

"Please Simba, you can't blame Little Brah for all of this." Mheetu please don't bother he's going to kick my ass out anyway.

"There isn't any other explanation for all of this. Look at those scars on his flank for God's sake! He probably earned those when he killed some other rogue!" I want to rip his throat out.

Why don't I just do that? Kill him and be Scar part two? I could do it so easily, I'm taller, younger, and stronger. Two moves. The first to pin him down and the second to bite his neck riping his neck open. That's what normal lions do! They kill the king and become the king themselves.

Right when I was going to strike, something comes over me and I can't bring myself to do it.

"You're right." I simply answer, conquered and exhausted of all the accusations and finger pointing. I don't care anymore.

"What?" Simba asks. Obviously he didn't see that coming.

"I was fighting some lion, he scratched me and I killed him." I shrug just so he can kick me out already and I can get out of this place.

"From this day forward you are never to step foot in the PrideLands or to meet with any of the PrideLanders." He looks over at his pride making sure they understand that none of them can see me. It's not like any of them will.

I nod and start to head out hearing whisper and sobs from the large pride. "Tanabi! You can't go! Please! No!" Her shrieks and begging hits me in my core. It hits me directly in the heart, damn it. I can't look back, I can't, I musn't or so help me I'll run into her and never let go of her.

"Tanabi! I love you! Please don't go! I'll convince them! Please, I lost Kopa I can't lose you! I love you!" I can't do this. I have to.

I can't.

I turn back around, pushing past anyone and anything that gets in my way. I crash into her, resting my head on top of her as she nuzzles into my light brown mane, drentching it with her warm tears. "I will always be yours." I tear away from her and run off. I can hear her cries and her please. But they are holding her back, I know it, or else she would be running after me.

I can still hear her crying even though I'm miles away, I can hear Mheetu begging as well. I can see her teary face and her heartbroken look when I let go of her. I wish I could have taken her with me.

"God damn it!" I growl stopping mid run and thrashing my head back and forth, growling and cussing. How could he-how dare he think I killed them! How could he even think of such a thing?! I love those people fucking damn it! Gah!

I roar the loudest I can create earning odd looks from the people around me. I can feel my claws becoming exposed and it hurts like a bitch! "Agh!" I yell in agony as I see the red blood ooze from my front paws only firing me up even further. This could have been Simba's blood, I would hear him gasping for air and begging for mercy. I would have made him nothing.

I begin to run. I don't make a sound as my paws pound ferociously against the ground. In my head they sound like the thunder from a horrid storm. I can feel the earth around me, I feel alive.

When I make it to the waterhole I stand on the boulder where Kopa used to rest at and I let out yet another roar. But, this one is a warning. If any of those PrideLanders come near me..I'll kill them.

Once I get multiple roars from the pride I take off.

I don't know where I'm going but I won't stop until I get somewhere. The gorge, that is the only place where I can get answers. Memories.

I make a sharp right quickening my pace and heart rate. All I see is red, all I hear is my heavy breathing, my growls, my tail flicking in the hot air behind me, the way my paws smack against the ground not making my sound, the way my claws silence my steps.

I'm here.

I slow my pace turning my aggressive run into a pissed off stalk. "Come on!" I yell into the vast emptiness of the gorge. "Show me!" I'm deperate, pissed off, hurt, and all I ever fucking wanted were some answers.

"I know you can hear me Mufasa! Show me! Show me who I am!" Nothing. Not even a fucking sign.

"AHHHHH!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.--..--.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.--.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.--..--.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Vitani's P.O.V.

"You can't do this!" I yell at the red maned lion in front of me.

"I can and I already did. Enough of this." Simba will not and cannot hurt me anymore than he already has.

"No! He was the only bit of happiness I had in my life. He is my Kopa." He glares at me but I can barely see through my tears. Look at me, a few months ago you would tell me I would be crying over someone, a boy even, I would have slashed your throat. Yet here I am.

"Kopa is dead! My son is dead, my mother, my father, Sarafina, and now my sanity." He's almost in tears but he won't allow them to spill. I know how that feels.

"I will not let you keep me from him."

"I know, but they will." I turn around and a tear stained Mheetu, Kiara and Kovu stand behind me. I open my mouth to speak but I'm silenced when I see Sarafina's body being dragged out of the cave.

"Come on Tani." Kovu whispers and walks beside me as does Kiara on my other side and Mheetu behind me. My head hangs in pain as we walk over to our regular resting spots. It hurts so much.

I lay down and let the tears escape in shame. I don't care anymore, let them all see me cry. Let them feel my pain. "Vitani?" I lift my gaze to meet eyes with Rafiki, I get up and wrap my arms around his small body.

"Shh, shh it's going to be okay Tani." Rafiki tries to sooth me but it isn't working. I need him.

"It hurts so much Rafiki." I sob into him.

"I sadly don't have a remedy for a broken heart." I chuckle a bit but it's mixed with a cry so it sounds like I'm being strangled. He lets go of me and wipes my tears.

"He will come back."

"How do you know this?"

"He's the dark figure in my painting." I'm a bit confused by what he means by that. But I don't question him, he knows more than anyone else here.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

While trying to sleep, which hasn't been easy, I hear a loud yell making myself and the people around me to jump. I get up and slowly walk out of the cave. I flick my ears each direction possible but I don't hear anything. I furrow my brows and walk back to my cave though I desperately want to run to him. When I'm half way inside I hear another yell causing me to turn around and look around in the darkness yet again.

"What is is?" Mheetu scared the crap out of me when he spoke.

"I don't know, do you think it's him?" I ask even though I sound insane. He gives me a weak smile.

"I don't think-" He's cut off by yet another yell. "It's him. That's Tanabi, I know that yell anywhere." He begins to bellow, making loud grunts into the night not getting an answer back.

"He's not hurt, he's going to pass out. God damn it if I went after him he wouldn't be going through this by himself." He's pacing back and forth mumbling crap and I have the urge to smack him.

"Mheetu, we have to go look for him.''

"We can't. He'll kill us, did you not hear his warning?" He continues to pace, I hear Simba call our names but I don't give a rat's ass, I'll go in whenever the hell I want.

"I did, but we're his friends. He wouldn't hurt us.'' Not me at least I add subconsciously, selfishly.

"He's a rogue again Vitani, and with all this going on he'll kill anyone in his way." My bangs get in the way of my eyes but I'm fine with it, I don't want to see anyone unless it's Tanabi. I feel Mheetu's cold, wet nose shove them aside and look into my eyes, he's way too close. I take a step back just to distance myself.

"Sorry." He apologizes and takes a step back himself. I nod and walk back inside the Hellhole of a cave.

-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.--..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.---.-.-.-.--.--.-..-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-

Tanabi's P.O.V.

The darkness is taking over and fighting it only makes it worse. "Ahh!" Why does it hurt? It's not suppose to hurt this bad.

"Stop! Please, please make it stop!" I beg even though there is no one here to hear my please or yells. The darkness swallows me in completely and the pain has made me collapse.

I can't see anything due to the darkness but I can feel around me.

"Tanabi." A deep voice beckons me.

"Mufasa?" Ugh not this again.

"Come." I pick myself up with ease but I still can't see, "open your eyes." I do what I am told and I see the glowing red maned king.

"Show me." I demand, I'm tired of not knowing shit around here so one way or another I am going to get answers.

"Don't forget who you are Tanabi, you are a PrideLander, no matter what my confused son has to say you are a part of us."

"I don't want to be a PrideLander anymore, I want..I need to know what happened to Kopa." He looks shocked by the mention of the name. "Please, I am so confused." I honestly am. Kopa seems to be the answer to my past.

"You don't need to know about Kopa." He dismisses my request but I will not let anyone else do this to me.

"Mufasa, I wanted to kill your son today. I wanted to make him nothing, at least tell me why I have these thoughts." He looks me over and then stops at my paws.

"The answer to all your questions lies within your scars and your friends. Take in the surroundings and you will receive your answers."

"How?" I'm still confused as hell.

"You are more than you think you are. Don't let the darkness consume you or you will be the end to the peace in the lands."

"You're only confusing me even more."

"No Tanabi, I am helping you. Find a cheetah and he will answer most of your questions." I nod and then the pain returns.

"Agh!" I cry in pain, my head is throbing, my chest is on fire, and Mufasa's glowing figure get's replaced by a skinny, dark tan, black maned, vibrant green eyed lion with a vertical scar on his left eye.

"My, my, my look what we have here. " He has a thick British accent which is quite odd since we live in Africa but I won't comment on that.

"Who are you? Where's Mufasa?" For some unknown reason I don't trust him.

"Ugh, even while I'm dead people mention him. " He rubs his head with his paw and I notice he has similar traits as Vitani. The angular nose, exposed claws, the thin muscular body.

"Scar. "

"The one and only." He smirks sending a cold chill up my spine. "My how you've grown. Tell me child, how do you know who I am. " He stands from his sitting position and begins to circle me.

"I've heard stories. You disgraceful murderer. " I spit my words meaning each one.

"I might be a murderer but you are no better. "

"I'm nothing like you. "

"Oh? Yet you wanted to kill Simba? If that doesn't make you as horrid a person as I, then I don't know what will. "

"I didn't kill him, you killed your brother. How could you? "

"He was in the way and I simply disposed of the problem. You could do the same, kill Simba and take over the lands ruling it better than him. "

"No Scar, I'm not like you. "

"You sound like your father. " What?

"My father? "

"Oh so you don't know the little secret? " What the fuck is this lunatic talking about?

"What secret?" I whip my head around following his slow movements.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise anymore now would it? "

"So help me God if you don't tell me-"

"What are you going to do? I'm already dead. " He stops in front of me, his green eyes staring into mine. He has silenced me because I really can't do anything to him.

"I'll tell you the little secret if you do something for me first. "

"Will you give me answers? As in all the answers I need? " He nods and gives me a toothy grin that scares the crap out of me.

"Anything you need to know I will tell you, but, first I need you to finish something I started. " This isn't going to end well at all.

"Okay. What is it? "

"I need you to kill Simba. " Yup this escalated quickly.

"No. "

"Oh? Even after he kicked you out of his pride and made you get separated from Vitani? "

"Leave her out of this! " I step forward and when I do his shadow disappears.

"Kill Simba and I'll tell you everything you want. "

"Forget it. " I speak into the darkness.

"You are my nephew. Son of Simba and Nala. You are Kopa you imbecile and the funny thing is Vitani killed you. " No. No he's lying. Rafiki told me that he lied to everyone so he's doing it now.

"Liar! " I yell like a child.

"Would I lie about who you are? Isn't this what you want? To know why he means so much to you? Why you are so in love with Vitani? "

"Leave me alone! Mufasa! "

"Mufasa isn't here to save you. He's dead. He's not around because he thinks you are a disgrace! You will never be like he wants you to be! You are another me! "

"No! No! No! " I cover my ears with my paws. He's a lying bastard.

"You are the dark figure in the painting. You are the end of Simba! "

"You're dead you disgusting bastard! You can't hurt me even if you wanted to. " When I finish speaking the three scars on my right flank begin to sting and bleed. "Is that the best you can do?! " I yell only to provoke him even further so he can kill me already. I don't want to live like this anymore.

"Agh!" A horrid pain hits my snout and when I touch it..blood is on my paw. "Mufasa!"

And as quickly as the darkness started it ended. My eyes open quickly, my vision taking a bit long to come back but when it does I notice that I have blood on my paw. "No." I reach up to my face and the scar from the dream, wasn't a dream, it actually happened. 

"What did you do?' I jump at the unfamiliar voice and turn around to see a male cheetah with emerald eyes, exposed claws, and a small blonde Mohawk on top of his head. 

"Who are you?" I ask completely dodging his question.

"I'm Beba." He gives me a warm smile and then continues "who are you?" He walks over to me, his long, thin legs striding with ease as he comes closer.

"I'm Tanabi." I don't smile back. You never know he could be a crazy rogue. I guess that's why they judged me so quickly, why Simba judged me so quickly. I have no right nor does anyone else to judge people by their appearances.

"What are you doing here? I mean, I'm pretty sure lions travel in prides." He raises a brow keeping a safe distance away from me. 

"Got kicked out of my pride." I answer honestly. 

"Why?" 

"You're a nosy little thing aren't you?" 

"No, curious. It's not everyday you find a lion by themselves bleeding half to death." 

"I'm fine." I try to get up but I still feel numb from..the odd occurrence. 

"Doesn't seem like it." He chuckles looking me over once more. "Would you like a place to sleep?" 

"Why do you want to help me? Lions and cheetahs don't get along very well." 

"That doesn't make us enemies. Do you want a place to rest or not?" His voice is no longer playful but stern and kind of intimidating. 

"Sure, but I have to clean this shit off of me first." 

"Don't cuss." 

"What?" 

"Don't cuss, it's rude." Asshole.

"Okay, okay can we go now please?" Ugh I feel like a sassy five year old.

"Yes, come along Kopa." That stopped all of my movements and attempts to get up.

"What did you call me?" 

"Sorry, you remind me of an old friend of mine." Holy shit! I can get answers now! 

-..-.-.-.-.-

"Did you know Kopa well?" I ask after I cleaned my face in the cool water of a waterhole we found. 

"Yeah, we grew up together. He always found different ways to get into trouble." He smiles at the memory and notice how his tail is sticking up slightly instead of being in a resting position. 

"I'm not going to hurt you, you can put your tail down."

"I know." He simply answers resting his tail and quickening his pace. "Are you done asking me questions about Kopa?" 

"I'd actually like to know everything you know about him." He raises a brow so I add "if that's okay with you of course."

"It's no problem, I don't know much, but I know enough. Hey are you a good hunter?" Well he changed the subject quickly. 

"Kind of why?" He turns attention to my paws and then back to my eyes.

"Your claws are exposed so you are either an ex-Outsider or you use it to hunt better." What the hell is an Outsider?

"It's to hunt better." I lie, it's to kill people. Well, I guess it kind of is like hunting so it's not a total lie.

"Good now it's time to show me." He smirks and crouches into the tall, dry grass. 

"What?" 

"Come on." He crawls against the wind so the wildebeest won't smell us. 

I follow behind him and when I see that his eyes rest on an old, stupid grass eater. Beba's ears flick up and I race out from our hiding place causing a stampede and chaos as the beasts run around. I never lose sight of the old one as it runs slower than the rest. I'm behind him and when I jump to attack it I see Beba already grabbing at the throat, dangling in the air. Once my heavy body impacts the animal it topples over to hard ground. 

It groans and tries to escape but with the hard grip I have on it's butt and Beba on it's neck it dies trying. We ate the wildebeest in silence confirming our new friendship and I can't help but feel like I've seen him before. When I open my mouth to speak I see Scar's face and I have to look away and continue to eat in silence.

Scar and Mufasa are dead. They will not and cannot influence me anymore. From now on I make my own choices good or bad starting with forgetting about the people I have come to know and love. Even Vitani. 

"When we finish this can you help me take what's left." I look up and almost laugh at his blood covered face. 

"Sure, I really don't see why though. I could help you catch another tomorrow or later on today." I lick my lips just of the thought of having a kill rush again. 

"Uhm, I'm a lot smaller than you Tanabi, this will last me a few days if not a week."

"So why do you want to take it?" 

"Help me and I'll show you why." He smiles and I return the gesture this time. 

After we finished off a large amount of the large animal I help him drag the animal for at least an hour.

"Are we close?" I struggle to saw with the corpse in my mouth. 

"Shh, you're going to scare them." Okay he's gone insane.

"Scare who?" I ask once I drop the meat, that sounds so wrong. Once I drop the corpse is the more appropriate way to say that. He makes some chirping noises and from the bushes three tiny cheetah's run up to Beba licking him and making similar chirping noises. 

"These are my kids." He smiles proudly as the tiny ones yell in fear and hide behind their father. "Haha it's okay, he's daddy's friend. He won't hurt you." He looks up at me and I smile at how his voice softens as does the rest of his body. 

"Hi, I'm Tanabi." One of the cubs peeks it's head out and looks up at it's father for approval. He nods and the small thing runs up to me and  I notice he looks like his father, the only difference is he has purple spots which I find pretty cool. He has his fathers green eyes with his small mane/Mohawk being the same color as the rest of his fur.

"Hi, I'm Haunani." He smiles and I can't help but do the same. 

"Hello, you're a cute little thing aren't you?" I lift my paw and rub his head with care. He giggles and runs to get his other siblings. "This is my brother Makuma and my sister Muna." Haunani looks like the eldest of the three and the strongest. Makuma looks like his father as well except he doesn't have a blonde mane or green eyes, his are red. 

 The only female and the smallest, Muna, is completely different from the boys and her father. She has darker fur, darker spots, and the lines that run from her eyes to her nose are thinner with brown eyes. The only thing these siblings have in common is the white tip of their tail. Muna and Makuma have white tipped ears while Haunani doesn't. 

"It's nice to meet you all." I smile again as I watch them wrestle and pounce on one another. 

"Nani, can you take your brother and sister somewhere to play? Daddy has to talk with Tanabi." The eldest son smiles and says yes leading his younger siblings a safe distance away. 

"That's why I wanted you to help me drag that here." 

"I see. You have a very beautiful family." 

"Thank you, when their mother was killed by humans, I was left to take care of the little ones alone." His proud smile fades and is replaced by a sad frown. 

"I'm sorry." I try to comfort him but I know it won't help.

"It's okay, not your fault." Beba shakes his head, clearing it and then looks over at his cubs who are still roughhousing. 

"So, uhm, they have interesting names." I try to change the subject which works when he chuckles. 

"My wife always loved odd names. She named them all, Haunani means handsome ruler, we call him Nani since his name is a mouth full." He pauses to look at his energetic six year old. "Makuma means dignified, and Muna means hope." Beba's soft eyes look over the twins and I notice they are a lot younger than Nani, at least three years. "Haunani is six and the twins are two." As in on cue they run over to their father, hiding under his long legs or jumping on his back. "They're my everything." 

I don't know why but I have the strong erge to protect these people with my life. They are my new family..if they allow me to be a part of it. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

I do not own any of the designs of Beba, Haunani, Makuma, or Muna they belong to those who created them the full credit goes to them. The only thing I own are the names of the kids. 

Thanks so much for reading :) :*

~Delaney ^.*