All the lionesses laughed at pride rock. They were chatting about Nala tripping over a hidden Timon and falling on her face. Timon, of course, blamed the whole thing on Nala being blind and not seeing him but Kamaria knew Timon enjoyed messing with the lioness who once tried to eat him.

"Dad? Dad!" Kamaria turned to see Kiara rushing to an injured Simba. Kamaria was quick to follow, her eyes running over his body to see his injuries. He thankfully didn't seem to be too badly hurt, but he wasn't able to walk on his front paw.

"Get Rafiki, please." Kamaria said to Nala as she passed. Nala nodded and bounded off to get the mandrill. Kamaria and Kiara managed to get Simba into pride rock, Simba lying down in pain.

"What happened?" Simba groaned as Kamaria gently licked his face. Simba bathed in her attention for a moment before replying.

"Kovu, attacked." Kiara gasped in worry. Where was Kovu? Was he okay?

"Is he alright?" Kamaria seemed to be on the same page as her daughter with worrying about Kovu.

"No, he attacked. With Zira and the outsiders." The two lionesses turned to each other in shock. Kovu didn't seem like he would do such a thing, not after having so many opportunities to hurt them.

"Are you sure? Kovu wouldn't do it without reason." Rafiki hurried in as Kiara continued to question Simba.

Kamaria was torn, on one side she wanted to believe Kovu had nothing to do with this and it was a big misunderstanding. On the other, Simba was clearly injured and Kovu had stayed with the outsiders.

"Your majesty! It's Kovu!" Nala raced in behind Rafiki, out of breath from running back and forth in such a hurry.

Simba, groaning in pain, managed to stand and walk to the edge of pride rock. Kamaria standing next to him to offer support in anyway she could.

Animals from the pride lands seem to crowd around pride rock, looking to the lion with a fresh scar running down his face.

Kamaria thought Kovu looked similar to Scar, just a younger version. She could see Simba thought the same.

"You asked me once for judgment, I give it now." Simba stood tall, his head high as he glared at Kovu.

"Exile."

"No!" Kiara yelled as she tried to reach Kovu. Nala and another lioness blocking her path. Kamaria could only look at the lion is sadness as he left the pride lands, animals yelling their hatred and anger towards him.

Kiara cried as she faced her parents. Her father that was meant to be a great ruler, exiling another before hearing him out. Her mother, the understanding and kind queen, not fighting for another.

"You can't do this!" Kiara cried. Simba, upset with himself for not seeing Kovu's true intentions yelled back.

"You are to never see him again." Kiara cried harder as she ran into pride rock, Kamaria watching as her heart tore. Kiara was always sensitive, looking to forgive and accept rather than hold a grudge. She was like her mother that way.

"Maybe we should hear him out Simba. Maybe it's not what it se—"

"No!" Simba roared at Kamaria. The lioness flinching back at Simba yelling at her. He had never done that before.

Simba, realizing what he did, turned away from Kamaria. His thoughts were all over, he couldn't focus and Kamaria wasn't helping his thoughts slow. If anything, it just made his head more unfocused when she looked at him with her beautiful eyes.

Sensing he needed some time, Kamaria collected herself and nodded for the lionesses to head into pride rock. Simba needed a moment.

Once inside, Kamaria noticed a hole in the back of the cave and Kiara missing.

"I hope you know what you're doing Kiara." Kamaria whispered, figuring Kiara left to find Kovu.

———

"Sire! Zira and her pride is entering the pride lands!" Zazu flew down from the sky, the report setting all the lions into action. Pumbaa and Timon also joining the pride as they headed to meet Zira and her lions.

———

The sky was crying, droplets of rain hitting all the lions and soaking them to the bone.

Kamaria could see Zira and her pride of lionesses. They were covered in mud and wore snarls as they sneered at Simba and Kamaria. Needing to protect their home, Kamaria snarled back to the thin looking lionesses. She never realized how starved they must have been in the out lands.

"Leave Zira. You know you aren't welcome here." Simba said slowly, looking to the lioness.

"You took my son." Kamaria's snarl dropped as she realized Zira was grieving. Kamaria hoped her never understood Zira's grief. That Kion was at the tree of life and healed already.

"Leave." Simba roared.

"No." Zira sneered.

Kamaria watched as Zira and Simba raised their hackles, teeth bared as they bent low to the ground. The two began to circle the other, snarls and growls leaving their mouths.

Kamaria wondered where Kiara and Kovu were. If they would be coming back to see the mess their two prides were in. If they would be coming back to one less parent.

"Wait!"

Kiara and Kovu jumped in between their respective prides. Kovu faced Zira and his sister, Vitani while Kiara faced Simba and Kamaria.

Kamaria wasn't sure she was thrilled or worried about Kiara and Kovu being in the middle of this.

"You can't fight them dad." Kiara spoke softly to her father. A pleading look in her eyes.

"Move Kiara." Simba said, refusing to look away from Zira. Kamaria looked to her daughter, giving a nod to go on. Kiara smiled at her mother's support. Looking back to her father, Kiara spoke.

"A wise king once told me that we are one. I didn't understand him then but I do now."

"But they..."

"Them? Us? Look at them, they are us. What differences do you see?" Kamaria felt a blossom of pride in her heart at Kiara. She was being a true queen, standing up for what she believed in. Standing against even her own father to show that outsiders weren't so different from themselves. Kamaria has never been more proud of her daughter.

It seemed Simba realized this too. Looking to the lions surrounding them, he found no differences between his own pride and Zira's. They were the same.

Smiling at his daughter, Simba took a step forward and nuzzled against her head. Kamaria smiled as she watched the two, warmth in her heart.

"Vitani, now!" Zira yelled to her daughter. Vitani only sent her mother a look before shaking her head no.

"It's over mother. Kiara is right, we are one." Vitani and the rest of Zira's pride walk over to Simba, showing that they no longer wished to fight.

Seeing herself beat, Zira roared in anger. She lashed out and jumped for the royal closest, Kamaria.

"No!" Simba yelled as Kamaria was unprepared to fight.

Kiara jumped and slammed into Zira, pushing the lioness and herself off a cliff.

"Kiara!" Simba, Kovu and Kamaria yelled. Rushing to the edge, Kamaria could see Kiara on a rocks ledge, safe from the rushing water below.

The rain had caused a flood throughout the gorge, the rapids of the water dangerous.

Zira clung to the rocks side, slipping further down.

"Grab my paw, Zira! Please, it doesn't have to be this way!" Kiara tried to reason with Zira. Simba found a path down to the rocks ledge and quickly made his way down. Kamaria telling Kovu to stay with her, not wanting the lion to potentially get hurt trying to save Kiara when Simba was already going down.

Zira screamed as her claws finally slipped too far. Her cries silencing as she hit the water with a deafening thud.

Kamaria watched as Simba rushed to Kiara's side, looking her over for any injuries. Kiara, explaining she was fine, hurried back up to Kovu and her mother. Simba following behind her to make sure she didn't fall.

"Kovu!" Kiara yelled as she ran to the lion, a sigh of relief escaping him.

"You're okay. You're okay." Kovu repeated to himself, almost as if trying to calm himself down. Simba approached Kamaria, a look of relief on his face as well. He nuzzled against her as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"Kiara." The young queen looked to her smiling mother. Kamaria was happy to see everyone well and together, as they should be. She did have one issue though.

"If you ever do something like that again, you will be grounded until it's my time to continue the circle of life. Do you understand?" Kiara nodded as her mother sent her a very stern look. Kiara not Kion were usually the ones to be on the receiving end and Kiara could see why Simba gave into her mother so fast. She was terrifying.

Simba laughed as he nudged his mate affectionately.

"Let's go home, all of us." Kamaria smiled as she, Simba, Kovu and Kiara lead all the lions back home.