*NO ONE'S POV*

The sun rise over the Pride Lands. Wild herds stood eating on the tall green grass. Nearby lives a large popular lion pride. "Pride Rock" is the name. Its what we call home of the great Kings and Queens from the past. The lions are still sleeping inside their warm cave.

In the far back of the cave sleeps the new royal couple, King Simba and Queen Nala. Close between them lay their daughter Kiara and son Kion. Kiara move her body a little, accidentally kicking Kion on his face in the process. She open her eyes and yawn.

"Ouch, Kiara!" Said Kion.

Kiara chuckled and whisper, "Opps, sorry Kion."

Kion turn away from his sister and went back to sleep. He hates it when his sleep gets disturbed. Kiara shrug her furry shoulders and got up pouncing to the cave's exit. Today is the day she gets to explore out on her own without Simba, Timon, or Pumba guarding.

They've been very protective over her lately. Kiara doesn't seem to know why.  She's just a cub trying to have some outdoor fun!

"Wow." She gasp, with excitement.

Kiara stood on Pride Rock's tall ledge scanning the beautiful wide kingdom.

She giggle and her father Simba catches her as she comes near the edge.

"Whoah. Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?" He asks.

Kiara wiggle her body in Simba's grasp as he moves her to safety.

"Daddy! Let go!"

She keeps giggling as she tries to escape from his mouth.

"Well, I just want you to be careful."

Kiara pounces after a butterfly, not listening to a word. Simba steps on her tail to pin her down.

"Kiara... are you listening? Accidents can happen. You could easily get hurt, or stepped-"

Kiara says this well-practiced line along with Simba, and finishes it for him.

"...Hurt, or stepped on, or even get lost."

"And remember,... I want you to stay in sight of Pride Rock at all-"

"At all times, I know." Kiara is testy at the repetitive warning; she continues reciting. "And if I see any strangers, don't talk to them. Come straight home. Okay, okay. Can I go now? Please?"

Nala her mother and Zazu the hornbill a.k.a majordomo come forward. Simba exchanges a glance with Nala, reminiscent of when they played out this same scene as cubs.

"Hmm. Very funny." Simba says.

Nala laughs gently. "Mind your father, Kiara."

Kiara giggles. "Yes, mom."

"And stay away from the Outlands."

"Nothing there but a bunch of backstabbing, murderous Outsiders!" Said Zazu, rolling his eyes.

Simba nods. "Zazu's right... you can't turn your back on them."

"Really? How come?" She asks curiously.

"Mmm... never mind. Just run along now."

"But Dad, I-"

"You'll understand someday. Go on."

"Dad..."

Simba runs a paw over her, then nudges her off. Kiara resumes giggling and runs off down Pride Rock.

"And stay on the path I've marked for you!" He shouts, watching her go.

Nala chuckles. "Simba. Who does she remind you of? Hmm?"

Simba looks around cluelessly. "Huh? What? Who?"

"She's just like you were when you were young."

"Exactly. Do you realize the dangers we put ourselves in?"

Nala tackles Simba and puts him on his back.

"You mean the dangers YOU put us in."

They chuckle and nuzzle for a few moments, then Nala gets up.

"She'll be fine."

She moves off. Simba waits till she is out of earshot.

"Hey, Timon. Pumbaa. Come here."

Timon enters, on Pumba's back.

"Good morning, mon Capitan!" He greets.

"I want you to keep a close watch on Kiara. You know she's bound to run off."

"No worries, Simba. We're on her like stink on a warthog!"

"Hey!" Pumba frowns.

"It's the hard truth, Pumba. Live with it." Timon says.

"Guys, I'm counting on you. Danger could be lurking behind every rock." Simba says, seriously.

Timon looks quizzically at Simba, then takes him mock-seriously. "Ah hah."

He and Pumba begin looking theatrically from side to side, scanning behind every rock. Simba shook his head at them and turn around going back inside the cave. He tries hard not to worry about Kiara. With Timon and Pumba's watch, he figure she'll be fine.

"Dad, where's Kiara?" Kion asks.

Simba laid down. "She went off to play. How come your inside son? You should be exploring the outdoors too."

"I didn't realize that I slept so late. I'll catch up to her!"

Kion got up and ran out the cave.

"Be careful, Kion!" Simba warns.

"Yeah, yeah, got it Dad!"

Simba isn't that worried about Kion. It's Kiara that concerns him the most. Since she's future Queen, more eyes are on her. She can be a major threat to other lion prides. Again, Simba tries not to worry and let his Cubs explore the beautiful kingdom. He trusts Timon and Pumba. They wouldn't let him down. Or will they?

Out in the open savannah, Kiara is walking through the tall grass, chasing a butterfly.

"Hey! Wait! Come back! I just wanna play!" She sees the butterfly land on a rock, and crouches to attack. "Ahhh... the mighty hunter has cornered her prey." She snarls, "Errrrh!"

Kiara's pounce takes her up the side of a small rise, from which she can see a distance into the Out Lands.

"Whoah... cool! The Outlands! I wonder what's out there..."

A rustling in the grass behind her draws Kiara's attention. She turns, and the grass separates.

Timon and Pumba jump out with surprise. Kiara is frightened backwards, and falls off the far side of the knoll into a pool below. Pumba gets set to leap after her. Timon jumps off just as he throws himself into the pool.

"Oooh, don't worry, Kiara-- Uncle Pumba's comin'!" Said Pumba.

"Oh, no... ohh... uh... uh... let's see, uh..." Timon goes in-character as though talking to Simba. "Gee, Simba. The good news is, we found your daughter. The bad news is, we dropped a warthog on her. Is... there a problem with that?"

Pumba looks from side to side in the water. "Kiara? Kiara?"

"Pumbaa! Let me define babysitting!"

Pumba finds Kiara underneath him, spluttering, and he gets off.

"Sorry. Now, Princess Kiara... as Simba's daughter, you know better than to go off all alone. You could have been hurt!"

Kiara got out the water shaking her fur dry. "But... but..."

Timon panics. "Hurt! Oh... Simba would kill us! You didn't slip a disc, did you?"

"B-but-"

Timon checks to make sure Kiara is intact.

"Catch a fever? Get a hangnail?"

Timon is examining her claws. She pulls her paw away.

"Ugh! Timon..."

"I had one once."

Pumba nods. "Very painful."

"Excruciating!" Timon is holding a fern branch over Kiara's head, shading her.

"Darling... with your complexion, you should stay out of the sun."

She swats the branch away.

"Whaaat? Do you wanna wrinkle?"

Kiara roll her eyes. "Would someone please just listen to me?"

"I'm sorry; I wasn't listening. Did you say something, Princess?" Timon asks.

"I'm not just a princess, you know. That's only half of who I am!"

"Oh, uh... who's the other half?" Pumba asks.

"Uh... well, I, uh... um..."

"Well, while you're figuring it out, let's eat." Timon snaps his fingers, and Pumba lifts up a log. "Grubs!"

"The other white meat!" Pumba adds.

Timon offering a leaf-full of grubs to Kiara, "And so high in protein!"

Kiara back away shaking her head. "Eww! Gross!"

"No? How 'bout you, big boy?"

Pumba sniff. "Aaah. Love grubs!"

"Not like..."

Timon and Pumba say it together. "Love!"

Timon tosses a bug into Pumba's mouth. He crunches and coughs on it a little, then hiccups and spits the fragments back onto the leaf, coating them all with saliva.

Timon grossed out says, "Ohhh.. you always do that! You take a bite out of every one, and then put it back. It drives me crazy!"

"But you can't tell from the outside which are the real slimy ones!" Said Pumba.

"Slimy? Pumbaa... my corpulent compadre. It's the crunchy ones that make the meal!"

"Slimy!... Slimy!... Slimy!... Slimy!... Slimy!... Slimy!... Slimy!... Less filling!... Less filling!... Less filling!... Less filling!... Low fat!"

"Crunchy!... Crunchy!... Crunchy!... Crunchy!... Crunchy!... Crunchy!... Crunchy!... Tastes good!... Tastes good!... Tastes good!... Tastes good!... Check, please!"

Kiara wanders off while they argue. "Now where's that butterfly?"

Grrrrrrr!!!

Kiara pause and twitch her ears. "Huh?"

Jumping out from behind the tall grass is Kion. He tackles Kiara down with a loud growl. The two roll around a few times. Kion successfully pin Kiara down on her back.

"Ha! Pin ya." He chuckles.

Kiara giggles. "Hey, that's cheating Kion! I wasn't even paying attention."

"That's the point. You suppose to catch your prey when it's off guard."

"Let me guess, mom had taught you that?"

"Yep!"

Kion got off Kiara so she can stand up.

"I just found this cool place." Kiara says, excitedly.

"Really?! Where and what?" Kion asks anxiously.

"It's called the Out Lands!"

"Out lands?"

Kiara nods. "Yeah. Daddy mention it a little to me earlier. It's something he's hiding from me. I want to find out more!"

Kion sits. "I don't know Kiara. I heard Dad tell mom one day how bad it is there. Let's just go back home."

"Are you being a scaredy cat, Kion? Lion Guards are suppose to never be scared!"

"No!"

Kiara laughs and start to lead the way. "Then come on!"

"Fine!" Kion says, while trotting to his sister's side.

What the Cubs expect next will be dangerous...