"I'll always be there to guide you Ziko, and so will Jani,"

'And where are you now, Tai?'

The thought ran through Ziko's mind as he sat, staring at his reflection in the Maji River. He was told that the river was sacred, and one could talk to the Kings of the Past there; but that was another thing Ziko did not believe. He may be King of the Kiburi, but he didn't exactly follow what he was somewhat forced to preach.

Growing up in the Outlands, Ziko wasn't taught the same way as his pride members, it was more ruthless. But from his time in the Outlands, he had to wonder. How could a pride as peaceful as the Kiburi, had suffered the same fate as the Outsiders?

A wind blew threw the king's mane, making the male look up to the sky. A whisper, seemed to flow into the wind,

'It isn't true,'

"What? What isn't true!?" Ziko yelled to the sky in anger, he wanted to know, he wanted to teach his pride differently. Grunting, Ziko plopped down onto his belly and stared across the river to the Oasis. For some reason, the young king was hoping that someone came along to take his mind off things, and maybe say why the pride was taught of the way of exile...

Ganda was on his usual patrol along the Kiburi Lands. Though nothing seemed to be worth worrying about on this day. A trip to the Maji river would calm his nerves. He ran through the trees approaching the sacred river, though when he arrived he was astonished to see another lion talking to himself. He had been told one could speak to the kings of the past but they never had talked much with Ganda. It was obvious this lion was struggling so Ganda took it upon himself to find out what it was, and help in anyway he could.

The massive white cat shook his glossy obsidian mane and lay down with a great thump on the earth. "What is bothering you brother? You seem to be as lost as the kings of the past." With a sudden start he recognized the lion as the king of his people. "Forgive me king, I fear I may have spoken out of my place." He stood and rose up keeping his head ow as to not be taller than his king.

The king was pulled from his deep thought when he heard the padding of feet behind him. And then he heard a voice, the voice of one of his most trusted members in the pride,

'Ganda,'

Ziko sat up and saw the submission of the lion next to him, turning his head and putting on a smile, he addressed his fellow Kiburi member,

"Do not worry Ganda, you did not speak out of place, but certianly at the right place,"

Ziko narrowed his eyes at the river before him, returning to his thoughts, maybe Ganda would be able to shine a light on his trouble. Besides, the lion was older and wiser than him, and had been around longer than Ziko had been.

"Something troubles me Ganda; the way the cubs of the pride are being taught," he pauses as lifts his head to the sky, staring at the stars, "I was taught by Tai, the former king of our pride, that the Kiburi has been fated with exile from our Prideland lineage. But, with growing up in the Outlands... I feel as it's false..."

Turning his head back to the lion, he continues, "Those lions have been fated with exile, there's no possible way that we have been fated the same. I know I must stand by my predecessors' teachings, but it just doesn't add up,"

Ganda sighed with pride for his king, though he was still young he was growing to be quite wise. "Ziko my king, I have been in this pride for quite a long time. I find you speak words of wisdom, for I have wandered far into the Savannah when my schedule allows it. I have found that our history is not as distraughtful as most think." He looked deep into the water and saw a face, though not his own. "Let me tell you a story." Ganda said mystically.

'Once long ago our king Kovu had two sons, which I'm sure you know. The sons were Tuzo and Upendo. As you also know Tuzo was the Kiburi's first king, your ancestor.' Ganda noticed the face nod. 'Upendo was much like us Kiburi, often lazy and peaceful, but some of the pridelanders grew hateful for he was next in line and Kovu was growing older.'

'After an assasination attempt Kovu exiled the assasins and those who had participated from the pridelands and to the outlands.'

'The question may arise, "Were we Exiled?" and I must tell you new king, we were not.'

'Ziko, Tuzo left of his own accord, which is why we are at peace. The outlanders grow full of hate and anger, they will live in exile for their actions.
We were never exiled.'

Ganda arose standing to his full height and looked up at the sky, "I believe that they should be given forgiveness Ziko, and maybe we will truly be one again."

Ziko quietly and intently listened to the story from his elder, it seemed as if his theory was right. He remembered Tai talking about Kovu's two sons of Upendo and Tuzo but he never elaborated on the two. All he was taught was that Upendo exiled Tuzo for trying to kill him, and that was what was being taught to the cubs!

The breeze blew through Ziko's mane as Ganda mentioned the prides being one again. Those were the words of the legendary Mufasa, and words that the Pridelanders lived by. And not only the Pridelanders, but the words his father had taught him during his cub years.

Standing, Ziko turned to Ganda and nodded, thanking the older lion for peace in his own mind. Ziko was just about to walk off into the distance as well, but he knew that even though he was king, doing so would be disrespectful to the elder lion. Coming up with a solution to try to get the latter to understand he was about to leave, Ziko muttered a lone sentence,

"May the Great Kings be with you tonight, Ganda,"

And now, it was time for Ziko to leave, as he turned and walked away, he reflected on their very short chat that had just taken place. Now, he needed to find a way to peacefully and gently reveal the new ways of teaching his pride.

A small sneeze escaped the lioness as she ran through the tall grass. It tickled her nose and made her laugh a bit. It was clear that she was free-spirited, but also very clear that she did not belong to a pride. She had dark fur and blue eyes, looking very much like Kovu and Kiara. It was clear she was from that linage, but she knew nothing of it.

A smile appeared as she heard voices. They were new voices and she knew they belonged to the pride who owns these lands, after all, whose else would come here besides her. She stopped moving and crouched low. She was going to try and sneak up on them. She could hear them clearly. They were talking about the kings of the past. This interested her, so she slowly and carefully stalked forward. She was fairly good at stalking and she only moved when the wind blew.

By the time she got up there, they were done talking about the kings of the past and one was about to leave. She wasn't about to allow that to happen. Their conversation at interested her and she wanted to know more. She wanted to hear more about the kings of the past. She bunched up her muscles and took a mighty leap through the air. She landed right in front of the two lions, her eyes filled with excitement.

"Wait, I want to hear more! More about Kovu and his sons," she commented.

((She's like a year and a half so she stills ort of acts like a cub.))

Ganda padded over and leaned down to inspect the young lioness. "Young one there is not much more to tell, our history is broken and scattered to learn more you'd have to learn it from other prides, for this is about all I know of. There are plenty other stories to tell though. Have I ever mentioned the Ice Heyenas who live in the north? And how they band into tribes?"