Welcome everyone to the first instalment of "In a Perfect World!"

I honestly didn't think I'd be doing a second big TLK story until after "Rise of Simba" was completed, but thanks to the amazing efforts of Ki. ar. .a092 and Candy man 234, this story is happening right now!

Go check them and their content out. (Well... Candy man 234 has content. .a092 is more of a big fan.) but if you all are excited for this brand new TLK story then please, follow and review so that you don't miss an upload day. Trust me... with 3 authors on one story this is something you don't want to miss out on.

The only rule that must be followed is to keep all reviews clean of profanity, sexual themes, and belligerence against myself and the people who review, follow, or read this story. Any and all such reviews will be taken down (or will just simply never see the light of day. It's up to you guys how this goes in terms of free reviews or having them be personally moderated)

(Note)

This story is not connected with any of the other content that get's posted on my account. This is a TLK AU created for pure entertainment and present the question of 'what if' to the audience. As always, the main characters of the Lion King are owned by Disney and any song in that franchise is theirs as well. blah, Blah, blah. Yada, yada, yada. All that good jazz.

Now without further a due... LET'S GET IT ON!

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Ch. 1 Prologue

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Oh… where to begin such a tale?

There are many like it but this one is… unique. Should it start out dramatically with a stormy night or a terrible tragedy? Or perhaps with a heroic symphony to announce the arrival of a grand hero? No… This story begins with a simple sunrise and a celebration. A celebration of two joining prides, of two families… of two souls. A celebration that would spark hope for only happy and joyous times ahead. Yet… will it truly burry all the pain and heartache? Can the joyful shouts and cheerful praise truly drown out the terrible cries of trauma and sorrow experienced in the past? Though many in the Pride Lands put the past behind them, there are some who still remember darker times; times that they may never be truly rid of. Despite how wonderful the future may seem, you can't change the past.

Can you?

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It was a pitch-black sky in the African savannah known as the Pride Lands. It was nearly impossible to see anything, only the silhouettes of the acacia trees and swaying grass broke the picture of a completely black landscape. The night was filled with the continuous sounds of crickets and birds as they began to get in the first sounds of the new day that was quickly approaching.

Slowly, the sky began to illuminate as the bright orange rays of the sun began to announce the coming of morning behind the dark horizon. The sky gradually began to turn red as the sun continued to peek over the hills. A mighty roar then sounded across the land, causing the animals of the Pride Lands to slowly awaken one by one as the light peered into the grasslands. They all knew that a new sun was rising, and that they were all required to greet it. So, the Elephants began to march, the impala began to prance through the long grass, and the other animals, great and small, began to rise and make their way to the Pride Rock to greet the new day… a happy day… a day… to remember.

At the top of Pride Rock, the figure of a mighty golden lion sat at the edge of the peak of the great rock structure known as Pride Rock. The Lion King, Simba, observed as the shadows of the several animals began to pop up across the land that was still covered in the bright raise of the late morning. No matter how many times he watched from this spot, the red maned lion always felt a sense of nostalgia. It brought back such fond memories. Memories that he had from his cubhood that held great joy… yet at the same time great sorrow.

"Everything the light touches is our kingdom," Even though it had so many years… Simba could still hear the words inside his head like it was yesterday, "One day, Simba the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king."

Simba let out a grief-stricken sigh. This was supposed to be a time for celebration. He shouldn't be dwelling on what happened so long ago. He shouldn't be looking back on the past.

"You're thinking about him again… aren't you?" a voice stated. Simba looked back to see that Nala, his beloved mate and queen, was slowly walking towards him, and she had a certain knowing expression on her face.

"How did you know?" Simba asked, trying to force a smile.

"I've known you since we were cubs." Nala responded as she stepped up to her mate and put her head under his chin, nuzzling him. The king was initially taken back by her sudden affection, but he eventually nuzzled her back, feeling her smooth fur across his rough chin. Nala pulled away eventually and looked up to make eye contact with Simba. She could see it in his amber eyes, even after all of these years, her best friend still wasn't over what had happened.

"I miss him to, Simba," she said in a quiet and saddened voice, "but look at where we are now. You're the king. The Pride Lands are back to normal, and it's the day of our daughter's wedding ceremony."

"I know…" Simba said with a sigh, seeing Nala's point, "I just… wish he could have been here for it." Nala smiled warmly at Simba she then leaned in to lick his cheek softly to assure him.

"I'm sure Mufasa would be proud," Nala said before standing up and motioning with her head for Simba to follow, "Now, come on, the ceremony will start soon." She then turned around and walked back down the rocky slopes, den leaving Simba once again alone on the top of Pride Rock. The golden lion turned his head once more to the sky, only to see a gathering of flowers swirling in the sky towards an opening in the clouds.

He knew what that meant… and who it was.

"I hope I've made you proud, Dad," Simba said quietly out loud. He then before padding back down the slope of Pride Rock to where the others were waiting. Today… his daughter was getting married.

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"Long live Princess Kiara!"

"Long live the daughter of Simba!"

"That guy better treat her right!"

"May the sun never set on their time!"

It was a grand occasion at Pride Rock. All of the animals, near and far, had gathered at this majestic land to witness the joining of two very special lions. Kiara, the golden princess and heir to Simba's throne; and Kovu, the rugged, brown ex-Outlander prince, were about to be wed at Pride Rock. It had been months since the war between their prides had ended and the death of the tyrant Zira. Now… Kiara was about to be with the love of her life, the one lion who she had come to consider like family. Today… she would become Kovu's mate.

As Kiara and Kovu stood at the tip of Pride Rock, Kiara's amber eyes looked out across the vast crowd of animal that had come to witness the wedding. It amazed her at how many of them showed up. Elephants were trumpeting loudly. Zebras were stamping their hooves with glee. Monkeys were hollering with excitement as they jumped up and down. There was even flock of bright African collared doves that flew in and circled Kiara and Kovu, dropping flowers and other bright colored plants to signify their delight in this occasion. This just caused Kiara to look up in awe at the sight.

Normally occasions such as this were reserved for an heir's presentation or for the announcement of a new king. Yet for Kiara… Simba and Nala decided to make this a wedding that no one would ever forget. Nothing was too good for their precious treasure… nothing.

Kiara looked back at her parents with an expression of complete joy on her face. In response, Simba and Nala merely smiled at their daughter. Behind them, Kiara also noticed her brother, Kion and his Lion Guard all cheering for her in the background. The cheetah, Fuli let out a couple of excited shouts for joy. The hippo, Beshte, gave a few happy bellows while the honey badger, Bunga clamped his fists together and shook them over his head, signifying how happy he was. All the while, Kion and the egret, Ono, just cheered calmly, behind Simba and Nala.

Seeing them all here, grown up, made Kiara realize just how far they had all come since they were little.

"Psst! Kiara…" Kiara looked back at her two bride's maids, who turned out to be her good friends Tiifu and Zuri, "How much longer do we have to stand like this? My paws are killing me."

"Zuri!" Tiifu scolded her friend, making her straighten up. Kiara just smiled and shook her head at her friends in amusement. She knew they would jump at the chance to be her bride's maids, and even though they weren't… entirely thrilled about all of the rules and traditions they had to follow, Kiara couldn't think of anyone else who would fit the spot for her wedding.

Eventually, the time came for Rafiki the mandrill to quiet everyone down and begin to site the oaths of the husband and the wife to Kiara and Kovu. Both repeated it word for word until finally… Rafiki stepped forward and raised his staff in the air.

"Everyone!" he proclaimed, "I give to you all, Kovu and Kiara! Prince and Princess of de Pride Lands!" upon hearing this, everyone once again erupted in excited cheers as Kiara and Kovu joined muzzles, kissing and signifying their marriage. This time, as everyone in the audience cheered, Kion joined in and unleased into the sky his powerful Roar of the Elders, causing the clouds behind Pride Rock to form into several lion heads that roared as well.

Yes… this was Kiara's wedding, and it was perfect.

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As the ceremonies and festivities came to an end, Kiara and Kovu began to head back up Pride Rock. She had always dreamed of this day, but to have it actually happen… Kiara was still trying to convince herself that this wasn't a dream. The events from today constantly played over and over inside her head as she and Kovu walked back up the slopes of Pride Rock. The wedding party going to the waterhole, both the lionesses and the animals relaxing in the water together, Rafiki and the birds chanting old African hymns for everyone to dance along to, Kion asking Zuri to accompany him in a dance along side Kovu and herself; all of that really happened.

As they came to their room, they saw Nala sitting near the mouth of the den. When Nala saw the bride and groom, she gave them a sweet smile. She was so happy for her daughter and for Kovu. The only thing that would make everything perfect now was if Simba would join them.

During the party, the Lion King retired to the royal quarters early, telling everyone that he needed some sleep for the big day tomorrow with starting Kovu's royal training. Though no one questioned him, Nala knew what was really going on.

Simba wanted to share this moment with his entire family… yet that was not a possibility. Nala wished that she could fix Simba's woes and undo the terrible years that they had both experienced, but as of now, all she could do was comfort him and be by his side.

"Oh, Simba," Nala thought to herself as she kept her composure, "I wish I could do more." Though Simba's troubles were nothing new under the sun, Nala had other priorities at the moment, making sure her daughter finished out her day right.

"There's my beautiful bride," Nala cooed, causing Kiara to look down at the ground in embarrassment.

"Mommm," Kiara rolled her eyes, "I'm not a cub anymore." Nala merely smiled and looked back at her new son.

"And you…" she told Kovu, "You better take care of this beautiful bride."

"With my life." Kovu replied with a smug smile. Nala however, took it further.

"Trust me, Kovu," Nala said, returning the snarky look, "If you don't, then it's not me or even the father you need to worry about. It's her brother." Hearing this, Kovu's eyes widened a bit. Despite now living in the Pride Lands and getting acquainted with everyone, he never really considered the thought of Kion being the overprotective one. Now that he thought about it however, having someone who is a combination of both Nala and Simba who is considered the Fiercest in the Pride Lands as a son in law could prove to be fatal if he did something wrong.

Seeing the fear suddenly come to Kovu's eyes made Kiara giggle. She knew now that Kovu was part of the family, everyone at Pride Rock was going to be messing with him for a long time.

"Come on," Nala suddenly interrupted as she gestured to the back of the den, "I have something for you both," Not knowing what else to do, Kiara and Kovu followed Nala as she led them inside the den. As the get to the very center, Kiara's eyes widened as she saw a large pile of beautiful, sweet smelling flowers and fruits all laid out neatly around a grass like bed.

"Wow," Kiara gasped when she saw all the perfume like plants, "What is all of this?" Nala nudged her daughter and Kiara went around and sniffed the lovely sent that filled the room.

"This is the final stage before the end of the wedding," Nala explained, "Here, the mother, myself, gets you ready for your mate before you have your big night together."

"Big ni-?" Kiara then realized what this all was for. The perfumes… the den… big night? She was talking about her and Kove having…

"MOM!" Kiara exclaimed, feeling herself begin to turn red from absolute embarrassment. It was bad enough that she never really thought about doing… it… right after the wedding. But she just had to tell her all of this in front of Kovu! If news could kill, Kiara would have died and begun rolling around in her grave at this point.

"What's wrong?" Nala asked, knowing full well what was going on inside her daughter's head, "I thought you wanted this?"

"I do!" Kiara argued, "But… I was hoping that we could… you know… take it slow? Maybe give ourselves a day or two, just to enjoy finally being together."

"Wait… really?" Kiara flicked her ears as she looked back at the last person she expected to say that, "I mean… it is technically tradition." Upon hearing Kovu say this, Kiara narrowed her eyes at the male lion. She understood Kovu's reasoning, but actually pushing wanting to do it as soon as possible made her uncomfortable. Realizing that was probably not the best choice of words, Kovu went along: "But hey, a few days wouldn't hurt. I'm totally ok with that! Yep! No argument from me! Heh…"

Seeing that this was a matter of great importance, Nala understood why her daughter was hesitant. Kiara had been sheltered and nurtured from a very young age and had very few to absolutely no interation with any male lions who weren't family. Despite Kovu's rather… eagerness, he still seemed to go along with what Kiara wanted, which eased Nala's mind on his behavior after the marriage.

"It's totally up to you," Nala nodded her head approvingly at her daughter, "If you like, you can both sleep with the pride until you feel like you are ready. How does that sound?"

"I'd like that, actually." Kiara smiled graciously before nuzzling her mother's head with her own. Still, while she did this, she didn't notice Kovu having a rather disappointed face. That's when he noticed Nala was looking at him while Kiara was still hugging her. Kovu immediately straightened up, but Nala merely smiled at the groom.

"It's ok, Kovu." Nala assured him, "Some newly weds just need more time then others. Why I remember back when I found Simba in the jungle and we spent the night together. We weren't even married yet, but I guess it was ok since we were still technically betrothed."

"MOM!" Kiara exclaimed again, causing Nala to bust up laughing. Her daughter was no longer a cub, that much was true. Yet because of that, Nala felt no remorse in embarrassing her about the subject of being a husband and wife.

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Later that night, everyone settled down in the main den at Pride Rock. Kiara and Kovu slept side by side, just simply enjoying each other's company, and nothing else, (much to Kiara's relief). The only problem now was… she couldn't go to sleep. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept on going back to the wedding, and the party, and the discussion with her mother and…. Gargh! She just wished that everything would just go black already.

"N-No…"

Kiara's eyes slowly began to open as she suddenly heard a faint voice coming from somewhere in the den.

"Z-Zazu… help… me…"

It sounded like her father. But… what was he doing up this late at night? Deciding to try and pass the time, Kiara got up and walked to where her parents were sleeping. As she silently made her way past the sleeping pride members, she saw Simba and Nala sleeping beside each other, and Simba looked tense. His eyes were shut tight and from time to time he would wince for no apparent reason. He also began to mumble a bit as well.

"Please… not… again…"

Not knowing what else to do, Kiara gently prodded her father on the shoulder. At first he wouldn't wake up, but after a few more times he started to stir and stretch.

"Daddy?" Kiara whispered quietly as she saw her father wearily open his eyes and look at her in confusion.

"Kiara?" he said as he let out a muffled yawn, "What are you doing?"

"You…" Kaira began, "were talking in your sleep."

"I was?" Simba questioned, which eared a small nod from his rather concerned looking daughter. Simba's eyebrows furrowed for a moment. He didn't know how much Kiara heared, but he did remember what he was dreaming about, and it wasn't something he wanted to discuss… at least not during the middle of the night.

"Well…" Simba sleepily said as he readjusted his paws to once again get comfortable, "I'll try not to do it again. Now, go back to bed. I'm sure Kovu is missing you right about now." Kiara rolled her eyes and Simba smiled as he watched his daughter make her way back to her side of the den. He knew she was concerned, but really it was nothing. Just the memories of an old lion that he needed to get over.

Kiara, however, didn't see this as nothing. Though she went back to Kovu and laid down right next to him, she could tell that something was wrong with her father. Simba may have said it was nothing, but she knew her father. It wasn't just nothing. He was calling out to Zazu in his sleep. Whatever he was dreaming was definitely vivid, as if it were a memory or reliving a moment in time. Kiara hated to see her father like that, and she wanted to help him if she could. For now, however, she needed to get some sleep.

As she closed her eyes once again, Kiara tried to clear her thoughts, yet no matter how hard she tried, the thought of her father and his tense, frightened face stuck in her head.

End of Ch. 1 Prologue

How was that for a start, eh?

Kiara and Kovu are married, Nala is helping everyone out the best she can, and Simba is... well... Simba.

What will happen next? We'll have to wait and see! :D

Again, if you like what you read then please, favorite, follow so that you don't miss and upload day. And leave a review to let us know your thoughts on the story. Good or Bad comments, we accept them. (Just don't forget the rule).

Until Next time guys. This is Rogue Lion, signing off

"Salutes the Audience"

Review Response

Kicheko: Nice! Not a bad start. Really was digging the whole wedding ceremony.

Rogue Lion: WHAT THE?! Kicheko?! What the heck are you doing here?!

Kicheko: (Shrugs) What? You honestly expect a review on the first chapter? I just came here to make sure it's not just the cricket chirping like last time. Besides, it's getting crapped back in the other story with all the characters you've been throwing in.

(Rogue Lion points to the doorway)

Rogue Lion: Get back to the "Rise of Simba" story where you belong!

Kicheko: Aw, come on RL. Don't be like that. I'm just trying to help you, ya know.

Rogue Lion: Ok fine... if you agree to not do this anymore and get back to "Rise of Simba" I'll get you that bone you've been begging me about for the past week. Deal?

(Kicheko starts wagging his tail and nods)

Rogue Lion: Now be a good hyena and get out of the review response!

Kicheko: Yes sir, boss!

(Kicheko scurries out of the room.)

Rogue Lion: I tell you... one of these days that pup is going to be the end of me. Ah well... at least Kopa doesn't give me a hard time.