Chapter 20 – Life Goes On

Nala's POV

It's been about three years since Scar's regime ended. The hyenas all ran off, and they haven't been seen since. Life still isn't completely normal again, but it goes on nonetheless. There is grass again, and the water hole and river are slowly refilling with each passing rain. Rafiki's tree is now a monument in my mind, standing in the middle of the Pridelands through it all.

I have borne Simba a cub, very recently in fact. Kiara is a beautiful little cub, and she takes after Simba more than she will ever know. I still think of Taka, every once in awhile, and I wonder how his life is. When Zira was banished, she left for a harsh piece of land just west of here, and it was deemed the Outlands. I never regret my decision: I never loved the cub. He was a constant reminder to me of the nightmare that was Scar, and I couldn't live with it hanging over me.

Ramenai has been extremely supportive as well. They left after seeing Kiara born, though we requested that they stay here with us. Food is more plentiful in the Pridelands than it will ever be in the desert, but they still declined. I am not very concerned about their lifestyle, but I do believe a piece of Ramenai's heart was broken when he discovered that Simba was returning home with me. I think he secretly wished that I could stay with him, and I know that whichever place I would have chosen, I would have been quite content. To this day I still wander out to the edge of the Prideland border, remembering those days when I lived with them. If I am lucky, Ramenai is there and we talk for awhile, keeping each other up-to-date on the goings-on of our respective prides. I have never seen him want for food or shelter, and he is an inspiration in that. Anything can be overcome if you set your mind to it.

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A/N: Thanks for reading, I love your comments and feedback! I may write a sequel (if enough people reply), but probably not for awhile because I have Showstopper and SLTCCT to work on, plus I'm thinking of doing a Warriors fic. Therefore, let me know if any of you is interested in writing the sequel to this story; I'd love to read it or beta or anything!

Thanks for reading!

Phantomfreak07