Return From the Past
By Malli



	 Young Lena trotted around her room. She was so bored, she could hardly 
keep still. She asked her mom if she could visit Emala.
	"Sure," Sanaka said, "just be home in time for dinner."
	The young zebra eagerly skipped to her friend's house. She saw Emala 
outside and asked her if she could come play.
	"Sorry, can't." Emala shrugged. "Got chores." She went back in.
	Lena sighed and went to search for a new playmate. She saw her lion cub 
friends, Larani and Kawnu, lying on their backs, staring at the sky.
	"Can I sit with you?" Lena said enthusiastically.
	"Sure, why not?" Kawnu said.
	Lena sat beside them. After a minute of sitting and doing nothing, Lena 
broke the silence. "So, what are we doing?"
	"Just looking at clouds." Kawnu said. Lena looked over at Larani, hoping to 
get a response. She was asleep. Lena shook her head. She nudged Larani to 
wake her up.
	"W-what?" Larani said when she awoke. "Oh, h-hi Lena. What's up?" Larani 
yawned.
	"Why don't we play a game?" Lena asked.
	"Like what?"
	"Hide-and-pounce?"
	"Naw, I'm sick of that."
	"Tag? Regular hide-and-seek?" Lena asked again.
	"Naw." they both sighed.
	"But I want to do something fun!" Lena whined.
	"There's nothing fun around here!" Kawnu complained.
	Lena stood up abruptly. "I'm gonna go find something fun to do!"
	"Aw, come on, Lena!" Kawnu groaned.
	"No, I'm going. And if you lazy bums want to hang around here, fine!" she 
stomped off.
	"I'm not lazy!" Kawnu growled. He and Larani sighed and went to follow 
their zebra friend.


	On their way the bunch saw Jobari and invited him to come with them.
	"Sure." he said. He went.
	They saw Emala. She said she was free now. They invited her and she tagged 
along, too.
	 When they arrived at the water hole, Lena got a sly look on her face. She 
backed up and shoved Kawnu into the muddy part.
	"Hey, brat!" Kawnu hissed. "What the heck did ya' do that for?!" Then he 
got a sly look on his own face. He pounced on Larani and threw her in the 
water.  "AHHH!" she screamed, then laughed.  Then Emala jumped in.
	Soon all five pals were splashing muddy water on eachother, pouncing, 
laughing and having a grand old time. "Excuse me!" a soft voice called.
	They stopped. An elderly cheetah stood there, smiling.
	"Hello, young ones." she smiled. "May I get a drink?"
	"Sure."
	"Yeah."
	"Of course." the cubs said.
	"Thank you." the cheetah said. She got her drink. Remembering her manners, 
Larani stepped up to her. "Sorry if we disturbed you, ma'am."
	"It's all right. My, you certainly are a diverse group, aren't you! Zebra, 
tiger, lions.....you must have a lot of fun playing together."
	"We sure do." Kawnu grinned.
	"What's your name, dear?" the cheetah asked Larani.
	"Larani. I'm Kovu and Kiara's daughter."
	"Kovu? Isn't he Scar's son- I mean, adopted son, of course." she said, 
embarrassed of her mistake.
	"Yes. How do you know that? Not many knew of his relationship with my 
father. Who.... are you?"
	Larani's friends looked uncomfortable. "We'll leave you alone to talk." 
Kawnu whispered to Larani. He kissed her on the cheek goodbye and he and the 
others left.
	Larani whispered a goodbye.
	"So, who are you?" she asked the stranger.
	I was married to Scar long before your father was born. My father, who had 
held a grudge against Scar and Mufasa for a long time, found out we were 
married and took my brother, mother and me away from Scar. And I-"
	Before she could finish, Larani gasped in horror. "Vana!"
	"Yes, young princess. And I never saw him again."
	"Scar's wife?!" Larani's little heart pounded at the rate of a 
hummingbird's flying wings. "No! Scar was evil! He hated my grandfather, 
Simba, and tried to kill him!"
	"I loved him...." Vana started to say.
	"How could you love him? He was evil! He killed my great-grandfather! And 
tried to kill Simba! He was an evil, EVIL lion! He hated everyone and 
everything!"
	"Stop that, child! Stop! STOP!" Angrily, Vana shoved Larani harshly, making 
her fall to the ground. Tears filled Larani's eyes.
	"I know you don't understand. But I loved him. I still love him, and always 
will."
	"HE TRIED TO KILL SIMBA!" Larani was half-crying, half yelling. "He never 
loved anyone or anything! NEVER!"
	She ran off. She just wanted to get away from that, that CREATURE that had 
once loved Scar.

	Larani arrived home and ran into her father's arms, wailing and crying like 
a newborn. "Daddy! Daddy!"
	"What, honey? What?" Kovu purred in an attempt to comfort her. Larani 
started to relax. She smiled and purred back. "Thank you, Daddy. I feel much 
better."
	"I'm glad. Now, what's wrong?"
	"I just saw, just saw her-" Larani couldn't say it.
	 "Who?"
	"Vana."
	Before Kovu could say a word, Vana ran up.
	"Get away, you beast! Away!" Larani screamed.
	Kovu growled. "Larani! Where are your manners?!"
	Kovu, unaware of who the stranger was, apoligized for Larani's behavior and 
started to walk away.
	"Kovu, didn't the child tell you who I am?"
	Kovu squinted "No. Who are you?"
	"Vana."
	Kovu's mouth gaped. "Larani was r-right?"
	"Yes. I have so much to talk to you about, my sweet, sweet Kovu."
	A cheetah about Kiara's age just ran up. "Mom, where have you been? And 
who-who's that?"
	Kovu introduced himself and Larani.
	The young cheetah introduced herself as Naresi, Vana's daughter.
	Kovu ordered Larani to go home. Larani stepped up to Vana, ashamed. "I'm 
sorry about the way I acted."
	"I forgive you." Vana said.
	Larani turned and started to walk away, and Naresi followed her.
	"Hi, Larani."
	"Hi."
	The two began to talk, and started to act really friendly. Larani started 
to like this "big sister" she had just met.  Naresi said that if Larani ever 
needed a babysitter she'd be glad to do it.
	"Thanks!" Larani smiled.
	Chatting still, the two went home. Larani explained the whole story to 
Kiara, and introduced Naresi. Kiara liked Naresi and said that Naresi and 
her mother were welcome to stay in the Pridelands and that she could be 
Larani's babysitter anytime. The three still chatted and got more friendly.

	Kovu and Vana had a heart-to-heart chat. Vana talked about how she had 
married a second time a short time after Scar's death. She gave birth to 
Naresi, and her husband soon passed away, as well as her mother and father. 
She also said that Tenoso had gone off to start a new life somewhere away 
from the Pridelands; she hadn't seen him since. Kovu talked about his life, 
too.
	They talked about their lives, but mainly spent their time reminiscing 
about Scar and how they loved him. And how he had changed their lives.
	They returned to the Pridelands and Naresi, Vana, Kiara, Kovu, Larani and 
the others at Pride Rock became friends, and everything was happy.
	Kovu grew to love Vana like a dear friend and Vana felt the same. During 
the time they spent together they began to realize what one thing was that 
they truly cherished. Their memories.

					THE END







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