The sun rose early on the pridelands, bringing with it shades of pink and orange that spilled into the sky. Amara emerged from her den, a scrap of light brown fur clenched between her teeth. Her daughter, Tala, was born only a week previously, but Amara felt it was time for her to see her cousins. She trotted along the grass, which was still damp with dew, In the direction of her brother's den. She walked inside, blinking for a moment as the light suddenly dimmed. In a corner, she saw the blonde shape of Nala, the queen of pride rock and her childhood friend. She walked quietly over to where Nala lay, Tala squirming between her teeth. The blond lioness lifter her head wearily, blinking teal blue eyes at Amara.

     "Hello, Amara," She said kindly, giving a twitch of her tail.

     "How are the twins?" Amara asked after placing Tala carefully between her paws. Nala smiled, looking down at the two bundles of fur snuggling up against her belly.

     "Rafiki says they're perfectly healthy and happy."

     "That's great!" Amara chimed happily, gazing down at her niece and nephew, "have you and Simba decided on names yet?" Nala nodded.

     "The girl will be Kiara, and the boy will be Kopa."

     "Strong names for strong cubs," Amara chided, "which one is older?" Saving words, Nala motioned with her muzzle to Kiara. The little golden lioness blinked open her eyes for just a second, revealing a sharp shade of amber like a raging fire. At that moment, Simba walked in. Rafiki, the baboon who had presented Simba and Amara to the pride lands and was now getting rather old, followed close behind, carrying the ceremonial fruits.

     "Is it time already?" Nala asked, blinking slowly. Simba nodded, then leaned down to lick her forehead. Then he turned to Amara.

     "Hello, sister," he said fondly. Amara's brother was a powerful figure of a lion, with golden fur and vibrant red mane. Amara nuzzled him. When she pulled back, Rafiki had a firm grip on her niece and nephew. Amara, Simba, and Nala, followed him up to pride rock, the defining landmark of their territory. Amara sat down with her brother and sister-in-law, and they were soon joined by her mate, Xolo, a scrawny but fast and clever brown lion. Their daughter squirmed in Amara's paws as Rafiki scaled the rock, finally resting at the top. The view from Pride Rock was lovely, you could see for miles of Savannah. Animals of all kinds were gathered underneath to witness the presentation of the cubs. Elephants, flamingoes, giraffes, zebras, you name it.

      "It is my honor," began the old baboon, "to present to the kingdom Kopa, the future king, and his sister, Princess Kiara!" At this, the animals all cheered by making the loudest noise possible. Great clouds of dust were kicked up into the air, a common side effect of elephants stomping (which can also lead to the squashing of many small animals.) Amara was jubilant, but something negative still loomed over her head like a storm cloud waiting to unleash sheets of rain. She looked at the shady part of the Savannah. It was usually the last place the sun's rays touched, and it was home to a group of malicious and power-hungry lions known as the outlanders. Amara shuddered, remembering Zira. Zira was Xolo's sister, and Amara's childhood best friend. She wasn't exactly ugly, she had a thin muzzle with amber eyes that glowed like a raging wildfire when the sun hit them just right, and had beige fur with a darker stripe down her muzzle. She had betrayed her suddenly after she returned to pride rock, cornering her and Xolo with a flood of snarling hyenas. She used to be a sweet and innocent cub, and someone who's company Amara had enjoyed, but now she was just as power hungry as Amara's uncle, Scar, had been.

     Vivid memories of Amara's cubhood came rushing back to her. Scar throwing her father off a cliff into a raging herd of wildebeests, her and Simba's anguished cries, getting knocked out and waking up to find Xolo staring at her with a worried expression. Her head hurt to think of what might come of Kiara, Kopa, and Tala's cubhood. Being related to Simba, all of them would inevitably get into deep trouble and dangerous situations. Amara looked down at her daughter. The tiny light brown figure squirmed, and yawned now that the noise had died down. She could only hope Tala would never come into contact with Zira, because she didn't know what would happen if she did.

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Author's note: This chapter is a little short, yes, but it's already better then the first book (at least in my opinion)!