((Image from codenamesailorearth.blogspot.com))They look different but officially they are both Kiara (Canon since 1998, 1994-1997 it was just Fluffy.)
This is the weird thing I came up with:
The presentation from the first movie was after the cub's birth to show the kingdom their new princess. Once she was born, Simba and Nala named her Fluffy, because it's a cute name. (Timon and Pumbaa just came to watch her presentation, and then went back the oasis. They didn't hear her gender and assumed she was male.) Before that point, Zira was pretending to be Nala's friend when she was pregnant so eventually she could kill their heir and Kovu could take her place. Nala didn't want to be separated from her daughter for the first few days. However, once she was feeling better, Zira convinced her to join the other lionesses to hunt and she'd watch Fluffy. Nala let her watch Fluffy. Once alone with the cub she attacked her. Rafiki and Zazu hear this. Rafiki fights Zira off and Zazu goes to get Simba and Nala.
Simba attacks Zira and bites her ear. Zira's friends, (The Outsiders) hear her screams and try to help. Simba exilles them. Rafiki tends to the princess and says he fears she won't live. That night he talks to Mufasa and asks him to watch over Fluffy. Mufasa tells him in a spiritual way that Fluffy is not dying and to tend to her daily and make sure she eats a little bit more to get her strength back. Rafiki does this and forms a friendship with the princess. A few months pass. Simba and Nala have matured (Thus design change) and Fluffy has grown to a toddler and lost her ear rims. Since she has fully healed they decide to present her again. Rafiki asks if he can rename her. He renames her Kiara, because she is so small and over came a darkness. Simba promises his daughter that he'll never let her get hurt again. (Timon and Pumbaa were invited back and they decided to stay this time. Until Rafiki told them Kiara was a girl, they thought she was male.) and then she is presented.
... Now I really wanna do this comic.
