The Masozi looked like she once used to be a proud queen, but now in exile it took all her strength to keep her two young sons alive. She purred as she watched her young cub, Kayin, drank his fill on her milk. Kayin was beautiful. His eyes had opened days before hand and she was proud. Kayin was strong too, so strong that it was too easy to push his brother out of the way.
Yet Kovu tried again. Masozi felt a small growl start on her lips. The runt had been pulling her and Kayin down since the second he was born. Small, ugly, and not nearly as strong as Kayin. Sure he was smart, annoyingly smart. He couldn't see, couldn't walk well, couldn't fight, but could he ever talk. What a nuisance, always asking questions. She pushed Kovu away from her, "You've had enough."
"Hungry," Kovu cried, "Hungry!"
"Well so am I." Masozi growled, "Kayin needs his strength if he's to survive to the other side of this pride's land."
"Hungry." Kovu cried, as he curled up in a ball to sleep a little ways from his mother and brother. He whimpered to himself as his mother nuzzled Kayin and sang a lullaby. Soon sleep came to Kovu, and in his dreams he forgot his hunger.
Kovu woke with a start, he had heard something odd.
"Mama?" Kovu said.
Masozi hit him roughly, "Quiet, or we'll be heard."
"Too late," a dark voice growled.
"Can we eat now?." a cackling voice of a hyena asked.
"Shut up." the dark voice said, "Do you know you are trespassing?"
"Who are you?" Masozi asked.
"I am Scar, king of this land." Scar growled, "What are you doing here?"
"Please, my pride was attacked and everyone disbanded. I'm trying to pass to meet up with them. Please let me and my cubs go." Masozi pleaded.
"Where are your gifts? No one can go through my land without giving me something in return. At least they don't live long if they don't." the dark voice growled.
"I have nothing," Masozi faltered.
"Very well, then, dinner is on you." the dark voice said.
"Wait, take him," Masozi said.
Kovu grunted in surprise as he felt himself being tossed by his mother.
"A cub?" Scar asked.
"He's worth a snack, nice and tender, just let me and my cub go." Masozi said.
"What kind of mother throws away her cub?" Scar growled.
Kovu cried, "Mama, I want mama."
"He's week, and the law of the plains is that the weak die so the strong live. Besides, I have a good cub. " Masozi said nuzzling Kayin, "We'll leave and you won't see us again. My cub grows stronger without his disgusting brother, and you get a meal. Is he good enough to let us pass?"
Scar rolled his eyes, "Go,"
Masozi picked up Kayin and started to run.
"Mama! Mama!" Kovu yelled frantically stumbling in the dark to find his mother. Masozi didn't look back.
Scar whispered to the hyena's with him, "Follow her, kill the other cub. In fact, kill her too, if you can manage."
They trotted off happily.
Kovu yelled louder, "Mamma? Mamma!"
Scar looked at the cub. So alone and rejected, Scar had watched earlier and immediately identified with the cub. This cub was a reject, just like he had been. The other cub was perfect, just like Mufasa.
Kovu was whimpering, "Momma's gone."
Scar nuzzled the cub roughly. The cub seemed shocked, but happy. He immediately rubbed back with his head as hard as he could, desperate for the attention.
"What is your name?" Scar asked.
"Kovu." Kovu said, "Momma come back?"
Scar nuzzled him, "She won't come back. Come on, Kovu."
Kovu felt himself go off the ground, carried by Scar. His mother never carried him, he always ride on her back. He had to hold on and hope he didn't fall off. It was dangerous, but this felt nice.
~~Lion King~~
"Scar's back!" Nuka said, bouncing with joy around the rock.
"Calm down," Zira said, as she pushed Vitani away from nursing. The young cub growled in annoyance of her meal being interrupted, but trotted over with her mother to meet Scar.
"Sire, I'm so glad your back," Zira said.
Scar smiled, "Zira, my most faithful follower, I have a gift for you."
"A gift?" Zira said in surprise.
Scar pushed a small ball of fur in front of him, "I have found an heir, and I can think of no one better to help raise him then you. This is Kovu, I got him when I was out."
Zira stared at the small infant cub in front of her.
"It will be an honor, and the least I can do in return for giving me and my children a home." Zira said.
"It is an honor." Scar said darkly, "So don't mess up. Guard him with your life. He has a little Scar hidden inside of him. He won't ever give up when his mind is made up."
"Where'd he come from?" Niku asked.
"I'll tell you that later." Scar said more gently than usual, "I have things to do right now."
Zira picked up the cub and walked over to the other mother lions.
"Oh great," one of them said, "another outsider cub to eat our babies food up from under them."
Zira ignored them and nuzzled Kovu, and her own daughter Vitani. She didn't care what they said. Now was the time for those like herself. Scar was in charge, and this cub would someday insure that Vitani's adult years would be the time for lionesses like herself.
Kovu however didn't understand what was going on. He cried softly.
Zira smiled and continued to nuzzle him, "Sleep my little Kovu, let your dreams take wing. One day when your big in strong you will be a king." she sang to him.
~~Lion King~~
Scar was obsessive with children these days. He had even attempted to seduce Nala a few days before hand. He liked this Kovu. So much like himself, and the boy would be easy to mold. He was desperate for attention, love, and understanding. With the right push he would one day become a king in Scar's own image. The first step to immortality.
~~Lion King~~
Zira watched in horror as Scar was taken down by his hyena's. She knew he was too far away for her to help. She nuzzled her three cubs. The other lionesses Scar had let into the pride land's looked at her worriedly.
"We aren't from Simba's pride," one of them said, "what will become of us?"
Zira growled, "We don't want to be in his pride. He's murdered Scar. He was sent from the star's to help lead us. He has shown us the way. Let us kill Simba. We still have Kovu, Scar's chosen one."
~~Lion King~~
The coup did not go well. It ended with Zira one step away from being killed.
"Mother!" Niku cried running over to her before Simba could give a final blow, "Momma! No!"
Simba looked at the small cub, and saw a terror reflected that he knew too well. The terror he felt when he realized his father was gone. He looked in shock as two small cub's stumbled after Niku.
"Stand down Zira." Simba said.
"You killed Scar. I can't stand down." Zira growled.
Simba growled, "I'm king of the pride land's. Everyone who helped in this coup is an outsider and is hereby banished, under pain of death. Go!"
The lionesses started to run.
Simba let Zira up carefully, "Go, before your cubs become orphans."
Zira glared at Simba and then looked at her cubs. She knew that if she left them they would be completely as Simba's mercy. Even if he didn't kill them, Kovu would not gain the greatness Scar wanted him to have. That was all he had asked of her, and Zira was determined to make Kovu king. She scampered over to her cub's. "Come on, children." Zira said and then glared at Simba, "We aren't welcome here anymore." She picked up Kovu and walked off.
Vitani growled, but Niku grabbed her tail and drug his little sister along.
"I hated this stupid pride land anyway!" Vitani growled as the others faded into the distance.