Scar was dying. The whole Pride knew it, although many theories came up as to why. The only lioness that seemed remotely sad and had no interest in bickering over the cause of the former King's fate was Zira, a fact that she often told her son.
Nuka didn't feel as sad as his mother expected him to. Yes, Scar was his father, but he had never spoken to the fearsome lion. His mother said that when Scar stepped down, about three months before he had been born, Simba had hid his "father" away, protecting and pampering him to no end.
"Simba is not fit to be King." Zira had snarled once. "Scar was a great leader. How dare that cub decide to seal the better lion away?" Her rants would usually follow in this pattern, praising Scar and cursing Simba or the lionesses. Nuka learned to look like he was paying attention but keep his mind on other things.
Nuka often thought of play. He wished his mother would let him play more with the other cubs. There were very few in the Pride and he wasn't allowed to play with the hunter lion's apprentices, but the remaining cubs were still fun. Zira thought that the son of Scar shouldn't be playing instead of learning. So, to make his mother happy, he stayed in her den and let her teach him peacefully.
The day Scar died was a lesson day, or it was supposed to be. Zira had told him that he was going to learn how he should lead the Pride when he was King, but she had heard that Scar was getting worse so she was up on Pride Rock, trying to see him. Nuka had been left behind in the cold den, listening to the rain pouring down from the dark sky.
To pass the time, Nuka pretended that he was actually the King of the Pride. He found a few stones and put them together so he could stand on them. "I am King Nuka!" He yelled to no one. "I am the leader of the Pride, the ruler of the lands!"
"King" Nuka looked around, trying to figure out what he would do as King. He suddenly spotted a faint shadow on the wall. "A wildebeest! I will catch it so all in the Pride may eat and continue to serve me!" He proclaimed before launching himself at the shadow. He playfully scratched and roared at it. The wind was violently shaking whatever was casting the shadow, making it seem like it was trying to get away from the cub.
Nuka was still playing his game when Zira returned. Her shadow mingled with the first, causing it to become distorted. Nuka whipped around to see his mother, soaking wet and harboring a rather blank expression on her face. Nuka cowered, expecting her to yell at him for scratching the wall, but Zira ignored him, passing him by with a faint squishing sound as each paw fell. When she reached the back of the den, she collapsed into the dust and curled up into herself. After a moment, she began shaking and making muffled whimpers. Outside, he heard Simba's deep roar; not calling to them but expressing a mixture of grief and rage.
Nuka waited for his mother to stop, to get up and began teaching him, but to no avail. He didn't know what to do. He had never seen his mother so upset. He knew of her seemingly endless anger and, on rare occasions, delightful happiness. But not this. She never did this.
He waited for another stretch of time that seemed like forever to him before he tried to stir is mother. He called to her once; twice. He got no response. Timidly, he poked her with his paw, his touch as light as a butterfly's. Nonetheless, the gentle tap seemed to snap the lioness out of her sorrow and turn her back into her normal self. That is to say, her angry self.
"What?" She snarled, turning so suddenly that Nuka fell over in fear and surprise. "What do you want, you filth?"
Nuka retreated a few paces, his ears flat and eyes wide. "You... you were sad and... and I wanted to..." he stammered, but Zira's sudden roar blotted him out.
"Do what?" She snapped. "What can you do now that he's dead? Now that he's dead and after he said... he said... he..." With that, Zira collapsed onto the ground again and began sobbing openly. She refused to tell Nuka what he assumed Scar had said. She continued this for quite some time, gradually getting quieter until her wails turned into sniffles and silent tears. Abruptly, she opened her eyes and looked straight at her son. A slow smile began to spread across her face as she beheld him.
Standing as suddenly as she had opened her eyes, Zira began to pace and mutter things Nuka couldn't understand. She began prancing and laughing, which scared Nuka. He began wondering if she had that disease that turned animals crazy when she faced him, still smiling and laughing.
"There is still hope!" She said with glee. "It doesn't matter what he said! What matters is that Simba has no heir, nor a mate. He will not take a lioness here, I am sure of it. We must prove Scar wrong. We must appeal to the King; show him that you are the best lion to take the throne!" She stopped dancing after this, as if a thought had just occurred to her.
"We cannot waste a moment! Dawn tomorrow, we will begin you King training again. I will teach you all of the laws and all of the land. You will learn how to deal with threats and how to talk to other Prides!" She proclaimed, not even looking at Nuka anymore. "You will be the greatest King that the sun ever shone upon before you even take the throne!"
Zira began pacing and muttering again, leaving Nuka with a dumbfounded expression. His young brain couldn't even process everything his mother had said in her sudden outburst of elated craziness. Before he could sort it all out, Zira grabbed his with a paw and swept him towards him.
"We must rest now, my little King." She cooed. "Tomorrow, you learn." She curled up around him and was asleep almost instantly. Nuka attempted to stay awake, but he soon followed his mother's lead and entered a dream full of jumbled images and his mother dancing and screaming, "He's the King! All hail the King! Long live King Nuka!"
Nuka was tired. For the last month, he had been preparing for his mother to present him to King Simba and propose him to be his heir. He had up to six lessons every day, depending on how much he had to learn and where he had to go. Zira said that they were lucky, since Simba seemed reluctant to try and find a mate.
Zira was one of the only reasons that Nuka refused to give in, even when his body and mind screamed for him to stop. The lioness had abandoned herself in her son's teachings. Her vigor and resilience caused her to be noticeably less angry, something that Nuka truly wanted. Her confidence in him seemed to rub off on her son, because he was, for the first time, excited at the idea of being King.
The day was bright and nearly cloudless when Zira announced to him that he was ready. He could recite all of the laws of the land, express the proper formalities when speaking to a lion he knew he could not defeat and exerted a great amount of brutal force when he knew he could. Zira taught him how to win over both the lionesses and the hyenas and to spin the best lies. He had learned nearly everything he would have if Scar had taught him. His last challenge was to win over Simba.
They headed up to Pride Rock as soon as Zira had finished straightening Nuka's already unruly and quickly growing mane, something that had just started coming in and that he was immensely proud of. They noticed the King lounging on a rock right away and headed straight for him.
As they approached, the King opened a single eye and studied them. "What do you want, Zira?" He rumbled without getting up.
"My King, with all due respect, I have noticed that you have had trouble finding a mate." Zira began.
Simba's tail flicked in annoyance. "I must be sure that the lioness is strong in body and blood." He replied. "What of it?"
"Well, even so, you do not have an heir to the throne. There is only one reason that I live in the Pride today is for Nuka and his training." She said, pausing. "His training to become King."
Simba let out a deep-throated growl and rose to his paws. "Zira, I know you remember what my father had said. This still holds true now."
"Scar is gone, Simba. His word is gone. You know that I loved him as you did, and" She started, but Simba cut her off.
"And he made it apparent what he wanted. Even if his word died with him, I am King and I say the same thing." Simba said forcefully.
Nuka shrank back. He could feel his mother's anger rising. He didn't want to show off to the King anymore. He tried tugging on Zira's leg, but she ignored him.
"Nuka would make a great heir and King." She stated.
Simba sniffed. "I'm sure you would think so, but he is not of my concern."
"He's been training for months!"
"I do not care."
"He is Scar's son!"
"He is not mine."
Zira seemed to explode. "He has more right to the throne than you. You're not even Scar's son!"
Simba's eyes narrowed as Zira's widened. He began a low growl and stalked towards her while she backpedaled.
"I mean to say that... you are... you..." She stammered, backing up until she could feel a cold rock wall behind her.
"Silence!" Simba ordered in the same low growl. "You dare to say that I am not the great Scar's son?" He suddenly jumped upon her, grabbing her by the scruff and dragging her over to the tip of Pride Rock, roaring to get the Pride's attention. Nuka watched with wide, fearful eyes.
"Zira has said many very interesting things to me, one of which being that I am not Scar's son." Simba roared. "Another is that Scar is dead, therefore his word is gone."
"I've decided to take her word. Only my word is law. This brings me to my first decision. When Zira's son was born, Scar said that both Zira and he would be able to grow up in the Pride without fear of becoming a hunter lion. That promise is no longer. Nuka will become a hunter lion, and Zira will be exiled."
"No!" Zira cried. "He is not fit to be a lowly hunter lion."
"This is a kindness," Simba hissed. "If it were not your ties to my father, I would kill you now and make your son watch."
A kind hand fell on Nuka's hunched shoulder. The cub looked up to see Rafiki. "Come, child."
As Rafiki lead Nuka away, he risked a look back and saw that his mother struggling against two other lionesses. "No!" She shrieked. "Death to the King! Let me go! Death to Simba!"
"Wait." Simba suddenly ordered. Nuka's heart soared, but suddenly plummeted when he saw his King's smile. "Zira, before you go, tell your son one thing. Tell him what Scar said."
Zira shook her head, but gave in to Simba's growl and hard shove.
"Your father said..." she began, looking straight at him and then dropping her gaze."Before he died, I overheard Scar telling Simba that I was not to be trusted. He called you his only mistake and he... we should have killed you when you were first born as he suggested."
Before Nuka could react, Rafiki swept him off his feet and carried him away as the lionesses took his mother away. He felt tears start to run down his face. The old mandrill held him closer to his chest. "Shush, child." The shaman whispered. "The stars have foretold a bright future for the Pride, we must just wait."
Nuka lounged on his favorite rock, the sun not too hot on his back. His eyelids were half-closed and his tail swished back and forth slowly, but he did not sleep. He knew he was due to a hunt soon. He had trained himself to be able to keep this nearly-asleep state but still be alert enough to spring up in an instant over time. Suddenly, the awaited call came.
"It is time for the hunt!" Sarabi called. Nuka slunk off of his rock and joined the small circle that was already around the old lioness. She began relaying instructions and information about the long hunt. It was going to take from three to five days, as prey was becoming extremely rare in the Pridelands, but was plentiful and stupid elsewhere.
While Sarabi spoke, Nuka caught Hadni's eye. She smiled at him and she smiled back. Hadni had a nearly ashen coat, a trait only seen in the Pride that she had come from. Her brilliant green eyes stood out against her unusual color, and Nuka thought them to be more beautiful than all the flowers in the world and more brilliant than the sun.
Sarabi finished, saying that each hunter in the group had a little bit of time before they had to leave. He noticed Handi heading towards him and shook his head at her. She stopped, obviously confused, but he just smiled and bounded away from her. He was headed for Pride Rock with something extremely important to ask the King.
Just as time had changed Nuka, it had changed Simba. Scar's ways were fading from him. He was less demanding of the lionesses, less giving to the hyenas. He stopped presenting stupid laws and tried to reverse thee effects of over hunting. The King was allowing for all of the male cubs born into the Pride to choose if they wanted to leave or become hunter lions and, the thing that seemed the best to Nuka, was allowing hunter lions that had served for one year to take a mate.
As Nuka drew closer, fear settled in his belly. Even though it had over a year, Simba was still strict and may not let Nuka take a mate because of what his mother had said. The fear vanished when a small golden cub tackled Nuka's leg.
"Hello, Kopa." Nuka chuckled, lightly pushing him off. The cub dug his tiny claws into the lion's leg and nipped at him playfully. He noticed Kijivu, Kopa's mother and member of the same Pride as Handi, napping nearby. "Where is your father?"
"I am right here, Nuka." Simba rumbled, stepping out from his den. Nuka had to suppress a cringe of fear.
"My King, I have come to ask your permission to ask Handi to be my mate." Nuka said, slightly weary. "I have served as a hunter lion for almost two years now." Simba narrowed his eyes and the younger lion felt his body go numb, not even noticing Kopa's teeth on his leg.
"Yes, you have been a hunter lion for quite awhile now, and you have been very loyal to me." Simba acknowledged. "Yet I cannot forget that your service is a punishment."
Nuka's heart sank. "Yes, I know, sir."
Simba closed his eyes in thought for a moment. "Prove that your time and loyalty are well-spent. Return from the hunt successful. Sarabi reports to me after every hunt. I want to hear that you were the fastest runner, quickest thinker, and that you did everything you could to take down the kill. Then you may take a mate."
Nuka wanted to dance, but managed to contain himself. He started to thank the King many times, but Sarabi's call cut him short. He bowed quickly and shot off of Pride Rock. Sarabi looked at him funnily but generally ignored his overeager demeanor. The group was quickly gathered and started eastward. Nuka walked slowly until Handi caught up with him.
"What was that about?" She asked him as they walked.
Nuka smiled. "Oh, I just had to talk to the King." Handi raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anything else, knowing that he would tell her when he wanted to and not one second earlier.
The dust settled, letting Nuka watch the herd gallop away, his chest heaving. Just behind him, a wildebeest gave up its struggles and stopped moving. Behind that, the others were just catching up.
"That was impressive, Nuka." Urdit commented. Nuka smiled at his fellow hunter lion, too out of breath to respond. Soon, the others joined the two.
"Are you hurt?" Sarabi asked. Nuka felt around himself. The only problem he could find was a scratch on his back and pieces of fur cut short in the single strip of mane that ran to his forehead to his shoulders, the only bit of mane hunter lions were allowed to have. "No."
Sarabi nodded and looked over his kill. "This is the last kill. We have enough to take back to the Pride." Nuka began to pick the wildebeest up, but Sarabi looked at him with kind eyes. "Nuka, you have worked the hardest out of the group. You must be tired. Let someone else carry your kill."
Nuka smiled and stepped away, letting Urdit take the kill and carry it away. The other lionesses filed past, many with kills of their own; each kill brought down by or aided by Nuka. Content, he enjoyed the scenery.
The group was far from Pride Rock. The grass where they were was green and vibrant, with many trees and bushes signaling the start of a jungle not far to his right. He wished that the Pride lived here, or that at least he and Handi did.
"I could do it." He mumbled. "Just stay here. I don't think the group would tell Simba that Handi and I stayed here. I could have just fallen into a gorge, accidentally dragging Handi with me as she tried to help."
Nuka was caught up in his daydream until he heard a sound in the bushes. He whipped around, his teeth bared, but nothing stirred from the bushes. He crept slowly to where the noise came from. "Come out!" He hissed. He didn't expect to be obeyed, so it took him quite by surprise when a small yellow cub poked her head out, her eyes wide with fear.
"Please don't eat me." She whispered. "I'm sorry I made noise, I'll be quiet."
Nuka cocked his head. "Why would I ever eat a lion cub? I am a lion myself, little one."
The lioness cub looked confused, scared, and curious all at the same time. "Mother said that male lions like to eat noisy cubs. That's why I have to be quiet, since there's a lot of male lions around."
Nuka chuckled a little. "Where is your mother, little one? Are you lost?"
The cub began to reply, but she was interrupted by a loud call that seemed to shake the ground.
"VITANI! Where are you?" The voice screamed. The cub lowered her ears.
"There's my... are you ok?" She asked, looking at Nuka. The lion had backed up a few paces and was watching from where the voice came from with wide eyes. His ears were flat against his skull and his mouth hung slightly open when the mother of the scared cub appeared, noticing Nuka immediately. They both stared at each other intently for a moment.
Nuka swallowed. "Mother?"
"What are you talking about, that's my moth-" Vitani started, but Zira put a paw over her mouth.
"Nuka... you've grown." She said softly, approaching him slowly. Nuka felt chills run down his spine.
"It's been a while, mother."
"A long while."
"Yes, it has. I- I never thought I was going to see you again."
"I never thought I was going to see you again. Oh, Nuka." Zira cooed, rubbing her muzzle against his. "My son, you've returned to me."
Nuka pressed against his mother, feeling her warmth against him. Suddenly, Vitani butted his leg with her head.
"I want to know what's going on!" She demanded. "Why are you hugging my mother?"
Zira lowered her head and licked Vitani. "Calm, child. This is your brother, Nuka."
Vitani looked at the lion with wide eyes. "Really?"
Nuka smiled. "I am, little Vitani." A thought entered his head. "Where is her father?"
Zira closed her eyes and looked away. "He left us as soon as it became apparent I was carrying Vitani."
Nuka looked down at Vitani with sad eyes. She doesn't have a father, he thought. I know how that feels.
"Nuka?" A voice called behind him. "Why have you not followed us?" He turned to see Handi standing a few feet away. A whimpering noise from Vitani made him turn back again. The cub was hiding behind Zira, whose eyes were full of rage.
"Why is there one of the Ash with you?" She hissed. Nuka suddenly felt like staying in the jungle was a bad idea.
"Mother, I must go. I promise I will return someday." He said, and then trotted over to Handi. The two went to catch up to the group; Nuka looking behind just in time to see Zira backing the jungle with Vitani in her mouth, anger still in her eyes.
"Was that your mother?" Handi asked as they walked, remembering the description of her Nuka had given her.
"Yes."
"Who was that cub with her?"
"My half-sister, Vitani."
"Where is her father?"
"I don't know."
There was a long stretch of silence after that. With the group in sight, Nuka decided to ask his question.
"She asked me why there was a "one of Ash"." He told her. "She looked really angry. Do you know why?"
Handi thought for a moment. "No. There are stories about my Pride, but they are just legends, even the tiniest cub knows that. Maybe she had a bad experience with some of my kind. We do not all stay together as a single Pride, and we do wander."
Nuka nodded. "Yes I know. Maybe she was attacked by some lion from your Pride?"
Handi frowned. "Possible but unlikely. You know that we aren't violent."
Their discussion was interrupted by Sarabi, who noticed them approaching. "Good, you found him. Hurry up; we have to increase our pace if we are going to get back before sundown."
Nuka was relieved that she didn't ask why he was so far behind. He didn't want anyone to know where Zira was, lest Simba decide that his punishment wasn't severe enough. He followed behind quickly and quietly, Handi at his side. They arrived back in the Pridelands just as the sun was slipping below the horizon.
"I am off to rest for the night." Handi told him quietly.
"I'll go to sleep soon, there's something I need to find out." Nuka replied, watching Sarabi climb Pride Rock. Handi nuzzled him softly and slipped away. Nuka didn't take his eyes off of Sarabi for a moment. He saw Simba exit his den and talk to his mother with a blank expression. Sarabi climbed back down, disappointment and pain on her face, but Nuka didn't care. He stared at his King until he caught his eye, who nodded once and reentered his den.
This time, he couldn't hold back. He began to dance and laugh and make a fool out himself. The other members of the Pride watched his with an odd expression, but Nuka paid him no mind. Kopa came around the corner and, upon seeing the dancing lion, joined him just because it seemed fun. Kopa got bored of prancing and attacked Nuka's leg, ending the celebration with a short tussle and then the two of them lying on the ground and laughing.
"Nuka, you are more funner than everyone else in the Pride." Kopa told him from his place on Nuka's chest. Kijivu appeared from behind a rock.
"Kopa, it is time for sleep. Go to the den and stop bothering others." She commanded. Kopa put on a pout but obeyed, letting Nuka get up.
"He wasn't bothering me." He told the queen. "But thank you for getting him off of my chest."
Kijivu smiled a little, her blue eyes flashing. "Goodnight, Nuka."
"Goodnight, my Queen." He replied, watching her gray form vanish among the rocks surrounding Pride Rock.
Nuka turned his face to the sky. He had already decided that he would use an old custom that Handi had described once, where the one who wanted to ask another to be their mate took them to a secluded spot and waited for the sunrise. It would symbolize the beginning of a new life and unity among all things.
Nuka went to his den and watched the stars and the moon chase the sun, reciting the words he would say to Handi in his head. The hours went by and Nuka could feel the time approaching in his bones. Finally, with just enough time to wake Handi and take her to the place he picked out, Nuka left his den and started towards the lionesses' sleeping place on silent paws.
Just as he neared the group and could make out Handi's sleeping form, an unnatural light and the smell of something burning that came from under Pride Rock caught his attention. He headed towards the source quickly and found Zira and Vitani waiting for him, Zira clasping two burning sticks in her mouth and Vitani holding one. Nuka just stared at them as Zira carefully placed the sticks against some rocks so they wouldn't go out.
"Son."
Nuka shook his head, snapping him out of his stupor. "What are you doing here? You're banished; Simba will kill you if you do not leave immediately." He hissed.
"We are not leaving without you." Zira told him. "Our meeting was a sign. I will no longer step back and let you wither in this place. We are here to free you."
Nuka looked back and forth, checking for anyone who was awake. A lioness stirred, but she did not get up. "Mother, it is not as bad here as it was when you left. Simba has changed. Scar's hold on him is no longer. He is less demanding of us. There are fewer hyenas. The herds are returning to the Pridelands. I am happy."
Zira frowned. "You are happy as a slave. You hunt for others. You are the lowest of the Pride. Why would you not leave, even if it s a little better? It is a lot better away from here!"
Nuka sighed. "I do not mind the work. I stay here because I am in love. I am in love with Handi and I want to ask her to be my mate, which you are keeping me from. I need to wake her soon, or else my plan will be ruined." He told his mother, looking to where Handi lie.
Zira followed his gaze. "You are in love... with that? With one of the Ash?"
"What does that even," he snorted. "Never mind. Yes I love her, and I would rather spend an eternity as a slave with her by my side than a day away from her."
"What of my teachings? What of your love for your mother?" Zira demanded.
"Your teachings were Scar's teachings. I abandoned those when you told me that he thought I was a mistake." Nuka told her. "And I still love you, mother, but you have found a new place and have a new cub to love. I am content here."
Zira looked as if she were about to cry. Slowly, her face hardened until her eyes were slits and a scowl was upon her face. "I see know. You have become soft. One of those cowards who you live with. So be it." She suddenly snatched up one of the torches and threw it into a nearby bush, where it instantly caught fire. She picked up the second, but Nuka barreled into her. The force knocked the fire out of her mouth, sending it flying until it struck the ground near the hunter lion's den and set the grass ablaze. She kicked Nuka in the face, snatched Vitani's torch, and ran. Nuka got up just in time to see Zira drop the stick right onto Handi's face, causing it to roll off and set the grass around her to catch on fire.
Nuka started after her, but everyone was awake and panicking, allowing Zira and Vitani an easy means of escaping. He lost her within a matter of moments. He called her name angrily, but it was not heard over the clamor of the frightened Pride.
The flames were spreading quickly and Nuka knew he had to get out, but he needed to know where Handi was. He found the place she was last at, but she was gone.
"Handi!" He screamed over the roaring flames and panicked yells. "Handi!"
He roamed all over, trying to avoid the flames the best he could. The smoke began to get to him and he coughed over and over, his eyes watering. "Handi!" He tried to yell again, but only a hoarse noise ending in another cough came out.
I need to get out. He thought. She's not here. She fled with the others. I need to get out.
Nuka took one step and collapsed onto the ground.
Nuka opened his eyes to blinding light. He squinted his eyes until they adjusted. He was still where he had fallen, but there was no fire and he was drenched in water. He tried standing but ended up collapsing back into the mud. It took him two more tries, but he finally got to his feet. He saw the forms of his Pridemates approaching and realized that they were just returning to Pride Rock. A lot of them had burns and cuts on them and were walking stiffly. Simba was leading the solemn group. Nuka started towards him, but his foot caught on something. He looked down to see the blackened body of an unidentifiable lioness. He made a noise and leaped back in fear.
The group scattered, looking for those they loved among the ground. Their paws made squelching sounds, but that was the only noise and they looked, save for a cry of recognition or two. When everyone was done, they gathered around Simba.
"Who has done this?" He asked, his eyes sweeping around the group. "Who?"
No one spoke for a moment. Suddenly, Sarafina broke the silence. "Nuka."
Everyone turned his or her attention to the young lion, who cowered in fear. He baked up a little, and the group followed him. He heard someone speak from behind him.
"No, that is impossible!" Handi protested. Nuka breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face her. His heart almost stopped.
Handi's face was burned badly. No fur was left on her muzzle or most of her face, and the exposed skin ranged from angry red to pitch black. Her eyes were disfigured and glazed. She could not see.
"Handi..." Nuka breathed, but he was drowned out by Simba. "Sarafina, how do you know that Nuka caused this?"
"I woke up in the middle of the night and saw him sitting underneath Pride Rock with a flickering light. He was talking to someone, but I couldn't make out the words. A moment later, a torch was thrown out and lighted a bush. Another was used to set the hunter lions' dens on fire." She recounted. "After that, a lioness came out and dropped a torch on Handi's face while Nuka watched."
"I tried to stop her!" Nuka yelled before he thought. "She kicked me in my face and I was getting up."
"Who was the other?" The King asked. Nuka thought for a moment. It would not be a problem to give up his mother. She was already exiled, and she was probably too far away for them to find her easily. Simba may punish him, but he was kinder than before. He wouldn't kill them.
"It was-" He began, but stopped when he saw Kijivu walking towards Simba slowly. As she got nearer, he saw that she had tears in her eyes. She set a small, unmoving bundle before Simba and backed away, her head low to the ground. Nuka had to look at it for a moment before he recognized it.
Kopa.
"No." Nuka said, his eyes wide. "No. Kopa."
Simba stared at the body of his son. He slowly looked up his expression hard. He sat there for a moment, just staring at Nuka.
"Who was it?" He asked again in a surprisingly even tone. "Who set the fire? Who killed my son?"
Nuka felt Handi against him. "Tell him, Nuka." She pleaded quietly. "He'll kill you if you don't."
Nuka nuzzled her softly and whispered in her ear, "I love you," before looking the King in the eye.
"I refuse to say."
Simba got up and took a step towards him. "What did you say?"
Zira ruined my life, Nuka thought. But I will not ruin Vitani's. She is still young. She can be saved. "I said, I will not say who was with me."
Simba jumped on Nuka, his paw against his throat and weight almost crushing the smaller lion. "Tell me now."
"No." Nuka growled. "I will not."
Simba roared. "You will be broken!"
Nuka stared back defiantly. "Never."
Simba snarled. "My father was right. You are a mistake, a mistake that needs to be fixed."
"Do your worst."
Nuka stared at the cave wall. Or, what he thought was the wall. It was too dark in the cave to tell, and he didn't feel like causing himself more pain by getting up and checking.
It had been nearly two months since the fire. Simba tortured him in every way he could, but he never gave up. Handi had the sense to leave early on, so Simba had nothing that would break him.
A rattling and clicking noise alerted Nuka of a presence in his cave, but he did not get up. He didn't care if he got beat for not complying again. He barely felt it now anyway.
"Hello, Nuka." A voice greeted, its owner unseen.
"Rafiki?" Nuka croaked. "Simba is making you hurt we now, too?"
"No, child." The mandrill responded. "I am only the barer of bad news."
Nuka manage to roll over so he could face where the voice was coming from. "And what news would that be?"
"The King is fed up with you. He has sentenced you to death by burning alive." He reported.
"And what was the bad news?" Nuka asked.
"Well, that was it." Rafiki said, sounding surprised.
"Really? All I heard was the end of this drawn-out pain." Nuka sighed. He suddenly felt a cold hand on his shoulder.
"Can you get up, child?"
Nuka huffed and got to his feet, ignoring his wounds reopening and screaming bruises. "What now?"
"Follow my voice." The shaman told him. The click and rattle of his staff started, and Nuka followed it. The cave was deep, and it took several minutes before he could even see the outline of Rafiki. They continued until they were out of the cave and under the night sky.
"Where are my guards?" Nuka asked, looking around the entrance of the tunnel.
"There are none. Simba thought that you would be too weak to try and escape." Rafiki explained. "I just figured that you would like to see the stars one last time."
Nuka craned his neck up to look at the little dots of light. He remembered the last time he had saw them, the night of the fire. They looked different.
"They are the souls of the great kings, you know." Rafiki said.
"Oh really?" Nuka asked, not taking his eyes off of the stars.
"Yes. Do you see that star, the brightest one near the moon? That is the King Mohatu. The one in the middle of that diamond shape? That is Ahadi. That very big star that seems to want to outshine the moon? That is Mufasa."
"What is the one in the middle of the sky? The one that never moves?" Nuka asked.
Rafiki smiled. "That is the very first King, whose name is lost to time but always gives us guidance."
Nuka nodded, still staring at the sky. "My father doesn't have a star, does he?"
"No."
Nuka was silent for a moment. "I am glad."
"You know, the blood of all the Kings flows in you, even if you are not one yourself." Rafiki told him.
Nuka said nothing for a few moments. "Rafiki, why do you stay here? You are clever, I am sure you can escape."
"I am where I am needed most, child. When this is all resolved, then I will leave."
"You told me once that there was a bright future for the Pride. I will not live to see it, will I?"
"No."
"Then why tell me?"
"Because you are a vital piece in the solution. Happiness to all will come soon enough." Rafiki said. "Come with me for a moment."
The old mandrill took him to a pool of water nearby and had him look. At first, all Nuka saw was his wounds and missing patches of fur. He knew Rafiki didn't pull him over to see that, so he pulled his face back a little.
"I have a mane." He stated. "A real mane."
"You do indeed. You no longer have the mark of a hunter lion." Rafiki agreed.
"I am not a slave anymore. I am a lion."
A movement caught his eye and he looked up to see multiple lions heading towards him. "They're here for me."
"They are." Rafiki confirmed.
"Rafiki, do you have to be a king to become a star?" Nuka asked quietly.
"No. You just need to be noble and true."
"Would you say that I am noble and true?"
Rafiki looked into Nuka's eyes. "Yes, I would say so."
Nuka nodded. "Goodbye Rafiki."
"Goodbye, child." He said, slipping away. The lions reached him.
"Come with us." They instructed. Nuka obeyed, taking one last look at the stars.
"I will be there soon." He promised quietly. He dropped his gaze and followed the lions.