I was stunned by the amount of feedback I got for the first chapter! My mouth did a literal :o when I saw all the reviews! Thank you everybody who has taken the time to read and review the story :), I always review-reply but a few of you either anonymously reviewed or had PM turned off, so I'm doing it here.
Many of this story's pieces are going to seem a lot like a diary. Just letting you know. Oh and also, we have a POV from someone other than Nala in this chapter... I know I promised a "Nala-centric POV" in the summary-and it is, but sometimes I may have a perspective from someone else. I just couldn't make it work any other way.
Be prepared (Oh dang, now that song's gonna be stuck in my head...) for a sad chapter.
*Hums to self* "Be prepared for the chance of a lifetime, be prepared for sensation anew," *Groans* See? What did I tell 'ya?
Chapter 2: Childless.
Nala's POV.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
One month later.
We're seeing less and less of Zira these days. Her cubs and friends seem to be more scarce lately, also. Ever since Simba took back over six months ago, she has been a little distant from the others. More than a few lionesses were this way, including partially me, though, so I didn't give it a second thought. It kind of messes you up when you have a king like Scar.
Almost everybody had pretty much recovered, though, and though we were permanently scarred, we had moved on. Sure we all had a nightmare now and then, but for the most part we had put it behind us. It was done, over, dealt with. We didn't have to worry anymore, or sleeplessly hunt through the night and come back with little more than a rat. We didn't have to see the cubs starving to death now. We had a new king, one who really cared about us and the kingdom. We were all at peace.
Except for Zira... it really was quite strange. She never hung out with the other lionesses - save for her small circle of friends - anymore. Not that she ever had been a social butterfly, but... She was only around when it was time to hunt and sleep. There wasn't really a problem with that, but I did find it odd that she never socialized with anyone but her few friends and cubs. It was as though she existed in her own little world. She had recently birthed two twin cubs, a boy and a girl. They were both quite young, only a couple weeks old, currently.
For reasons unknown to me, I've always gotten a chill when I was around her. A strange, uncomfortable vibe. She wasn't mean or anything, but... I'm probably just being paranoid.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Two weeks later
Nuka's POV.
"Hey, um, Kopa..." I didn't know why my mother made me do this. I never liked the little brat very much anyway... But Mother wanted me to, and if it would make Mom happy, then I would definitely help. What I didn't understand was why I had to..? Why did she want me to go play with the little prince? I didn't exactly like him... I wouldn't say we were enemies, but we always kept to our same groups. He wasn't my type... he was too ambitious and playful. It annoyed me. Maybe I was just jealous because I couldn't be the same way, but for whatever the reason I had always slightly resented the kid.
Maybe I was jealous of his mother? Perhaps I wished I had an affectionate mom like his own? Who didn't treat me like the very dirt we walk on? But putting this issue aside, I still didn't know why my mom had asked me to do this task. She had simply said, "Go play with the little brat. While you're playing, keep luring him slowly this way." It didn't make since to me. Why would mom want me to lure him to the gorge? Did she want me to befriend him or something? It made no sense. But ever trying to please my mother, and prove that I was better than little Kovu, I simply nodded and set about my way to complete this confusing request.
"Hey! Kopa!" I plastered a smile on my face, hoping the gullible little guy would fall for the fake grin.
Kopa turned around cheerfully, but seemed to be a little bit confused at the sight of me talking to him. It was almost an unspoken rule of the cubs, that you didn't talk to those who were outside your 'group'. "Oh-Hey... Nuka?" I inwardly frowned. Did he really almost forget my name? Well, whatever, doesn't matter right now.
"Hey, do you want to play..." I panicked. Why had I not thought this conversation out before I came here? "Uh- Tag?"
This seemed to dumbfound the younger cub even more so. But, never refusing a game, he good naturedly replied, "Sure!" after a slight pause.
"Okay, then..." Ugh. This was so degrading! "Tag! You're it!"
He grinned, waggling his rump in the air before pouncing after me. "Here I come!"
A chase ensued, with me in the front prancing along like a drunken hyena and the little prince stumbling along behind me. I, being months older than him, was much faster than him, but so as not to get him to frustrated, I occasionally slowed down a bit to let him catch up. Almost there, I thought, relieved. Finally, I slowed to a stop only about twenty feet away from where my mother was waiting. I had to make something up, quick! "Um... Wow! Did you see that?" I asked, putting on fake surprise.
He puffed, exhausted, before choking out, "See wh-what?"
"There was a hare that just jumped through there!" I then thought up a quick white lie; "I bet your dad would be really proud if you brought that back home... it was huge!"
He bought it. I cannot believe the cub actually bought the load of crap. But for whatever reason, he did, and he, in less than a few seconds, was creeping through the bushes ahead of me, slowly towards where my mother awaited. After he was a good ten feet away from me, I silently dashed away to a nearby jutting rock I had seen earlier. It overlooked right where my mother was hiding. Because of the way it was shaped, I could see them, but they couldn't see me.
I watched the cub tentatively step into the small clearing, thoroughly confused. He sniffed the ground, searching quietly for the imaginary 'hare'. After coming to the conclusion that the 'hare' had gotten away, he turned back to where he had entered and called my name out. "Nuka? It must have gotten away, I don't see it..." he paused, waiting for my reply. "Nuka? Are you- whoa!" Something had caught the young cub's attention, and he pranced over to the edge of the deep, deep gorge.
"Wow..." he whispered, peering over the edge. He had not yet spotted the large canyon because of the thick fog that had settled. "I can't even see the bottom!" he marveled, clearly in a trance by the sheer wonder of it.
Suddenly my mother stepped out of the bushes. "Want a closer look?"
Kopa spun around faster than anything I had ever seen. "Umm... who're... oh! You're that lioness that I almost never see... Sera... no, no.. Zara? Um-"
"It's Zira." she smiled malevolently. "I'm sure you'll remember it now..."
The poor guy seemed to be genuinely frightened. "Um, yes miss Zira! Sorry, I'm just not very good with names and-"
"Shut up, Prince!" She hissed the word through her teeth. She began to close in on him, pacing back in forth but each time she reached the end of a pace, she would rotate her body towards his slightly, slowly but surely closing the distance between them. She kept her face turned at his the entire time, though. I was getting a little scared... what did my mother plan to do to the little guy? Just because I didn't like him a whole lot didn't mean I wanted him to die!
"I-I'm sorry, I'll just be going now, I need to-"
"You need to shut up! Your father is a murderer..." She closed the gap between him and her. "Give this message to your grandfather..." She began slowly. "Tell him that my son... is going to murder his... and my son will rule the Pride Lands, like he rightfully should!" She knocked him off the edge, and he barely grabbed the side in time. She slapped her paws atop his, her claws digging into his flesh and drawing droplets of blood.
My heart skipped a beat. I was going to be king? Maybe my mother really did care about me...
Zira continued. "Tell him that... Kovu will avenge my Scar's death!"
No.. not Kovu! I should be king! He isn't even Scar's kid! "No.." I breathed.
With a final smile, a smile that was of pure evil, she leaned down, and whispered into his ear. "Long live the king..." With a flick of her paw, she knocked off the prince. He fell, terror imminent in his amber eyes. He seemed to mouth a single word as he fell. "Mom..."
No... I never wanted to be part of this! I didn't want the little guy to die! But Mother... I... I should be king! Kovu... Kopa... Simba! What would Simba do? Would we have to leave? So many thoughts were running through my head, all arguing with each other and creating an ear-splitting roar. I didn't know who to listen to... I just stood there, frozen. Whose side was I on? I-I didn't know... I wanted to be with Mother, but what about the pride, my friends, I... I was a.. murderer! No... But I deserved to be king!
Suddenly Saafine, my mother's most trusted friend, appeared by her side. "Is he disposed of?" My mother asked, hatred glinting in her eyes.
Saafine nodded. "Instant death at contact. There's barely any remains, even."
I winced at the thought of what poor Kopa must look like. I was so conflicted. And that's why I didn't do anything when I, out of the very corner of my eye, saw Tojo scamper off towards Pride Rock. He must've been watching almost the entire time...
No. I had to be on Mother's side. I would show Mother that I was meant to be king, not stupid, smelly, ugly, bratty, Kovu. It was too late to stop Tojo now, but no matter what, from now on I was on my mother's side. I would show her. I would show them all.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Nala's POV.
"No...no...no..it... it can't... No! Please... please be joking, Simba! Just... just please..." I was shaking violently, tears dropping quickly from my eyes.
Simba himself was struggling to keep his composure. "That-that's what Tojo said... said that he even heard one of her accomplices confirm it... he's... he's gone..."
"No... no... no! He can't be gone! He was here an hour ago!"
Simba began to cry, tears trailing down his cheeks now. "I-I..." His voice cracked, like an adolescent cub's would. "I-I'm sorry..."
I buried my face in his thick mane. I had never felt this horrible. This was the worst pain I had ever felt... even worse than when Scar had announced that Simba and Mufasa were dead. I didn't know pain then. That pain was nothing compared to this. Right now I felt like my world was caving in, and I was stuck inside. No pain can compare to the pain of a mother who has lost her child. Simba was crying freely now, his cries not even close to the volume of my sobs, but possessing the same amount of emotion.
After what seemed like hours, there were no more tears. You'd think we might start feeling better then. You'd be wrong. The sense of hopelessness only rectified, and we sat in teary silence, neither daring to say a word yet we might as well have spoken a thousand. We stayed like that for a very long time, just sitting there in the cave. At near midnight, we finally began to drift off, still locked in each others embrace. I felt myself slipping into sleepland; a land with no worries, no cares, and nothing but sweet, peaceful dreams.
But there would be no dreams tonight.
O-o I don't know why but I'm rather proud of that last line... :D. Sad wasn't it? I thankfully didn't struggle too much to write this chapter, so please tell me how I did in your review. Feedback is what keeps authors going, and what motivates us to continue :). It also lets us know what we could improve, and what we did right. So please review!
*Sings softly* "Yes our teeth and ambitions are bared, be prepared!" *Facepalm* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
