"Well it's been a few days but i'm back our last chapter left our beloved characters in a dark place and others in outright danger now we will see how they escape the danger that threatens their lives or maybe not all of them will here's the next chapter in the tale of the Pride Lands darkest hour, hope you enjoy."

: Chapter 8:

Left behind

Hasara was running toward the borders of the Pride Lands soon she would find Zira regain her children and see Zira pay for the wrongs she had committed. The outlanders would soon be entering the outlands she couldn't let them find Zira first, Zira belonged to her. It was at that moment when Hasara saw a pack of hyenas heading in her direction what did they want with her, "I wasn't aware Scar was sending a group to accompany me" she told them, the hyenas growled, "he didn't" one of them said, this was bad Hasara could feel it, "oh well I'll just get back to my mission." She told them nervously, "good and we'll go back to ours" the hyena told her, Hasara felt her blood run cold, "yours" she asked beginning to shake, the hyenas were beginning to circle her, "yeah you" the hyena said, they were there to kill her. Hasara jumped in the air flying over them and toppling over on the ground, she immediately pulled herself to her feet and took off running the hyenas gave chase biting and growling, "what's going on, why are they trying to kill me" Hasara panicked, she saw more hyenas coming at her forcing her to turn to the right she soon found herself standing at the edge of a cliff the river far below, the hyenas cornered her hunger in their eyes, "I don't understand" Hasara said shocked, "we don't question our orders especially when there's a free meal involved" a hyena told her, "why would Scar do this?" Hasara asked in pain, "he doesn't trust you" the hyena said, "what there my cubs too" Hasara reason, "that's the problem, as long your alive they'll never be his cubs, so he wants you dead" the hyena concluded.

Hasara couldn't believe it everything she believed was a lie, everyone she thought she could trust was against her, it was all a big cruel joke Hasara began to laugh, "hah ha hah, you really pulled a fast one on me hah ha hah, here I thought I was something important to Scar ha hah and I'm just his breeder hahahahaha!" Hasara's laughter was beginning to put a hyena to shame "hahaha and everyone tried to tell me hahaha but I actually trusted him like a gullible sap hahahaha!" Hasara cackled, the hyenas were beginning to get visibly disturbed by Hasara's behavior she was losing it, "alright I'm beginning to pity you so we'll kill you quickly" he told her, "hahaahahaha! No you don't get it I lived all this time for the moment I got to hold my cubs and hahaha you actually think I'm going to let you take it from me hahaha!"

Hasara suddenly stopped laughing her expression like stone, "no, I am seeing my cubs." She emphasized each word before leaping at the hyenas she sliced one right in the chest another one came at her with its claws she caught its claws and used them to impale another one, she then grabbed another one and threw him off the cliff. Hasara tackled another one and bit down on her neck, another came at her she grabbed him and bashed his head into rock until he stopped moving she dropped to the ground and closed in on the last hyena giggling the hyena backed away in fear she was a complete psychopath, "do you enjoy my pain my misery" Hasara asked, the hyena began to cowering, Hasara extended her claws towards his neck she stopped inches away, "I'm dead as far as you and Scar are concerned I'm dead" she told him, "or you'll be dead understand" she asked, the hyena nodded and ran off grateful that she didn't kill him. Hasara paid him no more thought now to find Zira, she took out a piece of Zira's fur as well as a bit of blood retrieved from Rafiki's tree, she then went to the outlands and began spreading in the furthest direction soaking it with Zira's scent, that would keep the outlanders from finding her and Hasara already had an idea where she was, she took in the scent of the location and it was faint but she could sense Zira's scent when she crossed, "I knew it" Hasara said smiling before heading toward the oasis, "soon my cubs, soon we will be a family" she said to herself.

Nala and Huzuni were running in the outlands a group of hyenas not far behind, "they're still on our trail!" Nala said, "we can' keep avoiding them like this!" Huzuni stated, "then we fight, we can take them together!" Nala said with pride, "no there are way too many they'd tear us apart!" Huzuni told her, "well then what do we do!" Nala asked, "we do nothing, there is a jungle only a few miles or so from here my mother hunted there once go there you'll be safe", "I don't want to be safe, we need to bring back help we can't handle this situation by ourselves anymore!" Nala declared, "then do it the jungle is populated you might find some help there." Huzuni said, "no you go, I'll divert the hyenas away while you escape" Nala told him, "you can't really think I'm going to accept that" Huzuni responded, "one of us needs to distract them and I'm not afraid of death" Nala told him, "I just branded myself an enemy of the kingdom to ensure you didn't die, you're a better hunter than me it has to be you" Huzuni said.

He knew she wasn't going to listen she had always been headstrong it was one of the endless qualities he loved about her, "no way I'm not running" Nala stated, "I'm taking the choice out of your hands, I can accept my death, but I could never accept yours" he told her while gazing deeply into her eyes Nala looked at him in confusion, "I am grateful for meeting you, I love you Nala" Huzuni told her, Nala still didn't understand, Huzuni shot his paw out and struck her right in the gut Nala's eyes went wide, she collapsed and Huzuni struck her again in the back of the neck causing her to pass out, he then covered them both in mud before placing her on his back and running for the jungle, it took a few hours to reach it he placed Nala down and could smell the hyenas coming, "I vowed I would protect you now I fulfill it" he said before allowing the hyenas to catch sight of him they all came charging at him not knowing that he was alone he fled from the jungle and ran deep into the desert the hyenas behind him, his legs ached, and his chest was on fire, but whenever he felt he would give in he thought of Nala and the rest was easy, he would die for her and he was probably going to.

Zira was sitting in the oasis watching Nuka and Vitani play with Vitani more often than not getting the upper hand, Zira smiled at them both while holding Kovu in her arms the young one had adjusted well to her and she had to admit she was becoming fond of him. The moment they were out of the pride lands Nuka and Vitani recovered quickly it appears it was the condition of the kingdom, they weren't completely better yet but they would be soon, then Zira would probably give it another month just to make sure everything was okay. "mommy are you going to play with us!" Vitani called out cheerfully, "I'm sorry I have to take care of your brother right now but why don't you and I have some time." Zira answered, Zira told her, "yeah, yeah, yeah!" Vitani said joyfully before plopping herself into her paws she loved spending time with her mother. "so what are we going to do when we get back?" Vitani asked excited, "well there's someone I want to introduce you too" Zira told her, "who?" Vitani asked, "your real mother" Zira said.

Hasara was listening to Zira from the bushes and felt some her anger draining was she going where she thought she was going. "you're my mother" Vitani said confused, "I'm the one who raised you but I didn't give birth to you" Zira told her. Oh yeah she raised Vitani by sabotaging her recovery but maybe they could work through this, "her name was Hasara and she's wanted nothing more than to see you, her daughter" Zira said, "but I don't feel like her daughter" Vitani replied, Hasara felt a stab in her chest Hasara felt like she was Vitani's mother. "she is very sweet and kind hearted lioness who has needlessly suffered" Zira said with sorrow, Hasara growled at that response all of her suffering was Zira's fault but she did seem to regret it, Hasara's expression softened again, "I'm certain she is and I guess I could meet her but I could never call her my mother because she's not the one I played hunter with or made sure there wasn't a monster or always be there." Vitani said while smiling at Zira, "I could've done all that with you if given the chance" Hasara sobbed, "she's probably very nice and I could get to know her, but she's not my mother, you're my mother, and I'm your daughter." Vitani said while nuzzling up to Zira, the two of them looked at each other with tears in their eyes she took her into her paws and hugged her closely which Vitani returned, "I love you mommy" Vitani said, "I love you too Vitani" Zira said.

Hasara watched them embrace and felt her heart breaking that could've been her she could've been a mother and it was stolen from her, she moved closer and saw Kovu in Zira's arms staring at her, she reached her paw out for her son, "you know it don't you" Hasara said, Kovu appeared to be trying to reach out for her, "that's it you see it, I'm your mother Kovu" She said while reaching out to him, "mama" Kovu managed to say, "yes Kovu mama" Hasara said with tears reaching for her son's tiny paw, but he didn't take it instead his paw gently grabbed Zira.

Hasara felt a part of herself die he didn't even recognize her, to him she was another lioness he would never see her as his mother, neither of them would, all she wanted was to be a mother now she never would, Hasara ran as far from them as she could before collapsing and burying her paws in her face and sobbing into them. Why was this happening to her what had she done to deserve it, "my home, my family, my motherhood" with each word she cried harder and harder, "it's all a mockery a big joke that everyone got but me!" she sobbed, then one word began repeating in her head, joke, it was irony she trusted everyone and lost everything, it was the punch line, "I get it now, I trusted them, that's the joke, hahaha, why did the lioness lose her family hahaha because she trusted everyone hahaha, the punch line hahahaha her name was Hasara! Hahahahaha!" Hasara laughed at her own misery tears still staining her cheeks, "well I got a joke of my own now, why did Zira's life turn to ash because she didn't kill me hahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" whatever traces of sanity Hasara had left were gone all she could do now was laugh uncontrollably, Zira would understand, oh yes, she would, then they could share a good laugh together before Hasara tore her heart out, Hasara continued to laugh allowing it to echo out into the night sky, the true sound of madness and loss.