Disclaimer: I don't own Lion King.
WARNING: There will be explicit violence in this chapter. If you're not okay with it, run away! Maybe Timon and Pumba will adopt you…
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Author Note:
It's thanking time! Surprisingly, I have lots of thanks to give. I got many wonderful reviews from you and I'm so grateful for them! They instantly made my motivation to write this humble fanfic skyrocket. I was planning to make the updates less frequent and to release this chapter on Sunday, but I couldn't make you wait. Not when you've been so nice.
Here comes the litany. Special thanks to: almondbutter (you never fail), ThatTexasKid (thanks for striving to deliver your review to me), Vaykay (it was great to read your opinion, I hope for more), Keep Calm and Join Team Loki (your nick is a nightmare type; it's amazing to have you back though), OMAC001 (welcome, super-nice person) and mysterious Guest (wonderful to have you on board).
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Chapter 9: Punishment
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Nuka and Vitani waited for Msuli to calm his wrath and go back to his usual routine, which involved napping. Like they expected the lion swept his gaze over the cubs and lay down. He rested his head on his paws, letting his impressive, fair mane sprawl on the dirty ground. It wasn't long until his chest started rising rhythmically, and a loud snore erupted from his throat. The rumbling sound was so similar to a thunder that it appeared, as though a storm was approaching.
Nuka sighed with relief, feeling a little more at peace with the tyrant asleep. He lay too, but the rest wasn't meant for him. Vitani pounced at him, grabbing him, as if he was some zebra. When he didn't react, she backpedaled and tried again, this time biting at his ear.
"Stop it!" He yelped, trying to pry his little sister off him. Once he did, she sat in front of him, grinning smugly and waving her tail. She yawned, bored already.
"Nuka, I wanna see Scar." Vitani stated bluntly.
Hearing her mention that name, Nuka leapt to cover her mouth. Nervously, he looked around, checking if no one caught his sister on blabbering about their friend, who wasn't supposed to be anywhere near Msuli's territory. His stepfather was napping, and the cubs of other lionesses whispered with each other, paying absolutely no attention to Nuka. Ever since Panya had been killed, they shunned Vitani and ignored Nuka, treating both, as though they didn't exist.
"Nuka." His little sister patted him insistently.
"Fine," he said finally. He approached his paw to his muzzle in a silencing gesture. "But don't tell anyone."
"It's our little secret." Vitani whispered. Her tail was swishing wildly, betraying her excitement.
Nuka nodded and crawled toward the exit. Vitani followed him. Both stepped lightly, careful so that their claws wouldn't graze the rocky ground. Once they reached the hole, they darted out like two cheetahs, grinning happily. It was great to escape that depressing, tense den. Vitani giggled, pouncing around Nuka, and he smiled, glad that her mood got better. Both slowed down, panting. They barely got away from the termite mound, when they saw something odd.
Nuka arched his eyebrow, as he spotted the lionesses of their pride, all aside his mother. They carried no prey, unfortunately. Suddenly, a little paw shot out to grab his pelt and pulled him down, until he slammed into the ground.
"Vi-" he began, about to shout at his younger sibling, but Vitani put her paw over his muzzle. Nuka huffed, but stayed low and silent. Geez, what was that about? He turned his gaze to the lionesses. They seemed to be waiting for someone, as they kept glancing toward the nearby rocks. Suddenly, they all flinched, when a lean lioness sprinted from between the boulders and joined them. Nuka recognized her as Panya's aunt. She said something to the pride sisters and they began whispering frantically. If Nuka laid really still, he could hear their voices carried by the wind.
"That's bad, really bad." One of the younger lionesses commented, nervously scratching her leg. Perhaps she was infested by termites too? Nuka could feel for her. She looked around, surveying the surroundings, but she didn't notice the cubs. "Msuli will see it a treason."
The pride sisters fell silent. They remembered what happened the last time Msuli got betrayed. Surely the image of Panya's death was ingrained in their minds as much as it was in Nuka's.
"Zira took the risk for our sake. The first plan failed, and she's in danger now," Hodari, the eldest, said.
Nuka stiffened. Mother was in danger? Instinctively, he wanted to jump out of hiding and rush to help her, but Vitani pressed him to the ground, using the little bodyweight she had. She approached her paw to her muzzle in a silencing gesture.
"It's up to us now to help her. Besides, we need to strike first, before Msuli does." Panya's aunt lowered her voice. Nuka spotted vengeful look in her gray eyes. "It's now or never."
An affirmative murmur traveled through the pride. The lionesses seemed to be hesitant at first, but quickly turned to the cause. They crouched and approached the biggest termite mound with utmost caution, sneaking, as if they were on a hunt.
Nuka felt the pressure from his back vanish, as Vitani jumped off him, lightly landing on her little paws. Before he could prevent it, his little sister bolted after the lionesses, quick like a gazelle.
"No, come back!" Nuka whispered nervously, but Vitani ditched him, driven by her curiosity. Nuka sighed heavily, wishing his sister were a bit slower, and went after her. He struggled to catch her all the way to the den, and managed to join her when she was already at the entrance, peeking carefully. Cautious not to make a sound, Nuka did the same thing – he spied on the pride sisters.
The siblings watched the lionesses enter the den soundlessly, like keen predators they were. It was the time for the afternoon nap, so everyone inside was asleep. The cubs lay snuggled to each other, lightly snoring and sighing in their slumber. Msuli rested upon his usual place. His legs were sprawled untidily, and his chest rose rhythmically with every slow, relaxed breath. Everything indicated that he was soundly asleep. It would be so easy for the lionesses to sneak up on him and sink their teeth in his throat.
Nuka felt a little guilt for cheering for the pride sisters to kill his stepfather. However, he knew that it would be better for them all this way – for himself, mother and even Vitani. Thinking of whom… he glanced down at her sister. Wasn't she upset that her own father, the one who gave her life, was about to be murdered? The little cub barely understood what was going on, but the zealous look in her blue eyes was very mature. It reminded Nuka of their mother. Vitani closed her claws on the edge of the mound, holding her breath with anticipation. She too wanted Msuli gone.
Both cubs peeked a little more, wishing they could muffle the sound of their hearts beating at a crazy pace. It appeared that the noise their blood was making was too loud. The pride sisters encircled Msuli. Panya's aunt stepped forward – apparently, she was the one to deliver the lethal blow. In a way, it seemed just.
Suddenly, Nuka noticed something unnerving. Msuli's chest stayed up for a briefest of the moments, before it went back to moving rhythmically. The lionesses hadn't seen this though. They advanced at their leader cautiously, with their teeth bared. Panya's aunt approached him confidently, and when she was about to latch at his throat, Msuli's eyelids rose. Abruptly, the massive lion jumped to his paws starling the pride sisters.
Before the lionesses could react, he swung his paw, knocking two lionesses out. He growled and showed, how he managed to claim the leadership over the Outlander pride and uphold it. His impressive muscles rippled under his skin, as he counterattacked. The females desperately tried to fight back, but another powerful blow swept Hodari off her paws, sending her tumbling across the cave.
The cubs awoke, spooked by the symphony of growls and the ruckus of fight. Confused, they stared at the commotion blankly instead of running away. Speaking of escaping, Nuka tapped at the termite mound. He was torn between curiosity and the urge to grab Vitani, rushing to their mother. Perhaps it was stupid, but he stuck with the first choice.
It appeared that despite the mishap, the lionesses had the upper paw. Although he had managed to knock several of them down, Msuli found himself entrapped. The pride sisters wee snarling and reaching to scratch him with their incredibly sharp claws. The numbers were against him. At disadvantage, Msuli attempted to flee. He agilely jumped over Panya's aunt. The vengeful lioness swung her paw at him and carved three claw marks into his belly. The red blood stained his fair pelt, dripping onto the rocky floor. The lionesses followed Msuli, as he ran for his life.
"They're going to win," Nuka murmured, smiling nervously.
The lionesses' teamwork was impeccable – mother would be proud of them. They chased Msuli like some foolish warthog, making him move toward the far end of the termite mound, on the opposite side of the exit. The male lion became trapped in a tight chamber, which looked rather like an underground corridor. Nuka heard Vitani chuckle. She had realized it too – Msuli would die there.
The pride sisters pounced at him eagerly, charging at him all at once. Triumphant laughter filled the den, as if it was a lair of hyenas. The victory was at hand, and then it all went south. The cries of joy quickly turned into the pained squeals. Nuka craned his neck, unable to actually see what was going on in the dark corridor. Then, a single lion emerged, dashing out quickly like a lightning.
"No!" Vitani whined, as her own father made it out of the narrow cavern. Msuli's pelt was smeared in blood, and he had marks, where the lionesses grazed his body, but he was very much alive. His rumbling laughter made both siblings shiver from fear. Lightly like a cub, he jumped at a ledge situated right over the entrance to the cavern. Gritting his teeth from the effort, Msuli pushed a heap of rocks, sending them to seal the way out of the underground passage.
The lionesses wailed, although their cries were muffled. Between the rocks, Nuka spotted their muzzles, as they attempted to squeeze through, unsuccessfully. Msuli skipped off the ledge and admired his prisoners, gloating. His injuries didn't seem to bother him the least. He wagged his tail so happily, as if he was a playful cub.
"So stupid," he muttered with a wide grin spread on his muzzle. His rumbling laughter echoed throughout the den. Sneering, he turned his paw steps toward the host of young lionesses, cowing in the termite mound. "I warned you that your rebellion will come at a price."
In this moment, Nuka, averted his gaze and dragged Vitani back, covering her eyes. However, he couldn't shield his ears from the piercing, pained shrieks and mournful lamentation of the pride sisters.
"N-nuka, h-he…" Vitani stuttered, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Nuka barely had control over his own limbs. He was so panicked, that he would like to crawl into a meerkat's den and never come out. He was a male in the family, though, and he should be strong. Besides, he knew who would be Msuli's next target.
"Mother," he whispered.
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Author Note:
Your thoughts on the chapter? Give me a review please! I adore reading your lovely comments.
About the future of "King in the Outlands":
Due to the sudden and delightful increase in the reviews, my decision to unconditionally terminate the story has been revoked. I plan to continue writing, even if it means releasing two chapters a year. The frequency of the updates is up to you, dear readers and your much awaited comments. I have a terrible weakness for your feedback…
A new rule for Arc 1 (first 13 chapters): As soon as there are 10 reviews on the last chapter, I'll update right away, even if I have to do 3 updates in a row.
