"First let me apologize for this taking so long I had no idea the chapters were mixed up I should've corrected this sooner but at least it's been taken care of so now you can finally complete Cycles End properly once again I apologize for the error it should've happened"

: Chapter 10:

Cast out

Simba painfully limped back to Pride rock Kiara, Nala, Timon, Pumba and Sarabi all rushed to him.

"father!" Kiara cried out.

"Simba who did this to you?" Timone asked, "who did this to my" Timon began to think in rage.

"Kovu, ambush" Simba barely got the words out before he collapsed.

"Simba my son!" Sarabi called out to him.

"Get him help immediately!" Nala called out

"It's alright Simba everythings going to alright" Timon said as and Pumba dragged Simba dragged back to Pride rock

"How could I let this happen how I could I let any of this happen to my, no enough none of that is true it never was all those years even if I did raise, no it'll never be true no matter how much I believe it, he never needed me" Timon thought sadly.

Kiara however could only think of what he said, it couldn't be Kovu it couldn't, she looked at her mother and grandmother.

"it's mistake it can't be true." She said with sorrow.

"I'm sorry Kiara." Nala told her sadly.

"grandma you know there's something missing he wouldn't do this." Kiara cried Sarabi didn't say anything she was the last person fit to judge anyone.

"Kiara he fooled us all." Nala told her.

"no, no he didn't I know it was real I just know." Kiara said desperately, Kovu didn't do it she wouldn't believe it she couldn't believe it, her heart wouldn't let her, and the last thing Kopa told her was to follow her heart.

Zira sat motionlessly near Nuka's body the rest of the pride had also gathered around him, Vitani stood in the front not bothering to fight the tears in her eyes she remembered the last thing she said to him and all he was trying to do was comfort her. He was the best of them and was treated as the worst, she would never forgive herself for it.

"I'm sorry Nuka, Kopa guide him to a better place he deserves it." Vitani prayed in a sobbed whisper.

The rest of the pride was also crying in remembrance of their fallen comrade, friend, and leader.

Zira could barely hear anything around her all she could hear was Nuka's pained final words, they broke her heart and it was her fault he thought that, she had told him to prove himself which led to his choice she led him to his death, what kind of a mother was she.

"Scar, Mufasa, great kings, please do not blame Nuka for my sins watch over and let him find peace, please." Zira prayed sorrowfully.

"mom" she heard the voice and immediately Zira felt her blood boil how dare defile Nuka's grave.

Zira turned to Kovu in rage extracted her claws and slashed around the eye, he cried out in pain, but Zira ignored it, he looked at her a massive scar now going right down his left eye exactly like the one her mate had.

"what have you done?" she demanded trembling.

"I didn't mean to, I, I did nothing!" Kovu stuttered the words before finally saying them defiantly.

"exactly and in doing so you betrayed Scar, betrayed your family!" Zira spat.

"I want nothing more to do him!" Kovu said in rage.

Zira circled Kovu barely able to look at him, "you can't deny who you are, Nuka is dead because of you!" Zira screamed.

Kovu felt his drive fading, "you killed your own brother!" Zira roared at him.

Kovu felt sorrow building but he couldn't back down no longer would she hide the truth from them.

"No you killed him the moment you led us down this path! The moment you killed Kopa!" Kovu shouted.

Vitani heard Kovu's words and turned to her mother in shock, "it's a lie you told me it was an accident tell me it's a lie." Vitani said desperately tears forming in her eyes.

Zira wanted to tell Vitani that she had nothing to fear, that what she told her was true, but she couldn't lie to her anymore, she merely shamefully nodded her head no, now tears were streaming down Vitani's face, Zira could hear her sobs, they stabbed at her heart.

"it was me and I've regretted it everyday since." Zira said her voice cracking as she said the words.

Vitani couldn't believe what she was hearing the cause she thought she was fighting for was a lie as was the cause of all her pain, it had all been Zira she refused to call her mother anymore. In an instant Vitanit erupted.

"How could do that?! How could you kill him, even after I begged you not to?! How could use his death to manipulate me and then look me in the face and tell me you love me!" Vitani screamed while crying.

"because it wasn't a lie I do love you Vitani! But if I told you the truth you would've left me and I couldn't bear losing you!" Zira said desperately she too was beginning to cry.

"then where were when I needed you every time I was lonely or in pain where were you?!" Vitani demanded.

Zira looked at her with pained regret, "I don't have an answer for that I admit I haven't been there but please my daughter forgive me." Zira begged.

She knew she'd find none but she hoped that Vitani would at least being willing to try, unfortunately Vitani had none, she hurt Zira more than any blow could.

"don't ever call me your daughter ever again you are not my mother." Vitani said seething before turning away from Zira.

"Vitani please I'm begging don't do this." Zira sobbed literally on her knees.

"we are done." Vitani hissed, she would pay her no more heed. Zira collapsed into the ground and cried, she had lost them both.

"Vitani I'm sorry but a lie is never better than the truth." Kovu said to her placing a paw on her shoulder, she turned to him with fury in her eyes.

"are you insane?! You just destroyed my life in a single instant, you single handily turned me against one of the last people I still loved and now you've left me with nothing why did you tell me?!" Vitani screamed while her beating her paws into Kovu's chest.

"leave I hate you! I supported you two I practically gave you her and then you betrays us for her, you killed Nuka for her! So go back to her, you're dead to me!" Vitani shouted while pushing Kovu away.

Kovu knew he had no place here he had to go back to pride rock and pray for mercy.

She was the worst mother imaginable, her son dead, her daughter may as well be, and her youngest son a traitor and exile, she led them here, both her and Simba, his entire pride had cast them out without any care, they needed the pride lands, and the pride landers would never welcome them, she could hand herself over to Simba, but Simba would not forgive and even if he did no matter which of them chose to give up their life there would always be another who wouldn't forgive, there was no solution beyond war anymore, and maybe now she would actually succeed since death was all she was good for.

"There are a great many things beyond that my dear." Scar told her having appeared alongside her.

"not now." Zira told him coldly.

"I have not come to you for some time, clearly we should find some happiness for us," Scar told her, but for the first time his words rung hollow to her, so matter of fact rather than passionate.

"I said no, I can't do this anymore." Zira said painfully.

"we are so close Zira Nuka's loss hurts but it's not the first sacrifice we have endured." Scar said his voice completely calculating but laced with sympathy and determination, but it only made Zira feel angry.

"He was my son, she is my daughter, and the hyenas were my friends! I can't sacrifice anymore because I don't have anything to and you would ask me to endure!" she roared at him never before had she unleashed this anger before him and never before had she noticed it.

"we are too close Zira you can't give up, now fight on!" Scar commanded her.

Fight on she had killed her closest friends for him despite the fact that they didn't even directly do it, she had murdered an innocent cub for him, and emotionally broke her daughter in the process she had turned her children into suicide bombers and lost her eldest son no she would follow him no more!

"No! you are not him, Scar may of never given up but he would never demand this of me, leave me you mockery!" She thundered, and in an instant Scar was gone.

Now she and she alone would lead this. She turned to her pride who stared at her in shock,

"I have led you astray, but now I am ready, ready to give you the home you so rightfully deserve, if the pride lands will not have us then so be it we will take them, and those who have wronged us will at long last face justice! I will demand nothing of you I will merely ask will you stand with me?" she asked, the pride roared in unison.

They would follow her and finally Zira would right her wrongs and the ones who led them here would at long be punished, both of them.

Kovu made his was to pride rock he was greeted with nothing but hatred and contempt, Kovu felt great sorrow over this, after all this time he thought he had finally found a home, guess he was wrong. Kovu saw all the animals gathered at pride rock and pushed past them, they all gazed at the scar on his face, and called him a monster, they could call him whatever they wanted so long as he saw Kiara again.

"Kiara please I need you to listen to me, queen Nala please let me speak" he pleaded.

Nala emerged on top of Pride rock and looked down at Kovu with disgust. "How could you dare show your face here?" she seethed.

Kovu looked up at her pleading, "I had no where else my own family has cast me out." He told her.

Nala claws embedded into the rock, "and you think we would have you I should have you disemboweled!" Nala spat at him.

"please it wasn't me I killed my own brother to save him!" Kovu cried out.

Kiara showed up on pride rock "mother please let him speak." She begged her.

"tell it to my mate, he's barely moving." Nala said venomously.

"Nala I'll handle this." Simba said in a painful groan.

"Simba you shouldn't be up." She told him, "

I have to do this." He told her, Nala merely nodded and allowed him forward and soon he was staring down at Kovu.

Kovu stared up at his closest friend knowing that wasn't the case anymore.

"why have you come here?!" Simba commanded.

"Simba please I had nothing to do with that ambush, you're my friend!" Kopa cried out to him.

"you betrayed me, used my family to get to me and worst was I trusted you!" Simba thundered.

"Simba please my family has turned away from me." Kovu pleaded.

"you don't belong here!" Simba stated.

Kovu kneeled down humbled, "please I beg your forgiveness this is all I have left." Kovu begged.

Kiara pulled her way out of the den, "father please listen to him." She said.

"silence!" Simba snapped.

"when you came here you asked for judgment and I pass it now!" he continued.

"no please" was all Kovu could whisper.

"exile!" Simba roared.

"no!" Kiara cried out.

Kovu looked up at Simba the animals began closing on him threateningly,

"leave now or face the penalty!" Simba demanded.

Kovu looked up and saw Kiara he had to see her one more time, "I will leave but let me see her one more time." Kovu requested.

"remove him!" Simba commanded.

The animals all began pushing Kovu back, he began thrashing against them batting them aside.

"don't touch me I'm going to see her one more time and I'll go through whoever is in my way!" Kovu shouted, while throwing a antelope aside.

"you owe me this!" Kovu commanded, while throwing a monkey in the lake.

"I owe you nothing you are one of them!" Simba roared down to him.

Kovu's anger peaked he plowed through the animals like plastic and shouted up to Simba.

"you want to be the king your father was yet you've learned nothing!" he roared.

Simba was visibly startled by Kovu's words, "all you've done is make the same mistakes again and again!"

Simba could only look down in shock at Kovu, "you made it with Scar, when you exiled my family, now you're making it with me, you will never be the king your father was because you have learned nothing!" Kovu's words echoed all over the kingdom, and the whole pride stood in silence,

Simba felt Kovu's words cut deep into him, he was right, and if he denied him this, he would just making the same mistake again.

"Let him up" Simba demanded but his voice was visibly shaken.

Kovu made his way up Pride rock past the entire pride until he was in front of Kiara.

"Kovu don't go." She said tears already pouring from her eyes.

"I have to Kiara please understand" he replied he too was crying.

"what will you do?" she sobbed.

"I don't know, but one thing I do know is I will think and dream about you for as long as I live." He told her his heart breaking.

without hesitation he kissed her for the final time, she returned it as they held one another knowing it would be the last time they broke the kiss and Kovu turned away.

"I love you Kiara and I always will." Kovu said, his voice finally cracking.

"I love you too Kovu." Kiara said in tears.

Kovu turned and departed he turned to Simba, "that's your problem you know that, you're not your father and he wouldn't want you to be him." Kovu told his friend before running down pride rock and heading for the boarders and the unknown beyond.

Kovu couldn't fight the tears anymore he let him fall wherever he went, his home was gone, his family was gone, his mate, the love of his life, the life he dreamed of was over, despite being dead Nuka had won, he had lost everything.

Simba pondered Kovu's final words to him and they echoed again and again, had he just made another mistake was that all he would ever do?

"you are almost out of the Simba's Pride bits completely. This chapter had a lot of changes I especially liked the idea of mentioning the hyenas death, Zira turning away from Scar I felt was rather unique as I don't recall ever reading her doing that it's a major turning point up to now Scar has been the antagonist even if he's dead Zira was just the instrument acting through him at least in her eyes from here however Zira is her own lion and is the sole antagonist. The exile scene naturally required many changes since it was originally a song and in truth barely recognized the original version, Kovu's rant to Simba was especially different, next chapter is our last chapter based off of Simba's pride in any way and there's still a surprise in it.