Epilogue

Zira's POV

Nothing, all day.

I shook my head in frustration. This had become the usual over the last few months, bringing home just barely enough for the cubs to survive, let alone myself. Simba's exile of me and my lionesses for treason seemed more of a cruel punishment than actually killing us for it.

Just then, I heard a huge splash. At first, I thought nothing of it, assuming the crocodiles had caught an unlucky antelope or maybe a gazelle.

'Here's my chance to not go home hungry tonight,' I thought.

Usually I could grab a chunk of meat off the game before the crocs completely destroyed the carcass, so I headed for the gorge, stomach churning with suddenly apparent hunger.

The high-pitched giggle of a young cub next to the edge of the gorge caught my attention. "I did it. I did it!" the little voice exclaimed.

'Too high to be my Kovu,' I thought. Curiosity got the best of me, so I crept closer to the source of the giggling, and only then noticed that there were two cubs standing at the gorge's edge, and one of them was indeed my son. I hid in the tall grass nearby to watch.

"Whoa, man!" exclaimed the little cub next to my son. Her fur was a light golden color, but she had her back turned to me, so I could not see her face yet. "Did you see the size of those teeth?" She began rolling around on the ground, growling and looking absolutely foolish as she tried to reenact what I now assumed was their near-death experience with the crocodiles and the real cause of the splash.

Kovu sat down, looking at the cub with a confused expression. She got up and exclaimed, "We make such a good team!" She paused, and with an awestruck expression, said, "And you, you were really brave." She gazed at my son, and something within me shuddered with disgust, though the only reason I could infer was that I was upset with my irresponsible son for "playing" with another cub instead of focusing on training.

But there was something about this cub… her oddly familiar reddish-brown eyes almost reminded me of…

'No, not a chance,' I thought.

I watched closely as my son smiled at her compliment, and replied, "Yeah, you were pretty brave too. My name's Kovu."
In awe of his so-called "bravery", she leaned closer. "I'm Kiara," she said with a smile.
Fury surged through every particle of my being as the name registered instantly in my mind. Kiara, as in "Princess" Kiara, daughter of Simba. I couldn't help but growl quietly with renewed hatred and disgust.

Word had reached the Outlands about Nala's miraculous survival after the battle. Rafiki spent hours working on her wounds, and in doing so discovered that she was with child. His herbs, medicines, and perfect timing had spared both her life and the life of her cub, by some miracle (if that's what you want to call it).

News of the birth of their second cub, a girl, reached me shortly after, and I was furious. Just one more way that my master plan had been foiled. After Tano's "untimely demise", Simba would have been left without an heir, and thus attaining the throne for my young son would have been child's play. But now, after the death of Tano, I knew that Simba would be more than over-protective of his only living heir, the new daughter who was now attempting to coax my son into playing a "tagging" game of some sort.

I prepared to pounce. Maybe my plan from months ago to overthrow Simba and allow the heir of Scar to take his rightful place as king was somewhat salvageable after all. Killing Simba's cub would at least ease my troubled mind, and her meat would indeed make a fine dinner tonight (Yes, I AM that evil, if you were wondering).

The little princess began to playfully growl at Kovu, and he growled in return; however, he was abruptly cut short as Simba appeared out of nowhere and leapt between the two cubs with an angry roar that I returned as I pounced over my cowering son to face Simba for the first time since he banished us to the Outlands.

"Zira," Simba growled, his claws tensing and stirring up dirt beneath his massive paws. I remembered for a moment that the last time I saw them, they were covered with what I now know was the blood of my closest comrade and second-in-command, Natashu. I shook off the thought and, with a malicious sneer, replied, "Simba."

In an instant, we were completely surrounded by his army of lionesses, and I was momentarily caught off guard. Among the faces, one in particular stood out to me.

"Nala?" I ventured, noticing that she had indeed made a full recovery after my unsuccessful attempt on her life. We exchanged a knowing look, and her hatred for me was reaffirmed as she muttered my name in apparent disgust. "Zira."

A small annoying but familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. "Timon, Pumbaa. Great, now that we all know each other, GET OUTTA OUR PRIDELANDS!" Timon exclaimed, an air of arrogance in him that I knew would vanish if challenged in the least.

I was right. "YOUR Pridelands?" I retorted with a menacing roar that immediately sent him hiding in the tufts of the warthog's hair. I turned to Simba. "These lands belong to SCAR!"

Simba took a step forward, anger apparent on his wretched face. "I banished you from the Pridelands. Now you and your young cub, get out."

'Well isn't this familiar?' I thought to myself. He was putting on a show for his lioness army; I had been informed by trusted sources that no one had been told what happened in that cave between me and him, so the lionesses didn't know that Simba had spared my life because of Kovu. 'Well, two can play that game,'I laughed inwardly at the thought. Time to taunt the tyrant.

"Oh, haven't you met my son, Kovu?" I asked, knowing full well that he had. "He was hand-chosen by Scar to follow in his pawprints, and become… King." I added emphasis to the last word with a haughty grin. Simba glanced down at my son, now cowering in fear behind my forepaws, and snarled.

Timon interrupted again, "That's not a king. That's a fuzzy maraca!"

I ignored the meerkat's insolence. The taunt was working; I could tell by the ever-growing tension in his jaw muscles as he scowled at me and my son. He snarled again as I continued, "Kovu was the last born before you exiled us to the Outlands, where we have little food, less water." I put on an expression of mock helplessness, and he saw right through it, just as I had hoped.

"You know the penalty for returning to the Pridelands," he declared, as if he had the right to give ME orders. But I had the upper paw, and Simba knew it. He would never do anything in front of his army that might reflect poorly on his character. Oh, what would Daddy think?

"But the child does not!" I exclaimed, rage leaking into my voice, breaking the façade of helplessness. "However, if you need your pound of flesh," I pushed my son across the dirt between us until he was directly beneath Simba's face. "Here," I looked deep into his eyes for a moment, almost as if to say 'Since I took your son, why don't you have a go at mine? You know, for old time's sake.'He understood the sentiment, and didn't appreciate the gesture.

"Take him and get out. We're finished here." I could hear a slight hint of newly pricked sadness in his voice as he turned to leave, army and Kiara in tow.

I couldn't help but let my malevolent laugh creep into my voice as I replied, "Oh no, Simba. We have barely begun." I glared at the young cub dangling from his jaw, and I let the laugh escape my lips completely, causing her to shudder with fright.

On my return to the cave I now called home, I saw Nuka and Vitani arguing outside. My loyal daughter was probably scolding him for not watching Kovu today like he should have. He was a disgrace to both me and his father from the beginning, but I had always been proud of Vitani's constant vigilance and undaunting determination. She would indeed become a fine warrior, just as I had predicted at her birth.

I dropped Kovu next to Vitani, and as usual they began to brawl. I turned to Nuka and yelled, "You were supposed to be watching him!"

Kovu's small voice interrupted, "It.. it's not his fault. I.. I.. went off on my own!"

"What were you doing?" I asked.

"Nothing!" he cried.

I began the lesson again, feeling he needed a refresher. "Who has made us outsiders?"

"Simba!"

"Who killed SCAR?"

"Simba!" he cried, knowing the answer from mere repetition.

Now I let my real anger leak into my voice. "What have I told you about THEM?"

Kovu was now lying on his back, curling up in fear of my rage. "I.. I'm sorry, Mother. She… she didn't seem so bad. I.. I.. I thought we could be-"

"FRIENDS?" I shouted. "You thought you'd get to the daughter, and Simba would welcome you with open ARMS? What an idea…"
Suddenly it hit me: he was trying to get close to Kiara, so he could gain Simba's trust and kill him when he least expected it! It was truly one of the proudest moments of my life, and I beamed with joy.

"What an IDEA! You brilliant child!" I exclaimed, pulling him closer by his tail, and ignoring his whimpers. "I'm so proud of you. You have the same conniving mind that made Scar so… powerful."

Nuka retched, but my roar silenced him in an instant. 'What insolent scum,'I thought to myself as I picked up my little Prince and headed into the cave.

Once inside, I dropped him into the tree trunk where he usually slept, and declared, "I now see the path to our glorious return to power."

Kovu whimpered, "But I don't wa-"

"Hush! Hush, my little one. You must be exhausted," I cooed.

"Sleep, my little Kovu. Let your dreams take wing. One day when you're big and strong, you will be a King!"

"Goodnight," Kovu whispered.

I glanced back at my son as I left the den, anxious to begin working on the details of my new master plan, one that would surely bring Simba to justice once and for all. "Goodnight, my little Prince. Tomorrow, your training intensifies."