Chapter 25: Flashbacks.

Scar snarled and leaped to his feet, looking for the foe that I knew was probably hidden in the cave. How did they find us here? Why would they come looking for ME? Couldn't they just leave me alone? Hadn't I had enough hurt already in my life? I wasn't even two years old yet, and I've been hurt more times than the average lion! I warily lay back down, wincing when my injured paw struck the ground.

"Where are you?" Scar roared in fury, whipping his tail back and forth and spinning in circles. If the situation wasn't so serious, I would have laughed. "Show yourselves! Or are you so puny that you're too scared to face me now that you know what I can do?"

And that was the last string for them, I do believe. I can't say I blame them. Being taunted by your enemy is the best anger-fueler ever. I hope Scar knows what he's doing.

A huge deep reddish-orange lion with lighter cream on his underbelly, and paws leaped out of the shadows. He had these haunting blue eyes. They really caught my attention because it's not often that a lion has blue eyes. Sure, there were a couple lionesses that had blue eyes, but never a LION. That's different, but for some reason it looked good on him. Zira, stop it, I hissed to myself, you're acting like you like him. And you haven't even met him yet! Besides that, he's the ENEMY. But I couldn't help but feel attracted to him in some way.

"I don't think I'm the coward here, Scar," the lion said snidely. He looked at Scar's fiercely frowned face. HE chuckled lightly then looked back at me. This definitely wasn't one of the lions that attacked me. The lion smirked and winked at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. I felt Scar's glare burning into my back, but I ignored it. I still couldn't quite forgive him for what he said about my father. "The coward is you," the big lion continued. "I'm not the one that ran away sobbing because I tried to kill my own brother and had to run or risk being found out. I'm not the one that sat watching while a baby zebra struggled for it's life in a raging river. I'm not the one that made fun of Zira's parents. I'm not the one that sneered at her back when she turned around to leave. I'm not the one that asked a friend to help me create a plan to hurt Zira. I'm not the one…. I'm sure you get my point."

I gasped in shock and looked at Scar, my gaze hurt. How could he do this to me? He led me and I followed him blindly! I was too taken up in his emerald gaze. I blinked back the sting of tears in my eyes and stared at Scar, almost beginning him to say it wasn't true.

"Tell her, Scar," the lion sneered. "Tell her it's not true. Tell her you didn't mean to hurt her. Tell her you didn't mean to tell her life story to every lion you've ever met. Tell her Scar!" The lion's eyes were wide, and I stared at his enchanting blue eyes.

"Zira…" Scar's voice was sad and humiliated.

"What?!" I snapped, jerking my head up to stare at him accusingly. "Do you want to tell me that you're sorry? That you didn't mean all of that? That you want to run away with me? That you're sorry you nearly bit my paw off?!" I was spitting the words out, feeling the anger boil through me. How dare he do this to me!

"Zira please… I didn't- I'm so sorry."

I struggled to sit up, and yelped when my injured paw smacked against the ground. The new lion was immediately by my side, and gently helped me sit up. Finally I was sitting up and I glared daggers at Scar. "Well you know what?" I snapped angrily, holding back a snarl so that I could be understood. "I don't think you are! I don't think you truly are sorry!" I stopped Scar about to blunder for words, "If you were TRULY sorry, Scar, you wouldn't have done all that in the first place! I don't trust just any lion with my backstory! I knew I never should have let you help me! I knew I never should have let you into my heart!" I was whimpering by now, unable to even explain the throbbing ache in my chest. "I trusted you," I sobbed, "I trusted you and you threw that trust away. Trust isn't something given freely. It is earned. And you have lost any trust I would ever want to give you!" I turned away, disgusted.

"Zira, I probably wasn't something I was supposed to do… I'm sorry,"

I looked up at the new lion, surprised. "Do I know you?" I asked, curious.

The lion smiled. "Of course. It's me."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yes, that's very helpful. There's not very many 'me's' in this world."

The lion laughed. "Nada. It's Nada."

I widened my eyes in utter astonishment and delight. "Nada? It's really you?"

Nada smiled. "It sure is. I saw that lion," he gestured to Scar as he snarled the last sentence, "attacking you and I couldn't bear to see you hurt. So I came down here to rescue you."

I ignored Scar's whimpering and looked at Nada in the eye. "That was awfully nice of you," I murmured, "not at all like the Nada I remember."

Nada smiled gently. "Well, I've been through a lot since then. It hurt me when you left, so I decided that I was going to change, if only for you."

I smiled happily, feeling the joy rise up in me. The anger was momentarily stomped down on with the excitement of having Nada back.

"But that's not all I came here for," Nada continued, sounding a little nervous. "Since you don't seem to be in very much protection with… Scar, perhaps you would like to come with me. I don't have a Pride, but I do have a baboon healer that could help you with your injuries."

I smiled. "I would like that."

Scar immediately began protesting, just like I figured he would. However, I ignored him and let Nada help me stand up. "Lean on me," he instructed, "when you start to get tired. And don't be afraid to ask me to stop so you can rest."

I nodded, and together we walked out of the cave, leaving a guffawing Scar behind.

AN: Wait, she left Scar? Did I plan this? That's not… oh never mind. :) Review!