Kula gulped as she followed Nala and Tama's trail into the Little Jungle. This sort of in-fighting went against her nature. She just hoped Simba knew what he was doing, and that he was still on their side. Not that she even knew who the "other side" was now that Scar was gone and his jackals driven away. Oh, how she missed the long gone days of king Mufasa, when the biggest problems were hyena raids, and loyalty and trust in the Pride Lands were absolute. At least that was how she remembered it.

Her train of thought was disrupted by hushed, panicked voices from a nearby clearing.

"... as long as he is around, nobody will be safe!"

"The King has assured us..."

"Him? He was lying on his back for weeks when Kion took control."

"I told you already, that was Scar!"

"Hmph! Zebras do not believe in ghosts. Something must be done!"

Kula cleared her throat and walked into the clearing, immediately silencing the argument between Thurston and Harry the Hedgehog. "What is going on here?" She asked. Thurston cocked his head defiantly. "A lively discussion, before it was rather rudely interrupted."

Harry was a bit more kindly. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Actually yes. Has either of you seen Queen Nala?" Kula asked.

"Can't say that we have, though we'd like to. There's a great deal to discuss now that this... ghastly period is over." Thurston declared.

Kula sighed. "Well, don't go setting the Pride Lands on fire with your... lively discussions. We're all still just working things out."

"Are we indeed? It seems to me as if the Queen and Kion have both vanished, probably off doing whatever it is they spent the last few weeks doing."

Kula squinted her eyes and extended her paws. "You sure you wanna say that out loud again? Cause we could easily count you amongst Scar's victims if you don't shut your mouth."

Thurston gulped, and turned to Harry. "Now what did I tell you? It's all a pack of lies!" He ran off. Kula groaned. She wasn't much of a negotiator.

She and Harry were left in awkward silence for a few seconds. "Okaaaaay, I'm off to doing.. whatever it is we porcuhogs do..."

"Porcuhogs?"

"At least that's half right." Harry shrugged and disappeared into the shrubbery. Kula was left pondering over the consequences of her actions.


The remaining lionesses, the Kupatana Guard and the few animals who agreed to battle for Pride Rock one more time were now in position in whatever good hiding spots they could find as a battered-looking Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa led Vijana's pride to the flank of Pride Rock.

"Here we are... your Majesty." Zazu croaked.

Vijana growled in satisfaction: "Yeeeess..." He turned around and grabbed Zazu. "Find me your king! I want to..."

"I'm already here, Vijana."

The lion king's head whipped to the right to see Simba proudly standing in front on Pride Rock. "If you want something from me, come and get it."

Vijana snarled, and motioned for his lionesses to stand still as he went up the path that lead him to the Pridelanders' den and the extending rock, where Simba casually sat. "So, the little bird lied to me. No matter. I've had enough anyway. I'll kill you and take this fancy spot for myself and my pride."

"Well, I'm not getting any younger. Are you gonna do something or do I have time to take a nap?" Simba quipped.

The taunt worked. The younger lion's entire body became tense and he began to slowly, carefully make his way towards Simba, ready to leap at any moment. With great concentration, Simba kept his breathing normal and didn't move an inch... until he did.

With lightning-fast speed, Vijana flew at Simba, who ducked. The younger lion hit the rock floor head on and land on his back. Growling, Vijana tried to stand up again, but quickly turned dizzy. "I... I can't see." He mumbled and collapsed over the edge, screaming. Patiently, Simba walked down from Pride Rock and approached the fallen king's body, now surrounded by his pride. Vijana was still alive, but incoherent and with several broken bones.

"Hasira Pride!" Simba shouted. "Is it not your way that the slayer of your King becomes your King?"

"The King cannot be King if he is defeated. That is the way." One of the lionesses said.

"Then a King am I." Simba said and bit into Vijana's neck, putting him out of his misery. The lionesses of Hasira Pride bowed their heads in respect.


"Tell me then, young Kopa, what brings you to my Outlands?" Zira asked with threat in her voice. Gently, she picked up Scar's skull and stroked it affectionately.

Kopa gulped and stuck close to Kati. "Whoever calls himself Scar now... he's taken control of Pride Rock. With the help of a... weapon. And he wants you on his side. I made a deal with my mother to come and try to convince you to go to Pride Rock in exchange for the weapon. If we have the weapon, we can drive him out for good."

Zira raised her eyebrows and smiled malevolently.

"So... we could use your... help?" Kopa stuttered, more frightened than ever. A random scream didn't help. Another lion shambled out of the darkness, with an almost hyena-esque look: grey fur, shaggy black mane and delusional eyes that whittled from one place to another, unable to concentrate. "My staff!" He whined. "It's them, Mother! Them and their Guard! They took my power! Kill them now!"

"HUSH!" Zira shouted and he became docile. "They took your weapon and what little remained of your intelligence, Nuka, not your power. You've never had power, not so much as to clean yourself!" Whining, Nuka ran off.

Zira began to circle the two lions as if they were rabbits she wanted to crush and swallow in a single bits. "I'm not interested in Nuka's toys or what others do with them. He dragged that staff in here, raving about taking over the world. Magic... pah! Revenge is in blood, not trickery. In raw strength, not easy victories! Didn't your mother tell you that? Has she gone soft?"

"Well, you'd probably say that..." Kopa began to say.

"SILENCE!"

Kopa and Kati instinctively shut their mouths as the crazed lioness drew closer. "When you and your mother hid with me, she saved my life. In return, I held my claws in..." she extended her left paw and looked at it. "... and didn't drain you of life as I should have. But that debt is repaid. I convinced my brother, Vijana, to take you two in to the Hasira Pride where you'd never get in my way again. A courtesy I will not give twice."

"Vijana is your brother?" Kati gasped.

"And you... are... dead." Zira savored the words. Hearing the shuffling of feet, Kopa and Kati turned around to find their exit blocked by savage, muscular lionesses who probably spent their time doing nothing other than train and hunt for food. Kopa figured he'd have a hard time fighting one of them off, let alone a whole prideful. It was hopeless.

"I want to see it, boy! That fear, the defeat, the knowledge that you will never escape this place!" Zira screeched.

Kopa looked at Kati one last time and drank in her teary emerald green eyes, beautiful light brown belt and white tummy. He kissed her. "I love you. Trust me." He whispered to her and faced Zira.

"Let her go! She's nothing to you. Let her go and I will... bow before Scar. Your Scar." He said.

Zira cackled. "Let her go! BUT...!" She held her paw high. "... not just yet. She will watch." Two strong lionesses forced Kati to the ground and turned her head towards Kopa, whom Zira led back to Scar's altar.

Kopa drew in his last breaths. "You know... looking back... I don't think I ever belonged in this story. But people still liked me more than you." He said to Zira, and bowed. With glazed fury, she raised her paw again, extended the razor-sharp claws and with a swift moment, sliced Kopa's jugular open. Vitani winced. Kati screamed.

The lion prince-who-never-was grabbed his throat and grinned before leaping with all his might onto the altar, destroying Scar's remains entirely.


Author's Notes: RIP.

*Sonicbronyuniversez - I've never seen Steven Universe, though I did hear some fan went insane over it or something, and it gave the creators a bad name?

*Reverend I'm a Jesus Freak - The dream is probably Phantasm-influenced, been binging those movies this week!

*DragoonSensei - There are none. It's already been established. Poor Jasiri just hasn't got the memo yet. :(