KawaiiCutie12: That was a pretty emotional chap, huh? Wonder how Simba and the others will react finding out Nuka and Vitani are actually alive. Well, if you, oh I don't know, READ this, maybeee you'll find the answer? ️(SN: I had the OG version saved in some Word docs and um...idk how u guys liked that one it was WAYYY too rushed, and hella cringey😅)

Hope you guys had a great holiday, and consider this a late Christmas gift🌲❤😂

+HydroCOre: I am as well and I knoww, my poor babies. True but at least they know now that it was a big misunderstanding. Yes it's about damn time Scar and Zira come to their senses, and I'm sure they'll recover. Thank you so muchhh😭❤❤

+Guest: Sorry but no. I hate Lion Guard and I barely consider it canon; plus, I don't take requests😬

+RyanSquad: He didn't even-leave Nuka alone dammit! 😂

+Vampiregal15: I know, I feel so bad for her. Don't worry, everyone's doing everything they can to help her😊❤

Chapter 16:

Scar had slowly made his way out to where his brother and Rafiki were chatting away. Seeing the slim, auburn lion walk towards them, they turned to him, the questions dancing on their faces.

"I'm alright" was Scar's quick reply.

Mufasa nodded, then got up. "Let's go for a walk. Maybe it'll clear your head."

Saying goodbye to the mandrill, the brothers climbed down and began their quick stroll.

"Does he look any better?" Mufasa suddenly asked.

Scar turned to him, raising a brow. Mufasa then realized his question sounded a bit ridiculous.

"What I mean is, are his injuries healing?" he rephrased the question.

Now understanding, Scar shrugged. "Hardly. They still look bad."

Mufasa didn't say anything afterward, just continued to walk alongside his brother.

With no warning, Mufasa stopped, causing Scar to bump into him.

"What is it?" Scar asked him.

Mufasa sighed, then turned to face him. "Talk to me, Scar."

The brown lion knew what he meant, but didn't give in. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Mufasa looked at him. "I mean, I know this is hard for you, so please talk to me."

Scar couldn't say anything to that. This whole incident did take a toll on him, especially knowing his son might not make it.

So, sucking up his pride, he sat down and opened his mouth.

Looking down at her daughter, who was still resting, she knew she needed answers.

And soon.

Not too long ago, Mufasa had stopped by and gave Vitani some herbs that got rid of the migraine, but also made her a bit drowsy. Upon doing so, he also informed her that Scar was having a moment alone with Nuka, and told her that he and Sarabi were there if any of them, Kovu included, needed anything.

She felt Vitani's head move, and looked down to see her slowly stir. Opening her little, puffy, violet-blue eyes, she looked up at her mother.

Zira bent down and licked the top of her head. "How's your head feeling?" she asked her.

Vitani lifted her head up with barely any effort, and turned back to her mother. "It's better."

Zira nodded. She brought back her serious expression. "Vitani, can you do something for me?"

Confused, she cocked her head to the side.

"Tell me how he hurt you," Zira softly demanded.

Vitani just stared at her. She not only couldn't find the words, but she was afraid.

Afraid that her mother will be angry.

Afraid that she would be the one to blame.

The moment she tried to open her mouth, she choked up and lowered her gaze. Her fear was now at its max, and the immense pain throughout her head was no help.

Vitani shook her head. "Mm-mm. I can't."

Zira frowned, but out of confusion. "Of course you can-"

"No!" Vitani snapped, before quickly pinning her ears back. "I...I don't want to."

Zira reached out to rub her head, then sighed when Vitani recoiled. "It's okay, you don't have to."

Feeling a wave of fatigue wash over, she plopped onto her side, feeling tiredness slowly consume her.

She felt something warm and furry snuggle up to her side. Looking down, she saw Vitani pressed against her side.

"Tani...?"

She looked up at her mom, then looked back down. To her surprise, Vitani slowly lifted one of the tan lioness's forelegs and curled up against her mother, weakly sighing at her warm temperature.

Still in surprise, she watched as Vitani dozed off again, before frowning.

Oh Kings, what have we done?

"So you think they know?"

Mufasa had just finished explaining to Scar that both Simba and Kula claimed they thought him and Sarabi were dead too, emphasis on the "too".

"Why else would Simba have said 'too'?" Mufasa questioned, "the only problem is: who did they hear that from?"

"You don't suppose one of the lionesses have been gossiping?" Scar suggested.

Mufasa shook his head. "I made sure no one, except Sarabi and myself, knew what was going on."

Scar felt an odd sense of...gratefulness?

Before he could speak on it, Mufasa turned to him, almost desperate. "What do I tell them? They probably still think Nuka and Vitani are out there, when in reality, they're right around the corner."

For the first time in his life, his brains were about as useful as a legless lion. He thought about the two. They might've only been a year or so, but they perfectly understood a serious situation when faced with one. If they just explained that they needed to give them some space, and made them swear to not tell anyone...

"Did Simba or Kula tell Tama what Vitani thought of her?"

Mufasa, confused and intrigued, shook his head slowly. "Not that I've heard...what does she think of her?"

For the first time in a while, Scar chuckled. "she said she was an attention-seeking brat that could go mate herself."

Mufasa couldn't help but chuckle, and soon the two were laughing at Scar's daughter. Getting back to the actual question, Mufasa looked at Scar, still not understanding.

"That was certainly amusing, but what does that have to do with the issue at hand?" Mufasa carefully asked.

Scar sighed, passing a hand through his mane. "Dear brother, you really do have difficulties when it comes to connecting the dots, hmm?"

He turned to Mufasa. "They'll keep it a secret. And besides, Simba and the brown lioness cub have been nothing but loyal to her. If anyone deserves to know, it's definitely Simba, and even...Kula, was it?"

Mufasa agreed wholeheartedly. The three of them ("Simtanuleco" he once overheard) were about as tight as if they were genuine brother and sister. They would keep Vitani's secret to the grave, and that was just one of the many favorite things about the two.

"You're right, let's go find them."

Getting up, the two quickly stretched before heading back to Pride Rock, preparing to break the news.

"Why did you two think Mufasa and I were dead?"

With the two finally calm, Sarabi took them out for some fresh air. A few minutes in, she began questioning them. It seemed odd that they would even think such a thing.

And she still couldn't get over the "too".

"Well..." Simba trailed off, looking to Kula for help.

"You guys were gone for most of the day yesterday, and...we..." Kula tried, but also trailed off as well.

"I sure hope you guys didn't think we were goners."

They averted their gazes to the voice.

"Scar! Mufasa!"

"Dad! Uncle Scar!"

Nuzzling the two older lions, they quickly picked up the conversation.

"Would you two please explain why you guys said you thought we were dead too?" Mufasa questioned.

Simba and Kula looked at each other, then back at the adults.

"The truth is-" Simba began, but was cut off.

"I didn't mean to overhear it!"

The adults, and now Simba, turned to the brown lioness cub.

"Do explain, dear," Scar pressed further.

"It's just..." she sighed. "I didn't know where Simba was at the time, so I thought I'd go ask you guys. But I got a little nervous since you were all together, so I stayed in the background. But once I finally worked up the courage, Zazu came out, and I couldn't just interrupt, so I heard about Nuka and Vitani, and the rogues."

When no one said anything, she ducked her head. "I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to..."

She felt a paw on her head. Looking up and seeing gold, she caught sight of the king's warm smile.

"Of course you didn't, dear," he calmly reassured her, earning a weak smile from her.

"Just one quick question."

They glanced at Scar, who wore a worried yet stern facial expression.

"Promise me you'll tell me the truth," he said next.

Kula nodded, afraid of where this was headed.

Scar looked her in the eye. "Did you tell anyone about what you heard?"

Kula looked down for a moment, the spotlight getting to her. After a quick breath, she looked up at him. "I only told Simba."

Scar looked to his nephew for confirmation, and he nodded.

"That's why Kula slept with me that day," he explained to his parents.

Everything slowly made sense and the adults all looked at each other. They didn't mean any harm; they were just worried about Nuka and Vitani.

Which they completely understood.

"Alright, fair enough."

Kula and Simba sighed in relief, and turned to head off when Sarabi and Mufasa put a paw on their tails."

"Not so fast," Mufasa told them.

"We have something else to tell you guys," Sarabi added in.

Now curious, they turned and sat. The royal couple turned to look at Scar, who appeared to be debating on something. Finally, he looked down at the cubs, then stopped.

"One moment...where's your other friend?"

Simba and Kula turned to each other, then back to the black-maned lion.

"Which one?" Simba asked.

"A cream color, not as dark as Tama's, and emerald eyes as well," Scar described.

Kula's brown-red eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh! You mean 'Lec-er, Beleco."

"Yes, that one. Bring her here as well; she deserves to know," Scar instructed her.

Kula nodded, and ran off to find their fourth part of the group. A few moments later, she came back with the creamy, emerald-eyed cub.

"Hi, guys. What's up?" Beleco wondered.

"Sit with these two, I have something very important to tell you guys," Scar informed.

Beleco nodded. Sitting down, the three stared up at Scar with anticipation.

"Now, what I'm about to tell you three is completely confidential until one of us-" he gestured to himself, Sarabi and Mufasa, "-and my mate says otherwise. Do we have a deal?"

The cubs held a claw out, and Scar crossed all three of them. "Deal."

Scar sighed, and looked at them. "Nuka and Vitani are alive. Last night we brought them back-"

The trio got on all fours. "Really? Oh boy I can't wait to-"

"Settle down, there's more."

Raising a brow, the trio shared a glance before reluctantly sitting down.

"They're in...a very bad state, however. As you know, or in Beleco's case are going to find out, rogues attacked them and..." he stopped to regain focus. "Nuka is in a coma. Vitani...it's not my place to speak about what happened to her, but she needs some space."

Simba, Beleco, and Kula took all that in. The relief came through, but was quickly replaced with worry. Was Nuka going to pull through? What could've happened to Vitani? How would she react when they tell her that they're on good terms with Tama?

"Guys?"

Coming back to earth, they looked at the adults, who were giving them questioning glances.

"Did you guys hear that?" Sarabi asked.

The three tween cubs nodded. "Give 'Tani space, and it stays secret until one of you guys says so," they spoke in unison.

"And if anyone asks, you haven't heard a word yet," Scar reminded them, rubbing their heads.

Simba, Kula, and Beleco nodded, and turned to walk off, until a thought popped into their heads.

Well, Simba's at least.

"Hey, Uncle Scar?"

He turned to see Simba facing him again. "Yes, Simba?"

Simba bumped his head against his leg. "Thanks for trusting us," he happily stated.

The girls joined in soon after. "Yeah."

Scar chuckled while staring down at them. "Of course."

Pulling away, they looked into his neon green eyes. "One more thing," Kula tossed in.

Scar urged them to say it.

"Well...since we can't see 'Tani yet...can you tell her we missed her?" Kula shyly asked.

"And that we love her and hope her and Nuka get better?" Simba eagerly added.

"And that when she does we're gonna have so much fun together 'til we explode?" Beleco excitedly put in her two cents.

Laughing, Scar agreed to their requests. With a final goodbye, they ran towards their jungle area, in search of an adventure.

"Those three are surely something," Scar commented, shaking his head with a grin.

Sarabi and Mufasa chuckled. "They love them to death, what'd you expect?" Sarabi teased.

The black-maned lion couldn't argue with that, and turned to his brother and in-law. "I better head back now."

Saying their goodbyes, they watched as Scar made his way back to his den.

When he was out of earshot, Mufasa turned to Sarabi. "You think they'll keep it between them?" he asked her

Sarabi rolled her eyes. "Mufasa, our son may be young, but he doesn't break his promises," she said to him, "the same goes for Kula and Beleco."

Mufasa sighed, but decided that Sarabi was right. Not only did they keep their promises, they both loved Vitani as if she was their sister; they'd never spill something so personal for everyone to know.

"I guess you're right." Mufasa sighed in defeat.

Smirking, she nuzzled him, purposely messing up part of him mane. Mufasa gave her a look of disbelief, and her smirk grew.

"I'm always right" was all she said.

Smirking back, he fixed his mane, and caught up to her. Walking back to Pride Rock, they kept Nuka and Vitani in their thoughts.

Zira moved her paw up and down her tween daughter's back as she laid there. She wasn't sure just how, but she needed to know what happened to her little girl.

"I see she's still asleep."

She glanced up to see her mate staring down at their daughter.

"Have you seen Dotty anywhere?" Zira asked. "I know it's not exactly our place, but-"

"I don't mean to cut you off, but...follow me, I don't want to speak in front of our daughter," Scar voiced.

Confused, Zira slowly got up and removed her paw from her daughter's back. To her relief, she didn't wake up, and the lions walked out and a few feet in front of the den.

"What is it, dear?" Zira asked.

"Well..." Scar sighed, running a paw through his raven mane. "I...might've told Simba and his two friends, Beleco and Kula, that Nuka and Vitani were alive-"

"Wait what?" Zira was taken aback. "Scar, are you sure they're not going to say anything?"

"I promise, my love," Scar reassured with a nuzzle. "You know they would never hurt our kids. They'd go to hell and back for them."

Zira didn't look so sure, but didn't bother to voice her thoughts.

"Now, what did you want to ask me?" Scar reminded her.

Remembering what she originally wanted to talk about, she looked at him.

"Have you seen Dotty anywhere? It's only fair that she knows," Zira noted.

Thinking back, Scar realized he hadn't seen Dotty or Spotty anywhere. Shaking his head, Zira sighed.

"I'll watch Vitani as you find them," Scar stated.

Giving each other a soft nuzzle, the couple separated paths.

Zira padded at a steady pace, giving herself time to form her thoughts. She knew the twins were close to her oldest, and any way she worded her thoughts would be disastrous.

When she arrived at the main den, she was surprised to see not only Dotty and Spotty, but to see hear Dotty sniffling. Spotty's foreleg was wrapped around her, and Dotty's head was buried in her shoulder.

"Are you girls okay?"

The teens turned to see Zira, full-blown concern on her face.

Dotty wiped her face and let out a sigh. Locking eyes with Zira, she opened her mouth. "I know it's not my place but...any sign of Nuka and Vitani?"

Zira lowered her gaze. No matter what she said, it wouldn't change the facts.

"Funny you mention that...I needed to talk to you two about that," Zira nervously admitted.

The teen lionesses sat up straighter after hearing that.

"What is it?" Dotty asked, almost pleading for the answer.

Zira held up a paw. "Before I go on, I want you girls to promise me something: you do not speak of this to anyone, not even your mother. Okay?"

The two were taken aback-and a bit afraid-at her seriousness. Nonetheless, they nodded their head and swore not to tell.

"The truth is..." Zira locked eyes with them. "Nuka and Vitani were found a few days back. Nuka...he fractured his ribs, and lost a lot of blood. Rafiki managed to stabilize him, but he's in a coma right now."

Dotty and Spotty had a whirl of emotions. On one hand, they were absolutely ecstatic that the two had been found. On the other, Nuka's injuries were very extreme. If that had happened to him, then they could only begin to imagine what had happened to Vitani.

"I..." Dotty was at an utter loss for words.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but that's not all." Zira took a deep breath. "I'm not quite sure what happened to Vitani, but she's been a mess lately. Nightmares, anxiety attacks that'd usually evolve into nausea...she hasn't been herself lately."

"Poor baby," Dotty whispered sadly.

"I'll pray for both of them," Dotty voiced, now a bit firmer.

Zira weakly smiled at the two. They were much like her own daughters, and seeing them react the way they did genuinely warmed her.

"Do you girls want to see him?" Zira offered.

The girls were surprised by the offer, but nodded and stood up. They anxiously followed behind Zira, up Rafiki's tree. The tan lioness stopped abruptly, causing Dotty and Spotty to nearly crash into her.

"Are we not allowed in?" Spotty shyly asked.

Zira lowered her gaze. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned to the twins.

"His injuries are...distressing. If you can't handle the sight, you're free to come back out here with me."

Their already high nerves were now skyrocketing at this point. Just how bad had Nuka been injured?

"He's right in there," Zira stated, pointed a claw towards a space in the back.

The girls slowly walked in and their hearts dropped. Dotty's head was spinning, and it took everything in her willpower to breathe and not falling over. Her best friend since she opened her eyes was lying in front of her, and the sight of his injuries made her wanna cry, vomit, scream, just about anything that'd get rid of the awful feeling within her.

Spotty took notice of her sister's state, and her worry deepened. "Dotty?"

Dotty stayed silent for a moment. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, she glanced up, but not at Spotty; her eyesight was solely set on Nuka.

"I need a moment alone with Nuka."

Nodding her head, Spotty walked out and joined Zira.

"Dotty wanted a moment alone with Nuka," she explained to the lioness.

Zira could only nod her head-if you could even call the motion a nod.

It was silent for a period of time. Zira then felt a weight on her shoulder. and looked down to see the top of Spotty's head.

"Nuka's gonna be just fine," she reassured the adult lioness. "I just know it."

Zira didn't say anything, but instead settled for pulling the daughter-like teen closer to her and holding her in an embrace.

"That was really nice of Uncle Scar to trust us."

It was now noon. Simba, Kula, and Beleco were now seated in a small hot spring in the mini jungle they discovered, discussing what they were told a while ago.

"Yeah, at least we know they're alive," Kula agreed.

Beleco frowned. "I just wish we knew what happened to 'Tani. Mister Scar made it seemed like we couldn't even stop by to say hi and that we missed her."

"Yeah, I hope she's better soon," Kula sadly voiced.

The three sat there in silence, the only sound being the waterfall in the background.

"Well, I say we visit her in a few weeks," Beleco piped back up.

Simba and Kula looked at each other, then back at Beleco.

"Yeah, good idea, 'Leco," Simba stated.

Beleco flushed slightly. "T-Thanks, princey."

Kula looked at the area. Slowly turning back, a thought crossed her head.

"Wait...if they were together, don't you think Nuka would've told 'Tani to hide?" Kula brought up.

Silence overcame the three; Kula did have a point. Why didn't she run and hide? They'd have to ask her when they visited her.

"Ya know what? I have no idea," Simba answered.

"Well, we can ask her our questions when we see her," Beleco voiced. "Now...last one to the bushes is a jackal!"

The trio hopped out and raced as fast as they could to the bushes.

The worn out royals watched their daughter as she lied in front of them. They had tried to give Vitani a piece of some leftover meat from their pantry to keep her fed, only for her to vomit it back up minutes later. Zira sighed; she wasn't sure what to do, and they still didn't know what had happened to her.

"Should we take her to see Rafiki?" Scar asked.

Zira turned to him. "I don't know. On one hand, she's not herself. On the other, we can't help her if we don't know what's wrong."

At that moment, Vitani stirred. The couple watched as she slowly opened her violet-blue eyes.

"H-Hey, Mom. Hey, D-Daddy," she plainly greeted.

Zira reached out to fix her tuft, but saw that she flinched and retracted her foreleg.

Scar sat up straighter. "Vitani, may your mother and I ask you something?"

Vitani stayed still for a moment, but slightly nodded after.

"We have not the slightest clue as to what happened to you," Scar cautiously began, "but in order to help you, you have to tell us what happened to you. We can't be there for you if you don't tell us what's wrong."

Vitani looked back and forth between her parents. Her father did have a point, but she was still uncertain...

"You guys...won't be mad at me?" she meekly asked.

"Of course not," Zira answered.

To further ensure her trust, she held a claw up. On any normal occasion, the two adults wouldn't have taken her seriously. Now, the two wholeheartedly linked a claw with her small one.

Vitani didn't say anything for a moment, trying to gain her composure.

"Nuka and I...got into an argument, and...we went our own way. I ran into this...lion with spots, and he said that I could stay with h-him instead...when I went with him, he gave me the rest of his meal and gave me a tour. At first, he was being nice, but then..."

At this point, Vitani had to stop. Everything in her twisted and turned, and she didn't want to lose whatever was inside her again.

It was almost as if she was there right now. She felt herself underneath him, she felt every touch, she could almost feel the heat from his breath...

Seeing that she was on the verge of tears, Scar pulled her close, but unfortunately got the opposite effect.

"No!" Vitani shouted, moving back.

Zira and Scar shared a look, before turning back to their daughter.

"Vitani, what's-" Zira was cut off.

"No!" Vitani shouted again, this time a bit softer. "You were gonna hurt me, like he did!" The moment the words left her mouth, she

The silence was probably one of the worst things she heard; the looks on Scar's and Zira's faces didn't help.

"Who hurt you, Vitani?" Zira softly, but firmly asked.

Come on, 'Tani, Vitani willed herself. You might as well finish.

"I...I said I was gonna find Nuka, and he blocked my path. I tried to go again, but then he..."

It was at that moment that Vitani started to cry. The same fear was running through, but for entirely different reasons.

"It's okay, angel," Zira gently voiced.

"He started beating me, and then he started touching me...in my private areas-"

"What?!" Scar roared, making Vitani violently flinch.

Zira turned to him. She too was angered, but she didn't want to scare their daughter. "Scar, calm down-"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Zira!" Scar raged, before storming out of the den.

Zira frowned in worry at her retreating mate, before turning back to her daughter, who was now in hysterics.

"Vitani-"

"He promised me!" Vitani cried, tears spilling out her bloodshot eyes.

Zira sighed. She understood how her mate was really, but she kept her feelings concealed as to not scare her daughter.

"Vitani, you didn't do anything, okay, angel?" Zira softly reassured her.

All Vitani could do was sob, and Zira's heart squeezed at the sight.

"You can tell me," she assured her.

Vitani finished as best as she could.

"He...h-he got on top of m-me, a-and nd...e-everything started to h-hurt all over," she blubbered. "T-Then he...r-rubbed t-this liquid on m-my lower a-area...N-Nuka s-showed up, a-and when they were f-fighting, I-I hid i-in a d-den n-nearby..."

Vitani began gasping for air. Zira's maternal instincts were at their peak and she wasted no time in helping her.

"It's okay, focus on your breathing, love," Zira calmly instructed, moving her paw up and down her back.

Taking her advice, she slowed her breathing down, but was still crying.

Pulling her close, Zira held Vitani as she continued her breakdown. As much as she despised her fur being wet, she couldn't find a damn to give at the moment.

Looking down at her daughter, she stroked her tuft.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she whispered, "I should've been a better mom to you. You're not okay, and you're not in the wrong for it. I love you so much, and I'm so sorry I let this happen."

Vitani looked up shakily, eyes red and puffy. "I love you too, Mom," she whispered; her voice was raw due to all the crying.

Zira licked her head, and scooped Vitani in her forelegs, slightly rocking her as she cried.

Mufasa and Sarabi were out on their own, thinking back on the past days. While they were ecstatic that their niece and nephew were back, they couldn't help but worry. Nuka was now in a coma, and Vitani wasn't exactly...stable.

"What could've happened?" Sarabi wondered. "Nuka claimed they were attacked, but...I don't know if that's all."

Mufasa turned to Sarabi. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." Sarabi sighed, then went right out with it. "I'm saying that those bruises didn't look normal. And the ones on her hips? It almost looks as if someone dug their claws into her, and held them there..."

Mufasa knew what she was insinuating, and he thought back to how his niece looked. Now that he thought about it, the bruises did seem to be suspicious. And the way she reacted when Scar reached out to her...

Their thoughts were interrupted by a roar and, a mouthful of curses. There was only one lion they knew with an accent.

Racing over, they found Scar pacing back and forth, a murderous glint in his neon emeralds.

"Scar!"

He stopped his rampage and turned to his brother and sister-in-law.

"What's going on?" Sarabi asked.

Scar marched up to them, and the royals half expected him to roar in their faces.

"Do you know what that bastard did to my daughter?" Scar demanded. While his voice might've seemed calm, his demeanor and tone was anything but.

"We're sorry, Scar, we have no clue," Sarabi sincerely answered.

Scar stared at the ground, and the king and queen shared a quick glance. Looking back at the older prince, they saw he was shaking.

"He assaulted my daughter," Scar hissed. "That waste of a sperm cell..assaulted my daughter!" He slashed a rock nearby, breaking some pieces off. I knew something was off, Sarabi thought.

Scar stopped his anger and turned to the royal pair. "You know, that damn creature was right about one thing: 'An eye for an eye, or in this case, a life for a life'."

Mufasa's eyes widened. He jumped in front of his younger brother, nearly causing them to collide.

"Scar..." Mufasa paused, selecting his words carefully; while his brother's anger was as common as a blue moon, it didn't change the fact that it was practically death. "I know you're angry, and...I will never understand, but...your kids needs you right now, especially now that you know this."

"Not to mention, we don't even know where the leopon went," Sarabi added.

Mufasa mentally grinned seeing that his brother's anger started to...seal itself away.

"Justice will be served," Mufasa firmly stated. "But now is not the time."

Scar didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, he glanced up and stared between the royals.

"Very well then."

The king and queen could still see the resentment in his eyes. Mufasa whispered something in Sarabi's ear, and she walked off back to Pride Rock.

"Come, let's go away for a bit," Mufasa offered. "That way you can calm yourself."

Following after his older brother, he planned his revenge on the animal that naerly succeeded in taking the lives of his kids.

Simba, Kula, and Beleco were returning to Pride Rock. The sun was starting to set, and they knew their mothers would panic if they didn't come home soon.

"Hey, there's Nala and the boys!" Kula pointed out.

The trio raced over to them, barely having seen them all day.

"Hey, guys!" Simba called out.

They all turned and smiled.

"Hi, Simba," Nala cheerfully greeted.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Beleco wondered.

"Well, Tojo here hurt his ankle, so we're just playing in here so he doesn't hurt anything else," Chumvi answered.

"Hey! I didn't see the rock!" Tojo protested.

Beleco laughed. "It's okay, Toj'. We still love you."

Nala looked around and realized someone was missing. "Hey, where's Tama?"

"Her and Tisha are having a mother-daughter date," Malka answered, smiling as he thought back to the tufted cub's ecstasy.

"Oh, that's cool!" Kula chirped.

"Yeah, I'm happy for her," Simba said with a smile of his own.

The others cubs nodded in agreement.

"So, wanna play Imposter?" Beleco asked.

Everyone nodded, and they began their game.

It had been a few hours since Scar left in a fury. The majority of the sun was now down, but Zira nor Vitani moved a muscle. She still held Vitani close, and Vitani's crying had been reduced to sniffles.

"Is your stomach okay?" Zira asked Vitani. As much as she loved her baby girl, she didn't want vomit on her...again.

Vitani merely sniffled and nodded.

It was silent for some time, the only sound being Vitani's sniffling.

"Is Daddy mad at me?" Vitani meekly sniffed.

"No, baby, I'm not mad at you."

The duo turned to see Scar walking towards them.

"A-Are you sure?" Vitani asked.

Reaching the loves of his life, he licked his daughter's head.

"I'm sure," Scar answered, nuzzling her small head. "And I'm sorry I scared you. I'm just...pretty damn angry that someone would hurt a cub, especially you, like that."

Vitani shook her head. "It's all my fault."

"Don't say that!" Scar immediately snapped. "It's not your fault!"

"Yes it is!" Vitani shot up, her voice cracking. "If I hadn't left Nuka's side, then Nuka wouldn't hate me and I would've never ran into that stupid leopon! Then he wouldn't have hurt me and Nuka wouldn't be in a coma!"

Scar watched as tears fell down her face again.

"Vitani, you're only a preteen," Zira reasoned, "he was Nuka's age, maybe a bit older; there was no way you could've fought him off."

Vitani lowered her head, not saying anything but still crying.

"I froze," she whispered. "I froze, instead of trying to wiggle free. I froze, instead of calling out to Nuka. I just...laid there."

Scar and Zira shared a look, before staring back down at their daughter in pity and sympathy. Sheathing his claws, he lifted up Vitani's head

"Your feelings are absolutely valid, Vitani," Scar began, "but let's be real: a year old lioness cub is nothing for a leopon roughly Nuka's age."

"Not to mention, he fooled you," Zira pointed out.

"Your mother's right, princess," Scar told her, "so you are in no way to blame."

Vitani slightly nodded, but the doubts still partied in her head. Lying back down, the lions were in slighy surlrise by how quickly she fell asleep. They locked eyes with each other, thinking the same thing.

First thing in the morning, we need to see Rafiki.

KawaiiCutie12: BAM, here we are! Vitani finally told her parents what took place. It's gonna be nothing but obstacles from here on out.

As always, leave your opinions down below and follow and fave to keep up with the story. I'll see you guys next time!

KawaiiCutie12 signing off! ✌