+Redwallover28, thank you for being the first to review! I'm glad you stayed around and enjoyed the chapter. Yea I can't wait to see what direction Nuka future will go in, lol. And yes, I love my plot twist of Mufasa being the younger brother, makes me feel for Scar little more, being looked over like that. And don't worry my update will we regular from now on!

+technojezus, thansk for reviewing, i'll be upated soon!

Chapter 19

As morning approached the pride lands, and life began to stir once again on the wide grass plains. As normal to him, the old mandrill found himself up and about, talking to his king. He had come back, with a great gust of wind, again and again for the past few nights now. Informing Rafiki more and more of the past's events that suddenly ended his rule. Now Rafiki had known it had been caused that caused Mufasa death. The great winds told him at night, they even shared the visions in his sleep.

"I see, but what can we do?" his white bread of fur stopped moving. He was thinking, in the stillness. "Oh…you want me to- but how? You know your brother best, he won't listen." The whispers of the old king ran thought his ears from left to right, right to left. With a final decision. "Kill him? But my king-oh…you can see, what is happening to the pridelands?" the winds still blew, giving Rafiki his answer. Though he may be gone, Mufasa was still here, still watching over his kingdom, his pride, his family. He was watching them suffer under the rule of his brother. He watched the land as it was slowly dying, the animals, gathering what strength they had left, started to leave, his family, was divided. Simba was now becoming lost, he could see it. But Mufasa was not strong enough to connect with his son, and he was starting to forget him. Could you blame him? "Mufasa?" asked the old mandrill to the stillness. From an outsiders perspective, one would think the old fool was talking to himself. Which he has been accused of many times before, from passing herds. But it takes a special soul to be this enlighten with the spirits, and to be seen as a little wacky it fine. "I need to get to him, but how?" Rafiki walked around in a circle, his right-hand landing on his long wooden stick. The fruits at the tip shook the slightest touch. "If we don't do something soon, it'll all be lost." Mufasa agreed.

"Rafiki, Rafiki are you here?" the blue major-domo came flapping into the room, landing on an over-sized branch. His squawking added a tension to the room, and the spirit could not share the space with the intense busyness.

"Go, now I will talk to you soon." Zazu looked at the animal before him with a raised blue brow. Was he talking to himself again? Zazu was not a fan. "Why are you here, Zazu?" turning to face the bluebird.

"I need to speak with you, it's something that I heard on my morning report…"

on my morning report…"

She walked back and forth, her belly hanging low. "Where is he?" the queen walked about in her irritated state. She could not stand her mate at times, she just could not understand him. She did so much form him, and it always seemed like he was leaving her alone, in the dirt it seemed….with her pride sisters to comfort her. where could he have gone now? He was always gone out, maybe not always early, but it was still the same. She thought things would be different with this cub. He said he would stay home more, be with her more. At this rate, this cub will grow up to be the same was Nuka and Vitani.

"You should rest my queen, don't get yourself all worked up."

"I'm not worked up, and I don't need rest. That's all I've been doing. I'll be the size of a buffalo at this rate If I don't go out and do something. Where are Nuka and Vitani?"

"Outside Zira."

"And Simba?"

"I don't know, probably outside where he sleeps I assume."

"mmm." She held her tongue. "He's probably out with that boy." A growl came from her throat "He's supposed to be with Nuka. Why does he waste all his time with that dam Simba, I don't get it. treat me how you like, fine, but don't neglect my son!-"

"Mom-"

"What do you want boy!" the brown yearling stood frozen, with a bland expression on his face, and wide-eyed. He didn't know saying her name would piss her off that much. Her hormones must have been through the roof then.

"Ugh, I just thought I meet dad here, I thought you talked to him last night?"

"I did Nuka."

"Yea but he's not here?"

"Don't you think I see that, son."

"Yea but, if you talked to him then he should be here-"

"If you are so worried why don't you do look for him then! I don't know why he left, again. I told him he needed to start spending time with you!" Nuka sighed, he figured as much. Things like this always happened to him when it came to his father. He was never I priority.

"Does dad not…like me?" his voice was sad, weak even. With lack of power and strength enraged his mother. Why was he like this?! He has two powerful parents and he comes out like this? Needing his mother to do everything for him? His father thinking of him like a fool! Didn't this anger him?

"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course, he does Nuka!" she snapped her teeth at him.

"Then why isn't he here, mom!-"

"Nuka!" Jaama stepped in the help ease the situation. "You'll probably find your father outside. He's king, and they are very busy." Nuka scoffed at her remarked and moved passed her.

"Fine, I'll go look for him then."

Jaama turned to see her queen was exhausted. She went over to her side and tried to help her down. She was over thinking things, overworking herself. Nuka id her key, well was her key. She knew down with in heart Scar only loved her because she never questioned him, and she let him get away with anything. Like the stepping out, and lying things she knew way in the beginning of their relationship. Yet, she dealt with it, because she knew he would come back to her because she would always be there whenever he returned. He only needed one thing from her, a son, a son that could carry his legacy, his greatness. Someone who could make him proud but… that wasn't Nuka, She had tried to convince herself again and again that it was. But she was starting to lose hope in that. That all her pain and suffering would be for something, she would be the mother of the king. She could live easy, happy, Scar would dote on her. she would have her happy family, not the madhouse. She was getting tired of putting up with all the mess. That's why this son, would be the key. He would be the future. Her security.

Outside, Nuka ran into his sister. "o Vitani watcha doing?"

"I'm about to head out."

"Where?"

"I have work to do, duh."

"I'll come-"

"No, this is my only time I don't have to be forced to deal with you Nuka. Just hang out with Simba or your hyena friends." She continued her walk.

"what? Frist off I don't even know where Simba is-"

"Go find him!"

"What's with you, why are you so irritated you're like mom, kings are you pregnant too."

"Ugh no, I just woke up knowing I have to deal with you and that's irritating! Now leave me alone! Go find someone else to entertain you!" with that his twin began to leave. Geesh, thought Nuka, what was with her, or well he would find his own entertainment. And then he thought of it, it would be fun play to watch, and besides his dad did it all the time.

An exhausted orange lion came flopping to the ground. His paws ached, his muscles tried and his back seemed so stiff. The fun training with Nuka and the hyenas was nothing compared to the full-on training with Scar. At times it seemed like scar was trying to get something out of Simba, wanting more and more from him, and he felt he was at his breaking point. "You did well Simba." The brown lion voiced, as he walked past his nephew.

"Thanks…"

"Just a chip off the old block, as they say. You are just like your father." The comment made him feel uneasy, but the comparison. That's supposed to be a good thing, right. His father was a great lion like he remembered…or somewhat remembered. Now things have been getting blurry- it irritated him greatly, that he could not remember the simple details of his father at times. It made him feel like a terrible son. Simba watched as his uncle and the three hyeans left. Making their way pride to priderock. Final alone, Simba rolled on his back and breathed easy for the first time all morning.

"Ugh…dad? It's me Simba…how's it going…I know you said, you'd…ugh what am I doing?" he rolled back over on his side. "You can't hear me your dead…" eh shook his head of the thought of his father actually being able to hear him, after that…that would make no sense. The dead don't speak back, at least that's what his uncle says. The orange lion could remember very vividly the few times his uncle caught him ' talking with his father' he told the young cub, he was wasting his time. His old man was not going to come back from the dead all of a sudden and speak to him. It didn't work like that. So Simba slowly got up and made his way back to towards pride. But he decided he would trail somewhat off of his uncle and the three spotted dogs, he wanted to be alone for a bit.

Ahead of him, his uncle was being drowned with question after question of what his next plans were. "simple, I just want to see where he's at."

"But why tell him the story boss, especially if it's not true?"

"and what is the truth? Truth is in the eye of the beholder. The day I got this cursed mark was the day Mufasa was declared as king. He might as well had been the animal to strike me down himself."

"yea but-"

"No buts. And besides, it'll weaken him. I know. The boy at the perfect age to be groomed to follow me now."

"And how do you know this?"

"He is Mufasa son, he's trusting, too trusting. But unlike Mufasa, it won't be his downfall."

"And the training boss? I mean you really wore the kid out." Banzai, adding his two cents to the matter like it meant anything.

"A weak and tried body can lead to a weak and tired mind. I could care less if Simba becomes strong, if he doesn't break from his training then he will be, it's like simple. And if he doesn't survive the training then, he'll break. Either way, it won't affect me.

"mmm smart one boss, I see ya!" Shenzi added as he walked behind Scar. "right Ed?" the dummy nodded happily.

"Now come you three, let's find Nuka, something already telling me Zira will give me a fuss about it if I don't speak to the boy."

"Right boss!" chimed the dogs in unsion.

In a plain valley of the pridelands, the two lionesses meet up with each other from across the field. Today's lesson would be about pouncing on the prey, and Nala was very excited about it. "Hey girl!"

"Hey." Voiced Vitani coolly.

"How are you. You sleep well?" asked Nala cheerfully. Vitani raised a brow, what did that have to do with anything?

"um I guess, why do you ask?"

"I was trying to have a friendly conversation, ya hey how's your mom? my mom great, kind of thing. Friends do it all the time, it how they get close." Vitani laughed.

"Yea, well we can skip on the greetings okay."

"oh...okay." the blue-eyed lioness thought it would take a lot of work to get Vitani to come out of her shell. "so pouncing, attacking, I'm excited! How do we start!"

"simple, you see the spouting tree over there?"

"Yup."

"You'll jump on it and break it in half."

"…eeeh, that's a thick tree…what if I don't break it?" Nala asked as she walked closer to the tree.

"Then you'll keep jumping on it until you go." Right, that made sense, duh. "Well, what are you waiting for? Attack it, the faster tog et this the faster we move on."

"Right!" and the training of 'attacking' began. And it lasted for a very very long time. Or to Nala what seemed like forever. Another 30 mins rolled passed, and Vitani was napping in the shaded area beside a rock. "Ugh! What the heck this thing won't break! I tried every single angle! I tried starting fast, I tried starting slow! I run into it with all my might, and I just can't break it!" she was voicing her frustration aloud to herself, but she was hopping Vitani would add in a helpful two cents. She didn't. "ugh Hello?!"

"What? Can't you see I'm napping?"

"I'm struggling over here! Help me!"

"What do you want me to do, break it for you? You have to do it yourself."

"a girl could use a few pointers if you don't mind, what am I doing wrong?'

"Nothing, you're just not strong enough." Nala looked at her with a frustrated face. Vitani slowly got up and made her way to the cream furred lioness. "look the purpose of this exercise is to get your power up. Yea you're fast enough to catch up to the prey- but what's the point of it can't take it down. You need to be strong enough to do that, and you're not."

"But can't I practice this another way? I mean-"

"How by tackling actual prey? There's no way it works."

"Well, what did you do?" Nala asked stepping forward. "How did you get this?"

"I hit a tree until it broke, but in my case, I hit ant mounds which are much thicker…so maybe we should try ant mounds." Nala eyes popped wide open at the thought.

"Oh gross, I'm not doing that."

"Look, hunting ain't pretty."

"Yea but…bugs? I'll pass." Vitani rolled her eyes, ugh pretty lioness problems she thought. Only them. She was trying her best to help the poor lioness, but she could only help Nala if she was willing to do it. "How about I practice with you, I chase you and try to take you down! See how I did that haha, I'm still getting in the training, plus it will be fun."

"umm, I don't think so, I'll get sweaty for no reason. You won't be able to take me down."

"Oh you're wrong on that, I'm a great fighter!"

"you?" Vitani eyed her up and down. "I don't see it."

" well believe it, my mom taught me."

"Oh boy-"

"Hey! you don't believe me? Try me then!"

"I'll pass."

"Scary cat…" Vitani paused and looked back at the cheeky looking lioness.

"What did you say?"

"Oh nothing, just that…you're scared!" Nala teased in her face. Vitani did not take being called a scary cat lightly.

"Fine, Nala we'll fight, but remember you asked for it."

"Oh, trust…I'm ready." The two lioness circled each other, sizing one another up. They seemed the same in size, so the fight should be even. However, Vitani was banking on her being stronger then Nala, after all, she couldn't even break this flimsy tree. This would be easy as one-two-three. A very thud went thought Vitani spin as she found herself looking up at Nala. Wide-eyed and smiling from cheek to cheek.

"What the heck- I wasn't ready!" Nala got off and backed away.

"Fine, round two…will you be ready this time?" she teased again. Wow, Nala was really asking for it this time. "ready? One…two…three!" the girls leaped after each other, in a dust circle of pawing at one another. soon Vitani found her paws wrapped around Nala waist, she was done, one tackle and she would be out. Vitani went for the drive and planted Nala on her back however Nala kept the movement rolling until she was standing and Vitani found herself again on her back.

"What the hell! How did you-"

"haha I may not be the best hunter, but I'm a damn good fighter, right? I mean I got you twice!"

"I want another round!"

"Fine"…and ended the same as the first, and second…third and fourth. Vitani was dumbfounded she had never met another lion or lioness that could beat her. the girls now stood away from each other, panting. They had been going at it for a while now. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired of winning, ya know hah"

"Shut up!"

"haha!" Nala took her victory. And her compliment.

"How you get to fight like that anyway?"

"I told you my mom, and she's better than the queen." She chimed, then she thought about it and what she said. "I meant she better than Sarabi." Correcting herself.

"Oh, I don't care. She just a lioness that loves to get on my nerves if you ask me."

"oh."

"Come on, let's head back. I'm starving."

"Are we going on a lunch date!"

"No."

"Wow, you really like to ruin my fun don't you."

"Yup." The two began to walk back towards home, but Nala paused for a quick moment. Looking in the direction of the brushes. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing…"

"Then come girl, I'm hungry." She commented still walking.

"Okay…I just…I don't know, I feel like we're being watched?"

"Watched? Haha please, there's no one out here, but us. Hurry up! Or I'm leaving you."

"Okay okay!" Nala ran after Vitani. Throwing out the feeling in her mind. It was a good thing she didn't notice the spare eyes peeking thought he brushes.