Chapter 6
As the day ended and the sun started to set, the Pridelanders were slowly made their way back to Pride Rock. Timon and Pumbaa were leading the pack while the two lionesses that came with Nala were in the middle. Simba and Nala brought up the rear, with Simba holding Kiara and Leo hobbling along and holding onto his mother for support.
Simba then stopped and put Kiara down on a rock. "Leave Nala…" he spoke. "I want to speak with Kiara and Leo alone…"
Nala looked at her son and nodded once. Leo returned the nod and then hobbled over to the rock where Kiara was sitting. Nala went back to Pride Rock.
Simba looked down on his children as Leo looked around nervously and Kiara tried a grinning tactic that her father and mother once did when they were younger. The tactic didn't work, so Kiara stopped.
"Alright…" said Simba. "Whose idea was it?"
Kiara was about to say something when Leo spoke up. "It was my fault, Pa. We were playing, and I saw the Outlands. I convinced Kiara to go down there with me, and that's how I got hurt… I'm sorry."
"You could've been killed!" Simba replied, not angry but worried. "You disobeyed me and put Kiara in danger!"
"But pa…" said Leo. "I was…"
"The rule was that you aren't allowed to go into the Outlands! You're not even supposed to go near it!"
"I know, I know…" said Leo, putting his hands up defensively. "But I am sorry for what I've done…"
Simba paused for a few seconds, then he said, "You are forgiven… You may head back to Pride Rock… I want to talk with Kiara alone."
Leo nodded and then headed for Pride Rock. Simba watched him leave till he was out sight, then he turned his attention to his daughter.
"I was my fault too, daddy." said Kiara. "I followed him."
"That was wrong of you to do, Kiara." replied Simba. "Think of what could've happened if those Outlanders got ahold of you!"
"But daddy… Why do you have to be like this?"
"I'm like this because I love you. If I wasn't a good parent, I wouldn't be worried… One day, I won't be here. And you'll have to become queen of the Pride Lands. It's all part of…"
"…The circle of life." repeated Kiara. "I know, I've heard you speak about it before. But what about Leo? What will happen to him?"
"He'll find his own path…" Simba responded. "It's his destiny and not yours, however."
"But what if I don't want to be a queen?" Kiara grumbled.
"That's like saying you don't want to be a lion." Simba said, this time gently. "It's in your blood. It's what you have to do."
Kiara responded by turning her back and grunting a reply. Simba then gently pushed her off the rock, causing her to fall a small bit. Kiara, somewhat shocked, looked up at him and saw him smile a sly grin. Kiara's expression turned to a smile as her father began to lead her through the Pride Lands, ready to teach her about being a leader.
….
Somewhere in the Outlands, Braun walked among the outlanders as they fought, dug around, and scratched themselves for termites. He was being followed by Nuka, who had grown into a thin and wiry looking lion.
"Kovu, Kovu, Kovu…" Nuka muttered sarcastically as he walked beside Braun. "Scar wasn't even his father. I should have been the chosen one…"
"Well, you win and lose sometimes, Nuka." Braun replied. "You can't always be the hero."
"I know that, you fool…" Nuka said bitterly. "But all I want is to show mother that I can be as good as that annoying little pest!"
"Maybe if you weren't such a punk, maybe your mom would take notice of you…" Braun growled.
The two lions then came upon a young female lion cub who was tugging on a root. This was Vitani, the first cub who was born in the outlands. Braun was there at her birth, and he enjoyed her company rather than Nuka's. Vitani was the same, as she could tolerate Braun's sarcasm. However, it was Nuka she couldn't tolerate.
"Oh, hey Vitani…" said Nuka in a patronizing tone. "Where's the little termite, Kovu? The chosen one!" he then cut the root that Vitani was tugging on with his claw. This sent Vitani sprawling in the dirt while Nuka laughed like a hyena. Braun sat down and looked sourly and indignant on Nuka while Vitani recovered.
"Nuka! You were supposed to be watching him!" Vitani replied angrily as she walked over to the two lions. Braun decided, however, it would probably be best to be quiet, for the moment.
"Hey! Its every lion for himself!" Nuka spoke bitterly as he chewed on a root from the tree. He then began itching himself and said, "That little termite needs to learn to survive on his own…"
"Mother's going to be mad. She told you to watch him!" Vitani spat back with the same resentment.
"Oh, come on! Why does it have to be him?" Nuka then began rubbing up against a tree. "I'm the oldest, smartest, I was born first, and-" he then lost it. "AHHH! THESE TERMITES ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!" He then began biting and itching himself everywhere.
"Is he always like this?" Braun asked Vitani as they watched this spectacle unfold.
"Yep…" Vitani replied, smirking. "And this is one of his good days."
"Have I ever told you were my favorite to hang out with?" asked Braun, smiling at the young cub.
"Many times." She returned with a sly smile.
"Good… very good…"
"I would be the greatest, if I was just given a chance!" Nuka spoke up as he dragged himself on the ground, scratching his rear.
"Maybe you should ask your Mom about that. That is, if you don't chicken out." said Braun.
"Oh, don't think I will!" Nuka spat back with indignation.
"Oh yeah?" said Vitani, chuckling a small bit. "Here's your chance."
Nuka instantly jumped up when he saw Zira approaching them with Kovu in her mouth. "Oh mother! Mother! Hi!" he gushed, his normally sarcastic demeanor now replaced with over-excitement. "I found some field mice for you while you were out! I left them in the den and-" he stopped when she passed by and ignored him.
"Wuss…" Braun hissed through clench teeth toward Nuka, who responded with a killer's look. He turned to Vitani and said with a smile, "Your mother's my cue to leave. I will see you later, Vitani."
"It was good to see you, Braun…" Vitani replied with the same smile.
Braun then ran off through the outlands when Zira came close. She dropped Kovu by Vitani, and then turned her fury onto Nuka. "You were supposed to be watching him!" she roared at wiry lion, who proceeded to crouch down in fright. "Don't you have any idea how important he is?!"
"It's not his fault!" Kovu yelled to his mother. "I ran off on my own!"
"And you!" Zira growled, turning around to face Kovu. "What were you doing with the children of Simba?!"
"I was-" Kovu was about to speak, but Zira cut him off.
"Who's our sworn enemy?!" Zira roared, causing Kovu to begin backing up in fear.
"Simba!" Kovu replied with fear in his voice.
"Who threw us out of the Pride Lands?!"
"Simba!"
"Don't you ever forget that!" Zira roared.
Kovu tripped and fell onto his back, his mother towering over him with fury in her eyes.
"I'm sorry mother…" said Kovu, sounding weak. "I didn't mean it… But they did seem nice… I just thought…"
"Oh, you thought!" said Zira with a patronizing tone. "What did you think?! That if you became friends with his children, Simba would welcome you with open arms?! That is just the most…" she then paused, letting the idea sink into her head. Then, an evil grin slipped onto her face and her tone changed. "That's a good idea…"
She then helped Kovu onto his feet. "You smart child…" she said, petting his back somewhat roughly. "That is a very good idea…"
"Yeah right…" Nuka muttered under his breath. However, Zira looked at him with rage in her eyes, and he cowered again.
Zira then picked up Kovu and brought him inside a large termite mound that could've been mistaken for a castle. She then placed her cub on a throne carved out of the termite mound.
"This is a good idea!" Zira spoke with a twinge of excitement in her voice, as she paced around the throne. "We have you become friends with Simba's children! Then, when Simba is distracted, we strike! We take the throne, and you, my son, will be the king of the Pride Lands!"
"But what if I don't want to be-" Kovu was about to say, until he was cut off by Zira.
"Don't even think that!" she roared with fury. She then went back to her composed self and said, "You will want to be king when you get older. That, I promise you…"
Zira then went out of the termite mound, letting her eyes focus on the sunset in front of her.
