A/n (1/31/2022): I know. Four-and-a-half months is WAY too long to wait for a story update. But at least I had a good excuse to put this project on hold.

Since October, I've been sick with some mystery illness, and it wasn't the kind I could forget about by absorbing myself in my writing. Days and days of intense symptoms made it a struggle to get through each hour. As if that weren't bad enough, I've seen more doctors than I ever had in my life, and none of them seem to know what's going on. Plus, I've set a personal record for the number of times I've been jabbed, scanned, poked, prodded, and X-rayed—and those are just the tests I feel comfortable talking about. That alone has been exhausting and demoralizing.

But by Christmas Eve, things began to change. For reasons beyond my comprehension, I seemed to start recovering. Now, I'm feeling almost completely normal, I'm enjoying daily life again, and I've recovered so much that I've gotten the energy to write long chapters.

So why did it take me so long to write this one? Why didn't I close out 2021 with a new chapter?

Because while I was planning Chapter 5, I had a chilling thought: "Did I just kill my story?"

In Chapter 4, Simba and his friends were told to go up to the evil lion prince Bara, give his pride a "Code Zero," and kill him. When I re-read what I had written, I wondered if the Code Zero subplot was absurd. So I tried exploring other ideas, but they all were boring, over-the-top, illogical, or just plain ridiculous. It took me several drafts to realize that my original idea could not only make sense, but make Simba's post-coronation misadventure more satisfying than I expected.

One more thing: If you listen to music while you read, I recommend adding a tune to your playlist. There's a scene where one of our heroes talks with someone who dies; when you read that scene, try listening to "Autumn," by Ryan Stewart, from his album Equanimity. It would be a nice addition to the soundtrack of this fic, if this fic were ever made into a movie.

By the way: Graphic content warning.

Chapter 5: ...To Die For

They galloped through endless fields of grass, weaving through trees and piles of rocks to keep a low profile, and they met up with the river again as it swerved into a thicket of trees.

"If we're gonna take a bath, we'd better make it quick," Simba said. "We don't know who's out here, and we're not sticking around to find out."

"I hear you, kid," Max said. "After what happened back there, I just want to get back to the Pridelanders. At least we'll know who we're up against."

"No. As soon as you're done here, you're leaving."

Pumbaa and the meerkats went confused, and Rafiki's face went stern.

"I mean it. Get out of here and find a place to hide."

"We're not leaving you," Rafiki said.

"You guys almost died back there."

"So did you," Max said. "Kid, put your guilt aside for a minute and think. Taku just tried to have us killed. When he finds out we're alive, he's gonna try again. And in case you haven't noticed, Bara's pride just tried to kill us. If you go off on your own, you're gonna be lion kebab; if we go off on our own, we're gonna be warthog burger with meerkat fries and monkey shake."

Simba kept glaring at them, waiting for them to back down. They kept staring at him and standing their ground.

"Fine," he muttered. "But we're still going to have to make it quick."

"We hear ya, Kid," Timon said. "Everyone, take a one-minute bath. Except you, Pumbaa—it's more like ten."

Max scoffed. "With you, Timon, it's more like twenty."

"Guys!" Simba hissed. "We're trying to keep a low profile."

"Right," Timon whispered. "Low profile. Quiet."

With a roll of his eyes, Simba started to trundle down the riverbank, and a twig snapped behind him. Everyone swung around at once, ears and eyes swiveling toward the trees.

"Kid?" Timon pointed a finger at the tall grasses. "There is someone—"

"Shh. Stay back..."

The lion crouched low, peering through the tall grasses. The breezes ruffled them and set them dancing, and when they parted, he saw two eyes gazing back at him. He went as still and quiet as a stone, not daring to blink.

Come on, he thought. Show your face.

He peered through the grasses and waited for them to rustle again. A breeze rippled through, and the stranger's eyes glared back at him.

"Juma..."

Without warning, the leopard burst out of the grasses and roared. Simba flinched back and tried to turn away, but Juma threw his claws across a patch of wounds.

Simba howled as pain blazed in his side. He buckled and tumbled into the grass as warm blood trickled into his fur. A loud whine filled his ears, deafening him to his screams. When his ears cleared and he blinked the tears out of his eyes, he saw the rest of the leopards standing in a ring around his friends. Timon's face was twisted in fury, and Madge and Max were pulling him back by the arms.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Timon screamed. "SO HELP ME, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"He had it coming, you little rat! HE KILLED MY MEN!"

"He didn't, you big load! It was Bara who killed your men!"

Juma's face flashed with alarm, but he forced his face into a frown. "Don't you lie to me."

"It's true!" Max said. "Taku told him where we were!"

All the leopards went wide-eyed with horror.

"That's right. Your boss just tried to have us killed. He's been working with your sworn enemy to wipe us out."

Juma turned to the rest of the leap. "Kill them, Hazeez! Kill them all!"

The leopard stood there with his mouth agape.

"What are you? Deaf? I said, Kill them!"

"Didn't you hear what Simba said? If he's right—"

"He's a liar, Hazeez. You know that."

"I don't believe it. If Simba wanted to kill us a minute ago, he would have. And take a look at Pumbaa. See those wounds? This was a lion attack."

"You're going on report. You'd better hope Taku gives you leniency." With a snarl, Juma turned to another leopard. "Shareef? Kill them."

One look at the spear in Rafiki's hand, and he shrunk back.

"Farouk?"

The muscular leopard shrank before Juma's gaze. "I think we ought to listen to Simba...Sir."

"Traitors," Juma said. "All the soldiers in the world, and I get a unit of traitors."

"Sir," Hazeez said, "I know you're angry. Kufi and his men were our friends. But if Simba's right, we've got a problem: Our own general might be conspiring against us. It won't do any good laying into Simba. Let's at least hear him out; if he's full of it, we can talk about killing him."

Juma gave him a glare that could have made the blood in his veins turn to poison, but he sighed and backed away, letting Hazeez plod up to Simba.

"You said Taku told Bara where we were. That's hard for me to believe, Sir."

Simba kept panting and wheezing. "One of his lionesses...her name...was Amani...she told me everything..."

"She was Bara's number two," Hazeez said.

"Taku's going to make a trade with Bara...my pride for your families."

"Bara's never going to honor it. He's going to take your pride and keep our families."

Simba nodded. "Amani told me how to get them back...I have to go up to Bara...give his pride a Code Zero...and kill him."

"What's a Code Zero?"

He shook his head. "She said I'd understand...when it all went down."

"Why should we believe her? She was a murderer. She helped Bara kidnap our families."

"She said she'd rather die...than go back to him...She and her unit...they were covered in scars."

The leopard's stone face cracked, and a look of alarm shone through.

"How bad is he, Hazeez?"

The leopard didn't even try to hide his fear. "Let's just say you don't know the half of it, Sir."

A wave of horror pulsed through Simba, but he stood on all fours and held his head high. "That's good enough for me...we're getting my pride out of there now."

"Agreed. Commander?"

Juma scoffed at him. "Forget it."

"Sir, we'd be handing them over to a monster."

"They've had it coming. They sat by and watched as Scar took over the Pride Lands. If they'd had even an ounce of common sense and killed Scar, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"We know what Bara does, Sir. We can't give him the satisfaction of ruining another life."

"Watch me. Taku told us to kill Simba and his friends. Kill them...now."

Hazeez looked Juma straight in the eye. "I can't do that."

"I gave you an order."

"You're not my CO, Juma. Not anymore. You tortured Simba twice. You're trying to kill him and his friends for a crime they didn't commit. You're going to let Bara get away with a war crime. And now our own general is conspiring against our men, and you don't even wonder why. You're blinding yourself, and you're going to get us all killed. I'm not going to be a party to your stupidity."

And the leopard swung around and padded through the tall grass.

"HAZEEZ!"

"I'm leaving, Juma."

And he got two steps into the trees when a thunderous voice filled the glade. "Oh, my dear Hazeez...you're not going anywhere."

Out of the trees and grasses came a tall lion and his pride, surrounding Simba and the leopards in a ring. The blond lion was thickly muscled and majestically maned, as if he had the power and authority to crush a bone. Simba thought even Mufasa would have quailed beneath his gaze, and as the leopards went wide-eyed with terror, Simba's voice dropped to a whisper:

"Bara..."

"Ah, you know me," the blond lion said. "And you're the infamous Simba. It's a pleasure to meet you, although I had hoped to see you dead."

Simba gathered his breath. "Are you here to kill us?"

The blond lion chuckled. "We'll see. Before I do anything...gruesome...allow me to congratulate you on your victory. As anyone around here will tell you, killing my pride isn't an easy thing to do."

"Was it easy for you to kill those leopards?"

"Oh, Simba, we could do it in our sleep. But Kufi and his men were well trained; I told Amani not to take any chances."

"That's a lie," Juma muttered. "Simba killed my men..."

"Well, if it isn't Taku's little pet," said the blond lion. "Good to see you again, Juma—and no surprise, you're as gullible as ever. Although I had hoped you had learned your lesson, especially after what I did to your brother last week."

Simba growled at him. "What did you do?"

"Nothing that wasn't within my right. His brother was trespassing on sacred land, defiling it with his presence."

The leopard kept breathing hard, his chest swelling and squeezing. "He hadn't eaten in a week—"

"He stole from my herds, you twit! No one steals from my herds!"

"HE WAS HUNGRY!" Juma sobbed. "What was he supposed to do, starve?!"

"He knew the sacred laws, and he defied them for the sake of his belly. He was a criminal, just like you, and in my kingdom the wicked will perish. But there's the tragedy of it, dear Juma: Your brother didn't have to die. No one had to tell me he was on my land. But Taku did. Your dear leader had him killed."

Juma's face twisted in agony and fury. "You're lying."

"Oh, do stop embarrassing yourself. How else do you think your brother died, all alone in the middle of the night with no witnesses? He could have gotten away with his crime. But your precious Taku saw him. When you found your brother's body—what was left of it, rather—you knew what happened. But Taku told you to keep your mouth shut, so the Pridelanders wouldn't be frightened beyond all reason."

Juma shook his head and gritted his teeth, trying to hold back his tears. "Why would he have my brother killed?"

"Maybe he disobeyed an order. Maybe he spread rumors about his dear leader. Or maybe he served his purpose and Taku wanted to dispose of him...just as he wanted me to dispose of you."

"Taku's my friend!"

Bara chuckled at him and started to pace around him. "Your precious Taku doesn't have friends. He has slaves. He led you all out of the Pride Lands, and now you all owe him. You don't question him, you don't contradict him, you just do what you're told, like the good little slave you are."

Juma didn't answer. He kept staring into space, blinking away his tears.

"But I know why you obey him," Bara said. "He's been your only hope. He told you all that he could kill me, and you believed him. Ever since you heard of me, you couldn't believe that one lion could be so powerful. You plodded along in blissful ignorance. But then you saw what I did to one of the leopard tribes, and you knew the rumors were true. You couldn't bear to think of it, so you believed in everything Taku said, just to keep from going mad."

Juma sobbed again. "Why are you telling me this?!"

Bara stopped circling him and looked him in the face. "Because I am merciful. I don't want to kill someone who can be of use to me. If you and your men renounce your allegiance to your precious Taku, I can make use of you all. There's even a place for a gullible muttonhead like you."

Juma gritted his teeth and loosed a pair of tears. "You're a monster...you're a murderer!"

"I don't murder, you imbecile. I give people what they deserve. Everything in this world is mine. You, Hazeez, Simba, even your precious Taku are all my slaves. So I suggest you put your brother's execution out of your head and do as I say, or I will inflict so much misery on you that you'll beg me to kill you. What's it going to be, fool?"

Juma didn't reply. His face went all miserable, and he bowed his head and wept, dribbling tears into the grass.

"I thought as much," Bara said. "Perhaps the rest of you will do what's good for you...once your commander is put out of his misery."

Hazeez could barely keep his composure. "I'd rather die than work for you."

"I suggest you reconsider. You know what I can do to you."

Simba growled at him and stole his attention. "That's not going to happen."

Bara's face lit up with amusement. "Oh, and you're going to stop me?"

"I am. Because I've got something more powerful than you, something that's going to bring your kingdom to the ground." And he lifted his head and turned to the lionesses—

"You're not going to give them a Code Zero, are you?"

Simba swung back to Bara, his face wide with alarm.

"Come now...did you really think my pride was going to help you kill me?"

His mouth kept hanging open. That was the idea…

"Simba, don't you understand? Code Zero was my invention. When one of my pride has been injured to the point of death, she gives her enemy a code, and her enemy gives it to the rest of my pride."

A breath trembled out of Simba's mouth. "You mean she used me?"

"Of course. That's what I trained her for: to serve me even in death. And in her dying breath, she told us everything we need to know about you. We know your strategies. We know your moves. We know you're more powerful and clever than you look. For someone who's spent his life eating grubs and lazing around, you will be a difficult kill. But that's just as well; I do enjoy a challenge."

Simba shook his head. "No...she wanted to die. She begged me to kill her."

"Oh, Simba, are you really that naïve? That's what I trained her to do. She knew she couldn't stand against you, so she sent you to me. She made you feel like a hero so that you would come to me and give the Code Zero. That's because she was faithful to me. She obeyed me. That's what my pride does...because they know what I'll do to them if they don't. And now that you know what I do to the rebellious and insolent, I suggest you fall in line and do as you're told, or those wounds will be the least of your pains."

Simba gulped down a lump in his throat and felt his wounds pang in terror. He saw Bara's huge paws and wondered what kind of claws were hiding inside those toes, and he wondered what they would feel like if they were dragged across his body. But he drew in a breath and swallowed his fear. "You're not taking anyone into your army...and you're not taking my pride."

"Who's going to stop me? You?" Bara smiled at him and continued to pace. "The leopard tribes couldn't stop me. Your people couldn't stop me. Greater men than you have fallen before me and died. So who are you, bug-eater, that you think you can have the victory? My dear Simba, there's no one who can defeat me. No one. No one will stop me from killing you, and no one will be able to snatch your pride out of my grasp."

Simba smiled grimly. "That's where you're wrong. People like you only care about themselves. Every kingdom like that is going to fall, because someone's going to stand up and say enough's enough. But in my kingdom, it's different. Everything lives in a balance, where everyone has a place. That's the Circle of Life, and in that Circle, everyone has a place. Hazeez, Taku, they all have a place. And Juma? He's still one of ours."

The leopard stopped weeping and lifted his head, his face filled with astonishment.

"A long time ago," Simba said, "someone said to me, 'A king looks for what he can give.' But that's not you. You care about what you can take. That's why Scar's kingdom fell, and that's why your kingdom's going to fall."

"I don't take anything, fool. Everything in the world is mine. I am Prince Bara, the Butcher of the Highlands, the Bane of the Leopards, the firstborn of King Sakora. What else are you all here for but to please me? What else am I to do but destroy those who oppose me? Even as we speak, the Pridelander men are preparing to invade my kingdom, and the rest of my pride is waiting up in the hills. As soon as your people go in, it will be a massacre. As for you...Simba...you've cast your lot with the wicked in my land. And in my land, the wicked will perish."

And the blond lion crouched, muscles flexing and rippling, and he leapt at Simba with fangs and claws.

Simba lunged at Bara and threw a paw of claws at his throat. A unit of lionesses piled on Simba and kicked him away, but the leopards leapt upon the lionesses and shoved them back. Simba broke through and lunged for Bara; Bara snarled and swiped back, and Simba veered past and went for his neck. Bara swung around and butted Simba in the shoulder, knocking him to the grass. The blond lion pounced, and Simba kicked his hind legs into Bara's belly, sending him into the trunk of a tree. Scrambling to all fours, Simba roared and leapt at Bara, and Bara went up on his hind legs. They snarled and swatted and lunged for each other's necks, their claws hurtling through air. Bara swiped and Simba ducked, and Simba went for his neck and Bara veered away. Juma leapt into the fray and swung a paw at Bara's face; Bara slashed the leopard in the belly, and Juma screamed in agony.

All around them, the leopards and the lionesses had collided in a golden and spotted wave, and Simba's friends wove in and out of the fray. Rafiki drew back his arm and started to plunge his spear into a lioness's chest, but she swatted it away and leapt at him. Pumbaa bellowed and got underneath her, flinging her away with his tusks as the meerkats cheered. A leopard charged after her, and she went open-mouthed in horror and bolted away. Simba glanced at the tree line every time he struck a blow, and he saw one lioness after another scrambling away. All around, Simba saw the leopards chasing Bara's pride away, and Pumbaa and Rafiki and the meerkats bolting after a unit of lionesses.

He stared at them, knowing he was looking for a fraction of a second too long, and Bara swung a paw across Simba's face.

Simba felt as if someone flung a whole lion across him. His face screamed with pain, and the rest of his face joined in an agonized chorus. Stars danced across his eyes as his head whipped to the side. He scrambled to all fours, but Bara smacked him across the face, and he collapsed again. They twisted and thrashed in a deadly dance, claws flying, skin tearing, blood flowing out of wounds new and old. Simba landed on his back and kicked Bara in the chest, sending him toppling backward into the grass.

The last of the leopards charged into the trees, and Simba and Bara and Juma were left, lying limp and mangled and marred. Simba felt as if every muscle were crying out in agony. He tasted and felt blood everywhere. Bara's blond mane and fur were ripped and torn and streaked with red, as if he'd been dropped into a blender. He growled and got up onto all fours, his claws coming out to deliver the final blow. Simba tried to get up, but his own weight betrayed him, and he collapsed in a heap on the ground, every limb trembling with exhaustion.

But just as Bara swung to face him, hope welled in his heart. Juma was getting up, pulling himself onto all fours, gritting his teeth in raw fury. He slunk up to Bara, his claws and fangs coming out, and he gave Simba a weary nod.

Simba aimed a smile at Bara. "You're right," he said with a gulp of air. "The wicked...will perish..."

Bara's haughty smile fell, and Juma dug his fangs and claws into the lion's side.

The huge lion roared in agony and thrashed a paw, slicing Juma's belly open. The leopard howled in pain and crumpled to the ground, and Bara snarled and brought down his paw to crush the leopard's skull. Simba went up on his hind paws, roaring to steal Bara's attention, and one thought raged through his mind.

You're mine.

And he lunged and threw his claws across Bara's throat.

The blond lion's eyes bulged in terror, and his mouth hung open, gasping for air. He stared at Simba and staggered backward as his hind legs began to tremble. He gave him a cold smile and tried to say something, but all that came out was a gurgle. His eyes went glazed over, his mouth went limp, and he let out a bubbly moan and crumpled to the ground with a mighty THUD.

Simba gulped for breath and fell back onto his haunches, staring at Bara's battered corpse. All around him, the trees rustled with birds' wings, and a kettle of hawks flew out of the trees, soaring northwest in a perfect row. All around, the forest went deathly still; even the river fell silent in awe. The Butcher of the Highlands, the Bane of Leopards was dead...and the King of Pride Rock was alive.

We did it, he thought. We killed him...

Simba started to smile, but heard someone whimpering and crying in a heap on the ground. He turned to Juma and felt his stomach flip in his chest. The leopard's mottled fur was ripped and bloodied, and his belly was ripped open and bleeding. He trembled and writhed in agony, sobbing into the grass. "I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I'm sorry!"

Simba shook his head. "For what?"

Juma's face went a deeper shade of miserable. "I hurt you...I tortured you!"

"Forget about it, Juma," he said gently. "Let me help you."

The leopard shuddered and wagged his head. "I'm not going to make it…I can feel it…" His whole body clenched, and a wave of pain shot through him. He gritted his teeth and muffled his scream, and he shuddered as he waited for his breath to come back. "Simba...this isn't over...the rest...of Bara's pride...is still in the hills...and the leopard tribes...are on the move...When they find out...that Bara's dead...they'll kill our families...Promise me...you'll get them out of there...promise me!"

Simba blinked his bleary eyes, and tears spilled down his face. "I promise."

Juma winced again and muffled his scream, and tears spilled out of his eyes."And when it's over...tell my wife...and my boys...I love them...Someday...when they're grown...tell them what I did...tell them how their father...was a fool."

"No. When this is over, I'm going to tell your family the truth. You're one of the strongest and bravest people I've ever known. That's how they're going to remember you, because that's who you are."

The leopard seemed to smile at that, but he winced again and sobbed. "All I wanted...was to hurt you...to kill you...because Taku wanted me to...and all along...he wanted me dead...He was going to give me up...to a monster..." He sobbed again and went miserable, but when his face smoothed out, a smile lifted up his muzzle. "But you came back...and you're here...and now...now I have someone...someone to die for..."

He cried out again and whimpered, and a line of blood oozed out of his nose. He started to gasp and shudder, and his breath went trembly and ragged. His legs and tail jerked and curled inward, and he gasped and winced as a line of blood oozed out of his mouth. Then every muscle went slack, his tail went limp, and he closed his eyes and let out a breath for the last time.

Tears spilling out of his eyes, Simba sat before Juma's body and stared into nowhere. Ahead of him, the grasses rustled, and through the trees came the rest of the leopards, and Pumbaa, Rafiki, and the meerkats trudged along with them. All were accounted for, and all were scratched and bruised and bleeding, but nothing more. And they all had just seen what happened, and awe and admiration filled their faces.

Simba allowed himself a smile, but one look at Bara's body made his face go stern. He gathered himself and hardened his gaze, seizing everyone's attention. "Are they all dead?"

Hazeez shook his head. "We didn't have to kill them."

The words sent Simba up onto all fours. "What are you talking about?"

"They didn't even try to kill us. They scratched us and batted us around and made us give them chase. Trust me: If they wanted to kill us, they'd have killed us."

"But...why would they fake a fight?"

"They wanted to live, and they didn't want to be blamed for Bara's death." Hazeez pointed his head to the northwest. "Did you see those hawks flying out of here—the ones that left as soon as Bara died?"

A bad feeling washed over Simba, and his face darkened with worry.

"They don't just work for Bara. They work for Sakora, and they're going to tell him what they saw."

Timon let out a dark chuckle. "Great. Now we know what Code Zero means: Have Simba kill your sworn enemy and leave him holding the bag."

"But what about the lionesses?" Simba said. "He's not just going to let twenty commandos go."

"He might," Hazeez said. "If I were him, I'd be less concerned about my son's pride and more concerned about the lion who assassinated my son."

Timon's face fell. "That means he's coming after Simba!"

"Not just Simba," Hazeez said. "He's going to kill everyone in his way—Taku, the carnivores, the herbivores, the leopard tribes—everyone."

Simba went queasy at the sight of everyone standing before him, and he swung away and started to pace. "What have I done?" he gasped. "What did I just do?!"

"Sir, we're still alive. And as long as we're alive, we're going to fight for our survival. Because of what you did, you gave us something that we'd lost two years ago, something that Taku never gave us: a heartbeat. And where there's a heartbeat, there's a will to live. We have our hearts beating again. Your mom can have it, your pride can have it, the Pridelanders can have it, the Circle of Life can be made whole, and that will be because of you."

Simba stopped pacing and swung to look at them. They stood with heads high and shoulders back, as if they were ready to fight an army.

They believe in me, he thought. And if they believe in me...I'm not giving up.

"Sir, no matter how you want to do this, we're with you. But we've got to get the rest of the Pridelanders on our side. They're still loyal to Taku; even if we told them what happened, they wouldn't believe it. And I don't have to remind you that Taku just tried to have us all killed. We can't just walk up to him and demand a confession."

Simba stared hopelessly into the treeline, his mind reeling with fear. Memories of the day blazed through his head as he looked for an answer. The leopards lay in a ring around the crater, their faces staring blankly into the horizon...the lionesses charged into the crater, their bodies marred with wounds from long ago...the lioness lay at his feet, begging him to kill her, and telling her everything she knew for a quick escape from her misery..."Taku made a deal with Bara...He's going to give Bara your pride...Bara's going to make them his slaves..."

And Simba lifted his head, a smile of hope lifting his face. "If he's not going to confess, then we'll make him."

"How?" Timon said. "You're gonna torture him?"

"Of course not," Simba said. "But we are going to give him someone to be afraid of. Now listen, guys. Here's what we're going to do..."