CHAPTER FIFTEEN
" Zenka?" Alani paused, " I'm leaving for the Pride Lands now."
Zenka didn't look at her, " Good bye." He said abruptly, " Don't hurry back." He added bitterly.
" Zenka, the last thing I wanted was to hurt you." Alani told him.
" Well, you succeeded." Zenka said, " I was foolish to-" he stopped talking and looked away.
" Foolish to what?"
" To have fallen in love with you." Zenka blurted and Alani wasn't surprised. Not really. Deep down she had known Zenka had feelings for her.
" Zenka-"
" And I know you don't feel the same way either. You probably love me as a brother." He paused, " It doesn't matter anyway. I fell betrayed and I don't think I can trust you again."
Alani felt like crying but held it in. She took a deep breath, " Zenka, you must know that I do love you."
" I don't care what you say to me anymore." Zenka was stone-faced.
" Why?" Alani looked hurt.
" Because I don't love you anymore."
* * *
Annalina was close to fainting. She had walked for several hours without taking a break and the blazing heat was taking its toll on her and the unborn cub.
You are almost there. She encouraged herself as she stopped by a bushy waterhole. Don't quit now.
Annalina took a long drink until her thirst was quenched. Then she continued on more determinedly.
It was sunset by the time Annalina reached Pride Rock. No one seemed to be around as she sat down on the rock and looked down at the land below. It looked ugly…everything was totally destroyed.
She heard a rumble in the distance. Dark storm clouds were brewing…another storm was on its way.
" Oof!" her breath was knocked out of her body when something pounced on her back, causing her legs to collapse underneath her. Her belly grazed the hard ground and she winced in pain. She hoped the landing hadn't hurt the baby.
" Who are you? Get off me!" she cried out in fear.
" Now you know what it feels like." A voice whispered in her ear, " You did the same thing to me many years ago. I hope this hurts!"
" What? Who are you?" Annalina spluttered as her face was pushed into the ground. Then she yowled as claws sank deep into her neck.
There was another growl, a more menacing one this time. " Get off her…now."
There was a pause, and then Annalina's attacker crawled off her. Annalina lay there for several seconds before slowly getting up. Her whole body hurt and her neck from the claws. She turned around and her eyes went wide.
" Hello Annalina." Alani greeted her, her green eyes narrowed vengefully. Scar was standing behind Alani.
" Alani…I thought you were dead!" Annalina studied her sister. She still had that scar above her left eye and her body looked sleek, her fur golden. Alani had always been the gentle one, but there was something different about her…Alani looked cold, unforgiving as she gazed at her twin.
" You thought wrong." Alani told her bitterly, " No thanks to you." She added to their father.
" What are you talking about?" Scar demanded. He showed no emotion about the return of his daughters.
" You were the one who wanted me dead."
" What? Have you gone mad?" Scar growled, " I didn't send those hyenas to kill you."
" You didn't?" Alani wasn't sure to believe him. He was evil…he did kill Mufasa and Simba after all.
" No. Why would I want to hurt my daughter?" Scar countered, " Annalina might have been Queen, but you were the apple of my eye Alani. You were smart and inquisitive…if you'd been born first I would have made you Queen."
" I knew it!" Annalina exclaimed, " I knew you were Daddy's favourite."
Scar whirled to face her, " Why should I proud of a daughter who got herself pregnant by a lion she hardly knew? You should have stayed away like I said Annalina." He paused, " I think it was Annalina that ordered the hyenas to kill you Alani."
" I wouldn't be surprised." Alani growled looking as furious, " You were always jealous of me Annalina."
" She doesn't have much of a future. I think its time to put her out of her misery. What do you say my dear?" Scar turned to Alani.
Alani nodded, " I came back to avenge myself." Her claws were extended and so was Scar's. They turned towards Annalina with identical cold stares. Annalina gulped. She was no match for them and they both knew it.
Annalina closed her eyes as they both leapt into the air; heading straight for h
" Zenka?" Alani paused, " I'm leaving for the Pride Lands now."
Zenka didn't look at her, " Good bye." He said abruptly, " Don't hurry back." He added bitterly.
" Zenka, the last thing I wanted was to hurt you." Alani told him.
" Well, you succeeded." Zenka said, " I was foolish to-" he stopped talking and looked away.
" Foolish to what?"
" To have fallen in love with you." Zenka blurted and Alani wasn't surprised. Not really. Deep down she had known Zenka had feelings for her.
" Zenka-"
" And I know you don't feel the same way either. You probably love me as a brother." He paused, " It doesn't matter anyway. I fell betrayed and I don't think I can trust you again."
Alani felt like crying but held it in. She took a deep breath, " Zenka, you must know that I do love you."
" I don't care what you say to me anymore." Zenka was stone-faced.
" Why?" Alani looked hurt.
" Because I don't love you anymore."
* * *
Annalina was close to fainting. She had walked for several hours without taking a break and the blazing heat was taking its toll on her and the unborn cub.
You are almost there. She encouraged herself as she stopped by a bushy waterhole. Don't quit now.
Annalina took a long drink until her thirst was quenched. Then she continued on more determinedly.
It was sunset by the time Annalina reached Pride Rock. No one seemed to be around as she sat down on the rock and looked down at the land below. It looked ugly…everything was totally destroyed.
She heard a rumble in the distance. Dark storm clouds were brewing…another storm was on its way.
" Oof!" her breath was knocked out of her body when something pounced on her back, causing her legs to collapse underneath her. Her belly grazed the hard ground and she winced in pain. She hoped the landing hadn't hurt the baby.
" Who are you? Get off me!" she cried out in fear.
" Now you know what it feels like." A voice whispered in her ear, " You did the same thing to me many years ago. I hope this hurts!"
" What? Who are you?" Annalina spluttered as her face was pushed into the ground. Then she yowled as claws sank deep into her neck.
There was another growl, a more menacing one this time. " Get off her…now."
There was a pause, and then Annalina's attacker crawled off her. Annalina lay there for several seconds before slowly getting up. Her whole body hurt and her neck from the claws. She turned around and her eyes went wide.
" Hello Annalina." Alani greeted her, her green eyes narrowed vengefully. Scar was standing behind Alani.
" Alani…I thought you were dead!" Annalina studied her sister. She still had that scar above her left eye and her body looked sleek, her fur golden. Alani had always been the gentle one, but there was something different about her…Alani looked cold, unforgiving as she gazed at her twin.
" You thought wrong." Alani told her bitterly, " No thanks to you." She added to their father.
" What are you talking about?" Scar demanded. He showed no emotion about the return of his daughters.
" You were the one who wanted me dead."
" What? Have you gone mad?" Scar growled, " I didn't send those hyenas to kill you."
" You didn't?" Alani wasn't sure to believe him. He was evil…he did kill Mufasa and Simba after all.
" No. Why would I want to hurt my daughter?" Scar countered, " Annalina might have been Queen, but you were the apple of my eye Alani. You were smart and inquisitive…if you'd been born first I would have made you Queen."
" I knew it!" Annalina exclaimed, " I knew you were Daddy's favourite."
Scar whirled to face her, " Why should I proud of a daughter who got herself pregnant by a lion she hardly knew? You should have stayed away like I said Annalina." He paused, " I think it was Annalina that ordered the hyenas to kill you Alani."
" I wouldn't be surprised." Alani growled looking as furious, " You were always jealous of me Annalina."
" She doesn't have much of a future. I think its time to put her out of her misery. What do you say my dear?" Scar turned to Alani.
Alani nodded, " I came back to avenge myself." Her claws were extended and so was Scar's. They turned towards Annalina with identical cold stares. Annalina gulped. She was no match for them and they both knew it.
Annalina closed her eyes as they both leapt into the air; heading straight for h