A/N: I'd like to give a big thank you to all my loyal reviewers for being so patient with me! Now that it's summer break, I'm finally going to have some more free time to do my writing! Here is the second to last chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter XIII
Revelations

Sarabi's face fell and her blood ran cold as she saw Zira begin to encircle her son. Kamau said and did nothing as she did so, he only stared at her, muscles tensed.

"Did you think that was noble, Kamau?" Zira hissed with hatred. "Did you think that was heroic? Just what exactly were you thinking?"

Kamau still said nothing. The hurt in his heart was still bulging. It was true. He had killed his own brother. Even if it was his half brother.

"I…I'm sorry," Kamau said quietly.

Zira stopped encircling at this. Suddenly, she roared in pure fury and hatred, glaring at Kamau with piercing eyes.

"SORRY? YOU'RE SORRY?" Zira shrieked as she came inches from his face. "You have killed your own flesh and blood, and the best you have to say is that you're sorry? You're more pathetic than I thought!"

Kamau bowed his head in shame. Suddenly, the rage from Zira's eyes evaporated, and was replaced with a knowing and conniving smile. She began to encircle him again.

"You know, Kamau," Zira began, her voice calm. "There was another deed such as this one that was committed, many years ago in this very kingdom. In fact, in the very place in which we now stand!"

Simba's body instantly tensed, and Sarabi's ears pinned.

"No…" she whispered.

Zira turned her head. "Oh yes," she replied with a malicious grin. "A lion was murdered on this very soil. Over yonder, the grass marks his deathbed." She pointed to the cushion of grass further down the trail.

Kamau swallowed hard. He began to tremble. Hard as he tried, he could not break the fear of what he knew was coming.

"The lion was a king!" Zira exclaimed. "A king who did not love his brother as he should have. That king ignored him, waited for whatever fate the gods had to befall him. His brother was shamed and saddened by the lack of love. Do you know what the king's brother did?"

By this time, a lone tear fell down Kamau's cheek. "He…he killed him…."

Zira smiled. "That's right," she replied maliciously. "And do you know who that lion was?"

Simba had had it. He roared at the top of his lungs and charged in to help his brother. But before he could reach him, the outlanders stepped in and blocked his path.

"Don't listen to her, Kamau!" Simba yelled as they held him back. "Don't listen to her!"

"IT WAS YOUR FATHER!" Zira roared as she came an inch from his muzzle.

"NO!" Kamau said as he collapsed to the ground. "I'M NOT LIKE HIM! I'M NOT LIKE HIM!"

"Oh but you are!" Zira yelled as she bent close to him. "You bear the same malice and darkness in your heart that Scar had! The same will and determination to kill! You are a murderer!"

"NOO!" Kamau sobbed as he buried his face into the ground.

Sarabi screamed and charged into the fray, crashing through the lionesses and getting to her son. Tanabi, Kovu, and Kiara bolted forward and pinned Zira to the ground. Simba broke through the lioness barrier and also came to Kamau, lying pitifully in the dirt.

Sarabi lay down next to her son and wrapper her paws around him. She lay her head atop his mane and nuzzled him.

"My son," she whispered as she stroked his mane. "You are not your father. You are not like him. Your father was not always the lion that he had once been."

Zira wrestled with her captors. "Don't you poison him, Sarabi!" she yelled angrily.

Sarabi ignored her and went on. "He was once a very noble, and selfless lion who loved nothing more than to be in the company of those he held dear, and this included his brother. Your uncle loved him very much. It was your uncle's attaining of the kingship that sent Scar into his madness. The hate and envy consumed him, and he was transformed."

Kamau was silent.

"But perhaps Kamau, you do bear one of your father's traits."

Kamau looked up at her when she said this. His eyes were wide, like that of a cub's.

Sarabi smiled. "His nature. His nature before his madness. I see so much of it in you. It surrounds you like an aura."

Zira roared. "HIS NATURE? That's what you call it Sarabi? You must be outside your mind if you think he bore nature such as that!" she spat, pointing a claw at Kamau.

Sarabi stood and smiled. Simba made a motion to attack her, but she put her paw up to stop him. She then took a few steps towards the struggling lioness.

"You really never knew Scar before his change, did you Zira?"

"What?" she hissed.

Sarabi smirked. "You never thought anything of Scar when we were cubs," she said. "Whenever we ran out to play, you never followed. Whenever Scar tried to get you to play hide-and-go-seek or tag, you always called him a name or cuffed him to get rid of him. Now I'm beginning to understand your sudden affection towards him."

Zira glared. "What are you talking about?" she growled.

"When Scar began to go mad, you started hanging around him more and more. Soon the both of you became inseparable. I have since understood that he always loved you, but you never felt the same way." Sarabi stood tall and took a few steps towards the mad lioness. "That is, until he told you that you could be queen! You never loved him until he offered you power and fame! That's all you ever thought about! All you ever cared about was yourself!"

"LIAR!" Zira shrieked with rage. "I loved Scar! He was my mate, the father to my children, and my king! I would have done anything for him! I'm fighting in his name! To regain his legacy, to resume his line!"

"I do not believe that is the case," Sarabi countered smugly. "I think it's your selfish thinking at work again. Yes, in the end I believe you did love Scar. But this isn't about Scar anymore, Zira. It's about you. You want something back that was never yours to begin with."

Zira had had it. Still trapped by the lions, she whirled her head over to Vitani.

"Vitani! Get them!" she roared angrily.

Vitani looked over at her mother then back at Simba, Sarabi, and Kamau. She hesitated. It just didn't feel right.

"Vitani!" Zira roared again. "Don't you go soft on me too! You know what Simba did! He killed your parents, and he killed your foster father!"

"WHAT?" Sarabi roared furiously. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Zira instantly realized her mistake. She gritted her teeth angrily.

Sarabi instantly set her gaze on the troubled Vitani. "Is this what she told you, Vitani? Did she tell you that Simba killed them?"

Vitani glared, but nodded.

Sarabi shot a vicious glare at Zira, then looked back at Vitani with her gentle expression. "Vitani, Zira has filled your head with lies. Your parents were not killed by my son."

Vitani stared up at her confusedly, with a hint of hostility still present in her eyes. Sarabi looked at her pitifully.

"I was very good friends with your mother, Vitani," Sarabi said.

Vitani was stunned at this. Kovu looked over at Sarabi with the same shock, which caused the old lioness to look his way. Zira roared angrily.

"Don't listen to her! She's out of her mind! She's as mad as your parents had been!"

Sarabi ignored her. "Your mother was a beautiful lioness named Kala, one of my best friends," she said as she looked at the two lions. "She was a very strong, determined lioness. Indeed, she did have a cub before you, a son that was killed by your supposed 'foster father.'" Sarabi let those last words roll off her tongue with much sarcasm and malice. "Your half brother was not even 2 weeks old when he was killed. But your mother remained strong. Over time, she met a passerby rogue, a strong, yet kind lion named Sekou, your father. Those times in the Pride Lands were bad, and your father offered to help us dethrone Scar the tyrant. However he was killed in his attempt, and Kala fell into another depression."

Vitani and Kovu were still in utter shock at what Sarabi was telling them. Zira tried to scream, but Kiara held her down and Tanabi put a paw to her mouth to keep her silenced.

Sarabi smiled. "But before his death, your father had come together with your mother, at which point you were conceived. When it came time, I helped your mother with the birth and kept you all safe. But you were discovered by Scar and Zira." Sarabi felt empowering hate flood her heart as the memory became fresh in her mind. "They decided to punish your mother by stealing you away and making you the heirs of their kingdom." Sarabi growled deep in her throat. "They made it a goal to teach you to hate your parents. But your mother wouldn't have it, and the two of us tried to save you both from them. But we failed, and your mother was killed. But she loved you, despite what Zira tells you. You were her world. And though your father never met you, he loved you with the same intensity. You must believe me! That is the truth!"

Vitani and Kovu were stunned into utter silence. Kovu suddenly smiled eyes wide, looking away from everyone. A single tear rolled down his cheek. It was soon followed by another. And another. A sense of relief filled his soul, knowing he at last knew the story of his parents. The true story. He looked over at his sister and braced himself, hoping that she too would believe. Vitani's face remained emotionless. She truly did not know who to believe. Kovu trotted to her and nuzzled her.

"Vitani…" he whispered gently. "All our lives we've been wondering about our past. I know you've never truly believed Zira, despite how you've made it look. We have to believe Sarabi. Zira's mad and you know it."

Vitani still couldn't look up and face her brother. She knew he was right. She just didn't have it in her to beg his forgiveness for how she'd treated him over the years. He was the only one that had stood up against what Zira told them, while she being the weaker spirited one, had believed everything. She joined Zira in taunting him. She helped her beat him to near death. And when he cried for her help, she would not. All this time, she thought they were fighting for a just cause. But in the end, she came to realize that they were fighting to save the legacy of the same one that had destroyed their own.

Kovu sensed this, and with a paw, raised her head to his.

"I love you, my sister. I always have, and nothing now, nor from our past, will change that. I will always have it in my heart to forgive you."

With a broken smile, Vitani buried her head in Kovu's mane. He embraced her and the two wept silently, yet joyously. Their past had officially been unveiled to them.

Sarabi, Simba, and Kamau smiled at the two of them, but quickly noticed the stares of the other outlanders. Kamau was preparing himself for attack, but his brother stopped him. Kamau looked at him curiously. Simba nodded towards them, and Kamau understood. The outlanders bore no expression of hate, but rather, one of disbelief. It was then that Sarabi realized that Zira had been poisoning them as well!

"So," one outlander growled as she looked over at Zira. "This whole time, you were raising these two to redeem a lion that killed their parents?"

"It wasn't only Scar!" said another. "She killed them as well!"

"Think about it, sisters!" cried a third. "We haven't even taken into account that Scar murdered his own brother for the throne! What are we doing, fighting to redeem a murderous tyrant? Zira has lied to us about everything!"

Zira had managed to free her mouth at last. "NO! They lie, my sisters! Don't listen to them! They are trying to poison you!"

"Like you?" growled Vitani, looking over from where she sat with Kovu.

Zira gritted her teeth, then looked over at Kovu, who bore a look of such malice and hatred, that for the first time in so long, Zira felt afraid. Kovu rose, and approached her, claws extended, teeth bared.

"All these years," Kovu hissed as he continued forward. "These years that you've beaten me, lied to me, cursed me, and tried to kill me…"

"Get away from me!" she yelled.

"You murderer," Kovu snarled as he continued forward. "I'll make you pay…."

Kovu suddenly lunged forward and roared savagely. Tanabi went wide eyed as he noticed his friend coming towards them. He lunged in front of Kovu, holding him back.

Kovu roared and struggled against Tanabi, clawing past him as he tried to reach Zira. However with Tanabi off her, Zira had a chance. She struck Kiara in the face and escaped, tearing after Sarabi.

"YOU'VE RUINED ME!" she screamed she lunged at Sarabi. But before she could reach her, Kamau jumped in and shoved her back. He growled and prepared to fight, but Sarabi placed a paw on his shoulder.

"Let her come to me, Kamau," she said gently. "She has been waiting for this far too long. And so have I."

"But mother," Kamau countered as he looked back at her.

Sarabi smiled, and it silenced him. "Let a couple of old lionesses settle their score, my son," she said.

Kamau sighed deeply, and stepped away from Zira. Sarabi smiled and licked his cheek. Beside him sat her eldest son Simba, looking at her worriedly. She nuzzled him, then stepped back to look at both her sons. She smiled proudly. Both paid homage to their fathers in the way they looked. For a moment, she felt like she was standing before her true loves, Mufasa and Taka. Sighing, she turned and faced the mad lioness.

"The time is now, Zira."

Zira grinned, then looked at everyone crowding the scene. She roared.

"EVERYBODY GET BACK!"

With growls of displeasure and disgust, everybody stepped back. Kovu, Vitani, Kiara, Tanabi, Simba, Nala, and Kamau all retreated to a rock jutting out of the gorge wall and sat on it. Everyone else just got as far back as the walls, and waited.

"Let's make something of this battle, Sarabi," Zira said with a grin. "Let's say… ownership perhaps?"

Sarabi glared. "No matter what this battle means to you, I will not sacrifice the Pride Lands."

"Perhaps you wont," Zira said smugly. "But with your death, I can make things happen. Once you're out of the way, there's no telling what I can do next! You best brace yourself Sarabi! Death is a tricky thing."

"I should say the same to you," Sarabi replied coldly.

With that, the two lionesses began to encircle each other. Their eyes remained fixed on the other, unmoving and unblinking. Zira grinned maliciously, saliva dripping from her sharp, yellowed fangs. Her eyes blazed as she continued to stare down her opponent, and her muscles tensed with anticipation.

Sarabi encircled emotionlessly, with her firm, unmoving eyes glued to Zira's form. She took a deep breath, and let her gaze take a slight shift to the sky. There, she felt the presence of her beloved enshroud her, and a new strength began to surge in her old, tired bones.

In an instant, Zira was on her. Sarabi roared as she felt Zira's claws rake through her back, and she desperately tried to buck her off. Waving about wildly, Sarabi managed to toss Zira off her, and she flew into a gorge wall, landing with a thud. She grunted against the pain, then stood and went back after Sarabi. This time Sarabi was ready, and as Zira lunged, she too charged forward. They collided with such force, that they were pushed back from each other. Seeing that Zira was still stunned, Sarabi seized the opportunity and struck her hard in the face. Zira staggered back and clutched her cheek where she'd been struck. Seizing another opportunity, Sarabi struck her again, this time on the eye. With a roar Zira fell back and clutched her eye. Sarabi looked and examined her paw, seeing it caked in blood. Looking up, she saw Zira with a glare of menacing hate, and took a brief instant to notice that her left eye was completely gone, with only a bloody hole marking where it had been.

But Zira was not finished. She again charged at Sarabi, knocking her to the ground and pinning her. She struck her several times until Sarabi managed to kick her off with her hind legs. Zira fell, but was instantly up again. At this point, Sarabi grew worried. She had begun to tire, whereas her foe showed no signs of slowing. Alarmed, Sarabi came up with an idea. She continued to fight the lioness, while slowly easing herself towards the wall of the gorge. When she got to the wall, she saw a small stone jutting out from it. She looked back at Zira and swatted her hard. As she staggered back, Sarabi leapt up onto the jutted rock. She would lead Zira to the top of the gorge.

Blinded by rage, Zira followed. As Sarabi leapt up each stone, Zira would jump after her, trying to claw her each time. But each time she missed, and ended up being one stone behind her. Finally Sarabi reached the top and with one large leap, came upon the soft grass. She leapt back just in time as Zira followed, swiping at the air. Caked in her own blood, Zira bared her teeth and growled menacingly.

"You won't escape me this time!" she snarled.

The insane lioness tore after Sarabi, clawing her and biting her menacingly. Sarabi reached up with her front paws and grabbed her, tossing her to the ground beneath them. For barely a second, Zira left her neck vulnerable, and Sarabi caught it. With a deafening tear, Sarabi ripped through her neck, causing the lioness to scream in agony. Thinking it was all over, Sarabi leapt off her. But she was stunned to see what came next.

Zira uneasily came to her feet, with blood seeping down her neck, and every other part of her body. She revealed her stained yellow teeth as they dripped in blood, and she poised herself to strike. Sarabi realized that this lioness would go until her very last breath. The pain didn't matter to her anymore. Her mad determination clouded her vision, and all she could see or feel was Sarabi. All that mattered was her, and seeing her dead. Without that, Zira refused to surrender her spirit. And Sarabi understood this.

The old lioness looked from Zira to the gorge below them. At that moment, she understood what she had to do. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Running through her mind were the visions of her two sons, and their fathers. She remembered Simba's birth, and the tears of joy as she nuzzled him for the first time. She remembered burying her head in her husband's rich auburn mane as their son was presented. She remembered his death…and the terror of Scar's reign. She remembered the years that followed, and the birth of her second son. All of the happiness she felt as she rocked him in her paws, and the heartbreak she felt sending him away. But most of all, she remembered seeing her two sons together before she went into battle. And she knew that everything was going to be ok.

Sarabi smiled. Then looking over at Zira, she growled, and tensed her muscles. With a deafening roar, Sarabi raced towards the lioness at amazing speed, and before Zira could react, they had collided. Using all her strength from the lunge, Sarabi pushed the both of them over the edge of the gorge and into the abyss below.

The lions who had been watching the fight from below looked up in disbelief as the two lionesses fell downward. Kamau's jaw hung open. Simba's eyes went wide with terror and disbelief as he watched his mother fall. He saw his father again, screaming as he plummeted to his death.

He never though his mother would meet the same fate.

Haha don't kill me everyone, Sarabi's not quite done yet! Uh oh! I've said too much! Anyway, next chapter will be up soon! Reviews appreciated!