Chapter VI.
Kovu and Nuka woke up early the next morning and exited the den to discuss their next move.
"Kovu, we have to confront our mother and let her know we're not going to go along with this anymore. It won't be a pleasant conversation, but it must be done."
"I know Nuka, but I think we should tell Kiara the truth first. "
" No way man! Kiara will hate us, and Simba will probably kill us, especially if he finds out about the fire being arson. We'll just tell mother that we won't follow her plan anymore. Then we can live happily ever after in the pride lands."
"Relationships based on lies don't last long Nuka."
"If Kiara finds out the truth, my relationship with her will definitely be over termite! As will yours!"
Nuka's face became alarmed as a horrible thought entered his mind.
"I have a feeling that mother has already found out about our "betrayal". Zira probably spied on us with Vitani. She would have done it with me had you gone alone. She might be planning to attack Simba or Kiara and try to frame us."
Kovu's face became alarmed as well at his stepbrother's statement, not having ever considered it. It was then that he decided to agree with Nuka's proposal, to which his stepbrother nodded happily. They both turn their heads to watch the the Horizon. Once it was no longer touching the ground, but still not fully in the sky, Nuka walked into the cave and nudged Simba with his nose.
"Simba me and my brother are going to go hunting, we'll see you later okay?"
Simba nodded in understanding, and said, " Don't stay out there too long Nuka, I have something I need to talk to you and your brother about."
The scrawny of Scar nodded and pranced away. He and Kovu then raced down Rock, into the green grass, then toward the border of the pride lands. To satiate their hunger, they ate some fish from a river. As the pair were passing through the destroyed pridelands that Nuka and Vitani had burned, all-too-familiar lionesses surrounding them.
"I was hoping that you brought Simba, or Kiara, or Nala. How disappointing."
"Well too bad because we didn't!" Kovu snapped.
"We came here to tell you mother that we refuse to be your pawns anymore," Nuka interjected.
"Both of us love Kiara and won't do anything to hurt her. We don't hate Simba anymore either," Kovu added.
"How dare the two of you do this your family, especially you Kovu! It was you that Scar personally chose as his successor, even though you weren't his son! And you Nuka, you incessantly whined and complained about not being accepted by Scar and by myself, then I finally give you the chance and you pull a 180 on me?! Disgraceful!" Zira angrily barked
"Call me what you will! I don't care what you think of me mother, or my brother!" said Nuka defiantly getting a smile from Kovu, who was glad to finally be acknowledged as a sibling.
"We won't kill him and we won't allow the rest of you to attack the pride lands. If you want to, you're going to have to go through our dead bodies!" Kovu said firmly.
Scar's mate gave both of her sons a death glare, then snarled, "So be it."
Her outsider sisters and daughter looked at her in shock. Would she really kill her own flesh and blood?!
"All of you attack, now!"
Vitani looked between her brothers and her mother, then frowned and said, "No."
She then walked over to and stood by them. The other lionesses of the Outlands quickly joined her.
"Wha-What do you all think you're doing?!"
"They've seen the truth Zira," Kovu said sternly, deliberately avoiding using the word mother. She never acted like one to him.
"You care more about vengeance than your own family. Well if you want Simba dead so bad, do it yourself!"
"Yeah were done! Right ladies ?!" Nuka asked, to which every Outlander lioness nodded. Zira looked ready to snap, but then smiled and leapt down into a nearby gorge. Nuka instantly put two and two together and raced after her.
"She's gonna tell Simba what we did! Stop her!"
His family didn't need to have it explained twice, and followed him. Zira scurried up a pile of logs at the end fo the ravine, knocking some loose, and forcing her former comrades to pull back. Once the path was clear, Nuka carefully made his way up the pile, determined to keep his secret from Kiara and the Pridelanders. He grabbed his so-called mother's ankle, but she kicked him in the face, sending him tumbling head over heels. When the scrawny son of Scar stopped and look up he saw a log heading toward him. Luckily, Kovu pulled him out of the way in time.
"Thanks Bro."
"You're welcome Nuka."
Both lions looked at the spot where Zira once was and sighed in despair. Both of them would be exposed and never see Kiara again. None of the outsiders were worried about Simba and his pride being attacked by Zira, she couldn't do much without her own pride at her back.