Chapter 6

Training in the Outlands has been a lot more intense, true to Zira's word. Many of the lionesses are fighting one another on various different hours; sometimes they would even stay up until the late hours of dust just to train.

This makes every single lion more battle-hardened as well as two various siblings in the Outlands. One of those said siblings are fighting her mother right now.

"Come, Vitani! Defeat me!"

Vitani is again knocked onto the ground, having a harsh wound across her face earned by her mother's claws. The Queen of the Outlander glares at her daughter as if she is a rat. Improvement is beginning to shine through Vitani's form every day, but there is still more before Vitani could be able to match Simba's tier when the time comes for her to kill him.

Vitani recovers from the blow before jumping on top of her mother and fighting like her life depends on it. "Yes, good! Fight harder!" Even though Zira is constantly sidestepping every single blow, allowing Vitani to unleash strikes in the hope to be able to connect to her face.

Zira grins, swiping her claw towards Vitani which catches her off-guard. It almost even knock her out cold, but Vitani shrugs off the blow and resumes the assault, her teeth biting deep into Zira's shoulder.

"Good! Good!"

The young teenager is forced again onto her back with Zira jumping into the lioness's stomach and about to buckle her muscles, trapping her.

Knowing that the consequences of failure, Vitani rips her front right paw out and strikes Zira across the cheek, before forcing her off of her.

"Lionesses! Guard me!" Zira shouts at the lionesses around her, wishing to see her daughter's strength against other lions should they interfere.

Ten row of two lionesses are standing in front of her, their teeth gritted together and claws retract.

Vitani, without hesitation, runs forward, smacking the first lioness across the cheek and send her onto the ground before kicking the other across the forehead, just as she reaches the second row. She is quick but also brutal, aggressive and not allowing some of them even get into pouncing distance.

By the time she reaches Zira, her mother has her paw outstretched which she dodges before leaping on top of her and pinning her down, trying to find a way to get her to submit.

"You are ready," Zira says, kicking her hind legs up and sending her flying away. Vitani, too stunned by her mother's strong paws, is unable to resist it as she lands and hit the ground hard. Compared to the countless times she have trained, she hardly is even hurt. "Now, we are going to be able to take over the Pride Lands."

Vitani falls to attention as always. The ever so obedient daughter. "Yes, mother, I am ready to kill King Simba. I would bring his body to you and we can hang his head up as a trophy for future generations to come."

"Good. What about the Princess and the Queen?" Zira taunts.

"They would die too," Vitani replies, not showing any hesitation at least physically but am unable to shake the thought of the Princess jumping in front of her moons ago. "They would either submit to my rulership or they would have no choice. We would have no stupid poachers take over the Pride Lands this time, and we would rule this kingdom with a strong might."

Zira cackles.

"Kovu, come here."

Kovu walks up beside Vitani and stands as attentively. "Mother?"

"When the time comes for Vitani to take over, you would have to help her restrain Simba," Zira says, taking several steps around both of her children. "You two in the Pride are the only ones strong enough to take Simba on without assistance from the others. I want this kill to be gruesome and I want Simba to feel it. I want to watch life leave his eyes as he finally dies."

Something within Zira's tone goes colder at the thought as a smirk cross her face.

Zira steps out in front of the ledge and stands with both of her children. This is the true family. Together, they would rule and finally do whatever they want. Together, they would continue to spread Scar's seed to what he have left behind. There would be no opposition once the Princess is dead, and the Pride Lands would be under their rule for generations to come.

"Are you with me, lions?! Are you all prepared to finally take over the Pride Lands?!" Zira shouts.

The response is sounds of roars. Their time would be coming with Vitani sitting where her father once ruled at the end of this week if they are lucky.

It seems that all within the Outlands are certain about their loyalty. It seems like they all are without doubts, without private traitorous thoughts, ready to bathe the blood of their enemies.

One lion, however, is showing doubts more than any of them. He finds himself afraid of what his siblings are becoming. He has been on the front-end of abuse from both his mother and father. He was always shamed because he was always weak, and any lioness that look upon him is disgusted at his appearance.

Not that he has any positive feelings for the Pride Landers, but the thought of his siblings becoming murderers are something that no longer appease him. His siblings are no longer as curious about the world as they once were but becoming mini forms of Scar and Zira.

Nuka wonders off, knowing that his presence would go without notice. It isn't long before he is in the borders of the Pride Lands, and he is afraid of being discovered, but he keeps his form down low, his claws raking across the lands.

"What's this? The heir of Scar showing doubt." Someone appears behind him, terrifying him as he jumps backward.

"You are King Simba's mandrill, Rafiki!" Nuka shouts, his red orbs glaring into his eyes. "Whatcha gonna do?! Report my presence to Simba and Nala!"

"Of course not," Rafiki replies. "You after all are not hunting onto their lands nor are you showing any intention to kill any of them! You may be Scar and Zira's son but you don't have your parents heart. I can see that you are disgusted with how far your siblings have been corrupted."

"You don't even know me!" Nuka snarls, leaning forward to the mandrill.

"I know you more than you know. I have watched your mother conceived you. I watched how Scar abandoned you and neglected you. I watched how your heart became poisoned but yet you are different than Scar. You only want your parents approval, not wishing to start a conflict. You have rebelled against your parents, Nuka."

"Whatcha gonna do if I don't?" Nuka glares at him challengingly. "Maybe if my sister gain control of the throne, the Outlanders' would have a brand new era which we rule with an iron fist."

"Maybe if the Pride Landers come together with the Outlanders, you would be able to squash two birds with one stones," Rafiki replies.

"That would never be possible!" Nuka snarls, looking away with gritted teeth. "King Simba exiled me and my siblings with our mother unfairly I might add! Scar was always the rightful king and it should be stinkin' me who takes over his rule! But that's all I am, just garbage, never to be something special when precious Vitani is the ruler, and that termite as my brother is likely to serve as her defender from rogues!"

Rafiki smirks. "You know that you don't want them to become monsters. Unlike your father eventually with his brother and nephew, you care about your siblings. You are not a murderer, Nuka, just a misguided victim."

Nuka turns back around, about to offer a response, when he notice that the baboon is gone. Where did he go?! Despite how it didn't seem like it did, the damn baboon did strike something from within him.

Arthur's note: I want to give Nuka an actual arc in this one. While he is the sense of humor out of the Outlanders, he would be given a chance to develop.