~Chapter 10~
Rain began to fall on the Outsiders as they raced back across the borders with their tails between their legs in defeat. A defeat without a fight at all was hardly a defeat in Zira's eyes, but a slight miscalculation. Rage had been building within her after recognizing Kovu's treachery. She figured the Pride Landers evoked a change within Kovu prompting the change and reducing his fear and she knew could figure out which lion was responsible. Kiara. Of course, Simba's daughter, it all made sense.
As the Outsiders regrouped after their defeat, Zira went alone to think and process inside their termite mound home. Nuka greeted his mate Mila along with their two cubs, Kito and Minara. Zira only let Mila sit out today because of the cubs and cause Nuka promised to do early reconnaissance missions during the early hours nobody else would do. Nuka sat next to Mila in a irritated gruff.
"What's your problem?" Mila asked.
"Kovu, is my problem!" Nuka growled, "He betrayed us after all that we've been through. I just don't get it."
Mila nuzzled Nuka sweetly trying to get him to settle down a bit. Moments later, their cubs piled on top of their dad playfully and that seemed to immediately lighten the mood.
"Daddy, did you bring us any wildebeest?" Minara asked.
"You just ate your breakfast, sweetie." Mila smirked.
"Minara eats two cub shares." Kita interrupted,
"Oh yeah?" Minara retorted.
Minara immediately pounced on her brother pinning him to the ground.
"Take it back." She insisted.
"Okay, you two settle down." Nuka said pulling Minara off of Kito.
"Why is everyone so mad at Uncle Kovu?" Kito asked his dad, "He's the best at hide and seek."
"He left the family, son." Nuka replied, trying to simplify the ordeal so Kito could possibly understand.
"Well why don't we go where he went?" Kito asked, simply. Mila frowned and her ears drooped. It would be an amazing idea bringing her cubs to the safety and security of the Pride Lands, but that would only be a wild dream.
"We can't, Kito." Nuka replied, pulling his son close.
"Zira talked about hurting Uncle Kovu," Minara added, "Why would she do such a thing to family? It sounds to me like Zira is in the wrong."
Nuka and Mila exchanged glances trying to process the simplicity of their cubs thoughts and as they pondered, it made sense. Zira was enraged by the betrayal, but to be so heartless against her own son. What would she do next to anyone who happened to do something she didn't like. Nuka and Mila weren't fond of the idea of raising their cubs in the toxic and dangerous environment around Zira. Nuka was thinking it was about time to reassess some things for the family's future.
Zira spent days in isolation kicking out anyone who set paw in the termite mound. She claimed as her own area making everyone else sleep outside regardless of how rainy the weather got. Vitani was growing concerned, she had never seen Zira this obsessive, well, at least not to this level. She would inch up to the doorway and sometimes Zira would let her enter and other times not. Vitani would find Zira pacing and muttering to herself about Kovu and Kiara.
"Forget Simba, if I'm going to hurt Kovu the expedient way to do that is through Kiara. She will pay for corrupting my boy. She turned him against me and now everyone is questioning my leadership. I'll show them."
Vitani approached Zira in a submissive stance wanting to be careful and not upset the balance of Zira's unstable mood.
"Vitani! Gather everyone outside, I need to teach a lesson." Zira growled.
"Y-Yes mother." Vitani nodded.
She quickly did as Zira ordered rallying the entire Outsider pride. Nuka, Mila, and their two cubs were in front as Mila's aging mother, Daima laid down beside them. This aged lioness was the only one to do so.
"Mother, get up...Zira will want you on your feet and alert." Mila urged, nudging her mother beside her.
"I'm older than Zira, she'll have to get used to it." Daima replied.
Unknown to everyone aside from Mila, Daima had been on a long journey in recent days scouting for new locations to live. She wanted to find some place better for her family aside from under the strict tyranny of Zira. Daima knew her family would not be safe if they remained with the Outsiders much longer.
Zira made everyone wait growing impatient as she finally emerged from the termite mound. Nuka noted how tired his mother looked and her fur all disheveled. Zira walked between the lines of lions gathered around weaving between everyone.
"I know you've all been shaken after our retreat, but fear not, I have a new plan that is foolproof. Simba is no longer a target. We must take on Kovu for betraying us and the best way to do this is by bringing harm to Simba's daughter, Kiara. She convinced him to betray his own family. She's a wicked lion who will be made to pay." Zira spat.
She cackled maniacally as we made her way to the front of the group. She nodded to Vitani and Nuka, barely glanced at Mila, and ignored the cubs completely. Finally, Zira stopped in front of Daima looking furious as Daima was laying down cleaning her paw.
"Do you have better things to do with your time, Daima?" Zira growled.
"I heard you, another revenge scheme." Daima replied, casually.
"You're laying down cause you're tired, eh?" Zira asked.
Daima didn't get a chance to reply as she watched Zira's eyes grow wide with fury leaping onto Daima's back. In seconds she jowls around Daima's neck and begins to bite down with tremendous force. Daima roared and tried to shake Zira off, but she was no match for her strength. There was hardly any blood because Zira only cut off oxygen and in seconds Daima stopped breathing. Mila screeched her mother's name as every lion around looked on in shock and terror. Several of the lions whispered 'murderer' aloud.
"I'm no murderer. Like Kovu, Daima betrayed us and was trying to leave. Let my lesson be known to all who try to abandon this family. Nobody is immune." Zira growled glancing down at Nuka and Mila's cubs who were cowering underneath their parents. Zira said all that she wanted to say and returned to the termite mound. Mila laid down next to her lifeless mother with her eyes down crying over her loss. Nuka felt angry and glanced at Vitani.
"Is this what we're sticking around for? Watching and waiting until more of us are killed?" He growled.
Other lions were within earshot of this and all of them began whispering amongst themselves. Zira was no longer fit to rule, she was dangerous and maybe the Pride Landers could help. If Kovu went to their side, maybe they could too. Nuka brought everyone in close so Zira wouldn't hear their plan.
"There's strength in numbers and we need to leave. She can't take us all, but before we do this, I need five volunteers to come with me to the Pride Lands."
Mila was the first to step up and then one by one lions stepped forward free of fear of doing this mission. Everyone was ready to leave.
"I'll stay with the cubs." Vitani offered, "You all go. Just be quick."
Nuka, Mila and the other three lions immediately raced off heading to the border. Time was on the essence because nobody knew when Zira might strike again.