Disclaimer: I don't own Lion King. Actually, I don't even own a cat.

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Chapter 2: Secret

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Nuka was terrified. In fact, the feeling of utter trepidation was so familiar to him, that he had no clue how it would have been without it. The young cub cowered at his mother's side. His fearful crimson eyes were set on the imposing figure of his stepfather, who strolled toward their little family. He flinched, seeing the cold, blue irises and the magnificent golden mane. His stepfather's powerful muscles rippled under his skin with every step he took. To Nuka, he was the embodiment of strength, but also cruelty.

Ever since the rogue lion Msuli took over the humble Outlander pride, the lionesses were treading on eggshells. As the highest ranking female, Zira had been forced to become his mate, much to her and Nuka's dismay. The young cub couldn't remember his father. When he was little, he had wished to have a dad. If only he knew in what twisted way his wish would come true…

Msuli gazed down at the little fair hairball nestled between Zira's paws. Nuka's baby sister squealed, wriggling. She was a newborn, and her eyes were closed yet, but she was energetic for an infant. Zira smiled slightly, encasing the tiny cub in her motherly grasp.

"She's strong. I named her Vitani," she said. Pride rang in her voice.

However, Msuli didn't look pleased at all. He glared at little Vitani, as if she was a piece of garbage. Nuka backpedaled, seeing his stepfather bare his teeth and snarling at the infant.

"A girl." His growl was full of contempt. Before Zira could do anything, he knocked Vitani out of her paws. The blow wasn't strong, but it was enough to send the tiny cub tumbling across the dirt and wailing with pain. Nuka flinched, but he didn't rush to help – he was too scared for his own skin.

Instantly, Zira leapt to shield the newborn with her body. Msuli gave her a disdainful look.

"I was so gracious to spare your mangy excuse of a son." He pointed his paw at Nuka. "And you give me a girl. You're pathetic, Zira. Do better next time."

Zira said nothing. Her posture was submissive, but pure hatred burned in her crimson eyes. If only she had enough strength, she would tear Msuli to shreds. Unfortunately for her, the male lion was just too much too handle. He swished his tail and stalked to hide in the shadow of the termite mounds and wait for the lionesses to bring him food.

As soon as he was out of sight, Zira's pride sisters flocked to her. In their eyes they had the same expression of loathing, Zira bore.

"Zira, we have to do something," one of the lionesses whispered nervously. "I can't live like this anymore!"

"Besides, that fat bastard eats all of our food." Another one added and all of the pride sisters nodded.

Nuka agreed with her silently – Msuli was nothing but trouble. The moment he waltzed in, the poor living conditions in the Outlands became tragic. None of the lionesses dared to defy him. All of them had cubs of their own, that Msuli in his "graciousness" spared. In fact, he threatened the pride sisters to kill the cubs if any of them rebelled. The lionesses would have abandoned the land with their little ones, but there was simply nowhere to go. It was either the Elephant Graveyard, the vast desert or the Pride Lands, where the enemy lions resided for generations.

"I'll think of something." Zira promised. Her voice shook with scorn. The pride sisters eyes her with concern, but also with hope. Nuka felt proud, noticing how they looked up to his mother.

"Go and try to catch some field mice, Nuka." Zira waved dismissively with her paw. She grabbed Vitani by the nap of her neck and carried the cub to the termite mound, where Msuli slept.

Nuka watched her disappear inside the mound. He sat on his bottom and scratched his side with his rear paw. Those annoying termites were gnawing at his skin, adding to his misery. His flexibility was astounding and a tad comical, when he managed to scratch his back in an attempt to get rid of the itching.

"Hello, stinky!" Nuka huffed, hearing the hated nickname. He turned to face his tormentors. The seven cubs were all female. Their bodies were scrawny and slim, although not as mangy as Nuka's. They grinned at him, cornering the male cub like a pack of hyenas.

"Come play with us," the leader of the little lionesses, feisty Panya asked. Nuka backed away, suspecting he wouldn't like this play. Like he thought, Panya pounced, landing in front of him with a wide, unpleasant smile. "We'll practice hunting, and you'll be our prey, as always."

Nuka gulped, frantically searching for a way to escape the bullies. Suddenly, he brightened up, coming up with the perfect, foolproof plan. He made kissy lips and advanced at Panya.

"I'll be your target practice if you kiss me!" Nuka pounced with the intention to smooch the bullies' leader. Startled, Panya backpedaled, staring at him, as if he was a charging rhino. In the meantime, Nuka chased the rest of her little gang, threatening them with his kisses. The little lionesses squealed in terror and ran off.

"Gross!" Panya uttered and escaped as well, as quick as her thin legs could carry her.

Self-satisfied, Nuka pranced away to catch some mice. Mother would be so happy if he got her food! He grinned absent-mindedly, picturing Zira praising him and maybe even hugging lovingly. Yes, he really needed to hunt some mice.

The pesky little rodents turned out to be more elusive than Nuka had thought though. No matter how hard he tried, they ran away long before he could even approach them. Nevertheless, he was set on coming back with a prey. Thus, the scrawny cub ventured further in search for something edible. In the process, he got chased by a stray wildebeest bull that nearly impaled him on his pointy horn. A pair of vultures almost snatched him from the ground, but he managed to fend them off, land on four paws and run away. The crocodiles gave him a hard time too – snapping their powerful jaws, they were close to swallowing Nuka whole.

Before he knew it, the scruffy cub found himself in the Pride Lands, breathing hard and barely believing that he managed to stay alive. His bony legs shook under his light body from the near death experiences, but he continued his journey, driven by the desire to please his mother. As he crept further into the enemy territory, he became amazed by how damp everything was here. Of course, Nuka had never been anywhere but in the Outlands, he only heard the stories. According to his mother's tales, the Pride Lands were a hostile, barren territory, ruled by evil lions with hearts dark as night.

Partially, the stories were true. The landscape was pretty desolate, but from the sterile soil the plants emerged, covering the plains with a delicate green rug. The rain worked wonders, transforming a shadow land into a cradle of life. With the sudden reappearance of the grass and leaves, the animals were slowly returning. In the distance, Nuka discerned a tall silhouette of a giraffe.

Abruptly, a movement in the short grass caught the cub's attention. Crouching like his mother had instructed him to, he followed his prey. The cub's steps were careful and silent. Nuka was very focused; he couldn't let this opportunity slip through his claws. Then, he pounced at the unsuspecting victim. The cub grinned triumphantly, when he grazed a little stray zebra. The stupid foal must have got lost. Nuka was about to go for his first serious kill, but his paws slipped. The zebra was wounded though – deep claw marks were engraved in its rear. Panicked the prey galloped away, visibly limping. The cub broke into a chase, not wanting his mother's lunch to escape. Finally, he managed to corner the foal near a little hill and went for its throat, just like his mother had showed him. One dying gasp, and the zebra was his for the taking.

Gloating, Nuka stepped back. If only the lionesses could see him now! No one would call him useless anymore, they would be amazed by his awesome hunting skills. While he was busy imagining his glorious return with the zebra in his teeth, a noise distracted him. Scratching his front paw, Nuka looked around, searching for the source of what sounded like a groan. Behind his killed zebra was a hole, big enough for Nuka to fit in easily. It seemed to be a nesting spot – maybe he could hunt more than just one prey. He hadn't really given any though how he would carry all the food back to outlands, but the frenzy of success blinded him. Without hesitation, Nuka jumped inside the hole, baring his teeth and with his scrawny paws ready to smack the prey into oblivion.

However, when he found himself inside, he backpedaled instantly, startled by what he found in the tight cavern. His stomach rode up his throat, as the familiar feeling of panic kicked in. A lion's den. Nuka wandered straight into a lion's den. Not just any – inside lay an adult male. The cub's initial thought was to flee, but something wasn't quite right about the cavern's inhabitant.

Curious, Nuka tilted his head. The lion wasn't moving at all. His dark fur looked, as if it was caked in mud, but as the cub inched forward, he saw that it was dried blood. The male's black mane was tangled and shagged – someone must have had tried to pluck it out. Overall, he appeared half-eaten. Chunks of flesh were missing, the wounds barely closed the thick scabs. His entire body was covered in slashes and cuts, from his head to tail. He had to kick the bucket not long ago, because Nuka couldn't smell the stench of rotten flesh yet.

Just to make sure that the male was dead, the cub approached the corpse and poked his nose. The lion didn't flinch. Relieved, Nuka sighed. As if to compensate the scare he got before, he boldly struck the deceased male, right between his closed eyes.

This turned out to be Nuka's grave mistake. He froze, when a low growl resounded in the small cavern, and the seemingly dead lion opened his eyes. A pair of green orbs were viciously glared at the petrified cub. Squeaking from fear, Nuka leapt for the exit, but one firm swing of a paw swept him off his thin legs, sending him crashing into den's wall. Before he could get up and flee, a heavy paw fell on him, pinning him to the ground. The male snatched his tail and dragged Nuka closer to himself, still flattening his back against the cavern's floor.

"Well, well, who do we have here?" The lion asked. His voice was raspy, as though he hadn't used it in a while.

Nuka was shivering like a leaf in the wind under the male's scrutiny. He lay on his back, with his paws in the air, defenseless like a newborn.

"Hello, mister." The cub squirmed. The ferocious glare, the lion was giving him, was even more intimidating than mother on one of her bad days. Perhaps he could even rival with Msuli when it came to scaring Nuka. The cub swallowed a lump in his throat and pleaded. "Don't kill me. Please."

The lion rolled him in the dirt, sweeping the cavern's floor with Nuka's pelt. For a tense moment, he looked focused, as if listing the most cruel ways to murder the poor cub. Suddenly, he released him and even gave him a nudge, helping Nuka to his feet.

"You should be more careful. Who knows what would have happened if you stumbled onto some bad lion," the male said sweetly, concern sounding in his voice.

Nuka pulled himself up, eying the lion with distrust. Mother had always told him to avoid strangers, especially the Pride Landers. However, this one looked harmless. The smile on his face was so nice, so… fatherly. Surely it wouldn't hurt to just talk with him a little, especially given that he was injured so severely.

"Don't be afraid, lad." The lion purred, as if noticing Nuka's hesitation. "I would never harm such a nice cub like you."

Nuka gave him a shaky smile. The compliment made him warm up to the stranger a little. After all, he rarely heard anything positive. The lionesses always commented how scrawny and weak he was, not even his mother ever praised him. The wounded male awakened the cub's curiosity.

"Are you a Pride Lander?" Nuka asked.

"What is I was?" The lion answered with a question.

"Mother says they're all evil," the cub said solemnly, repeating Zira's words. "They're plump and spoiled. Downright bad. Besides, they hate us, Outlanders."

"And she's absolutely right. She must be a wise lioness." The male nodded. He reached out to pat Nuka's head and sighed heavily. "I'm just a rogue, I'm afraid."

Nuka breathed out with relief, glad that he didn't meet one of the malicious lions from Pride Rock. He sat on his rear, feeling less threatened by the presence of the male. Actually, he was comfortable with it; the adult lion looked so avuncular when he smiled.

"So, what a brave Outlander like you is doing so far from home?" the lion inquired.

Nuka bared his teeth in a grin, when he heard being called brave.

"Oh, I was hunting and I caught a zebra." He boasted.

"I see." The adult lion sniffed the air, smiling kindly the whole time. Nuka didn't notice his claws graze against the cavern's flooring, betraying the male's hunger. "You're so young and already such a great hunter? I'm impressed."

Nuka pushed his scrawny chest forward, bursting with pride, as his ego had been stroked like never before. A giggle escaped his throat and made the adult lion sneer with disgust for a fleeting moment. However, before Nuka could spot the hostile expression, the male put back on his mask of politeness.

"I was wondering if you would share some of your zebra," the lion said, pointing his paw at the exit of the cavern, where Nuka's catch lay.

The cub glanced at the meat and shook his head.

"It's for my mother." He explained. "She just gave birth to my little sister, so she needs her food."

A hostile look briefly flickered through the male's green eyes, before he sighed and lay his head on his paws. He groaned, as if the pain from his wounds became unbearable.

"Your mother is lucky to have such a caring, capable cub," he whispered weakly. "Now listen to me closely, lad."

Nuka crouched closer, as the last words of the adult lion were so faint that he barely heard them. The male struggled to keep his eyes open, and his body slightly shivered, as if he was having a seizure preceding his inevitable passing.

"Yes?" Nuka asked softly.

The lion lifted his head a little, probably using the rest of his strength to do it.

"Take this zebra to your mother. And go already, I don't want you to watch me dying." The lion gently cupped the side of Nuka's head. Tears sparkled in his green eyes and his jaw shook, as if the male was being overtaken by sudden emotion. Then, he pushed the cub, hinting him to leave already, and laid on the ground. Nuka heard a whisper: "It's a pity I have to die… If only I could eat something, I would surely get better."

Nuka hesitated to leave. Absentmindedly, he scratched one of his front paws to calm the persistent, ever-present itching. He glanced at the lion who was so nice to him, like no one had ever been before. If Nuka left him now, he would die. The thought made the cub feel sad. On the other hand, mother anticipated the prey, and he wished to show off his success…

"Go, lad," the wounded lion told him. "Oh, how I wish I had a son like you."

The last remark hit bull's-eye. Nuka stared at the male in disbelief mixed with gratefulness. It was a new sensation, unknown but desired. His real father had been killed even before his birth, and his stepfather despised him. To hear that someone wanted him for his cub, was amazing. Not thinking about the matter anymore, Nuka leapt to catch the zebra's leg in his teeth. He dragged the heavy prey inside, until it was under the adult lion's nose.

"Here you go." The cub stepped aside.

The lion sighed, shaking his head.

"I can't possibly eat this zebra, which you intended for your dear mother," the male muttered regretfully.

"But… but you'll die if you don't eat it!" Nuka protested. "You need it more."

"If you insist." Reluctantly, the lion took the cub's offer. He got up quite quickly and with surprisingly little effort. His movements were stiff and his pain was apparent, but he looked nowhere near that agonic state, he was in a moment ago. Greedily, he lapped at the zebra, tearing the foal and swallowing the meat hastily.

Nula laid on the opposite side of the zebra-lunch, observing his new acquaintance devour it. He hoped he made a good decision. Otherwise, mother would be mad at him. The silence was being interrupted only by the sounds of the adult lion eating. Soon enough, the cub felt the urge to break it. Before he knew it, he started telling the story of his life.

"My stepfather is so mean to me." Nuka whined, resting his head on his paw. "He always says I'm a nuisance and the pride would be better off without me."

"He does?" the lion paused his lunch to look over the zebra at him with concern. He covered his mouth with his paw, expressing disbelief. In a gesture filled with compassion, he patted Nuka on his back. "I feel so sorry for you. I would never say such a terrible thing to my cub."

Nuka's jaw trembled. Why wasn't this guy his stepfather? He would be a wonderful one!

"I should go home." Nuka didn't want to leave. He wished he could stay and chat more, just hang out, like a cub would with a father figure. "My name's Nuka. What's yours?"

The lion gnawed at zebra's meat, breaking the eye contact. Suddenly, he became thoughtful, as if in his mind he was reliving some painful memories.

"Scar." The lion resumed his meal.

"Because you have so many scars?" Nuka inquired, curious about the origins of the male's nickname.

Scar muttered an affirmative reply, chewing the zebra meat. Nuke nodded, repeating Scar's name in his thoughts. He would be mad at himself if he forgot it. As he headed for the cavern's exit, the adult lion's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Come every time when you'll feel the need to talk. I'll be there for you." Scar promised solemnly with that heart-warming smile of his. "And I would appreciate if you bring me some food from time to time."

"Okay." Nuka nodded.

"Oh, and one more thing." Scar's lowered his voice, as if she was about to share something private with the cub. He lifted his paw to his mouth in a silencing gesture. "Let's keep this encounter our little secret."

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Author's Note:

Thanks for reading and for reviewing, my dear cupcakes… I mean readers. I guess that the big reveal (Scar being alive) wasn't that surprising. Anyway, how will he influence the situation in the Outlands? Will he get his revenge on Simba? If you wish to know, keep reading and leave me a review.

Some feedback motivates me to write and update faster.