Disclaimer: I don't own Lion King.

.

Author's Note:

You were so close… only two reviews were missing ;-)

Thanks to all reviewers, the awesome regulars and the new ones, like rawr. Also, mysterious Guest, please think of some nick so that I could thank you properly! Anyway, enjoy one of the last chapters of the arc!

.

.

Chapter 11: Showdown

.

Zira stepped forward, shielding her two young cubs with her body. The newborn wailed loudly and Vitani placed a paw over his muzzle, making her little brother lay silently. Zira looked away from her mate briefly, glancing after Nuka, who had disappeared in the distance. As cowardly as his actions were, he behaved smartly. She would escape as well, but it would be impossible right after giving birth, with two small cubs to look after. Her only option was to take her stand and defend her offspring to the last breath.

Msuli didn't seem to be in a hurry. He sat on a ledge not far from Zira and observed her calmly. He had been scratched – unfortunately, none of his injuries were life-threatening. His far fur was heavily stained with blood. The dark liquid dried in the sun quickly, dying his pelt dark brown. There was too much blood on him for it to had seeped out of his wounds. Suddenly, a horrifying feeling stirred within Zira's heart.

"What did you do?" she asked in a raspy voice.

In response, Msuli gave her an awfully self-satisfied smile, which made her regret she stated the question in the first place. It would have sufficed for an answer, but Zira's mate decided to explain anyway.

"I merely fulfilled my promise." Msuli growled, emphasizing his words by striking the ground with his paw. The powerful blow made the dust fly up. Zira flinched and backed away, pushing her cubs further from her mate. Casually, Msuli made a step forward, dangerously closing the distance between her and him.

In a heartbeat, Zira made her desperate decision. As fast as she could, she spun around and snatched her newborn by the loose skin on the back of his neck. She swooped her son off the ground and dashed out. Zira wasn't really watching where she was going, driven by blind instinct to flee and protect her young. Vitani followed her, barely keeping up.

Msuli narrowed his eyes, visibly irritated by Zira's behavior. Like a playful cub, he paced in place for some time, letting his mate to have a head start until he chased after her. His powerful, monstrously strong muscles allowed him to move a few times quicker than the exhausted female. The ground rumbled every time his heavy paws made the contact with it. Vitani's panicked squeak made him cackle. The cub tripped, and Zira gave her a push, urging to get up.

The male lion was toying with them, presenting Zira with an illusion that they could actually escape – as soon as he was already catching up, he slowed his pace, so that the distance would be more or less even. He didn't even breath quicker, while the frantic race wore Zira out. Her legs felt stiff, paws became incredibly heavy, and Vitani couldn't run anymore.

Msuli's mocking laughter followed them until Zira realized that she wound up near the dam. The river was dry, but an astounding pile of boulders and fallen trees built an obstacle for the water that wasn't there. Scared for her cubs' lives, Zira didn't even slow down – she leapt onto the unstable trunks. Her claws grazed the wood, and the surface beneath her paws rocked.

Simultaneously, a deafening roar echoed across the desolate riverbed. Msuli was done playing and prolonging the hunt. He sped up abruptly, and everything happened so fast afterward. Vitani shrieked, but Zira didn't manage to turned her head back in time, before something snatched her tail. She almost dropped her newborn, when her tail got yanked brutally. Her claws grazed three deep crevices on the trunk.

"You won't get away from me, not ever!" Msuli yelled, dragging her off the dam and into his clutches. Zira fought back, but her strength meant nothing compared to his unadulterated power. As carefully as she could, she put her wailing newborn on the ground and twisted her back to deliver a blow to Msuli. However, her paw never reached its destination. Her head turned, when her mate slapped her across her muzzle.

"Mother!" Vitani called, scrambling herself off the ground. Perhaps it was instinct, maybe it was out of bravery, but she ran toward her mistreated mother and younger brother. Protectively, she shielded him from her father, the way Zira always protected her cubs from aggressors.

Zira yelped, when Msuli tossed her aside. She rolled and almost fell off the rocky edge into the dry riverbed, but she sank her claws into the ground. An unpleasant screech made her ears hurt, but she managed to prevent her fall. She lifted her head in time to see Msuli prowl toward her cubs.

Vitani bared her little teeth and let out a whine which was supposed to be a terrifying growl. She snarled and threatened with her tiny claws, but it took Msuli only one powerful blow to toss her aside. Zira's heart wrenched from horror when she heard her daughter's painful squeal.

Afterward, Msuli stared at a little dark hairball on the ground. Away from his mother, the cub lifted his head, calling her. His eyes were closed yet, he was so helpless. Msuli narrowed his eyes, and Zira could see pure hatred reflect in his cold, blue irises, as he made the connection.

"He's not my son!" He roared, furious.

Msuli lifted his heavy paw, intent on squashing the newborn like a bug. This sight gave Zira a boost. Although beaten and exhausted, she found in herself a whole new reserve of strength to defend her cub. Fast like a cheetah and deadly like a charging cape buffalo, she jumped to her paws and launched herself at Msuli. The lion didn't expect such a fierce attack. Zira crashed into him, and the momentum swept him off his paws.

Together, they tumbled on the ground. Eventually, Zira found herself atop of her mate and she made her move without hesitating. Msuli roared, when her claws tore his nose, barely missing his eyes. She readied herself to inflict another hit, but the male got his act together. Effortlessly, he threw Zira off him and before she could get away, he pinned her down. She struggled and wriggled in his grasp, but his sheer weight made holding her down a cub's play. Growling, Msuli delivered a blow straight to her muzzle to get back for what she had done to her.

Zira twisted her neck at an unbelievable angle. Msuli's paw brushed past the side of her head, and pain flared, as one of his claw pieced her ear. She gritted her teeth. Msuli moved his paw, tearing a chunk of Zira's ear and readied himself to finish her off.

"Leave her alone!" a high-pitched voice called. Zira recognized it instantly, and so did Msuli. He held her pressed to the ground, when he shifted his attention to the mangy, gray cub, who dared to interrupt him.

"Nuka, no," Zira whispered.

Nuka looked like a terrified hyena, but stood his ground nonetheless, facing off Msuli. He looked so pathetically unthreatening, that his mere sight elicited the adult male's rumbling laughter.

"And who is going to stop me? You?" There was much disdain and mockery in Msuli's voice.

"No," Nuka said, staring his stepfather straight in the eye. "Him."

He stepped aside, revealing someone quite unexpected. Zira's eyes widened. On the dam stood a male lion; she had never seen him before. Carrying numerous scars, he looked, as if he was no stranger to battles. Zira only hoped that he had been at a winning side during those scuffles. The stranger's stupefied muzzle expression didn't indicate that he showed up to save the day though.

"Oh my." Carefully, he made a step back, flashing an apologetic smile at Msuli. "It was not my intention to interrupt. My sincere apologies."

Msuli stared him down.

"You're not going anywhere."

.

Scar cursed his own stupidity the moment he set his paw onto the dam. The skinny brat led him into a trap! He arrived just in time to partake in a particularly violent family argument – the adult pair of lions had blood on them and Vitani's pelt was nightmarishly ruffled. Aware that his rear would be ruffled next, Scar made a hasty decision to retreat.

"I said, you're not going anywhere!" The huge male with fair pelt roared. He left the female, he was abusing, and prowled toward the dam.

Quickly, Scar estimated his chances in an event of fight and came to the conclusion that they were non-existent. Even if he were uninjured, in his prime, he would certainly lose. So called Msuli was one bulky lion, a walking heap of muscles, teeth and claws pieced together. Suddenly, his late brother Mufasa seemed to be scrawny and out of shape in comparison. Had this male's ancestors bred with elephants?

Musli set his legs apart, making himself look even more buffed, if only that was possible. Scar couldn't notice the similarity to a mad hippo. The fair lion bared his teeth.

"Who are you?" he growled.

Scar was no fool. He hunched his back in a submissive posture and evoked a polite smile. He was about to talk his way out of this dangerous situation, but, unfortunately, someone introduced him first.

"He's Scar!" Vitani exclaimed, dramatically pointing at the battered lion.

"And he's here to beat you up." Nuka finished.

Scar's eyes widened at the not quite wanted introduction. He let out a nervous, humorless chuckle. Damn cubs.

Msuli assumed a fighting stance, as if he thought that his rival needed to be intimidated more. Something in his fierce gaze made Scar feel even more threatened. Clearly, this male took liking in killing.

"He's here to beat me up." Msuli mocked Vitani's words, commenting them with a spurt of unhinged laughter. He surveyed Scar from the tips of his paws to his ears. The disdainful expression on his muzzle betrayed what he made of his potential opponent. Reluctantly, Scar shared his opinion. Msuli growled, showing off his long claws. "Fine, let's fight!"

The logs under Scar's paws shook, as he took a step backward. With his head still down, he made an attempt to wriggle himself out of his certain death.

"I'm afraid that we have a misunderstanding," he said quickly, before the cursed cubs could interrupt. "I was merely passing by. If you would allow it, I will be already on my way."

Scar flashed his most apologetic smile at Msuli. He ignored the eerily familiar condescending looks on Nuka's and Vitani's muzzled. Surely, the two of them learnt faster that he would like. As Scar saw that Msuli wasn't moving to pounce on him and ripped him apart, he took it as a permission to surrender. Before the bulky monster could change his mind, he made his way toward the opposite bank of the empty riverbed, walking backward.

The Kings of Old weren't watching over Scar though. He suspected that it might have do something to do with the incident of him getting rid of Mufasa. It appeared that Scar would escape the fight after all, when Msuli's gaze wandered from the retreating male to the newborn, cowering behind Vitani. The little cub's fur was dark, like Scar's. It didn't take the lion-shaped heap of muscles came to a conclusion, which wasn't fortunate for the former ruler of the Pride Lands.

"You!" Msuli roared accusingly, pointing his paw at Scar. "You're the one my mate cheated one with!"

Scar froze, startled and confused by the ridiculous inculpation.

"Excuse me?" He coughed out.

"You know what I mean!" Msuli yelled. His blue eyes bulged, as if they were about to pop out of the sockets.

"I don't, actually," Scar said. He didn't. His gaze traveled to Msuli's mate. What was her name? Nuka must have told him… Ah, Zira. He glanced at her. Zira lay in the dirt, panting. She was alive, for Scar could see her breathing, but she had no strength to get up. Nonetheless, lately, Scar wasn't intimately involved with any female, much less Msuli's mate. The term "lately" referred to the majority of his adult life, sadly.

"You seduced her, stole her from me!" Msuli kept ranting, shedding more light on crimes, Scar hadn't committed. "You fathered the cub, who was supposed to be my heir!"

Now that was preposterous! Scar's gaze wandered in the direction, Msuli was pointing. Indeed, a newborn cub lay there, guarded by Vitani. The little one looked nothing like Scar. Well, perhaps the color of the pelt matched, but coincident occur every once in a while, don't they?

"I'm not the cub's father. And I haven't laid a paw on your mate, believe me," Scar said, trying to sound sincere and convincing. He didn't even have to lie. Msuli, however, seemed to be blinded by his rage. The built up wrath needed a release and Scar was an easy target. Slowly, he prowled toward the battered rival, stalking him like a prey.

"So you think you can sneak in my lands, seduce my mate and get away with it?" He growled.

Suddenly, Scar realized that the whole time he had been standing in the middle of the dam like a fool. He should have run earlier. Cautiously not to slip, he stepped back.

"You weren't listening to me, I-" Scar struggled to explain, that Msuli was mistaken.

"And now you dare to call me stupid!" The bulky lion yelled, foxing Scar once more.

"No one called you stupid." Scar negotiated. "Let's just calm down and discuss the matter like adults."

"I am an adult!" Msuli roared.

Scar barely refrained himself from rolling his eyes demonstratively. The male before him was so dense, that his former hyena associates now seemed like geniuses. At least they had some control over their tempers, a trait Msuli obviously lacked.

"Of course you are." Scar thought himself to be a smooth-talker and a fine diplomat, but his ability waned when faced with such an idiot.

"Don't mock me!" Msuli roared.

Scar sighed. He run out of energy to talk some sense into this brainless brute. As he understood that reasoning wouldn't save his precious skin, he went for the only other option that was still available for him. Scar spun around, moving as fast as his battered body allowed. Like a spooked wildebeest, he dashed out to flee the danger. He heard a short, yet threatening growl, when Msuli launched himself to chase him.

.

.

.

Author Note:

So, what do you think of this showdown? Please review and make me update early, for the final fight will continue in Chapter 12! It will be brutal, I assure you.

I remind you of a rule in Arc 1: "Msuli" (first 13 chapters): As soon as I get 10 reviews from you, I'll update right away! No waiting.