Chapter 5: The Aftermath

The long walk back to Pride Rock was deafeningly quiet. Harry just knew he had done it this time. He'd gone off on his own before, but always in the Pride Lands and his dad normally found him a few minutes later, usually chatting with a cheetah or even once, he met 3 hyenas who had tried to eat him as an infant and had come back to finish the job.

His mother nuzzled him before going inside the cave they called homeHe saw his sister at the mouth waiting for them to come in as the sun started to set in the sky. He saw his dad sitting near the peak and automatically knew he wanted Harry there with him.

"Daddy I-" Harry said before Simba cut him in mid sentence.

"What where you thinking Harry?" Simba asked his human son. "You know the Outlands are forbidden to go to."

"I was curious." Harry said. "You never give any description, you only say their a forbidden area. How could I not be curious?"

"You could have been killed!" Simba said angrily to his son. "As the younger Prince if Kiara and her mate are killed you'll have to take the throne until their cub is old enough to-"

"What if I don't want to be King?" Harry retorted making Simba lay his ears down in disappointment. "Its no fun."

"That's like saying you don't want to be human." Simba said to his son. "Its part of who you are." He nuzzled his son in a comforting manner and purred to him making Harry relax. "You'll understand some day." He said as the son went down and night fully enveloped the Pride Lands.

…...

Earlier, Zira had carried Kovu to their home in the Outlands. Lionesses could be seen fighting, or playing tug of war to see who got a scrap of spare meat. When she said they had little food it was not an exaggeration. She would at times go into the Pridelands and nab a stray zebra or two for her pride, or a warthog here and there.

Nuka, the older half brother of Kovu, was brooding about everyone's obsession over the little runt. "Kovu Kovu Kovu, Scar wasn't even his father. He just, took him in." He came upon his younger sister, Vitani. Who was playing with a leafless tree branch and tugging on it trying to get it to come off. "Oh hey Vitani, where's the little termite Kovu? The Chosen One." He reached down with his paw with a claw extended and brought it up fast, cutting the branch and sending the lioness cub tumbling backwards. He laughed hysterically as Vitani regained her balance.

"Nuka, where's Kovu? Did you leave him out there on his own again?" Vitani asked angrily. Her older brother resented Kovu because their father, Scar himself, paid more attention when Nuka needed him the most to his adopted son, Kovu. She found this pathetic.

"Hey its every lion for himself out here." Nuka snapped back as he started scratching his back with his back claws. "That little termites gotta learn to live on his own."

"Mother's gonna be mad, she told you to watch him." Vitani pointed out.

"Oh who cares," Nuka said, still scratching at the termites. "I should have been the chosen one. I'm the oldest. I'm the smartest. OH THESE TERMITES!" He screamed, scratching hysterically. He began to scoot across the ground on his backside. "I...could be...a leader...if she'd just give me a chance."

"Yeah right, why don't ya tell it to her?" Vitani asked.

"Don't think I WON'T.."

"Oh yeah?" Vitani laughed. "Here's your chance." She said, seeing their mother coming with Kovu in her mouth.

"Mother?" Nuka asked, perking up and seeing Zira. "Mother! Hi, ha ha ha ha, mother I caught some field mice for your dinner I left them...oh...ok." He said as she put Kovu down and Vitani wandered over to her half brother.

"Hey Kovu, wanna fight?" Vitani asked, starting to snarl and get onto her front legs as did Kovu with grins on their faces.

"You...where supposed to be watching him!" Zira snapped at Nuka who recoiled in fear.

"I-its not his fault! I went off on my own!" Kovu spoke up in defense of their older brother.

"What did you think you where doing?" Zira turned to Kovu coming up on him causing Kovu to fall on his back.

"N-nothing." Kovu said.

"Who has made us Outsiders?" Zira snarled.

"Simba!"

"Who killed SCAR?" Zira snapped.

"Simba!"

"What, have I told you, about THEM?" Zira ordered her son to answer.

"I'm sorry mother." Kovu whimpered. "H-he didn't seem so bad. I-i-i, thought we could be-"

"FRIENDS?" Zira finished for him getting in his face. "You thought you could get to the younger son, and Simba would welcome you with open arms?" She asked in disbelief, pacing back and forth. "WHAT, an idea." She then thought it over. "What, an IDEA!" She said excitedly. "Well done Kovu. You brilliant, brilliant child." She praised her youngest son and cub. Petting his back. "You have the same conniving mind that made Scar so...powerful."

Kovu tried to get away as she scratched at the base of his tail making his hind come up as it did in all felines. "I see now, our glorious return to power."

"B-but I don't want-"

"HUSH!" Zira ordered her son as she put him to bed in a little nest he had. "Hush, my little one. You must be exhausted." She nuzzled her son

"Goodnight." Kovu said.

"Goodnight, my little prince." Zira said as she left. "Tomorrow your training, intensifies."

To Be Continued...

As with The Wizard King, I won't be doing the songs. I just can't. Its a quirk.

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Dean the Cuddly Fox