Here's chapter ten and please review.
I would like to thank CSIMentalistTLK lover, A Guest, Fluffy Hug, balto90, Aggregate Dragon, BlackLouie, Raina and Teddi 8347.
Also to answer Teddi 8347's question: Yes Simba is alive and he's still in the jungle because he refused to come back. And yes, I will be completing this story.
Anyway, here's chapter ten and please review. This chapter starts with the scene with Zira and the cubs from where it got left off. I don't know why, but it got cut off from the last chapter. Sorry about that.
Kiara backed up a bit so she was closer to Kopa. Kopa knew that his sister was a bit scared of Zira.
"Tell us then," Kopa said. "Pleeeeaase!"
"Tell us, Mother." Vitani said. "I wanna know too!"
"Very well then," Zira said. "Your father is a very easy lion to convince. Nala knew that very well and used that for her advantage."
"What do you mean?" Kiara asked.
"Your mother was jealous of my place as the Queen, and because your father is very easy to convince, she managed to convince him to mate with her and then take her in as the Queen." Zira said. Zira forced a few tears into her eyes, and used her paw to brush them away.
"When I found out, I was heartbroken. Your father just told me to get out and that he wanted Nala. Now he cares about that little liar more than the lioness who was once the Queen and his true love and mate!" Zira said, growling as she said the last part.
"That's not true!" Kiara cried. "Our mother would never do that!"
"I'm afraid she did, Kiara. I never thought she would do something terrible as that and I trusted her. The rest of the Pride did as well. Did you not notice that other than her close friends, the rest of the Pride hates her?" Zira asked.
Kiara thought for a moment. Other than her mother's close friends, the rest of the Pride didn't seem to like her mother much. Zira did have a point...
"No!" Kopa shot back. "Our mom would never do that!"
"She did Kopa. Now I, the true Queen have to live like a commoner. When my son, Nuka takes the throne, he will make sure that I live like a true Queen should!" Zira said, with a mad gleam in her eyes.
"Who knows if Nuka is even going to get the throne!?" Kopa shot back.
Zira roared at Kopa in anger and he backed up, nearly falling on Kiara.
"My son will be the King," Zira hissed, closing in on the twins who were trembling. Vitani was looking at the scene with wide eyes.
Suddenly, there was a roar of anger, and Kiara recognized that roar. It was Nala!
Nala leaped out of the shadows, and placed herself between her cubs and Zira, using her body to shield them. Kopa felt his heart ease when he saw his mother. He knew that nothing would ever happen to him or Kiara as long as she was there.
"Zira!" Nala growled. "If you touch my cubs I will end your life here and now!"
"Nala, you are clearly mistaken. I wasn't trying to harm your cubs." Zira said, with an innocent look on her face.
"Then?" Nala hissed, glaring at her.
"I was simply telling them the story," Zira sneered, "of you taking away my throne?"
"I took it away?" Nala demanded. "You know that Scar disowned you even before he took me in as the Queen! I played no role in you losing your throne. Whether I became Queen or not, Scar would have still chosen another Queen and it still wouldn't have been you!"
"You will someday pay for what you have done to me Nala. My son will someday take the throne! I will make sure of that!" Zira turned around and stormed away with Vitani hurrying after her.
"Mom?" Kiara asked.
Nala narrowed her eyes at them, "What are you two doing here?"
"We were looking for you, Mom." Kopa said. "Then we saw Vitani and while we were talking, Zira came up."
Nala took a deep breath, "From now on, you two are to go nowhere near Zira. Understand?"
The twins both nodded.
"So is that why you were Dad's second Queen?" Kopa asked. "Because he disowned Zira first?"
Nala nodded, with a small sigh.
"Why didn't you and Daddy tell us?" Kiara asked.
"We...we just thought it was better just up try and forget about it." Nala said. "Now come on."
She led them into the den and began cleaning Kiara as Kopa fed.
"Are Danyssa, Kovu, Jasiri or Hofu back yet?" Kiara asked. Kula, Shari and Tama had all gone to see their mates since they hadn't had a turn at Priderock for a couple months.
"No, dear." Nala said. "They're not."
"Why can't we go?" Kopa asked, wiping milk of his mouth.
Nala sighed, wondering how she would answer this.
"Mom?" Kopa asked.
"Because...as the Prince and Princess, your father doesn't like you going so near the border. It's dangerous." Nala answered. It was partially true anyways.
Kopa let out a huff of anger. "If I get chosen to be King, I'm gonna do whatever I want and no one will stop me!"
Nala smiled at her son, chuckling as he remembered Simba saying the exact same thing. He truly was Simba's son.
After both cubs had been fed and cleaned, Scar walked in.
"Daddy!" Kiara squealed and ran to Scar, nuzzling her cheek against his front leg. Scar bent down and nuzzled the top of her head.
Nala watched her daughter's actions. That should have been Simba and Kiara, not Scar and Kiara. She knew that Kiara loved Scar very much and that she was that 'daddy's little cub' type. That was what Nala was afraid of. She was scared that no matter what, Kiara would always side with Scar.
"Dad," Kopa said, as Scar and Kiara settled down next to them. "Can you tell Ed to stop teasing me about my mane? He won't stop bothering me!"
Scar gave him a fond smile, "What have I taught you? What's the best way to get something done?"
Kopa thought for a minute, "By being fierce and ruthless to show them who the boss is!"
"Exactly," Scar nodded, but Nala's heart clenched.
"Kiara," Scar said, turning to Kiara. "We have to talk about you and Eisha."
"What about us?" Kiara asked, giving him an innocent look.
Scar raised his eyebrows at her, "Don't act all innocent with me. I know you and the hyenas teased her today."
"Kiara," Nala said, narrowing her eyes at her cub. "What have we told you about this?"
"That I'm not allowed to tease her. But why?" Kiara demanded.
When I was young," Scar said, touching his nose to Kiara. "I knew a cub that was constantly teased. In the end, he was hurt so badly that he was never the same again."
"What happened to him?" Kopa asked.
"He changed completely. The once happy soul he had was lost." Scar replied, and his eyes had a distant look in them.
"Who was this cub, Daddy?" Kiara asked.
"A lion I once knew," Scar replied.
"Is he still in the Pride? Or did he leave the Pridelands?" Kopa asked.
"That," Scar said, in a dismissive tone. "Is for you to find out and me to know."
Kopa huffed and laid back down in Nala's paws. Nala chuckled and licked the top of his head.
"I don't want that happening to Eisha so don't let me find out that you teased her again? Understand?" Scar asked. "I've made it clear to the hyenas as well."
"Yes," Kiara said, nodding.
"Good," Nala said. "Now, it's time to sleep." She pulled the twins into her paws, and softly hummed a tune into their ears until they fell asleep.
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The next day, Kopa woke up at the crack of dawn, wanting to be the first one at training. As he trotted out of the den, he saw his grandfather, Runju walking out of the den.
Kopa barely talked with his grandparents. They didn't seem to want to talk with him, nor his mother.
Kopa remembered Zira telling him and Kiara that the Pride hated Nala for taking her spot as the Queen... But he refused to believe that. His father had chosen Nala to be the Queen because she was the best possible Queen.
But why wouldn't his grandparents be proud of Nala being the Queen? He had never thought of that before.
"Maybe, if I talked to Grandma and Grandma more, I can find out." Kopa thought.
"Grandpa!" Kopa called, trotting after Runju.
Runju startled and turned around, looking surprised at the sight of Kopa hurrying towards him. But the surprise on his face was replaced by a cold, unwelcoming stare.
"What is it Kopa?" Runju asked.
Kopa realized that he couldn't ask why he didn't like his mother straight forward. He should start with something else.
"Uh, is Hofu still asleep? We haven't played in a while, and..." Kopa's voice trailed off.
"He's still asleep, and I don't think he wants to play with you. He has other friends." Runju replied.
"He said he would!" Kopa huffed, and it was true. Hofu had told him that he would play with him.
"I'm gonna go wake up him up and ask!" Kopa exclaimed, and turned towards the den.
Runju's voice stopped him, "No, Kopa! He's tired and needs sleep."
"Why's he tired?" Kopa asked, "What did he do to be tired?"
"Kopa," Runju growled. "You, your siblings, your father and your mother all just sit back and expect us to do all their work for them. Of course we get tired! Unlike you, we actually do something!"
"That's not true! Dad said that he's going to be making Tanabi, Akila, Nuka and I all do training!" Kopa cried.
"And your mother," Runju seethed, "Is just as selfish as your father! Probably even worse!"
"Why do you hate Mom so much?" Kopa asked his voice quiet.
Runju went still, and suddenly his eyes filled with grief. "She betrayed us when we needed her the most."
"When was that?" Kopa asked.
Runju shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut, and then walked away from Kopa.
"When did she do that?" Kopa asked, trotting after Runju as fast as he could.
Suddenly, Runju whirled around and growled at Kopa. With a terrified yelp, Kopa jumped back.
"I'm not answering any more of your questions! I already wasted enough time with you!" Runju snarled.
Suddenly there was an angry roar, and Kopa felt someone pulling him back, and stepping in front of him.
It was Nala. Her sapphire blue eyes filled with anger as she glared at Runju.
"Stay away from my son!" Nala warned, before picking Kopa up by the scruff and carrying him away from Runju.
Nala made sure that they were well away from Runju before putting Kopa down on the ground.
Kopa shifted uncomfortably under his mother's angry gaze. He hated when she was mad at him.
"Kopa," Nala asked. "What were you doing with him?"
Kopa decided it best if he didn't tell his mother about his real intentions. It would only make her madder.
"I just went up and asked if Hofu was awake and he said no. Then when I was gonna go wake Hofu up, he told me not to and he told me that unlike them, they have problems." Kopa explained.
Nala was silent for a minute, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them, there was clear anger shining from her eyes.
"Are you mad at me?" Kopa asked. "I didn't know he would get mad at me."
"I'm not mad at you," Nala sighed. She bent down and nuzzled Kopa.
"Can I go find Akila and Tanabi?" Kopa asked, and Nala nodded.
An hour or so later, Kopa stood by his brothers as Scar stood in front of them.
"My sons," Scar said. "Today, your future will be shaped. Today, we will begin turning you into the lions that I need as King."
Kopa felt his heart pounding in his chest as he took Scar's words in. He so badly wanted to be King, and training would be his only chance to prove it.
"And if you don't mind, I've also invited Kahiri, Rojan, and Malka to join us." Scar added.
As if on cue, the three male cubs hurried towards them, their bright innocent eyes curious.
"Are we gonna start now?" Tanabi asked, and Scar nodded.
"Akila!" Scar ordered. "Attack Kopa!"
"What?" Akila and Tanabi both asked at the same time.
"I said attack!" Scar growled. "Scratch him, bite him, and claw him! Hurt him if you have to! Just attack!"
"But I can't hurt Kopa!" Akila protested. "He's my-"
"Attack!" Scar roared at him.
Feeling terrified of Scar, Akila tacked Kopa taking him down by surprise. Kopa managed to push Akila off, and Akila struggled to keep Kopa down.
"Keep attacking!" Scar roared.
Kopa felt one of Akila's claws running down his leg, and he winced in pain. He took a swipe at Akila, causing him to back up.
"Keep it up!" Scar ordered. Then he turned to Rojan, Tanabi and Kahiri.
"Rojan, Kahiri attack Tanabi!" Scar snapped.
"That's not fair-" Tanabi tried to say, but he was pinned down by the other two. He struggled to get up, but he couldn't.
"Nuka!" Scar ordered, facing his eldest. "Attack me!"
Nuka always did anything to please Scar so after a second of hesitation, he hurled himself at Scar. Scar slammed his paw on his shoulder, and Nuka crashed on the ground, gasping in pain. But he forced himself up, and continued trying to attack his father, only to be brought down each time.
Meanwhile, Kopa and Akila were still fighting.
"I'm gonna win this Kopa!" Akila grunted. "I have to!"
"So do I!" Kopa shot back, and threw himself at Akila again. He felt anger burning inside him every time Akila blocked one of his attacks, but he refused to give up.
"Kopa!" Came a voice. "What are you doing?"
Kopa and Tanabi both stopped to see Nala staring at Kopa with wide horrified eyes.
"I'm training!" Kopa grunted, feeling a bit irritated.
"This isn't training...it's..." Nala's voice trailed off, unable to find a word to describe the scene of the cubs trying to kill each other.
"Nala?" Scar noticed her, and walked up to her, giving her a nuzzle. Nala quickly jerked back.
"Scar," Nala said. "Come here...I want a moment with you."
Scar turned to some hyenas that were standing by. "Take care of Nuka!"
The couple walked a distance off, before Scar turned to his mate again. "Honey, what's wrong?"
"I thought they were training," Nala said.
"They are," Scar said.
"Scar, that isn't training. That's...you can't let them do that...they're only cubs..." Nala said.
"It will turn them into powerful fighters someday." Scar insisted.
"I won't let my son do that! He's hurting his own...siblings!" Nala seethed. "That's isn't training! It's...it's...brutal!"
"Nala," Scar said his voice perfectly calm. "You want your son to become King, don't you? This is his best chance at being King. He must train like this every day."
"If you want him to train so badly, I'll train him myself." Nala snapped.
"No!" Scar growled. "He will train with me and his brothers!"
"You can't do that to him!" Nala cried. "He's barely near his adolescence ages and he has to do this every day?"
"Yes," Scar said. "He will and nothing you say will change my mind."
"I won't let him do this!" Nala growled, blocking Scar's way as he tried to walk away.
"Nala..." Scar said, his voice threatening.
"I-" Nala began, but she was cut off by a new voice.
"Mom! Daddy!" Kiara bounded down the path towards them.
Scar bent down and nuzzled her. The anger and irritation in his eyes disappeared completely. Nala had noticed that Scar adored Kiara and she seemed to be his favorite. No matter what mood he was in, he would always find time for her daughter.
That was both a blessing and curse to her cub. A blessing because it would save her from Scar's anger if he would ever take it out on her. And a curse because it made Kiara completely devoted to Scar. And if she ever found out who her true father was, it would make it hard on her.
"Anything wrong Kiara?" Nala asked.
"Can I train with my brothers too?" Kiara asked. "I'm so bored and there's no one to play with me!"
"Absolutely not!" Nala said.
"Why?" Kiara asked. "I have nothing else to do, Mom and the rest if my friends aren't at Priderock these days."
"It's only your brothers and I, Kiara." Scar said. "Neither you or your sisters will be joining us. But why don't you go play Malaika or Tamara." He wanted Kiara to become friends with them so he could talk Kopa and his other sons into becoming friends with them. After all, they were future mates.
Kiara's face fell, "I don't really like Malaika. And Tamara's with her mom."
"Oh," Scar said. "And why don't you like Malaika?"
"Because she thinks she's the best at everything. She's so annoying!" Kiara complained.
"Why don't you go play with Shenzi, Banzai and Ed then?" Scar asked. "You haven't played with them in a while."
"Right! I forgot about them!" Kiara exclaimed and she ran off.
Scar turned back to Nala who had an amused smile on her face at her daughter's antics.
Scar leaned in to her, and gave her cheek a lick. "Now that's a face I love to see."
Nala suppressed a sigh, knowing that she couldn't win this argument. He wouldn't be easier on Kopa and the other boys.
''I'll see you later then,'' Nala said. ''But please, don't be so hard on the boys.'' She gave him a nuzzle.
''Very well then,'' Scar said, and he walked away to return to training.
Hope you enjoyed and please review. We will see the results of training in the next chapter. And for those of you who read my other stories, please be patient as I will try and update as soon as possible.