Here's chapter fourteen and please review.
I'd like to thank balto90, Asaf, Fluffy Hug, Raina, BlackLouie, fthn, CrazyFairyTrailer, A Guest, XxXAmyLeeForeverXxX, Aggregate Dragon, and CSIMentalistTLK lover for reviewing. I really appreciate it.
Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Suddenly the next thing everyone knew was that Scar was pinning Zira down. Kiara and Kopa hurried to their mother's side while Vitani stood on trembling legs.
Scar was growling dangerously at Zira while she was trying to talk but the impact of being taken down by Scar was too much.
"Zira," Scar hissed. "I want a good reason as to why you were attacking Nala!"
"Scar, you're mistaken." Zira said. "She was interfering with my mothering to Vitani."
"Interfering?" Nala growled. "You tried to strike her!"
"She' my daughter!" Zira hissed. "I will do what I feel like I need to do. You-"
"Enough!" Scar snarled. "Whatever Nala did does not matter! She is your Queen and she is higher than you! And I know you strike Vitani often! Don't act like this is the first time you did!"
"She is my daughter!" Zira growled. "I can do what I want! I brought her into this world!"
"You've have committed a crime attacking your Queen," Scar hissed raising his paw give Zira a killing blow to the neck. "And all crimes must be punished!"
Nala watched the scene with wide eyes. In less than a minute, Zira would be dead. Half her was glad, knowing that she would no longer be a threat to Kiara and Kopa, but she knew letting Zira die wasn't a noble thing to do.
"Father!" Vitani squeaked. ''Please! Don't kill her.''
''Vitani,'' Scar said. ''Why do you say that?''
''Because…because…she's my mother.'' Vitani whimpered.
''Doesn't she strike you often?'' Scar asked. ''Wouldn't you want her dead?''
''No,'' Vitani said. ''I don't want her to die.''
Scar nodded and looked back at Zira who was looking at Vitani, clearly shocked.
''I won't kill you, thanks to Vitani. Although you have struck her many times, she still doesn't want you dead. Your daughter has a much better heart than you!'' Scar growled, letting Zira up.
Zira growled silently. Her hatred for Nala intensified knowing that Scar would have killed her for attacking Nala! Nala had taken her position and now Nala was the precious one to Scar, not her! She stormed out of the den.
''Daddy? Mom?'' Kiara's voice interrupted the silence.
''Yes Kiara?'' Scar asked.
''I…Zira…never mind…'' Kiara's voice trailed off.
''Nala, come outside with me.'' Scar said. ''I have to talk to you about something.''
Nala nodded and followed Scar outside where they found a place that they could talk.
''Has she done this before?'' Scar asked.
''What?'' Nala asked.
''Threatened you,'' Scar replied.
Nala sighed, ''Yes she has.''
''And you didn't tell me?'' Scar asked, narrowing his eyes.
''Telling you would mean that you would have punished Zira. If you had punished her with death, both Nuka and Vitani would have been motherless.'' Nala hissed. ''Even if you hadn't punished her with death, her being punished would have only increased her hatred towards me and she might have taken it out on Kiara and Kopa. She knows that the thing that would hurt me the most is if something happens to Kiara or Kopa.''
''You are the Queen!'' Scar exclaimed. ''You have power over her!''
''Zira doesn't care whether I am the Queen or not.'' Nala snapped. ''In her eyes, she is still the Queen of Priderock.''
''You should have told me!'' Scar growled. ''I'm the King and I have the right to know.''
'' Everything I do is to protect Kiara and Kopa.'' Nala said. ''I know that her hatred will only grow if you punish her. And I won't risk her taking her anger out on them.''
Scar nodded, eyeing her carefully. ''Very well then. But if she threatens you again, I expect you to tell me. Then I after your consent, I will decide if I punish her or not.''
''Alright,'' Nala nodded, and the two of them went into the den.
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Time passed and another year and a half passed. With that, cubs grew into adolescents, and adolescents grew into full-fledged Pride members. Scar's sons still continued to train and they continued to grow darkness except for Tanabi.
One day, Tanabi was walking up Priderock when he bumped into Scar.
''Sorry Dad.'' Tanabi said.
'' Tanabi,'' Scar said. ''Come with me. I want to talk to you.''
''Alright,'' Tanabi said, following him to the peak of Priderock.
''Tell me,'' Scar said, settling down. ''Why do you enjoy being with the rebel Pride so much?''
''They're really nice and I like my friends there.'' Tanabi said.
''Are the adults nice to you as well?'' Scar asked, although he already knew the answer.
''Yeah.'' Tanabi said. ''I love listening to the stories they tell us.''
''What kind of stories?'' Scar asked.
Tanabi remembered Nala and some others warning him not to tell Scar about him learning about Mufasa. He knew how Scar was when he got mad.
''A lot of stuff,'' Tanabi shrugged. ''About different animals, about how the Pridelands used to look and a lot of other things.''
Scar nodded, obviously deep in thought.
''Can I go now?'' Tanabi asked, and Scar nodded.
Once he left, Scar continued thinking. Why would the rebel Pride open up so warmly to one of his sons when they barely tolerated Kiara and Kopa? Kiara and Kopa were Nala's children and they still weren't welcome with the adults.
''Perhaps this is why Tanabi is so different from Akila, Nuka and Kopa.'' Scar thought. ''Because he's with the rebel Pride so often. They're changing him and by the way things are going, Tanabi cannot be King like this. He's too soft at heart unlike my other sons.''
Tanabi could have become to be like his brothers, but he hadn't. The darkness that Akila, Nuka and Kopa showed wasn't something that Tanabi had. The only explanation was the rebel Pride.
Was this part of the rebellion? Scar wondered if the rebel Pride wanted Tanabi to play a part in it.
''I have to be prepared and make sure my bloodline is secure.'' Scar thought. ''If there is a rebellion, Tanabi might side with the rebel Pride. Kopa, Nuka and Akila will defend me. Even if I get killed in the rebellion, my sons are still there with royal blood. And if they get killed, my daughter could flee the Pridelands, have cubs of their own, and my grandsons could avenge me and my sons.''
Scar felt his heart ease knowing that his bloodline was secure but what if his daughters were killed as well? The rebel Pride might not see them as a threat, but they might. Perhaps Nala's friends would force them to spare Kiara. But what if it didn't happen?
''I need a cub that the rebel Pride doesn't know about. So even if all my children are killed, my hidden cub will stay alive.'' Scar thought. ''Perhaps I could convince Nala to mate with me again…I might be past my cub bearing stage but it's still worth a try.''
''Daddy?'' Came a voice. Scar turned to see Eisha approaching him.
''Yes my dear?'' Scar asked.
''I was just wondering what you were doing here,'' Eisha said, shaking her head and settling down. She had grown just as the others had and was starting to look like more of a lioness than a cub.
''Eisha,'' Scar said. ''If something terrible was to ever happen to our family, in the end, what brother would you choose?''
Eisha was silent for a minute. ''I'm not quite sure. I know that Vitani will always support Nuka and Kiara will always support Kopa. I'm not as close as I was to Tanabi as before but I've drifted away from Akila as well. And I've never really been fond of Nuka. But I wouldn't be able to choose between Kopa, Akila and Tanabi.''
''But what if those brothers were against each other?'' Scar persisted. ''Who would you choose?''
"I'm not sure.'' Eisha sighed. ''I can't choose like that.''
''Very well then,'' Scar said. ''Which one of your sisters would you choose?''
Secretly, Eisha knew it would be Vitani. She was quite annoyed with Kiara. She was better at her in everything! Eisha knew that everyone thought that Kiara was prettier than her and it drove her insane! Even at their pouncing and stalking lessons the lionesses gave them, no matter how hard she tried, Kiara was always better than her.
She remembered how much she had enjoyed playing with her sister when they had been very young. But a while after, Kiara had proven to be better than her in every way and she hated it!
''Vitani.'' Eisha sighed. ''I would choose Vitani.''
''I thought that you would say that.'' Scar nodded. ''But who do you think Kiara would choose?''
Eisha knew that Kiara had a better heart than her and was much kinder.
''She wouldn't be able to choose between Vitani and I.'' Eisha replied.
''That's right.'' Scar said.
''You're not mad, are you?'' Eisha asked.
''Of course not.'' Scar said. ''Now run along. You have pouncing and stalking lessons soon.''
Eisha nodded and bounded off, leaving him alone.
Scar thought of what Eisha had said and he knew the answers the rest of his sons and daughters would give him. He needed his children to bond together more so if there was a rebellion, they would stick together. His sons had trained well and together they were an unstoppable force. His daughter, he hoped they would become powerful lionesses one day and support their brothers.
Scar's thoughts drifted off the Nuka, his firstborn. Out of all his children, he clearly saw him shining from Nuka. Nuka was always trying to impress him just like he had done with his father. But of course, Ahadi had never been satisfied with him just like he never seemed to be satisfied with Nuka. But against all odds, Scar had kept going and he saw his son doing just the same. He knew that no one thought that Nuka stood a chance at being King, but yet that didn't stop him from trying and Scar was proud of him for that. His oldest son truly took after him more than the others.
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Meanwhile, Kiara was waiting for the lionesses to come and give the young females beginner hunting lessons. She was glad that her aunts and mother's friends had made sure that she could join Jasiri and Danyssa's group when they were being taught. The males joined them once in a while and she knew that they were going to today.
Kiara bounded into the den but then she felt herself bump into someone and she fell onto her stomach. She looked up and winced when she saw who it was.
It was Runju.
"Sorry Grandpa," Kiara said, lowering her head.
"Be careful!" Runju grunted. "You could hurt someone!"
"I didn't see you coming," Kiara said, looking up at him.
"Of course you didn't!" Runju snapped. "You always have your head in the clouds! You and your siblings frolic around all day while we actually work to support the Pride!"
Kiara narrowed her sapphire blue eyes at him. But before she could say anything, she felt someone at her side. It was Kopa.
"Leave her alone." Kopa hissed, narrowing his amber red eyes at Runju, growling under his breath. With his mane slowly beginning to grow in on his head and chest, he looked dangerous.
"Dad!" It was Hofu. He approached the three of them and nudged Runju.
"Dad, let's go. They're not worth spending our time on." Hofu said, gazing at Kiara and Kopa coldly with emerald green eyes.
Runju walked past them briskly leaving the adolescents alone.
Kiara looked at Hofu. As time had passed, he had grown to dislike her and Kopa along with the rest of their siblings just like their grandparents and a lot of the rebel Pride. He no longer wanted to play with them and avoided her and Kopa as much as possible. When she had told her mother, Nala's eyes had filled with incredible grief but she had only said "If Hofu doesn't want to spend time with you, then its okay. You must remember that he will always follow in my parent's path and will someday be just like them. You, my sweet Kiara, must learn to let them go. The only ones that will really be there for you are those who truly care about you."
"What're you looking at?" Kopa demanded, shoving Hofu over and he fell with a surprised yelp.
"Kiara, let's go." Kopa said, pulling her away from a growling Hofu.
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As the adolescents began hunting training, Jasiri and Kiara were doing their best to improve their pouncing positions.
Kiara saw that Kopa hadn't even bothered to come and join them.
"Kopa!" Jasiri called. "Aren't you coming?"
"No," Kopa grunted. "I've got this all down."
Jasiri looked at him. As a cub, they had played all the time and Jasiri hadn't liked anything more than being able to play with Kopa. He had been so much fun. But after he had started training, he had changed a lot and barely even bothered talking with her. He was no longer the same Kopa she had known.
Jasiri looked at Kiara who gave her a sad shrug.
"Yesterday," Jasiri said. "The adults told us stories about Simba and Mufasa."
"Who?" Kiara asked.
"Mufasa was Scar's brother and Simba was his son." Jasiri explained. "Mufasa was the King before Scar and Simba was supposed to be the King after him."
"What happened to them?" Kiara asked.
"One day," Jasiri said. "Simba was playing in the gorge when a stampede of antelope charged at him. Mufasa tried saving him but they both died in the stampede."
"That's terrible." Kiara breathed. Both her uncle and cousin had died in the gorge. No wonder the gorge was off limits.
"You know what else?" Jasiri asked.
"What?" Kiara asked.
"Your mom was intended to Simba!" Jasiri exclaimed.
"What?!" Kiara yelped.
"Yup," Jasiri said. "Sarabi told me herself."
"Wow," Kiara murmured. "Mom never told me any of that."
"It's true." Jasiri said, nodding.
"I'll ask her more later," Kiara said.
That night in the den, Kiara turned to Nala who was resting with her eyes closed.
"Mom?" Kiara asked.
"What is it?" Nala asked, raising her head.
"Is it true that Daddy had a brother named Mufasa and a nephew named Simba?" Kiara asked.
"How did you find out?" Nala asked.
"Sarabi told Jasiri and Jasiri told me." Kiara replied. "So it's true?"
"Yes," Nala said. "It is. Simba was my best friend I was intended to him before he ran away."
"Wait?" Kiara asked. "Ran away?"
"No," Nala said, quickly. "Sorry, I meant died."
Kiara nodded and settled her head down in her paws, obviously in deep thought. Nala's heart ached as she looked at her daughter. She so badly wanted to tell her who her true father was and he bit her tongue to keep her mouth shut.
"Mom! Kiara!" Kopa ran into the den.
"What is it?" Nala asked.
"Dad's having a huge gathering for all the hyenas and the lions." Kopa said, panting.
"About what?" Kiara asked.
"He's announcing the future King!"