Chapter Five - Still Alive

Many, many months ago...

"Zira...I'll help you!" a young Kiara stretched her paw out. She was perched on a rock high above a rushing river, and dangling from this rock was the cruel lioness Zira. Zira looked up, an expression of terror and confusion on her face. She gripped at the rock for dear life. She could take the paw of the Pridelander, or stay loyal to Scar and ignore Kiara's offering of help.

Small chunks of rock crumbled beneath Zira's paws, back claws scraping the hard surface. Maybe Kiara was right...maybe she should take her paw...

But it was too late. The crumbling rock loosened her grip and she fell towards the powerful foaming river. The fall seemed to take ages, all seemed silent. She could see Kiara staring in shock one moment, and the next she fell with great force into the churning waters. Her mouth filled with water. Her paws scraped at the air, trying to find a hold, and her body was pushed downstream. She gasped for breath, but of course, there was no air to be found. She tried to push herself up, but the rushing river stopped her.

High above the river, Kiara turned her gaze from the horrible scene as her father Simba helped her off the cliff. Zira's previous allies stared in shock, then shook their heads and turned towards Kovu, Kiara and Simba...towards a new life.

Very soon, the river slowed. Huge logs, which had been holding the river back before its waters came rushing out, floated quickly downstream. Zira was, surprisingly, still alive. The calm water allowed her to finally stick her head out. She took a long, massive breath, legs kicking to keep her afloat. Air, sweet air! She was lightheaded and confused. Using her last bit of energy she swam to a floating log. Swimming took great amounts of effort, but once the lioness latched onto a log, her tired muscles were able to rest.

Simba and his pride hadn't seen Zira surface. They had long since returned to Pride Rock. Zira let out a low growl. Her allies and her children had turned on her. And after all she'd taught them! Simba was the enemy! How could they go off with him? It was his wretched daughter. Zira didn't care if Kiara had offered to save her life, she had survived herself anyway. Kiara was still Zira's idea of evil.

After awhile of floating on the log, Zira had enough energy to gently paddle towards the side of the cliff face, where there was a long, narrow piece of land that would lead her out of the river. She slowly climbed up the land's side and began to walk. Her muscles were sore.

Where would she go? She couldn't return to the Pridelands. She'd never be on their side. She couldn't go to the Outlands. What if her allies returned? Even a lioness as cruel and sure of herself as Zira would be embarassed to admit she'd almost died while a Pridelander survived, and that she'd almost let that Pridelander help her.

Her only choice was to find a new home.

Five months later...

Zira had found a home. Her home was in a dry area along the border of the Pridelands. Simba very rarely came all the way to this particular area. There was just enough prey to keep Zira alive, and a warm, sandy cave she slept in. But still, she was lonely and hated Simba just as much as she had five months ago.

One day, as Zira was laying boredly in her cave, she heard pawsteps. She looked outside the cave and saw the shadow of a male lion. She growled. Simba...

Without thinking, she got up and raced outside the cave, then gave a mighty roar in the direction she'd seen Simba's shadow. When she opened her eyes after her thunderous roar, she gasped. Simba was cowering before her...and not only that...this lion wasn't Simba! It was a frail male lion. He seemed hungry, scared and confused. He had very light cream fur, a thick, full mane of dark brown hair, and golden eyes. Lighter brown framed his eyes and hair the same color as his mane was present on his chin as well. Despite the full mane he seemed to be the size of an adolescent, but that could have been because he was in need of food.

Zira said nothing. She glanced at his nose. It was the shape of a Pridelander's nose. "Pridelander," she growled. "Wh-what?" the lion asked. "You're from the Pridelands!" Zira roared, bending down, prepared to spring. "No!" the lion shouted, "I am a rogue! I come from a pride far away from here!" Zira looked the lion over. Indeed, he did have characteristics that weren't typical of a Pridelander.

"Very well," the lioness growled. "Who are you?" The lion stood a bit taller, obviously less afraid, and quitely replied, "Msafiri." Zira nodded. "I am Zira, and I was banished long ago from the Pridelands." Zira told Msafiri her story, glad to have someone to talk to even if she couldn't fully trust him. Msafiri growled when Zira had finished. "You can never trust a pride with lions like that...they need brains, like this Scar you told me about." Zira nodded in agreement. She was beginning to like Msafiri.

Msafiri stayed with Zira and became her protecter. She hunted for him and he grew strong. Zira didn't know that her son Kovu and his mate Kiara had given birth to Sadiki, but around the time it had happened, Zira began to have dreams that something good was to happen soon. Even Msafiri had one of these dreams occasionally, but his were different than Zira's.

The night Sadiki killed Simba, Zira had the best dream she'd ever had and sat at her cave's entrance, planning to stay awake all night in case something wonderful came to her.