Chapter 10, A Spirit from the Past
The pride had retired to Pride Rock that night, having their fill of the prince's kill. Climbing up the top of the path, Mufasa, Sarabi and the other lionesses made their way into the den. Jay and Nala came up over the path and followed after the King and Queen. Kovu was just about to follow after, only to then glance to his right, where he saw Zira standing off to the side. She glared to him, a look which usually meant that she wanted to speak with him.
Kovu sighed, narrowing his head. Jay and Nala paused as they glanced back at Kovu.
"Kovu?" Jay asked, curiously
Kovu glanced to Jay and Nala, who glanced back at him, curiously.
"I...uh...I need to go." He said before turning and walking off toward Zira.
Jay and Nala glanced to Kovu, as he came up to Zira, who then turned and walked along the path to her and Taka's den as Kovu followed. Nala squinted her eyes, curiously.
"Okay, I know I already already asked this, but does Kovu seem... you know?" Jay asked, glancing to Nala
Nala nodded her head in agreement.
"Yeah, I see it, too." she said.
"Jay, I have a strange feeling."
"About Kovu?" Jay asked, curiously.
Nala then turned as she glanced back at Jay.
"No, Taka and Zira," she insisted to him.
"Jay, I think there's something off about those two."
The mention of something being off about both Taka and Zira earned a confused glance from Jay. While he never trusted either Taka or Zira, they never gave him any reason to feel suspicious. For as long as he's lived in the Pridelands, Taka and Zira had always seemed strange to say the least. They were always distant from the pride. Not to mention, all the times Kovu would often be after one of their conversations. Though he couldn't act like they've never acted stranger then they usually did.
"What do you mean off?" Jay asked, curiously.
Nala shook her head.
"I can't say for sure, I just have a feeling." Nala insisted.
"I saw them earlier back when we were hunting. And when Kovu went off on his own. Jay, I think they might have had something to do with Nyati attacking us."
There was a look of shock and awe over the accusation that Nala made. He may not have had much trust in either Taka or Zira, but he would never have gone so far as to accuse them of something like that. Let alone Kovu. He shook his head.
"What, no way," Jay said.
"Nala, you can't be serious."
"Think about it," Nala insisted to him.
"We didn't see the buffalo herd anywhere in the eastern plains. Not to mention, Kovu just goes off on his own. And why would Nyati be so far from his herd?"
Jay narrowed his head, pondering what Nala had said. As he did, he then squinted his eyes. He didn't remember seeing Nyati's herd anywhere back in the Eastern plains. Not to mention, the fact Nyati would stray off from his herd for no reason seemed a bit strange to say the least. And Kovu just so happening to go off on his own at that exact point of time before they were attacked.
Jay raised his gaze with a look of shock and awe.
"Hevi Kabisa." Jay then said, glancing to Nala.
Nala nodded her head. To which Jay shook his head.
"Wait, we can't just go throwing around accusations," Jay insisted to her.
"At least not until we're sure. And besides, you don't think Kovu would do something like this?"
Nala shook her head.
"No, of course not." She insisted to him.
"At least, not on his own. I think he was forced to do it by Taka and Zira."
"But why would Taka and Zira do that?" Jay asked, curiously.
Nala glanced over to the path. She then squinting her eyes, having a certain idea.
Kovu was sitting at the edge of his cave, gazing out into the night. Staring with an angered glare as another of his efforts of ridding the man-cub, who had taken away his right to the throne proved meaningless. And now Jay had killed Nyati and proved not only his dominance to the pride. But also that he was a powerful adversary. Killing the Buffalo was something no other lion had ever done before.
He was certain that Nyati would be more of a capable of ridding him of Jay. Much like how he nearly did before. But now it was clear that he had underestimated him. Jay had grown much since that time. No longer was he a man-cub. He was soon to become a man.
That would make him more of a threat. They needed to be rid of him. And Mufasa as well.
And this time, he would ensure Kovu would follow his command.
Glancing back toward the entrance of his den, he saw Zira and Kovu walking toward him. Kovu stepped forward to his father.
"Father, please, I ask your forgiveness," Kovu pleaded to his father.
"But I couldn't lead Nyati to the others. I couldn't put Nala in danger. And..."
"Think nothing of it, my son." Taka said, turning to Kovu and Zira.
"The fault was mine alone."
Kovu and Zira gazed up at Taka.
"What?" Kovu said.
"My love?" Zira asked, curiously.
"I should have been more considerate about the future queen," Taka insisted to them.
"But most importantly, it would seem that we have underestimated Jay. And now he is more of a threat then I had anticipated."
Taka turned away, gazing off into the night.
"By killing Nyati, Jay has proven to be more stronger then before." Taka insisted to them.
"He's now become a man. Which means he will be harder to be rid of."
Zira growled, angrily.
"We should had been rid of that man-cub a long time ago!" she proclaimed to them.
"Calm yourself, Zira," He insisted to them.
"There may be a way that we may be rid of both Jay and Mufasa."
Zira raised an eyebrow to her mate.
"Oh and what prey tell would that entail?" Zira asked, eagerly.
"Mufasa is old and weak," Taka insisted to him.
"He will not be able to keep the Pridelands safe forever. In fact, this would be a perfect opportunity to utilize the Hyena's and the clan."
Zira pondered, shifting her eyes to the side. The hyenas were many and Mufasa was not as strong as he was before. The three hyenas had indeed proved useful to their plans in the past. A whole pack of them would surly be too many for Mufasa to handle alone. And with him gone, Taka would be able to take the throne.
"Yes, Mufasa would surely be overwhelmed." She claimed to them.
Kovu glanced to his mother in shock. Though was careful as to not reveal it to her or father. The notion that they planned to kill both Mufasa and Jay was something she had heard all his life. Especially now as Mufasa has grown old and Jay soon to take his place. But he continued to be torn between his loyalty to both his mother and father and his love toward Nala and Jay.
"But how will this help us be rid of Jay?"
Taka then glanced to Kovu with a sly smirking.
"I believe this will make things a lot simpler for you, Kovu." Taka insisted to him.
Kovu turned to his father.
"What?" He asked, curiously.
"You are to kill Jay." Taka proclaimed.
His father's words were a shock to say the least. Kovu stared at his father with a look of awe and contempt, shaking his head.
"Father, please, there must be another way." Kovu pleaded with him.
Hearing Kovu pleading for the life of Jay earned an anger scowl from both Taka and Zira. With a loud growl, Zira came in between the, bearing her fangs to her son. A sight of which caused Kovu to back away in shock and horror, having to have seen that very look before. The one of which she usually had before she would strike him for doing anything at would go against their wishes.
"You dare question your father's wishes?" Zira exclaimed to him
"No... no, of course not," Kovu insisted to his mother.
"I...I just..."
"Have you forgotten what he has taken from you?" Zira proclaimed to him.
"What Mufasa had denied you? What you were destined of you to be?"
Zira held up her right paw, her claws extended. A sight which caused him him to gasped and shudder, narrowing down as he came up against the wall.
"A human cannot be the King of the Pridelands," Zira proclaimed to her son.
"A lion is the true ruler. You cannot let that thing take away what is to be a Lions."
Kovu narrowed his eyes.
"It is you who must be the next King." Zira claimed to her son.
"Do you understand?"
Kovu was just about to speak up, only to then pause as he bowed his head and sighed.
"Yes, mother." He said.
Seeing the mattered was settled, Zira the turned and walked off into the cave. Kovu then raised, his glanced to the disapproval scowl of his father, who then turned away from him.
Jay was laying over the platform along with his mother and father, still wide awake as he continued to ponder what Mufasa had told him. Glancing down to his hunting dagger, which was sheaved in his hands. He had made his first kill and rather then feeling proud, he was instead riddled with guilt and remorse. He had killed the one who had has taken the lives of so many members of the pride. And who had almost taken the life of both him and his mother.
But while he had feelings of hatred toward Nyati for everything he's done, the last thing he thought he would feel was guilt. Though as he thought of it, the more the words of his Mufasa were beginning to speak true. It was not out of the Pride that he had slain the Buffalo. But rather it was out of vengeance for everything he had done to him and his mother.
Jay sighed as he strapped his dagger to his side. He then turned and glanced to mother and father. The feeling that he had let down not just them and the pride began to take hold. He was suppose to be the next King of the Pridelands. What example was he setting by taking vengeance upon those that wronged him? How could he have let everyone down?
He then turned as he then stood up from the platform, making his way toward the entrance of the den.
Jay came along the banks of the nearby waterhole. He then narrowed down to the water, where he scooped up in his hands and took a sip. After taking several drinks from the watering hole, he once more uttered a sigh as he continued to contemplate what he had done. Slowly, he then glanced to the other side of the waterhole. He then paused.
Standing on the other side of the watering hole, he noticed a strange figure standing at the waters edge. He then stood up, squinting his eyes, curiously. He slowly reached down to his knife, thinking that it was another poacher. But as Jay continued to stare, he began to noticed that the figure appeared to be a woman. A woman with long dark brown hair, wearing what looked to be a white dress of some kind. Jay stilted his head, curiously.
Something about this woman. She looked... familiar. Like someone who he had known from long ago...
The woman then turned to face him, all but causing Jay to gasped upon realizing who it was.
"Mother?" Jay the said.
