Guilt and Fear-The Untold story of Zira

chapter sixteen: Zira's point of view

"you-you're not serious, Scar." Zira pleaded. "He's your brother, and Simba's your only nephew!!!"

"My brother is ruling as my father would, as will Simba if he grows up to be king."

"I talked with your brother at the presentation of Simba, Scar. He rules nothing like Ahadi would."

"You don't understand, Zira." Scar said. "My mother always wanted peace between the pridelands and the outlands. Peace between Lions and Hyenas." He gestured to Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, who were softly snoozing in the corner of the cave. Usually, they were home at the elephant graveyard, but sometimes, they would plot with Scar while Zira wasn't in the cave. This time, they fell asleep before Zira got back. Zira shook her head, but Scar continued. "And didn't you tell me that Sarafina's mate, Upendo, had to leave her frequently because of royal guard duties?"

"Well yes, but-"

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could have Upendo home more for his mate and daughter by making peace with the hyenas, so they could live as one with the lions?" Zira looked down at her paws. She didn't have an answer for that one. "Exactly." Scar answered. "It's for the best, Zira. I would expect you to understand that."

Scar walked out of the cave, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed scampering after him. Zira sat there, still staring at her paws. She knew that Scar would find some way to dethrone Mufasa and Simba. She just hoped that no one else's blood would be on his paws.

She stood up and started to make her way to the pridelands.

The grasses were greener here. The great circle of life worked in a delicate balance, there were hardly any feuds between anyone. Zira didn't have to worry about Scar here.

All of a sudden, two lion cubs started scampering towards her, not looking where they were going. The older one ran into her, his friend sitting there and giggling.

The girl looked exactly like Sarafina, only with greener eyes, and the boy looked nearly exactly like Mufasa, with Sarabi's eyes and some of her features. They both looked up at her, not saying a word.

Zazu flew up behind them, landing in front of them and out of breath. The two nervously hid behind Zazu as he looked to see who they were afraid of.

"Oh, hello, Zira." Zazu said with a smile. "Fancy seeing you in the pridelands."

Zira smiled back, sighing. "Just needed some time away from Scar." She laughed. "Do you know where I could find Sarabi and Sarafina?"

"You know mama and queen Sarabi?" The girl asked, looking at the boy.

"Well Nala," Zazu started. "Zira was best friends with both of them when they were your age."

"Better question, you know uncle Scar?" The boy asked.

"Simba!!!" Zazu turned around and scolded the cub. "it's not polite to ask questions such as that!!!"

"But uncle Scar doesn't know anybody." Simba answered, recieving a dirty look from Zazu. Zira laughed.

"Don't take it so personally, Zazu. They're only cubs. But...if you could just please tell me where both Sarafina and Sarabi are?"

Zazu turned back around to face Zira. "Of course." He answered. "You should be able to find both of them inside pride rock."

"Thank you." Zira answered. Before leaving, she looked back at the bird and the two cubs. "Good luck, you look like you've got a handful in your wings." The two cubs laughed as Zira made her way back towards pride rock.

Walking towards the ramp, Zira wondered if her friends would want to see her, she hadn't seen them since she met prince Simba. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw a gray hyena with scars along her back. Kinga. Zira quickly ran down the hill from which she had been slowly ascending pride rock, following Shenzi's mother. She wasn't the only one who noticed the hyena.

Upendo noticed Kinga entering the pridelands, and without notifying the guard or anyone else, he followed her.

Zira lost sight of Kinga over a hill, but crept around it, staying in the shadows but not letting the hyena out of her sight. The hyena placed down a cub from her mouth, the very same cub that Zira had seen Zazu with earlier. She was whimpering, her back badly hurt from being carried by Kinga, her ears back with fear as the hyena started to circle her.

"Please..." She stuttered. "Leave me alone. Let me go home!!!!"

"Foolish cub." Kinga chuckled. "You think that just making puppy-dog eyes will make me feel bad and let you free?" She advanced on the cub, getting ready to pounce. "Your kind will pay for what you've done to mine." She brought up her paw and struck Nala on her front right leg. She raised her paw for a second time, coming down on her tail. She raised it a third time, Zira knew that she couldn't save Nala fast enough even if she tried. She only stood there in fear. Kinga brought her paw down...but was intercepted by a grown lion, his brown mane wildly thrashing as he shoved her away, his dark pelt becoming darker in the dirt. Upendo.

As he thrashed around with Kinga, he noticed Zira behind the hill. "Zira!!!" He yelled out to her. "Take Nala!!!! Bring her home!!! Get help!!!!" While the two were wrestling, Zira ran in and grabbed Nala by her scruff, taking her away from the danger. At one point, Kinga noticed Zira getting away, and shoved Upendo aside, running towards Zira. She clamped down on Zira's back right leg, causing her to stumble and drop Nala. The cub rolled in the dirt before coming to a halt in front of Kinga.

The hyena tried to make a grab for her with her mouth, but Upendo pounced on her again, giving Zira just enough time to grab Nala and go as fast as she could back to pride rock, limping as she tried to run.

Zira came back into the pridelands, her jaw aching from carrying Nala, the blood she was losing from her leg making her dizzy. Mufasa was atop pride rock, but Zira could see him and Zazu rushing towards her before she even came close to pride rock. Exhausted, she set Nala down, telling her in a scratchy voice, "stay here. Mufasa and Zazu are on their way with help." She then let her legs give way beneath her and collapsed, hearing the voices of Zazu, Mufasa, Sarabi, and Sarafina around her.