"Well, Kion?" She started, a sly smile beginning to snake across her face. "What's your answer?"
Kion looked defeated for one moment, and for that one moment, Zira felt so much pride. She was closer to avenging Scar. She would keep Kion here for as long as she had to. Even if he did say he was on the lions' side, he didn't really think that she would let him go home, did he? She couldn't let him go blabbering about what she had done to his father, now could she? She had already made preparations for him to be a captive in the outlands, where he could be raised knowing how things really worked. Where he could know the full capability of his roar. Where he would be able to know the most important lesson of all: Life. Isn't. Fair. Yes, for that one moment, Zira could see Kovu reigning over the pridelands, Zira proudly by his side, guiding him. Yes, for that one moment, everything was perfect.
And then, that moment ended.
Kion looked up at the sky, and suddenly smiled. Zira looked up where he was looking, but saw nothing but clouds and a small bird. She then looked back down at Kion and asked once more,
"Well? What's your answer, Kion?"
"Zira, I actually do have something to tell you." Kion said, jumping forward a bit. "'Till the pridelands end,"
Suddenly, a hippo, a honey badger, a bird, and a cheetah were right behind Zira and her cubs, accompanied by none other than Jasiri, a smart-aleck look on her face. "LION GUARD DEFEND!!!" They all announced. For a split second, everything went in slow motion for Zira.
She remembered back to when she, Sarabi, and Sarafina were cubs.
(Ignore the photoshopped part; I couldn't find another picture of all three of them as cubs.)
Shortly after Taka and Mufasa went home one day, Zira had begun to remember that she also had to head home, where her father would be sharing the same space, air, and home as her. Her mother and siblings couldn't keep her safe from him much longer; she was sure of that.
Sarabi noticed Zira's sudden change of mood. "Zira," She started. "What's wrong?"
"I'm scared to go home." She answered. "I'm scared that if I go home, my father will begin to train me. What if he keeps me from playing anymore? What if he keeps me from seeing you two, Taka, and Mufasa ever again?" She asked.
Sarafina smiled sympathetically. "That won't happen."
"How do you know that?" Zira asked. "Trust me, you don't know my father."
"I know because we're gonna make a promise." Sarafina said, still smiling. "Raise your right paw, both of you." She said. The other two, still a bit confused, raised their right paw. "Now, repeat after me." Sarafina said. "Together, always." She locked eyes
with both of them. "Until this pride ends."
"Together, always." Zira and Sarabi repeated at the exact same time. "Until this pride ends."
That seemed like so long ago, now. Remembering Sarafina, Zira stared at the lion cub in front of her. Time stopped completely for Zira.
Nala. Nala was Kion's mother. Nala was Sarafina's daughter. The lion cub that looked at her with hatred at this very moment was none other than her best friend's grandson. He had grown up hating her, being against outlanders. Zira couldn't believe how horribly Kion had acted towards her when he first came to her with Jasiri. What had his father been teaching him? What would Sarafina think? Why wasn't Kion willing to join her revolt to make the pridelands great again? Zira was baffled with so many questions as time seemed to speed up again.
Zira, her lionesses, and her children were all surrounded by the lion guard of the pridelands. Trying to hide her shock, Zira sputtered out, "A Lion Guard with only one Lion? PATHETIC." She simply said.
The honey badger shot back, "Boy, Zira, have you got it COMING." He then turned to Kion. "Go on, Kion, use the roar." He said. Kion looked defeated once again, and an evil grin snaked across Zira's face once again.
"I can't." Kion said, and the guard gasped. "That's how Scar lost his roar, he used it against other lions."
They all stood there for a moment, until the honey badger began to laugh. "That's not the reason!!!" He assured Kion, much to Zira's dismay. "It's because he used it for evil!! Remember Rafiki's paintings?" He asked, and Kion's ears lifted.
"You're right!!" He exclaimed, and faced Zira and her lionesses, a devious smile on his face.
"No." Zira stuttered. "That's...not right. I'm the only one that understands the roar, Kion." She tried to convince him, but this time, he stood his ground.
"Zira, I've argued with you for the last time." He said, and inhaled, ready to roar.
"Wait-!!" Zira exclaimed, but to no avail. Kion used the roar of the elders, sending Zira and her pack out of the outlands and into the sky.
Landing so hard on the ground that she nearly had her breath knocked out of her, Zira almost struggled to get to her feet, as Nuka asked,
"Mother? Where are we?"
"Our. New. HOME." She growled, looking back out into the pridelands.