"You're sure?" Zira growled.
"Affirmative. I saw it with my own eyes." Vitani replied. Zira growled. It looked like she would have to take this into her own paws. If Kovu was becoming soft, then she would just have to remind him where his place was. She looked at her lionesses.
"Why don't we go pay Simba a visit??" She barked. They roared in agreement. She looked back at Vitani, and Hatari, who was right beside her sister. "Do either of you know where Simba or Kovu are going to be tomorrow?"
Both shook their heads, but Hatari piped up with an idea. "But what if I keep watch tonight?" She suggested. "I'll come and notify you if either leaves pride rock." Zira nodded.
"Report back before the sun comes up if nothing happens. You don't need to be caught in the pridelands." She warned. Hatari nodded before running off towards the pridelands. Zira turned back to her lionesses.
"The time will soon come." She said. "The rule of Simba will soon be over. We will rid of him and his heir. Kovu will be the King. Scar will finally be avenged, and we, my loyal subjects, we shall receive what we all deserve!!!"
The lionesses roared in agreement, and Zira cackled. Her plan. All would fall into place within a matter of days.
Sometime soon, the sun would set on Simba's time here, and would rise with Kovu as the new king.
It wasn't long after sunrise before Hatari ran back to the outlands.
"They're coming." She said, a wickedly happy smile on her face.
"Who are 'they'?" Zira asked.
"Simba and Kovu, mother." She replied. "Kovu's got him in a conversation. They'll never see us coming!!"
Zira smiled. "Perfect." She replied. She turned to her lionesses. "Let's go take back what was ours, shall we?" She asked. The lionesses looked at each other, smiling evilly. Hatari joined Vitani behind their mother, and Zira led her pack out towards the pridelands.
Soon, they caught sight of Kovu and Simba, but remained in the shadows. The two lions were obviously talking about something. Kovu was keeping Simba distracted well.
Suddenly, Simba seemed to be aware of the presence of someone else in the gorge. He looked around, which caused Kovu to look around as well. Zira's lionesses began to file in towards the two lions. The look of pure fear of betrayal shone in Simba's eyes as he looked around, becoming skeptical.
"Well done, Kovu." Zira snarled as the lionesses began to close in on Simba.
"You!!!" Simba exclaimed, realizing the betrayal of Kovu.
"No!!" Kovu stuttered. "I had nothing to do with this!!"
Zira wondered why Kovu was still acting as if he didn't want to hurt Simba. This was what he had been training for for years.
"Attack!!" Zira ordered. Nuka launched first, and as Simba batted him away, Kovu exclaimed,
"No!!!" He then attempted to attack Zira's pack, and was batted away against a rock.
Simba somehow managed to throw off about five of Zira's lionesses, running to try to find safety and, consequently, falling into the gorge.
Zira watched from the top of the gorge as her lionesses continued to launch themselves at Simba, with Vitani pouncing first, followed by Hatari and a few other lionesses.
Simba batted Hatari away so harshly that she lay on the ground, weak and nearly unconscious.
Simba ran ahead of the lionesses, until he made it to the slope of the gorge, where gigantic roots and branches blocked his path. By now, Zira had caught up with the rest of her pack. She and her lionesses snarled at Simba, and Zira saw the look of pure fear on the King's face as he looked at the lionesses advancing on him. He then decided to take the chance.
He began to race up the slope, jumping and stumbling as he attempted to get to safety.
He kicked down a massive root, and Zira, Nuka, and Vitani jumped to move out of the way. Zira growled angrily, watching Simba. But then...Kovu. She saw her son up at the top of the gorge.
"Simba!" He exclaimed.
"Get him, Kovu!!" Zira called up. But Kovu didn't attack Simba. He ran off. "What?" Zira asked, realizing that Kovu was betraying them. "No!!!" She yelled.
Nuka began scampering up after Simba before Zira could stop him.
"I'll do it for you, mother!!!" He called. Zira watched in fear. She knew how dangerous this was. Nuka wasn't thinking this through. "Mother, are ya watching?!!" He called down, looking at Zira and then going after Simba.
He caught up to him, digging his claws into Simba's back left paw. "This is my moment of glory!!!" He exclaimed. For a split second, Zira thought that Nuka had finally done it. He had Simba. But then...the branch that Nuka's back paws had been on gave way beneath him.
"No!!!" Zira exclaimed, her ears going down for fear of her son's life.
Letting go of Simba, Nuka crashed back down the slope, getting his side shoved under a massive tree root, to the point where he was stuck.
Simba continued to climb up, resulting in him slipping on the roots, sending multiple tree roots and branches hurdling down...straight for Nuka.
Zira watched in horror as the branches clobbered down on top of her son. She and Vitani dragged Hatari, who was still very weak, out of the way of some other stray branches tumbling down the slope, before jumping out of the way themselves.
When the dust cleared, it was clear that Simba had gotten away, but Zira didn't care right now. Nuka was somewhere under the mountain of branches and roots, and Zira didn't even know if he was okay or not!!!
Kovu slid down the edge of the gorge and began pulling the roots and branches away, but Zira batted the traitor away, frantically pawing away at the rubble.
Soon, she found him. Nuka was laying there, coughing and obviously fading, fast.
"Nuka..." Zira said sadly. Not her son. Why Nuka? Why did it have to be Nuka?
"I'm sorry mother." Nuka rasped. "I tried."
"Shhh." Zira gently shushed him, holding his head with her paw. He soon closed his mouth, and then his eyes...and then, he was...gone.
Zira's ears went down in sadness as Vitani joined her side.
"Nuka..." she said, before hanging her head as Zira stared at her son, who had been with her no earlier than ten minutes ago.