[Outlander's Volcano – Before the Attack]
Ushari and Safia were in a conversation about their plan to attack the Pridelanders, "I've already got the Skanks ready to keep Tau distracted, it should give you and your hyenas the chance they need to sneak into the Pridelands." He said to Safia. This plan sounded pleasing to her, "Then Pride Rock will be ours!"
"Not yet, we must be patient." Ushari corrected her to which she was not thrilled to hear that they were not taking Pride Rock yet, "I don't want to have to wait! I've been following your schemes for eight months now and we're no closer to taking over Pride Rock then when we've started!" she said angerly at the snake.
Ignoring the angry hyena's snarl in front of him he continued on in explaining, "We wouldn't have Pride Rock for long with Tau and the other resistances getting in our way. Our last plan showed that Tau would be willing to work with these Pridelanders to stopping us." Ushari said getting her attention what he was getting at. They were close to taking out the king, and if it wasn't for Tau and Jasiri they would have succeeded.
"Then what's the plan this time?" she asks curiously for what he might be planning, "You and the other hyenas will cause a commotion with these Pridelanders, and use that to destroy what trust Tau managed to make with these Pridelanders."
Safia was more lost then before with this plan, "How do you expect us to make these Pridelanders not trust Tau?" Ushari gave a sinister smile with an idea, "Make them believe that Tau is the mastermind behind everything. If they think he is the one who schemed everything, then they will come to resent him." Safia understood now and what he was getting at and a wicked smile came to her as well.
[Pridelands – Before Safia attacked]
A peach golden lioness cub crawling through the tall grass slowly approaching a herd of gazelles, behind her is another lioness a bit over twice her size laying on top of a hill out of sight from the gazelles watching the cub approaching.
The cub managed to reach to the edge of the tall grass and in front is the open clear field, she stares dagger at them looking ready to leap out and attack, shifting her body; twitching her shoulders ready to pounce, "That's enough for today." The lioness on the hill spoke out, the gazelles noticed them and raced off away.
"Okay mom!" she said to the lioness happily and raised up from the ground, starting to make her way back towards her. But she was suddenly knocked to the ground in an instance, "Kiara!" the other lioness shouted at her daughter knocked down by their surprised attacker.
Running towards the figure, two others quickly jump in front of her preventing her from approaching any further, "I would not come any closer if you care for her." The one who had Kiara pinned down said with a sinister chuckle sounding like she was trying to cough out.
She knew these animals that had her daughter trapped and surrounded, hyenas. "Let my daughter go!" she yelled out at the hyenas, the one who has her daughter under her paw let out a laughter that they would believe the Outlands could hear her. "You must be Queen Nala I presume." She asks the lioness; her silence glare only confirmed this question.
"Scary..." the hyena said sarcastically at Nala's menacing look. Letting one of her claws lose laying against her prisoner's head under the eye, "I can be just as menacing, try anything and I won't be able to promise your daughter's safety." She finished with a sly smirk.
"What do you hyenas want?" Nala asked her to which she used her other free paw and scratched her chin as if she was thinking, "I was told to give you Pridelanders a Message, and I will make sure it's given even if I have to play the bad girl." This confused the others what message she was referring, as this also confused Nala as why they'd go this far just to deliver some message. They'd have to be scheming something.
"And what is this message?" Nala asked still wanting to know what was going on, "The time will come when we get what was promised to us."
[Present]
Nala slowly approached the cub that was standing in front of her, he grew up without her around, but she could never forget his mane, crimson red like her father-in-law Mufasa's and her mate Simba's. It can't be, but he survived.
Tau lowered himself in defense at the approaching Pridelander, "Don't try anything Pridelander!" he said growling at her. Surprised at the look in his eye, she managed to regain her confidence, "Kion." She said which caught Tau's attention in surprise.
She stated moving closer, everyone around were confused what was going on. "It's okay Kion, I'm here." She said in a calming voice to not scare him, she doesn't know what he might have endured after all this time.
Tau was trying to make sense of everything, the name was like an echo in the darkest parts of his mind that he had forgotten existed. Hearing the same voice call out was a calming feel to him, his eyes looking at the lioness in front of him in disbelieves, 'Does she know who I am?' He wonders.
He started raising a paw towards her ready to take a step closer, feeling a pull wanting to bring him closer to her. But he soon felt something pull him back, 'No! Pridelanders can't be trusted!' slowly backing away from her, "stay back" he whispered under his breath loud enough for her to hear.
"Kio-" Nala said when Tau quickly shouted against her, "MY NAME IS TAU!" he shouted. He looked at her in rage, "I am Tau! I will never trust you Pridelanders ever again!" he shouted which surprised Nala, holding a stance ready to fight if that is what it will take to leave. The other lionesses got ready to fight as well, "Don't!" Nala called out to the other lionesses to prevent any fighting.
Tau stood back up, looking at the Pridelanders like a darkness had taken a hold of his heart, "I won't let you make my brother suffer again." He said and darted away back towards the direction where the hyenas went earlier.
Nala watched as her son she had thought was dead for these past eleven months was still alive, but the look in his eyes petrified her more then the realization that he survived. "My son." She dropped her head with tears flowing, losing her son again.
Author Note:
Hey Everyone! Are you enjoying how this is turning out? Next chapter will come out on Monday and it will be, "Tau's Struggle with Hatred" and it's a two-part story. That means I will do what I did this time again next week! Two chapters side by side! See you then!
Oh yeah, also I wonder what Tau meant by, "I won't let you make my brother suffer again." I wonder what that could mean... >=)