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lionkingloststories · 6 years

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The Outsiders - Chapter 1

Rain still fell across the windswept landscape. The dead trees swayed in the wind, as the long-dry earth was overwhelmed and flooded. To the east, the great river of the land was reforming, carving a path through the land. From the grassland birds to the great crocodiles, the denizens of the Pridelands had long since sought cover from the storm.

"Zira?" Her name startled her from her reverie. A lion was hovering at the entrance to her den, highlit by a flash of lightening against the overcast sky, his mane plastered against his fur by the pelting rain. Bristling, she lifted her muzzle to scent the air, before recognizing the scent of her mate, and that of the zebra drifting from the meat in his jaws.

He lowered his head to duck into the entrance of the den, shaking the water from his fur as he stepped inside. Any traces of the Pride or the kill had been washed from him by the storm, and only the crisp scent of rain remained. Once he had dropped his catch at her paws, he looked toward the rear of the den. Zira knew that without the zebra stifling his senses, he could smell the heavy odor of blood and death that hung over the den.

They needed to move, but they could not. Instead of telling him that, Zira met his gaze steadily and asked, "what news from the Pride?"

He groomed his muzzle, as if to drive away the scent of the den, as he answered. "Dwala suffered the worst wounds in the battle, but Rafiki thinks she will live. Simba has banished the hyenas from the Pridelands once more, and some of the herds are braver now." His tail motioned to the food he had brought to her. "How are the cubs?"

Terrified. Zuberi was very weak, but still had night terrors. He had woken up more than once shrieking at imaginary hyenas. Each time he became less responsive to her, and she had taken to sleeping with him between her paws so she could hear his heartbeat. For a time, Vitani had asked after Akono every time she woke up, and even now it took a moment for her to remember sometimes. Zira's heart ached every time the light in her eyes died. Kovu had never lost a littermate, and so Zira had to explain to him what death was, and why he would never see Akono again. Now he was frightened to let Zuberi out of his sight.

And every time Zira closed her eyes, all she could see was the hyenas fighting over the cub they had torn into pieces. She only wished it was Shenzi she had killed, and not her weak little brother.

Zira had no words, but she could see the concern in her mate's eyes. "They are as well as could be expected. Is there any word of Tama?"

"Not yet." When Zira made no reply, he ventured, "But Asali is convinced she will return."

"Sangiki lost too much blood in the birthing, and her cubs are weak." Zira looked down at the cubs asleep against her side. Her sister had not admitted it, but Zira had lost cubs before. If they did not regain strength quickly, they would not last the next few days. "Vitani and Kovu escaped without injuries, but I can only keep Zuberi's wounds clean and pray to the Great Kings that he lives."

"Do you want me to fetch Rafiki for him?"

Zira drew back, teeth baring in a snarl, "better for him to die of his wounds than to be given to the new king."

It took the lion a moment to find his voice. "Zira, Simba isn't a cub killer. Rafiki could bind his wounds, he has herbs to help with the bleeding, he can pray over him… here, take the zebra. We can talk once you and the cubs eat. Nala's hunting party caught this near the eastern border."

Zira jerked away from the kill, furious. She had not thought she took a lion as her mate who could not even catch his own prey. "I'll not touch anything caught by a murderer."

"Nala didn't kill anyone!" He protested, bristling, but Zira had faced buffalo. She was not afraid of a lion.

"She brought that lion back to the Pride. If not for her, Akono and Scar would still be alive!"

"Simba is the rightful king!" The lion towered over Zira, curled around the cubs as she was, but the lioness did not flinch. Her mate was not frightening, and she knew him too well to worry that he would harm her.

She was so tired. Bearing cubs during a famine had been difficult, but hiding from her Pride-sisters weighed heavily on her. A heavy sigh escaped her. "You don't really believe that, do you? She and Tama go off to find someone to murder the King, and she just happens to find the dead prince? Don't be a fool, she's only claiming that to gain the support of the Pride."

"The hyenas killed Scar, not Simba. You saw it yourself!"

Zira had seen little. She had fallen while revenging Akono's death, and Scar had been surrounded by hyenas and fire. Her paws were still singed, and it was only Asali's efforts that had seen she and Zuberi to safety. When she returned to the den with her son, to tell her mate the horrors she had seen, he had vanished into the Pridelands.

"Under Scar's rule, the hyenas never attacked cubs. If Nala hadn't brought that lion to the Pridelands, Vitani would still have a littermate, and Zuberi wouldn't be hurt!"

"No, we'd just be starving!" He snarled.

"Did you expect Scar to control the weather?"

"I expected him to take the Pride east with the herds! To prevent the hyenas from overhunting! Your milk stopped when the cubs were four months old and I gave you most of my food!"

"You're blaming me for that?"

"No! I only mean-"

"I'm the only reason your cubs escaped the same fate as Akono! The hyenas tore him in-"

"Chumvi! Zira! You're frightening the cubs." The shadows in the depths of the den shifted, and a second lioness appeared.

Zira's eyes shifted to the cubs at her side. Two pairs of frightened eyes met hers, and she leaned forward to comfort the wide-eyed cubs. "Hush, little ones. It's only Chumvi. You're safe."

"Mum, is Zuberi going to die?" Kovu asked, shaking as her tongue rasped over his head, purring gently.

"No, Kovu. Your brother will be fine." Zira assured him gently.

"He's quiet and still," Vitani whispered, whiskers twitching madly. Her huge eyes looked up at Zira, "like Adaeze was before she died."

"He's recovering from his wounds. He needs to rest."

Chumvi shook his mane out as Zira spoke softly to the cubs, not quite able to meet Sangiki's blue eyes. The scent of death clung to her. "I brought food."

"Sangiki, we don't want a murderer's kill." Zira objected, but her sister took the kill Chumvi prodded toward her and crouched to eat.

"Yes, we do. I have to stay with my cubs, and you're still limping." Chumvi's eyes drifted to Zira, who hadn't stood the entire time he was present. Hyenas didn't die quietly, but the sting in her leg was far less of a concern than Zuberi's injuries. Zira glared back until he looked away. "What did Nala do with the dead?"

"Simba let the Pride eat as much of the hyenas as they wanted, and what couldn't be eaten by us he allowed scavengers to take. Sarabi ordered that Scar's remains be taken to the Valley of the Kings, as was his due."

Hyena tasted terrible, but Zira could not blame her Pride. It had been many months since they had had a proper meal. As Nuka slunk forward to eat, stretching the stiffness out of his joints, Zira asked. "And what of Akono?"

Vitani's head lifted at the question. Chumvi looked at the cub uncertainly, then looked at Zira and shook his head slowly. Zira understood. There had been nothing left to bury once the hyenas were finished.

Vitani straightened from sniffing at the kill, "what happened to my brother?"

"Akono was your father's heir, he would have been taken to lay beside his father in the Valley," Sangiki explained, before Zira could find words.

Vitani looked up at Chumvi, who quickly nodded in agreement. "That's right. The royal family is always buried in the Valley of the Kings."

"Does this mean that Vitani is queen now?" Nuka asked.

Sangiki paused in tearing meat from the carcass. Vitani and sat up slowly, huge eyes staring up at Zira. Nuka received no answer from his father, so he too turned to Zira.

"She is not queen yet, but she will be."

#lionkingloststories #lion king #zira #vitani #kovu #lions of the outlands #chumvi #sangiki

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lionkingloststories · 6 years

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Who’s Who

Pridelands

Main Pride: Simba

King: Simba - handsome golden lion with red mane and orange eyes, son to Sarabi

Lead Hunter: Sarabi - stout brown lioness with dark ear rims and orange eyes, mother of Simba

Pride-sisters:

Zingela - pale brown lioness with green eyes and pale ear rims, sister of Sarafina

Naanda - lean, scruffy bright brown lioness with dark orange eyes, sister of Sarabi and mother of Zira and Sangiki

Dwala - small, stout, dark brown lioness with orange eyes, sister of Sarabi

Asali - lean golden lioness with red eyes, grand-niece of Ahadi and sister of Tama

Zira - lean, dusty brown lioness with red eyes, mate of Chumvi, daughter of Naanda, mother of Nuka, Kovu, and Zuberi

Nala - brown lioness with green eyes, daughter of Sarafina

Sangiki - bright brown lioness with blue eyes, daughter of Naanda and sister of Zira

Trainee:

Kula - reddish-brown lioness with red eyes

Males:

Chumvi - dark brown lion with golden eyes, mate of Zira and father of Nuka, Kovu, and Zuberi

Cubs:

Nuka - lean, brown lion with small black mane and orange eyes, son of Zira and Chumvi and brother of Kovu and Zuberi

Vitani - golden-brown lioness cub with violet eyes, daughter of Scar and Sarafina

Zuberi - dark brown lion cub with golden eyes, son of Zira and Chumvi and brother of Kovu and Nuka

Kovu - dark brown lion cub with green eyes, son of Zira and Chumvi and brother of Nuka and Zuberi

Subpride: Sabini

Chief: Sabini - young, brown lioness with very pale eye rims and green eyes

Lead Hunter: Penda - dull brown lioness with green eyes, mother of Chumvi

Pride-sisters:

Chausiki - aging, pale golden lioness, grandmother to Laini and Kanzi

Laini - golden brown lioness with green eyes, sister to Kanzi and cousin of Sabini

Kanzi - golden brown lioness with brown eyes, sister to Laini and cousin of Sabini

Males:

Mega - pale brown lion with heavy brown mane and orange eyes, former consort and father of Sabini

Tojo - dark gold lion with green eyes and a pale mane, Sabini's mate

Subpride: Mtoto

Chief: Mtoto - pale brown lion with red mane and green eyes

Lead Hunter: Kioni - golden-brown lioness with yellow eyes, Mtoto's mate TRAINEE: Shujaa

Pride-sisters:

Diku - golden-brown lioness with blue eyes and dark ear rims, former consort and Mtoto, Haiba, and Shujaa's mother

Malene - golden lioness with green eyes, Mtoto's aunt TRAINEE: Haiba

Imara - pale brown lioness with yellow eyes and pale ear rims, Malene's daughter

Trainees:

Haiba - pale brown lioness with green eyes

Shujaa - tall, brown lion with red mane and green eyes

Cubs:

Duni - small, brown lioness with green eyes and pale ear rims, Mtoto's daughter

Lowlands

King: Malka - bright brown lion with black-and-gold mane

Lead Hunter: Shwari - small dusty brown lion with dark brown mane

Pride-sisters:

Malika - golden-brown lioness with orange eyes, former consort

Outlands

King: Obayana - pale brown lion with pale blonde mane

Lead Hunter: Doa - pale, dusty brown lioness with dots under both eyes and red eyes

Pride-sisters:

Subira - brown lioness with scruffy mane-like fur

Oma - brown lioness with pale orange eyes, one of which is a lazy eye

Nabila - dusty brown lioness with red eyes

Savannahlands

King: Zamr - golden-brown lion with dark brown mane

#lion king #allegiances #pridelands #king simba #simba

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