Scar x Zira: The Lost Heir

Chapter Thirty-Four

One year later...

Kito ran with the lionesses, keeping to the sidelines as they hunted a herd of kudu antelope. He was old enough now so that he could eat with the rest, and he didn't need milk anymore.
Zira was at the head of the party, and suddenly she dashed beside the kudu they were chasing. She bashed into its side and it lost its balance. It tripped with a frightened snort, landing in the dirt with a thud. Zira pounced on top of it and clamped her jaws around its throat while the other lionesses helped to pin it down.
Kito moved forward slowly as he heard the kudu's last breath wheeze out. Zira let go and dug into its flesh with a fierce, bloody determination. The other lionesses ripped at its flesh, too, and Kito stopped. He was nervous, unsure as to whether the lionesses would nip at him or not.
Suddenly his mother snapped her head up and snarled at the other lionesses. They backed off, giving the signal that he could join in the feast. Zira tore a huge chunk of meat off to take home for Scar as Kito took a mouthful for himself. The other lionesses joined in again so that they were all gorging together.
About halfway through the meal they heard cackling all around. Kito kept eating, unafraid of his father's minions. He had learned that they were harmless to him, or at least that's what his parents had told him.
His mother turned and faced them with a bloody grin.
"Don't be anxious, Shenzi. Your clan will have some food left over. Remember, you can eat the bones... we can't. If that sounds unappealing to you then you can always go hunt for yourselves, but we are willing to share a portion of our kill."
Kito knew that, even though she sounded kind and generous, Zira was really the opposite with her feelings towards the hyenas. She despised them, but she had to share and be diplomatic for his father's sake.
"You're only givin' us the scraps, Zira!" he heard Banzai say.
He had learned to recognize the trio's voices through constant interaction. Over the past year he had gotten more brazen, which led to him turning and facing the hyenas. He was still small, but he was growing to be more like his father every day.
"As my mother has already said, you can eat the bones, and there are plenty of bones here to eat..."
"There's not enough marrow for all of us. That's what we really want," one of them piped.
Kito's face scrunched up. He was getting extremely annoyed; he just wanted them to leave.
"Look, if you want real meat then you should go hunt it down yourself. Earn the privilege of being here," he growled.
The trio looked at each other, taken aback at the young prince's bluntness. Zira glanced over at Kito with a proud smile. Then she turned her attention back to the hyenas.
"So you have two options. You decide which one sounds best."
With that she turned and continued to eat. The hyenas kept glancing at each other, but they ended up staying put until the lionesses and Kito had filled themselves up.
When the hunting party returned home with the meat for Scar, Zira praised Kito's courage.
"You will make a fine King, my son. You were brilliant back there! You put the hyenas in their place, and that's what a true King does! I couldn't be more proud," she cooed.
Scar looked up from his piece of meat and offered a bloody grin.
"Yes, Kito. We're both very proud of you. Just try not to make the hyenas too hostile, alright? You must remember that they are our allies, even if they aren't the brightest creatures in the Pridelands."
The young prince nodded and beamed at his father. He had to admit that he had the best advice sometimes.
"Oh lighten up, Scar! They've had more food in the past year than their parents had in an entire lifetime. They have no reason to get all hot and bothered," said Zira.
Scar shrugged and continued to tear at the meat. Kito pawed at a piece of rock lying on the cave floor until he got bored and tried pouncing on his father's tail. He hunkered low to the ground, his shoulder blades pressed up against his tight muscles. Then he lunged forward...
THWACK!
He bounced back, stunned. A sharp stinging sensation smarted in his snout, and he realized that he'd been hit with his father's tail. He heard a low chuckle as he rubbed his snout. He frowned, letting out an annoyed huff before walking away.
"I'm gonna go walk around Pride Rock for a bit," he called behind his back.
He heard a short growl in reply so he bounded out of the cave and stopped at the ledge, breathing in the crisp, clean air.
He watched as herds of animals passed by far away. He let out a small sigh of relief. Most of the animals had threatened to leave at one point or another, but they had all grudgingly stayed near Pride Rock. Kito dreaded what would've happened if they had left.
He dashed across the ledge towards the front of Pride Rock. He climbed its majestic peak and stared down at the hyenas, who were all munching hungrily on bones.
They might be annoying, but they can be pretty entertaining sometimes.
He grinned mischievously and made his way down towards them. When he was a few feet away a few of them raised their heads, and he immediately recognized them as the trio. His grin widened as he strutted up to them.
Shenzi couldn't help cackling to herself.
"So here comes mister big bad Prince," she laughed.
"More like big bad mouth," Banzai huffed, dropping the bone that he'd been chewing on.
Ed laughed and Banzai smiled stupidly.
"He has a big mouth and he has a bigger brain than you, too!"
Shenzi howled with laughter as Banzai sputtered, trying to find the words to insult her. Kito laughed, too, and Banzai turned his attention to him.
"Hey, who you laughin' at, tiny?!"
Kito smirked up at him.
"Nothin', slobbery," he replied, raising one taunting eyebrow.
Ed and Shenzi rolled on their backs they were laughing so hard. Even Banzai laughed a little at the insult.
"Good one, kid," he chuckled, "I guess you're not that bad after all."
Kito smirked.
"So what are you guys up to today?" he asked as the laughter died down.
"We've just been eating and lounging around. Some clan members are still out hunting. Tomorrow we'll probably go patrol the borders for Scar," said Shenzi, "Since when do you care?"
Kito shrugged.
"To be honest I'm really bored. I thought it might be entertaining to come down here and hang out with you guys."
"Well, when one of the hunting parties comes back I know some pretty funny young hyenas. Actually, I think they might be your age. The female who's second-in-command gave birth to two cubs about a year ago."
Kito's ears perked up.
"What are their names?" he asked curiously.
"Lindia and Moyo," Banzai said as he munched on his bone, "the first healthy, strong cubs we've had in a while."
"Probably because of all the extra food you have here," Kito said.
"Yeah, they're pretty smart, too," Banzai mumbled.
Kito almost laughed at the idea of a smart hyena. The only smart hyena he'd ever met was Shenzi, and every lion he'd ever known said they were idiots. However he kept his mouth shut, trying to be nice to the hyenas who had been nice to him.
Well, most of the time at least.
Suddenly Shenzi's head snapped up and she grinned.
"Well, perfect timing!"
She motioned for Kito to follow her as she sauntered further into the crowd of hyenas. He hesitated for a moment as he realized he would have no escape. In the end he shrugged off his fears and trotted off after Shenzi, who'd continued on without him.
He passed by the hyenas without much trouble. Then suddenly he found himself snout to snout with a young female hyena. She smirked and he jumped back in shock. He gawked at the deep scars marring the side of her face, barely missing her right eye. Then she spoke, her deep orange eyes shining.
"I'm Lindia. I'm guessing you're Kito?"
He nodded, dumbfounded by her straightforward nature.
"Heh heh, I think he's scared, Sis."
A smaller male hyena came up next to her and grinned at him. Kito noticed that his left ear had notches in it, and he wondered how they had both gotten their scars.
He also noticed that Lindia was large and muscular, while her brother who he assumed was Moyo was just a little smaller than himself.
"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Lindia muttered, shoving her brother with her shoulder. He snapped back at her playfully. Then he looked over at Kito again.
"The name's Moyo," he said, "and this thing over here is my sister."
She shoved him harder this time. Kito laughed as Moyo rolled onto the ground in a dramatic display, whimpering and wiggling on his back. He could already tell he was going to like these hyenas.

To be continued...