Guilt and Fear-The Untold story of Zira

Chapter twenty one: Zira's point of view

Zira looked out into the horizon. At the pridelands. At her lands. Scar soon joined her, a smile on his face. Rafiki soon joined them, their son, Nuka, in his hands. Although this was the presentation of the future king of the pridelands, he didn't seem too happy. As Rafiki ascended pride rock, Zira could see in Nuka the great king that he would become. Rafiki thrust Nuka up, presenting him for all the animals to see. All of the animals cheered, but they didn't seem as excited as Zira had remembered them to be when Simba had been presented. When she thought of her nephew, Zira had a pang of guilt. If only she had warned Sarabi and the others in time, two lives could have been spared. Still, she couldn't let those thoughts get to her, not even her sadness of the end of her friendship with Sarabi could interfere  with her duties. She now had a son to raise.

After the celebration, the animals of the pridelands were allowed to congratulate the king and queen and meet the new prince. Among the animals that did ascend pride rock to do so, Zira recognised Sarafina and her two cubs, Nala and Mheetu.

Sarafina was the first to speak. "Congratulations on your son, Zira." She told her friend, smiling. "I'm sure he will make a great king someday."

Zira smiled back. Sarafina was one of the kindest lionesses in the pride. Zira confided everything in her. "Thank you, Sarafina." She answered, and then motioned to Nala and Mheetu. "And you have done an excellent job in raising your two. Upendo would be proud." She looked down at Nuka in her paws. "I just hope that I may be as good of a mother as you are."

Sarafina bowed her head at the two and she and her children descended pride rock, making way for the next animals to come.

The pridelands hadn't been in the best shape, Zira wasn't sure that she approved of these lands as a place for Nuka or any other cub to grow up. The hyenas had started to become more viscous in the pridelands, Zira started worrying for the cubs in the lands. From the encounter that Simba and Nala had had with the hyenas when they were younger, Zira knew that the hyenas knew no mercy. But everything got worse the day of the hunt.

Zira went out with the rest of the lionesses to catch the hunt of the day for the rest of the pride. They had been following a wounded elephant for a while, coming up with ways to corner it. They knew that they would have to be quick for this catch, the elephants were always dangerous to catch with their tusks for protection. They found a way to lead the elephant away from the pack, towards the water hole. If it tried to run, it would be slowed down by the water, there was no way to lose. The lionesses were cornering the elephant in all directions, keeping low to the ground. When all of a sudden, they pounced, taking the elephant by surprise. It thrashed its head around, stomping in every direction, trying to find a way out. At one point, Sarafina jumped away from the others and went for the face, digging her claws at its skin, eyes, and trunk, the weakest parts. The elephant shook its head, throwing Sarafina off. While she was in midair, it then bashed its tusk against her ribcage...you could hear a loud crack from the gorge. Everything seemed to slow down as Zira watched her best friend fall to the ground, blood caked into her fur and spilling onto the dirt. A rage like Zira had never felt filled her, as she left her position and went for the elephant's legs. Scratching. Biting. She clamped her jaw around its tail. It swung up, and she let go, landing on the elephant's back. She dug her claws into the flesh, biting away as she went. Then, the elephant stopped thrashing. It stood there before toppling onto its side and laying there. Zira slid off, rolling into the dirt and then jumping to her feet. A few lionesses were already crowding around Sarafina. Zira ran to her friend, looking at the damage that the elephant had done.

Sarafina's eyes opened slightly. "Zira..." She whispered. The lionesses made more room for Zira to get to her friend. Sarafina tried to smile. "Take care of Nala and Mheetu for me. Help Sarabi with them."

"Sarafina..." Zira said, not able to hold her tears. "Please... please don't leave us."

"There is no where that you can go that I won't be there. Together, always ." She said. "Until this pride ends." Zira recognised those words as a promise that she, Sarabi, and Sarafina had made when they were cubs.

"Until this pride ends." Zira nodded, trying to smile. Trying to tell herself that Sarafina wasn't truly leaving her. But as Sarafina closed her eyes, Zira couldn't help but feel a gaping hole in her world. Sarafina, the lioness that Zira had trusted with everything, that she had helped after Upendo had passed, that hadn't judged her for what she was...Sarafina was gone.

It was hard for Zira to return to the pridelands without Sarafina. As she and the other lionesses dragged their kill back home, she wondered what she would tell Sarabi, what she would tell Nala and Mheetu. But she soon figured out that she had more to find back at the pridelands. She noticed a hyena with many scars leaving the pridelands. Her hair hung in front of her eyes, hiding some of her right eye. Kinga.

Zira dropped the elephant along with the rest of the lionesses and the whole hunt raced back to pride rock. They saw the other lions and lionesses of the pridelands crowded around something. Running towards the crowd, Zira pushed her way through, gasping at what she saw. About five lions lay there, scratches all over four of them. Two were moving, but they obviously were not going to be able to make it. One of the two still moving was Mheetu, and out of the five lions, the only one not harmed was Nala, crying over her brother.

The lions and lionesses informed them that while they had been out hunting, Kinga had made it into the pridelands, attacking the members. They were only able to save everyone else because the pride had fought back, causing Kinga to retreat. In all the commotion, Kinga had managed to get five lions, causing injuries that could not be healed. Zira also recognised Asha and Kumbuka, two members of the pride whom had been part of the royal guard. They were mates, and had recently had a daughter. Asha was slowly fading, but gestured for Zira to come closer to her. Zira did so, and Asha began to speak.

"Zira..." She rasped. "We won't be able to be here much longer...I trust you, so I must ask...will you take in our daughter? Please? I know she'll be safe and well-raised with you and Scar. I want her to grow strong and safe. Will you do this, my queen? For me and Kumbuka?"

Zira nodded. "I will raise her as if she were my own. You can trust me." Asha smiled and nodded towards another lioness before laying her head down and closing her eyes. The lioness whom Asha had nodded to was holding a small cub in her paws. The cub had purple eyes and a small tuft of fur on her head. She was very small and her pelt was a tanish-pink color. She looked up at Zira, whom the lioness placed in her paws.

"I promise. You will be raised as best I can raise you." She nuzzled her. "Vitani."