Zahira yawned quietly to herself as she sat on her rock, just waking up from a light nap. She flicked her ears, and she heard paws thundering off the ground. She jumped off of the rock, and headed towards the exit to the den.

“Hmm… Banshee must be back from her patrol. I better check with her before she goes back to sleep.” Before Zahira was near the door, Banshee rushed in, with a panicked look of her face, her brown eyes wide as she ran into Zahira.

“Mother, Mother! I have bad news!” the hyena whined, and backed away, dusting herself off. Zahira rolled her eyes, and sat down, wrapping her tail around herself.

“This better be important. I have things I want to attend to today.” She muttered.

“Well…I heard from one of the Moonfall Pride members that… Kovu has issued a death warrant for you. So…all the lions around here are on alert. As you can tell…your mother is worried sick. She’s been trying to get Kovu to think about what he’s doing, but she’s had no success. You know how stubborn your uncle can be…” Banshee looked down at her paws as she spoke. Zahira blinked, shaking her head.

“My mother…she’s still trying to protect me after all I’ve done to her?” she asked.

“Yes, mother. You are still her daughter, after all. I’m sure she still loves you. In fact…maybe it would be best to pay her a visit. There is also a rumor that today is the day Kovu is coming after you. I saw your mother at the water hole just by the edge of the Pride Lands when I was returning from patrol. She might still be there, if you hurry.” Banshee said with a nod of her head. Zahira muttered something, and zoomed past her ‘daughter’. Recently, she’d been thinking. Thinking of all the things she had done. And why she’d done them: for Zira. Everything she’d ever done had been for her idol and grandmother. She was thinking of stopping. She’d realized Zira wasn’t so good. She shook her head, and continued onwards. She was near the Pride Lands now. She could tell as the grass became fuller, and the air wasn't full of horribles smells and dust. This would mean the water hole was nearby. Zahira ducked down into the grass as she progressed - she certainly didn't want to be spotted, or at least not yet. After a few minutes, she lifted her head. Sure enough, she spotted her mother lying by the water's edge, head on her paws. Zahira took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

Vitani growled as she heard the sound of grass crunching under paws. She lifted her head, and spotted Zahira. She growled, and stood up, before crouching down and narrowing her eyes.

"What do you want? Came to attack me, have you? Trying to get another victim checked off your list?" Vitani snarled. Zahira sighed - she knew this would be hard. She shook her head, and padded up to Vitani, and simply sat down in front of her. Vitani blinked, unsure of what was going to happen, but didn't relax.

"I-I've came to say I'm sorry... about everything I've done. I heard that Kovu's issued a death threat. Thought I better set things straight with you... you're my mother, after all. For all I know, this could be the last time you see me. Or I see you." Zahira shook her head, letting a tear roll down her cheek. Vitani stared at her for a few seconds, before she began to cry. She closed her eyes tightly before wiping away most of the tears with a paw. Zahira looked up at her, before moving forward for a careful nuzzle, scared as to how her mother would act towards it. Vitani just continued to cry.

"Oh, I heard about it a few days ago... I've tried to convince him otherwise, but he just won't listen to me..." Vitani managed to stutter. "I told him that even though you'd killed Simba... that you didn't deserve to die..."

"Mother, I DO. I killed the KING. Not some lowlife who lived by stealing food from others, and bullying people into listening to him... but the King." Zahira shook her head again. Vitani looked up at her, eyes glazed over with tears.

"So, you're going to just LET him kill you?! Y-You can't! I won't let you!" Vitani said with a light growl. "I'll protect you! He wouldn't dare to hurt me." She backed out from Zahira's embrace, and looked around. Zahira grinned, finding her mother's protest somewhat comical. Unknown to the both of them, a small cub by the name of Nakato had been watching them from a verge above.

"It's her, the demon one Mother told us about, Maiuu!" Nakato whined, scrambling back from the ledge. Her older sister rolled her eyes, and took a peek for herself. As she spotted Zahira, her eyes widened.

"We have to tell Kovu that she's here. C'mon, sis." Maiuu growled, and nudged Nakato back towards Pride Rock. They ran quickly, wanting to please Kovu and to get away from Zahira. Back at the scene below, Vitani was listening things she'd do to Kovu if he touched her. Zahira laughed, and rolled her eyes.

"Mother, I'm going to face up to my punishment, alright? It's only fair that I do. I may as well go to Kovu right now and tell him I want to be punished..." Zahira said, and pretended to waltz off. Vitani's eyes widened and she grabbed her daughters tail, wailing.

"No, no, no! Don't do that, PLEASE!" Vitani pleaded, and Zahira stopped, turning her head. She wanted to ask why her mother was suddenly so protective but she knew it would just be instinct or something.

"Fine, fine... I'll stay here." Zahira sighed, and walked back to Vitani, sitting by her side. Vitani put her head on Zahira's shoulder, still sniffling away quietly. Zahira muttered something, and closed her aqua green eyes, sighing.

The two had been sitting there almost an hour when Vitani finally lifted her head. Zahira looked down at her, and gulped. She had something she'd been meaning to say. But she'd been putting it off, knowing how hard it would be. She turned to look behind her, hearing the thundering of paws against the ground.

"Mother... maybe... Zira wasn't so right after all..." Zahira sighed as she turned her head, staring wide-eyed as an army of lions, including Kovu, charged towards her. Vitani frowned, and nuzzled her again. "As much as it pains me to say this... what must be done must be done, my child...now run. I'll always love you... remember that, my dear." she sniffled, as Zahira took off, and the group of lions raced past the grieving mother: she knew what was going to happen now. They would capture her daughter, and kill her. Vitani shook her head, and quickly ran after them.

Zahira looked behind her as she zoomed across the Pride Lands, and saw the 'army' were closing in on her. She gulped, and quickened her pace. She continued running, hearing roars of anger and frustration behind her. She gave a whined, and noticed a ledge up ahead. She cried out, and skidded to a halt. She looked back at the ever-nearing group, and then down into the valley below. Luckily, there had been floods a few days before. It was also the place her grandmother plunged to her death, but Zahira had no choice. She had to jump. The water was still, and she was considerably younger than Zira. Maybe she would have a chance. A chance her grandmother never had. She looked back at the army again, before throwing herself off the ledge. She fell into the surface of water below with a splash. She disappeared under the water for a few seconds, before resurfacing, drops of water falling from her nose. She looked back up to the top of the valley, and noticed Kovu, who roared frustratedly at her. He turned to his followers.

"We have her now. This has been going on for too long! If we let her escape today, who knows what she'll do next?! Don't let her escape." he growled, and all the others cheered. One of them was so riled up, he leapt into the water after Zahira. She gasped, and began to swim as fast as she could, unsure of where she was headed. The lion behind her was surprisingly quick, and the rest were up on the cliff, running after her. She'd trapped herself. She looked around frantically, and noticed the shore. She sped up, before she found herself at the edge. Panting, she pulled herself up, and collapsed on dry land. She hadn't noticed a ramp leading down onto this small patch of land, and Kovu and the others were running down towards her. She couldn't swim away again: she was too tired, and the lion in the water fiercely guarded any way to jump in. And she couldn't fight: there were too many lions, and she, again, was too tired. Kovu smirked down at her, nudging her head with a paw.

"'The Great Zahira'... is lying on the floor, too tired to even touch me." he growled, and raised a claw. "This ends now, my neice. It's been going on for too long... you killed Simba, and for that you must pay. You also killed a few more lions, but... I didn't know them well. But Simba..." he shook his head. Zahira glared up at him.

"I've changed now, Kovu. For the better. I prefer not to remember the times when I did those things." she growled. Kovu narrowed his eyes, and struck his paw down on her face, claws unsheathed. Zahira yelped loudly, as blood seeped from her cuts. She lifted her head to look up at Kovu, knowing what was coming next.

"Don't talk back to me, Zahira. I don't care how you've changed. It will not change what you did!" he slashed at her face another time, letting Zahira cry out in pain. He stepped back, out of the circle of