biting his sides and clawing as hard as they could. Nuka had finally risen to his paws and joined them, his eyes angry.

Kovu growled and ran to help Simba. He rose, preparing to swing a paw at one of the lionesses when Vitani, who was helping her pride sisters, saw him. She was disgusted. Their mother had sent him to do a job which he couldn’t even do. “So we have to do it,” she thought. When he was in good range, she kicked him in the face with her hind legs.

The blow caught Kovu by surprise and he found himself landing into a small boulder, the back of his head making hard contact. His body sprawled to the ground. As he lost consciousness, his sense of reality began slipping while his brother, sister and pride mates pushed Simba down into the gorge. After a few moments, his reality faded altogether but his mind was pulling him into another reality… his past…

“Mom?” the brown cub asked carefully as he approached the lioness.

Zira’s ears flickered as she lied on the hot ground. She turned. “What is it Kovu?”

The cub stepped closer with hesitation. When he saw his mother relax, he came closer. He sat beside her, staring. “Why must we live here? What did we do wrong?”

Zira growled softly, her paws clawed at the barren soil. “That… murderer…” she paused as her breath came in heavy gasps. “…that so called King Simba killed Scar the true king!”

“Would he have killed me?” Kovu asked, shivering slightly at the memory of seeing the king with nothing but a look of hatred for him and his mother.

She looked down at her son, the anger slowly fading. If she hadn’t been around, Simba would have killed Kovu and if that happened, there would be no one to avenge her mate’s death. The only other who could was Nuka but he was weak, having been that way since birth.

Zira’s ears flickered. She remembered Nuka’s birth and how Scar, at first so excited about having an heir, became thoroughly disappointed upon seeing the cub. Though Zira loved her oldest son in her own way the king hated him with a passion. Then, some months later, Vitani had been born and Scar’s disappointment increased, saying to his mate that a female could not be his heir. But then Zira became pregnant again and a new cub had been born but Scar was worried and angry. After two ‘failures’ he’d vowed he would have an heir, unaware that his mate had a plan of her own and it worked. Scar knew the cub wasn’t his and vowed to kill it upon birth.

But Zira asked him to look. He did and was amazed. The cub was named Kovu in memory of Scar, announced the heir and presented as such by Rafiki.

The memory faded and Zira looked on her son again. She spoke gently, a rare thing for her. “No Kovu. If he did I would have killed him. You are my son and losing you…” She paused and shut her eyes. “I would have no memory of Scar left at all. You, my son are Scar’s heir and you will bring us back to the Pridelands. You will undo the wrong that brute did to us. He couldn’t keep an eye on his own son who met his death much too early. Irresponsible… Simba is no king. He exiled us unjustly.”

Kovu moved over and carefully rested his head against his mother’s chest. “Mom… I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to stray too far I swear!”

Zira purred, though she was still angry but it was her oldest son Nuka who was supposed to be keeping watch. He had failed, like always. “I know you didn’t. And with enough training, you will be strong and you will kill Simba and take Scar’s place as king of the Pridelands.”

Kovu yawned, his eyes beginning to drop. “I love you mom and I will make you proud.”

Zira didn’t reply. The cub fell asleep and she looked down again, admiring him. Then, she stared at the sky, wondering if her mate was up there but she had the calm assurance that he was.

“Scar,” she whispered. “Through this cub you will be avenged. You can finally rest in peace, my love.” After awhile, the former queen of the Pridelands rose to her paws and picked the sleeping cub in her jaws and returned to the cave to rest. That night and many after that, she dreamed of a coming glory when she and her pride would be restored to their home.

Kovu slowly woke and his vision was blurry. When he could focus again, he carefully rose to his paws, shaking the dust from his mane and body. There was, however, a new look in his eyes. It was the same look he had held when his mother had sent him to the Pridelands. The look was of vengeance had returned and he wasn’t about to blow it again.

He walked ahead, his ears perking. He stopped and listened. There were sounds of fighting. His mother commanded the lionesses to attack Simba at any cost and they would do it. It was what they all trained for. They would not fail her. And he wouldn’t either. If this was what he trained for, for three years of his life, it would not be in vain. Why did he listen to Simba, who had nothing but evil to say about Scar? His mother was Scar’s mate and queen. She knew him better than Simba and though Kovu was not Scar’s son by blood, he was an adopted son. If Simba returned to avenge the death of his father, shouldn’t he do the same? He didn’t know Scar at all but he did know him through stories and through his brother and sister.

The look in his green eyes turned vicious, his mother commands rang in his head and he started running around the gorge, occasionally looking down to see what was happening. He watched as his sister and some of the lionesses pounced on Simba’s back, only to be thrown off. Kovu noticed Simba was running north as was he.

Simba ran as fast as he could, hoping to find some way out. Zira wasn’t going to give up. Not until he was dead. As he ran, he saw the wall of logs that blocked the river just up ahead, his paws touching a large log. He turned seeing the murderous look within Zira’s eyes. His heart quickened, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He didn’t have a choice. He started climbing but was careful. He didn’t want to accidently break some logs and have the water they blocked coming crashing down. A flood like that could kill not only him but his intended killers as well. One log was budged due to his hind legs and it fell, landing hard on the ground in front of Zira and her children who managed to get out of its way.

Kovu saw Simba climb the logs. If he climbed further there was a chance for attack. The brown lion growled softly, his claws scratching the surface of the ledge. “Simba…” he snarled, his eyes snapping.

Zira noticed her son. “Get him Kovu. Get him! Do it NOW!”

Kovu crouched down a bit then silently wondered how he was going to get Simba. He saw a ledge near the one he stood on and went toward it.

From down below, Nuka growled, his red eyes gleaming. Was his brother going to follow their mother’s command or what? Suddenly, the lion got an idea. If Kovu couldn’t do it, then he wasn’t fit after all. This was his chance. If he could kill Simba, Zira would be prouder of him than Kovu. He ran and leapt up the log wall.

“I’ll do it for you mother!” he screamed, burying his claws into the logs as he started his ascent. He was some distance away from Simba but his strength, experience, and determination enabled him to climb faster, but warned him to be careful, as one misstep could kill him. “Mother, are you watching?” he asked a tone of insanity in his voice. He turned back, his eyes showing more malicious and viciousness than they ever had. “I’m doin’ it for and I’m doin’ it for me!” He chuckled evilly.

Kovu suddenly ran back up to the ledge he had stood upon moments before. He heard his brother’s call and watched as he ran up the logs, the thirst for revenge running deep in his voice and in the way he ran to get the king. Kovu bowed his head thinking. It was he who was supposed to kill Simba not Nuka. But for all his life Nuka had wanted to please his mother, to show that he was not worthless.

This would be his chance unless…

Kovu wondered if there was a way for both him and Nuka to gain praise from their mother. In the end it was he alone who could kill Simba but Nuka would have part in it. He crouched low to the ground, not wanting Simba to see him. He waited.

Simba struggled to get up the logs. There was dust in his eyes and he knew that Nuka was right behind him. He panted heavily. It hurt for him to breathe but if he slowed down the black maned lion would catch up to him. His left hind leg slipped and a sharp pain was felt. He grunted and closed his eyes tightly, his teeth gritting.

Nuka smiled. He had dug the claws of his left forepaw into Simba’s hind leg. “This... is my moment of GLORY!” He grunted and slipped down some logs but managed to grab hold of a few in the last minute. He shook his head, anger rising through his body. Simba had kicked him with the other hind leg. Nuka growled and continued climbing but Simba was ahead, ready to jump up to the ledge to safety. Nuka snarled. He was not about to give up. Not while his mother watched.

Kovu hoped his brother was okay from the blow. Before the king would reach