the king would reach the ledge, there were more logs he had to climb. If he slipped, the work of the logs will have done his and Nuka’s work for them but if Simba did slip Nuka would be unable to get out of the way.

“No. He may be a fool but he’s still my brother,” the brown lion thought. He rose from his position and ran down the ledge at a fast pace but once his paws touched the logs, he had to balance himself.

Simba gasped, looking at who was in front of him. He was trapped. He had one pursuer ahead and one behind. He cursed himself. He should never have brought Kovu into the pride, but the Royal Protocol stood. His first instincts, his kingly instincts had been right from start but the young lion saved his daughter’s life and a debt had to be paid.

On the safety of the ground Zira, Vitani, and the pride watched. The desert lioness was in awe. Both her sons were willing to risk their lives so that Scar’s death would be avenged but she knew in her mind that Nuka wasn’t doing for vengeance. He was doing it to please her, just as he wanted to all his life.

Kovu carefully made his way down the logs, coming to Simba. His eyes were murderous, his face vicious, his teeth bared and snarl emitted from his throat. “Nuka!” he called. “Get down, now. If Simba breaks a log it’ll kill you!”

But the black maned lion was not about to listen. “Whatever you say termite…! If you hadn’t killed this stupid king when you were supposed to, we wouldn’t be in this situation!”

Simba frantically looked to all sides of him. He groaned and clenched his eyes. He carefully rose to all paws, his belly no longer resting on the logs for support but Kovu studied his targets moves. Simba was tired and his legs near gave way. The kind look Kovu had given the night before was now replaced by a cruel gleam. The same was said to the lion behind. To Simba, it was as if he was seeing two versions of his late uncle, one being of blood, the other of adoption. Simba shuddered. Would his life end here? What would become of his pride? What of Nala, his loving mate and Kiara, his only child and heiress? Shaking his head, Simba made a dash to the right but his hind paws stood on a log and slipped, sending it careening.

Kovu watched and snarled at the king. He would not get away. Kovu jumped to the side and ran down staring at Simba but stopped and looked up, seeing the log that the king’s paws had touched made its way down to his brother. His eyes widened in horror.

“NUKA, GET OUT OF THE WAY NOW!” he roared.

Nuka saw it but couldn’t evade. The log hit him in the chest, sending him falling and tumbling down. He groaned as he hit the logs, freeing some in the process. His side burned and the air was knocked out of his lungs. After a few moments, he landed hard on his stomach, feeling something jab into it. He tried to get up but found himself to be pinned. He couldn’t move. He looked up at Simba and snarled angrily.

Zira watched her oldest son. “Nuka!” she yelled in fear, something she had never expressed, least not for him.

Kovu looked on the trapped form of his brother and turned to Simba, his eyes narrowing in anger and hatred. “SIMBA!” he roared and with all claws out, he steadied himself and ran down the logs towards the king.

Simba tried to move, to dodge the lion’s coming attack but Kovu, being younger and more experienced, collided with him and together the two lions fell down the wall, their bodies hitting each log hard. They groaned in pain and Kovu clawed all he could of Simba, who was unable to fight. The dark lion snarled and bit into the king’s upper foreleg causing Simba to grit his teeth.

The gold lion raised his paw and smacked Kovu in the face, and the young lion roared out and stepped back allowing Simba the chance to escape. But Kovu saw and with blood dripping from his wound, he shoved Simba’s head back to the logs.

As he tried to get the assailant off him, Simba noticed his hind legs were free. Using the same trick he had used on Scar, Simba pushed his legs into Kovu’s stomach, who, looked down at him and leapt away. Simba rolled to his paws, breathing heavily and Kovu charged again, the look his eyes more vicious as the moments passed. Simba prepared himself as Kovu rammed his body into his. They fell down the logs again, rolling several times, their bodies covered in dust, scratches and blood.

The pride below watched but Zira was torn. She worried for Nuka but was proud of Kovu for making the right choice and not turning against his pride or Scar.

After seemed like forever, Kovu landed hard on his back, his head slamming into a log. He was dazed and coughing but he swore in his mind that Simba would die.

Simba had fallen onto his stomach. He panted. He didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want to die but he had to finish this. He knew that when he returned, if he returned, that his daughter would hate him once told that it was Kovu who set up the ambush. He wondered why she, a royal, had fallen for this rogue in the first place. He shook his head and slowly got back up to his paws, his left paw hanging in the air. It felt broken. Despite all he had endured, Simba growled dangerously. He was not about to let himself die in this way. If he went down, he would take Scar’s heir with him. The pain was excruciating but he would live with it. Breathing heavily, he coughed a bit. There was fire in his eyes. This scene reminded him of his fight with Scar and he felt as though he were fighting a ghost.

The king roared softly and charged down at Kovu who looked up, seeing him. Simba jumped from a log and flew through the air towards him. Kovu lifted his forelegs and back legs into the air and felt them make contact with Simba’s stomach. With a surge of strength the young lion flipped the large lion over his head.

Simba flew through the air, the surprising flip catching him off guard. He wasn’t sure how long he was falling until he suddenly hit. The land was hard and Simba was sure that one of his hind legs and a few ribs were broken. He groaned and snarled in pain.

Zira walked up and laughed evilly. “Not as tough as you were made out to be, were you Simba?” she sneered, looking on the near dead king.

Beaten and bloodied, Simba spat up blood and tried to climb out. One log rested on his back but Simba managed to get it off. He shook the dust from his mane, his head spinning and eyesight blurry. He shook the rest of his body free and put a paw down and stumbled downward until he landed in the water on the ground of the gorge, water that seeped through the log blockade. He landed some feet away from the Outlanders. He stuck his tongue out to drink the water and heard mocking laughter from behind. He didn’t bother to look up. He was defeated and he knew it.

“And they call you a mighty king,” Zira drawled. “Ha! Not so mighty now huh Simba!” She walked toward him, looking into his eyes, seeing nothing but despair and defeat. She faced her pride with a smile. “My pride mates, bow to King Simba, son of Mufasa!” She knelt down in mock homage. The lionesses did the same but Vitani ran up to the logs, aiding her brother.

The young lioness stumbled as she made her way to him. “Kovu!” she called. The brown lion shook his head, his body aching all over. “Kovu, you’ve done it…” She paused and stared at his face. “Kovu,” she said in a shocked voice. “Your face…”

“What?” Kovu asked curiously. “Simba hit me…”

“That’s how Father got his name. Brother…” She gently touched his face with a paw, moving it over his left eye. “You have the same scar.”

The black maned lion chuckled. “Guess I really am a son of Scar.” As he said those words, he remembered Nuka. He turned his head then looked back to his sister. “Get some help. Nuka is still trapped. He’s up there, I can see him. I don’t know if he’s alive but he could be.” Then, he narrowed his eyes, staring down at the torn body of the gold lion. “Can you do that Vitani? I have some unfinished business.” He growled and limped down the logs, Vitani watching.

As Kovu made his way down, four lionesses walked past him, going to Vitani. They saw his face and gasped but Kovu smiled reassuringly, as if saying in silence that he would wear the scar with pride and honor. His paws touched the ground, splashing through the water. Again, the lionesses that saw him had stunned and scared expressions on their faces. The cub that once looked nothing like Scar except in eye color and fur color was, more like him now than ever. The scar had completed him. Not only was Nuka a son of Scar but Kovu, whose name means scar, did as well. They watched as he made his way towards his mother and the fallen king.

“Mother…” he said in an emotionless voice.

Zira snarled and lifted her head, facing her son. Her eyes widened as she stared at his face. The scar… She smiled, her eyes now gleaming. “My son…” She stepped back, giving room. “Do what you must…” She joined her pride but a lioness near informed her of Vitani getting Nuka. She could only nod, afraid to look from the sight which she dreamed about for so many