Life After The Fall

Bitter memories

"The great Kings have spoken. You're a grandfather Simba. And you Nala are a grandmother. Kion and Rani have given birth to a son, the future King of the Tree of Life," Rafiki said as he sat in his tree, mediating with Simba and Nala watching intently.

Nala heard the news of the arrival of her grandson and tears of joy rushed to her eyes as she clutched Simba's shoulder.
"Simba Kion's son is born, our son is a father!" she exclaimed.
Simba chuckled and kissed Nala on her forehead and nuzzled her.

"They must be so happy, I can't believe this is happening, our son is a father, we're.. grandparents. This is so surreal,"
"Congratulations to you both, I can see that the arrival of this new king would not only bring forth a new generation, but a new era also. An era of peace, joy and love," Rafiki said wisely.

"When will Kiara and Kovu be coming back? I want to hear all about my precious little grandson, what his name is, his physical appearance, what colour his eyes are. Who he looks like- I simply can't wait!" Nala said ecstatically.

"And when our second and third grandson or granddaughter will arrive, Sadiki will have cousins to play with," Simba added.
"Second and third grandson or granddaughter? What are you talking about?" Nala asked confusedly.

"What is there not to understand Nala?" Simba left Rafiki's tree after thanking him for his time and the news he gave to them and walked back to Pride Rock with Nala following closely behind.
"If you're referring to Kiara and Kovu's cubs, we have to wait till Kiara gets pregnant before we expect from them," Nala said.

"Yes I am referring to Kiara's cubs, but she isn't the only one who's pregnant, or is going to be pregnant," Simba said softly.
Nala froze in her spot. Her eyes narrowed and her joyful expression derived from her grandson's birth suddenly vanished.

"You're talking about that treacherous, backstabbing, heartless she-devil aren't you?" she asked in a tight, angry voice.
"Nala Tasha is also our daughter, no matter how much you try to deny it, she's related to us-" Simba started to say.

"No Simba, she's related to you! She is your daughter. Your daughter who was the product of an affair you had with another lioness!" Nala snapped harshly. "She may be Kiara and Kion's half-sister, but she's nothing to me. Nothing!"
"You raised her Nala, after Samantha-"

"Don't dare bring up that husband-stealing witch Simba!" Nala yelled. "She tried to come in between us, tried to take you from me! You seduced her once and when she got pregnant she took that as an open invitation to stake her claim."

"Nala she wasn't a husband-stealing witch, how can you say that?" Simba asked turning to face her. "Samantha was a nice lioness she was compassionate and kind. She cared for you and she didn't mean to hurt you or jeopardize my relationship with you."

"She was a cold, immoral unethical, maniacal traitor. And since the rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree, we can see where Tasha got her twisted mentality from," Nala said coldly. "I always got a bad feeling when I was around Samantha. She was jealous of me, us and our kids. You can't deny that Simba."

Simba sighed and decided not to say anything more. To anyone who didn't understand, Samantha appeared to be just as Nala described her. Cold. Heartless. But to him, she was compassionate and a lioness who was more hurt than malicious. She was broken and all she wanted was a shoulder to cry on. And she chose his.

And when she did, her grief, pain and sadness merged into a living breathing cub. It wasn't meant to happen he hadn't intended to get her pregnant it just happened. And when it did, all he felt was regret afterwards. But when Tasha was born, all the regret he felt when Samantha got pregnant disappeared.

She was frail and so little they feared she wouldn't make it. Then Samantha died of that brutal fall and she broke her neck. Simba had to raise Tasha and Nala found no fault in the little cub for the mistake her mother made had taken her in like her own daughter. What a mistake that turned out to be.

"I'm sorry Simba, but the truth is that Tasha betrayed us. She betrayed her family, her pride and her friends. And for what? To be with the monster who she's supposedly in love with," Nala said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"I know  and I'm not making excuses for her or covering up the mistakes she made," Simba admitted. "It's just hard for me to forget that she's my daughter. I gave birth to her, she's a part of me. It's difficult to just cast her out of my mind, and my heart."
Nala felt pain for her mate. She nuzzled him under his neck.

"It's okay darling, I understand, but please when we're together, don't mention Tasha's name. Or Samantha. I..I just want to try and forget they ever existed. They hurt me, they hurt Kiara and Kion and nearly destroyed my family. I'll never forgive them for that."

"That's fine. I promise not to mention them when I'm with you," Simba said kissing Nala softly on her lips.
"Nala hugged her husband and they stood there in the middle of the savannah, just hugging, enjoying each other's company.

"Whose nature do you think our grandson will inherit?" Nala asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence between them.
"Maybe a mix of Kion and Rani. A leader, someone who puts others needs before his own. Kind and loyal, caring and just," Simba said thoughtfully.

"Do you think he'll inherit any traits from Kiara?" Nala asked with a laugh. "I think he might inherit a few from her."
"If he does, I hope it's not the obstinacy or the recklessness. Or the need to always be right," Simba said with a shudder.
"I'll tell her you said that," Nala said cheekily.

Back in the outlands.

Tasha sat on a rock staring out into the Pride Lands, her amber eyes bleak as memories of her former life flashed before her eyes, the laughs and happy times of her cubhood taunting her. The long years of being in Kiara's shadow torturing her. The pain of losing her mother right in front of her very eyes haunting her.

She recalled the days where she did everything she ever could to please her fellow pride members. For them to see her as something more than the product of the bastardy done by their king and another lioness. A courtesan. A lioness who went behind the back of their queen and seduced their king.

Sure Simba had played a part in this but it was her who went to him. It was her who allowed him to mate with her. It was her who got pregnant with a cub that was not born out of love, but pity. Her mother was desperate in need of love and affection from a male and she let her desires and her lust get the better of her.

She made a decision which would affect her for the rest of her life using emotion rather than logic and reasoning. A mistake Tasha would rather die than commit. She would not follow in her mother's pawprints and lay waste to her future.

She touched her swollen stomach, three months and two weeks along, carrying Zayne's cubs in her womb. She would never allow anything or anyone to harm her cubs. She would never allow her cubs to undergo the same treatment she endured while living in the Pride Lands. She would give them the life they deserved.

One where they were treated equally, where they would be loved and appreciated, shielded from her dark past and the ones who made her life hell. They had their parents and that's all that matters. When asked who her family was, her answer would always be the same.

"My parents died when I was of a certain age. Your grandmother was killed when she let compassion rule her and she paid the price for it. Your grandfather decided he didn't want me in his life because he was too preoccupied with his other family. Your half aunt and uncle are up on a pedestal that has no room for me and therefore I cast them out of my mind and my life,"

She felt a turning on her womb and smiled. Her cubs. Her flesh and blood. They were here with her. When they were born they'd be sheltered, protected and above all loved. Something she herself never truly had the privilege of experiencing as a cub.