Guilt and Fear-The Untold story of Zira

Chapter thirty-six: Zira's point of view

Zira continued to relax until she heard Nuka's voice. Thinking that he had come to complain that he wasn't the chosen one again, she moaned as she stood up, preparing herself for a lecture of useless reasons that Nuka should be the chosen one rather than Kovu. When she did see Nuka and Kovu return from their search for Hatari, they came back with a lion cub and Jasiri. Zira was a bit irritated that Jasiri had attempted to come back, but curious to know who the lion cub was.

"Nuka, Kovu," she began as Vitani joined her side. "Who have you brought to me?"

"It's prince Kion!!!" Kovu said enthusiastically. "King Simba's son." A lightbulb went off in Zira's head. Simba's son being here could either be very good or very bad for her and her pride. Especially considering the fact that Kion had that mark on his shoulder.

"Prince Kion?" She asked, fake smiling. "Well, welcome dear. I see you have already met Nuka and Kovu. This is my daughter, Vitani." She said, gesturing to Vitani, who stood there, judging the two.

"A lion and a hyena? Hmmm...." She muttered.

"That's right, dear. Now, to what do we own the pleasure, Prince Kion?"

Kion had a stern expression on his face. "Jasiri says that you've stolen her family's water hole. I'm here to help her get it back."

Kovu butted into the conversation, obviously excited. "And Kion says that he can talk to Simba to let us back into the pridelands if we give it back." He said, a huge smile on his face.

"The pridelands?" Vitani asked, suddenly curious. "Living back in the pridelands???"

"Well, Kion. You see, we can talk about sharing the water hole, and I see you have the roar of the elders."

"Yeah, what about it?" Kion asked, obviously suspicious by now.

"I know it's power, and I know what it's capable of. The last lion who had the roar taught me all about it."

"Scar was never worthy of having the roar." Kion said. "he misused it, so it was taken from him."

"How dare you?!" Zira hissed, but then took a deep breath and calmed down. She wasn't going to lash out on Kion just for saying something offensive about Scar, but she was ready to maul him if that was that reason why the pridelands thought that Scar had lost his roar. She remembered him telling her that he had merely been trying to protect himself and his mother when he used his roar on his father, killing him on accident.

She began to circle Kion, talking to him in a manipulative way. "Come, Kion. I can tell you about the roar."

"I don't know if I trust you..." Kion said.

"Oh? Well, why don't you try roaring at that cloud?" Zira asked, motioning to a cloud in the sky.

"I don't see how roaring at a cloud is going to help, but, ok..." He took a deep breath, and let out a roar at the cloud. The great kings joined his roar in the clouds, and the cloud instantly turned dark and heavy with rain. It poured down until it had no rain left. Jasiri and Kion just stared at where the cloud had been only seconds before.

"Kion," Jasiri said. "Did you know you could do that?"

"No." Kion answered. He then turned to Zira. "Zira, how did you know the roar could do that?"

"As I said," Zira started. "Scar taught me all about it. Come into my cave so we can talk about it."

Jasiri and Kion turned their backs to Zira, whispering. About two minutes later, they turned back around. "Okay, Zira." Kion agreed. "I'll come with you so that you can tell me about the roar."

"Splendid." Zira said, smiling. "Children, you stay here with the hyena." As she was walking away, she saw Nuka snarling at Jasiri. She knew that Jasiri could easily pin Nuka if he tried to attack, but just in case.... "Nuka, play nice." She told him as she and Kion walked further into her cave.

Zira led Kion deeper into the cave, all the while talking. "Well, prince Kion, what an honor."

But Kion wasn't up for messing around. "Okay, Zira. We're alone. Now tell me about the roar."

"All in good time." She responded. "But first, you tell me: who's side are you on? Lions? Or hyenas?"

Kion gave her the answer that she was hoping not to receive. "I'm on the side of the circle of life, and all of the animals who respect it."

"You truly are like your father. But, prince Kion, you must know..." She thought of a way to explain that her pride should be over his without going out and saying it, so she decided to take the route of starting with the argument that lions should be above every other animal. "That lions were made to rule over all other animals."

Then, she went into a huge musical number about how lions should be over any other animal. During the bridge of her song, Kion began singing back, about how they should be kind and go by the circle of life.... exactly how Simba would have argued with her. Once they finished the song, Kion didn't seem happy.

"Zira, you and I have very different opinions on how lions should act."

"And that's why we're here." Zira said, going deeper into the cave. "to talk."

Kion continued to follow her. She had gotten her trap set mid-song, when Kion was too busy singing back at her that he didn't notice her talking to some lionesses.

"Okay, Zira. We're alone. Now tell me about the roar." He demanded.

"All in good time." Zira answered. "But first, I want to know which side you're on: lions, or hyenas?"

"I've already told you, Zira. I'm not going to change my mind."

"Well, that's too bad. Because you're not leaving here until you agree."