Sibling Jealousy

Chapter 18

The next morning, Nala and her cubs woke up with the rest of the lionesses. When they walked outside to their horror, they saw that Akila had gathered another twenty or so hyenas.

"Akila!" Sarabi cried. "You can't do this!"

"Don't worry Mother," Akila said, "They're not staying for the night. They're just going to be here for a couple hours."

"For what?" Nala asked.

"You'll see," Akila said. "Now go hunting."

With angry snarls and growls, Nala and the lionesses made their way down Priderock to the hunting grounds. Within two hours, they had made kills and another half hour passed before they came back to Priderock.

They were greeted by a worried looking Sarafina, who had left earlier to go to the Waterhole while they were eating.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Nala asked.
"Akila needs all the lionesses and cubs to gather in the big den." Sarafina said.

"Why?" Tama asked.

"I don't know. But we should go. He'll send the hyenas after us if we don't and you saw what happened to Faline." Sarafina said.

Nala nodded, but she was drenched in worry. She didn't want to go, but if she didn't, Akila would surely send the hyenas after them.

"Let's go then," Nala sighed, and the Pridelander lionesses walked into the den.

"What's going on?" Nala asked when they had grouped in the den. The Pridelander lionesses were on one side, while Akila's pride was on the other side.

"As you know," Akila began, "My son, Ari is now the next King, not Kopa."

Nala felt Kopa tensing between her legs, and she nudged him, telling him to stay still. He was just like Simba and Nala knew if she wasn't holding him back, he would start yelling.

"And so what?" Sarabi asked.

"I need to get rid of competition." Akila said.

"How?" Shinda asked. "What do you mean get rid of competition?"

"I mean, I can't have any male cubs competing for Ari's throne. Therefore, every male cub, except Hofu, since he is Malaika's brother, is to be killed." Akila said.

Nala gasped. She felt like something huge had knocked her as she began to realize what he meant. Akila was going to kill the male cubs. That included her own son.

"Akila, this is outrageous!" Kudeka roared angrily. "You can't do this!"

"I'm a King!" Akila snapped. "I can do anything I want!"

"Kopa's your nephew!" Nala cried. "You can't kill him!"

"But he's Simba's son!" Akila snarled. "He's the one I have to make sure is dead!"

"You know we'll all fight." Kula said. "And your Pride can't defeat ours."

"But with my hyena allies I can." Akila stated.

Nala looked at the hyenas who had gathered there. So that's why Akila had brought in more!

"I will fight to death," Nala hissed standing in front of her cubs protectively.