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Description
  With the closing of a door, a new one often opens in its place; and for better or worse, it always brings the greatest of changes. All one can do is follow its lead or stand stubbornly in its wake. When a bringer of change – a herald for the future – clashes with one who is set in the memories of the past, it can only bring the greatest strife to all.

  So while Simba stood atop Pride Rock, roaring his claim to the lands over the beating rain and the cries of his pride’s acceptance, the winds of change were already in motion. They spread their arms in all directions, reaching even the most distant of places. The most influential of those places was to the far east of Pride Rock, where grassy plains and hills gave way to dunes and dry scrub. There, nestled in a small rock den protected from the wind and the imposing storm, rested a pride of lionesses, all with pointed facial features and pelts of the varying cool colors adorning their gaunt figures. At their center rested the queen, her pelt a cool tan hue, with a single, dark stripe running along her spine starting at her head. Her eyes, narrowed and closed in her slumber, hid irises the color of boiling blood, sharp angles of her face accentuating her harsh nature. She was beautiful, in an exotic way, yet this beauty was marred by a circular hole cut from one ear and an almost constant grimace on her visage. She seemed the furthest set from anything to do with the new King Simba, but in reality, she had everything to do with him. For this was the mate of the former King Scar that had only just been upsurped; his loyal queen, Zira.

  The lioness had no way of knowing her reign had ended, so far removed from Pride Rock, resting amongst her loyal followers on her ancestors' lands. Nor did she have any reason to be distraught, for she and her pride all slept peacefully with full bellies in a dry, warm, and well-sheltered cave. None-the-less, Zira woke with a start, waking the two cubs that had been sleeping peacefully at her side in the process. She moved without truly realizing it, her cumbersome steps jostling awake the others of her pride. She stopped at the den’s entrance, staring out at nothing, never noticing the odd looks of her pride or the growing cries of her cubs. Despite being logically incapable of knowing what had just transpired at Pride Rock, Zira could not escape the nagging feeling that something was wrong, and she needed to return home immediately.

  "My Queen?" Zira startled, glancing back to look at the lioness that had spoken up. She suddenly realized where she was and what she had done, thoughts processing slowly in her tired mind. The cool and damp wind jostled her back to reality and forced the gears in her mind into motion.

  "We're leaving." Voice monotone but firm, she moved toward the two cubs struggling on the cave floor. The pride exchanged looks of shock and confusion, clearly lost as to their leader's intentions. Zira picked up her daughter, the older of the two cubs, by the scruff, before signaling to the eldest cub huddling in a corner. At her silent command, Nuka, a scruffy and skinny brown cub, rushed to follow his mother's lead. Without a further glance back, Zira made for the exit.

  "And what of the male, my lady?"

  Zira looked back at the questioning lioness, then to the small, red cub lying at her feet. At the sight of her unwanted charge, a silent snarl rose in her throat, and her crimson eyes narrowed with resentment. The unnamed red cub; the bastard child that Scar had taken in and forced upon her, all because he just so happened to resemble the king and was born a little before her daughter. Though only the child of some weakened rogue who had died not long after birthing the wretch, he was to be Scar's heir. The King was even planning to betroth his and Zira's daughter to the cub so that his line would still hold the throne. Zira had spat at the idea of even adopting the misbegotten whelp as her own (let alone betrothing him off to her beautiful and precious daughter!), but ever since Nuka's birth, she had fallen out of favor with her mate and had been desperate to gain his affections back. So she had brought the brat with her as her pride searched the territory for food. And as much as she loved the idea of leaving him to die out in the desert, she knew Scar would be furious at her and she dare not upset him further.

  "Somebody take him. I don't care who, just take him and follow me." She had placed her daughter down to give the order. But once done, she picked the cub up again, promptly walking out into the cold, bitter wind of the desert.

                                                                    ~*~

  It had taken far longer than they had predicted to reach Pride Rock, much to the irritation of the Queen. From the instant they had left the warmth of the den's interior, the wind, rain, and cold had been their constant resistance. It wouldn't normally matter; the pride was used to the harshest of elements. But the drought had left them severely weakened, the risk of death by sickness or exhaustion too great of a factor to be ignored. Plus, even if they were in the best of conditions, Alijali, Zira's second in command, reminded the Queen that they had cubs to consider.

  "If not for Nuka's sake, then for the small cubs. They are too young to face the harshness of the world just yet, and Scar would want you to keep them safe."

  Her words eased the Queen's agitation, though the slow progression was quick to remind her.

  By the time they had crossed the border of the Pridelands and trudged deeper into its territory, four days had come and gone, and the soil was moist and heavy with rain. And it seemed by the dark clouds overhead that it was only the start.

  "So, the drought has finally ended." Zira muttered as the group took shelter in a toppled tree. "Good. Now Sarabi's lionesses can stop whining over something that Scar can't control. Bunch of prissy, spoiled lionesses that don't know what true hardship is."

  But Zira's luck changed for the better, when the storm cleared up enough for them to make a break for Pride Rock, barely visible on the horizon. It took the whole day of trekking through the mud and wind, but they had finally arrived near the fringe of where the back of Pride Rock dropped off into gentle, rolling hills.

  "Strange," commented Furaja, one of the youngest and most naïve of the pridesisters.

  "What are you blathering about now?" an older lioness snapped.

  "We should have encountered the hyena clan by now; if not at the border, then as we approached the monument. Yet, we have not seen hide nor whisker of them. So where are they?"

"Probably seeking shelter near the front. Even they know to get out of the rain." a third lioness dryly stated.

  "Speaking of which, we should find shelter before it starts raining again. I don't know about you girls, but I prefer to be bathed the old fashion way, and only when there is a nice sunning rock available." The fourth's comment sent a wave of chortles through the crowd, before Alijali quieted them down.

  Perhaps picking up on Furaja's observation as well, Zira chose to lead the pride to the caves Scar often occupied in his youth, where he had spent his time plotting his rise to power. As the pride shuffled about the cave, picking resting spots and grooming each other, Zira plopped down to nurse the cubs. Glancing out the cave's entrance, she made note of a feature that had been noticed before, though she did not speak of it verbally. "The vegetation looks charred, and the rocks have burn and smoke marks upon them." Her tail gave a subtle twitch, slight tension relieved through the act. "A fire has been through recently. Perhaps all that thunder we have been hearing has been more than just noise."

  Now thoroughly agitated, Zira waited for her cubs to finish suckling, before taking further action. "Hasina!" Her call wasn't loud, but definitely carried enough to get Alijali's young daughter to respond.

  "Yes ma'am!" The beautiful, adolescent lioness had been sitting in a corner with Nuka, telling a funny joke, when she had been called.

  "Come over here and keep the cubs warm while I'm away." Hasina wasted no time, curling herself around the two cubs in a matter of minutes, Nuka appointing himself to sitting beside her.

  "What's the plan, my lady?" one lioness inquired as the pride gathered to listen to their queen.

  "I want one group with me: we'll circle around Pride Rock from the rear. The hyenas will likely be resting on the southern shadow with the wind coming from the north. I want to get them up and patrolling the borders, and maybe even set out hunting. With the rain's return, there should be something out there by now." Zira paused to make sure her pridesisters were at full attention, her blood-red eyes silently scrutinizing the group, before continuing. "A second group will go with Alijali: I want you to go announce our return to the king. Give him a report of our findings and elaborate on a return." In other words, give a good explanation as to why they had returned empty-handed. Alijali was good at easing the king's worries and anger, and Zira wanted him more at ease when she greeted him later.

  After that, Zira began going through names, assigning members to each team. Most of the lionesses ended up with her, as the hyenas could be difficult to work with. Finally, almost everyone had been assigned to a team, except...

  "Furaja!" The lioness nearly jumped out of her hide when the Queen called her name. "Yes?" she squeaked, a few pridesisters giggling to each other in amusement.

  "I want you here to help Hasina manage the cubs. Two warm bodies will do better than one." Upon noticing Nuka, she nastily remarked, "And a half."

  "Um.. yes, my lady." Furaja gave an expecting glance at Zira the entire time she walked over to lie beside Hasina. However, when the Queen didn't acknowledge her further, despite the younger lioness's look of silent anticipation, an almost disappointed expression crossed Furaja's face, before she plopped down to take up conversation with Hasina.

  "Perhaps I should stay behind, and Furaja go in my place." Came the old, but gentle voice of Alijali. "After all, she wants nothing more than to prove herself, to please you, and prove her worth. Going to greet Scar, or even going with you, could be that chance."

  Zira mulled over that thought, taking in her advisor's wisdom.

  She took a moment to observe Alijali’s features in comparison to her own. Alijali looked like any of the other lionesses in her pride; cool gray colors adorning her gaunt frame with long, sharp features in her face. What set her apart was the tired and aged look in her gray-blue eyes and face; she looked far older then she truly was. Her daughter wasn’t much different, though her colors wavered closer to light indigo instead of the cool slate of her mother, and her features were far more soft, in comparison to her mother's harsh, angular profile.

  Furaja, however, was far different. Practically standing out like a bright sun in a sea of gray clouds. True, her face was slightly long and sharp, but the warm, brown colors of her pelt looked out of place amongst the cool grays and browns of the rest of the pride. Plus, she bore some roundness to her face and build that the others did not have, and her eyes were of the most brilliant of orange hues. Though it was not any of her control, Furaja’s appearance brought up old prejudice, and Zira wanted nothing more then to strike out at the young lioness merely for her looks alone.

  "No, my mind is made up. Scar knows you, and she is too inexperienced." Zira turned and left at that point, motioning with her tail for her group to follow. Alijali bowed her head to her mistress's decision, though her brow furrowed in disapproval.

  "Besides, I don't want to be stuck babysitting that brainless dolt." Zira muttered under her breath. "Especially not one that looks more like a Pridelander than one from my own pride."

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Cover | Next
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*EDIT* don't mind me, just adding in a image to the story *EDIT*
Here’s the first chapter of Zira’s Demise folks and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be posting this. After so many months of waiting, planning and revisions, I’m so happy to be able to share this story with you guys.
It should be noted that this story will be updated bi-weekly: every other week on Wednesday. I do intend to add illustrations to this story but not now, school has taken up priority as of now and I need to focus on that.

Now, as for the chapter: this one gives a nice little introduction into the story. And not only do we encounter Zira, Nuka and her two cubs (Vitani and Kovu), we also encounter a few new characters. We have the wise and aged Alijali, Zira second and advisor, her daughter Hasina, a loyal, fun and gentle soul and Nuka’s only friend and the little social outcast, Furaja. Memorize these faces folks, they’ll be playing major parts in the story as a whole.
Fun fact: the beginning of this chapter was actually rewritten. Originally, it was more strait forward and acted like we already knew who Zira and her band was. But my editor, corruptangel315 (who I’ll call Corrupt for short), suggested that there was something “off” about the beginning. So I rewrote it to be more “poetic”, gently flowing into the story instead of forcing it down. It’s a small thing but it works in the long run.

Oh, go give my editor a big hug for agreeing to do this: she’s really made a difference in making theses stories better.
Enjoy folks!

All things related to TLK © Disney
Artwork, concept and story © Me
Editing © corruptangel315
Please do not use in any way, shape or form without proper consent from me and without using proper referencing. Thank you.

Description
  With the closing of a door, a new one often opens in its place; and for better or worse, it always brings the greatest of changes. All one can do is follow its lead or stand stubbornly in its wake. When a bringer of change – a herald for the future – clashes with one who is set in the memories of the past, it can only bring the greatest strife to all.

  So while Simba stood atop Pride Rock, roaring his claim to the lands over the beating rain and the cries of his pride’s acceptance, the winds of change were already in motion. They spread their arms in all directions, reaching even the most distant of places. The most influential of those places was to the far east of Pride Rock, where grassy plains and hills gave way to dunes and dry scrub. There, nestled in a small rock den protected from the wind and the imposing storm, rested a pride of lionesses, all with pointed facial features and pelts of the varying cool colors adorning their gaunt figures. At their center rested the queen, her pelt a cool tan hue, with a single, dark stripe running along her spine starting at her head. Her eyes, narrowed and closed in her slumber, hid irises the color of boiling blood, sharp angles of her face accentuating her harsh nature. She was beautiful, in an exotic way, yet this beauty was marred by a circular hole cut from one ear and an almost constant grimace on her visage. She seemed the furthest set from anything to do with the new King Simba, but in reality, she had everything to do with him. For this was the mate of the former King Scar that had only just been upsurped; his loyal queen, Zira.

  The lioness had no way of knowing her reign had ended, so far removed from Pride Rock, resting amongst her loyal followers on her ancestors' lands. Nor did she have any reason to be distraught, for she and her pride all slept peacefully with full bellies in a dry, warm, and well-sheltered cave. None-the-less, Zira woke with a start, waking the two cubs that had been sleeping peacefully at her side in the process. She moved without truly realizing it, her cumbersome steps jostling awake the others of her pride. She stopped at the den’s entrance, staring out at nothing, never noticing the odd looks of her pride or the growing cries of her cubs. Despite being logically incapable of knowing what had just transpired at Pride Rock, Zira could not escape the nagging feeling that something was wrong, and she needed to return home immediately.

  "My Queen?" Zira startled, glancing back to look at the lioness that had spoken up. She suddenly realized where she was and what she had done, thoughts processing slowly in her tired mind. The cool and damp wind jostled her back to reality and forced the gears in her mind into motion.

  "We're leaving." Voice monotone but firm, she moved toward the two cubs struggling on the cave floor. The pride exchanged looks of shock and confusion, clearly lost as to their leader's intentions. Zira picked up her daughter, the older of the two cubs, by the scruff, before signaling to the eldest cub huddling in a corner. At her silent command, Nuka, a scruffy and skinny brown cub, rushed to follow his mother's lead. Without a further glance back, Zira made for the exit.

  "And what of the male, my lady?"

  Zira looked back at the questioning lioness, then to the small, red cub lying at her feet. At the sight of her unwanted charge, a silent snarl rose in her throat, and her crimson eyes narrowed with resentment. The unnamed red cub; the bastard child that Scar had taken in and forced upon her, all because he just so happened to resemble the king and was born a little before her daughter. Though only the child of some weakened rogue who had died not long after birthing the wretch, he was to be Scar's heir. The King was even planning to betroth his and Zira's daughter to the cub so that his line would still hold the throne. Zira had spat at the idea of even adopting the misbegotten whelp as her own (let alone betrothing him off to her beautiful and precious daughter!), but ever since Nuka's birth, she had fallen out of favor with her mate and had been desperate to gain his affections back. So she had brought the brat with her as her pride searched the territory for food. And as much as she loved the idea of leaving him to die out in the desert, she knew Scar would be furious at her and she dare not upset him further.

  "Somebody take him. I don't care who, just take him and follow me." She had placed her daughter down to give the order. But once done, she picked the cub up again, promptly walking out into the cold, bitter wind of the desert.

                                                                    ~*~

  It had taken far longer than they had predicted to reach Pride Rock, much to the irritation of the Queen. From the instant they had left the warmth of the den's interior, the wind, rain, and cold had been their constant resistance. It wouldn't normally matter; the pride was used to the harshest of elements. But the drought had left them severely weakened, the risk of death by sickness or exhaustion too great of a factor to be ignored. Plus, even if they were in the best of conditions, Alijali, Zira's second in command, reminded the Queen that they had cubs to consider.

  "If not for Nuka's sake, then for the small cubs. They are too young to face the harshness of the world just yet, and Scar would want you to keep them safe."

  Her words eased the Queen's agitation, though the slow progression was quick to remind her.

  By the time they had crossed the border of the Pridelands and trudged deeper into its territory, four days had come and gone, and the soil was moist and heavy with rain. And it seemed by the dark clouds overhead that it was only the start.

  "So, the drought has finally ended." Zira muttered as the group took shelter in a toppled tree. "Good. Now Sarabi's lionesses can stop whining over something that Scar can't control. Bunch of prissy, spoiled lionesses that don't know what true hardship is."

  But Zira's luck changed for the better, when the storm cleared up enough for them to make a break for Pride Rock, barely visible on the horizon. It took the whole day of trekking through the mud and wind, but they had finally arrived near the fringe of where the back of Pride Rock dropped off into gentle, rolling hills.

  "Strange," commented Furaja, one of the youngest and most naïve of the pridesisters.

  "What are you blathering about now?" an older lioness snapped.

  "We should have encountered the hyena clan by now; if not at the border, then as we approached the monument. Yet, we have not seen hide nor whisker of them. So where are they?"

"Probably seeking shelter near the front. Even they know to get out of the rain." a third lioness dryly stated.

  "Speaking of which, we should find shelter before it starts raining again. I don't know about you girls, but I prefer to be bathed the old fashion way, and only when there is a nice sunning rock available." The fourth's comment sent a wave of chortles through the crowd, before Alijali quieted them down.

  Perhaps picking up on Furaja's observation as well, Zira chose to lead the pride to the caves Scar often occupied in his youth, where he had spent his time plotting his rise to power. As the pride shuffled about the cave, picking resting spots and grooming each other, Zira plopped down to nurse the cubs. Glancing out the cave's entrance, she made note of a feature that had been noticed before, though she did not speak of it verbally. "The vegetation looks charred, and the rocks have burn and smoke marks upon them." Her tail gave a subtle twitch, slight tension relieved through the act. "A fire has been through recently. Perhaps all that thunder we have been hearing has been more than just noise."

  Now thoroughly agitated, Zira waited for her cubs to finish suckling, before taking further action. "Hasina!" Her call wasn't loud, but definitely carried enough to get Alijali's young daughter to respond.

  "Yes ma'am!" The beautiful, adolescent lioness had been sitting in a corner with Nuka, telling a funny joke, when she had been called.

  "Come over here and keep the cubs warm while I'm away." Hasina wasted no time, curling herself around the two cubs in a matter of minutes, Nuka appointing himself to sitting beside her.

  "What's the plan, my lady?" one lioness inquired as the pride gathered to listen to their queen.

  "I want one group with me: we'll circle around Pride Rock from the rear. The hyenas will likely be resting on the southern shadow with the wind coming from the north. I want to get them up and patrolling the borders, and maybe even set out hunting. With the rain's return, there should be something out there by now." Zira paused to make sure her pridesisters were at full attention, her blood-red eyes silently scrutinizing the group, before continuing. "A second group will go with Alijali: I want you to go announce our return to the king. Give him a report of our findings and elaborate on a return." In other words, give a good explanation as to why they had returned empty-handed. Alijali was good at easing the king's worries and anger, and Zira wanted him more at ease when she greeted him later.

  After that, Zira began going through names, assigning members to each team. Most of the lionesses ended up with her, as the hyenas could be difficult to work with. Finally, almost everyone had been assigned to a team, except...

  "Furaja!" The lioness nearly jumped out of her hide when the Queen called her name. "Yes?" she squeaked, a few pridesisters giggling to each other in amusement.

  "I want you here to help Hasina manage the cubs. Two warm bodies will do better than one." Upon noticing Nuka, she nastily remarked, "And a half."

  "Um.. yes, my lady." Furaja gave an expecting glance at Zira the entire time she walked over to lie beside Hasina. However, when the Queen didn't acknowledge her further, despite the younger lioness's look of silent anticipation, an almost disappointed expression crossed Furaja's face, before she plopped down to take up conversation with Hasina.

  "Perhaps I should stay behind, and Furaja go in my place." Came the old, but gentle voice of Alijali. "After all, she wants nothing more than to prove herself, to please you, and prove her worth. Going to greet Scar, or even going with you, could be that chance."

  Zira mulled over that thought, taking in her advisor's wisdom.

  She took a moment to observe Alijali’s features in comparison to her own. Alijali looked like any of the other lionesses in her pride; cool gray colors adorning her gaunt frame with long, sharp features in her face. What set her apart was the tired and aged look in her gray-blue eyes and face; she looked far older then she truly was. Her daughter wasn’t much different, though her colors wavered closer to light indigo instead of the cool slate of her mother, and her features were far more soft, in comparison to her mother's harsh, angular profile.

  Furaja, however, was far different. Practically standing out like a bright sun in a sea of gray clouds. True, her face was slightly long and sharp, but the warm, brown colors of her pelt looked out of place amongst the cool grays and browns of the rest of the pride. Plus, she bore some roundness to her face and build that the others did not have, and her eyes were of the most brilliant of orange hues. Though it was not any of her control, Furaja’s appearance brought up old prejudice, and Zira wanted nothing more then to strike out at the young lioness merely for her looks alone.

  "No, my mind is made up. Scar knows you, and she is too inexperienced." Zira turned and left at that point, motioning with her tail for her group to follow. Alijali bowed her head to her mistress's decision, though her brow furrowed in disapproval.

  "Besides, I don't want to be stuck babysitting that brainless dolt." Zira muttered under her breath. "Especially not one that looks more like a Pridelander than one from my own pride."

___________________

Cover | Next
___________________

*EDIT* don't mind me, just adding in a image to the story *EDIT*
Here’s the first chapter of Zira’s Demise folks and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be posting this. After so many months of waiting, planning and revisions, I’m so happy to be able to share this story with you guys.
It should be noted that this story will be updated bi-weekly: every other week on Wednesday. I do intend to add illustrations to this story but not now, school has taken up priority as of now and I need to focus on that.

Now, as for the chapter: this one gives a nice little introduction into the story. And not only do we encounter Zira, Nuka and her two cubs (Vitani and Kovu), we also encounter a few new characters. We have the wise and aged Alijali, Zira second and advisor, her daughter Hasina, a loyal, fun and gentle soul and Nuka’s only friend and the little social outcast, Furaja. Memorize these faces folks, they’ll be playing major parts in the story as a whole.
Fun fact: the beginning of this chapter was actually rewritten. Originally, it was more strait forward and acted like we already knew who Zira and her band was. But my editor, corruptangel315 (who I’ll call Corrupt for short), suggested that there was something “off” about the beginning. So I rewrote it to be more “poetic”, gently flowing into the story instead of forcing it down. It’s a small thing but it works in the long run.

Oh, go give my editor a big hug for agreeing to do this: she’s really made a difference in making theses stories better.
Enjoy folks!

All things related to TLK © Disney
Artwork, concept and story © Me
Editing © corruptangel315
Please do not use in any way, shape or form without proper consent from me and without using proper referencing. Thank you.