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“Zira?”

Scar’s tone was uncharacteristically nervous, at he took a step into the den.

“I saw the mandrill leave—may I come in?”

His eyes scanned from the rocky ground to the raised platform where his queen rested. Her back was towards him, leaving him unable to see—

“The cubs aren’t any better than Nuka."

Scar sighed. He had hoped things would be different this time. He had ordered the hyenas to relinquish all their prey to Zira for the past week, in preparation for the cubs’ birth—he’d even skipped meals himself, hoping to keep her strong. But once again, they had failed to have a healthy litter. The king came forward into the den, to lay down beside his mate. Suckling at her belly, he saw four small, spotted forms.

“They are cute, at least,” he quipped. “Which one is the oldest?”

“This one." Zira nosed the smallest of the cubs, who squeaked in protest. “And according to Rafiki, she’s a runt—exactly like Nuka.”

“None of the others are well, either?”

Zira sighed.

“The mandrill had to force those two to breathe,” she said, “And they still hardly want to eat. As for him..." She grimaced, looking to the last cub. "See for yourself.”

Scar took the cub in his paw, and turned it away from Zira. He immediately let out a grunt of distress, as he spotted the cub’s flattened, inward-curled paw, drooping eye, and grotesquely deformed jaw.

“Well... I guess they aren’t all cute,” he muttered, letting the cub go back to nursing.

Silence descended on the cave, as the two lions watched their litter in contemplation. The cubs sniffed and squeaked gently, as they kneaded their mother’s stomach. Though she was a runt, the firstborn cub drank greedily while her brothers and sisters struggled—a sharp push from the cub sent the other three tumbling on top of each other.

“She’s got a strong will, anyway,” Scar said, causing Zira to chuckle, “Maybe she’ll be our heir after all.”

“I suppose there is time for them to get stronger...” replied Zira, the smile fading from her face, “But Nuka never did."

“That’s true.”

Zira let out a sigh, knowing what discussion was coming.

“I think we are going to have to rely on Kula’s cub,” Scar said, finally.

“Why would her cub be any better than ours?” Zira argued, “She hasn’t eaten any better than me, or rested any more, or—“

“She and that rogue aren’t you and I,” he interrupted. Scar rubbed at his forehead, with an air of exhaustion. “Neither of us got the best genes, you know. I’m starting to think we could never have a healthy cub, together.”

“What if Kula’s cub is sickly or a runt, huh?” Zira pressed, “What if it’s so weak that it dies? Then what are you going to do?”

“Then I’ll try again.”

Zira got up swiftly, to loom over her mate.

“You mean we’ll try again.”

“We! We, of course we!” Scar said quickly, his voice jumping up an octave, “Please, sit back down.”

Zira did as he said, and Scar put a paw on her shoulder, adding; “I’m sure Kula’s cub will be fine, she’s a strong lioness. We’ll have our heir...”

From outside of the den, Scar could see the hunting party returning. Behind Sarabi, who carried the front half of an emaciated zebra, was a much younger lioness, carrying the back half. Even in a famine that female’s muscles rippled, and her coat shone in the sunlight.

“...One way or the other.”

~~~

I just got in a mood to draw some King Scar and Queen Zira stuff Cause I love them a lot This piece ties in with several headcanons that I personally subscribe to:

A) Zira and Scar had numerous miscarriages/stillbirths during their reign. And since they couldn’t seem to have healthy cubs even when they survived, Scar appointed Kula’s unborn cub as his heir, as she was the only other lioness who was expecting. ...However, with all of the issues he’d experienced, he was paranoid that the cub would either die or be unhealthy as well. So:

B) He secretly fathered Zuri, with a lioness named Akina. He wouldn't live to see her be born.

C) ...Scar really does love Zira, but he’s incredibly selfish and prioritizes what he wants over absolutely anything else. Lol.

And D) Scar didn’t disinherit Vitani because she's a girl, I don’t see him as being sexist on top of all his other flaws (I could ramble about that forever, lol). It was her being a runt like Nuka which made her ineligible to be his heir. Nuka had been a massive letdown to him, and he didn’t believe Vitani would be better.

Btw, if you’ve watched me for a while you may remember that I used to have a headcanon that Scar also had cubs with Naanda. I have decided to retcon that, though I will be reusing the characters’ designs ...Also, Vitani's littermates don't make it.

Description
“Zira?”

Scar’s tone was uncharacteristically nervous, at he took a step into the den.

“I saw the mandrill leave—may I come in?”

His eyes scanned from the rocky ground to the raised platform where his queen rested. Her back was towards him, leaving him unable to see—

“The cubs aren’t any better than Nuka."

Scar sighed. He had hoped things would be different this time. He had ordered the hyenas to relinquish all their prey to Zira for the past week, in preparation for the cubs’ birth—he’d even skipped meals himself, hoping to keep her strong. But once again, they had failed to have a healthy litter. The king came forward into the den, to lay down beside his mate. Suckling at her belly, he saw four small, spotted forms.

“They are cute, at least,” he quipped. “Which one is the oldest?”

“This one." Zira nosed the smallest of the cubs, who squeaked in protest. “And according to Rafiki, she’s a runt—exactly like Nuka.”

“None of the others are well, either?”

Zira sighed.

“The mandrill had to force those two to breathe,” she said, “And they still hardly want to eat. As for him..." She grimaced, looking to the last cub. "See for yourself.”

Scar took the cub in his paw, and turned it away from Zira. He immediately let out a grunt of distress, as he spotted the cub’s flattened, inward-curled paw, drooping eye, and grotesquely deformed jaw.

“Well... I guess they aren’t all cute,” he muttered, letting the cub go back to nursing.

Silence descended on the cave, as the two lions watched their litter in contemplation. The cubs sniffed and squeaked gently, as they kneaded their mother’s stomach. Though she was a runt, the firstborn cub drank greedily while her brothers and sisters struggled—a sharp push from the cub sent the other three tumbling on top of each other.

“She’s got a strong will, anyway,” Scar said, causing Zira to chuckle, “Maybe she’ll be our heir after all.”

“I suppose there is time for them to get stronger...” replied Zira, the smile fading from her face, “But Nuka never did."

“That’s true.”

Zira let out a sigh, knowing what discussion was coming.

“I think we are going to have to rely on Kula’s cub,” Scar said, finally.

“Why would her cub be any better than ours?” Zira argued, “She hasn’t eaten any better than me, or rested any more, or—“

“She and that rogue aren’t you and I,” he interrupted. Scar rubbed at his forehead, with an air of exhaustion. “Neither of us got the best genes, you know. I’m starting to think we could never have a healthy cub, together.”

“What if Kula’s cub is sickly or a runt, huh?” Zira pressed, “What if it’s so weak that it dies? Then what are you going to do?”

“Then I’ll try again.”

Zira got up swiftly, to loom over her mate.

“You mean we’ll try again.”

“We! We, of course we!” Scar said quickly, his voice jumping up an octave, “Please, sit back down.”

Zira did as he said, and Scar put a paw on her shoulder, adding; “I’m sure Kula’s cub will be fine, she’s a strong lioness. We’ll have our heir...”

From outside of the den, Scar could see the hunting party returning. Behind Sarabi, who carried the front half of an emaciated zebra, was a much younger lioness, carrying the back half. Even in a famine that female’s muscles rippled, and her coat shone in the sunlight.

“...One way or the other.”

~~~

I just got in a mood to draw some King Scar and Queen Zira stuff Cause I love them a lot This piece ties in with several headcanons that I personally subscribe to:

A) Zira and Scar had numerous miscarriages/stillbirths during their reign. And since they couldn’t seem to have healthy cubs even when they survived, Scar appointed Kula’s unborn cub as his heir, as she was the only other lioness who was expecting. ...However, with all of the issues he’d experienced, he was paranoid that the cub would either die or be unhealthy as well. So:

B) He secretly fathered Zuri, with a lioness named Akina. He wouldn't live to see her be born.

C) ...Scar really does love Zira, but he’s incredibly selfish and prioritizes what he wants over absolutely anything else. Lol.

And D) Scar didn’t disinherit Vitani because she's a girl, I don’t see him as being sexist on top of all his other flaws (I could ramble about that forever, lol). It was her being a runt like Nuka which made her ineligible to be his heir. Nuka had been a massive letdown to him, and he didn’t believe Vitani would be better.

Btw, if you’ve watched me for a while you may remember that I used to have a headcanon that Scar also had cubs with Naanda. I have decided to retcon that, though I will be reusing the characters’ designs ...Also, Vitani's littermates don't make it.