Father's Fury

Beside the water's edge, in a dark red pool of her own, lay the broken body of the young lioness Ari. A few feet away, in a motionless heap, was the dark king. His eyes were narrowed slits, barely open at all as he kept watch over his daughter. The scavengers were the first to know of the tragedy, and the winged ones circled high above, while others perched in trees close by, waiting. But Scar would not leave Ari's side. Any time they tried to come near, they were met with vicious snarls and a flash of claws. One vulture had already come too close to the body of the princess, and it now lay nearby, skull smashed open against a rock. The others took caution and waited patiently for the grieving father to step away.

Despite Ari's pleading, the blame had fallen on the shoulders of the surviving sister. The hyenas had been sent after Tasa, to make certain the outcast princess left the kingdom of her father for good. They would not hurt the pale lioness, and they themselves would never leave the Pridelands. They stood like a cackling army of lunatics at the border as the lone lioness disappeared from the territory. For such stupid creatures, even the hyenas would not dare to approach Scar now, though like the vultures, they were hopeful that tonight, they would feast on the flesh of the fallen lioness. But this was something Scar would not allow. A burial was in order, but Scar could not tear himself away from the bloody scene. He couldn't let anyone touch his Ari.

She had been his favorite child from the very start, the spitting image of her long dead grandmother Uru. Now she would join her ancestors in the afterlife, if such a thing even existed. This offered no comfort to Scar, though. His expression seemed oddly blank, as if in shock - and he was. His future now seemed less certain, less bright. He had already lost a son and another daughter, but this loss was so deep, Scar didn't know what to do... Besides kill any hungry vultures that wandered to close, and banish the daughter he had never cared for. Tasa's exile was a further loss, another blow to his ego, but it was Ari's death that affected him more than any other incident before. He lay there, crushed but unable to weep.

The heartless king felt heartbroken and helpless and all alone in the world. Now that he was by himself at the water hole, he had no one to be angry with but himself. In typical Scar fashion, he would refuse to take the blame for this, and only the spirits could help whoever crossed his path next. The vultures traced lazy O's high above, ever eager to rid the ground of another victim of the Pridelands.

The return of her son to the Pridelands was horrifying for Heshima, it was an omen, she swore it to be so. Kiasi was lucky he hadn't found out the truth, that his whole life had been a lie. But no, Kiasi and Makosa were not her sons anymore. They were just a part of her blood. Not even that, it seemed that only Kiasi had subtle differences that marked him as Heshima's son, and she was happy that he didn't question why they looked so much alike. Now Makosa looked exactly like his father from how Heshima remembered it, but she would be horrified to know that he had gained her violet eyes through his creation. Something that would surely effect her after what was going to happen today. As Heshima left Zingela Plain, she could see a circle of vultures circling in the distance. Odd, the hunting party hadn't gone out yet, Heshima would have been notified and left to watch over the cubs. Mainly Nuka now a days, for he was the only cub that still could be classified as a cub. Her own children and Uma who was born less than a week later were finally teenagers, the pale female was proud to have seen them grow this far. Most likely her children weren't going to survive the birth, but yet they did. Kifu had grown stronger than expected, Tasa and Ari were growing stronger each day as well. Soon the two would be obligated to join the hunting party. But, little did Heshima know that they would never get that chance.

Curious, the female decided to investigate the reason behind the vultures' sudden appearance in the Pridelands, but soon she was confronted by a pair of hyenas. Heshima stood tall and spat at them, pushing her way past the mangy poachers. If only she knew what was going to happen when she got there. In the distance she saw Scar, brooding as usual and she wanted to desperately avoid the situation entirely. And yet, something was calling her to come closer to the scene. For the rest of her life, Heshima would play this moment over and over again, regretting ever letting her daughter out of her sight. Would she blame herself? Of course she would, it was a mother's job to blame no one but herself, but in the end it would all boil down to the father of her children. Scar. The female cautiously padded up before the scent of blood filled her nostrils, and all horror struck in. Was Scar hurt? But then, a familiar and almost horrifying scent came through as well, Ari. The female rushed forward and stumbled onto the sight, her daughter lay motionless on the ground in a pool of her own blood. Two large gashes struck through her chest, and Scar sat next to her doing nothing. Heshima's voice grew darker with despair, she could barely choke out her daughter's name through the tears that she was trying -and failing- to hold back. "A-Ar-Ari," It was almost unreal, but in fact, it was everything but.

Heshima took a step forward and into her daughter's blood that seeped through the ground before dragging her out of there. The pale female nuzzled her daughter, her tears staining the bright russet coat that she carried. Never again would Heshima see her daughter's bright violet eyes that matched her own. Never would she hear Ari's sweet voice trying to reason between the arguments of her siblings. Never again would Heshima be able to hold her daughter close and tell her stories of the past. "No," It was all that Heshima could bear to say, she didn't wish to accept her daughter's death, but there were some things in life that had to happen, and this was just one of them. A sudden realization happened, Tasa was with Ari today, and yet she was no where to be found. If something large like this were to happen, she would come running for her mother just like when Giza vanished. Something was wrong, Tasa wouldn't just vanish. Unless. No, it couldn't be. Could it? "You!" With a flash of blinded rage, Heshima charged at her king and pushed him over, grasping his throat with her paw and holding him down with the other. "You! You murdered my daughter!" Heshima made sure to emphasis the my, to show that Scar no longer had any connections to their children. "Ari did nothing to you, and yet you kill her. Just because you didn't get your litter of kings. Can't you see Scar, you aren't Mufasa! You'll never receive anything that you want!"

This was a risky move, to call out Mufasa's name yet again, to blame Scar for the death of her eldest daughter. Ari was closer to the king than any of his other cubs, so her death was the hardest thing that he would ever feel in his now shortened life. The hyenas were only a call away, but Heshima didn't care at this moment. Today, she would be exiled, she would take her remaining children and run. To where though? Wait, her remaining children? She knew where Kifu was, but what about? The female pushed her paw in closer to Scar's throat, snarling at him, "Where. Is. My. Daughter?"

Of all of the lions in the kingdom that could have stumbled upon the bloody scene, it was the mother who was suddenly about to find herself missing two daughters. Scar rushed forward to shove Heshima away from the body, but in a moment so quick he had no time to stop it, he was knocked to the ground by the enraged lioness. It is said there is nothing like a mother's fury, but this was not exactly Scar's best day either. He was so surprised, he could only lay there at Heshima's mercy. The very notion that he would kill his favored daughter seemed to stun the lion as much as having the pale lioness press her paw against his throat. The very idea! Ari was the only cub born to the pair that didn't drive their father crazy, and Scar was offended at the very notion that he would ever lay a paw on his own flesh and blood. He had loved the cub unlike anything else, and now that was gone forever.

All of the pride had suffered, and Heshima had been giving her extra food to her son Kifu in an attempt to make him stronger. In doing so, she had only weakened herself. Perhaps in better days, she would have easily overpowered the aging lion, but the king ate when others didn't. Both of Scar's hind legs came to meet the gut of the lioness with a violent burst, all claws fully extended, and he rolled out from under her and to his feet quickly. His head lowered, ready to pounce and destroy the lioness. Many of the hyenas had gone off after Tasa, but Scar knew there was sure to be others nearby. But first, he had a few things to say to the mother who had failed once again to keep her offspring safe. "I should rip you to pieces on the spot, you fool. What good would it do me to kill Ari? Why would I do it? I'm not a killer." His voice was low, hoarse, hardly above a whisper. "And where were you? Off wasting your time with that runt of a son of yours? Or looking for a lion to come rescue you, or give you another useless litter of brats?" His chest heaved with his labored breathing, as if he too had been injured. Jade eyes, full of disgust, never left Heshima, prepared for her next attack - if she was crazy enough to try.

For several minutes, Scar could say nothing. Giza had been gone for months, and was all but forgotten in her father's mind. Tasa would never be seen again in the Pridelands, as face as Scar was concerned. And Ari... Well, her fate was obvious for all to see, and the numerous shadows cast by the vultures overhead reminded Scar of the harsh reality. His temper flared again, and there was revenge in his eyes. Heshima had been blamed when Giza disappeared. It was the duty of a lioness to protect her family, and Scar quivered with outrage. "Your daughters are gone. All of them. Tasa was responsible for her own sister's death. And you, Heshima. You have failed as a mother. As a lioness! You are a disgrace to this pride, worthless!"

"Kifu will stay here. I know you have been keeping my son from me," he remarked with a snarl, teeth bared. "If you don't get out now, you will be next. I swear it, Heshima." Her name was merely a growl, and the second his sentence was complete, a deafining, booming roar followed. It would be a matter of minutes, possibly even seconds before the hyenas arrived, and if Heshima decided to attack again, she would have no further time to escape with her life. She was worthless to Scar now, a reminder of what he wanted but could never have, and the very sight of her filled her former beau with disdain so strong he wanted nothing more than to see her shattered form bleeding beside his beloved cub.

Scar would have killed her on the spot himself, but he found he hardly had the strength the stand, too overwhelmed by his own grief. It was certainly not a sign of mercy towards the lioness. Unlike Tasa, Scar would order the hyenas that arrived soon to kill Heshima. The lioness had given him his Ari, and now Ari was gone. He glared a final time into the same purple eyes that the dead princess had inherited and a silent sob racked his entire body. He managed to stay on his feet, and his body was rigid and ready to fight, though he would prefer to collapse and go back to his mourning.

As Heshima was thrown back, she was surprised to see her king retaliate against her. If it was a fight he wanted, it was a fight he was going to get. Her violet eyes narrowed as Scar threatened to rip her to shreds, and yet he held back and shouted how he wasn't a murderer. "That's right, you aren't a killer, you're just the puppet master. You send the hyenas to kill everyone who doesn't think of the Pridelands' stupid and weak prince Taka as a god. You aren't a killer? Explain the death of my parents then! The hyenas killed both my parents, both for righteously defying you! They could have been given the chance to leave, but my mother was fond of you. She was going to offer herself up for the pride's safety. And yet one word out of her mouth and I wake up to her being killed. A murderer? You're too weak to be a murderer," Heshima had learned of Scar's past name mere days ago, and she knew now how much he hated that name. The thought of her parents made Heshima even more angry, how they both weren't given the chance to change the rule of the Pridelands. How everything had fallen on Heshima. And now she was filled with rage. But Scar's next statement made her come unglued. Or looking for a lion to come rescue you, or give you another useless litter of brats? Heshima growled and slipped into a defensive position next to her daughter's motionless body.

In that statement alone, Scar had declared all of Heshima's children useless, even the dead Ari next to the pair. "You know nothing Scar, I was protecting the borders you ignorant fool. There was a rogue, threatening to come and kill you. He said he was a former pride member, I never got his name. But, I forced him away. Maybe I should have let him come in and do the deed," This was a lie on Heshima's part, there was no rogue, only her unwanted son that roamed the borders and had stumbled into the Pridelands. But Heshima played her part well, and she snarled at her once king, "Think about your words Scar, you just called my Ari worthless, and yet you seem to hold her higher than any of your females that have fallen into your trap. You held her higher than even Zira! And yet, you call her useless, worthless; the same should be said about you," The scarred lioness was too anger to harbor any emotions of sadness and despair for her daughter, right now she had to deal with the king that she once held near and dear to her heart. The smell of the hyenas was becoming slightly stronger, they were making their way back but at a slow pace. It would be a few more minutes before they came, but by the time they arrived, the lioness would be gone. She wasn't about to stick around any longer. Heshima was no longer a prisoner of Scar. And she would never be again after today.

Heshima's face hardened and she roared in discontent. All of her daughters were gone, meaning Scar had undoubtedly chased Tasa away; exiling her from the Pridelands. He talked about how Tasa had been responsible for Ari's death and Heshima interrupted him there, "Tasa this, Tasa that, you hated her from the day she was born Scar. Just because she looked more like me than you. That's why you hated Mheetu, and how you hate Nuka, because they look more like their mothers than you. I'm not blind you idiot, you love to place the blame on anyone who's weaker and different than you. Don't think I can't smell the buffalo that were just here, I saw them coming in on my way to the plains to patrol. You did something Scar, not Tasa. You've blamed by child for too much, the death of her sister is not going to be one of these things!" You are a disgrace to this pride, worthless! For some reason, these words hit Heshima hard, and she stayed silent for only a moment. She wanted to lash out at Scar, rip out his heart and claim the Pridelands for herself. But she couldn't, there were too many consequences that surrounding the murder of her king. The female scoffed, "I haven't failed my children, you've failed them," And she left it at that. She wouldn't talk about how he hadn't been a father to any besides Ari, nor would she talk about all the attempts they had to get their attention -besides Giza that is- she would keep silent.

Jade met violet as the two former lovers -if you could even call them that- stood and stared at each other. The russet male had said how he was going to keep Kifu here, and that made Heshima snap. A deafening roar was sounded and Heshima ran forward and smacked Scar with her paw, she had no idea where it hit, but she could feel her claws rake against something. By now the hyenas were on their way, so the female made it quick. "You are just like Kuzimu; a demon. You will never see your son again, you will never feel love, the face of judgement will stare you in the face soon Scar. King Mufasa will have his revenge on what you have done to his kingdom. Ahadi was right, you will never be king," And just like that, Heshima was off. She was faster than most of the hyenas and would have fled the scene mere minutes before the mangy poachers arrived. The female rushed back to the den where Kifu had been at and quickly collected him, not saying a word about what had happened. There would be a time for that later, time to mourn, time to think about what would happen to them now. Heshima and her two remaining children were now rogues, there was nothing that she could do about it. Her plan was to get as far away as possible; run to the lands of her mother. Unknown to her, she would find one of her lost children living there soon enough. Finally after years of standing at death's door just for being affiliated with the Pridelanders, Heshima was free.