Bones and Termites

[mwezi]

Zira shunned her son for a few moments as her orbs fell over the details of her mate. It would be a shame to leave without Scar's approval, but closer the sunset; closer their chances came to an end. Aggression found it's way out of her talons as they sharpened against the boulder, leaving behind dirt-stained marks.

Zira turned her maw to examine Nuka's outburst; his tantrum. It was very 'un-kingly' of him and the whining just embarrassed her. Tough and insane as the lioness was, her eldest son was too valuable to abandon. Sighing with impatience, the out-lander moved to her son.

"Your brother has a darkness inside his soul," she whispered motherly, a sign a storm was coming. She attempted to grab Nuka's jaw with her paw so she could look directly at him.

"Kovu will follow in Scar's pawprints, and never say he is not Scar's son. Never speak of that again!!" Zira growled, pushing Nuka away with little force, but her eyes locked on his threateningly. "Kovu is my son." The desert-colored lioness hissed.

Nuka might have been her first-born, but he had to learn his place. It wasn't on Scar's throne and he definitely would not inherit it if something happened before then. Zira's heart was blinded to reality expect her own and not even the firstborn would ruin her hard work.

[gem]

A lioness cub crept slowly towards a waving tail. She thought for a moment, wondering what Mother would do if she pounced on the tail. Then she decided that it didn't matter because it wasn't Mother's tail, it was Nuka's. That made it all the more fun!! Vitani punced, kneading Nuka's tail with her teeth and claws.

After a few moments, she stopped and backed off before Nuka and Mother started yelling at her. Vitani said, "Kovu is the chosen one, not you Nuka!" Her voice turned into a sneer, "You don't have what it takes." Vitani knew that she had what it took but she would never get the chance for one simple reason, she was a lioness.

The thought made her eyes boil with anger but she simmered it down for Mother. "Do we get to learn anything new today, Mother? What about how to tear a throat out or claw out an eye?!"

[/size]

[Rox]

Kovu padded into the cave after hearing the voices of his mother, sister and brother and sat down quite a distance from them just listening, his ears slightly back having the feeling that somehow soon something was about to happen that involved him, he didn't know what exactly, but he had the feeling that it did.

[Bendari]

Nuka's ears droop when his mother lectures him pretty much on how he's never going to be king. Then he hears his sister, Vitani. "I do so have what it takes!" He retorts to her, not enjoying the fact that he's being talked down by his own younger sister.

[Rox]

Shifting his weight on his paws as he sat there in the shadows, his emerald green eyes stared at his mother. What was she planning, and what was that Vitani had just said? Something about tearing out throats and clawing out...eyes?!

The very thought of hurting somebody made the cub’s stomach turn with nausea, though he held back an oncoming feeling of sickness by swallowing it back down his throat. “We...don’t have to tear out each other’s eyes…Do we?” He asked while finally having the courage to pipe up and rise from his hiding place while walking out into the cave’s weak lighting which fell on a few of his facial features as he lay himself down on the bitter earth of the termite mound while flicking his tail back and forth staring between the others in the family group nearby.

The cub wondered to himself about how his other siblings were feeling with him apparently becoming king. He knew vaguely somewhat, how his elder brother Nuka felt about the situation, but what about Vitani? Maybe he’d ask her in a while when she didn’t look as busy with Mother and Nuka as she did right now, so he decided to wait quietly unless he was spoken to.

[mwezi]

The numbness of her conversation with Nuka was going no where and doing nothing, but wasting her time. The huntress cast her shallow eyes from one cub to the other. It was a new night and babysitting was not on her agenda. Passing her only daughter as the lioness reached out for Kovu the prince, Zira hushed him once more when the cub questioned Vitani's motives and eagerness for learning.

"Sleep now, my child." His mother whispered fondly into the cub's ear. "Your training will begin tomorrow as soon as the sun rises." She pushed his little body towards the mound's opening, which lead to the secrecy of their den. One day, she will awaken his slumbering darkness and reveal his true evil nature.

"Vitani!!" The Queen commanded as her focus turned to the lioness cub. "You're old enough now. Tomorrow your training as a huntress will begin." Zira didn't leave any room for questioning as her slender frame jumped powerfully onto a large boulder.

Zira was less patient with her daughter as she was with Kovu. At the same age, and his twin no less, Vitani had shown true potential as a great huntress. The Queen wasn't in need of a girl, but since her presence came along with Kovu's, Zira would use her to further her son's training.

[Rox]

The young cub took a few involuntary steps forward as his mother ushered him towards the den. Turning his head back towards her he quirked an eyebrow in slight confusion. "But I'm not tired.." he replied while suppressing an oncoming yawn. It had been a busy day, and the cub in truth was somewhat sleepy from the day's events. "Do I have to go to sleep?" he asked Scar, of whom he figured was probably still laying in the same spot as he was earlier, though he wasn't exactly sure.

(I didn't want Scar to be left out of the family time )

[Bendari]

Nuka raises a brow as he listened to his mother. Training? His mother was going to train the little termite instead of himself?! And for what purpose? To defend off a much older lion that himself. Oh how Kovu would fail if that were the case, his mother would be very proud of him if HE were to kill the Prideland King. Yes, Nuka would help train Kovu if that was what his mother wanted, but he would also use his wit to make the young cub get into trouble with Zira, then maybe....just maybe, she would lose faith in Kovu and turn to him as the pride's savior. He would be the one to finally avenge their pride's loss. He could finally do what he wished for all these years. Give Shujaa what he deserved, the very memorial he was planning to make ever since he was a cub. But this dream is very fragile, Zira could easily shatter his hopes. Scar moreso. What is he going to do if the only thing in life he wanted to do was shattered before his eyes? Even he didn't know. All he could do now was wait for the inevidable. Zira or Scar's final word on the matter, and so he waits, his eyes glancing between his mother and father.

[Scar]

Family matters had never been Scar's forte. He had always been a King then a father, and practicaly left all the housework for Zira. He had been trying to ignore them all until they left, but Nuka's careless words just forced him to intervene.

"Shujaa IS my son." He roared, masterfully jumping down from his plateau, emerging from the shadows so that he was face to face with Nuka.

His green eyes were narrow and his muzzle wrinkled into a cruel snarl, clearly a warning for Nuka never to say anything like that again. He didn't seem to notice how he said Shujaa instead of Kovu. But his son's death drove him no less insane than his mate, and the truth behind Kovu's adoption was the illusion of that he could somehow replace the fallen Prince. However, what he did see what the uncanny resemblance between him and Ahadi. No... it couldn't be. He still hated Ahadi for what he had done to him and refused to commit the same injustice than he did... but Nuka couldn't be King, the Pridelands would snap in two then sink like the Titanic, and just think of what it'll do to Scar's name after his death. Kovu would be King, and Nuka had to be fine with that. How? He had an idea in mind.

"If you think yourself worthy, you will challenge him when time comes. But meanwhile, you will do as you were told and take care of your brother." Scar sentenced.

[Bendari]

A look of slight anger crossed Nuka's visage. He wasn't going to be the king. "Yes. Scar." He says in a smart-alecky tone before getting up and heading back toward where he and his "brother" originally were; the termite won after all...that fact sounded like nails on a chalkboard to him, antagonizing him to no end. The hot ground felt as cold as ice to him...his mind clouding further, he couldn't think straight. Was this his ultimate failure? He didn't know. He lays down once he makes it back to where he was, not entirely sure what to do now.

[Rox]

Figuring he didn't have to sleep since nobody replied to him, Kovu shrugged as he walked outside into the night air which caused the cub to shiver a little since a light breeze caused his hair tuft to ruffle somewhat. He looked up at the sky, the stars and moon looked so bright tonight, bright enough for him to see where everything was exactly in the Outlands which was cool yet somewhat creepy at the same time. The cub spotted Aberash nearby doing whatever it was she was doing at that moment. "What are you doing?" he asked as he quirked a brow in confusion as he sat himself down next to her. He couldn't fathom what she was doing at that moment because well...there really wasn't anything to do out here, especially at night.

[Scar]

Still angry at how the Prince had blatantly ignored her throughout the day, Aberash was having a death duel with a withered tree. She was winning, holding a root firmly between her teeth and pulling it savagely.

Right then, the last lion she wanted to see finally decided to acknowledge her existence.

"Drm drminggnnng!" Aberash explained without letting go of the root and without turning to face the Prince. She wasn't in the mood.

[Rox]

"What's wrong?" Kovu questioned as he stepped into her view finding that she was tugging on a root. Lowering his head he bit onto the other end and began to pull it with all his might thinking that she might need help with loosening the limb. When he could pull no more, he released his grip and panted. "That was hard.." he mused with a slight chuckle only to think that the female cub before him probably thought it wasn't as funny as he did.

[Scar]

Aberash was annoyed by Kovu's attempts to "help". She tried to push him away with a paw.

"Ths D trrr. Grr ind yrr own!" She growled at him, never letting go of the root.

Finally, and thanks to Kovu's efforts (thing she would never admit) the root finally cracked, and only the bark joined it to the tree. However, the puny last strap of bark was still putting up a fight, and Aberash continued pulling.

[Rox]

Kovu watched the cub still chew and tug on the remaining piece of bark. "Um...you..you do know its gone right?" he said smirking behind a paw. She was rather funny, tugging on a root that was already dug up.