A short story that tells a version of a theory I have about Zira, from Lion King 2!

Basically that she comes from another pride, and this pride is the source of lions like Nala and Kovu's dads.



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The Lion King: Zira’s Pride

“From the day we arrived on the planet, and stepped into the sun, we’ve had to fight for survival.” Nuka complained, as he stared out across the barren land they lived on. Even their pitiful den didn’t shade his position near the entrance, where he laid. The grass of the savannah was dry and short, which at least let him see his mother coming.

“Oh boy! Mother’s found food!” he licked his lips as he sat up, scratching at his neck with his hind-paw. As she came closer, a smile grew across his face. His mouth fell agape when his mother dropped half the carcass of a small fox in front of him, the tail end. “Leftovers?” he groaned, sniffing the mostly eaten remains, enough was left that could be hardly called a meal.

His mother glared at him, as she gave his cub siblings the head section, taking the middle for herself and laying down to eat. She spoke after her first bite, “Eat up. We are leaving once we are done eating.” She said simply. Nuka obediently, slowly ate the meat from the bone. “But mother, you said food would be important… I hoped that- “

Zira growled, “We hope for a lot of things, but this isn’t the Hopelands, it’s the Harshlands.” She was always angry when she was hungry, and she was always hungry. Nuka finished his meal before he looked at her again. “Why does it always have to be hard, I hate it.” He frowned, crushing the cleaned bone into dust.

His sister spoke up, “Zira ni nguvu” she said, “Hate is strength. Besides, mom is Zira after all.” She smirked. “The strongest lioness ever.” Nuka sighed, “I know, Vitani.” Zira glared, “Eat.” She paused, “I’m strong because I have to be.” She said dismissively, looking at her claws. “In the Pridelands, I will be a great hunter. One of you, royalty.” She smiled. Nuka stared at her a moment, but as soon as she noticed him looking her smile faded.

“Don’t screw this up.” She said harshly, “It’s a long journey and there will be no coming back.” Vitani blinked a few times, “But mother, the pride said you are welcome to come back if we get reje-“ Zira growled. “One, rejection will not happen. You are the best. Two, anywhere is better than this.” She declared. Vitani gulped, “Yes mother.”

Zira nodded, “Good. Hate and anger have made us strong enough to survive but…” Her other son spoke up, . “Hapa sio nyumbani kwetu. This is not our home. ” he sighed. “Can we just leave it already then!?” the young cub complained. “Yes Tupu, is everyone ready?” Nuka rolled his eyes, “Since the day we were born.”

The group rose to all fours, and got into position with Zira at the front; the two young cubs Vitani and Tupu behind her side-by-side, and Nuka at the rear. “This way.” Zira said, as she led them west, toward a desert. “Nuka.” She added, “You may well have to fight... Things are going to get worse before they get better.”

Nuka groaned, “How did I know you were going to say that?” he sighed, “I can handle it.” He said confidently. Zira nodded, and led the way, it wasn’t long after they stepped onto the sands that things got worse. Nuka almost jumped, “HOT!” he yelped, wincing. “Why is the sand extra hot?” he asked, wincing as they moved, the cubs seemed not to put enough weight to have much pain... while Zira simply seemed to be hardened by her years.

That thought stopped Nuka from complaining, for once. In time the pain dwindled, “It’s not so bad once you get used to it. That or my paws are burnt...” he lifted one of his paws, “Nope, still there.” He said, trying to be funny. Tupu laughed a soft laugh, making Nuka smile. Zira brought them to a single tree, surrounded by water. “Drink up, and soak your paws. We will be out here all day.”

Nuka groaned, but eagerly put his paws into the water, drinking from the water closest to the source. “Hey this water tastes better.” Tupu blinked, “Really?” he pawed at the water, before taking a drink, “Yeah it... tastes more like milk than the water we had.” He noted. Vitani looked at both of her brothers confused, and took a drink herself. “Yeah... Hey mom maybe nothing ever grows in the Harshlands because the water sucks!”

Zira sighed, “Well grab a bucket and start watering the grass.” She said sarcastically. “Forget the Harshlands.” She added, not sarcastically. “The Pridelanders want to hear how great you are and how happy you are to be there. How much you respect tradition and-“ Vitani put her paw up, opening and closing it, “And respect the Circle of Life and, blah blah we KNOW mother!” she looked her mother in the eyes.

Tupu gulped, looking at his mother and sister, until Zira sighed. “They are a judgemental pride. But it is their right with how successful they are. So many animals want to live there they had to start exiling them to the border territory, The Outlands.” Once they had rested, they continued on. Nuka smiled, the water made his stomach feel a lot better than it normally felt.

They would stop at more oasises, rather uneventfully, until night fell. “Uh, mother... aren’t we supposed to be out of the desert by now?” Vitani asked, and her mother responded with a growl. “...How did we get lost? Or did we leave late?!” she asked, frustrated,
“...Rest. I’ll stay up to protect you.” Zira sighed, “But mother you need rest t-“ Nuka responded but her mother cut her off. “I said rest.” She commanded. Nuka curled up around his siblings once they had laid down, back to back with Zira, who rested her head but did not sleep for their protection.

Nuka woke up with his mother nosing him, and then his siblings. “Wake up. WAKE UP!” his mother said frantically, “We need to get moving! Get out of the desert before it is too late.” Nuka hopped to his feet, knocking his siblings forward. Soon they were back in formation and walking. Nuka rubbed his eyes. “Too late for... what?” he complained, “Do we know where we are going?” he asked.

Zira nodded. “Yes, it’s not much further, once there we need to hunt.” Nuka smiled. “FOOD!” he exclaimed, “Fresh food.” He licked his lips. His mother seemed distressed, but he could not tell why, and he was confident in her. The sand was cool thanks to the early morning sun, and the smell of water came into his nostrils.

“This is the place right, the marsh? We made it. So what were we in a hurry for?” Nuka asked as they entered... and then he walked
right into his mother as she collapsed, “Mother!” all three of her children exclaimed, then Vitani asked “What’s wrong mother?”

Zira groaned, “Food. Hunt!” she ordered, laying down in the water. Nuka gulped, “We shouldn’t be starving, we ate yesterday, and we haven’t had any hunger pain-“ Zira growled. “The water. I didn’t realize it at the time but-“ she groaned, putting her paw to her gut.

Vitani growled, “NUKA! Get hunting! Tupu, we’ll head this way.” She said, emboldened by her mother’s pain. Nuka took off the other way, “Hunt? What are we going to hunt in a marsh?” he asked himself, but soon he heard some rather noisy critters. “Ooh. Mongeese... Sorry guys but we have to eat.” He snuck into the grass, listening for them... moving quickly.

His paws erupted from the grass, grabbing a mongoose and crushing his throat, and pulling it into the grass with him. “A monster!” a voice called, “It kille Bru’ha!” another exclaimed... then the owner of the voice was silenced like the first by their throat being crushed in the young lion’s paws. In short order he had enough to feed himself and his mother well... and brought them to her.

“OW... Mother, mother was right I...” he barely made it to her, when he dropped the mongeese between them... landing with his head forward he ate them as he lay there. “Mother...” he gasped, pushing the mongoose to her nose. She awoke, and snapped it up in her maw, pushing the tail to Nuka’s nose briefly. The younger cubs returned, having eaten their fill as they hunted.

The mongooses that Nuka had hunted were soon devoured. “Hey mother... how long has it been since we were uh, full?” Tupu asked. Zira sighed, “Since your father... left us, three seasons ago.” Tupu nodded, “Oh, right...” He sat and frowned, “Well, you’re still a great mother.” he said with a smile. Zira looked at him, and sighed. “If you think so.” She put her paw on his head.

“We are almost there. One more desert to cross.” Zira said, and Nuka groaned. “Not another desert...” she put her paw roughly on his head, “This one has dust storms. Beyond that however... we are practically in the Pridelands.” She grinned, as did Nuka. “Kwetu...” he said, and Zira nodded.

The group left the marsh, and entered the desert. “Stay close!” Zira called, backing “Nuka! Carry Tupu.” She instructed, snatching Vitani... just as the dust storm picked up. Nuka sighed. “Harmattan, the only thing that we didn’t have to ruin the old place.”

They moved, slowly, through the desert... after about a day, Nuka spoke up. “Mother! I thought you said it would take half a day...?” Zira growled, “I can’t see a thing, we must have been going in cir-... what?!” she exclaimed. Just as they exited the storm, and could see... they saw a land in ruin. Zira growled. “The storm...? The Pridelands!” she shouted.

Nuka frowned, “Not near as green as-“ Vitani bit his leg, “Don’t say anything stupid brother.” She growled. Tupu hopped off of Nuka, to help him up. Zira’s eyes sharpened. “Where’s the king? What’s going on...?” she said, for the first time she felt fear... but then she saw the famous lion.

“Who are you... and your family?” the black-maned lion asked. Zira smiled. “We come from the Harshlands, as you know Askari-“ He chucked, “Please, call me Scar.” Zira nodded. “Scar, sure.” She looked at his eye, “I have brought my children, to be your heir’s mate, as is tradition.” She said, stepping aside to present them.

Scar grinned, “This cub... he has a black mane...?” he questioned, grabbing Tupu in his paw. “I’ve never seen another before...” he chuckled. “I unfortunately do not have an heir. I would be pleased to take this cub as my heir!” he said. Zira gasped, “You mean, as your son?” Scar nodded. “Precisely. You and your family are more than welcome into my Pridelands.”

“Does he have a name?” Scar asked of Tupu. Zira shook her head, “As is tradition the youngest bears the name Tupu, to be named when he is presented. Scar nodded, “Oh, I have just the name then... Kovu, meaning Scar, in my name.” Kovu smiled. “Hey, we have a dad again... right?” Scar nodded with a smile. “Oh, yes.”

While food was scarce during the drought, which they had learned was the cause of the lack of greenery, the next few weeks the family ate better than they ever had. Zira and Nuka were returning from a distant hunt... “Rain?” Zira asked, “The drought is over.” She smiled, “Things are finally getting better.” She said, bringing the food to her family’s den. She met eyes with Kovu... and her heart sank.

“Kovu what happened?!” she exclaimed. He said nothing, Nuka followed his mother outside. “Who is that? Mufasa?” she squinted. “No...” The lion soon noticed her and came to her, “Who are you?” he asked Zira. She growled, “I am Zira. Who are you? What happened to Scar?” The lion looked at a pile of bones, in a familiar skeleton. “I am Simba, Mufasa’s son, and the rightful king.” He said,

Zira stared. “You killed Scar?!” she asked, “He was the one that chose my son to be heir, who let us into the Pridelands.” She growled... betrayed. Simba’s eyes narrowed. “I have seen your “heir”. Kovu. He looks just like Scar.” He said, and by his tone that was not a good thing. “He will be king! He has already been chosen!” Zira snarled.

“Scar was not the rightful king, his choice has no power.” He said, “If you are to live in the pridelands you must accept me as the king.” Zira’s eyes turned red. “No.... NO.” She looked to her children for one moment... the next, she was off the ground, claws at Simba’s throat... and the next, she was on the ground. It happened so fast... She shook her body as she got back up. “Treason!”, “High Treason!”, “Execute her!”, “They can never be one of us!”... she heard in a flurry of voices, but the loudest of all... “EXILE!”.

The word would be in her memory, the word would define her future, and that of her family, especially that of Kovu’s... as they were forced to leave, and took of residence in the Outlands... better, but she had been so close to greatness... and it would drive her to madness.