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Chapter 2: Advent — Description
  The heavens seemed to favor them as the two groups went their separate ways. The wind was gone and not a sound of thunder or a drop of rain alerted to a return upheaval of the sky. This was good, with the day near its end and hyenas working the best at night, the sooner they were out and about, the better. All the lionesses were looking forward to a much needed rest and Zira was especially anxious to return to her mate’s side.

  Yet when the group came around to the southern end, they were surprised to find that the hyenas were absent there, as well.

  “Perhaps they were chased away by the fire.” She mulled over silently, noticing the burn damage extended to even there. “No. This fire must have happened a few days ago. Even if it had chased them away, they should have returned by now. So where are they?”

  “My lady!” A lioness called from nearby the point of Pride Rock. Zira made her way over, noticing a body at her feet. It was a partially charred hyena.

  “What do you think?” asked the pridesister. “It looks like the fire got it before it could escape.” Zira furrowed her eyebrows at that, prodding the corpse with her claws and flipping it over onto its other side. “No.” she stated. “This beast was killed by lion, not fire.” Although difficult to distinguish with the mud that caked charred and rotting flesh, Zira’s sharp eyes caught the subtle signs. Long slash marks along the rump, and puncture wounds along the back and neck, coupled with the severed spine pointed to the classic lion kill style. But the bruised and broken rib bones suggested that the hyena had been dropped, or flung, from great height, the fires only getting to it after its death.

  Before Zira could think on it further, another lioness called out to report a second dead hyena. And then a third, a fourth, and even a fifth; time and time again, they showed the same gruesome signs. They had been attacked or killed by lions, and by the look of it, the attackers had had one goal in mind: remove the hyenas from Pride Rock's point, showing no mercy in the process. Once off the great monument's face, the hyenas had been caught in the fire only for the flames to be extinguished before they could fully consume the bodies, likely the rain being the cause.

  Now Zira was in a panic. Who were the lions that attacked the hyenas and seemed to have managed to overwhelm them? Why weren’t any of the Pridelanders showing up in the body count? Was her own pride and cubs now in danger? But most importantly, where was Scar in all this mess?

  Zira moved without thinking, suddenly taking off towards one of the winding trails that lead up the ridge of Pride Rock's vertical face. She had to get to the dens; she needed to have proof that she was just being silly over it all. Hoping desperately to come rushing in, to find Alijali just finished performing her duty, Scar looking up with his wonderfully droll expression. To discover that the Pridelander lionesses had revolted, obviously losing and having been exiled for it, the hyenas lounging in their place in the pride’s den. It just had to all be her imagination, a silly whim; nothing could happen to her Scar, her mate, her love. The only thing she lived for anymore.

  That was when the wind picked up and her eye caught something. She didn’t remember moving, but before she knew it, she was standing in a small rock gulley. It was barely noticeable, pressed against the side of the vertical standing of the monument. With sight and smell of the charred corpses of hyenas, it was almost undetectable. But underneath it all, Zira and Zira alone could distinguish a familiar scent. The one of her lover and king.

  A shrill and pain filled sound broke the air; Zira didn’t realize at first that it came from her. She threw herself at the pile of hyenas, tossing aside the corpses with a surprising amount of strength. A few moments of frantic digging unveiled the broken body of Scar. The bodies of the hyenas had preserved the dark lion's own body from the cold and rain, leaving him almost perfectly preserved. However, scattered along his body were many series of wounds, which caused Zira to dryly joke to herself that he was now truly his namesake. But in the time since gaining the injuries, the wounds had become infected and were pulsating horribly.

  Zira felt unbidden tears come to her eyes as she stared at her mate; even now, in such a beaten and broken state, he looked like perfection carved in lion form. She threw herself onto him, sobbing hysterically into his long, black mane, not even caring if her pridesisters came upon her in that moment. She had just lost her mate, her king, the most important individual in her entire life; nothing else mattered except the loss that she felt.

  “...Zir-...Zira...”

  The grieving lioness started, not quite believing what she had just heard. She slowly moved away from Scar’s mane, gently positioning his head so that it rested in the crook of her arm. She held her breath, her fragile hope desperate to overcome the reality. Then he moved, a soft intake of breath followed by a bout of ragged coughing before he opened his eyes. His gaze was weak and tired, as if it took all his energy to just keep himself conscious. So it was no real wonder when his hoarse voice barely held above a whisper.

  “Zira, you’re back.” She could have praised the heavens from the relief that flooded through her at seeing him alive. There was still a chance, still a way to save him.

  “Of course, my king. I promised I would always return to you.” A hoarse but deep sound resonated in his throat. The sound was so foreign to be heard from Scar that she didn’t realize that he was chuckling.

  “Yes, I know. You have always been loyal to me. Since the first day we met when you were but a young cub. Ever since your grandfather betrothed us.”

  Zira felt a strange conflict of emotions in that moment; happy over his recognition of her, but confused over his out of character actions. Using her stunned silence to his advantage, Scar took the moment to ask a vital question. “Where are our cubs, Zira?”

  “Safe, my lord. Hidden away in your favorite caves on the northern side of Pride Rock, being watched by Hasina and Furaja. But that doesn’t matter now. Who did this to you? What happened here?”

  “Don’t interrupt, Zira. You must hear me out.” As always, she obeyed her mate loyally, shutting her mouth even as a countless number of questions tumbled about in her mind. “Zira, the male cub... has he gotten his eye color yet?”

  Not quite sure where this was going, she answered. “They’re green, my king.” She remembered well the first time that brat’s eye color appeared, feeling particularly angry that he was akin to Scar even in that respect. “His eyes are emerald green, unlike yours which are far sharper.” She had hoped to disconcert him, but rather, it seemed to please him.

  “Good, very good. And remind me, his fur will be dark red-brown, correct?” She nodded. “Then it has all worked out.” He sighed, seemingly happy for no explainable reason. “Zira, I have two tasks for you before I go.” Seeing her about to speak, he interrupted. “Please listen, I don’t have much time. Just promise me you’ll do as I say.” She agreed, knowing she could never disappoint him.

  “First, I wish you to give my cubs a name. I leave it to you in naming our daughter, as I have never allowed you such a choice before. But please, I ask you to give the male the name I request. Call him Kovu.”

  “Kovu? But that means...”

  “Scar, for he shall live on in my image and presence. Please Zira, give him that name.” She promised even as she bit back words of resentment; the cub did not deserve her lover’s name.

  “And the second task I ask of you is to raise and train our children to one day take the throne that they were entitled to. Raise Kovu to become a warrior and a king, with our daughter his strong and grand queen. Raise them to take their destined throne and let no opposition stand in their way. See to it, my Zira. Promise me.”

  Despite her over-all opposal to such an idea, Zira could not deny her mate's dying wish. She nodded. “I promise, my king.”

  “Thank you... Zira. Thank you...” He seemed ready to say more, but he broke off unrepentantly. Zira waited on bated breath, but all she heard was a single sigh and then he went silent.

  “Scar? SCAR! Please no. Don’t leave me now, please! What are we going to do without you? What am I going to do?!” Her voice broke more and more until the last words were being sobbed out. Finally breaking down, she clung to his body in desperation, sobbing uncontrollably.

  A deafening roar split the night sky, bolting Zira from her mourning. In that moment, her mind registered the voice of another lion, the voice that had lead to her mate’s demise. And as she tenderly placed down Scar’s still form, she let the last of her tears fall before she turned to face his murderer.

  In that moment, the remains of her tenderness and love eroded away and in its place, formed unquenchable vengeance and hatred.

  Zira had become her namesake.
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SO. MUCH. TIME. Seriously, you have no clue how much time and effort went into this peice. Take my advice, the next time I get the urge to draw a fully rainy scene with drip effects, puddles and all the other effects that go into rain, shoot me in the hand. Because the pain from that should remind me of how much frustration and patience went into this.
Any way, still keeping the blood and gore warning as not only is there evidence of it in the text, but now the illustration as well. Still fairly knew to blood and gore effects so I apoligize if it looks wrong. But I am fairly happy with it.
And as I will be deleting the un illustrated chapter, here is the copied text from it for those who are reading this for the first time.

**** In this chapter, Zira discovers the events that have happened to her home sense being away. And even has a brief talk with her beloved Scar before he finally kicks the bucket. Starting Zira down that dark and bloody road of revenge.

And yes, I kept Scar alive long enough to pass a few critical points onto Zira, primarily naming Kovu and stating he was his heir. I know some will call Bull on this but here are some things to consider. First, we never see Scar actually die, only implied. Second, those flames came up and onto Scar at the same time the hyenas started attacking, therefore, I imagine that he got several nasty bites from them before the flames came up and chased them off or killed them, so Scar wouldn’t have gotten anything too nasty. Third, though the bodies of the hyenas manage to shield him from the flames before the rain fell, it also weighed him down, and prevented him from moving. And after inhaling so much smoke combined with his wounds, the fight with Simba and lack of food, he was too weak to move. So Scar lay there under all those hyenas for four days, too weak to do anything but sit there and think.

So Scar was left to review his life and realize the mistakes he made. And though he tried to make it up to Zira and right his wrongs before death claimed him, his body finally gave out.

And for those thinking Scar couldn’t have possibly survived, you need to realize that wild lions are tough animals: they can survive far worse and even return to a semi-normal life. I saw a lioness on a documentary show get caught in a hippos jaws, punctured the neck and eye and managed to do damage to the skull and she still managed to recover and return to helping her pridesisters in the hunt. Something to consider folks.

**That about covers it, enjoy the chapter folks.

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