Chapter 6: Confession

Sorry guys for the hiatus. I had summer homework and college stuff piling up. Along with updating my story, I managed to finally edit my profile page(Yay!)

Author's Note: I realized that in the last chapter when Rafiki was retelling Taka's story to Nala, I accidentally wrote "when Simba was notified that he would be King" instead of "when Mufasa was notified that he would be King." Just in case anyone noticed.

Nala sprinted through the desert land at a speed she was unaware of possessing. She knew that if she wanted to make the right choice for her future, than it was imperative that she outruns Simba back to Pride Rock. Her discussion with Rafiki fueled her motivation.

"So Rafiki," stammered Nala, "You say that you know about my status as the queen?"

The elderly baboon nodded, but suppressed his grin. The happy-go-lucky warthog and meerkat left the two beasts for a termite excursion a half hour ago.

"Quite. Although, I understand why you would accept Scar to be your King considering what you previously thought had happened to Simba ,but I am puzzled as to why you would still consider him even after you reunited with Simba."

The beige lioness pointed her muzzle in the dirt sheepishly.

"You don't know for sure if I'm accepting Scar as my mate."

Rafiki crept on his four paws closer to Nala. He lifted a bony finger and pointed at her left eye, and then her right.

"It's in your eyes, Nala. Your sight is glazed over by Scar's influence."

Nala backed away from the wrinkly baboon and stared in confusion.

"I'm not sure that I understand what you are trying to say…."

"You know very well what I mean, Nala. Put your head towards the idea. When you and Simba were cubs, I watched over you. You had such innocent blue eyes then…'water eyes'. But the irises are clouded over. The cub's eyes told Simba that you wanted to play with him. That Simba could always know that his friend would love him. The lioness in front of me has the "telling eyes" too…but they have a message for Scar…."

Nala only stared at the baboon with even more perplexity. What could the strange beast be talking about?

The primate continued. His face hardened and formed into a frown. His lips curled in disgust.

"These eyes…..contain lust….and desperation."

Nala backed away, her face contorted from denial.

"No, that's not true….I don't love Scar, completely…I think...but I'm not desperate for him…."

Nala then remembered that Sarabi warned her against "succumbing to the feelings." But wasn't that why she gave herself to Scar? Because she wanted to submit to her feelings?

How should she feel? She was not even sure if she loved Scar or if her short-lived feelings meant nothing. What about his cruel punishment? Does she have sympathy towards him? Why should she sympathize with Scar because of his punishment? After all, he did betray Simba to take his throne.

"So what shall it be?" asked Rafiki, "Do you have feelings for Simba or do you have feelings for Scar?"

"Why should I have to tell you?Why is it anyone else's business?"

Rafiki shrugged, "It's not so much for my benefit as it is for your own."

Nala bit her lip and stared at the ground.

"I don't know….I knew Simba when we were cubs until he abandoned us. And since I only remember him from when we were cubs, it seems that not much has changed in that respect."

"But he left to reclaim his throne," spoke up Rafiki in Simba's defense, "That has to mean something. There must be more going on with him than on the surface."

"I suppose….."

"Maybe you should give Simba a fair chance. How long have you known Scar?"

"Intimately?" Nala grudgingly counted, "About….two nights and a day…"

Nala's head dropped. She could see what Rafiki meant.

"Well what should I do, Rafiki? You seem to know a lot more things than I do."

Rafiki fled from Nala's presence and crawled up a nearby tree.

"Don't look at Rafiki for answers! I may be wise about the Pridelands' history, but I do not know everything when it comes to matters of the heart. What do you think you should do?"

Nala sighed and forced her dizzying head to focus.

"I guess, I should confront Scar before Simba does….that way I will know what he will say to me alone compared to when he is confronted by one of the lies he tried to hide from me. But how can I do that? Simba already left who-knows-how-many hours ago."

The baboon crawled down the tree and used his left finger to scribble something in the dirt.

"What are you doing?" questioned Nala. She peered over his shoulder to find a blob with a rectangular space between it and the crude shape of what looked like Pride Rock. To the left of the Pride Rock was a long serpentine line from the blob.

"There are many ways from the jungle to the Pridelands," mumbled Rafiki, "You and little Simba travelled this way." Rafiki pointed at the snake-shaped path. "This is a shortcut." Rafiki traced his finger along the rectangular path that was substantially shorter than the long one. "Simba used your scent to find his way back to the Pridelands, so his journey will take more time than yours.I would say the difference would be about a day more, but since he had a head-start, the time of arrival for both of you will probably be a few hours apart."

When Rafiki shifted his gaze to find Nala's muzzle, but instead he saw her running through the jungle away from the clearing.

"Sorry I can't stay longer," she roared, "But thank you for helping me find my way!"

"For finding your way to the Pridelands or through love?" asked the monkey bemusedly .

"Both."

Nala had finally found her way to Pride Rock. She panted as she crawled her way up the rock pedestals of the royal obelisk. Her optimistic mood faded once she opened her eyes to witness the starving lions and the corrupt, thieving hyenas. After spending only a small time in such a lush oasis, she was already shocked to return home. She darkly chuckled when she thought of the shock that Simba will eventually feel when he returns home after years of paradise. After the image of his depressed visage crept into her mind, she mentally chided herself for laughing at such a notion. How could she still be so bitter towards him?

Nala entered Scar's chambers to find him batting at a caged Zazu as if he were a pussycat playing with a toy. Through the bone bars,Zazu's eyes widened once he saw his liberator emerge through the entrance. Zazu urgently pointed two feathers in her direction in hopes of distracting Scar. The cruel lion looked over his shoulder and flickered his eyes in almost genuine glee.

"Well, Nala. It's nice to see you home again."

Scar glided over to Nala and rubbed his muzzle against hers in greeting. "I was beginning to wonder if you would ever come back…"

Scar's eyes traced over her body suspiciously.

Her scent…..it smells different…familiar even. But the scent of something is masking it….the scent of some kind of fruit is covering the scent up….but what could it be?

Scar continued to inhale the mysterious scent along her neck. What was it?

As Scar continued to smell her, Nala could not help but feel an intense rage rise through her body. She was about to confront him with his secret….but then….she realized that she should be more subtle about it. Instead of biting his throat, as she had originally planned, she instead cautiously permitted him to explore.

"What are you doing, my King?"

"You smell interesting, my dear Nala. It almost smells like…."

"Another lion?" Nala raised her eyelids.

Scar stopped sniffing and stared at her brilliant eyes.

"Well, yes. Actually it does."

"Any…..particular lion that comes to mind?"

Scar's stomach clenched. No….it could not possibly be him.

"No….is there something you would like to tell me?" His corrupted eyes became slitted and piercing.

"How funny, Scar….or rather….Taka."

Scar's claws extended. His muscles tensed at the mentioning of that vile name.

"Who told you?" he growled dangerously.

Nala ignored him. By now she was pacing around the room, her head was now staring at the cracks and holes in the ceiling as if they were extremely interesting.

"I don't think that matters. I'm more interested in why you seem so afraid. Me being with another lion? Why….that's unthinkable. I don't think you should worry about how I know about your secret. No…what really fascinates me is how…possessive you get. You are very funny when you are jealous. Although…I guess little "Moonlight" didn't find your jealousy so amusing when you killed him…poor little Kama-"

Before Nala could so much as glance at Scar to see what response he would elicit, she was struck to the floor. Since Scar had remembered just in time to conceal his claws, no scratches were left on her. That did not, however, make her skull feel any less bruised.

Scar stood over her limp body and pinned her down by clamping his heavy paw on her neck. Her vision swam from the combination of oxygen leaving her body and her head being viciously struck.

"Listen to my words and listen well, Nala." Scar then whispered into her ear perfectly enunciating each syllable.

"I…did…not….kill….Kamari. That bastard hyena king did. Once I found out, that he framed me, I killed him with these very claws. And for what? To be the leader of a pack of mangy imbeciles when my own family alienated me? Despised me! Cursed me as a damned murderer of cubs? Oh, I couldn't have that, now could I? I wanted to take everything that rightfully belonged to me: Pride Rock….and an heir….and of course that's where you come in…..yes….you, my beautiful mate."

Nala was clinging on to the remaining air around her. She gasped and sputtered.

"Please….let me….. breathe….."

"Maybe I will if you tell me who the other male was?" Scar lessened the pressure on her neck. He needed to know once and for all where Simba resided so that he could kill him himself if the time ever came.

"Please….let go," she pleaded, "I promise …to tell you if you let go. Besides…..I might be pregnant. You don't want to kill your unborn heir…do you?"

Scar's eyes widened at the possibility that she might be bearing his child at the moment,

"Are you pregnant?"

"I….don't know….but I might be."

Scar took the pressure off of her neck but flipped her over so that her back was facing him. He now had control over her forelegs instead of her fragile neck. Nala was close to crying. How could she have been so stupid to trust this monster? How could she have been so cruel to Simba when he only wanted to love her in the way she deserved to be?

"He was another lie that you kept from me," tears trickled down her square muzzle, "He was….my beloved Simba."

Scar leapt off of her back and snarled in disgust. "Leave my sight. I have no desire to see you for the rest of the night."

Nala gladly walked to the opening of the cave.

"Oh Nala."

The weeping lioness haulted in her footsteps to hear what the maned devil had to say.

"I too have a confession….I mean…since we are being honest and all… Zira was my illegitimate mate before I even selected you. Her son, Nuka, was the result of it….but I convinced her to persuade the pride that Anaan was the father because of the cub's cowardice: I could not have a coward as a King. Anaan was a good match too…he looks just like Nuka. But to be fair, I did not use her while I was with you…I only persuaded Anaan to father their next cub. A cub that I predict will be the best heir of all even though he is no blood relation to me. It was just a plan B in case our offspring would not be how I envisioned it to be."

Nala whipped through the entrance and left the mad king to laugh at her despair. At that moment, not much mattered to the weeping queen. On her way down the steps, she saw Zira and Anaan walking the steps. Nala saw that she was followed by her cub, Nuka.

"Good afternoon, Queen Nala," jealousy poisoned Zira's words, "What message from King Scar does our Queen bless her Pride with?"

Nala spat in Zira's face and left the Pridelands.