Love Beyond Reasons

A/N: Now this is where the Outsider plot gets an extra bonus to it. Let's begin Chapter 6. Roll it!

Chapter 6

The Great Scheme

Back in the Outlands, well, much further than the cubs had explored, there was hardly any vegetation or water anywhere. What was there were a few giant castles of termite mounds, the occasional scattered bones, and dry ground. The lionesses there practically had to dig and tear apart mounds and trees for something suitable to eat.

An adolescent scrawny lion was muttering to himself as he approached a young female cub, who was his little sister. The adolescent had pale cream fur, a scraggly thin black mane, matching his tail and joints, and vermilion eyes. The cub had pale peachy fur with bangs on her head, and violet eyes. The cub was chewing on a root, trying to pull it out.

"Kovu, Kovu, Kovu." The adolescent muttered. "Scar wasn't even his father. He just took him in." Then, he had approached his sister. "Oh, hey, Vitani. Where's the little termite, Kovu? 'The Chosen One.'"

When she didn't answer him, he used a claw to slice the root away from the mound, causing her to fall onto her back suddenly. He cackled at his little prank, but Vitani was not happy.

"Nuka, where's Kovu?" She demanded, coming back to her older brother. "Did you leave him out there on his own again?"

Nuka was chewing on the root and stopped to give his sister his snarky answer. "Hey, it's every lion for himself out here." He said, scratching himself to relieve him of an itch. "The little termite's gotta learn to be on his own."

Vitani glared at him. "Mother's gonna be mad." She said. "She told you to watch him."

"Aw, who cares?" Nuka said, who was still scratching himself with either his claws or onto a dead tree. "I should've been the Chosen One. I'm the oldest, I'm the strongest, I'm the smartest-" He stopped to yelp in annoyance at all the termites that were bugging him. "These termites!"

Vitani smirked at the sight of Nuka going into a frenzy to get rid of the termites in his fur. "I could be a leader if she'd just give me a chance!" He continued to rant as he scooted on the dry ground.

His sister scoffed. "Yeah, right. Why don't you tell that to her?"

Nuka narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, yeah? Don't think I won't."

"Oh, yeah?" Vitani asked, chuckling. "Here's your chance."

Nuka was confused by what she meant by that for a second, but then when he turned around, he saw Zira arriving with Kovu. "Oh, Mother, Mother, hi!" He went over to greet her. "Mother, I caught some field mice for your dinner. I put them by the-" But Zira just continued walking, softly growling. "Okay."

Zira dropped Kovu by Vitani, who greeted her younger brother. "Hey, Kovu. Wanna fight?" She playfully growled at him as Kovu smirked and got into a play-fighting position.

"You were supposed to be watching him!" Zira snapped at Nuka, who quickly flinched away at his mother's tone.

Kovu turned around to face her. "It's not his fault. I went off on my own." He said.

"What were you doing?" Zira demanded.

"N-Nothing." Kovu said.

"Who made us Outsiders?"

"Simba."

"Who killed Scar?"

"Simba!" Kovu repeated, falling onto his back.

"What have I told you about them?!" Zira shouted.

"I'm sorry, Mother." Kovu apologized. But then, thoughts of Kiara came into his mind. "She, she didn't seem so bad. I-I thought, we could be-"

"Friends?!" Zira asked him harshly. "You thought you'd get to the daughter, and Simba would welcome you with open arms?! What an idea!" She rolled her eyes.

But then, the more she thought about it, the more it sounded... appealing. "What an idea!" She exclaimed joyfully.

Kovu flinched as Zira pulled him closer by the tail and began stroking his fur. "You brilliant child! I'm so proud of you. You have the same conniving mind that made Scar so... powerful." Nuka gagged at the thought, but then Zira snarled at him, making him laugh nervously.

"Yo, Zira!" A voice called out to the lioness. She turned around to see Janja coming toward her, roughly pushing a trembling Jasiri in front of him. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What is it now, Janja?" She asked.

"It seems that this pup that belongs to my clan has had quite an adventure in the Outlands with the prince today." Janja said.

Zira raised a brow. "The prince?" She asked. First Simba has a daughter, and now, he also has a son?

"Yeah, Kiara mentioned that she has a little brother." Kovu piped up. "She was looking for him earlier."

"So now there's two cubs?!" Zira snapped.

"K-Kion didn't seem so bad, for a lion." Jasiri said, trying her best to be brave.

Zira scoffed. "A lion befriending a hyena?" She asked. "Now I've heard everything."

"That's what I was thinking." Janja said. "But I just overheard your little plan, and I think I know a way us hyenas can contribute."

Zira had her brow raised again. "Go on." She said.

"Look, this little squirt seems to already have gained the prince's trust, so maybe she can distract him and stay on his good side while your kid gets closer to his sister." Janja suggested.

Zira thought about it for a few seconds. This hyena pup getting close to Prince Kion, while Kovu gets in good graces with Princess Kiara. If Simba was fretting enough about having a hyena near his son, he will soon have his guard down. And then, that's when everything will come into place.

"I can see where this is headed, Janja." Zira said. "And I think it's just delicious. Killing two birds with one stone."

Both Kovu and Jasiri shared a nervous glance with each other, and gulped audibly. Then, the hyena pup spoke up. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?" She asked Zira.

Zira gave her a falsely sweet smile. "No, my dear." She said. "Breaking his spirit is more effective than his body."

Jasiri gasped in realization and horror. They will try to get her to betray Kion!

"No!" She exclaimed fiercely. All of the lions in the area turned to look at the brave tiny hyena who was standing her ground against the terrifying lioness. "I won't hurt Kion! And you can't make me!"

Zira growled, but Janja beat her to it. "Listen, you little furball." He sneered. "Either you go along with this plan, or your family starves. More than they do already."

Jasiri whimpered. He was forcing her to choose between betraying her new friend, who had risked his own life to save hers, and letting her family die from starvation. Kovu actually felt sorry for this brave little hyena. She actually had the guts to stand up against his mother, refusing to hurt Kiara's brother, and now she had to make a difficult choice.

Finally, Jasiri looked down at her paws in submission while Janja smirked. Zira smiled evilly. "Good, my dear." She said, before looking back at Janja. "I'll give details of the plan later. Right now, I think these two need some rest."

"Very well." Janja said, returning her malicious grin before he started pushing Jasiri back towards their part of the Outlands. She and Kovu shared one last worried glance before she and her leader vanished from sight.

Zira picked up Kovu again by his midsection and began carrying him off to their home in the biggest and most hollow termite mound. Nuka groaned. "Chosen One." He muttered.

*************************

Soon, both Zira and Kovu arrived in an area that served as Kovu's sleeping quarters. She roughly placed him on a dead stump, where she looked down at him with pride. "I now see the path, to our glorious return to power." She said ominously as some of the other Outsiders began to gather around.

Kovu, wanting to protest against his mother like Jasiri did, spoke up. "But I don't wanna-"

"Hush!" Zira cut him off. But then, her tone turned softer. "Hush, my little one. You must be exhausted." With that, she started to sing.

Zira: Sleep, my little Kovu.
Let your dreams take wing.
One day when you're big and strong,
You will be a king.

Now starting to feel a little bit tired, Kovu began to close his eyes as Zira started to leave the chamber. "Good night." He said.

"Good night, my little prince." She said kindly to him, before turning away. "Tomorrow, your training intensifies." A dark grin appeared on her face as her song turned hard and vengeful as she wandered through the termite mound.

I've been exiled, persecuted,
Left alone with no defense.
When I think of what that brute did,
I get a little tense.

Her claws felt tight and sharp as she thought about what Simba did to her and her family, even unsheathing them. But then, an evil smile came on her face.

But I dream a dream so pretty
That I don't feel so depressed,
'Cause it soothes my inner kitty
And it helps me get some rest.

The images of what she has in mind for the royal family were glorious to her as her other two kids joined her and the other followers of Scar began watching her. Nuka pretended to be a dying Simba, then he picked up Vitani by the scruff with his claws as if she was Kiara or Kion, but she kicked him in the face to make him release her.

The sound of Simba's dying gasp.
His two cubs writhing in my grasp.
His lionesses' mournful cry.
That's my lullaby.

Now the past I've tried forgetting,
And my foes I could forgive.
Trouble is, I know it's petty,
But I hate to let them live.

Nuka: So you found yourself somebody
Who'd chase Simba up a tree.

Zira: Oh, the battle may be bloody,
But that kind of works for me.

More of the Outsiders began to join their leader as she sang.

The melody of angry growls.
A counterpoint of painful howls.
A symphony of death, oh my.
That's my lullaby.

She returned back to the hollowed out stump where Kovu was now sleeping and gave him a quick lick on his head. Then, she placed her claws on a stone, dragging them down, leaving thin scratches behind.

Scar is gone, but Zira's still around
To love this little lad,
'Til he learns to be a killer
With a lust for being bad.

Both Nuka and Vitani were now beside their younger brother as he slept. Nuka showed his disdain again, but when his sister glared at him, he nervously changed his attitude.

Nuka: Sleep, ya little termite!
I mean, precious little thing.

Vitani: One day when you're big and strong,

Zira: You will be a king.

Zira swiped away a crumbling piece of the mound, shining a light on the sleeping cub as some of the other lionesses gathered around him.

The pounding of the drums of war.
The thrill of Kovu's mighty roar.

Nuka: The joy of vengeance,

Vitani: Testify!

Zira: I can hear the cheering,

As usual, Vitani was enthusiastic about it, but Nuka wasn't.

Nuka and Vitani: Kovu, what a guy.

Zira managed to emerge out of the hole she had made and out into the sunset, as the sky turned red and swarms of termites began flying everywhere.

Zira: Payback time is nearing,
And then our flag will fly
Against a blood-red sky.
That's my lullaby.

The evil lioness cackled into the reddening dusk as the song ended on an ominous note, and everything went dark.

A/N: The next chapter is a doozy, and much longer than the others have been. Just giving you guys a heads-up for that. I'm gonna have to divide it into four parts.

Until next time! I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated.

Got to fly! ;)