Animals from all over the pride lands came to see Mufasa and Malika's child. It had been a couple of years since they arrived and the animals loved their rule. They protected the circle of life and all it stood for.

"It is time my love." Mufasa gently said to his mate. Malika smiled tiredly up at Mufasa. Simba, their son, keept her up the night prior.

Said lion cub was currently resting on her paws, his body still small enough to curl up on his mother.

Rafiki, the mandrill that stuck by Mufasa and Malika's side, approached with his walking stick.

"Are you both ready to introduce Simba?" Both parents smiled towards their friend in approval. Rafiki, taking great care of the baby, gently grabbed the cub, turning to walk to the edge of pride rock.

"Do you need help?" Sarabi asked approaching her sister. She knew Malika's body was still healing from the difficult child birth.

"No I can do it mys—" Mufasa cut her off by using his body to help her up. Malika sent a playful glare to her mate as the trio walked up to Rafiki.

Rafiki broke some roots above Simba and using the pigment from the roots, smeared a line on the cubs head. Proud of his work, Rafiki raised Simba into the air for all the animals at pride rock to see.

A cheer went up at seeing their next protector, leader, and king. None of them noticed Scar's presence or his jealous expression. After all, Malika chose Mufasa over him.

————

"Help! Mufasa and Simba are in the gorge! A stampede—" Sarabi and Malika were already racing towards the gorge before Zazu could finish his sentence.

"You go left!" Yelled Malika, splitting up to go right while her sister went left.

"Simba! Mufasa! Simba!" Malika screamed as she ran down the gorges' length from above.

"Simba! Muf—" Malika skidded to a stop as she saw something in the middle of the gorge. She quickly made her way down, heart frozen as she worried for Simba and Mufasa.

Malika finally approached the mass lying on the ground and froze as she rounded to the front. Her heart stopped beating, tears fell down her face, and she felt herself leave her body at what lie before her.

"NO! No please! Mufasa!" The wails of Malika drawled the lionesses, Sarabi, and Zazu to her. Her body covered her mates as her body was too weak to hold her up. All the lionesses would hear were her gut wrenching sobs.

"No! Please!" Sarabi sadly approached her sister, tears in her eyes at her sister's loss. She knew how much Mufasa meant to Malika and couldn't imagine how she would survive without him.

"What happen—" Scar came to a stop as he raced towards the pride, "No, Mufasa." Scar let a tear fall as he looked towards his dead brother. Approaching Malika, he laid his paw on her back, trying to console the broken lioness.

Sarabi felt a growl rise in her chest, she did not like how Scar just turned up to console her sister. Where was he during the stampede? He wasn't at pride rock with them.

"Where were you?" Sarabi growled at Scar.

"Oh Sarabi. I sent Zazu to you once I heard, I raced here as fast as I could from the watering hole. I found you guys after getting here. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I was too late." Scar sadly said, a frown on his face. Sarabi snarled as she found the story to be doubtful.

"Where is Simba?" A small voice said. It was Nala, a cub of the pride and daughter to Malika's friend, Sarafina.

"I can't find him anywhere your majesty." Zazu sadly reported as his wings ruffled. Malika felt another sob tear through her. Her heart breaking in two at losing the two people she loved most.

"Come Malika, we can't stay here." Scar softly said, guiding her away from Mufasa.

"Let us bury the king near pride rock, he deserves to rest there." Scar said, a sad tone in his voice as he comforted Malika. Malika could barely hear him though, she could only focus on how her heart was in pieces and could never be repaired.

Sarabi nodded towards the lionesses before running up to her sister. She sent a look towards Scar before taking her sister to pride rock, away from the lion.

Scar felt his lips turn up at Sarabi. He would have to take care of her, otherwise he would never be able to take Malika.

———

Scar was now king of pride rock, him and his army of hyenas that kept the lionesses in check. It had been years since Mufasa's death and Simba's supposed death. Malika held out hope though, as Zazu could not find the lion cubs body.

"Malika. The king wishes to see you." Said lion turned to the hyena, Shenzi.

"Don't go." Nala said as she stopped Malika. Malika turned to Nala and sent a sad look. Nala and Malika had lost their family in a hunt gone wrong a few years back. Sarabi and Saraphina did not come back while Scar and the Hyenas did. Both Nala and Malika had suspicions towards Scar but had no proof.

Nala wished to leave pride rock after the accident but Malika refused. She promised Mufasa that they would protect and rule together and while Mufasa may be gone, she was still here and would try to save it. For him.

"I'm not afraid of him." Malika said as she stood. She walked towards Scar, through all the hyenas on pride rock, to see him eating a dead antelope.

"Won't you join me Malika? There is plenty to go around." Scar said as he paused in his eating.

"You're over hunting Scar."

"I've simply perfected the kill." Scar said back aggressively, "With the help of my army."

"You are killing the pride lands. Most animals have left, there will be no food left if you continue this." Scar snarled towards the lioness. He stood to his full height while turning to look at Malika.

"I don't call you up here to argue. I called you here because I have a proposal for you." Malika felt wary of Scar's proposal but asked what it was.

"You chose Mufasa over me long ago. I offer you to make it right now. Be my queen and rule by my side." Malika felt her anger raise as she growled towards Scar.

"I will never be your queen." Scar only laughed before moving towards her.

"Why? The lionesses follow you. They will only follow me if you stand by my side." Scar simply put. He needed the lioness to be on his side. He couldn't have this internal conflict between the lionesses and himself.

"They will never follow you." Malika said back. Her tone even as she stared at Scar.

"Fine! If you do not accept my proposal then the lionesses can eat after the hyenas," Scar walked towards the cave opening, "and they don't leave much." With those final words, the hyenas rushed to finish the antelope.

Malika turned to the other lionesses, apology and unyielding strength in her gaze. The lionesses nodded back, they understood Malika's love for Mufasa, and knew she would never turn her back on him, alive or not.

————

"Malika why put yourself through this? All you have to do is be my queen." Scar was once again asking her to be his queen. He asked every day since he first proposed it. Each day Malika would deny his request and starve the lioness that much more. Nala had left to find help, something Malika was nervous for.

Malika had raised Nala once Sarafina died. She was like her own daughter and knowing she was out there alone, was scary. She already lost Simba, she couldn't lose Nala too.

"You're suffering for what? A memory you once knew, a king you once loved?" Scar circled around Malika, "I tried to make you understand what I true king could be!" Scar looked out to the dead and wasted pride lands.

"Scar, a true kings power is his compassion." Malika wisely said.

Scar growled as he turned to Malika, "I am ten times the king Mufasa was!"

"You are nothing compared to Mufasa!" Malika snarled back. Scar got angry at that comment and growled. He jumped towards Malika, pushing her to the ground. The lionesses stood up in worry for their queen and friend.

Scar continued to hit Malika, her weak body doing little to fight back. Growls and roars could be heard from both before Scar finally managed to knock Malika to the ground. Her head hitting a rock and her mind going hazy for a moment.

"No!" Roared a new voice, it was male and sounded familiar in Malika's ears. Almost like—

"Mufasa?" Malika whispered as she saw a lion looking down at her. It couldn't possibly be him, she helped bury his body and already said her goodbyes to her love long ago.

"Simba." Malika whispered as she realized who stood in front of her. It was her baby boy, the one she thought would never return home.

He came home though, to her. To take back the pride lands and save them from Scar's tyranny.

"Mom." Simba said as her helped her up. Simba rubbed his head under his mother's, missing her maternal touch and love.

"My baby." Malika whispered, her eyes closing for a moment.

"Simba, I thought you were dead." Malika turned to see Scar standing towards the edge of pride rock. He seemed nervous.

"I'm not." Simba said, standing protectively in front of his mother. The hyenas let out a nervous laugh as Scar sent them a look.

"What are you doing here? I figured with what you did, you wouldn't come back." Scar played his card. He hoped to turn the others on Simba, to make him be the villain.

"Simba? What did you do?" Nala appeared next to Malika, a frown on her face. Malika was happy to see Nala back, and to scent her son's smell on the females fur. She knew the two would rule the pride lands together with grace and strength.

"Nothing! I did nothing."

"Exactly, you let your dear father die in that gorge. You killed him." Scar growled.

"No, no I didn't. It was an accident." Malika felt her heart break at Simba's confession. This is why he never came home, he lived with the guilt of being the reason of his father's death.

With Simba distracted, trying to convince himself and the others of his innocence, Scar attacked.

Both lions fought as the lionesses stood ready to help. Lighting struck a dead tree below pride rock, a fire bright and hot. It grew as the fight continued.

"Simba!" Malika and Nala screamed, rushing to help the lion as he dangled above the flames.

"I saw the look in his eyes..." The hyenas stopped the two lionesses from approaching the two lions, yet Malika heard Scar.

"You killed him! You killed my father!" Simba roared as he managed to get back onto pride rock. Scar took a step back, away from Simba.

"No, I was too late to help." Malika snarled as the other lionesses joined her and Nala.

"Then how did you see the look on his face Scar?" Scar turned to his love, the one he had yearned for, for the past years only to lose her to his brother. He let out a scoff, letting Malika and the others know the truth behind Mufasa's death.

Malika snarled as she attacked the hyenas with the other lionesses. She fought with all her might, with all her broken heart could allow. Hearing a pained roar, Malika leapt towards the sound to see Simba hurt by Scar. Scar stood above him, paw raised to finish Simba off.

"No!" Malika yelled as she put herself between Scar and Simba. Scar, not being able to stop, threw Malika to the ground, her head hitting a rock and causing pain to explode behind her eyes.

Malika felt her vision go blurry before going dark completely, missing the battle between the lionesses and hyenas, and most importantly, Simba defeating Scar.

"Mom! Mom!" A voice called above her, it was so familiar to Malika. Her eyes peeked open to see Simba above her, rained on and sad. Nala stood to the side, tears in her eyes as she looked at the female who became her caretaker.

The sky seemed to open up and cry as the life of Malika slowly slipped away.

"I'm so... proud of you, Simba. Your father... is too." Malika panted as she spoke. Simba reached down to nuzzle his mother's head, praying to the lions above to not take his mother away. Not when he just got back home.

"Please mom, you can't leave. I just got back." Simba felt tears run down his face as he felt his mother's growing pool of blood under his paws. Malika could only smile as she thought of seeing her love again.

"I... will always... be with you. I love you... so much Simba." Her words faded as her eyes closed.

She could see him, Mufasa. A few yards in front of her, looking just as he did the first time Malika met him. Young and full of life.

Malika felt a smile on her lips as her chest rose once more, only to finally fall still. Her son and pride around her in sorrow.

Mufasa smiled as Malika approached him rubbing her head beneath him. She has waited for this moment, to be reunited with him, for years now. She had no plans to leave him again. Mufasa bent lower to Malika's ear.

"I've been waiting for you, my love."