Monster
By Meg & Dia
Inside one of the caves of Pride Rock, a young lioness's screams of pain bounced off the walls, creating an echo that seemed to stretch throughout the Pridelands. Her back to the entrance, she was lying on her side, her engorged belly making it impossible to thrash around like she wanted to. Her pale coat was covered in sweat and tears were streaming down her muzzle. "I can't take anymore! Make it stop!"
Another, older pale lioness was at her side, her blue eyes filled with tears, "Push, Nala. Just a little more!"
"I can't, mom! It hurts too bad!"
At her tail base, a dark beige lioness stood, "The harder you push, Nala, the faster the pain will go away."
Nala sobbed pitifully, "Mom! Please make it stop!"
The older pale lioness's tears started to fall, "I can't sweetie, you gotta push!"
The lioness at Nala's tail base looked up to the one who spoke, "Sarafina, can you handle this?"
"I won't leave her, Sarabi." Sarafina spoke over Nala's wails.
Sarabi merely nodded, "Nala, honey, you must push! If you don't get the cub out, you will die!"
Nala cried harder before gritting her teeth together. She groaned with effort as she pushed, her body shaking with pain.
"That's it, Nala! I can see the cubs head! Keep pushing!" Sarabi shouted.
Sarafina bent to speak directly into her daughter's ear, "Good girl, sweetie. Only a little more and you can rest."
Nala screamed again as she gave a final, hard push. She visibly relaxed as she felt the pain leave her body, her stomach now its normal size.
"You did good, dear. You did very, very good." Sarafina said while nuzzling her daughter. She lifted her head to Sarabi, who was cleaning the cub.
When she was finished, Sarabi looked at the cub and gave a small smile before grabbing it and showing Sarafina.
The pale one smiled ruefully before nudging her exhausted daughter, "Nala, do you want to see the baby?"
The young lioness looked into her mother's eyes, "It wasn't dead? After all I did to miscarriage, the damn thing still lived!"
Sarabi looked on with sad eyes as Sarafina pleaded with her daughter, "Please, Nala, its not the cubs fault. Just look at it."
Nala looked to where Sarabi had the cub and held back a sob. "It doesn't look like him."
"No, it is the color of the sun." Sarafina looked at Sarabi, "Put it down to nurse."
Sarabi complied and nestled the cub close to it's mother. The golden newborn nosed around before it began to suckle. Nala watched it with a look of grimness.
"What Scar did to you has nothing to do with this cub. I know you were too young, still too young, but you can't hold it against the cub. You have a responsibility to love and care for it." Sarabi wisely said.
Nala continued to stare at it with disdain, tears began to tumble from her eyes.
"Try not to think of it, dear. Try to focus on your cub." Sarafina offered.
"Its not that, mom." Nala said before sniffing, "It looks like Simba."
Sarafina's eyes widened slightly, and she looked to Sarabi.
The old queen stared at the small bundle with an apathetic face. She gave no hints as to what she was now feeling. Finally she spoke, "It merely bears the color of the Pridelands, a wonderful blessing from the Great Kings."
"Yes." Sarafina turned to look at Nala, "They have blessed you by not giving the cub the appearance of our king." She said the last word bitterly.
Nala continued to look at the thing nestled beside her. "I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl."
The older pale lioness looked back to the dusty beige one, "Did you happen to get a look when you were cleaning it?"
"Yes, it is a boy."
"A boy," Sarafina murmured before speaking to Nala, "You have a son, Nala. What will you name him?"
The young lioness looked up to meet her mother's eyes, "I can choose any name I want?"
Sarafina only nodded.
Nala looked back down to it, "Monster."
Sarafina's eyes widened, "Monster? Nala, you can't name-"
Nala whipped her head around to glare at her mother, "Why can't I? You said I could choose whatever I wanted!"
"Nala," Sarabi softly spoke, "You cannot blame the cub for Scar's doings. He is only a baby. He is also your son."
Nala shook her head furiously, "No! He is the son of a monster! His name stays!"
Sarabi narrowed her eyes, "Just because he is Scar's does not mean he will be anything like him."
"Yes it does. That bastard's blood runs through his veins. He raped me! And he, " she tilted her head toward the cub," is the result! How can anyone expect me to love it? I want nothing to do with the thing!"
Sarabi growled lowly, "As long as you reside here, the cub is yours. You will raise him and while I cannot make you love him, I can make you tolerate it." She glared at the young lioness sternly, "Change its name."
Nala glared back at the old queen and snarled, locking the two in a battle of dominance.
"Nala.." Sarafina whispered.
The two lionesses continued to glare at each other, both unwilling to submit. The young mother continued her snarling while the old queen calmly stood, her tail lashing with annoyance. Finally, Nala dropped her eyes and quieted down and looked over to her son.
The more dominate lioness sighed at Nala's emotional disposition. "You are still only just a cub." She looked to Sarafina, "I'll go inform Scar of the birth."
Sarafina nodded and turned her attention back to her daughter. She walked up to her and nuzzled her cheek as Sarabi padded out.
"Oh, Nala, I'm so proud of you!" She purred, "You were so brave!"
Nala nuzzled her mother back half-heartedly, "Thanks, mom."
Sarafina then turned to the cub. He was sleeping peacefully, his little body was nestled into Nala's. She smiled and moved to nuzzle him, "He's very cute."
Nala watched in sadness as her mother cooed at it. Her heart didn't flutter when it woke. She didn't smile as it flipped over. She didn't get excited as it started to open its eyes.
"Look, Nala! He's opening his eyes!" The older pale lioness squealed.
Nala smiled for her mother's benefit, then frowned at the thing. The golden abomination sneezed, then slowly started to pry its eyes open.
"Come on, little one. You can do it!" Sarafina encouraged while Nala remained silent.
The cubs eyes finally opened completely, and he blinked at the new sensation. Sarafina gasped while Nala just looked away. "They're.." Sarafina started but trailed off.
"Like his. It's like looking into his eyes. Those cold, green eyes." Nala finished.
Sarafina stared at them a moment longer before her ears perked at the sound of claws ticking on the cave floor. Beside her, Nala visibly stiffened. That very sound haunted her in both sleep and consciousness. She craned her head around to watch him enter the cave.
"Well, well, I finally have an heir." Scar said as he stalked near them. He walked close to Nala and reached out to lick her. "My dear, what a good job you've done." She pulled away, an action to which Scar only chuckled at.
Young Nala shook with fear and disgust. She put her head in her paws. Scar walked around from her head to her stomach but abruptly stopped as his son came into view. He stared at it in shock before roaring in an outrage. "What is this? He is not mine!"
He turned to Nala and snarled, "You little tramp!"
That pushed Sarafina over the edge and she roared, putting her self between him and Nala's head. "My daughter is no tramp! You know so! She was a virgin when you took her!"
"Look at him, Sarafina! The pelt is the color of.." Scar growled as he got to the end of his sentence, not wanting to say the name of the one he loathed to no end.
"Mufasa?" Sarafina finshed. " A blessing from the Great Kings!" Sarafina growled. "But look at the tuft at the end of his tail, black as the night sky. And his eyes, as green as yours. It seems the Kings couldn't bless the cub with everything."
Scar growled lowly but looked the cub over anyway. The lioness was right, black at the end of his tail, and black fur spots where a tuft would eventually grow. The king bent and looked into the eyes that mirrored his own. The cub meowed at him and batted his face playfully. The lion only stood back to his full height and looked to the lionesses. Sarafina glared at him fiercely, while Nala still had her head in her paws.
"It looks like you are right. The cub does seem to be mine. However, he bears the color of my brother therefore he is not my heir, and he will not be the future king. I denounce any rights and responsibilities I have to him. He is nothing to me, and he will be forced to leave when he comes of age."
Sarafina growled and was about to say something when another lioness rushed in, "Sire! Zira has just given birth!"
"Male or female?" He sneered.
"A healthy baby boy, my lord." The lioness smiled.
"Ah," he grinned, "Maybe this one will be worthy enough to be my heir." He said as he padded out to visit Zira.
Sarafina was still growling as his tail slipped out of the cave. She looked back down to her daughter, who still had her head in-between her paws. She nuzzled her comfortingly, "He's gone now, dear. It's alright. The cub is safe."
Nala picked her head up and looked at her mother before lunging into her. Surprised, Sarafina fell back into a sitting position, holding the top half of a sobbing Nala. From the cave floor, the cub could be heard meowing and searching for warmth. The older mother patted her daughter on the back, "There, there, sweetie. Everything's going to be just fine."
"No it's not, mom! Everything will never be fine! I hate it here! I hate Scar! I hate him!" Nala sobbed. "I don't want to be a mother! I want to play! I want to..I want to be with Simba!"
"Oh Nala," Sarafina sighed, "Even if you hadn't given birth, you couldn't have played all day. You're an adult now, you would have to hunt with the rest of us. As for Simba…" Sarafina sighed once more before continuing, "We cannot change what has been done. Simba is gone, and he will never come back."
At the last words, Nala sobbed harder. She buried her muzzle into her mother's shoulder. She could feel the cub nuzzle itself into her back leg.
Sarafina closed her eyes, "The sooner you wrap your head around that fact, the sooner you will be able to move on."
Nala continued to sob, her leg itching to kick away the ball of fur at her feet. Eventually, she quieted down to sniffling and left her mother's paws. The small cub fell to the floor and began crying. She simply looked at it.
"Nala… "Sarafina began.
"I know, mom." She said as she bent to pick it up by the scruff and laid it down in between her paws. He looked up at her and meowed. "I have a name for you, cub. You are Aglaeca." His green eyes looked into her blue ones and he gave his first smile. His mother did not return it. "It is an old word that means monster."
"Where did you learn a word like that?" Sarafina asked with sad eyes.
Nala looked at her, "Rafiki taught it to me when I was a cub. Simba and I used to go there for-"
"For worldly lessons. I remember." Sarafina finished.
Nala bent and picked Aglaeca up and laid him between her mother's paws. "Would you watch him? I just want to go to the waterhole and rinse this sweat off me."
Sarafina gave her a quizzical look before looking outside and back to her, "It's the middle of the night."
"I know, but I stink." Nala smiled.
Sarafina relented. That little bit of humor made Nala look like the carefree cub she used to be. "Alright. Leave…Aglaeca.. here with me. Go on and get a bath."
Nala smiled gently and went to nuzzle her, "Thank you for everything, mom. I probably couldn't have given birth if you weren't with me."
"I love you, Nala." Sarafina nuzzled her back fiercely.
"I love you too, mom." She pulled away and padded outside. Sarafina watched her disappear before picking up the cub and carrying it farther back into the cave. She laid down and placed him between her paws. Aglaeca cuddled up in her warmth and meowed happily.
"How is he?"
Sarafina looked at Sarabi as she walked up to them, a somber look upon her face. "Content. His name is Aglaeca."
"Aglaeca? What a strange name."
Sarafina chuckled humorlessly, "It means monster. Rafiki taught it to her and Simba."
"Ah. Well, at least it isn't straightforward." Sarabi bent to nuzzle the cub but jumped back when he turned to face her.
"Great Kings! He's got Scar's eyes!" Sarabi gasped.
"Yep. I'm afraid my grand cub will have a rough life. Scar denounced him because of his pelt."
Sarabi nodded, "The lionesses won't treat him well because he is Scar's cub."
"And Nala hates him." Sarafina sighed.
"Things will work out Sarafina, they always do." Sarabi assured her.
Sarafina looked at her friend, then down at the cub before replying, "I think this time you may be wrong, old friend."
Aglaeca yawned and turned over facing the entrance his mother would walk into as if he was waiting for her return.
This story was inspired by the song Monster by Meg and Dia. I wanted to do a song fic but since that isn't allowed I decided to turn it into a story with some lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. :)
The name Aglaeca is an old english word that means monster, or creature. I looked but couldn't find any African words for monster, or anything related to it.
This story should only be 13 chapters long.
Well, I have nothing else to say really except, Read and Review!