by Baya » May 14th, 2013, 5:45 am
When she had left it all behind to go join the pride landers, he felt so broken. Seeing her treachery and her lack of wonder lust for battle infuriated him. Zira was in disbelief that her own daughter had betrayed her, but Baya felt betrayed on an entirely different level. It happened a few weeks back when the pride landers and the out landers were finally preparing to fight. Kovu and his bratty little mate jumped in, trying to halt all battle. Vitani then chose to agree, and left all their history behind.
He was no stranger to treachery and losing those he cared about. His mother was slain, he had slain his own father, and he'd watched his brother Chinja simply walk away into the desert, without so much as a good bye. When Vitani turned her back on all she had trained for, she had also turned her back on him. It left the only kind of wound he could not handle, and it disturbed him greatly. He hated himself for caring so much, and he hated Vitani for having that effect on him. When she stepped away after all the cinematics, he vowed to destroy her.
Baya had decided to go and see if Zira was alive. After all, she was the closest thing he had to an actual mother aside from his own. Though he detested her antics and her often insane rambling, he needed conformation of her death to move on. The young warrior had followed the current after everyone had left, an was surprised to find Zira had survived down by the bank near the out lands. She was struggling to get ashore, and she saw him. She coaxed him into helping her, and from there the two straggled to the termite mounds they still called home.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Zira promised Baya retribution and had acquired quite a few rogues to regain her pride's strength. Of course, she needed Baya's help to "convince" them, but after a great number of battles even the toughest of those rogues did not stand a chance. Within this new pride, Baya fathered two cubs with two of the lionesses. The boy was named Anza, and he shared many features with his father. The dark fur and the green eyes made him look strikingly similar to his father, but his slender build made up for it. The daughter was named Adala, and she had a lighter shade of fur than her brother, but still much darker than any pride lander. She had scruffs of fur on her cheeks which made her really stand out against the other lionesses. Her eyes were also green like her father's.
Over the coarse of the next few months, Baya had grown much more secluded and bitter. He was enthusiastic about battle before, but now it seemed all joy had left him. He trained his cubs with vicious brutality, and never once showed them affection. Like their father, they grew cruel, cold and ruthless. As of now, Zira was napping at her peak at the top and Baya was cleaning his claws along the sandy walls of the termite mound. The rest of the females were either snoozing or fighting. The sound of paw steps could be heard hitting hard against the sand as a young teen lioness and lion came in.
"I'm telling him!"
"No! I am!"
"Are you challenging me runt?!"
"As if you could beat me, scruffy!"
"Quiet, both of you." Baya growled impatiently as he approached his two cubs. Anza was a bit more lean than his father was at the teenage stage, and his small tuft of a mane was a bit more curled. Adala's face had greatly matured and she was starting to look alot like Baya's true mother, which sort of made him uncomfortable. She was growing up to be a beautiful young lioness, but Baya would never say it. That would make her weak and foolish.
Both Adala and Anza bowed their heads in fear of their father. He usually had no patience for their bickering, and would strike them both if they did not comply. They feared their father above all else, but they felt no malice towards him. They lived to fulfill his dream of revenge, and would serve him till the end. This of course meant they were also loyal to Zira.
"Well, well, well. It seems your little ones come bearing news." Zira called from above, yawning quietly afterwards.
"Y-Yes lady Zira. We saw them. We saw a whole bunch of them out in the pride lands, grazing and enjoying themselves! W-We also saw your daughter and... some other big lion. She oogled him and everything! Could almost smell the -"
"Who is he?!" Baya snarled as he grabbed his son by the nape. Anza gulped and began to shake nervously.
"W-We think he's the one they call Mheetu, the prince -"
"Mheetu? He lives?" Zira's eyes widened in horror. She thought she had done a good job of making sure he never came back, but it seemed that the little brat took after his father. It was just one more for them all to kill to secure the thrown. It was becoming a very annoying hassle.
"I will destroy him in front of her." Baya said in a grim tone as he released his son.
"Father, why do you hate her so much?" Adala asked bravely. Her body shook slightly, but her eyes were unwavering. Baya contemplated slashing her for asking such foolish questions, but he knew they should be fueled by her treachery just as much as he was to get them into the revenge plot.
"She betrayed me. She was the only lioness I dared to care about, and she left me behind." Baya murmured simply. He then glared down at his daughter, who flattened her ears against her head, backing away slowly.
"Now, now Baya. No need to be so cold to your cubs. They have done well. You should reward them with some training." Zira cooed, with a sinister smirk.
"Both of you, outside. Spar until I come out." Baya chided at his cubs before turning his attention up to Zira. There was not even a second wasted as both of his cubs quickly ran out of the den, outside.
"We will have our revenge soon, Baya. When your cubs have matured, and their strength reaches the peak....we will begin striking at Simba and his worthless family." Zira growled.
"I want to kill Vitani." Baya said, his eyes narrowing at Zira. "I want that privilege."
Zira chuckled as she jumped down from her spot and pinched Baya's cheek. "Such a bold request. It's adorable to see you so hurt by her. Where does it hurt Baya? Let me guess." Zira mused as she pressed her index claw at Baya's chest. Baya let out a quiet snarl as he pushed Zira away from him.
"You don't know what goes on in my head. Stop pretending you do. I saved you once, because you granted me that when I was a cub. That doesn't mean I won't kill you for stepping out of line." Baya warned.
"Oh, but how could a brute like you even get close to Vitani without me? You need my cunning Baya. That's why you have spared me up to now. I assure you, your broken heart will be mended with revenge. Just give it time..." Zira mused with a chuckle. "And perhaps then I can see a smile on that muzzle of yours."