Long before Zira seduced the rogue, a while before Vitani and Kovu came into the world, Zira had another cub. Her first Cub... Scar's forgotten cub...
This was early on in Scar's rule, and a month or so after he chose Zira as his mate. The queen was pregnant, and due any day. Scar hoped for a male cub... Only a male heir would be his heir; he had decided that long ago.
The night had come, Zira was in Labor.... And she was struggling. A few weeks early, Zira had been complaining of stomach pains. So it was no surprise to the other lioness that the birth came early.
Scar demanded Rifiki be summoned to Pride Rock... The Baboon was hesitant to leave his tree, but had no other choice. He arrived, kicked all of the lions out of the den, and tended to the struggling lioness.
After a while, what seemed like an Eternity for Scar, though he would never admit he was worried, Rifiki came from the den.
"It is a male cub." Rifiki said, eyes showing nothing but resentment towards Scar.
Scar needed no other information from Rifiki, and walked into the den. Yes! A male! His first born was a male! This was all so perfect... Until he saw the cub... Small, frail, thin, and an over all pathetic size, the little gray cub stared up at Scar.
"What is that?" Scar asked with a slight scowl.
Zira's eyes narrowed, but she would lift her head proudly, smiling. "HE is your son..."
Scar lowered his head to get a better look at the small thing... It cared not that this cub was his son, or that the little cub seemed quite enthusiastic about meeting his father... All that mattered to him was that this thing, this tiny rat of a cub, was his heir... He could not have it... He could not have the pride thinking that this was all that his blood could do.
Scar lifted his head, and looked at Zira, caring not about the love she had in her eyes for the cub, and for him. "When the cub is old enough, we will try again." He told Zira firmly, his eyes narrowed.
Zira's ears drooped, and her eyebrows arched in confusion. "But Scar, he is male... He is YOUR son." She said firmly. "He is everything you wanted in an heir."
"That thing?! Don't be ridiculous!" He said with a growl. "It is tiny, pathetic. He could never rule over the hyenas with a firm paw, chase away rogues, or discipline those in need of it."
Luckily the cub didn't understand anything at that point, and just rolled around in his mothers paws, grinning and making cubby giggly noises. Scar snorted. "That is not my heir... Keep it if you must, but it will not take the throne."
And with that, Scar left Zira and the cub. Zira's heart was broking, her eyes watering as she looked down at the cub... She loved this cub. She loved her little Nuka... Bending down, she licked the cub softly, receiving a content purr in return.
She swore that no others would come before her first born. That she would make Nuka strong, and wise. She would prove that he was a worthy heir.
Little did she know that this first rejection was her first step in her slow decent into madness. Months from now, desperate and fearful, she would make decisions, and she would slowly stray from her promise to the little cub.
