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(I’m sure there’s a reason, but it drive me nuts that dA can’t let you put apostrophes in titles )

Anyway, some elaboration on Zuri’s parentage, since I’ve been wanting to do more with these headcanons ever since writing them out. Introducing her mother, Akina.

Akina’s family suffered greatly as she grew up, during Scar’s reign. Her aunt and her father were both lost to starvation, while herself, her mother, and her aunts were constantly on the edge themselves. While Scar’s reign was—unbeknownst to anyone—drawing to a close, Akina would have done anything to ensure herself and her family’s survival.

Although Scar didn’t pay the lionesses much mind, he did begin to follow their activities a bit closer when his attempts for an heir by Zira were seeming more and more futile. As reserved as she was, Akina managed to grab Scar’s attention—she was relatively strong and healthy, not to mention of good cub-bearing age. She would make a fine backup, should both his next litter with Zira be unsatisfactory and his agreement with Kula fall through somehow. If she wanted more food for her family, he could provide that. Ensured protection from dangers, he could provide that too. She didn’t even have to give up her cub, if he approved of his others, she just needed to act as a steady safety net.

Akina did get the additional food she’d been promised, and the hyenas conspicuously left her family alone. This new peace didn’t last forever though, as almost immediately after she agreed to the king’s offer, the lost prince Simba returned. Akina was overwhelmed with relief and happiness as the Pridelands began to recover, and food and water returned to the land, but her joy was undercut by the deal she’d made with Scar. While he may have been dead, she had no choice but to uphold her end of the bargain—she was with cub.

Her daughter was born shortly before the arrival of Princess Kiara, in a separate cave far away from Pride Rock. Akina was terrified—not of being a mother, but that the cub was going to look like Scar. She had kept the pregnancy a secret from the pride at first, but once it was certain she had quickly made up a story about a rogue male and refused to say anything further. She hoped and hoped that the cub would simply look like her—if it were clearly Scar’s, what would happen? Would Simba force her to give it up, or send them both into exile? The only king she had known before would certainly have been cruel enough to do so.

The cub had a round, pink nose, a warm brown tail tuft, and her mother’s unusual markings. Even so, her orange coat and swooped back tuft of hair made her father’s identity fairly blatant. Akina stayed with her daughter in the remote cave for weeks, waiting in anticipation for her eyes to open. Perhaps she could still pass the girl off as a rogue’s if she just had her mother’s eyes. If she carried her father’s piercing, unmistakable green gaze, than Akina knew she would never be able to keep her secret. To her tearful relief, the cub finally opened her eyes—revealing, to Akina’s shock, a deep blue*. She broke into laughter, cuddling the cub to her chest. If anything could prove to the pride that this cub was a rogue’s, it was those inexplicable eyes! Akina named her daughter Zuri, and returned with her to Pride Rock that day.

Zuri would be told the same story as the rest of the pride; her father was a handsome rogue who had stopped by the Pridelands shortly after Simba’s reign began, and ran again off as rogues do. Along with her fears of Simba’s reaction, she didn’t want her daughter growing up with Scar’s shadow hanging over her. However, Akina had no intent to keep the truth from Zuri for long. When she was old enough to handle the reality, she would be told the whole truth about her family. For now though, as far as Zuri was concerned, she had all the family she needed in her mother.

*I know that all baby cats irl have blue eyes, but... magic lion cartoon

Background is a screenshot

Description
(I’m sure there’s a reason, but it drive me nuts that dA can’t let you put apostrophes in titles )

Anyway, some elaboration on Zuri’s parentage, since I’ve been wanting to do more with these headcanons ever since writing them out. Introducing her mother, Akina.

Akina’s family suffered greatly as she grew up, during Scar’s reign. Her aunt and her father were both lost to starvation, while herself, her mother, and her aunts were constantly on the edge themselves. While Scar’s reign was—unbeknownst to anyone—drawing to a close, Akina would have done anything to ensure herself and her family’s survival.

Although Scar didn’t pay the lionesses much mind, he did begin to follow their activities a bit closer when his attempts for an heir by Zira were seeming more and more futile. As reserved as she was, Akina managed to grab Scar’s attention—she was relatively strong and healthy, not to mention of good cub-bearing age. She would make a fine backup, should both his next litter with Zira be unsatisfactory and his agreement with Kula fall through somehow. If she wanted more food for her family, he could provide that. Ensured protection from dangers, he could provide that too. She didn’t even have to give up her cub, if he approved of his others, she just needed to act as a steady safety net.

Akina did get the additional food she’d been promised, and the hyenas conspicuously left her family alone. This new peace didn’t last forever though, as almost immediately after she agreed to the king’s offer, the lost prince Simba returned. Akina was overwhelmed with relief and happiness as the Pridelands began to recover, and food and water returned to the land, but her joy was undercut by the deal she’d made with Scar. While he may have been dead, she had no choice but to uphold her end of the bargain—she was with cub.

Her daughter was born shortly before the arrival of Princess Kiara, in a separate cave far away from Pride Rock. Akina was terrified—not of being a mother, but that the cub was going to look like Scar. She had kept the pregnancy a secret from the pride at first, but once it was certain she had quickly made up a story about a rogue male and refused to say anything further. She hoped and hoped that the cub would simply look like her—if it were clearly Scar’s, what would happen? Would Simba force her to give it up, or send them both into exile? The only king she had known before would certainly have been cruel enough to do so.

The cub had a round, pink nose, a warm brown tail tuft, and her mother’s unusual markings. Even so, her orange coat and swooped back tuft of hair made her father’s identity fairly blatant. Akina stayed with her daughter in the remote cave for weeks, waiting in anticipation for her eyes to open. Perhaps she could still pass the girl off as a rogue’s if she just had her mother’s eyes. If she carried her father’s piercing, unmistakable green gaze, than Akina knew she would never be able to keep her secret. To her tearful relief, the cub finally opened her eyes—revealing, to Akina’s shock, a deep blue*. She broke into laughter, cuddling the cub to her chest. If anything could prove to the pride that this cub was a rogue’s, it was those inexplicable eyes! Akina named her daughter Zuri, and returned with her to Pride Rock that day.

Zuri would be told the same story as the rest of the pride; her father was a handsome rogue who had stopped by the Pridelands shortly after Simba’s reign began, and ran again off as rogues do. Along with her fears of Simba’s reaction, she didn’t want her daughter growing up with Scar’s shadow hanging over her. However, Akina had no intent to keep the truth from Zuri for long. When she was old enough to handle the reality, she would be told the whole truth about her family. For now though, as far as Zuri was concerned, she had all the family she needed in her mother.

*I know that all baby cats irl have blue eyes, but... magic lion cartoon

Background is a screenshot