It was a bright morning, perfect for a walk of the king with his young prince.
Mofasa noticed Simba stop in his tracks to observe a small mound of dirt on the mudded path, an ant hill. The young cub`s tail twirled back and forth in anticipation as he saw the little ants go in and out of the small hill, through the hole at the top of it.
"Don`t they get buried under the soil?" Simba looked up at Mofasa who had stopped to let his son observe.
"No Simba, they have millions of chambers in there, like tunnels, each leading as a separate pathway."
Simba`s eyebrows rose in recognition as he continued to stare, amazed, at the small creatures.
"come along now," Mofasa tapped his head with his paw to gain his attention, "i`ll show you the antelopes."
"the antelopes?" Simba`s eyes shown with excitement as he walked alongside his father, "aren`t they scared of us?"
Mofasa looked down at his innocent face and smiled, "they don`t have a reason to, son."
"but don`t we eat the antelopes?"
"yes Simba, but let me explain.' He said, gesturing with his head for Simba to look where he was gazing, "when we die, our bodies become the grass."
Simba looked over to see a herd of lively antelopes hopping and running while some of them grazed over the plush grass, "and the antelopes eat the grass." Simba offered, looking up at his father to see if he was right.
"exactly." Mofasa nodded encouragingly, "the circle of life." Simba was beginning to understand the concept slowly.
After a while of aimless strolling, Mofasa pointing out new creatures to his son and stating their characteristics, they stopped near a big tree, its big canopy was giving a cool shade to the surroundings. Mofasa lied down under it, Simba climbing up his mane and looking around, eyes keenly taking in the scenery. After a minute or so, he felt his father`s breathing begin to slow down, meaning that he was about to fall asleep.
"dad."
"hmm…?" Mofasa didn`t open his eyes.
"can I do the rest of the exploring on my own?"
There was a small pause but Mofasa still didn`t open his eyes, he was pondering over his options.
"please dad." Simba bit his father`s ear insistently.
"Stay in the pridelands Simba." He gave in, making Simba jump off of him.
"thanks dad, you`re the best."
"don't wander off now, i`ll be right here." Mofasa called after the retreating form of his son, not sure if he might have heard him over all the excitement. For a moment he felt like getting up and following him but then he shrugged off the urge. Simba was growing up and he would do it much better if he was given more space.
Simba couldn`t hold in the joy, at last he was going to do some discovering his way. He made his way straight towards the rocks where all the lionesses rested for the day. He was going to pick Nala up and have fun with her; after all she was his best friend. He knew she would be just as happy as him.
"not here?" Simba`s eyebrows furrowed when he repeated her mother`s words, "where`d she go?"
"to look for you of course, check on the Priderock." She said, "Zazu`s with her."
"thanks mrs… uh… Nala`s mom."
She was not on the priderock, nor anywhere near it. He kept on walking; looking around hopefully but there was no sign of his friend or the dodo. Simba walked awkwardly towards the big hill in the south. He didn`t know why but something told him that Nala was near the big hill some where. As the hill drew nearer, the grass got longer and thicker, since not many animals grazed in that area because it was just behind the hill that the outlands started. The high hill blocked the sunlight from touching the land behind it.
Simba gulped, walking through the lawn with slight difficulty, his vision was obscured with the long grass blades. A little ahead in the grass, Simba saw something move and started walking towards it. He saw a pair of greenish yellow venomous eyes staring out at him. They seemed familiar but still sent chills down his spine and he felt the hair on the back of his neck start to rise. Before Simba could do anything, the figure rose to his feet, revealing a thin black mane covering his morbid and gaunt face. There was a small scar on his right eyebrow.
"Uncle Scar?" Simba`s voice was relieved as he leaped forward towards his beloved uncle.
"Simba, Simba," Scar began with ridiculed kindness in his sly voice, "just the one I was looking for." He grabbed Simba`s with one of his paws, his nails somewhat grazing against the cub`s smooth skin.
"you were looking for me?" their was a hint of surprise and hope in the young voice.
"why, yes." Scar flashed his pointy teeth, "you see…" He pointed one of his nailed fingers up above at the very top of the hill, Simba concentrated and upon narrowing his eyes, he could make out a hazy figure up there, "do you know what that is?"
Simba was about to shake his head in a 'no' when his eyes picked up a very frightening sight. He saw a hyena up there but that was not it, clutched in the teeth of the big hyena was another loin cub, just about his age. Focusing harder, his amber eyes locked with the blue ones miles above, marked with fear. His eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened with panic.
"Nala!" Simba shouted restlessly.
"she can`t hear you Simba." Scar pouted, "don`t worry, nothing will happen to your girlfriend."
"bring her back, uncle Scar." Simba urged helplessly, "roar at the hyena and make him give her back!"
Scar chuckled wickedly, "now why would I want to ruin my own plan?" Seeing Simba`s face twist up in surprise and disbelief, Scar continued, "the hyena won`t drop her…" he let out another menacing chuckle, "yet."
It felt like Simba`s tongue was stuck somewhere inside his mouth, couldn`t utter a single word.
"all my little nephew has to do is bring his father his father here along with him." Scar rubbed his paw over Simba`s head, "Bring him to that cave Simba." Scar pointed to the cave at the bottom of the cliff, just below where Nala was held captive, " now be a good boy and don`t let slip a word or else I might just let slip your friend."
A shiver darted through his whole body as he neared his father`s snoozing form, he was slightly breathless after all the way he had jogged.
"dad?" He began and noticed how broken his voice seemed, how betrayed. He said it louder this time, trying to keep his tone steady, "dad, wake up!"
Mofasa grunted and opened his eyes. Spotting Simba, he smiled and then yawned. He observed that the sun was about to set, making the light around them a little dim. "are you done?"
"yeah." Simba didn`t know how was he holding back the outburst, he didn't want to be in such a tricky position, but then he remembered what Scar had said and got a grip over himself, "I wanna show you something."
"show me something?" Mofasa stretched before getting to his feet and shrugging his mane to clear off the traces of sleep, "what? What do you want to show me son?"
"follow me." Simba said, not meeting his father`s gaze.
Nearing the hill, Simba felt a lump form in his throat. He knew that there would be a dozen or even more of those hyenas waiting in that cave for his father. He didn`t know what to do, if he hadn`t brought Mofasa along, Scar would have dropped Nala and now that he had, his father`s life was probably in danger. He stopped near the entrance of the cave and looked straight up, e could still see Nala almost dangling in the hyena`s grip. Mofasa looked confused, "what is that you wanted to show me?"
"its inside." A silent tear rolled down Simba`s cheek as he led the way. Mofasa followed.
The inside of the cave was all dark, "I don`t underst-" Mofasa was cut off by an emerging figure ho came at a halt near the entrance of the cave, blocking it.
"my, my, big brother?" Scar said in faked surprise, "what an honor for you to drop by."
"Scar." Mofasa growled, Simba started to sob as he heard the menacing high pitched laughters all around him, the hyenas were everywhere.
"get aside Scar!" Mofasa walked nearer to his son and grabbed the back of his neck in his mouth to carry him.
'it's a party here tonight, hasn`t Simba told you?" he fixed his eyes upon the small cub in his father`s grip. Scar took a step forward, the laughter rang louder, "you can`t leave before its over."
"what about nala?" Simba asked ever so softly, it was barely above a whisper, "you said you wouldn`t drop her."
"I said I wouldn`t drop her yet." He said thoughtfully, "but now is not a very bad time."
"no!" Simba shouted. two of the hyenas leaped out of the shadows, climbed on top of Mofasa and began biting in his skin.
Mofasa roared, making Simba fall out of his mouth. It was the loudest roar Simba had ever heard, it even made the laughter stop. Silence rang in the cave, the two hyenas fixed on his back. Several others joined in, one of them dug his teeth in the king`s hind leg, Mofasa growled in pain while Scar chuckled. Tears were streaming down Simba`s face as he watched helplessly, it`s all my fault. Mofasa roared again, grabbed Simba`s neck in his teeth and rushed towards the entrance, the half dozen hyenas attached to him. He grazed his side against the cave wall, making the ones on that side drop, and then he grazed the other side, making the others drop too. Now the only ones left were the one on his leg and the two on his back. Mofasa jumped near the entrance, the two above him got sandwiched between him and the roof and fell off instantly. He bumped into Scar to push him aside. The hyena, knowing that he was the only one left and couldn`t do anything, let go of the king`s leg as the loin dashed outside, his body bleeding considerably.
Hearing the roar, the hyena above the cliff waited for a moment before opening his mouth and dropping the cub from his mouth. Nala went flying down, screaming loudly, she knew she would hit the ground any moment. I don`t want to die…
She did hit something but it was not the earth, it was something soft. As he headed out, with his son in his mouth, Mofasa felt a light weight on his bloodied back and recognized the groan as Nala`s. too shaken to do anything else, Nala just grabbed his mane tightly and buried her face in it, crying silently.
"you idiots!" Scar roared angrily, after picking himself up from the damp floor of the cave, "why didn`t you attack properly? It was a clear shot!"
It was a moment of silence before Shenzi replied, "why didn`t you attack?"
"yeah Scar, you had just as much of a clear shot." Benzi licked his bruised side which was injured due to being scratched against the wall when Mofasa was running.
"don`t talk back on me!" Scar growled, "i`ll kill you all for talking back on me."
Shenzi narrowed her eyes threateningly, so did Benzi and even Ed did it right this time. The action was followed by another hundreds of eyes in the shadows of the cave. The eyes narrowed on the lean loin standing ion the middle of the cave, each one`s gaze was loathsome.
"don`t look at me like that!" he looked around the hyena`s madly, fear marking his shaky voice, "i`ll get you out of the Outlands too if you don`t stop."
There was silence for another few moments after which Ed started cackling, the whole cave started to ring with the cackling of the hyenas and it didn`t stop till each one of them had their share of the revenge.
"too bad he had to die on the hands of his friends." Nala kicked a stray stone out of her way.
"I doubt he considered them as his friends." Simba said dryly, walking on the mudded path, Zazu was flying ahead of them. that day the dodo had been kept in the cave by the hyenas so that he wouldn`t go telling everyone about Scar`s perfect plan.
"you consider me as your best friend right?" Nala asked, looking at Simba earnestly.
"no." Simba said slowly, kicking the same stone Nala had a while before. Then he turned to face her, "if there was a bond stronger than that, I would consider that as an option."