Yay! My first Disney/The Lion King fic!

Hope you likee!


Summary: Rory has convinced his pride to escape from their carnival and make their way to the pridelands, where the real lions live. But they are unused to the rigours of travel, and the golden picture Rory has painted before them has faded considerably. Just as Rory himself is about to give up in his dream, he is found by a member of Simba's pride... Can he and his pride learn to survive in the wild? Will Rory ever be able to win Simba's respect, and gain true membership in the pride for his family?


Disclaimer: I do not own Disney, The Lion King or any of the related characters. I also don't own Africa, unfortunately enough. But I do own Rory and his family. :)


The young lion sat in the sparse shade of a skinny, under-nourished tree, watching the others walk slowly onwards. Slowly, he hefted himself to his feet and began to walk again. Not in the direction of the plains, where the others where headed, but the other way. In the path they had carved out of the grass lay an elderly lioness, her eyes closed.

No. NO!

He began to run, energy pouring into his body, his padded feet touching the flattened grass lightly. Skidding to a halt by her side, he desperately licked her face. "Mama?" His voice, a voice hovering on the very edge of childhood, was almost inaudible.

The lioness stirred, her eyes slowly flickering open.

The young lion sighed, releasing pent up breath. "Hey mama," he said gently.

"Rory?" The lioness rose slightly to look at him, and then laid her head back onto the soft grass.

"Come on, mama, you have to get up!" Rory knelt by his mother, nudging her with his shoulder.

The lioness shook her head, but Rory ignored her and pushed her into an upright position.

"You'll die if we leave you; you must come with us. When we find the other lions – "

"When?" The lioness' voice was heavy. "Is there going to be a 'when', Rory?"

The young lion did not reply, his heart heavy. They had been travelling for weeks. They had already lost two members of the pack to crocodiles and one to the elements. Those that were still alive were painfully thin, and morale couldn't have been lower. All this weighed on Rory's heart. It had been he who had convinced the others that escape could be done – that there were lions out there just waiting to welcome them into their prides.

The old lioness groaned and began to walk. "I trust you, Rory. We all do," she said quietly.

Rory watched her catch up to the pack, feeling a mixture of pride at his mother's will to live and utter despair. What have I gotten us into?

He looked over his shoulder, and sighed. The pack had better find some more lions soon, before they became even weaker, and many more died. If they didn't find other lions soon… the whole pack would be lost. And it would all be his fault.

He began to run again, overtaking his mother and her friend easily, passing all the others until he reached the front of their shaky line. He kept on running, yelling something about scouting out the area over his shoulder. His paws moving with speed and agility he'd never even known he'd had, he streaked across the plains.

Soon he ran out of steam, and he slowed to a walk. I can't do this…

"I just… can't," he said, feeling lower than a dung beetle. He lifted his head and roared to the empty, uncaring sky. "I CAN'T!"

"Can't what?"

The unfamiliar voice made him freeze. For a long moment, he hardly dared to breathe. Then, oh-so-slowly, he turned around to face the speaker.


So, what did you think?

Don't forget to review on your way out! -wink-

straykitty