Nala's Pain
Food. All Nala could think about was food and the lack of it in her stomach. It was hard to imagine that the vast Savannah could have been worse than the Pride lands, but at least there was shade there. Out here, there was only the oppressive heat as the sun beat on her, its blinding rays challenging her to defy them. She looked ahead and blinked, unsure whether to believe her eyes. In front of her was a warthog, fat and full. Nala ducked quickly and eyed her prey. He was small and fat, his attention elsewhere. If she could keep the element of surprise on her side, it should be an easy catch. Moving with quick and precise grace, Nala edged in for the kill. The grass that camouflaged her rustled softly, its whispers a small assurance to the hunter. Snapping out of his trance, Pumbaa looked to the sound he heard. The grass seemed empty, but he couldn't rid himself of the feeling that something was watching him. He peered closer this time and started to see a figure in the grass. It was much larger than him, and seemed to be moving toward him. Cautiously, he took a step back, never once taking his eyes off the shape. Sensing that she might lose her chance, Nala leapt toward her target with teeth bared. Pumbaa screamed and began to run, his instincts and adrenaline keeping his short legs from collapsing from energy loss. Hot on his tail, Nala followed his every move as he zigged and zagged left and right until he was caught under a tree root. Desperate to escape, Pumbaa tried freeing himself, the panic rising in his chest as he heard the footsteps behind him get closer. Timone ran up to him and tried to calm him down, unaware of the imminent danger.
"Pumbaa, what's going on?" He asked as Pumbaa continued to free himself
"SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" Pumbaa cried as Timone climbed onto the tree root to see what Pumbaa was talking about. As soon as he saw Nala, he climbed off the root and began to push Pumbaa from behind, determined not to leave his friend.
"Why do I always have to save your-AAAH!" Timone shouted as Nala made to pounce at them, her teeth bared and claws poised. An unexpected roar made her look up and gasp in surprise as a lion leaped from behind the warthog and landed right in front of her, curled in a defensive crouch. They jumped for each other at the same time, neither gaining the upper hand as the meerkat yelled encouragement to their rescuer.
"Bite her! Go for the jugular! The jugular!" He yelled as he watched the fight, his nerves frayed in anticipation for the outcome. Going on two legs, the lion made a false move as his footing slipped and he looked down. Taking the opening, Nala rushed him and pinned him down with a resounding thud on the grassy ground. Baring her teeth menacingly, Nala looked at her opponent. He had a full and bushy mane with strong limbs to match. If he hadn't slipped, Nala wondered if she could have really beat him. As she studied him, he studied her. There was something about the way she fought… And her eyes.
"Nala?" He ventured, the uncertainty clear in his voice. Nala blinked in surprise before moving away from him quickly. How did he know her name?
"Is it really you?" He asked hopefully as she sat away from him, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Who are you?" She asked. She was sure she'd never seen this lion before, but there was something about him that made her feel like a cub again. And she hadn't felt that way in a long time.
"It's me, Simba" He said gently, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Simba?" She repeated uncertainly. He smiled and nodded his head, unsure of how she would react. Nala said nothing for a moment as it all sank in. The only thought she seemed to make was He's alive!
"Woooahhh" She cried as a smile spread over face. This time when she rushed towards him, there was no viciousness, only the joy of knowing her friend was alive again. The two embraced and began to talk at once, each wanting to know how the other had come to be there
"Hey! What's going on here?" Timone cried from the ground as Nala and Simba looked down at him. A smile spread across Simba's face as he made a quick introduction.
"Timone, this is Nala. She's my best friend" He explained to Timone, who eyed Nala distractingly
"Friend?" He asked in disbelief as Simba and Nala hugged again, the smiles on their faces evidence enough of how happy they were.
"Yeah. Hey Pumbaa! Get over here" Simba called to Pumbaa as he finally freed himself from the tree root. He cautiously made his way towards them, wary of the fact that a few moments ago Nala had been intent on eating him.
"Nala, this is Pumbaa. Pumbaa, Nala" Simba encouraged his friends as he watched them.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance" Pumbaa said with a smile.
"Whoa, whoa! Time-out!" Timone exploded, confused by everyone's casual attitude "Let me get this straight: You know her, she knows you but she wants to eat him. And everybody's O.K with this? Did I miss something?" Timone exploded as Simba tried to calm him down
"Wait 'til every one finds out you've been here all this time" Nala said with a smile of hope crossed her face. Now Scar could pay for what he had done to the Pride lands…. And her "And your mother, what will she think?" The years had been hard on Sarabi after the loss of her mate and cub, and now her child could come back. Simba's face fell and he looked away.
"She doesn't have to know. No-one needs to know" How could he tell her the truth? That he was the reason his father had died? She would never forgive him, nor would his mother if she ever found out. Better to live away from them than for them to hate him.
"Of course they do! Everyone thinks you're dead" A warning flashed to Simba. Dead? Scar had seen him run away, told him to run.
"Scar told us about the stampede" Nala continued, lowering her eyes "I'm sorry…" She looked at Timone and Pumbaa, her eyes sending a silent message.
"Hey, whatever you have to say to Simba, you can say in front of us. Right, Simba?" Timone looked to his buddy for agreement, his arms crossed and head held high.
"Maybe you should go" Simba said as he shared a stare with Nala, their eyes locked together.
"It starts" Timone said, throwing up his hands as he and Pumbaa began to walk away "You think you know a guy" Pumbaa merely sighed as he followed Timone.
"Timone and Pumbaa, you learn to love them" Simba said with a smile as he watched his friends go. His smile vanished when Nala did not smile back, instead moving away from him slightly with her head down.
"What?" Simba asked as he moved himself in front of her and touched her forehead with his "What is it?"
"It's like you're back from the dead" She whispered as everything began to sink in "You don't know how much this will mean to everyone… What it means to me" Here her voice cut off as images of Scar and the Pride Lands filled her eyes. He had to pay for everything he had done to her home, her mother, her sisters… and her.
"How did you end up here?" Simba whispered as he moved closer to the upset lioness. With a sigh, Nala told him of Scar's proposal and of her subsequent banishment from her home. She told him of the lack of food and water, the constant beatings when they couldn't catch a kill and the months of dread as Scar tried to get close to her before trying to force her to be his Queen. Through all this, Simba said not a word and simply listened as his friend began to sob. When Nala couldn't talk anymore, he let her snuggle into his mane and sob. His mind was reeling and he seethed in fury at what Nala had told him Scar had done to the Pride lands and her. However, he knew that she was upset already and he'd be a hyena before he made it any worse by getting angry.
"Come on," He whispered gently in her ear "I'll show you around". Nala brought her tear filled eyes to meet his and was struck dumb when Simba leaned down and licked away the few tears that had escaped her eyes. Nodding slowly, Nala gave a small sniffle before following her friend into the jungle.
The two friends came across a waterfall, the evening sun light shining on the water to make it appear as though a rainbow had formed just for them. Eager to see more, Nala gracefully made her way down the side of the hill to get a closer look, followed closely by Simba. Weaving their way around the falls, their noses came within mere millimetres of each other and more than once Nala caught the handsome male watching her. As they stopped to drink from the beautiful water, Simba's head and heart battled with each other to decide if he should tell her how he came to be out here. Surely, if he told her what had happened that day in the gorge, she'd spurn him and leave. Just the thought of being separated from her again made him shudder. Yet his heart cried out to be unburdened and to reveal himself to her. Realizing that something was wrong with her friend, Nala looked up, a question poised on her lips. Before she could make a sound, Simba smiled and trotted past her, still smiling as his eyes glinted. Confused, Nala turned her head to follow him, only to see that he had grabbed a vine in his mouth and was running towards her. With a growl of excitement, Simba propelled himself into the water, disappearing beneath the water. Unbeknown to the lioness, Simba slowly made his way to her under the water. Lunging out of the water, Simba wrapped his strong front paws around her neck and pulled her back under the cold water with him. The cold water proved too much for Nala as she surfaced quickly, gasping for air and crawling back to land.
"Too much for you, La?" Simba laughed as he crawled out behind her, his mane hanging over his face as the water dripped off his body. Nala smiled at the pet name and turned around to face him.
"It might be a little too much for me, Simba," She said seductively as she planted herself right in front of him "But I'm sure you're ready for another swim". Before he could comprehend her meaning, Nala placed a paw over his muzzle and pushed him back in the water, laughing as he came up.
"I'll get you for that, Nala!" He called playfully as she started to run off, her feminine laughter echoing through the Jungle as he chased after her.
"I'd love to see you try!" She called over her shoulder as she ran into a sun lit meadow with luscious green grass. Too caught up in the chase to fully take in its beauty Nala bounded in, scaring the pigeons and laughing with Simba right on her tail. They ran all through the meadow, laughing and playing the whole time as their wet fur dried in the dim sunlight. They continued to play and run even as the sun set beneath the trees and the Jungle darkened.
"You still haven't caught me, Simba!" Nala called over her shoulder as they left the meadow.
"I will soon, La!" He called back as they raced down a small hill. Turning around, Nala stood on her hind legs and embraced Simba as he too went on his hind legs and threw his paws around her. With a small push of his legs, he sent them tumbling head over tail down the hill. They landed in a heap with Simba lying on top of Nala.
"Gotcha" He whispered in his ear as he laughed, still on top of her and not wanting to move. Cupping a hand to his cheek, Nala pulled Simba's head towards her and licked his cheek. Simba's reaction was instantaneous as his laughter stopped and he looked back at the lioness under him. Neither said a word as Nala laid back in the grass and her meaning became obvious to the lion. Smiling down at her, Simba embraced the lioness he knew now that he had always loved and found that she loved him too.
It was late into the night before Simba found where Nala was. She was sleeping peacefully, her breathing even and Simba knew it was the first time in a long time that she was able to sleep somewhat comfortably. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry for how he'd acted, that he'd learned to put it behind him and grieve for his father. But she looked like an angel as she slept and he realized he neither had the strength or the heart to wake her up. As he watched her for another few moments, he realized that it would be better for her to stay asleep while he headed back to Pride Rock to face Scar. Now that he'd gotten his best friend back, he couldn't risk losing her if Scar tried to fight him. No, it was better for her to stay here where she, Timone and Pumbaa were safe. Taking a last look and committing it to memory, Simba turned away from her and headed in the direction of Pride Rock. Just as he thought he was home free, he heard a twig snap and Nala appeared just behind him.
"You're going back, aren't you?" She whispered as her beautiful blue eyes penetrated right through Simba's soul.
"Yeah" He sighed as she took a step backwards from him, her head bowed in confusion.
"I thought you wanted to stay, Simba… I thought what you said last night meant something" Simba understood that she wasn't just confused about his going back, she was uncertain about how he felt for her.
"Of course it did, La," Simba was quick to correct her "I love you" Nala's face turned from confusion to delight as his words reached her ears and were forever branded on her heart.
"I love you too" She smiled at him and he smiled back, the both of them nearly able to forget the situation they were in "Tell me what happened"
"I finally realized that I have to face my past… If I don't, there won't be a future for us"
"I know you're right Simba- and it's what I wanted, but…" She rushed to him and snuggled deeply into his fur, her head supporting his chin "I just can't lose you again" Neither of them said anything for a moment, all words seeming meaningless. "I'm coming with you"
"No!" He immediately said, his voice firm and laced with fear "I don't know what's gonna happen out there. But at least I'll know your safe, even if something happens to me"
"Simba-" But that was as far as she got before he brought their heads together and bliss flooded her mind. They stayed like that for a moment before Simba pulled away and, taking advantage of her still closed eyes, quickly turned and ran.
"Simba?" She asked as she opened her eyes, blinking in surprise when she realized there was no one there. With a low growl of annoyance, Nala quickly started to run after him, careful to remain far back enough so he wouldn't know she'd followed him.