Hey, guys. Ok, this is just a really random one-shot that popped into my head, it's not related to any of my existing TLK series like at all, it's just something to get my mind back into the TLK world, no big deal.
Be aware, this has character death, violence, and blood, so if you're squeamish, turn away! Otherwise, enjoy!
"Congratulations, Nala. You're pregnant." Rafiki said. The tawny-pink lioness leaned up, her sea-green eyes wide.
"Really? I am? Oh my God, Simba will be so ecstatic." Nala said, standing up. Rafiki patted her shoulder.
"Heirs are on de way, of course he would be! Go on, tell him." Rafiki laughed. Nala nodded and climbed out of Rafiki's tree, roaming back to Pride Rock, seeing Sarabi sitting at the beginning of the rocky path.
"So, what did Rafiki say?" Sarabi asked her daughter-in-law with a smile.
"I'm pregnant, Sarabi!" Nala burst happily. Sarabi smiled wide and laughed, nuzzling Nala. Since Sarafina had died, Sarabi had raised Nala alongside Zira, both of them becoming her mother figures.
"Oh, Nala, congratulations." Sarabi said. Zira stepped down the rocky path, looking into Nala's sea-green eyes with her ruby red ones.
"I heard pregnant. I suppose that would be you, Nala?" The slim lioness asked with a smile. Nala nodded and Zira stepped up and nuzzled her with a chuckle, proud of how strong Nala had become.
"Simba's going to be so happy. I know I am!" Nala said with a smile.
"I think we all are, Nala. The cubs in you will bring happiness to the Pridelands, happiness not seen for awhile." Zira said.
"Zira's right," Sarabi chuckled, "not only that, Simba's doing well at being King. We're all proud of both of you."
Nala smiled and tears welled in her eyes. The daughter of Scar and Sarafina chuckled while happy tears fell off her face. Sarabi and Zira both hugged her, knowing that since it was her first pregnancy, she would be more emotional.
"What's going on?"
Nala looked up at Simba's voice and saw the golden lion look at her with concern in his orange eyes. Nala smiled a little wider.
"Simba, I'm pregnant!" Nala said. Simba's frown turned slowly into a smile and he trotted to Nala, nuzzling his beloved.
"How far along?" Simba asked as she nuzzled him back.
"About two weeks, Rafiki says." Nala whispered. Simba purred.
"Congratulations, Simba. You're going to be a father." Sarabi said with a smile. Simba turned to Sarabi and Zira with a smile.
"And you two are going to be grandmothers." Simba said. Zira frowned.
"I'm not Nala's mother though." Zira said. Nala stepped up and nuzzled Zira.
"But you did raise me. Zira, as far as I'm concerned, you are my cubs' grandmother, and my mother." Nala said. Tears filled Zira's eyes and she hugged Nala.
"Here you go, making me cry…" Zira said with a chuckle. Nala laughed and hugged her mother figure with gusto.
"Don't cry, you are my mother, and Nuka is my brother." Nala said softly. Zira hugged Nala tighter.
"It's an honor." Zira whispered. Simba and Sarabi watched the pair bond and smiled at each other. Happiness would spread over the Pridelands with the news of new heirs, but the happiness would be short-lived.
No one knew that invaders, former friends of Simba and Nala, were planning to take the Pridelands for themselves.
0O0
A couple more weeks passed. The Pridelands were still peaceful as ever, and Nala was beginning to show her pregnancy. She and Simba took time to just spend together, to pick out names for their cubs. They had decided on three names. For a boy, either Kopa or Naba, but for a girl they'd name her Shani.
"Oh, Simba, they're going to be beautiful." Nala said.
"You're sure there'll be more than one cub?" Simba asked.
"I'm positive." Nala said with a smile.
Suddenly a roar of challenge was heard. Nala stood up and looked around, as did Simba. From the north came two males, one brown in color with a darker brown mane and orange eyes, and one with pale gold fur, a black and brown bi-colored mane, and red eyes appeared, roaring at Simba.
Both King and Queen recognized them. Malka and Chumvi. Why were they here?
"What the hell?" Nala asked.
Behind Malka and Chumvi appeared a band of females, lead by Kula. Simba looked at Nala in panic.
"Run, Nala! They'll kill you!" Simba ordered.
"Simba, I'm not going to run!" Nala said.
"Yes, you are!" Simba ran for Malka and Chumvi, leaving Nala dazed. Nala saw the band of females lead by Kula and gasped. She had to run, she had no choice, and Nala ran for the waterhole, swimming through it and climbing up the largest tree she could find.
Meanwhile, Simba tried to defend his territory from his former friends. Malka roared and slashed Simba's left eye, and Chumvi kept attacking Simba's other flailing body parts. Blood flew, and though Simba was an adept fighter, the two-on-one situation too much. Simba retreated with a roar despite his injuries, making the two interloper males victorious. They ran for Pride Rock, their new home.
Later that night, Nala left the tree and wandered around the Pridelands. Where was Simba? Where did he go? She wandered to Pride Rock to find Kula there, waiting for her.
"Hello, Nala." Kula said.
"Kula, how could you condone this?" Nala demanded.
"I don't condone it. I cared for Simba, but he's a bad King. Malka and Chumvi will do much better." Kula said.
"He was doing fine!" Nala burst. Suddenly, Malka and Chumvi's followers surrounded the daughter of Scar and Sarafina. She growled, her sea-green eyes bright in the night.
"Nala, fighting will get you nowhere. Just submit to the new Kings." Kula said.
"Never!" Nala said.
"Fine, then. Make her submit," Kula told the lionesses.
The lionesses started attacking Nala, ripping into her flesh and causing her to roll over several times. When Kula stepped into the fray, Nala lashed out with her claws, hitting Kula's eye and making the orange-brown lioness bleed profusely from the wound, giving Nala enough time to retreat from Pride Rock. The tawny-pink lioness ran to the western border, far from the new murderous pride.
And in that moment, Nala's world fell apart.
0O0
A couple months passed since Chumvi, Malka, and Kula had taken over the Pridelands. Nala had stayed in hiding, and for good reason. She had given birth to her and Simba's three cubs. One was a golden boy with a brownish tuft on his head, and with apple green eyes just like Sarafina, he was the oldest and Nala named him Kopa. Then there was the middle cub, a girl with lighter tawny-pink fur than Nala's with a sharp pink nose, dark eyeshades, a hair tuft on her head, violet-blue eyes, and the beginnings of freckles and earrims, and Nala named her Shani. The final born cub, another boy, had a mix of Simba and Nala's fur colors, freckles, light eyeshades, and one green eye and one orange eye, and Nala had named him Naba.
Three cubs, the final of Simba's legacy, something Nala would give her life to defend.
Leaving her cubs for a while to hunt, and search for Simba, Nala kept them tucked safely away in the cave she had to hide out in for the months. Nala trotted through the Pridelands, roaring softly, hoping Simba would answer her. His injuries had to heal, right? He would be okay, right?
What she didn't know was she was mere yards from Simba, whose wounds had become gravely infected. The former King called out once to Nala, and the tawny-pink lioness trotted to his side.
"Simba!" She said softly. Simba looked up at Nala with his one good eye with a smile before he laid his head down defeatedly. Nala gasped.
"Simba, no!" She nuzzled him. Simba sighed.
"I'm sorry, Nala. Tell the cubs I love them." Simba whispered his last.
Tears pricked at Nala's eyes. That was it. Her lover, her beloved Simba, had died. It was all because of Chumvi, Malka, and Kula. The tawny-pink lioness looked up.
"I'm going to avenge you, one day. I promise." She whispered as she ran back to her cubs. Kopa, Shani, and Naba looked up at her as they woke. They were old enough to walk on their own, and they walked to their mother. Nala picked up Naba and put him on her back, following with Shani and she picked Kopa up and carried him by his scruff. All the cubs mewled in confusion, but Nala made her way to the border.
To the Outlands.
She gazed at the endless wasteland, but knew beyond it laid lands of promise, lands that she could raise Simba's children in peacefully. Lands that contained a crystal cave, lands that were unclaimed.
"There you are, Nala." Malka said. Nala looked at her former friend in alarm, but bolted across the border, where he couldn't follow her. The pale gold lion roared after her.
"You'll be back once those cubs die out there!" Malka promised. Nala sent him a hateful glare.
You wish, you bastard. You took Simba from me, my lands… but my children will live on to destroy you. She thought.