Author's note: So here's the second chapter.. As promised! 3rd May… Sorry for the long wait, though. Those of you who've read this story before might've noticed that I've changed the name of my story.. I guess I like this one better! And to those of you who didn't notice or didn't read my last author's note, Timon and Pumba are NOT a part of my story.. My story is a bit too dark for them.. Oh and one more thing, I'm trying really hard to keep all the personalities of my characters exactly the same.. So please tell me if you notice something off.. And please review!

Before I start, I'd like to thank T5Tango, Chu10 and KaltheBrave for their reviews.. You guys really lifted my spirits! Thank you! XD. Okay now, go ahead and read!


Chapter 2: Heartbreak.

She shut her eyes as hard as she could. The tears were flowing freely now. She tried to shut out all the cackling around her. The foul stench of hyena was unmistakable. And yet, Nala tried desperately to hold on to anything that was left of her best friend. Just the previous day, he had saved her life. She knew, from that moment on, that he was a lot more to her than just a friend. But she was too scared to admit it. And now, she wished she had told him everything, because all that was left of him now was a memory.


Nala felt exhausted. She felt her mother's arms around her, and it gave her a sense of comfort. She needed it at the moment. The hyenas had scared the crap out of her. Now, all she wanted to do was sleep. No one would dare to disturb her.

"Nala, wake up!" She felt someone nudge her side.

"Five more minutes, Mom," she said with an exasperated sigh. She rolled over and started to snore.

She heard someone chuckle. She was very confused. It's not every day that someone wakes you up in the middle of the night, and starts laughing at you, is it?

"It's me silly! Now wake up. I have something to show you."

Nala woke up and opened her eyes groggily. She saw a golden cub standing before her.

"Simba! It's the middle of the night! This can wait till tomorrow!"

"No it can't."

"Yes it can."

"No it can't."

"Yes. It. Can."

"No. It. Can't!"

"Simba!"

"I can do this all night!"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Oh yeah? Try me.."

"Simba. Please!" She looked at Simba with the cutest, most innocent eyes she could make, but for a change, that didn't work either.

"C'mon Nala! You have to see this!"

"Oh, all right. Let's get this over with!" she said, a bit more grumpily than she had intended. She carefully slipped out of her mother's grasp, and walked alongside her best friend, her eyes still half-closed. She was in no mood for jokes.

"It had better not be one of your pranks, Simba!"

"And what if it is, Nal?"

"Then I'll kick you over the edge."

"Yeah right." Simba opened his mouth to say something, but the look Nala gave him shut him up instantly. "Okay, okay, calm down, Nal. I just wanted to show you something." Simba was smiling, but she could clearly see the guilt and hurt in his eyes. She knew him all too well. He was her best friend, but she knew that he was something special. His happy façade would fool everyone all the time, but she was the only one who could see through it all.

They reached the edge of Pride Rock. "Look, Nala." Simba smiled at her, but she was too awed by the beauty in front of her to notice. The stars were twinkling in the night sky, and the full moon was casting a glow on the Pridelands that Nala had never seen before.

"Simba, I.. I don't know what to say, I… Wow…" Simba stifled a giggle at his friend's reaction. "There's more, Nala. You see those stars up there?"

"Yeah. What about 'em?"

"It is said that all the great kings go up there. And they're looking down on us and taking care of us right now."

"They are?" Nala just stood frozen, mouth agape and eyes wide in awe. She had never thought of it that way before.

"Yeah. And whenever you feel lonely or scared, you're supposed to look to them for support, and they'll help you."

"Really? How do you know all this, Simba?" Nala was even more confused. When did her cute, cocky friend become so wise?

"My dad told me about it today." Ah, that explains it. "He said that it was knowledge that was passed down by the great kings for generations."

"Then why did you tell me about it, Simba? I'm not even related to you, am I?"

"No, but you're my best friend! I won't ever keep anything from you." Nala felt the heat rising up in her cheeks. Did he really care that much about her? Nah, of course he didn't. He was just being nice, like he always is. Nala felt her face heat up and knew she had to change the topic.

"So, what about the other lions? Do they go up there too?" Nala was sure that Simba was going to be a great king. But the thought of losing him was too much to bear. She always wanted to be there for him, even in the stars. At least as a friend.

"I don't know, Nal. Maybe they go up there too," he said half-heartedly, and looked away. The moment she looked into his eyes, it was clear to Nala that there was something else on his mind. Something that was hurting him.

"What's wrong, Simba?"

Simba choked back a sob. It hurt Nala to see Simba cry, but she had to see it often, because she was the one he always came to with his problems. He did trust her with his life, after all.

"I'm sorry Nal. I really am." Nala tilted her head and stared at her best friend. It was turning out to be a very confusing night.

"I almost got you killed. I never meant to put you in danger, Nala." Tears were streaming down his cheeks now. "My mom always says that sometimes, you don't know how much someone means to you till you realize that you're never going to see them again. You mean a lot to me, Nala. I promise I won't let anything happen to you ever again."

Nala knew she had to do something. Only one thing came to her mind.

She hugged him. She felt him nuzzle her and cry into her shoulder.

Simba heard a soothing whisper in his ear. "Simba, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you cared about me enough to save me. You risked your life to save me, Simba. I owe my life to you for that. You're my best friend. Nothing's ever going to change that."

Simba couldn't help but smile. He had no idea how she would do it, but she always made him feel better. He knew how he felt about her, too. He had known for a long time. But he knew he couldn't tell her. Their friendship was too precious for that. "Nala?"

"Yes, Simba?"

"We'll always be best friends right?"

"Of course, Simba. I'll always be there for you."

Simba smiled. But what happened next was completely unexpected. He licked her cheek.

Nala couldn't believe her luck. Maybe he did like her. Maybe he had liked her all along. She couldn't think of a more perfect time to tell him.

"Simba, there is something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What is it, Nal?"

"I.." Suddenly she found herself hesitating. Her mother had also told her about the friendly licks. What if this had been one of them? She didn't want to lose her best friend. Ever.

Nala knew what she had to do. She quickly faked a yawn.

"Never mind, Simba. I'll tell you some day."

Simba himself yawned and Nala gave a sigh of relief.

"Promise, Nal?"

"Promise."


The tears were flowing freely now. Their sweet, little promise had already been broken in the most horrifying way imaginable. She looked up to the stars, wondering if her best friend was taking care of her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Nala?" She looked up to see her friends, Chumvi and Kula, standing before her with confused expressions on their faces. Clearly, they had just arrived at the scene and had absolutely no idea what was going on. "What's going on?"

"He's…. he's.." She couldn't bring herself to say it, but she knew she had to come to terms with the fact that she was never going to see her best friend again. "He's gone!", she choked out, before she burst into tears. Kula knew who she was talking about. There was only one person Nala always talked about. She knew how close Nala was to Simba, and the news came as a genuine shock to her. Kula felt Chumvi nuzzle her and lick her cheek. She turned to him and saw that there were tears in his eyes too. They had lost one of their most precious friends.

Nala looked over to her pride sisters and she knew that none of them was feeling the sorrow that she felt.

Except one.

Sarabi wasn't crying. She didn't move. She didn't blink. Her normally joyous eyes were completely devoid of life. It took only a minute for it to sink in. She had lost everything. She would never see her prince and her king again. Sarafina's attempts to console her were completely useless. All that Sarabi could do was stare into space. She had lost the will to fight.

And then, she heard the cackling.

It was faint at first, but then, it turned into a deafening chorus, as dark figures emerged from the shadows, seemingly thrilled at the shocked expressions of the distraught lionesses.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sarabi found her voice.

"How dare you!" Her voice was barely a whisper, but everybody heard the furious queen. "Mufasa would never allow this!"

Scar simply waved his paw. "Ah Sarabi, you must understand that I am truly sorry for your loss. But look around you, Sarabi. Do you see your dear king anywhere?"

For a split second, Sarabi flew into an unexplainable rage. She raced towards Scar with murderous intent. But she didn't get far. From out of nowhere, scores of hyenas intercepted her, throwing her off her path. She swiped at them, claws unsheathed, killing one of them instantly. But as more of them emerged out of the darkness, Sarabi knew she didn't stand a chance, and her common sense caught up to her. She quickly stepped back toward her pride, and the lionesses formed a protective ring around her.

Scar's expression gave nothing away. But his decision shook his pride to the core.

"Sarabi, I'm sure you know that what you did was completely uncalled for. You unnecessarily attacked and killed a deserving member of the Pridelands. I'm sure you know this calls for punishment." An evil smile crept onto his face. "I appoint you, Sarabi, as leader of the hunting party. All the lionesses are to hunt thrice a day, and bring food back to me. The leftovers will be given to the hyenas. And as punishment for what you did today, your pride will eat only after the hyenas have had their fill." The hyenas squealed in delight as the lionesses' eyes widened in utter dismay.

"Why are you doing this to us, Scar!" Sarafina, hot-headed as she was, was the first to react, and moved forward threateningly. It took all of Sarabi's strength to hold her furious friend back. Scar simply walked up to the promontory and roared. The hyenas shouted in glee.

But not one lioness roared with him.

Sarabi knew that this wasn't right. And that was when she made her decision. She would make sure that Mufasa would live on, through her. She would be strong, for his sake. She would keep their love alive, no matter what. Sarabi knew that her pride still saw her as the one true queen. She would guide them through this time of misery. She knew that she had to stay strong for them, irrespective of her grief.

But what Scar said next, chilled her to the bone.

"It is my wish to remain the only dominant lion in this pride. In many prides today, it is rather unfortunate that the risk of rebellion is much too high. Such a rebellion would only hinder the progress of this pride and destroy its unity. Therefore, as king, it is my decision that the only male cubs that will be allowed to live in this pride, will be my cubs." Scar gave a dramatic pause to let his words sink in. The silence was nerve-wracking.

"Say your final goodbyes. The hyenas shall patrol the borders tonight. No one is allowed to enter or to leave my lands tonight." A devious smile crept onto the dark lion's face.

"Tomorrow, all the male cubs shall be killed."


Author's note: So, how was this chapter? A little too heart-breaking? Well, The Lion King is full of heartbreaks anyway! I'll try and update as soon as I can. There's a lot more to come so PLEASE REVIEW MY STORY! I warned you before. I love cliffhangers! And yes, I know I'm not exactly brilliant at writing the romantic stuff, and I know I didn't mention it in the genres, but romance is an essential part of my story and I will give it my best shot! How did you like the Simba-Nala conversation here? Let me know in your review. The next chapter is pretty dark, by the way.. I will be able to update much quicker now, so it will be up on the 7th of May :).. So see ya' then!