***Chapter 7***

***The Journey Continues***

The cave was dimly lit, a much appreciated feature for the resting lion. Light irritated him greatly in his present condition; the cool darkness helped him sleep. A narrow beam of light shone through a crack in the ceiling, illuminating the various dust particles that hung in the air like a gaseous gold filament. As the minutes passed and the sun made its way across the sky, the beam of light slowly advanced towards his muzzle. He didn't notice of course, he was sleeping. Still, the light moved closer and closer, eventually making its way to the tip of his nose and brightening his golden fur. He still didn't wake, and the light continued to travel on its path. Soon enough, it made its way over the resting lion's eye, waking him sharply.

He winced from the sheer brightness of the sun through the small crack, and tried to roll over in an attempt to avoid the bright ray, but only bumped into the lioness that was lying next to him. She grumbled a in a low tone.

"Ugh… I'll kill you if you do that again."

Simba grinned despite his discomfort. "I love you too Nala."

She opened one eye, and glared at him, clearly not in the forgiving mood. "Are we healthy yet?"

Simba was about to answer, but a catch in his throat made him jerk his head back violently as a nasty hack ripped through his throat, launching a small amount of flem through the air.

Nala watched his display of sickness with vague interest; she was pretty used to it by now. "I'll take that as a no."

The king frowned and rolled over onto his back in a vain attempt to make his breathing easier. "I assume that you aren't feeling any better either?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. You know that there's still a few weeks left before we're supposed to even show signs of recovering."

He sighed deeply. "Well I was just hoping."

"I know." She replied. "I'm getting pretty sick of it myself."

A blue blur landed in front of them, sharply startling them. "I hope that you had no desire for a pun in that phrase, madam."

Simba chuckled. "Good morning Zazu, and what's wrong with a good pun?"

The hornbill frowned. "I simply find them to be distasteful is all. Crude and immature humor at best."

"Go spend some time with Timon and Pumba!" Simba said with a grin. "They'll teach you the meaning of crude humor."

Nala smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, Zazu, there was no pun intended."

"Thank you your highness." He replied, completely ignoring Simba's other comment. "I came for the purpose of updating you both on the status of the kingdom."

The king groaned. "Yes, I guess we should talk about that. Go ahead."

"More have fallen ill, with only a few recovering enough to help care for them."

"Who has gotten sick now?" Nala asked, clearly worried about the answer.

"Luma, Daka, Ervan, and Leara." Zazu listed. "But Kraila is recovered enough to start helping."

"I hope that you didn't press her too forcefully to switch her role."

"Oh no, Sire!" She's been trying to help for days; this was the first time that we decided to allow her to work."

Simba nodded slowly. "I trust that Kiara is still fine?"

"Of course. Haila is doing a fantastic job caring for her."

"What about the rogues?"

"You mean the gang sire?"

"Yes. Have there been any more sightings?"

The majordomo sighed. "The herds have not seen any strange lions in several days, but there have been signs. Tracks, matted grass, claw marks; I think that they're still around."

"But still at the border?"

"Yes. For a bunch of thugs, they seem to be holding true to their word quite well."

Nala lowered her gaze. "If they kept their promise to let us leave, they'll likely keep their other promises as well."

"We still have a few weeks left before they attack." Simba reminded her.

"Still, time is running out." She turned back to Zazu. "Has there been any word from Amari and Mela?"

"I'm sorry, but no." the bird replied sullenly.

SImba stared off blankly at the cave wall. "I'm starting to think more and more that we might need them."

"But what if they don't find anyone?" Nala asked worriedly. "How can we survive if-"

"Don't you be a worryin' so much your highness!" Rafiki exclaimed, as he burst from the shadows. Zazu nearly fainted while Simba just laughed, inevitably fallying into a deep hacking fit.

"Good morning Rafiki." He greeted when he finished his coughing. "Please tell me that you have something for my head, it feels like its splitting open."

The mandrill nodded and pulled a bundle of herbs from his side and began to prepare them for the king. "Don't lose da faith in de young ones." He continued. "De prophecy does not lie."

"But it can be misinterpreted." Simba retorted.

"Dis is true, but I tink it is quite clear. A hero will come, and he will save de pride."

Nala nodded, but didn't look too convinced. "Let's hope. For all our sakes."

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Far away, in a different kingdom entirely, a different lion was just waking up. He opened his eyes slowly and tried to roll to his side. He groaned as the stiffness in his joints became apparent; it wasn't really that painful, just awkward. He felt as if he had been asleep for a month.

"You're awake!" a jubilant voice called out to him.

"W-what?" he stammered incoherently as he tried to rise from his bed.

"Don't get up, Amari. You'll fall."

His vision was blurry, but he could just barely make out the image of the lioness above him. "Mela?" he asked confusedly.

"Yes, it's me." she said with a slight chuckle. "How are you feeling?"

He thought about it as he looked around; his eyesight clearing. His jaw was sore, his muscles tired, his limbs bruised, arm still wounded, ribs tender, and he had a splitting headache. He was also alive. "Fine." He replied shortly. "How long was I out?"

"Only a few hours. We're back at Tulon's place."

He nodded, having just reached that conclusion himself. The somewhat familiar place was more deserted than before, but still pretty homely. The thick trees that protected them reminded him slightly of Priderock. It wasn't a rock structure, but the dense woods served the same purpose. He guessed that the lionesses must be out hunting or something. Who knew what lionesses did on their free time anyways? He looked back to Mela. "That didn't really go as well as I wanted it to…"

"I kind of assumed that. Pandi told us what happened."

Amari blinked. He had completely forgotten about Pandi. "Is he alright?" the young lion asked worriedly as he frantically tried to rise from the ground.

"Relax!" Mela cried, pushing him back down. "He's fine! And in way better shape than you are."

Amari laid his head back down on the pile of leaves that had been gathered for him. "Oh." He said simply.

After a moment of silence, Mela spoke again. "He actually left a while ago… something about going to warn someone. He wanted me to thank you for him."

The young lion nodded, but didn't say anything. He felt like he should feel pride or some sort of superiority for doing what he did, but he didn't. The fact was that he had gotten his dignity shredded yet again, and nearly died in the process. Sure he had helped Pandi, but not very well; it was a mediocre job at best.

"He was very grateful." She added, seemingly hopeful for some response.

He smiled, more for her than out of any real satisfaction. The two shared a slightly awkward silence for a moment or two; Mela could clearly see that he was uncomfortable but didn't have a clue what to do about it. "Who was that guy anyways?" he asked finally.

She opened her mouth, but was cut off by a deep and strong voice. "His name was Urak, and he was after Pandi for information."

Amari nodded a greeting to King Tulon and the lion smiled back.

"I hope that you are feeling better Amari, you took quite a beating."

He shrugged. "I'll manage. Tell me more about that lion… Urak?"

"Yes." Tulon continued. "I told you before that the prides in this area are all led by my cousins, and you just happened to run into a close follower of my least favorite cousin. Quite honestly, you're lucky to be alive."

Mela frowned. "Who's the cousin?"

"King Farole." He sighed exasperatedly. "Over the years, he has become much more… forceful. I have tried to be patient with my cousin, but he has made it all very difficult; always disputing borders, demanding tribute from foreigners, and being an overall jerk."

Amari chuckled. To call a fellow king a jerk wasn't very regal, but he understood Tulon's frustration. "So that was one of his tribute collectors?"

The king scowled irritably. "Something like that. Urak is Farole's best fighter and pretty much his bounty hunter. He has others, but Urak takes a lot of pleasure in being the muscle."

"The only reason that I'm not dead is because he was having fun." Amari spat before his expression softened. "I never thanked you for saving me."

"None needed." Tulon said softly. "It was common kindness."

"Well it saved me."

"What are you going to do about Farole?" Mela asked worriedly. "Are you just going to let him be?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot do much more than remind him of our agreement to keep the area in peace. Anything more than that is out of the question. He's far more prepared for a fight than me or any of my other cousins. He would jump to war without hesitation."

"Sounds like a good family." Amari replied sarcastically.

Mela shot him a harsh glance. "We've been dealing with some family issues ourselves back home."

Tulon nodded. "My sympathies, I know that it's not easy." He looked around for a moment, as if searching for something more to discuss. "Where will you go from here?"

"We'll leave now." Amari said adamantly as he tried to rise.

"NO!" Mela growled as she pushed him back to the pile of leaves. "There is no way that you are ready to leave just yet."

"She's right, Amari." Tulon agreed. "I insist that you stay here for at least tonight. Tomorrow you can leave if you think that you'll be able to, but not before then. Take some time to rest."

Amari groaned, but obliged, laying his body back down onto the ground. "Fine."

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The night passed uneventfully; Amari spent the time just sleeping and resting, though he would have much preferred to be doing other things. Mela managed to help one of Tulon's hunting party's and helped to bring in the nights meal. The food was invigorating for the beaten lion; it filled him up to a heightened state of mind. Now tha the thought about it, he hadn't eaten anything in over a day. That alone was enough to diminish his energy, let alone a fight that left him unconscious.

He slept on and off, waking every now and then. Mela was sleeping nearby, and he inevitably ended up spending long amounts of time watching her. Thinking of her. She didn't like him, and he was coming to terms with that. He didn't blame her, nor did he blame himself; it was just something that could not be even though he wanted it so desperately. But she was his friend, and a good one at that; she had saved his life on more than one occasion, and cared for him when he was hurt. Friendship was better than nothing, and he was grateful to have her as such.

The morning came in due time, and Amari rose to examine himself. His limbs were still stiff as could be, but the pain was gone. The bruises were faded and the many little nicks and cuts had scabbed over. His head was fine as well; the headache gone and the mark on his cheek healing. He would have a few scars to be sure, but overall he was fine. Even his wounded arm from days before was looking better. He guessed that he would be able to remove Pandi's bandages in only a few more days.

Mela and Tulon were busy talking about which way they sould go while Amari was stretching. He walked around the perimeter of the pride taking exaggerated steps. He hadn't wanted to do it, but Mela and Tulon had insisted. In all honesty though, it felt pretty good. Every step that he took allowed him to move a little farther, each one made his movements a little more normal. After a few circles around the area, he was starting to feel a little looser and more able-bodied.

"Hey!" a voice called from the perimeter.

Amari turned to see an older lioness watching him from the tree line. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

She chuckled at his facial expression. "Come here, kid." She said, gesturing with her claw.

Amari approached her slowly, wary of some trick or trap. As he neared the lioness, her age became more and more apparent. Her fur was likely at one point a light tan, but now it was a dull gray and a bit rough on the edges. Her claws were worn and dull and her eyes were surrounded by lines.

"Relax, honey." She told him as she laid down under a nearby tree. "I know you're a bit edgy but look at me. I ain't gonna fight you."

"What do you want?"

She shrugged. I heard about your scuffle with Urak, and how you really got whooped."

Amari frowned; he didn't like how quickly word had spread. "So?"

She grinned at his irritation. "So, I figured that you probably didn't really know what you were doing."

"You mean that I don't know how to fight?"

"That's what it sounded like. So do you?"

Amari kept frowning. "I always thought that it was pretty straight forward. My claws go into his body."

The lioness laughed aloud, a raspy noise to say the least. "I guess that pretty much sums it up, but it won't help you much if you meet up with Urak again. Combat is an art, a study, and a lifestyle all in one. It's more complicated that you might think.

Amari stared incredulously at this old and grizzled lioness. "And I suppose that you know all about fighting."

To his surprise, she nodded. "I'm old now, but I was a pretty tough girl in my day. Fought in a few border wars, trained a few young-uns, you know."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to know a little bit more than you do now."

"Like what?"

She rose to her feet with delicacy for such an old lioness and walked closer towards Amari. "Stand like me." She told him as she widened her stance. She bent down slightly, but not too far, keeping her head tucked low.

He did as she did, mimicking the stance. It felt a little strange, but not that weird; hecould get used to it. "Is this how I start?"

"Yes," she replied. "But take less weight off your front legs. You want them to be able to move faster."

He lightened the load on his front paws and waited for her to continue.

"Now when you strike, be conscious of where you hit 'em." She continued, raising her paw to demonstrate. "Head shots disorientate, body shot's slow 'em down, and shots to the arms and legs just hurt. Got it?"

Amari nodded. "So you just keep going until they collapse?"

"You keep going until they expose their throat. I know it sounds morbid, but you gotta end it somehow."

Amari nodded. He didn't like the idea of killing another lion, but that was all part of fighting. "How do I stop them from doing the same to me?"

"Glad you asked." She replied. "From what I've seen, keeping them on the defense is one of the best ways to protect yourself. If you're so aggressive that they can't throw a strike, then you won't have to defend against one."

"So I just have to go psycho on them and I'll win?"

"It helps in most situations, but sometimes not. "If they manage to avoid your attack, you gotta be able to avoid theirs. Just keep your cool and deal with them as they come. The best way that I've seen to block, is to hit their attacks with your own."

"What?"

When they swing out at you, you swing out at their paw. That way, you'll knock their paw away and maybe even hurt 'em a bit."

Amari nodded. "Okay, I think that I get it."

"AMARI!" Mela called suddenly from afar. "We're all set!"

The young lion turned to the older lioness. "I've got to go, but thanks."

She smiled. "Glad to help. Passing on knowledge is all I do now."

Amari nodded in appreciation, and turned away. The old lioness had said a lot, and his head was spinning slightly from the sheer amount of information. He felt as though he should have spent a few days on the material rather than just a few minutes. Nevertheless, he was better off having at least some exposure to it. It was way better than what he had known before.

"Ready to go?" Mela asked as he approached.

"Yep, I'm feeling good. Which way?"

Mela looked up at the sun. "The same way that we went to find Pandi. There's another pride farther down the stream."

After a quick goodbye to Tulon and the rest of the pride, the two Pridelanders set off again. It was getting little redundant, but that was the nature of their mission. Pride to Pride in search of this elusive hero. Amari was starting to wonder if a hero even existed out here. He understood what Rafiki had said before they left about it being difficult to stick to morals in the wilderness. He had almost died because he had tried to do the right thing, it was far safer to be immoral than it was to be a hero. Still, he was feeling better. He had come to terms with Mela's rejection as well as to the difficulty of their journey. He had a spring in his step that Mela seemed to notice quite quickly.

"What's up with you, Amari?" she asked after a long while of silence. "You seem a bit more enthusiastic than normal."

He shrugged. "I don't know… thing's are just looking up, I guess."

She stared at him incredulously. "You nearly died yesterday, and you think that things are looking up?"

He laughed at her shock. "Well think about it, Mela. Things can't possibly get worse than they already have been. Yea, we've got some serious time constraints and need to find someone that might not even exist, but can you really imagine things getting as bad as they have been? I think that we've gotten past the worst of it all."

She frowned. "I hope that you're right… but things are never so bad that they can't get worse."

A grin split his face. "I guess that we'll just have to wait and see."

***Author's Note***

Not much to say again. Thanks again for reading, and I hope that you comment!

PLEASE REVIEW!

-Ben