To Reclaim A Birthright

by TabbyBri

A young lion, destined to be king, is instead driven from his home by a senseless act of violence. The rogue lion who killed his parents is now king of Mikazo's pride. Mikazo must grow and become strong to save his birthright from the rogue's harsh reign. He arrives at the Pride Lands where Simba and his pride help him develop into the lion he will need to be to reclaim his pride.

10. Memories

Hi again! I hope you like this chapter. I had even more fun than usual writing this chapter. Not really sure why, but I did. I'll get the next one up as fast as I can. Thanks for sticking with me this far!

When Mikazo blinked opened his eyes as he woke, he was surprised to see that it was morning. The pale pink sky was gradually brightening into a clear, soft blue. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep, intending to take only a short nap. But that had been in the daytime... early yesterday. It looked as though his nap had turned into a full night's sleep and then some.

Mikazo groaned, drawing his head in close to his body, as his stomach suddenly twisted painfully. His whole body was hot and aching and he felt nauseous. He realized the sickness had fully hit him now. Despite the long rest, he still felt tired, as well as shaky and weak, and decided not to get to his paws just yet.

Raising his head slowly and breathing shallowly, trying not to make himself feel more nauseous than he already did, Mikazo looked around Pride Rock. It looked the same as it had when he had fallen asleep; half of the lions lay sick and the other half looked tired from the sickness they were just now getting over. Most of them were resting as well.

He saw Kiara laying near the entrance to Pride Rock's cave. She was curled up in a ball with Daka huddled against her side. Mikazo was relieved to see that the cub seemed to be doing alright. He had his head up and was watching the other lions. Though he certainly didn't look to be his usual energetic self, he at least didn't look terribly sick. Kiara, on the other paw, was looking utterly miserable. She was near enough to Mikazo for him to see that her eyes were barely open and she was breathing fast. It worried Mikazo to see the normally enthusiastic lioness look so tired and weak. As sick as she was... He knew that she was in danger from this sickness. He really hoped that she'd feel better soon.

A few feet from the edge of Pride Rock lay Simba. The king was laying with his head on his paws, looking tired, sick, and slightly exasperated. When Mikazo looked a little more closely, he could see the reason for the exasperation. Zazu was perched by Simba's head, his wing tips crossed in front of him in a worried sort of way. The hornbill seemed to be talking rapidly. Tilting his ears toward the bird, Mikazo could hear what he said; "Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help, Simba? I could fetch water, some plants are quite absorbent, I could bring water up using them."

"That's alright, Zazu. I'm not thirsty at the moment," Simba told him.

"Well, if you're sure," Zazu said, pausing for a moment as he thought. "Well, then would you prefer it if I told you a story? I heard an excellent one the other day."

"You don't have to do that, Zazu," Simba assured him, trying to be polite. Zazu was trying to help, but it looked like Simba just wanted to sleep and recover. He looked as sick as everyone else was, and more so than some.

"Oh, I don't mind, Simba. It's no trouble at all!" Zazu launched into his story, obviously determined to try to make Simba feel better. Mikazo hoped it would work, though he thought that Simba just looked like he could use some sleep.

Mikazo turned his head at the sound of paw-steps approaching to see Kimada walk up next to him.

"Hey, Kimada." He was glad to see his friend looked like he was doing much better than before, even if he did still seem tired and less energetic than normal. Though there was none of the usual spring in his step, Kimada's tread was at least no longer a weary plod.

Kimada laid down next to him. "How are ya doing?" he asked.

Mikazo shrugged slightly, then winced when the movement sent a flash of pain through his sore body. "Not the best," he admitted with a sigh.

"I know how you feel. I was there," Kimada told him. "It gets better, though... after a while."

Mikazo groaned at that last part. "Thanks for that, Kimada," he said sarcastically.

"Any time." Kimada favored his friend with a small grin.

They both looked over at the sound of Simba's boisterous laughter. It sounded as if Zazu's story was cheering Simba up, after all. That was good to know. A few more moments passed as Mikazo and Kimada lay side by side, both of them resting as they listened to Zazu continue his story.

"Hey, Mikazo," Kimada suddenly said, his tone quiet, "I have to tell you about something."

Mikazo glanced over at his friend; Kimada's eyes were downcast, watching his paws. He looked preoccupied, as though something was bothering him. "What?" Mikazo asked, concerned.

"You know how Simba found me and brought me to his pride?"

Mikazo nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, there's more to the story than I told you. I never told anyone about this before, but I'd really like to talk with you about it." He drew in a breath. "It's just... it's been on my mind lately." Kimada smiled a little, then, turning his head to look over at Mikazo. "And if I'm gonna talk about it with anyone, why not my best friend?"

Mikazo nudged Kimada in a friendly way. "Okay, I'm all ears." He pricked his ears up to demonstrate that fact.

"Alright," Kimada continued, "like I said, there's more to the story than I told you at first. The rest's the same, though. Everything I told you happened like I said; my parents left their pride when they got together, and our family lived alone together on the Savannah. We had our own nice cave in a beautiful valley, like yours.

"I told you how they were attacked by a rogue who wanted to take my mother as his mate. Then Simba found me after the rogue killed them." Kimada paused. "The part I didn't tell you was that I wasn't an only cub; I had a litter-mate, my sister. Her name was Zawadi."

"You have a sister?" Mikazo asked in surprise. He'd never thought about the fact that Kimada might have any siblings.

Kimada cringed slightly, pain flashing through his blue eyes. "Yeah, I did. But the rogue killed her, too."

Now it was Mikazo's turn to cringe, horrified. Kimada's parents... and his sister? "I'm really sorry, Kimada," he said quietly. Ignoring the pain the movement caused him, he put a paw on his friend's shoulder, hoping to give some comfort.

Kimada nodded. "Thanks," he replied. "My sister... She was the same age as me and we played together all the time. Zawadi was thin and short, like our mom, but she had a big personality." Kimada smiled at some memory. "Dad used to take us out to spend time with us. Sometimes he would take just one of us and sometimes both, then he would show us all sorts of cool places and play games with us. He was a great father. Mom came along sometimes, but she couldn't as much as she wanted to; she wasn't very healthy and couldn't walk around as easily as we could. Still, she played with us whenever she could."

"They sound like they were good parents," Mikazo commented.

"Yeah. They were." Kimada shook his head sadly, clearly missing his parents. "When the rogue attacked our father, Zawadi was with him. He had taken her out to play earlier that day. Then Mom went to help Dad fight the rogue and I followed. When I got there, my father was dead and my mother was fighting the rogue. I couldn't see any sign of Zawadi, I don't know what happened to her exactly. But the rogue killed my mother, tried to get to me and couldn't, then left. And then Simba found me and brought me here. You already know that part. I don't know what happened to my sister, but I hadn't seen any sign of her. I always wonder whether I should have told Simba when he found me but I was sort of scared of him then, and I can't imagine a way that she could have survived if my parents couldn't, so there wasn't much point."

Kimada closed his eyes briefly, then continued, "All I could do was cry and scream. Simba was really great putting up with me, now that I think about it. But my mind keeps going back to my sister, lately. Even if the rogue didn't kill her himself, we were out in the open with no mother, no food or protection, nothing." His voice trembled as he continued, "If Simba hadn't found me I would have died. And Simba didn't find Zawadi, so how could she have lived? Lately I wonder, I just don't know for sure if the rogue killed her, too. If not, then she probably starved. Would that have been better? I don't know. I don't know how she died. I don't even know if she died, not for sure, but I can't imagine how she would have lived. I never once thought she might have, but lately, I don't know, I just don't know what to think." By the end of this Kimada had tears in his eyes, with more streaking down his cheeks and muzzle. His head was bowed, and Mikazo heard his breath catch in a stifled sound of pain.

"Kimada, I'm really sorry this happened," Mikazo said sincerely. He hated seeing his friend so sad, and the grief in Kimada's voice made Mikazo's own throat feel tight. "Thank you for telling me about all this. For trusting me enough to tell me all of this. It's really amazing that all that happened to you and you can still... function." Kimada shrugged slightly without lifting his head and Mikazo paused, then continued a little hesitantly, "Kimada, I know it's not the same, but... I would be proud to call you 'brother'. And would like it if you would consider calling me the same."

At that, Kimada looked up at him, his expression one of utter surprise. Then he grinned happily, his eyes brightening through their film of tears. "Brother," he agreed. The two lions bumped heads and Kimada grabbed Mikazo in a hug, throwing a paw around his shoulders. Mikazo hugged him back, trying not to choke from his friend's grip but grinning widely himself. He held on tightly for a moment before releasing his hold.

Then Mikazo, still sleepy and weak from the sickness, laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes. Kimada followed his lead and both lions drifted off to sleep next to their friend and new brother.

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Nala was padding around Pride Rock, looking at her sick pride mates anxiously. She couldn't believe how awful they looked, laying prone, exhausted, many of them breathing far more shallowly than usual. She had been sick herself, but had she looked this bad? Maybe. She remembered with a grimace how she had felt when she was sick. But she, at least, had recovered. Some of her pride mates looked as if they might not do the same. Her heart clenched in fear as she looked at her daughter. Kiara was one of the sickest, one who might not survive.

Nala looked Kiara over carefully. She lay curled in a ball with an awake and alert Daka sprawled against her side. Nala looked with fondness at her son-in-law, Kovu. He lay with his head on his paws, facing the sleeping Kiara. His eyes, which were fixed on his mate's face, were glinting with worry and fear of loss. Nala was just as worried about Kiara. She was afraid to even think of her cub not making it. But Kiara would pull through. She had never been one to give up, no matter how bad things seemed.

Nala smiled slightly, thinking of how adventurous Kiara had always been as a cub. She still was, as a matter of fact. Nala remembered when Kiara was a very young cub and had just began to walk, how determined she had been to explore every nook and cranny of her home. By the end of the day, she had gotten under the paws of and tripped over the tail of perhaps every lion who lived at Pride Rock, and not one of them had minded one bit. And as soon as she was allowed to go out into the Pride Lands for the first time she had been darting through every patch of grass and trying to climb every rock, no matter how big it was. Both Nala and Simba had been there with their daughter to watch her explore the Pride Lands, to enjoy watching as their daughter saw the world beyond her home in Pride Rock. And, of course, to keep her out of trouble. That had been surprisingly difficult to do, considering Kiara had been less than a quarter of their size at the time.

When Kiara had gone on her first hunt Nala had been so proud, though the hunt had nearly ended in disaster with that fire. It had blazed across the Pride Lands, consuming the grasslands and endangering the life of every animal in the path of those deadly flames; including Nala's young daughter.

Nala had found out later, as Kovu told their family the whole story, that that fire had been set deliberately as part of the plot devised by Kovu's mother, Zira. The plan, they had learned, had been to stage a 'fire rescue', one where Kovu would rescue Kiara from the grassland fire in order to gain the trust of the Pride Landers, so that he could be allowed among them and eventually find an opportunity to attack and kill Simba. This was, of course, a plan that had began with Zira's desire to take revenge against Simba, revenge for the death of Simba's uncle Scar, who had been Zira's mate.

Kovu had clearly been ashamed when he had told them the truth of that plan, and beyond apologetic. Though they had been shocked, horrified, and angered by the fact Kovu had in fact plotted against Simba, that he and his mother had caused a fire that could easily have claimed the lives of countless animals, Kiara's included, a fire that had also devastated a good portion of the Pride Lands, Nala and Simba had still forgiven the young lion who had gained their daughter's love. Whatever his original plan had been, Kovu had, in the end, proven himself worthy of that love and of their trust by turning away from the dark path his mother had set out for him, by choosing a path of his own. The path Zira would have had Kovu walk had been one of murder, blood and revenge; the path Kovu chose for himself was one where he was accepted, loved, and trusted, one where his future was bright and hopeful and where his paws were unstained by the blood of innocent lions.

Here in the Pride Lands, Kovu had a family who cared deeply about him; he had his sister, Vitani, as he'd had since he and Vitani had both been cubs, he had both Simba and Nala, who had grown quite fond of him as they'd got to know him, and he had Kiara and, now, their young son Daka, both of whom loved him unconditionally. One day, Kovu and Kiara would succeed Simba and Nala as king and queen of the Pride Lands, and Nala fully expected that they would both be rulers to be proud of when that day came. It was truly a far cry from the life Kovu would have led had he followed his mother's plan.

Kovu's past was a dark one, there was no denying that, but his present was anything but. Nala was quite proud of her son-in-law for being strong enough to turn away from Zira's plan, for being true to himself and who he really was, who he wanted to be, rather than what his mother had tried to make him into. And Nala knew just how much Kovu loved Kiara, how deeply he respected and cared for Kiara; and so even if there had been nothing else in Kovu's favor, for that reason even if there had been no other, she was glad that Kovu was in their lives.

As for the fire rescue, Nala would always be grateful to Kovu for saving Kiara that day, whatever his motives for doing so had been at the time. Though of course she was glad that Kovu had disobeyed his mother's wish- or perhaps command was the better word- that he murder Simba. Nala would have hated to have had to hurt the young brown-furred lion who was now her son-in-law. Though she definitely wouldn't have felt any reluctance to attack him if he had killed Simba, or even simply dared to try.

She was very glad and deeply relieved that Kovu was safely recovered from the sickness that had now struck their pride. For a while it had looked bad. But he had recovered. And so will Kiara. Nala wondered if repeating that thought often enough might make it happen. It had to happen, she had to recover. She couldn't bear to lose Kiara.

She looked at her daughter again. Kiara's side moved up and down quickly but fairly evenly as she slept. At her side, Kovu and Daka still lay awake, both of them, at least, not looking horribly sick, and both clearly concerned for the well-being of their mate and mother. Kiara would be well watched over while Nala made the rounds, she knew. And at least for now, Kiara was sleeping deeply. Hopefully that sleep would help her fight the sickness.

Satisfied that Kiara was alright for the moment, Nala left her to rest and continued checking on the others, doing what she could to make sure her pride mates got through this.

Some of the Pride Landers were dealing with the sickness well, not able to get up and walk around but still not as sick as some of the others were. Nala was worried for the pride mates that she spent every day with, talking with them and hunting alongside them. She hoped very much that not one of her pride would be lost to this sickness.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

In the field near Pride Rock, the jackals crept silently forward, their lithe forms little more than shadows slipping through the grass as they each chose a vantage point from which to watch Simba's pride. Once they were all in a satisfactory position, the jackals crouched low to the ground to stay out of sight of any animals that might look in their direction. They scanned the pride's home carefully, eyes sharp and focused.

The leader of the jackal pack, a female named Erevu, watched Pride Rock most carefully of them all. Her nose twitched as she smelled the sickness coming from the lions who lived there. At that scent, the scent of weakness, of vulnerability, the skin on her narrow muzzle curled back to bare her wickedly sharp fangs and a growl of anticipation rumbled in her chest.

She looked back at her pack mates, who crouched along the ridge behind her. This pack was made up of black-backed jackals, numbering seventeen members, counting herself. The midnight-black hair covering their backs and tail-tips was streaked with bright silver. The rest of their pelts were either the color of sand or a glowing tawny. Sixteen jackals waited on the ridge behind her, all of them healthy and strong, all of them ready and more than willing to fight, and all of them absolutely obedient to her every word and decision.

Erevu, her own sand-colored coat gleaming in the sunlight over her thin but muscled form, tossed her head back and let out a sharp, commanding yip to call one of her pack to her.

Another yip answered quickly, and the owner of the voice walked up to her, stopping slightly behind her to show respect for the leader of the pack. This jackal was a bright tawny male.

"Yes, Erevu?" the jackal asked with his head lowered and ears tipped back deferentially, dark brown eyes meeting hers for the briefest moment before his gaze dropped downward.

"Good job, Nyonge," she said with a slight nod to her pack mate. "Your famous nose hasn't let us down yet, there is sickness here, just as you thought." Erevu turned back toward Pride Rock, her bright amber eyes gleaming with excitement and a vicious grin spreading across her muzzle. "Simba's pride is weak today, they will not stand a chance!" she snarled.

Simba and his lions had been trying to stop the pack from hunting as much as they wanted to, saying that the pack was over-hunting, that they were taking more than they needed. Erevu snorted scornfully at the thought. Over-hunting! They might not be hunting prey just to eat, they might be hunting more than they needed to sustain them, which the oh so lofty lions insisted was against the laws of the Savannah, but Erevu and her pack were hunting for the sport of it, and Simba had no right to try to stop them.

Well, Simba wouldn't be a problem for much longer. Erevu and her pack had always loved to challenge themselves, and a lion pride as big as this one, even if they were sick, was just perfect for a good fight. The lions would be their prey and they would be famous as the jackals who had defeated Simba's pride!

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Nala had just finished talking with one of her pride mates. She had left the lioness alone to sleep when her ill friend had nearly drifted off in the middle of their short conversation. That lioness was, thankfully, not as sick as some of the others, but she still needed her rest.

Nala weaved around and in-between her pride mates that were laying scattered around in loose groups on the large, warm rock that jutted from their cave. She was doing her best not to step on anyone's tail. Since half the pride was sick, they had all laid down in front of the cave entrance or nearby it, having decided not to drag themselves to their favorite lounging areas. Nala understood. She'd felt better out in the warm sun with a fresh breeze flowing over her while she'd been sick just days before. The other half of the pride either lay resting and regaining their health, or doing the same as she was, walking around and trying not to disturb the sick lions.

As she looked around her pride again, her eyes settled on Simba. Her mate was asleep now. Zazu was perched just next to Simba, watching over him and occasionally glancing at the lions around them. Nala gave the Majordomo a grateful smile, though she was too far away to speak to the bird and didn't want to call over to him as it might wake the sleeping lions. Zazu seemed to have understood, because he just dipped his head in response.

Nala was glad to see that everyone, the lions, Timon, Pumbaa and Zazu, were all helping out their sick friends, though the warthog and meerkat team were currently resting from a long night of entertaining. They had a good pride, a strong pride. They'd recover from this quickly, she was sure.

She looked at Simba again. He was laying still, his head placed on his fore-paws. He looked like he was going to be asleep for a while. Nala was glad; it would help him get better more quickly. Simba was very sick. Much more so than were most of the others, possibly because he'd been trying to help his pride mates get better and doing very little resting himself. He had exhausted himself, and Nala had began to worry that if he didn't take a proper rest soon he would quite literally collapse. She was glad he'd finally given in to the inevitable and was fast asleep.

Any time Nala had seen him on his paws and trying to help the others she had sent him back to his resting place. He usually listened, though he had often as not stayed up a while longer to make sure everyone else was comfortable and had what they needed. The last few hours or so, however, he had been resting more and more. Nala knew that this wasn't from choice but rather from necessity. Simba was simply getting too sick to do anything more than rest, which worried Nala quite a bit. She counted him along with the others she was most concerned about, alongside her daughter who was so very sick. She didn't want to even imagine being without either of them.

She and Simba had been best friends since cub hood- she still counted him as her closest friend, in fact- and they had been mates for years. She remembered when they had been going to the Elephant Graveyard as cubs; an exploration of a graveyard that had looked like a fun adventure but had nearly gotten both of them killed. They'd been trying to figure out a way to sneak away from Zazu, who had been their babysitter, their escort, and as both cubs had thought at the time, a bird whose entire reason for existing had seemed to be to stop them from having fun. Though both Simba and Nala had since changed their minds about Zazu and now considered him a friend, at the time he had been driving them crazy.

Then of course, before they could put their plan into effect and sneak away to the Elephant Graveyard, Zazu, having seen them whispering to each other as they plotted and, unable to hear what they were talking about, having jumped to conclusions, had told them that as per tradition, they'd been betrothed since birth. Both cubs had at the time been completely disgusted; they were each other's best friend and getting married to each other was something gross, disturbing, and all around wrong. Nala chuckled slightly. Obviously she and Simba had changed their minds on that one, once they'd grown up.

Back then, however, Simba had said, and to young Nala's complete agreement, that when he became king that tradition would be the first thing to go. As it turned out, Simba had been as good as his word on that tradition. When he had taken his pride back from Scar and become king of Pride Lands, he had gotten rid of it immediately. Then, before anyone could react, he had asked Nala to be his mate. He'd repealed that law first so that Nala would know that he wasn't asking her to be his mate because the law said he had to, but that he was asking her to be his mate because he loved her. And he did love her, as much as she loved him. Their marriage was a good one. Nala couldn't help smiling at the memory of their betrothal and of Simba's proposal.

Simba had been her playmate since they'd been only a few weeks old, as soon as they had been able to walk and run. They had played together every day. Nala couldn't remember a time when Simba hadn't been by her side. Not counting, of course, the time when Scar had been king and they had all thought Simba was dead. She shivered with the memory of how Scar had stood on the rock above them, giving his speech of false grief over Mufasa's and Simba's deaths.

Then Scar had allowed the hyenas to come, swarming over Pride Rock, their many shadows thrown onto the stone wall behind them, their laughing barks echoing hollowly throughout the land. Nala had been just a cub then, and deeply shocked and grieved by the news of King Mufasa's death. And, she'd believed, that of her best friend. She had been as horrified as the rest of the pride when they found that the hyenas were to be allowed in the Pride Lands. More horrifying than even that, those mangy creatures were to be allowed to live at Pride Rock! Enemies of lions living in their home!

The days after that had been especially hard ones for the pride. They didn't know what to expect from the hyenas, or, for that matter, from Scar. He had allowed the enemy of lions, a creature that preys on their cubs, to live among them. There was no telling what he would do next. Scar was an instantly unpopular king, at least among half of the pride. The other half, Zira chief among them, were a different story. The ones who didn't want Scar for a king were quietly outraged by the other lionesses' loyalty to the black-maned lion.

A few of the ones who missed Mufasa's reign the most, including Nala, had been suspicious of Scar's story. Something about it just didn't seem to fully add up. Simba had been out in the gorge and the wildebeest had stampeded for no discernible reason. Scar had gone to get Mufasa, having known that Simba was in the gorge. In itself, that wasn't very incriminating. But Mufasa, Scar and Zazu had all gone to save Simba. Then Mufasa and Simba were killed in the stampede and Zazu had been knocked unconscious. The bird reported that something had smashed him into a rock, but he didn't see what it was. Scar had come back with Zazu following and had told the pride the horrible news, and despite his words of grief, Scar had seemed only too eager to take the throne. All these things added up to make a suspicious story. Some of the lionesses had wondered if Scar could have had anything to do with the deaths of their king and prince. But the thought was so terrible that none wanted to really consider it. As well, they had no proof.

Nala could clearly remember how protective her mother, Sarafina, had been during that terrible time. She had told her mother about the hyenas trying to eat her and Simba in the Elephant Graveyard, and Sarafina had been worried that they might try again. She'd kept Nala close by her side, not letting her wonder off on her own. Not that Nala had been much inclined to do so. She'd been afraid of going out by herself with hyenas all around her. Being just a cub, she would have been easy prey for the brainless beasts. And Sarafina hadn't been willing to take the chance that Scar wouldn't prevent the hyenas from eating Nala.

Besides the fear of becoming prey, which was always something to worry about when you were a cub during Scar's reign, Nala had been in no mood to go exploring. Simba, her best friend, was gone. She wouldn't ever be able to go along with another one of his plans that almost always got them into trouble, but were so much fun anyway. She wouldn't ever be able to pin him to the ground again and again like she had done many times a day in the past. They had always explored together. So Nala hadn't tried to go exploring. She had stuck close to her mother, and Sarafina had done her best to never let a hyena come anywhere near her young daughter. It had been hard work for her mother because the hyenas had been everywhere in the Pride Lands.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Erevu stood watching the tan and brown shapes that were the lions of Simba's pride milling around on Pride Rock. She noticed that most of the lions lay motionless on the ground, presumably resting to recover from the sickness. She let out a sharp bark of laughter. They didn't realize it yet, but they would never get the chance to recover. She and her friends would kill all of them long before the sickness ended.

Her pack mates stood around her, almost completely hidden in the tall grass, and ready to attack at her command. Erevu knew, however, that not every lion at Pride Rock was sick. They would have to wait for the healthy ones to leave, perhaps on a hunt, before they could attack. When the lions left, they would likely leave a few behind to care for and to guard the sick ones, but Erevu was confident her pack could handle two or three healthy lions, perhaps even more.

Now, Erevu thought as she crouched low, her white-furred belly brushing the ground beneath her, we just have to wait for the right moment to strike.

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Nala continued her slow walk amongst her ill pride mates, remembering what Scar's reign had been like. During that time the one thing that had comforted her was that the lionesses who were unhappy with Scar never stopped treating Sarabi, Simba's mother and Mufasa's mate, as though she were still queen. Though they had never done so blatantly while in front of Scar, they had always treated Sarabi with respect. Their reasons for that were obvious. Sarabi had never stopped acting like a queen. Regal and kind, she had done her best to help her pride mates throughout Scar's rule. She had eaten less so that her pride mates, especially the old ones and the young ones, such as Nala, would be able to eat more. Most of the prey they caught was eaten by Scar and the hyenas. He had let the lionesses who were loyal to him eat more than the rest of them, but those who were not as fond of him were left with little. Nala had been amazed by how brave Sarabi had been, and how loyal she was to her pride mates. The former queen had believed that her mate and son were dead, that she was now both a widow and childless on top of all the rest that was happening around her, yet she hadn't given in to her grief. She had fought for her pride in the only way that she could.

Nala could remember when she first learned to hunt. By that time, it had seemed as if the Great Kings of the Past had forsaken them. The land had begun to lose its life. The grass and trees were dying and the river had begun to dry up. More and more animals had started to leave the Pride Lands because of its barren state. It had been hard to learn how to hunt because they had to travel long and far across the Pride Lands before they found any prey at all. Then when they did come across prey they had to catch it and bring it home only to have it eaten by Scar and his followers. The hunters had not gotten much of their own prey. And all the while, their home was getting worse and worse.

The Pride Lands had gone from their lush, beautiful home of greens, yellows and blues to a land dominated by grays and blacks, dead, leafless trees and the skeletons of countless animals. The river had dried up, leaving nothing but a cracked and dusty river-bed, slashed like a deep wound in the dry ground, where water had once flowed freely. It had been horrible to watch, and the king had done nothing to alleviate the hardships.

Nala remembered how awful it had been when Zazu had been trapped in that wildebeest's ribcage- which was used as a prison for the bird- and made to sing for Scar's entertainment. There had been nothing they could do to help him.

She remembered how the despair and hopelessness had finally gotten to be too much. If no hope existed in the Pride Lands anymore, then Nala vowed would find some and bring it back. She'd told Sarabi of her plan to leave and look for help, help that would save her home, save her family. Sarabi had agreed. Sarabi would have gone herself, but as it was, she was the one keeping half the pride together. She'd known that if she left, Scar would take it out on the other lionesses. So instead, Sarabi had helped Nala prepare for her journey, telling her of a few places where she might be able to find help. Nala had agreed to go to those places and Sarabi wished her luck.

Nala thought about how, before she'd left the Pride Lands, she'd gone to tell her mother what she was going to do, and to say good-bye for now. Sarafina had been very upset at the idea of parting with her daughter, but had understood why Nala had to do it. She'd tearfully hugged her daughter, told her to be careful and said good-bye. Then, with both reluctance to leave the only home she'd known and with determination to make the journey to save it, Nala had left the Pride Lands without Scar's knowledge.

She had traveled across the desert that stretched long and wide outside the Pride Lands' borders, and arrived in a beautiful jungle. Nala had been so happy to see the color green again that all she'd wanted to do was roll around in it for days. Even better, the jungle was filled with sparkling blue streams, lakes and rivers, even a few waterfalls.

Nala had been hungry and was hunting for prey when she came upon the warthog, Pumbaa. She felt bad now about nearly eating him, but as it led to her reuniting with Simba, and that to saving her pride from Scar, she couldn't really regret it too much. Though of course she had long since apologized to Pumbaa.

She had been so surprised when her headlong rush at the plump warthog had been stopped by an attacking lion. She had fought back instinctively. She hadn't known why this lion attacked her, she just knew there was no way she was going to lose. And then the lion had recognized her signature flipping move, and told her that he was her long lost, thought to be dead playmate, Simba. She thought fondly of her joy at seeing him again. To find him alive after all that time had made her giddy with happiness and relief. It was a little strange that he'd grown up with a meerkat and a warthog raising him, but Nala only thought of that later. She had just been so happy to see Simba again.

Nala thought about the moment when it first occurred to her that because he was alive, he was the rightful king, not Scar. She hadn't understood why Simba hadn't wanted to be king, which was a completely different attitude from the one he'd had as a cub, but in that moment was too concerned with seeing him alive again to wonder about it too much. That had come later on, after Simba had shown her around his jungle home. It truly was a beautiful place.

She chuckled to herself. Like most lions, Nala didn't much like water, so she was a little surprised when Simba jumped into that lake, then pulled her into it, too! Though pushing him back into it had been a fun moment for her. They had run through the jungle, jumping and wrestling like they had done as cubs, and they had fallen in love.

Then there was that awful fight. Nala had been so confused and angry when Simba had refused to go back to the Pride Lands and stop Scar, to save their home and pride. She hadn't understood why he would act like that and he wouldn't explain. So he'd stalked away, leaving Nala to wander around the jungle for a while, walking to work off her anger. When she tried to find Simba again to convince him that he had to go back, she hadn't been able to find him.

She'd gone to find Timon and Pumbaa, when, much to her surprise, Rafiki had appeared to tell them that Simba had decided to go back to challenge Scar! Nala had once again been thrilled. Now that she thought about it, that night had just been filled with emotional ups and downs. Though perhaps that was to be expected, given the circumstances.

Then, of course, she had caught up to Simba just as he came within sight of Pride Rock. His utter shock and horror at the sight of his old home had clearly shown in his handsome features. She agreed completely. Having just come from that lush and gorgeous jungle it had been even more shocking to see the Pride Lands' barren state, even though she knew what it had become. She had then been glad to see Simba's two friends, and now her friends as well, had come to help him take back his kingdom, leaving behind their jungle to do what they could to help Simba. Timon and Pumbaa obviously cared very much for the lion they had practically raised.

Nala rested then, laying down with her head on her paws. From here she could see all of the lions of the pride, keep an eye on all of them. Her mind returned to the day they'd reclaimed the Pride Lands.

After they were safely passed the hyenas who had been all around Pride Rock thanks to Timon and Pumbaa distracting them, Simba and Nala had split up; Simba planning to find Scar while Nala had gone to rally the lionesses of their pride. When she had found the lionesses and told them what had happened, they'd followed her to confront Scar. They had all been deeply shocked as well as thrilled at the news of Simba's survival, but they had taken it in surprisingly quickly, racing to face Scar almost as soon as she told them. They had been as overjoyed at the thought of dethroning Scar as she had been, and of the rightful king of the Pride Lands regaining his throne.

As Nala was gathering the others, she'd found out that Zira and the other lionesses loyal to Scar had left the Pride Lands soon after she had. They'd gone on a hunting trip that led outside the Pride Lands' borders, hoping to find food and water out there. Zira, of course, would not normally have gone along to hunt- it was more of her style to let others do her work while she told them what to do- but the brown-furred lioness had been as hungry as anyone else.

Nala and the lions who'd gathered with her to assist Simba had raced to the top of Pride Rock together. There they found Simba angrily facing Scar... and Sarabi laying on the ground hurt. This had infuriated them and made them all the more determined to get rid of Scar. It was obviously Scar who had struck their pride mate and friend, who else would have done it?

Then Scar, though obviously flustered and frightened, had recovered from his shock and turned the situation around. He'd started taunting Simba about Mufasa's death, saying that Simba hadn't told his 'little secret' to Nala and the others. When Nala thought about that now, she wished that she had been the one to toss him to the hyenas. It was so cruel of him to do that to Simba. But, of course, being Scar, cruel had been his usual personality. At the time, however, she had just been confused, not knowing what Scar was getting at.

Then he had accused Simba of being a murderer, of killing his own father. Nala and the rest of the pride, especially Sarabi, had been horrified, refusing to believe that Simba had done that. Nala had known, though, that Simba spoke the truth when he'd said that it had been an accident, that he was not a murderer. If he had caused Mufasa's death, then it had certainly been an accident. Simba would never have intentionally killed his father. But thankfully, Simba held no blame whatsoever for Mufasa's death, if you don't count trusting that your uncle won't try to kill you and your father. And what cub would suspect that? Really, what adult would suspect that?

Nala remembered her terror when Scar and his hoard of hyenas had backed Simba to the edge of Pride Rock's promontory. The lion she loved, the one meant to save them all, had slipped off. He'd only just managed to hold on to the edge, dangling above the drop. She hadn't been able to believe it when lightning struck at that moment, setting the Pride Lands ablaze beneath and around their stone home, the dried brush burning rapidly, the hot flames reaching hungrily toward the stars. If Simba had fallen then, he would have been in for a very nasty death, indeed. But Scar had whispered something to Simba then, something that the rest of them hadn't been able to hear and that had completely enraged Simba. In that moment, Simba had somehow found purchase against the hard rock with his back paws, and leapt onto the ledge, knocking down Scar and holding him there. The whole pride had been surprised when Simba then furiously accused Scar of being a murderer.

Then Scar, pinned to the ground with Simba's paws against his throat, had admitted that he had killed Mufasa, confirming the suspicions they had had but hadn't wanted to believe. They had known then that Scar had killed their king, his own brother, so that he could have the throne. The pride's lionesses had leapt forward with growls of rage, knocking the attacking hyenas off of Simba and starting the fight that had decided the fate of the pride.

Nala had seen Timon, Pumbaa and Rafiki all helping fight the hyenas; they had done quite well, too.

She, herself, had fought hyena after hyena alongside her pride mates. And she had seen Simba follow Scar to the top of Pride Rock, intent on a confrontation that Scar was clearly desperate to avoid. A short time after that, the hyenas had stopped fighting and gone down to the bottom of Pride Rock. That was when she heard Scar's terrified cries echoing around them, as his own followers had killed the dark lion themselves.

Simba had later explained to her that Scar had betrayed the hyenas, by telling Simba that he, Scar, had held no blame in the horrible things that had been done, that all of it had been the had been the fault of the hyenas, had been their idea. So, apparently, some of the hyenas had overheard Scar's words, and they all got revenge. Nala guessed that the news of Scar's betrayal had passed quickly from hyena to hyena, which would explain why they all stopped fighting to deal with Scar. Simba also told her that he tossed Scar away from him and off of the edge of Pride Rock using her flipping move, and Scar had fallen all the way to Pride Rock's base. That had made her feel good, though he still could never pin her using that move; after all, it is her move.

The storm clouds had broken just then, and the rain poured down. It had been as if the Great Kings of the Past were showing their happiness at the turn of events. The rain put out the fire and soaked the land as Simba roared to claim his kingdom and his throne. Nala had roared in return with the rest of the lionesses of his pride, gladly accepting his leadership. After that, the hyenas had simply left the Pride Lands.

Simba had then explained the full story to Nala, Sarabi, and the rest of the pride, filling in the missing gaps; of how Scar must have set up the wildebeest stampede that had killed Mufasa and almost killed Simba, how he had convinced Simba, his nephew who had just been a cub, that he had caused the death of his own father. They were told of how Scar had then told Simba to run; to run away and never return, and Simba, horrified and grieving, had done just as he was told. Timon and Pumbaa had then found Simba and rescued him, Simba explained, and raised him in the jungle. Then of course, he and Nala had been reunited years later, and the rest they knew.

Timon and Pumbaa had stayed with the Pride Landers, as neither of them had wanted to leave without Simba. It was clear to everyone that Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa were as close as family members to each other, and the meerkat and warthog had been gladly accepted into the pride.

Zira and her lioness group had come back from their trip soon after Scar was dethroned. Zira had been furious at the news of her mate's death, and wasn't afraid to show it. Simba, however, had allowed Zira and her cubs, Nuka, Kovu and Vitani, to stay in the Pride Lands along with the other lionesses who had sided with Scar, believing that they deserved a chance.

With deep sadness she reflected on this. This kindness had later proven to be a mistake that had had horrible consequences. Zira had killed Simba and Nala's dear son, Kopa, so that Kovu, the cub who, along with his sister, Vitani, she'd had with a rogue lion near the very end of Scar's reign, could be king instead. That Simba had banished Zira after that was little consolation. She was glad, though, that Zira was gone. Simba had banished her and later the evil lioness had fallen into that river. Nala would never stop missing sweet little Kopa, and hoped that her son was happy in his place in the stars.

She thought back to when they had first dethroned Scar. It had taken several seasons for the Pride Lands to fully recover. The storm that came during the fight had helped, but much more had been needed. Seeds from plants outside the Pride Lands' borders blew in and began to take root, and, slowly but steadily, the Pride Lands had begun to heal. The land had turned from dull grays and deep blacks to brilliant greens and bright blues, which is as it should be. As it did, animals had begun to return. Herds of elephant, zebra, gazelle, and many others, animals such as cheetahs and leopards, and flocks of all feathers had returned to the land they had been forced to abandon during Scar's reign, as word of Scar's defeat and of the healing land spread. And the Pride Lands had flourished once more. Fortunately, the rainy season was a good one that year and the seasons that followed had brought forth much abundance once again.

Nala looked around her pride again, breaking out of her thoughts. Most of the lions around her lay sleeping or simply resting, while others watched over their pride mates. Nala knew that her pride had gone through much hardship, but they had also survived it all. They would pull through this sickness like they had pulled through so much else. Her pride was strong. They had survived Scar's cruelty and treachery; they had triumphed over Zira's all-consuming hatred for them. They would certainly be able to beat this sickness.

Nala would do everything she could to get her pride mates through it and knew they would do the same.

She glanced out into the Pride Lands, seeing the many herds milling about across the sprawling lands. It was about time to go hunting again. They would need more food soon. Nala decided that she would lead the hunting party this time. She got to her paws and started to gather lionesses for the trip.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Mikazo was awakened by a paw prodding his side lightly. "Hey, buddy, wake up."

Mikazo opened his eyes sleepily. "What's up, Kimada?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"Just wanted to tell you that a hunting party's going out and I'm going with them," Kimada said. "If you need anything, just ask Mganga." He gestured with his muzzle toward a tan lioness who was talking to a gathering of lions, presumably the hunters who were about to leave. "She's staying behind to help if anybody needs it."

"Okay," Mikazo agreed. He scanned the hunters to see who was going. Nala was in it and was probably leading it. Also in it were Kovu, Vitani, Nyota, Mwezi, Kukimbia, Huni, Kudura and, of course, Kimada was going. It was a large hunting party, but that made sense. With the pride being so sick, there hadn't been much chance to go hunting. Now the healthier lions were going out to get some much needed prey. Though as before half the pride was still sick, just now it was the other half. They really could use the prey. The hunters were going out anyway and leaving someone behind to watch over their sick friends. "Good luck on the hunt," he told Kimada.

"Thanks. Get better quickly!" Kimada trotted off to join the departing hunters, and Mikazo rested his head on his paws, still tired, and watched as the hunters went down the stone path.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Erevu watched with narrowed eyes as the hunting party of lions left Pride Rock and padded into the Savannah. The size of the group indicated that they had left minimal defenses behind. This was even better than she thought it would be! Now they just had to wait until the hunting party was far enough away from their home that the calls of the other lions wouldn't bring them running back. Soon, they would destroy half of Simba's pride. With that done, they would pick off each of the others one at a time whenever the lions were by themselves.

With a snarl of excitement, Erevu pressed her sharp black claws into the ground and tore up the grass in one quick movement, leaving long scars in the hard-packed earth.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Mikazo drowsily looked at the lions around him; most were still sleeping. He saw Timon and Pumbaa walk past as they left Pride Rock for the Savannah. He could hear the duo arguing about where they would look for bugs; a place with lots of hard-shelled crunchy ones, or a area with a lot of thick, slimy ones. Mikazo quickly tuned them out and swallowed hard as his unsteady stomach rolled.

He turned his gaze to the other lions once more. Mganga, the lioness who had stayed to watch over them, was walking among them and checking to see how they were feeling and if they had taken their herbs. She was obviously taking her responsibility as caretaker very seriously. Mikazo was glad that he had already taken herbs recently; he didn't like the thought of eating any more of them anytime soon. Kimada and the others hadn't been kidding when they said the herbs tasted disgusting.

He watched as Mganga checked on Simba and then walked on to the next lion. When it was Mikazo's turn, he assured the lioness that he just needed rest and had already taken his herbs, then watched as she trotted on. When she had made sure everyone was alright for the moment, Mganga sat down near the path to the Savannah, where she could watch for the returning hunters and keep an eye on the sick lions as well.

Mikazo settled more comfortably against the warm stone, buried his muzzle under a paw and closed his eyes again, deciding to get some sleep.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Erevu waited tensely until the hunting party had been gone for a while. At the speed they had been traveling, they were almost certainly now out of earshot. Now was the time to attack.

"Let's go!" Erevu called. Behind her, the pack let out a series of yips, barks and excited howls, calling out their excitement without being loud enough to alert the sick lions. Erevu let out a growl filled with anticipation as she and her pack crept ever closer to Pride Rock.