Chapter 14 - Just Looking For Trouble

Scar dozed by one of the rotting logs on his side of the land, bored and miserable. He regretted his actions the night before, almost instantly, for when he awoke the next morning, she was as coy as a snake. He had snapped at her, telling her to leave him be before going off and sleeping once again by the fallen logs bleached bones to drown his sorrows. He couldn't believe he'd succumb to his desires and used the lioness for his means…now she would be all over him when all he really wanted was-

"Mina…?"

He opened his eyes, raising his head so he could sniff the air. It was still scorching hot out, and the air was thick, making it easy to pinpoint her scent. A satisfied smile stretched over his lips as he released a sigh. "Welcome home," he chuckled quietly when another distinct scent caught his attention. Frowning, he sniffed the air once more, raising one eyebrow in surprise at the smell of another human. Glancing from one side to the next, he casually strolled to the borderline and placed one paw on the forbidden grounds.

No one jumped out, no one attacked him. Slinking to the ground, he stalked away from his prison and followed his nose, letting it lead him to Pride Rock…

~ROAR~

With Zazu's message delivered, the motley gang decided to return home. The bird constantly apologized for not being able to give specifics as to why Seba was there.
"It's ok, Zazu," she reassured him. "I'm the only one who can understand you all, after all. We were planning on heading out, anyways."

Timon and Pumbaa shared a knowing look, winking and grinning, before continuing after Simba down the path they had come. They ran together, arriving at Pride Rock at midday. There, parked at least two miles away from the magnificent structure, was a familiar Jeep, with three men inside it.

"Seba!" Mina beamed, sliding off of Simba's back before running with great agility to the man and pouncing on him.

"Mina!" he laughed, embracing the girl and stroking her hair. "You look well, child…more lioness than human."

"Thanks," she giggled. "What's going on? Is everything ok?"

"We are all fine," Magobi waved from the front seat along with the driver, Tau.

"I only came to check on you, and ask you if you would come home for a few days to see Tsabo," Seba explained. "She misses you, but she does not care to travel out all this way, and her back has been bothering her. But I had no idea you were away-"

"I was having a mini vacation with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa," she explained, motioning to each of her friends as she said so. "But Zazu told us that you were here so we came as fast as we could."

"A vacation?" he asked, surprised. "I'm sorry that I-"

"It's ok," she fibbed. "I'd love to visit."

"What's going on?" Simba asked, stepping forth from the group.

Turning around, she knelt to the ground and explained, "Seba's been like a grandfather to me, Simba. He and his wife just wanted to make sure I'm alright and want me to visit their village." With apologetic eyes, she smoothed his mane out of his eyes before saying, "I promise, we'll find it later…but I have to see them at least this once."

"I understand," he nodded. "But I'm going with you."

"As am I."

Seba gasped as he heard an unfamiliar growl, standing frozen stiff as he saw a dark-maned lion approach them. Simba snarled, moving until he stood directly in front of Mina while Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu all hid for cover from the lion.

"Taka?" Mina raised an eyebrow. "What on earth-?!"

"What do you think you're doing here?!" Simba roared. "You step foot into the Pridelands and-"

"Yes, yes, I'm liable to get eaten," his uncle waved it off, not amused. "But I had to make sure Mina was alright - after all, it's not always safe out here, especially with humans on the prowl."

"Look who's talking," Zazu sniffed from his hiding place.

"Mina, are they…?" Seba asked, his eyes staying on Scar's form.

"He won't hurt you, Seba," she reassured him. Looking back at Scar, her brows furrowed. "Why the sudden interest in coming along? How did you even find out?"

"I heard rumors," he said coolly, making Simba want to lunge for his throat.

"There is no way-!" the Lion King began to roar when Mina placed her hand upon his back.

"Simba," she whispered. "If the two of you tag along, at least you'll be able to keep an eye on him and you won't have to worry about the kingdom or pride…it'll just be two days at the most, and then we come back and he'll go back to the Shadowlands."

Glancing at the girl, he could see her trust and belief in him shining in her eyes. Heaving a sigh, he growled at Scar, "You can come…but once we return, you go straight back to your den…and you can't kill anyone in the village!"

"Perish the thought," Scar smiled smugly.

"Mina, what's going on-?" Seba asked, stopping as the girl stood and raised her hand, motioning for him to stop.

"I'm going with you for a day or two at the most, but I can't stay for long…" Glancing back at the opposing lions, she grimaced and said, "We're going to have company."

~ROAR~

Seba was not pleased, to say the least, but there was no way he could get around it. Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu returned to Pride Rock to confirm the information to the others as the unusual group of lions and humans departed.

Tau and Magobi continuously looked into the rearview mirrors as the two lions trotted after the Jeep, while Seba remained seated in the back with Mina, as she conversed with the man and translated for the wild cats.

"You are happy out here," he noted, a smile gracing his face as he watched her laugh at something the lions had said. He noticed how the two male felines clearly didn't care for one another, looking jealous at points when one held Mina's attention for the moment.

"Yes, I am," she confirmed, grinning at him. "I love it…"

"Then I will not keep you away from home too long," he promised, patting her shoulder. "But how do you plan to bring these lions into the village?"

"They're not coming into the village," she explained. "Once they see it, they'll stay back at a distance and wait until nightfall. I'll introduce Tsabo to them and then they'll go back to their hiding places. Really, the only reason they came was to make sure I'd be alright."

"I see," he smirked, giving the two cats a knowing look, his eyes lingering on Simba.

Simba felt his skin flush with heat at the look, realizing that the old human obviously saw something more to their relationship than just being a girl and her guardian. He did his best to ignore Scar, never trusting him for a moment and striving to ignore any comments he made about himself or Mina.

As they drew closer, Mina squinted as she saw the outline of rooftops and rickety stick fences. Glancing back at the two, she said, "I can see the village from here. You may want to start looking for a place to hide."

"Those shrubs should be ok," Simba nodded at a set of dry bushes by the dying tall grass as they stepped closer to the human village. "We'll find you later."

"Are you sure you won't be hungry later?" she asked, her brows knitting in concern.

"We'll manage," Scar reassured her.

"See you later," Simba said softly, watching as she kissed her fingertips before placing her hand on his nose.

"See you later," she whispered with a smile, waving as the Jeep picked up speed and took off down the path, leaving the two lions in a sea of yellow, wilting grass.

"Precious," Scar sniffed, insulted that he had been ignored in the process.

Simba only smiled knowingly, trotting off towards his chosen hiding place and starting his search for lunch.

"And just what are you doing?" his uncle asked, one dark eyebrow raised in mild interest.

"Looking," he answered curtly, grinning as he caught sight of a skittering beetle that hurried to a thick stone. Following it, he watched it vanish into a hole before lifting the rock with his paw, licking his lips at the sight of beetles and ants.

"Barbaric," Scar grimaced, watching his nephew swipe a pawful of the critters before stuffing his mouth and chewing, licking the leftover ants off of his paw. "I can't believe you eat those things!"

"At least I won't go hungry," Simba shrugged, helping himself to another mouthful.

Rolling his eyes, Scar gave a desperate sigh before placing his head atop his paws. "I can't wait for night to come…"

~ROAR~

Evening couldn't have come sooner for the two lions, who spent the day ignoring each other, and still managed to get on one another's nerves. Stalking separately towards the community, the two of them paced each step, listening and sniffing for trouble. Off in the distance at one man's house, music drifted from the open window, swaying in the night air.

"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…!"

"Not tonight," Simba thought mischievously, anxious to see Mina. He wondered if she was as anxious to see him…

His question was soon answered when he followed her scent, leading him to a secluded hut, where the girl suddenly poked her head out and saw him at once.

"Simba!" she smiled, her voice soft as the night wind. His heart leapt within his chest as he saw her face, her voice comforting and sweet. She slunk out of the house and into the shadows, wrapping her arms around him once they were together. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too," he chuckled, licking her cheek.

"How romantic," Scar growled.

"Hi, Taka," she smirked, petting his mane. "I see you both didn't kill each other."

"No, but we were very close several times," Scar shrugged, enjoying her touch against his fur.

Pulling away from the two of them, Mina became solemn, looking over her shoulder before saying, "I heard some news from Seba and Tsabo."

"What happened?" Simba asked when the sound of a muted engine filled the air, causing his ears to flick towards the sound. He could smell gunpowder, sweat, and steel in the air…all with a hint of blood. Instantly, his lip curled back as a snarl began to work its way through his throat. Mina placed her hand on his back, motioning for him to be silent as she snuck through the darkness, leading the lions with her towards the entrance of the village. Together, all three figures moved forward, their feet silent on the dirt, their breathing blending with the nighttime breeze. Hiding behind one of the bazaar booths, the trio poke their faces from the side, their eyes shining in the moonlight.

Parked by the open entrance was a worn-out Jeep, three men piling ammunition and supplies onto the vehicle. They all smelled distinctly familiar, especially the one who stood inside the car.

Simba's eyes widened in disbelief upon seeing the man's face for just a second. "No-!"

"It's him," she said, frowning as she realized Seba's news was unfortunately true. "Kurt Wells is free and he's still looking for Mabadiliko Ya."