Hello. Here it is a new chapter. Now, after three chapters on the Pride Lands, we return to Simba's life in the jungle. I once again insert some time measures in the chapter, but for you to know, 6 months have passed since the day when the Golden Pride arrived to the Pride Lands, 2 years have passed since the day of Shani's birth, 28 months have passed since the day of Mufasa's death, and 3 years have passed since the day of Simba's birth. Just to make things clear.

Mshauri (male), and Masafa (male), are TakaPL's characters, and I have his permission to use them. Eruvu (male) and Shabaki (male) are my characters, and are not to be used without my permission. Now that this is over, let's begin.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 43 – Simba's first hunt

On the jungle, life was much easier than on the Pride Lands, because that place hadn't been affected by the drought. So, Simba had enough food to grow up strong and healthy, or at least it was easier for him than for the Pridelanders. Mkalimu taught Simba in her best possible way, and, eventhough Simba wasn't as good at sneaking or scouting as Mkalimu was, most likely he was better at that than most of the lions of his size and age, a result of being trained by a leopardess. Mkalimu trained Simba in her best possible way, being sure that in the future he would most likely need of everything that she could teach.

Simba still had some time for relaxing, and, when that happened, he just walked around with Timon and Pumbaa, playing their games, helping Pumbaa to lift the trunks, or simply relaxing. Timon and Pumbaa weren't feeling too worried with the fact of Mkalimu being teaching to their "little boy" so many skills related with predation, as long as Simba didn't use it on them. And he wouldn't do it. After all, he had been the one to proclaim that they were off-limits.

Simba was now a three years old lion, with a crimson mane that already covered almost completely his neck, and had started to cover his shoulders. He was rather big for his age, and as full grown he probably would be as big as his father. Eventually, the time of his first lone hunt was coming. He and Mkalimu had always hunted together, but it would eventually come the time for him to hunt alone. On that day, Simba and Mkalimu were sneaking a herd of giant sable antelopes, with Timon and Pumbaa hidden close to them, watching. On the beginning, it had been hard to stand for them to see Simba and Mkalimu killing other animals, but they eventually admitted that it was just "The Circle of Life", and it would be even harder to see that Simba had gotten in danger when they weren't with him, so they followed him everywhere. Simba often complained about Timon and Pumbaa's overprotectiveness, but they just didn't change it, and the lion had no other solution than to get used to it.

"Now…" was whispering Mkalimu to Simba. "This is our last training session. I taught you everything that I know. Tomorrow is your first lone hunt. But before that, let's do one hunting together."

Simba nodded, but without taking his eyes of his picked target: a large male slightly isolated from the rest of the herd of sable antelopes. The antelope would surely give a good meal to him and Mkalimu. It would be less dangerous to choose an injured individual, but because he didn't see any, he focused on choosing the one who was more isolated from the herd.

"Now, I go further, and you chase your target in my direction. Understand?" whispered the leopardess. Simba nodded, and Mkalimu went away.

Simba stayed in his cover and waited the time that he thought to be necessary for Mkalimu to reach the indicated place. He waited for that moment, and, when that arrived, he raced into the herd of sable antelopes. He moved surprisingly silently for a lion of his size, so, the sable antelopes took some time to react. When they ran away, the isolated sable antelope tried to join the herd, but Simba blocked his way, which made the sable antelope to turn around and run away in a completely different direction, with Simba chasing him. However, the lion wasn't making the antelope to run into Mkalimu.

Simba gained some ground, approaching behind the antelope, in an attempt to make him to turn around. If Simba jumped on that moment, he would probably land on the sable-antelope's back and make him to fall.

However, on the last moment before Simba jumping to the antelope and making his first lone hunt earlier than expected, something happened. The panicked prey turned his back to Simba, and, with a desperate move, kicked. It happened that the antelope was an old and experienced male, with a good aim, and his hind legs hit Simba's forehead with extreme precision.

Simba had to stop, feeling dizzy, confused, and with a big headache. The sable-antelope's hoofs had hit him with surprising strenght, opening a wound, not breaking the bone only by miracle.

Simba felt hot blood flowing through his eyes and forehead, barely able to stand, and with the blood already entering his eyes and dimming his sight. However, even with a dimmed sight, Simba noticed something that left him disturbed and at the same time very scared. The sable antelope, which kept running away after hitting Simba, stopped after noticing that he had hit the target and, with some kind of aggressivity rather typical of giant sable antelopes, specially males, turned back, to finish the job that he had failed in doing on the first hit.

"Oh… no." thought Simba, when he saw the sable antelope running in his direction. "I'm done for…"

The enraged antelope ran to Simba, and the young lion thought that he would probably pierce him with his horns. But the antelope tried a different approach. After coming close to Simba's head, he turned around, and raised his hind legs for the final blow on the lion's head.

"Goodbye…" whispered Simba in mind.

He wanted to speak, but the headache made him barely conscious of his own body, so he couldn't even move his lips, and would be even harder to make any dodge. He wanted to lie down – maybe that was the best option to avoid the antelope's second hit - but his legs weren't obeying him in anything. So, he just looked helplessly at the antelope who was already delivering the final blow.

However, some instants before the antelope's hoofs broke through Simba's skull, the young lion felt as someone hit his side with an impetus that threw him about a metre and a half aside. It wasn't too much, but enough to make the antelope's hoofs not to hit Simba. The lion collapsed after being pushed, but he heard the sound of breaking bones and the painful shout that followed.

The young lion thought to have recognized the shout, and tried to move his head, but the headache was still too big for him to be aware of his muscles. But, from the sounds that he heard, he assumed that the antelope was moving, ready to mend his second mistake.

However, on that time, he heard the sound of a well-known animal running into the scene.

Noticing that the antelope was about to try another hit, Timon and Pumbaa had rushed in, desperately trying to make him to stop. Pumbaa charged under the antelope, hitting one of his forelegs with his right tusk. The antelope fell on the ground, overturned by surprise, but he quickly got up, and noticed who had hit him.

"Hey, pea-brain, we're here!" shouted Pumbaa.

"Get us if you dare!" added Timon, sitting on his friend's back.

The duo managed the expected result. The giant sable-antelope, enraged and already warmed up on the fight, charged at Timon and Pumbaa. The warthog ran away with his maximum speed.

Simba finally manage to overcome the headache enough to get up. The first thing he did after being back on four paws (even if very unstable), was to look at the one who had just saved him. And, eventhough his sight was dimmed, Simba saw well enough who had saved him, but at the same time he couldn't believe his eyes.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Mkalimu was right there, lied down, unable to get up, with a wound on her chest, opened by the sable-antelope's hoofs. She breathed very shallowly, which made Simba to assume that the antelope's kick had broken some of Mkalimu's ribs, and at least one had pierced through her lungs. She couldn't get up, however, when she noticed that Simba was alive, she smiled painfully.

"Simba…" she whispered, while some blood came out of her mouth. "You're well…"

"But you are not…" sobbed Simba, coming closer to Mkalimu. "You… I must do anything to help you… look for those herbs that you gave me…"

"No…" whispered the leopardess, with her voice getting weaker by the second. "It's useless…"

"It isn't useless!" almost shouted Simba, but when he spoke higher, his headache returned, so he stayed silent for some moments. "We have to do something… you will be all right… you will live…"

But it was useless. The leopardess's broken ribs had pierced her lungs, and she was slowly suffocating with her lungs filled with blood. Simba hugged Mkalimu, and some drops of his blood mixed with tears fell on Mkalimu's fur. She smiled again, lifting her paw and stroking Simba's cheek affectionately. She spoke again: "Yes… I will live… in you…"

Simba began crying even more. Mkalimu said, with even weaker voice: "Simba… remember me…"

She added, apparently nothing to Simba: "I'm coming, my dears…"

After that, she said, with her eyes almost dead: "Remember me… Simba… goodbye…"

Finally, Mkalimu's eyes closed, and her head fell on the ground. She had a peaceful smile on her lips, but at the same time she had some pain on her face.

"NOOOOO!" shouted Simba, trying to release all of his pain in that single roar.

The young lion wrapped his paws around Mkalimu, sobbing, while tears and drops of blood fell on her fur.

"Why it has to be like that?" thought Simba. "I caused the death of at least another one that I love… do I attract bad luck over those who are close to me? And not only her… possibly also Timon and Pumbaa… if they didn't manage to escape that crazy antelope… oh… I wonder if the problem would be solved if I died…"

But then, surprisingly, Simba felt some kind of wild rage blowing inside him, and he unconsciously bared his teeth and extended his claws. He felt the blood flowing through his cheeks and shoulders.

"Tomorrow…" thought Simba. "Tomorrow is the day of my first hunt… my first hunt will be that stupid antelope… I will make him to regret to have killed Mkalimu! I will kill him, or die trying."

Hunting was normally a way of getting a meal good to survive another day, not a way of avenging someone, but this time it was very different.

Simba placed Mkalimu's body on his back, and went away, looking for a decent grave to his adopted mother.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Timon and Pumbaa returned to their usual bed of leaves on that night. They were rather scared and worried with Simba, but physically, they were unharmed. The two friends noticed the young lion lying down at the base of the huge tree, crying. Timon jumped from Pumbaa's back, and placed his hand of Simba's side, while Pumbaa placed his hoof on Simba's left shoulder.

The young lion couldn't help but to feel better. Timon and Pumbaa weren't lions, but at least they were a comforting presence, and showed compassionate towards his pain.

"Where's Mkalimu?" asked Timon.

"She…" tried to say Simba. "She… she… died…"

Both Timon and Pumbaa gasped at that. Eventhough none of them admitted it, they ended up feeling some affection towards the leopardess, who was somehow mother to the three of them. Some tears came out of Timon's eyes, and he wiped them off with his hand. Pumbaa also sobbed.

"I'm… I'm very sorry…" whimpered Pumbaa.

"She's gone…" said Simba, in the same whimpering voice of Pumbaa. "Gone forever…"

"No…" said Pumbaa. "She is alive. In you… and in all of us."

Timon and Simba looked at the warthog wih amazement. Pumbaa was rarely given to such a kind of philosophy, but the moment was too touching for anyone not to be given to reflections.

"Simba…" said Pumbaa, still hesitantly. "Will you do your first hunt tomorrow?"

"You shouldn't." said Timon worryingly. "You are injured. It would be better if you stayed still until your wound is healed. That wound seems rather ugly."

"I will do it." said Simba, with a surprisingly forceful and decisive voice. "I will do my first hunt. It won't be a prey who will stop me."

"Are you sure, Simba?" asked Pumbaa.

"Yes." said Simba decisevely. "I'm very sure."

Timon and Pumbaa were too amazed with the decisiveness on Simba's voice, but they both know that this wasn't the best time to discuss with him. They knew that Simba wouldn't kill them intentionally, but he was too heartbroken to measure the consequences of his acts properly. So, the meerkat and the warthog just lied down on their beds, eventhough they had a very uneasy sleep on that night.

0000000000000000000000000000000

On the next day, like expected earlier, Simba went to his first hunt, and he was determined to not to return without killing the antelope that had killed Mkalimu. Timon and Pumbaa had insisted that they wanted to go with him, but Simba refused firmly, and his adopted parents had no other solution than to accept that Simba would go alone.

Simba went to the place where Mkalimu had died. It was rather painful for him, but because this was the last place where he had seen the antelope, he needed to go there to find any kind of track.

He tried his best to remember the direction where the sable-antelope had gone when he chased away Timon and Pumbaa, but he couldn't. His sight was too dimmed on that time, and he was lied down. However, the grass had been squashed on that time by the antelope's sharp hoofs, and Simba could follow the trace easily. He focused his look on every mark made by the antelope, like the well-trained predator that he was. His paws and jaws seemed to ache, like if they couldn't wait to attack the antelope. Normally, lions don't focuse on following a track for too long time, but this occasion seemed to be different.

After a rather big time of following that track, and a lot of more signals indicating the presence of his prey, Simba eventually found him. It was the same sable-antelope, this time grazing alone, because after all he had separated from the herd. Simba was recognizing him: he still had his backside and hoofs spotted with blood. With Mkalimu's blood. With Simba's blood.

Simba's wound seemed to ache at the sight of the antelope, but somehow, the pain gave him an even bigger will of killing the giant-sable-antelope. He crouched, sure that the antelope hadn't seen him yet, and stalking him with the infinite patience that Mkalimu had thought him. Mkalimu… Simba's chest seemed to ache with the thought about Mkalimu.

He remembered how they had known each other. When Mkalimu had saved him from Joka, the huge snake. When Mkalimu had taught him how to hunt, and of all the dangers that she had protected him from, like the female rhinoceros. Every memory about his leopardess friend was at the same time unbearable and encouraging, giving him even more will and strength for killing the antelope.

Simba stalked the antelope until he came close enough. Then, he just waited for the proper moment to attack, but, on that moment, some wind began blowing. But Simba wasn't anymore willing to wait. The young lion jumped out of his cover, running towards the antelope with a roar.

The sable antelope looked at Simba, recognizing him. He ran away with a terrified scream, but the lion chased him at full speed, with wide open mouth. The antelope was strong and fast, however Simba wouldn't let him to go away.

After some time of running, Simba was almost catching the antelope, like he almost had done on the previous day. It was rather unusual for a lion to chase his prey for such a long distance and so determinately like Simba had done, but the will of avenging his adopted mother was giving him strength and endurance. However, the sable-antelope, noticing that Simba was almost catching him, was also about to try the same trick that had worked on the previous day. Simba looked at the legs of his prey, seemingly ready to inflict another kick on his head. However, the young lion learned from his mistake and crouched, avoiding the blow. On that moment, for some unknown reason, one memory came to his head. He, walking on the savannah with his father, while a herd of antelopes passed close to them. He had asked: "But dad, don't we eat the antelope?"

"Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eats the grass. And so, we're all connected in the Great Circle of Life."

"How ironical." thought Simba bitterly. "It seems that when I die, your kind will avenge you. But now… I will avenge Mkalimu!"

And he jumped on the antelope, pinning him to the ground. The sable-antelope tried to get up, but the young lion placed all of his weight on the antelope's head and chest, which made the job of getting up a lot harder than the antelope expected. Simba didn't need more. He opened his huge jaws and closed them on the antelope's neck, biting as hard as he could, cutting off the antelope's neck arteries and crushing the antelope's trachea at once. The choking prey was released by Simba, who panted heavily. It was finally done. Mkalimu was avenged. She could finally rest in peace.

But then, for some unknown reason, Simba couldn't help but to feel a little bit uncertain. Maybe this was not the attitude that Mkalimu would have expected from him.

"Probably she would never have expected for me to act in such a vengeful way." thought Simba, feeling a sudden remorse for what he had done. "What would she think? What would my father think?"

When he thought about his father, some tears came to Simba's eyes. He wiped them off with his paw, beginning to eat the sable-antelope. Even out of the vengeful context, the antelope was his first real kill. He had finally proved to be able to hunt only counting on himself.

"Maybe she didn't expect me to act like that." thought Simba, while chewing one piece of meat. "But I think that if I didn't kill that antelope, I wouldn't feel reconciled with the Circle of Life. Now I feel. And, like I said before, if there is some vengeance, his compatriots will get it when I die."

But then, surprisingly, Simba felt wind blowing on his face. It was strange. Not totally unpleasant, but surely strange. It seemed that the wind was somewhere between angry at him and proud of him, but there was another strange detail: the wind had Mkalimu's scent, a scent as fresh as if she was right at his side on that moment.

"Are you there, Mkalimu?" whispered Simba. He took a gentle breeze blowing on him as a "yes", but suddenly the wind became slightly faster.

"I know you probably wouldn't expect me to act like that, and that you're probably angry at me." whispered the lion again, still unsure that he was being heard. "But… I wouldn't feel in peace with myself if I didn't hunt this antelope."

The wind blew more gently again, like if it was Mkalimu saying: "I understand."

This time, Simba, deffinetly in peace with himself and Mkalimu, returned to eating the antelope.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Rather far from there, Timon and Pumbaa were also in the savannah, eating their usual meal of bugs. However, they were rather worried with Simba.

"Hey, Pumbaa…" said Timon, in the middle of the sound of the bugs chewing. "Do you think Simba's OK?"

"Most likely." said Pumbaa. "He's a big and strong lion, he will most likely be OK. That's what I have to say."

On that moment, a sound was heard. It was difficult to identify, and Pumbaa didn't hear it in the middle of his bug chewing, but Timon heard it.

"Sssshhh!" said the meerkat in an attemp to silence Pumbaa and figure out more about the strange sound that he had heard.

"Why?" asked Pumbaa, slightly offended. "I said nothing wrong or offensive!"

"Sssshhh!" said Timon, this time with a more urgent voice.

"Hey, I already told you I said nothing wrong!" said Pumbaa, this time louder and with a more offended voice."

"Pumbaa, shut up!" shouted Timon, jumping on Pumbaa's snout. "Someone is stalking us!"

As if to confirm that, a lion jumped out of the high grass, running towards them. Timon and Pumbaa shouted in fear. They didn't take a good look at the lion, but from what they had enough time to see, the lion, who was relatively young (around Simba's age, maybe slightly younger) had grey fur and brown mane. He was a bit smaller than Simba, but even so he was a serious enough threat to Timon and Pumbaa.

Obviously, none of them stayed behind for enough time to look carefully at the lion's features. On the moment when they saw him, they ran away – or maybe better to say, Pumbaa ran away, because Timon was still on his friend's snout, eventhough the warthog's sudden run almost threw him to the ground.

Timon had a feeling that their best hope was to call for any kind of help. Pumbaa had to use all of his breath to run, so Timon just focused on shouting with all his might: "HELP! SIMBA, HELP US!"

For Simba, those shouts were whispers almost undistinguishable. If he was just a tiny bit further, he wouldn't even hear them. However, he heard them and understood perfectly the meaning of the shouts.

"They are in danger! I must help them!" thought Simba, running on the direction of the shouts.

Meanwhile, Pumbaa was trying all the kinds of manouvers to avoid the lion's charges, who seemingly surprised with the idea of the meerkat asking for help, was trying to run as fast as he could, trying to kill the two animals before the help – whatever it was – arrived.

Eventually, Timon and Pumbaa were out of sources to avoid the lion's charges, and the lion pounced on Pumbaa, pinning him on his back, and almost squashing Timon, if not for the meerkat coming from under the warthog's back on the last moment.

"You're mine." whispered the rogue lion with panting voice, before delivering the final blow to Pumbaa.

However, the seconds of delay costed the lion his prey. Suddenly, Simba appeared out of nowhere, landing on him with a surprising precision, pushing the brownmaned lion of his friend. The last moments that the rogue could remember were the meerkat and the warthog shouting in unison, with relieved voice: "Simba!" and then the lion delivering a blow on his nape. After that, the rogue drifted away.

Simba opened his jaw, ready to bite the rogue's throat and solve the problem definetevely, but he stopped.

"No." he thought decisevely. "I'm not a murderer. And this rogue also isn't. He was just hunting to eat. I can't kill him, but I also couldn't allow him to kill my friends."

Simba turned to Timon and Pumbaa, and said: "Come on, guys. Let's have a drink, and get away of this lion."

Timon and Pumbaa gladly followed Simba.

0000000000000000000000000000000

It happened that the three friends left the place on the last moment. Less than an hour later, four rogues appeared on that place, following the track of the younger member. They were led by a big male with grey fur and yellow mane, and among the pack there was another lion – seemingly as old as the leader – with brown fur and dark-brown mane, and two younger ones, one of them with sandy mane and dark-sandy fur, and the other one with dark-red mane and dark-golden fur.

The leader, an experienced male, noticed the track of the younger member of his pack, but, when he saw him knocked out, he acted as if he was very worried. And in fact, he was.

"Masafa!" said the leader, running to the knocked out lion, and hugging him slightly. "Are you alright?"

The knocked-out lion just moaned, but the leader made a relief-sigh – that meant the lion was alive.

"Thank goodness." whispered the yellow-maned lion with a relief sigh.

But then he noticed that the other three lions were just standing there, without doing anything.

"DON'T JUST SIT THERE, FOOLS!" roared the leader. "GET WATER TO WAKE HIM UP!"

"Yes boss!" gasped the lion with dark-brown mane, but, before any of the other three lions could do anything, Masafa opened his eyes weakly.

"Masafa!" said the leader worriedly, trying to help him up. "Are you alright?"

"My head…" whispered Masafa, getting up with a half-dimmed look.

"Are you alright?" asked the yellow-maned lion. "What happened?"

"It's very uncertain." said Masafa, shaking his head in a vain attempt to prevail confusion. "I just recall chasing a warthog who carried the meerkat on his back."

"What?" asked the leader, amazed.

"Yes, Keme…" said Masafa. "The warthog carried a meerkat on his back. But that's not the point. I remember that the meerkat called: "Simba! Help us!" I tried to catch him before the help – whatever it was – came, but, when I was almost killing the warthog, one lion pushed me off him, and before he knocked me out, I heard both the meerkat and the warthog shouting: "Simba!""

"But… why would that lion help prey?" asked the lion with sandy mane.

"Looks like this is going to get in the way of our plans to stay with this land." said the lion with dark-red mane.

"Shut up, Shabaki!" said Keme, with commanding voice. "We'll do like that: Mshauri, find that Simba and bring him here before he gets his pack or pride. Eruvu and Shabaki – stay here and help Masafa to get to the shade of that bush."

"I can walk by myself, Keme…" said Masafa, while the lion with dark-brown mane began following Simba's track, and the other two lions – who were around Masafa's age – supported him on sides.

"I know that." said Keme, almost like if he didn't hear Masafa's reply. "But it's better to have some help if you're still half-dizzy. That Simba better have some good excuse… because if he doesn't… he will regret it."

0000000000000000000000000000000

What did you think? I tried to make Mkalimu's death touching... but I don't know if I managed to. I know that most of fanfics don't speak about Simba's first hunt... but I think that all lions, just like lionesses, need to learn how to hunt. It is like that in real life (I mean, most lions are rogues, and have to hunt for themselves), so at least this particular point also can be like that in the movies, eventhough we don't see it mentioned. Whatever, review, please! I still need opinions!