In the Jungle

Author's Note: Hi all! It is my birthday tomorrow (January 13) and all I am asking for this year is just some reviews on this chapter!

Chapter Summary: Zira joins the Pride Lands with her family. Zarifa reunites with Nala in the jungle and sees her brother for the first time.

Sarabi had thought that the blowback from Scar would have been more severe once he found out that Nala had escaped during the night. While he retaliated by having the lionesses eat after the hyenas had devoured whatever was left in the Pride Lands, Sarabi was surprised that there had been no executions, no violence. Instead, Scar seemed calm. Too calm.

It didn't take a genius to know that Scar was planning something.

"My queen, have you heard?" Gasira asked, shaking Sarabi from her thoughts. Nala had been gone nearly a week now, and everyone was on edge with worry that the young lioness either succumbed to external forces or she wouldn't be able to find help.

"What is it?"

"Scar allowed that rogue lioness, Zira, join the Pride. Her mate, son and a baby were with her," Gasira said. Sarabi swallowed hard.

"Is she here now?" Sarabi asked, searching around the den. Gasira was shaking her head.

"Scar wanted to show her and her family the Pride Lands. Not that there's much to show," Gasira said, as Sarafina approached. With each day that Nala didn't return back home, Sarafina became more and more anxious and agitated. The hardest part was not knowing if her daughter was safe.

"Oh Sarabi, it's worse than we thought," Sarafina said, rushing to her best friend. "Scar just appointed Zira as his second-in-command."

"What does that mean?" Gasira asked, her voice on edge. Sarabi bit her lip. She knew exactly what it meant.

"It means that she's going to help Scar give orders to the hyenas," Sarabi said, squeezing her eyes shut. She prayed to every King and Queen of the past that Nala found Zarifa and were on their way back to the Pride Lands. Sarafina was pacing.

"This is all bad, what are we going to do? This is surely a death sentence," Sarafina manically said, her nerves replacing reason.

"Sarafina, you mustn't lose hope," Sarabi said. "Nala and Zarifa will return. Until that day comes, we must prepare a plan of our own."

"And how do you suggest we do that? Lions are dying, Sarabi. The Pride Lands are dying. How much longer do we have to wait for things to get worse?" Sarafina said, the restlessness of her voice echoing that of her daughter's.

"We start by not giving Scar what he wants," Sarabi answered firmly, undeterred by Sarafina's outburst. "We won't hunt for him and his hyenas anymore. That is the start of our revolt."

"What good will that do? The hyenas will just start hunting themselves," Sarafina exasperated.

"The hyenas can hunt, yes, that is true. But they lack the finesse and skill of the lioness. Prey can hear them coming from a mile away and know to run. The hyenas will starve without our help. And that's why we won't give it to them," Sarabi declared, reclaiming her position as queen.

Sarafina knew that Sarabi was right, but it wasn't that easy. She was a mom, and she was never not worried. She wondered how Sarabi could stay composed, when she would have understood if Sarabi wanted to fall apart.

Before she could reassure Sarabi that she was right, Zira suddenly walked into the den. A much older lion, who looked sick and on the brink of death, lagged behind her. Zira had a menacing smile on her face.

"Where's your pretty daughter, Sarabi?" Zira jeered with a low laugh. Sarabi roared in retaliation.

"You have no right to talk about her!" Sarabi viciously warned. Zira rolled her eyes.

"Imagine leading a revolution, with a measly cub? Oh I could never," Zira said with a mocking giggle. "This is my mate, Jafari. The father of my son and daughter."

Coughing violently, Jafari could offer a weak smile. "Your highness," he coughed out. Zira seemed unaffected.

"I've come to inform you that you have a visitor. He insisted that you see him outside," Zira said. Sarabi's ears perked up. She knew exactly who was visiting her.

"If you try any funny business, like trying to escape, there will be deadly consequences. Am I clear?" Zira said, her eyes sharp and full of hate. Sarabi clenched her jaw, refusing to give any submission to Zira.

"I will be brief and would appreciate not having a babysitter just to have a conversation with an old friend," Sarabi responded coolly, quickly scooting past Zira before she could have a retort.

Rafiki was waiting patiently at the bottom of Pride Rock. Sarabi walked towards him with a weak smile on her face. He welcomed her with open arms.

"My queen, it has been too long," Rafiki whispered in her ear. Sarabi nodded against his cheek.

"I'm trying to keep the pride together," Sarabi said, surprised to find herself on the verge of tears. Rafiki nodded in understanding.

"That is why I am here, Sarabi. I have received a sign that will save the Pride Lands and I must go to bring it home," Rafiki said. Sarabi was surprised.

"What is the sign?" Sarabi asked, wondering if it had anything to do with Zarifa. To her surprise, Rafiki was shaking his head.

"I'm sorry my queen, but I cannot tell you. I don't want you to get your hopes up in case I am taken on a different path, but I am optimistic. Have faith. It is time," Rafiki reassured her.

Before Sarabi could demand answers, demand to know if this had to do with Zarifa, Rafiki grabbed his stick and he ran off, joyously laughing as he did so. Sarabi stood there watching, feeling stumped. She prayed to Mufasa that Zarifa would return home safely and save the Pride Lands.

Knowing that there was no much else she could do, Sarabi went back to her den, to stand in solidarity with the other lionesses against Scar and his regime.

Days had passed since Zarifa and Apollo had embarked on the journey to find Simba, and there were more questions than there were answers. Zarifa wasn't even sure if she and Apollo were heading in the right direction.

Every night, Zarifa hoped that Mufasa would come to her in her dreams and steer her in the right direction, but he remained silent as the stars above. Maybe her dream was just that – a figment of her imagination. Maybe this journey was all for nothing.

"What do you want to do, Zarifa?" Apollo asked, seeing the restlessness in Zarifa's eyes. She shrugged her shoulders, as they continued to walk on.

"I don't know, Apollo. I don't know what I'm doing, and there is so much expectation on me to do the right thing and to save everyone, and I just can't mess this up," Zarifa said, anxiety clear in her voice. Apollo nuzzled her, as if that would solve things.

"You are going to find Simba and you'll both defeat Scar, my love. You need to stop doubting yourself. We can always go to Pride Rock, whatever you want," Apollo offered. He loved Zarifa, but he felt so helpless in trying to help her. There was nothing he could say or do that would make her feel any differently.

Just as Zarifa was about to argue against Apollo's rationale, but a familiar scent in the air stopped her in her tracks. Zarifa knew she had smelled that scent before, but who did it belong to?

Nala.

She must have been close.

"Apollo, follow me!" Zarifa enthusiastically said, running past Apollo and towards the jungle. Confused but unwilling to question, Apollo followed after Zarifa.

Zarifa spotted Nala in the tall grass, keeping as long to the ground as she could. She tried to ignore the fact that she could see bones protruding from Nala's back and tried to think of how she was going to tell her that Simba was alive.

Zarifa meant to be graceful when she took a spot beside Nala but she let her excitement overcome her. Zarifa bounded by Nala, causing the older lioness to jump. Her eyes were wide when she realized it was Zarifa.

"Zarifa? What are you doing here?" Nala said just above a whisper.

"Nala, you're not going to believe this, but I need you to listen to me," Zarifa said, unable to slow her voice. Apollo took Zarifa's side as Nala hushed her.

"Zee, be quiet, I am hunting," Nala hissed. She took notice of Apollo and said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Apollo, Zarifa's mate."

"What?"

"It's not official yet," Zarifa said. "Nala, please I need you to listen to me. I have something really big to tell you and you're not going to believe me but I…" Zarifa tried to say, but was silenced by Nala baring her teeth.

"Zee, if you make me lose my lunch because you can't be quiet, I will throw you down," Nala threatened quietly.

Zarifa knew that Nala couldn't cope when she didn't eat and when she didn't sleep. And judging by the redness in Nala's eyes and her frail figure, Zarifa was guessing that it had been a few days since Nala had either.

Any other day, Zarifa would've given Nala some space to unwind. But the future of the Pride Lands were at stake.

"Nala, please I am begging you, I need you to listen to me, I had this dream that…"

Zarifa was ready to tell Nala about her dream and meeting her father for the first time. She was already ready to tell her that Mufasa revealed that Simba was still alive and needed to be brought back to the Pride lands to challenge Scar. Most of all, Nala would have her mate back and become queen. But Zarifa didn't get a chance to.

Nala suddenly charged after whatever it was she was hunting.

Zarifa and Apollo both bopped their head up from the tall grass, to see Nala chase a plump warthog into the depths of the jungle. Without missing a beat, Zarifa chased after Nala. And Apollo chased after Zarifa.

It didn't take long to figure out where Nala had gone. The screaming of the warthog was indication enough. Zarifa and Apollo followed it into the depths of the jungle. As she got closer, Zarifa also heard sounds of a fight ensuing, followed by voices. She was in the trees when she stopped to observe the scene. Of course, she saw Nala.

More importantly she saw Simba, her long lost brother.

If there was any doubt that the figure in her dream wasn't really Mufasa, the strong resemblance Simba had to their father was enough to convince Zarifa it was real. Simba had the same full red mane as their dad, as well as the same golden yellow fur. But his face had the same soft features that Sarabi had. In Simba, Zarifa saw herself.

As she watched Simba and Nala talking to the warthog and a meerkat, Zarifa tried to think of what to say to her brother. How she would explain the lengths their mother went to in order to protect her, to keep the pride together, to honour their father's memory.

But Zarifa came up empty. She turned around and walked away.

"Zarifa! Where are you going?" Apollo asked as he chased after Zarifa. The young lioness turned to him and her eyes were frazzled and she was shaking her head.

"I can't meet him right now, Apollo. I don't know what to say," Zarifa said in a feeble voice. Apollo's eyes widened.

"What do you mean you don't know what to say? You just tell him the truth and explain the situation to him," Apollo tried to reason, but Zarifa wouldn't hear any of it.

"I'm not ready right now, Apollo. I just need some time to think of what I want to say. Everything is going to freak Simba out, let's just let him spend time with Nala tonight. She missed him just as much as I have," Zarifa said, trying to keep her anxiety in check.

Though he loved that Zarifa did whatever she wanted, Apollo knew how urgent this matter was to saving her pride. And he would have pursued the issue further, but Zarifa had already turned away.

Apollo could only sigh and follow after Zarifa, doing whatever he possibly could to help her get enough courage to meet Simba.

Back in the pathway, Nala and Simba were finally alone, with the warthog named Pumbaa and the meerkat Timon giving them some time to themselves. Though so much time had passed, it felt like nothing had changed. Nala felt her heart opening up to Simba, and he was finally doing the same for her.

As Simba was nuzzling her, it had just come to Nala that he didn't know that he had a sister. And she was here in the jungle. She pulled back from Simba abruptly.

"Oh! Simba, I have someone who wants to meet you, this is…" Nala looked over her shoulder, expecting to see Zarifa waiting in the bushes for permission to speak.

But no one was there. Would Zarifa really leave without meeting Simba? Or at the very least saying goodbye to her? Simba furrowed his brows.

"Who are you talking about, Nala?" Simba asked, trying to look to where Nala was staring, but he didn't see anyone.

Nala turned back to Simba and fit her head back under his chin, cuddling into her thick mane, inhaling his familiar scent. Maybe Zarifa wanted Nala to have a proper reunion with Simba, but how would Zarifa know that Simba would be in the jungle? Come to think of it, why would Zarifa leave the Warrior Pride to begin with? Did Zarifa know something she didn't?

But Nala wouldn't worry about that right now. Instead, she just had one question on her mind that she needed an answer for: could Simba feel her love?

To be continued…

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