Spirit
By: Xhibit B
Chapter One
.i do not own the lion king.
Nala had only just fallen asleep when she heard paw steps headed for the entrance of her home. She was quickly being nudged awake by her mother, who whispered for her to hide in the furthest, dark corner where she wouldn't be seen. She did, moving as quickly as possible into the darkness to conceal her presence to where she couldn't be seen, but could still see everything that was going on. She was surprised to see the King and Prince walking in, unannounced. Her father was quick to step in front of her mother, shielding her from the King's watchful eye.
"King Abasi, to what honour do we owe this visit," Ni asked politely, his brow arched as if he were challenging the King. It was no secret the distain the almost white lion held for the Pride's ruler. And King Abasi was non-too fond of her father in return. "We were not expecting you or your son to gift us with your presence today, or ever for that matter."
"Spare me the theatrics, Ni," Abasi huffed. "As I'm sure your daughter has probably already made you aware of, my son has asked for her paw in mateship. Yet, she refuses him and rudely tells him to find another lioness to be his pawn. Her refusal will not be tolerated. She will wed my son by the end of this upcoming moon cycle, or else."
"You cannot force her to do anything she does not wish to do," Sarafina spoke up, pushing past her mate to stand nose to nose with the King. "If she refuses your son, then that is her decision. You nor any other lion in this Pride can make her do anything she does not wish to do. It didn't work with me, it will not work with my daughter, either."
"Your refusal would have been dealt with in the same manner if not for you running away and falling pregnant by this disgrace of a lion," Abasi sneered, offering a curt nod in Ni's direction. "And if not for that foolish King Ahadi of the Pride Lands, you two would not have been joined in mateship. We could have killed your daughter if not for that and you would still have become my queen. I will not stand for that kind of embarrassment again, Sarafina. The two of you will inform Nala that she and Prince Hasani will be tied in mateship at the end of this upcoming moon cycle. Refusal is not an option."
Nala could hear the low growl that emitted from her mother's throat as she inched closer to the King, ready to take him out. She almost hoped that she would, until her father reigned his mate back in.
"Sarafina, no," Ni coaxed gently, nuzzling the apple eyed lioness. "A brawl will do Nala no good." His hard, blue eyes turned to the King and Prince. "You would do well to leave now. You've made your demands clear; your presence is no longer needed here. I also can only stay my mate's anger for so long before she no longer cares enough to listen to reason."
"Very well," Abasi said as he and the Prince turned to leave. "Make sure that your daughter is present for the ceremony, Ni. I would hate to have to resort to other, more drastic measures if my demands are not met. I believe your mate can probably give you a good clue as to what I mean by that."
Nala swallowed thickly; she could sense the evil intent laced in his threat. She hated that it had been her that had been so selfishly chosen by the Prince to be taken for a mate. There were plenty of other lionesses who foolishly threw themselves at Prince Hasani's paws; they would have gladly become his mate and punching bag. Nala absolutely refused.
She waited for twenty long minutes while her father tried to console and calm her mother. The last thing she wanted was to interrupt the two of them when what they were going through as a family was such a sensitive topic. When she did finally emerge, her mother had laid down to rest. She was both physically and mentally exhausted from the exchange with the King, Nala could tell.
When she approached the elder pair of lions, her father turned to glance at her. It was almost as if he'd forgotten that she was there, that's how startled he'd seemed by her sudden presence. He smiled when she came to lay beside him.
"I'm sure that you heard all of that," Ni sighed. He offered her a sympathetic smile as he placed a paw above her own. "You know that I would never allow anything to happen to either you or your mother. You've now heard what the King is like when he doesn't get his way. Leaving the Pride is our first and only hope. Otherwise, you'd be forced into a life of misery. And that's the last thing that I want for my only daughter. And I'm sure neither your mother nor I would be able to bare it if we had to watch you be abused, treated as less of a lioness because of the Prince."
"I agree," Nala said glancing over at her sleeping mother. The grimace she wore told her that she was still very much annoyed by the entire exchange that had just taken place not long before. "We'll let Momma sleep for now, but we have to leave, tonight. It's a new moon, so we can escape under the cover of darkness. I'll scout out an escape path, I'll return soon."
"Be careful, Nala," Ni warned her sternly. "The Prince will probably still be looking for you to try and persuade you to accept his offer. He may also be suspicious and follow you if he catches you. Do not let on that you are trying to find a route out of the MalaMala Pride."
"I know," Nala said as she got to her paws. "I'll be careful, don't worry about me. You and Momma just rest. I'll be back soon."
"Of course," Ni said nodding, laying his great head down on his paws. "Make sure that you get some rest when you return. We will be traveling quite a ways through the night and well into the day. I would like to put as much distance between us and the MalaMala Pride as quickly as possible. The sooner we are out of their territory, the sooner we will be safe."
"I know, I'll return soon," Nala promised as she left the cave she shared with her family.
She glanced back one last time to see her father move closer to her mother. He placed his head as close to her own as he could before his eyes slipped closed and he fell into a restless sleep. She needed to be quick, she didn't want to give anyone any indication of what she was up to. And if she was spotted, that could make things a lot harder for herself and her family to escape the King's claws.
With her head down, she quickly left her area her home was located in, to scout out an escape route for them the take. There were only a few hours left before she would be leaving her birth pride behind for good. And she couldn't wait until the moment came when they would take off.
…
"Nala, wake up," Nala heard her father urge as he nudged her shoulder gently. "It's time to go. We must leave quickly, darling. The night is completely black, and everyone has laid down to rest; this is the best time to make our escape if we wish to leave."
"Ssh, someone is coming," Sarafina shushed her mate and daughter; only to gasp in surprise when they saw the Queen step into the cave they shared. "Queen Dalila, what are you doing here?"
"I know that you and your family plan to leave, Sarafina," Dalila answered knowingly. The three lions in question sucked in a breath, had the Queen alerted her mate and the Prince? What if there was an ambush waiting for them. "Don't worry, I haven't said a word to Abasi or Hasani. I do not blame you for leaving, especially knowing what life as Queen of this Pride is like. I am glad that you are courageous enough to spare your daughter such a fate."
"Why are you here then," Ni asked softly. "How do we know that you will not tell the King, or have not told him already?"
"Just as the three of you do, I too hate my mate and son," Dalila explained patiently. "I noticed Nala earlier scouting a path out of the MalaMala territory for you to take. I came to warn you that I was not the only one that noticed. One of the Guard saw her as well. I am unsure if they have alerted Abasi or Hasani about it, neither of them tell me anything. But, I wished to warn you and to show you a different path you can take. If that member did tell them about what you were up to, you can expect to encounter them on your journey and be forced back here against your will."
"I was careful though, how in Aiheu's name could anyone have noticed," Nala asked, bewildered. She'd been so certain she'd covered her tracks. But, she was grateful to the Queen for coming to warn them about her slip up. "But, I do thank you for warning us. I trust that you will keep our secret."
"I am not revered as one of the best huntresses the Pride has seen in many generations for no reason my dear. I followed you the entire way and you did not notice, but, I will certainly keep your secret. The guard member that spotted you did not spot me, so my knowledge of the situation will remain a secret to my mate and son," Dalila assured her with a small smile. "If things were different, and my mate and son were not who they are, you would have made a great Queen for the MalaMala Pride. You are both strong, beautiful lionesses and I aspire to acquire even a fraction of your strength in my lifetime."
"We thank you, Queen Dalila," Sarafina said smiling. "I pray that nothing bad happens to you because of this. Your mate will not be pleased to learn that you've helped myself and my family."
"Don't worry about me, Sarafina," Dalila said motioning for them to leave. "You should leave quickly before Abasi sends someone to make sure that you're still here. If you're caught trying to leave, they could try to kill you two and capture Nala."
"Thank you again for your warnings, Queen Dalila," Ni said as he ushered Sarafina and Nala out of the cave. "And take care of yourself."
"And you take care of your family," Dalila said as she followed them out. She nodded toward a path on the left. "Take that path out, it will lead you to safety. You will still get to where you wish to go, and it will also avoid the path that Nala found earlier."
"We thank you again, Queen Dalila," Sarafina said as she and her family turned to leave. "May you continue to live in good health. Hopefully, if our paths ever cross again, it is on good terms."
"I pray for the same," Dalila said. "Hurry now, you must get out of here quickly."
"Thank you," Nala said before she and her family disappeared from sight.
Dalila waited only a few minutes, making sure that they were gone and not being followed before she returned to the royal cave. Both her mate and son were fast asleep, unaware of what was going on with Sarafina's family. If he did know about their defection from the Pride, he surely was not the one that was going to take care of it. He'd probably sent someone else to watch the path.
Lying down as far away from the King and Prince as the cave would allow, the Queen allowed her head to rest on her paws. She silently prayed that Ni, Sarafina and Nala got away safely and found a home that would love and protect them after their journey.
…
Nala followed diligently behind her parents as they journeyed further and further away from their homeland. They'd been traveling for days now; the first day they hadn't stopped until dusk. Her father had wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the MalaMala Pride as possible. He'd been afraid that Queen Dalila had said something to King Abasi and Prince Hasani; tipping them off about Ni, Sarafina and Nala escaping into the night. Though she'd seemed sincere, Sarafina and Ni still didn't trust her not to say anything. They both knew the Queen was jealous of the elder cream coloured lioness; her mate continued to pine after Sarafina even now after so many years. And Dalila resented her for that.
"We aren't too far from the Pride Lands now, Sarafina, Nala," Ni announced suddenly, making the creamy adolescent glance up at her parents that walked ahead of her. "We should reach the base of Pride Rock by dusk today."
"How can you tell, Dad," Nala asked, irking a brow at her father.
"Because I can see the peak of Pride Rock," Ni answered nonchalantly, nodding towards the rock formation, far in the distance. "Take a look, and you'll see your new home."
Nala glanced up, blue eyes wide at the sight of the magnificent structure that stood at least forty-five kilometers away from where they were now. It was massive, especially since she could see it in such fine detail from where they were. She couldn't believe that this would be her new home. It was a thousand times more beautiful than the MalaMala Pride. She couldn't wait to meet the royals and the rest of the subjects that lived there.
"We'll have to keep moving if we want to reach the Pride by dusk," Ni snickered, amused by his daughter's awe-struck face. "Come along, Nala, let's get a move on. The sooner we get there, the better. I wonder if Mufasa will remember me, it's been a few years now."
"I'm sure that the King will, as will the Queen," Sarafina assured her mate. "I've heard that Sarabi birthed a son? She was only days away from giving birth when we left."
"That's what I've heard as well," Ni agreed. "We'll find out sooner than later, however. Especially if we make it there when I estimated we would. Let's be on our way. I don't like traveling in the night in this territory. It's safest during the day, hyenas are more active at night."
"Hyenas," Nala questioned timidly, her ears pressed to her skull. She'd heard frightening tales about hyenas and hoped to never have to encounter them. She swallowed when her father nodded, quickening her pace to keep up with her parents. "I thought this place would be safe…"
"It will be," Ni assured her. "Especially once we get further within the territory. Hyenas are known to scavenge in this area, despite the law that has been in place since the beginning of time. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you, or your mother."
Nala didn't say another word, only nodding her head and continuing to follow. They walked quietly for a time, focused on their destination. So focused, in fact, that they failed to notice that they'd become surrounded. Nine pairs of hungry eyes watched them, mouths salivating; anticipating the potential meal to come when the right moment arose. It wasn't until Nala gasped that her father realized something was wrong, unable to react as quickly as he knew he was able to.
Nala was knocked to her side; several hyenas surrounding her while one attempted to pin her down. Ni and Sarafina stepped forward to help; only to be pushed back by six more hyena that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The soft chuckle of the leader of the pack registered to their ears as she stepped forward elegantly; licking her chops.
"Now this is a meal I've waited my whole life for," the female spoke, sizing the two elder lions up. "Lion's blood; a delicacy I have not had the pleasure of tasting for many years."
"Shenzi," Ni growled, recognizing the hyena almost immediately from the long, deep gash that decorated her left cheek. He'd been the one to inflict that wound on her almost five years prior. "I'm surprised that you still live; Ahadi and Mufasa have continued to spare your life."
Shenzi, the female hyena, growled; barring her teeth at the white lion. Recognition had come to her as well, "Ni of the Lion Guard. I thought that you were dead."
"No, I was simply displaced for a time," Ni answered, getting into position to attack. A single blue eye flickered to Nala who continued to claw at the group of hyena that held her down. "But I've returned. You'll do well to have your pack release my daughter."
"And if I do not?" Shenzi taunted, irking a brow at the male; the corner of her muzzle turned upward.
There was a growl, followed by several large paws swiping at the group of hyena. It happened so quickly; Ni didn't see when the young, golden lion had managed to pin Shenzi down under his paw; teeth bared. "You deal with me, Shenzi. Call them off."
"Let the lioness go," Shenzi wheezed, her gaze never leaving the lion that held her down.
It wasn't until the group backed off that the young lion released Shenzi; the group he'd come with doing the same to the other hyena they each held down. The auburn-maned lion snarled, "Leave the Pride Lands now, and I won't have to get my father involved. You know the rules, Shenzi."
"Of course, Simba," Shenzi said as two of her group helped her to stand. She bowed her head as she backed away. "We will leave, I want no further conflict with you; precious prince."
He watched as the pack of hyena left before his attention turned to Nala. Two of the females in his group were helping her to her paws. His face softened as he approached, smiling slightly at the creamy female. "Hey, are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"No I…" Nala started before she was cut off by her mother and father rushing towards her.
The young lion and his friends stepped away, allowing the parents room to look over their daughter. The male couldn't help but chuckle at how the mother and father duo fussed over their daughter, making sure that she was okay. He allowed this to go on for several minutes, enough time for the parents to be satisfied with their daughter's health before he cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," the male apologized. "We're normally pretty good about keeping Shenzi and her pack out of the territory, but they managed to slip by us somehow. I hope you three are alright."
"We are fine, thanks to yourself and your friends, young lion," Sarafina said smiling at him softly as she glanced from her daughter to the male. "We are in your debt."
"If I may," Ni said glancing at the younger male, head tilted to the side. "I heard Shenzi mention your title as a Prince. Would you happen to be Mufasa's son?"
"Forgive me for my rudeness," the Prince said, slightly embarrassed. "My name is Simba, crown prince of the Pride Lands. These are my friends, Tama, Malka, Aisha, Tojo, Kula and Chumvi. Mufasa is, in fact, my father."
"The rumours were true," Sarafina said smiling. "You are the spitting image of your father."
"Have you come to speak with my father," Simba asked just as a blue hornbill flew in, landing between the Prince's paws.
"Well I'll be," the hornbill spoke with surprise. "Ni, Sarafina, is that really you?"
"You know them," Simba inquired.
Ni chuckled, nodding his head. "Yes, it's us, Zazu. I'm glad to see that you are in good health."
"My goodness, it has been quite some years," Zazu hummed, before he caught sight of Nala. His smile grew wider. "I see you birthed a daughter, Sarafina. Queen Sarabi made a guess that you would after your departure."
It was Sarafina's turn to nod, "Indeed I did, Zazu. This is Nala, our daughter."
"What brings you back to the Pride Lands," Zazu inquired. "You left and returned to the MalaMala Pride when you learned that Sarafina was carrying."
"It's a very long story, Zazu," Ni explained. "I'd rather wait until we met with Sarabi and Mufasa again to tell it. Are they at Pride Rock?"
"Should be," Zazu said jumping upon Simba's shoulder. "Let's return and see. Mufasa will be happy to see you again after so long."
"I'm sure he will," Ni said before he turned to his daughter and mate. "Come along. We should get there soon."
Sarafina and Nala nodded, following his lead. The group of adolescents followed, Simba at the rear with Zazu on his shoulder. His brow raised as he looked at the hornbill. "You didn't answer my question. How do you know that lion?"
"Ni? He's originally a member of this Pride," Zazu answered. "He and his mate, Sarafina, left the Pride to return to Sarafina's birth Pride just days before you were born. The King of the MalaMala Pride had been in love with Sarafina and wanted her as his Queen; however she refused and ran away. That's when she met Ni. They fell and love and were married by your Grandfather. Their happiness here was short lived, however. King Abasi found them after some time, and demanded that Sarafina return. Ni, naturally, followed because they were mates, of course; and because Sarafina was carrying her daughter at the time."
"We had a run in with Shenzi and her pack, that's how we came across them," Simba explained. "Shenzi seemed to know Ni, how is that possible?"
"Because Ni was a former member of the Lion Guard," Zazu explained. "He was second in command, after your Uncle. Revered as the Pride Lands' bravest. He was the one that gave Shenzi that scar on her face."
Simba's scarlet eyes widened, surprised by this information. He had heard stories from his father and Uncle about the white lion. And he couldn't believe he was finally meeting him. Not to mention, his daughter was pretty cute, too. He glanced back at Zazu again.
"Go and get Rafiki," Simba requested. "Nala was attacked by the hyenas. I want to make sure she's actually okay."
"Of course, my Prince," Zazu said before flying off.
Simba faced forward, continuing to follow the former member of the Lion Guard and his family. He couldn't wait to see the looks on his mother and father's faces.