Here's chapter thirteen, enjoy!
The young lion, Sherise, Selam and Simba lead Malka and Tau to a cave where Cassiel was exiting. When his purple eyes landed on the two new cubs his eyes widen.
"What is this?"
Simba took a deep breath before replying. "My uncle exiled them."
Vanya walked over and sat by her mate's side. "We must take them in. Simba and Selam need all the help they can get."
Cassiel nodded before looking at the cubs. "If we are to defeat this tyrant. We must train, so everyone get a good rest."
The dark gold lion got up and made his nightly rounds along with the young reddish-brown lion as Vanya lead the cubs in the cave.
...X...
A month later after the banishment of Malka and Tau, the morning sun was shining in the Pridelands and Nala was up bright and early as usual.
She went down to the watering hole for a drink. Only she wasn't alone.
Mheetu followed his sister out to the wartering hole being sure she didn't see him because he wasn't even supposed to leave the cave for another month.
After she had gotten her water the tawny princess turned to go back in the cave and slammed right into Mheetu knocking him to the ground.
"Oh my gosh Mheetu!" Nala cried out running over to her brother to make sure he was alright. "Mheetu are you okay?" Nala asked nudging her brother with her nose.
"Yeah I'm fine Nala," Mheetu said lifting his head up.
Nala let out a sigh of relief and helped her brother to his paws. Just as their father came running over,
"What's going on here?" the king asked clearly unhappy. "Mheetu what are you doing out of the cave?"
"Hi Dad," Mheetu mewed running over to his father and nuzzling his front leg. "It's okay dad. Nala just accidently knocked me to the down but I'm good."
"That dosen't ansewer my question," Scar said sharply. Then he turned towards his daugher his green eyes flashing with anger. "Nala you know your brother is too young to be out of the cave yet you brought him down here anyway!"
"But father I.." Nala began but was interrupted by Scar's furious roar,
"Do NOT interrupt me Nala!" Scar snarled. "You brought your brother here then knock him to the ground. Lucky for you he wasn't hurt otherwised I'd be really pissed!"
"But dad, Nala didn't mean to knock me down," Mheetu said jumping to his sister's defense. "And besides she didn't even know I was down here. I snuck out."
"Mheetu I'll handle this son," Scar said gently. Turning back towards Nala, the king snapped, "You get yourself back to the cave right now Nala! And you are not to come out for the rest of the day. Understand?"
"Yes father," Nala said softly knowing it would be pointless to argue with her father.
With her ears pinned to her head in shame Nala walked back to Priderock already dreading the day although it had just begun.
...
Later that day Nala was sulking in the cave mumbling to herself. "Why does father have to so mean all the time," she growled lowly even she was hurt more than anything. "Stupid Mheetu. Why'd he have to follow me to the water hole? This is all his fault! I should just run away. Nobody would miss me anyways. I should just go to the oasis myself and live with Simba and Selam. It would be way better than here."
Nala's ears perked as she heard a voice call from behind her,
"Talking to yourself again Nala?"
Nala turned around and saw Kula standing there grinning at her with Zahra right behind her.
"I wasn't talking to myself," the tawny cub snapped.
"Okay, okay. Sheesh, relax Nala I was just messin' with ya," Kula exclaimed defensivly. "What's with you anyways?"
"Let me guess," Zahra said sitting next to her friend. "Your father grounded you again. Am I right?"
"Yeah," Nala said angerily. "And once again it was because Mheetu did something wrong and I got the blame for it. The usual."
"Man that sucks," Kula started. "So I guess you can't even come for the hunting lesson today huh?"
"No I can't leave the cave all day," Nala said dissappointed. "And if I don't get some lessons in soon then I'm never going to be ready for my first hunt in a few months."
"Maybe your mother will talk to you father about letting you go," Zahra said.
"Puh yeah right," Nala said rolling her green eyes. "My mother does everything my father tells her to do. She wouldn't dare go aganist him. And even if she did it wouldn't do any good. You know how stubborn my father is."
"Yeah if stubborn is another word for mean," Kula said rolling her green eyes eyes. Zahra nudged her friend hard in the ribs. "Ow jeeze what was that for?" Kula cried out glaring at Zahra. "What the heck is your problem Za'?"
"My problem is you bad mouthing the king," Zahra said her voice low. "And you know the consequences of bad mouthing the king. He's most likely to banish you like he did Malka and Tau."
"Psh yeah right," Kula said with annoyance. "I'd like to see him try. But there's another issue here Nala."
"There is?" Nala said with confusion. "What issue?"
"We heard you say you should go live with Simba and Selam," Kula said.
Nala's eyes went wide but she said nothing so the brownish lioness cub continued.
"You've been mentioning Simba and Selam a lot lately. Why is that Nala?"
"Well I uh I..." Nala stammered not quite sure if she should tell Zahra and Kula the truth or not. Then the tawny lioness cub said in a low voice, "Look if I tell you guys somthin' you gotta promise me that you won't say anything to anyone about. Okay? Promise me."
"I promise," Zahra said crossing her claw over her heart.
Nala looked over at Kula who shrugged and said,
"No one believes what I say anyways but I promise too."
"Good," Nala said looking around to make sure no one else was there to hear what she was about to say. "Simba and Selam is alive," she whispered.
"What!?" Kula and Zahra cried out together.
Then in a much quieter voice Zahra said, "What do you mean Simba and Selam is alive? I thought they died in the stampede that almost killed King Mufasa."
"Well they didn't," Nala said quickly. "I had saved them. Look Zahra I have something else to confess. My father is the one who almost killed King Mufasa and my mother almost killed Queen Hewa. I was supposed to kill Simba and Selam but I just couldn't. So I told them about the Oasis and they went there to live."
Nala looked at Zahra whose light brown eyes were wide with shock.
"I can't beleve this," the tan lioness cub whispered. "King Scar's a murderer. Did you know about this Kula?" Zahra looked and her other friend who was looking down in shame. "You did know!" Zahra exclaimed. "You're both tratiors!"
"We were just stupid young cubs," Nala protessed. "We didn't know any better. But we do now. I'm real sorry Zahra. Please don't hate us."
"Yeah don't be mad," Kula said. "The important thing is Simba and Selam are alive and chances are that they and Malka and Tau met up in the Oasis. Who knows maybe they're planning on coming back when they're older to take down Scar."
"Yeah and maybe they're not," Zahra said with a sigh. "But don't worry guys I don't hate you. I just wish you would have told me sooner."
"So we're cool then?" Nala asked.
"Of course," Zahra said with a smile. With that the three lioness cubs relaxed and went to the watering hole for a drink.
...
A month past and it was once again training time in the oasis.
Simba was practing his fighting skills with Sherise and Selam while Malka was busy juggling Timon in the air with his paws.
"Hey Simba you wanna tell you're friend here that I am not a play thing!" Timon shouted as he was spun in the air over and over.
"Not now I'm busy," Simba replied blowing a strand of his ever growing red mane out of his eyes.
Selam took this opportunity to tackle Simba and pin him to the ground.
"Darn it!" Simba growled as he pushed Selam off of him earning a laugh from Sherise.
"Cheap shot bro!"
"Hey you let your guard down and you're gonna pay for it," Selam said helping his brother to his paws. "Hey Malka you wanna give it a rest huh? Remember what happened last time you spun Timon too hard? I don't think you want meercat puke on ya, again do ya?"
"Good point Sel," Malka said as he let Timon go causing the meercat to stumble around before losing his lunch in a nearby bush. "You okay Timon?" Malka asked with a laugh.
"Fantastic," Timon said sarcasticaly. "Sheesh why don't you boys just kill me and get it over with. That's what you're trying to do isn't it?"
"Realx Timon," Sherise said trying hard not to laugh. "Why don't you take a break huh? We can practice with each other for a while."
"Fine by me," Timon said as he walked off.
Then Simba turned towards his friends and brother and said, "Okay boys and Resse' lets go. Selam and Malka face off."
"Aw Simba can't we call it a day?" Malka said brushing back his thin dark brown mane with his paw. "I'm beat."
"Yeah me too," Selam said with a yawn before blowing a strand of brownish mane out of his eyes.
"You guys we have to keep training," Simba said rolling his bright orange eyes. "If we don't keep training we'll never be ready to defeat Scar."
"But Simba we've been training for two months," Selam pointed out.
"Yeah besides we're only ten months old," Malka put in. "We stil have more months before we're old enough to take on Scar."
"Still we must keep training," Simba insisted.
"Tomorrow. Okay Sim'?" Malka said paractily begging. "I'm really beat. I just want to go to bed now."
"Fine you guys can go to bed," Simba said after seeing how tired his friends were. "But tomorrow we're getting up bright and early for training. Got it?"
"Yeah yeah," Selam muttered as he and Malka headed to join their small pride.
"Goodnight."
"'Night guys," Simba said before sighing. "I'll be in soon."
When Malka and Selam left, Sherise looked at her golden friend. "I'm sure we will do just fine. With all the help we got. I'm sure you will get your throne back."
Sherise gave Simba a friendly nuzzle before following after Selam and Malka to the cave.
After the dark brown lioness cub left Simba sighed before looking at the star filled sky.
"I won't let you down, mom and dad. I will avenge you. I promise you that. Scar will pay dearly for taking you away from me."
With these thoughts going through his head the golden lion cub went to join his brother and friends for the night.