A Change of Lifestyle

by forehandcrosscourt

The changes one can go through are perhaps the hardest to endure. However, for veterinary student, Ed Rigas, these changes would be more difficult to overcome. He wakes up to find he is in an area known as the Pridelands, far from his comfortable home country. To make things more unsettling, he is no longer the species he once was. How and why is he there? Only time will tell.

15. Trials

Chapter 15- Trials

Despite the confusion earlier, I had a peaceful sleep, waking up to the enticing smell of food. Finally, something I could relate to being back home as a human. In my sleep, I'd somehow been moved across so that I was cuddled up beside Nala, held by Sarafina. Once I saw the queen herself walk in, it became clear she had joined in the hunt, a few specks of blood visible on her.

When we went outside to get our fill, I could see that not only was the number of animals caught was smaller, but they seemed less healthy than with previous catches. These animals had less muscle to them, were smaller and just looked frailer in general. I didn't ask, but I could tell that all the lionesses were growing more concerned with each successive hunt. It seemed as if they were starting to see heavier effects of Scar's brutal ruling style. For the time being though, Lions were still able to eat before the hyenas, allowing each of us to have a decent portion each. Nala and I had our share, waiting for the adults to have their fill. Even with their portion, Scar had instructed that the lions leave plenty for his hyenas. That meant with each smaller portion, it wouldn't only get worse as there became less to hunt.

Of course, none of this applied to the king himself, indulging in a far greater mass of meat than any of the others. He could be seen at the ledge of pride rock, picking his teeth with a bone he had saved for just that purpose. He hummed a tune to himself, oblivious to the sacrifices the rest were making for him to keep this rule possible. He must have been aware, but uncaring, of the growing frustrations his own kind were having. He was getting angry looks from many lionesses before they turned away to either walk away or go back to the den and rest. At this point, the sun was starting to go down, which meant I would be having my lesson with Scar. I felt uncomfortable about it even more so than previous ones. The day itself had featured an appearance from the king just as Sarabi and I were staring our own lesson. Ever since that moment, something about the upcoming lesson didn't feel right. I couldn't tell what, but there was something telling me that it would be different, and given his track record, it wouldn't be good.

To my surprise, Scar lifted a claw and looked back to me, using his claw to beckon me over "Princess Tishala, join me here." I looked to Sarafina and Sarabi, sensing their hesitation over this, but they gave a reluctant permission to me. I padded over, careful not to step on anything other than the ground, just trying to make sure I wouldn't anger him for stepping on a bone or something. It was a bit over the top, but I didn't want to take any chances. Once I got to his side, he spoke again "Sit with me. Eat. I need my heir to keep strong." He encouraged, though kept his tone rather lax, not even bothering to look at the food he was gesturing to. "When you are queen, you can have all that you desire. It's simple." He pushed some of the flesh to me. "Eat." I was told again, feeling as though it was a veiled threat. I looked back to the other three as if asking permission, and though they made a concerned expression, they indicated I should go along with his request. "Will you always seek their permission, or will you take charge?" Scar asked me, making it clear he had seen that I was looking for their support "When you seek council from those stuck in the past, you can never move forward to greater feats." He sighed "It's such a shame we are surrounded by short sighted individuals." Scar went back to picking his teeth with a bone, letting me finish what I was eating. I ate, but I didn't feel good about it, each bite being one that I could have shared with someone else or given to the lionesses that needed it for their energy, though I doubted Scar would let me do that. The king turned his face to me, those green eyes fixed on my form as a smile started to take shape, a poor mimic of the caring one that I would see often from other members of the pride, "I hope you are excited for our lesson tonight. I just know it will be one for you to remember. Something you will find very useful for when you get ready for leadership."

Those words did nothing to settle my mind, only making me more apprehensive about what was going to take place. My fears grew the longer he looked at me, trying to just continue as I was, chewing on my food and swallowing. If I could, I would have been red in the face, but as I was, I could hide my uncomfortable feeling a lot better. "So, will we be needing the hyenas?" I asked, prompting him to look away when I faced him. It appeared neither of us would want to keep eye contact, though he had a much more relaxed looking smile about him.

"Of course, how else can you learn to lead them if they are not there to be led?" He mused, scratching his chin with a claw. "However, this time, you will find you will find you have more freedom to choose what will happen." He put a paw over his mouth and a worrying, yet playful smile "Oops, I nearly said too much." He chuckled before moving that same paw to start stroking my head, albeit rougher than I was used to "I wouldn't want to ruin something that I think you will remember as much as this. The key to this is in the surprise." He stopped stroking, rolling onto his side with a lazy smile "What better way to prepare than a meal with the king, eh?" He reached out to pat my head, chuckling as he did. "Hyenas. Your patience has been rewarded, enjoy your feast." He called out to them, his voice reaching far enough that most of them would have heard.

Within moments, pride rock was swarming with hyenas as they crowded round whatever food was available to them, unrelenting on the carcasses exposed to their frenzied state. They took no notice of anyone else around, focused on the food as if it would be their last chance to eat. "Does their appetite scare you?" Scar asked, continuing to rake a single claw along my fur, not quite scratching onto the skin. I watched the hyenas tear flesh from the bone, fighting amongst themselves for a piece of the meat, some of the fights likely to end with injury and one hyena that would go hungry regardless. It all seemed so feral.

My sight moved away from Scar's minions, looking out across the Pridelands again "No. They don't scare me anymore." I replied. I knew Scar would see through the lie, but it was the answer he wanted to hear, hoping that if I said it enough times, it would become true. "When do we leave?" I asked, trying to remain calm in my body language. "Or did you make me sit here with you to wait before we go?" My words were harsh, though didn't earn a retaliation from Scar at a similar level.

"Give it some more time. You wouldn't want to try leading a group of hyenas when they're still frenzied from a good meal. They aren't as motivated and listen less. Not very good workers." He commented, flicking one of his paws for dramatic effect. "We will be leaving a little bit later than normal, but I need you to make sure you will stay awake for the entirety. As I said, it's not one you would want to miss." He started grinning when he puled me in closer "Keep a secret for me though. You can't tell Sarabi or the others. We're going to show them something incredible." He waggled his eyebrows at me before letting me go. "Now, if you want to make your leave, I will find you when it is time. If you don't, you can wait here with your king. The envy of them all." He used his claw on his smallest digit to flick at my nose. I blinked, confused at what we could show everyone that was incredible. It gave me some hope that perhaps he had worked out a solution to the growing problems that the Pridelands were facing. I turned to go back, being playfully nudged by Scar "Run along now, I'll see you later." He called, his words almost sounding tuneful. Scar was normally off putting, but when he was giddy like that, it made me even more on edge. It was unusual to see him in such a good mood, especially when he seemed to be quite angry with Sarabi earlier.

As soon as I was back to the more comfortable surroundings with Nala and the others, I was asked "So, what did his majesty have to say to you?" Sarafina asked, her voice with more than a hint of sarcasm. Before I could answer, we made our way back into the den and all sat together, the lionesses either side of Nala and I.

I didn't know how much I could actually tell them. If Scar had something special surprised to show everyone, then I didn't want to lessen them impact, especially when I didn't even know what this 'incredible' thing was going to be. "He was just telling me to be ready for the lesson is all. He said I should get used to eating up there with him. That I could have as much as I want. Was it weird I felt bad? I wanted to share it with you." I gestured to them, going a little red in the face as maybe that would have been an out of place thing for a lion to say.

Instead the older two shook their heads "No. You wanted to look out for other members of the pride before you looked out for yourself. That's a good trait for leadership." Sarabi informed me. "It's thinking like that, which shows great potential. I know that Mufasa would approve such thoughtfulness from a young cub." She continued. "The fact no one has had to tell you to think like that, it makes me proud." She offered. I was taken aback. I didn't expect to have Mufasa being brought up like that, almost as a comparison, but I really didn't expect to hear the queen say she was proud of me. I didn't feel as if I deserved such high praise for simply having a thought. It wasn't like I actually carried out a selfless act.

Sarafina added "It is always nice to see a young lioness with a caring nature beyond her years. I hope you'll continue to be like that as you grow up. Kind and the knowledge of how to heal injured animals? I think we're looking at quite a special lioness in the making." She enthused herself at that, almost like a grown-up version of Nala. I was surprised she didn't try to pin me like her daughter would have. Again, my pessimism meant that I felt maybe they were getting too far ahead of themselves. To me, knowing how to treat Inja's injury didn't feel like anything special, nor did the fact I was looking out for others. It was just how I had been raised. However, I did understand that all these two were trying to do was make a cub feel special as she was growing up. It was only natural for the maternal figures to be supportive to this degree, though it still didn't feel like I'd earned all this praise. I didn't feel as if I had done enough for it; I was just with lucky circumstances that I had been able to demonstrate some of those traits. To add to all of this, I was never the best at soaking up praise.

Nala decided to join in, not wanting to miss out on anything "I'm those things too, right mum? I'm kind and caring, right?" She made her mother chuckle, of course, getting her to agree, making her cub beam with joy as she clambered all over the older lioness, the adult unphased by the energy of her child. "Just think of how awesome it'll be when we grow up. Both of us hunting together and taking care of the other lions. It'll be like you and queen Sarabi, mum!" She almost cheered, leaping to me right away, knocking me over without any problem.

Sarafina pulled her child back in and held onto her, giving her the affection she needed to just calm herself some. "Well then we shall both be very proud of the two of you. We wouldn't expect anything less though." She chuckled, sending me a subtle wink. "Now, as we are all waiting for Scar to pick up Tishala, what do you say Sarabi and I find another story of our hunts to tell you? We have plenty we haven't told yet." She offered, tempting the both of us. Even if I wasn't born a lion, each of the stories were wonderfully told, giving me an understanding of how even these great lionesses had a lot of lessons to learn, and many of them were learned on these hunts.

Nala looked up to her mother, excited. "Can you tell us about the elephant you hunted back when queen Sarabi led her first hunt?" She pleaded, her eyes looking larger as she begged for that story.

Both of the older lionesses looked to each other with amused expressions, laughing as Nala looked between them, confused as to what she had caused. "Nala, we told you that one before. Are you sure you want to hear it again?" Sarafina asked, getting a prompt nod from the cub in her grasp. "We could tell you about the time when we were searching for antelope and found out not only did we have to hunt them, but we also had to get the food back home without getting it stolen by a leopard." She tried to change her tone to heighten whatever tension that may have created, though it fell flat to her offspring. It didn't persuade me either, keeping my attention focused on maybe hearing about the teamwork they used again. I knew at some point Sarafina and Sarabi wanted Nala and I to practice some hunting together, which I assumed was more of a tactics lesson and how to put those into practice than actually doing any pouncing.

Sarafina sighed in defeat "Okay, fine. Maybe next time." She muttered the last part, giving the other adult a knowing look, both of them realising there was no other story Nala was willing to listen to this time. "It all happened not long after Sarabi became queen." She started, in a similar way to when she told the story the first time.

---

By the time Scar arrived, it was dark. If my sight wasn't so much better as a lion, it would have made noticing Scar enter the den a lot more difficult, as well as scary. His green eyes almost glow in the dim lighting, making the dark furred lion stand out even more in the space that felt as if it was becoming more and more enclosed by the second. He wasn't calling for me, waiting at the mouth of the den, but instead he was walking over. "Are you ready?" He asked, a calm smile plastered on his face. I'd been resting in Sarabi's embrace whilst Sarafina had recounted her story of the past. At first, Sarabi frowned at the king in protest.

"Don't keep her up for too long. A cub needs rest, and this is a later start than ever. Keep her safe, Scar, the Pridelands are dangerous at night, especially for a cub." She warned before finally letting me go.

Scar cocked a brow up at her "Keep her safe? She couldn't be safer with me. I am not the one who didn't keep their loved ones safe, if you'll recall." He quipped before turning his head and walking away, leading me out into the night. He led me to the edge of pride rock again, smiling down at his kingdom, the ongoing ambience from the hyenas below just adding to the creepiness it would give me when I stared out to the distance with him. "I'm sure you're wondering just what I have prepared for you." He started, looking away from me as if uninterested in my presence. He started looking at his claws whilst speaking to me again "I've always said I despise guessing games. In truth, I despise most games. However, it has come to my attention that cubs enjoy games more than any other member of the pride; even cubs destined to rule." He cleared his throat. "That is why I have decided to relent. As a reward for such progress you have shown in a short space of time, I think it would be fair to give you the opportunity to practice some of your skills in a sort of…game, that I devised with the help of the hyenas." He smirked, flicking a couple of his digits out as if there was dust on them.

I looked at him with curious eyes, hoping to work out what he was trying to get me to do, though it was useless. "How does this game practice my skills as a leader?" I asked, my voice remaining rather flat of tone. I hadn't decided if I thought I liked the sound of the game just yet. "And what do you mean progress? I don't feel like I'm any better than I was when we started."

He chuckled at that and shook his head "It would be rare for you to notice such a thing. That just means you've stayed focused on what I have asked of you. When I give you the chance to, you can look back and see how far you've progressed. This game may even be a way for you to see some of your progress." I couldn't help but shoot a frown in his direction, causing the dark furred lion to raise a brow and sound out his confusion. "What, are you not convinced? Oh dear, Tishala. How do I tell the hyenas you don't like the effort they have gone through to prepare this game for you? And to think, they were just starting to admire you…maybe even like you." He sighed.

My eyes rolled as I could see the act he was trying to pull. Even he knew it was thinly veiled. "I didn't say I wasn't going to try this game. I just don't know why you decided to play one. I'll try it." I nodded at him, waiting for whatever response he had next. The next thing he did was guide me down pride rock, over to the horde of hyenas, where many of them looked to me with their best attempt at a friendly smile. I wasn't sure how genuine those smiles were as I could hear an overlapping of laughter, like they were mocking me, and I didn't know what it was about. "Hyenas." Scar started, silencing them, except for a small undertone of hushed chatter. "The princess has decided she will partake in the game. This means your efforts today shall not go wasted. Show your appreciation to my heir as I will require some of you to come with us." He stood aside to let me become the centre of attention. Much to my surprise, the hyenas were cheering for me, even if it wasn't much. It seemed Scar had them influenced very nicely. "You three. You are coming to assist in the game." He commanded. The three hyenas revealed themselves, and I wasn't too thrilled by it.

I recognised them straight way: Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The three from the time I had visited the elephant's graveyard with Simba and Nala. My eyes met with theirs. I could see that Shenzi wasn't hiding her discontent for me, a smug smile pointed to me. Her eyes told me that even if she was going to obey Scar, she wasn't going to make anything easy for me. I looked to see Banzai, who had only just realised who I was, barely able hold back his reaction, but halted by the former. He didn't seem too sure about being selected, but like Shenzi, he was going to go along with it. Those two made me wary of this game, even more than before. If those two made me wary, then Ed creeped me out. There was something about the way he was unpredictable that unsettled me more than the other two, even if he wasn't innately sadistic, like Shenzi had demonstrated back at the elephant's graveyard. To me, their selection didn't seem random, but I couldn't explain why. They didn't seem any different from the other hyenas, what with Scar commanding them all the same way. Was it possible that they had told Scar that we had already met? Was that why scar picked them to do his 'game' with me? Those were the questions making me wonder if the selection was random or not.

We followed Scar away from pride rock "We are just a short walk from where we can start the game. Aren't you excited?" Scar looked to me, seeing that my expression was nervous and apprehensive "I was told cubs get excited about games. Especially as this one was made with you in mind." He continued, again trying to bring out some of my guilt. "Now that we are away from everyone else, I can tell you the sort of things that we have planned." He grinned, letting his tail sway as he started to explain. "This game is broken up into parts. To get to the end, you need to complete all parts. Your friends, the hyenas, will help you along the way with anything you ask. In addition, they will remind you of your task should you forget. See, it sounds fun already, doesn't it?" He winked, knowing I still had a lot more questions than answers. "The first of your tasks is to guide yourself to safety. When we get there, you will see there is a body of water you can cross. I need you to cross it…in one piece." He paused again, leaving me to wonder why he specified how many pieces I needed to be in "Hopefully these three will be able to confirm to me when you have done this." They nodded in unison, Ed stopping after them though as he got carried away. "The next part will be simple. It is a race. Shenzi will give you something to signify the start of this race. I think you will find the thrill of this greater than anything you have done before." He announced, seeming so sure of himself. He cleared his throat before continuing. "If you still find you need more excitement from this game, never fear, because the next part will satisfy that desire that you might still have. This part involves you using your skills as a huntress and a leader. With the hyenas, you must locate the special prize at the end. Believe me when I say this; it is something that will stun everyone when you show them." He gave a hearty chuckle at that, smiling to me. "I cannot tell you what's at the end though, because I really want this to be something you will remember too." He finished, upping his walking pace a little bit. The rest of our group follow suit.

It wasn't much longer before we stopped, standing at the banks of the body of water Scar had mentioned. It was bigger than the watering hole and I wasn't sure how I hadn't taken notice of it before, or why this particular lake wasn't mentioned to me before. The waters were still, only a few gentle laps of the water against the banks. Scattered in the water were several logs and other debris that appeared to be floating. To me, that seemed a bit suspicious, but then everything about this game sounded suspicious. Scar gasped a little bit "Oh dear, how unfortunate. It seems I have forgotten some important duties to attend to. Forgive me princess, I shall miss the start of your progress, but rest assured I will return to see your triumphant finale!" He stroked under my chin as if to comfort me, even though my expression hadn't changed from the blank slate it was when we were walking to the destination. "I am trusting you three to make sure that she completes these tasks and you will report it to me?" All the hyenas nodded.

"Yeah, you can count on us, boss." Shenzi replied, glancing back at me for a second as she grinned.

He smiled and nodded "Wonderful. Guide her through the challenges well. I shall return in time to see the end." He looked to me with the best caring smile he could muster, even with those emerald hued eyes not dropping any intensity from them. "I promise." He purred, as if saying that would lift my spirits.

Shenzi replied again, cackling just before she spoke "Oh we'll make sure you're able to see her at the end, don't worry." The other two joined in with her laughter, though for them it was quite reserved. With that, Scar nodded and exited, leaving me, the hyena trio and a lake to cross.

Once they knew Scar was out of earshot, the three of them surrounded me, not unlike in the dreams I'd had involving them. With Shenzi stepping forward, trying to control her little bouts of giggles, she grinned at me, exposing her teeth "Good to see you again, little kitty." She teased, "It looks like you're alone with us this time." They formed a menacing arc in front of me this time, all of them with their eyes fixed on my position. "What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" She started cackling again, the other two joining in. She looked to them, nodding whilst she laughed "Because she's a cat, hah!" She explained, sending the trio into another bout of giggles. "Okay, okay, I got another one." She snickered, clearing her throat to compose herself "Kid, I ain't lion when I say you'll need our help!" All three of them went into uproarious laughter, taking a while to calm down before Shenzi returned to a smirk. "See, if it weren't for Scar, we'd want to turn you into a…a cub salad." She snickered, joined by her allies. "But because we are with Scar, we will help you like he asked. We'll make sure Scar gets to see you at the…" she was snorting with laughter before she even finished, blurting it out only to giggle once more, "mane event! We'll help you get to the mane event, right guys?" She looked to them, all three unable to stop themselves almost rolling on the floor they found it so funny.

With this taking place, they still had me wary, but I didn't feel as threatened by them when it seemed like they were so focused on making jokes. It appeared when they weren't crazed by hunger, they were a little less bloodthirsty. I turned away from them to look at the lake, able to see the other side wasn't too far, but it would likely require me to keep my balance and leap across onto whichever debris could support me. "Wait, where is the second task starting, if the first starts here?" I asked, finally taking down the volume of the trio.

"The other side of the lake." Banzai declared, Shenzi agreeing with him. I raised a brow.

"Doesn't that mean you all have to cross the lake as well?" I queried, earning some confused frowns from the three of them.

Banzai looked from side to side and was about to speak before Shenzi beat him to it "Oh…it looks like we do." Their smirks dropped from their faces and I could feel the concern but didn't spend enough time thinking why.

Instead, I edged closer to the water, seeing a floating log that looked like it would support my weight. The main question would be if I could balance on it. "In that case, you can follow me and then we'll all get across, okay?" They all nodded, looking somewhat serious. As I looked back again, making sure I could pick out a decent path, I could hear some indistinct chatter coming from the hyenas who were assigned to me. I couldn't hear any of it, but I got the feeling that there was a hint of negativity and even worry. I decided not to interrupt, having found a suitable crossing that should have made it relatively easy. "Shenzi." She came to my side, reminding me of how I was still pretty small, even if I had been growing fast. "I think I have a path, but you'll have to wait for me to say before you follow me, okay?" I got the confirmation she understood with a nod.

Seeing my first 'base', I prepared myself for the jump, getting into position, which made my company giggle. I paid no mind to it, instead focusing on the leap. I pushed off with my legs to land on the log. It bobbed a bit, but didn't start tilting, which was good for my balance. There was a rock just about jutting out of the water, giving me my next place to hold onto. I let my claws out and hopped onto it, looking back to Shenzi and the others. "Okay, be careful getting onto it, but that log seems fairly stable."

They debated amongst themselves who should go first, pushing Banzai to the edge where he reacted by jumping onto the log, looking around with a face full of fear. With some careful movements, all three of them found themselves on the same place, making me chuckle a little bit. There was no way all three of them should have been on there at once. I shook my head and just watched as they struggled to keep balance on the floating debris.

It was lucky there was another log, which was an easy jump from the rock I was balanced on. It seemed much larger than the log before it. After that, there was another rock that I could jump to straight away, making this whole crossing seem rather straight forward. "Just wait until I get to that rock." I pointed to the hyenas, getting a nod of approval, even if they did look worried still. With that step planned, I leapt onto the larger log and was surprised to notice that it barely even moved and felt sturdy under my paws. That meant I didn't have to waste time before jumping to the next rock, where I climbed up, getting a good vantage point. I really wasn't far from crossing it. "Okay, you should be fine once you get onto this log. It's large and wont move so much." I instructed them, smiling. I figured the water was maybe shallower at that part. For the most part, the trio didn't struggle to get to it, even smiling when they realised I was right about their platform's sturdy nature.

Shenzi even felt calm enough to try making another joke "Hey, the kid wasn't lion to us." She snickered and Ed joined in. Banzai didn't join in though and soon, Shenzi looked to him "Ya not get the joke?" She questioned, though he didn't even look to her, just looking a bit further away at the water. I could feel my stomach sinking.

Banzai poked Shenzi "Hey Shenzi, do logs swim?" He asked. I tilted my head at the question, frowning as I tried to work out why I felt so uneasy at that moment. Then, out the corner of my eye I could see some movement. It flowed with the water at a slow, but deliberate speed. When I turned to look at it, the object moving looked like it was another log. For a second, I thought that was strange, there was no wind to be pushing the log towards them. I looked closer to see the small waves flowing behind the log, and that was when I realised; that log was actually a crocodile and it was headed straight for them.

Before anything, I called to them "Quick, this way!" My urgency woke them up, all four of us scrambling as fast as we could to get across the lake and to the safety of the banks, seeing as our end goal had banks that were raised some. It wasn't too long before I reached safety of the banks, Shenzi and Ed reaching land with me soon after. However, it looked as though Banzai was struggling and couldn't get onto the rock properly, leaving him on the same place as before. Seeing their friend in danger, the two others froze, just watching as the crocodile continued making its slow advance. It had revealed itself to the lone hyena, who had also frozen, seeming to have given up hope.

I took a deep breath and leapt from rock to rock, not wasting time as I got to the one closest to Banzai "Quick, you have to jump!" I shouted, even stretching out one paw as if it would help. Banzai shook himself free of his frozen state, but didn't appear confident to make the jump, so remained there, hesitating as his death stalked closer. I looked to see how much closer it was, only to see it had disappeared under the water. My heart was racing as I knew I was also at risk. I wasn't too far from the water. I scanned around, but saw nothing. "Just jump!" I yelled, sounding worried as well.

Our luck was not about to change though. Just as he was about to go for the jump, the log he was on started to move, like it was alive. "It's another one, jump Banzai!" Shenzi called out to him, though this new development had just left him frozen in place again, too scared to make a move.

Without another thought, I jumped down to join Banzai on top of the crocodile as it was starting to wriggle a little bit, attempting to get us off. Seeing Banzai wasn't going to move, I took action and sunk my teeth into his tail, tugging it hard. The hyena yelped and jolted into life, leaping away so fast he was nearly at the banks by the time I steadied myself to evacuate from the croc's back. As I got to the rock, I felt a rush of air go by me as well as hearing a sort of hiss accompanied by a splash. I took a quick look back to see the first croc had attempted to catch me in its jaws. It would have succeeded if I hadn't jumped when I did. It was piled on top of the second one, both of them aggressively moving, trying to manoeuvre enough to reach for me again. That was all the motivation I needed to get moving again, making it to dry land, though I kept running beyond just to make sure I was safe from the reptiles. The hyenas didn't wait to start following me, agreeing in silence, escape was a good idea.

After pushing ahead for another minute, I came to a stop and just fell down onto my front paws, huffing and puffing, trying to catch some breath as my heart was still racing. The adrenaline coursed through my body so much I struggled to close my eyes. I could hear the others nearby, panting as they recovered, all of us having gotten very lucky to escape.

Whilst staring at the ground, I saw Shenzi's paws beside mine, though she stood above me, "You saved Banzai…why did you do that?" She asked, sounding grateful, but as the question suggested, she was surprised to see her friend alive.

"He needed help." I panted, keeping my head low as I tried to recover. "I wasn't going to watch and wait." I finished, closing my eyes as if it was going to help stem the adrenaline flow I had.

Shenzi didn't move, continuing to engage in conversation with me, "I just didn't see a lion helping a hyena happening. Thank you." She sounded genuine, for once no jokes, no cruel nature, just someone who was grateful for her friend's life. She took a few steps away, getting back to the other two, where they were speaking to each other. I thought for a moment I could hear tearful words, but I was mistaken as they were just whispering again, a few small chuckles coming from them, but nothing excessive.

I lifted my head a moment later, standing up and turning around. My expression had shifted. I was angry. I growled at the in the most intimidating way I could manage. They perked their ears and looked at me, a but confused, though they still tried to hold back some laughter. "You knew what was in that lake, didn't you?" I asked, getting my claws out as I raked them on the ground, stepping closer. Even if I wasn't scary to look at, my single-minded intent with my movement was enough to unsettle them a little bit. "Well?" I snapped. Scar's words repeating in my head; cross the lake in 'one piece'.

Shenzi hesitated, but answered all the same. "We knew there were crocs, but we didn't know they would attack. They look so still all the time I've seen them. How were we supposed to know they would start trying to turn us into their meal?" She tried to reason, but because of what happened just minutes before, she couldn't hide her guilt from me. "We had to cross the lake too!" She argued, a whiny tone coming from her.

I shook my head "Not good enough." My glare remained on her, feeling nothing but anger, "You should have told me. I never would have done it if I knew there were crocodiles in that lake! We nearly died. Your friend nearly died! None of that would have happened if you weren't so stupid and actually told me the danger I was throwing myself into." I stomped a paw down in fury. It must have been odd for them, being scorned by a child, but the anger I was throwing at them did wonders to make them all feel uncomfortable in one way or another.

Despite seeing red, I tried to think of what Sarabi would tell me, attempting to calm myself. I exhaled slowly before opening my eyes to them again. "Does the next 'game' require me to escape death?" I asked, still giving them a stern look, though I lowered my voice. I realised staying aggressive towards them might lead them to turn on me, and seeing as they were all bigger, I would have preferred my chances with the crocodiles.

They didn't answer me for a moment, then Shenzi started speaking up, "The next part…shouldn't be dangerous, but-"

I cut them off, shaking my head again "No. You are going to tell Scar that I won the second part as well, okay? I am not going to die for some stupid games that were designed to scare me or put me in danger. What about the last part of it?" I raised a brow, still talking to them in a less than friendly tone. Although I was trying to be as civil as I could with them, I struggled not to just start shouting at them again to vent my frustration.

This time Banzai answered, "NO! No, third part isn't dangerous."

"But Scar told us we can't help you out on that part, so you're on your own when we get there." Shenzi added, standing firm on her answer.

My sigh broke the momentary silence, looking up to frown at them again "Fine, but if Scar finds that I've been hurt because of you, then it wouldn't be good, but imagine if I told Sarabi. It'd be unlikely you'd survive." I warned, though they didn't seem as affected by that as I had hoped. This warning caused me shoot them a dark smile, knowing I'd backed them into a corner.

Given a moment to myself, I felt like I wanted to cry, but knew I couldn't show that in front of those three. My emotions were running high, having just escaped death and then I had delivered a stern telling off to those who knew the danger I was going to face. It just didn't seem fair. I didn't ask for these situations to keep happening to me. I forced myself to cut out of a near emotional breakdown. "Where do I start for this last part?" I asked. Shenzi gestured for me to follow, with the other to walking behind me. There still seemed to be some chatter and eye contact between them. It didn't go unnoticed, but I couldn't work out what it was for and doubted they would tell me.

After a short walk, we stopped. "You were supposed to start here." She patted the ground where we stood. "You're supposed to find something. Scar actually knows where it is and will see when you find it." She looked around "But you didn't hear that from me. Just look surprised." Shenzi growled a little bit, making me aware she was putting herself at risk of Scar's fury.

I was still a little surprised how helpful she was willing to be, and with no jokes at my expense. She maintained a serious demeanour since escaping the jaws of death. "For this part, Scar actually wanted you to sneak through whilst you searched. We would be the ones to sneak past, but obviously now we owe you, so we won't get in your way." She explained, watching me as I nodded. "Just pretend you snuck past us. I think Scar wanted you to get there using your nose or something. It's nothing to hard to sniff out." She continued to explain, her eyes looking into mine as she kept her serious side going.

They started to scatter out into taller grass, Shenzi giving one more bit of information, "We'll go where Scar expects us, so all you gotta do is find the thing." And with that, they disappeared from sight, a few small giggles came and faded as they got further away.

Making it to the final part made me feel nervous. Scar emphasised how it would be something I would remember. After what happened at the lake, I wasn't sure it would be a good type of remembering. I put my reservations to the back of my mind, focusing on tracking by scent, trying to remember everything Sarabi had been teaching me. I still wasn't fantastic at it, but I was leagues better than when I first started. I took in small sniffs, trying to find anything I could pick up on. Shenzi told me it wasn't difficult to find, so I figured it wouldn't be too long before I noticed something. I lowered my head to see if the smell would be closer to the ground.

It didn't take long before I caught on to something, my paws moving automatically in the direction I had picked it up from. I lifted my head up to see if there were any visual cues, but to no avail. The more I followed it, the stronger the scent became, meaning I could work out what the smell was. Once I got closer, I felt my heart sink a little bit, painful memories rushing back to me. It was blood. The smell was blood. "Of course it's blood." I sighed to myself, finding it hard to motivate myself to look for more blood. I just prayed I wouldn't be looking for a dead body in this search. The thought of it was making me anxious, my breathing speeding up as I was starting to panic.

That's when it hit me. I was panicking in the middle of a place that had the potential to have a lot of predators that could defeat me with ease. To add to that, I was all alone out there. I didn't know if anyone knew where I was other than the three hyenas. As my breathing got worse, I had tears coming to my eyes, unable to stop them as I was worrying about my situation more and more by the second.

The panic attack didn't last long though, as I calmed myself the instant I heard something. It forced me to be quiet, hoping to hear the sound again and just wishing it wasn't something dangerous. It took a few breaths, but soon I was steady, although still not fully calm. My ears remained perked, listening out for that noise. I heard it again, but this time I could listen to it properly. The sound wasn't something threatening. It sounded pained. It sounded weak. My eyes widened as I realised this was what Scar expected me to find. My nose was able to pick up the scent again, and this time I followed it at a quicker pace, not wanting to waste time. At one point, I felt my paw step in something damp. I looked to see a small spot of blood on my paw from where I had stepped. I looked ahead to see the blood started a trail for me to follow. I dashed ahead, continuing to follow the spots of blood. As I ran, I could hear the pained whine again. Even though I was closer, it was weaker than before. This change in strength worried me further, sending me into a full sprint.

I stopped when I saw the source of the noise. It was a cheetah cub. It looked like it was around the age my body was supposed to be. Its fur was dirty and unkempt; it had a wound on its shoulder, very close to its neck. Even though this cub was sobbing, she was barely conscious.

I rushed over to her, not realising I'd managed to get a decent amount of blood on my fur. "Stay awake. Hey, hey, stay awake." I tried to get her attention, giving a small nudge to help. Observing the wound, it wasn't huge, but it was letting blood out to stain the cub's fur and start to reach the ground. It wasn't clear how long she had been there, or how long she had been injured for, but I figured that Scar would have something to do with this. I held my rage back as I continued to assess the situation. I pressed one of my paws just underneath where its left leg started, checking its pulse. I took my paw off as soon as I realised how fast the heart was beating.

I gritted my teeth for a moment and pulled at the cub's lips, checking the gums to see they were pale. I acted fast, opening her mouth some, even if I did find it difficult without opposable thumbs. I looked around in desperation, searching for anything I could use to help, but to no avail. I couldn't see anything to help support the cub. I was hoping that because the wound wasn't substantial, the cub could survive it. My work wasn't done though.

I moved around to press a paw to the wound. The constant blood flow allowing me to watch as my paw was being soaked in the blood before long. I switched to my other paw, but noticed that the young animal's body was starting to get colder. I clambered on top of the cub, pressing my body to it whilst a paw of mine reached over to press against the wound, attempting to stem it. I was hoping my body temperature would assist in healing them. Sobbing a little bit, I knew there wasn't much more that I could do.

The cub shivered under me as I wept "Please don't. Just stay with me. Just hang in there, please." I squeaked, clutching at the young cheetah a little tighter. The smell of blood was overpowering the immediate area, worrying me that we might attract some unwanted guests, even if the Pridelands was losing its members since Scar's ascension, for more than one reason. The very thought of that king was making my skin crawl and my blood boil. If he was responsible for the injuries this cub had, then I was going to lose my mind in front of him, regardless of the consequence.

A stray thought came to me as I laid there, keeping the cub warm; was her mother looking for her? If she was and found me, would she be kind? I doubted it, so it just added to my growing list of worries. Minutes passed with me like this, but I could soon hear voices and steps approaching. They weren't going slow and before long I could tell who they belonged to. The first belonged to Scar, but the second voice belonged to Sarabi. I could tell from their steps that they were rushing over to me.

Once they were in view, I called out to them, though Scar already knew. "Help!" I yelled, bringing the lioness towards me, only stopping once she was at my side. Scar walked in a few moments later, both of them inspecting the situation.

"Tishala, get off that poor child!" I was scolded, not by Scar, but by Sarabi. I looked up to her, shocked to see she had a stern expression on her face, as if I had done something awful.

I refused, staying put as I felt the wound I was pressing to was throbbing less, the bleeding hopefully stopping. I couldn't be relieved though, hearing as Scar spoke "It appears we are too late, Sarabi. The princess has already caught the poor cub. She wouldn't listen to my reasoning." He complained, looking away as if the sight of me all bloodied like that was too much to bear, too disappointed to look at me. I frowned at him.

The frown was short-lived as I received a second helping of aggressive words from Sarabi "Why would you choose to hunt an innocent life?" She asked, her tone only increasing in harshness. I couldn't understand why she thought I was trying to kill this cub, but when I took a sideways glance at Scar, I worked it out.

My head shook as I finally responded "No, you don't understand, I-"

Sarabi wasn't in the mood to hear me talk, cutting me off "No. I don't think you understand, young lioness. This is not how we do things. This is abusing the circle of life. I will not stand for it."

Scar chipped in "Such a pity." He sighed, though I could tell he was loving this.

"No!" I shouted, closing my eyes to stop my tears of frustration coming out. "That's not what I'm doing. I'm helping her!" I argued, keeping my voice at the top of my volume range, having it crack a little as the tears were starting to overwhelm.

Sarabi calmed down enough to ask a question with her tone being a mixture of anger and confusion. "What do you mean? This isn't a promising look for you, covered in its blood." She sounded a little darker with that last statement.

I wiped my face with my free paw, removing the tears for the most part. Looking to Sarabi, I then glared in Scar's direction. I realised that he was trying to remove Sarabi's influence by breaking the bond we had been forming, "I mean that Scar has tricked you!" I cried out in defence, earning an intense gaze from the black maned lion. "I had to do this so that she didn't die. Please, believe me." I pleaded, bowing my head to her, waiting for her judgement whilst fending off Scar's rising anger that only grew more intense the longer he stared at me.

I looked up at Sarabi again, my eyes showing just how vulnerable and afraid I felt, even if I was telling the truth. I had to rely on her believing me, which was scary, not least because if I didn't have her support, I knew I wouldn't have the king's.

I bowed my head again as I spoke in a pleading tone, my voice shaking in fear of rejection, "Scar brought you here so you would think I attacked her."

A/N: Well what will happen now? Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, I don't own The Lion King. You know who does. Please, if you have anything you think about the chapter, or story in general, let me know with a review. They're super appreciated each time, quite often being helpful in some ways. Plus I love to see what you guys think. So, please please please leave a review, I'd love ya for it. See you next time.