Chapter 20- Different Expectations
I was taken from my sleep, the harsh sunlight forcing me to squint as I adjusted. I groaned and pressed against Simba some, "Sun is too bright. Simba help me, I just want to sleep more." I commented, earning a half-awake chuckle from the prince. "I'm not joking. Sleep is precious." I murmured, trying to bury my face down, hiding from the light. However, the prince didn't share the same view, standing up, and thus, robbing me of the opportunity to sleep. He added to this by nipping at one of my ears. My eyes had adjusted to the light enough that I looked up at him with a frown, "Well, that was rude." I was only met with a triumphant grin by Simba. "One day I'm going to do the opposite of what you ask of me. Then you won't be smiling." I huffed, though it was clear I would get over my small grump soon. I yawned and blinked a few times, psyching myself enough for standing up.
With great effort, I stood up, stretching out to try and wake my body up. As I was doing this, Simba thought it appropriate to lean down and rub our cheeks together, purring in my face. Even whilst waking up, I couldn't resist returning the favour, both of our smiles evident. "There, that wasn't so difficult, was it?" He asked, snickering at the effort I had to put in just to wake up. If there was one thing I would want in this world, it was a coffee for the mornings where I just struggle. I shot Simba a look that suggested a sarcastic comment was heading his way, "We slept for so long, I don't know how you could sleep anymore!" He exclaimed, still smiling. Once the stretching was done, I sat back and started grooming myself, smoothing out my fur to a point I was happy. After all, I did have a lion to look good for. Whilst grooming, I paid a thought to what happened. It was nothing that made me uncomfortable, which in itself made me feel confused. It didn't feel wrong to like him the way I did. Looking at him as he groomed himself, albeit with less diligence, I couldn't help but start smiling at him. It wasn't even like it was his looks that were making me smile. Looking at Simba, it brought all memories I'd made with him, the positive, but also the negative. The negative memories often led to some of the better ones, finding our bond would grow after reconciling. We knew we would disagree, but we could work on those. The prince noticed I had been staring and raised a brow, purring again, "What're you looking at?" He asked.
A few steps. That was all it took before I closed the distance between us, matching his look with my own version. I purred out my response, letting my tail flick at his nose as I passed him, "I was just looking at you. You're so pretty." I giggled the last bit, throwing him off with a comment that suggested he was feminine. "No, I was just looking at you and thinking how crazy it all is." I looked up to the sky as I spoke, thinking about all that had unfolded, in particular with the previous night.
"I know. It was all a bit crazy. I'm glad though." He started, standing by my side again, "Sometimes we need a bit of crazy. I dreamt about my father last night, but it was different. It wasn't a bad dream. I guess all I needed was someone to push me into doing something I was afraid to do." He paused, sighing, "I'm still afraid. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon." My response was to press up against him, for once resting my head atop his.
The purrs rumbling from me were in attempt to calm him before he started worrying, "It doesn't need to change. Not yet. If you weren't afraid, I'd be more concerned. You can be as afraid as you like. I'm always going to be there when you're scared, cheering you on to push through that fear." I took the liberty of dragging my tongue over one of his ears, prompting him to purr, any tension he had, released. "Just don't be too afraid to talk to me about it. I want to help you, even if it is just by listening to you." I hummed, licking again. "It was a crazy night to be honest. I didn't think I'd get through to you at all. I guess I was scared too. I was scared you wouldn't want to even look at me. Part of me wouldn't have blamed you. I'm glad I pushed through the though. We wouldn't have spent a night under the stars otherwise." My last comment caused Simba to lift his head, so we were eye level with each other, both holding warm smiles. "It might have been the best I've slept since arriving here." I suggested, causing Simba to chuckle, nodding in agreement, "I didn't even wake up once!"
Simba was still nodding when he started, "It's a miracle. You wriggle so much when you're asleep, it's no wonder you wake up." He teased, earning a small bat from a paw at him. He dodged it just in time, forcing me to try leaping at him. I missed, but only because I lost my footing as I pushed off the ground. He laughed at me, his growing mane flopping as he couldn't keep himself still, "You really need to practice your pouncing. You weren't taught by the master, like me." He pressed a paw to his chest, pride bursting from him. It was apt that his pride was his fall as I bundled into him, pressing him onto his back, grinning as our noses pressed, "I let you have that one." He insisted as I got off him, letting the young lion stand up. Once we calmed down, Simba spoke up, "So, shall we go?" He gestured for me to follow, though I was by his side soon enough as we started walking away from the meadow we'd spent the night in.
Sunlight faded a little as we got into the jungle, the treetops keeping most of the rays out, save for a few spots. "I assume that by 'go', you mean we are going to find Timon and Pumbaa, right, so we can tell them our plan?" I asked, looking to him as I waited for a response. He turned his head, keeping half an eye on me.
"Yeah, we're going to tell them everything. That's the only way they'll understand, right? I need to be honest with them. I've hidden it all from them. I know Timon said they don't need to hear about it, but now I've told you, it's the right thing to do, isn't it?" He looked to me, as if I had the answers for him. The surprise in my face told him that it was only his decision. "Right, sorry, I just...usually you seem to have an answer to a lot of things. I've gotten used to you responding. I know it's the right thing to do. I just hope they don't see me in a different way." He sighed, pressing on, with me by his side.
It didn't take long for me to respond to the last part, perking up for his benefit, "Don't be silly. Those two love you. They took you in, looked after you, they raised you as best as they could. They're not going to think any different of you when you tell them you're a king. Now, if you went and told them you're a rhino, they may be a little surprised, but they would still try to support you, I'm sure of it...you weirdo." I snickered. He joined in the laughter, his tail flicking against mine as we shared the humour.
He slowed his laughter, "I suppose you're right. They have been amazing to me. They like you too, y'know? They're just...well, I was the first they had to look after. Besides, you're a lioness, I think they know more about being...not a lioness." He chuckled, trying to word it in a delicate manner, although I didn't feel it was needed. "They could still just be guys with me." He added, shrugging. "With you, they think they have to be different." He continued to struggle, much to my amusement. A moment later, he realised I was just letting him continue for my own laughs, "You know, it would have been nice for you to say I could stop talking. I don't know how to word it." He huffed, a challenging smile growing on his face as he saw the funny side.
The smirk didn't leave my face as I responded, "Why would I stop when I get to see your cute face do loops because you don't know what to say? I love seeing you tongue tied like that. So sweet." I teased, pressing my head to his, my eyes closing as we embraced again. I hoped he had his eyes open, because we were still making our way back.
Just about the one thing I didn't think would happen. The one thing I thought we would be spared of. We didn't. "Aha! There you two are! What's wrong with ya? Pumbaa and I have been bustin' our butts off lookin' for ya! Do you know how long we looked for?" Timon asked, coming into view when I opened my eyes. "Look at the bags under my eyes and that tells you how long we looked for. Young lions, we were told you would be back. We believed you, and we paid the price of our sleep. Poor Pumbaa can't close his eyes!" The meerkat gestured to his friend, but when we looked over, Pumbaa was face down in a hollowed log, his snoring echoing from it. "Traitor." Timon mumbled. "I still wanna know. Simba, buddy, ya gotta let me know where you're gonna be if you're gone for that long. We even checked Tishala's tree. Nothing. It was like you vanished." He explained.
I stepped in with a small frown, "You're not my parents, you know." I huffed, earning a mild hurt expression from Timon. That look hit me, knowing I'd maybe gone too far there. "Anyway, we need to tell you something. Simba and I have planned-" Timon wasn't interested in what I had to say, cutting me off before I could finish.
"I might not be your parent, Tishala, but you can bet Pumbaa and I have been lookin' out for your hide since you got here. Just remember that." He chided, succeeding in making me feel bad, in large part because of what I had said to him. "Simba, where were you two?"
Simba had stayed out of the conflict, but when the question was asked of him, he didn't waste time in complying, "We were in one of the meadows. We were talking for a while and just ended up falling asleep there. Sorry, Timon. We didn't think we would stay there until we were there, so how could we tell you?" he asked, catching the meerkat by surprise, "I think we had such a long day and that talk was just the last straw. Timon you should have seen those stars like I did. I looked into them, watching them twinkle. Some of the most beautiful stars I've ever seen. I almost got lost looking at them!" He cheered in the end, the warmth in his voice growing. I could tell he was talking about my eyes, not the stars. To me, it wasn't that subtle. To Timon, who had no idea what happened, it was confusing.
Timon stared up at Simba with a brow cocked, "Those sure are some great stars, pal." He spoke as if he was trying not to upset the lion, but thinking his description was odd, to say the least. He looked to me, "You know anything about his new love for stars?" He asked, hoping for a normal response.
It was hard for me not to chuckle, looking to Simba with a smile, "Simba, I think you need to do some explaining." I put myself against him so that his head rested atop mine, both of us looking at Timon, whose expression shifted more with every second that passed afterwards. As if by magic, Pumbaa had lifted his head at that moment to see Simba and I in embrace. He trotted forwards with a surprised look, but a smile coming through it.
Nuzzling me for a moment longer, Simba spoke to his friends, "So, last night was pretty crazy when we got to speaking. Uhm, we got to talking to each other about feelings, and, well, feeling about each other..." He chuckled, the nervous energy starting to get to me as their expressions didn't change at first, "So, feelings...and talking. Uhm, we found out that we both like each other. We like each other, but as more than friends. Tish is gonna say that it's something that we have to work on, but I already know it's going to be great. So, Timon, Pumbaa, since last night, Tishala and I, we're together." He looked down at me for a second, "But we aren't putting too much on it yet. We're just seeing how it goes...going with the flow...yeah." He seemed to assure himself. I could have taken the chance to start joking at his expense but knew I wouldn't be able to word it any better than he did. Instead, after he finished, he and I showed our affection in front of them. I felt conscious of who was watching, but I thought again about how I didn't feel like what I was doing was wrong. It just felt nice to be held close like that. Once we stopped, both of us looked to our audience, seeing there had been little change. For all the joking Timon had made, it seemed as if he didn't think this was real. "Uh, guys?" Simba tried to wake them from their stupor.
Pumbaa was the first to respond, sounding a little unsure, which I assumed was still down to the surprise of it, "Well, it's great that you two are happy with each other. I don't know how I missed it happening. You were always in front of us. Either way, I'm happy for both of you." The warthog shot me a small wink, extra congratulations to me, as he and I had spent plenty of time together.
Not long after we gave a thankful look to Pumbaa, Timon woke up, "Not see it?" He looked back to his buddy for a second, "How could ya not see it? Why, Pumbaa, it's been in front of us the whole time. I'm tellin' ya, I saw this from the start!" He declared, pointing at us with a smile that looked forced. I could see he was breathing faster, trying to process this all. Pumbaa just let his friend play out the theatrics. It was best to let him get it out of his system, "It was obvious. The way even yesterday, Tishala got all worked up, you could see why she got worked up. She really did want some alone time with our boy." His brows waggled as he nudged Pumbaa with an elbow.
My brow raised as I decided to test him, knowing he was settling with the knowledge, "Are you sure it wasn't just coincidence?" I purred.
Shaking his head, the meerkat responded, "No way, missy. I knew you were in looove with our boy since ya got here. It looks like I saw it the first out of everybody." He folded his arms in victory.
"Hmm, so that means we're allowed to go off together again?" I asked, grinning.
"Not a chance. Now we know what you're up to, we're on you two like a hawk." He buffed, trying to play the role of a militant, strict parent.
Simba and I snickered at that, looking to each other before agreeing with a nod on what I would say next, "You're gonna watch us all the time/" He nodded, "Even when we're in a romantic place like the meadows?" I smirked down at him, watching the meerkat attempt to resist.
Moments later, he relented, "No. No going to meadows for romance. I will not be looking at you two-" I decided it was appropriate to cut in before he could say anymore.
"Watch the stars together. That's all we'd want to do. Fall asleep in each other's embrace. You won't let us do that? You do want us to be happy, don't you?" I teased, making Timon frown.
He looked to Simba and huffed, speaking through gritted teeth, "No. I would never do anything to make either of you upset. I hope you two have a relationship that lasts forever." He grated, having been forced into the corner. I knew he would take some time to get used to Simba and I being together. I shot him my own victory smile, to which he surprised me and smiled back, suggesting he was more okay than he led on. For once, one of our back and forth verbal battles were in good humour, for the most part.
I looked up to Simba with a smile, starting to speak, "So, as I was trying to say before we had to announce...us. Simba and I have a plan, but to understand this plan, Simba has a lot to tell you. So, I'm going to let him tell you some more things about him."
Timon started laughing, waving at me as if to dismiss, "Tishala, we know everything there is to know about Simba. If you're sitting him down to tell us about himself, don't waste your time and let's hear the plan." He chuckled, looking to Pumbaa, "Pfft, imagine that, us not knowing about Simba." He snorted, tapping his buddy on the side as the two shared laughter at the prospect. Simba and I shared a knowing look at each other, understanding what they didn't know. It was about to change a lot of things for them. "Okay, we're ready. We'll try to make our surprise convincing." Timon added.
Simba started out, telling them about where he was born, who his parents were, and what the place was like. Then, he revealed that he was in fact the son of a lion king. He knew they didn't need help working out what that meant about him. He was the future king. Before he could have anymore questions, he continued, mentioning friends that he had, how he had been learning to be a king through his father but also Zazu's teachings. In truth, some of the details he went into, I wasn't aware of. I didn't know Zazu had taught him similar lessons to the ones I had pried from the bird when stuck in the den, bored out of my mind. He got to my arrival, speaking with a fondness in his tone of our first interactions. Neither of us knew at the time what would happen, not just between us, but in general. I could see Timon and Pumbaa listening, but the meerkat seemed to be getting impatient, wanting to know the point of Simba revealing all of this. Our eyes met for a moment, and without a word, he understood I wanted him to keep quiet, going back to paying attention to Simba. He described to the two of them what happened, and how he ended up being in their care. Pumbaa's face showed horror at the point where Simba talked about the death of his father. I could feel the emotion from him, doing my best to keep his emotions in check, knowing he could let it all out once he was done. He seemed to appreciate that, returning small pockets of affection whenever I did the same for him. Once he had finished, he waited for his friends to let the information sink in before they gave a reaction to it. I knew Simba's past, but when he told me what happened the day he was said to have died, I was shocked, so I knew the other two may need a moment longer.
Thinking ahead, I decided to let them know the plan we had, "Because of all that you've heard, Simba and I want to go back, get his uncle, Scar, off the throne and have Simba rule as king." I was about to say more when I saw Timon raise a hand to stop me, both he and Pumbaa looking at Simba, like they were hurt by the suggestion of the plan.
Pumbaa started, "So, you just want to go? Just like that? We're sorry if we haven't been the best at looking after you. We tried our best." He explained, causing me to feel sad. I hadn't thought about them responding like this. "I understand though, wanting to be with other lions. I just wish I knew how much time we had left so that I could make sure to be the best to you, we could be, right Timon?" Pumbaa sighed in defeat, waiting for his friend to agree with him. Seeing him upset was not fun.
Timon sighed as well, shaking his head in a slow manner before looking to me, the anger rising within, "You. It was your plan all along wasn't it? Now that the two of you are together, you just want to go off to other lions and just do what lions do, eh?" I knew he was only upset about things changing, but when he accused me, it hurt. I did my best to hold back any tears, staring at him with a blank expression. He turned his attention to Simba, the hurt clear in his face, "And you," he pointed, "after everything we've done for you. The moment you found yourself a girl, you decide to ditch your pals to go to a land where it sounds like the guy wants to kill you. I will never understand." He sighed again. "It's normal I suppose. You'll forget us before too long, and then the next time we meet, the last thing I'll see is those sharp teeth coming down to end my life. In the corner of my eye I would be able to see Tishala taking a bit out of Pumbaa at the same time. Carnivores. Never cared about us anyway." He looked at me before looking away. That hurt even more, but I didn't want to protest, realising this would have been a lot to take in. Simba didn't seem affected by Timon's speech. I looked at Pumbaa and it suggested he didn't disagree with Timon. I pictured the scene Timon painted with his words, uncomfortable with the thought of having those two as our prey. For all my clashes with him, I still cared about Timon.
"Actually guys, I haven't told Tish this yet, but I don't want to leave you behind. You're family, like it or not." Simba beamed at them. I raised a brow, looking at him with surprise, but when our eyes met, I calmed down, agreeing it was the best idea for him. It may not have been a safe plan with those two with us, but it would be good to have their support, hopefully reversing Timon's bleak outlook on lion behaviour towards his kind. "It wouldn't feel right for me to go back home without family. I'm scared of going back. Everything will be different. Everyone I know will have changed in some way, so I don't think if I didn't have any of you, id be able to do this. I need your support as well, otherwise I'm never going to feel right about doing this. I know it's scary, but I don't feel as scared with you." He padded forwards to hug them, all three holding onto each other tight, their eyes closed. I sat aside, letting them have their moment, just smiling at the trio. I wanted to let a few tears out, but I was pretty much dried up at that point.
The hug lasted for a few minutes, the silence weighing on me as I waited to continue with what we were saying. Smacking my lips together a couple of times, I spoke up, "So, I guess that means you guys are coming along. In that case, I'll do what I can to make sure you guys don't get too close to the jaws of other lions, okay? That's my promise to you." I smiled, attempting to make amends for the fact we were going to be going on a dangerous adventure. The three of them broke apart and all looked to me. "I'll go over the plan one more time, okay?" They nodded, "So, we will head back to the Pridelands through the desert. I don't know any other way back, so if anyone knows a better route, I would appreciate that. The desert is hot and nasty to be in." I frowned at the thought of that place. I wasn't a fan of it during the night, let alone when it would be at blistering temperatures during the day. "Timon, I think it would be best if you dealt with any scorpions, seeing as you can do that anyway. Thanks." I shot him a smile as I assigned him a role. "It'll take about a day to get to the edge of the Pridelands, maybe a bit less now we're travelling together, but it's going to be a long walk. Eat up beforehand because there won't be any rest stops." I looked around to see if there was any protest. To my relief, there wasn't, so I continued, "When we get there, it is important we stay hidden as best we can. We'll need to keep to the edges if we can. However, Simba and I will try and contact the major-domo. We aren't sure how we're gonna do that yet, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it. We think that Zazu will know where to find another pride of lions who will be able to help us, because let's face it, there's not a lot we could do against Scar and an army of hyenas. I have a pride of lions in mind, so if Zazu knows where they live, we will go there. I don't know how far away it is, but be prepared for a long walk, okay?" They nodded. "After we make it there, we can explain our situation to their king, and ask for help in overthrowing Scar. That should be quite an easy part, because I got the feeling that they already liked me, except for their grumpy prince." I explained. "If we get their help, then it would be enough to overpower Scar, because the lionesses in the Pridelands will side with us...at least I think they will." I finished, looking to all of them with a confident smile. Something about explaining the plan felt good.
I wasn't surprised to see Timon be the one to start speaking first, all eyes on him, "As much thought as you seem to have put into this, I can't help but notice the amount of things you're hoping are going to be working in your favour. You don't know that the lionesses will side with you, hence they might want to grab a snack of meerkat and warthog. That problem aside, you don't have a backup plan if the bird doesn't know where these other lions are. If we do that, then we're stranded in a land where we're pretty sure the king wants you dead the moment he sees you. Finally, you're assuming that this other pride of lions will just help you? Your youth hurts you, Tishala. Places like that don't just help. For all we know, his kingliness has already been planning the downfall of Simba's uncle. So, if you came along with the real heir, then all you're doing is giving him an easier way to get that land. Now, I'm no tactician, but to me, that seems like a lousy plan. Just because those lions like you, it doesn't mean it's safe for us, and safe for your plan to work." Timon argued, though he wasn't being abrasive about his points, instead trying to reason in a calm manner. It was refreshing to hear from him, although the points were still negative. Simba looked as if he wanted to defend the plan we came up with, but didn't want to stop Timon, "You also might wanna think of how you're gonna get the bird's attention. It just seems like we could waste a lot of time with ways that don't get us the bird we're lookin' for. You know what I mean?" He asked, looking to me with a cocked brow. Rather than sounding like he was angry or annoyed with me, he sounded like he was just looking out for us this time, making sure we didn't risk ourselves too much. I nodded at him, giving a response, even if it wasn't articulated.
"I understand your worries. I am relying on a lot working out for us, but I don't think we have the time to plan it any better than we have. Things will always be changing, and not for the better. When I left the Pridelands, things were starting to go bad there. I can only imagine things have gotten worse since I left. If Zazu doesn't know where the pride is, there are others we can go to. It's just that this one I have in mind is my first choice because of the positive impression I had. You're right, the king of those lands might be plotting, but I doubt it. He didn't seem like the kind of lion to act like that. If we meet him, you'll see." I assured, trying to bring their spirits up.
Pumbaa entered the conversation, "we could travel across the desert at night. As long as we're rested enough, we should be able to cross it fast enough. If it took you a whole night by yourself, then we can go through a night together. It shouldn't be a problem, right?" He smiled, watching as I nodded to him. I was glad he was on my side with the plan. "then how about we all get some rest and leave when the sun goes down?" He suggested, getting a nod from everyone, even the reluctant Timon. Pumbaa noticed his friend's trepidation about it and leaned in, "C'mon Timon, I know I'm gonna miss this place, but Simba needs us. He's our family. We go with our family, right?" He offered, prompting Timon to look back at him.
His expression softened after looking at his buddy for a few moments, sighing as he spoke, "Yeah, you're right, Pumbaa. Okay, we're coming. Simba, you're family and we'll help you get back the land that you want back. Tishala, you better keep that promise." He said with a spring in his step again, standing on top of Pumbaa's head. "Now come on, get some food, some sleep. We have a big night ahead of us all." He commanded, back to his old self. The two of them marched ahead, no doubt to consume as many grubs as possible before sleeping until sundown.
With them gone, Simba and I followed behind, walking at each other's sides, "So, I think that went pretty well." I commented, prompting both of us to laugh about it all.
"It was never going to be an easy conversation, but we did it. Let's just get ready, okay?" He smiled to me, leading me to nod at him, making our way to get food and then some more sleep. I was happy to be allowed more sleep. I knew I wouldn't be getting much once we had left.
The four of us set off, a hushed atmosphere as we all knew how dangerous this could be for everyone. We knew it could fail before it even got going, but we knew it was the right thing to do. Simba and I led Timon and Pumbaa, staying side by side. We were the ones who had done this journey before, so we would know which way to go, and if not, we believed that we would be able to follow the stars, as it were. Whilst I wasn't a fan of eating grubs, I knew I'd need it for a long journey such as the one we were undertaking. Once the sun had gone down fully, we noticed the temperature drop more, prompting the four of us to stay in a closer formation, hoping to keep each other warm. I would check in on everybody after an hour, making sure to do it again, just in case someone was struggling. After a few hours walking though, I knew we were all looking out for each other. When we could, we would be walking along the highest ridges of the dunes, all keeping an eye out for any dangers. Although we saw none, there were a couple of times we heard some sounds that we didn't want to investigate. Thinking about what I'd said to them about being unable to defend ourselves, I didn't know if it was accurate like I thought; Simba and I together could probably handle some of those who might think of attacking. We were both growing all the time, getting stronger. I thought he could take more hits than I could, but I was getting better. That knowledge made the journey less nervy for me. It also helped that I had done the journey before, so I knew we could make it, especially since we had prepared.
With the moment calm, I looked to Simba and spoke, "I'm sorry for taking you away from such a nice home. I wish we didn't have to...actually, if I'm wishing for things, then I wish to not eat grubs anymore." I stuck my tongue out, feigning disgust, making both of us laugh a little bit.
Shaking his head, Simba replied, "You don't need to be sorry. I'm nervous about going back, but I know that nowhere is ever going to be home if you're not there with me." He offered a kind smile to me.
All I could do in response was laugh at that, "Okay, Simba you're gonna need to tone down just how cringeworthy that was." I snorted as I continued laughing, paying no mind to the other two that would no doubt have heard that.
"Hey, I meant what I said." Simba defended, though he didn't look too upset with my reaction.
I stepped a little to the side to brush against him, my laughter calming, "I know, I just didn't realise you would be like that about it. I do appreciate the gesture though. Thank you." I beamed at him, forcing the other lion to return the smile, letting us resume walking as we were before. "So, now that we have the time and nothing else to do. What's it like?" I asked, prompting the prince to look at me with mild confusion. "Being back in the desert after all this time? How does it make you feel? You're here in different circumstances than last time, so I thought I'd ask." I explained, seeing a gradual change in Simba's expression as he thought of an answer.
His eyes wandered on the cooling desert sand before settling on me, "To be honest with you, it's different. When I went through here last time, I didn't really care about what was out here, if there was anywhere I could get to. I just kept running. The whole time I ran, all I could think of was my father. Just his lifeless face, limp body. Thinking about it now, it still isn't easy. I can see it clear as day if I just close my eyes. I don't think I stopped running through the desert. I ran the whole way because it stopped the pain I felt when I thought about my father, just a little bit. When my uncle told me to run away, I did just that. I didn't stop until the exhaustion all hit me. At that point, I didn't know I was right next to a lush jungle, where I would live. I didn't care. I had just lost the lion that meant the most to me in this world. He was my hero and I saw my own hero die. So, when I fell to the ground, I didn't want to get up. What was the point? If death can get the greatest lion I've known, why shouldn't I just let death get me sooner?" He let out a long sigh, a rueful smile on his face to mask the pain he felt just talking about it. "The craziest part about all of it is that once I started running...with that image in my head, I don't think the hyenas chasing me made a difference to what I was going to do. To me, it was like I hadn't been chased at all." He huffed, keeping his eyes on me, making sure to hold a softer expression in front of me, "I wasn't the only one who made it across though. What about you?"
My thoughts took a moment to hit the front, but I didn't waste time in answering, "I suppose it's different for me too. It wasn't like you. I wasn't in as traumatised a state as you. From what you told me; it sounds like you just ran without thought. I actually picked to go this way. I was scared like you, sure, but I chose this way. I can't explain why, but I was always drawn to this desert. When I had the chance to, I knew that was the way I wanted to leave." I cocked my head to the side with a smile as I thought further, "Also unlike you, I did worry about what else could be out here, but that's probably because I wasn't in a state of shock like you either. I kept thinking about the different predators that would be in the desert, see a cub like me and think how easy a catch I would be. They wouldn't be wrong either. I'm still not convinced I'd be much good in conflict. Other than a few lucky hits, I would be a goner." I chuckled, happy I wasn't in that situation this time. "I did stop at one point. Now, it's going to sound crazy, but when I stopped, I started talking to the stars, asking for help. You have to understand I didn't think I was going to make it through the desert, so I didn't know what else to do. For a while, there was no response, so I felt pretty stupid, so I was just going to go to sleep and accept any fate I had. I didn't know if I would wake up. The strangest thing happened after that. I thought I would go to sleep, but out of nowhere, this breeze comes and hits me, like it was trying to push me up. When I looked, I could see the wind flowing, like it was trying to guide me. I took that as the help I asked for and followed it." I finished, zoning back into the area to see that Simba was gazing at me, the adoration clear in his eyes. Even if I had gotten comfortable with him, I blushed then. "What?"
Our eyes held on each other's for a moment longer before he spoke up, "I don't mean to sound silly again, but it sounds like the great kings of the past led you to me." He suggested. He didn't know how close to the truth he was, but that was okay, he didn't need to know. "I'll bet that even my father was watching you cross the desert. They must have seen their chance. It was fate that you would find me." He answered, starting to smile more, "I'm becoming more of a fan of fate, I think." The look I shot him showed I wasn't convinced by the theory of fate. It did nothing to dampen Simba's spirit though as he built up his reasoning, "Think about it. Look at how you came to be in the Pridelands. Look at how you managed to find me. I'm telling you, either you're the luckiest lioness to exist, or everything that has happened to you has been fate. It was meant to be." He stopped, thinking over something, "Actually, now I think about it, you've never really told me about your family. You've said a little bit, but you know a lot more about mine than I know about yours. You're kind of a mystery still." He looked at me with an encouraging smile, followed by a small wink, "Like you said, now we have the time and nothing better to do. Tell me about your family. Tell me what it was like at your home, as the princess of your lands." He leaned in a little closer but wasn't demanding the information. He was just looking for a way to pass time, like I was. He could see the slight hesitance I had in speaking about them, but urged me on, "If we're going to be together, then we should be sharing all these things, right?" I nodded.
Agreeing with him was easy, but when I started to think about my family, the ones I hadn't seen in a long time, I felt sad. I hadn't lost them in the same way Simba had lost his dad, but at the same time, it had been longer since I saw them. Even when I was back at my house as a human, that was with my fellow students, my family living a three-hour drive away. On the day I became a cub, I hadn't spoken to my family over the phone in about a week. "Where I'm from, it was a great place to be. Like every other place it has its good parts and bad parts. The good parts were that I had this incredible network of support, both from friends and family. I couldn't ask for any better in that regard. If I wanted to do something, I knew they would have my back...within reason, of course. My parents raised me so that I wouldn't laze around all day," Simba shot me a look with his brow raised, hearing id been raised not to be lazy, "Ironic, I know." I huffed out a small chuckle, "They encouraged me to learn, which was okay because I liked learning. It wasn't like I was always being taught on how to rule either. I was learning other things that would mean I could help out those who are hurt. My parents and our family had no one else who had learned that. They were so proud to see me represent our family like that. I guess that's why they thought I would be a good leader when they stopped." Asif he knew the kind of hurt talking about them brought, I felt Simba press against me, trying to comfort, "I miss them so much. I know I stay strong, but every day, even for just a little bit, I think about them and it hurts me. It hurts me knowing that I won't ever see them again. The thing that scares me most though, is that it will have been so long since I've seen them that I'll forget what they look like. My own family and I'm scared I'm going to forget them. I should know that won't happen, but I'm so worried it will. I'm forgetting my own family." I sighed out, holding back the urge to break into tears.
Simba continued providing the support I needed to lean on, "I know how you feel. I thought the same thing about my family. It was like the longer it had been since I saw them, the more I thought I was going to forget what they looked like, the more I tried to fight it. Without telling Timon and Pumbaa, it was hard though. I know now that my father is looking down on me, taking his place with the great kings. I didn't think it at first, but after you showed up in the jungle, I started to believe more. Now, I know what my father said about the great kings watching us from the stars, it wasn't a lie." He paused before looking up at the sky, "I'll bet your parents are watching over you too." He perked up, "Maybe they met my dad." He grinned, boosting my spirits enough to make me smile, looking out to the night sky as well. "Maybe we'll not ask questions like that for a while, eh? They always seem to bring at least one of us down." He chuckled, nudging me. Without a word, we agreed, walking on into the night.
We were lucky that we made such quick progress, because by the time we reached the edge of the Pridelands, the sun was starting to rise, increasing the temperature straight away. We found an easier way into the gorge than through the thorns and up a steep climb. Once we were heading through, Simba and I took a moment together as Timon and Pumbaa went a little distance ahead. He and I sat together, paying respects to where he last thought he had seen his father. We didn't spend too long there though, knowing we had to press on, as well as the fact that both of us would have been holding back tears and we didn't need anymore of them. The two of us spotted a safe route to get out of the gorge. Once at the top, I could see pride rock, my ears falling back as I thought of all those I had left behind. I hoped they were still okay. The fact it was in sight though, it filled me with some hope. The landscape of the Pridelands had changed some since I ran away. It had gotten just a little lower in quality, like its life was being taken slowly, just to make its loss greater. Simba nudged me out of staring at the place we called home before, reminding me that we needed to get further away before we could go onto the next stage of the plan. A part of me wanted to go over there and say hello to everyone again, but I knew it wouldn't end well. Although Simba urged me on, there were points where all three of us needed to rally around him. He stood at his imaginary line into the Pridelands. It took persuasion from all three of us, reminding him that we had come this far, there was no turning back at this point.
As the sun got higher in the sky, we knew we would have to be fast, settling in a spot that we thought was far enough away that we wouldn't be detected by anyone other than Zazu or some other bird, which would be inconsequential. "Well, I hope you two lovebirds have come up with a plan to get the attention of...Zingza, was it? I forget. The bird." Timon asked, waving a hand in a dismissive way towards his own ignorance.
The prince and I looked at each other with a knowing smile. "We thought about it and agreed on the best way to get Zazu's attention. You two just need to promise that you won't freak out when you see it, okay?" Simba asked.
Timon gave a deadpanned stare at his feline friend, "Y'know, when ya ask us to not panic, that's a good sign that we should." He sighed before smiling at the two of us, "Alright, we'll stay calm, now, just show us the"
He didn't have the chance to finish before both Simba and I let out a roar each. Although they weren't full volume, it was clear both of us could let out actual roars at this point. Hearing it in the near silence of the early morning, the sound of it was somewhat addictive. It gave me energy. I could have done that again no question, but that wasn't the idea. Looking at our two friends, they didn't understand either. Timon was looking around for any trouble we had caused; Pumbaa starting to shake a little bit. "Sorry guys. We knew that if we roared then animals that are still around would hear us. We knew that if we were far enough away from pride rock that we wouldn't be heard by those who we don't want to hear us...Scar, for example. If the animals nearby hear, then when Zazu comes asking for any information that he can report back, he will be told about lions roaring that aren't at the lions' home. He will check the area he's told; in case they were wrong. That'll be when he sees us. Make sense?" I asked, looking at both of them. Neither looked comfortable now that we had made some noise, but they still nodded in response. I saw a small rock with a flat top jutting out from the grass, so I hopped up, Simba joining me soon after, "And now, we wait." I rested my head on my front paws, having crossed them over. My eyes closed as I tried to get a small amount of rest, feeling tired from walking all night. It almost seemed unfair that we were going to be back where we wanted to be for such a short time. However, we knew what we were going to do. Of course, there was the risk that those animals would tell the lion king first, or worse, he would have heard our roars, but Simba and I figured it was the best bet we had of getting Zazu's attention. "Before you say anything, yes I do need to close my eyes...just for a bit." I muttered before any of the others could comment on my eagerness to sleep.
We didn't have to wait for long, Simba nudging me as he sat up, "Tishala, look. I see something." I looked up to see a bird in the air, making their way towards our group. I squinted to get a better look at the avian. "It's Zazu." Simba pointed out. I gave him a questioning look in response, but he didn't even have to look at me to start his reply, "With the amount of times that bird was flying overhead, I know what he looks like. That's Zazu!" He grinned. It seemed as if meeting the bird was exciting for him, which was understandable, seeing as he hadn't seen any relating member to his old home. I sat up beside him, waiting for the figure to come closer, but when it was close enough, I could see the distinct feather colours. It was definitely Zazu. Timon and Pumbaa stood to the side of our platform rock, watching as a new face was on their way to greet them.
I could see Zazu's flight path stiffen. I figured he'd seen who I was, and the surprise led him to falter a little on his path. He landed in front of Simba and I, his eyes fixed on me. I could see he was having to control his breathing. He didn't blink once as he tried to get out the words he wanted to. "P-Princess?" He asked, looking like he wanted to reach out and touch me with a wing, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Is that really you?" He looked at me in disbelief. I nodded.
"Now, before you say anything else about me. Look who's with me." I smiled, looking to Simba as my words prompted the major-domo to do the same. The silence told us all that he couldn't tell it was Simba. I wasn't too surprised; Simba had changed in appearance a fair amount since the last time Zazu would have seen him.
Simba looked to the bird and smiled, "Hey Zazu, do you think it'd be okay to chase those slobbering mangy stupid poachers all day, now?" I looked on, having no clue what he was referring to, but I could guess that those words had some relevance between the two of them. After Simba said that to him, it was like a light bulb switched on in Zazu's head. He looked to the lost prince again, gasping in silence, reeling back to take in the new sight that came from a familiar source.
To my surprise, I could see the major-domo tearing up, shaking his head in an attempt to stem them, "How is this even possible? I thought...I didn't alert the pride. I was too weak to even relay information when I needed to be at my best. I failed the pride. I failed Mufasa. I failed everyone. Simba, I am so sorry I wasn't able to help you more. I thought you were dead...how is this possible?" He asked again, shaking from the release of emotion he was feeling at seeing the lion he thought had long passed. Simba, seeing the bird struggle, stepped forwards and brought him into an embrace, trying to comfort him. I joined in, purring as I pressed against Simba. Before long, Zazu backed himself out, looking up at us again, having gained his composure in a few seconds. I could tell he was back to business, eve if it was on the down low, knowing Scar wouldn't be happy with the knowledge of their presence. "Why have you come back? It is fantastic to see you both alive, but this is not the land you knew, especially you, young master." He explained in a grim tone, then looking to me like he had forgotten what he just said, "Why Tishala, why did you ever run away?" He asked, looking hurt, waiting for a response.
Frowning as I recalled why I wanted to leave, I knew it wouldn't sound like a concrete idea, "I ran away because I was going to be forced to marry Fedha...that lion prince that came from...I can't remember the name of the lands, but I can remember that I despised him. I didn't want to be a part of an alliance like that. It was pretty clear to me that Scar was just going to have someone who he could manipulate. Why would I want to stay for that?" I asked, though he knew the answer.
The hornbill sighed, using a wing to stroke at his beak in a slow motion, "Sometimes, princess, we have to commit to things that we think aren't a good idea. It may have turned out to be a great pairing. I appreciate you're young and as a result can act on impulse but running away from responsibility will never get you the end result you're looking for. As much as I want to support what you did; had you stayed, I think even that would have kept things more positive, if not better." He answered, scolding my decision, but keeping it rather soft, rather than making it harsh.
I shook my head in response to Zazu, trying to keep my tone on the same level as his, "Zazu, I don't want to insult your intelligence and suggest I knew better, but I think I made the right decision to go. I mean, look who I ended up finding." I looked back to Simba, both of us smiling at each other. Without even thinking, we leaned in to rub our cheeks together, forgetting Zazu's presence. Turning back to him, I continued, "I found the one that is probably the best option I could find. I found the true king." I gestured with pride, feeling like he wouldn't have an argument to that.
The major-domo had fully recovered at this point, treating things business as usual, "Whilst that may be the case, your absence seemed to accelerate certain things." He spoke, sounding dark in his tone.
All four of us leaned forwards towards the major-domo, "Is everyone okay?" Simba asked, taking the words right from my mouth. We were all concerned about their wellbeing, none more so than us two.
Zazu nodded, "Yes, they are all safe right now. Nothing major has happened to them, yet. I put emphasis on yet. There is no way we can sustain the pride for long with the number of animals moving away from the Pridelands. Your uncle seems to ignore or dismiss that part when I tell him." The bird spat, angry that his guidance had been ignored. It looked as if it was a common occurrence. He cleared his throat before continuing, "Tishala, when you left, Scar announced that you had fled from the Pridelands because pressures of ruling were too great for you. Now, whilst some lionesses accepted this, the majority questioned, thinking it would be out of character for you, even at such a young age. I was one of those who didn't believe it. Whilst we may not have spent as much time together as you and Sarabi did, I know you well enough to see that you wouldn't have fled under that pretence. Soon after your absence though, Scar retaliated, declaring he would be selecting a queen. That hasn't happened yet, but it has caused some divide between pride members. Not many, but some have taken to Scar's orders. Sarabi is still in charge of the hunts, but Scar sends his more...obedient lionesses to hunt after the official hunt returns. It is worrying to see, but I suppose the uncertain times we live in have meant that his offer is better than none at all." He sighed, like he was ashamed to report that to us. Thinking about what Scar was like, it did sound like him to make up a reason for why I ran away.
"I could see the lands start to hurt before I left, Zazu. I know it looks bleak, but that's why I told Inja I would be back with help. She did tell all of you, right?" I asked, having a pang of fear hit me, if Inja had been hurt, I would have felt guilty. Zazu took away my fear by nodding, "Oh thank goodness, so that means Scar doesn't know, right?" He nodded again but looked less sure. "Why do you look less certain?"
The avian replied, "When Inja told us, she only told Sarabi, but there may have been a chance that she told one of the lionesses that are now loyal to Scar. Scar hasn't mentioned anything of the sort, but I wouldn't like to predict if he knows. At a guess, I would say he doesn't know, but he is sometimes hard to read. I think it would be best to not roar if you want him to not know about your presence. I assume that roar was for me though?" He asked, watching as Simba and I nodded. "Very Well."
His line of thought ended, allowing me to start speaking. However, Simba took over for me, "Zazu, we're going to need your help. We'll keep it as short as we can, but we are going to need you to lend us your knowledge. We know that Scar wouldn't like to know we're back. Tishala and I worked out that my uncle almost definitely tried to kill me. I can't go into the details now, but you'll have to trust me." Zazu kept a serious expression, nodding for Simba to continue, "Tish?" Simba spoke, allowing me to chip in.
Thanking Simba for his introduction, I wasted no time telling Zazu, "If you know it, we would like to know where the first royal family we met was from. If you remember? They were the first of the day, looking to betroth me to their eldest son, but I ended up spending time with their second son, Fikiria." I tried to explain to him, not noticing how the bird had stopped listening after the first sentence.
He chimed in with a nod, "Princess Tishala, of course I know the location of the Kifalme pride. King Nguvu, and his sons: Kiburi and Fikiria. You want me to tell you where their pride is, why?" He asked, not quite catching onto our plan yet.
"We're going to go there, get their help and put Simba on the throne of the Pridelands." I announced, both Simba and I looking to each other, proud of our plan.
Zazu was less enthusiastic, "I can see why you might think that would be a good idea, but have you considered the repercussions that could come from asking another pride for help? Even if you are victorious, it is almost expected that you have something to return. King Nguvu is a fair leader, but even he would try to get a paw into the Pridelands." He explained.
It wasn't fun having the plan shot down like that, so, huffing, I responded, "We know there can be some repercussions. If it gets Simba as king in the end, I don't see what the problem is. Whatever they ask for, it can't dampen having the true king on the throne. Besides, like you said, Nguvu is a fair king. It's fair to help Simba get to the place he needs to be." I argued, seeing it didn't have much impact on the major-domo.
Despite what it looked like, Zazu didn't argue, "Alright, if you're sure you can accept the effects of doing this, then I don't think we have a better hope." He nodded, standing between us before pointing in a particular direction away from the Pridelands, flying a few metres in that direction. "If you follow in this direction, you will be on the right path. Once the Kifalme lands are in view, you'll know it, trust me." He flew back to stand in front of us on the platform again. "I will have to make my leave before Scar becomes suspicious."
"Wait, Zazu, when you go back, can you tell Sarabi...only Sarabi, a message?" He raised a brow, leaning in close as if waiting for the message, "Just tell her that we both can't wait to see her again. As for the lionesses that are still resisting Scar, make sure you tell them that we will come back with help, and we will overthrow Scar, so they need to be ready to help when that happens. Thank you, Zazu." I looked in the direction he pointed for the Kifalme pride.
His wings flapped as he took to the sky, but he didn't leave us just yet, "One more thing, you two. If you two are in fact, together and in love, then you need to understand there will be expectations on both of you. In this case, it won't matter if you are ready or not. A rebuilding pride will need a symbol of hope. That hope would be a king and his queen. There would be no trial period to see if it works. It is something where both of you will need to show commitment. You both need to know this, and I need to know, for peace of mind, if you can accept these pressures." He looked at us, waiting for a response.
Simba gave him an answer, resting his head next to mine, brushing our cheeks together for a moment, "We will be as ready as we can, Zazu, thank you." He nodded, allowing Zazu to take his leave. The bird's words were sinking in. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that kind of pressure. I had just been told that the moment Simba was on the throne, he and I would be expected to marry. I didn't know how far away we were from taking Scar's throne, but it felt a whole lot closer with the thought of that. My mind wandered to the expectations that would be placed on us. Marrying was one thing. They would expect us to carry out duties to restore the Pridelands no doubt, but that wasn't the one that worried me much. Instead it was the thought that the symbol of hope Zazu talked about might be a new heir. That was a kind of pressure I wasn't ready for. I reminded myself that Simba and I were still very young, so it would be a while longer before that expectation was reasonable. That was at least a good thing, because whilst I had become comfortable with considering a relationship, a cub was a step too far. "Tishala says goodbye as well." Simba called out for me as Zazu left us. He nudged me out of my thoughts, "Are you okay?" I continued to stare at him with a blank expression. "Tish?"
Blinking a couple of times, I get myself back into focus, smiling at Simba, albeit in a more nervous way than before, "Yeah? I'm fine. That's fine. We can take the pressure. What pressure?" I started laughing, my nerves getting the better of me. I tried to step away from them, nearly flopping off the platform rock as I headed in the direction we had been instructed to go. "Come on, let's go. We can handle it!"
Simba, Timon and Pumbaa got to my side as we started making our way. Simba was laughing though, "You're totally freaking out about becoming queen, aren't you?" He almost couldn't stop himself, revelling in my turmoil.
I huffed at him, "Shut up. It's a lot to have thrust on you all of a sudden. I have to be queen? You know what that means, right? They'll expect me to have a cub at some point." I shuddered, making him laugh some more.
"What's so wrong about that? Haven't you thought we would do that in the future?" he asked, pressing on the issue because he could see how uncomfortable it made me.
"Simba, we have been together for one day. I haven't been thinking any further ahead than where we are now. Please don't scare me with words like that." I reprimanded him, keeping my eyes forwards as my cheeks went red.
"Two days, actually."
"My point still stands. End of discussion." I practically begged for it to end, showing how awkward I felt, prompting Simba to laugh even more as we made our way to the Kifalme lands.
Our weary bodies trudged forwards. It had been over a day of walking for us, and the sunlight had not been forgiving, even if we weren't wandering through a desert. Still, unless we needed to stop for water, we powered on, not even stopping to sleep in the night. Our bodies were letting us know we needed rest. I had been in an irritable mood with all the other three for the last part of the journey. We were happy to see distinct change in scenery in the distance in the early hours of the morning, knowing this is what Zazu meant by the Kifalme lands being unmissable.
I could feel my legs ache and my stomach cramp a little bit, as we hadn't eaten, with the exception of some grubs Pumbaa found, since we left the jungle. I thought to myself that I would like to have a few days resting. I knew that the Pridelands was in need of urgent help, but I needed my body to feel normal again before I could help out the Pridelands. As we entered into the area, my bleary eyes were woken up by the rich colours in the lands. It was like the Pridelands were before Scar's rule. Just looking at the vitality of these lands, it was giving me energy, although not enough for me to overcome my aching body. I looked overhead to see flocks of birds. Turning my attention to the distance, I could see antelope leaping through the scenery. Seeing that made my stomach rumble, right when I didn't want it to as well. Looking back at the others, I could see they were in the same wonder I was, just taking in all of the sights. I didn't see any distinct landmark which told me where the ruling family would reside. In truth, it wasn't because there were none, but rather there were a few, spaced out. Any one of them could have been for the pride we were looking for.
Simba and I encouraged everyone to keep going. "We need to decide which one of those places to visit." I pointed to the landmarks as we headed up a small hill. "I think that we should all stick together rather than splitting up, because I don't think the lions here will be ready to not eat Timon and Pumbaa. Plus, no one should go in alone either. I'll let you choose where we go." I gave him a lazy smile, just wanting the sweet embrace of sleep.
Before we reached the top of the hill though, we saw two figures stand at the top of it. There were two lions, looking down to the four of us. Looking at them, they looked powerful and in control. Most important though, was the fact they didn't look like they were lacking sleep like us. That meant our resolve was down. We stopped and waited for them to speak. There was one lion and one lioness, both with stern expressions, although with the light shining in them, their features weren't easy to make out. What I could tell was that their fur was much darker, a rich dark brown that almost shone in the sunlight. I didn't have long to admire them though, hearing a surprisingly angry voice start, "Strangers, who are you and why have you come to the Kifalme lands?" The voice demanded to know.
Unlike the other who I was travelling with, I was not intimidated by the voice. I would have been if I hadn't recognised it. I stepped forwards, raising a brow. I could feel Simba wanting to stop me, but he was too late, I was approaching the two lions, a smile growing on my face. When I saw who it was, my smile shifted to a smirk. "How can you not remember me? I'm the little lioness who may have made your little brother a king." I spoke with confidence, seeing the male lion's expression shift to shock, seeing who it was, "Good to see you again, Kiburi."
A/N: There's another one for you. I feel like things are starting to move along nicely! Hopefully you'll all agree. I don't own the Lion King, Disney does. It was nice to have a(n albeit brief) moment in the Pridelands. I almost can't believe I am now 20 chapters in. It's crazy to think. I know other stories have more, but to think this little idea has gotten to 20, is awesome for me! There will be plenty more to come before the end. Now, please, if you have any thoughts, let me know what you think might happen, what might be cool to see, all that stuff. Please let me know what you think and leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.