NALA

I had to getaway. The still sounds of peace and quiet was driving me insane as crazy as it sounds. I know the last thing I need to be going right now is moving around and especially in a place, were I had no idea where the hell I was... but, I have to, literally. If I don't keep myself busy, with some kind of distraction my thoughts go back to thinking of Vitani, my mother Nuka. Running away, I didn't have the luxury to think about them. Now... I have all the time in the world. And it's making me sick to my stomach.

If I close my eyes I can still see Vitani and her brother fighting. I can still feel how desperate I was in that moment. Not being able to lift a paw to help her. She calls me her best friend and yet, I couldn't even be there for her! I was too busy being sacred of...I- I don't know. And I still call myself wanting to stop him...end Nuka, but when push came to shove, I could barely watch someone else fight him!

Who did I really think I was? Thinking I could make a difference, and be that final factor to end him. I must be an idiot, who was in need of a reality check. If almost having a panic attack would be the way to end Nuka for good, then I'd be perfect for it. Because right now, that's literally the only thing I can do right now! Kings, I wish I would wake up from this nightmare I call my life!

But...as much as I want to step on my own paws right now, and be on the self-hating train. I know I can't be that hard on myself. not all is lost, I kept my promise to Vitani, I got her son to safety. Now...what do I do? " I have to go back..." but how? and be an army of one? That would be suicide if I tried that. yet, I can't just sit here and wait while I know they suffer. Especially Vitan, kings know what insane plan Nuka will come up with next. Everything just seems so impossible right now -

"Nala?! Nala where are you?" my ears flicked to the back of my head. I heard my name being called and I knew who was calling it too. I didn't bother to move or respond back. I could hear his voice growing louder with the passing seconds. "Nala? Nala where are-" Hmp, guess I've been found. "Hey, what are you doing out here? didn't you hear me calling your name?"

I looked to my right to see Simba coming my way. Even saying his name in my head feels surreal. I haven't thought about him in so long, and when I did... I just thought he was dead. He just vanished out of nowhere. Now he's back and looking me right in the face. Whats is happening in my life right now? "Hey," I replied. " and no, must not," I replied, still I didn't look at him. I couldn't. It still felt weird. And I feel...if I stare at him long enough I'll wake up from whatever stare im in her he'll be gone again.

"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside resting?" He sat across from me. I could still feel the uneasiness between us from this morning. I thought the feeling would go by now or at least subside some with the rest of the day passing. It didn't.

" I needed some air." I stated, " so I went for a walk." and by walk, I really just went around the corner, because like I said. I have no idea where I am and I don't need to be getting lost. Not to mention this walk around their den, felt like a hop, skip, and a jump. My body is still tired from all the traveling I did. Plus with my injury and adding to it that I had to carry Roho the majority of the way. I don't think my body will be back to it normal self anytime soon. If I can even go back to it.

Even without moving my left leg, being tide tight to my chest with Acacia leaves. I can still feel my shoulder pulling. I'll have to baby it. Or else it will never heal right, and I'll always have this pain. Too bad I can't afford to take care of myself like I need to right now. I have to get back to my mother and the others and see how I can help Vitani.

"Well...we should be heading back. They'll be leaving for the hunt soon. do you need me to help you walk back-"

"So this is where you've been staying?" I tried to catch myself but couldn't. That was really I question I was asking myself, knowing full well what the answer would be. "it's nice out here...beautiful in fact." I found myself looking at him, and I was surprised to see him looking back at me. It felt like making eye contact with him earlier was a secret taboo.

"...Yeah, for about the past year. listen Nala I have to-"

"And Kenya, she your mate?"

"Yeah..."

"She's beautiful as well." I could feel him looking at me. Like something might be on his mind. You only really look at someone when you have a question you want to ask them right? or when you're in love.

"Nala, I have to ask you some-"

"Is she good to you?" Where these questions were coming from I don't know, why they bugged me was something I couldn't figure out either. So like a cub with no filter, I asked away.

"...yes, look-"

"Are good to her?"

"...Yes I am-"

"How long have you known her-"

"LOOK Nala, can I asked my damn question?"

"Go for it."

"Why are you here?" Even though he had directness in his voice, I heard a slight tone of hesitation. I didn't know how to make of him asking me this. I mean, I know why I'm here, but I didn't think it should be something he should be concerned with. Furthermore... I didn't feel the need that I had to explain myself.

"I'm not staying long, as soon as I'm back on my paws we're leaving."

"And what? going home?" hmm, what home.

" Not necessarily, but don't worry I'll be out of your fur in no time."

" Not necessarily, what is that suppose to mean?"

"It means nothing. " I didn't like how I was getting the 10th degree of questions over here. Whether it be from a friend or not, and in this case, I can say a stranger.

"Why are you saying it like that?" I heard the change in his voice and saw the raise of his eyebrow.

"No reasons, it just... you ask a lot of questions to a lioness who you couldn't even look in the face earlier today."

"Hey, that's not fair." and it's not fair for you to be giving me the 10th degree like I've done something wrong..." do you know how...strange this is for me?"

"And do you know how strange this is for me?" I didn't hide the frustration I was feeling. Why I had it, why I was so heated... I don't know. Something within me felt like I had been wronged, and now I was to be blamed. "I'll be gone by the end of this week, so don't worry about it ."

"Whoa, what's with the attitude, I just asked you a simple question?"

"And I gave you my simple answer." there was a pause. something bad was stirring between us. and for me, it felt like it had been stirring for over a lifetime.

"Nala, Is there something you want to say to me?" Really Simba, really? kings! He is so...so stupid! Is he really going to ask me that? Anyone in their damn right mind would be saying something about a friend that up and fucking disappeared!

"I don't know, Is there something you want to explain to me?" Because clearly he wanted to play stupid, FINE we'll both play that game. " Simba WHAT THE FUCK!"

"What do you want me to say!"

"I don't know, maybe a fucking explaining for starters! I mean I don't even know what to think right now... am how I suppose to wrap my brain around what I'm looking at right now..."

"Please, there's nothing to explain."

"You disappeared!-"

"I didn't disappear I left."

"Why?!" I let my hot-headedness get the better of me.

"Really Nala? Don't ask me that question you know why!" It didn't take much for his words to jog the memory in my brain. I knew exactly what he was talking about. but still, that altercation could not have been the reason he left. It was a stupid disagreement at the most. "Last time I checked YOU were the one who told me to leave." Please! how dare he have bitterness in his voice, did he not remember the full reason of why I told him to do so?!

" I told you to leave your mother alone because you were way out of line! I did Not tell you to leave the fucking pride lands!"

"Well, beggars can't be chooser..."

" Well, beggars can't be chooser...is that really what you're going to tell me?" OH MY... if I could use my left shoulder right now, I promise you I'd kill him! I'd kill him right where he stood... How can he say that to me, like it's nothing!

"If that's the answer you're going to take, then yes."

" Well, I don't I think it's bullshit. I want the real answer because there has to be one. I refuse to believe otherwise."

"Nala! I don't know what else you're fucking expecting-"

"I just want the truth! How could you leave US your family like that! How could you leave ME like that!" shit, I could barely even see him through the tears in my eyes. "...you left and didn't' even have the nerve to say goodbye. You were my best friend!" Simba was looking every which way but at me...

"Fuck-I...I didn't have a choice okay!"

"LIES! you had a choice, we all had choices...and you choose to leave us right when we needed you most when I needed you MOST!"

"My mother's ridiculous plan of taking back pride rock was bound to fail! It was all going to fucking fail!" his words cut my deep. I didn't even know who he was anymore if I ever knew him at all. How I fought so hard to remember him by, in my memory, had blurred. Expectation and reality to two different things... "Look if you think it was EASY for me to make the decision you're wrong!"

"Well, it couldn't have been too hard, because you never came back! You got to just... restart your life, while I had to rot and suffer in mine!"

" I SUFFERED TOO!" i heard his grit his teeth. "I had nothing there!"

"YOU HAD ME! your mother! your brother your-"

"Don't even! HE WASN'T MY BROTHER NALA AND YOU KNOW IT!" WOW, was that really fucking it...how petty could he be?! " So DON'T say he was!" we were both visibly shaking. Neither of us wanting to budge. I don't care what he says, Simba was wrong, he was wrong and he knows it! He can't fucking justify his actions to me. " and it's laughable how you can sit there and say I had you and my mother there to help me, but I don't remember YOU my MOTHER or any other single lion from our fucking family being there when my uncle was beating me and making my life a living hell!" beating him...he never told, said," NO ONE was there when I was alone and isolated being mistreated!"

" Your mother tried to get you out, away from him..."

"...Well clearly, she didn't try hard enough." How...how could he talk like that about the lioness that gave him life! Are we being serious right now!

"She did the BEST she could!"

"BULLSHIT, the only thing she did was disrespect my father, by sleeping with his fucking brother?!" I lost it... something within me snapped.

"SHE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE-"

"I thought you said we ALL have choice Nala?!"I don't know if it was from the pain in my shoulder, the pain from my heart or the rush of emotions altogether. But I snapped, somebody would feel the rage I felt... the bitterness... the dispair...they had to, I refused to stay here and be hurt by someone I used to care about.

"FUCK YOU Simba!" I started to storm off, stupidly in a mad rage. This time I intended I getting lost, and never coming back here I was done!

"HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"I'm giving you your wish Simba, and I'm leaving now!" I limped off in a mad dash to nowhere. I could have walked straight into a river and drown it didn't matter anymore. But I had to stop my mad rush when I felt Simba's presence coming fast upon me. I turned and froze, ready to fight him if need be.

" KINGS! don't be an idiot Nala-"

"What?! I'm giving you want to want!"

"Believe me I'll be more than happy when you leave! but you crippling yourself in a stupid fit isn't going to get either of us what we want any faster! YOU need to just stop moving and head back!"

" NO!"

"Nala...you need to get back now." I can tell he was losing his patience with me, fine by me I egged him on even more. "you're pissing me off!"

" and what are you going to do, hit me?" because let's be real, it wouldn't the first time that's happened to me. And if Nuka every gets his paws on my again, I'm as good as dead.

"No! I'm going to drag you back even if it kills me!" I saw him reach for me, and I pulled away just out of reach.

"Simba you better not fucking touch me, I swear!" it didn't matter that I had tears running down my eyes. I meant what I said, if he touches me, he better be prepared to lose something!

"Or what you'll hit me?!" am I a fucking joke to him?!

"I said don't touch m-" before I could do anything, he wrapped an arm around me and began to drag me back to the den. " Let me go! I said LET ME GO!"

"NOT until your ass is back in that den, watching that damn cub of yours!" as we tussled, he had to tighten his grip around me to get me to go with him. I immediately felt myself start to shrink. I coudlnt fight him back, I couldn't overpower him, I couldn't break free... so I started to panic. "Fuck! stop fighting me Nala and just go-"

"NO, LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

"Shit just stop and- ARRGH!" I felt him release his death grip on me " What the hell?!" I stumbled to the ground and fell. Not quick enough to catch my bearings. "What the fuck?!" i watched him hold his nose, blood dripped from it. I should feel bad, but I don't. I told him not to touch me... "NALA WHAT THE FUCK? I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!"

"...please..d...dodon't touch me..."

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" we both stopped in the midst of our struggle to see Kenya standing there looking at both of us, shit.

* WOW I feel like I have personally gotten a lot of stress off my chest with this chapter and it's just the tip od the iceberg! lol anyway hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I was really trying to get Nala mindset now, that everything has calmed down for her and she's no longer running for her life. How do you think their first real conversation went...and by conversation, an arguing match lol. Plus with Kenya breaking it up, a tease for what's to come.

+KawaiiCutie12, Aww thanks for pausing a good jam to read this chapter! That's a good question, that would be a different step for Nuka to take... hmmm. I'll have to see, how close he gets with Shanti. Right now you could say Nuka, is star stuck with Shanti right now. But him dropping his guard for her could definitely happen.

+RyanSquad, Right just dropping all kinds of F-bombs. Kings what does he think he is grown now? Yikes, that's a good question... I'll say it's a probable possibility.