SIMBA

Daybreak had started to come. I could see the faint light of the great sun creeping its way to overtake the night. The air around us started to immediately warmen. Our night on the watch was coming to an end. We had had no contact with any hyena the entire night. "guess this might have been our lucky day."

"Yea so far, smooth sailing," I spoke, leaning against a tree that was propping me up. Kye came to stand beside me. from his face, I could tell the shift staying up all night did tire him out, whether he's like to admit it or not. He's moving a little slower than usual in the morning.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the bastard left hours during the dead of night." he voiced.

"you're probably right, they could likely smell all of our scents here, but...it still feels weird," I commented, looking turns the horizon that was slowly moving higher and higher int the sky.

"What's weird?"

"Hearing nothing all night from no one. It just seems like we're being played with right now." Was I crazy for thinking this? hyenas are not the smarter predator in Africa, I would have expected one of them to stumble by now. I remember how annoying they use to be back at pride rock. They'd rush right into everything, which made them so easy to predict. With Nuka being the brains behind them...maybe they have evolved.

"Yea, we still can't walk too easy here until we know the threat is gone. How are you feeling son?" I got up to stretch my muscled, which had grown thick and tired from staying up all night and not moving. My back and shoulders were tight, I must have been holding tension in there and hadn't realized it.

"More or less alright, I'm glad nothing happened. To be honest I wouldn't know what I'd do if something had happened." A heavy laugh left Kye and shook the still air around us.

"You'd get your ass into gear, that's what would have happened ha."

"Ha...no, I know that. i just, I know I would feel terrible knowing I brought all of this here on you."

" Hey, I'd only have a problem with you if I knew you'd done it on purpose- and you hadn't done that right?"

"Of course not." I could tell he was toying me by the way he eyed me. Still, I think I'm gone with being toyed with for a while. I would appreciate everything being on the straight and narrow from now on.

"Then I can't be mad with you, the way life goes...especially these days everything is different. Anyway, you know what you should be more concerned about? How you're going to talk this over with my daughter. And if you want advice from an old lion, you'd spill everything in front of her right then and there." I wasn't ready for that conversation.

"I wish someone would have told me that advice from the beginning." I think I'd only be in half the shit I am in. "I'm sure- no I know she's still mad at me. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't want to speak with me right now."

"Simba time isn't on your side, that's a fact. You have got to get going."

"I know..." I heard a heavy sigh leave Kye's lungs as he tilted his head to the side while eyeing me. The movement motioning me in the opposite direction from which we stood.

"Here, I'll take over from here. You leave and go find Kenya."

"Are you sure?"

"Course, I doubt anything will happen now. Now go before it's too late and you chicken out on me." chicken out, I must be that lion now.

"yes sir." i left without looking back. Walking to find my mate my mind got distacted by the cool morning drew still sitting on every grass blade. They were in the southern area of thier territory. Where the river runs deepest."Kenya...Kenya?" I called looking around, I figured she's had to be around close. when motive touched my eyes, and a figure appeared before me. The nervousness I felt hit a high pitched in my stomach, but as soon as the figure came into full view I relaxed. It was her sister. Not that she was any too thrilled to see me right now.

"Simba what are you doing here, I thought my dad said to reconvene back at home in the morning?' Khloe asked, eyeing me, i could see the looking on a sleepless night on her face. Last night was long for everyone.

"He did, but he let me go so I could talk to her...so where is she?"

"Over there." she nodded to the large overhanging tree she had just come around "You know I should really let you have it for hurting my sister the way you did."

"I deserve it." She walked up to me, staring me down.

" Yes, you do. But, you already look sad enough." Well, im glad she could see that. "And with everything turning upside down here with your secrets. I feel it's only right you take the time to work out and fix everything."

"I will, I promise."

"You better." she walked passed me to give us some space. Walking around the tree I glanced over to see a lioness with her back to me. her body resting inside the cease of the tree.

"Kenya?" I walked forward slowly when she turned around.

"Simba? what are you..."

"I came to talk to you, Alone." I voiced. She slumped back into eh tree and looked else where.

"Well, I can see that with Khloe just letting you walk on in..." I left out a sigh, I knew this was not going to be easy." Honestly I don't think there's anything else we can talk about anymore Simba. Everything has been said and done."

'No, it's not...not fully." i walked around to the front of her so she had no choice but to look at me. I needed her to listen to me right now. Desperately, or else I know this feeling I have a building in my heart will not go away, it'll only get worse "Kenya I owe you a huge apology for keeping you in the dark for so long."

"I just don't get...why you felt you could never tell me something like this. Simba I thought we were close." i paused for a moment, thinking of what to say.

"We are and that was the problem."

"Problem?"

"The last time I was close to anyone in my family, it backfired on me...it was partly my fault. I overreacted and it cost me my relationship with my mother. " I started " she hides things from me. She had her reasons but at the time i coudlnt understand when I started ton get closer I got to you, I started to believe the same thing I did would happen to me if you were to find out."

"Simba?"

"And as I got closer to you, I realized I didn't want anything to come behind us. babe, you were the best thing that ever happened to me, and the last thing I needed was for you to know was something that like, me running away from my past. To change the way you thought of me. I had run away from home, I abandoned everyone when they needed me..."

I could feel my emotion want to take hold of me. I fought back at the rasing pressure.i just needed to get everything I had off my chest, and lay it out before her, as Kye said. I noticed Kenya was no longer slumping away from me in the crease of the tree. She was sat up and was leaning more towards me with a concerned look in her eyes."...you were afraid I'd look at you different."

"Yes."

"Well of course that wound happen Simba. I would think something, im bound to think anything in our case. How else did you think I could respond after hearing that from someone I'd found half-dead, who just so happened to show up in my home." I listen to her argument.

"I know."

"You didn't have no right to make that decision for me. You should have told me from the beginning. especially when things started to get serious." She made total sense. after getting to know me- hell the first day we met I should have told her right then. That way she's known what she was getting herself into, and she could decide whether she wanted to be involved with me or not.

"I know... I no excuse for that."

"So now, im... wondering what's going to happen to us from here." I felt my heartstrings tighten at her mention of this " You're going back right?" her voice was low, almost to herself, but she was leaning in close enough to me to hear her. I couldn't ignore the sadness in her tone.

"Yes...but only to help my cousin and family take back her kingdom."

'And what about your other cousin, the one who took everything from you, that caused all this?" she gave me an all-knowing look. "yea Nala told me everything, what are your plans for him?" there was a silence for a moment.

"I'm doing what needs to be done, and after that, I'll be right back here to be with you." even though Kye objects with me coming back. i know it's the right thing for me to do, for my marriage. It's my only option as her mate- it's the right option. So when I was surprised to see her sunken expression had not changed "what, what is it? talk to me."

"It's just hearing you say...family, it's weird. For a while, I was starting to think I was your family."

"You are babe..."

"But I'm not your frist one." what did what matter?!

"That doesn't matter to me." I protested

"Well, it matters to me, Simba!" we pulled away from each other. We don't need to be arguing right now. I want so bad to fix us if I don't. it'll kill me. "...Learning you have this title...this responsibility you were born to take care of. I feel terrible keeping that away from you."

"But you're not-"

"Yes, I am can't you see that. you're willing to stay with me for the potential l sacrifice of someone else!" i..i...no it's not like that. All I need to do is kill Nuka, they don't need me there. im needed here. "...Simba I love you, you know I do..." I could hear her voice start to quiver "... You're supposed to be something more. A king,.a ruler, a protector. You have an obligation more than me."

"No..no I don't." no, why was I get the feeling she was pulling more away from me...

"Yes, you do. and I know right now you don't want to see that. just because you avoid them doesn't mean it isn't there." Kenya took a steady breath bd looked up to me. she leaned forward and nuzzled me slowly. "They are depending on you and you need to do more than just go back and help." I took in her scent, felt the air that moved around her. I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy this feeling of love for long. "trust me the last thing I want to be saying is this..but the more I think about it, no matter how mad I am, how hurt. I can avoid it."

"Kenya if I can-" suddenly a sound went out, it was fast, we both barely caught it. We both stepped back and saw birds falling away overhead. They were flying away and fast...

"What was that?" Kenya asked, concerned feeling her voice...

"I don't know-"Suddenly Khole came from around the corner at top speed. My heart started to sink at the expression on her face.

"You guys, it's dad-he just gave an alarm we have to go now!"

*ugh you guys... I don't know at to say, but your reviews below lol. Did Kenya just call it off for the betterment of someone else? damn being the better lion must be a bitch.

+RyanSquad, That so true. I think it might have been interesting if Simba was raised by Mufasa yet still, Simba still swayed for his path with other different influences. I think it is more heart-pulling since his father would still be alive, and yet there still might be this disconnect ( whatever it could be). because we all knew him being raised by his uncle would fuck him up. but if he was raised by his dad, and still swayed away from his duty...that be more interesting... I think I'll be writing something like that next.

+KawaiiCutie12 ,...it's whatever I pulled from my idea jar last night lol