NALA

We all ran as soon as we heard the roar from the distance. Signaling to everyone, they were here. In a panic voice, Khali said it was her father. She took off before I could even get a word out. Before I could fully process what was bout to happen. I ran after her, ignoring the discomfort in my shoulder. "everything will be fine!" I found myself calling to her.

I don't know if it provided any comfort to her in the heat of the moment. To be honest, I think I was saying it to her, almost as a calming reminder to myself. whenever I think of the hyenas I think of the worst possible imagines. The blood of my family that stained their teeth, body parts flung haphazardly were ever the wind took them. Carnage was everywhere. I fought to block those imagines of my home from the forethought of my mind. I needed to focus and be here and ready.

When we arrived in the clearing Kye was leaning against a tree. Kenya her sister Khloe and Simba, were already here. Kenya was standing next to her father. while her sister and Simba were just staring I presume at the hyena. But why are they just standing and staring... it's not like the hyena is just going to sit there and let them taught him. they're snap-happy killers.

I approached slowly. letting Khali tend to Kye frist before I looked to see the damages. Kings if anything happened to him because of these stupid hyenas I swear to the kings... "Is he okay?" I asked cautiously. As many times as I, I have seen the devastation a hyena bite can inflict upon a lions body. The slight itself is never easy for me to look at. Seeing blood run free from its body still made me pause.

"He's fine," Kenya stated. I immediately felt a great sense of relief swipe over my body. "Just outgoing himself," she commented.

"Well... the trap worked didn't it." her father was breathing very labored breathes. as much as I wanted to extra help Kye could bring, and the words he promised. there's no way he could help fight against the hyenas. If anything he'd be a liability and we could all be worrying about him.

"Trap?" I asked? Kye nodded for me to go over where Khloe and Simba were standing.

"Yes it did, but at what cost daddy?" Kenya scolded her father with a daughter's love.

"Well, you girls kept complaining about me being too old. Don't be fooled your old lion still has it. Just a few aches and pains from getting him in there is nothing compared to what it could have been." he did have a point. "Nala why don't you go check it out, see if he look familiar to you" I nodded and did what he suggested, Khali slowly following behind me. When we got here I stood on the opposite side of Simba but I kept my distance. I could hear them talking. I could hear the dog going off in frustration, and Simba too.

Khali went to the side of her sister, curiosity drawing her in. "Where's your friend we know, there are two of you?" Simba's voice was low and intimidating.

"Beats me...if I knew I'd tell ya..." the hyena neck was stuck to a tree. Vines wrapped around his thick neck and upper body tightly. Almost like spider webs. This must have been the trapped Kye was talking about. The dumb hyena likely ran right threw it and didn't have a clue, not until everything started to tighten around him. This was genius... "As far as I'm concerned... I came a-alone..." he was choking on his words.

The more he moved the more the vines pulled against him. He was going to strangle himself to death if he didn't clam down.

"Bullshit, if you tell the truth we might spare you." might. I want him dead. And I knew fake promises aside, he was going to die. " You're here for Shia aren't you?"

"..d...depend...who's asking?"

"Simba." the seriousness was different for me to listen to, as he said his name...revealed his identity. For so long we had been at each other necks arguing, never being on the same page. Hearing this side of him, his confidence... he's definitely changed since being here since reconnected with him.

"...w...well I'll be a monkey's...f- fucking uncle...it really is you...i..i.i knew you looked familiar." the hyena wore a gritty smile on his muzzle.

"She's not here." commented Khloe

"s...shit, that's not w-what...the scent in the air says...besides we have a m-message for h-her." his eyes were starting to turn red from the stain of restricted air not being able to enter or leave his body properly. The agony his body must be feeling now. Serves him right.

"And that is?"

"Ki-king Nuka w-wants her back...h-he needs her-so he...he can move with his plans..."

"And what might that be?" I leaned in curios to what this hyena had to say.

"w...why take o-over the whole of Africa..."...w...what the whole of Africa...?

"What do you mean?" this time Khali was the one asking the question.

"It's...a-as simple as it ...sounds...there'll be...a..an army of us co-coming soon to take over...frist it'll be the Valley pride...a-and while he's at it, he probably s-stop here his way..u..up.. You..s...seem to have to very...at..atrative lionesses here... I'm sure t-the king will enjoy-" the growl from Simba throat reverberated thought out the air. This hyena was going to die and he knew it, but he was going to toy with Simba and with everyone as long as he could.

" He's lost his damn mind if he thinks he'll be able to get away with this." voiced Simba.

"a...and what are you-going to do..s-stop him?...y...you weren't even t-there when he killed your o-own mother!-" Oh no. I could sense something brewing... a demonic being start to boil within Simba...vengece was a steam of heat seen pouring out of him. Khloe and Kahli watched on, shocked and paralyzed. Simba claws began to unleash themselves into the ground. He was going to kill him then and there. the Hyena wickedly smiled, prepared for his fate. He had poked the bear just right.

"Wait!" before I knew it I rushed to the male lion's side.

"Nala-" he was giving me a polite warning to stand down. Apart of me wanted to do it, the way rage filled his eyes as I looked at him... I didn't want to be within miles of him

" don't kill him just yet"

"Why the hell would I not-you heard what he said-"

"We can still use him, get as much information out of him as we can." I rushed to get the words out in time before he simply pushed me aside to fulfill his rage. "...And then, you can gladly kill him." I was right, and he knew I was. Yet, Simba did not want to take the latter option. He wanted to slipt the hyena ear to ear, rip limb from limb. I could see it ranging in the back of his eyes, like a storm. it was terrifying seeing it, from him. "We need to know what we're up against Simba."

The growls never left his throat as he lowered his paw down. from behind me, I could hear a burst of sick hysterical laughter. I turned to the hyens to see what was so fucking funny.

"t...t...this is gold!...absolutely fucking gold! we...we...got the missing would-be p-princes h-here... and so is..N-Nuka's..f...fuckbuddy!" His words made my body run cold. in seconds the attention that was on Simba, trying to calm him down, was one me...no, and in the worse way "BOY w...wait til he gets his paws..b-back on you...y-you'll regret e-ever l-leaving him with that little spam Argh-" the back of my paw collided with his face. Each bone in his facial structural bent under the force of my knuckles.

He was left stunned after the hit, and so was everyone else standing. "...nevermind, just kill him." I could feel my voice want to crack as I felt my body want to collapse in on itself. We got as much information as we were going to get out of him. I didn't need to be there anymore, or rather...i don't think I could stand there anymore. With the fear of my sudden emotions raising I quickly left. Ignoring the calls of my name from behind me.

When I felt I was far away enough, to be heard crying from prying ears. I collapsed into the hallows of a large tree. The last thing I wanted was to be seen right now. i..felt so...so open. everything I kept hidden away from the world and still myself was now out. I felt like I was losing my grips on reality. My heart was racing beyond my control. I started to feel lightheaded, everything around me felt like it was floating. So I closed my eyes and waited for the feeling to go away.

I awoke to the sound of my name being called. looking around, after my eyes had begun to get adjusted...it was evening now. I had been gone all day.

"Nala? Nala!" No, go away, go away..."Nala." I stayed still, hoping in the rush he would. but it would seem like we had an unknown magnet between us. Because like before, he found me. when Simba approached slowly he stood a foot or so away. "Nal?" I could hear the concern in his voice.

"Did you get any more information out of him," I asked, I didn't want him to be focusing on me. I didn't want any focus on me.

"Ah...yeah, we did." his voice was tried.

"he dead?"

"Yes." I could only feel a slight snese of enjoyment. I was too ashamed to feel anything else .

"What he tell you?"

"...his plan, Nuka...is sending the hyenas and lionesses to attack the Valley pride." I felt like life could be no more than a crueler joke. it's always one thing after the other.

"... he's going to take over anther pride..." it was unbelievable

"Or start another pride war. The hyena didn't know much, but what Kye was able to get him to tell us was crazy information to help us nonetheless. He's lost his mind." it's been that way since you left.

"...wow...and to think I just thought he ONLY wanted to take over the mountain pride... I should have known better. I should have known there would be something more..." tyrants don't want to only rule over you, they want to rule over everyone.

"How could you know." was he trying to make me feel better? It wasn't working.

"...i...i could have asked Shia more questions... I just stopped at Vitani. I knew how things were when I left..." I felt myself start to ramble different scenarios over and over again in my mind of all the ways I could have prepared us more. me more. I was prepared to fight him, Shanti, and the hyena...but not another lion pride altogether."He's going to get everyone killed Simba, we have to stop him...and now."

"I am, Nuka's already sent a few lionesses away to the Valley pride, the hyena was told your mother was one of the lionesses." I felt my heart sink to the bottom of my body. To the depths of were, my darkest fears lie. Not him sacrificing my mother.

"...Simba..." I couldn't hide the fear in my voice.

"Don't worry, I'm leaving tomorrow to stop this madness, if I go and finish this now, no one else can get hurt. If they are away they might be safer"

"Good I'm coming with you."

"Go away, I need to do this alone."...wait what?

"Simba?-" I began to protest.

"It's safer here, for everyone. I already told Kye it'll just be me leaving alone-"

"No, I won't let you!" this was crazy, did he really think he could do this by himself? Don't make me laugh...Nuka planned steps way ahead of both of us.

"This isn't up for debate Nala, you aren't coming"

"Why?!" I left the hollowness of the tree.

"Besides I'm not going to let you get hurt-"

"Simba I won't!" but he looked as if he didn't believe me. And then he asked...

"What he said about Nuka-"

"It's not true." I voiced, defending myself my honor. What I had before it took it from me.

"It's not." the hesitation in his voice pissed me off. Where did he get off not believing me...

"Of course not!"

"...Where you his queen before you leaving Nala-" the fucking audacity. Simba worded want he wanted to ask...wanted to know so lightly, as to not set me off.

"NO! I was NOT his fucking queen, and I WILL never be!"

"...it's just what he said about-" of course it's what that fucking hyena said, that hyena had no right telling my business! That was something I shared with myself alone, no one needed to know...and even if the damn hyena didn't come out and say it word for word, I know they could all presume what he meant!

"We aren't talking about it."

"So him talking you and Nuka as-"

"I said we AREN'T talking about it!"

"...fine, I won't ask you anymore." good. thought in my spirit he'll find out knowing the truth eventually. I just...don't have the strength to tell him everything, just yet.

"As I said, I'm going with you tomorrow. You wouldn't even know where to go. as soon as you reached the bottom on the raven you'd get lost on the inside. You need me."

"Alright, we leave early tomorrow then."

*Yall this is the final week, this is going to be crazy we are finishing this 3-year-long fanfic finally! And now that Simba can start putting the pieces together and Nala and Nuka relationship, how do you think it'll change his future relationship with her. They will have another heart to heart before this is all over and we get to the rumble royal!

+ RyanSquad, yes can someone make a fanfic with that storyline, please! I'd tune in to see how that would play out. Nuka would learn about his father's plan to kill his own Uncle who he might actually have a relationship with and becomes torn not knowing who to side with. That actually sounds really good.