SIMBA
It won't stop...
I watched on helplessly, like I always did on the other side of the river, as Rafiki cared for both Kye and Shia wounds. kings what was I thinking, leaving them alone, letting that hyena getaway in the first place. Ugh, this is all my fault. I can't seem to get anything right...why?! I'm going to have to do something worse, than just killing him. No, he needs to feel all the pain he brought onto others tenfold...he needs to learn a lesson... and even then I don't think his death would even be satisfying. if only we could bring back the dead in order to kill them again and again. then maybe...the world would feel like it's remotely fair.
What are you going to do now son? First, you learn he's hurt your best friend and now he's taken your mate? My my my this doesn't look good for you boy.
"ARGH!" I threw my paw at the nearest object. the blow of me striking the small tree in two strung. An ached ran up the inside of my arm. the pulsing feeling would no doubt lead to later swelling. A cut, from the joint in my paw leaked blood. " I can't fucking believe this...NO!"
It would seem to me, to be the best thing for you IS to believe it. Why there is no sense in living in a fantasy world-
"FUCK OFF Scar"
why I'm only trying to help.
"No, you're here to fuck with me! That's why you're here..." my red eyes darted around feverishly to see him. I know he's here he has to be... he's always here. "Show you're coward! and talk to me, I know you're here!" a still wind blew from around me. He was trying to make a fool of me... his son already has. How much more do they think it'll be before I snap-
"Simba?" I turned to see Nala stand cautiously between the trees, I could see her blue eyes following me curiously. "are you-"
"How are they?" I quickly cut her off. I know she had to see me talking to myself, no Scar. And the last thing I need is for her to think I'm crazy. I'm not.
"Much better now that Rafiki is done treating them. Shia is asleep but Kye is awake. He wants to speak with you."
"Right." Kings will I even be able to look Kye in the eyes? this lion was like another father to me...a real one, and I've done nothing but brought danger into him home. He will never forgive me for this, how could he? I'm the reason why all of his daughters have been taken... "...Roho how is he?"
"Honestly, I don't know he's not talking right now...he's just scared." fuck me, a cub like Roho shouldn't have to deal with trauma like this at his age. It's not fair. And all because of what? A fucking power trip?
" I see...um I'll be by the den tonight before I go on watch." I looked at Nala in her eyes. She was worried but was doing her best to not show it. At this rate, I felt like she was doing a far better job at it than me.
"Okay." I left Nala forest, slowly around the corner to where Kye and Shia were resting. Rafiki had wrapped thick leaves around the cuts on their bodies to stop the bleeding. for the most part, and I guess that better Shia only had the one cut going across her stomach. She would heal from this, but there would be no doubt she could have problems down the line. Kye on the other paw was much worse for wear. when I first found him, I thought he was dead. I was so distraught at the sight of him I didn't even hear Limpo or Nala screaming for me.
Everything just stood still, frozen.
"s...Simba?" his voice was slow and weak. A far cry from the robust lion I had left only a few days before. I couldn't help but notice the black and blue bruises that formed from under his fur. the ugly pattern mimicked the look of the hyena's many spots themselves.
"...y..yes Kye?"
"You've brought... trouble i-into my home." the reality of his words strung, even if I already knew the truth at paw. this was ALL my fault. I should have passed the forest when I ran, I should have left when I was better, I should have never had gotten involved with Kenya..." you g-get my daughter back...or d-don't ever return." I took the silence that followed as the end of our conversation. He was right I needed to fix this, and I couldn't afford to wait.
NUKA
"Please please, do sit. And make yourself comfortable." All three lionesses kept their gaze on me. they did their best to hide their nervousness, but looking from the distraught look on their faces it seems that they had a very long night of travel. "Oh kings, where are my manner Im Nuka. king of the new mountain pride and prideland lionesses."
"We know who you are." well that lioness sure did have an attitude on her. I'll do my best to ignore that. Now for the fun part, it's time to pick tier brian and play a game and see who is who shall we. There are three lionesses here one of them has to be connected with my dear old cousin for sure. He would be a damn fool if not.
" Why don't seems so tense, here. I am in fact very friendly and more importantly reasonable."
"Why are we here?" voiced one.
" What about our father!?" voiced another. ugh, all trivial concerns. but let me play fair.
"All of this will be examined in due time. but first, lets get a chance to know each other shall we?" I nodded for my hyenas. " After all we will be spending some time together. but before they could get the nameless lionesses moving Shanti appeared, again. but instead of being annoyed like I thought I would be, I'm actually quite glad to see her. " Oh Shanti, please come here I want you to meet our guest."
"Guest?" she eyed the lionesses as she walked passed them curiously. most likely noticing that they didn't look like from the valley pride. "Nuka?" she voiced once closer to me. "What the hell is going on, who are they?"
"Friends of Simba."
"So they were your secret weapon?"
"Yup. and once he's found out I've made a second visit to his little side paradise he'll be running back here in no time." Shanti took what I said into consideration, and then paused. "what is it?"
"Nothing. I'm just...impressed."
"why?"
"i...i. thought I was losing you for a second." losing me? what did she mean...oh mother. " You've just been acting differently lately... and I couldn't read you Nuka, it was starting to worry me."
"Now that everything is going according to plan, I'm fine. We have nothing to worry about now." I took my paw and held the tip of Shanti's chin, making her eyes met with mine. " Remember this is just the beginning. After this, we go after the valley pride and then the plains of the savannah itself. Our son will inherit an empire, unknown to any pride before now."
"Our son."
"Yes, I can feel it. can you the greatness that is coming?"
"Yeah-"
" You bastard-Let her go!" Shanti and I both snapped our heads back to the others. A hyena was dragging a lioness by the back of her neck. she was kicking and screaming, and the other two lionesses were seconds away from throwing a fit. "what are you doing- Kenya?!"
"Hey! what the meaning of this?" interjecting myself into the mayhem. Both hyenas snapped and lionesses growled in a fury.
"Boss I recognize her! She's with Simba!"
"She is?" well that made my game a lot easier. I looked down at the shaken lioness, who was petrified being separated from her I assume sisters. The similarities all three lionesses share is uncanny.
"No, she's not!... we have no idea what you're talking about!" anyone could tell that was a lie. and the way the other two clang to each other it was clear they didn't want to be separated either. "Just let her go!"
"Kenya is it?" the lioness in name made no remarks. Her vision stayed focused on her worried sisters. " pretty name, I like it." nice purple eyes, an attractive body. kings, I'm surprised Simba even had the taste. " and you can vouch that you recognize her?"
"Yes! I stood from the distance and watched as that bitch and Simba killed my partner!" this hyena...whatever his name was, was fuming. if I gave him the permission to kill this lioness right now, he would. "she and that old lion that was back there...but we got him, good boss!"
"Hmp, take her to the side den for me-."
"Wait no..." voiced the lioness resisting.
"Get moving!"
"NO Kenya...wait...please don't do this, please. I'm... I'm the oldest take me instead!"
"Don't worry lionesses you'll reconnect with your sister soon. I just want to have a little talk with her, shall we?" I nodded for Kenya to be ordered to walk in front of me. while walking I'd be able to hear the last few sisters fall out of the older sister's mouth ' this is all his fault...' dividing and conquering, what an easy thing to do. When we got to the side den the once since lioness had become a river of questions.
"What am doing here...you're going to use me as bait for him aren't you?" her voice was a hushed panic.
"We all love a cute and clever lioness."
"Well, I won't do it! and you can't make me either..." hmp, sure whatever you say.
"Oh, Kenya." I took the lioness by her cheek. she automatically flinched, refusing to look me in my eyes. " you're going to play your part for me, whether you want to or not. you don't have much choice in the matter-"
" Then kill me now what don't you... you're going to do that anyway. you monster!"
"So it seems my reputation has preceded me." she did not seem amused. " well I'm here to tell you I'm not a bad guy. in fact I'm the good guy here in my own story."
"Yeah, a story you made up in your fucking head...I know what you did to Nala and Shia!" instantly hearing her name, I had a reaction I didn't expect coming. Remorse if I wanted to call it that- nah I don't think I would be the words. Nala is still the lioness of my obsession. and how could I forget my dear little sister?
" And I highly doubt it you would want to end up like them right?" Kenya said nothing, only biting her lip. " unless you do...then I'd be more than happy to provide that for you if you'd like. a monster like me wouldn't an opposed. but then again a am a lion who prefers to have lionesses untapped...if you well haha" I then looked over to the two hyenas escorting her. "Keep her in the den, if she tries to escape throw her back in and if she tried to escape a second time, just come and get me."
"Yes, boss!"
" Oh and Kenya about my sister where is she and the little brat too?"
"No idea, they ran away, like we told them..." I figured as much, well I can't let this spoil my good move. If what the other hyena said were true and they got rid of the other male there at that pride- clearly providing some protection for them, then handling Shia and Roho eventually will be nothing. Though I must say they are proving to be more of a pain in my ass than I thought.
"I'm sure, well let us just see if she turned up after this shall we?"
NALA
Between Roho and Shia, I refused to leave their sides for even a second. Dammit, everything feels so upside down now... why can't anything go right for us? I did my best to focus on Roho now, I had just left Shia earlier to rest. Rafiki says she'll make a full recovery easily, being so young. but I have no doubt this has scarred her in more ways than one. She probably felt all alone here, laying there helpless on the ground...like she was going to die. and I wasn't here for her...
"Roho?" I asked, doing my best to distract myself and him for the time being. I have no idea what Simba wants to do now...what can we do now, it makes sense to go on and reuse the others-but there is literally no one here to protect the others. Kings know what will happen to all of them once they're in Nuka paws... I wouldn't wish what happened to me on anyone...even on my worse enemy. What help are we going to do? " Hey how you doing?"
"okay..." these past few hours being back with him, he hasn't said much of anything. Which isn't like him at all. I can't even get him to tell me what happened. I wish I could know more...but I wouldn't dare push him too far. The only thing that I know is the hyenas came the day before yesterday. Which meant he and Shia spent an entire day alone and terrified. I still couldn't get him to come outside of the den and eat. he's letting his little self waste away... and it's all my fault. I should have been there to protect both of them...like I promised.
"Okay...do you want me to get you anything?" Roho stayed cuddled up under my side, practically tucking his little head behind my elbow.
"No, just stay with me."
"Of course." I gave his warm body and lick and a soothing nuzzling. He was still shaking and hasn't stopped since this morning when I found him. " it'll be fine Roho."
"...no it won't, my uncle wants me dead and my mommy too...I'm never going to see her again."
"Don't say that..."
"Why not, it's true!" I paused, trying to figure out what to say. Of course, I should lie to him, that would be the right thing to do. I'm the lion here, it's my job to protect innocent cub from the injustices and horror that lay all around them. but what if lying to him will end up hurting him more? and at the end of the day that might be doing more harm than good...especially in his circumstances. I worried if my mother would have told me about the cruelties of this world would it have prepared me better for it?
"You can't think like that Roho."
"Shia's going to die isn't she..."
"No...no of course not, she was hurt yes, but she's being taken care of. No one is going to die okay."
"I...I should, that way no one will get hurt anymore." tears fell down his cheeks and my heart broke with his. " If he's after me...then."
"You listen to me Roho, nothing is going to happen to you. Nuka will not get anywhere near you. I promised your mother that and-"
"And then you left! and they came back!" the harshness of his words took me aback. just like the brokenness in his eyes. " Shia said you were leaving to get help...where are they?!"
"I did...we did, but...it didn't work out like we planned Roho..."
"why?!"
"b-because..."
"because what?!"
"I...i don't know." Shit yes, I do, I messed up that too, by telling the truth.
"Then...then how are you suppose to beat him!"
"I don't know, Roho okay- I don't know right now-" sudden I saw a flash of red storm past the den. Simba. " Roho stay here I'll be right back."
"b-but you said you wouldn't leave me..."
"I'm not okay...I just have to see what's going on. then I'll be right back."
"you promise?"
"Promise." before turning to leave a planted a kiss on his forehead. hoping he could feel all the love I had for me. I hate that things have to be this way, no one deserved to live like this. "be right back." I took after Simba who seemed to be traveling at 100 miles, as he went storming through the brushes. "Simba wait!" but it was like my calls went on deaf ears, are you kidding me? "Hey wait! what's going on?" I had to practically run to catch up with him. "hey will you stop...whats going on."
"I'm heading out."
"heading out? heading out where." but he continued to walk away from me. "Simba what happened with Kye?" the words came out of my mouth before I could think of what I was actually saying. but I could sense something was bothering him badly, and I hadn't seen him since he left to talk with Kye.
"I have to go save them..." his voice was rushed, and he avoided looking at me.
I'm not even going to bother you with why I missed a June update... I got engaged lol, and it's really been turning everything upside down. I'm moving at the end of this month, leaving my two jobs, and dare I say it...actually start working on my writing professionally. At least for a bit, anyways hope you enjoyed this update. I'm reworking lion's drama as we speak!