Hey, sorry it took so long. I was helping Electricity6 write a CSI fic
titled "Worst Fear"....if you're a fan of CSI --- and even if you're not ---
you'll want to check it out, she's a great writer!! And, without further
ado, comes chapter 3!!
Chapter 3 ~ Reunion and Alliance
Heavy raindrops continued to pelt the young lioness as she bolted through the Pridelands. Simba had directed her in a vague direction and told her to not stop running until at least morning; just as he had done.
So, Nala didn't stop running. She just kept going.
Her fur was soaking wet and she was shivering horribly. But the adrenalin and determination that was swelled in her body did not allow her to stop, shake as much of the water off as she could, and then continue. She felt as though she had no control of her body.
Back at Priderock, the lionesses had once again began to weep, as the last possible heir had left for some reason known to only Nala and Rafiki. The old baboon had given a short, boring spiel about how she was on a long quest and would return when the time was right. Most of the lionesses gave the excuse that they couldn't talk about any of it so they returned to the comfort of the den when really, they thought Rafiki's speech was boring and wasn't exactly helping the healing process any.
*****
The sun had been up for several hours already. Nala had run all night and morning and her muscles ached beyond belief. She was dizzy and her paws where growing sore. She slowed, feeling as though she would hurl from her nauseating trek. And, indeed, before she knew it, she was silently heaving her stomach contents onto the dry, hot ground. She felt horrible. She looked horrible. And, from a distance, someone else agreed thoroughly with her tiny form.
Just as her body could heave no more, she collapsed in exhaustion and lack of water. A large, fat form scooped her up and carried her away into the jungle and gently set her down next to the other unconscious lion cub.
"Hey Timon," the warthog said.
The little meerkat looked up at the newest cub. "Another one?"
"Yeah, wonder what's goin' on to make them leave wherever they're from."
"Okay, Pumbaa," Timon said, scratching his small head. "We can't keep 'em, you know. They may be young and inexperienced, but they know food when they see it. And they're gonna be hungry when they wake up. We look like food."
Pumbaa groaned. "I hate leavin' 'em like this, Timon. They're so young."
Timon said, "I know, man, I know. But we gotta leave them. They're still breathing and if they wake up any time soon, they're sure to live."
Pumbaa nodded.
"Let's go, big fella," Timon said, patting Pumbaa and walking slowly deeper into the forest. Pumbaa reluctantly followed.
*****
An hour passed since the time Timon and Pumbaa had left the cubs alone. They hadn't returned to check on them, but just then, Simba awoke. He groggily looked around and just barely noticed a limp lioness at his side. Upon realizing it was his best friend, his eyes shot open, his body lost all fatigue, and he leapt up to her, standing over her.
Prodding her gently, "Nala. Nala, wake up."
Nala moaned slightly, but did not wake up. Simba tried harder. He took hold of her ear with his teeth and gently pulled.
Nala's vision was blurred. Who's pulling on my ear? She thought. A small brown lion was tugging at her with sheer determination. Brown fur, red eyes...Simba!
"Simba?" She asked quietly .
Simba stopped tugging at her ear to get a closer look at her. "Nala! Are you - did follow - what are you - what happened to - "
Simba's multiple, unfinished questions was making her head spin. Shaking her head, she tried to yell, "STOP!" The point got out, thought I was not as loud as she had meant it to be.
Simba hushed immediately. He timidly stepped up to her and helped her to her feet. Leaning heavily on him, Nala tried to overcome her extreme dizziness. "Where - where are we, Simba?"
"I don't know. I made it to the desert, but couldn't go any further. And then, I woke up here. With you." Simba observed. "You really followed me?"
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Nala asked, her vision coming back to her. "Didn't you tell me to follow in your paw prints?"
Simba stared at her briefly before realizing what she meant. "Well, as I was running, I thought that for some reason, to myself. But I didn't know that you could hear me."
"Yeah, it confused me too when I first heard you," Nala said, steadying herself. "I thought you were right behind me."
Simba gave her a brief, friendly nuzzle just behind her ear. "I'm starved. Let's go see if we can dig us up some chow."
Nala giggled. "Sounds good."
Scrounging wasn't easy for the two young cubs, and for two big reasons. One, they had no clue how to hunt, and two, there was nothing to hunt. Settling for ripe fruit and a few squirmy bugs that Simba had dug up, Simba and Nala ate quietly. After they finished, together they walked to a large, open grassy spot and gazed up at the twinkling stars. Simba sighed heavily as he felt large tears well up in red eyes once again. Sniffing them away as best he could, he tried to concentrate on the constellations that Nala was pointing out to him. They were all blurring together.
Nala, hearing his loud sniff, looked over at him. "Simba, are you alright?"
Wiping the tears away with one paw, Simba mumbled sarcastically, "Sure, my father was just killed, we're in the middle of nowhere with no place to go, but yeah, I'm just fine, thanks."
Suddenly, he burst into tears. Nala, her own tears stinging her eyes, crept over to him and snuggled close. "I miss him too."
"I know."
"And he misses you, Simba."
"I know."
Huddled close together, the two small, cold, hungry cubs fell slowly and tearfully into a rough, uncomfortable sleep.
Chapter 3 ~ Reunion and Alliance
Heavy raindrops continued to pelt the young lioness as she bolted through the Pridelands. Simba had directed her in a vague direction and told her to not stop running until at least morning; just as he had done.
So, Nala didn't stop running. She just kept going.
Her fur was soaking wet and she was shivering horribly. But the adrenalin and determination that was swelled in her body did not allow her to stop, shake as much of the water off as she could, and then continue. She felt as though she had no control of her body.
Back at Priderock, the lionesses had once again began to weep, as the last possible heir had left for some reason known to only Nala and Rafiki. The old baboon had given a short, boring spiel about how she was on a long quest and would return when the time was right. Most of the lionesses gave the excuse that they couldn't talk about any of it so they returned to the comfort of the den when really, they thought Rafiki's speech was boring and wasn't exactly helping the healing process any.
*****
The sun had been up for several hours already. Nala had run all night and morning and her muscles ached beyond belief. She was dizzy and her paws where growing sore. She slowed, feeling as though she would hurl from her nauseating trek. And, indeed, before she knew it, she was silently heaving her stomach contents onto the dry, hot ground. She felt horrible. She looked horrible. And, from a distance, someone else agreed thoroughly with her tiny form.
Just as her body could heave no more, she collapsed in exhaustion and lack of water. A large, fat form scooped her up and carried her away into the jungle and gently set her down next to the other unconscious lion cub.
"Hey Timon," the warthog said.
The little meerkat looked up at the newest cub. "Another one?"
"Yeah, wonder what's goin' on to make them leave wherever they're from."
"Okay, Pumbaa," Timon said, scratching his small head. "We can't keep 'em, you know. They may be young and inexperienced, but they know food when they see it. And they're gonna be hungry when they wake up. We look like food."
Pumbaa groaned. "I hate leavin' 'em like this, Timon. They're so young."
Timon said, "I know, man, I know. But we gotta leave them. They're still breathing and if they wake up any time soon, they're sure to live."
Pumbaa nodded.
"Let's go, big fella," Timon said, patting Pumbaa and walking slowly deeper into the forest. Pumbaa reluctantly followed.
*****
An hour passed since the time Timon and Pumbaa had left the cubs alone. They hadn't returned to check on them, but just then, Simba awoke. He groggily looked around and just barely noticed a limp lioness at his side. Upon realizing it was his best friend, his eyes shot open, his body lost all fatigue, and he leapt up to her, standing over her.
Prodding her gently, "Nala. Nala, wake up."
Nala moaned slightly, but did not wake up. Simba tried harder. He took hold of her ear with his teeth and gently pulled.
Nala's vision was blurred. Who's pulling on my ear? She thought. A small brown lion was tugging at her with sheer determination. Brown fur, red eyes...Simba!
"Simba?" She asked quietly .
Simba stopped tugging at her ear to get a closer look at her. "Nala! Are you - did follow - what are you - what happened to - "
Simba's multiple, unfinished questions was making her head spin. Shaking her head, she tried to yell, "STOP!" The point got out, thought I was not as loud as she had meant it to be.
Simba hushed immediately. He timidly stepped up to her and helped her to her feet. Leaning heavily on him, Nala tried to overcome her extreme dizziness. "Where - where are we, Simba?"
"I don't know. I made it to the desert, but couldn't go any further. And then, I woke up here. With you." Simba observed. "You really followed me?"
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Nala asked, her vision coming back to her. "Didn't you tell me to follow in your paw prints?"
Simba stared at her briefly before realizing what she meant. "Well, as I was running, I thought that for some reason, to myself. But I didn't know that you could hear me."
"Yeah, it confused me too when I first heard you," Nala said, steadying herself. "I thought you were right behind me."
Simba gave her a brief, friendly nuzzle just behind her ear. "I'm starved. Let's go see if we can dig us up some chow."
Nala giggled. "Sounds good."
Scrounging wasn't easy for the two young cubs, and for two big reasons. One, they had no clue how to hunt, and two, there was nothing to hunt. Settling for ripe fruit and a few squirmy bugs that Simba had dug up, Simba and Nala ate quietly. After they finished, together they walked to a large, open grassy spot and gazed up at the twinkling stars. Simba sighed heavily as he felt large tears well up in red eyes once again. Sniffing them away as best he could, he tried to concentrate on the constellations that Nala was pointing out to him. They were all blurring together.
Nala, hearing his loud sniff, looked over at him. "Simba, are you alright?"
Wiping the tears away with one paw, Simba mumbled sarcastically, "Sure, my father was just killed, we're in the middle of nowhere with no place to go, but yeah, I'm just fine, thanks."
Suddenly, he burst into tears. Nala, her own tears stinging her eyes, crept over to him and snuggled close. "I miss him too."
"I know."
"And he misses you, Simba."
"I know."
Huddled close together, the two small, cold, hungry cubs fell slowly and tearfully into a rough, uncomfortable sleep.