AHHH!  SORRY AGAIN!!  (Hey Jared!  You wanna hear a story??  I knew you did!!)  I swear, it was Marching Band!  Here's my excuse (and yes, it did happen.)  We march, sometimes, on a vacant lot with a long, paved street.  Thing is, it's not well kept, so there are all these potholes all over the street.  One time our drum major, who marches backward, had a pretty nasty fall.  He tripped in one, went down and was out cold for an  hour…..3 weeks of physical therapy, a heavy concussion, 46 stitches, a broken shoulder and a sprained knee later, he was back on his feet and directing us again, but that's when my little fiasco happened.  The Tuba player tripped, went down and I tripped over him, sprained my ankle and broke a total of 5 fingers – 2 on one hand, 3 on the other….It's hard to type with 5 broken fingers, ladies and gentlemen.  So sorry for the wait!!……..and Jared?  Ya know what I mean, *wink, wink*

Captain Pocky

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Chapter 5 ~ A Reward for years of Hope

To them, this was home.  They were leaving all they knew for several years.  They still had memories of the old land, but they all seemed as though they were nightmares.  There were no good memories of Pride Rock anymore.

Skipping the "good-byes", Nala and Simba took off at a sprint away from the jungle and into the desert.  They ran even past the time the sun fell and their muscles ached.

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Seeking refuge under and old tree that seemed familiar, they waited out the night and discussed what would happen when they returned.  An unexpected arrival would stir up multiple questions that could be done without.  The again, arriving anyway would most definitely stir up questions that neither would like to answer.  They could only hope that Rafiki had sensed a change and let someone know they were coming…..

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Morning soon came.  The sun illuminated the Pridelands and recollections flooded back to both lions.  They started out once again, following familiar smells and sights that they came across wandering back.  Both pointed out things that they remembered from their lost childhood before running away to a safer, more desirable place.  But nonetheless, they knew that this was where they truly belonged.

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Sarabi moved to the very top of Priderock and eagerly scanned the horizon, as she had done every few waking hours to look for the missing heirs.  She circled around and looked from every angle but had no luck.

"Sarabi?  What are you doing?"

Sarabi spun to see Nala's mother, Sarafina.  They were growing old from stress and emotional pain from what "King Scar" believed was good for them.

"Rafiki told me that…..", stepping closer, "Rafiki said that he smelled change.  And war.  He also said that they…..are returning."

Sarafina's eyes widened from the news.  "Are you sure?"

"He's never been wrong, that old baboon," Sarabi smiled.

Sarafina grinned happily.  "You're right.  He never has."

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Scar, meanwhile, was doing his favorite thing: Being lazy and ordering others around for entertainment.  Zazu saw none of it funny, although Scar did see Zazu as a royal jester rather than a majordomo. 

Zazu mumbled, "If only they were here to straighten this clown out….."

Scar snapped awake from his doze, "What did you say?!"

Zazu jumped back and said weakly, "I said if only the – em – hyenas were here to clown around?  You know, for a good laugh, Your Highness."

Scar nodded approval.  "Right you are, Zazu.  In fact, I will let you go find them."

Zazu stared blankly for a moment.

"Well GO already!!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Zazu flew from the carcass-filled den with lightning speed.

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Sarafina and Sarabi were now discussing quietly with the other lionesses that prediction that old Rafiki had made.  There were whispers of excitement and talk of battle.  Surely with as many lionesses as they had and a full-grown lion they could win.

The talk continued until Rafiki himself came hobbling up to the base of the rock, glee shining in his eyes.  "They are HERE!!"

All the lionesses jumped up and all darted to the tip of Priderock and looked around wildly.  So far, there was no sign of Simba and Nala.

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"Simba!"  Nala yelled as she ran, "I see it!"

Simba followed her gaze and, like her, spotted their old home. 

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"Uh, Scar?  Look," said the hyena Shenzi. 

Scar slowly pulled himself up and came to the opening of the den.  "What now?"

"That's what," said Shenzi, looking slightly dazed and incredulous.

Scar growled and moseyed up to the hyena.  "Now what is it that you made sound soo importa -- ?"  His eyes widened.

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Six hyenas had already made their way down the great rock.  The lionesses debated going down and chasing them off, but stopped when they saw a slender young lioness charging straight toward the hyenas.  They all gasped as the lioness bared her teeth and gave one brave hyena a bone-breaking whack on the jaw that sent her tumbling several feet away.  Two of the remaining 5 backed off and turned back to the rock, probably hoping to find help.  The other three, however, kept her on her feet: snapping and barking and laughing….she was able to fend them all off with fierce bites and gut-wrenching kicks and skin-breaking scratches.  With three too injured to fight and two who spinelessly backed off, Nala killed one of the hyenas and dragged the animal, head held high, toward Priderock.  Scar had left his cave and slunk his way over to her.  She dropped the hyena at his feet, never breaking his gaze. 

Glaring but also looking astounded at the same time, he spit, "I thought you had left.  And made this pride better."  He laughed and continued, "We don't need you here, little girl, so why don't you just run on back to wherever it was that you came fr – "

Claws extended, Nala batted him swiftly, tearing off pieces of his skin off his face.  He roared in pain.  He looked quickly to the other lionesses for help, but only saw relief and pride in their eyes and they watched Nala. 

He looked back at her and cringed.  Her angry expression seemed set in stone; her aquamarine-tinted eyes showed no sympathy, just hate.

"So you came back," he started.  "Big deal.  I'll let you stay.  IF you stay out of my way."

Nala didn't say anything.

"Or perhaps, I'll just send you on your way, how does that sound?"

Again, she said nothing.

He stared.

She stared.

He growled.

She stared.

He snarled.

She continued to stare with undying steadiness and fearlessness. 

Growling again, Scar backed up.  Walking slowly backwards, he never lost eye-contact with her.  He continued back until he was roughly 100 feet away.  Snarling fiercely, he charged at her.

She did not move.  Her facial expression stayed the same the entire time he charged at her.  She seemed frozen in time…

Scar had come within twenty feet of her when another lion leapt out of the protection of the shrubs and trees.  Scar was only able to catch a glimpse of this lion as his speed was breath-taking.  He was large and bulky…not skinny like Scar.  Although this new lion did not exactly have the same silky and cat-like grace about him as Scar usually did, but instead, he was all muscle…and teeth…and claws…and anger.

Pouncing on the "king", Simba growled and slashed and batted with a power he didn't know he even possessed.

While the two-person fight went on, Scar realized that this was start of a very, very long and painful battle.

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Ok, I know I can do better…..but u gotta tell me how I'm doing k?  I love all the reviews I'm getting and also…..I'm very sorry that I couldn't post earlier!!!!!!  ~~ Captain Pocky