A female echidna that looks like Knuckles walks on a stage

Hello and thank you for clicking on my fic. One day I made up a character for the lion king. But I was wondering how would he fit with the story line. Make him Kovu and Kiara's cub? Nah!

This character Muenda (Mu-in-da) is really just me. I know I'm a girl but when I first drew a lioness I didn't like the fact that lionesses didn't have hair, er, a mane. And I have long hair that resembles a lion's mane so, you get the point.

Summary: We've all seen the movie and know that after Simba ran away from home, Timon and Pumba found at the edge of the desert. But how did Simba get there. Maybe he just happen to wander there. Nope. He had help. But from who? This is his story.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Lion King or any of it's characters. I do own Muenda and the plot.

Okay, enjoy!

Simba ran. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the burning in his lungs.

'Run away and never return...'

The words of his uncle played endlessly in his head.

He had gained fresh cuts and scraps after barely escaping the hyenas that threatened his life. He was actually thankful for the patch of thorns which allowed him to make a successful get-away.

"If ya ever come back, we'll kill ya!!!"

He heard one the hyenas shout at him followed by a series of psychotic laughter. He kept running, not once looking back at his now former home. The memories of his father flashed through his mind. Both good and bad.

He would never have that again.

The dream of becoming king. Playing games with his best friend Nala. The comfort he received from his mother.

That was gone too.

He kept on running, refusing to stop. Tears began to trickle down his cheeks. He ran and wept. He finally stopped to catch his breath and to look back at pride rock. He thought maybe he should go back.

'What would your mother think...'

His uncle's words played back in his head.

'...If it weren't for you, he would still be alive...'

"...no...", he squeaked.

'Run away and never return...'

'If you ever come back, we'll kill ya!!...'

He dropped the thought immediately and took off.

Simba wandered aimlessly through the smoldering heat of the Sahara desert with his head lowered in exhaustion with his tongue hanging from his mouth.

He wanted to give up. To collapse and let death take him. After all he had nothing to live for anymore. And yet he wanted to live. A voice in his head kept telling him don't stop.

He was suffering from lack of water and dreadfully dehydrated. He brought his head up. He could've sworn he saw water, but when got there it was just more heated sand. He looked around for any sign of life, even a plant. Nothing.

"Somebody," he called. "...Anybody! Please...help..." He wanted desperately for somebody to come. But no one ever came. He tried to walk again but his legs wouldn't allow it. He slowly went down, the dry sand becoming like a soft warm bed.

Slowly he drifted out of consciousness.

Simba began to regain consciousness when he felt something nudge him in his side. He moaned having forgotten where he was and figured was just his mother trying to get him up for his morning bath. Then he felt nudge him so hard he rolled completely over. It felt more like a kick.

He frowned and wearily rose up and gazed at the dark figure before him. It was blurry at first, but his vision cleared. And when it did he was sacred out of his wits.

"AHH!! Please, don't hurt!!!", Simba backed away cowering before the huge dark figure. He was too scared to move any farther now fearing for his life. He closed his eyes and started to cry.

"Kid hey, I'm not gonna hurt you." The dark figure spoke. Simba still didn't clam down.

"Hey! It's alright." it said with a more stern voice. This caught Simba's attention and he clam down a bit.

"I won't hurt you" the dark figure spoke again. Simba noticed it's voice soft and gentle, despite the fact that it was a male's voice. It somewhat reminded him of his mother. Simba opened his eyes as the dark figure stepped into view. It turned out to be lion just like him. But the lion didn't seem right at first. Kind of scrawny and not as thick and muscular like the male lions he was used to seeing. Then again he had only saw two male lions in his life so far.

The lion was a rich shade of chocolate brown. He reminded Simba of his uncle Scar. But Scar's was more of a reddish brown and his mane was black, as to this male's mane was a dark brown. Actually it wasn't much of a mane, but more like a Moe-hog that got thinner and stooped at his shoulders.

Then it hit Simba.

This was an adolescent lion, probably no older than thirteen or fourteen years of age. Or at least that's what he assumed.

"W-who are you?" Simba asked shakily.

The teenaged lion tilted his head and smiled warmly.

"My name is Muenda.[1] What's yours kid?"

Simba regained his usual amount of courage. "My name's Simba. And I'm not kid." He frowned up.

Muenda chuckled. "Riiight. So, what's a kid like doing out here wandering in the desert? You lost?" he asked with concern showing in his voice.

"No! I..."he wanted to show off. Tell him that he was a king. But then he figured that it wasn't the best thing at the moment. "I'm not lost."

"Then where do you come from?" , the older cub leaned down practically getting in Simba's face.

Simba turned his back and flopped down on the sand.

"No where."

"Well you can't just come from no where." Muenda said flopping down beside him.

Simba looked up at him questionably. Muenda looked down upon him still smiling warmly, and then looked around.

"Don't you have a mother somewhere?" he asked.

"I-I...well what about you!" Simba said abruptly. "Where's YOUR family?!"

Muenda's expression changed from kind to shocked and then to anger.

"I guess their was one to many male lions in the pride." he turning away from Simba.

"Well why?" he asked innocently.

Muenda heavily sighed as he recalled the recent events. "You wouldn't understand." He stood and started to trudge off in a rather depressed fashion.

"Why wouldn't I?" Simba up and followed him.

"Maybe when you're older." He said.

"I think I'm pretty old enough now" he said proudly walking in front of Muenda and smrking.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Well, if you must know. I guess I just got to old to be with them anymore.[2] The leader of our pride, Akello, he attacked me...then he ran me off..."

"Why?" Simba questioned.

"I'm not really sure...I guess...that's the way it has to be..." he trailed off.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry..." Simba sort of knew how he felt. It must have been a pretty bad feeling to have lived with someone practically all your life and be driven away by the ones you care about most.

As if Muenda had read his thoughts he spoke up once again.

"My mother was pretty sad that day. She told me to stay strong, no matter what. I miss her so much." He perked up a bit as he remembered his mother. "She used to sing a lot. She had a wonderful voice; everybody in the pride would sit around to hear her sing! I remember one time a few years ago when I was about your age she sung a song because of a new king was born or something."

"Wow, that must have been really nice." It didn't occur to Simba that he was the only new king that was born recently.

"I think it was called the circle of life or something like that. I wanna sing one day too, just like my mom." He said cheerfully. Then out of the blue his mood changed. "Look, it's been great n' all but, you can't be with me any more." He hung his head low.

"But-"

"I sorry but I have to travel on my own." He said, his tone more serious.

"But I-"

"GO!" he roared.

Simba was really confused now. He had just made a new friend and he was telling him to go away. Tears formed in his eyes as he turned in the opposite direction to venture off on his own again.

Muenda truly felt sorry for the cub. So young and alone.

"Hey!" he called back to him. "Head in this direction." He said pointing his paw to the east. "There's a place with plenty of water and shade." He turned around and continued walking.

Simba looked back at him as he walked farther and farther away. Then he broke into a sprint though he was rather graceful while running. (insert the music from the movie you heard when adult Simba was running across the desert) Then he gave a toothy grin and began to run in the direction he was advised.

Both young lions ran across the Sahara desert uncertain where they were going or how they were going to get there, just as long as they got there. Who knows if their paths would ever cross again. But whatever destiny has in store for them, they would face it head on and the challenges that lay ahead.

"GEEZ IT"S A LION!!!" the mercat jumped behind his large warthog friend terrified.

"Aww, look at him. He's so cute and all alone. Can we keep him?" Pumba pleaded his best friend Timon.

"Pumba, ARE YOU NUTS!?!" he screamed in his ear. "He's a lion. Lion's eat guys like us"

"Well maybe he'll be on our side"

"Pumba that's the craziest-Heeey, maybe he'll be on our side." Said Timon. Pumba realized that Timon had once again stolen the words right out of his mouth but decided not to make anything of it.

Pumba picked up the cub in his tucks and carried him off into their jungle home.

Simba had come to and found that his new acquaintances were very friendly and had accepted the offer of staying with them. After they had spontaneously broke into song and he had eaten a rather slimy yet satisfying meal, he looked up toward the sky through the luscious growth of trees.

"Thanks Muenda." He smiled and happily ran off to join his new friends.

Well, how was that? Did I do good? I hope I did. Please tell if it sucked or not

I might continue the story of Muenda though I'm not sure about it.

[1] Muenda- his name really means 'one how cares for others'. I chose this name on purpose.

[2] I asked my mom and she said that some dominate males do run off other males from there prides. But where not entirely sure of that but I'm sticking to it.

Well please give comments! Flames are welcomed also (I'm pretty sure you'll be doing it in the next few chapters) and constructive criticism is appreciated.

Until next time. C'ya.