Hi. I'm not dead. Just lazy. Here be-eth chapter 14
Timon and Pumba immediately volunteered to be the 'scouts.' They ran up about a mile ahead of Simba, Vitani, and Nuka. Everyday when the sun set where they were standing, they'd head back to the others and they'd all rest by the closest body of water. Simba carried Tani, still too young to do any of her own real traveling. He also carried Nuka on his back a lot of the traveling time. The group did that for about four days. Then they hit a large lake. Only half a mile from there, the sand dunes. They stayed at the lake for a couple of days, trying to decide what to do. Simba and Timon tried to decide, that is.
"It's too big!" said Simba. "The only way you'd survive is to make it across in one day!"
"Hmm. I know what'chya mean. We barely made it out 'ere. This lake was the only place we actually stopped to recover. What a couple of days. And we were lucky. I've seen sand storms before, kid. They aren't predictable or pretty."
"And we're back at square one." Simba and Timon listened to the other three talk about (couldn't you have guessed it) bugs. The cubs were all giggles.
"Simba," Timon was getting an idea, "what if we go out there at night!"
"Night?"
"Yeah! It was a lot cooler out 'ere that one night between those two hell-days!"
"Like how cold?"
"Cold enough to make you want to do a few laps to warm up."
"That's it, Timon! You're a genius! We've been sitting here for a day trying to figure this out! We fill up on water, then rush through the desert at night, in ONE night! If it's as cold as you said it was, …
"The hard part will be goin' straight… But I think we can do it. Thanks, Timon!"
"All in a day's work!"
Within three days, the five had crossed the sand dunes, gone over a thorn patch (which contained a slight incident concerning Timon's and Nuka's tails), and were at the top of the gorge where a stampede had once threatened to take away Simba's life. And there they rested. Not one of them wanted to go to Pride Rock and see what Scar had done in the past three weeks to a month.
"Simba?" Nuka and the prince were up later than the others, stargazing.
"Yeah, kid?"
"When ma' Dad dies, will he go up there?"
"Nuka, I think Taka already is."
"Hmm."
Simba had the other four wait two miles away while he went back to Pride Rock. His mane had begun to grow out of every place it would one day fill out. He inspected every inch. Nothing. They were all gone. Now what?
"Simba?"
He spun around from where he stood on the promontory.
"Zazu!" The majordomo had been standing next to him for a while.
"That's Banana-Beak to you."
"You didn't see where they went, I take it."
"No."
"Go east two or so miles. My cousins and friends are there waiting. Does Rafiki know about all this?"
"No. He lives alone in that tree at least eight miles to the north, you know."
"Yeah. Accompany them hear, then fly out and get him, and don't forget to explain anything!"
"Yes, young master. Simba?"
"Yes?"
"You aren't a ghost?"
"No."
"Simba?"
"Yes?"
"I'm very sorry. As soon as the herds found out, they almost all disappeared, just like your uncle."
"He's not my uncle anymore." Zazu flew up onto Simba's shoulder. "He's a madman, Zazu."
"You will make a great king one day, Simba. Just like your father." Zazu flew off.
Voila