Author's Note: It's been a few months, I know. I hope every one had a great holiday, though. Anyway, here it is- the moment you've been waiting for- the end of the story.

Chapter XVII: Ceasing Darkness

What?

Five minutes ago, Nala had a meal right in her paws, almost. Its noisy singing had lured her to it, and she had been grateful it was such a distracted creature. Oh, she could taste that hog and she took it by surprise, and she almost got her claws on it when the strangest thing that had ever happened to her happened.

There she was, beginning to hold defeat, when a lion leaped out from behind the log the hog was stuck in and tackled her. Not only was she taken off guard, but also she was so astounded - so shocked - that a lion was saving a hog was so unreasonable to her. Oh, no, she thought. A more reasonable explanation is that this lion is fighting me for the prize, which is the hog.

Well, Nala was not about to give up this prize. She was starving, after all. So she fought back mercilessly, rolling around until finally she had pinned him. She had started to claim victory, but she hesitated.

She looked down and stared into this stranger's eyes. They were so familiar. But she couldn't put a name on the face she was looking at. But the whole situation. Why did everything feel so awkward?

It would be absolutely impossible for her to know this lion, though. She had known only four male lions her whole life, and two of them were dead. But this lion reflected the look she must have been giving him.

"Nala? Is that you?"

Her heart nearly dropped to the floor.

"Who… are you?" she asked cautiously.

When he told her he was Simba, she wanted to collapse. She actually lost her balance for a moment. Then she looked at him again, harder. Yes, he did resemble those blurry images of her childhood friend. But he was supposed to be dead!

After gaping in shock, horror, amazement, and just about every other emotion that exists, Nala's eyes widened as she began to realize that yes, it was her dear friend.

Soon she found herself telling Simba stories of Pride Rock, and how she had run. How Scar took rule and destroyed the once beautiful place, and how the hyenas now lived with them. Nala assured him his mother was fine, but she was no longer queen.

Simba had not told his friends he was supposed to be king, and his friends were instantly kneeling down to him. She could tell he didn't like it, but she couldn't understand why.

Lastly, she told him about how this all could be fixed.

"We need you at home," she begged. "You can fix everything. I know you can, and we all know you can."

Obviously, Simba was not too concerned. He had been living here practically all his life and he was nowhere near ready to accept responsibility again and face his uncle. Even more, everyone though that he was dead.

"And I know that I need you, too."

Nala ended it all with those words - those hopeful, true, insistent words. He finally looked at her and she saw a small smile appear. She saw in that smile all the respond she needed, and she didn't worry anymore, because she had decided right then that all was going to be alright.

Author's Note: Over a year of this story and it's all over! Of course, there will be a sequel, and I already have LOTS in store for that!