Chapter 11 – Confrontation

Nala slept late again the next morning, awakened only by sharp little teeth digging into her belly fur. She groaned as Taka began suckling again. She had chosen the right corner of the cave, it seemed, because light and heat were streaming in and being soaked up by the opposite wall. Scar was right about one thing: it was cooler in here.

As if on cue, he entered with a fragment of meat dangling from his jaws. His eyes glittered when he saw that she was awake, and he dropped the scrap in front of her.

"Don't ask what it is," he growled. "I don't even know myself. But you had to have something; after all, I did promise you would never go hungry."

Nala glared at him. "How do I know your hyenas didn't kill another lioness? I'm not eating this. I'd rather starve than be fed by you." She spat the word in his face and his eyes softened deceptively.

"Oh now, none of that, my dear," he chided. "How is Taka to survive without nourishment? You wouldn't want it on your conscience that you killed your own son, would you?"

Nala could feel the rage growing inside. She tried to stand, but Taka pressed into her stomach with fully formed, pinching little claws, forcing her back with a gasp of unexpected pain. Instead she opted for shoving the morsel away across the cave floor, even as her own stomach growled.

Scar sneered. "You shouldn't let pride control you so much, darling. It ruins so many aspects of one's life."

Nala snarled. "How dare you! Lecturing me about pride, of all things, who do you think you are?"

"I know that I am finally, and most deservedly, this land's ruler."

"You will never be Mufasa!"

He swatted the side of her head, sending her backwards into the stone floor.

"Never… ever… mention that name in my presence," he hissed.

Taka had fallen asleep again and curled at Nala's feet. Shaking her head to clear it, she nosed him gently into the corner and staggered to her feet.

"Then… I won't ever… be in your presence again," she panted. "I'm leaving."

Scar smirked. "And where, pray tell, are you going?"

Her eyes brightened. "To catch my own prey, of course. I'll come back eventually." She glanced at the dark fur flopped in the corner, as if to say she cared. "He is only a day old."

Scar raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as she padded out into the blistering heat.

He moved to stand in the entranceway as she made her way down to the dead grasses, and Shenzi bounded up to him.

"What do you need?"

He watched Nala until she found Sarabi under the old baobab, and said quietly, "Follow her, but you must not give yourselves away. Avoid doing so at all costs; I wish to know what she plans to do."

Sarabi smiled for the first time in days to see Nala return. She was quite a bit thinner, and wore a sorrowful expression as she padded over the dry blades.

"What's wrong?" Sarabi nuzzled her.

"I'm leaving."

She drew back in surprise. "What?"

"I can't stay here. Talani will probably end up taking care of the cub, but… there's so much I don't know, and I won't find out by staying here, with him."

"Where will you go?" Raka crept toward them, looking upset.

"I don't know yet," said Nala, licking her cheek comfortingly. "I want to find a place where we can live and not have to fear for our lives or starve every day."

"It's hard to believe such a place could still exist in the world," Raka agreed.

A slow, quiet chant fell from the tree, and they looked up to see Rafiki with his hands outstretched over Nala in a gesture of protection.

Where the journey

May lead you

Let this prayer be your guide

Though it may take you

So far away

Always remember your pride

His chant faded as Tunai rushed up to Nala, wrapping herself around the older lioness's foreleg.

"Nala, you can't go!" she sobbed, twisting her face in the short fur. "What will we do without you?" she raised her head to look at Nala with tears running down her cheeks.

"Shhh, don't worry," said Nala, nuzzling her comfortingly. "I'll be back, I promise. I'll find a place for us, or at least some food, and I'll come back."

Tunai gulped and nodded as Raka gently pulled her from Nala's leg.

She loped to the edge of the tree and gazed out at the barren lands.

Nala looked back once before setting off on her journey.

"I won't forget you."

A/N: There, I tried to make it a little more up-to-Nala-par. Chaotic Serenity has been a real help in reviews (thanks LOTS!) and I hope you all like it.

A/N 2: I'm taking bits of the Broadway show, mixing it in with the movie, and basically making it all fit my own timeline, in case you wondered. Have fun with it! 

Phantomfreak07