A/N: Glad y'all liked it, I'll see what I can come up with for the rest. :)

Chapter 15 – The Past Can Hurt

As much as Nala tried to enjoy wandering the jungle with her long-lost best friend, her mind had other ideas. An unbidden image of Scar and Taka entered her mind's eye as Simba tried to nuzzle her, and she flinched away.

"What's wrong?"

She looked at him quickly, trying to calm down. "Nothing, it's just… a chill."

He nodded and took off ahead of her.

Nala shook her head. He had changed so much. There was no longer the sense of responsibility he had had as a cub, aching to rule their pride like his father before him. He had traded responsibility for reckless fun and danger.

Nala backed hastily away from a pool as Simba flew into it, letting go of a vine in midair. She looked out over the ledge and he surfaced, pulling her in with him. It was cold! She leapt out of the water gasping and shivering. Simba's mane hung in his eyes as he clambered out with a goofy grin. Smirking playfully, she shoved him back into the water and raced away.

"Was that enough of a chill for ya?" he joked as they ran across open grass in the dusky light, drying their coats and scattering flocks of tropical birds.

She laughed as they play-fought. He overbalanced her and they tumbled down a small hill, sprawling in the soft grass.

Nala smiled, licked his cheek, and nearly laughed aloud at the surprise on his face. He was still a little cub.

X-X-X-X-X

As the pair crossed an enormous, moss-covered log, the monster in Nala's brain fought its way out again. She glanced down at the water distractedly as Simba asked, "So why did you come out here?"

She sighed. "I came out here… because of Scar. He's taken over the Pridelands completely, you have no idea of the damage…"

He rolled his eyes and she stepped in front of him angrily. "You wouldn't recognize it! The water hole is completely dried up, it's only an enormous crack in the land now! There's barely any grass, Rafiki's tree has lost almost all of its leaves, and the hyenas are starting to kill us because there's no food!"

Shock and anger blazed in Simba's eyes. And yet… he flicked his tail and looked at the ground. "Nala, you don't understand. I can't go back."

"You have to! You're the king, you have to kill him!"

He looked at her with vacant eyes.

"No… He'll kill me."

"What are you talking about? He's so much older than you."

Simba threw himself into a vine hammock and his expression turned angry.

"How did you get here, anyway?"

"I… I ran away. I found a pride of rouges, and they brought me here."

He stared at her. "Rouges? You actually trusted rouges?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes. And don't talk to me about trust when you befriended two prey animals."

Simba grew fierce. "Don't talk about them like that!"

Her ears drew back, and he was instantly sorry for the entire conversation. "There is something wrong. Why are you so afraid? It's me, it's just me. We've known each other forever, Nala, what's going on?"

Nala's body froze as the memories washed over her. "I… he killed my mother."

"What?"

"Because she wouldn't be his mate! And…"

Her eyes grew wild again. "And… and then he… I couldn't stop him…"

Angry and shameful tears filled her eyes as he stared at her, and she continued in a broken whisper. "There's a cub… Taka… his cub…"

Simba's anguished roar echoed through the night air.

"How can he… I never would have thought…"

Her face had turned expressionless.

"So that's why you're so uncomfortable."

He licked her shoulder gently and it seemed to shake her out of her frozen state.

"You have to come back now! Please, Simba, before your mother is killed…"

But Simba turned distant again in a flash.

"I can't go back."

"After what I just told you, and you still can't go back?"

She edged away from him, disbelieving.

"I thought you cared about me more than that… I love you."

He sighed and said again, "You wouldn't understand."

Nala's tail lashed angrily. "What is there to understand?"

"Hakuna matata. Sometimes bad things happen, and you can't do anything about them. There's no point in worrying."

"So you mean…" she hardened. "You've changed too much, what's happened to you? If your father was alive—"

"If my father was alive, I'd be home right now and none of this would have happened!" he yelled. "But he's not, so drop it, okay? I'm not the same and that's all there is to it."

"But something happened to you, too," she argued. "I'd understand if you told me…"

"No!" he stalked off the log, and she sighed.

If he isn't going to help, I'm going home.

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A/N: So here we go, heading for home. On the road again… Ok, sorry. :) I enjoy emotional conflicts like this, hope I didn't tie it too close to the movie for you. And in explanation of Nala's behavior (before you review about it), yes she is getting over the ordeal, but it's still there and Scar is still a threat in her imagination. And Simba, dear Simba. He has his own memories to deal with. Go review and tell me how you liked it!

Phantomfreak07