Chapter 17 – Heading Home

Nala felt like she could have pranced the entire way home. Simba… Simba was coming home, Simba was going to be their king! Yet she was so deep in private thoughts that she accidentally spat angrily in Ramenai's face as she erupted from between the leaves.

He hissed in irritation, shaking his mane.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ramenai!" Nala exclaimed, coming back to reality.

Zanat appeared at Ramenai's side. "Nice greeting," he said dryly.

She frowned at him. "What are you both doing here anyway?"

"Nala, don't you remember?" Ramenai asked gently. "We promised that we'd wait for you in case you needed anything."

"And it looks like it was a good thing we did," Zanat added. "What's happened?"

"What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes. "You jumped out of the brush spitting in Ramenai's face, something must have happened."

Nala smiled. "Yes… I found Simba."

Ramenai watched her, interested. "And?"

"And… well, we had an argument because he didn't want to come home. But I don't know… something I said must have gotten through to him, because I just found out this morning that he left. Everything's going to be alright again!"

Ramenai smiled, but he also looked a little disappointed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… it's just that I was hoping that… if he hadn't listened to you, I thought maybe you would want to live with us."

Nala thought for a moment, then grinned mischievously. "I have a better idea."

He frowned. "What?"

"Well, you see, Scar isn't the only one ruling the Pridelands. He has hundreds of hyenas scattered all over the place just to help him out. We're going to need more than just the lionesses in our pride to defeat all of them. Do you want to help us?"

"And then what would happen?"

"You could live with us."

"But Nala," Zanat interrupted, "you already know that we can't eat as much as you."

She shrugged. "So what? It's not like there's a lot to eat right now anyway."

Zanat glanced at Ramenai, who raised an eyebrow. "She's got a point."

He looked at her. "I don't know how the rest of the pride would take it."

Zanat bounded up. "I'll be right back."

A few moments later he returned, looking triumphant. "It's a smashing idea! Let's do it!"

Nala and Ramenai burst out laughing.

"We don't have a lot of time, and Simba will need us as soon as we get there," Nala pointed out.

Ramenai's tail brushed the dirt. "Let's go!"

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The rogue pride raced across the desert in half the time of their first journey, so that they reached the outskirts of the Pridelands at dusk on the second day. Ramenai raised his head, sniffing the air. He snorted in disgust.

"Filth," he spat, in response to the questioning looks. "Death runs rampant in this land. I barely recognize it from when we used to wander near; it was always filled with lush greenery and ample prey."

Nala looked at her paws, then back up at him. "It will return to the way we once knew," she declared, "when Simba claims his place."

She perked up as her eyes roamed ahead of them. "There he is!"

She took off, leaving the others behind.

"Simba, wait! Wait up!"

He turned, eyes filled with the new horror of discovering his home in shambles.

Simba lowered his gaze in shame as she caught up.

"I… didn't want to believe you."

She rubbed against him. "What made you turn around?"

He chuckled darkly. "Well, you might say I got sense knocked into me."

Simba rolled his eyes. "And there's a lump to prove that. But this is supposed to be my kingdom. And as far as I know, I'm the only one fighting for it."

Nala snorted. "Excuse me? What am I supposed to do? I'm fighting as well."

He offered her a sympathetic smile. "It'll be dangerous."

She scoffed. "I laugh at danger."

"D'you guys see somethin' funny that I don't?"

They spun around. Timon and Pumbaa stood on the ledge behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Simba asked.

Timon scooted to the edge of the rock. "We're s'posed to fight yer uncle for this place?"

Clearly it wasn't on his top ten list of paradises.

Simba shook his head good-naturedly as they all turned to look at the empty landscape again. "Yes. It's my home."

Timon heaved an enormous sigh. "Fine, I guess that means we're with ya till the end."

If it weren't for the circumstances, Nala would have been laughing at what happened next. Timon and Pumbaa actually danced a hula. In any case, it allowed her and Simba to slip past a guard of hyenas unnoticed, and for that she was extremely grateful.

"Find my mother and rally the others," Simba instructed, "I have to find Scar."

She nodded and leaped from the rock, landing lightly in the dirt. Grass was now completely nonexistent. With all the hyenas gathered primarily around Pride Rock, Nala was able to stalk quickly to the small group of lionesses, clustered near Rafiki's tree once again.

"Sarabi…" she began, but at the same moment Scar thundered from the rock's peak, "Sarabi!"

The other lionesses stood in shock as Nala once again walked in their midst.

"Nala…" Raka padded up to her, nuzzling her shoulder. "Where did you go?"

"I went to the desert," she began, "and I found—"

But at that moment a loud smack echoed over the still land, and a deafening roar shook the air like thunder. All thought of her tale was lost as Nala spun around.

"Sarabi, no!"

She led the others up the sloping rock as fast as she could go. Simba stood over his mother, facing Scar with hatred smoldering in his eyes. Nala rushed forward as Simba advanced on his uncle, helping Sarabi to her feet. She was surprised to see Malena also nudging her up. Malena sent Nala an apologetic glance.

"After you left, only Zira and Talani still sided with him."

Nala nodded as they turned to face the confrontation.

"They think I'm king." Scar indicated the hyenas perched over the rock.

"We don't!" Nala stepped out boldly. "Simba is king."

"Yes, yes…" he mused, leering at her. "But still… I would loathe being responsible for a relative's death, would you not, Simba?"

Simba growled, but Nala became troubled.

"What's he talking about, Simba?"

A helplessness came into his eyes, and Nala knew this was the secret he hadn't been willing to share.

Scar was sneering again. "You mean to say you haven't told them? Well, now's your big chance. Go ahead, Simba. Who is responsible for Mufasa's death?"

The lionesses glared at Scar as he slunk past, but as their gazes moved to Simba, Nala realized how powerless he looked.

Simba glowered at Scar for a moment, then said in barely a whisper:

"I am."

Nala was horror-struck. Simba, kill his own father? Sarabi ran to her son.

"It can't be true. Please… it's not true?"

He couldn't look at her. "It's true."

A ruthlessness emerged from Scar as he said this. "Murderer!"

"What? No! No, it was an accident!" Simba pleaded.

"It's your fault he's dead, is it not?"

"Yes."

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Sorry guys, but I have to end it there. The next one will be up in a few days, but I needed to cut it off somewhere and it seemed a decent moment. Sorry for the inconvenience, I know you all love this story!

Phantomfreak07