Sorry once again for my inactivity. It feels like every time I promise that a new chapter will come out sooner I unintentionally tack on another month to the wait time. I really wish I wasn't this inactive, but when the stories I imagine in my head don't pan out when writing them up there isn't much that can be done. Hopefully you guys enjoy this short little beginning for an upcoming story that will be continued in either a few days or a few months. We'll just have to see how my motivation plays out.

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The early morning air chilled the Pridelands as the cold wind blew through the savanna. The soothing ambiance of dawn was unnoticed by most, but there was one lone lioness who laid restless. The lack of warmth next to her had caused her to shiver herself to a rude awakening, and she was left disgruntled. Once again, her mate had left without saying a goodbye or giving any indication he was leaving. This behavior had become a routine occurrence, much to her dismay, and despite her multiple complaints and attempts at reason, he never changed. It had gotten to the point where the excuses came out as soon as he returned to the den. There was always a meeting that he forgot to mention or urgent affairs that required his immediate attention. Despite constantly clarifying that she didn't mind being woken up early, he still insisted that she get the extra sleep. She should've been used to this behavior by now. But she wasn't.

Nala had reached her limit. She'd woken up cold and alone one too many times, and enough was enough. She'd played his games for too long, and something needed to be done to put the excuses to rest. Carefully avoiding the still asleep lions, she rose from the den floor and weaved her way to the entrance. She was going to find him wherever he had snuck off to this time, and she was going to make a point.

Slipping through her sleeping subjects, the queen exited the den without alerting anyone else to her escape, much like her mate had done many times before. She found it ironic how she was pulling the same stunts Simba had likely done just moments earlier. It was surprisingly easy to escape, and she wondered if things would be different if she was a lighter sleeper. The dim light of dawn graced the ledge outside the den as she made her way to the edge. As she scanned the horizon, she thought about what he would even be doing up this early. As far as she knew, important meetings were held at least after the sun had risen completely. Her eyes searched the tall grass, the trees, and the river, only to be disappointed by the results. She realized that his absence likely meant he was hiding something, and her suspicions were now raised. Determined to find out what her mate was doing, she descended down the side of the cliff and into the grassy plain below.

She found it odd that he wasn't at any of his typical meeting spots. Though shade wasn't a requirement for meetings in the early hours, the scattered trees still made for good common grounds to discuss events. Yet, they remained empty. As she neared the base of the rock formation, she wondered where her search should even begin. Rafiki's tree seemed like a good place to check first, but its distance from Pride Rock would require a decent journey, and it didn't seem like a viable primary option. Despite the fact that she knew Rafiki would likely have answers, she wanted to check one more place before beginning her trek.

Her gaze turned to the forbidden lands just south of the Pridelands. While it had been deserted for quite some time, the Outlands still remained off limits not by law, but superstition. It served as an unwanted reminder of a darker time, and neither the original pride members nor the integrated Outlanders wanted anything to do with it. Despite her discomfort, Nala neared the wasteland, knowing there was a chance her love was here. Every bone in her body warned her not to enter, but she knew that all options needed to be crossed off the list. Besides, what better place to hold a secret meeting than a forbidden area that lions feared?

The grass slowly faded and the skeletons increased in frequency as she ventured further in. She pretended not to notice, but the memories of Scar's regime came flooding back anyways. It required all her mental might to push through, but she convinced herself the search was necessary. Wanting a swift end to her unfortunate trip, she nearly called out for her mate. Luckily, logic kicked in and reminded her that if he was here, he wouldn't want to be found.

As she neared the elephant skeleton that haunted her childhood, the urge to turn back worsened. The trauma was becoming too much, and she stopped to catch her breath, hoping that a break would ease her anxiety. After several minutes of heavy breathing to regain her composure, Nala began to venture deeper. After spending some more time in the Outlands, Nala slowly began to feel more comfortable. It wasn't anything close to the savanna, but the eeriness seemed to fade with time. That was until she noticed the silence. Aside from the wind whistling through the long dead trees and termite mounds, there was very little to be heard. There was no indication of life anywhere, and she felt more alone than she had at any other point in her life.

She stopped in an open area and pondered her situation. She seemed to be the only animal in the vicinity, and she wondered if her trip down nightmare lane had even been worth it. The urge to return home grew as she slowly realized that she was alone, and she figured it was time to go. As she began to trace back her steps, a distant noise caught her attention, and after a few more seconds, she heard it again. A low noise emanated from deeper in the Outlands, and she knew it was worth a shot to investigate. It was her first lead of the day, and she couldn't let it slip by.

She sprinted in the direction the noise seemed to come from, racing across the barren wasteland without a care for stealth. Her paws pounded the cracked ground as the noises became clearer and clearer. They were growls. Pleasured growls. The realization hit her like a boulder as she slowed her run to a crawl. She refused to believe it. Simba would never dare touch another lioness. Right?

The more she denied it in her head, the more everything lined up. The sneaking off, vague excuses, and lack of recent attention all made sense, yet her mind would not let her come to that conclusion. Desperate, she gave the growls a closer listen, praying that she wouldn't recognize them. Much to her relief, the growls were alien to her. But they were from a lioness. There was still a possibility that her mate was the reason for the pleasured sounds, and she knew that she couldn't leave just yet. Her search continued reluctantly, but at a much slower pace. She hoped that this was all a misunderstanding, that it was just another pair wanting some privacy. But there was no mistaking Simba's roar.

All desire for stealth vanished after hearing that unmistakable roar. Sadness, rage, and confusion swelled within her, drawing out all rational thought. Despite all the signs pointing to an affair, she had never once considered that Simba had been cheating. While her mate wasn't perfect, she often tried to see the best in him, enjoying his perks rather than dwelling on his flaws. She kicked herself for not paying enough attention, and for not seeing the red flags. Did she really expect loyalty from the lion who abandoned his pride?

Tears blurred her vision as she sprinted towards the adulterous couple, desperate to disprove her own mind. She wanted to believe that she misheard the roar. She wanted to believe that she wasn't a good enough mate to know his every sound. Deep down though, she knew she wasn't the bad mate in the relationship. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, sending her flying at breakneck speed towards the sensual noises. Every pleasured moan, growl, and roar grew louder by the second, each noise depleting her hope. It was hard to be optimistic when there was no hope, and the last shred of faith dissipated as she approached a small ditch in the landscape.

The noises were clearly coming from the miniature ravine, but something stopped her from making her way over to check. She knew her mate was in the gulley, but she lacked the strength to confirm it. She wanted to just believe that the blatant affair in front of her was all a dream, or to at least pretend nothing never happened. She could go back to the lies and be ignorant to the truth, but she knew it wouldn't last for long. The relationship between Nala and her mate would continue to deteriorate as he would slowly let the Pridelands collapse. Something needed to be done, but she didn't know what. One thing was certain though. She needed to see who else was in the ditch. With shaky breath and hesitant steps, Nala made her way to the ledge. Her mind was made. She had done everything in her power to keep her mate happy and satisfied, but it obviously wasn't enough. There wasn't any more she could do to win him back, and the realization made her feel somber. She wasn't good enough, and she recognized, but she at least deserved to know who was.

Time seemed to slow as she peered into the ditch beneath her. The world froze around her as she confirmed her worst fears. Her love was mating with another lioness in front of her. Despite all the highs and lows they had gone through together, it apparently wasn't enough for him to want to stick around. A pained gasp escaped her throat, but the pair below her were too busy with each other to notice.

Though Simba's distinct features stuck out to her instantly, Nala had trouble recognizing the lioness that was being pummeled beneath his girth. She seemed oddly familiar, but her slightly darker coloring clearly indicated she wasn't from the Pridelands. Determined to find out who the mate thief was, she held back her tears as best she could and stalked along the ridge's edge to get a better angle. Though the lionesses face slowly grew clearer, it was still unfamiliar to the queen. The fact that Simba had gone for a total stranger confused her, and she didn't know if she should feel extra insulted or slightly relieved. Heartbroken by the fact that she would never know who she couldn't compare to, she began to return to the pride and cut her losses. But as her head turned away from the oblivious couple, she caught sight of a distinct feature: the lioness' eyes. Her beautiful, shimmering purple eyes.

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I know this chapter was short and ended on a cliffhanger, but I just wanted to get something out to let y'all know I haven't stopped writing. I wrote an entire outline for a story similar to this one a few months back, just to delete it all and rewrite it from scratch. After that, it took another month for me to find the time to fill in the details between plot points. I'm not sure if I'm entirely satisfied with this opening, but I often underestimate my work so hopefully it's not that much weaker than any of my PoBaK chapters. Thank you all for sticking with me and I hope my perpetual inactivity finally comes to a close.