Nala had never been happier to hear Simba's roar before, and that included the day he had come home to take his throne back.

"I said it would sting!" Rafiki grinned with all his teeth. Yes, he had said that the paste he put on Simba's leg wound would sting, but he had also said 'a bit'. While Nala shared his joy at Simba's wake up, he was forgetting that Simba had collapsed after a battle, and would most likely still have a fighting mindset.

She was right. Simba was on his feet, ready to attack; his eyes, while open, were not fully seeing where he was.

"Simba! Simba calm down, you're safe, you're home." She spoke quickly, but calmly; trying to get him to see her, not her general direction.

Rafiki had a different approach.

He picked up his stick and gave Simba a good sharp crack on the head.

Simba's eyes focused immediately. Nala remembered something he had said before.

"I finally got some sense knocked into me, and I've got the bump to prove it."

Well, that explained much.

"OW! What...?" Simba looked around, confusion written on his face. Nala went up to her mate and rubbed her head under his chin.

"It's ok," She murmured. "You're home. Kiara, Timon, and Pumbaa found you and brought you back. You're safe." She could feel his body slowly losing its initial strength and going limp. "Lie down. You're still hurt. You have to rest." He didn't argue with her. He just lay down, eyes sliding half-shut. She lay down next to him. Rafiki started fiddling with his stick and fruit and powders.

"Simba, what happened?'

"Was...telling Kovu," He murmured, half-asleep already. "Story 'bout Scar. Real story...Not lies...Ambush came. Tried to fight them off but...too many...Kovu brought them...Trap..."

She stiffened. A trap? By Kovu?! But... He...He had saved...A trap. A plot. A plot to get to Simba. That's all it had ever been.

It scared her to realize just how very close that plot had come to succeeding.

There was nothing she could do about that now though. Who knew where Kovu was? She couldn't very well go rushing off to find him and leave the pride to guard a wounded Simba without her. She wouldn't leave her mate for that, not ever. Besides, when he was healed, doubtless he would go after Kovu himself.

She could wait.

~*~

I loved that part in the first movie. Simba's being all conflicted and Rafiki ends that with one good smack! Not the greatest chapter, but he's awake now! =^-^=