Chapter 6

When Nyimba opened her eyes, she was laying next to her mother. Dang,why didn't I just die? The rest of the pride is probably dead by now, and I belong with them. How did I get here, anyway? She rolled over and found the answer; a red lion was carrying her father from the flame-covered rocks to the non-smoke filled sanctuary. Although the red lion was much smaller and thinner than her father, he had no trouble carrying him. When he set Antar down, the red lion sat and coughed heavily; he too was experiencing the poison of the smoke.

Nyimba summoned all of her strength to walk toward the strange lion. "Is that everyone?" she questioned.

The red lion nodded. "Where's your king? Can I speak with him?" he asked. His voice seemed so foreign compared to the husky voices Nyimba was used to. Instead, it was very light with a twang. He must be from the Southlands, she assumed.

"Well, seeing as the king is passed out, you'll have to talk to me." She pointed toward Antar while talking. "I am Nyimba, princess of the Northlands."

The red lion dipped his head in acknowledgment of the great power Nyimba held. She had to resist a purr of amusement when his shaggy black mane covered his eyes, and he had to use his paw to push it back. "I'm Asani, the future king of the Southlands. I saw smoke in the distance, so I traveled here to save any lion that I could." He walked over to a group of unmoving lions, and spoke in a grave voice, "I can see that I was too late for some."

Nyimba walked over to the group. She recognized Badrani's sister, her sister, and her beloved mate. She dipped her head and closed her eyes, letting a single tear fall. She could cry later, perhaps to her mother, but she wouldn't show weakness in front of this stranger.

"Thank you, Asani," Nyimba said with a choked voice. "If it weren't for you, more lions would have died."

"I'll help you find some water and shelter. This fire might spread fast," Asani suggested.

Nyimba looked at the fire with a sad heart. "Of course, Asani, I'll show you to the glacier run-off," she murmured, then walked off. Asani gave her a puzzled look, but followed.

On the way to the glacier Nyimba felt a drop of water fall onto her nose. When she looked up, dark clouds were covering the sky, and rain began to fall. So now the Great Kings decide to listen to my prayers. Too bad its too late, she thought with disgust.

"Let's go back; the rain will give everyone enough water," Asani offered once he saw that Nyimba had stopped to think. She ran back toward her pride to see that some of the lions were waking up and lapping the rain water.

"Thank you, Great Kings, for this water to help our pride survive," Nyimba heard her mother pray. She knelt down beside Asumini and licked her affectionately.

"Oh mother, look at what has happened! We have no home!" Nyimba cried.

"Don't worry my dear. Once everyone has recovered, we will find a new home. It will all be alright." Asumini purred. Nyimba suddenly felt a glimmer of hope; her mother always knew how to reassure her in times of trouble.

"Father is feeling worse than me, though. You should go see him," Asumini murmured, then closed her eyes to rest. Nyimba walked over to her father, who was lapping a puddle of rain water, but coughing heavily.

"Dad," Nyimba asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

Antar looked over at his daughter with clouded eyes. "Of course I'm not okay. Our pride has been destroyed and we have no home," he growled softly, then coughed again.

Nyimba lay beside him and licked behind his ear. "It will all be okay; we will move on," she reassured him. Then, she remembered Asani, who was standing nearby patiently. "By the way, there is a lion from the Southlands here to see you. He saved most of the pride from the fire, including you and me."

"Bring him here." Antar rasped.

Nyimba rose to her paws and walked over to Asani. "He is ready to see you," she told the skinny red lion while motioning her head toward her father. Asani nodded gratefully and walked over to the golden king. Despite his illness, Antar rose to his paws and looked like a powerful leader. Nyimba sat by her mother again, but listened to the two lions' conversation.

"King Antar, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Asani, prince of the Southlands. I send regards from King Shani, my father. He saw the fire and sent me to recover any lions."

"Welcome, young Asani. I wish your visit was for a more pleasant reason," Antar spoke without a sound of weakness in his voice, although he was very ill. "Thank you for helping my pride escape. I'm sure that after a few days of recovery, we can find a new home."

"Well…my father has sent an offer to let your pride stay with us until you're ready to move on. It's only an hour journey, so I thought everyone could make it." Nyimba was surprised by Asani's offer; she had always heard that Southland lions were cruel and heartless. They had been rumored to have as sharp teeth and claws as the scaly green creatures they ate, which were powerful enough to kill a grown lion in one bite. The thought of those creatures made Nyimba gag and shiver.

Her mother saw her disgusted expression and licked her neck. "Are you okay, dear?" she asked.

"Just tired," Nyimba replied with a quick lie. "How did Adia die?"

Asumini's eyes clouded with sadness. "She was trying to help your father, but the smoke was too much for her."

Nyimba closed her eyes and cried softly. If she was home when the fire started, rather then off with Badrani, then she could have helped her pride and no lion would have died. "Badrani died when a tree fell on him," she whispered. "He…he had just told me that he loved me."

Her mother pressed her muzzle to her daughter's flank comfortingly. Antar separated from Asani and stepped on a rock to address his pride.

"Lions and lionesses, the times are indeed tough. Some have lost family members; others have lost the ones close to them. We will have a burial ceremony for Shay, Badrani, and Adia before sunset, but I have decided where we will shelter until we are ready to search for a new home." He paused, and then spoke with a more powerful voice, "The Northland Pride will stay with our neighbors, the Southland Pride!"

Sorry for the depressing chapter...but there's always hope!

I don't own Lion King, but I own the original ideas and characters.

~Skyy