Hey there!
Here we go with Chapter 12: I guess those of you who read fics regularly on this site know what today's twist is going to be.
RELDOR: Once again, thanks a lot.
Chapter 12: the king and I
Two months later!
It took Nala weeks to not wake up with wet eyes from crying tears during sleep. All of them were gone; first Simba and Mufasa, then Ni, Chumvi, Tojo, Malka, Kula… and finally Meethu and her mother. The only one left was Tama. Of course there were Sarabi and the other members of the pride. But the loneliness she felt right now, was basically unbearable. She rested her head on her front paws as her mind drifted back to her mother and her brother.
Nearly a week had passed since the incident between the lions and the hyenas. Nala had to watch all her childhood friends being banished from their home as Scar strengthened his position as the prime ruler of the pride lands. Sarafina was finally able to walk on all four of her paws again. Yet she was still unstable in her walk so her children had to support her. Together, the family walked through the dry landscape of their kingdom. Even though the night was clear, no stars could be seen on the sky. The dust that emerged from the ground was so thick that the pride lands were filled with this grey light. While the three lions walked on the ground, it was Zazu that flew just a few yards over them.
"How long until the meeting point?" The young cream lioness asked the major-domo from underneath with her eyes being stern and anxious.
Zazu dropped a few inches until he was on the same level as Nala. "It's over there, just around that boulder." He answered before he received and approving nod.
Nala picked up her pace and walked a few meters ahead as she wanted to get to their destination fist. The cream lioness glanced around the corner and her eyes right away fell on a figure moving in the dark. Her ears perked up in alert but relaxed as she recognized who was standing in front of her.
"Hello flaky! You have really grown."
It was definitely him. Nala smiled warm as she padded over to who was as close to being her father as possible. Ni returned her smile and nuzzled her gently. Right then, Meethu and Sarafina came into view and the males eyes drifted off to the newcomers. He already heard of the incident happening at pride rock and what happened to Sarafina that day. "Hey Sara!" He greeted the older female and padded over to her before licking her on her forehead. The two spent quite a while together in their position until they finally broke apart. Nis eyes then met the last member of the trio and his eyes filled with pride. "Hello!"
For the whole time, Meethu was as nervous as lion could be. When Nala told him and his mother about meeting his father, he couldn't help but feel extremely uneasy. His father had to leave the pride lands before he was born. What was the right thing to say in this situation? What was the right reaction for meeting the male that was his father? He didn't know. And the only thing, Meethu did was standing in the back and face the ground.
"Well! Are you going to just stand there and stare holes in the floor? Or are you going to say hello?" Ni remarked smiling.
Meethu then felt a head hitting him in the back as his mother tried to shove the adolescent male closer to the full grown pale cream lion. At first he rejected but then gave in and padded over. Their eyes met for a second and then Meethu looked away again. His father countered with a smile and brought his right front paw to his chin before lifting it up.
"Guess I have to do the first step. My name is Ni. You must be Meethu?" He said soft as he offered a smile. It took a while before his son replied with a smile of his own. But as he did, the world lit up for a short moment. Meethu flung himself at Ni and hugged him tightly as he nuzzled him. Nala and Sarafina smiled seeing how their family was finally reunited again.
Once again, Nalas eyes filled with tears as she remembered one of the happiest moments, yet one of the saddest in her life.
The four had settled down right at the border of the pride lands under a tree that was surprisingly blooming and still had its leaves. Since they hadn't seen each other for such a long time, they had a lot to talk about. Sarafina had snuggled up to the older male while their children were lying just oppose them. "That scumbag! I should go back there and end his reign at once." Ni said as he slammed his paw at the tree trunk.
"That's not what I've asked you for." Nala said calming. "I asked you to take care of them until this crisis is over. If it wouldn't have been for her little accident and the others getting back to pride rock in time, Meethu would have been dead. I just can't take him being in danger anymore. That's why I send Zazu to find you guys." She said nodding her head at Zazu and Kicho who sat on a tree branch just above them. "I fear if my mother and Meethu are staying in the pride lands, something really serious is going to happen to them. For now I just want them to be safe." Ni nodded in realization as he wrapped his arm around his mates shoulder.
They set there for nearly the whole night until it was finally time for them to depart. Nala nuzzled her brother and mother tightly before walking back into the depths of the pride lands. As she got smaller and smaller in the distance, Ni and Sarafina couldn't decide whether they should cry or smile. "I can't believe she turned three just a few days ago. She would have made a great queen." The male said and faced the lioness. "Do you think she will pull through?"
Sarafina nuzzled him on the side smiling. "She is strong and intelligent; if I can make it through all of this… she can do it with ease."
When Nala arrived back at pride rock the next morning she had been welcomed by a not so nice welcoming.
"Where have you been?" Scar said booming as he growled angrily at Nala. The cream furred lioness had not been back for fifteen minutes as the king alongside Zira, Banzai, Shenzi and Ed came trotting into her direction baring his teeth. "Where are your mother and your brother?" He then continued to ask as he got face to face with her.
Nala frowned showing no sign of intimidation. "They're gone. And last time I checked. I don't have to report to you of where I'm going." She answered dry. Her eyes wandered over to Zira who threw needles at her with her eyes.
"You're just a feisty as your mother. Remember who you're talking to." The tarnish lioness then intervened and started circling the younger lioness. "We can't allow every member of the pride lands to just leave and let the home land abandoned." Her voice was slimy and her grin was completely faked.
"A trend that our king has started in the first place." Nala answered dry. "Scar! You're the king; it is your duty to look after the pride and the kingdom. Look at this place, there's barely even anything left for us to feed from. You have the power to make this right. Think about it!" Something told her that it might be a good idea to appeal on Scars mind and heart, if there was a heart left anyway.
But the king just stared at her… weird! "Oh I know of my duty as king and looking out for my pride. And as the ruler of the pride lands, I hereby declare that none of you lionesses are allowed to wander off on her own without a hyena to guard you. Understood?" Scars voice was just as mocking as it could get. He eyed the young lioness that never let her aqua eyes off the king.
Yet she knew that there was nothing to gain here anyway. "Understood… your highness!" Without saying another word, Nala walked out of the den with her head hung high.
Scar himself observed her carefully, memorizing every part of her body. "She does indeed come after her mother. Very interesting."
Beside him, Ziras muzzle dropped open as her eyes widened in shock. What was he doing? Is he really checking out that young lioness, the one that was causing nothing but trouble for them for weeks? How could he be interested in Nala instead of me? I gave birth to your son, I am the one who is your right hand, that lioness will only be your doom. Zira thought as her mind imagined Nala getting perished by a bunch of crocodiles in the river. Yet she shook her head as Scar walked out of the den. Oh my dear Nala, don't bite off more than you can chew.
Since Simba had no idea of what was going on, he was still enjoying his life far away from all the problems back at pride rock. Right in that moment, there was nothing to worry about. And why should there? He was the biggest animal living in the jungle; no one would ever bother to get on the bad side of a lion. Simba was walking alongside Timon and Pumbaa through a field just outside their home.
"So Simba! What was all of that stuff about the dead monarchs watchin' us from above anyway?" Timon asked after quite a long time of silence.
No worries! Yeah, except for that huge one that has been burned into my mind for the rest of my life. Simba thought as he remembered how he broke together the other night thinking about his father. It was one of those things; he didn't want to tell anybody in his live ever again. Not even the only two animals in the world that would possibly still wanted to put up with him anymore. "You know what Timon! Forget about it, hakuna matata!" He simply answered forcing a smile.
The meerkat nudged his warthog friend with his elbow. "The kid has finally learned!" Timon laughed at Pumbaa who shook his head with closed eyes. "So what other great stories and fairy tales do you have in store for us?" He then continued as he ran up to Pumbaas head leaning against the warthog's ear. "Next thing he's gonna' tell us is some story about lions and their prey living in complete unison and harmony like some… circle of nature… thingy!"
Simbas eyes widened as he turned away from his friends. He didn't want Timon to see that he completely hit the spot. And back they were at bringing up old memories of the past.
It was the first time; his father took him down for a walk through the kingdom. The sun still set rather low but wrapped the pride lands in beautiful light. Antelopes, gazelles, giraffes and zebras were running through the rich and grassy fields while he and his father walked right among them.
"Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures- from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope." Mufasa said as Simba kept glaring into the distance amazed by the kingdom that was soon to be his.
The last sentence made him turn around and face his father. "But, Dad, don't we eat the antelope?" He frowned before coming to a halt. There was some kind of discrepancy in what his father was about to teach him.
Mufasa on the other hand kept his calm and smiled warm. "Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected… in the great circle of live." The king smiled gently as he shoved his son forward with his front paw. "ISN'T THAT RIGHT JOE?"
"RIGHT YOU ARE MUFASA!" At once Simba twisted his head around to see an antelope shouting out from the distance.
"CATCH YOU LATER!" Mufasa called out waiving his paw and laughing a little.
Yet Joe kept jumping playfully through the veldt. "NOT IF I CAN HELP IT!"
"Sim-ba?"
The golden furred lion snapped back to reality coming face to face with Pumbaa. "You seem to be kinda… uhm… absent over the last days. Was it something we said?" Unlike Timon, Pumbaa really showed his inner feeling to the outside. He was a real good friend, not that Timon was none, but he could never talk with Timon about those things. It's not that he wanted anyway.
"Uhm, it's nothing Pumbaa. Really, don't worry about it." Simba answered with a reassuring smirk bringing the conversation to a quick end.
At first, Nala thought it couldn't get worse; a thought that was accurate months ago. It was the night that Tojo decided to take her out for a walk in the night. And that night, she realized how dramatic the drought, which had the pride lands completely in her grasp, really was. In no way, Nala expected it to get even worse. Everywhere she looked, there was grey and brown. Be it the grey rocks that were completely free from grass. And of course the brown and dry earth which got whirled up due to the cold wind that ran across the pride lands and took away the last parts of leaves which hang on only a hand full of trees.
The cream lioness wandered through the pride without knowing where exactly she wanted to go. In the distance, she saw a few hyenas keeping a close eye on her. It has been like this for the last two months. And oh dear was she annoyed by having them on her tail for all the time. Nala then walked over to the rest of a little acacia tree and dropped to the ground right under it. She took another glance to the left and spotted Tama padding over to her with the exact same expression of annoyance that she had. "Hey!"
"Hey!" Tama responded as the tarnish/orange lioness lay down just beside her.
At once, the cream lioness spotted two other members of the hyena clan stopping right beside her own stalking commando and threw a killing stare over to them. "I see you have your own little club of groupies to take care of." She remarked sharply being unable to suppress a sly grin.
Tama rolled over to the side and rested the side of her head on the ground. "Yeah! I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I can't believe what Scar has done to us." She answered without taking her eyes off from the grey animals observing them.
What Scar has done to us! Tell me about it. Nala thought and closed her eyes. It was the king that forced the pride to overhunt the savannah. It was Scar who threw Ni, Chumvi and the others out of the pride lands. And it was him who had installed the hyenas as his enforcers, not to mention that he brought them into the kingdom in the first place.
"I would say that someone needs to stand up to Scar to stop his madness from going, but what would it help. It's not like he never faced opponents during his reign before." Her friend then threw in while she kept her eyes closed and her face lying down. "Even Sarabi reached the end of her powers. Haven't you seen how tired he looks over the last weeks?"
Nalas head tilted up by the mentioning of their 'queen' and how she had tried her best to keep the pride together. "Speaking of Sarabi, I haven't seen her for the whole day. Where is she?"
Tama eyed her and a small grin appeared on her face. "I don't know either. Nobody has seen her lately. The loss of your mother has hit her just as heavy as me."
Nalas head dropped being reminded of her mother gone. "What about you? Weren't you told to go hunting with the next party?" Now it came to her mind that besides nights and little breaks, Tama and her did not really have the time to spend with each other. Another thing that was giving her a hard time.
"My mom sent me home right away." Tama went to her feet and padded a few steps closer to her best friend. "I had to sell an injury in order for the hyenas watching to not get suspicious." The cream lioness chuckled a little on that comment. Yet the tarnish lioness brought her muzzle close to Nalas ear and started to whisper. "She said something about preparing a trap for the hyenas. I guess there is some protective instinct for me left in her.
In that moment, Nalas eyes widened. "I hope they know what they're doing. If that one fails, we're all doomed." She answered looking into the sky with worry. Movement made her turn around as Sabini headed over to them. The pale golden lioness just dropped between Nala and Tama without saying a word and angry eyes. "Now that is a face that really needs a cheer up." Nala said giving her tarnish/orange friend a wink. "What's wrong?"
Sabini shook her head with closed eyes while crossing her front legs and resting her head on them. "This place is so boring. I can't go anywhere without one of those slimy and stinky poachers following me. And since the herds are not returning, I will never learn to hunt." Her eyes faced the ground and she sighed heavy. "And I feel lonely. Malka is gone, Meethu is gone. It's just… so depressing." Her voice suddenly had a heavy tone in it.
She didn't need to say anything more as Nala knew exactly how she felt. And it broke her heart to see Sabini lying there like that. The cream lioness grabbed her by the head and pulled her closer to her. She brought their foreheads together which caused the younger lioness to smile a little. "Come on, you still got me and Tama. And as for the hunting part… I think I can arrange that too."
That last statement made the pale golden lioness give away a joyful smile as her blue eyes went big. "How do you do that?" Sabini then asked gently.
"Doing what?"
"Keeping that calm in all this terror while being there for all of us, it's almost like… you… you seem to endure everything and… still manage to have an open ear."
Nala smiled warm yet didn't really know if she was really that strong. She kinda felt as if it was her duty to follow the example that Sarabi and her mother had given her over the last years. And someone had to do something. The cream lioness then tilted her head up in realization. You seem to endure everything… manage to have an open ear. Somebody had to do something. Went it came to the bottom line, she really started to act like the queen she was supposed to be.
"Isn't that cute!"
The trio twisted their heads around to find Zira standing right in front of them, with Nuka standing right behind her. The young male lion couldn't help but to keep scratching his back with his hind leg. His fur was of a grey shape, and his mane was… … different. "Hi Sabin!" He muttered during his attempts to make the itching on his body stop.
Sabini just answered with a frown as she did exactly like Nala and Tama and stood up. Her cream furred friend again was the first to speak. "What do you want?" She asked in a challenging tone ready to explode on any wrong move, Zira was going to make. By now she really had started to hate her guts, a feeling that was giving back to her by 100 percent.
"I just wanted to see how the future of our pride is doing. It is one of my duties as the first female in the kingdom. It must be really hard for you young ones to grow up here." Her voice was slimy yet suave as she padded back and forth in front of the three younger lionesses.
Tama growled a little and got into a pouncing position. But she quickly got interfered by Nala who raised her paw in a calming way. "Relax Tama. I think Zira can't imagine how growing up is, since her time growing up lays way back in the past." The cream lioness mocked the older one and couldn't help but form a smile across her muzzle.
"You better watch your… wahhhh!" Nuka was about to say something when Zira growled at him and mad the young male sank together in fright.
Zira then went back to face Nala with furious eyes. "Didn't I tell you that you better watch your manners and remember where your place is?" Slowly, she walked closer to her and formed a nasty expression on her face. "Like I said, you're just as feisty as your mother. She didn't know when to keep her muzzle shut either. Which was probably the reason for her… disappearance?"
If it wouldn't have been for Tama putting a paw on her best friends shoulder. Nala would have lunged herself at Zira in an instant. Yet, Zira kept mocking her. "What's it like little Nala, being abandoned by every person that ever really cared for you? All your friends have left. I heard that Kula didn't even care to say a few last words before she ran away."
Nala was so close to explode. Yet she kept her calm on the outside as she started to stare into the distance and avoided facing Zira.
"Your brother went alongside your mother. Oh… and speaking of your mother." As Zira circled around the cream lioness, she shoved Tama out of the way who had to be held back by Sabini to not sink her teeth into Scars right hand. "I wonder what happened to her the time before she got into the pride lands." Nalas eyes widened. "I heard that your never knew your father. Being the half-orphan that you are, I wonder if your father was the one that… ROAR!"
It had finally happened; Nala was completely out of control as she charged forward at the tarnish lioness. Zira, being completely prepared for an outburst, moved her body around and let Nala slide over her back as she landed on the ground. The tarnish lioness then jumped at her enemy ready to strike her on the ground. With a single move, Nala flipped Zira as she finally landed on top of her.
Nukas mothers' eyes filled with shock as she saw the cream lioness standing over her and growling viciously at her. "I bet you were not prepared for me doing this." Nala answered mocking but kept the seriousness in her voice. "Just to assure you Zira, I know where my place is and was supposed to be."
Within an instant, the scene was stormed with hyenas that started pulling Nala away from her enemy. The cream lioness didn't fight them this time since she was sure she brought the message across she wanted. Zira got back to her feet and snarled at the trio that now stood again side by side. "I guess that makes us mortal enemies from now on. Or are we… competitors?"
Nala didn't know what Scars right hand meant by that, but she didn't care right now. With her head held high in arrogance, Zira was accompanied by her hyena escort and walked off into the distance. She soon felt Tama and Sabini walking up to her side and giving her a supporting look. Determination ran through her as she started walking into the direction of pride rock, with her two friends glancing after her in surprise.
"Where are you going?" The tarnish/orange lioness asked perplex.
Nala didn't face them and kept walking. "I'm going to talk to Scar. It's time for things to change.
Imbeciles, idiots, morons… traitors! I'm surrounded by them. Scar thought as he wandered through his cave. All of them were sabotaging his reign. The lionesses were still hunting, but by far not with the same success they had before. The hyenas' moaning and complaining kept getting bigger and bigger. Nearly in daily basis, they came running into his chamber and asked for more food. How dare they? After all I have done for them. If it weren't for me, they were all beating off buzzards for their next bite.
Then there were Zira and Nuka. Oh my; was he incompetent. The boy was basically unable to do anything right. And on top of that, he was still complaining when he didn't get what he wanted. He was supposed to be his heir? In no way was he ever gonna give some responsibility to him. Speaking of heirs! Just like she did before, Zira again tried to catch him in a weak moment. A situation he wanted to avoid at all costs. Well at least Sarabi was turning down her rate of complains. She must have figured out that there is no way in arguing with me. It was surprising to him that this day had been relatively quiet.
"Excuse me Sire!"
But then again, there was always Zazu. Scar put up his fake smile as he turned around to the blue hornbill. "What is it my dear major-domo?"
Zazu landed right at the feet of his king and bowed to him even though he rather didn't want. "Well sire, I wanted to inform you that the hyenas had to break up a fight between Nala and Zira just about a few minutes ago."
The king put his paw to his forehead and rubbed it. That lioness really seems to have a short line of tolerance over the last weeks. "And what do you want me to do about that matter?"
The blue hornbills beak dropped open in an instead. "What are you supposed to do? What are you SUPPOSED TO DO? I expect you to do at least something!" He said before he spread his wings and landed on the kings' 'bed'. Zazu crossed his wings, as he glanced up and down the kings' chamber. Everywhere he looked, he saw the bones of eaten up animals. It looked like a complete mess.
Yet Scar didn't really pay attention to him. All they do is demand, demand and demand. Why aren't they paying me the respect I deserve? Suddenly, he felt a disturbing emptiness filling his heart, something that was eating up from inside. It was like something important was missing from him. Scar turned around to the blue hornbill that now had his back turned to the reed/brown furred king. "Zazu! Why am I not loved?"
"Come again sire!" The bird answered raising his eyebrows.
"Why am I not loved?" Scars voice became weak and miserable. It was almost like he was close to crying, a really abrupt change in his persona. Zazu couldn't help but frown as what his king was doing. He put his right front paw to his head and held in on his forehead. "I am the king; a king should be loved and adored by his subjects. But everywhere I go, I feel the barrier the lionesses put between me and them. Almost as if planning regicide." Scar went back to padding through the den with Zazu not quite sure what to make of it. "Please tell me Zazu that I'm adored."
The hornbill almost chocked on his tongue. "Uhm… well… I… uhm… I would love to but… when king Mufasa was...!"
Zazu never got to finish his sentence as Scar directly rushed over to him and snapped his teeth shut in front of the bird. "You, you dare to! How often have I told you that my brother's name is still forbidden to be said in the pride lands? Remember that cage I have installed over there just for you." He smirked at his last words and extended his front to the rips of a Zebra standing right against a wall.
His major-domo choked and stopped dead in his tracks. "Note taken sire. I shall never mention 'M-m-m' again."
Again; his king turned away from him and got back to his lamenting voice. "My brother! Even in death, his shadow looms over me. It is like a bad nightmare that always comes back to me. I wanted to be loved just like him. Even as cubs, he still was always getting all the attention. What did my brother have that I don't? What made him this beloved king?"
Zazu couldn't believe this. Was Scar going completely mad? He brought his wings to the sides of his head before he started speaking. "Do you want the short list, or the long?"
"Oh whatever!" The male lion muttered his head buried into a face palm.
"Well your majesty, he had adoring subjects."
"Aha!"
"A loving family."
"Yes!"
"A devoted queen!"
"THAT'S IT! A QUEEN! I NEED A QUEEN!"
"Oh that's a good idea. Wait… A WHAT!"
Suddenly, Scar started running through the cave with enthusiasm and joy. He was almost hyperactive. A situation which caused Zazu to literally facepalm. "A queen my dear major-domo. A queen! Without a queen, WHAT AM I? A dead end, no line, no descendants, no future. With a queen, I could carry on the tradition. With a queen I could have… CUBS. I could have… heirs. With a queen giving me young cubs, my bloodline could go on for eternity. Immortality will be mine. IMMORTALITIY WILL BE MINE!" he yelled the last sentence and spread out his front legs.
Oh no! He completely lost it!
"Scar!" Both the lion and the hornbill stopped and turned around to find Nala entering the den.
While the kings' face lit up with enthusiasm and desire. Zazu face would have turned white, if hornbills could actually do that. "Ahhh… Nala! Your timing could not be better." Behind him, Zazu shook his head in frustration. Oh Nala… your timing could not have been worse. "My how you've grown. That will be all Zazu!" the red/brown lion then said giving his major-domo a wink.
Oh no! He could not go right now. But what chance would he stand against a full grown male lion. "Are you sure sire? Don't you want me to stay?"
"THAT will be all Zazu!"
Zazu couldn't do anything here; at least he could get help somewhere, or at least a crowd. He passed the cream lioness that held a stern expression as she walked over to the king. As they passed each other, Zazu got close to her ear and whispered. "Give a roar if you need anything." With that, he flew out of the den but tried to find the lionesses as quickly as possible.
Nala was a bit perplexed as she heard the hornbills' words but didn't think about it that intensely. She had other things to worry about right now. "Scar, you have to do something. We have overhunted the veldts." She said with a calm and careful voice. She knew that the king was relatively moody over the last months.
"I have to admit, you really added some feminine assets to your figure." The male lion replied walking a few steps closer to the female. She really started to look like her mother.
The lioness however did not really get what Scar was saying and continued. "You are the king, control the hyenas, they're causing chaos out there. If we don't stop this now, the problems will be to big for us to handle."
"The world is full of problems. Even a king has desires; In order for this to stop I need a companion, a mate that has nobility in every gene. And you my sweet thing are perfect to the part." He started to circle around the much younger lioness while putting up a nasty and lust filled smirk.
Nala brought her head up and backed away a few steps. "Excuse me; are you even listening to me? You ARE DESTROYING the pride lands." She frowned and bared her teeth; coming in here may have been a really bad idea.
"A king alone is a sad situation indeed!" He said almost with the tongue of a snake as he sneaked up to her from behind. Nala couldn't even react as he brushed his side with hers. Her fur was so soft and shiny. Nala backed away immediately as he put his own front paw on hers. "But a king without heirs; that is a real tragedy. Come on Nala it's written in the stars."
"You can't be serious!" Panic rose up in her body as Nala started searching for the exit. She had to get out of here somewhere. Coming here was indeed a bad idea. Yet the king kept moving up to her as their eyes met. His green orbs were full of lust and passion. Was he really that crazy? He could have been her father.
Yet Scar never stopped moving forward. "I have never been more serious!"
That did it! Nala moved to the side and tried to rush out of the kings' chamber. But she didn't get far as her path was blocked by the red/brown lion. The king smirked nasty at her and continued moving forward. Memories of Kula and Jiwe reached Nalas mind as she once again backed away from him. Jiwe had gone completely insane and tried to drown her caramel colored friend. Was she going to experience the same madness? "I think it's time that beauty and power should finally bond." Scars voice changed again, it was almost like… he was singing.
A slight pain in the back made Nalas eyes wide as her back made contact with the wall. She had nowhere to run. "Scar! I warn you… back off." She retorted. She was ready to fight him, even though she in no way would have expected something like this to happen. But the king didn't stop in closing in on her.
"Tell me I'm adored!" Scar snarled. He brought his left front leg up and pressed his paw in the stone right beside Nalas head. The lioness had her back pressed against the stone wall while turning her head to the side. The kings' muzzle was now only inches away from her right cheek as he smelled her. "Tell me I'm ador-rraaaaah!"
Nala struck Scar across the cheek and made him tumble backwards. "Get away from me!" She bought enough time to slip by the male lion and now had a free lane out of the cave.
On the other side however, Scar rubbed his cheek and kept smirking. "Oh- hoho… Nala… you know how I loathe violence!" He got back to approaching her as he lost none of his confidence. "You should have realized by now. I am the king; I always get what I want. One way or another… you will be mine."
But the cream lioness kept walking backwards as she finally was at the mouth of the cave. "Never Scar… NEVER!" She yelled and got outside.
Scar kept smirking coming to the outside after her. "Oh I see. But I'm afraid you missing the basic point here… you belong to me!" He called out with an angry voice. He then spotted Zazu and Sarabi coming towards them with the whole pride behind them. They soon positioned themselves around Nala. "YOU ALL BELONG TO ME!" He yelled out to every lioness watching him with angry eyes. "I want everyone to know that I choose Nala to be my queen."
Their faces fell flat onto the ground by the proposal Scar had just called out. In the background, Zira eyes lit up with fire. If it hadn't been for all of the pride standing there, she would have ordered the hyenas to rip Nala apart at an instant. But she remembered what Scar told her years ago and kept in the background. Try to solve these things delicately.
Up in front, Nala made her way through the masses and came to halt in front of the pack. "And I reject you!" She said as she found her determination and strength back.
But all she received from Scar was a mocking chuckle. "I told you… one way or another, you will be mine. And seeing as you're kinda hard to persuade on the first try, you'll get your chance to change that. I give you time until next dawn to change your mind. If you still refuse… your precious pride will pay the consequences." His voice was booming as he closed the sling around Nalas neck.
All the lionesses gasped as their king started blackmailing their cream member in front of the whole pride. Nala countered with narrowed eyes and fury blasting out of her face. Yet she was unable to respond verbal as her mind imagined what her pride… no… her family… would have to go through if she kept her decision. Scar gave her a final triumphant smirk as he went back in his cave.
If Nala would have gained any signs of confidence, they had completely vanished by the scene that just had taken place. With questioning eyes, she faced Sarabi who could do nothing else but stand there with horror spread all over her face. Tama and Sabini rushed over to her as they brought her into a tight and warm embrace. Subira and Himaya joined them as the young cream lioness once again had to let the tears roll down her cheeks.
Night broke over the pride lands and the whole kingdom was fast asleep. That is, nearly the entire kingdom. Two rather big figures jogged through the African savannah, kicking up dust from the hard movement of their paws.
"This way!" Sarabi called quietly to the figure in the back that kept following the beige lioness through a field of dried out bushes. "If we keep ourselves low and in cover, the hyenas are unable to follow us through here." She kept whispering while still leading the way. It took them quite a while to get through the thicket.
Behind her, the figure had a hard time keeping up. The strains of the last weeks were written all over its body. The figures movements told a heavy and mentally exhausted condition. "I am still not 100 percent sure of this!" It said with a feminine voice. The moonlight hilled the dusty air with a strange pale white light as the figure stepped out of the bushes and revealed a cream furred lioness. "Isn't there any other way?" She then asked as she picked up her pace to close up on Sarabi.
The former queen twisted her head and faced her younger friend. "I see no other way." She led Nala through a dried out creek as the duo vanished behind a small slope into a canyon. As the creek mad a sharp corner to the right, the lionesses followed it and came into view of Tama, Nafsi and Subira waiting for them.
Tamas mother greeted them with quick nuzzles before she tilted her head to the back. "You sure you were not followed?" She asked as she made her way to the canyon wall and peaked around to look for hyenas giving chase.
"Nobody knows the way we went." Sarabi answered as the five lionesses settled down in a circle.
Nala let her head drop as she glanced around at the rest of her friends. A group she was supposed to leave tonight. "I still don't get it. I can't just leave you behind here." She said looking around the group that held on to the same heavy hearts as her. For the last few months, she fought for her pride to stay untied and strong. She told Zazu to find Ni and help him to get Sarafina and Meethu out of this chaos. It was never her intention to actually leave the place of her birth, the place where she grew up. And exactly this was what her queen and her friends wanted her to do.
"I don't see anything else we could do right now. It's either that, or you agree to Scar marrying you." Tama answered putting her paw on her shoulder. "And that's something I would love to avoid!" The tarnish/orange lioness forced a little smile as Nala eyed her with her sad aqua eyes.
"But if I leave, he will let out all of his aggression upon you. He won't care if I stay here or not. And that's something I would love to avoid."
In that moment, Sarabi walked up to the two and gave them a genuine smile. "And that's where you come in." The beige lioness smirked a little. "Nala! You really turned out to be the queen your mother and I had intended you to become." The other three lionesses widened their yes in confusion and surprise but were quickly waived off by Sarabi. "Another time!" She then turned back to Nala. "We need you to go out there and find help. With Scar going full force against us, we need you to find someone who can put an end to this."
Nala could feel her shoulders getting heavier and heavier. She slowly sunk her head. "I see! No pressure at all!"
Sarabi used her paw and tilted the cream lionesses head up as she continued to smile at her encouraging. "You can do it! You've made through all of this and still became a proud and confident lioness. You are the best huntress in our pride, and you know how to defend yourself. If there's anybody in this pride that can get us out of this misery… it's you."
The two lionesses looked deep into each other's eyes before Nala gave her queen an agreeing nod. Tama then walked up to her as she put her forehead against Nalas and closed her eyes. They both were joined by Subira and Nafsi who did the same with their cream friend. Then it was Sarabis turn to give the younger lioness her final farewell and good luck wishes. "Take care Nala, and good luck." She said as Sarafinas daughter rested her head on the older lionesses shoulder. "Your mother would be so proud!" They parted and Sarabi signed her paw in the direction of where the creek continued to go. "If you follow this way, you will reach the mangrove tree without being spotted by any creature that is left in this country."
Nala eyed all of them and smiled gently. "I promise you, I will return. I promise!" She said and started walking away from her pride into an unknown future.
As she was just a few yards away, Subira walked up to Sarabi and brought her muzzle close to the queens' ear. "Do you really think, she'll come back?" Sha asked knowing all to well that letting Nala leave was probably saving her life.
"As much as I would love her to find a happy new life somewhere else, I really meant what I said about her. And seeing as she gave her promise to return, I'm sure she'll get back with help."
Fatshe leso lea halalela
Nala wandered over the bed of the creek in the middle of the canyon. She tried to keep her body as low and small as possible to avoid any risk of being seen. Her memories drifted off to her first weeks. Growing up in that small shed in the middle of the pride lands, only accompanied by her injured mother and the lion that soon was to become her step-father… Ni.
Fatshe leso lea halalela
Shadowland
Her gaze went up the walls of the canyon. She could see several rocks falling down from above as the walls had completely dried out and got porous.
The leaves have fallen
For months, she was unable to see the stars up ahead. Something, she and Simba would do nearly every night. The dusty air was blocking every inch of the often clear sky.
This shadowed land
This was our home
Another memory crawled up her head and she remembered her first walking attempts as he got out of the den she was born in. She also remembered Ni being there and giving her slight support in standing on her young and weak legs.
The river's dry
Normally, the ground of this canyon was filled with water. But like she noticed for so many times by now, nearly every source of the cooling liquid had vanished from her home kingdom-
The ground has broken
As Nala continued to walk, she thought about all the people she had met over the years. Especially the day she got acquainted to the other cubs in king Mufasas pride. How Sarafina and Subira made her met Tama for the first time. How they played tag along with Kula… and how she met Simba that day. Even though they did not really like each other the first time they met, they became nearly inseparable until the day he died.
So I must go
Now I must go
The creek made a corner to the left and started to run into a grotto. Nala hesitated to follow it into the darkness but remembered what Sarabi told her about where she would come out at the end. She put all her guts together and entered the dark cave.
And where the journey may lead me
Let your prayers be my guide
Since lions were perfectly capable of seeing in the dark, she had no trouble making it through the tunnel which was normally filled up to the top with water; a thought that made her really uncomfortable. She still had some reserve towards water. She remembered when she and Simba were playing alongside a river and the prince accidently caused her to fall into the water without knowing she couldn't swim. But even then, Simba wasted no time and jumped into the water grasping her by the scruff off her neck and dragged her to the bank.
I cannot stay here, my family
But I'll remember my pride
Her fresh found happy thoughts were now whipped away as she came to the night where Scar told her about Simbas and Mufasas accident. The tragic moment that would change her life forever. It was the moment that brought and drove her up to this point as she still wandered through the grotto but could see some weak light in the distance. She was almost out.
And where the journey may lead you
Let this prayer be your guide
She finally got back outside and looked up but still couldn't see any stars up in the sky. In the distance, Nala saw the mangrove tree and padded over to it. Tojo and the others must have passed this tree on the way to their new lives. Her mind wandered off to her lost friends.
Though it may take you so far away
Kula! She was the one, Nala could always talk to. She often had an open ear for anybody and their problems. And she often had a solution to go with it. The only thing she had nothing to put up against was her own problem with the beige cub Jiwe. The one who tried to drown her in a waterhole because she chose her dark brown friend Chumvi over her.
Always remember your pride
Chumvi wasn't really a genius if some could say. He often didn't know when to take back a word or shift down a gear. But he was filled with lots of love for his pride, especially for Kula, and he would always think of his friends first. Though his stomach was often filled with more food than what was good for him.
Fatshe leso lea halalela
And of course Tama, being the first cub she ever got to know. Tama was ready to do anything to keep their friendship alive. She didn't often show that she had a soft heart of all of them, especially to Simba. But she was there for her when Nala brought her family out of their kingdom and had to watch Tojo and the others to leave.
Fatshe leso lea halalela Fatshe leso lea halalela
Speaking of Tojo… she often had thought about the two over the last two months. Tojo was the first male that was actually interested in her from a more mature standpoint. And it really was not that much of a surprise to her. Tojo was a really emotional guy, often underestimated in his strength and fighting ability. And he was a real good friend to every one of them.
And where the journey may lead you
And last but not least there was Malka, the Joker The first one to ever get Mwehu spend some time with them. He always had the right comeback for any sort of threat and remark. He was brave and was always passionate about their pride and their well beings.
Let this prayer be your guide
As the cream lioness padded over the ground towards the tree, she couldn't help but smell dry blood to her right just beside a bush in the distance. She turned to the side and soon found herself over a dry puddle of the red body liquid. She sniffed it as she spotted small pieces of pale cream fur hanging at the bush to her right. The scent was familiar and it took her a while until she realized who it belonged to. Mwehu!
Though it may take you so far away
As she thought about it, she had never seen the scarred lion in months. And considering the blood lying just right here, he must have had an encounter with the hyenas himself. No surprise actually, and Nala didn't even need to think twice how this came about.
Always remember your pride
At last, she reached the mangrove tree and pressed her paw on the tree trunk. Now was the time to decide, where was she supposed to go, where could she find help to take the kingdom away from Scar. Of course Chumvi, Malka and Tojo were the logical choice. But where did they go And which way did they took? And where Tojo and the others even whiling to get back into the fight for pride rock? What could possibly have changed their minds to fight against Scar? Nala shook her head and whipped her head clean from the doubts. Of course, they would come back to help them. But then again, Nala had no idea which way she should take to find them.
Sudden movement made the lioness turn around in alert and she immediately went into a fighting stance. A figure jumped out of a bush and revealed itself to her. Nala sighed in relief as she saw who it was. "Rafiki!"
The mandrill wasted no time and walked up to the female. He wrapped his arm around her and pointed with his finger into the eastern direction. "Wat yu' seek… is over ther'!" He said calm and tilted Nalas head into the same direction his finger pointed.
"The desert? Is that where Malka, Chumvi and Tojo went?" Nala raised her eyebrows in enthusiasm while padding nervously on the spot.
Rafiki smiled at her but quickly shook his head. "I don't know wher' dey went! But in dat direction, you find what you seek."
Nala never really quite got what Rafiki wanted to get across when he spoke in such mysteries. But if there was anyone to be trusted in this hellhole, it was the old mandrill that had helped the royal family for so many times. She nodded and glanced once again into the direction where the desert lay. The lioness was about to dart off as the mandrill jumped in front of her and put his hands on both her shoulders.
"Umoja ni nguvu, utengano ni udhaifu." She nodded her head as she understood what the mandrill was trying to tell her.
And where the journey may lead you Giza buyabo, giza buyabo
The two hugged each other before Nala darted off into the distance leaving Rafiki behind with a genuine smile. Hope could finally be seen on the horizon.
Let this prayer be your guide
Nala soon reached the border of the pride lands and looked back to the kingdom she was about to leave behind. And once again she tried to conserve all the faces that once filled her life but where now gone. Chumvi, Kula, Tama, Tojo, Malka, Sabini, Ni, Meethu, her mother, Mufasa… and Simba. The cream lioness breathed heavily and inhaled the last scent of the pride lands before she entered the desert.
Beso bo, my people, beso bo
Author's note: Well, this was my take of the madness of king Scar. I tried to go for a mix of the deleted scene on the blu-ray and the musical version. In the end, it turned out to be more like the early storyboard version from the movie since it gave me the visuals to go with.
