(A/N: If you've read enough of my author notes you're probably able to tell that I'm a motor racing fan. Well I recently got an iRacing account and have been playing that obsessively until my steering wheel broke yesterday. So, lucky you, I guess it's back to story-writing in my free time. Just a short chapter here but hopefully chapter 8 will not be too far away.)
"Wakey! Wakey!"
Simba and Nala were both caught off-guard by the sudden alarm.
"Huh?" Simba murmured, looking up. "Lenny?"
"Who else?" exclaimed the lion. "Everyone's getting up because a buffalo's on the circuit. All the other competitors were asleep in front of their own prides so that they could wake them. You both are all the way over here though because of Nala's accident so I thought it would only be fair if I gave each of you a wakeup call."
Simba yawned. "Well thanks for the thought, Lenny," he replied. "But, honestly, I think Nala's still feeling a little rough, so we might nap here a little bit longer."
"No, I'm fine," Nala replied, lifting herself back up onto her feet for the first time since her accident. She began to stumble over and Simba shot up onto his feet to make sure she didn't fall. However, Nala regained her balance and found her footing, rising all the way up as if nothing had ever happened.
Lenny was slightly amused. "You know, I heard that you, Simba, almost blew your chances of winning the Siku Choka by walking backwards on the circuit. Rumor has it that Nala and you were mad with each other so you wanted to catch up with her to save your marriage."
Simba didn't really know why Lenny was blurting this out in front of them, but, then again, it was Lenny. It also wasn't true.
"Who the heck made that up?" Simba asked.
"I think it was Elvis," Lenny replied.
Simba rolled his eyes. "No surprise," he said. "He's probably just trying to stir controversy so he can take my girl." Simba moved in on Nala and made to nuzzle her. "But he could never do that, could he honey?"
Nala took a step away from Simba, smiling.
"Well," she responded, thinking about it, "we'll see…"
"What's the matter?" Simba asked, a bit surprised that Nala had taken a step away when he had moved in to nuzzle her. "Don't want a hug?"
"When a hundred thousand animals are watching us from the hills? I think I'd rather draw attention to myself by killing a zebra, thanks," replied Nala. "You can get quite carried away with your displays of affection," she added.
"True," replied Simba, "but I'd rather resort to that than have Elvis think he can come between us. Then again, I could just go and 'talk' with him."
"I wouldn't advise it right now," Lenny replied, "I don't think he's the happiest competitor in the world. He's got guilt on his shoulders."
Simba and Nala suddenly came back down to reality. Guilt in the Siku Choka? Someone must have been hurt…
"Linda," Lenny said, reading Simba and Nala's expressions.
Simba and Nala both tore their eyes away from Lenny and began scanning the track.
One, two, four, eight, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.
Fourteen competitors…one less than what they started with.
"Is she…"
"No, no, not at all," Lenny replied. "She's still alive and well. Well, not well. She broke a leg or something. She and Elvis were going for a buffalo. I didn't really see what happened. I think she has three cubs though so as soon as she got hurt she pulled herself out."
"Saves causing her injuries to get worse," Nala stated, understanding Linda's decision. "Ah well," she added, "at least she's still alive." She looked over at Simba. "I guess that's one less that you have to try and beat."
"Ha, ha, ha," Simba stated sarcastically. "For your information Nala, I'm already beating you. 12 to 11."
"22!" exclaimed Lenny.
Simba and Nala both turned their attention back at him.
"Guess we should get a move on then," Simba concluded.
Tumaini brought another zebra down giving her a grand total of…
"…forty-two points," said the hornbill, "second place is Bilauri with 33 and then there is a three-way tie for second on 22."
"And how about Simba and Nala?" asked Pumbaa.
The hornbill sighed. "Let me go check," he replied, taking off and flying back into the infield.
Sarafina looked over at the duo. "Did you two do this all the time the other year too?"
"Yes," muttered Zazu, standing next to the lioness. "Just wait until they ask for the full rundown."
Sarafina shook her head and smiled. She moved over towards her granddaughter and gave her a lick on the head.
"Oh Kiara," she said, "Aiheu help you when Timon and Pumbaa turn into your babysitters. Hopefully you won't turn out as crazy as them."
"I heard that!"
"Oh, like you didn't know."
"Time to stop this pointless bickering," Zazu interjected, "looks like Nala found the antelope."
Simba, Nala and Lenny had all taken off in a trot once they had started off, but Nala had broken out of rhythm and out into a run after the antelope. They were on the backstretch where none of the other competitors were, so it was an easy picking for Nala, giving her a grand total of 21 points.
Meanwhile, Tumaini had taken off in pursuit of a buffalo. However, Tonka was lying in ambush in wait. When the time was right, he sprung out across the circuit and got out onto the buffalo's back. Tumaini jumped up and joined him.
Pushing a competitor off of a buffalo was not illegal, but it was bad sportsmanship. Both Tumaini and Tonka, however, were good sportsmen. Yet they were still both there to win. Tumaini nudged Tonka. Not enough to knock him off, but just enough to cause him to lose his balance. Or so she thought. This was Tonka's first time in this game and so he hadn't expected such a move. When he lost his balance, he was unable to regain it, and thus he came crashing down onto the ground, barely grazing the buffalo's hoof.
Tumaini was able to kill the buffalo farther on around the track and, when she did, she checked back over her shoulder to make sure Tonka had gotten up. He had. Tumaini smiled but stopped short of breathing a sigh of relief. True, she hadn't meant for that to happen, but, as perverse as it may sound, it wasn't her fault. Small shoves on the back of a buffalo were always tolerated. Ultimately, it was Tonka's fault that he wasn't able to regain balance. Any more experienced competitor probably could have.
Tumaini was glad he was okay, but she couldn't dwell on any thoughts of sympathy for him. The next piece of prey would soon be coming.
Nala, Lenny and Simba had been joined in their trot around the track by the Lionrock sisters who had also arose from their slumbers.
"Uh oh," said Simba, looking down at the front stretch, "don't look now, Nal', but I think the points are about to get All Shook Up."
"Why?" Nala asked back, "because of that competitor that's Always on My Mind?"
Simba shook his head. "Keep this up and I'll start hitting on one of the females, just you wait."
"I'd hope not," Nala replied. "We can't really go on together with suspicious minds."
Elvis truly was an attention-grabber for everyone in attendance now, though. All three pieces of prey were trundling along down the frontstretch. He would soon be charging after all of them. Bilauri ran across the track and tried to bring the zebra down. However, she had mistimed her attack and the zebra took off, only to be taken down yards later by Peponi. Frustratingly, for Peponi, this zebra had actually only been her first set of ten during the event.
Still, there was an antelope and a buffalo waiting for Elvis. He was closing in on them. The buffalo let out a warning shriek and they both broke out into a run.
The thrill of the chase was reduced when Bilauri decided to stay put. There would be easier and less dangerous ways to score ten points later, she thought. So the antelope, buffalo and Elvis ran on by her. Guvu took no such chances though. He ran out and, as he always did, took the buffalo down as if it was a baby impala. Surprisingly, that was also his first set of ten in the game. Perhaps he was getting too old for this?
Meanwhile, the antelope was still left. Elvis was right on its tail but he could see that Peponi was waiting in ambush. Elvis ran up alongside the antelope in order to block Peponi from making an attack. Peponi sighed and didn't even flinch from her ambushing spot. Blocking was frustrating, but it was part of the sport. She watched Elvis and the antelope run on by and then she saw Elvis bring the antelope down to the ground for another set of ten points.
Now, it was time to get all shook up.
A distant rumble could be heard. It could be felt. Peponi had known that it was coming, as had every other competitor on the frontstretch.
Three new pieces of prey had just been released and, not too far behind them, was a pack of five lions.
Simba, Nala, Lenny, Shairi and Winda were all making their way out onto the frontstretch. They were all reenergized and waiting to kill. Bilauri, Guvu, Peponi, Elvis and Tumaini were all waiting in ambush. The crowd got to its feet. This was going to be good…