Demona kept silent while walking back to Pride Rock through the plains, her ears lowered. She didn't think she could feel this way again, failing to care for Mufasa's only child.
He probably would kick me out now… she thought, kicking a rock.
Then Mufasa halted, calling Zazu over. Zazu looked up at him fearfully. "Y-yes, Sire?" He asked.
"Take Nala and Demona home, I've got to teach my son a lesson," he growled. Demona instantly went to her nephew's defense.
"Please, Mufasa. Please don't punish him too harshly, it was my fault for not stopping him from going," she begged, but Mufasa just shook his head, not talking to her, letting Demona understand his decision was final. She backed away then, feeling her guilt arise again, knowing that he was going to have some words for her later. Zazu flew over back to them.
"Come Nala, Demona. Simba? Good luck," Zazu muttered sadly, guiding Nala to follow him. Simba however clung to Demona's front leg.
She gave him a small nudge to his father. "Go on, it will be ok." Simba looked at her wide eyed as soon as Mufasa called his name. He flinched, walking over. Demona proceeded to follow the others, head still lowered.
The three kept walking back to Pride Rock. Zazu noticed Demona looking back every now and then in worry and he smiled gently.
"Don't worry Demona. Mufasa never harms any of his children, he loves them too much. Simba will probably just get a talking too. Same with Nala," he assured her. Demona smiled lightly, eyes still sad. Zazu landed and put a wing on her paw.
"I don't blame you for this. Just trust us, ok?" He asked. Demona shuffled her feet.
"It is hard for me to trust anyone. I had built myself into who I was because I didn't trust anybody. And it had been hard for me ever since," she said in a small voice. Nala gave a small smile, falling back next to her.
"But I trust you. You helped us escape the Hyenas. That was brave," she praised. Demona chuckled softly, licking the small cub on the back of her neck as lionesses do.
"Thanks, young one."
….
They eventually returned where Serafina fussed over her daughter more than punished her, and thanked Demona for protecting her. Demona simply nodded and turned to go to bed; for she was exhausted.
Upon getting to her sleeping nest and falling into a dream when sleeping, a voice whispered to her.
"If you didn't go with the cubs my plan would have succeeded, and you would have been mine…" the voice growled. Demona vaguely knew who was talking, fur bristling.
"I won't be yours, and I will protect those cubs until the day I die!" She hissed dangerously. The voice was gone then, though, leaving Demona with her fur bristling. She couldn't help but feel a tingle of worry about what Scar could do since he is consumed by jealousy.
….
The next morning Demona went to look for Simba but couldn't find him. Sarabi had been out hunting at this time. Catching their scents, Demona followed it for quite a long time.
At one point she accidentally ran into a warthog and meerkat looking over the canyon. The two shrieked.
"Out of my way." Demona huffed at them, glaring as she went on her way. The two ran off in another direction to the gorge.
"Run, Pumbaa! Angry lioness!" The former gargess rolled her eyes when catching more of her nephew's scent down into the hot gorge. She herself never had the need to set foot in this dry awful place, but Simba's scent was leading into there, so in there Demona would go.
Demona squinted her eyes in the bright sunshine, hoping to catch a glimpse of the little cub's orange fur. She had no idea of the threat that endangered Simba and Mufasa's lives.
Simba's scent grew stronger with each step she took. Demona spotted a tree on a small rock out there, and a figure walking away from it. She ran over once the larger figure was out of sight, to see Simba there, roaring squeakily.
"Simba? What are you doing here?!" Demona exclaimed scoldingly. Simba jumped. "Auntie? S-Scar brought me here to practice my roaring and to give me and dad a surprise." She raised her brow. "What surprise?" Simba shrugged. "He didn't say, but he said it was to die for. Can't we wait to see what it is before we go?"
Demona was hesitant but maybe this was a chance to prove how dangerous Scar was. "Ok. But remain near me in case something bad comes," she said in a serious voice. Simba nodded timidly, but his eyes shone in excitement for what the surprise was.
The minutes went by as Simba tried to roar again. Demona even tried to help him, too, until at last he gave out one that really sounded like an actual roar, though not as strong as a full grown lion. The gargess smiled. "Well done," she praised. Simba flushed, smiling proudly. But then they felt rumbling in the ground. Demona put her ear on the dirt, the thundering of hooves echoing inside them.
"Auntie?" Simba asked in concern. Demona smelt the air, too, signaling danger. She turned her head about, seeing something coming over the horizon of the cliff; a wildebeest, followed by several others in a stampede! Her face paled in terror.
"Simba, you have to run… NOW!" She ordered sharply. Simba saw why, too, eyes rounding before making a break for it, running as fast as he could. Demona herself decided to run. But upon running she glanced over her shoulder and saw she was too far ahead of Simba who was getting too close to the Wildebeest's hard hooves. Growling, she turned around to get him. But as she snatched him up by his scruff the animals surrounded them completely; blocking their exits.
Demona panted while holding Simba in her jaws, trying to find an opening. A horn had scratched her shoulder, making her wince. But suddenly she spotted a dead tree, the only chance. Taking a breath Demona raced over there. It seemed strong enough for both of them. She placed Simba on the ground near it.
"Climb!" Groaned Demona from the scratch on her shoulder. Simba gave her a scared look but did so. He reached up as high as he could go. Demona climbed up as high as she was able, gripping hard for the tree was wobbly, praying for anyone to find them and help them both.
Meanwhile Zazu and Mufasa were headed home to Pride Rock when suddenly Scar appeared. He looked panicked. "Mufasa! Quick! Stampede, in the gorge! Simba's down there!" A terrified gaze came upon Mufasa's features who instantly ran with Scar by his side, Zazu flying ahead to find the cub.
Flying above the stampede, Zazu managed to spot Mufasa's child in the chaos, barely clinging to a dead branch, and Demona grasping the trunk of it, too. When did she get down there?!
He came close to them. Demona's eyes were hurting from all the dust coming into them. But she saw Zazu, relief soaring.
"Zazu, help us!" Screamed Simba. Demona wound up slipping in her grip but grasped on again. "Your father's on the way! Hold on!" Zazu reassured them, flying off.
"Hurry! We don't have much time!" Demona roared out at the hornbill. He told Mufasa where they were and Mufasa raced down.
Demona knew they had limited time on this pathetic tree, feeling it cracking from her weight and the hooves. I have to get Simba to his father! She thought, seeing him run. He got run into once or twice, though.
"Simba, get on my back, hurry!" She yelled up at her nephew. Simba was by now beyond terrified, not wanting to move. But then he blinked then began to inch down to her. Demona crawled up to him, too, until he had enough room to jump.
Simba gripped Demona's fur as hard as he could while Demona got ready to run to Mufasa. Scar watched from above, growling at the sight of his potential mate saving his victim.
Demona took a breath then jumped, landing in an open space then running as hard as she could, Mufasa in her line of gaze. He looked worried as hell for his son, seeing Demona with him.
As soon as she reached him, he instantly took the cub from her, eyes flashing in thanks. The two lions then made their way to the edges of the gorge, but a Wildebeest knocked the two over. Demona cried out when being flung away from the other two, head spinning terribly from being struck by the wildebeest.
She groaned when shakily pushing herself up, stumbling for Demona had twisted an ankle. Demona limped, trying to push her way through the stampede and barely found a small ledge to climb up upon before she shrieked in pain after being struck by another Wildebeest horn; slumping to the ground, vision going away on her, slipping into darkness.