Simba didn't know what Haiba was going to do to him – but he doubted it was going to be something friendly. Where's the old Haiba when you need him? Simba wondered, watching with nervous eyes as Haiba stomped towards him. His eyes were blazing with anger. This guy had some serious control issues…
"You!" Haiba spat, pointing at Simba between the eyes. "What the heck do you think you're doing hanging around with her?" He looked at Nala, who had this sort of blank look on her face. Simba couldn't tell whether she was enjoying this or not…
"I… I…" Simba didn't know what to say. He found it quite hard to argue against one of his own friends… "I'm just… Um… Oh, no…" What's wrong with me? Simba asked himself. I… I don't feel like myself.
"Well?" Haiba demanded, roughly grabbing Simba by the shoulders and violently pulling him forwards. "What are you doing with Nala? Answer me! You know she doesn't want to be around you. Just leave her alone."
"How do you know what she wants?" Simba retorted quickly, before clamping a paw over his mouth. Oh, I shouldn't have said that, he thought regretfully. I should not have said that.
"What?" Haiba yelled angrily, digging his claws into Simba's shoulders. The Prince of the Pride Lands grunted loudly in pain, but Haiba ignored this. The little freak deserved to suffer… "Who do you think you're talking to, you little nerd?" he snarled, before throwing Simba to the ground. "I think it's about time someone taught you a lesson." He looked to Nala.
"What do you think, Nala? Should I teach Simba a lesson?"
Nala shrugged in response. "I don't know," she replied, looking down at the ground. There was a little part of Nala that was telling her to stop Haiba, before this got nasty. But the bigger part of her just wanted her to let it happen. After all, she didn't want to get on Haiba's bad side – especially considering what she was going to tell him today…
"Of course I should," said Haiba, like he hadn't even taken Nala's reply into consideration. He looked down at Simba, a malicious glint in his blue eyes.
The poor cub was crawling about on the ground, trying to get up. Haiba pushed his face into the ground, causing him to cry out in protest. But Haiba didn't care. "You like that, jerk?"
Simba struggled to get back up again, but Haiba maintained a tight grip on him. For added effect, Haiba dug his sharp claws into Simba's back. Searing pain shot up through Simba's body, and this only succeeded in making him feel weaker, and weaker, and weaker…
Simba coughed up little blades of grass which had ended up in his mouth, lifting his face slightly so he could breathe.
It didn't take long for Haiba to notice that Simba was slowly trying to wriggle away. "Oh, no, you aren't getting away from me," he told the terrified cub, before using his mighty strength to lift Simba up and throw him across the ground.
Simba landed on a medium-sized rock a few feet away, which stabbed into his stomach. He winced, a few tears streaming down his cheeks. He felt so powerless… All the strength he normally had was gone. Maybe Nala was right.
Maybe he really was pathetic…
"Had enough?" Haiba asked, appearing over Simba. He weakly nodded in response. "Really?" Simba nodded again. "I don't think you have," said Haiba, causing Simba's eyes to widen in horror.
Haiba slashed Simba across the stomach. He howled in pain, writhing about in agony on the ground. This only seemed to please Haiba even more. He loved seeing the little guy suffer. It gave him one of the sickest kinds of pleasure. The pleasure of hurting another person.
Using his sharp teeth, Haiba bit down into Simba's shoulder, tearing at his flesh. Feeling completely helpless and alone, Simba started to cry, sobbing quietly, his tears spilling onto the ground.
"Aw, is little Simba crying?" said Haiba mockingly. "Why don't you man up for once, you big baby? Be more like me." He then laughed. "Actually, that's never going to happen. Why waste time dreaming about it?"
While Nala watched all of this, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Simba. This wasn't right. If Haiba continued to hurt Simba like this, then chances were that he would kill him. "Haiba… Um, maybe you should stop – before someone finds out."
Haiba looked at his future girlfriend in disbelief. "What?" he laughed. "You've gotta be kidding me. I'm giving the fat little creep what he finally deserves. Isn't this what you've always wanted?"
"I think you've hurt him enough," Nala observed, looking past Haiba and at Simba, who lay on the ground, crying his eyes out.
Simba stared at Nala, a desperate look in his auburn eyes. "Nala…" he gasped, his whole body burning with unbearable pain. "Help me…"
"Haiba, stop it," Nala said, joining him by his side. "That's enough. I don't want you to hurt him anymore."
Haiba just stared at her. "I don't believe it," he said. "You actually feel sorry for him." He shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, Nala… I hope you're not serious."
"I don't feel sorry for him," Nala told Haiba. "I just…" A thought suddenly popped into her head. "I just wanted to tell you something. Something important. Something very important."
Through teary eyes, Simba could hardly believe what he was seeing. "Nala… no…" he begged quietly, knowing what she was about to tell Haiba. Already Simba could feel his heart breaking.
"Really?" replied Haiba. "What do you want to tell me, Nala? Is it another one of your secrets? You know you can tell me – I am your best friend."
"Well, Haiba," said Nala sweetly, grinning at him. "If you want, you can be more than my best friend," she revealed, her grin widening.
Haiba suppressed the urge to grin sinisterly. This is it… he thought victoriously. I've got her eating right out of my paw!
"Nala…" Haiba feigned a look of confusion. "I'm afraid I don't quite know what you mean."
"Haiba, it's just that… we've been friends – b est friends – for a very long time, and after a while… I started to have… feelings for you. Very… romantic feelings, if you get what I mean." She raised her eyebrows at him.
Haiba smiled in response. "Nala…" He pretended to look completely shocked. "Are you trying to say that… you want to be in a relationship with me?"
Nala rubbed his bulky chest, giving him a flirtatious look. "I've wanted to tell you this for such a long time," she confessed.
"And now I finally can. So – what do you think? Can I be your…" She was almost bursting with anticipation. "Girlfriend?"
Haiba grabbed Nala and kissed her passionately. They stayed that way for over ten seconds, before Haiba released them from the kiss. Nala was gasping with excitement, amazed by what Haiba had done. "So…" said Haiba, staring into her beautiful eyes. "Does that answer your question?"
Nala grinned. "Yes, it does, Haiba. Yes, it does…" She licked him on the cheek. "Come on. Let's go."
"You said it – baby." And together the two of them made their way out of the field, passing Simba on the way.
Haiba stopped to look down at Simba. He grabbed the cub by the throat, smiling evilly. "Did you actually think she would ever get with someone like you?" he taunted cruelly. "Nala's way out of your league. And now she's going to be with me – for ever." He shoved Simba to the ground, and walked away with his new girlfriend.
Simba felt his eyes beginning to close. He was being dragged into unconsciousness. "No…" he said, before he surrendered to the darkness.