Submission 1:
Spoiler: show
Untitled
Dark, ominous storm clouds gathered behind the jungle mountains, as the sun began to fall beyond the horizon, marking the third monsoon since Mufasa's death. For three years, Simba had been living in the jungle with Timon and Pumbaa. Some days were quite enjoyable. Other days, he wanted nothing more than to go back home. He lied over the ledge of a rock, thinking about his father, most certainly not for the first time.
The brightest stars began to illuminate the darkening night sky. Simba lifted his head, noticing one shine brightly in particular. He yelled, his voice cracking. "You said you would always be there for me, but you're not!"
The star steadily increased in brightness, and started moving across the sky. In close proximity were two smaller orbs, very different from the other lights. These lights flashed once every second, emmiting distinct colors of light - one green, the other red. Simba's mood shifted slightly from a state of depression, to a burning curiosity.
Never before had he seen anything like this. Perhaps this was the night, the night he had been waiting years for. He called out to the sky, for what seemed like the thousandth time. "Dad?"
The lights grew in brightness and moved away from one another. Between them, a dark spot moving at the exact same ever increasing pace across the horizon. A strange, deep, humming sound echoed through the mountains, as the object in question flew directly over Simba's head.
After only a few seconds, the object vanished into the storm clouds, hidden entirely from view. Simba continued to stare at the same clouds, waiting for the lights to return, until he heard the voice of a paranoid meerkat behind him. "Sheesh, what was that sound?"
Their warthog companion added to the confusion. "Uh, I don't know, Timon."
"Hey, Simba, do you know what that was?" The meerkat asked.
Simba resumed watching the sky, but this time with more attention to detail than ever before. "It went behind that cloud," he said, pointing to the thunderstorm on the horizon.
"Oh," Timon and Pumbaa replied in unison, before staring at the stars with their own eyes.
Simba broke the momentary silence, and walked off the rock he was sitting on previously. "I'm going to go take a closer look."
"Look, kid, it's too late for that," Timon admonished.
Simba sighed at his reaction. "Relax, Timon. I won't be gone for long."
---
The harsh monsoon rain poured down on Simba below. He felt cold; his fur was soaked. Every few seconds, lightning would strike nearby, filling the moist air with a crackling sound of thunder. Seeking shelter for the night, he ran under a tree and sat down.
"What am I even doing out here," he thought. The lion sighed, lying his head down on his forepaws. As drops of water continued to hit his head, he was reminded of home.
He thought of Priderock, where he could stay dry during the storms. Distant memories of frolicking in the rain with Nala flashed in his mind. He once feared the sound of thunder when he was younger, and Sarabi would comfort him in the den.
Simba continued to dwell over his past throughout much of the night, even after the rain ceased. Before long, he began to notice the sun rising and the chirping of birds, signaling the arrival of morning. It was yet another sleepless night.
He remembered telling Timon he would return soon. Little did he know he would be spending the night so far away. He stood on his paws, his eyes barely open. Simba concluded that his trek following the stars was unsuccessful, at best, and that it was time to return to his makeshift parents. He slowly began walking back, with his tail low to the ground in disappointment.
As he embarked upon his returning journey to the deeper half of the jungle, he heard noises from a nearby grove. "Did you hear that? What is it? Where? Oh, I see it. It looks like a lion, of some sort. Watch out, it could be dangerous. Set your phasers to stun!"
Simba stopped dead in his tracks, and looked around, scouting his surroundings. "Who's there?"
The leader of the group of men waited a second before responding. "James T. Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise," he replied, in an authoritative tone not all that different from Simba’s father.
Simba set his dreary eyes on the man and his two companions, initially unsure of what to think of the funny-looking furless bipedal creatures. His thoughts, however, quickly shifted from the man’s appearance, to the man’s words. “Starship?”
“Yes,” the captain replied. “We’re from space.” Kirk then added, “actually, I’m from Iowa, I only work in outer space.”
Simba’s ears perked up as feelings of hope rushed through his mind. “Do you… do you know my father?”
Realizing that Simba was neither a threat to himself nor his crew, Kirk set his phaser back in his utility belt. “I don’t know who you are, so no, I probably don’t.”
Simba quickly found himself looking at the grass below in disappointment. “Oh… well, he died, a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” the captain replied. “Are there any settlements nearby?” he asked, attempting to change the subject.
“Well, there’s the Pridelands, but that’s far away from here,” Simba explained, attempting to hide his emotions.
“Could you take us there?” Kirk asked.
“I’m not going back. I can’t go back. Just follow the rising sun; you’ll go across a desert and see a big pointy rock. That’s the kingdom of the Pridelands.”
The captain grabbed his portable communicator and contacted the Enterprise. “Kirk to Enterprise, we’ve made contact with life forms on the surface. Prepare to beam us up.” The captain then turned to the crew member beside him. “Have you finished the scans, Bones?”
“He’s all clear, Jim. Are we bringing him aboard?”
“That’s what I had in mind,” Kirk replied.
Simba had a puzzled look on his face. “You’re doing what?”
The third man, science officer Spock, answered Simba’s question. “We come from different worlds, and therefore, we have much to learn from one another. I believe the captain would like to show you our ship, in exchange for your knowledge of this planet.”
“Look, if you want to talk to the king, that’s Scar. I’m not the lion you’re looking for. Besides, it’s late, I need to get going…” Simba tried to explain.
“Well, Jim-” McCoy began, before being interrupted by the lion.
“Okay, fine, I’ll come with you,” he decided.
“Good,” Kirk exclaimed, reaching for his communicator again. “Beam us up, Scotty.”
Simba and the three crew members began to fade away, as their particles were dematerialized into pure energy.
---
Four figures emerged in the Enterprise’s transporter room. Simba stood on the transporter pad a few seconds after he materialized, with his jaw wide open. “How did you do that?” he asked in awe.
“Easy,” Scotty replied, laughing lightly. “All I have to do is punch in the coordinates, and anyone standing on the pads is instantly beamed anywhere in the system.” He stood up and walked closer to Simba. “I’m Scotty, by the way, chief engineer aboard the Enterprise. And you are?”
“Simba.”
“Nice to meet you, lad,” Scotty added.
“Well, Simba,” McCoy began. “Follow me. I need to run some more medical scans; it won’t take long.”
Simba followed Bones down the ship’s corridors into the medical bay, fascinated by the strange high-tech equipment surrounding him.
"Sit down," McCoy persuaded. Simba did as he was told, as the man adjusted his equipment.
"You know, that's quite a nice planet you've got. Most worlds I've been to are nothing but rocky wastelands."
Simba sighed. "Yeah. It is beautiful," he said, his voice lacking emotion.
The sounds of beeping computers filled the silence that followed. "I don't get it," McCoy exclaimed. "Your diet leaves a lot to be desired, but other than that, you're healthy enough to tear the arms off a Wookiee. What's wrong?"
"What? Oh, nothing..." Simba replied, suddenly finding his eyes glued to the floor.
"If you tell me, I can help you."
"There's nothing you can do," Simba yelled. "You can't change the past."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that; this ship has gone back in time before," Bones stated.
Simba suddenly lifted his head up. "What did you just say? How?"
"Dang it, Simba, I'm a doctor, not a physicist," McCoy joked. "...but I'll talk to Jim about it," he added, after seeing Simba's reaction.
---
Nearly a week had passed on the Enterprise since Simba was first brought on board. "Thanks guys," he whispered to his new friends, before stepping onto a transporter pad. The lion took a deep breath and blinked his eyes.
Simba opened his eyes again to find what looked to be a waterhole in the distance. He glanced around, carefully observing his surroundings. He was in the Pridelands. Just as he remembered.
Suddenly, he heard the familiar voice of a confused cub from behind. "Dad? What are you doing here?"
Simba turned around to face the cub. "I am not our father," he affirmed.
"Huh?"
"Look, I'll explain everything later. Where is Dad now?"
"He was at Priderock," cub Simba explained.
In an instant, Simba dashed off to Priderock, leaving his younger self behind in a cloud of dust.
The lion climbed up the steps to Priderock, to find Mufasa standing above the ledge. The elder lion turned around, to see what the noise was. He studied Simba carefully, unsure of what to think. "Who are you?"
"It's me. Simba."
Mufasa began to chuckle. "You're not my son!"
"Yes, I am. There was a stampede in the gorge. You saved me, but died trying. I was forced to leave Priderock. Then, I met some crazy humans who helped me travel back in time to prevent this from ever happening."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Mufasa laughed.
"It's true. We patrolled the kingdom every morning. You explained the circle of life to me. You told me the great kings of the past watch over us. You knew I had a crush on Nala. Who else would know that?"
"Well, I... I guess you're right," Mufasa admitted.
Simba seized his opportunity to pounce on his father. They tussled playfully, before Simba pinned him to the ground. "...and I used to think you were strong. What happened?" He teased.
"I was going easy on you," Mufasa taunted.
Simba laughed as he helped his father up. "I don't care if you're not as strong or wise as I remember. I really missed having you around."
Submission 2:
Spoiler: show
Take Hold of Heaven
It's a little hard to believe, sometimes, that they're raising someone. That Timon and Pumbaa, two outcasts in a world that wouldn't accept them, have a kid of their own. It makes a tiny sun light up in Pumbaa's chest when he thinks about it, and he doesn't hide his dopey grin as he watches Simba grow.
But.
Pumbaa wonders if it's selfish to be so glad that they've found Simba. It's not that Timon is unhappy with raising a lion cub – from day one, Timon is all eagerness and arrogance, always ready with a joke for when the mood gets too heavy or advice for when they get lost in trying to make their mess of a family work. And it's not that Simba seems unhappy, either. He still has his moments of gloom like when they found him, but he's usually every part the excitable bundle of energy kids are supposed to be. So there are no complaints.
But watching Simba as he sleeps, twitching here and there and occasionally muttering under his breath (father, Pumbaa thinks he hears), Pumbaa remembers that something happened to Simba that drove him away from his home. Something that he never, ever mentions, and hakuna matata might mean not letting the past bother you, but it's not right that he never says anything at all. He's still the little cub they first met, even if he finally outgrew Pumbaa last week, and he still freezes sometimes, gets this look on his face like he wants to say something but doesn't know how or stares blindly into the distance or goes suddenly quiet and leaves Timon and Pumbaa wondering what they did or said wrong this time.
(He's so fragile, Pumbaa thinks whenever he sees Simba like that. And it's the most terrifying feeling in the world to know that he could break him as easily as stepping a blade of grass, with just as little thought.)
The second most terrifying thought is that someday, Simba will leave. Timon argues otherwise: “He's an outcast. He said himself that he doesn't have anywhere to go, remember?” spoken with all the confidence that makes him Timon. Pumbaa wants to believe him, but even he knows that lions aren't meant to live with their prey. It's obvious from the way Simba crouches down before pouncing on a hapless butterfly or unsuspecting Timon, in the way he watches the twinkling lights above them at night and sighs, that he isn't going to stay forever; that there is something grand still in store for him that Timon and Pumbaa can't protect him from forever.
Anyway, why's he thinking about this tonight? There's no point in worrying about something until it comes. And they'll find a solution, when it does.
It's a cold night. Pumbaa plops down to sleep on the soft grass between Timon and Simba, and if he's a little closer to Simba than usual, well, no one can blame him for seeking the extra warmth.
Submission 3:
Spoiler: show
THE FALL OF THE PRIDELANDS IN THE ABSENCE OF KIARA
It was a starry night at the Pridelands. Kiara and Kovu have just been reunited. Kovu said, “let’s run away together and start a pride all on our own.” Kiara responded, “But Kovu…” Kiara responded, “it will be alright, our old pride will be fine.” Meanwhile back at the gorge, the war continued. Zira had just called a fight on Simba.
“Zira!”
“Simba!”
“Hahaha, you can beat me; your too week!”
“What did you say”?
“I said your too week to kill me. We’ve already won”
“We’ll see about that”
Nala and Vitani were facing off. Vitani decided to hide. Nala lost track of her; she had ran far away. Nala knew she wouldn’t come back. So Nala went to help Simba; Zira gave Simba a scar on his left eye. So Nala angrily came straight at Zira. It was Simba and Nala verses Zira; Zira decided to make the first move.
Zira went for Simba, but Nala defended. She than attacked Nala therefore Simba defended Nala. Soon Zira was forced to retreat. They had won barely, everyone with bruises everywhere. The same was for the Outlanders. Meanwhile Vitani was running, she couldn’t return. She remembered her once love; she couldn’t forgive her mother for what she had done. She didn’t believe he was dead; she wanted to find him-she wanted to find Kopa.
Kiara and Kovu had reached the Oasis; they decided to rest. They hadn’t any food; they we’re starved, so they had no choice but to eat grubs. In the end they didn’t mind it.
Simba, Timone and Pumbaa were looking everywhere for Kiara. They were extremely worried. They must find her. Simba had lost both his children. His worst nightmare was upon him. Pumbaa sighted a bug and followed it hopping that Kiara would randomly stalk him like Nala once did. Timone got worried when his friend Pumbaa went missing.
Kiara and Kovu found themselves in the endless desert, they were starving and travelling all alone they had been going on for hours. Finally they found a path leading somewhere. The path they went across was to a lake. They arrived at the lake. Kovu took a drink.
“Yuck this water tastes like sand”
“That’s because it is sand Kovu”
Kiara Giggled. The ‘apparent’ lake disappeared; it was a mirage. Kovu really felt embraced. They travelled along yet again. Kiara and Kovu found a cave, yet they thought it was a mirage. It wasn’t it was just a lone lionesses den. She paid no mind to them. Kovu and Kiara finally found a small oasis, Kiara thought it was a mirage. Kovu took a drink, he realised it was real water. He told Kiara, they both enjoyed the drink. They finally found a grassy path. This path lead to a forest full of deer, they both knew it was a good place to make their new pride.
Vitani was just following the footprints she saw. They lead from where the ‘carcass’ of Kopa was. It leads down to the gorge. She finally reached the end of the gorge where the footprints stoped. The footprints were very antic.
The gorge wall cracked and water washed all the way through the gorge. The water flowed fast and Vitani had no escape. A bold lion saved her, she opened her eyes she saw Kopa “Kopa?” “Vitani your awake! Its so good to see you again” They both nuzzled each other.
“Let’s go Kopa let’s go find someplace we can live in peace”
“No, I am planning to go home. It has been so long, let’s go back.”
“I can’t… I was exiled. So was mother, I was exiled because Simba believed my mother killed you”
Kopa sighted. “Oh…” Vitani and Kopa ran away and followed the footprints of two lions. They it took ther 2 days to get to the end. They arrived into a forest where they found Kovu and Kiara. So they all enjoyed each other’s company.
They hunted deer. They had a big feast of two dears. Kopa and Kovu raced. In the result of that Kovu chocked.
Meanwhile back at the Pridelands Simba was worried. Nala went to comfort her mate. She told him it will be all right and that Kiara will turn up. Timone and Pumbaa were still up looking on opposite ends of the Pridelands. Timone kept on screeching out her name. It was midnight, the screeching of Timone’s voice he woke up rhinos. They chased him all the way back to pride rock. Simba was still sitting upon the edge of pride rock.
The next morning Pumbaa had just returned home. Simba had fallen asleep. Zazu dropped in for the morning report. “Sire? Sire? SIRE, oh no, SIMBA WAKE UP” Simba yawned and stood up. “Sire thank goodness your alright” Zazu said in relief. Zazu than gave Simba the morning report. Simba returned to the cave in pride rock and went back to sleep. So Nala” took on Simba’s duties.
Vitani was wide-awake while the other three were sleeping like babies. Vitani hunted a deer so they had breakfast. Kiara woke up next, she saw Vitani headed off to go hunt, so she decided to help. Kopa and Kovu woke up later; they noticed that the lionesses had gone missing so they assumed they were on a hunt.
“So how’ve you been Kopa?”
“Lost…”
“Why do you feel like that?”
“Cuz I did something terrible”
“What did you do?
“I… I… Um… Well… I don’t want to talk about it”
“I understand”
The two lionesses returned. So then they all enjoyed the deer. They just stayed in the forest for weeks problem-free.
In the Outlands Zira was pacing. “How can he beat me? How!? How!? I have no family, my daughter ran away, my son deserted me and my other son died. I live alone with only lionesses. No lions to protect us I AM ALONE” Zira said to herself. “oh scar, what do I do?” Zira looked up. “Oh scar… I have lost many…”
She was lost, she was angry, and worse of all she wanted revenge. Revenge on her son for her eldest son, on Simba for killing her mate, and on Vitani for running away. She decided to make one last attack on Simba; she would get him by surprise.
She would decide to attack at night; she kept peering on the Pridelands for a solution. She saw the absence of Kiara has shattered Simba, he hadn’t had much sleep he would be sleeping all day, but looking for Kiara all night. She decided to get Simba when he last expected it.
The nightfall had arrived. Simba was looking for Kiara as Zira Planned, so when he came close to the outlands she will strike up and Kill the king. Who would rule if he died? Zira decided to turn the Pridelands in to a tyranny instead of a monarchy and kill anyone who didn’t as she told. Her loyal lionesses did exactly as she Said. So she decided to give them a high rank so they can help the tyranny run. Her plan had one flaw though- Kiara; she was only absent, not dead but absent.
Her plan was in motion; Simba became shattered by dawn, so that was the time Zira struck him dead. Simba was dead, he had been murdered; he shall live at peace, but shall the Pridelands fall right into Zira’s hands? Will she take over, or will there be a resistance? What will happen to: Nala? Sarabia? Saraba? Timone? Pumbaa? Zazu?
Zira walked towards pride rock with her lionesses dragging Simbas carcus
To be continued…
Submission 4:
Spoiler: show
Keep it together
The adjustments were painful but they had to be done. They were about as welcoming as a sting from a porcupine’s quill. In their case, the barb would be preferable to the psychological sting that they were enduring now. At least with a quill, you could pull it out and though it would throb and smart, the twinge would dull down and die. It was ephemeral, it was transitory. Most important of all, it was not permanent.
Unfortunately, death could not be as easily erased from their minds. Emotional scars were the hardest ones to erase.
The pang of the King’s death was still acute. Queen Sarabi who was the finest example of dignity and grace had shut down mentally. She was not one to openly express her emotions or opinions. Instead, she preferred to keep them to herself. It was important for a female, especially of a lioness of her social standing, to maintain poise but that had proven to be an especially taxing task. Her sisters could not help but empathize for she had practically lost a part of herself. To add salt to the wounds, her only son was gone too. What was once seen as a promising and prosperous future had gone the way of water during an especially bad drought. Still, just as the seasons must change and a snake must shed its skin; the transition of power was honored. Tears were shed, words of honor spoken and the last goodbyes were said.
Scar had granted Sarabi extra ‘personal’ time to cope with her loss. King Mufasa would have given anyone time to heal and recuperate. Coming from Scar, it seemed more like a request or a transaction. It was impersonal with just a tiny hint of time constraint attached to it. Still, they chose not to say or do anything because he was the King’s brother and his position oversaw theirs. At least that is how some of them saw it.
On the outside, their faces were outlined with dignity and selflessness. On the inside, their pain was as well hidden as a leopard underneath heavy underbrush. For many of them, it was like learning how to walk again. King Mufasa was the only male within miles who would offer a nomadic lioness shelter. Nomads were not seen as particularly desirable. In fact, some were seen as a threat. The good and gracious King saw beyond the superficial and would grant anyone food or shelter. In turn, she would have to offer her allegiance. This was a rare occurrence amongst lions. He was tender and welcoming. He listened to his court’s concerns with care.
King Mufasa was strong, proud, and regal. He was a fine example of what a leader should be. His rule was fair and he was firm when he needed to be. Most important of all, he was the perfect gentleman.
He also never failed to her extra ‘attention’ should she need it. He was never crude or brutish and honored his wife as an equal and not as a subordinate.
Scar did not possess any of those traits.
When he took the time to make his address, he did not exude the warmth and welcoming vibe that his brother had. Though he was of their kind, there was this mood in the air about Scar. It was not exactly a positive one either. For one thing, Scar’s cohorts were not exactly dinner guests one wanted to have conversations with as they crude, rude, and filthy. It took them by surprise to find out that he had an entire army of the mangy hyenas at his disposal and he was not above enforcing his rule if he had to. Anyone unlucky or unintelligent enough to question him would become an afternoon snack for the hyenas.
Bathing had to be done away from the Pride Lands and their muscles were taxed from overhunting.
Meat was a precious commodity that had to be carefully rationed out and kept at a certain temperature before it would turn rancid. It was during times like this that they shifted their attention to the one positive in their lives.
Nala.
Sarafina and the others did not want her daughter growing up in such a dismal environment. They all channeled their attention and love to the cream toned cub. The fallen Queen had adopted her as a ‘daughter’ for although she became widowed and childless, she still offered a lot of love. Nala would grow to be a promising huntress. With a keen sense of smell and the speed and grace of a gazelle, she would become an asset to their hunts. Sometimes, there would be two hunting parties. While this had proven fruitful to Scar and his starving hoard of filthy followers, his appeasement was only temporary.
Before long, civil war had threatened to tear the lionesses apart.
Every fortnight, the lionesses would meet at a watering hole just over the eastern border. They needed a space to gather since the invaders had taken their private quarters. They would meet at night and only at night as it assumed that this was prime time for hunting.
They would meet and discuss the current events, seasons, births within herds and any other news that would be to their benefit. It was here too that they would discuss what Sarabi would say to the King. If the news was something like drought or herds depleting, they would minimize the negative aspects to buy more time but they all knew the truth when they saw it. The Pride Lands were reduced to squalor.
At first, these meetings were sacred spaces where they could vent and air their frustrations in a judgment free zone. It was almost therapeutic. It was here that they reminisced about better times and made plans. However, in recent days, the tone within the group would take on angry and defensive tones in which Sarabi would be the de facto moderator. At first, it was about the lack of herds. Then that led to the rainy season being late or the zebra migration off time. Lately, the topics had taken on a more serious tone.
To them, Scar may have been the King’s brother and second in command but that did not mean that he possessed kingly traits. For instance, Scar thought hunting was below him. He saw it as a dirty job that only females had to do. If he wanted buffalo which was a prized meal in lion circles then as a male of the household he would have to do his share. In fact, the King and or his male relatives participating on a hunt was necessary if he wanted to keep his belly fat for days.
“Men! We do all the hard work and they expect you to wait on them paw and foot!” A dark toned lioness hissed.
“He probably isn’t that much of a good hunter anyway,” Siri, another lioness with aqua blue eyes observed.
“He’s probably too concerned about those nails of his,” Naanda, Sarabi’s sister replied sourly. The three lionesses shared a generous laugh. Sarabi had shushed them.
“Please, enough of that,” she warned.
“Oh, come off it, sister! You know it! I don’t understand this obsessive need to defend him!” Naanda hissed. Although the pride had possessed a united front, there were cracks. Naanda, Sarabi’s outspoken sister had often clashed about what had to be done. Though she respected and tolerated her sister’s wishes, there were times when she felt they could be more proactive about their circumstances. To her, when you complain about feeling thirsty when you are in the desert, you go and find water. The way she saw it, they were waiting for a flood during the middle of the dry season.
“Enough, Naanda!” Sarabi warned. Her body language was firm but her tone was a warning one. Sarafina and a few other lionesses offered Naanda pleading looks to stop. Under King Mufasa, there had been more than ten of them easily. Since Scar took over, the number had dwindled considerably which left Sarabi, Sarafina, Naanda, Zira, Nala, and the three lounging by the trees and rocks. The others had ‘disappeared’ while they went for a drink. They wanted to believe that whoever left had escaped unscathed but the telling and taunting looks of the hyenas combined with rumors that Scar was not above offering them a free meal when it presented itself, it was agreed that it was best to stay together and to self censor themselves against Scar’s transgressions. It was better, and safer, to suffer silently and hold your tongue. On top of that, there were outside threats. A lone lioness had no chance against a lone male, much less another pride. Nomadic lionesses were looked down upon. They were seen as dirty and unwanted.
“I don’t understand why you have this need to protect that brute, sister. He has done nothing for you. He does not respect you, consult with you…” Naanda protested.
“Scar has his way of doing things. If he does not need my word on things then so be it.” Sarabi said calmly.
“No truer words were ever spoken.” A raspy voice spoke up from behind. The rest of them looked at the source with an air of disgust. A low chuckled emerged from the emaciated lioness’ throat. “Listen to your sister, Naanda, for she is wise and most certainly right.”
Sarafina and Naanda scrunched up their noses in an offended tone. Sarabi looked straight ahead and tried to ignore Zira’s jab.
“You think you can do a better job, Zira?” Sarafina spoke up and tried her very best to maintain poise and control. It was no big secret amongst them that Zira wanted to be Scar’s queen. Any attention he gave her she would lap it up like a thirsty animal onto a damp piece of land.
“Oh, he’s just biding his time. Let him sample from the platter before he makes his final decision.” Zira said offhandedly as she settled herself to have a drink from the small watering hole. She returned their glares with a toothy grin.
“He rejected Nuka, Zira. What makes you think you stand a chance again?” Siri queried.
“Maybe it was that sickly wildebeest you brought down that affected him a few days before he spent time with me. Dear Sarafina, Are we losing our touch?” The tawny lioness hissed. Sarafina’s claws sprang forward and just as she was about to sink her teeth into Zira, she was blocked by Siri and Saidia.
“You will pay for that!” Sarafina growled.
“Keep it together, sisters.” Sarabi said warmly.
“Yes, listen to teacher, girls,” Zira sighed before walking into the darkness. She was power hungry, she was ruthless. She was Scar’s match in every way. The only problem was that Scar was a bonafide narcissist. He would appear to treat her as an equal but he would never see her as such. She would be a means to an end, a tool, an object, an extension of him. He had already done that once. In that sense, Sarabi could not help but feel partially sorry for her.
“Filthy wannabe groupie!” Naanda growled.
“Don’t push her away! She is swift and that is necessary if we wish to catch jackals and gazelles,” Sarabi said calmly.
The other lionesses took Sarabi’s words to heart. They knew she was wise, resourceful, and objective. Still, a part of them could not help but wonder if the lights were not all on upstairs. It was rumored amongst them that the only reason Sarabi tolerated Scar’s abuse was because he was her only connection to the family she once had. It was not outside the realm of possibility that she saw Scar as the only physical connection to Mufasa and Simba. Maybe her emotional well being was compromised and that did not allow for her to see what was plain to everyone else.
The lionesses nodded at Sarabi’s orders. She may not have been at Scar’s side as co-ruler but she was still Queen Dowager in their eyes. She was the glue that held them together, the sense of peace in an era of uncertainty.
“Where’s Nala?” Sarafina asked.
Sarabi turned to see a trail in the brush not too far off from where they were. From the look of it, whoever made it made a turn in their direction but turned away but not back to the Pride Lands but outside the savanna limits. Sarabi understood.
“She will be fine. It is time.”
Submission 5:
Spoiler: show
Enough is Enough
The lands were completely barren. There was nothing left. The hyenas had been given too much freedom, and they had taken everything from the lionesses. Scar was to blame. Scar had brought them here, welcomed them. He’d acted as though he honestly thought their presence would improve the pride’s lot in life, and maybe he truly did. But enough was enough. Something had to give, or they would all die.
Scar gazed out over his lands, his eyes scanning everything, taking in all of the details. Of course, he thought to himself, it would be in my reign when we’d have a drought. And everyone blames me. As if a single lion, no matter how powerful, can control the weather. He glowered around for only a moment longer; the sun was too harsh, and water too scarce for him to dare stay out in the heat. He turned, the sun-warmed rock hot beneath his toes, and stalked back into Pride Rock. There was nothing he could do for them. The lionesses should try harder if they wanted to survive.
Sarafina blatantly abandoned Scar as he entered the cave, much more willing to spend her time baking in the sun than around the ticking time bomb that had declared her his queen. She slunk away to the foot of the rock formation where many of the other lionesses were gathered. She sat down between Sarabi and Nala, her best friend and her daughter.
“Enough is enough,” Sarabi said as they all watched Zira slinking into Pride Rock. “This has gone on long enough, and only she’s happy this way. We have only two options.”
“We have to end this,” Sarafina agreed, “Mufasa wouldn't want us to do nothing.”
“But what can we do? Scar’s the rightful king,” asked one of the lionesses.
“We can either leave Pride Rock, or we can overthrow Scar,” Sarabi replied, her features hard, her jaw set. She looked around at the other lionesses. “It’s a difficult decision, but we have no other choices. We can reclaim what is ours, we can leave, or we can starve. I say we fight. We stand up for ourselves, for our home, and we drive him out, one way or another.”
“We can’t just attack him head-on, though. We’d never make it. We’d have to do something about the hyenas first, or they’d overwhelm us with their numbers,” Nala said, her voice low.
“Their numbers are decreasing. Nothing keeps them here. They don’t care about this land. Everyday more and more of them give up and go out in search of food, in search of water. There shall be no time better than now to strike. If we pick them off a few at a time, Scar will never notice the difference. This is our chance, and it may be the last chance we ever get,” Sarabi proclaimed.
“So let’s do it. For all the things we have lost,” Sarafina concurred, “For all the suffering we have endured. Enough is enough.”
---
“My lord,” Zira purred as she approached him.
“What is it, Zira?” he asked in a bored tone. She stopped beside him and nuzzled him lovingly. “Come now, Zira, I do have a queen. It wouldn’t do to have her come in on this, now would it?”
She frowned.
“You know Sarafina despises you, Scar. She wouldn’t mind, I’m sure,” pouted the jilted lioness.
“You do seem to be the only one I can count on,” Scar said, looking thoughtful. “Perhaps I shall depose her, and make you my new queen. After all, a queen should be loyal to her king, rather than his dead brother.”
Zira’s face lit up and a very toothy grin spread across her muzzle.
“Oh, Scar, would you really?” she asked, the enthusiasm audible in her voice.
---
Over the next few weeks, the lionesses slowly chipped away at the army of hyenas. Each time a group of them would venture out, for any reason, a lioness or two would follow. If the hyenas showed any signs of turning back, the lionesses would kill them, and leave their bodies where they fell, far from Pride Rock. The enemy numbers were dwindling, much as Sarabi had said that they would.
She glanced up at Pride Rock from where she was laying in the meager shade cast by a withered tree, estimating how many were left. Determining how soon they could attack. They might be able to succeed as it was. There were only a few handfuls of the foul beast remaining, but they still outnumbered the lionesses. She would prefer if they could wait longer. They didn’t have much longer, though, as day by day, food became more scarce and the lionesses grew hungrier.
As she watched, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, Scar’s top hyenas skulked out of Pride Rock, scowling. They were coming towards her. Sarabi groaned. She really didn’t want to deal with them right now; she didn’t want to deal with them ever. The trio stopped in front of her, their eyes full of dislike and anger.
“Hey! Scar said you lot won’t hunt!” Banzai complained.
“Yeah,” Shenzi added, “He told us if we were hungry to tell you to get off your butts and do some hunting!”
As usual, Ed just nodded and laughed. Sarabi rose on her paws, anger swelling in her.
“Why don’t you go and do your own hunting for once? Even idiots like you should be capable of catching something,” she snarled, knowing that there wasn’t much out there to catch.
“Your king said for you to do the hunting!” Banzai snapped back, leaning towards the angry lioness. She growled, the other lionesses behind her looking up interestedly. Sarafina stood and moved to Sarabi’s side, backing her friend, Nala following her mother’s example and taking a position on Sarabi’s other side.
“My king is dead,” Sarabi said dryly.
“Oh ho. She thinks she can defy us because of Mufasa,” Shenzi laughed. “I’ve got news for you, missy. When Mufasa and Simba died, that made Scar your king. That means you have to what he says!”
“Yeah,” Banzai agreed.
“I will not serve him any longer. He would have us all starve,” she declared, standing her ground. The other lionesses got the message. They began to rise and join the standing lionesses. The rebellion was now.
“Stand down.” Shenzi commanded. Sarabi only growled in response. The hyena narrowed her eyes and raised a paw to strike. As her claws struck the defiant lionesses jaw, roars issued from the gathered rebels, and they attacked., lionesses claiming the triad of shocked hyenas. Her face smarting, Sarabi looked over at Sarafina who was still nearby as the remaining hyenas began swarming to the scene of the fight.
“I’m going after Scar,” she told her. Then she loped up towards Pride Rock, her friend behind her. They leapt up the rock formation, not hesitating outside the cave. They rushed inside, where Scar and his new queen lay in the back. Both of them looked startled to see the angry lionesses enter.
“Ah, Sarabi and my former queen. What’s going on out there? I heard the commotion, and I-” Scar started.
“It’s over, Scar,” Sarabi cut him off, “We will not be your slaves any longer. Enough is enough.”
Zira rose, growling, “How dare you speak to him in such a way! Do you have no respect for a king?”
“I only respect those who deserve it.”
Enraged, Zira lunged at Sarabi, but Sarafina tackled her before she could reach the revolution leader. The two rolled away, swiping at each other, fangs bared and claws extended. Scar slowly rose on his paws, meeting Sarabi’s steely gaze.
“Now, now Sarabi. There is really no need for such violence,” he said. She scoffed.
“Isn’t there? You would have us die to serve you,” she spat.
“And you should be willing to die for your king! You would have died for Mufasa!”
“He would have been worth it.”
“I should have killed you in that stampede, too,” he muttered, “You’re becoming more trouble than you’re worth.”
“I should have known you were behind his death!” the angry lioness snarled as she lunged at the false king, tired of having words with him. He had murdered her mate, he had murdered her king. He had just admitted to having murdered Mufasa.
Her teeth sank into his dark mane, barely raking his flesh as his claws gashed her. He shoved her off, leapt onto her, went for her throat. She kicked him with her hind paws and pushed with her forelegs, trying to free herself from him. His jaws pinched her neck just before she managed to force him off of her. She rose swiftly and tried a different tactic. She pounced on his side, digging her claws into his scrawny body, burying her teeth in his back. He thrashed around beneath her, trying to swat her, though he couldn’t reach very well.
Suddenly another warm body was on top of her, pushing Sarabi off of Scar. She recovered easily, landing on her paws and swiveled around to see Zira, wounded and dripping blood in a few places, one of her ears torn, glowering at her. She growled at the traitorous lioness. Sarafina had pounced on Scar when she realized Zira was attacking Sarabi. She couldn’t let them gang up on the revolution leader. On the former queen.
Sarabi slashed Zira’s face, lunging at Scar’s follower. The scrawnier lioness flinched before returning the blow, hitting Sarabi in the jaw. Seizing an advantage, Zira tackled Sarabi, knocking Mufasa’s queen to the ground, her eyes burning.
“Think how Scar will reward me for disposing of you!”
Sarabi lunged for Zira’s throat, her jaws snapping shut on flesh as she took her opportunity. The other lionesses eyes registered shock as she struggled for a brief moment, the life draining from her eyes even as she struggled to get out of Sarabi’s hold. Blood dribbled down from her neck, and soon Zira’s body turned limp. The living lioness pushed the corpse aside and rolled to her feet, looking around for Sarafina. Her friend was wounded, too, bleeding in several places, still confronting Scar.
Sarabi, ignoring the stinging of her injuries, approached him from the side.
“It’s over Scar,” she said, “You’re wounded, and your queen is dead. Step down and leave before you join her.”
“Never.”
“You’re outnumbered, Scar. Step down,” Sarafina implored. He just snarled, then turned and tackled Sarabi, his jaws closing on her throat. He’d had the element of surprise. Fighting for her life, the lioness slapped at his face, her claws tearing at him. Sarafina joined in, trying to save her friend. After a short struggle, they had knocked him away. He lay battered and beaten on the ground, Sarafina standing over him.
“Sarafina, please. What will the pride do without a king? I swear to you, if you keep me alive, I’ll take you back as my queen. You can run the show, make the decisions, I’ll just be there to keep up appearances,” he pleaded.
“No,” was all she said before she executed him with several quick slashes across his neck. It was over. With the king dead, Sarafina turned her wounded body and limped over to her friend. “Sarabi, it’s over. He’s dead. Scar’s dead.”
But her friend didn’t respond. She had not survived the wounds she’d sustained in the battle. Holding back tears, Sarafina made her way to the edge of Pride Rock, and stopped, looking down at the carnage. Several of the lionesses had fallen, but more hyenas lay motionless on the ground. It was time for her to stop this. She let out a long victorious roar to let them all know that it was over, and the hyenas were no longer welcome here.
Realizing that they had lost, the last remaining hyenas turned tail and fled. The Pridelands had been purged of the dark reign at last, but with a terrible cost.
Submission 6:
Spoiler: show
In Perfect Harmony
“Serenity Base, this is Houston. You are go for EVA.”
Simba barely registered the command from Mission Control as he looked out of the small window at the cratered, rocky terrain of the surface he was getting ready to walk on. I'm going to walk on the moon... I'm going to... walk... on the moon. he thought. Throughout the long time of training, through the several-day journey from Earth to the moon, and even through the actual landing, he still found it somewhat to surreal to realize what he was about to do.
Simba felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and he stiffly turned to face his human crew members. The one that tapped him, Dan, was grinning widely through a transparent visored helmet.
“Nervous?” He asked, motioning out the window with a thick gloved hand.
Hesitantly, Simba nodded. “Ye-yeah,” he admitted. “I mean... are you really allowing me to be the first one to walk on the moon? I'm a lion! You brought me here... You deserve to be the first, not me.” It was an old argument, one that he brought up right away in training when he realized that he was chosen to go first.
Dan laughed. “Come on now, Simba, what did I tell you plenty of times before?” he asked, handing Simba the last part of the suit, a large, gold tainted helmet, “we can't simply bring along a guest. You're part of the crew, and it's your job to be the first one to step outside.” Next to them, Rev agreed, also chuckling.
Simba put on the outer layer of his helmet, sighing as it completely stopped him from moving his head. “Well, if you say so.” He allowed Rev and Dan to check and double check his suit to make sure that it was completely airtight, and then helped with them checking theirs.
In his suit's radio system, he heard Mission Control back on Earth ask him for their status. “Roger, Houston, I'm just about ready to start the EVA,” Simba replied. With one final check over the others, he motioned that he was ready. “Alright guys... Let's do this.” Together, they carefully opened the lander's airlock and Simba stepped though.
The airlock door closed and Simba found himself alone in the final barrier between the lander and the lunar surface. His radio buzzed again as Dan gave him one last tip. “Remember, Whiskers, do what you were trained to do, and keep in mind the world is watching. I reckon some several billion.”
Simba grunted. “Gee, thanks...” he replied, and opened the final barrier to the outside world. His eyes widened when he got an even better look at the lunar surface he was about to walk on. “Hey, do you think Nala will be watching?” he asked.
His question was answered with some laughter. “Simba, we know she'll be watching.”
Simba took in a deep breath and turned around, getting on the ladder leading down to the ground below. “Houston, Simba here... I'm ready to commence the EVA.”
---
Nala sat with her mother and Simba's parents on the top of Pride Rock, all of them looking up at the moon. “Hard to believe that soon he'll be walking over there,” Nala said, “and to think that we didn't even know that it was even possible to do so...” She stared up at the circle, trying to imagine what it would be like to be there, and what the Pride Lands would look like from the moon. At that moment, she head footsteps behind them and turned to see Douglas walking up towards them. The human was responsible for choosing Simba to go in the mission, and made sure that Simba was trained properly. He even managed to get Nala to accompany her friend for that training, and came back with her to the Pride Lands after Simba's launch so that the rest of the pride could see Simba's first steps on the moon in the form of a large screen that now was inside the main den.
“Just got the word. Simba's about to start,” he said, grinning.
Nala nearly jumped with excitement. “Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!” Together, they walked down to the den, already crowded with the pride and even a few others.
“It got too crowded in here, so I set up a smaller screen outside,” Douglas explained as they edged though to the front, “the daylight's making it worse to see, and there's no sound there, but at least it's something.” Nala recalled the large assembly of animals outside, and now knew what they were all watching.
In here, though, there was sound, and Nala was able to pick up the occasional chatter of the crew and Mission Control as they prepared for their mission. Finally getting though the crowd, they sat down next to Rafiki and stared perplexed at the screen, waiting for the first moment when they would see Simba get outside. Douglas raised the volume so that the chatter was easier to make out, and not a moment too soon.
“Houston, Simba here... I'm ready to commence the EVA.”
“It's Simba!” Nala exclaimed, her voice squeaky from excitement. For her trouble, she was shushed by the others who wanted to hear Simba instead of her comments. Nala closed her mouth, and stared, waiting.
“Okay, Simba, we can see you climbing outside the LEM now. Looking good from here.”
The entire den fell dead silent when something moved on the screen, which turned out to be Simba's suit covered tail as he made his way backwards out of the lander. Everyone watched as more and more of Simba emerged, and he proceeded to slowly climb down the lander's ladder, coming to a halt at the bottom.
Nala grinned, and quickly looked Sarabi, who also looked at her at that moment. Sarabi reached out with a paw and brought Nala closer, who then in turn did the same to Sarafina. They all turned back to the screen and watched as Simba took a few tries climbing up and down the bottom of the ladder.
“Houston, I just tested, and I can get up the ladder if I need to... Everything's fine from here.”
“Roger, Simba, we copy.”
“I'm at the bottom of the ladder now, I uh, I can see much more of the surface now. It's very interesting... it's like sand... sand, but almost the consistency of ash...” Simba spoke calmly, but his voice was filled with wonder and even some nervousness. “I'm uh, I'm going to step off the LEM now.”
Nala's breathing stopped as she watched Simba. He gently pushed off the ladder with his front paws and twisted his body so that they landed on the lunar surface. He stopped there, facing the camera that was now showing him to the entire world. With his body covered by a white suit, and his face protected by a gold tinted visor, Nala tried to imagine what he was looking like at this very moment. His head moved slightly as he prepared to talk.
“And the world is now...” Simba hesitated a little, “...in perfect harmony.”
Nala smiled, as did everyone else in the den. They instantly recognized the words as from one of the favorite songs in the Pridelands.
“Wow, Simba, that's beautiful,”
Simba then moved so that he now fully stood on the moon. “It's really different here than it is back home, but uh, it's different, but not in a bad way... You can see for so far, and there's no sky. There are so many stars, much more than you can see even in the darkest of nights... It's very beautiful out here.” Simba moved closer to the camera. “How's the video, Houston? Getting a clear image?”
Douglas grinned. “You bet ya! Clear as day, Simba,” he said, and was silenced right away by the lions around him.
“Simba, yes, we're getting an excellent feed from you. Couldn't have asked for a better view.”
Simba walked back to the lander as one of the humans crawled out. “Ready to come down now, Rev?” Unlike Simba, the human simply slid down the ladder, controlling his decent with his hands.
“Right you are, Simba. Let's go do some science!” Shortly after Rev, Dan also emerged from the lander and all three crew members now stood together on the moon, the first life to visit the word for nearly a century.
“How do we look, Houston?” Dan's voice asked, “We're ready to present the plaque now.”
“Roger, go ahead.”
The three of them walked over to a leg of the lander. Rev unclipped a block of metal and showed it to the camera. “For everyone who didn't read this plaque, we'll now read it. And it says here: 'here life from planet Earth returned to the moon, June, Twenty, Twenty Five. We came in peace for all life on Earth'. It's signed by the crew members and the leaders of everyone involved, the Presidents of the Untied States, Russia, and various European nations...”
And here, Simba finished off Dan. “...and King Mufasa, of the Pride Lands.” His voice cracked, where he clearly struggled to say Mufasa instead of his usual 'dad'.
Sarabi's eyes widened. “Mufasa, isn't that the block they scratched your name on for you?” she asked. No wonder that block looked familiar.
Mufasa smiled and nodded, not believing his eyes. “And so it is.”
Rev placed the plaque close to the lander, but where it won't get covered in dust by their activity and when they would leave. Next to him, Dan started to unfold a flag that would be placed right next to the plaque.
“We already have enough American flags on our spacesuits,” He said, “but also in recognition of everyone involved in getting us here, on behalf of the crew, I present this flag for the entire world...” He released the spring compressing the flag so that is uncurled, revealing its elegant design. The dark blue background of the flag emphasized the centerpiece: The circle of the Earth, with all the continents visible. “Hows the flag looking Houston?”
“Looks amazing, Dan. Leave it just the way it is, because it really is the best how you placed it now.”
“Crew of Serenity Base, we've got the President of the Untied States on the phone. He wishes to speak to you, over.”
“Roger, Houston. It'll be an honor.”
“Go ahead, Mister President. Houston out.”
The President's voice then was heard. “Hello, Dan, Simba and Rev. This is the President speaking...”
The President spoke to the crew, asking them questions that they all answered formally. But when the call ended, the political gestures were over, and the crew were free to begin the important aspects of their mission. As the crew began to move around the lander deploying various structures and instruments, the den began to empty out as the various guests left to get back their own lives. As the hours passed, the only ones left remaining in the den who weren't part of the pride were Douglas and Rafiki.
Douglas looked at his watch and grinned. “Hey, Mufasa, want to talk to Simba?” He asked holding, out a microphone for the lion to speak into.
Mufasa looked at the device. “Well, yeah. But... can we all speak to him?”
Douglass grinned. “Sure can.” He had the lions huddle around the microphone before connecting it.
“Crew of Serenity Base, this is Houston. We've got King Mufasa and a few others on the line. The wish to tall to you as well, over.”
This time, Simba answered, clearly excited to get to talk to his family. “Roger that, Houston! Put them on!”
With Douglas's signal, Mufasa grinned and spoke. “Hello, son. How are you doing?”
Unlike with the President, Simba was not formal this time. “Hey, dad! It's incredible out here! Are you all seeing it? And what about the others? Hey, mom, you there? What about you, Nala?”
The lions in the den all chuckled. “We're all here, Simba,” Sarabi answered, and then let Nala talk as well.
“You're looking great there, Simba,” Nala said, “what's it like?”
Instead of Simba answering, it was Rev and Dan. "Hey, Simba, is that you're family? Told you they'll be watching you!”
Simba laughed before talking again. “It's great to hear you. I mean, talking to you here, on the... the moon.”
Hey, I was right! We have more submissions than last time! I have formatted these entries to the best of my ability, but if you still find any errors, I can edit them to look nicer. Author of story three: I think the format I got got wonky, so if you are not satisfied by how it looks like now, if you can please PM me a properly formatted version, I will replace them. But please don't use this opportunity to edit your story, this is just formatting.
I am hoping to have voting end on Monday night, but because I might not have a good computer then (or internet for that matter), I will see if I will have to end voting on the usual Sunday night.
Usual rules apply: Don't vote for yourself. But most importantly: Have fun!
