[quote]Submission 1:
Spoiler: show
Untitled
“You know the penalty for returning to the Pride Lands” snarls Simba as he confronts Zira. “But the child does not!” she replies, “However, if you require your pound of meat, here.” Zira says as she pushes a frightened Kovu towards Simba. Simba stops and considers what to do with this young cub. ‘Should I take him with me, or should I leave him with Zira?’ Simba thinks to himself. After a short while, Simba makes his decision. “Nala” Simba turns and faces his wife, “Pick up this cub, head back to Pride Rock and watch over him until I get back” Obeying, Nala picks up Kovu and starts heading towards Pride Rock. Simba turns and faces Zira again. “Go. Go back into the Outlands and don’t come back ever again. You offered me your cub and I took him. Now go.” Zira suppresses the urge to pounce at Simba for she knows that if she does it would almost certainly mean her own demise. Zira turns around and heads back off to the Outlands with her lionesses in tow. When Simba is sure she is well away, he starts heading back to Pride Rock returning with one more cub than he had intended to return with.
***
“Kiara, what did I tell you about going off the path?” says Simba. “But daddy, he seemed nice, all we did was play some tag.” Says Kiara trying to convince Simba she had done nothing wrong. “I am not very happy with you right now Kiara, but seeing as I must go see to Kovu, I am going to let you off with a warning, ok?” “Yes daddy.” Replies Kiara. Kiara goes off into Pride Rock and Simba goes to where Nala is watching over Kovu. “Let me take him” Simba says, motioning to Kovu, “I have things to discuss with him.” “Are you sure?” replies Nala, “It might have been planned for you to take him in.” “On second thought, you better come too; I would be powerless to stop him if he attacked me.” Says Simba sarcastically. “Oh, ha ha” laughs Nala in a mocking tone. Nala leaves Simba with Kovu. Kovu has been lying down the whole time, slightly shaking. “Now listen to me” Simba says to the frightened cub. “First of all, if you try to run from me, I will catch you, so don’t even bother. Secondly, you will stay under the watch of one of the lionesses at all times. This will change the more I trust you. Finally, you are now my son, so you will follow me around the kingdom as I teach you about various things, may it be how to rule, our way of life, Scar’s reign or why Zira was exiled in the first place. Do you understand?” “Y-yes.” Replies Kovu in a shaky voice. “Good, now follow me into Pride Rock and I will show you where you will sleep tonight.” Simba turns and goes into Pride Rock, turning around every so often to make sure Kovu is following.
***
Simba was awoken in the night by Kiara. “Daddy, I think Kovu is having a nightmare.” “Thankyou Kiara, go back to sleep now.” Simba carefully walks over to where Kovu is lying down. Kovu was a mess. He was shaking very badly and was sweating. “Hey Kovu” whispers Simba, “What’s wrong?” “I d-don’t want t-to talk about i-it.” Replies the cub in a scared voice. “That’s ok, if you don’t want to talk about it you don’t have to. But if you’re scared about one of us attacking you, don’t be. Remember what I said earlier, you are my son now and an attack on a member of the royal family is an immediate exile sentence, so don’t worry.” Says Simba to reassure the cub. “C-can I sleep with you tonight?” asks Kovu, who has calmed down quite a bit. “Yes” replies Simba. “You can sleep with me every night from now on. I just had to be sure…” At that moment Kovu looked quite happy for a frightened cub and followed Simba to where he sleeps. “Goodnight Kovu. Try to forget about everything that has happened before today.” Taking Simba’s advice, Kovu fell asleep surprisingly fast.
***
“So Simba, what am I learning for my first lesson?” “I told you before Kovu, you can call me dad now.” It had been five days since Simba had adopted Kovu and the young cub had settled in quite well, stating more than once that he was getting more every meal in the Pride Lands than what he was a day in the Outlands. Simba had given Kovu a few days to settle in, get to know the lionesses and find his way around the rock. Today was Kovu’s first lesson. “I thought I would start by teaching you why Zira and the others are exiled. But to do this I must teach you about Scar” “Ok” replied Kovu. Kovu had been very interested in this topic since Simba had mentioned he was teaching it. “As you may already know, Scar was my uncle. He also hated my father, Mufasa. Scar wanted the kingdom all to himself, so he hatched a plan to kill me and my father. Scar succeeded in killing my father, but failed in killing me. Scar was lead to believe that I was dead though, so he took over the kingdom as he had intended to do. Scar lead the land into despair, there were no animals and there was not a speck of green anywhere. That was until I returned and got my revenge. Unbeknownst to me though, he had acquired a very devoted follower, Zira. Zira was furious at me for killing Scar, so hatched a plan to get revenge. She planned to kill Kiara, but failed. How Zira managed to convince the others to follow her cause I don’t know. For this attempted murder, I exiled Zira, her lionesses and her newly born cub. Nuka I think its name was.” “Zira tried to kill Kiara, all because a mean lion died? That’s very, very bad.” Said Kovu. “Yes, now follow me. Lunch is ready.” Meanwhile, in the shadows of some nearby bushes, Zira was closely watching. “Lies! All lies!” Zira said to herself. “First he exiles me for no good reason, and then he takes my cub!” Zira turns and heads back towards the Outlands, a plan to get Kovu back and kill Simba in one go forming in her head…
Submission 2:
Spoiler: show
Untitled
"But if you need your pound fresh, here." Zira said in a leering, calm voice as the thin lioness pushed her shivering son forward directly in front of the King. His dark brown fur was still damp with the moisture from the river, and he looked even more pitiful now, his green eyes wide with fear. Simba stared at the cub for a long moment, his red eyes lost in thought of what to do. He could feel the stares of the Pridelanders around them, some curious, some stiff with anxiety of what he would decide. Kiara was crouched under his belly, and Zira looked at him with a mockingly eager smile.
Simba sighed. She would only train him to be a killer, like Scar, Simba thought, gazing at the lioness who was smirking at him, her tail tip twitching. With a swift, certain movement, he padded in front of Kovu, and Zira recoiled, arching her neck and gasping, her smile forming into a shocked snarl.
The Pridelanders were shocked, some murmuring went through them, but silence fell as Simba spoke. Nala, her sea green eyes carefully placed on her mate and daughter, stepped forward to softly pick up her daughter by the scruff of fur on her neck.
"You would train this cub to be a murderer, just like Scar was, Zira." He said firmly and his voice threatening, as the lioness crouched, preparing to pounce, but stepped back, as the Pridelanders stepped fourth to defend their King. Simba growled, his body corded with muscle. "So I will raise him, to erase what Scar has done." He said, and Kovu looked up at him, still moved back in fear, but his green eyes showed surprise.
"You can't do that!" Hissed Zira, her voice in a panicked frenzy, with the realization she could not win this fight. Lunging forward, she unsheathed her long, black claws at Simba, but two of the lioness rushed forward, ramming into her sides, clawing and biting into the lioness.
"Leave, Zira." Simba snarled, turning away from her. Zira roared in anger and her red eyes showed nothing but loathing for Simba as he picked up Kovu, who tried not to look at his foster mother.
The lioness had the lithe, sand-colored lioness on the ground, panting and wounded, her eyes fixed on the King. "It's over, Zira." Simba said through a muffled voice, turning away as the lioness picked herself up.
"It's never over!" Zira hissed, a line of blood trickling from her mouth as the two lioness moved away, snarling, and the outlander ran off. Simba watched her as she disappeared into the horizon, saddened.
He turned to Nala, and nodded, beginning to walk, his lioness unsurely moving behind him. A unsure murmur ran through the bulk of lioness, and Nala looked at her mate several times before finally, it was the princess who spoke. “You don’t need to carry him you know, he can walk.” She said in a voice that sounded somewhat unsure and annoyed.
Simba shushed his daughter with a sharp glare, and she looked away, feeling the vibe of disappointment from her father filling her. Pumbaa trotted forward to Simba’s side, with Timon sitting on one of his tusks, looking from the cub to Simba. “Hey, you sure this is a good idea?” Timon asked, fiddling with his fingers in nervousness. “I mean, he’s Scar’s kid!” He shouted, and looked to the lioness, seething with shock at receiving no reply.
“Does no one hear me?!” He shouted angrily, and Nala growled roughly at the Meer cat, who sheepishly slipped behind Pumbaa’s back.
Zazu was flying overhead, and when they finally returned to Pride Rock, tired and wary, Simba dropped the cub on the rock surface. Kovu looked up at the King, stepping back, confused. “This is your new home now, you should get used to it.” Simba said in a stern, but still gentle voice to the young cub.
“Why?” Kovu asked him, the question reflecting his face, his voice echoing with confusion. Simba stepped forward, looking down on the cub.
“Why? Because I found sympathy for you, because I don’t want you to grow up under Zira, because I thought so.” Simba said softly, looking to the setting sun with a sigh, and turned to Kovu. “Your name, Kovu.” Simba said with a frown on his face.
“Yes sir?” Asked Kovu in a voice that hesitated, tilting his head to one side, frowning as the King looked at him expectantly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Nala nudge her daughter inside the cave.
“What’s wrong with my name?” He gulped, afraid of the frown Simba had.
“It mean’s Scar, you know.” Simba said, and Kovu turned away, Simba still watching the cub’s every movement.
“He wasn’t my father.” Kovu said suddenly, jumping up to his paws and crying out in a sharp voice, desperate for acceptance. Simba looked surprised, tilting his head. The cub shook his head fiercely, his voice shaking. “I never even knew him, I’ve just been told stories, about him, and you…” His voice dwindled off and he closed his eyes. He thought to his sister, the always playful Vitani, who had been kind and patience with him, but he also thought to Zira and Nuka, who had been fierce and unkind to him. Zira had been kind- sometimes, but it was always a kindness dripping with insanity. Kovu shuddered.
“I don’t even know what he did, or why we lived in the outlands.” The cub said, flustered, his green eyes off in the horizon. Simba was looking into the sunset, which had faded into the horizon, beyond the high mountain’s, it’s golden light reflecting on the river’s surface, and Kovu asked a question that had been in his mind for months.
“What did Scar do?” He whispered, stepping forward to Simba. Simba seemed hesitant to answer, but he turned to the cub and answered honestly.
“Have you ever heard of Mufasa?” He prompted Kovu, and the cub shaked his head. Simba pondered where to start, and flicked his tail, rose to his paws.
"Stay here." He said gently, and the cub obediently followed his words. He padded briskly into the shade of the cold cave, where Kiara was sitting away, punished by her mother, who stood on the throne, looking at him eagerly. "Simba?" She asked, her eyes worried.
"I'll be back by the morning, I promise." He said, nuzzling her gently and Nala moved back, a determined look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Simba asked, his whiskers twitching in confusion, and the Queen stepped forward.
"Trust this cub, Simba. Trust him like your own. Kiara has told me that he helped save her life, from the crocodiles." Nala pressed him deeply, moving forward, her muzzle in his face. "Please."
Simba closed his eyes, and turned. "I will."
Simba returned outside of the den, making Kovu look up, and he began to pad down Pride Rock.
"Follow me, Kovu." He said gently, flicking the end of his tail. The cub nervously followed him into the damp grass, looking around in the violet evening.
They padded through the grass for a few minutes, before pausing, and Simba looked to Kovu. "Lie in the grass, here." Kovu followed, confused. Simba rolled into the grass, on his back, so they were both staring into the bright stars, against the backdrop of the black sky.
"Do you see the stars, Kovu?" Simba asked in a soft voice, looking to the cub. The cub's green eyes sparkled in confusion.
"Of course." He said, blinking.
"Each one of those stars, all of them, were once living animals." Simba said in a wise voice, reflecting the words of his father.
"And the brightest ones, are the great Kings." He went on, as the cub's stars raced over the stars in astonishment.
"Really?" He asked, his mouth open in surprise.
"Yes." Simba nodded, smiling. "And one of the brightest one's, is Mufasa." He said, lifting his paw and pointing to the vastness of the stars with his golden paw.
Kovu remained silent, turning on his side to look at the King, his red mane draped over him.
"A long time ago, Kovu, there was a King named Ahadi, and he had two sons..."
Nala watched from the ridge of Pride Rock, her green eyes soft as her mate lay in the grass beside the Outlander cub.
Submission 3:
Spoiler: show
A Change of Heart
Mufasa must die…and Simba too…[i]
These were the thoughts that had been circulating Scar’s brain for the past hour, like a swarm of angry bees that just wouldn’t go away. It didn’t matter; he was used to such dark musings, though lately they were much more intense and concentrated. They had been plaguing him ever since his nephew’s birth, slowly eating away all emotion and feeling that he supposedly once had. He knew the things the lionesses said about him, “Strange” and “menacing” to name but a few. They warned their cubs away from him, though, why? The only one under any threat from him was Simba, and he was the one who bothered him the most, despite Sarabi’s best wishes. If she could have her way she’d probably have her brother-in-law banished straight away.
The savannah was dark, and the sky was scattered with hundreds of silver stars, the lions of the celestial pride. The “Kings of the Past” as most people knew them. Scar couldn’t help but be cynical about the whole idea. Besides the fact that he didn’t believe in gods like everyone else did, the thought that his dead ancestors were supposedly watching him from the sky just didn’t make any sense. He’d been told the stories as a cub, and even then he hadn’t believed it. Could his father tell? Was that why Mufasa was made king instead of him?
Just the thought of his brother made him angry again. He swatted at a nearby bone lying on the path ahead of him, and it clattered away, shattering the almost perfect silence of the night. What did Mufasa have that he didn’t? His brother was strong, yes, but beneath all his pride and durability was a lion of very little brain. Simba thought he was smart simply because he knew no better, and the lionesses thought he was the gods’ gift to the earth, anyway. Scar was clever. Scar was cunning. Did any of them see that? No. They just avoided him. To them he was just “Mufasa’s scary brother”; they all seemed to forget he was of royal blood, too.
He snarled in frustration. He hated Mufasa. How he would love to just attack him and kill him with his own paws, watch with satisfaction as the light left his eyes. And that brat, too.
[i]“Hey uncle Scar, when I’m king what’ll that make you?”
Why Scar didn’t just kill him right then and there mystified him.
“I’ll gut him!” Scar seethed, “like a gazelle, so help me I’ll-”
“Scar?”
The dark lion jumped in shock. He had thought he had been quite alone. Looking through the darkness, he saw Mufasa lying in the grass. Simba was with him, sound asleep between his father’s great paws.
“Mufasa,” Scar muttered, acknowledging his presence.
There was a moment’s silence.
“I wouldn’t have expected you to be out this late.”
The king momentarily glanced down at his son.
“Something… something happened.”
Unbeknownst to him, Scar already knew what that something was. Another silence followed.
“…go on.”
“I-” Mufasa’s voice cracked, and he looked down at Simba again, this time for much longer. He shook his head as his face suddenly clouded into sadness.
“I almost lost him.”
Scar was shocked: he had never seen his brother look so – emotional. Beneath his visage of pride and astuteness, which he put on for the lionesses, was a very fragile being. A frightened cub hiding behind his father’s legacy.
“Nearly,” Scar said, “yet he’s still here, isn’t he?”
This did not seem to help Mufasa at all. If anything he looked even more anguished than before. Scar hoped he wouldn’t cry. He had no idea what he would do then. There was yet another silence where only the sounds of distant animals and birds could be heard through the peace of the night.
“Am I a good father, Scar?” suddenly came Mufasa’s question.
Scar glanced down, still standing though his brother was lying in the grass. The king was looking up at him with an expression so desperate looking it begged for reassurance. Scar had never seen Mufasa so raw like this. It was almost unsettling.
“Well, er…” he was taken aback, “I suppose. I wouldn’t really know.”
“It’s just, I’m always trying to be like him.”
“Who?”
“You know, our father.”
He looked up to the sky, the stars reflecting off his glassy eyes.
“I want to be for Simba what he was for me. He had such a powerful presence, I just wanted to do what he said all the time.”
His gaze dropped to the sleeping cub once more.
“Today I told him not to go to that graveyard, and he still did. What if he doesn’t respect me? If father told me not to go somewhere I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of it.”
Scar had longed for his father’s affirmation for so long, though never seemed to have gotten it. While he was alive, he had tried so hard to never put a paw out of line yet Mufasa received acceptance with minimal effort. With a sigh, Scar lay down beside him. Their father was a difficult subject for him.
“Maybe you shouldn’t try to be like father.”
“Why not?”
“You look at him like he was some godly creature. Maybe he was, but he still had his… flaws.”
The scar over his left eye stung slightly at the memory.
“You’re right,” Mufasa said, serenely, “his temper was quite… short.”
His gaze slowly travelled the length of his brother’s gash.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“It’s not your fault,” Scar replied, gritting his teeth slightly, “you tried to stop him.”
They both sat, remembering the fateful day when the younger had gotten his name.
“You know how much he regretted it, Scar,” Mufasa said, “He didn’t mean to do it.”
“If it were you, he wouldn’t have done it at all. He just always preferred you to me. I was the disappointment.”
“That’s not true, and you know it. He loved you as much as he did me. Things were just never the same between you after… you know.”
“Then why did he make you the king instead of me? He knew how much I wanted it! I worked so hard, tried my best at everything, and yet here we are.”
Scar could feel his temper returning; seemingly the only trait of his father’s that he had inherited.
“He would have given it to both of us if he could. Besides, being king isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Scar scoffed at that.
“Oh, of course! All that love and adoration and respect from the entire kingdom must be so difficult to bear!”
“No, I mean, we don’t get to talk like this the way we used to.”
Scar stopped in his tracks right there.
“…what?”
“I feel like we’re growing apart. We used to be the best of friends, and now every time we talk I feel like we just fight. I feel like you’re avoiding me, and I hate it.”
Scar felt himself grow very, very small in that moment. He was convinced Mufasa hated him the way he did. But now… had he been wrong? Every ounce of resentment and bitterness felt like it were suddenly being stripped away, and it put the dark lion on edge. These strange feelings, sudden care and compassion for his brother, were foreign to him.
“It all changed when Simba was born, I think, “ Mufasa continued, his voice shaking slightly. They were treading dangerous waters here. Both of them knew he was right.
“He really looks up to you, you know.”
“Not as much as he looks up to you,” Scar said, “you should hear how much he goes on about you.”
Mufasa looked up, “really?”
“Of course he does, you’re a god in his eyes. Didn’t you know?”
The king looked to his son again, “no, I didn’t,” he mumbled, slowly.
“Everything you tell him, he comes to me and spouts it back up again. To him, you can do no wrong.”
“So… you’re saying that… maybe I am-”
“I don’t know why you, of all lions, ever doubted yourself, Mufasa. Deep down I think you knew all this.”
Mufasa was smiling again. He opened his mouth to speak again before Scar stopped him.
“My point is, don’t try to be like anyone else. Be the father you think Simba needs, that’s all you can do.”
The cub between his brother’s paws stirred slightly.
“Sarabi will be wondering where you are,” Scar said, quietly.
“Yes,” Mufasa replied, still smiling slightly, “she will be.”
He stood up, and bent to pick up his son.
“Are you coming?”
Scar waited a moment before answering. “No,” he said, “I think I’ll stay out here a while longer.”
“All right, then.”
He lifted Simba by the scruff of the neck, and began to pad away into the darkness. He stopped again, and set the cub down.
“I really liked this, Scar.”
Scar looked up, his head having drooped slightly.
“Yes… me too.”
The king dipped his head, before starting back to Pride Rock.
The dark lion waited for him to leave, before a single tear of shame ran down his face.
Submission 4:
Spoiler: show
The Other Half
After a long day of fighting the hyenas over territory disputes, King Mufasa called his majordomo with his booming authoritative voice. “Zazu!”
“Sire, I feel simply awful about this,” the hornbill confessed as he flew above. “Although, I must point out that babysitting-”
“It’s not your fault,” Mufasa insisted, interrupting his majordomo.
“But I... what? It is my responsibility to-”
“I said it’s not your fault,” the king repeated, clearly displaying an unusual lack of patience.
“Well... yes...”
Mufasa ceased his walking and sat down in the dry grass, only to watch as the sun continued to hide farther behind the horizon. “Zazu, take Nala home,” he commanded. “ I’ve got to teach my son a lesson.”
Immediately, Simba lowered himself into the grass to hide, in response to his father’s stern intonation. Nala, however, remained still.
Meanwhile, Zazu landed in front of the two cubs, who remained quite a respectable distance behind Mufasa. “Come, Nala,” he said, sighing heavily. “Simba,” he began afterward, putting his wings on the cub’s shoulders, “Good luck.”
Nala slowly continued walking back to Pride Rock, nearly as apprehensive as her friend. Above the young, distraught lioness, the king’s majordomo followed.
In a rush of guilt, the cub glanced behind her, finding Simba dejectedly approaching his father. “Zazu,” she asked, “shouldn’t I be in trouble too?”
“No... I don’t think so,” the hornbill replied hesitantly.
“But I went with him! It wasn’t his fault,” Nala pleaded. “It’s not fair!”
“You see... I don’t think it’s like that,” Zazu began, gliding through the cool evening air in circles around Nala. “Mufasa said he wanted to teach his son a lesson.”
“So?” Nala asked. “Simba wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t agreed.”
Zazu paused, and landed briskly in the grass beside Nala. “I guess you could go back and talk to him,” he began. “I won’t stop you, but I just don’t think it’s a very bright idea.”
Nala took a step back from the hornbill. “Why is that?” the bewildered cub inquired.
“Mufasa is Simba’s father, not yours,” Zazu explained bluntly. “It would be best not to interfere.”
“Uh-huh,” Nala muttered, but otherwise remained quiet. In the distance, she could faintly hear the two lions below.
Curious as she was, the cub tried to make sense of their words. She was more than surprised to find Simba wasn’t being scolded at all.
Instead, she heard them both laughing and growling playfully. Her ears widened as she decided to continue to listen.
“Dad... we’re pals, right?” She heard Simba ask.
“Right,” Mufasa replied. Oddly enough, his tone seemed to have changed drastically from just moments before. Nala almost questioned herself, if she was sure it was the same lion. He acted so much different when he was only around Simba, in a way she did not understand.
“We’ll always be together, right?” Simba asked again.
Mufasa responded with an entire lecture, indirectly answering his son’s question. “Simba, let me tell you something my father once told me: look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us, from those stars.” Meanwhile, Nala absorbed every word.
“Oh...” Nala muttered spiritlessly. At that moment, she had begun to understand. “But what about me?” She asked Zazu.
“I think we better go,” he interrupted. “Your mother is probably worried.”
Nala nodded, before continuing her heavy-hearted walk home in the dark. “I guess you’re right.” However, she refused to leave without getting an answer to her question. “But, Zazu... why does Mufasa act so much nicer around Simba? Is it because he’s the future king?”
“Yes... but...” realizing he made a huge mistake, the hornbill attempted to comfort her. “Nala... it’s not like that at all,” he said, bringing his wing above the depressed cub’s shoulder.
“But, why don’t I have a father?” Nala asked.
“You do,” Zazu continued. “Of course you do...” he repeated nervously, buying him time to explain. “Obviously, it is not biologically possible to-”
Nala slowly began walking closer towards Pride Rock. “Then where is he?” she inquired.
“Well, I don’t know. I never met him,” Zazu admitted, taking flight above the cub once more. “He died just before you were born.”
“How? What happened to him?” Nala asked, climbing up to the den at Pride Rock.
“I’ll let your mother answer that,” the king’s majordomo replied, leaving the cub behind as he flew away to his own family for the night. “It’s quite a remarkable story.”
The lionesses watched carefully, awaiting the return of the pride’s cubs. “There you are!” Sarafina called from inside the den, after spotting her daughter. She ran outside to greet Nala, relieved at first, but her lighthearted attitude faded away quickly. “You know you’re not supposed to be out this late,” she scolded.
A sigh of anguish escaped Nala’s muzzle. “I know. We went to the waterhole... and then we went someplace else.”
“Where did you go?” Sarafina asked.
Nala lowered her head in shame. “It was an elephant graveyard.”
“You... what?” Sarafina yelled. “You could have been killed! What did you think you were doing?”
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Nala admitted, as her voice began to crack.
“What about Simba and Mufasa?” Her mother asked. “Are they okay?”
“They’re fine,” she said bitterly. The cub turned around to look at the dark horizon behind her, before slowly heading into the den herself.
Nala carried her head unusually low to the ground, and her tail remained in place between her legs. This was not usual for her, by any stretch of her mother’s imagination.
“Uh... Nala? Is something wrong?” Sarafina inquired. She watched as Nala continued to walk into the den, ignoring her. “Nala,” she called. “Why don’t you come out here for a minute?”
“Fine,” the cub retorted. She walked back outside, onto the ledge of Pride Rock with her mother. She was ready for the day to be over, but her lack of energy persuaded her not to argue.
“Nala,” her mother began, as the cub sat beside her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you, if that’s what this is about.”
Nala looked over the land below them, barely lit from the moonlight. “It’s nothing,” she replied.
Sarafina leaned over towards her daughter. “Are you sure? You’re not usually like this,” she explained. “I know something happened tonight.”
“What happened,” Nala began her question slowly. “What happened... to my father?”
“I knew you’d ask about that sooner or later,” her mother responded. “Look at the stars, and you’ll find him,” Sarafina explained.
“But only the kings of the past are up there,” the cub retorted.
A large smirk appeared across Sarafina’s muzzle. “He was a king.”
“Whaaa?” Nala asked, looking confused. “But...”
“His name was Imara. He was the king of a far away land. A mighty fine king too.”
“But what happened to him?”
“He died, just before you were born. The land dried up, so all our food ran off. We had to leave as well, and any food we found was rationed,” Sarafina explained. “He gave his rations to me. So that you would live.”
“Wow,” Nala exclaimed.
“Eventually, I found my way here, but Imara... wasn’t as fortunate. You were born a few days later, and now, we are all that remains of his pride,” the lioness continued.
Nala smiled, as she looked to the night stars above. “Thanks, Dad.” At that same time, a gentle, cool wind blew against her fur.
“Is that all?” her mother asked.
“Yeah,” Nala purred, as she rubbed her head against her mother’s forepaws.
Meanwhile, Simba and Mufasa returned to the den, both in an unusually pleasant mood, given the events which transpired only an hour before. It did not take long for Sarafina to speculate about what happened.
“Nala, maybe one day, when you’re older, of course, we can go back. Maybe... you could even take his place as queen,” her mother planned.
“Would he want me to?” Nala questioned.
“No matter which path you decide to take,” Sarafina replied, “your father will always be proud of you. And so will I. The choice is entirely up to you.”
The cub yawned loudly. “Mom? Can we get some sleep now?”
“If you’re ready,” Sarafina said, before following her daughter back to the den for the night.
Submission 5:
Spoiler: show
For a King
I stalked slowly through the grasslands, eyes focused on my prey. Ever so slowly, I got closer and closer to the point where all that separated the two of us was one large pounce. A grin formed on my muzzle as I tensed, ready to spring out of hiding.
In front of me, my prey stopped and sniffed the air, as though sensing that something was wrong. I got lower, hiding myself even further as I allowed my warm coat to blend in with the surroundings. After a few tense moments, my prey grunted in annoyance and lowered its guard.
And I pounced.
The lion I stalked let out a yelp of surprise as I landed on his back, sending the two of us rolling over. Not the one to allow myself to be pinned, I used our rolling momentum to force myself to be the one on top as we stopped moving. “Hey, Jasiri! It's been a while hasn't it?” I grinned broadly, enjoying how he tried to lightly push me off.
The lion grinned back at me. “Sure has Sarafina. And once again, I get surprised by you, and not the other way around. I was hoping to switch it up this time, but it looks like you've beaten me to the party.” With a slightly harder shove, he pushed me off and climbed back up to his feet, shacking himself clean of dust.
I got up as well, feeling excited to see him once again. “What made you decide to stop by? It's been what... a full season, I think since I last met you.”
He smiled, flashing his shiny white teeth. “Couldn't stand being without you, Sarafina,” I blushed at this statement, even though I felt exactly the same way, “besides, you know my brother won't mind being a full king for a few days. He likes the responsibility, I don't, so I already basically let him run the place and only show up to formal occasions when I need to...”
I gave him a funny look. “So why didn't you come back earlier then? If you really don't mind letting your brother rule in your place?”
The apologetic look Jasiri gave me made me want to take the question back. “You know I want to, Sarafina. But I have to make sure that my brother can handle the pressure. Sure, I trust him, but you know, I hate to make sure... Besides, he didn't want me leaving either, although I eventually managed to convince him to let me go for a bit.” He grinned again. “So here I am!”
I looked behind me to make sure that we were not spotted by anyone. “Alright, fine. Now let's get out of here before we're found!” The two of us were about to run off when, speaking of the devil, someone did show up.
“Sarafina? What are you doing all the way out here? And who's that?”
I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Sarabi? Did you have to come here now? Why aren't you with Mufasa?”
Sarabi rolled her eyes in turn. “I was with Mufasa. Or rather with him on yet another boring old dispute. So he let me free until that's over with. So... who's the rogue?”
“He's not a rogue!” I couldn't stop myself before I blurted the fact away. “He's a king!”
Sarabi looked at Jasiri and then at me. “You mean you...” she looked over us again before she started laughing loudly, struggling to keep her composure. “So after all this time, you...” she gasped in between laughter for air. “..Are the two of you close?”
I gasped. “Sarabi! No we're not!” I hesitated. “Well, yes, we are! Which is exactly why I didn't want you here! You know what Mufasa will do if he found out about him! He'de -”
“You mean welcome him to the Pride Lands and not have you needing to run away every time you want to see him? You know, this explains your disappearances quite well.”
I blushed. From the time when I had discovered him, I would move out of the Pride Lands to spend time with Jasiri. Over time, my excuses for why I was gone got better, so I was certain that no one knew what was going on. And at the same time, truth be told, I was certain that. As a king and potential rival, Mufasa would banish Jasiri on sight, making it nearly impossible for the two of us to see each other.
Sarabi ginned smugly at me. “You could've have always asked me first. So...” she turned to Jasiri. “As you may have guessed, I am Sarabi. And you are..?”
Jasiri turned to my friend. “I'm Jasiri, ma'am. It's good to see you.”
Sarabi nodded. “It's good to see you too. How long have you known Sarafina?”
I answered this question. “About a year. Perhaps somewhat longer.”
“And you never told anyone all this time? That isn't like you, Sarafina.” She shook her head a little, ignoring the glare I sent her. “Well, come on, you tow! Let's go and meet Mufasa! I am sure he will be quite delighted to meet Jasiri as well!”
I hope...
---
I paced nervously around the edge of the Pride Lands, waiting for Jasiri. Come on, where is he? I wasn't comfortable with the idea of leaving Nala alone. Sure, she was with Sarabi, but I didn't trust Scar, nor his hyenas. Not to mention that new law he passed about all non Pridelander lions-
“Sarafina? What are you doing so far out here? And why are you looking so worried? Is everything alright?”
I turned to Jasiri, quickly rushing over to him and giving him a deep hug. “No, Jasiri, it isn't. You can't come here anymore! It's not safe!” I started to cry as I said this, unable to bear the thought of not seeing him again.
Jasiri whispered calmly to me in order to try and calm me down. “Everything will be alright, Sarafina. Just tell me what happened. You're just overreacting.”
I shook my head furiously. “No I'm not! A few days ago... there was... there was a stampede. Mufasa died! And Simba!” I could only imagine what Nala is going through right now. Another reason why I hated being away from her.
“What about Nala? Is she alright? Can I see her?” Jasiri tried to walk past me, but I refused him.
“You can't go to the Pride Lands! It's not safe!”
Jasiri turned to me, clearly angry now. “I need to see Nala! She's my daughter too, you know! And if it's not safe, well, all the more reason for me to make sure that she's fine!” He again tried to walk past me, and again, I didn't let him. Instead, I jumped on him, quickly pinning him to the ground. The first time I ever used the move on him in anger.
“It's not safe! Scar is king now! And he just passed a law. All lions not belonging to the Pride Lands must be killed on sight!”
Jasiri grunted. “The pride knows me, Sarafina. They will let me see Nala. Trust me. It's going to be alright. Just let me up.”
I didn't let him up. “I can't, Jasiri. I want to believe you, but I can't! I know the pride will let you through, but Scar... he allowed the hyenas in. A whole lot of them! And now they're all over the Pride Lands, and if they see you, which they certainly will if you get anywhere close to Pride Rock, they will not hesitate in attacking you. I can't risk seeing you get swarmed, Jasiri. Don't go in. Please.” I collapsed on top of him, too drained to do much else. Instead of taking the opportunity to escape, Jasiri hugged me again.
“Calm down, Sarafina. I'm sure there's something we can do... What if you bring Nala here? I know it's slightly dangerous, but I can always give out a warning roar and hide if something suspicious arises.”
I nodded hesitantly. “And you'll stay here? Until I come back?”
Jasiri grinned. “No matter ho long it will take.”
I nodded again, getting up. “Just stay here. I'll get Nala and come back to you. I promise!” Turning back to Pride Rock, I ran home to fetch our daughter.
But when we came back, Jasiri was gone. In his place, a gang of hyenas roamed the area, looking for something. I froze when they spotted us and walked over. I quickly made sure that Nala was where I can instantly pick her up and run off should I need to.
“What are you doing all the way out here, Sarafina? And with Nala as well? What will Scar think?”
I didn't reply.
“You should go back right now. There's a dangerous lion about, and you wouldn't want Nala to see how we deal with rogues, do you?”
My heart began to beat faster as I began to worry about Jasiri, but at the same time, glad to hear that the hyenas didn't catch him.
I picked Nala up by the scruff of her neck and walked slowly back home, feeling terrible. Hopefully, I will be able to sneak out tonight and come back here while the hyenas are asleep.
Stay safe, Jasiri.
---
Nala and I walked back to Pride Rock, not saying a word to each other. The Pride Lands were a mess, and there was no food anymore. At least, not anything easy enough for me to use as training for Nala. She was now a strong, young lioness. But without herds to prey on, she was a terrible hunter for anything larger than a mouse. And after all these failed training sessions, the two of us were beginning to tire of the constant failure, and today, our tempers finally snapped. Or rather, Nala snapped first, and I only made things worse.
Sarabi ran over to us, noticing how Nala and I were not walking as close to each other as we normally would. “How did the hunt go? Catch anything?” It was a pointless question...
“What do you think?” I snapped at my friend. With the Pride Lands in such a disrepair, all relationships were being strained to the breaking point. And now of all times, it was a bad idea for me to get angry at Sarabi, who I knew wasn't able to deal as well with Mufasa's and Simba's deaths as well as she pretended to when around others. I saw how she was when she thought she was alone...
But right now, I couldn't care less. I just wanted to get to Pride Rock and teach our “king” a few things. And then maybe do a few things about Nala's attitude as well...
“Sarafina, I know times are bad, but you need to stay strong!”
“What's the point? Scar's going to kill everything anyways.”
Sarabi's eyes widened when I said this, and her face paled noticeably. “Sarafina, there was a reason why I came to see you today. It was something we found just now while hunting.”
I frowned, not liking the sad tone she was using. “What did you find?” Sarabi didn't say anything, instead motioning me to follow her instead. Uncertainly, I told Nala to go home before hurrying after the ex-queen. She didn't, instead remaining by my side. I didn't argue.
Sarabi lead me far out to the border of the Pride Lands, where we are now forced to hunt if we ever want to catch anything. As we walked, she didn't say anything, deep in though. And something else. But eventually, she did start talking. “I overheard Scar's guards talking. There was a rogue spotted here recently.”
I frowned. “That's why you hunted here? To see if the rogue can...” I looked around to make sure that us three were the only ones around, “that he might help us remove Scar?”
“Yes. But you know I couldn't say that openly to the hunting party. But as we searched for food, I found the rogue.”
I grinned, feeling my excitement rise up. “And..?”
Sarabi stopped suddenly next to a dead tree. “I'm sorry, Sarafina. But the rogue, it's Jasiri.”
My heart sank. Ever since I met him after the stampede, we agreed on a way to continue seeing each other, far away from where Scar's henchmen kept a look out. So what was he doing all the way out here? “What happened to him, Sarabi? Why is he here?”
It was then I saw it: a very dirty body, covered in dirt all over. “Jasiri!” I rushed over to him, not knowing what condition he was in. “Jasiri, wake up!” I began to shove his body violently, trying to get some life out of him. “You can't play this joke on me like this! Not right now!” I continued to try and wake him up when Sarabi came over and gently pulled me away from him.
“There's nothing you can do, Sarafina. He's gone.” She told me this knowing that the truth would hurt less than an optimistic lie.”
I backed away from her. “No! How can you say that! It's not true!” Tears began to streak down my face as I rushed back to Jasiri. “Jasiri, tell me that's not true! You can't die! You can't be dead!” I pounded on his body as my grief and anger overtook me.
Sarabi rushed over to pry me off him, but I growled and lashed out at her. At this point, Nala also came in, helping Sarabi in stopping me from unintentionally mutilating Jasiri's body. My strength left me and I collapsed on the ground, sobbing hysterically.
Nala lay down next to me, trying to comfort me without saying anything. As much as I wanted to say that it helped, it really didn't. Nothing can replace Jasiri, not even Nala. But I did acknowledge my daughter once I regained enough senses, and that's when an idea formed in my head.
“Nala, we're nearly out of the Pride Lands right now...”
“What are you saying mom?”
“Remember our plan to remove Scar? He has to go. Especially after this. It might have been the hyenas, but it was his hyenas. It's his fault! Scar has to pay. So I want you to run. Run from here and find some help.” I growled at anger, this time all of it directed at our 'king'.
Nala opened her mouth to argue, but Sarabi nodded. “Now is the best time. I don't think we will get another opportunity like this, not after what Scar... tried to do to you... He keeps to close of any eye on you, especially at night. Even now, I think he's already sending someone to find you.”
Nala shook her head, refusing to do it. “And what will you do? What will the two do you do while I'm gone? I don't want to return home to find the two of you dead! Not... not like Jasiri! Not like dad!”
At the mention of his name, I growled and lunged at Nala in anger. But before I can reach her, despite her bing right next to me, Sarabi tackled me. “Keep control of yourself, Sarafina!” She pressed hard on me as I tried to struggle out of her grasp. I calmed down, and Sarabi got off me.
I turned to Nala, feeling even worse than I was already. “I'm sorry Nala. But you need to go. We'll be safe... I got Sarabi, after all. We know how to take care of ourselves.”
Nala nuzzled me, a gesture that I returned gratefully. “I'll miss you.”
“I'll miss you too. We all will.” I gave her a lick. “When you go, remember our pride. Remember where you come from, so that you won't get lost.” Against my wishes, I nudged her away from me, not wanting to lose Nala and Jasiri at the same time. “Go. Go before Scar finds you.”
Nala nodded, and with a nuzzle to Sarabi, turned and ran off. I watched her as she shrank with the distance, the lump in my throat threatening to interferer with my breathing. “I'll miss you,” I whispered as my daughter vanished behind a hill.
I knew that for all the crimes Scar had committed, the murder of Jasiri was the worst. And now Nala, my daughter and the lioness that he tried to force into becoming a queen, was now going to be our leading force against him.
When she will return.
For now, there were other, equally horrible things to do. “Come, Sarabi, we need to lay Jasiri to a proper rest.” I leaned slightly against my friend as we returned to his body. I could barely look at his dirty coat, but feeling deep inside that leaving like this would be an insult to his memory, and an insult to all the time we spent together. Time that we won't be able to enjoy anymore. “Let's give him a burial... just the two of us, but one... one fit... for a king.”
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