What I've Been Through [PRIVATE: AC & Nakisisa]

[AustralianChaos]

Plot: What if Rafiki had never met Simba that night in the jungle, to show him Mufasa's spirit/ghost? What if Simba had met someone else instead? And what if Nala had also bumped into a stranger that night after the argument...?

Characters:
Simba: AustralianChaos
Nala: Nakisisa
Tanga: AustralianChaos
Unnamed OC: Nakisisa
Timon: Nakisisa
Pumbaa: AustralianChaos

==========

"You said you'd always be there for me!" Simba yelled to the night sky, where his dead father, Mufasa, resided with the rest of the Great Kings. But his displeasure soon faded into crushing, grieving guilt as he reminded himself why his father was not there for him now. "But you're not..." he said sadly, before hanging his head, shame filling him. "It's because of me. It's my fault...it's my fault!" A suppressed sob escaped his muzzle as he stood there, in the small expanse of grassland that seperated his current jungle home from the Pridelands, the place Nala had said was apparantly destroyed because of his uncle, Scar, the current king.

How could Simba go back there? Even if he was, technically, the rightful king. He had lost all rights that title in his mind the moment he had been responsible for his father's death. no matter what Scar was doing as king, there was nothing Simba could do about it...no-one would accept him as king, anyway, once they had found out what he had done. No...it was better this way.

But Tanga was roused from his thoughts by the sound of something moving through the grass near him...definitely leonine. Sighing heavily, thinking it was Nala trying to talk him into coming to the Pridelands again, he did not turn to face the newcomer, and as such, did not notice that it was not Nala. "Nala, I swear, if you try to tell me that I'm the king one more time..." he growled, not bothering to finish the sentence, leaving the half-hearted threat hanging in the air.

----------

Back in the jungle, another lion was wandering through the foliage, oblivious to the company he was about to stumble upon. He really did not care right now, anyway...he was too upset to be very aware of where he was going.

Stumbling through the foliage, he only became aware of his surroundings when he ran into something soft, his golden furred body stumbling as he gathered his wits, brushing his black mane out of his blue eyes as he looked up, noticing he had run into a pale-furred lioness...one who was looking very angry right now.

Backpedalling rapidly as the lioness' steely gaze turned onto him, Tanga tried to stammer out a reply...his small size meant he stood no chance if this lioness got violent. "I-I-I'm sorry, miss! I didn't m-mean to...I'll j-just go..."

But before he could say anything more in a feeble attempt at an apology, he yelled as he backed straight into a fallen log, tripping over it. Before he could hit the ground, though, his body got entangled in a collection of dangling vines hanging over the log, his head, neck and forepaws becoming completely tangled, effectively trapping him as he used his hind legs to support himself, and stop the vines from choking. "Great," he muttered irritably. "Just bloody fantastic!"

[Nakisisa]

"Why would I do that?" A mysterious voice said, hiding in the long grass and the shadows. "I'm not Nala, and you're the King" the voice said, hoping Simba would take his taunt. He laughed quietly, trying to scare Simba, knowing it's what scar would have wanted. silently moving so he was close enough to bite Simba, he spoke with a mystifying tone to his voice "You're the King, You're kingdom needs you, Nala need's you" he said before quickly moving to Simbas other side

"But why go home, and leave all this behind? Why would you want to go home to a pride who will reject you? A pride who happily accepted scar as king..." he said mysteriously. Listening, he heard what he needed, "To Nala, your love, who seems to be laughing at your misfortune, Nala, who is Scars queen..." he said, stealthy moving back into the shadows, his own laughter drowned out by Nala's.

---

Nala was disappointed. She had traveled for weeks, if not months, her pride must think she was dead, and the first lion she had came into contact with had told her he would not help... the fact it was Simba saddened her more. Feeling something bump into her, and knowing it was an animal she began to say "Hey, watch where you're going"

She didn't look around until the lion began to speak to her, at first she thought it was Simba. "Simba, So you're coming back" She said happily before the reply she got was a stammering lion, backing away saying "I-I-I'm sorry, miss! I didn't m-mean to...I'll j-just go...". seeing where the lion was headed, she tried to stop him "STOP!" she shouted, but it was to late.

When the lion headed into the vines, and got himself tangled up, Nala began to roar with laughter, walking towards the lion laughine even more. "Im sorry" she said, knowing she shouldn't be laughing "Do you want down?" she asked, looking down at him with her big, glassy, blue eyes

[AustralianChaos]

Simba turned as he heard this mysterious voice. As the voice taunted and laughed at him, he backed away a couple of steps, his red mane flaring defensively. "Who are you, what do you want?" he demanded, his irritation combining with his defensive fear to leave him with a short temper.

As the voice seemed to call to him from both sides, teasing and taunting him, he lashed out with a paw, even though he knew he would catch nothing but thin air. "What do you mean, Scar's queen?" he asked sharply. "Who are you?!?"

This voice was taunting him, teasing him with with vague hints and suggestions, and he just wanted a straight answer. "Will you just come out and show yourself?!" he demanded. But as he said it, he heard Nala's roaring laughter, and turned to the jungle. He could not see her, and that caused his mind to swim with questions. Could she see him? Was that what she was laughing at? Was this strange voice right...was she hiding just as many secrets as he was?

----------

Tanga simply sighed as Nala started laughing. He was not angry at her amusement...he was far too used to others poking fun at his misfortune to get irritated by it. When she apologised he looked up, a little surprised when he noticed that her apology seemed rather sincere.

When she asked if he wanted help, however, he became a little more cautious. "Uhh, some help...would be nice, I guess...as long as you're not having me on." He added the last part with a heavy sigh. "I've had a bad day already, and don't need someone poking fun at me right now, so please, if you're having me on, just leave me alone."

Despite his words, he knew this lioness would not listen. Either she was being sincere, and would help him down, or was having him on, and would do something very unpleasant to him to make his situation worse. His history of interaction with others meant he found the latter more likely, and so he just sighed, dancing on his silver-grey toes in an attempt to support some of his undersized body as he waited for her to trip him up and let him choke, or do some other unpleasant act.

[Nakisisa]

"What?" The voice said in a confused, drawn out voice. "She didn't tell you? Tut tut." The voice said, knowing he was going to enjoy this. In the seconds before he spoke again, the voice moved so he could stand behind Simba, his jet black coat protecting him from being obviousley seen. "Nala didn't tell you she was already queen? Oh dear... That means I have to tell you." He said happily. "Before I go on, you need to know that, firstly, this is all true, and secondly Scar married Zira, but she couldn't give him a cub, so she died, and Nala took her place, imagine the scene, Zira is dead, 6 months after you left, and Nala is the most beautiful lioness in the pride, just what scar wanted." he laughed, taunting Simba even more. 
"At first Nala tried to resist, she knew she couldn't be  scars queen, but as punishment, he killed her brother, and mated with both her mother, and yours. If yo go back, you have a group of strong teenagers loyal to scar, out of your mothers womb protecting him. But Nala knew she couldn't submit. Not until the night he threatened her life. no, that night she began to enjoy what they were doing. She screamed passionately Scars name whenever they made love, until she became pregnant..." he said snidely, giving simba time to process the information.

"The first few cubs she had were very good, very strong, all six of them. But then the pain of motherhood grew to great, and after another night with her love scar, she fell pregnant again and ran off. Simba, your love, is here pregnant with your enemies child, and she's laughing, knowing your as easy to lie to as a wooden log".The voice said, trying to make simba feel absolute pain.

---

Seeing as the lion was only a short distance from the ground, she went and did something stupid, muttering to herself, "I hope like hell Simba doesn't come back now." She looked at all the vines and began to show she would help by placing her mouth around the vine that was about to choke him. Hitting hard on it, she snapped it, letting him relax. "There, relax yourself, stranger" she said with a small laugh as she looked at his face

He was a strange lion, Yellow fur and a black mane, "His parents must have been weird" Napa thought cruelly, before banishing the thought and mentally scolding herself. His eyes were like big pools of emotion, and she was instantly drawn in. A lifetime of pain and sorrow shown to her in nigh but a few seconds. "Are you alright?" she asked seconds before she saw the cut on his cheek and muzzle.

Nala responded naturally, as any lioness should have, and began to lick the cut, cleaning it for him. As she licked him, she smelled two things. The first was the musky smell, his own, different smell. The smell of Savannah grass with and sweat. Nala loved it, but the smell was tainted. Tainted with Blood. The wound Nala was cleaning was older, but the smell was fresh. "Are you alright, I can smell blood..." she said, continually licking the wound on his cheek and muzzle.  

[AustralianChaos]

Simba took all this in, shock and revulsion hitting him, along with dire confusion. Here he was, being told two stories of how things happened...how was he supposed to know which story was the truth? This voice claimed that his Scar had cubs loyal to him not only from Nala's womb, but his mother, Sarabi's, as well. "It can't be true...it can't..."

It did not make sense. In Simba's mind, Scar was still the wierd, yet lovable uncle...he had no idea of Scar's malicious side. Hearing of Scar threatening, bribing, and blackmailing like that just did not make sense. "You lie!" he finally shouted, looking around wildly, still unable to see the source of the voice...whoever it was was moving constantly, and very silently. "Scar would never do any of it...and neither would Nala!"

But a seed of doubt still held in his mind, stopping him from simply walking off and finding some time to be alone. It had been a long time since he had left the Pridelands, and Simba was painfully aware of the fact that a lot could change with time. "Who are you to say these things?" he demanded, desiring to know the identity of this mysterious voice, and why he was accusing such things as so many in his pride.

----------

Tanga relaxed slightly as the vine tangled around his neck came free after Nala's bite, cracking it to remove the irritation from it. When she asked if he was alright, his face fell. "Yeah, I'm okay, I guess," he lied, before the lioness started cleaning the cut on his cheek, a older wound from a bout of teasing he had received yesterday. He may be a young adult now, but that did not stop many members of his pride from mercilessly poking fun at his small size and strange colouring. His nature as a runt made him the perfect target, after all.

When the lioness mentioned she could smell blood winced and pulled away from her, although his pained reaction had nothing to do with the cut she was cleaning. Realising his neck was free to move, Tanga quickly snapped the rest of the vines holding his forepaws, letting himself back down. Now free, he backed away from this creamy-furred lioness rather rapidly. He did not want to talk about the particularly painful events of this morning, although he did look back in the direction he came from. "I'm okay," he said, although it was a half-truth...he knew the blood the lioness could smell was not his, and the thought of the owner of the blood he had long since washed off pained him terribly.

He looked up at her, before looking around the jungle. "I've never seen you before," he said on instinct. He was never very social, even at the best of times, but right now he was just fact-finding. "Do you live in this part of the jungle...did I walk into your territory? Because if I did, I apologise, and I'll leave right away if you want."

[Nakisisa]

The voice moved again, knowing there was a long and short answer, but since he had been so cryptic before, he decided to give the short answer. Staying low to the ground and still moving, he mimicked simbas voice. You Lie! Who are you to say these things? Who would say these things? he laughed Who would say these things? the voice reasoned as he stopped speaking moving to simbas side again. Maybe someone who has grown up under scars reign, One of his cubs he said standing dead still by Simbas side.

---

Swing the lion back away, after getting down, Nala knew something was wrong. "No, I don't live here, but I don't think you do either... So I'll give you an option. Nala said with a warning tone and look in her eye, "Either you tell me now what the smell of blood is, or you can run, and I will chase you, and When I catch you, I will force you to tell me, so what's it going to be?" Nala asked ready to run.

[AustralianChaos]

Simba's eyes widened as the voice continued to play games. When he declared himself Scar's child, the voice coming from right beside him, Simba leapt away, turning to face the voice. "Stop playing these games!" he yelled. "I'm not in the mood! Now show yourself, and explain yourself properly...now!"

He was not normally so assertive and demanding, but his earlier argument with Nala, plus his irritation at the words of this voice, had left his mood sour, and desperate for answers. "How do you know who I am?" he finally asked, deciding that maybe some direct questions would get some straight answers. "You say you're Scar's child, but I thought everyone believed me dead!"

----------

Tanga wanted to run from the warning tone and look the lioness, wanted to do something that would allow him to avoid explaining the smell of blood on him. But he knew that if he ran, or tried to avoid the question, the lioness would chase him, and most likely hurt him. "I knew it," he finally said. "You're with the others, come to torment me further," he said, fully believing that this was all some big game the bullies at his former pride had come up with to send him over the edge. Send in a strange lioness he did not know to prod him, make him talk about the worst moment of his life, and watch him as he fell apart.

But whatever fight he had in him vanished, and he played along. "Fine, you want to know who's blood you smell. It's Kulinda's, alright? She was the only one who protected me from you lot, the only one who cared for me after my parents died. She loved me...and I loved her...AND YOU ALL TOOK HER FROM ME!" He screamed the last part out, tears quickly filling his eyes and running down his cheeks, as he stood, staring at the lioness, an expression of complete pain and loss on his muzzle as he finally caved, and unloaded his grief at her. "You might not have been there, but surely they told you what happened. I was there as she died...I held her as she bled out...I watched as the life faded from her eyes, and it's still not enough for you...you have to come along, as a spitting image of her, to torment me, give me one last moment of unbearable pain before the rest of you finish me off."

Now crying openly, Tanga looked around, expecting his tormentors to come out at any moment. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" he demanded to the foliage around them. "Come on out, finish me off...I don't care any more!"

[Nakisisa]

"What, I'm not the one playing games" The voice said deliberately walking towards him, his blood red eyes now showing through the darkness, like a gem filled with light. The voice did not explain himself, but rather moved onto the latter questions. "Ohh, everyone knew you were dead, To all of them you still are, Our father, Scar, decided to teach us about you, in case we started seeing ghosts after he had gone. I know everything about you, and your past. And to be honest it was your fault" The voice taunted, now standing before Simba.

The lion was young, about 12 months Simbas junior, but he already had a jet black glossy coat, a relatively large jet black mane, and ruby hew eyes. For his age, he also had relatively strong muscles, which were on show, and a small tuft on his tail, like scars. In the light of the day, you would see that he had many cuts along his sides from fights, but non on his face, except one, across his muzzle, the lightest part of his body.

---

"I... I didn't know..." Nala stammered loosing her composure, but she was confused at what the lion did next. "What are you doing?" she asked concerned. Moving towards him, placing a paw on his. Look, I don't even know your name, or who you are. I'm sorry for your loss, but if you want my help, just ask" Nala finished, laying down, and keeping her paw on his.

(( Edit: Changed time ling as to make it less strange ))

[AustralianChaos]

Simba backed off slightly as he saw the dark silhouette, and the red eyes, piercing through the nighttime gloom, staring straight at him, unnerving him. "You...you know everything?" he hesitantly said.

But Simba was struggling to keep himself together. The stampede kept replaying itself in his mind, and his guilt was starting to take over. Looking back at those red eyes, he finally found his voice again. "What do you want from me?" he asked. "If I'm supposed to be dead, how did you find me?"

----------

Tanga shied away as this lioness placed a paw on his, looking down at her as she lay down in front of him. Her pale, creamy coat and lean figure were the spitting image of Kulinda, right down the darker tail tuft...but her eyes were what set her apart. The aqua orbs reminded him that his former friend and love was gone...but at the same time, as the lioness apologised, he could see the sincerity in her eyes...his tormentors were long gone.

"You can't help," he finally said, wiping a paw over his eyes to force the tears away. "She's already gone...and besides, you shouldn't worry about a useless runt like me, I'm just a burden to anyone I stay with." The bullying he had suffered had left him with a complete lack of self-worth...one that Kulinda's death had only intensified. She had lain there, bleeding out in his paws, and he was powerless to help her, to do nothing more than watch...

Snapping himself away from those thoughts, blinking away fresh tears, he refused to meet the lioness' gaze as he spoke up once more, staring at his paws. "But if you're curious, my name's Tanga," he said, sitting down at long last, his head hanging low. For some unknown reason, he did not move his paw away from hers, despite his slight dislike of physical contact. "What's you name?"

[Nakisisa]

(( 1 Note, Scar did have a child by Nala, who is the lion talking to Simba now, some elements such as sarabi and loads of teen's loyall to scar are for the sake of the part ))

"Everything, from your crush on my mum to the stampede" The younger male said, walking into the moonlight so he was clearly visible. He knew his scar tactics had been working, so why give it up now. The next questions surprised him. What i want from you, now that i know you're alive,, is that you never return, for anyone... even your mother, she would be devastated. he said with a slight smile. ...As for finding you, i followed my mother out here, she doesn't know I'm here...." he said, before moving towards Simba, "And if you tell her, ill make sure you die the most horrible death possible at my paw" he growled before moving back.

If you really want to know why I'm here, ask my mother why she's here, it's not to find help, but rather to have a break as queen. I came along to make sure she was alright." And make sure she doesn't blab to anyone he thought to himself. "Besides, why would you want to return, you have everything you want here..." he said, expecting one answer.

---

you shouldn't worry about a useless runt like me, I'm just a burden to anyone I stay with Those words played over and over again in Nala's mind. How could anyone call him a runt? he's not big and he might not be strong, but he has a big heart.... Like Simba used to.... Nala was lost in her thought of her past, how happy she and Simba had been, how evil scar had been, having a child by her, she had never loved him, and Zira had taken him in. Lucky him she thought about to break the silence

Nala's face was still one of mixed emotions when she was about to break the atmosphere, but not before the lion in front of her. he revealed his name, Tanga. Hmmm she thought for a moment forgetting his question. "Ohh, sorry" she said, now noticing he hadn't taken his paw away. "I was thinking, Tanga, thats a very nice name...." she said, trailing off, thinking if he could help. "I'm Nala, It's a pleasure to meet you." she said as kindly as possibble