Their Only Hope
This fanfic will be released one chapter at a time, as they are written.
This fanfic will be released one chapter at a time, as they are written.
Chapter1
On a peaceful, cool morning, Kovu and Kiara were cuddled together in the den. Three small furballs slept quietly between them - the cubs that Kiara had produced only a few days before. The small family laid near Simba and Nala, who were asleep as well. In fact the entire pride was asleep, unaware of the danger preparing to strike in only minutes. Their entire pride would be turned upside-down even faster than Scar had before Kiara was even born.
Waking softly from her sleep, Nala opened her eyes and saw the daylight creeping into the den. Rising to her paws she stretched and yawned, her tail curling behind her and then returning to its normal position hanging a few inches above the ground. She smiled as she walked past her daughter, her daughter's mate, and her newborn grandchildren. She leaned down and gave them a soft, loving nuzzle before strolling outside. She breathed in the fresh air, then sighed as she sat on the edge of Priderock and looked upon the extensive, beautiful land. The sun was just rising and its golden rays shone across the Pridelands, gently waking the daylight creatures from their slumbers. Just then she saw something strange down on the ground. It was a small shadow and, not wanting to wake her family, Nala decided to investigate herself. When she got down to where it was, underneath a small tree, it had disappeared. She sniffed the ground and smelled strange pawprints. Immediately she turned to race back to Priderock but was stopped in her tracks by a huge, dark-colored lion. His fur was a deep, dark red barely brighter than pitch black. He roughly pinned Nala against the tree and growled loudly. Simba! Nala yelled, before he choked her with his paw almost to the point of death. Nala fell limp on the ground, though still alive.
Upon hearing his beloved mate's horrified, desperate call of his name, Simba woke instantly from his slumber and raced out of the den with a roar, waking everyone else in it. He raced out onto the tip of Priderock and looked down. He saw the lion standing next to his unconscious mate below and just as he turned to run down, felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. His entire body lost all sensation beside a tingling in his skin and pure white light in his eyes. He felt that way for a few minutes before waking up and feeling colder than he'd ever felt before in his life. The white light slowly subsided and he saw white still - but it was all over. He was even laying in it. Rising to his paws he looked around and saw nothing but white all over, and a gray sky. Wind blew gently, blowing freezing air over his face, carrying some of the white stuff into his eyes. But it soon disappeared, leaving only a water droplet on his face. Then he remembered why he'd run out of the den. Nala! Where was she? Was she alright? He didn't know, and he realized he was nowhere near the Pridelands anymore. He was in a wasteland, far away from being able to help his beloved mate. Little did he know that back in the Pridelands, the troubles had only begun for the group of lions who were wondering where Simba had gone as they were suddenly thrust into a hell of sorts, their King nowhere to be found.
Chapter 2
Simba's breathing quickened as he realized he was unable to defend his Pride from whatever danger it was that had fallen upon them. He looked around frantically, but saw nothing but the strange white land he'd been stranded in. Running was difficult in the white powder, which was as deep as his elbow height. And no matter where he went, he saw only the same old scenery. It was as if the white wasteland was endless. But he could not accept defeat when he had a responsibility to his endangered Pride, so he simply trudged through the snow at a slow, steady pace, hoping that he would eventually encounter something. Anything.
Night soon fell, and the wind picked up. Visibility was so low that Simba could barely see his own front paws as he lifted them out of the deep white stuff. The wind blew snow into the lion's eyes as his fur accumulated frost and ice in it. Just when he was about to give up all hope for his own life, Simba bumped into something soft... and warm. For a moment he thought it was one of his Pride, but it was not. A gray-furred face looked back at him through the howling storm and saw that Simba was stranded. "Follow me!" the face shouted in a female voice, loud enough that Simba was able to hear over the howling wind. Then she began walking off into the storm, keeping her fluffy tail touching Simba's neck so the two wouldn't get separated.
After an hour or so of trudging through the snow, Simba and this strange creature suddenly fell through the snow and into a shallow pit. The creature crawled through a hole in the ground, encouraging Simba to follow. Once through, he found himself in a warm, comfortable den. Simba wasn't able to see a thing in the pitch black of the unlit den, nor was the female creature. But he was glad to be out of the cold. As his fur grew wet as the snow and ice began melting from it, the other creature said, "Who are you, and where are you from?"
Simba managed to open his lips, which had been frozen shut. "I am Simba." he said, regaining feeling in his lips, paws and tail as he warmed up. "I come from the Pridelands, but not by my own choice. I've been stranded here by something I don't understand. A bright light..." he trailed off. He was very hungry, and thirsty. "I'm going to starve soon, I think." he said, his stomach rumbling.
"I am Haley. It's a pleasure to meet you, Simba. Unfortunately until the storm passes I can offer only snow for you to eat, to quench your thirst. Food must wait until morning.
"I am grateful for your gift but... what is snow?" Simba said with a puzzled expression, though it was invisible in the darkness.
"Snow is the white powder you've seen all around this place. When it warms, it melts and becomes water, as does the ice on your fur." Haley replied, running her paw over Simba's wet fur. Simba jumped a little but then relaxed, a bit comforted by physical contact with another living being after being stranded for so long in the snowy wasteland.
Haley led Simba to the entrance of her den, and he ate some of the snow that was in the pit they'd used to access the hole. His thirst was quenched and his hunger would be quelled soon.
"You're probably tired." Haley said, yawning. "Let's both sleep until morning. Then we shall hunt." the strange creature laid down and curled up, tucking her paws and muzzle into her fluffy tail for warmth. Simba did the same, saying "thank you for letting me stay here with you. Had you not helped me, I would have... the cold..."
"...frozen." Haley said with a light giggle. "and you're welcome, Simba."
I'll get that fixed ASAP.
