The Lion King Chronicles: Nala's Tears {Editing}

Chapter 29

Many days have passed since Mheetu's death. Tama and I hardly said a word to each other while we were in the prisoner cave. I'm not sure if either of us had the strength. Although it's been a few days, I still had nightmares.

My dreams are plagued with darkness and blood. Simba was in my dreams a lot and I could never stop staring at him. He looked older as if he never died and aged with the rest of us. It was crazy how much I imagined him looking like Mufasa.

I kept myself busy with imagining what life would be like if Simba was King, not Scar. It was a very beautiful fantasy and I wished with all my heart that it was true. But every morning I woke to the same cave walls with Tama at my side.

This morning, I woke to find Tama sitting at the mouth of the cave. The hyenas guarding us were alert and growled if we so much took a step outside the cave. They were Scar's little guard dogs and I hated them.

I heaved myself to my paws and stared at Tama for the longest time. After a while, she spoke: "I wonder what's beyond the Pridelands." She said bemusedly. "Perhaps not all prides are led by a malicious King."

"We're never leaving the Pridelands unless we die, Tama," I reminded her in a defeated tone.

"You get to leave," Tama whispered.

After everything that's happened, my heart felt numb. I didn't care about anything anymore. If I were to die tomorrow, what would I be missing out on? All I had left was this cub in my womb, and even it would be taken away from me.

Scar had come to tell me yesterday that when the cub was born, Zira would raise it. He said that he would allow me to witness the naming ceremony, but then I would be forced to leave. I would never hold my cub or nurse it. I'd never get to watch it grow up. It would never know that I was its true mother.

I laid my tail against my round belly protectively. The thought of it being taken away hurt me more than I could say. At the thought, rage washed over me like a black tidal wave. But it didn't matter what I wanted. Scar would have his heir.

Tama was looking at me expectantly. "You'll have a second chance, Nala. You could find your father and live in the Freelands."

"But I won't have my cub," I sighed, eyes downcast.

"Who cares?" Tama growled. "It's Scar's cub, and if he wants it so badly, then let him!"

"What if I want it?!" I raised my blue eyes to Tama and she must've seen the pained look that swam in their blue depths. "This cub may be Scar's, but it's mine too. It's a part of me."

Tama moved closer to me and we shared body warmth in the dark cave. "When you leave, live a good life far from here. Live it for me, Kula, and your mother."

A grim expression found my face and I touched my nose to Tama's cheek. "I won't let a day slip by." The promise settled itself in our hearts. We laid down side by side and for a moment, just a moment, I felt like a cub.

All those times that Tama, Kula, and I went to the waterhole or caused mischief. Half of the time Simba was the ringleader.  Those were some of the happiest days of my life. And they were gone all too soon.

Suddenly, Banzai stood at the mouth of the cave, making us jump. "You're lucky that Scar is still allowing you to eat." He threw us a zebra leg and my mouth began to water.

When Banzai was gone, Tama pushed the zebra meat in my direction. "Here, you're eating for two."

"But you need to eat too!" I argued, although the zebra did look tempting.

Tama shook her head and the lock of hair on her forehead half-covered her eye. "Don't be ridiculous. You need it more than I do."

I tentatively took a bite. The meat was stringy and there wasn't much, but it tasted like the best thing in the world. "Thanks, Tama," I muttered. Without much pause for breath, I scarfed down of the meat. Then I pushed it towards Tama. "You need to eat too."

Reluctantly, Tama ate the rest of it and gnawed off the bone. That was the first decent meal we've had in months. I laid down with a full stomach for once and felt sleepy. Then I felt something that shocked me. "Tama, I can feel the cub moving!"

Immediately, Tama was at my side. She placed a paw on belly and her eyes widened in awe. For the longest time, we sat in silence while the little cub inside of me situated itself many times. My heart felt lighter since Mheetu's death. There was a little cub inside of me that was so strong.

"Shh, go to sleep my darling." I whispered gently.

"You think it's a girl?" Tama stared at me, perplexed.

My fur burned hot with embarrassment. "I-I have a feeling. I've been dreaming of...well, I think I've been dreaming of my cub. She's beautiful and looks a lot like me. She even has blue eyes."

Tama and I shared a look of mutual excitement and sadness. No matter how excited I got, I couldn't get too attached. As soon as she was born, Scar would take her away from me and send me into exile. It was only a matter of time. I'm running out of time.

A/N
Thanks for all the reads, likes, and comments! I love reading your comments and seeing your predictions/reactions. It makes my day :) The climax is nearing soon, FYI. Hold on tight...