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

Chapter 33

"What are you doing here, Malka?" I demanded, still keeping him pinned beneath me.

A growl rumbled from his chest and he looked annoyed. "Let me up, Nala. We don't have much time."

My blue eyes stared into his amber orbs. What had happened to the carefree cub that used to be my playmate? He's grown so much, as have I. We were so different now, on opposing sides of a silent war.

"Please, Nala!" Malka's eyes were pleading. "You're in danger."

Against my better judgement, I let him up. "What are you talking about? I'm free."

Malka stood up and shook his head, his black mane shaking. "No, you're not. Listen, like I said: we don't have much time. Scar let you go, but he was going to send the hyenas after you anyways. He wants you dead."

I stared him, wide-eyed and shocked. "What are you talking about? If he wanted to kill me then why did he let me go first?"

"He's setting the hyenas after you." Malka explained. "He can't take the risk of killing you himself, the Pride would turn against him. That's why he let you go. This way, he can just blame it on the hyenas. There'll be no proof that he told them to."

The realization came over me and I felt sick all of a sudden. "He let me say goodbye! He gave me hope that I could survive this!"

Malka gave a sort of odd laugh and shook his head. "Don't you get it, Nala? No one survives Scar's wrath. Didn't it ever seem odd to you that no one could ever find Simba's body?"

I paled and trembled. "You don't...you don't think Simba's alive, do you?"

Malka shrugged, "I don't know, but Scar seems too paranoid. He's always looking over his shoulder. Now why would he do that unless he expected someone to come back for vengeance?"

"There's no proof that Simba's alive," I argued, trying to think logically.

"There's no proof that he's dead, either," Malka pointed out. "We need to leave before the hyenas come after us."

"We??" I didn't know if my eyes could be any wider.

Malka glanced at me as if it was obvious. "I'm coming with you. You're our only hope to save the Pridelands."

"But you're Scar's prodigy," I spoke as if it was a dirty word, as if he was the enemy.

"But I made a promise to you, Nala." Malka's eyes suddenly became sad. "I will not fail you again."

Our eyes locked and I considered all my options. He could be lying. But who was I going to trust with my life? Scar? Just because he let me go didn't mean that I wasn't in danger. And Malka...my friend, my unsure friend.

"Okay, let's move," I decided.

So with just each other for company, we started running. We ran side by side, like friends...like equals. It's been a long time since I've felt so comfortable at Malka's side. Our strides extended as we tried to put as much distance between ourselves and Priderock before the sun descended. But our bodies were weak, tired, and hungry. We couldn't keep up this pace for long.

Up ahead, I could see the split in the earth that was the gorge. An eerie feeling came over me. This was where Mufasa was killed, where Scar claimed Simba perished. If we were to find Simba, perhaps it would be best to start there? Malka seemed to understand this as well because we both changed direction without speaking.

The path that led down to the gorge was steep and slippery with loose rocks. Malka and I made our way downward slowly with him traveling in front. I peered over the edge and imagined slipping over the edge. What a horrible way to die.

I've only been here one other time to reunite with Jahi. After Mufasa died and Simba disappeared, I couldn't bring myself to come here. I'd never wanted to glimpse the place that killed my carefree days. My hair stood on end as Malka and I tip-toed through the fog.

A pebble clattered somewhere in the distance and I tensed. "Malka..."

"Shh," He whispered, pausing. "I heard it too."

We stood there, frozen, as we listened for something, anything. That's when I heard it. The same cackling laughter that haunted my nightmares after my adventure to the Elephant Graveyard with Simba. As they neared, I glimpsed their eyes gleaming through the fog.

I subconsciously moved closer to Malka. There were so many of them...I counted the pairs of eyes and there were at least twelve. Scar really wanted to be sure that I was killed.

"Back off!" Malka snarled, swiping at the closest hyena, Banzai.

Shenzi howled with laughter. "You think that we'll listen to you?! We only obey Scar!"

I flattened my ears and bared my fangs at the hyenas. They were surrounding us and Vitani flashed in my mind. I would never get the chance to save her... The first hyena lunged and I easily dodged it, slicing its belly open as it flew by. It's entrails splattered the ground and blood dripped from my claws.

Uncertainty flashed in Shenzi's eyes, but it was gone a moment later. "Kill her."

"I won't let you!" Malka roared, placing himself in between me and the hyenas.

Shenzi narrowed her eyes, contemplating her options. "Move, Malka, or we'll kill you too."

"No." Malka growled. He's never sounded so certain all his life.

Shenzi gave the order: "Kill them both."

The hyenas fell onto us like a dark wave and I was drowning. Their claws and fangs groped for me, hoping to catch my throat. I swiped at them and Malka fought at my side. A few of them fell, but we were hopelessly outnumbered.

Shenzi leaped into the fray and she pinned me down. Her jaws snapped too near my throat and I shrieked. "Malka!" Shenzi was pulled off of me a moment later and Malka's roar echoed through the gorge.

Malka shoved me away from the hyenas, towards the dried river bed that ran through the gorge. "Follow the river! Run, Nala! Run!"

His desperate eyes urged me on and I ran faster than I thought possible. It felt like the winds themselves were carrying me, giving me speed. A few hyenas tore off after me, but I was too fast. I left them in the dust.

I climbed a small slope and what I saw at the top shocked me. The dry river bed stretched all the way to the horizon, surrounded by a deserted wasteland. How could I survive out there?! But the hyenas were gaining on me, and I only had one way to go.

Forward.

So I jumped.