It was a gloomy, rainy day in the wet Pridelands. Zazu was in the den, entertaining King Scar with his miserable singing. Rafiki was mixing paints. Nala, was walking alone in the forgotten gorge. She slumped past a bright purple flower. Her heart seemed to lurch into her stomach, as she remembered the day before Simba "died." He had found her the same kind of flower, and had given it to her the day he "died."

   Nala felt the tears running down her face. She had lost something that she could never replace. A hole lay dormant in her empty heart. In both sadness and anger, she kicked dust over the bright flower, and moved on, still a mess of tears. She wanted to just run away, and never return. Not that anybody would notice. She always felt like Simba was the only one who understood her. She wished desperatley to hold him in her paws, and if she closed her eyes hard enough, she could feel his soft fur, and hear his comforting words. But no. Simba was gone, and as far as she knew, was never coming back. She thought about jumping over the ledge of the steep gorge, but she was afraid it wouldn't kill her, just injure her. She sighed, and wiped away her tears, moving lazily toward Pride Rock.

   She wasn't far from home, when she smelled another lion. Not recognizing the scent, she raised her head in alarm. The more she sniffed, the more lions she smelled. Dipping herself low to a rock, she peeked over a small leaf. In horror, she watched as a couple dozens of rogues bounded over her directly, heading to Pride Rock. She knew that the Pridelanders knew they were here, for in the distance they were darting over.

   When they had passed, Nala ran forward. She needed to find Mheetu and her mother. Where did she say she would be? Nala couldn't remember. Passing the elephant graveyard, she smelled Mheetu.

    "Mheetu?!" Nala yowled as loud as she could. "Mheetu?" She tip-toed into the elephant boned maze. She knew he was here. "If any outlander has my brother, you'll be crowfood!" Then she smelled her mother. Yes, they were here. Why weren't they replying?

    Before Nala could even protest, a strong force bowled her over onto her back. Her shoulders clamped firmly on the ground. Two paws were placed tightly over them. Horrible breath filled her nostrils, as she looked up to see a rogue with a black mane and grey fur planting her to the ground. The wind knocked out of her. She yelped, and then demanded, "Where is my mother and brother?"

    The male lion growled. "You really think I'll tell you that." He snarled, a little in laughter. "No. You'll see them soon enough, Miss Thang, when you're dead."

    Nala's blue eyes widened. "You did NOT kill them!" She shreiked. "Where are they?!" Her ear twitched as she heard her mother's cry nearby. She looked to her left. Nothing but elephant bones. Right. She saw her mother's bony figure being thrown to the ground. She picked herself up instantly and hissed, arching her narrow back, every fur on end. Nala threw her back legs up in the air, kicking the male's lower stomach. The male was dumbfounded, and was thrown off her easily. He layed on his shoulder for a minute, before slithering back to his chubby paws. Then he dived at Nala. Nala was defending her mother, smacking at the other rogue, which had a brown shaggy mane.

    The black-maned lion again bowled into Nala, but they rolled down a hill this time, the same hill Simba had pushed Nala down when they were play-wrestling! Nala's eyes flooded with sadness. She grew limp, and landed hard on her right shoulder. The male landed over her, pushing her jaw to the ground. Nala could do nothing. The perfect image of her and Simba lay fresh in her mind. She was defensless. She tried to blink the memory away, but she couldn't move. Whimpering, she tried to get up. Suddenly, a ball of fur rushed past her down the hill.

   She saw in horror as the black-maned lion whispered to the brown-maned one, "Finish her."

   His brown paw flew back, way back somewhere in Arkansas. Power and muscle was behind that paw, enough to kill her elderly injured mother. Sarafina's eyes were closed, but Nala knew she was still alive. Her heart lurched, as the memory of the hyena's chasing her and Simba flooded her mind. How she had gotten stuck in the landslide of bones, and how Simba had bravely sacrifised his own life to save hers. They together ran and got cornered----

    Sarafina's scream rang in her ears like a train whistle. Nala blinked, and looked over to her mother. Instantly, tears flooded her blue eyes as she saw her mother laying down in an awkward position, blood running down her once-pretty now shredded face. Her blue eyes weren't able to be seen, her eyes were closed. Her paws were stretched, and her ankles mangled. Her back was scratched. Nala felt her head burning with fury and sadness. She went mad. Slashing and Swinging, she threw the lion off her and sent him to the ground. She pushed the other over some fire burning from a nearby hole. She finished the one she had sent to the ground, her fighting blood boiling. Then, another pair of sharp black claws dug into her neck and back. Brown fur and a wavy black mane flew around her. A pink fleshy scar covered a neon green eye......... Scar!

    Nala threw the male off her back, onto his own. She growled, still crying, as she stood over him, ready to finish her father.

   "Nala." Scar exclaimed nervously. "So nice to see you..... alive." He looked to the two lions, who limped off nervously.

   "I am going to kill you!" Nala screamed through her blurry wet eyes. "I will kill you, and then myself!" Nala whimpered.

    "You're not going to kill me." Scar scoffed, and managed to escape Nala's hold.

    "Says who?" Nala boomed back. "You know I will!"

     Scar smirked. He loomed over a rock. "Not while I have, this." Nala felt shock running up and down her spine as she saw Mheetu dangling in Scar's jaw. "If you make one aggresive move, I will kill him." Scar mumbled. Nala cried even harder. "You monster!" She shreiked. "To handle your own son, daughter, and wife this way!" She snatched Mheetu into her own jaws. Mheetu relaxed. Scar turned, and slumped off. Nala ran to her mother, leaving Mheetu behind, not wanting him to see. Sarafina, was indeed dead. Simba had haunted her memories, leading her own mother to her own death. Feeling responsible, Nala darted back to Priderock, crying. Mheetu followed.