routes included on the of chance they were seen. Sunset was decided on as it would allow Zola and Masiska to leave without attracting suspicion as it was no uncommon for the lioness to hunt during the night.

In the setting sun Wanderer and Majani walked Zola and Masika home through the broken land. Stopping on a hill they looked to Pride Rock in distance. Looking at their home Zola and Masika's felt a shard of pain in their hearts at the fact they would never be able to introduce their friends to the pride. Rubbing head with their friends the pair walked home with heavy hearts. Arriving home they found Sarabi and Sarafina arguing with Shenzi and Yejida. Looking at their friend the pair kept their silence. In their hearts both knew Yejida would see their plan as treachery, what’s more Yejida would see it as her duty to inform Scar and Zira. Seeing her parents stood together at the top of Pride Rock, Zola felt a lump in her throat, a single tear running down her right cheek.

“Zola what is wrong?” Masika whispered.

“I…..need to…….at least say goodbye to my parents,” Zola replied choking back tears. “You should Aina you love her, one last time.”

“Zola please be careful, you can't let your emotions.....you know what could happen if they found out.”

Smiling sadly at her friend Zola walked up to her parents with a heavy heart. In her heart Zola deeply loved her parents, something which time would never diminish. Seeing their daughter Scar and Zira smiled, utterly unaware of what was to come. As the sun set the royal family stood proudly together.

“Mum, Dad I love you.”

“We love to Zola,” Zira whispered licking her daughter’s cheek.

“We will always love,” Scar said affectionately.

_____________________________________________________________________

A day had passed since Zola and Masika had made plans with their friends. After an agonizingly tense day of waiting the time had come to leave Pride Rock. As the sun set Zola and Masika crept through Pride Rock, avoiding hyenas and lions alike. Storm clouds gathered above blocking out the light, at the front of the rock they could see some of the lioness gathered around Sarabi. Masika took the right hand path away while Zola took the left had path in an attempt to disguise their intentions. Zola flitted through the rocks stopping suddenly as a familiar scent drifted towards her. Seconds later Nala appeared on the path, the older lioness staring at her with a look of fierce determination.

“Nala what are you? Did Rafiki find?” Zola stammered.

“Simba has returned to claim the throne,” Nala replied hesitantly.

“Then I made the right choice. A pride of rouge lioness led by a male called Wanderer are gathered in the Outlands, Masika and I are leaving with them,” Zola replied, delighting at the utter shock on Nala's face.

“I am glad Zola, I was dreading what was to come...... Simba will always see you as an threat, no matter how different you are to Scar and Zira,” Nala said, her eyes full of regret.

“You love Simba.”

“I always have done,” Nala replied half smiling.

“Be happy with Simba. I will never return to the Pride Lands. Wanderer and I are in love, we plan to find a place for away from here to live free and happy.”

“If Simba doesn’t know about you he cannot feel threatened by you,” Nala replied as an idea took hold. “If you never plan on returning then Simba need never know you exist. The pride can believe you vanished or died. I swear I will never tell Simba of your existence. Zola if only there was another way.”

“I’m limited, Nala look at me I’m limited

And just look at you…

You can do all I couldn’t do Nala

So now its up to you, for both of us,” Zola sang placing a paw on Nala’s shoulder.

 

“I’ve heard it said

That lions come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something that we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well I don’t know if I believe that’s true

But I know I’m who I am today

Because I knew you…,” Nala sang gazing at Zola.

 

“Like a comet pulled from orbit

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say I’ve been changed for better?

But because I knew you

I have been changed for good,” Nala sang.

 

“It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me is made of what I learned from you

You’ll be with me

Like a paw print on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have rewritten mine

By being my friend

Like a leaf blown from its tree

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?

Because I knew you,” Zola sang.

 

“Because I knew you,” Nala sang.

“I have been changed for good,” Zola and Nala sang together.

 

“And just to clear the air

I ask for forgiveness

For all the things I’ve done you blamed me for,” Zola sang.

 

“But then, I guess we know

There’s blame to share,” Nala sang.

 

“And none of it seems to matter any more,” both sang together.

Nala Zola

“Like a comet pulled “Like a leaf blown

From orbit/ as it from its tree

Passes a sun/ like by a wind of the

A stream that meets sea/ like a seed

A boulder/ half way dropped by a

through the wood” bird in the wood.”

 

Both

“Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?

I do believe I have been changed for the better.”

 

Nala

“And because I knew you…”

 

Zola

“Because I knew you.”

 

Both

“Because I knew you

I have been changed for good.”4

 

Looking at one another Zola and Nala rubbed their heads together one last time, tears running down their cheeks. Turning tail Zola bounded away from Pride Rock while Nala watched, suddenly Nala called out.

“ZOLA WAIT.”

Stopping in her tracks Zola turned to look at her friend, one paw raised on the air, her green eyes filled with uncertain.

“We will meet again when enough time has gone by for betrayals to heal,” Nala called her eyes shining with hope.

With one last half smile Zola bounded away through the barren land, her heart beating wildly, half in fear and half in excitement. Reaching the Outlands she found Masika waiting for her with Wanderer and their friends. The group greeted her at the exact moment as lightning struck the land. The lighting ignited the parched vegetation, fire engulfing the area within second. Instantly the group started to run towards the border, jumping over burning tress and dodging falling branches. Eyes wide with fear they raced for their lives. The lions fur quickly becoming streaked with smoke and black ash, the thick smoke obscuring their vision. As they reached the border a the heavens burst open with a tremendous clap of thunder. Relief swept through the pride, slowly rain began to remove the ash and smoke from their fur. One by one they crossed the border, Masika hesitating slightly before slowly stepping across the line that marked the end of her home. Gazing at the border Zola hesitated, a shard of doubt entering her heart. Wanderer gazed at her intently, his heart beating wildly with the fear that Zola would turn back.

“Please Great Kings give me a sign that leaving with Wanderer is the right choice,” Zola prayed.

Hesitantly Zola lifted a paw, closing her eyes she crossed the border, leaving the Pride Lands. At the very same moment a mighty roar echoed across the rain soaked savannah. Turning her head Zola saw a magnificent golden lion standing at the edge of Pride Rock, as she watched a lioness walked up to join him. Together the pair stood in a patch of moonlight under a star filled sky. Zola's heart soared as she realized who the pair were. Turning away from the scene Zola walked into the night with her friends without a backwards glance. History had repeated itself in the courtship of Zola and Wanderer but unlike Scar and Zira they had overcome the darkness.

END

1 Place where Simba stood in Simba’s Pride after he and young Kiara returned home

2Song Brand New Start by Alterbridge from Blackbird

3 By J RR Tolkien Fellowship of the Ring p 224, line is originally blade

4For Good from Wicked with slightly changed lyrics

 

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