reasons she took her studies with him very seriously and had become a fast learner of the ways. He said nothing to her as she approached. She knew that she looked ill from exhaustion and braced herself for another lecture but he said nothing. After a few minutes noticing her concern he spoke.

“ If you don’t mention how old I look, I wont mention how tired you look.”

She laughed but then quickly stopped when she realized by the expression on his face he had not intended for it to be a joke.

“ We have both been dreading this day Nala, you watch my back ill watch yours and perhaps working together we will get through this with minimal annoyance.”

He said gruffly

“Agreed”

Nala quickly replied.

Simba took his position on the ledge as the lionesses gathered up their cubs and the ceremonies began. This years new mothers would bring their cubs to him one by one and before the gathered populace of the pride lands he would greet them and initiate them into the pride. With much ceremony in-between it was a long and fairly boring ritual but a tradition beloved by many of the lionesses and so he forced to endure it once a year. Simba scanned the crowd trying to locate Nala but she was no where to be seen.

“Do you think it’s a statement?”

Sarabi whispered in his ear leaning over his shoulder.

“Do I think what’s a statement?”

“Look, not a single bird anywhere, even Zazu‘s gone.”

“huh”

He said, scanning the crowd.

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“Do you really think it’s a statement”

“ Them all being gone like this has to be intentional, it would take Razoth himself to order this.”

“ I talked to him just a week or two ago, he didn’t mention anything.”

“ The king of the birds isn’t at the largest event of the pride lands, something’s defiantly wrong.”

“ I’ll talk to Raffiki later, he’d know if something was wrong.”

The day wore on very slowly. Nala watched as cub after cub was presented, the mothers behind them beaming with pride. She hated this day, each new cub seemed to just make her failure at being a queen more obvious. She longed for a day in which she could present her and Simba’s cubs, and though she tried not to she envied the other lionesses for their fortune.

“ You shouldn’t allow this to sadden you so.”

Raffiki whispered still pretending to be paying attention to the preceding.

“What’s wrong with me Raffiki? I’ve been his mate for two years now and still I have failed to give him etting as close to the rock wall as possible to avoid being seen. She had come to greatly respect the old Babbon. Raffiki had been the Spiritual aid to the king for three generations. In the last year she had become a student of his in the ways of the circles mostly to avoid participation in the hunting parties and thus the other lionesses but despite her selfish reasons she took her studies with him very seriously and had become a fast learner of the ways. He said nothing to her as she approached. She knew that she looked ill from exhaustion and braced herself for another lecture but he said nothing. After a few minutes noticing her concern he spoke.

“ If you don’t mention how old I look, I wont mention how tired you look.”

She laughed but then quickly stopped when she realized by the expression on his face he had not intended for it to be a joke.

“ You are not at fault Nala. You must pray to the ancestors, have faith in the circles of life, and patience. You are the queen. Simba loves you and you will bear his cubs when the ancestors are ready. ”

“ I pray night and day Raffiki, and what good does it do me? Zelia has had five cubs in a year and a halve, How is that fair!”

The old baboon smacked her in the back of the head with his walking stick.

“ Careful of your complaints child!”

He commanded, a sense of authority appearing in his feeble frame. Nala slunk back from the reprimand suddenly frightened of her old teacher.

“ The sun shines in a blue sky, the grass is green and food abundant. A good king rules and you are his queen. Their have been those who have seen far worse times then you whose faith has not failed them, remember that.”

“ I’m sorry Raffiki. I don’t mean to be bitter.”

She stuttered, trying to hold back tears. His look softened.

“ Nala I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like that. I am worried about other things. I’m not angry with you, I can understand your frustration.”

He said a touch of sadness in his voice, once again appearing old and fragile.”

“ Do you still want to teach me tomorrow?”

She asked

“ Of course, You are my best student. Also you are my only student and I could use the company.”

He tried to smile. She could sense though his worry had not left him. Raffiki had been old since she had known him as a cub but he had always had a strength about him that seemed independent of his age. Now he seemed very tired. Yet another concern to haunt her nights. Her mother had died a year ago now Simba and the old Baboon where the only living things in this world she had any real relationship with. She knew he was of great age but she couldn’t bear the though of being any more alone then she already was.

The ceremonies ended as the sun set, and the crowds began to leave. Nala met Simba on the path and they walked back to their cave in silence. Simba could tell she was depressed. He knew how much she wanted cubs, so much she had devoted much of her life to performing the prayers Raffiki had taught her. She spent nearly all the rest of her time with him, and they spent most of that time having sex. Still they had no cubs to call their own.

Dusk turned their cave a beautiful purple casting stunning blues and lavenders on her pale fur. He tried with all effort to distract her, making love in the cool air of night. Finally exhausted he fell asleep beside her but despite her tiredness and warmth of her mate Nala could find no comfort in sleep and again she was alone with the darkness.

Part two ( Visions )

Nala awoke lying in a pool of light streaming in through the entrance to their cave. The sun was high, near noon maybe. Once again she had slept in, Simba was already gone. She sat up and stretched till her back popped and then sat contemplating the day before her verses going back to sleep. Finally visualizing Raffiki lecturing her and the other lionesses gossiping about how lazy their queen was, she abandoned all hope of more rest and wondered drearily into the day.

She walked along the narrow path that wound along the entrances to the pride’s caves until she came to the cliffs ledge, where the pride gathered every morning before going about the days tasks. Annoyingly she found she hadn’t slept in quiet long enough as the lionesses where still at the rock preparing for the days hunts. She could hear them whispering as she walked by them. Perfect she thought I sleep in just long enough to get them talking about me but not quite long enough to avoid them. Simba sat near the edge stretching in preparation for his rounds of the pride lands. She stopped and watched him for a moment admiring his strength and, lean form as he stretched. Finishing he came over, and sat down beside her. She knew he wanted to ask her if she was all right, she also knew he wouldn’t. It had been months since she had gotten up with the rest of the pride, even longer then that since she had had a restful sleep and with every morning she saw his concern grow. She smiled rubbing her head along his chin, her tail flirting with his. She didn’t want him to worry, he needed his strength.

“Get moving you have rounds to make and I have too many things to do to be messing around here with you. ”

She said smacking at him playfully. He laughed as he got up to leave trying to pretend he wasn’t worried and reluctantly heeded off for the open plains.

she watched from the cliff’s edge as Simba and the hunting party left pride rock then departed herself heading in the opposite direction, towards the western lands. The strange woods where old Raffiki made his home.

She traveled leisurely across the vast eastern grasslands, gradually winding west she finally came to the river Soti and followed along its white sand beaches to the ancient woods that made the western border of the pride’s lands. A rough path led her through the dense forest curving around to a clearing near the woods edge where the tree that served as Raffiki’s home sat. She arrived at near mid afternoon, once again late, not having had the energy to hurry. Raffiki was sitting on a low branch eating a piece of fruit and staring off into the sky.

“ My apologize for being late Raffiki.”

She said stopping under his perch and looking up at him.

“ Do not apologize, being late to lessons hurts the student not the teacher, you have done me no wrong.”

He said continuing to stare at the sky

“You have my apologize none the less Raffiki.”

She replied. He reached down offering her a bowl made from a gourd containing a variety of fruits and berries.

“Care for some lunch?”

“ No thank you, not real fond of fruit.”

She said looking mistrustingly at the bowl.

“ Take a piece, you should eat more fruit its good for you.”

Reluctantly she carefully removed a piece of fruit she couldn’t identify with the tip of her claw and put it in her mouth, Trying to hide her disdain at the horrible taste.

“ I bet there are a lot of