An Impulse of Heart 

(started 8/19/07 – finished 1/08)

Summary: What was the real reason that Nala roamed so far from home to find help during Scar’s reign as King? Was it just to hunt for food, get away from Scar’s evil intentions to make her his Queen, or was it destiny’s pull that caused her to run into the last lion she ever meant to see? (one-shot) 

Rating: G for General Audiences.

Disclaimer: The characters from the animated feature, “The Lion King,” are the properties of Walt Disney Pictures. The events in this story are based on the actions and original lines from the script of the film but are written for entertainment purposes only. 

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The late morning beamed down on the waves of long savanna grass that bordered a nearby jungle paradise. The form of a light peach-brown lioness slightly rustled through the blades, crouching within the safety of the camouflaging dried grass. She let out a low growl, her blue eyes carefully scoping the area around her while still focused on her main goal. 

I must find some help, she thought. The Pridelands just aren’t safe anymore . . . especially ever since Scar took over as King a couple of years ago when . . . She felt a tear begin to well up in her eye, but she wiped it away with her paw. It had been too long that she had last thought of him – they were best friends and apparently betrothed since they were young cubs. He was the Future King after all, but even though he was to become King, she could never believe that she was meant to marry her best friend! She sighed, which accidentally caused a tiny flock of field birds to scatter upward into the blue sky.

But not even he could help me now . . . He’s dead . . . She began to sniffle quietly to herself. Not even she could believe Scar’s words when he solemnly announced that both their King and his only son had perished in a deadly accident . . . No, she didn’t want to believe it for a few weeks. She had wept for days and days uncontrollably, almost to the point that she felt that she couldn’t stop the flood of tears from flowing from her eyes of clear blue. It was hard for her to think that the one lion that she could count on to be brave and still be fun to hang out with was gone forever. 

The last time they played together had been when they were a few months old . . . While her mother gave her a bath, he had found a new hangout that they could explore and play like all curious cubs could. He had said it was the big old water hole where all animals of the Pridelands traveled to in order to quench their thirst, but it was actually an elephant graveyard, a dark and dreary place that the large pachyderms migrated to when it was their time to end their circle of life. After a carefully-planned tactic of sing-song and dance, they had escaped the watchful eyes of the King’s majordomo, a blue hornbill named Zazu, and reached their destination . . . and nearly reached becoming a dinner for a trio of hungry hyenas. Thank goodness the brave Lion King had come to their rescue, saving them both; however, the young prince was severely scolded by his patriarch, mainly for disobeying his rules and putting his life, as well as hers, in danger.

But she always knew he was brave . . . even if his actions were out of curiosity, and that’s what she had always liked about him . . . 

She had remembered that she was meant to be his mate . . . and starting during her time of mourning, she actually felt sad that it would never happen.

I . . . I’d loved him . . . and never told him . . . how I felt about him . . . about us . . . 

It was hard for her to grow up so quickly under Scar’s reign, especially after losing her friend. Life, somehow, would have to go on, and the young lioness had to accept the sudden passing of her friend, especially since there were more important things to attend to. She, like the other lionesses of the pride, were ordered to hunt for food all the time. She was still a cub when the new order took over, but her mother, Serafina, and the former Queen, Sarabi, both made sure that she wasn’t left behind in learning how to hunt prey; whenever they weren’t hunting or resting, they made it their mission to teach the cub everything about stalking prey, pouncing, and hunting until she was about a year old.

Things didn’t work out as well as planned, however. During the next year, she was able to hunt on her own and work with a team as part of the main hunting party, but their home was growing barren with the lack of prey. The Pridelands had been in bad shape ever since Scar allowed his minions, the hyenas, free reign of the savanna. They tortured the wildebeest and antelope that once roamed and flourished in happiness, causing many of their herds to migrate far away from their homes and leaving the lionesses with hardly anything left to hunt within a half-day’s distance of Pride Rock. Sometimes, the lionesses hunted for days before they finally found some hope of food, but due to their own hunger, they spared a bit for their own sake, knowing full well that Scar would show no sign of pity for them. 

Life has been hard and not at all easy . . . but it’s even worse when it comes to carrying on our proud way of life . . .

The young lioness shuttered slightly as she laid her sleek body in the grass, remembering the terror that she felt only a few days ago before she left the Pridelands. Scar had called her into his bed-chamber, asking for a moment of her time. Unable to refuse his request and knowing that refusing a summons from the “King” would lead to her own execution, she agreed to help him, although the lioness had other things on her mind. 

- - - - -

Carefully, the young lioness stepped into the King’s chamber of Pride Rock, slightly gagging at the stench of death and the pungent scent of rotting carcasses that lay wastefully in the back of the cavern. She could barely sense the presence of the former King’s brother nearby, but she gasped when an unfamiliar touch rubbed against her side, starting from her thigh and slowly and steadily moved up to her neck. The lioness felt paralyzed, almost as if she were unable to budge from the intruder’s grasp. However, before the touch could reach her muzzle to steal a licking kiss, she used her rapid reflexes and batted the unknown creature with her front paws only to gasp in shock when the identity of the groper was revealed. 

“Scar!” Uncomfortable by the actions of her so-called King, she took a couple of steps back and growled. “Oh, how could you?”

The burgundy coated male chuckled evilly. “Oh-ho-ho, Nala, you have indeed grown since I last took notice . . .” His evil smirk against his wicked green and yellow stare made the lioness gulp in fear, but the male licked his front right paw and slicked back his black mane in a dramatic manner that made him look more attractive . . . although it really didn’t change much of his appearance. He circled around her, looking her up and down from every angle with his eyes. “ . . . quite beautifully, I might add . . .” Just his grin made the lioness cringe.  

Oh, you’re just disgusting . . .“W-what did you want from me?” She asked, wishing that she could escape as quickly as possible once this was over, but mainly she was not intrigued by the thin male’s advances and comments. “You did call for me, right?”

“Oh, why of course I did, child,” He replied back, slowly approaching her form as she continued to step backward as he advanced closer. Soon, she could not back up any further, for a wall of rock guarded against her thoughts of fleeing. “I only wanted to ask you to do something.” 

By the sound of his voice, she was unsure if she wanted him to continue; however, she knew that she might as well allow him to do his duty, as long as the male didn’t try to pursue her again.

“I’m listening,” she spoke up, lifting her head up like her mother and former Queen had told her to do whenever in Scar’s presence – although it was clear that none of the lionesses were happy about Scar’s sudden take-charge attitude on the throne. 

“You know, my dear,” Scar began to speak, sitting up all regal-like in order to get his point across. “I’ve ruled over the Pridelands for almost two years after my brother and nephew’s sudden deaths, and just now, I realized that I’ve been missing something vital to my reign.”

“And what does this have to do with me, Scar?” the she-lion growled, lowering her ears slightly in impatience. 

“I’m getting to that!” Scar leaned up to her face in anger, causing the young lioness to lean her head backwards in fright. Realizing that he had scared her, he backed his head towards the rest of his slim, fiery form and lightly laughed nervously. “Sorry about that . . . heh-heh.” Scar cleared his throat, but the lioness’s glare stared him down with every breath he took. “What I meant to say was that I need something that every previous ruler of the Pridelands has had . . .” His smirk was menacing and dark-hearted as he led to his conclusion, pausing every few moments to tip-toe closer to the young female lion. “Every king . . . has to have . . . a queen . . .” He laughed slightly, the sound pitched louder at one point, echoing against the cavern walls before he silenced himself with a noble move onto a kneeling position. “ . . . and I want you, Nala, . . .” He grasped her left paw with his right paw and leaned his lips towards the peachy-colored flesh in his grip. “ . . . you will be my Queen . . .”

The lioness jerked her paw away from his lips, her claws emerging with a force of displeasure and nearly leaving a mark on his cheek. “Never!” she roared, dodging him by leaping away from his reach. “I will never be your Queen, Scar! You would have to kill me before I would ever –” 

She was silenced by the thundering roar of the furious male, his sound piercing the calming night air of the African savanna. He returned to a more composed demeanor after letting out a cough and an embarrassed, toothy grin that still emanated pure evil. “I apologize; I seem to have forgotten my manners,” He smirked. “I know that this is so sudden and all, but I’ll give you some time to think it over.” Moving his nose against the shuttering peach fur that graced her neck, he murmured in her ear. “After tomorrow’s hunt, I want you to return to me with your answer. I can promise you a better life, Nala . . . a life that will make you the queen of the next generation of our pride . . . Think about that.” Heading to the darker side of his den, he stepped away from her as she maintained her shocked expression. “It is time for me to retire for the night; you may leave, Nala . . . and remember what I promised you . . .”

He ended the conversation with a mighty yowl, causing her to leap to her feet and run out of his cave without turning back. Finally slowing to a halt at the lionesses’ chamber and without any prior warning, the light-colored lioness burst into tears without understanding why she was doing so. The others, including her mother and former Queen, all comforted her, but she knew that none of them could understand the situation that had been laid out in front of her that could change her life. 

- - - - -

Letting out a low growl, she began to return to her hunting position, sniffing out the air for anything that could pass as food. She would have rather become an exile of Pride Rock than to become Scar’s queen, especially since her feelings for her lost love had not wavered due to his accidental demise; the only other option the young lioness had was to at least search for someone that could possibly defeat Scar at his own game . . .  

If only he were still alive . . . then maybe . . . maybe we would stand a fighting chance against him . . .

No matter how much she prayed it wasn’t true, the lioness knew that it was all for naught; he was gone, becoming a part of the Great Circle of Life far too early within his first year . . . with so much promise to become a great heir to the throne that his own father had passed on to him.  

There was one thing that the lioness didn’t understand: although she had snuck away from Pride Rock during the early night as soon as Scar’s clan of loyal hyenas had fallen asleep after eating mostly all of their kill, she had no idea where she was exactly headed to. She, like many of the other lionesses, had lived in the Pridelands for their entire lives, never having to roam over the borders to search for food, but her personal life depended on where she could lead herself – she was not going to serve that false king ever again. However, there was a strange intuition . . . one that made her feel like she knew where to go, although the area outside of the Pridelands was new to her. Strangely, there were times that she could have sworn that a wind filled with leaves and other sporadic seeds was leading her to the eastern border of the savanna, and not knowing any other way to go, she followed, hoping that perhaps the late King and his son were offering some guidance to the young lioness.

After hours of running through a rocky canyon, crossing a dry, sandy desert, and finally reaching a lush grassland, she had spotted that jungle, envious of the beauty and tranquility that lay within the thin branches that were covered in exotic leaves of dark green. Compared to what Pride Rock and the Pridelands had become, this place was a godsend . . . but she never expected to actually find the impossible there. 

Moments after she had spotted and given chase to a large, plump warthog through the lush jungle, she gazed into the red and yellow eyes of the last lion she had hoped to see, and her thoughts were slightly clarified.

“Nala?” 

Impossible . . . She felt her face grow a light shade of blush against her cheeks as she stood on top of the male lion’s strong form; she had pounced on him, going in for the kill after laying him flat onto the dirt jungle ground. He had just spoken her own name back at her, as if he had known her! How could he know me when I have no idea who he is?

Standing up with a confused look on her face, she heard his voice speak once more. 

“Is it really you?”

How does this lion know me?She thought, repeating her inner query. There weren’t many male lions around the Pridelands when I was younger . . . and it can’t be him . . . he’s dead. Who else could this lion be? Her face was still slightly pink as she began to ask an important question to him: “Who are you?” 

With a calm and matured-deep voice, he replied back. “It’s me, Simba.”

Her ears lifted in shock. It had been a couple of years since that name had flown into her eardrums, but somehow . . . it felt good to hear that name again. 

“Simba?”

As the name slipped through her lips, she lowered her eyelids halfway, making sure that the lion in front of her was indeed that of her best friend. He looks the same,the lioness quickly inspected the male with a sapphire gaze. With the exception of his mane, everything else looks like him, except now he’s like a younger version of his great father, Mufasa . . . 

The male lion answered back lightly with a nod and a smile. “Yeah.”

As if in unison, the best friends were reunited, lightly touching their heads against the other and trying to show how much they missed each other’s company over the past couple of years. However, the lioness felt her heart leap with joy – her friend was alive . . . and he could return to take what was rightfully his. 

Both the throne . . . and me . . . She sighed in her thoughts as the next few minutes passed by like a whirlwind before she and him were alone at last.

So many emotions went through her head as she sat down during her friend’s happiness . . . I should be relieved and happy,she thought as the lioness felt her muzzle frown. I mean, I’m thankful that now our kingdom can be saved from destruction now that the rightful heir has been found, . . . Her eyelids lowered halfway at the sudden moment. but . . . why don’t I feel the same way? I can see him – Simba’s really here beside me . . . but I still can’t believe that what Scar told us about his . . . Not even in her thoughts could she remind herself of the announcement of her best friend’s death, but all she could do was lower her head and let out a soft sigh. 

I . . . I don’t know what else to do anymore . . . Now that I’ve found him, he’s the rightful King of the Pridelands . . . Still, why do I feel so disappointed? Why does my heart ache so?

“What?” 

The mid-deep tone of the golden male lion reached her ears. She knew he was talking about his new companions from the jungle, but the female had lost her interest for the meerkat and the warthog, even after seeing their strange antics and reactions to her news of the male lion being the next King of her kingdom.

Great – now he wants to talk to me? Her heart seemed broken, angered . . . I can’t believe he would deny his birthright . . . and, . . . and at the same time, deny me . . . 

“What is it?” Her friend tried to speak again, grasping her attention as he stepped closer to the elegantly-formed lioness.

She could feel his presence beside her own face, but not even that could offer her comfort. He just doesn’t understand anymore . . . “It’s like your back from the dead,” she was finally able to murmur out, amidst her disappointment and slight joy of reuniting with her friend again. I wish you could finally understand, . . . now . . . “You don’t know how much this will mean to everyone . . .” The peach-furred she-lion turned away from him, almost near to tears; now her voice had absorbed the internal emotions that she hid within her heart. “ . . . what it means to me . . .” 

No, I hope you can really understand how I really feel about this . . . now that I’ve found you alive . . . A tear nearly fell down from her azure and gold eyes, but somehow she couldn’t find the courage to sob in his presence.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the male spoke with a sense of calm. 

No, it’s not okay! The lioness wanted to roar back at him, but a part of her just couldn’t get the words to come from her throat. It’s not okay . . . life isn’t as great as it once was when we were young . . . especially because . . . I’ve realized that . . .

She stopped her thoughts and looked towards him, seeing what her friend had now become. He was no longer that naïve Prince that was eager to rule in his father’s paws; the golden male lion was all grown up . . . she couldn’t believe that her face was beginning to feel hot once again. His eyes seemed so comforting, so gentle . . . it felt like she was safe with him once again. 

Before she knew it, her body reacted to her heart. “I’ve really missed you.” The lioness could feel her nose nuzzle up against the warmth of the male lion’s neck. She was engulfed by his scent, absorbing it at the point where his gold fur joined with brown mane, and her anger seemed to disperse.

I mean to say . . . I love you . . . I really love you, Simba . . . Her throat seemed to purr. 

The male was shocked nonetheless by the female’s actions – perhaps the same thoughts from his cubhood of denying his betrothal to his best friend had been retriggered into his memory, but he hadn’t seen another lion, not even a lioness, for many moons. After hearing her once again and feeling her gentle touch against his own, he softened up, returning the gesture to her.

“I’ve missed you too . . .” He purred as well, although he probably oblivious of her true feelings for him.  

Now I’ll never choose you, Scar . . . My heart has led me back to the only one that I will be Queen to . . .

The lioness could finally smile now as she continued to purr into her lover’s ear – like an impulse of heart, her worries and cares of how she had felt earlier seemed to vanish into thin air.  

END