Nala finished pawing and grooming herself. She sighed, as she looked in the reflection of water, thinking she looked no where near good enough for this gathering. "Well," she sighed. "Mheetu, how do I look?"

   Mheetu turned, his blue eyes opening wide and a shocked expression on his pale face. "You look....... Amazing!" Mheetu exclaimed. Nala had used some of Rafiki's paints to pull her eyelashes back, and made some eye shadow out of some purple flowers. Her cheeks were pink from the mix of paint and roses. It took hours for her to do, but she never looked better.

  Nala smiled at her brother. "Thanks, Mheetu. I have to look my best when Scar chooses his queen tonight at the ceremony."

  Mheetu gazed at his sister. "Do you think he will choose you?" Mheetu asked, grooming his paws.

   "Well," Nala answered. "King Scar was going to choose our mother to be queen. But when she disappeared....... he had to make other arrangments."

   Mheetu looked down at his paws. "Nala," he asked, "do you think mom will come back? I mean, do you think she's alive?"

   Nala looked down at her brother. "I think she is," Nala lied, so that her brother wouldn't worry. Nala had seen her mothers corpse down in the gorge, lying next to Mufasa's. Nala knew either Scar or some hyenas had killed her, maybe both. But Mheetu didn't know this yet, and Nala didn't want to break the news to him. "Come, Mheetu. Lets start walking to Pride Rock."

   From the dark black shadows, the hyenas yellow neon-like eyes were visible, and they lit the night. The cackling drove Nala crazy, but she couldn't stand up to them, or they'd kill her or Mheetu. Shenzi seemed to be aware of this, and cackled extra loudly when Nala was around. Nala bared her white teeth and growled at Shenzi, scooting Mheetu closer to her body. Mheetu was scared to death of the hyenas. He was shaking so badly, he could barely move. Nala licked him, and he began to relax.

   When they got to the den, Scar was complimenting other lionesses that had really done themselves up for the occasion. Nala noticed Sarabi had done nothing, and was just lying down quietly in a corner. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, as usual from the day she lost her son and her husband. Nala walked slowly up to Sarabi, and "shared tongues" with her, grooming her cheeks and her ears. Sarabi soon fell asleep. Nala walked to where the other lionesses were. They soon exited outside, where they would judge at the tip of Pride Rock. Scar was walking around, still complimenting other lionesses. Finally, he stopped in front of Nala.

  "Nala," he began, in an irritated voice. "This is a fancy occasion.  You look pathetic! I mean, why are your eyes lined in purple?! Really?" Silene settled over Pride Rock. Nala was deep in thought, on how long it took her to mix the paints, and apply it perfectly. Suddenly she heard a voice.

  "You leave her alone," Mheetu growled. " She spent hours making and applying that make-up, not for you to be a butthole and critisize it. Go pick on yourself, and cover up that lousy scar of yours." Mheetu shrieked. Nala and the whole pride gasped. Nala nudged Mheetu. She glanced at Scar.

  His eyes were burning red with anger. His muscles were flexed, and his claws were visible. His long white teeth were bared. "Did you say something, young lion?" Scar yelled. 

  Mheetu stood up. "I said, leave Nala alone, and take a hike!" Mheetu yowled back, standing up tall. Scar smacked Mheetu's side, spraying both blood and fur everywhere. Mheetu didn't hold back. He leaped onto Scars neck, clawing and slashing at the crusty brown fur. Scar screeched with pain. Nala growled too, smacking Scar in the face, sending him to the ground.  Blood showed red on his face. Mheetu was still on his back, being swung around like a man on a bull.

  Scar finally threw  Mheetu against the hard rock wall. Mheetu struggled to his paws, growling. Every little hair was standing on end. His tail was as big around as a raccoons. The lionesses just watched. Nala was tackled by dozens of hyenas, unable to help her brother. Mheetu was cornered. Just when Scar was going to finish him, he leaped again onto his back. He ran around the edge of Pride Rock angrily, at the point. Finally, he slapped Mheetu with all his strength, sending Mheetu flying off the edge of Pride Rock. Nala screamed through sobs, tearing running down her soft cheeks. Sarabi stumbled out of the den, and saw what was happening. She sent Scar flying to the ground. Scar growled at Sarabi, who he fought off and sent limping back into the den with minor injuries. Nala needed to know if Mheetu was alright; he was all she had.

   Escaping from the hyenas with Sarabi's help, Nala darted off Pride Rock. She looked back. Lionesses all around her looked sad. It was as if they were saying, "We wanted to help, but we couldn't. If only Mufasa was still alive."

    Nala ran to the area she saw Mheetu be flung off. She saw a palish white figure lying on its side. It was lying in a pool of blood. Nala cried even more, screaming, "Mheetu! Noo!" 

    Nala ran up to Mheetu. His face had no expression at all. His whiskers were bent and crooked. Nala could tell that multiple bones were broken, looking at the shape of his arms and his chest. She moved her head closer to Mheetu's. No air was coming. Mheetu, heir of Scar and sister of Nala, was dead. Nala couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. Mheetu, her brother, was gone.  Nala screamed, rocking her brother back and forth with her paws, her eyes squeezed shut and her head looking up at the cloudy grey sky. She did this for hours, crying.  Sarabi eventually came down from the Pride. She was sopping wet with both Scars and her own blood. She knelt down next to Nala.

   "Oh, Mufasa. Why did you need to leave us? What have we........ done wrong?" She asked, looking into the sky. Sarabi licked poor Nala. The whole time, Sarafina was on both of their minds. Nala thought, "I was supposed to protect him! I'm so sorry mother! Sorry Mheetu!" While Sarabi thought, "My best friend, my life, my husband and son, are gone. I no longer have any will to live."

    Nala dragged Mheetus body back to their little den far away from Pride Rock. She buried him at the same tree she had seen Mufasa's body lying among. She knew that's where Mheetu wanted to be. Next to his kings body, very close. She thought that maybe Mheetu would again see Mufasa, in a bright colored place, very fluffy with clouds. Maybe Mheetu would find her mother, and they would once more bound playfully with each other. She knew that she would never again see Mheetu, but she also knew he was in a better, safer place. Nala bowed her head, and whispered, "Thank you, Mheetu. You will be missed dearly by those who remember you in their hearts." And walked silently away, still crying a bit.