Lion King (the Cub Days)

Meeting Nala

Simba jolted awake. Today was the day he would meet Nala for the first time. He bounced around and nearly collided with Sarabi.

"Are you ready," asked Sarabi as she lowered her head beside her son.

Simba reared on his hind legs and pawed at the sky. "Of course," he exclaimed as he danced around the den with his hindquarters wiggling. His eyes shone and he bounded out of the den.

Sarabi sighed as she turned to Mufasa. She rubbed her head against his neck fur. "See you later."

Mufasa purred warmly. "Be careful. Those hyenas are drifting closer and closer each day. Don't they know that they are on our territory!"

"Calm down," she chided as her eyes drifted toward where Simba was still dancing about. "We don't want him to know what's going on. Now I'll be back before sunset."

She strode forward and nudged Simba down the rockface. She cast a glance over her shoulder before disappearing down the rockface and toward the vast pridelands.

"Where does Nala live," asked Simba as he lowered into a crouch and stalked forward. He had practiced his playing crouch with his father before he tried it out on Nala. He hoped that Nala liked to playfight too.

"She lives just past the tall grasses to the barren rocks," Sarabi explained as she blinked her eyes at her son. "It's where a lot of lions go to sun themselves."

"Why doesn't she live at priderock with the rest of us," Simba inquired as he leaped on a beetle that was about to fly away. He landed on it harshly but it flew through his paws and he slumped backwards.

"Because when mothers have their cubs they want privacy. There isn't a lot of privacy at priderock as you already know so they live in the abandoned dens. When she's older her and her mother will return but it may be a while," Sarabi replied as she swerved from the path to a narrower path with grass towering over her.

"How do you see," complained Simba as he wrinkled his nose as grass whipped past his face.

Sarabi purred. "Just lower your head into your shoulders and keep them bunched. That's now lionesses do on the hunt." She recalled her days hunting and patrolling. She missed that but she wouldn't give it up to not have a cub. Simba was now her whole world and she'd do anything for him.

Sarabi stopped at a ravine with rocks jutting out of the side. It was shallow and covered in the wavy grass. "Is this were she lives," asked Simba as he danced around.

Sarabi's eyes gleamed. "This is where we sun ourselves. She lives back into these dens." Her ears perked as she heard laughing. "However I think she's in the clearing playing so let's go there."

"Yay," shouted Simba as he surged forward. "I'm going to meet a friend."

"Now be polite," chided Sarabi as she halted Simba and began to groom him madly. "It may take her a while to warm up to you so don't push it."

"I won't," assured Simba as he puffed out his fur before bounding forward. Sarabi leaped in front of him and hissed sternly. Simba held back and plastered his ears against his head in fear.

Sarabi took the lead and let out a yowl. "Sarafina! Sarafina is that you?"

A head popped up and Sarabi recognized her friend's bright eyes. "Sarabi! You came. Did you bring Simba?"

"Simba," echoed a female voice. "What's a Simba?"

Sarafina looked over her shoulder and purred warmly. "Nala," she murmured as she nudged her daughter toward Sarabi. "Nala, this is Sarabi, the queen of the pridelands, and her son Simba, the future king of the pridelands."

Simba bounded forward and halted as he met Nala's eyes. He didn't say anything though as shyness rushed over him. He wanted to speak but he just couldn't think of anything to say to the new cub.

"You're the future king," asked Nala as she tilted her eyes with her teal eyes gleaming at Simab.

Simba shuffled his paws as he struggled to answer. "Er yeah."

Nala smiled. "You seem awfully small to be the new king. Can you even fight a fierce enemy?" He eyed gleamed playfully and she lowered into a crouch and began to pounce around.

Simba's heart leaped in his chest and lowered into his own crouch. He surged forward and leaped onto Nala. Nala was swift though and she sidestepped and Simba crashed into the ground. Nala purred and her eyes lit with amusement as Simba rose to his paws and shook out his fur.

"You'll have to do better than that king," taunted Nala as she padded around Simba and leaped onto his back. He collapsed against the ground and panted.

"Perhaps I need more practice," he choked as he raised his head and tried to push Nala off of him. However she was still shoving him down.

"I can help you," she offered. "My mom taught me how to fight so I could teach you."

"Readlly," puffed Simba. "Thanks Nala."

Nala purred. "Of course. It's what friends do."