Light of Grief

[Iri]

Nala suppressed a sob of grief as she watched Scar sit on Pride Rock with his head raised arrogantly. Simba was dead... Mufasa was dead... the sun shouldn't have been shining. The plants shouldn't have been growing. Everything should have been dark, gloomy, depressing... nothing should have been light. And yet it was.
"Nala?" Mheetu squeaked. "Are you all right?"
Nala wanted to snarl at Mheetu, to tell him to go away, to tell him that nothing would ever be the same again. But she didn't.
"No," was all she said.
Mheetu sighed and hung his head. "I miss Simba," he murmured. "I wanted him to stay."
"Me too, Mheetu," Nala replied. Then she giggled a tiny bit in spite of herself.
Mheetu curled up and after a few brief moments of hesitation, she curled up beside him. I'll never let anyone hurt you, she vowed silently. No one will hurt you. Ever.
Little did Nala know that was a promise that would take hard effort to keep.
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Nala awoke the next day, Mheetu curled up next to her. "Good morning, Mheetu," she said.
"G'mornin'," Mheetu murmured sleepily.
"Get up, you lazy old zebra," Nala teased.
"I'm up, I'm up," Mheetu grunted. Nala snorted with amusement.
"Well, c'mon then!" she said. "Race you to the lake!"
Mheetu and Nala ran to the lake.
"Beat you!" Nala panted.
"Did not!" Mheetu objected.
"Did too!" Nala said. Mischief flashed in her eyes as she shoved her brother. Mheetu gave a yelp of indignation as he toppled into the lake and fell in with a splash. He swam up and spat water in Nala's face.
"I'll get you for that!" Nala warned, leaping in and cuffing Mheetu's ears lightly with her paws.
"Hey!" Mheetu protested.
Nala and Mheetu continued scuffling and wrestling in the water, dunking each other and squirting water into each other's faces with their mouths. Finally, they climbed out, panting and tired, but happy. This was the first happiness she had felt in days. Happiness that seemed to light up the dark pit in her heart.

[Iri]

Nala and Mheetu walked back to Pride Rock. Sarafina greeted them with a lick over each of their foreheads, her forepaw draped over the other.
"Hello, Mother," Nala said.
"What happened to you? You're soaked to the skin!" Sarafina exclaimed as she started licking Nala's fur.
"Not was soaked as I will be if you keep licking me!" Nala protested.
Sarafina suddenly lifted her head and bared her teeth. Her ears flattened and her eyes blazed. Scar was approaching.
"What do you want, Scar?" she growled.
"Why aren't you on the hunting party?" Scar snarled. "You know the punishment for not following the law!"
"If I looked at you, I'd think all kings did was make unjust laws," Sarafina shot back angrily.
"You dare talk to your king like that?" Scar spat. "You little-"
"Take it easy, Scar," Nzinga consoled Scar. Nzinga was Zira's sister and Scar's sister-in-law. "Sarafina's not worth it anyway."
Scar nodded in acknowledgement, still looking sullen over
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Months later, Nzinga had two cubs, Arida and Monifa. Despite Nala's burning resent towards Nzinga, she loved the two little cubs.
Arida and Monifa were old enough to play a month later.
"At least I'm not the youngest cub anymore!" Mheetu said cheerily.
Arida pawed at Mheetu's nose. "That doesn't mean you're not the only boy!" she teased.
"Oh, shush," Mheetu said sulkily.
Monifa laughed. "Want to play tag?" she suggested.
"Sure. But Arida's it!" Mheetu said quickly, then ran.
Arida yelped indignantly. "You're my target then!" she squealed, racing after Mheetu, pouncing on him and wrestling him to the ground. "You're it now!"
Mheetu staggered to his paws and spat dust and dirt out of his mouth. "Pah! No fair! Lionesses are faster!"
"Then you need to sharpen up your reflexes," Arida retorted sharply. But her eyes gleamed with mischief and teasing.
"Oh, yeah? Watch me!" Mheetu said, leaping at Arida. Arida dodged nimbly away and rolled over to Nala.
"I... I let you go that time!" Mheetu said.
"Sure," Arida snorted, rolling her eyes.
Mheetu jumped at Arida again and managed to knock her over a little. "Ha!" he said once he got her pinned. "I finally got you!"
"I let you," Arida insisted. Mheetu raised an eyebrow at her, knowing he had defeated her.
"But whatever! Haha! I finally-"
Without warning, Arida kicked Mheetu's belly and sent him tumbling off of her. She scrambled over and pinned him against the dirt. Her mouth twisted into a mischievous grin. "Never stop to gloat."

[Iri]

Days later, Nala, Kula, Tama, Mheetu, Arida, and Monifa played under the shade of Rafiki's baobab with Sarafina watching them. Nzinga had never really bothered to care for her own cubs, except when she nursed them. But she rarely played or spent time with them.
"I'll give you a five-second head start!" Nala shouted as her friends and brother ran off, curling her mouth into a mischievous grin. "Kula, are you going to tag or run?"
"I want to go hunting!" Kula said. "And eat something. Like a hare or a mole rat!" Kula swiped her tongue around her jaws as if she could imagine the delicious flavor of fresh meat bursting in her mouth.
Nala nodded. "For once, I agree with you about this eating thing. But... you know the prey will never come back."
"Wow, you're an optimist," Kula said sarcastically.
"She's speaking the truth, Kula," Sarafina said from under the tree. Nala's mother was still young, but not strong anymore... Nala always wondered what was wrong with her. Sarafina was always coughing, her voice was hoarse, she walked as if every step stuck thorns in her paw pads.
Nala walked up to Sarafina and pressed her muzzle against Sarafina's muzzle. "Are you sick, Mother?" she asked anxiously.
"No," Sarafina assured her worried daughter. "It's just the drought."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Nala nodded reluctantly. "I'll get you some moist leaves if you want," she offered.
"Nah, I'm all right. Go ahead and play with your friends," Sarafina coughed.
"Okay..." Nala agreed slowly. But she kept her head turned over her shoulder as she ran off after her friends. "When I come back I'll have something for you!" she promised.
Sarafina merely smiled as she lay her head down on her paws and watched her cubs frolic and tussle.
Nala raced after Tama and bowled the tuft-headed cub over with a mock snarl on her face. "Give up!" she said playfully. Tama shook her head and drew her lips back to reveal her small but pointed teeth. "Never!" Tama said defiantly.
Nala laughed heartily as she and Tama kept scuffling and wrestling on the ground. Kula was still searching for grubs to eat, ignoring any and all commotion around her.
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A few days later, Nala and her friends went back under the baobab tree to play. Sarafina watched them again, making sure nothing bad happened.
But something bad did happen.
Sarafina lifted her head and glared as a horde of hyenas came by, snapping at Sarafina's heels and baring their teeth at her. "Back off!" she said angrily.
The first hyena curled her lip. "Well, either the cubs are our supper, or you are."
"I'd rather die than let you lay a hair on the cubs!" Sarafina roared.
The hyena smiled a terrible, mocking smile, clearly intended to taunt her... "You know, you are quite skinny, too skinny to make a decent meal," she decided. "And those cubs are nice and plump. Not to mention there are six of them. Fat little cubs, as plump as rats."
"Lay a hair on them and I'll flay you!" Sarafina bellowed.
"We're so scared," the hyena sneered. "Corner her, the rest of you."
The seven hyenas in the pack drew their lips back and showed their long, glinting yellow-white teeth, cornering Sarafina against the baobab while the leader lunged at the cubs, who had stopped their play to observe. Even Kula had paused her desperate search for food.
Nala squealed as a hyena grabbed Kula abruptly by her neck, shaking her around and finally flinging her to the dusty earth. Kula lay on the ground, trying desperately to breathe, blood dripping from the back of her neck. "Kula!" she screamed.
"I'm... I'm okay," Kula gasped. "No, I'm not okay..."
Sarafina roared and fought her way out of the wall of hyenas. She lunged at the matriarch and unsheathed her claws, preparing to take a mighty blow to the hyena's head... but instead the hyena snorted a cackle and dodged. The other seven jumped on Sarafina and started attacking her mercilessly, biting, clawing, shredding.
"Get off of my mother!" Nala screeched.
Sarafina fought bravely, but she was no match for her opponents. Soon, dreadful minutes passing by as Nala watched helplessly, Sarafina too lay dead on the ground, right next to Kula.

[Iri]

Nala stood still. A wave of grief, anger, and guilt washed over her. It was her fault Kula was dead. If she had done something to prevent it, it wouldn't have happened. But no, she had just stood still in rigid shock, when she could have done something to help Kula. Suddenly, Kula coughed.
"Kula!" Nala shrieked. "Kula, you're okay!"
Kula shook her head, blood dripping from her neck. "No, I'm not," she panted.
Nala quickly attempted to help Kula. She seized a leaf lying nearby and pressed it against Kula's neck. "You'll be all right!" All it did was have some of the crimson liquid stain its formerly green colour.
"No, I won't. Nala, stop it." Kula coughed again, inhaling shakily... Her breath seemed to rattle in her chest.
And without another word, Kula's life disappeared. Nala knew there was no point in trying to revive her, for the lively, spirited little cub was not coming back.
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Nor was Sarafina. Sarafina wasn't coming back either.
Nala stood rigid next to the cave. The other lionesses hovered around her, trying to help her feel better. "Nala, I'm sorry," they all said.
Pfft. Yeah, right. They didn't know what it felt like to lose their parents at such an early age. They didn't understand.
Only Sarabi did. Simba's mother had always told stories of her mother, Zawadi, before she had died of a drought. Sarabi understood. At least Nala's mother had been good friends with Sarabi, so she wasn't too nervous to talk to her about her grief.
"I miss Mother," Nala murmured, a tear slowly dripped from her eye. Sarabi nodded sympathetically.
"Don't worry, it's all right," the lioness said comfortingly. "I miss Sarafina too. At least Sarafina can watch you from the stars. She's always with you."
"It's my fault Kula is dead, isn't it?" Nala said.
"No, little one," Sarabi assured the anxious cub. "It's not."
"What I wouldn't give to have Mother back," Nala murmured sadly.
"I'd give anything," Sarabi agreed. "But..." Her voice cracked with grief. "But that can't be changed now."
"But... isn't it my fault?" Nala whispered.
"No," Sarabi repeated. "Nala, your mother loved you. She loved all of the cubs. She was willing to give up her life to protect you and the other cubs. And that's what she did. She was brave and courageous."
"Then... it is my fault that she's not here anymore." Nala's voice was bitter. "If I had died she would still be alive."
"But then Sarafina wouldn't have you. You wouldn't be here," Sarabi said. "I assure you, Nala, it was not your fault that Sarafina is dead. It is no one's fault. She sacrificed herself for you. And it's because she loved you."
Sarabi gave Nala a comforting lick over her head. "Now it's time for bed. Do you want to hear a story about the mischief your mother and I used to get into all the time?"
"Yes, please!" Mheetu said happily.
Nala's heart split. Her eyes narrowed at her brother angrily. How dare he act so happy and excited, just a few days after Sarafina's death?! Traitor.

[Iri]

Just a few days later, Nala sighed. She had to forgive Mheetu. After all, he was her brother... and he was only so small. He didn't truly understand.
"Nala?" Mheetu trotted up. "Nala?"
"Oh, hello, Mheetu," Nala greeted, her voice friendlier.
"Are you still mad at me?" Mheetu asked.
"No, Mheetu. When was I mad at you?" Nala said, tilting her head.
"Just the past few days you seemed angry," Mheetu pointed out.
"Aw,, it's just because I was sad about Simba," Nala lied.
"Oh!" Mheetu trilled. "Want to wrestle?"
Nala smiled for the first time in a quite a while... Her brother really was innocent; and he deserved some love. Sarafina was dead and there wasn't anyone else to protect little Mheetu from Scar's tyranny and the hyena's viciousness.
Sarabi approached the two cubs before Mheetu could lunge at his elder sister to tackle her. "Hello, Nala. Mheetu," she greeted, her voice friendly.
"Hello," Nala said cautiously, narrowing her bright teal eyes as Scar walked by them, his lanky figure and bright green eyes impossible not to notice. He seemed to lift his head and glare at Sarabi for a few brief moments, his gaze filled with hatred.

[Iri]

This is going to be discontinued as I have lost all inspiration for it. It was terribly written, and I have improved considerably since then.