[Request] Hakuna Matata

[FlipMode]

"Run and never return!" "Its your fault." "What will your mother think?"
Words still echoed in the young cub's mind as he raced forwards, he was running slower than he was when he escaped the hyenas now, the heat and intensity of the blazing sun across the barren deserts taking its toll. The only other movement was the clouds of dust that occasionally formed as a gentle breeze swept by, providing a brief moment of respite for the cub before his mind returned to the heat.

Simba stopped moving, he could see the jungles ahead of him but they didn't seem to be getting any closer.
"Almost there." He said to nobody. He wasn't aware that his thoughts had become spoken words and he didn't care any more.

Simba took a breathe and prepared to step forwards once more. But it didn't happen. Exhausted, he felt his paws and then the rest of his body slip out from under him. The thud of his body hitting the ground was painful, not because he was particularly big nor heavy but because the ground and its crunching sands were scorching hot.
He didn't have the strength to get back up. Nothing more he could do, he closed his eyes.

The last thing he saw was a pack of vultures circling in the sky above him, mere silhouettes among the blinding sun and cloudless bright blue sky. At least the dark silence would provide some peace from the thoughts that plagued him now. The reminders of a past that although recent, he just wanted to forget.

[SwagaliciousXXX]

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR"

Alas, not even his wish for silence came true. As light began to fade from the cub's eyes, a roaring battle cry ripped through the wasteland's silence. From a short distance away, Pumbaa began a vicious charge. Startled by the cry and the sound of thundering hooves, the vultures began to rise in a panicked flurry. Any that lag behind received a hoof to the face, a not so subtle incentive to fly away faster.

[Azdgari]

A meerkat's head poked out from Pumbaa's tuft of hair. "Hey, big guy, slow it down!" He yanked on a horn. "Hey! I'm pullin' the handbrake on this thing!

He pointed to a small, dust-covered form lying limp on the desiccated ground. "Would ya' get a look at that, Pumbaa."

[SwagaliciousXXX]

The charging warthog pulled to a abrupt halt beside the cub. Looking up and down the lion's prone body, he tried his best to analyze the body but to no avail. Dejectedly, he asked his friend, "Hey Timon, do you think he's still alive?"

[Azdgari]

Timon hopped down for a closer look, wincing. "Geez, bud. I dunno."

He bent over to pick up a twig and proceeded to jab the motionless cub in the ribs. "Hey! Anybody home? Don't go towards the light, kid! I repeat, move away from the light!"

[SwagaliciousXXX]

“Oh, Timon! He’s not waking up! And he was such a cute, little lion too!” Pumbaa wailed, his tears spurting like fountains. “What are we going to do? We can’t just leave him here! Can we keep him?”

As each sentence left the warthog’s pungent mouth, his face turned from somber into rays of hope. After all, he didn’t really think that far ahead.

[Azdgari]

Timon graduated from poking to whacking the cub over the head. With no sign of movement, Timon deflated, dropping the stick. He turned glumly to Pumbaa and was opening his mouth to say something when the cub stirred, sending him jumping behind in surprise. He dashed behind Pumbaa's considerable mass for cover.

[FlipMode]

"Ow". Simba half said to himself as his senses came back to him. He was used to being woken up to the calm serenity of the royal den at Pride Rock as the sun peaked through but here he was greeted with the mid day heat beating down on him and for some reason he was developing a headache.

Looking around him he saw nothing new than when he had been awake. But there was something or rather someone, a warthog was stood by him.
"He- hello?" Simba was thirsty, he struggled to get the words out through his dry mouth.
As a portion of the energy returned to him he was able to bring himself back over and onto all fours again.

The memories of what had happened came back to him too. He thought about what life for the Pridelanders will be like now that he, the heir to his now deceased father's rule of the lands was missung.

His head still ached.

[SwagaliciousXXX]

Pulling out the frightened meerkat from under him, Pumba exclaimed joyously, “Oh look, it’s a miracle, Timon! He’s alive!” But when his eyes met the young cub’s he knew something was wrong. An all too familiar pain of empathy washed over him. As the awkwardness became transparent, words stifled in his mouth and didn’t know what to say. He could only give a worried look to his best friend, hoping he could salvage the situation.

[Azdgari]

Timon blinked. “So, ah... ya’ come here often?”