The Lion Queen

Chapter 4

Mom always had to give me a bath when I visited. It never changed anything, since Sarafina always bathed me before I went so I'd look "presentable". Mom always took forever, too. Once she was done she'd hold me next to her and snuggle for ages. Of course I liked it, though. After that we pretty much did whatever we wanted. I liked to play fight with her. Whenever I attacked she would dramatically cry out and throw herself down like I'd slain her.

I usually stayed overnight, so I was surprised when I saw Tarishi running toward us as the sun was setting. She was our messenger, since she was the fastest, and she sure looked like she had something important to say. She ran straight for my mother and didn't seem to notice me. She was panting as she talked.

"I'm sorry. We have to take Paka home. There's been an accident," she said. Something was really wrong. The way Mom reacted was scaring me. She leapt to her feet.

"She's by the banyon tree," she said. They both took off running as fast as they could go. I ran after them, desperately trying to keep up.

"What happened?" I asked. It sounded so bad I couldn't imagine. Whatever they said couldn't be as bad as not knowing. But they didn't seem to hear me. They were talking to each other. I strained forward and pricked my ears.

"The gorge-" Tarishi said. My heart leapt and I stumbled. Simba was in the gorge.

"What about Simba?" I asked. Mom and Paka reached the tree ahead of me. Paka was already getting up.

"Tarishi? What are you-" she started, stopping when she saw her face. Tarishi whispered something to her and she gasped.

"I'm sorry. We have to go," Paka said to Mom. She and Tarishi started to run away and I knew I couldn't keep up.

"Wait! I want to go!" I yelled after them. They paused and looked at Mom.

"You don't have to go, Nala. It's okay," Mom said. She tried to scoop me close and I jumped away.

"No! I have to find Simba!" I said. I was crying and silently begging the others to let me come. Everything was so wrong I didn't know what to do. Mom nodded, and Paka picked me up in her mouth. She started to run.

When we got back to Pride Rock, it looked even worse than I thought. All the lions were gathered in clusters whispering, and they were all crouched down close to the ground with their tails tight around them. I thought Simba would be with Sarabi, but she was all alone. She was pressed against the highest point of Pride rock, and she was crying out over and over. Scar was talking with some of Mufasa's advisors. When Paka set me down, I ran to where the other cubs were gathered.

"What's going on?" I asked them.

"Simba's dead," Msasi said. He was always telling tales, but this time it might be real.

"He is not!" Mwali said. She flattened her ears at Msasi. "You're just trying to scare us."

"That's what Scar said. He said Mufasa's dead too. That's why Sarabi is crying," Msasi insisted. I tried to shove it away, but it all came together. Tarishi came in the night to get Paka. They came so fast they carried me. Sarabi was crying, and everyone was scared.

"It's true," I whispered. But it couldn't be. Nothing could kill Mufasa. He was the strongest lion in the world. He was always going to be there. And Simba couldn't be dead. Antelopes died. Zebras died. Friends didn't die. Simba was too young to die. He was too smart, too. He would have gotten away somehow. I scrunched against the ground and tucked against myself as the others kept talking.

"I heard Zazu talking to the grownups," Teli said. "He said there was a stampede, and Simba got caught. Mufasa went to get him, but it was too big."

"No! They must have just gotten hurt. They'll be back," Mwali said. She started to cry, and I wanted to cry with her. I felt empty inside, like my stomach was inside out. Simba's dead kept blinking in my head, and it was like hearing it the first time again and again.

I ran away from the other cubs and looked for Mom. She was talking with the other grownups, but she stopped when she saw me.

"Mom!" I cried out. I ran to her and buried my face in her side. She curled around me and I hid under her like a little baby.

"It's not true, right? Simba's okay?" I asked. She didn't say anything, and she looked so sad. She just held me tight.

"Look, Scar," someone said. We looked up and saw him perched on the tip of Pride Rock. He's going to say something, I thought. He was going to tell us Simba was okay.

"Mufasa's death-" I didn't hear what came next. Mom was shaking and some of the lions started to cry. It couldn't be. Grownups were strong. They never cried. But Mufasa was the strongest of all, and he was dead. I thought grownups knew everything. They couldn't even protect themselves. I trembled under Mom as he went on. Zazu was in front of me, and he was shaking too. I'd never seen Zazu shake.

"But to lose Simba, who had barely begun to live-" Scar saying it made it true. The tears came and I laid my head down on my paws. I pressed against Mom, seeking out the comfort she couldn't give. Mufasa wasn't strong. Grownups couldn't always win. Simba was dead. Nothing would ever be right again.