Chance meeting [Nala]

[tyra]

Time was quickly passing by and it wasted nothing in changing youngsters. From being almost identical to Simba as a cub, the pre-teen had changed dramatically. His tuft of black fur had grown and was slowly forming into a mane, though he looked a bit odd with mane behind his ears and a tuft of fur on his chest and, at that moment, nothing more. But there was a lot to show for his future, a lot of promise.
His once skinny form was broadening into a muscular, impressive brute he would one day become. His legs had lengthened and each day he seemed to grow stockier. He had been through a lot and it had changed him drastically. The pride he had joined now disappeared he lived in the jungle alone, and he wasn't afraid of that anymore as he had been when young.
Malka was of royal blood, descended from kings, and his eyes told the story, eyes of red-gold as Mufassa and Simba had carried. He walked almost regally, his ears flicking, the jungle his home. He often wandered what had become of Nala and Tama, but the days of worrying had long past him, he lived a high life in the luxurient kingdom of the jungle.
As he walked his 'kingdom' his tassel flicked happily, a smile on his face as he moved through the dense trees, coming into the clearing he had made his den site and collapsing on his back laughing at something even he didn't understand.

[rannoch]

"hmph" sighed nala in satisfaction. that was almost to easy. getting away from her mother was one level of simple; but this was a whole nother. she had finally worked up the gut to get out of the pridelands. at least for a little while. she knew she'd have to go back soon. but while she was out here, she planned on having her share of fun. but seriously, that hyena was way to easy to get past. she didn't even try to sneak past. she just told the stupid beast that she was going on a hunt. wasn't like there was much left of the herds any ways. and all the hyena had to say was, " member ta' bring meh back some." pathetic excuses for an animal couldn't even get their own food. she wasn't really going to bring the hyena back some anything, except some pain maybe. just like she wasn't really going to go hunting. but that didn't matter now, she was free and clear. at least for a couple of hours. she felt so free, so untamed. it felt like none of the events of the past 6 months had happened. she practically danced through the trees, as she quietly hummed to herself to keep her pace slow. still humming quietly, she approached some watter and gracefully dipped her head to it. eyes closed, and still humming between drafts.

[tyra]

Lying there in his little 'den' site, Malka stared at the canopy which was, as always, full of life. How he loved this place which was, to be honest, funny to say he hadn't even wanted to come here in the first place. He'd wanted to stay in the elephant graveyard, close to the pridelands and, thereofre, close to Nala. After all, Nala had a special place in his heart and always would do. But she'd been Simba's and now Simba was dead and Malka didn't even know if she'd moved on.
He stared at the canopy, considering going for a small hunt as a scent hit his nose. He frowned ad shook his head, that was what he got for thinking of her- Nala's scent coming to haunt him but them humming and soon the young, developing brute was on his paws, alert, wandering if, perhaps, this was going to tur into a miraculous day.
He'd been somewhat obsessed with Nala from day one and had almost been a member of her pride. In ways he despised the fact his mother, queen of the mountain pride, had been found, but now he looked back on it he had been lucky. He'd had chance to know his mom, be a prince, before his father had got bored of her. Malka kicked a vine thinking about it but then quickly got to work on following to sound. To begin with he just stood, staring at her. Man, she was beautiful, but then he decided he'd best speak to her.
He stepped from behind the tree and smiled a charming smile, something that the charismatic brute had always had. "Hey, Nala, long time no see."

[rannoch]

the water was sweet and cool. much better than the prideland water. but she defiantly wasn't going to tell anyone that, for fear that scar might start sending his beasts here to get their share. not that they deserved a share of anything the lions had. nala shivered, feeling like she was being watched. but just accounted it to the cold water. after all, she thought, no one else is out here. she was just raising her head from the water to make absolute sure of this; when a lion came from behind a tree saying, "hey, nala, long time no see." she jumped for a moment, then regained her composure. she sniffed, than said quickly, "I... I told everyone! I'm going for a hunt! why did you follow me?" she began to unsheathe her claws, thinking she'd have to kill this one to keep herself from being killed by scar." did scar send..." she didn't even finish her sentence, when the scent finally kicked in. she withdrew he claws from the dirt, a bit embaressed from just that. he wasn't from the pridelands. or at least he didn't smell like it. "oh!, uhhhhh!" went nala, extremely embarrassed now. she took a deep breath to steady herself so she wouldn't make a fool of herself again. "hi?" she was extremely confused, whoever this was she didn't recognize him. but you couldn't really blame her. there was so many new lions in the pridelands that she couldn't keep up with them all. after all, she was only about 3/4ths grown. she sill had a long way to go. finally, she said, "who... who are you?... and... how long were you watching me?" she was a little disturbed, but the fact he was smiling was a reassuring fact. so she sat down, and put on a little smile of her own. her blue orbs glistening like rain in the small amount of sunlight that got to the bottom of the canopy.

[tyra]

Of all the people to walk in his little slice of heaven, Nala had been the last he had expected. He'd have considered tama a possibility, or any other of the many he knew but Nala... She was, well... He'd given up on ever seeing her again and for her to have arrived at a time when he'd thought she'd be dead, or worse, trapped under Scar it was one of the best thing to ever occur. What a chance, what a wonderful day!
Malka prided himself on his looks and that characteristic smile that had barely changed from the time he was a cub. Since before he'd met Nala. Here, he was king. Or maybe he would be. If oskarbi didn't return before he became a young adult he'd make his claim because he'd been born a prince and circumstance changed that. Here, he'd have no adversary like he had there. Here, there was not a problem in the world. There was prey and water and food and so many other things to make life perfect.
"Nala, don't you recognise me?" he aksed, mocking hurt and then laughed. "No, seriously, I wouldn't expect you to. I haven't seeen you for... well, ages!" he always lost track of what he meant to say around Nala she just had this effect on him, made him stumble. It was embarrassing and obviously because her great beauty. It was times like this that, no matter how close the pair had become, he was glad Simba was gone. Lack of Simba meant less competition.
"It's Malka." he told her.

[rannoch]

Nala sat there, smiling, and listening. this was odd indeed. the last thing she had expected, or wanted, was to find out that there were lions living in this jungle. she was sad that she now really didn't have a place to get away from everyone. but at the same time, it gave a little hope to that which she lost for simba. maybe there was a way. she mentally slapped herself as soon as this thought passed the thresh hold. you idiot! simba is dead! don't get your hopes up again, you'll only get hurt! she thought, mentally grappling with her feelings. she took a deep breath, taking in all the scent of her surroundings, then slowly let it out. then she tossed the thought out of her head like a worthless pile of bones. she liked this place. it was so untamed and wild. she felt like it mimicked her own personality.now here showed up another lion. she felt like it was a semblance of order. something that doesn't belong where things are wild. it really took away from the effect her special place had for her. she listened to his first statement. well, someone knows how to joke. thought nala, grinning to herself. he seemed to be a very outgoing lion, very social. but his tone in his next statement seemed to put that in doubt. "my aren't we a bit nervous today!." she grinned as he seemed to stumble over his own words, her turn to joke. finally, he gave his name. she remembered him alright. she tried to remember if they ever went on any adventures, but could think of none. all the ones with her best friend were way better, obviously if they ever did have one. "oh... hey malka! ya' kina' took away the fun of me getting to introduce myself." she allowed herself a small laugh. "ya, those ages sure seem like six or seven months!" she laughed a bit harder at this. she finally stopped. "so really... how long were you watching from behind that tree?" she said in a cute voice, giving a blush.

[tyra]

Malka and Nala had never really had adventures, but they'd met and he'd taken a shine to her, big style. A shine which was more accurately described as a crush, though he'd always tried to deny it. A crush which, it would appear, had never gone away. Malka still found her intoxicatingly beautiful from her pelt to her eyes to that scent whcih wafted around her. She was, in a way, like a drug. Addictive. A drug he'd managed to stay away from, until now. He could feel an odd sensation working through his body, a tingly feeling he couldn't really put a name to. The sort of feeling he got when he was going to have a good day but different.
Still, Nala had changed so much. Her cubhood innocence had turned into an odd charm, her smile showing sins of maturity even. He could tell she still hurt, deep down, from the loss of Simba and really couldn't blame her. Simba had been a good guy and, on his day in the pridelands, they'd had aventures together. Fun which bonded them. They'd almost been step brothers, Malka had almost been a pridelander and an adoptive heir which was, simply put, the reason he could not return to pridelands- Scar would kill him. But he wanted to, he wanted to storm in there and rip him to shreds for what he'd done to the once beautiful and bountiful lands but, alas, he held not the strength or the experience yet. Maybe one day but... Not yet.
"I'm sorry, Nala, really. Maybe I should have acted like I didn't know you." he laughed, winking at her with those eyes so like Simba's. He had, after all, been Simba's double, almost. "Six or seven months is like half my life." he reminded her, swatting a bug with a huge paw pad, feeling in crush and shaking his head. Damn things, the only thing wrong with this place. They were everywhere.
"Not long, really. Just long enough to figure out who it was." he paused. "My 'den' is through there. I live here. This paradise. Beats the graveyard, that's for sure." he cringed, of course- Nala would have no idea he'd been so close.

[rannoch]

nala couldn't really put her paw on it. but he seemed to be acting a bit strange. come to think of it, most of her friends who weren't lionesses were beginning to act this way towards her. it was a bit odd. but what did she know, she was probably the one acting different. she shook off the feeling, and sighed. yet another lion that was hiding from scar. she finally took a good look at the lion. he reminded her of simba... kind of. at least, his eyes did. the rest of him seemed to be utterly different. he has a nice smile, thought nala, laughing to herself. she thought of all the other lions who were out there, hating scar, and biding their time. time that pridelanders didn't have. nala thought of telling him of the many outcast lions. and how they all hated scar. if they all banned together, at least they would have a chance. at least they wouldn't look like cowards hiding in the brush as others suffered. but nala knew she shouldn't... couldn't. unknown to anyone else, she had begun to lay a plan to get rid of scar once and for all. and if all the lions attacked and died now. it wouldn't work. no, she needed these aces in her hand. the only problem with her plan is it was long, and forced the pridelanders to suffer along with the hyenas. but as long as it was the lionesses job to do the hunting, they would be stronger. nala let out another sigh. matters of this sort always made her head hurt. she turned her attention back to malka and retorted "yes you should have!" she laughed. then added in a swooning voice. "lets try this again now... I'm nala..." she said while swishing her paw over the ground and leaning towards him. then she giggled, and leaned back. "or is it half my life?" she said to his next commit." she knew that once he could get him stumbling over his words, things would get really fun. she listened intently to how long he had been behind the tree. then added "sure." in a sly voice, and winked, grinning. this was already getting pretty fun. "ya, i bet it beats the..." she stopped short. "wait... y... you were living in the graveyard! ... why on earth would you do that? why wouldn't you go streight to somwhere that's safe? or more importantly... how could you?" this could help her plans. but she doubted it. still if he was so close, then why did he just leave her alone? did he not trust her or somthing? least he could have done was tell her before he left. "hyenas still crawl around there from time to time you know... it's pretty fun to watch them attempt to feed themselfs... even in the pride lands." she laughed, but was obviously in shock. why would he want to live in the graveyard? is there somthing there worth living there for? she wondered to herself. she sat there, apprehensive for his answer.