The Mysterious Force

[Rox]

Apparently I'm taking over Simba now ))

The young male had just finished eating a few bugs when he started to feel quite sick to his stomach....Still seeing Timon and Pumbaa eating, as well as the rest of the group still standing around and talking, Simba swallowed what was in his mouth and walked off into the jungle without a single word to anybody. After walking around for quite some time, he laid down and rested his head on his paws. Oh how he missed home.... He couldn't exactly take the appearance of Tojo, Nala, Kayani and especially his mother quite so suddenly. Slowly he closed his eyes and began to doze off, his dreams plagued with his life in the past.

[Scar]

But the path the young male had taken was by no means safe. Many things were on their heads, the group did not immediately take note of his departure. Thus the teen ventured in the untamed wilderness, weak and alone. Things might be as in preparation for something terrible.

Truth was, hungry and wounded Tojo had not taken notice of the several pairs of eyes watching from the shadows and the shrubs. You see, hyenas weren't a problem of the Pridelands alone. And the smell of blood was indeed a very interesting one, even if it was old and dried, and it did not escape the hyenas' keen noses.

In hushed whispers, they had been discussing what to do, but they all decided after seeing the bird fall, that it was the moment to come in. Two birds with a stone, like they say?

"That was fantastic!" A voice praised from behind Tojo. It came from a large female hyena with a spiky red mane. Azala. On her sides stood two more hyenas: on her right stood one even bigger, with a white mane. Grid. To her left a slightly smaller female with golden fur. Chui.

"Truly remarkable!" Grid added with a dangerous grin.

"But it would seem your days as King of the Jungle have just ended, Simba." Chui sneered.

[mistwolf]

Tojo rose to his feet and spun at the sound of voices. He immediatly caught site of the hyenas, and his entire stance changed. His body tensed into a defensive crouch. He pulled his head in to protect his neck from an attack. His ears rotated backwards and flattened against his skull, and his tail swished out of the way. Claws sprang forward on his paws, unsheathing with a soft sshh sound.
Tojo bared his fangs and snarled.
"What do you want?" he demanded. But they did something he didn't expect. They called him Simba.
He straightened, confused, one eyebrow raised.
"Say again?" he asked, startled. Did they really think he was Simba? And if they did, what should he do? Play along, or correct them? If he told them he was Simba, he may be able to manipulate them somehow. Or they'd just attack him. And Tojo knew that in the condition he was in right now, there'd be no way he could fight them.

[Scar]

Azala elbowed Chui, punishing her for stealing her line. She lowered her ears and flashed a nervous smile at her leader. Azala just frowned.

"We've been through this before" Grid growled.

"To put it simply, your existence is not at all convenient for us." Azala said, "It's your lands or your life, lion!"

"Yeah! And the bird!" Chui pointed out.

That explained, and the trio spread out, intending to surround Tojo and circle around him. They only wanted to intimidate him to this point.

- - -

Nala watched in disgust as Kayani, then even Sarabi ate a disgusting invertebrate. Her lip curled into a snarl. I cannot believe it!

"Simba! You have gone mad!" She yelled.

She tossed her head and then her zapphire eyes began looking for Simba, being unable to find him, she added:

"Fine! I don't want to see you again!" She hardly meant it, but she was far too disappointed and agry like to care about that.

That said and she ran off to another section of the jungle. She couldn't take any more, and she really didn't feel like crying in front of everyone.

[mistwolf]

"You're mad," Tojo snarled. He turned in a slow circle, trying to track each hyena. He was putting on a brave face, though. He was terrified. He was weak and wounded. There was no way he could take on these guys. Not all at once.
His blue eyes whipped around to each one in turn, watching their every move.
"I'm not giving anything to you," he snapped, really meaning the bird. But this was the point where he had to decide whether to continue playing on their misconception of him being Simba, and possible give up his life, or....then there was that.....
No.....Even for him, that was too evil....
If he decided not to play this game, he could tell the hyenas where Simba was. They could kill him. No more Simba. No more worst nightmare for Tojo. No more competition for Nala. No more prince of the Pridelands.
It was a perfect plan.....And yet....no....he couldn't.
Anger and frsuteration rose on his chest. If he did this, he'd be as bad as Scar.
No he wouldn't. Simba didn't even want to be king. If he sent the hyenas after him, they might not kill him. They might jsut onvince him never to come back.
Tojo looked once more at the hyenas, and swallowed hard, forming his words. He'd made his decision.
"I'm not Simba," he said. "But I can tell you where Simba is."

[Scar]

Chui smirked. We'll see about that! Tojo was in no position to hold the bird, she knew. The thing was if the other two would leave anything for her in the end.

The trio listened intently. He was not Simba? Then who was he? A deep growl rumbled from Grid's throat.

"We don't need your help." She snarled. Would this lion betray another just to save his own fur? Or would he lead them into some sort of trap?

"Lead the way." Azala agreed. "But if you try anything... well you know what will happen to you." She warned.

Grid frowned. She didn't like that decision, but she was as confident on the strength of her group as Azala was. She said nothing and only watched Tojo's every move.

[mistwolf]

Tojo knew he was making the wrong decision, but he also knew that if these hyenas took care of Simba, he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Nala would be his. Maybe even the crown would be his. King Tojo and Queen Nala, the new Royal Line. He liked the thought. Even if it meant getting rid of Simba.
"I'll show you were he is," Tojo said. "But I'm not helping you any further than that."
He snarled at a hyena standing in his way and continued, walked towards where he had left the prince and his family. But as he neared the clearing he realized something was wrong. Simba wasn't there. And to bring the hyenas out meant that everyone would see him with them. He didn't want that. Not at all.
"He's not here," he snarled softly to himself. He raised his head and snifed the air, catching the prince's scent on the wind.
"Over here," he said, altering his direction and leading the hyenas away from the others. It wasn't long before he located Simba, sleeping under a stand of trees. What a fool.
"That's him," he said. "Do what you want with him."
Witout another word, he stepped back and away from the hyenas. He didn't want to be seen with them.

[Rox]

Simba was enjoying the peace and quiet, but it was ruined all too quickly. Standing up he stared at the hyenas, preparing to get himself in a fighting stance. "What do you want?" he inquired as his body tensed up, claws unsheathed.

[Scar]

The hyenas followed Tojo like grim shadows projected over the jungle scape.

"And tell me..." Azala began, her yellow eyes examining the lion's wounds. "What Clan is responsible for this?" A hyena could recognize a hyena bite. There was also the scent of the Clan on him... but it couldn't be the Clan, or could it? Had they come this far?

Soon, the sea of bamboo stopped, and a clearing spread before them. In the clearing was the young lion they were after. The treason was complete...

Fortunately for him, Simba noticed them quickly. Seeing him jump on his feet, the three hyenas tensed, heads low, fangs bared.

"Your lands!" Azala replied.

"Or your life!" Grid snarled.

[Rox]

"My lands or my life huh?" he repeated as he stood there contemplating what to do, when an idea struck him. "Alright...I've let you have my lands, I'll even show them to you. Come on..". Simba walked off to a very large waterfall deeper in the jungle, surrounded by lush trees and vines. "I'm the King of these lands, and hereby give them to you." he smiled as he flicked his tail. "It's not much but hey...it's yours now."

[Scar]

The three hyenas exchanged confused looks. They played along for a little while before Azala had enough.

"We don't need you to show us around!" She snapped.

"That's right!" Chui approved.

"Now get out!" Azala finished.

[mistwolf]

Tojo backed away from the hyena's scuffle, intent to see what they would do to SImba.
But what happened surprised him. Instead of Simba freaking out and loosing his head in conflict, like Tojo so suspected, or the hyenas immediatly attacking him, taking him down, Simba simply told them they could have the land and started to take them on a tour. Tojo stepped out from hiding, following them a little ways, absolutly shocked. Could it be? Could it be that Simba wasn't the ball of fluff with no brain that Tojo thought he was?

[Rox]

"Alright then....Come on Tojo, let's leave their lands." Simba said as he turned around and walked back off, trying his best to hold back an oncoming smirk and laugh. He couldn't believe that they had actually fallen for it!

[mistwolf]

Tojo swallowed. Simba knew he was there? Did he know the entire time?
I'm so dead, his brain echoed. But, for some reason, he numbly nodded and followed Simba away from the clan of coward hyenas, following Simba his his mouth shut, but eyes wide. What had happened here? He wasn't sure.

[Rox]

The young male turned around once they were far enough away from the hyenas and began laughing. "Aw man Tojo! Di..did you see the looks on their faces?!" Simba figured that he could at least spend some time with his friend as they walked back to the rest of the group though.....he stopped once again. "Um Tojo...I gotta be alone for awhile if you don't mind.." the teen replied before walking off again. Thoughts plagued his mind, he didn't want to face his mother and tell her the truth, he remembered how Scar had actually brought him to the gorge that day...

The early morning had come all too soon for little Simba. He hadn't slept well that night with images of hyenas chasing after him, which was pretty hard to ignore considering he had just been at the graveyard the night before with Nala. Slipping out from his sleeping area he walked over to his best friend and began to poke her. "Hey, Nala...wake up..." he urged as the female slowly opened her green eyes to see Simba standing above her. "Ugh...what is it Simba?" she asked irritatedly, her eyes narrowing at him. "Wanna go watch the sunrise?" he asked. Nala rolled her eyes and stood up and stretched. Once Simba made up his mind about something, he usually stuck to it.

Seeing that Nala was up the two cubs raced outside and walked around for quite sometime after seeing the sunrise. "You didn't get in too much trouble with your mom last night did ya?" the prince asked as he sat down and looked at her. Nala shook her head. "No..well...not too much..how about you?" Simba shook his head. "Same here."

The two were quiet for quite some time before they decided to head out and play.

(Note: had permission from Scar to play Nala in the flashback)