A King's Time
#1 of Lion King Fan Fiction
A piece of Lion King fiction I wrote back in 2002 (yes, I am really fishing the archives) because I thought that the character of Nuka from the second Lion King film was really given a raw deal. In the film he comes across as a bumbling fool, but in the scenes that didn't make it in to the final film, you find out he knew exactly what he was doing the whole time. So I thought I'd try and redress the balance by letting Nuka lament over his actions, and inactions.
A King's Time
By Thomas King
"Mother, if only you could see me now," sighed a scruffy lion as he rested his head between his paws. "I'm king of the world and leader of the pack." The lion's short fuzzed-up mane fluttered gently in a passing breeze. "You would be so proud." The sound of silence was all that greeted him. No motherly call from a doting parent, no excitable shout from a cub and certainly no praise or affection. The loudness of the silence was almost offensive. The lion rolled over onto his back, letting his skinny figure sag to even thinner proportions. He looked as if he had suffered years of neglect, possibly of his own doing. His coat was tatty, his mane was a mess, and he looked in bad shape and ill health. Even his tail was limp and lifeless. Yet he was the king. He was the ruler and he was the number one. "I know you did not mean to always overlook me, mother," he continued to himself. "You were busy with my brother and sister too. Especially my brother, though what you saw in him I have no idea. I was older; I could have been the one to fulfil our destiny. I tried to please you, really, I did and I know my efforts were not wasted, I am sure of it. Why else did you let me stay with you for so long?" The lion shed a small tear, which he brushed away with a heavy paw. It was not the done thing to see a king cry. Rolling back over and picking his head up, the lion shook his mane in a vain attempt to shed the sorrow filled feelings. The feelings remained so the lion went back to his state of rest. "Even at my birth I hear you ignored me. Cast me aside in the hope to breathe life into my stillborn older brother. Even back then I was never given a real go at things. However, I still loved you. I wanted, more than nothing, to make you happy. I know, deep down, you loved me for it and that, despite your harsh exterior, you had a soft spot in your heart for your special 'little fool'." "Nuka," a voice called inside the lion's mind. "Don't be such a fool." The lion seemed to melt with guilt at the thought. "Mother," he sobbed. "I'm sorry. All the things I have done that upset you. I did not mean to make you mad. Honestly. I tried my best; all I wanted was your attention. I admit I was envious. I wanted to be the chosen one, and I wanted to be the hero in your eyes. I never wanted to have to compete with Kovu all the time, all I wanted was to be loved." The lion buried his face under his paws as he realised what he had just said. "It was all me, me, me. No wonder you did not want to know me. What a selfish little brat I was. I was not worthy of your love. Puh, some hero I turned out to be, crying like a cub that has hurt his paw. Maybe those logs were a blessing after all. I mean, I finally got your attention thanks to them." A look of warmth spread over the lion's face as he figured out what his final moments alive had meant. "Working my whole life for your love, and it was the last thing I ever saw. Oh, thank you mother. You were the greatest." The sun began to rise over the savannah as the ghostly image of the lion vanished in the light, for it is true, a king's time as ruler rises and falls, like the sun.
Characters belong to Disney. Story by: Thomas King, © 2002. 28th April 2002 - Edited 21st February 2013.