- Chapter 2 by TRON0602. Edited by Asante.


The Lion King VI:

Fall of Man

Chapter 2

The next morning, Daniel and Simba prepared for their journey at the base of Pride Rock. Timon and Pumbaa stood nearby, debating on what kinds of bugs they should eat along the way.

"Crunchy!" Timon shouted.

"Slimy!" Pumbaa retorted.

"Crunchy!"

"Slimy!"

"Girls," Daniel groaned, "you're both pretty, all right?" He sighed as he packed his scribbled notepad diary and sadly looked up at Pride Rock.

Noticing Daniel's sad expression, Simba nuzzled him. "It's not too late for you to change your mind. You don't have to leave. I'm sure we can still insure your dream doesn't come true."

Daniel smiled but shook his head. "I appreciate that, Simba, but I have to go home. I got to make sure the poachers never find the Pride Lands."

Simba sighed and looked up at the den's entrance. The pride began to gather outside. "It's almost time."

"I need to check on Faraji's leg," Daniel noted.

Simba nodded and walked with Daniel back to the lions' den.

Faraji seemed to be doing well. He wasn't in pain and his leg didn't show any signs of circulatory problems, though he did fidget quite a bit as Daniel checked his splint, repeatedly moving his leg away. Daniel smacked the injured lion's rump. "Faraji, hold still."

Faraji groaned. "It itches."

"Listen to Daniel, Faraji," Simba instructed with a smile. "He knows what he's doing."

"Yes, Uncle Simba," Faraji sighed, lowering his head. "Seriously, though, I'm bored out of my mind."

Simba chuckled and stepped away to speak with his family. He nuzzled Nala. "Until I return, my love."

"Be careful," Nala whispered, holding back her tears. "Don't do anything reckless. You're always getting yourself into dangerous situations."

Simba touched his chest and pretended his feelings were hurt. "Oh come now, Nala, I'm not that bad."

"No?" Nala raised an eyebrow.

Simba sighed. "Okay, maybe I am that bad, but I promise I'll be careful this time." He licked Nala's cheek and received a tender nuzzle in return. He looked to his children and noticed Kiara holding her head low, tears in her eyes. "Kiara, my darling, are you all right?"

Kiara looked up at her father. "You will come back, won't you?"

Simba walked over to Kiara and wrapped a foreleg around her, pulling her against his chest. "Honey, have I ever failed to come home before?"

"You were almost killed when the Outlanders ambushed you," Kiara pointed out.

Simba sighed and released Kiara. "True, but I got away, didn't I?"

"And Kopa told me you were almost killed by Adui in the Elephant Graveyard. You almost didn't come home then."

Simba gave his son a dark look. "Kopa," he scolded, "did she really need to know that?"

"She's a future queen," Kopa pointed out. "She has a right to know these things, especially when it concerns the wellbeing of her king."

"You see what I mean about putting yourself in dangerous situations?" Nala pointed out.

Simba rubbed his face with his paw. "Okay, point taken." He stepped forward to embrace Kopa. "Be at ease, my children. I promise I will return to you safely."

"You better," Kopa said, blinking back the tears in his eyes. "If you don't, I'm ditching the throne and coming after you." He pressed his chest against Simba's and nuzzled his father's neck.

Simba chuckled and patted Kopa's back with his paw. Releasing his son, he turned to his grandchildren. "Nyota, Mufasa," he intoned, "treasures of the Pride Lands."

Nyota hurried over and nuzzled Simba under his chin. "I don't know what everyone's getting so worked up about," Nyota said, feigning indifference. "It's just a road trip."

"Exactly," Simba chuckled, licking Nyota's forehead, "and I'll have Timon and Pumbaa watching my back."

"That's not very reassuring," Fasa sighed as he too nuzzled his grandfather.

Simba chuckled and touched his grandson's shoulder. Turning to the last of his family, Simba smiled tenderly. "Asante," he sighed.

Asante lowered his head meekly. "Dad?"

The king stepped closer and placed his forelimb around Asante's shoulders, drawing the prince against him. "My dear boy."

Asante buried his face against Simba's chest, nuzzling into his father's silky mane. "I don't want to lose you," the prince whispered. "I need you, Dad."

"To you most of all, I promise I will return," Simba whispered back.

"I'm scared."

Simba licked Asante's forehead. "You will find your courage." He took a step back and turned to the rest of the pride, roaring once to garner everyone's attention. "Now's the moment we've been waiting for since Kopa and Kiara came into this world." With that, Simba exited the cave, the pride following.

The lions gathered at the base of the promontory, the sun slowly rising before them. Simba and Nala stood facing the pride, the sunlight against their backs as Kopa and Kiara came forward. The prince and princess sat on their haunches before the king and queen. Simba touched Kopa's forehead with his paw. "Kopa, on this day, I give you my strength, my wisdom, and my faith as you take your place as the supreme protector and father of the pride." Having finished his oration, Simba removed his paw from Kopa's head. "I know that you will do me proud, just as you've done from the moment you were born."

Fear crept into Kopa's eyes, but he lifted his head proudly. "Thank you, Father."

Nala followed Simba's example and placed her paw on Kiara's brow. "Kiara, on this day, I give you my strength, my wisdom, and my faith as you take your place as the supreme huntress and mother of the pride." Nala drew her paw back. "I'm so proud of you, my sweetheart."

Kiara smiled. "Thank you, Mother."

Simba and Nala both stepped back and then bowed to Kopa and Kiara, signifying that the prince and princess were now king and queen regnant of the Pride Lands. Following Simba and Nala's cue, the rest of the pride lowered their heads and bowed to the new coregents.

Kiara and Kopa nervously looked around at the other lions. Kopa scratched the back of his neck. "Um, do you feel any different?" he asked Kiara.

Kiara glanced at her brother and shook her head. "Not really."

Simba looked over his shoulder and smiled upon seeing the approaching herds. "Your subjects will be here soon," he told his children.

"Our subjects?" Kiara gulped. "I'm having second thoughts."

"Too late," Kopa groaned.

Daniel approached Kopa and Kiara wearing his backpack and carrying Rafiki's walking stick. "Do you mind if I have a word with you two? It's important."

"We're kinda in the middle of our coronation," Kiara pointed out.

Kopa's eyes widened. "Yeah, we can talk!" he yelped, standing up quickly. "We'll be right back," he told Simba and Nala.

The former king and queen glanced at each other. "Well, it will take a few moments before the herds gather," Nala conceded.

"Cool beans," Kopa said quickly, nudging Kiara and Daniel away.

Kopa and Kiara lead Daniel to the den's entrance. "What do you wish to discuss, Daniel?" Kiara asked.

"If you can make this conversation last till we die of old age, that would be awesome," Kopa added. Kiara jabbed him in the shoulder. "Hey, you want to stall just as much as I do."

"Your dad told you about my dream, right?"

Kopa cocked an eyebrow. "You mean your prophetic dream?" he asked skeptically. "Yeah, but seriously, you don't seriously believe…"

"I will whack you with this," Daniel threatened, brandishing Rafiki's stick.

Kopa eyed the walking stick warily. "So yeah, about that prophecy," he said, faking a smile.

Daniel sighed. "I wanted to warn you in case – well, if I can't prevent the vision from coming true and the poachers – the Lion Hunters do come here, I need you to warn the other animals. Tell them to run away from any humans they see."

"Are these poachers really that dangerous?" Kiara asked.

Daniel took off his backpack and pulled out the broken gun he showed Simba a couple of days before. "This is the weapon they'll use," he explained. "It's designed to shoot a bullet – um, a small metal stone – from this shaft."

Kopa looked unimpressed. "So it shoots stones, what's the big deal?"

"The bullets move so fast that they can rip right through you. If it went through your spine, you'd be paralyzed. If it went through your brain or heart, you'd die instantly."

Kopa's eyes widened. "Okay, I get the point."

"We'll warn everyone to run from any humans they see," Kiara promised, "aside from you."

Daniel nodded. "If you have to, you should protect yourselves." He packed the gun back in his bag. "I hate to say this but the poachers won't show you any mercy, so don't show them any."

While Daniel spoke with Kopa and Kiara, Kovu approached Simba. "Um, excuse me, Simba."

"Yes, Kovu?" Simba replied, glancing at his son-in-law curiously.

Kovu cleared his throat. "I just wanted to say goodbye – and to wish you a safe journey."

Simba smiled. "I appreciate that."

Kovu cleared his throat. "Simba, I'm sorry for the way things started between us. All those years ago, I joined this pride with the sole purpose of murdering you. I can't tell you enough how sorry I…"

"Kovu, that's in the past," Simba assured him. "I forgave you."

Kovu lowered his head. "Simba, you're more of a father to me than Adui or Scar ever were."

Simba smiled warmly. "I'm proud to have another son in you, Kovu." He placed a forelimb around Kovu's shoulders and hugged him.

"Why are all my in-laws so huggy?" Vitani sighed.

Simba chuckled and turned to Vitani. "Should I take that to mean you won't miss me, Vitani?"

"I wouldn't say that," Vitani replied with a shrug. "You're not so bad."

Kopa and Kiara returned then with Daniel. Simba surveyed his family approvingly. "It is time," he intoned, turning and walking up the promontory.

Kopa and Kiara looked at each other and took a deep breath, following their father. As they came to stand with Simba on the edge of the promontory, the three lions gazed on the crowd below. Simba smiled one last time at his children, and then stepped back so that they could take the throne.

Kiara felt her heart quake and almost turned tail, but Kopa nudged her and gave her a supportive smile. "I'm with you, Squirt."

Kiara smiled back. "Right back at you, Fluffy."

Taking a deep breath, Kopa and Kiara roared out to the kingdom, asserting themselves as the new rulers of the Pride Lands. Simba and the other lions then joined them, and the herds applauded joyfully.

Once the cheering died down, Simba, Daniel, Timon, and Pumbaa made their way to the bottom of Pride Rock, ready to leave for their journey. The pride watched, some calling out farewells. Daniel stopped and covered his eyes.

"Daniel?" Simba asked, nuzzling the human.

"I'm fine," Daniel mumbled, clearing his throat.

"Dan!" someone called. Daniel turned around to find Asante hurrying to catch up with them. Asante wrapped his forelegs around Daniel, almost knocking the human over. "I'm gonna miss you so much. I'm gonna be so lonely without you."

Daniel hugged Asante back. "You won't be alone, Asante." He let the lion go and stepped back. "You'll have a certain lioness to keep you company."

Asante blanched. "Dude, shut up," he muttered.

Simba turned to the other lions. "Farewell, my pride, my family. I swear on Mohatu's mane that I will return."

Kiara stepped forward. "Good luck, Father. May the Great Kings guide you safely on your journey."

Simba nodded. With a look to Daniel, Timon, and Pumbaa, he turned and began their journey. As they walked, they heard the roars of the pride and Simba could only smile.


They were halfway to the Pride Land border, and Pumbaa began singing. "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps to…"

"Don't sing that, Pumbaa!" Timon shouted.

"Why, Timon?" Pumbaa asked. "I thought we loved that song."

"The last time we sang that song, Nala tried to eat you. That song's bad luck!"

Pumbaa lowered his head. "Sorry."

Simba chuckled and turned to Daniel, who was mumbling a song under his breath. "Asante sana. Squash banana. Wiwi nugu. Mi mi ap…"

"Where did you hear that song?" Simba gasped.

Daniel blinked, coming out of his daydream. "Huh?" He rubbed his head. "Um, actually – I don't remember. That's kinda odd, right?"

Simba looked at him curiously for a moment. "Rafiki used to sing that."

Remembering some Swahili from his dictionary, Daniel took a moment to translate the song. "Thank you very much, squash banana, you're a baboon, and I'm not." He scratched his head. "Wow, that's a really bizarre song."

Simba regarded Daniel for a moment, and then chuckled. "Yes it is. Sometimes I wonder if Rafiki ate the wrong kind of fruit." A branch fell off a tree they passed under and landed on Simba's head. Simba yelped in pain.

"Jeez!" Timon gasped. He ran to Simba's side. "Buddy, you okay?"

Simba rubbed his head, and then smiled wistfully, thinking of the night Rafiki found him in the oasis – and hit him over the head with his stick. "You're still trying to teach me, aren't you?" he asked, looking up into the sky.

Daniel, Timon, and Pumbaa stared at Simba nervously. "Um, Simba, who're you talking to?" Pumbaa asked.

"Oh man, that whack to the head was too much for him," Timon whispered.

Simba laughed. "I was just thinking about Rafiki," he explained. "Don't mind me."

The party continued on their journey. They passed an aardvark colony not long after. One of the aardvark's came up to Simba. "Ave a dood twip, Simba."

Simba paused and smiled at the aardvark. "Thank you, Daabi. I will return soon."

Daabi smiled impishly. "Dood, I wood ate to lose my special lion." She batted her eyelashes at Simba before rejoining her colony.

Simba's eyes widened and he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Let us continue," he suggested.

"Sure," Daniel said, snickering.

Simba shot Daniel a dark look. "Something funny?"

"Nope," Daniel giggled, "She's quite a keeper, that one. I'll admit she's a bit smaller than what you're used to, but at least she's more down to earth."

Timon and Pumbaa burst out laughing. "More down to earth!" Timon chortled. "Priceless!"

"Simba and Daabi sitting in a tree…" Pumbaa began to chant.

"Guys, that's not funny," Simba asserted. "Daabi and I were playmates when I was a cub, that's all. She had a little crush on me, it's no big deal."

"Seriously, do none of you lions understand the concept of a food chain," Daniel laughed.

Simba rolled his eyes. Then an evil grin spread across his face. "So Daniel, how have you and Nuru been getting on?"

Daniel came to a halt. "What?"

"You know she wasn't particularly subtle back in Serpent River." Simba waggled his eyebrows.

"She wasn't being serious!" Daniel protested. "She was just playing a joke on me!"

"Sure she was," Simba replied in a playful tone.

Daniel narrowed his eyes at Simba. "Truce?"

Simba touched his chin as if he were considering it. "Truce," he agreed.


Later that afternoon, Nuru was alone in the Pride Rock den, pacing the chamber in frustration. "This is so stupid," she muttered. "How could he refuse my help like that? So what if I'm my pride's ambassador? I can handle myself better than he can." She slashed the wall angrily, leaving four claw marks. Realizing how poorly she was behaving, Nuru stopped and took a seat. She closed her eyes, and her thoughts wandered…

Malka waited at the entrance of the den in Serpent's Head, speaking with a lioness. "How many have joined him?"

"Only a couple," the lioness replied. "They're not bad boys, they're just confused. Once we confront them, I'm sure they'll realize their mistake."

Malka nodded and glanced over his shoulder. "My love, we need to go."

"I know," Pele replied. Malka's youthful bride knelt down and nuzzled her cub. "Nuru, my sweetheart, you stay here with the pride. We'll be back soon."

"Can't I come?" Nuru asked. At four months, she had started to grow a black slicked-back strip of mane.

Pele shook her head. She was a beautiful lioness with tea rose orange fur. Nuru shared her mother's gray eyes. "It's not safe for you."

"If it's not safe for me, it's not safe for you or Daddy either," Nuru protested.

"If we don't go now, Adui will leave with the boys," the other lioness insisted.

"Your father and I can take care of ourselves," Pele assured Nuru tenderly. "We'll be back, I promise."

"You didn't keep your promise," Nuru muttered, coming out of her daydream. She stood up and made her way to the den's exit. "Neither will Simba, stubborn old fool. I'm going to help him whether he wants me to or not." She cautiously stepped outside. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, Nuru bolted from the den and away from Pride Rock, following Simba and Daniel's scents.

Asante returned to Pride Rock a few moments later. "Hey Nuru, it's me," he called, standing outside the entrance. "I wanted to ask if maybe you wanted to go hunting together." Asante paused, waiting for an answer. When he received none, he went inside, thinking Nuru had fallen asleep. "Nuru?" He looked around. "Not here," he sighed. He glanced at the wall and noticed Nuru's claw marks. "Oh, that's reassuring," he groaned.

Wanting to make sure Nuru was all right, Asante left the den and followed her scent. As the trail led him further and further from Pride Rock, he became more nervous. "Nah, she didn't…" he sighed. "No, she wouldn't…"

The stars were out by the time Asante crested a hill at the kingdom's border, the desert spread out before him. Squinting, he could make out a light gold figure with a black mane rushing off into the distance. "She did," he gasped. "Oh no, no, no…" His first instinct was to run back to Pride Rock and alert the pride. "There's not enough time," he muttered. "She'll be gone by then." He turned around and took a step back toward Pride Rock. Then he turned around and took two steps after Nuru. He looked back at Pride Rock, and then turned back to where Nuru disappeared. "Oh f-ck me!" He dashed out into the desert in pursuit of Nuru.


Continue to Chapter 3


Note from TRON0602: Hey everybody! TRON0602 here! I'm the author of the stories Lion King: A Tale of Two Kings, Simba: The Lion Avatar, and am one of Asante's co-authors. In celebration of this fact, I wish to entertain you with a little outtake of my own:

"Damn it Tron! I still can't find the L'Oreal anywhere!" Simba began hyperventilating.

Tron sighed. "I know Simba. Don't worry, we'll get your mane washed."

Simba in his panic then screamed, "What if someone stole it?"

Tron laughed. "Oh come on, Simba! who would steal L'Oreal?"

Simba glared at Tron when he was shoved aside by a white lion. "Watch where you're going, you walking stuffed animal," the white lion said.

Simba growled at the lion. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

"No one important, I would imagine," the white lion said with a shrug.

Simba grabbed his mane. "Listen you… Wow, your mane is so soft! How did you get it so soft?"

"I used L'Oreal." The white lion held up the bottle. "I didn't think I had any but then I found some lying around in that room over there with my name on it. I'm Kimba, by the way." He pointed to Simba's room.

Simba was petting Kimba's mane in awe when he gasped and then roared, "YOU STOLE MY L'OREAL! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU LION REJECT!" Simba tackled Kimba and the L'Oreal bottle went flying.

"My L'Oreal!" the two lions cried in unison. Both pounced at it simultaneously and began wrestling over it – wrestling for the right to have the finest looking mane of all time.

Asante's Response: Um, wow, okay then. Firstly, Kimba the White Lion cameo, woot! Secondly, this here is the reason Simba's mane looks so snuggly.