FINALLY, it's done. I haven't gotten back to this for a while and I wanted to at least finish the chapter before the week was out. By the way, I finished this at midnight, so sorry if this confuses you at first. Anyway, ENJOY! :)
Warning: This chapter will be mostly a review of the first movie through Simba's memory.
Chapter 2: Remember
It was another beautiful morning. As the sun rose up the whole world came into view in a glowing shimmer of yellow that made everything shine, all the hills, rocks, plants, and animals that laid out across the horizon.
From the head of Pride Rock, Simba could see everything. It was nice to see this view every morning in contrast to the jungle floor where he lived his adolescent years with his foster parents and friends, Timon and Pumbaa. They were his next best friends, after Nala of course.
"Simba?" came a voice from behind him. Amused, the young lion turned around to the direction of the voice, the interior of Pride Rock. Out from the entrance came a young cream-colored lioness. Nala, the new Queen of Pride Rock, his best childhood friend, lover, and now his mate.
"Hey, Nala. How are you?" he asked. He was still worried about what happened to her the other night. Why shouldn't he? She was everything to him.
"I'm fine," the lioness replied. She went up and nuzzled him like every day, telling him that she still loved him. "Why are up this early?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.
"I need to be up so I can do my early patrol. You know that. And besides, I like to see the morning sunrise." It was true. Ever since he became king he had to patrol the border every day to mark the territory and make sure no lion outside the pride got in. It was part of the king's duty to protect the pride.
Simba turned and faced the savannah. He remembered coming up here every time he was a cub, seeing the bright ball of light just come up and brighten everything. Now, as an adult, he remembers those good feelings. Then he frowned as he remembered what happened when he left, what he was told.
Those positive feelings Simba had were left behind when he fled in fear and sadness. And he left his home with them. The Pridelands were peaceful, beautiful when he left. That was before Scar and his legion of hyenas came and destroyed everything. The land became darkened and ugly, the plants shriveled and died, and the animals were slaughtered en mass. Everything that wasn't immediately destroyed became warped and haunted, thinned and unrecognizable. The waters disappeared and the animals disappeared with it.
Two years after Simba's "death", Nala left. She fled, away from familiarity, away from home, out across the desert, and into the jungle to find help. She had almost given up hope when she came across Simba and met his new friends, Timon and Pumbaa. Simba smiled as he remembered the look on Timon's face when he was introduced to Nala. Reunited with what she thought at first was a ghost of the past, Simba and Nala had a romantic afternoon alone. But it didn't end the way Simba wanted it to. Instead of ending peacefully Nala told Simba of how horribly different their home was ever since he left. She said they all needed him and they were right, but Simba wouldn't go back, afraid of the past and his mistakes. By saying this he had broken Nala's heart and, although he regretted it, he left her and tried to clear his head.
Angered, lost, and confused, Simba tried to forget about those recent events and, by doing so, met the wizened and ancient mandrill, Rafiki. He told Simba of his father, Mufasa, and led him on to find Mufasa's spirit. Simba remembered the impossibility of seeing his father's ghost and how afraid he was to see him at first. Simba was told to remember his destiny as the true king, which seemed to inspire Simba and give him the courage to return. He left Rafiki behind and traveled across the vast, arid desert back home.
When he returned home he was horrified at what had become of his home. He barely recognized the land for what it was. Everything had changed so much. Not far behind, Nala and eventually Timon and Pumbaa caught up with him. Rafiki told them where Simba was and, after a slight confusion, went back as well, so Nala told him. And Simba was glad too. Without his friends he probably would have died and then hope truly would have been lost. He confronted Scar, telling him to stand down or fight. But Scar had one more trick up his sleeve. He used Simba's past to weaken him and almost killed him. But he made one mistake, a very critical mistake. He told Simba that he murdered Mufasa. Outraged, Simba regained his courage and pinned his uncle to the ground, forcing him to confess that he was the murderer. Soon after the battle between the lionesses and hyenas loyal to Scar erupted. In the confusion Scar ran and tried to escape from his nephew. However, Simba saw him and chased him to the top of Pride Rock where he called one last warning to leave forever. Scar falsely accepted and used the trick to attack Simba while he was unaware. However, even despite that, Scar was defeated and fell off the top of Pride Rock. But, even surviving that, he met his fate at the hands of the hyenas. Simba remembered them, the hyenas, maul and devour his beloved uncle.
He didn't know how they did it, but somehow the lionesses defeated the hyenas and completely drove them away. It became apparent that they wouldn't come back, hopefully ever again, but he could never be too certain. They had done it.
Now, merely four weeks later, the land had healed, not completely, but greatly nonetheless. The plants had almost completely grown and, for the most part, the animals had returned.
Simba turned back to Nala, who was right next to him now. He smiled as he saw her. Finally, after all these years, she was right where she needed to be, with him.
"Well, I better go now," he sighed and got up. He turned and started walking down the side of Pride Rock. "I'll be back soon. Say good morning to my mom and Sarafina for me, please."
"I will. I might as well do the same for your friends," Nala said.
"They're your friends too, now, and it actually might be better if you didn't wake them up. It upsets Timon and frightens Pumbaa."
"Alright, just don't be gone too long. You know it worries me."
And with that, Simba continued on, eventually disappearing into the brush.
How was that? Better? Good? OK? Read & review.
