Simba stared at the smiling figure. He was still so surprised, that didn't know what to say. His breathing was still heavy, as he tried to calm down.
"Ra-Rafiki!", he managed to say between his breaths.
The mandrill smiled.
"Quite a surprise I bet? Now, calm down little one, before you get a heart attack."
Simba took a deep breath and gulped. When he was able to relax, he lifted his head.
"You scared me to death! What are you doing here?"
"Ah, always in a hurry. I will explain everything, but we can't talk here. Come on, let's go to my tree."
"But it's very late…and my parents must be wondering where I am", Simba answered.
Rafiki shook his head.
"Oh don't worry about that. This won't take long – they won't even notice that you arrive a bit later. Besides, my thing is very important. It concerns your mission."
Simba looked curious.
"My mission? How can you…"
But the mandrill put a finger in front of his mouth.
"Shh, not here. Hurry, we must go before somebody sees us. Come on."
Simba looked around, then nodded silently. As the duo ran in a moonlight, Simba couldn't help noticing how Rafiki looked in every direction the whole time.
Why he seems to be so nervous and careful? And my mission…what is he talking about?
As they finally reached Rafiki's tree and got up, Simba panted heavily.
"Okay…are we safe now? Why were you so careful back there?"
Making sure that there were only the two of them, Rafiki put his hand on Simba's forehead.
"I just need to make sure, that no one is hearing what I'm going to tell you. And what you will hear, you can't tell anyone about it. Alright?"
Simba looked confused and nodded.
"Umm…okay."
"Good. Now, sit down."
Simba did as he was told and Rafiki sat down too, facing the cub. He leaned against his stick and looked at Simba seriously.
"Now Simba...listen very carefully. I guess that you are very confused about all this. Transported back to your cubhood with your adult mind…"
Simba's eyes widened.
"What?! How can you know about this? Did you arrange this all? What is happening, and why? I don't really understand anything…"
Rafiki smiled.
"Yes, this is a very special and confusing situation. But I can tell you only a little, deeper answers you must discover on your own."
"But how? How can I do that, when I don't even know what is going on?", Simba responded.
"Simba, Simba. You must understand that you are here for a reason. You aren't a cub just by coincidence. And do you know why?"
Simba shook his head.
"Well, let me explain. I think we all know how your life changed when your father died. It completely destroyed your childhood. And because it was not your fault – The Great Spirits wanted to give you a chance to make things right."
"The Great Spirits? So you mean that..."
Rafiki nodded.
"Yes, I'm not the one who organized this. But let's say that someone gave me a task to give their message to you. If you succeed, you will save Mufasa from that horrible destiny."
"But why they sent me back as a cub? As an adult, I would have a better chance to beat Scar. Now I'm just a tiny little child against a strong lion…"
Rafiki laughed.
"Oh, my child! It's not the size that matters. Even the smallest creature has the same opportunity as the biggest ones. You need to understand that listening to your instincts is much more important. That's why you still have your adult mind so that you can remember Scar's plans. An innocent body of a child and brains of a strong and learned adult is the most perfect combination, which will be your weapon against your uncle."
Simba started to understand now. He was silent for a couple of minutes and then spoke again.
"I guess that…I understand now. But how can I find a way to stop him? I really don't have any idea and things aren't really helpful when no one besides the two of us knows about this."
"I'm afraid that this is all I can say. You must find a way by yourself, I can only give you courage and the kick in the right direction. But I'm sure you will manage. You are a son of the great king and you have succeeded before."
The young lion wanted more answers, but this was better than nothing. He just nodded, still thinking about what he just heard.
"But now, you better go. And remember this Simba. Use your head, listen to your gut and follow your heart. If you remember this, there will be no problem. A pure heart is more powerful than any dark force or the cleverest brains."
Simba nodded, thanked and headed home. As he walked, he repeated Rafiki's words in his head.
Listen to your gut. Use your head. Follow your heart.
A smile appeared on his face.
Right. I can do this. After all, I'm the chosen one. Prince Simba, son of the great Mufasa. And I won't let history repeat itself.
Back at Rafiki's tree, the mandrill looked after Simba who disappeared into the night. He nodded and looked up at the sky.
"Well, I did what you asked. I just hope that you are sure about what you are doing. It would be horrible if things go wrong once again…"
A little blow of wind shook leaves. As the old shaman saw them, he smiled.
"Yes, I guess you're right. Simba is very strong. He will do this, I'm sure. After all, you wouldn't have given him another chance if he wasn't strong enough."
Then, Rafiki turned his head in the direction where the young prince had gone.
Good luck Simba. May all the hope and courage be with you. You are totally gonna need it.
TBC...