I left the border crawling stealthily away through the grasses, until I figured I was out of sight from the border, then ran as fast I could back to the acacias, to try and burn some of my anger away before I faced my two friends.

As I sprinted up the final stretch, Timon and Pumbaa were there already, sitting waiting for me.

"Gee, Simba, what's the rush?!" asked Pumbaa, quietly.

"I had…excess energy," I lied, poorly. They knew I was lying, they knew me well enough for that.

"You always cross your front paws when you lie, Simba," said Pumbaa, matter-of-factly.

"I do not!" I said crossly, not realising their plan to butter me up before I came down on them for the other day.

"You do," said Timon, crossing his arms and nodding with self-importance. He was standing on Pumbaa's back as usual.

"Well, I – er –" I began.

"Y'see. Even you know."

"Well, anyways, guys, I don't wanna get mad at you or anything, but…"

"Oh, here it comes," said Timon.

"We don't believe you won't get mad," said Pumbaa, worriedly, "it was an accident."

"Uh huh," I hurried to get my words in before they could interrupt, "that's as maybe. I'm not blaming you."

Their incessant chatter stopped when I said those words.

"You're not?!" they chorused.

"Great!" shouted Timon.

"Redemption!" shouted Pumbaa.

Timon looked at him, "What?!"

"Redemption, it's when…"

"GUYS! Please be quiet, this is important!"

They shut up and stared at me.

"Go ahead, yer maj," said Timon, leaning back on his elbows, lying on Pumbaa. His comment made me cringe but I tried not to show it.

"You know how you tricked me, so – uh – tremendously?"

"Yep, good weren't it?"

"Wonderful. How did you get the idea for such a tremendous trick?"

"Er…" Timon looked shifty, "we… thought it up ourselves."

I frowned, and Timon continued, "I – er, well, that is, Pumbaa thought it up."

Pumbaa whimpered, "Don't lie, Timon, he looks real angry."

"Ok, then maybe we overheard some people chatting, they knew how to get you out the way, Simba. It sounded good, so we thought we'd steal their plan."

"How?"

"By telling a flamingo that a lion had entered at the Eastern border."

OK, that made sense, as far as…

"OK, fair enough… but how did Shuku know about your plan?"

"Shuku, who's she?"

Oh dear, I could see where this was going.

"She's a rebel. I'm sure she was involved the other night," I explained.

"Well, we did tell one lioness where we were going, what our plans were, but her name wasn't Shuku, no, she wasn't a rebel!"

I shut my eyes and patiently said, "What was her name, Timon?"

"Now let me think… No I don't remember…"

"Ok, then, what did she look like?"

There was silence.

"Guys?"

"I dunno," Timon blurted, "all lionesses look the same to me!"

"Superb," I said sarcastically.

"Hang on, Oh! Yeah, I got it! Her name was Shufu!" said Timon in a sudden moment of inspiration.

"Shufu…" I repeated, before opening my eyes and rolling them to the sky. "Great work, guys."

"Why, what'd we do wrong?" said Pumbaa, seemingly, still not understanding, though perfectly innocent as usual. After all, how could he tell the difference between 'Shuku' and 'Shufu'?

"Oh, nothing major," I assured them with sarcasm, "just set the plans in motion without the need for Shuku to even get involved."

"What plans?" said Timon.

I sighed. "Just – don't worry Timon. Just promise for now, one thing?"

"Sure, Simba?"

"Lie low for a while. Don't come near Pride Rock, until I come find you."

"O…K…"

I shook my head at them and said, "Sorry guys, its for your own safety. For now."

I left, turning towards Pride Rock, but planning to head for Scar's cave to see Nala and Tanabi.

I went over everything in my head, and realised to myself that I couldn't hold much against Timon and Pumbaa. As ever, they were innocent and honest enough, but they didn't seem to grasp the concept of responsibility sometimes. I vowed not to hold it against them, but to keep their involvement quiet from any other lions, though Shuku would be bound to know. Which reminded me… Shuku. I was in no doubt it was her now, so much evidence I'd found to point the claw of blame at her. Shuku…

That treacherous fiend was still gleeful in her manner. She didn't yet know that I'd found out how she had helped to get the Riverlanders into the Pridelands. Well, she was in for a shock some time. Yet, as I mused over these possibilities, a thought did strike me. What exactly turns someone toward such betrayal and treachery? I hadn't been that bad a King, had I? Had conditions really been so bad as to turn her to betrayal? To the River Pride, our greatest enemies? I couldn't understand anyone's possible motive for doing so, when the only exit is pain and rejection. If my some miracle she did come begging to me for forgiveness in the future, what should be my reaction? And what of the other rebels whom she had led along the road for so long? Why had she turned this way? She used to love me when I was a cub!

Being King was not easy, and now I appreciated any help I could get more than ever. But, as I threw up the possibilities as to who I could turn to in my predicament, it came to me. If someone on this earth was not able to help me, and certainly in her present state Nala was no use, along with countless other of my closest subjects, should I turn to the Kings of the past? I decided that, yes, though they were always there to guide me, I should always be responsible for my own decisions, and act as I saw fit. The same word echoed around my head, 'Remember'.

My mind flew back to that night with my father when we'd lay under the stars:

"Just remember, Simba, that those Kings will always be there to guide you."

Guide me?

Exactly – guide me. Not tell me, guide me. I had to follow my own heart, and for once I knew exactly where my heart was pointing me…

I entered the cave, and the five lions were still moping around in their insignificant way. I knew they could not continue this behaviour if we were to keep the Pride strong, and I knew just the one to help me with what I needed to do…

"Tanabi, come outside?"

"Yes, Dad."

We left, heading out into a deserted grassland.

"How do you feel, Tani?"

"Um… good I guess. That is, I still miss Ella, and mum and Mtifu still don't seem too happy and won't cheer up or anything," he said it with his tail held low and his ears flattened which gave away that he was not as perky as he usually was.

"Yes," I said calmly, "I imagine so." I was quiet for a second. Then, "Tani, do you think you could help me with something?"

"Er… I suppose."

"Good. First, there's one thing I need you to realise."

"What's that?"

"You know how when you're sad, or angry, and you're all bunged up inside?"

"Yeah, I feel like that now," he admitted.

"Yes, that's natural. Never be ashamed of it," I told him, "it's healthy for all of us to feel pain sometimes. But sometimes we need to release that pain. Do you know how to do that?"

He looked confused. "Well…"

"We roar, Tani. It works, trust me, you have to try it."

He looked at me quizzically, disbelievingly. And he stayed quite still.

"Go on, try it," I encouraged him.

True, his roar was relatively pathetic, still being quite young as he was, but it seemed to have the desired effect. In Tanabi himself, not only did the roaring itself help him, the idea of having something to concentrate on did too.

He finished.

"So, how's that feel?"

"Better," he said, surprised, "How does it work?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "Perhaps you could ask Rafiki one day?"

He didn't seem too impressed with this idea. "That'd take ages," he said confidently, "Rafiki doesn't talk enough."

"Don't you remember the lesson about the monkey who talked a lot but never made a lot of sense? When Rafiki does talk, you know he's…"

"Oh yeah, sure Dad," he said quickly, clearly not in the mood for lectures. I couldn't blame him.

"Now, what I need you to do is, go get Sava and tell her to come out and play, and do the same to her. Get her to roar. See if it makes her better? Will you do that?"

He looked at me, head tilted sideways. "Of course Dad. You didn't need to show me first, you know."

I laughed at his keenness and went with him back to the cave. He left with Sava and I was alone with the lionesses.

"You three?"

"Yes?"

"How long do you intend to stay here?"

They all shrugged.

"Listen, I know it's hard. Really, I do. But I – we, have to set an example to others. Show that we have to put things behind us no matter what – look to the future, face up to the problem. We've been running from the problem of the River Pride for too long, and we've got to do something about it!"

My words rang truer in their ears than I heard them in mine, though they didn't budge.

"Please? You're my three closest helpers, I need you to help lead the way. Tanabi and Sava are onto it, can't you see their bravery too? They're young but they're doing all they can, will you not do the same?"

Sava and Tanabi returned, right on cue, at that moment. They were clearly feeling slightly better, if a little weary. But, what I had hoped for was for their efforts to be evident to Nala and Mtifu, to inspire them. Tanabi looked at Nala, and said "C'mon Mum, get up. It helps to roar when you're feeling low y'know…"

We'd hit the problem. They rose one by one with fire and resolve in their eyes. This was what I needed. But, in order to not sound too callous, I realised I also needed to show a bit of compassion and support. I turned to Mtifu.

"Mtifu, I am sorry," I said, truthfully, "I do appreciate your loss, and hold you close to my heart in your testing time. I have reason to believe that Shuku was indeed involved in her death and so her fate will be decided by you when the time comes. I also appeal to you and say that I hope, should Usiku ever return, that you will find it within your heart to forgive her, though I appreciate that this is your prerogative to decide."

She looked at me honourably, before declaring, "You are a good brave King, Simba, and I would do as you will."

I smiled at her. Right from the beginning, I'd known her close friendship would prove important. Now, that was being proved.

I looked at Nala with love. I needed no words to say to her. She knew that what I was doing was right, and she was prepared to follow me to the end, I saw it in her eyes. I was pleased to have her with me, and nuzzled her – something which in the last few days I had been missing incredibly. It was a tender moment, but I didn't have time to dwell on it.

"What've you done with our son?" she asked, though not accusatively.

"I taught him a lesson," I said confidently, "And now he's used it on you."

My eyes fell upon Sarafina. I opened my mouth to say something, but she interrupted. "You are right, Simba. We must all face up to our past some time. I am prepared for anything, even if it does involve the River Pride."

I knew what she meant, and said nothing in return. The group of us stepped outside and headed for Pride Rock. The lions on the rock saw us coming.

"Don't be afraid of what they have to say," I told the group, "tell them that we as a Pride must work together."