Well hello, anyone! I've got more done. Aren't I fast? Just kidding ya. But seriously, the first chapter's up a day, and I've got 3 reviews! This is reason to celebrate! Oh, and I almost forgot, I own none of the characters, etc. They are that of Disney. They belong to Disney.

Chapter 2

Taka had fetched and waken Zazu, who flew ahead of the lions. Mufasa and Taka traveled in silence. They were both tired, and were full of thoughts. Once Mufasa had tried to thank Scar again, but as soon as he said his name, his brother lashed out in words, demanding that he never be called by that name again in his life.

The sun was just beginning to set as the lions reached Pride Rock. Three lionesses ran out to them. Sarabi, Sarafina, and Zira.

"What happened?" the lionesses cried in unison. Sarabi went immediately to her husband, Zira to her best friend, and Sarafina to the little prince.

"Mom! Wait! UP!" screamed the little daughter of Sarafina, Nala. "What is going on? OH MY GOSH, SIMBA!" The little cub bolted to her best friend, Sarabi and Sarafina jumping out of the way so as to avoid injury.

"He's fine, Nala," Mufasa spoke to the second creature on his head. To his wife, he said that they would explain to the rest of the pride as soon as they had gotten some rest.

"Well, of coarse!" Zira exclaimed, more to Taka than to Mufasa. "You all look like you could use some! What on Earth happened to Prince Simba?"

"He is tired, let him rest," Taka cooed to Zira. But the lionesses had no intention to let anyone 'rest.' If they were going down in hysteria, they were going to take anyone they could with them. Questions flew at the brothers. They couldn't hear at all. The royal pair looked at each other fearfully and began to wish they were back in that stampede than here having to explain it. Finally, Nala ended their torture.

"SHUT UP!" Nala yelled at the top of her lungs. Blissful silence… No one moved. All of the adults stared bewildered at Nala. Simba stirred. "Can't you guys see he's sleeping?"

Mufasa chuckled. "She's right. We'll put him in the cave with Nala and Zazu, Taka and I will wash up some at the water hole, and then we'll tell the pride what happened."

"Yes…yes, okay," Sarabi agreed. She took her son in her jaws and carried him to the cave, Nala at her heels. Mufasa and Taka trotted in the direction of the water hole. Sarafina turned to Zira.

"Taka?"

"Don't ask me. You know just as well as I do no one's used that name in years."

The sun was set. Simba and Nala were sleeping in the cave of Pride Rock with Zazu and the rest of the pride was assembled just outside. Sarabi sat next to King Mufasa and Zira next to Taka. The rest of the pride anxiously awaited the two males' tale. All the lionesses were whispering to each other. Nothing exciting had happened since Simba's birth, and this was sure to be interesting. Whispers and mutters were flying around, but no one had the nerve to actually address the males. Finally, Sarafina spoke above the others.

"So, what happened, exactly?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure how things started," began Mufasa, "but there was a stampede."

"What?" Sarabi asked. "You two were in a stampede?"

"Well, yes and no," answered Mufasa.

"What do you mean?" questioned Zira.

"W-Well," Taka stuttered, "you see, I brought Simba down to the gorge. I told him to wait for me. You see, I was going to get Mufasa

be-because I had an idea for a gift we could give to Simba. Of coarse, I said it was all Mufasa's idea but-"

"What was it?" inquired Mufasa.

"Huh? Oh the gift? I can't recall at the moment. But anyways, I left the gorge, and Simba stayed. I was passing the herd of wildebeests when-"

"Wildebeests?" Sarabi gasped.

"Yes, my dear wife. And I'm a lion," Mufasa teased his queen. "I've always said I married her for her mind," he continued, talking to the rest of the pride. Chuckles answered. Sarabi swatted him playfully. "Go on," Mufasa said to Taka.

"Um, yes. Uh, I was passing the wildebeests when something, a cheetah or wild dog maybe, startled the herd. And at about the same time, I heard Simba roaring at something in the gorge."

"That explains why Simba was saying it was all his fault," commented Mufasa.

"Stop interrupting," snarled Zira. "Go on, Taka."

"Well, the herd started stampeding into the gorge, and when I realized they were headed for Simba, I ran to get Mufasa."

"By the time we got back to the gorge," Mufasa said, "Simba was barely hanging from a dead tree in the center of the action. Somehow we got him out of there, and if hadn't been for Taka here, I'd have been a goner!" Mufasa nudged his brother playfully. Taka didn't nudge back.

"Simba? Simba was in the stampede?"

"Yes, Sarafina. We don't know what happened to him before we got there."

Everyone's heads seemed to turn in the direction of the cave where the cub was sleeping now. Sarabi's thoughts raced. Anything could have happened to him! My son will have nightmares about this the rest of his life! And the queen was right. Simba would have nightmares surrounding the stampede the rest of his life, and in fact, was having the nightmareat that very moment.

While the pride stared at the prince, Simba was in torture. He was floating above the stampede. Simba wasn't going to be hurt so long as he concentrated on staying above the wildebeests. But there was his father, struggling to climb a wall of rock. He was at the top, but something was wrong. Scar sat above him, watching Mufasa struggle. No, Scar was letting Mufasa slip! But wait, now he was reaching for Mufasa's paw, trying to help. Mufasa reached back.

NO! Scar had slipped! He was falling! Everything was going so slow, but it seemed so fast! Scar fell into Mufasa, and now they were both falling! NO! They were falling into the stampede! NO! Simba looked down. He had stopped concentrating! Simba was falling, too! They were all going to die!

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Simba awoke. He looked around. The pride was sleeping. They were all in the cave.

Nala and Sarafina were next to the South wall. Zira slept in the center of the pride lionesses. Simba was in between his father and mother at the back of the cave. Sarabi opened one eye.

"Simba? Was that you?"

"Yeah, I guess it was."

"You have a nightmare?"

"Mm, hm."

Sarabi nuzzled him comfortingly and licked his forehead. Simba nuzzled back. Sarabi went back to sleep. Simba, though, took one last look around the cave. That's odd, he thought. Scar usually comes in after everyone else, but he's not usually up this late… But before Simba could panic, he fell asleep.

Simba didn't see his Uncle Taka in the cave because he wasn't there. Oh no. He had gone to the Elephant Graveyard. As much as the lion dreaded it, he knew he had to tell the hyenas … what happened.

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed ran up to him from the bone yard. Other hyenas, hundreds really, waited in the shadows of the accursed place.

"Scar! Wha' happened? You was supposed to meet up with us after the stampede!" Shenzi yelled as loud as she dared. She really did look worried.

"Please don't call me by that name," Taka pleaded.

"Uh, you feeling okay buddy?" Banzai looked slightly confused. "You've never gone by any other name."

"Just call me Taka," the lion begged.

"Fine. Whatever. Somethin' happened back there. Waz goin on?" Shenzi asked.

"I … I … couldn't," Taka stumbled.

"Couldn't? Couldn't what?"

"I couldn't do it! I didn't kill them!" Taka yelled, loud enough for all the hyenas to hear.

Shenzi took Taka away from the others. "You didn't kill Mufasa?" she asked patiently, like a mother asks a child. Taka shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, old friend."

"It's okay, I understand," Shenzi comforted the lion. "I'll talk to the others."

"Will you forgive me?"

"Taka, you my friend. Mon ami. We're amigos. That's all friends do, forgive each other for our shortcomings. An' really, it might be better this way."

"Huh?"

"Taka, you and I both know you were never trained to be a king," Shenzi said. "Go on home. We'll talk more later."

Taka thanked Shenzi, and went back to Pride Rock, feeling much better than he had felt coming.