Chapter 12! Enjoy!
SEQ. 9.2 (UNDER THE STARS)
EXT. JUNGLE - NIGHT
The camera switches to a view of the jungle. We hear a monstrous belch reverberate across the landscape. The camera switches to Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba lying on their backs looking at the stars.
"Simba!" Sarabi scolds. "Sorry, Mom." The king replies, sheepish.
TIMON:
Whoah. Nice one, Simba.
SIMBA:
Thanks. Man, I'm stuffed.
PUMBAA:
Me too. I ate like a pig.
"You are a pig, Pumbaa." Fuli points out.
SIMBA:
Pumbaa - you are a pig.
PUMBAA;
Oh. right.
They are silent for a moment. Then out of the blue:
PUMBAA:
wondrous
Timon?
TIMON:
Yeah?
PUMBAA:
Ever wonder what those sparkly dots up there are?
"Those are stars, dum-dum." Reirei interjected.
TIMON:
Pumbaa, I don't wonder. I know.
PUMBAA:
Oh. What are they?
TIMON:
They're fireflies. Fireflies that got stuck up on that big bluish black thing.
"I mean, they kind of look like fireflies." Binga said.
PUMBAA:
Oh, gee, I always thought they were balls of gas, burning billions of miles away.
TIMON:
Pumbaa, with you everything's gas.
The animals couldn't help snickering.
PUMBAA:
Simba, what do you think?
SIMBA:
Well, I don't know..
"But you do know." Surak spoke.
PUMBAA:
Aw, c'mon, Simba. We told you ours.
TIMON:
C'mon. Give. Give.
PUMBAA:
Come on. We told 'ja ours. Please?
SIMBA:
Well - somebody once told me the great kings of the past are up there watching over us.
PUMBAA:
Really?
TIMON:
Ya mean a bunch of royal dead guys are watchin' us?
"They are not royal dead guys. They are the great lions of the past!" Rafiki corrected.
Timon laughs it off.
TIMON:
Ha-ha-ha-ha - That's the craziest thing I ever heard!
Everybody LAUGHS uproariously.
TIMON:
Who told you something like that? What mook made that up?
The dead lions gave Timon a look. "Well, I believe it now. Sorry about that." he apologized.
SIMBA:
laughing
Yeah. Pretty dumb, huh?
Simba looks back up at the stars. He quietly gets up and leaves.
TIMON:
Was it something I said?
FULL SCREEN - STARRY SKY
pan down to:
SIMBA:
Atop a nearby hill, he gazes up at the starry sky, a distant look in his eye. Then he asks:
SIMBA:
Are you really there?
"Of course we were." Mufasa says. "I know, it's just.. I felt so guilty and alone." Simba sighed and mournfully began to sing:
Where has the starlight gone? Dark is the day. How can I find my way home?
Home is an empty dream, lost to the night. Father, I feel so alone.
You promised you'd be there, whenever I needed you.
Whenever I call your name, you're not anywhere.
I'm trying to hold on, just waiting to hear your voice.
One word, just a word will do to end this nightmare.
When will the dawning break? Oh, endless I dream of the day
When you were by my side guiding my path. Father, I can't find the way.
You promised you'd be there, whenever I needed you.
Whenever I call your name, you're not anywhere.
I'm trying to hold on, just waiting to hear your voice.
One word, just a word will do to end this nightmare.
The king hung his head and sniffled. Spirit and Dusty looked at each other and started singing:
I know that the night must end, and that the sun will rise. And that the sun will rise.
I know that the clouds must clear, and that the sun will shine. And that the sun will shine.
I know that the night must end, and that the sun will rise. And that the sun will rise.
I know that the clouds must clear, and that the sun will shine. And that the sun will shine.
They continued as Simba resumed his part, his singing gradually becoming more joyous:
I know. Yes, I know. The sun will rise.
Yes, I know. The clouds must clear.
I know that the night must end.
I know that the sun will rise, and I'll hear your voice deep inside.
I know that the night must end and that the clouds must clear.
Oh, the sun, the sun will rise!
The sun, the sun will rise!
Several animals applauded once he finished. "That was just beautiful." Uncle Max complimented.
There is no response. He SIGHS and then tries to block it all out with his "mantra:"
SIMBA:
Hakuna Matata.
He flops down. The force of the impact sends milkweed airborne across the night sky.
EXT. THE JUNGLE CANOPY - CONTINUOUS
The airborne pieces of milkweed travel through the air.
SEQ. 12 (RAFIKI GETS SIMBA)
POLLEN moves across the landscape, finally approaching a tree.
EXT. JUNGLE - CONTINUOUS
A baboon HAND POPS into frame. It collects the wind-borne objects and snaps shut. REVEAL
"Hey, it's Rafiki again!" Bunga exclaims.
RAFIKI the wise old baboon we met at Simba's Presentation sits in the branch of a tree. He clutches what he's just caught and dives down into the tree.
INT. RAFIKI'S TREE- CONTINUOUS
Rafiki takes a hollow tortoise shell and tosses in what he just collected. He cracks open a gourd. As he "reads" the contents, he idly takes a bite out of one half of the gourd.
He takes a good long look at the contents of the shell, MUMBLES and then LAUGHS.
RAFIKI:
Simba? He-he's alive? He he-he's alive!
He goes to a painting of a lion cub that has the same marking on his forehead that Rafiki placed on Simba at his Presentation.
RAFIKI:
Ah! Ah-ha-ha-ha!
He scurries to get his walking stick. Then he returns to the wall painting and smears something from one of his gourds around the head of the cub. Now the cub has a mane. Rafiki laughs joyfully.
"The cub has become a young adult. Now he needs to become king." Janna mused.
RAFIKI:
It is time!
I had to include Endless Night somewhere in here as it's one of my favorite songs from the musical. It just hits you right in the feels. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a food coma to get into. Happy Thanksgiving and stay tuned for the next chapter!
