Simba ran out into the dark, early morning as the sun began to rise over the horizon and stood on the peak of Pride Rock. He was very little, although he was somewhat grown, with brownish gold fur . He looked around, eyes wide with excitement, and as he smiled he turned back around and ran back inside the caves. "Dad, dad!" he cried while leaping over several sleeping lionesses. "Come on dad, we gotta go." He accidentally stepped on one, who grunted. "Sorry!" Simba quickly apologized as he jumped over her. He found his sleeping parents on the other side of the cave and immediately began shaking Mufasa's shoulders. "Dad?" Simba frowned and began shaking him harder, hoping to awaken the king of the Pride from his slumber. "Dad? Dad?"

"Your son is awake," Sarabi said lazily, her ear twitching to the noise that Simba was making. Mufasa grumbled in his sleep, ignoring his son's calls for the time being.

"Before sunrise he's your son," said Mufasa lazily, trying to ignore Simba's cries.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Simba head-butted his father in the shoulder and glared at him. Mufasa, who was caught a little off guard, yawned tiredly and opened one eye to look at his son. "Okay okay, I'm up. I'm up…" Mufasa yawned again, and as he stood up, his yawn turned into a tired roar. He began to walk out of the cave with his son following him, his tail swaying back and forth behind him. After realizing her husband was no longer sleeping beside her, Sarabi stood up as well and walked out of the cave, but she didn't follow them to the peak of Pride Rock.

Instead, she stayed behind. She smiled when Simba ran back to her and rubbed his back against her legs affectionately. She nudged her son gently in his side, gesturing for him to go on, and Simba followed his father out to the cliff. Mufasa and Simba sat on the cliff of Pride Rock, the sun displaying itself over the valley of the Pride Lands.

"Look Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom." Mufasa explained. The young cub looked across the valley, his eyes shining in both wonder and curiosity. He's never exactly seen the Pride Lands before, so this was something that he has been looking forward to ever since the day Mufasa told him that he was going to go exploring with him.

"A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun," Mufasa continued, and he looked down at his son, bending over towards him. His son looked up at him with wide eyes, "One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king."

"And this will all be mine?" Simba asked him.

"Everything."

Simba surveyed the land. "Everything the light touches…" He spotted a mysterious shadowy place that was located near the north west at the border of the Pridelands. He couldn't help but ask him: "What about that shadowy place?"

"That's beyond our borders. You must never go there, Simba." Mufasa replied.

"But I thought a king could do whatever he wants" Simba said, looking thoughtful.

"There's more to being king than getting your way all the time." Mufasa said as he headed back down the rocks, which made a replacement for steps on Pride Rock.

"There's more?" Simba asked, his voice sounding awed. Although he had a little bit of trouble getting down at first, he followed him quickly.

Mufasa laughed, "Simba…" Mufasa chuckled lightly as he and Simba walked through the Pridelands, observing the different animals that had made their homes here. "Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope."

The young prince looked up at his father in surprise. "But, dad, don't we eat the antelope?"

"Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected…to the great circle of life." When Mufasa finished talking, he looked up and noticed that Qui Gon Jin had arrived, with another man behind him.

"Good morning, Mufasa," said Qui Gon, smiling.

Mufasa and Simba turned around. "Qui-Gon!" yelled Simba, running circles around his legs. "Hey! Do you have any Jedi things to teach me today, huh?"

Mufasa smiled. "If only my son were that enthusiastic about his royal lessons."

"Actually, I brought my student with me today," said Qui Gon. He then introduced them to a young man with a short haircut with two types of pony tails, wearing a brown robe. "Mufasa, Simba, this is my padawan learner. Obi Wan Kenobi."

"Hello," said Obi Wan.

Simba seemed to get excited, and he padded immediately over to Obi Wan. "Wow, you're his student? So you're kinda learning stuff like me, huh? But I bet a Jedi never got to be a king," he said with a small smirk, then turned back to Qui-Gon. "Hey, how much stuff does a Jedi have to learn? Is it like being royal?"

"Simba, one question at a time... if you don't mind answering them," Mufasa said to Qui-Gon.

"Not at all," answered Qui Gon. He then turned to Simba. "A jedi has many things to learn, we are the guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy."

Simba looked up at the sky, then back to Qui-Gon, an eyebrow raised curiously. "The whole thing? How do you get to so many stars so fast? Are there lots of you?"

"Many, spread out through the galaxy."

Simba sat down and looked at the sky to ponder just how many they'd actually need as Mufasa spoke "Thank you for coming here. Your kind are always welcome... and how has my brother been? The slight of not being present at Simba's presentation was deliberate..." He got up and moved closer, making sure Simba cannot hear. "I am a little worried about him, I must admit."

Suddenly, a loud rumbling was heard. The group forcibly ducked to the ground as a large, smooth, silver star ship flew over them and headed straight towards Pride Rock. Obi Wan stared up in curiosity. "Master?" he asked Qui Gon. "What was that?"

Simba ducked down in a fright as Mufasa watched the ship. "Simba, stay here," he commanded, looking to Qui-Gon. "I will investigate." With that he loped off toward his home.

Qui Gon picked up simba and followed mufasa, along with Obi Wan. Back at pride rock, Mufasa, Sarabi, Captain Panaka and other lionesses and guards were waiting at the door of the large vessel. Qui Gon, Obi Wan and Simba soon arrived at the sight.

Simba looked up at Qui-Gon. "Is that one of yours?" :he asked quietly.

The old jedI shook his head, "No. It appears to belong to the royal family of the planet Naboo."

Slowly the ships door opened and out stepped a boy who looked the age of sixteen wearing royal robes and white make up on his face. he was escorted by handmaidens dressed in orange and yellow robes and a man in a purple cloak and white beard. They soon greeted Mufasa by bowing.

Mufasa dipped his head and looked about at the entourage.: "Greetings from Pride Rock. I am the king Mufasa. Why are you here?"

The boy with the white face stood up. "I am king Amidala of the planet Naboo." He then pointed to the bearded man next to him. "This is my governor, Sio Bibble and my handmaidens. We have escaped a terrible tragedy that has just happened on our home world."

Mufasa glanced around and stepped closer. "We will give what assistance we can, but we cannot travel through the stars, only our guards are able to do that. Now what is the nature of this catastrophe?"

Amidala sighed. "The new leader of the trade federation, Viceroy Newt Gunray, has taken control of our central city. We just escaped with our lives."

"Strange," said Panaka. "The Trade Federation would never go this far."

Simba looked up at Qui-Gon. "Who's the Trade Federation?"

Qui Gon looked at the young prince. "A very powerful nation who's specialty is with the trade routes to different planets." he answered. "They also make droids. this new Viceroy doesn't sound too friendly."

Mufasa took in a deep breath and looked at Amidala. "Very well. We can grant you sanctuary... but if they follow you here, we can do very little to protect you. However, we have two Jedi that may be better equipped for such things..." He looks back to Qui-Gon, figuring this is more his territory.:

"Thank you Mufasa," said Amidala as he bowed. Then he and the others went into the den. But not Simba, he went to go look for his uncle, Scar.