CHAPTER 15. HE LIVES IN YOU

Simba suddenly came to his senses. He opened his eyes and sat up in his bed, his room was pitch black and silent. He clapped his hands and the lights came on. Nala groaned next to him. He turned to face her; she forced one eye open and looked at him. "What time is it?" She asked. Simba picked up his mobile phone and checked; "Still only quarter to ten." He said a little surprised. He scrolled through his messages on his phone and found a new one from Timon, sent only half an hour ago. It read: U DONE YET BRO? I think u might have forgotten about our BBQ, whatever happened to bros b4 hoes? Simba sighed as he read it; he had only just realized how much he had hurt Timon and Pumbaa by getting carried away with Nala. He could hear the television downstairs; indicating that they were still awake.

"Hey, I just need to talk to Timon downstairs, I'll be right back." He said and threw his legs over the side of the bed, but Nala gently grabbed his hand. "Stay here with me..." Nala whispered seductively. "No, there's something important I need to talk to him about." Simba argued and put his shorts back on. "Talk to me." Nala insisted. Simba gave in and sat down next to her. "Okay, five minutes. What's bugging you?" Simba said irritated. "Well nothing's bugging me...it's just that I don't understand something. If you've been alive all this time, why didn't you come back home?" She asked. "Well, after my dad died, I just needed to get away and live my own life, I did and it's great. You can't say it's not nice here." Simba said. "Well it is beautiful...but we've really needed you at home." Nala sat up next to him as she spoke, pulling the blanket up with her to cover her up. "No one needs me." Simba sighed. "Yes we do! You're the king!" Nala exclaimed. "No Nala we've been through this, I'm not the king. Pridelands are socialist now and Scar's your leader." Simba said irritated. Nala sighed and put her head in her hands. "Simba, he's killed all the senators. He rules with oppression and greed and that started a civil war. Half the population's disappeared and the whole country looks like what East Side used to. If you don't some back everyone will die!" Nala said desperately. "Listen I'm not going back. You wouldn't understand." Simba stood up and put his shirt on as he argued.

"What wouldn't I understand?" Nala cried out. Simba shook his head and faced her. "Hakuna Matata." He said. "Huh?" Nala looked at him confused. "It's something I've learned out here, sometimes bad things happen, and there's nothing you can do about it. So why worry?" Simba explained. "Because it's your responsibility!" Nala shouted at him now. "Well what about you? You left didn't you?" he said to her angrily. "I was sent to find something that might bring an end to the war, and I found you. Don't you understand? You're our only hope." Nala argued. "Well I'm sorry." Simba said and put on a singlet. Nala then got out of bed and put her top back on. "What's happened to you? You're not the Simba I remember." She said shocked. Simba glared at her. "You're right. I'm not, are you happy now?" Simba snarled. Nala glared back at him and folded her arms. "No, just disappointed." She muttered. Simba started to walk towards his bedroom door. "You know you're starting to sound like my father." He said under his breath. Simba gripped the doorknob and was about to exit the room. "Good. At least one of us does..." Nala said after him. Simba gripped the doorknob with all his strength and the knob almost compacted. That one hurt. He thought and turned around to face her angrily. "LISTEN, YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST SHOW UP HERE AND TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE! CHRIST, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!" Simba yelled at her. "I would if you just told me." Nala pleaded with him. Simba turned back towards the door and opened it. "FUCK THAT!" He yelled as he walked. "FINE!" She shouted after him.

Simba stormed downstairs angrily and was noticed by Timon. "So you came to your senses?" Timon said provocatively, referring to the argument he had heard. Simba ignored him and walked outside. He paced outside under the moonlight, gathering his composure. She's wrong. I can't go back, the hell would it prove anyway? He thought and looked at the stars, where his father should be. Simba felt angry at everyone, he felt angry with Nala for pushing him like that, he felt angry at Timon for not understanding his situation and angry at himself. If he hadn't let his father die all those years back then he wouldn't be here, there would be no war and everyone would be happy. The stars again reminded him about the night his father told him he would always be there to guide him. "YOU SAID YOU'D ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME!" He thundered at the sky. "But you're not, and it's because of me...it's my fault." Simba said to himself and tears started to appear in the corners of his eyes. He sat down on the lawn and let it out. He had bottled up those tears for far too long and was finally letting them out.

Simba stopped when he saw a pair of headlights appear on the driveway. Simba shielded his eyes from the sudden light and stood up to face the strange car. The car pulled up next to him and the driver rolled his window down. The driver was an old African priest who seemed awfully familiar. "You know talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." He told him cheerfully. "Okay thank you for the tip, I don't know who you are or why you're on our property, but just leave...in case you haven't noticed I'm not in the best of moods right now." Simba told him and started towards the house. "I don't think you know who you are." The priest told him and got out of the vehicle. "Okay then what's my name then genius." Simba said to him sarcastically. The priest caught up with him and pulled him close. "You're a priest...and I'm not." The man chuckled. Simba rolled his eyes and made his way to the underground garage and the man followed him. "I think you're a little confused, now anyway leave me alone." Simba said and opened the door to his GT500. He got in and started the engine, which drowned out the noise of the man's voice. Simba opened the garage door with his remote and sped out, leaving two tire marks behind him. Simba was on his way to the local bar, he didn't usually drink off his problems, but he really felt he could do with shot or two now. Rafiki watched him go and got into his own car, following close behind.

At Gibson's Tavern, ten minutes later.

Rafiki entered the tavern, which was mostly deserted at that time of the night, except for one man sitting behind the bar, hunched over three empty shot glasses; that man was of course, Simba. Rafiki took a seat next to him and gestured to the empty glasses. "So you like to drink off the past do you?" He said. Simba just looked at him with bloodshot eyes and said nothing. "You didn't let me finish before, you don't know who you are do you?" Rafiki said, more serious this time. "And I suppose you know?" Simba spoke for the first time since he ordered the drinks. "Sure do, you're Mufasa's boy!" Rafiki exclaimed. Simba turned around in surprise. "You knew my father?" Simba asked, shocked. "No, I know your father. He is not dead, and I show him to you. Come follow old Rafiki, he knows the way." Rafiki said enthusiastically and tipped his head in the direction of the exit. Simba looked at the drinks he had to pay for but Rafiki said: "I'll pay for them." and slammed a fifty dollar note on the counter. He led Simba outside and through the jungle behind the restaurant. Simba, as athletic as he was, struggled to keep up with the old man. He followed Rafiki through the foliage until he was stopped at a small pond. The water in it was crystal clear, and the moon reflected off it, sending a wavy pattern of light across Simba's face. Rafiki placed a finger over his mouth and signaled for him to be quiet. "Look down there." Rafiki whispered. Simba peered into the water and the only man down there was his reflection. "That's not my father, it's just my reflection." Simba sighed, disappointed. "No, look harder." Rafiki whispered. A gentle breeze suddenly broke out, causing the water too ripple. The wind then died down and Simba looked again, harder this time.

Instead of seeing his reflection he saw his father's face, glaring back at him. Simba stood back shocked. "You see? He lives in you." Rafiki told him. When Simba turned around to look at Rafiki he was gone. "Simba..." A deep voice said. Simba stepped out into a clearing to hear where the voice was coming from. Thick clouds started to appear above him, lightning flashing from inside them but making no noise. "Simba...Look at me." The voice said again.