A/N: As always, italics represent Mufasa's unspoken thoughts.

IMPORTANT:- In this fanfic Scar has always been called Scar, not Taka. I just thought it would uncomplicate things. So remember Scar, not Taka! :)

This was just unreal. Impossible, in fact.

Mufasa was lying on Pride Rock- not as a phantom but what appeared to be a living, solid lion.

He did not know how or why The Kings of The Past had decided to let him to go to his son. He really didn't care; he was home right now and determined to make the most of how long The Kings of The Past had allowed to let him stay.

Simba moaned slightly and Mufasa held him a little more tightly, wanting to calm him- comfort him... anything to help him.

"You'll be fine. Don't worry-you'll..."

His words trailed off as he heard a name being called.

"Simba!"

A dreadful cough issued from his son's mouth and he was not surprised. The smoke from the raging fires was still swirling thickly in the air.

He saw two lionesses make an impressive leap, getting closer to Simba and- just in time, he hid behind an aged boulder.

Sarabi and Nala looked around and gasped when seeing the injured lion.

"Scar!" Nala screamed. "That- ugh!"

"No time for that, dear," Sarabi replied calmly, though still looked shocked. "We've got to fetch Rafiki; he'll know better than any of us on what to do."

The young lioness stepped back reluctantly. "But..."

"Please, Nala."

And she was gone. Sarabi was now stroking Simba's mane with an elegant paw...she was so...words could not describe her.

"I love you, Sarabi," Mufasa said, before he could stop himself.

His mate looked up as Nala returned.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

The older lioness looked puzzled. "I...I thought...but, no. No, I'm being silly."

It was now Nala's turn to look puzzled. She hesitantly lifted Simba onto her back. "Come on. Your son weighs a ton by the way."

Sarabi smiled slightly and Mufasa decided that he shouldn't linger here any longer even though he was terribly anxious about how Simba was faring. A certain brother had to be found.

He ran through the Pridelands, a sense of freedom pulsing through him. It was so exhilarating to feel everything again. The wind rushing over his mane, the feel of the ground underneath his paws...

And he realised that he was at The Elephant's Graveyard. Scar was standing on top of a platform like skull- barking orders to the army of hyenas.

"Don't you understand you imbeciles?" he growled menacingly. "We have been defeated. Defeated! That does not happen to me."

A female hyena...Shenzi wasn't it?...interrupted: "Excuse me, Your majesty." She gave him a cold stare, "I think we had been defeated long ago."

"Shut up, Shenzi," Scar snapped.

Someone laughed in the crowd.

"That goes for you, too, Ed."

A male hyena spoke up. "Hey! You never let Shenzi finish."

Shenzi glanced at him. "Thanks, Banzai...I think."

"I hate to break up this lovely scene but could you all just keep quie-"

"You know, I used to think you being King was a good thing but I see that was before I'd developed a little thing called a brain. Look." Shenzi took a step closer to Scar. "Mufasa-"

"Don't mention his name!" Scar sounded on the edge of panic and Mufasa felt a little stung. Scar did fear him and hate him- he'd have to face up to that after all these years.

"Oh, fine. He wasn't a perfect King but he was a fair one; I'll give him that."

Was that a compliment?!

Banzia nodded while Ed laughed in agreement. "Yeah, he gave us a deal- We'd stay on our land and he would stay on his, even making sure we had enough food to get by."

Scar snorted, "Oh, please!"

"Then you had to ruin all of that!" Shenzi said. "You just had to fill our heads with ideas- we could get more meat if we wanted, when we couldn't even see we had plenty."

"Well, my brother did all you said he did." Then the evil lion sneered. "But where is he now...?"

Mufasa swallowed. "Right here," he replied softly.

There were hundreds of gasps and shrieks as the hyenas parted to reveal Mufasa to Scar. The dark maned lion's eyes were wide in fright and disbelief.

"You!" Scar stumbled. "No, n-no, you're not real..."

"Please, Scar." Mufasa walked forwards. "I'm as real as my son returning to Pride Rock."

"Stay back!" Scar sounded almost insane. "Get away from me!"

Mufasa exhaled. "I forgive you," he said, "Will that calm you?"

"Do you- do you think I need your forgiveness?! I have all I want!"

"Really? You have a Pride who despise you and the only animals you thought you could depend on seem to have turned against you."

Something extraordinarily like a whimper sounded from Scar and Mufasa pitied him- no matter how much destruction he had caused.

"Scar, please go back to Pride Rock. It's not too late, you can still return."

"Stop it! You're just my imagination, you...y-y-ou."

Mufasa stared in complete bewilderment and understood: Scar was mad. Mad with power.

"Brother," he said comfortingly.

"Don't call me that!" Scar shrieked, fur on end. "Why can't you leave me Mufasa? Night after night I could still see you...watching me. Just go! Go!"

"I assure you, I was not watching you every night. On the contrary, I really was only concerned about Sarabi...and my son." Mufasa frowned darkly. "Scar, you know that I've forgiven you for killing me..but...I can never forgive what you have done to my family. I...I simply can't."

The other lion did not reply and the hyenas were only waiting with baited breath.

"Why, brother?"

"I thought I'd told you not to ca-"

"I know but why?" Mufasa replied in some frustration. "How could you do that to a cub? How could you let my son endure several years of-"

And another thought came to Mufasa. Simba. How could he have went through his years of growing up without his family..how could he have dealt with it all- thinking that he'd ki-

He shook his head slowly. He couldn't think about how hard it must have been.

I'll make it up to you, Simba. I promise.

Scar was trembling but now seemed to have decided to ignore his brother. "Come," he said but the hyenas did not move.

"Why?" Shenzi asked, echoing Mufasa. "Why should we go with you?"

The lion's eyes darted everywhere.

"Scar," Mufasa begged. "Please, go back to Pride Rock. Apologize. Live a better life. You can start again, you-"

"Never!" he howled and suddenly he took of into the mist, running and running from the Pridelands.

There were a few seconds of stunned silence which Banzai broke: "Eh...he's not going to come back his he Mr...Ghost uh...thingy...?"

Mufasa sighed. "No. No he's not."

"You know what?" Shenzi said. "I reckon we need a clean start aswell. Who's with me?"

The hyenas nodded and started to walk to the West- away from the Pridelands but also apart from Scar.

"And uh...sorry for eh plotting to kill you and trying to kill your son," Shenzi said weakly then nudged Banzai, who stuttered,"Yeah, sorry...Mr Ghost." Ed laughed.

Mufasa grinned slightly. "Mufasa would be perfect. And yes, I forgive you."

They walked on and then he said,"Oh! And sorry for scaring you senseless years ago.. when you tried to eat Simba?"

"Scared?" Banzai asked,"We weren't scared."

"Yeah. I could tell that from your screaming."

The hyenas sniggered and he heard Banzai say,"For a ghost, he's okay."

Mufasa rolled his eyes in amusement and departed. He was running for quite a while when he felt his paw step into something.

He looked down and was taken aback. His pawprint. It was still there!

Memories flooded him: "Dad, we're pals right? And we'll always be together right?"

Mufasa smiled sadly and looked towards Pride Rock. "I'm coming, Simba," he said with conviction. "I'm coming."

So...whaddya think? Please tell me by clicking on that button we all know and love. Review, people, please! Next chapter should be on the way soon!