His paws beat the savannah land like a bushman's drum, but he could get nowhere. He was losing the same battle that had repeated nearly every night for months, and once again he found himself racing to get away from the demon that followed him, that yearned to destroy the king and take his place as a pretender. During the day, he told himself that Kovu had indeed changed. Scar wasn't even his father for that matter, and his vicious mother was rotting someplace along the river. But how could he shake the suspicion that Kovu was still somehow under the influence of both his mother and Scar when he dreamed his death each night at the claws of Kovu, the outcast his daughter had befriended and then fallen in love with?
Behind him, Simba could hear the deranged panting of Kovu. The beast that followed him hardly looked like Kovu, but Simba knew instinctively that it was his heir. Without fault as always, the rock wall rose up before him, and Simba began the never-ending climb with Kovu hot on his tail. He chanced a glance behind him, and he beheld the surreal scene below him. Kovu skidded to a stop at the base of the rocky face, his acid green eyes leaping with joy as his lips curled into a disturbing grin. Simba could feel his heart racing and the sound of it filled his ears. He couldn't catch his breath, nor could his claws catch hold of the slick, crumbling rock.
Kovu let out a laugh below as he stretched as far as he could reach and raked his deadly claws down the surface of the rock. "Where are you running, Simba?" he called. "Don't you trust me?"
Simba wanted to tell the demonic form of Kovu that he did not, but his fleeting voice left him mute. He could only whimper. He turned back to climb again and found that he had run out of cliff. He clambered awkwardly onto the narrow precipice and looked back down only to find Kovu right there. As the days wore on, Simba found it difficult to forget the Kovu of his dreams and see the young lion for what he was becoming. Kovu, who had become a father within the past year, was to be a great king one day, and not the horrible killer in his dreams.
With a triumphant roar, Kovu lifted his paw to the air, all five talon-like claws unsheathed. It came down on Simba's face, knocking him off balance and sending him over the precipice. Simba hated the sensation of falling downward. He would envision himself as his father-a lion blindsided and backstabbed by a devious brother. As he fell, he'd cry out and see his uncle at the top-a sight he almost had the pleasure of witnessing all those years before. But, this time, what he found strange was the appearance of a second lion at Kovu's side. He tried to make out who it might be, but he there was no time to tell.
"Simba? Simba!" came a voice from beyond the landscape of his dark dreams.
A warm tongue caressed his cheek as Simba slowly eased back into reality. Nala lay next to him, her paw on his shoulder. He sighed a breath of relief.
"You were whimpering again, Simba," she whispered, teal eyes full of worry. Even quieter, she said, "You growled and you mumbled Kovu's name. It wasn't the nightmare again, was it?"
"Is he here?" Simba asked distractedly. He sat up and looked around. His whiskers twitched with anxiety. Kovu's place where he normally slept near his two children and Kiara was bare.
"He left early this morning," Nala answered him.
Simba turned back to his mate, "It's happening more and more. I'm exhausted."
"Perhaps you should speak to him about it."
Simba shook his head. "No, I couldn't do that. No… we've put the past behind us. All that matters now is the future."
Nala looked unconvinced. "You could always speak to Rafiki."
"Perhaps…"
"Then I will if you don't," Nala threatened. She placed her paw over Simba's, a soft, gentle purr rising in her throat. "How can there be a future if you keep returning to the past? These dreams are tearing you apart. I hate to say it, but… what if… they really do mean something? Why else would they repeat…"
Simba groaned and stood up to stretch. Nearby, his granddaughter, Tanga, stirred in her sleep and rolled over. "Ohhh… please don't say things like that, Nala. Don't I have enough to worry about while I sleep, let alone when I'm awake?"
"Just promise me that you will do something about this, please?" Nala told him. "I hate seeing you like this, Simba." Lovingly, she rubbed her cheek against his mane, purring harder.
Simba couldn't help but give a small smile. He sighed. "I promise."