Chapter One
A/n: I OWN NOTHING! Requested by Wherever Girl.
Mufassa awoke to see his father in front of him. Groaning, he knew that he was dead.
"Hello my son," Ahadi said with a sad smile. "You have ruled well, but I am sorry that this is before your time."
"Father," Mufassa gasped, "is Amei alright?"
He knew Simba had been all right, but his youngest had run away the night before. It pained him that he could not see her before he died. Not that he had planned to die though.
"She is," Ahadi nodded, worried for his granddaughter as well. What would life be like without her father? Hopefully, Sarabi will step up and rule before Simba was old enough to rule. "Would you like to see what is going on in the Pride Lands right now?"
Mufassa nodded and followed his father to a small pool of water. Mufassa couldn't help the look of inquiry he shot his father.
"The newly dead are allowed to watch, especially if they have family still alive," his father told him in explanation. "I have been watching over you and your brother."
Mufassa growled at the mention of Scar. How dare he kill him! The brother who stuck up for him all those years when the other cubs wanted nothing to do with him!
"Anger will get you no where," his father told him but then left. Mufassa looked down into the pool and gasped when he saw Hyenas around Pride Rock. Seems that his brother was starting to make changes.
0000
Every day, Mufassa would be seen by the pool just to see his pride and the damage being done by his brother. He watched in sadness as Amei grew up a proud but closed lioness. She took after her mother and Mufassa wished he could be there for her.
"What?" he gasped on the day of his daughter's twelfth birthday. Was Scar really going to go after his daughter? Apparently. Turning away, he didn't want to see the scene he knew was going to occur.
"Mufassa?" Zuzu called. The bird had been his father's assistant and his babysitter. "What ever is the matter?"
"I shouldn't have trusted him," Mufassa muttered.
"You had no way of knowing your brother would kill you," Zuzu told him kindly. "He was your brother."
Mufassa sighed and the bird flew off. Thankfully that entire scene was over but now Mufassa was faced with the sight of his daughter broken and crying. Sarabi looking over her gently, but the anger on her face visible on her face. Raifkki looking sadly at Amei as he checked her to make sure she wasn't pregnant.
"Scar, how could you?" Mufassa whispered as he stared into the pool. He stopped returning to the pool, not wanting to see his daughter suffer constantly. But one day, something drew him to the pool once more.
"Nala?" he raised an eyebrow as he saw his daughter's companion. He never remembered Nala and Amei being on that great of terms—but if she was helping his daughter leave the Pride Lands that was fine with him. He watched as Nala fought a rouge lion in the middle of a jungle.
"Simba?" he gasped. His son looked exactly like him. But why had he run away? He could have kept Scar from taking Amei as his mate! At least he was protecting her now, going after her when she ran off.
"Mufassa!" his father called. "The First King is permitting you to go and talk to your son and daughter!"
"What?" he gasped.
"It is needed," Ahadi told him. "Go, you will be in the stars."
Mufassa felt his body melt and opened his eyes to see his cubs right in front of him. He felt so different—and yet he was so tempted to run to his daughter and tell her everything would be alright. Scar would be stopped
"Simba," he said as soon as he opened his mouth, "you have forgotten me."
What? No! he thought as his son responded.
"You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. You must take your place in the circle of life, and Amei you must help him."
"Why should I go back?" Amei asked him and Mufassa could see the confusion on her face along with the distrust. His heart ached at that. His daughter had once been a happy cub—admittedly one jealous of her brother but happy all the same.
"Remember," was the last word he said to his children before he felt his body reform in front of his father.
"What was that?" he exclaimed.
"Some things should be figured out on their own," his father told him and Mufassa blinked in confusion. He trotted over to a small clearing and sat down. He didn't want to see anything right now. A few hours later, his father prodded him once more.
"Yes father?" Mufassa raised an eyebrow. He was comfortable, something which hadn't happened since he had died.
"There's something you should see," his father said with a gentle smile and led him to the pool. Mufassa smiled when he saw both of his children standing on the promontory.
"Remember," he muttered and then felt a slight breeze. He looked to his father in inquiry but found his father was no longer next to him. Slowly, he watched as his brother arrived next to him.
"What happened?" Scar groaned and then looked at Mufassa in shock. "Oh bugger."
"Hello brother," Mufassa growled and then pounced—not even giving his little brother time to run.
"Mufassa, surely you wouldn't—"
"How dare you!" Mufassa growled. "She was twelve! You could have had any lioness you wanted!"
"Ah. Well you see—"
"Silence!" Mufassa growled again. "She looked up to you, you know that? She used to tell me that she wanted to be just like her Uncle Scar when she grew up."
Scar looked sheepish but Mufassa wasn't done yet. All his frustration manifested itself into aggression and he attacked his brother once more. This time, his father jumped between them.
"Mufassa!" Ahadi snapped. "Taka is already dead, don't you think he's been punished enough?"
"Father! How can you stand there and defend him?" Mufassa stood in shock, ignoring their father's use of his brother's true name instead of the horrid nickname his little brother had given himself. "He took my daughter as his mate!"
"While that is fairly disgusting," Ahadi said with a frown, "there must be some good in Taka still. Other wise the Great Kings would not have let him become a star."
Mufassa growled and turned on his heal. He only hoped Amei would grow to be happy once more. That's all he wanted for his little girl—and for Simba as well. For them to be happy, healthy and kind. Hopefully, they have their own families and continue the Circle of Life.