Chapter Eight

Simba's POV

I had never been so furious in my life, how could Nala say something like that?

"She's wrong." I told myself, "I can't go back. What would it prove anyway? It wont change anything. You can't change the past."

"You said you'd always be there for me!" I shouted at the stars, remembering Dad's lesson about the great kings.

I lowered my head, shouting at the sky? Had I lost it?

I unintentionaly began to cry, "But you're not, And it's my fault. It's all my fault." I said

I forced myself to calm down a little, I didn't need this, any of it. I resolved to go back and let Nala have a piece of my mind later.

The silence was then broken by the strangest chanting that I've ever heard.

The chanting came from a monkey high up in a nearby tree, I was annoyed at the seemingly happy sounding chant, how could anyone be that happy right now?

I moved away and sat down on a fallen log, I looked down into the pool of water beneath it, and rolled my eyes in contempt at my reflection.

A rock splashed down in the water, scattering my reflection in the ripples, I looked over to where the rock had come from.

The monkey again, really?

"Come on, will you cut it out?" I asked, as I started to walk away again. I needed to be alone right now.

The monkey laughed, "Cant cut it out, it would grow right back." he said as he swung around in a tree.

I shook my head and began walking away, as I looked back I saw the monkey following me.

I was irritated by his unwillingness to listen to me, "Creepy little monkey, will you stop following me, Who are you?" I asked, fed up with him already.

"'De question is: Who are you?" he repeated back to me.

I considered it for a second, "I thought I knew, now i'm not so sure." I replied, being completely honest with him

He smiled, "Well, I know who you are. Come 'ere, It's a secret." he said

I complied with his strange request

Instead of the straightforward answer I had expected from him, he simply began his chant again.

Disappointed and angry I said, "Enough already! What does that even mean?" I said, hoping the strange words meant something significant.

"It means that you are a baboon, and I am not." he said

That's what it meant? What a waste of my time.

"I think you're a little confused." I said uneasily, not quite sure that I wanted to be around this monkey anymore.

He poked me in the nose with his finger, "WRONG, I'm not 'de one who's confused you don't even know who you are." he said correctively

How did he get back in front of me?

"Oh and I suppose that you do?" I shot back.

"Sure do, you're Mufasa's boy."

Sarafina's POV

Scar. I hated him, yet he walked over to me with his usual high and mighty smirk, as if I were standing around just to wait on him, "Good day to you Sarafina, lovely weather we've been having lately huh?" he asked in a fake sounding, irritating voice.

I groaned, "It hasn't rained in months Scar, and we are overdue for the rainy season." I said, doing my best to contain my disgust.

Scar nodded, "Yes, perhaps the rains are late this year though." he said. I knew Scar hadn't sought me out to B.S. about the weather.

"What do you want Scar?" I asked him, wanting to be rid of him.

He faked being hurt by my words, "Oh, now I don't know if I want to tell you, you being in such a sour mood and all." he said

"Out with it already, my patience is thin with you...my lord." I spat, having to force the title that he didn't deserve out of my mouth.

Scar nodded, "As you wish. I have noticed that your daughter has decided to leave, care to tell me where she went?" he asked, or should I say, Insisted.

I nodded, "She went to the fringe of our territory to go hunting, to see if the herds were close." I told him, not really lying.

Scar smiled, "Good, it's so nice to see that kind of initative amongst the unclean. Do come and tell me when she returns. I must congratulate her for her helpfulness. And then exile her for insubordination."

I was shocked, surely he was lying, "You cannot possibly be serious!" I shouted at him, now emotionally unstable.

Scar laughed and nodded, "Oh, but I am Sarafina. Young Nala defied my direct order that all lionesses that are not already out hunting are to stay at pride rock until the rains return." he said coldly, how could he be so cruel?

"This means that she'll die! You'll lose one of the pride's greatest hunters!" I thought of Nala wandering the dead lands aimlessly, slowly withering away.

Scar shrugged, "We'll make do without her, I'm terribly sorry for your loss." he said, a sickening smile on his face

"You...Bastard!"

Scar stopped, "Well, I might be one of those. But I'm much better off than you are Sarafina, you being childless now."

I saw red, I was so angry I couldn't control myself.

But I said nothing in return.

Rafiki's POV

My fortune had taken a turn for the better that evening, I found Simba standing alone in a field, and I heard him shouting at the sky.

The great kings did not like being yelled at like that.

I began chanting some nonsense in my ancestral tounge, I knew Simba would not understand it, but it would be the perfect thing to get his attention.

He saw me up in the small tree that I was standing in, and with a shake of his head he began to walk away, But he could not shake me that easily.

I threw a rock into the pond that he was so tenatively studying his reflection in.

He looked over at me, "Come on, will you cut it out?" he asked, annoyed at me.

I laughed, "Can't cut it out, it would grow right back." I said

Simba started to move away from me again. I followed him, I wasn't going to be evaded on this.

"Creepy little monkey, will you stop following me? Who are you?" he demanded of me

I turned his question around on him, "'De question is: Who are you?" I said

He seemed surprised, but he thought about it, "I thought I knew, now I'm not so sure." he said

"Well I know who you are, come here, it's a secret." I told him

Simba leaned over and seemed a little eager to hear what I had to say. I began my chant again

He jumped back, looking angry with me, "Enough already! What does that even mean anyway?"

"It means that you are a baboon, and I am not." I explained, giving him the translation

I think that I was confusing him, which was good.

"I think you're a little confused." he said, trying once again to get away from me

I cut him off and poked him in the nose with my finger, "WRONG. I'm not 'de one who's confused, you don't even know who you are." I said, practically setting up his response.

He did just as I hoped and got defensive, "And I suppose that you do?" he asked, not expecting me to have an answer

I stayed where I was, "Sure do, you're Mufasa's boy."

Simba stopped cold in his tracks, "What?" he gasped

I stood and waved at him, "Bye."

Simba's POV

I had to catch up to the monkey, he was suddenly a whole lot more interesting after letting me know that he knew who I was from my pride.

I finally caught up to him, he was sitting on a large boulder in a strange looking position

"You knew my father?" I asked him, getting straight to the point

The monkey did not move, "Correction: I KNOW your father." he said, like my dad was still alive.

I shook my head, he obviously hasn't been around the Pride for a while, "Sorry to tell ya, but he...died...a long time ago."

The monkey jumped up, "Ha! wrong again! He is alive, and I show him to you, you follow old rafiki, he know 'de way."

The monkey then sped off, leaving me struggling just to see him, he led me through thick brush, all the while giving the occasional encouragement for me to go faster.

"Hurry now!" he called back to me

I was trying, it wasn't like I hadn't run before...he was fast.

I sprinted for a clearing ahead, but just as I cleared the brush I was stopped short by the monkey's hand, "STOP!" he said

I dug all four feet into the ground and stopped just at his hand, "Shhhh... look down 'dere."

He motioned to a small pool of water, it was covered in a strange fog, I looked into the water.

"That's not my father...it's only my reflection." I said

"Look Harder."

He gently pressed the end of his finger to the water, disturbing the glass smooth surface just enough to cause tiny ripples.

Something strange was happening to my reflection, was that... Dad?

The monkey smiled, "You see. He lives in you."

I stared at dad's image in the water

"Simba."

The voice hadn't come from the pond, I looked over to see a huge thundercloud forming.

It formed into the shape of a lion, "Simba, you have forgotten me."

I was awestruck, the defense barely managed to escape from my mouth, "No...how could I?" I asked him

"You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba, you are more than what you have become."

This part varies slightly from story to story, but Dad did not merely condemn my past actions and vanish, we actually did do some talking.

"Dad, how can I go back? Things aren't the way they used to be." I was confused, why was dad not mad at me for killing him?

"Remember who you are Simba, you are my son, and the Pridelands' true king."

"Dad, there's so much I've wanted to tell you." I said, starting to tear up at the thought of his death.

The apparition nodded, "I know son, and I have heard. did I not tell you I would always be there for you? Why would you doubt me?"

I was stunned by the accusation, "Because you were dead Dad, I saw you die."

"Simba, my son. I was there for you every step of the way. How do you think Timon and Pumbaa found you that day? And how do you think that Nala has found you now."

I nodded slowly, it did make some sense to me, in a deep, spiritual way.

"I have the utmost faith in you to do the right things Son. Starting by taking your rightful place in the circle of life."

Well, good to know there was no pressure or anything.

"Dad, I...I need to tell you something else..." this was not going to be easy at all.

"Yes Simba?"

I shook my head, "I'm sorry." I said

Dad seemed either confused or angry, "You have no reason to be sorry with me son." he said, flatly.

What did that mean?

I noticed that dad's manifestation began to fade, "Wait, Father!"

"Remember."

"Please!"

"Remember."

"Don't leave..." I begged, hoping he could stay with me longer.

As the clouds cleared, the wind began to pick up, I stood there in complete disbelief, I even think my mouth was hanging open a little.

The monkey's voice broke my trance, "Whew...dis weather! Very peculiar, don't you 'tink?" he asked

I nodded, only semi aware of him at the time, "...Yeah, the winds are changing." I observed as the strong gusts blew past us.

The monkey nodded, "Ah. Change is good." he said rubbing his chin in thought.

I nodded at his statement, now a little more aware, "Yeah, but it's not easy, going back means I'll have to face my past. And I've been running from it for along time."

My vision doubled from a sudden pain, "OW! Sheesh, what was that for?" I asked the monkey, he had just bashed me over the head with his stick!

"It doesn't matter, it's in the past!"

I rubbed the injured area gently, "Yeah, but it still hurts."

He nodded undertandingly, "Aw yes the past can hurt. But the way I see you can either run from it, OR, learn from it."

I saw him wind back for another swing, I quickly and cleanly dodged his attempt to hit me again.

The monkey laughed triumphantly, "So now what are you going to do?" he asked. Oh I had my priorities, and one of them was about to be met.

I smiled my mischevious smile, "Well first...I'm gonna take your stick." I said, jerking the staff from his hands and throwing it aside.

I then turned toward the Pridelands and ran as fast as I could

I was going home.

A/N: From the author who has a cold and a slow computer, I bring you: Chapter Eight!

Had the worlds most awful case of writer's block when I went to write this one, but I hope y'all enjoyed it.

Look out for my next Update soon readers, and thank you for reading this far!