"-Can you believe he picked that little termite?"

"-Will I like this surprise?"

"-No king! No king! La-la, la-la, la, la!"

"-As the king's brother, you should have been first in line!"

"…Then you have sentenced us to death!"

"-MURDERER!"

"-Simba, what is he talking about?"

"-No, Simba, please!"

"-He's not king, but he's still so proper!"

"-Tell them the truth!"

"-Hey, daddy… wanna play fight?"

"-Truth? But- truth is in the eye of the beho-"

"…Brother! Help me!"

"-Eh he, he, he, he! Bwa-HA HA, hee ha-ha-ha!"

"-What are we supposed to do? Kill Mufasa?"

"-Simba! Simba, please, please have mercy! I beg you!"

"-You don't deserve to live."

"…Of course- quid pro quo, you're expected…"

"-But, Simba! I… am… uh, family!"

"…To take certain duties aboard…"

"-Everything you ever told me was a lie."


A ruthless sun beat over a dusty gorge in the sky.

Thundering hooves of blue wildebeest.

And too much of a recognizable voice cried out for help.

He had seen this scenario enough times in his dreams to last him a lifetime and a day.

"Simba…!"

He turned around, glancing over the ledge of a cliff, finding his father clawing his way up the steep gorge wall.

"Father…!" Simba cried out.

Mufasa strained as he dug his claws into the rock to pull himself up. But it was looking hopeless. He needed help.

"…Simba! Help me!" Mufasa pleaded. The wildebeest stampede underneath him rumbled on, charging aimlessly through the gorge floor below.

Simba leaned over the edge of the cliff, reaching his paw out towards him. He extended his claws, trying with all effort to take his father's larger paw. Simba had to take hold of the cliff he was leaning over so he didn't loose his balance. Their paws were barely touching.

When… when would these nightmares stop mocking him? It was the same scene, night after night. And at the finale of whatever each nightmare had in store for Simba… his father would never make it up alive. Never.

Through Simba's half-awake conscious, he sensed he was dreaming. He could also sense through the hazy surroundings around him, that at any second now… he was going to show up.

That's how it was. It was always Simba… Mufasa… and him.

Simba braced himself, and turned his head to look over his shoulder, keeping watch of the edge of the cliff for his long-forgotten uncle.

To his surprise, nothing was there. There was no sight of him anywhere. At this point in his dreams- he was always standing over them… laughing at them… taunting them like the maniacal monster he was.

Simba thought nothing more of it, and turned his head back to his father. Simba's paw was shaking with the strained effort to take Mufasa's paw. And through some unknown ability Simba wasn't even aware of, he had the extra strength to push himself further towards his father, and… his paw! He had a hold of Mufasa's paw!

It was a first in his dreams.

Simba half-heartedly smiled, tugging him immediately up the gorge wall. Simba didn't dare let his grip go loose on his father. Mufasa made an attempt to climb up.

As Simba happily turned to get them both safely onto the ledge behind him… his worst fear had suddenly made an appearance.

Oh, no.

For once, Simba had succeeded in reaching out for Mufasa. Now… his uncle was about to steal his father away from him. Again.

But strangely enough, Scar was there… but he wasn't laughing. He didn't even seem all that amused, as he always happened to be. He stood darkly over Simba and his father. Like a shadow foretelling their downfall. Scar just observed them with lifeless, green eyes. He even seemed a bit disgusted.

"Scar!"Simba pleaded, desperation filling his heart. He gripped his father's paw tightly behind him. Simba was only dreading his uncle's next action.

Was it even possible to reason with such a frigid-hearted murderer, like the one looming over them?

"…Don't!" Simba implored.

The dark-maned lion continued to stare. His eyes then met with his nephew's.

Simba observed him closer with narrowed eyes.

Then- the most gruesome smile Simba had even seen his uncle wear across his face, spread gradually upon Scar's lips.

It made Simba's stomach suddenly sick.

"Father…!" Mufasa crowed from behind Simba.

Scar glanced over Simba's shoulder with a sinister smirk; and nodded in Mufasa's direction- almost telling Simba to acknowledge it.

Simba spun around. And to his pure horror, the paw he was once holding slipped out from his own. But that wasn't the horrifying part.

"Daddy!" Kiara screamed, her claws sliding down the wall into the stampede.

Simba snapped his eyes open, jolting wide awake with a gasp. His breathing was rapid… and his eyes scanned around Pride Rock's den. The sky outside was getting bluer, and the sun was beginning to come up over the Pride Lands. He had reentered the real world.

Simba glanced around. He could nearly feel his lion heart hammering inside his chest. His pride, and the former Outlands' pride, were all fast asleep amongst the den.

Simba's eyes instantly swept over to his right, checking a small corner of the den. Kiara and Kovu lay sound asleep together, side by side. Kiara gently inhaled and exhaled, so serene in her slumber. She was probably off dreaming of more pleasant things, such as the day she and Kovu were going to marry, which was approaching quickly.

Kiara's peaceful, sleeping face didn't even come close to expressing the undivided terror Simba had just seen on it moments ago.

That was a twist in his night terrors Simba hadn't had before.

Simba breathed out, attempting to relax. He then looked away from the two young lions, and set his head on his paws to go back to sleep.

But then he saw two blue eyes watching him by his side. Simba turned to look at them.

"The nightmares again?" Nala softly asked.

Simba glanced at the den floor, averting eye contact. He exhaled and set his head back on his paws, closing his eyes.

"Yeah," he murmured.