Here's a fic for any of you who are interested in such things. And it's going to be about Simba! Yeah, my first fic starring Simba. Kinda strange for me, I know. But you can't not love Simba.

Also, if anybody thinks they have a good idea for a tlk fanfic, be sure to PM the idea, and if I like it, I'll put it on my 'to do' list, and eventually, I'll write it! And if you're just a guest, leave a review on any one of my stories with the idea.

Anyways, be sure to leave a review! And enjoy the fic.

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Uru's POV

Uru was sound asleep, smiling even through her dreamless sleep. She had gone to bed in a good mood, elation coursing through her because of her success that day. She had finally gotten Taka, her little one, some friends of his own! And not just one, but two!

A lion cub needed friends in order to grow and develop as he should. Mufasa already had tons of friends, Uru thought he perhaps had too many. But that was only good, nothing bad would come of it. But her littlest one hadn't had any playmates, not for the longest time. Uru knew he was still too young to know the difference without it being presented to him, but Taka was a very lonely cub.

A very lonely cub indeed.

But that wouldn't be a problem anymore, not now. Maybe Sarafina wouldn't be able to play with Taka all the time, but that other cub, Simba, had said he was free all day. Uru had thought that Simba held himself rather maturely for such a young cub, but he would be a good influence on Taka. Simba had said he would be able to hang around Taka all day in fact, he had insisted on it. Uru was glad Taka had made such a friend so quickly.

Suddenly, her littlest one let out a gasp, and lurched upwards as he woke up. Uru opened her eyes, awoken by the noise. She looked down at Taka between her paws and heard him breathing hard, his eyes wide. She frowned.

"What's wrong little one?" She asked, shaking herself awake. Taka looked up at her, his eyes big and afraid.

"Uh…..Hey mommy." He said, hugging his paws around her leg.

"Taka…. what's wrong?" She asked again, concerned for her cub.

"I had a bad dream." He replied, getting as close as he could to his mother's chest.

"A bad dream? Little one… dreams aren't real. You're safe with me." She said, smiling comfortingly.

"But that one….. that one seemed so real." He whined pitifully, as Uru tucked him up against herself.

"Well…. what was it about?" She asked, licking him on the head.

"There was a mean lion."

"A mean lion?" She asked, beckoning him to go as she kept grooming him.

"Yeah… I was on a cloud, above the Pridelands. It looked very cool, I've never seen the Pridelands like that before. And then, with me on the cloud, there was a big lion with a red mane. And…. he told me things. Things I didn't like." Said Taka.

"What did he tell you?" Asked Uru, frowning.

Taka didn't say anything, staying silent.

"Taka, what did he tell you?" She pressed gently.

"That…. that I was worthless." He replied, his voice dropping. Uru hugged her cub tightly.

"Little one… Nightmares happen every once in awhile. You ought not to listen to them, they only come to do bad things. You aren't worthless, you're my little one. You're worth more than anything in the Pridelands to me."

"Really?" Asked Taka, looking up at his mother.

"Yes. You are worth a lot, remember that." She nuzzled him, purring.

"I… I will." He said, smiling.

"There. Now goodnight, my little Taka."

"Goodnight mommy." He said, as Uru hugged him against her chest. She closed her eyes, and set her head next to his, comforting him. After a few short minutes, Uru heard Taka's breathing steady, and saw the little rise and fall of his chest. He was asleep again, hopefully for the rest of the night.

Uru smiled. She would never let her littlest one come to harm.

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Months later…

Simba's POV

"Hey! That hurt!"

"It's your fault you didn't duck!" Replied Simba in a sing-songy voice, prancing around Taka.

"I think it's your fault you swung at me in the first place!" Retorted Taka, a paw over his muzzle. "I think it bruised."

"Come on Taka, don't be a wimp!"

"I'm not a wimp, it hurt!"

"I'd say you are a wimp." Jibed Simba, sitting down in front of him.

"I'm not a wimp!"

"Oh yeah? Why not?" Asked Simba, grinning widely.

"Well…. because I said it hurt!" Sputtered Taka.

Simba and Taka were sparring, something Simba reigned supreme in. Simba was simply stronger, and had years more experience that four month old Taka. Although, Taka's attacks were so weak, Simba suspected that even without his expertise in fighting he could have wiped the grass with him anyways.

Taka was just a weak cub, that was all. It felt like there was absolutely no muscle on him, he could hardly push Simba around at all if Simba was resisting him. And on top of that, he got hurt easily, as Simba had bruised him just now.

"You gotta shake these things off. Otherwise you'll never be able to beat me." Advised Simba.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm never going to be able to beat you." Muttered Taka, rubbing his bruise.

"You don't know that. You have to keep trying."

"Phooey on trying! I can't beat you, that's all!" Growled Taka.

"Sure, you know you never will if you keep telling yourself that." Replied Simba.

"That's not the point!" Shouted Taka, turning around.

"So what is the point then?" Asked Simba, confused.

"That…. uh…. that I can't beat you!"

"Just don't give up!" Said Simba cheerfully. Taka frowned.

"I….. all right."

"Wanna go again?" Asked Simba as he grinned, wagging his butt in a pouncing stance.

"No." he replied curtly. "I'd fight you only to lose again."

"Suit yourself!" Said Simba.

"I mean, come on, let's go do something other than fighting! Can't we explore someplace? Like those caves we found by the eastern border, or that grove of trees we think contains a nest of blue birds." He suggested.

"Well, all those places are by the border, and you know we really aren't supposed to go there." Replied Simba.

"Yeah, according to my dad! But when do we ever listen to him?"

"I guess we don't."

"Exactly! Come on, let's go explore!" Whined Taka.

"Uh,,.. maybe we could do that with Sarafina?" Suggested Simba, who really didn't want to go exploring. He'd already been everywhere in the Pridelands, exploring was incredibly boring if he wasn't exploring anything new.

"You know Sarafina hardly ever plays with us! Like…. she only comes out here twice a month. I get the feeling she only does that because she pities me." He said. Simba frowned. Taka had hit the mark with that sentence.

"Sarafina doesn't pity you! What's there to pity about you?" He said, trying to smile naturally.

"How about my complete lack of friends and social skills?" Said Taka sarcastically, but he looked disgruntled.

"I'm your friend." Replied Simba. Taka sighed.

"You're my only friend. Muffy counts, but I only see him before we go to sleep. I mean, I love him, but….. I wish I could play with him." Taka rubbed the back of his neck, where a scruffy mane was beginning to form.

"It's okay."

"Yeah…. thanks for sticking with me." Said Taka, looking downcast.

"You're welcome."

"Phoooooooo." Sighed Taka, flopping down onto his stomach.

"What's wrong?" Asked Simba, sitting down.

"Well…. I'm just pitiful, I guess. I wish…. I wish I wasn't." He said, as he pawed at the grass.

"Come on Taka, you aren't pitiful. But you will be, if you keep telling yourself that." Said Simba, standing back up.

"What do you mean?" Asked Taka, looking up.

"You know what I mean. You aren't pitiful, but you'll make yourself sorrowful if you act like some wet sandwich. Just be upbeat! Uru loves you, Mufasa loves you, Sarafina plays with you, I play with you, you're healthy and…. uhh… it's not raining right now….. er… the sun's out…" Simba had very suddenly ran out of good things to say about Taka's situation, and saying it out loud surprised him. Surely Taka had other blessings to speak of…..

"Well, I guess you're right about those things." Conceded Taka.

"Yeah! I am right, aren't I?" Said Simba, puffing his chest up.

"Still….. can't we go exploring? That's something I'm good at." Pressed Taka, looking hopeful. Simba sighed. So this was the price to pay for cheering Taka up. Of course, cheering a downcast cub up was always a good thing, he just didn't want to go exploring today, a nap sounded one heck of alot more like his cup of tea. Well, whatever tea was. He had heard the expression from a flock of birds who said they came from far away.

He'd been here, in what he assumed was the past or some version of it, for two or three months. He and Taka were no longer little cubs, but rather about halfway to becoming adolescents, they both now sported small scruffy manes. Simba's was already bigger than Taka's, but if Scar's mane was any indication, it was going to stay that way. Provided Scar was in fact Taka.

Simba didn't want to say he was sure of anything yet. Taka still felt….. absolutely nothing like Scar. So where did the evil lion come into the equation?

He supposed that was why Rafiki had sent him here, to find out where exactly Scar had come from. He guessed that was how he was supposed to cure his fear of Scar, by understanding his enemy, and perhaps through that he would see Scar was not something to be afraid of, at least certainly not years after his death.

"Well? Can we go exploring?" Repeated Taka, since Simba hadn't replied, being lost in thought.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, sure. Let's go exploring." He said.

"Yes!" Said Taka, pumping his paw in celebration. "Let's go!" He turned around and began to trot through the grass, Simba right behind him.

"So where are we going?" Asked Simba, walking beside him.

"The border! I don't know, someplace new we can explore, and look around." He replied, his eyes filled with his trademark optimism. Simba supposed you could never keep Taka sad for too long, he seemed to have an unrealistic viewpoint on his life for his disposition.

"Sweet. I…. Let's just not actually cross it, all right?" Checked Simba.

"No problem." Replied Taka, shrugging. The two walked on.

The sun was high in the sky and a breeze blew through the soft grass between their paws. It was the early afternoon, the soft sunshine of the morning was long gone and the herds were resting. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, at least above the fertile Pridelands.

Walking to the border usually took a little while, about an hour. The Pridelands were pretty big after all, large enough to support all kinds of creatures. Nonetheless, it was the lion's duty to maintain the Circle of Life, and to keep things in balance. Herds usually came through the Pridelands many many times, because there was only one species of predator here, and that predator did not take anymore than its fair share.

Which was the problem with the hyenas.

Hyenas. Talk about a reviled and disgusting creature. Every time Simba had seen one, they were usually trying to tear his throat out, or else kill him in another fashion. Too stupid for anything complicated or difficult, the hyenas spent their time in the Graveyard, poaching off the lion's territory.

Evil, vile creatures that deserved to rot in the Graveyard. When Scar had let them in, they were gluttons, destroying everything in the Pridelands and making one heck of a mess for Simba to clean up. Really, he had no problem with exiling them again, and he was sure Mohatu had food reason for exiling them the first time.

On top of it all, they were stupid animals. Always giggling or laughing at one moronic thing or another. Simba wasn't sure how their species had survived this long, without dying out simply because of some foolish blunder.

"Well, here it is!" Said Taka, coming to a stop. Simba shook himself out of his hateful, and perfectly justified, reverie.

"Well, this is the border all right. We're at the Elephant Graveyard." Whispered Simba, as he looked out at the dark, cloud covered and lonely bones. There was something innately creepy about the giant skulls, how they stared without intellect across the scarred and shadowy landscape.

Plus, hyenas lived in some of them.

"Where are we exploring then?" Asked Simba, tearing his gaze away from the creepy skulls.

"In there." Said Taka, pointing his paw into the Graveyard.

"What! No!" Shouted Simba, aghast. "We aren't going in there, it's dangerous!"

"You don't know that." Said Taka, a big grin on his face.

"Yes I do! Hyenas live in there! And hyenas are dangerous!" He replied.

"Well, I've come here a lot. And I've never seen a single hyena here, not even in the skulls. And I think it's an interesting place to explore, just look at all the bones we could climb through! Come on Simba, I'll bet there aren't even hyenas there anymore. I'll bet they all ran off!"

"Ahadi seems to think there's hyenas in there, he says he has to run the poachers off constantly!" Retorted Simba.

"But I've never seen one. I think my dad is just full of it." Said Taka, as he trotted towards the border.

"No! Taka, we aren't going in there!" Yelled Simba angrily, sliding in front of him to bring Taka to a halt.

"Why not!" He demanded.

"Because! I said it was dangerous!"

"Well I don't think it is! I want to explore, all right? We don't do anything other than spar all day, I'm tired of getting beat up by you! And I don't have any other friends to play with, I'm going to to something by myself!" Yelled Taka.

Simba stepped back.

"I don't play with you just to beat you up." He said, surprised.

"Well, maybe not, but that's all it amounts to." He retorted.

"I…. uh…. Taka, I'm sorry about that, but….. we just can't go into the Graveyard." Said Simba. Taka huffed.

"Well, I'm going. Whether you want me to… or not!" Taka suddenly lunged to the side, and sprinted across the border, his claws digging into the dirt. Simba spun around and gave chase, his legs pumping to catch up on Taka's lead.

Taka slid down the ravine that lead into the shadows, and glancing back to see Simba jump down at him. Lunging to the side, Taka made Simba miss his pounce and hit the stones beneath him. Shaking himself off, Simba got back up, running after the orange cub.

Taka jumped over a white tusk, barely clearing the bone. Simba managed the leap much more easily, his front legs aching from his fall. Landing on the other side, Simba growled and pounced onto Taka, who had landed awkwardly.

The two rolled over another ridge, falling down the other side. Tumbling roughly on the hard rocks, Simba felt the ground beneath him suddenly disappear, and there was nothing beneath him but air.

With a thud, the yellow and orange lions landed on their backs. With a groan, Simba got up, feeling bruises all over himself from the tumble. Taka moaned, and rolled over, not moving.

"You all right?" Coughed Simba, examining his sore elbows.

"Why'd you pounce on me?" Asked Taka, still lying on the ground.

"Because I can't let you go someplace dangerous, I explained this." Replied Simba.

"No, why did you have to pounce on me to stop me?" He demanded, shaking himself off. Simba rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed.

"Uh…. instincts." He replied lamely.

"Well phooey on instincts. I prefer to think things through before doing them." Huffed Taka. "Now we're all bruised and stuff."

"Sorry." Said Simba.

"Yeah….. well, I forgive you. Because you're my friend." Said Taka, managing to crack a smile.

"What are friends for?" Replied Simba, trying not to look like a jerk.

"They aren't for bowling friends over a cliff into a hole." Said Taka, grinning.

"Well, like I said….. sorry."

"No problem, we've gotta get out of this hole. But you owe me one." Said Taka, surveying his surroundings.

"Oh, right… this hole." Sputtered Simba, looking around.

They had somehow managed to fall into a pit, and it looked like a deep one. The dark clouds above seemed much farther away than just moments before. And the worst part was the sides, they looked rather sheer, almost slippery in fact. They had to be at least ten feet down, much, much too far down to jump.

"Uh oh…" Said Taka, his eyes widening.

"Uhh…"

"We're stuck."

"Stuck? Wha….. we can't be stuck." Said Simba, putting his paw on the stone. It was smooth, there were no pawgrips or anyplace to stick his paws.

"We're stuck." Repeated Taka, coming to the same conclusion with the stone.

"Shit!" Exclaimed Simba, turning his head around and around to find anything they could climb…

"Say, did you guys say stuck?" Came a small voice from above. Simba looked up to see a grey face staring down at them, one with black dots on its back….

Hyena.

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Finally the hyenas. Like my favorite Characters of allllll time. Anyhow, leave a review if you have the time. Or because you're a kind person, I don't know. Guest reviews work fine too.

Well, I'll see ya'll in a week!