*Chapter 15: It is Time!*

Out in the jungle, a monstrous belch reverberates across the landscape. In the tallgrass, Simba, Ajani, Timon and Pumbaa were lying on their backs as they looked up at the starry night sky.

"Whoa! Nice one, Simba." Timon spoke. Ajani laughed a bit as his hands are behind his head, looking up at the stars.

"Thanks. Man, I'm stuffed!" Simba replied with a content grin. Ajani placed his hand over his stomach.

"Same here, little brother. I can't eat another bite." He said.

"Me too. I ate like a pig!" Pumbaa said. With a smirk, both Simba and Ajani looked up to the warthog.

"Pumbaa, you are a pig." Simba said.

"Oh. Right." Pumbaa said. Ajani chuckled and shook his head. Content with their lifestyle, the four of them all sighed deeply in unison. Ajani closed his eyes to enjoy the peace. "Timon?" Pumbaa asked.

"Yeah?" Timon replied.

"Ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there?"

"Pumbaa, I don't think. I know."

"Oh. What are they?"

"They're fireflies. Fireflies that uh...got stuck up in that big...bluish black...thing." Timon says as he observes the sky. Ajani opened his eyes as he listened to the two. He is gazing up at the stars.

"Oh. Gee. I always thought that they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away." Pumbaa said with embarrassment.

"Pumbaa, with you, everything's gas." Timon said.

"Simba, Ajani, what do you guys think?"

"Well, I don't know..." Simba said hesitantly.

"Aw come on! Give, give, give... Well, come on, you two, we told you ours... Please?" Pumbaa pleaded.

"I...I don't think you guys would like to hear it..." Ajani spoke.

"Come on, come on... Give, give." Timon pleaded alongside Pumbaa.

"Well..." Simba began.

"Yes?" Timon asked.

"Somebody once told me and Ajani that the great kings of the past are up there, watching over us." Simba explained.

"And the chiefs of the past are up there too. Like...my father." Ajani spoke as he gazed up at the stars.

"Really?" Pumbaa asked in amazement.

"Yeah..." Ajani quietly replied with a nod.

"You mean a bunch of royal dead guys are watching us?" Timon asked. Suddenly, both Timon and Pumbaa broke out in laughter while Simba joined in half-heartedly and Ajani looked at the two with confusion. Timon asked in between his laughter. "Who told you that? What mook made that up?"

"Yeah, pretty dumb, huh?" Simba asked. Ajani is silent. How could Simba forget about his father is the one who told him about the great kings of the past? Ajani wanted to say something but didn't. The man sighed and sat up. Simba got up and walked away. Timon and Pumbaa watched him.

"Was it something I said?" Timon asked.

"Ajani, you're so quiet. Are you okay?" Pumbaa asked.

"I...I need to talk to Simba." Ajani said getting up. He caught up with the lion who is standing on a ledge while looking up at the stars. "Hey, brother." Ajani spoke as he sat next to him. "Don't you remember who told us about the kings of the past?"

"Of course, I do. It's just..." Simba paused. "We can't live in the past forever. You remember why we left."

"Simba, I need to know since we're grown up now. Are you happy?" Ajani asked.

"What?"

"Let me rephrase that. Are you happy living here? Is it better than our home?" Ajani asked. Simba turned back to look up at the sky. He can't answer that. This jungle is beautiful and peaceful, but he does feel a bit empty inside. Simba collapsed to lay on the edge of the ledge as Ajani placed a hand onto his back. As they did so, milkweed floss stirred into the air as it flew off into the night sky. Ajani began to sing softly to Simba.

"Oh mta ka mama wam.
Oh mfo wethu.
Ndi ya ku khumbula mna.
Oh mta ka mama wam.
Oh mfo wethu.
Ndi ya ku khalela mna."

Ajani sang to Simba who gave him a content smile. The lion then rests his chin on Ajani's lap and closed his eyes once more. Ajani smiled a bit and stroked Simba's red mane. The man continued to sing.

"Motswalle waka.
Ngwana mme.
Ndiyani khumbula.
La la kahle.
Motswalle waka.
Ngwana mme.
Ndiyani khumbula.
La la kahle."

The milkweed floss crossed through the desert overnight and eventually made its way towards a familiar baobab tree. As it continued flying through the air, Rafiki's hand suddenly popped and snatched some of it. Sniffing it, the old mandrill grunted and bounded down into his tree. Pouring the milkweed into a turtle shell, Rafiki sifted it around while eating from the same kind of fruit that he anointed Simba and Ajani with. Examining the milk floss once more, a sudden realization dawned on his face as he spoke.

"Simba? Ajani? They're-they're alive? They're...they're- they're alive!" Rafiki laughed with joy as he picked up some paste and painted a red mane onto the smeared lion image and painted a staff into the smeared human hand. "It is time!" Rafiki said with confidence.

"Rafiki! What is all the commotion? What'sss happened?" Iris's voice yelled from below the tree. Rafiki jumped down and laughed once more.

"They're alive, Iris! They are alive!" Rafiki told her. Iris blinked at him and realized what he meant.

"Sssimba and Ajani?"

"Yes! They are alive and well! The king and the human will return!" Rafiki says as he took off. Iris smiled. Nia was right all along! Simba will come back to take back his kingdom. And Ajani will be there. The sons of the Pride Lands will return.

Song "Lala" is from Rhythm of the Pride Lands Album.