*Chapter 19: Remember Who You Are*

While the night continued on, Simba remained with his guilt as he sat alone in a field of tall grass. He can't believe what Ajani had told him. Scar wouldn't kill his own brother. Would he? As Simba continued to sit in the field, the lion looked over his shoulder as he suddenly saw Rafiki swinging in a tree above him while chanting.

"Asante Sana! Squash Banana! We we nugu! Mi mi apana!" Slightly annoyed by the chant, Simba walked away as the mandrill bounced in the trees and observed the lion from above. Simba walked towards a log that laid out over a pond and rest on top of it. Simba gazed glumly down at his reflection. As he continued gazing down at his reflection, a rock suddenly dropped into the water. Initially startled, Simba looked up to see Rafiki acrobatically swinging around in a nearby tree while repeating the same chant in laughter. "Asante Sana! Squash Banana! We we nugu! Mi mi apana!"

"Come on, will you cut it out?" Simba said.

"Can't cut it out. It'll go right back!" Rafiki replied with a laugh. Simba began to walk away to return to the grassy field.

"Creepy little monkey." Simba muttered. The old mandrill follows him. Simba wasn't in the mood for unwanted company. "Will you stop following me?! Who are you?" He asked. Rafiki got in front of the lion.

"The question is: Who...are you?"

"I thought I knew. Now I'm not so sure." Simba said sadly.

"Well, I know who you are. Shh! Come here. It's a secret." The old mandrill replied as he pulled the lion close to whisper in his ear. Having the lion's complete attention, Rafiki went back to his original chant. "Asante Sana! Squash Banana! We we nugu! Mi mi apana!" Simba was baffled by this.

"Enough already! What's that supposed to mean, anyway?"

"It means you're a baboon... And I'm not!" The old mandrill laughs at his own statement.

"I think...you're a little confused." Simba says as he walked away from Rafiki, but the old mandrill appeared in front of him, poking him on the nose.

"Wrong! I'm not the one who's confused. You don't even know who you are." He said.

"Oh, and I suppose you know?" Simba said rather sarcastically.

"Sure do! You're Mufasa's boy!" Surprised by the old mandrill's revelation, Simba stopped in his tracks and turned back to Rafiki. "Bye!" The old mandrill took off.

"Hey! Wait!" Simba cried out. Running through the tall grassy field and up towards a small hill, the lion caught up with Rafiki to see him sitting on a rock in a meditative lotus position. "You knew my father?" Simba asked while panting.

"Correction... I know your father." Rafiki replied, not opening his eyes. Simba sat down sadly. Rafiki opened one of his eyes as the lion spoke.

"I hate to tell you this, but...he died. A long time ago." Simba said, lowering his head.

"Nope. Wrong again!" Rafiki said, leaping off the rock and coming towards a dense area of the jungle. "Ha! Ha! Ha! He's alive! And I'll show him to you. You follow old Rafiki, he knows the way. Come on!" The lion to follow after him as he ventured into the brush of the jungle. Due to his size, Simba struggled to squeeze his way through the brush. Looking up, Simba paused to see Rafiki standing above him on a branch as the old mandrill exclaimed. "Don't dawdle! Hurry up!" He jumped towards another branch.

"Hey! Woah! Wait! Wait!" Simba said as he struggled to get through.

"Come on! Come on!" Rafiki called out.

"Would you slow down?!" As Rafiki flittered through the canopy, Simba continued struggling to keep up with the old mandrill. Sounds of Rafiki's laughter echo through the trees as Simba ran through the jungle. Coming towards the exit, Rafiki suddenly appeared in front of Simba as held his hand up close to Simba's face.

"STOP!" Simba stopped as Rafiki hushed him and motioned the lion towards some reeds.

"Shhh..." Pushing some of the reeds aside, Rafiki whispered. "Look down there." Simba came towards him and stopped and looked at him hesitantly. Rafiki gave him a nod. Simba carefully yet walked towards the edge of the pool of water. Looking over the edge, he looks into his reflection, thinking he was going to see his father. Realizing that he could only see his own reflection, the lion let out a sigh of disappointment.

"That's not my father. That's just my reflection."

"No! Look harder." Rafiki said as he motioned towards the pool with his finger. As ripples began to form and transform Simba's reflection into the face of Mufasa. Simba looked into the reflection in awe. "You see, he lives in you." Rafiki said. The lion continued to look at the reflection of Mufasa until a familiar voice spoke above him.

"Simba..." The wind started to pick as Simba looked up at the sky.

"Father?" Simba looked to see a ghostly image of Mufasa beginning to form from the clouds. Appearing to be walking from the stars, the ghostly image of the deceased king began to steadily gain color and coherence, looking just like he had in life.

"Simba, you have forgotten me." Mufasa spoke as he gazed down at his son. Simba shook his head and as the cold wind blew against him.

"No... How could I?"

"You have forgotten who you are, and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life." Mufasa told his son whole-heartedly as the clouds around his spirit began to glow.

"How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be." Simba said.

"Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. And Ajani will be the new chief of the village he will bring to the Pride Lands." Mufasa explained to Simba as his whole spirit began to glow, resembling his past colors in life. Simba continued to look up at his father in awe, fear, and sadness as Mufasa's spirit began to disappear rapidly into the clouds, while the former king continued to say to him.

"Remember who you are."

"No! Please! Don't leave me!" Simba cried out as he ran through the grassy fields.

"Remember..."

"Father!

"Remember..."

"Don't leave me."

"Remember..." With Mufasa's spirit vanishing back into the night, Simba was left out in the fields. Rafiki was walking towards him with a laugh.

"What was THAT?! The weather! Very peculiar. Don't you think?"

"Yeah. It looks like the winds are changing." Simba replied as he looked around the clear night sky.

"Ahhh... Change is good." Rafiki replied in agreement, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, but it's not easy." Simba said nervously. "I know what I have to do. But going back means I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long." Rafiki whacked Simba on the head with his bakora staff. "Oww! Geez! What was that for?!" Simba exclaimed, clutching his head in pain.

"It doesn't matter! It's in the past!" Rafiki replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, but it still hurts." Simba said, rubbing his head.

"Oh yes, the past can hurt." Rafiki explained as he wrapped his arm around Simba's shoulders. "But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or...learn from it." The old mandrill took another swing at Simba with the bakora staff, this time missing the lion as he quickly ducked down. Rafiki grinned. "Ha! You see? So, what are you going to do?"

"First, I'm gonna take your stick!" Simba answered with a devilish grin. He took the bakora staff out of Rafiki's hand and tossed it aside.

"No! No! No! No! Not the stick!" Rafiki ran to go get the bakora staff back. The old mandrill turned back to see Simba running off. "Hey! Where are you going?!"

"I'm going back!" Simba shouted. "Tell Ajani I'm heading back home!" Rafiki was overjoyed. Simba is returning to the Pride Lands!

"Good! Go on! Get out of here!" He shouted. The old mandrill laughed, hoot, and hollered as he lifted the bakora staff above his head in pure joy. The rightful king is returning to not only the Pride Lands, but his true purpose. And Ajani will soon have his purpose to become the chief of the village and bring humans to the Pride Lands. Starting that night, it seemed as though the future had already come, and it was beginning look bright in the Circle of Life.

Ajani woke up with a gasp. He turned to see Zuri and Nia sleeping not too far from him. The young man got on his feet and walked over to the waterhole to get a drink. As he did so, he hears rustling sounds. Ajani stood up and made a look, clenching his fists. Coming out from the bushes is Kadji. Ajani's gasped.

"Shaman Kadji!" He said. He bowed his head in respect.

"It's been too long, my boy." Kadji spoke. "You have grown."

"Shaman Kadji. You...you have heard about the Pride Lands? If you are wondering why I haven't followed my destiny to-"

"Ajani. Come with me." Kadji said, silencing the man and gestured him to follow. Ajani followed the shaman through the jungle. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

"Of course, I do. You told me that my father lives in me. I have a destiny to fulfill." Ajani replied as they reached the grassy fields. "I'm bringing a tribe to the Pride Lands."

"You time will come after the lion becomes king. But...there are people you wish to see first." Kadji said, walking over to the pool. Ajani looked at him in wonder but walked over to the water to see his reflection. After a few moments, two reflections appear next to him! Ajani's eyes widen. A man on the left is his father. A woman on the right is his mother. Ajani never saw his mother because she died shortly after he was born. He was told what she looked like by his father. Ajani slowly turned around to see Kadji with Ajani's parents standing there in spirit. Ajani was at a loss for words.

"Father...? Mother...?" Ajani whispered, slowly approaching them. "How...?"

"Our son." His mother spoke in a gentle tone. She has black hair, brown eyes. "My son. Look at you. So handsome."

"We've missed you, boy." Ajani's father spoke with a smile.

"How...how are you here? You're...dead." Ajani said.

"We may be gone, but we live in you." The mother said, walking over to Ajani. She cupped his face in her hands. "We have been watching you, Ajani. Now it is time for you to take your father's place and restore the Pride Lands."

"You never give up hope, son." The father said. "You are strong. You and Simba are destined to be rulers." Ajani looked at his parents while his hand reached for the necklace, fiddling with the tooth in the center. "Remember Ajani. We live in you." His father continued.

"Make us proud, son." The mother said. The two disappeared. Ajani wiped the tears away from his eyes. Kadji smiled warmly at him. Ajani looked at the shaman with a determined look. Starting tomorrow, the Pride Lands will be saved.