Taka's ear, but then stopped. "Help!" He cried. "Someone, anyone... help." Tears streamed down Simba's face as he realised the truth. He crept back over to his father and lay under Taka's arm, sobbing gently. A shadow suddenly emerged from the swelling mist as Scratch appeared. "Simba, what have you done?" Simba stood up and faced his uncle, still crying. "There were wildabeest, he tried to save me and... I swear, I didn't mean for it to happen-" Simba began. "Of course you didn't. No one means for these things to happen. But the king is dead, and it is because of you." Scratch told him. Simba looked up in shock and horror as he realised what he had done. "What should I do?" He whispered. "Run. Run away and never return." Scratch told him. Simba turned away and fled down the mistly gorge.

Sarafina walked down past the rows of hyenas that were snapping at her paws and tail as she made her way up pride rock. "Yes King Scratch??" She asked calmly. "Where is your hunting party?" Scratch demanded. "Scratch, there is nothing left to hunt, the herds have gone." Sarafina told him. "No, they can't be, your just not looking!" Scratch hissed. "It's over. There is nothing left. We must leave pride rock." Sarafina told him. "We're staying here." "Then you will kill us all!" "So be it then!" "You can't do that!" Sarafina hissed. "I can do anything I want, I'm king!" Scratch snapped stubbornly. "If you were half the king Taka was you would-" "I am ten times the king that Taka was!" Scratch yelled, hitting Sarafina with the back of his paw. An orange figure growled furiously from the top of a pile of rocks. Scratch gasped and backed off as the figure came down. "Taka, no, your dead." Scratch gasped as the lion nuzzled Sarafina. She looked at him. "Taka? Is that you?" The lion looked down at her with kind eyes. "No, it's me." He told her. "Simba! Your alive?" Sarafina gasped and nuzzled him. "Oh Simba!" Scratch faked a smile. "I'm a little surprised to see you... alive." He muttered the last part and glared at the hyenas. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart." Simba growled as he advanced menicingly towards his uncle. "Simba, please let's be reasonable..." "Then step down, Scratch." Simba told him. "Well you see I would, but there is a problem. Do you see them?" Scratch pointed to the hyenas. "They think I'm king." "Well we don't." Came Nala's voice. "Simba is the rightful king." Simba looked at his uncle. "The choice is yours. Step down or fight." "Oh, must this all end in violence, Simba?" Scar asked, beginning to circle Simba. "I mean, I would hate to be the one who caused the death of a family member, don't you agree?" Scratch turned to Simba with a smirk. "Nice try, but I've put it behind me." Simba told him. "But what about your subjects, have they put it behind them?" Scratch asked, still smirking. "What is he talking about, Simba?" Nala asked, looking confised. "Oh, so you haven't told them your secret! Well then, Simba, now is your chance, who is responsible for Taka's death?" Scratch turned to Simba, who stepped forward. "I am."

A silent gasp came from the small croud of lionesses as Sarafina walked up to Simba. "Please, Simba, please tell me it's not true!" She begged. Simba breathed in. "It's true." He sighed. "So you see, he admits it! Murderer!" Scratch said. "No! It was an accident!" Simba claimed. Scratch began circling Simba again. "If it wasn't for you Taka would still be here, do you deny this?" "No." Simba sighed. "Then your guilty!" "No I'm not a murderer!" Simba began. Scratch began to make Simba back up against the edge of pride rock. "Simba, your in trouble again, but this time your dad isn't here to save you. And now everyone knows the real reason why!" Scratch yelled. Simba gasped as he fell off the cliff. He dug his claws into the rock in a desperate attempt to hold on. Lightning struck beneath him as flames began to spread underneath him. "Now, where have I seen this before?" Scratch thought out loud, pretending to try to remember something. "Oh yes I remember, this is exactly the way Taka looked before he died." Simba slipped further. Scratch's paws fell onto Simba's, getting ready to throw him off like he had done with Taka. "And now here's my secret." He smirked and leaned in to Simba's ear. "I killed Taka." Simba remembered Mufasa's yells and his own scream of terror. Now that scream almost came back, but this time in anger. He leapt back onto pride rock pinning Scratch down. "Murderer!" He yelled, furious. "Tell them what really happened." "Oh Simba, please I-" Scratch began. Simba put his paw on Scratch's throat. "OK, alright!" Scratch coughed. "I did it." "So they can hear you." Scratch glared at Simba as he called out, "I killed Taka!"

As the hyenas began to leap on Simba the lionesses also ran in to drag the hyenas off of Simba. Even Timon and Pumbaa leapt in to fight. As Simba looked around, he found Scratch trying to sneak away, but then, realising he had been spotted, began to run away. Simba chased after him and then finally caught up with him. "Murderer." He whispered. "Simba, please, have mercy, I beg you." "You don't deserve to live." "But Simba, I am family." Scratch said. "You didn't care about that when you murdered my father." Simba growled. "They hyenas, it was their idea, Simba, it was their fault, they are the real enemys!" Scratch told him. "I don't believe you. Everything you tell me is a lie." SImba snarled, now in front of Scratch. "What will you do? You wouldn't kill your own uncle, would you?" Scratch gasped. "No, Scratch, I'm not a murderer like you." Simba growled. "Oh thank you Simba, how can I prove myself to you, tell me anything that I have to do." Scratch said, rising to his feet. "Run." Simba said. "Run away, Scratch, and never return." "Yes, of course." Scratch said, beginning to walk away. "As you wish, your majesty!" Scratch threw hot ashes in Simba's face then leapt at him. He locked his jaws on Simba's mane then threw him to the ground, his head over the cliff, and began biting his neck. Simba knocked him off with his paw then leapt at him, doing his best to do damage. Scratch knocked Simba to the floor and he landed on his back. He looked. Scratch leapt at him. Simba's mind worked fast. As Scratch was about to come down on him he lifted up his back paws and flicked Scratch over his head. Scratch fell down the cliff, but as Simba peaked over he could see Scratch struggling to his feet, so Simba left, leaving his uncle to be devoured by the hyenas.

Just as the fire was about to get worse the rain began to pour to put out the flames. Simba returned to the base of pride rock where the pride was waiting. Simba looked up at Rafiki, who pointed to the edge of pride rock with his stick. Simba began to walk up and pulled Rafiki close in a hug. Rafiki then pulled away and smiled at SImba. "It is time." Simba walked up to the tip of pride rock. As he looked up into the sky he heard his father's voice. "Remember..." Looking down, Simba know what he had to do, and let out a long, clear roar. The lions below him echoed the roar back to him.

A few months later life had returned to the pridelands. Simba and Nala, the new king and queen, stood at the top of pride rock. Rafiki came out carrying an orange cub with colourless paws. The two proud parents watched as Rafiki lifted up the new cub. Princess Fluffy.