looked upon my father’s face.

Mufasa finished, “You must take your place in the circle of life.”

A voice that I had never heard before yelled out, “How can I go back? I’m not who I used to be.”

Simba’s last statement was filled with pleading and guilt. This puzzled me, and I would definitely question him on it when I got the chance.

The clouds around him were swirling and he was gaining color. He began to look more and more like Mufasa until finally, it appeared as if he was merely standing in the clouds before us. Again, he spoke in a booming and powerful voice.

“Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king.”

The clouds began to recede and Mufasa’s face began to lose color. It was shrinking back into the clouds.

“Remember…remember…remember…”

 Suddenly, Simba’s figure darted from his place and he was running as fast as he could to try and catch up with the clouds.

His voice rang out as he ran and there was true sadness in it. “No! Please! Don’t leave me! Father!”

Suddenly I felt my feet pounding against the ground as I too was running for both Simba and Mufasa. Seeing my father again was such a wonderful feeling, and yet seeing him go was like losing him again. That sinking feeling I had whenever tragedy struck was returning, and I did not want to see him go. I had to try and get to him before he left.

But it was too late. The clouds had completely disappeared into nothingness. I stopped running and looked up. I stared longingly into the now cloudless sky, wishing that Mufasa would appear again. I needed his guidance now more than ever. With his kingdom in such ruin and my failure to retake it, I wanted some sort of direction of where to go now.

Questions bounced back and forth in my mind as I wondered exactly what had happened. Why had Mufasa come to remind Simba to remember who he was?

Simba…

 

Realization of my current situation hit me, and I tore my gaze from the sky and looked at the one who I was seeking. Simba’s lone figure stood silently, staring up into the sky. I could not see his face, but I knew in my heart that he too was longingly wishing that Mufasa would return. I took a step forward to go to him.

Suddenly, a loud and unexpected voice rang out from just out of my vision, and I jolted. I would have recognized that voice anywhere.

“What was dat?!”

My eyes grew wide as Rafiki, the pride’s shaman, came into view and stood next to Simba. Simba looked at him and simply listened. I stared at Rafiki, who was making gestures with his walking stick. However, I could not hear what either of them was saying.

Absolute confusion was washing over me. Where on earth did Rafiki come from? Had he followed me and Nala? These and more questions rebounded in my head, and like an idiot, I simply stood there waiting for the answers to present themselves.

As if the situation was not baffling enough, Rafiki then did something that made my confusion climb to a new level. He whacked Simba over the head with his walking stick. A loud “Ow!” echoed out, as Simba recoiled in pain, rubbinga booming and powerful voice.

“Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king.”

The clouds began to recede and Mufasa’s face began to lose color. It was shrinking back into the clouds.

“Remember…remember…remember…”

 Suddenly, Simba’s figure darted from his place and he was running as fast as he could to try and catch up with the clouds.

His voice rang out as he ran and there was true sadness in it. “No! Please! Don’t leave me! Father!”

Suddenly I felt my feet pounding against the ground as I too was running for both Simba and Mufasa. Seeing my father again was such a wonderful feeling, and yet seeing him go was like losing him again. That sinking feeling I had whenever tragedy struck was returning, and I did not want to see him go. I had to try and get to him before he left.

But it was too late. The clouds had completely disappeared into nothingness. I stopped running and looked up. I stared longingly into the now cloudless sky, wishing that Mufasa would appear again. I needed his guidance now more than ever. With his kingdom in such ruin and my failure to retake it, I wanted some sort of direction of where to go now.

Questions bounced back and forth in my mind as I wondered exactly what had happened. Why had Mufasa come to remind Simba to remember who he was?

Simba…

 

Realization of my current situation hit me, and I tore my gaze from the sky and looked at the one who I was seeking. Simba’s lone figure stood silently, staring up into the sky. I could not see his face, but I knew in my heart that he too was longingly wishing that Mufasa would return. I took a step forward to go to him.

Suddenly, a loud and unexpected voice rang out from just out of my vision, and I jolted. I would have recognized that voice anywhere.

“What was dat?!”

My eyes grew wide as Rafiki, the pride’s shaman, came into view and stood next to Simba. Simba looked at him and simply listened. I stared at Rafiki, who was making gestures with his walking stick. However, I could not hear what either of them was saying.

Absolute confusion was washing over me. Where on earth did Rafiki come from? Had he followed me and Nala? These and more questions rebounded in my head, and like an idiot, I simply stood there waiting for the answers to present themselves.

the spot where Rafiki had hit him. I began to move closer, unsure of what to make of the situation. As I did, I could only just make out what they were saying.

“Geez!” he cried, “What was that for?”

Rafiki smiled, and that insane look that I knew all to well glued to his face. “It doesn’t matter! It’s in dee past!” He laughed maniacally.

Simba was still rubbing his head painfully. “Yeah, but it still hurts.”

I got close enough to where if I spoke a word, I would be heard, but I did not. I crouched down until I was hidden by the grass.

For a brief moment, I stared at it. I had not seen green grass for years, and seeing it now was almost a blessing.

My attention snapped back up as Rafiki said solemnly, “Oh yes, dee past can hurt. But the way I can see it, you can either run from it….or learn from it.”

His words were wise and true and I was reminded again why Mufasa trusted Rafiki so much. Now I knew that it did not matter how Rafiki had found Simba. In that instant, I understood what the situation consisted of.

Simba felt guilty for some reason or another and that guilt was strong enough that it prevented him from returning to his home. Rafiki had come to, literally, knock some sense into Simba. He had come to reveal to Simba that even though the past is painful, we must move forward and fulfill our duties in life.

I laid my questions to rest and stared at Rafiki. With speed that even I marveled at, Rafiki swung his stick at Simba again. But Simba had apparently taken the lesson to heart, for he ducked in time to avoid being hit a second time.

Rafiki let out a laugh and exclaimed, “You see? So now what are you going to do?”

Smugly, Simba said, “First, I’m going to take your stick.”

He quickly leaned over and wrenched the walking stick from Rafiki’s grip and tossed it in my direction. I shifted over to avoid being hit by it. It landed two feet to my left, and I looked up suddenly as Rafiki ran to it crying out. I saw his eyes dart towards me, and a small smile curled his lips.

He whirled around and cried, “Hey! Where are you going?”

I peeked my head over the grass, and I saw Simba off in the distance, running to the east…towards the desert.

“I’m going back!” he cried out.

A shock ran through my body, and I was instantly on my feet and sprinting after Simba. Behind me, I heard Rafiki whooping and cheering happily.

I sped up as Simba began to run at full speed, shooting forward into the distance. His figure began to shrink as he ran further and further away from me.

“Simba!” I cried in desperation. “SIMBA!!!”

He took one hesitant step forward and stopped. I saw his mouth form my name in a silent whisper.

Then he broke into a full run straight at me, a smile breaking out over his face. The smile was wiped off of mine, however, as the full-grown lion was bounding at me at full speed. I stepped back a little bit as he neared closer and closer, and braced myself for the impact. He slowed down a little bit and collided into me. We tumbled and somersaulted for a moment until I landed on my back.

Breathing hard, I started to roll over, but was stopped abruptly as I was pinned to the ground. Simba had placed his paws on my chest and was nuzzling me and purring happily.

“AYDEN!” he exclaimed, “You’re alive! I’m so happy you’re here! I thought you might not make it!”

“Simba!” I yelled as a great pressure became apparent on my ribs, “I won’t be for long! You’re gonna crush me!”

“OH!” he said abruptly, and he quickly got off of me. The happiness that showed on his face radiated like a bright beacon in the darkness, and as I stood up, I could not help but smile back. Simba was alive, and he was with me now.

I stared at him for a moment, just to get a good look at my long-lost brother. Though it was only just over two years since he had disappeared, Simba had grown quickly. Already, his auburn mane covered his entire neck and extended into his upper chest. Several locks fell lazily into his face around his eyes. He was very muscular, though he was nowhere near as large as his father. And yet he resembled Mufasa greatly. All in all, he

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