greatly. All in all, he was a very handsome and healthy looking young lion.

Without another thought, I stepped forward and embraced Simba.

“I’ve missed you, my brother.” I whispered.

“And I, you.” He replied as he put his paw over my shoulder and embraced me as well.

Holding onto him in my arms, actually touching him, seemed to wash away any shadow of doubt in my mind. I knew this was no hallucination or mirage. Simba was here. All of the sorrow and pain that was bottled inside of me was subdued as I tightly gripped onto his mane.

After what seemed to be an eternity of joy, we finally broke apart and stared at each other.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

Simba stared at me for a moment. In his ruby eyes was a hint of shame.

“I’ve been living in the jungle over there for the last two-and-a-half years.” He replied. “I ran away after…” he trailed off.

“After the stampede?” I finished for him.

He nodded. “Did Scar tell you about it?”

“Yes.” I said. “Simba, how did you survive? I saw your paw prints go over that cliff. There can’t be any way that you survived that fall into that patch of thorns.”

He looked up at me. “You didn’t see the ledge halfway down?”

I furrowed my brow and shook my head.

“There was a slope…” he said slowly, thinking back to that day. “ I tumbled down it and onto another ledge. But I kept rolling and I fell into the thorns.”

He looked back up at me. “I guess the ledge slowed my fall. And I was so small back then; I could easily navigate my way out of the thorns into the desert.”

I looked at him for a moment, processing what he was telling me. Then I smiled and said, “I’m glad. You’re alive, and that’s all that matters.”

He smiled, and then said, “Well, this is certainly a different turn of events. If you don’t mind, I have a couple questions.”

It amazed me that this full grown lion, who resembled his father so much, was still the curious cub that I knew so long ago. And yet…

There was a powerful commanding in his voice that reflected his undeniable kingship. He had matured so much in such a short amount of time, as I had.

“Absolutely!” I replied happily.

“Nala told me of about what happened after I left. She didn’t tell me a lot though. All I know is that Scar and Zira allowed the hyenas into the lands, and now there is no food or water. Could you fill me in on what happened?”

I felt my heart drop a little bit. What he was asking of me was difficult for me to talk about. I had faced so many horrors and been wounded and scared both physically and mentally so many times.

“I’m gonna have to sit down for this.” I sighed. I sat in the grass, tucking my legs under each other. Simba lay down and stared at me intently.

For the next couple of hours, I recounted almost everything that had happened within the last two-and-a-half years. I told him of Scar allowing the hyenas in, of Sarabi’s and Zira’s scuffle that resulted in Talib’s death, and of the death of Sarafina. I told him of the horrors that occurred when Sekou arrived and of the punishment Scar had decided on for Kala.

Simba did not speak until I got to the birth of Kovu and Vitani and how I was knocked unconscious by Zira.

“So that’s where that gash on your face came from.” He said bitterly. I nodded, running a finger down the scar. An image of Scar came to my mind, and it angered me that he and I were now alike in some way.

Ignoring my thoughts, I continued the recounting of Scar’s reign. When I started telling of Kala’s death and my actions that followed, Simba’s mouth hung open. I felt absolute shame at my failurcan’t be any way that you survived that fall into that patch of thorns.”

He looked up at me. “You didn’t see the ledge halfway down?”

I furrowed my brow and shook my head.

“There was a slope…” he said slowly, thinking back to that day. “ I tumbled down it and onto another ledge. But I kept rolling and I fell into the thorns.”

He looked back up at me. “I guess the ledge slowed my fall. And I was so small back then; I could easily navigate my way out of the thorns into the desert.”

I looked at him for a moment, processing what he was telling me. Then I smiled and said, “I’m glad. You’re alive, and that’s all that matters.”

He smiled, and then said, “Well, this is certainly a different turn of events. If you don’t mind, I have a couple questions.”

It amazed me that this full grown lion, who resembled his father so much, was still the curious cub that I knew so long ago. And yet…

There was a powerful commanding in his voice that reflected his undeniable kingship. He had matured so much in such a short amount of time, as I had.

“Absolutely!” I replied happily.

“Nala told me of about what happened after I left. She didn’t tell me a lot though. All I know is that Scar and Zira allowed the hyenas into the lands, and now there is no food or water. Could you fill me in on what happened?”

I felt my heart drop a little bit. What he was asking of me was difficult for me to talk about. I had faced so many horrors and been wounded and scared both physically and mentally so many times.

“I’m gonna have to sit down for this.” I sighed. I sat in the grass, tucking my legs under each other. Simba lay down and stared at me intently.

For the next couple of hours, I recounted almost everything that had happened within the last two-and-a-half years. I told him of Scar allowing the hyenas in, of Sarabi’s and Zira’s scuffle that resulted in Talib’s death, and of the death of Sarafina. I told him of the horrors that occurred when Sekou arrived and of the punishment Scar had decided on for Kala.

Simba did not speak until I got to the birth of Kovu and Vitani and how I was knocked unconscious by Zira.

“So that’s where that gash on your face came from.” He said bitterly. I nodded, running a finger down the scar. An image of Scar came to my mind, and it angered me that he and I were now alike in some way.

e, and I did nothing to hide it.

I completely left out Sarabi’s pregnancy. Sarabi had been so unwilling to reveal it, and the only reason I knew about it was because I had gotten angry at her. If Simba was to find out about his mother’s pregnancy, it would be from her, not me.

When I finished telling him, he sighed. “It’s no wonder my father came to remind me of who I am.”

“Yeah, about that…” I said. “What was that about? ‘You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me’. What did he mean by that?”

Simba stared for a moment, and then said, “I’ve been living in this jungle for so long, away from all responsibility. I’ve lived a carefree life. ‘Hakuna Matata’. It means ‘no worries’. I learned it from Timon and Pumbaa. A meerkat and a warthog who found me when I was a cub.” He added when I frowned at their names.

“So…” I said slowly, “You didn’t return because you wanted to avoid all responsibility?”

He hung his head. “Partly.”

I stared at him for a moment. “Simba that CANNOT be the only reason you didn’t come back.”

“Listen,” he said, slightly raising his voice. “Nala tried to get me to tell her too. I would rather not talk about it. I have my reasons for not returning. When the time comes, you’ll know. For now, let’s just be glad that we’re here together.”

I sighed and nodded.

I looked up at Simba and said, “I may have failed to take the kingdom, but now we have you. You are the final hope for the Pride Lands, Simba.”

He smiled at me and said, “I know. I was returning when you called my name.”

I smiled back. I stood up and so did he.

“Do you want to come with me?” he asked.

I hesitated. Returning would mean that Scar would kill me. But we were going back to overthrow him. We were going to take our home back.

Smiling, I slowly sank to one knee and bowed to Simba. “I will fight by your side to the death, my king.”

Simba walked to me and pushed me back to my feet with his head.

“My brother,” he said, shaking his head. “As far as I’m concerned, you are just as much of a king as I am. You bow to no one. I will not let my father’s mistake become mine.”

I smiled at him as my pride swelled up inside of me like a balloon.

“Besides,” he added. “I’m not the king yet. We still have to take the throne.”

He turned so that we were standing side by side. Together, we faced the east. The stars above us shone brightly as they dotted the nighttime sky.

“Are you ready?” he asked, looking up at me.

I narrowed my eyes and smiled. “Let’s go.”

I climbed on his back, and he took off. Together, we rode swiftly into the desert.

As we rode on, a fear of impending failure began to build inside of me, but I stamped it out. Fear would not help the situation. We were going to do something that would benefit the Pride Lands for years to come. That was nothing to fear.

Together, we rode through the desert. Simba did not stop for any reason, and his pace never slowed. His determination was mine. We were going to retake back what was rightfully ours.

We were going home.

 

 

 

Chapter 14 – Simba’s Revelation

 

 

The journey back to the Pride Lands went by rather quickly. We did not stop for any reason. Though his breathing grew heavy after a few hours, Simba did not slow his pace at all. If anything, he actually picked up his speed. It amazed me that such a small cub had grown into this powerful young lion.

All day we traversed across the sweltering desert. All a while, the gray sky of the Pride Lands had swam into sight in the distance ahead of us. Part of me knew that Simba, determined and ready as he was, needed to see his devastated home with his own eyes before understanding the full magnitude of the situation. 

A few hours into the journey, I began to

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