"And do you know, sire, the hunting party have increased their delivery of food by almost 30%?!"

"Really? Very interesting Zazu," Mufasa murmered but he was not really listening. All he really was thinking about was his talk with Simba last night after the Elephant's Graveyard incident. He didn't really mean to tell Simba what his own father had told him about the stars, it just flew out of his mouth without warning.

How can Simba understand me? Mufasa wondered. I can't even understand myself at times and I prattle on about the Stars and The Circle of Life. He's only young, after all.

Ah, but he won't always be a sly little voice hissed inside of him. You've seen how quickly he's grown. Simba's growing up and you can't stop him...

Enough! Mufasa thought. I just have to- treasure every part of his childhood that's left...

   Zazu pulled Mufasa out of his now very confused mind. "Oh, look, Sire. The herd is on the move," he said.

   Mufasa stopped. Now that was unusual. The wildebeast had only been at their new home above the gorge for a few days. And normally, they would stay in a new location for weeks, sometimes months...

"Odd..." he replied.

    Suddenly, Scar appeared before him and his face was full of panic.

"Mufasa, quick!" he exclaimed. "Stampede- in the gorge, Simba's down there!"

   Mufasa whipped round, every nerve in his body on end, his breathing becoming uneven and shallow. "Simba?"

   Before another second had passed, he had sprinted to his brother's side and made his way to the gorge.

"Zazu!" Mufasa called.

"Yes, sire?"

"P-please, fly to the gorge and look for Simba. Before it's too late-"

"Of course." Zazu paused. "Mufasa," he whispered, looking concerned, "Are you alright?"

Mufasa nodded, trying to control his breathing but it was impossible. "I-I-m fine. Please, Zazu!" he pleaded. "Help me find my son."

   Zazu gave a curt nod and flew swiftly to the gorge as Mufasa ran along with Scar.

"Thank you for telling me this, brother," Mufasa said sincerely. "Believe me, I am truly grateful."

"It was no trouble at all, Your Highness(!)"

He didn't catch the sarcasm in Scar's voice.

   The two lions skidded to a halt at their destination while Zazu flapped hurridely towards them.

"There, there! On that tree!" he gasped, pointing with one of his windswept wings.

   Mufasa scanned the scene frantically and his eyes found Simba. Horror struck, he watched his son fight to keep himself on the swaying branch of the feeble tree.

"Hold on, Simba!" he yelled.

"Argh!" Simba shouted as a wildebeast crashed into the branch, almost causing him to fall.

   Before he even knew what he was doing, Mufasa plunged into the gorge and desperetely battled against the stampede to reach Simba.

   A large wildebeast tripped and slammed into Mufasa, knocking the wind out of him. He brushed the dust out of his eyes and looked up just in time to see Simba flying through the air, coming down-

   He leapt up and caught his son protectively in his mouth. He ran but just then, another wildebeast pushed into Mufasa and Simba fell out of his mouth.

"No!" he spat in anger and fear. He was not going to fail Simba.

   He finally found the cub and put him protectively in his mouth once more. Mufasa straightened up and gently placed him on a raised platform like rock. But then he was pulled down,into the stampede.

   Mufasa winced as the wildebeast bruised his legs and body. He was exhausted...but he remembered Simba.

   With a terrific burst of strength, Mufasa jumped higher than he had ever jumped and climbed up a steep cliff.

   When he reached the top, Mufasa found Scar standing above him. Relief flooded him but he felt himself slipping.

"Scar!" he cried out. He lost his grip and slipped further. "Brother, help me!"

   Scar moved instantly and dug his claws into Mufasa's already injured paws. He roared in pain. There was a twisted gleam in Scar's eyes now and Mufasa didn't like it.

"Long live the King," Scar hissed mockingly in his ear and Mufasa knew what was going to happen before it did. Scar took his paws off his own and Mufasa was falling, falling...

   He screamed and thought of his son and his wife and Rafiki and all of his dear friends...

   There was a blinding pain and the world darkened...

***

   Mufasa's head was pounding. Why had Scar done that? Alright, he hadn't always got on with his brother but he still cared for him...

   He heard something. Tiny, terrible sobs that tore at Mufasa's heartstrings. Who was that?

   He opened his eyes and found that he had landed at the bottom of the gorge. Mufasa looked down and saw that his son was lying underneath his paw. He was sobbing.

"Simba..." Mufasa said quietly and he heard him give a small gasp but it quickly turned back to the heart wrenching sobs.

Simba raised his head and looked into Mufasa's eyes. "I'm just imagining you," he replied hoarsly. "You're dead. And it's all my fault-"

"I'm not dead."

"Yes. You are; Uncle Scar told me. He said it was my fault you were dead. And he's right."

"Uncle Scar told you what?!" Mufasa said and it was hard to keep the rage out of his voice. But he had to because his son's sobs were scaring him. It was like the usual happy, fiesty spirit of Simba had been blown out.

"He said t-that it was my f-fault you were d-dead," Simba gasped. "A-and I should r-run away and never c-come back."

Mufasa's eyes widened.

"So I did but t-then these hyenas ch-chased me and I hid in there." Simba gestured towards a small cavity in the rock. "T-they went away but I c-couldn't leave you."

Mufasa's heart melted.

"Why am I talking to you?" Simba muttered. "You're not real!"

"I promise you, Simba, I am alive," Mufasa appealed. He wrapped his paw around his son again and was shocked to find that he was trembling. "Ssh..." he whispered comfortingly. "I'm right here, you're safe. I'm right h-here..."

   Simba's sobs gradually subsided and Mufasa's eyes started to sting. His son was alive, he was alive!

   Simba looked up in amazement. "Dad!" he said. "Are you crying?!"

Mufasa chuckled. "Not anymore."

"Were you sad?"

"Animals cry when they're happy too, Simba."

The cub grinned. "Just like Mum?" he asked, the familiar energetic sparkle in his pupils back. That was the Simba Mufasa knew.

"Yes, son," Mufasa said. "Just like Mum."

   He shakily got to his feet. Simba gaped in alarm.

"Dad, you shouldn't do that," he said hastily. "You're hurt."

"I'm okay." That wasn't strictly true but he didn't want Simba to worry.

"Climb onto my back," Mufasa offered. "You've had a long day."

"I don't want to hurt you, Dad."

Mufasa smiled. "One ride won't kill me."

   The warm fur of Simba on his back comforted him. He craned round to look at his son and saw that he was already asleep. He laughed quietly.

"Come on, Simba," Mufasa said softly. "Let's go home."

The End.