[quote]Submission 1:
Spoiler: show
Dearly Departed
With a last dull thud Simba closed his eyes on the agony that befell him, with one last breath the life that once was a bright spark in so many lion's lives went out of this world. But in that same breath the spark flew from one plane to another more beautiful one. Simba opened his eyes again and looked around wonderingly, a little scared. “Daddy?” He cried out looking around the flat open grassland around him. He heard a noise in the distance and started to run, terrified.
“Hush little one, you are safe now.” A quiet voice said from beside him. Skidding to a halt Simba looked at the magnificent sliver lion next to him.
“W...w...who are you?” he gulped out backing away from him.
“Hush now, don't be frightened Simba. I'm here to guide you.” The strange lion said with a sorrowful smile on his face. “I am your grandfather, your father's father. This place you see around you is the afterlife. It's where all great lions go, and cubs go when they pass.”
“Y...you mean I'm dead?” Simba cried out jumping up. “I can't be dead! I was, I was just... I was just practicing my roar. Waiting for Uncle Scar to get Dad for me... But... but there was a.... a stampede... I couldn't get away...” Simba fell to the ground sobbing. Ahadi went over to the young cub and nuzzled him.
“It's okay Simba, it's okay. You're not without your family. I'm here for you, and in time your father and mother will join you.” Seeing that his words had no effect on the weeping cub Ahadi sighed, “Come with me, I have something to show you Simba.”
“W... what is it?” Simba sniffed looking up at his grandfather.
“Just follow me.” Ahadi said standing up and walking away. Simba considered staying where he was for a few seconds, until he saw Ahadi get farther and farther away. With a cry Simba shot to his feet and ran to catch up to his grandfather, stumbling over his feet in his haste. Ahadi looked behind him and smiled at the cub.
Looking in the distance not seeing anything but the waving grass, Simba looked up at his grandfather in confusion , “Where are we going?” he asked bouncing up, hoping for an adventure, his sorrow forgotten for the moment.
Ahadi laughed quietly, forgetting the impatience of youth. “Have patience, you'll see when we get there.” A half hour later Ahadi stopped and smiled at Simba. “We are here young one.”
Simba bounced up and down excitedly and looked around. A few moments later he stopped bouncing and looked up at his grandfather. “What? What am I supposed to be looking at?” He asked glumly.
“Look down Simba, at the pool of water beneath your feet. Look at it and concentrate on your family.” Simba did as he was told; he looked hard at the water and thought of his family, but nothing happened. “Concentrate Simba; concentrate on your family, on your past.” Ahadi said quietly, stepping back and laying down. He would let Simba find out what this little pool of water did on his own.
Suddenly Simba excitedly cried out, “I see them! I see them! I can see Nala, and Aunt Sarafina, and Mommy!” He pranced over to Ahadi and jumped on him. “I can see them Grandpa! I can see my family again!”
“Yes Simba, you can see them and watch them. You may no longer be with them physically, but you can always watch them from up here and still be parts of their lives.” Ahadi said with a sad smile. Simba just looked up at his grandfather gratefully.
Simba walked over to his grandfather and nuzzled his side. “Thank you for showing me this grandfather.” He said looking at the pool longingly and asked “Do you mind if I watch them for a bit longer?”
“Go ahead Simba. Watch as much as you want, but I need to be leaving now.” Ahadi said climbing to his feet, then at seeing Simba's saddened face he hurried to add, “I'll see you again, don't you worry, little one.” Ahadi smiled and nuzzled Simba close then turned and started to walk away. Simba stared after Ahadi for a few minutes then unable to resist the lure of the pool he turned back to it, staring down at its depths.
******************************************************************************
Nala sobbed into her mother's side heartbroken, after hearing the news about Simba's death. “Shh, darling it's alright” Sarafina whispered to her cub, trying to hold back her own tears. The whole pride was mourning the loss of the young prince. Nala looked up at her mother as tears streamed down her fur, “How can it be all right?” She cried out, “Simba's dead! I'll never see him again. We won't play together or get in trouble together ever again!”
Simba watched as his father padded over to his weeping friend and comfort her. “Nala Simba’s death is a terrible tragedy, one that none of us will forget, but as much as we will miss him and mourn him, we must move on. It is our way. He is now in the stars, watching us. Do you think he would want to see you acting this way? See us throw our lives away? No, my son is a better lion than that. We have to move on and live our lives Nala. But that doesn’t mean we forget him.” Mufasa said nuzzling the young lioness.
Simba watched the scene unfold below him and started to cry. He missed his family, missed his pride. He missed Nala. Simba tore at the water with his forepaw, breaking apart the picture of his family. He watched as the ripples spread through the water tearing apart the images of his family. With a loud cry Simba turned and ran away from the pond too upset to continue to watch.
For months Simba refused to return to the pond, to see his family interact without him. But the temptation was too great and he caved in, slowly making his way back to the pond. Finally reaching it Simba looked down and stared into its depths, waiting for his family to come into focus. A few minutes later a blurry picture started to form, slowly growing clearer and clearer. With bated breath Simba was finally able to see what his family and Pride. What he saw shocked him…
Sarabi nuzzled her new born cubs closer to her, waiting for Mufasa to come back so that they could be presented. “Can I see the young prince’s Aunt Sarabi?” The young Nala asked her. In the year that Simba stayed away from the pond Nala has changed. She was no longer a cub, an adolescent but was now a young female lioness. One who could hunt, and mate. “Of course you can Nala. You’ll be expecting your own cubs soon too won’t you?” Sarabi said looking up at Nala. Nala laughed and looked behind her where her soon to be mate was waiting. “Yes, Melatu is wonderful, and he will be a good father.” Sarabi smiled at Nala and nuzzled her children again, happily. Then looks back up and sees Melatu pacing outside, “looks like someone is anxious, you better go to him Nala. Calm him down. Only two more days till you two are mated.” Nala smiled and trotted off to be with her soon-to-be-mate. Simba growled as he watched his mother cuddle with his younger brothers, and Nala growing up and mating with someone else, jealousy raged inside of him. “How could they replace me so soon?”
Narrowing his eyes he watched them, waiting for something, anything to happen that didn’t hurt him like this did. When he was about to give up on watching his pride gloat over the cubs his father and
Rafiki came back. Growing excited of seeing his father again Simba stood up and pranced around. He sat back down and watched as his father nuzzled his mother than grabbed one of the cubs while his mother grabbed the other. Rafiki walked behind them to present the twin prince’s to the crowd of animals waiting below Pride Rock. Rafiki grabbed the first born of the twins and presented him to the crowd, “Furaha, the future King of Pride Rock and all of its lands.” Rafiki said, baptizing the cub; he then grabbed the second one. “Matumaini, Furaha’s younger brother and the law keeper of these lands,” Rafiki announced as he held up the younger cub. Simba watched on as all the animals bowed down to his little brothers and the lionesses roared their approval. With a sigh, he laid his head down on his forepaws wishing that he could have been there. As the sun set over the Pride lands Simba watched his family lives their lives without him, as if they had forgotten him. Simba looked behind him when he heard the brittle sound crunching of grass. Ahadi was walking towards him with a sad smile on his face.
“I know Simba, how hard it is seeing our families move along without us, and how addicting these pools of water can be.” Ahadi said standing next to Simba and stares down at into its depths.
Simba looked up at his grandfather then back at his Pride and sighed. “It’s time to give them up isn’t it? They’ve moved on with their lives and forgotten about me haven’t they?” he asked. Ahadi nodded at Simba then started to walk away, knowing that Simba would follow. With one last look at his family and Nala, Simba turned away from them and followed his grandfather. Knowing that one day he would be reunited with them, but for now they need to live their lives without him looking on from above.
Submission 2:
Spoiler: show
The Betrayal of Uncle Scar
“Little roar,” Simba grumbled. Just then, a chameleon walked by. The young cub’s face lit up. He leapt to his paws and roared at it. But the sound wasn’t intimidating, and the creature didn’t pay him any heed and instead kept walking. The cub followed after it, trying to roar loud enough to frighten it. At last, he let out a satisfying roar that sent the critter scampering away. He smiled thinking smugly, ‘Ha, little roar that.’
But then he noticed that something wasn’t right. Some small rocks on the ground were jumping nervously, and he could feel the earth vibrating under his paws. He looked up and saw the herd of wildebeest pouring into the gorge. They were stampeding- and they were heading straight for him!
Horrorstruck, the cub turned tail and fled. He knew they were gaining on him; he could hear their hooves pounding the ground louder and louder, could see the dust they were stirring up swirling around him. He didn’t dare look back. There was a tree ahead of him, so the young cub darted up it, holding on for dear life. He was still hanging on when Zazu flew in close.
“Zazu! Help!” he yelled frantically, though he didn’t have a clue what the little bird could do to help him.
“Your father is on the way! Hold on!” the king’s majordomo replied, flying away. Simba looked around for any sign of his father, terrified for his life. He spotted the king and his Uncle Scar up on a ledge, both wearing worried expressions. He yelled for help. Mufasa caught sight of him, and jumped down amongst the wildebeest. A moment that felt like an eternity later, the branch the cub was on snapped, and he cried out as he fell, his father catching him in midair.
Mufasa ran with his young son in his jaws, making for the wall of the gorge. He was struck by a wildebeest as he ran, and he lost his grip on Simba, the young prince tumbling to the ground. Simba cowered, until his father reappeared, snatching him up and leaping onto the gorge wall. He climbed up high enough that he could toss his son onto a ledge above him. The cub rolled onto his uncle’s paws.
He jumped up and rushed over to the ledge, looking off only to see his father being dragged away by the herd.
“Dad!” he shouted. His uncle stepped up behind him, gazing down into the gorge as well.
“Oh, such a tragedy,” murmured the dark lion.
“Uncle Scar, you gotta help him!” the prince pleaded, turning to his uncle. He looked up into a sinister face like he’d never seen. Scar was smiling cruelly. A look of horror spread on the cub’s face.
“Oh don’t worry about him, Simba. He’s the king. And long live the king.” With that, Scar snatched up Simba by the scruff of his neck and hurled the cub back into the gorge. Simba cried out as he flew through the air.
“Daaaaaaad! Help!” he shouted. He hit the ground and rolled under the hooves of the rampaging wildebeest. Before he’d even had the time to get to his feet, the young prince felt hooves crushing him. He gasped for air, but before long, he’d lost consciousness.
--
Droplets of water falling on him. One at a time, they brought him back. As the darkness faded away slowly, Simba groggily opened his eyes. ‘What happened? Where am I?’ he wondered. ‘Oh yeah, the gorge… there was a stampede, and Uncle Scar…’
That’s when the young prince saw the still form of his uncle laying on the ground not far away. He rose on his paws and scurried over to Scar’s prone form, even though his uncle had thrown him back into the stampede. He studied his uncle carefully, saw all the wounds, and realized that his uncle had been murdered. He was shocked, and looked around for his father, or Zazu, or anybody. But there was no one.
“Uncle Scar?” he asked, knowing it was futile. They couldn’t have just left him here with his uncle’s corpse. They wouldn’t have. He didn’t understand. “Uncle Scar, get up, let’s go home,” he pleaded the cold lion with glazed eyes on the ground before him. He remained for a short while, trying to rouse his uncle.
Realizing it was in vain, Simba decided he’d best get home to his mother. Surely his dad would be there and would explain everything. He had to go. He wanted his mother. The young cub quickly climbed out of the gorge and bounded off in the direction of his home. He raced along, scared and cold, the rain pelting him as it came down harder and harder. He didn’t understand what was going on, and he just wanted to be safe and warm at home.
He was tired by the time he reached Pride Rock. The whole pride was gathered around the rock in a circle, and they seemed upset. His mother and father were standing farther away from the others, his mother sadly nuzzling her mate. As the young cub passed through the circle of lionesses, he saw Nala. She was laying against her mother’s paw with tears streaming down her face.
“Hey Nala, what’s going on?” he asked his friend, “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t answer him, didn’t even seem to notice him. Her mother nuzzled her reassuringly, but her face showed sorrow also. Simba turned toward his parents, his heart pounding anxiously, and approached them. He stopped before them, his paws splashing in a rather large puddle at their feet.
“Mom? Dad?” he asked.
“Oh Mufasa, how could this have happened?” his mother whispered, her cheeks soaked from the rain and her tears, “How could we have lost him? He was so young, and strong, and brave…”
His father didn’t respond, merely pulled Sarabi closer to himself as if to comfort her.
“My poor little Simba…” she moaned. Simba’s heart sunk.
“Mom, I’m okay. I’m right here,” he said. But she didn’t seem to hear. She didn’t look up, just kept crying and buried her face in the king’s mane. “Mom! Dad! I’m right here! I’m right…” he trailed off when he happened to glance down and notice something odd about his reflection in the puddle. There wasn’t one! His parents and Pride Rock had reflections, but he didn’t!
“…here…” he finished, feeling hollow as he stared into the puddle. He looked back up at his parents. This couldn’t be. No, it had to be a dream. He couldn’t be dead, he was still thinking, he was still in his body, he was still alive. What was this? A nightmare, it had to be. He pawed his mother, but she didn’t seem to notice at first. He rubbed against her, forcing himself to purr a little. She looked down at him. He grinned, it was okay, she could see him. Her face fell, though, and she cast her eyes away.
“Oh, Mufasa, I swear I can feel him rubbing against me…” she said quietly.
“Our little Simba is with the Great Kings now,” Mufasa answered sadly, “They will watch over him until we can be reunited with him.”
The cub’s heart sank again.
“No, Dad, I’m not with the Great Kings! I’m right here, standing in front of you! I’m here!” he shouted. When he got no response, he turned and ran into the circle of mourning lionesses. “I’m here! I’m not dead! I’m alive! I’m fine!”
None of them took notice of him. They just continued conversing amongst themselves.
“Can you believe Scar would do such a thing?” one was saying, “Why d’you think he killed little Simba?”
“The only thing he could possibly gain from it would have been the throne, but then, wouldn’t he have killed Mufasa, too?” another asked.
“He couldn’t kill Mufasa,” the first one replied.
“That’s why he’s dead,” a third joined in, “It wasn’t hard for him to murder a cub, but the coward couldn’t defeat his brother. He could never overpower our king, Mufasa.”
“Do you mind?” Sarafina asked angrily, gesturing at Nala, who was in hysterics. The other lionesses apologized and were silent. Simba padded over to his friend, wanting to comfort her.
“Hey, Nala, it’s alright… I’m fine…” he mumbled. She didn’t hear him, though, much as he’d expected. Hanging his head, Simba stared sadly at his friend for a few minutes, not sure what he should do. Could he really be dead? Could Scar have really done that, tossed him under the feet of the stampeding wildebeest to die? There was only one way to find out.
The young prince had to go back to the gorge, he had to know.
He sprinted away from Pride Rock, making his way back to the gorge as quickly as he could. He descended into the gorge. Up ahead was his uncle’s corpse, and just beyond, a smaller one. Knowing and dreading what he’d find, the cub ran over to the other body and looked down at himself.
“No,” he gasped in disbelief as it finally sank in. He, Simba, Prince of the Pride Lands, was dead.
Submission 3:
Spoiler: show
I Mean It
Mufasa ignored the gentle wind as it blew through his mane, choosing instead to tying and concentrate on the latest dispute in the Pride Lands. He was really not in the mood to do anything though. Not only was the hot African sun sapping his patience very quickly, but he also was not able to sleep last night, so his energy was low.
Zoning away form the yapping gazelle and giraffe, he once again mentally wandered back to early last night, when he had a furious shouting match with Sarabi.
He didn't even know how it started, as the two of them had told of their daily events as usual. But before he knew it, the two of them were shouting at one another, both to stubborn to let the other have the final word. Eventually wore themselves out. For the first time in as long as he can remember, Mufasa had went to bed with Sarabi not in his embrace. Having her not by his side was what most likely kept him up all night, and today he was paying the price for it.
“Mufasa?.. Mufasa? Are you even hearing what we're saying?”
Mufasa shook his head, trying to clear it. He stared, blinking, at the giraffe and gazelle. “Look, I don't see the problem. If you have to eat from the same trees, you giraffe may only eat those leaves that the gazelle can reach, and you gazelle cannot try and eat the leaves above your normal reach.” He sighed, wishing that the day were over so that he can go and grab some much needed sleep. “Now, I have other matters to attend to. So if you find this set up not to your liking... catch me later.”
Turing, Mufasa walked away from the small clearing in the savanna where he held the meeting. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to go and solve another dispute, but Zazu would let him off the hook if he neglected his duties now. “Where is the next problem, Zazu?” Mufasa's voice was weary, even as he tried to hide his fatigue.
Zazu ruffled his feathers as the bird landed on the lion's shoulder. “Well, the crocodiles are complaining about the river's water where you allowed them to stay, so...” He nearly had to flap off as Mufasa sat down suddenly.
The river was all the way on the other side of the Pride Lands, and the king did not feel like making the journey over there just to tell the crocodiles that the rains should come at any day and make the river water level rise. “Anything else? Something closer to where we are, perhaps?”
Zazu thought for a few moments. “Not that I am aware of... actually, wait, I know!” He ignored Mufasa's groan. “The zebra. They still want to get your explanation of why they were hunted on grounds that you specifically reserved for them to be safe from predators. I know Sarabi already talked to them, but by the sound of it, they want a bit more than her words...”
Mufasa nodded slowly. “Yeah, yeah, I get it.” He got up and began to walk through the golden grass towards the zebra herds. As he walked, his mind once again wandered back to the argument he had with Sarabi. It was weird, he couldn't even recall what they had shouted at each other. Somehow, he doubted that Sarabi remembered either. But he did remember the loneliness, and he still had to talk to her later today. What if they would start arguing again? What if Simba will see them?
His thoughts were interrupted as he spotted someone familiar crossing his path. Putting on a warm smile, Mufasa nodded at the lioness. “Fancy seeing you here, Sarafina. May I ask as to what you're doing here?”
Sarafina stopped in her tracks and turned towards his voice, smiling back when she recognized the king. “Oh, good day, Mufasa. I'm just spending the day with Nala. Showing her the lands and all...” Sure enough, almost as soon as she said this, her daughter came bouncing through the grass.
“Hey, Mufasa! Where's Simba? Is he with you?” Nala didn't address Mufasa with the same respect that Sarafina did, instead talking to him much more as an equal, something Mufasa wished Sarafina would do more often.
To answer Nala's question, Mufasa shook his head. “No, not today. Too many things to deal with for him to come with me today. Try checking at Pride Rock, that's where I last left him.”
Nala let out an annoyed sigh. “But that's where we just came from! And when I asked Sarabi, she told be that he was with you.”
Mufasa shook his head again. “No, he never was with me today, sorry. Run along now, Nala.” Mentally, he was frowning, disappointed with himself. Not only was he not aware of where Simba was, but now Sarabi didn't know either. How could he know so little about the status of his own family?
As if she was reading his mind, Sarafina wandered over to Mufasa and sat down next to him. “May I speak freely?” She looked nervous, as though what she wanted to say might make Mufasa angry with her.
Mufasa nodded, not really paying any attention to her. “You know you can say whatever you want without asking, Sarafina.”
Sarafina kept an eye out on Nala, who wandered over to a nearby tree. “Well, it's about last night... that argument you had with Sarabi.”
Mufasa nodded before he realized what Sarafina had just said. “Wait, how do you know about that? I didn't tell anyone. Did Sarabi-”
“No, Sarabi didn't say anything either. I err... I heard most of it. Didn't understand what the two of you were saying, but the noises of a conversation and an argument are quite different. Not to mention, only a few of us managed to sleep over th two of you. Believe me, those of us who did not hear it as it happened already know about it. So anyways, what I wanted to say... I was just thinking, when was the last time you spent the day with her?”
Mufasa frowned. “Not to long ago. Must have been a week, or, wait, no. Longer, because it rained soon afterwards...” To his horror, he realized that he couldn't remember the last time he spent with Sarabi for more than a few moments during the day. Never the less, he still tried to safe face. “I spend as much time with her as I can, but the kingdom. So many issues to take care of...”
Sarafina shook her head, clearly disappointed in him. “To be honest, while I know that you are a great king, I think your forgetting who you are, Muffy.” She purposely used Mufasa's nickname she and Sarabi came up with while growing up. “I mean, just look at where you are right now. You are moving alone from one place to another, trying to solve silly disputes, when you are avoiding a real one back home. I know you can rule the Pride Lands, don't worry about them. But as a father and a husband, now that makes me worried about you.”
Normally, Mufasa would have punished someone who would come up to his face and start telling him that he was failing as a family member, but he knew that if Sarafina didn't mean everything she said, she would have kept her mouth shut. Plus, he had a horrible feeling in his guts that, one that deep down he had to admit, a feeling that told him that not only did Sarafina mean every word she said, but also that she was right. “I'll take that into consideration, Sarafina. Thank you.”
Sarafina grunted in response. “Say whatever you want, but unless you fix it with Sarabi, you'll have more than just her to deal with.” She prodded Mufasa non to gently. “I mean it.” She got up, smirking slightly. “Now, I have a day to spend with my daughter. Have a good time, my king.” Sarafina walked off towards Nala, leaving a stunned Mufasa behind.
Zazu cleared his voice nervously, and Mufasa groaned. “Yeah, alright Zazu, I'm going.”
The majordomo blinked in surprise. “Actually, it's not about that, sire. It's about what Sarafina said.”
Mufasa sat down again. “What is it, Zazu? Are you also going to lecture me on how much of a failure I am?”
Zazu shook his beak. “Well, sire, no, not really. I know you are a great king, and I doubt that you are a bad husband. Or parent. But well, Sarafina has a point. It's been a long time since you've spent with your family. And the Pride Lands, well, I know I always give you the morning report, the evening report, and even the occasional in-between report, but it doesn't mean that you have to go and settle every matter right away. From what mom told me, Ahadi delayed settling matters sometimes for days at a time.”
Mufasa thought of his own childhood, remembering how much time his own father had spent with him and Scar, back then still Taka. Often Uru would accompany them as well. So why wasn't he able to do the same with Simba and Sarabi? “So what am I to do?”
Zazu let out a chuckle. “Isn't it obvious, sire? I'm surprise you don't see it already.”
Mufasa let out a warning growl. “Just say it Zazu! Don't play any games with me! Not right now.”
Zazu clutched Mufasa's shoulder tightly as not to fall off from chuckling so hard. “So the great and wonderful Mufasa has finally met his match! That's a good one!” He quickly jumped and flapped out of Mufasa's reach as the lion took a swipe at him with his claws. “Now, now, sire! Calm yourself down and I will tell you!” He waited until Mufasa sat down again before landing in front of the king. “The solution to your problem is a very simple one. Unlike Sarafina, I actually heard what you shouted at your wide last night, and I now also know how you can solve this conflict. Take a day off. Better yet, take a few days off. Let me run the kingdom for a change, as you basically let me do that when you go off with Simba...”
Mufasa blinked at him. “What? That's it? Take a few days off? But-”
Zazu waived a feathered wing as his king. “Nah ah, sire. But nothing. Tomorrow you will go and spend the entire day with your wife and son. The day after that, I recommend that you do the same, but take Sarafina and Nala along with you. And if I hear one word from your subjects that you try to solve some dispute during those days, I'm warning you, you'll have more than just her to deal with.” He grinned. “I mean it.”
Mufasa groaned. Now he was getting threats from his wife, his wife's best friend, and now his own majordomo. “Yes, Zazu.” Try not to as he might, he ended up sounding like a small child who was just scolded by their parents.
The wind blew a bit stronger, distracting Mufasa for a bit, before he thought of something. “Actually, Zazu, if you can go to the crocodiles and tell them that the rains should com soon and not to worry about the river level, I can go in the meantime and deal with the zebra. And then -OW!” He clamped a paw on his nose where Zazu prodded him hard with a sharp beak.
“No, sire. You will not do that!”
Mufasa waved the bird away. “You don't get it! Today I solve all the disputes, and then like you said, I will take some days off. Won't it be better if I will not have anything to worry about? I won't do anything for the next two days, I promise!”
Zazu nodded, understanding. “That is a good idea, sire. I'm on it!” Quickly, he took off and flew towards the river.
Barely watching Zazu leave, Mufasa got up and ran towards the zebra herds.
… And barely got half way there before he nearly ran into non other than Sarabi, who was busy watching over Simba.
She saw him and grunted. “Oh, it's you.” She was about to walk off before she frowned at him. “What happened to your nose?”
Mufasa touched his nose again, realizing that Zazu must have drawn blood. “”That doesn't matter. No, listen, I've figured it out. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow... We spend the day together. All of us...” He began to tell Sarabi eagerly the plans he was already making for what they can do. “And we can go and pay the neighboring prides a visit – or, or the jungle we stumbled upon... Think about it. It'll be Simba's first time out of the Pride Lands...”
Sarabi grinned at him. “Welcome back, Muffy. Yeah, I like the sound of that.” She smirked at him. “Are you sure you don't have any kingdom affairs to deal with?” Even though she was already teasing him, Mufasa detected a hint of warning in her voice.
“No, nothing that I am aware of-” He then smacked himself. “Well, no, the zebra! I have to talk to the zebra!” He leaned over and gave Sarabi a quick lick. “But for the next few days, I promise! Just us!”
He ran off, sprinting as fast as he can so that he can return to his family as soon as possible. “I mean it!”
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