At 11:10 AM 6/30/98 -0400, you wrote:

>Even the most intense plots are ruined by too much 'cute'. Now that the
>plot has been expertly unravelled, the execution remains to be seen. And
>perhaps more important than the execution, what about the ending? Deus ex
>machina anyone? ;)

  LoL!  I have this mental image of a ghostly Mufasa appearing in the sky:

  Simba: Father!

  Mufasa: Be quiet.  Zira!  I'm sending you straight to hell.  Now.  

  *Zira gasps*

  Simba: But fath--

  Mufasa:  Simba, you need to stop being such a wanker!  Yeah (*rolls eyes
and places paw on forehead*), lets banish large groups of the opposite sex,
that makes *lots* of sense.  *sigh*  

  Simba: But Nala said tha--

  Mufasa: Of *course* Nala's thought it was a good idea.  Use your head,
kid.  

  *faint giggles in the sky*

  Mufasa: *rolls his eyes again*  Kovu, Kiara... come over here.  You two
stop seeing each other.  I don't want to ev-- 

*loud protesting can be heard in the sky; Mufasa turns and pokes his head
back into his little "cloud"* 

  Mufasa: (faintly): Quiet Ugas, they're *my* grandkids.  Well no, of
course I don't want her to grow up to b... yeah, but there are lots of oth... 


*hushed whispering*  

  Mufasa: Oh, allRIGHT!  You hook me up *one* time with a leo goddess and
suddenly I'm your slave...

*Hurt murmurs in the background*  

  Mufasa:  No, I didn't really mean that.  *sigh*  Fine.  Uncle Ugas will
handle you two.  

*A faint "Yaaaay!" is heard in the background*

  Mufasa:  Now where was I... oh, yeah.  

*A large, smoking, glowing rift opens in the ground, swallows Zira, and
closes*

  Mufasa:  There.  And remember what I said about being a wanker, boy.
Invite the lionesses back.  And stop tickling the antelope before you kill
them.  Why do you do that, anyway?  

  Simba:  Uhh....

  *faint giggling is heard again in the sky*

  Mufasa: Nevermind, I don't want to know.  Just knock it off.  And tell
Nala I'm not her father, so she can stop worrying.  An--

  *faint voice in the background: Hey, look who's here, Mufasa!"

  Mufasa, poking his head back into the cloud: "Heeeeeeey!  How's it goin'
baaaybe!  Give a lil' sugar... aawwww yeah..."

  *Mufasa pokes his head back out of the cloud, a little slobber on his snout*

  Mufasa: Shoot, gotta go.  Nice to talk with you son.  Remember that I am
watching every thing you do all the time, even when you think you're
totally alone.  So don't worry.  See you two kids later!

  *Kiara and Kovu wave*

  Mufasa, receding back into the clouds: Ohhhhhohohooo... c'mere you...




-Ryan
ryan@lionking.org        ICQ: 1953628        PGP key ID: 0x3EDDA6CA

    "The greatest barrier to communication is the delusion that
                     it has already occurred."
                          (Peter Cummings)