Oookay, here's my second fan fic I came up eith last night. This is another "in-between-scene" thing, I guess they're my specialty or something...;P I hope it doesn't bother that this one's a bit longer than the last one. Anyway, I hope you like it. And as always, comments more than welcome, good or bad. "Hey! Hey, wake up!" Nala poked Timon awake. He opened his eyes slowly and turned around. Seeing a huge lioness face in front of him, he jumped up and started screaming. This made Pumbaa wake up and he started yelling too, though he didn't actually know why. "Whoah! Whoah! It's okay, it's me!" Nala said, trying to calm them down. "Don't ever do that again! Carnivores, oy!" Timon said, still breathing hard. "Have you guys seen Simba?" "I thought he was with you!" "He was but now I can't find him. Where is he?" Suddenly, they all heard a strange laugh from above. They looked up and saw a baboon sitting on a tree branch. "Ha ha! You won't find him here!" the mandrill laughed. He continued, calming himseld down: "The king has returned." "I can't believe it," Nala said, half to herself. "He's gone back!" "Gone back? What do ya mean?!" Timon jumped off Pumbaa's belly and looked up at the tree again, but the mandrill was gone. "Hey! What's goin' on here? Who's the monkey?!" he looked at nala, hoping she could answer. And she did. "Simba's gone back to challenge Scar!" "Who?" "Scar!" Now Pumbaa was confused. "Who's got a scar?" "No, no, it's his uncle," Nala explained. Timon didn't quite get te idea. "The monkey's his uncle?!" "NO!!!" Nala shouted, already frustrated. "Simba's gone back to take his place as king." "Ohhh..." Now even Timon and Pumbaa understood. Meanwhile, Simba was already a way ahead of them. He had been running all night, through the jungle, through the fields, and now through the desert. He had been so thrilled by his father's words, he never thought he would ever have the chance to talk to Mufasa and now, he had! And Mufasa didn't even sound angry at him, he wasn't blaming Simba for his death, he had sounded as loving and understanding as always. And now, Simba was returning to his cubhood home. Home! He didn't even think about how tired he was, he was so excited. Mother...How she'd be surprised. How they ALL would be surprised. He had been gone so long, would they even remember him? What about Scar? Nala had told everything was changed. Simba couldn't imagine the Pride Lands different than they had been in his cubhood. But what if they were? He himself had changed so much too, would these two work together anymore? Suddenly he stopped. For the first time he had started running, he now stopped. "What am I doing?" he thought to himself. "I can't go home! I've been away too long. They could never understand why I left, and I couldn't explain it to them. They would start to hate me. What was I thinking?! That everything could suddenly change? If I told about my father, that he talked to me last night, they would think I'm crazy! And...And I can't run a whole kingdom all the sudden, I don't know anything about it! I'm sorry, father, but I can't go back! I just can't!" Simba started backing up a little bit. If he could just turn around and go back to the jungle, before Nala would wake up...She didn't have to know anything about this, ever! He turned around, ready to follow his pawprints and return to the jungle, but suddenly he gasped in horror. The prints were gone! There were none left to follow! He seeked desperately for a scent that could lead him to the right direction but couldn't find one. The wind had blown all the pawprints away and he couldn't find any trace of the right path. He looked around him: nothing but desert anyywhere he looked. No-one near to help him, no animals, no prey, no water. He felt the heat of the sun, burning as hot as once before, when he first ran across this desert, in his cubhood...He didn't want to think about it but couldn't help it, his mind painted horrifying pictures of the worst parts of his life. He felt the hot sand under his feet, like he was sinking in it. He jumped off from the spot he was standing on, but it wasn't quicksand, just normal. He got even more afraid, maybe he was going mad. He would die here. Alone, lost, and scared like a little cub. Everywhere he turned, he found nothing but desert. "Father!" he lifted his head up to the sky, seeking for his father's image again. "Father, help me! I am lost, I don't know which way to go!" But his father didn't answer. "Can't you hear me?! I'm scared! I can't...I can't find a way!" His voice was trembling. He was afraid someone would see him, talking to the sun, but he was even more afraid, someone DIDN'T. He fell to the ground, sobbing hard. Mufasa didn't hear him anymore. This time he would REALLY die here, everything reminded him of the first time here, how awful it had been and how awful it still was. There were no helpful friends ready to save him this time. What a great king he was, indeed... Suddenly, he felt a cool breeze of wind, stricking his mane. It felt comforting in this hellish heat and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the ground. Suddenly he jumped up, startled. He almost yell, but no voice came out. He just stared at the sand. A pawprint. Right in front of him. Coming from nowhere. It wasn't his own, he was sure of that. But there were no others near or far. He backed up a few steps, his heart beating like a drum. He panicked even more, when he saw another print, forming by itself next to the other one. Suddenly, there were four of them. Lion pawprints, like somebody was standing in front of him, but he didn't see anyone. Simba gulped and stepped forward. The pawprints started moving. They walked a few steps ahead, and then stopped again, like they were waiting for him. Simba was scared to death, but he followed the footprints, one step at a time. They weren't rushing, they always stopped to wait Simba. Now Simba felt something in the air. A scent, a very familiar one. First, he couldn't exactly tell what it was, he just KNEW it. It was something he knew ages ago, what he had loved as a cub and what he knew he had been loving all his life. It was familiar from the short moments of happiness in his cubhood, familiar from his moments with... He knew it. He recognised it now. The fear disappeared from his heart the moment he discovered who was walking aside him. Tears of joy filled his eyes, and he wasn't afraid at all anymore. He was changed, the Pride Lands had changed, but wasn't change good sometimes? At least he knew he wasn't alone, ever. He speeded up again, faster and faster until he was running again. He didn't even notice the pawprints behind him, vanishing, one by one. So there it was, folks. I hope you'll send your comments about this one, too.:) Hakuna Matata! Love, Jessica