As the dust cleared, the cub Simba emerged from his hiding place. He coughed, "Dad?!!" Suddenly a sound! Turning, the cub saw a last wildbeast, leap over him and run past the massive body of his father. Simba percked his ears forward and started for his father, who lay still beneath the fallen dead tree. The face was expressionless, the eyes were closed. His father lay on his side with no sign of life.
     Simba stared at him. "Dad?", he asked, "Dad, come on. You gotta get up." He nuzzeled the face but it only fell. "Dad? We gotta go home", the cub continued, grabbing his father's ear and tugging. Still no reply. Simba sniffed, feeling tears emerge in his eyes. "Help!", he despretly cried, "Somebody?! Anybody!" But no one answered him and at last, the young cub finally realized that his father wouldn't wake up, and never play with him again. His father would never see the day he would become king, or when he would have a son. Yes, the great king, Mufasa, was dead.
     Broken hearted and weeping, Simba crawled beside his father and closed his eyes. But a dark shadow loomed over both the cub and dead king. Scar, with dark eyes and a dark heart, approached them, speaking, "Simba? What have you done?"
     Surprized, and still crying, the cub backed away from the body, stammering, "The wildbeasts- and- he tried to save me-- It was an accident. I- I didn't mean for it to happen." "Of course, you didn't", Scar replied in a soothing voice and gently patted the cub's shoulder. "No one, ever means for these things to happen. But the king is dead, and if it weren't for you he'd still be alive... Oh, what will your mother think?"
     Tears rolling down his furry cheeks, Simba sadly asked, "What am I gonna do?" Scar lightly pushed the cub away with his paw. "Run away Simba." Simba hesitated, giving one last look at his father's dead body. "Run", his uncle continued, "Run away and never return!" The cub turned and dashed away.

     The rush of the hooves tore into Jahina. Everywhere, he saw the blur of huge rushing animals, trampling all over him. Was this the end? Would he die? No, Scar can't get away with this..., he thought but he was so tired. But soon, the rush stopped and at last, Jahina found the strength to rise. He raised himself on his paws but fell. His back legs hurt from the trampling. He struggled again to raise himself. Finally, he was able to stand up.
     "Mufasa... Simba...", he murmered, remembering the stampede. Where was Mufasa? Was his friend as lucky as he was? Did he survive the fall? Clenching his teeth and inoring the pain, Jahina started off to find his friend.
     As he limped, he finally saw something. The dead body of Mufasa and sitting beside it was Scar. Anger surged through the young lion. Scar had killed his best friend! "NO!!", he cried and half limping, half running, he rushed for Scar, but the murderer turned on him and clawed Jahina in the face. He fell to the ground as Scar pinned his shoulders with a long cruel set of claws.
     "So, you survived?", he heard the evil lion whisper. "You murderer...", Jahina growled. He felt Scar's claws release and saw the lion walk to the opposite side of Mufasa and sat down. "Me? The murderer of Mufasa?", Scar mimicked. He smild an evil smile and his green eyes blazed, "Why, if Simba hadn't been here today, none of this would of happened.." "No. It wasn't... You didn't.."
     "Yes, Simba killed his father and so, he is come and gone as well", Scar continued, getting up again. "No! You liar! I saw! You- You killed Mufasa! You flung him into the stampede!", Jahina cried with tears rolling down his own cheeks and he struggled to get up. "Oh, I wish I could believe you but however, I am afraid I can't have you here any longer. You know to much...", Scar said. As if on cue, the three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzi, and Ed appeared.
     "Kill him", the dark lion commanded his henchmen and turned away. The three hyenas laughed and lunged for the wounded lion. Jahina turned and ran with the three killers at his heels. The gorge was long and narrow. The ledges! They were his only escape!
     With a roar, he lept onto a nearby ledge, nearly slipping but grabbed onto the ledge with his claws. Then, seeing a path, he started following. The hyenas followed, nearly on his tail. Suddenly, a dead end but there was a crevic in the rock wall, his size too! He turned sharply and climbed into the crevic. The hyenas followed but being fat and even stubborn, they couldn't fit in the crack. Jahina pressed his back against the side of the rock walls.
     He looked around. A passage way! Forgetting about the hyenas, Jahina followed it. It seemed hours before he saw light ahead, moonlight. The hyena's hadn't followed through the twisting pasage. He climbed out and saw that he was above ground again. Seeing Pride Rock in the distance, flooded with hyenas, it seemed hopeless. Mufasa was dead, Simba was dead, and now Scar was the king.
     Jahina let out a sigh and let the tears flow. His body broke into trembles as he cried. His friend was dead, and he couldn't help but blame himself for both Mufasa and Simba's deaths. The worst of it all was that no one would know the truth, except himself, and Scar. If he were to try, Scar would surely kill him. Then he remember Mufasa's words, "Please promise me, you will always tell the truth, even if it means you're life is on the line".
     He hesitated and turned away.  "I'm sorry Mufasa. I've failed you. I am so sorry, my poor old friend..."  Jahina started padding away from Pride Rock, pass the boundaries of the Pride Lands, and into the sand desert of the Outlands, never to return.

     So the years passed and the grass grew longer. The rain poured from the long dry season and soon, it was, lush and green. Animals raised their young ones, others hunted. The cool wind blewon the lands of the savanah. Amighty lion dozed in the moon light His mane was a full grown brown. Gray streaks of fur ran down on the front of his mane from age. He seemed to resemble a great king, who was gone.
     He yawned from his doze and stretched. It had been years since his exile from the Pride Lands, the truth locked with him. He sighed and lay his head back down on his paws. "Mufasa...", he murmered, remembering his old friend
     "I 'dink not!", a voice called from above. Startled, the lion looked up seeing, an old gray baboon, holding a stick and swing in the branches above him. "Rafiki?", the lion asked with a weak smile. The baboon swung down from his perch and landed right in front of him. "Yah! I am Rafiki. 'De question is, who are you?"
     The lion let out another sigh. "I was the friend of Mufasa, now I'm not sure if I still am." "Well then Jahina, it is a surprize to see you!", the baboon laughed and clapped Jahina on the back with his long hand. Jahina managed to smile back, "It's great to see you old friend but, what are you doing here?"
     "I am here to tell you the good news! Simba defeated Scar!" Jahina lept to his feet, "What? B- But Simba's dead! Scar told me--" "Oh hah hah! He told you wrong my friend", Rafiki replied with a chuckle, "Simba defeated Scar, his beautiful mate Nala gave birth to their daughter Kiara and Kiara will soon be taking her place with Kovu to complete the Circle of Life!"
     This was news and all so new to Jahina. He had been away from the Pride Lands for many years, vowing to never return but now, Simba was alive! He couldn't believe it! The son of Mufasa was still alive! He was so excited his limbs were shaking.
     "And, Mufasa wants you to know he forgives you", Rafiki suddenly added. Jahina stopped shaking and gave the baboon a confused look. "Mufasa? Mufasa's dead?.." "Yes, but his spirit lives on. He has watched both you and Simba grow up. So now you say that you aren't sure you are still his friend, well, he says that he is still yours..."
     This was all too unbelievable! The Circle of Life wasn't broken after all. It had healed. Jahina smiled and turned towards Rafiki. "Thanks old friend, but now I must go back. Back to where I belong." He nodded a goodbye to the old baboon and trotted off towards the Pride Lands. Rafiki leaned on his stick as the voice of Mufasa carried on the wind, "Well done Jahina. Well done..."

     It was early morning, before the sun had risen. In the cave lay Simba curled up next to Nala. Beside them were a sleeping Kiara and Kovu and scattered everywhere else were the other lionesses. Simba yawned and slowly rose to take his morning walk across the Pride Lands, a tradition many kings would do.
     He climbed down the rocks and padded across the grass, towards the water hole. No animals had gathered there yet. Probably still asleep which really didn't bother Simba. He enjoyed being alone for once. His thoughts were on Kiara and Kovu as he bent over to drink. The water soothed his thirst.
     He paused to gulp down when suddenly, he saw his reflection but there was also another reflection right beside his. A grinning lion with a full mane and wait! The lion looked just like his father!
     "Hello Simba", he heard a rich voice say. He slowly looked up and standing there right beside him, was the lion! Simba couldn't speak. He was overcome with fear It must be Mufasa! "Father", he whispered and the other lion let out a deep chuckle.
     "No Simba. Don't you remember me?" Simba slowly shook his head and gulped. "I am Jahina", the lion finally said. Simba's fear went away. He stared at the lion. It couldn't be Jahina. He had been told Jahina had died when Scar took rule. He studied the face, seeming to strike a resemblence to Mufasa but there was a hint of a younger and once playful young lion he used to joke around with.
     Simba smiled deeply, "Jahina, it is you!" He playfully growled and jumped on top of his old friend and tugged at the older lion's ear. This reminded him so much of his cub days with his father. Jahina chuckled and in return gave Simba a wink and playful grin.
     Yes, Jahina was back where he belonged! At last, he had found the happiness he had always dreamed of! He had found Simba. And he still had the spirit of his best friend, Mufasa, living within him.

"He Lives in You"
  The End