The Forgotten Emotions

   Simba let out a loud ^ÓBURP!^Ô that echoed through his vast jungle home.
^ÓWoah, nice one Simba!^Ô Timon complimented him.
^ÓThanks. Man, I^Òm stuffed!^Ô
^ÓMe too!^Ô Pumbaa said. ^ÓI ate like a pig!^Ô
^ÓPumbaa, you are a pig.^Ô Simba grinned at his warthog pal.
^ÓOh, right.^Ô
Simba couldn^Òt help but admire the beautiful stars above. He thought, ^ÓSad 
things happen in the world all the time. But every night, the stars are the 
same. They shine like beautiful diamonds that will never fade away^Å^Ô
His thoughts were interrupted by Timon and Pumbaa.  They asked Simba^Òs 
opinion about the stars. Simba was embarrassed to tell his buddies what he 
thought. But after they persisted, he gave in.
^ÓWell, someone once told me, the great kings of the past are up there. 
Watching over us.^Ô
^ÓYa mean a buncha royal dead guys are watching us?^Ô Timon burst into 
laughter. ^ÓWhat mook made that up?!^Ô
Embarrassed and hurt, Simba got up and walked away.
Timon didn^Òt understand how he had hurt his friend^Òs feelings.
^ÓWas it something I said?^Ô

Simba paced around. He found a spot near the river where he could rest. He 
plopped down, causing weeds to scatter and drift off with the wind.
^ÓWhat^Òs wrong with me?^Ô he thought. ^ÓI live a great worry-free life, but I 
still feel like- something^Òs not complete. Like^ÅI left something at Pride 
Rock.^Ô
A memory drifted into his head. A blurry image appeared in his mind^Å.it 
was^Å..his mother^Å..and him as a young cub^Å^Å

Sarabi licked Simba^Òs cheek. ^ÓYou silly thing, sit still!^Ô Simba resisted 
his mother and twisted and struggled from her grasp. Sarabi laughed and 
tickled her son on the stomach. The playful cub giggled and tickled his 
mother^Òs nose with his tail. Sarabi pulled Simba close to her and hugged 
him.
^ÓI love you, Mommy.^Ô He said.
^ÓI love you too, son.^Ô
^ÓHi Simba!^Ô Nala playfully called to him.
^ÓHiya!^Ô
He got up to greet her, but she quickly pounced on her buddy, knocking him 
down. ^ÓI pinned you!^Ô
The two wrestled and played, giggling and laughing the whole time.

The memory faded. Simba^Òs brown eyes filled with tears.
^ÓMother. Nala. Oh why, oh why did I leave you? I miss you so!^Ô
And he wept.

A few days later, Nala came to the jungle. Simba was thrilled to see her, 
but was upset when she tried to get him to go back. She told him about 
Scar^Òs reign and how he and the hyenas were destroying the Pridelands. He 
refused to go back. He tried to explain ^ÑHakuna Matata^Ò to her, but she 
didn^Òt understand.
^ÓWhat^Òs happened to you? You^Òre not the Simba I remember.^Ô
^ÓYou know, you^Òre starting to sound like my father.^Ô
^ÓGood. At least one of us does!^Ô
Simba roared at her in anger. ^ÓYou think you can just show up and tell me 
how to live my life? You don^Òt even know what I^Òve been through!^Ô
And he stormed off.
Confusion, rage and sorrow ran through his mind.
She doesn^Òt understand.^Ô he thought. ^ÓI can^Òt go back. I^Òm not the same as I 
used to be. But^Å.I^ÅI, love her.^Ô

Then Rafiki appeared. As he tried to convince Simba of who he was, and what 
to do to solve the problem, Simba remained stubborn. So Rafiki told the lion 
to follow him. Simba didn^Òt understand why but he did as the baboon told 
him.
After Rafiki led him to the pond, and Simba stopped, he asked him to look 
into the water. Simba said it was only his reflection. But as he looked 
harder, he saw the face of his father staring back at him.
As his father spoke to him, Simba^Òs heart couldn^Òt decide.
^ÓWhat can I do? I^Òve been a coward. I can^Òt go back. But they^Òre counting on 
me.^Ô
^ÓRemember who you are^Å.^Ô His father^Òs voice faded away then.
^ÓVery peculiar weather, don^Òt you think?^Ô Rafiki grinned.
Remember who you are. ^ÓYes. I know who I am! I am Mufasa^Òs son! I^Òll do it!^Ô 
Simba said to himself. He bounded off.
^ÓWhere are you going?^Ô the confused Rafiki called to Simba.
^ÓI^Òm going back!^Ô