Lyrics

The next morning was cool and calm. Nala had rested and felt refreshed, so she got to thinking. While she did want Simba to return home and take his place as king, she felt like she had lost her temper, and said some things that should have been left behind. Thus, she decided to find Simba and makeup with him. Perhaps he could come back and live here if he wanted to after defeating Scar. But when shе woke up to find where hе had vanished, he was gone. Even his scent had gotten stale; had it rained without her noticing? So she decided to try asking Timon and Pumbaa about where Simba was. They had watched him grow up over the years; perhaps they would know where he usually hung out. As she walked into the clearing, Timon and Pumbaa were fast asleep. Timon was sleeping on Pumbaa's belly, curled up and as snug as a koala. Pumbaa was grunting and waving his legs in the air, muttering, "Grubs, grubs, grubs..." in his sleep. Nala walked over as quietly as she could, her paw steps muffled by the fallen leaves. "Hey. You two," she whispered when she reached them, poking Timon with a paw. "Come on, wake up." Timon snorted and lazily opened an eye. He was staring right into the eyes of a large lioness. Suddenly, Timon and Pumbaa were up, screaming at the top of their lungs. Nala realized that she must have scared them by accident. "It's okay, it's okay!" she tried reassuring them. "It's only me!" The two friends calmed down, and Timon rested a paw over his heart. "Don't ever do that again," he squawked like a macaw. "Carnivores...oy!" The undergrowth rustled, and Bunga came bursting out, snarling. "Who's there? Let me at 'em!" the badger demanded, baring his teeth. "I'll rip their gizzard out!" "Hopefully not my gizzard!" one of the Guinea fowl squawked. She and the rest of the animals had come over to see what the fuss was about. "No, guys, calm down. It's just me," Nala reassured them, and they relaxed...but only slightly. "Anyway, have any of you seen Simba?" "I thought he was with you," Timon griped. Around them, the other animals gave similar answers. Nala shook her head. "He was, but now I can't find him." "Oh! You won't find him here!" a new voice cried out, laughing. All of the animals looked up to see Tamino perched on a tree not too far away. With a smile, of course, the teenage red-crowned crane added, "The king has returned!" Nala felt overcome with relief and excitement. Simba was going back to the Pride Lands. She wasn't sure what drove him to it, but it didn't matter. Pride Rock, the lionesses that lived there, and the rest of the Pride Lands were going to be saved. But when they looked up to see Tamino and ask her more, they were baffled. Tamino had left just as soon as she had arrived. "Hey! What's going on here?!" Timon demanded. "What's with the peacock?!" Nala lifted her eyes down from where Rafiki had been. "Simba's gone back to challenge Scar." "Who?" asked Timon. "Scar." "Who's got a scar?" asked Pumbaa. "No, no, no. It's his uncle." "Wait, the peacock's his uncle?" asked Timon. "No!" Nala snapped. "Simba's gone back to challenge his uncle to take his place as king." The two nodded in understanding, now getting what was going on. "Ohhh…" Valerie and Serena saw the branch where Tamino was sitting. Serena gasped in shock. "She's gone? What do you mean, she's gone?" "It's just like the peacock said. The king has returned." Nala replied. Serena was right! It was Tamino that took off from the branch. Nala went over the whole thing again. In their heads, several thoughts ran through Timon and Pumbaa. "Poor Simba. The treachery... the villainy... the sheer indescribable horror!" Pumbaa replied to Nala. "Blah, blah, blah. Why is she toying with us? She tried to eat us!" Timon replied to Pumbaa. "Why are we doing this? This is a woman's suffrage debate NOT telling!" yelled Iris like a snow leopard's growl with a peacock's squawk politely to Nala. Again, Timon and Pumbaa were dumbfounded. Iris stood up and gave the Ten Commandments for George's Wild Animal Kingdom. "Guys! We have a decision. We will almost remember what I told you!" She gave out the Ten Commandments on tablets to Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, Bunga, and the jungle animals. "One, whatever goes on spots or has sharp teeth in an enemy. Our enemy is the pack of hyenas and Outsiders." Timon said to Iris. "These hyenas and Outsider lions are the enemies of the Pride Lands." "Two, whatever goes on four legs, two legs, scales, or has wings, is a friend." The guineafowl squawked in excitement. "We are your comrades, Iris!" "Three, we women shall wear clothes. "We do!" said Serena. Iris continued her commandments. "Four, we women shall sleep in a bed. "I sleep in a bed too!" said Kyururu to Iris in her Australian and New Zealand voice. "Five, no animal and woman shall drink alcohol BUT you shall drink water, juice, and Sprite. "That's right! No more alcohol! We will never drink alcohol!" said the galago jumping up and down. "Sixth, we will never kill another animal or person. If any animal gets killed like Simba as a cub running to the desert, the hyenas will kill and eat all of our friends!" A terrible gasp and the yells of "No! Not our friends! Our hotel will be protected from storms and predatory animals!" came from Bunga, Timon, Pumbaa, the girls, and the jungle animals. "That's it! That's it! Our hotel!" Iris shouted in joy. She then continued the last four commandments. "Seven, no animal shall commit adultery. Eight, No animal shall worship any graven image. Nine, No animal shall bear false witness and steal anything. And lastly, ten! All people and beasts are equal!" The animals and the girls began cheering for Iris and her Ten Commandments. The guineafowl clapped and squawked for Iris as well. Hearing the cheers, Nala was shouting in frustration. "Ohhhh! Don't you get it? Simba needs us! Now!" When the shouting and clapping had stopped, Nala ran off to find Simba. So at this, Serena, Kyururu, Dawn, Iris, and Serena began joining the other jungle animals to talk about it. "I'll come and help," said Pumbaa, trotting to where Nala had left. "Are you with me, Timon?" To his surprise, Timon shook his head. "Well, I was gonna say about Simba 'Don't hit the branches on the way out. Leave Hakuna Matata to those who appreciate it,'" he snapped. "Seriously, why would we leave us?!" "Because he's got something to do," Pumbaa reasoned. "Besides, it's not Hakuna Matata without Simba." "Not Hakuna Matata?" Timon repeated. "What's gotten into you? We've had Hakuna Matata before Simba, and we've still got it now!" Pumbaa wasn't swayed. "We have to go help him, Timon. He's our friend." Timon groaned and face-palmed conflicted. "I know we gotta help Simba, but...seriously? You, Pumbaa?" he went on, acting defensive. "You're just gonna walk away from the good life, give up on all this? Whatever happened to 'friends stick together to the end?' Whatever happened to Hakuna Matata?!" Pumbaa stepped back, shaking his head in disappointment. "I was going to ask you the same thing," he retorted. "There comes a time in life when one must take fate into one's own hands. And like Simba, who marches towards the face of death, I too will march towards my destiny as his friend. So if you won't help Simba, then I will." Timon rubbed the back of his head as Pumbaa began to walk away. He started to feel guilty for arguing with his best friend, and he felt even more ashamed. Pumbaa was right: Simba was their friend and adopted child, and he needed all the help he can get. Perhaps those nutty kings of the past were onto something if they were to go save a kingdom. "Well... let's all go crazy! Hey, Pumbaa, wait for me!" Timon called, jumping down from the root. Pumbaa looked back at him, surprised, as Timon caught up with him. "You're right. Usually, I'm happy to admit when you're wrong, but right now, you're right. We've raised that kid together, and now we'll help him on this epic quest thing." "And friends stick together to the end?" Pumbaa asked with a smile. "Yep. Friends stick together to the end," replied Timon. smiling back. He darted over and jumped up onto Pumbaa's head, saying, "Now come on. We've got lions to catch up to and a kingdom to help save." But they weren't going alone, the four of them. The rest of the jungle animals were on their tail as well, from Daabi to Bhati and even to the Guinea fowl. Even Bunga tagged along, looking more serious than anyone had seen him. Altogether, twelve animals ran together to catch up with Simba and save the Pride Lands. Iris, Dawn, Serena, Valerie, and Kyururu followed them. Ever since Nala had shown up, things had been leading up to this point. Simba had to return to the Pride Lands and save his kingdom from Scar or die trying. The lush and green jungle had faded away to the vast and dry desert, as well as the soft green jungle floor gave way to the hard and rocky desert ground. Simba kept running, the sun blazing over him and the land. He had made the journey before when he was a cub, when he was lost, alone, and far from home. In spite of having grown up, he still barely remembered the journey. Yet he was all too aware of the changing landscape, which slowly changed from desert to eventual savannah. When he approached the borders of the Pride Lands, the sky had gotten dark. Thunder rolled, spelling the upcoming storm and the rain to come with it. Simba guessed that the dry season was going to come to an end soon; it made him uneasy, but determination kept him going. Taking a deep breath, he pushed past the long-abandoned border and back into the home where he had been born. But what he saw when he set paw in the Pride Lands horrified him. Nala had been right; the Pride Lands had been brought to ruin. What had once been a lush and plentiful ecosystem was now dry and barren, the plants near dead and the land abandoned. Not even reptiles came lurking around, and no birds were singing but the screeching of vultures. It got even worse when he saw Pride Rock from a distance: it looked like it was marked as a grave site for the Pride Lands, a dying land. And it was all thanks to Scar; he and his hyena army had decimated everything. Simba was going to go to Pride Rock and make Scar realize what he had done, to fight him for the kingdom. Who am I kidding? Simba suddenly found himself thinking, lowering his gaze. Doubt was starting to creep into his mind when he had seen the desolation of the land. Who am I to come back and try to right the wrongs of the world? Dad would've known how to do it, to save the Pride Lands and restore the Circle of Life. He looked up to the darkening sky, imagining roaring up to the heavens. I'm not you, Dad! I can never be you! Then he tried shaking the doubt away. He couldn't let it cloud his mind, heart, and soul. Tamino's words came back to him: Mufasa couldn't be like him either. He was alive now, to help bring balance back to this land. I have to remember who I am. I am Simba, son of Mufasa, and the one true king of the Pride Lands. Remember... "Simba! Wait up!" It was Nala. The young lioness had caught up to him, joining him on the rock. Behind her, Timon and Pumbaa had caught up with the lions. Simba had never imagined the two of them wanting to head into danger. "We're here!" Pumbaa announced. "Oh, everyone, calm down!" Timon shouted. "We're here!" "The backup has arrived!" added Pumbaa. "Hey," Simba greeted them with a smile. "What're you three doing here?" "At your service, Your Majesty," Pumbaa said dramatically, kneeling to the ground. Ever since Simba had been shown to be a king, the warthog had already started treating him like royalty. "Dying was gonna be my first guess," growled a familiar voice. Bunga had come up from behind the pair, a battle-ready scowl on his face. Timon hopped off of Pumbaa's head. "We came here because - not because we're worried, because Hakuna Matata and all that," he said with a nervous chuckle. "But...we were concerned about you. You're our friend, and we're all a part of that circle thingy." "And friends stick together to the end," Pumbaa added. Simba almost smirked. "What about that line of meaningless indifference?" "Er...maybe it curves a little bit," admitted Timon. "Anyway, we're here for you now." "Yeah, what's it look like?" Bunga added. "We're taking as many hyenas, jackals, and vultures as we can to the grave. If you need an army, kid, then you've got an army. We all got your back." All? Simba guessed, baffled. But then he saw that Timon, Pumbaa, and Bunga weren't alone. All of the friends he had made in the jungle were standing at attention, from Daabi and Bhati to the more timid animals like the antelope and the Guinea fowl. One of these animals included the bongo he had accidentally frightened. Iris, Serena, Valerie, Dawn, and Kyururu begin to realize they joined their animal sidekicks. Finally, there were two meerkats Simba didn't recognize riding on Pumbaa with Timon; one was stout and motherly, while the other was thin and grumpy. Simba was amazed at how many animals had come. He had never expected them all to leave their comfortable lives behind and help him. Now here they were, standing beside each other as they came to a place they didn't know to fight an enemy they hadn't seen. But then again, they were all friends, and as Timon and Pumbaa said, friends stuck together till the end. "By the way, Simba," said Timon, "remember me mentioning my Ma and Uncle Max? Well, we met them in the desert, and we made up. So Simba, this is Ma and Uncle Max. Ma and Uncle Max, Simba." Simba approached them, and the meerkats greeted Simba by tapping his nose with their paws. "Timon's told us as much about you as he could, Simba," said the stout meerkat, which was Timon's Ma. "We'd like to help you too. Just imagine, Max: we're helping Timmy help the Lion King!" "Never knew Tee-moan had hung out with predators for so long," remarked the thin meerkat named Uncle Max. "Color me surprised and impressed." The returning prince nodded his greetings and turned back to the landscape. It still brought sorrow to his heart the more he looked over his old home. Nala sat with him, looking at the damage with him. "It's awful, isn't it?" Simba looked back at the ruined scenery. "I didn't want to believe you," he confessed. "I'm sorry." Nala merely nodded, her eyes tender. "What made you come back? What will you do now?" That got Simba thinking. He knew what he was going to do. Tamino had asked him who he was, and he was even more certain now. He was the son of Mufasa, and he was not going to turn his back on his father's kingdom. "I got some sense knocked into me. That, and I got the bump on my head to prove it," Simba joked, referring when Tamino smacked him upside the head with her staff. "Besides, this is my home, my kingdom. My father once told me to protect everything the light touches, to be the first servant for the kingdom. If I don't fight for it, who will?" No one, he had thought to himself. If he had stayed in the jungle and lazed around forever, there would be no one left to challenge Scar. "I'll help fight," Nala said as she walked to stand beside him. "It's gonna be dangerous," Simba told her. Nala snorted with amusement. "Dangerous? I laugh in the face of danger. Ha ha ha!" Hearing this, Simba almost smiled. That reminded him of when they were cubs in the elephant graveyard when Simba had done the same thing: laughing in the face of literal danger. It didn't matter if the laugh was cynical compared to when they were cubs, it soothed their souls again. Right now, Simba felt like they were best friends again, helping each other through thick and thin. "I'm fine with danger," replied Bunga. "That jungle's softened me up. I could use a fight to liven up again." "Like I just told Nala, it'll be dangerous," Simba reminded him. "Scar's going to have an even bigger army." Bunga grinned. "I don't care. I don't give a darn," he said. "Simba, I said once that lions were nothing but trouble. But seeing the things you've done and me teaching you, it was worth the trouble." "I see nothing funny about what Nala said," Timon remarked, looking miffed before looking out at the ruined Pridelands. He had a look of revulsion as he said, "Ergh...we're gonna fight your uncle for this?" Simba was not irritated by Timon's scathing tone. He was used to the meerkat being the wisecrack of the gang. He looked back out to the Pride Lands, saying, "Yes, Timon. This is my home." "Would your home include the big pointy rock way over there?" Pumbaa added. "Yep," replied Simba. "All the way over there." "Ah...talk about your fixer-upper. Love what you've done with the place, though I think you went a little heavy on the carcasses," Timon remarked. Then he said with a genuinely kind tone, "Well Simba. If it's that important to you, we're with ya to the end." As Simba gave Timon a grateful smile, he heard a voice squawk from above their heads, a familiar posh voice. "Simba?" it exclaimed. "Are my eyes deceiving me?" The animals looked up at the tree they were standing near. Simba could hardly believe what he was seeing. There was Zazu, perched on one of the lower branches of the dead tree. Nala had told him that he had been banished from Pride Rock for offending Scar, and he looked like he was doing the best he could to take care of himself. Timon and Pumbaa spotted Zazu on the branch, the former remarking, "Hey look, a bird." Timon replied, "Oh wow, it's a puffin!" Simba smiled back up at Zazu. "Hey there, Mister Banana Beak," he replied with a chuckle, using the old nickname with affection. "Seriously, Zazu, I'm really glad to see you again." "As I live and breathe...you're here, Simba. You're alive!" Zazu cried with joy, flying down to stand before Simba. "And how much you look like your father! He would most certainly be very proud of you." He bowed low before Simba as he had done for Mufasa in the past, spreading his wings out. "Whatever mission you're doing, let it be known that I will help you. We are with you until the end, Your Majesty." In the past, Simba had constantly teased Zazu when the bird had been doing his duty. Now he was just happy to see that his father's old friend was still alive and well. He dipped his head towards Zazu. "Thank you. And thank you all," he added, turning his attention to the other animals. "It's going to mean a lot to the Pride Lands if you're willing to fight for its sovereignty, to bring the Circle of Life back. Take a good long look at the animal next to you; there may be a chance that they'll go down fighting. Anyone willing to take a stand step towards me." Nala and Zazu immediately took a step forward, as did Bunga. After a brief hesitation, Timon, Pumbaa, and Timon's mother and uncle stepped forward. Eventually, the other animals did the same. Suddenly, something caught Simba's attention. It was a polar bear walking on his hind legs! The polar bears have their marabou, vulture, and jackal army. The sea lions in the dolphin's pool let out tremendous chanting of "Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER!" Then, the thunderous barking having come to an end from the sea lions, they leaped up and splashed like dolphins indeed. "Simba is baaack home!" So that was enough for Simba. While he didn't have a grand army, he could ask for no better animals to fight alongside him than them. Turning, he looked back out to the dying land as the clouds began to roll in. It was time to dethrone Scar once and for all.