Lyrics

Sunset had arrived by the time the lions and Zazu got back to the Pride Lands. Because of the light of the setting sun, the savannah was bathed in colors of golden, orange, and red. Many of the animals of the day would start retiring for the night, while the nocturnal animals began their night shift. Thus, sunset was usually Simba's favorite part of the day. But not today. Mufasa marched ahead of the cubs, still furious with his son and majordomo; his anger hadn't left at all ever since they left the elephant graveyard. Thе cubs trailed behind, Simba still ashamed of himsеlf and Nala not sure how to comfort him. Zazu flew ahead, alternating between pity for the cubs and nervous about his king's anger. "Hey Zazu?" Simba called up to the hornbill. Zazu noticed him and flew down until he was right above Simba. "Yes, Simba?" "I'm really sorry for treating you like that near the watering hole," Simba murmured. "And I'm really sorry I insulted you." Zazu sighed and landed on Simba's back. "I forgive you. You're not the first cub to have said such things, and you definitely won't be the last," he said, sounding touched by Simba's apology. "Though I'm afraid I'm not the only one you have to apologize to. You've upset your father. But don't look worried, young master," he added, seeing the immense guilt on Simba's face. "The king does not stay angry forever. He is slow to anger and quick to love. He will forgive you if you are truly sorry." Simba really wanted to apologize, and he was indeed very sorry, but how could he? He had broken his father's trust. He had even broken his promise to his uncle, to not go to the elephant graveyard. "Zazu!" Mufasa called almost immediately. As fast as he could, Zazu flew over until he landed in front of Mufasa. "Yes, Sire?" he asked meekly. "Take Nala home," commanded Mufasa. He was not looking at Zazu or the cubs, instead looking opposite the setting sun. "I have to teach my son a lesson." Hearing this, Simba crouched low in the grass until he was barely visible. Then to Simba's surprise, Zazu defended him. "Don't be too hard on him. He apologized to me for causing trouble," he told Mufasa. "Why, I remember a cub - a certain headstrong cub - who was always getting into scrapes. Yet he achieved some prominence, did he not?" Mufasa nodded. He would be a hypocrite to deny that he had done anything wrong as a cub. For the first time since leaving the elephant graveyard, some of his anger started to fade away, though it still lingered like a burn. "You know me too well, Zazu," he murmured. "And I apologize for being rough with you earlier. You did your best with the cubs, and I couldn't ask for more from you." A slightly relieved Zazu nodded, showing that all was well between them. "But you do understand that discipline is important in raising a child. If I don't discipline him, he might not grow up to be a good king." Zazu nodded, not wishing to argue anymore. He flew over to where the cubs stood, as Simba kept thinking of the punishment his father would give him. He had also heard of the discipline part and winced. Was Mufasa going to beat him? "Come, Nala," Zazu told the female cub before turning to the prince. "Simba...good luck." The prince could only look on helplessly as Nala started leaving for Pride Rock without him. Zazu took flight and flew ahead of Nala, keeping an eye out for any danger coming their way. Nala glanced back at him over her shoulder one more time before running after Zazu. "Simba!" Mufasa called from up ahead. Simba winced and started to slink over to Mufasa. He didn't bother deliberately slowing down to stall his father, deciding to get it over with. As he walked, though, he stumbled literally across something and looked down. It was one of Mufasa's pawprints, a huge print that could fit a newly hatched egret. The thought of following in his father's path made Simba's head swim with both shame and confusion. How could he follow in his pawprints if he kept messing up? With a sigh, Simba walked on until he sat beside Mufasa, daring to take a look upward. For a while, Mufasa said nothing, closing his eyes and thinking. Then, at last, he opened his eyes and stared down at Simba with a stern face. "Simba, I am very disappointed in you." "I know," Simba mewed sadly. "You could have been killed," Mufasa went on, his voice rising in some emotion. "You deliberately disobeyed me, and what's worse, you put Nala in danger! Do you understand what's at stake? You have jeopardized the future of our pride." At this, Simba began to sniffle and cry, knowing that Mufasa was right. He had put Nala in danger and nearly gotten her and himself killed, all to prove that he was mighty in his own right. He hadn't meant for that or endangering the pride. "I was just trying to be brave like you," he whimpered. "I wanna be like you, Dad." Mufasa sighed and thought for a moment. While he did indeed feel that he had to discipline his son, he knew that Simba really meant it when he was sorry. He was a lion that would slowly come to be angry, yet he was very quick to love. Simba, in the meantime, was scared that Mufasa would never want to speak to him again. For a moment, he wanted to beg Mufasa to say anything, just one word. "I'm only brave when I have to be, when I have no other choice," Mufasa told his son, his voice having gotten calmer. "Simba, being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble." "But you're not scared of anything," Simba said in surprise. Mufasa blinked away the sadness from his eyes. "I was today." Simba was amazed. He had never known that kings could get scared. "You were?" "Yes," said Mufasa, lowering himself to look his son directly in the eyes. "I thought I might lose you." Simba nodded. The bad feeling he had gotten in his heart and belly was now fading away. Mufasa wasn't angry with him anymore. Things were going to be okay now. "I guess even kings get scared, huh?" Simba asked. "Mm-hmm," his father replied, nodding. "More than you could ever know." With a smirk, Simba leaned in. "But you know what?" Mufasa smiled back. "What?" "I think those hyenas were even scarder," Simba said with a snicker. "That's because nobody messes with your dad!" Mufasa said, laughing and reaching over to him. "Come here, you!" With a playful growl, he grabbed Simba and pulled him into a headlock, ruffling his head fur. Simba pretended to growl and struggle, laughing and reaching up to grab his mane. Mufasa jumped away, laughing as the two lions raced through the grass, sending up fireflies that glowed on the savannah grass. When Simba finally caught up, he pounced and grabbed a hold of Mufasa's ear with his teeth. Finally, they stopped playing, panting from their exercise. Mufasa was laying down in the grass, paws tucked under him. Simba was resting on his mane, crawling up to look down at his father's face. All negative feelings he felt earlier were now gone. "Dad?" he asked, which earned a good-natured grunt from Mufasa. "We're pals, right?" Mufasa chuckled. "Right." "And we'll always be together, right?" Simba pressed on. Mufasa raised his head, leading to Simba sliding onto his broad shoulders. He frowned, not in anger, but in deep thought. How to break it to him but being gentle at the same time... "Simba," he said finally, "let me tell you something that my father told me. Look at the stars." He lifted his head to the starry night sky, and Simba did the same. "The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars." Simba rolled around until he rested in between Mufasa's forepaws. Above them, the starry sky expanded across the sky like falling snow, the moon shining bright upon them as well. "Really?" Mufasa nodded. "Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I." Then he looked down at Simba and said with a small sad smile, "They live in you, Simba, and they live in me as well. They're watching over everything we see. In every creature, in every star, and in your reflection." "That sounds pretty cool," Simba remarked and flicked his tail. "Where'd you get that from?" "It was part of a song my mother taught me and your uncle Scar, when we were your age," said Mufasa, looking back up to the night sky. "There are two variations of that song, to show that even those who are gone will always be with us." There was indeed a sad tone in Mufasa's voice. It almost made Simba sad that he didn't know something that his father did. Tilting his head back and forth, Simba tried seeing any starry lions leaping through the sky. "But I can't see them, Dad," he murmured. "Keep looking, son," Mufasa rumbled with a smile. "Keep looking. They're always there." So father and son watched the stars together. Simba nestled in close to Mufasa's mane. He trusted his father, but more importantly, he loved him. All that mattered now was that they were under the stars, watching them together. And they would be together forever. Back at Pride Rock, Sarabi paced near the cave. Nala and Zazu had already gotten back before Simba, but they didn't mention where exactly Simba was. From what Zazu told her, Mufasa was having a word with the prince. Still, that didn't keep a mother from worrying for her son, and Sarabi was no exception. Then she spotted a pair of shadows coming closer to Pride Rock, one big and one little. As she approached, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was Mufasa leading Simba back home, both of them looking sleepy yet happy. They slowly approached the foot of Pride Rock, and she descended down the rocky path to greet her mate and son. "I'm glad you brought your father back home," Sarabi greeted Simba, giving him a gentle lick before giving her mate a teasing look. "It's way past his bedtime as well as yours." Mufasa grinned. "We've had a little adventure today, that's all." Sarabi perked up with interest. "Oh really? Would you like to tell me about it, Simba?" At first, Simba felt his heart race and his paws freeze to the ground. Mufasa had been angry with him before he had become calm. Would his mother be the same way too? And would Mufasa really tell Sarabi about what had happened today? Then he saw the look Mufasa gave him as he looked around. It was a small smile, to reassure Simba that things were going to be all right. With a small nod, Mufasa turned back to answer Sarabi. "Let's just say that Simba was out claiming more territory for the Pride Lands," he rumbled. "Yeah!" Simba chirped, but he broke off with a yawn and a stretch. "Boy, am I sleepy!" His parents chuckled before Mufasa sidled up to Sarabi. "I'll tell you more about it tomorrow morning," he whispered to his mate. "Just before I leave for the dawn patrol." Sarabi nodded, and she turned her attention to Simba. "Come along to bed, dear," she called. Simba nodded and scampered over to his mother. When they got into the cave, they noticed that the lionesses had cleared a path for them to get to their resting spot. They got to their sleeping spot, where Sarabi flopped down onto her side, and Simba nestled close to her body. "Good night, Simba," Mufasa told his son, giving him a gentle lick on the head. "'Night, Dad," Simba mewed. But it was just when his father was walking was did Simba remember something. He quickly got up and raced towards Mufasa, leaving Sarabi watching them with half-tired eyes. As Mufasa was about to ask what was wrong, Simba reached up to rub against his mane. "Love ya, Dad," he said as he looked up at Mufasa. Mufasa leaned down with a smile and nuzzled him as well. "Love you too, son." Back in the elephant graveyard, Shenzi was livid. Mufasa had dared to invade her territory, and for what? Two tasty lion cubs that shouldn't be in her territory in the first place? She had every right to eat those cubs for being on her territory, and yet she was the one to come out wounded, while Mufasa and Simba waltzed back to the Pride Lands. That thought was enough to make her tear her own fur off. She had been discussing plans with Kamari and Azizi on what to do next. While Banzai and Ed were her best friends, she relied on Kamari and Azizi for carrying out plans. Now she left them alone to argue while she tended to her wound, listening to them from a ledge above them. As for the den they lived in, it was the biggest den in the elephant graveyard, enough to fit a dozen hyenas, jackals, marabous, and vultures. When it came to rest from their battle, Kamari walked over to sit closer to the wall. "Next time Mufasa comes here, I'll teach him a lesson he's never gonna forget," he snapped, licking at a wound. "Come on, Kamari, what can you teach him?" Azizi asked brightly. "He knows a lot of stuff. He's a wise king." Kamari rolled his eyes and sighed. "I wasn't gonna actually teach him anything, dummy," he retorted. "Now go away and give me some space." Still not getting what Kamari was saying, Azizi pressed on. "We can teach him how to chase down the sick and injured," he suggested, smiling. "Or we can teach him about how we raise our cubs." "What I meant was," Kamari growled, trying not to lose patience with Azizi, "Was that Mufasa was being unfair for prancing in and beating us up on our own land. Those lion cubs wandered into our territory, so that gave us the right to eat them. Mufasa's gonna pay for this." "Okay, I get it now," said Azizi, sitting down next to Kamari. Suddenly, Kongoti came in. He was the only marabou stork in the elephant graveyard. Mzingo squawked, "Just a question, though: what'll we make him pay with? A wildebeest? I can go for some wildebeest. Can we have some wildebeest?" Kamari slapped his own forehead with a wing, grumbling to himself. When he spoke aloud, he snapped while walking away, "Now I know you're doing this on purpose. I need my personal space. Lay anywhere in here, but not near me." Azizi got up as well and walked...right after Kamari and sat next to him again. With an anguished growl, Kamari muttered something about Azizi being spiteful this time around. Not too far away, Banzai was grumbling a lot louder than Kamari. "Man, that lousy Mufasa!" he snarled. "I won't be sittin' for a week!" He tried scooting again, but it didn't work. Ed just giggled at the sight of the claw marks on his friend's rear. "It's not funny, Ed," snapped Banzai. Ed clamped his paws over his mouth as if to stop himself from laughing. But he couldn't hold it anymore, and he let loose a very loud cackle. "Hey, shut up!" Banzai growled. But Ed kept laughing. With a snarl, Banzai pounced on Ed, and the two were now wrestling on the cave floor. Kamari glanced up from laying down, giving them a scolding glare, while Azizi tried sidling up to him again. Shenzi rolled her eyes. She appreciated having Banzai and Ed around, ever since they were all pups together. But when they fought each other for stupid reasons, it started to get annoying. She was close to them, yet they were pretty much silly, while Kamari and Azizi weren't as close but much more competent. "Will you knock it off?!" Shenzi snapped at the two males. The two broke away from their fight, leaving Ed to start gnawing on his own leg. "He started it!" Banzai whined, pointing at Ed. Shenzi climbed down from the rock, Kamari, and Azizi at her heels. "Look at you guys! No wonder we're danglin' at the bottom of the food chain." "Man, I hate danglin,'" griped Banzai while drooling a bit. "You know, if it weren't for those high and mighty lions, we'd be runnin' the joint," Shenzi continued. Banzai shook his head as if he had gotten wet. "Man, I hate lions!" "They're so pushy..." Shenzi started. "...and hairy..." added Banzai. "...and stinky..." giggled Azizi. "And man, are they..." Banzai added again. "UUUUUUGLY!" all three of them said, ending with insane laughter. But suddenly, a new voice echoed in the cave. "Surely, we lions are not all that bad?" the voice said, smooth yet slick. The hyenas spun around. From the frame that filled their cave entrance, they at first thought that Mufasa had come back. But this lion was skinnier, and more frail compared to the more powerful Mufasa. When the lion stepped in, he indeed had darker fur and a black mane, and one did not simply forget the scar over his left eye. Reirei caught something in her mouth, it was the blue and white leg of a zebra. Banzai, Ed, and Azizi looked at the zebra leg with grins and lolling tongues, but Shenzi was on alert, Kamari by her side. Even though she and Scar were civil towards each other, their alliance was on shaky ground. Banzai, Ed, and Azizi seemed to like Scar the most, but Shenzi herself and Kamari were wary around the king's brother. If he tried anything against the hyenas, he would become the snack that Prince Simba should have been. "I thought it was somebody important," Shenzi snarked. "Yeah, like Mufasa," said Banzai, his voice dripping with a dislike for the king. "Tell me about it," said Shenzi. "I hear that name, and I shudder." With a grin, Banzai exclaimed, "Mufasa!" This made Shenzi shiver, her dark fur ruffling. "Do it again," she told Banzai with a grin. "Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa!" Banzai chanted some more. "Mufasa, Mufasa, MUFASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Shenzi rolled down on the ground, yelping and giggling, "It tingles me!" Azizi and Ed leaned against each other, laughing loudly as if they had heard the funniest joke ever. The jackals, marabous, and vultures joined in the roar of laughter. While this went on, Scar shook his head. He was allied with some of the hyenas here, but he didn't like their antics at all. They were sometimes no better than a lion cub. And Shenzi, a leader herself, could easily be fooled into acting so immature. "I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered. "You and me," Kamari agreed, having heard Scar. "Not you, Scar," piped up Banzai as he, Shenzi, and Azizi stopped laughing. "You're our buddy, our pal." "You're one of us," Azizi said with a big goofy grin. "You're more hyena than we are!" Somehow, that sounded like an insult to Scar. "Charmed," he drawled. "That's why I like him," Azizi told Banzai and Ed. "He's not a king, but he's got our backs. Or is that necks?" Banzai snickered. "Got that right, Azizi. Hey, Scar!" he barked to the lion in question. "You got anything to eat, ol' buddy, ol' pal?" Scar merely glanced down at the meat, which the hyenas looked at like they were starving dogs. After the paltry attempt at the cubs' lives, he was surprised that they were surprised that they're getting anything to eat. "I don't think you five deserve this," Scar told the hyenas, picking up the meat. "You have stripped your own land dry with your greedy gullets. How do you explain living in this countryside of bones? Yet I practically gift-wrapped those two cubs for you, and you couldn't even dispose of them." "We can always eat you instead," Kamari replied, giving Scar a contemptuous scowl. "Seriously, this can be the first time we've ever tasted a lion." Azizi licked his lips, drooling. "Yeah. Some lion tenders sound good right about now." Reirei rolled her eyes and dropped the meat in front of them, and she climbed onto a nearby rock to watch them eat. Immediately, the hyenas were on the zebra's leg, eating all they could. Gulps and chewing and growls echoed in the cave as they devoured the zebra meat, briefly nipping each other to get the choice cuts. "You know," Shenzi said, her mouth full, "it's not like they were alone, Scar." "Yeah, what're we supposed to do?" Banzai added, swallowing his mouthful of zebra meat. "Kill Mufasa?" Scar grinned. "Precisely." Reirei shouted. "That's it! You're going to kill Mufasa!" The five hyenas shared glances before looking back at Scar. Was he being serious? "Look, it's simple," said Scar, climbing down the rock towards the hyenas. "I know how tiresome it can be, living in this graveyard. Why eat one meal when you can eat for the rest of your lives?" Again, the hyenas shared confused glances. Shenzi stepped out from around the stripped zebra bone until she stood face-to-face with Scar. "Yeah? What can you offer us, huh?" "I can offer you a place where your hunger will be completely satisfied," said Scar. "A land where everything the light touches is yours for the taking. That's why I want you to be prepared." The hyenas shared glances, and then they laughed. Shenzi almost joined them. Scar was no better than his brother, waltzing into the place like he owned it and lording his superiority over them. But a chance to get a lot of food seemed too good to be true...in fact, it was literally a little too good to be true. "You for real?" Shenzi snapped. "The Pride Lands ain't yours to give away for free." Kamari stood beside Shenzi, nodding. "Yeah, Mufasa controls those hunting grounds. That's why we aren't allowed there now and why he chases us off." "And that's why we're waiting for the death of the king," Scar replied. "Once he dies, I will allow you to cross over freely into the Pride Lands unchallenged." "Why, is he sick?" Azizi asked curiously. Scar scoffed. Sometimes, these hyenas really were stupid. "No, fool, we're going to kill him." "Great idea," Shenzi piped up with a snicker. "Who needs a king?" Together, Banzai, Reirei, Shenzi, and Azizi started dancing in a circle. "No king, no king, la la la la la la!" they sang, while Kamari rolled his eyes. "Idiots!" Scar roared. "There will be a king! I will be king!" Before anyone could say anything else, Shenzi got serious again. "Get real, Scar," she growled. "Lions and hyenas have been fightin' ever since the dawn of time. They steal each other's kills and kill each other's cubs. You'd never fight on our side!" Scar shrugged, not wanting to argue. "It is true. But the truth is, my kind hates your kind even more. They are too prejudiced to look beyond their own noses and care for the other predators that share their lands," he preached. "But where others may describe greed as a sin, I see it as a virtue. I call it ambition. Mufasa has always shown too much restraint when it comes to hunting. Stick with me, and when I become king, you will never go hungry again. The mighty will claim what is rightfully theirs, to take whatever they want. Because a hyena's belly is never full." Shenzi looked away from Scar and shared glances with her clan. What Scar was saying really did sound like a dream come true. All the food they could eat, with no one to stop them. It sounded like paradise to the hyenas. But then again, it sounded crazy. Mufasa was a brute to their kind, but he wasn't stupid. While the hyenas had numbers on their side, Mufasa had the lionesses' skill and strength. It didn't matter if the hyenas outnumbered the lions, they themselves were outmatched. "How could you think that this'll work?" she questioned. "Mufasa's far too powerful to challenge." Kamari nodded. "Yeah. He thrashed us pretty well when he rescued those cubs." He pawed at his badly torn ear. "I think I'm still feeling it." "Speaking of cubs, my brother has a weakness that he has never had before," Scar pressed on, ignoring the hyenas' antics. "It is a weakness that clouds his judgment." "Simba?" Shenzi guessed. She used a paw to rub over the claw marks a certain cub had made on her muzzle. "You mean that spunky prince kid who scratched me?" Scar nodded. "Indeed. We can be rid of him too." Shenzi slowly nodded, her eyes meeting Scar. Maybe Scar's idea didn't sound that bad after all. If she and her clan helped in offing Mufasa and Simba, then she could make sure that Scar would keep his end of the bargain. They would never starve again. "All right then," she declared, holding her head up. "We're in. What d'you want us to do?" "Be prepared for the chance of a lifetime," Scar replied, climbing to the top of the tallest rock. "Be prepared for the coup of the century, for the murkiest scam. And prepare for this revolution." The hyenas nodded together, now at full attention. "Now...are your teeth and ambitions bared?" All five hyenas nodded and bared their teeth. Out of the shadows loomed more hyenas, even more than the ones that chased the cubs, baring their teeth as well. They were indeed enough to outnumber the lionesses at Pride Rock. Scar smiled, his dreams of becoming king closer than ever before. "Good. Because my teeth and ambitions are bared as well." With a roar that echoed in the cave, he bellowed, "Be prepared!"