The Restlessness

Another lazy day in the jungle had come and gone, and Simba had spent the better part of it snacking on grubs with his meerkat and warthog companions. Pumbaa and Timon never seemed to tire of the same old thing, day in and day out: Sleep in until late afternoon, then go turn over some logs and see what's beneath. Next, they would proceed to gorge themselves until they could eat no more. All day long, the smaller of the trio never seemed to get full, and both were perfectly content to spend their days in a similar fashion. It had been the same since Simba first arrived there, rescued by the outcast duo and taken to the safety and serenity of the oasis to spend countless leisurely, care free hours beneath the jungle vines.

Full and exhausted, Timon and Pumbaa had settled in for the night beneath the usual towering tree. But Simba just wasn't tired that night. On the contrary, he couldn't remember a time he felt so awake! As soon as his friends were snoring away, the golden brown lion slipped away to wander the night in solitude. This had become a habit in recent months. As a cub, he had been too scared to stray far from his adoptive 'parents,' but now the terrors of the night no longer affected Simba. He had grown strong, despite his unusual diet, and there were few threats in the Lowlands, anyway. The twinkling of an especially bright star caught his attention, and he craned his head back to look up at the night sky, remembering a story his father had told him long ago about an ancestor named Mohatu: the brightest star in the sky, and the greatest king ever known to the Pridelands.

The lone lion meandered aimlessly until he came across the river, where he knelt down to lap up the cold liquid. The jungle was truly a paradise, with everything that a lion could ever want -- well, not everything. Simba had met only one other lion in as long as he could remember, and with age came the desire to be around his own kind. Wasn't that the way it was meant to be? If he had never left the Pridelands, he would be surrounded by family and friends... But then they would discover the true reason their beloved king had died, so many years ago. The thoughts were inescapable for Simba, try as he might. With a heavy heart, the lion sat down beside the river, gazing down at his reflection that was so much like his father's own image. Pieces of auburn mane fell before his amber eyes, but he didn't bother to brush them away, heaving a deep sigh instead.