The Lion King - The Bonds of Trust

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Stars and Family Connections

The sun started to set across Africa as an angry Mufasa led the group of Zazu, Simba, Nala, and Shani back to the Pridelands. The two cubs hung their heads down in shame as the young woman looked forward with worry and guilt. She promised Mufasa that she would protect Simba and Nala from any danger that would come to them, and she nearly got them killed because she let her ego get the better of her.

For all she knew, she could get kicked out of the pride, or even fed to the rest of the pride members themselves. However, that's not what really worried her. What truly worried her was the fact that Mufasa was never going to trust her again, especially with Simba or anyone else in the pride. To her, letting Mufasa down was not just letting the king down, but letting her father down.

Since she had joined the pride, Shani looked to Mufasa as not only her king, but as a second father figure. Having not been in a family for so long, she looked to the pride as if they were her family. And felt ashamed of her actions all the more, knowing that she had let them down.

Zazu looked back to the group nervously as Mufasa said finally breaking the silence,

"Zazu!"

The hornbill flew over to him and said to him nervously, "Yes, sire?"

Mufasa said sternly while looking back towards Simba and Shani, "Take Nala home. I've got to teach my son and our human friend a lesson."

Simba crouched lower in the grass to try to hide while both Nala and Shani simply looked down at him. Following his order, Zazu said while flying back towards the two cubs and human girl, saying to Nala,

"Come, Nala."

Nala bowed her head down sadly as the hornbill turned his attention to both Simba and Shani. The human girl knelt down to Zazu's level as he placed his wings onto Simba's shoulders and Shani's hand, saying with a heavy sigh,

"Simba? Shani? Good luck."

And with that, Zazu started flying away with Nala following behind him and looked over her shoulder sadly as both Simba and Shani gave her the same looks in return. As they continued to watch the pair leave, suddenly, they heard Mufasa call sternly,

"Simba! Shani!"

With the both of them flinching, Simba and Shani looked to each other nervously and sadly as the two of them turned to get up and began walking over to Mufasa. As they continued their walk, Shani looked behind her to see Simba's paw land in one of his father's pawprints. He looked down at the giant pawprint, seeing how smaller and younger he was compared to his father and how he would have big shoes to fill someday.

Looking back up, Simba continued to walk towards his father. He made his way towards Shani who was already sitting beside Mufasa with her head bowed in shame, and sat alongside her, doing the same. Soon however, he looked up at his father fearfully.

Still facing away from them, Mufasa slowly turned to them and said, "Simba, I am very disappointed in you and Shani."

Simba replied sadly, "I know."

Mufasa went on to scold them, "You could've been killed! You two deliberately disobeyed me! And what's worse, you put Nala in danger! Shani, what happened? I trusted you in looking after them and you go and put them in danger?!"

Simba tried to say, "Dad, it wasn't her fault. I was the one that-"

Shani cut him off and said, "No, Simba! If anyone deserves to take responsibility here, it's me."

The young woman turned to Mufasa and explained,

"Mufasa, you have every right to be angry with me, and there should be no excuse for what I did. But you trusted me in protecting Simba...It is my duty. If I felt I wasn't capable, I would've never allowed them to go there. And I had been training so well in the last few weeks...That I thought I was capable enough. I thought I could do it."

Mufasa's glare eased down a bit and began to say to the human girl,

"Shani, I never said you weren't capable in protecting my son. And you may have been improving in your training, but what you did was really reckless. You, Simba, and Nala could've been hurt very badly or worse...The elephant graveyard is no place for anyone to be fooling around in, neither animal nor human."

Simba said as he came very close to crying, "W-We were just trying to be brave like you."

Mufasa looked down at his son and explained, "I'm only brave when I have to be. Simba...Being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble."

Simba argued, "But you're not scared of anything."

Mufasa replied, "I was today."

Simba asked, "You were?"

Mufasa answered as he bent down to the cub's level, "Yes. I thought I might lose you both."

Simba said relaxing a little, "Oh. I guess even kings get scared, huh?"

Mufasa replied with a nod, "M-hmm."

Simba asked, "But you know what?"

Mufasa asked, "What?"

Simba replied with a grin, "I bet those hyenas were even scarder."

Shani added with a smirk, "Yeah! I could imagine those three sprinting up a tree after you sent them running with that roar!"

Mufasa laughed in response and said with a smirk, "'Cause nobody messes with your dad. Come here, you!"

With that, he pulled both Simba and Shani in and gave them noogies.

Simba shouted in dismay, "Oh, no! No! Aaagh! Errggh!"

Shani shouted while trying to break free, "Ahhh! Mufasa!"

After a short struggle, they both broke free and Simba pounced at Mufasa, knocking him down. Once the lion king got up, he started running away from the two in laughter as they began chasing them. Both Shani and Simba managed to pounce at Mufasa, bringing him to the ground. They were all in laughter as Simba started playfully tugging on Mufasa's ear, and came to rest on top of his father's head with Shani sitting beside them.

Once they eased down, Simba asked his father, "Dad?"

Mufasa asked, "Hmm?"

Simba asked, "We're pals, right?"

Mufasa answered with a chuckle, "Right."

Simba asked, "And we'll always be together, right?"

Sitting up a little, Mufasa explained as they all looked up at the stars, "Simba, let me tell you and Shani something that my father told me...Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars."

Simba asked with wonder, "Really?"

Mufasa answered and went on to say, "Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you...And so will I."

Looking up at the stars, Shani asked, "Mufasa, among the kings of the past, do you think any of the past human leaders are standing beside them?"

Mufasa answered, "For the past few generations, humans have lived and ruled alongside the lions of Pride Rock. So I could imagine them standing beside the great kings of the past."

Continuing to look to the stars, Shani asked, "Do you think my parents are up there?"

The lion king looked to her with concern and asked, "You're missing them aren't you?"

Shani answered with a sad sigh, "Everyday. Not a day goes by where I don't think about them."

Simba asked her, "Hey Shani, you've never told me about your village before. What was it like?"

Shani said with a small smile, "Oh, it was a beautiful place. It was a place where we all lived in peace, we all loved each other, and had the best mango trees...And the best part, everyday I woke up I got to see all sorts of animals running by our village, with even some of the villagers going to help some of the animals that were sick, injured or captured by poachers."

Simba said shrugging his shoulders, "The villagers helped the animals? But I thought all humans were meant to be savages."

Mufasa scolded, "Simba!"

Shani asked, "Who told you that?"

Simba answered, "My uncle, Scar. He said that all humans were born to be savages and would kill any animal that came in their direction."

Hearing that come out of Simba's mouth made Shani very angry. First Scar would throw disparaging comments to her face, then he would go to try to implant those same prejudices into Simba? A young cub?

Shaking her head, Shani said, "Now Simba, what your uncle said is not true. Sure, there maybe a few that aren't the most kind, but that doesn't mean every single human being in the world is bad."

Mufasa added, "She's right, Simba. And I'll admit, even I had those same concerns when I was your age."

Simba asked, "When did you see that humans can also be good?"

Mufasa explained, "I actually wasn't much older than you were when I saw how humans can also be kind. You see, when I was a cub, your uncle and I were off playing by the waterhole..."

A flashback was being shown of a young Mufasa and young scar who was then called Taka, playing with each other by the waterhole as a young Zazu watched on. They were tussling around and playing with each other. As Mufasa was chasing his brother around, Taka came up onto a rock and noticed the lining of a small net being hidden by some fallen leaves. Thinking of how their father told them earlier in the day that Mufasa would be the future king, he thought this would be a perfect plan to get rid of his brother and become king for himself.