So totally out of, what I would call, my usual realm in the fanfiction community. This has literally not stopped plaguing me since I saw the episode of the Lion Guard where Simba falls into the sink hole. Like the parallel between his fall and Mufasa's was like 'did they seriously just do this'? Which brings on more questions for me since in the second movie it is clear that when Kovu is first introduced into the Pride, Simba is having flashbacks to when Mufasa is thrown off the cliff, and so this little tale is spun in a way of: What if Simba's fall into the sink hole triggers his repressed memory?

Like really, he said he put it behind him, but what if he merely repressed it since it was really Scar that killed Mufasa; however what if there is some lingering guilt in that Simba still holds. Also did he ever really tell Nala or Sarabi what had happened? Also now what about Kion and Kiara? Do they really know the full story of their once exiled father? So yea a lot of thoughts about this and thus this story is born. Do not know where it will go, but whatever. I just have to get it out there because: people got to know this stuff!

Long Live the King

The royal family enters the den after what one would call a long and tiring day. Kion and Kiara were still humming the mantra that had kept Simba sane in his time of exile, but he too was humming along with them as was Nala and was occasionally singing the words that Timone and Pumba had taught him, "It means no worries, for the rest of your days…"

"It's our problem free…" Kion sang as he stopped in his tracks to belt out the words.

"Philosophy!" Kiara joined in with her brother to add to the harmony.

"Hakuna Matata!" Simba joined in with his cubs and they all laughed along.

"Ok it is time for bed." Nala sighed, but she was grinning at her mate and her cubs' antics.

"But mom…" Both Kion and Kiara groaned out as their happy mood deflated.

"Nala…" Simba joined in as he sighed to join his kids in the pouting fest at being told it was time for bed.

Nala shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Honestly Simba, do not encourage them. You know it is late and we all have had a stressful day."

Simba's grin at what he was going to retort back to his mate fell as he thought back to the beginning of the day. Somehow the adrenaline and the euphoria at getting out in one piece left him at her words and the reality sunk in…it was rather scary knowing that he was in trouble despite his son pulled through to save not only him, but Bunga as well; however what if no one was there…what if he was out on patrol by himself and that had happened, "Oh Simba you are in trouble again…this time daddy isn't here to save you." A cold and foreboding shiver came over him as a brief image flashed across his mind's eye, "Simba?" Simba shook his head and saw the now concerned faces of his family looking at him.

"Sorry what?"

"You ok dad?" Kion asked as he approached his father.

"You looked lost." Kiara stated as she too approached her father.

Simba looked at them once more, not really seeing them, but answering anyway, "Yes, of course, your mother is right. It has been a long day, we should really get to bed." Simba shook himself to become more alert as he tried to push whatever that was out of his mind.

"Night daddy." Kiara said as she nuzzled her face into his chest, "Thank you for saving me from the sink hole."

"I will always, be there for you." He replied as he licked the top her head.

"Night dad." Kion said as he too nuzzled his head in his father's chest, "Glad you and Bunga made it out safely and are friends."

Simba chuckled deeply, "Brothers you mean."

"Yea I'd rather not think that my best friend is my uncle." Kion stated slowly as he shook his head trying to rid that thought from his mind.

Simba laughed this time, "Half uncle a couple species removed you mean."

"Ugh. Night dad!" Kion called out as he chased after his sister, who started laughing. Simba and Nala laughed harder when they heard Kion retort to her, "That means Bunga is your uncle too you know!"

"Kion!" They heard Kiara's voice shout as she too realized that fact.

Nala shook her head as she and Simba took to their rock amongst the other lionesses, "So that was an interesting revelation you two made huh?"

"It was." Simba replied, but as he started to settle down, the foreboding feeling came back.

Nala sat up a bit to fully look at him, "Are you ok?"

"Yea, just tired. It was a long day."

"You can talk to me, you know that right?"

"Of course."

She was met with silence and after a few moments, she settled back down, "Good night."

"Night." Simba replied, however he did not shut his eyes. His gaze was fixated on the dark corner of the den, and instead of the snores of the others in the area he heard thundering of hooves. He tried to fight the hypnotic trance of the sound as his eyes closed, but to no avail. The last bit of adrenaline wore off, and he succumbed to the haunting sound.

Nala was jolted awake in the early hours of the morning. At first she was confused as to why she was so abruptly woken up. Looking around, she did not see her cubs anywhere, there was no immediate danger, and she did not ask for a morning wake-up call so what gives? It was then she felt something pushing roughly into her side and heard the whimpering. Looking to the source, she sees Simba, face contorted in grief and heaving while trying to push closely into her, "Simba…Simba wake up!" She tries to yell quietly as to not wake the others.

"No…no…" He mutters out, "Sorry…so sorry…"

"Simba." Nala makes a move to switch positions, as to better wake him, but this movement scares him more.

"No!" He starts to get louder and the others twitch this time and some make a move to full wakefulness. Seeing this, Nala tries to soothe him to wake up, but this utterly fails, "NO!"

At this the entire den is startled awake, and the lionesses jump into alert positions. Kion and Kiara come out of their area at the sound of their father's anguish yell and they see their mother looking just as startled and their father up and panting as if he had been running for a long distance. Giving him a moment to recover and slowly taking in the sight around them, Nala swallows as she looks back at Simba, "Simba, what-"

"The wildebeest, he tried to save me. It was an accident…I…I didn't mean for it to happen!"

Out of all the things he could have said, this was not one of them. It took Nala a moment for his words to catch up to her mind, and everyone in the den backed off, seeing that this was a private moment. Kion and Kiara however pushed their way through the crowd and made it over by their mother and father, "Mom what-" Kiara tried to ask.

"Not now." Nala stated as she looked towards her cubs, then back to Simba who looked to be in grief and confusion, "Simba what-" She tried to talk to him again, hoping that whatever he was thinking about would exit his mind and know that he is safe.

"What should I do?" He asked her desperately. Before she could answer, he started to back away from her as he answered himself almost hypnotically and on autopilot, "Run. I have to run away and never return."

"No!" Nala yelled and this halted his movements a split moment as he was about to turn his back on them, "You are not leaving." To make her point she jumped in front of him, blocking his exit, "You are in a dream. It is not real, whatever you are seeing is not real."

Simba was silent for a moment, she could see his eyes quickly darting back and forth as he took in her words, trying once more she said, "You are not leaving us."

"What about you? You left." He suddenly growled out defiantly as he stepped around her.

"I didn't leave! I am right here." She said trying to figure out where all of this was coming from.

"Dad?" Kion called out as he tried to approach his father, "What is happening?"

Simba shook his head, "You wouldn't understand."

"Just tell us." Kiara said softly as she slowly approached him.

He spun around so quick that she was caught off guard and stumbled backwards right into Kion, who in turn fell back into his mother, "Look! You think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life?! You don't even know what I've been through!"

"Simba!" Nala yelled as she pushed the cubs behind her in defense, not knowing what was going on with him.

"Forget it!" Simba yelled and he then ran out of the den.

Kiara was practically in tears, "I…I didn't-"

"It's ok, you didn't do anything. Neither of you." Nala said trying to reassure not only them, but herself.

"But what happened? He was fine before…" Kion asked as he looked at his mother with concern then to where Simba had ran off too.

Nala sighed as everyone looked at her for guidance, also wanting the same answer, "Look let's all go back to sleep and we will figure something out in the morning."

"Are you sure?" One of the lionesses asked softly.

"Yes." No, she corrected to herself in her head, no I am not. Then looking at her son, who still had a questioning gaze on his face, she answered as everyone took to their area and started to doze back off into an uneasy sleep, "I do not know what happened, but there is nothing we can do now."

"Should I call the Lion Guard? We can go out and look-"

"No. Let's just wait until morning, he will hopefully be back by then." Letting them curl up beside her, Nala shifted her body so she was looking at the entrance of the den. Please, come home; she pleaded as she fell back into an uneasy slumber.