Hey there, and welcome to the finale of The Lion King: The Novel. This is it. This is the final chapter of this story. Well, it's been one heck of a ride, but we're finally at the end. I'd like to thank everyone for having read and reviewed this story, as well as those who read and reviewed my other stories over the past ten years.

It's been quite the ten years, making stories on FanFiction. So I've decided to quit FanFiction for a while and go on the path of writing books. But then again, I may come back sometime in the future and publish more FanFiction stories; heck, I'll still stick around sometimes and fix any mistakes that still linger around in this story.

Finishing Date: August 24, 2019

Enjoy, and goodbye for now!

...

King Of Pride Rock

At last, as Simba climbed his way down Pride Rock, the rains had finally come to the Pride Lands. The heavy downpour put out the fire ravaging Pride Rock, leaving behind blackened logs and shriveled bushes. When Simba made it down, he couldn't help but open his mouth to catch the raindrops on his tongue. It tasted of salvation, of faith and hope, of a blessing finally replacing a curse. Scar's terrible reign had finally come to an end.

Simba smiled at those who had come by after the battle. Zazu was perched on a rock as he passed, bowing low and murmuring, "Your Majesty." He was approached and nodded to by several lionesses, even getting to meet his new cousin: Scar's son Nuka, who stared up in awe at the lion that defeated his evil father. After gently nuzzling the timid little cub, he counted how many had survived the battle, how many were wounded. He was sad to hear that one of the guineafowl and one of the three antelope were killed during the fight, but he would make sure that they were honored.

Nala and Sarabi approached Simba with looks of pride and joys on their muzzles. Simba padded over to his mother, sharing a nuzzle with her, before looking at Nala. He really couldn't have done this without her. There was a lot to say to her that he wanted to say, to thank her for helping him, to say that he loved her. Instead, he padded to her and nuzzled her, which she happily returned. Sarabi watched them with joy, happy indeed to see her son having returned.

Then Timon and Pumbaa approached him, along with their jungle friends and Timon's Ma and Uncle Max. They were a little nervous to be standing beside a huge group of carnivores, but when the lionesses smiled warmly at them, they saw that there was nothing to fear. When Timon and Pumbaa stood before their younger friend, they bowed, as did everyone else.

In return, Simba gave Timon and Pumbaa a hug instead. I couldn't have done it without you guys as well, he thought. Timon and Pumbaa backed up to let him by, the former sharing smiles with his mother and uncle.

A rattling sound dragged their attention to Rafiki. The mandrill shaman was sitting on a nearby rock, pointing with his staff to the edge of Pride Rock's balcony. Simba knew what that meant. With a nod to his family and friends, he left their side to approach Rafiki, who bowed low to him. While he himself did not bow back, Simba hugged him as well, initially surprising the mandrill before he returned the affection.

"It is time," Rafiki murmured once they parted.

Thus, Simba began his ascent up towards the edge of Pride Rock. Below him were the others gazing up in awe: Nala, Sarabi, Zazu, Timon, Pumbaa, Bunga, and all the rest. It felt like he was being born again by rain, his spirit becoming renewed, the more he climbed up and up. Was this how Mufasa felt when he became king of Pride Rock?

When he reached the edge of Pride Rock, he looked back up to the rainy sky. Some of the storm clouds had moved away, revealing stars twinkling on a night sky. Simba felt the cooling wind swirl past him as Mufasa's voice resounded in his ears:

"Remember..."

I will always remember, Dad. Always, Simba thought. He would never forget all who had helped him get here. He would never forget the wisdom his father and others had taught him over the years. And he would spend the rest of his life upholding the traditions his father and many others had carried out.

Then, lifting his head, Simba let out a roar, a roar that echoed across the land and reached the heavens above. The lionesses answered his roar with their own roars, all the roars louder than the rain. All the animals that couldn't roar watched on with looks of awe or pride.

Simba smiled as he gazed out over the kingdom that he was to rule before roaring again. It was indeed time. He was king of the Pride Lands now.

...

Months passed, and slowly but very surely, the Pride Lands were finally restored to their former glory. Where there had been dry dirt and empty watering holes, there was now plenty of greenery and water; the rains had come and gone, revitalizing the land. There was no remnants of Scar's tyrannical rule left, and everyone couldn't have been happier. Indeed, the herds and other animals had heard of Simba's triumphant victory over Scar and had returned home, celebrating and rejoicing in having come back.

At Pride Rock, a special event was taking place. Simba looked down at the animals in his kingdom, watching them gather one by one. Antelope and zebras joined as one herd, elephants trumpeted, giraffes stood tall, and monkeys hooted and hollered from on the larger animals. He even saw some of his jungle friends among the crowd, having moved from the jungle to the Pride Lands and starting families of their own. Timon's colony, as well as his mother and uncle, were also invited to stay in the Pride Lands as they wished, where they never had to worry about hyenas again. Speaking of hyenas, Simba had come to realize that not all hyenas were like Shenzi's clan, and any hyena willing to respect the Circle of Life was more than welcome to live in the Pride Lands.

He headed back into the cave and saw Nala sitting near the entrance, laying down and smiling. Nestled in the nook of her forelegs were two cubs, a female and a male, born two weeks ago and hours apart, with Timon and Pumbaa and Bunga standing guard. Simba smiled down at his mate and cubs, whom they had named Kiara and Kion. He had been excited to be a father, especially when he thought of them playing with Nuka. Nuka looked like Scar, but Simba knew to judge him by his character, and that character was completely opposite of Scar's. While his father was traitorous and bitter, Nuka was friendly and eager to be with others, shown when he happily met Kiara and Kion on the day of their birth.

The unmistakable tap of Rafiki's staff on the cave wall turned their heads. Rafiki himself hobbled into the cave, gazing down at the two cubs with joy; it was the day that he was to present both Kiara and Kion to the kingdom and the world. He plucked a fruit off of the end of his staff, broke it into two, and gently smeared the juice onto each of the cubs' foreheads.

"Hey, Rafiki," Simba rumbled, sharing a hug with the old mandrill. "I'm glad you came."

"Of course I came. It is time," replied Rafiki, chuckling. "Are you ready, my friend?"

Simba nodded. "I'm always ready. Ready until the day I die."

Rafiki bowed low before turning his attention to the two cubs cuddling with Nala. He gently picked Kiara up, heading to the entrance of the cave. Sarabi padded over and gently picked Kion up, bringing her grandson to where Nuka was practicing pouncing on a beetle. Bunga walked over and placed himself at the cave entrance, as if ready to fight off any intruder that would invade his new home.

As for Rafiki, Simba and Nala followed him as he stood at the edge of Pride Rock, waiting for them. Timon and Pumbaa followed them out, watching the birds flying around the king and queen in celebration, as Timon cheered and posed. When they got to the edge of Pride Rock (after greeting Zazu, who had arrived and bowed low to them), Simba and Nala shared a loving nuzzle before letting Rafiki come between them, carrying Kiara in his arms and lifting her up into the air. The animals below them cheered, bellowed, roared, and trumpeted in greetings, welcoming the new and rather confused cub into the world.

Simba watched with fatherly pride welling up in his heart. Kiara was sure to be a great queen one day, and he would help her follow in the same pawprints that Mufasa had set out for him. As for Kion, he could become the head of the Lion Guard, to help protect the Pride Lands and the animals within. No matter what path his cubs would take, he would be there for them. He would also be there for Nala, Sarabi, Timon, Pumbaa, Nuka, and all the others he would love and protect for all time. And he promised, with all his heart, to respect and remember the lessons he had learned on the way.

Simba, the Lion King, had found his place in the Circle of Life.

The End