Lion King (the Cub Days)

Not as It Seems

"Simba, could I speak with you," asked Sarabi the next morning.

Simba gulped and raised his head. "Y-Yes. I am in trouble," he stammered in fear. He knew that whenever his mom wanted to talk to him in the early morning it was never good.

"No," Sarabi murmured as she lowered down and Simba lowered beside her with his eyes still flashing. He couldn't meet his mother's gaze. "I just want to talk to you."

Simba nodded and just decided to listen to whatever is mother had to say.

"I was wondering why you weren't in there, I mean in the hole with Nala. If you were both playing you both should have been in there," Sarabi pointed out. "So what really happened."

Simba gulped. "Er well...I um."

"Simba," Sarabi pressed a bit firmer as her eyes met her sons. She was going to require him to answer, no matter how difficult it was. This wasn't something she took lightly. If something happened between Simba and Nala Sarabi had to know about it.

"I asked Nala about her father and she got angry at me and then ran and I guess she fell into a hole because when I called for her she was in there," Simba rambled quickly before looking at his paws.

Sarabi let out a sigh. She probably should've talked to Simba about Nala's situation before they had gotten older and he could have understood more. "Simba, Nala doesn't have a family like ours. While you have a mother and father Nala only has a mom," she explained.

"Why doesn't Nala have a father," inquired Simba. He thought that everyone had a mom and dad like he did. He had no idea that there were different families.

Sarabi had to think about how to explain it but without too much detail. "It just didn't work our with her parents. They both love her very much but they just can't be with each other, do you understand?"

"Not really," confessed Simba as he let out a breath through his nostrils. "So should I just not talk to Nala anymore?"

Sarabi reached out her tail and wrapped it around Simba and drew him close to her body. She began to groom him gently and rhythmically. "Of course not. However you can't speak about Nala's father ever again, alright?"

Simba nodded and rested his head against his mother's underbelly. She wrapped her paws around him and murmured in his ear. "You can apologize to her tomorrow. I'm sure she'll understand."

Simba yawned and stretched out his body before snuggling closer. His eyes drooped close and Sarabi let out a purr. "Just remember, my son, just because those are different than us doesn't mean anything. One day we may all live together under one den. However for now we must except other's choices, no matter how difficult it is."