THE LION KING: RANI'S MAGICAL STORY

CHAPTER VI: DEATH AND EXILE

The sun had begun to set in the Serengeti as Mufasa and the others walked in silence, each mired in their thoughts.

"Zazu!"

Mufasa's voice broke the silence. Zazu landed in front of the still angry King.

"Y-yes, Sire?" Zazu trembled.

"Take Nala, and the others home. I've got to teach my son a lesson." Mufasa instructed.

Simba hid his head in the tall grass, feeling somewhat scared and ashamed. Rani took note and felt a little bit better now that Simba knew he was in trouble, but she was still mired in her mood.

"I'll leave you to it, Mufasa. But I think it might do you good to talk to Rani too. I get the sense that she thinks she's failed, somehow." Joshua said mysteriously. "I'll need to talk to Simba too, after you do, about my heart defect." He added, not-so-mysteriously now.

Mufasa nodded curtly, still miffed. Joshua got off of him and went over to where Simba and company were. Zazu took Nala, Brandon and Joshua back to Pride Rock.

"You're staying with the King and Simba to talk things over." Victor said to a still shaken and under confident Rani.

Rani shook her head in shame, not wanting to face Mufasa's anger.

"Rani, just go and talk to him. Say what's on your mind. Dada will stay within earshot, if that's okay." Joshua gently suggested before he went back.

Nodding reluctantly, Rani went over, still feeling heavy with shame.

"Simba!" Mufasa's angry voice broke the silence.

Slowly but surely, the young lion prince came over to where Rani and his father were, and after having stepped on an oversized paw print, he realized he still had a lot to learn.

"Simba, I'm very disappointed in you." Mufasa began.

"I know," Simba mumbled.

"You could have been killed! You deliberately disobeyed me, and what's worse, you put Nala in danger!" Mufasa continued.

"I was just trying to be brave like you!" Simba felt like crying.

"I'm only brave when I have to be. Simba, being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble." Mufasa explained.

"Not to mention, you should have listened to me when I told you not to go! Not only did you put Nala in harm's way! You put me in danger, Brandon, Mei-Mei and most of all, my Daddy, and he has a very bad heart!" Rani suddenly burst out in anger. "Daddy could have died today if we hadn't have given him anything to drink, and your daddy would have lost a Sorcerer, my sisters and I would have been orphans and I would be the one to take his place when I'm not even ready yet!" She nearly screamed.

To her surprise, Mufasa just listened, observed, and let her have her moment to talk.

"Rani, I'm sorry—" Simba gasped, now feeling awful. How could he have let himself be so foolish? How could he have lost Rani's trust?

"In fact, why even choose me at all when all I am is so scared and voiceless?! Scar was absolutely right! I-I don't have what it takes to be a Sorceress...! I'm not like my Daddy...!" She sobbed to Mufasa. "I can never be like him! When I saw you mad, I thought I had failed and my chances were gone..."

Simba now felt really guilty about not listening to Rani. He had no idea what his soon to be Sorceress went through as he was growing up from baby to now, and from that moment on, he knew he had to make up for his mistakes.

"I'm sorry, Rani. It won't happen again, I promise." Simba said earnestly.

Mufasa just simply put a giant paw on Rani's head in comfort and reassurance. Her frustrated cries made him feel bad for her, and furious that Scar would think so little of her, and was actively making her feel less than, when she was working so hard to become an equally successful Sorceress under decoys Anakin and Stephen.