Moonrise - by Samuel Simpson

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     Sunset in the Pride Lands.
     A stiff breeze was blowing that evening as Simba, King of
the Pride Lands, walked out onto the great stone ledge halfway
up the east face on Pride Rock.  For a few minutes, the young
lion stood there, his mane blowing in the wind as he surveyed
his kingdom.  Then, he sat, and settled down to wait.
     As the sun set, the shadow of Pride Rock stretched out
across the savanna, until at last it merged with the gathering
twilight.  The sky shaded from blue, to deep purple, then black,
and the stars emerged one by one.  The full moon rose, and thin
wispy clouds drifted across it.  Still, Simba waited.
     The silence was broken by the sound of soft paws scraping
on cold stone.  "Hey, Simba," called a voice.
     Startled, Simba looked over his shoulder, then relaxed and
smiled.  "Hey, Nala."
     Nala looked worried.  "Simba, it's late.  What are you
doing out here?"
     "Well...  It's kind of silly."
     "It's okay," said Nala, as she came and sat down near her
mate.  "Whatever it is, you can tell me."  The two lions huddled
together for warmth and nuzzled against each other
affectionately.
     Simba sighed and looked out at the stars.  "My father used
to do this sometimes.  He said I'd understand when I was older."
He paused, then rested his head on his paws.  "I was kind of
hoping that he'd speak to me tonight.  I know he's up there
watching, but it's been so long.  I miss him..."
     "We all do, Simba.  We all do..."
     More time passed.  The moon rose, slowly.
     Nala shivered with the cold.  "Did your father stay out
here all night?"
     Simba thought for a moment.  "No.  Usually, he only stayed
out until..."  Suddenly, he blinked, as if he had just realized
something.  "Until mom came out to meet him..."   Slowly, a broad
grin crept onto his face.  He cleared his throat.  "Hey Nala,
fancy a trip down to the water hole?"
     "The water hole?" asked Nala, confused.  And then her eyes
widened.  She smiled seductively and leaned closer to Simba. 
"What's so great about the water hole?"
     Simba's grin grew even wider.  "I'll show you," he
whispered, "when we get there."
     Suddenly Nala cried, "Race you!"  She sprang to her feet,
turned, and raced down the ledge.
     "You're on!" shouted Simba, tearing off after her.
     The two of them bounded down the slopes of Pride Rock like
a pair of overgrown cubs and vanished into the night.
     Moments after Simba and Nala had gone, a real lion cub
poked his head around a corner.  "All right!" whispered Tanabi. 
Quietly, he crept out of hiding, and started to follow.
     Before he had taken three steps, a winged form dove out of
the sky right in front of him.  Tanabi was so surprised that he
slipped and rolled down the slope and crashed into a boulder. 
He sat up, and blinked.  "Zazu?"
     Zazu landed and brushed his wings off angrily.  "That's
quite far enough, young master!"  He walked up and jabbed a
feather in Tanabi's face.  "Just what do you think you're doing?
It's way past your bedtime!"
     Tanabi got up.  "I just wanted to see where dad's going,"
he said, with his best innocent smile.
     Zazu looked a bit taken aback.  "Your mother and father
are... that is too say... it's not important!"
     Tanabi smiled.  "Then they won't mind if I go and watch,
right?"  He started to walk around Zazu, who immediately
intercepted him again.
     "Absolutely not.  You can't go and that's final!"
     "Why not?"
     "You'll understand when you're older.  Now off to bed with
you.  Off, off!"
     "Awww," moaned Tanabi.  He stalked off in a huff.
     Zazu sighed  "That cub's just like his father at that age. 
I'm definitely getting too old for this."  Suddenly, he shot a
suspicious glance at the night sky.  Was it just his
imagination, or had he just heard a deep, bass chuckle from the
third star on the right?  Shrugging, he flapped his wings and
sailed off after Tanabi.