Another year had come and gone. Things had developed well for the pride lands, but for Asafa's personal matters, things were looking weird.
Asafa was very worried about one specific person... Simba.
Simba had spent his time, living life behind the pride rock with the crew.... sure he did go on border patrol and mark their territory with Asafa...
But the thing that worried him is the fact that Simba and Imani had been spending more time together...
Imani was like an annoying elder sister that cared deeply for Asafa, but Simba and Imani hadn't developed the same sibling relationship. This hadn't gone without the notice of Asafa.
And now Asafa is worried that Simba had developed a black panther fetish.
That is very problematic, Lions should only mate with lions. If Simba brings home a black Panther as his partner, how will Sarabi react.
*Sigh* Asafa sighed as he thought about this. He liked Imani like his own family, but how could he accept her and Simba together? They aren't even the same species.
"What's wrong?" Timon asked?
Timon, Pumba, Asafa and Hamu were laying on the grass, looking at the night sky.
Asafa noticed that Simba and Imani was gone when he arrived here and that's why he was worried.
"Do you guys think... Something is going on between Simba and Imani?" Asafa finally let his worries get known.
"Oh... You know, when a lion and a panther spend a lot of time together, their brains can get mushy." Timon explained.
"So there is something between them?" Asafa said with worry in his tone.
"But Asafa, this should be something good for you!" Pumba said.
"How so?" Asafa asked sceptically.
"Well lions and panthers can't have children... So Simba won't have any children that'll create political problems with your children later on." Pumba 1000 percent of his brain power, creating a miracle, a reasonable argument.
Asafa stood up surprised, in fact, that was something he was worried about. He didn't want to forbid Simba from having his own children, but that could create big problems later on.
But this... Could solve all his problems.
"Come on, lay down again, let's continue enjoying the big dark thing up there where the fireflies are stuck." Pumba said as he described the sky as Timon had once taught him.
Asafa laid down again and enjoyed the night sky.
A few days later, Asafa woke up early in the pride den, the sun hadn't risen yet and sky was dark.
Asafa woke and looked at all the cubs laying down and sleeping in weird positions.
His eyes shifted between each one of his cubs until it reached the biggest cub, a pale furred lion cub with hints of dark mane on his head.
Mohatu, the first born son of Asafa and the crown prince. Asafa lovingly looked at all his children with care, but today he was going to teach Mohatu some important life lessons, so he nudged the cub to awaken him.
Mohatu tried to wave away his father's paw as he tried to continue his sleep, but Asafa nudged him again making Mohatu open his eyes and looked around with a hint of confusion as he just awoke.
He found his father put his finger on his mouth and make a "shhh" sound as he waved Mohatu to follow.
Mohatu looked around and saw that all the others were sleeping so he understood that his father wanted only him to follow, so he silently stood up and carefully followed his father out of the den.
Ayana awoke and saw both Asafa and Mohatu were walking out of the cave, she smiled as she trusted Asafa and was happy that Asafa would slend some alone time with his son, so she went back to sleep.
Asafa walked out and found a slight breeze to the wind. He looked up to the sky which was still dark and the stars were still visible, yet at the horizon, light was starting to shine as dawn had come.
The sun hadn't risen yet, but it was getting closer so the horizon lit up.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Asafa said to his son.
"It's just the sky dad." Mohatu said, still sleepy.
"Is it just a sky?" Asafa said in a chuckle.
Mohatu looked up in response, but this time he tried to see more.
He saw the stars shine bright, but what more is there?
"There's also stars?" Mohatu guessed that's what his father meant.
"Stars huh... Follow me." Asafa said in a smile.
Asafa walked down the pride rock and continued walking to the savannah. They walked for a while before they came to a big lake.
Asafa stopped and sat down when the lake came into their sight, they were still far from the lake.
Mohatu followed his father and sat down.
Mohatu looked up to the sky again, trying to figure out what his father was talking about since it seemed like his father knew something he didn't and was playing mystical.
But no matter how he looked, he couldn't figure out what his dad was playing at.
"Mohatu." Asafa said in a serious tone.
Mohatu looked at his father, giving him his full attention.
Asafa looked at his son as well, he was very content with Mohatu being the crown prince. Asafa had observed his children since their birth, and he had found that Mohatu was the calmest and fairest to his siblings.
He never picked on his siblings and ignored them when they were bickering with him, he was also overly protective of the other cubs.
Whenever the others got into trouble, Mohatu willingly took on the blame so they wouldn't get harshy told off by Ayana, Nala or Zahara.
He was also slightly bigger than the others, although by not much, and whenever they ate, Mohatu secretly made sure that all his sibling ate enough before he himself ate his fill.
Asafa looked at the lake where a group of gazelles, giraffes, elephants and even birds were drinking. All of them had already woken up and started the day before even sunrise.
"Look Mohatu, Gazelles" Asafa said. Mohatu turned his head and his eyes searched for the Gazelles and found them.
"What are they to us?" Asafa asked, his tone serious as he wanted Mohatu to understand that he was teaching him something important.
Mohatu thought for a minute but he could only come up with one answer, "food?" He asked.
Asafa chuckled.
"They are food to the other lions, but not to you and me, can you guess why?" Asafa asked.
Mohatu thought for another minute and the only thing that made the two of them different was that his father was the king, and he was the crown prince, but he didn't see how that had anything to do with the question asked.
Asafa saw that his son seemed deep on thought with a heavy frown on his face but he also seemed perplexed by the question.
Asafa smiled.