Chapter 11. Secrets

It didn't take long for Asafa's leg to heal, much faster than what is normal for lions. It took a few days longer to return home because of the injury but by the time he had returned, it had almost healed completely.

Simba, Imani, Timon and Pumba got slightly worried when he was later than usual, but got relieved when they saw him.

"To think that you'd leave again without telling your master! I think I should teach you more manners!" Imani shouted furiously.

But her words fell on deaf ears as Asada just walked past them.

"Sorry guys, I need rest." Asada said as he continued back to their sleeping place.

"Huh? He seems blue?" Pumba said.

"More like brown." Timon corrected.

"But you said that blue means...." Pumba was cut off.

"Pumba, Pumba, my old friend, it's in these times we shouldn't worry about specifics!" Timon said.

"Oh." Pumba understood.

Simba walked past them and followed Asafa.

Imani was about to follow but timon stood in her way.

"We should probably give the brothers some time to talk."

"Tsk, fine but then I'm beating him up."

Simba arrived to see his brother laying down with shut eyes, but he knew that Asafa didn't have the time to actually fall asleep.

"Asafa..."

"..."

"You leave without telling us anything, fine, we understand... But then you come back harmed, you think we'll just keep silent?" Simba said. If his brother is going through something, he wants to be there for him.

"Hey, do you really have to put up walls with us? With me?" Simba continued.

Asafa heard the hurt in Simba's voice when he said that so he opened his eyes to look at him.

"Simba... It's not that I'm putting up walls, it's.. nevermind, you wouldn't understand." Asafa said as he stood up and tried to leave.

After all, how could he explain that he'd been back to the pride lands and hunted the hyena army of their evil uncle.

How could he explain that the drive to do that is because of the guilt he feels. How should he explain that Simba isn't really in the wrong, it's was the plot of their uncle. But in the end, Asafa had the ability to change the outcome but he didn't so he also carries guilt.

Moreover, Asafa himself has conflicting emotions that he hadn't really resolved.

What should he do when Simba inevitably returns to the pride lands and takes his place as king? Can he ever show his face there?

What would his father say if he aware of everything Asafa knew... Would he despise him?

"What wouldn't I understand!" Simba got annoyed. His brother tells him that he isn't putting up walls even though he clearly does.

Then he goes about and tells him that he wouldn't understand.

"Simba, you've got your place in this place but I..." Asafa turned back to his brother and spoke, but he couldn't finish.

"You think I have a place in this world? We are the same! We're both..." Simba tried to reason with him.

"SIMBA..." Asafa roared slightly to get him off his back.

Asada turned around and angrily left.

Simba Also turned around and went the other way, clearly frustrated with his brother.

They are in this together, what's the point of keeping secrets between them. Simba felt angry and sad at that, afterall his brother is the only kin he has left.

The trio that stayed behind found Simba returning with a scowl on his face.

"Ah it didn't go as planned I see, what's going on? Timon asked nonchalantly, but on the inside he was worried sick.

"Not now, I need to think." Simba said before walking off.

"Geez, it's like he ate a bad bug or something!" Pumba commented.

"So this is the rebellious phase of a teenager huh." Imani said.

"Oh, I get it now!" Timon said as if he had a brilliant idea.

"What?" Both Pumba and Imani turned towards him.

"Don't you guys see? Look at their mane, it's growing rapidly, they are in their teens, that explains the attitude!" Timon said.

"I just said that!" Imani said deadpan.

This fight between the brother was the first rela fight they've had since they left the pride lands 3 years ago.

And neither truly spoke about the fight again, they buried their discussion deep and pretended that they hadn't fought.

It wasn't until a year later when Asada restarted his hyena hunt, that he found Simba on his way to the pride lands.

"So you were really going back to the pride lands!" Simba said, his suspicions proven right.

Both their manes had grown enough that they could be considered real male lions. Asada was bigger and had a much fuller mane, but even Simba was big for his size.

The lion king was often chosen because of their physical strength and wisdom, and the pride royal lineage always produced the biggest and strongest lions, so Simba was bigger than most lions his age. But even then he hadn't fully matured yet.

"...how did you know?" Asada just asked, he didn't try to deny it since it was pointless.

"Ever since.. our fight last year, I was worried about you so when you restarted you monthly trip, I tried to follow you... Took me a while but I figured it out."

"I.. I'm sorry for keeping it from you." Asafa said.

"I just don't get why?" Simba asked, trying to understand.

"It's complicated." Asada said, he didn't want to tell his brother that the pride lands had fallen, their uncle Scar has brought it down with hyenas.

"That talk again?! Fine, I won't get involved anymore. But know this Asafa, I don't think it's good for you to return there... After all...." Simba didn't continue. But his eyes said it all, were criminals, we no longer belong to that place. That's what it said.

"I'm not going back to return, I have no place there anymore. But there's something else, personal..." Asfa explained.

Simba nodded and returned.

Asada kept going to hunt the hyenas, but he was way more careful after the incident last year.