Hey, back with another Lion Guard story. I was thinking about Jasiri today and I was wondering the fact why she wasn't present during the Kupatana Celebration. I mean I know hyenas are supposed to stay in the Outlands, but still, Kion could had invited her and gotten permission from his dad to get her to come onto the Pridelands for it. Then the idea went further as to why couldn't Simba allow her to hunt and be in the Pridelands. This reminded me of SennaFan4ever and her story "Sisi Ni Sawa-We're The Same" which I totally recommend you check out. As such, I would like to give her credit for inspiring me and I would also like to dedicate my story to her. Hope you enjoy it, my friend!
I own nothing. The Lion Guard and all its content belong to Disney. I don't own the cover image either.
Enjoy the story!
Dust and small rocks clattered on down again the stone walls as gravity took them down. Each length she climbed the rocks to the top. She knew Flat Ridge Rock was just above her and that Kion was already waiting. As of late she had been meeting with him or even one of his buddies out here on the exit from the Outlands and into the Pridelands. It was a nice change of pace from being alone most of the time. She had patrolling her territory today when she had spotted a flash of gold near the ridge, a sure sign that her friend was there.
She kept jumping up till there was one last ledge was above her. Her black furred paw slapped onto it and she pulled herself up before jumping off the rock and onto the smooth boulder on the top of the canyon wall. Her head looked up and here navy eyes focused on the lion in front of her. Gold fur, eyes like the sunset, a red mane that flowed down his head and onto his shoulders.
Wait. This one was much bigger, taller and older than Kion. Her tail and ears flattened against her body and her pupils shrank in shock as she realized that it was not Kion she was looking at, but rather his father and the king of the Pridelands himself. Simba.
Her limbs suddenly felt drained of energy and her heartbeat grew faster as she realized the king of the Pridelands was right before her and staring right at her. A shiver went down her spine as she began to feel fearful. Hyenas weren't allowed in the Pridelands, but even so she had always stayed in her territory or out here on Flat Ridge Rock which acted as a kind of neutral ground between the two lands. Had she accidently been seen? Had someone seen her and told the king himself? Her thoughts went to Kion before she began denying that he could ever had had any part of causing or knowing this.
Her jaw opened and her vocal cords struggled to form words, but the king lifted his paw up and shushed her before she could begin to say anything.
"There's no need for an explanation. You must be Jasiri. I understand you have been seeing my son as of lately," she said. Her trust in Kion wavered for a second, though inwardly she kept pleading his innocence to her doubts. Without saying anything, her mouth close and she gave a solemn nod.
To her surprise and utter shock, he moved over to the biggest rock and laid down. His left paw patted the side next to him. Her legs felt numb yet she somehow managed to get onto the rock he was on and get down next to him without tripping or making herself seem clumsy. She dipped her head as he looked at her. After all, he was the king and did deserve respect.
"If you're wondering if Kion told me or not, he didn't. As to who told me, well, let's just say a little birdy told me," he explained.
"Ono," she asked, having met the Lion Guard's keenest of sight before.
"Zazu." Her ears pricked up and her mind searched for the bird unil the image of a sky blue and navy hornbill majordomo came to mind.
"Oh. Yeah, I know him," she said. It wasn't hard to know about the king's right-hand bird. A small period of awkward silence passed between them until he spoke up again.
"So, I know that my son and his friends had been visiting you lately. I know that you are different from most of the other hyenas. I know you respect the Circle of Life," he said. She then shook her head and turned to look at him directly in the eye.
"Excuse me sir, no disrespect, but how do you know all this? I do not doubt your majordomo, but I have a hard time believing that he had gotten all this," she questioned.
"I'm the king, I know many things," he simply replied. Then his face turned serious, "But I do not understand why you choose to be different then the rest. Why you prefer peace and are happy with what you have instead of always wanting more like the others that live in the Outlsnds."
"I admit, most of my kind is greedy and always want to take more than our share," she gained a look of determination, "But believe me when I say this, some of us know our place in the Circle of Life. Without us to eat the meat you leave behind, it would spoil and spread sickness over the Pridelands and to its inhabitants. Without scavengers like me, the balance would be thrown off. I understand this and that's why I choose to submit with my position rather than try and change it that might have a cataclysmic effect of the land you animals call home."
It was now Simba's turn to be silent. After another period of short quietness, to her surprise, he lifted up his paw and placed it on her shoulder. She looked up in shock at his face which had a small smile on it.
"Then it appears then we have quite some things to talk about," he replied.
He was late, he knew that. It was just that the Guard had been caught up between an argument between the servals and the caracals on a dispute over whose den was whose. Eventually they managed to find another burrow for the other one and everyone was happy. But now he was late with meeting Jasiri, something he didn't particularly like.
His panting was growing harder and his paws were starting to ache as he started up the hill to the spot they usually met up at. He hoped she was there and that she could forgive him for his tardiness. With one last burst of energy, he leapt up onto the first rock of the ridge.
"Hey Jasiri. I'm sorry that I'm late. I got caught up with..." his voice trailed off when he realized she wasn't the only one there. Jasiri was waving and right beside her was his father.
"Hi Kion," she said cheerfully and giggled at the shock on his face.
"Hello son," his father said cooly.
"H-hi dad," he replied softly. He suddenly felt embarrassed. His dad was talking to one of his best friends? And he was okay with that? He didn't feel out of order because she was a hyena that had befriended him?
He was about to speak when his father got up and stretched before walking down the rock towards him. Before he stepped back into the grasslands, he stopped and placed a paw on Kion's shoulder, the one without the his mark. Kion flinched at the sudden contact and quickly looked up to his dad's eyes.
"You have quite the friend here, son," he said. He then leaned in and whispered into his ear, "I suggest you try to keep her. You never know when having a hyena as a friend might come in handy."
He then looked back at Jasiri and called out to her, "By the way Jasiri. Feel free to grab some food here sometime. You have my permission to come in whenever you like." Jasiri smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, your majesty," she replied as he started walking again, heading back home to Pride Rock. Kion watched as he left, still pondering what he meant by all that.
"Your dad is quite the conversationalist. I bet he's a fun dad to have," Jasiri commented from behind. Kion sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, but he can be a bit strange sometimes," he replied. He then lifted his head up a bit as he thought of something. "He didn't talk about my embarrassing cubhood moments, did he," he asked softly, before realizing Jasiri could probably hear him. Her head quickly flipped over her shoulder to look at him.
"I'm sorry, what," she asked.
"Nothing, nothing," he quickly replied, bowing his head to avoid her seeing the blush that had crawled onto both of his cheeks as he climbed up the rest of the way up the rock towards her.
Huh, it just occured to me that the only one left in Kion's family that Jasiri hasn't met in my stories is Nala. Hmm... well anyways thank for checking out my story. Please leave a review with some feedback and thanks for reading. Sincerely, v.t.7