"Hakuna Matata… what a wonderful phrase." –Timon.
"Hakuna Matata, 'aint no passin' craze!" – Pumbaa.
-The Lion King.
I.
Simba strutted forward, his shoulders making intentional curves and his back bow-legged forelimbs moving to an unheard beat. It was unheard, of course, to Ruendi. But even still he gazed on in fascination as the lion moved forward, and then looked down on to his two front feet. Simba came over and gently tapped his left front paw in a soft beat, and gave a nod as Ruendi moved his in time with him. They moved together from front paw-to-front paw, but when Ruendi spotted that Simba also moved his back paws in time he protested.
"Hey, that's not fair! You've got four feet."
"Well," Simba swirled around on the back ball of his left foot. "You have four feet."
Ruendi raised both fingered appendages and flexed them. "True." He stated simply.
"Hakuna Matata isn't something you get over night, Ruendi. It's a lifestyle…"
The young lion eyed the monkey lion, poised, his head tilted back as he breathed in.
"Or as I like to call it," he gave a moon-walk forward and flipped his mane back. "A life with style!" Simba received a giggle at that and then proceeded forward with his strutting.
Ruendi watched on haplessly, wondering if he'd ever be that good.
"Simba?"
"Find your style, Ruendi."
The primate watched as Simba protruded his posterior out and tried to mirror it, but only succeeded in flicking his tail back and forth. Intrigued, Ruendi started marching forward.
He watched as the lion swaggered with low dips, and marveled as his body swayed to the soundless, yet soulful movements he obviously felt inside. They continued down a stretch of jungle forest, attracting attention from everyone every place with their free-flow floats.
"Just let it move through you." Simba told him and gave his rust-red mane a full toss.
"Maybe I'll just watch you for a while." Ruendi finally said and used his little pink-tinted knuckles to maneuver himself onto a fallen tree branch. "I'm getting kinda tired, Simba."
But the lion did not stop. Instead, as if he were impervious to the restraints of exhaustion, Simba began to perform unique patterns of movement with all four paws. Ruendi let his brown gaze linger on, fascinated, as he flexed very muscle from his shoulders to hips.
"Feel it, yet?" Simba inquired idly and strolled over towards Ruendi. He then paused, slid into a crouch and gave the lion monkey an intent look. "And," He shrugged rhythmically.
Ruendi attempted the same thing before letting his fall, shaking his head meekly.
Simba furthered towards the ground and began stalking forward towards Ruendi. The lion monkey grimaced at the idea of such a close contact; he stumbled backwards to get away.
"Simba, stop."
He did.
"Ruendi, what's wrong?" The lion lay down with a good-natured smirk. "We're playing."
"I don't like that kind of play."
Simba stood up and lowered his head down, but Ruendi frowned and opted to travel upon the ground. "How can you live here if you can't take a little rough fun… you," he turned a little more concerned, "You aren't afraid of me, are you Ruendi?" The child looked up.
"Hurt me? No." He said simply.
Simba lowered down and said in reassurance. "Because I would never try to do that," he tried to raise a paw out to Ruendi, but he furthered back. "I couldn't do if I wanted to…"
Ruendi sized up the questionable look in his older friend's eyes and smiled. "I know."
"Now look!"
A voice startled them from the treetops.
"Kurou!" Simba laughed, startled.
"If you're gonna live here, little lion monkey. You gonna hafta learn how ta par-tay!"
"It's true." The lion asserted to the confused primate. "And that starts with learning that I'm not a monkey like you, I'm a lion." A slow, steady beat filled the morning jungle air.
"Oh!" Kurou called back down spiritedly. "And did he mention it ends with more fun?"
"Fun?" Ruendi asked.
"All the fun you can have." Simba told him readily. The monkey lion smiled.
Suddenly the idea of having a third main companion around was entirely feasible.
To be continued…