"If you can dream it you can achieve it" Rafiki told Jasiri. "Yes you can." Rafiki taps Jasiri on the nose.
The hyena wiggles her nose from the tap while the mandrill just chuckles. Both animals are sitting on a boulder looking over the river into the Pridelands. Jasiri asked Kion for help with a litter of cubs and his response was this mandrill with a stick. Jasiri knew of Rafiki but did not put much thought into his ability, but at the time she had no choice in the matter for her sister was in dire need and in the end three new cubs were introduced into the circle of life. Now both animals are watching the sun's rays slowly fade away across the Pridelands.
"My dreams is to be living in the Pridelands with Kion and the others." Jasiri reply was not shocking to Rafiki to hear.
"Yes but how to be there with royal approval is the question is it not?" Rafiki nods his head as if answering his own question. "Know that I will not vouch for you my spotted friend. King Simba is one to look on one's action though sometimes the past clouds his mind."
"Scar" Jasiri hisses out.
"Ah yes, you know of him. His actions did taint the hyena's reputation and your brethren do not help with their actions."
"Janja is an idiot that never learns who only allows males in his knows if one of us females ever get in his bulling days are over." She shakes her head. "Until then he will always be a pain. Every chance I feel like I can bring myself into the Pridelands he goes and does something stupid."
"One day he will slip and your day will come." Rafiki lifts himself up and starts to head back to his tree. "Keep the cubs warm and all should be well."
"Thank you! And give my thanks to Kion!" Jasiri calls back and receives a wave in response.
Jasiri is in shock over what just transpired today. She is seated next to Beshte and Makini who are both smiling at her. Bunga is cheering dramatically yet he is the only one out of the mass that is there. The other animals of the summit are slowly making their way back to their areas of the Pridelands, none feeling as cheerful as the honey banger is over this. Yet Jasiri didn't mind, her cackle now has a place in the Pridelands and one that a zebra suggested. It took a lot of arguing, and one roar from Kion, to get the animals to calm down. After that it seemed they started to listen and now...now hyenas are allowed in. She fells herself tip to the side with glee and leans against Beshte. She is a bit overwhelmed and once again she is speechless.
"Well even I didn't see that coming. Who would have thought Kupigwa would have invited meat eaters into her area?" Ono says as he watches the said zebra walk away. "Oh, look lively Jasiri. Here comes the royal family!" Ono hopes down to her side and tries to get her to sit up.
"Not all of the Royal Family Ono, thought you were the keenest of sight?!" Bunga says as he slides down Beshte with a giggle.
"What you mean Little B?" Beshte asks as he looks over the four lions coming up to them.
"Well Kovu is now part of that and of course I am the brother of Simba." Bunga polishes his claws on his chest. "Oh...and Fuli isn't here either." Both Ono and Beshte look at the honey badger with confusion.
Kion gives a questionable look at Bunga, knowing full well he was boasting about something. His thoughts were on Jasiri though so he is going to not ask Bunga what he is talking about. She said something during the summit that caught his attention but did not want to bring it up during the argument. Last thing that was needed at the time was negative things to be brought to light. He turns his focus to Jasiri who is at this time looking like Bunga after he eats his heart out on bugs. In fact Bunga and Ono are having trouble getting her up as she just lays there with the biggest grin on her face. He is sure she is having one of the greatest days in her life, maybe even better than Upendi day. Do hyena's know what that day is? Kion shakes his head as he focuses on what is bugging him from the get go.
"Janja invaded our camp two years back because he needed to increase his numbers." Jasiri said softly.
"Well it is good you refused to join him!" Thurston calls out.
"Yes...refused..." Jasiri looks down at her paws at this. A shiver runs down her spine and she had to blink a couple of times to stop the tears from showing.
"But you promise not to be like Janja than I have no problem with you being at the Elephant graveyard." Kupigwa stomps her hoofs.
Kion comes to sit in front of Jasiri with his family around him. He reaches out a paw taps her on her nose which brings the hyena out of her trance. Once she sees who is in front of her she gives him the biggest grin she can deliver and before anyone could do anything Jasiri reaches out a nuzzle Kion. The lion blinks in surprise before he returns the nuzzle with a grin on his face with a very soft purr. Once Jasiri pulls back Kiara starts to laugh behind her paw with mirth shinning in her eyes as she watches the display of affection. Nala gives her daughter a nudge that is suppose to knock her out of it yet it only drives her over board as she starts to laugh more, falling on to her side as she lets it out. Bunga gives a chuckle as if he wants to join in but unsure why things are funny. Nala and Kion shake their heads but Simba gives a small laugh at his daughter's antics. The king turns his eyes to his newest member to the Pridelands.
"Welcome my hyena. You are now a member of the Pridelands." Simba gives her a small nod. "Normally I would show you around but I have matters that call for my service. But I am sure Kiara and Ono can show you around and to your new home. They will inform you on..."
"Jasiri..." Kion cuts in, Simba giving his son a small glare. "What you said about Janja coming to you to increase his number..." Kion's face was now filled with worry. "He didn't ask you to join him did he?" Kion feels himself on edge as he waits for her to answer
"Wait..." Kiara stop laughing at this and now that her brother brought it up she got very worried. She brings herself back up and edges forward a bit. "You mean that he came and...well..." She looks over at Jasiri before looking down.
"I...ummm...yes." Jasiri looks very gloomy. "It would have been easy to fight them off but that weird male lion was with them with a few lioness. It was death or..."
"Enough." Simba commands and everyone can see the fire in his eyes upon learning this crime. "The transgression of Janja have gone on way too long." Simba is angry and by the looks of it so is Kion. "With the Outlands now under my rule it maybe time to do more then just exile Janja." He growls out.
Jasiri looks wide eye at this and fells a shiver of fear go down her spine. She is not the only one it seem by how silent and still Bunga has gotten. Beshte seems to be the only one able to do anything as he is the first to move. He leans down and gives the hyena a small nudge before pulling back with a small smile showing her that things are better already. Whatever she is feeling slowly dissipates and her gittiness was returning. She is with friends, her cackle is safer now, a leader watching over everything, and a guard to protect them. She gives the four a bow and is about to give her thanks, but Kovu bounds in between them. He ignores the other animals as he comes up to Kiara.
"Your cheetah friend was not where you said she would be. I asked the other pride members but no lion knew where she went." Kovu sat down with a small huff. "Your friend Tiffu and Zira were not around either."
"Fuli is gone?" Kion asked "Why did she not stay? She said she wouldn't move! Why did..." Kion is getting frantic.
"Isn't that what I just said?" Kovu asked a bit confused though no one hears him as Kion's antics has everyone's attention.
"Calm down son." Simba demands, placing a paw on his son's back. "I am sure Fuli is fine."
"Of course she is!" Bunga cries out with a big grin on his face.
"How do you..." Kion tried to ask.
"My son, how long have you known her?" Simba asks
"You don't understand she is..." Kion starts pacing
"Kion, " Jasiri breaks in with a cackle. "Of all those who knows her know that she is tough through and through." Jasiri's mind goes back to the one instance this was made clear to her.
Jasiri was wondering the night in Outlands with a single thought on her mind. How was she going to get her cackle into the Pridelands? She always took these walks when the rain got heavy to think of how she can convince the King to let her in. She already had Kion on her side and in her heart. She knew for sometime now that he was the one she would love to be with. She gives a sigh as she tries to focus back on Simba but knew it was hopeless at this point. Every time she thinks of Kion that single thought she started with turns to her loneliness. She comes upon the raging river that separated the Outlands from the Pridelands. She groans as she lowers herself to her belly, hating the extra load she was carrying around.
"I guess I can't complain too much. Feels nice knowing that these little..." She stopped upon hearing something over the roar of the river, it sounded like a scream.
Jasiri stands up to look over the river to see something yellow flailing around. She didn't give a second thought of who or what it was as she dived in. Once she broke the surface and took a breath of air she saw the animal was right in front of her. One of it's paws smacked her in the muzzle as the creature tried to keep itself up. Jasiri grabs on of the paws in her mouth and tugs it with all her might towards the Outland shore. Once she let go of the creature, she and the creature saw each other for a brief moment before both were dunked underwater. Fuli?! It was Fuli! But before she could think of anything else she was slammed into a boulder and the wind was knocked out of her. Once she came back above the surface she took a ragged breath before swimming back towards Fuli. She was in pain but she had a feeling that Fuli was not going to make it without some help. She collided with Fuli and grabbed hold of her again and felt the cheetah grab onto her too, claws digging into her fur. Some how they both found their way nearing the shore and with a great heave Jasiri sent Fuli forward before once again she was smacked into a boulder, pain raced down to her belly. Somehow the hyena held on to the boulder with her head above the water and before she knew it there was teeth digging into the back of her neck and pulling her to the shore.
Both females lay half in the river while they coughed up water and take ragged breathes of air. Jasiri felt intense pain in her belly but could do nothing as she laid there. It was sometime later before Fuli fully dragged herself out of the river and tried to shake off the water from her pelt, but the rain didn't help her out at all with this. Jasiri just laid there breathing heavily as another sharp pain hit her belly, her body was going to hate her in the morning. She looked up to see Fuli looking down at her with exhausted look on her face.
"Think we can leave this watery death trap?" Fuli asks before dragging Jasiri all the way out of the river.
"Yes, there is a cave we can sit and dry off in while we wait out the storm." She breaths out, hoping the rain masks her tears of pain from Fuli.
Kion takes a deep breath and releases it with a small chuckle. He gives himself a good old fashion shake as if trying to get rid of water on his fur. He ends it with a shake of his head as if slinging off that silly behavior and looks at his mother with a small smile on his face. Nala gives her son a small lick across his muzzle before perking up upon hearing a deep voice break in.
"Couldn't help but hear." Makuu pokes his head in from between Kovu, who steps back is dislike, and Kiara, who looks down at the crocodile with interest. "If you are worried I'll have my float keep an eye open for her. If we see her we will pass on that you are looking for her." Makuu nods to Kion.
"Makuu...once again you shock me with your honor as a crocodile." Kion takes a deep breath again before giving a nod to him.
"So...I see why my claims for vengeance on this beast will not be heard." A cheetah stands back from the other animals. "Crocodile honor is nothing but water buffalo sh..."
"Magtige! I thought we resolved your issues for the day!" Simba roars out.
"Yes. Well you see my younger brothers thought I should return to give my apologies for my rude behavior. " He looks over his shoulder at the three others behind him. "But why should I since now I see why my elder brother's death was swept to the side."
"Yes. Well your brother wanted to try to sweet talk a snake out of his cave, as the proverb goes." Makuu speaks up.
"A cave!" Jasiri yells out all of a sudden right before the cheetah could respond to Makuu. "Your Majesty I think..."
"I can't believe this, you let scavengers think they can speak up when ever they want? Does it know that it has no voice while on the rock?" Magtige breaks in. "What kind of a ruler are you? Your father would never have let this happen." Rafiki stands up at this comment but Kion beats him to the punch.
"Mufasa was very wise, wiser than you Magtige. He believed all animals should live together under the sun in the Pridelands. He listened to all that required his ear, acted to server all, and even sacrificed himself for the future of the Pridelands. But if we must bring up our ancestors what would your father say to the way you and your eldest brother have acted? Already one is dead thinking they could take on a crocodile for no reason but pride." Kion stands right in front of the cheetah, towering over him. "Peace of the Pridelands is what we have always wanted around here, others always seem to think they know better. I suggest to you, like I did your brother died, cool off before you say or do something more harming than what has been done already." Kion looks down at the cheetah and behind Kion two other male lions are doing the same thing.
Magtige glares at them for a moment before stalking away from them all. His brothers look at his retreating form before looking at each others. The smallest one of the group gives a sigh and is about to say something before deciding against it. The three give their bows to the royal family before heading off after him. Tiffu and Zuri appeared from the same direction the cheetahs were heading out. They too give their bows to the royal family before gathering around Kiara. Tiffu gives a long yawn as she lays down while Zuri sits up straight as she can.
"He is not going to drop this is he?" Beshte asks once the last spot disappeared from sight he is still looking in the cheetahs' direction.
"Not likely." Kion and Simba say together.
"Hakuna Matata" Bunga and Simba say as one.
"I am going to like it here." Jasiri laughs out at the exchange of words.
"What's going on Kiara?" Zuri asks.
"Cheetahs are just making some trouble." Kiara sighs. "Oh, have either of you two seen Fuli?"
"Oh, I think I saw her near the watering hole!" Tiffu speaks up before bounding to her feet and rushes off. "I'll get her!" And disappears, even though no one asked her to find the cheetah.
"I...well...ok?" Kiara blinks in confusion.
Kion looks after Tiffu and is about to go follow her. His tail is showing his inpatients of sitting around while one of his dear friends may be in trouble. He just took his first steps to follow when Ono spoke up.
"Jasiri, you were saying something before?" Ono asked.
"Oh, oh yes! I think I know where Fuli is and it isn't the watering hole. But I will not show you, a secret you know, only for us ladies. A place she and I finds safe and such. I'll check on her though, just to make sure she is alllll good. Don't worry, but if you could get my cackle to their new home I'd be grateful." Jasiri speaks out as she starts to head away from them. "Don't wait up for us!" She calls out as she disappears over an edge of a boulder that Tiffu went.
The other animals stay silent a bit at the fast speaking, quick moving hyena. Zuri looks very confused at all this, still not sure what is going on. Makuu was the first to speak up though.
"I must be off. Your majesties." The crocodile nods to the five lions before heading off too.
"Kion, you want me to follow Jasiri?" Ono asks once Makuu was out of sight.
"No." Nala commands. "We will up hold the hyena's wishes." Though Nala was curious about this hyena and Fuli's relationship. "Please Kion, Kiara... show her cackle to their new dens."
"Yes mother." Kion was still looking towards Jasiri's departure, his tail flicking from side to side. He is on the verge to leap after her but sighs out deeply. "Let us go then. Makini, do you wish to join us?" Kion turns his head to her.
"Sure! I can tell them all about the elephant graveyard near by! Rafiki told me a tell about your father's adventures in there!" Makini's mouth was going into overdrive, as if keeping in shut through most of the summit was just building up steam. "Oh, did you know that the graveyard is not where the elephants go to die of old age!"
Soon only four lions were left alone. Zuri sits down with a huff with annoyance of being left behind, Kovu is confused from all the activity of the day. Nala and Simba are both in deep thought but both had small grins on their faces. They look at each other and they both knew what the other was thinking, they both knew their son and from his actions today knew something is about to happen. Both turn to look at their son as he quickly walks away. In that moment they knew their son was in love, they just couldn't figure out with who.