Chapter 4-Diplomatic Terms
Danny woke up the next morning. Immediately, he felt the aching pain in his jaw from the fight with Dasyu. He unzipped the bag to get out, but made sure not to wake Malka up. He smiled as he looked at the cub. Malka was sleeping soundly; his black tufted ears twitching a few times. Behind him, he heard movement. He also heard a voice. "That looked so cute." Immediately his face went red as he recognized Alijiah's voice.
He turned to face the pride. They all wore smirks on their faces, especially Jabari. "Did I sleep in?"
"Kind of…we were hoping you'd be ready to go."
"Yeah, give me a few minutes." Danny reached down and shook Malka. "Hey, wake up."
Malka woke up and yawned. "Morning, Danny. Are we leaving?"
Danny nodded. "Yep, let's get going." Danny looked to Jabari as he zipped up his sleeping bag and rolled it up. "Give me the three cubs and I'll have them sit in the compartment in the back of my seat. That way we can move faster."
"Sounds good. We should get moving." Jabari rounded the lionesses up as Danny placed Malka and the other two cubs in his compartment box behind his seat. He powered up his speeder and they were on their way.
Later on in the day, they closed in on Danny's ship. The group was now at the edge of the Pride Lands. Danny powered off the bike when they reached the huge acacia tree. He set down the cubs as the rest of the pride made it. Danny found the coin by the trunk of the tree and began digging. It had been a long day and Jabari's pride would have to rest at Pride Rock. They had found some food during the day and ate their fill, so they had enough energy to make it, but they would still need to rest, probably spend the night. He finally found the device and pulled it out of the hole.
A lioness looked around as she walked toward him. "Where is this ship? I don't see it." Suddenly, her head smacked into the invisible hull with a dull clank. The lioness reeled back. "Ow, my head. My head, my head hurts."
Danny cracked up. "You may not see it, but you could definitely feel it." With that, he started laughing. The lioness was not happy, and backed that up with a growl. Danny quickly choked up the laughing and hit the button on the remote. The ship faded into visibility. Everyone standing there had intrigued looks.
Jabari nodded with approval. "Impressive. Are we flying now?"
Danny shook his head. "No, I need to jumpstart the ship. It should only take about twenty to forty minutes." He hauled the speeder bike up into the ship and grabbed the power cables. He hooked them up to the generator and attached all four to individual batteries to speed up time. He didn't want to be taking any chances like the last time. He turned on all four batteries and let them charge up the generator. With four, it shouldn't take more than twenty minutes.
He walked outside, grabbing some binoculars on the way out. Jabari was waiting for him. "Well?"
Danny walked to the direction where they traveled from. "It's going to take twenty minutes before I can ignite the ship. Once that is done, we'll be on our way." He pulled up his binoculars and looked out across the land, scanning the area.
"What are you doing?"
Not taking his mind off the job, the human replied, "Just making sure no one was following us…it doesn't look like we had anyone on our tails." He brought his binoculars down and walked to the other side, where Pride Rock was. He pulled his binoculars back up to his eyes. Already, he could see numerous animals surrounding the huge rock. At the top he could see a mandrill holding a cub in the air. "What the heck?"
"What is it?"
"It looks like there's a ceremony on Pride Rock."
"A blessing ceremony, perhaps?"
"I don't know…doesn't matter. We just need to get over there." He turned back to Jabari. "Get everyone aboard. We're leaving as soon as possible."
Danny headed back in, with Jabari's pride shuffling inside. After twenty minutes, the generator was at full power. Danny primed the igniter and pressed his palm on the power button. The engine sputtered for a few seconds, but it came to life with a roar. Danny slowly leveled the ship since it was leaning on one side, and began to ascend into the sky. Malka and Jabari were sitting with him in the cockpit. They were astonished to be looking down at land like a bird of the sky. Danny smiled. Time to go home.
"Sarabi and I didn't see you at the presentation of Simba," Mufasa said with a slightly irritated tone. He was talking to his younger brother Scar, who was sitting in a small stone arch next to Pride Rock. He had been trying to get over the possible death of Danny, and his brother not being at his son's blessing ceremony only compounded his attitude.
Scar, meanwhile, put on a shown of sadness. "That was today? Oh, I feel simply awful." With his last words, he drug his nails on the rock wall next to him. Zazu, Mufasa's majordomo, did not take well to that. Scar flexed his claws. "Must've slipped my mind."
Zazu flew up into his face. "Yes, well as slippery as your mind is, as the king's brother, you should've been first in line." Scar made a quick snap with his mouth, scaring Zazu with his bare teeth. He hid behind Mufasa's leg.
Scar lowered his head toward the bird. "I was first in line…until the little hairball was born."
Mufasa lowered his head to see Scar eye-to-eye. "That hairball is my son, and your future king."
Scar snorted. "Well, then I shall practice my curtsy." He turned around to leave for the nearby waterhole.
Mufasa glared at him. "Don't turn your back on me, Scar."
Scar turned his head back. "Oh no, Mufasa. Perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me."
Mufasa roared loudly and blocked his path. He was clearly angry. He looked his brother straight in the eye. "Is that a challenge?"
Scar, who was slightly surprised by Mufasa's reaction, just shook his head. "Ooh…temper, temper. I wouldn't dream of challenging you."
Zazu landed right in between them, facing Scar. "Pity. Why not?"
Scar smiled. "Well as far as brains go, I got the lion's share." His smiled disappeared when he looked back up at Mufasa. "But when it comes to brute strength…" He walked by them. "…I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool." Scar walked down to the waterhole.
Mufasa just looked at his little brother with a dull expression. Scar was his brother, but Scar seemed to resent him for everything. Mufasa being favored by their father didn't help. In fact, it probably started it. Ahadi never took Scar out around the kingdom, never explained and demonstrated the duties as king. Mufasa felt sympathetic for his younger brother.
Zazu shook his head and sighed. "There's one in every family, sire. Two in mine, actually…and they always go about ruining special occasions."
Mufasa sighed as well. "Whatever am I going to do with him?"
Zazu smiled. "He'd make a very handsome throw rug."
Mufasa looked at him, surprised and amused at the same time. "Zazu."
"And just think, whenever he gets dirty you can take him outside and beat him," Zazu finished.
Mufasa laughed as they headed back to Pride Rock. Already, the sun was setting and they would be turning in for the night. Soon afterwards, Mufasa's ears perked up. "Do you hear something, Zazu?"
Zazu stopped flying and landed by the king's feet. "Yes, I hear it too. But I've never heard anything like it before, and it's coming from the sky." Mufasa immediately felt a surge of hope and ran for the nearest clearing, leaving Zazu in the dust. Zazu coughed as he flew after him. "Wait, sire. Wait for me."
Mufasa reached a clearing and looked out into the Pride Lands. In the air, flying towards them, was Danny's ship. Mufasa let out a roar for the lionesses to rally at his point. It wasn't long before the lionesses came to him. Sarabi and Sarafina were among the few who lagged behind, making sure their cubs were with them. As they gathered around, Mufasa beamed at them. "That flying ship belongs to Danny. He's alive."
Most of the lionesses let out whoops of joy. Zira, on the other hand, did not. "What? That human!? That's what you wanted us here for?"
Mufasa glared at her. "He is one of ours. Danny is no different than any of you being lost and now found."
Sarafina frowned. "But didn't you say he was captured?"
Mufasa turned to her. "Apparently he escaped."
Her frown didn't go away. "But couldn't any of his captors have the ability to fly that metal beast?"
Mufasa's face went slack. He didn't think about that possibility. "Good point. Still, let's go up there and find out. Just be cautious." He now focused his attention at his mate. "Sarabi, make sure all lionesses with cubs remain in the rear of the group in the event of hostilities."
Sarabi smiled. "You can count on me, love."
Mufasa led the pride up to the top of the summit of Pride Rock, as that's where the ship was landing. When they made it to the top, the ship had already landed. Steam was hissing out of the "legs" of the ship. The landing ramp lowered. At first, no one came out, and Mufasa positioned himself for attack. He was relieved and overjoyed when Danny walked down the ramp.
Danny smirked. "Hey, cats. Did you miss me?"
"You have no idea," Mufasa replied, as he and the rest of the pride charged him and knocked him to the ground.
Danny laughed as they rolled over him and licked him with their rough tongues. Of course, the weight was beginning to be too much for him. "I glad to be with you guys again." His voice suddenly became raspy. "And I can't breathe." They got the message and got off of him. He caught his breath. "I'll assume you missed me."
Sarabi came up to him and nuzzled him with her face. "Assume away." Danny wrapped his arm around her neck. "We missed you very much."
"I missed all of you too."
"Hey, mom. Who's this?" Danny turned his attention to a young male cub standing by Sarabi. He had golden fur and ruby eyes much like Sarabi's.
Sarabi broke away from Danny and smiled at him. "This is Danny, Simba. He is one of us."
The cub frowned. "He doesn't look like one of us."
Everyone laughed at this. Sarabi brought her head down to his level. "He's a human, a different species, but the pride has accepted him because he has nowhere else to go."
Danny knelt down beside him. "So it's Simba, huh? Name's Danny…nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too."
Danny placed his hand on Simba's head and ruffled his fur. He looked back at Sarabi. "Congratulations on being a mother."
"Thanks. Simba was born a day after you disappeared, and Sarafina also gave birth to a cub a few days after that."
"Wow. I missed a lot. How long have I been gone for?"
"Seven days."
Danny thought he was only gone for three days. Guess I was knocked out longer than I thought. He finally remembered something. "Mufasa."
Mufasa came over to him. "Yes, what is it Danny?"
"While I was in captivity, I was imprisoned with a pride of lions. Their king showed the same compassion you had for me though he was a little suspicious at first. Half of them were separated from the rest of their pride and I freed them during my escape. I had told him previously that I had been accepted into your pride shortly before my capture. The king told me that whatever pride I belonged to, he would give his allegiance to them."
Mufasa was amazed at the events and what Danny had done. "Really?"
Danny smiled. "Yes. I brought him and his pride with me to discuss things and then they would be on their way." He turned around and whistled. Coming out were Jabari and Alijiah, followed by Malka and the rest of the pride. At first, the lionesses of Mufasa's pride weren't expecting this, and responded with defensive positions and growls. Before things escalated, Danny waved it down. "Easy, easy." He introduced the two kings. "Mufasa, king of Pride Rock and ruler of the Pride Lands, meet Jabari, king of the Shore Pride and ruler of the Tropic Lands."
"A pleasure to meet you, King Mufasa." Jabari said as he bowed low with respect. His lionesses did the same.
"And you also, King Jabari," Mufasa replied. He, too, bowed low with respect. His lionesses followed suit. "So, Danny says you will pledge mutual allegiance to myself and my pride?"
"That is true. Because Danny saved our lives, we are indebted to him for the rest of our lives. If you or he needs help, we will be ready to help." Jabari pointed with his paw to the east. "Our shore is a day's travel from here, between another pride just over the mountain. If you need us, just ask. Our loyalty is primarily to Danny, but since you are his king, that loyalty will also be transferred over to you."
Mufasa looked over towards Danny. After only a few days as a member of our pride, he was won another over. I wonder how well of a leader he could be. He returned his gaze to Jabari. "Well, then. From this point on, our prides will consider each other brothers and sisters from this point on." He and Jabari bumped their heads against each other as a pledge sign. The lionesses roared in approval.
Danny watched on in amazement. He never felt so emotional before since losing his parents, but this was one of the greatest achievements in his mind: bringing two peoples together. After the roaring was done, Danny was the first to speak. "Now that we are one pride, so to speak, can we go inside the cave? It's cold, and I think it's time for us to sleep." They all began to head down to the cave, but Danny held back Mufasa. "Could I speak to you up here for a moment?"
"Sure." Mufasa waited until the pride headed down for the cave. He turned to Danny. "What's on your mind?"
"There's a cub among Jabari's people who's not one of theirs. He was from another pride. His name is Malka, the cub with the black tufted ears." Danny could see Mufasa knew what he was going to ask. "He's like a little brother to me. Could he please stay with us at least until we find his pride?"
"And if we can't?"
"We could keep him as a member of our pride."
Mufasa's face remained iron rigid. "That's a very bold request given the fact that I have a son to raise up as the future prince."
"I understand that and respect it. If that ends up as the case, I will watch after him and teach him what I know."
Mufasa thought it over, and Danny hoped he would say yes. Mufasa smiled. "Alright, he may stay here. I will send Zazu out to find his pride. I know of a pride over the mountain on the way to the shores. If Jabari and his pride head that way, Zazu will accompany them until they reach that pride."
"Thank you, Mufasa. I greatly appreciate this."
"However, tomorrow I want him to play with Simba and Sarafina's daughter Nala. Two lionesses will accompany them just for safety purposes. Before you ask, Sarabi and Sarafina are now ready to take part in the hunts. Zira had led the hunting party in Sarabi's absence."
Danny was stunned. "You let Zira lead the parties?"
"She is second best of the lionesses to Sarabi. I told you before she and Scar have their contributions to the pride."
The boy shrugged. "Okay, but what does this have to do with me?"
"The lionesses want to see if you could be some help in a hunt for food. You might provide a new dimension to our hunting."
"Alright. I guess that means I need to be in good shape for that." He shivered and rubbed his arms. "But it's getting colder and I'm tired. Let's get some sleep." The two of them headed down for the cave. Mufasa went to the plateau that rose a little bit above the ground. He laid down next to Sarabi and Simba and fell asleep. Jabari and his pride slept in a tight group near Mufasa's lionesses. Danny opened up a sleeping bag and pillow that he grabbed from his ship and set it up in between the two groups. Malka once again, sat down next to him and fell asleep. Danny pulled the cub into the sleeping bag to keep him warm and zipped up the bag. Lying down on his belly, Danny rested his head on his pillow and fell asleep.
