I flew along, higher than I'd ever dreamed, but very alone and missing my best friend.
As I flew along, I saw the Pridelands—they were a mess.
"I have to find Simba," I muttered under my breath.
Eventually, I reached the jungle, where I saw a lion cub—it had to be Simba—a meerkat, and a warthog.
I knew Simba could talk, but I wasn't sure about the others.
I landed and the meerkat asked, "Pumbaa, what was that?"
"I don't know, Timon," the warthog replied. "What do you think, Simba?"
"Simba?" Timon called.
Simba walked toward where I had landed, sniffing around. Then he saw me. "Elphaba?" he asked uncertainly.
I smiled. "Elphaba!" he yelled, racing over to me.
I hugged him and he licked my face multiple times. "Alright, alright," I said, pulling away.
"It's good to see you, too, Simba. I've missed you," I admitted.
"What happened to you?" he asked, noticing the cloak and broom and my bag.
Timon and Pumbaa arrived and Timon asked, "Who is she and why aren't you attacking her, Simba?"
Simba smiled at me and said, "This is my friend, Elphaba. She saved me before I joined you guys. Elphaba, these are Timon and Pumbaa."
I smiled and Simba said, "Let her join us. She'll be a good addition to the gang."
Timon looked thoughtful, but then decided he had to know something—what was I doing?
"OK, how did you meet Simba and what happened?" Timon asked.
I sighed and said, "OK, so I went to Shiz University in Oz. My teacher, Dr. Dillamond—he's a Goat—there are two different kinds of animals in Oz—Animals who can talk and animals who can't—was taken away for speaking out in favor of Animal rights. I was upset by this, but then the new professor, Dr. Niddik came in, carrying a cage with a cub in it. I had to do something and lost my temper, forcing the others, except for Fiyero—a boy in my class—to start freaking out. Fiyero grabbed the cage and I took care of getting the cub to safety, where I learned that the cub's name was Simba and that this little guy is the same cub I saved back at Shiz."
"What's with the broom?" Pumbaa asked suddenly.
"I'm getting there," I snapped. "So, I learned I was to meet the Wizard and I thought, hey, maybe, I can do something here. Maybe I can bring the Animal rights issue to the Wizard and he'll do something about it. Boy, was I wrong. It turns out, he's the one behind the Animal Banns—those are laws taking away Animal rights—and the Animal suppression that's occurring across Oz. So, after he tricked me into hexing a group of innocent monkeys—giving them wings—now I knew someone had to do something and I decided that it would be me. I fled the Emerald City, heading West. Everyone will be searching the Western region of Oz, as well as Munchkinland to find me to kill me," I finished.
Timon frowned and said, "No."
Pumbaa looked horrified.
And Simba began to cry. "Elphaba, I don't want you to die," he sobbed.
I wrapped my arms around him and said, "Simba, they'll have to find me first, which won't be easy especially here. Look around. What do you see?"
"Lots of green," he said, slowly.
"What color am I?" I asked.
"Green," he said, slowly.
"Then I am safe here," I said, simply.
"Do you think you could stop the Wizard?" Simba asked.
I nodded and he said, "Guys, Elphaba should join us. She's for us. She's given up her life to help our kind—the Animals—get their rights back in Oz."
Pumbaa looked at me and said, "Elphaba, you have got to put your behind in your past."
"What?" I asked.
"He means, 'Put your past behind you,'" Simba clarified.
Timon smiled at me and said, "Hakuna Matata."
"What?" I asked.
"It's our motto," Simba said.
I nodded and said, "Explain, please."
Timon smiled and then the three of them began explaining Hakuna Matata to me.
"Hakuna Matata!" Timon began. "What a wonderful phrase."
"Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze," Pumbaa interjected.
"It means no worries for the rest of your days," Simba continued.
"It's our problem-free philosophy," the three declared. "Hakuna Matata!"
"Listen to me, Elphaba," Timon said. "These two words will solve all your problems. Why, look at Pumbaa here."
"Why, when he was a young warthog," Timon began.
"When I was a young warthog," Pumbaa interrupted.
"Very nice," Timon commented.
"Thanks," Pumbaa replied.
"He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal. He could clear the savannah after every meal," Timon said calmly.
"I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick-skinned and it hurt that my friends never stood downwind," Pumbaa informed me.
"And, oh, the shame," Pumbaa declared.
"He was ashamed," Simba said.
"I thought of changing my name," Pumbaa added.
"Oh, what's in a name?" Timon asked.
"And I got downhearted," Pumbaa continued.
"How did you feel?" Simba asked.
"Every time that I…" Pumbaa began.
"Hey, Pumbaa, not in front of the kid," Timon interrupted.
I laughed and all three declared, "Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase! Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze!"
I smiled and said, "It means no worries for the rest of your days!"
"Yeah, sing it, kid," Timon called to me.
"It's our problem-free philosophy!" we declared.
"Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata!" we sang, marching through the jungle.
"What's for dinner?" I asked.
"Grubs," Timon said, simply.
I nodded and Simba came over and said, "Just remember, 'Hakuna Matata' okay, Elphaba?"
I nodded and Pumbaa said, "Grubs are slimy yet satisfying."
I nodded and picked up one that Timon offered me. "Well, Hakuna Matata," I said, feeling slightly squeamish.
I swallowed it quickly and then paused. "Slimy, yet satisfying," I declared.
The others nodded.
We walked through the jungle, with Simba and Timon and Pumbaa showing me good places for dinner to hide from us.
"Hakuna Matata…it means no worries for the rest of your days," I declared.
"It's our problem-free philosophy," the four of us called cheerfully.
"Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata!" we sang, as we headed for home.
