I don't own any of the animals, apart from Colin, Ibura (Swahili for 'wonderful'), Nina (Swahili for 'mother') and Najiri, (Swahili for 'emigrate).


"So what was that back there," Colin asked.

"Just saying good-bye," Vitani, replied coolly.

"Really," Colin asked, "'cause it seemed a bit more, intimate."

"I was just saying good-bye, okay," Vitani suddenly snapped, "not against any rules is it?"

"No," Colin replied meekly. Something more than a good-bye had gone on back there, he knew, but he wasn't about to let his curiosity override his survival instincts.

"Good," Vitani said, "now shut up."

Colin nodded, not wanting to incur any more of Vitani's sudden wrath than he had to. Some way above, Ibura whispered to Zazu, "what's going on with Vitani?"

"I have my suspicions," Zazu replied, "but now isn't the time to inquire."

"I think you're right," Ibura said. She was silenlt for a moment, then said, "oh."

"What," Zazu asked, "is something wrong?"

"Not too much," Ibura replied, "I just remembered some friends I'd wanted to say good-bye to, but I suppose it's too late now."

"Not necessarily," Zazu said, and dropped down till he was much closer to Vitani, "miss Vitani?"

"What is it," Vitani asked.

"Well, sorry if this becomes a delay," Zazu replied, "but there a few friends Ibura would like to farewell to before we leave altogether."

Vitani seemed to consider this for a few moments, then asked, "who?"

"I'll just check," Zazu replied, then ascended again to where Ibura was, and asked, "who was it you wanted to farewell?"

"Well, it was just Nina and Najiri really," Ibura replied, "I mean, they've been good friends, and it just doesn't seem right to go without saying good-bye."

Zazu nodded, then returned to Vitani and said, "just two, a cheetah and a giraffe."

Vitani appeared to think for a moment, then said, "well, the giraffe I couldn't care less about, but the cheetah, tell me, did she have cubs?"

"No, but she was quite pregnant," Zazu replied, "why, do you know her?"

"I think I do," Vitani replied, "and I wouldn't mind saying goodbye to her myself."

"And the giraffe," Zazu asked.

"The cheetah first," Vitani replied, "then you can go off and say good-bye to your giraffe friend."

Zazu nodded, then rose again to Ibura, and said, "Vitani, it seems, would also like to farewell Nina, nad we have permission to farewell Najiri, provided we farewell Nina first."

Ibura looked uncertain for a moment, then dropped down to where Vitani was, and said, "follow me please."


"Hey, give it back," said a small voice, a female cheetah cub, "it's mine."

"No it's not," her brother replied, "it's mine."

"No, it's mine," the female said again, "now give it back."

"Isn't," her brother replied.

"Is," the female repeated.

"Isn't."

"Is."

"Isn't."

"I..."

"Enough," Nina said, "both of you, quit it."

"But," the female began.

"Enough, I said," Nina said again, "just you two behave yourselves."

"Problems," asked another voice.

"What," Nina said, turning, then spotted Ibura and Zazu, "oh, nothing I can't handle, and how are you going?"

"Oh, none too badly," Ibura replied, but looked uncomfortable, "um..."

"What's wrong," Nina asked asked, concerned.

"We're leaving," Zazu replied, managing to sound regretful, yet neutral.

"Leaving," Nina asked surprised, and when Ibura nodded, her face fell slightly, "well, that's good, at least you might someday get home." She didn't even try to hide her sadness.

Ibura remained perched on the branch for a few moments, then, on an impulse, flew down and embraced Nina as best she could, "I just, I just want to say, thank you for being such a good friend to me, I'll miss you dearly, and I'll never forget you."

Nina was surprised at the embrace, but it took her only a moment to act, putting her head forward to return her embrace as best she could she said, "and I'll miss you, after all, it's not every day someone like me gets a friend, or even someone who's neither afraid nor hostile."

The embrace lasted until Zazu cleared his throat, and said, "there was someone else who also wanted to farewell you."

"And who's that," Nina asked, as Ibura proceeded to disengage from the embrace.

"A lioness," Zazu replied, "she believes she knows you."

"Well I know of a lioness," Nina said in reply, "I can't say I know her that well though, so I don't know why she wants to say good-bye to me."

"I also found it a little surprising," Zazu said, "but nevertheless."

Nina raised an eyebrow at this, then asked, "where is she then?"

"Over there," Zazu replied, indicating a lioness nearby, seemingly just examining her surroundings.

Nina seemed to consider the situation for a few moments, then throwing a last glance at the two hornbills, made her way over to the lioness, and asked, "you wanted me?"

Vitani turned when Nina spoke. "I just came to say good-bye," she said, "I suppose it seems odd, but I figure it's also courtesy." Behind them, she saw Zazu and Ibura take off, presumably to say good by to their giraffe friend.

"Well I suppose I ought to thank you for the help you've given me recently," Nina said, "though I can't say I believed you the first time you gave me a carcass."

"Well I was achy," Vitani replied, "but I also have a daughter I haven't seen in a long time, so some of that played in as well." She paused a moment, then asked, "how many have you got?"

"What's that to you," Nina asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Just interested," Vitani replied.

Nina considered for a moment, then, deciding there was nothing either way, replied, "four."

Vitani raised an eyebrow, and said, "and I though we had it hard for raising cubs, good luck with them."

"I'll survive," Nina replied, "now, are we finished here?"

"More-or-less I think," Vitani replied.

"Good," Nina said, turning, "because I've got cubs to mind."

"What's with her," Colin asked, as Nina left, "she seemed kind of angry." He hadn't actually met the cheetah, but had taken one look at her approaching, and decided he didn't like the looks of her, so he'd hidden behind Vitani.

"I think I push too hard with some of the questions," Vitani replied.


"Well, I wish you good luck on your search," Najiri said to Ibura, once Zazu had informer him of the situation, "but I must say, I'll miss you, it was, after all, your camaraderie that helped pull me out my a depression."

"You've said that before," Ibura said, "and I've said the same about you, and it's true."

Zazu wasn't entirely sure what was going on here, though there was evidently a little more to the relationship than he'd first appraised. Finally, he asked Najiri, "do you think you'll ever return to the Pridelands?"

Najiri turned to regard Zazu, and thought for some time before replying, "it's a possibility."

A possibility, Zazu though, was usually a polite way of saying no, but he knew Najiri better than that, if the old giraffe said 'a possibility', he meant it, "fair enough."