A/N: Oh, man! Has it been forever since this story has seen an update! Apologies for that, by the way lol. But now, it has finally

returned!

I hope to update this on a more regular basis now, so you won't have to wait so long between chapters. I appreciate the support as always, and hope you will like this next installment!

Major props to Liam Holman for assisting me in the editing/proofreading of this new chapter. He has an account under the same name, as well as a currently ongoing rewrite for his story! Be sure and check him out.

Jason Chandler - That it did… This chapter goes a bit more into it.

Marcus Graves (Guest) - Man, I 100% agree with those sentiments! It was mainly to put a new spin onto the poachers. Instead of having them be generic bad guys, I wanted to how that they were still human, and that certain hardships may have led them to doing bad things.

Dinolion92 - Ikr? Lol. Ya just never know what Scar is gonna do!

Daniel's the Man (Guest) - Definitely not. And thanks!

Jestalnaker94000 - You know, you make a very interesting point lol. I think your insight will prove rather useful in this chapter XD

Liam Holman - Thank you! And oh, you know it lol. Appreciate the help here, today!

Frozen Wolf heart 22 - Oh yeahhh! I remember you! It is good to hear from you again. I appreciate your ongoing support. It does mean a lot.

GeminiSparkSX - Hey, man. I really appreciate that. I hope that it will continue to impress! Always good hearing from you.

vburro08 - Hahaha, oh no XD That Rafiki will always get ya! And oh yes, I certainly have potential plans for that hyena in the future.

Interstate2011 - Thanks, the country, and no.

erica phoenix16 - Such a mixture of emotions! XD Idk whether to be happy or sad

Paul Crew - You are also epic! Thanks, man. Really means a lot!

DoctorPony - Ask and you shall receive.

Chapter 8: Unexpected Visitor

Inside the lone baobab tree, Rafiki was inside painting on the walls. Rafiki just got done finishing up some paintings of Zainabu and Malka, adding them to the Pride Rock 'family tree' since they were technically now 'official' members of the pride.

Raflki chuckles at his work, saying,

"Oh Ahadi, the Pridelands are flourishing tremendously! De pride continues to grow, gaining members ever stronger and trustworthy as de days go by!" Rafiki dips his fingers into some more paint, before adding, "Now to add Joe to de tree."

The wind started to pick up tremendously, before the breeze knocked two of Raflki's paint containers off of the shelves above. One container spilled paint right beside Drew's illustration, and the other below it.

Rafiki looked at this and gasped.

"What are you trying to say, Ahadi?" Rafiki put his hand to his ear, the wind blowing directly into his ear, somehow communicating with him.

Rafiki gasped once more and stood there in silence for a few seconds.

"Drew... have a mate? And a cub!?" Rafiki paced around his tree for a few more seconds and continued, "Are you positive, Ahadi?"

The wind blew directly on him once more to give its answer, Rafiki cackling aloud soon afterwards, finally once more gazing upon the family tree,

"De family will truly be complete! But two questions: Who, and how?"

The wind didn't blow back this time. Rafiki sighed and shook his head.

"Always leaving me to find things out on my own, eh Ahadi?" The mandrill jested.

This time, a voice from the clouds faintly spoke to Rafiki in a teasing manner, himself. It was Ahadi.

"Consider this payback for all those times you've done similar things to me."

The voice sounded ghoulish and echoey, yet at the same time held much wisdom and resolve.

Raflki smiled and shook his head, before holding a finger to his chin in thought. Before he could think of any possibilities, he heard the strangest sound he had ever heard in his life…

Cocking an eyebrow in confusion, Rafiki exited his tree to see what was going on.

What he saw upon emerging was this... strange looking metal beast with rolling limbs.

"What in de Great Kings?" Rafiki questioned with a sense of curiosity, as well as cautiousness.

Rafiki squinted his eyes, catching a rather familiar glimpse…

Could that be?...

"Drew!?" Rafiki questioned, now wide eyed.

"Rafiki!" I shouted back.

Rafiki rushed towards me with that blasted stick, causing me to hit the brakes.

When at last Rafiki made it to the stopped jeep, he started to- oh fuck!

"Hey hey hey! Stop!" I shout at Rafiki.

Raflki temporarily pauses what he is doing, cocking a brow of confusion my way, as he looks from his stick, to the jeep.

"So, you weren't in danger?"

"What- I… No!" I had to chuckle aloud. It was honestly quite ridiculous, the concept of the jeep directly causing me any harm as if it was alive.

However, I had to remember… things were far different out here, so how were they to know?

I exit the driver's seat of the vehicle, shutting the door behind me as I go to inspect the hood.

Unsurprisingly, it now had a small dent in it.

"Oh great-" I begin ranting in slight frustration, before putting my hands on my hips.

"Do ya have to hit every fucking thing you see-"

BONK!

"Yes." Rafiki couldn't help but cackle, as I once again rubbed my head in annoyance.

"So I see…" I muttered, as we both looked at the jeep once again.

"So den what is it?" Rafiki had to wonder. "I have a wide variety of knowledge, dear Prince. But neva in my life have I eva seen anyting like dis before…"

"It's a jeep." I bluntly explained. "It gets me to places quicker. I got it from the poachers. They-"

I had to sigh, looking away out of guilt.

"-They're dead now..."

"Ahh, I see…" Rafiki had to slowly nod. "And dis… upsets you?"

"Well, I- Yes and no." I answered, not quite sure how to put it. "I know what they did was bad, and I don't justify such actions… Father has mentioned how feared the legend of the 'Lion Killers' are, which are humans like them."

I shook my head.

"But… they're still my own kind… I- I was forced to take one of their lives, to protect a friend."

"Ah, so it was not in vain…" Rafiki observed.

"Well, that's true." I replied. "But I sure wish I didn't have to do that…"

"Prince Drew, I undastand why dis may hurt you…" Rafiki spoke gently. "Your past life, it… sounded very different den da one you live now. You have a stronger sense of morals…"

"Right." I nodded.

"And while dis action may hurt now…" Rafiki looked to Joe, who was in the back of the jeep, already piecing together that he was that 'friend'. "In time, you will realize dat it was for de greater good… It wasn't the most welcome option, but you have potentially saved Joe's life. And dat is something to be proud of."

I looked over at Joe as well, who by this point had slipped into unconsciousness, before I took a deep breath, fighting back the urge to shed a tear.

My emotions were simply going crazy right now… It was odd, remembering how I had lived for many years under human society's banner, compared to now, where it was survival of the fittest almost.

No, I wish I didn't have to kill that man… but I at least realize now that it… was not pointless.

"You are right, Rafiki…" I smiled. "Thank you."

"Dere is no need to tink me, Prince." Rafiki returned the gesture. "Ol' Rafiki will always be dere for de King and Queen's family. As he always has been."

Both of us now walking around to behind the jeep, we saw that the rope I had tied around Joe to keep him strapped down on the ride over here, had mostly held up.

"Before you ask, no, I did not want to do this." I shook my head. "But none of us were able to really pick him up, so… this was the best we could do."

"Hmm…" Rafiki stroked his chin in thought. "Well, this a most odd case. Neva have I performed healing on one as big as he. It will require a healthy elephant to lift him into my tree."

"Jeez…" I muttered. That sure was one big lion, when it took an entire elephant to move him!

Rafiki turned around, looking like he was preparing to reenter his tree.

"I shall gatha de necessary materials… I will assist Joe outside for now and clean de wound. Afterward, I will travel to de elephant territory so I can move him inside and finish my treatment."

I nodded in understanding, as Rafiki slipped back into his tree.

Untying the rope straps, Joe now slowly slumped to the ground, still very much out of it.

I sighed, before tossing the rope into the back of the bloodsoaked jeep. That gunshot wound he suffered indeed looked nasty.

I just… hoped that he would turn out okay...

"Drew!" I hear Dad yell from a short distance away. He and the three lionesses known as Amira, Kamili, and Saida ran as fast as they could over to me and the unconscious Joe.

"Hey, Dad." I greeted Mufasa, also giving a nod towards the three lionesses. "Ladies."

"What did Rafiki tell you?" Dad questioned me, looking down at Joe's form.

"Well, he-"

"Okay, I will need time to work, so- Oh, greetings my King!" Rafiki gave a warm greeting upon seeing Mufasa, holding the necessary materials he would need in his hands.

"Rafiki…" Dad gave a smile of his own, before taking a step back upon seeing the mandrill inspect the gunshot wound. "We will be back to visit later. We don't wish to impede your work."

"Alright, King Mufasa." Rafiki nodded, still laser focused on Joe. "Come back soon, you hear? Bye bye now."

I had to cock a brow as they each began to walk away. Perhaps… Rafiki was very focused when it came to his healing.

Which honestly I didn't blame him for. In a situation as dire as this, distractions definitely weren't needed.

Entering the jeep once again, I started the engine, before driving off into the savanna dead ahead, riding alongside Dad and the three lionesses.

"I see Rafiki… is serious about what he does." I had to comment with a chuckle, Dad nodding in response.

"Indeed he is." He now looked my direction. "He is the best shaman the Pride Lands has ever seen. And he is also a dear family friend…"

I could only grin in response, though said nothing else for a bit.

It would be Mufasa who would break the silence once again,

"What are you going to do while Raflki works on Joe?"

I rubbed my fingers through my beard, which honestly was beginning to come in really fast, before thinking,

'I really should shave this thing off…'

''I'm gonna get some things from my bag at Pride Rock and then go to the Waterhole for a while." I finally responded to his question.

"Okay, Son. Just be careful. You remember what happened last time you tried to go to the Waterhole..."

"I know, Dad." I knowingly replied, though I still appreciated the concern he held for me...

Before we parted ways, he turned to me once more, speaking,

"Oh, and Son?"

"Yeah, Dad?" I questioned, very curious now.

Had something else gone down?

Mufasa smirked, before commenting

"Nice mane. It's about time it came in."

My eyes widened, before my fingers ran through my beard.

'My mane? What is he- Does he mean this!? Oh… my God. That's… actually kind of hilarious.'

As I smirked in return at how funny the comparison was, Dad then winked, before running away with the three lionesses from earlier, who had to giggle at the comment themselves.

It appeared they were taking an alternative route back to Pride Rock…

Oh well, leave it to me to be boring and traditional I guess. There was a straightforward path, so I was gonna take it.

I didn't wanna rough the jeep up too bad, after all. Rafiki had already done that for me.

I couldn't help but chuckle internally about that, thinking back to the dent he had made.

'Man, honestly? It's a good thing I'm not in human society anymore. Insurance would be on my ass about this! They'd tell me why they 'couldn't cover this' or 'couldn't cover that'. Knowing them...'

And yeah, sure, there are things that I would never miss about living in a human society.

But what about the things that I would miss?

What would I do to have children? Have a wife? That type of thing?

I sighed, while I shook my head.

"Perhaps fate never intended that to happen... "

I zoomed past a herd of zebra, seemingly in the home stretch. Pride Rock was still quite the distance away, but I could at least make out its form on the horizon.

However, little did I know at the time, fate was gonna be one unpredictable son of a bitch!

Driving further through the savanna, I took in the atmosphere once more, this time on a grander scale. The zebra grazing in the grassland was now in my rearview mirror, as my sight now saw some hippos bathing in some nearby water to get out of the heat.

Not that I could blame them… It was pretty freaking hot out today.

I glanced towards the sun, which was beginning to set for the day, before smiling. I just had to reflect once more on just how lucky I was being here.

This was definitely a sight that you didn't see every day in most of the world. It was just beautiful!

Exhaling, I felt rather content, prepared to eat the final meal of the day before heading off to sleep. Today had definitely been an exhausting one to say the least...

However, through the sounds of the jeep's roaring engine, I heard something else...

Mew!

I slammed on the brakes immediately, my eyes widening in surprise.

I wasn't about to hit something, was I!?

Upon making a sudden stop, I turned the engine off, listening for the noise again. After waiting for several seconds, I began to shrug.

"Huh…" I spoke in confusion.

Maybe I was just hearing things.

Before I could start the engines once more, however, I did manage to hear the same sound from earlier, this time louder.

MEW!

"What the..."

I had to admit, I was curious now...

It sounded kind of like a cat. But, not a grown cat or anything; a kitten!

"There can't be any domestic kittens out here in the African wilderness, though? No way… I have to investigate!"

With that, I exited the jeep and followed the sounds of this 'kitten'. My search eventually led me to a bush... which-

"Holy shit…" I breathed, shaking my head. "What is this?"

The bush was coated in blood… Which I mean, it wasn't too uncommon to see blood out here after a predator had made a fresh hunt, but something about this made me feel… uneasy.

Was I about to regret what I was about to find?

I took a final breath, before immediately pulling aside the leaves on the bush.

What I saw made my entire body run cold.

A lioness… who I had never seen in my entire life, dead...

She looked to have been eaten on some parts of her body.

This was… simply not right! If it was the result of a fight, then she shouldn't have been eaten on this much! If it was for a desperate bite of food, then it just didn't make sense to nibble on her then hide her inside a bush!

This just wasn't adding up at all...

Hiding her in this bush meant that someone tried to hide this and cover it up! There was no other reason that made any logical sense.

But as if things couldn't get any worse, this wasn't all! Nope!

There was a lion cub with a golden brown pelt and blue eyes, still alive and looking to be unharmed. It was trying desperately to get milk from its dead mother, but it would be in vain…

I began to tear up over this sight. That poor cub…

It didn't even know that its mother was dead...

The cub looked up at me now, before tilting its head at me.

"Mew?" the cub asks me.

Of course I didn't understand what that even meant, as one obviously wouldn't.

But, in response, I knelt down beside the cub, giving a gentle,

"Hi there, little one..."

The cub crawls its way over to me and begins sniffing me, learning my scent. It now looks back up at me before vocalizing again,

"Mew."

After doing that, it nuzzled my leg while purring.

I couldn't help but smile, and began to pet the cub, stroking its fur. This prompts it to purr even louder, feeling content and protected.

I lost my smile just seconds later, before I began to think seriously,

'I can't leave this cub out here alone! I have to take it back to Pride Rock! Whether it's a male or female remains to be seen.'

I cautiously pick up the cub, which made it whimper in curiousness and slight fear.

"Shh… It's okay. You'll be okay..." I attempted to console the cub.

I got back into my driver's seat, placing the cub in my lap so that it wouldn't fall.

Starting the engine back up, I sped the rest of the way towards Pride Rock.

"My goodness!" Sarafina gasped, which was her response of my recollection on what had just happened.

"Poor thing!" Nzuri exclaimed now, the usual smile on her muzzle now replaced with a frown...

"Mufasa, what do you think about this?" My adoptive mother, Sarabi, asked Mufasa.

Dad shook his head in disgust at what had happened to this poor cub, before replying,

"I think we need to find out who did this. Their crimes must not go unpunished!"

"What if it was those humans from before?" Aasha asked.

My mind flashed back to those moments, back when the poachers had died, one of them by my hand.

The image of Floyd's lifeless body lying there was all too clear to me… I knew full well that it couldn't have been them…

"It was too fresh a kill…" I informed. "It couldn't have been them. And besides, they're dead, anyway."

Some of the pride began to murmur amongst themselves. I wasn't stupid… I knew some of them still didn't quite trust me.

Which was expected, I suppose. I mean, it wasn't every day that a human was so quickly accepted into a pride, let alone at all.

Especially when my kind had such a bad reputation.

'I will go back to where they lay tonight before the scavengers get them… I promised them a proper burial, so I can at least grant them that…' I thought to myself, as the topic appeared to change once again.

"-And even with that said, that still doesn't answer who will adopt this poor cub?" Nzuri questioned. "It can't just go without someone to care for it!"

"That's a very good question." Mom agreed.

"'She', by the way." Sarafina said with a smirk.

'Ah, a female! Well at least now we have that question out of the way…' I mused.

I then chuckled inwardly to myself, petting the cub who was still in my arms, fast asleep while the pride and I kept discussing the issue.

"So, who is willing to take her in?" Dad asked the pride as a whole, restating the question.

The pride glanced among one another and no one spoke up straight away. There were many lionesses who were pregnant already, however, some who also weren't.

Before a proper decision could be made, the sun's rays then focused itself dead center onto me and the cub, which… for some reason, prompted the pride to gasp in shock.

"Uhmm… What?" I asked, pretty confused.

Dad replied with a grin on his muzzle. "The Great Kings have chosen for us!"

Still absolutely puzzled, Mom decided to make things more clear for me,

"Drew, you are to be the father to this cub."

"Yeah, okay. I can-" Just then my mother's words finally clicked in my brain. "Wait, what!?"

"Drew-" Dad tried to speak, as I nervously asked another question,

"Great Kings? What in the world is that-"

"Drew…" Dad spoke more firmly, now catching my attention. He took a breath. "You still have a lot to learn, my son…I'll tell you later tonight. For now, all you need to know is that you are a father! Congratulations, Son. Looks like I'm a Grandfather now!" He ended in a jest.

Sarabi gasped, before commenting,

"I haven't even given birth to my first born cub and I'm already a Grandmother-"

She had to pause.

"How does... that even work?"

"Woah woah woah." I stopped everyone, sweating in a panic. "And who said I was gonna adopt this cub, anyway?"

"The Great Kings Of The Past." Dad answered sarcastically.

"Oh, ha ha- I mean what if I don't want to adopt her? What if I feel like I'm not ready?" I made the question more clear.

"Son," Dad began. "you have to understand, this is a great honor! When the Great Kings themselves choose you for an important milestone in a situation such as this, believe me, you're ready."

I absorbed those words, but still wasn't totally buying all that… I then looked down, gazing at the still sleeping cub once again. As I did so, Dad continued,

"It means that it was your destiny to do this. To change this young cub's life for the better. You are the one who gets to raise her. You will get to watch her grow up into a strong, vibrant lioness. You-" Dad stopped and looked up into the sky with the wind blowing through his mane. He took a deep breath, finishing,

"-You will be her entire world... "

My father's words… honestly really touched me. Did I feel ready? Well, no, but…

I saw the tired cub yawn, which in turn makes an adorable squeaking sound.

"Aww." I whisper so only I can hear it.

'Good God, man… You're such a softy, aren't you!?' I internally monologued.

Taking a breath, I look up at my father, Mufasa, before confidently replying,

"I... will adopt her."

The entire pride let out cheers of congratulations and, not to mention, kept bombarding me with questions!

My Dad then roared, silencing the pride.

"One question at a time." Dad stated.

"What will you name her?" Sarafina asked me first after the sympathy of voices had stopped.

I thought real hard about any Swahili names I might have picked up back in school or something…

I mean, it was only fitting to give her an African name, right? The strangest thing you could do was give her a name that sounded very… Western.

But then again, how the hell Joe got his name in the heart of Africa, was a mystery to me.

"Uh, well…" I stutter, trying to come up with a final name that sounded nice.

It wasn't a moment later that something lit up in my mind! I smiled in realization of this.

I had her name!

"Oh, I know!" I exclaim, the pride setting their full attention on me. "Her name shall be…"

I looked down at the cub.

"Adia…" I revealed, full of pride.

A/N: End of chapter! Well, well. Stuff has certainly happened this time around, wouldn't you say? And very interesting events at that! Where will it all lead? Stay tuned… As always, feel free to review, and I'll see ya next time!