We're Back Folks!
And I got to say. I really really REALLY enjoyed 'Falcon And The Winter Soldier's' finale last weekend. But now it's called 'Captain America And The Winter Soldier' as it should be. Because Sam Wilson earned his stars and stripes. I give that show a hard 9 out of 10. If it weren't for just a few rushed moments that should have sit and not to mentioned Kari's uninteresting motivations that make her look more evil than conflicting. This show is otherwise one of the best shows on Disney + and if you're a marvel fan and have not seen the show yet. SHAME ON YOU! But if you have. leave your thoughts on the show in the comments below. As well as your opinion on this next chapter.
Speaking of which...
(CIRCLE OF LIFE PARODY SONG! Please don't sue me Honest Trailers)
Morning in Arendelle as the sun rises over the horizon of the fjord.
"IIIIIIIIIIIIII don't know-aaaaaaaaa what the words really are!~" Aiden sings the Circle of Life parody song in the opening.
"It's okaaaaaaay, we'll make them up~ They'll make them up~" a chorus of snowgies sing in the background.
As all the reindeers, snowgies and rock trolls began to travel up the North Mountain. Basically anyone Aiden could pick up at home to make this parody close to home as possible.
they gather outside around the Ice Palace as Grand Pabbie came out the balcony. And he holds up Baby Groot who was wearing a lion cub suit, up on pride rock in front of all those who were there as they all cheered like a flock. And as he held Baby Groot up, Aiden song the opening.
"He's a threat to our liiiiiiiiiives!~ He could eat us aaaaaaaaaaaall! He is on displaaaaaaaaaay!~ To remind us we're preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!~" Aiden sung perfectly using b flats and harmonizing as always.
"Wait. Is he gonna eat us?" Olaf asked from behind Aiden.
Aiden sighed and face palmed himself as the moment was ruined. He couldn't come up with a logical explanation for Olaf to keep this parody going.
"Just go to the damn comments already!" Aiden exclaimed at the scene.
SPYRO 101: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. And thank you for helping me write this one. And yes. Rafiki will be in this one. He was a great character in the movie and he will be here.
olehbilenko93: Thank you! I appreciate your support.
RustyPete12: Thank you! I hope I continue to impress and entertain. Yeah those aren't the last new set of Nobodies we have seen in this story. So be afraid. Be very afraid! But not right now since there are no Nobodies in this chapter. But if you have any cool ideas for some new Nobodies in the finale of the Pride Lands. Let me know. For now I just have ideas for the Heartless.
Drakon45: Yeah I am. That's okay right? I just love the music more than the film.
superkoola: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter. Aiden tends to get creative on everyone. But he's careful to not go too far when it comes to his Mom.
"Thanks for the notes though." Aiden smirked at superkoola's idea.
Or maybe he just needs to be motivated when it comes to his Mom. And yeah he really put some sense into King Triton. Aiden really does respect authority, he just doesn't back down from it. Because he is not afraid of authority or power when it comes to correcting a wrong that needs to be addressed. It's why so many respect him.
Alright! now that were all here.
LET'S GET DANGEROUS!
The Pride Lands.
Many years ago, in the Pride Lands...
Scar took his nephew, Simba to the bottom of the gully. They were near a rock, underneath a small tree. Scar was the jealous brother of Mufasa. King of the Pride Lands. And he had planned this out without any thoughts of regret or worries of failure. He was going to also involve little Simba. Being the son of Mufasa and the heir to his rule.
"Now you wait here. Your father has a marvelous surprise for you." Scar mused.
"Ooooh. What is it?" The young cub asked eagerly.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Scar replied cheekly.
"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised." Simba smiled.
"Ho ho ho… You are such a naughty boy!" Scar chuckled.
"Come on, Uncle Scar." Simba pleaded cutely.
But Scar shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is just for you and your daddy. You know, a sort of father-son ... thing..." He said.
Through Simba's expression, he resents Scar's dismissive attitude, but he soon shrugged it off.
"Well! I'd better go get him." Scar said as he turned.
"I'll go with you." Simba walked after him.
Scar turned around and snapped. "No" He then quickly regained his composure. "Heh heh heh. No. Just ... stay on this rock. You wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with the hyenas..."
"You know about that?" Simba asked in shock.
"Simba, everybody knows about that." Scar replied.
"Really?" Simba asked in embarrassment.
Scar nodded. "Oh, yes. Lucky Daddy was there to save you, eh?" He was clearly enjoying himself much to his nephew's cluelessness, he placed a paw on Simba's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Oh… and just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours, hmm?"
Scar pulled away as Simba slowly nodded."
"Oh… okay..." Simba smiled as Scar pats him on the head before his uncle moves off. Simba then asked, "Hey, Uncle Scar? ...Will I like the surprise?"
Scar turned back over his shoulder smirking. "Simba, it's to DIE for."
With that Scar left his nephew alone in that exact spot.
And a few minutes after his Uncle left, Simba grumbled to himself. "Little roar. Puh!"
Just then a small lizard walked past Simba. Which made him grin a little as he came up with the idea.
"Rarrr!" Simba growled at it weakly.
The lizard gave no reaction to this first attempt as it kept crawling by. Simba then jumps down and tries again.
"…Rrrraowr-nh." Simba growled just a little bit better.
The tiny lizard still had no reaction. For the third attempt, Simba moves closer again and inhales deeply.
"RAOWR!" Simba growled loudly.
The lizard finally skittered off as Simba's roar echoed around the canyon. Simba smiled and lifted his ears in pride of the echo. The echo is soon eclipsed, however, by a low rumble. Simba looked down curiously and sees pebbles jumping. He looked up to see the a large herd of Wilder Beasts coming over the lip of the canyon in a large number. So large that anyone caught in it would be a goner.
Simba's eyes widened in horror.
Then the rumbling and running was getting louder as Simba quickly made a run for it as the stampede got closer. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him but they kept getting closer to the young lion cub. He eventually climbed up a dead tree in hopes to get away but it only helped a little as he could stay up there much longer. Just then Zazu flies ahead of Mufasa and Scar, down into the canyon. Who had heard that Simba was in danger. The bird looked around and eventually spotted Simba. The cub called out to him, as he clinged precariously to the tree,
"Zazu! Help me!" Simba screamed in terror.
"Your father is on the way! Hold on!" Zazu reassured him as he went back to report to his father.
"Hurry!" Simba pleaded as he began to lose his grip.
Mufasa and Scar quickly ran down to the lower ledges of the gorge as Zazu flew back to Mufasa and pointed out where Simba is
"There! There! On that tree!" The bird pointed
Musasa's eyes widened in horror, "Hold on, Simba!" He called out to his son.
In the gully, a wildebeest rammed into the tree Simba was hanging on, nearly breaking it. Simba screamed in fear. Mufasa couldn't bare to stand aside any longer and ran out into the herd, joining the stampede so he could save his only son.
"Oh, Scar, this is awful! What'll we do what'll we do?!" Zazu asked in panic. He then realized, "Hah ... I'll go back for help, that's what I'll do, I'll go back for he- oomph!"
Scar backhanded Zazu into a rock wall, knocking him out. He didn't want anyone stopping his plans to become King of the Pride Lands. Scar then follows Mufasa's progress from the lip of the gorge, his shadow cast mysteriously from the bottom of the gully.
Mufasa ran with the herd till slightly past the tree. He whipped around the front of some wildebeests and ran into the herd towards Simba's tree. He got rammed head-first once, throwing him to the ground. A wildebeest then hits Simba's tree, throwing Simba into the air making him scream in terror. Mufasa got up in time to catch Simba in the air with his mouth and tried to run out. But Mufasa gets knocked again and accidentally throws Simba down.
The cub dodged a few oncoming wildebeest as Mufasa quickly ran by with the herd and grabbed Simba. He jumped up to a near rock ledge and set Simba down, but he is immediately struck by a wildebeest and carried off into the stampede.
"DAD!" Simba called out to his father in fear.
Simba watched in horror as he can not find his father in the swirling mass of wildebeest below him. At the last second, Mufasa leaps out of the herd and starts to climb with great difficulty up the loose gravel slope. Simba smiled and turned to follow as Mufasa started climbing to the top of the gorge. Out of Simba's sight.
Mufasa reaches a point right below a ledge where he can't climb due to the steepness. His claws are scraping and his back paws have no traction. Above him on the ledge is Scar.
"Scar! ... Egh!..." Mufasa pleaded as he nearly slips and he was barely hanging on. "Brother... Help me!"
Scar looked disdainfully down at his brother, not making a single move to help save Mufasa. Then suddenly he latched onto Mufasa's forepaws with his claws extended.
"Raaaagh!" Mufasa roared loudly, primarily from the sudden pain of Scar's claws, Scar smirked evilly.
"Long... live... the... king..." Scar sneered evilly much to Mufasa's realization and horror of what he was going to do.
Then Scar pulled his hands out, tossing his brother backwards as Mufasa fell back first into the stampede. Time seemed to have slowed down at Simba only caught sight of his father falling to his death.
"Aaaaaaahh!" Mufasa screamed as he fell.
Simba, who is watching his father hit the ground, Simba's screams mingle. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Back in the present...
Simba who is now older and a full grown lion, woke up from his nightmare.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Simba gasped and panted as he looked around to see that it was still nightfall in the Oasis.
The place where he wandered onto as a cub in his own self exile and after the death of his father. Simba eventually found two buddies who lived in the Oasis and took him in and helped raise him. A meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumbaa.
Speaking of which, Simba looked over to see Timon and Pumbaa snoring. Despite what his friends think, he still has nightmares of that tragic day. His father was dead and it was all his fault. The lion stood up and walked over to the edge of the cliff. To look up into the stars. The same stars he always looked at as a cub. In hopes that his father, despite his guilt. Was still watching over Simba.
It felt so long ago. And despite his friends teaching him to forget his worries and his struggles. It still hurts like a rock.
The next day at the Gorge...
In an empty rocky area near the Elephant Graveyard. No creature in sight and no signs of life in light or darkness was nearby. Everything seemed quiet.
Then in a flash of Light. The Guardians were beamed down into the world but their appearance had changed.
"Hey. Check us out!" Sora's eyes lit as he looked down at himself and observed his new features.
Sora's appearance was that of a young lion with brown fur, a white underbelly. He still had his brown spiky hair at the top of his head. And he still wore his crown necklace.
Donald was now an exotic bird with a large tail, a mix of white and blue feathers. And he still wore his sailor cap.
Goofy was once again a turtle, only a large land turtle, with a yellow shell and white lines. His head is the same, as well as his hat.
"Yeah... Hey Sora. Check out my fur!" Kairi beamed and posed with her new lioness look.
Kairi was a young lioness now, with red fur and a pink underbelly. She had her usual hair style as well as her water pearl necklace and wrist bands.
"Is anyone getting a deja vu in a false image?" Victoria frowned looking down at her paws and noticed a small difference.
For a moment she was thinking she was going to be a lioness like in Zootopia. But instead she had a different form.
Victoria was now a purebred red cheetah with her usual hairstyle. And her Blaze symbol was embedded on the left side of her feline belly.
"Speak for yourself. This is totally not a good image for me." Aiden complained as he looked at his own form.
Aiden was now a white liger. A half lion half tiger breed. With his M symbol embedded on the right side of his belly. And he still had his usual hairstyle.
"What? That you're not domesticated?" Victoria teased with a snort looking at Aiden.
"No. It's your job to make me domesticated. I meant the fact that I'm a feline mutt. I was a pure bred white lion when I was in Zootopia. What's the deal?" Aiden inquired, frowning at himself.
"It could be that back then, you were given that form before you figured out who your Dad was." Goofy figured.
"Now that you know you're only half human. The magic that changes us has to adapt and match with what you know about yourself." Donald agreed.
"What's Zootopia?" Kairi asked Aiden.
"Picture this place but with Indoor plumbing and New York Accommodations. Also…..." Aiden quipped before he gave a quick weird glance at Goofy. "A turtle? Again?"
"It's a city in a world of talking animals." Victoria translated Aiden's humor.
"So you think the animals in this world talk too, right?" Sora asked Aiden's theory.
"Why else do we turn into wild cats? And out here of all places? It's not like we're going to exotic pets for an overrated pop artist." Aiden answered.
Just then they heard the sound of laughter from many voices echoing around the rocks.
"Come on it wasn't that funny!" Aiden scoffed at the sound of the laughter.
"Shh! What a second Aiden." Victoria shushed him as the laughter was getting closer.
Just then. Dozens of hyenas began to appear around the area as they were coming into view. Looking menacing and hungry.
"Heartless?" Sora asked, getting into a defensive stance along with the others.
"I dunno, Sora." Goofy said, eyeing the possible threat. "I get the feelin' they might live here."
"They're hyenas." Kairi said as she recognized those creatures. "I read about them in school. They're animals indigenous to Africa."
"Yeah well I don't think Sal, Joe, Q, and Murr like us being here." Aiden quipped, referencing the Impractical jokers because they laugh like hyenas.
"I am Groot!" Baby Groot beamed. Translated: "Oh I love those guys."
"I'm surrounded by jokers. How'd my life come to this?" Victoria groaned at her boyfriend's antics.
"Don't mind us!" Donald began, trying to appease the hyenas. "Just passing through. We won't be any trouble."
"Yeah, that's right!" Sora protested.
"Don't be silly." Shenzi, the female hyena, stated, prowling around them. "We'd love you to stick around for lunch."
"Um... We didn't bring anything to eat." Sora nervously replied.
"That's not gonna be a problem!" Another hyena named Banzai said with a laugh.
"Uh...TGI Spikes? Haven't you watched a single documentary on Discovery? We're the lunch." Aiden muttered to Sora.
"Oh..." Sora turned a little pale as he looked worried along with Kairi who stood behind him for protection.
They couldn't summon their keyblades even when Sora tried to hold his paw out.
So Victoria looked to Aiden as they both nodded to each other. Baby Groot nodded with them as Aiden turned to face the circling Hyenas
"Hey Chucky Chihuahuas! Don't you know it's rude to start on meat before finishing your salad?" Aiden gestured Baby Groot.
As Baby Groot popped his knuckles and glared as he stood to beat the crap out of the hyenas. But they all stared blankly and laughed at Baby Groot.
"Hey Twig, you're so short that not even the germs can find ya!" Banzai mocked, making the other hyenas laugh as he laughed
In response to being offended by this, Baby Groot grabbed Banzai by extending his wooden arms and wrapping them around the hyena. Then the little tree used his strength to swing his arms and repeatedly pound Banzai into the ground side to side.
"OW! OW! OOF! OH! AH! EAK! GAH!" Banzai grunted each time his face was slammed to the ground.
After a minute, Baby Groot tossed Banzai back towards the other hyenas. Banzai sat up with his head spinning as he felt like he was seeing stars floating above his head.
"Sunday Salad has a nasty kick to it, Waiter." Banzai moaned before he fell backwards.
Shenzi turned and growled in anger as he approached Aiden slowly as the white liger had a grin on his face.
"Who do you think you are, you little feline mixed fruit? I outta chew your fur and send the hairball back to your mother's grave." Shenzi snarled.
"Uh...I wouldn't make him mad if I were you." Kairi warned smugly.
"And why not?" Shenzi snorted while her teethed bared close to Aiden's face.
"Eh. I actually don't get mad. It's bad for my smartass image. I let my girl do it for me." Aiden gestured Victoria who popped her own neck looking threatening.
It was bad for anyone to take on Aiden's alien badass girlfriend before. But now all of that raw power is in the body of a red cheetah.
"No one insults my man, and lives to tell the tale." Victoria growled before releasing a loud roar that actually shook the earth, then she huffed and blew fire from her mouth, and shoots lightning from her eyes.
This caused all the hyenas to yelp and back away in utter terror.
"Uh... I think I hear Scar calling..." Shenzi nervously stated
"Man, that Scar's got the worst timing." Banzai nodded and chuckled nervously.
They were clearly lying and Aiden could tell. These bozo dogs couldn't stand the heat coming from Victoria.
"Should we just let him roar?" Shenzi asked, sounding fake.
"Nah, we better go see what he wants. Sounds like he's grumpy enough already." Banzai answered he and the hyenas dashed away.
The hyenas gave off laughing noises which sounded mostly like fearful laughs as they ran for their lives. They had many meals. But never did a meal scare the crap out of them. Once all the hyenas were out of sight, Victoria stopped her little demonstration and smirked smugly.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Victoria smugly snorted.
"Glad that's over." Kairi felt relieved.
"You said it." Sora agreed as he and she sighed in relief. Donald and Goofy did the same thing.
"Something tells me this new form of ours is the only way we can operate in this world. So we better adapt to our limits." Victoria suggested.
"Easy for you to say. Everything is so hard on four legs." Sora stated.
"Not entirely. Some creatures like lions have more speed and adrenaline than the Average Sora that tends to let his two legs do the talking." Aiden quipped.
"Don't you mean Average Joe?" Sora inquired.
"I didn't know your name is Joe." Aiden snickered.
"And I didn't know your name was Bozo." Sora shot back playfully.
"I'm not a Bozo, sir. I'm a Joker." Aiden said in a pompous tone.
Then his girlfriend sarcastically cleared her throat. "Achem! Aiden? The data? On four legged combat? Now?" Victoria said firmly to Aiden.
Aiden shuttered at Victoria's stern feline look.
"Yes Kitty Smokes." He muttered and called to IRIS from the his M ring around his paw. "IRIS. Integrate and download the data on four legged combat to my team's neural storage."
'Right away Maverick.' IRIS responded.
Once a light wave of a neon aurora circled around Sora and the others. They began to stand up properly in their new forms. Especially Donald was able to fly a lot more properly. And Goofy learned to run by sliding on his turtle shell.
Sora and Kairi were actually able to summon their keyblades using their feline jaws and even their lion tails.
"Much better!" Kairi mused as she held and spun her keyblade using her tail.
"Yeah. It's not so bad once you get use to it." Sora smiled as he did the same with his keyblade.
"Well that's good. But fair warning. Being down on our paws and without our opposable thumbs means we can't use our heartbinders to summon allies and you can't shifted into your armor or forms." Victoria gave them the heads up as they all sighed in disappointment.
"Awe man..." Sora groaned as he slummed.
"Well I guess we can't have it too easy." Kairi shrugged as she seemed okay with those odds.
"Are you always this cheerful Rosebud?" Aiden inquired.
"No." Kairi snorted.
"Good. Then you'll fit right in out here." Aiden winked which made her smile a little. "Let's just keep our heads straight and use our limits to our advantage."
"Right." They all nodded in agreement.
"Anyhow. Lead the way Spike. Where to next?" Aiden suggested.
"Well. Let's see where this Pathway takes us. We'll probably find some place better beyond this waist land." Sora suggested.
"I would. Unless I were Marilyn Manson played by Johnny Depp." quipped as he and the others followed Sora deeper into the barren parts of this land.
Down deeper into the Elephant Graveyard…..
As the Guardians kept walking down the rocky walk way of the Graveyard, they eventually stumbled upon a lioness jumping away from a group of Heartless and growled at them.
These Heartless had skull heads, two limbs with two claws each. The main bodies were circular and furry. And their tails had balls on the end, with eyes and mouths on them. These were Living Bone Heartless.
"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Sora asked the others.
"Heartless?" Donald questioned.
"What else?" Victoria said sarcastically.
"What do we do?" Goofy asked.
Sora and Aiden nodded to each other as they ran ahead and jumped in between the living bone Heartless and the Lioness.
"Stay back!" Sora warned.
"We can handle these Deadbeat Boners!" Aiden assured the lioness before they summoned their keyblades.
Aiden had his two keyblades out. One on his jaw and the other on his tail as they both jumped and flipped. Spun and attacked as they slashed at the Heartless. The Lioness watching couldn't believe her eyes as she watched how well these two teenage felines could kick ass.
At one point more Living Bone Heartless came as Kairi and Victoria jumped on top to ride them and make the two monsters bump into each other.
Then Donald and Goofy came down with their weapons and attached while the monsters were down.
Soon more showed up as the team stood in a circle and slashed at every incoming Living Bone Heartless. Kairi and Sora were able to still use their freeflow abilities as they ran across the walls and hurled themselves into the Heartless knocking them over. Then Aiden blew an ice breathed and formed neon builders using neon beams from his eyes. Smashing the Heartless with the neon builders. Victoria struck several with lightening as she spun in a circle of static knocking some around. For their size they sure seemed strong.
Soon all of the heartless were dealt with as the team stood together.
"Definitely Heartless." Sora affirmed.
"No." Aiden faked a gasp being sarcastic.
Before Sora could snort back at his friend. The lioness they saved came up to them.
"Thank you. You all really saved me." The Lioness said to the Guardians out of gratitude.
"Don't mention it." Kairi chirped.
"We're just glad you're okay." Goofy nodded.
"Did you see any other Heartless around here?" Sora asked her.
"Heartless? Is that what they're called? I'm not sure if there are any others." The lioness responded
"Trust me. When it comes to those yellow eyed freaks of nature. They're's always more out there." Victoria stated how serious this all was.
"You maybe right. I don't usually hunt this far from the Pride Lands." The Lioness stated.
"Pride Lands?" Donald inquired.
"They're probably speaking about their territory." Aiden figured quietly.
Then a question popped into Sora's head. If the Heartless are around here. Then maybe this world had some other visitors.
"Hey, do you know if a guy named Riku is here?" Sora asked.
Aiden figured that a 'guy' would be a vague question. Because any human caught in an area like this would be a Happy Meal for any hungry creature out here.
"Uh...Spike? If she happened to have met a 'guy' She might have eaten- Ow!" Aiden yelped before he could say his quip as his foot was stomped by Victoria who gave him a warning glare.
"Ignore him." Victoria suggested.
"What he meant to ask was…..Did you run into animals by that name? Just curious." Kairi asked about Riku. "Maybe even some creatures wearing hoods?"
Kairi was careful not to say 'guys' this time.
"Or maybe this really big bully named Pete?" Sora asked, catching Kairi's hint not to use any terms for humans.
"I'm afraid not." the lioness said with an apologetic smile. "Sorry."
Sora groaned and Kairi sighed sadly that they were still no closer to finding Riku.
"Oh well, we might as well take a look, anyway." Sora said turning to the others.
"I'm all for it." Kairi said with the others nodding in agreement.
"Wait!" The lioness started, causing the guardians to turn to her again. "The Pride Lands are dangerous. "Scar and the hyenas have made things unbearable for everyone. There's no food left. They've driven off the prey. We're about to starve."
The lioness turned around to leave but was stopped by Sora talking again.
"We can handle a little danger. You just saw us beat those heartless, didn't you?" Sora said, trying to reason with the Lioness as he walked up to her with Kairi right behind him.
"There's no harm in letting us try." Kairi added in.
The lioness looked back at the team.
"I guess you're right. You could be just what the Kingdom needs. Maybe you can help us." The lioness said.
"Ya mean take on this Scar guy and all those hyenas?" Goofy asked.
"Scar?" Donald asked, curious about the name.
"Sounds like a James Bond Villain that got his name from a random word generator." Aiden joked quietly.
"He took over when our last king, Mufasa, died." the lioness explained.
"So you're saying this guy is your King?" Sora asked. "You want us to take down your King?"
The lioness nodded to Sora's answer confirming how disloyal she is to her current ruler. Perhaps the other lionesses are the same. But they had to be sure before they actually started a royal reckoning.
"Well...That depends. Is he a republic or democrat?" Aiden inquired.
"Really Aiden?" Victoria rolled her eyes.
"What?! I don't want to become the next John Wilks Booth!" Aiden said in his own defense.
"Wait a sec Aid. We could use this." Sora suggested as they formed a huddle and spoke in privacy.
"How? Start a coup and become CNN reporters?" Aiden asked sarcastically. "I'm a prince, man. And I don't want to cause royal chaos in another world."
"Says the guy who's all about making his own rules?" Sora jibbed back.
"Touche." Aiden sighed.
"But Aiden does have a point Sora. We can't just go knocking kings off their thrones. That would be unethical. What if we're taking down someone that doesn't deserve it? And if he does, what if it's not our place too?" Kairi spoke in Aiden's defense.
"And I'm not suggesting that. I'm just saying that if they see that we're stronger then their king….." Sora clarified with a smugish look.
"Don't say it." Victoria sighed as she face pawed herself.
"Maybe one of us gets to be their next king or queen." Sora suggested an idea.
"Okay one. I'm already selected to be an heir to a throne back home. And secondly. Are you out of your fur covered mind?!" Aiden hissed quietly."Do we know anything about leading a bunch of meat craving lions?!"
"Hey I took care of pets before!" Sora shot back.
"Except for when you forgot to feed your pet goldfish when you were nine." Kairi teased with a giggle.
"Not helping Kairi." Sora deadpanned and sighed. "I mean we would all have to refuse the throne of course. But it's worth checking out this Pride Lands, right?"
"Meaning you want to look for where to sign up for try outs?" Victoria inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Sora? Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Goofy asked.
"Typical Sora. Always playing a guardian angel for others but a devil advocate for competition." Donald mused shaking his head.
"Come guys. You wouldn't mind lending a paw will you?" Sora asked as he went back over to speak to the lioness.
"I'd like to keep mind attached. Crap I'm starting to sound like Zambron." Aiden muttered to himself.
"There he goes again." Kairi sighed seeing Sora negotiate with the lioness.
After the negotiations were finished, the lioness began to run off. Sora turned back to the other guardians.
"She's gonna go on ahead and tell the other lionesses." Sora said to his friends. "And we're supposed to meet her at a place called Pride Rock."
"Pride Rock. Huh….I hope it's not some desert gathering for a San Francisco parade. Because I'm already taken." Aiden scoffed as he followed Sora as he followed the lioness.
"Don't make it sound weird Aid." Victoria remarked.
"Killjoy." Aiden muttered as he and the group left and headed to the pride lands.
Later on at Pride Rock...
After crossing the barren soils of the dead and drenched Savannah. Sora and the Guardians followed the lioness up to the tall peculiar mountain known as Pride Rock. The team looked at how wonderful and majestic the formation of this mountain looked like. Almost like the open mouth of a lion. It's as if whoever created this world had this in mind when this mountain was formed. Either that or nature is dramatic.
Aiden whistled at the sight of Pride Rock. "That would make one hell of a tourist attraction. If only the locals weren't so keen on eating the customers." He quipped.
"I'm thinking later we send this as a suggested vacation spot for Seifer and his gang." Victoria mused sinisterly.
"Your words and spirit are shiny and smells of cherries Majestic Lady Thunderer." Aiden quipped elegantly to his girlfriend's suggestion.
The Guardians walked further while following the lioness they saved, right past a bunch of other lionesses who were either sleeping or benched from hunting, and the team came to a stop as they saw the lioness walked towards them along with a baboon holding a staff that made him look like some kind of shaman. The two stepped up in front of them.
"That's them." the lioness said to the baboon.
The baboon then walked up to the guardians, starting with Sora and Kairi who were standing right next to each other.
"Uh... What?" Sora asked, a little uncomfortable at the Baboon being this close to them.
"I think he's looking to see if we fulfill some kind of requirements needed to help them." Kairi surmised, making the Baboon chuckle quietly before addressing Sora.
"The Princess of Heart speaks true, chosen wielder." he said loud enough for only the two to hear, making them gasp in surprise that he knew what they were. The gasps earn the curious glances from the other guardians.
The baboon then looked over Donald and Goofy without saying a word before going over to Aiden, Victoria, and Baby Groot and began to look them over as well. When the Baboon's eyes caught a brief glimpse of Aiden's ring, which he now wears as a wrist brace on his left paw. The baboon's eyes showed an unnoticed spark of recognition.
"So I.R. Shaman, what did you say to the 'couple in denial' that made them gasp like that?" Aiden asked jokingly.
"Oh, nothing you didn't already know, Maverick." the baboon stated, making Aiden, Victoria, and Baby Groot go wide eyed.
"Monkey see monkey say wha?" Aiden muttered, making the Baboon laugh.
The baboon walked back to the lioness and began whispering in her ear, the other lionesses rising up and looking on in anticipation. When the baboon finished, the lioness looked at him with wide eyes before looking down with a sad expression, making the other lionesses do the same.
"What? What is it?" Sora asked as the baboon began walking away.
"I told Rafiki you might be able to help us force Scar and the hyenas out of the Pride Lands." the lioness said before looking sad again. "But he says it won't work."
Rafiki was the name of this baboon. The lions and every creature in the Pride Lands respects the shaman. And no one ever dares to attack and eat Rafiki since he is considered the one with all the answers about the unknown.
"Because whoever takes down your leader takes his place, right?" Victoria figured.
"Exactly, and he has to have the right qualities." The lioness responded.
All of the Guardians sighed except for Aiden who practically saw this coming.
"Meaning?" Sora asked in concern.
"I think she means you're not cut out for the job." Goofy clarified.
"Called it." Aiden declared while holding his left paw up. Then suddenly his Maverick ring started to flash a bright blue light. "Woah- Hey! I didn't change the batteries yet!"
"No wait!" Rafiki jumped over and held his hand out to stop Aiden from taking the ring off or covering it.
Aiden looked at the baboon in confusion as Rafiki held his paw and gazed into the bright M that was lighting up on the ring. All of the lioness and the Guardians watched with intrigue as it took only a second minutes for Rafiki to chuckle.
"What? Did you look into my gummi cloud account? That's my private treasure chest!" Aiden glared skeptically.
Rafiki looked at Maverick and smiled. "Come with me."
Then the baboon leads Aiden and the Guardians to his hideout within a cave he uses to work on gazing on the stars and signs. The lioness who was with them as well along with a few others followed to see.
Rafiki broke open a coconut and poured the milk in a jar. Then he mixed in a few herbs he grabbed from the shelf while everyone looked intrigued while Aiden and Victoria was looking confused.
"Now my boy. It would seem your arrival was not for nothing." Rafiki stated as he held a bowl of some type of strange yellow liquid under Aiden's ring while he had his paw held out. "Your ring has told me the location of our champion. The one chosen to unseat Scar."
"I...don't see anything. Other than the bright sore in my eyes." Aiden winced at the light.
"Light is like water, Maverick. Just as your mind is like water. When it is agitated. It becomes impossible to see. But when you allow it to stay still. The answer. Becomes very clear." Rafiki stated as he touched the liquid with one finger causing the water inside to stand still. Then the liquid behind the light of Aiden's ring. Revealed a map.
"Is that a map?" Aiden asked.
"Yes. To our champion." Rafiki smiled at the ring on Aiden's paw.
"What? Who? Who could possibility be the one to set us free from Scar's pride and ambitious rule. Who could one day bring the Pride Lands back to its former glory?" Another lioness came up and asked Rafiki.
The Baboon kept smiling at the ring as he shrugged. "I don't know."
Everyone stared blankly at him.
"Well...Where can we find this mysterious gladiator?" Victoria inquired.
"That I do know." Rafiki responded before place a hand on Sora's shoulder and pointed his staff out past the Savannah. Head across the jungle. Beyond the Pride Lands. There at the Oasis. A paradise for all that is exiled from all worries. There you will find our champion. Whoever he maybe." Rafiki revealed to the Guardians.
"Okay. At least we know where to go next. Which is a start." Kairi said optimistically.
"Where can we find the jungle though?" Sora wondered.
"I believe I know where it is" the lioness they first met said, earning their attention. "I can take you all there if you want."
"That'd be great. Thanks..." Sora said before pausing in thought. "I just realized we never introduced ourselves to each other."
"Oh you're right." the lioness said with a laugh. "How about I go first? My name is Nala."
"Nice to meet you Nala. I'm Sora." Sora said.
"And I'm Kairi." Kairi said with a smile.
"I'm Donald." Donald stated.
"And I'm Goofy" Goofy said.
"The name's Aiden. The Maverick." Aiden introduced himself.
"And I'm Victoria." Victoria also stated.
"I am Groot." Baby Groot smiled.
"Get use to hearing him say that multiple times. It's how he always talks." Donald grumbled about Baby Groot.
"I am Groot." Baby Groot smiled smugly with his arms crossed.
"He said he's sure dang proud about it. Only he didn't say dang." Aiden smirked.
Nala looked back at Pride Rock to see if the coast was clear.
"We better get going before Scar notices us." Nala whispered.
"Right. Let's go Guardians." Sora nodded and gestured the team as they all took off into the dessert.
Rafiki waved at them while the other lionesses watched with hope in their eyes. Hoping that whoever Sora and his friends brings back. Will free them from Scar and his turmoil on everyone.
That night in the Oasis...
Everything is calm and the only thing that could be heard were the crickets. Then, A loud burp is heard throughout the whole Oasis. It came from Simba, who was lying on his back, gazing up at the stars, Timon and Pumbaa also doing the same.
"Whoah. Nice one, Simba." Timon complemented Simba, who smiled.
"Thanks." Simba sighed while hanging back. "Man, I'm stuffed."
"Me too. I ate like a pig." Pumbaa claimed holding his belly.
"Pumbaa, you are a pig." Simba said, looking at Pumbaa.
"Oh, right." Pumbaa said.
All three of them sigh in contentment as they look up at the sky.
"Timon?" Pumbaa called out to his friend.
"Yeah?" Timon replied back.
"Ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there?" Pumbaa asked.
"Pumbaa. I don't wonder; I know." Timon said in a 'know-it-all' tone.
"Oh. What are they?" Pumbaa asked curiously.
"They're fireflies. Fireflies that uh..." Timon started, trying to word his response correctly. "Got stuck up on that big... bluish-black... thing."
"Oh. Gee." Pumbaa began, going into thought. "I always thought that they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away."
"Pumbaa, with you, everything's gas." Timon deadpanned.
"Simba, what do you think?" Pumbaa asked the Lion.
"Well, I don't know..." Simba nervously declined to answer.
"Aw come on give, give, give!" Pumbaa insisted that he tells them.
"Come on, come on... Give, give, give." Timon insisted as well while Simba was resisting in the background of both of them talking.
"Well...Come on Simba. We told you ours. Pleeeease?" Pumbaa pleaded as he was curious.
Simba sighed as he was reluctant but he gave in eventually and looked up at the stars.
"Well, somebody once told me that the great kings of the past are up there, watching over us." Simba recalled the words of his father Mufasa.
"Really?" Pumbaa awed in genuine disbelief.
"You mean a bunch of royal dead guys are watching us?" Timon asked trying to keep his composure. But it sounded so funny that he and Pumbaa broke out laughing after Timon blew raspberries. Pffff- Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Who told you something like that?! What mook made that up?!"
Simba laughs with half-heartedly. But thinking about his father broke his heart yet again.
"Yeah. Pretty dumb, huh?" Simba tried to perk up with him but his eyes drop as he looked down sadly.
"Aw, you're killing me, Simba!" Timon continued to laugh with Pumbaa.
But Simba looked back up at the stars. And then he quietly gets up and left his friends to be alone. Timon and Pumbaa looked up seeing him leave as they were wondering why.
"Was it something I said?" Timon asked and Pumbaa just shrugged as he didn't know.
Simba walked out on to a ledge and looked up at the stars. Thinking about the last time he ever spoke with his father. It was a good thing that despite them ending on good terms. He would do anything to undo what happened the day after. Even though the day before was a good memory. It only hurts Simba even more.
"Simba, let me tell you something that my father told me. Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars."
"Really?"
"Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I."
Feel so grief stricken and depressed. Simba sighed as he collapsed to lay on the edge of the ledge. Causing Milkweed floss and stirred into the air by his flop. The milk weed was then carried away by the wind as it was going far. As if the wind was causing it to travel.
What a strange phenomenon.
The next morning in the wastelands...
As the team walked with Nala across the deserted wasteland. Feeling hot and tired. They were huffing as they walked like tired puppies in their feline forms. Donald huffed as he eventually gave up flying and rode on top of Sora's back while Goofy rode on top of Kairi's back. Getting tired to carry his shell.
The Destiny duo was nice enough to offer earlier so they didn't mind.
Aiden and Victoria weren't doing so well either. While Baby Groot was riding on top of Victoria as she was being kind of motherly towards Baby Groot. Not letting home walk at all.
"Aiden?" Sora tiredly asked.
"Yea?" Aiden weekly answered.
"How come your ice powers aren't doing anything to help us out here? I would think you're a walking A/C ready to cool the air out here." Sora wondered curiously.
"I'm dehydrated, so I can't….Use any of it. My ice...Is limited...In this form. I was given my Mom's power...When I was walking on two legs with a pair of pants and shoes. The shift crystal probably didn't count for when...Donald's magic. Would make us domesticated." Aiden huffed as he answered.
"Oooh sure...Blame me." Donald whueezed as he was tired.
They had crossed the desert for miles into the night. Now that it was morning. It was hard not to get tired.
Eventually Aiden wondered ahead of them as he was getting so delirious from the heat that he started singing to himself. Out of tune a little bit.
"Im a survivor~...I'm not gon give up~...I'm gon work harder~...I'm a survivor!~" Aiden swayed and slurred as everyone looked at him with tired eyes of concern.
"He better make it past the second verse. Because I can't take it anymore!" Victoria growled.
"Didn't he already sing those first lyrics like twenty-two times?" Kairi inquired.
"Uh oh fellas. Those vultures are starting to circle." Goofy worried as he spotted some vultures.
four vultures were circling around Aiden as he was swaying and slurring songs. Acting like prey that was going to die at any moment. To them that's what it seemed like.
"Hey! He's not dying!" Victoria called out sarcastically.
One of the vultures hovered and looked to her with confusion.
"Are you sure?! We can wait around!" That vulture kindly asked while he hovered.
Victoria looked back at Aiden who was now slurring the song from Right Said Fred.
"Vic's...Too sexy for my fur~...Too sexy for my fur~...To sexy for my fur~...So sexy!~" Aiden bellowed the last verse. Much to Victoria's annoyance.
"We'll keep you posted!" Victoria offered to the vultures.
"Sure thing Ma'am! False alarm troops! Let's look somewhere out west!" The lead vulture stated before he and the other vultures flew off.
A few minutes afterwards.
Aiden was walking with the team as their walks were becoming slow.
"Donald? How come we can't just use the ship?" Sora asked quietly.
"Order." Donald tiredly gestured Nala who was with them. Pointing his wing at her.
The lioness seemed to be more adapt to the desert heat than they were.
"Right..." Sora sighed.
"I could really go for some ice cream right about now...Maybe a banana split. After a footlong hot dog. With fries and a cold cherry coke." Kairi imagined at she was tiredly walking.
"Girl. Stop describing the tenth level of heaven to us." Victoria pleaded with her friend.
"Sorry." Kairi meekly breathed.
Just then. Aiden's eyes widened at the the sight of something he found in the dessert.
"My...God!" Aiden gasped as he found.
A jeep! A desert deep just stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Big enough for all of them to travel in.
Aiden huffed and laughed like a maniac as he picked up the pace and ran toward the vehicle. While everyone else was just staring.
"Can you believe this?! Can you ***KING BELIEVE OUR LUCK?!" Aiden yelled joyfully as he came up to the jeep and hopped in the front seat. "What are the chances?! It's a miracle! Like turning water into Red Fanta miracle! Ha ha! OH YEAH!"
Aiden found the keys into the ignition and he used his paw to turn the ignition. Hearing the engine start showing that it works. As he laughed a little louder.
"TUNES!" Aiden saw a type in the radio and started it up. As one of Black Eye Pea's tracks began playing. Making Aiden rock his head. If he had fingers he would be snapping them right now.
" Hey Guys! What are you waiting for?! Bring-Your-Pet-To-Work Day?! Get your fur covered asses over here! It's an answered prayer!" Aiden cheered as he was gesturing his team to come on over.
But everyone was still staring in confusion and concern.
"Is...He okay?" Nala asked looking strangely at Aiden from over where she was standing.
"He's never okay." Victoria deadpanned and shook her head.
"Oh man." Sora said in disbelief.
As it turned out. It was all a mirage. The jeep wasn't really there as the heat was getting to Aiden's head. The vehicle was a mirage. It was all a mirage. And he was still rocking his head to no music while laying his back in the sand.
Then Aiden beamed as he used both paws to pick up a rock.
"Guys look! Slurpees! Enough for everyone!" Aiden deliriously gestured the rock in his hand. Acting like he got it from a cup holder. Then he sipped real hard from a straw that wasn't there and joyfully grimaced afterwards. "BRAIN FREEZE! HAHA!"
"Well. At least his hallucinations are creative." Kairi shrugged.
"What a man." Victoria shook her head and took a deep breath.
Back over at Pride Rock...
The Milkweed with Simba's essence from the night before in the oasis continued to travel along the wind, and began passing over a large, lush tree. Just then, a hand reached out and grabbed the milkweed from the air. It was Rafiki, who was sitting on the very top of the tree. He brought the milkweed to his nose and smelled it. Smelling something familiar, he went down from the top of the tree and went to his inner sanctum, within the branches of the tree.
Once he finished climbing down, he grabbed a large turtle shell from the corner and placed it in front of him like it was a bowl, and sat criss cross on the floor.
He took the milkweed and gently sprinkled it into the shell. He grabbed the sides of the shell and started gently rocking the shell, stirring up it's contents, all the while humming as he did so. As he stared at the contents, he reached up and plucked a fruit from its branch before splitting it open above him with his hands. As he continued studying the milkweed, he took a bite from the fruit.
Suddenly, he noticed something in the milkweed and grabbed the shell so he could take a closer look.
"Simba?" Rafiki said looking up, a surprised look on his face, as he looked towards the wall and gazed at a faded painting of Simba as a cub before realization kicked.
"He's- he's alive?" He gasped before he started giggling in glee. "He he- he's alive! And He's our Champion!"
With that Rafiki leaped up from his seat, laughing in joy for the first time in years, and went to grab his staff before running back up to the faded Simba painting.
He reached down and grabbed a hand full of paint from a make shift bowl before looking towards the painting again, and began laughing in joy again as he used the paint to revitalize the Simba painting, and completing it by giving Simba a large red main.
Looking at the now completed image of the restored Simba, Rafiki smiled and said one thing. "It is Time!"
Back out in the wastelands...
The guardians and Nala walked a good distance away from the last area they were at. Aiden had recovered from his mirage almost an hour ago. And he still couldn't stop talking about his disappointment.
"It just seemed so real you know." Aiden breathed.
"That's why it's called a mirage." Nala stated.
"At least you got to have fun for a few minutes." Kairi mused.
"Yeah. Cause my brain is frying. What's left of my sanity is roasting and I'm losing touch with reality." Aiden said tiredly. "I don't think survivalist experts like Bear Grylls would understand because that's how he usually functions. Along with a twenty person emergency crew."
"I am Groot." Baby Groot mused about his last mirage.
"His last mirage was when he was seven?" Victoria snickered.
"Oh yeah. I remembered wondering back in the Mexican border, seeing Morgan Freeman. Telling me to eat my own leg. But I refused...And ate Groot's leg instead. I mean he could grow it back anyway." Aiden chuckled and shrugged as everyone gave him a strange look.
"I am Groot." Baby Groot shook his head. Translate: "No you didn't, it wasn't my leg you were eating."
"Then whose leg was I eating?" Aiden inquired with a delirious tone.
"I am Groot." Baby Groot remarked. Translate: "You don't wanna know."
Aiden rolled his eyes as he whispered to IRIS. "Hey IRIS. How close are we to the jungle." He asked while walking.
'You are right up on it.' IRIS stated.
"Ha! Good one. Seriously how I'm I right up on-WHOA!" Aiden slipped and fell right into a spring of water.
"Aiden!" Victoria yelled as she ran over to the edge of the spring. Aiden fell right into a lake as his girlfriend called out to him. "Are you okay?!"
They couldn't see past the steam coming from the waterfalls.
"Shhh! Quiet Vic! I'm having another mirage! And this one feels much better! I don't know whatI sipped from that cactus earlier but I feel tipsy! Like a cold shower of cocain!" Aiden cheered as he was swimming.
"Uh...Aiden?" Sora called out.
"It's not a mirage! We actually stumbled upon the Oasis!" Nala smiled and beamed as she looked ahead at the view.
"Oh..." Aiden muttered aa he was floating in the water looking around. "No wonder I'm not seeing
a thousand Vicky mermaid clones."
"Why you..." Victoria growled before jumping down into the lake pouncing at Aiden, the two of them ending up underwater.
"Hey, don't forget about us!" Sora laughed before jumping in himself.
"Wait for me" Kairi giggled while taking a leap and plunging in the water.
"Come on Donald, let's join them! Ahyuck!" Goofy laughed while saying to Donald.
"Okay!" Donald exclaimed cheerfully before the two of them tried rushing to the water, only to trip over each other, causing them to scream and crash into the water.
"Oh boy." Nala sighed while shaking her head before smiling. "Well if you can't beat em, join em."
Nala then jumped into the water, and everyone began swimming and splashing each other.
As Nala swam past them. She noticed how Sora and his friends tend to take fun a little overboard.
"Surf's up Donald!" Sora rode on a log like a surf board splashing Donald in the process.
"Wack! What's the big idea?!" Donald quacked in frustration.
"Ahyuck! hoo hoo hoo!" Goofy laughed as he floated on the waves from the splashes on the back of his tortoise shell.
Kairi was floating on her back as she felt relief from the heat earlier.
While Vic was using her paws to strangle Aiden's neck as she was angry and growling like a cheetah about what Aiden just said. And it wasn't about the mermaid clone comment.
"Take it back! Take it back!" Victoria barked as she was strangling Aiden who looked like he was choking.
"All I did was asked if you worked a Little Caesars. Cause your hot and I'm ready!" Aiden wheezed in defense.
Her grip tightened. As Aiden's eyes looked bulged out. He didn't count for the fact that whenever Victoria has had a hard day or is in a bad mood. She tends to get violent over Aiden's dumb flirts.
"Can you really blame me? You're just good for me to deserve you. You're the epitome of perfection." Aiden wheezed out of love.
Hearing this, and being flattered by his words, Victoria sighed and loosened her grip on Aiden's throat.
"You're too lucky that I love the living hell out of you, you big dumbass." Victoria muttered before nuzzling her face against Aiden's.
Aiden chuckled and nuzzled with her in the water.
"I may drive your tolerance level beyond my limits. But there's still not a person in all of creation that I would rather be with. You're one in infinity Babe." Aiden said passionately.
Victoria literally purred at that and decided to tackle Aiden, playfully this time, making the two of them laugh together.
"I am Groot." Baby Groot came out of the water to cover his eyes as if they were going to go any further.
"Oh relax you little desk plant. We're just messing around." Aiden responded to Baby Groot from in the spring.
"We're entitled to. But you know? This would look wrong if we were in our normal forms. Since we're not wearing anything." Victoria mused and licked his face like an affectionate kitty. It's how a lioness kiss their mate
"Oooh. So I make flirty comments and it's wrong. But you get to make em?" Aiden inquired teasingly while he winced at her kisses.
"Huge difference. I know how to say them right." Victoria gloated with a smirk.
"Fine. Unless if I'm having one of my rare wise ass moments. I'll let you do the flirting from now on." Aiden quipped.
"Since when has your wise ass moments ever been rare?" Victoria inquired with a snicker.
"Hey everyone!" Nala called from out of the spring. Gaining their attention. "Come look at this."
Everyone got curious as to what the lioness found. So they all got out of the water and to get a good look at what Nala was looking at, which was on the ground. Imprinted in detail and fresh. They were...
"Lion prints?" Kairi stated, looking at the large prints.
"Yes. And they're still fresh." Nala said with determination shown on her face. "This means our champion is close by."
"And he or she is a lion." Victoria figured.
"Damn. If I didn't have a healing factor and I wasn't in this form. I'd call the morgue and let them know I'm coming in fresh but half eaten." Aiden muttered a quip.
"Let's get going and find the champion." Sora suggested.
Everyone agreed and went further in the jungle to follow the tracks. Nala was in lead as she used her natural feline sense to keep track of these lion prints. She had to wonder. Why would a lion be all the way out here and not with a pride. It's almost as if whoever this lion was. He or she was in exile and didn't want to be around anyone. Maybe this lion wasn't accepted. Whatever reason, Rafiki and Aiden's ring lead them out here. And they needed to find the champion.
The team and Nala followed the trail of lion tracks deeper into the jungle. But as soon as they made it to much more solid surfaces. The tracks began to faded. Thus they lost the trail.
"Damn it. Too easy." Victoria grunted.
"What now?" Kairi asked.
Before anyone could ask. Everyone's stomach started growling. Making everyone sigh.
"When was the last time everyone had breakfast?" Sora asked sounding hungry.
"That depends. What time is it?" Aiden wondered with a shrug.
Just then Nala sniffed out a scent. Of fresh meat. Like the other dark meat. Which made her perk up and feel a little savage.
"Hey...I think I found some food! Come on!" Nala beamed as she ran out into another direction in the jungle.
"Nala wait up!" Sora called as they tried to keep up.
"Crap she's fast!" Aiden huffed as they ran out to her.
Somewhere in another part of the jungle...
Timon and Pumbaa were walking and singing together. As they felt like today is yet another great day. No worries and nothing to stress about. So much so that rhey could hear a familiar pop song in there heads.
Try to explain that cosmos!
"Ohi'mbube!~ Ohi'mbube~ Ohi'mbube~ Ohi'mbube~" Pumbaa chanted.
"In the jungle~ The mighty jungle~ The lion sleeps tonight~" Timon sang with Pumbaa's chant.
But Pumbaa wondered off seeing a lone bug crawling as he went over to follow it.
"In the jungle~ The mighty jungle~ The lion sleeps...~ I can't hear you, buddy, back me up!" Timon called out to Pumbaa before he continued singing with a good falsetto. "A-WEEEE-ee-EE-ee ba-Pum-ba-bum-ba-waaaaay!~ Eh...Pumbaa? Pumbaa?!"
No answer as Timon looked around.
As the lone bug kept walking along, Pumbaa followed after it, as quietly as he could, his snout inches away from the bug. The bug then flew away onto a nearby fallen tree. Pumbaa got excited and started crawling towards the fallen tree, like a predator after it's prey.
The bug turned around all of a sudden, forcing Pumbaa to hide behind a nearby tree. When the bug turned around, Pumbaa peaked from behind the tree, licking his lips in hungry anticipation. As the bug crawled away to the other side of the fallen tree, Pumbaa proceeded to climb over the fallen tree, only to stop after hearing a rustling behind him.
"Timon?" Pumbaa called out, looking over his shoulder, only to see nothing but tall grass in the background.
Figuring it was nothing, Pumbaa shrugged his shoulders and finished climbing over the fallen tree.
The bug was resting on another fallen tree, and Pumbaa came up to it, eyeing with hunger, until he noticed a slight rustling in the tall grass again. And when the bug flew away, he was better able to see what was hidden in the tall grass, which was a lioness. Nala.
At this, Pumbaa screamed. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Nala leaped into action from the tall grass and began running towards Pumbaa, who responded by turning around and running for his life.
Pumbaa ran through the forest and over fallen trees, all in an effort to escape, but Nala was right on his tail.
Back to Timon, his ears perked up at the sounds.
"Pumbaa?" Timon called out.
Pumbaa continued running, now going in circles, over Giant tree roots, and in zigzags, all in an attempt to lose Nala. But she kept gaining.
"Pumbaa?" Timon called out again, now running, trying to find his best friend. "Pumbaa!"
Eventually, Pumbaa tried running under a tree root, only to get stuck, which was how Timon found him.
"Pumbaa, Pumbaa!" Timon called as he reached the struggling warthog. "Hey, what's going on?!"
"SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" Pumbaa screamed in fear.
"Huh?" Timon asked, climbing onto the root Pumbaa was trapped under, just in time to see Nala running towards them.
"WHOA!" Timon yelped before getting behind Pumbaa and proceeded to try and push him through.
"Jeeze! Why do I always have to save your-" Timon looked over his shoulder and saw Nala just yards away. "AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Just as Nala was about to strike, Simba jumped over Timon and Pumbaa and pounced on Nala, catching her off guard, but she soon retaliated, and the two began clawing and pouncing on each other, trying to pin and fend off the other.
"Don't worry buddy. I'm here for ya" Timon patted Pumbaa on the backside while observing the fight before him. "Everything's gonna be okay!"
Pumbaa still tried to get out from his stuck position.
While Simba and Nala were growling and fighting each other. Not knowing or recognizing who each other are.
"Get her! Bite her head! Go for the jugular. The jugular!" Timon routed for Simba to win the fight before he muttered to Pumbaa." See, I told you he'd come in handy."
Soon Nala gained the upper hand as they wrestled each other. As she got on top and pinned Simba to the ground.
Simba looked shock as this lioness pinned him. No one in his life or in existence could pin him this way. Except for one lioness he knew as a cub.
"Nala?" Simba gasped.
Nala's lost her growl as she stood up from off of Simba and stood back. Feeling like she eas seeing ghost. But a kind of ghost she didn't recognize.
"Hey Nala!" Victoria called out a she and Aiden were the first ones to show up, as they were faster then the others.
"What's going on? I thought I heard someone getting maimed." Aiden asked. "Did I miss the blood and gore?"
"AAAH! MORE LIONS!" Pumbaa screamed in terror as he could see it from his angle still being stuck.
"Please don't eat us! We're full of carbs! You'll lose your figure after the first bite!" Timon pleaded on his knees to both of them.
"Calm down Grits and Bacon. If you're not cooked and cleaned..." Aiden sniffed catching Pumbaa scent as he grimaced at the bad smell. "Egh. Very cleaned. You don't have to worry about us."
"Is it really you?" Simba's asked looking at her with a smile. He was ignoring everyone else as he was too focused on Nala who looked confused.
"Who are you?" Nala asked with furrow brows.
"It's me. Simba." Simba revealed.
"Simba?" Nala's eyes slowly widened at the realization.
"Oh God no." Aiden's muttered in horror.
"What?" Victoria inquired at her boyfriend.
"It's Zootopia all over again." Aiden said in record of what happened with Blake Ryo and Judy Hopps' reunion.
"Whoaaaaaa!" Simba and Nala both exclaimed in thrill.
Then they both run into each other and greet each other. The greetings are enthused and run over each other. While Timon and Pumbaa looked shocked. Timon's jaw was dropped as his arms were out like he was saying 'What?'
"Aaah! How did you... who... WOW! this is cool! it's great to see you!" Simba said on top of Nala's words
"Well how did you.. where did you come from... it's great to see YOU!" Nala said on top of Simba's words.
"Why can't the multiverse be original?" Aiden groaned in annoyance as he used his paws to cover his ears. This is exactly like Blake and Judy.
"Hey, what's goin' on here?!" Timon inquired walking up next to Aiden.
"Trust me. Just wait for the heat to die down." Aiden deadpanned a response while his ears were still covered.
"Hey guys! Wait up!" Kairi shouted a distance, getting everyone's attention as they see Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi running up.
"Oh boy. Just how many lions will we have to deal?" Timon muttered.
Just then. Sora, Donald and Goofy were the first ones to recognize Simba.
"What?!" Sora exclaimed seeing Simba before breaking into a big smile. "Hey! It's Simba!"
"You're right! It is him!" Goofy exclaimed as happily.
"Oh boy!" Donald cheered.
At first Simba was confused.
"I'm sorry. Do I know-" Simba started but stopped himself as he looked closer at the three. And his eyes widened as an image of Sora, Donald, and Goofy in their normal appearances flashed in his mind. And a big smile formed on the lion's face.
"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Simba exclaimed happily before running up to and pouncing on Sora before nuzzling him in greeting, making him laugh while Donald and Goofy laughed happily at the site.
"It's so good to see you again!" Sora said as he got back up after Simba took a step back.
"Yeah, same here!" Simba said smiling, while also looking at his friends' new appearances. "But, why do you guys look so different from last time?"
"It's all in the magic. And the need to blend in. You know how it works." Sora winked.
"Ah. Right." Simba smiled and nodded.
"Summon stone?" Aiden asked Sora.
"Yep." Sora answered.
"Wait, Simba? You know Sora and the other?" Nala asked in surprise.
"Oh! Uh…. yeah! It's kind of a long story-" Simba tried to explain.
"HEY! WHAT'S GOIN' ON HERE?!" Timon bellowed as he had enough of being ignored while confused.
"Timon these are my friends. Sora, Donald and Goofy." Simba introduced them.
"And the rest of them?" Timon inquired about the other team members.
"No recruits." The team all said simultaneously while Baby Groot just says 'I am Groot'.
"And her?" Timon asked.
"This is Nala. My best friend." Simba stated.
"Friend?" Timon questioned with a raised eyebrow. "All of them?"
"Yeah!" Simba said before turning to Pumbaa who was still trying to dislodge himself from the root he was under. "Hey Pumbaa come over here."
Pumbaa finally frees himself from the root.
"Nala, this is Pumbaa." Simba addressed his childhood friend then turned to Pumbaa who walked up to them. "Pumbaa, Nala."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Pumbaa said with a smile.
"The pleasure's all mine." Nala said, returning the smile.
"How do you do- woah woah, time out! Let's get this straight!" Timon said exasperated, holding his face. "You know her, she knows you." Timon gestured to the two lions. "But she wants to eat him" Timon gestured to Pumbaa. "And everyone's okay with this? DID I MISS SOMETHING?!" Timon finally exploded before he began breathing heavily from it.
"You kinda left the part out about him knowing Sora here." Kairi meekly stated.
"Right. Thanks for the memo Sweetheart. WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!" Timon exclaimed at the team.
"We're...The..." Sora tried to say.
"Defenders of the Unknown!" Goofy perked up.
"Defenders of the Unknown?" Timon and Pumbaa inquired.
"Defenders of the Unknown?" Aiden mouthed to Goofy with a look that asked 'You couldn't have picked a better title?'.
Still it's not like they can use their main title. Most of the worlds they've gone to were fantasy based, Earth based and sometimes the rare occasions of meeting someone that knows Sora and the others. While this world is the latter. These animals wouldn't understand anything about the multiverse and World Order.
So they had to play along.
"Uh...Yeah! We travel all over the world dealin with strange mysteries and trouble when we're around." Goofy explained the best he could.
It's not like he could tell them they're Guardians from another universe.
"So you're a group of young thrill speaking neighborhood watch cats." Timon deadpanned with an unimpressed tone.
"Pretty much. We don't pick the dance floor, we just dance." Aiden quipped.
"And Simba helped you folks out whenever you past by, during our days we split up to hunt for grub, right?" Pumbaa guessed.
"Yeah...Is there any chance Warthogs are psychic?" Victoria inquired.
"Nah. He just points out the obvious even when it goes over his head. And under." Timon crossed his arms.
"Meaning we're good?" Aiden figured.
"Pretty much. Welcome, mi casa su casa. I need to take a seat." Timon took a deep breathe and sat down relieved to not be confused.
"Still I mean. Wow. You're...Alive. Wait until everyone finds out you've been here all this time." Nala smiled in disbelief. "And your mother. What will she think?"
"She...doesn't have to know. Nobody has to know." Simba declined looking anxious.
"Well of course they do. Everyone thinks you're dead." Nala stated.
"They do?" Simba inquired.
"Yeah. Scar told us about the stampede." Nala said sadly.
"He did?" Simba looked off in surprise before he asked. "What else did he tell you?"
Simba was worried if Scar might have told anyone it was his fault. But that doesn't seem to be the case.
"What else matters? Your alive." Nala said with a small laugh before it dawned on her. "And that means...You're our Champion. The King."
"King?" Timon and the Guardians inquired.
But Timon scoffed with a blow of his lips. "Lady. Have you got your lions crossed." He snickered while leaning on Simba's foot.
"Well we were just lead out here and we just happened to find Simba here. It can't be an accident." Sora stated.
"A king?" Pumbaa gasped before he bowed. I gravel at your feet." Then he kissed Simba's foot making him pull it away.
"Stop it." Simba recoiled.
"It's not "gravel." It's "grovel." And don't, he's not the king." Timon retorted before he asked Simba curiously. "Are ya?"
"No." Simba clarified.
"Simba?" Nala frowned.
"No, I'm not the king. Maybe I was gonna be, but... that was a long time ago." Simba said in his own defense.
"Why do I smell some red empty space?" Victoria whispered to Aiden.
"There probably is." Aiden nodded.
"Let me get this straight. You're the king? And you never told us?" Timon asked in ridiculing tone.
"Look, I'm still the same guy." Simba tried to wave it off.
"But with power!" Timon stated with his fists in air using a dramatic enthusiastic tone.
"Could you guys... excuse us for a few minutes?" Nala asked the Guardians and Simba's friends.
Before Aiden or Sora could say anything. Timon tapped Pumbaa's shoulder and spoke up.
"Hey, whatever she has to say, she can say in front of us. Right, Simba?" Timon said to Simba.
Before Simba could answer, Aiden cut in to help them out.
"Actually let's give these two cute strays some space to catch up. We'll explain Simba's part of the story and a little more including our part over dinner. Sounds good?" Aiden offered.
Timon and Pumbaa looked at each other and shrugged.
"I...don't have a problem with that. Come on. You all look hungry enough to fit through a baby log. No offense to your pet." Timon offered as he gestured the team to follow him and Pumbaa.
"I am Groot." Baby responded calmly when he really cursed him out for calling him a log.
Nala smiled at Aiden and said. "Thanks."
"You two slick kitties enjoy. No biting." Aiden winked at them before walking off.
"Woah easy tiger!" Simba blushed with his eyes widened while Nala giggled.
"It's 'liger'. Comment mistake." Aiden stated while he and the team went off to follow Timon and Pumbaa.
After that Nala and Simba went off to go and talk to each other while the team went with Timon and Pumbaa to help with their confusion, and get something to eat.
If only they knew what Timon and Pumbaa's natural diet were. But they're sure going to find out.
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS!
And as you can tell. Not a reference or trace of the Lion King remake in sight.
"I don't get why it's called a live action remake when nothing is in front of the camera except CGI folk." Aiden said.
Right!
Anyhow. If anyone out there has any funny Timon and Pumbaa ideas for this upcoming chapter. Let me know. You can also use an episode from the Timon and Pumbaa cartoon series if you want, that was a funny one from my childhood.
Also after were done with the Pride Lands. The story will be two worlds away from heading into and alternate direction. That means after the next visit to Hollow Bastian and The Grid, and a few plot points are dealt with, we'll be heading to some new worlds that weren't in KH II. I won't spoil what the first few worlds are. But fill free to leave your ideas in the comment section. Especially any ideas about the upcoming bug eating scene with Timon and Pumbaa. It's very important that it's funny and gets a hilarious reaction from Sora, Aiden and the other Guardians.
Thank you all so much for reading! Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
And as always Disney/Square Enix fans!
FISTBUMP!