AN: Our favorite hyena girl is getting the spotlight this week! We'll get back to the Dream Keepers next chapter.
When people first think of the Outlands, they think of a barren wasteland that's populated only by animals that don't respect the Circle of Life. Ever since Jasiri was named Queen of the Outlands, however, things have been steadily improving for all of the animals living there. Plants were starting to grow more consistently, the watering holes stayed filled, and while still not as great as the Pride Lands, it was becoming a good kingdom in its own right.
Since Jasiri has been out traveling with Gabriel, her sister Madoa was filling in as Vice Queen, with Shenzi and Janja acting as her Seconds to help manage the other animals. Madoa wasn't as confident in her leadership skills as her sister, but she was starting to come into her own in her sister's absence. Shenzi was able to help her not repeat the mistakes of the past hyena clans, and Janja could give advice from his time as a leader.
Speaking of Janja, he was minding his own business around the watering hole when a familiar scent came to his nose. Smiling, the hyena looked around to see Jasiri coming towards the area, a pep in her step that told him that she was in a particularly good mood today.
"Hey Jasiri!" Janja greeted.
"Janja!" Jasiri smiled, going up to the male hyena and nuzzling him.
"Woah, aren't you affectionate today," Janja laughed. "Where's Gabriel? You two are practically attached at the hip?"
"Gabriel's off with his friends saving the world," Jasiri explained. "That's why I'm here, actually. We need to gather all the animals that are willing to help stop this bad guy, Hex."
"Does this have anything to do with those weird robots?" Janja asked. When Jasiri nodded, he understood the situation. "Okay, then let's start with the clan, then move on to the Pride Lands to get their help. Vitani and Kion's groups are sure to be a big help."
"I couldn't agree more," Jasiri said. Before Janja to run off, she stopped him. "But before we go do that, there's something I want to do first. It's been a while since it was just you and me. I missed you…"
Janja looked a bit confused, but nodded in agreement. "Um, okay. Do you want to see how things have changed since you last came to visit? You know, hit the old stomping grounds?"
"Sure!" Jasiri said, giving a playful lick to Janja's muzzle before skipping off.
Janja blushed furiously at that action, but quickly pushed his feelings down to follow behind his queen. The male hyena showed Jasiri around all of their territory, making sure to say hello to the other animals of the Outlands as they passed by. Jasiri kept acting weirdly affectionate towards Janja, and while he at first thought it was just some hyena humor, it was becoming clear that something was off about Jasiri.
"Did you get… bigger?" Janja worded his question carefully.
"Oh yeah, Hex captured me at one point, and my magic reacted by aging my body up," Jasiri explained. "Do you like it?"
"The longer mane is nice," Janja complimented. "It gives you a more mature look. Like your sister. Hey wait, I at least a year older than you, and yet you look older than me now!"
"I think one of the Dream Keepers, Soren, said something about that," Jasiri mused. "Wait, what if I just use my magic on you! Like that time at the beach."
Janja was about to say something in response, but Jasiri's necklace already started to glow, so the hyena was hapless to what happened next. Light surrounded Janja's body, and when it faded he felt different. Quickly going over to a nearby water puddle, he was initially disappointed that he didn't change that much, but then started to notice the differences. His musculature was tighter, more visible under the fur, and his mane has changed so that it came out longer in the front, giving him more of a mohawk than before. His fur was also a bit more of a brownish-grey now.
"Huh, I look a bit more like Kamari and Azizi now," Janja said. He smirked as he stretched out his limbs. "This feels pretty great, like I could actually last a full five minutes next time Kion and I spar- for fun, of course."
"You look great," Jasiri said, coming up beside him. The hyena quickly then smirked and pushed Janja over, pinning him with her on top.
"Woah there!" Janja said in surprise. "What are you doing, Jasiri?"
"What I've wanted to do ever since I got back," she said.
Jasiri then leaned down and gave Janja a kiss in the lips, the male's eyes going wide as she did so. Janja was screaming in his mind, part of him knowing this was wrong, while the other, more selfish side of him relished in finally having Jasiri reciprocate his feelings. Janja knew that he had to do that right thing, however, and quickly pushed Jasiri off of himself, breaking up the kiss and rolling over to stand up.
"What the heck, Jasiri!?" Janja shouted.
"That's what I should be saying," Jasiri shouted back. "Why'd you do that?"
"Because you have a boyfriend already?" Janja said.
Jasiri laughed at that. "Yeah, I do, and it's you! Did you forget or something?"
"I'm not the one forgetting things here," Janja shook his head. "We had a whole conversation about this when you first came here with Gabriel. We had a fight about it, then I talked it out with Gabriel."
"That was just a misunderstanding," Jasiri said.
Janja looked at his queen. "Jasiri, you do know that you and Gabriel are a thing, right?"
"What? Me and Gabriel? No, we're just close friends, like I was with Kion," Jasiri said.
"You also had crush on Kion, before he got married to Rani," Janja pointed out.
Jasiri looked away, her head starting to hurt from the contradictions plaguing her mind. "Yes I did but… No I… Ugh… We had that look back at their wedding, remember?"
"That's the same excuse I used too," Janja sighed.
"No, it has to be us that are together!" Jasiri said. "Oswald helped me get my memories back by watching our adventures, and it seemed obvious to me that we got together at the end!"
"I thought so too," Janja smiled sadly. "But we really just became close allies."
Jasiri held her head, her mind trying to comprehend the missing memories still locked away inside. Janja looked to his queen with concern, but was pulled away when a familiar face came over. "Janja, there you are!" Madoa called. "I heard you and Jasiri shouting so I came over and-" She paused. "Did you get a new haircut?"
"Jasiri used her magic on me," Janja explained. "Do you like it?"
"You look lovely," Madoa said, blushing a bit. "I mean, you look good! More aggressive, but it suits you."
"I'm with Janja… No Kion… Who… What's… Going on?" Jasiri muttered to herself.
"I think her memories were seriously messed up by this Hex guy," Janja explained to Madoa. "She thinks that the two of us are in a relationship, and insists that she and Gabriel and only friends."
"Well we need to snap her out of it," Madoa said. "I don't want to see my sister suffer. Maybe Jasiri just needs to see something that'll bring her memories back."
"I took her all around the Outlands, and even explained why we're not together," Janja said. "But she still thinks we're a thing."
Madoa hummed in thought. "Do you think...? Maybe, if you could show Jasiri that you're already in a relationship with someone else, that could shock her enough to regain her memories."
"But that would break her heart!" Janja said. "And I don't want to hurt her more than I've done in the past."
"Sometimes when you love someone, you have to be able to do anything to help them," Madoa said. "That's the hard part about being a leader: you have to make sacrifices for the greater good. Shenzi taught me that."
Janja thought about it, then nodded. "Okay, I'll do it. I've been wanting to say this for a while, but…" He turned to Madoa, color coming to his face as he smiled nervously. "Madoa, I've always been more focused on Jasiri since she was my rival back in the day, but ever since you've filled in as queen, I've come to appreciate you as a friend. And well, you're just as beautiful as your sister, and smart, and caring, and, well…"
Madoa started to blush as well. "I'll admit, Janja, I've never thought highly of you, but our time co-leading the clan has made me see the better parts of you. You care about your boys, and while a bit goofy at times, you're always there when it counts."
"So, do you think we could, I dunno, see if this could work?" Janja asked, his whole face turning red at this point.
Madoa nodded, and then quickly pulled Janja in for a kiss. Both of them closed their eyes, letting their feelings be known as Elton John music played in the background. Jasiri looked up from her headache to see the two of them kissing, and in a gasp of realization fell to the floor as memories came back to her.
The moment that she and Gabriel first met. The time he saved her from the Nightmare Machine. The dance they shared at the ball. And the kiss that brought them together as a couple. Opening her eyes, Jasiri sat up and shouted, "I remember… I remember everything!"
Janja and Madoa broke their kiss. "I think it worked," Madoa smiled.
"Wait, what were you two doing?" Jasiri asked in confusion.
Both of the hyenas in front of her suddenly looked very sheepish. "Well, you were acting all lovey-dovey towards me, so to break you out of it, Madoa and I thought seeing me with someone else would do the trick."
"By the Circle of Life, how much did I miss?" Jasiri shook her head
"You and Gabriel did push the two of us together," Madoa pointed out.
Jasiri laughed, hopping on her sister's back playfully. "I'm just happy that my sister has someone in her life now! And you too, Janja. I tell you've matured a lot since I was last here." The hyena queen then gasped in realization. "Oh no, I totally broke Gabriel's heart when I didn't have all of my memories. He's got to be so heartbroken right now."
Janja looked at Jasiri and smiled. "Then why are you standing around here? Go and get that raven! You know he's going to need your help to win this."
"You're right," Jasiri nodded. "I've got to get to the Magic Kingdom as soon as possible. I trust that you two can gather up all of the Animal Kingdom residents."
"We'll go get the Lion Guards, and then head out to meet you there," Madoa nodded.
"thanks sis," Jasiri said, hugging her sister. "I'll see you guys after all of this is over. And good luck with your relationship!"
Janja and Madoa said their goodbyes as Jasiri ran off to find the nearest portal to the Magic Kingdom. Gabriel was waiting for her, and the hyena wasn't about to let him face his greatest challenge without her by his side!
Author's Note
Jasiri has her memories back, and it's all thanks to Janja and Madoa. I've been hinting at those two having feelings back in "Living in the Magical World" and if I'm being honest I mostly did that because it just makes more since to me. Janja seems closer in age to Madoa than Jasiri, plus there's a lot of bad blood between himself and Jasiri that he doesn't have with Madoa. If you ship either of them with different people, even Janja and Jasiri, then that's great! But for this story Janja has moved on from his crush for Jasiri, and knows better than to go after another guy's lady.
Other than that I don't have a lot of notes for this chapter. Come back next week when we plan out our attack on the Magic Kingdom!