Chris was getting off on quite the right foot with these royal lions that rule all over the Pride Lands. While still a little cautious around these peculiar outsiders, Simba looked at how Kion and Chris were playing together in the grass.
Even though they only met for a very short while, it was like they had became close friends, or even blood brothers.
This was a very nice and adorable sight to see for the parents on both sides. Kiara and Vitani were hitting it nicely with Tara while she was showing them both how some of this technology she had worked, Kovu as well. Relations were slowly beginning to build up between these new species like the wild dogs have built a new mutual relationship with the top apex predators of these very lands. While things were going splendidly, Joel was making sure that everyone waa ok and careful while interacting with these noble lions, including watching his son as he was playing with the cub every now and again. "That rectangular device is called a phone?" Kovu asked. "and you use it to communicate with other humans with it?"
"From kong distances with it, yes." Tara replied. "and other things. But, I don't think you don't have the proper... fingers to use it. it's mostly for animals with opposable thumbs."
"Oh."
"And your claws are very sharp and... it might scratch it."
"It must sound valuable then huh?" Vitani asked
"Very, very valuable to me." Tara remarked. "I don't know what I would do without my precious baby." she hugged her phone as if it was her own offspring."
"But it's an inanimate object." Kovu looked a little weirded out."
"Oh! I know. It's not living, yes, but it's still valuable to me."
"I... don't really understand you humans so much." Kiara admitted. "Granted, we just met, but still."
"Well what other reason do they have for being here, Kiara?" Vitani said. "You are gonna be the queen someday, after all. You'll wanna look your best for your folks."
The future queen scowled at her, looking quite annoyed at her snarkiness. "Ha ha. Ha ha." Kiara laughed mockingly. "Very funny, Vitani. At least you pick on someone besides Kion."
"You know I don't pick on him all the time, goody two-paws." Vitani sneered.
Kiara just looked more irritated and huffy. "I am not a goody two-paws! How many times do I have to keep telling you that? When I was a cub, I was like my dad when he was a cub: going on adventures, getting into trouble."
"Oh! and they say your family is perfect!" Vitani tried insulting her back. They both got into one another's faces and growled at one another. Persephone and Joel looked at what the commotion was all about.
"What's going on here?" said Joel.
"Nothing. They're just in a disagreement. My sister knows how to get under an animal's skin." Kovu said, laughing nervously.
"Well it is working for me! Why are you always like this, tomboy? Why not pick one some animal your own size?"
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Kovu intervened. "Girls, please. Calm down. Vitani, if you won't listen to her, at least listen to me: your brother."
Vitani frowned and she immediately backed down. "Sorry. I didn't mean to cause this. I was just trying to get your goat a little. You know how I am." she remarked with a tone of remorse. "You know I'm not evil anymore."
Kiara still frowned but eased up on her face. "It's ok."
"Did you have to bring that... object with you, Joel?"
"Hey, I was just concerned and just being careful." the largest human said. "And like I mentioned, Kovu: the grass can be very dangerous if you're not careful."
"good point." said Kiara. "at least you are all wearing those... shoes, right?"
"Yep. that's what they're called." said Persephone. "And Joel, darling, you do not have to bring that gun on you all the time. I'm sure that if we witnessed something like that again, they can work it out amongst themselves."
Joel unloaded his firearm and put his shiny bullets in his pocket for safekeeping. "I'm only thinking of you guys, buttercup. Nothing means more to me than my own family. I would die a thousand deaths to protect you all if I have too."
"We know, dad." Tara looked annoyed. "You'll do anything to keep us alive."
"Exactly, my little sweetheart."
Tara flushed at the nicknamed, looking humiliated. "Dad!" she groaned. "Not in front of them."
Some of the lions snickered at what Tara was being called, making the teenage human look more embarrassed.
Chris and Kion were having a good laugh and having fun together in the grass. "So how long have you been the leader of the Lion Guard, Kion?" Chris asked curiously as he and the cub sat together.
"Only for a few months." Kion admitted. "But my family calls me one of the best leaders the Lion Guard has ever had. But you should always be careful out there. Whether you are here in the Pride Lands or not."
"Got it." Chris noded his head to him. "But what if Ramses and the Lion's Bane come? What if they sneak up on us?"
"Ah, ever since I killed a very evil lion not too long ago, they have been in the Outlands more than ever."
"Ooh, an evil lion? Was he worse."
"Oh yeah. he was way worse than Ramses. He was more powerful too." Kion said. "If he does come back, me and my friends will be waiting for them to show up so we can kick their butts."
The human child smiled and was more intrigued by this. On one hand, Chris was glad that there are no big dangers around these parts. On the other hand, he wanted to see his new friend go to action and show him what a good fighter he was. It would be really awesome if that happened.
Alas, he couldn't rush something really exciting or epic with the palm of his hands, and he needed to wait for nature to take its course. "How long have you guys been friends? The Lion Guard, I mean."
"Oh I've been friends with them for as long as I can remember." Kion smiled. "Not just them, but Kifaru the white rhino, and other animals are like family to me and my family here. My mom and dad keep charge out here."
"That makes sense." Chris admitted, looking at the soil and grass. "I would like to meet them."
"Yeah, you should!" Kion agreed. "They will like you." they both looked over to where their own parents were. Joel was looking in the short distance with his arms crossed, watching his own son like a hawk.
Joel wasn't trying to look like a rhino guarding it's territory, but he was only looking out for his son. He probably can't leave him out of his sight for one mere second.
He knows that Chris told him to not worry too much, but he was just trying to he a good father. "He is quite a kid, Simba." Joel said to the king.
"Oh yes. Kion is a very special kid. Same with your own son, Joel."
"Thanks. Chris is one special kid and he is thr son every father wish he has right now."
"He always loved animals." said Persephone. "This is like the perfect vacation for him, and he's been excited ever since we told him of the trip."
"Kion?" said a familiar voice. the lion cub looked over to the southeast, and he recognized that voice anywhere.
"Bunga?" he said.
Yes. It was his honey badger best friend. There was also Fuli, Kifaru, Ono, and Beshte with him. "guys!" Kion was always happy to see his close friends.
The animals didn't really know what to make of the human boy. "Oh. is this the mysterious animal?" asked Fuli, looking a little astonished. The others were just as astonished as she was.
Figures, this would be the first time they had seen a human before. Chris looked a little nervous and he weakly waved his hand. "h-hello." he said
"hi." Bunga replied.
"Guys, this is Chris. He's a human." Kion said. "And don't worry, he and his family are friendly."
"Human?" said Kifaru. "I've never seen a human before. And..." he gently sniffed Chris with his nose, giving him some heavy breathing through his nostrils. It made the boy a little uncomfortable, but it kinda tickled him at the same time.
"Hey." Chris chuckled.
"Sorry. You... have an interesting smell." Kifaru said. "Nothing like I have ever smelled before."
"Ok, ok, that's enough." Kion chuckled. "Humans are not different than other animals. Chris is really nice, so is his family."
"I'm Kifaru." the rhino introduced himself. "nice to meet you." he gently nuzzled the humans left side like a dog.
"Name's Beshte."
"Bunga."
"I'm Fuli, the fastest cheetah in the Pride Lands." she boasted.
"I'm Ono."
Chris smiled as he made more friends on this trip that are animals. To him, this vacation was getting better and better.
"Nice to meet you all." Chris said.
"So what exactly are humans?" asked Ono
"And where did you come from?" Kifaru added
"How do you hunt for food?" Fuli asked. "you don't have any fangs or claws."
"I don't hunt." Chris said. "My parents cook my food for me."
"Guys, guys, one at a time." Kion said. "you're making him nervous."
"Oh. sorry." said Bunga. "We've never seen a human before. that's all."
"It's ok."
A tall shadow looked over the young animals and he was very tall alright. Not like a giraffe but still.
His friends slightly cowered at the tall shadow, and it was Joel. He was probably coming over to see if Chris was doing alright since more animals were meeting him. "Whoa. Things got a little more interesting." he remarked.
"It's ok, dad." Chris said. "They're Kion's friends."
"Oh." Joel realized. "So you guys are the Lion Guard that Kion told me about."
"Well... they are, but I'm not." Kifaru admitted. "I'm just one of his best friends."
"Oh. Still, I'm impressed that there are kids like you as heroes. I'm Joel, Chris' dad. I watch over him and protect him."
Kion's friends smiled and introduced themselves to him like they did Cody.
Meanwhile, little did they know that some animals were watching them from a distance. Some sinister group of animals watching them as if these humans were prey. "Should we attack them, Ramses?" asked Mpishi.
"Just be patient, my cohorts" the deranged lion said. "We will have our revenge on Kion and his meddling friends. Some things require perfect timing and precision."
"I do not really know what those two-legged animals are." Makucha quietly said. "They look like... apes."
"Weird, hairless apes." said Draak
"It's like they have no fur extensions at all." Tuma narrowed his eyes.
"They don't really look dangerous." Harif said. "They don't have any claws or sharp teeth at all. Do they even hunt?"
"How should I know, you fool?" Ramses said. "Save the questions until we get our prey."
