The geysers and eerie atmospheres of the Elephant Graveyard made the human visitors rather uneasy, especially the wind blowing against their skin in a soft matter. In the Pride Lands, it was nice and warm, but the wind was rather chilly and cold, along with humid from the heat of the geysers erupting out of nowhere every once in a while. Still, the presence of Simba, Nala, and the other royal lions gave the human family a better feeling about being out here in these badlands. Kion and Chris stood close to one another during the little tour and expedition through these creepy lands. Chris gave a rather frightened look as he saw an antelope head in front of him, possibly a waterbuck or a nyala skull with it's jaw opened. "Ah!" Chris yelped.
"it's ok, it's ok." said Kion. "It's just a skull."
"Yeah, Chris, it's dead." Simba remarked warmly. "Besides, these lands are not that hospitable anymore. All you have to do is watch for the geysers and be aware of your surroundings. Some snakes and scorpions like to call this place home. Besides that, you'll be just fine. After all, we'll make sure you don't get hurt." he then gave the boy a gentle pat on the back (with his claws sheathed).
Persephone gave a look of disgust and said: "I hate scorpions! Those pinchers and the stingers for tails! Ugh! They give me the creeps." an uneasy thought of her being covered in scorpions gave her a squeamish feeling.
"If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone." said Nala. "It's a privacy thing."
"That's true." said Tara. "I hope you're being careful, Chris." she looked at her little brother. "I don't want you to get hurt."
"Don't worry, sweetheart." Joel said to his daughter. "I have the gun, I'll do the worrying for you guys. This is a family man's job."
"I know, dad." Suddenly, another geyser erupted with the sound of steam blasting.
"The sooner we get out of here," said Zazu, "the better."
"Oh, you're such a scaredy bird, Zazu." Timon nodded his head in annoyance. "You're always quick to worry about the smallest thing."
"Yeah, you need to learn how to relax every once in a while." Pumbaa added.
Zazu looked rather offended and crossed his arms as he perched on a lone rock with his feet. "I most certainly can relax, you little ruffians! I am the majordomo after all, and I have to be on the lookout for anything that could dare harm the family I am sworn to protect."
"that's also what we're here for, old timer." said Timon. "Besides, who knows how long you got before ya... you know." The meerkat was kind enough to not mention when Zazu's death might come, which no one else knew when it would come. Alas, they had to make the best of it, because no animal lives forever.
What Timon said just made Zazu more irritated and he said: "I am not that old, and-" before he can finish his sentence, he made a few coughing sounds from his beak. "I'm sorry, my throat was failing me a little bit back there." he nodded his head and finished. "I am young at heart." Simba and Nala gave Zazu a worried look, and also realized that he might have to go into retirement one of these days. Admittedly, they didn't know when Zazu's day of retirement will come. It could happen tomorrow, or a week. But one thing they do know is that: Zazu was certainly getting close to retirement. "I am still flying and capable of doing my duties as the majordomo."
Simba stepped up and said: "I really appreciate your help, Zazu. But, I don't think you can keep this up much longer. We don't want you to hurt yourself even further."
"Come now. I am a very strong hornbill, stronger than any of you can imagine."
"We know." Nala sighed. "But you're getting older and we're just thinking about you."
"Well, look, when my... time does come, who will replace me as your new majordomo?"
"We'll work on it." said Kiara. "We'll figure it out."
"And as for relaxing," Zazu continued, "I can more certainly relax like these two numbskulls can." he pointed his left wing at Timon and Pumbaa
"Numbskulls?" said Pumbaa. "For your information, I recognize every kind of grub I can get my nose on."
"Ok, ok, that's enough, you too." Kovu said.
"Sorry." Both sides said in unison like they were children.
"Look, I can prove to you all that I can relax." Suddenly, Zazu looked at what appeared to be a goofy face and it cackled at him, making the bird emit a funny scream and faint like a scared goat.
Vitani, Zira, Kion, Rani, and Chris couldn't help but laugh at Zazu's reaction.
Turns out, it was only Ed, the good one of the three hyenas. His cohorts: Shenzi and Banzai were with him since they always stood together as a triplet like siblings. "Well look who it is." said Shenzi. "Our daughter with the king and queen themselves."
"Hi mum." said Jasiri before running up to hug her parents affecifonally. "I've brought some friends here in the Outlands."
"Oh we can see that, baby." said Banzai. he and the three grown hyenas looked at the group and looked in bizarre at the humans
"Ah, what are a couple of humans doing here?" said Shenzi
"Wait, you know about them?" asked Kovu
"Oh yeah. We've met a couple of these guys before." Banzai said. "Not these guys in peculiar, but other humans."
Ed just made some silly noises and his tongue dangled from his mouth since he is rather stupid. "Well, anyway," said Shenzi, "what brings you guys here to our humble home?"
"Humble?" Zazu regained his composure. "humble?! Since when is a bunch of bones from dead animals and hot geysers considered a humble abode?"
"Oh, you still mad from the birdy boiler?" Banzai asked in mock sympathy.
"Never talk about the birdy boiler!" Zazu yelled at the top of his lungs. "You hyenas are all-"
"Zazu!" Simba barked. "Calm down."
the hornbill bowed his head and said: "my sincere apologies, sire."
"So, we came here to show our new human friends what it's like in the elephant graveyard." Kion said. "Wanting to show them the geysers and all."
"Well we can show y'all around the area if you would like." Shenzi kindly offered.
"Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute, that sounds like a bad idea." Timon protested.
"Oh come on." said Simba. "We've made peace with them, remember?"
"True." said Pumbaa.
"Well i want to hear the stories that Joel and Persephone will tell us about." said Rani
"Well, ok. i guess i can." Joel admitted.
"Yay!" said Kifaru.
"But we'll do it slmeplace where there are less or no geysers at all."
"Good idea."
They all found a good spot and Joel put his gun down on the ground next to him as he sat on a rock. He began telling them the story of Hamlet. As he told more and more of this classic, Simba began to experience memories of his painful past and how the characters and settings were similar.
Every one was surprised that this one does not have a happy ending, unlike how Simba got his in the end of his own story.
When Joel and Persephone together, told the story of Romeo and Juliette, it got some troubling reactions from Kiara and Kovu since the titular characters of Romeo and Juliette sound so similar to their own backstories. the worse part of it was, the main characters died in it, and there was no happy ending in this one either
Poor Kion felt like crying and wondered: "what if that can happen to his sister and brother-in-law?" And he thought about the trauma his dad went through when he was a cub. Perhaps the Hamlet story didn't help with that.
"That's... pretty dark." said Vitani. "And I love dark things, but this?"
"I know." said Kiara. "I mean, both characters died?"
"And the families reconciled after?" Kovu added.
"Oh. I'm... sorry I made you guys troubled."
"No, no, it's quite alright." said Kion
"Yeah, I mean, those stories do sound similar to what we've been through." Simba admitted.
