Chapter 5
During the first two days and a night, their travel to the the Kingdom of Life has been rough for the boys. Greg constantly complains about the weight of his luggage (even he's not the only one, except for Rosa), Stan is constantly worried about the suits he brought while keeping them clean and in check, Fred exhausted from the heat emmiting from the African sun (again, he's not the only one but he isn't complaining like Greg), and Cody had the same nightmare from the plane, but worse, on the first night of their journey. Luckily he didn't wake up the others when he did; Cody really believed that his nightmares wouldn't return. So until they reach to the Pride Lands, he takes his medicated prescription (one pill) before going to sleep without letting his friends know... especially Rosa.
Despite negatives in their journey, there is also positives. Rosa has been teach the boys how to use bows every time they stopped for the night while teach them how tell time by looking at the sky. They had fun while doing learning it as the boys even made a competition who can learn the fastest and make fun of (in a friendly way) who sucked... that would be Stan with Greg behind him.
During the day they make conversations with each other, singing songs (epecially when Rosa sings in Swahili in which the boys slowly learn bits of the language), and playing "I Spy" as they walked while telling each other stories and about themselves (while leaving out touchy subjects) when they camped for the night. Even when they walked, they only saw a few animals but at a far distance.
Finally on the second night, Cody is currently working on as mall campfire while the boys helped settting up the tent and Rosa preparing the meals. Then the boys, after Cody finished starting the fire, then placed the luggage inside. Luckily there was enough room for them and their belongings. Afterwards, they gathered around the fire and began to eat the food provided by the 'Nomadic Ghosts'.
"You know what," Cody said after taking a bite, "I think this tribal food is growing on me."
"At least it's somewhat pleasant to the eyes." Greg added.
"I'm still not getting used to it." Stan said.
"I think some of it would taste great with my dad's homemade fish soy sauce." Fred said.
"At least it isn't bugs." Rosa said with a shudder. The boys stared at her with incredulity.
"Really?" Cody said with a teasing smirk, "I thought you and your parents eat when you visit the Swahili tribes?"
"Only some tribes eat bugs." Rosa corrected with a annoyed frown, "And I did it so I won't offend them. I'm not used to them like my parents!"
The teenagers then took a couple more bites of their food until Stan asked with a sad tone as he stared at his food "Are we ever going to our parents again?"
"Of course we will." Cody replied, "We'll arrive in the Kingdom of Life later tomorrow—"
"WE DON'T IF WE'RE GOING THE RIGHT WAY!" Stan argued, "I REALLY HATE BEING THE STICK IN THE MUD, BUT I'M SCARED THAT WE MIGHT—"
Greg stopped him by placing his hand on his shoulder as he said to him sympathetically "You're not the only one. To be honest, I'm more scared about it than you are."
The glasses wearing teenager then wore a nervous and teasing grin as he added "Plus, I'm glad you said it before me."
Stan then smirked as his gave his friend a soft punch in a shoulder as they both laughed.
"We all miss our parents my dude." Fred said agreeing with Greg.
"Like I said before, if we don't get there by five days, I'll try to decipher my pendant again."
"Let me help you." Rosa asked, "I might figure it out with my knowledge of African Swahili culture."
"I'll help too." Greg added.
"We'll all help." Fred also added, "You don't have to do it alone an take all the burden yourself."
"Yeah were all in this together. Plus we won't touch your pendant since it's important to you and all." Stan promised.
Cody smiled at his friends. "Thanks guys... really."
They finished eating five minutes later as Stan carefully put out the fire as Cody and Rosa buried its remains like it was never there to begin with.
"How do we know If we arrive in the Kingdom of Life?" Cody asked as he and friends began to enter the tent, "Tukufu didn't really explain that part."
"I think it's similar but mostly different that of both Kenya and Tanzania." Rosa suggested as she got into her sleeping bag.
"We'll find out in the next two days." Fred said as closed the zipper of the tent after everyone got inside.
"Well I'm beat." Stan yawned as he finished changing from his suit and into his "suitjamas" before Rosa got in.
"I still can't believe that someone designed that." Rosa said pointing out Stan's pajamas.
"I'm glad that someone did." Stan said happily, "I also have a suit-themed swimming attire."
"Do you having anything that isn't a suit?"
"Nope." Cody replied with annoyance, "He has a suit for everything."
"Even a tuxedo suit." Fred added with annoyance.
Rosa rolled her eyes in disbelief.
"Well, good night everyone." Greg said.
The teenagers said good night to one another as they then began to go to sleep.
Crickets chirped around the tent of the sleeping teenagers as light of the upcoming dawn slightly brightens the area. The zipper of the tent's entranced opened as Cody stepped out with a half-asleep expression. Cody needed to take a leak.
After he finished his business a feet away from the tent, he yawned as he zipped up his shorts before he smacked his chomps in a tired manner. Cody was about to enter back into the tent until he quickly turned his head around while wearing a wide eyed expression of utter flabbergast as he stared the area before him.
"GUYS WAKE UP!?" Cody shouted as he peered inside the tent, "I THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE THIS!?"
Cody exited out of the tent quickly as his friends then started to wake up, with slight annoyed expressions, as they slowly got up while groaning. Rosa, Greg, Fred, and Stan exited out of the tent while rubbing their eyes as the hat wearing teenager said "Cody, you better have a good reason for—!?"
The teenagers then wore the same expression as Cody staring what he saw. Instead of being surrounded by nothing but slightly dried red-oat grass of the Serengeti Plains, they're in a greener and more beautiful version of the Serengeti Plains with only a few trees and small river next them.
"Alright," Fred started calmly... at first, "I DEFINATELY KNOW WE DIDN'T SET UP CAMP HERE!?"
"I might be a heavy sleeper, but I would have noticed that we've been moved!" Stan said.
"This doesn't make any sense..." Greg added while adjusting his glasses.
"I think we're in the Kingdom of Life?"
The boys then stared at Rosa.
"How on earth can you be sure of that?!" Stan asked.
"I've been to every part of both Kenya and Tanzania with savannahs; I even seen pictures and descriptions of other savannahs in Africa as well!" Rosa replied, "None of them is compared what is around us right now! We're litterally in East Africa's grand paradise!"
"I thought we might get there later today, not excaly when the third day begins!" Cody said still in shock.
"It dosen't matter!" Rosa said happily, "You read the pendant right!"
"Meaning we're one step closer to getting back with our parents." Stan said pointing out with excitement.
"That's great and all, but it still doesn't explain how we moved from where we were previously at to here in the Kingdom of Life!" Greg still questioning irrashionally.
"Either the Kingdom of Life brought us in or it's magic." Cody guessed.
"BUT BOTH OF THEM IS IM—"
"YOU GOT TO STOP DENYING IT GREG! WE ORIGINALLY BELIEVED THE SAME WAY AS YOU DO! BUT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED WHEN DRINKING THE POTION AND WHAT WE SEE HERE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO EXPLAINATION FOR IT!"
Greg knew that he's right but he's having a hard believing all of this. "But—"
"Think of it this way." Fred suggested, "Once we return to our parents and head back home, you can try and forget that all this magic stuff never happened."
"... That might be difficult." Greg said. Then he cracked a smile "But thanks."
"If you want, you can tell us more about this 'space physics' stuff you were talking about earlier from yesterday." Rosa said nicely.
The boys couldn't believe she just said that as they wore expressions that says "WHAT THE HECK!?". They had a hard time understand most of what he talks about when it comes to his favorite topics. Cody, Fred, and Stan were about to say otherwise but Rosa gave them a warning glance as they immediately shut up.
"Really?"
"Really."
Greg then smiled as dawn began rise.
"Alright guys, lets quickly pack up and get going." Cody said, "The sooner we get to the Pride Lands, the faster we can reunite with our parents."
"Let's waste no time." Fred said as Stan quickly went back into the tent to quickly change from his suitjamas into one of his fresher suits.
As everyone got ready after Fred put the tent away, the teenagers then contiued following the intructions on Cody's pendant. What they are weren't aware of is that they're being watched by a male African mole-rat hidden behind the grass a few feet away from them.
"H-hu-hu— HUMANS!?" The mole-rat exclaimed in shocking fear while keeping his voice low that they won't hear him. "The king of the Pride Lands must be warned!"
The mole-rat only heard that they are heading into the Pride Lands and nothing else due the distance between them. And what startled him the most is that he understood them! From the stories he heard of humans, they can't understand what the animals say and they cannot to animals, but he understood them! It be more frightening to him if they can speak to them as well!
The mole-rat then went back underground as he began to spread the word so it could reach to the ears of the king.
Pride Rock stood magnifiectly with the sun a top of the afternoon sky. The lions layed about bathing the rays of the sun. Among them is Simba along with his mate/wife, Nala. And not far from them is Kiara with her husband/mate, Kovu, next to her. Kiara's younger brother, Kion, recently got married and became king of the Tree of Life two weeks ago. Kion's family and pride are saddened that he's no longer with them but they are also happy for him at the same time. Kion's friends are also live him at the Tree of Life as well. Kion, and his friends, entrusted the duties of the Lion Guard to Vitani (Kovu's sister) and her friends before he married Queen Rani.
Recently, three days ago, Vitani and the Lion Guard heard word of animals in some sort of trouble outside of the Pride Lands and went to help them out... with Simba's permission of course. They promised that they'll quickly as soon as their done with their mission.
Simba, Nala, Kiara, and Kovu then heard heavy pantying as they saw Zazu, a red-billed hornbill and majordomo of the royal family, flying towards them quickly with a frantic look on his face... more frantic than he usually is. The bird crash landed comically in front of the king.
"What is it Zazu?" Simba asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. The bird began to catch his breath and posture, but Zazu tried to speak with much urgency.
"H-h-h-h—"
"Is Kamari, Azizi, and the other rogue hyenas causing trouble again?"
Before Kion and Rani's marriage, Janja and his clan merged with Jasiri's while she became the leader of the Outlands. Two hyenas however, Kamari and Azizi, did not like the changes. They then gathered other hyenas and formed a pack of their own that are against the 'Circle of Life' and made their home in the Elephant Graveyard, but are always thwarted by Vitani and the Lion Guard. But due to Vitani and her friends being gone, Jasiri and her clan tried to keep the rogue hyenas from causing trouble while trying to convince to accept the Circle of Life.
Zazu shook his head no as he tried to form the words in his beak.
"Zazu, take a deep breath." Nala advised, "You know how you get when—"
"HUMANS!? HUMANS ARE HEADING TOWARD THE PRIDE LANDS!?"
Simba, Nala, Kovu, and the rest of the older lioness stared at Zazu in frightful disbelief while Kiara, and the other younger lionesses like her (including Tiifu and Zuri), have no idea what he's talking about.
"Hew-mawns?" Kiara said with raised eyebrow.
"What are they?" Tiifu asked with curiosity.
"Probably just a flock of birds." Zuri said in a uninterested tone as she then resumed grooming one of her front paws.
"It'a another name for the murderous Watu." Kovu replied as said the last word with hate.
Kiara's expression quickly changed that of utter fear with widened eyes while both Tiifu and Zuri gasped in horror. From what the princess has heard of them, the Watu are described as monsters that look similar to apes except they stand staight, walk mostly on two feet, furless except for patches that grown on their faces and on top of their head, and they wear skins of their kill. Most of the time they just hunt for sport and pleasure rather for food while having no regard for the Circle of Life.
The Watu don't have sharp teeth or claws to hunt. Instead they used stones on top of long sticks, shorter ones which are sent flying by using curved branches with the end connected by a single vine, or just really sharp stones themselves as they wielded them in their hands. That's what they used in the past and right now they mostly wield smoother and shinier versions of the handheld stones along with strange looking branches that can instantly kill with the sound resembling that of thunder.
And the most strangest part about the Watu is that they live much longer than other animals while aging much slowere than them as well.
These nightmarish creatures are told either through scary stories at night or mentioned just to scare children from misbehaving. Kiara, Kion, and the younger generation of the Pride Lands are lucky enough to be told about them through stories... Kovu, his siblings, and the rest of the former Oultand lionesses are not that fortunate however.
The younger generation always believed that the Watu aren't real... until today.
"They're real?!" Kiara asked in shock while having a hard time believing all of this.
"Unfortunately they do." Kovu replied.
"Are you sure Zazu." Simba asked.
"I'm positive your majesty! I've heard from a mole-rat that one of their own, outside of the Pride Lands, spotted five of them heading this way!?" Zazu replied, "I thought that the mole-rat was exaggerating at first until he gave a full description, by every detail, what these "visitors" look like! Not only that, the mole-rat even understood them!?"
"That's impossible!" Simba said with shocking disbelief, "The communication between animals and the Watu is cut off thousands of generations ago!"
"Apparently the mole-rat that saw them swears to the Circle of Life that he understood what they said."
Simba had a disturbed look on his face as he then turned to his wife and said with urgency "I'll call upon all the animals of the Pride Lands for an emergency meeting!"
"I'll have the rest of the lionesses gathered." Nala added. They both darted in opposite directions. Simba arrived at the peak of Pride Rock as he let out a loud roar, summoing all the Pride Landers to urgently come.
All of the animals arrived at the bottom of Pride Rock an hour later as both Simba and Nala are at its as the king began to speak "As you may have heard, five of the Watu somehow managed to enter Animalia."
The animals then talked with each other with worry.
"So it's true."
"What are we going to do?!"
Every living creature was taught that the Pride Lands, the Outlands, the Back Lands, the Tree of Life, and other lands that are close and far beyond from each other are part of a protective domain known as Animalia. A untainted world that exists parallel to Earth's while at the same time being similar to it and a part of it (meaning both the world of the Watu and Animalia have the same continents like Africa, even their names, but a bit different from each other) since they both share nature and the Circle of Life itself. Animalia was created by the Tree of Life some time after the "Great Flood" of the planet's ancient age. Animals can enter in and out of Animilia without any problems unlike the Watu. The animals hardly leave Animalia since the ones that do either don't return or come back with strange wounds and thus die days later. Which is why some animals outside of Animalia try to get there to escape from the Watu while most have adjusted to life with them.
"Not only that, the mole-rat that saw them also understood what they said." Simba added, "meaning they might understand what we say as well."
The animals then became bewildered as they talked even louder.
"How is this possible?!"
"Why is this happening?!"
The tension increased in which Simba roared to silence them. "I don't know how they got here or how we can understand them. So until the Lion Guard returns, we need to stay away from them for the time being. Also spread of this to the other lands so other animals may know to stay clear of them. And if the Lion Guard doesn't return by then, the lionesses and I will then handle the situation if the Watu won't leave."
Simba finished the assembly as the animals then returned to their homes.
"Simba, you know that humans aren't entirely bad."
The who spoke was the Rafiki, the Royal Mjuzi of the Pride Lands, as he approached Simba and Nala while later joined by Kiara and Kovu.
"They're not?" Kiara asked catching her interest.
"Of course, they're animals like you and I." Rafiki replied.
"They're not treated like animals anymore." Kovu said with slight hate as he then left.
Kiara was concerned as she called out to him "Kovu, wait—"
"Let him go Kiara." Simba said, "He's got his reasons why he doesn't trust them."
"Why not? If they're animals like us, some of them can't be bad as the stories say they are."
"You right princess." Rafiki said, "In the past, there are good stories about them besides the bad ones."
"Even though there's mostly bad than good." Simba added.
"Why wasn't Kion and I told about any of this?!'
"I was going to tell you," Simba replied, "but then the battle of Pride Rock and Zira's invasion happened..."
"Well it's a good time to tell her about it." Rafiki said with smile as he then started to leave, "I'll leave you to it."
Simba sighed as his daughter waited for him to answer. The king then began to explain that long ago during the the early monarchy of the Pride Lands, a human kingdom was formed while the royal family that resided there acted as protectors to the borders of Animalia here in Africa. But then other Watu began to try to take over their kingdom in which the royal family and their kingdom was no more by their choice. He continues by telling her that the descendants of both the people and the royal family are currently alive today as a tribe known as the "Nomadic Ghosts" and continue to protect the gateways to Animalia.
"Then how did five of the Watu arrive in Animalia?" Kiara asked.
"That's why I'm concerned. The Nomadic Ghosts wouldn't slip up that easily."
"So have you met them?"
"No. They will only enter our lands when we are in great peril... and the last time anyone in Animalia has made contact with the Nomadic Ghosts is ten years after the kingdom has fallen."
"Also why do we call them Watu when they're actually called humans?"
Simba sighed. "We call them that since they no longer respect the Circle of Life and thus are treated like the monsters they are now. We don't call the Ghosts Watu since they're the only good humans that currently exist."
"They can't all be bad?" Kiara said, "Can they?"
"We want to believe that some of them are good Kiara." Nala replied, "But with the recent stories about them, it's really hard not to fear them."
"Can't we tell everyone about the good st—"
"There's a reason why we don't do that!" Simba said slightly raising his voice, "It will get everyone's curiousity the best of them and get them killed in the process."
Simba calmed down and said "Sorry about that. But your mother is right, we can't trust them."
The king and queen then started to walk back to the den not before he faced his daughter and said "If you want to learn the true nature of the Watu, ask Kovu... if he's willing to tell."
Kiara then looked down below Pride Rock as she saw her mate lying down alone away from the others.
"And Kiara,"
The princess looked up at her father as he added with a smile "I'll have a message sent to Kion and the others in the Tree of Life what I've told you alright. That way they'll be prepared."
Kiara smiled back... only a little. The future queen then walked toward her mate as laid down beside him.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah... I'm fine."
"You don't sound fine."
Kovu sighed as he then faced his wife and said "Promise me you won't get near the Watu."
Kiara was taken aback. "WHAT?! WHY DO YOU THINK I WOULD DO THAT!"
"I know you Kiara. When ever somethings up, you want to see it for yourself."
"What's with you!" Kiara asked with bit of annoyance and frustration, "Your starting to sound like my father!"
"That's becaue he cares about you! I care about you!?"
Kovu realized he was raising her voice at her as he looked away with guilty expression. Kiara then gave a sympathetic frown. "Did you see the Watu?"
The young lion remained uncomfortably silent for a while before he responded. "No. But back when I was a cub being trained by Zira, food in the Outlands was very scarce. One of the older lionesses apparently annoyed her somehow and she was sent outside of Animalia to find food."
Kiara's eyes slightly widened.
"She didn't return."
"Oh she returned." Kovu replied, "What she brought with her wasn't prey, but small holes in her body as blood leaked out of them."
Kiara gasped.
"She didn't last an hour once she got back." Kovu said. He then turned to her with a deeply concern expression. "I don't want you to end up like her."
Kiara then nuzzled Kovu affectionately as she then said "Nothing's going to happen to me."
Kovu nuzzled her back as he said "I'm sorry, it's just—"
"You don't have to apologize. I know you're just worried. Everyone is."
Kiara then licked him on the cheek as she began to walk away from Pride Rock.
"Where are you going?"
"On a walk. And don't worry, I'll be back before dark."
They both smiled at each other as the princess then departed. Kiara was being half truthful since she's going to visit Rafiki to learn more about humans and the good stories about them since he appears to know more about them while she doubting that her parents and the other lionesses will tell her about them. She won't accept that a single species is entirely evil. So as future queen of the Pride Lands, she believes that there is some good in everyone... especially in humans.
Author's Notes
The characters, Kamari and Azizi, are orginally from The Lion King 2019 remake and they will be the original The Lion King and fanfic version of them in this story.
I prefer all of the characters from The Lion King franchise in the original The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride art style (although I like Rafiki's art style in The Lion Guard between 50 to 70%).