Something about the next day was strange. But strange in a good way. Or at least for Janja. Unexpectedly he had a good night rest, feeling warmer and peaceful. And he woke up without anyone yelling at him to wake up. He took a moment to stretch out his paws before he walked out with a yawn.

He walked out to see his clan around the steam vents, chilling and talking. Janja softly smiled at his clan as he walked around his members. He then spotted Cheezi and Chungu napping on the nice warm rocky ground. Janja approached them and nudged them awake. They almost instantly woke up and jumped up to stand.

"Hey, Janja!" Cheezi exclaimed.

"Hi, Janja!" Chungu greeted him.

"Good morning," Janja greeted them back.

The hyenas around them looked at them with their ears perked in surprise.

"What's up?"

"Uhh, the sky?" Cheezi answered in confusion.

"Or the rocks maybe?" Chungu suggest while they looked up.

Janja looked at them with a confused look. But something about them just made him laugh for moment. Cheezi and Chungu looked at Janja with their heads cocked to the side. Other hyenas looked at Janja in a serious concern. Janja stopped laughing for a moment .

"No!" Janja exclaimed playfully. " I meant, like how are you?"

"Good?" Cheezi and Chungu answered, still uneasy.

"Glad to hear it," Janja replied with a soft smile.

"Now today, we have a break because Scar said so yesterday. So, do what you want, fellas?"

He started walking away from them towards his den, and they closely followed. Nne and Tano approached them as they walked. Janja paused as Nne crossed his path.

"Hey Nne," Janja said,

"What's up?"

"You, that's what's up," Nne said.

Janja raised a brow. " What's the matter with me?"

"That's what I want to ask you!" Nne exclaimed.

"It's only been a few minutes and you're acting awfully nice compared to other times."

"Nothing is wrong," Janja reassured him.

"It's just a strangely happy day."

Tano pitched into the conversation. "But even you being in a good mood isn't how you are now! You don't ask how other hyenas are feeling or laugh joyfully when Cheezi and Chungu are acting stupid. What's up with you?"

Janja narrowed his eyes.

Maybe I am acting a little different, Janja thought. But that doesn't matter.

"Don't question me furbrains!" Janja snarled.

Nne and Tano winced and moved out of his stared at them as they started to slowly back up. Janja snarled and they turned around to head away from him. Janja sighed and looked at them with his ears flattened.

Why do I feel guilty all of the sudden? Janja thought.

What is wrong with me?

Janja just looked down as he headed into his den.

It was nighttime and the light of the moon was shining upon the cliffs of the Outlands. It shined upon the two hyenas, Jasiri and Janja, as they chatted while on the tops of the cliffs. Janja looked up at the moon and smiled as Jasiri was talking.

"And that is how I-" Jasiri said but got interrupted by Janja..

"The moon is beautiful tonight," Janja commented. " I never noticed it."

"Yeah," Jasiri agreed as she faced the moon as well. " The moon is there providing light to the creatures that need it. Many creatures don't take time to appreciate it but it's a magnificent thing that we have." She sighed and turned to Janja who was still in awe of the moon. He smiled as looked upon it. Jasiri smiled as well and giggled a bit too.

"Have you ever watched a sunset before?" Jasiri asked.

Janja turned to her. "Wouldn't watching one make you go blind?"

They both chuckled.

"I mean if you plan on looking directly at the sun, then, I guess!" Jasiri laughed.

They calmed down and they sighed.

"No, actually," Janja answered.

"When you're like me, it's not likely that you will take time to appreciate anything."

" How about we see one together?" Jasiri asked. " I mean, when you have the time of course."

"Yeah! Why not?" Janja replied.

"I can come back a bit earlier. I would just need to make sure the boys aren't suspicious of anything but that should be easy."

Jasiri smiled excitedly and her eyes were wide and bright. Janja bared a smile. Then, unexpectedly, Janja yawned.

"It looks like the pup needs to sleep," Jasiri pointed out.

"I'm not a pup, Jasiri," Janja complained.

"But I guess I'm tired."

"Then let's go home, pup," Jasiri said.

She started to go towards the direction of Janja's territory which was the opposite side they were already heading. Janja scowled as Jasiri walked passed him.

"So first you call me a furbrain, and then you call me a pup!" Janja snarled as he reluctantly followed.

"Don't blame me for the furbrain part," Jasiri stated.

"You started that."

"Whatever furbrain," Janja muttered. Janja rolled his eyes and he sighed. " Hey, I'm not sure if it's just me but my hyenas were saying that was acting strange. Like I was overly happy then for what I usually am."

"It sounds like a good thing," Jasiri replied. " I wouldn't complain."

"It would be," Janja said. " but my hyenas seemed more concerned than anything else. And I had woken up today already feeling strangely happy. Like really strangely happy. I'm hoping I'm not the only one that felt. Couldn't you feel it too?"

Jasiri was silent for a moment as she walked, and she gave a thoughtful look. " My hyenas noticed that I was very excited today for something. But otherwise, it's normal for my hyenas to be happy."

"But it's not for me or my hyenas," Janja pointed out.

"Tell me what you did that was so off," Jasiri said.

"Well first off, I asked my hyenas how they were, which is very rare to see from me," Janja told her. " And then, instead of insulting Cheezi and Chungu, I joyfully laughed when they acted stupid."

Jasiri giggled as Janja mentioned Cheezi and Chungu.

"Yeah, you not calling them furbrains? Now there's definitely something wrong with you," Jasiri joked. Then she sighed.

"There's nothing wrong with you Janja. It's not a big deal. You're just becoming a better off hyena instead of being you're usual grumpy self."

"No Jasiri," Janja said. " It's not just that. It feels like something else is there. Something that wasn't there before that is pushing me to be that way. It's just that I don't know what's pushing me to be so happy and excited."

" I don't know either," Jasiri admitted. " I can't tell what's pushing you to be overly happy. The only thing I can think of is that you're overthinking it. Otherwise, you'll have to figure it out."

Janja groaned in frustration.

"I'm not overthinking it. It's just that I…" His voice trailed off as he looked directly at Jasiri as she walked gracefully beside him. Her face turned towards Janja as his speech drifted off. Her brow was raised as she became seemingly more curious. Janja's heart started pounding again as a sudden nervousness came through his body.

Is it possible that I accidently… Janja thought.

But then he quickly changed his mind.

No. I'm not in love with anyone. That is not possible. Especially for Jasiri. Maybe I am overthinking things.

" Janja?" Jasiri said, causing Janja to snap out of his thoughts.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," He replied.

They continued to make way to Janja's territory to end that night of chattering.