''So what exactly is this 'Kupatana' thing?'' I asked Kiara as we were talking to a place the pridelanders called Mzimu Grove, ''Sounds like a food more than anything.''
Kiara giggled at the comparison, but smiled.
''It's a time where everyone in the pridelands comes together and recognizes their place in the circle of life.'' Kiara explained, ''My dad took me to one of these while you were napping a couple years ago.''
''Wait...so you went to one of these...but didn't wake me up?'' I asked
''You yourself said you stayed up all night, what would have been the point?'' Kiara replied, causing me to blink.
''...You win this time…'' I grumbled as we reached the grove, which was smaller than I expected, but had plenty of animals there, with a few of them singing a song about the ceremony itself.
Maendeleo-ya-uhhi Circle
Maendeleo-ya-uhhi Of life
I stepped next to Simba as the singing continued, with everyone but me singing...which is weird...then again, i'm not one for songs.
We gather together
Great and small
Here we are,
Every animal of the pridelands
Gosh, that would be hard for me to say in quick succession in a song unless it's a slow song.
For this day of peace
Kupatana Community
One day of unity
Gather together in peace
Our Kupatana Community
Our Kupatana Community
After that, everyone cheered and started talking and eating while I just decided to walk away and sit on a rock, only for Rafiki to appear next to me.
''Hello there!'' Rafiki greeted, causing me to jump back, ''It has been a while, no?''
At my quiet nod, Rafiki chuckled.
''Ol' Rafiki startle you?'' Rafiki asked, ''I apologize.''
''No problem, Rafiki.'' I assured him before looking at the celebrating animals, ''Just watching the festivities from a distance.''
''Worried about something, Shujaa?'' Rafiki asked and I slowly nodded, causing Rafiki to sit down, ''Tell ol' Rafiki what is the matter.''
''...Apparently, i'm going to be the next king.'' I told him, causing Rafiki to grin, ''But I lack the proper confi-''
But I was stopped as Rafiki hugged me tightly.
''My boy, you have done it!'' Rafiki said, causing me to raise an eyebrow, ''The great kings did more than want you to help the lion guard and defend the pridelands...they wanted you to be KING!''
''Wait...so...all of this was for me to…'' I breathed as Rafiki nodded, ''...become king?''
''However, Shujaa!'' Rafiki started, ''In order to be king, you must choose...will you go to your world and help your human family...or stay here and help your wife, brother-in-law and all of your other family members as well as the pridelands?''
''That's...sort of tough to choose.'' I admitted, ''I'm sure I will figure it out in due time, Rafiki.''
Rafiki patted my shoulder before he walked off, leaving me to look at the celebration before Kion noticed me.
''Come on, Shujaa, join us!'' Kion shouted as Kiara turned her head to where I was, causing me to gulp.
''It's a time to spend with family, Connor, use it how you can..'' Kiara said with a saddened face before I sighed.
''Okay, okay, fine.'' I said with a smile before hopping off the rock I was on, ''I'll join in on your little festivities.''
And so I did, although I had not talked to anyone but Kiara as I kept feeling like someone was watching us, so I made sure to stay on guard in case anything happened. But as I was walking to a group of antelope, I heard a rustle in the branches. Keep in mind, the group was outside of the range of the kupatana celebration, so I had no way of helping them but to fight and hope for the best. When I heard the rustle, my ears perked up and I looked at the group.
''You have to go..'' I told the leader, who looked at me suspiciously.
''Why would we have to leave kupatana? It's the biggest tradition of the year!'' The leader protested, causing me to frown.
''What eats you?'' I asked and the leader instantly answered.
''Predators.''
''And what is today?''
''Kupatana.''
Alright, time for the big one.
''Alright, then..'' I started, ''Where would all the animals be, safe for a predator to go in for the kill?''
''The...grove…'' The leader slowed before looking at his herd, ''We have to go no-''
But he didn't manage to finish as he was swiped up by a brown blur heading towards the grass, causing me to race after it in hopes of getting back the leader.
As I ran through the grass, I heard rustling from behind me, causing me to turn my head to see Kion and the rest of the guard following me, with Kion catching up and running beside me.
''What's going on, Shujaa!?'' Kion asked as we kept running through the grass, eventually losing them when we ran out of the grass and into an empty field, ''What the…?''
''Something swiped up an antelope and I was chasing it, but it appears we've lost it.'' I said before sniffing the ground, ''Hold up...i'm picking up a scent that's heading north...but that's not even possible, the creatures just disappeared.''
''Maybe it's RaiRai.'' Kion suggested as I looked to him with a raised eyebrow, ''She's the leader of a jackal pack that we ran into earlier. We let her into the pridelands because of Kupatana, as I felt that not doing so would be harsh.''
''Kion, these jackals probably just snatched up and maybe even killed the leader of a herd of antelope because you let your heart get in the way.'' I growled, ''If the jackals continue to run free in the pridelands, they could knock the circle of life off balance and throw the pridelands into panic. Do you want that?''
''No!'' Kion shouted, ''There's no way I would allow that!''
''Then we must stop them!'' I shouted back, ''Emotions can lead to good and bad things and this is an example of the latter. We need to stop that jackal pack before they cause any havoc.''
''Right!'' The entire Lion Guard agreed before we ran off to find the jackals, following the scent trail left by the jackals themselves.
We had managed to reach...a small trenchline somehow dug near the border with the outlands, but not noticed by any of the pridelanders...huh. Anyway, Kion and I stepped into the trenchline, as we told the rest of the guard, it was too narrow for all of them to come.
As we walked deeper, we heard cries of 'help' and increased our speed to running, eventually turning a corner to find a jackal pack closing in on the leader of the antelopes. There they were!
''RaiRai!'' I heard Kion shout, ''What is this?''
Quickly, said jackal jerked her head to Kion and did a smile.
''Why, Kion, we're just celebrating Kupatana with this antelope.'' RaiRai said and I could tell from her tone she was lying...Kion, not so much.
''Then what is with the calls for help?'' I asked and RaiRai suddenly started sweating.
''W-Well, he needed help with moving himself after he got hurt and we decided to help him.'' RaiRai explained.
''HELP!'' The antelope cried, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
''Doesn't sound like it.'' I pointed out flatly before Kion growled, causing the clouds to turn into full grown...oh no, ''K-Kion, don't do-''
''LET...HIM..G-'' Kion was about to roar, but I quickly covered his mouth, causing Kion's eyes to widened and his voice to suddenly muffle, ''What are you-''
''Kion, there is no need to use the roar, especially when there are kids around that could get really hurt from it.'' I pointed out, gesturing to the jackal pups, ''Plus, if you use the roar in this small area, everyone will die.''
At that, Kion looked around and saw the pups before sighing, causing RaiRai and Goigoi to slowly retreat with their pups, leading to me getting ahead of them and stopping them.
''Where are you going?'' I asked and RaiRai scoffed.
''Simple..back to the outlands.'' RaiRai replied before her pack ran towards the outlands, leaving Kion to walk to me with a saddened face.
''I-I'm sorry, Shujaa..'' Kion apologized, ''I had let my anger over the suffering of pridelanders get the better of me and almost hurt everyone.''
At that, I smiled and pulled the cub into a hug, which he returned.
''I don't blame you one bit, Kion.'' I assured him, ''I was like you when I was younger. Insecure and weighing my emotions on me to a point where my judgement was decent to bad.''
''T-Then what happened?'' Kion asked while wiping tears off.
''I landed myself in this world, met your family and over the next few years, the care of the pridelanders and those I met morphed me into the guy you see today.'' I explained, ''Without your family, I would never have been as good as I am now...I understand how you act, Kion. Your responsibilities and desire to protect are admirable, but it's to ensure that you do not let them get to your head and get you stressed and insecure.''
As I said that, Kion nodded and we broke the hug.
''Now, are we gonna celebrate Kupatana or not?'' I asked and Kion nodded with dried tears, ''Then let's go!''
As Kion and I returned to the grove, the animals saw us and cheered.
''Wait, something go on?'' I asked as Kiara hugged us both quickly.
''Where were you guys!?'' Kiara asked as I sweated and Kion blinked.
''Stopping the most recent threat to the pridelands, Kiara.'' Kion replied as I chuckled, ''Shujaa taught me a decent moral lesson.''
''My moral information never stretches beyond decent, Kion.'' I reminded him as Kiara raised an eyebrow.
''Moral lessons about what?'' Kiara asked and Me and Kion looked at each other with a smile.
''We'll save that for when this celebration is over.'' I said before Kiara broke the hug and walked back to the celebration, leaving me to turn to Kion, ''You did well today.''
''But you did most of the work.'' Kion pointed out.
''My, I can't allow myself to take ALL of the credit for nearly prevented the ruining of a fantastic tradition, now can I?'' I asked and Kion had a blank face.
''Well, no…'' Kion replied before smiling, ''Thanks for helping us.''
''No problem, now let's head over and celebrate.'' I said before we both walked to the celebrations.
Ah..Kupatana..I just hope i'm here long enough to be at another one.
Next: When Shujaa takes Kiara on a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro, they encounter a pride in the mountains….but the lion who is leading the pride is a familiar face ruling the pride with an iron fist.
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