A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh,a-weema-weh,a-weema-weh.
The song, kindly turned on by Mohatu, played in my head before it suddenly stopped when a young voice was heard.
''Dad...dad…'' The voice said, getting increasingly annoyed, ''Come on, dad, you said you'd take me for a walk around the kingdom!''
I slowly opened my eyes and yawned, causing the cub to fall down. Ah, there she is….my bubbly joy, Sarabi...or Sara, as the pride likes to call her. Didn't bother keeping her asleep for a little longer, Mohatu?
Well, what the young one does is of your concern at the moment.
''Sarabi…?'' I yawned as said cub grinned.
''Yay, you're awake!'' Sara squealed, jumping around before she noticed my raised eyebrow and smile, ''Oh...uh…''
You see, Sarabi here was born a month after Kiara and I reclaimed the throne and due to the distance in time from the wife of Mufasa's death and the birth of our daughter, we decided to name her Sarabi in the dead queen's honor.
''Alright, Sara, since I did promise you I would take you around the pridelands…'' I said, smirking with rolling eyes, ''I will take you for a stroll around your future kingdom.''
''Thanks, dad!'' Sara said, nuzzling me as I snickered.
''Now i'll meet you outside.'' I said and she nodded before running out of the den, causing me to turn to Kiara, ''Hey, Kiara.''
The calling of her name caused the sleepy lioness to wake up.
''What is it?'' Kiara sleepily asked.
''I'm taking Sarabi out to let her explore the pridelands.'' I replied and Kiara yawned.
''Alright, have fun with that…'' Kiara said before falling back asleep, causing me to nuzzle the sleeping queen before walking out of the den and confronting the little ball of toughness...as she calls herself. Yep, she keeps the ego Simba and I had when we both were younger...shame some of that ego isn't shaved off due to Kiara being her mother...boy, was I out of luck.
''Oh, yeah...the daughter of the king is about to make her mark on her future kingdom!'' Sara boasted, doing playful roars while I couldn't help but have a smug grin at how high she thinks of her position, ''Watch out, invaders, because Sarabi is here to stop you!''
''Let's worry about invasions when you're the queen, how about that?'' I asked and Sara giggled.
''Alright, dad.'' She said before we started walking away from pride rock.
Me and Sara managed to start observing different herds of animals as I started speaking.
''Enjoying the sights, Sarabi?'' I asked the little rascal, who quickly nodded repeatedly.
''And all of this will be mine?'' Sara asked and I did a simple 'mhm', followed by the cub's squeal, ''Awesome!''
''But it's a big responsibility.'' I reminded her, ''You aren't just gonna be handed the throne and expect everything to happen the way you want it. If you abuse your power, The Great Kings can alter environmental living conditions, leading to droughts that could cause entire kingdoms to fall.''
''How...does that even make sense?'' Sara asked, quite rightly baffled and confused at such knowledge, ''How could The Great Kings cause nature itself to shift in the way that they feel like it?''
''Hey, your grandfather taught me this, so I dunno.'' I said, shrugging before looking around, ''Let's just hope you don't take after him.''
''What do you mean by that, Shujaa?'' I heard a middle aged voice ask as I turned to face Simba, who was walking towards us, ''You're not saying i'm old, are you?''
''W-Well, you're getting in there, Simba.'' I said with a sweat drop, causing my father-in-law and former king to roll his eyes with a smile, ''Not to say there's anything wrong with that or anything.''
''GRANDPA!'' Sara said, running up to Simba and hugging him, causing the former king to hug back.
''Hey sport, how have you been?'' Simba asked the cub, who grinned.
''Dad has been showing me around the whole kingdom!'' Sara replied, causing Simba to look at me with a smirk, causing me to clear my throat.
''As King, it is important to inform your heirs of their future kingdom.'' I pointed out before sighing, ''That, and I promised Sarabi i'd spend time with her.''
''She get tired of you always sending her to us?'' Simba asked me and I snickered.
''Not that there's anyone else to send her to when me and Kiara are filling royal duties.'' I replied, causing Sara to pout and Simba to chuckle, ''Since you, Nala and Vitani are the only three I can trust with the rascal.''
As Simba chuckled, I saw a yellow blur and smoke rush between me, Sara and Simba, causing a small ravine to form.
''...Fuli…'' I groaned before starting to walk off, ''I'll take care of this.''
I followed the trail of the ravine until I noticed a group of buzzards surrounding an exhausted Fuli, who was growling and biting at them from a distance. As I observed the group, one of the buzzards caught my eye.
''Mzingo.'' I growled, ''He has to be the one who coordinated this flocking on Fuli.''
''Don't worry, miss Fuli, everything will be fine once you are eaten.'' Mzingo chuckled and my blood ran cold before it went boiling hot.
''BACK OFF!'' I shouted jumping in front of her and over the buzzards, ''You have no business being here, Mzingo!''
''On the contrary, Shujaa, I do…'' Mzingo replied, ''Janja sent me to give you a message from him.''
''What would he possibly want with me?'' I asked, scoffing as Mzingo rolled his eyes.
''He says that he sent one of his hyenas at the oasis you sent Niagh to a few months ago.'' Mzingo started, ''And he wishes for a meeting with you.''
''HAHAHAHAH!'' I laughed, turning around and putting Fuli on my back as I walked off, ''Now why would I meet with him?''
''Because the hyena never came back.'' Mzingo replied, causing me to stop...What?
At that, I turned to him.
''What do you mean he 'never came back'?'' I asked the buzzard, who frowned.
''He hasn't come back from the oasis.'' Mzingo said, ''Janja needs your help in retrieving him.''
As I looked down, I had realized that it was the right thing to go help Janja. True, what he did was none of my business, but if I just threw a life away just because of who that life was working for, I would be no better than the psychopaths before me.
''...Fuli, can you still run?'' I asked the cheetah, who slowly nodded, ''Okay...get off my back and tell Kion to meet me in the Outlands.''
''Wait, you mean you're actually trusting him?'' Fuli asked me, baffled, ''That's not a good idea, Shujaa.''
''Trust me, little sis, I got this.'' I told the cheetah who I had regarded as a little sister, ''Now, go grab Kion.''
''R-Right!'' Fuli stuttered before speeding off as I turned back to Mzingo.
''Take me to him.''
As I approached the ACTIVE Volcano in the Outlands, my heart began to beat faster due to the fact that it was an active, but stable, Volcano.
''Well, if it isn't the lion of the hour!'' I heard Janja say as I stopped to confront the hyena, ''Did your little girl hold you up?''
''Speak of Sara again and I will not assist you on this.'' I threatened, causing Janja to frown, but stay quiet, ''Thought so.''
''But Janja, I thought he was an enemy!'' I heard Cheezi shouted, ''We're having him help?''
''We have no other choice, fellas.'' Janja sighed as I smirked.
''You're lucky I agreed on this, Janja.'' I pointed out, ''Were it not for a life being endangered, I would not have helped.''
''How do yo know he's in danger?'' Janja asked and I chuckled.
''I've been fighting Scar's followers for much of my life, I know how they are.'' I said, ''They don't take prisoners unless absolutely necessary.''
''Hey, Shujaa, what's-'' I heard Kion say before I noticed him stock, ''What the!?''
''There is a legitimate reason for this, Kion.'' I told the lion before he could use the roar, ''If you could just hear me out.''
''Yeah, Janja's clan is behind you, I have a reason to be worried.'' Kion huffed, obviously fearful for my safety.
''Kion, one of Janja's hyenas are missing, so I assured him we would help.'' I said and Kion balked.
''Help Ja- ARE YOU INSANE!?'' Kion shouted, ''I get you're not from this world, but he's basically a criminal!''
''But we need to help everyone we can, so we might as well assist him in getting his hyena back from Niagh…'' I sighed and Kion frowned before sighing himself.
''Fine…'' Kion groaned as I nodded and turned to Janja.
''Lead the way, Janja.'' I said and the hyena chuckled.
''This is going to be quite the adventure, my old rivals….'' Janja said as he began walking off with Chungu and Cheezi.
The two of us followed him, unsure of what to expect…
NEXT: THE QUEST IS ON! Shujaa, Janja, Kion, Chungu and Cheezi journey to the oasis in order to recover Janja's lost hyena, but end up encountering an old foe in the process.