a/n; rewrote this chapter. wasn't happy with the old one. changed around the animals, and picked up the pacing a bit. next chapter, you'll meet someone very familiar, making this a totally au/crack fic.

props to Imaginative Light.

and for the record, things in Paris will be moving much faster than things in the Pridelands. Just so ya know.

Achilles was pacing in the stable, occasionally snorting. Deidameia and Djali watched, their heads swinging constantly from side to side. The white and gray horse was obviously confused, dismayed, angry, worried, and probably more, but this was the only non-violent way to relieve that. Phoebus was gone…possibly to never return? Achilles didn't want to think about it.

It was an odd sensation. A very, very odd sensation. Clopin stood shakily, his legs struggling to straighten. The paws at the end of them didn't help either. Wait…paws? Clopin glanced around wildly, turning in circles to get a better look at his new body. To his dismay, he also noted a snout on his face, replacing his normal mouth and nose. His fur was black, splattered with wine red and gray patches.

"I know, I had the same reaction."

The Gypsy King whipped around, a subconscious growl rumbling from his throat. But the cheetah walking towards him looked extremely familiar…

"By the great God himself," Clopin breathed, and found that his voice sounded more raspy and harsh, "it's Captain Dweebus."

The cheetah rolled his eyes dramatically, sitting down in front of the wild dog that was now definitely identified as Clopin. "Please, Clopin, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times: It's Phoebus. And this is no time for jokes."

Clopin sighed. "Right, then. Where are the others?"

Phoebus pointed with his tail down a pathway from the shallow cavern they were in. The Captain walked in front of Clopin, and the Gypsy King noted that his gait was even the same as a cheetah. He was tempted to check his own, but decided against it for the sake of his self-image.

The pathway lead to another clearing, but this time the cavern was a tad deeper, and formed by what seemed to be the ribcage of a huge animal, supposedly elephants. A group of animals was huddled together not far off. Upon closer examination, Clopin realized this was the group that he had met with that fortuneteller, and it was actually easier to identify them than it seemed. Quasi was the massive lion, with a dark gold pelt and red mane, Madellaine was the pale gold, nearly white lioness, and the two zebras were Esmeralda and Zephyr, with the ever-so-identifiable bright green eyes. Clopin glanced back and forth between Phoebus and Esmeralda.

"So…how did you two produce that?" he asked, pointing a white-tipped tail at Zephyr, who was still figuring out his stripes. His parents glanced at each other awkward.

"Well, first of all we were humans."

"And secondly, we don't want to talk about it."

Clopin smirked, but didn't pursue the subject. "So how are we getting back to Paris?"

Phoebus's sharp eyes raked the horizon. "Well, it seems to be around noon," he said, starting his full analysis of the situation. "By whatever magic, we somehow appeared here as…as animals." The Captain paused, eyes slowly drifting to where a huge rock jutted out, and noted the figures moving around on it. "There should be civilization there, hopefully of animals, and we'll see if they have any idea what's going on. We should be able to get there by nightfall…any objections?"

He stared down the group, almost daring them to say anything. Clopin opened his mouth, but thought better of it and closed it. "Good. Move out, troops!"

"Phoebus, dear, we're not soldiers," Esmeralda murmured into his ear, and Phoebus grinned sheepishly.

A few hours into their trek, when they finally reached one of the few trees in the plain to rest, Zephyr and Madellaine started to complain about hunger. Phoebus shared a confused look with Quasi.

"Food?" he wondered aloud. "Since we're animals, I'm presuming we have to hunt now…"

Quasi shuddered at the sound of the word.

"But Esme, Zephyr, you two should be able to eat vegetation," he pointed out to the zebras, and the younger one immediately started searching. "Quasi, Clopin, this leaves us to hunt." The two of them stared at him, one with horror and the other with disbelief. "Err…I guess that leaves me to hunt today. Sorry."

With that, the cheetah shot off across the plain. He came back around ten minutes later, blood splattered over his chest, a young antelope in his jaws.

"Merry Christmas!"

Unimpressed with his sarcasm, Quasi walked over and sniffed the antelope. "And we're supposed to eat this?"

"Yep," Phoebus replied, sitting down and tearing off a hind leg. Clopin came and took the other, making a display of shaking the limp flesh and spraying blood. "Dig in, Quasi, Madellaine."

It was pretty gruesome, but they ate their fill, leaving half an antelope carcass.

"So…what do we do with this?" Clopin asked, prodding the bloodied remains. Phoebus shrugged, but his answer soon appeared in the form of hyenas. A few were coming at them from the elephant graveyard.

"Listen here, lions!" the one in the front barked. "That antellope is ours!"

Phoebus pushed it toward them with a massive paw. "It certainly is now."

The hyena blinked. "Well, that was surprising."

"Don't mention it. Let's go, guys."

And off they trekked. Phoebus forced them all to pick up the pace ("Hey! Not all of us are cheetahs!") in order to get there a bit before nightfall. They got there as soon as the sun set, the savannah sky still streaked with scarlet. There were immediately met by a young lioness, and a dark brown lion with a scar over his left eye.

"Who are you?" the lioness snarled. The male fluffed up his mane. Clopin was about to say something, but Phoebus put his white-tipped tail in his mouth before he could.

"Simply travelers," Phoebus confirmed, bowing his head. "We mean no harm, I assure you."

The lion and lioness shared a look.

"Where do you come from?" the male asked.

"A land far away," Phoebus put vaguely. "We honestly have no idea how we ended up here." The lioness made a face.

"I suppose you're not a threat…welcome to Pride Rock. I'm Princess Kiara."