Chapter Three: A Tour Of The Pridelands.
"Are you sure the guard will like me?" Jifunze followed behind Kion, somewhat nervous about meeting the Lion Guard.
Kion chuckled at Jifunze's question, "Of course they will," the young lion replied, "I don't see any reason why they wouldn't."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jifunze said, getting embarrassed once more.
Eventually the two ended up around the backside of Pride Rock and found themselves at the entrance of a cave hidden by long leaf covered vines. As Kion pushed his way through he gestured for Jifunze to do the same.
As the two entered the lair Jifunze found himself gawking once more this time however at the beautiful cavern he stood within. Paintings littered each wall each one telling a different story, the floors covered with a massive map of the Pridelands allowing for easy navigation, vines, shrubs, and grasses littered every nook, cranny, and corner of the cave, and near the center sat a small pool of water around and within which sat the other members of the Lion Guard.
"Everyone," Kion called out the guard, "I would like to introduce the newest resident of the Pridelands, Jifunze."
"Hey," said Fuli atop a small outcropping of rock.
"Oh, hello again," said Ono sitting within a nest.
"Heya," Bunga said before he did a flip to get down from the ledge he was currently hanging on.
"Welcome to the Pridelands," Beshte said as he climbed out of the pool of water.
"Jifunze, this is the Lion Guard," Kion said as the group walked up to the pair.
"Beshte, Bunga, Fuli, and Ono," Jufunze said, shocking all the members of the guard.
"Hey, how do you know our names?" Bunga then stepped close to Jifunze, a skeptical look on his face.
"Rafiki told me stories about all of you," Jifunze said, taking a couple steps back to avoid Bunga.
"Oh did he now?" Bunga then began posing, flexing, and generally showing off, "And did he tell you about how cool we are?"
Jifunze giggled, "Yes. He told me about all your adventures saving all the animals of the Pridelands."
"And did he tell you about how cool I am?" Bunga then slipped on a small rock he didn't see, causing him to fall onto his behind.
Everyone then chuckled at Bunga's little slip up, before the honey bager was back on his feet and asking questions.
"Say what even are you," Bunga asked before he began to inspect Jifunze.
"I'm a leopard," Jifunze answered, "Though I guess it's hard to see my spots under the leaves, huh?"
"So what brings you to the Pridelands Jifunze," Beshte asked.
"Well, mostly a river," Jifunze joked getting a laugh out of Bunga and chuckle out of Beshte, "But for the most part it was a happy accident," Jifunze said, proper explaining, "I fell into a river pretty deep in the Backlands and it carried me nearby Mizimu Grove."
"Wait but then how'd you get here?" Bunga scratched his head, "And how'd you get the leaves on you back?"
Jifunze chuckled, feeling somehow comfortable within the walls of the lair, "I was getting to that," Jifunze explained, "Anyways I managed to pull myself out close to Mizimu Grove, and then Rafiki found me, let me stay in his tree, put the leaves on me to help me heal, and then we came to Pride Rock and, here we are."
"Wait, how did you end up falling in the river in the first place," Fuli asked, "Wouldn't you have seen it?"
"Well, not exactly." Jifunze looked away in embarrassment, "I was trying to find shelter during a storm and didn't see a cliff that was ahead of me, and, well." Jifunze shrugged, "I fell."
"Oh," Fuli replied, also looking away out of embarrassment.
"Wait, where did you even fall into the river," Ono asked, "The backlands are really flat and there aren't that many cliffs in that territory."
"That's just the part near the Pridelands," Jifunze elaborated, "Really deep into them there's a place known as Ngazi cliffs, it's where I lived and well, there's a lot of cliffs out there."
"Hm, well that makes sense," Ono replied, "The Backlands are much bigger than the Pridelands after all."
"Woah really?" Bunga looked astounded.
"Well, yes," Ono answered, "They nearly entirely surround the Pridelands. Common knowledge really."
"Anyways," Kion interjected, "Beshte. Would you mind giving Jifunze a tour?"
"Not at all!!" Beshte smiled while flapping his ears before he hurried out of the lair, "Come on Jifunze, I'll show you everything there is to see of the Pridelands."
"Oh, ok then Beshte." Jifunze then followed closely behind the hippo, ready to see the whole of his new home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And just up ahead is Big Springs, that's where me and my pod live," Beshte explained as he and Jifunze created a small hill.
"Wow, it looks really homey," Jifunze remarked, in awe of all the sights and animals that lived in the Pridelands, especially after the musical number Beshte performed to show off most of it, "What else is there?"
"Oh there's so many places," Beshte said giving Jifunze yet another smile, "We could go south towards Chakula Plains, that's where the Zebra and Impala graze, oh and that's in the direction of the mud pits, that's where the Rhino's like to live, oh and Kilio valley's down that way too, that's where Ma Tembo and her herd live. Or we could go east towards Big Ravine, that's where Acacia Grove is, and where Twiga and her herd is, oh and the Big Baboon Tree, that's out there as well."
"Well I just can't decide," Jifunze said, "I think I'd like to go someplace where I could find a home, I don't really wanna ask Rafiki is I could stay in his tree again tonight."
"Well there are plenty of Groves here in the Pridelands," Beshte replied, "You could stay in any one of them. Except Indifu Grove, the Gallegos don't really like company."
"I was actually thinking I could stay in a den." Jifunze looked embarrassed by his request, "I'm still not used to sleeping in trees."
"But didn't you sleep in trees back in the Backlands," Beshte asked, his concern obvious in his tone.
"Well no." Jifunze looked even more embarrassed, "Until last night, I couldn't even climb trees."
"You couldn't climb trees?" Beshte now looked completely perplexed, "But you're a leopard."
"I know. I was just, never taught how," Jifunze replied, about to explode from embarrassment.
"But didn't your parents try to teach you," Beshte asked.
Jifunze just looked to the ground, uncomfortable.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Beshte said, trying not to seem rude, "I didn't know."
"It's not that big a deal," Jifunze replied, "You really couldn't have known."
"Well, I'm sure we can find a nice den for you to stay in," Beshte said, trying to lighten the mood, "There are plenty of abandoned aardvark dens all around the Pridelands."
"Thanks Beshte," Jifunze replied, breaking his gaze from the ground, "That'd be nice."
Beshte then started to show Jifunze around even more of the Pridelands, from the east of Big Ravine to the west of Big Springs, Jifunze had seen plenty of the Pridelands. Though there weren't really any den's or caves that stood out Jifunze, and he just couldn't find any he quite liked. That was until Beshte started showing Jifunze around the floodplains, where they found the exact place for Jifunze.
East north east of the floodplains, quite close to Pride Rock, sat a well sized acacia tree, and just beneath it, sitting entwined within its roots, was a naturally forming den of sorts, really just a tiny cave with a medium sized opening.
"Wait Beshte," Jifunze said, running up to the den, "I think." Jifunze looked around examining the area, "Yeah." Jifunze then looked within the den itself, "Yep. This is it." Jifunze then turned back to Beshte, "This is where I want to live."
"Oh. Well." Beshte's gaze drifted around the area, "There's a problem with that."
"What?" Jifunze felt like his soul was being crushed, "Is the den already taken?"
"No no, it's not that," Beshte replied, now having concern fill his tone, "It's not taken. It's just, the reason why it's not taken."
"And why isn't it taken?" Jifunze stepped closer to Beshte, a concerned expression spreading across his face.
"Well, Makuu and his float spend a lot of time around this part of the floodplains. And so it's kinda dangerous," Beshte explained.
"Is Makuu a crocodile," Jifunze said, hoping for a yes.
"Yeah he's a crocodile. Why?" Beshte then tilted his head to the side.
"Well if he can't climb trees then I should be fine," Jifunze explained, "And I really, really like this den."
"Well, if you really wanna live here then I guess I can't stop you," Beshte replied, "But if Makuu or his float ever gives you trouble, just call for the Lion Guard, and we'll be there right away."
"That I can do," Jifunze said proudly.
"Well, if you want we could continue the tour," Beshte said, smiling and wiggling his ears.
"I'd-" Jifunze started, however he was cut off by an all too familiar voice.
"Beshte, Beshte!" Ono then landed in front of Beshte, "Janja and his crew are attacking the Giraffes in Acacia Grove!"
"Alright Ono, lead the way," Beshte replied, he then looked to Jifunze, "Are you gonna be ok?"
"Oh, I'll be fine," Jifunze replied, "I might as well get used to my den."
"Alrighty then," Beshte said, before he and Ono made their way to Acacia grove.
And as the two ran off Jifunze turned to get a good look at his new den, the sun shining through the trees in just the right way to produce a beautiful collage light. And as he crawled into the den beneath he found it to be quite dry, and also somewhat big. Just the right size for a growing leopard. And as he began to curl up in one of the corners for a nice nap, he truly felt at peace in a way that he had never felt before. And it was at that point Jifunze knew. He was at home.