Two Brothers Under the Sun

Chapter – XXVII

Simba's Pride

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The sun hung like a great, golden circle in the shimmering sky. It scorched the air so many animals were tempted to stay in the shade till evening arrived. Lifting their snouts from the plains, the sable sentries swing their heads around in search of movement in the shadowy bushes. Opposite to them, right beyond the reach of the grove, a hunter eyes the antelopes with keen interest, his tail irritably swishing to and fro amidst the vegetation as he padded slowly along the area.

Pouncing out of his hiding spot, a big cat erupts from a clump of tall grass. The herd bounds away in sweeping arcs as the lion zips towards them. Simba flies with the quickness of thought and lodges his jaws in the bristling back of a doe. His prey tried to fight out of his grip but the lion had come upon her so quickly that she had no time to intercept him with her horns. With a bound, the feline leaped entirely over the antelope's hindquarters and, moving with incredible swiftness, planted his canines on the sable's spine. A snap-crackling sound is heard before the female keels over.

Simba would dine well today; after showing the proper gratitude, he took a morsel from the loins. The Golden Lion wasn't in a good mood, more than a bit put out by the slithering, slimy insects that the monkeys promised would taste better than they looked. Only they hadn't! Now, they rumbled about in his stomach. Or was it hunger? Could be, the feline sworn he felt that bothersome sensation alleviate once the meal went down his gullet.

Then again, this was his grand debut so he couldn't be blamed for fidgeting a little.

After cracking a bone to savor its marrow, Simba stared out at the wide grassy plain. From the spot where he feasted, his ranges lay spread before him. He saw miles of grasslands sprawled across lush, green forests and dotted by clusters of grazing animals. Brief as his absence had been, the big cat couldn't help but stop just to sit down and soak in the view of his fields. After days of curling up and howling like a porcupine in Kaa's grove, it was good to snooze by his beloved waterfall again.

But today, this sleek and tawny jungle hunter is eating all alone.

His teacher oversaw this territory; with him down, somebody must watch over it in his stead. Knowing this, Simba made sure to get himself a fine breakfast that would carry him well through what he knew was to be a busy day. As he nourished himself, he had time to realize the irony of his situation, and it wasn't just because of his last talk with his godfather. After leaving home and trying his best to forget about the past, the Golden Lion didn't expect to find himself taking over Bagheera's (sorta) kingly duties. Sure the panther wanted him to watch over the ranges someday, to become the next Alpha Predator of the northern basin as befits a lion. Simba was aware of that; his teacher wouldn't live forever, thank goodness he wasn't down for good yet, but the maned youth never gave it too much thought until now.

As a royal cub in the Pride Lands, he was impatient for the day he would become king; a mighty monarch striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, the main event like no king was before, brushing up on looking down and working on his roar. During his first royal tour of the kingdom, he and his father were greeted by committees of trumpeting elephants full of Pomp and Circumstance. Dad had stressed that he didn't want fanfare, Simba, on the other hand, loved it to this day. Oh, how long he had waited for his emancipation as well, to be free to run around all day long and get his way all the time. But then his father said that being king was a huge obligation, very daunting too, not just an excuse for fun. Time has proven him wise as Simba grew pondering this lesson and watching Bagheera tending to his responsibilities, which were now for his apprentice to uphold.

Hakuna Matata will be there once this is all said and done, then Simba will go home.

Though he knew he could never measure up to the king his father was, it's his duty to do what's right for the Bukuvu as an honorable Alpha. While he didn't feel he was qualified to rule, he accepted the responsibility with the confidence of the mighty pachyderms.

And thus came the reluctant lion into the 'kingship' of the plains.

The shadow of a circle flits over him. Simba looks up and smiles at the sight of four shabby faces he hasn't seen in several Seasons.

Dizzy, formerly Chil, addressed his companions in the updraft. "Say, fellas, look who's down there."

"That's Bagheera's lion," Ziggy spoke as he drifted behind him.

"What're we gonna do?" pondered Flaps.

"Don't start that again." Buzzy shook his head.

"My, he's gotten so big." observed the brown-topped vulture, Simba had grown considerably since the last time they saw him.

"The little bloke ain't little no more." nodded Dizzy.

Buzzy called out to the lion. "Hey, big bloke, wait a minute, hey!"

They squawk and swoop down. Simba watches as they stall out and settle on a tall shrub near him, folding in their wings as they land.

"Buzzie, Dizzy, Flaps, and Ziggy." The cat smiled as he greeted them. "What are you doing here?"

Ziggy perked up with a smile. "Hey, he remembered us!"

"You see, we're a little, kinda jobless right now," said Buzzy looking down. "We don't know what to do."

"Also, there is our old boss who is onto us, and we were thinking..." The brunette vulture trailed off.

"If maybe we could hunt with you." His hidden-eyed friend finished.

"Yeah, you could be our leader," Flaps joined his flockmates.

"It'd be fun, you know?" Ziggy regained his composure. "And if that meanie catches up then you eat him."

"Yeah, that's what we were thinking," added the blond.

Simba paused, one brow raised. "You want me to lead your flock?"

"That we do." Buzzie beamed and smiled. "You are the boss!"

"But I am not even a vulture."

"That's fine. We never met an animal we didn't like."

"Also, we heard you were doin' alright," Ziggy added.

"Did you whup the Khan?" questioned an intrigued Dizzy.

Simba contained a tingling grimace. "More like he whupped me."

Buzzie took a quizzical look at him, visibly curious. "Say... you are looking pretty good for a fella the tiger got his claws on."

The lion shrugged. "I have a good doctor."

"Looks like you got yourself a sweet promotion too." Ziggy pointed out. "How's it been?"

...Yeah, Simba supposed some could call it that despite the circumstances. "Let's just say I am up to my neck in work, guys."

"It's a good thing you are not a giraffe then."

The predator chortled, a faint trace of a snicker escaping his lips.

"And, you know, no king of the jungle's complete without his very own bird scouts," Buzzy said before he and the others swooped to the ground to bow before the former prince. "We will be happy to help ya."

Suddenly, the youth was reminded of a certain majordomo always by his father's side. A pang of sadness accompanied the memory.

Great, he had to face the truth... he actually missed Zazu.

Along with that realization, another memory revealed itself from the depths of his mind:

"While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give."

After a moment scratching his chin in thought, Simba replied: "I guess I could use your services. Wanna come along?"

The quartet smiled and exchanged joyful high-fives.

"Working for a prince, this is def!" declared Ziggy.

Finding their enthusiasm contagious, the tawny hunter chuckled a little. Not only was the help welcome, but he would like them to consider this as thanks for their support on his first game of Kasaba Ball.

"That's quite the meal you got there." Dizzy took notice of the doe's carcass.

"They don't call me 'King of Beasts' for nothing." Simba boasted a self-indulgent smile filled with pride.

"Should we call you 'your majesty' then?" asked Flaps.

Thinking a bit, the feline ultimately shook his head. "Nah, just 'boss' is fine."

He allows them to share in his bounty as he helps himself to a nice cantaloupe, a rather light repast but satisfying nonetheless. Once they cleared out his scraps, they followed his lead.

The duties of kingship in the jungle are many and arduous. To face them, Simba sought to emulate the best: his father and godfather while keeping true to his promise to Colonel Hathi that he would champion the Law of the Jungle. Thus the prince knew that he and his new entourage had many places to go and much work to do.

~It's an honor and a privilege, a duty to perform, with a due sense of decorum and with pride~

No poachers this time, but there was lots of talking throughout the day. When he wasn't one of the parties involved in the agreement, he was counseling a fellow leader on theirs or helping on some debacle around the jungle.

~With deference and great respect very much the norm. Plus a hint of sycophancy on the side~

All day long he came across animals who needed answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. The servals wanted permission to climb his trees; one of the Commune's babies accidentally swallowed a burr while their parents were busy; a zebra opened a termite nest with a kick...

~To lay before a ruler all the facts about his realm, to fill them in on all the beastly news... in order that their majesty stands sturdy at the top, aware of all the fauna's latest views~

The flamingos are taking a stand in the creek. Two giraffes were caught necking, much to the group's embarrassment. The birds began tweeting quite early in the morning. Dizzy was like, "Birds, we get it." Two cheetahs stole the baboons' dinner and now the latter are going ape. Those cats were supercilious but, of course, as they say, cheetahs never prosper. Especially because the lion just happened to know the baboons involved and was all too happy to help by having a little talk with the cheetahs.

~Monkeys are going ape, giraffes remain above it all. Elephants remember, though just what none can recall. Crocodiles are snapping up fresh offers from the banks. Showed interest in nest eggs but the parents said "No thanks!" Simba paid the parrots and the vultures soon got a hunch: not everyone invited will be coming back from lunch~

He gave every subject a shot, even stepping in to cut in two a worm a pair of egrets were fighting over. During patrol time, they even assisted some smaller predators with their own hunts. The quartet was pretty useful with that since they could fly up high and see stuff others could not see.

~This is the morning report. Gives you the long and the short. Every grunt, roar, and snort. Not a tale is distorted... on the morning report~

Scratching his claws and back on the trees, Simba made sure all who came by would recognize his smell and markings. The perks make up for a lot; he soon noticed the food always standing at the foot of the trees that marked his territory's boundaries, and from time to time, he and the band would snack on whatever tributes were left there.

~The buffalo have got a beef about this season's grass. River hogs have been thwarted in attempts to save their gas. Flamingoes in the pink chasing secretary birds. Saffron is this season's color seen in all the herds. Moving down the rank and file to near the bottom rung. Far too many beetles are, quite frankly, in the dung~

Simba hoped to preserve the lands for Bagheera's eventual return, hence why he tried to imitate his teacher as much as possible. The only difference was that he had to work extra hard to keep the herds in check if he hoped to protect nature's balance in his home as well as the Great Circle of Life.

~This is the morning report. Gives you the long and the short. Every grunt, roar, and snort. Not a tale is distorted... on the morning report~

He and the boys set out by midday to the westward fields, and there they ate only what was required for sustenance and helped keep the animals on the pastures in order, nor ever did the lion destroy what he could not eat. So, while the herds were wroth at the continued roars and pilfering of their numbers, they were not discouraged in their efforts to return to the land.

~This is the morning report. Gives you the long and the short. Every grunt, roar, and snort. Not a tale is distorted... on the morning report~

Presently Simba began to strike farther and farther west into the heart of the plains as he and the vultures carried out their inspection, the youth was set on defending the Great Circle as far as his home ended, only stopping when he got clear sight of the Bandar-log's domain.

...But the young feline tired of it, as he found that kingship meant the curtailment of his liberty. He soon longed for the dwelling on the cliffside and the sun-kissed waterfall-for the cool interior of Baloo's den, and the never-ending quest for the bare necessities of life. Last night's reverie would be his last for quite a while; this realization only served to peeve him more. By late noon, his scars from the fight with the Khan were the only thing stopping him from outright declaring he missed his days of dealing with poachers, when his routine was laxer, it was easier for him to get his point across, and things were a lot more straightforward.

The bemoaning lion king stretched himself atop a rock, unbothered by the late noonday sun for he was far too happy with this impromptu break while his scouts surveyed ahead. These chores are a total bore.

It wasn't long until the first one of them returned, however, tiptoeing towards him. Simba looked up wearily before resigning himself and sighing: "Buzzie, report."

"Everything is clear," Buzzie stated, coming to a stop. "Looks like everyone is fine except for you."

"Tell me about it," His new leader yawned as he rolled about on his back. "What a long day, we haven't even finished yet."

"Yo, boss." Flaps was back that very instant, Ziggy not far behind. "Cool your whiskers."

Simba groaned: "Easier said than done."

"Say, where's your band?" Buzzie saw the chance to ask, figuring it might get his mind out of the work. "The Tall Bag of Bones? the Dancing Bear?"

Simbe grumbled at first, then answered: "Meh, Tarzan went to Monkey City, Louie wanted to show something to him there and Baloo followed along." And knowing Timon and Pumbaa, they will probably show up there later. The lion too was planning to drop by to get himself a slushie once this patrol was done.

He didn't notice the birds exchanging eye contact, much less the slightly unnerved expressions when they heard of the jungle man's whereabouts. Snapping out of it before the others, Buzzie quickly came up with something else to change the subject.

"I got it, we'll sing for you! That will put a smile on your face." The bald vulture, now positively glowing, turned to his colleagues. "Fellas!"

They all move into position. Now interested, Simba shifted so he could properly focus on the flock. Seeing they had his attention, the scavengers began:

"For a slowpoke, he's doin' alright." On cue, Buzzie opened their number. "We might make somethin' out of him tonight."

"Things ain't going like he planned, but we can lend a helping hand." Flaps rubbed his wings together.

"In all our roaming and all our flights, we never met an animal we didn't like." Ziggy put each of his wings around his friends.

By the power of music, or mere coincidence, Dizzy surged from nowhere and joined his flock's formation. "We're a tight-knit set of birds, and we've only got one word:"

Four scavengers formed a chorus:

"We are the vultures!"

"That's four words," Simba murmured beneath his smile, his grumpy face wiped off.

They joined wings and began dancing in a circle atop a tree.

"Birds of a feather. We are the vultures... always stick together, together, together!"

The quartet perched on a branch, saluting with a swing of their wings. At the end, the prince was humming to their little recital. "Not bad."

"We are birds, singing is our language." Dizzy told him.

"Besides, we are culture vultures," Ziggy stated, happy as a jaybird.

"I can see that." commented the Golden Lion.

"Say, Maned Boss, since you are our tour guide, where's the elephants' secret boneyard?"

"Sorry, guys, but that's classified. Ancient pachyderm secret and all of that." Very much so. Colonel Hathi had the lion promise secrecy after showing it to him and Simba was a feline of his word.

...Come to think of it, what is a 'grave' anyway?

"Did you guys see anything else?" He asked for the sake of confirmation.

Everyone shook their heads except for Dizzy, who deadpanned: "Nope, the coast is clear."

"There, a job well done." The 'boss' stretched some more to alleviate his stress. "How about a small break?"

"No, I mean the fields are clear." The one-with-bangs elaborated. "There's nobody there."

"!"

In haste, the lion was on his feet peering directly toward the direction the tall bird had come from. A furrow marred his features as the quartet hopped to attention on his mane, the five of them peer out onto the plains in deep concentration, the vultures using their wings like visors. Simba finishes the ritual with a roar of warning... complete silence reigned.

"Do you hear that?" Simba asked, a tidbit alarmed.

Of the now uneasy four, Buzzie was the first answer. "No."

"Exactly." The prince's voice conveyed a mounting of dread. "There is nothing, no sound." He switches his attention to them. "The jungle is never this quiet. Spread out."

The vultures do so, allowing the cat to stalk silently over a nearby gully on his own. He wiggles his haunches and races up the small elevation. Leaping out and landing at the base of the slope, he startles a lonely gazelle.

"Wait!"

The buck recovers from his panic and slows down to see who scared him. "Oh, Simba, it's you." The juvenile sighs relieved, stopping. "I thought it was a predator." He abruptly stammers, realizing his choice of words. "You know, the other kind of predator."

Simba tilts his head at the agitated fellow.

"You know, like Makuu... a real beast? I mean, not that you're not a real beast. But, you know, the kind that eats... never mind." Too young to have grown accustomed to the general presence of a big meat-eater in his vicinity, he prepares to leave.

"Hey!"

Once again, the lion's voice renders the gazelle frozen in place.

"Watch it," The predator adverted. "Somebody made quite a mess over there."

The buck blinks, looks at his hooves, and sees them dangerously close to an improperly buried waste hole. "Yuck. Thanks."

Like that he slinked away, leaving Simba to his thoughts, specifically the name he mentioned. On cue, he saw the band already returning from their reconnaissance mission.

"What is it, guys?" Simba asked his new scouts.

"The buffalos are on the move." Dizzy informed.

"And the antelopes are hopping mad." Flaps added.

Simba frowned. Bagheera had made an agreement with the buffalos last moon, why would they break it like this?

"Boss, crocs coming from the Delta! They're on the hunt!"

His answer came in the form of an alarmed, bald vulture.

"Makuu."

###

Hippo Lanes, Delta Float territory, West Bukuvu

The broad Dirisha Delta, which looked more like an expanse of interconnected little lakes than an actual stream, was as smooth of surface as the stones making up the lairs of the Bandar-log; reflecting the blue sky in mid-channel but splashed with patches of green and cloudy white near and under the low banks. Little creeks ran into the delta in the wet season, but now their dry mouths hung clear above the water line. Most of them didn't even exist prior to that fateful day at the caves.

In the span of a single night, the delta marshes almost doubled in size. At dawn, Basi came in with his pod to make the Hippo Lanes, a tradition as old as the Water Truce itself, always done after a big rainstorm remodeled the jungle wetlands. The hippopotamuses had quite the system to keep the floods controlled, comprised of embankments made of logs and grouped in parallel rows with the end of each row projecting further than the one in front to help ease the river flow and protect the inland basin. They also made channels in the flooded fields for others to use after the rainstorm. These paths guide the animals from one part of the plains to another without the risk of them getting tangled or lost in the tall grass walls. Straight and true, these 'lanes' are might useful to anyone who must cross them. Plowing through the submerged lands, the hippos also helped the water flow around while creating habitats and gateways for many creatures in the jungle.

In these labyrinthine crossroads, even Simba could get lost or, worse, stuck in all these reeds and grasses. Thus the young lion is cautious with his step, feeling and checking the good mud with his bare paws. The plants overgrew in the Bukuvian sun except for the ones flattened by those who stomped through this path before him.

Overall, the lanes are the safest way to roam through the wetlands... still...

Some animals had to leave their homes after the rains left, while others came and made themselves comfortable in the new marshes: storks, fishes, bog-dwelling antelopes, and gorilla birds among them. Makuu came in with his crocodiles afterward and never left, this became their new hunting ranges, although they tended to venture out of the wetlands to the verdant plains, sometimes testing Bagheera's patience. More often were the grasslands disturbed by these wandering beasts, but today even the quiet, fierce solitude of the distant fields was broken by multiple cries of fleeing creatures. No longer was there safety for bird or beast. Crocodiles were mucking about freely; driving more and more animals deeper inland. The herd leaders started seeking a site farther on in the Bukuvu, striking further and further east into the heart of the plains as they searched for a safe location where their herds to graze in peace.

Simba cursed to himself. When the crocs pushed out the antelopes, not only they messed up the herds' schedule but ended up making everyone else move too.

Far away in the blue sky, the vultures rose upward till their flock looked no bigger than a speck of dust, and there they hung, watching with keen eyes where the crocodiles congregated. They had never seen Makuu before, though they sure had heard of him. The leader to all reptiles of the delta dwelled in the cleanest waters to be found in the jungle; one could see all the way down the submerged abysses where deposits of diluted limestone help keep the waters clean. Hard to believe such scenery was just across from the gloominess of Sarus Swamp. Simba had been all too happy to be amongst the first to dive in there after Basi and co. had finished their work. There he discovered the best snails in the Bukuvu as well as beautiful and lush underwater jungles inhabited by all types of fish (though seafood never left a mark on him like grubs did). A cold drink would be good, but Simba wasn't interested in running into one of Makuu's lackeys that way.

Dizzy was the first to spot the float. "Yes, they do look very nice, don't they?"

Ziggy and he eyed the many duels taking place near the transparent ponds. "...Yes, they do."

Two growling giants circled each other on a small island of solid ground. One swatts his tail at his opponent, knocking him to the side.

"Now, while he's down! Jaw vise!" Their leader barks from the green shores.

The first one lunges forward to immobilize his adversary.

"Tail whip, now!"

The second croc sneaks his tail to hit the other on the head, freeing himself and locking his arms around to try and overpower the first crocodile, only for the latter to clasp his own claws on him and push back, both struggling to force each other to the floor.

"It's a crocodile smackdown," Dizzy remarked, his wings fluttering in the prevailing winds.

"Who do you think's gonna win?" asked a curious Buzzy.

"Think there will be something left for us?" Flaps wondered.

"This is just practicing." The lion informed them from the river below. "They spar with one another to work on their technique."

Surveying from atop a low bluff, Simba cocked up his ears and tail before he scuttered across the shallows to the right to meet the reptiles. His new scouts on his tail once they landed; all four of them crossing the lane single file in this sequence: Buzzy, Dizzy, Flaps (walking off-step from the others and holding a fibrous reed with a frayed end to brush the inside of his beak), and Ziggy. Makuu peeked over a small hill to see the new arrivals.

Before anything else, he snaps at his subordinates. "Crocodiles! Did I say you could stop?"

Whilst his peers focus back on their matches, Makuu rests in the water alongside a pair of his best guards. Simba approaches and stands on a boulder on the shore, a large fragment that once sat atop Pinnacle Rock, flanked by the vultures. Both of them face one another in tense silence as they size each other up. The prince does a fair impression of his father, face calm, eyes steady.

Hodari, Makuu's servant, burst into speech right away, shaking himself dolefully as he stood between them: "Our excellent master, the Pride of the Ghaut and the Envy of the Dirisha..."

Simba casually tuned him off. Flattery was a good way of getting on Makuu's good side, and the crocodile knew that the plover spoke for this end, and Hodari knew that Makuu knew, and the croc knew that the bird knew that he knew, and so they were all very contented together. After the plover finished, he left both predators to themselves.

"Good hunting, Makuu."

The float leader offered him a bored look. "Make it quick. I'm busy."

Some words came to the feline, but he decided to keep them to himself for the sake of not stirring things up. "We have a problem. I need you and the crocs to leave."

To that, the crocodile chuckles and props himself up on a rock in the water. Simba hops across several rocks to meet him. "Why should we leave? The waterbucks taste great." He snaps a piece of meat from a male too stubborn to move who had challenged him earlier in knee-deep water.

"You are infringing on my territory," stated Simba.

"We heard you were injured." Makuu retorted. "I figured somebody should take care of things around here while you were down for the count."

The lion now sported a flat look, not particularly convinced the reptile had acted entirely out of the kindness of his heart. "Yeah, thanks for that, but I am feeling a lot better now."

"Perhaps you are, but what about Bagheera?

A hitch came and went inside the bug cat's throat. "He's still recovering. But that's not the point." Regaining his stern gaze, he carried on. "A lot of animals depend on those pastures and you are messing up their grazing schedule."

"Not the point?" Makuu approached, that wicked smile of his proudly on display. "That's funny because, to me, looks like you are now outnumbered." Then he settled down, the spitting image of a log adrift on the bar. He and his float had come ashore for practice, but a crocodile is never quite full, and if the lion had been deceived by the likeness he would not have lived to philosophize over it. "We will be working on this corner of the plains. The herds will spread the message and when they come back, we can start from scratch." He levels his sharp gaze at the upstarter. "That was just us getting the point across: me and my float are here to stay."

Simba matched his stare with a skeptical glance. "You wanna protect these fields?"

"That's right." The scaly beast merely said.

"Like you did when the Khan invaded?"

Makuu huffed dismissively at the accusatory tone in which the lion addressed him. "He went around the coastline and snuck into the swamps, not much we could have done about it."

"And when were gonna tell me about this? Or the Colonel?" Simba pressed.

"Right now we happen to think the security of the plains is more important than anything else." He turned to him again. "Or would you rather do everything on your own?"

"And what are we, meatless bones?

Makuu took a moment to regard the youth's servants.

"Could have fooled me." He goes back to talking to Simba. "I don't think your cleanup crew will be much help with that." The 'Pride of the Ghaut' sags nonchalantly in an embankment. "Who are you gonna call then? Baloo? Do you think he will leave those two stooges in charge of the Falls again?"

The silent tawny cat refused to look into the crocodile's eyes. As much as he loved them, he wasn't blind to his family's faults.

"I believe this is your job now, Lion King." More and more Simba had the urge to swipe off the croc's taunting smile. "And you are on your own."

"Well, you ain't making it any easier."

"Everybody is a critic," uttered Makuu. "It's good enough, I would like to see you try."

"I am the King," Simba stated, the sharp edge barely hidden within his voice.

"Oh, I am sure we all feel a lot safer knowing that. All hail Simba, the Jungle King."

Simba clicked his tongue, but one cannot resent an insult from a beast whose jaws are big enough to fit your head inside.

"Come on, Boss." Buzzie scooted a little closer to his young liege. "You can take this guy."

Makuu's fang-filled smirk widened even more. "You decide, your majesty. What's it gonna be?"

The maned beast matches his gaze evenly. "Since you are so eager for a fight, how about we settle this down 'the crocodile way'?"

The float leader glowed at the sound of that. "Look well, you all. The birth of a new boss." Curious, his warriors pause to watch the argument. "Tough talk, Simba. Can you back it up with action?"

"You better believe it."

Makuu's crocodiles moved to stand close behind him. "Think about it. There's plenty of us and only one of you."

Simba, chest puffed, fully locked his scalding eyes with the older leader and his mouth quirked into a cheeky grin. "What's the matter, Makuu, afraid of facing me on your own?"

A dangerous glint appeared in the crocodile's gaze. Both beasts suddenly stopped smirking and glared as if gauging the other both physically and mentally. All the time the reptile's little eyes burned like coals under the horned eyelids on the top of his triangular head. But the massive cat was no fledgling and could kill more than antelopes; he wasn't afraid to stand up to the crocodile nor afraid to show it. A leader of their caliber has to be tough, ferocious, and fearsome, and the lion was determined to do his very best.

Everyone watching was kind of worried, at least the vultures were while Makuu's group seemed far more entertained than anything else. The quartet felt uneasy at all of this, just seeing the two staring at one another with glares in utter silence made them feel anxious about what was to come. This stand-off between two powerful predators caused their feathers to stand straight up.

"Um," Ultimately, it was Makuu who decided to finish their little stand-off. "Perhaps it's time we moved on. This place is running out of game anyway." They canceled eye contact at the same time, that way none could tell who won the discussion.

Neither of them dared to show their backs to each other even as the crocodiles proceeded in the direction of Hippo Springs, likely to reach out to the Viceroy of the Springs, so they both moved along their respective banks with their followers in toll till they finally turned away,

"Watch it, your majesty." Makuu couldn't resist giving a few parting words. "Bagheera is not here to help you anymore."

In the end, the squabble was only half settled.

The vultures could finally sigh in relief, somehow they had managed to hold their breaths this entire time.

"'It's good enough' he says. Puh!" Simba grunted, still pissed.

Flaps and the others motion to him, suggesting they leave as well. "Hey, Boss, let's find something to do somewhere else."

"Yes, we still gotta work on our oath." Dizzy reminded their liege.

Recognizing their point despite his emotional state, the Golden Lion walks off, leading them on the trek back to his lands.

###

Northwestern Bukuvu plains, Simba's territory

The first thing Simba did was find a spot so he could relax and get his mind away from the 'Envy of the Dirisha'. The great feline darted up a tree like a shot, quickly reaching the mid-boughs before ostentatiously setting about grooming his tail.

Buzzy asked his compatriots on the higher branches. "What do you think?"

Dizzy commented: "I think he needs a rehearsal."

"Somebody should teach a lesson to that outsized river snapper," Ziggy affirmed.

"And our boss is the one to do it." The bald bird agreed.

"And that's the tooth." Flaps quipped.

The incensed lion, in too deep within his own thoughts until now, spoke out his epiphany: "Much as I would like to throw him into a mudhole, perhaps it's not a good idea to start a fight on my first day."

"A sensible choice."

Their heads swivel to the side where they see a certain stick-wielding, elderly baboon... or was he a mandril?

"Hey, it's Rafiki!" Dizzy squawked.

"Oh, I just love saying his name!" Ziggy piped jolly. "Rafiki-rafiki-rafikiiii!"

Simba turned to his scouts. "You know him?"

"Who doesn't?" questioned Flats.

The lion regarded the primate, whom he hadn't seen since he left Kaa's lair. "Good morning, Rafiki."

"Good morning, Simba." The monkey greeted whim with a bright smile.

"What brings you here?"

"Rafiki goes where he is needed, and Rafiki is needed in many places." He replied with an enigmatic chuckle.

Simba's ears perked up. "Think you can help us deal with the crocodiles?"

"A better question is: how are you gonna deal with them?"

Simba adopted a thoughtful look. "Good question, still working on it."

The vultures folded their wings and rested their chins on them, equally contemplative.

"When we don't know what to do in our— I mean, old parliament, we do a run-off election." Buzzie mused out loud. "The top seven candidates would be narrowed to three. And the eventual winner requires a majority of no less than 72%..."

Simba watched the scavengers lose themselves in a speech full of overly eloquent legalese that made his eyelids heavy and his mind recall Zazu again. Without much else for him to do, the great feline bounded for the ground and paced around in a circle; not getting anywhere just like his musing.

"Well, so much for my first day on the job." He snorted, dull and sarcastic.

Rafiki dangled from his branch to speak to him. "Now, now. Remember: even the best musician fails until he learns to play the scales."

"Wow, wise words." Dizzy acknowledged with a whistle.

"Yeah." Buzzie gave out a whisper of reverence.

"Both you and Makuu have a big responsibility." The wise elder started, joining the youth on the jungle floor. "But I fear his ego is stronger than his sense of duty and that will make him take more than give back to the Great Circle of Life." He casts a concerned look in the direction of western fields. "If we don't do it right for our part, bigger jobs can get messed up."

"I know, and now I have to help sort this out." Simba moaned lamely. "I tried getting through to him, explaining why he should stop but he is just impossible." And he knew something about that, Makuu was proud and full of himself just like the prince when he was young... with this realization, the Golden Brother suddenly felt like he had swallowed those nasty grubs again.

"I am afraid good advice often falls on deaf ears." warned the simian. "But we must make it with what the Great Circle provides us, even bigheaded allies."

"I'm not sure if we accomplished much on that part either." Simba lamented. "Wouldn't say me and Makuu parted on the best of terms."

"Maybe. But allies come in many different shapes and sizes," Rafiki replied, "What is important is you have a common cause."

"Shere Khan," Simba uttered with a venomous tone, "Makuu is against him, that much I am sure. We can use that."

"Indeed," Rafiki agreed, nodding his head. "You must be careful in how you do that though."

With that out of the way, at least for the time being, the quartet saw a chance to show their boss their new musical number, hoping to break the overly serious mood.

Side by side, wings folded across each other's shoulders, they recited:

"It's a great big jungle someone's got to rule. The animals picked Simba 'cause he's no fool; he's as wise as an owl, quick as a fox, as fast as an antelope, strong as an ox. With those that are weak, he's as gentle as a lamb. With those that are wicked, he's a battering ram. He's a monarch, he's the master, he's the leader of the pack. The maelstrom, the model, he's a leader with a knack. The commander-in-chief, the boss of everything. All hail Simba, he's the jungle king!"

Self-pride permeated the prince's form, his mighty frame raising and his chin pointed upwards to the heavens. His smile was not very modest as he relished under the band's anthem.

'THWACK'

"OW!"

"What did I just tell you about egos?" Rafiki reprimanded him, one arm around his staff and waving a finger from the other.

OMAKE

Kakarot Gordon Sneak Peek

Meanwhile, Usagi and Dr. Briefs are being escorted through the hallways of the Martial Arts Temple by a group of Mr. Satan's disciples. Their destination: a mystery to the two prisoners.

"I wonder where we will be taken now." Pondered the Sailor Guardian until she noticed the doctor was more focused on his hand device.

"I am calculating." He told her.

"What?" She questioned.

"The time remaining before the moon crashes on Earth." He replied as the martial artists led them to the main arena. "I would say, very roughly, fourteen hours, nine minutes, and twenty seconds."

Sailor Moon looked distraught. "Oh, god. We haven't even found- GOKU!"

Usagi ran off across the Stadium the moment she spotted the orange-wearing Saiyan. The human-like alien broke off to meet her at the same time. They met in the center and he hauled her up, spinning in place as they embraced in a steamy kiss. Mr. Satan guffawed at the scene.

"That's so crazy!" Usagi declared once they ceased mouth contact, still tightly holding on to each other. "The last time I saw you, I prayed it was a dream. This time I am praying it's not." She smiled like a child as she took a good look at the man in her arms. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." He replied with a smile of his own.

"Me too. I've got some really crazy stories to tell you."

"Save it for our kids."

Somehow, Usagi beamed even more. "Oh, I accept!"

"Enough!" barked Hercule, signaling for his men to seize the clinging couple.

"Would you leave us alone?!" Shouted the indignant reincarnation of Princess Serenity when the guards separated her from Goku. "I just got engaged!"

Cast:

Son Goku/Kakarot as Flash Gordon

Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon as Dale Arden

Dr. Briefs as Hans Zarkov

Mr. Satan as Prince Vultan (Goku's alive?)

(In loving memory of Akira Toriyama)