The Kupatana Celebration
Zazu stood before a group of animals, conducting them as the Lion Guard's Fiercest and Fastest walked down the center of Mizimu Grove while the rest of the Guard watched from the grove alongside King Simba, Queen Nala, Kiara, Kula, Tama, Nyla, Dalia, Kopa, Rafiki, and Timon and Pumbaa.
Kion and Fuli smiled at each other before climbing onto the rock pedestal at the front of Mizimu Grove, walking side by side towards the front and they started singing.
Kion and Fuli:
It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and-
"Stop! Stop!" Zazu ordered, letting out a huge groan and flying towards the lion and cheetah.
"What is it this time, Zazu?" Fuli sighed, heavily, glaring at the hornbill.
"Your timing was off yet again," Zazu answered, "you two are supposed to leap together in perfect sync," he said, flapping his wings, "Now, go back and try it again and this time, it has to be perfect," he ushered the two feline cubs back to the rock before flying above them.
"Ki, do you think your dad will be mad if I eat this banana-beak dodo?" Fuli whispered to her best friend as they walked back to the edge.
"Probably, because it's forbidden to eat a member of the king's court and that includes Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa, and - in this case - the rest of the Guard," Kion whispered back, "though, I'm probably sure he would understand why you'd eat him."
The two chuckled.
"Fuli on my right, Kion on my left," Zazu ordered, motioning with his wings. He then heard the two chuckling and he rolled his eyes, "and I thought Simba and Nala were terrible at hiding their feelings for each other," he saw both cubs in their positions, "Now, I will sing, you two just walk and leap when I do this, understood?" He raised his wings above his head in a wide motion.
"Yes, Zazu," Kion and Fuli replied together.
From the other end of the grove, Simba, Nala, Kula, and Tama were smiling
"Do you think that they are annoyed yet?" Nala asked her mate and best friends.
"Oh, yes," Simba agreed.
"There's no shadow of a doubt that they're annoyed," Tama said.
"I bet my whole meat stack that Fuli wants to eat him," Kula chuckled.
"Zazu takes these celebrations pretty seriously," Kiara remembered, laying next to her mom.
"He annoyed me to my wit's end last year," Kufu added, sitting between Bunga and Beshte, "I was almost like: 'Screw the royal code, I'm eating him'. So glad Kion and Fuli are doing it this year and not us."
"You said it, Kufu," Kiara giggled.
"But, why is Fuli singing with Kion this year?" Zuri asked.
"Yeah, usually it's another lion singing with a member of the royal family," Tiifu pointed out.
"Well, I thought that this year I should change it up and let Kion sing with one of his friends," Simba explained, "that, and also see how nervous Kion gets singing with his crush," he added, causing everyone minus Bunga to laugh.
"Ah, seeds of love are blossoming," Pumbaa cheered, "such a joyous occasion."
"Yeah, those two are smitten," Timon said.
"Well, lions and cheetahs are cats, Timon," Pumbaa told his meerkat friend.
"Pumbaa, I said smitten not kitten," Timon corrected.
"I really don't get this holiday," Kopa groaned, "it's supposed to be about peace in the Pride Lands and there's no peace, especially with the next Scar here."
Everyone groaned in annoyance at what Kopa said.
"Kopa, will you please behave yourself," Nyla scolded, "and don't insult Kion. You promised not to do it today."
"Ugh, fine, I'll keep my mouth shut," Kopa said, rolling his eyes.
"Why is he here again?" Kufu asked.
"My mom couldn't get anyone to cubsit," Dalia explained, "so, with no other choice, he had to come."
"Poa! Kion and Fuli really sound great together," Beshte said.
"Indeed," Ono added.
The Guard let out a chuckle when they saw their Fiercest and Fastest leap across the stone pedestal, crisscrossing in the air before landing on opposite sides.
"Never thought I'd see the day when I see Kion and Fuli leap like that," Dalia chuckled, laying on the grass with her paws crossed.
"The way Kion leaps kinda reminds me of a line in a song," Bunga pointed out, "you know: Six lions leaping."
"It's not time for Christmas, Bunga," Kufu reminded, "We still got a long way to go."
"Yeah, also that's not how the song goes," Dalia said, "it's six geese a-laying, Bunga."
"Eh, my way is better," Bunga shrugged, causing everyone to glance at him in confusion.
Kion and Fuli stood tall side by side at the edge of the pedestal as Zazu finished singing, and then they moved their back legs, lowering their muzzles to bow.
"Wonderful, Kion and Fuli, simply wonderful!" Zazu praised as the lion and cheetah collapsed on their stomachs in exhaustion.
"Are we done yet?" Fuli whined.
"For now," Zazu answered.
"Good, because the Guard needs to get to our patrol," Kion said as he got to his feet, "come on, Fuli, we gotta get going," the cheetah slowly got to her feet and followed her best friend, jumping down the pedestal.
"As you both are on patrol, work on your harmonies," Zazu told the pair as they walked off, flying over them, "Kion, you were a little flat towards the end there. Remember, it must-"
"Must be perfect for the celebration tonight," the two felines finished in unison, "we know, Zazu," they rolled their eyes and headed towards the Guard.
"Zazu finally let you go?" Kiara giggled as her brother and his crush joined the group.
"About time too, Fuli was about to eat him," Kion chuckled, causing Fuli to bump her shoulder against his.
"I hear ya," Kufu smirked, smacking his tail on the grass, "now you know how I felt last year."
Fuli found a spot by the Guard in the sun and sat down, "Who knew Zazu can be a slave driver," she sighed, licking her paw before brushing it on her head.
"Well, the Kupatana Celebration is an important event," Ono reminded from Beshte's back, "common knowledge really."
"And Zazu takes these celebrations seriously," Nala added, sharing a look with Simba.
"Very seriously," Tama finished. Kula nodded her head in agreement.
"I'm sure tonight's gonna be Poa," Beshte grinned, "I think that it's great you guys get to sing this year."
"Who knew it would be so much work," Kion sighed, sitting in the grass next to his father.
"With Kion singing this year, this celebration is bound to be terrible," Kopa insulted.
"Kopa, no!" Nyla scolded.
Dalia shook her head and glanced at Kion, "I'm sorry about my idiot brother, Kion."
"It's fine, Dal, Kopa's just being the mouse-brain he always is," Kion fired back which made Dalia chuckle and Kopa glare at Kion.
"You both looked like you were having fun," Kufu pointed out, "or was it because you two love birds were enjoying each other's company?" He teased, causing everyone to chuckle.
"Shut it, Kufu!" Kion and Fuli said in unison, blushing red.
"Well, I bet you guys are excited," the Guard's Strongest mentioned, "it's not every day you get to be a part of the Kupatana Celebration."
"Well, considering Kupatana only happens once a year," Ono pointed out, "and it's a tradition for a member of the royal family to sing at the ceremony."
"I just hope we do a good job," Kion said, sharing a glance with Fuli, "it's our first time singing together at a ceremony."
"Well, I can't wait!" Bunga exclaimed, "you and Fuli are gonna be un-Bunga-livable!" He climbed onto the prince's back and ruffled his mane, "After all, Kupatana is the second biggest party in the Pride Lands."
"It's not just a party, Bunga," Kion reminded, laughing at the honey badger on his back.
"Yes, Kupatana is the one day where all the animals of the Pride Lands gather side by side to celebrate the Circle of Life in peace," Rafiki elaborated.
Fuli stretched her back and laid in the grass, "Yeah, it's the most peaceful day of the year."
Just then, the sound of yipping caught everyone's attention, "I think you spoke a little bit too soon, Fuli," Kufu corrected, the sound of cackling laughter catching his ears, "that sounds like hyenas," he then glanced at the egret on the hippo's back, "Ono, think you can take a look?"
Ono nodded before flying off the hippo's back and looked towards the Outlands, "Yep, it's Janja and his hyenas," he informed the rest of the Guard, "they're chasing two little jackal pups through the Outlands."
"The Outlands," Kion sighed, looking at his paws, "I wish the Lion Guard defended the Circle of Life out there too, but we don't," he glanced at his father.
"Kion, today's Kupatana," Simba reminded, "and not just here in the Pride Lands, the spirit of Kupatana extends to all the animals in the Circle of Life."
"Even those in the Outlands," Nala added, smiling down at her son.
Kion nodded in understanding and smiled back at his parents before looking at the rest of the Guard, "Lion Guard, let's go!" He told them, jumping to his feet, "we're gonna go save those pups."
"You got it, Kion!" Kufu agreed, running to his side.
"Let's go!" Fuli said, running to his other side.
"Zuka Zama!" Bunga cheered.
"Till the Pride Lands end... Lion Guard defend!" The six animals ran towards the Outlands.
"Stay safe, Kufu!" Kula called out before nuzzling against Tama's side, "that's our boy."
"And our boy as well," Nala agreed, nuzzling against Simba's mane.
Janja and his hyenas were chasing two jackal pups to a dead end and cornered them. The male pup was creamy brown with a beige underbelly, dark blue eyes, and three dark spots on his shoulders while the female donned tan fur, teal eyes, and a large tuft of navy blue hair on her forehead.
"Oh, you jackals are so annoying!" Janja snarled as he and his clan approached the pups, "we just chased you both out of our den yesterday, and now you're both back. Well, I guess I need to make an example out of you two."
The two jackal pups let out a whine as the hyenas inched closer to them. Janja was about to attack them and the pups closed their eyes waiting for their end.
"Not today, Janja!" Kion interjected, jumping over the rocks and pinning the hyena leader to the ground with a growl.
"Hey, hey, easy on the fur," Janja pushed against the lion cub pinning him down, "what are you doing in the Outlands anyway?"
"Making sure you let these jackal pups go, Janja," Kufu hissed as he and the rest of the Guard stood above the canyon.
"Yeah," Bunga agreed as they jumped down from the canyon, "and don't you know that today is Kupatana?"
"Ku... ku... Kupatana?" Janja laughed, "alright, Kion, you want the jackals?" He arched his eyebrows, "they're all yours."
Kion's ears fell to the side as he got off of the hyena leader, "Uh okay," he agreed, very confused.
Janja got up to his feet, "Come on, fellas, the Lion Guard is doing us a favor today," he laughed as he and his clan went back to their den, "Merry Kupatana!" He shouted to the Lion Guard.
"What the heck just happened?" Kufu asked in confusion.
"That was...different," Ono noted, standing on Beshte's back.
"Yeah," Beshte agreed, "Do you guys think Janja celebrates Kupatana too?"
"I seriously doubt it," Fuli rolled her eyes with Kufu nodding in agreement.
"Thanks, you guys!" The two jackal pups exclaimed, jumping up and down.
"You guys were awesome," the female pup added wagging her tail.
"You were like, 'let the jackal go'," the male pup followed.
"And they did," both pups chimed in unison.
"Yeah," Fuli glanced at Kufu and Kion, "but why?"
"I don't know," Kufu shrugged.
"Well, I'm glad we could help," Kion smiled at the two pups, "uhh..."
"I'm Dogo," the male pup introduced.
"And I'm his sister, Kijana," the female pup followed, "and you guys must be the Lion Guard," she ran around the group of animals taking note of the marks they had on each shoulder.
"You're the coolest," both pup siblings said in awe, "you just looked at the hyenas and they ran away," Dogo added, smiling at Bunga.
"Yeah, we have that effect on no-goods," the Guard's Bravest agreed.
"Well, Dogo, Kijana, you're both safe now," Kion told them.
"But, if I were you two, I'd stay away from Janja's territory," Fuli added.
"Though, if you wanna have fun in a hyena den, I'm sure our hyena friend Jasiri wouldn't mind," Kufu added.
"Are you guys going back to the Pride Lands?" Kijana asked, "I know we'll be safe there," she and her brother wagged their tails.
"Don't you two need to get back to your family?" Beshte asked.
Dogo's ears fell flat, "We're all by ourselves," he sighed and Kijana nodded in agreement, "but, there are a lot of friendly animals in the Pride Lands."
"Can we please come with you?" Both pups asked with their eyes wide and tails wagging.
"Aww!" Bunga and Beshte sighed.
"Well, it is Kupatana," Kufu reminded, glancing at Kion.
Kion took that into account and nodded, "Alright, you two, you can come."
Both pups let out an exciting yip which signaled a nearby adult female jackal with light tan fur, green eyes, and black markings on her back, head, and tail.
"That's the signal," the female jackal laughed, "the plan worked. The Lion Guard rescued Dogo and Kijana just like I knew they would. We're getting into the Pride Lands just in time for Kupatana."
The female jackal saw her mate asleep and snoring, "Goigoi, wake up!" The female slapped her mate, waking him.
Goigoi groaned and stretched, "Aw, Reirei, I was sleeping."
"You're always sleeping," Reirei said, rolling her eyes, "listen, Dogo and Kijana managed to convince the Lion Guard to invite them into the Pride Lands," she informed, "and when you invite one jackal..."
"You invite us all," Goigoi finished, "I'll go round up the boys," Goigoi left to gather the others.
"All of those animals gathering in peace for Kupatana," Reirei laughed, "they'll never know what hit'em."
The Lion Guard led the pair of jackal siblings through the Pride Lands, passing through Mizimu Grove.
"You sure about this, Kion?" Fuli asked, walking on the left side of the prince before stepping in front of him, "because it seemed like Janja couldn't wait to get rid of these jackals."
"It does seem odd," Ono agreed, flying above them.
"Yeah, I agree with Fuli on this one. Normally, Janja never runs off that fast," Kufu nodded in agreement, "and I'm getting some bad vibes letting these pups in the Pride Lands."
"Well, I think we should at least give Dogo and Kijana a chance," Kion replied, "it is Kupatana after all."
"You guys picked a great day to get chased by hyenas," Bunga said to the pair of pups.
"We did?" The siblings asked in unison with Dogo looking up at Bunga and Kijana looking up at Beshte.
"Oh yeah," Beshte answered, "tonight, these baobab trees will blossom for the very first time," he looked up at the rows of the tall trees lining the grove.
"And, all of the animals in the Pride Lands come here to watch," the Guard's Bravest added.
"It's what we call Kupatana," the Guard's Strongest informed.
"We've heard of Kupatana," Dogo said.
"But we've never seen it," Kijana added a second later.
"Oh, this year is gonna be great," Bunga continued, "Kion and Fuli are gonna be singing about the Circle of Life."
"Are they mates?" Dogo asked, causing Kufu to burst out laughing.
"Oh, my God! Even little kids know that you two are a couple," Kufu laughed.
"We're not mates!" Kion and Fuli exclaimed, furiously blushing.
"We're just doing our part for the celebration," Kion added, still red in the face.
"We can't wait to see it," the siblings jumped up and down, yipping in excitement.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" The Guard's Fastest halted as the blush faded from her face, "you can't invite them to Kupatana, they're Outlanders."
"Outlanders never come to Kupatana," Ono added, "right?" He glanced at Kion and Kufu.
"Well," Kion spoke with his tail twitching, "we never had a guest from the Outlands in Kupatana before."
"Wait, what?" Kufu looked at his best friend wide-eyed, "Kion, you're not actually considering inviting them to Kupatana, are you?"
"Dogo and Kijana are just two little jackal pups, Kufu," the Guard's leader noted, "it might be good for them to learn about Kupatana."
"You are too good-hearted for your own good, Kion, and that's gonna bite you back someday," Kufu said, shaking his head.
Dogo and Kijana yipped again and followed the Guard to the watering hole, unbeknownst to them, Reirei and Goigoi were behind a bush close by and they snickered, evilly before continuing to follow the Guard and the pups.
"Here you go, you two," Kion and the Guard led the two jackal pups to a small hill spot, "you can make yourselves at home on this hillside."
"It's a nice spot, perfect mix of sun and shade," Kufu noted, "and it has a nice view of the Pride Lands and I should know."
"And it's not that far from the watering hole, just a short trot," Beshte added.
"Thanks," both pup siblings said, sitting down on the hill side-by-side.
"Welcome to the Pride Lands, Dogo and Kijana!" Kion smiled at the two pups before turning to face the rest of the Guard, "Now, let's split up and finish our patrol in time for Kupatana. Kufu, Bunga, Beshte, head to the watering hole," he told the Bravest, Strongest, and Slyest, "Ono, Fuli, you're with me," he glanced at the egret and cheetah, "we'll meet up back at the lair once we finish."
"Maybe you and I can work on that harmony while we patrol," Fuli suggested, nudging Kion's shoulder with her own.
"Heh, sure thing, Fuli," Kion chuckled, nervously, blushing red
"And, maybe you two can have a little make-out session while you're at it," Kufu teased, causing the Guard, minus Bunga, to laugh.
Kion and Fuli rolled their eyes and groaned before splitting up with their respective groups, leaving Dogo and Kijana on the hillside.
"Hello, children."
Dogo and Kijana turned to see their mother, Reirei, appear out of a bush.
"Mom!" Dogo and Kijana said before heading towards her.
"You heard our signal," Dogo said.
"That's right," Reirei told her pups, "and here we are, all in the Pride Lands."
"Yep, this place sure beats the Outlands," Going said, appearing on top of a rock, laughing and licking his muzzle.
"We really fooled the Lion Guard, huh?" Kijana asked.
"Sure did, Kijana, you and Dogo did a great job," Reirei praised, "but, why are you both sitting out here?"
"The Lion Guard said we could stay on this hillside," Dogo answered.
Reirei laughed, "Jackals don't sit on hillsides, they have no idea what us jackals are like, do they?"
"So, when does this Kupatana thing start?" Goigoi asked, "I'm hungry."
"Not for a while, honey," Reirei told her mate, rolling her eyes, "but, in the meantime, let's make ourselves at home jackal style."
As Kufu, Bunga, and Beshte walked along the watering hole, Beshte wished a Happy Kupatana to every animal he saw.
"Hey, Ma Tembo," Beshte greeted the elephant leader, "Happy Kupatana!"
"Happy Kupatana, Beshte!" Ma Tembo greeted back.
"Happy Kupatana, Mbuni!" Beshte greeted the ostrich leader, "see you at the celebration tonight."
"Yep, can't wait," Mbuni nodded.
"Heya, Dogo," Beshte said as they walked past the sleeping jackal pup.
"Wait, what the heck? Dogo?" Kufu repeated. The three of them looked back to the sleeping pup.
"He's so cute," Bunga couldn't help but smile.
Kufu sighed in annoyance, "Yeah, but this is Muhanga the aardvark's den," he noted, "he can't stay here."
"Kufu's right," Beshte agreed and nudged the jackal pup awake, "Dogo, you got your own spot on the hill, remember?" He reminded. Dogo smiled and ran off, "poor little guy must have gone for a walk and gotten lost."
"Apparently he's not the only one," Kufu said, nodding towards Kijana sleeping in another den.
"Kijana," Beshte nudged the female pup awake, "go back to your hill. This den belongs to someone else."
"Oh, sorry," Kijana apologized before running off.
"Kids," Kufu shook his head and then they spotted Dogo again, "Oh my God! You gotta be kidding me. Hey!" He tapped the pup with his paw, "these are aardvark dens. You can't stay here," the lion then noticed something when the pup opened his eyes, "Hey, wait a minute, wasn't Dogo's eyes blue, not brown?"
Suddenly, multiple jackal pups popped up from other dens, "Hhh... Are you guys seeing double?" Beshte asked his two friends.
"More like triple," Bunga corrected.
"Bunga, slap me in the face, please," Kufu requested and Bunga slapped him, "OK, so I'm not seeing things. Good to know."
Muhanga and her mate, Muhangus, arrived.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Muhangus asked.
"What are the jackals doing in our den?" Muhanga demanded.
"Easy, you two," Kufu tried to calm the aardvarks down, "the Lion Guard will take care of this."
"Yeah," Bunga nodded, and then he turned to his friends, "uhh, how are we gonna handle this?" He whispered.
"Only one thing to do," Beshte whispered back.
Kion and Fuli were walking side by side as they patrolled through the Chakula Plains with Ono flying above them listening to them sing.
Kion:
With the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Fuli:
Keeps the great and small on the endless round
Kion and Fuli:
It's the Circle of-
The lion and cheetah were cut off when they heard 'Kion' being yelled from the other side of the plains.
"That sounds like Bunga, Beshte, and Kufu!" Fuli gasped, turning her head in the direction she heard them.
"Ono, can you check it out," Kion asked. Ono nodded and flew above the felines to see what was happening.
"Way to ruin the climax of the song," Fuli rolled her eyes, "we sounded amazing that time."
"I know, right?" Kion agreed, "I don't even think Zazu could find anything wrong with that run-through."
"Hapana!" Ono gasped, "Kion, Fuli, I think you two need to see this for yourselves."
"Oh, OK," Kion nodded.
"Lead the way, Ono," Fuli shared a look with Kion before the two ran back towards the watering hole.
"What are you doing in there?" Muhanga scolded as she pushed a jackal pup out of her den.
"Did you eat all my ants?" Muhangus glared at a pup.
"Easy there," Beshte stood in front of the pup, "I'm sure they didn't mean any harm."
Soon, Kion, Fuli, and Ono arrived and the two felines saw what Ono meant.
"Hevi kabisa!" Kion gasped.
"That's a lot of jackals," Fuli noted, "and I thought bunnies multiply that fast," she muttered under her breath.
"Where's Dogo and Kijana?" Kion asked, stepping up to the group of pups.
"You looking for my kids?" Reirei asked, stepping towards the prince.
"Who are you?" Kion questioned.
Reirei chuckled, "Didn't mean to startle you. I'm Reirei, Dogo and Kijana's mom," she introduced, "and this..." the jackal turned to see her mate digging through a den, "Goigoi, get out here!" She kicked him and he faced the lion cub, "is Goigoi, Dogo and Kijana's dad."
"Hey, that's our den!" Muhangus yelled as he and his mate glared at the jackal parents.
"And our fruit," Muhanga added.
Reirei smiled, sweetly, down at the two aardvarks, "It is such a lovely den," she complimented.
Goigoi swallowed the fruit that was in his mouth, "And the fruit's delicious," he added.
"We didn't say that you could eat it!" Muhangus yelled.
"You took our stuff without asking," Muhanga scolded, "you're thieves."
"Thieves?" Reirei chuckled, "us, never."
"Alright, that's enough!" Fuli interjected, looking towards the jackal pups, "now, I'm not going pup to pup asking who's who, so whoever is Dogo and Kijana, come over here now!"
"We're right here," the two pups padded over to the Lion Guard.
Kion looked down at them with a slightly narrowed eye, "I thought you two said that you didn't have any family."
"Uh, no," Dogo rebuffed.
"We said we were all by ourselves," Kijana corrected.
"Which they were at the time," Reirei added, standing between her pups, "my kids always tell the truth and when they came into the Pride Lands, we had to follow them," she defended, "you can't expect two little jackal pups to live in a strange place without their mom and dad right, Goigoi?"
She glanced over at her mate who was curled up in the grass snoring and with a roll of her eyes, she kicked him in the nose which startled him awake.
"Whatever you say, dear," he agreed.
"And, we couldn't leave our other kids alone in the Outlands," Reirei added as the pups circled around her, "what kind of parents would do that?" All the jackals widened their eyes and let out small whines.
"She's got a point there, Kion," Kufu said, nodding in agreement.
"O...K," Kion said, raising his eyebrow, "I guess I can see-"
A distant voice yelled for help. Ono flew up and went to check it out, "It's Mbeya the rhino! He's trapped in a mud pit," he informed the rest of the Guard, "all the way over at Lake Matope."
"That's a little bit away," Kufu said.
"We need to get moving," Beshte added.
Kion sighed, "OK, Reirei, but you and your family have to stay away from the aardvarks' den and food, got it?" He told the canines.
"Oh, yes," Reirei nodded, "and, I'm so sorry for any misunderstanding," she apologized, "Come on, kids, let's leave the nice aardvarks to their business. We'll find someplace else to go," she took her kids away from the aardvarks' den.
"Yeah, you do that," Muhangus said.
"Lion Guard, follow me," Kion told the Guard as they headed to Lake Matope.
"You were right, Reirei, the Pride Lands is filled with great things to take," Goigoi told his mate.
"Just wait for the big old Kupatana Celebration," Reirei gasped, "all of those animals gathering in one place, Mmm mmm, now, let's help ourselves with more of the Pride Landers' generosity."
"But, Mom, won't the Lion Guard get mad at us?" Dogo asked.
"And, kick us out?" Kijana added.
"Kids, kids, kids," Reirei shook her head, "today is the one day these silly Pride Landers will let us get away with anything," she told her pups, "Right, Goigoi?"
"Yep, because it's Kupatana," Goigoi laughed.
"We can do whatever we want," Reirei said, "as long as we do it jackal style."
It took a while, but the Lion Guard managed to free Mbeya from the mud pit, the Guard getting muddy themselves.
"Whew! Thank you so much," the rhino sighed as he walked away.
"Hakuna Matata, Mbeya," Beshte chuckled, "it happens to all of us sometimes."
Ono hopped out of the mud because he slipped off of the hippo's back and fell into the mud during the rescue, "Maybe, next time, you could get stuck in mud that isn't so sticky."
"It's OK, we still got time to head to the watering hole and get cleaned up before the celebration," Kion assured.
"Even though I don't like to get wet, we need to be perfect or Zazu might kill us," Fuli noted, looking down at her lower half covered in mud.
"I would actually like to see his reaction," Kufu chuckled.
They then heard overlapping cries from various animals a ways away from them. The Guard rushed back towards the watering hole and when they arrived, they saw a crowd of animals surrounding the jackals.
"Nothing to see here," Ono shooed away the animals, "move along."
"I'm sorry, Kion," Reirei apologized, her head hung low and ears flat at the side of her head, "I just don't understand why these animals are so upset."
"Yeah," Goigoi agreed with his expression mirroring his mate, "we didn't take anything from the aardvarks."
"What about these other animals?" Kufu questioned with a raised brow.
"It was just a misunderstanding," Kijana piped up, her ears flat and eyes wide.
"A misunderstanding," Fuli repeated, "Is that what they call stealing other animals' food and invading their homes in the Outlands?"
"Well, yes, it is," Reirei answered, "things are so different here. How could we possibly know what's acceptable in the Pride Lands?"
"Give me a break," Fuli rolled her eyes.
"Take it easy, Fuli," Kufu soothed, nudging the cheetah's shoulder.
The jackal mother looked towards the prince with wide eyes, "Kion, you don't know how hard it is to start over in a strange place. We just don't know how to fit in," she sighed, "we do so much want to be accepted as part of your community. Don't you Pride Landers have a word for that?"
Kion exchanged a glance with Kufu and Fuli before answering, "We do, it's Kupatana. We're actually gathering in Mizimu Grove tonight to celebrate Kupatana."
"Kupatana," Reirei sighed, looking up at the sky, "Ku-pa-tana, it sounds lovely," she gave a sincere smile towards the Guard, "do you think we jackals can be part of your Kupatana?" Her eyes sparkled.
"Maybe," Kion answered, "but only if you can treat everyone in the Pride Lands with respect. You think you and your family can do that?"
"Oh, yes!" Reirei quickly answered, "I think we completely understand now, right, Goigoi?" She asked her mate, but he was asleep again. She kicked him in the side, "Goigoi!"
"Yeah, yeah, huh?" The male jackal snorted, "uh, yeah, whatever you say, dear," he agreed.
"OK, now, we should go," Kion looked towards the rest of the Guard, "we need to clean up for the Kupatana Celebration."
"And, you and Fuli need to warm up for your big song," Bunga added.
"Yeah, thanks, Bunga," Kion chuckled, "So, we hope to see you there," the Guard walked back towards the watering hole.
"Oh, they will see us there," Reirei smirked, evilly, "won't they, Goigoi?"
"Whatever you say, dear," Goigoi snickered, evilly.
As the sun began to set, all of the animals of the Pride Lands made their way to the center of Mizimu Grove. Zazu stood on the stone underneath the pedestal at the front of the grove, conducting a small group of animals as they vocalized getting ready for the opening performance.
"Alright, this is it," Kion said, looking at Fuli standing by his side, "you ready for this, Fuli?"
"I don't know," Fuli gulped, nervously, her ears falling against the back of her head, "I didn't know many animals would show up and I'm a little nervous because I've never sung in front of an audience before."
Kion smiled and patted his paw on her back, "Hey, there's nothing to be nervous about," he assured her, "you have an amazing singing voice and I know you'll do great, and if you get nervous, just know that I'm right here with you."
Fuli smiled and nuzzled against Kion's muzzle, "Thanks, Ki, you always know how to make me feel better."
"No problem, Fuli," Kion blushed, "now, let's get ready, we're almost up."
As the animal chorus started out the song, the two felines took a deep breath and exhaled as the two began to walk to the center of Mizimu Grove. All of the Pride Landers were watching them as Kion began to sing.
Kion:
From the day we arrived on the planet
And blinking step into the sun
There's more to see than can even be seen
More to do than can ever be done
The prince glanced out of the corner of his eye as his best friend and crush started to sing her lines.
Fuli:
Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar through the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars
Kion and Fuli reached the pedestal at the front of the grove, splitting up to walk up the small ramps on either side both of them, meeting each other's eyes from across the way.
Kion:
There's far too much to take in here
Fuli:
More to find than can ever be found
Kion:
With the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Fuli:
keeps the great and small on the endless round
Simba and Nala watched with wide smiles as their son stood tall and proud. Taking each step with confidence, both felines walked in perfect sync as they sang together in harmony to which Zazu couldn't help but smile.
Kion and Fuli:
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
The two felines then leaped across the pedestal, crisscrossing in the air before landing on opposite sides. All the animals in attendance sighed in awe and smiled, especially the remaining members of the Lion Guard. Kufu smiled at his friends and nodded his head. Not too far from the Guard, Kopa rolled his eyes in annoyance and didn't find what Kion and Fuli were doing impressive while his sister Dalia watched in awe.
Kion and Fuli:
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding yeah
In the Circle
The Circle of Life
"They sound amazing!" Beshte grinned as the Guard's Fiercest and Fastest stood at the edge of the pedestal.
"Indeed," Ono agreed from Beshte's back.
Kufu nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and even though I tend to tease Kion and Fuli about how they feel about each other, I'm actually proud of them," he said as his friends agreed with him.
"Hey, did Dogo, Kijana, and their family come?" Bunga asked.
"I don't see them," Ono said, looking around for the jackals.
"Ugh, this is terrible," Kopa groaned, "Kion is a horrible singer."
"Would you shut up, you idiot," Dalia scolded, quietly, glaring at her older brother, "this is supposed to be a peaceful event and you're not making it better, and I think Kion and Fuli are good at singing."
"Pfft! Whatever," Kopa rolled his eyes, "I still think Scar Jr and his girlfriend are terrible at what they're doing," he said, which caused Dalia to growl at him.
Kion and Fuli glanced at each other and smiled. The music slowed down as the song came to an end.
Kion and Fuli:
On the path unwinding yeah
In the Circle
The Circle of Life
As the final note sounded, the two felines stepped back and bowed their heads, their eyes closing. it was silent only for a moment before all of the animals cheered in excitement. Kion and Fuli opened their eyes and smiled first to the crowd and then to each other.
Simba, Nala, Kiara, and Rafiki joined the two Lion Guard members at the front of the pedestal. The king looked down at Kion and Fuli who were standing a few feet away from him.
"That was very lovely, you two," Simba praised the two felines, smiling, "good job."
"Thanks, Dad," Kion replied as his tail swayed behind him.
"Thanks, Your Highness," Fuli bowed before jumping off the pedestal and joining the rest of the Guard.
Simba stood in front of the pedestal facing the crowd in the grove, "Thank you all for joining us," he addressed, "we're here not just for the blooming of the baobab flowers, but to celebrate our community - our Kupatana - and to honor all of our roles in the Circle of Life."
A breeze passed through them.
"It is time," Rafiki spoke.
Then, the first baobab flower bloomed, followed by more as each blossom opened and white petals fell, giving the impression of falling glitter. All of the animals exclaimed in awe, but unbeknownst to them, hiding behind the bushes were Reirei and her jackal family spying on them.
"This is so unexpected," Reirei sniffed, "I didn't think I'd be so moved."
"What, by a bunch of stupid flowers?" Goigoi asked in confusion.
"No, by all the options," Reirei said, smirking, evilly, "all of these delicious little animals all in one place. How will we know where to begin?"
"I don't know, but let's dig in," Goigoi said as they were getting ready to attack.
"And now, let the Kupatana Celebration..." just then, barking and yipping filled the air and Simba's brow arched, "... begin."
Reirei and Goigoi led their pups into the grove where they all started to attack the Pride Landers.
"I knew it!" Fuli growled.
"Oh-no!" Kion sighed, his ears falling to the sides against his head.
"Kion, what's going on?" Simba asked, looking down at his son.
"It's Reirei and her jackal family," Kion answered.
"Wait, jackal family?" Tama repeated as she and Kula looked down at their cub, "Kufu, what's the meaning of this?" She asked, sternly.
"Heh, heh," Kufu chuckled, dryly, "well, apparently, those jackal pups we saved earlier, their family has followed them here to the Pride Lands, and well..." he trailed off, looking at the chaos.
"So, Kion's the reason these jackals are here, huh?" Kopa snarked, "go figure."
"Not the time, Kopa," Dalia growled.
"Sorry, Dad, this is all my fault," Kion apologized, "but, I know what to do," he ran towards the end of the pedestal, "Everyone, don't be afraid, you can help the Lion Guard by defending each other."
"Kion is right," Simba agreed, standing next to his son, "if we stand together, no Outlanders can defeat us."
Kion jumped off the pedestal and went towards the Guard, "OK, everyone, we need to round up these jackals and send them back to the Outlands where they belong," he told the rest of the Guard who nodded in agreement and then he looked at the Keenest of Sight, "Ono, tell us if you spot where each jackal is."
"Affirmative!" The egret responded, taking to the sky, "Kufu, I see Goigoi. He's behind the elephants."
"Gotcha, Huwezi Kuniona!" Kufu headed towards the elephants and jumped in front of Goigoi, "I don't think so," the jackal then tried to run in a different direction, but the Slyest then jumped in front of him again, "going somewhere?" Goigoi turned left, but the lion got in front of him before he ran, "you got nowhere to go, Goigoi."
"That's what you think," Goigoi snickered, evilly before running into a tree, knocking him out.
"You were saying," Kufu chuckled, "and I thought Cheezi and Chungu were dum-dums."
"Beshte, jackal pups near the giraffes," Ono informed.
The Strongest nodded and ran towards the giraffes who were getting nipped at by jackal pups.
"Enough with the nipping," Beshte nudged them away from the giraffes and the Pride Landers surrounded the pups.
"Bunga, you and Fuli get Dogo and Kijana," Kion told the cheetah and honey badger, "I'll go after Reirei."
"On it, Kion," Fuli nodded.
"Oh, yeah, that sounds like a plan!" Bunga agreed as Kion ran off in one direction while the two ran in another, "Fuli, I see them," the honey badger pointed out the pair of siblings chasing two hedgehogs.
"Then, let's get'em, Huwezi!" Fuli sped off, chasing after the pups with Bunga following behind.
"Zuka Zama!" Bunga said as he grabbed Dogo's tail and Fuli pounced on Kijana's tail, "Gotcha both and, you know, I don't think you two are cute anymore."
Dogo lowered his head and Kijana looked towards Fuli and tried to play nice, "You know, Fuli, you have an amazing singing vo-"
"Save it!" Fuli hissed, cutting her off, "your flattery won't save you this time."
Reirei was chasing after a little hyrax, "Come now, little one, it'll all be over soon," she said as she picked up the hyrax by the scruff.
"Drop the hyrax!" Kion growled, tackling the female jackal who dropped the rodent.
"Oh, Kion, what's got you so upset?" Reirei chuckled, nervously.
Kion stared her down, "You lied to me, Reirei," he said, sternly, his eyes narrowed and teeth bared.
"Oh-no! Did we make another mistake?" The female jackal tried to play innocent, "these Pride Land rules..."
"Save it!" Kion growled, "you're going back to the Outlands...All of you!"
Reirei backed up. Goigoi and her pups running up to her as well, "Just one more chance," she pleaded, "that's all we..."
"You heard my son," that voice came from Simba who approached the jackal pack, "leave now!"
"Oh, Simba," Reirei gulped, nervously, "I think there's some sort of misunderstanding," she tried to protest. The king let out a huge roar, "You know what they say, 'there's no place like home'. Let's go, kids," she and her pack bolted out of the grove and ran towards the Outlands.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Kion apologized again, standing next to his father but not looking at him.
"Don't forget, Kion, I encouraged you to save those jackal pups this morning," Simba reminded.
"Yeah," Kion sighed, "but you didn't tell me to invite them into the Pride Lands."
Simba smiled down at the young cub, "You made a mistake, Kion, but you made it in the spirit of Kupatana," he said, "you gave strangers a chance to fit in, and tonight, we saw Kupatana in action. All of the animals of the Pride Lands standing together as one."
"Thanks, Dad," Kion smiled.
"That's it?" Kopa spoke up, "are you kidding me? Kion brought jackals into the Pride Lands and he's not even in trouble for it? That has to be a sign that he's gonna end up like Scar, am I right?" He complained, causing multiple animals to groan in annoyance.
"Nyla," Simba turned towards Kopa's mom, "can you take Kopa back to Pride Rock? Then, you and Dalia can come back to the celebration."
"Yes, Your Highness," Nyla nodded and went to her son to pick him up, "Come on, Kopa, you're going back to Pride Rock and, when I come back, we're having a long talk," she told her son as she headed back to Pride Rock.
"What? No, let me go!" Kopa struggled against his mom's grasp, "Kion is the next Scar! I know he is!"
Dalia groaned in annoyance, "If the jackals didn't try to ruin the Kupatana Celebration, then Kopa probably would have found a way," she said as she followed her mother.
"I guess this year's celebration is over," Kufu sighed as he and his moms joined the royal family.
"You kidding?" Bunga questioned before picking up a blossom from the ground, "usually we just get to look at these things," he put it in his mouth and chewed it before swallowing it, "this is the best Kupatana Celebration ever!" the honey badger picked up another one and ate it.
Ono picked up a blossom in his beak, swallowing it with a chuckle, "I have to admit, these baobab blossoms are delicious."
Rafiki smiled and looked at the Lion Guard, "You see, young ones, everything has its place," he stated.
"Yeah," Kion agreed with a smile, "it's the Circle of Life," he then looked up at his dad, "Happy Kupatana, Dad."
"Happy Kupatana, Kion," Simba smiled.
Kion then picked up a baobab flower in his teeth and went towards Fuli, dropping it on her head in a space near her left ear which caused her to blush.
"Happy Kupatana, Fuli," he whispered, blushing red.
Fuli smiled and nuzzled against Kion's muzzle which caused him to blush, "Happy Kupatana, Ki," she echoed, letting out a soft purr.
Kufu saw this and smiled at the scene play out and then he sniffed a little bit before sneezing.
"Bless you," Kula said, "are you feeling OK, Kufu?"
"I'm fine Mom," Kufu nodded with a sniff, "it was just a sneeze, nothing major."
But little did Kufu know, it was more than just a sneeze.
A/N: And that's the Kupatana Celebration! Some might compare this to CyberChick's Little Star series, but it's not. Most parts are gonna be different. I also feel like Dogo and Kijana didn't get much screen time, so they are going to appear in more than three episodes, and I like the Circle of Life song so I had to do that instead of the actual song because it fits perfectly, and as you can tell by the end of the chapter it's gonna be an original episode that is based on a story called Fuli Gets Sick by Just4FunFiction. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Next up: Kufu has got a cold and he has to take a day off
Here's the cast list
Max Charles as Kion, Caleel Harris as Kufu, Joshua Rush as Bunga, Diamond White as Fuli, Atticus Shaffer as Ono, Dusan Brown as Beshte, Rob Lowe as Simba, Gabrielle Union as Nala, Ana Gasteyer as Reirei, Nathan Lane as Timon, Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, Rider Strong as Kopa, Isabela Moner as Dalia, Evan Rachel Wood as Nyla, Eden Reigel as Kiara, Madison Pettis as Zuri, Sarah Hyland as Tiifu, Khary Payton as Rafiki and Muhangus, Mae Whitman as Kula, Vanessa Marshall as Tama, Jeff Bennett as Zazu, Andrew Kishino as Janja, Phil LaMarr as Goigoi, Jacob Guenther as Dogo, Amber Hood as Kijana, Lynnette Dupree as Ma Tembo, Russi Taylor as Mbuni and Muhanga, Howy Parkins as Mbeya, Dee Bradley Baker as jackal pups.
This chapter was written by marvelomac1010 and beta-read/edited by DemonGirl123.