The Search For Utamu
The Lion Guard searched the Pride Lands, looking for a herd of buffalos that weren't at their usual grazing ground. Ono took to the sky and after a few minutes of looking for the herd, he spotted them.
"Everyone, everyone!" Ono called out, landing on a rock in front of the Guard, "I found the buffalo herd; they're all safe and sound."
"Yep, there they are," Fuli gave a small laugh as the Guard stood on a hill overlooking the buffalo herd.
"Good work, Ono," Kion told the egret.
"Hmm, why do you think they wandered so far from their regular grazing grounds?" Beshte pondered aloud.
"Who cares?" Bunga shrugged with a wave of his hand, "We found them; they're fine; let's go."
"Wait!" Ono halted as he circled over the Guard, "I'm not so sure they are fine," he then squinted his eyes and saw steam rising up from the ground, "Hapana! They're right on top of a geyser."
"A what?" Bunga questioned the egret.
"A geyser," Ono repeated, "Really hot water shooting up from a hole in the ground."
"Are you sure you're not making that up?" Beshte quirked his brow.
"No, he's not, big guy," Kufu answered, "My moms told me what a geyser is and the water is really, really hot, and you'll get burned if it splashes on you."
Just then, everyone heard a low rumbling sound and the ground beneath their feet began to quake.
"Whoa! Big B, you gotta eat something," Bunga noted, pointing to the hippo, "That stomach of yours is rumbling like crazy."
"I don't think that's my stomach," Beshte replied as the rumbling grew louder.
"Hapana! It's the geyser!" Ono exclaimed, "It's getting ready to blow."
"We've gotta warn the buffalo and fast!" Kion ordered, "Till the Pride Lands end..."
"...Lion Guard defend!" The Guard ran down the hill towards the herd.
The buffalo were starting to get spooked by the rumbling and then the geyser blew, sending a tower of boiling water into the air, nearly splashing Ono in the process. The buffalo herd went into full panic mode and began stampeding across the plains.
"Hevi Kabisa! The herd," Kion gasped, "We gotta stop them before they trample everything in their path."
"Leave this to me," Fuli volunteered, giving her leader a grin before speeding off after the herd, "Huwezi!"
"She can't do it alone, come on," Kion ordered, trying to catch up to the cheetah.
"Slow it down, buffalo!" Fuli yelled over the bovines' bellows as she ran circles around the herd, "That's the way!" She continued to circle around the herd which seemed to calm them down, "Nice and easy!"
"Poa! Would you look at that," Beshte noted with wide eyes as the buffalos came to a stop.
"Wow! Maybe she can do it alone," Kufu said, casting a glance to his right at Kion, and then Fuli ran back to the Guard, panting.
"Poa, Fuli," Beshte sighed.
"That was un-Bunga-livable!" Bunga added with a grin.
"Thanks," the cheetah smiled, sitting up straight.
"You should have seen it from up there," Ono smiled, landing on Beshte's back.
"Great work, Fuli," Kion praised, "Now, why don't you take a break?"
Just then, the cries of help from across the plains caught everyone's attention.
"And, it looks like the break's over," the honey badger said.
"Ugh, it's gonna be one of those days," Fuli sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Ono, take a look," Kion told the egret who was perched on Beshte's back.
"Affirmative," Ono saluted as he took off and then he located the sound of the cries, "Three galagos! They're about to fall off Ndefu Grove!" He relayed to the Guard below.
"Ndefu Grove? That's way across the plains," Kufu noted.
"Then, we better get moving," Kion suggested.
"I got this," Fuli said as she sped away, leaving the Guard behind.
"Ah, crap, here we go," Kufu groaned, rolling his eyes.
The Guard followed after the cheetah towards Ndefu Grove. They arrived in time to see the three galagos jump up and down on the cheetah's back, cheering in excitement.
"Nice save, Fuli," Beshte grinned.
"Good thing you didn't need any backup," Kion noted with a raised brow, "You left us in the dust."
"Yeah, what the heck was that all about, Fuls?" Kufu asked with a similar expression to Kion.
"Yeah," Fuli chuckled, nervously, "I knew I could handle this one by myself, Kufu, but uh... " She glanced at the three small primates on her back who were kneading her fur, "I could use some help getting these things off me."
"All right, gally-ally-goes," Bunga chuckled, "Off of the kitty."
"Ha!" Kufu snickered, "Fuli said she's a tough cheetah, but she's probably more a kitten on the inside than the outside, Bunga," he teased, causing the others to chuckle.
"Shut it, Kufu," Fuli glared at the brown-furred lion cub.
The Guard continued on with their patrol, passing by one of the many watering holes throughout the Pride Lands.
"Ugh, I can still feel those teeny tiny little hands grabbing my fur," Fuli groaned, "Are you sure you got them all off?"
"Yeah, you're good," Bunga assured, patting the cheetah's shoulder and then he looked ahead and gasped, "Zuka Zama! Look," he pointed to a thick, grey boulder that curved over the river, "The waters have reached the trees at Mapema Rock."
"Poa! You're right, Bunga," Beshte said as he and the rest of the Guard noticed it, "That means...Uh, what does it mean?" The hippo asked, looking at his honey badger friend.
"Yeah, Beshte has a point," Kufu agreed, "What's this all about, Bunga?"
"It means, it's the peak of the rainy season," Bunga answered with a wide grin, "It's time for Utamu, and I've gotta go get some," he ran off towards Mapema Rock, leaving the Guard in confusion.
"Bunga, wait!" Kion called out towards the Guard's Bravest as he and the others followed him, "Where are you going?"
"I just told ya: I'm getting Utamu," Bunga answered the lion prince, "They are the rarest, most delicious grubs in the Pride Lands," he added, "But they only come out one day on the peak of the rainy season, so you gotta get them fast that's why..." He was then cut off by an animal's cry for help.
"Oh, my Mufasa! What is going on today?" Kufu asked with a small smile, "Sounds like someone else is in trouble and needs help."
Kion glanced over at Ono who was on Beshte's back, and he gave him a nod and flew up to see what animal cried for help.
"It's a serval!" Ono informed the rest of the Guard, "It looks like he tried to jump across Big Ravine. He's hanging on the edge, but he won't last long."
"I know servals are good jumpers, but no one can jump across Big Ravine," Kufu pointed out.
"All right, Lion Guard let's-" Kion began to say, but got cut off when Fuli ran ahead of the others, "Fuli!"
"Ah, crap, here we go," Kufu sighed, rolling his eyes, "Come on, let's go after Kion's cheetah."
"She's not my cheetah, Kufu," Kion glared at his friend before he and the others ran after her.
By the time the Lion Guard caught up with Fuli, she had already saved the serval from falling off Big Ravine, and she was currently panting heavily.
"What...Took the...Rest of...You so...Long?" she asked in between breaths.
"We had to go around the long way," Beshte answered.
"Yeah, even I wouldn't try a crazy jump like that," Bunga added.
"Just takes a little speed is all," Fuli chuckled with a grin.
"Fuli, why didn't you wait for us?" Kion asked, stepping forward and staring at the cheetah.
"Yeah, Fuli," Kufu agreed, "What the heck was that all about?"
"Come on, guys, Kion put me on the Guard 'cause I'm the fastest," Fuli scoffed, "If my speed could help, shouldn't I use it?"
"Yeah, but we're a team," the Guard's leader reminded, "And our team's not as good if you get hurt or worn out from going solo."
"I'm a cheetah, Kion," Fuli informed, "And cheetahs don't get worn out.''
"Yes, they do, Fuli," Kufu corrected, "Everyone gets worn out at some point. Remember when I got sick a couple of weeks ago, and I pushed my limit and all I needed was some rest and now I'm back to my full strength?"
"Well that's different, Kufu," Fuli shot back, giving Kufu a death glare, "You were sick and not healthy to work, and let me remind you how you tried to hunt and tried to work with us when you got sick."
"Yes, I know," Kufu said with an eye roll, "But then my mom taught me that everyone needs rest, including me and you," Fuli narrowed her eyes at the brown-furred lion cub, but he wasn't fazed, "And FYI, my moms give scarier glares than you, because there's nothing more scarier than a mother's glare," The Slyest shuddered at the thought.
"Well, now that that's settled," Bunga spoke up, "I gotta go find the Utamu grubs. You coming or not?"
"I'm in," Fuli grinned, "Let's go."
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Kion halted the cheetah, stepping in front of her, "I think you need to rest. If anything happens, we'll need you at full strength," he ordered.
Fuli chuckled dryly, "I'm sorry; have we met, I'm Fuli; I'm always at full strength," she reminded.
"I mean it, Fuli," Kion said sternly, "You need to take it easy for a while and need to stay here."
Seeing as Kion wasn't backing down, Fuli sighed in defeat, "Fine, I'll rest," she caved, plopping down, "But I won't like it," the cheetah added.
"Wouldn't expect ya to," Kion said, giving his cheetah crush a smile before turning towards his honey badger friend, "So, Bunga, these Utamu grubs, do you know where to find them?"
"Do I? Wait, do I?" Bunga pondered for a moment before nodding, "Yes, I totally do; it's this way!"
As the Guard followed Bunga, Fuli let out a groan and rolled on her side, trying to get some rest but then she caught a scent of an animal nearby and smiled.
"Resting, hunting, they're kinda the same thing," she then got up and started to track the animal.
Bunga:
Utamu Utamu
Good for you and yummy too
Goes right down like squishy goo
Bunga sang as he, Beshte, Ono, Kion, and Kufu walked through the grasslands.
Bunga:
Utamu Utamu
When only the best will do
It's the grub for you
Utamu
He then stopped suddenly and was bumped into by Beshte, "Oof! Hey!" Bunga looked at the hippo.
"Oops, sorry, Little B," Beshte apologized as Kufu and Ono chuckled lightly.
"OK, Bunga, which way do we go?" Kion asked, looking ahead to see the path splitting in two directions.
"Hmm," the Guard's Bravest tapped his chin with his claws, "When in doubt, follow the dung," he answered.
"Follow the dung?" Beshte repeated with his expression matching the others, a bit disgusted, "You mean, like follow the poop?"
"Yep!" Bunga agreed.
"Ugh!" Kufu recoiled, closing his left eye and sticking out his tongue, "That's such a load of crap, literally."
"The dung beetles always lead you to grubs; it never fails," Bunga added.
"Really?" Kion raised his brow, "Why is that?"
"Because grubs are dung beetle larvae," Ono informed from the back of the Guard's Strongest, "Common knowledge really."
"Yeah, check it out," Bunga pointed down on the ground where a group of dung beetles was rolling along, "They're just heading home and we're gonna follow them."
"Would you look at that?" Beshte smiled, seeing the beetles, "Hey, little guys."
"Wow! Pretty cool you knew that, Bunga," Kufu chuckled, looking at the honey badger.
"I know, I'm un-dunga-livable!" Bunga laughed while everyone rolled their eyes, "Now, come on."
The rest of the Guard followed Bunga as he motioned them down the path that split in the left direction, and he continued to sing.
Bunga:
And only the best will do
Is the grub for you
Utamu
Fuli was in a crouching position as she slowly crept up towards a gazelle, and she was getting ready to pounce but then someone called out her name which scared the gazelle much to her annoyance.
"Ugh, seriously?" Fuli groaned.
"Fuli! Fuli!" The cheetah saw a female duck flying towards her, "Fuli, I need the Lion Guard; the oryxes are fighting."
"Calm down, oryxes fight all the time," Fuli reminded the duck.
"But, they're fighting near our nests!" The female duck exclaimed, "And if they don't stop, they'll trample our eggs."
"Got it, take me there," Fuli started to run ahead which confused the female duck.
"But, what about the rest of the Lion Guard?" The duck asked.
"If you want help fast, you want me," Fuli told the duck, "With or without the Guard."
"Mmm, that makes sense, follow me," Fuli followed the female duck towards the nests to stop the fighting oryxes.
"Oh, yeah, now we're getting somewhere," Bunga said as they followed the dung beetles very slowly.
"Oh, man, we're gonna be here forever," Kufu groaned.
"So, Little B," Beshte spoke up to the honey badger, "What's so special about these Utami grubs anyway?" He asked which got the rest of the Guard intrigued.
"Well, first, it's Utamu," Bunga corrected the hippo, "And, second, it brought me together with my Uncle Timon and Uncle Pumbaa."
"Really?" Kion questioned as he and Kufu looked at each other, "We didn't know that."
"You mean I never told you?" Bunga looked at his two feline friends, and they shook their heads.
"No, you didn't, and I have always wondered how you ended up staying with Timon and Pumbaa," Kufu quirked his brow at the honey badger, "because you were already with them when you met me and Kion."
Bunga leaned against a nearby boulder, "Well, it was a while ago when I was very little," he began holding his hand out below his knees, indicating how small he was.
(Flashback)
I never met my real parents. Back then, I was all on my own. I could find my own food easy enough, but I was lonely.
Baby Bunga - a smaller version of his cub self with a single buck tooth sticking over his lips and shorter white scruff on his head - dug through a log and pulled out a pile of bugs and scoffed them whole.
And then, I saw them right as they passed Mapema Rock.
Baby Bunga heard the sound of singing and followed it which led him to a meerkat and a warthog dancing along the riverbank near Mapema Rock, and the both of them were singing.
Both:
Utamu Utamu
Pumbaa:
Good for you and yummy too
Timon:
Goes right down like squishy goo
Both:
Utamu Utamu
Pumbaa:
When only the best will do
Is the grub for you
Utamu
Timon:
It's got a taste rich and bold
Your mouth will be amazed
Pumbaa:
It's got a taste you won't forget
The rest of your days
Both:
Utamu Utamu
Pumbaa:
Good for you and yummy too
Timon:
Goes right down like squishy goo
Both:
Utamu Utamu
When only the best will do
Is the grub for you
Utamu
"Come on, Pumbaa," Timon urged his best friend as they followed a few dung beetles along the riverbank, "The Utamu grubs only come out once a year, and this year, we're gonna get them."
"That's what you say every year, Timon," Pumbaa groaned, "And then halfway up that big tree, you decide to wait 'till next year."
They seemed friendly, funny...
Baby Bunga, who was watching the pair from a nearby bush, sniffed the air, and a grin formed on his face
...And a little stinky. I knew we could get along.
The infant honey badger ran alongside the warthog before latching onto his leg which caught Timon and Pumbaa's attention as they saw the ball of blue fur attached to the warthog's leg.
"Beat it, kid," Timon shooed him away, "Me and Pumbaa have grubs to find."
"Gwubs, gwubs," Baby Bunga repeated, following the pair as they took a few more steps before stopping in front of the meerkat.
"Oh, Timon," Pumbaa sighed at the honey badger's cuteness, "I think he likes you."
Timon pushed the baby animal off him, "OK, kid, see that big rock," he pointed to a large rock not too far from them, "I bet ya there's plenty of grubs under it. You go get 'em."
"Zuka Zama!" Baby Bunga yelled, running towards the stone.
"Pumbaa, now, before he comes back," Timon urged his friend to leave.
"Oh, alright," Pumbaa said hesitantly.
Just then, the baby honey badger came back carrying two large grub worms, and he held them out towards Timon.
"Oh, uh, thanks, kid," Timon muttered before taking the green one and tossing the red to Pumbaa.
"Aw, look at him, he's such a cute little thing," Pumbaa sighed, staring at the baby honey badger with wide eyes, "Can we keep him?"
"Keep him?" Timon repeated, "No, no more kids. We already raised a lion, remember?" He crossed his arms, "Besides, he's a honey badger, he can fend for himself," the meerkat turned to walk away, "So long, kid, thanks for the grub."
Just then, Baby Bunga wrapped his arms around the meerkat's waist with his little tail wagging back and forth.
"Uhh, I think he wants to be with us too," Pumbaa noted under the influence of the baby's cuteness.
"We'll see about that," Timon raised an eyebrow.
Then Timon asked me to find the rarest, most delicious grubs in the Pride Lands-Utamu.
"Zuka Zama!" Baby Bunga giggled as he ran up the dead tree over a deep gorge. He continued to laugh as he went branch to branch, looking for the special grubs and the meerkat was shocked by what he saw.
"He's really doing it!" Timon said with wide eyes, "I was sure he'd be too scared and run away."
"I don't think he's afraid of anything, Timon," Pumbaa noted, glancing down at his meerkat best friend.
"Yeah," Timon agreed, "The kid is loopier than a snake squeezing his supper."
"Or as they saw in the Serengeti..." The warthog added, "... He's bunga!"
"Bunga! Bunga! Bunga!" The baby honey badger repeated what Pumbaa said as he jumped down from the tree, holding three large worms in varying shades of purple and black, and he held them out to the meerkat and warthog duo with a big smile on his face.
"Would ya look at that?" Timon blinked, "He got 'em. He got the Utamu!"
"Now, can we keep him, Timon?" Pumbaa begged.
"Can we?" Timon moved to stand behind the baby honey badger and put his hands on his shoulders, "The little Bunga got us the most delicious grubs in the Pride Lands; how can we not?"
"Yippee! We're gonna name him Fred!" Pumbaa cheered.
"Uh, I think Bunga is the better name for him, Pumbaa," the meerkat noted as he grabbed one of the Utamu grubs and ate it, "Come on, Bunga, from now on, you're with us."
Baby Bunga followed the two older animals as they headed back to their home in Hakuna Matata Falls.
(End of Flashback)
"So now, at the peak of every Rainy Season, we celebrate, and I always bring the Utamu," Bunga concluded, "My uncles love them, and I don't wanna let 'em down."
"Aw, Little B," Beshte sniffled, "That was beautiful."
"Yeah," Kufu agreed, "Your relationship with Timon and Pumbaa is like my relationship with my moms."
"Don't worry, Bunga, we'll help you get that Utamu," Kion assured, casting a glance at the rest of the Guard members, "Right, guys?"
"Absolutely," Beshte agreed.
"Of course, we will," Kufu followed with a smile on his muzzle.
"Yep," Ono nodded, perched on the hippo's back, "But, uh, the dung beetles aren't gonna help," he added, looking around, "They're gone."
"Say what?" Bunga questioned, looking down at the ground and realizing Ono was right.
"Well, that's just great," Kufu groaned.
"So, how are we gonna find the Utamu now?" Beshte asked.
Bunga looked around and then he let out a gasp, "I see the tree!" He exclaimed, "Zuka Zama! Come on," the Guard's Bravest ran ahead with the rest of his friends following behind him.
"Too bad Fuli didn't get to hear Bunga's story," Beshte noted, looking at his friends.
"Yeah," Kion agreed with a shrug of his shoulders, "But it's good that she's getting some rest."
"Hopefully, she is," Kufu sighed as he walked side-by-side with Kion, "Because we know how stubborn your girlfriend is, Kion," he teased, causing Beshte and Ono to snicker.
"She's not my girlfriend, Kufu," the Guard's Fiercest glared at the Slyest with a little bit of red on his cheeks.
Fuli was speeding across the Pride Lands, running as fast as she could, following the female duck who was flying ahead towards the nests, and the cheetah was starting to get exhausted from running for so long.
"Are we getting closer?" Fuli asked, breathing heavily.
"Pretty close," the female duck answered.
"Ugh!" Fuli groaned as she kept running across the grasslands, "What about now?"
"Mmm, pretty close," the female duck replied.
The cheetah kept on running, and she shook her head to keep herself from passing out from exhaustion.
"How much further?" Fuli asked.
"Oh, we're pretty close now," the female duck said.
Fuli just kept on running while panting and grunting, and her vision was getting blurry, but she kept herself strong and tried not to pass out.
"Fuli!" The female duck called out to the cheetah.
"I know, I know," Fuli breathed heavily, "We're pretty close."
"No, we're here now, look," the female duck said, looking ahead. Fuli then stopped and saw two oryxes fighting and a bunch of ducks trying to keep them away from their eggs, "Can you please stop them?"
"You better believe it," Fuli sped right towards the two fighting oryxes "Oryxes, get out of here, now!"
The two oryxes got spooked by the cheetahs yelling and speeding toward them which caused them to run away from the ducks' nests, and the ducks cheered at the cheetah.
"You did it, Fuli!" The female duck exclaimed as she flew towards the tired cheetah, "You saved our nests; thanks."
"No...Problem," Fuli panted heavily and started to walk away from the nests, "I'm just gonna...Head out now."
Fuli walked past the ducks who were resting on their nests and then she collapsed right near a tree and started to take a small nap, but unbeknownst to her, right above her on the tree was Mzingo and his vultures who were having a meeting.
"Oy! Is that Fuli lying down there?" Mwoga exclaimed as he saw the napping cheetah which got Mzingo's attention, "I've never seen her when she wasn't running. What's wrong with her?"
"Hmm, it seems that Fuli is too young to know her limits," Mzingo pointed out.
"You mean, she doesn't know that cheetahs can only run for so long before they need a break?" Mwoga asked.
"Precisely," Mzingo nodded, looking at the cheetah, "I conclude she's pushed herself too hard and currently has no energy at all," his eyes widened and then he smirked, "Which means she can't fight back."
"Oh, should we form a subcommittee to discuss our opinion in attacking Fuli in her current weekend state?" Mwoga suggested.
Mzingo shook his head, "Actually, I think that this is the one time that we dispense with formal parliamentary procedures..." he smirked evilly and rubbed his wings together, "And simply attack."
The five Lion Guard members stood around the dead tree over the gorge where the Utamu grubs could be found, and they looked concerned about how the tree appeared.
"So, is this really the tree where you found the Utamu grubs, Little B?" Beshte asked as he looked up and down the tree.
"Sure, it is; now, all I gotta do is climb up and get 'em," Bunga grinned and jumped onto the trunk, shouting 'Zuka Zama' as he began to climb to the top of the tree.
"Ah, jeez, be careful, Bunga!" Kufu called up to his honey badger friend, "That tree looks like it's pretty dead."
"I know," Bunga replied, jumping on a branch that loomed over the gorge, "That's why grubs love living in it," the branch then creaked and he jumped onto the next one above him. The one he was just on broke off and fell down the gorge, "I'm coming for you, Utamu," the honey badger rubbed his paws together in delight.
Each time Bunga took a step, the wood creaked which made the rest of the Guard extremely nervous.
"Bunga, that branch is rotten!" Kion alerted his friend, "I don't think it'll hold you."
"Sure, it will," Bunga assured his friends as he approached a hole in the branch where he first found the grubs.
"Oh, my God! This honey badger is insane," the Guard's Slyest muttered under his breath before turning towards his leader, "Kion, we need to do something, or else Bunga's gonna fall to his death."
"You're right, Kufu," Kion nodded and then turned towards the egret on Beshte's back, "Ono, steady the end of that branch," his eyes then went towards the hippo, "Beshte, hold the trunk."
"Sure thing, Kion," Beshte grinned, running to stand between the tree and the edge of the gorge, "Twinde Kiboko!"
Ono flew over towards the branch Bunga was on and landed on the edge, flapping his wings to help hold him.
"Hapana!" Ono gasped when something alarming caught his attention, "Kion, Mzingo and his vultures, they're circling!" He alerted the Guard's leader.
"That's never good news," Kufu sighed, looking at his best friend, "It's either just them or Janja's involved since we all know that Mzingo and Janja have an alliance together."
"You're right again, Kufu," Kion agreed, "We need to check it out. Ono, Beshte, Bunga!" He called out to his friends, "Let's go!"
"Wait, just one more step," Bunga called down to his friends.
When Bunga took that step, the branch gave way and the honey badger let out a scream as he fell with the branch.
"I got you, Bunga," Ono swooped and knocked the honey badger off the branch.
"No, my Utamu!" Bunga cried out as he watched the branch fall into the river below.
"I got him!" Kufu ran up to the tree and jumped on the trunk, using it as a springboard to jump in the air and catch Bunga, landing safely on the ground, "Gotcha! That was close."
Kufu set Bunga down on the ground in front of him, spitting out some of the honey badger's fur that was between his teeth.
"Sorry, Bunga," Kion apologized, noting the sad expression on his friend's face, "But we gotta see what Mzingo and his vultures are up to."
"Yeah, I know," Bunga sighed.
"Ono, keep an eye out for Fuli," Kion ordered the Keenest of Sight, "We'll need her if there's trouble," he took off after Ono with the rest of the Guard following behind.
"If I know Fuli, she's already there," Beshte muttered.
"No kidding," Kufu agreed.
Fuli was laying on the grass and still taking a nap, but she awoke to the sound of squawking and she opened her eyes to see Mzingo and his vultures circling around her. She tried to get up, but she didn't have enough energy to stand. Then, Mzingo and his vultures landed and surrounded her.
"Back off, vultures!" the cheetah growled, "You don't want any part of me."
"Oh, I believe we do," Mzingo snickered.
"I want a leg," Mwoga said.
"Young cheetah, you have so little energy, right?" The vulture leader told the cheetah, "You couldn't attack us even if you tried."
"Um, question?" Mwoga raised his wing, "You really think she can't fight back?"
"Just try me," Fuli said, breathing heavily.
"If you had any strength, you would have pounced by now, heh, heh, heh," Mzingo chuckled evilly before raising his wing, "All in favor of attacking from all sides, hmm?"
"Aye!" The vultures said in unison.
"And, all who opposed?" None of the vultures spoke which made Mzingo smirk evilly, "Motion passed; the ayes have it."
The Lion Guard raced across the plains towards Ukuini Woods.
"Ono, please tell me you see any signs of Fuli anywhere?" Kufu asked as he looked up at the egret.
"No, nothing," Ono shook his head.
"Well, we could sure use her on this one," Kion muttered as he ran in front of the Guard, "Where the heck are you, Fuli?"
"Relax, Kion, your girlfriend will be here soon hopefully," Kufu assured his friend.
"She's not my-"
"Oh-no, it's Fuli!" Kion got cut off when he heard Ono scream from the air and focusing his eyes to get a clear view, "She's down and she's surrounded by vultures."
"Hevi Kabisa!" Kion said in shock and worry.
"Why those miserable bone pickers," Kufu growled as his eyes narrowed, "They're trying to take down one of our friends."
"If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!" Bunga exclaimed.
"Then, let's get going," Beshte noted.
"Till the Pride Lands end...Lion Guard defend!" The Guard yelled as they raced towards their injured friend.
As the vultures were slowly approaching the exhausted cheetah, Fuli growled threateningly at them, but she knew that she was too tired to do anything to stop them.
"Oh, don't worry, my dear; it'll all be over soon," Mzingo told the cheetah, "After all, we are not uncivilized," he snickered evilly, "Now, parliament, attack!"
As the vultures were about to feast, Fuli closed her eyes and worried that this was the end but then a voice called out to them.
"Vultures, get away from her!" The vultures and Fuli turned to see the Lion Guard speeding right towards them.
"Kion?" Fuli said in shock.
Kufu let out a roar as he pounced on Mwoga, and Kion followed suit and pounced on Mzingo, and all the vultures let out a scream as Bunga, Beshte, and Ono attacked them.
"Reconvene!" Mzingo squawked as he flew in the air, "Reconvene!" All the vultures took to the sky and surrounded their leader, and the Lion Guard stood in a line in front of Fuli who was still on the ground.
"Mzingo!" Kion growled, his eyes narrowed at the vulture leader, "If you and your vultures take on one member of the Guard...You take on us all!" He then let out his roar which sent the whole parliament flying back towards the Outlands.
"Are you okay, Fuls?" Kufu asked as he turned to face his friend.
The cheetah sat up and smiled at her friends, "Yeah, I'm okay," she answered, "Thanks for saving me, guys, even though I feel kinda lame for needing it," Fuli muttered.
"You shouldn't," Kion rebuked.
"We're always there for each other," Beshte added, standing at the far left of the line.
"We're a team after all," Ono reminded, landing on Beshte's back.
"We're also friends," Kufu followed, standing between Beshte and Bunga, "And friends help friends always."
"Yeah," Bunga agreed, standing in the middle of Kion and Kufu, "Even I've been in trouble once or twice," that comment made the two lion cubs look down at the honey badger with raised brows and half smirks, "OK, lots of times," the honey badger corrected, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, I wasn't helping the team by going alone and getting worn out," Fuli admitted with her ears falling to the side of her head, "Next time, I will wait for the rest of you," she smiled sincerely, "Just try to move a little faster, so I won't have to wait for too long."
"How can we? You're the fastest for a reason; we get worn out just from racing against you," Kufu said as the rest of the Guard laughed at that.
Fuli turned towards her best friend, "And Kion, I'm sorry I disobeyed you, not staying and resting" she apologized, "I just didn't know any better, and you pretty much know the reason why."
"It's okay, Fuli, I understand; I just didn't want you to overwhelm yourself, so I forgive you," Kion said, giving his crush a smile, and then he gave her a stern look, "But if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll have no choice but to suspend you for a week. Got it, Fuli?" he asked sternly.
Fuli was surprised by that outburst and wasn't expecting that, but she was also kinda allured by it which she never expected from Kion, which caused her cheeks to go red and then she nodded, and Kufu saw that and let out a small laugh from her reaction.
The Guard then noticed the upset look from the honey badger.
"Bunga, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Kion asked.
"I gotta meet up with my uncles," the Guard's Bravest answered, "And I don't have any Utamu."
"I'm sure they won't care," Beshte assured.
"You think?" Bunga shrugged still unsure.
"Let's go to Hakuna Matata Falls and find out," Kufu suggested as the Guard went towards the falls. Kufu saw Fuli still in a stunned look which caused him to smirk, "Well, well, well, looks like some cheetah found Kion's stern voice pretty attractive," he teased.
Fuli snapped out of her look and groaned, "Ugh, I'm never gonna hear the end of this from you, am I?"
"Nope," Kufu smirked.
As the Lion Guard walked towards Hakuna Matata Falls, they could hear Timon and Pumbaa singing their Utamu song, and the pair were dancing around a large log.
"Uncle Timon, Uncle Pumbaa," Bunga said meekly which made the two halt their singing.
"What's wrong, kid?" Timon asked.
"I, uh, I've got some bad news," Bunga sighed, rubbing his arm, "I know I usually bring the Utamu grubs for us to celebrate with but-" he then looked down at the ground, "I couldn't get 'em this time."
"Eh, Bunga, we don't care about that. Utamu grubs are great and all, sure," the meerkat shrugged, "But that's not why we celebrate."
"Timon's right," Pumbaa agreed, "We celebrate because the day we got the Utamu was the day we met you."
"Really?" Bunga perked.
"Of course," Pumbaa nodded as all three animals shared a hug.
"Aw," Beshte sighed, "That's nice."
Fuli felt a little bit envious of the scene but also felt a little bit down because she wished she could have a family like that. Kion noticed this, and he gave her a small nuzzle which made the cheetah smile a little bit.
"And besides, this year...We got the Utamu!" Timon announced as he and Pumbaa rolled away the giant log behind them, revealing a pile of Utamu grubs.
"Wait, what?" Bunga blinked as he saw the pile of purple and blue bugs squirming on a leaf, "But how did you even get them?"
"Oh, you won't believe it," Pumbaa answered, "A branch full of Utamu grubs fell right outta the sky."
"I believe it," Ono muttered, standing on Beshte's back and he, Beshte, Kion, and Kufu gave each other knowing looks.
Bunga took one of the grubs from the leaf and held it in the air, "Here's to the two best uncles a honey badger could ever ask for," he toasted before tossing the grub into his mouth, swallowing it.
The trio then started singing.
Timon Pumbaa and Bunga:
Utamu Utamu
When only the best will do
Is the grub for you
Utamu
A/N: Here's the Search for Utamu. Another one of my favorite episodes, I made it where Fuli finds Kion's authoritarian nature kinda attractive, and I also added a reference to the remake Movie as well, and I didn't add the vultures song because I find them to be very boring villains. The Utamu song was better.
To KH Fan 2022: To answer your questions: 1, no, this story is not discontinued. It just takes a while to write them, especially with what is going on in our personal lives, and 2, in this story, Kopa is not Kion and Kiara's brother. He's Kion's rival because I figured that Kion should have someone who would call him the next Scar, so I went with Kopa because well to me it seems right
Up next: Beshte and the Lion Guard meet their number 1 fans.
Here's the cast list
Max Charles as Kion, Caleel Harris as Kufu, Joshua Rush as Bunga, Diamond White as Fuli, Dusan Brown as Beshte, Atticus Shaffer as Ono, Nathan Lane as Timon, Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, Greg Ellis as Mzingo, Cam Clarke as Mwoga, Kari Wahlgren as the female duck, Dee Bradley Baker as the buffalos.
This chapter was written by marvelomac1010 and beta-read/edited by DemonGirl123.