The Imaginary Okapi
(Special Guest Star Ron Funches)
It was a beautiful day in the Pride Lands, and the Lion Guard were running through another one of their practice drills. Kion sniffed the air as he followed a set of tracks in the dirt. He saw that the tracks disappeared into the grass, near a few trees. Kion chuckled and rolled his eyes.
Just then Kion saw a brown tail with a black tuft at the end hanging from the tree and this made the prince smirk as he bit the tail and pulled which caused Kufu to fall from the tree.
"Ow!" Kufu groaned as he looked up and saw Kion standing over him.
"Found ya, Kufu," Kion said with a chuckle.
"Dang it! How the heck did you find me? That hiding spot was so good," Kufu asked as he got on his feet.
"Next time, Kufu, make sure your tail is out of sight," Kion told him with a smirk.
"Aww, man, well it was a good hiding spot anyway," Kufu said as the two lions made their way to Fuli, Ono, and Bunga, but Beshte was nowhere to be found
Fuli sat with her tail wrapped around her front paws next to Bunga. "I still don't get it, Kion." She sighed. "Why are we playing hide-and-seek in the first place?"
"It's not just hide-and-seek, Fuli," Kion informed her. "It's a way to practice our tracking skills."
"Besides, it's fun," Bunga added, jumping onto Kufu's back when he sat beside him. The lion cub rolled his eyes.
"How long did it take Kion to find you three?" Kufu asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Somehow he found me right away," Bunga answered.
"You laughed when I walked past you," Kion informed with a smirk
"Kion found me pretty fast, too," Ono added, perched on a rock between Kufu and Fuli.
"He found me before he went to look for you," Fuli tapped her tail on the ground. "Although, he also found me very quickly as well." She added.
"Well, Kion does have your scent memorized because he does love it," Kufu teased, causing Ono to laugh and the lion and cheetah to blush while Bunga scratched his head in confusion.
"How about you shut it, Kufu!" Fuli growled, causing Kufu to chuckle even more and then the cheetah looked around and realized they were missing one more member. "Hey, what about Beshte?"
Kion chuckled. "Yeah, I found him a while ago." He answered. "I just haven't told him yet." He looked back in the direction of a large rock pile not too far from where they were standing, one of the rocks looked a bit darker in color and smoother. "OK, Beshte! You can come out from behind the rocks now!" Kion called out to the Strongest member of the Guard.
Beshte revealed himself with a chuckle. "Pretty good hiding place, right?" He questioned, joining his friends.
"I have to admit, for someone your size, you're a surprisingly good hider," Ono pointed out.
"Thanks," the hippo grinned.
"OK, Fuli, Everyone's been it but you," Kufu looked at his cheetah friend. "Close your eyes so we can all go hide."
"Fine," the Guard's Fastest let out a long groan. "But I warn you, I'm the fastest finder in the Pride Lands." She grinned.
"Oh, yeah?" Bunga challenged, jumping from Kufu's back to a large boulder behind them. "Well, I'm the fastest hider!" He laughed as he jumped from the rock to a tree before diving into the tall grass.
Everyone else just stood there and blinked.
"He does realize that doesn't count for anything, right?" Kufu questioned.
"I'm not sure he does," Ono answered with a shrug.
Fuli rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "OK, everybody go hide!" She exclaimed, closing her eyes. The rest of the Guard scattered to find their own hiding spots. After a minute or two, Fuli hunched her body. "Ready or not, here I come!" The cheetah called out as she tracked her friends.
Beshte heard Fuli call out and quickly rolled into the bushes to hide. Fuli snuck right past him as she searched for the rest of the Guard. The hippo chuckled as the cheetah walked right past him.
"Excuse me," a soft voice called from the bushes.
Beshte jumped out with a scream, facing the them. "Who's there?" He asked.
Out of the bushes stepped an animal that Beshte had never seen before with a well-built body, a long neck, and brown fur. He had white, skinny legs donned with black stripes, pointy ears, white markings on his face, and green eyes.
"It's just me," the strange animal said. "I didn't mean to startle you, but you were standing on my hoof."
"I was? Oh, I'm sorry," Beshte apologized before realizing that this animal must be new to the Pride Lands. "Say, I don't think we've met. I'm Beshte, what's your name?"
"Uhh, I'm Ajabu," the animal introduced himself.
"Pleased to meet you, Ajabu," Beshte greeted him with a smile. "Come on out, I won't bite."
"OK," Ajabu said before walking out of the bushes.
"Poa, I've never met anyone that looks like you," Beshte said with a chuckle. "And I've met pretty much everyone in the Pride Lands."
"Well, you see, I'm not from around here," Ajabu informed the hippo.
"I believe it," Beshte said before realizing that he didn't know what kind of animal he was. "So, Ajabu, are you a zebra or a giraffe?" He asked.
"Neither! I'm an okapi," Ajabu said as he used his tongue to scratch his ear.
"An okapi?" Beshte repeated before smiling. "Poa, the Pride Lands have a few okapis, but I've never met one before."
"Well, it's good to know that there's more of my kind here," Ajabu said with a smile. "Us okapis are pretty rare even back home." He informed him.
"So, how come you were hiding in the bushes?" Beshte asked.
"It's what I do," Ajabu answered.
"Hide in bushes?" Beshte questioned with a raised brow.
"Oh, not just bushes," Ajabu said. "I hide behind trees, behind rock piles...Oh, if I see a hole, I'll hide in the hole."
"Why do you hide so much?" Beshte asked.
"Where I come from, it's the smartest thing for an okapi to do," Ajabu explained before he looked behind Beshte and gasped.
Beshte turned around and saw a familiar giraffe behind him. "Oh, hi, Twiga."
"'Morning, Beshte," Twiga greeted him before walking away.
Beshte then turned around only to see that Ajabu was gone. "Ajabu? Where did you go?" He called out to the okapi, wondering where he was but then Ajabu popped out from behind a rock.
"I'm here, behind the rocks," Ajabu told the hippo.
"Well, come on out," Beshte told him. "That was just Twiga, she won't hurt you.
"Back where I come from, you can't be too careful," Ajabu said as he stepped out from the rocks.
"Where do you come from?" Beshte asked.
"A place far away with lots of bushes and plenty of trees, a fair amount of rock piles, a hole or two," Ajabu said with a chuckle. "Lots of places to hide."
"So, why'd you leave?" Beshte asked.
"Oh, I got chased out," Ajabu said, looking down in sadness. "Guess I didn't hide well enough."
"Who chased you out?" Beshte asked.
"A leopard!" Ajabu said fearfully. "Okapis are leopards' favorite food."
"Well, you've got nothing to hide from here," Beshte told him with a smile. "The Pride Lands may have a few leopards, but they respect the Circle of Life and they won't harm you." He assured the okapi.
"Really?" Ajabu asked hopefully.
"Hippos honor," Beshte promised.
"Then, do you think I could stop hiding?" Ajabu asked.
"Well, sure," Beshte said with a smile. "Come on, Ajabu, I'll give you a tour. You're gonna love it here." He told him as Beshte showed Ajabu all around the Pride Lands.
Fuli caught the scent of one of the Guard and tracked it to a hollow log. She chuckled before growling into the log, causing Bunga to jump out with a shout.
"Gotcha!" the Fastest giggled.
"How come everybody always finds me first?" The Bravest asked, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Maybe, it has something to do with your smell," Fuli stated with a smirk.
Bunga took a long whiff of his own scent and stood tall with his hands on his hips. "It is unmistakable, isn't it?" He grinned.
"That's one way of looking at it," Fuli muttered. "Now to find Ono, Beshte, Kufu, and Kion." The cheetah looked around and spotted a set of tracks in the dirt. "Oh, and speaking of..." She sniffed the ground, catching the scent of the lion prince. "Here's a nice fresh set of Kion's tracks."
"Right behind ya, Fuli!" Bunga called, running after the spotted female.
Fuli continued to follow the prints in the dirt, when she suddenly realized that they didn't belong to Kion. Bunga was following close behind her and ran into her back leg when she stopped.
"What you got, Fuli?" The honey badger asked, rubbing his forehead where it collided with her leg.
"These aren't Kion's tracks," Fuli answered, with a raised brow.
Bunga examined the tracks, noticing a size difference. "Unless he's got one foot bigger than the others."
"I don't think so," the Guard's Fastest shook her head. "Kion! Beshte! Kufu! Ono! Game's over!" She called out, "You guys need to see this!"
Ono flew out from an acacia tree, Kion came out from behind a large boulder, and Kufu crawled out of an empty aardvark den, the three of them regrouping with Fuli and Bunga.
"You found something, Fuli?" Kion asked as he ran up to his cheetah crush.
Kufu and Ono shortly followed.
"Any idea what kind of animal makes tracks like that?" Fuli asked, motioning to the prints in the dirt.
"These are leopard tracks," Kufu identified after he closely examined them. "But, Fuli, you do know that we have a few leopards in the Pride Lands." He reminded her as Kion nodded in agreement.
"I know, but smell the scent on the tracks," Fuli told them as the two lions did.
"Wait, this isn't the scent of any leopards we know," Kufu said.
"Yeah, which means," Kion's eyes widened. "Hevi Kabisa! We have a rogue leopard in the Pride Lands!" He exclaimed in shock.
"A rogue leopard?" Bunga repeated, stepping up beside him. "You sure, Kion?"
"But rogue leopards are usually poachers," Ono informed them, landing on Kufu's back.
"That's why we need to find him," Kion said.
"But the question is, where is he?" Kufu wondered before glancing at the egret on his shoulder, "Ono?" He quirked his brow.
The Keenest of Sight gave a nod and took off.
"Any chance it's just a hyrax with really big feet?" Bunga questioned, earning a glare from Fuli.
Ono flew overhead and spotted a large cat with pale lemon fur, donned with brown rosettes lined in black stalking through the tall grass near a herd of gazelles.
"Hapana!" the egret gasped as he circled around to the rest of the Guard. "Everyone! I saw the leopard!" He alerted, hovering above his friends. "He's going after some gazelles!"
"Lead the way, Ono!" Kion ordered, glancing back to Kufu, Bunga, and Fuli. "Till the Pride Lands' end..."
"...Lion Guard defend!" The other four finished as they ran towards the gazelle herd.
The rogue leopard hunched low to the ground, his claws digging into the soft dirt. He let out a low growl as he stalked towards a gazelle that was grazing. It looked at him but paid no attention, not realizing the threat.
The Lion Guard jumped between the leopard and the gazelle herd.
"Get out of the Pride Lands, rogue!" Kion growled, "Now!"
"Name's Makucha, lion," the leopard snarled. "You want me to go, you're gonna have to make me. But you'll have to catch me first!" He spun around and sped off into the grass.
"Huwezi!" Fuli yelled, racing after Makucha with the rest of the Guard on her heels. The two felines raced down the side of Big Ravine. "You got nowhere to go, now!" Fuli called.
"That's what you think, cheetah," Makucha chuckled before quickly turning sharply and leaping over the ravine. He landed on the other side and laughed at the Guard before running away.
Fuli tripped over her own paws and let out a grunt as she fell on her stomach. She shook it off and caught her breath as the rest of her friends joined her.
"Wow, he sure can jump," Bunga observed.
"Pretty fast, too," Fuli added, still panting.
"This guy's not gonna be easy to catch," Kion noted.
"Did you see the gazelles?" Ono asked as he landed on Kufu's back. "They weren't scared of the leopard at all."
"It's because they don't know that he's a rogue," Kion told him.
"That's why we need to get him out of the Pride Lands," Kufu followed, glancing at Kion, Fuli, and Bunga. "None of the herds know that rogue leopards are poachers."
"So, they don't realize they should be scared," Fuli quirked her brow.
"They're all going to be sitting ducks," Bunga gaped.
"Especially the ducks," Ono added under his breath.
Kion nodded, looking to the rest of his team. "Now, let's split up so we can cover more ground." He ordered. "Kufu, Fuli," he glanced at the other two felines on either side of him. "You two are with me." Kion then looked to the honey badger. "Bunga, you Ono and...Hey, where is Beshte?" He glanced around, now realizing they're Strongest member was missing.
Bunga shrugged his shoulders. "I bet he's still hiding."
"Don't worry, Kion," Ono assured, taking off from Kufu's back. "We'll find him."
"Yeah, let's go, Ono," Bunga agreed, the two of them running to search for Beshte, "Zuka Zama!"
Standing on a small cliff overlooking the fields, Beshte and his new friend, Ajabu, shared a laugh.
"You're right, Beshte," Ajabu chuckled. "The Pride Lands really do seem great."
"See? What did I tell ya?" The hippo grinned. "There's plenty to eat and no need to hide. You could..."
"Beshte!" Bunga called, running up to him. "We've been looking everywhere for you." The honey badger called out to the avian member of the Guard. "Ono! Found him!"
Ono landed next to Bunga. "Actually, I think I saw him first."
"Hi, guys," Beshte grinned. "I've been giving my new pal, Ajabu, a tour of the Pride Lands."
Bunga looked around, not seeing any other animal but the three of them. "What new pal are you talking about?"
"Aja...Huh?" Beshte looked to his side, realizing his new friend was gone. "He was here a second ago, Ajabu?" He questioned, looking around, "Ajabu?"
Bunga followed Beshte's eyes. "What's this Ajabu look like?" He asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "Maybe I've seen him around."
"Probably not," the Guard's Strongest shook his head. "He's new to the Pride Lands. I think I'm the only one who's seen him."
"I didn't see him," Ono informed him. "I only saw you."
"So, what's he look like?" Bunga shrugged his shoulders, looking up at Beshte.
"Well uhh..." Beshte thought for a moment as he couldn't remember what animal Ajabu was. "I can't remember what animal he is, but his top half looks like a giraffe, his bottom half looks like a zebra, and his face kind of looks like an oryx but without the horns."
Bunga and Ono exchanged a confused glance.
"Sounds...different," Ono stammered.
"Is that one new pal or three new pals?" Bunga asked bluntly.
"Just one," Beshte answered. "He's a nice guy. You'd like him."
The Guard's Bravest quirked his brow. "And you're the only one who can see him?"
Beshte shook his head. "No, I'm just the only one who has seen him." He corrected, glancing around to find his new friend.
"Uh, Beshte?" Ono questioned. "Maybe you've been hiding all alone a little too long."
"No, seriously, he was right here," the Guard's Strongest defended.
Bunga nodded along. "Sure he was, Big B." He patted the hippo's side. "But we gotta go now. The Lion Guard needs us, right, Ono?"
"Affirmative," the egret saluted, taking to the skies. "Follow me." He said as Bunga followed him as Beshte looked around and wondered where Ajabu was before following the honey badger and egret, not noticing Ajabu poking his head from a bush.
Kion, Kufu, and Fuli were following more of Makucha's tracks when Ono, Bunga, and Beshte regrouped with them.
"Beshte," Kion looked up at the Guard's Strongest. "Glad they could find you."
"Sorry about that," Beshte apologized. "What's the kerbubble?"
"There's a rogue leopard in the Pride Lands," Kufu answered with a flick of his tail.
"A rogue leopard?" Beshte repeated with a gasp. "Are you sure?"
Bunga nodded in confirmation. "We chased him, but he got away."
Beshte's ears went to the sides. "This is terrible."
"I'm pretty sure we can handle one leopard," Fuli assured.
"You don't understand. I told Ajabu there aren't any bad leopards in the Pride Lands," Beshte informed, earning confused looks from the rest of his friends.
"Who's Ajabu?" Kufu asked, his eyebrow slightly raised.
"My new friend," Beshte answered.
"I think your new friend's safe, Beshte," Bunga told him. "The rogue leopard will be going after real animals."
"Ajabu is real!" Beshte defended.
Bunga looked around, "And is he here right now?"
"Of course not!" the Guard's Strongest rebuked. "Least, I don't think so, uless he's hiding." Beshte knocked over a rock and then looked around some trees and the surrounding bushes, calling out Ajabu's name.
Kion leaned down near Bunga's ear. "What's going on?" He asked in a whisper.
"Beshte has an imaginary friend," Bunga answered in a voice a little louder than a whisper.
"He's not imaginary!" Beshte rebuked again.
"He looked pretty imaginary to us," the honey badger shrugged.
"You didn't even see him," the hippo argued.
"Hey!" Kufu interjected, jumping between the two arguing members. "We don't have time to argue about this right now."
"Kufu is right," Fuli agreed. "We've got a rogue leopard on the loose."
"And it's up to us to catch him," Kion added, glancing between Beshte and Bunga who nodded in agreement. "Now, let's go! Till the Pride Lands' end..."
"...Lion Guard Defend!" The other five followed after their fierce leader, continuing to track the elusive leopard.
"More leopard tracks," Kufu noted as he found more prints.
"Makucha definitely came this way," Kion added, standing beside his best friend.
"Yep, looks like we're on the right track," Bunga joked. "Get it?" He tapped Fuli's side with his elbow.
"Get what? We are on the right track," the cheetah pointed out, "This is a track and it's the right one." She rolled her eyes
Kufu sniffed the trail and then tilted his nose up, taking another sniff. "The rogue leopards headed this way." He said to Kion. "But it's hard to tell which way he went after he got into the tall grass."
"Hey! I see him!" Beshte exclaimed running ahead. "There he goes!" The rest of the Lion Guard followed after their Strongest member. "How come I didn't see him?" Ono questioned, but no one really heard him.
"I think he went this way," Beshte continued to run, with the Guard following, not knowing they were thinking of two different animals.
"I still don't see him," Ono groaned.
Beshte, who believed he saw his new okapi friend, ran through a flock of flamingos, spooking the birds who let out terrified squawks. Flying away, a few of their feathers fell from their wings, covering the Lion Guard.
The Guard's Strongest looked around, his ears falling to the sides when he didn't find his new friend. "I could've sworn I saw him run this way."
"You sure it was the rogue leopard?" Kion asked, a few pink feathers sticking up in his mane.
"The rogue leopard? No," Beshte rebuked, some feathers sticking to his skin. "I thought I saw Ajabu."
"Who?" the prince raised an eyebrow.
Fuli stepped up on the other side of Beshte, spitting out a few flamingo feathers that were in her mouth. "You mean to tell me we've been chasing your imaginary friend?"
"He's not imaginary!" Beshte defended.
"Big B?" Bunga spoke up, a single pink feather stuck in his white fur on top of his head. "You know none of us have seen him, right?"
"But, guys, he really is real," Beshte explained. "Why don't you believe me?"
"I don't know," Bunga shrugged. "Maybe because your half-zebra, half-giraffe friend sounds so un-Bunga-lievable!"
Beshte's ears fell to the sides and he walked away from his friends.
Kufu glanced at the honey badger. "Bunga, you really hurt his feelings." He scolded. "Why don't you two believe him?"
"You heard what the guy's supposed to look like," Bunga faced the lion. "Half zebra, half giraffe, half oryx," he shrugged.
"And we didn't see him," Ono added. "Even when Beshte said he was right there."
"Do you believe him?" Fuli asked, looking at Kufu and Kion.
"Yes I do," Kion confirmed with a nod. "Beshte doesn't make things up."
"I believe him too," Kufu agreed. "And after hearing Bunga describe what Beshte's new friend looks like, I know that the new friend Beshte made is an okapi.
"An Oh-what-be?" Bunga questioned.
"An okapi," Kufu repeated. "They basically look like what you just described Bunga, and Beshte must've made friends with one."
"Oh, yeah, I remember seeing a few okapis in the Pride Lands," Kion said.
Kufu's eyes then widened as he remembered something. "And okapis are leopards' favorite food." He said. "And didn't Beshte say that his new friend was chased by a leopard?"
The honey badger shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, so?"
Kufu rolled his eyes. "So we have a traveling okapi who says he was chased here by a leopard." He elaborated. "And we have a rogue leopard in the Pride Lands."
"When you put it that way..." Fuli glanced away before looking back at the two lion cubs. "It does sound real."
Bunga's shoulders fell as he looked down at his feet. "I didn't mean to hurt his feelings." He admitted, glancing at Ono.
"We should go say we're sorry," the Keenest of Sight suggested.
"Good idea," Kion agreed.
The three felines waited a couple minutes for Bunga and Ono to patch things up with Beshte. Once things looked alright between them, Kion, Kufu, and Fuli joined up with them.
"Don't forget, we still have a leopard at large," Fuli reminded the boys.
"And if we believe in Beshte's friend, we've got to believe that the leopard is looking for him," Kufu added, standing between Kion and Fuli.
"That's right," Beshte nodded. "So we've got to find him first!" He ran ahead with the rest of the Guard following.
It wasn't long before the Lion Guard heard screams coming from Thurston's zebra herd, and they knew that's where Makucha was.
"Till the Pride Lands' end...Lion Guard Defend!" The six friends shouted as they ran after Makucha
"Ugh, not these guys again," Makucha groaned, rolling his eyes and continued chasing after his prey, leaving the zebra herd alone.
"Anybody else think it's weird that the leopard didn't go after any of the zebras?" Kufu questioned aloud to the rest of the Guard as they kept pace following Makucha.
"Yeah," Fuli agreed. "Now that you mention it."
"I bet Ajabu was hiding in the herd!" Beshte gasped as he came to a halt. "Remember, I said his back half is striped like a zebra? He'd blend right in."
"So, you think the leopard was after your new pal?" Kion guessed.
Beshte nodded. "He did say leopards chase his kind all the time where he came from."
"Well, they're in the Pride Lands now," Kion reminded him, standing tall. "And the Lion Guard is gonna keep Ajabu safe!" He promised, looking Beshte in the eyes.
"Thanks," the Guard's Strongest smile. "I knew he could count on you guys."
A panicked yell caught the Guard's attention. Just as they all turned in the direction of the scream, they saw a blur of brown, white, and black run right past them.
"What is that thing?" Bunga asked with wide eyes as he pointed to the strange animal.
"That's an okapi, Bunga," Kufu told the honey badger.
"That's not just any okapi, that's Ajabu!" Beshte exclaimed.
"Well, I'll be a baboon's brother," Bunga gaped, rubbing the back of his head.
"Ajabu is actually real?" Ono blinked, exchanging a look with Bunga.
"You said you believed me," Beshte looked down at the two.
"We did," Bunga met his gaze. "But, now, we really believe you." He gave a sympathetic smile.
The Guard's Strongest let out a groan. "Anyway, I'm glad you've finally seen him."
"Uh-oh," Kufu breathed once he spotted Makucha running past them. "So has Makucha."
"Lion Guard, let's go!" Kion ordered.
The Guard chased after Makucha who was closing in on Ajabu.
"Leave me alone, Makucha!" Ajabu pleaded as he kept running. "Just go back home will you!"
"No way, I've chased you too far to give up, now!" Makucha said as he was about to pounce on the okapi
In a last ditch effort to get rid of the predator, Ajabu kicked out his hind legs, nailing the leopard in the chest, knocking him back a ways.
"Poa!" Beshte exclaimed. "Nice move, Ajabu!" He praised as Makucha got up and growled.
"Now you're just making me mad!" Makucha said in anger as he continued to chase the okapi. Ajabu continued to run, only to trip on a rock and faceplant in the dirt. "I've got you now!" He growled, leaping towards his prey.
"Not on my watch!" Beshte gritted his teeth and charged ahead. "Twende Kiboko!" he yelled, knocking the leopard away a few feet.
"Wow!" Ajabu sighed with a grin on his face.
"You OK, Ajabu?" Beshte asked his new friend.
The okapi gave a nod. "I'm fine."
Makucha shook off the attack and got to his feet. "Why don't you mind your own business?" He growled at the younger animals approaching him. "I'm just saying 'hello' to an old friend."
"This is our business," Kufu snarled.
"And you're not acting too friendly," Fuil growled, standing beside the lion.
"So, I say hello with my teeth, so what?" Makchua chuckled.
"So, it's time for you to say 'goodbye'," Kion growled, standing to the left of Fuli.
"Come on!" Makucha challenged, preparing to attack. "I can fight three at once." The rogue leopard narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. Before he could pounce, he fell forward.
"Let's make it four!" Bunga laughed, gripping Makucha's tail. "What's the matter? Honey badger got your tail?"
The rogue leopard groaned and lifted his tail, glaring at the honey badger attached to it. "I hope you taste better than you smell." Out of nowhere, Ono dive-bombed Makucha, jabbing the cat's head with his beak.
"You guys are amazing!" Ajabu praised, standing next to Beshte a few feet from the fight.
"Thanks," Beshte replied. "Now, you stay here. I'll be right back."
Makucha snarled as the three younger felines advanced towards him. A loud bellowing drew his attention away, making the leopard back away to avoid being trampled. The young cheetah and brown lion took that opening to tackle the larger feline, then letting the prince have the third blow.
"Fine, have it your way!" Makucha growled in annoyance. "Not even an Okapi is worth this." He spun around and ran back towards his own territory, dragging Bunga along with him.
"Don't stop till you're out of the Pride Lands!" Fuli yelled after him.
"And never come back!" Kufu added, letting out a roar.
"Bunga!" Kion called out to the Bravest member. "Let go!"
"Good idea!" Bunga yelled back, releasing his hold on the leopard's tail. He wiped his hands and walked back to the rest of his friends.
"Everybody, I've got someone I want you to meet," Beshte said to the rest of the Guard. "Kion, Kufu, Fuli, Bunga, Ono..." he looked from his friends to the okapi. "This is my new friend, Ajabu." The rest of the Guard said various 'hellos'. "Ajabu, meet the Lion Guard."
"Hi, everyone," Ajabu greeted thrm. "I don't know how to thank you for saving me."
"It's what we do," Kion replied with a smile.
Bunga walked up to get a better look at Ajabu who leaned down and sniffed him.
"Are you a honey badger?" He questioned.
"I sure am!" Bunga agreed with a grin.
"Wow! I've heard of honey badgers, but I never believed they were real," Ajabu laughed. Bunga raised an eyebrow in confusion, asking why. "I figured nobody could look and smell like that. I thought they had to be made up." The okapi laughed again. "But you're real."
Bunga nodded. "I'm as real as it gets!"
"Oh brother," Fuli sighed with a roll of her eyes.
"You're not planning on going back home, are you?" Kufu asked, his tail swaying behind him. "Makucha will be waiting for you."
"What else am I gonna do?" Ajabu asked with a twitch of his ears.
"Ki?" Fuli glanced back to her best friend.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Kion gave a nod. "I've got an idea." Kion said to the okapi. "Follow us."
The Lion Guard escorted Ajabu to Pride Rock to meet with Simba and Nala.
"Mom, Dad, Ajabu came to the Pride Lands as a visitor, but he'd really like to stay," Kion informed his parents. "If he has your blessing."
Simba exchanged a glance with Nala and the two shared a nod. "Of course, Ajabu," the king agreed. "You're welcome to stay in the Pride Lands."
"For as long as you like," Nala added.
"Oh, thank you, Your Highness!" Ajabu replied. "Thank you!"
"We're happy to have you here, Ajabu," Nala smiled.
The rest of the Lion Guard cheered as they circled around the newest addition to the Pride Lands.
"So, Ajabu, now that you're a Pride Lander, what do you want to do next?" Beshte asked as Ajabu and the Lion Guard walked away from Pride Rock.
"I know!" Bunga piped up, "Let's play some more hide-and-seek!"
"OK," Ajabu agreed with a chuckle, sneaking away without the Guard even realizing.
"Un-Bunga-lievable!" the Guard's Bravest sighed, looking around. "He's really good at that."
To be continued...
A/N: And that is The Imaginary Okapi and I changed it up a lot and made it where there are actually leopards and okapis in the Pride Lands. I mean, if you look at Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, there were okapis in the Pride Lands and if you've read my take on Follow The Hippo, I added a leopard cub, so I made it possible. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, leave a review and tell us what you think.
Up Next: The Pride Lands has a little termite problem, so it's up to the Lion Guard to fix it
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; Ron Funches as Ajabu; Rob Lowe as Simba; Gabrielle Union as Nala; Steve Blum as Makucha; Alex Cartana as Twiga.