Beware the Zimwi
It was late at night and a full moon shone in the sky as the Lion Guard, their young admirers, and a pair of little porcupines sat around the base of Rafiki's tree, listening to a spooky tale of a terrifying creature.
"And then, out of the darkness came a bone-chilling noise," Rafiki spoke, his tone eerie as he grinned at the young animals.
Kivuli, who was sitting in front of Kufu, gulped, "What was it?" she asked, her ears falling flat against her head.
Rafiki leaned against his staff, "Are young ones like you ready?" he questioned. "It is a story that will make your fur stand up straight."
"Oh, we are, we are!" Kwato answered, nodding his head.
"Tell us the story, Rafiki," Mtoto begged.
"Yeah, Rafiki, please?" Gumba pleaded.
"Yeah!" Kambuni and Kivuli added with wide grins.
"We wanna hear it!" Shauku followed.
"We all want to hear the story, Rafiki." Kion agreed, sitting behind the younger mongoose.
"Lay it on us, Rafiki, we can handle it," Kufu said with a smile.
"Very well." the old mandrill nodded. "Where was I? Ah, yes." he cleared his throat. "They heard a bone-chilling noise...the call of the Zimwi."
Kambuni gulped, "What's a Zimwi?" she questioned, blinking her big, green eyes.
"The Zimwi is a terrifying beast!" Rafiki exclaimed, eliciting a loud, collective shriek out of the younger Guard admirers, who all immediately curled against the respective member they idolized. "But it only comes into the Pride Lands on the night of the full moon."
Bunga looked up at the sky, "Hey, tonight's a full moon." he pointed out, making the younger animals gasp.
A cloud rolled by, revealing the full moon, its light shining down on the group.
"So it is," Rafiki noted, caressing his white beard and facing the group of animals. "Then, it is on a night like tonight that you might hear the Zimwi's call."
Suddenly, a loud bellow echoed in the distance, making everyone gasp and look in every direction.
"What was that?" Gumba asked, his voice shaking as he gripped onto Bunga's arm.
Kwato gulped, "Was that..."
"The Zimwi?" Kambuni squeaked.
The bellowing grew louder, meaning it was getting closer. Kion got to his feet and faced the bushes where the sounds were coming from,
"Whoever you are, come out and show yourself!" Kion growled, taking a step forward. Another bellow was heard, and Shauku hid behind the lion's hind leg.
"Alright whoever's back there, come out now!" Kufu yelled.
"Kion? Kufu?" Beshte questioned, poking his head out of the bushes. "Uh, hey, everybody." the Guard's Strongest chuckled dryly, seeing more animals than just his friends.
"I thought I recognized that bellow." Bunga chuckled, folding his arms across his chest, while Gumba did the same.
"Beshte, why are you bellowing so late?" Kufu asked, standing beside Kion and Fuli.
"I need to practice," Beshte answered. "Tomorrow I'll be bellowing for the Bellow Fellows."
Fuli quirked her brow. "Bellow Fellows?" she repeated, exchanging a glance with Kion, who just shrugged his shoulders.
"That sounds...nice." Ono stammered, with Kambuni sitting beside him.
"It's poa!" Beshte exclaimed, joining the group in front of Rafiki's tree. "If they like me, I'll get to bellow all the time with them! It's gonna be so much fun!" the hippo grinned. "But, uh, I'm kinda nervous to bellow in front of 'em." his ears fell to the sides out of slight embarrassment.
Rafiki leaned against his staff, "Yes. I suppose this is much more interesting than the Zimwi." The old mandrill rolled his eyes and went to climb his tree.
"Wait, Rafiki!" Gumba halted. "Don't go!"
"We wanna hear about the Zimwi!" Mtoto added, now standing next to Beshte.
Rafiki swiftly turned around. "Is that so?" he questioned. "And you are sure you're not too frightened?"
Kivuli shook her head and stepped forward, "I'm not scared."
"Me neither." echoed Shauku, who sat next to Kivuli.
"Please, tell us, Rafiki!" Kambuni squeaked.
"Yeah!" agreed Kwato.
"Very well!" Rafiki laughed.
Rafiki:
On a night such as this
With a full moon up high
A creature comes out with a frightening cry
It towers above you
Tall as two giraffes
And as it approaches, oh, how it laughs.
"Ha!" Rafiki laughed as he danced around the animals at the base of his tree before continuing his song.
Rafiki:
So, beware all you young ones
You're in for a fright
Something is lurking but just out of sight
You won't hear it coming
Though try as you might
So, beware of the Zimwi
Beware of the Zimwi tonight!
"Listen closely, now." the Mjuzi kept his eyes on the group. The younger animals were now all huddled together, while the Lion Guard just sat or laid down and listened.
Rafiki:
Big spikes has the Zimwi
And yes, it moves fast
With eight legs on its body
Each bigger than the last
Its teeth are sharper than a croc's, so I've heard
Yet those who have seen it never speak another word.
Rafiki placed a single finger over his mouth.
Rafiki:
So beware, all you young ones
You're in for a fright
Something is lurking but just out of sight
You won't hear it coming though try as you might
So beware of the Zimwi
Beware of the Zimwi tonight!
The old mandrill swung from a vine and circled the Guard, landing behind Kion, Kufu, and Fuli. He ruffled the prince's mane and scratched the lion cub's head and patted the cheetah's head before leaping over them and ending his little musical number.
Rafiki:
Beware of the Zimwi tonight!
The Lion Guard's Fiercest let out a chuckle, "Relax. It's just a story." he reminded them, sharing a look with his best friend and crush, with the former nodding his head in agreement.
"It is just a story, right, Rafiki?" Fuli asked, with a dry laugh.
"Who is to say?" the Mjuzi shrugged. "Now, off to bed you go!" he shooed away the younger animals, knowing it was past their bedtime.
"Thanks for the story, Rafiki!" the smaller Guard said in unison, tipping their heads to the old mandrill before walking away.
"Sleep tight!" Rafiki called out to the rest of the Lion Guard. "Don't let the Zimwi bite!" He let out a laugh and climbed up his tree to turn in for the night.
"The Zimwi can't be real, uh, can it?" Mtoto asked with a gulp.
"Eight legs? Each one bigger than the last?" Kion questioned. "Does that sound real, guys?" he looked to the rest of his team.
"No way." Ono shook his head, perching on Beshte's back.
"Nope." Beshte agreed.
"Just a story," Fuli repeated.
"There's no way something like that exists," Kufu said with a chuckle.
"I hope so." Kwato gulped, his ears falling to the sides.
"That's too bad." Bunga shrugged his shoulders. "I'd kinda like to meet the Zimwi."
Kufu rolled his eyes, "Only you, Bunga." He chuckled.
A breeze blew past them, creating an ominous sound as it wove through the acacia trees nearby.
"Oh, no." Kivuli gasped, her and Kambuni huddling together.
"Huh?" Shauku and Gumba jumped on Kwato's back as they scanned the area.
Fuli, Beshte, and Ono all let out a shriek, while Bunga grinned as he yelled, "Zimwi?"
"Bunga, it's only the wind." Kion rebuked.
"Are you sure?" Kwato gulped.
"Alright if you little kids are that worried, maybe you should all stay together tonight," Kufu advised, smiling at the younger animals. "You'll feel safer."
They all exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement, saying their good-nights to the Guard and walking off.
"Maybe we can do that, too." Kufu voted. "It sounds like it could be fun!"
"Yeah." Bunga agreed. "We can all spend the night at Hakuna Matata Falls," he suggested. "I'm sure my uncles won't mind."
Kion shrugged his shoulders, "Sure."
"Fine by me." Ono nodded.
"I'm in." Fuli grinned.
"Yeah, that sounds poa!" Beshte agreed before clearing his throat and started bellowing which made everyone jump in startled. "Oops sorry." He apologized as the Lion Guard made their way to Hakuna Matata Falls as Beshte continued bellowing.
"Hey, Big B, that one sounded like Uncle Pumbaa!" Bunga said.
An owl hooted in the distance as the Guard slept soundly near the lake of Hakuna Matata Falls. The next instant, six young animals came running up to them, screaming "Zimwi!" Each young animal ran to the Guard member they looked up to, startling the rest that were still asleep.
"Easy, Kivuli, what's the matter?" Kufu asked as he lightly ran his paw over the shivering black leopard's head.
"It's the Zimwi." Kivuli squeaked. "It's in the Pride Lands."
"We just saw it," Shauku added, latching on to Kion's left foreleg.
"The Zimwi?" the two cubs repeated.
"Impossible." Fuli yawned, followed by a startled gasp as Kwato jumped over her to hide behind her.
"No, it's really true." Mtoto rebuffed, standing close to Beshte.
"The Zimwi doesn't exist. It's just a story." Kion reminded them, looking at each of the younger animals.
"Kion's right." Kufu agreed. "You must've seen some other animal."
"You really saw it?" Bunga asked Gumba, who was currently latched onto his neck.
The baboon nodded, "In the woodlands." he answered. "It was as tall as two giraffes!"
"Just like Rafiki said." Kambuni shrieked, cowering in Ono's nest.
"And its teeth were sharper than a crocodile's!" Kwato gulped, ducking behind the Guard's Fastest.
Kion rolled his eyes, "For the last time, there's no such thing as a Zimwi." he repeated.
A scratching noise in the distance made everyone jump. "I'm scared!" Mtoto screamed, huddling closer to Beshte. Kwato and Gumba did the same to Fuli and Bunga.
"What if it eats all of us?" Kambuni shrieked, hiding behind Ono. Shauku and Kivuli clung tighter to the two lion cubs.
"Maybe it is real." Ono gulped.
The scratching continued, which ended up being caused by Timon raking a sharp stick down the side of the rocks.
"Seriously, Timon?" Kufu asked with a dull look.
"Sorry, but now that I have your attention." The meerkat cleared his throat as he and his warthog best friend approached the group of animals. "Let an expert tell you all about the Zimwi."
"You know about the Zimwi, Uncle Timon?" Bunga questioned, still holding on to a shaking Gumba.
"Know about it?" Pumbaa repeated. "Timon's the only animal in the Pride Lands to survive an encounter with..."
"The Zimwi!" both males said in unison.
"So, it's not just a story!" Ono confirmed.
"You've both seen the Zimwi?" Kion asked, not really believing the pair.
"Oh, Timon has!" Pumbaa answered. "Right, Timon?"
"You better believe it!" Timon chuckled. "More or less."
Kufu quirked his brow, "More or less?" He repeated with a deadpan expression.
The meerkat chuckled dryly. "Well, not exactly me," he clarified. "See, my Ma's cousin's friend knows an ox who told him he ran into the Zimwi and..." Timon paused for dramatic effect. "...it ate him!"
"Oh, the horror!" the warthog sobbed.
The six young animals gasped in horror.
Kufu just blinked, "OK, Timon, if the ox got eaten, how did he tell anyone else the story?" He asked with a raised brow.
"Uh, you'd have to ask the ox," Timon answered the young lion cub, tapping his nose. "The point is, nothing can stop the Zimwi!"
"What are we gonna do?" Gumba asked, looking at Bunga.
"Nothing you can do, kids," Timon answered.
"Maybe there's nothing he can do..." Kion rebuked, glancing at Timon before looking back at the six young animals, who were now huddled together. "...but we're the Lion Guard. We'll find whatever you saw." the prince promised. "And if it really is the Zimwi, we'll run it out of the Pride Lands!"
"Yeah!" Bunga agreed. "Or get eaten trying!"
The six kids gasped. "Oh! Why does our little Bunga have to be so brave?" Pumbaa cried out.
Kion rolled his eyes. "Let's go," he ordered, looking to the rest of the Lion Guard. "Till the Pride Lands end...
"...Lion Guard defend!" The other five finished, following Kion out of the falls.
"Even if we're just defending everyone from Rafiki's silly story," Kufu muttered as he ran up to Kion's right.
"You said it." Kion agreed with a smile.
As the Guard patrolled the woodlands, where their young friends said they first saw the Zimwi, all appeared to be quiet, except for Bunga who kept calling out.
"Here, Zimwi, Zimwi, Zimwi."
The Guard's leader rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Come on, Bunga. You really think there's a creature out here that's as tall as two giraffes with big spikes, and teeth sharper than a crocodile?"
"Yeah!" The Guard's Bravest said. "Don't forget the eight legs," he added. "You believe it, too, don't ya, Big B?"
"I don't know, Bunga. I've never seen anything like that." The Guard's Strongest admitted. "But there's probably lots of things I've never seen."
"I see a lot more than you guys do." The Guard's Keenest of Sight added. "And I still haven't seen everything. So, who knows?"
"Still, isn't it possible?" The Guard's Fastest question glanced at the two lions.
"Let me think about i... No." The Guard's Slyest answered flatly. "We'll find whatever it is the little ones saw, and then you'll see it's not a Zimwi."
"So, you think it's something worse?" Bunga asked with a grin, popping up between the two lion cubs.
"The only thing I can think of is probably Janja and his hyenas," Kufu told him.
The Guard came across the forest, which appeared creepy in the darkness. Three shadows ran past a few trees, letting out a chittering noise.
"Come on!" Bunga urged. "We can't let this thing get away."
"Actually, would that be so bad?" Ono gulped. The Guard ran towards the forest's entrance and stopped, the chittering noise growing louder. One of the shadowed figures ran right between Ono's feet, spooking him. "Hapana!" he yelled, taking flight and quickly landing between Kufu's shoulders.
"You OK, Ono?" Kufu asked, glancing at the hyperventilating egret on his back.
"Oh, excuse us." A female genet pardoned, she and two males poking their heads out from the tall grass. "Did we scare you?"
"Me? Why, uh, no." Ono stammered, looking away from the animal trio.
"Hey, little genets." Beshte greeted. "Where are you guys off to?"
"Just heading home." One of the male genets answered.
"Good thinking." Bunga praised. "Get home before the Zimwi gets ya."
The three genets exchanged a confused glance.
"Zimwi?" the younger male repeated. "What's a Zimwi?" the female asked.
Bunga gaped, "You've never heard of the Zimwi? It's..."
"Nothing." Kion cut off.
Bunga popped back up, "Pfft, yeah." scoffed the honey badger. "If something as tall as two giraffes is nothing." The three genetes let out low whimpers. "If nothing has teeth bigger than a crocodile's. Then yeah, sure, the Zimwi's nothing." Bunga continued, despite protests from his friends, and the frightened whimpers of the genets
"Bunga, enough!" Kion warned.
"Speaking of enough..." Bunga went on. "...you'd think four legs is enough, but not for the Zimwi! He's got eight!"
The genets let out loud whimpers, their ears falling flat against their heads. "Don't worry, little guys," Kufu assured, knocking Bunga back with his paw. "We're not even sure the Zimwi's real."
"Yeah." Bunga scoffed, shoving past the lion so he could look the genets in the eyes. "For all we know it could be some other eight-legged, super tall, sharp-toothed thing stalking through the Pride Lands tonight."
The female genet took a backward step, her ears still flat against her head. "We really have to get back home," she informed, her body visibly shaking.
"Good idea! The Lion Guard's on duty!" the honey badger said with pride. "So, go on home and get a good night's sleep."
"I don't see that happening." The youngest genet gulped. "Let's go!" urged the female as they ran into the tall grass.
"Wait!" the Guard's Bravest halted, getting the genets to look back at him. "If you do see the Zimwi, try to keep it where it is till we get there, OK?" he asked. "Then leave the rest to us." The genets ducked back into the grass without an answer. "Think they'll do it?" Bunga asked as he turned back to the rest of the Guard.
"I doubt it," Ono answered, still perched on Kufu's back.
"Bunga, why did you scare them like that?" Fuli hissed.
"Yeah, Little B," Beshte added. "You really got 'em on the run."
"Yeah, that's not cool, Bunga," Kufu said, giving the honey badger a look.
Bunga shrugged his shoulders, "I was tryin' to make 'em feel safe." he defended.
"But they hadn't even heard of the Zimwi until you told them about it," Kion informed him.
"How was I supposed to know?" Bunga asked, scratching the back of his head.
The lion prince sighed heavily. "OK, Bunga, but the next animal we run into, try not to mention the Zimwi," he warned with a small grin.
The honey badger nodded in agreement.
The Guard entered the forest, carefully scanning their surroundings for any signs of the mysterious 'Zimwi'.
"I have to admit, hearing Bunga describe the Zimwi has me a little on edge, too," Ono admitted, hunching low on Kufu's back.
"It's just a story, Ono," Kufu assured the egret. "The Zimiwi isn't real."
"Yeah, I mean just listen." Fuli agreed. "Everything's peaceful and quiet."
Ono swallowed the lump in his throat. "A little too quiet," he muttered.
A branch snapped further into the woods, followed by the sound of a loud whiny and approaching hoofsteps.
"I take it back." the egret recanted, digging his talons into Kufu's fur. "Quiet's fine! Quiet's fine!"
"Easy on the fur, Ono." Kufu winched.
Out of the bushes jumped Thurston, who was half-screaming, half-sobbing, "Panic and run! Panic and run!"
Kion and Kufu exchanged a glance as the golden-furred prince stepped forward.
"It's OK, calm down," he said calmly to the zebra leader.
"Calm down and trot," Thurston repeated, trotting back and forth in front of the Guard. "Calm down and trot."
"What's got you all upset, Thurston?" Kufu asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Bunga nudged the brown lion's side. "He's panicked about the Zimwi!" His hands immediately went to his mouth. "Oops. I said Zimwi." he gasped. "Oops. Said it again."
Thurston halted his trot-pacing. "The Zimwi?" he repeated. "Why should I panic about the Zimwi?"
"So, you're not afraid of the Zimwi?" Beshte questioned.
"Why would I be?" Thurston scoffed. "Everyone knows it's just a story." he chuckled dryly. "Right?"
"Right!" Kion agreed. "Thank you."
The zebra leader laughed dryly. "To think that I'd panic and run over a creature that doesn't even exist." he laughed again. "How silly."
The Guard's Fastest quirked her brow, "If you're not running from the Zimwi, what are you running from?" she asked.
Thurston pondered that for a moment, before remembering. "It...was...genets! There were three of them! Running wild!" he exclaimed. "So small and furry, with long tails!" the zebra shuddered, then whimpered. "Panic and run!" He ran back down another forest path.
"Well, at least he's not afraid of the Zimwi," Bunga noted.
"Yeah, considering Thurston's scared of his own shadow," Kufu mumbled, earning a chuckle from Kion. "Come on, everybody."
The six friends continued through the forest, which grew eerily quiet. When an owl hooted, seemingly out of nowhere, four of the Guard members gasped.
"Just an owl, guys." Kufu sighed with a roll of his eyes.
"Is it, Kufu?" Bunga questioned. "Or is it the Zimwi, laughing right before it eats some unsuspecting animal?"
Kion rolled his eyes, "Bunga."
"Mention the Zimwi one more time, Bunga, and I'm gonna throw you over a cliff," Kufu said with a glare.
A distant bellowing startled everyone.
"Hapana!" Ono squawked, digging his talons into Kufu's fur again.
"Owowowow!." Kufu winced in pain. "Ono, you keep doing that, I'm gonna have a bald spot back there."
"Zimwi!" Bunga hoped, a wide grin on his face.
Beshte stepped out of a patch of grass, "Sorry." He apologized. "I was practicing my bellows. You know, for the Bellow Fellows?"
The Guard's leader shook his head, "See? Just Beshte." he pointed out. "No Zimwi."
The Guard's Strongest brought up the rear of the group and continued to practice his bellows.
"I'm not sure which is spookier, Beshte. The Zimwi, or you." Ono chuckled, still on the back of the Guard's Slyest.
After patrolling through the forest, the Guard came across a canyon.
Bunga let out a heavy sigh, "Still no sign of the Zimwi." he groaned.
"Or whatever it is," Fuli added with a dry chuckle and swish of her tail.
On instinct, Kufu glanced over his shoulder and saw three animals encased in shadows. "Huh?" He said cautiously.
"Kufu?" Kion questioned, looking back at him.
"Uh..." Kufu's ears fell flat against his head. "Anyone else feel..."
"Really scared?" Ono quickly finished. "Not me." he shook his head.
"No." Kufu rebuked. "Like we're being watched."
"By the Zimwi?" Bunga hoped, grinning.
Ono gulped, "Usually I do the watching." He hesitantly looked around, not leaving his perch on Kufu's back.
"Who'd watch us?" Beshte asked.
"And from where?" Fuli added, looking around.
Kufu gulped nervously and motioned back to where he saw the shadowy figures, only this time he saw three sets of glowing eyes.
"Ooh." Bunga's grin got wider. "How many eyes does the Zimwi have?"
"Too many." Fuli shuddered.
"All right, team, let's move in." Kion ordered, "Ono, keep an eye out overhead."
"Uh, affirmative." the egret agreed, his voice shaky, as he took off from Kufu's back.
Kion stalked forward, his body low to the ground as if he were preparing to pounce. Kufu and Fuli followed close behind, with Bunga and Beshte behind them. A branch cracked under Kion's paws, halting the Guard for only a second before they moved in and surrounded the animal hiding in the bushes. Kion looked to his right and saw Kufu and Fuli ready to pounce, and down his left saw Bunga and Beshte ready too.
"Now!" the Guard's Fiercest ordered.
"We got you, Zimwi!" Bunga yelled, as five gazelles leaped out of the bushes. "The Zimwi can fly?"
"Don't hurt us." begged one of the gazelles.
"Please!" The male at the front spoke. "We were just hiding."
Fuli raised her brow as she glanced at Kion and Kufu, "So this is what we've been chasing?" she blinked her emerald-colored eyes.
"What were you hiding from?" Kufu asked.
"What else?" gulped the male gazelle.
"The Zimwi!" all five shouted.
"OK, I'm getting really tired hearing about the Zimwi," Kufu said in annoyance.
"Listen. I don't think the Zimwi's really real." Kion assured in a calm voice.
"But we saw it, right before we jumped into the bushes." the male gazelle defended. "It had giant teeth! On the outside of its head!"
"Hapana!" gulped Ono, who was perched on a tree branch above the rest of the Guard. "We've heard those teeth are as sharp as a crocodile's."
"We heard it can fly." a female gazelle whined.
Bunga perked up, "You heard that, too?"
"They heard it from you!" Kion and Kufu scolded in unison, their eyes narrowed down at the honey badger.
"Relax." Kion breathed, facing the gazelles. "The Zimwi is just a story."
"Oh, yeah?" challenged another female gazelle. "So, what's that?"
Everyone looked down the canyon and saw the shadow of what appeared to be the Zimwi, just as Rafiki described it.
"OK, maybe I was wrong about the Zimwi not being real," Kufu said nervously.
"Those sure look like big teeth," Beshte noted, hunching low.
"Pretty sharp too," Fuli added, her ears flat against her head.
"Anyone else see two heads?" Bunga questioned.
Kion took a couple of steps forward. "Uh, maybe?" he agreed with the honey badger, as the creature's shadow disappeared from view. "Whatever it is, it's on the move."
A low rumble of thunder echoed as the Guard stood at the entrance to the canyon.
"I hope that's you practicing again, Beshte." Ono shuddered.
The hippo shook his head. "I don't think so." he rebuked.
"Come on, Lion Guard." the fierce leader ordered.
"Yeah, Kion." Kufu gulped, still keeping close to the prince's right. "And as the fiercest, you should go first."
Kion glanced down at his best friend, who was hunched low and looking nervous. "Let's go." He took a step forward and led the group into the canyon. "This canyon's a dead end so it's got nowhere to run."
"And that's a good thing?" Ono asked, flying above the rest.
More thunder clasped overhead, adding more to the ominous feel of everything. Dark clouds rolled in, covering up the moon, leaving no visible light. The Guard came to the canyon's end, just as two bolts of lightning struck, illuminating the creature before them.
"Zimwi!" the Guard shouted.
"I knew it." Bunga grinned, taking a step forward while the rest of the Guard spun around and ran away. "All right, Zimwi, it's just you and me." the honey badger challenged.
The next moment he was picked up by his scruff, courtesy of Kufu, and taken out of the canyon.
"Look out!" Bunga warned as a gazelle ran right towards them.
Kufu's eyes widened and he jumped onto the nearest ledge on the canyon's side, dropping Bunga at his feet as he caught his breath. The gazelles from earlier were now running around in a panic.
"Lion Guard!" Kion called out. "We've gotta get these gazelles under control!"
"How are we gonna do that?" Fuli asked.
Kufu shook off his shock, "We get them out in the open. That way they can't hurt themselves!" He answered, still on the ledge with Bunga.
"Right." Kion agreed. "Beshte, flatten those bushes." he motioned to the bushes not too far from him. "Make an opening to the clearing."
Beshte gave a firm nod and charged forward, "Twende Kiboko!" he rolled right over the bushes, creating a large opening for the panicking gazelles.
"Let's round them up!" Kion ordered.
The rest of the Guard proceeded to herd the panicking animals towards the clearing, stopping by the bushes once they were finished.
"They should wear themselves out in a little bit." noted the lion prince.
"Gazelles, right?" Bunga scoffed, resting his arm against Beshte's shoulder. "One little scare and before you know it, they're just jumping all over the place."
"Because we scared them." Kion reminded him, letting out a heavy sigh, his ears flattening against his head. "While we were running away."
"Sorry, Ki." Fuli apologized, lowering her muzzles.
"Nothing to be sorry about." the prince sighed. "I ran away, too."
"And you said the Zimwi wasn't real!" Bunga reminded him, his hands on his hips.
Kion lowered his muzzle, "I know." he admitted. "All this time, I wasn't afraid of the Zimwi because I thought it wasn't real. But as soon as I thought it was, I ran away."
"You weren't the only one," Kufu added, walking up to his best friend. "We all got scared and ran."
"And it's OK to be scared," Kion said. "But we're the Lion Guard, and we can't run away." He said looking at Kufu who nodded in agreement with him.
"Kion's right," Fuli spoke up.
"Affirmative." Ono agreed.
"Twende Kiboko." Beshte nodded firmly.
"That's what I've been saying all along!" Bunga grinned.
"So, now what, Kion?" Kufu asked with a smile.
"Now, it's time to face the Zimwi." The prince answered, and the rest of the Guard nodded in agreement.
They raced back to the end of the canyon, "Till the Pride Lands end...Lion Guard defend!"
The Lion Guard stopped in front of the towering beast, prepared to fight if necessary.
"You don't scare us, Zimwi!" Kion growled, baring his teeth.
"That's right," Bunga said calmly. "Get outta the Pride Lands!"
The Zimwi's eyes opened, all four of them, and it let out a gurgling squeak-like noise.
"That all you got, Zimwi?" Fuli scoffed.
The top of the Zimwi, presumably its head, suddenly rose up and seemed to detach itself from the rest of its body.
"What in the Pride Lands?" Kufu gaped as his eyes widened.
The head rolled down the body and landed on the ground in front of the Guard.
"Lion Guard! Get it!" Kion ordered, chariging in.
"Huwezi Kuniona!" Kufu yelled, following right behind Kion.
"Huwezi!" Fuli ran right beside Kufu.
"Twende Kiboko!" Beshte charged in.
"Zuka Zama, Zimwi!" Bunga chuckled.
"Don't hurt us!" the Zimwi squeaked, causing everyone to skid to a halt.
The head split open, revealing that it was the two young porcupines from earlier that night.
"You're not the Zimwi!" Bunga accused.
"Wait." Fuli blinked. "So we ran away from two little porcupines?"
"Looks like it, Fuli," Kufu confirmed.
"So, did you two hear something scary and think it was the Zimwi?" Kion asked, sitting in front of the two little animals.
"Uh, yeah." One of the porcupines answered.
"Of course!" Ono realized, landing in front of the two lion cubs. "So, you huddled together and stuck out your quills to make yourselves look bigger." he deduced.
"Then Kwato and his friends saw you like that and thought you were the Zimwi," Fuli added.
"And so did we." Beshte lowered his head.
"Don't feel bad, Beshte." Kufu sympathized, placing his paw on his shoulder for a few seconds. "I think everyone was so spooked by Rafiki's story, that they were ready to believe anything."
"Wait a second." Bunga halted, pointing to the large figure a few feet away from them. "What about their ginormous Zimwi body?"
Ono flew up to investigate, landing on the top. "Termite mound," he informed, picking up a few termites in his talons.
"Mmm, termites." Bunga rubbed his palms together, "Excuse me." he climbed up the mound for a late-night snack.
"We ran up there when the Zimwi...I mean you guys..." the second porcupine corrected herself, "...were chasing us."
Kufu chuckled, "All this time, the 'Zimwi' was just two little porcupines." he smiled down at the two smaller animals.
"See? I was right." Bunga bragged, his mouth full of termites. "It did have two heads."
Kion shook his head, "Alright, now that we've finally solved the mystery of the Zimwi, let's go back to Hakuna Matata Falls and try to get some sleep." he said, to which everyone agreed.
The following morning, the rest of the Guard accompanied Beshte to Big Springs to support him for his audition. Three male hippos from the pod walked out of the lake and stood on a large stone a few feet from the shore.
"So, those are the hippos you need to bellow for?" Fuli questioned, sitting on a rock so she was furthest away from the water.
Beshte nodded in confirmation. "But I'm not sure I can do it," he admitted, looking down at his feet. "I'm still kinda scared."
"Scared of this?" Kion repeated, stepping up to his hippo friend. "Beshte, last night you faced the Zimwi."
"But, Kion, there was no Zimwi." the Guard's Strongest reminded him.
"Yeah, but you didn't know that. And yet, you charged in any way." Kufu added, standing beside Kion, with Ono perched on his back. "And if you can do that, I think you can bellow in front of a couple of hippos." The lion cub gave his hippo friend an encouraging smile.
A grin spread across Beshte's face. "You're right, Kufu. Thanks!" he replied with a smile. "Now, I'm ready for that audition. Here I go."
"Good luck!" his friends called after him as Beshte stood on a large boulder in the lake, in front of the three other hippos.
Beshte took a deep breath to calm his nerves, before starting his bellowing. He bellowed for about a minute before stopping. The three other hippos took just as long to deliberate.
"We love it!" cheered the first Bellow Fellow, an older hippo with dark purple-grey skin and teal eyes.
"Best ever!" added the second Bellow Fellow, another old hippo with dark purple-blue skin and light brown eyes.
"Really?" Beshte grinned.
"Congratulations!" the first fellow said. "You're now a Bellow Fellow!"
"You can bellow with us any time!" the second fellow informed.
"How about now?" Beshte asked. All four hippos then started to bellow rhythmically as the rest of the pod swam closer to watch the show.
"Now, that is scary," Bunga stated, folding his arms over his chest.
To be continued...
A/N: And that was Beware The Zimwi and talk about perfect timing to do this chapter am I right? But still, this was a fun chapter and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review and tell us what you think.
Up Next: Jasiri needs The Lion Guard's help dealing with some lions in the Outlands.
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; Khary Payton as Rafiki and Hippo 1; Justin Felbinger as Mtoto; McKenna Grace as Kambuni; Elsie Fisher as Kivuli; Jacob Guenther as Shauku; Lyon Luke Mathias as Kwato; Jacquez Swanigan as Gumba; Jessica DiCicco as Genets; Kevin Schon as Thurston; Ace Gibson as Hippo 2 and Gazelle; Dana Davis as Porcupines.
Happy Halloween!