I reappear after several months of silence.

Sorry you guys have to wait this long for an update. Lot of things happen last year and my focus was on one story only right now.

With the other one being finished my focus is on this one here now.

Again sorry for the long wait but I hope you like this one.

Stay tune for more

The grounds vibrations could be felt everywhere in the gorge. Pebbles shook up and down, dust that had scattered on the ground slowly stirred up into small clouds of dust. It felt like an earthquake. But it wasn't. Simba and Alicia knew. Both lion cubs stared at the cause of the sudden vibration of the ground with worried faces.

The gorge had several entrances. Many of them led down a steep slope, while others were normal walls that you could walk through if you weren't as wide as an elephant or rhino. From one slope, Simba and Alicia saw several birds flying away in panic. A sign that something was wrong. The huge cloud of dust confirmed both their fears even more. Alicia anxiously took a little distance from Simba. Not because she was afraid of him. But because a large herd of wildebeest was running down the slope.

Only a few up to a hundred adult wildebeest ran down the slope. The cloud of dust they left behind showed not only how much dust was on the ground but how many there were. How many were on the direct path. On the direct path to Simba and Alicia. The confusion quickly turned to fear. Ears back, mouths and eyes wide open, both lion cubs stared at the approaching herd. The pure fear was palpable in both of them as the trampling of hooves could be clearly felt as the first wildebeest approached them.

The herbivores were now the hunters in the scenario while Simba and Alicia were their prey. Both were aware that their lives were in danger if they didn't get to a safe place as quickly as possible. Simba did not hesitate long to run away. It was the only thing he could do at the moment to avoid being trampled to death. Alicia, on the other hand, was glued to the ground with fear. Her pupils were contracting by the second as she saw death approaching. The wildebeest noticed both lion cubs and still didn't stop. They kept running and were only a few meters away from both of them when Alicia got the courage to take her legs, or rather paws, in her hands.

Just in time, because a few seconds later the first wildebeest would already have been with them if neither of them had moved. Nobody wants to know what would have happened then. More and more wildebeest ran down the slope into the gorge as if they had been bitten by a mosquito. Panicked, scared and desperate to stay alive, Simba ran out while Alicia tried to follow him. Damn! But she had trouble running properly. Her back paws touched her front paws far too often, causing Alicia to fall several times. She managed to pick herself up every time, but that would cost her not only time but also distance.

She could use both more urgently than the threatening trampling of hooves behind her. Neither Simba nor Alicia knew what the reason for the stampede was. A mosquito would never do such a thing. One swipe of the tail and the annoying insect was gone. But it wasn't insects that had caused the herd panic, but rather three hyenas. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed snapped several times and lured the wildebeest into the rocky gorge like three sheepdogs. With the last of the wildebeest lured down the slope, the three predators stared down into the gorge to inspect their masterpiece, or rather Scar's plan.

More clouds of dust billowed up as Simba and Alicia continued to run as best their little paws could carry them. Alicia sensed the trampling danger behind her most of all. The herd was right behind her. One false step, one lie down and she was history. She knew that and Simba knew that. So they both ran as fast as they could while the ravine became more and more filled with clouds of dust. they rose above the ravine. Zazu, who was sitting on Mufasa's back, noticed the dust clouds immediately.

Like every day, they were both out and about on urgent royal business. Things that Simba would eventually do when he reached adulthood. "Oh, look, sire, the herd is on the move." Of course, there were plenty of herds in the Pride Lands. "Odd." but what was rather unnatural was that they wandered through a dry, bare rocky gorge when they had more than enough grass around them. Both lion and hornbill knew something was wrong. "Mufasa, quick." This was confirmed when Scar suddenly appeared, panicked and out of breath. His face, which usually showed envy, anger or disinterest, was now adorned with fear. "Stampede in the gorge. Simba and Alicia's down there!" Now it was more than clear what was worrying Mufasa and Zazu. "Simba? Alicia?" He didn't want it to be true, but his two children were right there.

Both ran as fast and as far as they could. Simba was a lot faster than his big sister Alicia. She, on the other hand, felt the trampling of the hooves more and more clearly and intensely. She looked anxiously behind her as a shadow of the wildebeest could be seen next to her. The herd was right behind her and the hooves threatened to crush her like a tomato. She dodged the first hooves, knowing that she would never be faster than the herd of wildebeest or Simba. She lost sight of the latter. The only thing she saw was the wildebeest. They were in front of her, behind her and to the sides. Alicia was surrounded.

Zazu flew ahead and led Mufasa and Scar to the gorge. Once in the gorge, the hornbill flew over the herd. His eyes were focused on the ground. He was reluctant to hope that the crown prince and crown princess were injured or worse, dead. He gasped as he found Simba clinging onto a branch. "Zazu, help me!" the young prince cried out as he dug his claws deeper into the wood to avoid falling off the branch. "Your father is on the way!" Zazu assured him until the hornbill noticed that Alicia wasn't with Simba "Hold on! Where is your sister?" Simba's eyes widened. He looked towards the herd but couldn't see her.

Mufasa and Scar slithered down the slope to look for the two lion cubs. But the dust blocked their view. They both stared into the void until Zazu appeared with good rather than not very good news "There!" Zazu pointed with his wings to the branch Simba was still clinging to "There on that tree!" Mufasa stared closer. The clouds of dust were still there but his eyes recognized his son clinging to the branch as the herd of wildebeest ran past.

"Where is Alicia?" but there was no sign of his daughter. Zazu swallowed nervously. Simba couldn't tell him where Alicia was. She had wandered out of his sight while they were on the run. Mufasa, Scar and Zazu continued to look. None of them wanted to hope that she was injured or had fallen victim to the wildebeest. Panicked and frightened, Mufasa looked further into the gorge. He saw wildebeest after wildebeest but no little lion cub. Her fur color was not the same as Simba's. It was much darker and resembled the color of the wildebeest.

Zazu was about to fly off if Scar hadn't pointed to the herd: "There! She's down there!" Mufasa and Zazu followed his paw and spotted Alicia in the middle of the herd. She ran as fast as she could, dodging the hooves and trying not to be run over. "Hold on, Simba! Alicia!" Mufasa jumped down the slope with a warning leap. From one rock to another. Alicia didn't hear him any more than Simba did. Both were busy trying not to get trampled. Mufasa quickly found an opening and ran into the herd. He himself knew that this was a risk. A risk he took to save his children.

"Oh, Scar, this is awful!" It was bad enough that both lion cubs were in the middle of the herd. "What'll we do? What'll we do?" but having to watch the king put himself in danger was the icing on the cake. "I'll go back for help, that's what I'll do." But it didn't come to that. Before Zazu could fly off, Scar hit him on the back of the head. The hornbill flew into the rock face and was unconscious before he could touch the ground.

While Simba clung to the branch, Alicia avoided being caught by the hooves. "Help!" she shouted, but her words of desperation could not be heard over the sound of the hooves. She was on her own. "Help! Huh?" or so she thought. Mufasa appeared right behind her. A smile graced her face. Alicia was glad to be safe but Mufasa was still miles away from her. The herd was blocking his way but a jump on a wildebeest was enough for the lion to reach her.

Words did not need to be said. Alicia let Mufasa pick her up from the ground and take her to safety. Gently but with a firm bite, Mufasa ran and jumped onto a rocky outcrop. Alicia felt firm support under her feet again. The ground was vibrating, but not as intensely as a second ago. "Thanks for the rescue." she thanked him. "Stay here, Alicia. Don't move until I've brought your brother back!" She didn't disobey the order. On the contrary, Alicia nodded and voluntarily took a little distance from the mound while Mufasa jumped into the herd.

Like Mufasa and Scar before her, Alicia couldn't see where Mufasa and Simba were. Or whether they were still alive. The only thing she could see was the herd of wildebeest and the dust they left behind. They were looking everywhere for the two of them. Then she saw it. Simba was flying in the air after a wildebeest had run into the tree. Mufasa saw his son too and ran to him before he touched the ground. With Simba in his mouth, Mufasa ran to the same rocky outcrop where Alicia was. But it wasn't as easy as saving Alicia. A wildebeest caught Mufasa on the head, causing Simba to fall and lie in the middle of the stampede. His eyes opened after the fall and the reality and situation he found himself in hit him. Simba saw no way out and expected to be trampled to death by a wildebeest. A wildebeest in particular fell as Mufasa used it to leap to pick his son up from the ground.

This time he held Simba even tighter in his mouth than before. He didn't want to lose his son again. Alicia breathed a sigh of relief. Both lions were safe for now. But only for now, because Simba and Mufasa were still in the middle of the stampede. But not for long. Mufasa jumped up onto the same rocky outcrop where he had taken Alicia before rescuing his son. "Dad!" As soon as Simba stood on solid and safe ground, Mufasa roared in pain as some wildebeest dragged him off the rocky outcrop into the stampede. Both lion cubs stared in shock as this happened before their eyes.

Unfortunately, their eyes saw nothing but wildebeest and clouds of dust. There was no sign of Mufasa. Panic set in when Simba and Alicia realized that their father could no longer to be seen. Their minds were already spinning. Oh please don't be dead. Alicia begged until her prayers were answered. The same deep roar from earlier could be heard again. Mufasa was still alive and jumped out in the middle of the wildebeest herd and climbed up the rock face. His claws scratched the hard rock face but Mufasa remained steady and did not slide down any further. On the contrary, he climbed up the wall with the rest of his strength while Simba and Alicia watched him.

Without words, both lion cubs also climbed higher to see their father again at the top. So Simba thought, but Alicia knew what would happen next. She had seen the movie more than once in her life. This scene was notorious for one particular thing.

Mufasa continued to fight his exhaustion as he climbed the rock face. He reached the top with great effort. The goal was right in front of him. The exit from the gorge. But his strength was waning. His claws slipped off the top of the rock face. He would have slid down if his brother Scar hadn't appeared. "Scar!" the younger of the two stared down at him disinterestedly. A reaction you wouldn't expect when the life of a family member was at stake. "Brother, help me!" Mufasa begged him as he slipped further down.

Mufasa desperately tried to hold on to the rock face. His feet scraped against it but couldn't get a grip. He was in danger of sliding down at any moment if Scar had not prevented it. His paws clawed into his brother's paws, blood flowing from the claw openings. Mufasa roared in pain. He might be safe for the moment. Saved by his brother. But one sentence changed everything.

"Long live the king."

His eyes widened. Scar's disinterested face broke into a diabolical smile. He had no intention of saving Mufasa. No, he was going to kill him. Not by his paws, of course, but by the wildebeest's hooves. With all his strength, Scar threw Mufasa off the rock face. The king of the Pride Lands no longer clung to the rock face, fell down into the herd of wildebeest. His cry was heard not only by Scar but also by both lion cubs.

"No!" Simba and Alicia shouted. They both watched as Mufasa fell into the depths of the gorge. It seemed like a tragic accident or something for Simba, but Alicia looked up at the rock face that Mufasa had been clinging to just a few seconds ago. She spotted Scar immediately and the blood on his claws, which he licked to avoid suspicion. Her gaze made it clear that she knew who or what was responsible for the accident. But she could worry about that later.

Finding Mufasa, their father, in the middle of the dust seemed impossible at first. Every rock looked quite similar him. Alicia coughed while Simba continued to search "Dad!" he shouted but didn't get an answer. Only his echo could be heard until a rustling sound reached their ears. "Dad?" said Simba as he and Alicia followed the sound but were sadly disappointed. Not because the rustling came from a wildebeest running past them. But because of Mufasa himself. He was lying under the tree that very tree Simba had clung onto.

Judging by their eyes and ears, they both knew what they were in for. Simba ran ahead, Alicia followed him. They both approached their father, who was lying on the ground and showed no sign of life. His stomach did not rise and fall. His eyes were closed, his mane covered in dirt and dust. Alicia blinked several times to keep her tears away. She sniffled, knowing that Mufasa was no longer alive. "Dad?" Simba, however, didn't recognize it immediately, "Dad, come on." He didn't know or didn't want to accept that his father was dead.

"You got to get up." Alicia didn't know what to say. Whether she should say anything at all was more of a question. "Dad?" was the only thing she said, hoping that Mufasa was still alive. "We got to go home." but no amount of pulling on his ear or pushing him could bring the adult lion back to life. Mufasa was dead. They both knew, "Help!", "Somebody!" but they didn't know what to do. "Anybody." Help did not come. No one heard their desperate cries. Neither animal nor insect. No one was there in the gorge to help them.

Tears filled their eyes. Simba and Alicia were on their own. They both knew no one was here, no one would come to their aid. So they did only thing they could do. They stayed with Mufasa's lifeless body and snuggled up to him as if he were still alive. The cries for help still echoed in the distance until they could never be heard agin.

"Simba. Alicia." Both lion cubs heard and knew the voice. It was familiar to them. With tear-filled eyes, they followed the sound of the voice that belonged to none other than their uncle. He stood beside the lifeless body of their father, staring down at them, "What have you two done?" the words cold as ice and sharp as a knife. Simba and Alicia knew they were innocent. Neither of them was guilty, but Scar's words proved otherwise "There were wildebeests, and he tried to save us." Simba sniffed. "It was an accident." Alicia said with tears in her eyes, "We didn't mean for it to happen," she sniffed and wiped away her tears. Both were deeply saddened by the death of their father. "Of course. Of course you didn't." Scar tried to calm them both down. "No one ever means for these things to happen." He gently pulled both lion cubs towards him. Simba held on to his uncle's arm while Alicia felt his other paw gently stroking her back.

It should calm her, as it did Simba. "But the king is dead." but it didn't help when it came to the harsh reality. Mufasa was dead. Nobody could do anything about it, let alone prevent it. "And if it weren't for you two, he'd still be alive." Scar rubbed more salt into the wound. Filled with tears and sniffling, both lion cubs looked up at their uncle. The sadness may have been temporarily blurred and replaced by fear. Scar's words, however cold they were, were true. The realization of being responsible for the king's death worsened with every sentence from their uncle's mouth, "Oh, what will your mother think?". Alicia's eyes widened, tears flowing down her cheeks more and more. She knew what it meant for her. Banishment, exclusion.

"What am I going to do?" Simba sniffled and asked his uncle for advice. He didn't know what to do himself. He didn't want to confess his death to his mother or be held responsible for it. She would never forgive him like the rest of the lion pride. "Run away, Simba," Scar whispered in his ear. "Run. Run away and never return." the young prince gasped in fear. The tears disappeared. Crying or being sad would not help him. He knew it. But he hesitated. He took one last look at his father's body before he ran and disappeared forever. Alicia stopped sniffling too. She wanted to go too, to follow him, but Scar's paw blocked her path.

She wondered with annoyance why he didn't let her go. She was also involved in the king's death, just like Simba. Shouldn't she follow him? "Alicia..." the cold, scratchy voice brought her back from her thoughts 'I know we're both different but we both have one thing in common.' she thought. What could a lion cub have in common with an old, skinny lion? Nothing when Alicia thought about it. She had different fur than the other lionesses, wore a necklace and her eyes were different colors. That was the only difference between her and the rest of the pride. But she had nothing in common with Scar.

"We're both outsiders of the lion pride who deserve better than the last bit of meat on the bone." Swallowing, Alicia guessed what was coming next. She always tried to avoid Scar when she was adventuring with Simba and Nala or simply playing with them at Priderock. Alicia also sensed his negative, hateful relationship with his brother on Simba when Scar spoke to him. The cold voice always disappeared when he turned his attention to her.

"You should have noticed by now, but the rest of the lionesses and Sarabi still don't seem to trust you." This was nothing new for Alicia. She always felt the judgmental looks of the other lionesses when she entered the den or was washed. No one took offense. Alicia just appeared in the den and was a member of the pride. Without a mother. Naturally, the lionesses were suspicious and talked a lot among themselves when Alicia was around. "If they find out that a stray like you was responsible for Mufasa's death, they would banish you without batting an eyelid or even worse kill you!".

Both things that Alicia didn't want to experience. "But don't worry, as long as I'm here, not a hair on your head will be harmed." Scar promised, his paw stroking Alicia's head. Her breathing regulated again. Fortunately, the panic attack was prevented. But she wondered what Scar wanted in return. He would never protect her if he demanded something in return. "What do you want in return?" she mustered all her courage to ask the question. Tears stopped flowing down her cheeks. She was ready to hear what Scar wanted from her.

He chuckled deeply "Oh not much except for one thing." Scar slowly bent down. His lips next to her ear "That you will be my future queen." her eyes widened. She gasped, not knowing what to say as Scar waited for an answer. For a good answer. But he didn't get it. Alicia's startled face changed to an angry, outraged one. Her fur bristled "No way!" was her reply. The answer Scar had not hoped for. His diabolical smile disappeared and an angry one remained. He opened his mouth but Alicia interrupted him before he could say anything. "I will never, ever be your queen! I will never serve you, I will serve the only true king!" Without another word, Alicia disappeared in the same direction Simba fled in, leaving her uncle Scar stunned.

Scar looked after her before she was no longer in his line of sight. Both lion cubs were gone, leaving the lion with the king's dead body. Well not quite. Out of the dust cloud just a few meters behind Scar, the three culprits responsible for Stampede trudged out of the dust mist. All three hyenas had overheard the conversation and were waiting for the next phase of the plan. Panicking the herd and killing Mufasa was phase one, "Kill them." Phase two was to take Simba's life as well. Alicia was only supposed to be spared, but since she chose to go against Scar, she was now also on Scar's death list.

"Wait!" Simba heard behind him. He stopped, looked behind him and was surprised to see his big sister. She gasped with exertion, "I'm coming with you." Words didn't need to be said to understand Simba's facial expressions. He just nodded, smiled a little despite what had happened and ran out of the gorge with his sister. They both knew they were no longer welcome in the Pridelands. They were traitors, murderers and on the run from three hungry hyenas. But their path was blocked. A pile of stones stood in the middle of the gorge and prevented them from running any further. Bad timing. Shenzi and the others moved both lion cubs into the corner. They both knew there was no other way but one. They had to climb the rocks. Their paws clawed at the rocks. Both lions were able to escape through a small crevice before Banzai could catch them. Growling, he scratched against the rock and left a claw mark. The sky was now drenched in blood red and no longer bright blue. Simba and Alicia ran on and on until they stopped in front of a slide. Pebbles fell down it to a steep slope covered with thorny bushes at the end of it.

The choice to jump or not was not left. Shenzi approached the two, followed by her two pack members. Simba and Alicia only nodded to each other before taking the plunge, tumbling down the slide and landing in the thorn bushes. The hyenas took up the chase while Simba and Alicia wandered through the thorn bushes. "Whoa!" Banzai, the fastest of the three hyenas, arrived at the bottom first and noticed the thorn bushes first. All too eager to fall into them, he immediately slowed down and continued down the slope until he reached the end. Luckily, he didn't fall into the thorns. He breathed out a sigh of relief until Shenzi and Ed pushed him against his back, one after the other. He couldn't hold on any longer as Ed thundered against Shenzi and finally fell into the thorns.

"Yow!" Banzai howled in pain. His butt covered in thorns made Shenzi and Ed laugh. "Aah! Ohh! Yeow!" growled Banzai as he slowly but painfully climbed up of the rock. Ed enjoyed watching his buddy scream in pain while looking like a porcupine. Banzai, on the other hand, just growled while ignoring the laughter despite the pain he felt with every movement. "Hey, there they go. There they go." but Shenzi's laughter faded as her yellow eyes caught sight of Simba and Alicia in the distance. Both lion cubs made it out of the maze of thorns unscathed without a scratch.

However, Banzai did not think about jumping into the bush again. "So go get them." No, he would much rather remove the remaining thorns that were still stuck in his body before he did anything. Shenzi just grinned "There ain't no way I'm going in there." She also didn't want to look like a porcupine "What, you want me to come out looking like you, cactus butt?". Banzai's answer was to spit three spines into Ed's nose, which had been part of his body a few seconds ago. He only gave Shenzi an angry look "But we got to finish the job." They knew what would happen if Scar found out that Simba was still alive.

As for Alicia. They didn't know whether she was going to live or not. But Shenzi wouldn't be the leader for nothing if she didn't know how to deal with the current situation. "Well, they're as good as dead out there anyway." Two lion cubs would never survive outside the Pridelands. Shenzi knew about that. After all, she and the other hyenas lived in the Shadowlands. A dry wasteland compared to the fertile land of the Pridelands "And if they come back, we'll kill them." Shenzi added. Banzai liked that "Yeah! You two hear that?" he roared to the two lion cubs who disappeared into the sunset horizon.

"If you ever come back, we'll kill you!" both lion cubs heard. But they did not process it. They ran on and on. As far as their paws could carry them. They no longer belonged to the Pridelands and certainly no longer to the pride of lions.

Night fell in the Pridelands, all the animals were asleep except for the lions at Pride Rock. They were wide awake and mourning. They mourned the death of their pride members. "Mufasa's death is a terrible tragedy." Scar mentioned in a low, sad voice. Many lionesses bowed their heads in grief and held back their tears "But to lose Simba and Alicia, who had barely begun to live..." but tears were flowing. Tears for Mufasa and his children. Sarabi was most saddened by this pain. She missed her husband and her two children just as much as the rest of the lionesses did. "For me, it is a deep, personal loss." Zazu touched her paw, soothing her a little.

Nala cried, tears streaming down her cheek. She grieved deeply for the loss of her best friends. Simba and Alicia were more than members of the pack to her. They were her best friends. "So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne." Scar continued mourning and named himself heir to the throne. King of the Pridelands. Shadows of hyenas appeared behind him, taking over the Priderock. The rock once a place for the lions was now shared with the hyenas "Yet out of the ashes of this tragedy we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era in which lion and hyena come together in a great and glorious future.".

Zazu was the first to notice the hyenas before the lionesses did. They appeared sporadically and surrounded them. Their eyes glowed green and menacing. Scar mounted the Priderock to reveal his status as king, the hyenas first appearing sporadically and then in groups until the entire Priderock was outnumbered by them. The laughter could be heard across the land. Rafiki, the wise Mandrill, did not want to believe it, but his eyes could not play tricks on him. The new king, the death of his friend and that of the prince and princess also grieved him. He wept inwardly and sighed outwardly before returning to his tree.

The drawing of Simba and Alicia was still on his bark. He looked at it, wiped away his tear and with it the drawing. A sign of the death of both lion cubs.

But they were not dead. Close to it. Both ran as far away as they could. Until their stamina ran out. Exhausted, they lay on the cracked desert floor. The sun shone on both of them while the vultures circled around them and waited. They waited to see if the two lions were still alive or not. Or whether they had the strength to fight. Cawing, the vultures descended and landed on the ground. They didn't want to wait any longer and swooped down on the two presumably dead lion cubs.

The flock of vultures circled the two bodies. Wings flapping and beaks clacking, they were ready to eat their prey when suddenly. "Yaaaah!" a large, portly warthog with red fur, maroon underbelly, pink inner ears, black hooves and a pink nose with two white tusks and a black mane on his head ran towards the swarm. On its back was a tall and slender meerkat with brownish-tan fur, with a cream-colored underbelly, light brown stripes on his back, dark brown hands and feet, black ears and a dark brown tail tip. On his head is a patch of reddish hair.

The vultures heard the cries of both mammals and recoiled. Some flew away while others stayed and scratched before the warthog shooed the last ones away with its hind hooves "Get out! Get out! Get out of here!" the meerkat shooed away the last vultures that refused to leave "I love this! Bowling for buzzards." the warthog gloated. The meerkat giggled "Hee hee hee! Gets 'em every time." Both of them enjoyed scaring the vultures "Uh-oh." but what the meerkat didn't notice were the two lion cubs that the vultures had almost attacked had they not interfered.

"Hey, Timon, you better come look." Timon the meerkat gazed in amazement at the warthog as he brushed the dust from his fur. First he spotted his buddy before he noticed the two things on the desert floor that had been brought to his attention. "I think they are still alive." the warthog mentioned, concerned for the well being of both of the lives they had just saved. "Eeeuw." Timon squirmed before coming to his senses and making up his own mind about what kind of creatures they were 'All righty, what have we got here?' with caution he approached one of them and sniffed while the warthog waited patiently.

His nose wandered to the other living creature whose paw he lifted slightly to get a better look at its face. "Jeez, it's a lion! Run, Pumbaa, move it!" The realization that there were two lions in front of them sent Timon into a panic. He dropped his paw and jumped onto the back of his buddy called Pumbaa. "Hey, Timon, it's just two little lions." but he didn't seem to mind that they were lions. Ear-pulling annoyed him more. "Look at them. They're so cute and all alone." For Timon they might be dangerous predators, but Pumbaa saw both lion cubs as poor souls. Abandoned by their pride. Like cubs that had been abandoned.

"Can we keep them?" Timon's expression said it all. He wasn't very excited or even pleased about taking two lions under his wing "Pumbaa, are you nuts?" he asked hysterically, shouting into Pumbaa's ear before his shaky little hands grabbed both of them as if his life depended on it "You're talking about two lions. Lions eat guys like us." They weren't at the bottom of the food chain for nothing. "But they're so little." but Pumbaa insisted on taking them both. Not because they were cute or because they were considered dangerous predators. "Maybe they'll be on our side." Timon just laughed. He would just find it hard that a lion would be on their side and not eat them up with fur and hoof.

He remained firm with his statement "That's the stupidest thing I ever heard. Maybe they'll..." No sooner had he finished his sentence than Timon realized that his buddy wasn't entirely wrong after all. Having two lions around might not be such a bad idea after all. Most predators would leave them alone and it would be best for both Timon and Pumbaa to have their own bodyguard in case of a dangerous situation in which the two of them were separated. "Hey, I've got it. What if they're on our side?" the meerkat suggested as if it was his own idea and not Pumbaa's.

He would never admit to having stolen the idea. No, Timon was not that kind of guy. "You know, having two lions around might not be such a bad idea," he grumbled. Pumbaa smiled. He liked the attitude. "So we're keeping them?" But he asked again, knowing that the answer had already been given. Timon didn't need to say it twice. "Of course. Who's the brains of this outfit?" Pumbaa heard the question but seemed to do without an answer. 'Uh...' left his mouth before he picked up both lion cubs with the help of his tusks. 'My point exactly.' Timon added before the heat became too much for him. They didn't want to stay long anyway.

"Jeez, I'm fried. Let's get out of here and find some shade." Pumbaa agreed. With the sun beating down on their backs and two unconscious lion cubs in tow, a shady spot seemed like the ideal place.

Simba and Alicia woke up under palm trees, next to a small pond in the middle of the green of the otherwise barren desert. Their eyes twitched, not because of the sun's rays, but rather because of the water. Timon splashed water in the faces of both lions several times. Both regained consciousness, groaned, and opened their sleepy, exhausted eyes. At first everything was blurry before their eyes adjusted to the brightness and the shadows under which they were lying. Simba was the first to notice their two rescuers. "You okay, you two?" the meerkat asked with a concerned voice. "I guess so," Simba mumbled, still exhausted. Alicia just nodded. She lacked the strength to speak.

At least for the moment. "You two nearly died." the warthog mentioned with a melancholy voice as if he were a worried parent. "I saved you two." the meerkat added proudly before a cloud of steam approached him. Not from a machine, but from the warthog's nose. He didn't like taking credit for it. "Well, Pumbaa helped. A little." The meerkat reluctantly admitted that he had received help. Alicia moistened her throat to be able to speak again. The small pond served as a drinking hole.

Refreshed, both lions thanked them for saving them, "Thanks for your help." However, they did not stop. Simba and Alicia did not want to be a burden to the meerkat and warthog and went on their way. Where were they going? They didn't know. "Hey, where you two going?" the meerkat and warthog asked with worried expressions on their faces. Simba was silent this time. Alicia answered the question "Nowhere." and went her way as Simba did. Both had to move on. They knew why, but Timon and Pumbaa did not. "Gee, they look blue." Timon whispered to Pumbaa. The warthog found this hard to believe.

Neither of the two lions looked blue or had blue fur. They looked like lions looked, with golden-brown and ash-gray fur. Blue was not one of the colors, so what did Timon mean? The meerkat in question just rubbed his head. Of course, he didn't mean their physical appearance, but something completely different. "No, no, no. I mean they're depressed." Timon explained the saying. Pumbaa realized what his buddy meant. Both knew they had to help the two lion cubs and followed them. "Kids, what's eating you?" the warthog asked, worried, before taking a seat next to Simba.

Pumbaa didn't get an answer right away. "They're at the top of the food chain." Timon chuckled at his own joke, standing next to Alicia and trying to explain the joke to her as he had just explained the saying to his buddy Pumbaa before he realized that no one was laughing. Simba and Alicia blinked at the cracked, dry desert floor. Pumbaa, as concerned as ever, sensed their pain. Their emotional pain. Something that couldn't be magicked away with jokes. Not for nothing would Timon suddenly fall silent and his laughter die away. "So, where you from?" Instead, he showed compassion towards the two predators.

"Who cares? We can't go back," Alicia sighed and walked on while Simba just nodded silently. 'Ah, you two are an outcast.' But just as she was about to put down a paw, Timon stood in her way. "That's great. So are we.", 'What'd you two do?' Alicia doubted that it was good. She saw it more as a bad sign to be an outcast. 'Something terrible.' Simba answered on behalf of her. She and he didn't want to talk about what had happened. 'We don't want to hear about it.' Timon answered without thinking about it.

Only to be lectured to by his buddy. "Come on, Timon. Anything we can do?" asked Pumbaa, concerned for the well-being of both lion cubs. Simba and Alicia sighed. They knew that what had happened could not be undone. No animal in the world was able to do that. "Not unless you can change the past," Alicia replied. Timon and Pumbaa understood the pain. Their past wasn't exactly adorned with roses or sunshine and rainbows either. "You know, you two, in times like this, my buddy Timon here says, "You got to put your behind in your past." The Suidae explained with words that made no sense at all.

Simba and Alicia blinked in amazement. The sadness may be gone. However, it didn't change the fact that both lion cubs were moving on. "No, no, no." the mongoose shook his head. Pumbaa quickly realized that his choice of words wasn't quite right after all. The words were correct. But the order... "Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself." said the master. Pumbaa pouted, of course he wanted to help but it seemed better if Timon did the talking. Simba and Alicia looked at Timon and listened to his words "It's, 'You got to put your past behind you.' may be easy or difficult for everyone but in the case of both lion cubs rather less so.

They couldn't just leave behind the murder of their father for which they were both responsible. Timon may not know about it, but judging by his eyebrows, he knew they both needed a thorough explanation of the saying "Look, kiddos, bad things happen, and you can't do anything about it, right?" Alicia nodded "Right.", "Wrong!" Timon interrupted Simba. "When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world." Wise words that were difficult to put into practice. Alicia denies the meerkat's statement "Well, that's not what we were taught." Simba nodded in understanding. Both were taught the opposite.

"Then maybe you two need a new lesson." Timon giggled as if it were something funny. "Repeat after me. Ahem." Clearing his throat, the meerkat spoke "Hakuna matata." Simba and Alicia looked incredulous. "What?" asked the latter with a raised eyebrow. "Hakuna matata." replied Pumbaa as if her answer was just a grain of sand in the middle of the desert. 'It means 'No worries". the warthog translated the two words.

Hakuna matata.

What a wonderful phrase.

Simba and Alicia stared at each other in confusion before giving Timon and Pumbaa their gaze. They didn't know what exactly they were up to.

Hakuna matata

Ain't no passing craze

The fact that Pumbaa was now singing along didn't really surprise either of them. Timon smiled at his buddy. They both knew what they had to do next to convince both lions to stay with them.

It means no worries

For the rest of your days

Without hesitation, the mongoose and Suidae asked both lion cubs to follow them. No ifs, ands or buts. Simba followed them, more unwillingly than willingly. However, Timon had to pull his sister's tail so that she would come with them.

It's our problem-free philosophy

Hakuna matata

Back in the green, this time in a completely different place than the one where both lions regained consciousness, they both got a relaxed treatment ala Hakuna Matata you could say. Pumbaa waved a palm frond between his teeth to give both lions a breath of fresh air. The soft bush almost resembled a fluffy sofa. Twitching slightly, Alicia felt Timon shorten her claws. She had extended them out of reaction, not because she wanted to frighten him. "Hakuna matata? " she asked, still not quite understanding what the two words had in common with all of this.

"Yeah. It's our motto.", "What's a motto?" Simba asked "Nothin'. What's-a-motto with you?" Alicia felt a little put out by the meerkat. Not that he stuck to her leg, the jokes weren't really top notch. Probably an inside joke, she thought to herself, "You know, kids, these two words will solve all your problems." Pumbaa assured them. Even if Simba and Alicia were of a different opinion. "That's right." For once, Timon agreed with Pumbaa instead of stealing the idea as he usually did "Take Pumbaa, for example. Why..." he cleared his throat.

When he was a young warthog.

When I was a young warthog

Pumbaa had an operatic voice. "Very nice." replied Timon as he cleaned his ears. Not because it was too loud for him, but because it was dirty. "Thanks." thanked Pumbaa before he told his background story to the two lion cubs.

He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal.

He could clear the savanna after every meal.

Simba and Alicia had no idea what exactly they were thinking. On the one hand, warthogs or pigs in general were known for their sensitive smell. Like Zebras for their stripy fur and lions for their mane.

I'm a sensitive soul

Through I seem thick-skinned

And it hurt that my friends

never stood downwind

You should never judge someone because of their qualities. Neither should you deny them.

And, oh, the shame

he was ashamed

Alicia's eyes looked to see if Simba was looking over her head. Timon had sat on Alicia's back during his buddy's background story. She didn't notice and was rightly surprised.

Thought of changing my name

Oh, what's in a name?

And I got downhearted

How did you feel?

Every time that I…

"Hey, not in front of the kids and readers." Before the warthog could finish his sentence, Timon interrupted him and made it clear with a wink that it was not the right time to finish this sentence. "Oh, sorry." Pumbaa smiled ashamedly in the direction of both lion cubs. Simba and Alicia just blinked in confusion.

Hakuna matata

What a wonderful phrase

Hakuna matata

Ain't no passing craze

However, they felt the rhythm of the melody and finally understood what Timon and Pumbaa meant. The dancing and singing fever now infected Simba and Alicia too.

It means no worries

For the rest of your days

"Yeah, sing it, kid." Timon cheered them both on. Especially Alicia because of her singing voice. She grinned and seemed to have slightly flushed cheeks. Flattered by the meerkat's words, they continued to sing.

It's our problem-free

Philosophy

Hakuna matata

They finished the last lines in a quartet before meerkat and warthog decided to show the two lion cubs their home. "Welcome to our humble home." In the middle of the green desert was a fertile oasis of jungle, rivers, mountains and many waterfalls. "You live here?" asked Simba, amazed by the landscape. Alicia couldn't even close her mouth. She was so amazed. "We live wherever we want," Timon answered the question. "Yep. Home is where your rump rests." Pumbaa agreed.

"It's beautiful." Alicia emphasized with a smile on her face. Simba followed her example before they both followed their lifesavers deep into the jungle. "I'm starved." Pumbaa burped, "I'm so hungry I could eat a whole zebra." Simba said, "Me too." Alicia confirmed as her stomach growled with hunger. Timon heard this "Ah. We're fresh out of zebra." "Any antelope?" asked Alicia 'Nuh-uh.', 'Hippo?' added Simba before both carnivores had to learn that none of the things were on the menu. "Listen, kiddos, if you live with us, you have to eat like us." Alicia wouldn't have expected anything else anyway.

"Hey, this looks like a good spot to rustle up some grub" Timon spotted a moss-covered, untipped tree trunk nearby. Pumbaa didn't hesitate long to lift it up with the help of his tusks. "Eugh, what's that?" asked Alicia in disgust. She held her paw in front of her mouth to stop herself from throwing up. Simba, on the other hand, seemed curious about the whole thing. "A grub. What's it look like?" if you can call insects curious. "Eugh! Gross." Even more disgusted, Alicia stuck out her tongue. Timon, on the other hand, tasted the insect very much "Mmm. Tastes like chicken." Yes, certainly!

She rolled her eyes and ignored Pumbaa slurping up a worm like it was spaghetti. "Slimy yet satisfying." he replied. Simba seemed to accept the attempt to try some bugs, but his sister made it more than clear that eating insects was not going to be her favorite food. "You'll learn to love them." said the warthog with his mouth full. "No thanks." Alicia refused. She wasn't normally a fussy eater, but bugs weren't her favorite food. "I'm telling you, kids, this is the great life, no rules, no responsibilities." Timon suspected that one of them would find it difficult to get used to this change in diet.

"And best of all, no worries." That's why he brought two sheets with him. One for Simba was filled with several insects, larvae and beetles of various kinds, while the other was covered with all kinds of fruit. "Well?" both lion cubs grabbed a piece that looked and tasted best to them, as if from a platter. Simba's eyes fell on a large red larva. His paw grabbed it. Alicia decided to choose a mango from the selection of fruit. Firstly, because they were fruity and sweet and, above all, because they were her favorite fruit. "Oh, well. Hakuna matata." Shrugging their shoulders, they both wolfed down their food.

The mango tasted delicious. So delicious that Alicia kept eating and ate the papaya as if it were a piece of zebra. Simba, on the other hand, needed a few seconds to get used to the taste of the larva. The bitterness was still on his tongue before it took on a firm flavor. "Slimy, yet satisfying." As Timon said, it tasted like chicken. "That's it." Satisfied and their hunger satisfied, Timon and Pumbaa exhaled with relief. Both were able to feed the lions in a different way without having to worry about ending up on the menu themselves.

The time flew by. The friendship between the four of them grew stronger every day. A good relationship grew between Simba and Pumbaa and between Timon and Alicia. They were like a team that helped and protected each other. It wasn't long before Simba and Alicia grew in size and slowly caught up with Pumbaa. Simba's mane grew slowly before it was fully grown. His body became more long-bodied, deep-chested, and muscular. The coloring remains the same except for his ear rims. They receded with golden fur growing in around the outer edges, his mane is a red bushy mop of hair.

Alicia also grew over the years. Her ashen gray-brown fur shone in a darker shade than Scar's. However, her toes were a light white-gray. The tip of her tail was coal black. Both were now grown up and lived a happy and fulfilled life together with Timon and Pumbaa. And without eating meat.

Hakuna matata

Hakuna…

It means no worries

However, one thing never changed.

For the rest of your days

As well as eating, lazing around and occasionally wandering about, the four of them loved to sing the song that had united them. As Alicia sang the last line, she felt Timon climb up her back before he made himself comfortable on her head. She didn't say anything. On the contrary, she liked it when she could carry him around.

It's our problem-free

Philosophy

Hakuna matata

All four of them sang the last lines together in chorus before Alicia noticed a nearby lake. Simba saw the grin on her face. He and the others knew what the lioness was up to. No competition or anything like that. She just wanted one thing: to go for a relaxing swim with the others. One by one, they jumped into the lake from the highest point. Timon jumped in normally while Pumbaa dived into the cool, refreshing water, pig snout first.

Alicia jumped ahead with a belly flop while Simba dangled from a vine. His attempt to swing like Tarzan didn't quite work. The plant snapped and the lion landed back-first into the water. The wave that arose washed Timon and Pumbaa ashore. The meerkat himself used the warthog as a surfboard so as not to drown. Alicia came ashore next, shaking her fur dry like a wet dog does before she had a fit of laughter. Not because of Timon or Pumbaa, but rather because of Simba.

With his wet mane, he looked more like a Bearded Collie than a lion before he shook his fur himself to remove the water. Fluffed up, it was dry again and no longer shaggy like before. With a relaxed bath, the quartet hummed to the tune as they could be heard from the deepest corner of the jungle in which they lived. Simba ran alongside Pumbaa, both moving their muscles to the rhythm of the music. Timon and Alicia imitated them. The meerkat sitting on her back hummed and snapped his fingers.

Simba and Alicia hadn't thought about the incident that had brought them here for years. Hakuna Matata were two words but meant much more to the two of them than they could have imagined. But they had no idea what had become of their old home, the Pridelands.