Nakala

Chapter 85

Many were gathered to mourn the loss of both Fuli and Bunga. There was a ceremony dedicated to the two of them as Lion Guard members and dear friends to many. Animals from nearly every corner of the Pride Lands came by to pay respects and give their condolences. The ceremony started that afternoon and come nightfall the honey badger and cheetah's bodies were laid to rest near Pride Rock.

A new dawn came and Rafiki pushed through his feelings for the sake of the Pride Lands. He could see clearly that the hearts of many Pridelanders would be heavy for sometime. Even the land itself seemed to be in mourning. The sun was hidden by layers of thick clouds, not planning to move any time soon. As tragic as the loss they suffered was, Rafiki feared that things would only become much worse. As he feared, it seemed that the lion was losing control of himself. Despite being there to find Bunga's body and witnessing Fuli's final moments, Rafiki couldn't bring himself to hate Kion.

He could only imagine what the lion was feeling. Outlander or not everyone knew that Kion and Fuli were close, even more so in the case of him and Bunga. From what Fuli told him, Bunga was already dead when she found him with Kion. Rafiki didn't know if Bunga was killed by the lion or not but he was sure that whatever happened, Kion must have been devastated. To know that two of your dear friends are now gone, Rafiki was sure that it weighed heavy on the lion now. He wanted to help Kion but he knew very well that the king would never allow it.

The king's unwillingness to involve himself or any one else in the Outlands was more than frustrating for the mandrill. He understood very well why Simba had such a distrust of Outlanders, especially the hyenas. But he also remembered a time when he taught the king to leave those things in the past. But now the king's past is clouding his judgment and it could cost them all. Nevertheless Rafiki was determined to do all he could for the sake of the animals in the savanna, having no idea of the threat growing closer each day.

With that determination, Rafiki left his tree and marched up Pride Rock. Lucky for him, the king was standing atop the rock, looking out over the expanse of the land.

"Your majesty, you must resolve this conflict with your son before it is too late," Rafiki urged before he was even face to face with the king.

"That's not happening," Simba said firmly, keeping his gaze on the expanse.

"And why not?" Rafiki huffed, thumping his staff against the stone.

Simba tore his gaze from the land and growled. "Because, Rafiki, he took two of our own from us!"

"But Fuli admitted she attacked Kion first and Bunga was already dead when she found them. We don't actually know if Kion did it... You must make amends before it is too late!"

"From this day forth my son is a direct threat to the Pride Lands. If he ever gets caught he'll face punishment for what he did..." Simba growled before turning his gaze back on the Pride Lands.

All Rafiki could do was stomp his foot to the ground and release a frustrated groan. He left the king to his own devices. It was now clear to see that if anything was going to get done it would have to be done on his own.

Beyond the Pride Lands, Hani was returning from one of his walks. Lately the hyena had been walking out into the open land more than usual. The last few days had given him a lot to think about, making him all the more confused. The words of Zira rung in his ears. She praised him, told him that what he was doing was right. But for some reason it didn't feel right to the hyena. In his mind he could easily picture the clan happy and prosperous without the threat of Nakala. But everytime he closed his eyes he saw the look on Bunga's face before he died. Other times he was greeted with the sounds of Nakala's fury and grief when he found his friend. It made Hani's chest sink and thinking of Bunga only made the feeling worse.

He had grown to miss the honey badger. The days before, Hani imagined taking out Bunga would bring about a feeling of victory and triumph, but it only brought him the exact opposite. He tried to imagine what Zira would say at a time like this, and it reminded him of her talk of sacrifices. Those words she said were held tight in the hyena's mind and he used those words alone to keep himself going. Despite the pain in his chest and the regret setting in his mind, Hani forced them down and continued for the sake of the future.

Upon returning to the caverns and stepping inside the first other hyena he encountered was Chungu. Hani couldn't help but wonder why out of all the hyenas in the clan it was Chungu that he always bumped into. He couldn't help but notice that there was a distraught look on the bigger hyena's face.

"Has something happened, Chungu?" Hani asked, looking around. Could have something happened while he was away?

Chungu did reply right away, rather he gave the smaller hyena a look of confusion. "You mean you don't know?"

"Know what?" Hani replied, a little annoyed with not just being told upfront.

"It's Nakala. He's left the clan," Chungu answered somberly.

"L-left the clan? That can't be right. Are you sure?" Hani asked with concern in his voice that surprised himself. The larger hyena nodded and his eyes widened for a moment.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Janja's been looking for you, he's in his den waiting for you to come back," Chungu relayed.

Hani nodded and walked off towards the dens. He couldn't help but wonder if he had been found out. Right after Nakala had left he was being called to see the clan leader in private. It still hadn't fully set in that the lion was gone. He expected that a day like this would fill him with joy but instead it just left him feeling conflicted. Hani soon stepped into the den of the clan leader and cleared his throat.

"Janja. You wanted to see me?" Hani asked, stepping closer.

"Hani, we've been looking for you. I guess Chungu told you to come find me," Janja said with a small smile. "You probably heard about Nakala leaving, huh?"

"Y-yes, I have," Hani nodded. "Sorry I was gone."

"Well, I wanted you here because of something Nakala told me. Something I couldn't believe," Janja said.

Hani's heart skipped a beat for a moment. "A-and what was that?"

"Believe it or not... Nakala wants you to be my new retainer," the clan leader revealed.

"You... He wants what?!" Hani barked, taking a step back. "But we had a fight. Why would he want me to be a retainer?"

"Nakala told me that you have a lot of skills, especially your speed. He also knows that you care about the clan a lot. You're Kufo's son and I think Nakala's onto something. So, will you do it? Will you take Cheezi's spot and be my new retainer?"

Hani was still taken aback by what was asked of him. The fact that it was Nakala who apparently recommended him. It made the hyena all the more conflicted. One part of him felt honored to become the retainer to the clan leader. But another part of him felt resentful that this position only came to light upon Nakala's word. All the same, something like this was something that Hani found appealing. What could be a better way to serve his clan than to be by the side of the leader. Even better still, being close to Janja would allow him to be even closer to Nakala.

"Yes, Janja. I will," Hani said, nodding his head. "It would be an honor."

"That's good to hear," Janja grinned. "With Nakala gone we're gonna need someone like you around."

With those words Hani was dismissed and left to his own devices. With no one else to tell, the first hyena that he sought out was none other than Chungu.

"Hani? What did Janja say?" Chungu asked.

"Well, it looks like we're going to be partners now. Janja made me his other retainer," Hani revealed with a small smile on his muzzle, something very rare for the hyena to do.

"What? Janja finally chose! Congratulations!" Chungu beamed. "I think he made a good choice. That means I'm gonna have to show you what to do."

Hani nodded in response, eager to know being a retainer entailed. He was ready to finally serve his clan the best way he could.