It wasn’t sooner or later that The HawkStar has finally landed its pads at the wide, grassy space of Mbali Fields. The bridge began to open with a steaming hiss before the tip finally touched the ground below. Walking down, the group of animals let the scent of the fresh grass around them breeze to their noses as they breathe in. Janja, for one, is relieved that he won’t be wearing that ridiculous bowtie and his tuft is finally back to its normal style.
“So,” Vincent spoke as he observed the savannah before him with his hands on his hips. “This is the well known Pride Lands,”
“Actually, we are in Mbali Fields which is one of many places in the Pride Lands,” Makini said.
Kion let out a chuckle and turned at the mandrill. “I don’t think that is what he meant, Makini,” he said, making the young Mjuzi blush and rub the back of her head in embarrassment.
Nathan smiled at the two friends as they interact and looked at Hera who has a large but average shoulder bag and her satchel hanging over one shoulder while her staff is attached to her back.
“I assumed you bought them with you?” he asked.
The girl nod and patted the bag, saying that she bought it with her. Nathan amusedly shook his head before clapping his hands to call everyone else’s attention. Once that is done, he announced what will be happening.
“Okay, here’s what were going to do. First off, Kion and his companions will be going to their family and have some time with them before coming back here, no time limit. Second, Makini and Hera will go to Rafiki’s tree to get some answers or clues of the painting they discovered,”
To provide understanding, Hera rummage in her satchel and brought out her phone. Upon opening, she looked at the files before projecting the image of the painting. Most of the animals were awed by the device and its functions. It was then Jasiri realized something and spoke up.
“Hang on, what if the Pride Landers noticed our sudden appearance? The Tree of Life is a few weeks travel and they will question how we got back,” she said, almost everyone else had the same thought. “Also, you didn’t told us if King Simba knows—”
“If I know what, Jasiri?” a low, threatening voice spoke behind her.
They all turned to see not only the king himself but the rest of the royal family, Kovu, Zazu, Vitani and her Guard, and the two herds of Mbali Fields . As soon as Nathan saw him, his eyes began to show coldness and anger as he stepped forward from the group, leaving them confused and worried of what is going on. Kion, however, just watched with the same expression as the young man but less.
Soon, Simba walked in front as well, a threatening glare is shown as he went until he is a yard from him. The atmosphere seemed to grow thicker as both of them stood firm and gave deadly stares. While this continues, Kiara saw his brother at the opposite side along with his team, Makini, Janja, and Jasiri. She was about to go there but was blocked by her mother who looked at her and sternly shook her head.
“You can go to your brother once this is done,” Nala said and looked at Kovu and Vitani as she continues. “If anything happens, do not engage,”
Shahaba spoke up at her. “But your majesty—”
“No, you are not to make a move, understood?” she said authoritatively.
With no way of winning against her, they just sat there and watch. On the other side, The other animals tried to approach them as well but a stern look from Vincent, Villa, Ronin, Hera, and, surprisingly, Kion made them stop as well. No one said a word for a long time until Simba decided to go first.
“You…” he growled menacingly, shocking many animals of his voice, especially Kiara, Kovu, the current Lion Guard, and the animals in Kion’s group. “You really took the liberty of showing yourself in my kingdom? Not only that, bringing my son and his friends into this?!”
Meanwhile, the animals on Nathan’s side are confused of what is going on. What is the king talking about?
“You’re the one to talk,” Nathan retorted, taking one foot forward. “All my life, I just wanted to have some time with those I care dearly and you want to keep that away from me!”
Upon seeing him step forward, Vitani and her Guard growled at him. They will not let him hurt their king. However, Simba looked over his shoulder and gave out a command.
“Stand down, Lion Guard,”
Vitani looked at him in his eye and tried to complain. “But King Simba—”
“I said stand down,” he repeated, adding more force to his words which made them did as they were told.
Snarling his fangs at the boy before him, he continued to accuse the human. “You have done nothing but endanger my children everywhere you go and—”
“That was a very long time ago!” Nathan yelled furiously, interrupting the animal king from his sentence.
Kion spoke up in a firm but calm manner. “Nathan, don’t let your anger get the best of—” he didn’t get to finish when Nathan turned around and yelled at him on top of his lungs.
“LEAVE YOURSELF OUT OF THIS!”
This stunned everyone, especially the team. Kion said that for his whole life, he hadn’t seen the boy got angry, even in their childhood. Zazu took the liberty of defending the once prince of the Pride Lands.
“You have no right to speak to him like tha—”
“NO ONE ASKED YOU, SO SILENCE!” Nathan said. This time, pointing at the hornbill who was taken back by the anger that was shouted at him, earning many gasped while making the lion king more furious of such action.
“Don’t you speak to my advisor like that!” Simba roared, the tension is begging to go to the peak. “I have had it with you and your actions!”
“And I have had it with you and your ways of pushing me away!” Nathan shouted, raising the atmosphere to a much dangerous level. “I am not going to let someone like you step all over me. Not. Any. More!”
“THEN LET’S END THIS POINTLESS ARGUMENT AND SHOW THEM WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON!” Simba yelled out.
“LET’S DO IT, BECAUSE I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! ENOUGH OF YOU!” Nathan yelled back.
Both glared at each other in a charging stance, none breaking their position as no one spoke as only anxiety, fear, rage, coldness, and worry was all they could feel all around them. All everyone can do is held their breaths as they wait for the worst, knowing they can’t stop the incoming, and dangerous, storm between the two.
However, one of the animal’s tension broke as Zazu realized something and groaned while putting a wing over his head.
“I can’t believe I almost fell for it,” he muttered which is heard by Kiara, Kovu, and Vitani.
“What do you mean?” Kiara asked before turning back at his father and the human.
Both the young man and the lion stood their ground for a while before their expressions diverted as a smile started to quirk on each others faces followed by an escaping ‘pfft’ before they both holler in laughter, any tension around some of the animals turned to confusion. Nala couldn’t hold her seriousness and began laughing along, Kion joined along the four other teens. Among the Pride Landers, Swala the gazelle recognized the boy and soon realized what was going on before she began laughing along, confusing hers and Muhimu’s herd. Even thought he was embarrassed, Zazu laughed along which surprised them.
After a while, they all calmed down with bright smiles on their faces. No anger, no grudges, nothing at all. Just a light-hearted atmosphere.
“It’s good to see you again, Nathan,” Simba said, his former cold face is now a much more warmer and welcoming expression.
“The pleasure is all mine, uncle,” the boy replied back with a much softer expression.
“What a stage play!”
They turned their attention to the voice at Simba’s side and saw Swala approaching them before standing a few feet from Nathan. It took some time for him before he recognized who she is.
“Miss Swala?”
The gazelle scoffed and replied with a bit of sarcasm. “No, I am her twin sister, Swana,”
Nathan smirked and gave a mocking bow. “Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, madam,” he said.
Her herd didn’t like his action and so did Muhimu and hers. However, it quickly changed when the two of them laughed.
“Alright, alright, enough of this playful mockery,” Swala said looked at the young human then to the king. “I got to be honest with you two, you really got me and the others back there. Very good performance,”
When she said that, it then clicked on Anga as she put the pieces together before shouting out.
“Wait, that was all an act?!” she said then turned her head at Kion. “And you knew about it?!”
The whole team but Beshte glared at him, feeling slightly betrayed that their friend, king, and leader didn’t tell them about it. The hippo gave a look of slight hurt before a jolt of information and sense of sympathy of the sender came to him. He turned his head to Ronin’s direction, thinking he is the one who entered his mind.
However, when he looked at him, Ronin has a face of shock and disbelief when their eyes met. Ronin didn’t need to read the hippo’s mind to know what he’s thinking and slowly shook his as an answer before moving his head at the other group of animals.
Beshte followed his movement, leaving the others scolding Kion, and saw something he never expected all his life. Both of them had their attention at the animals at Simba’s side, but what caught their attention is that Nala, the queen of the Pride Lands, mother of Princess Kiara and once Prince Kion, mate of King Simba, mother-in-law Kovu and Vitani, has what seemed to be a flare of light blue flowing out of her eyes which only they noticed. Not only that, there is also a strange object around her neck that Beshte didn’t have any familiarity of nor remembered of it being there.
This continued for three seconds before the queen calmly closed her eyes shut, the thing around her neck vanishing away, before opening them again, her eyes now returned at their normal state. Without everyone else noticing, she winked at them.
Beshte could only expressed in awe and confusion while Ronin…
Thud!
“Hapana!”