completely overjoyed to see old friends whom he had not seen since his childhood.

 

The other lionesses just looked even more confused as they saw the strange behaviour from who they thought were supposed to be enemies. Then Mwezi decided to step up.

 

“Excuse me!” She yelled loudly and stern enough to stop what was going on, “May I please ask what on earth is going on here?”

 

“Oh!” Kufuzu replied, slightly embarrassed as he turned back to face his mate, “I’m so sorry. I have a short history with them. I have known them ever since I was just a cub.”

 

“What?” Mwezi asked curiously.

 

“It’s a long story. Just let me…”

 

“You already said that to me not ten minutes ago!” Mwezi cheekily interrupted.

 

“I know, I know!” Kufuzu forced back, slightly irritated at what she just said. “But can you please just let me speak to them first?” Mwezi reluctantly obeyed and stood her ground. She just wanted to know why her mate had this sort of strange relationship with HYENAS; of all animals.

 

Kufuzu turned back to the hyenas. “You must all have a lot to tell.”

 

“Well… yyyyeah we do; sorta.” Banzai said; thinking for a moment of all the things that happened since Kufuzu left them. The other hyenas started to light up, thinking that things could turn around for the better now that they had come across their old friend again.

 

“Do you have anywhere to stay at the moment?” Kufuzu asked.

 

“Not to our likin’.” Shenzi replied.

 

Kufuzu then thought for a moment; and then came up with an idea for his friends.

 

“Well, why don’t you come back with us and stay for a while; and then you can tell me everything that has happened?”

 

The hyenas brightened even more at his offer. “Do…do you really mean that?” Banzai asked in a hopeful and somehow excitable tone.

 

“What?! Hyenas?! Staying with us?! Are you insane?! They don’t belong here! They are the enemy! Who do you think you are?!” Said the many voices of Kufuzu’s pride; who were in shock and disbelief at what he had just suggested.

 

“Quite, everyone, please!” Kufuzu yelled firmly, “These hyenas are my friends. You have to trust me on this. Please just give me a moment.” His pride then went quiet but in strict observation at Kufuzu’s next words or actions. Kufuzu then turned back to the hyenas. “We have a den that is should be large enough for both you and my pride; we have plenty of prey to feed on and water to drink; and the climate and condition of this land is close to perfect. Plus I can see that you must all be extremely tired, exhausted, and hungry after your journey through the continent. You are welcome to stay with us.”

 

The hyenas became flattered and excited by their old friend’s offer, and they started talking amongst each other. They eventually left it up to their three leaders, who, oddly enough to them, began to get nervous.

 

“Can we really trust him?” Banzai whispered to Shenzi.

 

“What are you talkin’ about?” Shenzi replied quietly, “He was our friend when he was young. He always looked up to us as a part of his family. He said so back then, remember?”

 

Teen Kufuzu was just about to leave the Pride Lands for good. The lands had started to go barren and they were turning into what appeared to be a wasteland. Kufuzu could not bear the site of living here any longer, so he decided that the time had come to make his own decision. But before he could get going, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed appeared to him.

 

“Where are you going, Kufuzu?” Banzai asked, hoping that it wasn’t what he expected to happen.

 

“There is much more for me than this place.” Kufuzu replied. “I have my own life to live out there; and I am going to find it; no matter what it takes. This land is becoming nothing more than a barren battlefield after a bloody war. Plus I cannot stay here and have my life lived for me by my father. I have to leave. I’m really sorry to be leaving you three, but I have no choice.”

 

The three looked at each other and felt sad that their friend was going to leave them, but at the same time felt that he had a point. This land was being destroyed and Kufuzu despised his king father, Scar, for being evil and telling Kufuzu how to live the way that he wanted him to. Therefore they understandably nodded to him.

 

“Then we wish you luck on your journey, my friend.” Shenzi said to him.

 

“Thank you.” Kufuzu replied, also sad to leave his friends. He then thought about them and decided to leave them with one more thing. “Just before I go, I want to thank you three for being such great friends to me, along with the rest of your kind. You have been the real family to me; not my own father. You have helped me in tough situations; you have played games with me; you have been there for me when I have been sad or lonely; and you have taught me many things about living. You’re friendship has meant so much to me all this time. Therefore I wish to make you my extended family.”

 

The three of them just looked at him in astonishment after his sweet words to them. They then came forward and embraced him in a friendly fashion.

Both them and Kufuzu smiled in appreciation after the embrace was finished; then Kufuzu turned around toward the east side and started running. “I hope that we will see each other again, soon!” Kufuzu finally yelled before continuing on towards his destiny, where he eventually became just a small dot in the far landscape. The three turned around and headed back towards Pride Rock.

 

“I am really gonna miss him.” Shenzi remarked sadly.

 

“Yeah, me too.” Banzai replied in a low and mellow voice.

 

Ed just mumbled sadly instead of laughing for no reason as he always did.

 

“But our memories with him will never die; that’s for sure.” She added.

 

“I remember now;” Banzai replied, taking the short flashback of Kufuzu’s words to them some time ago into his mind, “but the thing is, we have already slaved for one lion before, and looked what happened to us: Our land became a wasteland; we lost our food and water; Scar treated us badly; and then he betrayed the trust that we put into him, so we had no choice but the get back at him for lying to us and using us to his advantage. I do not want to have to go through this again.”

 

Shenzi thought that through. They had already risked their lives working for a treacherous lion, and she knew that if they chose that same path again, they would be doomed. But then she had second thoughts considering that Kufuzu was gentle and kind and was nothing like his father at all. Therefore she decided to make sure of something, just to be on the safe side. “I see what you mean, but let me handle something. I know what to do” She then approached Kufuzu.

 

“If we are to join you, is there anything that you want us to do for you and your pride in return?” She asked.

 

Kufuzu just smiled at their offer. “You already did.” He said, remembering how they had been great friends to him years ago. He also felt that it should really be him to return them the favour. “You were some of the best friends that I ever had, and so I am offering this to you in exchange for what you have done for me.”

 

The hyenas looked at each other in approval, feeling like they had become some of the luckiest animals in the world. After all the traveling to find a new home after being kicked out of their own, they were finally going to get what they had been looking for. Not just that, but it might now be easier for them to live now that they were going to have lions covering their back in case something might go wrong.

 

“Thank you very much, old friend!” Exclaimed Banzai, “You have no idea how much we appreciate this from you.”

 

“That’s exactly what friends are for, right?” Kufuzu replied.

 

“Yeah!” Said most of the hyenas, who all came to embrace Kufuzu once again. It didn’t last that long before Kufuzu broke away to speak to his pride.

 

“Listen up, everyone! They are going to stay with us.” When he said this, the lionesses began to look at each other in slight concern and disapproval, but continued to listen in on what their leader had to say. “I am in their debt, and the protocol demands that all debts must be paid no matter what. I trust them because they trusted me as a friend back at the time when I needed it most. I will not have you treat them any differently. Plus they need as much of the vital resources such as food, water and shelter as we do. So when in need I want you to help them along. Do I make myself clear?”

 

Before his pride could give their answer, Hekima stepped forward and looked his friend in the eye sternly. “As co-leader of this pride; and as your friend; I will accept on one condition: They must ask permission from us first when going on about their own business; such as hunting for food, resting times, and taking leave when necessary. Plus our assistance to them must be returned as a means of debt to be paid.”

 

Kufuzu thought about that for a minute, and knew that this was a fair enough decision. He knew that his friend was very good at standing up to his duty as leader, and his strict rules stood out only to be fair to everyone. Plus

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