The River Pride

Upendi

Zuko's POV

"So where are you taking us?" Suri asks as we walk along a cliff face.

"You'll see it's just around this bend" I tell her. We round it and she gasps at the view. It was a jungle with a waterfall. "Do you like it darling?" I ask her.

"Like? I love" she tells me and nuzzles her head under my chin chaffing happily. "How did you hear about this place?" she asks me curious.

"Rafiki" I answer as we sit down. Watching as couples from every animal in the pride lands appear. "Guess I wasn't the only one he told" I chuckle. "You know I heard Rafiki was going to sing tonight" I tell her.

"Rafiki sings?" she asks me surprised.

"Yes he can" I tell her. "If we're lucky we may hear him sing tonight" I state.

"Does this place have a name?" she asks.

"Rafiki calls it Upendi" I tell her.

"What does that mean?" she asks confused.

"No idea" I say with a chuckle and she giggles. "I love you Suri" I tell her.

"I love you Zuko" she tells me and we hug each other. We hear Rafiki laughing and a pair of paws heading our way. We duck to avoid being hit by Rafiki.

"Watching where you're swinging Rafiki!" I call.

"Kiara hi" Suri says and I turn to see Kiara with Kovu.

"Hey Suri, Zuko. Did Rafiki bring you here too?" Kiara asks.

"Where is here?" Kovu asks confused.

"Oh, to a special place in your heart" Rafiki states from above.  He appears behind Kiara and Kovu and makes them touch each other's noses with their own. "Called Upendi" he declares. Before swinging away with a laugh.

"Come on you two!" Suri shouts as she follows Rafiki. I follow her and the other two follow me. We're soon on a giant laugh each. Rafiki on Kiara and Kovu's. The giant leaves bob towards a waterfall. In the sky, a crescent moon appears.

"There's a place where the crazy moon that makes the monkeys swing" Rafiki sings. As the monkeys sing behind him. "And the baboons swoon" he sings as the baboons kiss while hanging from their tails. One of the baboons picks a flower and hands it to Rafiki as we by below him.

"And the sultry scent of the lotus bloom will carry you away" Rafiki sings as he lets the other two smell the flower. Causing Kovu to sneeze. Rafiki tosses it to us and I catch it offering it to Suri. Who smiles as I place it behind her ear. We soon see Hippos swinging from vines as rhinos conga nearby.

"While the hippos swing from the jungle vines and the rhinos rhumba in a conga line" Rafiki sings. Several flamginos stand with their heads together. "All the pink flamingos are intertwined as the stars come out to play, poof!" he sings.

We see many animals dance together on a grassy plain. Suri leans into me smiling. "In Upendi!" Rafiki and the animals sing. Rafiki catches two fruits that fall into his hands. As two are tossed mine and Suri's way. We catch them in our mouths and ate them.

"Mmm, yum" Suri says.

"Where the passion fruit grows sweet!" Rafiki sings. He feeds Kiara one of the fruits and she eats it happily. " And it's so divine" he sings. Rafiki offers the other fruit to Kovu, who holds his paw up in refusal. So Rafiki tosses it into a bush and butterflies fly out of it. "That you lose your mind as it sweeps you off your feet" he sings.

We continue to float down the river on our giant leaves as we see more animals on the shore. "In Upendi" they sing with Rafiki. Rafiki grabs a nearby stick and uses it to guide their leaf into ours. And we all slide down a small waterfall with a laugh. As Rafiki tossed the stick away.

"Without a worry or a care. It just takes two to make it true. Your heart will lead you there" he sings as Kiara laughs.

"Where is it?" she asks with Suri. Rafiki covers Kiara's eyes with one hand. With his other hand, he cleans out her ear.

"No place you don't take with you" he answers. Causing both girls to laugh. As we go over another waterfall and land in a bucket of water. " You better watch your step 'cause the path is steep. Better hold your breath 'cause the water's deep" he sings. He frees of the water and we land on our leaves again with a laugh.

"It's a long way down over lovers' leap" he states. Rafiki floats down on a leaf, holding an arrow. He tosses the leaf and arrow away as he falls. "But falling's half the fun!" he sings loudly.

"In Upendi" Suri sings with the animals and Rafiki.

"You have a beautiful voice" I praise her and she smiles shyly. Rafiki continues to sing. As we continue to float down the river.

"Upendi. It means love, doesn't it?" Kiara asks us.

"I think so" Suri says as she snuggles into me. A waterspout lifts our leaves into the air. Below us, several animals dance by in a conga line.

"Welcome to Upendi!" Rafiki shouts. Rafiki, who is standing in a tree, tosses fruits into the mouths of two rhinoceroses at the front of the conga line. They eat the fruits and jump into a nearby river. Letting it take them.

Kiara, Kovu, Suri and I exchange grins before jumping into the water below. We swam to shore and joined the conga line. Suri and I first, then Kiara with Kovu.  We eat the fruits Rafiki tosses them, then jump into the river. "It just takes two to make it true" he sings.

We float down the river on our backs. "Your heart" he sings. go over a cliff, but a heart-shaped parachute sprouts from their backs. "Will take you there" he finishes. We land safely and laugh.

"Kiara tell my mum not to expect Suri and I back tonight" I tell her before leading Suri away. We find a cave and mate. Before falling asleep. As she uses my mane for a pillow.

A/N

Video above of Upendi and picture above of Zuko with Suri.