The Lion King AU

Chapter 12: Hakuna Matata

As the morning sun rises, an exhausted, derated, lioness cub was in the hot desert, as the vultures were swarming around her. 

She wasn't aware of how the situation was, as that the vultures were about to eat the poor cub, a warthog and meerkat was on the horizon, as that they were aiming for them, as they were just having fun. 

"Get out! Get out of here!" The meerkat named Timon exclaims as that his friend, Pumbaa helped him out. 

"I love how they all ran off, Timon! Bowling for vultures is tons of fun, isn't?" The warthog asked, as Timon dusts off the dust with his hands, "Yeah, it always fun when it was the two of us. I mean, why wouldn't it?"

The warthog notices the lioness, "Uh, Timon, I think we have a situation, i think she's still alive!" 

"She?" The meerkat asked, as he looks to look closer to the cub. "What, it's a little lion cub! Pumbaa, we have to leave her! Quick, move it!" 

"Timon, c'mon, she's tired, dyrated, and she must run off all on her own, we can't simply leave her in a place like this! We're not that heartless." 

"But look at her! She's a lion, she can eat us if she wants to!" The meerkat said, being terrified. 

"Timon, we have to help her, I'm not leaving a helpless creature. Now, let's go find a shady place for her and talk to her." 

The warthog carried her, as Timon said, "I'm so worried, if this talk doesn't go well, this is all on you." 

The two pals found a oasis that had water puddle. Timon was hesitant, but gently puts some water on the cub. 

She woke up to see them, as she asked, "Where am i?"

"We're glad you're awake, kid. You nearly died by those vultures back there. Pumbaa convinced me to save you." Timon said. 

"Oh, I guess thanks a lot." Aziz said, as she walks away. 

"Man, Timon, something must've happen to her. We should ask her." The warthog said, as that he asked, "Did something happen?"

"C'mon, she's a lion, she is strong, am I right? She's at the top of the food chain!" He said, trying to make a joke, but Pumbaa seems to be annoyed by the joke, "Timon!" 

"Sorry. So, can you tell us what's bothering you?"

"Well, I kind of being exiled from my homeland. My father died because of me." She explains, "There was a stampede and I couldn't stop it. " 

"Oh, we're so sorry about your loss. It isn't easy to recover something like that." Timon sighs, "But you have a great life ahead of you, how about you live with us?" 

"Really, you don't mind?"

"Yeah, Hakuna Matata." The warthog said, smiling, but Aziz wasn't too familiar with that phrase. "What you say?"

"Hakuna Matata, it means, "No worries", here, let us tell you. 

"Hakuna Matata, what a beautiful phrase." 

"Hakuna Matata, it helps you in need! " 

"It means no worries! For the rest of your days! No problem free! Philosophy, Hakuna Matata!" 

Aziz said, "This, "Hakuna Matata" it really helps?"

"Yeah, it does, here is a story about Pumbaa here, "Why, when he was a young warthog..." 

"When i was a young warthog!!!!!!!!!!!" 

"Pumbaa, c'mon, that was a little loud, but that was good vocal." 

He blushes, "Thanks." 

"He roam the Savannah as much he pleased, but ever animal sniffed him and thought he was different." 

"I was being friendly, but it seems they don't know the real me, only by my smell. Oh, the shame!" 

He was shamed!" 

"Thought of changing my name!" 

"How does he feel?"

"Every time I far-" 

"Oh, Pumbaa, not in front of the kids!" 

"Oh, right, I totally forgotten about that. They don't need to know that!" 

Aziz looked at who they were talking about, being clueless. 

"Hakuna Matata, what a beautiful phrase! Hakuna Matata, it helps you in need!" 

Aziz couldn't help but sing along: "It means no worries, for the rest of your days!" 

Timon was happy for her , she looked like she was cheered up at least a little bit. He knew that it would be hard for her to cope with her father's death, and he needs to be a father figure to this cub more than ever. "That's the spirit! Sing it proud kid!" 

"It's our philosophy! 

Hakuna Matata!" 

"By the way, we don't know your name yet. " 

"I'm Aziz, it's a great pleasure to meet you both." She introduces herself, as Timon said, "Well, Aziz, welcome home." 

He showed her the beautiful landscape of the jungle where they would all reside. "Wow, I'm going to live here? Timon, this is beautiful!" 

Pumbaa said, "Yeah, Timon and I love this place, so will you!" 

As that they walk through the jungle, Aziz's stomach growls so loudly, that she was embarrassed, knowing that she had nothing to eat when she ran from her home. 

"Sorry about that, you guys, i guess i haven't eaten anything at all. I'm so embarrassed." She bows with showing off her new friends. 

"It's all right, that's totally understandable. Here, look what we can eat." Pumbaa said, as Timon show a grub to her. 

"Is that a-" 

"A grub? Yeah, it is. It's very good once you get the hang of it." Pumbaa said. 

"You'll learn to love them! Just give it a try, Aziz, here! " Timon offers her a grub as she was nervous, but willing to give it a shot, due to being hungry. 

"Well, here it goes nothing!" She said, as she shallows the grub worm she has chosen, she smacks her lips, as she realizes that it wasn't all too bad. 

"It's... delicious! Wow, I never eaten them before." She exclaims happily. 

She lived in the jungle, never thought of her homeland, as she grew up as a young adult, "Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna!" 

"It means , "No worries! For the rest of your days!" 

"It's our problem free! Philosophy!" 

The young lioness was happy that she gets to be in a beautiful environment with her adoptive fathers, but something inside her felt like she had something to do, something long time ago. 

She was unaware during the past twenty years, things had been worse in the Pridelands and how Kaku and the rest of the Pride was doing during the reign of Mufusa.