The Lion Guard: Savannah Guardians VS Phantom Defenders

Strength of the Heart

Zuberi woke up and walked outside of Pride Rock. He inhaled the cool morning breeze and began to make his way to the watering hole. He stopped walking and bent his head down to drink the water below his feet. Once he was done he looked around him.

Something about the Pridelands this early in the morning was just, calming for him. It was so peaceful and comforting. He heard some voices and turned to see Niah, Dalila and Shani. He smiled when he saw her.

He began to loose himself in his own thoughts, just sitting there smiling. He was too distracted to notice that someone was sneaking up on him.

"OW!" Zuberi shouted, feeling the jolt of pain from being smacked on the back of his head.

Zahour chuckled. "You do realize what you're doing is considered creepy, right?"

"Whatever, just don't sneak up on me like that again!" Zuberi complained.

"Just go and talk to her dude. It's not that difficult." Zahour suggested.

"Easy for you to say. What if I make a fool out of myself in front of her?" Zuberi countered.

"How would you make a fool out of yourself exactly?"

"What if I say something stupid? What if I give her a weird look? What if I do something clumsy? What if...." Zuburi said as he was on the verge of a panic attack from thinking of all the different ways he could embarrass himself as he was clawing at his hair tuft that would soon become his mane once he got older.

"I'm going to stop you right there dude. You wont do anything stupid as long as if you dont anticipate for you to do anything stupid, you got it?"

Zuberi began to calm down. "Kinda?"

"Listen, if you just watch her from a distance for the rest of your life, nothing is going to happen unless she wants to talk to you herself. And for all you know she's a nervous wreck so it might not happen."

"Or she just doesn't like me."

"Well fi you don't let her to get to know you, then you won't know." Zahour patted him on the back.

"Look i'll help you, HEY SHANI!" Zahour called out. Shani looked over to see Zahour waving his paw in the air. She was a bit confused, but she walked over to see what he wanted.

"What are you doing?" Zuberi freaked out.

"Please, at this rate it would be a miracle you could talk to someone when you're 40. I'm just giving you a little boost." Zahour said as he patted his back. Though by this point it's clear that he had no clue how Zuberi's social anxiety worked, much to Zuberi's dismay.

"I hate you!" Zuberi growled.

"Just try to be confident!"

"Sup!" Shani said, grabbing the two male's attention.

"Hey Shani, my friend here was just wanting to talk to you for a bit." Zahour said as he shoved Zuberi to Shani.

"So uhhh." Zuberi was internally freaking out. He was sweating, his eyes were trying to find an excuse to not be in this confrontation, and underneath his fur, he was blushing. "How's it going?"

"I've been alright. You?" She said in a calm demeanor. Despite it not being obvious, she was internally freaking out also. However she had gotten used to displaying essentially a calm expression that it was easier for her to hide most of her emotions from nearly everyone.

"I-I'm alright. Y'know just been working hard with the Guard to deal with those thieves y'know." Zuberi said as he scratched the back of his head, while nervously smiling.