Lion King (the Cub Days)

Traveling with Zazu

Simba surged from the grass and growled.He leaped in the air and tried to catch a butterfly by the wing. He hung back when he saw Zazu lowering down with his wing tips twitching.

"Zazu," growled Simba as his fur began to bristle. "Must you follow me?"

Zazu landed and halted Simba. "Of course I do. It's what your father told me to do," he pointed out as he tipped his beak at Simba as if daring him to argue.

Simba lashed his tail. "It's not fair! One mistake and they hold it over my head forever," he snapped as he began to stalk forward. He hoped that Zazu would have flown away but he was still following Simba to Nala's den.

"How can they forget it," he rambled as he hovered just above Simba's head and made his pelt itch as if ants were crawling in it. "You almost got yourself and Nala killed."

Simba didn't need to be reminded. "Yeah I know." He pushed past Zazu and bounded down the path toward Nala's den. He skidded to a halt and his eyes widened as he saw that Sarafina greeted him instead of Nala. He gulped. "H-Hi Sarafina. Could Nala and I go and play."

"Alone," Sarafina echoed as he saw Nala peaking out behind her mother's legs. She didn't seem happy about this either.

"I'm coming too," assured Zazu as he lowered down to Sarafina's level. "There is nothing that I can't handle with these two. We'll be perfectly safe."

Simba nearly rolled his eyes but he resisted and turned to Nala. "So can she come?"

"I suppose," huffed Sarafina as she threw her head back toward the den. "But if I hear you led her into any danger I'll have you between my claws."

Nala cheered and surged forward toward Simba. They surged forward and laughed as they began to playfight. Nala slammed her paw against Simba's skull and he collapsed as he bit his lip, trying not to squeal in pain.

"Hey," snapped Zazu as he lowered down with his wing tips twitching. "That's too rough."

"No it's not," argued Nala as she stepped off Simba and allowed him to rise to his paws. He shook out his fur and shook his head to clear it as his eyes began to focus.

"Yeah," added Simba as he prowled around Zazu. "Lions and lionesses fight rougher than this everyday. We're just practicing from when we grow up."

Zazu shook his head. "Nice try but when I'm here you won't play that rough."

Simba rolled his eyes and lashed his tail. "Come on Nala," he suggested in a booming voice. "Let's go to the wateringhole and maybe find some more hyenas."

Zazu huffed and took to the sky. "I can't wait until my father takes me to his real patrolling path," Simba boasted as he puffed out my fur. "He told me that he would as soon as he has free time. Speaking of fathers, who's yours?"

Nala halted and hung her head. Once Siimba realized that she wasn't following him he doubled back and blinked his eyes. "What's wrong."

Nala let out a hiss and inclined her head forward. "I don't know!"

Simba tilted his head. "How do you not know?"

Zazu lowered down and hopped toward Simba with his beak twitching. "Um Simba I think that you should abandon this subject," he whispered into Simba's ear.

"So do you really not know who your father is," Simba pressed.

Nala turned to him with tears streaming down her face. "I don't know okay. Leave me alone!" With that she surged into the towering grass.