| Chapter Thirty-one |
Jozay was high up, higher than he’d ever been. Neither he nor any bird ever went much beyond the low layer of clouds,
but the humans’ machine had been just below the much higher clouds of ice. He was about as far above the familiar
clouds as they were above the ground, or so it appeared. He watched as the crate spun as it fell, approaching the fluffy
white layer quickly. He could catch up with it if he could use his wings, but even free of the harness he still couldn’t get
his teeth or claws to tear open the bag.
Suddenly he saw Shakaza, not too far below him, spinning around wildly. She’s actually panicking, thought Jozay. But at
least she’s slowing herself in the wind. Jozay angled his body and extended his hind legs as far as he could, using them
as a rudder. The bag he was in actually made him more aerodynamic, and he quickly began to catch up to Kaza.
As he got closer he could hear her screaming. He fell right up to her and she blindly grabbed onto him, although it wasn’
t doing her any good. “Get the bag off of me!”
“What?!”
“The bag around my neck! Use your teeth to get it loose!”
When asked later, Kaza would be unable to say why she believed that this would do any good either, but without further
ado, she clamped her teeth around the drawstring of the canvas bag and tried to loosen it. With her this close to him
Jozay could feel her shaking. She was as frightened as a kitten. Jozay’s compassionate heart went out to her; he wished
he could envelop her with his wings and tell her it would all be alright.
Later, perhaps.
As they passed through the clouds and into the sunlight of the just-risen sun, Kaza bit right through the cord, and in a
few muscular contortions, Jozay was again free. “Sozo, grant me wings!”
Shakaza’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack. If she could’ve wished for anything in the world to save her at that
moment, she wouldn’t have even been able to imagine something like this. As Jothra spread his golden wings in the red
and orange sun, she looked into his eyes and knew. She was fine. She was being looked out for. He was the most
majestic creature she had ever seen and likely ever would. Despite her powers and abilities, she felt small and weak at
this moment. She thought of the jokes and snide remarks she had made, and all the others she had thought. Surely, this
angelic lion’s eyes could see straight through her disguise, he could probably read her very mind and soul.
Jozay reached out and took Kaza’s front paws in his. But instead of pulling her close for a safe descent as she had
hoped, he flung her behind him, using the small burst of momentum to begin his wing-powered dive downward. “Wait
here!”
Shakaza had just enough presence of mind to be bewildered. “What?”
But Jozay ignored her now, willing himself to fall quicker than the crate full of his new friends. Powerful, fluid wing beats
propelled him faster and faster. He had never powered downward before, free fall was the fastest he had ever gone.
Now as the crate grew larger in his field of vision he wondered what in the world he could do when he got there.
At long last he caught up with the falling cage. He knew he didn’t have much time left. Shadow, Zipper, Sapphire, Hope
and even Babylon were visible free-floating inside the tumbling crate. Tezaka had grabbed onto the bars of the crate
and was watching Jozay as he approached. Jozay grabbed onto the outside and pulled his wings in a bit. He could move
around the exterior of the crate easily now, using his wings for little bits of needed balance. The zero gravity didn’t even
faze him.
The young animals in the crate, however, were gawking openly at the sight of Jozay. Tezaka was in awe as well, but he
was prepared with instructions. “The top of the crate! There’s a white box with a red rope! You’ve got to pull it!” Jozay
nodded and moved. He wasn’t really familiar with words like ‘box’ or ‘rope’, but he understood ‘top, white’ and ‘red’, he’d
just have to get the rest from context.
He climbed to the top surface of the crate and sure enough, there was a large white man-made looking machine or tool
or magic stone, with a little bit of red something waving in the breeze. He made his way over to it, gripped the red ‘rope’
in his teeth, and pulled as hard as could.
Nothing happened. He tried even harder, praying for the strength needed. He could feel the rope give just a little bit, but
the crate kept right on falling. He could also see the ground below, now far too close to still be falling at this speed. And
then, thinking about falling and flying and staying away from the ground, he knew what to do. He smiled to himself,
redoubled his grip, and spread his wings out as far as they would go.
Jozay wouldn’t have been able to describe it this way, but Tezaka marveled at the similarities. Jozay acted as a primer
chute; he didn’t provide nearly enough wind resistance to slow the crate but he did create enough to pull the cord,
releasing the primary parachute. The chute unfolded, blossoming like pure salvation. Jozay was thrown out of the way,
but the crate slowed down. He soared lazily back beside his cousin and the others, laughing deliriously that they were
safe. The cubs were picking themselves off the bottom of the crate from the abrupt halt, but they were otherwise fine.
Tezaka got Jozay’s attention. “Jozay! Don’t forget my sister!”
Jozay came to with a start. He looked up into the sky, spotting the incoming Kaza as she continued to scream and fall.
He flapped out to meet her, rising quickly, and as he came to an apex he flipped around backward, free falling for a bit
as Kaza came up alongside him. This time he did wrap his front legs around her, gliding into a safe spiral around the
crate. Now, officially, they were going to be all right.
"Who are you?" Kaza demanded of her bizarre rescuer. "What are you? What are your intentions?"
Jozay smiled. "Two words, Shakaza: Hakuna Matata!"
but the humans’ machine had been just below the much higher clouds of ice. He was about as far above the familiar
clouds as they were above the ground, or so it appeared. He watched as the crate spun as it fell, approaching the fluffy
white layer quickly. He could catch up with it if he could use his wings, but even free of the harness he still couldn’t get
his teeth or claws to tear open the bag.
Suddenly he saw Shakaza, not too far below him, spinning around wildly. She’s actually panicking, thought Jozay. But at
least she’s slowing herself in the wind. Jozay angled his body and extended his hind legs as far as he could, using them
as a rudder. The bag he was in actually made him more aerodynamic, and he quickly began to catch up to Kaza.
As he got closer he could hear her screaming. He fell right up to her and she blindly grabbed onto him, although it wasn’
t doing her any good. “Get the bag off of me!”
“What?!”
“The bag around my neck! Use your teeth to get it loose!”
When asked later, Kaza would be unable to say why she believed that this would do any good either, but without further
ado, she clamped her teeth around the drawstring of the canvas bag and tried to loosen it. With her this close to him
Jozay could feel her shaking. She was as frightened as a kitten. Jozay’s compassionate heart went out to her; he wished
he could envelop her with his wings and tell her it would all be alright.
Later, perhaps.
As they passed through the clouds and into the sunlight of the just-risen sun, Kaza bit right through the cord, and in a
few muscular contortions, Jozay was again free. “Sozo, grant me wings!”
Shakaza’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack. If she could’ve wished for anything in the world to save her at that
moment, she wouldn’t have even been able to imagine something like this. As Jothra spread his golden wings in the red
and orange sun, she looked into his eyes and knew. She was fine. She was being looked out for. He was the most
majestic creature she had ever seen and likely ever would. Despite her powers and abilities, she felt small and weak at
this moment. She thought of the jokes and snide remarks she had made, and all the others she had thought. Surely, this
angelic lion’s eyes could see straight through her disguise, he could probably read her very mind and soul.
Jozay reached out and took Kaza’s front paws in his. But instead of pulling her close for a safe descent as she had
hoped, he flung her behind him, using the small burst of momentum to begin his wing-powered dive downward. “Wait
here!”
Shakaza had just enough presence of mind to be bewildered. “What?”
But Jozay ignored her now, willing himself to fall quicker than the crate full of his new friends. Powerful, fluid wing beats
propelled him faster and faster. He had never powered downward before, free fall was the fastest he had ever gone.
Now as the crate grew larger in his field of vision he wondered what in the world he could do when he got there.
At long last he caught up with the falling cage. He knew he didn’t have much time left. Shadow, Zipper, Sapphire, Hope
and even Babylon were visible free-floating inside the tumbling crate. Tezaka had grabbed onto the bars of the crate
and was watching Jozay as he approached. Jozay grabbed onto the outside and pulled his wings in a bit. He could move
around the exterior of the crate easily now, using his wings for little bits of needed balance. The zero gravity didn’t even
faze him.
The young animals in the crate, however, were gawking openly at the sight of Jozay. Tezaka was in awe as well, but he
was prepared with instructions. “The top of the crate! There’s a white box with a red rope! You’ve got to pull it!” Jozay
nodded and moved. He wasn’t really familiar with words like ‘box’ or ‘rope’, but he understood ‘top, white’ and ‘red’, he’d
just have to get the rest from context.
He climbed to the top surface of the crate and sure enough, there was a large white man-made looking machine or tool
or magic stone, with a little bit of red something waving in the breeze. He made his way over to it, gripped the red ‘rope’
in his teeth, and pulled as hard as could.
Nothing happened. He tried even harder, praying for the strength needed. He could feel the rope give just a little bit, but
the crate kept right on falling. He could also see the ground below, now far too close to still be falling at this speed. And
then, thinking about falling and flying and staying away from the ground, he knew what to do. He smiled to himself,
redoubled his grip, and spread his wings out as far as they would go.
Jozay wouldn’t have been able to describe it this way, but Tezaka marveled at the similarities. Jozay acted as a primer
chute; he didn’t provide nearly enough wind resistance to slow the crate but he did create enough to pull the cord,
releasing the primary parachute. The chute unfolded, blossoming like pure salvation. Jozay was thrown out of the way,
but the crate slowed down. He soared lazily back beside his cousin and the others, laughing deliriously that they were
safe. The cubs were picking themselves off the bottom of the crate from the abrupt halt, but they were otherwise fine.
Tezaka got Jozay’s attention. “Jozay! Don’t forget my sister!”
Jozay came to with a start. He looked up into the sky, spotting the incoming Kaza as she continued to scream and fall.
He flapped out to meet her, rising quickly, and as he came to an apex he flipped around backward, free falling for a bit
as Kaza came up alongside him. This time he did wrap his front legs around her, gliding into a safe spiral around the
crate. Now, officially, they were going to be all right.
"Who are you?" Kaza demanded of her bizarre rescuer. "What are you? What are your intentions?"
Jozay smiled. "Two words, Shakaza: Hakuna Matata!"
| (Episode Two, Long Lost Legacy, Chapter One) |
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Legal Note
Story and characters based off of The Lion King by Walt Disney Pictures.
Also based off of the author's The Lion King: Circle of Life, a revision of the author's original Legend of Destiny,
Copyright 2005, US Library of Congress TXu-1-234-761.
Characters appear and events are referenced from all three features -- The Lion King, The Lion King 1 ½ (distributed
internationally as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata), and The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride -- and reference is also made
to events only depicted in The Lion King on Broadway production. The “Cub’s Quest” episodes also contain material
referencing The Rescuers Down Under by Walt Disney Pictures.
Like many Lion King fan writers, I was inspired and influenced by the works of fans who have gone before me, notably
the 'Chronicles of the Pridelands' and related works by John Burkitt and Dave Morris. While I refrained from using any
of their original characters or events, the word 'Incosi' (translated into English as 'Chief') did appear in their works, in
the context of the greeting/response 'Incosi aka incosi, I touch your mane', 'I feel it'. Mr Burkitt and Mr Morris have been
out of contact with the TLK fan community for years, and fan writers and artists both have been building upon their
works for just as long or longer.
Nonetheless, I have managed to find Mr Burkitt's email address, and am seeking his official thumbs up. I will certainly
remove any reference to their works in mine upon their request, just as I'll delete the site itself if Walt Disney Pictures
tells me to.
-CJ Webster
Also based off of the author's The Lion King: Circle of Life, a revision of the author's original Legend of Destiny,
Copyright 2005, US Library of Congress TXu-1-234-761.
Characters appear and events are referenced from all three features -- The Lion King, The Lion King 1 ½ (distributed
internationally as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata), and The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride -- and reference is also made
to events only depicted in The Lion King on Broadway production. The “Cub’s Quest” episodes also contain material
referencing The Rescuers Down Under by Walt Disney Pictures.
Like many Lion King fan writers, I was inspired and influenced by the works of fans who have gone before me, notably
the 'Chronicles of the Pridelands' and related works by John Burkitt and Dave Morris. While I refrained from using any
of their original characters or events, the word 'Incosi' (translated into English as 'Chief') did appear in their works, in
the context of the greeting/response 'Incosi aka incosi, I touch your mane', 'I feel it'. Mr Burkitt and Mr Morris have been
out of contact with the TLK fan community for years, and fan writers and artists both have been building upon their
works for just as long or longer.
Nonetheless, I have managed to find Mr Burkitt's email address, and am seeking his official thumbs up. I will certainly
remove any reference to their works in mine upon their request, just as I'll delete the site itself if Walt Disney Pictures
tells me to.
-CJ Webster
