The Mane Problem

Chapter 5

"Come on, Timon." Mkuu stated. "Before we're seen-"

"Before you're seen, doing what?" Said a voice Mkuu knew all too well. The voice of his grandmother.

"Just going out." Mkuu responded, that bad lying coming back.

"Mkuu, you're a terrible liar..." Nala stated.

"I know," Mkuu sighed in defeat.

"Shouldn't you tell your parents before going out?"

"He's trying to get a pony to fall in love with him!" Timon shouted.

"Timon!" Mkuu shouted

"Aren't you a little young for that?" Nala asked.

"Yes, yes I am." Mkuu responded, "Which is why I need to go where I'm going!"

"And where's that?" Another lioness asked.

"Oh, good morning, Mom." Mkuu said to Kiara

"Hey, what's going on here?" Mkuu's dad, Kovu asked.

"Mkuu's going somewhere." Kiara told him.

"And where is that?" Kovu asked his son.

"Er... Around the water hole?" Mkuu lied.

"Mkuu, where are you really going?"

Mkuu sighed.

"To see Rafiki." Mkuu stated.

"Why's that?" Kovu asked. Frankly, like everyone else, Kovu found the mandrill a little creepy. One thing he wanted to figure out someday is why he had a baboon's tail. And a person wouldn't even share that, in Kovu's mind, shouldn't be trusted.

"I... need a potion." Mkuu admitted.

"Magic is not to be taken lightly!"

All four lions, and the meerkat, jumped back in surprise as the very same mandrill they were talking about.

"Magic is something that should only be used either to teach lessons or communicate with the spirits!"

Rafiki stated.

"Or both." Nala remarked.

"Yes, Rafiki, I understand." Mkuu stated.

"Good, now, go swim in the water hole." Rafiki stated.

"Why?" Mkuu asked.

"Your friend is there." Rafiki stated.

"Hey Binti, I'm bored." A male hyena pup stated.

"Well, Mwana, if you hadn't scared all our food before we got to it, then maybe we could keep busy munching on some wildebeest!" a female, Binti said.

The two were brother and sister, from the two famous hyenas Banzai and Shenzi.

"When do you think Jim is getting back?" Mwana asked.

Jim was their friend who had come from the famous hyena Ed. His mother had died shortly after he had born. Ever since then, Ed hadn't laughed once.

Jim tried to shrug it off, though. He acted like there was nothing wrong with a hyena who wouldn't laugh. If it was ever brought up, he would simply nod and smile.

"I don't know, he's been at the watering hole for an hour or two." Binti answered.

Jim came running towards them as quick as he could, and ended up crashing into a rock that just happened to be near the two hyenas. Though he wasn't as crazy as his father, he was a bit clumsy. But he did make up for it by being one of their best hunters.

"What took you so long?" Binti asked.

"Just wanted to go swimming." Jim asked. "It took longer than I thought, but I'm ready for the hunting to begin!"

"That would have been helpful ten minutes ago." Mwana stated.

"You scared the food off again didn't you?" Jim asked.

"Alright, if one more person says something about that, I'm gonna..." Mwana was interrupted when he heard a sound he hadn't before.

It sounded like the clip-clopping of hooves, not zebra, but something different. When they all turned towards the sound, they saw an unusual sight.

It looked liked a zebra, but was pink all over, had an odd body structure, had oversized blue eyes, and it seemed to be walking like her knee was in a bit of pain.

The trio licked their lips.

Pinkie Pie wished she could run out of the place. But she knew that even if she did so, whatever would happen would still happen. Stupid pinchy knee...

Why had she even come here? Oh right, she had gotten lost. She remembered the lions saying that many dangers were in the Pride Lands, and animals that would eat her without a second thought were one of them.

Behind her, Pinkie heard snarling. Most other ponies wouldn't know it, but Pinkie had an acute sense of hearing.

Pinkie turned around, noticing three hyenas behind her. They realized that she had seen them, and started running after her.

Pinkie was great at chasing, but not running away. If she had a weapon, she would fight whatever she could run away from. However, since she arrived at Pride Rock in her sleep, she couldn't pack her party cannon.. So she had only one option left. Run.

The hyenas were giving up quite a chase. Fortunately, Pinkie could run for the rest of her life.

Unfortunately for her, so could Jim.

Though Jim had been known to mess up most things, hunting came as easy to him as breathing. He could usually catch his meat by waiting until they were tired out. Some said it was one thing he got from his dad, multiplied by ten of craziness.

The siblings had already collapsed. Jim continued to chase after Pinkie.

Pinkie eventually came to a gorge. She quickly climbed down. Suddenly her tail started to twitch.

What could possibly fall here? She thought. Stopping in her tracks

Her question was soon answered when she saw that Jim had fallen to the gorge. It looked more like he'd jumped, so Pinkie was wondering if that counted.

Impressively, Jim wasn't harmed in the slightest way. Jim approached Pinkie, and let out a sinister laugh. Anyone who had been at the battle of Pride Rock would tell you it sounded very similar to the one his father had made that night.

"Well, looks like you're in quite a scrape." Jim stated. "Don't even think of trying to escape. On three sides of you, cliffs to steep for climbing quickly. On the other side, a giant patch of thorn bushes. And just to amuse me, I'll offer you a chance to survive."

"Really?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes, If you can give me one good reason to keep you alive, I won't kill you. You have four chances."

"Four?"

"Three's too common. Not that the extra one will help you. I'm rather heartless."

Pinkie looked at the spot on his chest where his heart was supposed to be.

"It's there, I just don't use it." Jim stated, "First try."

"I have to take care of two babies."

"Second try." Jim said, getting in a pouncing position.

"I am the Element of Laughter!"

"Third try." Jim bared his teeth.

"I can bake you a cake."

"Fourth and final try," Jim started growling.

Pinkie Pie stopped and started to think, what was something important in the Pride Lands?

Wait, Pinkie thought.

"I know Prince Mkuu!" Pinkie stated.

Jim suddenly snapped out of hunting mode. But he suddenly snapped back into it.

"You're lying." He said through bared teeth.

"I'm not! Just ask him!" Pinkie cried out.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna fall for that!" Jim said.

"I'm Pinkie Pie! Hasn't he ever mentioned me?"

Jim turned back to normal again.

"Oh. Oh! Oh." Jim said, as that was all Mkuu was talking about that afternoon.

The two had met each other a long time ago at the water hole, both just trying to get away from problems they had. For Mkuu, it was problems about ruling over the kingdom. For Jim, it was to escape the thoughts of his family.

The two had met when they saw each other across the water hole, and were surprised the other wasn't as bad as they were told. Ever since, they had become the best of friends, and would usually talk to each other about their problems.

"Sorry, Ms. Pie," Jim said, "I didn't know that you were Mkuu's friend."

"That's alright." Pinkie stated.

"You have every right to be an- wait, what?"

"I'm a forgiving person."

Jim just stared their blankly. What had Mkuu liked about her again?

Earlier that day

"You're kidding," Jim said, "A different species? And she's older?"

"Yeah." Mkuu said.

"All this because she called you 'sweet'?"

"No! It's way more than that! I mean she's adventurous, fun-loving, optimistic, and-"

"A bit crazy?"

"Well, yes, but still. I just wish I could find a way to be with her. Even if just for a day."

"You should see a doctor."

Mkuu chuckled.

"Maybe I should, Jim."

Oh, yeah.

"Well, goodbye, Ms. Pie. And sorry again for almost eating you!" Jim said.

Dad's gonna be so disappointed,Jim thought, then walked off

And I thought Ponyville was crazy, Pinkie thought, This place is nuts!

"Don't worry," Mrs. Cake told Simba, "Most people will probably just come and buy things, no questions asked."

"And we're going to have some help for you just in case." Mr. Cake.

"By the way, did you have a line of work where you came from?"

"No," Simba lied. "Though, it shouldn't be too-YOW!"

Simba looked to see who had bitten his tail. It was a foal that had an orange mane with a bow in it, big blue eyes, and a light yellow coat.

"For someone with no teeth, you bite hard!" Simba shouted

"That's just Pumpkin, she likes to chew on things." Mr. Cake explained.

"Honey, where's Pound?" Mrs. Cake asked.

Simba was surprises when a pegasus foal, presumably Pound, land on his back, the slide to the floor.

"Can your son fly?" Simba asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." Mrs. Cake said "Now, in a minute or two, you'll have help for work and babysitting. Goodbye, Simba."

The minute the two left, Simba saw a block come up to a shelf where the twins were hiding.

Simba got to the shelf and jumped trying to reach the babies.

Unfortunately, that was when Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack showed up.

Though they were told that Pinkie wasn't there, they weren't told the new worker was a lion. So you can imagine their reactions.

Before even saying a word, Rainbow Dash immediately started kicking Simba. Soon, Simba fell on his back, giving Applejack the oppurtunity to lasso his paws together. Next, Rarity stuffed a diamond in his mouth.

"Ha! Eat that!" Rarity exclaimed.

Next, Twilight and Fluttershy came through the door.

"Twilight, Fluttershy!" Rainbow exclaimed. "There's a vicious lion in here."

"Yeah," Applejack stated, "He was trying to get the babies, and we think he might of got the new worker."

"He is the new worker." Twilight told her friends.

Simba spat out the diamond.

"Great," He started, "Now that we got that out of the way,will someone please untie me ?"

"Sure." Fluttershy said.

And I thought the Pride Lands were crazy, Simba thought This place is nuts!

"Got that?" Damien asked.

"Hold it, Mister." Derpy stated "You're asking me to help you kill someone? I didn't mean anything literally. My name my be Ditzy, or Derpy depending on who you ask, but I'm smart enough to know that's wrong."

"No, no, no," Damien lied, "You misunderstood. I just need my lion back, he ran away from me. I said 'hunt' because his name is Hunter, and I call him 'hunt' for short."

"Well, okay, but you better not be lying!"

"Why would I lie about something like this. Now go home, will execute our plan in the morning."

"You're so weird."

"You have no idea."

Derpy flew off to her home.

And I thought Angel was stupid. Damien thought, She's such a dunce!