Deva: "Umm... Hello, everybody. Newcomer?"

Zira: "Sort of. He's my unofficial majordomo." (short pause) "Unofficial because there wasn't much in the Outlands outside of my own pride for me to govern over."

Shenzi: "He's actually OUR former majordomo. After Simba took over, he came with me to our sanctuary... You know, until the clan splintered. And don't worry about the cub -- Verity certified him already."

Deva: "I figured." (head tilts) "The bird looks like he's struggling though. It's okay, nobody's going to REQUIRE you to carry anyone."

(short awkward pause)

Zira: "Actually, he will be. There are two prides, so now he's Usafiri."

Shenzi: "That's why he's so huge. The mandrill's been lacing his food every day with some magical powder or whatever that's been making him bigger. So one day even a lion will be able to ride on his back."

Zira: "Apparently he's been doing it for years... Like it was foretold..." (rolls her eyes) "He could have saved us a lot of time and heartache -- and maybe even Nuka's life -- if he'd only told me a few things were foretold..."

Shenzi: "True. But then you wouldn't be here in this happy family." (noogies Zira's head and laughs until she swats at her)

Deva: "Ah. Well, okay, let me rephrase that: Nobody's going to require you to SWALLOW anyone."

Zira: "No, but I asked him to. He's practicing on the cub so he can swallow me some day."

Deva: "Really?" (kneels and rubs her head) "You're already comfortable with that?"

Zira: "Not really... But... Well... I would rather my son continued to to think of me as gone... At peace... But I'd still like the chance to see him, proud and strong, one last time."

Shenzi: "Well you wouldn't see him, but-"

Zira: (swats the air at her) "You know what I mean!"

Pelican: (squeezes the cub's feet into his beak and slurps up his tail) "Er..." (looks at the ladies and blushes)

Shenzi: "And now on to Part 2." (nods) "You know how. Just think of him as a big furry fish."

Pelican: (takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and tilts his head up) "Hurk... Glurrk... Bleh... Gluk, gluk, gluk-" (keeps swallowing until the bulge works from his pouch to his belly) "Gah!" (gasps for breath) "Done!"

(Zira and Shenzi both sit on their haunches and clap their paws)

Deva: "Don't worry, the first time is always the hardest. You did good... Sorry, what was your name again? Usafiri?"

Shenzi: "No, that's his title." (sidles up to him and hugs his beak under her arm*) "His given name is Terastas." (noogies his head) "How was he? Is it true lions taste like ostrich?"

(long awkward pause)

Deva: "Sorry, what was his name again?"

Shenzi: "Terastas." (shrugs) "Not very African... But, what the heck, neither is he."

(another long awkward pause)

Deva: "What made you pick that name for him?"

(Shenzi and Zira exchange glances)

Zira: "We didn't. He came with the name."

(very long uncomfortable silence)

Deva: "I'll be right back." (scoots)

---

Sora is © Square Enix.

The Lion King is © Disney.

Terastas the great white pelican is © a guy who just so happens to also be named  Terastas.

Original artwork by  Cotton Candy Bumble Bee. Please favorite the original here.