Chapter 25. Forrest of no responsibilities

Thank you everyone, I was very surprised by the amount of support and reviews I got yesterday, I didn't think it was that many of you that enjoyed this. When your work is appreciated, it hits differently. 🥰 Thanks!

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Fine! I'll stop threatening you guys now... But If you become mischievous again, Ill have to discipline you guy again 🧐

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"come, let me show you how I've lived for the past 5 years!" Asafa said in excitement as he stood up. The size differenc between him and the two was staggering.

"You really did grow much bigger than expected!" Ayana said as she stood beside him. She remembers that he was bigger than them back then as well, but the difference wasn't this big.

"Follow me!" Asafa said in a smile as he showed them the way to one of his favourite places.

Ayana and Nala looked at eachother before following him.

As they walked behind him and stared at him, they couldn't help but to feel like this was all a dream.

All had gone south for them ever since that day.

The king died along with his two royal sons, their best friends.

Then the kings brother took over the throne but he wasn't ideal. He invited the hyenas to the pridelands leading to less food. The king was harsh and overworked the lions.

In the end their lives had become a misery.

But here they were, walking behind their dead friend, the rightful king. Would the prideland now return to what it was? But if Asafa was here all along and he knew the situation back home, and he refused to return... Would they be able to convince him?

Nala and Ayana were both deep in their thoughts.

"Be careful here." Asafa said as he stepped over a big root of the tree that deformed the ground, yet neither of them heard what he said as they were to deep in their minds.

Both fell down making Asafa turn back and look at them weirdly.

"What's going on, can't you even walk properly?" Asafa asked looking at them.

Both of them felt embarrassed and stood up.

"Hmph, were not used to walking in the woods..." Ayana tried to find an excuse. Nala just looked away.

"Fine, be careful." Asafa said as he continued leading them until they reached an opening where a small waterfall kept pouring water into a lake.

"Wow, what a beautiful place!" Ayana said, excited by the beautiful scene.

"Go look in the water you'll be surprised by what you'll see!" Asafa said mysteriously as he stood aside, giving them room to go the the edge of the lake.

Nala and Ayana looked at eachother and nodded before they walked towards the edge of the lake.

"What are we supposed to find?" Nala asked as the two looked down to the water.

But Asafa didn't answer, just as they were about to turn around to see why he didn't answer, they both felt a paw pushing them from behind, into the lake.

*SPLASH* *SPLASH*

"HAHAHHA STILL AS GULLIBLE AS EVER I SEE HAHHA" Asafa roared in laughter.

Both Nala and Ayana swam up in panic, they weren't used to playing in the water, they hadn't done that since they were cubs.

Seing him laying on his back laughing,both felt irration as they climbed out of the water.

"Tsk still as immature as ever." Ayana complained as she shook off the water from her fur.

"Hmph, and here I thought that maybe you had matured!" Nala said.

"Me, immature? Now way, I think you got the wrong lion, maybe you were thinking about him!" Asafa said while pointing towards the other side of the lake, with a serious tone.

Both Nala and Ayana looked back in the direction of the lake, but they didn't see any lion there, that when they realised, but it was too late.

*SPLASH* *SPLASH*

"HAHAHHAH FOOLS, YOU REALLY ARE BRAINLESS WITHOUT ME AROUND AHHAHA!" Asafa roared once again.

His laughter echoed throughout the Forrest, maybe he had gone back to his childish ways now that he had met his childhood friends, and reconciled with his past, and that might be why he felt so childlike right now.

Soon he stopped laughing when he noticed that then two were still underwater.

"Huh, don't you two know how to swim?" He shouted... But no respons came.

"Erm you guys?" Asafa said worriedly as he went to the edge of lake and looked down, trying to see if they had drowned.

Just at that moment, both Nala and Ayana came out and dragged him down into the water.

After they successfully threw him in, they climbed up.

"Nala, next time, let's not meet people that died when they were children, it seems like they stop maturing for some reason."

"Sound like a good idea, we don't want to catch their immaturity." They spoke to eachother as they shook their fur.

"Haaa you got me, congratulations... This is the first and last time you'll get me!" Asafa said as he swam out.

"Is that so, we'll see about that!" Ayana said, feeling challenged.

"Pffffthaha Nala look at him!" Ayana laughed as she saw how Asafa's wet mane cover his whole face after getting out of the water.

Nala looked at him and chuckled, trying to not laugh. She didn't want to fall to their level.

Asafa started turning his head and shaking of the water, splashing Nala and Ayana after they had almost dried up.

"HEY HEY STOP IT!" Ayana shouted as she backed up, not wanting to get his mane water on her.

Asafa stopped and his face was hidden except the big grin on his lips, showing his dangerous fangs.

"I really missed you guys." Asafa suddenly said.

Both stilled.

"..."

Asafa lifted his wet mane form his eyes with his paw to see the two, and that's when they came to him and started rubbing their heads on his again.

Ayana suddenly pushed him making him fall over, bringing Nala with them. In the next moment Asafa was over both Ayana and Nala, looking at them. And only then did he notice that they were no longer cubs, but adult lions.

They stared at eachother for a moment before Ayana licked the side of his face, making his eyes widen, then Nala licked the other side of his face.

Asafa realised at that moment that both of them looked at the current, adult him, and probably saw their king, and with that, their mate.

He could feel an intimate gaze from both of them, one of care and love.

Asafa felt his heartbeat harder and his blood rush as he looked at the two, it felt like there was something in the air between them. Something of excitement, slight embarrassment and something intense.

*Cough cough* an angry cough was heard making the three look to the side.

There stood a disappointed meerkat with folded arms.

A swine looking angry.

A snake shaking his head in disappointment and a a black panther signing, as if she had failed her mission as a life coach.

"Erm .. this is not what it looks like?" Asafa said.

"We leave you 5 minutes and his is what you do?" Imani asked.

"I won't accept this under my trees!" Timon said.

"To think that you've demoted me to the second biggest snake here... I'm disappointed!" Hamu said.

"Asafa... You should introduce us..." Pumba tried to ease the situation.

Nala, Ayana and Asafa stood up awkwardly.

"Ah, it's Timmy and Pauly? Nice to meet you again!" Ayana greeted the two she had seen earlier, Timon and Pumba.