I'm so sorry for the delay! So much has gotten in the way of this. Well, it's finally time to see how this comedic little story ends! This shall be interesting…

ThatPersonYouMightKnow: I get the feeling most people have probably read your series by now. Why wouldn't they have?

the-mysterious-other: Only Rafiki would know…

Emerald dreamer96: Ibada can act nice when necessary. I'm glad you liked the reference!

Greg M 94: Indeed, if Rafiki comes, bad things may very well happen…

DarthRushy: You should be very happy. Indeed, Rafiki has gone quite a bit crazy. As for Tama and Tojo, we've got a long way to go…

Chu10: Did you enjoy your trip? I'm glad you liked these chapters! So the bad cubs stand out to you most, eh? I'm glad you liked my recordings too. I'm actually the first person to play Tojo, even though Disney created him…Ms. Calame never did tell me what she thought, but I'm glad she at least said hi!

Chapter Seven: Tricking the Cubs

"So, Nala," Ibada smiled, "do you look forward to your future position?"

"What future position?" Nala asked in confusion.

"The sister-in-law of the king and queen, of course!" Ibada exclaimed. "Simba marries my sister, and then you marry me! Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?"

Nala grimaced, but decided to play along. "Oh, it'll be so wonderful."

Simba's finely-tuned canine ears picked up on Nala's sarcasm, but Ibada, fortunately, did not.

"Glad to hear it," he grinned.

"So, let me get this straight: Simba went into Rafiki's tree, drank some sort of liquid, and turned into a dog?"

Mufasa stared quizzically as Chumvi and Kula nodded simultaneously.

Zazu stammered, "I-It's true sire. I wish I could say that it wasn't."

"Where is he right now?" Mufasa asked.

"He said for us to take you to the waterhole after finding you," Kula answered.

"All right then, let's go."

Mheetu sat crouching in the bushes, watching the action, or lack thereof, at the waterhole.

"That stupid Ibada thinks he can take my sister and position! Look at him: snuggling up to her like that! I admire his wicked ways, but he's halting my own advancement! I'll show him!"

Mheetu smiled, waiting for Simba to give him the signal.

"C'mon Simba! Do something! We can't carry on like this!"

Finally, he noticed Simba flick his paw slightly. Mheetu grinned evilly as he began to creep out of the bushes.

"Showtime!"

As Chumvi, Kula, and Zazu led him to the waterhole, Mufasa was running after them, lost in his own thoughts.

A dog? he asked himself. Why a dog? Why did Simba go in there at all? Why does Rafiki have potions like that? And why am I talking to myself in my head?

The mighty lion continued running. If his son had truly turned into a wild dog puppy, then he definitely wanted to see for himself. Afterwards, he would make sure to get his son back to his normal state.

As Mheetu prowled into view, he exclaimed, "Ibada! It's good to see you!"

"Who are you?" Ibada asked in confusion.

"I am Nala's brother," Mheetu smiled. "Don't you know that it is Pride Lands law to ask family members before courting a lioness of the pride?"

Wow, he is a good liar, Simba smiled. I'm glad that isn't a real rule here.

"No," Ibada responded. "Why would I?"

"Of course you wouldn't," Mheetu chuckled. "You're far too stupid."

Ibada snarled at this. How dare this little weakling of a cub call him stupid!

"I come before this uneducated congregation of cubs to propose a… proposition."

"Isn't that kind of redundant?" Nala asked.

"Well, Nala, if you talk to these cubs at their intellectual level, you wouldn't sound very intellectual yourself."

"Ah," Nala smiled. There were times where she really liked her brother…

"Anyway, as I was saying, I have a proposition for you all. If you let my sister go, I can help you find Simba. I know where he is."

Simba's eyes widened in horror.

He better not tell them the real truth, he snarled internally. If he does, then he's gonna go into Rafiki's tree himself.

The silence was broken when Chumvi, Kula, Zazu and Mufasa all arrived on the scene. The waterhole cubs cowered to the ground in fear.

"P-p-please don't hurt us, Mufasa!" a cub whined melodramatically.

"We didn't do anything! We don't even know where Simba is!" a female cub cried.

They don't know that's Simba, Mufasa realized. Well, I guess I'll play along. I'll show Scar I can be smart, too! Won't he be impressed?

"I won't hurt you," Mufasa declared. "I simply want to know where Simba is. And I also want to know why you are holding Nala like that."

"Sir," Ibada began, "remember how we discussed betrothing my sister to your son? I'm simply settling in and taking the most beautiful girl in the pride for myself."

"Let go of her. Now," Mufasa ordered. Ibada reluctantly complied. Nala bounced over to Mheetu.

"What's your plan?" she whispered in his ear.

"I'm gonna lead them to Tojo," he explained. "He looks so much like Simba; they'll think he just got dust on his fur or something."

"Good plan," Nala nodded. She then pranced back to Mufasa, and repeated Mheetu's words in his ear.

"Cubs," Mufasa declared, "now that you've let go of Nala, Mheetu will lead you to my son. I will be watching you."

Mheetu then lead them off, and Ibada and Sheeta, along with about five others, followed him. As soon as they were gone, Simba and Nala climbed on Mufasa's back. The three then ran towards Rafiki's tree.

"There he is!" Mheetu whispered, pointing as Tojo walked alongside Rafiki. "Now go get him! But remember: Mufasa is watching."

The cubs then crept out of the brush, slowly moving towards them, before leaping at Tojo at once

"Hey! Get off me!" Tojo squeaked.

"We're not letting go, Simba," Ibada smiled. "Not until you accept Sheeta here as your bride and leave Nala to me!"

"I'm not Simba!" Tojo exclaimed.

"What?" Ibada roared. The cubs stopped and inspected Tojo more closely. No, his fur was not dirty in the slightest. It just so happened to be a different color, meaning that the cub indeed was not Simba.

"That little slimeball tricked us!" another cub shrieked.

"Where is he?" Ibada asked in anger as he scanned for any sign of the grayish-white cub, but Mheetu had already fled.

"He's gone!" Ibada growled. "We'll find him and Simba both. Then we'll pound them good!"

Before Ibada could move, he was knocked out by a large stick with a pair of gourds hanging from it. When the other cubs reacted, they too were knocked out, one by one, Sheeta included, until not one of them was conscious.

"How did you do that, Rafiki?" Tojo asked the baboon in admiration.

"It's a gift," the baboon smiled.

An hour later, a certain gold-and-black pup was in Rafiki's tree as the old baboon created a new concoction.

"Let dis be a lesson to you, Simba," Rafiki smiled. "When you mess with Rafiki's potions, disaster results!"

"From now on, I'll only come here if invited or injured," Simba promised.

"Glad to hear it," Rafiki grinned. "Now, take a drink."

Simba lapped up the liquid eagerly, sighing happily as he drifted to sleep.

Back at Pride Rock, the cubs were all sitting around, listening to a golden-furred lion cub with brown eyes and a mischievous smile tell the tale of what had happened in the past few hours.

"And then I fell asleep. When I woke up again, Dad had carried me all the way back here. I'm normal again!"

Just then, a thin cracking sound could be heard. Everyone looked at the nest, only to discover five little blue-feathered heads poking out.

"Cheep! Cheep! Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!"

"My birds!" Tojo smiled. "They've hatched!"

Everyone smiled, even Mheetu.

"I wonder what they'd look like when plucked…" he said to himself. Nala jabbed him with an elbow.

Simba smiled as well. "I think we can all say that this day was pretty cool!"

It's finally over! What did you think of it? Don't forget to review!

Next Time: Simba's three worst enemies decide to team up, and this time, they have an especially sinister plan in mind…