The Imaginary Okapi

KION: (SNIFFING) Mmm-hmm.

(LEAVES RUSTLING)

KION: Gotcha!

FULI: Hey!

KION: Now it's your turn to be "it" and my turn to hide!

FULI: Yeah, okay, fine. But first... Could you move your paw? (SIGHS) I still don't get it, Kion. Why are we playing hide-and-seek in the first place?

KION: It's not just hide-and-seek. It's a way to practice our tracking skills.

FULI: Ah, that does sound better.

BUNGA: Yeah! Besides, it's fun!

FULI: How long did it take Kion to find you two?

BUNGA: Somehow he found me right away.

KION: He laughed when I walked past him.

ONO: Kion found me pretty fast, too.

FULI: What about Beshte? Haven't you found him?

KION: Oh, yeah, I found him. I just haven't told him yet. Okay, Beshte! You can come out from behind the rocks now!

BESHTE: (CHUCKLES) You got me. Pretty good hiding place, though, right?

ONO: I have to admit, for someone your size, you're a surprisingly good hider.

BESHTE: Thanks, Ono.

KION: Okay, Fuli. Everyone's been "it" but you. Close your eyes so we can go hide.

FULI: Hmm. Fine. But I warn you. I'm the fastest finder in the Pride Lands!

BUNGA: Oh, yeah? Well, I'm the fastest hider! (GRUNTING)

FULI: He does realize that doesn't count for anything, right?

ONO: I'm not sure he does.

FULI: (SIGHS) Okay. Everybody go hide!

Ready or not, here I come!

BESHTE: (GRUNTS) (CHUCKLES)

VOICE: Excuse me?

BESHTE: (EXCLAIMS) Who's in there?

AJABU: Just me. I didn't mean to startle you, but you were standing on my hoof.

BESHTE: I was? I'm sorry! Say, I don't think we've met. I'm Beshte! What's your name?

AJABU: Uh, I'm Ajabu.

BESHTE: Pleased to meet you, Ajabu. Come on out. I won't bite.

AJABU: Hmm. Okay.

BESHTE: Poa. I've never met anyone that looks like you. (CHUCKLES) And I've met pretty much everyone in the Pride Lands.

AJABU: Well, you see, I'm not from around here.

BESHTE: I believe it. So Ajabu, are you a zebra? Or a giraffe?

AJABU: Neither! I'm an okapi.

BESHTE: An okapi? Poa! I've never met an okapi before.

AJABU: Well, there aren't many of us. Even back home.

BESHTE: How come you were hiding in the bushes?

AJABU: It's what I do.

BESHTE: Hide in bushes?

AJABU: Oh, not just bushes. I hide behind trees, behind rock piles...Oh, if I see a hole, I'll hide in the hole.

BESHTE: Why do you hide so much?

AJABU: Where I come from, it's the smartest thing for an okapi to do. (GASPS)

BESHTE: Hey, Twiga.

TWIGA: Morning, Beshte.

BESHTE: Ajabu? Where'd you go?

AJABU: (SOFTLY) I'm here. Behind the rocks.

BESHTE: Come back out! That was just Twiga. She's a nice giraffe. No need to hide from her.

AJABU: Back where I come from, you can't be too careful.

BESHTE: Where do you come from?

AJABU: A place far away with lots of bushes and plenty of trees, a fair amount of rock piles. A hole or two. (LAUGHS) Lots of places to hide.

BESHTE: So why'd you leave?

AJABU: Oh, I got chased out. Guess I didn't hide well enough.

BESHTE: Who chased you out?

AJABU: A leopard. Okapis are a leopard's favorite food.

BESHTE: Well, you've got nothing to hide from here. We don't have any leopards in the Pride Lands.

AJABU: Really?

BESHTE: Hippo's honor!

AJABU: Then you think I could stop hiding?

BESHTE: Well, sure. Come on, Ajabu. I'll give you a tour. You're gonna love it here.

FLAMINGOS: (SQUAWKING)

BESHTE: ♪ From the north to the south 

to the east to west

♪ Yep, the Pride Lands 

are the best, no question

♪ You can see me 

in the floodplain section

♪ Lake Matope 

You'll catch a hippo resting

''♪ See? No need to hide ''

from the water

♪ Yo, Timon and Pumbaa!

♪ Hakuna matata

♪ You're safe around our way 

You're all right

♪ You're in the Pride Lands, Ajabu 

Ain't a leopard in sight

♪ Life in the Pride Lands 

Peaceful and so grand

♪ Living is easy 

Just you believe me

♪ 'Cause everyone I see 

is so friendly

♪ Grazing all around 

with no worry

♪ They all know 

there's no need to fear

♪ And you're gonna love it 

right here

♪ Follow me to Mizimu

♪ I'm playing those beats 

through the baobab grove 

on a tree fruit

♪ Plus I'm pals with 

every little galago

♪ And they hanging at Ndefu 

That's the style, yo

♪ Imbamba Canyon to the fields of Mbali 

Where the antelope run

♪ And the elephants be calling 

It's home sweet home

♪ Now you know 

how we be living

♪ One time for the Pride Lands 

Sing it!

♪ Life in the Pride Lands 

Peaceful and so grand

♪ Living is easy 

Just you believe me

♪ 'Cause everyone I see 

is so friendly

♪ Grazing all around 

with no worry

♪ They all know 

there's no need to fear

♪ And you're gonna love it 

right here

♪ You're gonna love it 

right here

♪ You're gonna love it 

right here ♪

FUILI: (SNIFFING) (SNIFFING) (GROWLS)

BUNGA: (SHOUTS)

FULI: (LAUGHS) Gotcha!

BUNGA: How come everybody always finds me first?

FULI: Maybe it has something to do with your smell.

BUNGA: (SNIFFS) It is unmistakable, isn't it?

FULI: Well, that's one way of looking at it. Now to find Ono, Beshte and Kion. Oh, and speaking of Kion, here's a nice fresh set of his tracks!

BUNGA: Right behind ya, Fuli!

FULI: (SNIFFING)

BUNGA: (GRUNTS) What you got, Fuli?

FULI: Look. These aren't Kion's tracks.

BUNGA: Unless he's got one foot bigger than the others.

FULI: Nah, I don't think so. Kion! Beshte! Ono! Game's over! You guys need to see this!

ONO: On my way!

KION: Fuli! What is it? You find something?

FULI: Any idea what kind of animal makes tracks like that?

KION: Heyvi kabisa! These are leopard tracks!

FULI: That's what I thought, too.

BUNGA: Leopard tracks? You sure?

ONO: But there aren't any leopards living in the Pride Lands.

KION: Well, there's one now. The question is, where? Ono?

ONO: I'm on it!

BUNGA: Any chance it's just a hyrax with really big feet?

ONO: Hapana! Everyone! Everyone! I saw the leopard! He's going after some gazelles!

KION: Lead the way, Ono. Till the Pride Lands' end...

ALL: Lion Guard defend!

KION: (GROWLING) Get out of the Pride Lands, leopard! Now!

MAKUCHA: Name's Makucha, lion. You want me to go, you're gonna have to make me. But you'll have to catch me first!

FULI: No problem! Huwezi! You got nowhere to go now!

MAKUCHA: That's what you think, cheetah! (SHOUTS)

FULI: (GRUNTS)

MAKUCHA: (LAUGHING)

BUNGA: Wow! He sure can jump!

FULI: Pretty fast, too.

KION: This guy's not gonna be easy to catch.

ONO: Did you see the gazelles? They weren't scared of the leopard at all.

KION: That's why we've got to get him out of the Pride Lands. None of the herds know that leopards are hunters.

FULI: So, they don't realize they should be scared.

BUNGA: They're all going to be sitting ducks!

ONO: Especially the ducks.

KION: That's why we gotta find him. Now let's split up so we can cover more ground. Fuli, you're with me. Bunga, you Ono and...Hey, where is Beshte?

BUNGA: I bet he's still hiding.

ONO: Don't worry, Kion. We'll find him.

BUNGA: Yeah. Let's go, Ono! Zuka Zama!

AJABU: (LAUGHS) You're right, Beshte. The Pride Lands really do seem great.

BESHTE: See? What did I tell ya? There's plenty to eat, and no need to hide. You could...

BUNGA: Beshte! Here you are! We've been looking everywhere for you. Ono! Found him!

ONO: Actually, I think I saw him first.

BUNGA: Maybe, but I got here first.

ONO: (SIGHS) Fine.

BESHTE: Hi, guys. I've been giving my new pal Ajabu a tour of the Pride Lands.

BUNGA: What new pal are you talking about?

BESHTE: This one here! Aja... Huh? He was here a second ago. Ajabu? Ajabu!

BUNGA: What's this Ajabu look like? Maybe I've seen him around.

BESHTE: Probably not. He's new to the Pride Lands. I think I'm the only one who's seen him.

ONO: I didn't see him. I only saw you.

BUNGA: So what's he look like?

BESHTE: Well... His top half looks like a giraffe, his bottom half looks like zebra, and his face kind of looks like an oryx but without the horns.

ONO: Sounds different.

BUNGA: Is that one new pal or three new pals?

BESHTE: Just one. He's a nice guy. You'd like him.

BUNGA: And you're the only one who can see him?

BESHTE: No, no. I'm just the only one who has seen him.

ONO: Uh, Beshte? Maybe you've been hiding all alone a little too long.

BESHTE: No, seriously, he was right here.

BUNGA: Sure he was, Big B! But we gotta go now. The Lion Guard needs us. Right Ono?

ONO: Affirmative. Follow me!

KION: Beshte. Glad they could find you.

BESHTE: Sorry about that. What's the kerbubble?

KION: There's a leopard in the Pride Lands.

BESHTE: (GASPS) A leopard? Are you sure?

BUNGA: Yeah, we chased him, but he got away.

BESHTE: This is terrible!

FULI: I'm pretty sure we can handle one leopard.

BESHTE: You don't understand. I told Ajabu there aren't any leopards in the Pride Lands.

KION: Who's Ajabu?

BESHTE: My new friend.

BUNGA: I think your new friend's safe, Beshte. The leopard will be going after real animals.

BESHTE: Ajabu is real!

BUNGA: And is he here right now?

BESHTE: Of course not! Least, I don't think so. Unless he's hiding. (GRUNTS) Ajabu? Ajabu!

KION: What's going on?

BUNGA: Beshte has an imaginary friend.

BESHTE: He's not imaginary!

BUNGA: He looked pretty imaginary to us.

BESHTE: You didn't even see him.

KION: Guys! We don't have time to talk about this right now.

FULI: Kion's right. We've got a leopard on the loose.

KION: And it's up to us to catch him.

BESHTE: Right. You got it, Kion!

KION: Now, let's go! Till the Pride Lands' end...

ALL: Lion Guard Defend!

KION: More leopard tracks. Makucha definitely came this way.

BUNGA: Yup! Looks like we're on the right "track." Get it?

FULI: Get what? We are on the right track. This is a track and it's the right one.

BUNGA: It was kinda funny, right?

ONO: Well...

KION: The leopard's headed this way.

FULI: Yeah. But it's hard to tell which way he went after he got into the tall grass.

BESHTE: Hey! I see him! There he goes!

KION: (GASPS) Come on!

ONO: How come I didn't see him?

BESHTE: I think he went this way.

ONO: I still don't see him.

FLAMINGOS: (SQUAWKING)

ONO: Hapana! (SHOUTS)

BUNGA: (GRUNTS)

BESHTE: (SIGHS) I could've sworn I saw him run this way.

KION: You sure it was the leopard?

BESHTE: The leopard? No, I thought I saw Ajabu.

KION: Who?

FULI: (SPITTING) Hang on. We've been chasing your imaginary friend?

BESHTE: He's not imaginary!

BUNGA: Big B? You know none of us have seen him, right?

ONO: It's true.

BESHTE: But guys. He really is real. Why don't you believe me?

BUNGA: I don't know. Maybe because your half-zebra half-giraffe friend sounds so un-Bunga-lievable!

KION: Bunga, you really hurt his feelings. Why don't you two believe him?

BUNGA: You heard what the guy's supposed to look like. Half zebra, half giraffe, half oryx.

ONO: And we didn't see him, even when Beshte said he was right there.

BUNGA: Do you believe him?

KION: I do. Beshte doesn't make things up. Besides, did you hear him say his new friend was chased here by a leopard?

BUNGA: Yeah, so?

KION: So we have a strange animal who says he was chased here by a leopard. And we have a leopard!

FULI: When you put it that way, it does sound real.

BUNGA: I didn't mean to hurt his feelings.

ONO: We should go say we're sorry.

KION: Good idea.

BUNGA: Hey, Big B? Don't be mad. We're sorry we didn't believe your friend was real.

ONO: He just sounded made-up. Sorry. (SPITS)

BESHTE: (SIGHS) That's okay. He does look different from anyone I've ever seen. I might not have believed me, either.

BUNGA: So we're pals again?

BESHTE: We always were, Little B.

FULI: Okay, guys. Don't forget, we still have a leopard at large.

KION: And if we believe in Beshte's friend, we've got to believe that the leopard's looking for him.

BESHTE: That's right! So we've got to find him first!

KION: Beshte! Wait for us!

AJABU: (BREATHES DEEPLY) Well, Beshte did say the Pride Lands were safe. Oh, hello, there. Hi. Nice to meet ya. Oh, nice stripes.(CHUCKLES) Hello.

THURSTON: Not to get personal, stranger, but are you a zebra?

AJABU: Uh, no. I'm not.

THURSTON: (GASPS) I knew it! You're not a zebra!

MAKUCHA: (GROWLING) Look who's here.

AJABU: I know that. I said I'm not.

THURSTON: Well, what are you then? Are you a short giraffe?

AJABU: (LAUGHS) No. I'm a...

THURSTON: Are you a fancy antelope?

AJABU: No. I'm a...

THURSTON: Shh, shh! Wait, don't tell me. You're a... You're a... Hmm.

AJABU: Leopard!

THURSTON: Leopard? What's that?

AJABU: Something big and mean with sharp teeth! And it's coming this way!

THURSTON: Mmm-hmm. So it is. Well, in that case, my advice is... Panic and run! Panic and run! Panic and run!

KION: The leopard! Come on!

AJABU: Makucha! I... I can't believe you chased me all this way!

MAKUCHA: You okapis are rare. Once you find one, you stay on its trail. And your trail is about to come to an end. (LAUGHING)

THURSTON: Panic and run! Panic and... (YELLS) I know I'm delicious, but don't eat me! Please!

MAKUCHA: (GROWLS) I'm after somebody a lot tastier than you.

THURSTON: Well! I've never been so insulted in all my life.

KION: Till the Pride Lands' end...

LION GUARD: Lion Guard Defend!

MAKUCHA: Ugh! Not these guys again.

THURSTON: Somebody tastier than me... I mean, really? (SCOFFS)

KION: Anybody else think it's weird that the leopard didn't go after any of the zebras?

FULI: Yeah, now that you mention it.

BESHTE: (GASPS) I bet Ajabu was hiding in the herd! Remember I said his back half is striped like a zebra's? He'd blend right in.

KION: So you think the leopard was after your new pal?

BESHTE: He did say leopards chase okapis all the time where he came from.

KION: Well, they're in the Pride Lands now. And the Lion Guard is gonna keep Ajabu safe!

BESHTE: Thanks. I knew he could count on you guys.

AJABU: (YELLS)

BUNGA: What is that thing?

AJABU: (YELLS)

BESHTE: That's Ajabu!

BUNGA: Well, I'll be a baboon's brother!

ONO: Ajabu's actually real?

BESHTE: You said you believed me.

BUNGA: We did, but now we really believe you.

BESHTE: (GROANS) Anyway, I'm glad you've finally seen him.

KION: Uh-oh! So has the leopard! Lion Guard, let's go!

AJABU: Leave me alone, Makucha! Just go back home, won't you?

MAKUCHA: No way! I've chased you too far to give up now. (GROWLING) (SHOUTS)

BESHTE: Poa! Nice move, Ajabu!

MAKUCHA: Now you're just making me mad!

AJABU: (YELLS)

MAKUCHA: I've got you now!

BESHTE: Not on my watch! Twende Kiboko

MAKUCHA: (GROANS)

AJABU: Wow!

BESHTE: You okay, Ajabu?

AJABU: I'm fine!

MAKUCHA: (GROWLING) Why don't you mind your own business? I'm just saying hello to an old friend.

KION: This is our business.

FULI: And you're not acting too friendly.

MAKUCHA: So leopards say hello with their teeth, so what?

KION: So it's time for you to say goodbye!

MAKUCHA: Come on! I can fight two at once! (GROWLS)

BUNGA: Let's make it three! What's the matter? Honey badger got your tail? (LAUGHS)

MAKUCHA: Ugh! I hope you taste better than you smell.

ONO: Incoming! (GRUNTS)

AJABU: (LAUGHS) You guys are amazing!

BESHTE: Thanks. Now you stay here. I'll be right back!

MAKUCHA: (SNARLING)

BESHTE: (BELLOWING)

MAKUCHA: Fine! Have it your way! Not even an okapi is worth this.

BUNGA: Whoa!

BESHTE: (BELLOWS)

FULI: Don't stop till you're out of the Pride Lands!

KION: Bunga, let go!

BUNGA: Good idea! Whoa! And don't come back! Guess I told him. (CHUCKLES)

BESHTE: Hey, everybody, I've got someone I want you to meet. Kion, Fuli, Bunga, Ono... This is my new friend Ajabu.

ONO: Greetings.

FULI: Hey.

BUNGA: Hello.

KION: Hi.

BESHTE: Ajabu, meet the Lion Guard.

AJABU: Hi, everyone. I don't know how to thank you for saving me.

KION: It's what we do.

AJABU: (SNIFFING)(GASPS) Are you a honey badger?

BUNGA: I sure am!

AJABU: (LAUGHING) Wow! I've heard of honey badgers, but I never believed they were real.

BUNGA: Oh, yeah? Why's that?

AJABU: I figured nobody could look and smell like that. I thought they had to be made up. But you're real!

BUNGA: Yep! I'm as real as it gets!

BESHTE: You're not planning on going back home, are you? That leopard will be waiting for you.

AJABU: What else am I gonna do?

KION: I think I've got an idea. Mom, Dad? Ajabu came to the Pride Lands as a visitor, but he'd really like to stay. If he has your blessing.

SIMBA: Of course, Ajabu. You're welcome to stay in the Pride Lands.

NALA: For as long as you like.

AJABU: Oh, thank you, Your Highness! Thank you!

NALA: We're happy to have you here, Ajabu.

(ALL CHEERING)

BESHTE: Welcome to the Pride Lands!

BESHTE: So Ajabu. Now that you're a Pride Lander, what do you want to do next?

BUNGA: Ha! I know! Let's play some more hide-and-seek!

AJABU: Okay. (CHUCKLES)

BUNGA: Un-Bunga-lievable! He's really good at that!

BESHTE: (LAUGHS)