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An Astro/Kimba fan fic

“The great Kimba skadittle-dattle”
By Dan

Kimba/Jungle Emperor Leo Astro Boy/Tetsuwan Atom © Osamu Tezuka Productions Japan. All rights deeply respected.

Kimba decides to leave the jungle in Africa for a crazy frolic in Metro City. Not the best idea in the world…least to the tree fort gang trying to get him to go home.

The West Serengeti Plains
Kimba’s realm

Bucky was tearing through the thick brush so fast, no one had the time to get out of his way. He kept blurting “sorry” every few seconds as his hooves flew over a group of Meercats, crashed through a party being held by Gossamer Squirrel and ruined the new above ground borough of Sammy Sloth. In the end the ungainly Gazelle crashed head on into poor Speedy Cheetah, who had been sitting on the lip of a small pool of water cooling his tired paws from a day of range running. Both of them fell into the pool and they were a crazy tangle of tails, hooves, claws and curses till they wound up on the other edge snapping at each other!

“I gotta find Dan’l baboon!”

“I’m gonna snap your stupid tail off Bucky you crazy horse looking freak!”

“I’m not a horse!”

“You’re a freak!”

A swinging hoof and paw fight ensued until old Dan’l baboon pulled both animals apart. “What in the volcanoes heck are you two doing?!”

“He started it! Stupid!”

“Speedy, you’re not helping things at all. Now Bucky you have some explaining to do, I got complaints all over the place about your Olympic sprinting…”

Bucky pushed the ripped and soaked remains of a note in Dan’l’s face. “Read this! I was going to get Kimba for something and this was tacked up near his cave door!”

Dear everybody…

I’m fit to be tied like a dog in a pet store! I’m totally stressed out. Taking a vacation from the jungle, don’t follow me, don’t call Rodger, I’m going to the big city to tire myself out and have some long lost fun. Be back when I feel like it.

Kimba

P.S. You all need to learn how to handle yourselves anyway for once, I’m sick of being a 911 operator!

“Jumpin catfish! What on earth was he thinking! Never mind it’s clear he wasn’t thinking anything at all…Bucky you better find Rodger Ranger and get him here quick before Claw, Cassias or the Keralu Brothers find out Kimba’s flown the coop!”

Dan’l started pacing about the grass…”I’m too old, I’m too old, I’m too bloody old for all this stress! That crazy, white furred brat! After all I’ve taught him about being responsible he decides to go off half hammered and leave when we absolutely need him! Ugh…when he gets back I’m going to blister his tail end so bad he won’t sit for a week I tell you!” Dan’l was still stomping about when Rodger’s jeep pulled up to the big tree and it was another hour before Rodger got the full story between the fits and snorts and swearing.

Metro City Airport
Shinjuku province Japan

The entrance of the great white jungle prince into the lair of man was less than dignified, if you called an ungainly flip and flop from an airline shipping box near dignified at all. Kimba had learned well from Rodger, always carry cash to bribe the African customs agent who stamped your box and the two freight toadies who stocked it with food for the trouble. Kimba had also learned how to do the two-legged trot, though not very well as he ungainly walked on his hind legs to a stack of bags.

“I’ll just take one thing from a few of these, no one will miss them.” Kimba said to himself as he struggled to fit into a few pairs of pants. It took a while to find one pair baggy enough to accommodate the shape of his hinds. Soon he stood adjusting his tail through a hole he’d ripped in a pair of baggy women’s pants, fought with the zippers on his shirt and Varsity College basketball jacket, played with several caps and soon found himself….almost human looking.

“Hmph!” Kimba snorted as he stuffed the money he’d saved from Rodger into his pockets. “I can’t go on vacation indeed. Well I went so what can you do now Dan’l?” Kimba had no real worries about home even though he was less than confident in leaving his realm to the paws of the bickering Maudi brothers. That was the only thing keeping the older of the two teen lions, Keralu, from raising all sorts of hell and chaos through the jungle, the fact that his little brother Ninji was one angry paw slap from seeing stars. Sometimes it truly helped to fall affectionate for the cousin of someone you didn’t like. Between Kitty’s fangs and Ninji’s back slapping…the homeland would be in good hands.

Kimba felt he needed to get away for a while and why not! He thought about it all as he sneaked through a hole in the airport fence line and ventured into the parking lot. Every day for the past year had been “Kimba! Kimba!”this and “Help Kimba!” that. Middle of the day, middle of the night, middle of dinner, breakfast and lunch…he’d simply reached a point of frustration which ended in his tail flopping flight to a little freedom. When the words of your father fail to stop you, that’s serious.

The people on the bus he’d hopped onto regarded him with more amusement than realizing they had an adolescent fully fanged lion in their midst. A child came up without fear, stroked a paw, pulled at an ear and giggled loudly. “Nice costume. Are you a mascot?”

“Yes.” Kimba replied smiling. “I was a little late getting to the game so I…forgot my change of clothes.”

The bus broke in laughter as Kimba got up, did a little dance, whooped up a baseball fight song from his sharp whit and climbed off into the middle of Metro City still singing and waving as the bus left.

“Shewwwwww….what I won’t do. That was humiliating.” He thought as he looked around at the tall buildings, throngs of walking people and the streets filled with cars. A sudden tinge of growing gripped his stomach. “Alright…even my stomach complains for my attention.” Kimba looked across the street to see a MacDonald’s and the memories of his cubling hood came back. “Mmmm…I always did like those McNuggets.”


The Tree House
Metro City Parklands

Astro lightly slapped Tamao’s hand as he reached for the box of Shakey’s pizza. “Uh uh… you remember the rules, no answer to the Juku question, no slices.”

“Yeah Tamao! We all agreed to it as part of our preparation for the entrance exam progress test.” Abercrombie said with a raised finger.

“But the pizzas will get cold out here!”

Astro quietly used a rocket arm to lightly warm the two pizza boxes. “You were saying? Now what is the proper term for co-efficient expansion?”

“You took a slice and you don’t even have to worry about missing a question Astro!” Tamao snorted.

“I took one piece because I am the moderator and I think that deserves a fair share now if you can’t answer the question you lose your turn.”

Tamao blurted out his answer and Astro passed him the box. “There…complaining all for nothing. Your next Reno.”

“Bring it on oh plastic sage of the wheel of knowledge.” Reno snorted.

“Don’t give him that much credit.” Abercrombie said folding his arms. “You’ll stink up the tree house for sure.”

“Are we still going to the arcade after this?” Astro asked.

“Well yeah, what do you want to do? We had this all planned out.” Abercrombie said. “After all you promised to match me at the batting cages on a quarter power battery. I’d like to see you beat me this time.”

Astro smirked. “Don’t be too confident Crombie. I could still beat you on empty.”

“Bah!” Abercrombie replied. “If I did the math right? You’ll be struggling just to get the bat from around your neck to get in a good clobber.”

MacDonald’s
Downtown

Kimba waddled out of the MacDonald’s licking joyously at his paws. “Mmmm…those Teriyaki burgers were awesome! Mmmm…mmmm….I sometimes miss the taste of meat, then again Zebra is so tough.”

Suddenly Kimba felt something hard push into his side. A man was standing close next to him and the glint from a short barrel revolver gave him the hint. The adolescent lion walked slowly into an ally…

“This is cool! I’m being held up! What’s wrong mister? Can’t find a respectable job?”

“Shut up freak!” The man snorted. “Walking around in a costume…you idiot, you’re begging to be shot.”

Kimba held his forelegs up and slowly began to extend his claws. “Look mister…if I were you right now I’d be kind of wondering why I couldn’t see a human head behind these sets of sharp looking fangs in my mouth….”

“SHUT UP STUPID!” The man snarled as he tried to pistol whip Kimba in the snoot. The lion knocked the gun from the man’s hand and had him pinned to the ground so fast that the guy threw up just from sudden terror…

“Eeeewwww….must have eaten the bad salad huh?” Kimba said smirking as his maw closed in on the man’s face. “Now lookie lookie….a tongue, a set of sharp teeth, a nice looking throat…are you going to the bathroom yet mister? Oh yeah….”SHINK!!”…Nice set of claws huh?”

The robber trembled wildly as Kimba look at the revolver in his other paw. “No bullets? You know mister attacking a lion with an empty gun is as stupid as some of you human’s can get? Uh…….ROAR!!”

Kimba’s explosive roar sent the man running and screaming down the street. The white lion looked at the pistol, pitched it behind his back and walked down the ally and into a Ginza. “Hmm…let’s see what other troubles I could possibly cause around here today.”

O’Shay residence

Astro came walking into the living room carrying a huge teddy bear that he dropped at Zoran’s feet. “For you Zoran! You can thank Abercrombie.”

Zoran smiled. “You didn’t.”

“It was fair and square. He was right, I had a heck of a time getting a good swing but he forgot that one little detail. In all his boasting he didn’t set the two machines right. I got Tee Baller pitching speed setting. He didn’t mention speed setting in his bet.”

“I bet he’s angry at you.” Zoran said as she hugged the stuffed bear.

“Oh no…just a bent up bat and a destroyed pitching machine. His Dad will probably replace them, then claim I cheated.”

Astro was about to lay on the couch when the phone rang next to him. “Hello?”

“Astro, good thing you’re home.”

“Doctor if it’s about Abercrombie beating up a pitching machine I can explain…”

There was a brief pause. “Uh…I didn’t know this.”

“Woops. (giggles) well…”

“That’s not important right now. I need you to come to the Ministry at once.”

Astro looked at the receiver and pursed his lips. “What is it this time? Deadly bomber? Run-a-way spaceship? Skunk robbing another latte stand?”

“A lost cat.” The doctor replied.

Astro looked at Zoran. “A lost cat? You need me to find a lost cat? Ok.” Astro hung the phone up and smirked. “I get sent on the craziest missions these days.”

“Hope you’re protected against cat scratches.” Zoran said giggling as Astro walked towards the door.

“I’m going to get some cat treats and toys. Tell the Doctor I’ll be a little late.”

The Grand Titan
Indoor ski games center

This wasn’t hard at all. The snow board was no different than a piece of thick tree bark and the grass covered slope back home, though the humans kept giving Kimba the wildest looks because he was doing the downhill on all fours.

“That’s a wild costume.” Said one human teenager who came up to Kimba as he was getting off the ski lift.

“I’m a walking advertisement for Lion Insurance Company. What some people won’t cook up for a gimmick huh?” Kimba said as he threw his board onto the snow. “My name’s Kimba.

“Nicklas.” The boy replied. “So if you can do it on your hands and feet can you do it standing up?”

Kimba looked down at the course and pursed his lips. “Wouldn’t be crazy if a life insurance mascot ended up in the hospital? Guess you only live once huh?”


They both kicked off and shot like rockets down the powdered course.

Ministry of Science

Astro stood scratching his head at the picture in his hand. “Now explain this to me again? This lion decided to just quit his job, left Africa and is here in Metro City?”

Rodger sat in a chair next to Doctor O’Shay’s desk wiping a pair of glasses. “He’s a “unique” lion.

“I’ll say.” Astro almost laughed. “Wears clothes, loves pizza, speaks English and Japanese and listens to….AC/DC?”

“Kimba lived here in Metro City when he was a cub for a year. He’s highly intelligent, you could say he’s a one in a thousand genetic eccentricity. The White Lion in Africa is considered the most intelligent of all the animals, that’s why we’re worried about him.”

Astro leaned against the desk. “So why did he decide to run away if he’s that important?”

“Well…” Rodger said smirking. “He’s at the age of rebellion. A teenager with fur caught between being a wild cub and an adult lion. Too many things at once and he decided to tell everyone off. I just wish he didn’t decide to hop a plane and come back here.”

“Can’t you just put out some cat food, do a few announcements on a radio and tell him to come home?”

“Astro please take this seriously.” O’Shay asked.

“Doctor this is probably the funniest mission you’re sending me on. Maybe I should open up a pet chasing service?” Astro looked at Rodger. “He’s that important?”

“The fate of all Africa could be in jeopardy if anything bad happens to Kimba. The white lion’s influence over the whole continent is such that civil wars and terrible disorder could befall the whole region if word gets out he’s left. Please Astro, you have to find him and make sure he stays safe.”

Astro nodded. “Alright…I’ll treat this seriously. I promise I’ll have him back without a single piece of fur out of place.”

Astro walked out of the Ministry with Reno close behind him. “You’re not joking? A lion dressed in clothes running around Metro City?”

Astro raised a finger. “A talking Lion who likes Sushi…running around Metro City.”

Reno pursed his lips. “I don’t know where to start. It’s not like he’s got a public tourist M.O. .”

Astro stood pondering options. “On a wild guess? Do you think he’d visit a zoo?”

“Don’t know why.” Reno replied.

“Maybe he’s been there before? Has a few friends there?”

“I’m more inclined to think he’s on a food raid in some Sotetsu store, what’s a lion eat a day? About 400 pounds of meat?”

“Uh….he’s mostly a vegetarian and fish kind of lion.” Astro said giggling.

“Ok…so he’s sitting in a sushi house hitting on girls.”

Astro shrugged. “I’m supposed to be taking all this seriously.”

Reno patted him on the back. “You are…you are a mountain of caring concern ok? Now…let’s consider that he’s hungry and looking to appease a 400 pound fish appetite.”

Koynami Sushi house

Niklas’s eyes bugged out as Kimba wolfed a plate of Unagi rolls faster than he could blink. “Wow! Your 23rd plate? You must have a black pit for a stomach.”

“It takes years of diligent practice.” Kimba said as he licked the sauce off the plate. “I once won first in a fish eating contest. Dumb hyenas love to brag.”

Niklas pursed his lips. “hyenas?”

“Yeah.” Kimba replied as he grabbed another plate. “See this pair of knuckleheaded hyenas thought that if they could get me to over eat that I’d be an easy target for Claw. Didn’t know I had a craving for fresh fish. They keeled over so fat from their chow down that you could roll em like beach balls.”

“LOL! That’s some joke!” Niklas laughed.

“Huh? I wasn’t joking at all.” Kimba said scratching his ear. “I should have told you that I’m a real lion fur and all! It would have been wrong to keep you in the dark.”

The small street was quiet…till Kimba stumbled and tripped into the street chased by flying plates, glasses, bottles and knives! “Maybe I should have shut my dumb trap!”

The head cook came running out of the shop with a huge meat cleaver. “Some one call the police! A real lion is on the loose in Kanagata Cho!”

Kimba ran around a corner, ditched his clothes and jumped into a nearby dumpster as the sounds of police cars roared by the alley. “Well at least I paid for my bill!” The white lion yelled out before diving under the garbage.

Highway tube 16
North of Kanagata Cho

“Hey! We got our break, the police just reported a big lion near Kanagata Cho!” Astro said as he pointed to the nearest exit.

“Hey! We got our break, the police just reported a big lion near Kanagata Cho!” Astro said as he pointed to the nearest exit. Meanwhile Kimba was running from hiding place to hiding place trying to figure out where he was.

“That Tokyo Hands store’s familiar. The Zoo shouldn’t be too far from there.” Kimba smacked his head on the concrete sewer pipe he was sitting in at a construction site when someone tapped him on the back. He turned with a snarl to see Niklas waving at him. “Oh thanks a lot! Gee next time I won’t hook up with someone who’ll rat me out!”

“Hey! I’m not a talking lion sitting at a sushi bar or didn’t you think that was a little too stupid!” Niklas snorted. “Gee what was I supposed to think? Oh hi nice lion with big fangs, wanna come home with me?”

Kimba smiled. “Yeah, that was a little dumb huh?”

Niklas looked outside the pipe. “No way you can go anywhere right now, the police are all over the place.”

“You’d think?” Kimba replied. “I need to get to the Zoo.”

“Just wave at the cops I’m sure they’ll understand.”

Kimba wapped Niklas with a paw. “Could you help me instead of cracking jokes?”

Koynami sushi house

Astro looked around the street. “At least he paid for the food.”

“A lion carrying yen, gobbling down sushi…have I gone crazy?” Reno asked.

“You’re already there.” Astro replied. “We could check out the zoo?”

The shop’s head sushi maker pointed down the street. “He ran down that way and jumped into an alley. There’s a large construction site on the way to the Zoo. He may be hiding around there.”

“Better we get to him first before the police.” Reno said as he ran to his hover car. “You should get flying and drop on that construction site, I’ll be by the Zoo.”

Astro took off into the air and sought out the construction site. It wasn’t long before he was kicking around the trucks and building materials, his electronic eyes burning intently on every small object.

Niklas slowly lowered the manhole cover over his head and huffed. “Astro’s here.”

Kimba tilted his head. “A policeman?”

“No. A robot. I bet they called him to find you.” Niklas watched as Kimba rose up on his hind legs and peered through the slightly open manhole cover.

“He doesn’t look like much.”

Niklas chuckled. “That’s what gets most bad guys in trouble. He’s got enough energy to take out a whole city.”

Kimba smirked as he dropped the cover. “He looks like a lot of fun.”

“Don’t pick on him.” Niklas warned.

Kimba smirked as he looked back over his shoulder then started to walk through the sewer pipe. “Pick? Heh…”

Meanwhile Astro stood on top of a bulldozer scanning the ground with his electronic eyes. “He’s all white so he should stand out!” Astro clicked onto Reno’s radio frequency. “Anything yet?”

“Nope. No sign of him. Cats are very smart you know.”

Astro frowned. “This isn’t like looking for Nibbles the house cat Reno.”

Meanwhile, Kimba had stopped in the sewer not too far from where Astro was looking. He’d found a few objects along his path that he quickly made into a sling shot.

“You’re not going to do something crazy are you?” Niklas asked as Kimba tested the tension on his sling shot.

“Me? Oh no….I’m just going to have some fun with pointy head.”

“Stop it!” Niklas warned. Too late as Kimba let fly a steel nut that tumbled through the air and whacked Astro off the back of the head!

“HEY!” The robot boy snorted out as he cringed. “So you want to fool around huh?”

Kimba sat giggling as Niklas watched Astro stomp around the construction site. “Oh man you made him angry!”

“He’ll get over it.” Kimba snorted as he stood up and launched another small bullet into Astro as he was crawling under a raised concrete vault on steel horses. “Yike! Well I know he’s not here.”

“LOOK YOU FOOLISH CAT, LION, WHATEVER YOU CALL YOURSELF! KEEP ACTING LIKE A CLOWN AND YOU WON’T LIKE HOW I TAKE YOU BACK HOME!” Astro screamed out as Reno came running up to him.

“You found him?” Reno asked.

“I think. He’s shooting stuff at me. “WHAP!” “Ouch! See what I mean!”

Niklas snatched a paw and pulled Kimba behind him. “That’s enough! If he catches you now he’ll cover you in syrup and feathers and bring you to the police in some embarrassing way that’ll make you the laughing stock of Africa.”

Kimba snorted. “He wouldn’t dare.”

“Don’t push your luck.” Niklas warned. The two partners in mischief were lucky to have gotten far down the sewer line before Astro came falling through a manhole cover behind them.

“Hear anything?” Reno asked as Astro lit the sewer up with his eye lights.

“No. But I bet if we sit around the Zoo long enough he’ll show up.” Astro climbed out of the sewer and walked back to Reno’s car. “Want to catch a Shakey’s Pizza? It’s not like we need to run over to the Zoo right now.”

Reno smiled. “Maybe he’ll smell the sausage and mushrooms and want a slice?”

“We order an extra one with lots of wasabi.” Astro snickered.

Metro Zoo
Evening

Niklas crawled up through the manhole and helped Kimba out. “So why are we here?” He asked as Kimba looked about.

“I have family here.” Kimba replied as he walked up to a park map. “My Uncle Shoji. I couldn’t come back here and not say hi, that would be disrespectful. He’s very old.”

Niklas followed Kimba. “So how did you end up here?”


“Long story.” Kimba replied. “Dad killed by a hunter, mom drowned in a shipwreck, adopted by a boy here in Metro City, it’s a very interesting story. I should write a book.”

“You told me you’re sort of cursed.”

Kimba chuckled. “I meant it in jest. My family history goes all the way back to Egypt. You know how Egyptians worshiped cats? The White Lion is celebrated in North African legend as the wisest of all animal creatures…naturally, you can call it a curse.”

Niklas slowly patted Kimba’s soft mane. “You hate it?”

“Hey…everybody’s got to get away from their job sometimes. I was starting to feel like a glorified diaper changer and nose wiper for every rat, gazelle, goose and elephant in the jungle. Humans stress out over their jobs don’t they? Try getting a good night sleep when you have a monkey asking you to bust up a fist fight or a cheetah complaining her mate scratches her too much. ”

“Well…you don’t have to drive around every day.” Niklas snorted. “Try riding in a car with my Mom. I’m getting wrinkles.”

Kimba chuckled a little as he and Niklas walked up to the lion exhibit cage. The white lion jumped the protection barrier and tapped the head of a sleeping lion. “Hey? I’m looking for Shoji.”

The lion opened his eyes and batted a paw at Kimba’s snoot. “Who let you out?”

“I’m not “out”. I’m here to see Shoji, is he still around?”

The lion sat up, yawned and looked over at another lion that was walking out of a cave. “Hey Koku? Is the old cat still up?”

“Yeah. Damn humans should have never given him those toys. You got a club so I can knock him out?”

“Tell him a White Lion’s here to see him.” Shiroku said. “He might have come out if he wasn’t a little deaf.”

Kimba sat. “Is he ok?”

“He’s slower than usual. Don’t call him old though, he gets a little miffed.”

Shoji slowly walked from his cave, stopping to yawn before he came up to the cage bars and squinted. Niklas could see he was as old as the other lion said he was, though he still couldn’t understand all of sudden how he could hear them speaking Japanese.


“Uh….he’s a little poor sighted.” Shiroku said as he patted Shoji’s head. “In front of you.”

“Uncle it’s me! Kimba!”

The old lion turned his head and pointed to an ear.

“IT’S ME KIMBA!”

“Uh? Kimba?! What in the world are you doing here boy?”

Kimba wagged his tail around. “I wanted to drop by and see you while I was here. I’m on vacation.”

The old lion shook his head and popped his eyes. “You’re what?!”

“Vacation Uncle. I’m taking a brea….”

Shoji swapped Kimba on the snoot. “What crazy idea is this?! Vacation from what? Who do you think you are some Japanese salary man on a Sunday drive?!”

“Well shoot Uncle! Even a King of beast needs a vacation! You’re right Shiroku, he has become a little pissy hasn’t he?”

Shoji gave Shiroku a snarl. “Family business you….keep your dumb trap shut. Gnaah…cough, cough…what do you think will happen when every lion and toothy troublemaker finds out you’ve flown the coop!”

“Probably stumble over their paws trying to figure out how to get Kitty on their good side? Uncle, I needed a break! I was being pulled every way, nine ways to the sun!”

Shoji reached out, grabbed an ear and pulled on it. “It’s your destiny Kimba! What would your father do if he were still alive and found you did this? He’d wipe the dirt with you!”

“Oh don’t worry. He’s going home very soon.” Came a voice from the corner of the cage. Astro and Reno came walking around. “You’re friend Rodger said you were cleaver.”

Niklas waved. “Hey Astro.”

“Don’t worm your way out of it Niklas.” Reno snorted. “You’re already in trouble for playing hookie from class.”

Kimba drew back and curled up like an angry house cat, whipping out his claws and dragging them through the air with a menacing growl. Astro just stood still smiling…

“Uh….impressive but I think the best thing you could do to me is slobber. Just cut the acting and come with me Kimba? Everyone back home is worried sick about you.”

Kimba slumped. “I didn’t scare you?”

“Uh uh.” Astro replied.

“Oh.” Kimba said. With that he quickly swapped a mud puddle next to his leg and sent a well placed shot of mud into Astro’s eyes! Snatching Niklas by his jacket, the White Lion took off like a shot!

“Argh!” Astro stood wiping the mud off his glass eyes. “Where did he go Reno?!”

“You always have a nasty habit of monologing.”

“Where did he go Reno?!” Astro snorted as Reno pointed. Kimba and Niklas had slid under a truck where the white lion had pulled a tarp over the top of them. “This is crazy! He’s really not the one you should mess with!”

“Be quiet.” Kimba snorted. He saw Astro land and giggled as the robot stomped around with a pug look on his face. “We need a diversion…”

Astro clenched his fists and scanned around using his enhanced vision. “Don’t make this tough Kimba! I’m taking you back eventually so stop being a stubborn cat and come Owwwwww…..YIPE!”

A truck without a driver came flying at Astro! He threw a leg back, snatched the truck up by the bumper and slammed it down on the roof where it sat spinning its wheels like mad till Astro shorted the ignition with his laser finger.

Reno came running up. “They took off through the gate!”

Astro sat for a moment flexing an arm. “That was torture on the servos. He’s super smart.”

“He’s getting super dangerous.” Reno replied.

Astro smirked. “He’s obviously looking for kicks and I guess I’ve become the ball.”

Reno smiled. “Ok…I’m going home now.”

Astro grabbed him by the shirt. “Oh no…where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Uh…big cat, big claws, big teeth and he can hotwire cars…not my idea of fun thanks.” Reno protested…till Astro threw him complaining over a shoulder.


“Cut it out Reno. I need somebody to keep me company.”

“Who’s going to keep me safe!” Reno screamed as Astro carried him through the air.

“Such trust! I thought you were my fearless best-us best friend?”

“Look Astro, eventually he’s gotta get tired and want to go home, why don’t we let him come to us when he’s ready?” Reno said before pausing to suck his finger. “Uh…my car’s still back in the construction lot.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Duh…you’re rambling again plastic butt!”

Niklas’s house

“Ugh! You’re heavy!” Niklas complained as he tried to push the rest of Kimba’s hanging body through the window of his bedroom. “I must be crazy doing this!”

“Yeah but who gets to tell their friends they had a lion for a pet huh?” Kimba replied as he tumbled into the room. He quickly climbed into the bed and curled up.

“Oh no! Prince or not, you’re floor hugging!” Niklas scorned.

“You’re mean.” Kimba replied as he sat on the floor. “So…what now?”

“What now is bed. It’s like 9pm. I gotta go walk through the front door so my mom don’t get upset.” Niklas walked to the window and climbed out into the back yard of his house. He ran around a corner, flipped up the locking latch on a wooden gate…

And came face to face with Reno. “Well look who’s come home. Did you think we were going to bed early Nick?”

Astro walked up behind Niklas and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Where is he?”

“He took off and left me!” Niklas quickly said. “He said he was going to find somewhere to hang out of the night.”

“Like your room?” Reno snorted. “I guess he has money to pay for a damaged utility truck huh? Time for him to go home before he causes a city wide panic.”

Astro walked over to Niklas’s bedroom window and looked in. “He can’t be hiding under your bed that’s for sure. I bet he’s in the closet.”

Niklas protested. “YOU CAN’T DO THIS! YOU DON’T HAVE A WARRANT!”

Reno snorted back. “We’re not the police knucklehead….duh!”

“Then I’ll call the police! You guys are busting into my house!”

Astro giggled. “Go ahead. I bet Towashi blows it up just to get Kimba out. Explain that to your mom.”

Astro climbed into the sill of Niklas’s bedroom window and smirked. “Ok Kimba, I know you can’t fit under his bed so how about you just come out, I’ll give you some nice Friskies and then I’ll take you….”

Kimba came out alright! He bolted from behind the bed, flew towards the window and almost knocked Astro to the ground had he not snatched the lion’s tail as it flew by! “Let go of it! Let go! Let go!” Kimba snarled and roared as he ran in circles trying to shake Astro off!”

“Cut it out!” Astro yelled as Kimba jumped a fence and took off down the street.

“I hope your head can take a good knock!” Kimba yelled as he tried to whip Astro into a lamp post and found himself slowing down as the robot boy stomped his boots onto the street.

“Stop it Kimba! You’re going home and that’s iieeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!” Astro was jerked off his feet once more and taken into an alley way. Fortunately or not, Kimba was too busy laughing to watch his steps and he collided into a pile of boxes! Both of them flew threw the air, rolling end over end until they landed in a trash dumpster.

Kimba’s dizzy head poked up covered with newspaper as Astro pulled himself over the lion’s back. “You…..are……under……” Astro tumbled over and crashed in a dizzy heap on the ground.

“Uh……arrest?” Kimba said smiling. “We have to do this again.”

Astro pulled himself up and grabbed Kimba’s mane by the chin. “No….we……don’t!”

“Awwwww…..” Kimba gave Astro a lick and patted his head. “You’re so cute. If I said sorry would that make you less mad?”

Astro snorted. “Don’t push your luck.”

MINISTRY of SCIENCE

Rodger hugged Kimba and left him sitting alone in a holding room with a one-way mirror. “Ugh…You have to love teenagers.”

Astro pointed. “That’s a teenager?”

Rodger looked at the mirror. “In comparison to human beings, Kimba’s about 17 years-old. He lived with humans for a while before going back to Africa and he’s always had to fight the easy life influence of the big city. This is just a phase he’s going through, about a month-long phase.

Reno smacked a hand against a palm. “I say give him 31 leather belts across the tail and he won’t think of Phasing again.”

“What a good father you’ll make.” Astro said smirking. “What did he say about why he left?”

“Frustration.” Rodger replied. “I guess we should have seen it coming, Kimba’s always been pulled between adopting human thinking and being what he is. He’s at a point where he has to make a choice.”

Astro scratched his head. “Wouldn’t it be obvious? I mean he really wouldn’t have much of a chance in the city for anything. Except pacing a cage or being a wild animal act. Just the fact that he can talk puts him in danger.”

Doctor O’Shay crossed his hands under his chin. “Perhaps it’s because of the expectations being placed on him? Living up to a father’s memory can produce a great deal of stress.”

“I don’t think that’s the problem Doctor.” Rodger said. “Kimba feels nothing but deep respect for his father. It’s the ease which human life exposed itself upon him. We have to wean him off of it once and for all.”

Astro slapped a fist against a palm. “I’ll take him back home, spend some time with him, help him make up his mind, piece of cake!”

Reno snickered. “Tarstro, Lord of the Jungle. Yeah I can see you in a fur skin loin cloth.”

“You got a better idea?” Astro snorted back. “Well? What do you think Doctor? Rodger?”

“It’s worth a chance at least.” Doctor O’Shay said as he rubbed his chin. “And I don’t think anyone could keep up with Kimba as good as Astro will, he certainly couldn’t outrun him.”

Rodger tapped a foot. “Well…I can’t think of a better method but you’ll have to be ready for some serious exercise Astro. Running a large piece of Africa isn’t like a paper route.”

Astro looked at the mirror window and hummed. “I always like a good work out anyway.”

2 days later
Cargo Hold of an MST aircraft

“Wow…who do I complain too about a space upgrade, gee wiz this is certainly first class.” Kimba scratched around the plane’s floor with a sharp claw. “Don’t you have something better to do than stare at me? How about you play Nintendo or something?”

Astro smirked. “I don’t have the hook-up capacity on my chest viewer, besides you haven’t been the most agreeable companion.”

Kimba frowned. “I wasn’t planning to stay in Metro City for the rest of my life.”

“You would have after another week so don’t snow blower my face please?” Astro said folding his arms. “I bet a lot of your friends are scared out of their hides for you.”

Kimba threw a paw around. “Most…of my so called friends can’t chase their tails without me being there! I have to hand hold every one of them in some way or another. I have to

chase predators off the kingdom for them, stop my girlfriend’s cousins from killing each other…ugh! It was all so easy at first when I was just a cub, now that I’m this big it’s like they stopped expecting to do most of the work themselves.”

Astro sighed. “Maybe you just don’t know how to change the way you deal with them as you get older? Of course now that you’re this big they think you can bash twice as many heads in and still play the fiddle at the same time…”

“I uh….don’t play a fiddle.”

“It’s a metaphor.” Astro said giggling. “You have to convince them that they have to take up more of the slack or, if I know you right, you’ll just run off again and leave them upset.”

Kimba threw a paw against his head. “Sometimes I wish I could just dye my fur brown and be a normal lion.”

Astro got up and wrapped an arm around Kimba’s mane. “That’s no way to deal with your problems. If you can throw me around like you did, fixing things back home shouldn’t be worse.”

Kimba snorted. “Oh yee of over faith.”

AFRICA
Over the Jungle south of Ungaili, Kenya

Kimba swung from the harness and line looking up at Astro then down at the ground. “I don’t even get peanuts on this flight?! I’ll sue the airline for this!”

Astro laughed. “At least you still have a sense of humor going home Kimba!”

“You need it!” Kimba snorted. “With these friends of mine it’s a wonder I don’t have Rodger mail me aspirin instead of cat treats!”

Kimba’s Kingdom
The father tree clearing

Dan’l looked down at the two lions screaming at each other and simply gave it up. They wouldn’t listen even if he’d bashed their noggins with rocks. That’s how it was with Keralu and Ninji Maldi, a love/hate mostly spitting teeth and blood relationship between two brothers. Keralu was the brash, gruff, impulsive dark gray furred brother while Ninji was a studious more gentle type who had more brains than brawn but might have wished for more brawn after Keralu smacked him a good one in the kisser.

“Grrrr…Forget being nice to them!” Keralu snapped. “beat their heads in and make em take what you give them!”

“That only makes more fights!” Ninji snorted back. “You’re such a brainless twit Kera!”

Both brothers began fighting again as Astro dropped Kimba onto the ground. “WILL YOU TWO KNUCKLEHEADS GET A GRIP!” Kimba screamed, which caused the two young lions to freeze in mid-punches.

“Hey Ninji? The godly prince of the jungle returns!” Keralu said. A punch in the snoot by his younger brother continued the fight. Astro jumped from the tree, snatched the lions by their manes and held them apart in the air!

“That’s enough!” Astro snapped.


Keralu looked upwards, then at Kimba. “Yo princy boy?! Who’s the steak dinner up here?”

Kimba shook his head. “I don’t think he’d swallow easily! That’s Astro, a friend from the city who’s trying to convince me I should stay here.”

Ninji shook his head. “Convince you to stay?! What’s wrong with you, of course you’ll stay!”

Kimba snorted. “I might not. He thinks I’ll throw my life away if I go live among the humans. But from what I’m seeing? It looks so much better than hanging here.”

Keralu stomped forward. “What a bunch of bull cookies! You can’t just drop everything and leave!”

“Since when did you care?” Kimba shot back. “When you were a kitten you were so eager to kick my butt and take over the whole jungle. Well? I won’t stand in your way, I’ll give you the keys, the fridge and the car!”

Keralu leaned over at Ninji. “Yup…he’s been sucking car fumes in the human world again.”

Astro walked up to Keralu. “So why don’t you take Kimba’s offer?”

“Because.” Ninji replied. “Way too much baggage and too few paws to handle all of it. Me and Keralu have a nice small chunk of jungle with our own pride to do all the work. You don’t think Keralu is fatter than me because of exercise?”

“Huh? You little twit!” Keralu snorted. Soon the Mauldi brothers were at it again with Astro and Kimba retreating from the growing dust cloud.

“See what I mean by finding good help? Now Kitty’s a wonderful lioness, about the only other organized claw handler I can rely on to help around here. Wait till you meet her Astro, she’s so cool.”

Kitty Borgum came prancing down the trail as Kimba and Astro walked into the kingdom and the nice lioness Astro heard about…she quickly slapped Kimba across the snoot. “About time you decided to stop wearing pants and come back! Do you know how much sleep I’ve gotten in the last 3 days! Reeeeeowwwwww! Psst! Psst! Reeeeeeeeowwwwww!”

Astro just slipped backwards out of the line of female cat furry as Kitty tore into Kimba with a torrent of angry cursing. She left him sitting quite stunned and embarrassed.

“Uh? Was that the nice lioness?” Astro asked as he pointed.

“Well….she’s nice when she’s not nibbling my snoot. But I understand she’s upset.” Kimba said pursing his lips. “Ugh…this is too much.”

“Don’t despair now!” Astro said as he patted Kimba’s back. “Wait a while and call her back, tell her how you feel.”

Kimba sighed. “Let’s just finish up here so I can get some sleep myself.”

I will read it when I get my PSP
Still waiting on the Warranty and I wanted to save some sites to read with it when I can use the internet with it lol but seems like a interesting story.