"Everyone, this is Simba." Timon was atop of Pumbaa now, introducing the lion cub to the other animals of the Oasis.

"That, my friend is a lion." Zola, an elephant shrew, said as she looked towards the group of four. Other animals came out to see Simba and get some grub. Pumbaa was usually the one to find the bugs or know the best spots, so they always followed him to eat.

"What about food? Have you thought about feeding that thing?" Ade, mate to Ada, said in fright. They both were antelopes, often scared of anything with sharp teeth.

"Ya, I'm starved. I could eat a whole zebra." Simba said. The other animals gasped in fear at his words. Kamaria found herself shocked at Simba wanting to eat something other than bugs.

"Uh no no. Kid, we are fresh out of zebra." Timon said.

"An antelope?" Simba questioned back.

"Uh oh." Barika said, Ada and Ade close behind her. Kamaria sent a reassuring smile to the three. She wouldn't let Simba eat her friends.

"Listen kid, if you want to live with us you have to eat like us. Like Kamaria." Timon said, gesturing in the direction of said lion.

"Wait I'm supposed to eat zebra and antelope?" Kamaria found the idea unusual. She had only ever ate bugs, she had never thought about eating anything else.

"No! No no! You eat bugs, remember? You can teach Simba." Timon said as he looked to Kamaria, waving his claws in a no-no motion.

"The most important thing, do not eat us!" Zola said, popping up next to Kamaria. Kamaria sent a smile towards the shrew, she always enjoyed Zola's company.

"This looks like a good spot to rustle up some grub." Timon said as Pumbaa nodded.

Pumbaa breaks open the rotted log in front of them. The top half broke away revealing a buffet of all kinds of bugs. Kamaria especially enjoyed the crunchy ones.

Animals cheered as they rushed to the log. They all started feasting on the bugs before them, commenting on which one was their favorite and why.

"Ew! What's that?" Simba exclaimed, disgusted.

"It's food, Simba. You eat it." Kamaria said back. Maybe he forgot what food was? Kamaria felt saddened for the lion, not knowing what food was. Or how delicious it could be.

"Slimy, get satisfying." Pumbaa said to Timon.

"Mm, extra crunchy." Timon said back, crunching on a winged bug.

"They're local." Pumbaa boasted.

"Oh are they?" Timon said back.

"They're from right there." Pumbaa gestured with his head before going for another bite.

"Let me tell you kid. This is the great life, no rules, no responsibilities. Oh, a little cream filled kind, I love these!" Timon said in excitement, grabbing a long bug with grooves. This one was white with green and yellow spots.

"Simba, try it. It's not that bad, I promise." Kamaria encouraged, a smile on her face.

"Okay, Hakuna Matata." Simba said quietly before he ate the bug.

"Slimy, yet satisfying." Simba said in astonishment, surprised the bug was that tasty.

"There you go!"

"Wasn't that bad."

"See? We didn't lie." Kamaria, Timon and Pumbaa all said in unison. Kamaria nudged Simba and sent him a smile, proud at him for trying it.

Simba sent a smile back to the lion, her heart beating funny at the smile he sent him.

"After we get done eating, can I show Simba around? I have to show him all my favorite spots!" Timon and Pumbaa grumbled their approval, too focused on eating.

After Simba and Kamaria had finished eating, Kamaria was quick to show Simba all her favorite spots.

"Here's the waterfall! It's really pretty at night, it glows and everything."

"Cool! Can we swim in it?"

"I think so? I've swam in it before and lived."

Simba nodded at her words. He couldn't wait to see it at night. The two moved on to the next spot.

"This is the best grub spot! Hard to get into though, the outside is tough, but if you hit it in the right places, hundreds of bugs for eating!" Kamaria walked by a large ant hill, it was the animals favorite place to eat. It was also really beautiful to see all the insects fly away, it was like a wave of white wings washing over you.

"What's that?" Simba gestured towards a large tree, the trunk thick and strong. Its branches twisting and turning as big green leaves sprouted.

"A tree? Have you never seen one before?" Simba blushed, he thought it was a landmark like the waterfall and ant hill.

"I—uh, yes. Yes I have seen a tree before." Simba, hoping to escape his embarrassment, nodded towards a darker part of the Oasis.

"What's that?" Kamaria turned to look and shivered at what she saw. She wasn't a fan of the thorn forest.

"That's the thorn forest, it's full of sharp thorns that cut deep. Small animals can get in easily enough but bigger animals have trouble. Pumbaa can't go in so Timon and I can't go in. Pumbaa gets scared when he's left alone." Simba nodded and was about to ask Kamaria to go in with him when he paused.

The last time he went somewhere dangerous his father had to rescue him and Nala, a friend of his from his pride. They got surrounded by hyenas and thought they would get eaten until Mufasa came and fought them off.

But, his dad wasn't here now to help him.

"Yea, let's—let's not go in." Simba stumbled over his words, his heart squeezing painfully at his father being gone.

Kamaria, noticing his switch in emotions, slowly approached Simba's side. He had left her side to inspect the thorn forest.

"It's not that scary, you know. I've been in there before, and it's just a pool of water on the other side. Just hurts when you get scratched." Simba looked to the lion.

At first she unnerved Simba, she looked different from him and his pride. He had never seen a white lion before, and she didn't even know she was a lion. But at some point, that unnerved feeling went away and was instead replaced with content.

She didn't look at Simba weirdly for just appearing and she never asked where he came from. Just smiled and tried to make him feel comfortable in a new area. Simba didn't realize he needed it, but that comfort she offered helped him feel something other than sadness.

He almost felt... happy.