Here Comes the Sun

(April 2nd. Open to All)

The chubby baby hippo was ecstatic. The male was snoozing under a tree when a light poked at his eyes. "Nrg, five more minutes, sun...I need to sleep." He opened his eyes wide, ears flicking up as he gasped. "Sun?" He looked over the horizon, jaws open wide. "THE SUN!!! THE SUN!!!"

The iconic sunrise over the pridelands was such a welcome sight to the hippo who'd spent a good deal of his life in this blackness. He tumbled over his dad and his siblings and rushed towards the camp...bowling over a few sleeping zebras in the process. "EVERYONE! EVERYONE WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" He bounced up and down at the bottom of pride rock.

"Guys! Guys! Oops..." He'd knocked over a few tent poles. "Sorry everyone but...the sun! It's back! It's back!"

It had been a strange few days. Everything in the medical tent had been unusually calm. No one came in with any sort of frailness, sicknesses, broken bones, nothing. Heck, there wasn't even the slightest need for some antibiotic ointment and a band aid. Where is should be comforting, it was concerning. Baymax had been here long enough to start establishing some patterns about this life of war. When things got silent, it usually meant that something awful was on the horizon. While he couldn't exactly feel dread and impending doom, he could recognize the signs and sympathize it in his own way. So Baymax took advantage of the moment and spent most of his time deflating and recharging his batteries in his little home cube, only coming out when necessary or when Nani or another nurse requested something of him. 

"THE SUN! THE SUN! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

Baymax heard the screaming from outside and, almost instantly, booted himself up out of his sleeping mode. He didn't know exactly what was going on at first for the words didn't exactly register with any of his databases. He chose to ignore it at first but then decided that it wouldn't hurt to at least see what was going on, whether it was something miraculous or just some of the kids being kids. The circle on the robotic nurse's red cube blinked and chirped a few times before whirring open, allowing for the vinyl character to inflate. The air whistled and whirred, breaking the silence that had fallen inside of the MASH tent, and Baymax blinked his camera eyes a few times. He found that they were having a difficult time adjusting to the sudden appearance of light that wasn't caused by a fire. 

Wait....light?

Baymax tilted his head in confusion, looking around the tent. He could see sunlight streaming in through the open windows and his sensors were picking up on the sudden warmth the light brought. "I am...confused," he said to himself simply. For being a robot, this was one emotion he could actually experience. His databases were trying to search for some evidence, some scientific explanation, as to why the sun had suddenly reappeared after being gone for so long. But somethings didn't need to be, nor could they be explained, and it wasn't his place to decipher why. Just take it for what it was. The squeaking of his vinyl legs increased in frequency as he ran, more like waddled at a fast pace, out the door of the tent. His head craned backwards and his aperture pupils contracted at the overwhelming amount of light. It really was the sun. It was really back! 

The robot felt something like peace. All of his circuits and sensors were working efficiently again, and he didn't care that he had to find an answer for this positive phenomanon. He was just looking forward to the contentment of the others. "I am happy."

For a creature that was supposed to have a perfect memory, Malkia sure did forget a lot of things. When she awoke that morning, she registered nothing out of the ordinary. Just an exceptionally bright day, that was all. She had lived for so long that her time without the sun was the merest fraction of her life. Something that she needed to be reminded of and immersed in each day to even recognise.

 She had always gotten up exactly at sunrise, and today was no exception. The sky was a deep, burning red, with darker purple and umber clouds drifting lazilly across it. But the most breathtaking thing about dawn in the Pridelands was always the sun. Today it was bright yellow, sending gold strips shooting across the red-washed grassland. It was only small at the moment, but it promised to grow to elephantine proportions.

 The advisor lifted her trunk lazilly to the leaves of the fig tree underneath which she slept, and lazilly plucked her morning breakfast out of it; one fig. She was about to begin eating more, when a voice down at the camp caught her attention. She turned irritably and looked down from her vantage point. It was Basi the hippo leader's son! Beshte...was it? Surely the calf of such a respectable animal would know not to cause such a distubance?

 She began treading gracefully down the rock slopes and onto the grass and dirt, and slowlly, lesiurely, approached the hippo. "Back? What do you mean it's back? You know it goes down every night and comes back again the mornings, don't you?" she asked obliviously, and lifted up the tent poles he had knocked down with her trunk and re-arranged them.
 Then her eyes fell upon the ignited torches that rowed through the camp, and with the hippo and robot's apparent excitement, she clicked. 

 "The su..." she gasped sharply, intaking breath. She paused and stood back for a moment, looking around at all the wonders nature had to offer the Pridelands. "It's...It's back!" The corners of her mouth underneath the trunk-seaths crinkled upwards. "It's back!" Then she extended her trunk, lifted up onto her back-feet and trumpeted joyouslly, estatic as the hippo himself.

 She came down again with a 'crash' and pulled the hippo in close to her legs in a joyous hug. "Come! Everyone has to see this! The Kings have come back to us! We're not forgotten!" She suddenly turned and literally stampeded through the camp, bellowing and trumpeting like numerous fog-horns in her happiness. Any noise Beshte could have made was nothig compared to her. "
 "EVERYONE! COME LOOK!" Another wordless 'BROOO'. "The sun is BACK!" 

 Then, once satisfied she had covered everywhere, she went and charged back in the direction of Pride Rock. The rock slopes were a little tricker for her than they had been, but this time she was determined, feeling as young as when she had seen her first sunrise. "Come on Beshte!" she egged on the calf, as a few stones went tumbling dow in her wake onto the plain. "Let's go up and get a good view shall we?"

Olaf had bolted awake when he felt a certain warmness. With no Sun, for so long, it was only natural that it would have been colder. So, when he felt this feeling of warmness that hadn't happened in quite some time, he had opened his eyes, hoping for the sun to come back. "Oh, hello Mr. Sun" Olaf said happily. He had to wonder, just why the Sun was away for so long. Things like that don't just disappear. But, Olaf was super happy . A lot more fun could be had when it wasn't totally dark. Olaf walked out of the tent. "I wonder why the Sun was away for so long." Olaf had to wonder out loud.

"The sun?"

Bolt had been woken up as the tent he had been sleeping in had collapsed halfway onto itself, accidentally knocked down when Beshte had came running inside. Blinking open his brown eyes, he found they were covered in darkness. For a moment, he was confused. How could the sun possibly be back if it was still dark out.

Getting up, the tan sheet of the tent fell off his head, revealing that most of his tent had caved in. Suddenly, Bolt blinked his eyes as he felt them start to adjust to the bright light streaming through the flaps of the tent. Wait... light?

Ears perking up, Bolt had pokes his head outside, and he felt himself catch his breath, as his eyes were filled with the sight of light streaming everywhere. It lay over the Pridelands, like a blanket... almost like a blessing even. Amazed, Bolt stood there for a second, taking it all in before left his tent, not even caring that it was knocked over on one side. The sun has came back as mysteriously as it had vanished.

 Bolt frowned for a moment, thinking it over. Did it even matter who had done it anymore? Not in his opinion since the sun had since came back, and hopefully things will once again be back to normal.

Well THAT was helpful! The male's ears flicked up as he heard the elephant bound towards him. A broad smile appeared on his soft features. The elder mammal was pleased, happy. And honestly that's what this was about in his mind. Everyone being happy. He leaned against the elephant's leg in a hug of his own and laughed up at her.

"You definitely can get the attention of more people than me, Miss Malkia! So thanks!" He gave her a nod and obediently followed the elephant. This was amazing. With the sun coming back the plants would sprout. The great kings could be asked for advice. Everything would be back to normal. Or as normal as a war could be.

Trotting beside Malkia he looked up at the elephant. "Why do you think the sun came back now, Miss Malkia?"

All the noise an elephant could make was bound to wake anything with ears from their sleep. With a groggy mind, a golden yearling lioness rose to her paws, exiting the den in Priderock, only to have to squint when she stepped out. In Tiifu's sluggish mind, the fact that waking up to the sun had stopped being a daily occurence din't click yet, so the lioness nonchlanty descended from the rock formation she called home, and into the land which she shared with other animals.

"What's the commotion all about? Is everyone alright?" Tiifu questioned, sitting on her haunches and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with a paw. Finally, when her olive orbs opened again, did it dawn on Tiifu how important the moment was. A smile spread across her muzzle, wide and true, as she leaped so she was at level with the rest of the animals, rather than behind them. "It truly is back! The Great kings have brought the sun back for us!" Tiifu cheered, ears perking towards Bashte as he asked why might the sun have returned.

Her visage turned to the large elephant in the scene, clearly the oldest and most wise of all, and Tiifu let happiness flush into her in silence as she waited for a response. The lioness, too, would have liked to know. Why now? Why not earlier? Why not later? Had they finally done something that showed to all the great kings above that they were worthy of a blessing so simple, and yet as necessary as the sun was?

"Maybe the kings realized we're not all bad." She suggested simply, more to herself than to her companion animals.

    About a mile outside the encampment, the little Baldwin type rattled across the pride-lands. He was returning to Priderock with a string of coal hoppers and refrigerated cars. Fuel for the stoves and heaters, and fresh meat to be tossed in the lockers. He was making better time then usual, and had his pilot pointed squarely at the great monolith that marked the end of the line. His first hint that this morning was going to be different was when he saw the blackness above begin to become perforated. It took the locomotive a few minutes to realize he was seeing stars in a night sky. Slowly, the sky became bespectacled with galaxies that formed a beautiful tapestry of light stretching from horizon to horizon. After having gone for so long without seeing the wonders of the night sky, Casey found himself enamored with the sudden beauty.

    However, all that paled when a thick crack of orange began to seep its way along the line where earth met sky. The first orange hued rays of sunrise kissed the still blackened sky, slowly the stars faded into beautiful hues of purple and blue. A broad smile split the little steam locomotive's smokebox door and he suddenly felt the warmth tickle his boiler sheets. The yellow orb started rising from the ground in a traditional pridelands sunrise. It filled the sky with mighty colors of red and splashed the clouds with endless rays of pink. It was bright and mesmerizing as it invited him to stare, deep into the horizon. The great monolith of Pride Rock suddenly visible in all it's geolithic glory.

    "We'll I'll be damned."

    The whistle, it's brass gleaning in the sun, opened up and chimed it's beautiful call. The morning was as bright and beautiful as one could hope to imagine. The locomotive suddenly finding himself enamored in the scenery. Scenery that had for the longest time been obscured in the blanket of darkness. The greenery of the vegetation, the rich brown of the earth, and the shimmering movement of the tall grass as they tickled his main rods. As he started the downgrade into the encampment, his bell began to toll and he applied his brakes. Slowing down to a graceful trot, he took in the colors and sights of the encampment of Simba's army. The tents and structures seemed to sag slightly, as if representing the tired exhausted nature of the army itself. The great wall that had been erected to protect them now stood as a failure, for the first time Casey could see the massive hole that Nasira had blow into it's flank.

    "Aye, bonny morning to ye all!" He called as he passed under one arch of the great rock, his exhaust plume billowing out along it's length. He did notice that the underside of the the outcropping was starting to become soot stained. A small detail of his passing, but one which had gone unnoticed in the night. Brakes squealing, he drew himself to a stop alongside the training grounds. Letting out a soft toot of his whistle. The sun had arisen, and that alone was cause to be happy.

This was it!

Clopin watched in fear and awe as his powers came to their full potential, his palms flat on the symbols drawn in the sand. Magic was swirling powerfully around the large form of the canine before him. He had finally figured out exactly how to separate Belle from her canine body, and he was so close! All he had to do was keep it up just a little longer...

"THE SUNNNNNN! CLOPIN...GENERAL CLOPIN!!! THE SUN Y'ALL!"

The gypsy king was far too engrossed in the task that lay before him to even hear the strange, faded sounds of a pink-haired unicorn galloping wildly towards him, or the trumpeting of an elephant. He could finally see Belle...his Belle. The separation was coming along awfully slow, and he couldn't figure out why. But then again, it was a spell that had never been attempted before, a hybrid of two other spells.

Bob galloped through the entrance of the large tent, nearly crashing into Clopin's desk as he skidded to a stop. The sudden commotion caused Dante to jump up in surprise, as he too had been asleep. His natural instincts told him to protect his still sleeping king, but then he realized that the beast that had come into their tent was none other than that childish unicorn.

"Bob?"

But Bob was already too focused on waking the gypsy general. Pink hooves were on Clopin's shoulders, shaking him vigorously. In his dream, the transformation failed, and all went black. Clopin then found himself being pulled back to reality, and he opened his eyes to find Bob staring at him, with the biggest smile on his face. His heart dropped, at the realization that his spell, the magic...none of it was real. It was just a dream, as always. But the way the unicorn was smiling distracted his musing. Just why was Bob smiling? Clopin sat up, as he pushed the unicorn off him. The first thing he noticed was the sudden lightness just outside of the tent. The gypsy king was so used to seeing darkness outside that this was odd. Was it a large light? Or could it be that...perhaps...

"THE SUN IS BACK Y'ALL!" Bob announced again, as he grabbed Clopin with his magic, levitating the gypsy general just outside of the tent. Before he could protest, the sudden light of the sun stung Clopin's eyes just a bit, as Bob lowered him to the ground. He had to blink a few times, before realizing that yes, it was indeed back! A large smile formed across his face, as he slowly forgot the contents of his dream. Dante trotted out after the two, noticing the bright light in the sky once more.

"The sun! Mon dieu, I never thought we would see the day again!" Clopin shouted, as he did a little dance. If the sun could come back after all this time, perhaps things really were looking up once again. He hopped onto Bob's back, and the unicorn took off almost immediately towards the middle of the camp, where the other heroes were slowly gathering. Dante followed closely along at Bob's heels, yipping happily that the sun was finally back.

It was the loud commotion from outside the tents that had awoken the labrador pup. In a tired daze Cassie scrambled from her bed and quickly ducked under the flap of her tent. For a moment she thought the camp was being attacked.
It wasn't until she'd fully come to her senses that she realized everyone was celebrating, and for a good reason.
"The sun..." she muttered in awe.

For the three months (give or take) that she'd been there, the land had been wrapped in a darkness that seemed to suck all good feeling from even an optimistic pup like herself. So when Cassie felt the warm rays of the great star that lit up the sky, she couldn't hold back a round of happy barks and howls.
Quickly finding her footing from being woken from a deep sleep, the pup ran towards the ever growing group in the middle of the camp, her tail wagging back and forth furiously as she jumped up and down between her fellow soldiers.

"Glory be!" Silver laughed out in amazement as he stepped out from his tent and into the sun light. Silver's head turned around as he watched the overjoyed Malkia blaze past the rows of tents, the hippo Beshte ran alongside her, he was just as happy as the senior cow was. The male rushed outside to join the other happy soldiers. "Sarah? Mrs. Hawkins?" He called out, pausing at her tent. "The sun's back luv, come celebrate with us. I'm going to get Jimbo." And with that, he was off again, though this time in the direction of the medical tent where Jim was getting his daily physical therapy, there was no doubt about that.
------
Mega let out a roar of joy as the sun finally made its return. "Bless the great kings! Oh bless them!" He bowed down to give the Great Kings of the past his thanks and gratitude. "Everyone up!" He called out from his smaller cavern at the base of Priderock.

So this is how it is to be, is it?

One member of the camp was not partaking in the joyous celebration. Reversed eyes of olive and green squinted into the brightening day with a baleful glaze over their fair countenance. With a derisive curl of the lip Sabini lifted her head to glare at the rising ball of fire that served as a source of life for them all. As the lioness slept very little these days the lightening walls of the cave had drawn her out of Mekkonen's lair to behold what fate was befalling the camp. Rather than yet another terror raining upon them it was simply... The return of the sun. Sabini was unimpressed to say the least. In fact, she was downright enraged. How dare the sun rise now? Now that the light of her life had been torn from the world, leaving her and their young cubs alone and afraid?

"Mock me will you? Damn you, Spirit." There were no tears left for the lioness to shed, but her eyes burned all the same as she growled a low curse at the dawning day. "Was that your price, you filthy false god? My sun for yours?"

---

The queen of Mbala had risen quite early as a low light had registered behind her closed lids. Even in the darkness of the cave sunlight had filtered in to create a dull glow on the rock walls and illuminate the space within with soft shadows. An awestruck Kula had heaved herself out of the den and padded out into the sunlit morning, eyes wide with disbelief. She registered for a moment her gaggle of cubs emerging with squeals of excitement into the new day, followed by Rashidi and a handful of her pridemembers. Was this a dream? Had the life-giving globe above them finally returned to light their paths?

Closing her eyes Kula tipped her head back and allowed herself a moment to bask in the light atop Pride Rock's pointed throne, a gentle smile on her maw. With this new dawn she felt hope rising in her once again, as though she'd been born again from one world into a fresh and new one. Yes... The sun was back.

---

Cinderbelle had been blissfully unaware of the night terror gripping her once-lover as a cotton candy unicorn stampeded his way into the tent. Raising her shaggy head the creature had blinked at him wearily for a moment before her maw stretched in a wide yawn -- then she paused. The light filtering through the tent was not the typical lampglow that she'd become accustomed to. It was emanating from outside the tent - and all around it. Slowly, as though one quick move might destroy this impossible dream, Cinderbelle rose to her paws and padded past the frantic Bob assaulting her general. Pushing the flap of the tent aside with her head Cinderbelle thrust her way out and was quickly frozen to the spot. All around her light shone like no fire could, burning her eyes to the point of tears with its sudden intrusion. Struck dumb for a moment the girl could only stare in wonder, unable to fully comprehend what had begun to seem impossible.

As unicorn, man, and dog burst from the tent however Cinderbelle was quick to follow, a small smile beginning to form on her twisted muzzle. Was this not another delusion? Was this truly real?

Dante and Clopin's joy was infectious and spread to their companion almost immediately, sending her bounding and bouncing alongside Bob as he galloped through the camp.

"My thoughts exactly Tiifu!" Malkia trumpeted happily, in reply to both the hippo and the lion who had joined them. "Someone, somewhere, must have done something exceptionally good to have convinced the Kings to lift the darkness from the land and bless us all with the sun again! I'm sure of it!" she concluded happily, closing her eyes and raising her trunk in a confident smile.

The whistle of the train caught the elephant's attention, and cheerily she waved her trunk and trumpeted happily down at him. "Morning..." she repeated in an ordinary tone, casting her head up to look over the bountiful grasslands, where herds of zebra, gazelle, and giraffe were galloping gleefully across the savannah. All sorts of birds were filling the air, even the night-time ones, and she could even spot her old herd, romping about in a waterhole. "What a beautiful word..."

She and her young companions were nearing the 'platform' of Pride Rock now, where the lion pride, her lion pride, were beginning to file out and take in the first day in months. Down below, the camp was beginning to come awake, and the gleeful array of barks and roars and neighs and yells swelled up her already over-sized heart.

 "Similar idea Kula?" she called over to the lioness poised on the tip of the 'throne', as she and her companions began to walk along that sacred surface. "Beautiful, is it not?" She stood back a little bit, allowing the smaller creatures to take up the smaller part of Pride Rock's spire.

---

 Down at the entrance to the medic's tent, Tojo padded out curiously with a twitch of nervousness. Were they being attacked? But his frown turned to a smile as he realised the source of the merriment, and purred as his face was washed with the warm ruddy light.

 He turned around and went to call into the tent. "Hey everyone! Kitwana! Tai! Come and look! It's the su-"

 The lion was cut off and suddenly forced to duck as something big and black shot out of the tent above him, accompanied by a heart-soaring 'KEEEEE'. Then the martial eagle was everywhere in the sky at once, twirling and turning, diving then pulling back up again, giving that signature eagle-screech all the while. "I can see again!" Tai shouted joyously, and suddenly dived down towards the lake outside the camp. Expertly, he pierced a fish with his deadly talons and took flight again with his first catch in as long as he could remember. With another heart-soaring caw, he began flying in loops around Pride Rock, showing off his speed and precision to the other birds and the land-walkers below.

 

"THE SUN! The sun's come back!"

Kion was quick on the heels of the other cubs, bouncing around the adults emerging from the den. he raced past Tiifu and Rashidi, laughing as he chased the other cubs into the new day. And for once it actually was "day" rather than the adult's best guess of the time.

The prince, unlike his slightly older cousins, had very little memories of sunlight and the time before the darkness had descended on the Pridelands. The darkness had been all he'd ever known since he was old enough to take his first tentative steps outside the den but he had heard what it was like before from his father and grandmother...but seeing it for himself was different. The sun illuminated everything from the heights of Priderock and Kion was quick to join Kula on the edge to admire the glory of their home. He'd never seen the view properly and the golden cub was awed by everything he saw. He could see everything! The camp, the Watering Hole and the herd animals gathering around it, Rafiki's tree and even further out he could make out the dry and barren Outlands with it's tall mounds dotting the horizon. Everything he'd only experienced in muted tones and shadow suddenly revealed in all it's splendour before him.

"When I'm king, I'm going to make sure the sun stays forever!" he declared, smiling up at his aunt with the innocence of a child "I'll not let the darkness come back. I promise."

He would, he decided then. Whatever had caused the darkness had gone and he would make sure it stayed that way. No cub would be born without seeing the sun's warm light. His father had somehow not kept the darkness at bay but Kion would because he'd learn what started it and be better than his father. He'd be like Grandfather Mufasa and rule like a true king should.

Leisa was lazily napping in the cave the Mbala resided in. "Mmm, just five minutes more..." She muttered to herself as she shifted her position so that her back now faced the right side, while her head was on the cave floor. The female was somehow still unaware of the sunlight inside as well as the shadows which accompanied it. Amber ears unknowingly pricked up at the sounds of nearby footsteps and excitement, I guess it's time to get up... She sleepily mused to herself. With a small yawn, Leisa got up and stretched, meadow green eyes opened, then suddenly widened. The sun...It had returned! Joining Kula, Rashidi, her litter of cubs and some of the other members of Mbala, the Liger padded forward and sat behind Kula, although she gave the Red Queen some space just in case she wanted it. Wait, how did she know if it was really happening and wasn't a hallucination or some sort of dream? Had the sun permanently come back? Y'know what, who really cares? It's back and that's all that matters. Leisa thought as a large, joyful smile appeared on her muzzle, while she let the sun bathe her in its warmth.

I wonder if the others are up by now, hmm...The female mused as Malkia and her smaller companions arrived on what was described as the "throne" of Pride Rock. She turned around to look at whoever had joined them, the elephant was familiar though the hippo calf and the yearling lioness were not. As Malkia spoke to Kula, meadow green eyes focused on her two companions. "G'morning kids," Leisa greeted them calmly, before Kion had appeared and raced past Tiifu and Rashidi, laughing while he chased his cousins. Cubs will be cubs, she mused before he joined his aunt in looking at the view, before he spoke to the red female. Turning her head back to Beshte and Tiifu, Leisa gave a gentle smile in their direction. "Hey kids, if you want a better view you should come over here." As she spoke the final word, she jerked her head in the direction of the edge. The decision to come up closer was completely up to them, but if they didn't then the Liger simply wouldn't sweat it.