TamaXTojo: A Sweet Friend-Ship

Written by: Caldafox
== Story ==
Simba and Tojo were wrestling together in the Pride Lands, just outside Pride Rock. Tama and Nala soon walked by, and Tojo noticed them.
"Who's that?" Tojo asked Simba. "Oh, that's just Tama." Simba replied, with an eye roll. "She's one of Nala's other friends."
"Can we go over there and meet them?" Tojo asked. "Sure, I guess." Simba replied.
The two cubs walked up to Tama and Nala. "Hi, Nala. Hey, Tama." Simba said, upon meeting them, the last part in annoyance. "Hey, Simba." Nala smiled. "Hi Simba," Tama said, with a sly look. "Who's this?"
"M-my name's Tojo," Tojo answered, shy and embarrassed. "What's your deal?" Tama asked him, raising an eyebrow. "I don't have a deal! Whatever that means." Tojo replied, a little annoyed.
"Look, kid, I see you need some help," Tama said, putting her left front paw around Tojo. "You obviously don't have much confidence. But I'm here to help you with that."
Nala said, with a smile, "We'll leave you two alone while we go play somewhere else. Have fun!" As they walked away, Simba mumbled, "Finally! I thought we'd never get her off your jock."
"How can you help me?" Tojo asked Tama. "First of all, have you ever practiced hunting?" Tama replied, without answering the cub's question. "Uh, no." Tojo said. "That's girl stuff." 
"But boys can pounce too!" Tama said. "And I'll show you how. With the art of pouncing, confidence is always a key. You need to make up your mind and like what you're doing. And you, no offense, don't seem like you like what you're doing right now."
"Well," Tojo said, nervously, "I just don't know how this will work out." "Don't worry," Tama smiled. "I'll make this work out."
She positioned Tojo in a pouncing pose. "Alrighty, Tojo, how do you feel?" "I feel... fine." Tojo answered, looking around. "What do I do next?"
"POUNCE! On the first thing that moves." Tama instructed, enjoying this. 
The first thing that moves, huh? Tojo thought. He looked around for something moving, and saw a butterfly landed on a leaf. Stalking slowly, he smiled, now enjoying himself, and then ran up to the butterfly quickly. He jumped, but his landing was a little off-target. He crashed and fell into a pile of dead leaves.
"Tojo? You alright?" Tama asked, running up to him. Tojo's head popped out from the pile, the butterfly on his nose. Tama couldn't help but laugh.
"I got it!" Tojo said, watching the butterfly fly away. "Thanks for helping me, Tama. That was fun!"
"No prob," Tama smiled slyly. "If you ever get bored hanging out with Simba, feel free to join me and Nala."
"Sure thing!" Tojo smiled. 
After that, Tama and Tojo became great friends. They played and wrestled together all the time, and Tojo was no longer gloomy and awkward. He enjoyed showing Tama his adopted baby bluebirds, while Tama enjoyed showing her new friend stalking techniques. Simba and Nala were pleased their friends got along so well, even though Simba was still annoyed at Tama. The four friends hung out all the time, having innocent fun.
But then the joy came to an end the day Scar announced the deaths of Simba and Mufasa. How grieved the lion pride was! Tama, who had been annoyed by Simba since first meeting him, suddenly felt bad about treating him so rudely. And Tojo and Nala missed Simba greatly, feeling utterly saddened.
Once the hyenas took over the Pride Lands, several lionesses became suspicious of king Scar. Especially Tojo and Tama's mothers.
"You're not the real king, nor have you ever been!" Tojo's mother exclaimed. "Your reign has brought this awful famine upon us, and you do nothing!"
"How dare you speak to me that way!" Scar yelled. "I AM the king! Get out immediately!"
Tama felt sorry as she watched Tojo and his mother leave the scene. So she bounded up to the wicked ruler and declared, "They're right, you know! So far you haven't done anything good for our pride!"
"If that's the way it will be," Scar sneered, directed towards Tama's mother, "Then you can leave as well! And take your miserable daughter with you!"
And just like that, Tama, Tojo and their mothers were banished from the pride, the only home they'd ever known.
The group of four wandered for a while, before coming across a hunting party from an unknown pride. They took them to their pride, which lived behind the nearest mountains. 
"Hello," Tojo's mother said to the rest of the pride. "We have been exiled from our home pride by our merciless former leader. Would it burden you if we stayed within your pride for a short time?"
"Not at all," Malka's mother smiled. "You can stay as long as you need."
Soon, Tojo, Tama and their mothers were fitting in well in their new pride. But they still missed their old pride. There were more cubs for them to play with there, so they mostly played with each other now.
And there was Malka. He was the son of two of the most active members in the pride. Right away, Tama and Tojo were glad to meet another lion cub. They bounced up to him every day. "Hey Malka, wanna play with us?" They'd ask him.
Malka would look at his parents, who were waiting for him so they could give him his lessons. "Not right now," Malka answered the other cubs.
"Ok, see you later!" Tama and Tojo would answer.
The same thing happened day after day. And the answer was always no. Malka just didn't want to play with Tama and Tojo.
As time went on, things grew worse around Malka's pride. The hunting trips were less and less, and when they did go they would always have little food, which decreased more and more. The drought was tough on all the lionesses and lions in the pride.
Years past. The drought had taken its toll on everyone. Tama's mother, once an active huntress in the pride, soon had little energy for helping out. She died shortly after Tama turned two years old.
Tojo's mother died soon afterwards. The drought had weakened her severely, just like her lifelong friend.
"Fight back against the unjust rule of Scar," she told her son as she lay dying. "Fight against him and his cruelty! You can win if you use your strength to the fullest. Don't forget your roots!"
By now, Tama and Tojo were young adults. Other than the drought, their life as teenagers had been fun and adventurous, and they had grown closer as friends.
After the death of Tojo's mother, her heartbroken son stood on a large rock, overlooking the territory of Malka's pride. Tama, full of sympathy, walked up to him.
"Are you... ok, Tojo?" she asked her friend, worry in her eyes.
Tojo's blonde mane flowed in the wind. "We can't stay here forever, Tama." he said. "My mother was right. We can't forget our roots. We have to go back to our home pride."
Tama looked up at her friend. "We've stayed here long enough." Tojo continued. "And I don't want to overstay my welcome."
"I'm coming with you," Tama said. "But why?" Tojo asked, looking at the lioness in curiosity.
"Don't be oblivious, Tojo." Tama smiled. "Where you go, I'm coming too."
Tojo smiled at her. "There was something about you when we first met. I knew you were different than the other lionesses I'd meet."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Tama asked, with her eyebrow raise and sly smile trademark. "Yes, it is." Tojo replied. They shared a loving glance before nuzzling, Tama snuggling into Tojo's fluffy mane.
The next day, Tama and Tojo announced their departure. "You will be missed," Malka's mother told them. "But if you feel in your heart it's time to go, then follow your heart."
"Thank you," Tojo said, a smile exchanged between the two. "Be safe on your journey back," Malka's father said. "Thank you, sir." Tama said to the serious lion. 
"Bye, Malka." Tama said to the young lion. "Goodbye, Tama and Tojo." Malka said to them. "Have a good life."
"Maybe you'll visit us sometime?" Tama inquired. "Maybe," Malka replied, with a small smile. This time, he would keep his word.
"Even though he didn't want to play with us, I still consider him a friend," Tama said, as she turned to leave. Tojo smiled slightly.
The lionesses bid the pair farewell, then they were off.
It took the pair a long time to get back to the Pride Lands, about 2 months. They kept getting lost a few times along the way, but eventually were led in the right direction by a small pride of lions. 
When they returned to Pride Rock, everything was normal! There were no hyenas, no bones, and - were those puddles? It had rained recently!
"Hey, what's goin' on?" Tama asked, looking around in bewilderment.
"Tama! Tojo! You're alive!" Two voices suddenly exclaimed. It was grown-up Nala and Simba, who were overjoyed to see their friends alive and well.
"Nala! Simba?!" Tama exclaimed. Tojo ran up to his first childhood friend with glee. "I'm so glad you're alright!" Tojo said, a hug exchanged between the two. "How did you survive?" "It's a long story," Simba said nervously.
"Hey Simba," Tama said, with a sly smile. "I almost missed your presence while you were gone. Almost."
"Yeah, same here." Simba said back, with an eyebrow raise. The two adults laughed, with Tojo and Nala smiling.
"I'm so glad you survived, Tama," Nala said, the two lionesses exchanged a head nuzzle. "Where did you go off to?"
"We stayed at Malka's pride." Tama explained. "Remember him?"
"How could I forget..." Simba answered, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Did your mothers survive the drought, too?" Nala asked.
Tama and Tojo put their ears back and their expressions changed. "They passed away 2 months ago," Tojo explained sadly.
"Oh! I'm so sorry," Nala said. "There's nothing you could have done." Tama said. Changing the subject, she said, "Tell us, Simba, how did you survive the stampede?"
"Well," Simba started, his expression softening, "My uncle lied to me about the whole thing...."
Tama and Tojo soon were comfortable at their home pride again, like they'd never had to leave. Tama became good friends with Kula, Nala's friend from Scar's reign, and Tojo became friends with Chumvi and was informed of Scar's death, to his relief. 
Soon, Simba's pride welcomed new members: Mega, Leo, Sabini, and later Babu and Boga, who made up the lion pride that had helped Tama and Tojo find their way to the Pride Lands again. And shortly after this, Simba and Nala had a son named Kopa. During their daughter Kiara's cubhood (who was born after Kopa ran away), Tama and Tojo had a daughter named Tiifu. Letting her have much freedom, she soon became friends with Kiara.
"We made it home, mother." Tojo said, looking up at the sky one night. A star twinkled, and a single tear fell from the lion's eye.
Tama and Tojo never forgot the fateful day they met as cubs. They enjoyed being mates greatly, and were glad to be back home.
The End.
Category:Fanfiction
Category:Love Stories
Category:Caldafox
Category:Caldafox's Fanfics