The Imaginary Okapi

***The Imaginary Okapi*** is the fourteenth episode of *The Lion Guard's first season*

## Synopsis

When Beshte befriends a shy okapi, the Lion Guard thinks Beshte has an imaginary friend.

## Plot

Kion is rushing across the Pride Lands, paying close attention to some tracks on the ground. After sniffing around and investigating the tracks, he gets ready to pounce in their direction. After a clump of grass behind him shifts, he instead changes direction without warning and leaps into the grass, pinning down Fuli. He allows her to get up, declaring her as 'it'. Fuli questions why they're playing Hide and Seek, and Kion explains that it's a practise for them. They join Bunga and Ono, and it is revealed that Kion found Bunga first, after he laughed at the lion as he passed by. After being questioned about Beshte's whereabouts, Kion calls over to him. The hippo removes his head from behind the rock, and joins the group. Fuli is reminded that it is her turn to seek, and she closes her eyes whilst the Guard scatter.

Beshte hears Fuli call 'ready or not', but has been unable to find a suitable hiding spot. As a last resort, he dives into a nearby bush. The cheetah passes by, completely oblivious to her friend's hiding spot. Beshte laughs, but is soon startled when an alien voice softly utters the words 'excuse me'. Beshte rolls out of the bush and notices the owner of the voice, who apologises for startling him. He explains that he was standing on his hoof, and Beshte apologises before introducing himself.

The new figure introduces himself as Ajabu, and Beshte urges him to come out. Hesitantly, the Ajabu does so, and Beshte questions what kind of species he is. Ajabu informs him that he's an okapi, and starts to give Beshte a rundown of his species, and that it's normal for okapi to hide everywhere. Ajabu soon becomes startled himself, as Twiga approaches. She and Beshte exchange pleasantries, and Beshte notices that Ajabu has hidden once again. He calls him out, where Ajabu confesses that the main reason he is hiding is due to a leopard that has been chasing him. Beshte promises him that there's nothing to worry about since there are no leopards in the Pride Lands, and offers him a tour of the Pride Lands, singing *Life in the Pride Lands*, along the way. They visit several locations, including Lake Matope, Ndefu Grove and Embamba Canyon.

Meanwhile, Fuli manages to sniff out Bunga in a log, startling him with a low growl. He questions why everyone finds him first, and Fuli mentions his smell having a large part in that. Bunga agrees, and joins Fuli as she notices Kion's tracks on the ground. After pursuing the tracks for a short while, Fuli halts, noticing another set of larger tracks next to Kion's. She stops the game, calling for Ono, Beshte and Kion to check them out. After a short deduction, it is agreed that they are leopard tracks. Ono swiftly ascends, and soon seeks out the leopard in question near the gazelles. The Guard rush to the scene, and Kion orders the new face to leave the Pride Lands. He introduces himself as Makucha, and taunts the Guard, telling them that they will have to catch him first. Fuli is confident that she can catch him, and chases him across the plain. She is certain he has nowhere to run, until he proves her wrong by leaping across Big Ravine with minimal effort. Fuli trips and skids to a halt, leaving the Guard to watch the leopard escape on the other side. They voice their concerns to each other, since many of the Pride Landers are unaware that leopards are hunters. Kion suggests splitting up, when he realizes that Beshte is still absent from the group. With Bunga in the lead, they go searching for the final member of the Guard.

Back at a cliff, Beshte, having finished his tour of the Pride Lands, is still with Ajabu. Bunga soon arrives. After calling down Ono, Beshte attempts to introduce them to Ajabu who, unbeknownst to him, has been frightened off by Bunga's presence. Ono tells Beshte that he only saw him, and Beshte begins to describe Ajabu to them. However, neither Bunga nor Ono believe him, with Bunga urging him to return to the Guard. Disappointed, Beshte returns and apologises for his absence. Kion explains the situation, and Beshte becomes concerned, having told Ajabu that he was safe from leopards in the Pride Lands.

Bunga assures him that Makucha will only be interested in 'real' animals, prompting Beshte to snap at Bunga, claiming him to be real. After Bunga asks where he is, Beshte decides to do a quick sweep to see if Ajabu is hiding nearby. Kion questions the hippo, and the honey badger informs Kion that he has an imaginary friend. Beshte refutes the statement, and Kion eventually reminds everyone of the situation at hand. Beshte agrees, and the Guard take off.

The Guard follow the tracks, though become lost as they enter the tall grass. Beshte claims to see him, and the Guard follow him. The hippo charges through a flamboyance of flamingos, which end up colliding with the rest of the Guard in their scattered movements. When Beshte finally arrives at the clearing, he is disheartened to find out that he is not there. When the Guard catches up, Beshte mentions that he actually thought he saw Ajabu. Fuli refers to the okapi as an imaginary friend, causing Beshte to become defensive again. Bunga and Ono remind him that they haven't seen him yet, and when Beshte questions them, Bunga admits that he finds his friend to be 'unbungalievable'. Demoralised, Beshte leaves the group. Kion is slightly annoyed at Bunga, and asks why he and Ono don't believe him. Bunga and Ono establish their reasons, and Fuli decides to see if Kion believes Beshte, to which Kion responds with 'I do'. He points out that Beshte does not lie, and explicates his own reasons for believing him. Bunga admits that he never meant to hurt his feelings, and Ono decides that they should apologise, which Kion agrees with.

Bunga and Ono approach the solitary hippo, and apologise. Beshte accepts their apology, and confirms that they were always friends when Bunga asks if they're friends again. Kion and Fuli arrive, reminding them of their mission.

The Guard take off, desperate to find Makucha before he finds Ajabu. As they leave, the zebras behind them continue to graze and suddenly, Ajabu appears from behind a small hill. A sigh escapes his throat, and he remembers Beshte's words. Cautiously, he blends in with the zebras, munching on some grass until he is approached by Thurston, who asks if he's a zebra. When Ajabu responds with a 'no', Thurston cries out loud that he's not a zebra, which alerts Makucha nearby. As Thurston interrogates Ajabu, the leopard makes his way over. Ajabu notices Makucha behind Thurston and manages to persuade the zebra to look over his shoulder. Thurston then gives Ajabu some advice...

His yells of 'panic and run' reach the Lion Guard, and they soon rush to the scene.

Ajabu is surprised at Makucha's persistence, but just before the leopard can pounce, Thurston bumps into him. He pleads with the leopard not to eat him, but becomes incredibly offended when Makucha thrusts him away and tells him that he's looking for something much tastier than him. The Lion Guard follow Makucha, leaving Thurston severely upset over the statement.

After running for a while, Kion expresses his confusion over why Makucha did not eat any of the zebras. Beshte then remembers that Ajabu's lower half resembles a zebra, and speculates that he was probably trying to blend in with them.

Sure enough, Ajabu runs past, and Bunga and Ono finally see him, shocked to find out that he is, in fact, real. Although Beshte gripes slightly at their constant disbelief, he soon becomes glad that they finally witnessed the okapi for themselves. Kion notices that the leopard has also seen him, and watches Makucha rush past them. He leads the Guard away.

Ajabu continues running, imploring Makucha to just leave him alone. Makucha refuses and makes a leap, but Ajabu delivers a swift kick in the throat to the impending leopard. Beshte is impressed, but this is not enough to stop the leopard, who rises to his feet and declares his anger. Ajabu peers over his shoulder, but trips by accident and falls to the ground. Just as Makucha makes a run for him, Beshte charges into his side and throws him away. Makucha soon recovers, and approaches Ajabu. Kion and Fuli dash in front of the okapi, and Makucha asks them to mind their own business. Kion states that it *is* their business, and after a short conversation, Makucha is confident that he can take on both Kion and Fuli. As he attempts to pounce, Bunga grasps his tail, preventing him from leaping away. He dangles the honey badger, hoping that he tastes better than he smells. As Ajabu is commending the Guard, Beshte joins his team. With the incoming hippo, the leopard finally declares defeat, and slinks away. Kion tells Bunga to let go of his tail, and Bunga orders Makucha not to come back.

With the danger finally gone, Beshte introduces Ajabu to his friends. Ajabu expresses his gratitude, and is amazed in particular that honey badgers actually exist, as he never believed that something that looks and smells like Bunga could possibly be real. Beshte then asks if he is planning on returning home, reminding him that Makucha will be waiting for him there. Ajabu is uncertain what else he can do, and Kion has an idea.

At Pride Rock, Kion explains to his mother and father that Ajabu would like to stay in the Pride Lands. Simba and Nala gladly offer their blessing, and Ajabu is welcomed as a new Pride Lander. As they leave Pride Rock together, Beshte asks what he's going to do next. Bunga suggests Hide and Seek. Ajabu agrees, and before they know it, he's hidden. Bunga compliments Ajabu on how good he is at the game, and Beshte laughs softly.

## Cast

* **Max Charles** as Kion
* **Ron Funches** as Ajabu
* **Steve Blum** as Makucha
* **Joshua Rush** as Bunga
* **Diamond White** as Fuli
* **Dusan Brown** as Beshte
* **Atticus Shaffer** as Ono
* **Rob Lowe** as Simba
* **Gabrielle Union** as Nala
* **Alex Cartañá** as Twiga
* **Kevin Schon** as Thurston

## Characters

### Appearances

* **Kion**
* **Fuli**
* **Bunga**
* **Ono**
* **Beshte**
* **Ajabu** (debut)
* **Twiga**
* **Timon** (cameo)
* **Pumbaa** (cameo)
* **Zito** (cameo)
* **Mtoto's Mom** (cameo)
* **Pim** (cameo)
* **Thurston**
* **Laini** (cameo)
* **Shingo** (cameo)
* **Juhudi** (cameo)
* **Makucha** (debut)
* **Simba**
* **Nala**

## Group

* **The Lion Guard**
* **Simba's Pride**
* **Thurston's Herd**
* **Twiga's Herd**
* **Ma Tembo's Herd** (Cameo /no leader)
* **Laini's Group** (Cameo)
* **Hyrax' Group** (Cameo)
* **Swala's Herd** (Cameo /no leader)
* **Bupu's Herd** (Cameo /no leader)

## Locations

* **Pride Lands**
* **Pride Rock**
* **Lake Matope**
* **Ndefu Grove**
* **Embamba Canyon**

## Animals

* **Lions**
* **Honey Badgers**
* **Cheetahs**
* **Hippos**
* **Egrets**
* **Meerkats**
* **Warthogs**
* **Okapis**
* **African Leopards**
* **Giraffes**
* **Elephants**
* **Hyraxes**
* **Galagos**
* **Butterflies**
* **Yellow Wagtails**
* **Gazelles**
* **Sable Antelopes**
* **Monkeys**
* **Tickbirds**
* **Grey-Headed Bushrikes**
* **Baboons** (mention)

## Trivia

* Ajabu is the first named okapi in the franchise.
* Ajabu mentions there are not a lot of him and when Makucha says that okapis are rare. This is a reference to okapis being endangered.
* Makucha is the third leopard to appear in the Lion King franchise. The first and second being King Leopold and Princess Claudia, who appeared in the *Timon & Pumbaa* episode "No-Good Samaritan".
* Ajabu looks different than the okapi's seen in *The Lion King II: Simba's Pride*.
* Moral: believe in your friends