Iām so curious, how did Pumbaa and Kanisha fall for each other?
Sooooooooooo! Itās kind of a long story, and Iām going to be a little vague because I donāt want to spoil anything too much from my fanfic! But yeah. Also some of this might be subject to change, as Iām still workshopping story beats, so if I contradict myself later, donāt @ me.
As it stands right now, Pumbaa and Kanisha actually knew each other as little kids, way back when her family briefly joined his sounder in the Pridelands. She was the only one who didnāt mind his scent, the only friend he had. But when her family realized Pumbaaās smell made it impossible to hide from predators, they left, separating them before they fully understood why. This was a VERY brief friendship in Pumbaaās life, and the only one he had ever had before Timon came in. (And then of course, once Timon entered the picture, Pumbaa felt like his life had finally, truly began.)
Anyways, fast-forward to the present: Kanisha is a hardened warrior, once a high-ranking general in the antagonistās army before turning against him. After losing her mate years ago during her rebellion, she was finally captured, humiliated, and eventually āgiftedā to Simba (as a āwedding giftā for Kovu and Kiara) as an insult, as it was a well-known fact that Simba doesnāt eat warthogs. Of course, Simba freed her, but she was left with absolutely nothing, until she crossed paths with Pumbaa again.
MEANWHILE, our friend Timon is deep in the worst midlife crisis spiral of his life. After years of being THE Timon, the legend, the savior, the meerkat who raised a king, heās suddenly grappling with the terrifying realization that none of that fame has been fulfilling for him. Heās restless, reckless, sneaking off in the middle of the night, desperately chasing something he canāt even define. He thinks he wants to be desired, to be wanted, to be admired, but when he gets that from other meerkats in the Pridelands, ones who never knew him as the āscrew up,ā but as the ālegend,ā it feels COMPLETELY hollow. Like they donāt truly see him for HIM as an individual. And when Pumbaa starts forming a genuine connection with Kanisha, thatās when it really hits him.
At first, Timon is comically bashful around Kanisha, completely caught off guard by how effortlessly she intimidates him. But when she starts bonding with Pumbaa instead, and when she and Pumbaa start having private conversations, inside jokes, moments of undeniable warmth? OH MY GOD, the jealousy kicks in hard. He doesnāt even realize why heās upset at first, why he keeps making snarky comments, why heās suddenly so passive aggressive and competitive. Until, in the middle of an argument with Pumbaa, he snaps:
āYou promised we wouldnāt lose āus,ā Pumbaa! You said nothing would change! So tell meāif weāre not losing āus,ā then WHY DO I FEEL LIKE IāM DISAPPEARING?!ā
And thatās what it was really about. Itās not just about Kanisha. Itās about everything. His own fading sense of self, his fear of being left behind, his inability to admit that he is the one with issues that need addressed. His insecurity and fear that Pumbaa will leave him blinds him to the fact that Pumbaa loves him fully and without conditions.
Meanwhile, Pumbaa and Kanisha grow closer, not through fiery passion, but through something soft and steady. Pumbaa, ever the gentle and kind soul, is the first to make Kanisha laugh in years. And she, in turn, gives him something heās never really had before: a friendship on totally equal footing.
Then, when Timon gets separated from Pumbaa and the rest of the group, Pumbaa and Kanisha have to lean on each other even more. They bond over late-night talks. Shared grief. (Her with the loss of her mate, Pumbaa with the fresh wound of not knowing if Timon is okay and desperately wanting to reunite with him.) The two of them share a quiet, growing bond of trust. And by the time the dust settles, they decide they donāt want to part ways.
Their love story isnāt dramatic and chaotic, like Timon and Myaās, but rather, itās built on trust, healing, and bonding over their bravery in the face of overwhelming grief and fear. Kanisha, who has lost everything, finds someone who wonāt leave, who helps her feel safe. And Pumbaa, who has always been overlooked and shunned by his own kind, finally has another genuine friendship.
ā¦I realize that all of that probably RAISED a lot more questions than what it answered, but Iām trying so hard to be vague so as not to give away too many spoilers. š¤£š And I havenāt even mentioned how Mya fits into all this, which is important too!
Anyways, itās an emotional, character driven slow-burn disguised as a JOURNEY, layered over a backdrop of Game of Thrones-esque lion politics and war maneuvers. ā ļøā ļøā ļø