Previously on Hakuna, the boy had no place to sleep, but he survived the night.
Anyway, two months have passed, a period dedicated to recovery and relentless self-improvement, following the boring but politically dense Citadel of Crowns. Hakuna, true to form, took his training to the next level by spending weeks training in the deeper mountains where it's cold AF, forcing his body to generate maximum heat and energy output just to survive. As a result, he's much stronger, more durable, and oh look, he's got a little bit of hair on his face now, giving him a dash of that older, sharper look. Nice. Now it's time to go back to Milner and resume the charade of normalcy.
Fade in…
Hakuna sits on a luxurious private jet, gazing out the window at the receding clouds. "Oh no, what did I forget?" he asks, an uneasy psychic feeling bubbling up.
Max queries, his attention focused on a tablet. "What are you talking about? You checked your inventory four times."
Hakuna then continues, tapping his fingers on his knee. "I get the feeling that I forgot something, and I don't know why. It's a low-grade hum of annoyance."
"You're better off just relaxing, Hakuna. You just spent two months fighting your way through frozen rock formations. I mean, look where we are," Max says, gesturing to the opulent interior of the plane.
"Ahh, it's probably something meaningless, then," the prince relents, slumping down into his seat, trying to shake the feeling.
…At the Letebele Palace, moments after their departure…
Bernice, passing Hakuna's vacated room, spots something small and metallic near the bed. She says to herself, "Hmm, he left his watch behind. That clumsy boy. Wait, hold on, isn't this that old, cheap watch I bought him for his eleventh birthday? He cherishes this thing." A determined look crosses her face. "I have a solution for that."
…Back on the plane, now approaching South African airspace…
Max begins to speak, folding his tablet away. "How do you think you're going to readjust back into school, you know, with the world being like this and so on? It's a completely different atmosphere."
"I don't really know, actually. I mean, I'm only excited about one thing: the high possibility that some low-level demons are gonna be there for me to kill, just to break the monotony," Hakuna replies flatly.
"There's gotta be more you're excited for, Hakuna. Now that South Africa is almost out of Lockdown. Think of the freedom!" Max says, exasperated.
"Aren't we still at Level 4? That's hardly freedom," The prince asks.
"Yeah, but that means you can at least go out and not fear immediate arrest," Max responds.
Hakuna then speaks, sighing dramatically. "Well, I don't really go out as much as a normal teenager. And I'm in Grade 11. We're supposed to come back on Level 3. The current regulations are still a buzzkill."
"I think you guys are gonna go online for now, which, frankly, is probably safer," Max mentions.
"Ugh, so many levels, so much isolation, so much awkwardness," Hakuna yawns.
"What do you mean, awkwardness? You face down ancient demons with better composure," Max queries.
"We're supposed to wear masks everywhere. You can't read anyone!" Hakuna says, gesturing wildly.
"Oh, that… really? That's your biggest complaint, covering your face?" Max asks, incredulous.
Hakuna argues, leaning forward. "What? With all the cosmetic capabilities of the world, you'll never know what to expect. Everyone looks the same! Plus, you won't see when someone is genuinely smiling or genuinely plotting to kill you. It's socially inefficient."
Max argues back, rubbing his temples. "Hakuna, you have been through some of the harshest conditions known to man—time dilation, dimensional travel, demonic warfare. A change in daily lifestyle is easy for you. Stop complaining."
"Yeah, but boring. It's a boring challenge," Hakuna says.
"Kids," Max mutters, rolling his eyes and palming his face.
The plane approaches its destination, beginning its final descent. As they land, the sudden drop in altitude triggers the forgotten memory.
Hakuna yelps, slapping his forehead. "Ahh, shit, that's what I forgot! That's why I was humming!"
Max sighs, bracing himself. "What now?"
"My watch," Hakuna replies miserably.
"Eh," Max mutters, deciding the item is not worth the emotional effort.
They walk out of the airport, and Max, annoyed by the triviality of the complaint, grips Hakuna's long, newly grown hair. He starts dragging Hakuna forcefully towards the waiting vehicle.
Hakuna yelps, his head straining back. "Hey, stop! Ow! I really need to cut my hair before someone uses it as a handle again!"
"In you go, you overgrown toddler," Max throws him into the back of the car.
Hakuna, rubbing his scalp, collapses into the seat. "What is with you people and pulling my hair? It's a violation of my personal space!"
I could've sworn he said that exact phrase before. It's a recurring theme.
Max then launches into a full-scale lecture, fixing Hakuna with a serious glare from the driver's seat. "You lack the basic understanding of whether an object is important or not, and you have to learn to differentiate between the two. For example, your phone—you use it to contact people, and we use it to know your each and every location for security, so it's important. So keep it safe. Whilst those overpriced sneakers you wear are meaningless objects that get replaced easily. That watch isn't really that important, is it?"
"It was a Birthday present from Bernice! It was sentimental!" Hakuna retorts.
Wait. Max just admitted they track his location all the time. Subtle, Max. Real subtle.
Hakuna snaps back, his rage overriding the sentimentality. "Hold on, did you just say you know my location all the time with this phone? You're tracking me?"
Max smoothly ignores the question, continuing the lecture. "The fact of the matter is that you sometimes hold sentimental value to weird, broken things. All those broken earbuds in your drawer that you've kept since you were ten…"
Hakuna argues, defending his hoarding. "I might use them in the near future! They just need a bit of rewiring!"
Max resumes, his voice flat. "Or Mom's really, really old, ugly bedroom set that's currently taking up space in your room for some reason, when you have the power to teleport it to the trash dimension."
Hakuna argues, genuinely frustrated. "I haven't had time to move that massive thing yet! Come on, I've been busy fighting for my life!"
Max then concludes, leaning back. "Hakuna, you have to start learning the difference between what is meant to be kept and what is meant to be tossed. It's discipline."
Hakuna then argues, seizing on Max's hypocrisy. "You're one to talk, Max! You've had the same, outdated phone since the beginning of 2019! That thing is a relic!"
Max argues back, raising an eyebrow. "Hakuna, it has only been a year since I bought this phone, and unlike you, I do not upgrade my phone every two weeks. It's detrimental to the environment, and it's a waste of resources. Think about the carbon footprint, Prince."
"Fine, I'll see what I can do about my 'hoarding problem'," the prince relents, throwing his hands up in defeat.
They arrive at the house. Hakuna steps out of the car and pauses, taking in the environment.
"Woah…" Hakuna murmurs, a sense of deep unease settling over him.
"What is it? The house looks the same," Max asks.
Hakuna continues, his voice soft. "This street… it used to be so loud and busy. There used to be cars everywhere, kids playing, noise. But now, it's completely silent. It's unsettling."
"Yeah, Covid-19 really has everyone on their toes. No one believes it's safe out anymore. The world changed while you were away," Max deliberates, looking at the eerie emptiness of the suburb.
Psycha chimes in, her voice unnerved. "Must be lonely around here, without the constant energy of people."
"Sheesh," the prince mutters, feeling the sudden, profound weight of the "new normal."
Hakuna goes in and starts the unnecessarily tedious task of unpacking his clothes. "This is so unnecessarily boring. I need to fight a level 5 demon just to feel alive," Hakuna yawns, tossing clothes haphazardly onto his bed.
Nolitha, appearing out of nowhere with the silence and speed of a ghost, then speaks from his doorway. "Everything seems to bore you lately. Tell me, Pappie, am I included in this feeling of profound boredom?"
Hakuna, startled, is already on the other side of the room, using a defensive burst of speed. "How the hell did you get in here? I didn't sense you at all!" he questions.
"Everyone knows me at the palace now, after my grand entrance. How could I not get in, silly?" The princess responds in an oblivious tone, stepping into the room.
"Riiight," Hakuna says, deciding it's not worth fighting her logic.
Nolitha walks over and opens a window, letting in a draft of cool air. "You never open windows here. Why? This room is stuffy." She asks, genuinely curious.
"Seems useless. Every time I open them, I either leave and forget them, or I have to close them in two minutes when the inevitable South African afternoon rain comes. Plus, I leave them closed as a form of training. Being able to work optimally while in extremely high or extremely low temperatures is a kind of training, right? It forces my power to self-regulate," Hakuna says, explaining his regimen.
"Well, I don't wanna sweat while I talk to you," she declares, closing the window immediately.
Women really do run the world, huh? The Prince of the Letebele Clan and his high-level temperature training regimen is immediately defeated by the simple concern of humidity.
Hakuna thinks to himself in response to the narrator, "Aha, now I get it. The honeymoon phase has ended. The casual power moves have started. I wonder how it's gonna feel when the real drama starts."
Nolitha responds to Hakuna's thought, her eyes narrowing. "What's that supposed to mean, Hakuna?"
Hakuna then thinks to himself, Uh, oh. She heard that one. He scrambles to cover. "Huh, what do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about," he asks out loud, darting his eyes from left to right.
"Ugh, you really don't know how to have an argument, do you? You're terrible at this," the princess asks, relenting with a sigh.
Say what now? She wants an argument?
"Huh, wha? What kind of relationship are you even trying to have?" Hakuna mutters.
Nolitha then continues, walking closer, her attitude shifting to serious romance. "Relationships should have drama, excitement, romance, and passionate—ehem—hooliganism," chuckling nervously at the euphemism.
Hakuna then speaks, his composure returning as he focuses on her point. "We've got all of that. One, We live in a crazy world with some crazy families who keep trying to kill us or each other. Two, when have we not done some of that, 'hooliganism,' in this room, or any room we've ever been in? Three, we are two of the most powerful Royal Entities this world would ever have the pleasure of hosting, which guarantees excitement. And lastly, four…"
He pulls her towards him by the waist, his gaze locking intensely onto hers. "This one is the most important… I would reduce this world to ashes for you. I would destroy anything and anyone who dared to stand in your path or tried to take you from me," he declares, the yellow light in his eyes intensifying, signaling the absolute sincerity of his threat.
Nolitha is shocked; he means this. The power and danger in the vow is terrifying and intoxicating. "You've never said this before. Never such a direct threat to reality," she mutters.
"I've never said it to anyone before. That threat is reserved only for you," Hakuna mentions.
"Why me? I'm far from perfect," The princess asks.
"You are perfect," he states simply.
"No, I'm not perfect, not at all. I have… issues. I'm volatile, demanding, and my father is a dictator," she argues.
Hakuna then continues, his voice deepening with profound emotion. "We all have imperfections. You do too, but those imperfections—that talent of yours that gives me fifteen heart attacks every time I say something out of line, that tone that you have when you want to show your power over certain things, your inability to share any of your deepest thoughts, your need for silence—those imperfections, they make you, perfect, for me."
"Why?" She asks, wanting the explanation to continue.
Hakuna then says, "Because I cannot see myself functioning, even for a minute, without hearing you complain about the sun ruining your complexion, or about how slow I walk when we're out. They are who you are, and I don't want to change them. I fell in love with you, why would I want you to change?"
"Don't you think that's a little too, mushy, Pappie?" she questions playfully, her own eyes shimmering with affection.
"Such dramatic, unwavering stoicism is completely necessary when professing the depth of one's immortal love," Hakuna declares, a dramatic stoicism present in his visage.
Eh… he almost ruined the whole speech with that last line.
"Way to ruin such a romantic scene, vessel!" Psycha says, rolling her metaphysical eyes.
Nolitha then speaks, giggling softly. "I should get going before my mother figures out I left again. Welcome back home, my love. I really hope I'll be seeing you soon." She kisses him on the forehead and prepares to vanish.
"Ehem…" Hakuna coughs loudly for attention.
"What? What did I forget now?" The princess queries, turning back.
"Why the forehead kiss?" He questions, annoyance visible on his face.
"I thought you loved forehead kisses. They're sweet," Nolitha says.
"Yeah, when I'm giving them! I was looking for something more passionate before you disappear!" he yelps.
Nolitha vanished with a light laugh, before he could say anything else.
"She's gone…? Damn it," he mutters, shaking his head.
Hakuna trained for the rest of his day, converting his frustration into raw, physical power.
Fade out…
End of Episode 29…