Previously on Hakuna, why does his name have to be the title, we saw dude unlock a very difficult technique for the first time but he doesn't know how he did it. Typical. Anyway, the whole world is gonna go through something very weird; some say it's happened before. To be honest, I don't care. Let's just get to it before I start rambling…
A Royal Abduction
Hakuna is in a strange, luxurious house. The ceiling is high, the air is clean, and the heavy drapes suggest opulence and isolation.
"Oh, you're awake. This is quite the house, isn't it? Get up, let's get out of here…" the demon Psycha chimes in, her voice sounding oddly strained as if the environment itself is fighting her presence.
"What's going on? Where am I, and what happened after the fight?" Hakuna questions, pushing himself up, his head swimming with the after-effects of overextending his power.
Alright, let's go back a few hours, to the chaotic aftermath of the spar.
In the end of Hakuna's fight with Super, he passed out immediately from not being accustomed to the sheer intensity of Divine Energy, and during the slight panic of The Prince fainting, with everyone distracted by the colossal force of the match…
Nolitha immediately flew towards Hakuna, an uncharacteristic black coat billowing around her. She was moving with a focus and speed none of the teachers had ever witnessed from her. She covers Hakuna with the coat, securing him, but Master Mokoto, ever the vigilant protector, attacks, firing a concentrated blast of energy toward the intruder.
She dodges effortlessly, the energy blast impacting the air where she stood a millisecond before. "I won't hurt you because you are his teacher, but get out of my way…" Nolitha says, her voice cold and devoid of her usual playfulness.
She uses Death Stare. The invisible, absolute force of her power washes over the arena. Everyone freezes, their muscles locked, their minds trapped. Their eyes remain open, staring, unable to process the immediate paralysis.
Nolitha then vanishes, the motion of her leaving disturbing the air only slightly. She reappears instantly at her house, the grand, imposing Palace of the Mehlomanelo Clan. She had snuck him in without anyone noticing, bypassing all the palace's sophisticated magical and technological defenses, and left him in the guest quarters—a massive room furnished with centuries of royalty.
And that's how we got here.
"Wait, what? I'm in…Nolitha's house?!" He yelps, finally piecing together the events with a fresh jolt of fear.
"Yes, you are," the princess responds, emerging from the corner of the room, her voice soft but her eyes retaining a spark of intensity from the fight.
Hakuna falls over after being startled by Nolitha. "Why did you bring me here? Is this some sort of political move?" Hakuna asks worriedly, scrambling back onto the bed.
Nolitha explains, stepping closer. "This place—the entire grounds—it has been laced with a powerful, ancient spell that heals Royal Entities, particularly those who have overexerted their own power. I thought maybe if I bring you here, away from the stress of your own palace, it could help you recover quicker."
"But, your family, you said they're…" he stammers, unable to complete the terrifying thought.
Nolitha interjects, a hint of steel in her voice. "Relax, they're not here. I wouldn't dare expose you to them without preparation."
Wait, huh? Preparation for what?
"I should leave before they get back. Now," the prince says, his common sense finally snapping back to reality.
Immediately, an intense, crushing energy envelops the whole house, a wave of power so vast and profound it feels like the atmosphere has turned to liquid iron. "Oh my God, what is that?" Hakuna flinches, physically recoiling against the pillows.
"Hmm, well, uh, that, is my father…" the princess murmurs, her composure visibly straining.
Oh snap…
"I am doomed. Absolutely and unequivocally doomed," Hakuna mutters under his breath.
"No, you're not," Nolitha argues, stepping protectively in front of him.
"She's crazy, right? Definitely, she's out of her mind! Hakuna, run while you can! Not even you can handle this guy. He's a legendary nightmare!" Psycha screams in his mind, her fear radiating into his consciousness.
Hakuna thinks to himself, "I can't even move. The pressure is holding me down."
"DAUGHTER!" A man roars from a distance in the palace, the sheer volume of his voice seeming to shake the very foundation of the room.
"Yes, Father?" The princess responds, her voice surprisingly steady.
The man continues, "I sense a strange individual in my house! Elaborate, before I eliminate them from existence and turn your quarters to ash!"
"He's my boyfriend," Nolitha replies flatly, the three simple words ringing out like a gauntlet hitting the floor.
She did not just say that.
"You did not just say that! That is not the appropriate time for that information!" the boy says frantically, waving his hands in protest.
The man, King Mehlomanelo, immediately breaks through the floor of the room Hakuna was in, a shower of ancient, expensive stone raining down. He is enormous, clad in light, flexible armor, and his eyes burn with latent power.
Hakuna immediately jumps to the wall behind him, propelled by sheer survival instinct, and his feet have already dug into the wall, holding him in a perfect, rigid defensive posture.
"Hmm, a royal stance. You move well, youngling. Who are you, and why do you look so familiar?" The king denotes, assessing Hakuna with a sharp, calculating gaze.
Hakuna introduces himself, summoning every ounce of his princely training. "My name is Hakuna Ntlamele, of the Letebele Clan."
"Ahhh, the Lost Child of Edward. I knew you never died," the king says, a triumphant, almost vindicated smile spreading across his face, a theory he had long discarded suddenly proven true.
"Yeah, my mom almost died, and we didn't want to risk things by having me around…" the prince says, feeling incredibly small but managing to maintain his dignity.
"Fascinating… Carry on with whatever you were doing, young Hakuna. But if I hear any unnecessary noise, I will reconsider my generosity," King Mehlomanelo says, turning to leave, utterly unconcerned now that he knows Hakuna's identity.
Hakuna thinks to himself, "I'm dead, right? Yeah, I'm definitely dead. This is a very elaborate way to die."
Nolitha responds, also in his head, "Relax, I told you, you're fine. The only real danger is my Mo—"
Nolitha's mother enters the house, a woman of ethereal beauty, followed by a pressure of power that is scarier than Nolitha's father's, a cold, absolute sense of finality that makes the air feel thinner.
"I can't even breathe. No, I'm gone. That is too much for me," Hakuna says, his survival instinct overriding everything. He flies through the window in a single, desperate blur and goes home.
"Aw, man. I was hoping for a family introduction," the princess relents, genuinely disappointed.
Global Crisis, Personal Urgency
Hakuna makes it home, skidding to a halt just inside his own front door. As he enters his house, catching his breath…
He gets a call from Sehloho. "Yeah?" Hakuna says, still slightly winded.
Sehloho, on the phone, begins to speak, his voice professional and urgent. "Hakuna, something came up. I just got a call from the president. The state at which the new virus is spreading has forced him to put South Africa under Lockdown."
Wait, how does he know the president? And why is he so nonchalant about a global pandemic?
"Lockdown, when?" The boy asks, feeling a chill unrelated to the wind coming through his broken training room window.
"Next week Thursday, that means we have to get you on a plane by tomorrow, so you should pack your things now. We cannot risk being trapped here," Sehloho says.
Hakuna sighs, "Ugh, fine. Just when things were getting interesting at school."
The call ends. Hakuna walks in and sees Justina watching the news on TV. The screen is filled with a serious anchor. "On 20h00, the president will address the nation on the pressing matter that is the pandemic we now face, COVID-19, otherwise known as The Corona Virus…"
"Hmm, he wasn't lying," Hakuna denotes.
"Huh?" Justina murmurs, glancing away from the screen.
Hakuna continues, "Sehloho already told me that the president is planning on closing down the country, so we should pack our things and get to Lesotho tomorrow, or maybe we'll take a train, but he said a plane."
"Hmm, tough times approach, and fast. The world is reacting. Alright, get to packing," the queen says, a sudden seriousness overcoming her gentle demeanor. She turns off the TV immediately and vanishes.
"And, she's gone. Efficiency is scary," Hakuna says. Hakuna's eyes glow, and he also vanishes, zipping to his room to begin preparations.
The Loudest Confession
Hakuna begins to pack his things, tossing clothes and training gear into a large, sturdy duffel bag. "Oh, I forgot…" He calls Nolitha while packing.
Nolitha responds on the phone, "Well, what a nice surprise. I thought you'd never call after literally flying out of my palace."
"Yeah, well, your family is crazy. No offense," he mentions.
King Mehlomanelo yells from the background, his voice audible even over the phone, "Child of Lesole, I hope you did not soil your pants! Hahahahaha!"
"I am a fearless prince, your majesty! I know no such thing!" the prince replies, yelling back with equal measure of regal pride and panic.
"Don't mind him; he was just passing by," the princess says, trying to sound normal.
"Uh, Nolitha, I have to tell you something important…" Hakuna says, his voice dropping slightly.
"What is it? Did you find another princess in the guest room?" She asks, a playful jab in her tone.
"I have to leave the country sooner than planned. Like, tomorrow sooner…" Hakuna says.
"What, why?" Nolitha questions, her voice laced with disappointment.
"The country will be under Lockdown in six days, so Sehloho is rushing our departure," he declares.
"Oh no… I thought we had two more weeks together…" the princess murmurs, the full weight of the sudden separation hitting her.
"I thought so too, but it seems we are going to be apart for a very long time. Probably months."
"I wonder how many princesses are gonna be cooped up in your house in Lesotho. Lucky you…" the princess ponders cheekily, the sarcasm thick enough to cut.
That was sarcasm, right? Yeah, that was definitely sarcasm…
"Relax, nothing crazy's gonna happen. I only love you," the boy says instinctively, the words tumbling out before his brain could process them.
Nolitha snaps back to reality. "Wait, did you just say you love me?" She asks, her voice suddenly high-pitched.
"Huh, what? No, of course not! That was a figure of speech!" he stammers, instantly backtracking.
"Oh, so you don't love me? You only tolerate my presence?" She asks cheekily, pushing the advantage.
"Huh, well, obviously I'd sacrifice myself for you and kill anyone who harms you…" he says, struggling to find a non-committal answer.
Nolitha sings playfully, her voice filled with victorious glee, "Hakuna loooves me! Hakuna loooves me! Hakuna loooves me!"
Hakuna then yelps, his frustration finally boiling over. "Shut up! Alright, I love you, Nolitha! Can't you hear properly? Alright, I'll be louder! I LOVE YOU, Nolitha!!!"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop," she giggles, her playful vengeance satisfied.
"I guess I'll see you in five months, then," Hakuna says, the admission of love making the separation feel heavier.
"Videocall me every day, do you hear me? You are not allowed to be out of my sight for more than twenty-four hours!" The princess says, her playful tone returning.
"Yes, I will. Every day," Hakuna replies.
"Ahh, good. Bye bye, my prince," she sighs gleefully.
"Bye, Megami…" Hakuna says, the call ending as he finishes packing the last of his things.
"Damn, I have some really scary women in my life, and I love them both," he denotes, shaking his head.
"Ya think?! That's what happens when you're a prince with a powerful mother and a terrifying princess girlfriend!" Psycha says.
"Shut up, you're next," the prince snaps.
Hakuna goes to sleep, exhausted but content.
The Citadel of Crowns
The next day comes, and everything is sorted with ruthless efficiency by Justina. Hakuna and Justina get on a flight to Lesotho. The journey is smooth, the usual chaos of international travel bypassed by their status. They arrive and head immediately to the palace. As they unpack, the massive gates of the palace begin to open, and the other Clans, arriving from all corners of the country, begin to arrive in their royal processions. This is it. The beginning of the arc.
This is…
The Citadel of Crowns…
Fade out…
End of Episode 22…