Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Long Live the King and Queen

“We’re gonna make a great team.”

“We already do.”

Those were Kion and Rani’s last words before a new era had begun. Now that their close friend and Royal Mjuzi of the Tree of Life, Makini, had given Kion the marking of a ruler, their roars signified their union as mates. Their friends and families had all attended, having watched them grow throughout life, and come together, as if it was the work of the Kings of the Past themselves.

And now, with a new coronation, came a new beginning. The reign of Queen Rani and King Kiongozi of the Great Tree of Life had just begun.

That following night, there was a celebration in honor of the wedding. Those who had visited from the Pride Lands and the Outlands were spending the night here. Timon and Pumbaa, Simba’s childhood friends, had sung their traditional ‘Hakuna Matata’ song that they sang to Simba and Bunga growing up that lifted everyone’s spirits. 

“I’m surprised you became Queen so fast,” Kiara said to her new sister-in-law. “Even I had some doubts about the position when I was as young as you were.”

“Well, the Tree of Life needed a queen,” said the Queen. “The Night Pride is a matriarchal structure, and my grandmother only had sons, so she remained queen, and as the oldest girl relative, she trained me to rule the Tree of Life.”

“She’d be proud, along with your parents,” said Simba’s daughter. “Thank you and your pride for saving my little brother. Even though he may not be with us like I suspected, at least we can sleep well knowing he’s under your protection.”

“Now that Kion and I are together, our kingdoms can be allies,” Rani suggested. “And don’t worry about how far away we are. Azaad found a good short-cut back to the Pride Lands so the trek in between our kingdoms will allow our alliance to run more easily. It’ll still be a long trip, but our partnership will be stronger than ever.”

“Thanks Rani.”

Kiara turned to see her fiance, Kovu, winking at her. She laughed and tackled him with a love hug.

Rani smirked at Kion and licked the healed scars on his left eye. Had it been several months ago, before Kion was healed, he would’ve been irritated, but now, all he felt was joy.

Rani looked at Kion’s scars, and later her own scar. Somehow, they had received their scars from their past, but now, into the present, they’re reminded of how strong they were.

Rani and Kion nuzzled underneath the moonlight in affection.

“Hey Kion,” said Rani. “I realized we never said this before.”

“What is it?” Kion asked.

“I love you.”

Kion was taken aback at those words, but replied with a simple, “I love you too, Rani.” The two newlyweds felt the wind brush between them, as if Mufasa himself had given them her blessing: They were in this together. They were of the same pride:

Though Kion will miss his family, with Vitani leading the Lion Guard and Jasiri ruling over the Outlands, there’d be peace in the Circle of Life once again.

Midnight had befallen the Tree of Life now. Everyone had gone fast to sleep out of exhaustion from the party. All but Rani and Kion.

Whilst the rest of the Lion Guard and Night Pride slept in the cave, the new King and Queen were looking at paintings of the Tree of Life’s history, many of which were illustrated by Makini, the new royal Mjuzi of the Jindagee Kingdom: The paintings were requested by Queen Janna, the old Queen of the Tree of Life who completed her journey in the Circle of Life. 

One painting showed Queen Janna’s coronation when she was not much older than Rani. Another depicted the birth of her sons, Sahasi and Surak, the marriage between the former and Ananda, Rani’s mother, as well as the presentation of Rani and Baliyo as the heirs to the Tree of Life. Finally, there was one showing a family portrait of the royal family; Queen Janna and her mate, Rani's mother Ananda, Rani's father Sahasi, her uncle Surak, her aunt Nirmala, her brother Baliyo, and finally, her.

Rani closed her eyes and shook her head seeing the portrait. Kion saw his partner’s despair and placed his cheek next to hers and rubbed his face near her, purring softly to ease her mind like Tuliza.

“Rani,” he said. “They’d all be happy to see where you are now.”

“I know they would,” said the Queen. “I miss them every day… and that’s why I want to continue their work. To continue the Circle of Life.”

“The Circle of Life will never end,” said the King. “And neither will your family’s legacy. With strength and respect.”

The two rulers nuzzled together before laying down to rest. It was nothing more than the beginning of the rest of their lives.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Of Manes and Mjuzis

(A/N: Background by LionGuardKujenga)

In the weeks that had followed the wedding, the Pridelanders had stayed at the Tree of Life as a means of getting to know its rulers more, as well as a way of saying goodbye to the former Lion Guard. Rani, Kion, Kovu, and Kiara were racing through a field of flowers on a double date. Kion was in the lead.

“Fuli taught me how to speed. Just try and beat me!” Kion said as he raced ahead of everyone.

“You’re not the only one with a cheetah friend,” Rani said as she tailed behind.

Kovu and Kiara were tied for last place, but they looked at each other with a sly grin.

“Should we show them how it’s done?” Kovu asked playfully.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Kiara hopped on top of Kovu, firming her muscles to stay on it safely. Kovu unsheathed his claws and allowed them to dig into the dirt. The extra traction allowed the dark lion to tail Rani and Kion. 

“You know what Bunga used to teach the kids back in the Pridelands?” Kiara said on Kovu’s back.

“What?” Rani asked.

“RUKA!!!

Kiara sprung off of Kovu’s back, twirled through the air like an acrobatic bird, and landed right in front of Kion, kicking up dust flowers. Kion spat them out and saw his sister right in front of him.

“Hope my dust isn’t too dusty!” Kiara said. 

Kiara of course wasn't looking where she was going and tripped over a rock and wound up tumbling down a hill. Kovu, Rani, and Kion couldn’t stop themselves in time and found themselves tumbling down the hill and landing in a lake. 

The four lions emerged from the water, coughing and laughing. They swam to the bank of the lake and shook away the water from their fur. Kion felt an itch on his back.

“Ugh, I think my fur got tangled in the fall,” he said, trying and failing to reach the itch. “It itches like hell.”

“Let me scratch it for you, dear,” Rani affectionately coo’ed. She pro-tracted her claws and gently caressed Kion’s back where the itch hit. Kion purred in relief at the stimulation of Rani’s claws gliding through her fur.

As Rani stroked his fur, she found something odd. There were some bits of mane that stood out among the rest of Kion’s fur. It protrude slightly upwards, and was red like the rest of his mane.

“It appears that you’re beginning to grow more of a mane,” Rani vocally observed.

“Well it’s itchy!” Kion  said. 

“Maybe we should take you to Makini,” Kiara advised. “Hopefully she can help you.”

“She better,” Kion mumbled. “For my sake.”

The four lions went to a large lone tree, not too far away from the Tree of Life. Makini and her parents, Fikiri and Kitendo, were at the tree, listening to Makini’s stories ever since she moved in with Rafiki during the dry season several years ago.

“My little plant at my Mpando Mpaya inspired everyone to stay in the Pride Lands and defend it from Scar and the Outlanders! Speaking of which, how is my tree? I haven’t seen it since last year!”

“Your tree has gotten quite big and fruitful,” said Fikiri. “In fact, during Kupatana when you weren’t here, the royal family held a tribute to you for inspiring everyone to stay and fight. They all expressed a great desire for you to return because they knew the value of your efforts.”

“Oh they did?” Makini asked. 

“Yes,” said Kitendo. “We were surprised when you heard that you had chosen to stay at the Tree of Life. We always imagined that you’d serve Kiara.”

Makini felt a twinge of guilt fill her, and her face dulled with that emotion. Seeing her daughter’s insecurity, Fikiri had knocked Kitendo on the head with a staff and walked over to Makini.

“What your father means to say is that despite what we think, we respect the choices you’ve made and the ones you will make in the future,” said the female mandrill. Kitendo walked next to his wife to continue the pep-talk.

“We’ve always told you to move forward and look back. But the path will always be yours to trek and reflect.”

Makini began to cry in happiness and hugged her parents tightly.

“Thanks mom and dad,” said the young mandrill. “I love you both.”

“We love you too,” said her parents.

The hug was interrupted by someone calling out Makini’s name from the bottom of the tree. 

“That sounded like Rani!” Makini said. 

The three mandrills swung down on vines to the base of the lone tree and spotted the newlyweds, Kion and Rani, alongside Kovu and Kiara. Two families waved to each other as they made contact.

“It’s great seeing you guys again!” Makini exclaimed in joy. “I mean, I see you everyday Rani, but I’m still so stoked that Kion and the Lion Guard are back to stay now, and that I can see Kiara again! Congratulations with you and Kovu by the way!”

“The feeling is mutual,” Kiara giggled. “And thanks!”

“So, is there anything I can do for the Queen and King of the Tree of Life and the Crown Princess and future King of the Pridelands?” asked the mandrill.

“It’s not anything major, but yes, there is something we do need help with,” Rani said, escorting Kion over. Kion bent his head over to give Makini a view of his lower neck, and the clumps of mane that had started to poke up.

“The good news is, I’m starting to get some mane. Bad news is, it itches like crazy. Is there anything you can do to try and help it?”

Makini took a look at Kion’s growing mane. When Kion’s mane tuft had expanded in his adolescence, it never itched, at least as much to the point where Kion required such attention. She did remember Rafiki telling her stories about when Mufasa and Scar grew their manes in and how itchy they were, to the point where they were constantly begging him to cut off their manes with sharp rocks to stop the irritation. She silenced herself in hopes of remembering something from Rafiki’s teachings and stories that would help her. One memory had popped up in her head and everything made sense now. 

“Wait right here, I’ll be back!” said Mjuzi as she swung away in the trees. 

After half an hour, she had come back carrying green plants as well as a bowl made from a carved out hollow coconut. She placed the green plants into the bowl and used a rock to mash them up into a frothy green lotion. She then rubbed the lotion all over Kion’s back and neck, soothing his discomfort.

“This is an Aloe Vera plant,” Makini explained. “When crushed, it turns into a lotion that can remedy itching. In a few days, you’ll forget it was even there!”

“Thanks Makini,” said Kion. 

“My pleasure!” she replied. “I can’t wait to see what you look like when you grow in a mane.”

“Neither can I,” Rani said, winking at Kion. Kion blushed in embarrassment and rubbed the tuft of mane on his head. Kion was a few years younger than Kiara, however most lions his age had a larger mane than he did. Unfortunately, he had suffered hair loss due to the constant stress his body underwent during the battle with Scar and the journey to the Tree of Life, as well as him being a late bloomer in general. The months of healing, self-care, and rest at the Tree of Life would allow his body to recover and for his maturity to catch up to him, as slow as it may take.

“It’ll be my pleasure,” said Kion in his nervous love-sick state. Rani giggled, hugging him gently. “The feeling is mutual.”

The two royal couples waved the mandrill family goodbye as they continued their date. The two couples made small talk as they walked in the lowland forests.

“So Rani,” Kovu asked. “Since the Tree of Life offers sanctuary to animals, do you still… y’know… hunt and eat them?”

“Well, it’s hard to explain,” said the Queen. “ The Tree of Life has many habitats, with many animals living in it. It would be chaos if, say, a polar bear hunted a crocodile. So we have a rule saying that an animal can only hunt an animal in their own biome. And much like in the Pridelands, what you kill has to be an appropriate amount to hunt, not anything excessive or for sport. That keeps the Circle of Life in balance.”

“How interesting,” said Kiara.  “In the Pridelands, the royal family is allowed to hunt, but we can’t hunt any of the herd leaders or their young. I’ve been practicing hunting since I was a cub” — Kiara gripped Kovu into a bear hug — “and I’ve been getting better at it thanks to this big lug.”Kovu chortled in an emotional burst of happiness. 

“Maybe when you guys come to visit us sometime, we can practice hunting!” the future Queen of the Pridelands proposed.

“When we have the time. Ruling the Tree of Life is not easy, so if we ever find the time to visit, you can believe we’ll take that.”

“Our homes are now allied thanks to the marriage and your efforts to help one of us. So if you ever need help, you know where to find us,” said Kiara, offering out a paw on the shoulder of her new sister-in-law.

“Dhanyavaad,” thanked the Queen. “Thank you.”

“Karibu,” Kiara replied. “You’re welcome.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Bunga & Binga

In an open field, Timon, Pumbaa, and Bunga were at a termite mound, chowing down on the bugs that build the tower-like structures. Bunga used his sharp claws to break his way through the mounds to get to the juicy bugs inside. 

“I told you guys that the Tree of Life termites are the best!” Bunga said with his mouth full.

“You said it!” said Pumbaa, his mouth also full of termites. 

They weren’t however, the only ones chowing down on the bugs. Next to Bunga was a large bear, six times his size, with sloth-like claws, deep blue eyes, messy jet black shaggy fur, freckles on her tan snout, and a pink nose. 

“Technically I was the one who told you that the termites were the best. I am from here!”

“Who could prove you wrong Binga,” said the honey badger, giving the sloth bear a wink.

Not long after the Lion Guard had first arrived at the Tree of Life, Bunga had met a large friendly sloth-bear named Binga. The two were at first polar opposites, Bunga being reckless and carefree and Binga being more calm and calculated, but as fate had it, the two got along quickly and learned from each other, and they soon officiated their relationship not long after the Lion Guard joined the Tree of Life.

With Kion having recently been crowned the King and many of the Prideland animals visiting in the wake of the coronation, Bunga could introduce his new girlfriend to his uncles, Timon & Pumbaa.

“So Binga,” Timon asked. “You’re a sloth bear right?”

“Right,” Binga responded.

“So are you a bear that looks like a sloth? Or a sloth the size of a bear?” asked the meerkat.

“Uhm… the first one!” she said.

“So if you wanted to, you could slice any bad animal in two?” asked Timon.

“Well… only if I had to.”

“Well have you ever been put in that situation?” Pumbaa inquired.

Bunga and Binga looked at each other as they remembered a certain incident.

FLASHBACK:

7 months ago, sometime after Rani had been crowned Queen and before Kion had mastered the Roar of the Elders, Makucha and his army had attacked the Tree of Life again, splitting up into three different groups. Makucha’s leap, had gone after a group of deer. Ora and his bank had gone after buffalo, whilst Chuluun had planned an ambush on an Ibex in the mountains. The Lion Guard and Night Pride had split up to go after the villains: Rani and Kion would go after the leopards, Beshte and Anga would help the buffalo herd escape from Ora, and Ono, Bunga, and Fuli would fight Chuluun.

The three had made it to the mountains where Chuluun was stalking the Ibex herd. Her camouflage allowed her to blend in with the rocks and snow around her, making her practically invisible. She spied a lone Ibex calf that had strayed too far from the herd. This was her chance to make her move.

The Ghost of the Mountain claims her next victim , she thought to herself.

As Chuluun was about to attack, she had caught a very unfortunate smell, which was all too familiar to her.

Bunga! She thought.

She kept her head down, not wanting any reactions to startle the herd. However, she saw that the herd was starting to move away. Taking her chances, Chuluun raced towards the calf, ready to pin it down. Just when she was about to make contact, she felt a blur race past her, knocking the winds out of her.

When she came to, she saw a cheetah, an egret, and a honey badger standing in between her and the calf.

Chuluun growled. 

“Nice idea having me scare those Ibex away from Chuluun with my stink, Ono!” Bunga thanked.

“Too bad it didn’t scare Chuluun,” said Fuli.

“It’ll take more than that to scare me,” growled the leopard.

“Well there’s more where that came from!”

Bunga lept at Chuluun, covering his entire face. Chuluun tried to shake him off, but to no prevail.

“Help the Ibex herd get to safety! I’ll stop her!” Bunga said whilst being jostled. Ono and Fuli left to get the herd relocate.

Chuluun knocked Bunga off of her. The badger got up and steeled himself for another brawl.

“Not so tough without your friends are you Bunga?” Chuluun snarled as she made a false swat at Bunga.

“They don’t call me the Bravest for nothing!” Bunga yelled, puffing his chest up. “Now get outta here!”

“Make me!” Chuluun spat. “Let’s dance!”

“Ladies first!”

Chuluun raced at Bunga and bit him square on the chest. Bunga twisted around whilst still caught in the big cat’s teeth; his loose skin had allowed him to twist around and bite Chuluun’s face, giving him enough leverage to wriggle free and then climb onto her back and grip tightly on her fur.

“YEE-HAW!!!” Bunga cried in excitement like a cowboy as Chuluun tried to jostle him off. 

“Get off of me!” she hissed.

“Not unless you and your friends get out!” Bunga snapped back.

Chuluun roared in frustration. For every second she humored the honey badger with this fight, she’d be further and further away from her lunch. She then remembered an old technique she learned back at her old home in the mountains.

“Tsasan shuurga!!”

Chuluun leapt up as best she could, pivoted her body through the air, and then landed flat on her back. She twisted and turned her hips to get Bunga to face the ground and landed on her back. She began to pivot her shoulders back and forth, further submerging them in the snow, slowly suffocating Bunga. Bunga tried to escape, but his screams could only come out as muffled shouts.

“What’s that? You might want to speak up!”

Bunga shouted again, once again, to no avail.

“No, I really wanna hear it!” Chuluun mocked. “Tell me all about it! I’ve got all the time in the world.”

Chuluun in fact did not have all the time in the world. The Ibex herd was probably long gone, but this was a good substitute for lunch.

Bunga was able to squirm enough to get his left arm out. He tossed snow at Chuluun’s face, but that wasn’t enough to get her off.

“This is payback for what you did to me at the mountain, Chosen One !”

Bunga started screaming and swearing at the snow leopard who was crushing him. Of course, Chuluun couldn’t hear him, and he was losing oxygen fast, so to improvise, the honey badger gave Chuluun the bird by clenching all his claws except for the one in the middle. He raised it high enough to where he suspected Chuluun could see it. Chuluun laughed.

“How mature.”

Bunga shook his arm around, continuing to flip Chuluun off until his movement started to become slow and labored. Chuluun continued to adjust her muscles to dig Bunga deeper and deeper into the snow, feeling his grip on her fur loosen with each move she made. Finally, Bunga’s open arm had flopped down to the ground. Seeing this as a green flag, the leopard got up to examine her handiwork. Bunga wasn’t moving. She placed her paw on his neck and felt a faint pulse. He was still alive… but not for long.

“You’ve Zuka’d your last Zama.”

She pro-tracted her claws and lifted them high in the air, cackling madly.

“Ghost of the Mountain One: Chosen One, Zero!”

As she readied herself for the final blow, she heard a groundshaking roar that caused snow to fall from the higher cliffs. The source of the roar had soon come charging in, in the form of a large, blue-eyed freckled sloth bear, who protectively covered Bunga.

“Stay away from him you wretch!” Binga snarled.

“I don’t know who you are, but get out of my way!” Chuluun spat.

“Over my dead body!” cursed the sloth bear.

“I guess that’ll bring the number up to two when I’m done,” the snow leopard darkly laughed.

Chuluun made a swipe at Binga’s face, but Binga was able to use the momentum to bite Chuluun’s paw. The villainess yowled in pain. 

The bear then stood on her hind legs, with Chuluun’s paw still in her mouth, lifting her straight off the ground. She then proceeded to wildly shake her head, up and down, left and right, back and forth, and in circles. Chuluun could feel her forearm being dislocated and began to feel nausea and dizziness from the violent movement. This had to be some cruel joke on her.

“I give, I give, I give , I GIVE , I GIVE JUST LET ME GO ALREADY!!!!!!!! ”

Binga dropped Chuluun, who couldn’t tell whether to be horrified at the creature that swung her around like a slingshot, or be humiliated at yet another agonizing defeat. Quickly popping her forearm back in place, she looked up at Binga, staring directly down at her menacingly, striking the fear of God into her. Chuluun shrunk back in fear and chuckled nervously.

“How about we call this a draw?” she chuckled.

“Yeah… a draw…” Binga replied, not taking any of Chuluun’s nonsense. It was clear that she’d had enough, but one could never be too sure.

“But know that if I ever see you or one of your gluttonous little friends put your dirty little claws on Bunga, or any of his friends, the only drawing I’ll do will be of your blood.”

To punctuate the threat, Binga dragged one of her long, sharp, sloth-like claws across her neck whilst giving Chuluun a dirty look. This was finally enough to make her run away.

Binga took a few seconds to blow off steam before cooling down. Had she just done that? Did she really just take on a predator, let alone an intruder? Was there ever a point in her life when she was this brave? So many questions ran through her mind, until a small voice inside her told her that the answer was right behind her. And his name was Bunga, unconscious.

END OF FLASHBACK:

“After that, I got Bunga back to the Tree of Life. The rest of the Lion Guard and Night Pride, who had already beaten the villains, were there,” Binga explained. 

“I woke up the next day. I had a lot of bad bruises from that experience, but I was back on my feet by the end of that week,” Bunga continued. “I guess that was the spark that lit the flames.” 

The two lovers gazed into each other’s blue eyes. The moment was interrupted by sobbing of happiness.

“Oh…. thank you… thank you so much for protecting our little boy,” Pumbaa cried with gratefulness.

“Bunga… this girl is a keeper, you got that? A keeper! As in, she’s gonna keep you safe!” said Timon.

Binga blushed at the compliments she received. Bunga shimmied his way up Binga’s furry body like a tree and gave her a kiss when his face aligned with hers. 

“Just my type of gal,” he said. 

Bunga dropped back to the ground. Him and Binga were facing Timon and Pumbaa, who both stood up side-by-side.

“Binga, we are proud to proudly proclaim with pride, that you are now an honorary member of our Hakuna Matata family,” Timon announced, holding up the queen termite of one of the mounds they had broken into, alongside Pumbaa.

“May the Circle of Life bestow you with the highest blessings ever!”

Timon and Pumbaa tossed the queen termite into the air. Bunga and Binga struggled to catch it, but both ended up falling flat on their stomachs. The termite queen landed in between the two insectivores. They neared their mouths closer to the giant insect, chewing and munching on it until their lips touched in the middle in the form of a kiss. The two laughed for a bit before sharing another kiss. 

“So, should we go take a stroll by the beehive? I’m in the mood for some honey!” said Bunga.

“I might pass. Honey’s only half as sweet as you are,” Binga flirted.

“Oh Binga.”

The two held paws –at least as best as they could— and they walked off into the distance, with each other being the only thing they could care about seeing.

Timon and Pumbaa watched in joy at the sight.

“Doesn’t that remind you of anyone?” Pumbaa asked. 

“Huh?” Timon said in confusion. “What? Who?”

“When I look at them, I see not just them, but I see us as well,” Pumbaa told Timon.

“Yeah, I do,” said Timon. “We raised good kids. One of them’s a champion over a dictator and a pretty great king, and the other is the bravest on a Lion Guard, right next to a King.”

“I’m gonna miss Bunga…” said the sniffling Pumbaa.

“I will too. But he’s found his home… at least another one.”

“Y’know, maybe when we get home we can raise another kid. I was thinking of something like a black cat, or one of those alligator thingies here, or an ostrich.”

“Don’t push it Pumbaa.”

“Sorry,” Pumbaa apologized.

“Hakuna, Matata,” said Timon.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Culture Shock

The lands of the Tree of Life were a marvel to the Prideland animals, and its lands were a spectacle to see. Though everyone knew this wouldn’t be the last they'd seen of the legendary kingdom, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore. Ono and Baliyo had kindly stepped up to the plate to be a tour guide to the Pridelanders. 

“And here, we will be entering the spiny desert. Many different animals live here, and only here in this territory,” Baliyo explained. 

“Why is it called the spiny desert?” asked Chungu amongst the crowd.

“I bet it’s because of those cactuses!” Cheezi guessed.

“Those aren’t cacti,” Ono explained. “They’re a type of spiny plant. Not even I can pronounce them right, but they only live in this desert.”

Janja walked towards the plants to examine them. He veered closer and closer until the edge of the thorns were touching his nose. It was very painful.

“YEOWCH!” Janja howled as he clutched his nose and pulled himself away from the plants.

“Riddle me this Ono,” Janja said in a huff. “Is there any animal who could climb these stinkin’ plants?”

“Well yes actually, there’s-”

A loud screeching noise interrupted the egret, scaring off some of his tail feathers. Ono hid behind a few members of his flock who had joined the tour.

Everyone looked up and saw several white primate-like creatures, bobbing their heads back and forth out of curiosity. Everyone wondered what these things were or what they wanted.

“My,” said Thurston the zebra. “What a bunch of funny looking monkeys.”

Baliyo and Ono cringed upon hearing Thurston call the primates ‘monkeys.’ The ‘monkeys’ had heard this and started to screech angrily, throwing sticks and twigs at the unsuspecting guests.

“These monkeys are even more annoying than the ones back at the Pridelands!” Janja exclaimed. 

The ‘monkeys’ screeched even louder and began to hop on Janja’s heads, using it as a trampoline.

“I think they’re offended when you call them monkeys,” Chungu guessed.

Hearing the word had made the ‘monkeys’ even more mad as they started harassing Cheezi and Chungu, grabbing them by the ears. Janja was enraged.

“Hey, get your grubby little hands off of my furbrains you furballs!!!”

Janja snapped at the ‘monkeys’ but they were able to leap and glide away from him. Everyone else was trying to deal with the rest of the troop of primates. Ono and Baliyo had seen the chaos unfold and tried to make sense of it.

“What’s happening?” Ono asked.

“I think your zebra just caused an international incident,” Baliyo said, facepalming himself. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.”

Baliyo roared as loud as he could for a lion his age. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to look at him. The young lion had walked towards a large female primate of the group to address her one-to-one. Everyone had been able to guess that she was the leader of the primates.

“Salama tompoko. Miala tsiny amin'ny anaran'ny vahiny,” Baliyo said in Malagasy. [ Translation: Hello my grace. I apologize on the behalf of our guests. ]

“Ireny biby hafahafa ireny no entinareo ho eto amin'ny tanintsika, indrindra fa ny boriky sadika, ka ataonareo amin'izany teny ratsy izany izahay,” said the primate leader. [You bring these strange animals into our land, especially the striped ass, and subject us to such slurs.]

“Sakaizan’ny Mpanjaka ireo biby ireo, ary olon’ny rafozako. Nanantena izahay fa amin'ny alalan'ity fitetezam-paritra ity dia hanamafy ny firaisankina eo amin'ny fanjakantsika isika ary hanatsara ny traikefany. Tsy nanao ratsy izahay,” said Baliyo to the primates. [These animals are friends of the King, and my father-in-law's people. We hoped that through this tour we would strengthen the unity of our state and improve their experience. We didn't do anything wrong.]

The Prince’s words cooled down the primates. The leader took a deep breath to relieve herself before continuing.

“Saingy tsy nampahafantatra anay na iray aza ianao fa hanao fitetezam-paritra izahay. Te hiaina amim-piadanana izahay. Hiala tsiny amin'ny fandraisana tsy mafana aho, fa amin'ny maha-mpitarika ny tenako dia tsy maintsy mametraka ny fianakaviako ho loha laharana aho.” [But you didn't even let us know that we were going on tour. We want to live in peace. I apologize for the lack of warmth, but as a leader myself, I have to put my family first.]

“Tsy nieritreritra ny hanaratsy anao ny vahiny,” Baliyo defended calmly. “Avelao izy ireo hianatra avy amin’io traikefa io,”  [The guests did not mean to offend you. Let them learn from this experience.]

“Hanao izany izahay, ry tompo,” the lemur agreed. “Miala tsiny indrindra izahay.” [We will, your highness. Once again, our sincerest apologies.] 

“Izaho koa no miala tsiny,” Baliyo apologized. “Anao ny famelàko.” [I’m sorry too. You have my forgiveness]

“Ary manana ny ahy ianao,” [And you have mine]

The primates hopped back into the trees. Before disappearing, the leader had looked upon the Pridelanders.

“For anyone wondering, my name is Filoha,” she said, introducing herself. “And we’re monkeys, not lemurs. Big difference. Don’t forget it.”

As the lemurs hopped away into the treetops, everyone stared in awe at what had just happened.

“So…. that just happened?” said a starstruck Jasiri. 

“Could anyone explain what just happened?” asked Bupu. “Please??”

“Those animals weren’t monkeys,” said Ono. “They’re lemurs. They look like monkeys and are related to them, but they’re way different.”

“They don’t like being called monkeys,” Baliyo explained. “It deeply offends them on a personal level. It’s kind of like calling a hyena a dog. No offense to the hyenas.”

“None taken,” said the hyenas.

“Anyways, that’s Filoha.” Baliyo continued. “The language we communicated to each other in was Malagasy. My sister and I learned from a young age how to speak the languages of many animals who live at the Tree of Life, so we can abide by their cultures, including the local lemur conspiracy that live in the spiny desert.”

“Which is what a group of lemurs is called,” Ono added. “Common knowledge, really.”

“Except it ain’t because we nearly set off an international incident!” said Janja. “How do you know all this stuff anyways?!”

“Karifa,” Ono said. 

“Who?” Muhungas asked.

“Karifa,” Ono said again. Memories of Ono’s youth back in the Pridelands came flooding through the egret’s head.

FLASHBACK:

Eight years ago, back in the Pridelands, it was the rainy season. A juvenile egret had been waiting in a small nest in a tall tree, looking high in the sky as best as he could. He held his head down low in disappointment until he heard a screech in the sky. Soon, a raptor had made a dive-like stoop at warp speed, letting gravity take over. When she reached the nest, she spread her wings out to let the air resist against her fall, slowing her down enough to where she could perch safely on the nest. 

The egret looked happily up at the raptor he was looking for. She was a large bluish grey peregrine falcon with a pale reddish beige chest and belly, sharp black talons, and teal eyes.

“Karifa!” said Ono.

“Don’t forget lunch, kid!” said Karifa.

In her left talon was a large fish, still wet and moving. 

“This is gonna be quick, but as always, you’re free to turn away,” said the peregrine.

Ono covered his eyes with his wings. He knew what would happen next, but he took his guardian’s advice.

Karifa used her sharp beak to bite at the fish, severing its spinal cord and killing it swiftly. It was the Circle of Life at its finest.

“You can open your eyes now,” said the falcon.

Ono opened his eyes to see that the fish, now with a bite taken out of its neck, revealing some flesh. 

“Dig in,” said Karifa.

Ono pecked his beak at the fish, getting chunks of meat into his mouth. Karifa took bites of the fish’s tail. They kept at it until the fish was nothing more than bones. The two birds chucked it out of the tree and onto the ground, leaving it for the scavengers.

The two birds, with their bellies full, sat in the nest and talk.

“Can you tell me anymore about your travels?” asked Ono.

“I’ve already told you so much!” said the falcon. 

“Uhm, no you haven’t!” Ono protested. “The world is only so big. Tell me so much more.”

“Hmm, fine. I’ll tell you” said Karifa, crossing her wings. “If you can answer my little quiz. Question #1: What are 3 ways desert animals survive in their hot, dry habitat? Three answers.”

Ono took a few seconds to think, before answering.

“Well, some animals like jerboas and dingos, the desert animals you told me about from your travels, come out at night to avoid the hot desert sun. Other animals like thorny devils have scaly bodies to keep from drying out in the hot sun. And others, like kangaroos will get water from the plants they eat, and lick their forearms to stay cool.”

“Correct. Now Question #2: What are three ways that temperate forest animals deal with their habitat?” asked the falcon.

“That’s easy!” Ono squawked. “They store food for the winter when there’s not much to eat. Squirrels and blue-birds do this a lot.”

“Blue-jays,” Karifa corrected. “But who’s askin’?”

“Some animals like wolves and hares have one coat for summer and a furrier one to keep them warm in winter. We don’t need that in the Pridelands,” answered the egret. “And some birds and bugs migrate south during the cold winters.”

“Ding, ding ding! You are correct!” the falcon cheered.. “This is your last question. Answer this one, and I’ll tell you a story of a very interesting animal I’ve met.”

“Ok!” Ono said. 

“What are three ways rainforest animals survive in their habitat?”

“Nawaza, Nawaza, Nawaza,” Ono muttered to himself, trying to think. A lightbulb went up in his head.

“They recognize millions of animals and plants that they live amongst, especially the ones that they eat or have to avoid being eaten by,” Ono answered. “Many of them like the clouded leopards you told me about, have light fur because it’s very humid in the rainforests, and a lot of them like proboscis monkeys and orangutans have long arms and legs to climb the many trees.”

“And that’s the last one right!” Karifu exclaimed, hugging Ono in her giant feathers. “Ok, you’ve earned this story. So sit down.”Ono sat down and readied himself for another one of Karifu’s stories from her journeys across the world.

As far as he could remember, Karifu had raised Ono. She was initially alone in protecting him after word of an orphaned egg had spread throughout the Pridelands. That was however, until Ono’s real parents were found by the local egret flock. Even so, Karifu was still Ono’s family and he wasted no time on getting the chance to visit her.

“So I’ve traveled to a remote island, many miles south of the Pridelands. So many animals live on that island, found nowhere else in the world. Colorful chameleons smaller than the eye can see, aye-ayes that look like wingless bats and have fingers that help them find bugs. And greatest of all, lemurs.”

“What are lemurs?” Ono asked the falcon.

“Fuzzy little animals that look like monkeys. But don’t be fooled. They are very different. I’ve seen many lemurs on the island. Ones that throw stink at each other, ones that look like mice, ones with a pelt of gold, and ones that look like fuzzy white puffballs.”

“I wish I could see it. And I see just about everything!” Ono said happily.

“Maybe one day you will, kid,” said Karifu. “Maybe one day you will.”

END OF FLASHBACK

Ono flashed back to reality, only a few seconds passing since Janja inquired him about his creature knowledge. Ono shook his head a little bit and began to explain.

“Let’s just say, she was a member of my family who had a lot of knowledge about animals around the world. She passed that on to me,” Ono said. He smiled happily remembering the memories. 

“Well, she sounds nice,” said Jasiri.

“And smart,” Janja complimented. “You certainly picked up the brains in your family!”

“I guess I did,” the teen egret chuckled.  

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that,” said Basi.

“Live long enough, and you’ll see everything,” Beshte told his father.

“I see what you did there,” said Basi, heartily laughing.

“Anyways, that’s lemurs for ya!” Baliyo butted in. “You can learn to love ‘em! Now, on with the tour.”

The tour continued through the Madagascar biomes of the Tree of Life. Ono perched on Beshte whilst the tour. He had a mixture of euphoria and sadness rushing through him remembering his falcon foster mother, and the events that had unfolded within her within the past couple of years.

She was among the Lion Guard’s recruits in their battle against Scar, aiding their new member Anga, the legendary Hadithi, and the rest of the Pridelands’ birds into aerial combat against the vultures who had threatened to burn down the Pridelands. She had been proud seeing her foster son and his friends return from the Outlands with the news that the evil king who had forced her and her fellow avians to flee during his tyranny had been once again defeated, and expressed desire to see him return home with his battle scars healed. Unfortunately, she had not lived to see that pass.

After he and his friends initially returned home, Ono had searched around for Karifu, but to no avail. It wasn’t until a while later when he had been hit with some devastating news. Karifu had completed her journey in the Circle of Life. Zira and the Outsiders had taken advantage of the Lion Guard’s absence and launched a full scale attack on the Pridelands. The battle was very much in Zira’s favor as Simba was already injured and weak from the ambush that had occurred earlier that day, along with how the invasion had happened on too short notice to allow the animals to unite against the threat. Karifu had recognized this and decided to fly off to locate her son and his friends in hopes of bringing them back home, unaware that they were on the war-path.

She didn’t make it that far, as she, in her panicked state of flying, hadn’t seen where she was going and got struck down by lightning from the tempest storm. She plummeted into the high rapids, and her body wasn’t recovered until a few days after the war when the flood in the gorge subsided. 

It had taken Ono a while to cope with the loss, especially at Karifu’s funeral, but knowing that their last moments together were happy, and that she would be proud of where he is today were enough to soften the blow.

“You OK Ono?” asked Beshte.

“I… guess,” Ono sighed. “I guess it wasn’t just my eyes that wouldn’t be the same again. It’s my heart.”

“I’m here if you ever need me,” Beshte affirmed. “And so are the rest of us.”

“Asante,” thanked Ono. 

“Karibu,” Beshte replied happily.

The tour continued, as did Ono’s pleasant memories of his life back in the Pridelands, all the friends he made along the way, and the ones who stood by him when his time in the Pridelands completed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Doubts

Simba and Nala grimaced as they saw Surak and Nirmala’s looks of disapproval towards them. This conversation was not going the way it was planned.

“One would think after your little spat with your daughter and future son-in-law, that you’d be different,” Surak said. “One would be wrong.”

“Surak,” Simba said calmly. “We mean no offense. But please see our point of view. They’re far too young for this. And we, as adults, need to discuss this!”

“Please see where we are coming from,” said Nala. “We only want what is best for them.”

“They’ve made their choice,” said Nirmala. “They have chosen the path that is best for them. And we shouldn’t stand in their way.”

“So you think that it’s perfectly fine that Rani is crowned the Queen before she’s even old enough to hunt, and is married off to Kion only months later?” Nala asked. “The fact is, big life-decisions like these require a lot of life-experience. That’s why we betrothed Kovu and Kiara to marry after the union of the prides to give them more time to settle down.”

“We respect your choice in regards to Kovu and Kiara. But we ask you to respect Kion and Rani and have faith in them,” Surak told the Pridelands’ King and Queen.

“There is a difference between faith and negligence,” Nala spoke back with a stern voice. “Surak, you’re Queen Janna’s oldest living relative. Why didn’t you take the throne after she died?”

“Rani's father Sãhasi, my older brother was the King.” Surak explained. “Because of this, Rani was the heir since she was the eldest. After her parents died, my mother had to re-take the throne, because I was never trained to become a ruler. It was all in accordance to tradition. ”

“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe a change should be in order?” Nala asked. “I mean, yes, it is tradition, but you have to think about the outcome it could have on the Kingdom and most of all, your family.”

“So you’re implying that our traditions are unjust?” Surak said, slightly offended.

“No!” said Nala, not having any offensive intent. “It’s just.. well-I-I-”

Nala was tongue-tied at the moment trying to find out what to say. Simba had intervened in the two’s conversation in a much more calm manner.

“Surak, I understand that you will do what you believe is best for Rani.”

“Yes,” Surak answered. “Ever since her parents and grandfather died, I’ve done my best to take care of her and her brother. I see this marriage and her coronation as the next step in her life.”

“I understand,” said Simba. “But I think it’s important to notice that regardless of how we feel, we shouldn’t let this get in between us. Our families are one now, so we should try to get along, even if we don’t agree with one another.”

“Agree to disagree,” Nirmala spoke.

“Yes, exactly,” said Simba. “And if anything happens, we’ll be there for our children to support them and help them through this.”

“That’s something I can agree on,” Surak obliged.

“Very well. Let’s just forget this ever happened,” Simba said.

The two pairs parted ways quickly. Nala and Simba were still uncomfortable with their slight confrontation.

“I understand why you did that, Simba,” Nala said. “You didn’t want to make anything worse.”

“That’s true,” Simba replied. “If there was any tension between the Pridelanders and the Night Pride, it could negatively affect Kion and Rani’s marriage. I don’t want them to have to go through any hardships because we were irresponsible.”

“Agreed. They all seem so nice. It’s just that I can’t find myself to agree with any of this.”

“Neither can I. But it’s just like I said before the wedding. We don’t have to support it, but we can be there for them regardless. I can only hope that through some miracle, we’re both wrong and that they aren’t going to do something they might regret later on.”

“I hope so too.”

Nala and Simba looked back at the tree, of which their son had been able to call his throne. Being a ruler was no easy task; Both of them knew that. And marriage definitely took a lot of maturity. Kion and Rani were both mature, but as far as those their age would go. They would get more experience as they grew up, but still… something had told the Pridelands’ King and Queen that this wasn’t right.

All they had to do was wait, see, and be ready when it all came crashing down.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Tutanonana Baadaye

The Pridelanders stayed at the Tree of Life for almost a month. The aftermath of the wedding had passed and everyone had felt adjusted enough to where they’d want to come home. The Night Pride, the ex-Lion Guard, and Makini met up with the Pridelanders and prepared themselves to say their goodbyes to their friends and family. 

“There was never a doubt that you’d become the wise, noble and patient Mjuzi that I knew you would be,” said Rafiki to Makini. “Amani iwe nanyi.. [Peace be with you]”

“Amani iwe nanyi,” Makini said back. “I hope you find a good replacement for me.”

The elderly mandrill laughed and gently conked his staff on Makini’s head.

“There is only one Makini. She cannot be replaced. You are one of a kind.”

Makini giggled and hugged Rafiki tightly. The elderly mandrill was initially shocked, but gave into the caress. He separated himself from her to address his once-successor.

“It is time,” he said. 

Beshte was speaking with the members of his old herd, including his father and his former singing group, the Bellow Fellows.

“Say hi to all the hippos for me,” said Beshte to his father.

“I will,” said Basi. “Making hippo lanes won’t be the same without you. But hopefully you’ll carve out your own lanes in the Circle of Life.”

“I will dad,” Beshte said as he went in to hug him. Mtoto, the young elephant Beshte befriended, joined their hug.

Ono and Anga were greeted with salutes from the birds of the Pridelands, especially Hadithi, which made them both blush in embarrassment and excitement.

Timon and Pumbaa tried very hard not to cry as they waved Bunga and Binga goodbye.

“Send us a postcard!” said Pumbaa. “Whatever that may be!”

“Whatever he said!” cried Timon. “You two enjoy wherever your dirty little paws take ya!”

Bunga wiped a tear seeing his uncles go. Binga brought her partner into a loving bear-hug.

Kion looked at all the animals of his homeland gathered together. Seeing them like this reminded him of when they bid them farewell on their journey to the Tree of Life, and when they celebrated their return back home. How he’d miss that place so.

In the midst of his mind racing, he saw his friends conversing with Rani, whispering and giggling. The curious lion went over to see what was happening.“Hey guys, what are you talking about?” he asked nicely.

“Oh nothing,” said Bunga, snickering like a hyena. Fuli punched him gently in the shoulder, stifling a laugh as well. 

“Well…. Let’s just say… we planned a surprise for you,” said Fuli.

“Ooh, what kind of surprise?” Kion asked.

“You’ll see,” said Rani, winking.

Beshte, Ono, Rani, and Anga escorted Kion in front of the animal crowd. Beshte then whistled, acting as a signal to the Pridelanders. 

 All of the animals had noticed their response and they acted accordingly. They all lined up, one species side-by-side behind another species. Then, the four members of the Night Pride roared, commanding the animals as a signal. They all bowed, row by row towards King Kion and Queen Rani.

On the front-lines of the row were Simba, Nala, Kovu, Kiara, Bunga, Fuli, Beshte, Ono, Anga, Baliyo, Surak, and Nirmala, who all bowed in front of Kion. The King was lost for words.

“Uishi Mfalme,” they said with respect in their voices. “Long Live the King.”

Kion’s jaw dropped straight to the floor. He couldn’t think of anything to say.

“You’re welcome," said Bunga

Rani went over to Kion and planted him a kiss on the cheek. He went out of his trance and saw the animals still bowing to him. 

Kion stood still like a Michelangelo statue for a few minutes. Bunga went in front of him to try and snap him out of his trance… literally, through snapping his fingers. Eventually, Kion blinked and in the blink of an eye, he ran away from the mountain pass.

Kion’s friends and queen called out for him, but he had been out of earshot.

“Was it something we did?” Bunga asked.

“I don’t think that was such a good idea,” said Beshte.

“Nope,” Anga replied.

“I think we just made a mistake,” said Fuli, quivering in nervousness. “We should talk to him.”

————————————————————————————————————

Kion’s legs felt like wings, carrying him wherever he felt like it. He lowered his head downward to hide his emotions. He felt like it was rude for him to dash out the way he did, but at the same time, he didn’t see what else to do. His mind was rushing as fast as his body did throughout the kingdom. His obscured vision from the blur was rewarded with a collision into a tree. Hanging fruit fell on top of him, exploding into a juicy mess on top of his fur. 

Kion dozed off in exhaustion and pain. After a couple of hours, he had awakened to the sight of the former Lion Guard, Makini, and Rani watching.

“Kion, are you ok?” Bunga asked.

“I… I guess…” Kion said groggily. 

“We’re really sorry Kion,” Beshte apologized. “We didn’t know we’d make you so upset like that.”

“It-it’s fine,” Kion said, getting up and wiping the juice off his face. “I shouldn’t have ran off like that.”

“Why did you run off?” Bunga asked. “What about our gift made you upset?”

“It’s just that…” – Kion took deep breaths as he slowed the beating of his heart through relaxation — “I’m homesick.”

“Oh,” everyone said in unison.

“I came back to the Tree of Life for Rani. I thought I had so much waiting for me back here…. That I didn’t know what I was leaving behind. And now I do and…. Ugh I don’t know what to do anymore!” 

Everyone stared at their friend in pity.

“I just don’t know where to go from here once they leave… like I did.” 

Rani stepped forward towards her mate, looking Kion in the eyes.

“Kion, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I had no idea you felt this way. Your family and friends have shown to be so loyal and caring. I don’t blame you for missing them.”

“Yeah,” Beshte added. “I mean, I’ll miss making hippo lanes with my dad and singing with the Bellow Fellows.”

“I’ll miss winning snail slurping contests with my uncles,” said Bunga.

“And racing around the Pridelands and going my own way is something I won’t get over easily,” Fuli sighed.

“We all had to give up something to head to the Tree of Life,” Ono told Kion, hopping towards him. “You’re not the only one of us who’s gonna have something to miss. Which is why you have us to consult if you’re feeling homesick.”

“We’ve been through a lot. We’ll make it through this,” Anga comforted Kion.

Kion’s heart began to warm hotter than the Outlands’ volcano. He wiped away the soft tears that rolled down his face and sniffed, soon becoming the center of a group-hug.

The group made their way back to the mountain pass where everyone was waiting for Kion and the others to return. Upon their arrival, Kion had explained his doubts of his future to everyone, the realization that had hit him, and how he is slowly but surely going through the process of moving on. Everyone had understood where the young lion was coming from. Such a change in the Circle of Life didn’t come easily. But Kion wasn’t alone, and as long as he wouldn’t be, the path that he and his friends have carved out would be the road well-taken.

It was now time for Kion to say his final goodbyes to his friends and family before they left.

Kiara and Kovu were the first to approach the new King of the Tree of Life. Kion held his head up with pride.

“I can’t thank both of you enough for all you’ve done for the Pridelands while I was away. To think that I once underestimated both of you. I’m happy to say that you’ve proven me wrong.”

“You’ve proven me wrong as well,” said Kiara. “It’s so hard to believe that you’ve grown from this snappy little cub to this amazing young lion.”

“Kiara’s told me a lot about you since I joined the pride. And I have to say, I’ve no words for how much respect I’ve gained for you,” said Kovu. “You’re gonna make one hell of a brother-in-law.”

“That makes two of us,” Kion said to his future in-law.

The next animals waiting were Tiifu and Zuri. Kion expected them to make an off-hand comment, but were very surprised when they both hugged him, sobbing.

“It won’t be the same without you and your messy little Lion Guard,” Zuri said in between sobs.

“It never will be,” Tiifu said, crying as well.

“I’ll miss you girls too,” Kion chuckled, patting them on the backs. “Be sure to say hi to Makuu for me Zuri.”

“I will,” Zuri sobbed. 

Kiara dragged the two sobbing lionesses away from her brother to continue his farewells. 

The next up was Janja and his brothers, Cheezi and Chungu. Cheezi and Chungu were trying and failing not to cry.

“We’re sorry for all the times we tried hurting you and your friends,” Cheezi said.

“Especially for almost eating Bunga,” Chungu said in between his cries. “I just wish we’d see you more so we can be friends!”

“Furbrains,” Janja muttered under his breath, acting stoic despite his rush of emotions as well. Kion stared at him, knowing he’ll cave in to say something. He was correct.

“Well….what the furbrains said. Looking back… it was probably a bad idea to bring back Scar and try to hunt more than our fair share. But hey, you pulled through it no matter what me and my guys threw at you. That says a lot about you as a leader Kion. You’ve got guts, and I’m glad that we never got the chance to rip them out from ya. Sorry about that by the way.”

Janja sighed.

"And... for everything."

Kion laughed and said some parting words of his own to Janja.

“It’s alright. I think I’ve roared at you enough times for you to get the idea. But I’m happy with the right decisions you’ve made. I may not get the chance to talk to you that much with you helping Jasiri rule the Outlands and me helping Rani rule the Tree of Life, but, but maybe when I come to visit, we can start over and become friends.”

Janja’s eyes burst with shock at Kion’s last word.

“Friends?” Janja said in denial.

“I ain’t ‘lion’,” Kion joked. 

The three hyena brothers smiled and laughed at Kion’s pun as they made way for Jasiri.

“Thank you for all you’ve done to help my family,” said Kion. 

“I have to say the same to you,” said Jasiri. “It’s been one hell of a ride, but I guess this is your stop.”

“I wouldn’t say stop,” Kion said. “I’d say it’d be a new start.”

“Bahati njema,” Jasiri said. “Good luck.”

Jasiri and Kion nuzzled, just like they did when they parted ways back in the Outlands when the Lion Guard returned to the Pridelands.

Jasiri stepped aside and allowed the next animal to bid their farewells. Ma Tembo and her herd.

“I’ve learned quite a lot from you Ma Tembo,” Kion told the elephant matriarch. “I can’t thank you enough for everything that you and your herd have done for us, and I promise you I won’t forget.”

“An elephant never forgets,” said Ma Tembo. “I won’t forget how much I’ve learned from you. We’re both leaders in the Circle of Life who have a part to play.”

“Yes, we are,” said Kion. “Aminifu would be proud of you.”

“Every time I look at you,” Ma Tembo told the teenager, “I see Mufasa’s bravery, and your father’s heart. But most of all, I see you, Kiongozi, the animal that you have chosen to become.”

The elephant wrapped Kion into a hug with her trunk. He purred in happiness.

The rest of the herd had given Kion a salute with their trunks to their liberator. They parted ways in order to allow Simba and Nala to approach their adolescent son. He wasn’t their little boy anymore.

“I once doubted your skills as a leader,” said Simba. “You and the Guard have proven me wrong with your first mission, and over the past four years, I’ve only gained more and more faith and respect for you. I’ve never been happier to see how far you’ve come.”

“We are proud to have you as a son,” said Nala. “As much as it pains us to see you go, knowing you’re here and happy will be worth not seeing you around.”

“I know you’re right,” said Kion. “I just… I always thought my place would be in the Pridelands. But I guess Scar was right about one thing… destiny can be full of surprises. It’ll take some time to get used to being far away from you guys.”

“You know what Pumbaa told me when I was young,” Simba said. “He always said that he believed that there was some magical force called gravity that keeps us from uncontrollably floating off of the face of the earth… that it’s a force that stretches out over the universe between things called planets… too strong to be broken. Timon always called him crazy, but I thought Pumbaa had a point.”

“What does that have to do with this?” Kion inquired with a laugh. 

“Well… think of us as planets,” Simba said. “No matter how far away, we’re still one family, like one solar system. Our love will never be broken. Sisi ni moja; We are one.”

“Sisi ni moja,” Kion repeated. “We are one.”

Simba and Nala embraced their son in a long hug, the longest that Kion’s hugged anyone here. Everyone looked in happiness, some trying not to cry, others ‘aweing.’ After what felt like years, the embrace had broken. Kion looked at all of his friends from the Pridelands, old and new.

“Asante for coming to my wedding, and for attending me out of the Pridelands. This has been the most amazing four years of my life. I may not be in the Pridelands anymore, but I’ll always feel like a part of you guys.”

Kion wiped yet another tear from his face.

“This isn’t goodbye. This is rather, see you later,” he said. “Tutaonana baadaye.”

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Simba.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Nala.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Makini to Rafiki.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Rafiki back to Makini.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Bunga to Timon & Pumbaa.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Timon & Pumbaa back to Bunga.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Kovu and Kiara.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Basi to Beshte.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” Beshte said back to Basi.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Jasiri and Janja.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” Cheezi foolishly said to Chungu.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” Chungu said back to Cheezi.

“Tutaonana baadaye,” said Ma Tembo to Kion, saluting him again.

Makini, the former Guard, and the Night Pride watched as the Pride Landers, lead by Rafiki, Simba, and Nala disappeared into the distance as they cleared the mountain pass on their way back to the Pridelands. Once they were out of eyeshot, Kion had turned back to the rest of his friends.

“Let’s go home,” Kion said to his friends and new family as they made their way back to the Tree of Life.

“With you Kion,” said Bunga. “We’re already home.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Predators vs. Patrol

It had been the day after the Pridelanders had left the Tree of Life and began the journey home. During their trip to the Tree of Life for Kion’s coronation, Kion had used the Roar in order to change the landscape and make it easier for the animals to come and go. Kion had correctly guessed that they had taken the shortcut that Azaad had marked, one which had taken nearly a month to travel.

Kion and his friends, now the Day Guard of the Night Pride, emerged from the cave after a long night’s sleep. The hot sun of the early morning beat down upon them.

“Damn,” said Fuli. “I did not expect it to be this hot.”

“It’s December,” said Beshte. “Shouldn’t it be the rainy season?”

“Maybe it’s global warming?” Bunga said.

Everyone looked at Bunga like he was weird.

“Actually the weather is how it should be,” said a nearby familiar voice.

Rani, Baliyo, Surak, and Nirmala, who were evidently exhausted, had walked towards the Guard.

“The mainland of the Tree of Life is in a different part of the world,” Rani explained. “The weather is different than in most other places, especially as far away as the Pridelands. There, it’s the rainy season, but here, it’s still the hot season.”

“Well that sucks,” Bunga said. “It means that Christmas is gonna be way hotter here than back at home.”

“You know about Christmas?” Baliyo asked.

“Yeah! My uncles heard it from an ox, who heard it from a yellow wagtail, who heard it from a flying reindeer!”

“For the last time,” Ono said, facepalming himself. “There is no such thing as flying reindeer.”

“He’s right,” said Baliyo. “The reindeer here are all scared of heights. But they like to say that they can fly just to make their little fairy tales interesting.”

Ono smirked at Bunga, who muttered angrily under his breath in defeat.

“So, how was the patrol,” Beshte asked.

“Tiring,” Baliyo yawned, rubbing his eyes.

“Oh right,” Beshte replied. Of course it was tiring.

“There wasn’t much trouble we found,” said Rani. “Apart from a few disputes, there was nothing to worry about.”

“That's good,” Kion said before moving in to nuzzle Rani. “Take some rest.”

“I will.”

The fatigued Night Pride went inside the Tree of Life’s chamber to get some rest. The Lion Guard gathered to start their first official patrol as the newest members of the Night Pride.

“Alright guys,” said Kion. “We may not be in the Pridelands anymore, but we’re still the Lion Guard. The Lion Guard of the Tree of Life. It is our duty to protect all the animals who live here.”

“We’ll never give up,” said Fuli.

“We’ll fight for what’s right,” said Beshte.

“We’ll defend the Tree of Life,” said Ono.

“And the Circle of Life too,” Bunga added.

“We’ll just need a new catchphrase,” said Anga.

“I’ve got just the perfect one,” said Kion, as he stood forward, ready for action.

“With Strength and Respect, Lion Guard protect!”

The guard rushed through the lands of the Tree of life, beginning their patrol.

————————————————————————————————————

The Lion Guard patrolled throughout the Tree of Life’s mainland, encountering a barrage of different animals they had never seen before, or rather, not seen much of in the Pridelands. There were elephants, only smaller than the elephant herd back at the Pridelands, many familiar bird species, and different cobra species that resided at the Tree.

Ever since the battle against Makucha’s army, there were no major catastrophes or threats that had reached the Tree of Life or its animals. The residents had been grateful towards the Lion Guard for their bravery in protecting the kingdom. All of them had bowed towards Kion, which flattered the young lion despite his hestance to fully fit into the role as “King.”

The Guard trekked through a woodland forest. After a few minutes, they heard a large growl rummage throughout the woods. Everyone’s spines turned to ice as a bloodcurdling scream was heard.
“What the hell was that,” Bunga said, shaking in fear.

The screams, growls, snarls, and rustles in the leaves continued until it went quiet… too quiet.

Kion fought his paralyzing fear to turn ahead of the Lion Guard. The six defenders of the Circle of Life went behind Kion as he charged through the thick forest to find the source of the noise.

As they kept going in that direction, the scent of blood became more pungent and thick in the air. A lot of what-ifs ran through everyone’s minds as they were approaching what they rightfully assumed was a bloodshed.

When they reached a clearing, they had no idea whether or not to scream or cry at the sight in front of them.

A crested porcupine was on the ground, sobbing intensely. She was covered in her own blood. Many of her quills, stained in blood, were scattered on the ground, all of them looking as though they were cut short by whatever animal had been struck by them. The areas on her back that had lost the quills were covered in deep bloody scratch marks. The ground around her was also covered in blood, broken blood-stained quills, and claw marks.

“What’s wrong?” Kion shakily said in disbelief. “What happened?”

The porcupine lifted her face from the ground to reveal her blood-and-tear stained face. Her mouth hung open in what looked to be shock, and more tears rolled down her face.

“Who… did this to you?!” Bunga exclaimed in shock, wanting to get answers and find what animal had assaulted the bloody porcupine.

“Leopard,” she whispered.

“Who?” Fuli asked.

“A leopard,” the porcupine repeated.

“What did the leopard do to you?” asked Beshte.

“The leopard… she attacked me… I was only defending myself…” the porcupine was able to mutter out. “She’s on a rampage now… it’s all my fault…. That's all… it's my fault!”

“It’s not your fault for defending yourself,” Beshte comforted the rodent.

“Yeah,” said Bunga. “We’ll give that leopard what’s for!”

“That’s not going to be easy Bunga,” Ono noted. “Porcupine quills can affect how an animal hunts. If they can’t hunt, they might starve or go insane from hunger.”

“In that case, then we have to find this leopard and save her before anyone else gets harmed,” Kion said.

The King turned around to Bunga, Fuli, and Ono.

“Ono, you fly over to Makini’s tree and tell her that we need her at the Tree of Life. Bunga, Fuli, you bring this porcupine to Nirmala and the rest of the Night Pride. The rest of us will find the leopard, stop her, and bring her to the tree to save her.”

The three soldiers did as they were told and split up. Bunga, being immune to porcupine quills, helped the porcupine get on her feet and move.

“Do you think the three of us will be able to find her?” Beshte asked nervously.

“For her sake, we should,” Kion replied.

The three members of the Tree of Life’s Lion Guard raced toward to find the leopard and stop her, shouting their new catchphrase.

“Till the Circle of Life’s end, Lion Guard defend!”

The group had dispersed, ready to defend the Circle of Life, like they’ve always meant to be.

The Guard however, were unaware that they were being watched….

——————————————————————————————————————————

In a small clearing within the woodland forest, far from where the Lion Guard stood, laid a secluded den, surrounded by slabs of rock and stone. Waiting inside the den were a group of young female dholes, two twin teenagers and one cub awaiting for the adults to return from a dangerous hunting mission.

“Be patient!” said the eldest teenage dhole.

“But they said they’d be back by noon! It’s noon right now!” said the smallest, youngest cub.

“I’m just ready to eat,” said the younger twin. “I’m betting that they’re gonna catch a tasty hog.”

“You’re just saying that because you’ll gorge yourself on that hog, Doosara,” said the eldest.

“Well at least I’m not picky with my food, Pahala,” said Doosara.

“I’m just waiting until they can get back! It’s been hours” said the youngest cub.

“Do you think hunting’s an easy process, Akela?” Pahala snapped.

Akela nodded her head yes.

“So you really think that they’ll be back in the flick of a tail?”

Akela nodded her head yes.

“Are you gonna do that everytime I ask you something?”

Akela nodded her head yes.

“I give up,” said Pahala, facepalming herself. Akela laughed at her sister’s frustration and groan of defeat.

The dhole daughters heard some familiar voices outside. This alerted them to emerge from the entrance of the den. To the sisters’ excitement, relief, and joy, it was the rest of their pack, carrying their recent kill.

The dholes had taken down a large Guar. The pack had dropped the large bovine in front of the den where the cubs were, and soon the entire pack began to tear into the fresh meat of their prey.

The two dholes who had been at the frontlines of the feast were the pack’s matriarch and patriarch. The matriarch, Shakti was a large, lean, and hairy canid with eyes as green as the leaves in the woodlands. Her height was only squared by her mate, Saaman, whose rusty red coat was lighter and more orangey than Shakti’s, and was clashed upon by his violet eyes.

Shakti and Saaman looked at each other affectionately as they had eaten their fill. Hunting in the dry season was never an easy task, and the last couple of hunts did not go so well. This success was very much needed.

Akela had eaten her fill until her hunger was very much satisfied. She was about to go back to the den to rest, but something had caught her line of vision: A lizard gliding along the tree-tops in a fashion similar to flight.

The sight was captivating and she felt herself getting closer and closer to the lizard, not knowing how far she had gone from the kill and her pack.

As Akela leapt up and snapped at the lizard, she heard a low growling noise in the brush. She perked her ears up and sniffed in the air to detect the danger. The sound and the smell traced back to some bushes behind her, where two glowing yellow eyes pierced through the darkness and into her soul…

————————————————————————————————————

Kion and Beshte followed the leopard tracks and the leopard’s scent whilst Anga flew from above to try and spot her. The dense forest was too thick for her eyesight to penetrate from the skies. The martial eagle dove down to the groundlings following her.

“It’s hard to see from above the forest. Unless there’s a clearing in the woods, it’s not going to be easy to find her from where I fly” said Anga.

“It’s alright,” said Kion. “We’ll have to stick to the ground for now”

“And when we do, we’ll not only stop her before she harms anyone else, but take her to get help. No one deserves to be in that much pain,” said Beshte.

“I can vouch,” Kion said, rubbing at the battle scars on his left eye.

The King, Strongest, and Keenest of Sight of the Night Pride followed the tracks until it reached a large bush. The leopard’s scent was very pungent in the air. She was behind the bushes for sure.

“Ok, here’s the plan,” Kion said to Anga and Beshte. “Anga, you dive at the leopard and get her to duck to the ground. Don’t hurt her. While she’s down, Beshte and I will corner her from both sides. Remember, we’re only going to properly restrain her and take her to the Tree of Life for healing.”

The two members nodded in approval.

Anga flew high up in the sky, seeing a clearing very close to the bushes. She’d have to get high above the clouds in order to take the leopard down. Being an eagle, she was able to resist the cold, thin air unlike other birds. Once she felt like she was high enough, she tucked her wings together and folded into a dive called a stoop, letting gravity take over.

As she fell back to Earth, cutting through the air like an arrow, she raised forward her razor-sharp talons. It felt awkward to attack her like this, but she remembered that she was only going to scare the leopard so that Kion and Beshte would be able to take her by surprise. The leopard went closer and closer into sight as Anga dove further and further. This was her chance.

“Anga Lenga!”

Anga knocked her talons against the leopard, knocking her down from the sheer unpredictable force.

“Kion, Beshte! Now!”

Kion and Beshte broke through the bushes to attack the leopard. Any ferocity and strength they had in this fight went away at the scene they witnessed.

There were at least 6 quills stuck in the leopard’s face. 3 of them were cut short to the point where they could not be easily pulled out of her face. Two were stuck in her left and right cheeks. The longest one of all was stuck right in the center of her forehead, drawing dangerous amounts of blood. There were other quills stuck to the leopard’s back, chest, and upper forearms. Her breathing was heavy, slow, and labored. Her cold yellow eyes locked in with Kion and Beshte’s.

That, of course, was equally as terrifying as the dhole pup, who laid there lifeless in the leopard’s jaws.
“What… did you do…?” Kion said. There was so much horror in him that his voice came out like a little squeak.

The leopard dropped the dhole cub, allowing her handiwork to be observed better. The leopard had taken a large bite towards the cub’s neck, killing her quickly.

“I was about to eat,” said the leopard in a deep, dark, cold voice. “Does his highness have any objections?”

Kion didn’t feel like humoring the leopard. In fact, this leopard wouldn’t be able to laugh once he was through with him.

GRRRRRRRRRRROOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR

Kion leapt towards the leopard and scratched her in the face with his claws, cutting off more of the quills stuck in her face. The leopard roared in pain and backhanded Kion by his cheekbone, knocking him flat on his back. She then raised her claws to try and strike Kion on the belly where his mane hadn’t grown yet, but before she could, she heard a ground shaking below fill the air.

“Twende Kiboko!”

Beshte charged at the leopard, flipping her over on her back with his snout. The leopard couldn’t help but scream in pain.

The leopard’s screams snapped Kion out of his rage, at least enough so to the point where he could approach the leopard.

“You need to come with us!” he said. “You’ve violated one of the oldest laws of the Circle of Life: The killing of a young animal.”

“And what was I supposed to do?” exclaimed the leopard. “Find something bigger and easier to kill?! Especially with these?!”

The leopard pointed at the porcupine quills lodged into her.

“I can’t focus…. Everything is just one big circle of pain…” she hissed. “I have to do what’s necessary.”

“There’s nothing necessary about slaughtering an animal’s young!” Beshte yelled. “Come with us! We’ll take you to the Tree of Life for healing!”

“As if anyone can heal this!” the leopard cried. “Just stay out of my way!”

The leopard lunged at Kion in pure rage. Kion, having no other choice, unleashed the Roar of the Elders, using it to blast the leopard away.

She flew several feet into the air before landing near a pile of rocks. As she emerged from the unconscious, she saw a pack of small wild dogs surrounding her.

“What are you doing in our territory, leopard?” Shakti growled.

The leopard hobbed onto her four paws. She turned and saw the dholes surrounding her from all sides. They were small, but they all bared their teeth at her. 20 dholes, twenty sets of teeth, against a big cat’s teeth and four sets of claws.

“Is that… blood?” Saaman asked in shock.

The two twin daughters, Doosara and Pahala, went closer to the leopard despite several pack-members’ looks of concern for them and objections. 20 or even 10 dholes could take on a leopard, but a large cat could easily hold her own against two young dogs.

The sisters sniffed as much as they could at the blood stained on the leopard’s fur. Alongside the scent of blood was another scent that was too familiar.

“No…. no no no no no no no no no no NO!!!!”

The dhole sisters backed away and fell towards the ground with the realization. Their parents caught them and steadied them back on their feet.

“What is it?” asked Saaman.

“A-akela…” Doosara said. “Akela..”

Doosara broke down into tears onto her father’s shoulder. Shakti and Pahala stood in shock for a few seconds before realizing what the younger dhole had meant by that.

“You… you didn’t,” said Pahala. “You wouldn’t!”

The leopard looked at the dholes with a blank stare.

"You would do the same in my position.”

Shakti and Pahala growled in anger. The rest of the pack had adopted the shockwave of horror and their expressions turned to fury.

“Murderer!” Many of them cried over each other as they advanced upon the leopard. Her blank stare turned into a look of horror as the pack closed off all means of escape… and any chances of survival.

Shakti and Saaman grouped together and led the dholes in their stalks against the wildcat.

“Paik kee shakti!” they cried.

That was the call to action. In a moment’s notice, the dhole horde closed in on the leopard and began to swarm her with their swift bites of their teeth and large numbers. She made frail efforts to fight back or escape, but for every 1 dhole she was able to deter, another took its place and continued its handiwork.

The leopard’s snarls, swears, and shouts of pain called Kion, Beshte, and Anga to the scene. By the time they had reached the den, the leopard’s roars of pain liquefied into inaudible gurgles.

Kion roared loudly, halting the dholes’ attack on the leopard. The pack halted on the command of the King.

As he approached, the pack parted to show what was left of the leopard; A bloody, bruised corpse. The leopard’s eyes were open, but there was no life left in them.

Kion placed his paw near the leopard’s neck. He exclaimed in shock and disgust as he heard a revolting squishing noise. He lifted his paw up and examined the fresh blood that was stuck to it.

Kion hesitantly adjusted the leopard’s head and found that her throat had several deep bite-marks in it. One large bite had been in the center, which was where the most blood poured out of. All of this, and yet the one thing he was looking for… a pulse… none.

“She’s dead,” Kion whispered.

A moment of silence came across the many animals until the two leaders of the pack stood forward.

“King Kion,” said Shakti. “I am Shakti, and this is my mate Saaman. The blood on this leopard’s jaws was of our daughter.”

“We saw,” Kion said. Without even a further command, Anga flew down near the pack leaders. She gently dropped Akela’s body in front of them and then flew back onto Beshte’s back.

“OH MY GOD!!!” Shakti shrieked in horror.

“NO!!!!” Saaman yelled

“WHY?!?!!?” Pahala wailed.

“AKELAA!!!!!” cried Doosara, collapsing to the ground.

The rest of the pack grew into an uproar of terror as they witnessed Akela’s lifeless body in front of them. Anga averted her sharp eyes from the commotion that she had caused. Kion roared again to silence them, fighting the guilt that engulfed him upon doing so.

“Earlier today, the leopard had attacked a porcupine and was stung with several of her quills. The quills badly injured her and negatively affected her ability to hunt. She became more violent in this unsound state and… well… this is what happened,” Kion explained. “We confronted the leopard for what she had done and offered her healing at the Tree of Life, but she refused. She attacked me in a blind rage, and I used the Roar of the Elders to defend myself. I can see that it wasn’t the roar that ultimately ended her.”

“Then you’ll agree she deserved her fate!” said Saaman. “We will gladly take responsibility for the killing of this beast, but it was deserved!”

Kion rubbed his mane anxiously.

“I was the one who used the Roar of the Elders on the leopard. It was an act of self-defense. She attacked me when we confronted her for the killing of the cub and I used the roar to stop her. If anything, I am as accountable as you are.”

“Even so, justice has been achieved,” said Pahala.

“Yes,” added Doosara. “Akela… she–” — Doosara choked up in tears before continuing, uneasily —- “she… was our little sister… she had the whole world ahead of her… and now she’s gone…”

Doosara broke down into tears, followed by her sister and parents, who all embraced each other. Many members of the pack went in to comfort the grieving family. Kion, Anga, and Beshte looked on at them in pity and guilt. They had only recently arrived at the Tree of Life and already a tragedy occurred on their watch. There was nothing else they could do but powerlessly watch the dhole clan mourn.

“We’ll take you to the Tree of Life so she can receive a burial,” said a dejected Beshte. “If-if.. That helps…”

“It does,” said Shakti, wiping away some of her tears.

“Thank you for your efforts…” said Samaan.

“You’re welcome,” Kion said.

In truth, neither Kion, Anga, or Beshte felt that they deserved that thanks. Thanks for what? For not being there in time to save the child’s life? For adding more pointless bloodshed that did nothing? They had begun their patrol vowing to defend the Circle of Life, only for two lives of which they were responsible for to be taken without a moment's notice. The leader, keenest of sight, and the strongest took a moment to cry onto each other’s shoulders. For each other, and for the mourning family, and the lives that could've been spared that fateful day.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Plans and Patience

Exhausted from their earlier patrol, the Night Pride snoozed within their cave. Rani, Baliyo, Nirmala, and Surak lay dormant in the Tree of Life’s chamber. Rani slept on the same rock throne where Queen Janna resided in when her old age rendered her immobile, as well as where she completed her journey in the Circle of Life at.

Their slumber was interrupted by several voices calling out for them.

“Queen Rani! Night Pride!” they faintly heard.

They slowly got on their feet, irritated by the noise.

“This better be important,” Rani muttered to herself.

“You bet your ass it is!” Rani heard Bunga cry from outside of the cave.

Rani’s eyes widened upon hearing Bunga’s voice, as well as the concern that was in it.

“What’s wrong?” asked the Queen, now worried.

Entering the cave was Fuli, Bunga, Ono, and Makini: Bunga and Makini were carrying a bleeding crested porcupine, who had fallen unconscious. The Night Pride gasped in shock.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” the Queen exclaimed. “What happened?”

“We were on patrol and found this porcupine, injured by a leopard. The rest of the Guard is tracking down the leopard, but we had to bring her to the Tree of Life,” Fuli explained. “The leopard messed her up pretty badly.”

“We know you guys are resting, and we’re sorry for waking you up, but can you at least stay awake so that we can help her? She’s passed out and we don’t know how much longer she’ll last without your help,” said Bunga.

“Of course we’ll help her!” Rani said. Rani looked at Nirmala and Makini non-verbally, signaling them to examine the porcupine’s wounds.

Blood had poured out of the porcupine’s back. The scars were very deep from the leopard’s blood. The blood pouring from her wounds poured onto the ground, causing somewhat of a mess. The skin around the injuries were just starting to swell. It had also stained the porcupine’s brownish fur. Her breathing was slow and labored in her unconscious state. Makini placed her fingers near the porcupine’s neck and found a faint pulse. She was alive.

Makini and Nirmala whispered to the queen about the condition of the porcupine. Rani sighed.

“The wounds are already starting to infect,” said the Queen.

Everyone else in the room gasped.

“The bites and scratches were very deep, and the leopard’s mouth and claws must have been unsanitary. We can still save her, but we’re all going to have to act fast.”

“How so?!” Fuli said, panicking. “We brought her here as fast as we could, and that wasn’t enough!”

“That’s no reason for us to give up!” Bunga argued.. “We’re the Lion Guard!”

“A Lion Guard that wasn’t able to keep her from dying!” Fuli argued back.

“Stop it both of you!” Baliyo yelled. “Fighting won’t help us!”

“If having a grasp on reality is considered ‘fighting’ then I don’t want to see your idea of being helpful!” Fuli snapped.
“Well…. It’s certainly a better idea!” Baliyo scoffed, not trying to be hurtful or show how much offense he had taken from Fuli’s idea.

“We have to find the rest of the Guard!” Ono squawked. “It might take all of us together to help save her!”

“That would take too long!” Fuli said.

The Prince along with the three members of the Lion Guard kept bickering whilst Surak and Nirmala stood on the sides trying to reason with the animals only for their words to fall upon deaf ears. Rani and Makini looked at their arguing friends and family and looked back at the dying porcupine, of whom no one was paying attention to. This would not work.

Taking no time to waste, Rani roared. It wasn’t a loud roar due to her age, but it was enough to get everyone’s attention.

“Quiet!!!” she roared. “Everyone listen to me right now!!!”

The subjects of Queen Rani did what they were told and gathered to hear what orders she had in mind.

“We are going to do everything in our power to try and save this creature. Makini and Fuli. You’re going to find some herbs to help buffer the infection. The plants we’ll need will be pennyworts. They’re green with round leaves and odorless, and they grow near the river less than a mile north of the Tree of Life.”

The cheetah and mandril replied with agreement and raced out of the cave as fast as they could in order to find the pennyworts.

“Surak, Baliyo, collect some leaves from outside that can help us bandage the cuts and prevent any more blood loss.”

Surak and Baliyo nodded in agreement.

“Ono, you fly out and help the rest of the Guard on their patrol.”

“Isn’t there anything I can do here?” Ono asked.

“Kion, Anga, and Beshte are hunting down a dangerous predator who is in need of healing as well. You’re capable of helping them, Ono. You always have been,” Rani assured the young egret.

Realizing the truth in her majesty’s words, Ono nodded in agreement and flew out of the cave to find out the Lion Guard.

“Bunga,” Rani said to the Night Pride’s bravest. “You stand guard by the entrance. Make sure no one goes in or out unless I am notified of their arrival.”

“You have my word,” Bunga stated.

Bunga grabbed a large stick and

Rani went to Nirmala to give her instructions, but the healer was looking at the roots of the Tree of Life.

“Nirmala?” she asked gently.

Nirmala didn’t respond. She still looked at the roots of the tree near the cave walls. She could hear the late Queen’s dying promise.

The healing powers of the Tree of Life belong to you know…

“Nirmala!”

Nirmala snapped out of her trance and turned back to Rani.

“Are you OK? Rani asked.

“Yes,” Nirmala replied. “And so will the porcupine. I’m going to use the Tree’s power to save her.”

“Are you sure?” Rani asked. “Not just anyone can do that. Grandmother Janna told me it took years for her to master the powers of the tree for healing purposes.”

“She told me that the power belongs to me. As long as I have the Mark of the Night Pride, I have a duty to the Tree of Life… and a connection. I will help the Lion Guardand the Night Pride protect this creature with strength and respect.”

Rani sighed. She had no way of knowing if this would work, but she had seen the power of the Tree before many times. Ono himself wouldn’t be out there flying diligently if it wasn’t for Queen Janna using the tree to cure his eyesight.

Nirmala was also her aunt, her family; The sister to her mother, who was as kind-hearted and wise as Nirmala. She had to trust her.

“Alright then,” said Rani. “When the remedies arrive and are applied to the animal, I give you permission to use the Tree of Life to heal her.”

“Dhanyavaad,” Nirmala thanked.

“Aapaka svaagat hai,” Rani replied. [You’re welcome!]

As everyone went to their stations, Rani went onto Queen Janna’s old throne and laid flat on her stomach, allowing the physical and mental exhaustion to catch up to her. Not even Beshte or Imara would come close to being able to carry the weight that was on her shoulders.

It would all be worth it when the porcupine wakes up and lives to see another day in the great Circle of Life.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Race for the Medicine

Fuli and Makini raced like no tomorrow. Heading north like the Queen advised, they would find the pennywort plants near the river. Fuli sped ahead of Makini, who was unable to keep up.

“Slow down Fuli!” Makini huffed. “I can’t go that fast!”

Fuli halted her rush and gave Makini enough time to catch up. She couldn’t leave her behind in this.

“Are we almost there?” Makini asked.

“Not yet,” Fuli answered.

“I hope we make it there and back in time!”

“I hope so too.”

The king cheetah didn’t want to waste anymore time. Her speed was the most valuable asset they could use at the moment. If only there was a way that she could use it without leaving Makini in the dust.

“Makini, hop on my back,” said Fuli.

“What?!” the Mjuzi exclaimed in shock.

“We have to get there together. And I’m the fastest there is.”

“I’m too big to get on you Fuli! And what if you hurt yourself!”

Fuli hissed through her teeth, not being able to properly argue with those statements.

“It’ll be worth it,” she stubbornly remarked.

The young mandrill hesitantly compiled and climbed on top of Fuli’s back. Fuli immediately regretted the decision, feeling as though her long legs were twigs ready to break.

“You sure you’re ok Fuli?” Makini asked.

“Yup… sure!” Fuli lied, trying to catch some breath. “Now hold on tight!”

Makini bent over and held onto Fuli’s stomach to reduce drag. Fuli scratched her declaws against the dirt for traction and took in as deep a breath as she could. She channeled all of her inner determination and strength and then rushed off like a meteor.

“Huwezi!!!!”

Fuli took very deep breaths in and out to keep her breath. She ran her claws deep into the dirt to push herself off and flogged her tail around like a whip to keep her balance.

Gotta keep going fast, gotta keep going fast, gotta keep going fast! Fuli thought to herself.

Fuli closed her eyes and focused all of her thoughts on speed to motivate her. All of her memories of speed. She remembered all those times she outran hyenas, jackals, vultures, crocodiles, leopards, and lions. The race she won against Kasi when she returned to the Pridelands. But most of all, her and the Guard’s first battle against Scar’s spirit and his army of Outlanders.

The Guard had escaped an ambush that Scar and his followers had set up for him, and Fuli had been fast enough to help Bunga deliver the cure for the scorpion’s sting before the sun setted.

Fuli’s speed had saved one life. She was going to save another.

“HUWEZI!!!!”

Fuli felt herself getting faster and faster. Her large heart beat rapidly in the middle of her chest like a banging drum. Makini felt Fuli’s heartbeat as she rode on top of her, trying not to fall off.

“Fuli, you’re-”

“QUIET!”

Fuli didn’t want to be rude to Makini, but she couldn’t lose her focus. She was almost there. A few more long strides and sharp turns and she’d make it.

Several green plants with round leaves came into view.

“Yes!” Fuli quickly said. “We made it!”

As they got closer, Fuli’s vision got blurry and blurrier. Her throat and chest started to burn and numben.

“No!” Fuli wound up yelling out loud. “I can’t… stop… now!”

Fuli growled at herself as loud as she could to give her enough focus. But her vision became more and more blurry and her chest started burning like hell.

Fuli had held back tears of pain, and through her blurry vision saw the river…. And the herbs that grew near it.

“Yes!”

Fuli skidded herself to a halt with her claws. Makini hopped off and saw the plants.

“Great job Fuli, we found them!” Makini happily spoke. The mandrill took out her staff and opened one of the hollow gourds on it and placed the herbs inside. After getting enough plants, she sealed it up and turned back over to Fuli.

“Ok, I have the, OH MY GOD!!!”

Fuli was lying there in the grass motionless. Not a single muscle moved. Makini anxiously turned Fuli’s body around to see her head. Her eyes were closed, her mouth hanging open, and her face was stained in her own tears. Makini put two fingers to Fuli’s neck. There was a faint pulse.

Makini wanted to be relieved, but she couldn’t. Fuli was unconscious, and there was no way that she could get back to the Tree of Life in time.

“Fuli, wake up!” Makini said in a panicked state. “Wake up!!”

There was no response from Fuli. She had completely blacked out.

“No, no no no no NO!!!” Makini exclaimed. “FULI!”

Makini collapsed onto her knees and began to cry. An animal at the Tree of Life was going to die, Fuli was hurt. This was too much suffering for her to see.

“You don’t deserve this!” Makini said through her tears. “You don’t…”

Makini looked at Fuli and then looked at the staff with the gourd carrying the medicinal plants. It seemed like there was no choice as to what she had to do.

The mandrill took the staff in her teeth, delicately placing them to where they wouldn’t break. She then took the unconscious cheetah in her arms and carried her.

Fuli carried her to the medicine and now Makini will carry her back.

Makini had climbed to the nearest tree, carrying Fuli in one arm tucked by her side. When she reached the top, she found a vine and was able to swing to another tree, luckily without dropping the staff or Fuli. She swung from vine to vine, going back in the direction they came from. The Tree of Life had started to come into view.

“We’re almost there!” Makini said in excitement as she was swinging. In her excitement, she had forgotten to grab the next tree branch. Makini’s eyes instantly widened as she realized the literal gravity of the situation, screaming as she and Fuli plummeted 20 feet towards the ground.

Makini quickly shut her eyes and braced herself for what felt like the inevitable. After a few seconds, she noticed she felt no pain. In fact, Makini didn’t even feel like she was falling.

She opened her eyes and saw that a large trunk had wrapped around her and Fuli, just before they had crashed into the ground. The owner of the trunk, a large female elephant. This elephant somewhat resembled the elephant herd back in the Pridelands, but different. This elephant’s head was dome-shaped as opposed to the round-headed elephants back home. Their ears were also much smaller than the Pridelander elephants. The elephant smiled at Makini.

Makini laughed nervously, still anxious and fear-ridden from the fall. Once it kicked in that she and Fuli were alright, then she started laughing happily and hugged the elephant’s trunk.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Makini said.

“You’re welcome Makini,” said the elephant.

“You know my name?” Makini asked.

“Hey, my ears may not be the biggest, but we can still hear pretty damn good,” said the elephant. “I believe that you’re heading to the Tree of Life.”

“Yes, yes we are!” Makini said desperately. “My friend passed out trying to get to the plants that can help a dying animal! We need to get there quickly!”

“We will,” said the elephant.

The elephant raised her trunk and dropped Fuli and Makini on her back. Makini held tightly onto Fuli and her staff whilst the elephant began to run her way to the Tree of Life.

“So elephant?” Makini asked. “What’s your name?”

“The name’s Haathe,” the elephant replied. “You must be friends with the King!”

“I am,” said Makini. “Right now, he’s busy on patrol, when I have the time I’ll introduce him to you!”

“That would be nice!” Haathe replied.

Haathe kept running to the Tree of Life until she reached the entrance. She grabbed Makini and Fuli and planted them on the ground below, next to Bunga, who was guarding the entrance.
“Makini! Fuli!” Bunga said in shock at seeing Fuli unconscious. “What happened?”

“Fuli passed out,” Makini explained. “She overexerted herself trying to carry me to the medicine. My new friend here carried us to the Tree of Life.”

“Haathe at your service,” said the elephant.

“Thank you for your service,” said Bunga, bowing in respect for the elephant.

“It’s you who I should thank,” said Haathe. “For your bravery in liberating the Tree of Life from those intruders.”

“You’re welcome,” Bunga said. “All in the name of the Circle of Life. The porcupine’s in good hands.”

———————————————————————————————————

Makini carried Fuli inside to greet the Night Pride. She explained the situation of Fuli’s condition and their return to the pride. Nirmala had examined Fuli and had diagnosed that Fuli’s heart had been badly overworked to the point where any further exertion would’ve led to a heart-attack. Only time would tell if she would naturally reawaken. If she did, it would take days, or even weeks until her strength returns to normal and she can return to full speed. Makini knew the Lion Guard would be upset upon hearing the news, if they arrived whilst she was still out cold.

Fuli was placed on a bed of leaves in the cave. Nirmala took some hollowed out fruits with water in them and gently poured them into Fuli’s mouth, adjusting her head so it would go down her throat.

Nirmala looked at the unconscious cheetah and later the unconscious porcupine. Two animals that needed help. Once Baliyo and Surak came back with the leaf bandages, they would heal the porcupine’s cuts. Only then would Nirmala wield the power of the Tree of Life to save her, as she was destined to.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Life or Death

Baliyo and Surak collected some fallen leaves a few feet from the Tree of Life. They piled them up and pushed them towards the cave entrance. There, Haathe and Bunga greeted the two Nightlanders.

“Oh, Haathe!” Baliyo happily greeted the elephant. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Well, your mandrill and cheetah friend needed help coming back, so I carried them here,” Haathe explained.

“Thank you once again for your efforts in helping us,” Surak thanked.

“I’m guessing you guys know each other?” Bunga asked.

“Yes,” said Haathe. “Queen Janna has helped our herd many times before. I remember when I was younger and she and her family helped us migrate to a new forest during the dry season. We owe her a lot.”

“You don’t owe us anything,” a humble Baliyo said. “Your herd has done so much for us. The Tree of Life wouldn’t even be here standing today if it wasn’t for you!”

“We elephants do what we can,” said Haathe. “Anyways, I have to go off to the rest of my herd. They’re going to get worried. Goodbye!”

“Goodbye!” Surak and Baliyo shouted at the departing pachyderm.

As Haathe went away into the distance, Bunga went closer to Baliyo and Surak with a question.

“What did he mean by the Tree of Life not being able to stand without him?”

Surak and Baliyo looked nervously at each other, knowing that Bunga had no idea what event they were referring to.

“It was a while ago,” said Baliyo. “Around 10 years ago.”

“What happened then?” Bunga asked.

“The elephants helped us defend the Tree of Life from an enemy that nearly destroyed it,” Surak explained. “That enemy is no longer a threat. That’s all you need to know.”

“O…..k….” Bunga said, in a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

“Anyways,” Baliyo said, “Let’s get this pile inside.”

The uncle and nephew pushed the leaves into the cave. Makini approached the leaf pile and grabbed a large assortment of leaves to tie together into a bandage. Baliyo noticed Fuli’s unconscious body in the corner, but Nirmala and Makini were able to explain her condition. The young prince expressed his concern and hopes for the Fastest’s recovery and sighed, hoping that there would be no more troubles and strife that would happen today.

Makini applied the medicine onto the porcupine’s wounds. She then wrapped the leaf bandages around the animal’s body, which helped stop the flow of blood.

A few seconds passed until the porcupine began to move and groan. Everyone turned her eyes towards her. She opened her blue eyes, as much as it hurt her too.

“Where am I…?” she muttered.

“You’re at the Tree of Life,” said the leader of the Night Pride.

“Queen Rani?” the porcupine groggily said. “Is the King with you?”

“The King is on patrol,” said Rani. “He’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” said the porcupine. “My name is Saahee.”

“Don’t worry Saahee,” Nirmala spoke with a gentle voice. “We’ve gotten all the supplies we need to heal you. You’ve woken up at the right time.”

Saahee winced, coincidentally after the healer said that.

“I wish I didn’t,” she said, the pain in her voice clear as daylight. “Everything hurts…”

“The pain will go away soon,” Nirmala promised. “Now, to begin the upachaaraatmak.”

Nirmala climbed onto Janna’s old throne whilst Makini carried Saahee to the base of the rock. Nirmala placed one paw on the Tree of Life’s roots, and another on Sahee’s bandaged cuts. The porcupine closed her eyes, ready for the spell to begin whilst the lioness closed her eyes and whispered a prayer in Hindi.

“Ateet ke sher, mujhe shakti do.” [Lions of the Past, give me strength].

A few seconds had passed. Nothing had happened. Everyone watched the healer like a hawk, ready to see the roots glow to signify the healing. Such an occurrence would happen when the tree would activate, like when Queen Janna had used its powers to heal Ono’s eyes after he had nearly succumbed to blindness during a rescue mission.

Nirmala opened her eyes after a minute. To her shock, Saahee was still injured. To make things worse, she was now tensing up. Her breathing became more quick, short, and sharp as her heart rate elevated.

“No, no, no, no, no, NO!!!”

Saahee began shaking rapidly, which caused her wounds to reopen and bleed through her bandages.

“Saahee, calm down,” Rani said, hiding her fear.

“You… you all promised…” Saahee cried through her panicked breaths and subsequent tears. “You…. promised…”

“Makini! Tuliza!” Rani ordered.

Makini grabbed one of the two gourds hanging from her staff and took out Tuliza blossoms. These were the same plants that Kion had taken as a sedative to relieve the pain from his battle scars. Though the Tuliza had lost its effect on Kion due to his body becoming resistant to it because of the constant usage, it could still be used on any animal that’s stressed out.

She gently neared the porcupine with Tuliza in her hand.

“Shwari,” Makini said. “Take this Tuliza and it should soothe you.”

Makini lifted the Tuliza near the porcupine when all of a sudden, without warning, the porcupine’s quills raised directly up, lodging into Makini’s right arm. The mandrill screamed in pain as she dropped the Tuliza and fell to the ground, using her left arm as a brace for impact. She looked upwards at the frightened porcupine, who rattled her tail as a defense mechanism.

“Makini!” Rani cried as she rushed over to her advisor. Makini had three porcupine quills lodged into her right arm. Makini carefully plucked the three quills out of her arm without cutting them, wincing as she did so. Rani licked Makini’s arm, cleaning it. Luckily the quills hadn’t gone too deep, but it was still painful, and they had been able to draw blood.

“I’ll make a bandage for this later,” Makini assured Rani.

The porcupine hissed and rattled defensively. Its quills stood erect like a flag, cutting through the leaf bandages that prevented the flow of blood.

“I…. I have children….” Saahee cried through her sobs. “I was heading back to the den, when the leopard, Tendua, attacked me. Please…. Let me live so I can see them.”

Saahee buried her head in her forearms as she lost more and more blood. Nirmala stood there backing away in shock. All the noise that went on in the cave was muted by all the stress and panic going on in her head. How could she fail? This was her task given to her by Queen Janna. Was the Queen wrong in passing her the torch… or had Nirmala failed? Either thoughts were proven true by the dying porcupine in front of her, and the children somewhere that were about to become orphans, all because of her. This would be the weight she would carry until she joined Queen Janna and the rest of the Lions of the Past.

Nirmala did nothing but stand there petrified with her mouth hanging open as Saahee became more and more unruly. She continued to panic and fidget, raising her quills instinctively at anyone who tried to come close to her. Finally, dizzy from the loss of blood, Saahee fell to the ground with a thud. She quivered a bit in a pool of her own blood until she went limp. Makini carefully placed two fingers near the porcupine’s bloody neck. There was no pulse, no movement, no breaths. Her body was already starting to drop in temperature.

Saahee was dead. And the Night Pride… had failed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: The Funeral

As per Queen Rani’s request, Ono flew out to regroup with the rest of the Guard, save for Fuli and Bunga, and help them on their patrol to find and capture the leopard. Ono scanned over the terrain from above to try and find his friends.

After several minutes of flying, Ono spotted Anga far off in the distance.

“Anga!” he called out.

Anga heard Ono and flew closer to him.

“Ono!”

Anga and Ono were now face-to-face with one another.

“I got Makini. She’s with the rest of the Night Pride helping the porcupine,” Ono explained. “Did you find the leopard?”

“Yeah…. We found her…” Anga said with guilt in her voice.

“What’s wrong?” the egret asked.

“I’ll…. Explain to you while we’re up here. Just don’t look down,” said Anga. “I don’t think you need to see this.”

“Oh…” Ono muttered to himself.

Anga, not wanting Ono to directly witness the carnage, told him everything, from tracking the leopard, to finding the dhole cub that she had killed, to the confrontation with the dhole pack.

“Hapana!” Ono squawked in shock. “I can’t believe this!”

“It’s true,” Anga explained. “We’re taking the dhole pack to the Tree of Life so that the Night Pride can help bury them. It’s the least we could do after….. Failing…”

“How are Kion and Beshte?” Ono asked.

“They haven’t said a word since the incident,” Anga replied.

There was silence between the two birds after that. Ono fought the urge to look down as they made their way to the Tree of Life. Anga and Ono made it there first and landed near the entrance of the chamber. There, Bunga was sitting, trying very hard not to cry.

“Bunga?” Ono asked. “Are you ok?”

Bunga sniffed and wiped a tear.

“No… I’m not…” he said tearfully.

“What happened?” asked Anga.

“Fuli passed out whilst she was trying to get the medicine. She was brought back to us by an elephant and she’s currently in the cave. It’ll take her a while to recover.”

“I hope she’ll be alright,” Ono said, concerned for his friend.

“She’ll be alright but…. She wasn’t…”

“Who?” asked the Keenest of Sight, raising her eyebrow.

Bunga waved his hand in-ward to direct the two birds in. When they entered the cave, they froze at the sight of the lifeless motionless porcupine. Surak was comforting his niece and nephew, averting their eyes from the tragedy, whilst Nirmala was frantically trying to use the Tree of Life’s powers to save the porcupine, but to no avail.

“It’s not working, it’s not working it’s not working IT’S NOT WORKING!!!!” Nirmala frantically cried as she repeatedly slammed her paws on the hard roots, bruising her bones. Nirmala looked at Fuli’s unconscious body. Maybe it would work. It had to work.

The lioness dragged Fuli’s body next to the roots, close enough for her to perform the incantation. Putting one paw on Fuli’s head and another on the roots, she prayed:

“Ateet ke sher, mujhe shakti do.” [Lions of the Past, give me strength].

Nothing. Fuli remained motionless, the only life that was showing was the pulse she gave off.

“Ateet ke sher, mujhe shakti do.” [Lions of the Past, give me strength].

Still nothing.

“Ateet ke sher, mujhe shakti do.” [Lions of the Past, give me strength].

Still. Nothing.

“Dhikkaar hai tum ateet ke sheron! jis par too ne chinh lagaaya hai, use changa karane kee mujhe shakti de!” [Goddamn you Lions of the Past! Give me the power to heal the one you have marked!]

Still nothing.

Nirmala began to curse and yell in Hindi. “mere gadhe ko choomo ateet ke sher! kya aap yahee chaahate hain?! kya yahee tumhen chaahie tha?! kya yahee vartamaan ke lie aavashyak hai ?!” [Kiss my ass lions of the past! Is this what you want?! Is this what you need?! Is this necessary for the present???]

The rest of the Night Pride turned to look in shock as Nirmala began to curse and insult their ancestors. Nirmala swatted at the hardened roots, punching them, clawing at the rocky ground, roaring violently. She paced around quickly, blinded by her rage, guilt, and stress, and collided into the wall. She angrily looked upward and was halted in seeing the family portrait of the Night Pride made years ago. Images of the past flashed through Nirmala’s mind. In all of them was her elder sister, Rani’s late mother, Ãnanda. One of the very lions of the past she insulted.

Nirmala gazed down at her bloody, bruised paws, and at the Night Pride. Baliyo had closed his eyes in denial at his aunt’s outburst, thinking happy thoughts to defuse the horror. Rani had a blank-stare on her face, whilst Surak tightly held his niblings.

Ono, Bunga, Anga, and the rest of the Lion Guard, who had caught up to them and grouped in the cave, were watching the scene unfold in chaos. Bunga covered Kion’s eyes, visually censoring the outburst from him. Anga did the same for Beshte, planting her wings over his eyes.

Not a single peep was heard. Nirmala began to lower her head and cry. The crying lioness was comforted by her brother-in-law, niece, and nephew.

“It’s going to be a long day for all of us,” Surak said.

———————————————————————————————————
Nirmala was at

Later that sunset, after everyone explained each other’s stories and had enough time to cry, a small funeral was held in a field of flowers.

Bunga dug three holes, big enough for Tendua, Saahee, and Akela. Bunga, being immune to porcupine quills, pushed Saahee into her hole. Beshte used his strength to carry Tendua into her hole. Kion had delicately placed Akela’s body in his paws and dropped it down into the hole. He cursed himself under his breath for having even touched the body.

Bunga then covered the hole up, burying the corpses.

“It’s done,” he said, soundily shaken.

“If anyone would like to say some words out of respect for them, they have permission to do so,” Rani said.

The leaders of the dhole pack came forward to Akela’s grave.

Shakti and Saaman planted a flower on their daughter’s tomb.

“I don’t think I’ve anything to say,” said Shakti. “There was never a time where I thought that I would have to be planting a flower on the grave of my offspring. There was never a time where I thought that I’d come home and not be hounded by her big heart, or witness how much she loved and was loved by her older sisters. There was never a time where I would ever imagine having to be at a eulogy for any of them. There was never a time where I would imagine a world where I had to keep going, knowing that my daughter was six feet beneath us, wasting away amongst the grass that our prey eats.”

“No parent should ever bury their child,” Saaman growled. “I will NEVER accept this…. This will be a weight I shall carry until the day I join her in the afterlife….”

None of the other dholes said anything as the two pack leaders led them away from the burial.

When they were out of sight, King Kion and Queen Rani stepped in front of the group of animals for their eulogy.

“I wish that I could say that this was the first time I’ve had to bury an animal that deserved to walk on this Earth longer,” said Kion.

“I wish I could say the same as well,” Rani lamented.

“All I can say is that I wish that things could’ve ended up differently and that all of you would be living peaceful lives, either by yourself, or with ones you love. That being said, may all of you rest in peace and be granted mercy in the afterlife.””

“You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten,” Rani concluded.

The two rulers roared, followed by the rest of the Night Pride. Beshte and Anga planted flowers onto Tendua and Akela’s graves. Bunga, Ono, and Makini planted their flowers onto Saahee’s graves.

Another moment of silence and reflection for the fallen was given. After an hour, the Queen broke the silence.

“It’s getting late. We have to start our patrol soon. Lion Guard, head to the Tree of Life for some rest. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, Rani,” Kion told his mate.

Kion went in to affectionately nuzzle Rani, but she turned herself away before he could.

“Not… right now,” she said, drained by dejection.

“Ok…” Kion said with pity.

The Night Pride head off for their patrol whilst the Lion Guard went to the cave to rest. Bunga stayed behind at Saahee’s grave.

He kept thinking about her last words at the Tree of Life before bleeding to death. Let me live so I can see them.

Somewhere, out there, there were baby porcupines alone, waiting for their mother to return. Living in denial about whether or not they’d come back, having to fend for themselves or face the world alone. He knew that one feeling all too well.

“Hey Little B, are you coming?” Beshte said from afar.

“Sure Big B! See you later!” Bunga said to the hippo.

Bunga looked at Sahee’s grave again.

“Your babies are gonna be alright,” he said. “I promise.”

The honey badger followed his friends to the Tree of Life, his mind set on the world of tomorrow.

———————————————————————————————————

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Dangers and Dreams

The night was cold and the nocturnal animals had emerged from their slumber to greet what the night had given them. And their protectors, the Night Pride, had patrolled the lands to keep them safe.

Rani led the patrol, not speaking a word at all. The other members of the Night Pride didn’t say or do much about it.

They first patrolled through the mainland, running into many animals that had come out at night. Their first was a clan of striped hyenas, who were feasting on a wild hog carcass they had found. The hyena clan looked at the Night Pride in pleasant surprise.

“Queen Rani,” said the matriarch whilst bowing. “Such an honor to be graced with your presence.”

“The feeling is mutual, Dhaaree” Rani said, feigning happiness. “I see you are doing a good job at playing your part in the Circle of Life.”

“Cleaning up is never easy,” Dhaaree said. “But it sure is tasty.”

Dhaaree and the striped hyena clan continued chowing down on the carcass. A small genuine smile appeared on the edge of Rani’s grin upon seeing the cubs of the clan feast ever so happily on their meal. Baliyo took notice of this.

“They seem pretty happy,” he whispered to them. “I’d be too when I know that my life is in good paws.”

“Thanks Baliyo,” Rani thanked. “Let’s keep moving.”

The Night Pride bid the hyenas farewell and continued their patrol throughout the kingdom. They were now in the dense jungle forests, akin to the rainforests of Borneo. Surak felt chilling deja vu.

“This reminds me of where your father and I found the last royal Mjuzi before Makini,” Surak told his niblings.

“I know that story,” said Nirmala. “She was very happy to live at the Tree of Life and serve us. Everyone loved her.”

“Yes,” Baliyo sighed. “Before-”

Rani put a paw over his mouth, shutting him up before he could say anything else.

“Are we here to go through memory lane, or are we here to patrol?” she sternly asked. 

Nobody responded. 

“Good. Now let’s go on.”

They continued heading throughout the rainforest. There was very little activity that required their attention. A scream for help was heard in the jungle.

“What was that?” Baliyo said, spooked.

“It came from this way!” said Rani, leading the group in the direction of the scream.

The royal family came across a river. In it, a small, googly-eyed primate was flailing her arms around whilst being swept by the current.

“That's a tarsier!” Nirmala fearfully exclaimed. “They can’t swim!”

“She can’t keep herself afloat forever,” Rani observed. “She’ll get dragged under the current and die!”

“I’ll save her!” Baliyo cried.

The blue-eyed Prince of the Tree of Life dove into the river and swam his way towards the tarsier. Rani protested her brother’s anticipation.

“Baliyo, no! The current’s too strong!”

Baliyo ignored Rani’s warning and swam towards the young tarsier. 

“Grab onto my mane!” said the prince. “I’ll carry you to safety!”

The tarsier paddled towards Baliyo, fighting the rough current. As soon as she got a handful, she clung onto it like a vice and used it as leverage to climb on top of his back.

“Thank you, your highness,” the tarsier thanked.

Baliyo paddled his feet towards the riverbed, but felt the current dragging him in the opposite direction. He screamed as he was powerlessly carried downstream by the river.

He then realized how incredibly dangerous, if not, horrendously stupid his stunt was. He may have been fast and a bold opponent in combat, but swimming was never his strong suit.

The Night Pride struggled to keep up with him. None of them were strong swimmers and they wouldn’t be able to fight the currents, keep up with Baliyo and the tarsier he rescued, and get back on land without tiring out first.

Baliyo went further and further out of view, screaming for help from the Night Pride.

“HELP!!!!!!!!” Baliyo squealed. “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!!!!!”

Rani knew they couldn’t do this job alone. If only there was an animal they knew that could help them. One which could fight the water currents. In her tracks, she halted and started running in the opposite direction.

“Rani, where are you going?” asked the elder Prince.

“I’m going to find help! Keep up with Baliyo. I’ll catch up!”

Surak and Nirmala continued going after Baliyo whilst Rani went to find the animal who she believed could help.

————————————————————————————————————

“Ikema!” Rani yelled. “Ikema!!”

Rani repeated that name several times whilst going along the river-bank. After a few seconds, the mud began to shift and break apart to reveal a very large gharial, a water-dwelling crocodilian. The gharial grumbled in Indonesian.

“Demi keparat, apa yang kau kencingi.” [For fuck’s sake, what are you pissing about].

“Maaf mengganggu tidurmu, tapi saudaraku dalam kesulitan hulu. Anda harus membantunya,” Rani spoke to Ikema. [I'm sorry to disturb your slumber but my brother is in trouble upriver. You have to help him.]

“Saya tidak melihat alasan mengapa saya harus mempertaruhkan hidup saya untuk menyelamatkan seseorang yang bahkan tidak bisa menjaga keselamatan mereka sendiri,” Ikema argued to Rani. [I see no reason why I should risk my life to save someone who cannot even take care of their own safety.]

“Saya menanyakan hal ini kepada Anda karena itu adalah hal yang benar untuk dilakukan,” said Rani. [I ask you this because it is the right thing to do.I ask you this because it is the right thing to do.] “Dan karena Anda masih berhutang 10 tahun.” [And because you are still in our debt of 10 years]

Ikema hissed at that mention.

“Fine. I’ll help you rescue the Prince.”

“Terima kasih,” Rani thanked. “Thank you.”

————————————————————————————————————

Baliyo grew more and more exhausted with each paddle he took. He struggled to keep his eyes awake and his head above the water, knowing that if he went down, there would be no way he’d ever get back up. He had to stay up, if not for himself, then for the tarsier.

“Just keep breathing!” Baliyo gurgled, feeling his head run in and out of the water.

Every paddle the young lion took felt like hell. There’d be no way he could keep this up. But if he was going down, he wouldn’t go alone. Fate seemed to agree with him as a vine hung far above them and was coming up soon!

“You need to jump!” said Baliyo. “Grab onto the vine!”

“What?!” exclaimed the primate.

“I can’t keep us afloat forever! You have to get out of here while you can!” cried Baliyo. 

“But you’re-”

“GO NOW!”

Baliyo’s roarful demand frightened the tarsier. Without even thinking, she sprung into the air with her long legs, reached out with her long arms and grabbed onto the vine. She coughed up water from her throat and shook water off her fur, shivering. Below her, Baliyo passed the vine, far far too low to grab it. The water had gotten into his eyes, making his sight hazy. His vision was strong enough however, to see the tarsier climb to safety.

When he knew there was nothing left to hold onto, Baliyo ceased his movements and allowed the current to drag him under with no mercy or relent. As the unconscious began to engulf him, he saw a grayish figure swimming towards him. Too exhausted to feel fear, or try to save himself, he finally closed his eyes, waiting for nothing else but to join his parents and his grandparents in the stars in the night sky above.

……..

It wasn’t much of a challenge for Ikema to spot Baliyo in the crushing rapids. Lions were known for being strong swimmers, but not all lions were as graceful in the water as she and her fellow crocodilians were. Baliyo’s state of unconsciousness reduced his body to a mere puppet of the current. Ikema knew she had to swim fast. If Baliyo went too deep, the water would utterly consume him on the inside, and he would rest with the fishes.

Using her powerful tail she motored through the water and angled her body downwards. Once she was deep enough, she raised herself upward and swam towards the surface. Baliyo’s unconscious body made contact with her rising body and soon the both of them were at the surface near sweet, sweet air. 

The gharial swam near the riverbank and placed Baliyo on land. The Night Pride caught up with them and gathered around the two animals. 

“There, he’s safe,” said Ikema. 

“Thank you again for your help,” said Surak. 

“You’re welcome,” Ikema replied. “And now that we’re even, I shall enjoy my beauty sleep as I should. Good luck on the patrol, Night Pride.”

Ikema swam away back to her territory to get her well-deserved slumber. Nirmala quickly examined her nephew. His body was motionless, as still as a tree. There was no air coming out or in his mouth. She turned his body around to check for any bleeding. There was none. She placed her ears towards Baliyo’s chest, feeling for a heart-beat. Her spine turned to ice.

“There’s no pulse,” Nirmala said with shock. “He’s not moving… .or breathing.”

Rani and Surak gasped.

“NO!” Rani shrieked. 

Rani tried to run closer to Baliyo but Surak stopped her and turned her head away from her brother’s body. Rani did nothing but cry on her uncle’s shoulder. Surak couldn’t help but vehemently sob, the sight of Baliyo triggering painful memories that he has dedicated a good amount of his life to move on from.

Nirmala began to place her paws onto Baliyo’s chest, centering them over his heart. Her shoulders were directly over her paws and her elbows were locked. She compressed against his chest quickly, looking down at Baliyo’s motionless face. She compressed more than 30 times. With each push, Nirmala had allowed the young lion’s chest to recoil. After the 30th push, Nirmala adjusted Baliyo’s mouth open and placed her mouth over his to make a seal of oxygen. She gave one large breath, which caused the prince’s chest to rise. Seeing this, she gave a second, equally large breath, which caused the prince’s chest to rise and later sink.

Rani and Surak looked helplessly to see if Baliyo will ever wake up, or if he really has become one of the very stars in the night of which they patrol. 

———————————————————————————————————

Baliyo opened his eyes, seeing nothing but a fuzzy blur. He looked around him and there was nothing but blackness for miles.

“Where am I….?” Baliyo asked out loud.

There were faint voices in Baliyo’s mind. Every time Baliyo perked up his ears to hone in on those voices, they always closed themselves off.

“Baliyo,” a faint voice, audible to Baliyo’s voice said.

“Who’s that?” the whiskerless-lion said, jumping.

A dark figure was visible in the distance, standing out from the black nothingness that Baliyo was in. Baliyo unsheathed his claws and got into an attack pose.

“Show yourself!” He growled.

The black background melted away much to the lion’s surprise. Baliyo looked around and saw that he was back at the Tree of Life. It was the middle of the night. But something was wrong. The Tree of Life had several scorch marks on it, and was missing a lot of its leaves. But what frightened him was how horrifically familiar this sight was, all the way down to the smell in the air. There were two horrifyingly familiar smells in the air. Smoke, and blood.

This can’t be… he thought.

Baliyo followed the smell of blood until he reached an open field of flowers. He recognized his field. It was where Queen Janna was buried when she passed away half a year ago. But Baliyo explicitly remembered other graves in Janna’s burial spot. 

This…. Is the night….

Whether it was on cue, or something alerted him, Baliyo fixed his eyes straight ahead, locking eyes with a huge lion. 

The lion had a long brown mane that engulfed his neck, some parts of it sticking upward like Surak’s, with tan stripes around it. His nose was pink much like Rani’s, and his fur was dark brown. All four of the lion’s legs had bloody scratch marks on them which hindered his mobility. The lion’s eyes were dark blue, much like Baliyo’s, and his face was stained with tears running down to his muzzle.

It was then Baliyo realized what this was. It was a nightmare. No, not a nightmare. A memory relapse. A memory of the worst night of his life.

“Grandpa….” Baliyo said with shock.

Baliyo’s grandfather sighed and limped towards him. Baliyo wanted to hug him, but couldn’t for three reasons; One being that he knew it was a dream, and two being how this dream always ended, and three in that the lion phased right through him like a ghost.

He turned around and saw his grandfather looking down at a tiny cub. The cub had blue eyes and no whiskers.

“That’s me,” Baliyo said.

Indeed it was him. It had been such a long time ago. The younger version of Baliyo didn’t even have the Marking of the Night Pride, nor did his grandfather at the time. 

Rajaa looked at his little grandchild, who was shaking and crying.

“Where are you going Grandpa?” Cub Baliyo said.

Rajaa closed his eyes and sighed for a minute before opening them.

“I’m going to…. The stars,” he said, unable to come up with a lie.

“The stars?” asked the little cub.

“Yes,” replied Rajaa. “The stars.”

“B-but… mom and dad went up there,” said a young Baliyo. “Along with the rest of our pride.”

“Exactly,” said Baliyo's grandfather. “I’m going to join them.”

“Why?” asked Baliyo’s cub-self.

“I miss them,” said Rajaa “I miss them too,” said the young Baliyo. “But we’ll miss you. Me, Rani, Grandma, and Uncle Surak.”

The ex-King grimaced.

“What have I done for any of you? Besides failing?”

Baliyo watched from afar as his grandfather started crying, leaving his cub-self confused and horrified.

“Baliyo,” said the ex-King. “I can’t lie to you. Your parents are dead. The pride is gone. The Tree of Life will never be the same again. So before I go, I have but one promise I need you to make.”

“What is it?” asked Baliyo’s cub self.

“To live up to your name,” said Baliyo’s grandfather. “Be stronger than I am. Use your strength to help your fellow animals. Use it to help what is left of this family and to maintain peace at the Tree of Life. This is over for me, but it will be a new beginning for you. All of you.”

Baliyo’s cub-self hugged his grandfather’s leg.

“Say hi to mom and dad for me,” said Baliyo’s cub self.

“I will,” said the ex-King. 

After some tearful goodbyes, the former King walked off into the distance until he was out of sight. The young cub waved goodbye and then started to cry, burying his face in his paws until he had passed out.

Baliyo himself stood from a distance crying as well. But it wasn’t out of sadness it was out of anger. The days that followed opened Baliyo’s eyes to the farewell; From seeing his dead body at Cikha Escarpment the following day, to the horrifying retrospective implications of his grandfather’s speech, to the guilt that plagued him during the funeral, and the irreversible burden that came upon his shoulders in the following decade to come. 

As Baliyo began to cry, everything melted away into a black background of nothingness again. He once again saw his grandfather looking right at him. Only this time, he was mutilated. His head was caved in, his legs were grotesquely bent out of shape, his body was covered in gashes and cuts, his brown chocolate covered mane was now as red as a kangaroo’s fur. Blood leaked from his mouth and onto his muzzle. The mark of the monarch was gone and his grandfather’s eyes were cold and lifeless. He was exactly how he looked the day after he had left when the Night Pride had found him, or God forbid, what was left of him.

“Grandson,” said the former King, his voice raspy. “Join me.”

Baliyo’s grandfather raised out a paw in front of him. The whiskerless male lion stared blankly at the other lion until piecing together what this entire situation would mean.

“Am…. am I dead?!” he asked, horrified.

“Join me,” the elderly lion said again.

“No…. no, I’m not ready to die! I’m too young!” Baliyo shrieked in fear.

“Join me,” said the ex-King once again in the same voice. Baliyo thought of everyone back home. His sister, his uncle, his aunt, his brother-in-law and his friends, the friends he’s made at the Tree of Life. He felt them calling him even if he didn’t hear him. He looked at his mutilated grandfather, still offering a paw towards him.

“No…. I’m not joining you! EVER!”

Baliyo angrily swatted his grandfather’s paw, trying to knock it away. Upon making contact with it, he saw that his grandfather’s body started to ripple like a reflection in a bond. Baliyo backed away, dumbfounded by this.

After a few minutes, the former King of the Tree of Life faded into the background, leaving Baliyo all alone in the darkness.

Pushed towards his limit, Baliyo let loose a large roar, and then his entire world went black.

———————————————————————————————————

Baliyo woke up. 

It took less than a minute, but he began coughing up gallons of water that pooled from his mouth. He turned himself around on his stomach and lifted himself up to let gravity take the water downwards. He had also blown his nose out to clear it of any water that came in. The sudden intake in oxygen unleashed a shockwave on Baliyo, as he was struggling to compose himself.

“Baliyo!” a familiar female voice shouted in happiness.

As much as it hurt, Baliyo opened his eyes and saw Rani, Nirmala and Surak running towards him to hug him. The young lion felt a wave of relief come over him knowing that he was alive.

“You’re alright!” Rani said with tears of happiness falling down her face. “I… I thought we lost you!”

“I’ve survived worse,” Baliyo said, his voice froggy from vomiting up river water earlier. 

“Never do that to us again,” Surak said sternly. “You could’ve died!”

“I…. I had to save that animal,” Baliyo tried to gently argue. “There was no other way. I couldn’t think of anything else to do.”

Everyone else looked at each other and then at Baliyo, with some level of agreement. In a situation like that, they hadn’t thought about what plan they would’ve had, one that would’ve worked. And after yesterday’s fiasco, the last thing anyone would want is for anymore of their subjects to die on their watch.

“I understand,” said Nirmala. “But still… we would’ve lost you. You’re too young to die.”

“I know,” said Baliyo, wiping his tears. “I am.”

“If it makes you feel any better, the tarsier is alright. And Nirmala was able to resuscitate you, so no one got hurt,” Rani added.

“I guess that’s true,” Baliyo noted.

“I think we should head back home and call it a night,” Surak declared. “We’ve all been through enough.”

The Night Pride agreed and started to walk back in the direction towards the Tree of Life. Baliyo said and did nothing as he walked with the group. A blank stare was planted on his face which worried his sister to no end.

“Are you ok…?” Rani nervously asked Baliyo. “That current was rough.”

Baliyo stayed quiet. 

“If you’re wondering, our friend Ikema was willing to help carry you out of the river. When you’re ready I can take you to her so you can thank her.”

Baliyo remained quiet again. Rani didn’t like it.

“I know that what Surak said is true, it was a risky decision to jump in there without a plan, but in the end, you saved a life, and Nirmala was able to save you. As scared as I was for you, I’m also proud of you know. Grandmother would be too.”

A tiny smile appeared on Baliyo’s face.

“Thanks,” he said. “But I don’t wanna talk about it anymore. Let’s just go home and get some rest. I wanna put all of this behind us.”

Perched on several trees behind them was a large female raven who watched the scene unfold. She sat in anticipation at the edge of her branch watching Baliyo drown and be revived by Nirmala. She watched as they made their way back to the Tree of Life to rest.

She wiped a tear from her eye, feeling empathy for the four animals. In her daze, she remembered what she was here to do, and ruffled her feathers to remind her of her assignment.

“Have to tell the boss,” she said. “The boss must hear.”

The raven flew up into the night-sky. Although her vision in the dark was not as sharp as an owl’s she was able to make out the terrain a bit. Soaring above the mountain pass, the raven was able to exit the Jindagee Kingdom on her way to the ‘boss,’ to let her know about the Night Pride of the Tree of Life.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: A Score to Settle

Far away from the Tree of Life, were large cliffs that jutted high into the sky, which had obtained an orangey hue in the midst of the sunset. Deep within the heart of those caves was a large cavity. At the entrance of the cavity, a raven stood outside, exhausted, yet excited.

“Boss?” she said. “I’m here.”

A low growling exited the cave. The bird felt a hot wave of breath over her.

“I went out to spy on the Night Pride, l-like you asked me to,” quoth the raven.

There was silence within the cave. It was too quiet. Had the raven not been so sternly disciplined by the force of nature that remained in the cave, she would’ve fled the scene. But it was better to face this creature rather than run. There was no escaping them. And if tonight were to become any fruitful, the Night Pride would learn this lesson.

“So here are the basics,” the raven explained. “A leopard attacked a porcupine and was stung by her quills. The porcupine was taken to the Tree of Life for hospitality, but she didn’t survive. The leopard went mad from the pain and killed a dhole pup.”

There was still silence. The raven  continued.

“Anyways, the Lion Guard split up. Three of them went after the leopard and three of them went to contact the Night Pride and their Mjuzi. The three that tracked the leopard confronted her, and let’s just say… the leopard didn’t take it so well.”

There was silence again. But this time, the raven smirked, knowing very well that what she’d say next would be able to change the creature’s tune.

“The leopard attacked King Kion, and that’s when he used the Roar of the Elders to send her flying to the dholes themselves, who got their… retribution.”

Another moment of silence passed between the two animals. Within the darkness, two amber eyes glowed and laughter was then heard.

“Retribution,” said a deep and surprisingly calm voice.  “Oh how I love that word."

“Yes,” the raven declared, more confident with the turn of events. “You might as well marry it.”

The boss chuckled at the bird’s joke. The bird continued.

“The Night Pride finished their patrol early tonight. Their prince, Baliyo, nearly drowned in a rescue mission. If it wasn’t for some fish-eating crocodile thingy, he would’ve slept with the fishies!”

“So,” said the boss. “The Lion Guard and the Night Pride are dependent on animals besides themselves to do their little hero work for them.”

“Yes,” replied the raven. “They’re young, they’re naive. Of course they won’t do all the work themselves. Unlike you.”

“Oh, Corva, of everyone in our little family, you know just where to strike all my cords,” said the boss.

“Oh…. well thank you…” said Corva, slightly confused by the compliment from her leader. “It surprises me seeing you this happy, in full honesty.”

The ‘boss’ continued laughing, as if they were the happiest they could ever be.

“Well,” the boss explained. “I wouldn’t say happy… more optimistic. Living in hell on earth brings you down, so even the tiniest bit of good news can lift your spirit. Which is good, because in order to crush your enemies, you must get to their level.”

The boss soon came out of the darkness. Towering over Corva was a giant bengal tigress with five diagonal claw marks dashed across her face. The tigress had several bits of both her ears cut off. On her mouth, there were five vertical scars running down from the top of her lip down to the edge of her neck. On her shoulder, there was a slight bruise that was noticeable enough for those who dared to look. Even with her scars, her orange fur with black stripes stood out like a gazelle in the tall-grass. 

Behind her, exiting the mouth of the cave, was a vast array of horrific herbivorous animals. There were buffalo, rhinos, elephants, gaur, all of them with several scars on their bodies with a burning hatred in their eyes. More than any, the tigress’ hatred burned the most.

The tigress climbed the rocky cliffs all the way up to the peak. Heading towards the edge, she gazed over the horizon and was able to make out the mountains that had led towards the Tree of So-Called-Life. 

She was never supposed to live. Not after the incident . But her still standing here today was a sign. A sign of a second-chance in life. A second chance to settle a score with the kingdom.

“So, Lady Badala,” asked Corva. “What do we do now?”

Badala glared at the raven.

“We raise hell, and watch as the firefighters succumb to the jaws of defeat.”

In confidence, she let out a powerful roar that swept across the land as the moon had risen high in the sky.

The game had just begun.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Speed, Sisters, and Sons

The sun rose again on another morning. For any nocturnal animal, it would be the sign to return to their slumber to shield themselves from the hot sun and dry climate. But for the Lion Guard, it was their calling to go on another patrol. The stress of last night’s chaos had cooled down and had lifted a large portion of their weight off of their shoulders. But only some of it and not all. And of course, Fuli was still out cold from yesterday’s excursion. It would be one day at a time that they’d soon be able to inevitably move on.

As the rays of sunlight crept into the cave of the Tree of Life, the Lion Guard started to stir, waking up for another day on patrol. Kion readied his muscles to get himself up, but felt a weight on his back.

That’s strange, Kion thought to himself whilst half asleep.

Kion raised himself up again, but the weight on his back pushed him down to the ground with a thud, indefinitely waking him up. As he hit the ground, he yelped in pain, and heard a yelp on top of him. As best as he could, he looked up and saw Rani looking down at him in surprise.

“Rani!” Kion yelped.

Rani quickly got off of Kion, who backed away from her in shock. The noise woke the rest of the Night Pride and Lion Guard up.

“Night Pride?” Kion asked. “You finished your patrol early?”

“Yeah,” said Baliyo. “We worked ourselves too hard and decided to call it a night.”

“Oh,” Beshte replied. “Well luckily you guys are alright now.”

“Yeah,” Baliyo chuckled nervously. “‘Alright’”

“Anyways, we should start our patrol today,” Kion declared to his friends. “Let’s go.”

Kion was about to head outside the Tree of Life when Bunga interrupted.

“Wait!” he shouted. “What about Fuli?”

The honey badger pointed directly at the unconscious cheetah in the leaf bed.

“We need the Lion Guard’s fastest on the patrol!” Bunga said.

“Well obviously she can’t patrol with us while she’s in this state. And even when she wakes up, she won’t be able to run as fast as she used to for a while,” Ono told Bunga.

“Well… we still need her!”

“Yes, we do,” Ono said. “But sometimes, not everyone is able to fulfill the role they play. I know from experience.”

“So you’re saying we replace her?”

“Temporarily. It’s like when Simba had to fill in for Kion when he and his sister were out on Udugu with their mom.”

“I think Ono’s right,” said the King. “We’ve no other choice.”

“B-but, who can replace Fuli?” Bunga asked frantically.
Kion pondered for a moment, as that was a legitimate question. Who could come close to matching Fuli’s speed? He had only been King of the Tree of Life for a month and even in regards to his half-year stay during his healing, there were hundreds of animals here that he had no clue about, whether they’d do good or bad at the job.

He then remembered another circumstance that involved the conflict of replacement and that was able to give him an idea.

A loud groundshaking roar bellowed the air, summoning animals from all corners of the Kingdom. There hadn’t been such a gathering since the coronation of the new King.

Standing on top of the rock platform, the same one in which both Rani and Kion had received their crowns from the Mjuzi, were Rani and Kion themselves. On Kion’s side at the right were Beshte, Ono, Anga, and Bunga. On Rani’s side at the right were Baliyo, Surak, and Nirmala.

Rani gave a quick look towards Kion, giving him the go-ahead to make a speech. He started to get nervous at the idea of making a speech as a king rather than a Lion Guard leader, especially since this whole thing was to replace his friend, even if it was temporary. Not to mention thinking about this whole ordeal made him remember yesterday’s…. incident.

I guess I’m living in Mom, Dad, and Kiara’s shoes.

Kion took a deep breath. And went straight for it.

“As some of you may or may not know, yesterday, during the Lion Guard’s first patrol as part of the Night Pride, we encountered an injured animal who was to be escorted to the Tree of Life. Fuli, the Lion Guard’s fastest, had raced quickly to find the medicine to save the animal’s life. Unfortunately, she had over-exerted herself and is currently unable to aid the rest of the Guard on patrol. We here on the Lion Guard want to protect the Tree of Life and those who live in it, but we cannot do that without our Fastest. So, we are going to be searching for a temporary replacement until Fuli is back on her feet and ready to help the Guard again.”

“How will you pick out the placement?” asked a random animal.

“We will be hosting a race.”

Gasps of surprise filled the air and murmurs were heard. Kion bit his tongue, insanely curious about what the animals were saying in light of this. Rani stepped forward to make herself more visible to Kion.

“Yes,” she said to her subjects. “We will indeed be hosting a race. The Tree of Life’s fastest animals will have the option to compete against one another in a race. There is a designated obstacle course that the racers will run through. The victor will be temporarily granted the Mark of the Night Pride and will substitute for Fuli as the Lion Guard’s fastest.”

“For this race, we’ll need volunteers. If only one animal volunteers, then we’ll put them through a test to see if they are worthy of helping the Lion Guard,” Ono announced.

“So lend us your attention and step forward!” Bunga concluded.

A few seconds went by. No animals had divided themselves from the crowd.

"Anyone?"

More moments went by with no one stepping forward. Kion felt more desperate.

"Please," begged the King. "I know some of you might be put off by this, but we really need at least someone who can step forward and help us. It's for the good of the Tree of Life."

It seemed like no one would step up; That is, until a male cheetah, early on in adulthood slinked through the crowd to face the Lion Guard and Night Pride. He sported green eyes like Fuli's and darker gold fur. Kion and his friends recognized him as Azaad, the cheetah of whom Fuli had befriended on the journey to the Tree of Life and also helped the Lion Guard return to the Pride Lands after learning that it was threatened. Azaad had elected to stay at the Tree of Life after Kion became King but he hadn't been seen outside of his new territory. Azaad looked kindly up at the group of animals who bore the Mark of the Night Pride, back at the Tree of Life's inhabitant animals, and then back towards the Lion Guard and Night Pride.

"I would like for my skills to be tested and for me to prove my worth as the Fastest," Azaad spoke.

"Fastest? Hmmf!" a gruff voice called out.

From within the crowd, a large rhino walked to where Azaad was.

"The only thing that's going to be tested here is your theory," said the rhino. “You haven’t seen my charge yet!”

“Is that so?” Said a scratchy male voice with an Australian accent.

The crowd parted, anticipating yet another racer, and it indeed was another racer. A large ostrich-like bird zipped like lightning next to Azaad and the rhino.

"I didn't know there were ostriches at the Tree of Life!" Bunga observed.

"I dunno what an 'ostrich' is, but I, young fellow, am an emu," said the bird. "The name's Kert-Kert. A pretty fitting name ainnit?"

"Sure," Bunga said, acting casual. "There couldn't be a way more fitting name than Kert-Kert!"

When Bunga was sure that Kert-Kert wasn't looking, he leaned over towards Ono to whisper.

"What does Kert-Kert mean?" he whispered.

"It means fast, in the emus' language," Ono whispered back.

"Oh, ok," Bunga replied.

"You really think your skinny legs can best me?" huffed the rhino.

"I'm sure of that, Shulk!" Kert-Kert said, pecking the rhino near the horn. Due to the horn's thick layering, Kert-Kert felt a level of pain wave through his beak. The rhino laughed. 

"Why you-"

Kert-Kert raised his leg, revealing his sharp claws at the edge of his toes. He prepared himself for a nasty kick to the rhino's eyes, but Rani roared, pausing the skirmish.

"That is no way to treat a fellow animal, Kert-Kert!" she scolded.

"But-"

"No buts! If you're going to compete, you need to play fair! If you're going to join the Guard, then you need to be civil. Am I making myself clear?!"

Rani's shouting caused the large flightless bird to lower his head down in submission as well as the rhino to raise his head in obedience. They nodded their heads yes to get the message across. 

"Now, would anyone else like to join the race? Anyone at alll?

And just like that, another animal showed up. It was a female grey wolf appeared looking to be Fuji’s age and height.

“Bhediya," Rani said to the wolf.. "You would all want to join the race?"

"Yes, Queen Rani," said Bhediha. "Fuli’s heroism and selflessness will be avenged, and I want to be the one who fulfills it.”

"I understand," Rani replied. "Anyone else?"

No one else went to sign themselves up for the race.

"Very well then," said Rani. "The race will start and end at the Tree of Life. The main race course will travel through seven landmarks at the Tree of Life. The race starts within three days. Dismissed.”

As ordered, the animals were all dismised, including the racers. Azaad was the only one who stayed with the Guard. The look in his eyes made it clear what he was there for and how quickly he wanted it. Without a word even needing to be said, the Lion Guard escorted the older cheetah to within the Tree of Life.

The green lime interior, the warm smell and lighting… all of it had been all too familiar for the older cheetah. The last time he had been in the chamber was when he was a cub. The Night Pride had dressed his wounds he had gotten from an unexpected fall and rescued him from starvation. It was that incident that lead to an unexpected friendship between him and the other cubs at the Tree of Life, including Rani, Baliyo, and Binga. It was so hard to believe that such a place that contained such peaceful memories was where he’d see his dear friend, unconscious.

”Fuli…?” 

There was no response from the cheetah. Makini was comforting Fuli, placing bandages around her eyes, adjusting the leaf bed underneath her, and carefully helping her drink water from a fruit bowl, adjusting her head and neck so that she wouldn’t choke on it. Makini noticed Azaad entering.

”Hello Azaad,” Makini welcomed the cheetah. 

Azaad didn’t say anything. He just found himself walking closer and closer to Fuli. He was around 5 feet ahead of the two girls until the mandrill raised her hand out in front of him, signaling him to halt. Fuli needed some space.

”I’ve seen this before,” said Azaad. “I’ve felt this before. When the flame of a cheetah’s heart burns out completely and is extinguished. It is something every cheetah fears.”

”At the speed she was running and at the state she is now, it may take days until she comes to,” the Mjuzi diagnosed. “And who knows how long it’ll take after that for her to get enough strength to run again.”

“That’s why we need someone to take her place temporarily,” said Kion. “If you win the race, you will be able to replace her as the Guard’s fastest until she returns to full strength.”

“Replace her?” Azaad said uneasily. 

“Maybe not replace,” Beshte assured. “Just substitute.”

”Yeah. It’s not like you’ll be on the team forever,” Bunga also assured. 

“I know, I just… I’ve seen what Fuli is capable of. She saved me from falling off a cliff when she could’ve bested me in the race to the Tuliza. She defeated Kasi in the Battle of the Lion Guards. And from the stories I’ve been told, she’s done more good with her abilities than even I know of. I’m not sure if I can match all of that, or if it would be in any way disrespectful to Fuli.”

”I’m sure Fuli would want you to help,” Kion told Azaad. “You’ve seen the fire in her heart. And if this race is something you want to partake in, then nothing is stopping you. You also have the fire in your heart. Winner or otherwise.”

Azaad sighed and looked at Rani and Kion with a warm smile on his spotty face. “Thank you.”

He looked back at Fuli one last time while leaving the Tree of Life.

I will win this Fuli. For you.

After Azaad exited the Tree of Life, the Lion Guard went out on their daytime patrol. The Night Pride saw this as their license to rest. All except for one..

“Hey? Where’s Nirmala?” Baliyo asked. 

“Shouldn’t she be getting rest?” Rani noted. “We should look for her.”

”No, children,” Surak told his sleepy niece and nephew. “I will find your aunt. You stay here and get the rest you need.”

”Shukriya ankal” Rani and Baliyo said to Surak. “Thank you uncle.”

“Sleep well,” the older prince said. He gave Rani and Baliyo a kiss on the cheek each and allowed them to sleep before leaving the Tree of Life to find Nirmala.

After following her scent, Surak found his sister-in-law at the Pratibimba, otherwise known as the Lake of Reflection. Every member of the Night Pride had, without regrets, been at the Pratimba, at least since the incident. It was no surprise to find the Tree of Life’s new healer here.

Surak slowly approached the lioness, who didn’t seem to notice him coming. Nirmala was very fixated on her reflection. Rather than interrupt her, the son of Janna had instead chosen to sit at her side and look into the lake.

”What do you see?” Surak asked. 

“I see myself,” Nirmala joked. “I should stop fidgeting.”

A tiny smile appeared by the edge of Surak’s mouth.

”What else do you see, besides yourself?” He asked again. 

Nirmala kept quiet, trying to think of something she could say. She knew Surak would be understanding, but the block that would often keep those from communicating would be the raw distress and pain. She’d have to break those blocks down, it was the only way.

”I see myself,” said the healer. “I see who I am today... the person that I wouldn't be if it wasn't for... her."

FLASHBACK: MANY YEARS AGO

Night-time was the best time for the two teenage lionesses to travel through the snowy fields and mountains. The four stars of which they had followed for months on end had lead them to a large lake. The two lionesses had spent the whole day crossing the lake and resting by the large stone at the end.  According to the stories, this was the final landmark before heading to the Tree of Life. The months of journeying and strife would soon be over.

As the moon rose and the lionesses were well rested, they could now continue the final stretch of their journey; Through a mountain pass.

"Who do you think are the rulers of the Tree of Life?" asked the brown-eyed lioness named Ãnanda. "Do you think the territory could be owned by lions like us?"

"Maybe," asked the younger blue eyed lioness named Nirmala. "Hopefully whoever owns this land is kinder than the leaders of our old pride."

"If that isn't the case, then may I be struck by a serpent and drop dead," Ãnanda hissed. Anyone else would be unsettled with Ãnanda's dark choice of words, but not Nirmala, knowing fully well of the scars they endured that caused them to seek healing at the Tree.

Nirmala and Ãnanda both laughed while walking through the mountain pass. The sisters kept walking ahead, only wondering what they would expect.

What they didn't expect was a large brown eagle-like owl with ghostly orange and black eyes and pale underparts diving to the ground right in front of them.

"Halt!" said the eagle-owl. "You are about to step paw into the realm of Queen Janna and King Raaja, leaders of the Jindagee Pride, Guardians of the Great Tree of Life. Do you come in peace?"

Ãnanda and Nirmala looked at each other and then back at the owl, first confused, then accepting.

"We come in peace," said Ãnanda. "We wish to speak to the Guardians themselves. Can you bring them here?"

"Fine then," said the eagle owl. "You may call be Bubo: The eyes in the sky for the Jindagee Pride. I shall return with the leaders whose presence you covet."

Bubo flew deeper into the mountain pass. For several minutes they stood there waiting.

"So, do you think this Queen and King are benevolant?" Ãnanda asked.

"I hope so, because I'm feeling a little light-headed from the journeying," Nirmala replied. "I really hope we make a good first impression."

"If we do, then the journey will be worth it."

The two sisters waited some more until they saw some figures in the distance and caught some unfamiliar smells.

Bubo had flown through the pass, accompanying him were four lions. Three males, one female. The sisters noticed that two of the lions, one having deep blue eyes only darker than Nirmala's and the lighter emerald green-eyed lioness had blue markings on them. 

"That must be the Queen and King of the Tree of Life," Ãnanda whispered to Nirmala.

"Indeed we are," said the Queen with a soft and welcoming voice. "I am Queen Janna. The ruler of the Tree of Life. This is my mate, King Raaja."

Janna licked Raaja on the cheek. Raaja gave Janna a simple smile before looking at the guests. "What brings you here at this time of night?"

"I am Ãnanda. This is my younger sister Nirmala. We left the pride we grew up in." 

"You left?" Raaja said with a more serious look on his face. 

"Yes. It was horrible. It wasn't even much of a pride it was... a cult."

The four lions looked at their guests wide-eyed hearing that. Many differen animals they've taken in had escaped from horrific environments and lived to tell the tale. Cults were a common factor behind these animals' escapes to the Tree of Life. They could only imagine how they withstood such an experience.

"We weren't born in this pride. Our mother was a travelling rouge who only sought to find us a home with enough food and water for all of us. When we wandered into this pride's territory, they took us in, pretending to have pity on us. At first it didn't seem so bad. We had enough food to go around, we could finally socialize with other lions our age, we could have a chance for our lives to be whole again.... but then..."

Ãnanda began to cry through her words. She fought to hold the tears back but her body wouldn't let her. Her younger sister wrapped her forelegs around her into a comforting hug, continuing the rest of the story.

"What we thought we had experienced was a lie. The leaders, they, they did everything in their power to strip us of who we were. It was what had to be done in order to make us fit the world they believed they could create. One where they could satisfy their own selfish desires without any regard for the lives they destroy. It wasn't until our mother passed. They used our pain as a means of further reeling us in, instead of giving us solace. We spent years unable to make peace and the grief ate away at us until we realized what we were trapped in. We escaped. I don't know if our superiors were looking for us... I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't and we were that disposable and worthless in their eyes."

As Nirmala continued the tale, she had some tears to shed as well. The four royal lions looked at the sisters wide-eyed and with great sympathy. So much had been taken from them up to this point. Raaja however, fought the urge to growl in anger hearing how unjust these lionesses were being treated, knowing that doing so would be un-nerving and possibly insensitive towards them and their late relative. Nirmala wiped off her tears and finished her story.

"We traveled for months in search of a place where we could call home. Then we heard from a bird that the Tree of Life would offer us sanctuary and that its rulers were benevolant. We were hesitant at first, but we chose to accept the offer. We humbly ask to join your pride your highnesses. We vow to respect the Circle of Life and the lives of those who do."

Nirmala bowed to the Queen. Ãnanda, wiping her tears as well, also bowed to Queen Janna.

"Raise your heads please ladies," she requested. The sisters did as they were advised. 

Janna looked straight into their eyes. Without even saying a word, she locked her sight in with Nirmala and Ãnanda's. The sisters didn't know how, but it was like they had felt like Janna had pierced into their inner beings, their inner children that had been robbed by the injustices of the past. They felt like they were being comforted. Not to extort as her own or to mold into a tool, but being comforted to be supported, to push a weight off their shoulders rather than add to it. Janna smiled. 

"You girls are very strong and brave," Janna said. "And that will be in your favor. Your journey is over now."

Queen Janna, King Raaja, Crown Prince Sãhasí and Prince Surak all guided the new lionesses throughout the mountain pass. The sun began to rose as the royal family brought their visitors to the egde of the canyon. A marvelous sight stood over the horizon to the point where neither Nirmala nor Ãnanda could even believe if this was real. Janna's next words confirmed reality.

"Ãnanda, Nirmala. Welcome to the Tree of Life.”

END OF FLASHBACK

“The feeling of hope I felt that day has never left me,” Nirmala lamented. “Even after they left us.”

”I remember that day. You wouldn’t stop crying tears of joy for almost a week when you arrived,” Surak chimed in. 

“It was the happiest day of my life. She was so benevolent and kind. It was such an honor to become a part of her family when our siblings were wed to each other,” the healer mentioned. “And it’s because of the past, that I ache so much in the present.”

The lioness looked back into her reflection.

”She took me in, she helped me… she trusted me with taking her place as the healer. But I couldn’t save the porcupine.. she died fearful that the person who was supposed to help her failed. And now because of me, she won’t be able to see her children grow up. And Fuli… she may not be able to run as fast as she did in a long time, if not ever. All because of me…”

Nirmala slapped her reflection in the water, causing mud to splash up on her face. She wiped it off and allowed it to fall upon the water’s surface, obscuring her reflection. She couldn’t see anything.

“I’m not sure why or how the upachaaraatmak didn’t work,” Surak said. “But I know Janna wouldn’t have entrusted this position to you if you weren’t worthy of it.”

”How can you be so sure?” Nirmala asked desperately.

”She’s my mother. I happen to know a lot about her.”

”It’s hard not to be reminded of her while looking at you,” Nirmala teased her brother-in-law before retaining seriousness. “Right now, I need to find out what I’ve been doing wrong so that it doesn’t happen again.” 

Surak felt the wind brush through his mane and looked at the cloudy sky. He turned over to his right shoulder and saw the Mark of the Night Pride. It was glowing faintly, before merging to its creamy brown pigment.

“The upachaaraatmak requires assistance from the Lions of the Past. I believe that to fully understand its powers, you must consult them,” the elder prince advised.

”Even after I cussed them out?” 

“I think such deities have faced far worse offenses… such as death itself.” 

Surak and Nirmala both laughed at the quip. A steady breeze passed them again. This time, Nirmala’s Mark of the Night Pride had glowed. 

“I know what I have to do,” said Nirmala. “And I have to be alone, if that’s alright with you.”

”It is,” said Surak. “I’m only glad that I could help.”

”I’m glad too,” Nirmala thanked. “To have you to help me.”

Nirmala pulled the prince in for a long comforting hug. When the moment passed, Surak yawned and head back to the Tree of Life to get some rest. 

The aunt of the Queen had gazed into her reflection again. The mud was starting to clear itself, allowing the mirroring image to be seen. However, the image wasn’t of Nirmala. It was a light brown lioness with green eyes, smiling directly at Nirmala.

The lioness quickly disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and Nirmala found herself looking up at the sky and seeing the clouds shift to form a familiar face.

“Janna,” Nirmala said affectionately as tears rained down her face.

”Nirmala,” a faint elderly voice in the wind said.

Bunga raced ahead of the Guard, not even giving them time to catch up. Although he wasn’t as quick-footed as Fuli, he was still determined and could run for longer. Even Beshte struggled to keep up.

”Little B, slow down!” Beshte told the honey badger.

”Every second counts!” Bunga exclaimed. He looked back towards the leader.

”Kion, are you able to pick up the scent?”

”I am,” replied Kion. “But it’s hard to keep it with all this exercise! We have to keep going north!”

Bunga looked up towards Anga and Ono, who were in the sky.

”Do either of you see anything northward?” He cried.

Anga and Ono gazed over the forest trying to search for what Bunga was looking for. Whilst Ono used his vantage point to search, Anga homed in on the forest and had success in her search.

”Yes! We’re almost there!” Anga told Bunga.

”Just head straight. You’ll know when you see it!”

I hope I’m not too late, Bunga thought. They have to be alright.

Bunga’s impatience had prolonged his perspective of the rush. It had felt like hours before they finally arrived at their destination: Kion, Bunga, and Beshte took some time to regain their breath whilst Ono and Anga flew down to their teammates. 

As they were cooling down, they heard some large footsteps not too far behind them. Turning around, they saw Binga charge into view.

”Bunga! Oh my God I’m so sorry you guys!” Binga frantically yelled. “I got Ono’s message and tried to catch up, but I took a wrong turn and fell behind, I was able to follow your tracks here! I know about what happened yesterday and the emergency about today! Are we too late?!”

”I hope not,” said Anga.

In front of the group was a small burrow that made its way underground. There were several shed porcupine quills around the entrance. Unlike with Saahee, those quills didn’t look like they were detatched in a defensive attack. They were naturally shed, like most other animals. 

“Saahee’s scent is still fresh and leads here,” Kion told everyone. “Which means that this is indeed the right place.”

”That’s all I need to hear,” said Bunga.

Without little hesitation, Bunga dove into the den. His trademark laugh or “Zuka Zamia” catchphrase was nowhere to be heard.

The Bravest maneuvered quickly through the tunnels, his slim body allowing him to wriggle through the underground hole like a blue, furry four-legged snake.

As the tunnel went further and further into the ground, Bunga heard noises below. They were sobs. He knew he was close. And he knew what that noise was. He couldn’t be anymore impatient to find its source. In his haste, he placed a paw on the wrong spot and instantly found himself tumbling down the tunnel like a snowball. Dirt and rocks flew into his eyes and disoriented him. 

When the pain subsided, it was a sign that he had reached the base of the den. Rubbing the debris from his eyes, his vision adjusted. The three brown dots in front of him sharpened into three porcupettes. The honey badger approached the terrified children and shushed them.

”It’s alright, I’m here to help you.”

”Where’s our mom?” Asked one of the porcupettes.

”She’s been gone since yesterday!” Another one of them cried.

Crap, this is gonna hurt.

“Kids?” He said with a sigh. “My name is Bunga. I’m a member of the Tree of Life’s new Lion Guard. I’m sorry to say, but your mother has completed her journey in the Circle of Life.”

The porcupettes froze in terror.

”Yesterday, when your mother was returning food to the den, she was attacked by a leopard. The Night Pride tried to save her, but her injuries were too great, and last night, she died. The rest of the Guard and I were informed that you were all alone at the den, so we came here.”

The porcupettes remained frozen. They didn’t cry anymore, they didn’t scream, they didn’t move. They were just still. Bunga slowly and carefully moved towards the children. “You can’t stay here. You’re coming with me where it’s safe and you’ll be taken care of.”

Tired from their full night and day of crying in fear, the kids didn’t have enough energy to argue. They just nodded their heads and followed Bunga up out of the tunnel.

The sunlight was blinding to the porcupettes during their first steps out of the den. Their eyes had been so adjusted to the darkness and tears that the light felt new to them. Bunga stood over them, allowing them shade and the chance for their sight to adjust. When they adjusted, Bunga turned away and gave them a good view of the older animals in front of them, including the King of the Tree of Life.

”What are your names little ones?” asked the King.

”My name is Kalam” said one porcupettes with a violet eyes and a bent ear.

“My name is Bindu,” said a chubby porcupettes with green eyes.

”My name is Teekha,” said the blue-eyed porcupettes.

”Well, Kalam, Bindu and Teekha. We’ll make sure that you get the help you need.”

”Thank you,” said the triplet porcupette brothers.

Kion pulled Bunga and Binga away to talk to them out of ear-shot from the triplets. He had talked about this before this morning when they started the patrol, but he felt an instinct to discuss it once again.

”Bunga, Binga, are you sure this is something you want? Something you’re ready for?”

”Yes,” replied the sloth-bear. “Bunga talked to me about it last night before we went to bed. It’s what’s best for them.”

”But if you’re not ready for it, then they might get hurt sooner or later,” Kion protested. “And you might get hurt.”

”I’ve dealt with worse,” said Binga. 

“So have I. I know we can handle it. Plus, we agreed it would be temporary,” Bunga told his friend. “I promise you, we can handle it. I’m the Bravest after all.”

”If you’re really sure about this, then I can’t stop you. Good luck guys.”

”Thanks.”

Bunga and Binga turned away from Kion and back to the porcupines. 

“Kalam, Bindu, Teeka,” said Bunga. “In light of these recent events, I have decided that you will be under the care of both myself and Binga. Until further notice, we will be your guardians and protect and defend you.”

”You’ll do that?” asked Bindu.

”We will,” replied Binga. “We’ll be taking shifts. I’ll be looking after you while Bunga is on patrol and when he can find the time to rest, he’ll be spending time with you as well.”

”You mean, like parents?” asked Teeka.

“Maybe more like babysitters who you live with,” Binga told the porcupette. 

“Yeah. Where I come from, everyone calls me Babysitter Bunga. Now you’ve got Babysitters Bunga and Binga!”

”And Babysitters Binga and Bunga!”

The porcupettes were able to laugh at the older animals’ jokes even with the sad news they received. Bunga gave each porcupette a friendly pat on the back for reassurance.

”How come you didn’t hurt?” asked Kalam.

”I have pretty thick skin. Porcupine quills actually tickle to me if anything. I’m immune!”

”What about you?” asked Teeka, looking at Binga. “Are you immune?”

”Well… no,” Binga awkwardly replied. “But I know how to avoid a porcupine’s quills. So I’m good.”

After speaking to the porcupettes, Binga and Bunga escorted them to what would essentially be their new home. The rest of the Guard waved them good luck as they continued their patrol.

”I think it’s nice that Bunga’s stepping up to take care of the porcupettes,” chimed in Beshte. “He is good with kids.”

”Although the idea of Bunga being a parent at the age he is sounds weird, I can’t argue with that.”

”I just hope he knows what he’s doing,” said Kion. “But I trust him to make the right choices.”

Somewhere else in the forest, Binga and Bunga guided the porcupettes to a field of termite mounds. The mounds had surrounded a den dug by Binga herself, large enough to fit both her and Bunga. In this case, it could also fit three small porcupines.

Binga went in the den first, followed by Bunga, who was gently holding the triplets so that they don’t trip. The base of the den was large, illuminated by the sunlight reaching the entrance, and was very warm.

”This place is huge!” Teeka effused. “You guys live here?”

”Well, I sleep at the Tree of Life, but Binga made this den big enough for both of us in case I ever sleep here!” Bunga told the porcupette. “You can get some shut-eye here!”

The triplets each went to three different corners in the den. They stretched, yawned, and put themselves to sleep, letting their exhaustion carry them into the dreamland.

”I’m glad they’re comfortable here,” Bunga told Binga. “They deserve it.”

”They do,” Binga replied. “They deserve the world, and we’re going to give it to them.”

Bunga and Binga shared a small kiss before parting ways. Binga watches the sleeping porcupettes for good measure whilst Bunga exits the cave to rejoin the rest of the Guard on patrol. While he’s on his way, he begins thinking about the ordeal. He’s only been a member of the Night Pride for weeks and already he’s the caretaker for three orphaned animals. He was good with kids, given his previous babysitting experience, but this felt more… real than those times. 

Still, failure and standing down wasn’t an option. He wasn’t going to let those kids face the world alone like he did before he was adopted. He was going to ensure that they grow up and live fulfilling lives that their mother deserved to see them live.

Thinking of all this made him think of his Uncles Timon and Pumbaa, who were likely still on their path back to the Pride Lands from the Tree of Life.

You guys would know what to do… don’t you?

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Heart to Heart

Baliyo woke up from his nap. He saw from the light in the cave that it was likely high noon. Neither his uncle nor aunt were there, but he trusted that they were somewhere safe.

He went by a lake and basked in the sun. Everything was calm and the stress of patrol had gone away.

This was a lot more peaceful than last night, he thought to himself. That internal thought wound up giving him memories of the near-death experience and the nightmare, which dampened the young lion’s fun.

Dammit, why did I remind myself of that?

Baliyo, irritated and uncomfortable with these thoughts, placed his head underwater and quickly placed it out to distract him. He then took several deep breaths and calmed himself down. 

“Phew,” he said to himself. “I’m alright. Like I said, a lot more peaceful than last night. Aaaand I’m talking to myself.”

“Don’t worry,” said Beshte’s voice behind him. “It’s normal.”

Baliyo turned around and saw Beshte smiling at him. Though he’d be pleased to see him, the unexpected visit surprised him and he fell into the lake. He put his head above the surface, coughed up some water, and started laughing.

“When Kion made you the Lion Guard’s strongest, did he also make you the sneakiest?”

“Oh, I thought you would’ve heard me coming?” Beshte told Baliyo. “I’m not the easiest to miss.”

“ Except for when you first left ,” Baliyo muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” Beshte asked curiously.

“Nothing!” Baliyo said nervously.

“Alright,” Beshte replied, pretending to have not fully heard what Baliyo said. 

“Anyways, the Guard and I are taking a break from patrol so I thought I’d sit with you.”

Baliyo nodded his head in approval and went out of the water. He shook his mane dry until it was fluffy and frizzy, which made Beshte laugh. Baliyo blushed slightly and then gave Beshte some room to sit by him.

“So, did anything happen on patrol today?”

“Remember that porcupine from last night?” 

“Yeah….”

“Well she had children before she died and Bunga and Binga are gonna take care of them for the time being.”

Baliyo’s face lit up in excitement.

“That’s so sweet of them! I hope they’ll all be alright!”

“I think they are kinda young, but if their hearts are in the right place,” said Beshte. “None of us think that it’ll be permanent, we’re just making sure these little guys are safe until everything’s cooled down from last night.”

“I think Binga would make a great parent,” Baliyo said. “I’ve known her for pretty much my whole life, and I know she’d want to give the kids the lives they deserved.”

“Sounds like you know her pretty well,” said Beshte.

“I do. We were pretty good friends when we were little. She was always like a sister to Rani and I,” said Baliyo.

“That’s nice,” Beshte said. “Like my mom always said, ‘it takes more than blood to bind.’”

“Oh your mom?” Baliyo asked. “Isn’t it your dad who sometimes says that smart stuff?”

“It’s sometimes my mom, sometimes my dad. After she died I guess he took it upon himself to be as helpful as a guide as my mom was, and it worked.”

“How did she die?” Baliyo hesitantly asked. “If you’re ok with me asking.”

“She got sick sometime during the winter. It was the Circle of Life at its worst, but we had enough time to say our goodbyes and honor her,” Beshte lamented. “I’ll still remember her as a part of my life, and she’d be pretty happy to see where I’m at.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Baliyo told the hippo with a smile. “I have a lot of good memories about my mom as well.”

“What was she like?” Beshte asked.

“Besides Binga, she was probably the funniest person you’d ever meet. She’d know what types of jokes to make to cheer us up, she’d give advice in the most creative ways possible. She knew when to be serious though, and that’s what impresses me.”

“She sounds amazing.”

“She was. She never had it easy growing up so she wanted to make sure we were as happy as she was, and it worked… until she died.”

“How did it happen?” Beshte asked.

Baliyo’s nose twitched at that question, fearing it the most.

“Circle of Life, I guess,” Baliyo nervously said.

“Oh… I guess you don’t want to talk about it?” asked the Strongest.

“It’s not exactly the best ice-breaker, Beshte,” Baliyo lamented. 

“I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. Nothing good ever comes from prying.”

“Thank you for understanding Beshte,” Baliyo said with a sigh of relief and a tearful smile.

Some moments passed between Baliyo and Beshte. The sound of the birds singing and chirping relaxed them. The two felt serenity for the first time since the tragedies that occurred this week. Even more so, it was with each other. Baliyo knew he could trust the Lion Guard’s smartest with his emotions. If anything, so that he would further his life-long struggle to relieve himself of the burden that has been carried by him for years.

“So… last night,” Baliyo spoke. “Whilst we were on patrol, I did something stupid and put myself in danger.”

“What was it?” asked Beshte with concern.

“We found a tarsier trapped in the river. We tried to catch up with it, but the current was too fast, so I eventually just jumped into the river to try and save her. I was able to rescue her, but I couldn’t save myself. If it wasn’t for a gharial we knew a while back, and for Nirmala, I would’ve ended up dead.”

Beshte cringed at the thought of Baliyo suffering such a terrible fate and not even knowing about it. The night where the Lion Guard had chased Tendua to her death and failed to protect Akela was already nightmare inducing, but knowing that they could’ve lost one of their team-mates of whom they’ve only known for half a year and would’ve been unable to stop it was sickening. It was a miracle for Beshte.

“I guess that’s why you ended your patrol early, wasn’t it?” 

“Yeah, it was,” Baliyo said. “But there’s more to the story. It’s something that my family sorta already knows but at the same time, I didn’t tell them about this in particular. I at least want to get this off my chest so that it doesn’t bug me about it, and you seem like the type of guy I feel easy to talk to about.”

“I’m all ears,” Beshte said, ready to listen.

Baliyo closed his eyes, inhaling through his nose, exhaling through his mouth, and calmed himself down enough to speak.

“We let in the wrong group of animals to the Tree of Life. They took advantage of our kindness and waited until we were asleep to start causing chaos. My sister and I got caught in the middle of everything and our parents were able to come to our rescue, but they didn’t survive. To make a long story short, that night changed everything, and we soon lost our old Royal Mjuzi, most of our subjects and our friends, and worst of all, my grandfather.”

“Did he die in the attack?” Beshte asked.

“No, he didn’t. In fact, he, my grandmother, aunt, and uncle had rallied an army to help push out the attackers. But when my parents died, a part of him died as well. He was my dad’s father - The moment that he buried him, it changed him. He became more aggressive and distant from everyone, including Rani and I. Eventually he made me promise to him that I would do what it takes to keep protecting the Tree of Life and to help everyone in the family move on. He left that night and we found his body the next morning at Cikha Escarpment, dead.”

Baliyo finally broke down on Beshte’s shoulders, covering his face in his mane to towel his tears.

“I…. I had a nightmare about him when I was in a coma… I-I thought I was gonna die, I thought I was gonna join him… I relived the memory of the last time I saw him and…. I was so scared.. If Aunt Nirmala hadn’t saved me…”

“Ssh…” Beshte said. “Everything’s alright now.”

“I hate what he did to me… what he said… but I still miss him so much…”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that at all.”

Beshte placed his hoof around Baliyo’s back giving him a gentle pat. He felt himself cry with Baliyo as well.

“I’m really sorry Baliyo.”

“Thank you Beshte.”

The hippo continued to succor his fellow Night Pride member. He realized how many hardships the Night Pride had endured since before the Lion Guard arrived at the Tree of Life. How much it had stuck with them into the present, and how it would likely affect them in the future. How much he didn’t know.

“Y’know, Kion and Ono found healing at the Tree of Life here too. If they can do it, then I know your family’s gonna find it someday. And you’ll have me, Binga, and the rest of our friends to help.”

Hearing this, Baliyo raised his head up from Beshte’s shoulder. His face was messy and teary-eyed whilst his mane was unkempt from the stress. Through all that were his eyes and his bright smile, both windows to his soul.

“I’m glad for that.”

“I’m glad too.”

Euphoric and relieved, they both lay down on their stomachs and watched the view over the lake, before revolving their glance towards each other. Both saw the other’s eyes dilate.

“Y’know, if and when we have the time, and if it’s alright with you, you and I can spend some more time together just for the heck of it,” Beshte told Baliyo. “Maybe we can even join each other on our patrols.”

Baliyo blushed at Beshte’s request and seeing this, Beshte flapped his ears, a habit of his for when he’s excited or happy.

“You know what I think?” said Baliyo. “I think that would be really… Poa .”

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: The Race to Replace

Part One:

In the days that followed the announcement of the race, Azaad had been practicing not only on his speed, but his stamina. He knew that in order to win, he would have to not only outspeed his opponents, but last longer in action than them. The other racers, Kert-Kert, the emu, Shulk the rhino, and Bhediya the wolf were also individually practicing. Working alongside the Night Pride was considered an honor for any and every animal at the Tree of Life. It would grant them not only the marking of pride, but it would make them respected throughout the whole kingdom. However, creatures outside the Kingdom knew this.

Corva had hidden herself within the crowd, too small to be seen coming and going, slowly getting as close as she could to the Lion Guard without being caught, and heard everything she needed to hear – About Fuli’s condition, the impending race, the conflict between the racers, the reward, and about Azaad. Now things can finally start getting into motion.

The raven flew off to tell the ‘boss’ of this news:

“A race?” Badala said in shock before bursting into laughter. “Those lions never change with their theatrics.”

“I know, but they take this so seriously!” Corva argued. “And it looks like some of the racers don’t get along too well.”

“Which animals have chosen to race?” asked Badala.

“Well there’s an emu named Kert-Kert, there’s a rhino named Shulk, there’s a wolf-creature named Bhediya, and lastly, there’s a cheetah named Azaad. Azaad seems to be friendly with the Lion Guard, especially that cheetah girl” said the raven. “Kert-Kert and Shulk are the unfriendly ones, and Bhediya doesn’t seem to be as competitive as them.”

Badala gleefully scratched her chin with her claw as if she had been thinking about something. She giggled like a child.

“Well, it would be a shame if an animal who won the race and was given the Mark of the Night Pride turned out to be a threat from the inside!”

“How clever!” Cawed Corva! “Which animal do you recommend we ‘negotiate?’”

“Well, cheetahs are fast, but they get easily tired. Plus, if Azaad is friends with the Lion Guard, then he won’t be that easy to use against them. Wolves can run long, but one wolf won’t exactly merge well with my army. I am considering the rhino though. But we’ve enough rhinos on our team.”

“What about the emu? I’ve heard they’ve a powerful kick and can run fast!”

“Yup,” groaned Badala, whilst rubbing her left hip thinking back to a painful experience with an emu. “We’d have to be careful not to get on the emu’s bad side. But let’s do it anyway. I’ve heard stories about what happens when you anger an emu. If we just direct this emu’s anger towards the Night Pride, it could work out for us.”

“And if this doesn’t work?” Corva asked.

“We can always try again. I’ve done the impossible before. I’m doing it right now. It’s no skin off my nose. Plus if at first you don’t succeed, try again.”

“Very well then,” said Corva. “Anything you’ll need me to do?”

“Head to the Tree of Life and seek out the emu. Convince them to win at all costs. And I mean all costs.”

“You can count on me.”

Corva flew off towards the Tree of Life. Badala watched her eyes in the sky, praying that she would do well. In time, everything would perfectly fall into place.

It had been the evening before the race: Azaad took another one of his runs throughout the Tree of Life. He ran throughout the hot plains and tall grass, shouting out his motivational catchphrase, Mibinamet ! He ran slower than his usual pace, making sure that he’d be able to run longer. And thus far, it worked. He had done three rounds around the forest before tiring out, and even so, he was nowhere near as tired as he would be after running at full speed.

After his third lap, Azaad went back to the Tree of Life. The Lion Guard had recently ended their daytime patrol and had headed back to the tree to rest. There, they met Azaad.

“How was the patrol Lion Guard?” Azaad politely asked.

“It was crazy!” Bunga hollered “There was a buffalo stampede in the prairies!”

“Without Fuli on the Guard, we couldn’t keep up with them. It took us all day to try and calm the herd down,” said Beshte. 

“It was exhausting,” added Ono.

“And disheartening,” noted Anga

“Hopefully you are all okay,” Azaad told the Lion Guard.

“I guess,” Kion said while shrugging.

“You guess?” Azaad asked.

Kion sighed.

“We’ve been a part of the Night Pride for only a month… Yet everything keeps going wrong,” vented the King. “We let a leopard die, we couldn’t stop her from killing a cub, three little animals are orphaned because we couldn’t save her, and now this; And all while Fuli’s out of commission. When I was leader of the Lion Guard back at the Pride Lands, we failed sometimes but it was different… I wasn’t the King. But now I am, and I really don’t want to let my subjects down. I just hope that tomorrow’s race allows us to find a good stand-in for Fuli, and that things become less chaotic.”

“Well, I know how you feel. I am joining the race so that I can honor Fuli and her friends,” said the elder cheetah. “And so that I can honor the Night Pride. I do hope I can help you by contributing to the race and winning.”

“Even if you don’t win, we appreciate you taking part,” Beshte told the male cheetah. “It’s the thought that counts.”

“And with how much you’ve been practicing on your racing, maybe there is a chance you’ll win,” Bunga acquiesced. 

“Thank you Lion Guard for your affirmations. You have my sincerest condolences. I’m aware of your efforts in defending both the Pride Lands and the Tree of Life. I know that you’ll succeed in the new lives you lead.”

“Thank you Azaad,” said Kion. 

Azaad and the rest of the Guard headed into the Tree of Life. As usual, they found Makini and Nirmala tending to Fuli. 

“Lion Guard! Azaad!” Makini said happily. 

“Hi Makini! How’s Fuli?” Beshte asked.

“She’s doing considerably better,” Nirmala answered. “Her breathing and pulse have become graceful. She’s remained well-fed and hydrated. It will still take a while before she wakes up, but our worries may be coming to an end.”

“Good,” Kion said. “Let’s get some rest ourselves. We'll have a big day tomorrow with the race.”

“You should rest too Azaad,” Ono said. “You’ll need to be at full strength for the race!”

“Point taken. See you all tomorrow!”

The Guard, Mjuzi, and healer bid the racer goodbye and goodnight. Makini and the Lion Guard readied themselves for a goodnight’s sleep whilst Nirmala went to gather the rest of the Night Pride for the patrol.

The Lion Guard took one last look at Fuli, all of them praying for her well-being before drifting off to bed, hoping to put the week’s worth of stress behind them and move forward.

When the moon had risen, many animals had fallen into their deep sleep. Out of these animals were the emus of the eucalyptus forest. Unlike the neighboring outback, the forest had provided shade in the daytime, but especially in the night when the sun had sunken

Kert-Kert, the arrogant emu who had signed up for the upcoming race, was awake from his slumber and he was going through the forest for some business. He walked less than a mile before finding a good clump of bushes. As soon as he stood over the bushes, he was startled by a sudden voice.

“Hello.”

“AAAAARHG!!!!!!!”

Kert-Kert flapped his feathers flippantly. A splat noise was heard, and the large emu had yelled loud enough to cause flocks of birds to scatter from their trees.

“WHO GOES THERE?!?!”

Corva flew down to Kert-Kert, at eye level. He was not happy.

“Hello… Kert-Kert is it?”

“Yes, it is,” the emu said sternly. “And you’re INTERRUPTING ME .”

Corva displayed a false act of innocence.

“What ever did I interrupt you in kind sir? I was just saying hello like any polite animal would-”

Corva was cut off when she smelt a foul odor out of nowhere that made her almost drop out of mid-air like a fly. She forgot one of the few reasons why an emu would come out in the dead of night.

“Oh,” she blankly said, dumbfounded and stricken with embarrassment “......crap.”

“Ocupado lady,” Kert-Kert grunted.

“I apologize for interrupting your…. nightly business.,” Corva said. “But a little birdie told me that you’re of high importance at the Tree of Life. I really had to see you!”

“Importance?” asked Kert. 

“Yeah,” said Corva. “I hear that you’re to become a new member of the Night Pride tomorrow!”

“You must have heard wrong, miss. Tomorrow there’s gonna be a race to join the Night Pride’s Lion Guard as a temporary replacement for the fastest. Once I win, then you can look at me all high and mighty-like.”

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that when you lose, it won’t be your fault.”

“The hell do you mean when I lose ??” Kert asked angrily.

“Well…. A little birdie told me that the upstart, Azaad, is friends with the Lion Guard. He knows that Fuli girl better than any of the other racers.”

“So?” 

“So, it means that Azaad could simply be handed the role even if he doesn’t win. How do you know that the royals aren’t biased towards him? Hmmm?” Corva asked.

“I imagine the newcomer King would prob’ly be like that…” Kert huffed. “But Queen Rani, I reckon she’d have some authority.”

“You mean the very reason why the ‘newcomer King’ left the Pride Lands to rule the Tree of Life? Who had proposed to Kion and has never left his side ever since his return?”

Kert tried to argue back, but not much came out of his mouth. He couldn’t let this raven who interrupted his business have the satisfaction of being right.

“W-well, I see no reason why they would choose a ‘friend’ over somebody like me. In fact, maybe you’re just lying to get a rise out of me, typical cloud-kissers like you. Tomorrow, I’m going to prove to everyone just what I can do, and no amount of nepotism that you claim there to be will stop me.”

Kert then gave a false peck with his beak towards the raven, who dodged it instantly.

“Meanwhile, I suggest you leave before I demonstrate what happens when you piss off an Emu.”

“Okay, okay, fine,” said Corva. “I’ll go. But before I do, I will say that I have a friend who knows the Night Pride better than you do. They aren’t what they say you are, or what you think they are, and the Lion Guard is only complicit to that truth. Realize that, and realize if what you’re fighting for is worth it. If you have to, you can ask the cheetah about his relationship with the Lion Guard… if you aren’t a coward. Whatever answer he’ll give you, you won’t be able to bury your head in the sand.”

Kert froze up, with a staggered expression on his shaggy greyish brown feathery face. Seeing this as a sign of verbal defeat, Corva flew away, hoping that the seeds she had planted would grow diligently. When Corva was out of sight, Kert finally reacted.

“ Who in the hell would bury their head in the sand as a large flightless bird? ”

The moon had started to descend, and the black sky and the stars that lit it up were being consumed by the slow iminent light of the rising sun. In the eucalyptus forest, Kert had woken up from his nap. The ratite’s conversation with the corvid last night had remained on his mind, mainly the part where he had been called a coward. He knew that wasn’t true. He was far from cowardly. In fact, almost every inhabitant of his habitat and especially the neighboring outback were known for being dangerous towards those who crossed and/or underestimated them. 

The word ‘coward’ lingered on his mind a lot. He was going to beat Azaad and work with the Tree of Life’s Lion Guard. He didn’t need to ask.

Coward

That word would not leave his mind. He shook his head and went for a drink in the lake. He tried to expurgate the doubt from his mind but he couldn’t. 

You don’t wanna ask him, don’tcha? You know that if you do, you’ll hear what you don’t wanna hear. You’re running from the truth.

Kert drank even harder, but the additional stress he brought to his body only brought upon more fears.

You ain’t  infallible. You can fail. And you will fail. There’ll always be somebody greater.

Kert violently spat out his water and shook his head. He had made up his mind on what he was going to do.

“Mibinamet!”

The cheetah’s signature cry echoed throughout the canyon of which he dashed through effortlessly. He had completed his 4th lap before stopping. He did a self-checkup on himself, mainly his limbs, pulse, chest, and heart-beat. All relatively stable.

“Good,” he said to himself. “I’m okay.”

“That’s an understatement,” said a familiar accent. Azaad darted his eyes in the direction of the voice. He saw an extraordinarily large bird sliding down the hill off of his feet. He recognized the tone of voice.

“Kert-Kert, is it not?” the cheetah asked.

“Good eye, mate,” Kert said. “Or rather both of ‘em.”

“Are you here to gloat even more about the race?” Azaad asked. “Because I can assure you, Azaad is one who practices. He is one who commits. But I shall save my gloating for after I win.”

“I like your style,” Kert complimented. He wasn’t wrong. This cheetah seemed unique. But he wasn’t going to let his guard down just yet.

“You must have a lot of friends, dont’cha?”

“Not a lot,” Azaad replied.

“Is that so?” asked the emu. “So you’re not friends with those Lion Guard or Night Pride folks?”

“Well…. I only said I do not have a lot of friends. I never said that I had no friends.”

“So you’re friends with the King and Queen then?”

“The King, I have helped in the past. You could say he is a friend.” Azaad explained. “All of the Lion Guard could be considered friends. Especially Fuli. Her condition is why I am partaking in this race. To honor her.”

“So I guess through that, you’re friends with the Queen?”

 “The Queen and I have a stronger history. Her family took me in when I was injured and sick from a fall. I lived at the Tree until I was healed and able to leave to find my own territory. Why are you interested?”

“Well…” Kert paused briefly before he continued, “Because on the chance that you might win, you’ll eventually be responsible for the peacekeeping in these lands. So I at least would like input on what there is to know about you and how loyal you are to the queen.”

“When it comes to cheetahs, we do not make many friends – But there always comes a time. So in a way, you can say that I am friends with royalty,” the cheetah boasted. 

The emu grimaced as Azaad held his head up with pride. Something in him was telling him to stop prodding info out of Azaad – Info that he clearly was not liking. But it was all lining up too perfectly.

“So you think that your friends, the Queen and King, will give you the position?”

“If I win, which isn’t set in stone, but is a strong possibility.”

Whatever answer he’ll give you, you won’t be able to bury your head in the sand

Kert nodded his head. He bid the cheetah farewell, and then walked off. As he did, he kept looking back. Azaad was continuing his training for the race. After going about a mile, he stopped. The cheetah was out of sight, out of earshot, but definitely not out of mind. 

“Dammit….” Kert cussed. “I hate it whenever I’m proven wrong.”

“How would you like to change that?” a familiar voice called out. 

Kert looked up, hoping it wasn’t who he thought it was. And he was correct. It wasn’t just Corva stalking him from a tree.

It was an entire conspiracy of ravens, all of them eyeing the emu with wide eyes and grins.

The sun was blazing high in the sky at noon. The inhabitants of the Tree of Life had come from every corner of the kingdom to witness the race. The Lion Guard, Night Pride, Makini, and Ullu had to work overtime to make sure those witnessing the race at the starting line wouldn’t trample over each other in their haste, or damage the racetrack. 

“Be careful where you plant those hooves!” Bunga warned a young elephant who was unknowingly about to step on a shrew.

“Oh, sorry,” the elephant apologized. “Thanks for the warning!”

The shrews thanked Bunga and skittered to where their fellow insectivores were. The young elephant meanwhile, regrouped with his herd, led by Haathe, the elephant that had helped the damaged Fuli return to the Tree of Life for healing.

Beshte, Anga, and Baliyo helped to sort out the animals that were separated from their groups in the rush. Many animals, big and small had attended, so they had to be mindful of which animal of which size could go where. A lounge of tree-dwelling draco lizards rode on Beshte’s back to avoid getting crushed by the other animals’ feet and hooves. Anga flew in the air to find some trees that the lizards could perch in to get a good view.

“This seems like a good spot,” Anga attested.

“Thank you,” said one of the dracos. “This is probably the first time a large bird has helped us.”

“Probably won’t be the last,” Anga deadpanned.

“Go on into the trees little guys,” Baliyo said. “You’ll get a great view there.”

“Terima kasih,” said one of the draco lizards. “Thank you. It’s not every day that someone looks out for creatures as small as we are.”

“Everyone matters in the Circle of Life,” comforted Beshte. “Even the little guy. I’ve got a gecko friend back in the Pride Lands. His name’s Hodari. Even though he was the little guy that everyone doubted, he was able to prove them all wrong. You’d get along with him pretty well.”

“Can’t say I disagree,” obliged another draco. “Thanks again!”

The dracos leapt off of the hippo. They had extended their limbs, allowing their rib cages to protract, revealing colorful skin. The skin acted as wings to catch the air, allowing the dracos to glide gracefully through the air. They swooped themselves upward, catching as much air as possible before they had touched down on the tree. They quickly skittered up into the treetops until they disappeared in the thick leaves.

“Hard to believe that I’d ever meet a lizard that flies,” Beshte commented.

“If I told you this once, I told you a hundred times,” Baliyo replied. “Those lizards don’t fly, they glide.”

“You’re starting to sound like Ono,” Beshte said. “I think that’s Poa”

“Thanks,” Baliyo said, hiding the blush on his face.

Kion, Rani, Makini, and Ono were overseeing the assembly of the racers. Being public officials, they had well presented themselves with the image of regality and grace. Being teenagers witnessing a public athletic event, it was futile to coax them out of their childish, playful gossip.

”Azaad’s gonna win, I know it,” said Rani. “Clear and simple.”

”My bets are on the rhino,” Kion argued. “If Mbeya and Kifaru were here, they’d back me up.”

”Both of you underestimate the pure stamina of a wolf that allows them to go for long distances.”

”I think the giant bird would win,” said Makini. “Just look at those legs.”

”I bet you 10 berries that my pick’s gonna win,” said Rani.

”You’re on,” said the others.

Surak and Nirmala watched the little debate from behind.

”Oh she’s definitely our niece alright,” Nirmala chortled. “Always making bets on which animal would win which contest.”

“She’s definitely my brother’s daughter,” Surak said. “I remember how thrilled she and her dad were when we attended that kangaroo kickboxing match and they predicted who the winner was.”

”I’m still shocked at how brutal and bloody that fight was,” Nirmala reminisced, shuddering at the memory. “Really hope the poor marsupial that lost wasn’t planning on having any children what with how many sharp kicks he took to the—“

“Bhediya!” 

Ono called out the moment and the grey wolf that answered to that name had arrived to the track. Flanking her was the rhino that had signed up for the race.

”Shulk!” Kion called out.

Behind him was a black and yellow blur and a long-legged figure.

”Kert-Kert!”

”Azaad!”

All four contestants gathered near the starting line. The animals hushed in anticipation. The Royal Mjuzi announced the contest.

”Animals of the Tree of Life! Welcome to our Race to Replace! These four animals have proudly and bravely volunteered to challenge their skill of speed in a race to temporarily replace Fuli of the Night Pride’s Lion Guard. For disclosure on the rules and guidelines of the race, I direct you all to Ullu, the Queen’s majordomo, who will be the referee of the race.”

On cue, Ullu flew up to address the populace. 

“A racetrack around the kingdom has been formed thanks to the efforts of Makini and several animal volunteers.”

Ullu turned around to a select number of animals, who smiled at the indirect compliment.

”The racetrack will be a loop, meaning it winds all the way back here. There will be three laps to complete in the race. The winner will be whoever completes the most laps, if not all of them. Sabotaging fellow racers is strictly forbidden and will be met with immediate disqualification amongst other consequences that will be determined. And now to introduce our racers.”

”Bhediya, of the marathon wolves.”

Bhedia held her head up in response to her acknowledgement. The animals cheered.

”Shulk, our friendly neighborhood rhino senior.”

Shulk cracked a slight grin to appear approachable. The animals cheered. Due to rhinos having poor eyesight, an oxpecker was assigned to him to prevent him from trailing off the race-course.

”Kert-Kert, the mayor of the emus.”

Kert-Kert raised his right wing and waved at the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a raven, flying above his head. He panted quickly, trying to keep his cool, but re-affirmed himself. A wide grin engulfed his face. One that a few of the spectators found to be… unnerving. Nevertheless, the animals cheered.

“And finally, Azaad, an ally of the Lion Guard, and a friend of the King and Queen.”

The animals cheered. Kert-Kert gave Azaad a quick side-ways glance when no one was looking. Attention directed back to Ullu, who perched on Rani’s back.

”And now, without further ado, let the racing commence.”

This was the moment of truth. No racer would accept defeat as an option. It was time.

”On your mark… get set… GO!”

The Roar of the King and Queen kicked it all off. The race was on.

BG Music: Paul Stanley - Live to Win

In a blink of an eye, they were off. Azaad kicked into maximum cheetah velocity within seconds, leaving the other racers behind him to eat his dust. He was in the lead.

”Mibinamet!” 

Charging behind him was Shulk the rhinoceros, racing through as if he were in a stampede with enough force to bust through a rock formation. Right behind him was Kert-Kert, running as fast as his long legs can carry him, his eyes fixated directly on the black and yellow blur that was Azaad. The more he glared at the cheetah, the more motivated he felt. 

Behind them at last place was Bhediya, who was in a fast pace, otherwise known as a lope; She at first slopped behind the others, but picked up speed, howling profoundly as she did so. Everyone had been putting in their all.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17: The Race to Replace

Part Two: The Race to the Rescue

Kert-Kert smiled on hearing the crash and screamed as planned. He rightfully guessed that the ravens had gotten in their part of the bargain. Now he could trust them, and once he’d win the race, things would change for his life. He snuck off the race course and out of Azaad’s view. It would’ve been best not to be spotted by the cheetah and be a potential suspect if the ravens failed to be discreet, so once he was far from Azaad’s sight, he went back on the race course.

The Bhediya and Shulk were neck and neck with each other, pushing themselves beyond the limit to avoid being the unfortunate one to flank behind. Although they were annoyed at the current three-way-tie, it would soon come to a relief when they’d see the cheetah, crushed under a tree branch right in front of them, all at the same time.

They all skid to a halt, fortunate enough not to trip over Azaad and hurt him even worse than he already had been.

“Oh my god!” said Bhediya. “Is he…”

“No, I am not dead,” Azaad re-assured. “Though I would not say this instance is any better.”

“How on earth did you get stuck underneath a tree branch?” asked the rhino. 

“Well… would you believe me if I said it was a flock of ravens?” Azaad sheepishly asked.

The wolf and rhino gazed in a blank shock.

“A yes or a no?” 

“Raven or no raven, we have to get help!”

“No need for that!” said Kion’s voice from afar. 

Kion, Beshte, Makini, Nirmala, Surak, Rani, Baliyo, Ullu, and Ono quickly appeared to address the racers.

“Ono told us. As we speak, Bunga and Anga are investigating the perpetrators,” Kion said. 

“Should we continue the race?” asked the wolf.

“No,” ordered Kion. “If this was a coordinated attack on one of the racers, we should post it. We’ll be heading back to the Tree of Life to make the announcement.”

“I think Kert-Kert’s still up ahead,” said Shulk. “You might have to inform him as well.”

“I’ll find him,” Ullu said.

“Good,” said Rani. “We’ll head back to the Tree of Life and fix up Azaad.”

“Thank you, your Majesty,” said the cheetah.

“I promise, whoever did this to you will pay dearly ,” growled the Queen, raking her claws against the ground. “But for now, let’s focus on healing you.”

As Ullu flew off, the rest of the Lion Guard, and Night Pride took Azaad back to the Tree of Life.

Anga and Bunga were perched on a cliff edge, having escaped the ravens that they had suspected injured Azaad. Their cuts and bruises in sensitive areas that their feathers and fur couldn’t protect were plentiful. Their suspicions on the ravens were more than confirmed. Now the question was, what would they do next?

“Ugh, those smartass jerks!” Anga complained, plucking a raven feather out of her wing. “At least the ravens back at the Pride Lands had manners !”

“Man, we should’ve hired those birds to go up against Scar! That mobbing thing or whatever you called it was totally Unbungalieveable !”

"It’s Unbungalievably annoying,” Anga complained. “It’s basically how small birds attack large birds, because they know they can’t win in a 1v1.”

“And we’re barely an army,” said Bunga. “This stinks! And that's coming from me!”

“ Wait, stinks!” Anga explained. “This is perfect!”

“What do you mean?” Bunga asked.

“You can use your stink to fight back against those ravens!”

“Wouldn’t you smell it too?”

“I’m an eagle. I can’t smell that well. But ravens can.”

“Oh right,” the honey badger replied. “This is gonna be good.”

I can’t believe I’m actually doing this , Anga thought to herself.

It was perfect. The cheetah was injured and Kert-Kert was going to win. On top of seeing one of those insolent Tree of Life residents getting injured – a pedestrian in comparison to what would happen in the long run when their plan succeeded – it cemented the emu’s trust in the ravens. Soon, the boss-lady would have another supporter to her cause - One that had some intel on the inside so she can take her revenge.

"The emu is close-by," said Corva, using her acute vision to view the ground below. "If we standby, we'll be able to make sure he wins."

"Wouldn't that be fly-by?" asked another raven. "Since y'know, we're flying?"

"Shut up Herald!" Corva said.

A shadow loomed over a few birds in the flock. It wooshed back and forth - back and forth, until it was circling like a vulture.

"What the hell is that?" Herald asked.

The figure in the clouds above revealed itself to be Anga, carrying Bunga by his back within her talons.

"Remember us?" Bunga slyly asked.

"Didn't you learn last time that you can't beat us?" Corva spoke.

"Yeah, we did. And then we learned something else," said Anga.

The martial eage and honey badger quickly descended upon the flock, who in turn, sharpy ascended as a united front with the intent of knocing their adversaries out of the sky.

Right as they were about to make contact, Bunga made a loud hissing noise, mimicking that of a cockroach's. Within a fraction of a second, the ravens felt themselves consumed by an invisible demon of smell, coughing, crying, struggling to fly. Corva, in her fit of croaked coughs, spoke to her flock.

"Don't give up corvids! We won't let them-"

Corva was quickly cut off through Bunga snatching her out of the air, holding her by the beak like a vice. Anga then flew in front of the ravens, who were visibly in less discomfort the moment the distance between them and Bunga had greatened.

"Here's the deal ravens!" Bunga proposed. "You turn yourselves in to the Lion Guard, and we'll let her go."

Corva protested, but her words came out as muted muffles.

"I'd suggest you hurry it up," Anga said. "I don't think your leader's a fan of indecisiveness."

The cries of Corva only motivated the ravens to fight back. If they yielded to the Guard, they know very well what would happen to them. 

"CHARGE!" Herald cried.

The ravens did so, thinking the exact same thing. And once again, the miasmic mustelid put them in their place with another display of his potent weapon.

"UGGHH!!!"

It was even worse for Corva who was damn-near armpit level of the honey badger.

This was too much for the flock, and they had decided to flee, leaving the Guard, and their leader, in the dust. 

"Follow them Anga!" Bunga demanded.

"We won't need to anymore," Anga rebutted. "We have at least one of them, and they seem to be the ones they look up to. We'll take them back to the Tree for apprehension."

"Alright! Let's go!" Bunga cried. "When Fuli wakes up, I'm gonna tell her all about this. It's UnBungalieavable!"

Kert-Kert continued to race ahead. He could already tell that he was far ahead of the other racers, so he felt the need to slow down the pace. Soon, he'd be at the finish line and he would get the Mark of the Night Pride.

"Hey, EMO!" a voice from above called out..

It was one of the ravens who answered to the name of Herald.

"It's emu, ya bogans!" said the large bird. "And get outta my way, I'm 'bout to win here!"

"You're not going to win! That's the thing!"

The emu skidded to a halt.

"What do you mean I'm not going to?! Because the way I'm viewin' it, there's a race, I'm in the lead, and I'm about to cross the finish line. Seems like a victory to me innit?"

"The Lion Guard's captured Corva!" Herald explained. "They're heading back to the Tree of Life with her, most likely to interrogate her on the 'sky falling onto Azaad' thing!"

"WHAT?!" Kert-Kert shrieked. "How did you let them escape?!"

"Long story," Herald explained. "What you need to know is, while I know my sister very well, without the rest of the flock to back her up, she won't stand a chance against the Guard. If they force her to talk, they'll find you out!"

"This was not part of the deal!" shouted the emu. "You come 'ere with all this hullabaloo about you and me making a 'collaberation' in exchange for me winning the race, and now I'm gonna be in last place?"

"Listen, what you need to do is to hide," warned Herald. "Either somewhere in the desert, or in the forest, but anywhere. Just until the heat dies down."

"So I gotta hide like some turtle for the rest of my life?"

"Not forever! Just until we can find a way to rescue Corva before she can spill our secrets!"

"How do I explain my absence from the race?"

"Just tell them that you took a wrong turn and got lost!"

Kert-Kert ruffled his feathers angrily.

"You said I could trust you! Give me one good reason why I should."

"If you don't, you will get caught sooner than later," Herald said. His tone became far more menacing. "And I think you and I are both aware that Queen Rani doesn't take lightly to treason."

"T-treason? For what happened to the cheetah?!" the emu nervously asked.

"You yourself were able to prove that the cheetah has a history with the Queen when you didn't believe our word for it. He, like the rest of the kingdom, is under her protection. I doubt you'd want to face her wrath. I know many animals who live hell on earth after making the mistake of wronging the Night Pride."

"How do you know?"

"We know a lot of things you don't know. Things that can protect you. But if you'd rather face the Queen, and her King with the Roar of the Elders..."

"FINE!" Kert yelled. "We'll do it your way. But you better not make me regret it."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Herald laughed.

Kert ran off the race-track and started to make his way back to his territory, whilst Herald and the other ravens had flown off to retrieve Corva. Unbeknownst to them, another bird had been hiding in the shadows, taking in theri every word that they in vain thought to be confidential.

"I have to warn the Night Pride, so we can stop them," Ullu hooted.

At the Tree of Life, Kion stood outside the entrance to let the spectators aware of the threat. Meanwhile, Nirmala, Beshte, Surak, Baliyo, Ono, Rani, and Makini took the damaged Azaad inside for healing. Nirmala, shielding the anxiety in her voice, did an examination on the spotted cat.

"Does it hurt when I put any pressure here?"

"YES!"

Nirmala lifted her paw off of Azaad's leg.

"What about here?"

"Also yes," Azaad winced.

She placed her paw off of his back.

Neither of those instances did she apply that much pressure. And Azaad had flinched sharply with each touch.

"That tree branch must have broken a few bones of yours. We'll need to apply a brace for your hind legs and back for the time being."

"Thank you, Nirmala," Azaad said. "It wouldn't be the first time I've been damaged by an unexpected fall."

"Well, at least you weren't the one falling," joked the Queen.

"Oh right, I forgot. You and Azaad know each other," Beshte chipped in. "Come to think of it, I never really looked that much into it."

"It happened a long time ago, when we were all very young..." Rani began. "My parents had gone on a diplomatic mission to another kingdom, so my grandparents were in charge of the Tree of Life as acting Queen and King. That was the day it happened."

FLASHBACK: 10 YEARS AGO:

“Grandma..?” Rani asked. “What’s going on?”

The young Princess's excitement from playing with Baliyo and Binga turned into shock upon hearing her uncle's roar. Their arrival to the Tree of Life was brought with the even more shocking sight at Surak carrying an animal's body within his jaws.

Surak placed the animal down. Everyone had gotten a good view of it. A lanky cheetah with green eyes laid down on the ground, breathing heavily. He appeared to be a few years older than the other cheetah cubs at the Tree of Life. His ribs were showing through his skin, and his leg had several bruises. There were several cuts and slash marks on his back, stomach, and face.

“We found this cheetah near the mountain pass. His leg was fractured and he was dragging himself along. We found him passed out at the mountain pass. I figured he hasn’t eaten in weeks," Nirmala said.

“M-months,” the cheetah corrected, staggering his breath. “Azaad has not eaten in m-months…”

“Take him to the Queen, ” shouted Surak. “Now!”

The lioness gently picked the broken cheetah up with their mouths and hastily arrived at the inner chamber of the Tree of Life. There, Janna was waiting.

“This cheetah is injured!” Rani exclaimed.  “And he is starving.”

Janna immediately walked closer to Azaad. Azaad found enough strength in him to look upward towards the Queen.

“You’ve come to the right place Azaad,” Queen Janna said. “We heal and protect all animals who come to the Tree of Life.”

“T-thank you, Queen Janna,” Azaad said. The queen’s gracefulness and generosity was almost enough to make him forget the pain.

“Cheetahs as young as you are should not be alone,” Surak addressed, trying not to sound overly condescending. “What happened?”

“There was a storm,” Azaad explained. “It destroyed so much of my territory, and it… separated me from my family...”

Rani and Baliyo gasped in shock.

“So it was just me.. All alone. I often managed to hunt for myself for the next few months. But during my hunts, I fell off a cliff and… well.. You can see how that ended.” Azaad chuckled.

“I was limping for the next couple of months. It was hard for me to find food, and run from danger. A little birdie told me that the Tree of Life is where I’d be able to recover, so I came here. But I had to travel through a desert in order to get here. I can’t remember the last time I ate or drank, but I ended up here.”

“There’s a good chance those cuts may be infected,” Janna explained. “If they are that severe. We shall heal them first and then we’ll feed you. Your leg however, will be more difficult. You might have to stay here for a few weeks at best.”

“Thank you,” said Azaad.

The pride assembled some leaves to serve as a resting bed for the cheetah. The Royal Mjuzi went beside the Queen with some herbs and fresh leaves, and she managed to mash them into a frothy paste and place them inside a hollow coconut.

Queen Janna placed her paw into the paste, and gently rubbed it all over Azaad’s cuts, until there was no red seen. She then placed her right paw onto a root, and her left paw on one of Azaad’s cleaned cuts, and she closed her eyes, allowing herself to become calm and poised.

The roots of the Tree of Life began to glow red with light, and faint voices were heard in the air. Janna could feel herself become more and more strengthened, and passed her power on to Azaad.

Azaad went still with fear. What was this strange magic Janna was using? The bigger question was, why, or how was it working? His cuts soon began to sting less and less, and he felt some vigor in him.

Janna placed her paw off of Azaad.

“The Tree of Life is invigorated with the powers of the ancient spirits of the past,” Janna explained. “They have powers to cleanse infections and give strength to others.”

“Your cuts are no longer infected, but you should keep those bandages on for a few days. As for your legs and health, we will make a cast for it, and make sure to feed you until you’re ready to run.”

“Azaad thanks you,” said Azaad.

“Good,” the queen said. “Now let us go lionesses. We'll find food for the cheetah. Surak, Nirmala, you and the cubs stay here with Azaad.”

“But mother,” said Surak. “I want to help.”

“Me too,” said Rani.

“Surak and Rani are right,” said Nirmala. “I should find some more medicine for him just in case his wounds are more severe than we thought.”

“I understand you all have your wish to help. But right now, this cheetah needs our support. Nirmala, someday you will have the honor of becoming the healer of the Tree of Life. So to do so, you must reserve the right judgement and mind in these situations. Surak, Rani, and Baliyo, stay here with Azaad. You helping him will help all of us.”

“Ok.”

Rani and Baliyo walked ahead of their new cheetah friend.

“It’s going to be alright, just like grandmother says,” Rani assured the cheetah cub.

“And maybe you can even stay here when you’re all better,” Baliyo suggested.

“Thank you kind friends,” said the cheetah. “Azaad will never forget you. Especially Queen Janna.”

"And I never did," Azaad finished. "Even after I was healed and ready to find my own territory."

Beshte sniffled, moved to tears by the story.

"That's got to be one of the sweetest stories I've ever heard."

"I'm glad it was," Rani said. "It's been practically a decade and I still remember that day."

Her glance gazed to a corner of the wall with claw marks engraved into it, running down into the base of the cave interior of the tree.

"among others...."

Rani's grief was distracted by Nirmala and Makini.

"And done!" victoriously proclaimed the mandrill. "While you were telling your story, we were able to place the bandages and braces on you! Check it out!"

Azaad looked near his legs, rear end, and back. They were safely secured out of tough sticks and leaves, and were packed tightly together by large quantities of discarded spider silk from cobwebs. The webbing was wrapped around the braces to adhere the material together in a tight package.

"I'm not a fan of spiders, but for once, I am glad that they share this planet with us," Azaad sighed in relief, looking at Makini and Nirmala's handiwork.

(A/N: Spider-Silk, because of its resillience, has been used in several man-made materials, one of which includes stitches, bandages, and wrap. It's just a funny little nod that I thought would be serviciable in this chapter).

“Makini, please escort Azaad over by the throne for the Upachaaraatmak,” Nirmala instructed. As she finished that sentence, she shuddered subconsciously. Makini stared at her for a few seconds in worry -- even pity -- but still found to do as she was instructed. The healer climbed upon Janna's old throne whilst Makini carried the patient to the base of the rock. Nirmala placed one paw on the Tree of Life’s roots, and another on Azaad's braced wounds. The cheetah closed his eyes, ready for the spell to begin whilst the lioness closed her eyes. This time, she said no word. She let a breath of warm air slip from her lips as she let her muscles relax. She silently whispered to herself, as she did last time.

“Ateet ke sher, mujhe shakti do.” [Lions of the Past, give me strength].

As she did so, time began to slow down; she envisioned the Tree of Life in her mind. Lions on the ground and in the sky - Bound by life and death, a shifting separation. The lions in the sky, she saw as her mother, one of the many souls that ascended to the heavens, free of the life of fear she had lived. Her sister, Ãnanda, who protecter her every day until the two had reached paradise, brother-in-law Sâhasí, whose memory she cherised every day along with her sister ever since the day they both passed; The late King Raaja, who was the father that Ãnanda and Nirmala never had, and finally, Queen Janna, who never failed to help Nirmala find her place in the Circle of Life.

Her mother-in-law, Queen Janna, passing on this very torch to her. She would always remember her. 

The lioness placed her paw out for Nirmala to accept. Slowly, but surely, the younger lioness’ paw connected. A bright light shone, before everything went black.

Nirmala’s marking of the Night Pride began to glow. Before long, the dark cave of the Tree of Life lit up; The dark green hues from the algae on the rocks melted away as the black vines turned a glowing orange that engulfed the lighting of the tree’s interior. Everyone looked in awe and shock, most of all Ono, who had his eyesight healed in a similar manner over half a year ago when the Lion Guard had first arrived at the Tree of Life. Now he could see for himself the true power that lied within the Tree of Life — and within Nirmala. And so could Azaad, recognizing the strength of both the Tree, and the healer, as he did a decade ago.

The warm lightning faded, just as Nirmala ended the incantation and placed her paw off of the cheetah. It worked. Thank all the stars it worked. Janna had been right. She would have the chance to celebrate later, but right now, she had to keep a good posture for her patient.

”Azaad,” she said. “The pain will be numbed, and your body will fully recover in a few weeks’ time. But for the next few days, I suggest you rest.”

Azaad looked at Fuli, still unconscious. Oh the painful irony.

”Yes, Nirmala,” he said. “Thank you.”

Nirmala nodded her head in gratitude. She turned to the rest of the Night Pride and the Lion Guard members in the cave, relieved and thrilled. Before any of them could speak, shouting was heard near the entrance of the cave.

”Queen Rani! Queen Rani!”

Those voices were very recognizable, but blended all at once. In came Ullu, Anga, and Bunga, carrying Corva, all whilst Kion flanked behind.

”I’m so sorry, I tried to calm them down but-“ 

Kion’s voice and attempts to explain were muffled out by Bunga, Ullu, and Anga each trying to explain themselves, with Corva violently cursing, fortunately muted by Bunga continually gagging her. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Rani roared, silencing everyone.

”One at a time everyone,” she demanded. “What? Happened?”

Anga was the first to explain. How they went after the ravens that Ono had suspected and were mobbed upon attempting to. The raven they had captured was the flock’s leader, whom they had managed to get away with. Bunga was able to confirm.

”Not much to make a stink over wasn’t it?”

Ullu proceeded to explain next. How she overheard the ravens speaking to Kert-Kert, revealing his alliance with the Ravens to sabotage the race. Kion had confirmed this, having been told this info at once, and informing his subjects to be on the look-out for the perpetrators. Rani was not a happy camper. Looking at Azaad, and then back at Bunga carrying the bird that injured him, she knew one thing to take her anger out on.

“YOU!”

In a fit of fury, she rushed right in front of Bunga, or rather, what Bunga was holding with her claws out. Bunga wasted no time dropping her to the ground to save himself from the Queen’s wrath. With very little reaction time, Corva could only brace herself for the crushing consequences of her own actions, watching Rani leap towards her. Kion, in a split-second catches her mid-rush and uses the momentum of her attack to pin her down to the ground, a fighting tactic that his mother Nala had taught him when he was a cub; one he had used to defeat several of his enemies such as Janja and Makucha; the same one Simba also learned from Nala in their youth - and had used to defeat Scar in their deadly fight for the throne of Pride Rock years ago;  But most notably, the same method Rani used in her and Kion’s first battle; And now, things had definitely turned.

”Rani! Control yourself!” Kion roared.

Rani squirmed and struggled until realizing who she was looking up at. Who had come in to stop her. She looked around, and everyone, including Azaad, who was not frightened, but surprised. As if they had seen the behavior of a completely different person. As she looked around, she saw Corva begin to flap her wings, ready for take-off. Whether it was an attempt to evade attention off of her outburst, or a realization of the conflict’s gravity, she shed light on the attempted escapee.

”Get her!”

Corva screeched as she finally got off the ground and into the air - All for a good 5 seconds before Anga grabbed her with her talons and held her in mid-air. Rani was once again able to approach her, but more… professionally.

”She must’ve been the mastermind behind this,” she had addressed. “You said the rest of her flock left her with you, correct?”

”Yup,” replied Anga.

“Then she’s all alone. Which means we can take her into custody for questioning,” said Rani. “Drop her.”

Anga dropped the Corva. She once again tried to wriggle away, but Rani placed a paw on her tail feathers. She then placed her attention on Kion and his team.

”The pride and I will keep watch of her. You and the Lion Guard should look for Kert-Kert.”

Whilst the rest of the Guard had affirmed on Rani’s command, Kion… was not as easy to budge.

”Are you sure you’ll be alright?” asked Kion.

Rani gave Kion a smile of reassurance and placed a paw on his cheek.

”Knowing that you’re looking out for me and doing the same for our subjects…. I always am.” She gave him a heartfelt lick on the healed scars of his eye. “Good luck, Kion.”

Kion raised Rani’s arm and gave her a kiss on the paw in a gentlemanly fashion.

”Likewise, Rani.”

Kion lead his team to the exit of the cave. They were ready for action.

”Lion Guard defend!”

Rani used her free paw to wave Kion goodbye. She then looked back at Corva, and bent down to whisper at her.

”You’re lucky he’s the love of my life and that I’m willing to spare you for his sake.”

She grabbed the raven in her teeth delicately and carried her to Makini.

”Restrain her.” she commanded.

”Wouldn’t that be mean?” Makini asked. 

”I wouldn’t disagree!” Corva added.

”If we don’t, what happened to Azaad or worse could happen to someone else!” Rani said through her clenched teeth. Makini couldn’t disagree with that. And she at least could trust herself to be careful. Finding an array of cobwebs and loose vines near the interior of the cave, she tied them together tightly in a knot to the raven’s feet, and then she placed a heavy rock on top of the makeshift rope, serving as a paperweight. Corva was able to fly, but the rope kept her from getting anywhere - her wing-span and strength was not enough to rival that of the makeshift prison that Rani and Makini placed her in, nor was her beak strong enough to pierce through the knot. She was trapped.

”You’ll be our guest,” Rani said. “Until we can get more information from you, enough to put you on trial for your crimes.”

”What information do you need to get out of me?” Corva asked.

”You’re not the first animal I’ve dealt with who saw themselves as above the Circle of Life. And the ones I’ve dealt with are normally more of a threat than they first appear. Call it an intuition if you will.”

Rani then got closer up in Corva’s face. Not to attack, but for something else..

”And my intuition says that I see this as an opportunity to find out who exactly you are, and what you have planned. Everything, how many allies you may have, if you have any, or who you may have lead to the Tree of Life. I love Azaad as a dear friend. I love my family, my aunt, uncle, brother. I love my husband. I love this kingdom as if it were my child. I will not loose it, any of it to the likes of you or anyone who follows your messed up ways. Is that made clear?”

With the end of her speech came another roar, her claws extended forward. She made no further sudden movements with this gesture, only glares, which were added to by the Night Pride gazing upon her, Rani’s most of all filled with determination.

No more than Janna, she thought. No less than her parents.

Kion, Bunga, Beshte, Ono, and Anga went out to search for Kert-Kert. They followed his tracks and his scent that Kion had made out. Unfortunately, the trail to find him was eternal, with every new inch of road and dirt coming into view bringing and infinite amount of footprints. Eventually, by Kion's orders, Anga and Ono scanned the area, and spotted a figure running through the woods, a few miles ahead of him. They concluded that this was their target.

"We found him Kion," Anga said. "He's still in the forest and from his direction, is on his way to some desert."

"That must be the Outback," said Ono. "The Outback borders the Eucalyptus forest, the natural habitat of the emu. It's a good place where they can hide out from predators."

"And us," said Anga, who turned to Kion. "He's going to try and hide. How do we stop him?"

Kion pondered for a bit. What was the best way to catch up to him? The idea flashed in his mind like a firefly.

"The Roar!"

"The Roar?" everyone asked.

"Remember our first trip back to the Pride Lands?" Kion asked. "I used my Roar to help us get over large gaps. Maybe we can do the same and corner Kert-Kert."

"That would be UNBUNGALIEVABLE!"

"And Poa!"

"Well, at least we can all fly together now!" Ono said.

"Yup."

Ok, everyone get close," Kion told Bunga and Beshte. They did as told, huddling up next to him. Ono and Anga flew into the air behind Kion, ready to avoid the brunt of the Roar.

Kion's Mark of the Night Pride flared, his brown eyes flashing with energy as the winds came in. The clouds shifted, revealing themselves to be lions. Within the winds, Kion heard Askari's voice.

"Stay calm.... stay focused... and Roar."

ROAR!!!!!!!!

Straight to the ground, Kion roared, causing the winds to circle underneath him, forming a giant twister that ascended into the sky. Kion continued to roar to keep the twister up. The Guard marveled as the young lion had made them over. With precision, he guided the twister in the direction of the Eucalyptus forest, with Ono and Anga to lead them, passing by several animals on the way.

"Who are they??" asked one peahen to another.

"I dunno, but they scare me!" said the peahen.

"WEEEE!!!!!!" Bunga cheered. His exclaims were met with a bug getting caught in his teeth, to which he picked out and snacked on. 

"I LOVE FLYING!" he yelled. "You guys are so lucky you get to do this shit every day!"

"No arguments here," Anga chuckled.

The twister continued to blaze throughout the kingdom, fortunately not harming anything in its path thanks to Kion's focus. He could feel himself getting tired, his lungs burning red like magma, and sweat flooding his face; Yet he wasn't ready to give up. He could see that they were getting close. 

And then he started coughing.

As he coughed, the twister faltered and the Guard could feel themselves descent, but Kion would always bring them back up with the Roar; Repeat at least twice, and then the Guard notices.

"Kion, you okay?" Beshte asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kion said between his labored hacks. "How much farther Anga?"

Anga homed in on the terrain. The glare of the hot sun above the dry desert was no match for the martial eagle's powerful vision, cutting the glare down like a hot knife through soft butter.There was a patch of greenery amongst the red of the outback that was growing closer and closer with each passing minute.

"Ok good-UUUGHCCARKGGG"

Kion's hacking grew more and more chesty, as he struggled to keep himself and the others in the air. 

"Kion! That's too much!" Beshte exclaimed.

"You're not gonna make it!" Ono squaked. 

"You need to stop Kion!" Anga protested.

"I..... can.... do.... this...." Kion growled.

Bunga, most horrified by Kion's overexertion, said something that shocked everyone.

"Kion... I never thought I'd say this, but STOP ROARING!!! NOW!!!!"

That seemed to snap Kion out of it. The twister suddenly disappeared, putting Kion, Bunga, and Beshte into a free-fall. Thinking quickly, Kion once again used the Roar to summon a twister, albeit a smaller one, one that was strong enough to cushion what would've been a mortal fall. Kion could barely stand on his own four paws, his vision was incredibly blurry, and his eyes were unfocused. This wasn't the first time he had to use the Roar for a prolonged amount of time, but this was the longest he had ever done it without stopping completely.

"Kion are you okay?!" Bunga asked, holding him by the shoulders.

"I'm fine Bunga... I'm.... I'm fine..." Kion wearily replied. Nobody believed him though. They looked at him with pity and concern, fearing that what happened to Fuli would happen to him too.

"Beshte, do you think you can carry Kion on your back while we make the rest of the trek?" Bunga asked.

"Sure can, Li'l B," said Beshte. The hippo used his upper snout to hoist the young lion onto his back. There, the King was able to lie on his own back, and take some breathers.

"Thank you Beshte," he said between his pants. "I'm..... I'm sorry...."

"Don't mention it. Just try and get some rest. We'll wake you up when we get there."

"Alright," said Kion as he drifted off to sleep. Bunga hopped on top of Beshte and sat next to Kion. 

"Just can't seem to catch a break today, can we?"

"A few steps at a time Li'l B," Beshte informed the honey badger. "Just a few steps at a time."

From then on, the Guard had made their journey to the forest to find Kert-Kert. Anga flew above Beshte to provide him shade, leading the way alongside Ono. One way or another, they'd resolve this madness. It was only a matter of when... and how.

At the Tree of Life, the animals were returning to their habitats, still unsettled by the news they received hours ago from the royal family. Bhediya and Shulk amongst them stayed at the Tree even after all the animals were long gone. This was something they couldn't wrap their heads around no matter how many times they tried to, and the more they thought about it, the harder it was to take their mind off of it.

"Why would Kert-Kert do something like this?" pondered the wolf. "Does he not understand that it's just a race?"

"It's not just a race" gruffed the rhino. "It's a race for an honorary position. But the way he's trying to earn it is anything but!"

"Exactly!" said Bhediya. "I hope the Lion Guard is able to stop him."

"I hope so too... I only wish something like this would've happened after I won the race."

"What do you mean after?!" Bhediya asked in surprise. 

"So that as their honorary member, I would've been able to help them. To serve them, and my kingdom, like an oxpecker helps a rhino," Shulk sighed. "At least... like mine did before Makucha arrived."

The wolf never realized this, but upon hearing it, couldn't get her eyes off of the rhino's back. No tickbird on it. Noticeably no ticks on it either, but still, it was unlike what she had seen with the other rhinos at the Tree of Life. She began to realize what he had meant by that. The memories blazed in the ungulate's mind of Makucha's army attacking at the break of dawn, animals stampeding throughout the savannah, Shulk getting separated from his tickbird friend, and the blind fear and rage as he charged at the attackers in self defense - not at the time realizing that his tickbird was in the middle of his path and couldn't have anticipated, nor get out of the way in time to be spared of the rhino's crushing hooves...

"I thought that by earning the Mark and helping the Guard, I'd be able to help the community... help them like I failed to help poor Saaph."

The rhino then sighed. "But I guess things don't work out, do they?"

"Who says they can't?" said Bhediya. "The Lion Guard were strangers at first, but they helped the Night Pride defend the Tree of Life. They did that without their Markings. What's a reason for us not to in these times? Just because we couldn't finish a race?"

Shulk tried to come up with an argument, but couldn't. It was true and he knew it.

"We already help the community by doing our parts in the Circle of Life. You keep eat the grass and keep it short for the small animals. I hunt those who hunt the grass so that there's still some around. I think we should step in."

"What's in it for you?" asked Shulk. "Why do you want to help them? Since we're already doing our 'parts in the Circle of Life' how come you said yes to being in the running?"

"Because if it wasn't for the Lion Guard, Mama Binturong and her porcupines would've stripped my entire woods of our Lavender, stealing it all for themselves. Nothing would've been left for my prey to eat. And nothing would've been left of my prey had Makucha and his soldiers had their way. If it wasn't for Fuli and her speed, the Guard and Night Pride wouldn't have been able to ambush and drive out the intruders. We almost lost everything."

Now it was Shulk who had now walked in the prints of his fellow beast. She continued.

"I feel like I owe it to Fuli to pay back the good she's done for us, and to continue it. This race would've been my opportunity to do that."

"Well who says you can't just because you couldn't finish a race?" Shulk teased. The wolf laughed.

"For a snooty rhinocerous, you make a great opponent, and an even better aquaintance."

"And you aren't as inferior as I thought. We could work together."

"No opposition, arguments, or objections from my end."

"Good."

There was now the question of how they were going to join the Lion Guard in the search for Kert-Kert. Luckily, Bhehidya had a plan, one that took her into the woods. In the temperate forest at this time of year, it was the summertime - hot in the day, cold in the night. As such, Bhehdiya, as for the rest of her pack and the wolves in this forest, had thin fur coats for the summer, nowhere near as thick and furry as it would be for the winter. It also made her harder to spot by unsuspecting prey amongst the vegetation. But not to one with a bird's eye view.

"Padosi! (Neighbor!)" a raven cried from above. 

"Neighbor!" Bhediya yipped.

The brown eyed overweight corvid flapped down from a tree and perched on the wolf's head, ruffling her feathers on her ears.

"You're so fluffy as ever!!!!" said the raven. "I heard about what happened, and I'm so sorry you weren't able to complete the race today! You would've won, I know it!"

"Thank you Dayaaluu," thanked Bhediya. "But we've issues in relation to today's incident which we'll need your help on."

"What is it?"

"My friend and I want to help the Lion Guard find Kert-Kert. With Fuli gone, they've been struggling, which is why they held the race in the first place. I feel like they'll still need our help regardless. You think you can help us in the search?"

"I'd be glad to. I'm not gonna let that emo or whatever he's called, and his buddies bring shame to the Raven name!"

"With your enthusiasm, I'd say mission already accomplished mad'am," said Shulk.

With that, Dayaaluu and Bhediya had gathered and joined their forces; A pack of wolves and a flock of ravens. Partners and co-hunters in the forest, they'd make yet another alliance, tagged along by their rhinocerous ally. Guided by the ravens' sense of direction, they set their course for their destination; The Eucalytpus forest

"Oh, I forgot, we need a catchphrase like the Night Pride and the Guard!" said Daya.

"Do we need one?" Shulk groaned.

"It's not hurting anyone!" Bhediya spoke. "In fact, I think I have a good prompt for it. With strength and respect... Jindagees, protect!"

"That actually sounds good!" said one of the wolves. "Let's all try it!"

"With strength and respect, Jindagees protect!"

They began a quest of their own, ready to follow in the Lion Guard's footsteps to help the Circle of Life. But not without some lightness along the way.

"Hey, Shulk. Race you to the Eucalyptus forest!" said Bhedya.

"Even after seeing my charge, you'd still foolishly challenge me!" the rhino guffawed. "On your mark, get set, go!"

They then began their race. Their race, to the rescue!

—

To be continued….

Chapter Text

Chapter 18: The Race to Replace

Part Three: The Home Stretch

As far as his legs could take him, keeping his eyes shut to avert the sight of tears streaming down his face, Kert-Kert ran deep into the forest, turning his head from every animal that he saw.. or rather making sure they didn't see him. An upstart for an honorable race, now a fugitive from the law, his judgement to be determined by a group of teenagers. All because he trusted that stupid raven and her motely team.

He went in this to win. Now, he lost. And he would lose so much more. And it was all HER fault. 

Coward

Like a bomb, that echoing word in his mind ticked. And it did some more. But he wasn't a coward. It was common sense to run rather than face humiliating defeat.

Loser.

The race was likely canceled. It wasn’t a loss, was it?

You ain’t infallible. You can fail. And you will fail. There’ll always be somebody greater.

"NO!"

Kert placed his head into and quickly out of the water to drown out his thoughts. It wasn’t his failure. He wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t his fault.

It was that cunning raven's. The more he thought of her, the more pleased he was in knowing that she was captured. But that wasn’t enough to compensate her for what he's going through now. And there's no doubt that she'd spill the beans about her and Kert-Kert's arrangement.

Finally a puzzle piece went into place. And slowly the emu grinned wickedly, realizing the one last chance he had.

If he couldn't win the race, he'd win a fight. And if he'd lose the fight, he'd win the war. And he couldn't have a war without soldiers. Soldiers who are just as ambitious as him, and would want him to win, unlike the ravens who fooled him. He knew just where to find those, and with those, he knew victory was finally within in his grasp.

"Time to show that fuckwit what happens when you piss off emus," he said with the venom of a perentie dripping from his voice, whilst chuckling evilly.

He would not lose this time…

The Lion Guard reached the great Outback, home to millions of animals that they never even knew existed. Under normal circumstances, this trip would be exciting to say the least, but as it stood…. It would be difficult. 

“Anga? You still see the forest?” Bunga called out to the Keenest of Sight.

”Yup! Just keep heading east!” Anga told Bunga.

”Alright, let’s go.”

Beshte still carried Kion on his back. The young lion had dozed off, very exhausted from Roaring. Anga flew above Beshte, providing shade, while Ono flew low near the ground. 

“I hope Kion gets better soon,” Ono worryingly said to Bunga. “We’ll need him at full strength if we’re going to face Kert-Kert.”

Bunga didn’t respond, he just kept going in front of Ono, heading eastward. Ono was insightful enough to realize something was amiss.

”You’re still worried about Kion, aren’t you?” Ono asked. "I am too."

”Yeah,” Bunga answered. “I’m not just worried about him, I’m worried about how he won’t be there to lead us. How vulnerable he is at the state he’s in. I wish there was a way to help him."

"HEEEEEEEELLLLP!!!!!!!"

A feminine scream shrieked through the sky. Bunga and Ono looked up and saw a lizard falling straight through the clouds. Anga tried to grab her with her talons, but missed. Thinking quickly, Bunga used Beshte's snout as leverage to jump high and grab the lizard in mid-air, shielding her fall.

"Gotcha!"

The lizard's trembling in fear was enough of a sign for Bunga to read the room and put her down. When she realized she was on solid ground, her trembling ceased.

"You okay?"

"I... I am now" said the lizard. The Guard took a good look at the lizard and their concern mixed in with curiosity. The lizard had several spines and horns on her body, akin to thorns on a bush. all jagged in different directions, with two horns above her eyes. This was definitely not an animal they've ever seen in the Pride Lands.

"How'd you fall out of the sky?" Beshte asked.

"I was innocently drinking when a wedge tailed eagle decided that I was gonna be it's next meal. But then some other birdies had the idea, and weren't willing to play nice. Fucksticks seem to notice that they weren't carrying me. I'd say you walked here at the right time."

"That's kinda our thing," said Bunga. "Well.. most of the time!"

"Where were you drinking?" Anga asked. "We could take a pit stop to get our friend some water."

"Oh..." The lizard said awkwardly. "I... don't think you'll be able to get the water I was drinking."

"Don't some desert animals get water from the plants they eat?" Bunga asked, remembering the jerboa that he and his friends met in the desert.

"You're not wrong there mate," the lizard said. "But some of us.... I think it's easier if I show you. Watch closely."

Ono, Anga, and Bunga sat on the ground. Beshte crouched down carefully, still carrying Kion on his back.

Then, the lizard did something extraordinary.

Within specialized grooves on her scaly body, water that had built up between her scales trickled upon her back, moving closer and closer to her lips until it entered her mouth, slurping it up like a straw.

"What... was that?" Anga asked in disbelief.

”How I drink,” said the lizard. “Pity you guys if you don’t drink like this.”

”You’re a thorny devil right?” Ono asked. “I suspected that from the scales.”

”You got that right,” said the thorny devil. “I’d be one dried out devil if it weren’t for these babies.”

“Can you teach us how to do that?” Bunga asked excitedly. “Kion would be so psyched!”

”Uhm… wish I could but… it’s easier said than done,” said the devil. “But if it’s water you want, you can find a good cactus. They’ve plenty of water in them. Just find a stem, break it off, and drink to your heart’s content!” 

“That sounds like a great idea,” Ono said. “Usually if water isn’t on plants, it’s in them. Common knowledge, really.”

”I saw a cactus a few miles in the direction we’re headed,” Anga said. “Perfect place for a pit stop. Thanks for the help errr..”

”Della,” said the thorny devil. “Call me Della.”

”Bye Della!” Beshte said.

”See ya around Lion Guard!” said Della. “Oh, and one more thing. You better be careful. That’s The Boomer’s territory. You don’t wanna be around when he is.”

”Boomer?” Ono asked. “That sounds familiar..”

”So? The Lion Guard can handle a few booms! You always put up with mine!” Bunga laughed.

”Alright then!” Della said. “See ya around!”

Della walked off into the distance, leaving the Lion Guard to their endeavors of finding some water to give to Kion. Bunga’s worries started to ease now that he had a way of helping his friend. Ono’s on the other hand, only grew. What was this ‘Boomer’ that the thorny devil warned them about? What is a Boomer? And why did he recognize it…? Either way, he prayed they wouldn’t find out.

At the Tree of Life, the Night Pride continued to interrogate the captive Corva for any information that would’ve helped them.

”I’ll ask this again. What were you willing to gain from your alliance with Kert-Kert?” Rani asked.

”I’ll tell you again,” Corva answered. “I am not telling you anything!”

”Tell us or else-“

”Or else what?” The raven interjected. “If you kill me, you’d never get whatever you’d want from me!”

”Who said anything about killing?” Rani asked.

”Well, it just seems to run in the family for you,” the raven said calmly with a bright smile on her face.

Everyone in the room stared directly at Corva for her accusation. Makini put her hand over in mouth, horrified at what she heard. Nirmala backed away in denial. Surak and Baliyo glared, the latter of whom bared his claws. Rani simply walked towards Corva and stared her dead in the eye again.

”Repeat what you just said,” she demanded coldly.

”You heard what I said, your majesty” Corva told the Queen. 

Rani lifted her paw, intent on teaching the bird a lesson about badmouthing her family, but at the last second, Surak stopped her, clamping her forearm in his jaws lightly. He then placed himself in between his niece and the criminal.

”Don’t, Rani,” said the elder Prince. “That’s just what she wants.”

Knowing her uncle’s good intentions, but still in a huff, she ran outside of the cave. This left the son of Queen Janna to take the floor.

”Know very well that you are facing the judgement of the royal family of the Tree of Life,” Surak informed. “You will treat us, above all else the Queen was such.”

”Yes your highness,” Corva said whilst bowing. “I shall never make another comment about the deceased, as truthful as it may be.” A smirk went over the bird’s face.

Surak quietly cursed himself for having stopped Rani from beating up the Corvid, but nonetheless, the conversation was finished, or rather to be put off until later. The rest of the Night Pride went outside to find and console Rani, who they found a few minutes later by the Lake of Reflection. They knew what was on her mind, because it was on their minds as well.

”Rani, I don’t know what compelled her to say that, but regardless, we’re here for you. We’re not going to let her get away with this,” Surak promised.

”Your uncle is right,” Nirmala said. “You know the truth in your heart. Nothing can change that.”

”We’re here for you sis. Don’t listen to what that jerk says,” advised Baliyo.

”Thank you,” Rani said through her sniffled sobs. “I just….. I already don’t like being reminded of what happened to them. But hearing such awful things about them, from someone who has no idea what we went through-“ —Rani punched the water, ignoring her ripped reflection or now-wet-muzzle— “it makes me sick.”

Baliyo fought the urge to cry. He remembered what his grandmother told him on her deathbed. To stay strong for his sister. He turned around to face her.

”Mātā, Pitā, Nani, and Bābā may be gone, but you’ve still got family here with us. We would die for you. Jindagee looks up, not just to you, but to us. And nothing will change that.”

Rani sniffled and wiped the tears and snot from her face, looking at her blue-eyed brother with a twinge of a smile.

”You can do this, I’ll be right by your side.”

”Night Pride together?” asked Rani, still teary-eyed.

“Yeah, sis,” Baliyo replied. “Night Pride together.”

The family went into a group hug with Rani in the middle. Rani felt both the pain and love that was within her family, and it eased her troubles, even if it didn’t take them away. When the hug ended, Rani composed herself to speak.

”Since Corva won’t give us any answers, we’ll put the interrogation on hold. Whilst she’s trapped at the Tree of Life, we can help Kion and the Lion Guard locate Kert-Kert.”

”I’ll send for Ullu to locate the Lion Guard and Kert-Kert,” Nirmala said.

“Rani and I can scan ahead in Kert-Kert’s territory,” Surak said.

”And I’ll head back to the Tree of Life!” said Baliyo, not wasting a second to head to the tree. Rani held him up with a question.

”What will you do there?” 

Baliyo stopped in his tracks, stuttering and tripping over his words before giving a conclusion.

”Uhm… Makini!” he spoke. “I need to alert Makini that the interrogation is called off and to return to her tree until further notice.”

”Good idea!” the Queen complimented her little brother. “You can meet up with us soon!”

”Ok, I will!” Baliyo said as he was running off. Whilst the rest of the Night Pride went into their positions, Baliyo fixated his eyes on the Tree of Life, more specifically, who was waiting inside for him.

”After I meet up with her,” he said with his claws fully extended.

The Lion Guard had reached the cactus that the thorny devil had lead them to. The cactus filled with water that could help Kion. The area around them was grassy and filled with short stubby plants, grasses, and shrubs. It reminded them of the grazing grounds back at the Pride Lands, but much different nonetheless. Being thick skinned and mostly impervious to the thorns, Bunga was able to rip a very large stem off. Climbing onto Beshte, he shook Kion awake. Kion opened his eyes and saw the cactus in Bunga’s hand. Bunga explained to Kion what this was, and so Kion happily drank the water from the crushed stem. It felt like a breath of fresh air, ironic wasn’t it? When he was done, he slowly got back to his paws on the ground. As he did, a low rumbling noise was heard. At first everyone for a moment thought Kion made the noise but it kept going on.

“Sounds like we’re getting a thunderstorm,” Bunga said. He looked up and there was not a cloud in the sky. “Or… not?”

Everyone looked around to see where the rumbling was coming from. Was it an earthquake? A stampede? A hungry animal's stomach?

Anga flew up to look. Approaching the Lion Guard's location quickly was a stampede of animals. Because of their speed and high numbers, there was too much dust for her to properly make out what or who was approaching them. But she reported back to the Guard.

"A stampede of animals!" she told the group. "I couldn't see through all the dust, but they seemed to be tall, have big ears and feet and I think some of them were red... or blue?"

"Red and blue animals with big ears and feet?" Kion asked.

"And tall too?" replied Bunga. "Suddenly the Zimwi sounds more believeable."

Ono couldn't disagree anymore after taking a few seconds to think though the info Anga reported.

"HAPANA!" he squawked. "Boomer!"

"Is that what you call the noise these animals are making?" Bunga asked. "Cause it's pretty damn appropriate."

"No-wait-yes-wait," Ono trimped and stumbled over his words before dropping his intel. "Those animals approaching us, I think I know what they are. And I think I know what a Boomer is. Itt's the name given for the animal that leads whoever's approaching us!"

"Who is approaching us?" Kion inquired.

Just as Ono was about to answer, suddenly the stampeding dust cloud rocketed closer towards the Lion Guard. The dust settled revealing the stampeding herd and the animals within it; Large mammals with tall rabbit-like ears, long tails, and muscular arms and claws. And just like Anga said, many of them were red, and many of them were blue. And the Guard was right in the path of their stampede.

"KANGAROOS!!!"

In a fraction of a second, the Guard ducked out of the kangaroos’ path, avoiding a painful crash. When they were in the clear, Ono took the time to explain the situation.

”Those animals are red kangaroos! They only live in the open plans and grasslands and they’re really big!”

”Red kangaroos?” Bunga asked. “But I see some that are blue!”

“They’re called red kangaroos, but not all of them are red. The males are red, but female red kangaroos are blue. But all of them are incredibly territorial.”

”Then we should probably leave them be,” advised Beshte. “It’s bad enough we almost got flattened by them.”

With no objections or hesitations, the Lion Guard began to walk away, but were stopped by a growling noise. They turned to see the kangaroos parting ways to make room for a very large elderly male red kangaroo. He had several bruises and scratch marks on his face, arms, and jaw. On his belly and tail he had bite marks from what looked like a canid. The same applied to his ears, only far more visible. His right ear had a small bite out of it, but not too large. Meanwhile his left ear was bent. It looked the least traumatized out of all of his form. His angry brown eyes struck the fear of God into Anga, Beshte, Ono, and Kion, but not Bunga. He was more curious as to what on earth could’ve happened to this guy, if anything.

The Lion Guard had reached the cactus that the thorny devil had lead them to. The cactus filled with water that could help Kion. The area around them was grassy and filled with short stubby plants, grasses, and shrubs. It reminded them of the grazing grounds back at the Pride Lands, but much different nonetheless. Being thick skinned and mostly impervious to the thorns, Bunga was able to rip a very large stem off. Climbing onto Beshte, he shook Kion awake. Kion opened his eyes and saw the cactus in Bunga’s hand. Bunga explained to Kion what this was, and so Kion happily drank the water from the crushed stem. It felt like a breath of fresh air, ironic wasn’t it? When he was done, he slowly got back to his paws on the ground. As he did, a low rumbling noise was heard. At first everyone for a moment thought Kion made the noise but it kept going on.

“Sounds like we’re getting a thunderstorm,” Bunga said. He looked up and there was not a cloud in the sky. “Or… not?”

Everyone looked around to see where the rumbling was coming from. Was it an earthquake? A stampede? A hungry animal's stomach?

Anga flew up to look. Approaching the Lion Guard's location quickly was a stampede of animals. Because of their speed and high numbers, there was too much dust for her to properly make out what or who was approaching them. But she reported back to the Guard.

"A stampede of animals!" she told the group. "I couldn't see through all the dust, but they seemed to be tall, have big ears and feet and I think some of them were red... or blue?"

"Red and blue animals with big ears and feet?" Kion asked.

"And tall too?" replied Bunga. "Suddenly the Zimwi sounds more believeable."

Ono couldn't disagree anymore after taking a few seconds to think though the info Anga reported.

"HAPANA!" he squawked. "Boomer!"

"Is that what you call the noise these animals are making?" Bunga asked. "Cause it's pretty damn appropriate."

"No-wait-yes-wait," Ono trimped and stumbled over his words before dropping his intel. "Those animals approaching us, I think I know what they are.”

"Who is approaching us?" Kion inquired.

Just as Ono was about to answer, suddenly the stampeding dust cloud rocketed closer towards the Lion Guard. The dust settled revealing the stampeding herd and the animals within it; Large mammals with tall rabbit-like ears, long tails, and muscular arms and claws. And just like Anga said, many of them were red, and many of them were blue. And the Guard was right in the path of their stampede.

"KANGAROOS!!!"

In a fraction of a second, the Guard ducked out of the kangaroos’ path, avoiding a painful crash. When they were in the clear, Ono took the time to explain the situation.

”Those animals are red kangaroos! They only live in the open plans and grasslands and they’re really big!”

”Red kangaroos?” Bunga asked. “But I see some that are blue!”

“They’re called red kangaroos, but not all of them are red. The males are red, but female red kangaroos are blue. But all of them are incredibly territorial.”

”Then we should probably leave them be,” advised Beshte. “It’s bad enough we almost got flattened by them.”

With no objections or hesitations, the Lion Guard began to walk away, but were stopped by a growling noise. They turned to see the kangaroos parting ways to make room for a very large elderly male red kangaroo. He had several bruises and scratch marks on his face, arms, and jaw. On his belly and tail he had bite marks from what looked like a canid. The same applied to his ears, only far more visible. His right ear had a small bite out of it, but not too large. Meanwhile his left ear was bent. It looked the least traumatized out of all of his form. His angry brown eyes struck the fear of God into Anga, Beshte, Ono, and Kion, but not Bunga. He was more curious as to what on earth could’ve happened to this guy. 

“Which one of you drank from my cactus?!” The Roo angrily asked.

Kion humbly stepped forward. In spite of his fear, he recognized this animal as his subject, and was willing to treat him as such.

”I did,” he spoke.

Just then, Bunga interjected, as usual.

”Technically it didn’t have your name on it.”

Kion glared at Bunga, then turned around to see the Roo glaring at him.

”This is area of the Outback is my turf over here. My turf. My plants. My cactus, my water! Not. Yours.”

The Roo snorted right in Kion’s face. His muscles ripped all over his body, and his giant foot stomped on the ground. Out of the corner of the King’s eye, the young lion saw a large claw… or toenail… —whatever it was it was sharp as fuck— on the kangaroo’s foot. Kion had heard stories from his dad about ruling the kingdom - Of certain subjects that frightened him because of how powerful they were. And now Kion understood that perfectly. This beast could kill him if he wanted to or if he was given any reason… if any at all. Realizing the power dynamic himself, the Roo stepped back from Kion, remaining firm in his directness.

”You animals are new here ain’tcha?” said the Roo. “I’m the Boomer of this mob. Around these parts, they respect me.”

“Wait, your name is ‘the Boomer?’” Bunga asked. “Did your parents name you that?”

“No,” Ono corrected. “‘Boomer’ is what you call the leader of a mob of kangaroos.”

”Exactly,” said the Boomer. “I am the reddest red kangaroo around. And what I say goes.”

Still nervous, Kion gathered his friends and they began to walk away. They were put to a halt by a group of Roos forming a wall to stop them. Each direction they took to try and get around, another kangaroo blocked it. Boomer hopped in front of Kion, crossing his arms. “Where do you think you’re going?”

”With all due respect, sir,” Kion said, once again addressing his subjects. “I am the King Kion of the Tree of Life. I rule these lands alongside Queen Rani, and I protect them with the help of my Lion Guard, which you see before me. We didn’t mean to intrude upon your territory and we’re really sorry, but we aren’t looking for a fight. We’re looking for a fugitive emu known as Kert-Kert. We ask that you get out of our way so we can continue the search to bring him to justice.”

”Roos don’t take orders from anybody,” said the Boomer. “You may be King, but I’m in charge from where I’m standing.”

”But-“

”No buts! You and your lot walk right back to where you came from. I’m never nice twice.”

”If you force us out, the Queen will be told,” Kion warned.

”The Queen already knows I don’t give a bloody shit about her, so don’t even bother. And now you know that I feel just the same towards you.”

Kion gasped, hearing such an insult be hurled at his wife, and him. This animal meant business, but what could he do? He was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. If he tried to resist the Boomer’s demand, he’d likely start a fight. One that he could win with the Roar of the Elders, but he didn’t want to use violence to settle simple territorial disputes. After the incident where he roared at Baliyo, he has felt uneasy with the idea. But the longer he stayed here, the more and more Kert-Kert would get away. Something had to be done.

Bunga knew this too, which is why he did what he did best. Popping up and diving into the situation.

”Listen here ya big red kangaroo-roo!” he said, getting in between the Roo and his friend. “Kion wasn’t the one who took the cactus, I did, to give him water, which we need so we can catch a fugitive that ran through your 'part of the desert!' Whatever beef you’ve got, it’s not with him, it’s with me! But let my friends go!”

Everyone, including the Guard themselves, were filled with shock at hearing Bunga challenge the authority of such a behemoth of a creature. Said behemoth laughed.

”So you dare challenge the Boomer?” huffed the mammoth marsupial.

”I don’t just dare. I demand.” the honey badger snapped back. “Let them pass or else I’ll make you let them.”

The Boomer bent over so that he could reach eye level with his opponent. “I accept the challenge.”

The Boomer then stood back up, towering over the mustelid to show his size, strength, and confidence, before scratching his chest. 

"You got an itch there buddy?" Bunga asked.

"No," Ono said. "He's getting ready to fight you."

"You made a big mistake doing that," the Boomer said. 

"Well technically I never said I was gonna fight you. I just told you to let my friends go. Turns out those big ears aren't exactly useful!"

"Bunga, you don't have to do this!" Kion worryingly told Bunga.

"I'm not gonna let you guys get pushed around by this guy!" Bunga yelled back at Kion. He then looked back up at the Boomer.

"You're sure you wanna fight?" Bunga asked. "Last chance to do this the easy way."

"The easy way would be you lot turning back around," replied the Boomer.

"Okay fine. Here's my deal. If I win the challenge, and you give up, you let us through. If you win, and I give up, we go. Deal?"

"Deal."

The honey badger and kangaroo shook paws. Kion rushed in to stop Bunga, but the kangaroos held him back.

"Rule number one of kangaroo kickboxing," said the blue roo that held Kion. "No interference in fights. Rule number two, there is no rule number two."

The animals circled around the two dueling animals. The fight had just begun.

(DING)

Bunga charged at the Boomer, who immediately leaned on his tail for balance, and sprung forward like a rocket, kicking his legs in Bunga's direction. The ratel's quick reflexes had dodged what would've been a very damaging blow. Quickly, Bunga grabbed some dirt and dust from the rocky hot floor, and slapped his opponent right in the face, hitting him in the eye. The Boomer scratched his eyes in pain, whilst Bunga took the few seconds of freedom he had, looking around to find a weak spot. He noticed the tail that the roo had used as a kickstand and got an idea. He slid over to the tail and started scratching, biting, and punching at it. If the roo lost his balance, he'd fall over, and Bunga would make him tap out. As he was attacking the tail, he felt it jostle around, and soon, the Boomer turned around sharply, knocking Bunga off. Bunga came to his feet dazed, and then felt dirt enter his eyes. Now it was his turn.

"Karma's a bitch, innit?" Boomer mocked.

"Funny, I didn't know your name was Karma?" Bunga laughed back. The other kangaroos and even Kion laughed at that little wisecrack. Bunga saw Boomer's nostrils flare up in anger and smiled.

"Not too late to tap out, just saying."

Boomer's response was to punch Bunga clear in the nose. It wasn't enough to bleed, but boy did it hurt.

"Motherfucker!" he screamed with his face over his snout.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Boomer rudely asked.

"Never had one!, Boomer," Bunga shrugged.

"Damn," Beshte muttered under his breath. 

Shouting with fury, Bunga charged towards Boomer again, this time dealing in a bite on one of his hind legs. When the Boomer tried to do his signature kickbox, Bunga clamped his teeth tight on the leg, scratching and breaking the skin as he was jostled around. He finally lost his grip and fell to the ground with a skid. The roo carefully licked his wound. It wasn't that deep but it stung. Bunga spat out the blood from his mouth and watched his opponent. That one moment of vulnerability was enough to make him once again, offer a chance to end the fight quickly.

"Sorry about that," he said. "But I really think if you tap out and let us go, we can-"

"SHUT UP!"

The Boomer kicked again at Bunga, who dodged the hit. But before he could react again, the roo kicked towards Bunga again. Bunga was quick enough to put his hands over his head to protect his skull, but he didn't get out of the way, and was sent flying straight to Beshte's feet.

"BUNGA!" the Guard yelled aloud. They angrily glared back at the Boomer.

"That was my super powerful signature move," boasted the Boomer. "My Double-Kangaroo-Kick."

As the kangaroos started cheering, Bunga started stirring. If his nose wasn't bleeding before, it sure was now. 

"You okay li'l B?" Beshte asked.

"You could've broken a bone! You have to call this off!" Ono said.

"Bunga?" Kion said.

Bunga got up. He flayed his arms around. Ouch. He definitely bruised something. He looked up at the Kangaroo who was looking straight at him, clenching his fists. He wasn't finished yet.

Bunga looked back at Kion. He was expecting concern, denial, or some advice to talk him down. But he had a serious look on his face.

"Kick his ass, Bunga."

Bunga gave Kion a fierce smile and nodded. "Bear witness."

Wiping the blood off his face, Bunga went back up to challenge the Boomer.

"I warned you Roo-Roo," Bunga growled. "But I guess you gave me no choice."

Bunga went on all fours and turned his backside in the direction of the Boomer. The kangaroos were so confused, they didn't even notice the rest of the Guard covering their noses. Bunga then clenched his muscles and performed his signature move. The Kangaroos all flopped to the ground, incapacitated by the horrible smell. All of them except the resillient Boomer, much to Bunga's surprise.

"You think I haven't smelt worse?" 

"I was kinda hopin' you haven't." Bunga said. 

The Roo threw another punch at Bunga, but he blocked it. His footwork was quick which allowed him to practically fly past his opponent's punches and kicks. Though his dodges were working, the ratel started to get worried. Even his secret weapon wasn't effective. What would work!

Wait, Bunga thought to himself. Maybe his nose may not be that sensitive, but what about his ears?

Worth a try.

"Zuka Zama!"

Bunga bounced off the cactus onto the kangaroo's head. Grabbing onto and pulling his long, rabbit-like ears, he put his mouth straight near the canal and screamed at the top of his lungs at a high pitch. The Lion Guard went from covering their nose to covering their ears as Bunga squealed and screeched as loud as he could into the old marsupial's ears, until they were practically ringing. Finally, Boomer threw Bunga off and clenched onto his head, which was practically throbbing from the pain of the sharp loud noise.

"Fuck, ow.... okay, okay stop."

"So you give up?" Bunga asked.

"Yes, yes, I give, just stay the hell away from us! Ugh! Bloody hell!"

As the kangaroos were writhing in discomfort, either at the smell, the loud noise, or both. Bunga went back to his friends. Even with Bunga's awful smell and his new secret weapon that he just randomly discovered, they were still happy he won and he earned them access to pass through.

"How are you feeling now?" Beshte asked.

"My arms still kinda hurt and fighting is super exhausting, but I think I'll be alright," Bunga replied.

"Good, that was really scary," Ono told Bunga. "Those kicks can break ribs!"

"Well, I wasn't scared!" Bunga sneered. "He's gonna have to find another set of ribs to break. Anyways, let's go find that big bird!"

The Guard left, continuing through the Boomer's territory. As the kangaroos slowly recovered from the shock of Bunga's stink and scream, they all looked at the Boomer himself, who in turn, was looking at Bunga and his friends. Rarely has he ever faced an opponent who wwas not only brave enough to fight him, but also best him. He was frustrated for losing, sure, but also amazed, astounded, surprised, all in one. His opinion of the honey badger had changed that very moment, and by extension, his friends.

"There goes The Lion Guard," he said. completely stunned. 

As the Guard went on, Bunga walked behind, slower than the others. He took an occassional glance at the kangaroos behind him, and then at his friends in front of him. Kion detected the awful smell to be fading, and sensed that Bunga was getting behind. The young lion walked next to his best friend to talk.

"Be honest with me Bunga," asked Kion. "Were you really scared?"

"Right outta my skin," Bunga responded. 

"On a scale of 1-10?"

"Eh, probably 12."

They both laughed. 

"Listen, that may have been the stupidest thing I've ever seen you do, but also the bravest."

"Well, I couldn't let that guy push you around. We needed to get to Kert-Kert to stop him. I admit I may have cost us some time, but, I was trying to stand up for you guys. I hope you can understand."

"I do," said Kion, pulling Bunga into a hug. "Just don't get yourself killed trying to do so."

"No promises!" Bunga teased.

The two of them laughed as they followed their friends on the path to the Eucalyptus forest.

Baliyo was surprised that his plan worked as well as it did. Step one: Give his family a cover story to get them way from him. Step two: Get Makini away from the Tree of Life. She seemed to believe him without a doubt. On one hand, he was glad he did. But on the other hand, he felt guilty for deceiving her. But if she knew what he was going to do, she wouldn’t have liked it nor allowed it. And he couldn’t allow that.

As soon as the mandrill left the cave, the young Prince went into the chamber. He saw that Azaad was sleeping soundly, his head turned the opposite direction. He knew that the cheetah was a very heavy sleeper, so this wouldn’t be an issue. The lion’s eyes were locked straight on Corva. The bird that was trapped in the Tree of Life. The animal who had disrespected the dead and made his sister cry. One thing that his grandfather would always tell him that he never forget.

”Lada’i” he would always say. “It means to fight. From your first breath to your last, life is a fight. You fight starvation when you eat. You fight suffocation when you breathe. You fight fatigue through sleep. You fight weakness through exercise. You fight fear for courage. You fight death by living. You fight others, not just to protect yourself, but those around you. Lada’i, Baliyo. Fight.”

And that’s what he was going to do.

”Lada‘i!” he roared. Corva woke up from her nap in a fright upon hearing the roar. When she turned around, she saw the giant carnivore leaping at her with his claws extended. With a painful thud, he pinned her on the ground hard, placing his paw upon her chest. His claws were still out and he pushed his paw down onto the bird… very hard… very painfully hard. The Prince of the Tree of Life continued growling, his sea blue eyes piercing straight through the raven’s green eyes. Every ounce of bravery the raven had suddenly flew away… if only she had a chance of doing the same.

”Never, make my sister cry again. Or I’ll make you cry loud enough for the Pride Lands to hear,” Baliyo threatened. The raven exploded in a panic, saying whatever she thought would save her own hide. And it was the last thing Baliyo expected her to say

”I’ll tell you everything, the buffalo, the tigers-t-tigress, the ravens the-the-“

As the bird began to stutter incomprehensible words, Baliyo’s heart skipped a beat. ‘The buffalo?’ ‘The tigers?’ ‘The tigress?’ In that order? With ravens now? No, no, no, no. Baliyo felt sweat run down his face, as if it came out of nowhere. The raven’s words were more and more tuned out as time slowed down for him, the same horror replaying through his mind.

….

It was night time at the Tree of Life. Midnight. The heavenly moonlight was blocked out by the smoke of the hellish fires that were lit ablaze throughout the kingdom. The darkness that covered the land was nothing compared to the darkness behind those fires. 

A streak of tigers and a large middle aged buffalo stood tall over the smoke and fire. The lone tigress out of all of them roaring viciously. In a split second, their eyes had locked in on the bushes, where two young cubs were watching them from the distance. The buffalo and tigress grinned, allowing the lion cubs to view the blood that stained their fur. It suddenly kicked in for little Baliyo.

”No… NO!!!”

…

”No!"

Baliyo snapped out of his trance back to reality. He turned down to the raven and saw red. It was high time she was put in her place with the pain she had put both him and his sister through, all in the same day. And he found a great way to do so; without killing her that is.

He turned Corva around, leaving her flat on her stomach, and used one paw to push her down to prevent escape. He jot his jaws forward and bit onto the bird’s tail feathers, ripping them out just as quickly. Corva squawked and screeched in pain and shock. Baliyo spat the feathers out and released his grip on Corva to explain.

”I know that every bird needs tail feathers to steer. If you ever escaped, (which you can’t) you wouldn’t be able to fly right. Maybe that will teach you respect my family.”

Corva hissed and heavily panted. She only hoped that the rest of her flock and Badala were coming to her rescue if this is what she’d wind up dealing with.

”And while we’re still at it, you said you’d tell me everything about the ‘buffalo, tigress, and tigers’,” Baliyo said. “What do you know about them?”

Corva froze. In an attempt to save her own hide, she may have sold out her own people. And if the whole truth had come out, then Corva and her cohorts would surely not survive the outcome. But if Corva did anything else to ire Baliyo or his family, there’d be an increasing chance that she would not make it out alive. She had to think quickly.

”I said” — Baliyo was losing more and more impatience and control with each word “what. Do. You. Know.”

Corva had to keep her cool to make her story believable. 

“Well… it’s….. about your Grandfather!”

”What?” Baliyo asked in surprise. “My grandfather?”

”Yes, yes, your grandfather; Forgive me for being the one to ask but what do you know of him?”

“He was the old King of the Tree of Life, before my father, who was the King before my brother-in-law, Kion.” Baliyo informed, before sighing sadly. “They died a long time ago when I was a cub.”

”That’s sad to hear,” Corva said. “I was a friend of your grandfather.”

”You knew him?” Baliyo asked.

”Yes, I did,” Corva answered. “My mother was in the running to become the royal advisor to the Queen and King. But she wasn’t chosen. Still, my family and I were very close to him.”

”Ok then, if you really knew him, how did he pass?” Baliyo asked. He didn’t want to ask such a question, but it was one he knew she would get wrong. There’s no way she was telling the truth, he had her where he wanted her and—

“Suicide,” she said blankly. The shocked expression on Baliyo’s face was a signal for her to say no more. She was telling the truth.

”Even though I dropped a branch on your friend, I do give my honest apologies for what happened.”

”And why should I believe you?” Baliyo angrily said, wiping his tears. “After what you said about my family?!”

”Sadly, that’s true as well. I know a lot about your family. Your grandfather, your grandmother, your parents. Your grandfather couldn’t live with the burden of burying his own son and daughter-in-law. He lost his mind and went on a rampage…taking whatever animals’ lives he saw fit before he ultimately took his own. My fallen friends were buffalos, tigresses, and tigers from beyond the Tree of Life's borders. Snatched from the world for crimes they didn't commit.”

Baliyo tried to come up with something else to say, but nothing else came out. He didn’t want to believe Corva, and surely he didn’t -- he had no idea if the animals she talked about were the same ones who he saw years ago as a cub, but she had him gobsmacked. She knew very well how to get into his head and it worked. Releasing his paw from the bird, he stepped back to breathe. Corva took some relieving breaths as well and tried to fly away, but was halted by the rope that Makini had tied onto her — that she had forgotten was even there. Great.

She landed back down on the ground and faced Baliyo, who was nothing more or less than confused. 

“So you say I should trust you?” Baliyo asked. Corva nodded her head yes.

”Then just tell me. Why did you attack Azaad? And what does that have anything to do with… whatever on earth you just told me??”

Corva opened her mouth to speak and then clutched her stomach in visible discomfort.

“Oh my, it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten,” she groaned. “Is it possible you could bring some carrion for me, your highness? Catch me something to eat? I can explain to your family everything after I’ve had a bite.”

”Uuuhm… uh sure!” Baliyo said, still a bit confused. “But after that, you start talking.”

”It’s a deal!”

Baliyo ran out of the cave in a hurry. He remembered his promise to Rani to rejoin with them, but now he had a lead on Corva. Ironic given how he only arrived at the Tree to hurt her. It didn’t matter what she said about his family. Real or fake, which it probably was for the latter, now he could still help his sister. He truly did honor his grandmother’s dying wish. She’ll be happy!

Corva was happy to, but not for the reasons Baliyo assumed. She unclenched her stomach and went back on her feet, as if her feigning hunger had never happened. Everything was now back on the right path.

”Just like your grandfather; Prone to temper, prone to temptation.”

Corva snickered, but heard a yawn from behind her, startling her. It was Azaad, who had woken up from his nap.

“What time is it?”

"Go back to bed!"

"Fine!"

Deep within the heart of the forest, Kert-Kert had found who he was looking for. More emus, large in numbers. Many of them were larger or smaller than he was. All of them however, were here for a reason.

"You all know why I brought you here?" asked Kert-Kert.

"No, even though on the way here we asked-"

"We are here," Kert-Kert continued, interrupting his the inquisitive emu, "because I've found myself threatened and needing a bit of help from my fellow ratites."

"He does know how to put the rat in 'ratite,'" murmured another emu under his breath.

Kert-Kert kicked the arrogant emu in the mouth to teach her a lesson. He continued.

"There is a raven at the Tree of Life who used me as a pawn to sabotage the race. She destroyed my victory, and she'll stop at nothing to make a mockery out of us emus. She's got the Night Pride fooled and has the Lion Guard on a wild goose chase for me and I'll be damned if I let that bird get me banished from the Tree of Life."

"What are you saying?" asked one of the birds.

"I'm saying, we show that raven what happens when you piss off an emu," Kert said with a grin. "You go to war with them."

All of the emus gasped at what their assosciate was requesting. An emu war hadn't occurred at the Tree of Life for years, since before Rani was crowned Queen. And the last war that the emus had fought in was to defend themselves against intruders who tried to occupy their territory - not out of revenge.

"We'll march forward at the Tree of Life, find that raven and get rid of her.”

”What is in it for us?”

”If I kill Corva, I’d have gotten rid of a wanted criminal. If you help me, then you’ll take part in it too. Then we’ll all get the respect we deserve.”

That didn't sound like a bad deal. Not a bad deal at all. The ratites imagined it; Them eliminating the raven that the Night Pride had captured, proving not only vindicating their friend, but bringing glory to all of them. They were doing this.

The first stage of their plan was stealth; In order to sneak past the Lion Guard and any animals on their side, they had to take the water route. It would take them to the edge of the Australian territories of Jindagee and near land, bypassing the Guard entirely. Their second plan was hiding. They knew that in broad daylight, they would easily be found. Their brownish black feathers would allow them to camoflauge deep into the forest just north of the Tree of Life where they knew nobody would find them. It would allow them to slip past enemy lines to their destination. Finally, their 3rd stage of the plan. To strike: They’d head to the Tree and take out the raven. They would make Corva pay, either through humiliation, or something far worse. 

"She'll be mine," Kert-Kert hissed.

The wolf pack and Shulk raced in the direction that the raven flock was guiding them to get to the Outback and help the Lion Guard find Kert-Kert. Each second only brought them closer and closer to their goal.

“How are you not getting tired? Shulk asked, getting tired.“Ever since we started, you haven’t stopped running!”

“Sahanashakti,” said Bhediya. “Stamina. We can run for a very long time without getting tired. It’s how we hunt.”

“You should’ve been there when I helped the pack run down that giant moose,” said Dayaaluu. “Those long legs and antlers couldn’t stop her!”

“If your idea of helping was luring the moose to us by getting her angry, and almost getting crushed by her, then I’d say you helped a lot,” teased the wolf.

“That was my plan all along!” Dayaaluu boasted. “Put myself in danger so that you’d come to the rescue and corner the wolf. And it worked!”

”Keep telling yourself that.”

Bhediya and Dayaaluu laughed but the moment was disturbed by a distress call. Something was wrong.

“We’ve spotted the Lion Guard,” said one of the flock leaders. “They’re in the Outback, very close to the Eucalyptus forest.”

“It’ll be difficult to catch up to them,” Shulk stated. “But at least Kert-Kert will have a shot at being captured.”

“Not exactly,” said one of the leaders. “We’ve spotted Kert-Kert and a mob of emus. They somehow eluded the Lion Guard by taking the water route out of the Outback. One of our birds followed them from above until they disappeared into the forest. They seemed to be in the direction of the Tree of Life.”

“Why would he be going there?” asked Bhediya. 

“And why would other emus be with him?” asked Shulk.

“I don’t know,” replied the leader. “But Azaad and the raven who was in cohorts with Kert-Kert are at the Tree. And likely the Night Pride as well.”

“Do you think that the mob might try to attack them?” Dayaaluu asked. “Or free the raven that the Night Pride trapped?”

“Whatever the reason may be,” said the pack leader, “We need to alert the Lion Guard and the Night Pride. The wolves will go with me to the Tree of Life to warn the Queen.”

“I’ll fly ahead to alert the Guard,” said Dayaaluu. 

“And if you need any firepower, I’m your rhino,” grinned Shulk.

“Ok then, let’s move!” Bhediya howled.

The team split.

~~~~~~~~

After endless searching, Baliyo had finally found a carcass. It was that of a wild hog. As far as he was concerned, there were no scavengers around, relieving him of any further effort — or guilt of potentially having taken someone else’s meal.

Reaching the Tree of Life, Baliyo encountered Corva inside the cave. Azaad had already been awake. Neither the cheetah nor raven talked to one another, if for any reason out of awkwardness of being within the same vicinity. They both smelled the carcass, with differing reactions. Corva smiled, whilst Azaad cringed.

“I got what you want,” Baliyo said whilst holding the corpse in his mouth.

“How could you want something so disgusting?” Azaad asked, holding his mouth and nose.

“Disgusting? This is amazing!”

The raven began to dig in, pecking at and swallowing the meat to her heart’s content. Azaad retched. 

“Must you eat so profusely and with such volume?” Azaad asked. “It is bad enough you attack Azaad, you mustn’t disgust him as well?”

 “There’s enough to go around,” Corvasaid with a mocking tone. “Care to join me cheetah?”

“Azaad is a specialist,” said the cheetah. “Only the most fresh of meat will be one that satisfies the appetite of a cheetah like Azaad.”

Corva shrugged. More for her then.

As she ate, Baliyo tried to get her attention. 

“Ok, you have the food. Now tell me what you know. Why did you attack Azaad?”

“Well,” Corva said. “I suppose I would tell you but… damn… now I’ve got a stomach ache!”

Corva clutched her stomach again. “There must’ve been something bad in that carcass. Fetch me something more palpable and I’ll tell you!”

Baliyo had already had slight doubts, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew that Corva was lying, and now he realized the time he wasted helping her.

“You know what? Forget it!” Baliyo growled. “I should’ve known you were just lying to get me to work for you.. for whatever reason!”

“How could that possibly be?” Corva dramatically asked. She held back her smile, enjoying the irritation of her captor. She took another bite from the carcass before Baliyo snatched it away.

“You don’t deserve this!” Baliyo yelled. “Why did I ever think that I could trust you?”

“Well I did tell you about—“

“I don’t care what messed up stuff you know about my family! You could’ve just… heard it from anyone. It’s clear that you’re just some fucked up bird that’s looking to make me and my friends and family miserable. Well I’m having none of it!”

Although Baliyo yelled, he still took it upon himself to exercise self-control. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice.

“I’m going to join up with my family, and we get back from finding Kert-Kert, we’ll deal with you.”

“And what if I tell them that you allowed yourself to be tricked by me? That you separated yourself from them just to attack me?”

Baliyo hesitated.

“So it’s true. Your family doesn’t know that you went after me! It’ll be rich telling them.”

“You can’t prove anything!” Baliyo argued.

“The truth always has a way of coming out,” Corva threatened.

Much to the raven’s surprise, the young prince smiled.

“True, but you know what doesn’t? You.”

Baliyo ran out to join up with his family. Corva wouldn’t get away with trying to divide them by telling them about his error in judgment… because he would be the one to tell them.

~~~~~~~~~~

“What?!”

The Lion Guard’s shouts echoed throughout the forest. 

“We went all this way to find Kert-Kert, only for him to escape?!?!” Kion yelled.

“Technically, he did, but we have another lead on him!” said Dayaaluu. “He and his mob were headed for the Tree of Life the last we spotted them.”

“Why would he go there?” Beshe asked. 

“Doesn’t matter why,” answered Kion. “What we’re going to do is make it to the Tree of Life before he does.”

“At that rate, we’re not going to head across the entire desert to tail him down!”

“Not alone you would!”

When the Guard looked over their shoulders to face the strange voice, they were met with surprise at seeing the mob of red kangaroos they faced beforehand. In front of them being the Boomer, 

“Boomer?” Bunga and the others said.

“I’ve been doing some thinkin,” said the Boomer, looking at Bunga. “And I’ve decided that anyone who is brave enough to face me is worthy of my respect. So, how’s about a truce.”

Boomer held his hand forward for a handshake, which Bunga came close to doing, before he paused.

“A truce on one condition,” Bunga said. 

“Can you make it two?” Kion requested.

“Sure,” Bunga continued. “Firstly, you apologize to my friends for blocking their way and being a jerk to them. And you have to mean it.”

The Boomer looked at Bunga’s friends and then back at Bunga. He allowed himself to reflect briefly and in hindsight, it would’ve been easier for everyone had he let the Guard pass by. That made him realize how many other fights he picked, not just with other Roos, but with other animals for far less

“Very well then. King Kion, Lion Guard, you have my sincerest apologies for my behavior. I’ll do my best to ensure it doesn’t happen again, not to you, or anyone else,” said the Roo.

“I think we’d all benefit from that,” Beshte said with a smile.

”What’s your second condition?” Asked Boomer.

“You have to tell the Queen, what you said about her and apologize as well,” Kion said sternly. Boomer was shocked, even just a little bit, but saw that Kion was not playing around, especially with his Queen. Sighing, he obliged. 

“Alright then. But regardless, we appreciate your help, Kangaroos,” Kion continued, now calmer. “But how are you going to help us get back faster?”

“The ladies will be in charge of that.”

Two female red kangaroos, as blue as can be, approached Kion, Ono, and Bunga, grabbing them and placing them all within their expandable pouches.

“All aboard!” said one of the does. 

“Woah, they’re carrying us!” Bunga exclaimed. “Unbungalievable!”

“Normally we carry our joeys in there, but you’ll also benefit from the delivery.”

Beshte was too large to fit in the pouch, and Anga and Dayaaluu flew above him to offer shade in the desert. But so far, the extra help lifted their hopes for the impending race… and perhaps the impending battle.

At full speed, everyone was off to the Tree of Life. They were going to finish this, for good.

Although the Night Pride went off to try and find the emu, Baliyo’s prolonged absence made them unsteady, most of all Rani. With minimal arguments, the Night Pride headed back to the Tree of Life to see if something was wrong with Baliyo. They would be shocked upon bumping right into him.

”Baliyo?!” Rani gasped. “Where have you been?!”

”Well, uhm—“

”Could talking to Makini have took that long?”

”Well I did talk to her… briefly,” Baliyo stuttered.

”And then?” Nirmala gently asked.

Baliyo sighed. He’d just have to deal with it.

”I was so angry at the raven — for making my sister cry, for what she did to Azaad, and for all of the horrible things she said — that I attacked her.”

Surak, Nirmala, and Rani gasped. The blue eyed lion continued.

”And then she got into my head. She told me that she knew Grandfather, accused him of murder, and told me that she’d explain her attack on Azaad.”

”What wait?”

”So she tricked me into getting food for her. And that’s when I realize she tricked me, just to divide us. So I came to tell you,” Baliyo said, finishing his story. “I am so sorry.”

Surak was the first to speak.

”Lying to us is what will divide us,” Surak said. 

“I know,” Baliyo sighed. “I just thought I was helping my sister. Like Grandmother was before..”

He couldn’t finish his sentence as his eyes closed and his head lowered in shame.

”There are other ways you can help your family,” Nirmala calmly spoke to her nephew. “Lying to us and seeking revenge will only divide and hurt us. We’re a family that sticks together.”

”I know that, and I’m sorry.”

Rani nuzzled against her little brother.

”I understand Baliyo,” she purred. “I also had the same problem with letting her get to me, so I know where you’re coming from. Thank you for telling us.”

“And now that we’re all here, we can look for-“

”KERT-KERT!!”

The wolf pack and rhinocerous approached the Night Pride with urgency. 

“What’s going on?” The Queen asked.

”It’s Kert-Kert,” said Bhediya. “We found him! He and a mob of emus were spotted heading to the Tree of Life.”

”Why would they risk getting out of hiding?” Surak asked. “And why would Kert-Kert bring a mob?”

”The only reason why he’d do either is if he was heading for battle!” Baliyo guessed.

“That’s it!” Rani. “They’re attacking the Tree of Life! They must be after Azaad!” 

“Just when the kingdom was getting safer!” Shulk complained. “The Lion Guard’s on the way.”

”Good, we just need to get to the Tree of Life before they do, c’mon!” Rani explained.

With strength and respect, Night Pride protect!

At top speed, the kangaroos were able to rush the Lion Guard to the Tree of Life. The Guard were astounded by the speed of the marsupials they’d been acquainted with. 

“I didn’t know you guys could go so fast!” Kion marveled.

“Not only can we hop super high, but we can also hop as fast as your friend can fly,” said one of the does.

”Yup,” Anga replied in the air.

”And we can do a super hop!” said Bunga’s doe.

”Ooh! Ooh! Try one!” Bunga squealed.

”Sure!”

Crouching down, and using her tail to balance, the doe pushed off from the dirt, sending herself soaring through the air at a great distance.

”ZUKA ZAMAAAA!!!!!”

”We’re almost there!” Boomer proclaimed. 

“I just hope we can get there before the emus do!” Kion said from within his pouch.

At Makini’s tree, she was planting seeds that had fallen from the tree in order to allow new plants to grow. Suddenly, she heard rumbling, and saw the seeds on the ground vibrate. Was this an earthquake, a storm, or…

”A STAMPEDE!”

Multiple emus, all taller than Makini stampeded through the path. The young mandrill was only a millisecond away from getting walloped when she climbed back into the safety of her tree.

”Come on emus!” Kert-Kent’s voice said amongst the mob. “Forward with the attack to the Tree of Life! Don’t stop until you stop the grey of her eyes!”

That didn’t sound good. Whoever the mob was attacking, they were going to strike at the Tree of Life, and they’d likely have to face the Lion Guard and the Night Pride there.

The last time the Tree of Life was under siege, Makini was trapped within its cave, unable to help. But now… things were different. Within her tree, she saw her Bakora lying behind some vines. The same Bakora that belonged to the knowledge-keeper of the Tree of Life and now belongs to Makini, (and fortunately wasn’t broken like her other staffs). Remembering Rafiki’s warrior training back home in the Pride Lands, she took the staff and held it with her. “Okay staff, let’s do this!”

She kept into the trees, swinging, climbing, and brachiating across the branches and vines right above the emu army. The fight was just about to begin.

BG Music: The White Stripes - "Seven Nation Army."

Many small animals, bugs, birds, rodents, went out of the way in the wake of the Emu Mob. Nothing and no one would stand in their way. And it seemed that way when they had finally spotted the Tree of Life.

"She's inside the Tree of Life," Kert-Kert told his mob. "Let's get her. CHARGE!!!"

The emus rushed in for the charge, but were interrupted by a battle cry. They turned around behind them and saw Makini, holding her staff in a fierce pose, aimed for combat.

"I'm not gonna let you attack the Tree of Life!" Makini spoke loudly. "Now get away!"

The emus laughed at the young mandrill's demands. She was sorely outnumbered, much like their actual target. She went around the group and in front of them, standing between their leader and the Tree.

"Young girl, step aside. The grown ups are busy," Kert mocked.

"Who are you attacking?" Makini asked.

"Well, if you'd like to know," answered the emu. "We are going to get the raven who attacked Azaad and make her pay for getting me wrapped up in her li’l scheme!"

Makini lowered her staff.

"So you're attacking the Tree of Life?" she asked. "She's already been captured by the Night Pride. You don't have to attack her!"

"I have to!" Kert-Kert argued. "She made a ninny of me, and I won't risk being painted a criminal because of her. She’ll rue the day she even met me!."

"You lead her to Azaad and got him hurt just so you could win the race. You're just as guilty as she is for what happened to him! Attacking her when the Night Pride's already stopped her won't fix anything!"

"It will," said the emu. "I'll get the respect that I know I deserve."

"This can just be solved if you turn yourself in," Makini tried to reason. "You're only making this harder than it has to be!"

Kert-Kert got angry.

"You think you can talk me down and patronize me like I'm a child?! Get out of the way!"

Makini flinched when the bird raised his voice, but she didn't relent. She held her staff up again, knowing that talking wouldn't push these guys back. 

"Last chance."

Kert-Kert scoffed. He ignored Makini's threat entirely, and eyed the Tree of Life.. and who was inside it.

"Attack!"

The emus raised their necks high and their drumming noises, akin to drums of war, filled the air. They thundered towards Makini, who stood tall. She anticipated, and at the right time, wacked her staff, striking Kert-Kert right in the face. He could already feel both of his eyes bruising, and his vision was dazed from impact. The other emus continued to charge at the Tree, but Makini was able to use her staff to trip them up. But some of them had put up a fight; They kicked her with their sharp claws on their toes. Still, she didn't give up. She used her staff to deflect the hits, constantly darting her eyes around to see which leg was coming towards her at which direction. She took many scratches and punches, but was able to trip up the birds surrounding her and use her staff to knock them away.

She was getting tired, and Kert-Kert knew it. With all of his speed and might, he rushed towards her, taking the element of surprise and kicking her staff away. "No!!!" Before she could react, she took another kick to the stomach, knocking her flat on her back. Kert placed his sharp foot on her chest, keeping her down. Makini looked up at her opponents in fear. They had the upper hand.. er wing.

"Sorry mandrill," chuckled Kert. "But I'm afraid your race is run."

Just then, the earth shook with a powerful roar as the clouds rumbled. In the blink of an eye, a powerful wave of sound swept Kert-Kert and the emus off their feet. Makini got up to see, much to her delight, Kion and the Lion Guard, accompanied by the red kangaroos who brought them there.

"You'll be the only ones running!" said the leader of the kangaroos. 

Makini regrouped with the rest of her friends. Beshte and Bunga stood beside her, ready to back her up. 

"Stand down, emus," Kion commanded.

"Stay out of my way and there won't be trouble," Kert said.

"We heard what you told Makini earlier. And now I'm telling you to stand down and turn yourself in," Kion ordered again.

"Not until after I've settled the score. You're either with me or against me."

"I guess it's come to this then."

With another roar, Kion, Makini, and the Guard charged forward. The kangaroos were also quick to join the fray, kicking and grappling at the angry birds.

From inside the Tree of Life, Azaad and Corva heard the commotion and eyed the entrance to the cave of the Tree of Life. Dust flew everywhere as emus and kangaroos were running all over the place. They saw Kion, facing off against Kert-Kert, who spotted the raven from the interior of the Tree of Life.

"You!"

The emu kicked Kion away and hissed at Corva. The jailbird was confused and frightened by this sudden treachery, and her questions outloud fell upon deaf ears. Kion got in Kert's way again, and received another kick to the head. Azaad winced seeing this. If only he could go out there and fight, but he couldn't. All he did was watch.

He watched Beshte use his strength to send the emus flying (the only flying they'd ever do in their lives). He saw Bunga on top of their backs, trying to slow them down. He witnessed Ono and Anga use their skills in flight to intercept the grounded birds.

Then he saw the Night Pride. That's when it changed.

He heard Rani scream at Kert-Kert, demanding her to stop the violence, but being dismissed, like the others. He saw the wolves using their stamina to run the emus around and wear them out. He even got view of ravens helping Ono and Anga. Clearly not the ones who attacked him earlier. 

But what cemented his desire to help was seeing Rani battling Kert-Kert. She fought bravely and fiercly, biting and scratching at his rump, aiming at his skinny neck to subdue him, and cutting off his attacks. But she was clearly struggling, and the other emus trampled over her.

Hearing his old friend scream in pain ignited a fire in his heart. The rushing adrenaline within him dampened the numbing pain in his legs as he rushed out.

”Leave the Queen alone!” Azaad yelled. He ran at the emu, and used his dewclaws to trip him up. He turned to face Rani.

”Azaad? But your legs!”

”They can wait. I can’t let them hurt you, or the others.”

Rani smiled, but saw an emu heading for Azaad.

”Look out!”

Right as the emu was about to kick Azaad, Shulk charged right at him, knocking him away. Azaad looked at him in surprise, getting a wink in response.

The wolves helped the Night Pride guard the entrance to the Tree of Life. Beshte was with them too, adding extra firepower to the security. 

“These man these guys don’t give up!” Beshte said while pushing the birds back.

”They’re emus,” Baliyo explained. “This is what happens when you get on their bad side, they go to war. My dad once told me the story of how a group of rouges tried to invade the Tree of Life and take the emus’ territory. None of them survived.”

”Yikes!! These guys mean business!” Beshte spoke.

Four more emus charged right at them. 

“Beshte, quick!” called out Baliyo. “Grab me by the legs and spin me around!”

”What?”

”Just do it!”

Beshte spun Baliyo around, gently holding his legs with his jaws. The lion grabbed one of the emus with his claws, and used it to bat away the other emus. He then let go and sent the emu sprawling away through the air. The hippo put Baliyo down, noticing his dizziness. 

“Woah… not one of my better fight strategies,” said the dizzy lion.

”At least it worked,” Beshte said, reassuring him. “We should definitely practice that move when this is done.”

”Agreed!”

By that point, the Guard had gotten too tired. Their opponents were not only fierce, but fast too. They couldn’t keep up. 

“We can’t fight these guys forever!” said Ono. “It’s too much!”

”Maybe this would be a good time to use the Roar?” Bunga asked.

”Not whilst everyone is running around!” said Kion. “And these emus are so fast that trying to keep even one of them in place is difficult!”

Hearing the conversation, Azaad, Bhediya, Boomer, and Shulk huddled together, safely away from the fight.

”How are we going to stop this?” asked Bhediya. “No one has ever won an emu war!”

”We just need to find some way to get the emus away from the Tree of Life, but even that’s a challenge.”

”These guys just never get tired!” said the Boomer.

”Perhaps we can beat them at their own game,” Azaad suggested.

”Where are you going with this?” asked Shulk.

”All of this started because Kert-Kert wanted to win the race,” the cheetah noted. “Maybe we can beat him at his own game.”

Azaad then whispered his plan to the others. 

“Are you sure that will work?” asked Shulk. 

“We shall see,” Azaad answered. “But I should ask the Queen before anything else.”

When Azaad, Boomer, Shulk, and Bhediya went to Rani with their plan, she immediately turned it down at first, deeming it to be too dangerous. But with some reassuring, she was eventually convinced.

”Good luck with this guys,” Rani wished.

As the Lion Guard and their allies struggled to use the last bit of strength in them to fight, the Azaad went into the Tree of Life as per permission of the Night Pride. He went to Corva and cut the vines that kept her from flying. He then used his teeth to carefully pick her up and carry her in his jaws.

”Come with me,” he said to Corva.

”What are you doing?” Corva asked.

“I’m taking you someplace safe!”

The cheetah went back to the others outside of the cave.

"We're not gonna hurt ya," Shulk told the bird. "In fact, you're gonna help us."

Before Corva could ask, the kangaroo spoke up.

"You want your bird? Come and get it!"

The emus saw their target in the hands of the feline, who ran off with the wolf, roo, and rhino by his side. All of them followed in hot pursuit, away from the Tree of Life.

In a blink of an eye, they were off. Azaad trailed into full speed kicked into maximum cheetah velocity within seconds, leaving the emus behind him to eat his dust. He was in the lead.

”Mibinamet!” he said with the bird in his mouth.

Charging besides him was Shulk the rhinoceros, racing through as if he were in a stampede with enough force to bust through a rock formation. As well as the Boomer who hopped as long and fast as he could. Bhediya loped at a faster pace, her powerful legs and back muscles seeing her through.

Azaad continued pacing his legs despite the pain that sheered right through them. He felt and heard his muscles crack, which was not a good sign.

"No, no, no!"

The wave of pain became too great and Azaad tripped and fell to the ground with a harsh thud, dropping Corva. The big birds saw their chance to make their move. In an immediate split-second, Boomer grabbed Corva, and assisted Azaad onto Shulk’s back. The group continued to run.

”You’re not getting her away from us!”

”I’ll be the judge of that,” said Shulk.

Shulk ran to a nearby tree and used his horn to uproot it, tossing it in the direction of the emus. The emus ducked out of the way in time.

The animals raced around the kingdom. What Kert-Kert and the emus didn’t notice in their pursuits was that they were running the exact same course as the racetrack. The very racetrack where Kert and Corva set up Azaad to be ambushed. And now, in an ironic turn of fate, Corva was now the target of attack, and Kert was racing to beat her and Azaad. He was so caught up in anger that he didn’t realize it was a trap.

As the racers went through the course, they had taken turns with Corva. When the Boomer had gotten tired and flanked behind, Corva was thrown to Bhediya to be carried in her jaws. The wolf’s endurance held her up, especially with the emus behind her slowing down out of exhaustion. But wolves couldn’t run forever. When Bhediya became vulnerable, Corva was passed to Azaad, who was still resting on Shulk and in pain. He knew anymore activity with his legs could cause further and further damage, but he also knew with his speed he could complete the trap to stop Kert-Kert. But it was just a matter of time.

Soon, the racers looped on near the outskirts of the kingdom and then back into the mainland. They were getting closer and closer to the Tree of Life.

Azaad was carrying Corva. The emus were getting closer and the racers weren’t able to hold up.

”Just… keep… pushing,” Bhediya panted.

”At times like this I wish I could move my feet independently!” Boomer complained.

The Tree was getting closer and closer into view. Nobody was in sight. Perfect. Azaad saw an opportunity, and he realized he would have to take it.

Keeping the bird in his mouth, he shakily got up to his feet.

”What are you doing?!” asked the raven. “You’re seriously gonna run with a bashed leg?”

”What I must,” replied Azaad, his voice slightly muffled from carrying Corva.

”Mibinamet!”

Azaad once again ran off, fighting pins and needles and joint pains. Every time he heard his bones crack, he hissed, but kept moving. Kert-Kert eyed him specifically and ran at him at full speed, hoping to catch him. The cheetah’s tail whipped as much as possible to maintain as much balance as he could, though under normal circumstances it would’ve been less of a struggle.

Azaad finally reached the tree of life. He zigged, he zagged, and turned in any direction to throw the emu off. When he was far enough, he ran into the cave of the Tree of Life, giving off a loud chirp. Without questioning the noise that was just made, Kert-Kert, followed by his emus dashed for the cave entrance.

”NOW!”

The emus were hit point-blank with the Roar of the Elders, pushing them to the ground. The Night Pride, Lion Guard, kangaroos, wolves, and ravens all showed up in an ambush-style attack, using all of their skills against the tired out and surprised flightless birds. It didn’t stop until Kert-Kert was the last bird standing, too tired to fight. The King and Queen approached the leader of the emus, their claws were out in case of another fight.

”Alright, I yield, I yield!”

”Good,” Kion said under his breath. He was tired enough as is.

”Kert-Kert. You conspired with an outsider to attack and sabotage a fellow member of this community. You evade apprehension and then you attack the Tree of Life with the intent to kill,” Rani spoke. 

“What do you have to say for yourself,” spoke Kion.

”It was that bleeding raven!” Kert yelled. “The one who told me that Azaad would win because he was friends with you. The one who told me to lure him to that spot where he’d be attacked. And her flock told me to hide out!”

”And yet you listened,” Kion said. “Why?”

”Because I wanted to win. I deserved to win. I am NOT going to be disgraced by an upstart.”

”We held this race to see who could help the Lion Guard patrol during the daytime,” Kion told Kert-Kert. “It was for the good of the community. I thought it would be helpful, but clearly your actions have proven me wrong.”

Kert-Kert didn’t say anything further. Kion looked away in discomfort, not knowing what else to say either. Rani took it from there.

”You attacked the Tree of Life with the intent to kill,” she said. 

“I was only after Corva. Ask her yourself!”

”Fine then!”

They went into the Tree of Life’s inner chambers to look for Corva. But to their surprise, they couldn’t find her. All they had found was Azaad on the ground, surrounded by feathers. 

“I’m sorry Rani,” he apologized. “Azaad couldn’t take much more running. I collapsed and… she escaped.”

”Escaped?!” Kert-Kert yelled. “You let her escape!”

”We didn’t do anything!” Rani snapped. “If you had turned yourself in, if you hadn’t attacked her, if you had stood down when we told you, we could’ve had her in our custody!”

”Rani,” Azaad tried to protest.

”Corva may have gotten away, but you won’t!” Rani yelled. 

“And what does that mean?” asked Kert-Kert.

”It means you’re banished from the Tree of Life,” Rani said.

Kert was appalled.

”You attacked and fought both Kion and me, with an army at your disposal, with the intent to leave someone dead. And in doing so, you allowed another criminal to run free. I won’t let your dangerous pursuits hurt anyone else.”

Kert-Kert looked at his fellow emus, who were now coming too and looking nervously at the rulers.

”As for the rest of you, you’ll be sentenced to community service. It’s clear that your friend was the real mastermind behind this attack; But I’ll see to it that your attack will not go unpunished.”

Nervous, but relieved in comparison to their comrade’s fate, they slowly got up and were escorted by the Night Pride back to their territory. Rani and Kion turned their attention back to Kert-Kert.

”Beshte and Bunga will escort you to the mountain pass. You’ll clear the frozen lake, and from then on, you’ll be on your own, not to come back,” Kion decreed.

”Where will I go?” Kert asked.

”I’d recommend returning to your original territory where you were hatched. My grandparents allowed your family to come here for healing, and accepted them as a part of the community with their decision to stay. They wouldn’t live long enough to see how much of a mistake trusting you would be, but now your time at the Tree of Life is complete.”

Kert’s confusion and worry turned into hatred and disgust.

”Your grandparents made a lot of mistakes, but the biggest one they made was leaving the crown to you.”

Rani roared at the ratite. She wasn’t going to hear more insults slung at her dead family.

”That’s enough. Leave now!”

”Fine,” Kert hissed. “But mark my words, you won’t get away with this.”

”Right now my only concern is you getting away from me.”

On command, Bunga and Beshte arrived to accompany the renegade emu.

”Make sure he doesn’t come back,” Kion told his friends. 

The honey badger and hippo nodded and took him away. 

“You’ll regret this!” The emu shouted.

”I doubt it,” shrugged the Queen.

Rani and Kion allowed their claws to rest, the chaos having finally subsided — for now.

Days had passed since the sabotaged race. Azaad’s injuries had increased in severity since the battle against Kert-Kert and his emus, forcing Nirmala and Makini to give him extra treatment to his legs. It was fortunately nothing permanent.

The news of Kert-Kert’s exile and Corva’s escape spread the Tree of Life like wildfire. Some were at ease knowing that the emu’s threat was neutralized, whilst others were worrisome at what Corva might be up to next. Baliyo reluctantly confessed what he had done to her on the day of the race, stealing her tail feathers to hamper her steering in flight. But when the raven was nowhere to be found around the kingdom, the search party was off. The Night Pride and Lion Guard’s patrols were detailed and alert in light of this, but there were other things at hand; matters that after a few days of rest, Kion decided to bring light to, with the rest of the Guard, Night Pride, Makini, and Ullu.

“It concerns me what we’re going to do next,” said Kion. “The race was a disaster, one of our racers was banished, the other was thrown out of the kingdom, and we didn’t find a stand-in for Fuli. So now what?”

”We could try having the race again,” said Bunga. “Only this time have it be fair!”

”I don’t think anyone’s willing to go through all that again,” said Ono.

”Ono’s right,” said Kion. “I’m starting to think that this race was a terrible idea.”

“My parents always told me that sometimes good things can come from the bad,” Makini noted. “Maybe there’s a bright side to all this?”

“Well, one bright side is that we’re all okay,” Beshte said. “And we made some new friends.”

”Yeah, like the Bhediya, Shulk, those ravens that were actually tolerable to be around,” Anga chirped. 

“And the Boomer. I’m really glad he kept his promise to apologize for what he said about you,” Bunga told Rani. 

“Hearing it from him of all people will probably be the highlight of this entire week,” Rani chuckled. 

“Y’know, those animals were fast,” Ono said. “Not like Fuli, but in their own way. If it wasn’t for their help, Kert-Kert may have won.”

Words of agreement overlapped at the Tree of Life, especially from Kion. He had to admit, he was very grateful for the help he got from the residents of the Tree of Life. He then thought about what Makini and Beshte said. About making the best of a bad situation. Maybe he could take this opportunity to turn things for the better.

~~~

One evening, Kion and Rani summoned the animals of Jindagee with a roar. It was another gathering for an event, but differently. Standing on the rock pedestal next to the King and Queen were Bhediya, Shulk, Dayaaluu, the Boomer, and Azaad, who Beshte was carrying for support.

”One week ago, the five of you and your groups aided the Night Pride and the Lion Guard in battle against Kert-Kert,” Kion said. “You helped us seek him out when he was hiding, and you helped us defend against his deadly attacks. Such heroism is what the Lion Guard is all about.”

The animals cheered in honor of the 5 animals before them. Kion continued.

”But after the race and the outcome of it, it made me realize that helping others for a greater good shouldn’t be a reward. Because it’s a trait that helps to shape a better community, mark or no mark. Even after the race was cancelled, these animals were still willing to do the right thing. That has made me reach my decision.”

Everyone anticipated what King Kion’s decree would be. Kion silently prayed to himself not to mess this up.

You can do this.

”When I was the leader of the Lion Guard of the Pride Lands’ a terrible threat arrived to our home; the Lion Guard reached out to the other Pride Landers who were willing to help us defend the Circle of Life. And in the end, we won. That battle that they helped us win, lead to me finding my destiny at the Tree of Life. So I think that can apply here. Any animal or animals at the Tree of Life can assist the Lion Guard. Not even just the Lion Guard, but each other. The Circle of Life will never break if we work together!”

A confident roar came out of Kion, and an uproar of cheers and hails came from the animals of the Tree of Life. Some animals, Kion recognized like Pinguiono, Astuto, Binga, and the porcupette brothers, but others he was yet to know. But he saw them interacting with one another, getting to know each other, or conversing happily. This would be a good start for his new home, and maybe he’d finally adjust into the role of King.

“I always knew you’d be a great king,” complimented Rani, who kissed Kion on the cheek.

“Don’t hold your breath,” Kion joked. 

“Welp, another Lion Guard mission accomplished!” Bunga bragged. “It’s gonna be smooth sailing from here.”

”I guess it will,” Kion sighed. “I just hope Fuli wakes up.”

”I know she will Kion,” reassured the Royal Mjuzi. “I think she’d be really impressed with what we’ve accomplished today. We can look forward to that.”

The group all looked out into the sunset. The end of another day, meant the start of a new one. One at a time.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: Way of the Cheetah

In spite of everyone's worries and fears, the Tree of Life found peace. Many weeks had passed, although the memory of the eventful race and subsequent fight would remain fresh in everyone's minds like it was yesterday. Within that time, Azaad would soon heal from his injuries and be mobile again. The emus who followed Kert-Kert into battle against the Night Pride had done their community service with no resistance, and especially with no negative influence. 

As for the Lion Guard, their missions progressed well. They were fierce, brave, strong, keen of sight, smart, and also fast... with some assistance.

"Move it ya big cows!"

True to his name, the Boomer's voice boomed throughout the smokey canyon. He and the mob of roos hopped fast ahead of them, right in front of a fork in the path. Blocking one side of the fork, this allowed the cattle to take the other path, the one to safety. The Lion Guard, not as fast, was still able to help corralle the panicked herd away from the wildfires that had spooked them. The stampeding cattle were soon quelled once they had finally crossed the river. 

"Thank you Lion Guard," said the leader of the cattle herd. "We're really sorry again for the commottion, our one and only priority was getting away from the fires."

"You did what you had to do to survive," said Kion. "I get that. And thankfully you and the other animals that live here will be alright."

"That is very re-assuring," said the herd leader.

"Don't worry," Ono told the cattle. "The Night Pride is currently on their way to put out the fires. Your grazing grounds will be re-available in no time!"

"Thanks, Lion Guard," said the herd leader. She turned around to the kangaroo mob. "And thank you Kangaroos!" 

"Quite the pleasure," Boomer said while twitching his ear.

The Lion Guard continued to go out on their daily patrol whilst the roos and cattle went home. At the end of their patrol, the Guard went to the Tree of Life to check on Fuli.

Inside, Makini was watching her, making sure she had eaten, and drunken. When she saw the Guard coming in, she knew what they were here for.

”She’s still not awake,” Makini sadly told them.

”Oh,” Kion said. “Ok.”

”When do you think she’ll be OK?” Bunga asked. 

“I don’t know?” Makini replied. “Nirmala and I have been doing everything we can.”

”Well, can you do more??”

”Li’l B” Beshte told Bunga. “I think all we can do is wait.”

”Yes, but for how long?”

”I wish I knew,” said Kion.

“Right over here,” Ono said guiding the Guard to the thorn bush. A small fox was trapped inside it. 

“Do you think you could reach it Bunga?” Kion asked the honey badger.

”With that many thorns, I won’t get hurt, but I probably wouldn’t reach,” Bunga replied.  

“You won’t have to,” Shulk said. “Leave this to me.”

The Lion Guard backed out of the rhino’s way, allowing him to get ready to…

”CHARGE!!!!!!!!”

Rearing his horn, he charged towards the prickly brambles at full speed, and upon contact, he ripped them up in the air, uprooting them entirely. The baby fox was freed!

”Mama!” said the small fox. The fox’s mother, Astuto, hugged her baby gently. 

“Thank you Lion Guard,” Astuto said. “And thank you very much, Shulk.”

”Glad I could help ma’dam.”

”Ok Shulk,” Kion said. “You can take a rest. Lion Guard, let’s continue our patrol!”

As the Guard went, they were still in awe at what they witnessed.

”I wish Fuli were here to see this. She would’ve loved it!” Ono said. 

“She’s gonna be so bummed she missed this out!” Bunga said. “We should check on her again!”

”I think we can squeeze in enough time to check up on her now,” Kion said. He was just as eager as Bunga, though he hadn’t shown it.

Heading back to the Tree of Life, the Guard went to check on Fuli. They had gotten the same response from Makini. Not yet awake. Damn.

“I feel so bad for her,” Beshte sighed. “She was just trying to help another animal. It’s not fair.”

”Sometimes, life isn’t fair like that,” Anga. 

“I wish it were,” Makini said, hugging Fuli. “We miss you.”

Yet another week went by. The Lion Guard had gone on their daily patrol. Bhediya had volunteered to help with the patrol this time. It was late in the afternoon, close to sunset. Bhediya and her wolves had split up to do rounds. Their numbers helped the patrols go far and wide across the kingdom. When their shift ended, they all regrouped back at the River of Patience.

"Anything to report?" Kion asked.

"No, your highness," said Bhediya. "There were some problems such as a frightened bison, but we were able to solve it ourselves."

"That's good," said Kion. "Thank you for your volunteering. You're let go for today."

The wolves howled in agreement and went back to their territory for dinner time. The Lion Guard was getting ready to head to the Tree of Life for a rest, but heard a hooting sound.

"Lion Guard!" Ullu said. "Lion Guard!"

"What's the ker-bubble?" Beshte asked the owl.

"Makini and Nirmala sent me to find you, there's an update on Fuli's condition," the majordomo of the Tree of Life replied.

As soon as they all heard the word "update," the Guard rushed over to the Tree of Life, as if they felt Fuli's powers of speed bursting through them... they didn't stick around long enough to hear Ullu finish her sentence.

They entered the cave of the Tree of Life ready to see Fuli; but not ready to see Makini and Nirmala in their way, nor were they ready to get out of the way before they could crash.

"I didn't expect you guys to come that quickly," Makini said whilst dizzy. 

"Too bad Fuli wasn't with us. She'd be the fastest to reach us," Bunga joked. "Speaking of which, where is she? Ullu said there was an update with her!"

"She didn't explain what the update was?" Nirmala asked.

"No," Ono said. 

"That's because," Ullu said, flying in, panting in between her words. "I wasn't finished! She's not awake!"

"If she's not awake, then what happened?" Anga said, now worried. 

"Just look," Nirmala explained peacefully.

The healers of the Tree of Life gave way for the Guard to see their friend. She was still in her comatose state, breathing well. But when they turned to see her face, they were suprised. Two black eye-markings running down the inner corners of her eyes down the sides of her face to her mouth. 

"What are those?" Bunga asked. "Is... is Fuli crying?"

"She's not crying, Bunga," Ono replied. "Those stripes help cheetahs see better."

"But Fuli could saw just fine without them! How come she didn't have those before?"

"Most cheetahs just grow them in when they get older. But it's lost on me why they've grown in so late."

"So.. what does this mean?" Kion asked. 

"It means that her body is slowly starting to recover through this development," Nirmala says. "She may wake up soon."

"How soon?" Bunga asked.

"I wish we knew," Nirmala sighed sadly. "I wish we know.

It was another evening after the Guard's patrol shift. No animal had volunteered to help, although they didn't mind. Throughout the whole day, they were slow, un-energetic and didn’t speak that much, and eventually went to rest at the nearby lake.

It took a lot of time for the feeling to set in, but the group felt empty without Fuli. They’d known her for years, long before the Lion Guard had been formed. Having her gone for this much time with no certainty of getting to have her in their everyday lives again provided such a weight that not even Beshte could carry. The one thing on their mind would be when she’d be back.

By the end of their patrol, when the Night Pride had begun their shift, the Guard sat at the lake, melancholy. 

“Do you think we should even bother asking Makini if Fuli’s awake?” Bunga asked. 

“We’ll probably get the same answer,” Ono sighed. 

“I feel so powerless in not being able to do anything,” said Kion. “Our patrols have gone by well but still… The Lion Guard just still doesn't feel the same without her."

Everyone nodded their head in agreement. A few more hours went by as the sun went down. The sky was a beautiful mix of the orangey red of sunset, and the blackish blues of the night. The Lion Guard went back to the Tree of Life to meet with the Night Pride, who were most definitely starting their shifts.

”Good luck Rani,” Kion said, nuzzling his mate. 

“Sleep well, Kion,” Rani wished to Kion. 

“Stay safe Baliyo,” Beshte wished.

”I will, Beshte,” said the young Prince.

Before they had left, Nirmala spoke.

”Makini needs you inside,” she said. “It’s something important.”

”Oh, okay,” Kion said.

As the Lion Guard bid the Night Pride farewell, they went into the cave, They were expecting Makini to ask them for help. They were very wrong.

She wasn’t distressed, or even struggling. She was crying. Crying tears of joy. And looking further, the Guard soon shed similar tears.

It was Fuli. She was awake, her emerald green eyes wide open, blending beautifully in with the green interior of the tree. Still laying down, but awake. And in a similar vein to her markings, tears had rolled down her eyes, happy to see them.

The Guard had no words to say. Neither did Fuli in that moment. But they knew what they wanted to say, what they wanted to let out, what they wanted to catch up on. Everything in the moment was just perfect.

Fuli broke the silence. 

“I’m guessing you all want a hug don’t you?”

The group nodded. The cheetah smiled.

”What’s stopping you?”

Everyone went in to group hug Fuli, gently as to not hurt her. 

“Wow, your fur is really soft!” Makini marveled.

”Yeah, welcome to the club pal,” Fuli chuckled.

The next few days, the Tree of Life’s day patrol were on break. They had mostly gotten to catch up on each other. There was so much to explain. About Sahee, about the porcupette brothers, about the dhole family, about Azaad, and Kert-Kert.

"Wait, so Bunga's taking care of the porcupines?" Fuli asked.

"Well, me and Binga are," Bunga replied. Fuli chuckled. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. Or worried."

"Not as worried as we were for you, Fuli," said Makini. "You were out for four weeks."

"I still can't believe it myself," Fuli shuddered. "I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest."

"We're just glad you're okay Fuli," Kion said. "But Nirmala says you won't be able to run as fast as you did for a while."

"Trust me, I wouldn't want to run fast either. I still feel a little funny," the cheetah said. "But I still hope I'll be able to help the Guard."

"I know you will Fuli."

~~

When the Guard had eventually returned to their usual patrol, Fuli accompanied them. Getting to catch up on her was great, but now things could go back to the way they could be.

Almost.

Fuli regularly flanked behind the Guard. Not as active as her old self, she couldn't pace too quickly, lest she get fatigue. When the Guard ran, she was always far behind. 

"Fuli, do we need to give time for you to catch up?" Beshte asked.

"No, it's fine, I'll catch up on my own!" Fuli would often say. As much as she tried, it'd be a true struggle to do so.

One time, when performing a rescue mission, Fuli's lack of speed had come back to bite her. The Guard had been called to action in the spiny desert. A baby lemur who had strayed too far from her mom had been injured, and was hanging from a tree branch over the sharp spiny plants. The rest of the troop leaped across the trees trying to get to her, but she was losing her grip.

Her protective instincts kicking in, Fuli tried to race ahead of the Guard. If there was anyone who could at least try to be fast enough to reach the lemur, it'd be her.

Or it would've been her.

In no time at all, her vision started to become blurry, and she felt herself getting hotter and hotter. Feeling a painful de'javu, she halted immediately, dropping to the ground panting.

"Fuli," the Guard said in a panic. They forgot about the lemurs entirely and went to assist her. Unlike last time, she woke up quickly after her unexpected fall, but was panting heavily. Internally, she was kicking herself like an angry buffalo for pulling such a stunt. Just as she was about to speak, she panicked upon seeing the lemur. She had lost her grip entirely.

"NO!"

Right as she was about to crash into the spiny plants, her mother, Filoha, had intercepted, leaping across the air like an acrobat to catch her daughter, and then safely landing on the spiny plants, carefully positioning her hands and feet in between the spines to avoid sharp penetration of her fur. The baby lemur had tightly clung onto her mother's back, hyperventilating.

When the Lion Guard went in to check on the lemurs, they were not happy.

"Raha tara loatra aho, dia ho loza izany! Na mianatra ny fomba hahatongavana eto haingana kokoa na tsy ho tonga mihitsy!" [Translation: If I had been a second too late, it would've been a catastrophe! Either learn how to get here quicker or don't come at all!]

Huffing, Filoha and the rest of her lemur conspiracy hopped off.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that they don't really like us," Bunga said.

Fuli got up on her four paws. "I'm sorry guys," she said. "I thought I had this one."

"It's alright Fuli," Beshte said. "You're alright, and the lemurs are safe."

"Let's be glad no one got hurt," Kion told Fuli. "Including you."

~~

Hunting wasn't easy as well.

Although she was a member of the Lion Guard, she was still allowed to hunt, unlike the traditionally chosen lions on the team before her. But her swift movement was what gave her the advantage in taking down prey. Now, her prey was fleeing her with every attempt she made. And yet again, an attempt to go as fast as she did would result in failure. Her most embarassing misfortune would be when she had tried to take a gazelle on her day off. She had chased it down across the plains, zigging and zagging, but felt a huge lag come over her. Her muscles started tightening and stiffening up, until she fell right into the dirt with a painful skid. Shaking the mud and dirt from her eyes, she saw her prey making its getaway to live another day.

"Seriously?" she uttered.

That afternoon, she walked home hungry, her stomach growling. It wasn't until evening at dinner time did she eat. Beshte had fresh grass from the marsh, Ono, Bunga, Binga, and the porcupettes ate termites, Anga had a hummingbird, and the Night Pride, Kion included, had carrion. Fuli would've had her belly full by then, or otherwise had been feeding on her own caught meal, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Looking uncomfortably into the carrion, she ate, hiding her utter disdain. The rest of the Guard instantly noticed this unusual behavior.

"I thought you hated carrion?" Ono asked.

"I.... changed my mind!" Fuli lied. She feigned a grin to ennunciate the lie. Unfortunately she was speaking to the Lion Guard's Smartest, and the Smartest was not buying it.

"Was there something wrong with the hunt?" he asked.

"It was perfectly fine," Fuli said. "I just...feel like carrion tonight!"

Fuli then took another bite out of the carrion, swallowing the bite whole. In about a minute, everyone's curiosity turned into outright disgust as Fuli started uncontrollably vomitting the carrion she had eaten, coughing violently as she did so.

"OH MY GOD!" Rani screeched.

When Fuli's vomitting fit was finished, she, through her teary eyes, saw the mess she made, and the look of horror on everyone else's faces. Not saying a word, she just turned back and walked away as fast as she could.

The Lion Guard found Fuli about an hour later on top of a termite mound. She layed her head down, staring right at the ground below her. She saw a small bunny rabbit run through the grass to get to his burrow. She wondered if she should try catching it, but why bother? Would it even be worth it?

"Hey Fuli," greeted Kion. "I know you probably want to be alone, but can we talk?"

"What is there to talk about?" Fuli scoffed. "About the Lion Guard's slowest?"

"I know it's rough for you to not have your speed," Beshte said. "But if there's any way we can help you, we'd take it."

"How are you gonna help me?" Fuli asked. "I'm not as fast as I used to be, I can't do well on the missions, I can't even hunt well! What's a cheetah without her speed?"

"Stil a cheetah?" Bunga answered, taking Fuli's question literally. Fuli scowled.

"Bunga's right Fuli," Ono said.

"He is?"

"I am?"

Ono flew up to the mound to face Fuli.

"You're still a cheetah! Maybe not a fast one, but that's not the only thing that makes you, you!"

"Well it's the biggest thing that makes me, me! And I've lost it! Do you really think you can tell me how to feel? As if you know what it's like to lose that part of you?"

"You know I do Fuli!" said Ono. "I lost my eyesight overnight. I wasn't the Keenest of Sight anymore. And I woke up every day for the next 6 months having to accept that as reality instead of it being a bad dream, wishing that I would wake up and things would go back to the way they were. And they didn't. My sight came back, but it would never be as good of an ability as it would be. Not a day went by where I didn't question if I should stay on the Guard."

Fuli remained quiet as her friend kept talking, thinking about what she was hearing.

"Maybe you're right and I won't understand how you feel. Maybe I can't empathize with you as much as I think I do. But I understand you enough to now that you're so much more than just your speed. I don't need to be the Keenest of Sight to see that."

Fuli's eyes widened. Could Ono be right? If he was able to find his place on the Guard, even without his talent, maybe she could? Nevertheless, she felt a wave of optimism rise over her. 

"Common knowledge, really," Ono added, grinning. 

Fuli didn't have anything else to say, but thanked the egret for his keen insight. 

When the Guard went back to the Tree of Life, Fuli had stayed out on the termite mound, watching the night sky as the orange of sunset collided with the black of night. Like perfect clockwork, she soon drifted to sleep.

Although she was a cheetah, Fuli was an early bird that next morning. She figured she had enough time to go for a hunt before she could begin her patrol. Her failures in going after a gazelle prompted her to go after something smaller, like say, a hare, or a bird.

The bright sunrise radiated a sharp glare. Fuli was ready to avert her eyes to prevent a strain, but she didn’t. Her eyes were perfectly fine with how bright the sun was before; not only that, but she could see easily in spite of blinding light. That never happened before.

As strange as it was, she couldn’t help but use this to her advantage, seeing past the sun’s glare to see what she couldn’t. And just like that, she saw a flock of helmeted guinea fowl ahead within a clearing in the grass. If she could sneak up on them, she could take one down. 

She kept her body down in the tall grass. Between the sunlight of which her fur blended into, the shadows that the black of her spots and stripes molded with, and the yellows of the dry grass, she was virtually invisible. Keeping the flock in her sights, she crept forward. She wasn’t fast, but she was still stealthy. If she could get close enough to the flocks, she wouldn’t need to run. One swift lunge and bite would be enough.

She had just gotten near the clearing, still hidden in the grass. The fowl flock were woefully oblivious. Easy targets.

Fuli was just about to strike when the birds started squawking nervously. They then went on the move.

What?!, Fuli thought. Now all of a sudden they’re the fastest?!

The source of the birds’ anxiousness soon revealed itself in the form of a medium sized tan cat. A caracal. As soon as she revealed herself, all of the birds went flying into the air - as did she when she sprung her hind legs across the ground, launching her through the air. Whilst in mid-flight, she used her claws to swipe three unfortunate fouls down into the ground, using her momentum to grab one of them in her claws upon her descent. As she landed into the dirt, she clamped her jaws down upon reflex, crushing the life out of iy - and unknowingly, crushing Fuli's dream of a decent breakfast.

"WHAT?!" she screamed. Without realizing it, she popped up out of the tall grass, blowing her cover. The caracal heard growls and looked to see the large, green-eyed cheetah glaring down upon her. Her spine ran cold as she instinctively dropped her prey and ran, suprisingly fast.

Hearing the caracal's whimpers and pants of fear and exhaustion, Fuli suddenly calmed down.

"Hey, wait, I didn't mean to-"

Too late. She was already gone.

Fuli's frustration soon turned into guilt. She didn't mean to scare the caracal away. She didn't even want to steal her food. She knew all to well about the ferocity of competition between cats, especially over prey. She faintly remembered a particularly nasty incident like that.

~~~

It was 6 years ago, only several months before Kion discovered the Roar of the Elders and formed the Lion Guard. The only missions that they were focused on was who was gonna get the baobab fruit.

"Huwezi!"

Fuli grabbed the baobab fruit in her teeth and started running. She knew she could easily outrun Bunga, and Beshte, as unfair as it would be.

She didn't know that Kion would be waiting in the grass to tackle her, knocking the fruit from her mouth. The baobab ball then went rolling down the hill, and suddenly everyone was stumblnig over each other to try and get it. 

"It's mine!" Fuli said.

"No, it's mine!" Kion said. 

"I'll get to it first!" Beshte said.

"Not if I can help it!" Ono said.

"Zuka Zama!" Bunga yelped.

The fruit rolled down the hill until it veered off of a rock jutting out from the ground, free-falling into a splat, right in the middle of a flock of guinea fowls.

The young animals soon felt their spirits drop seeing the guts and seeds of the baobab fruit being devoured by the helmeted birds.

"You win this round, guinea fowls!" Bunga yelled at the birds, who kept eating.

"Guess it's game over," Kion sighed. "You guys wanna play another game?"

"Nah, I'm beat," Bunga declared. "Trying to outrun Fuli is a work-out."

"In other words, the sky is blue," Fuli boasted.

Bunga jokingly looked up at the sky, falling over on his back in the process. Everyone else chuckled at his anticts. They were just about to leave, they heard the confusion of guinea fowl start to squack and relocate.

"What's eating them?" Bunga asked.

"Well, they're birds, so pretty much everything," Ono answered. As soon as he heard his own sentence, the egret quickly flew into the nearest tree.

The group looked on in interest as the grass ruffled. A caracal had burst from the vegetation chasing down his prey. The birds quickly took to the skies for safety, as did the caracal, quickly proving three of them wrong as he struck them down.

"Hevi Kabisa!" Kion said. 

"Now that's quick!" Fuli admired. "I would love to try and jump that high!"

"Who says we can't?" Bunga claimed. He tried jumping up into the air to grab Ono in the tree, but couldn't reach.

"It's probably something that goes without saying," Ono chuckled. "Wait a tick,"

Ono noticed something in the background. He used his vision to home in on the scene. As the caracal was eating, two cheetahs were sneaking out of the grass, eyeing the kill that the caracal scored. The caracal's ears perked up and recognized its competition.

He hissed and slashed at them, but they outranked him in size and speed. They took several claw swipes and bites to the face, but used they speed and wits to overpower their adversary, beating him around and knocking the winds out of him. The opportunits them left, with the dead birds as a prize.

"Wh-what just happened?!" Fuli asked. "That was totally unfair!"

"That caracal caught his food fair and square, why did they take it from him?" Beshte asked.

"It doesn't usually happen, but sometimes cheetahs will steal food," Ono said. "Especially from animals they can overpower."

"Well I would never do something like that," Fuli huffed. "And neither should they!"

"We should probably go back to Pride Rock to get my parents to handle it," Kion advised. "Hopefully those cheetahs won't get away by then."

"If I could do anything about it, I'd spank the spots off of 'em!" said Bunga.

"Same here," Fuli smirked.

Fuli and her friends would later find Kion's parents, King Simba, and Queen Nala at Pride Rock to alert them of the theft. As they saw the rulers head off to confront the guilty party, Kion and his friends stayed behind with Kion's older sister Kiara, as well as Bunga's uncles, Timon & Pumbaa. Later that day, Simba and Nala would come back with unfortunate news; The perpetrators were nowhere to be found. The conclusion they went to was that they were poachers travelling through the kingdom, and they were very quick in escaping with their kill. The children were needless to say, very unhappy about it.

"It just happens sometimes," Simba said. "Some animals are more fortunate than others, even if they're undeserving of that fortune."

"That doesn't make it right!" said Fuli.

"I agree. Doesn't that go against the Circle of Life?" Kion added.

"It does son," Nala answered. "Though things can be out of our control, no matter how bad they get."

"But both of you are right," Simba said to Kion and Fuli. "It isn't fair. All that we can do is to be better and do better, to make the best of a bad situation, if we can. For ourselves and others."

The words resonated well with Kion and his friends, Fuli especially. That advice would remain in the back of her mind in the coming seasons. Only when she would receive the Mark of the Guard as the Pride Land's fastest would she fully internalize that advice, for defending the Circle of Life, and helping other animals that respected it.

~~~

At least up to today. Now, she wasn't the fastest anymore, and was scaring away other creatures by accident. This was going to be really challenging to push through.

She looked around, seeing if she could find the caracal and apologize to her. She sniffed around for her scent. It was faint. And the tracks were hard to find in the tall grass. Wherever the small cat ran, she was gone.

Giving up, the cheetah went back to the Tree of Life where Kion and the others were ready. Bhediya, Shulk, and the Boomer had accompanied them. It didn't take long for Fuli to get used to their presence, knowing about their heroism in the battle against Kert-Kert. 

They began their patrol as usual, trekking the area whilst Ono and Anga patrolled the skies at Kion's command. Anga had a bird's eye view of the entire terrain in spite of the glaring sunlight. Taking notice of this, Fuli started thinking. If her eyesight had improved because of her new stripes, perhaps she could try seeing on the ground. She searched for anything that might require the Guard's attention. Her vision spanned far on for miles and miles... perhaps a bit too far. She catches a very good glimpse of a loggerhead shrike nest in the praries, near that nest being hundreds of insects, birds, and reptiles impaled on thorns by the shrikes - some of them still alive.

Fuli jumped back in panic, and instincitively, let out a loud...

Chirp

Everyone turned around to look at Fuli, who covered her mouth. 

"Pardon me?" she said akwardly.

"That was actually so cool!" Bunga said. "Do it again!"

"Again?"

"Yes!"

Welp, the embarassment was gone so...

Chirp.

"Wow! I had no idea you could do that!" Bunga said. 

"Well, I had no reason to do it in front of you guys," Fuli chuckled.

"If it's not something you want to do in front of us, we're okay with that," said Beshte.

"Agreed," said Kion. "Now let's continue."

On some days, when the Guard went on patrol, things would be peaceful. Which, given some circumstances, would be a good thing. However, on other days... not so good. This was one of those days.

The Guard heard a cry for help. The two avians of the team flew into the air to get a better view. Fuli saw their efforts and got an idea.

She got on top of a termite mound and started to search over the area. Much like before, her vision was uncontrolled, zooming farther than she wanted it to. Luckily, her hearing was just as sharp as her eyesight and she was able to veer her perception in the direction of the noise. Finally, she homed in and saw the animal in trouble; A python stuck under a pile of rocks.

"A snake!" Fuli said, beating Anga and Ono to the alert. "He's trapped under some rocks near the cliffs!"

"Wait, what?" Kion asked. He hadn't expected Fuli to make the alert. But whatever doubts he had were quelled when Anga had confirmed what Fuli had said, having seen the same thing.

"Then we have to hurry!" said Kion. "Lead us there Anga!"

"On it!" Anga said.

Lead by Anga, who kept the helpless animal in her sights, the Lion Guard went over to the cliffs. They saw the giant serpent, who was struggling to get half of his body out from some boulders. He looked relieved to see the Lion Guard there, but also embarassed.

"We're here!" Beshte assured the python. "How'd this happen?"

"I was just on the rocks trying to get a sunbath, when all of a sudden there was a rockslide out of nowhere," explained the rock python. "I wasn't able to get out of the way and... well, I ended up here.."

"We'll get you out of there," Beshte said. The hippo lifted up the rocks and boulders off the python's torso. Bunga joined in as well, kicking them out of the way in order to allow the python to breathe and wriggle away more. Soon the python was freed and went up to thank the Guard.

"Thank you Lion Gu-AARGH!"

The python wrenched in pain as he moved his torso. Kion looked and saw several scrapes and bruises on the python's lower half.

"The rockslide must've taken more out of you than we think," said Kion. He turned to the other members of his team to give the command.

"Fuli, Ono, Beshte, you take this python to Nirmala for a check-up" Kion ordered. "Bunga and Anga will come with me to continue the patrol."

"Will do," said Beshte. He carried the injured serpent on his back. Fuli and Ono helped adjust the snake's coils onto the hippo so that they wouldn't drag along the ground. They soon headed back to the Tree of Life whilst Kion continued the patrol with Bunga and Anga.

On the way back, Ono was able to properly air out what had quickly gotten on his mind since this morning.

"Fuli, you saw the python from so far away," he said. "That's incredible!"

"I mean, it's not every day that I get to be able to see so far. Usually I can get a good look just by running everywhere I go," said Fuli.

"Well, it's Poa," praised Beshte. "Those stripes of yours pack a punch."

"Yeah, I never thought I'd ever grow them in," Fuli said.

"Come to think of it, why did they never grow in?" Ono asked. "I've seen other cheetahs in the Pride Lands, and they had their eye-stripes when they were as old as you were when Kion picked you to be on the Guard."

"Well, funny story," chuckled the cheetah. "My older brothers always told me that my mom had too much Tuliza when she was expecting me. Guess she liked it a lot."

"What was your mom like?" asked Beshte.

"She was fast," Fuli answered. "Too fast for me to keep up with most of the time, even when we weren't running."

As Fuli explained, she continued to give out some chuckles and laughs though Ono, Beshte, and even the python looked at her awkwardly in confusion.

"Wherever she went, I'd follow, and wherever I went, she'd run from. When I was a kid, I always thought she was really competitive with how she'd never give up, no matter how exhausted she'd be," Fuli continued, still laughing, albeit forced. "One day, I challenged her to a race and she accepted without another word. I thought I was gonna win until we cleared the Urembo Meadows and I flanked behind. By the time I reached Nyani Grove, I couldn't see, hear, or track her at all. She was gone."

Fuli's chuckles became more melancholy before she sighed, remembering that day. Eventually a small grin came back as she finished the story.

"Anyways, my mom won that race, but if you ask me, she has no idea what she's missing out on," Fuli said. "So I guess she's the real loser."

"Indeed," said Ono.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Beshte nodded in agreement.

The three friends carried the python to the Tree of Life, where the Night Pride slept. They were awakened by the sound of footsteps entering the cave.

"Ugh, evening already?" Baliyo groaned.

"Sorry to wake you guys up, but we have a python who's injured. He'll need some medical assistance from Nirmala," Fuli explained.

Nirmala got up on her paws and shook herself awake to address the patient.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Caṭṭāna," replied the python. 

"Ok Caṭṭāna," Nirmala said. "Let's examine your coils."

As Nirmala went to heal the python, Fuli, Ono, Beshte, and the rest of the Night Pride headed out of the tree. The members of the Night Pride fanned out to find shady places to continue their slumber, while Beshte went to regroup with Kion. This left Fuli with Ono.

"So, how are you dealing with your new sight?"

"It's...coming along," Fuli nervously said. 

"What do you mean by that?" Ono asked.

"Well... sometimes I see too far," answered the cheetah. "I always thought I was the fastest, not the Keenest of Sight."

"Well, maybe as the former Keenest of Sight, I can help you!" Ono offered. "My vision's not as powerful as it once was, but I think I can help you master yours!"

"Asante!" Fuli said excitedly. In her excitement, she then chirped again. She and Ono laughed.

"Although I don't have to teach you on chirping. You're already too good at that."

Fuli and Ono laughed as they went to catch up with Beshte and the others.

Later that evening, the Lion Guard had come to the end of their shift. The team had broken off to do their own thing now that their patrol was done. Kion and Beshte went to greet Rani and Baliyo to spend time with them in between shifts, and wish them luck on the night patrol. Bunga went off with Binga to go on a date, and Anga had flown to Makini's tree to visit. Fuli and Ono had traveled to the Ākāśa cliffs; one of the highest vantage points in Jindagee. The perfect view over the kingdom.

"I remember when Rani showed us this spot when we first arrived here last year," Fuli said. "It's not only a great view, but it's the perfect vantage point to start our practice."

"Ok, let's begin," said Ono. "When using your enhanced vision, what you want to do is scan over the distance you're viewing. That way, you'll have better range and control of your sight, and can better access what you are targetting. Try it on those ice caps over there. See if you can see the penguins."

Fuli looked over the horizon. The sunset's fierce glare would otherwise make it hard to see, but in terms of vision, it was easy for Fuli. She scanned the territory from left to right, slowly and carefully, but also precise. It allowed herself to lock in on her intended target, which, in the case of her training, was the ice caps. There, she had seen Pinguino and his rockery playing on the slides.

"It's working!" Fuli. "I'm getting the hang of it! I see the penguins!"

"Yes!" Ono cheered in excitement. 

"Ok, now I want to try seeing somewhere else," Fuli said.

The cheetah searched for somewhere else, using the same methods as before. This time, her target area was the praries. There, she saw a herd of bison, plowing through their thick snowy environment. The view was perfect with precision, as if someone had given her eyes the highest quality cleaning.

"It's working!" Fuli said.

"You're a really fast learner," Ono told Fuli.

"Yup," Fuli replied. "I think this'll turn out okay."

For the next few days, Fuli had trained with Ono. Occasionally, Anga had joined in to help her. The two avians on the Guard had slowly adjusted Fuli with her new strength in spite of her new weakness. In turn, the missions had gone better as well. Fuli was better able to help the Lion Guard. But she would soon find out that it wouldn't be the only skill she would learn...

The Lion Guard headed to the snowy woods after getting a tip-off from Ullu. Varya, the mother tigress who was allowed into the Tree of Life on the day of Rani's coronation, had asked the Guard for assistance. Her cubs had attempted to learn how to swim, but had gotten themselves stuck on a rock in the middle of the cold rapids.

"I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen," said Varya. "I would go in myself, but I'm not the strongest swimmer."

"Well luckily, our Strongest is a swimmer!" Bunga boasted.

"The water might be too cold," Kion warned the hippo. "Do you think you can handle it?"

"Not if I go fast," Beshte said. "Twende Kiboko!"

As Beshte performed the rescue, swimming past the rapids and harboring the tiger cubs back to safety, Fuli watched out of curiosity. She was always very glad that one of her teammates was specialized in swimming, as she rarely liked getting wet. But now she couldn't help but consider, even for a little bit if it was something she could take up with. In this particular instance, it would definitely be worth it.

When the mission was over, the Lion Guard had left to get Beshte someplace warm near a river-bank. There, Fuli would be able to ask Beshte the question she didn't know she'd want answers for.

"You want me to teach you how to swim?"

"Let's just say, I want to be better at swimming," Fuli said. "Like you!"

"But you hate water!"

"I still do, but.. since my speed isn't gonna be useful for a while, I have to improvise. Ono helped me with my new sight. Maybe you can help me with how to be a better swimmer?"

"I definitely can," Beshte obliged. "If you can cooperate."

"If I have to," she grumbled.

"Great!"

Later that day, Beshte and Fuli were at Pratimba; The River of Patience. The currents were strong as it normally was, though not to a dangerous degree like it was in the snowy woods. Usually, in order to get across, one must hop on logs that frequently drift by around the bend.

They don't usually get IN.

But with Beshte and Fuli, it was certainly going out that way.

"Okay, so what we're going to do is swim three full laps around the bend. This will help you learn endurance in the water."

"Three??" Fuli exclaimed.

"I could make it four if you like," Beshte said with an smug grin on his face.

"Three it is!" 

Beshte went into the river. The current was no match for the unmovable force that was the adolescent powerhouse of a pachyderm. Fuli dipped her paw into the water, cringing at how it soaked into her fur.

"Water," she mumbled under her breath. "Why did it have to be water?"

Beshte noticed Fuli's hesitance and turned to face her.

"Fuli, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to," he spoke sympathetically. 

Fuli smiled at her friend's generosity and understanding, but shook her head. She wanted to do this. She needed to do this. She was just going to have to grin and bear it.

Well, bear it at least.

The cheetah shuddered as she felt the water crawl upon her fur, as if the weight of a thousand boulders had reached the very layers of her skin. She was a lean cat, but she genuinely felt bloated. Still, she didn't want to give up.

She kicked her front and back legs in order to get whatever movement she could in the water. Her and Beshte swam in the direction of the current so there was definitely an advantage.

She followed behind Beshte, who was purposefully slow so that she could catch up with him. It wasn't a race, in fact, it was quite the furthest thing from.

They were able to clear the first lap in due time. Beshte stayed close to make sure that Fuli was alright, knowing how often she overestimates herself. Though he wanted to make sure that the opposite didn't happen.

Fuli was noticeably discomforted, but she continued to insist that this was what she needed to accomplish. 

By the second lap, Beshte started swimming slightly faster. Fuli felt herself going faster as well. Still horrifically waterlogged on her fur, but she could tell that she was lasting far longer in movement. The water next to her glimmered as a shiny fish swam past her. A devious smile came over her face.

Looks like this is a good time to test my hunting skills, Fuli thought.

She started paddling even harder to pick up speed, following the fish and passing Beshte, surprisedly. She tried to mimic her swimming with how she moved on land; zigging and zagging to exhaust her prey. Unfortunately, her tail was no match for that of a fish's tail, as it turned around to leap clear over Fuli's head.

Fuli turned around in frustration as her target alluded her, and she hadn't been paying attention to the current. It thus came as a major surprise when she had gotten one of her hind legs caught in the reeds, snagging her. She tried to wriggle free but couldn't. Great.

Beshte had caught up to her in no time. He dove underwater and was able to bite the reeds clean off of Fuli's leg, freeing her. By now, they had completed the 3rd and final lap. Fuli was exhausted, wet, cold and humiliated; and doing a poor job at hiding it.

The hippo carried his feline friend out of the water where she shook off the water and flopped onto the ground to rest. The warm afternoon sun was just starting to dry Fuli off, which mitigated the wound to her pride.

"What happened back there?" Beshte asked.

"I... got distracted," confessed Fuli. "I wanted to practice my hunting skills without high speed so I went after.... a fish."

"The practice wasn't about hunting. It was about endurance," Beshte explained. 

"Well, maybe I wanted to do both," Fuli sighed. "I don't know, I just want to not fail."

"Nobody said you failed," encouraged Beshte.

"Well maybe it goes without saying," Fuli said. "Because it's my own fault I'm in this.

"How is it your fault?" asked the Strongest.

"I pushed myself too hard when heading for the medicine. Even when I was at my fastest, it wasn't fast enough to save the mother porcupine," Fuli explained with a shaky voice. "It's because of me that three little porcupines lost their mom. The reason why everything went wrong with that emu and raven you told me about is because of the race that was made to replace me, because I was out of action."

Fuli started to break the more she blamed herself and started uncontrollably sobbing. "I just want to not be awful at being what I should be. That way, no one else, not another innocent animal, or any of you, can get hurt because of me."

Beshte gently placed his hoof next to Fuli's paw.

"Don't blame yourself for this. None of this was your fault. None of it at all," consoled the hippo. You were trying to save a life. That's why you rushed yourself. The mother porcupine.....we all feel bad for that. But her kids are being cared for. And all of that stuff with the race? It's Kert-Kert's fault. Because he only cared for himself. He never had anyone else's best interests at heart, and did whatever he could to help himself by hurting other people. He was a selfish prick. Everything you're not."

Fuli remained silent. Beshte continued.

"You know what my mom used to tell me?" Beshte said. "Failure is the bottom of the hill, success is the top. You can make your way up, you can fall back down, but without the bottom, the top wouldn't exist. You can learn from your mistakes. You're not defined by your failures. And if you think you are, I'll always be here to prove you wrong."

Hearing this allowed Fuli to smile. Beshte was right. It didn't make her feel that less guilty, but it was what she needed to hear.

"Asante Sana," Fuli thanked tearfully.

"Hakuna Matata," Beshte replied before giving Fuli a happy hippo hug. "Wanna head back home with me?"

"No, I think I'll stay behind here and rest," Fuli said. "At least until I'm dry."

"Alright then. See you later!"

As Beshte went back to the Tree of Life, Fuli continued to bask in the sun. She soon dozed off to sleep, allowing the weight of the water --- and her burdens --- to evaporate.

The rest of that day went on as usual. The rising of the moon had allowed the end of the Lion Guard's shift and the start of the Night Pride's. In spite of Rani and the Night Pride patrolled around, checking on, and helping any animals in need. Ullu remained near the mountain pass to watch for any animals lurking around, either in need of the Night Pride's assistance, or intruders looking for trouble.

Her watch was sharp and attentive, hence why she was able to easily spot two animals trying to sneak through the pass. As she got a better look, she noticed both of them were cheetahs, neither of them resembling Azaad or Fuli.

"Who goes there?" she asked.

"You could say the same yourself!" said the older cheetah with a darker pelt.

"I am Ullu. I am one of the guards of these lands. Who are you?"

A brief moment of silence followed before the two cheetahs smirked evily.

"Your new land owner," said the younger cheetah with a lighter pelt.

The felid grabbed a large rock with her mouth, and with all her might, flung it into a beehive. She used her claws to swipe at the nest as it fell, tossing it towards Ullu's direction. Although the owl was able to dodge it, she couldn't save the hive from getting crushed by the fall. Honey, and the bodies of bees that never would've woken up splatted below her, and in a few seconds, the many bees that did survive took no time to levitate into the air as one, buzzing angrily in blind vengeance. As the rouges slinked away, the bees all rushed at Ullu, their stingers at the ready. The owl was forced to take flight into the skies to hide, her quick flying and agility being her only salvation against the fury of a thousand stingers.

~~~

The nocturnal animals at the Tree of Life were active, ready to hunt whatever they could find. 

A caracal cat was in the scrublands, stalking a flock of small antelopes, oblivious to the danger they were in. She had her prey right in her sights thanks to her scoptic vision. When she had gotten close enough, she sprang for the kill. As good as she was a jumper, she was also a good sprinter, silently dashing towards her target before making the kill, scaring the other antelope away. Once the kill was secured, she began to head back to her den, but as she turned around, she was met with the uncanny grin of a cheetah with hunger in her eyes.

Still holding the prey in her mouth, she turned around, only to see the equally terrifying sight of an adult cheetah.

"Hand over that antelope," commanded the cheetah known as Sari. "Thank you for collecting it for us!"

"This isn't for you!" hissed the caracal. "It's for my cubs!"

"Well go find something else then!" hissed the cheetah known as Tari "Or else those little cubs are going to be orphans!"

The caracal trembled in seeing the behemoth of felines threaten her. But she wasn't going to back down. Ever. 

In a blur of fury, she scratched Sari in the face and leapt on top of her, scratching and laying in several wounds. As she did so, she dropped the antelope that she had killed. Sari's sister, Tari, was about to lunge for it, but the caracal lunged onto her face, biting deeply into her skin and nearly clawing her eyes out. Hearing her attacker scream made her feel secure enough to grap her prey and go.

"GET HER!"

Sari and Tari barrelled after the smaller feline. They knew their target would be tempting fate, but they also knew that she would be able to beat them in the long game, so they had to think smart. Sari kept behind the caracal, whilst Tari slunk in ahead, waiting. When the target had come close enough, Tari lunged to strike her down, but the caracal sprang clear over her head, leaving her in the dust again. Frustrated, the two cheetahs decided to take the easy way out; Hunting her down like prey.

In milliseconds, both of them were practically on the smaller cat's tail, and they both slashed her legs, tripping her up and knocking her down a hill. Dazed, the caracal looked up and saw two yellow super-predators inching along after her.

"We told you to give up the food," growled Tari. "I think it's fair that we teach you a lesson in manners."

The two cheetahs charged at the caracal, their teeth and claws sprawled out. As they had bore down on the feline, a bloodcurdling scream was heard.

Ullu manuvered throughout the air, flying as far as she could above the kingdom. She had to stay close enough to warn the Night Pride, but far enough so that they wouldn't get stung by the horde.

After some quick turning, Ullu eventually was able to hide in the leaves of a tree. The bees circled the tree, but found nothing. They soon went back to their hive... at least what was left of it.

When Ullu was safe, she went to warn the Night Pride on patrol. When Ullu told them about the cheetahs throwing the bee-hive at her, Rani was furious. She instantly ordered her to warn the Lion Guard, deeming this a situation that requires their attention. Ullu did not hesitate to follow her orders and went to the Tree of Life to wake up the Guard.

"Lion Guard!" she yelled. "Lion Guard!"

The Guard immediately woke up, startled. 

"What is it Ullu?" Kion asked.

"Two intruding cheetahs are on the loose at the Tree of Life!"

"Intruders?" Fuli asked nervously.

"I warned the Night Pride first. Queen Rani told me to alert you."

"Thanks for the warning Ullu," Kion said. Ullu flew off to reconvene.

The Lion Guard went off to help the Night Pride find the intruders. Fuli's heart-beat elevated in anxiety. She wouldn't have her speed to help her fight. What's more, she was fighting other cheetahs, who had the advantage of both sight and speed. But remembering Beshte's advice, and the assistance of Anga and Ono, she knew she'd find some way. Somehow. She had to.

Joining with the Night Pride, the two groups attempted to find the intruders. Anga flew into the skies, whilst Fuli climbed into a nearby tree. She wasn't the best climber, but she didn't have to be. All she needed to do was to a high vantage point to see. She saw her avian ally reaching altitude, who saw her high up into the trees. If they were going to spot the attackers, it would be a team effort.

Fuli and Anga channeled the natural powers within their eyes to behold beyond the horizon, dampened by the black skies of the night. Within the scopes of their vision, they found two unfamiliar cheetahs chasing a caracal over food. She recognized it as the same caracal that Fuli had scared by accident earlier on, and is now living through that fear once again. Fuli felt sick to her stomach seeing the torment taking place, remembering the day she saw two cheetahs accomplish something similar in the Pride Lands. That was not going to happen again.

Fuli and Anga went down to inform the Lion Guard.

"Two cheetahs attacking a caracal," Anga explained. "Trying to steal her food."

"How disgusting," cringed Bunga. "I'll slap those spots silly off of 'em!"

"We have to make sure those poachers leave the Tree of Life," Kion ordered. 

"Kion," Fuli interrupted. "I think I have a plan to get those cheetahs to leave."

"Oh, what's the plan?"

Fuli explained it to the rest of the group in detail. She hadn't entirely thought everything through, and got some reasonable criticism and suggestions. Knowing that they were going to do this together, Fuli accepted the advise to make the plan better.

"Are you sure that's gonna work?" Baliyo asked.

"Well it's the best thing I can come up with so far. And we'll need to be quick," Fuli said.

"Well I for one agree!" cheered Bunga. "Let's do it!"

"Then it's settled then. Let's move out," Kion said.

With strength and respect, Night Pride protect

'Until the end, Lion Guard defend!

The cheetah sisters, Tari and Sari had the caracal cornered and were ready to attack her relentlessly --- all over the caracass of an antelope.

They bore down on her, biting, kicking, and slashing at her, ignoring her pleads for mercy. As they were doing so, a loud roar shook the earth, halting everyone in their tracks. Dust rose in the air from the vibrations to the ground, and when it had settled, eight animals - five lions, a honey badger, a hippo, and the same owl they encountered at the pass - were facing them down.

"Leave that caracal alone!" Kion demanded. "She earned that food. It would do you good to do the same, somewhere FAR away!"

"I don't see her name on it!" Tari said. "Do you Sari?"

"No Tari!" said Sari. "All I see is a golden opportunity!"

Rani then stepped forward, losing her patience.

"You attacked our scout, invaded the Tree of Life, poached from and attacked an innocent animal. You're not welcome here!"

"Says who?" Sari sarcastically asked.

"Says the Queen," Rani retorted. 

"Well Queen," Tari mocked. "If you're in charge, how come you didn't show up when we caused that rockslide!"

"That was you?!" Beshte exclaimed.

"There was no way we were going to take on an entire python," Sari chuckled. "So we decided to give ourselves a push to better fortune. It was really easy sneaking in at dawn when everyone's tired. Unfortunately, the idiot kept crying for help and we decided that our time would come again. I just didn't expect that stupid owl to show up."

The Night Pride grimaced at hearing these poachers insult Ullu, but they couldn't do anything to attack. All part of the plan.

Whilst the Guard and Night Pride had the cheetahs distracted with threats, Ono, Anga, and Fuli doubled around until they were behind the cheetahs and the caracal they had brutalized. She had gotten on her feet with several bruises and cuts. Her hearing however, was as impeccable as ever as she noticed the three animals heading towards her. She fought the urge to yelp in surprise, knowing that it would do her no good. She guessed very well that it was a stealth mission, and that she'd have to play along.

Slowly, silently, and surely, she krept away. She looked at the recent kill she made, then up at the cheetahs, who still hadn't notice her. If she took the antelope caracass, she would be caught for sure. She was too weak to run away, and there'd be no doubt that if she tried to escape with them in her sights, she would not make it away. Swallowing her pride, she had no choice but to give up her prey... again.

She reached Ono, Fuli, and Anga at a reasonable distance from the cheetahs. They crept away until they were out of earshot. 

"Thank you," whispered the caracal. 

"You'll be alright soon," said Fuli. "What's your name?"

"Khutwa," said the caracal. 

"Ok Khutwa," Ono whispered. "You will be sent back to your home with your cubs where it's safe. Do you know the way?"

"Yes, I do," whispered Khutwa. "It's not too far east."

"Okay, head there as fast as you can," Anga whispered. "We'll make sure the poachers leave."

"Meanwhile, I'm going to take back what those cheetahs have stolen from you," Fuli said. "I promise."

Khutwa couldn't help but shake her head in surprise. 

"You'd do that?"

"I made a promise to myself a long time ago that when I had the power to, I would make sure something like this would never happen. And now I promise you that you'll get justice for this," vowed the Fastest. "Naahidi"

"Thank you," Khutwa shakily said.

"Now go. Don't look back. Secure your cubs and keep them safe. We'll let you know when it's safe," Fuli stated.

Khutwa began to head back to her den, but paused to look back at Fuli, Ono, and Anga.

"Good luck," she said in a deadpan voice before sprinting off. When she was out of sight, that's when Anga, Fuli, and Ono made their move.

As the guardians distracted the cheetahs, Ono and Anga flew above, carrying rocks in their feet, right above the cheetahs' heads. When they were in view, Kion gave a smirk and started to speak.

"This is your last chance to leave cheetahs," Kion said. "Before someone gets hurt."

"Who? You?" Sari cackled. As she and her sister laughed, Ono and Anga dropped the rocks onto their heads. In the quick spot of sudden confusion, Fuli grabbed the antelope caracass. When Tari and Sari had regained focus, they saw Fuli with the antelope caracass.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH OUR MEAL?!"

"I didn't see your name on it?" Fuli mocked with her mouth still full.

The cheetah sisters saw that Fuli had the same strange marking that the King and Queen of the Tree of Life had on the right shoulder. They were in cohorts somehow... that means.

"You let her get away," Tari growled.

"Yup. And now I'm gonna get away with delivering your meal!" said Fuli. "Unless you catch me!"

Fuli then ran off. This signaled the Lion Guard to fan out.Sari and Tari went straight into pursuit. Fuli knew where the caracal was, and had the food they stole. She was most definitely gonna lead them to where the caracal was. Good. They'd get revenge, and a meal in one fell swoop.

Fuli knew she wasn't fast enough to outrun them directly, no matter how much she zigged and zagged. But she could still find ways to keep herself out of reach. She saw the horns of the currently dead antelope that she was carrying. Sharp and erect.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

Fuli halted, allowing the cheetahs to catch up to her. Her lack of movement gave them enough confidence to rush in as well as they could. Too much confidence to ever expect a fellow cheetah of theirs to use a corpse to beat them senselessly.

"Take that! And that! And that!"

Fuli made sure to direct the horns, specifically the sharp tips, straight to the face. When one cheetah backed away, she'd gun for the other that was only a second slower, and vice versa. She knew to aim for the eyes and noses, the most vulnerable parts of the face. When the cheetahs had covered their faces to protect any permanent damage, that is when Fuli found enough time to think of an escape methods. Using her sharp eyesight, she spotted a sea of tall grass to hide in. Tari and Sari's vision came to and she was gone. 

They tried to sniff her out, but the dead antelope's horns that Fuli had used to beat them with had badly bruised their noses, hindering their ability to smell.

"Split up," Sari demanded. "Do not let her out of your sight."

The sisters split up to search for Fuli. The grass was tall, tall enough for prey to hide within. But also tall enough for a predator to blend in with. The only question was who hunted who.

Fuli continued to carry the carcass. She was not going to let the cheetahs get away with it, not after she promised to return it to Khutwa and her cubs. But she was cornered and outran. That's when she remembered what Beshte told her yesterday.

"Failure is the bottom of the hill, success is the top. You can make your way up, you can fall back down, but without the bottom, the top wouldn't exist. You can learn from your mistakes."

She had to, now more than ever. 

Chirp!

"You say something Tari?" asked Sari.

"That wasn't me!"

Chirp!

"There it is again!" Sari asked. 

They perked their ears in the direction of the chirps. They may have found their target.

As they crept forward, the chirps stopped, but the sisters remained as silent as ever. Once again, expecting to corner Fuli, they attacked, but found nothing.

The cheetah may not have been as lightning fast as she was, but she knew how to keep herself endured and one step ahead. Using the element of surprise, she once again used the horns of the antelope's carcass to knock the cheetahs clear off their feet. She then dropped the carcass and rushed straight towards Tari and Sari with all of her might.

"Huwezi!"

Although it was two against one, Fuli's quick wits were enough of a match against Sari and Tari's quick moves, especially having taken heavy blows. Finally, she managed to pin them both down on their backs and apply a firm grip. The predator had captured her prey.

"No fair," coughed Tari, still dazed. "You dirty cheater!" Fuli gloated in victory with a smirk. "I wouldn't call it that. I'd call it cheetah-ing!"

When Fuli had caught the cheetahs, the Lion Guard had arrived to the scene. Fuli's plan had worked. The caracal was safe and the cheetahs were caught. Exhausted, humiliated, hungry, outnumbered and defeated, the cheetahs ran off, straight for the mountain pass. Sari looked back at Fuli threateningly.

"I won't forget this Fuli and neither should you," she hissed. "Heed this one warning: A cheater can't beat a cheetah."

"That's some good advice," Fuli said, waving Sari goodbye. "Hopefully you and your sister will learn that one day!"

Sari growled and continued to run.

"I'll make sure they stay out," Ullu said, flying after them.

"You did it Fuli!" Kion said. "You pulled it off. And all without your speed."

"Well, I had some sense and wisdom knocked into me," said Fuli, looking generously at Ono, Anga and Beshte. "Thanks again for having my back."

"We like having you back too as well," Beshte said. "Speed or no speed."

"It'll be nice having somene around who can also see pretty far," Anga complimented.

"Especially when she's someone brave enough to take on 2 cheetahs and win!" Bunga cheered.

"And smart enough to orchestrate a great plan to take them down!" Ono added.

"And fierce enough not to give up, in protecting the caracals" finished Kion.

Fuli chuckled. "I guess that's just the way of the cheetah." She looked at the antelope caracass that surprisingly took very little damage in the battle against Sari and Tari. "But there's one more thing I have to do."

When Khutwa had ran to her den, she immediately found her cubs waiting for dinnertime. It wasn't easy for her in her shocked state to explain that she was being chased and ordered to hide by the Lion Guard. The only thing that mattered was getting underground in the abandoned aardvark hole that they resided in, and staying down there until further notice. She kept her cubs close, telling them it was going to be okay, they would be alright.

She was mostly telling herself that as well. Eventually, they drifted off to sleep, hoping that they would wake up in the next morning for all to be just a horrible nightmare.

And woke up they did. However, they heard voices calling out to them. They assumed it was the cheetahs who arrived to finish them off, but the familiarity of one of the voices put Khutwa at ease.

She carefully stepped out of the den to be met with the sharp glare of the sun. When her vision adjusted, she saw in front of her two green eyes.

"Khutwa," Fuli calmly told her.

"Oh it's you," Khutwa sighed in relief.

"Yes it is," Fuli explained "We expelled the cheetahs from the Pride Lands. They won't threaten you and your family again."

"You're sure?"

Fuli nodded her head yes. The family was safe.

"Kids, we're alright!"

The cubs wandered out of the hole to see the Lion Guard along with Queen Rani.

"We can escort you to the Tree of Life-"

"It's alright," Khutwa brushed off. "In the moment it hurt like hell, but if I'm going to be honest, I've been through far worse."

"I know how that feels," said Rani, knowing what the smaller feline meant.

Fuli walked back to give Khutwa some space. 

"Khutwa, I wanted to apologize for scaring you. I was frustrated that I couldn't get a hunt, especially since..... I got into an accident and couldn't run too fast. I never meant to scare you, and I never wanted to steal your prey," Fuli apologized. "I know that other animals will take advantage of you, including cheetahs. I saw it happen when I was young and I promised I'd never let myself fall into that trap."

"Apology accepted," Khutwa replied. "I should've known you wouldn't have hurt me. I guess when I saw a big angry cheetah growling at me after I made a kill, my instincts kicked in to flee for my own safety. It... reminded me of the reason why I decided to come to the Tree of Life to raise my cubs Like I said, I've been through far worse. You did nothing wrong, and after last night, I am forever grateful towards you and your friends."

"I'm glad that we could start over," said Fuli. "And as promised, here is your meal. Rightfully returned."

Fuli stepped aside to reveal the antelope carcass. Khutwa's face lit up as she saw Fuli's promise well-kept in front of her eyes.

"Breakfast time!"

Khutwa and the cubs messily dug into the carcass. One of the little cubs tried ripping off a tough piece of meat but lost his grip and fell onto his back.

"Wow, that little guy sure is brave," Bunga said.

"Maybe brave bordering on silly," nudged Kion.

As the caracals enjoyed their well-earned breakfast in peace, the Lion Guard returned to the Tree of Life. Fuli was back and now, the team of friends were together again, ready to take on whatever was in store for them.

Chapter Text

Chapter 20: The Problem With Piranhas

In the wet, warm, humid tropical rainforest, the animals were at their daily natural routines. A giant hummingbird had been hovering, collecting sugary nectar from her favorite flowers to stay active in her vigorous flight pattern. She had flown over the river on her way home to see her mate and chicks, but she had caught notice of something in the corner of her eye. 

Several carcasses of various animals were floating alongside the river, lined up like a watery parade of death. Flies had surrounded them, indicating that they had been floating up-stream for quite some time. She saw other animals, fleeing from the water. None of them wanted to even witness the watery parade of decay.

This was not natural. Not one bit. And there was only one way to get to the bottom of this. And that way took the hummingbird beyond her humid environment all the way to the large tree in the heart of the kingdom.

———————————————————————————————————————

Kion and his friends were inside the Tree of Life. Makini wanted to show them new paintings she had found. Well, they weren’t entirely new. They were made by previous Mjuzis before her. Paintings of many animals that the Lion Guard never saw in the Pride Lands. Not even Ono had heard of these animals, so there were no ends to the intrigue.

“I think that one’s a python?” Kion said, looking at a painting of a large green snake. “ But it’s huge!”

“You wanna see huge? Look!” Fuli said, pointing to a painting of what highly resembled a large cheetah. “I’ve never seen a cheetah that humongous before!”

“Or monkeys!” Bunga exclaimed, pointing at paintings of monkeys that resembled spiders.

“That eagle looks cool,” said Anga, sitting next to Ono seeing the same painting.

There were so many amazing animals on the walls. When Makini pulled back the vines, she saw something that horrified her. When the Lion Guard looked, they had the same reaction as well.

They appeared to be some sort of fish, but something was very amiss. They had large mouths, teeth as sharp as a crocodile’s, but way, way bigger. Their eyes were red, as red as blood. And these fish seemed to be hungry for blood, as the paintings showed them chasing other fish, and even other strange-looking animals.

“Kabisa,” Kion muttered. “What are those?”

“I… I don’t know,” Makini shuddered. “But they’re horrifying.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Ono. “And I don’t think I want to.”

“Well apparently, if these were painted by past Mjuzis, then these animals live here at the Tree of Life,” Fuli harped. “Do you think they could be dangerous?”

“I don’t know,” Makini said. “I just hope I never have to meet them.” The rest of the Guard agreed in unison.

Having had enough of the exhibit, they went outside. It is now January, the start of the new year. The winter dry season would be over in a few months, though it was slightly cooler than it had been in the previous two months that the Guard had stayed at the Tree of Life. Whilst the weather was a pleasant surprise, what wasn’t so pleasant was the small bird flying towards them, struggling to remain airborne. She managed to gasp breaths for help aimed at the Lion Guard, before plummeting like a stone. Bunga had been quick enough to catch her, and get a look at her. She was very weak.

 “Flower,” weakly chirped the bird. “Flower… Fly …”

Seeing a nearby field of flowers, Bunga, accompanied by his friends, took the hummingbird to one of the flowers. They didn’t have much of an idea what she needed them for, but they could ask questions later. The honey badger neared the hummingbird very close to the flowers, close enough to make contact with her long pointed beak. She used it to sap the sugary nectar from the flower, feeling more and more vigor enter her body. With a few breaths, her wings began to rotate in a synchronized fashion, elevating her in the air to hover. The Guard marveled in the sight of this hovering bird, whose feathers shone in the daylight. Seeing this animal in person made Ono realize who this bird was.

“A hummingbird,” Ono gasped. “I can’t believe I’m seeing one!”

The Lion Guard remembered Ono’s rambling about hummingbirds from his youth, relayed to him by the stories from his adoptive mother, who no doubt met many hummingbirds on her travels. They were just as in awe as he was to see one up close. “Are you alright?” Fuli asked. “I am now, thanks to you,” said the hummingbird. “Happy to help,” replied Bunga. “You are Unbungalieveable!” “You’re like a little flower that flies!” exclaimed Makini.

As happy as the hummingbird was to be receiving compliments, she didn’t forget the reason why she arrived. The hovering avian that introduced herself as Ocho spoke to the Lion Guard about her plight; About the horrific scene she witnessed in the river, the carcasses that polluted the water.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before,” spoke Ocho. “I’m at a loss when it comes to whatever could be the cause for this, that’s why I came to you for help.”

“What could possibly have caused this?” Beshte asked. “I don’t think we’ve ever had much of a problem like that in the Pride Lands.” 

“Unless it’s someone who’s hunting for sport,” Kion suggested. “Was there any suspicious activity in the rainforest?” 

“Well, I overheard some animals complaining,” said Ocho. “I don't know the specifics, but it was something about pirahnas.”

“Pirahnas?”

“Creatures of the river,” said a familiar voice. It was Nirmala, who had been taking her break from patrols during the daytime. “Small fish with large teeth, and a large appetite.”

The Guard’s spines ran ice-cold. That perfectly matched the description of the paintings Makini showed them earlier. Nirmala continued.

“They live in the rivers flowing through Ocho’s habitat; The Amazon. One of many that the Tree of Life is home to.” 

“So you’re saying the piranhas are the ones responsible for causing this trouble?” Kion asked.

“They're definitely connected to it in some way. You should find them and investigate."

“But why?” Ono asked. “We barely know anything about them!”

“And from what we saw in Makini’s paintings, they don’t look like any animal that would need saving ,” Fuli argued.

“You should’ve seen them!” said Bunga. “They had shifty little eyes… cold, dead, and red. And sharp fangs. Fangs that look like they could shred you to bits! Those piranhas could give the Zimwi a run for his money – if he were real!”

Nirmala sighed, hearing this. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard such things be said about piranhas. 

“What do you think, Kion?” she asked her nephew-in-law.

Kion wanted to agree with his friends. They only just found out about this animal and from what they’ve learned, it doesn’t paint a flattering appearance. But if they were behind the pollution in the river, it would do no good to abstain from trying to help. He also knew that it did no good to judge without knowing. Leap to conclusions, you leap to confusions ’ he would always hear Rafiki say back in the Pride Lands. His encounters with Jasiri and Makuu were very first-hand learning experiences. Finally, the King had made up his mind.

"The Circle of Life is depending on us," Kion told his team. "Whatever is the deal with this fish, we have to face it. No matter what."

Not knowing anything else to say, the Lion Guard and Makini followed Ocho in the direction of her home habitat, the Amazon. As they walked away, Nirmala felt a slight gust of wind brushing against her fur as her mark of the Night Pride glowed.

“Yes, mother,” she said. “I know what I’m doing. If they're to defend the Circle of Life, they must understand what they are yet to know, and protect it for the future.”

The Lion Guard followed the giant hummingbird all the way to the edge of the rainforest; Trees as far as the eyes can see. 

"The river is within the heart of the rainforest," Ocho explained. "We'll need to stay close in order to find it." 

The Guard listened closely and stuck together as they entered the dense jungle with vines and plants in their paths. Anga and Ono would've flown above the trees, but there were so many of them in the canopy that it would've been impossible to keep up with the land-dwellers. As such, they were grounded.

"Ugh, so many trees in the way!” Fuli complained. “I can barely see my own nose in front of my face!”

"Instead of the Amazon, they should call it the A-MESS-Zon!” Bunga said whilst untangling himself from the vines.

“I hate jungles,” complained Anga. “How much further until we get to the river?”

”We just have to go down the hill and a few more miles ahead before we reach a clearing!” Ocho said. The hummingbird soon began to feel the vigor in her body escaping. Looking around her, she found a colorful flower and hovered towards it to refuel. Only problem was that flower was behind everyone.

“Of course now is the time for a drink,” Fuli complained under her breath. 

Ocho came back and continued to guide the Lion Guard, taking breaks to refuel with nectar every 10 minutes. As she refueled, Fuli and Bunga talked amongst themselves.

”We’re going through all of that trouble for some creepy looking fish?” Bunga muttered to himself. Fuli had heard him and normally she would eyeroll at the mustelid's cockiness, but today she couldn't help but agree. Maybe if the fish were like the ones back home, the ones that looked pleasant instead of whatever they were on the paintings, she'd be more on board with this. She shot Bunga a look and he knew that they were both thinking the same thing.

Ono saw their interaction and whilst he wanted to agree with them, he was more cautious. Until he knew more about them, until he learned that they weren't as intimidating as they appeared, he'd heed with caution. The egret could only hope that he was wrong, if anything to allow his mind to rest.

After several more miles of walking, they reached a clearing in the rainforest, adjacent to a riverbank. The Lion Guard was relieved to see something other than masses of green; at least for 2 seconds until they saw what Ocho had seen this morning. The numerous carcasses floating along the river. It was quite disturbing. Several vultures had circled up high, glancing what was to them, a feast. They dove, snatching the wet carrion into the air. But their numbers did not match that of the carrion and they couldn't collect it all.

"Those vultures seem to be the only ones enjoying any of this," Bunga observed.

"As much as those vultures are scavenging, it's not doing that much to help. There's something else," said Ono.

Kion gave out a suggestion. "Maybe those vultures can give us an answer."

Kion followed the relishing raptors to a nearby tree where they went into feast. He used all of his willpower not to vomit at the mere smell of whatever they were eating.

"Excuse me?" he said.

The two vultures continued to nibble at what looked to be the remains of a crocodile.

"Hello?" Kion said again, louder.

The vultures, still pre-occupied with their lunch, kept ignoring him.

"VULTURES!" Kion roared, scaring the feathers off some of them. They looked down and saw the King. Annoyed at the interruption, but not willing to argue, they flew down, carrying the carrion with them.

"Hola your majesty," greeted the vultures' patriarch. "We are the family Buitres. This is my mate, Dama, and my daughter Garra, and son Alto. You can call me Rey."

"Nice to meet you Rey," Kion said. "Sorry for being loud, but I was wondering. Have you heard or seen anything from or about the pirahnas? A source told us that they might have something to do with the pollution in the river."

"Your majesty, we are birds of prey. The only thing we do with fish is look down on them." Rey took another bite out of carrion. 

The Buitres laughed and squawked in agreement. 

"Besides, with all the stories we've heard about them, it's better that way."

"What stories?" asked Kion.

"Stories of killer fish that roam the waters," said Dama. "Ones with bellies as red as the blood that feeds them, hunting in packs."

"I think the correct term is schools," Ono said. "Common knowledge really."

"Well, hopefully you have the common knowledge to stay away from them!" Dama screeched. "They scourage the river, looking for their next victims."

"As soon as they smell another creatures' blood, they will go mad with hunger, and will leave no survivors."

As the vulture family continued their stories, the Lion Guard felt more and more disturbed by these graphic descriptions, which all but matched the paintings within the Tree of Life.

"Is... is this true?" asked an uneasy Kion.

"Yes, it is," Rey responded. "They are the most ferocious fish in the world. Even the most formidable ones I've heard of like sharks, will attack things smaller than themselves. But these beasts will attack animals larger than themselves" ~~~ Beshte lowered his ears and backed away upon hearing that ~~~ "Any hand, claw, wing, or hoof that enters the water will be snapped off in the blink of an eye. They mutilate swimmers. Blood in the water excites them to madness: They can and will tear wounded wild fowl to shreds, and bite off the tails of fish that lose the will to fight... along with their lives."

The Lion Guard were now beyond terrified. Each and every image that played in their head was more morbid than the next. Kion above all else was scared, but not just from the stories, but from what they implied.

"So you think these pirahnas are the culprit for all of this?" Kion asked.

"They may as well be," Rey scoffed. "What other animal is capable of leaving such destruction?"

"And you're sitting around here eating what they leave behind?!" Bunga exclaimed.

"That is what scavengers do," Dama said. "Eaters of the uneaten. Although we might be biting off more than we can chew here with such a quantity."

"That's all I need to hear," said Kion. "Thank you."

"You're welcome your majesty," said Rey. "I can only wish you good luck in your endeavours and to stay safe."

"Believe me, we will," Kion said in a stern tone. 

As the vultures returned to their feast, Kion regrouped with the Lion Guard to discuss the matter.

"I don't think there's anymore doubt now," Bunga angrily. "Those pirahnas are responsible for killing all of those animals!"

"No arguments here," said Fuli. 

Ono remained silent, too scared and confused to comment.

"I'm just glad that I can fly high above those creeps," Anga said. "The food chain can do the rest from there."

"This doesn't make sense," Beshte said. "How can so many fish cause this much destruction?"

"I think the term "blood-thirsty" can answer your question Big B," Bunga replied.

"Still, it's impossible... at least... I hope it is,"

"Those paintings were right," Makini sighed. "Those fish are bad news. Really bad news!"

"I think they are as well," Kion said. "Which is why we're going to keep looking for them."

"WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed in confusion. Kion continued explaining.

"I have the Roar of the Elders, and I've mastered the power. Which  I can use it to defend us against the pirahnas if they cause anymore trouble. We'll have nothing to fear."

"Bright idea Kion," complimented the Bravest. "I wonder why I didn't think of that."

As the rest of the Lion Guard agreed, Kion trembled, still shaken by the thoughts of what the pirahans could do to him. But he was nevertheless willing to push his feelings aside for the greater good, and signaled the rest of the team to move.

The Guard followed Ocho up-river in search of the piranhas. They were ready for anything now; 

The smell of carrion submerged in the river only got stronger and stronger as the Lion Guard traveled up river. There was no sign of life. Not even fish. Ocho had been grateful that she had no sense of smell, as she felt pity towards the Lion Guard that were able to smell everything that emitted from the river.

The vultures’ stories of the piranhas remained on everyone’s minds. Though Kion made a good case in their defense, they still were ready to assume the worst and ready to off the pirahnas to defend the wildlife.

Kion lingered on his thoughts. Although he was in his right to use the Roar, could he actually bring himself to do it? It wasn't the same thing as using it against Janja and his clan, Makuu and his float, or even Makucha and his team He'd use it against small fish that were much more vulnerable to the destructive energy of the Roar.

He looked at the Mark of the Night Pride, on the opposite shoulder of where his Mark of the Guard was. He wasn’t just the leader of the Lion Guard. He was the King. These animals were his subjects as much as they were Rani’s. As much as it was a difficult thing to think about, he had to be ready to do this. He held his chin up and veered forward in search of the vicous fish.

At that moment, clouds began to roll over the sky. The air became more thick and moist as the sunlight had been blanketed by the angry nimbus. Lightning flashed. Thunder roared, almost as loudly as the Roar of the Elders. The Lion Guard looked up and saw the hell that was about to literally rain down on them.

Oh shit.

Everyone had the collective mindset to run underneath a tree for safety, but the winds had begun to blow. The calm water in the river grew dangerously fast. The Lion Guard watched in horror how everything turned to a tempest in under a minute. They stuck together, and onto the tree they sheltered under, hoping it would be enough.

It wasn’t enough.

First it was Ocho who had lost her grip on the tree branch she perched upon; Her rapid double-curve wing beats could only fight the currents for so long.

Bunga leapt after her to try and grab her in mid-air, but the winds knocked right into him, and he could only grab on to the palm leaves for safety.

Then it was Anga’s turn to play the hero. She went after Bunga, but as fast as she could fly, the winds were faster, and they knocked her clear into Ocho, sending them wherever the wind carried them mercilessly. Ono’s fears were swept away, not long before he was in the wind in a fruitless attempt to save his avian allies.

Kion, Bunga, Fuli, Beshte, and Makini could do nothing but stick together for dear life, knowing there would be nothing they could do in this storm. How painfully right they would be proven when, amongst all of the debris and foliage flying around, a dead tree careened in their direction, slamming at their tree with enough force to send all of them into the river. The plenty chunks of wood were the only thing Bunga, Fuli, and Makini could stick onto, — though Makini was on her own — whilst Beshte had taken the brunt of the rapids’ force in order to allow Kion to climb on top of him.

That was the only control either of them had, as they would wind themselves carried across the river in many different directions, with no other hope than to pray for the best.

For the inhabitants of the rainforest, a storm was nothing more but a signal to take shelter and take shelter fast. And that is what the young basilisk lizard did. The plumed reptile skittered across the tree-trunk into the unused cavity that he called home and braced himself for the rain, thunder and wind that crashed outside, clinging on for dear life. With every blow of the wind he had heard outside, he was grateful for being fast enough to get to safety, and pitied whatever unfortunate animal got caught in the tempest.

In what felt like year's worth of noise and chaos, everything subsided quickly. The lizard peered his eyes outside to see everything has calmed down, with some noticeable roughable from the storm. Good. He could get out. That was always the best part of his day.

Fear works up an appetite. The omnivorous lizard went after the first bug he saw, a large praying mantis. The mantis was fast, but the lizard was faster, catching it in his jaws and gobbling it up. He soon set his sights on a particularly large fruit, low-hanging and very ripe for the plucking. He chowed into it, enjoying and savoring its taste as best as he could whilst lapping up the fluids and juices from his meal.

This moment of vulnerability left him unaware to the danger lurking near him. A harpy eagle circled above, eyeing her next target. The little lizard would make for a good appetizer. However, that wasn't the only thing in her line of vision. Behind the lizard was another predator setting her sights on the reptile. A green anaconda, who crept up upon the basilisk. For her large size compared to the lizard's, she could simply finish him in one bite. And the harpy knew this, she saw something like that happen to her eggs by the jaws of that very snake. She knew she'd have to act quickly to secure and perfect the kill.

The distress call of spider-monkeys begged to differ.

The eagle turned her head to the direction of the noise; The other side of the river. There, a troop of spider-monkeys had fled the presence of a ferocious jaguar in their territory, alarming others to do the same. 

The snake raised her head, as did the basilisk. His peripheral vision homed in the predatory serpent behind him as well as the bird of prey above him, both of whom noticed his fear and his posture. The three beasts only had milliseconds to react. 

Now!

The eagle dove at the lizard with her claws out, ready to pierce his little skull. The anaconda struck forward, aiming to swallow him whole. The lizard froze in fear as the two carnivores went right at him. Whether it was luck or instinct, he made the leap of faith - off the tree and straight towards the murkey waters, leaving the momentum of his persuers to collide into each other.

Near the end of his freefall, the basilisk lizard hit the water running, and began to sprint at top speed on the water's surface. The harpy eagle and anaconda ceased their scuffling when seeing their target run out of sight, and went their two separate ways, defeated.

The basilisk ran for his life as fast as he could, not caring where he was, just as long as he was away from the danger. His lungs pounded, he had to find a spot to perch on and rest soon; He wouldn't be able to run this fast for long, and once he stopped, he would sink like a stone. And his strong swimming wouldn't be able to save him from the caimans and sharks that lurked below. 

As luck would have it, a tree branch sticking out of the water was just in front of him. Perfect. He ran faster and faster, feeling his feet slowly begin to sink with each step. He was barely a few inches away when he had sunk entirely, with only enough strength to swim up to the tree branch. He was safe. Exhausted and petrified, but safe. He could hang around here for a quick time before he could be on the run again. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out.

It was at that moment where he saw something out of the corner of his eye.. It was a log carrying two animals on it rested against the river-bank. One of the animals looked like a jaguar, but much different, sporting spots instead of rings, and being much smaller. The other looked to resemble a weasel, with a black, white, and blue pattern. A lot of questions ran through his mind as to why they were there, and what happened to them, especially with how exhausted and dazed they were on the large log.

He suddenly saw in view, two caimans creeping behind them, their eyes poking out of the water. They too saw how helpless those strange animals were on the river-bank and saw an opportunity. The lizard knew how caimains hunted and that it would not be a peaceful end. He tried to wave his hands and signal them, but they couldn't get his attention. He considered yelling but that would risk getting the caimans' attention as well. He silently begged that they would wake up and notice before it was too late. But as the caimans got closer and closer, their targets were still vulnerable and unaware.

Something in his brain just clicked. What he was about to do was either incredibly dangerous or incredibly stupid, but he was going to chance it anyways.

With the strength he could muster, he ran on the water's surface, screaming at the top of his lungs. The two caimains averted their attention to him, and swam towards the lizard, eyeing him. Likewise, the two animals on the log began to stir, wondering what the noise was, and looked to see the lizard running for his life - again.

He zigged, and he zagged, trying to get the caimains off his tail, but they were fast and clever. He wasn’t going to outrun them for long, he already felt the water rise up his legs as he began to sink. He was not going to make it. He wasn’t—

“Zuka Zama!!”

The mustelid swung on the vines and nabbed the lizard right as the caimans were about to snap their jaws. He spiraled back onto a tree branch, too high out of reach for the beasts. They snapped their jaws and hissed.

”Hey, chill bruisers!” Bunga exclaimed, carrying the lizard in his arms. “This guy just saved us!”

The caimans hissed once again and swam away. No meal was worth this.

When they were gone, Bunga swung back to the beach where Fuli was slowly getting on her feet, shaking the water from her fur, and coughing it up. She was lucky that Bunga was more willing to take risks near the water; Not as lucky as the lizard who went out of his way to save them.

”Are you okay? Fuli asked.

”I should be asking the same thing to you two.”

”We’ll survive,” Bunga coughed. 

“You sure?” the basilisk said. “Cause you smell like death.”

Bunga and Fuli sniffed themselves and the horror crept onto them. The horrific smell of carrion that they smelled into the river; the same river they fell into. It was on them.

They were about to scream before the lizard shushed them.

”You want to attract those beasts again?” the lizard asked.

“I hate this so much,” Fuli hissed in whispers.

”I can’t believe I’m saying this but… I need a bath!” Bunga whispered sobs in discomfort. “We both do!”

“Especially if you don’t want to attract anything hungrier than the caimans,” whispered the lizards. “Hold still while I get you something to fix that.”

The lizard climbed up into the trees, he saw some large purple fruits hanging above Fuli and Bunga, ones that smelled particularly nice. He bit the stems that connected them to the branch of which they grew. The splat that followed was almost as delicious as the fruits themselves.

At first the cheetah and honey badger were annoyed by the fruit juice on their fur, but they took a whiff of it.

”Passion fruit!” Bunga said. “Sweet!”

”I’ll take this over the funeral fragrance,” Fuli purred. “Thank you!”

”You’re very much welcome,” said the lizard. “My name is Raza.”

”I am Bunga” introduced the honey badger

”And I’m Fuli,” introduced the cheetah. “We’re on the Lion Guard!”

”I’ve heard of you,” said Raza. “Very impressed by your work.”

“Then you’ll know who the rest of the Guard are,” Bunga explained. “We got separated from each other in the storm and we’re trying to find each other.”

”I’m sorry, but I do not think I can help you,” replied the basilisk. “I took shelter during the storm. I wouldn’t have been able to see any of your friends.”

Fuli and Bunga sighed. Their only choice was to continue heading up river on land. Raza followed them, curious in their endeavors.

”Where are you both going?” 

“We’re going up-river on a rescue mission,” Fuli explained. “The river’s polluted with carrion. We think it’s because of the piranhas.”

”Those fish!?” Raza exclaimed. 

“Yeah,” Bunga said. “Blood-thirsty killers that can strip your flesh within seconds!”

Raza shuddered in discomfort. He shook his head in disbelief and then looked back up to Fuli and Bunga.

”There’s something about the piranhas that you should know,” he explained. “But you’ll have to see it to believe it.”

”How?” Bunga asked. “There’s no way we can swim down that river!”

”But we can,” said a nearby voice. Everyone turned around and saw it was the two caimans that had tried to eat Fuli, Bunga, and Raza. The three of them jolted back before the crocodilians could explain.

”We couldn’t help but overhear,” said the caiman known as Yacaré. “You two are on the Lion Guard, right?”

”Yes, we are,” Fuli answered.

”Our mistake,” said the other caiman known as Boca. “We hadn’t recognized you. But if you two are looking for piranhas we want to help.”

“Do you have an idea where they might be?” Fuli asked.

”No, but if this lizard has any idea, then we can take you there,” replied Boca. “Sorry again for trying to eat you by the way.”

”Hakuna Matata,” Bunga said. 

Fuli and Bunga steadily climbed on top of the caimans’ bumpy backs.

”Definitely one of the smaller crocodiles I’ve met,” Bunga commented.

”Caiman,” Yaceré corrected. “Not a croc, a caiman.”

”What’s the diff?” Fuli asked.

”If we were crocodiles, we’d be much bigger,” explained Boca. 

“Fair enough,” replied Fuli. “Come to think of it, your mouths are much wider than ones I’ve seen from crocs.”

”All the better to drown our prey,” Yaceré chuckled. No one laughed. 

With three reptilians at their disposal, Fuli and Bunga went off up river in search of the piranhas.

Anga and Ono had found themselves tangled up in vines within the wind currents. It was both a blessing to be secured to the trees rather than at the winds’ mercy, but also a curse to get further and further entangled. Ocho was nowhere to be found, which scared them even more. When the storm had ceased, they gave themselves time to breathe. 

Ono tried to wriggle free, but the hold of the vines were tighter than that of a python’s. Anga had the same struggles, even with her large wing strength. 

“It’s no use,” Anga said. “We’re trapped.”

“We need to break free of these vines and find Ocho!”

”I’m here!” Ocho’s voice said. 

Anga and Ono turned their heads as best as they could. They saw the giant hummingbird trapped within a large invisible web of a spider. In the bushes, a spider was stalking her. Ono saw the markings on the arachnid and panicked.

”Hapana!” he yelled. “That’s a Golden-Orb-Weaver! She’s venomous!”

Ocho began to panic and wriggle on the web, which only shook it further and further, adding to the orb-weaver’s hunger. The Keenest of Sight and Smartest had to think fast.

”Anga, can you use your beak or talons to cut through the vines?” Ono asked.

”I can try,” Anga replied. 

Anga squirmed through the vines to position either her mouth or talons near the vines so she can cut. The spider had gotten closer and closer, intent on making the hummingbird a meal.

“Hurry!”

Anga moved more and more violently. She wasn’t going to let vines hold her down. Like a wild beast in a cage, she fought and resisted, until she felt a vine snap near her beak. That was all the motivation she needed. Her beak and talons were specialized to puncture prostrated prey. The vines stood a chance no more.

”She’s getting closer!” Ocho said as the spider inched right towards her. The spider raised her head, ready to inject its paralyzing venom into the small bird.

Snap!

In the blink of an eye, Anga cut herself free, but she saw the spider about to bite. She quickly dove and cut the spider’s web, setting Ocho loose. She later cut Ono free, allowing him to fly freely. The three birds perched on the branch. to see what became of the spider.

The spider used strands of webbing to glide across the air, slowing down her fall. Out of nowhere, a large wasp appeared, stinging the orb-weaver with a venomous strike of his own. The flying insect carried the paralyzed arachnid away to finish off later.

Ocho looked sadly at the sight, the empathy and pity in her heart bigger than herself. Although she had almost died, and was relieved at her freedom, the spider had simply tried to eat, and now, would be ripped away from its home, and subject to the same painful fate that nearly befell the hummingbird. At the same time, the wasp would eat to live another day. 

”It’s the Circle of Life,” Ono sighed sadly. 

After a few moments of silence, the birds flew again. They had to find Kion, Beshte, Fuli, Bunga, and Makini… however they could. But whilst Ocho and Ono could traverse through the rainforest, Anga couldn’t. She was more used to the freedom of the open skies over the vast flat Savannah grasslands. She found it hard to keep up. 

“Guys, slow down!” She said. “It’s not easy to move with all this forest in the way!”

”Sorry Anga,” Ono said. “Is there any other way we can fly?” 

“We can try to find a clearing and see the river from above!” Ocho explained. “We can follow the river to find the piranha.”

”But what about our friends?” Ono asked. “We have to find them!”

”But the storm could’ve taken them anywhere!” Ocho says. “We can’t be search for both the Lion Guard and the piranhas at the same time!”

”We’ll need to split up!” Anga says. “I’ll look for the Guard while you keep heading up river.”

”But Anga,” Ono protested. “They could be anywhere, and you’re not the best flyer when it comes to this rainforest.”

”I’m not, but I may know someone who is,” Anga said, remembering the creature she saw in the paintings. “I’ll be alright.”

”Good luck Anga,” Ono told her. “Make sure they’re alright.”

”I will,” Anga promised as she flew off. “Anga-Lenga!”

With Anga in search of the Lion Guard, Ono continued to fly off with Ocho. They covered a lot of forest until they found the clearing where the river was. There was less carrion than there was when they had started, which was a relief for both of them. 

“Now we can continue searching,” Ocho said. 

“We won’t have to search for long,” said Ono. “Look!”

A large heron stood in the river, waiting for food. His sharp beak was at the ready to strike at whatever came his way, be it crabs, turtles, or even fish.

Ono and Ocho flew in close near the river’s edge. If whatever the heron caught was a piranha, then that could be a clue.

The heron patiently waited and waited some more. Until a red-bellied piranha swam below him, oblivious. The heron quickly lunged his neck down and grabbed the pirahna in his beak. Ono and Ocho were able to get a good view of the fish. It was a pirahna! A live one at that — until it was eaten.

As the heron enjoyed the meal, Ono and Ocho had flown next to him.

"Excuse me, sir?" Ono asked. "I noticed that you found a pirahna in the river."

"Yeah, why?" the Heron replied.

"Have you seen much carrion upriver?" Ono asked. "It's polluted the environment and we think it's because of the pirahnas." 

"I haven't seen much of them for a few days in this part of the river," replied the Heron. "I don't see much carrion either, at least, not much that that pirahnas don't eat."

If Ono and Ocho hadn't been tyring very hard to be presentable, they would have screamed in confusion at hearing such a thing.

"Eat..?" Ocho asked.

"Yes," the Heron replied. "They eat dead things. Wherever I can find that, I can find pirahnas. Let me show you."

The Heron flew over to another section of the river, showing the other birds what had went on underneath. An eel-like creature had swam up to a catfish. Some pirahnas were also nearby, but they weren't the eel's target.

"Electric eels," explained the Heron, "they're a type of fish that'll give you a shock. One way or another."

The Heron's comment was confirmed when the water began to vibrate rapidly. The electric eel had sent a wave of destructive electric energy that stunned the catfish, and made it into a meal. As the electric eel went after the catfish, several leftovers from its wake were left floating in the river, for the pirahnas to have as their food. Soon the river was clean of the remains of that animal.

Ono and Ocho were surprised. The pirahnas were nowhere near as bloodthirsty as they had assumed them to be. 

"So they eat carrion?" Ocho asked. "But then... why is there so much carrion and dead stuff floating down river?"

The Heron looked at them with concern. "That's not good," he said. "That means something happened to them."

"Hapana!" Ono said. "The pirahanas aren't the danger, they're in danger! Whatever is happening to the river, it's because there's less and less of them. They're needed in order to clean up!"

"Well what are we going to do?" asked the Heron. "The pirahnas I find here aren't that plenty."

"We'll just have to keep heading upriver. There has to be something."

"Seems like our only option," said the Heron.

"Then that's what we'll do," replied Ocho.

The three birds flew up river. Their whole perspective had changed, and soon, the entire forest would as well, for the better.

Beshte roughed the rapids of the river, a true immovable behemoth against an unstoppable force. Kion had lost conciousness, the rapid waves knocking against his head like the hooves of a thousand wildebeest. It was up to the Lion Guard's Strongest to see him and his leader through.

“I’ve got you, Kion.” Beshte said “I’ve got you.”

Beshte turned his form to give a wide stance that would cause further resistance in the water. But the rain obscured his vision, and the wind blowing leaves and debris around him had challenged his balance. His hooves stroked through the water to get some movement, but he was getting tired. 

As strong as he was, mother nature was stronger, and just like that, he and Kion were swept away.

They had to have gone miles upriver, somehow having been lucky enough not to drown. Because when they had woken up, they were surrounded by vines on the sandy bank. The Fiercest and Strongest coughed, getting in as much air as they could. 

“You OK Kion?” Beshte asked.

“I think so,” Kion said. “But we have to get back out there and find our friends.”

As they navigated through their surroundings, Kion picked up a familiar scent. It was Makini’s. It took him having to sneeze and cough the water out of his system to fully detect it, but it was there.

“Makini was here,” Kion said. 

“Where does the scent lead?” Beshte asked.

“Deeper into the forest,” said Kion, inching closer. “We have to go.”

“What about the others?” Beshte asked. “And the piranhas?”

“We can find them after we find Makini,” said Kion. “And then we can find the piranhas. Right now, they’re more important.”

Beshte couldn’t argue with that. If the rainstorm was enough to wipe him out, then he couldn’t imagine what Makini and the others were going through. And they’d have a better chance at solving the mystery if they found the rest of their team, so this was the first step.

The rainforest had proven to be so much more different than what they had expected. Vines all around them, several plants, noises, and smells they didn’t recognize, humid air against their face. Still, Kion picked up on Makini’s scent and followed it. It wasn’t strong or close, but it hadn’t faded away, meaning that they could still track her.

As good as Kion could smell, both he and Beshte were good at hearing, picking up noises right in front of them. Right as they were about to react, they saw something ferocious exit from the foliage. Two ferocious things.

A giant green snake, longer than the ones in the Pride Lands, and a large spotted feline. It had spots like Fuli’s, but much different. They were hollow rings, rosettes, and far more muscular than the average cheetah or leopard. These two beasts were out for blood, striking at each other. The anaconda had struck at the jaguar, laying bites into its fangs into the feline’s skin. Meanwhile the jaguar punctured holes into the snake’s skin with her thick jaws, narrowly trying to go for the head. The territory around them was demolished as they tried their best to demolish the other. As the two megapredators fought, a small coati had watched, frozen in fear. Her tail was stuck under a tree branch, and she was trapped, in perfect position to be crushed by the incoming battle. Kion and Beshte both knew what to do. They had to break up the fight.

Beshte used himself as a barrier between the predators and prey, whilst Kion quickly rescued the coati and carried her somewhere safe, encouraging her to run as fast as she could. He looked back at Beshte, who had kept trying to get in between the fight, but it was easier said than done. The anaconda had coiled around Beshte, whilst continuing to strike against the jaguar. Despite the jaguar's large size, Kion leapt at her anyways, getting the other cat away from Beshte. The jaguar was much more muscular than he was, and he had a lot of trouble knocking her down. He tried to dodge the attacks, but his opponent was much quicker, and could conversely block his quick strikes.

The jaguar however, didn't have a powerful roar with the force of a hundred windstorms that could knock even the fiercest of predators into a mudpit.

Beshte struggled with the anaconda, blind with rage and unable to properly articulate what was going on. Beshte however, was very observant, and hoisted his body into a rolling motion, weighing the anaconda down. Her grip had loosened in the scuffle, and he was able to roll over again, this time, freeing himself and pinning the anaconda down. Both the Fiercest and the Strongest glared at the fighting animals.

"What is going on here?!" Kion demanded.

"That anaconda almost stole my food!" accused the jaguar.

"That jaguar tried to steal my food!" accused the anaconda.

"Your fighting almost destroyed this territory!" Beshte snapped.

"And you almost killed someone!" Kion scolded. "Is food really worth all of that!"

"It is when it's rare!" said the jaguar. "Pirahnas!"

"Pirahnas?"

"Yes," the jaguar said. "There aren't that many left." She then glared at the anaconda, growling. "Which is why I am trying to defend what is mine."

The anaconda hissed. It looked like a fight was going to break out until Beshte and Kion went between them.

"That's enough!" Beshte said whilst stomping his hoof. "Fighting is not going to get us anywhere."

"Exactly," said Kion. "Which is why you're both going to work together to help us find the pirahnas. We were told that there was a scarcity which is causing trouble."

"Give us one good reason to do what you say," snapped he anaconda.

"It'll count as community service on your end for the trouble you've caused," Kion said. "Which means the Queen and I won't have to give you a further punishment. I can give you more."

The two carnivores, remembering just who they were talking to, took it as a very good reason. They nodded their heads in agreement. With that being said and done, the anaconda and jaguar went with Beshte and Kion. The river had been cleaner and more stable, making it safe to swim in. Kion sat on top of Beshte, still very exhausted, whilst the jaguar and anaconda had swam with them, mobile in the water. The jaguar's muscular body and webbed pads helped her motor through the water, whilst the anaconda's loose skin allowed her to glide across the river with ease. Kion and Beshte fell behind, partly due to being outswam by these animals and due to their curent thoughts. They looked at each other, knowing what the other was thinking and the situation they were dealing with.

These animals ate pirahnas, hunted them for food. But there were so few of them that they resorted to fighting one another. Yet the pirahnas had to have been the ones responsible for this. If there were less of them, then the carrion in the river couldn't have been them. But it HAD to have been them. This just did not add up. Something wasn't right.

Well, make that two somethings. The other was the fact that the jaguar and anaconda had completely disappeared up ahead. That was not good.

~~~

Far up ahead, Fuli, Bunga, Raza, Yacaré, and Boca. were traveling up-river. Raza had ran besides the two caimains carrying the Fastest and Bravest. They both took the time to admire the lizard as he ran on water.

"How are you doing that?" Bunga asked. 

"Simple mathematics really," Raza explained. "Add large feet, small size and weight, and these fun little bubbles under my feet. It's quite fun."

"Subtract the water, and I agree!" Fuli said. 

Raza kept running to keep up with the caimains' fast swimming, much to Fuli and Bunga's awe. On a dime, he immediately climbed onto Boca's back next to Fuli and flopped down.

"What's wrong?" Fuli asked the lizard.

"As great as it is to run, it's exhausting," Raza answered in between breaths. "The price to pay of being able to run fast is that I tire out just as fast! "

"You and me both, Raza" she sighed as she pushed the lizard closer to her with her tail and allowed him to rest up against her. "You and me both."

The caimains carried their rides near a mangrove tree.

"This is what you had to show us?" Fuli asked. "A tree?"

"No," replied Raza. "It's what's underneath the tree. We're going to swim underneath and see it for ourselves. It's important, and I need you both to promise not to freak out."

"Why would we?" Fuli questioned.

"Just. Promise." 

Suspiciously, Bunga and Fuli nodded their heads yes. Boca and Yacaré began to lower themselves beneath the water, the 5 animals holding their breaths as they did so.

Underwater, the animals saw a nest of eggs. It was unguarded, and an easy meal for any predator nearby, such as a characid. The fish inched along the nest, gobbling up several eggs, when suddenly, a blur knocked the predator away. It was a male red bellied pirahna, with his mate; Both of whom were flashing their shiny teeth at the shiny fish. The fish swam away, cutting its losses.

Both fish were distraught over losing their eggs, but it did not stop them from guarding the survivors.

If Bunga and Fuli weren't holding their breath underwater, their jaws would have dropped. No, they had to wait until going back up to the surface to do that. Their stunned silence gave Raza a license to speak.

"Still think that they're vicious monsters?" asked the lizard. 

"But, I don't get it! We were told that they were-"

"Bloodthirsty?" Yacaré said, interrupting Fuli. "Can strip your flesh within seconds? As if I haven't heard of that before."

"That doesn't prove anything," Fuli stubbornly said. "Maybe they protect their eggs but that still doesn't change anything!"

Bunga sat next to Fuli and looked calmly at her. "I think it does."

"What?"

"Those pirahnas are looking after their babies. They're doing what my uncles would've done for me, or what your brothers would've done for you. Isn't that a part of the Circle of Life?"

"That is, but killing everything in the river isn't!" Fuli argued.

"Maybe they're not the ones to blame then! I think we may have been wrong about them."

"But if they're not causing this, then who is?"

"I don't know! But we have to do something!"

"I know what we're going to do," chimed in Raza. "Leave."

The basilisk pointed the team behind them where they saw a jaguar and anaconda swimming behind them. Without another word, they fled, with the two predators in hot pursuit.

Anga flew high into the air, above the rainforest canopy. This was more of her style. And she knew another eagle that would have the same preference as her. The eagle she had seen in the paintings. And soon enough, she had seen one. Actually two. Not counting the three eggs that were in their nest.

The two harpy eagles noticed Anga flying in, recognizing the mark on her shoulder. They immediately had questions as to why the Keenest of Sight would grace them with their presence. The martial eagle explained the plight to them. Of how the Lion Guard had searched up river for the piranhas, of the storm that separated them and of her current objective. To find them.

The mother of the eggs, Arpía, had agreed to help her, whilst the father, Águila, stayed behind to watch over the eggs.

Arpía and Anga flew everywhere. The harpy guided Anga through the underbrush of the rainforest, over the river, and through the woods to scan the area. Anga found there was quite a lot to learn when it comes to this territory and how to navigate.

As they flew, they heard a noise below. A troop of spider monkeys brachiating through the trees. Anga used her sharp vision to zero in on the troop and spotted a splash of blue amongst the greenery. She recognized it as Makini, who was on the move with the monkeys.

“Anga Lenga!”

Anga flew into the trees to where she had seen Makini. She had forgotten that eagles were one of many main predators of spider monkeys. The troop had made an alarm call to alert each other of the supposed predator, and they raced away. Makini looked and saw Anga flying towards her. Her attempts to calm down the other monkeys were for naught as one monkey accidentally bumped into her, sending her plummetting down into the water.

As she sunk, she saw a fish coming towards her. The red bellied pirahna that she had seen on the paintings. She immediately swam, trying to get away from the fish's knife-like teeth. But as she swam, she realized that the fish wasn't going after her, but a fruit that had fallen into the river with her. The fruit was soon gobbled up in one bite. Makini flinched, expecting a bite, but the fish swam right past her, as if she wasn't even there.

Makini's fear turned into curiosity, but she had to ask questions later. She couldn't hold her breath forever. She quickly moved her limbs to get close to the surface, close enough for the two raptors above her to pull her out by the arms.

"Are you alright?" asked Anga.

"I'm.... I'm fine," Makini said, shook.

"What's wrong dear?" asked Arpía. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Not a ghost," Makini said. "A pirahna."

Anga's eyes widened with worry. "Did they attack you??"

"No..." Makini spoke. "It was just one pirahna and it ate a fruit next to me. I thought I was a goner!"

"It didn't attack you?" Anga replied. "That's strange."

"I've heard a lot of stories about pirahnas. Horrifying ones," Arpía chimed in. "This is definitely new."

"Anyways," Makini spoke. "I'm glad you guys found me."

"How'd you end up with the spider monkeys anyway?" Anga asked.

Makini told Anga of how she had found herself near the beach when the storm had taken her. When she woke up, her Bakora staff had been stolen by a troop of monkeys. She had climbed after them to take it back. She had finally gotten the staff back and asked the monkeys for help in finding her friends. They navigated through the treetops to find a vantage point to search, just when the eagles arrived.

As Makini finished her story, screams were heard across the river. Anga and Makini recognized those as Fuli and Bunga's screams. Quickly, Anga carried Makini and flew off, with Arpía in tow. The spider monkeys looked on curiously.

~~~

Yacaré, and Boca swam as fast as they could, keeping Fuli, Bunga, and Raza safely on them, and more importantly, away from the predators.

"What kind of cheetah is that?!" Fuli exclaimed.

"Not a cheetah," Raza explained. "A jaguar. Way bigger and scarier."

"They like the taste of reptiles," Boca said. "Including us!"

"So do anacondas," Yacaré.

"I'm guessing that's what you call the snake?!" yelped Bunga. 

"Yup!" the reptiles spoke.

As the caimains swam, the anaconda and jaguar had issues of their own whilst hunting.

"Out of the way Macula!" hissed the anaconda. "You may have tried to steal my territory but you will not steal this from me!"

"Try me Spira!" roared the jaguar. 

Spira slithered underwater at top speed, curling underneath Yacaré and Boca. She shot her head out of the water, circling her momentum over the two crocodilians, then headed back in the water. The muscles in her coils were just on cue, constricting the two caimans tightly in their grip. No matter how much they squirmed, they were out maxed by Spira’s strength. Bunga, Raza, Fuli were knocked into the water by the sudden motion, and swam towards the reptiles.

”Wait, you can’t eat them!” Fuli said. “They’re trying to help us with a crisis! This isn’t the time!”

”Plus, I don’t think the King and Queen would like it if you ate two members of the Lion Guard!” Bunga pleaded.

”I don’t want to eat you” hissed Spira. “But I’m not willing to share food or space, so get out.”

“I don’t think so!” Fuli snarled.

Fuli and Bunga hopped onto the snake’s coils and began to bite and scratch at them, not to hurt her, but to get her to loosen her grip. To the snake, this was a tickle in comparison to the jaguar’s bites.

“If you think that this is going to loosen my grip, you’re sorely mistaken.”

”I’ve got a mistake for you lady!” Bunga said as he cracked his knuckles.

He turned around and got ready to activate his ‘secret weapon’ when unexpectedly, Spira clamped him in his jaws and immediately tossed him into the water. She chuckled.

”He’s got to be quicker than that to get the jump on me!”

She didn’t notice Bunga swimming behind her. And Fuli smiled seeing the mischievous look in his eyes, knowing just what Spira was in for.

”I was the Lion Guard’s fastest,” Fuli chirped. “I know fast when I see it.”

Bunga crept up closer behind Spira as Fuli continued.

”And you should know that we cheetahs see pretty well.”

As Spira looked at the cheetah in confusion, Bunga climbed on top of the snake’s body and hastily covered her eyes. He held on as she swung her head around. She wasn’t the only animal with a good grip. Finally, he did what he did best. Stunk. 

The discomfort of Bunga’s smell caused the snake to loosen her grip. The caimans wriggled further, using their strong bite force and claws to further free them from the jaws, or rather, coils of death. Fuli splashed water into Spira’s eyes, not out of discomfort, but to further overwhelm her. Even Raza had done his part, running across Spira’s body or on the water around her to distract her, further allowing the others to break free. Macula crept in on Spira as she was being overpowered by 5 animals half her size. Pathetic. She was going to show them all what a real predator would like, and bring back two caimans as a meal to prove it.

She swam deep, deep underwater, underneath the animals. She was right underneath the caimans, and in perfect position to perform her signature takedown move. She shot upwards out of the water and clamped her jaws around Yacaré’s skull. Just as she was instinctively ready to bite down, Bunga’s reflexes countered that of the jaguar’s as he lunged at the jaguar, scratching her near the eye, and using his stink on her, disorienting her enough for the Yacaré to knock her off. Bunga had come to her rescue just in time, as Macula’s sharp fangs had only barely penetrated the crocodillian’s skin.

Macula then lunged at Fuli, knocking her down and going after the caiman she was on. Fuli didn’t give up and continued to try and fight Macula, despite being physically weaker. Macula had no interest in harming Fuli, but needed to get her out of the way. 

Just when things were looking dire, Anga and Makini dove in. Makini used her staff to swat Macula into the water, whilst Arpiá dove-bomb Spira near the head. The caimans had swam free from the threats. Fuli and Bunga regrouped with Anga and Makini.

”You found us!” Fuli exclaimed.

"And not a moment too soon," Bunga said.

"Thanks," replied Makini. "It's good that Anga found me first!" Now all that's left is to find Kion and Beshte!"

"Already here," Beshte said, as he and Kion caught up with the group. "We heard a bunch of noise up ahead and went as fast as we could."

"Alright!" Bunga cheered. "We're all back together!"

"Except for Ono," Fuli said worryingly.

"Don't worry, Ono's busy trying to find the pirahnas," Anga explained. "He sent me to find you guys."

"Well, now that we're here, we should find him and continue looking for the pirahnas," Kion said. "They're causing a lot of trouble around here."

"Actually Kion, we think we may have been wrong about the pirahnas," Fuli explained. "We saw them care for their young and protect their eggs!"

"I saw them eat fruit!" Makini said. 

"And those predators were fighting over the pirahnas," Beshte chimed in. "I wouldn't exactly say that it's the pirahnas' fault."

"But still," Kion said. "A lot seems linked to the pirahnas. I won't lie, I've had my doubts too, but, it just doesn't make sense-"

"Everyone, everyone!" Ono's voice called out. The egret, hummingbird, and heron flew down to join with the Lion Guard, all three of them tired from their expedition.

"Ono!" Anga said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm,"- Ono panted heavily, "fine!"

Makini placed a hand on Ono's chest. His heart was beating rapidly. He had clearly flown here as fast as he could. Ocho and the Heron had also fallen flat on Beshte's back. Fuli got a chilling de'javu seeing these animals terribly exhausted from overexertion.

"Ono, what's wrong?" Bunga asked. 

Ono took a few seconds to catch his breath before elaborating.

"I found the pirahnas!" he said. "They're in danger!"

Ono, Ocho and the Heron were digilent in their search. They now knew what role the piranhas played in the Circle of Life. They weren’t the enemy that the Lion Guard thought they were. But instead they weren’t animals to be protected, to be helped, and whose presence can restore the balance of the habitat.

The three birds saw a fork in the river ahead. But something was very wrong. One side of the fork had water flowing naturally through it, whilst the other had been ran thin, as thin as the rivers would during the dry season back in the Pride Lands. Very peculiar.

The birds flew above the path of the thinned out river. It was alarming how little water there was. Very few animals could drink from the water, and very many fish that lived in the stretch of the water layed lifeless and dehydrated. This situation looked more and more dire.

Finally, they found the source of the water shortage along the bend. An array of fallen trees along the river, forming a large dam-like structure. Water had trickled through the cracks, but in very small quantity.

Ocho took a brief moment to stock up on nectar before her and her companions flew over the dam to see what had happened. From there, they saw many different species of pirahnas. Ones with red bellies, ones that were black, ones that were gold and white. All of them swam around slowly near the edge of the backed up river. Some of them were belly up, indicating that they had completed their journey in the Circle of Life. 

"So this is why there are less piranhas," Ono said. "The dam is blocking them off."

"Trees often fall over during bad storms. I never imagined it would've gotten this bad," Ocho lamented.

"Guys, come look!" said the Heron.

"What is it Lanza?" Ocho asked as she flew over. 

Lanza pointed his wing to a sight that scared all three birds. There were nests of eggs. Fish eggs. They were exposed to the hot son and dryness of the Earth. Not a good sign.

"We have to find the Lion Guard!" Ono said. "NOW!"

Without any time to loose, Ono, Ocho, and Lanza flew off as fast as they could. Every second they wasted was another second that would make everything worse. They took no stops to rest, and would flap their wings faster with each beat in search of Anga, who had hopefully found the rest of the Lion Guard. The sooner they found them, the better.

Ono finished the explanation. Everyone was now equally concerned for the piranhas as the birds were. Even Macula and Spira realized the gravity of this situation. It was far bigger than any dispute or bias. This concerned the future of the rainforest.

"We were wrong this whole time," Kion regrettably spoke. "The piranhas are the ones who need our help."

"How could we have misjudged them?" Makini sadly sighed.

"Well, we did see those scary paintings of them" chimed in Bunga. "But they couldn't have been further from the truth."

"Nor could the vultures' descrptions of those piranhas," said Anga.

"Maybe we're not the only ones who had the wrong idea," said Beshte. "I just can't imagine how awful things might be for those poor fish."

"And the animals that depend on them," Fuli said. "This has to be fixed."

Kion took a few moments to think. Then he smiled.

"And it will," he said. "We need to make a change. And that will start with saving the pirahnas."

Kion then turned to Arpia, Lanza, Ocho, Yocare, Boca, Raza, Spira, and Macula.

"You with us guys?"

Arpiá raised her head proudly. Raza was giddy. Yacare and Boca were fiercly determined. Ocho and Lanza looked on with hope. Macula and Spira looked guilty for being so caught up in their own desperation, and knew the resolve.

The beasts embarked on their final stretch of their mission to save the pirahnas, and the Circle of Life.

Roars summoned the animals of the rainforest. They recognized it as the roars of their rulers. They followed the sound until they had reached what appeared to be a log dam. The bodies of fish has given off a pungent smell, but they were willing to tolerate it in the name of importance.

Koatis, jaguars, spider-monkeys, tapirs, harpy eagles, caimains, poison frogs, sloths, vultures, howler monkeys, and many more. Kion looked on from the large crowd and felt anxiety run through him. This better work.

"Hello," he said in a loud, yet understanding voice. "Today, the Guard and I had discovered that the rainforest was polluted by carrion. Many of you have likely seen this problem, and I can confirm that we've found the source of this chaos."

The animals nodded, showing Kion that they recognized what he was discussing, and patiently awaited his answer.

"Behind this blockage of the river, many piranhas have been trapped. Cut off from the rest of the rainforest. Unable to feed, scavenge, and protect their young."

The animals remained still as they listened.

"This generation and the next will die out, and the chaos in the rainforest will only get worse. I kindly ask that you help us."

"Why should we?" asked a tapir. "You and the Lion Guard are among the most powerful of the Tree of Life. You can save the piranhas!"

"Why are you even going through such a risk?" asked a koati. "They're not animals, they're monsters!"

Many other animals agreed, shouting cruel remarks about piranhas that mirrored what the Lion Guard believed and said about them earlier. Kion roared to silence them, and spoke.

"Saving the lives of the piranhas will also save the lives of the animals that depend on it," explained the King. "The animals who rely on them for food to feed themselves and their babies, the animals that need the clean water to drink and swim in - clean water without carrion flowing through it - and so much more. They're not the bloodthirsty monsters you think they are. We've come to see that they have just as much of a place in the Circle of Life as you do. As we do."

The beasts murmured among themselves, some confused, others in dissarray. Kion looked back at his friends who encouraged him. Kion concluded his speech.

"With my friends and I, eight animals we've met, animals understand what's at stake, will help us complete our mission. Hopefully you'll see what they see."

Macula, Spira, Arpiá, Yacaré, Boca, Raza, Ocho, and Lanza appeared on cue. Beshte, Spira, and the caimans swam underwater on the other side of the dam, bashing against the logs. Lanza, Arpiá, Ono, Ocho, and Anga had pulled vines attatched to the top logs by Makini. As for Makini herself, she, Raza, Bunga, Kion, and Fuli attacked the base of the log dam, clawing out any mud or debris that would stop the flow of water to make it weaker. More and more water had flown through and the level had slowly risen more and more. As they worked to break down the dam, the rainforest animals spectated. None dared to stand forward, none willing to take the initative.

None except one. 

Rey.

The king vulture, who earlier that day wouldn't have any reason to fight for the piranhas, flew and aided the birds in pulling the top of the logs. His family immediately followed, and the sounds of the logs shifting grew louder and louder.

Without a single word being said, more and more animals went forward to help, the drive and passion catching on like an incurable disease. Giant anteaters used their claws to slash at the wood. More and more raptors like harpy eagles and white-browned hawks pulling against the logs, giant amphibious otters helping Beshte crush against the dam. Even the smaller, more weaker animals like poison frogs, sloths and lizards did what they could to keep the piranha eggs moist, splashing whatever water they could onto them, and providing them shade from the hot sun. And the rest had chanted loudly to encourage one another. They stood together as one.

One was all it took for the dam, much like the fear and hatred towards the piranhas, to collapse, restoring the river and bringing forward the pirahnas.

Days had passed in the aftermath. The Lion Guard had managed to squeeze some time in between their patrols and days off to check on the rainforest, often bringing the Night Pride with them. Day by day, things would be looking more better, as the delicate balance would soon revive. Animals were drinking near the river more often as it got cleaner and cleaner.

The piranha eggs had fortunately been saved from certain doom. With the hatchings of many piranhas of many different species, the next generation would live on. Seeing the eggs hatch made Bunga cry.

"Swim free little guys," Bunga sniffled. "Zuka Zama."

The adult pirahnas, the parents of the eggs floated near the surface. They looked at the Guard, who looked back at them.

"Thank you," the pirahnas said. That was all that they had to say before swimming off, free and forever.

~~

Nirmala, out of every member of the Night Pride, would listen to the Lion Guard recall their adventure in the Amazon. Nirmala smiled.

"I knew you would come around," she said.

"What do you mean?" Fuli asked.

"When I first arrived to the Tree of Life, there were a lot of animals I heard about, and feared because I didn't know enough of. Including piranhas," Nirmala explained. "Until Queen Janna took my sister and I on a tour of Jindagee. There was so much that we got to know and learn, and the fear in our hearts was replaced with understanding and care."

"That's so sweet," said Beshte.

"I'm glad you think so," Nirmala continued. "Sadly, King Rajaa wasn't as easily swayed, and neither was King Sãhasí. They did a lot of good in their lives, but they never learned what I did. But I knew that you and the Lion Guard were capable of such growth and change. And so did Queen Janna. There was never any doubt."

Nirmala's confession moved the Guard to tears. Everything had come together perfectly, and now, the rainforest and the life that bustled within it could continue on. But there was one more thing that had to be done.

~~~

Inside the Tree of Life, Makini was hard at work making a new painting. Though she worked as fast as she could, she took to heart Rafiki's advice about perfection never being rushed. Finally she was done.

The Lion Guard laid witness to Makini's latest painting within the tree. It was of the rainforest fauna, including piranhas. None were monsters, none were evil or bloodthirsty, especially not the pirahnas. Instead, they were together, a foundation of the rainforest all within one circle, of beauty and life.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: Spirit of an Orangutan

Smoke had encased the sky in a prison of black and grey, cutting off the heavenly light from the moon and stars. All that shone was the inferno on earth. Inferno that had seemingly come out of nowhere, as if it was the gift from an angry god. The creatures responsible scouraged as if they were so in mortal form.

The ape had begged the King and Queen to let her accompany their patrol to the mountain pass when they were awoken to a disturbance. Despite their assurance that they would be alright, their prolonged absence followed by the immediate ambush had drawn her close. Too close. Now her main priority was finding them as well as the rest of the royal family - and her family. The lionesses would hold off the invaders, put out fires in different areas, and above all else divert the populace away from the danger, but the nature of the assault as well as the unfortunate timing had guaranteed that the rulers, and those in close proximity to them would be imminent targets; Janna, Rajaa, Sãhasí, Ãnanda, Surak, Nirmala, Rani, Baliyo… her daughter…. She couldn’t let that happen.

She took her Bakora staff and used it as a stilt to run. She wasn’t old, she was certainly nimble, but not on the ground. The staff would help her pick up the pace and save time, something that she could not afford to waste; And if it ever came down to it, she would fight for her family, her friends, her home, her daughter…. She lost it all once before, and as long as she was alive, it would only remain once.

She saw a heavy sea of fire in front of her, obscuring her view, but she heard growls, grunts, and screams. Taking to a nearby tree, the ape got a vantage point to see what was going on, and intervene at the right moment.

With a bird’s eye view, she saw two familiar lions; Injured and outnumbered. She recognized them. The King Sãhasí, and the Queen Ãnanda. Their children were nowhere to be found, neither were Rajaa and Janna, but she could only pray that they were all sent somewhere safe. Surrounding the adults were the very invaders responsible for this. Invaders that the ape had recognized. She remembered seeing them appear near the mountain pass, requesting an audience with the royal family; The King and Queen allowing them in with encouragement from their children, despite the former King's protests. Their closeness to the rulers, to the royal twins, and the ape’s very own daughter…

Oh god….

Everything in her mind had clicked together, and she could do nothing but watch in horror as the invaders advanced upon Sãhasí and Ãnanda. She had heard the King demand they leave their kingdom, his wife’s threats of retaliation, and the invaders’ growls and mockery. Every ounce of strength in her body was ready to react; To either jump down there and fight alongside her dear friends to the death, or to take flight, save herself, her daughter, and any survivors; But she could not take fight or flight. For she was fixed within another reaction; Freeze.

By the time she had freed herself from this shock, it had been too late. Sãhasí and Ãnanda were dead. The screams of two children had snapped her out of her trance

Everything else that happened was a blur. She remembers using her staff to attack the invaders, knocking them by the head, throwing embers at them. She remembers running for her life, right behind Rani and Baliyo, urging them not to look back. She saw a tiger, lunging for the kill and being met with a blow to the head. She felt the heat of the fire against her face, nearly evaporating the tears that fell from her eyes upon being cornered by the attackers.

The blur finally finished as she found herself laying on her back. Only now did she realize how exhausted she was from the smoke, how much of her breaths were laborious in the fit of violent coughs, her vision as blurry as her mind was a few moments ago. She had turned her head to see her surroundings. The twins, Rani and Baliyo were clawing at the walls of the cave, trying to find a breakthrough, anything to escape, or allow the smoke to escape. They were coughing profusely, much like her, but still had energy. If only she had the energy to get up and encourage them. The cave was dark, lit up only by the roots within the cave; A boulder was blocking the entrance, and had built the smoke up inside the chamber. If only she could muster up enough strength to push it out of the way, she could take the cubs and get them to safety. But it was a fool’s wish in her state. She had no way of anticipating that the invaders would’ve torched the Tree of Life, turning what was a sacred sanctuary of old into a death-trap. Her head was spinning, and her lungs ached from coughing. Her body that burned amongst the intensity began to run cold. Her whole world, everything she had come to know had come crumbling down in one night. This was the end.

As life flashed before her eyes, memories flowed through; Of her baby boy, of her daughter who she'll never see again, of the day she had met Sãhasí and Surak, the day she joined the Tree of Life, first held the Bakora, hearing voices of the past, the day she had presented the royal twins to the kingdom, all of the happiness she had with her newfound home and family.

Fire often killed to make way for new life. But this was no mere flame here to clean. It was a poison, to raid and rule without mercy. All of it would come to an end, all of it would be for naught. Tears streamed down her face as she closed her eyes one last time.

Makini opened her eyes. The bright sun shining through the den, the cool air and the birds singing made her happy to be alive. She looked at her own personal paintings within her tree that she had worked on ever since she had chosen to stay at the Tree of Life. There had been plenty, many of which were of her past. There was the painting of when she had first been introduced to the Lion Guard and the royal family of the Pride Lands over six years ago. There was one depicting the day of the Kumbuka celebration, when she and the Lion Guard had retrieved the volcanic ash to save Simba from a deadly scorpion’s sting — and discovered that Scar was alive in the volcano. There was one of her, Fuli and Kongwe, one of her Mpando Mpaya, near the end of that dry season. There was one that depicted the Guard’s victory over Scar’s spirit, many depicting their journey to the Tree of Life, one that showed her ceremony that hailed her as the official Mjuzi to Queen Rani, and finally one showing Makini crowing Rani and Kion as the new rulers of the Tree of Life.

In the days that followed Kion’s coronation, Makini has depicted many paintings showing the new adventures that she and her friends have had since leaving the Pride Lands. It was now the start of a brand new year with new adventures on the horizon, and Makini was ready for all of it.

Taking her Bakora staff that the late Queen Janna had given her, she swung out of her tree on the way to the Tree of Life to greet the Lion Guard, who had woken up, and was graced with Makini's cheerful presence.

”Ashbuhi Njema,” Makini greeted the Guard whilst hugging them.

”Ashbuhi Njema” the Guard said to Makini. "Have you seen the Night Pride?"

"They went inside to rest from their shift," Kion answered. "They said that they had a peaceful night and should be up by this afternoon."

"Ok then!" Makini replied. "Enjoy your day off!"

"We sure will," said Fuli. "I'm gonna go for a jog."

"I'm gonna go for a hunt," Anga said.

"I'll go mudbathe," Beshte proclaimed.

"I'm gonna find a nice tree to nap under," said Kion. "Being a King can be exhausting."

"Binga and I found a cool new stash of termites we're gonna dig in!" said Bunga.

"I'm gonna stretch my wings and go for a fly."

"That's great," said Makini. "Hope you enjoy!"

The Lion Guard went off to relax. Makini stayed behind near the cave, wishing them luck. At that moment, she heard something inside the Tree of Life.

She went into the cave to investigate. It was the Night Pride, sleeping soundly after their nightly patrol. Rani slept on Queen Janna's throne, but laid as still as a statue. Too still. As if she could open her eyes at any given moment. Her heart paced as Rani tossed and turned in her sleep mumbling.

"Help..." she mumbled under her sleep... "help..."

Rani teared up, clenching her eyes and unsheathing her claws, swatting them around as she went through a night terror. Makini's heart broke seeing this. She couldn't stand to see Rani in such a state. She crept closer, wanting to wake her up, but she narrowly felt Rani's claws brush against her fur, barely breaking any skin. Makini managed to gently grab onto Rani and shake her awake, quietly.

Rani opened her eyes; They were blurry, covered in tears.

"Makini?" she grogilly asked.

"It's okay Rani," Makini said, placing a palm on the Queen's forehead. "I'm here."

As Rani grew more and more awake, she looked around her and saw that things were as they were, before she had fallen asleep. She had a bad dream... again.

Normally she would brush it off and be happy it wasn't real, but she kept her head down.

"It was just a bad dream," Makini said.

"I wish," Rani mumbled. "It's.. it's okay though."

"You say that, but I feel like it's not really okay," Makini said empathetically. "What was your dream about? Do you wanna talk about it?"

Inside Rani was a voice telling her to talk to Makini about it. Tell her about what was in the dream, and what that dream meant. But no words came out of her mouth. Other than a deadpan, "No."

"Oh, ok," Makini said. The mandrill wanted to know more so she could help, but Rani's answer was clear and concise. She knew Rani was already under enough stress as is, so she decided to wait until later to tell her about the tremors. Still, she hugged Rani to reassure her. 

"Have a good rest," said Makini.

Rani gave a smile. 

"Thank you Makini," she said. "I'm lucky to have you as a Mjuzi and as a friend."

"I'm lucky to be your Mjuzi," replied Makini. "And your friend."

Makini headed back out whilst Rani kept her head down. She tightly observed the Night Pride's sleeping habits. Her uncle Surak slept alone in one corner, facing the wall, her brother Baliyo sleeping next to their aunt Nirmala, snuggling up besides her like a cub would on their mother. It was such a lovely sight. But as heartfelt as it was, it reminded Rani of a different time. When the cave was filled with many lions and lionesses, sleeping with their many cubs all together. Among those lions, she imagined her parents, sleeping next to each other, practically inseperable, and her grandfather, who would be the first of the pride to fall asleep. She had seen them in her dream, and in her waking hours, she imagined what they would look like now, what they would say about her as Queen, what they would think about her marriage to Kion, her friendship with the Lion Guard, her leadership of the Night Pride, and friendship with the Royal Mjuzi. In fact, what would the previous Royal Mjuzi have to say about Makini? If there was anything for her to say at all after the incident.

"Hutan," Rani silently lamented before she drifted back to sleep.

It was clear afternoon when Rani had woken up. She saw the other members of the Night Pride, still sleeping soundly. Lucky. They must've gotten better rest than she did. The burden on her shoulders was ten times as great as they would know. If she couldn't sleep it off, she would walk it off.

She went outside and was greeted by the sunlight. It was often blinding. Made sense. It wasn't uncommon for her to sleep through the entire day, and for the only sunlight she'd encounter to be that of the sunrise. She remembered a simpler time to a day where every night was filled with a peaceful sleep, and every day was filled with countless adventures; Where she could wake up to see the sunrise rather than sensing it as a time to tuck in for the night. Where she could live without fear.

But this was the present. And if was no gift, but an obligation.

Rani thought back to the dreams she had earlier. How they made her wish to go back to such a simpler time, and how angry she was for not being able to do so. Those dreams, ironically, were what brought her to the sunlight she loved.

She picked up Kion's scent and realized that he wasn't too far away. She instantly rushed in his direction, seeking comfort from his presence, but she stopped herself on a dime. If Rani consoled Kion, he would ask her what the problem is. And Rani didn't want that. She didn't want her problems to be Kion's. Much like she didn't want them to be Makini's. Especially when it came to the mistakes she made in the past, and the disastrous consequences that occurred because of it. She tried not to think about it, and she definitely didn't want them to either. They'd done so much for her since they had arrived at the Tree of Life last year, she wouldn't want to repay them by making them share the same struggles that have followed her for nearly 10 years.

The defeated queen decided that it would be better to go back to sleep. It's not like there was much she could do to get her out of the pit she was in.

"Queen Rani!" a voice behind her called.

It was Makini. Pleasant as ever. 

"I see you're awake!" said the Mjuzi. "How was your rest?"

"Good," Rani said with a smile. Makini's face lit up, and the queen felt security in knowing that she believed it. "I was just on a walk! Wanna come with me?"

"Sure!" Makini said. "I've got nothing much to do myself, so we can have a day out!"

Rani chuckled. If there's one thing Makini can do, it's to cheer people up. This would hopefully get her mind off of things.

The two traipsed the around the kingdom, discussing anything that was on their minds that they were comfortable sharing. Although initially wanting small talk to distract herself, Rani soon found herself immersed in discussion, forgetting all about her earlier stress and anxiety.

"So, tell me again about Rafiki's neighbors," Rani asked.

"Oh yeah, Chama, Mzaha and Furaha," Makini added. "They're not really his neighbors, but Rafiki still loves them. Not that I blame them since they saved our lives, and his tree."

"Sounds like they would've been fun to have at the wedding," noted Rani.

"Yeah they would've," said Makini. "Rafiki told me how much he regrets forgetting to invite them to the wedding. Among others."

"Mistakes happen," said Rani.

"Yeah, they do," Makini replied. "I'm just hoping that someday we can visit the Pride Lands and meet them."

Rani slowed down in her tracks when she heard that. Makini turned around to ask her more questions.

"Have you ever thought about visiting the Pride Lands with Kion?" Makini asked.

"Well, Kion's suggested the idea to me a few times, but I've always declined."

"Why?" Makini asked. "You could get the chance to see where Kion grew up, along with the rest of our friends!"

"That does sound fun," Rani nervously spoke, "but... I don't want to be too hasty with it. I mean it's only been a few months since Kion joined the royal family. And before that, I was still new to becoming Queen. A lot is changing in Jindagee, and I want to be there for it all."

"That makes sense," Makini sighed. "Sometimes I feel the same way about the Pride Lands. When we found out that Scar was back, I did my best to help my friends protect the Pride Lands, and was glad to see that they were safe. But I never got to see firsthand how everything and everyone was doing, how everyone recovered. Plus I never even got to meet the new Lion Guard. It sometimes keeps me up at night."

"So you're saying you're homesick?" Rani asked.

"Yeah," said Makini. "But I always have my paintings to remind me of the fun times."

"You're an extraordinary painter," Rani said. "I've seen your work. It's amazing."

"Thank you!" Makini squealed. "If we do visit the Pride Lands someday, I wanna show you the portrait I made of the royal family! There was this big ceremony and everything!"

Rani tried to imagine what a huge ceremony in the Pride Lands would be like. So many animals of varying sizes, peaceful in one location. A proud Royal Mjuzi doing a magnificent portrait of the royals and bowing amonst her people, who bow back. That's at least how she remembered the ceremony in her home.

Whether it was Makini reading her mind or a complete coincidence, Makini asked a question that left Rani stunned in place.

"Who was the last Royal Mjuzi before me?"

Rani didn't know how to answer that and just kept walking, hoping that Makini would brush it off just as easily.

"I said, who was the last Royal Mjuzi?" Makini asked. That meant she wasn't going to brush it off just as easily.

"When the Guard and I arrived at the Tree of Life, Queen Janna gave me a Bakora staff, and told me that it belonged to the last Royal Mjuzi."

Rani took that in and it made sense. Her grandmother always had so much that Rani lacked, and was the only one to try to bring her down to earth. Of course she would've told Makini about their previous Mjuzi.

"How much did she tell you about the previous Mjuzi?" Rani asked, curious on Makini's knowledge.

"That was pretty much all she told me. She said that the royal mjuzi completed her journey in the Circle of Life," answered Makini. "I would've asked her how, and for more details, but with so much happening - the training, the healing, the coronation, and the invasions - I never got the time to really ask. I was wondering if you know!"

Rani tried to think fast on how to avoid the subject.

"Well... I don't recall," she stuttered. "It was a long time ago."

"Maybe we should head back to the Tree of Life to see some paintings!"

"I don't think so," hastily stuttered Rani. "Because I just remembered!"

"Who was it?" Makini asked with a curious, almost suspicious tone.

"Adui," Rani answered. "It just came to me, but yeah, our old Royal Mjuzi was a mandrill from the Pride Lands. That was her name."

"Oh," Makini asked. "Is there anything more you know about her?"

"She was very wise," Rani added. "She always used her knowledge to help the lions at the Tree of Life. Sadly, she passed away over a decade ago and we couldn't replace her."

"Why couldn't you?" 

"Because nobody was able to live up to her," Rani concluded before looking to Makini. "Nobody except you."

"Really?" Makini asked. "Because I'm pretty sure a lot of animals would've been able to do the job right!"

"Oh, well..."

"And even so, what reason was for there to be no Mjuzi for an entire decade?" Makini asked. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened," Rani said, losing her patience.

"But something had to have happened," Makini said, not recognizing Rani's growing discontent. "Rafiki always tells me that even nothing happening is something. So what was that something?"

"Nothing!"

"Which is still something!"

"Enough!" Rani snapped, finally getting Makini to be quiet. "I don't know what happened, and I don't care! If anything, your constant nagging is only making me care even less!"

Makini's mouth fell agape and she instinctively stepped back. Without even thinking or saying anything, Makini ran off, not looking back. When Makini was out of sight, Rani cooled down and realized the weight of her words. She looked down at the ground and cursed herself.

In attempting to spare Makini her pain, she only shared it. 

LAST YEAR

"Long live the Queen! Long Live the Queen! Long Live the Queen!"

The creatures of Jindagee cheered as their Crown Princess was now being crowned Queen; The new Queen. The marking of blue paint on her forehead, signifying a crown had shimmered underneath the sunset light. 

Makini had encouraged the chanting to support the new change of power in the kingdom, the continuation of a proud legacy at the Tree of Life. The new Queen had been confident in her role, all thanks to Makini showing her the special gift that her late grandmother had left behind. The gift of many stories about the Tree of Life's past to guide her in the form of paintings, some of which were made by previous mjuzis, others by Rani.

That entire day, Makini had been there to consult Rani, showing her the gifts, and making the announcement of Janna's passing. It was only then did the new Queen realize; The gift wasn't just the paintings, it was Makini herself. And she was going to put her newfound powers to use.

"Thank you all for attending," she spoke in a grand voice. "As Queen, I am here to protect and defend my kingdom. I hope to someday be as great of a leader as my grandmother was."

The subjects, including the Lion Guard gathered closely, wanting to hear more of Rani's speech.

"With the arrival of the Lion Guard, came an old friend of my grandmother, Makini," Rani said, turning to the mandrill who has crowned her. She looked directly into her eyes with nothing but genuine sincerity.

"And Makini has proven herself to be a great friend and a wonderful advisor. Which is why I think we should celebrate not just the arrival of the new Queen, but the new Royal Mjuzi."

Makini's eyes lit up and watered with gaitey. She and Rani had discussed Makini's new role at the Tree of Life with Janna, and now, the right time had come for them to both meet their destinies.

"You can do this," Rani encouraged.

As rehearsed, Makini went in front of the animals and raised her staff up high. Sunlight from the heavens shone down onto her staff as the wind blew around her.

"Makini," the voices in the wind whispered. "It is time."

This was now her role. She was the Mjuzi.

To officiate this, she bowed in front of the creatures that stood before her, showing her loyalty to them as a member of Rani's court. The creatures, including the Lion Guard, bowed, showing their respect and admiration to her as a treasure of the Tree of Life. Rani bowed as well, showing her trust and faith in Makini.

Every animal, noble or otherwise, bowed, for they were all one.

PRESENT DAY

Among many events, Makini's initiation ceremony as the Royal Mjuzi was illustrated in her tree. What had started out to be a sad day with the loss of Queen Janna turned out to be what started a beautiful era for both of them, a proud point in their friendships. 

She knew that this one moment stung, but it wasn't, or rather shouldn't, be enough to break their friendship. Maybe if Makini went to talk to Rani, they could sort things out.

She went out of the cavity in her tree, holding her staff in her right hand. She began to shimmy down the tree trunk, but the squawk of a bird had startled her, throwing her off balance. Terror had flashed through Makini as she plummeted to the ground from horrifying heights. The crack she heard upon hitting the ground horrifed her. Was it a broken bone? A leg? Her skul? Her entire body had been overwhelmed with hurt to the point where she didn't precisely know.

She turned her head to see her staff, intact, but one of the gourds had cracked and dust from within it had blown into her eyes. She winced, and suddenly felt her world become more and more obscure, fading into black.

Nothing was in her mind or vision, until it faded into existence right in front of the mandrill, but it was one with a bluish purple tint. Something supernatural and otherworldy beyond her comprehension.

She had seen Queen Janna, only it was different. Instead of bedridden and elderly, she was alive and young, not too far off from the age she was when she and her parents first met her and Rafiki. There was another lion, dark, and sporting blue eyes like Baliyo. But neither of them had the markings that crowned them as rulers like Kion and Rani did. Instead, those crowns were on Sãhasí and Ãnanda, right next to them. She let out a gasp so loud, yet it was heard by none. She always saw paintings of Rani and Baliyo's deceased parents, and heard descriptions from them, but she had never seen them in the flesh like this. Next to them were Surak and Nirmala, although they were much younger. Something that Makini soon realized was that neither of them had bore the Mark of the Night Pride. None of the lions at the Tree of Life did. And Rani and Baliyo were nowhere to be seen.

It was daylight, right at the start of dawn, with many animals, elephants, dholes, peacocks, and more surrounding the Tree of Life. Meanwhile, near the cave, many lions, including Rani's aunt Nirmala patiently, yet excitedly spectated this event. It appeared as though there was a ceremony happening at the Tree of Life. Yet Sãhasí and Ãnanda seemed to already have their crown ons on, so it wasn't a corornation. More and more questions appeared in Makini's mind until she saw someone emerge from the entrance.

It was a large primate, much like herself, but also larger than her, her parents, or Rafiki. The lacking of a tail had indicated that she was an ape. She remembered the gorillas she had met back home telling her that the difference between a monkey and an ape and vividly remembered the note about tails. But unlike Sokwe, Hafifu, Majinuni, and Shujaa, this ape was smaller. Oh and it was also very orange. As orange as the sunset. or even a fruit. Her eyes were a deep brown, her knuckles and hands well defined, and bore a smiling face full of freckles. In her left hand she carried a large staff that curved near the top, sporting two gourds. One for the past, and one for the future. It was the same staff that Janna had given Makini.

Makini felt a rush flow through her. Rani had lied, yes, but more importantly, she had answers. This ape standing in front of her was the Night Pride's Royal Mjuzi. This was the Tree of Life's past. 

"Animals of Jindagee," Sãhasí said. "This orangutan from the Eastern Islands did the heroic deed of healing my wife, and our Queen, Ãnanda."

The animals looked at Ãnanda, who nodded her head whilst smiling, confirming it. 

"Had it not been for her, our family would've been torn apart by loss," Janna added. Sãhasí continued. "And after seeing her help many of you, I believe it would be best for all of us if we welcome her as a part of our kingdom, as the Royal Mjuzi."

The animals cheered loudly in approval, screeching and saluting as far as the heavens could listen. It almost felt as though the earth shaked in approval.

The orangutan carried her staff high into the air. Sunlight from the heavens shone down onto her staff as the wind blew around her. The orangutan closed her eyes, as if she could listen to voices within the wind. Makini knew what those words were.

"It is time," the orangutan whispered.

This was now her role. 

"I now present to you all, Hutan. The Royal Mjuzi of the Tree of Life."

To officiate this, Hutan bowed in front of the creatures that stood before her, showing her loyalty to them as a member of the royal court. The creatures, including the royal family bowed, showing their respect and admiration to her as a treasure of the Tree of Life. Janna, Rajaa, Sãhasí, Surak, Ãnanda, and Nirmala bowed as well, showing her trust and faith in Hutan. Makini found herself bowing. The answers she sought were there and now, she felt more complete.

Every animal, noble or otherwise, bowed, for they were all one. Now and forever.

Makini's vision blurred once more, and she found herself in the present day, awake inside the Tree of Life. The first thing she noticed was the discomfort in her skull. She went to touch it and flinched upon the pain that rushed through her. As she slowly and slowly gained consciousness, she saw the concerned members of the Night Pride looking at her, including Rani.

That's when the memories of her dream, or rather vision had came flooding back. The vision that gave Makini an answer to the question that Rani had coldly dismissed her for.

"Are you okay Makini?" Baliyo asked, noticing the mandrill's stunned expression.

"I'm.. I'm alright," she answered while rubbing her eyes. "I.... I just had no idea how big of a fall I took."

"Fortunately, you weren't concussed," Nirmala said. "No broken bones or even cuts. Just, really brusied. I'd suggest you take it easy for today."

"Where's my staff?" Makini asked.

"Right here," Surak said, carrying the staff to the mandrill in his mouth. Makini carried the staff and slowly got up. Her muscles ached with several movements she made, but her staff was able to keep her mobile. 

When Makini was able to compose herself despite the discomfort, she turned towards Rani, who had a guilty expression on her face. Before Rani could speak, Makini asked.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"What?" Rani said.

"You said that the Royal Mjuzi was Adui," Makini said. "A mandrill from the Pride Lands. That's a lie."

The other members of the Night Pride were shocked by this statement, but they were silent. Rani then spoke.

"Where and how did you come to that conclusion?" Rani asked.

"Hutan," Makini simply spoke. "The orangutan."

The lions were still as statues hearing the name that hadn't been uttered in a long, long time.

"How... how do you know..." Surak asked.

"I don't know why or how, but.. I saw Hutan," Makini explained. "She had the same ceremony I did when I was becoming the Mjuzi. All the animals bowing, her lifting the staff into the air, right next to Rani's parents, next to Queen Janna! Everything."

Surak and Nirmala shook their heads in hearing Makini's recount of what she saw. It was a near-accurate description of the event they attended years ago. They had no clue what her frame of reference was, but it was too accurate to be false. They remained silent, alongside Baliyo.

Rani on the other hand, didn't.

"Look, I don't know where, when, or how you saw this, but doesn't concern you," Rani said. "Now can we just put this behind us?"

"I can't," Makini said. "Not when you're lying to me and hurting my feelings!"

"Sometimes the world isn't fair," Rani said. "I just can't tell you."

"When you told me you didn't want to talk about your dream, I understood that," Makini said. "It's something personal. But this isn't, and it's definitely not worth lying to and yelling at me. Is it so wrong that I want to know who came before me? As a Royal Mjuzi, I just want to know more about what went on before I came here."

"And as Queen, I'm telling you to drop the subject," Rani said through her teeth, her patience practically lost. "You know why I lied? Because you aren't ready! There are some things that not everyone is ready for or can handle. You know what we do? We move on! Surely Rafiki or even your parents had to have taught you that right?"

Makini started to tear up and cry.

"The only reason I fell out of the tree was so that I could talk to you and make things right," she said. "But I can see that there's nothing to talk about!"

Makini then ran out of the Tree of Life's cave, the physical pain being pedestrian in comparison to her emotional pain.

The Night Pride looked at Rani. Baliyo was furious, whilst Surak and Nirmala were disappointed.

"Why did you say that?!" Baliyo cried out.

"I had to," Rani said. "You know that."

"Define 'had.'"

"She can't know about Hutan," Rani said. "She can't know about Patara!"

Saying that name out loud nearly made the Queen choke on those very words.

"Just because you told Beshte about what happened 10 years ago, doesn't mean I have to tell Makini," Rani continued.

"It does when Makini's the Royal Mjuzi. Knowledge keeping and knowing history is kinda her job," Baliyo said. "And keeping it from her completely defeats the point."

Surak stepped in between the two fighting siblings.

"Rani," Surak calmly said. "I know you have your reasons, but what happened between you and Patara happened. Makini has nothing to do with that."

"I know," Rani said, her voice also calming down. "And I plan on keeping it that way. I can't make the same mistakes I made a decade ago. I'll never forgive myself."

Rani lowered her head and began to sob.

"And neither would her."

Any optimism Makini had flew out the window. She had been twice as hurt as she was a couple of hours ago. From the yelling, the scolding and the lies. It was too much.

Rani's words, she couldn't get over however. Was she really not ready to become a Royal Mjuzi? Something she's trained her whole life for? Did she even deserve to hold the staff?  So many questions ran in Makini's head, more than ever, and it was more and more agony to think about.

It was also agony to keep running, even with the staff as a prop. She fell to the ground in exhaustion, not knowing what to do or who to turn to. When she had gotten the staff and was made the Mjuzi of the Tree of Life, she was more certain with her place than ever before. But now, here she is, the supposed knowledge keeper of the kingdom,, without any knowledge, being told that she wasn't ready, and having been lied to by her friend. It was quite a blow.

As Makini looked melancholy at her staff, she noticed a small hole in one of the two gourds tied onto it. Must've cracked open when she fell. Around the hole was bluish purple powder sprinked next to it. Makini remembered her eyes being irritated by such a substance before she blacked out; Before she had the vision of Hutan.

Makini tried to connect the pieces together but couldn't. This had to have some meaning.

She thought back to Rafiki's mentorship of her. Of when she had received her first Bakora Staff in the Pride Lands. Rafiki had tied two gourds around her original staff. 

One for the future, and one for the past, Rafiki had told her.

Makini looked again and something was coming to her. But she had to know for sure.

She shook her staff until a small amount of this purple powder had fell into her hand. She prayed that this wasn't all that was left in the gourd.

She clenched the powder in her hands and internally focused on what she wanted to see.

"Ok past powder," Makini nervously said. "Show me Hutan."

Makini splashed the powder into her eyes, the irritation was less than that of before, but still enough to make her rub her eyes instinctively. Her vision blurred and it came to once again. This time, it was night at the Tree of Life. Except the darkness in the air was different. The light wasn't from the bluish white hues of the moon, but from the reddish orange fury of an inferno.

Many animals were panicking and running in all the commotion. Several lions and lionesses were busy trying to stop the commotion and guide the animals to safety. Makini felt the heat of the fires around her burn, but she knew that it wasn't real, or rather she wasn't there.

Amongst the chaos, she heard bloodcurdling screams admist a lion's roar in the distance. Makini froze up, not wanting to see what could've possibly happened. She mustered up enough courage to do so and saw two cubs running past her. They were running faster than cheetahs by that point, and were on their way to the Tree of Life. Makini looked down and saw drops of blood in the cubs' trail. Then she heard a deep voice.

"Rani! Baliyo! Don't look back!"

When Makini looked to the direction of the voice, she saw Hutan, the orangutan. She was right behind the cubs, using her Bakora as extra support for her speed on the ground.

"To the Tree of Life! Now!" 

Makini took it upon herself to follow Hutan. She didn't know why, but she knew then and there that she was going to see the end of the Royal Mjuzi.

Hutan has escorted the cubs to the cave within the Tree of Life, encouraging them to hide. She then raised her Bakora staff, ready to fight. Makini went next to her. She knew that nothing she did could change or even alter the past, but if her assumption was right, she wanted to see who was responsible for Hutan's death. To her surprise, the images of the attackers were blurry. It was as if something or someone had obscurred what Makini had seen for some reason. All she could see where dark silhouettes with glowing eyes. A darkness.

"We have come to rule without mercy," said the leader of the attackers. A soft feminime voice emerged from that creature, whose eyes had glown as green as emeralds. "We have come for your throne."

"You've wasted your time," Hutan angrily said as she held her staff. "The last thing you'll ever do."

Hutan used her staff and began to knock away the attackers. Makini still tried to make out what they were, but she couldn't. All she saw was Hutan fighting for her life, beating the enemy with her staff, or even punching and kicking them with her bare hands and feet. Makini was begging for Hutan to win, to defeat the attackers and save the cubs. But she knew that wasn't how her story was going to end.

Her vision blurred as the confrontation commenced, and she could barely make out what she saw. Until the vision cleared itself again. The attackers had overpowered Hutan and pushed her into the Tree of Life's cave. They soon blocked the boulder, not unlike what Makucha and his army had done during their invasion of the Tree of Life.

Makini's horror only grew when she witnessed the Tree of Life slowly became engulfed in the flame. The dead silence from inside the Tree had been enough for everything to click within Makini.

This is what completed Hutan's journey in the Circle of Life.

~~

The vision dissipated, bringing Makini's mind, thoughts, and sight back into the present day. Now there were no doubts. This powder was special, very special. But perhaps something so special shouldn't go to waste. Heading back to her tree, Makini found some leaves and vines to patch up the hole in her staff's gourd to make sure that it wouldn't fall out again.

Makini was wondering what she should do next. She knew deep down that there was more to what she saw, but she didn't know where to go next. And she still felt the sting of Rani's words within her heart. What even was there to do?

"Hutan"

Makini fliched hearing a voice so familiar in the wind at that moment. Had she been any other animal, she would've thought her mind was playing tricks on her. But when she got over the initial feeling of surprise, she responded.

"Queen Janna?" Makini asked.

"Summon Hutan" Queen Janna's voice whispered in the wind, directing the mandrill in the direction of a far off rainforest within the kingdom, distancing as if it was in the path of a trail. "Deep within the forest lies Sihir. The Great Creatures of the Past - your destiny - awaits you."

It seemed like giving Makini so many questions without answers was a running theme in Rani's family, as Janna's whispers roared into the wind, her voice dissipating as if it were never there.

"Makini ."

Although Makini was somewhat frustrated, she trusted Queen Janna's judgement. The Great Lions, or, Creatures of the Past work in mysterious ways. If this was the way to find the truth and perhaps prove herself, then so be it.

Following the trail, Makini began her trek to Sihir, ready to summon the great spirit of the orangutan.

Makini easily got herself off the ground and into the trees. The best way to get around in the rainforest was through swinging and climbing, which was what Makini was made for. She and heard the faint trail in the sky and followed it. She swang from vine to fine, from tree to tree, keeping her Bakora with her. She was so preoccupied with her mission that she didn't care how deep into the jungle she was headed into.. or that she was being watched.

Following her above was an ape who eyed the staff that Makini owned. The ape strongly recognized that staff. One of many things that she hadn't seen in a decade. But it didn't matter. This animal was trespassing, and she knew exactly what was going to hapen.

snap!

Makini was violently pulled upside down by the snare trap made of vines. Her foot was already beginning to numb with the intense pressure and pain. Her staff had fortunately been tied properly behind her back so that it wouldn't fall off, but that was the least of her problems compared to the very long, very painful drop below her should the vine give way.

As she tried to pull herself up, she saw a flash of orange dash by her. She twisted and turned until she saw, (as best as she could whilst hanging upside down) an orangutan. She looked to be not much older than Makini, though naturally bigger due to the difference in species.

"Uhm, could you help me please?" Makini asked politely. "I don't know why, but I seem to be hanging around here!"

The orangutan ripped a piece of wood from the tree trunk and used it to cut the vine, before quickly catching Makini in her arms and placing her down on the branch.

"Thank you-"

Makini's thanks was interrupted when the ape yanked the staff from the vines that tied it to Makini's back. She examined it well. The gourds, the wood, the shape and curvature. But most of all, the crack on its corner. The sight left her agape. This was the staff she'd seen before. But how did this animal retrieve it??

The more she looked at it, the mored she held it tightly, and the more she cried. 

“Is there anything wrong?” Makini asked. She went closer to the ape, but the ape turned away, clutching the staff.

”I’d like my staff back please,” Makini said. “If there’s anything you wanna talk about, I’m here to listen.”

The orangutan didn’t talk, instead swung off. Makini panicked. She was going to lose another staff!

Not today she wasn’t.

Makini followed the orangutan, keeping up with the orange in the greenery. She wished she had Fuli’s speed or Anga’s sight, because it seemed like the orangutan was every step ahead of her. And she was: The ape was determined to not let Makini get the staff back. The swings she would take would be far and wide, much more than Makini was used to. She knew that she would get away easily; had it not been for the python that she had mistaken for a vine.

The ape slammed face-first right onto the tree trunk, dropping Makini’s staff. The agitated snake, scared and angry, coiled the orangutan around the trunk. As strong as she was, the python was much, much stronger. Every breath the orange ape took, the reticulated serpent squeezed tighter. In a few moments, she wouldn’t breathe at all.

She quickly closed her eyes and prepared herself for the inevitable. It’s not like there was anything she could do about it, or anything she wanted to do about it.

”Shwari.”

Makini carefully placed her palm on the hissing serpent.

”Shwari,” she repeated. “Be calm. She didn’t mean any harm. She’s just as scared as you are.”

Makini looked the snake directly into the eyes, connecting their visions. They were so different, yet somehow still the same.

”It’s okay,” Makini whispered. “It’s okay.”

The snake slowly released her coils, letting the young orangutan live. She slithered up the tree, looking empathetically at Makini. She flickered her tongue out before slithering back upward.

The orangutan was on her back, gasping for breath, and very confused. She looked and saw the owner of the staff looking directly at her. She was holding out a hand to her… for some reason.

”You need any help?” Makini asked.

The ape got up, taking Makini’s hand to adjust herself. She looked at Makini confusedly.

”Why… did you help me?” asked the orangutan.

”I couldn’t let that snake strangle you, even if you did steal my staff” Makini said. “It was the right thing to do.”

”Oh,” said the orangutan, shaking Makini’s hand. “Well… thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Makini replied. “I’m Makini. What’s your name?”

”Patara,” replied the ape. “Have you heard of me?”

”No,” Makini answered.

Patara quietly sighed in relief.

“Didn’t expect you to,” she said. “I live on my own. And whenever someone manages to find my territory, I go deeper into it.”

”Why?” Makini asked.

”It’s just how it is,” Patara answered.

Makini was about to leave, but noticed something was wrong. Her staff was gone. She looked around, and it wasn't anywhere on the trees. It wasn't with Patara. It was gone.

"No, no, no, no!"

"What?"

"My staff! The one you took! Have you seen it?"

"I think I dropped it!"

"NO!"

Makini's heart raced as she leapt down the trees, sliding down the vines, ignoring the ropeburn and over-exertion she was going through. She couldn't lose another staff. Not again.

When she reached the forest floor, she saw nothing. No staff. It's as if it disappeared entirely. She kept circling around the area, but still couldn't find it. Finally, she broke down. She had lost another staff.

It was the 12th staff she ever owned in a long line of staffs. Her first was stolen by the hyenas as part of Janja, Mzingo and Ushari's plan to summon Scar. The second was burned in a wildfire that nearly took her and Rafiki's lives. The third was crushed during an elephant stampede that she was unfortunate enough to be close by. The fourth was when Kenge had chomped it in half when she tried to stop him from stealing the elephants’ Tikiti Melons. The fifth one, she dropped if off of Maji Baridi Falls. The sixth one, she had lost in a lava flow when escaping Scar’s army. The seventh one was when she had tried to move Kongwe when she and Fuli were escorting her to the King. She lost eight one she lost when she and the Guard were on their way out of the Lion Guard’s secret chamber. The 9th one she broke by accident during her fighting practice with Rafiki. The 10th one, she had dropped in a geyser, and the 11th one had been lost in the frozen lake near the end of the Lion Guard’s trek to the Tree of Life.

Her 12th staff, given to her by Queen Janna, was to be hers forever, and now she lost it. And not only that, she dishonored it's previous holder, Hutan, all on a mission to find her.

Patara followed Makini to the forest floor and found her crying. She started to feel guilty, knowing that this was her fault. It seems as though Makini agreed given her reaction when Patara tried to get her up.

"Why did you do that?!" Makini said, pushing the ape. "Why did you steal my staff?! If it wasn't for you, I'd still have it!"

"It was an accident!" Patara defensively yelled.

"Dropping it was, but stealing wasn't!" Makini yelled, crying as she did. "What am I going to do?"

As Makini kept crying, Patara felt the wave of guilt over her growing even more. She didn't want to feel this much empathy for a stranger, it was perfectly easy to just leave her and be on her way, but -

"Look, I can help you find it."

"How?" Makini asked.

"I don't know, but we can at least try," Patara responded. 

Makini looked around, seeing if there's anything that could give her a clue. She noticed a few feathers fall on the ground a few feet away from her. She went over to examine them. It was dark brown with small white spots.

Patara grabbed one of the feathers from Makini to examine it, looking closely at its texture and sniffing it.

"Serpent eagle," the ape grunted. Makini raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"This feather belongs to a serpent eagle. And where its feathers dropped are in the same general area where I dropped your staff."

"You're saying that a bird took my staff?" Makini questioned. "Don't you think that's kind of a reach?"

"With arms and legs as long as mine," Patara spoke. "Anything is a reach. I'm going up there."

Patara began to scale the trees. If a serpent eagle really did take the staff, then they'd be perched up above. That would explain the direction of the feathers dropping. Patara knew that there'd be a chance she was wrong, but if there's one thing she's learned over the years, it's to always be 3 steps ahead and to observe the unobservable. In her eyes, that was the only way to survive, and to win.

She climbed higher and higher, until she saw a crested serpent eagle, beak and talons as sharp as knives. Underneath those talons was the staff. Her staff. Without a second thought, the orangutan leapt to attack, and proved to be more swift than the powerful raptor clutching him in her left arm and holding the staff in her right. She looked at the serpent and expected him to be in fear, like any other animal unfortunate enough to tresspass onto her turf. But this eagle looked as though something else was on his mind. 

"You look familiar."

Shit

Patara threw the raptor into the air with her bare knuckles, sending him far, far away. He would be able to fly, but hopefully that would send him a message to never come across his turf again. With the staff in hand, she went back to Makini.

"I believe this belongs to you," she said.

A weight was lifted off of the mandrill's shoulders as she held the staff again tightly, never wanting to let it go again. With no hesitation, she thanked the orangutan who had made up for this mistake. Maybe they'd gotten off on the wrong foot.

"I'm sorry for stealing it," Patara said. "I got.... carried away."

"You seemed to be really attatched to the staff," Makini asked. "As if you recognized it."

"I... recognize the staff," Patara responded. "It belonged to someone I know."

"I know," Makini said. Patara tensed, wondering what exactly Makini knew.

"It belonged to the Royal Mjuzi," Makini said. "Before she completed her journey in the Circle of Life. I can't imagine how awful it must've been for you and the other animals at the Tree of Life."

You have no idea, Patara thought to herself.

"It was," said the young ape. "I thought her Chipakna was destroyed along with her. To see it again after almost 10 years... it felt like she was back from the dead."

"Chipakna?" Makini asked.

"The staff," Patara answered. "We call it a Chipakna. You call it something different?"

"Yes," Makini spoke. "Queen Janna told me it was a Bakora. That's how we call it in the Pride Lands."

"How is Queen Janna?" Patara asked. She felt obligated to know what happened.

"She's gone," Makini sighed. "She passed away last year."

Patara had a moment of silence, mourning the former queen. She should've guessed that old age would've taken her. Compared to other deaths she'd seen over the years, it was tame, the best way to go. 

"You seem to know a lot about Hutan," Makini said.

"Yeah," Patara sniffled. "We knew each other really well. I neve really got over what happened."

"I know a Royal Mjuzi back in the Pride Lands where I'm from," Makini explained. "His name is Rafiki. If he died, I also wouldn't know what to do. He's... well he's like family to me."

"That's what Hutan was to me," Patara cried. "Family."

Makini hugged Patara tightly, even though the ape was older and larger than her. Patara looked at the staff and constantly felt the urge to reach for it, but couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to do so. For the first time in years, Patara had a friend. Maybe this time she wouldn't mess it up.

As the hug finished, Makini showed Patara her staff. The ape looked at her confusedly.

"What if I told you there's a way for us to speak to Hutan?"

Patara hissed. "You better not be toying with me, Makini! I am highly emotional and extremely gullible!"

"It's the truth!" Makini said. "The staff gives me the ability to talk to the Lions of the Past. I spoke to Queen Janna earlier, and she sent me here to find Sihir. There, I can summon Hutan and the Great Creatures of the Past."

"How can one speak to dead animals who aren't lions? Has that ever been done before?"

"I don't know, but I need to try," Makini responded. "Something tells me that there's so much for me to learn as the new Mjuzi. To know. And if there's so much that you want to know, that I want to share it with you."

"Maybe we could work together," Patara proposed. "I have some answers to seek out as well."

"You know what they say. Many eyes make a search seem smaller!"

The two primates swung off, following the direction of the trail Makini sensed in search of Hutan.

What they didn't realize was that they were being watched. The small lizard witnessed what happened and glided off, her wings as loose as her lips.

When Makini hadn't been found in her tree after her and Rani's argument, the Night Pride had gotten worried. Even moreso when Makini's scent had lead her deep into the rainforest. Marking their path as a checkpoint, they doubled back to assemble the Lion Guard.

Normally, they didn't find it an issue getting their leisure time interrupted. Their time in the Pride Lands had practically conditioned them for disappointment. But learning what happened between Rani and Makini made happy campers of no-one. Especially not Kion.

"How could you say those things to Makini?" Anga yelled.

"I didn't mean to!" Rani yelled back.

"But you meant to lie to her and hurt her feelings," Beshte sternly spoke in a low voice.

"I didn't think she'd run away!"

"Exactly. You didn't think at all!" Fuli said.

As Fuli, Beshte, Bunga, Ono, and Anga criticized Rani, Kion interrupted them.

"We'll discuss this later. Right now, we need to find Makini and see if she's safe," Kion said. Kion turned his head away to lead the group, but Rani was still desperate to explain herself.

"Kion, please, I'm so sorry, just, listen to me!" Rani pleaded.

"It's not me you have to apologize to," Kion said. "It's Makini. She was my friend before she was yours. I've known her longer, and I've lost my patience around her too. But I learned quickly that you are lucky to have someone like Makini in your life. Hopefully you will as well."

Rani sensed the disappointment in his voice, and in his eyes. It gave her de'javu to when they had first met. Rani had blamed Kion and his friends for leading Makucha and his forces to the Tree of Life to invade, and during the first few days of their vist, was wary around them, even Makini, when all they wanted was to heal Kion and Ono an help the Night Pride keep peace. She never expected to care for them as much as she does now, or become a part of her life. But now they were. And if she wanted to keep things that way, perhaps it was time for her to do the same thing Kion did during his therapy; reflect. 

There was a lot about Rani's past that she wanted to keep close to her, to bury within as if it never happened. Her parents, her childhood friends, the last Royal Mjuzi, and the creatures who took them from her all in one night. But if there was ever one reminder, it was her scar. Every terrible thing happened, it did happen, no matter how hard she tried. Maybe she could stop it from happening again, but at what cost? Her friendships? No matter where she walked, the truth would follow, and maybe someday, not today, it'll be able to set her free.

~~~

The Night Pride and the Lion Guard followed Makini's scent. With four trackers - Kion, Fuli, Rani, Surak, Baliyo, and Nirmala. Several exhausting hours of travelling lead them deeper into the forest, where the plants and vines had practically surrounded them, and made it impossible to see in front of them. Anga used her talons to slice through the vines, whilst Kion, Rani, Fuli, Surak, Nirmala, Baliyo, and Beshte used their teeth and jaws to bite through the foilage.

"Why on earth would Makini go through here?" Rani asked.

"I have no clue, but, I can still track her here," Fuli responded. 

"On the bright side, if she's having just as much trouble getting around as we are, then she won't get that far away," Beshte added.

Unless she was in the trees, Rani thought. She could be able to move around more quickly to find Makini. 

Rani carefully used her claws to latch onto a low hanging tree branch and carefully shimmied her way higher and higher. She still had a tail on Makini, and the higher she got, the less foilage was in the way. Perfect. 

Her family on the ground didn't seem to suspect her absence, until they heard the sound of a branch shaking above them. They looked up and saw Rani, carefully crawling on the branch.

"Rani!" Surak yelled in distress. "What do you think you are doing?!"

"I'm finding a vantage point!" Rani shouted from above. "If some of us head up into the trees, we'll be able to move faster!"

"I don't think that's gonna work!" Baliyo said. "You know that you're not the best climber!"

"I was taught! Besides, I'll be alright!" Rani told her brother.

"Rani, you have to come down. Please! It could be dangerous!" Surak shouted.

"But this could be the best way to find-"

The Queen lost her footing as she moved across the branch, overestimating herself. She found herself hanging off of the branch by barely her claws. All of Rani's confidence froze when it dawned upon her just how badly this plan had failed. She looked down and saw that she was high enough off the ground to where a fall would most definitely break a bone, which at that point would be the best case scenario.

Rani's claws were slipping. They could only latch on to the wood for so long. 

"Rani!" shouted her uncle's voice.

It was Surak, who had scaled the tree trunk and had a thick vine in his teeth.

"Let go of the tree branch!" he said, still holding the vine in his jaws. "I'm going to swing across. Grab onto my mane when you reach me!"

"But what if I miss?!" Rani gasped as she felt herself lose even more of her grip.

"Just trust me!"

Rani held her breath. It was either she at least try to get to safety, or she'll wait to take a serious fall. She thought about Makini. How she wished she apologized to her when she had the chance, lest the last major interaction between them be an argument. How horrible Makini would feel upon finding out something terrible happened to Rani. How horrified her husband and friends are to see her in danger, in spite of their disappointment towards her. If by any chance she was going to be okay, she was going to make it worthwhile and fix this.

Letting go of the branch, Rani held her breath as she felt the upward draft glide past her fur, and the ground get closer and closer to her. The view of the forest floor was blocked by a brown blur, and that was her signal to act. She fiercely bit onto her uncle’s wavy upward mane, and clenched her jaw down as though her life depended on it, which it did. She then wrapped her forelegs around Surak to get more of a grip whilst they swung on the way down. It wasn’t a smooth landing, but it got them down in one piece.

Rani couldn’t stop trembling with every step she took. She was relieved to be safe but… the relief was delayed, and the fear was overdue.

”It’s okay,” Surak shushed. “Sab kuchh theek hai. Everything is alright.” Rani felt her heartbeat slow down, and her body at ease. She hugged against Surak, thankful that she had listened to him. 

”Thank you uncle,” Rani shakily whispered.

“Thank you so much Surak,” Kion said, still shocked himself. “You saved her life.” Kion went in to hug Rani to comfort her. The rest of her family and friends were quick to join. Surak sighed in relief at his niece’s safety. When the moment had passed, everyone had looked at Surak, surprised by his heroism.

”I didn’t know you were that nimble in the trees uncle,” Baliyo gasped. “Where and how did you learn how to do that?”

”Your father and I found ourselves in a lot of peril when we would climb,” Surak explained. “An old friend taught us how.”

”Who is this old friend?” Beshte asked happily. “We’d like to meet them.”

Surak at first clenched his lips shut, knowing how sensitive the subject was to Rani. But when he looked at Rani, she nodded her head slightly. Same with Nirmala and Baliyo. Surak sighed, the memory being as painful for him as it was for his sister-in-law, niece, and nephew.

“It was years ago,” Surak explained. “Before Rani and Baliyo were born. Their mother, Queen Ãnanda was expecting them. But one day, she was injured during a terrible rockslide. Her injuries grew infected soon, and even the powers of the Tree of Life weren’t enough to heal her.”

”So what happened?” Kion asked.

“My brother, King Sãhasí and I heard stories of a creature known for her skills and knowledge in healing. The Queen was getting more and more ill with each day, so we decided to take that chance and go out to find her. Whilst Janna ruled the Tree of Life in our absence, Sãhasí and I went to the Eastern Islands to find her.

”It wasn’t an easy task. When we reached the rainforest of the Eastern Islands, we found out that she had become a hermit,” Surak continued. “She had lost her son years prior, and with it, her passion. When Sãhasí and I found her in the trees, she fought us. It took a while before either of us were able to calm down and explain our sides. We talked for a long time, and eventually she decided to come with us.”

Nirmala continued the story to give Surak a mental break.

”She managed to heal the Queen, saving her life as well as the twins.’ We were all grateful for her service. She also found herself happy at the Tree of Life, free from the burden and strife at her old home. Her knowledge helped many animals, which lead to the King and Queen naming her the next Royal Mjuzi.”

“That’s a nice story,” Beshte said flapping his ears.

"I don't doubt she'd make an excellent Mjuzi," Bunga complimented.

”She sounds pretty amazing,” Kion said.

”She was,” Surak added. “She held the staff that your friend, Makini holds today. But it didn’t last forever. There was an invasion at the Tree of Life. The staff survived, but she didn’t.”

“Oh,” Fuli gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

”We never thought we’d hear her name again,” Rani cried, wiping her tears. “We missed her so much, we never even mentioned her name.”

”Is that why you didn’t want to tell Makini?” Kion asked, piecing it together.

”Yes,” Rani said. “Part of the reason. I never wanted it to be a burden on Makini. I didn’t want to have to tell her, or remind myself by telling her…but I still hurt her.”

”It’s ok,” Kion said, nuzzling up against Rani. “We’ll find her, and you’ll have a chance to fix this. It’s not too late.”

”What was her name?” Anga asked. “The name of the Mjuzi who had Makini’s staff last.”

Rani looked directly at the Lion Guard, and said the name that she thought she’d never utter to outsiders.

”Hutan.”

Makini and Patara swung across the vines to follow Makini’s trail. Patara couldn’t sense it entirely, but she knew better than to underestimate someone who held that staff. It had been years since she last saw it. A symbol of knowledge and power in one mortal form. She wished she could hold it, but she always held back. Not just out of respect for Makini, but because she knew she didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t a very high bar to clear, but Makini deserved that staff. And she wanted to know more.

”How long have you been the Royal Mjuzi?” Patara asked.

”Since last year,” Makini said. “When the new queen was coronated.”

”New queen?” asked the ape.

”Rani,” Makini answered. “Queen Janna’s granddaughter.”

”How is she?” nervously asked the orangutan.

“She’s alright,” Makini said, trying not to think of their earlier fight. “Do you know her?”

“It’s complicated” Patara sighed sadly. “But I know for a fact that she doesn’t know me.”

Makini was about to ask what Patara meant by that but stopped herself. She didn’t want to irritate Patara like she did Rani. But now the thought of her and Rani was at the front of her mind and she couldn’t help but not talk about it.

”Rani and I are friends,” Makini lamented. “But I’m starting to wonder if I’m too much for her. Or not enough. Or both?”

“What makes you say that?” asked the ape.

”I asked her who the last Royal Mjuzi was, and she got mad. Then she lied to me. I found out it was a lie and told her about it and she said I wasn’t ready for the truth,” Makini explained. “It really hurt my feelings.”

”I know how that feels,” Patara said. “But she’s not all that bad.”

”I know she’s not,” replied Makini. “She’s married to my friend, and she’s perfect for him. But how do you know about her?”

“She and I were friends a long time ago, when we were younger” explained the simian. “Our parents were friends. She was like a little sister to me. But one day, I found out that she lied to me.”

”What did she lie to you about?”

Patara dropped the bomb, her disappointment being just as much as the day she made the discovery.

”She knew that I had an older brother and kept it from me” she bluntly said. Nothing prepared Makini for that statement, or stop her from the loud gasp.

"Before I was born, my mom had a son who died,” Patara explained. “But somehow Rani found out and kept it from me.”

”How did you find out?”

”She blurted it out by complete accident one day when we were having a discussion. I didn’t believe it until I confronted my mom about it. And it was true.”

”Were you angry at your mom?” Makini asked. “She’s the one who lied to you.”

”I was,” said Patara. “But I was young, and foolish and angry. I blamed Rani for ruining my relationship with my mother. I never talked to either of them again, even when they apologized. Then my mother passed away. After that, I kept to myself in this part of the forest where rarely anyone can disturb me. That trap you were in, I put that up to keep outsiders away.”

”I can’t believe it,” Makini comforted. “I’m so sorry.”

Patara put her hand on Makini’s shoulder. “It hurt. And I know how it must feel for you. I never got the chance to make things right with my old family. But I hope you’re able to make things right with Rani.”

”I hope so too,” Makini said, wiping a tear. “You’re very wise.”

”Well, I’m not Hutan,” Patara chuckled. “But I’m glad I can help you. It’s the least I could do after robbing you.”

”Speaking of Hutan, I think we’re getting closer, to Sihir,” Makini informed. “I can’t wait to summon Hutan.”

”Neither can I,” Patara said in joys. The responsible adult in her knew to be patient, but her inner child could not wait another second. “I would give anything to see hr.”

”Same!” Makini cheered. “I wonder what wisdom she has to share! What advice she can give me! What secrets she has to reveal.”

A fierce roar interrupted them both. Out of the bushes, two clouded leopards appeared. Makini faintly likened them to Yun Mibu, the clouded leopard that she and her friends met en route to the Tree of Life; But they were different. These clouded leopards were darker, sporting with smaller, more encased spots.

(A/N: The animals in question are referred to as Sunda clouded leopards. Despite their names, they are classified as a separate species to clouded leopards, and are also not related to actual leopards. I didn’t want to call them “Sunda clouded leopards” here because it felt off-putting to me for some reason, so they’ll be called clouded leopards or leopards as shorthand.)

The clouded leopards advanced upon Makini and Patara.

”What do you want?” Makini asked.

"We are agents of Mempenosa,” said one of the clouded leopards. “Protectors of Sihir."

"Is that a challenge?" Patara grimaced.

"You are trespassers," said one of the leopards. "You have one chance to leave. Now."

Makini stepped forward. "We're not trespassers. I am the Royal Mjuzi for the Queen and King of the Tree of Life. I got a message from Queen Janna telling me to enter Sihir and summon Hutan!"

"And we have a message for you. Keep out," growled the other leopard.

Makini took out her staff and held it in front of her, showing her opponents that she wasn't going to back down without a fight. Patara raised her knuckles, unafraid to use them.

"So be it."

One leopard leapt at Patara, the other went for Makini. Makini used her staff to shield herself from the sharp swats of the leopard, whilst Patara slapped and punched her leopard, taking many bites and scratches in the process.

Makini knocked the leopard in the head with her Bakora, sending it sprawling down the tree. The clouded leopard used his claws to grab onto the tree trunk and speed back up, leaping at Makini and kicking her in the cheekbone whilst in midair. Thankfully, there was a vine for Makini to grab onto and swing from. The momentum allowed her to whack the leopard with her staff again, this time, right in the nose, knocking them down on the branch. Makini turned and saw Patara was destroying her opponent, swinging him around by the tail, and holding him up in the air, screeching in victory. Makini turned around to the leopard she was facing, but found he was gone. She looked around, but he was well camoflaughed in the roughage of the forest. She saw leaves fall from her and twitched. Looking upward, she saw the leopard diving towards her. She once again used her staff to block the attack, placing it within the leopard's teeth. She kicked the leopard off of her, but got another swat, sending her falling out of the tree. She grabbed onto the vines in order to slow down her fall but still felt some impact. Patara saw her friend in danger and swung down next to her.

"Are you alright?"

"I think so."

The leopards pounced onto the ground and slowly approached the two primates.

"Give up? We could go at this all day."

Patara was ready to fight again, but Makini stopped her.

"We need another idea."

Makini looked at the ground near her. There was earth, but also, dust. Patara saw it too.

"Dust bomb!" they both said in unison, to each other's surprise.

Makini and Patara grabbed dust from the ground, as well as some rocks, and tossed them into the air. Makini raised her staff up in the air, and violently pulled it back down, directing the debris near the ground, and causing an implosion of dusts and rocks that obscured the leopards' vision. When the cloud had cleared, they were gone. The clouded leopards were not frustrated, in fact, they smiled.

"Worthy adversaries they are indeed."

~~

Makini and Patara used the distraction as a way to get back into the trees safely, and get as far away from the clouded leopards, as fast as they could. Both were surprised their trick worked, but both were also surprised the other was smart enough to perform that.

"How'd you know about that?" Patara asked.

"Rafiki taught me!" Makini said. "He told me that it's a special trick that Royal Mjuzis use sometimes! But how did you know?"

"Uhm... lucky guess?"

"But Rafiki says it's a trick that only Mjuzis know."

Patara was silent. Makini gasped in awe.

"Were you Hutan's apprentice??"

Patara stuttered, thinking of something to say, but eventually admitted defeat.

"Yes, I was," Patara answered. "I was a kid when she became the Tree of Life's Royal Mjuzi. I'd train with her every day and learn from her."

"That's so amazing!" Makini cheered. "There must be so much stuff you know that I don't! Can you believe it!? Well, of course you believe it, you were there, but I wasn't which is why I can't believe it but I do believe it because it's so unbelievable!"

"I'm glad you're impressed," beamed Patara. "It's kinda the reason why I want to help you see her again. After she passed, I gave up on being the Royal Mjuzi. I spent years without any of the training that would've made me as talented as she was. But you were trained outside of the Tree of Life, and even though I've known you for only a day, I can see what you've got."

"Thank you!" Makini bubbled. She smiled, but then felt a soreness in her arms. She looked at her palms and saw they were read, singed by sliding down on the vines too hard.

"Ugh, I don't think I've ever climbed that much before," Makini winced. "It hurts."

"Yes, that's what too much movement in the treetops does," said Patara. "Luckily, I have a remedy for that."

Patara climbed up into the trees. Makini saw some leaves fall as she moved around in the foilage. Then the ape dropped right back down to present her findings to the mandrill.

"A pile of leaves?"

"Just wait, you'll love this."

Patara grabbed the leaves and started chewing them. Makini didn't understand what was going on as Patara kept stuffing her face with these leaves, never eating them. She then opened her mouth, and let the chewed mashed up leaves onto her palm. It oozed onto her hands like a frothy green paste.

The ape then slathered it on Makini's arms and palms. Makini felt the overstimulation of the chewed up leaves being rubbed against her skin. Patara kept rubbing until the green hues faded out onto Makini's fur and skin. Soon, the pain began to subside.

"I feel... better!" Makini said in surprise. 

"Yup. It's a trick we orangutans have been doing for years," Patara boasted. 

"That's amazing!" Makini chimed. "You should really meet Rafiki! He'd be thrilled!"

"I can believe that. Now let's keep going."

Makini and Patara went on foot for several more miles until they found a clearing in the forest, where they found one stone wall. They both questioned its appearance, and concluded that what they were looking for had to have been on the other side. They scaled the wall and went to the other side where they found a large cave. They werw amazed and intrigued at what could possibly be inside it. At that moment, the wind blew around them both, and the clouds in the sky had shifted. A sharp light appeared, revealing Queen Janna's spirit in the Heavens. 

"Congratulations, you two," said Janna. "You have found Sihir. Within the cave, you shall summon Hutan and the Creatures of the Past."

"That's great!" Makini said, unaware of Patara's shock at seeing the old queen again.

Janna saw Patara, and her tone had shifted to that of cold worry.

"But you must be warned," Janna informed. "What lies ahead of you is both a great good, and a terrible evil. You must be ready to face both."

"What evil are you talking about?" Makini asked.

"And how and when will we face it?" Patara questioned nervously.

"You'll know soon enough," Janna said, before fading away. "You'll know."

"What did she mean??" Patara asked again, her nervousness even greater. 

"We won't know until we try."

Patara took a deep breath in and out. There was no turning back. Hutan awaited for them both.

For better or worse.

The inside of the cave was dark, lit up only by the bright light of the entrance and the minerals within it. There were many gems and jewels in the cave, some embedded in the rock, and others sticking out. It was like they entered a whole new jungle, nay, a whole new world. The cave went deeper and deeper underground. Sounds of fireflies and the dripping and flowing of water kept it from being too uncanny.

There were no forks in the path. Just a straight line further and further down the cave.

"We must be right beneath the Tree of Life by now," Makini said.

"Do the Night Pride know about these tunnels? Or are we the first ones here?" Patara asked out loud. She seemed to have gotten her answer when in the corner of her eye, something dashed by in the shadows. Makini had seen it too.

"Who's there?"

No response. They heard something else behind them. But when they turned their heads, there was nothing.

"Stay alert," Patara whispered. "We're not alone."

They weren't at all. They could feel many eyes upon them, but the cave had laid bare.

They heard a low growling noise behind them. It was the clouded leopards. Patara protectively went in front of Makini and got into a fighting stands.

"You two came back for Round 2?!" she hissed.

The clouded leopards smiled. This only confused Makini and Patara, and made the latter angry.

"Why are you smiling?!" Patara growled. "Either back off, or fight!"

"Before you do anything," purred the leopards. "Ask if two against 7 are reasonable odds."

Behind Makini and Patara, were other animals. There was a pygmy elephant, a crested serpent eagle, a cockatoo, and a draco lizard. Makini counted them one by one.

"That's 6," she corrected.

"What about one more?" said a voice behind her.

The voice exited the shadows, clapping slowly. The animal revealed herself to be a female siamang, a large black furred gibbon. Tied to her back as a carry-on was a wooden staff with a carved out stone mount and a crystal fused onto it, forming a scepter-like-staff.

"Forgive my intrusion," said the gibbon. "Or rather it is I who forgive your intrusion."

"We don't have to fight," Makini said. "I'm the Royal Mjuzi for the Night Pride, and I've been sent here by Queen Janna to find-"

"Sihir," the gibbon. "You have come for Sihir."

Makini and Patara paused. How did this gibbon know-

"I am Mempenosa," said the siamang, taking out her staff from behind her back. "The sorceress and guardian of Sihir."

Years Ago....

Dark clouds loomed over the savannah. An aggressive alloy of both clouds from a lightning storm, and noxious smoke. And they had circled over the Outlands volcano, explosive with evil excitement.

"Unganisha!"

The volcano erupted, sending lava spiraling across the territory. It was never anything to worry about, except for this time The roar of many lions could be heard within the volcano as it erupted. One of the flames that burst from the volcano didn't fall like the others. It flew, leaving behind a trail of smoke. It scurried across the sky, miles across the land until it reached a lush green land, with water as far as the eye can see.

"Milele" whispered the entity. "It falls today."

The view of the kingdom shifted, from peace into discord.

The ground shook like thunder as a herd of elephants stampeded across the realm, being chased by the glowing flame. Flying above them was a secratarybird, and held within their trunks were two lions, weak and exhausted. They never would've been able to outrun the danger, especially since the elephant herd is nothing more than fleeing prey to the flame. Flying above them was a maraboy stork, deathly loyal to the Lion King and Queen. Deathly. Loyal.

They approached the hilltop where the King and Queen would make announcements to their subjects. Only here, it was their subjects who have come to their residence to rescue them. Running over the hills to see the commotion was a maneless lion, bearing the marking of the Lion Guard. He happily called out their names as he ran to gree them, not knowing the danger they have lead to their pride.

"Ahadi! Uru!"

The King and Queen looked up at the leader of the Lion Guard, who recoiled in horror at seeing the chase go down. The bright flame cornered the elephant herd at the base of the hill, revealing itself to be a tall mandrill, holding a burnt Bakora staff. Her mane was ablaze, yet not burning. Her eyes glowed a fiery red, as if something had taken her over entirely. She aimed her Bakora at the helpless animals who tried to escape her, intent on casting a spell.

"Kuharibu!"

From her Bakora, fire emerged, taking the form of three lions' heads roaring vigorously, ready to devour their prey. A bright light emerged from the emission, and as the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of the victims.

The Prince gasped at the crime scene he witnessed and fled down the hill, being followed by the entity. An earth-shaking roar as well as a bright light was both seen and heard, before everything went dark.

~~

Makini rubbed her eyes, not sure at what she had just seen. It was like she was dreaming, but she was wide awake. It couldn't have been the powder she used, she hadn't applied it.

"That is what happens when you do not apply the Puraana properly or use too much of it," Mempenosa laughed, reading Makini's thoughts like a book. "If not used carefully, you could see things that you may not want to see; whether you need to or otherwise."

Makini had many questions about what the siamang had just told her, but if she asked all of them at once she knew they'd be here all day.

"Puraana?" Makini asked. "Well, the powder, it goes by many names," said the siamang. "You're clever enough to deduct what it does."

"I'd like to name it Impeta," Makini chimed. "It means bygone, which is pretty fitting considering what I've seen."

"If you must," groaned the gibbon. "Now come along."

Mempenosa and her team escorted Makini and Patara through the caves. They were still suprised at how, they were behaving. The clouded leopards had attacked them, and from what it seems, Makini and Patara had enroached upon their territory? Were they always this nice, or was there something else they knew?

As they approached another light near the end of the chamber, the gibbon began to explain.

"When my spies were patrolling and told me you had Hutan's staff, I didn't want to believe it. To prove it, I sent my leopards in to test your wit and strength. And you used a move that only someone in Hutan's shoes would've used."

"Where are you going with this?" Makini asked.

"You came here looking for answers," Mempenosa said. "And now you have them."

At the end of the trail came a large chamber. The minerals were a clear bright blue, illuminating the cave, inundated with many gems, crystals, jewels, and pools, each one bigger than the next. In the heart of the chamber was one big pool, bubbling with hot water. Makini and Patara gazed in awe, as Mempenosa and the guardians went in front of them to present the secret chamber to the newcomers.

"Welcome, to Sihir," said the gibbon, raising her staff as the jewel glowed. 

Makini's scent had grown stronger. The Lion Guard and Night Pride were hot on her trail, going as fast as they could. But they picked up another scent, one that was unfamiliar, and that caused them to worry a lot more. They kept running until they managed to reach a giant stone wall.

"You think they could've gone on the other side?" Beshte asked.

"Most likely," Rani answered. "We'll have to scale over the wall to reach the other side."

"I've got a better idea," Kion winked.

Kion called upon the Lions of the Past. Using the Roar of the Elders, he summoned a large twister to lift the team into the air. Seeing that there was still land after the wall, he slowly ceased to roar in order to allow him and his friends to land safely.

"I will never get used to that," Baliyo said whilst laughing. "Lions aren't exactly the flying types."

"You'll get used to it," Anga wisecracked.

As the Lion Guard continued into the cave, Makini's scent got stronger, but it began to mix with many more animal scents. The group became even more concerned. What animals were Makini with and were they all okay?

Kion noticed Rani had her claws out when they were on the move, which worried him.

"Are you ok Rani?" Kion said, noticeably eyeing his wife's paws.

"I'm alright," the Queen replied. "But I have to make sure that Makini is."

"Maybe we won't have to fight," Kion suggested. "It's okay to be prepared, but it doesn't have to always be that way."

"Trust me Kion," Rani said. "The world isn't always safe. Sometimes you'll need to expect the worst."

"She's right," Baliyo said. "Especially when it means keeping friends like you and Makini safe."

"Ok, but I'm still hopeful that Makini is safe," said Kion.

"I hope so too," Rani sighed. "I should never have lied to her."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'd give ya points for creativity," Bunga nudged. "I mean, Adui? A Mjuzi from the Pride Lands? Not even I would've been able to make something up that quickly!"

"I mean, just the other day, you kept rambling on about how the Earth is round like a ball," Fuli snickered.

"My Uncle Pumbaa told me about it and I promise you it's true!" Bunga hystarically yelled.

"Actually, I may not have completely thought of it on the spot," Rani said, interrupting the spat. "I heard about Adui in a bedtime story that my mom and dad would tell me and Baliyo as cubs."

"You did?" Kion asked.

"Yeah," Rani explained. "They told me that Adui was a Mjuzi from Milele. Her magic was so powerful, it cast away any and all Outsiders from her home. I don't remember all of the details, but it did keep me and my brother entertained. Eventually I settled for it being a simple bedtime story."

"A very effective one," Surak said. 

"That's... odd," Kion noted. "Because I also remember hearing about Adui of Milele."

"You did?" Rani asked.

"Yeah," Kion explained. "Although it wasn't a bedtime story. In fact, the story itself was really different. My grandmother Sarabi told it to my sister and I. Not long after my grandfather Mufasa defeated King Kiros of the Outsiders and became King of Milele, he, Rafiki, and my grandmother found several paintings within the caves. That's when we found out that he wasn't the first King to rule there. After speaking to the animals, my grandmother and her friends found out that Milele had been without a Queen, King, Lion Guard, Majordomo, and especially a Royal Mjuzi because of something terrible that happened. Nobody knows or seems to remember what that thing was, not even back then, but Rafiki was able to speak to the Lions of the Past, and learned that the last Mjuzi that came before him was named Adui."

"So Adui was real?" Rani asked in shock.

"At first I brushed it off as a myth," Kion said. "But after everything that's happened since I got the Roar, summoning my grandfather Mufasa and Scar, and finding the Tree of Life, I guess I've enough reason to believe she was. So your lie was technically a half-truth. The only false part was that she served the Tree of Life before Makini."

"Still doesn't make it right that I lied to her," Rani lamented. "Which is why I need to find her and make things right between us."

Fuli sniffed the air. "The scent goes right near the end of the cave! Let's go!"

The group rushed in, knowing that they would find Makini. They didn't know they'd find far, far more than that.

"So this is Sihir?" Makini asked Mempenosa.

"Yes it is," replied the siamang. "This place is directly underneath the Tree of Life. The magic from the tree travels beneath the rock and soil, and enchants these caves; The gems, the jewels, the crystals, and even the water. We are here to study this magic."

"To do, what exactly?" Patara asked.

"To harness it," answered the pygmy elephant. "When the Tree of Life was planted eons ago, the spirits granted the seed with a special magic. A magic that granted the tree immortality, and the ability to spread life."

"Kecil is right," Mempenosa replied. "That is how the Tree of Life has such powerful healing properties. And why many territories and habitats have evolved in Jindagee to serve as a home for animals from near and far."

Makini replayed memories in her head, of when Queen Janna healed Ono's eyes, and when Nirmala healed Azaad. And more importantly, of all the different places in the kingdom they went to. It all made so much sense now. But she then thought back to the vision she had with the Impeta dust. The Tree of Life was set ablaze in a merciless inferno that took Hutan's life, and likely would have taken Rani and Baliyo with it. The Tree was immortal, but was it invincible?

"What happens if the Tree of Life is destroyed?" asked Makini. "Can it die at all?"

The gibbon sternly glared at the mandrill. "It takes a lot to destroy something so powerful, but it's not invulnerable. Should it die, the magic alongside it will die too, and every habitat that has been allowed to thrive because of that magic would cease to exist."

"That would be so sad," wept Makini. "So many animals would have no home!"

"That is why it is the duty of the Royal Family to protect them," Kecil continued. "But there is always more to do for the good of the people."

The guardians showed Makini and Patara a painting on the walls. It was of them, and Hutan gathered as one force.

The draco lizard who was with Mempenosa had begun to tell the tale.

"Hutan had discovered this chamber after she had arrived at the Tree of Life. Months of examining and speaking to the spirits made her realize it was special. So she assembled a team of animals to help her discover the source of the magic."

The animals then introduced themselves.

"I am Naga," said the draco lizard.

"I am Kecil," said the pygmy elephant.

"I am Benih," said the cockatoo.

"I am Ular," said the serpent eagle. "Also known as, the eagle you tossed into the sky."

"Sorry," Patara said whilst nervously chuckling.

"We are Badai and Awan," said the clouded leopards, respectively.

"Together, we are the Seven Shadows of Sihir," proclaimed Mempenosa. 

"But with Hutan, wouldn't it be eight?" Makini asked.

"It was," lamented the gibbon. "But we've had to carry on her hard work after she died."

"I'm so sorry," consoled Patara. "Losing her must've been terrible."

"It was," sighed Mempenosa."But it will be worth it, once you learn the history of Hutan's lessons."

The gibbon redirected everyone's attention back to the painting of the Eight Shadows of Sihir.

"She brought us together for a cause, and we have spent ten years trying hard to achieve her greatest mission."

"Which was?"

"To summon the Great Creatures of the Past."

"Queen Janna said that they awaited me when I arrived here," Makini interjected. "Is there anything you know about them?"

"Yes," Kecil said, directing them to another painting. It featured the Lions of the Past, roaring alongside a lion. Makini recognized that as the Roar of the Elders, and she also recognized that lion as Askari, the leader of the Pride Lands' first Lion Guard. But beneath him were other animals, painted in the same shade. Birds, elephants, rhinos, antelope, goats, elephants. They were standing beneath Askari, but were faded, as if they were invisible to him.

"It didn't take us long to learn about the Lions of the Past. How the royal family of the Tree of Life can speak to them, and how Prince Askari took the Roar from the Tree of Life. But upon learning about that, Hutan started having ideas. She wondered if it was possible to summon spirits that weren't lions," informed Benih. "She knew that every creature across the world had a place in the Circle of Life. She refused to believe that they didn't go anywhere after they died. We realized that if we could find a way to summon other animals, we could make history. But we never accomplished it."

Makini kept glancing over the paintings, repeating the information that was told to her.

"So what have you been doing after she died?"

Mempenosa took out her staff. The jewel of her scepter glowed.

"Sorcery," she said in a deep voice. "We continued to study and harness the magic of the Tree of Life for 10 years, hoping that one day, we will become powerful enough to talk to Hutan."

The gibbon lowered her scepter. "But we've never accomplished it."

"Can you show us how you've tried?" Patara asked. "Maybe there's a way that you're not seeing!"

"If you wish."

The Pillars gathered around in circle, Mempenosa in the middle. She pointed her scepter up high near the ceiling. The seven animals performed an incantation, chanting and repeating it. 

Makhluk dari Masa Lalu, dengarkan seruanku
Bangkit dari luar, dekat dan jatuh.
Dari sihir pohon besar
Mematahkan rantai lain ini
Dan membebaskan roh.

(Creatures of the Past, hear my call

Rise from beyond, near and fall.

From the magic of the great tree

Break these otherwordly chains 

And set the spirit free.)

A blast of magical energy hit the ceiling, causing a reaction within the cave's jewels and minerals. The Pillars continued to chant, circling closer and closer around each other to sustain the blast. The light of the force remained ever so bright. In the blast, something began to materialize, something moving, as if there was life. Makini and Patara were starstruck at what was going on, hoping for it to have an effect or for it to work. But instead, the blast dissipatted, causing a shockwave that knocked everyone in the cave backwards. Despite the utter failure, the gibbbon was not frustrated. She'd seen this too many times to be even remotely surprised, unlike Makini and Patara who were still trying to readjust their eyes after what had happened.

Mempenosa raised a brow. "Are you convinced now?"

"Ok," Patara said, trying to find her footing. "I get it. It's not easy."

"Exactly," said the siamang. "That's as closest as we've been to summoning them, and it hasn't worked."

"There has to be another way," Makini suggested. "Maybe my staff can help! It can help talk to the Lions of the Past, maybe it can talk to other animals as well."

The Pillars examined Makini's staff when she presented it to them. They felt a sense of peace and nostalgia, seeing all that was left of Hutan, so much so they didn't even notice the small crack of the staff in the corner. The Pillars then handed the staff back to Makini.

"You were given the staff," said Kecil. "If it there is a way to use it to summon the Creatures of the Past, then you must use it."

Makini held her staff and closed her eyes, listening to the voices from the Lions of the Past. Maybe they had knowledge to guide her in the right direction, if she couldn't find it on her own.

The many whispers of the Voices blended together, giving her a single message to take away from.

"The Earth is to the Sky. Different, yet so alike. Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high."

"The Earth is to the Sky," Makini repeated. 

"What does that mean?" Patara asked.

Makini looped that phrase in her head over and over again, trying to understand what it means. Earth and sky were two different things, and so were light and fire. What was the connection between them.

She remembered what she learned and saw about the Lions of the Past. Their voices are in the wind, and they can appear in the sky. The Earth is to the Sky.

Could the Creatures of the Past appear from the ground? From the Earth?

Makini voiced her sentiment to the other animals. 

"How could that possibly work?" asked Mempenosa. 

"We can't assume they can be summoned the same way as Lions of the Past,: Makini argued. "If we're going to try to bring them back, maybe we should try it in the opposite route."

"That would never work!" scoffed Mempenosa. "The incantation must be performed near the ceiling where the jewels are."

"But maybe we're in close enough range to the magic under the tree to perform it!" 

"Maybe isn't good enough!"

Patara stood in front of Makini to defend her. It was then did the siamang realize her inferior size and stature to the great ape.

"Listen mada'm. I've only known Makini for a day, but I've seen a lot in her! If there anything that she and her ideas aren't, it's 'not good enough!' This could be our one chance to see Hutan! Are you willing to take that chance?"

The gibbon was too stunned to speak. The demeanor, the confidence, the voice, it all struck very familiar with her. She really allowed herself to really look at the Mjuzi's compaion, especially in the freckles and orange eyes. Maybe they were closer to Hutan than any of them thought. 

"Do what you must."

Makini used her staff to carve a circle into the dirt, mirroring the Pillars' positions in their first attempt. The Pillars gathered into the formation of the circle. They were all reluctant, especially Mempenosa, but something within them had encouraged them that this was something they should do.

Patara stood next to Makini in the center, wanting to be by her side to see this. Appreciating the encouragement, Makini began the spell. She planted her Bakora staff onto the ground, until it connected with the dirt. She then proceeded with the incantation, this time in Swahili.

"(Viumbe wa zamani, kusikia wito wangu Kuinuka kutoka zaidi, karibu na kuanguka. Kutoka kwa uchawi wa mti mkubwa Vunja minyororo hii ya maneno mengine Na umeweka roho huru.)"

A few moments of silence occurred, until suddenly the Earth began to shake and tremble. The cave grew brighter and brighter, adopting a mixture of light blues and hellish reds. The dirt shifted, and grew hotter and hotter. The trembling turned into a rupture, as fire began to rise from the ground. The Pillars, Makini, and Patara cleared away before they were completely engulfed by the eruption from the fissure. The tremors spread all throughout the Tree of Life, greater than ever. Something powerful was summoned. Something evil...

The smoke and ash cleared to reveal an entity. A mandrill in the form of fire. The spirit slowly opened her eyes and looked around her. The 9 animals who trembled before her. The mandrill smiled. She was freed! She hovered closer to the witnesses, her lower body being a singular stream of fire and smoke connecting to the ground, leaving a trail in her wake. She relished in the fear she had invoked upon these animals who had summoned her.

Mempenosa stood in front of the Pillars, aiming her scepter at the entity, ordering her to stay back. The ghost stopped in he rtracks.

"You're not Hutan!" she screeched. "Who are you?!"

The ghost smirked and then cackled.

"I am Adui." 

The terrifying tremors and lights lead the Lion Guard right into the chamber at the end of the cave. The fear of God was within them all as they knew something could've happened to Makini.  They entered the cave, and they were not prepared for what they had witnessed. The strange entity who looked as though she was about to attack Makini as well as 8 other animals next to her. Rani and Baliyo immediately went in for the kill to try and strike the entity down, but they quickly realized what the entity was made of. Fire. As soon as they made contact with it, they immediately rolled away to avoid a painful burn. And soon they were able to take a good look at this spirit. A firey mandrill with sadism in her eyes and smiles.

"It's been too long since I've seen inferiors quiver in fear," said Adui.

"What are you?!" Rani asked. 

"I am Adui," said the entity. "The most powerful Mjuzi who ever lived!"

"So you're real?!" Makini cried. "I thought you were a lie!"

"I thought you were just a bedtime story!" Rani cried.

Adui grimaced.

"I've been gone from this world for far too long if my name is no longer recognized."

"My grandmother told me that you were the royal Mjuzi in Milele," Kion said. "But then something terrible happened to you, the rulers, the majordomo, and the Lion Guard. What happened?"

"I happened!" cackled Adui. "I was always smarter than the simpletons in the royal family and their sycophants. There comes a time when one grows tired of living to aid others less gifted than you are. And when that time comes, you do whatever it takes to get what you deserve. And what I deserved was control over the kingdom."

The news hit Makini like a ton of bricks. Her vision from the powder showed a mandrill in fire, speaking of Milele striking down a herd of elephants who protected a King and Queen named "Ahadi" and "Uru," with the help of lions who appeared in fire.

"So you killed them," Makini gasped.

Adui turned her view to her fellow mandrill to listen.

"You killed them," Makini repeated. "You summoned the Evil Lions of the Past to help you take over! And you killed the King and Queen!"

"How do you know all of this?" Rani curiously asked.

"The powder in the gourd showed me. The Impeta-"

"Impeta!" gasped the phantom. "That means you're a Mjuzi!"

"I am!" said Makini. "But I was supposed to summon Hutan, not you!"

"Well, whoever this Hutan is, must not have cared to meet you. But I do. I've a great deal of unfinished business to attend."

"What is it?" Bunga asked, itching for a fight. Adui flew right past him. "Like I'd tell you."

Mempenosa had enough of this banter. She raised her staff near the ghost and yelled; "Memukul!" A blaze of energy travelled to Adui and knocked her back. Adui hissed in pain, but then laughed.

"You cannot kill what is already dead," she said, before flying out of the cave.

Everyone began to chase after the firey ghost. They had quickly lost her, but kept up their hunt anyways.

"I don't understand, how can an evil mandrill come back from the afterlife??" Kion asked. "I thought it was only good and evil lions who could do that!"

"I.. I don't know how it happened!" Makini said. "I was trying to summon Hutan. It was supposed to bring her back, not this!"

Rani turned sharply around, both distraught and bamboozled.

"You did this?!"

"I'm so sorry Rani," Makini apologized. "Queen Janna sent me a message to summon Hutan. I performed the spell to try and bring her back, but I didn't mean it, honest!"

At first Rani was furious, but seeing the pain and fear on Makini's race reminded her why she set out to find her. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

"It's... it's not your fault," Rani sighed. "I don't know how this happened, but we will fix it. It's going to be okay."

Rani brushed up against Makini, comforting her the same way her uncle did after saving her. "We'll be okay."

The group continued to search for any sign of Adui. Anga and Ono flew up high in the air in search for smoke, and they found one. A trail of smoke actually. Anga used her vision to home in on the smoke trail and spotted the flame of Adui travelling across the kingdom. It was heading to the Tree of Life. They reported back to the others, who followed this trail back to the tree.

"What could she possible want to do near the Tree of Life?" Kion asked.

"I don't know, but we have to stop her," Rani said.

"Count me in," Patara said. 

Rani was startled by the stranger who touched her shoulder. Except it wasn't a stranger. The eyes, freckle, and even voice all connected her to one thing.

"Patara?!"

Patara's heart warmed.

"I never forgot you either Rani."

"Can we do introductions later?!" Fuli snapped. "We have a kingdom to save."

"Right," Patara said. "Be careful."

"I don't have to be," Rani said. "I just have to survive."

The Pillars followed Patara, Makini, the Lion Guard, and the Night Pride. They spent their whole lives trying to summon spirits, and now they had to come out of the shadows to defeat it. They were ready for whatever faced them.

Adui never felt so free. The years of rotting in Kuzimu were now behind her, and now she had a second chance at life. A second chance for dominion. 

It was where her next takeover would be that's the issue. She quickly learned that this was not Milele. Not even close. This seemed to be a new kingdom, no telling how far away she was from her birthland. She almost felt compelled to leave and find the kingdom she swore to conquer, but this new kingdom was too eye-catching.

"It'll be the next best thing."

Adui put her hands together, generating enough energy and flame to set off a giant flare in the sky. The flare attracted the attention of many animals, not knowing what it was or what it meant. As they gathered near the Tree of Life, they saw the creature responsible for it. It was unlike anything they had ever seen.

"Mortals of this realm!" Adui announced. "I have been granted the wonderful opportunity to claim this land as my own. You are all mine now!"

"We belong to no one!" barked the dhole matriarch Shakti. "This is our home to live in, not yours to conquer!"

"Do you really think you can take care of yourselves?" Adui scoffed. "Your so-called 'Queen' and 'King' are nowhere in sight, and stand no chance. It's no use fighting when you can get rid of all your troubles and simply kneel before me."

None of the animals kneeled. Some were angry, some were scared, others were terrified, but none of them bowed. Adui sighed in annoyance.

"That wasn't a request."

Adui raised a fist and allowed it to charge with destructive firey energy. She then punched towards her targets, sending a ball of flame in their direction. The crowd cleared, narrowly dodging the attack. Now they were scared, and gave into their only instincts. To flee. Many herds, tribes, and packs were stampeding, blinded with fear. But Adui wasn't done. She needed to teach them a lesson about who was really in charge. Raising her arms, she formed a large ring of fire that surrounded the heart of the kingdom. She was just getting warmed up.

She blasted fire in any and every direction. She deliberately missed her targets, for she needed to send a message. She was all powerful, and they would live to fear her. And now that she was no longer bound by the chains of mortality, she will rule without mercy forever!

Anga and Ono guided the team to the safest route that could take them close enough to the Tree of Life outside the ring of fire. Nobody was certain if what Anga had informed them of what she saw from Adui's attack was true, but seeing the wall of flames in front of them seemed to confirm it.

"That's as close as we can get to the fire!" Anga said. "She has the other animals trapped!"

"They won't stand a chance against her," Surak said. "And neither will the Tree of Life."

"If she burns the Tree of Life, she'll destroy it!" Rani yelled. "The magic from the Tree of Life is the reason why so many habitats can exist here! If it dies, they die as well!"

"And all of the animals who live here!" Beshte realized.

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Kion assured his comrades. "Just get me close enough to Adui, and I'll summon the Lions of the Past to send her back where she came from."

"Are you sure that'll work your majesty?" asked Mempenosa. "The appearance of one like Adui hasn't been seen before!"

"I took down Scar when he came back from the past," Kion explained. "I'm sure that we can do the same for Adui."

"Let us come with you," said Kecil. "We can distract her and give you enough time to strike her down."

"Okay," said Kion. "The Lion Guard can help calm down the animals."

"And the Night Pride can perform the firebreaks to help them get away."

Everyone agreed to the plan and went into action. Kecil filled up his trunk with dust and sprayed it all over the firewall. As he did so, the others gathered whatever dirt and dust they could and launched it at the flames in order to douse it. Soon they had a clear shot to arrive. However, as soon as they breached the path, the fire raised up again, cutting off their means of escape.

The heroes still rushed into action. Mempenosa flew in on Ular near Adui and aimed her scepter at her once more, getting her attention.

"You don't know when to give up, do you?" Adui laughed as she aimed another punch to her aerial adversaries. Mempenosa touched the jewel of her scepter and recited a spell. "Tameng!"

The spell cast a protective shield around Mempenosa and Ular, deflecting the firey blast. Adui was enraged.

"We may not be able to kill you, but thanks to this scepter, you can't do anything to us!" Ular gloated.

"We'll see how long your parlor tricks can keep up!" cried the dead mandrill as she kept shooting at the siamang and serpent eagle in the sky.

With the spirit distracted, the Night Pride got to work on making firebreaks to keep the fire from spreading. The rest of the Lion Guard corralled the animals behind the Night Pride at a safe distance. Whilst it was working, it was doing so at a slow pace, and it wasn't enough of a clearing for the animals to escape. The rest of the Guard began to help, but they found that the fire turned out to be indeed a match for their strength and speed.

"It's too much!" Bunga said. "The fire is spreading faster than we can put it out!"

"Keep going!" Fuli encouraged the others. "We can't let the fire get to the animals or the Tree of Life."

The animals of Jindagee watched as the Night Pride and Lion Guard desperately sought to put out the flames. The burning heat and the sharp sound of fire crackling brought back many, many painful memories for several citizens. Memories to 10 years ago, when there wasn't a Lion Guard or Roar of the Elders to protect them, and when the efforts of the pride had fallen short in spite of the great threat. Many friends were lost, opportunities, lives, hopes, dreams, and homes, snatched away in one night; Families destroyed forever. And now, much like the fire, the past was catching up to them, and it would only be a matter of time until everything they knew was lost forever. 

"Not again," said Haathe. "Not this time."

Haathe kicked up dust and dirt from the ground, inhaling with her trunk and blasting it at the fire, whilst heading towards it.

"Haathe!" Fuli said. "It's not safe here!"

"If I saved you once, I'll do it again!" Haathe said, whilst giving Fuli a salute with her trunk.

"You, won't be doing anything," strictly spoke Haathe's mother, the leader of the elephant herd. Her expression turned to a smile. "We will."

First it was the elephants that reigned in to douse the fire. Then it was the birds, big and small who stood on the elephants and flapped their wings to create wind that strengthened the extinguisher. Then it was the hooved animals like rhinos and antelope who stomped near the ground, trying to cover the fire with any debris they could unearth. Then it was the clawed animals who helped dig around the earth. The Lion Guard and the Night Pride recognized many of them. Binga, Azaad, Bhediya, Shulk, Ikema, the Dhole Family, and many more. They weren't going down in the flames without a fight.

Patara and Makini witnessed this happening. Makini carefully used her staff to draw grooves in the dirt to expand the firebreak. Patara helped her, fighting both the heat, and her fears.

As the citizens helped the guardians ward off the flames, Adui targetted Mempenosa and Ular in the sky. For every attack Adui had, Mempenosa was able to deflect it with her scepter. Soon Benih and Naga took flight, circling Adui in the air. They narrowly dodged her attacks, but Adui couldn't dodge Mempenosa's.

"Memukul!" 

"Memukul!"

"Memukul!"

It was all a dance. 

Soon Kecil, and the clouded leopards got Adui's attention. Adui aimed an attack towards them, but Mempenosa threw her scepter to the pygmy elephant, who held it in his trunk, and deflected Adui's attack right at her. Adui was struck down into the ground below, her flame still active. The eight Pillars surrounded her, and the elephant pointed the scepter straight at her. Adui showed no fear.

"No matter what indignities I shall endure, you will never send me back to Kuzimu," she growled.

"We won't have to." Naga smirked.

Kion and Rani crept from behind the Tree of Life. Adui had taken the bait, and now it was time to reel her in. Or in this case, let her go.

Storm clouds emerged into the sky, and the air pressure began to decrease. Wind began to flow. Adui didn't understand what was happening, until she saw Kion and Rani walk towards her. Kion's Mark of the Night Pride shimmered a vibrant yellow, and lions began to form in the sky. This was what happened whenever the leader of the Lion Guard was about to use the Roar of the Elders. And she knew all too well, because it was the Roar of the Elders that completed her journey in the Circle of Life.

"Adui," Kion said. "The Lions of the Past have been summoned to judge you for the terrible crimes you have committed against Milele and Jindagee, and those who live in it."

Kion blew into the air, and four lions in the storm clouds appeared. They themselves cast rain upon the kingdom, dousing the fires around them. The citizens, who had been able to breach the fires and escape watched as the fire was extinguished before it could even touch the Tree of Life. Soon Adui was the only flame left. She smiled at Kion and Rani wickedly as she seemingly vanished into thin air. Soon, the rain stopped. Everyone gathered to see what was left. Ash.

"It worked!" Bunga said. "Now thankfully that dead creep will get a life."

Makini and Patara regrouped with everyone near the zone where Kion struck down Adui. Makini was relieved that the fight was over, whilst Patara was suspcious.

"Why did that feel too easy?" asked the ape.

"I wouldn't call nearly burning in a fire 'too easy,'" Fuli said.

"I know, I know, but still... something feels, off."

"I agree with Patara," said Rani. "I feel like we're missing something."

A few more moments of silence passed. The smell of smoke had subsided, and what was once a firey death trap was now a collection of burnt plants and trees that would hopefully grow back.

That wasn't the only thing that grew. The ash began to morph, sparking a flicker that grew into another flame, and rose like the burning sun. Everyone stepped back and watched in horror as Adui rose from the ashes once again, cackling a terrifying howl.

"Surprise!"

It felt like everyone was in a collective nightmare. Kion's plan failed, and Adui had risen again.

"How are you still here?! Kion asked. "The Lions of the Past should've banished you!"

“Well they would’ve if I were a lion, you baboon,” Adui chuckled. “But I’m not.”

Adui fired up another attack for Kion. Kion used the Roar of the Elders to beat back the charge, creating a clash of two. Mempenosa used her scepter to blast Adui, weakening her enough for Kion to use the Roar of the Elders to overpower her, sending her miles away from the Tree of Life. Kion knew that Adui would come back, and he knew that there would be nothing he could do to stop her. He turned over to his friends and gave them one last command.

“Go,” he said. “Get everyone and yourselves as far away from here as you can, towards the mountain pass and out of the kingdom!”

“What about you?” Rani asked nervously.

 Kion looked at where he most likely sent Adui. To Cika Escarpment, where he mastered his power.

"I’m going after Adui. I’ll hold her off long enough for everyone to escape. By the time we’re through, you’ll be too far away for her to hurt.”

Rani clamped her paw on Kion’s tail as he tried to head off.

“You can’t fight her,” Rani said. “Neither the Lions of the Past or the Roar of the Elders will stop her!top her! You won’t survive!”

“Exactly!” Kion argued. “Which is why you have to go. If you stay here trying to help me, none of you will survive!” Kion argued. “I can’t let her win. I won't let what happened to Milele happen to Jindagee. Wherever you go, the kingdom will look to you as its Queen.”

“But what about us?” Fuli said, standing next to the Lion Guard. “You have to let us come with you!”

“I’m not just your friend,” said Kion. “But I’m the King. And as your friend and your King, I have to protect all of you. No matter what.”

“But you need us Kion!” Bunga tearfully pleaded. “And we…. We need you! ”

“And I need you to carry on,” Kion said, hugging Bunga. The rest of the Guard embraced him one final time, knowing that there was no changing his mind. Makini screamed at him, breaking the silence.

“You CAN’T go Kion!” she yelled. “She’ll kill you!”

”It’ll be worth it to make sure that you’ll be alright,” Kion said. He went in to hug Makini, but Makini pushed him away. This was the angriest Kion had seen of her.

“I can’t allow this! I won’t allow this! I’m the reason Adui came back! I’m the one who put you all in danger! If there’s anyone who should fight her, it’s me! Not you, ME! Don’t do this!”

“Makini!” Kion snapped. “I’ve already made my decision. I will do what I know is best for the Tree of Life. Meanwhile, the kingdom will have its Royal Mjuzi, if not here, then somewhere else. But that is all that matters. It's not your fault, nor is it your decision to make.”

Makini stood as still as a statue as she and the others watched King Kion run towards Cika Escarpment, to what they knew would be a suicide. Makini dropped her staff . She didn’t bother to pick it up. Why bother? It only reminded her of the role that she had proven herself to be unworthy of. In attempting to prove herself and Rani wrong about her worth as a Royal Mjuzi, she had proven it to be correct. She cursed the Tree of Life and all within it, and ensured the imminent destruction of her friends.

Without any other thought, Makini ran, ignoring her friends calls, or the sound of them tracking her. She ran away, wishing she could just disappear.

13 Years Ago:

"Are we almost there yet?" Makini asked. "Are we almost there yet? Are we almost there yet?"

"Are you almost done asking that question?" Kitendo sighed, exhausted.

"I just want to know if we're there!" Makini chuckled. As tiny and young as she was, her mind, voice, and curiosity was huge. Kitendo smiled, knowing that nature of hers would make for a great Mjuzi.

"Sometimes, the answer to your question will find you, instead of the other way around," said Makini's father.

"Much like the Tree of Life," chuckled Makini's mother Fikiri. "To answer your question Makini, we're there!"

There stood the mighty Tree of Life. Outside of the entrance was an elderly mandrill, holding a very old staff, and a light brown spotted lioness with green eyes and a blue marking on her forehead.

"Wow!" Makini said out loud. "That other mandrill is really old!"

Makini's parents were startled, and looked at the elder nervously. The elder laughed. "So I've been told!"

Makini went up closer to the tall mandrill. "You're Rafiki, right?"

"Yes Makini," Rafiki said, patting the little mandrill on the head. "And you must be Makini!"

"I am! My parents tell me that I'm going to be a Royal Mjuzi someday!"

"Indeed you will," Rafiki said. "One way or another."

"What do you mean?" Makini asked.

"This lion here is Queen Janna. She and her family rule the Tree of Life."

Makini walked over to Queen Janna. The Queen towered over her like a tree. Very apt.

"You're not going to eat me, are you?"

"No," Janna said, keeping the same loving smile. "But I think someday you'll be a great Mjuzi."

"That's what my parents said!"

"But we won't know for sure until we hear from the Lions of the Past," Rafiki said. "Watch closely Makini. Someday, you will learn to listen."

Rafiki held his staff and closed his eyes, finding the quiet to hear. Makini couldn't hear anything. Neither could her parents, or even Queen Janna. But from Rafiki's reaction, he had heard good news.

"Kuyathethwa!" he cheered. "It is spoken! Makini shall one day become a Royal Mjuzi!"

Makini's parents cheered, lifting her up in the air!

"I'm gonna be a Mjuzi?!"

"That's right!" Fikiri cheered.

"Makini shall start her training with me in the Pride Lands when she bears the stripes and pink nose of the mandrill," Rafiki announced. "Until then you can continue to keep her within Grass Walls until the time comes."

"That is wonderful to hear," said Kitendo. "Thank you very much Rafiki, and you, your majesty, for being witness to such an occassion."

"The pleasure is ours," Queen Janna. "I truly believe that one day, we will meet again."

Queen Janna went up closer to Makini, who looked like she was about to explode from excitement. "One day, you'll hold a wonderful staff, speak to voices of the past, and you'll be able to help your kingdom with all the knowledge you'll have!"

"But I don't have much knowledge," said Makini. "At least... I don't think I do."

"Sometimes," advised Makini's father, Kitendo. "When you can't find the answers, the answers will find you."

"And always remember," Fikiri said. "As you move forward, don't forget to look back.

PRESENT DAY

Makini looked back to that day. It was the day her life took a turn for the better, meeting Rafiki, anticipating her destiny, and eventually heading to the Pride Lands to start her training. Now, she was embarassed and ashamed, and felt a sick feeling in her stomach. There were so many things she wish were done differently. If she knew the years of preparation to become a Mjuzi would lead to this, her being felled by her own decisions and having the worst thing said about her to be proven right, maybe she wouldn't have tried so hard to prove anyone otherwise.

She found herself by the stone wall of Sihir. It looked much bigger, much more intimidating and rough than the first time she encountered it. Or maybe today's events had proven her to be smaller than she had thought. Either way, she fell to her knees and kept her head down. Sulking wasn't going to stop Kion from getting himself killed, but she couldn't think of anything that could. Thinking of it just made her more and more sick to her stomach. What would she explain to Kion's family, to his friends back in the Pride Lands? To Rafiki? To Kiara? How would she look at the rest of the Guard in the eye knowing she was responsible for Kion's death? How would Rani, the Night Pride, and the Tree of Life's subjects be able to look at Makini the same way knowing that she might as well have killed the best thing that ever happened to them? And what about Kion himself? Separated from his loved ones and dying so soon at the hands of a sadistic monster would have to be the worst end for him. Makini prayed that Adui would have mercy on Kion, that she would at least be quick with killing him, or find some reason not to do so at all, but she thought back to her vision, the dreaded sight of her killing King Ahadi and Queen Uru, and probably doing the same to their Lion Guard leader made her even more worried for Kion.

Makini found herself in a deeper and deeper pit, so much so, she was barely phased seeing Patara, Rani, the Night Pride, the Lion Guard, and the Pillars with her.

"Thank goodness we found you," Rani tenderly said. "I'm so sorry for what I said to you earlier today. I was so caught up in all of the terrible things that happened in my past, that I lost sight of the good things in my present. Like you."

Makini looked up at Rani, wiping away some of her tears to keep listening.

"I know how it feels to blame yourself for the misfortunes that befall your loved ones, but you're not responsible for the evil in this world. There's so much good you've done, mistakes or no."

"This isn't just a mistake, though," Makini sniffled. "We're going to lose Kion, and there's nothing any of us can do about it."

"That's what we thought when Scar came back," Bunga explained. "We didn't think there was a way to beat him, but we eventually found out we were the way to beat him!"

"It's like Rafiki told you before he went back to the Pride Lands," Beshte said. "There's only one Makini. Much like how there's only one us."

Patara stepped forward, holding Makini's staff. She kneeled as she gave it to the mandrill.

"You made me realize that it's not too late to make a change," she said. "Now, it's time you realize that."

Seeing the bright eyes and comfort of her friends made Makini feel different. The grief was still in, but she felt more free of it as she grabbed the staff. The action gave her strength, and the many steps she would take would bring her to where she needs to be.

"Okay," Makini said while composing herself. "So the Lions of the Past couldn't banish Adui."

"Yup," Anga said. "She said that only works on lions."

"So if we're going to get rid of her, the Lions of the Past and the Roar of the Elders won't work.... what about the Great Creatures of the Past? The spell we used to summon them summoned her. So maybe they're the ones that can send her back to where she came from."

"That sounds awesome!" marveled Bunga. "We should totally try that!"

"Except we still haven't mastered the spell," said Mempenosa. "If we do the same thing that was done in the cave, we'll either get no results, or summon another Evil Creature."

"Which is why we have to try something different."

Makini remembered what the Lions of the Past had told her. There must've been something she misinterpreted that caused her to summon the wrong spirit. If she could decipher it, she could find the answer.

"The Earth is to the Sky. Different, yet so alike. Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high."

She knew that the Creatures of the Past couldn't be summoned in the sky, but what else? Present is to Pass? Both below and above up high? So many factors she had to take into account. 

Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high.

Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high.

Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high.

Makini kept reaching a roadblock. She looked at the two gouds on her Bakora staff. One for the future, and one for the past. She already knew what the gourd for the past was. So maybe, the gourd for the future would show her the future, a future where everything turned out to be alright.

Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high.

Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high.

Present is to Past, like sand in a glass. Both below and above up high.

In her search for answers, the answers found her.

"Oh my god," she gasped. "I GOT IT!"

"You do?!" the others said.

"I do! I really do!"

Makini explained her plan to everyone else, giving her reasonings. They were all surprised at how she was able to come to such a conclusion with the material that she had, but they all had to admit: It was a very strong lead.

Everyone acted quickly. If this worked, they would save their home and their best friend. If not, then it would mean the end.

The Pillars gathered jewels and gems from within the cave of Sihir and planted them in a circle, one that Makini drew into the dirt using her staff. Then, Patara used her strength to crack open both gourds, allowing the dust to fall into Makini's hand. The mandrill clenched her fists, not wanting to dust to spread anywhere... at least not now. Everyone gathered in a circle, including the Pillars, the Night Pride, and the Lion Guard. The more animals to perform the incantation, the better. Patara stuck next to Makini. If something were to go wrong, Patara would be ready to protect her. Now, they could begin the incantation.

"(Viumbe wa zamani, kusikia wito wangu Kuinuka kutoka zaidi, karibu na kuanguka. Kutoka kwa uchawi wa mti mkubwa Vunja minyororo hii ya maneno mengine Na umeweka roho huru.)"

"(Makhluk dari Masa Lalu, dengarkan seruanku Bangkit dari luar, dekat dan jatuh. Dari sihir pohon besar Mematahkan rantai lain ini Dan membebaskan roh.)"

"(Ateet ke jeev, meree kol sunen pare, nikat aur giraavat se utho. Mahaan ped ke jaadoo se in any chen ko toden aur aatma ko aazaad kar do.)"

Makini threw the combined mixture of powders into the air, and raised her staff up high, before striking it down onto the ground. At that moment, the earth began to shake. The jewels glowed a vibrant orange, and they all beamed into the center of the circle. In the light show, an animal materialized. It was an orangutan, the reddish orange ape. Only it wasn't red, or orange. It was white as... well, a ghost.

The ghost opened its eyes to find it on Earth, surrounded by mortals. She saw the cave of Sihir, still intact since she had left. She saw the Pillars, who were moved to tears seeing their friend stand before them. She saw Rani, Baliyo, and Patara in a trance-like state of happiness, having seen the unseeable.

She finally turned around to Makini, the animal who she sensed had brought her back.

"Hutan....?" she nervously said. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, Makini," Hutan replied. "It is me." And I sense you need my help."

"I do," Makini said. "We all do! An evil mandrill has come back from the past. She's going to kill my friend and take over our kingdom! We need you to send her back to where she came from!"

"That I cannot do," said Hutan.

Everyone was shocked. Was this all for nothing?! Makini shook her head in disbelief.

"So there's nothing we can do?!"

"I did not say that," Hutan said. "There is nothing that I can do. It will take the two of us to exile the evil."

"What do we have to do?" Makini asked.

"You were able to summon me alone. But to summon the Great Creatures of the Past, you must take on the power of a spirit. You and I must merge."

Makini shook at that line. Merge?

"Yes, merge" Hutan said, reading the mandrill's mind. "We will share the same body and mind in your vessel. You will gain powers not of this world, including the power to summon animals from the past. Only then will they cast judgement on Adui and send her back to the firey pits of Kuzimu from which she was summoned."

"That makes sense," Bunga added. Fuli shushed him, as the orangutan spirit continued.

"But be warned," hissed Hutan. "If we are to fail, and Adui kills us, both of us will be wiped from this Earth forever. Do you accept the offer I give you?"

"I do," Makini said without any hesitation. "Anything to save my friend."

"Good," said Hutan. "To merge us, raise your staff high in the sky, and say the word that will merge us."

Makini was about to ask what that word meant, until she rememembered that vision she had of Adui. Of the Evil Lions that appeared during her attack on Milele. She must have used the same spell to merge with them, she thought. Time for me to do the same.

Unganisha!

Hutan moved towards Makini, hugging her. Makini felt Hutan engulf her entirely, and another flash of light obscured them both. When things dimmed down, Makini had a glowing orange aura, with one of her eyes a bright orange, and the other, her natural olive.

"It worked!" Makini said in her voice! "It actually worked!"

"And not a moment too soon!" Makini said in Hutan's voice. 

"I cannot believe my eyes!" Bunga said, seeing his friend be quasi-possessed by the dead ape.

"Like my dad always tells me, live long enough, and you'll see everything," Beshte said with his jaw hanging open.

"Now, let's find Adui and finish this," Makini said, this time, her voice being a blend of hers and Hutan's. Hutan's spirit lifted Makini off the ground, and guided her in the air. The mandrill's body then on a bright blue light, as blue as the stripes on her face. Makini flew off to Cikha Escarpment, with the Lion Guard, the Night Pride, and the Pillars following them as best as they could.

They were going to stop Adui, save Kion, and the Tree of Life for good.

Kion's heart raced as he went closer and closer to Cihka Escarpment. The birthplace of the Roar. How ironic that it would be where he dies. It became more and more apparent to Kion what he was getting himself into. If he chose to face Adui on his own, with or without the Roar, she will surely kill him. But he wouldn't go down without a fight. And it will be that fight to death, that will save the lives of many. He could rest easily knowing that. But he still couldn't help but curse himself for this decision, imagining the pain in his friends' eyes when they realize that he is gone. He knew that as brave and tough Bunga was, he would take his loss the worst, second to Rani, who had lost her parents and would be forced to do nothing as she lost the love of her life. He had touched the hearts of many animals both before and after becoming King, and he was kicking himself for not saying any goodbyes to them. He wished he had the chance to properly say goodbye to Makini, instead of their last moment together being a fight where she blamed herself for a decision he made for her sake. And that wasn't even going into how his family in the Pride Lands would react to his death. He never knew that his farewells to them as they returned to the Pride Lands could be their final farewells, and surely neither did they. He hoped none of them would blame Makini, and prayed that Makini would find it in her heart to forgive herself for whatever injustices she thinks she is responsible. He almost wanted to speak to his grandfather Mufasa about it, about the burden he carries in this mission, about everything he was leaving behind, everything that he will miss, and who would miss him. His grandfather Mufasa was always there for him, and he could easily summon him right there and then. But it didn't matter.

He was surely going to be seeing him anyways before the day's end.

Forgive me everyone, for what I'm about to do.

Kion reached Cikha Escarpment. He saw a large trail of smoke around the cliffs. It was fresh, meaning the ghost was still here. Kion used the Roar of the Elders to summon a twister that would levitate him across the gaps to the rock formations. The noise echoed throughout the canyon and it was only a matter of time before Adui found Kion.

And then, she found him. With the sickest, most vile grin on her face, knowing very well what the kind of painful end she can and will inflict to Kion. Kion didn't expect himself to be so utterly horrified and mortified seeing that face. He found himself backing up against the ledge as Adui came closer and closer at him, keeping that same terrible smile, not saying a word. It was the most terrified he had ever been. More than when he had seen Kiara in the gazelle stampede, when he had seen Nala held hostage by the crocodiles, or when he had seen Scar in the fire. Part of him hoped it was a nightmare. And he was right. It was a nightmare. A real one indeed.

Kion felt his back legs on top of nothing but air, leaving only his front paws and claws to latch onto the rock. Adui hunched on her shoulder and placed her hand over Kion's paw gently. Kion felt the burning pain on his fur, yet his fur and flesh remained intact, even when Adui engulfed both of his paws with both of her hands. The pain made it harder to keep his grip. Kion knew he was going to fall any second, and was filled with fear, but also rage. Rage at seeing how casually Adui handled this. She was about to kill him! Kill him like he did to Ahadi and Uru, like she would've done to his friends, the Night Pride, Makini, and everyone else at the Tree of Life! And here she was, just smiling, hunched on her shoulder, no words? It made Kion sick. Growling furiously, he let go of the cliff and stared Adui in the eyes with a grimace until he disappeared into the abyss. Adui turned around, shrugging off what she thought was the end, until she heard a roar from below. The earth had been bent, and Kion appeared on top of a platform that he created with the Roar. He stared Adui in the eye. If he was as ever as twisted and sick as she was, he would've smiled seeing her gasp in surprise.

Kion then summoned a tornado with the Roar of the Elders, and aimed it in Adui's direction. Adui felt herself getting sucked up by the raging winds and blown around. The tornado subsided. Adui's flame didn't go out, but she was weakened. Kion went closer to her.

"Kill me if you want," he growled. "But I'm not going to make it easy for you."

"Who said I am?" Adui said as she blasted Kion with another ball of fire. Kion roared and shockwave split the fire in two like a hot butter knife. Adui tried to blast him again, but Kion roared again, this time sending the hit back at Adui, knocking her down.

"You're lucky your dead," Kion said whilst clenching his teeth. "It means I don't need to hold back!"

The King roared again, his Mark of the Night Pride flashing like never before. The Lions of the Past in the sky spat a lightning bolt onto the platform that Adui and Kion were on. In moments, the rock formation had came crashing down to the ground, sparking up dust that covered Adui. Kion quickly used the Roar to summon a twister to slowly levitate to the ground. Kion looked at the rubble. No living animal would've survived that. But Adui was no living animal. But it didn't matter. She didn't need to die, at least not again. In fact, that would be the best thing to happen to her, right here and now.

Adui's spirit quickly rose from the rubble, but Kion didn't even give her enough time to react, using the Roar of the Elders to blast her yet again, covering her with even more rubble. An explosion occurred, and the rubble was reduced to ash as Adui was freed. She was now just as angry as Kion. Two can play at this power play.

She rose into the air, and concentrated her infernal energy, clasping her hands together. Her flame grew bigger and bigger and circled around her, until it was one giant tornado made of fire. Kion felt himself getting sucked into the twister, and used his claws to hang onto the rock.

"I AM EVERY DEATH YOU WILL EVER FACE! I AM EVERY DEATH YOU HAVE FACED! I AM THE PAIN THAT WILL BE YOUR EXISTENCE AND THE END THEREOF!" the entity shouted from within the tornado.

Kion mustered up enough energy to use the Roar of the Elders to summon another tornado, just as large as Adui's fire tornado. The two twisters tore tenaciously at each other, trying to take the other down. Kion felt the strain on his lungs getting bigger and bigger. The last time he summoned a tornado this big, he almost passed out. Adui may not have been invulnerable, but she could do this all day. He had his limits. But if he could discover many powers of the Roar, maybe he could sustain them.

Remember why you're doing this, Kion's inner monologue told him. For the Circle of Life.

Kion kept roaring, and the tornados were still at war with each other. Kion tightly dug his claws further into the rock, crouched down, and raised his head back up to retain his stance The two tornados remained, but the ground beneath them didn't. A single crack between the two foes was enough to answer the question of what happens when an unstoppable force meets, or rather is an immoveable object. An explosion, the sound of which travelled all across the kingdom and beyond

Kion felt himself sprawling backwards and hitting against the stone wall in a painful manner. He rubbed the dirt and ember from his eyes and felt his bones crack as he tried to get up. He coughed violently, expecting blood to come out with how much he over exerted himself, but thankfully that never came. What was coming was far worse.

His vision adjusted to see Adui approaching him, standing victoriously over his weakened body.

"I recognize that helpless expression," Adui cackled. "It's the same one that the King and Queen had... before I killed them!"

"You'll... never win.." croaked Kion. "I won't let you."

"That's what the Lion Guard leader of my day told me," said Adui. "He used the Roar of the Elders to fight me, although he was not nearly as a formidable opponent as you were. Our battle shook the Earth so much, that it took half of the kingdom down with us."

Kion gasped, thinking about how many innocent lives were taken, and how the Roar of the Elders couldn't save them. 

"Yes," said the ghastly mandrill. "You've put up a magnificent fight, which is why it'll be an honor for me to finish it."

Adui clenched her fist, charging up a fire punch. Kion growled at her, showing no fear for his inevitable demise.

"You may have taken me, but you'll never take this kingdom. This won't change anything!"

"It will," Adui gloated. "When I'm done with you, I'm going to hunt down your Queen, your friends, your pride and your subjects. And then I'll finish off what's left of your family!"

Kion tensed. It was only a matter of time before she found out that Kion was simply the decoy. A small voice in the back of his mind calmed him down, believing that the citzens of Jindagee had been evacuated far away from the Tree of Life to avoid Adui's clutches. Still, he was intermingled with both care for them and concern for their safety. He closed his eyes as he sensed Adui getting ready for the kill. "Kwaheri, King Kion."

Adui shot fire from her hands and fists at full capacity, setting them towards Kion like nuclear target missles. The resulting blast reminded her of the very moment she struck down Ahadi and Uru. No bodies in their wake. The fire hadn't just engulfed them, it vaporized her victims entirely. She had done the same to the herd of elephants who bravely tried to protect their Queen and King, and there had been nothing left of them, no evidence, no remains. Just fire, soot, and ashes.

And that was very applicable here. Kion was dead. And the kingdom was now hers.

"You missed."

Adui shot her head behind her, hearing the strange transfigured voice. Her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. (The irony wasn't lost on her).

It was Makini, carrying Kion in her hands. Kion himself slowly opened his eyes and he questioned for a minute whether or not he was actually dead.

"Makini?" 

"I'm here Kion," she said in her own voice. "You're safe."

Adui was outraged by what she was seeing. She didn't understand it at all, and that brought her fear. Makini went in front of Kion, shielding him from Adui, who seemed to set her sights on the mandrill.

"What do you think this is?!"

"The end of your time on Earth," said Makini, with her and Hutan's voices blended together. 

Adui angrily blasted Makini, but she and Hutan were much stronger together. They used the Bakora staff to block the attack, taking no hits. Makini then launched an attack from her own Bakora staff, remembering the spell Adui used.

"Kuharibu!"

A blaze of clear energy shot at Adui, and knocked her into the dirt. She rose, but something felt off. She looked at her torso, and saw that some of it had hardened, like molten lava exposed to the coolth of the air. Whatever the Lions of the Past failed to do, this mandrill and the sorcery at her disposal seemed to accomplish. This was not good.

Makini faced Adui, surrounded by fire. She stared down her foe near her cold dead eyes.

"I'm the one that brought you back," Makini said. "And I'm the one that's going to take you down! Your fight's with me, not him!"

Adui raised her arms, and summoned fire, growing out of the ground like daisies, and aimed them for Makini. Makini was able to dodge the attacks, using her own mind and body, as well as her Bakora staff to jump over the firewall. Adui didn't give up though. She flew into the sky and clapped her hands, forming a trail of smoke that knocked Makini on her feet, obscuring her vision and covering up her lungs.

"Makini!" Kion shouted in fear, rushing towards him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Makini coughed. "Hutan is helping me."

"Hutan?!" Kion said in shock. "You summoned her?!"

"Yes," Makini said in Hutan's voice. "She did. We shall fight Adui together."

Kion, Makini, and Hutan looked up to see Adui in the sky, laughing maniacally. As she laughed, the sky grew darker and darker as smoke began to cover the sunlight, morphing into their own clouds. This fight had gotten a whole lot more intense.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Kion cursed towards the ghost.

"You can't," Hutan said, speaking through Makini. "Only the Creatures of the Past can send her back to where she came from. And Makini must use that power."

"I have to do this Kion," said Makini. 

After seeing Makini fight Adui, there was nothing that could keep him from agreeing and believing in Makini.

"Good luck," he said.

Makini flew up to Adui, ready to finish what they had started. The two mandrills stared each other down.

"Congratulations Makini. You get to die a legend, facing me!"

"No one is dying!" Makini said, her voice echoing throughout the escarpment. "But what you'll be doing is heading back to Kuzimu where you belong! We finish this here and now!"

"Agreed," grinned the ghost. "This ends now.

BG Music: t.A.T.u. - "All About Us."

Adui and Makini/Hutan both fired at each other, moving around to dodge the others' hits, and to take the other by surprise. Makini used her Bakora to deflect and emit hits, whilst Hutan's spirit gave her strength. Seeing her fist glow up every time she clenched it gave her an idea. She rocketed towards Adui at full speed and pivoted her body to get the hit just right. At full force, she punched Adui right in the head. Her hand would've gone through her flaming body otherwise, which is what horrified Adui.

"Impossible!"

"Not where I'm floating!"

Adui blasted at Makini again, but she raised her first in defense. The strength Hutan gave her made her fist invulnerable to the attacks. This only enraged Adui even more. With no pause, she shot Makini right in the chest, too quickly for her to react. She then continuously fired at her opponent, who barely dodged and deflected the attacks. She was getting tired, and nervous. Adui saw that, and practically feasted off of her fear.

Finally, Adui struck Makini in the chest a second time, knocking her out of the sky. As Makini free-fell to what she was certain would be her death, she heard voices through her head. They weren't that of Hutan's, and they weren't that of the Lions. They were something else entirely.

They don't know, they can't see
Who we are, fear is the enemy
Hold on tight, hold on to me
'Cause tonight

Makini's fall gradually got slower and slower, until she landed softly on the ground, letting her body hang on its side. Adui lowered herself to see what was left of Makini. She had her eyes close, and seemed limp. Kion ran next to her, worried beyond his mind, and crouched down, seeing Adui approach them, leering in victory at Makini's apparent defeat, and readying herself for Kion's.

"It is time!"

Movement from Makini disturbed the ghost's moment. The voices she heard were now the words she recited, seemingly blending that of hers and many others.

It's all about us
It's all about, all about us
There's a thing that they can't touch
'Cause you know (ah-ah)

As Makini stood up, many other spirits appeared behind her. Spirits of different size, shape, stature, and species marching into battle. Kion recognized many of these spirits as animals he had met in the Pride Lands. There was Aminifu, the leader of the elephant herd before Ma Tembo who helped Simba restore the Pride Lands. There was Pua, the old crocodile leader who had died in the battle against Scar and his army. There was Kongwe, the wise old tortoise who spent her final days on Earth passing wisdom to the Pride Landers during difficult times, and many more.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: In Search of the Stripes

Bunga and Binga shuffled the hollow coconuts around, one of which holding a very special prize. Their audience was quite plentiful. In front of them sat several youngsters within Jindagee, among them being some colorful characters that the Lion Guard had come to know during their time at the Tree. There were the caracal twins, Yaraa, and Yasmae, the daughter and son of Khwuta, respectively, there was Kalam, Bindu, and Teeka, the three porcupette triplets that Bunga and Binga had taken in several weeks prior, there was Kylyk, the daughter of the musk deer herd leader, Kiril, and most noticeably, there were Feliks, Polina, and Pasha, the son and daughters of the tigress Varya, who had all been granted refuge into the Tree of Life on the morning before Rani's coronation.

With the many threats that the Tree of Life had faced in the recent past; Makucha and his army, Kert-Kert and his soldiers, the fugitive raven Corva, the cheetahs, Sari and Tari, the pirahna scarcity that plunged the Amazon into chaos, and most recently the heartless spirit of Adui, the evil, power hungry Mchawi from Milele's past, it was only a matter of time until nervousness would begin to rise, both for the adults who lead their herds, packs and flocks, and for their young ones who themselves were vulnerable, defenseless, and afraid.

Bunga and Binga, having experienced struggles and fear from national threats in their own respective childhoods, took it upon themselves to calm the children down with games and interactive activities. This particular activity was one where they could guess which coconut contained a flower.

"Step right up and find it!" Bunga said.

Feliks pointed at the coronut in the middle. Bunga opened the coconut, revealing a beautiful vibrant, violet Tuliza plant.

"You win!"

The kids cheered, before Bunga repeated the game, making the kids guess several times. During the playtime, several of the cubs had tried to interact with the tiger triplets, but they remained silent and distant, only focusing on the game instead of interaction with anyone else. As he and Binga entertained the children, several animals at the Tree of Life spoke with the Queen and King. Many of them were the leaders of their own groups, whilst others were individuals. They were equal in their desire to have an audience with the rulers.

"My faith has always been in the royal family," said the leader of the elephant herd. "But I can only wonder how much chaos we can deal with."

"I sometimes wonder that as well, Ikaee," Rani replied. "But it won't be anything we haven't solved before with."

"Really?" asked Ikaee. "Because as far as I'm concerned, the Tree of Life has never dealt with evil spirits who rise from the dead!"

"But the Pride Lands have," Kion interjected. "The Lion Guard has faced Scar. He and his followers weren't willing to go down without a fight, and neither were we."

"And much like Scar, Adui proved to be no match for the defenders of the Circle of Life." Rani finished. "There's no threat too great."

"I hope so," said Filoha."I don't want to have to evacuate my troop into the cruel outside world."

"I promise you Filoha," Kion said. "No harm will come to you or your family."

"My condolesnces Filoha," Ikaee said to Hidung.

"Thank you Ikaee," replied the sifaka lemur.

"The pirahna population is making a slow comeback" said a capybara, amongst a herd thereof whom he dominated in size. "But some of us are worried that it might go down again with how much the predators are hunting."

"We'll be sure to visit the Amazon sometime this week to discuss this, Unitas," Rani promised. "We'll do our best to manage with that as much as we can."

"My herd has been well," said Kiril, representing his herd. "But the news of these attacks still puts us at unrest. It’s nothing I can’t handle as the leader of my herd, but it’s something that I thought necessary to bring to your attention.” "That’s very understandable" Rani said. “I’m sure everything will be alright.”

"But what if it isn’t?!" asked an emu in the crowd. Kion recognized him as one of the soldiers who followed Kert-Kert. Although the emus hadn’t fully renounced their loyalty to their exiled leader, they had complied with their punishment for their attack on the Tree of Life, and were still citizens of the kingdom and had eventually proven themselves not to be a threat to the crown. At least, not more of a threat than anything that the Lion Guard had faced after the botched race. "Shouldn't that raven, Corva be of any concern?! As you let her roam free, she could be plotting to come after us again! And without our leader, we will be vulnerable to whatever she has up her sleeve!"

"While it is disappointing that she is gone, I'm afraid there's not much we could do," answered Rani. "Our search for her has gotten no results. We can only hope that she won't be foolish enough to infiltrate the Tree of Life and endanger one of our own once again. Same with Kert-Kert, Sari, Tari, Makucha, Mama Binturong, and their followers."

"And if they do threaten this kingdom, they'll have to take it from us," Kion growled confidently. His emu audience was impressed by his ferocity, dare even moreso by Kert-Kert's.

Varya, the mother tiger was among the animals. She had no 'herd,' except for her cubs, that is. But she felt the need to be seen and heard.

"Your majesties," she said, bowing to the King and Queen. "I came to the Tree of Life to provide a safe haven for my cubs. I have no intention of leaving, I just need to know if you two will be safe with the duties you have."

"We've dealt with far worse," Kion and Rani said in unison, separately reminiscing the days they got their own scars. "Things will be fine."

"I hope so," said Varya. "The safety of the rulers are of equal importance to the safety of us."

"Agreed," said Hathee. Her mother Ikaee trumpeted in approval.  The other animals were quick to oblige in their own respective manners.

"Thank you, everyone," said Rani. "I think we can consider today's meeting dismissed. Have a wonderful day."

The animals left to tend to their own needs in their own territories, leaving Kion and Rani to chat amongst themselves.

"That surprisingly went well," Kion said.

"Yeah," Rani agreed. "All those eyes staring at us. Every time I think I've mastered being Queen, it reminds me just how sudden it all was."

"You should've seen my dad and I when everyone found out that Scar was back and we didn't tell them," Kion said. "It was a nightmare. I'm still really glad that we decided to tell everyone about Adui."

"Yup," Rani obliged. "It's a relief when you don't have to keep everything to yourself. The only thing I think we can do now is to be more alert, and be ready. Make sure no one gets hurt."

"I agree," Kion said, kissing Rani on the cheek. "Least of all you."

"And you, Kiongozi," Rani giggled, kissing Kion near his scars.

Their sweet moment was interrupted by the running of many children catching up to their parents. Including that of Varya's cubs. 

"Least of all them," Kion said happily. "Keeping the Tree of Life at peace will be worth it in order to give them a place to grow up and spend time with their families."

Varya's cubs followed her back into the snowy woods. It had been months since the family was first allowed to live in the woods at the Tree of Life when they vacated from their original home in the mountains. Although it was safe, it was very unfamiliar, which is why the family usually sticked to their typical routes to and from the den.

They returned to their den, a hollowed out cave within the forest. Varya rested as the cubs playfought with each other. Polina and Pasha bit at each other's tails, chasing each other in circles. Feliks got in the middle of their tussle, knocking them both down and being the only cub standing.

"I win!"

"Yeah right," Polina snarled as she pinned Feliks to the ground. Pasha then joined in, holding Feliks down.

"Was fun while it lasted," groaned the boy cub.

"Alright, settle down," Varya chuckled. "Don't rip each other apart before dinnertime."

"So after dinner time, we can rip each other apart?" Pasha gleamed.

"You know what I mean," smirked the mother tiger. "I'm going to go on a hunt."

"Can we come with you mom?" asked Feliks. "We wanna watch!"

"You know it's too dangerous," Varya shot down. "You could get hurt."

"We'll be fine!" Polina said. "If anything hapens, you'll keep us safe!"

Varya sighed in defeat.

"You can follow me so I can teach you, but stay out of the way. Things could be dangerous."

The three cubs cheered, showing excitement over seeing their mom hunt for the first time. They imagined how amazing it would be, seeing her take down one deer, or even two at the same time, and roaring as loudly as she could. It was so thrilling.

~~~

Varya and the cubs went near a herd of musk deer. Their pale stripes managed to blend into the snow of the winter woods. The deer remained unaware to the danger that was approaching them.

”Stay close to the snow so that you won’t be seen,” Varya whispered. “And never keep your eyes off of your prey. They’ll always be on the alert.”

”Are we going to attack them?” asked Polina.

”Definitely not,” said Varya. “Those deer can hurt you with their hooves and legs. You need to stay behind while I take care of it.”

Felixs, Polina, and Pasha nodded their heads and stayed behind whilst Varya continued to stalk the herd. She scanned her prey. There was Kiril, the leader the herd, always scanning for danger. He was willing to accept the tigers as his neighbors — and by proxy, him and his herd’s possible predators. —but that didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for them. His keen eyesight, hearing, and smell went toe to toe with Varya’s, shooting for the same goal; Survival.

Varya knew that she wouldn’t be able to get to Kiril, even if she wanted to (which she didn’t). So she looked for anyone else in the herd who was in her reach. And that’s when she saw a very old, very injured deer close to the herd, but not very much so. Wherever the rest of the herd ran, he would follow. But wherever he ran, she would follow. 

And he wouldn’t get away.

Varya snuck past the bushes and trees to get as close to the ill deer as possible. Just the one deer would be enough to feed her family, so she would have to make this a quick clean move.

As Varya approached the injured deer, her cubs had other plans.

”Hey, let’s try and go after the little deer,” Pasha said, pointing her head to the deer calf next to leader of the herd.

”That calf is next to Kiril,” asked Polina. “She’s probably his daughter. I don’t think we’ll be able to take them both.”

“We don’t have to,” Pasha said. “When mom attacks the herd, the deer will panic and run. Then we can catch the calf. It’s three of us against one of her. Mom will be impressed!”

”But that seems mean,” said Feliks. “He’s our neighbor. He’ll be unhappy enough when he sees our mom going after his herd. If we attack his daughter, he’ll get sore and tell Queen Rani. We might get kicked out!”

”Rani says we have to respect the ‘Circle of Life’ whatever that means,” Pasha said. “We’re tigers. She’s a deer! She’s our size, and she’s barely older than we are! We can eat her. Do the math if you want!”

Polina saw the logic in this argument. And although Feliks felt it was mean, he also trusted Pasha, since she was the oldest, albeit only minutes apart. The two cubs nodded their heads, showing agreement to their big sister’s plan.

And with that, the hunt was on.

Varya could practically taste her meal already. Kiril’s defensive detection stood no chance against Varya’s offensive observation. She was right within attacking range. All she had to do was make one leap at her prey. If she couldn’t take him down with one hit, she’d outrun him, and with the rest of the herd scared, she’d win.

Just a few more steps and….

RRRRROOOOOAARRRRRR!!!!!!!

Varya soared through the air and clamped her jaws and claws around the deer’s rump. The deer bleated and screamed, getting the herd’s attention. The rest of the herd ran, whilst Varya’s deer followed pursuit. Its injured leg betrayed him as it fell to the ground. Varya took no time in putting the creature out of its misery with one bite to the throat. She dragged the deer’s body to where she had left her cubs.

”The rest of the herd is gone,” Varya called out. “But I managed to catch a deer!”

Varya’s cubs didn’t respond. When she looked around, she didn’t see them.

”Cubs?” she called out. “Cubs?!”

No response.

She then saw footprints in the snow, trailing in the same direction as the hoof-prints in the deer. They didn’t.

She then heard screams over the hill, very familiar screams.

They did.

~~

When Varya attacked the herd, Kiril and his daughter quickly veered their heads in the direction where Varya had attacked. They fled from the area. The cubs did their best to keep up, running from the sidelines. Kiril’s daughter began to fall behind, not as big, strong, or fast as the adults. The tiger cubs took their opportunity to attack. Polina sprang out of nowhere and bit at the calf’s tail. Pasha bit her ear. The calf ran around in circles, trying to shake Polina and Pasha off. Felix ran through the middle, knocking the calf down.

”Why are you doing this?!” asked the calf. 

“We want to eat you!” Pasha said, un-phased by what she said.

”Eat me!?” the calf shrieked in panic. “Are you kidding me?!”

”Yeah,” Polina said. “We’re tigers, you’re a deer.”

”No hard feelings,” Feliks said. “We saw our mom and dad do it all the time!”

”Well if your dad jumped off a cliff would you?!”

The cubs gasped. Feliks’ empathy turned into anger.

”You don’t get to talk about my dad!” he said, slapping the deer in the face. The deer angrily bit his paw. The sharp teeth protruding from her mouth painfully pierced the tiger’s paw. Feliks lifted it off to try and caress it, and lost his grip as the calf as he was bucked off. The deer then kicked Polina in the face with her hooves, and managed to yank Pasha off of her ear. She ran with the cubs following her. She was so afraid, she didn’t notice her getting further and further away from her herd. She saw the tigers run and begin to catch up to her. She wasn’t going to outrun them. So she would have to fight them.

The deer kicked snow into Polina’s face, and then headbutted her into Feliks. Pasha narrowly dodged the attacks and kept following the calf. She climbed up the tree, with Pasha right on her tail. Both tigers and musk deer were incredible climbers, leaping through the branches like acrobatic monkeys. Pasha had the deer cornered on the edge of the tree, hanging above a steep drop over a flowing river.

”Nowhere left to run deer!” Pasha growled.

"My name is Kylyk!" said the calf. "You're both mean and dumb!"

The two children got ready to fight again, but they both froze when they heard the cracking of the branch. In all of the confusion, they didn't realize the real danger they were in.

Feliks and Polina clawed their way up the tree after Pasha, reassuring her that they'd help. All their help did was to bring more weight onto the branch, making it mroe unstable. All of them froze, knowing that any movement could be incredibly dangerous.

"What do we do?" asked Feliks.

“I… I don’t know!” Pasha stuttered. “We can’t get down!”

”I have an idea,” said Kylyk, more afraid of heights than she is of tigers. 

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The calf screamed so loud, not even her, nor the cubs heard the sound of the branch’s dismemberment from its tree.

At the River of Patience, Surak, Rani, Baliyo, and Nirmala were teaching Kion and Bunga how to hunt for fish. The Night Pride, like other animals at the Tree of Life, were permitted to hunt and kill within their own territories to sustain themselves and their families. However, the Night Pride felt morally obligated to find additional other methods of obtaining energy, to avoid potentially alienating any animals who come for shelter. So often, they would catch fish near the River of Patience. Kion hadn’t hunted in his life, but going after fish was a good place to start. Bunga was also interested, largely because he had stopped entertaining the children earlier that day and was looking for some excitement.

“Is there any technique to this?” Kion asked. “Do I just… attack?”

”Not exactly,” Nirmala whispered. “What you need to do first is to keep your voice down. Fish have very good hearing, so you might scare them away if you shout too much.”

”Okay,” Kion said, with his voice low. “Now what?”

“Then, you strike at a fish,” Surak whispered. 

“Just like that?” Kion whisperingly asked.

”Yes,” Rani explained in a soft spoken voice. “Fish are really fast. What you’ll need to do is beat them in their own game. The mouth has to be faster than the eye. Like a Frogfish.”

”Fish aren’t frogs,” Kion whispered. 

“No, a Frogfish,” Baliyo explained. “A fish that looks like a frog. We can show you what that looks like later, but basically, they catch their prey really fast. Be like them.”

“Ok,” said Kion. 

The young lion and honey badger waited patiently for a fish to arrive. There was a big fat one amongst the school, one that both of them set their eyes upon instantly. They gave the other a competitive look, knowing that only one would win. Giving into their instincts and teachings, they lunged into the water to grab the fish with their jaws. But the fish was persistent in its escape, swimming away just before either could bite. As for its attackers, Kion and Bunga bumped into each other, lost footing and slipped right into the river. Spitting out water, they climbed up onto the bank and shook the water off their fur.

”Un-Bunga-lievable.” Bunga coughed.

”It’s okay,” Surak chuckled. “It’s not that easy. It took Rani and Baliyo weeks to hunt fish.”

”We’d always sneak out to try and practice on our own,” Baliyo thought. “It got to a point where our parents had to stop our lessons because we kept dropping everything to go fish."

"And I remember when your parents always would always try to make us stop you, though we never did" Surak chuckled. "Your dad actually lost his hair during one of our arguments. It was hilarious."

"And in the end it paid off," Nirmala grinned. "You did eventually learn how to fish."

"Thanks auntie," Rani chuckled. 

The lions soon heard calls for help coming closer and closer to them. Varya and Kiril ran up to them, talking over their words.

”…attack my daughter…”

”..did no such thing..”

”…is a disaster!”

Both animals kept tripping over each other’s words trying to trip the other’s words. It got to a point where Kion roared loudly to get their attention, shutting them up. Rani then made the demands.

”Explain calmly,” Rani ordered.

Varya and Kiril both spoke at the same time, but with a message that was more comprehendable.

”Our children are gone!”

Badala watched the sun rise from the peak of the Forbidden Cliffs. Her mind was still set on the one thing it has been for the past 10 years. The Tree of Life. She pictured it in her head, her and the rest of the army breaching past the kingdom’s defenses, making their way to its heart. The shock on every animal’s face, including Rani’s, when they saw her for the first time after a decade of believing she was dead. And when the Tree of Life fell, once and for all. Just the thought of it smiled. But she knew there would have to be difficulties to overcome before that goal is achieved.

”He says he’ll talk,” said Corva. “But only to you.”

Badala smirked. Things will go much better.

Inside the caves, Kert Kert, Sari, and Tari, were in a dark chamber, guarded by two bison. They detected Badala and her scout arrive and backed away, sensing that she would be here for interrogation of the prisoners.

“What do you have to say to me?” Badala asked to Kert-Kert. The emu sat down, nonchalantly, dodging the question.

”Lady Badala asked you a question,” Corva snapped.

”I just want to say,” Kert-Kert said, feigning sincerity. “That I will NEVER tell you ANYTHING!” The emu then laughed maniacally. The cheetah twins also laughed, mildly amused by the scenario.

”Enough games!” Corva demanded. The irony wasn’t lost on her on how the roles had reversed. Now it was Kert who was imprisoned, yet it was him who was getting the higher ground. 

“If it is a game, you lost before you even began,” said the ratite. “If you kill me, you’ll never get the information you seek out.” He then laughed again.

”Lead us to the location of your flock’s new territory, and I might consider letting you go free,” Badala hissed. She was confident that the ultimatum would be an offer that the emu couldn’t resist.”

”So you want me to betray my flock in order to save my own life,” Kert grunted. 

“You turned against the royal family to attack the Tree of Life,” Badala argued. “You’re as hypocritical as you are useless.”

“That’s nothing compared to what you did over a decade ago!” the bellowed the big bird. “You brought danger to Jindagee. My flock lost their grazing grounds. Jindagee lost its King and Queen, and it’s all because of you! How can I help you after that!?”

”Because you don’t have a choice,” Badala growled. “I know that you emus migrate. When Corva found you, you were alone, but we haven’t been able to see where your cohorts are. They look up to you. If we can occupy them, we’ll have the strength of your entire flock on our side.”

”My flock looks up to me, not you. They’ll never join you. And I’ll never give you that opportunity.”

Badala snarled. She unsheathed her claws and scraped them against the ground like a buffalo, confusing her prisoners. She then rammed at Kert-Kert, head-butting him and knocking him to his feet. Then she used her claws to hold him down by the neck, choking him. The cheetahs tried to seize opportunity of the distraction and run, but were blocked by the bison. The tigress kept holding Kert down by the neck with her claws.

”You can’t win!” Kert said. “You never did, and you never will.”

Badala growled furiously. She wanted to roar and paralyze him, but it’s clear that this was what the emu wanted. To get a rise out of her. Finally, she let go. The emu took several precious gasps for breath as Badala backed away. The rhino guards went in front of the chamber as Badala walked away, but not before looking back at the prisoners.

“I’ll make you useful to us,” Badala growled. “All of you. Whether you like it or not.”

Badala rushed away in a huff, leaving her prisoners once again within her grip, even when she wasn’t there. When she was gone, the cheetahs went closer to the emu. They realized that he had much more to lose than them. He had a home at the Tree of Life, he had something of which he left behind, which would be in danger by this Badala creature. Despite their attempt to abandon him, they couldn’t help but pity him, especially knowing that they’d forcibly become agents to the destruction of a place that he likely held dearly to him.

As for Kert-Kert, what he felt wasn’t pity towards his or his fellow prisoners’ plight or even fear for his flock. It was anger. Not directed at Badala or even Corva, but himself. For blindly trusting the will of a stranger, for allowing the deepest parts of his rage and jealousy to cloud his better judgement, for putting his own ego above everything that was right, fair, and logical. If he’d known he would become an agent to a murderer who had caused him and his family so much pain in the past, and an accomplice to her terrible crimes that would bring his home a pain ten times that of what they ever knew, with no hope of escaping with his life - he would’ve never made the deal with Corva.

He had no clue what the Lion Guard and Night Pride were up to. But he hoped that, in the end, whatever they were doing would ready them for anything that Badala would throw at them. Because it would only be a matter of time until she made her next move…

Varya and Kiril’s explanations required many repeats with how they tripped over each other’s words. Eventually after many, many interruptions and stern reminders, both parties explained their side of the story; Varya explained how she and her cubs went back to their territory. They had begged her to join her on a hunt, and she had decided to let them come along but only to witness the hunt. When she had caught up to her prey, she heard her cubs crying for help, and followed their pawprints to a river, where their scent faded out.

Then it was Kiril’s turn. He and his herd were grazing when Varya attacked. He lead the herd away, panicking and running from the scene of the attack. When he calmed down, he did a head count, only to find his daughter missing. He followed her scent and her tracks to the same river where Varya reached a dead end in searching for her cubs.

As both sides explained, it became clear that there was resentment as the parents of the missing children pieced together what may have happened. Kiril believes Varya’s cubs attacked his daughter, whilst Varya blames Kiril for not keeping an eye on his daughter.

Another argument was about to start up when Kion roared, silencing them again.

”We’re not getting anywhere arguing like this,” Kion growled. “We need to work together. Lead us to the river where your kids’ trail left off. The Queen, Prince, Bunga and I will help you search.”

”Ok,” said the two distraught parents. As Rani, Baliyo, Kion and Bunga were about to follow them, Surak and Nirmala halted them.

”Can we come with you to help?” Surak asked. “I know the woods much better than anyone. Your father and I traversed the entire territory when we were younger.”

”And Queen Janna gave me a tour of the land when your mother and I first arrived at the Tree of Life. We can help.”

”That’s nice,” Rani said. “But we can handle it. Don’t trouble yourselves too much.”

”Be sure to alert the rest of the Lion Guard that I’ll be busy with the mission. Hopefully I’ll be back in time for our afternoon patrol, but just in case, it’ll be better to warn them.”

”Alright,” Surak and Nirmala agreed. They watched Rani, Baliyo, Varya, and Kiril head into the distance. They sat and lingered with the information that was given to them.

”Do you think they can handle it?” Nirmala asked.

”Of course they can,” Surak confidently answered. “They can do anything.” He then sighed. “But still, why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

“It’s ok to be concerned,” reassured the elder Prince’s sister-in-law. “But it’s what Queen Janna herself said. Guide her, but let her find her own way. That includes her and Baliyo.”

“You’re right,” Surak said, mostly to himself instead of Nirmala.

Yet there was still a bad feeling within Surak. It had to be paranoia, right? It had to be.

The parents took Rani, Baliyo, Bunga and Kion to the river where they suspected their kids to have been washed away in. Sensing the animosity, Rani and Bunga chose to escort Varya, whilst Kion and Baliyo escorted Kiril... with a reasonable distance from each other. This, fortunately, made their first steps following the river easier. The two distraught parents were able to breathe and let their emotions out calmly by speaking with their escorts.

“I’m very sorry for my temper,” said the mother tigress. “I just don’t want to think of anything bad that would’ve happened to them because of me.”

“We’ve saved your kids before,” Bunga said. “We can do it again. There’s nothing to worry about.”

”Actually,” said Rani. “There’s a lot for the tigers to worry about.”

Rani, trying not to be too heartless, turned to Varya. “If the story that we’ve received is true, then your cubs tried to injure another child at best, and kill her at worst. That goes against the Circle of Life. Because they’re cubs, nobody will get punished but something definitely needs to be done before this spirals into a bigger problem.”

Varya shook her head in shame. ”My cubs are still adjusting to living here. Before last year, we never even heard of something called the ‘Circle of Life.’”

”How’s that possible?” Bunga asked. “Circle of Life? The delicate balance that moves us all through despair and hope? Never take more than you give? Any of those ring a bell?”

”No,” Varya explained. “Where I come from, there wasn’t a kingdom. Or any laws. Whatever happened in our home, it happened. Nature took its course without any resistance or consequence… until one day…”

Varya paused for a one time, to muster up the strength to continue.

”My cubs’ father,” she said. “We’d often hunt together, even if it wasn’t common for tigers. The one prey we’d go after would be bison. It would keep us and our families well fed. However… the bison we killed were-“ Varya inhaled and exhaled to prepare herself for her confession “-calves. And sometimes, each of us would catch one.”

Bunga and Rani couldn’t fathom what they were hearing, but let the tigress continue.

”We had close calls with the bison herd, until one day, when we took two calves to feed our cubs. We didn’t know consider whose’ calves it was, and to this day, I have no clear answer. Maybe they were the children of the herds’ leader. Maybe those calves were very well-liked in their herd. Maybe we killed too many of their calves and the final two was the final straw. I don’t know. But the herd saw it as a license to attack us. All of us. I took my cubs and fled whilst my mate stood behind to challenge them and give us time to escape. That was the last time we ever saw him.”

Varya took another breath before finishing her story, her voice shaking,

”I knew that our home was no longer safe, so I had to leave and find somewhere else to raise my cubs. I heard of the Tree of Life from a bird, how it would be a sanctuary to keep my cubs from safety. I followed the bird, hoping that she was telling the truth. I had to make many kills to keep myself and my cubs standing, but it never felt right hunting a cub or a calf, knowing the disaster it lead my family to. I never let my children know how I felt, they-they must have felt differently than I did. After a long journey, it seemed as though she was telling the truth. We reached the mountain pass, just outside of the kingdom…. But we were tricked. The hawk who helped us was Mpishi” —Rani and Bunga gasped, recognizing that name; and by proxy, the events that unfolded. “she lead us into a trap. Lead us to be killed. Lead my cubs to be eaten and for me to be killed for sport so that my death can be used as a fear tactic as part of whatever plan she and her cohorts had to take control over the Tree of Life. And the moment I pieced that together… Makucha arrived.”

Varya finished her story, pushing through the thorns her memories. Bunga interrupted the silence by continuing it. “There’s one more part to that story. We came in to save you, helped you and your cubs find a new home, and banished Makucha and his jerks forever!”

“He has a point,” said the Queen. “You and your family made it this far. And I’m sure that once they’re found and they have their mother to guide them, you four will learn more about the Circle of Life, and learn from your mistakes.”

”I have to,” Varya resolved. “When you explained to me what the Circle of Life was, I wanted to wait until my children were older to tell them; When the violence was behind them and when they could understand. Now I realize how much of a mistake it was, and I have to make things right. I’m all they have left.”

Kion and Baliyo walked with Kiril, out of earshot from Varya. That’s when they were able to talk to him.

”I’m sure that Varya’s cubs didn’t mean any harm,” Kion said. “Don’t take it out on them.”

”I don’t blame them,” Kiril scoffed. “I blame her. She’s our neighbor, and yet she couldn’t stop her kids from attacking mine. The Tree of Life is meant to be a safe space, not an area where unruly children are left unchecked.”

”But as I recall, you also didn’t notice Kylyk running away from the herd,” Baliyo added. 

“I was too busy running for my life!” the deer defended himself. 

”Exactly,” said Kion. “Neither you, nor Varya intended to let your kids out of your sight. This was all just an accident, one that we can fix. But we can only fix it by working together.”

Kiril sighed in defeat. ”If it helps me find my daughter, then anything goes.” The lions nodded their head, and the group kept going. 

Far away, further down river, Feliks, Polina, Pasha, and Kylyk were able to escape the cold water when the branch they held on got caught onto a snowbank. When they got onto the land, they shook the water off, and examined their surroundings. They had no idea where they were, how far they were from their usual homes, and were all alone without protection. And very nervous.

Kylyk was petrified in fear. She’d never been this far from her herd.. or in this part of the woods. Especially when surrounded by 3 animals that attacked her. Her frozen state concerned the triplets who walked over to her carefully to check on her. Instinctively, she backed away, and faced the cubs, unloading all of her fear onto them.

”This is your fault!” she yelled. “If you hadn’t attacked me, this wouldn’t have happened! What did I do to deserve this!? Why?!” 

Kylyk was expecting Pasha, Polina, or Feliks to push back or scream, but instead, they just backed away, holding back their tears. Pasha was the first to speak.

”We never meant for any of this to happen,” Pasha cried. “You’re right… it’s our fault, and we are so sorry.”

”We weren’t thinking the right way,” Polina sniffled. “If we did, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

”I didn’t think it was a good idea to go after you,’ said Feliks with a soft spoken voice. “But I should’ve stopped my sisters instead of following them. Or slapping you.”

Everyone was silent. The anger died down, but the sound of the river made it clear they were still in a predicament.

”What should we do now?” Polina asked.

”My dad says that the best thing to do when you’re lost is to stay where you are and you’ll be found.” said the deer.

”But when will they find us?” Feliks asked.

”Hopefully, soon,” Pasha resolved. 

Badala went deep into the tunnels within the cliffs. She was fuming, impatient, and desperate. But she knew someone who wasn’t. Someone who had many virtues she lacked. Someone whose she owed dearly for those virtues. That creature would help her.

In a dark chamber she found near the heart of the mountain, where two eyes, familiar, yet green, stared the tigress down, in an all too familiar and comforting manner. 

“Mother,” Badala addressed the figure in front of her.

”Badala,” the creature coughed.

”I need your help,” said the tigress. “My newest recruit refuses to give me intel on the location of his flock. He claims to be unafraid of death, which means I have nothing to hold against him to make him talk! We must occupy them and bring them amongst our ranks to expand the army so that we can have more numbers to help us conquer the Tree of Life."

”Where do I come into play?” Badala’s mother said with a raspy voice.

”You have commanded armies before. You were the one to lead the charge against the King and Queen. You and I know that you’re more powerful than I am. If anyone can help me put Kert-Kert in his place, it’s you.”

”I was, more powerful,” Badala’s mother said, before coughing violently. The sharp coughs and gasps for breath were self explanatory for Badala. “But my old age and health beg to differ. That’s why I made you lead our new army my stead."

”That’s why I need to go through with this quickly!” Badala argued. “I want you to live long enough to see us finish what you started. We both want the same thing, and we’ll be one step closer towards it if you help me get this bird in check!”

”Sometimes the best thing you need has already passed,” croaked the tigress’s mother. “This is something I must let you find out on your own.”

”What?!”

Badala’s frustration fell upon deaf ears as her mother audibly went to sleep. Badala hissed as she walked off. She knew her mother. She was the strongest animal she ever saw, both mentally and physically, and the only thing she had to offer in this moment to achieve their goal were riddles. RIDDLES!!!

She paced around the place, dismissing the greetings or concerns of her subordinate soldiers, blowing off steam, and kept doing so, until she felt her paw prick on something sharp.

It was a skull. Surrounded by many other skulls of many other animals. The felid recognized this as the khopadee ka hol. The hall of skulls. Where the heads of animals who had faced the wrath of the Dhara Mrtyu were kept. Many animals had faced the Dhara Mrtyu. But none of them survived, and this very room was proof. Something in the tigress’ mind told her that this room would somehow be the solution to her dilemma. She was so familiar with it, yet she felt there was something new that could help her.

On the left side of the cave, was the Traaphiyaan sector. Trophies. Creatures of whom the Dhara Mrtyu faced and defeated in battle, whose kingdoms they had conquered, and whose fellow animals that survived swore fealty to Badala's family. Badala eagerly awaited the day that she could add Rani and her family amongst her trophies.

On the right side of the cave was the Udāharaṇa sector. Examples. Creatures who were against Dhara Mrtyu, but were seen as inferiors, and were too easily struck down. Some were animals who were offered to become soldiers, but rejected it. Others were traitors to the Dhara Mrtyu, and either attempted to escape, help the Dhara Mrtyu's enemies, or face off against Badala and/or her mother. Their deaths were examples to everyone what happens to those who were unworthy of Dhara Mrtyu, and the evidence was always here.

Badala began to laugh. The answer wasn't in this room. It was the room! The best thing she needed already passed indeed. 

"Thank you mother," Badala cackled. "You truly live up to your name."

Pasha, Polina, Feliks, and Kylyk were still as statues, waiting for their parents to come find them. They waited in silence, feeling the awkwardness of their situation, given the circumstances that brought them into this mess. 

Feliks broke the silence.

“So how long have your herd lived at the Tree of Life?”

“It happened almost 5 years ago,” the calf explained. “I remember it happening like it was yesterday. Our herd used to live near the base of the mountains. There was always enough grass to go around… until one year, when there was a shortage of grass. Everyone went hungry, and sooner or later, everyone started fighting. My parents migrated our herd away to find a better place to live. Whilst we were migrating, we heard of the Tree of Life from a reindeer, and eventually we found it. Queen Janna allowed us in and helped us find a new home here.”

”Do you know what could’ve happened that made you guys run short on food?” asked Polina.

”My dad says that it was because we ate too much,” replied Kylyk. “He said that there was something wrong to the Circle of Life.”

’Circle of Life?’ Feliks asked. “Like that thing that Queen Rani mentioned when we moved in? What even is it?”

”Didn’t you learn about the Circle of Life before? My parents told me about it. It’s how what one animal does can have an effect on others. My dad says that the herd ate too much grass and vegetation, and it made everyone else go hungry and make bad decisions because of it. There wasn’t a King or Queen to tell them what they could or couldn’t do, so it became more dangerous. When we made it to the Tree of Life, Queen Janna told us about what the Circle of Life was and how we could prevent what happened to our old home from happening to our new one. And it’s been pretty neat.”

“Wow,” gasped the cubs in unison. It’s like they were being told a story by their mom. Only, it was real. And from someone who was their age. They didn’t know what to say. Kylyk broke the ice.

”What about you guys?” she asked. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you about what the Circle of Life is?”

”We only ever heard about it from Rani,” Feliks explained. “The day that we arrived at the Tree of Life was the day that she became Queen. I remember overhearing her tell your dad that we’ll respect the Circle of Life and become your neighbors.”

”We asked mom what that meant, but she said she’ll explain when we’re older,” Polina said. “We just accepted it. We never heard about it in our old home. We just ate however we wanted, whenever we wanted. We saw our parents do it all the time.”

”Maybe your parents didn’t have the right idea,” Kylyk said. “I mean, mine made a mistake.”

Feliks turned his head away at the mention of his parents; As in his dad and mom. His sisters knew what he meant and they went next to him to provide comfort. The calf asked what was wrong, and the two sister cubs started to explain whilst the youngest boy cub cut them off.

”You asked us about our dad,” Feliks explained. “He’s gone. A herd of bison attacked my parents when they were on our way home from a hunt. They were really angry. We were always taught that bison were dangerous when they were mad, but they were angry. We didn’t have much time to think, we just ran. My dad stayed behind, he said he was going to ‘hold them off’ and… we never saw him again.”

”I’m so sorry,” Kylyk said, feeling guilty about her earlier comment about Feliks’ father.

”Me too,” Feliks said. “For hitting you. You had no idea what happened and… my dad wouldn’t want me to hurt other people.”

”Do you know why the bison attacked you?” asked the deer. 

“We asked our mom when we were on our way to the Tree of Life. But she always told us she’d tell us when we got older,” Pasha answered. “But we never stopped wondering.”

“We miss him every day,” Polina sighed. “But our mom’s all we have left. Without her, we’re alone!”

”You’re not alone,” consoled the young calf. “Our parents will find us. And until then, we have each other. You have your brother and sister, you have us, and I have you guys!”

Kylyk’s words felt warmer than the icy water and snow that the cubs had faced. Whether it’d be the newfound familiarity within each other, or the relief of forgiving one another, they soon talked. Not just about their lives, but about their interests, their likes, their dislikes, the things they had in common, the things that sets them apart. The minutes they spent conversing felt like hours as they soon found that in spite of their differences, they were very much the same.

But the moment was interrupted when they felt a chill breeze, followed by the looming of clouds. The air had felt thinner and thinner as the snow began to descent upon the forest, and in a violent manner, going in any direction the wind took it — including that of the children’s.

They squinted their eyes to keep the blistering snow out of their eyes. Without saying a word, they tightly huddled together to conserve heat, and started hiking. They knew that leaving would make it harder for them to be rescued, but staying out in the blizzard would be even dangerous. They had to take shelter.

Or else the blizzard would take them.

Elsewhere, Kion, Bunga, Rani, Baliyo, Varya, and Kiril were still on the cubs’ trail via river. Varya and Kiril remained distant from each other, having been convinced not to blame the other for their predicament, but not wanting to speak to one another. Kion, Bunga, Rani, and Baliyo were concerned, but as long as they were willing to work together, things would go well.

At least, things were meant to go well.

The second that the air had begun to grow thin, that’s when they could tell something was off. Then the light of the sun was cut off by dark clouds, and the wind began to howl like an anguished wolf. They knew what this was.

”A blizzard!”

Before they had time to react, the blizzard had engulfed them completely, sweeping them from behind. They tried very hard to maintain balance and not be knocked forwards into the snow.

”Those cubs won’t last in the storm!” Varya screamed. “We need to find them! Fast!”

”Agreed, we must keep moving!” yelled Kiril. “This storm can’t stop us!”

”Tell that to Mother Nature!” Bunga yelled. He turned to Kion. “Kion, maybe you can use the Roar to blast the storm away! Like you did with that sand storm when we were heading back to the Pride Lands!”

”I’ll try to,” shouted Kion.

”No!” Rani protested. “You might make it worse!”

”There’s no other choice! The blizzard may hurt us and the cubs! I have to do this! So get behind me and stay down!”

Kion’s companions huddled behind him. He turned around to the direction of the storm, resistant to the full force of the wind. His eyes flashed with energy as did his Mark of the Night Pride, before he roared, with the might of a hundred lions in the snowy sky. The blizzard fell to Kion’s might, being pushed backwards without any resistance. Then there was a still silence. Everyone breathed.

“Nice job Kion,” said Bunga, patting his friend on the back. “You really showed that storm who’s boss.”

”Are you sure that was a good idea?” Rani asked. 

“Well, it worked,” Kion shrugged. “Has before in the past.”

”I know but… I just have a feeling that using the Roar against the weather won’t end well,” said the Queen.

”If you’re right, then we’ll need to move quickly to find the cubs.”

Everyone kept moving. The blizzard fortunately hadn’t completely killed the scent, and they were still able to take the water route. Finally the scent stopped. Or rather, it shifted direction. This confused everyone, until they saw the paw-prints and hoof-prints veer from the river-bank.

”They made it out of the water! They’re ok!” Varya screamed in joy.

”Thank the heavens!” Kiril cheered. 

“They must’ve tried to find shelter when the blizzard arrived,” Baliyo observed. “Their tracks are still fresh. They were waiting for us to pick them up!”

Varya and Kiril were relieved. They were upset that the blizzard had forced them to make such a risky decision, but were glad to have a lead on them. They’d soon be with their children again.

”I guess the blizzard didn’t cover their tracks,” Bunga said, whilst pointing to said tracks. “They lead this way, we can follow them!”

As they began to follow, they heard a rumbling sound, as well as echo’s of a lion’s roar, mixed in with the wind. The clouds grew darker and darker and the light of the sun was quickly cut off once again. Everyone turned around to see a cloud of snow and frost, charging at them like a rhino stampede. What made their horror magnify was seeing many heads of lions form within the blizzard.

“The roar!” Kion shouted. “The blizzard! They’re coming back towards us!”

Kion had de’javu to when something like this had happened before. When he was young and still the leader of the Pride Lands’ Lion Guard, he had caught Janja and his clan of hyenas attacking his mother, Nala. He had used the Roar of the Elders to repel them in a fit of anger, and had lost control, to the point where the Roar itself rebounded and redirected back towards the rest of the Lion Guard, almost striking down his mom, his friends, and himself in the process. He always thought that he lost control of the roar because of how angry he was. But now, he can see that it wasn’t just his emotions, at least, not in this case. The Roar of the Elders had clashed with the weather patterns, and now he had conjured up an even bigger storm than the one he intended to repel. Rani was right.

Everything that came afterwards was a blur. He remembered yelling, screaming, cries for help. The last thing he thought before he blacked out was a large tree branch heading towards him. He heard Rani call out his name, he saw her rush in front of him, shielding him from the hit of the tree, but getting knocked away to the mercy of the bewitched blizzard. And that’s when his entire world went black.

Surak rested at Pratibimba still as a stone statue on the outside, He kept thinking about Rani and Baliyo’s mission, he kept trying to wonder why he was so worried. The Night Pride had gone on far more dangerous missions than just a search and rescue mission. They survived so much together. And here, Rani and Baliyo were accompanied by two members of the new Lion Guard. There was clearly something deeper here if he still managed to be worried even after knowing all of that.

He sighed. He sometimes wished that Rani and Baliyo's parents were still around. Not just so that he would be spared of these complicated emotions, but so that they could tell him what to do. He wanted to look up at the clouds and even call out for them, but part of him also felt ashamed. He wanted his role as Rani and Baliyo's guardian to be of his own volition rather than his brother's. But then again, he doesn't always get the opportunity to speak to his brother..

It was a good time as any to talk to him, if anything, to let these emotions out.

"Sãhasí?" he asked up into the sky. The clouds above shifted, and a beam of heavenly light shone through; appeared a brown lion with a tri-colored mane, sporting eyes as brown as the one who sought him out; the former King of the Tree of Life.

”Yes Surak,” Sãhasí spoke in the clouds. “I’m here.”

”I’m glad you are,” Surak said. “I need you to talk me out of something. To give me advice.”

”What do you need, brother?” asked Sãhasí.

”Rani and Baliyo went on a mission to help find some lost cubs. I know I shouldn’t be worried over them, for some reason I keep have this thought in my mind that something terrible’s going to happen. I just need some advice, or even reassurance that I’m worrying over nothing.”

”I know what you are feeling,” Sãhasí replied. “The fear that every parent has for their children.”

”Parent?” Surak stuttered in shock. “I’m not… I’m not their parent, I’m their uncle. You’re their father.”

”It’s been ten years,” Sãhasí said. “Ten long, terrible years since the night that tore us apart. You have been the one to take care of them since. What you feel for them is something that I’m all too familiar with.”

”So, what you’re saying is, I’m right to be paranoid?” Surak asked. “I don’t understand!”

”Things like this may take time to understand,” said Sãhasí. “And I think it’s better if that time is yours to take.”

Before Surak could say anything else, his brother had faded away in the clouds. Surak buried his face in his paws, even more frustrated and conflicted. He guessed that the Lions of the Past worked in mysterious ways, but he would’ve benefitted from a little less mystery.

Defeated, he walked away back to the Tree of Life, believing a nap would calm him down. But when he got there, he saw the Lion Guard assembled. Kion and Bunga were with them, visibly shaken up. Nirmala was with them as well, just as worried as Surak previously was. When Surak had asked them what happened, Kion regretfully answered 6 words that may as well have practically undid all of the reflection Surak did beforehand.

"Rani and Baliyo are in danger."

Kylyk and the tiger cub triplets were surprised when the blizzard suddenly paused. It was as if something had completely pushed it behind them. They took the time to rest and breathe in the (slightly) warmer and calmer temperatures. As they enjoyed that calm moment, they witnessed something from afar. It was a large bull moose, with large terrifying antlers pointing out like branches. The moose was calmly grazing at the bark from the trees, relishing in its flavor. Out of nowhere, a pack of wolves began to surround him, growling ferociously. The moose reared up his horns to intimidate the wolves, but the wolves were many, and the moose’s antlers could only hold so many off for so long. 

He was not going to back down without a fight.

Using his hooves, he kicked at the wolves behind him, reared his upper body into the air, and slammed his fore-hooves hard into the ground below him, just barely knocking the wolves. Any wolves that attacked him, he pointed his antlers at them and they barely stopped just in time to avoid getting hit.

The children watched this intense fight between predator and prey. Kylyk was impressed by the moose’s bravery to fight rather than flee, whilst Polina, Pasha, and Feliks were impressed by how the wolves withstood the moose’s attempts to fight back. They were rooting for one animal to make it out on top. But as they watched the altercation go down, they started to become more and more worried. The wolves had no mercy biting the moose with their sharp teeth, drawing blood that stained the snow. And the moose was more than ready to take a few wolves down with him to escape, no matter how fierce he’d seem. Seeing this made the children, but especially the tiger triplets, tremble in fear, but it also lead to a lot of thought, and that was the only thing keeping them from looking away.

Finally it came to an end when one of the biggest wolves had lunged for the moose’s throat. A fatal miscalculation; The bull moose, either out of quick, life-saving reflex, or sheer life-saving luck luck directed the full force of two 75-pound antlers directly at the canine’s head. The wolf fell to the ground. Limp, and terribly silent. The other wolves froze up as their pack-mate laid still and cold in the snow. They surrounded their fallen member, nudging at him to wake up, but they felt nothing. He was gone.

The moose grunted at the wolves and later charged at them. This time, they didn’t hesitate to run away, with the moose following them for a few feet until he stopped, allowing the pack to run. He calmed down and examined the bite marks on his rump, as well as the lifeless body of one of his attackers. He carefully stepped around it, not giving it another look, or disturbing the body. 

The moose soon continued to eat at the bark and shrub as if nothing had happened. He made one glance at the children, who had their mouths agape, and shrugged before he started to eat once again.

Feliks, Polina, Pasha, and Kylyk had so much to say but no way to say it. Kylyk always knew one side of the Circle of Life. Predator hunts prey, and the prey either runs or dies. She only fought back from the triplets out of impulse, but she had no idea that it wasn’t unique to her specifically. As for the tigers… the event that went down in front of them reminded them of the day that they were forced to leave their home. The quaking of the earth, the grunting, the waves of fear crushing over them. They began to understand why they were attacked. Moreso, they started to understand why the moose had done something so… could they have even called it horrible?

The siblings looked at each other. This was something that didn’t even need discussing amongst themselves. They all had the same consensus. To ask Mom once they see this whole thing through. Because this was something they needed answers on, something that concerned their family, and their place in Rani’s kingdom, and this ‘Circle of Life.’ For the second time that day, they had felt as though they aged by 10 years.

For now, all they had to focus on was where they would go. They had ran very far away from the river, in a section of the forest they didn’t at all recognize, and the blizzard had likely covered any of their tracks and scent. Plus, they had no idea how to retrace their steps. Staying in this one place would seem safer. But after seeing what happened, it didn’t feel safe. They felt utterly powerless.

Then, the sunlight was blocked. The wind started to pick up the pace, howling even louder than it did before. The kids prayed that the wolves had came back, because it would’ve been better than what happened next.

A blizzard, far more powerful than the previous one had engulfed the woods. This time, it was strong enough to sweep the triplets and Kylyk off their feet. They desperately tried to gain their footing, but they felt themselves being tossed around by the unforgiving Mother Nature. Finally, they landed in a patch of snow, which cushioned their fall, but added to the shock of the cold freeze. They had gotten so comfortable in the calm weather that experiencing the blizzard again was twice as painful. They knew that they had to keep going to find shelter, but this new blizzard was so strong that it hurt to move. They weren’t going to make it.

A rumbling and grunting noise briefly took their mind off the cold pain. The children looked ahead of them and saw the charging bull moose, his antlers aimed right at them. They braced themselves for a painful headbutt, but were surprised when they felt themselves being lifted up by the antlers into the air, and even moreso by feeling the bumpy ride as the moose braved through the blizzard’s.

The moose dodged falling trees, flying debris, and hypothermia as he carried the kids, who held on tight to the antlers. The triplets and Kylyk made out as much as they could in front of them and saw a cave in the distance. This moose wasn’t attacking them or kidnapping them. He was saving them! And that became crystal clear when their surroundings were no longer an icy storm of pain. The cave wasn’t the warmest place in the world, but it was better than the outside. Slowly, they regained their strength and were able to move comfortably again.

The four looked up at the moose. The tiger triplets especially. Earlier that day, they wouldn’t have expected such an antlered behemoth, one who had swiftly taken the life of a predator, to go out of his way to save three others. 

“Thank you,” Pasha said. 

The moose grunted and nodded his head whilst smiling. He then went back outside. Kylyk called out for him.

“You can’t go out in the storm!” she cried. “It’s too dangerous!”

The moose chuckled.

”It’s the least of what I have to worry about out there. You’ll understand it much better when you’re older.”

The moose then walked out into the blizzard’s, vanishing as mysteriously as he appeared. The triplets and deer calf were worried for his safety, but for now, they could put that aside. They were safe.

They were finally safe.

Everyone was surprised by how smoothly Kion and Bunga’s explanation to Surak went. The most emotion he had ever shown was repeatedly asking what happened to his niece and nephew, before everyone calmed him down, hushing him enough for the explanation.

His face remained still as stone as Bunga and Kion explained what happened, with the two tripping over each other’s sentences; Kion wanting to own up to using the Roar of the Elders to try and repel a blizzard, and Bunga explaining simply to spare Kion the embarrassment in front of his uncle-in-law. Either way, Surak was able to comprehend the basic truth. The group had tracked the kids’ scent to the river, but were hit by a blizzard. Kion used the Roar of the Elders to blow the blizzard away, only for the blizzard itself to become more volatile. Rani had gone in front of Kion to shield him, likely from a tree that was crashing towards him, but got knocked away and swept across the forest alongside Baliyo. Varya and Kiril protected them and carried them to the outskirts of the forest, where they came to and went for backup.

The elder Prince barely flinched. He instantly remembered his mother’s stories about the Roar of the Elders and how Askari mastered it. He remembered just a year prior when he saw the true power of the Roar of the Elders when Kion used it against the Night Pride during their unfortunate first meeting, and when he used it 6 months later to defeat Makucha’s army. It was no surprise to him at all that Kion would’ve attempted to weaponize it against nature, nor was it a surprise that this backfired horribly.

”I’m so sorry, Surak,” Kion apologized. “None of this would’ve happened if I’d listened to Rani and didn’t use the Roar.”

”We’ll find her,” he said. “Follow my lead.”

Before anyone asked what he meant, he was running in the direction of the woods, and before they had the chance to further question what the hell he was doing, they were tailing him down.

They reached the outskirts of the woods where they met Varya and Kiril. Surak remained quiet and on the front-lines of the search. Kion had walked up to Surak to try and apologize to him, but the older lion remained cold and silent. Beshte gave a pitied look towards Kion. Both of the lions they cared about were in danger, and Surak knew them better than they did. Enough to care about them more than they did. They empathized with him and Nirmala the most.

Rani and Baliyo's tracks had been completely covered by the storm. So by that point, Surak had to guess based on Kion, Varya, and Kiril's account of where the storm had blown the twins; East. The brother to the former King didn't utter a word, he just started walking off, with everyone else in tow.

Execpt for Nirmala, who walked next to him. 

Next to his sister-in-law, he felt the most at ease to speak.

"Yah meree galatee hai (This is my fault)," he muttered.

"Yah kisee kee galatee nahin hai (This is no one's fault)," Nirmala told him. "Main utana hee dara hua hoon jitana aap hain. (I'm just as scared as you are). Lekin hamaare paas unhen khojane ka ek behatar mauka hoga yadi aap hamen ise apane dvaara le jaane ke bajaay aapakee madad karane denge (But we'll have a better chance of finding them if you let us help you instead of carrying this by yourself.)"

"Mujhe unhen bachaane ke lie ek hona hai (I have to be the one to save them)," Surak argued. "Main un par ehasaan karata hoon. Aur main is parivaar mein kisee aur ko nahin khooonga. (I owe it to them. And I won't lose anyone else in this family)."

"Aapake dar se aur bhee bahut kuchh hai? (There's more to your fears, isn't there?)," Nirmala asked with concern. "Yah aapakee galatee nahin thee. (It wasn't your fault)."

"Of course it was!" Surak raised his voice. Fortunately not enough for the others to hear, but enough for him to listen. He profusely apologized to Nirmala, who took no offense.

The search party kept going until they reached a dead end; In front of them were a patch of trees, as far as the eye could see, with no clearing. There were no signs of Rani or Baliyo anywhere. Surak growled at his failures and then roared into the sky. Kiril and Varya went to calm him down, but he growled at them by reflect. He recoiled backwards, once again ashamed of his behavior.

"Surak," Varya said. "Please calm down."

"I've failed," Surak. "I've failed everyone."

"No you haven't" Kiril said. "I understand your fear. We're just as afraid as you are! We can help you!"

"I don't deserve it!" Surak shakily said. His eyes had squinted shut to prevent tears from coming out. "I'm supposed to take care of them!"

"You're not perfect," said Varya. "No parent is! But that doesn't mean we should stop trying when there is a chance to make things better!"

"But I'm not..." Surak trailed off from his argument when he started to recollect his thoughts. His communion with his brother that made him reflect. And as if it was like clockwork, he pieced everything together.

10 years prior...

The pride was fast asleep in the Tree of Life. Sãhasí had rested next to Ãnanda, the two being as inseparable from each other as the day they first set eyes on each other. They huddled their cubs within their arms, who had finally gone to sleep despite their excitement over their big day tomorrow. Surak was asleep as well, in an unoccupied corner of the room, tossing and turning in his sleep as he did. Although he wasn't a light sleeper, the sounds of whispers had stirred in his mind, and after realizing that he wasn't hearing things, he had woken up. His vision was tunneled, but what he made out was two owls whispering into the King and Queen's ears.

"...disturbance at the mountain pass....tigers....investigate..."

"Okay.. will do."

Surak tensed up, enough to fully wake himself up and see his brother and sister-in-law leaving with the two owls outside the cave, quickly and quietly. He knew that spying and eavesdropping was beneath him, but he had a gut feeling telling him to do so. He followed Sãhasí and Ãnanda, making sure to stay out of their line of vision and earshot. When he was out of the cave, he doubled back around the corner, being hidden by the Tree's large base, so he could hear and see, without being heard and seen. He was able to witness the King and Queen speaking with their majordomo Bubo, and his protégé, Ullu, as well as their Royal Mjuzi, Hutan.

"Your majesties," begged Hutan. "Let me come with you. If there is any trouble, I can help you."

"We appreciate your concern Hutan," replied Ãnanda, "but this is one of the responsibilities that is exclusive to my husband and I. Disturbances near the mountain pass happen all the time, and it's never anything we can't handle."

"If that's what you think, then forgive my impatience."

"There's nothing to forgive," Sãhasi spoke. "We understand how you feel. For now, you can go back to sleep."

"That's good," replied Hutan. "I should be going back home now. My daughter waking up and realizing I'm gone is probably the one thing I should worry about tonight."

"Other than that, there's nothing for you to worry about," said Sãhasi. The orangutan hugged the King and Queen, and then walked off back to her home in the forest. Surak saw the whole thing, and as he did, he started to feel bad for spying on them. He knew Hutan long enough to know she had good judgement, and he knew the rulers of the Tree of Life enough to know that they knew what they were doing. Maybe it really was nothing and he was overreacting. If he was stealthy enough, he could sneak back into the Tree of Life, fall back asleep and be able to get away with-

"That means you too Surak."

DAMN IT!

In hindsight, the person who he accompanied during hunting and tracking lessons with their mother in their youth was probably not the easiest person to spy on.

"I know you're there."

Surak couldn't take anymore of this. He came out of his hiding spot and approached his brother and sister-in-law; both of whom looked unimpressed. Not mad, not irritated, not even disappointed, just unimpressed. Somehow that cut even deeper.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mum and Dad always taught us that eavesdropping was rude."

"Our parents also wouldn't approve of you sneaking off into the dead of night, right before the twins' birthday!" Surak clapped back. Part of him expected his brother to be upset, and he wouldn't blame him. But Sãhasi's mood was as cool as ice.

"Surak, you know that we have a duty to uphold," he explained. "And we've upheld it many times and we have walked away from it perfectly. This could just be another one of those times."

"You could've at least woken me up," said Surak. "I could help you."

"You can help us now, by not telling anyone," Sãhasi requested. "You said it yourself. It's the twins' birthday tomorrow. The last thing that they or anyone else need is widespread panic. We'll head to the pass, deal with the situation, and come back like nothing happened."

"And what if things don't go the way they should?" Surak asked. "We need to think before we react to this."

"We already have thought about it," Sãhasi argued. "That's why we're doing this."

"If you're doing it anyways, can you at least have me join you?"

"No."

"Why?" 

"Because this isn't your responsibility. It's ours."

"So I'm supposed to behave like a Prince, but not act like one?"

"You know that's not what I meant-"

As the royal brothers went back and forth, Ãnanda went in between them. 

"Surak," she said. "I've faced many dangers in the outside world before coming to the Tree of Life. If there's anyone you need to hear this from, it's from me. Please trust us. We wouldn't ask you of this if it wasn't true."

"I just want to make sure you two will be alright. Our kingdom needs you. Our family needs you. The kids need you. Both of you," Surak said, worringly. "I need you."

Sãhasi felt the worry in his brother's voice, and started to understand him.

"I know how you feel," he spoke. "I felt the same way whenever I was looking after you when we were younger. But your King, and also your big brother, my job is to look after you. Not the other way around."

"But what about Rani, and Baliyo? What if they wake up and find you missing?"

"Then you can calm them down and take care of them," replied the King. "They love you. They look up to you. Whenever we're away or busy, you're always able to cheer them up. You can do the same tonight."

"He's right," said Ãnanda. "They're in good hands with you."

"Thank you," said the younger brother. "I needed that. But just be careful."

"I will be," Sãhasi promised. "We can handle it, don't trouble yourself too much."

Sãhasi gave his younger brother a hug and pat on the back. His big brother's comfort eased any tension from his mind, and he watched proudly as his brother and sister-in-law ran towards the mountain pass. Bubo flew off, whilst his pupil spent a few seconds with the Prince.

"I'll fly back to inform you if we need anything. But we'll be alright."

"Thanks Ullu."

As Ullu flew away, Surak went back into the den, picturing how happy his family, his pride, and his kingdom would be that following morning for the celebration. 

But the rest of that tragic night would prove him wrong - the distress message from Ullu, the awakening of the cubs, the image of the fires spreading across the kingdom, the invasion, the evacuations, the terrifying fight for Jindagee's future, and the even more horrifying sight of seeing all that was left of Ãnanda and Sãhasi when the dust settled. From then on out, the happy pictures in his mind were nothing but a cold, grim reminder as to what life could've been.

Present day...

Oh my god, Surak thought as his mind went back to that day. His paranoia wasn't just from a bad gut feeling. He was reliving the worst day of his life. A simple conversation between him and his brother's children brought him back to that last conversation he had with their father. The same brother who he saw in his niece and nephew every waking day afterwards. The same niece and nephew who he had gone to such lengths to help that he soon stressed himself out and alienated those who shared the same goal as he did.

His mind shifted from himself onto Rani and Baliyo. They had gone through just as much at such a young age, more so than he did. They lost both of their parents in front of their very eyes. Many of their friends they had made - most of them being no older than the twins themselves - didn't survive the invasion. Losing the entire pride, as well as their grandfather a few nights afterwards only made things worse. It was never spoken, but from that day on, Surak had taken his brother's place. Not as the King of the Tree of Life, but as the care-taker of Rani and Baliyo. And now, he understood his fear. The same fear a father had for his children. The same concern that Varya and Kiril had when their children were missing. And although he still vehemently disagreed with their stance, he better understood why Simba and Nala showed such dissent towards their son's marriage to his niece.

This wasn’t just about him. This was about them. And what they needed was for him to step up for them in a time of need, and that required getting his shit together. And that required to first take some breaths and calm down.

"I'm sorry, everyone," he said. "I've helped take care of Rani and Baliyo for years, ever since their parents died. I blamed myself for what happened to them, and for what the twins are going through. I owe it to them to make sure they're alright, but I can't do this on my own."

Kion, still guilt-ridden and nervous, approached Surak, telling him what he needs to hear.

"Someone wise once told me that you should trust your instincts," he said. "the help you'll need will be there when you need it. And you're definitely not alone."

Surak caught a glimpse of Varya and Kiril. Two parents who were concerned for their children. They saw him not just as their Prince, but as a fellow parent. Someone who they had to stick by.

By working together, they'd all be able to help find their cubs.

By Surak's request, Ono and Anga flew into the sky and found a clearing. They saw prints in the snow from a distance in that clearing, and lead the group in that direction. They weren't going to give up just yet.

The younglings watched as the blizzard outside subsided. But they refused to come out. They had already covered too much ground in too many directions to risk getting further away from their parents. They were starting to get hungry, but knew there wasn't anything good to eat. They examined the surroundings of the cave to get adjusted to it. As they were walking around, distracted by everything else, they started to feel something in the ground. Uneven shifts, according to their sense of touch.

Pawprints, according to their sense of sight.

And there was nothing indicating that the animal's, or animals' claws were out. Meaning it was most likely a cat. They thought a lot about what may have been in there, especially since the pawprints trail inside.

Using their sense of smell, the younglings tried to pinpoint if these animals were strangers or not. They picked up something recognizeable. Something that gave them hope.

"Queen Rani! Prince Baliyo!"

As they followed the tracks and kept calling out, they heard voices call out to them.

"Who's there?" said a voice that sounded like Rani.

"It's us!" the tiger cubs said. "We're Varya's cubs!"

"And me, Kylyk!" said the deer calf. 

"You're here?!" echo'd Baliyo's voice. "Stay there, we're coming!"

The footsteps got louder and louder; the kids watched in relief as Rani and Baliyo stepped out of the shadows next to them, their fur noticeably wet and covered in snow. They were very happy.

"It's such a relief that you guys are safe!" Rani said with joy. "How did you get here?"

"There was a huge storm!" Pasha explained. "A moose found us and helped us take cover here. What about you guys?"

"We were caught up in the same storm, while we were helping our parents look for you," Baliyo explained. "We were blown off our feet, and eventually we came to near the cave. We've been waiting here trying to warm up. We're just glad you're okay."

The kids snuggled up next to the two lions for warmth, comfort, and relief. However, Kylyk noticed a problem.

"Wait, but if you guys are separated from our parents then, how are they gonna find us?"

Nobody in the cave spoke a word, because no one knew the answer. Rani calmed everyone down.

"I'm sure that the Lion Guard will be able to find us. If Baliyo and I are missing, then the rest of the Night Pride, and your parents will help them find us."

"That's what we've been saying. But things keep going wrong today!" Feliks whined. "How much more are we gonna have to take?"

"If anything happens, we'll protect you," Baliyo said. "As royals of the Tree of Life, everyone here is our responsibility."

"Most of all, you," Rani said.

Everyone huggled tightly together as they allowed themselves to relax and think positively, for their plight could only last for so long.

Everyone followed the birds to the clearing of the forest that supposedly had a sign of Rani and Baliyo's presence. Surak conversed with the other adults in the group. Kiril told him stories of him and his family prior to joining the Tree of Life. Varya told that of her and her family when they still lived in the mountains. Nirmala would tell them of her and her sisters' endeavours in their original pride, and Surak found himself sharing about stories of his parents, his brother, and his sister-in-law. The more open he became about his family, the more and more he began to see himself as Rani and Baliyo's parent. But he was still their uncle. Either way, he was their family, label or not, and he would take care of and help them as best as he could.

Eventually they reached the clearing and found prints in the snow. But it wasn’t from a lion, tiger, or deer. It was from a strange animal that the Guard hadn’t seen before. They followed the tracks regardless, hoping it would lead to a clue, and soon they found the maker of those prints.

”A moose,” said the adults.

”What’s a moose?” Beshte asked.

”A moose is a very large deer,” Ono explained. 

“I think I’ve seen those guys in Rafiki’s paintings,” Bunga said. “Along with Elk and Reindeer.”

“Maybe this moose has seen the twins,” Surak said.

”Or my cubs!” Varya said.

”Or my daughter!”

All three of them approached the moose, who noticed them and nervously backed away at first. Then he noticed the marking on Kion’s head as well as that of the one on him and his friends’ shoulders and he calmed down, knowing that these animals were accompanied by royalty, but still curious as to what’s going on.

”What is this?” he asked.

”I was hoping to know if you’ve seen anyone around here that we’re looking for,” Surak asked.

”You’ll have to be more specific,” said the moose.

”Have you seen three tiger cubs?” Varya asked. “Two girls with blue eyes, one boy with green eyes?”

”Or a deer calf with brown eyes and a bent ear?” asked Kiril.

”Or Queen Rani and Baliyo, my niece and nephew” Surak asked.

The moose’s face was still for a few seconds, then he lit up.

”I haven’t seen Rani or Baliyo,” he said. “But I do remember seeing some young ones that match your description.”

”That’s them!” the three adults said. “Which way did you see them go?”

”It’s not exactly that I saw them go,” he explained. “I found them in the blizzard and I helped them find shelter in a cave not far off from them.”

”We cannot thank you enough for your charity, kind sir,” Kiril thanked. “Can you lead us to the cave?”

”I sure can!”

The moose took off like a rocket before anyone could say anything else, with everyone taking off after him, too full of adrenaline-fueled excitement to complain.

When the cave was in sight, so where the children. Pasha, Polina, Feliks, and Kylyk noticed the moose, and soon, their parents, whilst Rani and Baliyo recognized their friends and family. They were going to run out and greet them, but the rocks at the entrance of the cave suddenly collapsed, closing in the entrance shut. Rani stood protectively in front of the children, whilst Baliyo stood in front of her.

Surak called from inside.

”Are you all okay?!” he asked.

”I think so!” Rani coughed. “But we’re trapped! We can’t get out!”

“The rocks on top of the cave must’ve been moved out of place from the blizzard!” Ono observed. “We need to move them out of the way!”

”Can’t you use the Roar to blast those rocks?” Bunga asked Kion.

”I can’t!” said the Fiercest. “My Roar has caused more problems today than it solved! What if it brings the cave down on top of them?”

”Maybe we can move the rocks out of the way?” Beshte suggested.

”It’s gonna take a lot of firepower to push those out of place,” said the moose, who then reared his antlers and decided to push near the rock. The sounds of his grunts and antlers knocking against the rock attracted the attention of the wolf pack. They immediately singled out the wolf who took one of their own and growled; they were hungry, not for food, but for revenge. They rushed at the moose. Their attack was detected by the Lion Guard, who went to intercept the ambush whilst Surak, Nirmala, Varya, and Kiril helped the moose push away the rocks.

The wolves were steady in their stand-off with the Guard, but the Guard was just as firm.

”Stand down wolves,” Kion ordered. “You can’t hunt this moose. We need his help to rescue the queen.”

”He took one of our own.” barked the leader of the wolves. “We were on the hunt and he struck one of our hunters in the head. He crushed the life out of my mate. Now, it’s not a hunt. It’s personal.”

”He was only defending himself!” Fuli said. “You can’t blame him. And you heard what Kion said, we need his help!”

”An eye for an eye,” growled another one of the wolves. “He must pay for what he has done. You can find other animals to help you, this one is ours!”

”We’re not asking twice!” Bunga scolded. “The Queen needs that moose’s help. So get outta here before we make you!”

”This isn’t your fight, Lion Guard!” growled the wolf.

”It is now!” Kion cried, emitting a loud roar to signal his comrades to attack.

The Lion Guard faced the wolves head on. The wolves were swift and furious, seeing the Lion Guard as merely obstacles to be knocked over, in lieu of their cervidae target.

Bunga twisted and turned to avoid the wolves’ bites and planted kicks in their jaws and between their legs. Anga used her talons to pull at the wolves’ ears, cutting them up. This distracted them enough for Fuli to pounce on them. Meanwhile Ono took snowballs filled with rocks and dropped them on the wolves, sending them into chaos, whilst Beshte tucked and rolled, planting the wolves under his large mass.

As the Lion Guard fought off the wolf pack, and as the adults tried to open the cave, neither party noticed the wolf cub that followed the adults in the pack. He hid behind the trees and snuck around to behind the cave entrance. There, he listened in.

”Hurry!” cried a young voice from within the cave. “It’s dark in here!”

“Don’t worry cubs,” Varya said whilst grunting. “We’ll get you out.”

Cubs?, thought the wolf pup. They need help!

Discreetly, the wolf pup started scratching and pushing at the rocks next to the moose. He took one scratch at the rock, one that broke one of his dewclaws, and yelped. This startled the moose who reared on his hind legs in panic, pushing Surak, Varya, Nirmala, and Kiril back. Everyone looked up at the panicked moose. The wolves instantly forgot about their fight with the Lion Guard, or their fury at the moose. One of the large males in the pack ran towards the cub and grabbed it, just before the moose fell to the ground.

The wolves circled around, appalled at how one of their young followed them without them knowing.

”I told you to stay at the den!” said the cub’s mother. “It’s dangerous here!”

”But mom!” said the pup. “The moose is trying to help other cubs trapped in there! You can’t hurt him!”

”This moose is the reason your father is dead!” said the mother wolf.

”But if you attack the moose, then other cubs might be dead! Along with the Queen! We have to do the right thing!”

The wolf pack looked at each other, conflicted, and confused. The Lion Guard saw their vulnerability, and with it, an opportunity to turn the tides of the mission.

”I know it hurts to lose someone close to you,” Kion said. “But killing the moose won’t make your pack whole again. It’ll only tear apart more families. Is that what you want?”

The pack said not a word. Kion continued.

”Just stand down, please,” he begged. “You can back down, and spare us all some trouble.”

The wolf pack held their heads down and started to walk off, but the young pup started to go near the cave entrance, pushing away the rocks alongside Surak, Nirmala, Varya, and Kiril, who went back to help him. This sparked a change in the pack’s attitude. The head wolf howled, messaging the other wolves to come forward. They all raced towards the moose at full speed with their claws at the ready. Then, they struck - swiping away the rocks; to the moose’s utter surprise.

”Keep going everyone!” encouraged the mother wolf. “We must break these animals free!”

Rani, Baliyo, Pasha, Polina, Feliks, and Kylyk noticed more voices outside. There were more animals helping. That was a good thing. Eventually, a light shone through the cave, indicating that one of the rocks was fully knocked loose. The cave’s captives pushed against the rock, whilst everyone else, including the Lion Guard, did their best to divert the rocks away from each other, weakening the stone force that divided the creatures from within the cave and outside of it.

With one final claw swat, Surak managed to knock the debris away, breaking open the cave, and setting everyone in it free.

The tiger triplets ran towards their mom, hugging her as if it would be the last time they’d ever do so. Kylyk ran towards her father, finding the same sense of community and comfort of being in a herd. And Rani and Baliyo practically threw themselves at Surak and Nirmala, burying their tears of combined fear and joy into their aunt and uncle’s fur. Every adult saying the same thing.

”It’s going to be okay.”

And it was. Everything was okay.

Kert-Kert thought that he had Badala where he wanted him; Powerless and with no way to exploit him further than she already has. It was his leverage, his only weapon against the tigress. But it could only last so long. Only until he found a flaw in her design, until he found a way to escape, until he was able to return to the Tree of Life and warn Queen Rani and the Night Pride about Badala’s return.

It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was better than letting himself become a pawn in a madwoman's scheme.

So when Badala arrived to his cell, he was ready to use his power of resistance and resillience. But something about her demeanor was off-putting towards him. She wasn't her ambitious, intimidating self that had made him her prisoner. She was calm and collect. She requested an audience with Sari and Tari, who walked with her without resistance. After a few minutes, the cheetah twins returned, visibly shocked. They returned to their cell and sat next to each other, turning their face away from anyone who could see. The emu looked at the tigress who gave a large uncharacteristic grin. Somehow, this scared him far more than their earlier confrontation, and without a word, he knew to come with her.

As he followed her, he noticed a very large bison following him. He felt the urge to alert Badala, but knowing what he knew of this new army of hers, this bison was likely in her good graces, and calling him out would do him no good.

They finally stopped in the open part of a cave filled with skeletons. No, not skeletons SKULLS. They were all neatly lined up next to one another in diferent sections. Organized by species. It looked so orderly, so tidy.... so terrifying that anyone could've put so much thought into something so morbid. Lions next to lions. Birds next to birds. Antelope next to antelope.

"This is khopadee ka hol," said Badala. "The hall of skulls."

Badala guided Kert-Kert through the hall, ignoring the paleness of his frightened face.

"You see the bones on your left? Those are the creatures who we've defeated. Who were worthy opponents to our cause. Symbols of our victory. And on your right, you will see the creatures who were foolish enough to think they can be any greater than we are. Traitors, attempted escapees, rejects, whathaveyou."

Badala then grabbed a skull with her jaws, and dropped it at Kert-Kert's feet. This one was far more fresh than the others, with blood, very dry, staining it.

"This one, is my favorite," Badala said with the most shit-eating grin anyone could have. "This one is of another tiger." 

Kert-Kert held back the urge to vomit. Of course this monster wasn't above killing her own kind. If only he had come to that conclusion earlier and his stomach wouldn't be fighting for his life.

"You.... killed him?" asked the big bird.

"Nope," replied the tigress, pointing behind the ratite. "He did."

The emu turned around and saw the large bison who had tailed them before. He was a behemoth of a mammal, with horns that could easily pierce him like a fish. Kert knew not to run or provoke, just listen.

"That tiger, he killed many calves in my herd," explained the bison. "He and his mate. No matter how many times we chased them off, they kept coming back. It was Badala and her mother who gave us the opportunity to take our revenge. That skull is our reminder of the day that we became more than just prey; The day we avenged our young. And we have honored our debt by helping the Dhara Mrytu sieze the Tree of Life. It would be wise of you to follow in our hoofprints."

Badala then slid the skull to the bison's hoof. The bison swiftly raised his hoof and stomped it down to the ground, crushing the already disembodied skull. Badala turned around to continue facing her emu subordinate.

"That will happen to you," she said. "Not only that, but that will happen to your flock, provided that they're of no use to me, which your refusal to comply will render them as."

"You... can't do this," Kert-Kert muttered.

"That's not your call," Badala growled. "Either you will help me track down your flock, or I will destroy them where they stand and make you watch. All of them have lives. All of them have loved ones. All of them have weaknesses. But it won't matter when they're nothing more than trophies, because of your arrogance."

Finally, Kert-Kert turned around and threw up, overwhelmed by the disgust. His stomach churned and turned in directons he previously didn't know he could. Badala feigned comfort, putting a paw on his shoulder.

"All of this will just be a painful hypothetical," she said. "Tell me where they are."

The emu teared up whilst sniffling, defeated and broken. He opened up everything.

"The flock... they're.. they're in the eastern part of the woods. We've been there since the fire ten years ago.... please don't hurt them."

"I won't," Badala smiled. "Thanks to you."

Kert-Kert broke down onto his knees crying. Badala called for a buffalo to carry the bird back to his cell. She felt no pity or sympathy. Only pride. And gratitude towards her mother. She had given her the push she needed to get what she desires. And now, she was more certain that she would succeed her mother, and finally sieze control over Jindagee for good.

That day brought many important conversations to be had. The wolf pack had profusely apologized to the moose for their attempted revenge-kill towards him, whilst the moose sent out his regards for the deceased's family. Surak and Nirmala sat down with Rani and Baliyo at the Tree of Life. The day's events was traumatic for both sides. Rani and Baliyo had relived the horror of being forcibly trapped in a confined space, whilst Surak and Nirmala were riddled with fear over the children's well-being. This was when Surak began to open up about his feelings, and what it meant for his place in the family.

"The night we lost your father, I begged him to let me help him, or to warn your grandparents before he and your mother went on the mission. But he told me he could handle it," Surak explained. "Learning that you both were in danger, it made me think back to that night. How I couldn't protect them. I couldn't let that happen to you. I may not be your father, but you're both my kids. As much as you are Nirmala's."

"As the Queen and Prince of the Tree of Life, you'll have a lot of responsibilities and obligations," Nirmala explained. "But as we've seen here, sometimes you'll need help. So from now on, we'll be more ready to help you if we can, when it's okay with you."

"Thanks auntie," Rani thanked. "After everything that's happened so far, it'll be nice to know that we're not alone."

"We'll never be alone," Surak said. "Night Pride together.

In the frozen forest, Varya had found the time to sit down with her cubs and explain the revelations of today's events, most notably, the Circle of Life. However, she was surprised when she had found out that her cubs had an idea about what it fully meant, and even moreso after learning what they witnessed.

"When we saw the moose kill one of the wolves," Pasha said. "when he was trying to defend himself. It reminded us of when we were chased out of our home."

"We don't have all of the answers," said Feliks. "Which is why we came to you for them."

The mother tigress swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I promised myself that I would tell you when you're all older," Varya said. "But after everything that has happened today, I owe you an explanation. The bison we hunted.... were calves."

The cubs flinched a bit, but remained attentive to the story. Of how their parents hunted bison calves, no older than their own cubs, the easiest among them to catch, without much care for how many they would hunt. How Varya suspected that the bison's attack that killed their father was out of revenge for their young. Of how she knew that the mountains wouldn't be a safe place to raise her cubs anymore, and how this lead her to follow Mpishi to the Tree of Life, unaware that it was a trap.

"..then the Lion Guard fought off Makucha, and helped us get into the Tree of Life. I am so sorry that I kept this from you, and even more sorry that all of this happened."

Varya expected the cubs to be angry, upset, or in any way distressed. But they weren't. They looked at her with a sense of understanding.

"It's okay mom," said Polina. "Things aren't the way they used to be anymore, but, maybe that's okay."

"And we're safe at the Tree of Life," said Pasha. "That's better than...what could've happened to us."

"And we understand why you didn't tell us this before," said Feliks. "But we're glad you told us anyways."

"I am too," Varya said, hugging her children. "There is nothing more important to me than you."

"We feel the same way," said the triplets in unison.

Soon, the triplets ran to play with Kylyk, who wasn't that far away. Since the rescue, the triplets have gotten along with Kiril's daughter far more. Their parents had gotten along better, treating each other more like neighbors than before. The same applied for the wolf cub who had played a role in freeing them from the cave, and was immediately welcomed as a friend with open arms. The two parents watched happily as their children played together with not a worry in the world,"

"Children really are the future," said Kiril.

"Agreed," said the mother wolf.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," finished Varya.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: Thylacines on Thursday

Another peaceful day had ended. The sunset never got any less beautiful to look at, both for its vibrant colors - and marking the end of the Lion Guard's shift. The Lion Guard went to the Tree of Life to rest and see off the Night Pride for the start of their shift. Kion lost count how many times he hugged his wife, but he couldn't wait to do it again and feel the warmth of her loving embrace.

As he and his friends reached the tree, they saw the Night Pride standing, but they were... different. They were opening and closing their eyes regularly, they stumbled, losing balance a lot, and rubbed their eyes. Kion could tell they were fatigued. 

"Are you guys okay?" he asked.

"We're fiiiinnnee" Baliyo yawned.

"I thought you would've been resting during the daytime after your shift ended?" Ono asked. 

"We tried," Nirmala said. "But then some birds were singing loudly. We wound up being an unwilling audience."

"Their performance needed improvement by the way," Surak yawned. "They're no Indris, I can tell you."

"I know we're all tired," Rani told her family. "But we have a job to do. So let's just grin and bear it and head on patrol."

Rani walked a few steps forward until flopping onto her side. Kion concernedly rushed over to her, and helped her up.

"Rani, patrolling is important, but so is your health." Rani looked up and saw Kion's concern, but she couldn't brush aside her own. "What if someone attacks the kingdom? That's the whole reason the Night Pride was formed. To protect the animals of the Tree of Life who can't protect themselves."

"It's okay to excercise caution, but you're in no state to protect anyone like this," Kion said. "It's like Queen Janna said. You must help yourself before you can help others."

Rani heard what Queen Janna told Kion when he first arrived to the Tree of Life. And she saw Kion's point. She did much better when she was strong an active rather than fatigued. Kion was able to help the Night Pride defend the Tree of Life much better after his therapy was finished.

"You're right," Rani said. "We guess I could rest for the night."

"Good," said Kion. "You'll feel a lot better in the morning."

”Maybe you’re right.”

The Night Pride hobbled inside the Tree of Life. Somehow it felt more cozy than usual. It took a few seconds for the Night Pride to get comfy before falling into a deep, deep sleep. 

Soon, the Lion Guard also joined them. Beshte carefully sat next to Baliyo, whilst Kion snuggled next to Rani. They slept well that night, certain that the kingdom itself could sleep in peace as the night commenced.

Ullu remained perched outside of the mountain pass entering the kingdom. Unlike Rani, she was born to be a soldier in the night. She was both keen of sight and keen of hearing, and could easily spot anything arriving in the kingdom. Whether it was an animal in need of refuge, healing, or someone trying to bring harm to Jindagee.

What she saw approaching was... very hard to explain.

The creature, or creatures had the stripes of tigers, but weren't at all like the tigers she saw in her life-time. They looked more robust, more wolf-like, but again, Ullu strongly doubted they were wolves, especially given the long snout and tail. There were three of them. Two adults and one baby. As Ullu honed in her vision, she saw that they both had pouches, and deducted that these must be marsupials, not unlike the kangaroos and koalas that live in the Tree of Life.

As she got a better look she could see that they were very much in need of refuge. They were very exhausted, barely able to keep themselves up, as if they'd been not only running but walking a far distance. Quickly, she saw what they were running from, as indicated with the movement in the water. What soon revealed was a water buffalo, a species she recognized at the Tree of Life. This specific buffalo however, she had not recognized, but all she knew was that it was a danger to the marsupials.

Ullu knew that the Night Pride were alseep, and even if they weren't, this situation was too dire to dip out on. Those strangers were in danger, and there was no time to think. Only act.

The owl swooped down and started scratching the ungulate with her talons near the ears, eyes, cheekbones, and forehead. Anything to keep it from hurting the animals. She gripped onto the buffalo's ears with her talons and ruffled her feathers in his face, blocking his view. He kicked and bucked, until eventually Ullu lost her grip and flew off. The buffalo was ready to charge again, but the animals it was pursuing were long gone. And the only thing in front of it was the little bird whose talons were covered in blood. 

Ullu stared down the buffalo for what seemed to be like an eternity, not once getting tired from flapping her wings to remain airborne. Ullu then dove at the buffalo once again, and the buffalo dove into the water to escape. The owl kept watching, and she soon found herself at ease when the buffalo emerged from the far side of the lake and kept going as far away from the Tree of Life as possible. She then diverted her attention to the animals that the buffalo had threatened. The marsupials had already made it into the mountain pass, and had collapsed, exhausted.

Ullu saw them and hurried to examine them. No major injuries, just exhaustion and disdain.

"We seek refuge," said the father marsupial. "Refuge and food at the Tree of Life."

"I'm sorry to inform you, but the Queen is asleep," said the owl.

"We need food," faintly said the mother marsupial. "Please."

"I know a place where you can rest and get food, but you'll need to follow me."

Finding enough strength, the marsupials followed Ullu. Instead of going straight through the mountain pass, they took a detour into the woods that lead to the stone wall, just behind the River of Patience. They rested underneath some trees whilst Ullu flew off. They waited for a while until she returned with two fat ducks for them to eat. The couple quickly started to wolf the meal down, as if it was their last meal ever. They quickly finished it, leaving nothing but bones, and they yawned in relief. Ullu jumped a bit seeing their jaws widen so big as they yawned. But she was nonetheless happy to see them safe. 

As they drifted off to sleep, Ullu perched on a tree branch, protectively hovering over them. Any harm that would come to them would have to get past her first. 

And in due time, it would have to get past the Night Pride and the Lion Guard.

This was the best night's sleep that the Night Pride had gotten in years. Peace, quiet, serenity, and next to those they love. Waking up and seeing the sunlight shine through the cave entrance was the best thing imagineable. Rani was the first to wake up, and walked towards the light. Kion brushed up besides her, taking the first steps outside of the cave with his queen, expecting a beautiful sunny sky to befall them.

But then they were met with hundreds of eyes staring at them at once. The animals of Jindagee crowding them, demanding audience with them. Their words mixed over each other as each animal exclaimed. The rest of Rani and Kion’s respective teams walked out of the cave, calming the rowdy animals down. Both the Queen and King roared to silence everyone.

”What’s going on here?” Rani asked.

”Is it true that the Night Pride was asleep last night when they were supposed to be on patrol?” asked a bird.

“It’s true,” Rani answered. “Is anything wrong?”

”What’s wrong is that there was an attack near the mountain pass!” cried a peacock. “The only reason it didn’t reach the inside of the Tree of Life is because your scout scared them away!”

“And now, there are two outsiders in the Tree of Life that have been waiting all night for your approval to allow them in,” shouted an elephant. “What if they lead danger to us? What if they were the danger? We could’ve all been at risk without anyone to protect us!”

The animals kept panicking at the thought of something happening whilst they were asleep. Rani felt like a deer in headlights, not just at her people’s crazed behavior, but because her worries from the previous night were confirmed. If something truly bad had happened, she wouldn’t have been able to stop it from happening.

Kion noticed Rani’s anxious state and decided to roar, once again, shutting everyone up.

”Everyone!” he called out. “I know this seems scary, but the reason the Night Pride was asleep was because they were too tired to go on patrol. They stay up every night making sure that you’re well protected when you’re asleep and defenseless. For them to do so when they have no energy would be no more dangerous than them not patrolling at all. And fortunately, Ullu was there to make sure that whatever attacked these newcomers stayed away from the Tree of Life. So please, calm down!”

Everyone backed away and the situation soon got itself under control. Rani whispered “Thank you,” to Kion for backing her up. She then called out for Ullu, and the crowd of animals parted to make room for her, as well as two other animals that Rani had never seen before.

As the outsiders walked to who they assumed was the Queen, they kept their heads down, trying to shield themselves from the strange looks and glares of her subjects; looks and glares that were all too familiar to them in their old home. It felt like an eternity until they had finally reached the Queen and King, who did their best to hide how perplexed they were by the creatures’ appearances; Large dog-like creatures with yellowish-brown fur, stiff tail, short legs, and black tiger-like stripes on their body. 

“Hello,” your majesties, said the male. “I am Tjiri.”

”And I am Warra,” said the female. “My mate and I have been traveling miles outside of our home in search of a safe place to live. We hear that the Tree of Life was that place. Are you the Queen?”

”Yes,” said the lioness. “I am Queen Rani of Jindagee. This is my mate, King Kiongozi. We accept any animal who is in need of healing or shelter. As long as you respect the Circle of Life, and take only what you need, then you will always be welcome here.”

”Thank you,” sighed Warra in relief. “We’re grateful for your benevolence.”

”Before we show you around,” said Kion. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of animals are you?”

Warra and Tjiri spoke in unison. “We are Thylacines.”

The young buffalo cursed under his breath as he returned to the Forbidden Cliffs - without the thylacines in tow. The cliffs were, well, forbidden. Not by law, but by nature. They were long since abandoned and many animals in the territory sought to avoid it out of fear instilled by rumors. It was the perfect place for Badala and her mother to establish their army. Trespassers would pay one of two prices. Join the army as a soldier, or be destroyed like a liability.

When the thylacines trespassed onto Badala’s property, witnessed her on their way through, ran from her upon being detected, and were spotted heading in the direction of the Tree of Life by Corva, they were seen as a liability. No animal who has seen Badala or her army would make it to the Tree of Life alive and potentially risk alerting the Night Pride of her survival. The honor of wiping them out went to the buffalo, Paśu who would track them down and stop them in their tracks. An honor that wouldn't be lived up to. 

Entering Badala's lair and seeing her orange coat shine within the light from the sunroof had the buffalo shook. He looked around and saw much of his bretheren - his herd, watching with anticipation.

"Agent Paśu," Badala bellowed. "You were assigned with capturing and eliminating the trespassers to stop them from entering Rani's kingdom. I'm to assume that your tardiness in reporting back to me is because you've been hard at work wiping them out."

"Yes," Paśu said, lying out of reflex. "They were able to run for a very long time. They would've outran me had I not caught them near the lake. They put up a fight, but I was able to stop them. They were far enough outside the mountain pass for me to get away with it."

"You got away?" Badala asked suspiciously.

"Yes," Paśu continued. "I had to. If the Night Pride spotted me killing animals outside their borders, they would've gone after me. I would've either been captured, killed, or-"

"Compromised?" Badala said, with an equally suspicious tone. "Like if the tresspassers had managed to make it into the Tree of Life?"

Paśu paused. Corva flew in from the roof onto Badala's shoulder. The young water buffalo was as pale as a ghost.

She knew. And from Paśu's horrified expression, Badala knew he knew she knew.

“A little birdie tells me that Rani’s little birdie chased you away, and the Night Pride was nowhere in sight.”

”She scratched me up with her talons!” Paśu defended himself. “She let them get away!”

”And she was the only one there,” Badala said. “Not a single lion in sight, only a bird standing between you and the trespassers, and yet you somehow come back in scratches.”

”I couldn’t risk it!” Paśu cried. “They had already made it through the mountain pass. Going after them would’ve risked alerting them!”

“Well thanks to you, those trespassers have the chance to do it for us!” Badala growled. “If they tell the royal family that they spotted me, that they were near the Forbidden Cliffs, or that they were attacked just outside their doorstep, they’ll get curious. And with curiosity comes suspiciousness. And with suspicions, comes conclusions. If they have any reason to believe that we're coming for them, they’ll put an end to everything we’ve worked so hard on!”

"P-please forgive me," Paśu sniffled. "Please, Lady Badala!"

"When you've earned it," Badala growled. "Now get out of my sight!"

The young bufflo fled from his commander, crying and panting. The tigress showed no remorse and buried her head in her palm, exhausted.

"How mother managed to make soldiers out of some of these children, I will never comprehend," Badala groaned.

"As much as they fail you, you need them," Corva said. "This army is our second chance, and we can't blow it."

"If they keep failing, they'll blow it before we get the chance to!" Badala hissed.

"You've made it this far! You've cheated death. And now you will bring ten times as much pain to the Night Pride as they have brought to you! You will win, Badala. No matter what."

Corva's speech lifted Badala's spirits. She gave her avian friend a pat on the head.

"I needed that," she complimented. "Thank you."

"Anything for the future Queen of Jindagee," Corva said whilst bowing. 

"Well, if we want the future to become the present, we'll need to act fast," Badala said. "Send your agents to inspect the Queen's new guests. If the other shoe manages to drop, then we should be prepared for a retaliation."

"Can't I just go instead?" Corva asked. "My feathers have long since grown back. I can fly perfectly."

"True," Badala said. "But after everything that happened with the race, they'll be on edge. And something goes wrong and the Night Pride arrests you again, I doubt they'll be merciful towards you this time. Send in ravens they won't recognize."

"Yes, madam," Corva said, saluting her superior.

"In the meantime, I have to begin training our newcomers."

"You're sure that they'll be useful to you somehow?" Corva asked.

"Like you said," Badala grinned. "As much as they fail me, I need them." Corva smiled, seeing Badala learn quickly from her speech. The raven flew off to gather her army, whilst Badala went to begin training Kert-Kert, Sari, and Tari.

Rani lead the tour around the Tree of Life. It was the duty of the ruler of Jindagee to show any newcomers a tour of the kingdom, to know the different communities that they would co-exist with, and to find a potential home. She witnessed her father perform this when he was King, then her grandmother when she was queen - then when Janna became too weak in her old age, it was the duty of Rani when she was the Crown Princess. 

As Rani gave the tour, the rest of the Lion Guard became accustomed to the Thylacines.

”So,” Bunga asked. “Are you guys tigers?”

”No,” replied Warra.

”Are you wolves?” Beshte asked.

”No,” replied Tjiri. “We’re Thylacines. Marsupials.”

”Aren’t those animals that have pouches?” Fuli asked Ono. “To carry their babies.”

”Affirmative!” Ono confirmed. “Just like those kangaroos we met in the desert!”

”Or those clingy little koalas in the forest,” Fuli added.

”Or those badass T-devils that eat dead things!” Bunga annexed.

”Or those cute little opossums we found in the swamp,” cooed Beshte.

“Or those sugar gliders we met in the rainforest,” Anga said.

”I only recognize a few of those animals!” said Warra. “Kangaroos, koalas, devils. Both not opossums or sugar gliders.”

”That’s because Jindagee is a special kingdom where many different habitats have evolved. Any creature from any walks of life around the world can come here and call this place home,” Rani said. “And soon, it’ll be a place that you can call home.”

"That's a relief," said Tjiri. "Our old home was destroyed by wildfires. We had no choice but to find a new place to live. But not too many animals take kindly to our appearance."

"How come?" Bunga asked. "You guys look awesome, what is there not to like?!"

"Well for one, we're not the most common," Tjiri explained. "Not in comparison to the other animals you've described."

"And some animals tend to fear the most of what they don't know," sighed Warra. "Not every animal will welcome you with a smile. Like the buffalo that attacked us on the way here."

"Well, that's what the Lion Guard is here for," Kion reassured. "We protect the animals of Jindagee during the day, and that will include you."

"Thank you," said the Thylacine couple.

The Lion Guard got to resonate more with the Thylacines during the tour, sharing stories with them and learning from each other. Such an opportunity doesn't happen once, so they did their best to maket the most of it.

When the tour ended, Rani lead the group into the wetlands. It matched the perfect description of the environment that the Thylacines originated in, and provided them the right home.

"These wetlands should be a perfect home for the two of you," said Rani.

"Thank you," said Warra. "It reminds us just like home."

"And it can be your new home," Kion said. "We're glad to help."

A rustling in the bushes caught everyone's attention. They turned around to see what was potentially stalking them. 

"Who's there?" Fuli asked.

The rustling went from bush to bush. The Guard fanned out; Fuli and Bunga on the left, Anga and Ono on the right, and Kion and Rani up the middle. Beshte remained by the thylacines to protect them. The creatures in the bushes kept getting cornered as each member of the Guard had cut off their ways of escape. They had finally run out of bush to hide in, and the group began to close in on them.

"We know you're hiding, show yourself!" Rani demanded.

Several animals emerged from the bushes. One was a koala, another was a cassowary, another was a kangaroo, and another was an emu. They looked nervously up at the Queen, King, and the Lion Guard who looked back in confusion.

"Why were you following us," Rani asked.

"We wanted to see who these outsiders that you lead into our home was,” said the male emu known as Thamarr. “Everyone won’t stop talking about them.

”We’ve never seen these animals before!” said the female koala known as Calliope. “And now they’re moving in?”

”Do they even understand the Circle of Life?” asked the young kangaroo known as Koeyza. “How can we trust them?”

Then, the male cassowary, much bigger than the rest named Samu, stood forward to confront the Queen.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve let strangers roam among us at the Tree of Life," hissed the ratite. “How should we expect this time to end any differently?”

"That doesn't matter," Rani said. "These thylacines need a home to live in. As Queen, it is my job to accept them in as one of us."

"(Aapane aur aapake pita ne badala ke saath ek hee kaam kiya, jo in thailaisin ke roop mein un bahut dhaariyon ko sahan karata hai. Dekho kitana achchha nikala.)" said Samu in Hindi. (You and your father did the same thing with Badala, who bears those very stripes as these 'thylacines.' Look how well that turned out.)

Rani roared, hearing that name mentioned. Samu backed away, as did the rest of his comrades. Even the thylacines were spooked by the sudden change in the Queen's behavior.

"I do not have to explain myself further!" Rani scolded. "If you don't have anything important to say here, then GO!"

"But-"

"Now."

The animals held their heads low to their queen, and walked away until they disappeared in the foilage. Rani calmed down, focusing on what was important. The thylacines' safety.

"It may take some time for the others to adjust," she explained. "But I wish you all the best."

"Thank you, your majesty," said the thylacines.

Rani and the Lion Guard soon headed back to the Tree of Life.

"Hey, Rani," Bunga asked. "What did that big blue-faced bird say to you that made you so mad?"

"Oh, that," Rani nervously said. "It's... something personal that I don't want brought up. "

"Well, the good thing is, you showed him whose boss!" Bunga cheered. 

"I just hope they don't do anything else stupid," Kion said. 

"If we're lucky, they won't" Rani assured. "In the meantime, I should probably teach you guys how to speak Hindi."

As the group headed back to the tree, they were unaware that they were being watched.

In a large pit, Badala sat on the rock overseeing the view, like a spectator of a stadium tournament. Several members of the Dhara Mrtyu sat on the ledge, spectating this event. This was the fighting pit, where newcomers in the Dhara Mrytu, or those in its lower echelons can be trained in harsh physical combat in order to grow powerful enough to climb up the ranks, and above all else, defeat the Night Pride. She watched as the pit was soon full of many animals in the lower echelons of her army, including the newcomers, Kert-Kert, Sari, and Tari. The three were nervous to be placed in the pits. They had gone toe to toe with other animals before, but under these abnormal circumstances, they couldn’t expect anything. In the pit, they saw three other animals. They looked to be the same age as Kion, Rani, and Fuli, albeit slightly older, but somewhat large in their own right. One was a bengal tiger, not unlike Badala. Another was the water buffalo, Paśu. Another was a rhinoceros. Badala roared, which echoed loudly enough to gain everyone’s attention.

“As you all know, we are gathered here today to witness a battle that will test the speed, strength, bravery, and wit of our newcomers in the Dhara Mrtyu. Kert-Kert, Sari, and Tari will face Agents Śāsaka, Paśu, and Kōn̄canā. Although these three agents of ours are quite young, they’ve proven to have stellar progress over the decade of our program. So they will be excellent ways to whip these newcomers into shape.”

Everyone cheered. The agents remained stoic. The newcomers shuddered.

”And now for the rules,” Badala explained. “Rule number one; no one shall kill one another in the pit. We only do this to prepare for the killing of our real target. Queen Rani. Rule number two; there are no rules. Now, may the best fighter win. Proceed.”

DING!

The agents charged towards the newcomers. The newcomers were frightened, but saw no choice but to fight. Kert-Kert immediately ran towards Śāsaka, kicking him directly in the jaw and in the neck. He already knew of the tigers’ roar of paralysis, so he had to account for that by making it as hard as possible for the young tiger to roar. However, that didn’t stop him from using his teeth and claws. The feline soon had Kert-Kert running in circles as he narrowly came close to either biting or slashing him.

Meanwhile, Sari and Tari split up. Sari faced Paśu whilst Tari faced Kōn̄canā. Tari knew that the rhinoceros’s tough exterior was hard to penetrate, especially with his sharp horn. She also knew that rhinos had bad eyesight. And he didn’t have his tickbird with him. Perfect. She began running around the rhino in circles, taunting him. As she got faster and faster, He remained still, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. Then with one calculated swing, Kōn̄canā knocked Tari square in the stomach with his horn. He drew no blood, he broke no bones, but Tari could practically feel the winds knocked out of her as she slammed to the ground. When she opened her eyes, she saw the rhino, grinning towards him.

”We rhinos may not have good eyesight, but we have great hearing and a great sense of smell,” Kōn̄canā bragged. “And right now, I smell fear!” Kōn̄canā chased Tari around the pit. Tari zigged and zagged, her tail, as usual, helping her keep on balance with the quick turns. But Kōn̄canā bulldozed his way through the turns. Tari could already feel herself getting tired, and Kōn̄canā knew it.

Meanwhile, Sari was tangling with Paśu. He constantly reared his horns near her, keeping her from getting any foothold to attack. She tried desperately to move around them, but was struck in the head with a horn. She laid there limp.

As the agents had obliterated the newcomers in the pit, Badala yawned, unimpressed and unamused. She then saw Corva fly into the room, who whispered information into her ear. “I’ll be with you in a moment,” Badala whispered back

Badala roared, ceasing the pit-fighting. At this point, Kert-Kert, Sari, and Tari were bloodied and bruised, whilst their opponents remained unscathed. 

“I have important business to attend,” said the tigress. “But for now, you three, you’ve a long way to go.”

The newcomers groaned as Badala walked off. She and Corva had discussed what the raven’s spies had gathered at the Tree of Life. About the thylacines, about their place in the kingdom, and about the state of the animals who lived there. The most interesting thing was how the thylacines didn’t seem to mention meeting Badala and her army.

”It seems as though we’re lucky,” said Badala. “For now. But I’d still be careful. If the thylacines get comfortable enough, they could start telling Rani about their encounter with me. And knowing Rani, she is likely going to tell them of what I helped do to the kingdom all those years ago. From that, it’ll only be a matter of time before she discovers that I’m still alive.”

”Then what should we do?” Corva asked.

Badala thought, and then an idea appeared.

”If Rani had any reason to distrust those tiger-wannabes, she’ll have them exiled,” Badala explained. “Then we can capture them and get rid of them.”

”Rani doesn’t have a reason to,” Corva explained. “But according to my spies, her subjects do. What they don’t know, they fear.”

”And if we make those fears seem justified, Rani will never hear the end of it. She’ll have no choice but to exile the thylacines for the ‘good of her people.’”

”And the second they leave her kingdom, we’ll be there to collect!”

“And I have just the idea. Fetch me, agent Paśu,” Badala commanded.

”Yes ma’am,” Corva obliged. A few minutes later, Corva arrived with Paśu. He had previously been boasting about defeating the ‘inferior newcomers’ of the army, before being summoned to Badala. All of his confidence immediately shrunk to the size of a gnat when seeing his superior.

”You summoned me, Lady Badala?” Paśu nervously asked.

”Agent Paśu,” Badala spoke. “Recent developments have shown that there’s still a time to correct your monstrous error, and get rid of those thylacines that could jeopardize us. Complete this mission and you’ll be exalted. Fail this mission, you will be punished.”

”Thank you, Lady Badala,” said the buffalo, happy at getting a second chance. “What should I do?”

”I’m glad you asked,” growled the tigress with an evil grin. “This is what I want you to do.”

The following afternoon, things went normally. There were no attacks or any animals in need of help, so the Guard’s patrol was peaceful. The day of relaxation brought ease to Rani and Kion’s minds, hoping the uproar from their subjects would die down soon.

That evening, the Lion Guard’s shift had ended, and the Night Pride’s shift had almost begun. In this short burst of free time, Rani, Binga, and Baliyo were in the flower bed with Kion, Bunga, and Beshte. The three pairs had gotten closeer with each other over the minute, especially with Beshte's recent relationship with Baliyo. The Jindagees had decided to teach their Milele partners Hindi. It would be the first of many languages they’d have to learn in order to communicate with certain animals at the Tree of Life, as Jindagee’s king, and as a members of the royal guard.

"Namaste mahoday,” Binga said. “It means, hello, sir.”

“Namaste mahoday,” Bunga said.

”Good,” Binga said. “Now try this; Jeevan ka Ped. It means ‘Tree of Life.’

“Jeevan ka Ped,” Bunga said. “I’m getting the hang of it!”

”Now try, Maiṁ tumasē pyāra karatā hūm̐,” said Binga.

”Maiṁ tumasē pyāra karatā hūm̐,” Bunga repeated. “What does that mean?”

The sloth bear smiled and gave Bunga a wet kiss on the nose.

”I love you too, Bunga.”

Meanwhile, Beshte was with Baliyo, listening to the words he spoke.

"Main majaboot hoon," said Baliyo. "It means, 'I am strong.'"

"Main majaboot hoon," Beshte repeated with near accuracy.

"Main dayaaloo hoon," Baliyo said. "It means, I am kind."

"Main dayaaloo hoon," Beshte repeated. 

"You're a fast learner!" complimented the young Prince. He then gained a clever smirk over his face. "Now repeat this; Main bahut sundar hoon."

"Main bahut sundar hoon," Beshte repeated. "What does that mean?"

Baliyo affectionately purred and rubbed against the hippo's shoulder.

"I agree Beshte, you are very handsome!"

The hippopotamous was about to ask what Baliyo meant, until he quickly pieced together his partner's clever deceit. He stifled his laughter from being the punchline to a really heartfelt practical joke.

"Speak for yourself," Beshte chuckled.

As Binga and Baliyo simultaneously flirted with and tutored their partners, Rani and Kion were a few feet away, having their own session.

”Repeat after me,” Rani said. “Shubh sandhya. Aap kaise hain?. It means, ‘good evening, how are you?’”

”Shubh sandhya. Aap-kase-hey,” Kion mispronounced.

”Close,” Rani corrected. “Susandhya.”

”Isn’t that what I just said?” Kion asked. 

“You were close,” Rani elaborated. “Repeat after me slowly. Shubh.”

”Shubh.”

”Sandhya.”

”Sandhya.”

”Aap kaise hain.”

”Aap… kaise… hain?”

Although Kion was nervous in his dialect of that last line, Rani’s grin gave him relief at his success.

”I’m starting to get the hang of this,” Kion chuckled. Rani laughed.

”Well, you know what they say, Repetitio est mater studiorum.” The confused look on Kion’s face made Rani remember that they weren’t meant to go that fast.

”Uhm… we’ll get to that later,” she chuckled. “Right now, I have to get ready for patrol with my family.”

“Good luck,” Kion said to Rani as she went to the Tree of Life. Binga got ready to move as well.

“The porcupettes are safely asleep,” said the bear. “Shall we go on our weekly date?”

"I thought you'd never ask” said Bunga. The honey badger hopped on top of the sloth bear and they rode off into the sunset. Baliyo and Beshte also parted, as the former had to join with his aunt, uncle, and sister on patrol.

"Good luck Baliyo," Beshte said.

"Thanks Beshte," Baliyo replied, hugging Beshte again before leaving.

When Binga, Bunga, and Rani were gone, it was just Beshte and Kion near the flower bed, enjoying the sunset, and the sounds and smells that came with it. The hippo sighed in relaxation.

“I know we’ve only been living here for a few months now, but I am really getting used to our new lives at the Tree of Life.”  

“Yeah, I am too,” Kion said. “I had my doubts, but this place is starting to feel more and more like home. And with my parents and sister ruling over the Pride Lands, your dad leading the hippo pod at Big Springs, and Vitani leading the new Lion Guard, our home is in good hands.”

”It’s pretty peaceful here too,” Beshte said. “I mean, as much as it can with all the shit we’ve dealt with. And the shit we’ll probably deal with.”

”Yeah, I guess,” Kion said. “I wish our families would see us here. They’d be happy seeing everything we’ve accomplished.’

”I think one day, they will."

”How can you be so sure?” Kion asked.

”Live long enough, and you'll see everything."

"You always say that."

"Technically my dad always says it, not me."

"Your dad seems to have a good hold on life."

"He does. He went through a lot when he was growing up; He was our age when he lead the hippo pod, he fought to keep it safe from Scar and his hyenas, and worked hard to keep the peace between hippos and crocodiles. But he lived long enough to see a lot of good things happen, like being a part of Kupatana, meeting my mom, and having me. There's a lot to live for, and he always made sure I knew that. All the time I've spent with you over the years has proven him right."

"I was about to say the same thing."

A moment of calm silence filled the air as the two looked at the sunset. Their minds trailed in many directions, until it focused on the thylacines. It took one look from each other to know that they were thinking the same thing. The thylacines were now a part of their kingdom, and their responsibility. Whatever they’d face, the Guard would face face. And they hoped for the best possible outcome either way.

~~

Paśu found himself at the scene of his attempted crime; Outside of the mountain pass. Three ravens flew from the pass in his direction, bearing information.

”Edgar, Allen, Poe,” Paśu said. “What news do you have?”

“It’s exactly what Lady Badala said,” Edgar recounted. “There’s no one on shift during evening. The Lion Guard is tired and distracted, and the Night Pride is getting ready to start their patrol.”

”Their scout that attacked you yesterday is asleep,” said Allen. “But she’ll wake up soon once the moon rises.”

”Which means that we must carry out the plan here and now,” said Poe. 

Paśu and the three ravens silently ran into the mountain pass. They came across a fork in the trail. One path leading through the pass, and another leading to a forest. They knew that going straight would likely bring them to the Night Pride, so they took the turn into the forest. They kept going until they reached the rocky hill. There, they went up the path and saw a good view of the Tree of Life, with the eucalyptus forest faintly.

Memories filled the water buffalo’s head of when he and his family would visit Jindagee and see similar views. The rulers of his former home were allies with Rani’s, and he was friends with many animals there. However, that alliance was gone, severed by the royal family, and with it, his old home went as well; leaving him as one of Badala’s merciless mercenaries to help conquer the land that turned his back on him, his family, and his people. Starting by destroying the very animals who could jeopardize that.

He cleared his mind, as this plan would only work with a level headspace. He looked sharp at the kingdom and then up at the sinking sun. He’d only have one shot at this. And he wasn’t aiming anywhere except for the head.

”Let’s do this.”

The ravens guided him down the trail, to where they’d be on the other side of the River of Patience. They observed and scanned the rock wall until they found faint claw marks on it from a feline. Sensing this, the birds alerted Paśu and he used his horns to push at the rock wall, revealing it to be a boulder that had blocked an entrance to an underground chamber. This was how they were going to sneak past Rani’s kingdom undetected.

”How again did you know where to find this entrance?” asked the buffalo.

”Thank Queen Rani for the knowledge,” said Edgar. “For being foolish enough to encourage her parents to let Badala in, and being even more foolish to share with her so much knowledge about the kingdom, thinking that the receiver was a friend to her.”

”I guess she and I both know what betrayal feels like,” spat the mercenary. The three of them went in. For extra security, Paśu was able to push the boulder back in front of the entrance to avoid detection. 

It was dark in the chambers, but easy to see. They kept going until they reached a group of paintings. No doubt left behind by one of the Royal Mjuzis of the Tree of Life’s Past.

”According to Lady Badala and what she gathered from her time here were that these chambers and tunnels were built years ago as secret meeting places for the Night Pride’s ancestors, that have long since been forgotten and placed off-limits.” Edgar explained. “These paintings will give us directions to the forest where those thylacines are hiding in.”

One painting depicted a snowy tundra filled with musk oxen, wolves, and bears. Another painting depicted a rainforest filled with birds, lizards, and snakes. Another painting depicted a prairie, filled with coyote and bison. But the one that caught the intruders’ interest was the eucalyptus forest, adjacent to the outback and the wetlands, with kangaroos, koalas, thorny devils, and wedge-tailed eagles surrounding it. This painting was above a tunnel path that would lead them to the thylacines. They went as quickly as they could. The sooner they got to their targets, the sooner they’d set their plan into motion, all for the better.

The tunnel twisted and turned as they walked miles across - or rather underneath - the entire kingdom, before reaching what looked like a dead end, with the same painting they saw near the start of the chamber.

Paśu furiously charged at the dead end, knocking his horns straight into it. What looked to be a stone wall was actually a boulder, and his charge had managed to bring him and his avian comrades to their destination, the wetlands; home of the thylacines. At least… for now.

He first covered himself in mud, to mask his appearance and face, whilst blending into the darkness of the underbrush. The ungulate then scanned the area for the kill. He saw many animals ripe for the taking. Many animals that would help him in his goal. But one that he found ripe for the taking was a grey kangaroo, one that was sleeping by himself. He looked to be a young adult, no older than Paśu himself. He felt a twinge of guilt overcome him. The thylacines were one thing, but this kangaroo was no threat to him, and no older than him regardless. He imagined the horror of going to sleep and never waking up again, and his guilt turned into pity. But he knew that pity and guilt would only go so far. The Roo had to go so that the thylacines could leave, and so that he would finally gain retribution.

He reared his horns up in the air, and concentrated all of his pent up rage, frustration and anguish into a single strike. One that would never be undone.

He then took the body of the bi-pedal mammal and carefully trotted, carrying the roo on his back. He noticed the trail of blood that poured from the kangaroo’s neck, but if anything, it would only help him in the long run. He finally found the thylacines’ territory near the wetlands. The couple were sleeping next to each other in the den, comfortably. The sight of seeing them so peaceful made his stomach wrench. These strange abnormal creatures, practical affronts to nature got to live a comfy life in Rani’s kingdom, while he was stuck fighting for his place in Badala’s army, all because of them. What did they have that he didn’t? He wanted to up and kill them then and there, but that would draw too much suspicion, and without any prime suspect, the kingdom’s security could double. He had to leave them in one piece, to give the kingdom a common enemy to flush out. And as a bonus, they’d suffer, just like he did.

The ungulate dropped the dead kangaroo and used his hooves and horns to scrape the body against the ground, picking up the thylacines’ fur and scent. Finally he tossed the body into the river, where it floated, the fresh blood tainting the river with a cold red. Paśu then made it back to the chamber, with Edgar, Allen, and Poe in toe. They were far enough out of sight, that it was now time for their play.

The three ravens began making coughing, growling, and thumping noises, all of which were the distress calls of kangaroos. Noises of animals’ murmuring soon emerged throughout the land, and it wasn’t from the ravens. The murmurs turned into gasps, gasps turned into shrieks, shrieks melting into screams. The four outsiders grinned at everything going down, and they quickly concealed the boulder before anyone could see them. Outside, they could hear the voices of the Night Pride, as well as roars of disbelief, and anger. They had stayed long enough.

The four quickly made it through the catacombs and they emerged above ground. This tunnel however, took them directly outside of the mountain pass. Paśu’s guilt was replaced with pride. He had done Badala proud, and he would surely be exalted for what he’s done. And just as importantly, the thylacines were not going to last long at the Tree of Life.

When the Lion Guard woke up and saw that the Night Pride were yet to return for their shift, they knew something was up. They walked outside trying to search for them, but there was nothing. Then Ullu flew in. Normally she’d sleep throughout the day, but she had been awake, fighting fatigue to deliver an urgent message to the Lion Guard.

”King Kion,” Ullu said. “Lion Guard!”

”What’s the kerbubble, Ullu?” asked Beshte. “Where’s the Night Pride?”

”Queen Rani and the Night Pride need you in the wetlands for an emergency meeting right away!”

”Eucalyptus forest?” Fuli asked. “Weren’t we just there yesterday?”

“Does this have anything to do with the Thylacines?” Kion asked.

”It does,” Ullu said. “Something happened with them, and Queen Rani needs you there. C’mon!”

The Lion Guard followed the Night Pride’s owl scout to the wetlands. Kion cursed himself under his breath for thinking that things would be peaceful the previous night. It was clearly a jinx, and one that he had to hurry in order to fix. When they got there, they saw a huge assortment of animals crowded within the forest. Some of them were locals, others were from the eucalyptus forest, others were from the outback. The Guard recognized some of Kert-Kert’s emus as well as the red kangaroo mob lead by the Boomer.

The Lion Guard pushed through the crowds in order to find the Night Pride. There, Surak, Nirmala, Baliyo, and Rani had the thylacines surrounded, as Rani tried to back away the angry mob.

”We want them out!”

”Murderers!”

“Either they leave, or I leave!”

Many overlapped voices made them Guard’s stomach churn. Kion went forward, demanding questions.

”Rani, what the hell is going on?!” he demanded. “What are all these animals doing, and what are you guys doing to the thylacines?!”

”Ask the thylacines!” Rani snapped back. “They’re the ones accused of poaching!”

“We didn’t do anything!”

”Do what?” Bunga said.

”Just look and see!”

Rani guided the Lion Guard to the river near the thylacines’ den. There, they saw the body of a kangaroo, whose throat had been slit and whose spilled blood had run cold.

”That kangaroo has the thylacines’ scent on it!” Rani said.

Fuli, Kion, and Bunga smelled the air. The body was wet, and some of the smell was obscured, but what they could make out on it was indeed the thylacines. They walked back in disgust.

”Oh my god!” Fuli screeched.

”NO!” Bunga yelled.

”WHY?!” Kion shouted.

”Now you see, what I see,” Rani said, glaring back at the thylacines. “I don’t know where you come from, but you’ll be going right back there with this!”

”Please,” begged Warra. “We’ve only been here for a day.”

”This has to be a misunderstanding!” cried Tjiri.

”Misunderstanding?” Rani scoffed. “Is that what you call this body near your den?”

A de’javu ran across the Lion Guard’s minds, bringing them back to the moment they first met the Night Pride.

Misunderstanding? Is that what you call this rockslide?

They started to gain a conscious. Was there any chance that this was happening again? That the thylacines may have been innocent? But how could that possibly be the case when every sign points to them?

Either way, the guilt was enough for Kion to step forward to Rani.

”I think we should hear them out,” Kion said. “I mean, they just joined the Tree of Life. Why would they jeopardize that chance?”

”Maybe they’d think I was foolish enough not to notice!” Rani argued back. “And I’m about to prove them wrong!”

”Still, something about this doesn’t feel right!” Kion said. “This all feels so odd, so out of nowhere!”

”Kion,” Rani said, sternly lowing her voice. “I understand why you’d believe that. You’re someone who wants to see good in others. But if you’ve lead the Night Pride for as long as I have, if you’ve seen the things that I’ve seen, you’ll know that for some animals, there is no good to see. Now that you’re the King, it’s your job to recognize that to keep your subjects safe.”

”It’s also your job to make sure things are fair for your subjects,” Kion said.

”IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL FAIR?!” Rani shouted, pointing her claw to the kangaroo in the river. “Someone lost their life today! Someone’s future was destroyed! I won’t let that happen to anyone else! Would you have sat idly by the way you are if something like this happened in the Pride Lands when you were still leading the Lion Guard? Would your parents or sister have done so?! What if it was you in that river? Wouldn’t you want me to bring the animals who did this to justice?”

Rani couldn’t stop the tears from exiting her eyes as she unpackaged onto Kion in front of a quarter of her entire kingdom. What he first saw was misguided anger, he now saw as fear. Rani looked right back at Kion into his eyes. She saw as shock, and she recognized that same shock from the night they first met, when she had been equally harsh towards him; What she first saw as arrogant naïveté she now saw as empathy.

She turned her head in the direction of the thylacines, fury embellishing her entire being.

”For the crime that I find you guilty of, I sentence you, Warra, and Tjiri… onto house arrest.”

Everyone stared as Rani walked away. The crowd, pride, Lion Guard, and the thylacines watched as she went to the edge of the wetlands, which bordered near the eucalyptus forest. She extracted her claws and scraped at the trees in front of it, forming scars on the bark.

”For the next two weeks you will be bound to the wetlands, not to go beyond the boundaries I’ve set,” Rani decreed. “Serve this sentence, and serve it well. Maybe then, you’ll learn for the better of everyone else, including yourselves.”

”You can’t do this!” begged Tjiri, who turned around to the King. “Your majesty, you can’t let her do this to us! We’re innocent!”

”I’m sorry,” said Kion. “But I’m doing this for the safety of these animals. If you’re going to walk among them, you need to respect them, and the Circle of Life. I don’t want to have to send you away, especially if you are this desperate, but if something like this happens again, you’ll leave me with no choice. Make the right ones.”

Kion turned around to Rani’s side, as she spoke to the animals.

”I apologize for the scene that the King and I may have caused,” Rani announced. “But we have arranged the punishment for these poachers. I know this action must be scary for many, and I am just as scared as you are. But we can move forward from this. My best advice is to leave these poachers to their devises for your own safety. From here, we can all move on with our day.”

”The Lion Guard and I will patrol throughout the kingdom throughout the day whilst the Night Pride can rest,” Kion said. “We’ll use the time we have to check up on any animals in this vicinity as well as monitor the thylacines’ behavior. For now, everyone is dismissed.”

The animals went back to their homes. A mob of kangaroos collected the body of the young kangaroo to bury him. Not because he was one of their own, but to give him a proper-send off, far away from the animals who slaughtered him.

The rest of the Lion Guard didn’t say a word; they just did as best as they could to avert their eyes from the thylacines, and the scene of the crime.

As for Warra and Tjiri themselves, they hid themselves into their den, away from the world. One day in, and everything had come crumbling down.

"Everything is going according to plan," Corva said. "The thylacines took all the blame for Paśu's killing! My spies saw the whole thing."

"Excellent," said Badala. "What further news do you have?"

"The King and Queen haven't exiled them, but they've set boundaries on where they can roam. It's clear that there's distrust between them that we can exploit. If we can frame them any further, they’ll be guilty of violating their terms. They’ll face exile imminently."

“Good,” said Badala. “Those tiger-impostors will soon be within our reach just yet. And I think I have another idea on how we can turn this in our favor.”

”What do you mean?” asked the raven. 

“Kert-Kert has since revealed the location of his flock, who no doubt are just as terrified by the thylacines as everyone else in that community. If they disappear within now and two weeks, the thylacines will receive all the blame. It’ll be the final straw that will push them out of the kingdom for good, and as a bonus, we’ll have expanded our army.”

”Good,” said Corva. “I’ll send the scouts and Paśu ahead. The sooner we frame those tiger-lookalikes, the easier things will be. “

”No,” the tigress interrupted. “Have your scouts spy on Rani’s kingdom, to see if there is any increase in security, and have them report back to us. Then, they will double back to the kingdom with Paśu, and they'll distract the Night Pride whilst Paśu himself goes to capture as many emus as he can. The thylacines will get all the blame, and then, we’ll have to wait for Rani and Kion to help us without knowing.”

”Great idea,” said the raven. “As usual.”

”Thank you,” said the tigress. 

Elsewhere, Sari, Tari, and Kert-Kert were resting, exhausted from their fighting. Kert-Kert was defeated, seeing no drive to fight. However, the cheetah sisters felt a different type of anguish. Irritation. And then, they started planning.

”We have to find a way to cheat,” said Sari. “I can’t take anymore of this.”

”You’re right,” said Tari. “The best way out of any trap is to be the worst at fitting into the trap. Badala herself said it; No rules.”

”Is there any way to do so?” Kert-Kert moped. “What’s the point?”

”The point,” Sari snapped, “is that the only way we can get out of here is if we get on Badala’s good side. Those guys who beat us up, those spies who found us? The one thing they have in common is power. They call the shots because Badala allows them to. If we climb up the ranks to head into her good graces, maybe we can use that as a foothold to get out of here.”

”But where would we go?” Tari asked. “They’ll surely hunt us down. And they outnumber us 10 to 1!”

”We could head to the Tree of Life,” mumbled Kert-Kert.

The cheetahs looked at Kert-Kert with interest. He continued.

”Badala is doing this to us because she wants us help her to finish a war with the Night Pride that she and her family started years ago. If we fail to run away, she’ll kill us. If we succeed, she’ll attack the Tree of Life. She brought so much pain to my home… it’s not worth it to abandon them.”

”Weren’t they the ones that kicked you out?” Sari asked. “I get why you feel guilty, but it’s not like they’re going to welcome you back.”

”They’re not,” Kert said. “But after everything that’s happened, it would be pointless to allow more violence to happen. Even if it’s against folks I hate such as Kion, Rani, Azaad.”

The cheetahs stared at the bird in confusion.

”Azaad?”

”He’s a cheetah I met,” said the emu. “Corva offered me the chance to beat him in the race. And because I was foolish, I said yes.”

The cheetahs remained still. Then, Sari spoke.

”Fine, we’ll go and warn the Tree of Life,” said Sari. “If there are other cheetahs besides the one that beat us there, then it wouldn’t be right to do nothing.”

“So we’re agreed,” said the emu. “If we’re to go along with this plan of yours, then we at least have an objective.”

”That still brings up the question; How are we going to cheat?” asked Tari. 

“I think I have a plan,” said Sari. “Play possum.”

In light of the incident with the thylacines, the animals in the outback, wetlands, and eucalyptus forest were jumpy. The kangaroos' ears remained erect, their feet stomping on alert to every unrecognizeable sound. The wallabies blended into the bush, becoming virtually invisble to the threat they face. The koalas reached for the highest of heights within their treetop habitat, as far away from the ground as possible. The venomous snakes, although capable of defending themselves, didn't want to take the risk and slithered into the safety of the underground. The cockatoos never spent too long on the ground, and the kookaburras kept laughing, not out of humor, but to warn their fellow kingfishers. 

In light of the chaos, Bunga, Fuli, Ono, Beshte, and Anga were sent to the wetlands to monitor the thylacines whilst the King and Queen fanned out across the territories to speak to the herd leaders. As they went to the wetlands, they noticed the jumpy activity of the populace around them.

"I feel bad for these guys," Beshte said. "Seems like nobody's been able to calm down with what's happened today."

"Those thylacines don't scare me," Bunga said. "If they want to get to all these animals, they'll have to go through me!"

"I don't know who to feel more worried for," Fuli laughed. "You or the thylacines."

"I just hope things don't have to end in violence," said Ono. "For everyone's sake."

"Ono's right," Beshte affirmed. "And if anything does, we can take them. But for now, let's keep our distance."

When they entered the thylacines' territory, they found no one there.

"Hello?" Bunga asked. "Anyone there?"

No response. The honey badger got frustrated.

"Hey thylacines! We're the Lion Guard! We're here to monitor you! So come out so we can do that!"

After moments of silence, the thylacines emerged. They looked directly at the Lion Guard.

"What do you want?" Warra asked.

"King Kion sent us to check up on you," Ono said. "To make sure you're within bounds."

"And?" Tjiri said. "What did ya observe?"

"That you're... within bounds?" Bunga asked, not knowing the question was rhetorical.

"The King and Queen have assigned us to check up on you regularly," admonished the cheetah. "To make sure that you're not up to any trouble."

"Go ahead," said Warra. "Just know you're wasting your time."

"Keeping everyone else safe isn't a waste of time," Beshte spoke sedately. "But poaching and hunting for sport is."

"So is accusing animals of crimes they didn't commit," Tjiri growled.

"You cut someone's throat open!" Fuli yelled. "You left their body in the wetlands!"

"We were set up!" yelled the female thylacine.

"By who?!" Anga yelled.

"We don't know," said Warra. "But that's the only conclusion we've come to."

"But your scent was found on the kangaroo," Ono noted. "That's a lot of evidence."

The male thylacines rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"For someone who is meant to be the Tree of Life's Smartest, you're certainly the most reductive."

Bunga lost his patience and he marched towards Tjiri, getting very close to his face.

"Don't call Ono reductive!" Bunga snapped. "Granted, I have no clue what that means, but you of all people don't have the right to call him that!"

In an equal act of brashness, Tjiri opened his jaws at Bunga, revealing a wide intimidating yawn gape that displaced all 46 of his teeth. The mustelid fell on his back in shock. Quickly, Fuli ran over to Bunga, grabbed him by his fur, and ran behind Beshte, who stood with his jaw agape at what he just saw.

"What's your problem?" Anga said, flying above the marsupials.

"Our problem is that we came here to find a new home, and all we've found so far is a prison," growled Warra. "We're finished here." The thylacines went back into their den, not once looking back at the Lion Guard. Meanwhile the Guard itself found no use staying around any longer, and they left.

"Maybe you shouldn't have gotten up in that thylacine's face" Beshte said. "It just felt uncalled for."

Bunga wiped dust off his fur. "I couldn't let him badmouth Ono like that. Besides, he didn't scare me."

"Then why is your fur standing on end?" Fuli snickered. 

"Uhm, static electricity?" Bunga nervously chuckled. "My uncle Pumbaa taught me about it."

Fuli rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"I appreciate you standing up for me," said Ono to Bunga ."But don't put yourself at risk." The honey badger laughed.

"Am I really talking to the guy who flew into the mouth of a volcano after me, and survived?"

Ono smirked. "Am I really talking to the guy who jumped into the volcano to save Kion's life?"

"Touche."

"C'mon," Fuli said. "Our work here is done for today. Let's meet up with the others and discuss what we should do next."

When the Lion Guard was out of sight, the thylacines re-emerged from their den and sighed.

"Oh Warra," said Tjiri. "What are we gonna do? We can't give into this treatment, but if we resist, we'll be punished even further."

"We'll have to do what we've always done," said Warra. "What we can and what we must to survive."

The couple affectionately brushed up against each other before they went out for a hunt.

"They did WHAT?!" Kion shrieked. “Dude, it was alright,” Bunga calmly reassured.

It was the same back and forth banter. Kion being surprised at the Tjiri’s display towards Bunga and Bunga denying the gravity of the situation. The rest of the Lion Guard started to regret letting Bunga be the one to explain the patrol to Kion. Beshte or Ono likely would’ve presented the events in a less casual way that would’ve set Kion off.

”We showed those guys whose boss!” Bunga said. “You should be happy!”

”It’s hard to be happy knowing that you were threatened by them!” Kion said.

”In fairness to Bunga, he was trying to defend me,” Ono said. 

“And it was my fault too,” said Beshte. “I didn’t try to stop Bunga, or get the thylacines to back off.”

”Why didn’t you?” Kion asked, still in an irrational state of mind.

“I…I didn’t think I’d have to,” Beshte nervously replied.

”You’re the Lion Guard’s strongest! Of course you have to!”

Although Beshte didn’t stand his ground against Kion’s words, Fuli did.

”Don’t blame Beshte!” Fuli yelled. “This wasn’t anyone’s fault!”

”Maybe instead of pointing fingers and yelling at each other,” Ono interjected, “we come up with a solution!”

Kion calmed himself down. “Sorry, I’m just really stressed out today. Rani and I have been speaking to so many of the leaders in the area and all of them are spooked. I guess it got me a little bit spooked too.

Bunga shrugged. “Hakuna Matata. This’ll blow over eventually.”

”Bunga’s right,” said Beshte. “It’ll be okay.”

”I’m not exactly sure about this,” Rani interjected. “The Tree of Life has faced poachings and invasions before. When I was a cub, my parents were able to handle these things but, now that they’re… gone and that my pride’s much smaller, my family has to work overtime to keep everything afloat. So naturally, everyone’s going to be even further on edge when something like this happens.”

”How about this?” Kion chimed in. “I can help you. Until this smooths over, I can patrol with the Night Pride during their shifts and accompany Rani with her meetings. If I’m more active on the fields, maybe it’ll give them a sense of comfort.”

”Are you sure?” Rani said. “You saw how exhausted we were with our night patrols.”

“I can sacrifice some hours of sleep to make sure that our subjects can sleep in peace,” Kion said. “The rest of the Lion Guard will handle the daytime patrols until further notice.”

”Are you sure they can handle that?” Rani asked.

”Of course we can!” Fuli retorted. “Do you even have to ask?”

”I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Bunga said. “It’ll be much easier.”

”And it’s only two thylacines,” Ono affirmed. “We outnumber them. So even if they threaten one of us, we can still handle them.”

Beshte looked Kion in the eyes. “You can trust us Kion. We won’t let you down.”

Kion nodded his head. “Ok then, I trust you. But in future, I suggest you stand your ground better. I've seen what hippos can do when they need to, and I think this is a situation where you'll have to be tough.”

"You got it Kion," Beshte answered.

The glare of the setting sun pierced Kion’s eyes. It was almost time for the new patrol to start their shift. “I say we start early,” Kion said. “To give us a head-start.”

”Agreed,” Rani said. The rest of the Lion Guard went back to the Tree of Life so that they could get some rest, and so that Kion can group with the rest of the Night Pride. After explaining the situation to them, they went off.

”With strength and respect,” Rani said. 

“Night Pride protect!”

~~~

Kion, Rani, and the rest of the Night Pride patrolled at sunset. As they did, they bid the dinural animals a goodnight and the nocturnal creatures a good morning. They first decided to cover the koalas' eucalyptus forest, next to the wetlands; There were many animals that came out at night to avoid the heat of the daytime, and those animals would be inspected by the patrol.

They first stopped by the koalas’ tree; the tree-dwelling marsupials were the most active at this time, and would be the first of many animals to be approached by the Night Pride.

When the koalas looked to see the lions, they were surprised seeing the King with them.

”King Kion!” said Calliope, one of the local koalas. “I thought you were patrolling at day?”

"Until the situation with the thylacines has smoothed over, I'll be joining the Night Pride's patrols," Kion explained. "Is there any activity that you'd find out of the ordinary?"

"Not exactly," said Cailliope. "Except for the barks we've heard. At first we thought it was the dingos, but it sounded nothing like them."

"What exactly did they sound like?" Rani asked.

"It sounded like a coughing bark," replied the koala. "A few miles west."

At that moment, a coughing bark sound rippled through the forest, confirming the koala's concerns.

"Where is it coming from?" Rani asked to herself out loud.

”Did you see anyone making the noises?” Kion asked the koala.

”No,” said Calliope. “We didn’t. But if anything, it’s probably those rotten thylacines.”

”There’s no way to know for sure if it was them,” Surak asked. “Especially if we didn’t see them.”

”Let’s at least check out the vicinity to make sure. Better safe than sorry,” Baliyo added.

”Don’t worry,” Rani said. “We’ll make sure that you and everyone else is safe.”

”Thank you Night Pride,” said Calliope. 

The Night Pride headed westwards, leaving the koalas to eat in the trees.

The Night Pride kept following the sound of coughing barking, trying to make sense of what it was. In the time Kion has been living at the Tree of Life, he's met many animals in this vicinity and heard many sounds, but not anything like this. Was it an animal that he was aware of?

As they searched, they found many animals in a stir over the noises. Every animal that could fly, climb, or glide went off the ground, whilst any other animal ran off, or went into their holes. The coughing barks got louder and more confused.

"What is going on here?" Kion asked.

"It's the thylacines! The thylacines! They're attacking us!" said a sugar glider.

"Did you see them?"

"No, but we can hear them!" said a powerful owl. 

"I heard one of the emus scream!" said a tree kangaroo.

"I saw them running!" said a night parrot. "I didn't see much because I was trying to escape, but something is out there, coming for us."

"Everyone calm down!" Rani said. "Panicking will only make this situation worse."

"Not again," said a flying fox whilst crying "Please, not again!"

"How much more of this are we going to take?" cried a possum.

Kion watched nervously as the animals panicked. as they fearfully begged for things not to repeat. He also saw the Night Pride, whose expressions matched the animals', even as they put on a front of level-headedness. Whatever happened at the Tree of Life before he and his friends came around, it was clear that this situation with the thylacines is very personal to the populace. As their leader, he owed it to them to fix this.

"Let's check on the emus," said Kion. "If the thylacines are attacking them, then we have to stop it. With strength and respect,"

"Night Pride protect!"

Kion ran as fast as he could, with the Night Pride keeping up with them as they blazed the trail to the emus' realm. There, they saw the emus stampeding in a panic, blind with fear, kicking up anything in their path. The pride dispersed around them, both to corall them, and to dispel any animal from getting attacked. Without Fuli's endurance, Beshte's brawn, Bunga's boldness, Ono's insight, and Anga's eyesight, and the two's combined powers of flight, it was easier said than done. Surak was immediately compromised, finding himself swallowed by the horde, his efforts of acting like a resistant shield proving futile. Baliyo was next to go, trying to fit between the emus to speak, but getting dust in his eyes and falling to the ground. Nirmala tried her best to catch up to them, but she wasn't as fast as one emu, let alone an entire flock, and soon tripped over a rock, falling to the ground. This left Kion and Rani to stop the flock before they could cause anymore damage. They couldn't catch up to them, they couldn't overpower them, and yelling at them couldn't work. There was only one choice; The Roar of the Elders.

One single roar was powerful enough to levitate the emu flock off the ground in a single twister, planting them right next to the Queen and King. 

"Sorry to use the roar on you guys... again," said Kion. "But we were told that you were being attacked."

"Was it the thylacines?" Rani quickly asked.

"I think it was!" said one of the emus. "We heard a coughing bark, and then we saw one of our own disappear into thin air! No other animal we've seen for miles can make that sound! It has to be them!"

"Wait, one of your own?" Kion asked. "So they violated their terms to hunt you."

"That's the only explanation," said another one of the emus. "We were too busy running to do a headcount. All that matters is if we're far away from those... things."

Rani decided to do a headcount of the emu flock. It became a habit of hers to take count of how many animals were in a herd, especially after an occurrence where they were jeopardized. With this particular group in general, she recognized them from Kert-Kert's little insurrection months prior, so either way, it was hard not to remember how many emus were in this flock.

"There's three of them missing," Rani gasped. The coughing bark filled the air again, this time, coming from the direction of the wetlands - the thylacines' home.

No!

Another stampede happened. One formed of the emus, and lead by Kion and Rani. They arrived at the edge of the wetlands, indicated by the claw marks the Queen had left on the tree. They looked around for evidence and saw blood, and feathers. No bodies. But it was damning.

Rani snarled, eying the thylacines' den. This couldn't happen again.

She was about to take a step forward when Kion blocked her with his paw.

"We'll have to wait until morning," Kion said. "When you and the rest of the Night Pride have recovered. It's not the right time for this."

The Queen grit her teeth, taking Kion's words without much resistance. Her family mattered more at the moment, so was their health. It made enough sense after all. She last time that she was foolish enough to trust strangers, she lost half her family. And now, those mistakes are being repeated, and her aunt, uncle, and brother have paid a painful price. This can't happen again. And as long as she was in charge, it won't.

“Aaand scene!”

The emus were securely placed in their holding cell, guarded by gaur. They’d been knocked out cold by Paśu. When they'd wake up, they'd be the newest members of the Dhara Mrytu. The Night Pride had been sent in circles by the ravens, who theatrically recounted their encounter to their superiors.

”We were practically beasts!” whooped Edgar. “We had the entire vicinity in a panic. Their screams were better than any applause! Quite the audience!”

”I prefer victims,” said Allen. “The emus were ripe for the taking. The ones who got away didn’t even see us!”

”And the ones who didn’t, are safely secured,” said Poe. “Give them about a week, and they’ll be useful.”

Corva laughed. “Now I’m starting to wish I came along with you to see your incredible performance.”

”The feeling is mutual,” said Badala. “I almost forgot how much fun it was to terrorize those wretched Jindagees. Almost.”

”Well, we stuck around until sunrise to see what’s happened,” explained Poe. “The thylacines denied any involvement once again and claimed that they’ve been framed. But there was less evidence at the crime scene, and the thylacines made the case that no one saw them, which put them in a bind. So they were left off with a warning again.”

”Ugh,” Badala groaned, facepalming herself. “I see Rani is still naive as I remember her. Is there anything else on the matter?”

”Kion’s assigned the rest of the Lion Guard to monitor the thylacines in shifts. He’s also set up neighborhood watches, so more animals will have their eyes on the situation.”

”This is troubling,” Badala said. “It seems like framing the thylacines won’t get us anywhere.”

”But at least they don’t trust the thylacines. Which means that any they can’t give us away!”

”True,” Badala says. “But regardless, they’re a liability. They know that they’ve been framed, and even if they can’t prove it, it’s safer if there are no animals who have any lead to us in any way.”

”Are you implying what I think you are?” Corva asked.

”I don’t imply anything,” Badala calmly spoke. “I announce; That our next course of action is to kill the thylacines. We’ll capture the rest of Kert-Kert’s flock, and the thylacines. The emus will be captured, and the thylacines will come to me.”

”That sounds risky,” said Edgar. “I don’t know if-“

“Does anyone else have any better ideas?!” the tigress growled. The ravens piped down. The felid turned her head away from them.

”Tell the rest of your soldiers to prepare themselves,” she demanded Corva. “Relay that message to Pásu and the other buffalos. We’ll need twice as much power and numbers to execute this. In two weeks’ time, we’ll attack!”

It was yet another visit to the thylacines’ territory. Kion’s friends saw the near exhaustion on him and Rani’s face when they returned from their recent night patrol. It had been a week since he had begun accompanying the Night Pride, and he had slowly begun to eat his own words about self-care. There had been no reports of any confirmed poachings ever since the attack on the emus, however there were many reports poaching that turned out to be false alarms. Some were from legitimate paranoia, others were motivated out of spite. All were eating away at the King and Queen, and only increased their ire towards the thylacines, and the Lion Guard’s concern, which haunted them as they went for an inspection near the wetlands.

They were worried for Kion as much as they worried about the thylacines as much as they were worried for the citizens. It seemed like this back and forth stressfulness would become their new normal for a while. They were unfortunately too used to this.

”I don’t even get it,” Bunga complained. “The thylacines are so difficult to work with. You know it, I know it. Why don’t Rani and Kion just banish them already?”

”Maybe we shouldn’t talk badly about them at all,” advised Beshte. “We don’t wanna make things worse.”

”Those marsupials are good enough at doing that without our help,” Fuli sneered. “If they just confessed and agreed to stop, things would be so much easier for us and them.”

”And for Kion!” Bunga said. “The sooner we get this over with, the less he’ll have to bust his ass trying to hold everything together!”

”We’ll just need to keep trying as hard as we can,” said Beshte. “Maybe there’s something we can do that Kion can’t, and if there’s a way out of all this, then we should take it. It’s for everyone’s good.”

”I agree with Beshte,” said Ono. “We’ve faced with far, far worse.”

”And knowing our luck, we’ll face far worse,” Anga chirped. “We’ll just have to grin and bear it.”

Fuli and Bunga looked at each other, and at the others. They hated this situation far more than they did the thylacines. It would be in their best interest to make the most of it.

Beshte however, clung onto Kion’s words. Was he being too nice? If he was the strongest member of the Lion Guard, then why can’t he use it to his advantage more often, especially knowing what he is capable of. But he thought back to the terrified look on Bunga’s face when the thylacine intimidated him. He didn’t want that to happen again to any of his friends, and knew that he had to up his game in order to make things right.

They went to the thylacines’ den, and saw the two animals eating. They looked closely at the kill; It was small birds. Much, much smaller than the kangaroo that was found. The Lion Guard stepped forward.

”Hey,” Beshte said. “Did you catch that within the Queen’s boundaries?”

”Yes, yes we did,” said Warra.

”How do we know you’re not lying?” Fuli asked. “After all, you did take down that kangaroo.”

”We don’t eat kangaroos,” said Tjiri. “They’re too big for our taste.”

”I guess that explains why you dumped it into the river,” Bunga sneered with a disgusted look.

”We did nothing,” growled Warra. “And we will keep telling you that we’ve done nothing.”

Bunga and Fuli hissed at the marsupials. Beshte stood in front of them.

”It’s not worth it guys,” he advised. The cheetah and honey badger backed away, still glaring at the thylacines.

“You seem to know better than the others,” said Tjiri. “I respect that.”

”While I appreciate the compliments, y’all are not off the hoof.”

(A/N: “Off the hoof” would be an ungulate’s version of the phrase “off the hook” in this universe;)

“You look like you’ve a good head on your shoulders,” said Warra. “You’ve got as big of a heart as you’ve a brain. What are they telling you?”

”That you guys poached and that we need to protect the Tree of Life from you.”

”Is it?” Tjiri asked. “Because it just seems like it’s something that they’re being told. Not what they’re telling you.”

Beshte looked down in confusion at what they were saying, hesitant. Then, he glared back at the marsupials and violently snorted, huffing hot air from his flared nostrils. He then opened his jaws and let out a powerful bellow, revealing his sharp, pearl-white, 50 centimeter tusks. The thylacines immediately felt the fear of god enter them as Beshte began to scare them, the same way they scared Bunga.

“We’re done here,” he said. “Go.”

The thylacines cowered back into their den in fear whilst the Lion Guard’s left them to their own devices, unmoved by their words. Beshte calmed down, and started to feel a twinge of guilt for how he acted, but remembered what he was doing this all for. The Circle of Life.

~~~

Over the next few weeks however, the Lion Guard visited the thylacines, but were surprised at what they had seen. The marsupials were always eating away at small birds, mammals, and rodents. All of which were more than a quarter of the size of the kangaroo and emus that had been reported dead. The answer they always gave was the same.

”We hunted it within our boundaries. Kangaroos and emus are too big for us to hunt.”

Sometimes word for word. As if this interaction was scripted. Repeated enough times, it left the Guard up a creek without a paddle in their interrogations and investigation. Beshte, over time, became more and more aggressive, yelling at the thylacines more when they refused to comply.

”Don’t talk to us that way!”

”You have no say in the matter!”

“BE QUIET!!!!”

Everyone else in the Lion Guard remained silent, not knowing how to take Beshte’s sudden change in behavior. Except for Kion and especially Rani, who were exhausted with the missions and happy to know the initiative Beshte is taking. To them, he was laying off a huge weight from their shoulders. To him, they had been giving him the advice and motivation he needed to step up. But to what end could he do it? And why hasn’t it fully worked so far? Will it ever work? Was there no end to this pit of discord?

Beshte, more than anyone else, started to question things. Was he going at everything the right way? Was being assertive the right way to handle this? Was this even assertive?

As they examined the marsupials’ eating habits, Ono noticed the structure of the jaws. Whilst they opened wide, they didn’t seem to look that strong. He’s seen many animals that specialize in catching big game prey, and they have distinct features that the thylacines just… lack. Something was wrong, and with the way things were going, they’d only get worse.

~~~

One day, the Lion Guard went to inspect the thylacines only to be surprised by the suspects looking at them with blank stares. 

“We’re here to ask you some questions,” Beshte said. “So start talking and we’ll make this quick.”

There was no response. The rest of the Lion Guard didn’t want to say anything to avoid interrupting whatever outburst was going to happen.

”I said, start talking.”

Once again, no response.

”You’re just making it harder for yourself.”

”There’s nothing more to say,” said Warra.

Beshte cursed himself for what he was about to do next.

He bellowed loudly, raised his hooves, and slammed them to the ground, causing the earth to shake. He opened his jaws wide to expose his tusk, roaring as he did so, and then snorted in the thylacines’ faces, hoping to elicit a reaction.

”You. Will. Answer.”

The marsupials miraculously lacked a response; Until after a few seconds, where they started walking, paying no attention to the boundaries they crossed, or to the animals that had stared them by. The Lion Guard themselves were confused. What were the thylacines doing, and where were they going?

Fuli was quick enough to run in front of them to ask them what they were doing. Their reaction surprised her.

”We’re leaving the Tree of Life,” said Warra. “This place isn’t for us.”

”Chaos, being accused of crimes we haven’t committed, being held in contempt by those who are meant to protect you… it’s too much,” groaned Tjiri. “If everyone wants us gone, then we’ll give them just that.”

”Where will you go?” asked Beshte, starting to feel guilt creep up on him. “You said your old home was destroyed by a wildfire.”

”It’s better we take our chances there than here,” said Warra.

The thylacines began to walk off, leaving the Lion Guard in confusion and conflict. This should be a good thing, right?

Right?

But a voice inside of them told them it wasn’t. And only one voice could speak. A voice that should’ve spoken up long ago rather than speaking for others. A voice that was manifested from weeks of guilt and shame piling up on top of each other and overflowing like a typhoon.

“No.” said Beshte. 

Everyone turned towards the hippopotamus as he figuratively and literally put his hoof down.

”Our job is to protect everyone at the Tree of Life,” said Beshte. “Treating them like this isn't protection. It's cruel. And I should never have said the things I said, or done the things I've done to try and fi this.”

Beshte turned over to the thylacines, who started to emote with surprise towards the hippo's vulnerability. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you for the apology," said Warra. "We really hope that you can see our innocence now."

”How can we know that?” Fuli asked. “We don’t know you?”

”Exactly!” argued Beshte. “We don’t know them, but they know something about us. That we’re supposed to be there for them. We can't let them down.”

”But what about those attacks? The kangaroo?” Anga asked. “We can’t just, let that slide.”

Beshte’s ears lowered, unable to rationalize that. He kept his head firm.

”If it’s not the thylacines attacking everyone, it’s someone out there. And it’s our job to stop them,” said the hippo. “I have a gut feeling about it.”

Everyone stood still before the Bravest went next to the Strongest to speak.

”I’m not exactly sure what to think,” Bunga said. “And to be honest, thinking’s never been my strong suit. That role goes to my gut. And if Beshte’s gut says to change in plans, my gut says to agree with him.”

“We should think about this guys,” Ono advised. “That being said, I agree; Maybe there’s something about this we aren’t seeing.”

”And if it’s to help the Tree of Life, then it’s worth the risk,” Anga said.

”Fine,” Fuli sighed. “We should talk to Kion and Rani about it. But I’m in.”

“What does this mean?” asked the male thylacine.

”It means you won’t have to leave the Tree of Life,” said Beshte. “The Lion Guard is here to protect you. Starting now.”

There was no reaction from the marsupials. Just a brief nod and slink back to their den. The team sighed. They knew that the thylacines were not in an easy position. It would take a long time for this to be resolved, but that wouldn’t stop them from trying. They were the Lion Guard.

It was Rani who they primarily spoke to. Kion had been asleep, exhausted from his patrol last night. Rani was also tired, but was at least awake and on her feet. The Lion Guard saw a chance to speak directly to the Queen, who could make the final decisions and decrees, and leave Kion to rest; Especially when it came to something as concerning as the thylacine move-in.

However, perhaps, it would’ve gone better received by someone more emotionally involved with the Guard.

”Absolutely not!”

The lack of hesitation or even emotion in the Queen’s voice was so sudden that it almost startled everyone.

”But don’t you think-“

”Stop, right there,” Rani said, once again, keeping her voice low. “I know exactly what this is.”

”Well what is it?” Bunga asked. “Because I think you and I have very different ideas as to what it is.”

”It’s not an ‘idea’” Rani scoffed. “It’s the truth. Those animals are manipulating you!”

”Manipulate?” Fuli asked. “But they seemed honest when they arrived.”

”And no one actually saw them commit the crimes we thought they did,” Bunga added.

"And I've observed their eating behaviors. They've only gone after small animals this whole time. Birds, rodents, other smaller marsupials, nothing the size of a kangaroo or emu! And their jaw structure doesn't look equipped to take down large prey," Ono added. "I think we're making a mistake."

"Yes, you are," Rani said. "Being so quick to fall for a trap."

"Rani," Beshte explained. "Once upon a time, you thought that way about us. You hated Kion and the rest of us because of one misunderstanding. But after a while, you realized that you were wrong. Maybe it's the same here."

"It's different," Rani said. "You guys never went THIS far, not on purpose or by accident."

"And how do you know the thylacines did?"

"I just know! The world isn't all fun and games. People will use you to get what they want and they can be very good at it. It's how I lost my parents, and I won't lose anyone else!"

"What exactly happened back there?" Bunga asked. Rani quickly shut him up with an angry glare, silently telling him it was far too personal to reveal at that moment

"I'm doing this for the safety of the Tree of Life, my family, my kingdom, and you! When animals get away with something like this, it gives them the impression to do more. We could have even more chaos on our hands!"

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"What's going on?!"

Everyone was so busy arguing that they failed to keep their voices at a volume that wouldn't wake up Kion. The King of the Tree of Life woke up and exited the cave to see his wife arguing with his childhood best friends. "What is this?"

"We think the thylacines might be innocent in all this!"

"Innocent?" Kion asked. "But they-"

"Might be framed in all of this," Beshte continued. 

"You really believe that?!" Kion said. The bags under his eyes were heavy, and the eyes themselves were at bloodshot. He clearly has not gotten enough sleep. "Beshte, they're trying to trick you!"

"That's what I'm saying!" Rani said. "You can't trust them!"

"But-"

"Beshte," Kion sternly spoke. "Your job is to protect the Tree of Life. Not to endanger it by believing lies. As leader of the Lion Guard, I command you to take this seriously. As seriously as Rani and I do."

"You're both exhausted!" Anga pointed out. "You guys aren't thinking clearly. Just take the time to-"

"WE'RE PERFECTLY FINE!" the rulers yelled in unison, before yawning. Rani shook her head and slapped herself in the face to stay awake.

"Look, we're all very tired from having to deal with this, and I'd rather we not say anything we'll regret," Rani said. "I think it'll be in our best interests of the thylacines are gone."

"Does this mean?"

"Yes," Rani said, cutting off Bunga's question. "I want the thylacines banished from the Tree of Life at once. And because Kion and I are too tired, that task will be carried out to the Lion Guard. You will escort them out of the kingdom and make sure they don't come back."

"You can't do that!" Bunga said. "Kion, tell her she can't do that."

"I'm sorry Bunga," Kion said. "This is what's best for everyone. As the King, I support Rani's decision to banish the thylacines from Jindagee forever."

"No!" Beshte said. 

Rani sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have no choice."

"Of course you have a choice!" Beshte yelled. "You're the Queen!"

"You can't tell me how to run this kingdom," Rani snapped.

"I'm not.."

Beshte couldn't find it in himself to argue back, feeling guilty for raising his voice. Kion approached him, just as vulnerable as the pachyderm.

"It's like I said Beshte," Kion advised. "Stand your ground. That's how we can fix this."

Beshte was about to argue against this. He 'stood his ground' with the thylacines for weeks and it only traumatized them. But then he remembered that it wasn't standing his ground. It was being pointlessly aggressive with no point to it. The thylacines were the underdogs in that situation, much like he is in this situation. The recognition of the dynamics changed Beshte's entire mind, and he soon looked Kion dead in the eye.

"You're right, I do need to stand my ground Kion," Beshte said. "And I can't let you do this."

Kion looked in confusion as Beshte turned his own words against him.

"You made me a part of this team to help animals who can't help themselves. That was our mission. It's been our goal our entire lives. What you're about to do will go against so much of what we've stood for."

"So is allowing poachers into the Tree of Life!"

"'So is'" Beshte repeated. "So you admit that what you're doing isn't right?"

"Ugh! You know what I mean!"

"I do," said Beshte. "I understand very well."

"Then why can't you just get over this!"

Beshte's nostrils flared and his voice bellowed as hot air was released from his snout.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE WRONG!"

Kion backed away, silent. Then, he began fuming, but remained still.

"It doesn't matter," Kion said. "Our decision is final. Tonight at our patrol, we'll get the thylacines out of the Tree of Life. End of discussion."

The Queen and King went back into the cave to rest, leaving Beshte and the others outside.

The Lion Guard clung onto Rani and Kion's every word following that argument. As members of the royal guard, they were to follow orders. But as protectors of the kingdom, they knew that what they were ordered to do was not protection. They were at a conflict of interest and had to act fast whilst the situation was still in their control.

"I say, we lie," Bunga said. "Deny anything, and find a way to hide the thylacines."

"That could put them in more danger if the lie ends up being impossible to keep," said Fuli. 

"We can't go against Queen Rani," Ono said.

"But she's wrong about all of this," Anga argued.

"Big B, what do you think?" Bunga asked. 

"I.... I don't know," said the hippo, his voice shaky. "I... I don't."

"Well, maybe we can come up with a solution!"

"My idea of a solution didn't work! It only put the thylacines through more trouble."

"But it was the right decision, Big B," Bunga said. "Don't let Kion and Rani's cattiness get to your head. If there's one thing I know about you, you're not just strong, but you have a big heart."

"And I scared the thylacines, I ignored my gut instincts for so long, and even now, I haven't gotten through to Rani and Kion."

"Don't blame yourself Beshte," Fuli said. "You had to stand your ground, like Kion said. Only here, you had to stand your ground to him. He has to understand that this isn't right, but that isn't your responsibility."

"Asante, Fuli," Beshte thanked. "But we still need to find a way to keep the animals safe from whoever is poaching, and the thylacines safe from Kion and Rani."

"Well, maybe if we catch the poachers in the act, we can actually prove the thylacines' innocence," Ono said.

"That's a great plan Ono," Beshte said. "But how are we going to do that?"

"Maybe if we use our camoflauge, we can catch the guilty party tonight," Bunga asked. "It worked before."

"But we'll have to be careful," Fuli said. "If Kion and Rani catch us, they'll get suspicious. And I don't think they'll hesitate to kick the thylacines out tonight during their patrol."

"Then whatever we do, we do it tonight," said Beshte. "For the Circle of Life."

"For the Circle of Life!" said the Lion Guard.

Kion and Rani were out at night time. The rest of the Night Pride accompanied them, having healed from their injuries. Upon being told about what went on between the rulers and the Lion Guard, the Night Pride remained silent. Surak and Nirmala didn't know what to think, whilst Baliyo felt disappointed in his sister and brother-in-law for speaking to Beshte in that manner. But they had to set their feelings aside. Tonight, they were going to banish the thylacines from the Tree of Life, once and for all. All of this drama, pain, stress, and chaos would end by the morning light. Kion, more than anyone was excited to do this, hoping that his friends would understand his decision and reconcile with him. Rani felt determined to get justice, knowing that the entire situation was in her control, no one else's.

The Night Pride went directly to the thylacines' den to try and alert them. But there was no response. They inspected the den. The marsupials were gone. Rani growled.

"They must be hiding," she said. The lions sniffed the air and couldn't pick up any scent. "They must be at it again!"

"How can we stop them if we can't see, hear, or smell them?" Baliyo asked.

"We fan out," Kion demanded. "Keep your eyes peeled, either for any thylacines, or anyone who has seen them!"

The Night Pride split up. Surak went with Nirmala, Baliyo went on his own, and Rani went with Kion.

Baliyo eyed the ground, trying to look for tracks, but there were many from different animals that passed through. It was all so confusing.

In his haste, he didn't look where he was going and bumped into a boulder.

"Ow!"

Baliyo jumped back at the voice that came from the boulder. But then he immediately recognized the boulder's voice.

"Beshte?"

The "boulder" moved, revealing itself to be Beshte, covered in grey dust, dirt and mud, with pebbles attatched to him.

Suddenly, the other foilage began to move. The rock in the mud turned out to be Fuli, disguised with mud. The clump of grass turned out to be Ono, covered in grass. The bush was actually Bunga in the greenery. And the log was Kion. And behind him were the thylacines, Warra and Tjiri. Baliyo was confused, but Beshte soon explained.

"We've reason to believe that the thylacines really are being framed," said Beshte.

"We've only seen them eat smaller animals," Ono said. "Not big ones like kangaroos and emus.!"

"It's true," said Warra. "When you've jaws like ours, takin' down big prey is quite the challenge. So we stick to small snacks instead."

"We're going undercover," said Beshte. "To find the real poachers and catch them in the act."

"And then Kion and Rani will finally believe us!" Bunga said.

Baliyo looked at Warra and Tjiri with hesitation.

"And how do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked nervously. "How do I know you're not lying? How do I know you're not using them to get to me, or my family? How do I know you're not gonna hurt us afterwards? How do I know I'm not going to regret this?"

"You don't," said Tjiri. "You don't know what life will throw at you, but that shouldn't stop you from taking risks. We took one when we left our old home, and now you'll have to take one. Trust us."

Baliyo looked at everyone. They were really deadset on this. If he said yes, he'll either help the populace, or be instrumental in its destruction. He sucked in air and nodded his head yes.

"To protect the Tree of Life, I'll help you guys," said Baliyo. 

Rolling around in mud, Baliyo immersed himself in a natural disguise. Meanwhile Anga flew around trying to find any trouble. Seeing in the dark wasn't easy for her, so she'd have to be very precise with what she was looking at, and use her other senses. Then she saw something. She used her vision as best as she could and saw over 12 unfamiliar water buffalo heading to the thylacines' den. One of which had several scars on his head, face, and ears.

Anga went down to warn the rest of the Lion Guard, alerting her what they've seen.

"Wait, so the poachers are water buffalos?" Bunga asked. "As in... herbivores?"

"They weren't any that I've seen at the Tree of Life," said Anga. "They could be outsiders."

"If the water buffalo wanted the thylacines to be framed for poaching, then they must've been very secretive. That explains the wound we saw on the kangaroo."

"And the missing emus," Bunga said.

"I think we may have found our poachers," said Beshte. "Do you see anything else Anga?"

"Lemme check."

Anga looked into the sky and zeroed in on the herd. They were making their way over to the emus' territory with their horns ready for battle.

"They're attacking the emus!"

"Hapana!" Ono said. "They're going to frame the thylacines again!"

"And the rest of the Night Pride are in the wrong direction. They'll never make it in time," said Anga. 

"We have to try," said Beshte. "Ono, you'll go find Kion and lead him and Rani to the emus' forest, without tipping them off about our plan. The rest of us will try to head the buffalo off. We can't let anyone else get hurt tonight."

"Affirmative," Ono said as he flew away. Everyone followed Anga to find the fastest path to the emus' forest. They were ending this tonight.

Paśu snickered as he and his buffalos were on the warpath to the emus' forest. 

"Everything is going according to plan," he said. "We'll get those rotten emus, and then everything will be perfect."

"As if," said Beshte's voice.

"Who said that?" Paśu asked.

"We are the guardians of the emu," Bunga's voice said.

"We are?" Fuli asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, sure, why not!"

"What is this?!" asked one of the buffalo.

"This is what happens to animals who try to mess with us!"

"Ghosts?! Evil spirits?" asked another buffalo.

"Not ghosts," Baliyo's voice said. "But you will be spirits if you don't leave!"

In unison, the buffalo stomped their feet on the ground and snorted. 

"NEVER!"

"Then be prepared to fight the Lion Guard!" Ono's voice said.

The Lion Guard, including Baliyo and the thylacines emerged from their disguises. The two teams went toe to toe with one another. Bunga hopped onto the heads of the buffalos, avoiding each sharp horn. Fuli crawled onto low hanging tree branch in order to get higher into the trees to get a vantage point. From there, she pounced on one of the buffalos, knocking him down on his feet, and taking him out with a swift bite to the neck. With another buffalo, Anga was able to use her sharp beak and talons to disoriente the ungulate, giving Baliyo enough time to subdue it with a bite to the throat.

Beshte was facing off against Paśu. Being more muscular, Beshte was less susceptible to the physical brunt of Paśu's attacks, but having years of experience despite being close in age to Beshte, made him very hard to take down.

"Why are you doing this?" Beshe asked as he was fighting Paśu. "Why do you want to hurt the emus to frame the thylacines?"

"Because the thylacines don't deserve to be here!" growled Paśu. "If I can't live here, no one can!"

"Maybe if you actually respected the animals that lived here, you'd have a chance! But now, you gotta go!"

"Respect this kingdom?" Paśu scoffed. "Like they 'respected me?'"

"What did we ever do to you?!" Baliyo yelled. He got a good long look at Paśu, and soon recognized that face, admist all the battle scars and bruises. He recognized the little calf that he, Rani, Binga, and Patara often played with. A calf who visited the Tree of Life with his family during events, and who the twins always visited during royal visits to Paśu's homeland. A calf who was entirely different from the young adult he faced before him. In all but name

"Paśu?"

"So now you recognize me?" Paśu cried. "After your family cut off the alliance with the rulers of my old homeland, I thought I was dead to you."

"It wasn't my decision," Baliyo said. "Or Rani's. It was my grandmother's. After we lost our pride, Queen Janna severed alliances with other kingdoms to protect us. There was nothing we could do to stop her. We never agreed with that decision, but it was already made."

"Well after your grandmother made that decision, my home was invaded. And because Jindagee were no longer our allies, we had no military aid to prepare for the attack. Our rulers were dead, many civillians were taken, and our kingdom was destroyed. My herd and I have no home, and I'll be damned if those tiger-dogs, get what should've been mine, or if these creatures get to live the life of luxury and peace that I was robbed of!"

"We're sorry you lost your home," said Warra. "I understand what it feels like to lose everything. We both do. But we managed to move on to find a new home for ourselves and each other. You should to!"

"I have nothing to move on to!" Paśu said as he aimed his horns at Warra and Tjiri. "Which is why I'm gonna get rid of you both!"

Paśu charged at the thylacines, screaming in fury as he did so. Beshte intervened, running at Paśu and rolling his body on his side, sending both of them into the river. Both water buffalos and hippopotamous were very deadly in the water, so this fight's furious ferocity only fueled. Beshte used his jaws to drag Paśu near him. He didn't want him to drown, but he needed to defeat him. Paśu kicked Beshte in the eye, loosening his grip. He then swam under and knocked Beshte in the jaw with his horns, breaking skin. Beshte sank to the bottom, his neutral bouyancy betraying him. However, it had also helped him, as he knew one thing hippos could do when they don't swim. They jump.

As Paśu tried to swim away, Beshte ran at full speed, hopping out of the water, down to the bottom of the river, and then up to the surface again. Paśu swam as fast as he could, but then bumped into an angry kangaroo, of whom a koala was sitting on his back.

"A little birdie told me that you were the one killing everything," said Calliope.

"You're gonna get it now," said Koeyza. "It's dunking time!"

Koezya grabbed the buffalo with his arms and held him underwater. He lifted him back up, making sure he didn't drown. He repeated this step in order to weaken the buffalo enough to where Beshte could reach him and drag him to shore. Paśu tried to get up, but his legs gave out, and he fell to his stomach. He was defeated.

The commotion of the fight attracted several animals who spectated it. Much like the Lion Guard, they began to realize who the real poachers were. The water buffalo, who, before them, were beaten up and tired, bested by the Lion Guard and the very thylacines they sought to destroy.

"So you are responsible for all of this," said Thithuri. "All this time we thought the thylacines were terrorizing us, when it was you! It was all you!"

"You thought you could walk in and kill us like it was a game?!" yelled Thamarr. "We've all suffered so much!"

"It's YOU that the Night Pride should banish!" scolded Calliope. "Not the thylacines!"

"For shame," said Samu. "On us for turning against innocent, and on the buffalo for bringing us so much pain. Shame!"

The animals started to chant "Shame," berating the buffalos that had terrorized them.

"Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!"

Paśu shook angrily, anxious and humiliated by his defeat. He wished nothing more than to see them crushed. But he knew that Badala would do the job for them in spite of this failure. 

Then he saw Kion and Rani appear with Ono in tow. That's when the imminent defeat and failure began to process. He heard Baliyo explain to Rani who Paśu was and why he was doing this. He expected explosiveness in her fury or rage, but she was silent and cold.

"You made your choice," she said. "Now live with them. Out of my sight and out of my kingdom."

"As you wish, your majesty," Paśu growled, looking at Rani's crown. He and the surviving members of his army left, with Surak, Nirmala, and several animals escorting them out of the kingdom. It was just Rani, Baliyo, the Lion Guard, and the thylacines. There was a very, VERY long moment of silence, until Rani spoke.

"I owe you both an apology," said the Queen to the thylacines.

"We both do," said Kion. "We've used our power to hurt you instead of help you, and it only lead to more getting hurt. You've went through so much to come here, who are we to take it away?"

Rani went closer to Tjiri, who stood in front of his mate protectively.

"You have every right not to forgive us, to not give us a second chance. But right now, I'll make it known that both of you will always be welcome at the Tree of Life. Now, and always."

The thylacines cried tears of joy, feeling the weight lifted off their shoulders and heart.

"Thank you," they cried. "Thank you."

As they returned to their den, they were met with sympathy from their fellow animals and apologies, including that of Samu, Koeyza, Thamarr, and Calliope. So many words of acceptance that the thylacines thought would be impossible.

Whilst the thylacines were making friendships and bonds, Kion and Rani were reconciling their own.

"We are so sorry," Kion said. "We were just so tired, we weren't thinking straight and we wanted the easiest solution possible, but, that's no excuse."

"I feel terrible," Rani said. "You didn't deserve that."

"It's okay," Beshte said. "At least you realized your mistake. I forgive ya'."

"So do I," said Fuli.

"And me," said Bunga.

"And me," said Anga.

"I'm willing to let bygones be bygones," noted Ono.

"Thanks guys," said Kion. He yawned, loudly. "Now that this is behind us, let's get some sleep. I clearly need it."

"I think we've earned this night off," said Rani. "Let's go."

Everyone went back to the Tree of Life where they reunited with Surak and Nirmala, and went back into the cave. Rani and Baliyo snuggled up against their respective partners, Kion, and Beshte. Rani and Kion fell asleep quickly, leaning on each other and cuddling together, whilst Baliyo and Beshte rested, allowing themselves to doze off.

"That was some great leadership you showed back there," Baliyo complimented. "You really stood your ground."

"It wasn't easy, but I definitely did," Beshte said. "I wish my dad was here to see it. He was always teaching me how to be a leader."

"I think he'd be very proud of you," Baliyo said, giving Beshte a kiss on the cheek. "Mujhe tum par garv hai."

"I'm very proud of you too Baliyo," said Beshte. The two dozed off, allowing their inner peace to take them to sleep.

Meanwhile, at the Forbidden Cliffs...

DING!

The agents charged towards the newcomers. The newcomers were frightened, but saw no choice but to fight. Kert-Kert immediately ran towards Śāsaka, kicking him directly in the jaw and in the neck. He already knew of the tigers’ roar of paralysis, so he had to account for that by making it as hard as possible for the young tiger to roar. However, that didn’t stop him from using his teeth and claws. The feline soon had Kert-Kert running in circles as he narrowly came close to either biting or slashing him. Then he fell to the ground and remained still. The tiger was shocked that the bird went down so easily and went to inspect the body, hoping he wasn't dead. His curiosity was rewarded with three sharp kicks to the face, knocking him to the ground. Using his feet, Kert-Kert pinned Śāsaka down with his feet.

"Stay down!" yelled the ratite.

Meanwhile, Sari and Tari split up. Sari and Tari both faced Kōn̄canā. Sari knew that the rhinoceros’s tough exterior was hard to penetrate, especially with his sharp horn. She also knew that rhinos had bad eyesight. And he didn’t have his tickbird with him. Perfect. She began running around the rhino in circles, taunting him. As she got faster and faster, He remained still, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. Then with one calculated swing, Kōn̄canā knocked Sari square in the stomach with his horn. He drew no blood, he broke no bones, but Sari could practically feel the winds knocked out of her as she slammed to the ground. Sari remained still, as lifeless as a statue. Tari screamed. 

"What did you do!? She's not moving!"

"I-I didn't mean to!" yelled Kōn̄canā. "S-she started it!"

"Idiot!" Tari shouted, tears running down her eyes. "CHECK HER PULSE!"

"Ok, ok, I will, I will,"

Kōn̄canā went closer to try and look for any indicators that she was alive. The punch to the nose was very much an indicator. The rhinos' nose began to bleed, hindering his sense of smell. Tari then screamed into the rhino's ears at the top of her lungs, causing it to ring. Finally, the cheetah sisters zig-zagged around the rhino, confusing him. His attempts to try and keep up with them resulted in him getting dizzy, and in perfect position for the sisters to knock him down, defeating him.

Badala stared in awe.

"Bravo," she said. "It appears as though our newcomers have stepped up their game. Playing possum is quite the tactic."

"It is," said Sari. "It was my idea. I hope you're impressed, Lady Badala."

"I am," said the tigress. "There's hope for you three yet."

At that moment, Paśu and his buffalos entered the cave, battered and bruised. Badala glared at them, sensing something was wrong.

Knowing it would be futile to lie to his superior, Paśu revealed the truth.

"Our attack on the thylacines ended in failure," he said. "The Lion Guard somehow discovered we were responsible for the killings. They killed two of our own, and banished the rest of us."

Badala bolted over to Paśu and struck him to the ground, drawing 5 deep scratch marks in his face.

"You are PATHETIC! I gave you an ORDER!"

"Forgive me," Paśu said. "Please, Lady Badala."

"I would forgive you under different circumstances," said Badala. "But as is, the thylacines are in Jindagee. We'll just have to pray that they don't ever tell the Lion Guard they were near the forbidden cliffs. But until then, we double our security, and double our training in case the worst happens. We must be prepared for any retaliation."

Kert-Kert, Sari, and Tari looked at each other. An animal at the Tree of Life that was near Badala's hideout? This could be a good lead for them. But if Badala's forces are out hunting them, then they are in danger. They needed to find a diversion, and they now had one.

"Lady Badala," said Sari. "If you need time to prepare, we can be at your service"

"One victory in the training pit doesn't get you into my good graces that easily," said the tigress.

"But it's a step," said Tari. "And every step you make can make a big difference."

"Our victory brought you one step closer to conquering the Tree of Life," said Kert-Kert. "Not to mention, I know things about the Tree of Life that can be useful. Jindagee is practically ours for the taking."

"Very well," Badala laughed, convinced by her subordinates' claims. "You have proven a considerable amount of worth to me; As my new protégés."

Kert-Kert, Sari, and Tari smiled wickedly at each other and at Badala. Things were finally starting to look up for them.

This is going to be fun.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24: A Royal Celebration

11 Years ago… in the Pride Lands of Milele

“I’m Kion!”

“I’m Bunga!”

“I’m Fuli!”

“I’m Beshte!”

“I’m Ono!”

5 animals. Five introductions. Two words. Each of a different tone, repeated several different times - so simple, yet so sweet. As sweet as a baobab fruit… that was being thrown up high into the sky.

What started off as a scuffle between who would keep the delicious tasty baobab fruit turned into a game of keep away. The 5 toddlers stumbled ass over tea-kettle to get their fruity-seed filled prize. When Bunga grabbed it from the tree branch, Kion snuck up on him from behind and growled, scaring the mustelid into dropping it.. When Fuli went after it, Beshte kicked it high into the air with his hoof. There, Ono grabbed it. Although he was fledgeling, having only just taken his first flight, he was practically airborne and took the opportunity to catch the baobab fruit. Unfortunately, gravity and the fruit’s weight had other plans. The egret quickly plummeted, dropping the fruit down the hill. 

Bunga went to grab Ono, but tripped.

Fuli went to grab Bunga, but tripped

Beshte went to grab Fuli, but tripped.

Kion went to grab Fuli, but tripped.

And all of them tumbled down the hill, laughing as they did so, to the point of aching their stomachs and faces. 

“Someone should make this into a game!” Bunga said.

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing with you over this but… That was way more fun than I thought it would be,” Fuli said. 

“Affirmative,” Ono chirped. “If it is a game, what should we call it?”

“Hmm… how about baobab ball?” said Kion. 

“I think that name is Poa,” said Beshte. “Just like the rest of y’all.”

“Yeah,” Bunga chuckled. “Poa.”

“We should hang out more often,” said Fuli. 

“Me too!” said Bunga. “My Uncles enjoy your company every time we visit!”

“My folks say you’re a good influence!” Ono trilled. “I’m glad she likes you guys as much as I do!”

“I like spending time with all of you,” Kion smiled. “We're the greatest friends ever!"

“Agreed!” said the other four.

The clouds rolled by as Kion, Bunga, Beshte, Fuli, and Ono looked up at the sky, content with their friendship that indeed would last them a lifetime...

Present Day, in the Pride Lands of Jindagee...

Kion’s friends gathered around the Tree of Life that evening. It wasn’t anything in relation to a patrol or a shift, but something much more special.

”Happy birthday Kion!” they all said to him in unison, displaying their presents.

”Thanks guys,” Kion obliged. “But my birthday’s not until tomorrow.”

”Well that gives us no reason not to give them to you now,” Bunga said. “As a famous person once said, time is relative.”

”Who said that?” Kion asked.

”I have no idea!” Bunga answered with a wide smile on his face. “But it’s present time!”

Bunga, Binga, Kalam, Bindu, and Teeka came first with their present. It was a vine, with several porcupine quills attached to it, forming a necklace. The quills were dulled out, their edges blunt, ensuring that they wouldn’t prick or poke Kion

”The porcupettes were shedding, and I thought it’d look cool on you,” said Bunga as he showed Kion the necklace. “Binga helped with the design, and Makini helped me with the handiwork.”

Bunga placed the necklace around Kion ever so carefully. Kion adored it, as did everyone else.

”Very kingly, Kion,” Bunga said to his best friend as he flopped on his face to mimic a bow.

”The King appreciates your generosity,” Kion chuckled, imitating a regal voice.

Next was Fuli, Beshte, Anga, and Ono’s present. A crown wreath made out of Tuliza flowers.

”Makini also helped us with this one,” Beshte told Kion. “Ono and Anga were able to find the Tuliza, and Fuli and I helped find the materials to put it together.”

The avians of the Lion Guard carried the wreath onto Kion’s head, resembling a crown.

”And here I thought I’d sworn off Tuliza,” Kion chuckled. “Thanks guys.” 

Kion noticed that one of his friends was missing.

”Where’s Makini?” Kion asked. “I want to thank her for the presents she helped you guys with.”

”She’s busy working on her own present,” Ono told Kion. “She’s been working on it for the past 2 weeks.”

”Correction,” spawned Makini’s voice from behind Kion. “I’ve just finished it!”

The mandrill, followed by her orangutan friend Patara, carried her present which was covered in leaves and placed it down to Kion.

”I thought I’d never get it done, but I did it!”

Kion opened the present. It was a painting of the Lion Guard on a slab of rock.

"This is amazing!" Kion said. "Thank you!"

"You're very welcome!" Makini said. “I had to multi-task because of my training.”

”Oh right,” said Bunga. “The Pillars in Sihir are training you in magic. I almost forgot.”

”It’s hard for me to forget!” Makini squealed. “Although I guess it makes sense. I used hidden magic to defeat an evil sorceress from the past, so now I’m training with that magic to become a good sorceress of the present! There’s so much data I could collect, so much good that I can do, especially since they’ve found a way for me to access magic without summoning spirits!”

”Looks like it's gonna be a great year for both of us,” complimented Kion.

”It is!” Makini cheered. “Your 17th birthday, my training, the big surprise we’re gonna-

Makini was about to blab when Bunga covered her mouth.

"Compared to the nothing we have planned for you," Bunga chuckled. "Right Makini?"

Makini nodded her head yes. Kion smirked, and decided to play along.

"Okay guys," he said with playful sarcasm. "I can't wait to see the nothing you have for me tomorrow."

"Anyways, you should get some rest," Beshte said. "The Night Pride's shift is about to start."

"It has been a long day," Kion yawned. "Some early shut-eye wouldn't hurt."

"Sleep well, your majesty," Rani coo'ed, kissing Kion on the cheek.

"I will with you on patrol," Kion purred back. He then went into the Tree of Life. He noticed that the rest of the Lion Guard wasn't following him, but he didn't mind. He had known them his entire lives, enough to know how terrible they were at keeping things a secret from him. He knew that they'd be planning a surprise for him, but they were clever enough not to reveal the surprise. This year wouldn't be any different, and he knew that his friends would want to make his first birthday at the Tree of Life special. So he fell asleep, weightless of happy lion thoughts.

Outside of the Tree of Life, and far enough away, the Night Pride and Lion Guard discussed to themselves.

"He knows we're planning a surprise," said Makini. "Sorry everyone."

"It's ok Makini," Bunga said. "By this point, it's impossible for him to not know we're planning anything."

"But he doesn't know the actual plan," whispered Fuli. "Or how awesome it'll be."

"It'll be great to be a part of these plans," Rani said. "What are they?"

Ono whispered the plan to the Night Pride. They gasped in pleasant surprise.

"That is a good gift," Surak said.

"I'm not sure if I could have it be any better," Nirmala said.

"It's perfect! He'll love it!" said Rani. "But on such short notice?"

"You have to see it to believe it," Bunga said. "It's completely unbungalieavable!"

"But it'll have to be prepared tonight," Fuli said. "You think you and the Night Pride can lay off of the patrol just this once?"

"I.. I don't know," Rani said nervously. Without another thought, Surak and Nirmala stepped forward.

"We'll take over the patrols," said Surak. "Rani and Baliyo, you can accompany the Lion Guard tonight."

"It's not every day opportunities like these come up!" Nirmala said.

"Thank you!" Rani and Baliyo said, hugging their aunt and uncle.

"Meet us near the river outside the Tree of Life," Fuli said. "We'll leave a trail for you to follow."

"Ok then, thanks."

Everyone split up, ready to put their birthday surprise plan into action.

The following night, the Lion Guard feigned sleep. They waited until they were positive that Kion was asleep and they snuck out of the Tree of Life. There, they met with Rani and Baliyo and they headed outside of the kingdom's borders. Together, the group went outside of the mountain pass, through the canyon that Kion had expanded with the Roar during the Guard's return home, and to the river. There, they waited.

"They should be here at any time," Fuli said. "I know it."

"I hope we got the timing right," Bunga said. "I did my part with the RSVPs - whatever they're called."

"Kion is gonna be so psyched seeing our gift for him!" Makini cheered. "I can barely take the excitement!"

"Neither can I," Anga said with little enthusiasm in her voice. Although her mood suggested otherwise, she was incredibly joyful over this occassion.

"You won't have to wait for long," Ono said excitedly. "Here they are!"

In the distance, a large wooden object appeared. The Lion Guard marveled at such a sight. It was a vessel, a large structure of thick wood and rocks, tied together and reinforced by several vines. The vessel had a sail consisted of spider silk and several leaves to catch the wind, and it was incredibly large, towering over the Lion Guard themselves. 

The vessel banked against the river, and a wooden ramp was lowered. Walking out of the ramp were several familiar faces that the Lion Guard had expected - some of whom Rani and Baliyo had recognized from the wedding reception, others, they had just begun seeing for the first time.

There was Kion's older sister Kiara and her fiance Kovu. Next to them was Kiara and Kion's grandmother Sarabi, their cousin Zuri, and her girlfriend Tiifu. Zazu, the majordomo to the Lion King, has also flown in.

"Hi guys!" Kiara said.  

"What's up?" Kovu greeted.

"How lovely it is to see you," said Sarabi.

"Hidy ho!" Tiifu and Zuri said in high pitched voices whilst waving.

"Greetings!"

Makini and Fuli went over to hug Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri. The five of them got along well in the Pride Lands despite their contrasting personalities and were thrilled to see each other again. Bunga and Beshte greeted Kovu with warm hugs. Kovu never imagined hugging anyone outside of Kiara, let alone other teenage boys, but he found the affection to be sweet and didn't attempt to hold back the happy tears that rolled down his scarred face.

There was Ma Tembo and her herd of elephants, including Mtoto, who quickly went to greet Beshte. With them was Makuu and his crocodile float, (including the gecko, Hodari), Bupu and his antelope herd, Thurston's zebra-herd, and that of his ex-wife and son, Muhimu and Hamu.

"Mtoto!" Beshte laughed. "You've grown bigger!"

"I have!" said Mtoto. "My tusks are getting bigger, and so is my trunk! Bibi Tembo says that I'm getting stronger every day!"

"It's true," said Ma Tembo. "Even though you left, he's still inspired by you."

"He's not the only one," said Makuu. "After everything you've done for the Pride Lands, we've made sure to remember you and stay united whenever the Circle of Life demands it."

"We may not agree on everything, but this is definitely one of many things that bring us together," Bupu said. "And we're pleased to visit you all for this occassion."

"Asante, Bupu," Fuli said. "It never hurts to say please."

"Good one."

Rafiki, his neighbors, Chama, Mzaha, and Furaha, and Makini's parents, Fikiri and Kitendo has also appeared from the boat who arrived in for a group hug with Makini.

"I missed you guys so much!" said Makini.

"We missed you too, dear," said Fikiri.

"Every day," cried Kitendo.

"It's like I said," Rafiki spoke. "There is only one Makini, she cannot be replaced. And that is what makes me so happy to see you again."

"How have you been Makini?" asked Chama.

"How's the Tree of Life? Are there any other primates there?" asked Furaha. "I mean, besides us at the moment."

"Made any new friends? Got a herd of your own?" asked Mzaha.

"It's great, yes, yes, and no," Makini laughed. "There's soo much to catch you up on."