(Inside Pride Rock)

"Maybe we should migrate all the herds north, then we'll unite all the prides in the Pridelands and try to defeat the gorillas ourselves," Simba proposed, pacing around nervously. He had been talking with Nala, Kiara, Kovu, Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa for hours about what to do concerning the gorillas. Many different options had been suggested, but the four lions, the hornbill, and the meerkat/warthog duo could not reach a consensus.

"Simba, six of our lions are injured and you almost got killed fighting those gorillas," Kovu reminded him. "Are you sure we can handle them?"

"And if we move all the herds north, then we'll be short on prey," Kiara added. "What if we all starve before we can take down all the gorillas."

"Well then there'd be some gross cannibalism goin' around, that's for sure," Timon remarked.

"And I ain't stickin' around to be anybody's pork dinner," Pumbaa vowed.

"These are some noteworthy things to consider, your majesty," Zazu told Simba.

"Well, if not us, maybe we could have the elephants fight for us," Simba suggested. "The elephants are our most loyal species in the Pridelands. They were the first to come back after we defeated Scar and the hyenas, and they helped restore the Pridelands."

"Rumor has it that elephants cower at things as small as a black mamba, so I'm not sure how they would handle fighting against those gorillas," Kovu answered.

"And gorillas do have opposable thumbs, which elephants lack," Zazu mentioned.

"I've been contemplating something throughout our discussion, you may not want to hear it, but I feel that it would be in everybody's best interest," Nala spoke up. "We should leave Pride Rock and take all the animals with us."

"What? No!" Simba protested. "This is OUR kingdom and I will NOT let those monstrous apes take it away from us."

"If Khalfani's pride founded this land during the Great Wildlife Stress, then surely we can establish a new kingdom somewhere else," Nala suggested. "We won't have to fight for our lives. All the cubs will be safe. The other animals can live in peace."

"Indeed," Zazu approved.

"And maybe there'd be more grubs," Timon dreamed.

"Perhaps some hot springs to soak in," Pumbaa said with a smile.

"WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Simba lashed out at his loyal subjects. Then he let out a furious, "ROOOOAAR!"

The entire cave went silent as several rocks fell from the ceiling and crumpled to pieces on contact with the stony floor. Kiara and Kovu all stared wide-eyed at the king with jaws dropped open. Timon and Pumbaa huddled together, trembling with fear.

Zazu desperately tried to calm Simba down, saying, "Sire, I know this is a stressful time, but you MUST contain yourself."

"Simba, we're not strong enough to fight them," Nala choked up, fighting back tears. "We've already thought of many different things, but none of them seem to work. You've already tried contacting the kings of the past, but they won't answer you. I don't know what else to do."

"Um guys, sorry to interrupt, but our hunting party has been gone for about three hours and it usually doesn't take that long to find prey," Vitani interjected. Vitani usually helped lead the pride's hunts, but Simba let her rest after the battle at the waterhole. Spotty, Dotty, Zahra, and Jabari were resting as well.

"HAPANA!" a voice screamed out, causing everyone to jump. It was Ono, who rapidly flew into the cave of Pride Rock.

"What is it Ono?" Simba questioned the egret, concerned.

"Long story short, the hunting party seems to be having a tough time dragging the prey back to Pride Rock," Ono replied. "And now there's another gorilla attacking them. Kion and Fuli are trying to protect them. Let me tell you something, this gorilla seems to be a tad bit quick for Kion to use the Roar of the Elders on him."

"I knew something was up," Vitani said.

"Oh no, my MOTHER is in that hunting party, we HAVE to help her!" Simba panicked. His father Mufasa was dead, but his mother Sarabi had lived long enough to see Kiara and Kion grow up. Sarabi was still very strong and in good shape for an old lioness and was still very involved in the pride's hunts.

"But Simba-" Nala began, concerned about his safety.

"It's only one gorilla, if there are enough lions, we can take him down," Vitani assured the queen. "Trying to take down EVERY gorilla in the Pridelands might be too difficult, but this individual one will be outnumbered. I say we stand a fighting chance at saving Sarabi and the other hunters. Then we can decide what to do from that point forward."

"I'll go for you this time Simba," Kovu offered.

"No, Sarabi is MY mother!" Simba argued. "I want to be the one to save her like I wish I could have done with my father! You'll need to be here to take over the Pridelands if anything happens to me anyway."

"With all due respect Simba, outside of hunts, you've pretty much sheltered me from all the action," Kovu nonchalantly responded. "And if I'm going to be king one day, won't I need some practice in fighting off enemies?"

"Yes Daddy, please give him a chance," Kiara pleaded the king.

Nala walked in front of Simba and smiled at him, pleading with her pretty blue eyes. Simba hesitated for a few seconds, sighed and said, "Well, alright. But you're not going without me."

"But Simba, who will look after the pride?" Nala inquired.

Simba thought of brave Jabari and called out, "Jabari, come over here please!"

The adolescent male approached the king and responded, "Yes Simba?"

"Do you think you can look after the pride while Kovu and I are gone?" Simba asked him.

"I'll do my best, your majesty," Jabari nobly replied.

"Timon and Pumbaa at your service!" Timon and Pumbaa beamed, bowing before Jabari. They were doing this to avoid having to go back out and face the gorilla, using their comical demeanor to try and cover it up. "We're always here to help!"

"Okay, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, there's no time to lose," Simba panted, beginning to make his way toward the cave entrance.

"We're coming with you guys!" two of Kiara's friends Tiifu and Zuri shouted out, following after Simba with a group of ten lionesses behind them. The other lionesses stayed behind to take care of their cubs.

"I'm coming too!" Vitani declared. She was the only lioness from battle at the waterhole to volunteer while Spotty, Dotty, and Zahra stayed with Jabari, the other lionesses and their cubs.

"Alright, Zazu and Ono, lead the way, let's move everybody!" Simba commanded. Zazu and Ono flew ahead as Simba, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, Vitani, Tiifu, Zuri, and the other lions ran out of Pride Rock, ready to save Sarabi's hunting party.

***Additional Notes***

1. The black mamba is a venomous African snake. The notion of elephants fearing mice is a myth, but in real life, African elephants are afraid of black mambas.

2. In an episode of The Lion Guard, "Can't Wait to be Queen," Simba mentioned that the elephants were to first to return to the Pridelands after Scar was defeated. Simba's friend Aminifu, a wise old elephant who was actively involved in restoring the Pridelands, had passed away in that episode. Simba and Nala were going to attend his funeral.

3. Ono's catchphrase, "hapana," means "danger" in Swahili. In The Lion Guard, Ono frequently uses that catchphrase when witnessing trouble or a chaotic situation.

4. The Great Wildlife Stress never actually happened in any Lion King movies, shows or books. I made it up as the way that Khalfani's pride, the first pride that ruled the Pridelands (read Chapter 6), founded the kingdom to peacefully govern all the animals.

5. Tiifu and Zuri are Kiara's best friends and recurring characters in The Lion Guard.