"...Well?" Kion asked nervously. "What does everyone think?"

Malka, Tojo, Simba and Kovu stared blankly back. Kion and Kiara didn't know what reaction they'd been expecting, if any. But they hadn't expected silence.

"Dad?" Kiara prompted. "What's your opinion?"

"Um," he rubbed his face with the back of his paw. Kiara waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts. A numbness had settled over his leg and his discomfort was much more bearable, but his bird-like appetite hadn't improved, nor had the fog that seemed to blanket his mind. Though seeing her father weak and listless bothered her, Kiara tried to take comfort in the fact that none of the older lionesses seemed concerned about his eventual recovery. They were empathetic, but they weren't worried. If anything, Dwala, Diku, Naanda and Sarafina seemed thrilled at the opportunity to flex their nurturing abilities. Simba, who not two weeks prior had been the strongest lion in the pride as well as the most feared and respected animal in the Pride Lands, clearly didn't know how to take the role change at first and had politely resisted assistance, but as the days passed he had surrendered, and awkwardly come to accept his new place as the pride's surrogate cub. "Well," he cleared his throat. "We wanted an answer. We have one now."

"Tojo? Malka?" Kion asked.

"I mean, Sim's right," Tojo agreed supportively, determined to lighten the mood in the wake of this new information. "We got the answer we were looking for, and from the Great Kings, no less. It's an honor to be chosen."

"Yes, it is," Malka agreed. Determined to keep up the momentum, Kiara looked to Kovu.

"What do you think, Kovu?"

"Does it matter?" Kovu asked. "I mean, if Scar says we're the new Lion Guard, isn't that just how it is?"

"This wasn't up to Scar," Simba stiffly corrected without making eye contact, "this was up to the Great Kings as a whole, Scar's just the medium. Second, nobody is stripping anyone of their own agency or their culpability."

"Wow," Malka looked over at Simba, "You uh, wanna translate that into non-royal for the rest of us there, Simba?"

"He means that the Great Kings can't force us to do anything we don't want to," Kion hastily explained before his father could open his mouth and further incite Kovu's irritation, "and that we can't use following orders as an excuse to do something wrong. We're still responsible for our actions, which goes without saying. If anyone here really doesn't want to be part of the Guard, that's okay."

"Does anyone feel that way?" Kiara asked.

"I'm actually pretty excited," Tojo offered a welcome note of positivity. "I haven't really had anything constructive to do for a while, this is going to be a nice change of pace. Plus, I get to work with some old friends while making some new ones, and all while helping the queen and the Great Kings. It's a win-win."

"Normally I don't jump to Sunshine's side," Malka spoke next, "but I sorta feel the same way. This'll be good, something different. I always did like a new challenge."

"Dad?" Kion asked. "Is this something you want to be part of?"

"Tojo's right," Simba chose his words carefully, "it is an honor to be chosen." He paused. "Kiara, if the Guard is where you need me, then that is where I'll be."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Kiara already has our first assignment," Kion smiled at his sister.

"Already?" Tojo cocked his head. "I'm all for jumping right in, but I was expecting a little more preparation first. I mean, Simba can't even come, we won't even have the whole team."

"I'm not going to be able to help for weeks," Simba reminded his friend in a tired voice.

"That's not true," Kiara shook her head. "Dad, you know the herds better than any of us, and that's going to be invaluable. Did you ever find out how King Sokwe died?"

"It wasn't shared at the funeral, no. But, if he was defeated in combat, traditionally, that would have been announced. He wasn't too much older than my mother, so it wasn't old age. Illness or injury, I'd guess."

"I think it's important to know," Kiara looked to the rest of the Guard. "I'd send Anga, but I need her here with me, and I think this is a good a time as any for you to start getting to know our mountain allies."

"Is there a tactful way to even go about doing that?" Tojo asked. "I mean, they just lost their father, that's not a conversation they're going to want to have."

"They'll understand, this type of conversation is part of being king, and I'm sure Sokwe prepared them for it," Simba rested his head on his paws, tired of keeping his posture. "Besides, Kion has a good relationship with them."

"You've been kind of quiet," Kion looked to Kovu. "What do you think?"

"Orders are orders," Kovu answered coolly. "We go up the mountain, you talk to the gorilla kings, we go down the mountain, and we don't get killed doing it."

"But what do we do if we encounter any problems?" Tojo asked. "What's the procedure if we get attacked by say, the same leopards?"

"Nguvu nzuri," Kiara answered firmly. "Reasonable force. Stay on the defense, avoid aggression outside our lands if at all possible. I don't anticipate any problems, but I'm not going to tolerate an attack on my Guard."

"Shujaa might be a problem," Simba made eye contact with his daughter.

"Right," Kiara looked at Kovu. "I'd forgotten about him."

"Shujaa?" Kion frowned. "Why?"

"Who's Shujaa?" Malka asked.

"Shujaa was one of King Sokwe's warriors," Kion explained. "He's always been a loyal ally."

"He was also King Sokwe's executioner," Simba added sternly. "King Sokwe offered him to me on multiple occasions, and I always declined. Shujaa seemed seemed less than pleased with our method of peace when we last spoke. I'm concerned that the new kings won't be able to keep him in line."

"Wait, some gorilla offered to send his executioner to act on your behalf?" Kovu sounded on edge suddenly. "And you think he still sees me as a target?"

"She never told you?" Simba was suddenly wide awake, turning his surprised face to Kovu.

"It's not her fault, Kiara and I don't talk about stuff like-"

"Not Kiara," Simba interrupted his defense, "Zira."

"...No," Kovu's voice became curt. "If she had that information, she declined to share it with me."

There was a tense silence as everyone took in this deeply personal revelation. By this time, all were fully aware of the roles Zira and Kovu had played in the war. Zira had trained her adopted son to kill Simba, but had not properly prepared him to face the dangers that would immediately follow. Kovu had never been trained to run a kingdom, only to exercise his authority through threats and intimidation. During the fight between the two prides, the Outlanders had not expected Simba's lionesses to defend him as viciously as they had. Even if Simba had been killed, this would have only provoked his pride's rebellion and stoked their rage. Kovu hadn't been the only lion training for a confrontation. None of the Outlanders would have been able to take the Pride Lands by force. They'd had neither the numbers nor the strength. Now they knew that Kovu wasn't warned about threats outside the Pride Lands that he might have encountered regardless of whether or not he managed to kill Simba. This begged the question; had Zira expected Kovu to survive his fight with Simba? Or had she simply trained him to serve a very short purpose as a one-time assassin? Had Zira been aware of the bleak future waiting for her and her pride once they had decided to try and kill Simba? Had her delusions almost cost her entire pride their lives?

"She knew," Simba turned his gaze back to the ground.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Kion promised solemnly. "Shujaa may be a warrior gorilla, but I've got the Roar."

"Yeah. Thanks." Kovu didn't sound comforted.

"So..." Mheetu looked around as the two walked. "You didn't really know Dad?"

"I only have a few short memories of him, I can't say we ever had much of a relationship. He left when I was very young."

"Must be nice."

"You two didn't get along, did you?" Nala asked. Mheetu was starkly different from her own talkative and cheerful children. He was withdrawn and cautious, and she sensed a very low sense of self-esteem. But he was also very observational and gentle. She liked him. Tama had insisted on taking Nala's place as lead huntress until Simba was back on his paws, and Kiara hadn't needed much help ruling, the animals of the Pride Lands were being gracious with their patience and Kiara's transition as Queen continued to be a smooth one. Nala's primary concern was that animals would attempt to take advantage of Kiara. Even as a young adult, Simba had possessed a jaded pessimism that Kiara clearly did not have. He had been a young alpha male, hardened by the wilds. Even now it was a mystery to the public what Simba had gone through during his time away from the pride. Kiara had spent her entire life as the King's princess, and had never experienced dire thirst, starvation or severe injury. There were no hushed musing that she'd fought and killed her own kind over scraps, no rumors of dangerous adventures, and no assumptions that she was anything but what she was. And what she was was a sweet, intelligent lioness who, for all the warrior in her blood, had never been forced to take the life of one of her own kind.

This was what truly placed a lion in the good graces of the public. To put the interests of the common folk before another lion. Because of his part in Scar's death, Simba had held his first summit wielding more respect as a ruler than Kiara would be given in a year or more, no matter how hard she tried. Fair or not, this was reality. Nala noted that Kiara was fully aware that she was still, as far as most animals were concerned, standing in her father's shadow, but it didn't seem to bother her. She felt that his continuous respect was earned. However, Nala knew Simba was more than eager for Kiara to rule unfettered by his influence.

Without a hunt to lead or meetings to attend, and knowing that Kula would keep an eye on Simba while he inevitably slept through the day, she'd decided to try and get to know her half-brother better.

"I mean, do kids ever get along with their parents?"

"I always got along very well with my mother," Nala mused. "And I like to think that Kiara and Kion are close to Simba and I."

"Simba seems like a nice guy, though. Dad's kind of a dick. Err," he winced, "sorry, am I not allowed to say that? Since you're kind of royalty and all."

"I've heard much worse," she reassured him with a laugh.

"Thanks, sorry, I was raised by mostly guys. It's kind of nice to be around all these girls, everyone is so well-groomed and calm. Back home, there was always a wrestling match or argument or competition. And mud," he added. "Lots of mud."

"Things can get heated between some of the ladies from time to time," Nala admitted as they strolled up the hill. "But you're right, we get along fairly well. Truthfully though, I think the boys here could use some mud and wrestling. It'll be good for them."

"They can take my place," Mheetu rolled his eyes. "I'm sick of getting hurt."

"At the risk of sounding ungrateful for his sacrifices," Nala shook her head, "I'm starting to think Simba enjoys it." He snickered. "So, Mheetu," she continued, "I actually have some time to spare, what something you do for fun?"

"Sleep," he admitted. "I'm pretty boring."

"There's a lovely spot on the west side of Pride Rock that's calling your name, then," she led the way. "I could use a rest, myself."

The group trekked across the Pride Lands. The Thelugi mountains were still quite a ways away, it would be evening before they reached the gorilla kings.

"If something goes without saying," Malka broke the silence as they padded through the tall lush grass, "why does it need to be said?"

"What do you mean?" Kion asked as he stepped over a rotting log.

"That thing Simba said, about being culpable for our actions or whatever. And Kion, you said that went without saying, and you're right, we all know the purpose of the Lion Guard is to defend and protect. It didn't need to be said. So, why did he say it?"

"Well," Kion frowned. "I think-"

"Probably because I pissed him off by implying that the Guard was Scar's idea," Kovu interrupted casually. Normally, he was very cautious about overstepping his bounds socially, but this group felt different than the pride, or any group he'd ever known. Tojo and Malka were bigger than both he and Kion, and emotionally removed from the pride's drama. Though Kion was in charge, he was the youngest and smallest. He was effectively outnumbered. And Simba wasn't there to influence the dynamics. Kovu didn't dislike Kion, necessarily, but he had to admit, it felt good to speak freely and invite the irk of others. He hadn't realized how much he'd been treading on eggshells around Pride Rock, even if hadn't been expected of him.

"Actually," Kion looked at Kovu, "I think he said it for me."

"You?" Malka made a face. "Why?"

"Well, he knows I used to be really worried about taking advantage of the Roar like Scar did, on accident or not. The fear of misusing it prevented me from improving my control of it, and I used it as little as possible. But Ahadi helped me get over that. I think he was just worried that I'd fall back into that fearful mindset. I don't think it was directed at you, Kovu."

"Do you always bend over backwards to make everyone else feel better?" Kovu gave him a crooked smile. "You don't have to, you know, Zira called me words you've never heard, there's nothing you can say that'll hurt my feelings."

"Tojo's worse," Malka butted in. "If everyone around him isn't happy, he starts to twitch."

"Ha ha," Tojo butted into Malka as they walked, "I provide balance, you do everything in your power to piss others off."

"Jab all you want, you and Kion are outnumbered," Malka taunted. "Two peacemakers versus three shit-starters. Chaos wins every time."

"Not to burst your bubble," Kion interjected, "but my dad's definitely a peacemaker. When he's not being challenged or provoked, he's about as mellow as they come."

"Oh, I intend to challenge and provoke him," Malka flashed a grin. "Squirt doesn't scare me."

"Here we go," Tojo rolled his eyes.

"What?" Kion asked.

"Squirt?" Kovu squinted. "Did you just call-"

He was interrupted by a loud thud as Malka tackled Tojo with a playful snarl.

"Oh, don't get cocky on me today, Tojo!" Kion and Kovu watched dumbfounded as the two adults wrestled.

"Being the strongest," Tojo rolled out of Malka's grip with a grunt, "doesn't help if you're also the dumbest."

"You love it," Malka ruffled his mane with a laugh. Tojo shoved him, and more wrestling ensued.

"Do they...do this often?" Kovu asked.

"Yeah," Kion sighed, slightly displeased at the stall, but unsure of how to redirect their focus. "They do."

"So," Chumvi walked casually up to the lioness with a grin, "You and Tama, huh?"

"Yep, me and Tama," Kula smiled up at him. "You know I always knew you liked boys, but I'll be honest, I didn't see Malka leaning that way."

"Malka's into everyone," Chumvi chuckled as he settled down next to her. "He's a bit of a slut."

Kula burst out laughing. "Now that doesn't surprise me!"

"How long have you two been together?"

"Oh, it's hard to track," Kula thought back. "We've always been close, and we became even closer after Scar took over. It used to be the four of us, but after we thought Simba died, Nala went through a phase and didn't want to talk to or play with us, so we ended up spending a lot of time alone together. It just sort of happened, we didn't really think too hard. It was just the natural progression of the relationship. It was romantic as soon as we were ready for it to be, I guess."

"That's a bittersweet romance if I've ever heard one."

"She's always been the more aggressive of the two of us, she always defended me. I'm the only one who can talk her down sometimes. Opposites attract."

"No surprise there, she always was a little spitfire."

"What about you and Malka? What's the story there?"

"Eh," Chumvi shrugged. "Things were pretty rocky until a few years ago. Malka needs more time to figure things out than I do, I knew right away how I felt, but he didn't. We've always loved each other, but sometimes I think we weren't sure if we were like brothers or something else, which sounds kind of awkward," he cringed. "But I think you get it. I can never phrase that quite right."

"I know what you were getting at," she nodded. "There's no rush, waiting for the right time is always worth it. Besides, relationships are fluid. Sometimes there's more romance, sometimes the focus is on companionship. Love goes through seasons."

"It really does. 'Seasons,' I like that. So," he nodded at Simba, who was carefully picking his way towards a scraggly tree a few yards off. With his broken leg tucked close to his body, he was unbalanced and his gait more closely resembled that of baby giraffe than a lion. When he reached the tree, he took a deep breath, and turned around. He was practicing. "Is he allowed to do that?"

"The age-old advice is to take things in pairs of two. 'Two weeks to stand, two months to run, two seasons to climb.'"

"Has it been two weeks?"

"Close enough," Kula looked back at Simba. "Nala asked me to watch him to keep him safe, and he is. I figure a little rebellion is what he probably needs right now."

"You know," Chumvi eased his weight onto his shoulder, lounging lazily. "You can really measure the integrity of a lion by how well his pride treats him when he's down. From all the babying I've seen, I'd say he's really done a good job. Not that I'm surprised, of course. I am surprised Diku hasn't tried to chew his food for him, though."

"If he was willing to eat, I'm sure she'd offer. There hasn't been a cub in the pride since Kiara, they're desperate, so he puts up with it. You talk to him yet?"

"Oh yeah, we all have a little bit," Chumvi picked at a blade of grass caught in his mane. "He seems different."

"We all are."

"I don't know," Chumvi shrugged. "Something about him seems off. Not bad, he was nice, just...off."

"I think you're just not used to interacting with him from outside his circle of trust," Kula theorized. "He'll warm up to you eventually, it just takes him a while."

"We're his friends."

"It's not something you can take personally," she assured him. "He was like that with everyone when he came back, even his mom."

"Hard not to, it feels personal."

"Tell you what. If you want a shortcut into Simba's little circle of trust, jump in when Timon and Pumbaa are around. If Timon likes you, and he will, he'll pull you into the conversation and use humor to put Simba at ease. He'll warm up a lot faster that way, it's how I got him to talk to me when Nala wasn't around. After that, we were back to being like cousins."

"I still haven't met those two," Chumvi mused. "It's kinda sweet that they followed him here."

"They're quite a trio when they're together. Just wait until Nala hops into the mix, I can't keep up with the banter."

"Ah, yes, I bet that's an interesting dynamic. I don't know if those two played or bickered more as cubs, it was nonstop competition. All of their games always ended up getting someone hurt."

"Usually Simba."

"Usually Simba," he nodded with a smile.

"How do you feel about Malka being chosen for the Guard?"

"Eh, good, going off on adventures and beating bad guys up really isn't my thing. It is Malka's, though, I think he's a lot more excited about this than he's letting on. I'm happy for him, just a little worried."

"You think he'll put himself in danger?"

"That's a given, it's how well he can get himself out," Chumvi sighed. "He looks before he leaps, you know?"

"I'm sure Kion and Tojo will keep him on the straight and narrow, they're both very responsible from what I've seen."

"Simba and Kovu aren't?"

"Simba is extremely cautious when it comes to the wellbeing of others, but he has no regard for his own," she admitted. "If Malka's got a shred of that boastful competitiveness I remember, I'm worried he'll emulate something dangerous that Simba does when he thinks no one's looking or stupid enough to copy him. As for Kovu, I don't know him well enough to say. He's pretty young, he's still figuring things out."

"Kion's younger, isn't he?"

"Yes, but Kion was raised in a loving and stable pride, Kovu wasn't, that's put him a little behind his peers, I think. Simba had the same problem when he came back. He had gaps of experience, you know? Kovu will catch up. If nothing else, he's resilient."

"Huh," Chumvi took this in. "I guess we'll have to see. Hey, I haven't really gotten to sit down with your mom yet, how is she?"

"Oh she's great," Kula smiled.

Chumvi listened happily as Kula talked about her family, sharing stories and making him laugh. He'd missed his old pride, it was like he was back home. Of course his mother wasn't here, there were quite a few missing faces, but it was clearly a much more tightly-knit group than the one he'd been living in, even with the few former Outlanders that skirted the edges of their social circle. It was good to be back, he thought.

"Prince Kion!" King Majinuni greeted amiably. "It's been too long! Kuishi ni kucheka! My brother's out foraging with our aunty, but he'll be thrilled to know you stopped by!"

"Kuishi ni kucheka, King Majinuni," Kion bowed. "I'm sorry I missed you and your brother's coronation, and I want to express my deepest condolences for your loss. King Sokwe was one of my father's favorite and most trusted allies."

"Yes, he did say that at the funeral," the gorilla's smile faded. "It's a shame what happened with those leopards, but I heard he made quite a heroic sacrifice for his queen. We gorillas think that is the highest of honors, to die, or almost die, for family. We consider him quite a hero here in the mountains, not that he'd ever let us say so."

"He's a hero to me, too," Kion smiled sadly. "King Majinuni, this is my new Lion Guard," he nodded to the group. "My sister sent us here to ask you some questions, I was wondering if I could speak with you privately for a few moments."

"There's nothing I won't say in front of your Guard," the large gorilla sat. Kovu, Tojo and Malka tried not to gawk at the mammoth ape's sharp teeth and trunk-like limbs. None of them had been this close to a gorilla before, and were coming to terms with the fact that they had underestimated their sheer size and power. "And it's just Majinuni. We're friends, Kion. Besides, I'm not quite used to the title myself. It is interesting to see all lions, though. Sort of validates the name now, doesn't it?"

"It's a little more traditional," Kion agreed. "That can be good, sometimes. Majinuni, do you know anything about the leopards that attacked my parents? They spoke a local tongue."

"Have you heard of the skinny ape creatures?"

"I think so," the prince frowned. "The leopards called them the walking snakes."

"That's because they're hairless and the color of sand or damp earth, like a gopher snake or cobra, and they don't climb trees like us proper apes do. I hear they move real snake-like. 'Walking snakes,' I quite like that, actually."

"What about them?"

"Well, I heard, sort of a rumor, really, that the skinny apes had chased them from their home. They were spotted around our territory, but we chased them off. Had we known that they'd be stupid enough to go after the Pride Lands, we would have done more. I heard your sister banished them."

"She did. Majinuni, she asked me to come here to ask a really difficult question."

"She wants to know how Poppa died," he nodded understandingly. "I wish I could help, but we don't know. He came back home after foraging and collapsed, maybe he was sick. He died before we could do anything. I don't think he realized he was dying until it happened. I guess I'm grateful he didn't suffer."

"I'm so sorry."

"Ah, well, circle of life and all that, huh? It happens. Makes me feel for your dad, though. Losing a father suddenly like that is hard. Hopefully that's a long way off for you, huh? Anyway," he waved the issue off with a leathery hand. "I'd love to learn everyone's names, I'm sure we'll have quite a few encounters."

"Of course. This is Tojo, the fastest. That's Malka, the strongest, and-"

"Don't tell me," Majinuni squinted. "It's Kovu, isn't it?"

"That's what they call me."

"You," the gorilla king waved his finger, "you're quite an interesting cat, I'll give you that. Everyone knows who you are, Kovu. What are you, then?"

"The keenest of sight."

"Fitting, all of the world has their eye on you, it seems!" The gorilla laughed. Kion let out a forced, awkward chuckle. "But seriously, if Simba says you're alright, you're alright, Kovu." He thumped his chest lightly. "Say, you had more the last go around, didn't you?"

"My dad is the last member. Naturally, he didn't join us on our trek."

"Ah, the bravest. Yes, that's him. Good on him, that cat never rests. Well Kion, you can stay and rest if you like, but I'm afraid I don't have much else to tell you, that's really all I know about the situation, and your mighty Lion Guard is starting to shiver," he laughed heartily at the males, who were doing a poor job of pretending that they weren't uncomfortable in the frigid rocky landscape.

"I'll get them home in one piece," Kion grinned. "Thank you for your time, Majinuni," he bowed again. "We really appreciate it."

Rain blanketed the lands as they heavens poured down with a gentle rumble of thunder. Miles in the distance, lightning painted a stripe of white across the sky for a moment before the horizon faded back into the swelling darkness of the storm. Kiara watched from the mouth of the den, deep in thought. Behind her, most of the lionesses slept or chatted quietly. Kovu laid in his usual spot near the entrance, his jaw slightly slack as he snored lightly. Chumvi, Tojo and Malka had all insisted on joining Simba in the fields under the premise of protecting him and the lionesses who accompanied him. The truth was, Simba slept under the distant but diligent eyes of some of Ma Tembo's strongest elephants and the maternal protection of the lionesses that rotated their watch, he was as safe as he'd ever been. What they really wanted was to avoid making the lionesses in the den feel uncomfortable. Mheetu, who had quickly found himself under Nala and Sarafina's wings and was blood relation to the queen mother as well as being too young to be considered a significant threat, had been welcomed into the den. Kion too joined the group in the field, which was now comparable in size to the group that slept in the den. The pride was split physically, but in spirit, they were quickly becoming closely-knit.

Chumvi, Malka and Tojo had been fairly well-received by the lionesses who hadn't known them during their cubhood, and it was the general consensus that they were, at worst, about as harmless and well-intentioned as could be expected for strange males. They seemed in no hurry to integrate themselves into the pride, and while Simba wasn't sleeping in the den, there was no incentive for them to do so.

Kiara thought about what Kion had relayed to her from their trip up the mountain. Sokwe had died suddenly and seemingly without cause around the same time that the leopards had been driven from their territory by the strange hairless creatures. It didn't seem like a coincidence. Sokwe had died without evident injuries, but the leopards had claimed that the walking snakes were able to make bloodless kills from a distance. Kiara didn't know how this was possible, but there was mounting evidence that it was possible. Whatever they were doing, they needed to be stopped before they reached the Pride Lands.

Then, there was the matter of the Lion Guard. Kion had admitted to her privately that the group dynamics were unbalanced and lacking, and it wasn't because of their father's absence. In fact, the siblings were worried that his inclusion would complicate things further. What the Guard needed was to practice cooperation and trust, they needed to bond. The trek up the mountain had only highlighted the group imbalances, it had done little to bring them together.

Typically, the new Lion Guard would undergo a challenge, something that led them through a spiritual and emotional change that unified them. However, Guards of the past typically were not strangers to each other. Kiara didn't want to force things, or put anyone in harm's way. Taka had been right, this was a new Guard, unlike any before it. They would have to do things differently. But how? She pondered this.

The answer came in a way that surprised her. A quiet, almost imperceptible chorus of voices made themselves heard, almost as if the wind itself could speak.

"Send them to the desert, so that they may be tested."

Kiara quickly looked around, certain that surely someone else must have heard the voices. When it was clear that no one had, as the conversations continued seamlessly and nobody cast even a glance in her direction, she hesitantly turned her gaze back to the lands beyond. Somehow, she knew that she had heard the voices of the Great Kings. It wasn't something she felt prepared for, but nevertheless she was willing to embrace it. Things were changing, and quickly. She needed all the help she could get.

Kion trudged through the grass, exhausted from the journey. Now that he'd updated Kiara, his mission was complete, and it was time to rest. He wanted nothing more than to collapse on the soft earth and let sleep take him. He heard something in the grass behind him, and turned.

"Pumbaa, hey!" He smiled. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

"Looking for you," Pumbaa rubbed his head against Kion's leg affectionately. Kion nuzzled him in return.

"I'd love to hang out with you Pumbaa, really, but I'm about to fall asleep standing up, I need to get to my parents to I can pass out."

"That's why I came," the warthog sat. "Things are different now, huh?"

"Yeah," Kion admitted. "It's good, though."

"But sometimes good things can be hard to take in," Pumbaa looked at him knowingly. "Kion, I hear you've been awfully busy since you got back, and that's good, you're a good kid, but I think you should take some time to yourself. You seem a little overwhelmed."

"What gave it away?" Kion chuckled wryly. Pumbaa only smiled sadly. "But, yeah," Kion cleared his throat. "I little. A lot, actually. I don't remember home being this...much. It's loud and crowded, and I don't know if it's me, or if things are really that different."

"Do yourself a favor and get some rest on your own tonight. Alone. It can be hard going from being alone to being part of a herd. Your parents will understand."

"Is that what you told Dad when he came back home?"

"It is, and I think it really helped. Your dad went from spending days on his own to not being able to drink without somebody talking to him, and between you and me, it freaked him out a little. Sometimes space is okay."

"You know what? Thank you, Pumbaa," Kion took a deep breath. "I needed that. I'm gonna go hide for the night, maybe I'll be able to hear myself think."

"Take care," Pumbaa nodded. "Goodnight, Kion."

"Night, buddy."

Pumbaa lovingly watched the young lion, part of his family, fade into the night.

Author's Note,

I don't know about you guys but I'm loving the newly released trailer footage, I won't get my hopes up too high and I'm sure there will be warranted criticisms, but I think at the very least it'll be a fun watch.

Yes, this chapter took waaay longer than most but the break was very much needed and had nothing to do with writing, but I'm back to a place where I'm ready and eager to jump back into things. I've already got the next chapter drafted, and I've got some rough ideas and snippets of a ~10k TLK short that is separate from this fic, but this one will take precedent.

Kelly09 [AO3]: The language barrier and strength of the lions in a world where spirits and ancient powers exist are, to me, flexible obstacles to say the least. It's one of the reasons I enjoy writing for the Lion King universe. We are intimately familiar with a handful of characters, but don't know much about the world around them, so there's room to explore and create, and the direction I take my fic in is certainly not going to strike a chord with everyone, but that's something that I'm comfortable hearing feedback about. It's not something I can fix, because nothing is broken, it's just the nature of writing and art in general. Kovu and Kiara are intentionally and explicitly keeping their courting informal, as I briefly touched on in a previous chapter. But because he is on a path that likely leads to being the Prince Consort and thereby outranking Kion, that does open a door for tension between them, as if there aren't enough already. Until then, Kovu is content to keep his head down and go with the flow. (For now).

SunRise19 [FFN]: You were absolutely correct! I'm so glad you're enjoying it and like the direction and pacing, that means a lot to me, thanks so much for commenting!

Outlander15 [FFN]: Thank you! The combination for the Guard is a little strange, but I think it's a group that will work off of each other really well, as they each bring a different set of skills and personality traits to the table. And yeah, I mean I'll always give human/lion friendship fics a try, but they usually just don't do it for me. I'm not sure why I'll happily accept the dead appearing and giving lions premonitions and powers but a human and a lion getting along is where things become "unrealistic" for me, personal tastes are funny that way! Also, I really do appreciate your additional comment, because of everything going on in my life I needed a break from the (self-induced) pressure of editing, I'm glad that we as a community have an understanding about real life taking precedent over side projects, but hearing that directly was really appreciated and truly a kind gesture.

Lastly, an immense thank you to corderbollie for sending me such kind words, you are amazing.

Cheers!

- Dieren