"So, what was it I should do?"

"Stay low to the ground," Fuli whispered. The two of them had joined the hunting party, even though many lionesses still were mad on Fuli for ruining their last attempt, Nala had gladly accepted their proposal to join them. "And approach the prey slowly."

"Yeah, stay low," Amara repeated and began to approach a little topi.

"You go, girl," Fuli whispered. She watched by with pride as the teen lioness attempted to pursuit the topi. Nala joined the cheetah and watched by as well.

"I'm happy that your daughter wanted to give us a chance, again," Nala said to her.

"It was my fault she lost her spirit to participate, Nala," Fuli confessed. "I'm sorry I ruined the hunt. I don't know what happened, the next sec I just slain your pray."

"Don't be, honey," Nala said comforting. "we all make mistakes, and of course you were scared that Amara would pick our hunting strategy over yours."

"No, I did not," Fuli said before she could think twice. "Okay, maybe I was afraid she was going to pick you instead of me as her hunting instructor, but that's okay. If she wants to be a part of a team, it's fine."

The lioness looked with a smile at her daughter-in-law. She pulled a paw around the cheetah's shoulder. Fuli looked confused at her, intimidated by the affection. Then she was pulled back and thought to ask the burning question on why her and Simba hadn't interfered in hers and Kion's decisions on raising the cubs.

"Nala? Why didn't you or Simba told us that we made a mistake regarding the parenting of our cubs? We didn't bring them around with us like we should, we neglected them."

"Sweetie," Nala said amused. "We are not their parents. Besides, you didn't ask for help."

"I hoped that you two would had at least interfere, and tell us otherwise," Fuli said. She looked at the teen lioness in hot pursuit, but eyed that someone else was in range. A black maned lion with a smug smile across his face approached. "I don't believe it," Fuli said speechless. "Sorry, Nala, will you look out for Amara for me?"

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"We got a trespasser, again." Fuli said and left the lioness. She walked with determination towards the lion. She looked fiercely at him but was thunderstruck when she saw he was carrying flowers in his mouth. "Hey, Ahardi," the cheetah called. The lion stopped and turned to look angrily into her eyes. at her. He dropped the flowers. "You again? Listen, cheetah-"

"It can't be your serious that Rani told you to give the royal family flowers," Fuli said superiorly. "What are you up to?"

"I go where I want to and right now it's as far away possible from you," he snarled.

Fuli frowned. "Who are those flowers for?" she asked with even more suspicion.

The lion inhaled deeply, like that would help him from not biting her in the ground. "If you must know, your nosy cheetah," he said determined. "They are for Vitani."

The cheetah laughed wich angered the lion even more.
"Ahardi, you're joking," she half laughed, half mocked. "Tani is not a lioness you give flower. You show her power, domination. She is not like other girls."

The lion sneered at her and walked past her. The cheetah had no idea that she had just given him some very valuable information for his future plans.

After digesting the thought that Ahardi might had an interest Tani, she joined the hunting party again. They had been successfully in catching a large male zebra. Now Amara led the way home, pride shining in her face with her mother by her side. They arrived back at Pride Rock to some very hungry lions.

"So. your hunt was a success," Simba said, caressing his wife with his tongue.

"We had help," Nala teased, beaming at Amara.

"And your still keen to lent out our daughter to them?" Kion teased, giving his wife a loving lick as well.

"Oh, shut up," she said and gave the lion a bob on the nose. "She decides who she wants to hunt with," she added, looking at the lioness. "So, have you three," Fuli was about to say to her teens, but realized that Tasha weren't there. "Two been boring yourself? Wait, where is Tasha? It's soon getting dark. I don't want her to be out this late."

"She is out having fun," Shida said annoyed.

"Relax, fool," Kion comforted. "She can take care of her own, she is grown now."

"Ma, why can't we go on our own?" Shida interrupted.

"You know why," she replied. "bec-"

"Because we're still too young and could end up as some predators target," Akisi said annoyed. "Honestly, we just want some fun."

"boys," Fuli sighed, rolling her eyes. She looked around the cave to search for Tani and see if she had strolled off with Ahardi. "Where is Tani?"

"She went together with that Ahardi prick," Zuri replied annoyed.

"I don't believe it!" Fuli said dumbfounded. "How can she fall for someone like him? He is so arrogant. Wow, she is cheap."

"Now, that was rude," the lion teased, nuzzling his head against hers.

"Ma, how did you and Tani become friends?" Amara asked. She had been wondering about it for some time now. She couldn't quite see how two cats that hated each other so much ending up as friends. "Tasha told us she didn't liked you."

"Oh, so that she told you," Fuli said, looking amused at her cubs. "That's an underestimation. She wanted me destroyed."

In that moment, Tasha came in through the cave, looking pleased about herself, but that was wiped away and replaced with guilty when she saw her parents faces.

"What lies are you telling your siblings," Fuli asked the teen a bit stern.

"ehm-what?" she asked confused.

"You told them that Tani didn't liked me."

"What?" she said and approached her mother with caution.

"How far did you come, telling them about our adventure?" Fuli asked the teen.

"Ehm, to where we came home," the teen replied.

"Right," the cheetah said and laid down, gazing at her curiously teens. "Well we arrived home safely. Your father proposed to me the day we came home, and of course I said yes."

"Boring," Shida interrupted.

"Well I thought everything was back to normal, until I discovered that the devil's daughter was here as well. She showed that her hate towards me wasn't faded. Not even when we shared the same family. It was difficult for me to feel safe, even though I knew she couldn't hurt me. But the one thing that stopped our enmity was Tasha."

The three teens looked amazed at their big sister who felt quite uncomfortable with the sudden unwanted attention.

"Tasha were out having fun with The Guard and her dad were so foolish to let her climb a tree-"

"Hey, that's not how I remember it," the lion interrupted. "You were fine with it as long as she didn't walk to far out on the branches."

"Which she did, and I had to cast away my fear of the water aside to save her," Fuli said. "But you pulled me away."

"You would have died!"

"Come on, guys," Tasha said annoyed. "You really have to fight about this now?"

Both parents looked guiltily at each other.

"Alright, well someone jumped after her and pulled her safely on land," Fuli said. "It turned out to be Tani."

The teens jaw dropped by the news.

"Then your mother became quite shameful and grumpy because she had to say, "thank you" to her," the lion teased.

"I brought Tasha with me because I still wasn't sure if she wanted to attack me, and Tasha could run away warning your father," Fuli told. "But it turned out she had been salty for some time. We said sorry to each other and apparently that was enough for both of us," Fuli said.

"How anticlimactic," Shida said. "Why didn't you have a dramatic fight?"

"Shut it, Shida," Amara said. "It's wonderful that two that hate each other can turn out to be friends."

Amara is right," Kion said. "I was shocked to know that your mother had done it, but I accepted their friendship in the end. "Now come on. You must be hungry, and I want some before it's all eaten."

It wasn't just Amara that had teen issues. Her brother Akisi's had also discovered that his mane came with trouble. What had come of mane always dangled down in his eyes.

"That stupid mane!" he said annoyed for the one hundred and twelfth time. "Did dad have this problem with his mane?" the lion asked, brushing the mane away, but it fell down again.

"Oh, you should know," his mother teased, brushing away his mane. "You look just like him."

"Did you ever help him getting it out of his way?"

The cheetah blushed. "No, that was Rani that took care of that."

"Who's she?"

"She is the queen of the Night Lands," Fuli told. "She used much of her time together with your dad and I of course thought they dated."

"Did they?"

"They tried to, but they were too similar, and then Rani forced your dad to confess his feelings to me."

"Did you tell dad you loved him?"

"After thinking it was a dirty trick to fool me, then I said I had feelings for him, too, which took him by surprise," the cheetah smiled.

"And you have been together ever since?"

"Not from that moment," she said. "You get to know the full story one day," she added and began licking his head.

"I hate this mane," he said annoyed, as it once again fell down. "Why wasn't I born a cheetah?"

"We don't decide what species we want to be, but we decide who we want to be," Fuli said and licked the teen cub.

"Stop it, ma, I can clean myself," Akisi said annoyed, and tried to walk away, but his mom pulled him in.

"Ha, is the little cub being cleaned by his mother," Shida said, who had entered. "How cute."

"Shut up, Shida," Akisi hissed.

"Cubs! Be nice to each other," Fuli said and tugged the teen cheetah into her chest as well, giving the cub a bath.

"Now who need their mother now," Akisi teased.

"Shut up."

"Ma, where is dad?" Amara asked. She had entered the cave as well. She had a quite worried look on her face.

"He is out hunting," Fuli replied friendly, looking concerned on the teen. "He will be back soon. Is there anything wrong, honey?"

"No, I'm fine," the lioness said unconvinced. "I'll go look for him," Amara said and left the cave again. The lioness ran as fast as she could. Just a few moments ago she had been out with Timon and Pumbaa and having fun, when she discovered something different, something haunting about herself. She found the red maned lion walking towards her, dragging a dead zebra with him.

"Dad!" she said relieved and stopped only inches away from him.

"Hey, kiddo, what are you doing here?" the lion asked.

"There is something wrong with me!" she exclaimed.

The lion looked puzzled on her. "What should be wrong about you. You're a-"

"My roar!" she said frighten. "It was different. I was out scaring birds away with Timon and Pumbaa, and-and then I roared again, but it was different, so much more powerful. Even the ground shook," the lioness confessed. "What is happening?"

The lion smiled proudly at her, understanding what had occurred. "There is nothing wrong with you," he comforted. "Your mother wouldn't like me telling you this and wished it hadn't happened to you, but I guess you can't escape the family's heir."

"What do you mean?" Amara asked confused.

"You have discovered "The Roar of the Elders"," Kion said pridefully.

"What's that?" Amara asked puzzled.

"It what that signals the leader of The Lion Guard has arrived," the lion told proudly. "One day you will take my place as the leader."

"Am I going to bossy around with you and ma then?" Amara asked puzzled.

"Not ma, she is harder to control than you think," the lion said, grubbing her head. "She goes her own ways and I'm not sure she is amused by the thought that her daughter is going to be in charge of her someday."

"You said she wouldn't allow you to tell me, is that true?" the lioness asked unsure. "Am I going to be a failure? Am I going to destroy everything?"

"Amara!" the lion said calmly. "You are not going to fail. Your mother just wished for you that you could pick the path you wanted to go, just like your siblings, but it seems like the family bond is more complicated than so."

"I don't want this," the lioness cried and pushed her head against her dad's chest. The lion led a paw across her golden fur.

"You can pass the leadership on, but not the roar."

"I don't want to pass it on," the lioness sobbed. "I don't want to force the responsibility on someone else's shoulder."

"You speak like a true leader," the lion said pridefully. "You're growing fast, I'm proud of you, daughter."

"I won't go the same way as your granduncle," the lioness cried.

Kion beamed at her. "That's the spirit girl. You're not going to fail us,"

"What am I going to say to ma?" Amara cried.

"You don't have to worry about that, pumpkin," the lion said, nudging the lioness gently. "I'll figure out something, now come on. Show me your roar," he teased. "Let me see for how long we can keep it a secret."

"I don't know how," Amara said scared. "It's just happens from time to time."

"Right, just concentrate on focusing on your target," the lion instructed. "If you do that, it will be easier to let the roar out."

"What should I focus on?" Amara asked puzzled.

"Let me see, how about those rocks there."

Amara faced the rock with insecurity. She focused hard on the rock, closed her eyes and let out a roar. You couldn't say it sounded like "The Roar of the Elders", but it was a roar that erupted from her throat. She opened her eyes and looked disappointedly at her father. "See, I can't."

"Don't be so harsh to yourself," Kion comforted. "You just need practice, and eventually you will be able to summon it."

"I just wish I could make you proud."

The lion looked with a sorrowful look on his daughter as she walked past him. Then he bit her tail, causing the lioness to stop.

"Dad, stop," the lioness said gloomily.

"Come on, you need some fun," he teased, and pulled the lioness in for a hug, rubbing her head hard with his paw.

"Dad, stop!" the lioness giggled, trying to escape her dads grip.

"You're not escaping my grubbing paws," he teased.

Days went by and the cheetah cub, Shida grew faster and faster. He was almost as fast as his mother which she always teased him to go faster. They ran every morning, training Shida's paw to go even faster.

"Come on, son," Fuli called ahead of him. "You can do better than that. Even Akisi is faster than you!"

That triggered the teen. He hated being compared with his prat of a brother. He went faster, faster than he had ever run. He passed her mother with a grin across his face.

"That's how it's done!" the cheetah yelled after him, coming to a halt. The teen cheetah also came to a halt. "Now try and zigzag your way through that path," she added and pointed at a very narrow looking path.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked worried.

"I used it to my training," Fuli comforted. "You will be fine, just follow it slowly in the start."

The teen gulped and approached the narrow path. He inflicted his body and began to sprint. He jumped over rocks and zigzagged his way through the turning path. This was Childs play for him, well not until he approached a rock in high speed that blocked his way. He sat his paw hard in the ground, barely missing the rock by inches. He cursed the rock and looked up to see his mother was smiling down at him.

"You could have told me there was a stupid rock blocking the way!" he barked at her.

The king cheetah made a little laugh. "That's not the way forth," she said teasingly. "Look at your left."

The teen looked and saw the path was curving upwards in a sharp swing. "I can't possible turn that sharp!" he spat.

"I could," the cheetah said amused. The teen looked dumbfounded at her mother, not believing she was able to turn so sharp.

"How?"

Fuli was about to open her mouth when a loud thunderclap erupted on the sky. Clouds had come over the Pride Lands filled the sky like a grey carpet. The teen backed away and pushed himself against the wall. He hated thunder. Always so loud. A sharp white light lighted the sky and moments later it was replaced with a loud thunderclap. The rain started to fall like sharp needles. Fuli looked frighten at her cub. She knew he hated the loud roars from the heaven.

"Don't worry, honey, mommy is here," she said and ran down to the cheetah, hugging him tightly.

Another thunderclap sounded.

"It's getting closer," he sobbed.

"No, it's not," Fuli assured. "We need to get home," Fuli said worriedly. She tried to move but the teen didn't as much as moved. "Shida, we need to move. We can't stay here. A landslide could happen."

The teen still stood petrified.

"Look, if we stay down here, we could die!"

"We would at least be on safe distant from those loud lights," the cheetah sobbed.

"Now you're behaving like a little princess," Fuli said annoyed, and pulled her jaw around the teen's back skin, dragging him.

"Ouch, ma, I can walk on my own," the cub said annoyed, realized by his mom's grip. The two of them continued home. Still shaking a little, the cheetah was determined to get home, not another stupid thunderclap should stop him, but in that moment another bright light lighted. It was very loud and petrified the teen, not walking any further. Fuli noticed and turned around. She touched his cheek caringly and pulled his head under her chin. "Come stop your crying, and you'll be alright," she sang softly, pulling the cheetah in for another hug. "Just take my paw and hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I'll be here don't you cry."

The cub let go of his fierce façade and began to cry. She always sang that song when he was afraid.

"For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm-"

"Mom, you don't have to sing more of that silly lullaby," he cried.

"My little cub is afraid," she teased, caressing him. "I won't stop until you stop crying."

"I'm done, okay," the teen said. "Now can we get home?"

"Sure, lead the way," she teased and let go of her son.

Fearing the thunderclaps, a little less now, the teen began to lead the way home.

The dry season was soon replaced by the blooming grass that meant more animals would come to the Pride Lands and that meant more food for the growing teens. They had grown to be successful hunters, just like their mother. Though Amara stilled participated in the hunting party, it didn't care Fuli at all. The mating season was soon at the doors and Kovu and Kiara had decided they wanted to try out to start a family. They had hoped Rafiki would do the honor to present the newborns to the Pride Lands, but the mandrill came with a saddening news to the royal family.

"You what?" Simba asked shocked.

"My time has passed, your majesty," the mandrill said with respect to the king. "I'm going to join my ancestors."

"But, Rafiki you can't leave us," Nala said worriedly. "You have helped us loads of time. You showed Kiara and Kion to the Pride Lands. Why not wait a little longer?"

"Your majesty," the mandrill said amused. "I'm old. My hands are weak, I would let go of the newborn cubs."

"But it's not fair," Kiara said, feeling neglected that if she just had been quick as Fuli and her brother, they might had had a ceremony were Rafiki was there.

"Kiara, Makini is your future Mjuzi, it's on high time she becomes that," the mandrill said. "She is trained, she will serve you well."

"It's just not fair that Fuli and Kion could have you to their ceremony, if they chose to," Kiara said, feeling tears appear.

The mandrill walked over to her. "Don't feel sorry for yourself your majesty. Makini is going to do the job better than I did."

The lioness gave him a weak smile. Then some large paws surrounded the mandrill. Pulling him in for a tight hug.

"It's the meaning I'm supposed to leave this world in peace, not hugged to death by my friend," the mandrill said, patting the lion.

"I don't know how I'm going to continue without your guidance or advice," the lion cried.

"You got wife and a family," Rafiki said comforting. "You will be fine without me, old friend."

The lion let go of his friend and moved on to the lioness. Nala bowed to him and the mandrill hugged her. Then he continued to the future rulers.

"May your future reign be prosperous," he said and hugged the two cats.

"We're going to miss you a lot," Kiara cried.

"Just don't tell Makini how I did her job, she might get moody for not doing it the same way like me," Rafiki said, letting go of them.

"I'll try," Kiara said weakly.

"It's a pity you won't be the one to perform the ritual from princess to queen," Simba said.

"Dad!" Kiara said annoyed. "I'm not ready, please stop!"

"Your dad was only joking," Nala assured.

The mandrill smiled at all four of them and began to walk back, but in that moment The Fastest and The Fiercest entered the cave, looking lovingly at each other, though their smiles faded a little when they saw the seriousness in their family's faces.

"Mom? Dad? What's wrong?" the lion asked confused. The king and queen just looked moodily at him. The mandrill reached a hand up to the cheetah's cheek to caress it.

"Rafiki, what-"

"Now you two take care of yourself," he said. "I don't want to see Makini have to through the trouble reviving you."

"Rafiki what are you talking about?" Fuli asked confused. But the mandrill didn't reply and simply walked out of the cave.

"What's the matter with you all?" Kion asked puzzled once more.

"Son, it's Rafiki," Nala began. "He is not as young as he once were."

"What do you mean?" Fuli asked.

"He is going to join the spirits," Simba said moodily. "He-he is leaving us."

Fuli and Kion now looked moody too.

"When is going to do it?" Fuli asked after a while.

"We don't know," Simba confessed. "He probably wants to do it alone without letting us know when."

"I can't say goodbye like this," Fuli said. "He saved my life."

"Neither can I," said the lion.

"We need to see him now," the cheetah urged and began to walk outside, followed by the lion.

"How could he just say goodbye on a such selfish way?" Fuli asked in run.

"He probably doesn't want it to be so sentimental," Kion theorized under his breath.

They arrived the Rafiki's baobab tree and heard it was full of noise.

"It's not my fault I'm old!" they heard the mandrill shout to himself. "I can't save the day anymore, Mufasa. You have to seek out my college now."

"Mufasa?" Fuli asked puzzled.

"He is probably talking to the spirits," Kion assumed, stepping closer to the tree. "Rafiki?"

The noise suddenly stopped, and the mandrill stuck out his head, eyeing the couple.

"Rafiki, why did you just left without telling us?" Kion asked.

"I did tell you," the mandrill said and climbed down his tree.

"Well it wasn't very obvious," Fuli said annoyed.

"Sometimes the most transparent things are not always the most obvious," the mandrill said wisely.

"Will you stop your riddles, Rafiki," Fuli said.

"Listen, we're all very sad that you're leaving us, but it would be nice if you told us as well," the lion said.

"Why bother when your family could," Rafiki chuckled.

Fuli bend her head down to the mandrill, crying tears. "I never got to thank you for saving my life, and all the other times you saved us."

No need, your highness," Rafiki said and brushed away her tears.

"But what if it happens again?" Fuli cried. "Who's going to revive me? Who's going to revive the cubs?"

Kion looked confused at her. What was she saying? That she wanted more?

"Makini will do the job on point, no need to worry for you, Fuli. Besides, you said you never would have cubs again," he added, patting her cheek. He went over to the lion and hugged him, feeling a tear touch his fur. "Don't cry, Kiongozi."

"How can you take it so calmly?" the lion asked, letting go of the mandrill.

"Death is just another part of live," the mandrill said, looking on their confused faces. "Don't worry, you'll understand it someday. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to prepare for my travel."

The couple looked moodily at the tree that also seemed to have lost a little color. They walked back to Pride Rock to find the others in a grieving mood.

"So?" Simba asked gloomily.

"He is really going to do it," Kion replied. "He's very brave."

"Well, like he said, "life is just another path of life"," Fuli said. "He known more than you think."

Kiara let out a little chuckle and leaned her head against her husbands.

"Everything is going to be a lot different, without him," Nala sighed, caressing her husband's cheek. He felt a little empty, knowing that his old, wise friend was leaving him.