Chapter 8: Sadaka and Uvumilivu
Kion yawned and stretched himself, taking in the Tree of Life's beauty as the sun ascended over its horizon, magnifying the vast Kingdom with orange and yellow. The Prince smiled and thought back to the first time he truly remembered looking upon his home at sunrise with his father atop Pride Rock.
Somehow, since he recovered the orange flower, he felt the burning sensation in his eyes lessen as if he'd eaten some tuliza. This gave him great hope that soon he might be able to look upon Pride Rock again.
"Morning guys." Bunga yawned deeply and shook off some dirt from his hide.
"Morning! How's everyone doing!" Makini cried as she came from the Tree of Life, an over excited look on her face.
"Alright I guess, Ora and his dragons gave us a tough fight yesterday." Fuli said.
"Well you'll be happy to hear Ono is doing well!"
"Really!?" Kion almost shouted.
"Yep! We've already started his treatment, another day or so and he'll have his sight back!"
"Zuka Zama! I'll bet Kion's starting to feel better too!" Bunga cried while nudging him.
"Bunga-" Fuli started.
"Actually, I am." Kion answered with a hopeful smile.
"Wonderful." Nirmala's voice drew the Lion Guard's attention and they turned to see her approaching with Rani and the others, including Afia.
"Princess Rani." Kion said respectfully.
"Prince Kion." Fuli noticed that Rani's harshness towards Kion had dramatically lessened since he saved Baliyo. Now she at least spoke to him with a level of respect, which was a start she supposed.
"We appreciate your help yesterday, all of you." Fuli looked closer when she noticed Rani's voice growing quieter upon speaking the last bit. She also tried to avoid making eye-contact with Kion, but not out of resentment, in fact, she almost looked embarrassed. Afia's snickering and Baliyo's passive-aggressive expression towards Kion made Fuli all the more curious of what all that was about.
"Anyway, Nirmala." The lioness nodded and approached Kion.
"Today you're going to master two more virtues, Sadaka and Uvumilivu." Kion nodded.
"Alright, what do I have to do?"
"For Sadaka, this will be done through acts of service and charity to others. Today, you and I are going to completely submit ourselves to the needs of others." Kion thought back to Jonah again.
"Alright, I suppose that's not far from what I usually do with my Guard duties." However, Kion saw Nirmala shake her head with a growing smile.
"I'm not talking about Guard duties, nor am I talking about Queenly duties that Rani does. I'm talking about intense labor, things no one wants to do but will help others."
Kion took a deep breath.
"Ok, sure. Nothing wrong with that, what about Uvumilivu?" Nirmala's smile widened even more, making Kion grow slightly nervous, particularly when he noticed a similar grin from Rani.
"It's simple, you just have to be patient and content all day and not get jealous of anyone else."
Kion looked slightly confused.
"Why would I be jealous of someone else?"
Nirmala turned to Afia.
"Afia, I want you to take the rest of the Lion Guard out and have a day of fun."
"Huh?" Fuli and the others, save Kion, muttered.
"Yep! That's right, I've got a whole list of the most exciting things you can imagine and we're going to do it all today! I'm talking sightseeing, I'm talking ice slides, and more!" Afia wrapped one paw around Baliyo's head and the other around Anga, pulling them up against her.
"Get ready for the time of your lives!"
"But, Kion-" Anga started.
"This is for his healing." Nirmala insisted.
Each of his friends gave an extremely guilty look towards their leader who sighed.
"Go, I'll be fine."
"Come on!" Afia laughed, almost pushing each of them away with Baliyo close behind.
"I don't know, this doesn't feel right." Fuli said.
"Weren't you listening, it's the only way Kion is going to get better! Now, who's up for Tree of Life style stalking in the marshes?"
"Me!" Bunga screamed, perhaps louder than he intended.
Kion watched his friends leave with a longing expression and sighed before noticing Rani move her head closer to his with a cocky expression.
"Best to work, animals in this Kingdom always have something they need help with." Kion narrowed his eyes towards her.
"Really, funny, back at Pride Rock my sister makes sure that's never the case." Nirmala and Surak both contained their laughter as Rani's smugness broke down into a fierce growl.
"You know what-"
"Your highness!" Cadoc squawked before landing beside her.
"There you are, Marquess George was wondering if you could meet him on his island this morning?" Rani looked back over, but Kion was already heading out with Nirmala.
Later that morning, Kion held a bird's nest in his mouth while clinging to the side of a tree.
"Hmm, a little to the left." A female golden oriole bird said while tapping her beak indecisively. Kion exhaled deeply through his nose, trying very hard to remain calm and patient while placing the nest down for the sixth time.
"Actually, a little to the right." Kion moved the nest again and set it down.
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect, thank you!" Kion was about to climb down when he realized that the nest was now exactly where it was when he started.
"...No problem." He spoke quietly and descended to the forest floor.
"Very good, no visible anger or frustration." Nirmala said with a nod.
"Alright, where next?" Kion asked until he saw Nirmala point to the next tree where two more orioles waited beside their nest.
"Thisssss issssss a wassste of your time!" Ushari hissed, but quieter than before.
Kion sighed.
"It's difficult for them to move those nests on their own." Kion said to himself before scaling up the next tree. To their credit, the next few orioles went by much easier and all genuinely had their nests moved to a better position. Not only that, but each thanked him.
"How are you feeling?" Nirmala asked.
"Alright actually, I'm glad those birds are better off."
"That's the spirit, you're learning Sadaka well. However, we're about to turn up the heat with Uvumilivu."
Kion's smile faded upon hearing that.
Elsewhere, beyond the Tree of Life's borders, Hasira diligently looked over a makeshift map of the Kingdom's boundaries he'd made in the snow.
"Thissss issss a waste of time! We should russssh the entrance and take the land by force!" Ora hissed.
"This is why you fail, lizard. You don't plan, you don't think things through."
"As if your plan yesterday worked any better." Chuluun growled, at least until she saw the lion turn back to her.
"Chuluun, you just volunteered." Ora and Makucha both laughed as Hasira approached Chuluun with a terrifying smile.
"Don't be afraid, it's the perfect task for a ghost. I just need you to go on a little hunt." Hasira turned back to the others.
"As for you two."
Back inside the Kingdom, Bunga moved very carefully through the marshes, trying not to make a sound. That was until he accidentally stepped on a twig that made a distinct snapping noise.
"Gotcha!" Bunga's eyes went wide as Binga leaped through the tall-grass and pinned him to the ground.
"Ha! Point for the girls!" Binga giggled as Bunga's face turned red.
Nearby, Beshte, Azaad, and Baliyo all shook their heads while trying to remain hidden. Stalking was effectively a game of hide-and-go seek played between two teams, one playing as the prey who tried to avoid detection and the other as predators who stalked them.
"Come on guys, I don't want to lose to Afia, again." Baliyo grunted. He looked around diligently while trying to move from one position to another, only to go still when he heard some familiar growling.
"Here, kitty kitty kitty." Baliyo nearly yelped as Afia leaped clean over the grass, a feral grin on her face as she slammed him down onto his back in the murky water. Baliyo sighed with a browbeaten expression while his companion laughed.
"It's just you and me now." Azaad whispered to Beshte.
"Huh, I'm surprised I lasted longer than Bunga, given how big I am." Beshte said.
"Well, try and remain still, maybe they'll think you're a big rock."
"Hmm, not a bad idea, what about you?"
"Ahh, no need to worry about me, my friend. They're not fast enough to catch me."
"What about Fuli?" Azaad sweat dropped slightly.
"She's terrified of the water, I'm completely safe from her."
"Are you sure?" Azaad's went pale and he began trembling as Fuli's unmistakable silhouette emerged through the tall grass.
Without a word, he dashed off through the mash as fast as he could, but to no avail. Fuli kept pace and slammed him onto his stomach.
"I thought you hated water." Azaad groaned. Fuli, however, smirked and brought her face just over his.
"I do, but I also love doing that more."
"Ha! That's three down, one more to go!" Afia laughed.
"That just leaves Beshte! See anything Anga!?" Normally the eagle could've seen her hippo companion without issue, but the thick marsh made this more difficult, and all she saw were a few large boulders. Anga flew down and landed on one of these rocks, noticing it felt softer than she expected.
"Hmmm, come on, how can I not find Beshte!?" Anga groaned in frustration before taking off again. Yet at that moment, she felt it hit her like an avalanche of stone.
"No!" Anga frantically turned around, but it was too late. Beshte charged through the marsh as fast as he could and emerged on solid ground.
"I escaped!"
"Hah! Boys win!" Baliyo roared. Afia, Fuli, and Binga all felt their mouths drop while the other boys rushed to Beshte's side.
"Way to go, big guy!" Bunga laughed.
Anga covered her face with her wings as the other girls looked over.
Rani wasn't far away and smiled seeing her brother's team win, and perhaps more importantly, Afia's team lose. A small part of her wished she could've joined them, the princess always loved a game of stalking. She pictured herself with the others and successfully pinning her prey, and purred a little imagining Kion-"
Rani's eyes went wide and she almost yelped upon realizing she'd just fantasized about pinning Kion to the ground.
"Your highness, are you ok?" Cadoc asked.
"Huh!?" Rani shouted with a frantic expression.
"Oh, I'm fine, I was just, nothing." Rani tried to get her mind off Kion, but this became impossible when she saw the Prince across the marsh.
Kion dug into a thick patch of mud, feeling the slimy substance slide in between the pads of his feet.
"Stay calm, don't get angry." Kion told himself, particularly when he saw and heard his friends nearby having fun. Despite this, Kion remained focused on his duty and kept at it, until finally he felt something solid. Positioning it beneath his foot, Kion pulled up and finally it popped out, an old turtle shell.
"There you go." Kion said, placing it down in front of a family of turtles.
"Thank you! Alright children , you need to be more careful when playing with your great grandpa's shell!"
"Yes, mom."
Kion tried to shake the mud off him when he heard a familiar chuckle and sighed.
"How's the healing going?" Rani asked.
"I think Kion is making good progress, he may even have both virtues mastered by the end of the day."
"Really?" Rani smiled mischievously.
"So, it doesn't make you mad that everyone else is having a day of fun and you're digging through the mud for turtle shells?" Kion didn't give in to Rani's taunting and instead, shook himself harder, ensuring what was left of the mud got onto her fur.
"I'm doing good things for your people, someone else having fun didn't put me in this situation." Rani looked back at Nirmala with an impressed look.
"Hmm, maybe there is hope for you. Hey Nirmala, you mind if I borrow Kion for a bit? My next task will require a little hard labor."
"Hmp, bring it on." Kion growled.
"Whoo! Rani!" Ullu flew over, and hardened Rani's expression.
"What's wrong? More intruders?!"
"Yes! The komodo dragon and leopard, they're coming in from the western entrance with some of their followers!"
"What about Hasira!?" Kion growled, Rani doing the same.
"No sign of the other lion yet."
"Hmm, then we shouldn't send everyone that way." Rani took a deep breath.
"Alright, Baliyo, Afia come on! Kion you and the Lion Guard stay inside in case Hasira tries to enter another way."
"Actually, Rani, I think we can handle this one without you." Nirmala said as Baliyo and Afia rejoined them.
"Nirmala-" Rani started.
"If it's just a few minor bandits, I don't want to interrupt your duties. Besides, if Hasira does try to come, you might be needed to help stop him."
The princess took another deep breath and gave her brother a guilty expression.
"We'll be fine, have a little faith in me." Baliyo said, standing up tall.
"Don't worry, I'll be there to keep him out of trouble." Afia giggled, earning a glare from Baliyo. Rani narrowed her eyes and turned back to Nirmala.
"That's it, I'm coming."
"Actually your grace, if you aren't needed, our next task was the important one which required additional manual labor."
"Right! I-"
"It will be fine." Surak growled as he revealed himself.
"Let's go!" Kion saw a mixture of fear and guilt in Rani's eyes as she saw the Night Pride go off without her.
"Whoo, I'll keep my eye on the other entrances and let you know." Ullu said before flying off.
"Rani, are you ok?" Kion asked and she sighed again.
"Yeah, I just don't feel right letting them go off without me."
"You mean like you and Nirmala made me do yesterday." Kion said with a smirk. Rani narrowed her eyes slightly, but quickly faltered.
"Well I'm glad I did make you stay. You mastered your first virtue and it made sure you were there to save Baliyo."
"I suppose it did work out. I knew Fuli could lead the Guard in my stay, I'm sure Baliyo can do the same with the Night Pride."
Rani smiled a little and nodded.
"The Night Pride is going to have to operate without me one day." That last bit caught Kion's attention, but before he could ask, Cadoc flew over them and began leading Rani towards another part of the Kingdom, forcing Kion to follow.
"Well, there goes our guide." Beshte said noting Afia's departure.
"Nonsense, I can still show you guys a good time!" Binga proclaimed.
Near the northern border, Ullu landed on a low hanging branch after searching the surrounding area.
"Whoo, maybe he's given up." Ullu began cleaning the inside of her wings when she heard what sounded like footsteps beneath her.
"Huh?" Ullu looked down and saw bits of snow moving in the air, but no animal.
"Hmmm, I must've imagined it." Ullu was about to return to her cleaning when she noticed pawprints in the snow.
"What the?" Without warning, someone slammed into Ullu from behind and pinned the owl onto the ground.
"Grrrr, cry for help, I dare you." Chuluun growled, flashing her fangs over a trembling Ullu, who couldn't muster any words.
"So, you're the Night Pride's scout." Hasira's voice made Ullu go as cold as ice and her eyes slowly shifted to his terrifying expression as he loomed over her.
"Hmm, don't be scared. There are worse Lions than me in this world."
Chuluun almost chuckled.
"Where?"
"Head north." Hasira muttered, and for the first time, Chuluun sensed genuine fear in his voice. Despite this, Hasira brought his head to just over Ullu's face.
"You're going to tell me everything I need to know about the Tree of Life, and if you don't."
Ullu heard the unmistakable sound of hyenas snarling and turned her head to see five striped hyenas circling her.
"Now, tell me where I can strike that will sow chaos, and pandemonium?" Out of instinct, Ullu's eyes turned to somewhere in the distance and Hasira looked in that direction, where he saw a mountainside covered in snow, perhaps too much.
A smile of terrible satisfaction overtook the Lion's face.
"Perfect."
"No!" Ullu cried.
Kion positioned himself under a fallen tree covering a small burrow in the savanna.
"Please hurry!" A blue vixen cried. Gritting his fangs, Kion lifted the tree up and off the ground.
"Hold on, I've got you!" Rani then reached inside and pulled out a small kit, and then another.
"Ohh, thank you your majesty!" The vixen muttered, before nuzzling her babies.
"It's my pleasure." Rani smiled tenderly towards the foxes with a mixture of true devotion and passion. Kion recognized the feeling in Rani's expression, it was the same sensation he savored whenever he and the Guard protected Pride Rock.
"Come on, there's more foxes to help." Rani said, emphasizing several other fallen trees from a storm the previous night. A few other Night Lions also tried to clear the trees, with Idan and Gael both growling as they tried to move one the same way Kion did.
"Ok, now lift!" Gael roared.
"I am! Dang it Gael, use your legs not your back!" Idan groaned, the two struggling to hold the tree up as Kanda pulled a kit up.
"There you go." Kanda said sweetly while setting the baby down beside her mother and father.
Gael and Idan both panted heavily after setting the tree down.
"Ohhh, my back." Gael groaned.
"I told you to use your legs, you always do this!" Idan growled.
"Come on, guys, we still have over seven more trees to go." Kanda said, emphasizing the remaining trees and the fact that aside from them, Rani and Kion, only two other Night Lions were working.
However, all three of them soon looked at Kion with interest. The adolescent Prince crouched under a tree even larger than the one Gael and Idan struggled with and lifted it with relative ease.
"Woah." Gael muttered.
"Show off." Idan growled, particularly when he saw the way Kanda gazed at him.
"Wow, Kion's strong." Kanda said in awe.
"Yeah, he is." Kanda saw the bashful expression growing on Rani's face and smiled like Afia had.
"So how is the search for a suitor going?"
"Huh! I, uh, I guess I just haven't thought about it lately, too much work, especially with these new poachers, and-"
"Rani?" Kion said, still holding the tree up.
"Ahh! Coming!" Rani raced over and pulled the three trapped kits out.
"Oh yeah, that's right, Princess Rani is going to need a suitor soon! This could be my chance, King Gael!"
Idan and Kanda smirked at each other before laughing.
"What!?"
"I think you've got some fierce competition, Gael." Kanda giggled as she emphasized Kion lifting up yet another tree with his immense strength.
"Ahhhg." Gael sighed, unable to lift up one of them on his own.
Upon finishing, Kion and Rani laid down together on a hillside with the other lions and Cadoc. Below them, the foxes now ran free and began digging new burrows.
"Well, you got over not going with the Night Pride." Kion chuckled as he saw the deeply compassionate smile across her face. Rani's demeanor didn't change and she kept smiling at the various animals across the savanna.
"I know how important the Night Pride is, but in truth, I prefer this kind of work. Helping animals in need, caring for them, being there when they have no one else. I've seen my grandmother do it, and it's what my mother did." Kion looked back at her with greater interest. He knew what he wanted to ask her, but finding the right way to do so was difficult.
"Rani, your parents aren't here….." Kion spoke very carefully and saw the raw emotion build up inside the Princess.
"No, they died, a long time ago."
"I'm sorry." Kion moved closer to try and comfort her, but Rani shook her head.
"I'm fine, like I said, it was a long time ago. I know they're not really gone, no one's ever really gone." Kion smiled slightly thinking about his grandfather. For a brief moment, Kion wondered if Mufasa could come to him at times, if there was any way Rani's parents could do the same.
"I'm sure they'd be proud if they saw you now, caring for and defending the Kingdom."
Rani nodded slightly, thinking back to her fondest memories with her mother and father.
"I'm glad I can help you see your family again, Kion."
"Thanks." Kion now fought back his own emotions, thinking about his mother, father, and Kiara, but also someone else. His older brother, taken from him and their family before Kion was even old enough to remember him. More than once, the Prince hoped he could speak with his brother as he did his grandfather, but never could, and as such a small part of Kion still clung onto the fading hope that perhaps somehow, Kopa still lived, and that perhaps one day he'd see him again.
Cadoc had drifted into a midday nap beside Rani while she chuckled slightly.
"What's got him so tired? We were the ones moving trees and rescuing kits." Kion laughed quietly so as not to wake him.
"Cadoc gets himself worked up too much. He just cares deeply about the Kingdom and those inside."
"Hmp, no wonder you two get along so well."
"I suppose, but as for the trees, I didn't want to say anything but it would've gone faster if you'd just used the roar on them." Rani joked, but immediately saw a flood of shame and guilt weigh down on Kion's expression.
"I'm not using the Roar again, at least not until I master all seven virtues." Kion sighed.
"Why not?"
Kion kept his head low.
"Since Ushari bit me, I haven't been able to control the roar, and I just end up doing more damage or even hurting people, like what happened with Baliyo." Rani lowered her head slightly. By now she'd forgiven Kion for using the Roar her brother, but the fact that he felt unwilling to use the Roar of the Elders again made her feel a bit guilty for how harshly she acted towards him.
"Kion, my grandmother told me that the Roar of the Elders can't exist in the heart of someone evil. If you still have the Roar, that means something." Kion's expression didn't change, at least until he felt Rani nuzzle his head slightly, causing his face to turn intensely red.
"I believe you have the ability to control your emotions, you just need to give yourself a chance to prove it." Kion still blushed as he saw Rani's warm and gentle smile.
After a few minutes, the two lions both realized that Nirmala and the others still hadn't returned.
"Hmm, they should've been back by now." Rani said cautiously.
"I think you're right, something's up." Kion said, nodding.
"Cadoc, Cadoc." Rani nudged the fish eagle who stammered to his feet.
"Huh! I'm awake! I'm awake!"
"Cadoc, I need you to fly to the western entrance and find out what's going on, and if you see Ullu, tell her to meet me at the Tree of Life."
"Of course, your highness." Cadoc flew off at a diligent speed and Rani got up.
"Come on, if Nirmala's still busy, my grandmother will know what to do next with your current virtues."
"Sounds good." The two arrived inside the Tree of Life where Queen Janna rested on the same rock as before.
"Grandma."
"Queen Janna." Kion said, respectfully bowing his head. The elderly queen gave a warm smile.
"Rani, Kion. What brings you here? Have you finished your healing and duties for today?"
"Not exactly, Nirmala still hasn't returned and we were wondering if maybe you could help Kion finish."
Janna nodded thoughtfully before turning to Kion.
"Which virtues were you tasked with today?"
"Sadaka and Uvumilivu."
"I see, explain what you've done so far." Kion did just that and earned another slow nod from Janna.
"Well, your healing will likely require much more time at this rate." Kion sighed and Rani gave him a consoling look.
"However, I do have good news, your friend Ono is coming along well. Makini."
Kion and Rani looked over as Makini revealed Ono resting on another rock with a strange paste and series of vines over his eyes.
"Kion, Rani, are you guys there?" Ono asked.
"We're here." Kion said, both Janna and Rani noticing the sorrow vanishing from him.
"My eyes are already starting to feel a lot better, this tree is amazing!"
"Makini is learning quite well, she may soon rival Nirmala."
"I don't know about that, you're far too kind, Queen Janna. But she's right about Ono, I think he'll be seeing again by tomorrow morning!"
"Really!?" Ono squawked.
"That's great!" Kion cried in pure joy.
"Well done, Kion." Janna's comment caught the Prince and Princess off-guard.
"Huh?"
"You have mastered Uvumilivu."
"I have?"
Janna nodded, still smiling.
"You learned that your healing could still take some time and that your friend's would be completed tomorrow. Yet you showed no jealousy or envy, you were happy for him and accepted your own status, that is the essence of Uvumilivu. As for Sadaka, I'd say you were probably already quite capable of that before you arrived, today merely proved it."
Kion's heart began to soar, he'd done it, he'd mastered two more virtues and was that much closer to seeing his family again.
"Hapana, that's great!" Ono squawked, nearly jumping out of his vines until Makini held him in place.
"You see, no need to fear using the Roar." Rani said, earning a shocked expression from Janna.
"What did you say?"
Kion took a deep breath.
"I've just been a bit uneasy about using the Roar until I'm fully healed."
"Kion, please understand that you cannot let such fear drive you, it will only hinder your healing." Janna emphasized the wall paintings and Makini walked over to lit them up with her staff.
"The Roar of the Elders was born here."
"It was?!" Kion and Ono both muttered in disbelief.
"That's right, haven't you heard the Tale of the Two Brothers?" Rani said with a growing smile.
"No."
"That's disappointing, it's about your ancestors."
"Geoffrey and Askari!" Kion almost shouted realizing the connection.
"Well technically Geoffrey is your direct ancestor while Askari is your indirect ancestor." Ono corrected.
Rani eagerly explained the Tale of the Two Brothers, making Kion gaze at the moving paintings in wonder.
"Hezi Kabisa."
"We always believed that one day the Roar would return, and now that it has, you have the ability to unlock its true potential." Janna said.
"True potential?"
The elder lion nodded eagerly.
"When Askari mastered the Roar, he performed wonders and miracles with it beyond one's imagination. He moved mountains, changed the weather, transported himself to wherever he wanted to go.
Kion almost trembled upon hearing this.
"How, how can I do this?"
"You're well on your way. Mastering these virtues will improve your connection to the elder lions."
"Woah! This is incredible! Kion imagine all the good you could do with the mastered Roar!" Ono cried.
Kion was still trying to take it all in when Cadoc flew inside with a restless expression.
"Your highness, I found the Night Pride, but they were still battling the intruders."
Rani gave an incredibly confused look.
"What? They're putting up that much of a fight?"
"Well, not exactly, from what I saw, the intruders seemed to be doing more running than fighting. It almost seems as if they're intentionally trying to drag the whole thing out."
"Why would they do that?"
Kion and Ono started to consider the situation.
"Hasira isn't Janja, he was trained by Ushari, he wouldn't do something so stupid and repedetive." Kion said.
"Hold on, Ushari, Kion remember the way he used his forces? Instead of attacking directly, they'd try to spread chaos, death, and destruction to bog us down."
"That's right, they'd set fires, star rockslides, and mudslides. I'll bet Makucha and Ora are just a distraction! Which means he and Chuluun are probably inside!"
"What!? No, that's impossible, Ullu would've spotted them and warned us….Wait a minute, Ullu. Cadoc, did you see her!?" Fear filled Rani and Janna's faces as the fish eagle nervously shook his head.
"No, your highness."
"Ullu!"
"It's alright, Hasira has to know how knowledgeable she is about the Kingdom, which means he wouldn't just kill her." Kion tried to ease Rani and placed his paw on her shoulder.
"Rani, Queen Janna, is there anything Ullu knows about that could let Hasira spread chaos?" Ono asked.
The Queen and Princess turned to each other with horrified expressions.
"The mountain connected to the Tundra Duchy! It's collected too much snow and is precariously close to an avalanche. Duke Advik has been working tirelessly to keep animals off it to prevent one from happening." Rani muttered.
"Tundra Duchy?" Kion asked.
"There are three independent feudal domains neighboring the Tree of Life, the Island ruled by Marquis George, the Tundra Duchy ruled by Duke Advik, and the Jungle Principality ruled by Prince Rune. The Tundra Duchy borders our own tundra."
"Hevi Kabisa! If he has Chuluun with him, she'll be practically invisible there!"
"We need to stop him!" Rani snarled.
"Right, Cadoc, find the Lion Guard and tell them to meet us at the Tundra!" Kion roared.
"On it!"
"Alright, let's go!" Ono squawked before Makini held him down.
"Woah, woah, woah! Easy there, Ono, you're not done healing." The egret sighed.
Several minutes later, Kion, Rani, and the rest of the Lion Guard raced across the Tree of Life's tundra province past direwolves, polar bears, penguins, and more.
"Everyone clear the area now!" Rani roared.
"You heard the princess! This area isn't safe!" A group of direwolves moved about, organizing the tundra's evacuation.
"He's willing to cause an avalanche and bury countless animals, to what end!?" Azaad cried in revulsion.
"Chaos and disorder to soften this place up. Ushari did things like this." Fuli growled.
"Anga, you see anything!?" Kion shouted.
The eagle peered in closer to the mountain and saw movement.
"Yes, a whole herd of muskox bison!"
"Bison? Why are they on the mountain?" Beshte asked.
"Well we better get them down before Hasira tries to eat them." Bunga said. However, Kion and Rani both thought about another possibility.
After another minute, they entered a larger tundra and saw many similar animals including moose, arctic wolves, and tigers.
"Alright Tundra Guard, let's move." A strong voice said. Ahead of them, a large white-tiger stood before a black bear, Shaheen falcon, Dhole, and panther. Each of them had a white Guard mark on them shaped like a star, the tiger on his shoulder, the bear had his across his chest. The dhole across his face. The panther on her shoulder, and the falcon on his stomach.
"Advik!" Rani cried. The tiger turned to face her.
"Ahh, Princess Rani, welcome. I'm sorry but I don't have time to talk, we have a territorial herd of muskox who were spotted on the mountain."
"Advik, there's trouble! An intruder is here and he's trying to start an avalanche!"
The Duke and his Guard shared a horrified expression and began to tremble.
"Wait, did you say territorial herd?" Kion asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes, they, wait who are you?"
"He's Kion, these are his friends, Advik focus!" Rani growled.
"Right, sorry. Yes, a herd of muskox entered the tundra earlier this morning and started pushing around the local herds from their feeding areas. Ajitabh spotted them heading up the mountainside."
"You don't think?" Rani asked Kion.
The Prince grit his fangs and looked up at the mountain.
"I hope not."
The two Guards moved up the slopes very carefully, watching their every step with the volatile snow around them. However, upon getting closer to the summit, they felt the ground shake around them.
"What's that?" Advik muttered.
Anga squawked in horror after peering further up the mountain.
"It's the bison!" Kion and the others also yelped when they saw the herd furiously pounding their hooves against the snow in front of them.
"Stop! You're going to start an avalanche you fools!" The white tiger roared.
"How perceptive." Kion snarled upon hearing Hasira's voice and saw the lion reveal himself behind the herd, a terrible grin on his face.
"Still, I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly. Though now I get the pleasure of seeing you buried alive, plantagenet."
"Why are you doing this!?" Rani growled, not at Hasira, but the buffalo.
"Hmp, he offered us a sweet deal, lion. Once we bury the tundras and all the other animals in them, they'll be all ours. No predators to thin our numbers and no other herbivores to share food with." The lead bison huffed.
Kion growled louder.
"Ahh, ahh, ahh, be careful with that roar of yours, Plantagenet. You wouldn't want to cause another avalanche, would you?" Hasira chuckled. Kion froze, a look of terror growing across his face as the memory of the avalanche from their journey flashed through the Prince's mind.
"No, Kion, don't listen to him!" Rani shouted.
"Bury them." Hasira chuckled. Five of the bison continued to stomp the snow while the others charged, horns down.
"Go!" Rani snarled.
"Twende Kiboko!" Beshte huffed as he met the first bison and slammed him back into the snow, causing the ground to shake.
"Be careful, Beshte!" Kion shouted.
"Right, sorry!"
Fuli and Azaad raced around one bison who tried in vain to fling them with his horns.
"Hmmpf! Stay still, annoying little leopards!"
"Leopards!?" Fuli and Azaad growled together. The bison lowered his head and charged in, only for the young couple to leap past him on both sides. Upon doing so, the larger animal realized how close to the slope he was and struggled to keep himself from skidding.
Yet even as he did so, Fuli and Azaad pivoted, then pounced into his side together, sending the bison tumbling down the mountainside.
"Hmp, leopards are too slow to pull that off." Fuli said smugly
"Anga Lenga!"
"Zuka Zama!" Bunga and Anga worked together attacking the faces of three bison, overwhelming their senses and then quickly swapping to keep them effectively paralyzed.
"Gaaah! Make it stop!"
"Ok Anga, get clear!" The mashal eagle nodded and flew away as fast as she could, knowing what was coming.
"Eat this!" Bunga laughed, and overwhelmed the three bison with a foul odor so horrible it made them miss his claws.
"All yours big guy!" The trio of bison violently coughed, and didn't even notice the brown bear charging at them, snarling as he did so. Anga and Bunga's attacks positioned the bison into alignment, and allowed the bear to slamm them into each other like dominos, sending all three tumbling down the mountainside.
"And that's what you call teamwork!" Bunga cried.
"Hmp, you guys aren't half bad." The bear said, nodding.
Adik and the rest of his guard kept at another four bison while Rani evaded another's horns.
"Hmmphf! No lion can hunt me! Maybe when I'm done, I'll eat you instead!" The bison leader huffed, only for Rani to dodge his next blow and dig her claws deep into his face.
"Gaaahhh!" Snarling, Rani bit his front left leg, and then claws his back right, breaking the massive animal's stance.
"I never liked bison, too little meat, too much fat." Rani body-slammed the lead bison's side and sent him rolling uncontrollably down the mountain, both his horns breaking off as he did so.
"Rani!" The Princess's eyes widened when she heard Ullu's cries. Quickly turning, she saw the snow owl buried up to her neck.
"Ullu! I'm coming!"
"No, Rani wait!"
Just before the Night Lioness could reach her friend, something or someone hit and knocked Rani back.
"What the?" Rani grunted upon feeling a set of clas rake her side. She lashed out, but still saw nothing. However, she did hear sinister laughter.
"Rani, it's Chuluun!"
"The invisible snow leopard, great!" Rani took a defensive stance and tried to look around for pawprints. Yet even as she saw them, Chuluun moved too fast for the Princess to lock in on her.
Rani then cried out when Chuluun's fangs buried themselves into her front leg. Yet after the initial shock of pain, she smiled victoriously.
"Big mistake!" Rani forced herself to the ground and rolled, dragging Chuluun with her. Despite the agony of the leopard's fangs, the Night Lioness endured and slammed Chuluun into the snow again and again until at last, she saw her stumble into sight with a dazed expression.
"I see you." Rani snarled, grinning enough to reveal all her fangs.
"Oh no." Chuluun muttered, turning paler than she already was. Nearby, Advik slammed one of the bison down the mountain when he saw and heard the commotion as Rani mauled Chuluun.
The tiger and his companions all went still, and even shook slightly.
"And she always seemed so sweet and tender."
Kion and Beshte rushed the last five Bison who still pounded the snow.
"Up and over!?" Kion suggested, earning a confident smile from his hippo companion.
"Up and over!" Beshte huffed.
"Gore them!" Hasira snarled. Three of the bison raced down, horns lowered. Kion showed no fear and leaped forward. Using his immense strength, Kion slammed two of their heads together, then pounced into the third, seizing him by the horns and dragging the bison across the snow. Once he had the right leverage, Kion pushed the bison forward and then body slammed him into Beshte.
"Twende Kiboko!" The hippo literally lifted the first bison up and into the air. In quick succession, Kion launched himself into a feral assault upon the other two, eventually hurling them into Beshte who flipped them over his body and down the mountain.
Hasira narrowed his eyes and noticed the last two bison backing up.
"Uhhh, I don't think we can beat them."
"Perhaps not, but you will still serve your purpose." Kion and Beshte heard two painful yelpes as Hasira mauled the bisons' faces and slammed them into the snow. Within moments, the ground began to shake, but harder this time.
"No!" The two Guards watched in horror as the snow before them began to break apart and tumble down, steadily growing larger and more destructive with each passing moment.
"Enjoy your new Kingdom!" Hasira laughed maniacally, then disappeared over the mountaintop with a mangled Chuluun.
Rani freed Ullu who peered down with Anga towards the base of the mountain.
"Aaahhh! There's more animals down there than I can count!" Anga squawked.
"No! No!" Advik wailed.
"Kion, the Roar! It stopped an avalanche before!" Bunga cried.
"That's right! It did!" Fuli shouted.
Kion began to tremble.
"I-"
"Come on!" Rani growled. She shoved Kion down a steeper slope where the avalanche wasn't going. The two lions slid faster than the snow until they reached the base where dozens of animals fled in panic before the approaching tidal wave of snow.
"Alright, this is it, use the Roar!" Rani nudged Kion forward, but he hesitated. The horrible memory of him attacking Baliyo flashed through his mind.
"You can't control the Roar! You're weak! You'll desstroy thissss Kingdom, you'll dessstroy Rani!"
"Kion!" Rani pulled him over and looked directly into the Prince's eyes.
"You can do this, you're not your past mistakes." The tenacity vanished from Rani's expression, replaced by the same tender compassion as earlier. Kion felt his spirits soar, and baring his fangs, the Lion Prince stared down the approaching avalanche.
Arching his head back, Kion channeled the power of the elders within him. Rani gazed in awe and wonder as she felt the wind pick up and clouds form over them.
"Grauuu!" At once, Kion unleashed the Roar's thunderous power, meeting the wave of snow like an unstoppable hurricane. The Prince felt a growing strain from the avalanche's sheer weight and the venom burning him from the inside. Even so, he refused to give in, and with a final burst, the wave of snow broke.
Kion panted heavily, his legs wobbling as he struggled to stay upright.
"He did it! We're alive!" A nearby caribou cried.
"We're saved! We're saved!" A waddle of penguins cheered.
Kion slowly looked up and saw what he'd done, or rather, what he prevented.
"I, I did it, I-" Rani purred deeply while nuzzling him, both their faces turning bright red.