~Episode nineteen: Journey To The Pridelands~
(before the events of the episode; Jasiri and Janja meeting Azaad)
"Alright.. so.. where to now?" Janja wondered. "This place is awful strange, if you ask me.
"You're not scared,.. are you, Janja?" Jasiri smirked.
"Who me?! No! I'm just.. -I don't know, that last moja kwa moja stone didn't exactly make sense, and.. um.. Where exactly is the next one?" He mentioned, indicating their location amongst the rocky canyons and tunnels of the dusty, dry rockland. "How can't we even see where it is, in this crazy maze!"
"Hm.. now that you mention it.." Jasiri began to realize, as her eyes turned up and her ears laid back.
"Who goes there!?" Rumbled a voice in the silence, which made Janja jump and whine; cowering against Jasiri from behind. The new queen of the Outlands growled and took on defensive prowl, peering with sharp eyes amongst their surroundings.
"Who said that?!" Jasiri demanded. Silence only returned.
"We're just passing through!" Jasiri called out again. "We're looking for our friends,.. They were headed to the Tree of Life!" Suddenly catching motion to her right, her head shot over to it to find a proud looking cheetah emerge from the rocks to stand over them; with only a slightly judgemental stance which changed with his curious expression..
"Do they.. happen to be a group of different animals?" The strange cheetah quizzed, with the arch of an eyebrow.
"Yes.." Jasiri answered lightly, a bit taken aback by this too; their guard's falling a little as she stepped over to face him, and so Janja could now stand on his own again.
"..Led by a lion, with a scar?" The cheetah quizzed further. "All of them bearing a lion's head on their shoulders?"
"Yes!" Jasiri gasped. "Do you know where they went from here?" Azaad hopped down from his perch to stand on their level. When he approached them, they backed down a little, but not necessarily in fear.
"My name is Azaad.. and your friends?.. Are that way.." He said, turning his head back to the path behind him on his right.
"Can you take us to them?" Jasiri asked him hopefully. "I think we may have gotten lost out here, and.. have no way to know where to go from here. It's important that we find them as soon as possible."
"Hm,.. then I suppose we must get going." Azaad decided, turning to glide away a few strides; doubling back to his left. He then stopped to look back at them.
"And it just so happens.." He continued. "That I have an even faster way to get there from here. Follow me!" And Jasiri shot Janja a humorous smile, who straightened up a bit from his cowering in a bit of confused uncertainty.
"Uh..hey, what for us!" Janja called as he took off running after the cheetah through the dusty rock paths; Jasiri right behind him.
xxxx
"So.. why is it that you are in such a hurry.. to find your friends?" Azaad felt inclined to ask, when they had finally caught up with him, running at a pace they could barely keep up with.
"It's.. about some trouble back where we live.." Jasiri explained, already panting from all the running. "Our friends were sent out here to find the Tree of Life for their leader, Kion, who was injured in a battle against our greatest enemies for our homelands. But now.. some other members of their evil leader have returned.. to finish what they started. And.. that's why we need to find our friends. We need their help to stop them. When we left home they were planning to attack their homeland, the Pridelands, when we left our home, the Outlands, to come find them."
"Then I suppose you better keep up! We haven't much time to lose then! HahaHa!" And the speeding yellow blurr that took off across the now open land, left them trying to catch their breath and as well as catch him.
XXXX
(before the events of the episode; Tree of Life)
"Kion,.. You can't possibly be thinking about staying here." Fuli mentioned as the light of day faded around them. "I mean, what about back home? What about the Pridelands.. We still have the responsibility of protecting the Pridelands as long as we're the Lion Guard. You knew when we started this journey, that we would have to go back once your scar was healed."
"And,.. now that it is?.." Bunga jumped in suggestively.
"We should head back to where we belong." Beshte added.
"Indeed." Ono nodded.
"Yup." Anga agreed, exchanging a smile with the egret. Kion stared at them for a moment, attempting to comb through all his thoughts and feelings and try to decide which side he was on.
"I know.." Kion sighed finally, coming up blank as he lowered his head and his gaze away from them. "You're right,.. but.. maybe let's sleep on it; just for tonight. I think there's some things I need to work out.. Tomorrow."
"Ok.." Fuli gave in once again, sighing. "If you say so.." And they all turned to find their place to sleep for the night.
XXXX
(during the song; the Guard looking for Kion)
"Kion!.." Bunga called, making everyone near him cringe. "Kion?!" He scanned the distance in front of him carefully.
"Where did he go?" The honey badger shrugged, glancing back at his friends.
"Hm.. now that you mention it.." Fuli mused admittingly.
"Kion doesn't usually wander off like this without telling us.." Ono reasoned, having landed in front of the group, facing them with a concerned look and tone. "Why would he all of a sudden start now?"
And Fuli began to wonder, herself.
XXXX
(Makini and Rani; saying goodbye to Kion and the Lion Guard)
"Maybe the Roar will return again." Rani said, as the Lion Guard fled across the open land of the Tree of Life and toward the Mountain Pass. "Someday." She finished, after exchanging a smile with her new Royal Mjuzi.
"I'm sure we will." Makini smiled, placing hand on her queen's shoulder, as they watched them for a little longer until they vanished through the split in the rocks. And at that time her heart sank,.. and so did her head.
"It's ok, Rani." Makini told her, sliding her hand up her shoulder a bit to earn her gaze from the ground. "We will miss them.. but.. One day?.. They will return.. Just like Queen Janna said."
"Thank you, Makini." The young queen smiled, turning to pull the mandrill in for a hug with one single paw.
"Rani?.. Makini?" The two looked up behind Makini, and found the rest of the Night Pride strolling up to them.
"What's going on?" Surak wondered, concern upon all their faces.
"Is everything alright?" Nirmala asked.
"*sigh* yes.." Rani sighed. "It's just that.."
"Hey,.." Baliyo realized, looking both ways. "Where's the Lion Guard?" He wondered, looking to his sister curiously, who sighed once again.
"Gone.." She told them sadly. "Their home is in danger again.. And.. they had to go back and defend it. Some friends of theirs came to warn them and asked them to go help them. We can only await their hopeful return.. Someday." The three lions sighed quietly together, their gazes also falling with the disappointment of this fact.
"Well,.. Perhaps they will return again." Surak agreed after a time.
"And when they do?.." Nirmala added more optimistically. "They'll know just how much they were missed."
"Thank you, Nirmala." Rani smiled deeply. And the three other members of the Night Pride nodded their consolation, as they all turned to begin the adjustment of life without the Lion Guard.
XXXX
(Kion and Jasiri's reunion)
"Thanks for coming to get us, Jasiri." Kion smiled, as they ran alongside one another at the front of the group.
"You've saved my family and home more than once." The hyena answered meaningfully. "Just.. returning the favor."
"Well still.. Thank you.." Kion told her. "So.. how have you been.. I mean.. I guess a lot has changed since we've been gone."
"If only you knew.." Jasiri smirked. "But yes,.. there has been a lot of change since you left. You'll definitely have a lot to catch up on once we get home." And at this time they came out of the Mountain Pass and into the clearing of trees leading back the way they'd come seemingly forever ago, and halted there to figure out what to do next.
XXXX
(the ravine)
"We will need to cross this ravine." Azaad announced, as they approached a twisted split of land like that of an empty river gorge.
"Ha-hoh!" Bunga gasped. "That's deep.. And wide!.. DEEP AND WIDE."
"Yeah.. it is," Kion thought, when peering down himself as Bunga's echo faded out.
"A cheetah could just leap across.." Azaad went on, for Kion. "But the nearest land bridge could take days to reach."
Then why would he suggest we take this path if it's not as much faster, as we thought? Kion's mind groaned, feeling himself getting a little annoyed already. When a new thought still came to mind.
"We need to get back to the Pridelands as fast as we can." Kion reiterated. "We.. just have to get past this ravine?"
Doesn't look too far.. He thought some more.. But what about?..
"Yes." Azaad confirmed. "The path to the Pridelands continues on the other side.."
Perfect! His mind finally concluded.
"That's all I need to hear." Kion finally spoke up, confidently cutting off Azaad's elaboration of this fact, to begin formulating the way to proceed.
XXXX
(Jasiri and Janja's reactions to Kion's whirlwind)
"Oo! Oo! Me first! Me first!" Bunga pleaded excitedly, after picking up on Kion's implication.
"Heh,.. ok, Bunga.." Kion grinned hurmously. "You first."
"First?" Jasiri echoed curiously.
"First for what?" Janja wondered suspiciously.
"You'll see." Anga told them knowingly.
Both hyenas watched as Kion turned to Bunga just barely at the edge of the cliff. And were amazed when Kion's roar bent into a swirl of dusty wind instead of the linear blast they'd come to know. And when Bunga leapt out onto it, their thoughts somehow screamed the same reaction, but with the opposite emotional effect.
How is he doing that?! Jasiri smiled while Janja half cringed, when meeting one another's gaze.
No way! Janja gulped. Watching this swirling thing rise up and drop Bunga on the other side of the gap before them.
Kion really has grown since we last met. Jasiri acknowledged. What fun!
XXXX
(Kion getting across the ravine)
"So.. Kion.. how will you get across?" Ono wondered. After watching Fuli and Azaad jump the ravine with ease.
"Like this.." Kion told him confidently, turning toward the gap.
What's he doing?! Fuli momentarily thought as Kion braced himself. And when he jumped over the edge her heart leaped until his roar caught himself and he was somehow able to use it to get even himself across to join them.
"Unbungalievable!" Bunga gushed. And he and everyone around him could collectively think the same word..
Wow!
XXXX
(during song; cliffs)
"Brr.. finally starting to cool down." Fuli shivered, despite the cold not actually being all that cold. Azaad even stopped to glance over at her, when he glanced back a second to their friends still following quietly. "And looks like everyone could use a break too."
"Ok guys,.." She called back to the group. "We'll keep going for a little while longer.. Then I think we should stop and rest for the night."
"Sounds like a good idea, Fuli." Kion agreed, from the back of the group.
"Even while some of us are already.." Jasiri hinted, as they looked up ahead at the hyena and honey badger passed out on Beshte's back ahead of them. "Taking a rest?"
And they couldn't help sharing a laugh after an endearing and humorous smile.
XXXX
(during song; nest)
"Watch your step everyone,.." Azaad called, stepping carefully around a bend. "The path gets steep up here." But stopping short, what lay at his feet was a sight to see.
"What is it Azaad?" Kion asked, coming up next to him.
"Uhh,..- nothing.." The cheetah wavered a bit in slight concern. "It is just that this nest is.. blocking our path." And as Kion looked at the baby birds asleep inside it, an endearing smile fell upon it.
"I can handle this.." He said softly. Lowering his head, his roar came as almost a whisper, and picked up the nest smoothly.
"Alright?.." Azaad queried, regarding this unorthodox solution. "Come on, everyone.. Let us continue." And he led the animals under the floating nest, which Kion set down, once he himself had slipped his way underneath it to the other side.
XXXX
(during song; desert)
"The sun's going down.." Kion noted, for Jasiri to hear. "Perfect timing."
"Why's that?" Fuli wondered, still smiling with an eyebrow arched for curiosity.
"Because we learned on our way to find the Tree of Life.." Kion explained. "That the best way to travel through the desert was during the night; which was so much easier than trying to during the day. When it's so hot out."
"Makes sense to me." Jasiri reasoned.
"Yeah, and I think we should press on till morning comes.." Kion suggested. "So we can get as far back across the desert as we can before stopping. Good thing we took a good long rest at the edge of the cliffs back there, it should give us lots of time to make good progress in getting across the desert in as little time as possible. Maybe we can even make it outta here in a day or two."
"Sounds like a plan." Fuli smiled, as they paused at the top of a sand dune. Suddenly the winds whipped up though, and they braced themselves until that breeze was suddenly blown away by another force of nature that turned out to be Kion.
XXXX
(during the song; marsh)
"Come on, everyone! This way!" Ono called, flying on ahead with Anga.
"Ugh! We're coming." Fuli grumbled, as she waded through the wet and muck miserably.
But as Kion began to climb over the log to plunge into the next swampy patch of marsh, some grunts and strains got his attention and he looked back to find a trapped Beshte and a straining Bunga.
"I gotcha, Beshte." the young leader decided, turning around again. Then sending out some small blasts of his roar at strategic points, each one cutting the vines wrapping the hippo's body. And when the one Bunga held onto broke it dropped him into the marsh, with a smile still on his face.
"Whooph! Thanks Kion." Beshte thanked him.
"Sure thing, Beshte." Kion nodded.
"I knew you had it under control." The honey badger mentioned, when turning to sit down where he'd landed. And Kion smirked, as they turned to catch up with their friends.
XXXX
(during the song; snow)
"Hoo-hoo-haa! This is great!" Bunga called somersaulting from hands to feet then back a few times.
"Ugh! Is it?" Fuli groaned, as they strolled through the snow.
"We are getting closer to home again." Kion shrugged. "So.. I guess so."
Bunga's continued show of his athleticism ended however when his handstand was covered with snow; with which Kion wasted no time sending a blast of his roar just strong enough to scatter the snow from around his friend.
"Cool!" Bunga marveled. "Kion! You're roar.. is more unbungalievable than ever!"
"I know.." Kion smiled, coming forward to nudge his friend over humorously to keep on walking. And this got Fuli thinking..
Maybe Kion's getting a little too confident with what he can do now?..
XXXX
(during the song; the backlands)
"Yes! Back to the Backlands again!" Bunga sang as they all decided to stretch their legs,.. And wings in Ono and Anga's case.
"And for once?.. Nothing to bug Fuli." Kion grinned. "And we're getting so close to the Pridelands already.. Somehow this trip has been.. a lot easier than when we left."
"Well, you were a little occupied at the time, because of your scar." Fuli reminded him. "And it may have just made this all feel that way for you."
"Actually Kion's right." Ono agreed, keeping pace with them quite easily. "We all felt like it took longer to get there.. And that's because we didn't know where exactly we were going.. Meaning we had to take our time and be careful of making sure we were going the right way.. And.. maintaining Kion's scar definitely didn't help. It's kinda common knowledge, really."
"Yeah,.. I guess that makes sense." Kion thought.
"Look! Up ahead." Azaad pointed out, earning everyone's attention, as they stopped before a high rock wall. "This is the Great.. Stone.. Wall." And they all internally marveled at its height.
No wonder they call it 'great'. Fuli thought, but..
Nothing I can't handle.. was Kion's initial thought.
XXXX
(Kion's thoughts while roaring)
Oh man,.. What have I done now?! Kion cursed, as he held back the water with the air power of his roar. Why didn't I check to see what was on the other side of the Great Stone Wall? What was I thinking?.. I should've had Anga..- oh..no!..
And it was at this moment that the gravity of the situation hit him, and he realized his mistake.
Fuli warned me! How did I get so careless! She's right! The Roar can't solve everything.. I just hope Ono and Beshte can figure something out!
"Ono! Any luck?!" he asked, stopping the roar for only a second.
"Yes, we have a plan." Ono confirmed. "But we need you to keep roaring."
Thank goodness! He thought in elation, but then a growing feeling slowly started to creep up on him and he couldn't help but think. Uh oh..
xxxx
Oh man,.. Don't know how much longer I can..- no! Stay focused! I can do this! Just hang in there! Gotta fix this! Gotta give Ono and Beshte enough time! Don't give up.. Uh..uh..uhh..
xxxx
Gotta.. Keep.. roaring!.. Gotta.. Breathe!..
"*gasp*gasp* can't.. keep it up.. Much longer!" Kion panted, before forcing himself to continue his roar.
"Hang on, Kion." Ono told him, having noticed their friends coming to help too. "Help's on the way!"
Oh thank goodness! Kion's inner self breathed. Just hold on a little longer! Can't,.. give up,.. now!..
"Ok, Kion, the rocks are in place!" He heard Ono shout. "Now!"
Finally! And he finally let his roar fade into the wind, to watch anxiously for the result. So when the rocks crashed back into place to hold the water back once again, his adrenaline pounded out of him in his gasping breaths of relief.
XXXX
(continuing after the rescue)
"Guess we need to take the long way around after all." Kion supposed, taking a look at the wall over his shoulder once more.
"Do not worry, Kion." Azaad reassured him. "As I said,.. the Pridelands are not far from here. We will be there soon." Then turning to their left, the two cheetahs lead the charge with Kion to go around.
"Gotta say though, Kion." Fuli mentioned as they ran. "It.. was pretty impressive how long you held out back there, with the roar. How are you feeling?"
"I.. I think I'm ok.." Kion answered lightly, looking down as he thought. "Least using it didn't hurt anymore, and.. reminded me of how powerful I've become. thanks to you." At this, a sense of pride rose up in her with the smile that spread across her face; until they reached a point where they had to stop to view their new, yet finally familiar surroundings.
The Outlands...
~Journey To The Pridelands~
Another chapter! You guys this is probably the most creative opportunity I've found in this season so far! Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it feels! You guys this season.. Has been great! And.. I'm SO glad they went this route with Kion's character. Not only because they needed to explain why Kion wasn't in the second movie, other than for obvious reasons. But also because of all the other possibilities they could have done with him.. One being he was killed off like Kopa, even though he wasn't a confirmed canon character after he was scrapped from the original movies entirely; but obviously in a different way.
What also makes this season great,.. in my opinion,.. is how they portrayed Kion's healing.. Not only as a lesson for him as a character.. But to remind us that.. Any struggles that come against us, whether physical or mental disabilities, or injuries, or even just personal conflict or circumstances.. We CAN overcome it.. No matter how deep we fall, no matter how far we've strayed.. And.. from a christian stand-point.. It makes me glad that we have a God on our side.. That will always come through for us.. That he will always be there to pull us out of the darkness we feel surrounding us.. And that he reminds us again and again that he made us to be our very best selves.. And that he loves us no matter what happens. And that His promises,.. are real!
Never give up hope, folks! Cause that's where the power is!.. In Him!
But now… one.. more.. Episode! And then this story.. will finally.. conclude! Opening up the possibilities for new ones.. Not that there wasn't any already. XD
And in regards to that.. Return to the Pridelands will go down just a little differently. For one thing.. As I may have mentioned(or will mention again) I was not pleased with parts of the final episode of the season/series. Mainly because of one big plot point that felt disheartening.. But also a couple other bittersweet moments that are partially understandable. That be said.. Because of this.. I will be doing some canon snippets for the parts of the episode I liked.. And an AU of the stuff I didn't like.. And lucky for you guys.. I will be extending this story for the purpose of minimizing the overload that comes with all this episode gave us/will be getting. I am not sure how many parts this episode will amount to.. But I know it will be a few. But anyway..
Enjoy this new chapter.. And I'll see you on the other side! Thx!