~Episode twenty: Return To The Pridelands~

~Part Six~

(AU; no Lion Guard competition; continued)

As they re-entered the Lair, the Guard felt the need to be quiet.

"Kion?.. are you-" Fuli found their leader right at the same time as the rest of them, and were immediately taken aback by how they found him.

Kion stood upon the rock, which he often claimed as his perch, gazing up into the cave's deformed ceiling with a subtle intensity to his expression. And as he stood there, the light from the hatch just beyond him, let in the sunlight in a heaping beam, which flooded down upon him. His brow bordered his eyes with a bold intention, leaving his scar well presented by the light of the sun.

The amber of his firm gaze reflected a shine that seemed to glow off the radiance of the daylight outside. The red of his mane and the gold of his complexion also seemed brighter, like suddenly the majesty of his chosen stance became his crowning glory. And because of the intense lighting, his well sculpted and muscly body gave them a portrait-worthy site; with each foot placed like he would in a roar. But held so nicely that way, as to leave a tender touch to their placement, which he held so effortlessly while he stood there.

The mark of the Guard almost jumped off his skin, even with the slightly dull shade of the lion's roaring head, compared to the bright shade of his hide. But still, the sun kept him showered with a brilliance that even though he may never notice, those that beheld him could look at him and be amazed.

What is that shape up there? Kion thought, having been staring at it for a while. Looks like it might be a loose stone,.. or maybe..

He breathed a tender burst of his roar that growled forth to loosen the stone, which fell and shattered on the floor near Fuli, confirming his first initial observation.

"Kion?.." Fuli addressed him again, now beginning to approach him.

And hearing her, he instantly looked down.

"Can we talk?" She asked, stopping just below him.

"Uhh,.. sure?" He answered, uncertainty ringing in his tone; even despite knowing that any time she asked him that; it was for something important.

Hopping down in three leaps, he landed beside her as she stepped over to face him.

"Everything ok, Fuli?" He asked her.

"You tell me." The cheetah answered forwardly.

Kion blinked, clearly taken aback by her counter-response.

"I'm.. not sure what you mean?" Kion replied lightly.

"You." Fuli emphasized. "We've noticed.."

"What?"

"You're not happy.. and we wanna know why." Fuli's expression remained soft, only slightly tending with each emphasis.

"What're you talking about? Of course I'm glad to be home." Kion returned.

"I'm not talking about that." Fuli shook her head. "I'm talking about how you're always a million miles away.. you're not as focused as you normally are. Where in the Pridelands are you?"

Kion's gaze lowered.

"I wish I knew." He sighed. And Fuli's gaze dropped what little intensity it had grown, as Kion strode away from her. And she couldn't help but gaze after him distraughtly, before glancing back at her friends.

xxxx

The silence was peaceful, and grazing seemed that much more relaxing. Though there was merely tall acacia trees to eat from, any giraffe knows they're the best leaf around. Shingo licked his lips with the pleasurable anticipation of what was to come, but soon a cracking sound rose in his ears and he realized he needed to move just when it was too late!

xxxx

"Kion? Kion!" Ono called and he sounded almost exasperated.

"What's up, Ono?" Kion asked, lifting his head to him from where he lay.

"You're not gonna believe this.." the egret shook his head, as he hovered closer.

"What is it now?" Kion sighed, shifting upright.

"Well.. I-" then he stopped. "Wait, what are you doing?" As Kion began to move again.

"Laying out here.." the egret continued, as Kion finally began to stand up. "I..In the sun.."

"All alone.." he finished, then looked again at the leaf laying next to him.

"Are you-.."

"Ono, focus. What's going on?" Kion asserted.

"Right." the egret realized shaking himself back to attention. "A tree's down.. And a giraffe's stuck under it."

"What? Then what are we still doing here?" Kion gasped. "Let's go!" Ono turned in the air as Kion took off past him, then flew after him.

xxxx

"Awoh.." Shingo moaned, rolling his eyes back to drop his head onto the ground again.

"Relax, Shingo." Twiga assured him. "Help will be here soon."

xxxx

"Where the heck is everybody?" Kion asked, as he and Ono neared Acacia Grove.

"Anga should be leading them this way." Ono told him. "We just needed to find you."

"Kion!" looking over to his left, he immediately caught sight of Anga and the rest of the Guard as they merged in with him; nearly reaching the semi-crowded scene at the same time.

"Watch out! Coming through!" Kion called, when they approached, and the animals that had gathered parted ways for them. Sure enough, an acacia tree lay on its side,.. with Shingo lying underneath it. The giraffe peered over when sensing their presence.

"Oh, thank goodness!" he sighed, laying his head back down again. "I'm saved!"

"Lion Guard!" Kion began, "Let's-"

"Till the Pridelands End?" Vitani called racing past them.

"Lion Guard, Defend!" her lionesses answered, appearing from seemingly nowhere to race past the Guard. And before they could act, Vitani and Imara eased under the tree and lifted with all their might while Kasi and Shabaha each took a hoof.

"Easy there, guys." Tazama cautioned, and the two lionesses carefully pulled till the giraffe began to move.

"Almost there.." Tazama commentated.

"Good!"

The tree hit the dust, and the animals cheered. Vitani and her friends all shared smiles from around, and over, the tree.

But Kion just growled, his eyes flaring with just about every other part of him.

xxxx

Kion stalked rather than walked, his tense forward steps could have easily left marks on the ground. And in his mind, they literally did. He reached a hill and as soon as his eyes came up they caught something slightly to his left and it stopped him cold.

Kiara strode alongside Kovu with a steady stroll about them. Their faces smiling and their eyes soft toward one another. And the way she nuzzled into him with such a tender ease created an even bigger hole in the pit of his stomach; and he couldn't watch it any longer. Turning from the sight, he strode on towards Pride Rock with a but more of a sullen drag in his step. And those watching couldn't deny it.

"He's spinning out,.. isn't he." Fuli sighed.

"That?.. or he's holding something back that he's doing a terrible job of hiding." Ono said.

"But he wouldn't hide anything from us.." Beshte denied. "Would he?"

"Would you believe I found him sunbathing this afternoon?" Ono asked.

"What's weird about that?" Bunga wondered bluntly. "Lions do that all the time."

"Not Kion.." Ono countered. "I mean, he will sometimes, but we all know him.." he paused so he could hover over to a nearby rock, land on it, and turn their way.

"Usually Kion's so busy with his Lion Guard duties, he hardly takes the time to lay in the sun at all.. And he's out in it long enough he doesn't have to."

"So?" Fuli monotoned.

"Listen,.. We know, more than anyone, that Kion doesn't tend to just lay around doing nothing unless he's hurt, sick or tired for some reason." Ono reasoned.

"What're you saying?" Anga wondered dubiously.

"You think something might be wrong with Kion?" Beshte asked.

"No..uhh..well.. Not really." The egret wavered, folding his wings up against his body; embarrassed for causing alarm.

"Then what are you saying?" Fuli asked him.

"Well.." Ono began again. "I guess I just remembered this as something he was taught to do, while he was recovering at the Tree of Life, is all."

"And?" Anga asked, an eyebrow cocking up.

"Oh.. maybe I'm just seeing things." Ono said finally. "I really hope I'm wrong about Kion being.. as out of sorts as I'm afraid he is."

"Let's all hope." Fuli said, then she led the way forward to follow after Kion toward Pride Rock; who was now far ahead of them by now.

xxxx

Awakening to the flourishing environment he'd seen many times before by now brought almost a despising hatred to him with just merely seeing it.

'Oh not again!' His mind groaned.

He heard a voice, but couldn't recognize it. Or understand what it said.. but the way it sounded it sounded friendly and kind. He gazed around the rippling foreground, and scanned the background.

'Nothing.' He noted.

More sounds from that voice came.. but they didn't become any easier to hear or understand.

He strode through the odd, starry landscape with a growing annoyance.. till he noticed the color change below him.

Every one of his last few footsteps remained on the ground.. each one more red and orange than the last. He finally came to where his paws stood, they finally burst into flames from the flares that had already been there, and it started everything on fire.

A dark shape rose up with a distinct shape that he immediately recognized with a flare of anger, they're steely eyes looking down on him directly. The eyes seemed to be the only thing with personality, 'cause once they took on a certain shape, he didn't waste time in sending a roar at them powerful enough to blast through the darkness that the towering figure gave.

'You haunt me when I'm awake, I won't let you do it here?!' He thought. But when the roar ended, the figure that bent down toward him, with a solid yellow gaze, was of a smooth chocolate rather than dull tan.

"What?!"

The lioness's eyes closed, then a scar wrote itself on her left eye. Then she grew a midnight mane before pausing to lunge forward for a gaping bite!..

xxxx

The sky grumbled.. the darkening spots in the clouds strewn with heavy moisture crawled across the skies. The onset of a dry wind seemed to suck that moisture clean from the building pressure, but it wasn't enough to hinder the charge that snaked through them.

xxxx

The wind blew at his mane as his amber eyes tracked the darkest parts of the clouded sky.

"I don't like the look of those clouds." he said, taking a step back to peer in at the Guard within the Lair behind him.

"Ok.." Fuli said, rising from where she lay, facing the small pond at a distance.

"What'do you wanna do about it?" She asked him. "I mean it's not like we can prevent anything from happening."

"No, but we can be ready if something does." Kion decided, his gaze thoughtfully settled on the ground before lifting. "I say we head out and keep an eye on things from a distance, and if those clouds do cause problems,.. we'll be there to do something about it."

"Ok, Kion." Beshte complied. "If that's what makes you feel better."

Kion stopped himself inside the door to look back at him with a quizzical look.

"What?" he asked him.

"Oh,.. uhh.. I mean, if that's what you want us to do." Beshte recovered. "Let's go!"

Kion stared at him a moment longer, his brow furrowed with an unbelief that almost grew to suspicion. But seconds later it dropped and he let his gaze find the rest of the Guard.

"Let's get moving.." He said, with a more business-like tone. "Those clouds looked like they were rolling over near the Zebras and Gazelles' grazing grounds. Let's head on along the cliffs and keep track of the storm from there."

"-Sure thing." Beshte replied quickly, then met glances with the others; all releasing a bit of a sigh. Kion had already turned to leave, when they finally began to follow.

xxxx

"What the heck was that?!" Fuli hissed to Beshte, as they tailed Kion from a fair distance across the near edge of the Savannah.

"I didn't mean for it to come out that way." Beshte reasoned. "I was only trying to let him know we were with him."

"Why are we worried about this?" Ono wondered, looking down on them as he flew alongside. "It's not like we've got something to hide.. Do we?"

"We don't want him to feel like we don't trust him.." Fuli explained. "He's done enough of that to himself.. He needs to know that we support him no matter what, just like we always did. We can't let him think we're concerned about him again."

"Even though we are?" Ono put in.

"Yes..well.. a little." Fuli wavered. "But we can't ever let him think that he's not doing what's right. He's had plenty of self-doubt from his scar. And..now that he's healed, we need to leave that all behind and move on with our lives.. by saving lives,.. just like we used to."

"I hope you're right." Ono sighed, as they kept walking. Quickening their stride a little, they soon caught up to Kion; steadily walking along the path that began to slope up. And as they climbed the progressive slope, Kion watched the skies, scanning them so hard he began to drift.

"Kion! Careful!" Fuli gasped, speeding up to ease him back over away from the edge. "Why don't we survey the clouds after we find a good vantage point to stop and look from?.."

"Oh.." Kion breathed, peering down toward the drop he'd almost fallen from. "Yeah.. uh.. sure."

Fuli turned front, as Kion slowed slightly then kept going; now within the center of the group as they reached the top where the land flattened out again.

The clouds cast shadows throughout the landscape, the tall grasses rippling like the oceans they'd seen on their travels. And with a groan of the cloud-covered sky, they all jumped when a bolt of lightning struck the ground with a couple smaller ones soon following.

Smoke immediately sprang to the skies, and the orange light that began to grow started to spread at a fast rate.

"Anga!" Kion called and the eagle leapt up into the air to zoom in closer.

"It's a fire!" Anga reported. "Right near the grazing herds!"

"The dry lightning must have started the dryer grasses on fire.." Kion figured. "And will burn anything the wind blows it onto."

"Wait!" Their glances all lifted to the eagle again. "I see something else.."

She zoomed in again.

"It's Vitani.. and her friends!.." the keen-eyed bird announced, watching the four lioness charging toward the danger, while other animals ran from it.

Kion growled deeply.. then softened up a little to close his eyes. And seconds later, his roar created whirlwinds of four different sizes and lifted him and his non-flying friends off the ground and set them on the ground level; much to the Guard's surprise.

"Till the Pridelands End!.." he called, running off toward the billowing smoke.

"Lion Guard, Defend!" They responded after a brief hesitation, all following suit.

xxxx

"So what's the plan here, again?" Tazama asked, as they continued their dead-on sprint across the chaotic savannah, dodging the occasional animal fleeing from the growing flames.

"We gotta put out those fires and get the animals to safety." Vitani decided. "Once we get them through the flames to the other side, we can have them take shelter in the rocky cliffs."

"Wait, wait, through the fire?" Kasi wavered.

"It'll be ok," Vitani asserted. "We should have plenty of time to get across. It's the safest place for the Gazelles.. let's go!"

xxxx

"What is she doing?!" Kion thought aloud to himself, but Fuli happened to hear her.

"Looks like they're running right into the fire." She said, "Against our warnings to stay away."

Kion's gaze just hardened slightly.

xxxx

"Come on, Gazelles! This way!" Vitani called. "There's a clear path through to the cliffs,.. you can take shelter there!"

The five lionesses led the charge in a widened arrow formation, Vitani the point of the group.

"Vitani!" The slightly enraged voice made them all stop, and Vitani looked to her left.

Kion soon appeared, leaping over some small flames, which were soon quenched by the dust kicked up from the Guard's entrance around their leader.

"What are you doing?" He asked her harshly. "I thought I told you to back off."

"Forget it, Kion." Vitani snapped back. "I'm doing what I think is best.. and what's best.. is getting these Gazelles to the cliffs.

"There's no time." Kion asserted. "The fire's spreading too fast, and the wind is helping it.. we wouldn't make it through. Neither should we even try."

"And let the flames corner us against the floodplains? All but kicking the gazelles out of their home? That's your plan."

"First of all, the floodplains give us a way out.." Kion reasoned, growing a more forward tone. "Second,.. it wouldn't be 'giving up' their home, cause we're gonna stop the fires. You need to follow Anga and get these gazelle out of here and into the flood plains. While we do our jobs to protect the Circle of Life and out these fires, as we're meant to be."

Vitani stared at him, her expression slightly tense as he watched her gears turning.

"Come on, let's go!" Vitani called, then kept on running into the flames as her lionesses herded the Gazelles after her.

"Vitani! Stop!" Kion exclaimed. "Fuli, Beshte, Anga, go after them! Try to turn them around.. Bunga, Ono, and I'll try to keep the fire at bay so you have a way out.. go!"

"You got it, Kion!" Beshte replied. "Twende Kiboko!"

"Huwezi!"

"Anga Lenga!"

As soon as the animals left, Kion turned to the remaining members.

"We gotta put out as many of these fires as we can.. we can't let it spread.. Let's go!"

"Zuka Zama!"

"Affirmative!"

Some things never change. Kion's mind thought, as he brushed dirt onto some smoldering sticks. But stopping to look at the ground beneath his paws a thought came to him.

'If you can control your emotions.. it can be precise as well..'

And with that reminder he looked up to a line of flames right in front of him.

"Bunga, mound some of that dirt right here." Kion instructed.

"Sure thing.." the honey badger responded, then racing over to Kion, he ran into a somersault and dug his feet into the ground as he slid to a stop right in front of Kion; leaving a pile of unearthed dirt right where Kion needed it.

Then rolling over and jumping back, Kion took that as his cue and leaned down with closed eyes, then let a powerful blast of his roar tunnel through the fiery grasses and spread the dirt in them to knock down the flames.

"Unbungalievable, let's do that again!" Bunga decided.

"Incoming!" Ono called, hovering over some nearby fire with his claws full of dirt.

And Kion's eyes saw this and sparked an idea. And when Ono dropped it a small burst of his roar exploded the dirt and scattered it to the ground, covering even more ground.

"It's working!" Kion called. "Keep going!"

Lifting a small whirlwind and directing it to a spot of flames, he let it burst and put out on another fire, while the other two members continued to toss dirt onto the flames they could.. and created piles for Kion to spread.

xxxx

Where are they?! Fuli squinted in the heat of the billowing smoke, which burned her eyes as she blinked in order to see.

Motion through the blackness caught her eye and she leapt the beginning sparks of another fire to catch up.

"There.. we're getting close!" Anga called, peering hard through the smoke as well.

"*cough*cough* How could she think this is better than escaping through the floodplains?" Fuli complained.

"Why don't you ask her after we get everyone to safety and stop the fires." Anga suggested.

xxxx

Vitani weaved through the puffing smoke and clawing flames, her gaze hardened to struggle on. Her eyes watered, but she huffed the ashy air from her lungs in order to go on.

"Keep going!" She called over her shoulder, to the lionesses and gazelles. "I think we're almost there!"

Suddenly the flames in front of her flared as a certain spotted cat appeared in her path.

"What are you doing?!" Vitani snarled.

"Doing my job.." Fuli replied. "Which is getting these Gazelle's where Kion knows they'll be safe."

"If you don't get out of the way, we'll all get caught in this fire.." Vitani threatened.

"If you don't back off, we're gonna get stuck here anyway." Fuli countered.

"Guys! We don't have time for this!" Beshte inserted himself, but a singeing noise made them all turn around.

Anga rose higher and peered around.

"Uh oh.." she said.

"Great.. we're cut off from the only way out.." Fuli sighed. "And for what? To prove a point?"

"I'll go tell Kion!" Anga called, then swooped away.

"Beshte, we gotta keep these flames away from the Gazelles for as long as we can until Kion and the others can come help us." Fuli said, turning to the hippo.

"Got it." Beshte answered, then rushed forward to begin digging.

"Ohh! What are we gonna do?!" The gazelles cried.

"It'll be ok." Fuli told them. "Just stay calm and we'll get you out of here." Then turning from them, she ran on across the small space of unburned ground.

Vitani and her friends all stood together watching them.

"Don't try to help or nothing.." She mentioned as sarcastically as she could manage when going by them.

"Now that you got us in this mess." She mostly mumbled to herself.

Then with just a slight hesitation, Vitani led her friends to start moving dirt.

xxxx

"Kion!" As soon as he heard Anga's voice he knew something was wrong.

"Anga, what is it?" He asked, pausing from his task.

"We're too late! The fire's surrounded them." Anga reported. "And Fuli and Beshte are trapped with them!"

Everyone froze, and the very depths of something within Kion finally boiled over.

"Rrgh! I'm done with this!" He thundered, then tearing into the flames he found a stone and hopped up on it. As soon as he did, he roared up into the clouds and the whirlwind that resulted became his own personal vacuum, sucking in the dirt and spreading it around in the air. The powerful swirl of air, elongated and surrounded the trapped animals. Then lifting his power to the skies again, rain finally poured from the heavens to quench the remaining flames as the whirlwind burst out and decimated any remaining coals and ash. And while the rain began to slow, Kion's intense glare remained fixed on one lioness, seeing as how he had single-handedly ended the rescue with nothing but his gifted power. Vitani looked at him with a blank look, more frowning faces arriving to stand below Kion, while the Gazelles strode over to gather behind them. Vitani found Kion's face among the group, and the wrinkle of his nose and brow with his blazing eyes told her all she needed to know.

But as she strode forward, she held her head up as she marched her friends toward home. And Kion just watched her with his hard gaze till she was gone, then took off after her to lead the Guard at a distance toward Pride Rock.

~To be continued..~

Ugh FINALLY! Oh my gosh, this is unacceptable! I get it.. Trust me every time I'm late, I hate it! But with what I have planned next and how I feel tonight(and this was Wednesday night ;)).. I'm hoping it'll help me get this next part done. We'll just see how well THAT'LL go. Enjoy this chapter and I'll see you next time! Thx!