Meanwhile with Kion, Orum, and Nirmala...
"This is Dirisha," Nirmala showed Kion. "The River of Patience."
"And this is where you'll heal my scar so I can control the Roar?" Kion guessed hopefully.
"This is the first of many steps on your journey to healing." Nirmala replied.
"How long's it gonna take?" Kion asked.
"That depends on you. And Orum he's going to be helping you with your journey to healing," Nirmala told him. "As Queen Janna said you must have patience."
"Patience is a virtue after all," Orum added wisely. "Now, look at the top of that ridge."
Kion soon looked over and noticed a flower that stood out.
"Do see the bright orange flower?" Orum asked Kion.
"Yeah?" Kion replied.
"You should bring it down back to Nirmala." Orum suggested.
Kion nodded and looked ready to go swimming. "I'll be right back." he then said.
"Easy, Kion. Arama karo." Orum told him.
Kion looked perplexed.
"You need to follow our instructions," Nirmala told Kion. "First, you'll need to wait for a log to float past. Hop on to the log, and ride it down the river. Once you reach that sandy bank, jump off. Then take the winding path up to the top of the ridge." she then instructed as Kopa nodded.
"Wouldn't it be faster just to swim across the river?" Kion asked. "Then climb the ridge to get to the flower."
"Possibly, but the fast way isn't always the best way." Orum advised.
"Where have I heard that before?" Kion asked himself before feeling the effects of his scar as he rubbed his eye.
"Patience." Orum advised.
"Okay," Kion said with a deep sigh. "I'll try it your way."
"Excellent." Orum approved as Kion walked out closer towards the river.
"So where are the logs?" Kion soon asked.
"One will come." Nirmala smiled.
"But it could be days until one floats down here." Kion told Orum and Nirmala.
"Then we'll wait for days." Nirmala said.
Kion sighed loudly as he tried to be patient.
"I was almost like that when I was younger," Orum remarked. "But you'll be fine in due time."
"If you say so." Kion sighed.
"While we wait why don't you and Orum get to know each other?" Nirmala asked Kion.
"That might be a great idea." Kopa smiled.
"Uh, sure." Kion replied.
Nirmala then went to give the two some space to get to know each other better.
"Well, like we said before, welcome to the Night Pride, Kion." Orum said to the younger cub.
"This place is rather peaceful." Kion said.
"Yeah, it can be, but there are also at times when we have invaders," Orum said. "And at times we have some conflicts that are needed to be resolved."
"I think I heard you say the name Dakarai before." Kion commented.
"Oh, yeah," Orum nodded. "Dakarai is bad news. He has fur and mane as black as his heart."
"Is he that bad?" Kion asked.
"Yeah, he is," Orum nodded frowning as he spoke softly. "He invaded one time with his two associates: Akata and Abrafo. That was the same day when Rani's parents were killed."
"K-Killed?" Kion gulped a bit.
"I wanted to help, but I had to protect Rani and her brother as a big brother," Orum replied. "After all, I couldn't risk getting killed again."
"You did the right thing." Kion told him.
"Yeah, I know, but back then I thought it was my fault that I couldn't save them." Orum frowned.
"Them?" Kion asked.
"Rani and Baliyo's parents," Orum sighed sharply. "Sãhasí and Ãnanda. After I had to leave Pride Rock, they took me in as a cub of their own. I still go by my old name sometimes, but they also called me 'Orum' for my own protection."
"Really? What's your old name?" Kion asked.
'Dang it! I should have known he would become curious about what my old name is,' Orum thought to himself. 'Okay, calm yourself, Kopa, and just think of your next response.'
"Well?" Kion asked.
"Kion, there are things about my past that have a time when I'll want to tell you," Orum said before sighing. "And that involves my old name."
"Why not now?" Kion asked.
"Just take it as a lesson in patience," Orum told him. "Tell me about you. I mean, you have a Lion Guard with not very many lions..." he then said before gesturing at Kion as he was the obvious exception.
"Well, the only other lions I grew up with are my sister Kiara and her friends: Zuri and Tiifu," Kion explained. "My best friends just happen to be other animals who aren't lions, so I thought it would be nice for us."
"Well, I have to say you made your choice of each of your friends from their strengths," Orum told the younger lion. "So how long have you had the Roar of the Elders?"
"For a while now," Kion replied. "And I gotta tell you, it really blew my parents' minds, especially with how young I was when I let out my new roar for the first time."
"You've had The Roar ever since you were a cub?" Orum asked out of surprise.
"Yep." Kion nodded.
"Wow." Orum smiled.
"Yeah, my parents said I was too young and couldn't be ready, but Rafiki convinced them otherwise," Kion replied. "It was amazing."
"I'm sure it was," Orum remarked. "Wish I could've seen it."
Kion looked at Orum curiously, wondering what he meant by that.
"Uh, I mean if I was in The Pridelands I would have seen it." Orum smiled nervously.
"What do you mean by that?" Kion asked.
"It's nothing, really." Orum replied bashfully.
"Um, okay?" Kion said, looking confused.
Kion and Orum soon saw a log floating down after waiting for a while.
"See what happens when you stay patient, Kion?" Orum smiled.
Kion soon jumped out and landed on the log, but suddenly slipped off and ended up in the river as the log floated away from him.
"Try again." Nirmala suggested.
Kion simply sighed as he swam and got back to land. "And we'll wait. Again." He said as he got back on land.
"That's right." Orum nodded.
"Nirmala!" Rani's voice soon called out. "Come quickly, we need you!"
Nirmala soon dashed off to go join Rani.
"Do you need me too?" Kion asked hopefully.
"Yes," Nirmala replied before she left with Rani. "We need you to stay here and focus on your task. Orum, you might need to stay with Kion."
"What? But-" Orum started before sighing as Nirmala and Rani were already gone.
Kion soon did his best to be patient for the next log.
"Looks like it's just you and me again." Orum soon said to the younger lion.
"Yeah, looks like it." Kion replied while trying his best to be patient.
"I just hope it's not Zira." Orum then whispered to himself about the threat.
Kion and Orum kept waiting for a log to float down, but it seemed to take much longer than the last one before Kion started to feel like his eyes were going to close.
"Bored, huh?" Orum asked. "Yeah, I can understand that. I had to learn a lot of patience when I was younger."
"Hey! Kion! Orum!" Bunga's voice called out.
"What the...?" Orum muttered.
"That's Bunga!" Kion realized. "That log will have to wait, Orum." he then told the older lion.
Bunga, Fuli, Beshte, Anga, and Ono were soon seen coming over to the two lions.
"Lion Guard?" Orum asked.
"You can't stay here, Kion," Fuli told her lion friend. "We need to help the Night Pride."
"The Night Pride can handle whoever is trying to invade." Orum told them.
"You can stay here and wait for a log if you want, but I'm going to help my friends," Kion decided before he came to them. "What's going on, guys?" he then asked them.
"Some bad guys are back there with Rani and the others and I'm gonna bash 'em." Bunga smirked eagerly.
"Trust me, Rani and the others can handle it." Orum said.
"I'm sure you can, buddy, but we're one of the best Lion Guards there are!" Bunga beamed as he ran for it anyway. "Zuka-Zama!"
"I'm gonna go after them." Kion told Orum and went after his friends.
"Wait! Stop!" Orum cried out, but they already left. "Ugh... Rani is not going to like this." He soon went after them as he already knew this wouldn't end well.
Baliyo was shown to be wrestling a bit to the ground with a clouded leopard who snarled at him. "Take your best shot!" he then challenged. The brown-furred lion then swatted the clouded leopard away in an instant.
"Ha! Not bad~" The komodo dragon smirked at the attack.
"Whose side are you on?" The clouded leopard asked the komodo dragon with a growl.
"My side! Makucha always!" The komodo dragon smirked as he used his tail to try and hit Surak.
Surak snarled before backing away from the tail-smacking. The komodo dragon kept his smirk before Rani suddenly headbutted him away. The reptile went flying and Rani then jumped at the female snow leopard, making her fall to the ground.
"Get out!" Rani glared as she kicked the snow leopard away, making her slide across the ground.
"No!" Makucha yelped before he and the komodo dragon slid across the ground with the snow leopard until they were out of the pass.
"Now leave! And never come back!" Rani told the invading trio before walking back over to Surak, Nirmala, and Baliyo. "Good job, Night Pride."
"Heyvi kabisa!" Kion called out as he suddenly charged and tackled down Rani to the ground.
"Oh, man!" Orum face-pawed as he arrived with the rest of the Lion Guard of Pride Rock.
"Kion? Orum? Lion Guard?" Rani asked out of confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to help?" Kion replied.
"That's right! Where are the bad guys?" Bunga smirked eagerly. "Let me at 'em!"
"They're gone. Defending The Tree of Life is our job," Rani told Kion and The Lion Guard. "And we're good at it."
"But we-" Kion started.
"We don't need your help. You came for healing. So stay out of our way, get healed, and go home," Rani told Kion before facing the older golden-furred lion. "And Orum, I thought Nirmala told you to stay with Kion."
"I tried to stop them!" Orum defended.
"It's true, he did," Kion added. "...But I wouldn't listen."
"The bad guys were just two leopards and a komodo dragon," Baliyo soon said. "No big deal."
"Two leopards and a komodo dragon?" Ono asked as that got his attention.
"They didn't seem to like each other very much." Nirmala replied.
"True," Surak agreed. "Perhaps that is why they didn't fight well together."
"That Makucha guy seemed to know how to fight though." Baliyo said.
"Makucha?" Kion asked out of surprise.
"Kion? Do you know Makucha?" Orum asked the leader of The Lion Guard.
"Yes, I do. We all do," Kion nodded, referring to himself and the rest of the Lion Guard. "And probably the other two. They must have followed us here."
"They followed you?" Rani asked.
"I'm really sorry," Kion frowned in blame. "This is all our fault."
Orum could tell what Rani was going to do next and knew she would overreact and tell Janna that Kion had led an army of predators to The Tree of Life when it was just three predators that followed Kion and his friends without them knowing. Rani glared at Kion and soon stormed off.
"Oh, Rani." Orum said softly and in concern as he knew how just how the young lioness felt right now.
Rani, Kion, and Orum soon took off running to Janna.
Meanwhile...
"And that is Askari when he first discovered the Roar of the Elders," Janna soon educated the young baboon in the den together. "I'm glad you are here, Makini. It's been some time since we've had a Royal Mjuzi That bakora staff was hers before she completed her journey through the Circle of Life."
"Oh! It's beautiful." Makini smiled as she picked up the staff.
"If you like it, it's yours now." Janna suggested warmly.
"Really?" Makini squealed at that.
"Grandmother!" Rani's voice soon called out.
"Rani, don't overreact!" Orum's voice warned.
"Rani... Orum... Is something wrong?" Janna asked in concern as the two rushed over, though Kopa wasn't as fast as Rani was blinded by rage.
"You could say that," Rani glared. "Kion led an army of predators here!"
"An army of predators?" Makini repeated.
"Three is hardly an army, Rani." Orum muttered to himself.
"What was that, Orum?" Janna asked out of curiosity.
"There were only three animals, so Rani's just overreacting." Orum spoke up.
"We should have never let him in." Rani glared as she soon came beside her grandmother, looking firm towards Kion.
"And do what? Leave him with no way to heal his scar or heal Ono's eyes?" Orum asked her firmly.
"But it's thanks to Kion that-" Rani started.
"He didn't mean for three predators to follow him and his friends here!" Orum told her firmly.
Rani just looked at him quietly.
"Did you, Kion?" Orum then asked.
"No, but I really am sorry," Kion replied. "I had no idea they were following us."
"It's alright, Kion, but now that they know the Tree of Life exists they won't leave." Janna said.
"At least let me and the Lion Guard help with Makucha and-" Kion offered.
"No!" Rani shut him down. "I told you! We can handle it!"
"Rani?" Janna called firmly.
"Sorry, Grandmother." Rani said softly as she soon slowly calmed down.
"Thank you for your offer, Kion, but Rani is correct," Janna then smiled softly at Kion. "It is the Night Pride's duty to protect the Tree of Life."
'Like they always have.' Orum thought to himself wisely.
"Yeah, but it's my fault that-" Kion frowned.
"Kion. You must help yourself before you can help others," Janna advised. "Now go. And let Nirmala and Orum guide you. After all, that is why you have come to the Tree of Life."
"Right." Kion nodded.
Orum and Kion soon left the Tree of Life and went back to the River of Patience.
The sun started to set as it would be nighttime very soon.
"Still no log," Kion sighed impatiently and rubbed his scarred eye. "Orum, Nirmala, if you'd let me do it my way, I'd have the flower and be by now!"
"Let me guide you, Kion," Nirmala advised. "Like Queen Janna said-"
"Yes!" Kion soon beamed as he ran once he saw a passing log through the river.
"Good, now patience." Orum said as he saw what Kion was going to do next.
Kion soon pounced out into the water anyway.
"Ugh..." Orum groaned as he fell flat on the ground. "I've been reduced to a cubsitter!"
Kion landed on the log only to end up in the water again.
"Orum, why don't you show Kion how it's done?" Nirmala asked.
"If I must..." Orum sighed as he showed patience before pouncing down on the log without falling in the water.
"How did you do that?" Kion asked Orum.
"You just have to have patience," Orum replied. "Time you have a lot of, but not enough patience."
"Nice form, Orum," Nirmala smiled. "You were always swift once you learned how to channel your own patience."
"Thanks." Orum smiled back before pouncing to the other side of the river.
"Forget it!" Kion complained as he was in the water. "This time I'm doing it my way!"
"If you must." Nirmala replied maturely.
"Just be careful," Orum told Kion. "That current can be a little strong."
"I can tell it's getting a little hard to swim to the other side, but I'll make it." Kion grunted as he started to swim.
Orum soon decided to wait for Kion a bit. Kion soon persevered as he swam through the water before finally making it to dry land as he panted heavily.
"This way, Kion," Orum smiled as he began to go on ahead then. "Follow me."
"Straight up the slope looks faster to me." Kion smirked as he began to climb up the slope.
Orum sighed and shook his head at Kion's way which wasn't the best way to get things done, especially in the way he was taught.
Kion soon went straight up the slope, but kept nearly slipping each time he got higher up. "Almost... There..." he grunted as he was so close, but...
"How's that going for you?" Orum asked from up top as he came to the flower.
"It's going just..." Kion started before the rocks behind his back legs rolled down, causing him to slide down the slope. "Fine!" The younger lion soon ended up back at the bottom, causing him to groan before he rubbed his eye where his scar was.
Orum soon came down next to the younger lion without the flower.
"Where's the flower?" Kion asked him. "Why didn't you get it while you were up there?"
"As Nirmala would probably say, that is your task, Kion." Orum advised.
"He's right," Nirmala agreed before she saw that the sun was almost set for the night. "It's almost night. You should get some sleep while I go on patrol. Tomorrow is a very important day." she then told the younger lion.
"Yeah? What's going to happen tomorrow?" Kion smiled.
"Tomorrow you're going to try again." Orum smiled back.
Kion looked irritated about that.
"Orum, I think you should keep an eye on Kion and his Lion Guard." Nirmala advised.
"Of course, Nirmala." Orum promised.
"But isn't he part of The Night Pride?" Kion asked.
"That may be so, but I think you and Orum need to spend some time together," Nirmala replied. "It might be a good idea. Though when it gets late, Orum, come back to us."
"Can do." Orum promised.
And so they began to swim back to the other side before drying themselves off and took off back to where the others were.
"I don't see why you have to babysit me," Kion rolled his eyes at Orum. "It's not like your my older brother or anything."
"Oh, ye of little faith." Orum said to himself quietly.
"But if you're supposed to be with me through each step of my healing, then fine." Kion said.
"As long as you learn patience," Kopa advised. "You just have to remember how to be patient. It's also all apart of growing up."
"Yeah, I guess." Kion said.
Orum kept trying to teach Kion and every time the younger lion failed, the older golden lion would say "Try again". Eventually, it started to get to Kion as it was now dark as the moon came out.
"It's late," Orum said to Kion. "I should check with the rest of the Night Pride."
"Alright." Kion sighed.
"We'll talk more later." Orum said before he rushed off.
Kion scoffed a bit and rolled his eyes before he came to see his friends.
Eventually, the moon was out as Kion came to talk to his friends about his day so far.
"'Try again. Try again'," Kion ranted with a sigh as he rubbed his scarred eye. "That's all Nirmala and Orum ever say! Ugh! But how is falling into a river supposed to heal me?"
"Sounds like fun to me!" Bunga smiled excitedly.
"I'm sure tomorrow will be better." Beshte assured the leader of The Lion Guard.
"Kion, you can put anything you can put your mind to." Fuli told her lion friend.
"Yeah! You're Kion!" Bunga added. "Leader of the Lion Guard!"
"Bunga's right." Behste smiled.
"Yep." Anga nodded.
"Indeed." Ono added.
"Okay, I'll try again tomorrow." Kion smiled.
Orum soon came to see the Night Pride as Nirmala joined the group ahead of him.
"Is Kion healed yet?" Rani soon asked as the two came by.
"Rani, you sound just like him," Nirmala said, amused. "It's going to take some time."
"I hope it doesn't take too long," Rani said. "Kion and The Lion Guard are nothing but trouble."
"Well, at least you're not stuck cubsitting him." Orum replied.
"Speaking of trouble, look who's back." Surak narrowed his eyes as he saw the komodo dragon and two leopards approaching their land.
"They're trying to sneak up in the dark?" Baliyo asked. "What part of Night Pride didn't they understand?"
"I doubt they cared." Orum replied.
The komodo dragon was seen knocking a few rocks across the ground accidentally as they were in his way.
"Ora! Pick your tail up!" The snow leopard complained to the komodo dragon. "My plan is to sneak in under cover of darkness. They won't see us, but they might hear us!"
"Nah, we saw you too." Orum smirked along with Baliyo.
"What?!" The snow leopard asked out of surprise.
"We're the Night Pride, remember?" Rani smirked.
"Lada'i!" Baliyo soon called out and came to pounce down and tackled Ora instantly.
Surak and Nirmala then came next for the leopards: Chuluun and Makucha. Baliyo soon bit onto Ora's tail and sent the komodo dragon flying and knocked down the leopards which made them all roll away.
"And this time, stay out!" Rani called firmly as she left with the others.
"I have a feeling those three will try another way to get in tomorrow," Orum said as they left. "They don't seem like the ones to give up."
"In that case, we better keep our guard up just to make sure," Surak replied. "Think you can do that, Baliyo?"
"Who, me?" Baliyo smirked. "Of course I can!"
"Same here." Orum smirked.
"Yes, but you will be with Kion during his healing." Nirmala told Orum.
"Of course I will." Orum said like he saw that coming from a mile away.
"For right now, get some sleep; you'll need it for tomorrow." Surak told Orum.
"I think I already know," Orum replied. "Good night, everybody."
"Good night, Orum." The other lions said as the golden-furred lion went to get some sleep as the Night Pride soon retired for the evening.