Rani, Baliyo, and Muguuzi were seen coming into the snowy part of the lands surrounding the Tree of Life.
"So wait, you mean to tell me that Beshte was this new villain?" Baliyo asked while making their way into the snowy land.
"Yes, but they were just accidents." Muguuzi said.
"He didn't mean to cause trouble, I guess it was just his size." Adi added.
"Well, I'm glad it's nothing serious," Baliyo replied. "I got really worried back there."
"Well, no more worries," Muguuzi beamed. "Behste was just making some new friends."
"She's right," Pinguino said as he and Beshte came over. "What happened before were accidents including a recent one with a fox den."
"A fox?" Behste asked. "I didn't see a fox."
"Well, if you see one, you better apologize to them too." Baliyo advised.
"No problem," Behste reassured. "I'm just really sorry all of this had to happen to you guys because of me."
"It's okay, accidents happen." Baliyo smiled.
"Rani, by the way, where's Orum?" Adi asked.
"Yeah, we didn't see him with you." Muguuzi said to Rani.
"He's with Kion, helping him with staying calm if he ever feels annoyed." Rani said.
Meanwhile with Orum, Kion, and Nirmala...
"Nirmala? Orum? I know this'll help me learn to stay calm when I feel annoyed," Kion said as he sat in a tree before tiny frogs were laughing and jumping on him. "But how much longer do I have to let these frogs hop on me?"
"It's not up to us; it's up to the frogs." Nirmala replied.
"Just try to stay comfortable." Orum advised.
"Um, okay, I'll try." Kion said.
'This is both entertaining and a great way to test his patience.' Orum thought to himself.
"And just like he's helping you heal, Orum shall be joining you, but on a different branch." Nirmala said with a playful smirk at Orum.
"I had this coming." Orum said to himself.
"Yes, I believe you have," Nirmala smirked. "Now why don't you go and join Kion?"
"Yes, Nirmala." Orum rolled his eyes before he soon went climbing up the tree to land on a different branch.
Some other tree frogs soon found him and began to hop all around on him too.
"Enjoying the view?" Kion asked with a smirk.
"You're somehow enjoying this, aren't you?" Orum asked while the frogs were jumping on both of them.
"Yep." Kion smirked.
"Fate, you cruel mistress." Orum sighed.
Kion chuckled at that.
"Perhaps this'll be a good bonding exercise for you two." Nirmala suggested.
"Yeah, I guess so." Orum said.
"Bonding exercise?" Kion asked, looking confused as to why they would need that.
"Well, I guess we could take this time to get to know each other better," Orum said to Kion. "Such us our families."
"Well, there's me, Kiara, Mom, and Dad," Kion shrugged. "I guess Timon and Pumbaa could count as my family too."
"Who are Timon and Pumbaa?" Orum asked, acting as if he didn't know.
"Timon and Pumbaa are a meerkat and a warthog who have known my father ever since he was a cub." Kion said.
"They must be pretty good friends with the family." Orum smiled knowingly.
"They're pretty alright, yeah," Kion nodded. "Sorta like extra family members, though they sometimes embarrass Kiara around her friends, but they're closer with Bunga."
"Your honey badger friend, huh?" Orum asked.
"Yeah," Kion said. "They took him in and raised him."
"So he doesn't have any parents?" Orum asked.
"Sadly no." Kion frowned.
"The same with Binga," Orum frowned back. "Her mother arrived her with Binga, but didn't have the strength to go on."
"Oh... Must be tough to be a honey badger around here." Kion commented.
"Sure sounds like it," Orum said. "After all, the circle of life is all about survival and even the antelope help even though we eat them, but when our bodies die, we become the grass, and other animals eat the grass."
"Sounds pretty wise," Kion replied. "My dad once told me and Kiara something about that once. He said Grandfather Mufasa taught him that."
"Your grandfather sounds wise." Orum said.
The two of them continued to talk for a while until they felt the frogs starting to get off them.
"Well, I guess the frogs are getting bored now." Orum smiled.
"Thank goodness," Kion said in relief. "I guess that helped a little to teach me how to deal with annoyance."
"Looks like it." Orum smiled.
The two lions soon got down from the tree.
"Well done." Nirmala smiled at Kion and Orum.
"Thanks, Nirmala." Kion and Orum said to her.
They soon walked off and saw Rani.
"Hey, Rani, everything okay?" Orum asked.
"It's fine, Orum," Rani replied. "There was just a misunderstanding with one of our new guests, but it's all fine now."
"Whew! That's good." Orum smiled.
"Yep, after getting an understanding of what really happened everything's alright now." Muguuzi smiled back as she and Adi came over.
"That's great," Orum nodded. "Sorry that had to happen though."
"At least hopefully the other animals learn a special lesson about meeting new animals." Adi remarked.
"Oh, I'm sure they have." Muguuzi smiled.
As night fell it was time for everyone except for the Night Pride to get some sleep while the Night Pride patrolled. Orum watched over Kion as he slept peacefully and soon walked off to join the rest of the Night Pride.
"When do you think you'll tell him?" Surak asked Orum.
"I'm waiting for the right time," Orum sighed sharply. "It seems to get harder the more I put it off though."
"Well, maybe you can tell him during his next test/task?" Baliyo suggested.
"Maybe." Orum said.
"Just don't delay it any longer than you should," Baliyo replied. "He has to find out someday."
"I know, I know," Orum nodded. "I'm glad I have you guys with me if anything."
"No problem. After all, we're your second family." Baliyo smiled.
"And I'm very happy for that," Orum smiled back. "Thank you all so much."
"What's family for after all?" Surak remarked.
Orum then came up to them and nuzzled them warmly as he felt so loved, though he had a small frown as he looked away in slight worry.
"Everything will be alright." Nirmala assured him.
"I sure hope Kion won't be too angry with me." Orum said to himself as they started their Night Pride patrol.
The pride looked concerned for Orum, but they had to do their job and they understood how he was feeling.
"I just hope he doesn't freak out." Orum sighed to himself as they went out for the night.
The night patrol seemed rather quiet as there wasn't anyone to fight or any new animals to welcome into the Tree of Life, but unknown to the Night Pride, the predators, Mama Binturong, and the three evil lions were hatching up a new evil plan.
"All right, I guess we should plan out something to do with that meddling Night Pride and Lion Guard... Especially that little Bunga." Mama Binturong glowered.
"I find your revenge on him pathetic," Dakarai rolled his eyes at her. "I thought you were gonna be responsible for his parents' deaths or something with how much you wanted him dead."
"He ruined my tuliza. He has to pay for that." Mama Binturong glared.
"We get it. We get it. He ruined your precious flowers." Chuluung rolled her eyes.
"So what is the plan this time?" Ora asked.
"I'd say we could just go straight for the Tree of Life with the Night Pride out, but that's too simple, plus that old queen would probably see us coming." Dakarai remarked.
"Yeah. No kidding." Makucha said.
"Hmm... If only we had some information on that lion, like why he has all those scars on his body?" Abrafo wondered.
"I doubt that Night Pride would be willing to tell us..." Darkarai remarked.
"Maybe to the source of someone who gave them to him." Akata suggested with a smirk.
"Indeed." Abrafo smirked.
"Alright, and who might this source be?" Ora asked.
"Do you know who it is?" Mama Binturong asked the three lions.
"That's what we find out," Akata smirked. "Though we might have some good idea."
"Ooh, this should be interesting," Mama Binturong rolled her eyes. "Can't be as threatening or intimidating as I."
"Probably worse," Abrafo said. "Much... Much worse."
The other animals looked curious as the three lions looked out, far from the Night Pride and even far from Pride Rock, but looked to the shadowy place known as The Outlands which was beyond the Pridelands' border and young lions from Pride Rock were told to never go there.
"So you think the answer will be there?" Makucha asked.
"Well, someone there has to know about him." Akata said.
"Plus it's not like the answer is in the Tree of Life." Abrafo said.
"I guess that's a good point." Makucha rolled his eyes.
"We should be able to blend right in," Dakarai said to the other predators. "This land is as bare and dark as my soul."
"If your soul is as bare and dark as this place I'll take your word for it." Chuluun said.
As they continued going forward they were soon surrounded by many lionesses.
"I guess this is the welcoming party." Makucha said sarcastically.
"Hello, everybody," Dakarai greeted. "Is your leader home?"
The lionesses glared at each other before one walked off.
"Thank you, Naanda." Dakarai smirked at her.
"Don't talk to me, idiot." The lioness glowered as she walked off.
"You two have a history?" Ora asked Dakarai.
"Naanda and I have a history, even richer than the history of her old home before being in the Outlands." Dakarai smirked.
"What are you doing here, Dakarai?" Naanda glared. "Last time I checked you were trying to take over the Tree of Life."
"Yeah, well, that didn't go so well, but I'm still planning on taking it over just with some more help," Dakarai said. "Anyway, I need to speak with Zira. There's a certain young lion that has many scars on his body. And if there's any lioness that can be able to give him those many scars as a lion cub it's Zira."
"Very well..." Naanda rolled her eyes.
"That's a good girl." Dakarai chuckled.
Naanda grumbled as she went off while Zira seemed to be sharpening her claws on a rock. "You have a visitor, Mistress Zira." she then informed the rogue lioness.
"It better be good company." Zira rolled her crimson eyes.
"Worse," Naanda smirked. "It's Dakarai."
"Bring him in." Zira told her.
"Yes, Mistress." Naanda said before going to Dakarai.
"So am I allowed over to Her Majesty?" Dakarai smirked.
"You got lucky." Naanda complained.
Dakarai chuckled as he walked off. The others went to follow behind the black lion.
"Just Dakarai," Naanda told them as she blocked them. "Zira is very specific whenever she allows someone to see her other than her own cubs."
"Who aren't cubs anymore." A scrawny young lion said.
"Nice to see you too, Nuka." Dakarai smirked as he walked over to Zira.
"Dakarai, I have not seen you in years. Brings you here?" Zira asked.
"Well, my men and some others are having a little bit of a problem taking over the Tree of Life," Dakarai said. "It's a pride of lions named The Night Pride and The Lion Guard, but more importantly there is one particular lion that gave me this scar when he was just a mere lion cub who had scars all over his body. I need you to tell me if you had attacked any lion cubs from The Pridelands."
Zira seemed to smirk at that question with a dark chuckle. Nuka seemed to shiver at the sound of his mother's laughter.
"It's funny that you mention it," Zira smirked. "I had a certain target I was particularly fond of."
"Yes?" Dakarai asked hopefully.
"But of course," Zira replied. "The one and only Prince Kopa."
"But didn't you tell me that Prince Kopa was the son of King Simba and Queen Nala?" Dakarai asked.
"Yes and where I had killed him, or so I had thought." Zira smirked.
"From what he looked like his description matched that lion cub years ago." Dakarai said.
"And no doubt Kopa has kept his identity a secret out of fear," Zira smirked darkly. "Use this information to your advantage while I handle my plans for killing Simba and taking back what was rightfully Scar's."
"Hmm... You might be onto something there." Dakarai nodded.
"Yes," Zira grinned. "Dark great minds think alike."
"I like to think so too," Dakarai replied. "This Lion Prince and I share some history as well as you do with him."
"Yes, as you can see he is the reason for this," Zira said as she pointed to her ear that had the bite mark. "Now that you know who he is you can now use this information to your advantage. From what I can tell, Kion must not know that much about Kopa, not even his real name."
"Being the coward he is to his own brother Kopa is most likely going back a different name." Dakarai smirked as he left Zira and made his way back to the others.
"I've been dreaming of a reunion for quite some time," Zira smirked back. "Perhaps we could develop a partnership."
"More than that... This time, we'll both be at success and not that meddling brat for causing both of us the worst pain and anger for so many times the sun has set and risen above." Dakarai nodded.
The others soon looked over as Zira and Dakarai came out together and they both seemed to have a similar goal which meant that they were slowly becoming allies.
"So? What did she tell you?" Chuluun asked Dakarai.
"That lion has a secret that he's been keeping from his dear brother Kion and we can use that to our advantage." Dakarai said.
"Which lion?" Ora asked. "You mean Orum from the Night Pride?"
"His name's not really Orum," Dakarai smirked. "He's not even officially from the Night Pride."
"Well, that second part sounds obvious." Chuluun rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I happen to know that cub very well." Zira told them.
"What's his actual name then?" Makucha asked.
"I'll tell you on the way back to the Tree of Life." Dakarai told Makucha and the others as he saw a lioness around "Orum's" age close by.
The predators all looked at each other before shrugging. The lioness sighed a bit to herself before looking over and glaring.
"Ah, my daughter is home, I see," Zira remarked. "Vitani, we have company with us today."
"And we'll be leaving back to the Tree of Life to make sure a certain lion is hated by his own brother." Dakarai said.
"Eager, aren't we?" Zira smirked.
"The sooner the better." Dakarai smirked back.
"And now the training and reign will intensify." Zira smirked eagerly.
"This is going to be a lot of fun." Dakarai remarked.
"Uh... What's going on?" Vitani asked as she felt lost in the conversation.
"Listen closely, deary, you're going to love this plan." Zira told her daughter.
"Yes, Mother." Vitani said.
And so, a plan was discussed, unknown to the Lion Guard or Night Pride.
"Seems quiet tonight," Orum commented. "I feel pretty suspicious of that."
"Yeah, it's a little too quiet." Baliyo said.
"Just a little." Rani added.
"It's too quiet..." Orum narrowed his eyes. "Maybe we should each split up and take a section each."
"Hmm... I'm not sure about splitting up like that..." Rani replied. "We might be one united pride together, but the three of us split up from each other? That sounds... Risky."
"Rani's right, we're stronger together than separate." Nirmala said.
"Indeed." Surak nodded.
"I guess so." Baliyo said.
"We'll just have to keep looking around," Nirmala replied. "At least while the Lion Guard rests."
"Should we check other prides?" Kopa then suggested.
Surak and Nirmala both looked nervous about that idea.
Orum sighed. "Okay, I understand," he then said. "I guess we could just worry about other animals back home."
The Night Pride continued to patrol the rest of the night as Dakarai had finished telling Akata, Abrafo, Makucha, Ora, Chuluun, and Mama Binturong all about "Orum" that he knew about.
"So he's been at the Tree of Life this whole time instead of returning to The Pridelands." Makucha smirked in conclusion.
"Oh, yes," Dakarai replied. "And I have a very reliable source of information."
"Fascinating!" Mama Binturong added. "We could all use this as our leverage against both groups of lions."
"Oh, yes, we could." Abrafo smirked.
"When shall we do it?" Akata added.
"When the time is right," Dakarai replied. "When he least expects it. We shouldn't come in right away, but when things seem just too good between Kion and 'Orum's' friendship."
"Then we go and ruin it?" Akata asked.
"You catch on quick," Dakarai smirked. "We make it seem like nothing could ruin their friendship and that there is nothing to hide with each other and we kill the moment."
"Perfect." Makucha smirked.
"So what should we do now?" Chuluun asked.
"Get some sleep?" Mama Binturong asked.
"Sleepy?" Dakarai taunted.
"Yes." Mama Binturong narrowed her eyes.
"Fine, we'll get some rest for the night... At least, you can," Dakarai said before staring at the night sky. "Sometimes I don't sleep at night... All that's on my mind is hunting, murder, and revenge."
"Let me guess; getting payback on Kopa is on your mind right now, right?" Makucha guessed.
"After how he left this scar on me and kept me from killing those two other cubs, that would be a yes." Dakarai glared.
"You're a pretty dark and messed up lion sometimes." Chuluun commented.
"I can be your worst nightmare too in a flash," Dakarai smirked. "I'm one lion you don't want to meet in the dark."
"Especially since his eyes would be the only thing you could see in the darkness." Akata said with a chill down his spine.
"Impressive." Ora said.
"Anyway, get some sleep," Dakarai said. "We shall start the plan when the time is right."
"Right." Makucha nodded before getting some sleep with the others.
"Soon, I will have my own revenge... As well as the lovely and just as sinister and evil Zira..." Dakarai smirked to himself.