A/N: Last chapter before my vacation. I'll be missing in action for a few days, so enjoy this for now.
"Kion! Are you okay?" Orum asked out of concern.
"Yeah, I've been through worse." Kion assured him as he started to get up.
"Ah, just the lion we wanted to see first." Dakarai smirked at Orum.
"Dakarai," Orum growled. "And Akata and Abrafo, you three are back."
"Ah, Orum, so good to see you again." Dakarai grinned.
"What are you doing here now?" Orum demanded.
"Just showing little Kion here what the Roar of Darkness is all about." Dakarai smirked.
"The Roar of Darkness?" Orum asked. "I've heard about it from the Cave of Memories."
"Ah, good. Then you know how powerful it is," Dakarai smirked. "And where I would be more then happy to use it against you right now."
"Yeah, unless you have the Lion's Heart, you'll never fight it back." Akata added.
"But you can't possibly have it." Abrafo added.
"The Lion's Heart... I've heard of it and if the Roar of Darkness still exists then so does the Lion's Heart." Orum said as he looked ready to fight Dakarai.
"You're smart," Dakarai smirked before glaring at Akata. "Unlike some other folks in these lands."
Akata pouted while Abrafo rolled his eyes at him.
"Let's see how much has changed over the years." Dakarai told Orum as he came to fight, despite Orum being a child compared to him.
"I've trained since the last time we fought." Orum glared.
"Then let's see how well you do against me and the Roar of Darkness." Dakarai smirked.
"Oh, yeah." Abrafo nodded.
"This should be fun to watch." Akata smirked.
Orum and Dakarai both began to look ready to fight. Akata and Abrafo got out of the way. Kion looked ready to at least help out, only to be stopped.
"You should let some real professionals handle this." Akata smirked at Kion.
"Yeah, besides, you're not in any condition to fight." Abrafo added.
Orum and Dakarai both began to psych each other up before sheathing their claws.
Kion growled at the two older lions who put him down.
"I should warn you, I could slice you just by swatting you away like the trash you are." Dakarai threatened Orum.
"I'd like to see you try." Kopa glared.
"With just one roar I can get rid of you once and for all," Dakarai smirked. "And after finishing you off then Akata, Abrafo, and I will get rid of the Lion Guard, your brother, the Night Pride, and Queen Janna; that way all of this will be ours and our new friends'."
"Don't you know anything? Good always beats good." Orum glared.
"Well, I intend to change a little history," Dakarai smirked. "Good doesn't always win. Need I remind you that Baliyo and Rani are now orphans because of what happened to their parents a long time ago?"
"They still have Queen Janna and Surak and Nirmala and me," Orum growled. "Because I am a member of the Night Pride ever since being brought here."
"Well, anyways time to finish you off with the Roar of Darkness." Dakarai smirked.
"Oh, this is going to be good." Abrafo smirked.
"Don't you mean this is going to be bad?" Akata smirked back.
"Sure, Akata, this is going to be bad." Abrafo seemed to roll his eyes.
"It'll be something all right," Akata grinned. "Especially amazing for us."
Dakarai growled as he pounced out to trap Orum as Orum whacked his claws around to slice against the black lion. The two lions began to fight the same way Simba fought Scar only Dakarai had an ability that could end the fight soon.
"He sure is taking his time in using the Roar of Darkness." Akata said.
"Shh!" Abrafo shushed and scolded. "Don't you ever shut up or keep comments to yourself?"
Dakarai soon made Orum fly and hit a rock wall suddenly. Orum groaned as he refused to stay down and was on his way back up to his paws. Dakarai grinned as he soon unleashed The Roar of Darkness to finish him off with.
"I won't give up and I won't let you hurt my brother or his friends or my friends or my second family!" Orum growled at Dakarai as he began to start glowing.
'Uh-oh. That's not good for us.' Akata thought to himself.
'This could be bad.' Abrafo thought to himself.
"You know what happens when it gets real dark?" Orum glared at Dakarai.
"And what is that?" Dakarai glared back.
"There's no dark without the light and I use my light in the Night Pride as a way to ignite!" Orum sneered as he glowed brighter than his golden fur. The light from his golden fur soon shot at the Roar of Darkness and the three evil lions.
"Oh, crud." The evil lions said.
"GET AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!" Orum roared as fiercely and strongly as he could against the three cruel lions. His roar was as powerful as Kion's as the three cruel lions were sent flying out of the area and back to their 'friends' as the lion from his fur expanded.
"Curses!" Dakarai glared.
Many other lions looked around as they thought they heard screaming before they went back to what they were doing.
Orum panted a bit as that took a lot out of him before he fell to the ground to catch his breath. "Phew... That took a lot out of me..." he said softly. "I better relax here for a minute."
"You deserve it, brother." Kion smiled.
Fuli, Bunga, Anga, Beshte, Ono, Binga, Rani, Surak, Baliyo, Nirmala, and Ullu were soon seen coming over to the lion brothers.
"Guys, thank goodness." Kion said to them.
"Is everything okay?" Ono asked. "Anga and I saw a commotion and decided we should come right over."
"It'll be okay, guys," Kion reassured. "I don't think those dark lions are coming back for a very long time."
"Dark lions?" Baliyo asked.
"Dakarai, Akata, and Akata were here?" Surak asked.
"Yeah, but Kopa sent them flying out of here with the Lion's Heart." Kion said.
"Lion's Heart?" Rani asked.
"Long story," Kion replied. "But I don't think we have to worry about those guys for a long time."
"That's good." Rani smiled.
"Yeah." Baliyo said.
"And before anything else, can I have a moment alone with my brother?" Kion asked.
Rani and Baliyo looked at each other.
"Of course, Kion," Surak replied. "You'll need this anyway."
"Thank you, Surak." Kion nodded.
Once the Lion Guard, Binga, and the Night Pride had left Kion walked over to Kopa who started to regain his strength after a minute had passed.
"Feel better?" Kion asked.
"Yeah." Kopa nodded.
"Well, that's good, I suppose," Kion said to him. "Do you need to heal?"
"Nah, I'll just probably go to bed early," Kopa said. "I'm glad I took care of those jerks though."
"Same here." Kion smiled.
"And Kion I'm sorry for-" Kopa started.
"It's okay, I forgive you and I understand why you didn't return home," Kion said. "After all, Zira isn't exactly a friendly lioness."
"She's been a thorn in everyone's side for a long time." Kopa remarked.
"You ever find out why?" Kion asked.
"Well, I remember hearing some stories when I was younger about how she was the closest to Great-Uncle Scar before he betrayed the Pridelands when he made Dad run away after Grandfather Mufasa's death," Kopa replied. "While the other lionesses decided to go back with Simba, especially Grandmother Sarabi, Zira stayed loyal to Scar and wanted everybody to fear his name and live under his rule like it should've been. At least to her and not so much anybody else."
"Yeah, I can tell she's still loyal to him to this day," Kion said. "Then again I highly doubt she's ever been loyal to anyone else."
"No doubt about that." Kopa said.
The Lion Guard and Night Pride soon went off together after that was taken care of.
"So, I see you guys had fun with the Night Pride." Ora smirked.
"What a way to go!" Chuluun added.
"Gosh, Dakarai, this didn't go well at all," Akata frowned. "I thought you had a great big plan."
"Shut up, Akata." Dakarai glared.
"Well, it could have been worse." Abrafo smiled nervously.
The next day, Kopa was fast asleep before he began to grunt while tossing and turning, running a bit in his sleep. He was seen in yet another nightmare and where this time, it wasn't about Kion.
"You might've won this time, but you won't stop the bigger danger that lies ahead for you and your family." Dakarai's voice mocked.
"Shut up! Shut up!" Kopa growled as he put his front paws to his ears as he appeared to be alone, but could hear the black lion's voice.
"First, that old lioness will die and then I shall get rid of the next heir to be the king or queen." Dakarai's voice smirked.
"No, I won't let you anywhere near Rani!" Kopa glared before covering his mouth.
"I was wondering which one it was," Dakarai's voice chuckled. "Thank you for reminding me."
"You always weren't as clever as your dear old dad, Prince Kopa." Zira's voice soon mocked.
"Zira? But how are you here? And for that matter, where are you two?" Kopa asked as he looked around.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Dakarai's voice smirked.
"Yes, I would!" Kopa glared.
"So, you're alive and you left and betrayed me," A female voice said before Kopa turned around to see that it was his old friend. "How could you?"
"Vitani!" Kopa gasped at her.
"You've been alive all this time and yet you never once thought of returning home!" Vitani glared.
"I have! Really!" Kopa panicked. "It's complicated!"
"You're just a coward!" Vitani glared. "I know life was sometimes rough as The Lion Prince, but you're my best friend. You could've told me if something was bothering you and maybe I would've helped."
"I know, I know, but it's your mother," Kopa said. "My scars are proof that I didn't want to come back because of her and if you got involved I can hardly imagine what she would do."
Vitani growled a bit darkly.
"Vitani, please listen to me," Kopa frowned. "Have I ever lied to you before?"
Vitani paused thoughtfully before she shook her head. "Actually, no, you haven't." she then had to admit.
"And I'll never lie to you." Kopa smiled.
"I guess with of how Mother can be I can understand why you didn't come back." Vitani said.
"I hate to hate your mother, but she's a bit of a threat." Kopa said to Vitani.
"I don't hate my mother either," Vitani admitted. "I just hate that she had you gone. I really missed you."
"I missed you too, Vitani." Kopa said.
But just as it looked like Kopa was about lick Vitani, he heard someone trying to wake him up. "Huh? What?" he then asked.
Vitani seemed to back up away from him.
"Vitani, come back!" Kopa grumbled and cried in his sleep. He soon woke up and saw the one that had woke him up was Surak.
"So it was just a dream." Kopa sighed.
"You okay?" Surak asked. "It looked like you were having a nightmare."
"It's complicated," Kopa said before yawning. "I'm just glad it's over now."
"Well, hope you don't mind getting up because guess who Ullu spotted about to attack a family of tiger?" Surak said.
"Makucha, Ora, and Chuluun or Dakarai, Akata, and Abrafo?" Kopa guessed.
"Makucha, Ora, and Chuluun." Surak told him.
"Oh, joy." Kopa said sarcastically.
"We better get going right now." Surak suggested.
"I'm sick of those predators, so let's get this over with." Kopa replied sharply.
"I know exactly what you mean." Surak nodded in agreement before they ran off.
Meanwhile...
"Now we've got you!" Mama Binturong chuckled as she dangled from a tree with the other predators.
"And your cubs!" Ora added.
"Quick, run through the mountain pass!" The mother tiger told her cubs. "You'll be safe on the other side!"
"But what about you, Mom?" The middle tiger cub asked his mother out of concern.
"I'll be right behind you, now go." The mother tiger assured her cubs before attacking Makucha.
The three tiger cubs looked at each other and soon went to get going as they left their mother behind.
"Get those little tigers before they reach the Tree of Life!" Mama Binturong commanded.
"Yes, Mama." Chuluun growled eagerly before she chased after the tiger cubs.
"No!" The mother tiger cried out at that and went to go after her cubs.
"Going somewhere?" Ora grinned as he blocked the mother tiger's path and suddenly struck her away with his tail.
The mother tiger grunted as she hit a rock wall before getting back up and looking ready to fight and where the one ready to fight her next was Makucha while Chuluun chased after the tiger cubs as she laughed wickedly.
"Leave those cubs alone, Chuluun!" Kion glared from up top with his Lion Guard and the Night Pride.
"I was just about to do that." Chuluun grinned innocently and was nervous from the numerous lions and other animals against just her.
"I'm sure you were," Kopa smirked. "Maybe you'd like to talk this over?"
"Uh... I gotta go!" Chuluun replied and she soon ran off like a coward.
"Night Pride, Lion Guard, together!" Rani soon proclaimed as they chased after the snow leopard.
The tiger cubs were seen all huddled together in one spot.
"Kion, have Beshte and Bunga help the cubs." Rani said.
"Right," Kion nodded before looking back at the hippo and honey badger. "Guys?"
"Got it." Behste nodded as he took off with the honey badger.
"Zuka Zama!" Bunga added with the hippo.
And so, the two soon ran off and found the trio of tiger cubs while the tiger cub in the middle growled protectively.
"Aww, look how cute their stripes are~," Bunga cooed at the tiger cubs before flinching as the middle tiger cub chomped down and bit on his arm. "And how sharp their teeth are."
"Don't worry little guys. We're here to help you get to the Tree of Life." Behste soothed.
"But, what about our mom?" The middle tiger cub pouted worriedly.
"We're gonna help her too," Behste promised. "Come on, you'll be safe with us."
The mother tiger continued to growl at Makucha and Ora until Kion got in front.
"Makucha!" Kion glared.
"Kion?" Makucha replied before he was suddenly tackled by the young lion.
"Nirmala, Orum, check on the tiger," Rani suggested. "Surak, Baliyo, with me."
The Night Pride then split up to do their own jobs to help out.
Anga and Ono soon flew overhead Ora as he ducked down to avoid them and laughed. "Ha! You missed." The Komodo Dragon then mocked them.
"I won't!" Fuli replied before she soon pounced on top of him, sticking herself to his back.
Ora grunted as he tried to get her off. "Get... Off!"
Chuluun was seen ready to strike the mother tiger.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Kopa glared as he headbutted Chuluun away from the mother tiger.
"I like your spirit," Chuluun glared back. "Unfortunately, it's not enough for me to stop hurting you myself."
"Likewise!" Kopa snarled.
"Fine... I'm going! I'm going!" Chuluun glared before she soon got up and ran away through the snow.
"Nice shot." Baliyo smiled at Kopa.
"Thanks." Kopa smiled back.
Kion and Makucha were seen fighting and where it went on for a little while until Makucha had enough.
"Enough!" Makucha glared as he began to leave. "There's too many of them!"
Ora soon finally got Fuli off of his back and he went to go after Makucha. "Wait for me!" he then called out on the way.
"You win this time, but the next animal seeking refuge at the Tree of Life won't be so lucky." Mama Binturong glared from the tree she dangled from as it was time for her and the other predators to leave.
"Maybe next time you can actually leave the tree and move your lazy bones." Kopa rolled his eyes.
"Arama karo," Nirmala smiled as she greeted the worried mother tiger. "Relax. You're safe now."
"Are you okay?" Rani asked.
"Have you seen my cubs?" The mother tiger asked in worry.
"Did somebody say, 'cubs'? We got cubs." Bunga smiled as he soon came by with Behste as the hippo carried the tiger cubs on his back before they were helped back down on the snowy ground.
The cubs laughed happily before they soon ran to their mother.
"Oh, you're safe," The mother tiger smiled down at her cubs before facing the others. "Thank you for your help. My name is Varya; I've heard the Tree of Life can be a safe place to raise my cubs. Is that true?"
"That's up to the queen." Rani nodded.
"Then I need to see her." Varya said hopefully.
"Of course, Varya," Kopa smiled. "We'll take you to see her."
"Rani. Orum," Ullu hooted as she flew over. "Queen Janna needs you and the Night Pride."
"Oh?" Rani and Kopa replied.
"Go ahead, guys," Kion smiled. "Me and the Lion Guard will stay with Varya and her cubs."
"That won't do," Ullu shook her head. "The queen asked for Kion, too."
"Me?" Kion asked.
"Go on. We can handle this, Kion." Fuli smiled.
"Yeah, we got everything under control," Bunga said before getting tackled down by the three tiger cubs. "Ow!"
"Don't worry," Fuli rolled her eyes playfully. "I've got everything under control."
"Thanks, Fuli." Kion smiled at his cheetah friend.
"Thanks, Fuli," Kopa replied. "Come on, let's go."
The Night Pride and Kion then left as Bunga broke free of the cubs before he slammed into Beshte.
"You okay, Little B?" Behste asked Bunga.
"Okay? You kidding?" Bunga smiled before he stood up. "These cubs are great."
The tiger cubs laughed before they tackled Bunga to the ground again.
"I wonder what could be so important she needs all of us and Kion?" Kopa said to himself.
As they arrived at the end of the entrance they soon saw many animals at the Tree of Life and where Kopa being the first to have come through the entrance soon realized why Queen Janna wanted to see them and Kion.