Back in Pride Rock, Kion was having a little snack, a dik-dik carcass to be exact, and it was so juicy in his opinion. It didn't take long for him to finish the whole thing, and he let out a small belch and through the skeleton outside of the rock for the vultures to finish.
While heading back to the rock, he was stopped by Kovu and Vitani. "Hey Kion." Said the black lion. "How was your trip to the Outlands?"
"It was Okay." Kion clarified. "I got to see an old friend of mine, Jasiri. It was so much fun seeing her there, and i'm Glad mom and dad want to make peace with the hyenas." Then he looked around and saw Timon and Pumbaa walking up to him.
"Ah Kion. Fancy meeting you here." Said the snarky meerkat. "Hello Kovu, Vitani." Then he smelled something rather foul. "Oh Pumbaa, Seriously?" And he covered his nose. "Must you do that whenever you feel like it?"
"You know what they say Timon, better out than in." Pumbaa clarified. "Besides, I can't help it after I eat s whole plate of grubs." The red warthog licked his lips foolishly.
"Hey Timon, Pumbaa." Kion greeted.
"Did you manage to get out of that little hole there Pumbaa?" Asked Vitani.
"Yeah. I did."
"And you would not believe how much of a nightmare that was." Timon Said with his eyes narrowed. "Honestly, I have no idea how he keeps getting himself in these situations."
"He can't help it if he's got a giant butt." Vitani teased with a chuckle.
"Hey! My butt's not that big!" Pumbaa said defensively.
"Ah, she's just joking with you." Kovu said. "My sister is quite a joker."
Vitani made a smirk on her face. "Oh ha ha, very funny, bro." and the lioness made a small yawn. "Anyway, Bunga told us that you and Jasiri are more than friends?"
Kion's eyes perked up. "What? More than friends? No no no, don't be ridiculous Vitani." he said. "Me and Jasiri are just friends, good friends, that's all."
"Ho ho, you sound like good friends alright." said Kovu with a teasing expression on his face.
Timon and Pumbaa couldn't help but tease the young cub too. "Ooh, a lion and a hyena in love, That sounds interesting." both he and Pumbaa had a smug look on their faces.
"Kion and Jasiri sitting in a tree!" Kovu and Vitani sang. All together with Timon and Pumbaa, they all concluded "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" and they all laughed at this.
The cub couldn't help a bigger crimson red on his cheeks. "Oh shut up!" Kion said. "It is nothing like that! Jasiri is a good friend, I promise you." he honestly didn't know what else to say after that. "I swear! Me and Jasiri are just friends. besides, it would... violate so many laws of nature."
And all four of them stopped laughing. "Oh come on, Kion." said his brother-in-law. "We were only just kidding. Smile." and he gently rubbed his small mane of hair with his meaty paw.
"Okay, okay."
"Yeah don't take it so personally, Kion." Vitani added.
"Well yeah, I'm used to you teasing me all the time Vitani, because you do it twenty four seven." Kion noted.
"Guilty as charged." she agreed. "But still, I do care about you."
"Thanks." Kion noted, trying to sound grateful.
"yeah come on, Kion, try and take a joke." said Pumbaa. "We know you and Jasiri are just friends."
"We all gotta laugh at ourselves once in a while, kiddo." Timon added.
Kion couldn't help but smirk on his cute little face. "Okay, okay, it is kinda funny." he admitted. It was just then Simba, Nala, and Kiara came down from the rock at the same time. "Hey dad. What's going on."
"Son, how would you like to come with me to the gorge where my father's... demise happened?" Simba offered. "I want to offer a tribute to where I saw him die." and he pulled a small batch of flowers.
The cub's smile turned into a frown, and asked "There? But... Would it be... depressing? Besides, I don't want to see you cry when we go over there."
"That's what we told him, sweetie." Nala said. "But apparently, his decision is final. Besides, I want to pay tribute to him as well with my own flowers. See?" then the queen showed him her own flowers.
"And mine." Kiara added.
"But Grandfather Mufasa is buried at the rock, remember?"
"Oh we know that, son." Simba remarked. "But I want to pay tribute to my father in the gorge so I can remind myself of that terrible day, and how easily I was deceived by Scar."
"I see."
"I Don't know, Simba." Kovu said. "It would make me feel like an outcast since I was... loyal to Scar and my mother, even if he wasn't my father."
"Same with me." Vitani said. "I just don't think it would be respectful of us to be in the place where the lion our parents hated died."
"Well technically, you two were outsiders, considering the fact that your mother was an evil lioness who wanted revenge for her dead, evil lover."
"Timon!" Kiara and Kion scolded the meerkat.
"Sorry."
"It wasn't you're fault." said Nala. "You weren't around when Scar ended his life."
"She's right." Simba agreed. "Besides, Scar manipulated all of us."
All of them made words of agreement with the king. Indeed, Scar was a brilliant thinker and planner, even if he was a horrible king and a tyrant over the Pride Lands. Simba remembered how cruel, cold, and manipulative he was, and really wish that he wouldn't have listen to him about going to the Elephant Graveyard or run away from home when he was a cub. He know he should just let it go, but his father's traumatizing death still haunted him, and in his dreams sometimes.
"Well anyway, should we get moving?"
"Look Simba, I thank you for offering me and my sister to come with you, but it still doesn't feel right." Kovu said with uncertainty. "My mother was Scar's greatest follower."
"Kovu." said Kiara. "You are family. A wise king once told me we are one, remember?" then the soon-to-be queen looked at her father and smiled warmly at him. "You're just as part of the family as we all are. Our love together was destined after all."
"True." her mate agreed. "I guess we can come with you guys."
"Same with me." Vitani made up her mind. "Besides, you're not the only ones who lost someone close to you." then she bowed her head in sadness. "Poor Nuka."
"I know. I miss him too, sis." Kovu remarked, sounding as sad as she was.
"Dad, can I bring my friends with us too? They all look up to Mufasa like we do."
"Of course they can Kion." Simba warmly stated. And they all went out of Pride Rock, and invited the other members of the Lion Guard along the way.
Zazu himself took the pleasure of hovering over the group in midair. Timon And Pumbaa however didn't come with them, for Simba and Nala tasked them to watch over their home while they were gone at the moment.
"I sure hope you remember where your father was... resting to say the least, sire." Zazu Said.
"Of course. I will never forget." Simba Said.
"I wonder if we can see his ghost in their. That would be so cool!"
"Bunga!" Ono scolded the honey badger. "Show some decency."
"What? I was just curious."
"Well it's not helping." Full Said with her eyes narrowed in irritation. "I just wonder how King Simba feels right now."
"Me too." Kion concurred. "I know how horrible, tragic, and traumatizing it was for my dad. Grandfather Mufasa meant everything to him."
"I honestly wished I could have met him." Kiara Said. "He sounded like a brilliant king over the Pride Lands. But I don't think I can. Still, at least his death wasn't in vain."
"Right you are, Kiara." Zazu agreed. "Mufasa was a great and brilliant lion. He always knew how to keep the Pride Lands in check whe it comes to the circle of life, oh how the other animals loved him."
"You're definitely not wrong." Beshte agreed with the hornbill. "My dad told me all about him, even said he knew the king when he was still alive."
"Supid Scar." Bunga remarked, feeling a little angry at Kion's treacherous great uncle. "I honestly wished I could have... frazzled him up good."
"Now Bunga, the hyenas killed him, remember?"
"I know that, Kiara." Bunga said. Well, at least you guys all have parents." The young honey badger made a small, sad sigh. "I honestly wish I know who my parents are."
Kion could't Help but stand close to his best friend for comfort. "Oh Bunga." He Said "You got uncle Timon and Pumbaa that love you."
"You're right. They do take good care of me."
land they all stopped at the wide gorge, as there stood the small tree that hovered over Mufasa's body before the lionesses buried him at the rock. It was silent for a moment, but Simba finally Said "Well, Here it is kids. This was where I found my father when he was killed.
The great king felt like shedding a few tears from his eyes. "I will never forget about that tree."
Simba laid his tribute to his father at the spot he was found dead on. Nala was next, Then Kiara, and then the others did as well. Therefore. The deathbed was completely covered in small flowers in his honor.
"We must always remember that my father died for every one of us." Simba remarked, bowing down with his eyes closed. "I'm sure that he would be proud of me at how much of a great kind I have become."
His son couldn't help but walk up next to him, and asked "Are you Okay, dad?" Kion Asked, noticing a few tears from his eyes.
"Yes. I'm just fine, Kion." Simba replied, his voice sounding a little on crack. More tears were streaming down his face, and Kion comforted his father all that he could. "I jus miss him."
"I know dad. I'm sure he would be proud of you too." Kion reassured.
The other family members walked up and joined in on the hug as a group. "We're there for you, Simba." Nala Said.
"I know. I love you, guys."
The only ones who did hug him of course was Zazu and the rest of the Lion Guard. "Always." Kiara added.
"Thanks guys." Simba Said with a grateful smile. All of them sat in a moment of silence to honor the deceased king even more.
It continued for at least twenty minutes, the. They all went back to the Pride Lands and the other members of the Lion Guard went back to their homes.
While in Pride Rock, Kion was sitting in front of the grave the Mufasa was buried at, and the late Sarabi had a grave as well, right next to her mate. At first, Kion felt like sobbing too, for he never saw his own father, the great Simba, cry like that before.
Kion could understand how sad he still was over his father's tragic demise. "Kion?" Said a voice. He looked back and it was Kiara. She walked up and sat next to her little brother. "Are you Okay?"
"I'm fine." Said the cub. "I just... hate seeing dad like this. I... I just wish that he knows everything will be okay."
His big sister out a gentle paw on his small back, and smiled while laying next to him. "Dad will be fine. I know he will."
"But have you seen his face?"
"I have, little bro. Sure he might not be completely over it, but remember what mom said, he is never alone. He has his family, which is us."
"True."
"Besides, even kings like our dad can cry too. And it's okay to cry. Besides, remember the other day that I found you near the watering hole that morning and I helped you understand that we all love you?"
"I'm...not really proud of it. I just thought that I wasn't so special to you guys."
"It's okay. It never hurts to let it all out, Kion. We're always there for you, and we love you."
"I love you too, Kiara."
then his big sister pulled him in for a hug. He was easy to pull for she was a grownup lioness while Kion was still a cub.
after their touching moment, they both decided to sit in silence to honor their deceased grandparents.
