The waters of Lake Ahadi were as cool as ever, and Kion was done eating the antelope that he killed, and he left the rest to Khemu, the moody yet friendly lappet-faced vulture. Speaking of which, Some group of regular vultures appeared and they must have found the kill that Kion made, and left for Khemu to finish off for, being a scavenger he was. "I was here first!" Khemu called in the cattails. "If you all want your share, you have to wait your turn!"
Kion and a few other lions looked over where the voice was coming from. "Is that Khemu?" asked Zuri
"Yeah, I was eating an antelope I caught, and he caught sight of it while I was eating. But, i'm fine. I'm full and he can have the rest of it." Kion replied. "I just hope Mzingo and his friends don't ruin everything.
"I know he's not Mzingo." said Tiifu. "But, Khemu makes me a little, like... intimidated."
"Me too." Zuri agreed with her best friend. "As long as he doesn't swoop down on me and claws at my throat, then it's fine."
"Oh, Khemu would never do that." Simba chortled. "I've know him, and he knew my father, you know, before IT happened to him." he looked a little sad about what happened to Mufasa again, but he tried to brush it off. "And besides, he may be a little... surly and grumpy, but we can trust him."
"Yeah, we know." said Kovu. "He can make most vultures run in terror." He looked a this younger brother-in-law. "You ever thought of having him in the Lion Guard, Kion?" he joked
The cub made a small chuckle, and he replied: "I think we're okay with just five members right now. Still, it wouldn't kill to have extra help like you guys said before when you helped me and my friends against the Lion's Bane before."
Nala smiled. "Right. If they ever come back and try to hurt you or your friends, we'll be waiting for them."
"And we'll take 'em down to rat town." Vitani added. "Just imagine the faces on those guys when we're done with 'em." Then she wrapped her paws behind her head in relaxation.
Kion smiled gratefully at how much his family cares about him and he heard some rustling in the cattails and grass on the lake's shores, and Kion looked a little weary at what this animal could be hiding or stalking them
"What is it, Kion?" Asked Kiara.
"I hear something." The cub replied. Not only the rustling, but the sounds of sniffing were heard. Kion and a few other lions looked around cautiously, and waited for something to pounce from the grass and cattails.
Everyone kept quiet and Okove appeared and he was swimming in his dog paddle. "Hi Kion!" He said in a cheerful voice.
"Oh, Okove, it's just you." Kion sighed in relief. "I thought you were Janja or Reirei."
Akilah, Veya, and the rest of their children, along with the rest of their pack were behind them. "Sorry if we made you scared at first." Said Akilah. "Good morning to you, Kion, Simba, Nala, and everyone else." He addressed to the whole pride.
"Good morning Akilah, Veya." Simba replied politely. "Are you feeling hot too?"
Veya made a small growl in exasperation. "Ugh! It is so hot today, I really need some water."
"Us too." Said Okove's siblings, all eager to have a drink from this lake.
"Of course. Go right ahead." Said Nala.
Every one if the African wild dogs took a few sips and gulps from the lake's waters and they were feeling quite hydrated from drinking all of that water.
"Wanna join us?" Said Kiara. "The water is fine."
"Oh, we don't really swim." Said Akilah. Suddenly, the siblings of Okove took a dip in the water, obviously enjoying the swimming under the scorching sun.
Both Akilah and his mate looked a little annoyed. "Come on, Alilahx," said the female leader of the pack. "I think it is getting hotter by the second."
Tbe male leader smirked and be looked at Simba. "Mind if we join you, your majesty?"
The king of the Pride Lands smiled, and he replied: "of course. Help yourself."
Many wild dogs decided to take a swim at Lake Ahadi as well and it was quite refreshing. It looked a little unusual because most lions and wild dogs have there differences when it comes to food and territory, but these two kinds of animals were really hitting it off.
Sure, it was a little unusual, but it was good, because they both know the great importance of the circle of life and how it should always be.
While swimming, something scared away the vultures close by, then Kion took it upon his own paws to see what was going on over there.
"Odd, must be some leopard claiming the carcass of their own."
"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling hungry." Said Kovu. "I need something to eat now." he even heard his stomach growling.
"That's fine, Kovu. Just try not to wander too far off, or you can suffer heat stroke." Zira said.
"Mother " Kovu mildly groaned. "I'm not a cub anymore."
"Wait!" Kion interrupted. "Maybe I should come with you. I know I already had something to eat, but I get the feeling... I feel like..." he couldn't put his paw on it.
"Feel like what?' Asked Kiara.
"Like... we're not alone. Someone's stalling us, waiting to kill us."
"Well, okay, but I don't think we're being stalked, little buddy." Kovu said.
"I know, but my 'something is wrong' senses are tingling." Kion noted. "You can never argue with my gut."
"Well, come on." Said Kovu. "Let's see what I can find." Kion got out of the water and followed his brother-in-law, and after a few minutes, Kovu found a small kudu for him to kill and eat for himself. It was a good find for him to take and it Luke be enough to sustain his hunger for a period of time.
Meanwhile, Kion looked around for anything suspicious, and he heard a low growling. Now he knew something was stalking him and his family and friends. He carefully looked around at his surroundings for anything suspicious, and suddenly, a loud roar was heard, and something pounced on him from behind.
Before Kion knew it; he was rolling over with another lion. He looked in the face if Ramses himself, the same lion that Rani's parents were under, who was overthrown by Rani's father as the new leader of the Night Pride.
Ramses looked berg angry and vengeful on his fierce face, and his sharp teeth were showing like knives or daggers, and ready to rip the flesh out of the poor cub's skin. "Hello Kion." he said menacingly. "Remember me?"
"Ramses?"
"I'm flattered."
"Get- Off me!" the cub struggled.
"Oh shut up! This is payback for what you have done to me! You cost me my home in the Back Lands, and now, I will return the favor."
"You've brought this upon yourself!" said Kion. "If you were not so aggressive, you wouldn't have been exiled from your home!"
Kovu saw this, and he shouted: "Kion!" he charged over at Ramses and tried clawing him on the side. It did work a little at first, but Ramses, obviously being bigger than the future king himself, the sadistic lion threw him off of him without ease and clawed at his face.
"Kovu!" Kion exclaimed.
It was just then Simba, Nala, Kiara, and Vitani came to their aid. "What's going on here?" said Simba. He looked at Ramses and growled at him. "Hey! Get away from them!"
Ramses looked amused, and he said: "So, you're the great king Simba? heh heh heh. How pathetic."
"Who are you?!" said Nala
"Ramses."
"So you're the crazy old lion Kion told us about before." said Kiara."I won't let you hurt my brother! Or my love!" she instantly charged at him with anger.
"No! Kiara!" Simba tried to stop her, but she didn't listen. She pounced on him, and Ramses felt her biting on his mane very hard. Despite that, he managed to claw Kiara's back, making her get off of him.
Simba, Nala, and a few other lions charged at him while Kion tended to Kiara and Kovu. Ramses managed to get a few lions off by clawing at their faces, and it didn't take long before he and Simba were in a one-on-one match. They glared at one another and tried swiping their claws at one another. Simba was putting up a good fight with him, and tried biting at his neck, but he felt the old, sadistic lion claw at his face very hard.
He tried pouncing on him like Scar did before, and Simba kicked Ramses in the belly to keep him off of him.
Suddenly, Akilah saw this, and he ordered a few dogs from his pack to help their friends, and a bunch of wild dogs were toppling on Ramses and trying to bite down on him with their teeth. A few of the dogs were swiped off while yelping in pain, but they kept on trying to overpower him.
Finally, after a battle, Ramses realized that he can't win like this. He was panting, with a few streaks of blood on his right arm and claw marks on his right side, he said: "I will kill you all for this!" then he ran off.
It was over, and Kion looked at his sister and brother-in-law. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah. He clawed us hard, but, we're fine." said Kovu. "Nothing to serious.
"He really packed a punch, but, don't worry about us little brother."
"You weren't kidding when you said he was deranged." Nala noted.
"He's crazy." said Simba. "Scar is one thing, but he seemed worse."
"Be glad he's gone." said Akilah. "I'm glad we do not have any casualties among us."
Everyone just brushed it off, and went back in the lake. Kovu and Kiara, along with a few other mildly injured lionesses enjoyed the water soothing and tending their wounds where they were clawed and bitten at, and they all hoped their will be no more interruptions.
