Laughing and having a good time, Adewale and Chikelu were really starting to hit it off now. Perhaps, Kion had little to worry about with these two species interacting. He smiled on at the two creatures, and he felt proud of himself having his new friend interact with some animals for the first time besides him, and his own family. Deep down, Kion hoped that everything else will go perfectly with Basi and his hippo pod, and Ma Tembo with her elephant herd, even though they might know what an "elephant killer" is. Despite that little fear, even the mighty elephants have to listen to the king and queen of the Pride Lands, and see reason with them if they will not listen to Adewale.

"I swear, I can't believe we didn't meet earlier." Chikelu said.

Both of them were laughing some more and hitting it off with one another once again. This is a start of a great, new friendship between these species.

"Well, this is going great." said Nala. "Look at how happy they are."

"Yeah, this is going better than I thought." Kovu agreed. "Just wait until he meets the other animals around here."

"But, what about the elephants?" Kion said. "If Adewale is called an 'elephant killer', they might just gang up on him and gore him to death with their horns."

"Nah, that's nonsense." Kiara said. "Come on, Kion. He'll be fine with Ma Tembo and her herd. Besides, maybe we can save them for last after he's done meeting other animals."

"Kiara, I think that is a very good idea." Simba said. "Maybe after this, we can talk to Akikah and his pack of painted dogs. I'm sure they might get along, especially if he told them that he fought off the Lion's Bane without ease."

"Let's just let these two talk it over." Kion said. "They are really getting along just fine."

"Perhaps they might become blood brothers." Rafiki teased a little. "I sense a great future for this Emela-Ntouka right now. Yes... Mufasa tells me that he will fot in these Lands in no time at all. And... he says he is also very proud of you, Kion."

The cub's ears perked up hearing that. "Proud of me?" he asked.

"Yes, you do know how to make friends in high and low places."

"Low places?"

"In the Pride Lands, or the Outlands. You seem to he one making friends according to your grandfather."

Smiling at himself, Kion was feeling proud of himself as well. Indeed, this was quite another big accomplishment for him, along with forming the new Lion Guard, fighting great foes and enemies, and now, meeting a rare, majestic beast like an Emela-Ntouka. "Well, I'm glad that he is proud of me." he admitted. "What about Grandmother Sarabi?"

"Oh yes. I have spoken to her recently as well. She too, says that she is very proud of you and your wonderful strengths and courage and selflessness in your heart."

Sounds of small thumping were heard and Adewale was walking with Chikelu and Kifaru together. "This is just perfect!" Adewale chuckled. "Me and Chikelu are going splendidly. I mean, we should hang out more often. And Kifaru already thinks I'm amazing."

"Yeah, very amazing." the calf said with a smile. "I hope to play tag with you."

"Of course, Kifaru. We will have fun together when we meet again. We can have a drink of water together, graze together with your father."

"Kion, me and my crash are very grateful that you have brought him to meet us. We're very alike."

The lions and old mandrill smiled with hope for the future of this beast. If he could get along with the rhinos, he could possibly get along with the other animals in these Lands as well. Just then, Zazu and the remaining birds that made an aerial attack on the Lion's Bane returned from the Outlands, looking a little hurt from the fighting.

Simba and Nala gasped at the slightly wounded birds. Zazu carefully hovered before landing kn the ground. He flinched, knowing that it hurt his legs a little.

"Zazu, what happened?" Simba asked.

"We tried taking care of the Lion's Bane, but they were far stronger than we thought. Many birds killed by these ruffians. I... I can't believe how many birds I have lost while trying to fight them." he collapsed on his hindquarters and sighed in guilt. "What have I done?"

Poor Zazu felt like crying at the fact that he lost many bird soldiers to these fiends. "I never should have went out there. All of them dead because of me. If I would have just stayed out of it, those dead soldiers would be alive right now. Now I have failed you, your majesties."

"Don't say that, Zazu." Simba reassured. "I mean, you're an old bird, and they are tougher than we all imagined. But... I think we should just... lay low and just keep an eye on them in case if they try and attack again."

"But they could try and make another sneak attack," Adewale speculated. "I've seen those kind of animals before: cunning, calculating, and elusive. They will stop at nothing to get what they want."

This made Simba even more worried, and he said: "I'm just going to go over there and tell them to leave us alone."

He began walking to the Outlands to fight them all himself, but he was stop by his wife. "Simba, please. I don't want them to hurt you either." Nala said. "You want to end up like the birds that died over there?"

"But they might try and kill our only son again. They're plotting something behind our backs again by now, Nala. If we do not act now, they might try and make a more determined attack to us all."

"Look, we should do what you mentioned before: just send in a spy to the Outlands and take a look at them to see what's going on with them."

"I agree with mom on this one." Kiara remarked.

"We can... have Jasiri and the friendly hyenas to take a look without them knowing too." Kion said.

"Another good idea." Zira said. "Granted, I prefer to attack them in retaliation, but, I suppose we could wait a little longer for that to happen."

"Perhaps a small shrike or an oxpecker would be a good option." Chikelu thought. "Oxpeckers are the most reliable type of birds that animals like me can trust."

"Maybe." Simba nodded his head. "But anyway, come on, let's help you adjust to more friends of ours here."

"I concur. It was such a pleasure meeting you all." Adewale referred to the rhinos in front of him with a smile. "For now, I must come with the king and queen to try and show the other animals that I am not a complete and utter monster they might think I am."

Chikelu smiled back at him and nuzzled one another, as if they were blood brothers. The Emela-Ntouka then went with the Royal lion family again to meet the wild dogs next. Akilah and his pack were honorable enough to at least see reason with most creatures, except for animals like Reirei and her pack of jackals.

Akilah and Veya were just having some fun time with their kids when they all saw Adewale with the lions. He and his family looked cautiously at the animal while some of the dogs held their ground and began growling suspiciously, because they have never seen an Emela-Ntouka before in their lived either.

Regardless, Akilah told the rest of his pack to calm and stand down until he tried anything funny. "What is that?" Veya asked.

"I don't really have a clue." Akilah replied to his mate.

The ground mildly shook with every step Adewale took, but the dogs kept their ground, and all the pips in the pack hid behind their parents or caretakers for protection just in case. Simba and Nala approached the wild dog leaders and Simba addressed to them: "nice to see you again, Akilah, Veya."

"A pleasure as always, Simba." Akilah replied. Both he and his wife looked at Adewale curiously. "And who might this... rhinoceros be?"

"Well, he's not a rhino, per se." Nala corrected him flatly. "He's an... an..."

"I am an Emela-Ntouka." Adewale answered for the queen. "I know, I know, it is a rather funny name, but that is what i am. And yes, i look similar to a rhino, but in reality, I'm not." he bowed his head and shied his head away to the left. "Animals that I have met in my life usually shun me and keep their distance from myself. They all see me as... a monster instead of an animal."

"A monster?" Okove asked. "You look more like a different kind of rhino to me."

"Okove, we'll handle this." Akilah said politely to his son. "Although you are right, he does look more like a rhino."

"Granted i look like one, but I am a different species, I assure you all."

"I don't understand what people would shun you if you look different." Veya said.

"Well... it's not just my looks that would put me in that kind of position, but I am a very rare thoe of animal in this plane of existence." Adewale clarified. "And... what my name stands for."

"You do look like a rare creature." said Okove. "I'm not trying to be rude here, I'm just being honest."

"No, it's quite alright." Akilah remarked to his youngest son. "What does your name mean?"

"I don't know if I should tell you. If I did, you would all just panic under mass hysteria."

"Don't worry, we're here for you." Kion reminded. "You saved us from the Lion's Bane before and they'll understand."

Adewale looked nervous, but he sighed. "Alright. the name of my species means... Elephant Killer."

The dogs began to growl a little more hearing that. "Elephant killer?" asked Veya. "You kill elephants before?"

"Only for self-defense. If it happens, they would start it. Mist animals would get one good look at me, and they go: 'Ah! Help! Run for your lives! A big, stupid monster!'. Then, before you know it, they just attack me because of how I look, and the elephants I had to kill with my horn. But, I swear it: I only do it for self-defense, that's it. Besides, I feel like I'm better off alone."

"He is a monster!" said a Male dog. "He can't be trusted!"

"Iklwa!" Akilah scolded him heavily. "Show some courtesy!" He then looked back at Adewale. "I'm terribly sorry about Iklwa. He can be rude and irrational at times."

"I see."

"How did you guys meet?" asked Veya

"It's a rather... interesting tale." Kion stepped up to talk next. "The Lion's Bane ambushed me, Kiara, and Kovu." the wild dog pack gasped and they were quite shocked to hear that these enemies were back in action against the royal family, and their friends and allies. "But then, Adewale came and saved us driving off Harif and his friends away to the Outlands. We're... a little sore but, he did save us."

"Yeah, he's telling the truth." Kiara added. "If you won't believe him, at least believe me and Kovu. We were there with him."

"We do believe you." Akilah remarked.

"Good. And, it appears that Adewale just needs a confidence booster and needs to have more... more... what's a good word for it?"

"Social interaction?" Kiara said.

"Yeah! Exactly. He just needs a different approach in meeting other animals that he comes across. He already met Chikelu and his crash of rhinos, and we're trying to show the Pride Lands that he is not a mindless monster."

"Intriguing. Well, I am starting to see that you are like ant animal in the Pride Lands." Akilah remarked warmly. "And I am sorry of the pain you were out through, and I hope that every animal around here will warm up to you."

Adewale smiled gratefully. "Good. Now, what are your names?"

"I am Akilah, the leader of this pack, and this is my wife Veya, and these are our kids."

"Hello!" the pups said in unison with smiles on their adorable faces.

"Do you know about the Circle of Life?"

"Of course. I've heard of it, but... I am conflicted on whether I should believe it or not."

"Of course you should believe it." Veya said. "It is the very way of life in this existence."

"Well, I think will get along with them just fine, your majesties. Can you please give us some time alone to talk?" the king shd queen nodded a Yes to him and the lions and mandrill gave him some space.

While alone with the dogs, Adewale wasn't fighting with them or having an argument. Yes, everything was going better than the lions expected. Although this is still the beginning.