Dalia watches as Imba flies off into the distance and slowly disappears from sight. The pair agreed that Imba would go ahead and start helping to put out the fire while Dalia tried catching up to the best of her abilities. She silently curses her bandaged paw that hurts when she runs out it. Because of it, and its inability to run, she must jog all the way to Kilio Valley.
The entire time, she could only wonder why in the world she felt the strong push to return to the Pridelands when she had vowed not to return yesterday. As her mind's going to ten different places, the ground beneath her paws starts to feel hot so she knows she's close. The smoke nearly makes her gag as she runs closer to the source of the fire, the red-orange flames now visible from the ground.
Several animals pass her as they flee from the source of the flames. "What are you doing?" one zebra in particular shouts. "We're running away from the fire, not towards it!" After she didn't respond, the same zebra snorts before continuing on her way. "Crazy lioness," she mutters to herself.
Dalia ignored the slight and continues jogging towards Kilio Valley. A few weeks ago, she would've also called herself crazy for what she's doing. A few weeks ago, she'd assume that someone else would take care of it, and continue on her way. A few weeks ago, it simply wouldn't be her problem.
It's not you're the problem. It was a phrase she repeated over and over again in her time as a traveler. She ingrained that doctrine into herself over and over again, telling herself that she could only care for herself if she wanted to survive. She has said out of her own accord that she can be selfish. Very selfish.
But, now, something's different. She can feel it.
Maybe it's fate, like that crazy monkey from yesterday said. Or maybe she simply had a change of heart. Regardless of the reason, her paws are swiftly carrying her across the Pridelands and towards the source of the fire.
As Kilio Valley comes into view, she forces herself up to the hill that overlooks it. From where she's at, she sees the raging fires of Kilio Valley. She runs down the slope of the hill, eager to try and help in any way she can, when she notices that only Imba is helping to put out the fires. That's when Dalia pauses in her step. Where's everyone else?
She takes a look around and realizes that the Lion Guard is currently in a small leafy clearing opposite to Kilio Valley. Upon closer inspection, she spots the elephant herd cornered by not only the hyenas but also the jackals and crocs. Now it all makes sense. Scar's Army not only wants to launch an attack on the elephant herd, but they're also trying to capture Kilio Valley.
"Not if I can help it," she whispers to herself before sprinting forward to the fire. Her paw dully aches, and she grits her teeth through the pain.
As she nears the smoke gets thicker and the fire spreads further. Imba is the only one enforcing the fire break. The eagle spots Dalia running from a distance and decides to call out to her. "Dalia! Get your butt over here!"
Dalia skids to a stop when she reaches the valley, panting breathlessly.
"Took ya long enough," Imba retorts, dropping another hunk of dirt onto a burning patch of grass. Once the dust clears, the freshly-charred grass is revealed.
The lioness immediately gets to work, kicking dirt over the flames and making fire breaks. "Where's everyone else?" she questions with another kick of dirt.
Imba catches a burning branch and quickly huffs it out. She makes eye-contact with her friend briefly before catching another one. "The elephants were fleeing the fire when the Outlanders cornered them. Kion decided to leave the fire and go help them, leaving me the only bird trying to contain this thing."
Dalia processes the information silently as she kicks another heap of dirt over a strong flame. It diminishes momentarily before resurging with greater force. She narrows her eyes in displeasure. She's no stranger to fires, but she certainly hasn't seen anything of this intensity.
The duo tries in vain for several minutes before Dalia finally collapses out of exhaustion.
"Dalia!" Imba screeches, dropping the dirt between her claws and swooping down towards her friend.
The lioness shakily gets back on her feet and opens her bleary eyes. She's never one to give up easily, but even Dalia knows how to accept a loss when it occurs. Between the overwhelming heat around her and the thickness of the smoke, her head starts spinning. "C'mon, Imba," she manages. "We need to leave."
Imba doesn't look happy at all about the decision but nods her head in agreement. She, too, realizes that Kilio Valley is no longer salvageable.
After deciding to finally retreat, Dalia and Imba both make their way out of the valley. They wandered for a bit before Imba spotted the Lion Guard and some of the elephants on a nearby cliff that overlooked Kilio Valley.
Kion, Beshte, and two elephants stand near the edge of the cliff, getting a good view of the devastation that is now Kilio valley, while the rest of the Guard and the elephant herd are clustered near the base of the cliff.
"We should go talk to Kion," Dalia suggests as she makes her way past the elephants clustered near the base of the cliff.
Imba, who is flying beside her, tips her head into a nod. "He should know about the vultures."
As she nears the cliff, she can hear bits and pieces of a conversation between an elephant from then herd and Kion:
"...If you had put out the fire... we elephants would still have a home!"
She recognizes the voice as Zito's; the only reason she bothered to learn his name was because of his ever-so-annoying habit of complaining. She furrows her brows in irritation. Dalia is a lot of things, but she isn't ungrateful. And it annoys her to no end when others are. She swiftly climbs up the rest of the cliff and starts padding behind the group.
Stopping just a few feet behind the large elephant, she turns her head up to get a good look at him. Dalia clears her throat with a pointed "ahem" to alert the group of their presence. The cluster of animals immediately turns around to detect the source of the voice. Imba immediately perches on a rock beside Dalia and crosses her wings over her chest disapprovingly.
"I don't mean to intrude, or anything." She notices Kion's eyebrows raising in surprise and she looks directly at the male elephant. "But don't you think you should be grateful that at least you and your herd are all still uninjured and accounted for?"
The elephant reluctantly nods his head. "Well, yes, but—"
"Look at the size of the fire." She gestures to the fire with her good paw. "Instead of remaining bitter because of the loss of your home, be grateful that you're safe and sound. And take hope in the fact that, one day, your grove will return to you."
The elephant gives her a hard stare, and Dalia — being true to her nature — forms a hard stare of her own. Finally, he looks down at the ground with remorse and lets out a shaky breath. "You're right," he acknowledges after a moment. Turning to Kion, he apologizes, "I'm sorry, Kion."
Kion gives him an appreciative nod. "It's okay, Zito. I understand that you're angry right now — I'm angry too — but it'll be a lot more efficient if we all set aside our anger and work together to find a new home for you elephants."
Imba gives a nod and an "mhm" of affirmation from beside Dalia.
Beshte offers a comforting smile to the pair of elephants. "Besides, fires do clear the way for new fires to grow."
The older female elephant sighs deeply. "It's true; our valley will return, and so will we." She then looks over to Kion. "But in the meantime, we elephants need a new place to live."
From the other side of the hill, the elephants trumpet their approval.
"I can't make up for the fire, Ma Tembo, but I promise that I'll find you the perfect place to stay," Kion assures.
Ma Tembo smiles warmly at the young prince. "Thank you, Kion. We can always rely on you."
...
After Kion vowed Ma Tembo and Zito that he would work relentlessly to find the elephant herd a new home, the two elephants made their way back down the hill and joined the rest of their herd situated at the base. Beshte had also left as well, wanting to make sure that everyone was accounted for, which leaves Kion, Imba, and Dalia alone.
Only once they're alone, Dalia decides to bring up her speculation that the attack of Kilio Valley was Scar's doing. She may not agree with the idea of a group that prides itself with integrity keeping a secret this large from Pridelanders, but she'll certainly respect it by keeping the secret.
Before she could bring up the subject of the vultures, Kion turns to Dalia with a surprised glance. "You—you were down there trying to put out the fire, weren't you?" Dalia gives a hesitant nod. "Ono told me that you two returned to the fire to try and put it out."
The edge of Dalia's lips curves upwards. "Well, you did save my life yesterday. I owe you one." She shuffles with her paws awkwardly. "Oh, and sorry about how I lashed out at your sister's friends. It was uncalled for."
He tilts his head and gives her a once-over before grinning. "I was wrong about you, Dalia."
"I could say the same about you," she says, "I suppose we were both wrong about each other." After a moment, Imba clears her throat from beside Dalia, reminding her of what she came to talk to him about in the first place. The lioness shakes her head and snaps her attention back to the issue at hand. "Regardless, Imba and I need to tell you something that I think would pique your interest."
"Oh?" Kion raised both brows in response and directed his gaze to Imba.
The eagle's eyes take on a form of seriousness that Dalia hasn't seen before. "I want to start off by saying that I found out about Scar's return." The prince's eyes widen at the revelation but he remains silent. "But, don't worry, I haven't told anyone. Besides Dalia. But, well, I guess you already know that since Dalia was the one to bring it up in the first place and—"
"Imba," Dalia interrupts, lifting her paw haltingly. When the eagle lifts her eyebrows in confusion, the lioness puts her paw back on the ground. "You're babbling," she reminds gently.
Imba smiles sheepishly and her wing finds the back of her neck. "Oh, right. Sorry about that." She looks back at Kion, who, by now, is thoroughly confused. "Back to what I was saying — when I was flying, I noticed it was the vultures who were dropping fire on Kilio Valley. It wasn't the embers of the old fire, it was the no-good vultures with flaming branches."
Kion grimaces. "So that means that the vultures are part of Scar's Army now, aren't they?" Neither of them answers him, which is an answer in and of itself, and he lets out a shaky exhale. He turns, facing the devastation that is now Kilio Valley once more, his ears angled down somberly.
Dalia takes a step forward so that she's standing beside Kion. "I know that you don't know me well, but I'm willing to help." The prince gives her a look that roughly translates to 'really?'. "From the short time that I've spent in the Pridelands, I've learned that sometimes, turning a blind eye can be just as harmful as being oppressive. So, I'd like to help in any way that I can."
Imba beams proudly. "I taught her that!"
The prince gives the duo a warm smile. "Dalia, like I said before, I think we started off on the wrong paw." Imba lets out a giggle at the unintentional pun. "But I'd like to start over."
"I'd like that too," replies the nomad.
A feeling of warmth bubbles from deep within her chest. But before she could get too carried away, the smoke still burning from the charred remains of Kilio Valley brings her back to reality. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Pridelanders, Scar has just waged a war against the Pridelanders with the attack on Kilio Valley. And while she may be new to the Pridelands, she has heard of the atrocities Scar committed when he was mortal.
What is he capable of now that he's returned practically immortal?
"What can Imba and I do to help?" she questions, worry knitting her brows together.
He doesn't answer her right away. From where they are standing on the hill, they have a perfect view of Kilio Valley. And the Outlanders that now inhabit it.
"I honestly don't know," he admits. Dalia follows his trail of sight and her eyes settle on the Outlanders who are currently bickering amongst each other. "I just wish I knew what they were planning." He glares at the Outlanders now occupying Kilio Valley. "What their next move's going to be."
Dalia pads a few steps forward until she's at the edge of the hill and overlooking the charred expanse several yards away. It's horrible how the Outlanders have now infiltrated the Pridelands. Horrible, but clever. Even Dalia has to admit that it was smart on Scar's part to capture Kilio Valley. Not only would it upset the Pridelander's biggest peacemakers, the elephants, it would also position the Outlanders right in the heart of the Pridelands.
With Kilio Valley infiltrated, they have good access to anything the Pridelands has to offer.
Infiltrate. The word bounces around in Dalia's mind, hovering over the tip of her tongue. That's when the idea hits her. She turns to Kion abruptly, a new light suddenly appearing in her eyes.
"I think I have an idea."
Author's Note:
Hey, y'all. I hope you guys liked this chapter.
On a side-note: Does anybody have any voice actor recommendations for Nyla, Dalia's mother? I'm open to any suggestions. Again, I'm not totally familiar with the world of voice actors/actresses.
As always, feel free to let me know what you thought of it in the reviews and feel free to leave any criticism/questions/feedback.
