EPILOGUE
Alright everybody, here we are at the final chapter of the story finally. Like with Roar of Manipulation, I'm gonna ask you all some questions at the end, but for now, enjoy the chapter, I hope you all like it.
Kion hated to dash out on the funeral like he was in front of Baliyo, but after their talk, he just had to get away to think by himself for a bit. Kion hoped that Baliyo and everyone else would understand, especially if he ended up figuring out what or who killed Rani. Kion quickly made his way to the pass that led in and out of the lands of the Tree of Life. As he exited out into the snowy forest on the other side of the mountains, he took a moment to look around, remembering when he first met the Night Pride here. It hadn't been a good first impression, but at least he and his friends were lucky enough to get a second one, which rarely ever happened.
Kion resumed walking until he got to the frozen lake where Rani had been found dead by Baliyo and the rest of the Night Pride. He stared at the spot where he suspected she had been laying, due to his nightmare from the other night. Kion looked around the area, digging in some areas of the snow around the lake and inspected a few trees, trying to see if they held other clues that could still be here all these months later and confirm just what kind of animal those 'doggish' tracks Baliyo found belonged to. There were no other clues that Kion could find however. Kion went back to stand in the spot where he assumed Rani's body had been found and swiveled his head around the area, ending back down at his paws, trying to picture what the scene must have been like in his head.
How could something sneak up on Rani or for a complete stranger have her get so comfortable around them enough to allow them to get close and kill her quickly enough to avoid a fight? There was just something so suspicious about the whole situation that didn't make it seem as clear cut to Kion as it might to anyone else. As Kion was thinking, he didn't notice Jasiri, who had caught up to him a couple minutes ago, coming towards him. She had been watching Kion as he investigated around the frozen lake, wondering exactly what he was looking for or trying to figure out. Jasiri opened her mouth to announce to Kion, she was here, but stopped and smiled, getting a better idea of how to.
Jasiri picked up some snow in one of her paws and started to compact it together and roll it around on the ground to gather up more snow. It was a little difficult due to having paws instead of hands like Makini or Bunga, but she was able to create an ample sized snowball. Jasiri than raised her foreleg and threw the snowball at Kion, hitting him square in the back of the head. Kion shouted out in surprise and looked behind him to see Jasiri laughing at him.
"Jasiri?" Kion exclaimed in surprise.
"Hahaha! I got ya." Jasiri said, walking up closer to her lion mate.
"Jasiri, what are you doing here?" Kion asked, wiping away snow from the back of his head.
Jasiri stopped giggling and got serious about whatever Kion was working on.
"When you went to talk to Baliyo, I noticed you drag him off behind everyone and when I noticed you walk off towards the pass afterward, I talked to Baliyo for a second and decided to follow you." Jasiri explained. "What did you and Baliyo talk about and what are you doing out here?"
Kion in response, looked back at the frozen lake behind him.
"I asked him more about the scene of when they found Rani and if there were any clues they noticed as to what killed her." Kion explained.
"And what did he say?" Jasiri asked.
"He said that there were completely no signs of any fight happening and as far as it seemed, it didn't look like whatever killed her did so for food." Kion explained.
"So, she was likely killed for sport or something?" Jasiri questioned.
"Maybe." Kion shrugged.
"But if so than why didn't whatever killed her decide to go do so to other animals of the Tree of Life as well or to do so to eat them later whenever it got hungry?" Jasiri questioned further.
"You're guess is as good as mine Jasiri." Kion said.
Jasiri thought for a moment, coming up with an idea that she hoped wasn't true.
"Kion, do you think someone from the Tree of Life might have killed her because of what she did to you?" Jasiri asked.
Kion looked at Jasiri as she said that.
"I don't know Jasiri." Kion said unsurely shaking his head. "I mean, it's possible, but if so than why wouldn't they have done it at some point sooner or left to avoid the risk of getting found out and punished for it? I don't think anyone would do it anyway though, knowing it'd hurt Baliyo, Surak, and Nirmala."
"Yeah, that does sound like a bit of a stretch." Jasiri agreed.
"There was one other thing Baliyo noticed however." Kion said.
"And that was?" Jasiri asked.
"He said that a few days after, he found animal tracks and he followed them, but it was snowing that day and they quickly disappeared, so he wasn't able to follow them for long." Kion said.
"What did they look like? We're they bigger cat like, like a lion, cheetah, or a leopard, because I've been wondering myself if it could have been that leopard who followed you here or the snow leopard you told me about that joined his group?" Jasiri said.
Kion shook his head in response to Jasiri's guess.
"No, it wasn't Makucha or Chuluun or any of their other allies, the tracks didn't even look like they belonged to a big cat. Baliyo said the tracks looked doggish to him." Kion said.
"Doggish?" Jasiri questioned.
Kion nodded.
"Yeah, like they belong to something like a jackal, painted dog, wolf, or a hyena." Kion said.
Jasiri looked surprised when Kion listed off those four animals that could have doglike paws, the possibility of a hyena probably being what killed Rani, getting to her.
"But there's none of those animals within like a hundred or so miles of here. Are there other animals around that have doglike paws?" Jasiri asked.
"I don't know Jasiri, I just don't know. There's something about this whole thing that just doesn't make sense to me for some reason. There's got to be something we're missing to piece the whole thing together." Kion said.
"Yeah, but what is it though?" Jasiri said, kicking some snow with her paw.
Kion didn't respond and just paced back and forth, thinking over everything he had talked about with Baliyo and Jasiri; Rani's mostly uninjured body, no signs of a fight, doggish tracks, why whatever killed Rani seemingly left without eating her or try to go and kill any other animals living at the Tree. Kion also thought about Jasiri's suggestions of it being Makucha or Chuluun or some Tree of Life animal angry at her for what she did to him, he still didn't think it was either of those, but could it have been some bad animal that knew her sometime before he left the Tree of Life or even after he left. If it was something like that, could it be the reason why Rani's killer left without eating her or killing anyone else, because they just wanted to kill her? It seemed possible, Kion relaying it to Jasiri, who agreed with his hypothesis.
"But the question is, what animal with doggish paws could Rani have angered in some way directly or indirectly that could have made them want to kill her?" Jasiri asked.
Kion thought it over, thinking back to his times with Rani when they were still married and if she told him a story about such an animal, but she never did. Suddenly, Kion for some reason again, thought back to his nightmare from the other night, hearing the evil laugh from the end of it, it once again becoming higher pitched until it sounded like.
"Janja." Kion mumbled to himself.
Kion thought Jasiri hadn't heard him, but he noticed her ears perk up when she said his name.
"Janja? Why are you bringing him up? You don't think he did it, do you?" Jasiri asked.
Kion looked at Jasiri for a moment before shaking his head.
"No, no, it's just, I suddenly thought of a nightmare I had the other night that I think might have involved Janja even though he wasn't directly in it." Kion clarified.
"Oh, I see, but seriously Kion, do you think he might have done it?" Jasiri asked again.
Kion thought about it for a second, thinking it sounded valid, but just scrunched up his face at the thought of Janja being the one who killed Rani.
"Nah, it couldn't be Jasiri. Despite what any of us think of both of them, you gotta admit, Rani and Janja weren't and aren't stupid. Rani knows of what Janja did back in the Pride Lands from Baliyo and wouldn't have allowed him to trick her into letting him get close to her and he's also crippled, which would make it difficult to attack and subdue Rani quickly enough without a massive struggle, even if he snuck up on her. It'd just be too risky. He wouldn't risk it coming here to kill Rani with the condition he's in." Kion said.
"I guess you're right." Jasiri relented. "I thought we might of had something there for a second."
Kion nodded to humor Jasiri
"Me to, but we tried." Kion said, turning around. "Come on, let's get back to the funeral. Everyone is probably wondering where we are."
Jasiri nodded and began following him. As they made their way back towards the pass, Kion thought about the idea of Janja being the one who killed Rani, and it sounded plausible. Looking back at everything that happened after Kion left the Tree of Life, if one wanted to, Rani's Manipulations could be held at fault for all of it, from Kion and Janja's fight to Janja's banishment and Janja could have wanted revenge on her because of it. However, there were also things about it that even Janja would consider too risky and things that had to be too convenient to happen for him to get at Rani when she was alone. Janja was dumb and reckless, but not that dumb and reckless and he'd be too inpatient to wait for an opportunity for too long.
Also, if Janja had done it, Kion felt like when he attacked them after Gozi formed his lion guard and when they were leaving the Pride Lands, he would have said something about it to mock them, but he hadn't. At that thought, Kion suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Jasiri to bump into him, hurting her nose.
"Ow! Kion, why'd you stop?" Jasiri asked, rubbing her nose.
Kion didn't hear her however as his mind shot back to when Janja and his clanmates tried to attack them as they left the Pride Lands and thought of the things Janja had said.
"Hay, ho, how's your sister?"
"I guess I'm gonna have to make another visit there."
But the one thing that Janja had said that could be the most revealing was the last thing he said.
"Then come on Kion, come at me and make sure I never will hurt anyone from the Tree of Life. But I doubt you'll succeed in doing so seeing as how I've alread…"
Janja hadn't gotten the chance to finish his sentence before Gozi blasted him with the roar, but when trying to guess what Janja was going to say, it being something like 'Seeing as how I've already killed someone from the Tree of Life' or something similar sounded like the only logical thing he could say. Kion hadn't thought much about what he was going to say back then, having been too angry at Janja for mocking Baliyo and thinking Janja was just trying to mess with them like he liked to do to everyone, but putting everything he said into context along with other things made it seem clearer and clearer that it was him. That was when Kion realized that Jasiri was right about suspecting for a second if Janja had been the one to kill Rani. As Kion was thinking that, Jasiri, who had been trying to get Kion's attention, nipped him on the rump with her teeth. Kion gave a small shout of pain and jumped around, facing Jasiri.
"Why'd you do that?" Kion asked.
"I wasn't getting through to you and I had to, somehow." Jasiri said. "You suddenly stopped there as we were walking, Kion, and you seemed so lost in your thoughts, why?"
Kion decided not to beat around the bush and be clear with Jasiri.
"Jasiri, I think you were right; I think Janja was the one who killed Rani." Kion said.
"You do? But I thought we just decided that it couldn't be him." Jasiri said.
"I thought so to, but then I remembered the things he said and the way he was acting as we left the Pride Lands." Kion said.
Kion then repeated the things Janja said as they left the Pride Lands for the funeral and Jasiri's eyes went wide with realization as he said them.
"…Janja was unable to finish what he was going to say because of Gozi, but I'm sure he would have either flat out said he killed Rani or talk around saying he just killed someone in general." Kion said. "He didn't even seem too surprised when he heard about her death either and the way he was grinning the entire time, it seemed like he knew what he was saying. It makes him asking Baliyo about how Rani was doing not seem like just some random question, it was more of a verbal and mental attack on him. As for his 'making' of another visit to the Tree of Life, it makes it sound like he had been there at some point and not just when you and him came to tell me about Zira, coming for my and Rani's wedding, and my third birthday."
"But I don't get it, Janja's always been one to take any chance he sees to gorge himself and to kill just for the Hell of it. So, why didn't he eat Rani after he killed her or go to kill other animals of the Tree of Life?" Jasiri asked.
"Isn't it obvious, because it wasn't for food or to kill for sport, it was for revenge." Kion said.
"Revenge?" Jasiri questioned.
"Yes, everything that happened after I left the Tree of Life, Rani's actions could be considered at fault for why it all happened and Janja could see it that way. He'd been exiled for a long time, enough time to join into a new clan, become it's matriarch's mate, and to heal from his injuries from our fight. He came to the Pride Lands to get revenge now that he had all that, but what if he didn't come to us first, what if he came here first to get revenge on Rani, seeing her as the reason why you became mates with me instead of him and he ends up getting exiled. Think about this as well, Baliyo was just days behind Janja and Hatari's clan."
"Coincidence?" Jasiri questioned.
Kion shook his head.
"No, it'd be too much of one to not be the case." Kion said.
Jasiri took a minute to digest everything she, Kion, and Baliyo had pieced together and soon she saw the full picture herself. They had no full-on conformation from Janja's mouth itself and if Janja was with Hatari's clan at the time than why didn't he just bring them with him to kill Rani instead of risk him failing to kill her by himself especially when he was crippled, but still, all the puzzle pieces of the mystery of Rani's death and Janja being the one to kill her all fit together. Jasiri gasped at the realization and looked up at Kion with wide eyes.
"Kion, I think your right, I think we just solved it." Jasiri said. "It had to have been him, I'm almost a hundred percent certain that Janja is the one who killed Rani."
At hearing Jasiri say that, Kion angrily growled and roared furiously.
"We were too merciful on him! We should have killed Janja when we had the chance!" Kion angrily shouted, thinking back to his and Janja's fight in the Lair of the Lion Guard.
"Oh, I hate to say it, but I think your right." Jasiri said uneasily.
Jasiri than began pacing back and forth.
"What are we gonna tell everyone else?" Jasiri asked.
"What else? The truth." Kion replied.
"Now?" Jasiri asked.
"No, I don't want this to interrupt the funeral, we'll tell Baliyo and the others afterwards." Kion said. "So, we should start heading back."
"Yeah, everyone's probably noticed our absence." Jasiri said.
Kion and Jasiri immediately began to make their way back to the funeral. Luckily, it was still going on, so Kion and Jasiri didn't have to feel bad about skipping out on the rest of it. As they got closer, they noticed Asante in the back, keeping an eye out for them. Asante ran up to them when they got closer.
"Asante." Jasiri addressed when their daughter got up to them.
"Mom, dad, Baliyo asked me to keep an eye out for you guys. Where were you?" Asante asked in a hushed voice.
"Well, I needed to leave for a bit to figure something out. And your mother decided to follow me." Kion said.
"Figure what out?" Asante asked.
"We'll tell you later, but how have things gone so far?" Kion asked.
"Most everyone who has had something to say has already spoken by now." Asante said.
"Okay, good, we should rejoin everyone now." Jasiri said.
Kion, Jasiri, and Asante made their way through the gathered animals and sat next to Baliyo and Tiifu. Baliyo looked to Kion as he sat next to him.
"Oh, your finally back, I was starting to get worried." Baliyo said.
"Baliyo, there's something Jasiri and I need to tell you after the funeral." Kion said.
"What?" Baliyo asked.
"Jasiri and I might have just figured out what or who killed Rani." Kion revealed.
"You did?" Baliyo exclaimed. "What, who?"
"We'll tell you after the funeral, I don't want to interrupt the it." Kion said.
"Okay." Baliyo agreed, nodding.
For the next few minutes, Kion and Jasiri watched and listened to a few other animals who decided to go up and say something in regards to Rani. It was all more or less the same, some talked about the things she had done for them before her lies about her true feelings for Kion being revealed and how they felt and hoped that all those were genuine feelings of caring about and wanting to help and protect them. As for the animals who had only arrived at the Tree of Life after Kion left, said that they never got to know what they hoped was the true Rani, but from what they heard, that before manipulating Kion, she was kind, protective, and cared about all the animals of the Tree of Life and wished they got to experience that part of her. Some of Kion's friends and family had also spoken about Rani, offering whatever kind words they were able to, although there weren't much. Jasiri had even gone up to offer some kind words, but found doing so very difficult since she had known Rani the least out of everyone here apart from her daughter and her friends and her most prominent experience with her was finding out about her manipulating Kion.
Jasiri was however able to say that despite Rani's manipulations giving her the chance to be with Kion, she still sometimes in a way wishes Rani had turned out to be the seemingly kind lioness she had barely known beforehand so that Kion and the rest of the Night Pride wouldn't have had to go through the hurt they all had done so and like Baliyo had hoped, hoped herself that she had at least found peace and the Great Spirit and her ancestors have forgiven her, Kion giving her a nod of approval. Asante, Gozi, Umoja, Busara, and Mbio were even given the chance to go up and say some words. They weren't able to say anything about Rani, having never met her, but they did say that they wish they could have met her and not as the manipulator she was viewed as, but as a kind lioness that some remembered before she manipulated Kion and like Jasiri had just done, hoped she had found peace and was forgiven by the Great Spirit and her ancestors. It was at that point that everyone who had something or wanted to say something had spoken, or so Kion had thought. Surak and Nirmala looked over at Kion from where they stood in front of everyone.
"Kion, you're the only one left who hasn't said anything if they want to; would you like to come up and say something?" Surak asked.
All eyes than turned to Kion, everyone wondering if the former King of the Tree of Life would go up to say some kinds words about the lioness who broke his heart. Kion looked at everyone, wondering the same thing himself. Could he say any sort of kind word to Rani when he couldn't tell what was real or not between them as lovers or as just friends. Kion thought that maybe he shouldn't, but found himself walking towards the grave. He looked at Surak and Nirmala as he passed them and asked for some privacy, wanting to talk more directly to Rani's grave than at everyone.
The two Night Priders nodded and went to sit with everyone else. Kion than walked up in front of the grave where Rani was buried and looked down at it. Kion took a while to figure out exactly what to say or at least what he thought he wanted to say.
"When I first came to the Tree of Life, Rani, there were times when we talked that you really helped me, like helping me gain the courage to talk to my grandfather again even with my scar and you helped me in coming to the realization that I didn't need my roar to be a leader." Kion said before giving a heavy sigh. "But knowing your intentions from back than now, it's impossible to say if any of that was genuine or not, so I can't really say you were much of a friend nor a wife. However, despite all that, I know that you truly, genuinely cared about the Tree of Life and the animals here for sanctuary and healing that you protected and your family, even if you didn't show it to them in the best of ways… and that's enough to make me sorry for hearing about this happening to you; I don't believe you deserved to die. It's like I told my daughter, I wish that I had been wiser back then, than maybe this wouldn't have happened to you and we could have still been friends. I hope you've found peace and the Great Spirit and the spirits of your ancestors have forgiven and showed you mercy and have allowed you into the stars with your parents and grandmother."
Kion than turned around and walked back to sit with Jasiri.
"Kion." Jasiri said.
Kion looked towards her.
"Yes Jasiri, what is it?" Kion asked.
"You're crying." Jasiri said.
Kion looked down at Jasiri, confused before wiping the side of his paw across his eyes, feeling wetness as he did, which surprised him.
"I hadn't noticed." Kion said.
"I don't know whether to say if I didn't expect it to happen or not?" Jasiri admitted.
"Me neither." Kion said.
Some tears were still spilling from Kion's eyes and he continued to wipe them away, Jasiri eventually reaching up to lick them away. As she did, Jasiri couldn't help but wonder exactly what Kion thought of his and Rani's relationship. She knew how he felt about it of course, but she wondered if there were times when he missed the relationship, they had together even though he knows it wasn't genuine.
"Kion, do you ever miss your marriage with Rani?" Jasiri asked.
Kion looked at Jasiri, surprised that she would ask a question like that. He wanted to deny that he missed it, but he found himself unable to lie to both Jasiri and himself deep down.
"Yes, there are days when I do miss my marriage with Rani in some way, even to today and wish I had it all back and that it was genuine." Kion said.
Jasiri nodded.
"I understand. Like I said up there, there were times when I wished that to, because I hated seeing you in the state you were in for months afterwards." Jasiri said.
"Thanks, Jasiri, but despite all that I went through, I'm happy that you and I are together now and that we have a daughter. I'm happier than I've ever been, even when I was with Rani and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world." Kion said.
Jasiri smiled and looked up Kion.
"From this world? What if there was another world out there and they had something you really, really, REALLY wanted, would you trade me and Asante in then?" Jasiri asked.
"Oh, shut up." Kion laughed, mock slapping Jasiri.
Kion and Jasiri than very affectionately rubbed their heads together. Kion and Jasiri stood very close to each other together silently as the rest of the funeral went on, only speaking or singing when Baliyo eventually sang a lament song for Rani and mostly everyone joined along. After that, a few final words were said and the funeral attending animals finally disbanded for the rest of the day, which was only about four and a half hours until sunset. As the animals went off to do their own thing, Baliyo turned to Kion along with Tiifu.
"So, Kion, what was that thing you wanted to tell me about what killed Rani?" Baliyo asked.
As Baliyo asked Kion that, Tiifu looked to see Surak and Nirmala walking over to them and so were the rest of Kion's family and their friends.
"Baliyo, the rest of your family is coming this way, so are the other Pride Landers." Tiifu said.
"Oh, that's good, they should all hear whatever it is Kion has to say as well." Baliyo said, looking at everyone coming over.
"Hear what Kion has to tell us?" Nirmala asked, having overheard Baliyo,
Baliyo, Kion, Jasiri, Asante, and Tiifu all looked towards Nirmala and the others in response.
"Kion, I saw you break away from the funeral earlier after talking to Baliyo. Why so?" Simba asked
"Dad, everyone, Baliyo and I were talking about what it is that might have killed Rani and I think Jasiri and I solved it and not just what, but who killed her." Kion said.
"You did?" Surak asked, surprised.
Kion nodded.
"But, how could you have found out who did it?" Makini asked. "I can understand possibly finding out what killed her, but exactly who, is a different mystery."
"Well, we don't have a verbal conformation from the source, but we got close to one and after putting all the pieces together, Kion and I are certain we know who killed Rani." Jasiri said.
"Well, who is it, tell us already." Baliyo said, unable to take the suspense of finding out who killed his sister any longer.
Kion and Jasiri took a moment to look at each other before looking back at the others to reveal what they'd found out. Kion took a deep breath before he revealed his and Jasiri's discovery.
"Jasiri and I believe that Janja is the one who killed Rani." Kion revealed.
"Janja!?" almost everyone exclaimed in surprise, in unison.
"Yes, Kion and I went over everything we know and what Baliyo told Kion, and the only logical conclusion points towards Janja being the one who killed her." Jasiri said.
Everyone looked at each other, still in surprise and disbelief at Kion and Jasiri believing that Janja was Rani's murderer.
"But, but that can't be, it couldn't have been Janja." Baliyo said.
"Yeah, he's crippled in the leg and half blind. It'd be risky for him to come here and try to kill her." Tiifu said.
"And if he was with his new clan that we've been told about, why didn't he bring the rest of it to help him kill Rani when there was a chance he could have failed on his own?" Surak asked.
"And if so, why didn't he attack the Tree of Life and it's animals, knowing how gluttonous he is and how much he loves to kill just for sport?" Bunga asked.
"And what reason would he have to kill her for when Kion is the one he wants?" Fuli asked.
"And if he did, why didn't he say anything about it when he encountered us in the Pride Lands when everyone came to save me and Asante from him and his clan or when we left to come here?" Gozi asked.
"We thought the same thing to, until we went over all the evidence." Kion said.
Kion and Jasiri than began to explain everything they had gone over in front of the frozen lake to everyone, all slowly growing to agree with Kion and Jasiri's conclusion. Baliyo, having fresh tears in his eyes, just shook his head in denial.
"No, no, no, it couldn't have been him, it couldn't have been Janja." Baliyo said before looking at Kion. "Kion when I first came to the Pride Lands and asked you, you said that you didn't think Janja would be foolish enough to come to the Tree of Life and hurt Rani for her actions being the catalyst of him and Jasiri not getting together and him getting banished. You said it, you said he wouldn't, you said so."
Kion looked at Baliyo with an apologetic look.
"Baliyo, I'm sorry, I can't tell you how sorry I am that Janja did this to Rani. I swear, I had no idea that he'd ever think of coming to the Tree of Life to hurt her." Kion apologized. "I'm the one he's always wanted the most, I thought he'd always come for me instead of anyone else since he's always blamed me for his problems."
Baliyo just continued to shake his head in disbelief at the revelation. Baliyo turned around and began quickly walking off. Surak and Nirmala, concerned for their nephew, walked after him. Tiifu watched as they walked off and almost went after them herself, but stopped and turned back towards everyone with an angry look and her eyes glossy with tears. Kion tried to take a step forward to comfort his friend, but jumped back in startlement when she suddenly yelled in anger.
"GOD F++KING DAMN JANJA! HASN'T HE DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE ALREADY!?" Tiifu angrily yelled. "HE'S PROBABLY SITTING ON HIS EVIL, SCARRED, CRIPPLED, TAILLESS, GLUTTONOUS ASS BACK HOME, LAUGHING ABOUT IT!"
Kiara came up and nuzzled her friend to comfort her.
"It's okay, Tiifu, we're going to find a way to fix this." Kiara said.
"Fix this? What is there to fix?" Tiifu argued, pulling away from Kiara. "Baliyo's sister is dead and he and his family are more devastated than ever and all because we let Janja go when we didn't deserve mercy after what he had done."
"I seem to remember you being for banishing him and healing him back when we all were deciding what to do with him after his and Kion's fight." Zuri reminded her friend.
"That's exactly my point!" Tiifu snapped at Zuri, causing the other lioness to flinch.
"Err. Sorry, I said anything." Zuri mumbled to herself, backing up startled from her usually calm and cheerful friend.
Tiifu than began to walk off somewhere herself.
"Oh, Tiifu, wait." Kiara said, trying to go after her friend, but her mother came forward, stopping her.
"Kiara, just give Tiifu some time to take this all in." Nala said. "I think we'll all need some time to take all this in."
Kiara nodded, agreeing with her mother before walking back over to Kovu and their children. Jasiri looked to the kids and encouraged them to go and play for a while and Kion and Simba looked towards Cheezi and Chungu and Timon and Pumbaa, asking the four to watch over the kids. As they all went off, Cheezi and Chungu looked towards Timon and Pumbaa.
"So, it looks like it's up to the two, kid watching duos to watch over the kids while the grown-ups talk about the really important stuff. Ahhh?" Cheezi said.
"Uh, yeah, it looks like it is." Timon said and then nervously laughed a bit before leaning towards Pumbaa's ear. "Uh, these guys don't look hungry to ya, do they?"
As that was going on, Zuri looked between everyone.
"Uh, I'm gonna go find a tree to sharpen my claws on. I'll call for someone if they get stuck." Zuri awkwardly said before walking off.
Now with the others gone, the Pride Lands and Outlands leaders and former Lion Guard members all looked at each other.
"So, dad, mom, what do you think of all this, of my and Jasiri's assumption that Janja was the one who killed Rani?" Kion asked.
"After all the evidence you've given and gone over Kion, I'd be surprised if it wasn't Janja who had done it." Simba said.
Everyone else nodded and voiced their own agreement in Janja being the one who had killed Rani.
"So, what are we gonna do about Janja when we go back home?" Kovu asked.
"The only thing we can do." Simba said. "We capture him whenever we get the chance and we execute him for all his crimes towards the Pride Lands, Outlands, and the Tree of Life."
"And no mercy this time, he's been given too much too many times." Kion said, agreeing with his father. "No, matter what Rani did towards me and all of us, she was still a part of an allied kingdom and this time, he crossed the line too far."
"But how are we gonna capture Janja to do so, find where Hatari and her clan are staying, charge in there and grab him?" Bunga asked.
"No, Bunga, doing that'd be too dangerous; someone could die if we did that and Hatari could probably decide to attack us in retaliation." Nala said.
"Yeah, and I'd rather avoid having to have anyone, no matter how large the group is, having to face a clan of thirty or so fully grown hyenas or provoke them to attack us, starting some small war." Kiara said, backing up her mother.
"So, what then, we wait for him to attack with some members of Hatari's clan and try to capture him than?" Bunga asked.
"Other than probably tracking the clan's schedules and ambushing a group that Janja is a part of, that's the best choice we've got at capturing him." Jasiri said.
"What about talking with Hatari, she and the clan seem like they could hardly care any less about Janja than we do. So could we just ask Hatari to hand Janja over and in doing so, we let her clan leave the Outlands and Pride Lands in peace or allow her to live there if they promise to respect the Circle of Life?" Beshte asked.
"Even if that's so, I doubt Hatari would treat with us either way; she just doesn't seem like the type to make a deal with anyone outside of her own kind or clan." Jasiri said.
"Or one to respect the Circle of Life." Fuli added.
"Okay, then it's settled, when we go back home, we inform the entire Pride Lands and our neighbors in the Outlands of what Janja has done and to always keep an eye out for him and to capture him for us if they can ever do so safely." Simba stated.
"If I may suggest, your majesty, I can fly back to the Pride Lands to inform them and the Outlanders sooner." Ono offered.
"Or I can do so, I can fly faster and longer." Anga offered, herself.
Simba looked towards them.
"I thank you two for your offers, but there's no need to do so. We'll not be staying at the Tree of Life for too long, the Pride Lands and Outlands can afford to wait to know the truth a little longer." Simba said.
Ono and Anga respectfully nodded towards Simba's decision. Simba than looked towards Kion and Jasiri.
"Jasiri, I've been thinking about this for a while, ever since Janja attacked Gozi and Asante." Simba began. "With Janja back in the Outlands and him out to get revenge one way or another, it doesn't make it as safe there anymore. If you feel like, you can come live in the Pride Lands for a while or at least until we capture Janja to make it safer for Asante and everyone else. There's plenty of room in the den at Pride Rock for your clan to share with the pride…"
"But will the pride want to sleep with a bunch of sweaty, smelly hyenas though?" Bunga whispered to his friends.
"Bunga!" Binga snapped in a hushed tone.
"What? I'm not saying that the pride still has prejudices against hyenas and won't want to sleep next to them because they're hyenas or that I've got any, I'm just saying that hyenas are still sweaty and smelly; we've slept over in their den before, it stinks of hyena sweat." Bunga said.
"That's ironic, coming from a honey badger, especially you." Anga commented, overhearing their conversation.
"…Or if you want, your clan is welcome to use the Lair of the Lion Guard to sleep in. It'll be safer for all of you and for Asante and it could discourage Janja from trying anything." Simba offered.
Jasiri looked at Simba as he offered that to her and her clan and looked at Kion and then back at Simba.
"Thank you, Simba, I appreciate your offer, but I think me and my clan will stay in the Outlands. I'm the Outlands' queen and the Queen of the Outlands should stay in the Outlands. Besides, if we leave, we'll just be showing Janja that we're scared, so we'll stay to show him and his… sweet, darling mate that they can't push us around and that we won't abandon our home. Kwetu Ni Kwetu and all." Jasiri said, smiling up at Kion at the end and bumping her shoulder against his.
Simba gave the hyena Queen of the Outlands a respectful nod.
"Very well, I won't push you to do otherwise, but if you ever want to for her safety, Asante is always welcome to stay with us in the Pride Lands for a while." Simba said.
"Thanks dad, we'll remember that." Kion said, Jasiri nodding as he said so.
"Good." Simba replied before looking around at everyone else. "Well, everyone, now that the funeral is over, we might as well enjoy our time here at the Tree of Life while we stay, so go off and do so."
On the King of the Pride Lands' urge to do so, everyone split off to go and have some fun for the rest of their day while planning to do the same tomorrow and the next and the next day after that and for how long they stayed at the Tree of Life. Kion and Jasiri went to find the children playing among the trees at the edge of the forest and stepped in as it looked like Timon and Pumbaa had their hands and hooves full with the children and with Cheezi and Chungu acting more childish than as responsible adults like always. When Asante asked what they talked about with everyone after Baliyo, Surak, Nirmala, Tiifu, and Zuri left, Kion and Jasiri promised that they'd tell them tomorrow and just continue having fun until it was time for bed. Kion and Jasiri deiced to watch over the children, giving Timon and Pumbaa a much-needed clock out, which the old meerkat and warthog thanked them for. As Kion and Jasiri watched the children play with each other and Cheezi and Chungu, the two smiled at each other, tightly holding onto the others paw and nuzzled and kissed each other.
Asante and her friends and Cheezi and Chungu continued to play together for a few hours while being watched over by Kion and Jasiri. During that time, they all headed back to the river to catch fish to eat again. They all even ran into Maia the kangaroo they met earlier and she introduced them to her younger brother, Charlie. Eventually, the sun began to set and Kion and Jasiri decided that it was time to head back to the Tree of Life for bed. When they got there, they saw Baliyo and his family there and Baliyo went up to Kion, apologizing for walking off earlier, which Kion said there was no need to as it must have been tough to find out he's encountered the one who killed his sister after he did so and didn't even know it.
Baliyo thanked him for that and for putting in the effort to try and figure out who killed Rani when that wasn't what he came for. Kion said that he was welcome and promised that when he went back home, he'll get a full-on conformation from Janja to find out without a shadow of a doubt if his and Jasiri's discovery of Janja being the one who killed Rani is true and that he'll send Ono or Anga to let him and his family know to. Kion also promised Baliyo that once they captured Janja, that they'll imprison him somehow and send word to him, Surak, and Nirmala that they did so, so that they could come and witness his execution if it somehow offered them some form of closure, which Baliyo thanked him for. Everyone than began to go to sleep, Asante doing her rounds of kissing everyone on their cheeks for Madoa and then punching them in the mouth for Vitani. Everyone soon afterwards, fell asleep to peaceful dreams, well, everyone except Kion that is.
Kion was dreaming of the nightmare again, the nightmare he had the night before arriving at the Tree of Life. He knew what this nightmare had in store for him, but he let his body carry him through it's course, not like he'd be able to stop himself anyway. However, when he got to the end, instead of the black demonic voiced mass that was there the first time, this time, it was Janja, who was the one holding Asante down.
"I've long awaited this and you, Kion, leader of the Lion Guard." Janja said, his voice normal this time instead of the deep demonic one.
"No!" Kion shouted, still unable to move his body like the first time.
Janja laughed mockingly and bit down for Asante's neck.
"Nooooooo!" Kion shouted in protest.
Asante screamed until Janja silenced them by snapping her neck. The nightmare didn't end there this time, this time Janja charged down the hill and at Kion, lunging at him to tear him apart, worse than he had done to everyone else. Just as Janja collided with Kion in his dream, Kion woke up from the Nightmare. He placed his paw over his chest as his heart beat fast and he breathed heavily. Kion than looked at Jasiri and Asante, who were still completely safe.
Kion got up and decided to walk off for a few minutes to clear his head. He walked a few dozen feet into the forest surrounding the Tree of Life before stopping to stand there in silence for a few minutes to clear his head before starting to head back. As Kion was heading back though, he saw Jasiri sitting about a dozen feet away from everyone else, waiting for him to get back. Kion stared out at her in surprise, wondering if he had somehow woken her up when he got up to clear his head.
"Hay Jasiri, did I wake you?" Kion asked as he walked up to her.
Jasiri shook her head.
"No, I was already kinda awake anyway. I haven't been able to get to sleep after what a hectic day it was today." Jasiri said.
"Yeah, I get it." Kion replied, nodding.
"You have a nightmare, I noticed you woke up startled like you had one?" Jasiri asked.
"Yeah, the same one as the night before we arrived, except it was slightly different this time." Kion said.
"What was it about, tell me." Jasiri urged.
Kion explained everything about his nightmare, how they were in the Pride Lands together with all of their family until everything was completely covered in snow and how he tried to make his way to the mountains that literally never seemed to get closer and when he tried to head back, he was suddenly in the snowy forest outside the pass to the Tree of Life. Kion told her how he found Rani dead at the frozen just like Baliyo had described the scene and then how he found her dead just like Rani and how everyone else dead suddenly appeared in front of him, but Asante wasn't one of them.
"That's when the changes came in, the other night, it was this large black, swirling mass, but this time it was Janja, like I said I thought it was earlier. He mocked me, saying he had been waiting for this for a long time. He had Asante under his paws and went for the kill… I couldn't move. Stood there like s stump." Kion explained.
As Kion said that, Jasiri looked over at where Asante was still sleeping.
"Dream didn't end there like it did though. Janja rushed down the hill and lunged at me, most likely to do to me what he did to everyone else, far worse though." Kion said, end his explanation.
Jasiri looked back up at Kion went into to nuzzle him.
"It was just a dream, nothing to worry about." Jasiri assured him.
Kion pulled away from Jasiri's embrace and look down seriously into her eyes.
"It was more than that Jasiri. I think it was something deep in my subconscious trying to tell me what I was already thinking deep down." Kion said.
"Well, then it seems like it worked." Jasiri said.
"That's not the only thing." Kion said.
"Huh?" Jasiri exclaimed.
Kion took a look over at Asante and then back down at Jasiri.
"Jasiri, the Lion Guard could me a dangerous thing, I should know." Kion said as he tilted his head to the side, showing off his scars from Ushari and Janja.
"So, what are you saying?" Jasiri asked.
"I don't think I want Asante to be part of the Lion Guard anymore." Kion said.
"What!?" Jasiri exclaimed.
"Jasiri, look what happened to me, look what I went through because of it. What if the same thing happens to Asante or what happened in my dream or something worse?" Kion explained.
"But Kion, you said she could be on the Lion Guard, you promised her and what about that speech you gave her about bringing something better than bravery to the guard?" Jasiri asked.
"That was before I had the nightmare and came up with the realization that it was Janja who killed Rani. I'm scared that he could kill her as well or do something far worse to her. He already almost did once when he and Hatari's clan attacked her and Gozi, they would have died if we and the others hadn't gotten there when we did." Kion explained. "What if we or someone else isn't their next time and something does happen to her."
"Kion…" Jasiri tried to argue.
"Jasiri, I know it doesn't seem fair, but listen…" Kion began before Jasiri cut him off.
"No Kion, you listen to me!" Jasiri fiercely said to the point it made Kion flinch a little. "Look, I know your worried about something happening to Asante while she's part of the Lion Guard, trust me, I am too, but I knew the risks she would face when I let her join and so did you. She's not the only one who will be in danger while part of the Lion Guard. Gozi, Mbio, Kweli, Ona, even Mtoto despite being a large teenage elephant, and even Busara if she joins them on patrols and missions despite not being a member will all be in just as much danger as her by being the Lion Guard. So don't start to single her out and become overprotective just because of a dream. Besides, she and Gozi haven't even started leading the Lion Guard yet; like we all agreed, they'll be starting when they're older and Asante will have all her friends to help protect her and each other and besides, Gozi needs her, you saw how much he changed towards the concept of leading the Lion Guard after she talked to him, they both even said so themselves."
Kion looked down at Jasiri for a moment before looking back at Asante and then back down at Jasiri.
"You're right Jasiri, I'm sorry." Kion said, feeling like a fool for even thinking about forbidding his daughter to be part of the Lion Guard just for a dream after he told her how important of a member to it, she'd be,
Jasiri smiled up at Kion assuredly and gave a peck on the side of his muzzle.
"It's okay Kion, I know you were just worried about her and that everything that's happened for about the past month has probably messed with your head. We just gotta remember, Asante isn't some helpless little girl and we won't always be here to protect her and shouldn't hold her back. We gotta let her go at some point and find herself and I think the Lion Guard will help her with that." Jasiri said.
"Yeah, we do and I think it will, but she's still our young daughter and should enjoy that while it lasts. That's what you, me, Kiara, Kovu, Bunga, Binga, Fuli, Azaad, and Dogo and his wife back home all need to do with Asante, Gozi, Umoja, Busara, Mbio, and Kweli" Kion said, Jasiri nodding in agreement.
Kion and Jasiri nuzzled each other one more time before going to lay back down with Asante and falling asleep.
So, Kion and his family and friends continued to stay at the Tree of Life until about a week and a half later, they decided that it was time to start heading back home to the Pride Lands. They had said bye to all the animals and the Night Pride than began walking them towards the pass to see them off. Everyone got a chance to say bye to the Night Pride, Baliyo especially speaking to Gozi, Kion and Jasiri, Asante, and Tiifu.
"It was great seeing you and your brother again Gozi and it was great to have you finally visit the Tree of Life. I hope you enjoyed it." Baliyo said to the young future leader of the next Lion Guard.
"It was great to come and finally see this place and it was great to also finally meet Surak and Nirmala. Next time, we'll bring my friend Kweli, she'd love to see this place and ride in Maia's pouch." Gozi said.
"Good, we're glad to hear." Baliyo said. "Keep working on your roar, you're fighting techniques, and your leadership skills and you'll be just as great a Lion Guard leader as your uncle, Gozi."
"Don't worry, I will. I'll have Asante, Busara, Mbio, and my other friends back home to help me." Gozi said.
"Uh, what about me?" Umoja asked.
"He's only talking about us Lion Guarders. So, move aside normie." Mbio joked towards Umoja, pushing him aside.
"Normie? I'm the future king." Umoja stated proudly.
"Ah, don't listen to him, Umoja, of course Gozi means all of us." Busara said, jumping over Mbio, next to Umoja and placing an arm around his neck.
After Baliyo was done talking with Gozi, he looked towards, Kion, Jasiri, and Asante.
"Kion, I just want to thank you again so much for coming, it meant a lot to me and my family and also thank you for finding out that it was Janja who killed Rani. It gives us some closure to at least know who killed her." Kion said.
"Of course, Baliyo." Kion said with a nod. "I promise that one day, Janja will pay for what he did to you, to your family."
"Thanks, Kion, but I don't want it out of revenge like Janja wants for everything, nor does my family. We want it to be so that Janja can never hurt anyone in anyway ever again." Baliyo said.
"He's right, Kion." Jasiri said, agreeing.
Kion nodded in response to both of them, knowing doing so should be done for justice, not vengeance.
"Well, Baliyo, like I said last week, I'll send either Ono and Anga whenever we get a full-on conformation from Janja if he did it." Kion said.
"Thank you, Kion." Baliyo said and then looked at Asante. "And you, Asante. It was wonderful to finally see you again after so long."
"It was wonderful to see you to Baliyo, now that I'm old enough to remember you and everyone else at the Tree of Life, clearly." Asante said.
Baliyo smiled at that.
"I really wish you didn't have to go; it's been great to have you around." Baliyo said.
"Me to, but the Outlands is my home, I really miss Aunt Madoa and Aunt Vitani, and Gozi will need me for whenever he starts leading his Lion Guard." Asante said.
"He definitely will from what you and he has told me. So, you look after him whenever you start. Look after your parents to and look after yourself as well, can you promise me that?" Baliyo asked.
"Yes, I promise." Asante said.
"Good, girl." Baliyo said. "You continue to be that to, you and all your friends."
As Baliyo smiled at Asante, the young stripped hyena suddenly rushed towards him and nuzzled his face. Baliyo was startled at first, but soon nuzzled her back. He offered her and her parents one last smile before he slinked over to Tiifu, quietly pulling her off to the side.
"Don't tell anyone, especially Asante, but I think I'm gonna miss you the most." Baliyo said.
"Me to, but hopefully you and I can see each other again soon." Tiifu said.
"Of course, we can. As soon as I hear word from Kion through Ono or Anga like Kion promised, I'll make another visit to the Pride Lands soon after." Baliyo said.
"Really, you promise?" Tiifu replied.
"I promise." Baliyo promised.
Baliyo and Tiifu than rubbed their heads together and pulled away, hanging on for as long as they could onto each other's paws. A few final good byes were said between the Pride Landers and Night Priders before the Pride Landers set off, both sides waving and shouting byes as they left. As they were walking through the pass, Kion looked towards Asante and the children, getting a fun idea.
"Hey, Asante, Gozi, Mbio." Kion addressed the three.
"Yes, dad?" Asante replied.
"You know, I was thinking, as the future Lion Guard, why don't the three of you lead all of us home?" Kion offered.
The children looked up at Kion and each other in surprise.
"Really, you want us to lead everyone home?" Gozi asked.
"Yes, think of it as a test in your direction skills in places you're not as familiar with as the Pride Lands or Outlands." Kion said.
The children all looked at each other thinking about it and at everyone else when they all started encouraging them to do it.
"Yeah, come on you three, do it." Jasiri encouraged.
"Lead us home." Kiara encouraged.
"Show us the way." Ono said.
"Point us in the right direction." Nala said.
"You lead and we'll follow." Kovu said.
"Lion Guard! Lion Guard! Lion Guard!" Bunga shouted.
Asante looked at her friends and fellow Lion Guard members and smiled.
"Yeah, come on, let's do it. It sounds fun and everyone is counting on us." Asante said.
"Yeah, we need ya." Fuli said.
"What about us, can we lead along with them?" Umoja asked, gesturing towards himself and Busara.
"Sure, though not officially, Busara is basically a Lion Guard member herself." Jasiri said.
"And Umoja is the future king and a king should learn how to lead his subjects in the right direction." Simba said.
"Alright than." Gozi said, stepping up and looking back at his friends and brother. "Lion Guard, unofficial Lion Guard member, and future king, let's lead everyone home."
"Follow the yellow stone road!" Busara shouted in a sing-song-voice as she and her friends took off running in front of everybody.
Kion, Jasiri, and everyone else smiled as they watched the children run off in front of them, eager to lead them all home to the Pride and Outlands. As they continued walking, Kion's entire family walked up next to him and looked at him along with Jasiri.
"What?" Kion asked as he looked around at all of them.
"Kion, we just wanted to ask you what you thought of your return to the Tree of Life after so long?" Simba asked.
"Honestly, I feel really good about it since it gave me the opportunity to put everything, I left there behind me. I feel like I can fully move on now." Kion said.
"That's good to hear Kion." Nala said.
"We just got things we still need to do back in the Pride Lands though." Kion pointed out.
Everyone nodded in agreement, knowing what Kion meant by that.
"But what about all of you guys, did you enjoy it?" Kion asked.
"Yes, we feel just as good about coming and to know we're still of good terms with Surak and Nirmala and the animals back there along with Baliyo." Simba said, Nala nodding in agreement.
"I think they feel the same way dad, even more so, I'm sure." Kiara said.
"Yeah, despite what the main reason we came for was, this was actually a fun little trip and the kids definitely enjoyed it. The adventure of a lifetime for them." Kovu said.
"Same. It was a fun little vacation, but I can't wait to get back home." Jasiri said.
"You know, I wonder what the circle of life has in store for us next?" Kion said.
"You'll never know until you experience it, but what you can be sure on is that our story is far from over, because we have plenty more stories that have yet to be told." Jasiri said.
"And whatever they are, good, bad, bittersweet, I can't wait to experience them." Kion said eagerly.
Kion's family voiced their agreement, ready for whatever life threw their way next. As Kion and his family were thinking that, they and their friends came across the children who had come across a fork in the path and were deciding which way to go.
"I say we go right. Right as for in make the right choices, fly right, ring paw or wing man or woman, everyone's right paw being their good paw." Mbio said, his friends like at him strangely for his strange reasonings in going right.
"I've seen some animals who are better at things with their left paw than their right." Umoja stated.
"Oh, uh, well, uh, oh you all know what I mean, right just seems to be, well, the right way for everything, so why don't we go right." Mbio said.
"But right is too obvious, I say we go left." Gozi said.
"But is left the way towards the Pride Lands?" Busara asked.
Asante looked behind herself and her friends to see her parents and everyone else coming their way.
"Guys, everyone is coming, we need to make a decision quick." Asante said, wanting herself and her friends to impress everyone.
"Okay, um." Gozi said, pacing back a fourth between paths. "Eeeny, meeny, miney, moh, catch a lion by the toe… if he… let him go… I don't know what the heck to go."
Gozi quickly looked behind him to see the adults basically coming up on his tail.
"Right, everyone! We go right, right is the way towards the Pride Lands." Gozi tried to say confidently.
"Yes." Mbio said victoriously.
"Right path it is then." Asante said, she and her friends heading down the right path.
Jasiri looked up at Kion.
"Is the right path the way towards the Pride Lands?" Jasiri asked.
Kion shook his head.
"No, it's left, but let's humor them for a while. We can cut through woods later and still make it to the cave by nightfall." Kion said.
"Okay then. Follow the Lion Guard." Jasiri said with a laugh, being the first to follow after the children.
Kion chuckled to himself and followed after them along with everyone else. As they did, Kiara came walking up next to her brother.
"You know, speaking of stories left to be told, I wonder what Vitani's story has been since we left her in charge of the Pride Lands?" Kiara wondered out loud.
"I don't know, I only hope she's had as much fun as us." Kion said. "Now excuse me, I feel the need to go give my mate a kiss. Her cheeks must be freezing from the cold of this snowy forest and need some warming up."
"Don't keep her freezing than." Kiara encouraged.
Kion did so, walking up to Jasiri and giving her a kiss on the cheek, instantly warming it up. Jasiri smiled at Kion and returned the favor. They than did the best they could to intertwine their tails together as they continued to follow their daughter and her friends towards home.
THE END
And with that Return of the King of the Tree of Life end everyone. I originally thought this story was going to be three chapters long, than four, and than six, but it turned out to be seven chapters and it was all a joy to write and upload and to hear all your thoughts on it. Now, here are those questions I wanted to ask you all
1# Which canon character was your favorite and why (I have a feeling that Kion or Jasiri or Baliyo are going to be obvious choices for most, so please maybe tell me which canon character besides them was your favorite.)
2# Who was your two favorite OC characters, one from Roar of Manipulation and one of the very few introduced in this story and why?
3# Which chapter was your favorite and why?
4# Which chapter was your least favorite and why? Please don't be too savage.
5# Like ROM (Roar of Manipulation), this was another serious story that still had a lot of pretty funny moments, so which funny moment was your favorite and do you think I balanced the funny moments along with the seriousness of this story like I did with ROM?
6# This story was more than just to see how everyone would react and what they would do after Rani's death, it also set up and/or foreshadowed some future planned stories, some might be more obvious than others, try pointing them out just for a little fun if you want.
Well everyone, that is it for now, I hope you all enjoyed this story and can't wait for the next one; I haven't started writing it yet and won't for a while since I want to take a break for a while, but I have some ideas for certain areas of the story, which will be about Vitani and a new OC character, and the working title for it is called 'A DIFFERENT LOOK' and is subject to change. Until than everyone, please leave a review and answer those questions, have a good day/night, please read and review my other stories if you haven't yet, stay healthy, God bless, and thank you so much for reading.
