•
Calling to the night, to dream again in the light,
Waiting for a storm to rise, feel the isolation fleeting.
Calling to the night, to be or not to be fighting here,
Leaving without you, leaving my soul behind.
But the heart will remain as a silhouette of time,
Hear the ringing echoes in the splitting horizon.
—Natasha Farrow, "Calling to the Night"

Simba jolted awake at the sensation of the ground tilting beneath him. He peered around and saw that everyone else was still asleep, and wondered if he had dreamed it. Wouldn't surprise me, he thought, slowly laying back down beside Nala. It's like when I close my eyes and suddenly think I'm falling—

He had barely started drifting back to sleep when an even more pronounced tremor went off. This time several lions were startled into wakefulness, which told Simba he was definitely not imagining things.

Among the first to rise was Nala, who manoeuvred her way through the lions crowding around the mouth of the den to peer outside. "What was that? Another earthquake?"

"No," Sarabi said, "No one's having any reactions, but... we shouldn't stay in here. Not unless we can be sure it's safe."

Simba barked a sharp roar. "Everyone, out of the den! Quickly!"

The remaining sleeping lions promptly roused themselves and rose to join the rest of the pride outside. Simba took one last look around in hopes of spotting some clue as to what was going on. The ground tipped once again, in the same direction it had before, and with all haste the king hurried out after the others.

As Simba turned around the corner, he almost bumped into Tamika, who gave a startled yelp but quickly regained her wits. "Sorry, Your Majesty. I need help evacuating the recovery den. There are a few patients who can't move on their own."

Kasi popped out from beneath the promontory. "We're on it," she volunteered, indicating herself and Imara.

"I can help too," called Kovu from outside the entrance to the recovery den.

Wasting no time on chatter, Tamika rushed back down to him; Kasi and Imara did the same, and the four of them swiftly darted inside. Simba stopped to check one more time that the royal den was empty before making his way down the opposite side.

Nala, who had brought the pride a safe distance away from Pride Rock, weaved through the grassy savanna to lead him out of earshot of the other lions. She peered up in consternation as a shower of stones sprinkled down from the promontory. "I'll take a team into the Nandembo Caverns. See what's causing the commotion."

"Half those tunnels must be either collapsed or flooded," Simba pointed out. He was beginning to wonder if they had been too heedless to send Vitani off immediately after a crisis.

"I didn't say it was gonna be easy," said Nala grimly. She looked him dead in the eye. "I'll need someone who knows their way around."

I had a feeling you'd say that. He let out a slow, heavy exhale. "You really think he'll want to go down there right now?"

"No," she admitted in resignation. "But what choice do we have?"

No kidding. Sometimes I wonder why I ever wanted to be king. Simba yawned, though it came out more like an exhausted groan. "I'll go talk to him." Seeing Sarabi nearby, he raised his voice and called, "Mom? Could you bring the pride somewhere out of the wind?"

"No problem," she responded. "Follow me, everyone."

As Nala picked out her team for her cavern expedition, the rest of the pride shuffled off, leaving Simba alone to attend to his task. He cast his gaze skyward in a silent plea to the heavens, already knowing how this was about to go.

•••

It was well into the night by the time Kopa entered the vast stretch of canyons beyond the mountainous lowlands. Patches of dirt gave way to stone, and what little moisture they retained was almost entirely absent from the soil now. Still sprinting as fast as he could, he weaved through an array of columns lined with red-brown striations, mostly relying on his night vision to navigate the changing terrain.

Once again Simba and Nala's faces materialized in his mind, causing him to growl in vexation. It's always that same memory. I thought I'd remember more once I learned their names. For a moment he wondered if he should have asked Sajin more, but dismissed the idea with a shake of the head. There's no way I would've stuck around, especially not now that he knows who I am.

Do I though? I certainly don't feel like a prince... or even know what it's supposed to feel like. At last Kopa slowed to a trot. It was now the third night since he had been separated from Tumaini, and at the moment he was really missing his friend's congenial presence. If I can't find him or Siri, then I'll have to wait for him in the Serengeti. It was going to take a lot of guesswork to get through the canyons without being turned around, but he had to try.

"Took you long enough."

He jumped at the sound of Kumi's voice. He spotted her perched atop one of the stone columns he was walking by. As she leaped down, digging her claws into the side of an adjacent column to slow her descent, he fixed her with a wary look. "Long enough for what?"

"To catch up, of course," she told him breezily. "I want to talk now that it's just the two of us."

Kopa unsheathed his claws the moment she took a step toward him. "Stay where you are," he warned, even as he stumbled back.

A puzzled look crossed Kumi's expression. "Relax, Kopa, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Then don't come any closer."

"I thought we already did the trust exercise back there," she said wryly, jerking her head in the direction he had come from.

"Well, I don't trust you," snarled Kopa. "I just said whatever it took to get your claws away from that lion."

"Smart kid. But I was bluffing, I wouldn't have hurt him."

"Then how come you didn't let him go until I made you?"

She rolled her eyes, which he found irritating in an oddly familiar way. "You made me, yeah, okay. I knew Sajin would attack me the moment I did." The ochre lioness seemed even more amused by his skeptical demeanour. "It's all in the eyes, Kopa, you'll learn someday. Now come on, this way."

Kopa did not move as Kumi headed deeper into the canyon.

She stopped after a few paces and gave him an exasperated look over her shoulder. "We don't have time for this. Let's go."

He remained where he was, still observing her with suspicion. "Why are you all alone, if you're the Queen of Mount Tempest?"

"I can take care of myself," she responded with a noncommittal shrug.

"You'll have to do better than that."

Kumi exhaled in resignation. "Fine, I suppose I can trust you if Siri does. My pride was in a bad way, even before Janga attacked. I haven't asked them to do anything for me in a long time, truth be told."

Seems like she's being honest. Can't be too sure though. "Where were you headed before you turned back?"

"The Serengeti Pride Lands." She saw his look of surprise before he could hide it, and added, "You want to know more, you'd better follow me."

Kopa hesitated as Kumi started walking away. She couldn't have known I was going there too. At least, not until now. He quickly bound into a jog to catch up. "Are you gonna warn them about Janga?"

She nodded. "And to get help taking back my home."

"Did you know she was coming?"

"No. I was expecting someone else. But it sounds like my pride was caught outside Mount Tempest when it happened. If I had been there..." Rage flickered in her amber eyes.

"And now you're turning around again?" Kopa scoffed. "Don't you think you're a little at odds with yourself?"

"I..." At last Kumi faltered, the fire vanishing from her eyes. "Yeah, that's one way to put it. To put it rationally, I should be running for the Serengeti as fast as I can right now."

Noticing she had slowed her pace, he did the same. "So why aren't you?"

The ochre lioness contemplated for a long stretch of silence. He waited patiently as they walked, and finally she said, "I don't know if I'm ready to face him."

"Who, King Simba?"

"No. My son."

Kopa raised an eyebrow. "So you do have a son? You weren't lying about that?"

"I don't ever lie to people," growled Kumi. "It's one of the reasons I'm not very popular with my pride."

"Yeah, I'm sure they'd love you otherwise."

She shot him an abrasive look in response. "Don't push your luck, kid."

"Well, if you want my kingdom's help, then you're gonna have to put up with me," Kopa responded cheekily.

Kumi abruptly stopped in her tracks. "Your kingdom?"

"My parents are the king and queen," he disclosed, coming to a halt as well. "At least, I'm pretty sure."

"You're pretty sure," she repeated. "That's the second time you've said something like that."

"It's a long story," muttered Kopa.

"Same story as how you got those scars?"

He instinctively shirked away. "I don't think I really want to tell you."

"That's okay, I get the idea," Kumi shrugged. "This could be a good omen, you know. Maybe we can help each other face our fears in the Serengeti."

"I have nothing to fear," scowled Kopa.

The ochre lioness gave a cynical snort. "Sure you don't. Doesn't look like fate's been kind to you so far." She began walking again, although she took no more than a couple steps before noticing that he was standing still. "Oh, don't tell me we're back to this again. What now?"

Kopa's mind was reeling, though it wasn't from her words. A memory had burst into his consciousness, something that flooded out from the prickling familiarity that permeated Kumi's being. His voice fell quiet. "Your son... his name is Afua, isn't it?"

Kumi's jaw dropped, answering his question even before she spoke. "You... you mean... you knew my son? You've seen him? What do you remember?" Her voice rose urgently.

He mentally sifted through the less immediate details, brow tightening as he tried to piece it together. "There weren't many cubs around at the time, but he's the only one who fits your story. It... hasn't all come back to me though..."

She took a seat across from him and gestured for him to do the same. "Tell me as much as you can manage. Don't leave out anything, not even the small details."

•••

Y280 / 10TH MOON, DAY 17
3+ YEARS AGO
"I see," said Kia, regarding the pair of lion cubs sitting before the end of his crinkled trunk. "And what is it you expect me to do about it, pipsqueaks?"

"Challenge Kesho," responded Kopa confidently. "He'll take one look at you and forfeit."

The elephant made a low grumbling noise at this, shifting so that he was a little more comfortable in his self-made jungle nest. "But I don't want to be king. I like things the way they are."

Kopa stamped his paw against the ground. "How can you say that? The Pridelanders need our help."

"You lions live such short lives," said Kia nonchalantly. "Kings come and go all the time, but the Circle of Life always rights itself in the end. This will be no different."

Kopa noticed Afua shifting uncomfortably beside him, but his friend did not speak up. With a determined huff, the prince turned forward again and declared, "Fine. Then I guess I'll tell the herds to come here."

Kia's serene demeanour evaporated immediately. "You'll what?"

"'While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give'," recited Kopa boldly. "That's what my dad taught me, and I'm not gonna let him down. I can't save the Pride Lands on my own, but I'm the prince and it's my duty to save my people. So what's it going to be?"

Silence fell between them. Kopa stared up at Kia without falter, holding his diminutive features in the sternest scowl he could manage. To his annoyance, Afua did not back him up or even scowl with him.

Finally, Kia bleated out what sounded like a sigh of resignation through his trunk. "Okay, you win. But I'm not challenging the cheetah. I like my peace and quiet too much to give it all up."

Kopa thought about this. "Deal. You don't even gotta hurt him, just scare him a little. Let's go!"

"Don't get too excited yet, pipsqueak, there's still a problem. How am I supposed to get to Pride Rock without being spotted? From what you just described, Fisi has his hyenas watching the borders."

"My friend Afua knows a way. Right, Afua?" Kopa turned to look at his friend and faltered upon seeing his uncertain expression.

Afua did not look him in the eye. "Can I talk to you alone?"

Puzzled, Kopa followed him into the denser part of the jungle, looking back to make sure Kia wasn't eavesdropping. The elephant was settling back into his resting spot, looking indifferent to all else.

Afua stopped once they were out of hearing range, though he only stared wordlessly into the shrubbery. Kopa gave him a nudge. "What's the matter?"

His friend did not respond.

"Afua, we can finally go back," Kopa reminded him. "Isn't that what you want?"

"It is, it's just..." Afua fell silent again, his expression a mix of conflicting emotions.

Kopa exhaled through his nose, putting on a look of understanding he had a lot of practice wearing. "It's okay. You can tell me."

Afua fidgeted with the tuft of black fur growing atop his head, mismatched eyes flitting about anxiously. "What if things are better off this way?"

"Better off? How?" demanded Kopa, baffled.

"There's plenty of food here," his friend pointed out, "and the jungle is big enough for the whole pride."

"But... it's not home."

Afua's gaze finally snapped up to meet Kopa's, clouded right eye affixed on him as sharply as the working one. "You know what, Kopa? Maybe you should think about what you do have for a change."

Kopa stiffened at the outburst. "What's your problem?"

"Just cause you're Prince of the Pride Lands doesn't mean anything you say goes," his friend said heatedly. "Why should a lion rule the kingdom?"

"Afua, the cheetah forced us out!" Kopa exclaimed incredulously.

"I know you've been thinking it too, you asked your dad the same question!"

"And look where it got us!"

The two cubs were almost nose-to-nose, staring each other down with their teeth bared at each other. Kopa didn't know or care where this was coming from, all he knew was that he wanted to say something that would hurt Afua. Of course you don't get it. You're not a real Pridelander, you're just pretending to be one. The words stopped in his throat when he saw the other cub's expression soften.

"I'm sorry, Kopa," whispered Afua, stricken. "I shouldn't have... I dunno why..." His eyes began darting about once more while his breathing quickened erratically.

Kopa rested his friend's forehead against his own. "Hey, forget it," he said softly. "Come on, buddy, just breathe with me." He inhaled and exhaled at a steady rhythm until Afua gradually did the same. "You've heard the stories about my uncle Scar, right?"

Afua nodded wordlessly.

"My dad doesn't think he can fix what Scar did to the Pride Lands," murmured Kopa. "He says he failed us all."

Visible sadness entered his friend's lightly marred features. "He did?"

Kopa closed his eyes and sighed, now leaning more on Afua than the other way around. "The Pride Lands still need him and mom. And she's pregnant, so now it's up to me. I'm not gonna let Kesho become another Scar."

Afua was silent once more.

Kopa withdrew and sat back on his haunches, opening his eyes with dogged determination. "My dad is a good king, Afua, I know he is. He just needs to believe in himself again."

The other cub straightened as well and nodded stiffly. "I'll do it."

"You will?" said Kopa, taken aback at this sudden assertiveness.

"Your dad saved my life... took me into this pride. I still believe in him." Afua raised one foreleg and licked the paw pad before holding it out to Kopa. "Go get the grumpy elephant. I'll show you how to sneak past the hyenas."

A smile broke forth onto Kopa's face. He mimicked the gesture, slapping his paw against his friend's in solidarity. "Asante sana, buddy. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Afua winked with his good eye, finally managing a smile in return. "And you won't have to. I've got your back, always."

•••

Y284 / 1ST MOON, DAY 28
PRESENT DAY
"That's it, that's all you remember?" Kumi demanded.

"Well, it's not really up to me," scowled Kopa.

"That's not what I meant," she said impatiently. "His eye, what happened to his eye?"

He frowned. "Not sure. Simba — my father — I think he found him like that. I don't remember how, I just know Afua wasn't born into my pride." Seeing her frustrated look, he snapped, "Look, I'm doing my best here. This isn't exactly convenient for me either."

"You're right." Kumi's shoulders slumped heavily. "I should be glad I didn't leave for nothing. Instead I'm more nervous about reaching the Serengeti now than when I left."

"Cause you're afraid Afua won't want to see you?" he surmised.

"Cause when I look him in the eye, the only thing I'll see is all the ways I failed him. I already know that."

Seeing how dejected she was, Kopa couldn't help but relent with a pang of sympathy. "Let's just keep moving. Like you said, we'll help each other face our fears."

Kumi fell into step with him once again, now more pensive than anything. "You said you didn't have anything to fear."

"I'm afraid my parents will die horrible deaths if they don't give Janga what she wants," Kopa said flatly. "Does that make you feel better?"

"No," admitted the ochre lioness. "But it does make me feel a little less alone."

•••

A cold evening wind howled through the narrow crevice Chumvi huddled in, his back pressed against the striated stone wall. His umber fur was entangled by splotches of mud that were nearly identical in colour to his overgrown mane. Sitting across from him, Tembea managed to bark out a short laugh before wincing.

Chumvi shot her a quizzical look. "What's so funny?"

"You look like a very fat leopard," she snickered.

"Is this really a good time to make jokes?" he muttered irritably, turning so that he was facing away from the wind.

Tembea lightly kicked his footpaw with hers. "It's the best time to make jokes, you old grouch. At least you can still walk." She used her right paw to wave her left foreleg limply at him. "My shoulder is killing me right now, but you don't hear me complaining."

"That's because it's your own fault. Fujo told you not to take that shortcut more than once."

"I've used that shortcut a hundred times!"

"Well, it only takes one to go wrong, as you've clearly proven."

She made a disparaging face. "How could I know we were gonna be attacked?"

"Yeah, that's what the problem was," he said sarcastically. His expression became serious. "Listen, there's something I need to do once you're safe. There's gotta be others out here still making their way to The Hollow."

"And then what?" she asked, gingerly sitting up a little straighter.

Chumvi let out a long exhale through his nose. "My old pride, the one I was born into — they don't know what's coming for them. But I think I do."

"Janga and her cronies?"

"And a few others who still follow her," he affirmed with a nod. "They're from the same pride as me, at least they were back when I left."

Tembea frowned. "I got a glimpse of Janga while I was escaping. She's my age, not yours."

"Yeah, that tracks," he murmured absently. "Most of the other cubs at the time were unruly, but not her. She was one of the quiet ones."

"You ever thought about going back?" she asked. "Before our pride landed in this mess, I mean."

"Many times," admitted Chumvi. "But every time I think I've worked up the courage, I start to remember it all over again." He shook his head in an attempt to chase Zira's haunting scent from his nostrils, pushing down the nauseous feeling rising in his chest. "She threatened Kula, threatened our unborn cub, I... I did what I had to. I've told myself that over and over since I left."

"Then what is it you're ashamed of?"

He made a noise that was halfway between a chuckle and a sob. "I'm ashamed that I couldn't look Kula in the eye after that. I'm ashamed that I didn't try harder to find another way. And I'm definitely ashamed that I couldn't put our cub first like she did, and abandoned them both."

Tembea shook her head. "What that Zira made you do — despicable doesn't begin to describe it. You could have refused and it wouldn't have been selfish at all."

"I didn't have any other choice," he said resignedly.

"Yes, you did," she told him fiercely. "And you chose to protect your mate and cub the only way you knew how. That's anything but putting yourself first."

The affirmation made Chumvi feel just a little lighter, though his mind was far from at ease. His gaze fell. "What if I hate the other kid?" he pondered, moodily fidgeting with a lock of muddy fur on his chest. "What if I take one look at him and all I see is Zira?"

"Then take another look," Tembea responded simply. "There was another cub, right? A girl?"

"Vitani," recalled Chumvi, his voice growing quiet. "She had Tojo's eyes, so Scar knew whose cub she was. Zira claimed Tojo had forced himself on her, and then she... set her sight on me." He shivered. "She wanted a cub with my mother's eyes to pass off as Scar's."

"Then don't think of her or Scar when you see the kid. Think of your mother."

The conversation came to a halt as Chumvi spotted a trio of Janga's lions appear out of the stone pillars strewn about the open section of the canyon. "It's them. They must have tracked our scent here."

"Or maybe they just happen to be here?" suggested Tembea, shimmying in a little farther into the crevice to move out of their line of sight.

"I'm not taking that chance," said Chumvi firmly, rising to his paws. "Don't make any noise. I'll draw them away from here."

"Chumvi..."

"We're not gonna outrun them if they find us, Tembea. Stay put, I'll send help for you if I get away."

She scowled. "Just don't be an idiot for my sake."

Despite himself, Chumvi couldn't help but smile. "I'll do my very best." He quietly slipped out from the crevice, using the nearby pillars to conceal himself until he was far enough away from Tembea. He spotted a vast stretch of badlands to the north and decided to take his chances, reasoning that the disagreeable terrain would be more of a hindrance to his pursuers than to him.

Taking a deep breath, Chumvi leapt out into view and bolted straight for the badlands. He cast a furtive sidelong glance to make sure the enemy lions had spotted him, and sure enough they were now in pursuit, quickly joined by two others. He focused on the badlands opening up before him as he slid down the side of a ridged slope. I won't fail you this time, Kula. Even if you hate me, I'm not going to let anything else hurt you.

•••

"Any sign of that cheetah?" asked Fika, sniffing around a pair of spindly trees growing out of the inhospitable dirt.

Bidi poked her head out from behind a pile of stones to shoot her an irritable look. "Of course not, it's a cheetah. They're probably long gone by now."

"So are we dead or what? That Nia sounded pretty serious."

"She's always serious," Malka said briskly, walking up to rejoin them with his eyes turned up at the faintly rumbling sky. "Still, we should follow the cheetah's scent while we still have it. Especially before the rain starts coming down."

Bidi raised an eyebrow. "You've sure been taking charge a lot lately."

He gave her a nonplussed look. "What, is our predicament not dire enough for you?"

"Oh, plenty," she muttered. "Leaving the kingdom to fend for themselves would've done it too, but apparently that wasn't dire enough for you."

Fika looked mortified at the other lioness' words, but she remained silent. Malka looked away with gritted teeth as he continued on the cheetah's scent. "I can't blame you for how you feel — either of you. But if I'm going to make it right, then I'm going to need you to trust me."

"And why should we do that?" challenged Bidi, even as she and Fika followed him.

"Because we'll have to be careful who we talk to once we reach the Hollow," Malka replied. "I have reason to believe there's a traitor within our pride."

Fika finally turned to look at him. "I had the same thought, actually." Noticing the blank stare Bidi gave her, she explained, "Think about it. These lions just so happened to be ready for us when Mount Tempest just so happened to flood? What are the chances?"

"Pretty slim, I guess," admitted Bidi. "But we don't know anything for sure—"

"I do," Malka interjected. "I know Mount Tempest can't be flooded from the outside, and that someone would need to have extensive knowledge of the water network to deliberately cause the blockage."

"Which means it could only be a few possible people," concluded Fika.

A brilliant spindle of light illuminated the night sky not far off, revealing a mass of clouds hovering overhead. "I think I already know who it is," divulged Malka, lowering his voice. "Kumi."

A dull crackle of thunder went off above them. Bidi frowned as a steady patter of rain began to come down. "I don't know..."

"Yeah, I thought you were going to say Fujo," said Fika.

"Fujo was with us when it happened. I don't think it's him."

"What about that Sight of his?" she pointed out. "Shouldn't he have been able to see all those lions in the grass?"

Malka dropped his gaze, now feeling more than a bit guilty. "We had an altercation right before it happened. Fujo was trying to warn me of an impending wild dog attack, and we disagreed on how to handle it. His attention was elsewhere when we had to evacuate."

"And Kumi?" prompted Bidi.

"Kumi left right before the attack started," Malka growled. "The timing couldn't have been an accident."

She looked a bit uncomfortable at this. "I think you should give her a chance to explain herself. If we find her, I mean."

He snorted. "If I am right about her, then we're finished. She'd have told Janga everything she knows about our pride. I—" He broke off as they rounded the next bend to find it completely blocked off by rocks.

The others stopped in their tracks as well. Fika sniffed around the obstructed passage and turned her gaze upward. "The cheetah must have scaled the wall. No way we're gonna be able to follow."

Bidi was eyeing the rocks in bewilderment. "How did this happen? Was this the earthquake?"

"No, it's too neat," said Malka, frowning. "Someone put this here." He whirled about at the sound of several hefty whumps from behind him, and was greeted by the sight of five lions hopping down from the rocky ledges overhead.

Fika nudged him and indicated the silver-eyed lioness leading them. "That one — Kivuli — she's bad news," she murmured.

Malka remembered her from the attack. There was something deeply unsettling in the depths of her stare. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded, even as he backed up with Fika and Bidi pressing closer to him. "What did we ever do to you?"

A smirk appeared on Kivuli's features, barely visible against her fur in the increasingly heavy downpour. She suddenly cackled uproariously, and Malka flinched as its echoes bounced off the trench walls. "It means no worries, for the rest of your daaaaaays," she sang mockingly. "It's our problem-free philosophy, hakuna matata..." She trailed off with another snicker. "Have you ever heard that song? You have no idea how much I hate that song."

"Get to the point," Malka growled, using aggression to try and conceal how unnerved he was.

Kivuli rolled her eyes. "They said you were no fun. The point is, you sad excuse for a king, you thought you could just leave everyone alone and they would leave you alone." She closed in ever closer toward them, flanked by two lions on either side. "Now if you think you have anything to live for, then you'd better choose very carefully. Are you walking back to your mountain with us, or are we breaking your legs and carrying you?"

He raised his hackles in response, and so did Fika and Bidi. Another fork of lightning erupted in the pitch-black sky, close enough that its sizzle could be heard over the rain. Kivuli's gleaming teeth were bared against the rain, and with a snarl arising in his throat, Malka leaped at her as the enemy lions advanced to meet him.

A deafening roar split the air with a deafening boom, louder than any thunderclap could produce. All sound was drowned out in that moment as a furious gale hurled Malka and his lions against the trench wall. He turned his head in an attempt to draw breath, eyes watering as he faintly made out the blurred forms of the enemy lions being thrown in the opposite direction. To his alarm, he could feel the vibrations of the ground splitting apart through the stone surface he was pressed against.

Finally, the wind let up, sending Malka tumbling back to the ground with the others as the echo roar gradually faded around them. He sat up, sputtering as the rain resumed pelting them relentlessly, and peered up through the downpour at the silhouetted perched high on an outcropping above. It was difficult to make out, but his first thought was that the figure resembled a lion. Blinking the rainwater from his vision, he squinted more closely at the storm clouds shrouding the moon. Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or do those clouds look like... lions?

"What in Mother Africa..." muttered Bidi breathlessly.

Malka saw that the figure had vanished from the outcropping, and turned to see what she was looking at. His mouth fell open as his eyes found the long, enormous rift stretching across what was solid ground just moments ago; it was at least ten lions long and extended all the way up the opposite wall.

On the other side of the trench, the enemy lions stumbled to their paws, looking a bit dazed as they beat a hasty retreat. Slumping, Malka fought back the urge to sob with relief and turned around to face the now-demolished barricade. "We should... we should get out of here."

"Yeah, preferably before whatever did that roar comes back," suggested Fika, vigorously shaking the rain from her fur though she quickly became soaked again.

Malka took one last look up at where the mysterious figure had vanished. It didn't look like they were trying to kill us. Still, I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to. He led the others out of the trench and back into the open canyon, wondering how many more times he could possibly outrun death.

•••

Up on a receded ledge, Kion watched as the two groups of lions headed in opposite directions. He had been mulling over everything his team had told him when it turned out Ono's prediction had been correct — the barricade had indeed been a trap intended for Malka's group. Unfortunately, that doesn't help me figure out what I should do about it now. The Roar of the Elders had effectively split the two groups up for the time being, but he had no illusions that it would have any lasting effects on whatever drew them into conflict.

Beshte gazed down at the mess of cracked and broken rocks, careful not to shift his enormous body too much. "Good job, Kion," he piped up, ever the optimist. "You've gotten real good with the Roar. But shouldn't we talk to them?"

There was a time when Kion would have done so without hesitation. But with no real leads on what had caused Anga's disappearance, he found himself increasingly petrified at the idea of taking any risks with his team. "No," he muttered, his expression troubled. "Those lions you saw on the mountain, which side were they on?"

"Hard to tell," admitted Beshte. "It sounded like they were trying to help the other side either way."

Kion frowned. "If that's true, then why are they fighting? None of this makes sense."

"Maybe we should keep searching for Anga," suggested Ono. "If she knows something about this, then it could save us a lot of time trying to figure it out ourselves."

"There's no guarantee we'll find her in time," Fuli argued. "I hate to say it, but Anga might have to wait for now."

Kion clenched his jaw, frustration and panic mounting in him with each passing moment. "You're right," he said reluctantly. "We can't leave anything to chance, not while all this is happening. Fuli, Ono, get back to following your marks. Come straight to me if you hear anything important."

"Affirmative, Kion," sighed Ono, ruffling his feathers in preparation to head back into the rain. "And if we're compromised?"

Kion managed to put on a strained grin. "Pretend you don't know who they are."

The egret gulped. "That's not very reassuring."

Fuli raised one spotted paw. "Question, where are we going to rendezvous?"

Kion turned away from the trench, fixing his gaze on the canyons as if he could see through the night itself. "The Pride Lands," he said decisively. "We've stumbled on something big, and I'm hoping my parents might know what. Either way, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"You got that right... Your Majesty."

He and his team turned to see Vitani approach from behind them with Bunga at her side. Kion blinked in surprise. "Vitani. It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Kion," she responded shortly.

"How did you find us?"

There was a twinkle of amusement in the glib look she put on. "Well, I heard the Roar of the Elders and thought, 'Hmm, who could that be?' Good thing I already found the smelly one."

Bunga gave a small wave. "Got some news you're gonna wanna hear, boss."

"Come on, we need to talk," said Vitani.

Kion gave Fuli and Ono a nod of farewell. "Good luck, you two. See you back at Pride Rock." As they darted away on their respective tasks, he followed Vitani away from the ledge with Bunga and Beshte close behind, curious as to what this could be about.

•••

Sitting in an enclosed cavern not far off, Fujo opened his eyes and lifted his paws from the cold stone floor. With the sonic images of Kion and his team fading from the vibrations emanating from the surface, Fujo expediently made his way back outside atop the escarpment overlooking the trench.

He took a moment to see it with his own eyes — the gaping rift gouged into the canyon by the Roar of the Elders. Extraordinary. I never thought I'd witness the Roar of the Elders for myself. The legends don't do it justice.

As much as he would have liked for Malka to lose this particular fight, he knew it was just as well that the Night Pride had intervened. So Janga wants to take my brother alive, if Kivuli is so intent on it. She must think she can do this without me now. But neither he nor the Duara Vunja had planned for something like this to happen — which was why it was now imperative for Fujo to turn the Night Pride firmly against Janga.

My brother's death can wait a little longer, I suppose, mused Fujo as he probed about with the Sight to find where Kion had gone. It was a bit difficult with the surface constantly being bombarded with millions of raindrops, but there — a hazy projection of someone in the distance that he was fairly certain was the Night Pride leader.

Oddly enough, there was no sign of the rest of his team, but Fujo paused as the lioness with him materialized into the image of not Vitani, but Kumi. Now well and truly intrigued, he turned and headed in their direction instead.

[Author's Note]
For the truly die-hard fans among my readers, you may recognize parts of the flashback scene in this chapter as it overlaps with the German audiobook Fight for the Throne. The audiobooks are probably among the lowest rung on the semi-canon hierarchy for me, and there are aspects to it that I take with a grain of salt. I've played around with the timeline on the events that are different from the audiobook's, and I've tweaked the dialogue a bit so it's more cohesive. The only version I can read is a translation anyway, so it's bound to have inaccuracies.

Anyway, can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one. I have a script pre-written for each chapter and this time I have definitely gone off the cuff with a couple scenes.