•
Have I seen you somewhere?
Heard the wind calling names,
Holding on, holding on, howling.
I've been waiting for you out there,
Heard the rain chanting pain
Holding on, holding on, a warning.
—Wu Qing-feng / AURORA, "Storm"

"This seems a bit dramatic, anybody else agree?" complained Timon as he was escorted up the side of Pride Rock amidst a crowd of animals.

"Coming from you, that must be saying something," Simba remarked, peering about to make sure the others were following close behind.

"I'm not dramatic!" Timon screeched. "Dramatic things happen to me, there's a difference! No one likes peace and quiet more than I do!"

"Timon, could you be quiet?" Afua implored as they entered the bustling interior of the royal den. "You're gonna start a panic with all these animals around."

The meerkat scowled at him. "Hey, don't blame me, kid. We're only getting crammed in here because you got a headache or some mystical nonsense."

"Actually, Timon, it's just science," Pumbaa chimed in from his other side. "When hot air and cold air collide, they can make thunderstorms, but they also change the air pressure so much that—"

"Pumbaa, the only air pressure around here comes out your behind," grumbled Timon. "Now stop making stuff up, how can air collide with anything? It's air!"

Sarafina stood at the forefront of the crowd, doing her utmost to keep the disorganized crowd calm and orderly in what space there was. She stopped to take a breather as Simba walked over with his line of animals and asked, "Is this the last of them?"

"Thankfully yes, cause I don't think we can fit anyone else in here," Simba replied, motioning for the new arrivals to get settled somewhere. They filed past one by one, squeezing through whatever space was left in the den. "The rest have either found refuge or opened their homes to the ones that don't."

"Where's Kiara?" Sarafina asked, peering about in consternation.

"She's with Kovu, they're making sure everyone in the area is accounted for," Simba told her. "The earthquake destroyed a lot of places we could have used for shelter, so we're cutting it a little close."

Seeing the old lioness' worried look, Afua said, "She still has time to get back, Sarafina. The storm isn't going to hit until midday."

"You said it'll be a bad one," she recalled.

"I did, but it's also been beating down on the Outlands half the night. If we're lucky, it might even run out by the time it reaches us."

Zazu soared down from the dreary morning sky and into the crowded royal den. He landed neatly before Simba with a ruffle of his feathers. "The animals near the Zuberi River have been evacuated, sire, as well as those along the southern border."

"That's good to hear." Simba exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Zazu. You should get comfortable."

The hornbill saluted with one wing and flapped off over the gathered animals. As Sarafina padded off as well, Simba turned his attention to Afua, finally allowing himself some reprieve from the hectic events. "Are you sure the den can take all our weight?"

"You seriously want to ask me that now?" said Afua, raising an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I made sure I wouldn't have to fix those columns again. The only way they're moving is if somebody wants them moved."

"Then we'd better keep that quiet," Simba muttered. "How long did you say this storm was going to last?"

"Most of the day, probably. It's moving slow but it could let up by nightfall."

"And how likely is it to run out before reaching us?"

Afua crinkled his nose. "Not very. I only said that to make Sarafina feel better."

"I thought so." Simba fell silent for a moment into contemplation. "There's still time before midday."

"Hard to tell, but yeah," said Afua, peering into the overcast sky outside. Seeing the king turn around to face the mouth of the den, he asked, "You're going back out there, aren't you?"

"Kiara only finished her recovery yesterday," Simba said firmly. "I need to make sure she gets back."

"Kovu will make sure she does. Or at least find somewhere to wait out the storm with her."

The king fretted, claws anxiously scratching the stone beneath him. "I can't take it on faith that she'll be alright, Afua. The last time there was a storm this big..."

"I know," said Afua quietly, not needing to hear him say it. "If you're set on going, then so am I."

"Really?" Simba looked surprised at the offer.

"I was the one who told you to keep a closer eye on Kiara. I didn't think you'd be so vigorous about it when you did."

"Uh, thanks?"

"It wasn't a compliment. You have a tendency to step on Kiara's boundaries when you worry about her. That's the reason I'm coming."

"Fair enough," Simba admitted. "Well, I should still thank you, Afua. Now we're prepared for the storm heading our way, and we won't have to know how many lives would've been lost otherwise."

"Thank my brother, he was the one who nearly cracked my head open," muttered Afua. "Guess I'm a natural when it comes to suffering in the service of others."

He saw sadness slip into Simba's features. "Afua, I'm sorry..."

"Don't say it," groaned Afua, now walking for the exit with the king beside him. He gestured to his blinded eye and the scars running along the side of his head. "You didn't do this to me, and honestly I'm not sure I want to hear the words from the person who did. It's not like he can take my headaches away, so I'd rather just not dwell on it."

"But that's when you think about him the most, isn't it?" asked Simba once they were out of the den. "Your brother?"

Afua's mouth tightened as a cascade of anger and fear crashed against one another in his aching head. He did not respond until Pride Rock was behind him. "Sometimes I wish that rock had hit my head a little harder. It would have been a relief to just forget it all."

•••

Having searched the Outlands all night and into the day, Tumaini was exhausted and soaked to the bone by the time the storm finally subsided. The sun looked to be at about midday, and the sky was gradually lightening to a friendly blue as the raging storm clouds drifted into the Serengeti proper. I didn't even see the sun come up in all this, he thought, blearily watching as Chumvi emerged from a nearby den, dripping water just like he was.

"It's no good," the brown-furred lion told him. "The jackals haven't seen him either."

Tumaini gritted his teeth in frustration as the two of them hurried on. "There's gotta be someone who has."

"Even the Outlanders aren't crazy enough to be out in this storm. Kopa might have already made it to the other side."

"Yeah, and what if he hasn't?" exclaimed Tumaini. "I'm supposed to just leave him here?"

He approached another cave-like den, only to stop when Siri stepped out from the darkness, her thick fur sticking to her body from the rain. "He's not in there, I already checked."

"Siri?" Tumaini stumbled to a halt. "Have you been out here all night?"

"Pretty much," she said irritably. "My paws couldn't keep up with Kopa, so I lost him in the rainstorm pretty quick. Would've helped if you were there."

He sighed. "Yeah. This is my fault. I froze when I should have acted."

"Yeah, you're more like your dad than you think," muttered Siri. "I'd save the moping for when there's time. Right now we should split up and cover as much territory as we can."

Chumvi peered about nervously. "Split up? In the Outlands?"

She rounded on him with exasperation. "Chumvi, when was the last time you've been to the Outlands?"

He thought about it for a moment. "It'd have to be the time I escaped the Pride Lands."

"I thought so," Siri grunted. "Things have changed around here in the past year, the Outlanders are trying to make it more welcoming and habitable."

"Really?"

"Really. They even have an overseer now. I've met her, she's nice."

An idea occurred to Tumaini. "I don't suppose she can help us find Kopa?"

"She could be anywhere in the Outlands at any given time," Siri informed him. "We'd be wasting time chasing after her trail, not to mention she's got her own day-to-day problems to worry about."

"Okay," he said in resignation. "Splitting up it is. But we'd better be out of here before sundown."

Chumvi nodded and hurriedly dashed off along the westward path. Siri made to head in the opposite direction, as nimbly as her bad paw would allow.

"Siri," called Tumaini.

She stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry about all this," he said heavily. "It's not your mess to clean up."

"I've seen worse," replied Siri. "And when it comes to you, I've had enough conversations with your parents to get the idea now."

Tumaini swatted a nearby stone self-consciously. "I was just... afraid of what Kopa would think of me, if my brother really was alive. The things he might have heard..."

"I don't think I'm the one you should be telling this to," she huffed.

"You're right," he admitted in vexation. "I just... I care what you think about me, okay?"

Finally, Siri turned around in earnest. Her grey eyes held neither assurance nor condemnation. "Tumaini, I don't think anyone should ever force you to share your past — not even Kopa. But he's not insane and I'm sure you know it."

"Yeah, it was an awful thing for me to say. And he's right, it was my idea to take you myself. I just thought that..."

"That you could control everything, if you tried hard enough," Siri finished for him.

Despite himself, a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Well, it sounds absurd when you say it like that."

"It is absurd — just like the way you're getting all distracted making eyes at me right now."

"Wha—" sputtered Tumaini, and she grinned upon seeing his face turn slightly red. "I am not making eyes at you!"

Siri laughed heartily, and it was then that he realized he had never heard her laugh before; it was a nice laugh too, an observation which only furthered his annoyance. "As for what I think about you, I'm trying not to right now so I can focus on finding Kopa. You should do the same."

Trying? Does that mean she finds it hard not t—no, stop it! Tumaini shook his head and turned toward the north path. "And what if we run into your girlfriend?"

"Janga was not my girlfriend," scowled Siri.

"Well, she was your something," he teased, now enjoying her flustered reaction. "Let's both come up with a plan by the time we reconvene. See you at the border." He took off before she could come up with a response, sprinting down the north path into a dry gully.

As Tumaini ran, his thoughts returned to what Kopa had said about Afua. I blinded him in one eye? No wonder he let us think he was dead. Not that I'm one to talk... A deluge of turmoil arose within at the thought of what he would say if he did come face-to-face with his brother. He quelled his anxiety, reminding himself that Janga was not the only threat to worry about. You want to make things right, then start by keeping him safe — both of them.

Tumaini spotted a tunnel sitting beneath a slanted rock and peered inside. It was lined with sharp outcroppings that rather resembled fangs, which gave the tunnel entrance an uncanny resemblance to a lion's mouth. He marched inside, eyeing the sparse strands of fur strewn beneath his paws. No one's been here in a while. But that's definitely lion fur, so I gotta be sure.

The tunnel soon led out to the other side of the gully wall, where he was greeted by a dead end encircled by a series of tall cliffs. As he suspected, there was no one present. Tumaini sighed and made to head back out through the tunnel.

"I thought you might find a way back to us. But I admit I wasn't certain."

Tumaini stiffened at the sound of the voice. It was a voice he hadn't heard in years, and yet it was one he remembered vividly. "That's a first," he said tersely, slowly turning around to see Fujo standing atop the cliffs across from him.

His uncle gave an unusually light laugh. "If only. It's good to see you, nephew."

"Am I supposed to say the same for you?"

"Do as you wish," Fujo replied prudently. "I begrudge you nothing except what happened with your brother."

"Mom mentioned that you found him. You could have said something."

"Did you?"

Tumaini scowled. "Point taken. I guess I'm not any better than either of you."

With an agile leap, Fujo hopped onto a series of rock pillars and expediently made his way down to Tumaini, who did not move as he watched him with cold detachment. The older lion landed before him and scrutinized him keenly. "All this time you've been away, and you still see us in your reflection. My question is, have you figured out who you are, Tumaini?"

Tumaini turned away, already seeing that his uncle hadn't changed much, if at all. "I have, believe it or not. And before you think about dragging me into whatever you're up to, the answer's no. I'm looking for someone right now."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Fujo offered.

"I said no," Tumaini told him firmly. "We're not doing this, uncle."

The older lion ignored him and closed his eyes, taking a sitting position as he placed his paws on the floor. He took a deep breath. "Adult male around Afua's age, scars on his forelegs and abdomen. Is that the someone you're after?"

Tumaini's jaw dropped, unable to hide his flabbergasted reaction. That was fast, even for him. "Tell me where he is. Now."

Fujo opened one eye. "Before I answer, would you indulge me by telling me why you seek Prince Kopa of the Serengeti Pride?"

How did... he knows Kopa's name? And — Prince Kopa? Since when? Mind reeling, Tumaini absently responded, "I took him in after I ran away from the pride. That's all you need to know."

"I suppose it is," his uncle agreed with a wry grin. "He's heading for the gorge with a hyena as his guide. I'm sure you still know the way."

"Yeah." Tumaini turned to leave once more.

"You may want to hurry," added Fujo. "It looks like he's been confronted by more hyenas."

Great. I might need Siri and Chumvi for backup, but what if there's no time? Tumaini gritted his teeth, deciding to figure it out on the way. "Don't think this changes anything. I came back for the pride, not to piece our family back together."

"I know, nephew," Fujo told him, eyes flinty and unreadable. "Rest assured, the same is true for me."

•••

"I told you this would happen," grumbled Fisi, turning every which way but only seeing more hyenas.

Kopa, who was backing up from the opposite side, bumped against him and they both stopped. "No you didn't."

"I did! It must've been the... seventh or eighth thing I was going on about earlier."

"Well, I stopped listening after the first three," Kopa said shortly. "You complain too much."

"Quiet," interjected one of the other hyenas. "The overseer is here to decide what to do with you."

"Good," muttered Kopa, anxious to be on his way again. Fujo said Janga would reach the Serengeti today. We can't delay much longer.

Fisi, however, did not share his sentiment. "What do you mean 'do with us'? I didn't—"

"Trespassing again, Fisi?" chided the overseer, a young hyena striding out from between the others. "You're really going to mistake my kindness for weakness, hm?"

Kopa's brow knitted as he felt a familiar stirring in his memory. "Asante?"

The overseer directed her attention to him, eyebrow raised curiously. "Sorry, you've got me confused for someone else. The name's Jasiri, and who are you? Fisi's latest accomplice?"

"Why do you assume I'm always up to something?" protested Fisi.

"Because you are," Jasiri responded. Her eyes darted to Kopa again, and she frowned as if something was bothering her. "You're not the first lion to pass through these parts today, but you are the first to make the crossing alone. Not counting him." She indicated Fisi.

"You have to let me go," Kopa implored. "Those lions are about to invade the Serengeti."

She looked briefly startled at this, but soon regained her composure. "A bold claim," she said cautiously. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I'm the firstborn prince of the Serengeti Pride. My name is Kopa."

"Right." Jasiri narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him again. "What's your sister's name, Kopa?"

"I..." Kopa faltered, involuntarily breaking eye contact. "I didn't know I had one."

"Uh-huh. How about your brother? Surely that's an easy one."

"I don't know," he admitted heatedly.

"Well, I do," growled Jasiri. "For starters, I know for a fact that the princess is the firstborn, not you. And her brother is a close friend of mine, but he's never mentioned you either." She motioned for her hyenas to move in.

"They think I'm dead!" Kopa burst out. "My family thinks I died years ago, and it's taken me this long to remember where I even came from."

The overseer glanced toward Fisi, who shrugged and said, "He was around before you were born, but it's not like you're gonna take my word for it."

"But there's someone whose word I would," said Jasiri decidedly. "Alright, Fisi, come with me. I'll have someone escort you back to your clan."

Kopa stepped forward impatiently. "What about me?"

She cast him a guarded look. "You're staying here while I have a word with Simba."

"There's no time for this!" he insisted.

"You're right, I'm occupied enough attending to the Outlanders who've been flooded out of their homes," Jasiri snapped. "The ones that haven't collapsed after the earthquake, that is. I'll pass along your warning about those lions, don't you fret — so cooperate if you want me to trust you."

In a flash, Kopa bound forward and knocked Fisi over, prompting a startled squeal from the hyena. Kopa took advantage of the momentary opening to bolt past Jasiri, who immediately responded in kind followed by the rest. He gave forth an extra burst of speed, knowing that the hyenas would eventually outlast him if he did not put some distance between them first.

All the better if we don't have to fight. The overseer doesn't seem like a bad sort, but I can't waste any more time trying to convince her. Peering back at her one more time, Kopa mulled over the name that had sprang into his mind when he first saw her. Asante. I definitely knew a hyena by that name. Guess my brother takes after me.

A cold pit formed in his stomach as Jasiri's words lingered in his ears. He never mentioned me to anyone? Does he... even know about me? Or did my parents want to forget me, like I have for so long?

•••

Even after years away from the Pride Lands, Janga still hated the sight of the gorge. Despite the recent rainfall, the fleeting moisture had quickly evaporated in the heat of the day, as if life itself was reluctant to take hold within the chasm. This place has claimed no shortage of lives though. It's not in its nature to give, only take.

From where she sat at the bottom of the opening, she gazed up at the prominent cliffs separating the Serengeti from the less favourable canyons opposite the region. Her team had made it through the Outlands in the wake of the violent rainstorm, though it had taken them some time to find a feasible way to cross the Zuberi River and enter the gorge. After that, there was nothing to do but wait.

Dusk was drawing near by the time Kivuli's team was seen scaling their way down into the gorge. There was still no sign of Jeraha, though Janga quelled her irritation as she turned to the approaching Kivuli. "You're late."

"There was a complication," Kivuli said brusquely.

Janga noticed the way her friend's gaze hovered on the thin scab over her right eye. "What kind of complication?" she asked, ignoring the look.

"The kind that can split the ground apart with a single roar."

Janga paused with a frown. "The Roar of the Elders? I thought Prince Kion had left the Pride Lands."

"Well, I'm almost certain that's who we encountered," Kivuli told her. "I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but the clouds, they moved. They looked almost like..."

"Lions?" Janga finished. The silence she received in response said enough. "When did it happen?"

"Two nights ago, at the edge of the canyons. We had Malka cornered when the blast forced us apart. The barricade was blown everywhere like a stack of feathers."

"So the Lion Guard has returned," mused Janga. "That's another complication for us."

"Which means what?" Kivuli inquired. "We'll have to call it off and rethink the plan, right?"

Janga whirled about to face the gorge once more. "Absolutely not, we've come too far for that. For now, we wait for Jeraha." She peered over her shoulder when she saw that the grey-furred lioness hadn't moved. "You're dismissed, Kivuli."

"Then if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to my friend," said Kivuli, padding over to sit beside her. "You look tired, Janga. You haven't stopped since we've taken Mount Tempest."

"Mount Tempest wasn't the goal," growled Janga. "But the Keepers wouldn't have let Bane do what we did."

Kivuli snorted. "Great, you've saved a bunch of wild dog blood from getting spilled. Are you sure that's not gonna come back to bite us later?"

"We spared Malka's pride a lot of bloodshed too, not that they'd know it," Janga laughed bitterly. "They'd never have outlasted that many wild dogs in a siege." She stared into the depths of the gorge, wistfulness etched into her features now. "Do you remember the last time we were here?"

"Of course. How can anyone forget that many hyenas?"

"Scar sent them to kill me," reflected Janga. "We survived that night because of Nuka — and we left him behind."

"There was nothing we could do," Kivuli said. "We barely had a chance to make it out ourselves."

Janga shook her head fervently. "There is always something we can do, Kivuli, that's why we're standing here. You, me, and..." She heard a clatter behind her and turned to see Jeraha clambering down to join them. "Jeraha."

To her surprise, it appeared Saka was all that remained of his team. The burly lion grimaced as he joined Janga on her opposite side. "Siri's still alive," he growled. "I was too late, not once but twice. She found help and now she's gotten word to her pride."

"Never mind that, as long as she doesn't warn the Pride Lands," grunted Janga. "Time isn't on our side, especially with Kion back in the fray."

"And he's most likely heading this way as we speak," Kivuli pointed out. "How are we going to talk Simba down when he's got the Lion Guard?"

Janga closed her eyes and drew a deep breath before releasing it. "We won't. Sometimes it's better to ask forgiveness than permission, or not at all."

"I like where this is going," remarked Jeraha.

Kivuli shot him an irked look before darting her eyes back to Janga. "What's the play? We'll follow your lead."

Janga signalled to the other lions to form up, opting not to make any more noise than was necessary. As they marched behind her into the gorge, ten in all, she cleared her throat quietly. "Listen up, Duara Vunja. What we are about to do will be barbarous, unforgivable even. But it will be the most important thing we ever accomplish together. We will infiltrate the Pride Lands through the Nandembo Caverns, and once we near Pride Rock, I will personally deliver my ultimatum to Simba. In the meantime, the rest of you are to topple Pride Rock from below — no matter what happens."

A poignant silence fell over the other lions. Not even Jeraha or Kivuli spoke.

"If Simba accepts my terms, then I will alert him to the danger," continued Janga. "If not, then I'll be returning to you alone. Either way, Pride Rock will fall tonight and its kingdom with it." She concluded the speech with no triumph in her voice. She didn't even turn to look the other lions in the eye as they shuffled along.

Kivuli sped up a little so that they were directly side-by-side. "You're willing to kill all of them? Even your mother?"

Janga did not answer at first. She did not want to say it out loud at all, but nonetheless responded, "I can't make this about me, Kivuli, it's not about any of us. I can only hope she'll survive." The words felt hollow, and still her paws continued to move her onward.

"There's something else you should know," Jeraha muttered. "The two lions who protected Siri — one of them is Malka's son."

The twinge of irritation was enough to bring Janga back into focus. "Fujo didn't bother mentioning him."

"I don't think Fujo knew. This lion looked like he was on his own, almost."

"It's safer to assume Fujo always knows," scowled Janga.

"Wait," interjected Kivuli. "What do you mean 'almost'?"

"There was one other lion with him," explained Jeraha. "I don't know much about him, except that his name's Kopa."

Janga racked her brains, recalling if the name held any significance to her. "What does he look like?"

The burly lion looked straight ahead and came to an abrupt halt as they rounded a bend. "Like that."

•••

Kopa stared down the approaching lions from where he stood in the open, counting ten in all. In his efforts to lose Jasiri and her hyenas, he had been forced to enter the gorge from its opposite end. He had finally managed to locate the way into the Nandembo Caverns moments ago, though with the Duara Vunja now on the move, he realized he had no plan for stopping them. "You aren't going any further, Janga," he said sternly. "I know what you're planning to do."

The lioness with the thin brown fur — presumably Janga — held up a paw. The others came to a halt about twenty paces away from him as she locked her gaze onto his. "Do you? And what concern is it of yours, Kopa?"

Kopa reared back a little in surprise. Then he noticed Jeraha looming at her shoulder and realized he must have told her about him. I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect her to be so... close to my age. She can't be much older than Tumaini.

"You know my name and I know yours," she observed. "But what's your reason for standing between me and my mission without anyone at your side?"

Kopa stood a little straighter, shoulders held squarely. "I am Prince Kopa of the Serengeti Pride, eldest son of King Simba and Queen Nala. Is that reason enough for you?"

For the first time, surprise flitted into Janga's features. Her orange eyes shifted away from him as she glanced toward Jeraha and Kivuli before she responded. "And yet you aren't in line to be king. You're a pariah, like me."

"Don't," Kopa growled. "I'm not like you."

She smirked. "You befriended Malka's son, a killer who hid himself from the world. You helped Siri as I once did."

"Don't say her name! Your big brute killed a lot of my friends trying to get to her!"

The smirk vanished. "She meant more to me than you will ever know," she growled. "But this isn't about me, or even about you." A strong wind blew through the gorge, ruffling the fur on her shoulders and pushing his mane back. "Get out of my way, Prince Kopa. I have no desire to kill you."

He did not budge, instead staring contemplatively at the towering cliffs that stretched on behind Janga's team. "I guess that makes one of us."

Janga closed her eyes in resignation for a brief moment. When she reopened them, her expression was resolute. "Duara Vunja. Advance."

Kopa stood firm as the enemy lions began marching toward him once more. Taking a deep breath, both to steady his nerves and in preparation for what he was about to do, Kopa roared with as much force as he could muster. The echoes bounced off the walls just like before, but this time the Duara Vunja did not falter, and the slow smile on Kivuli's face told him he wouldn't be able to pull the same trick twice.

The lions were speeding up into a run now, and Kopa roared again. Janga was now less than ten paces away, close enough that he could see the still-healing cut over her right eye. Planting his full weight against the ground, Kopa drew in as much air as possible before unleashing the most devastating roar that was almost like a desperate scream. The reverberations were tremendous enough to momentarily stagger the Duara Vunja as the echoes engulfed them — but not Janga, who didn't so much as flinch as she closed in.

An enormous boulder hurtled to the ground with a crashing boom, causing everyone to flinch as bits of shattered stone flew everywhere. Kopa's eyes widened as he saw chunks of the cliff sliding down overhead, and he immediately turned around to rush back the way he came. The ground began trembling as a massive rockslide descended upon them with inescapable fury.

I can't believe that actually worked. He caught a glimpse of the cavern entrance but decided against trying to make it inside. I don't want to be trapped in there — or give Janga any ideas. The lioness could still be heard close behind, and he peered over his shoulder to confirm that she hadn't noticed the opening.

The rest of the Duara Vunja were being wrenched into the rockslide one by one from the back of their formation, most of them crushed beneath the bedlam of stone and dust without so much as a chance to scream. Kivuli looked up for a moment and dove into Jeraha, knocking him out of the way before a rock three times his size smashed into the ground where he had been; as the two of them rolled to a stop, Kopa caught a glimpse of the burly lion shielding her with his body before they too were swallowed up.

Kopa winced as a shard of stone struck him in the shoulder, struggling to maintain his speed through the pain. Janga leaped through the air, teeth and claws bared at him — and then a boulder slammed down between them, the tremors of its impact causing him to stumble for a moment. Two more small rocks landed on his back, winding him enough to slow him down, and he cried out as he felt another pin his tail to the ground, yanking him to a halt and throwing him onto his front.

Gritting his teeth, Kopa managed to turn over and planted his footpaws on the rock, pushing as hard as he could. No, not now! Not when I'm so close... He gave a yell of pain and aggravation as the rockslide continued to rain down around him, trying to roll the rock away without crushing his tail. Dust flew into his face, causing him to gasp and cough violently.

A pair of paws appeared on the other side of the rock, and to Kopa's surprise, Tumaini was standing over him, straining with exertion. "Less gawking, more pushing," grunted the black-maned lion. "Not that it's my tail stuck under this."

Heartened, Kopa pushed with his footpaws once again, and this time the rock rolled to the side without difficulty. And in spite of the unrelenting pandemonium around them, a well of emotion sprang forth upon seeing his friend again.

Tumaini put one foreleg around Kopa's shoulders to help him up, wincing as a sharp piece of stone bounced off his mane. "You ever get tired of making me push rocks? Up and over kid, you go first."

Trying to take shallow breaths, Kopa hastily clambered over the pile of rubble that had formed by the edge of the gorge. He fell over the other side and landed in a heap, staggering upright as Tumaini emerged closely behind. The dust was only growing thicker with each breath, and the two of them hobbled away from the gorge, vigorously drawing in the cool evening air as the commotion began to settle behind them.

Unable to take another step, Kopa collapsed beside a rain puddle and lapped at the water in an attempt to chase the dryness from the inside of his mouth. Tumaini was doing the same, sneezing a few times as a fine dust flew from his pelt and mane. Kopa turned his head away, unable to hold back a shaky laugh as he did so. "Watch it, would you?"

Tumaini rolled over to face him, but neither of them bothered to get up. "You're welcome. Now don't ever do that again, seriously."

"Don't need to tell me twice." Kopa shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if his friend hadn't found him when he did, and he sat up with no small measure of guilt. "I'm sorry, Tumaini."

"I feel like it's me that should be apologizing," responded the black-maned lion, now getting up as well. "You were right, I can't have it both ways. I didn't want to admit that, so I took it out on you. I really let you down, kid."

Kopa sighed. "I can't tell you how to feel about your parents, Tumaini, and I shouldn't have put my own feelings before yours." His shoulders sagged wearily. "It's just... all those years we spent in the forest, and I've only been mildly curious about my past. I never considered how much they might be hurting because they think I'm dead. Even if I... if I can't remember them fully, they still remember me."

"I know," Tumaini said solemnly, "and I promise I'm done standing in your way. As soon as this dust cloud clears, we're going straight to the Serengeti Pride Lands."

Kopa stood, having now regained his breath. "I think they just call it—"

"—the Pride Lands, yeah," his friend deadpanned, rising as well. "Do me a favour and don't pick up the habit."

"Remind me to never leave the two of you alone," came Kumi's voice from behind them. "What in Mother Africa did you do?"

Kopa and Tumaini looked over their shoulders to see the ochre lioness approach with Siri and Chumvi, the three of them bathed in the fading light of the blood-red horizon. The black-maned lion looked disgruntled as he wearily dusted off his pelt. "Don't blame me, mom. This one was all Kopa."

Kumi scowled. "Yes, I'm sure you set a fine example for him."

"I learned from the best," her son muttered.

"Will you both give it a rest?" interjected Siri as Kumi opened her mouth to retort. "Kopa, what happened here? What did you do?"

Kopa's breath caught in his throat. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the thought of being consumed by the rockslide was immediately swept away by the sheer horror of knowing that the others had met that exact fate. "I saw Janga," he murmured. "I came face-to-face with her."

Siri peered over to the gorge, from which the dust clouds were now rising in earnest. "Janga? You mean she's...?"

"Dead, probably," he intoned numbly. "Eight or nine others as well."

"Kivuli?"

"Yeah."

"What about Jeraha?" asked Tumaini.

"Him too."

Every pair of eyes were on Kopa now, and he felt sickened as the full realization of what happened hit him. It was the only idea I had. I didn't have time to think about what came after... He had learned how to fight and even kill outside of hunting, but never like this. It felt wrong, as if he had violated every law of nature in wiping out Janga and her lions so efficiently.

Chumvi was the first to find his voice again. "How did you do it? How?"

"Fujo gave me the idea," Kopa admitted. "The gorge reflected sound easily, and I hoped the earthquake would've loosened up the cliffs."

"You were right," remarked Kumi approvingly. "Well-played, kid."

"Mom!" Tumaini exclaimed, aghast.

She shot her son an irritated look. "What? We're at war. Kopa just wiped out the Duara Vunja's leadership and then some. You should be proud."

"I didn't want this for him!" he exclaimed angrily. "I didn't want him to be like me!"

"I am like you," said Kopa quietly, prompting Tumaini to look at him. "I'm not ashamed of that. You shouldn't be either."

"How can—but you—" His friend was at a loss, though nonetheless he managed to articulate, "I don't understand. How can you trust me again, just like that?"

Kopa made an exasperated noise. "Come on, Tumaini. I didn't know the details, but it was pretty obvious you were running from something. Did you think I wouldn't clue in after all these years?"

A despairing look entered Tumaini's eyes. "I tried so hard to give you a peaceful life. A small part of the world that could be kinder to you than it was to me."

"And I'd have all of that again if I could," Kopa told him. "But we've made our choices and we can't take them back. There's only one path forward, buddy, and I'm going for it. Are you with me?"

"Always," said Tumaini without hesitation, lifting his head a little higher. "That's the one thing I do know for sure. We'll cross the border tonight."

"No," Kumi cut in, looking as if she had been mulling something over. "Not tonight, it isn't safe." As Kopa turned to her in surprise, she elaborated, "It won't be long before others from the Duara Vunja see what happened here. They can't know you started the rockslide, Kopa."

"But they don't have anyone to lead them," he argued. "You said it yourself."

She growled in exasperation. "It's not them you need to worry about. It's the ones who sent them, and believe me when I say Janga was only the beginning. Now listen to me carefully, you're gonna go with the others and lay low in The Hollow for a few days."

Kopa lowered his gaze, not ready to accept this outcome. "But... we're so close. I can't turn back now."

"Chumvi, is there another way into the Serengeti?" asked Kumi, her eyes still on Kopa.

"We'd have to circle back into the Outlands, and even then the Zuberi is still flooded from the storm so our chances of a crossing aren't great," Chumvi said ruefully. "Sorry, Kopa, she's right. We're stuck on this side until the dust settles, and it might be too late for us by then."

Kopa swatted a pawful of loose pebbles in frustration. "So what, they're just going to believe this was an accident?"

"No, they're going to think I did it," said Kumi, calmly gathering some hardy berries growing out of the dry dirt. "More important, they'll believe my tribe has declared war on them." She crushed a few berries with one paw and began painting her face and neck with its colours.

Tumaini padded up to her and swiped the berries away. "You can't be serious. Think this through, mom."

She snatched the berries back in one deft move and continued painting without breaking her rhythm. "I have thought it through. Safina's never going to budge unless she has no choice. We're going to need their help. Now get going, you're wasting time."

"I can't leave you here by yourself," he said desperately.

"You're really going to make me do this?" she groaned. "Just this once, Tumaini, could you not force me to be the bad guy?"

Tumaini took another step toward her, presumably to continue arguing, but Kumi's free paw lashed out and caught him in the jaw with an uppercut. He crumpled to the ground in the blink of an eye, unconscious.

Kopa bound forward with a furious roar. Chumvi flinched, while Siri exclaimed, "Kumi, what are you—?"

Kumi waved them back, unconcerned. "He's fine, I didn't break anything."

"You touch him again and I'll kill you," snarled Kopa.

"That's the spirit," she said flippantly. "You gave a nice speech about making choices, now show me it wasn't just talk. You can choose him or you can choose me — should be easy for you."

"And what about Afua?" he demanded.

A distant smile crossed Kumi's expression. "I'd have liked to see him again," she admitted. "But I get the feeling he'd rather see you than me — and face it, we're not both getting away with this."

Siri, who was helping Chumvi place Tumaini onto his back, stopped and implored, "Come with us, Kumi. We still need people like you."

"No, Siri, there are enough people like me." The ochre lioness nodded at Kopa. "What you need are more people like him."

"It's been an honour, Kumi," said Chumvi somberly.

"Likewise. Now go, it'll be alright."

As Siri and Chumvi finally shuffled off with Tumaini's unconscious form, Kopa shook his head despondently. "He won't forgive you for this, you know. Or me, for abandoning you when he wouldn't."

"Then I have one last thing to teach you, Kopa," replied Kumi. "Do what you must when it comes to the ones you love. Better they resent you than you wishing they were alive to."

"Why me?" whispered Kopa, startled by the tears brimming in his eyes. The two words were all he could manage.

"Because you saved my sons," she told him plainly, "in more ways than you even knew at the time. And your father was there for Afua when I wasn't, gave him a home when he needed one — so I will ensure you make it back to yours." Their heads turned as an echoing clatter was heard from the gorge. "Alright, kid, time for you to be gone. I'll cover your tracks."

Kopa bowed his head but said nothing else to her as he walked away after Siri and Chumvi. For the umpteenth time, he wondered if there was anything else he could have done differently. This all started because Tumaini and I chose to help Siri. I thought everything would work itself out if I just made the right choices, but this... none of this is how I imagined it. The closer I get to the truth, the more things start to go wrong.

He thought of his parents, and how much his hopes rested on the outcome of their eventual reunion. I can't have come all this way for nothing. No, he would make sure of it — for Kumi, for his fallen friends in the forest, and for everyone else who had gotten him this far. I've waited this long. I can wait a little longer.

"Ngiza buya bo," Kopa murmured, his words drifting into the faint whisper of the wind. "I will return."

•••

As Kopa and the others disappeared into the darkening night, Kumi marched herself to the cliffs over the gorge and peered down. A deathly silence hung in the air much like the swirling dust, and she whistled as she took in the results of the rockslide. The kid's a natural, he just doesn't know it yet.

She spotted something moving through the haze below, and without hesitation she stomped against the edge of the cliff before darting back. A sharp chunk of stone sheared itself from the rock face and plummeted into the chasm with a resounding crash. The movement stopped.

A muffled scream was heard faintly from beneath the rubble, and the sound of rock shifting frantically denoted that someone had regained consciousness. Kumi immediately kicked loose two more pieces of cliff, and the sound of rock breaking against rock emanated from below once more.

As the commotion settled, Kumi whirled around at the sound of unsteady pawsteps behind her. She turned to see Jeraha and Kivuli staggering toward her, both battered and bleeding and holding one another upright. Her initial surprise at seeing them crawl out of the gorge was quickly mitigated by the observation that despite their injuries, they had taken advantage of the noise to trap her against the edge of the cliff.

Jeraha wiped a trickle of blood from his forehead, his usually alert cyan eyes unfocused and his voice was dazed. "We gotta dig her out. She's gotta be..."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up," Kumi told him calmly. "Even if your leader's alive, my people will see to it that none of you get far."

"Your people?" he muttered, slurring his words a little. "I saw you earlier, without the paint. Who are you really?"

"Milima ni mifupa yetu," recited Kumi. "Mto ni damu yetu."

"She's from that tribe," growled Kivuli, wincing as she shifted her weight onto her footpaws. "Where's that lion, Kopa?"

Putting on her best disdainful face, Kumi snorted. "You think that foolish child started the rockslide? No, it was my doing. He never made it out, but it looks to me like it was worth it."

The grey-furred lioness spat out a mouthful of blood. "Why did you do this? Your tribe was not our target."

"You might think we're out of touch, but we're not stupid," Kumi told her defiantly. "I know your kind, you'll hunt us down when there's no one left for you to conquer. I'm not waiting for that day to come."

A snarl arose in Jeraha's throat as he gradually recovered his wits. "You're right about that." He lunged at Kumi, who took advantage of his injured state to dart out of the way.

In the same movement, Kumi grabbed Kivuli from behind the shoulders while Jeraha scrabbled to stop himself from sliding over the edge. Kivuli delivered a vicious headbutt in retaliation, causing blood to spurt from Kumi's snout. The two of them stumbled backward toward the gorge, and Kumi kicked one hind leg into her opponent's, causing them to lose what was left of their balance and tumble into open air.

A pair of footpaws slammed into Kumi's abdomen, causing her to let go while Kivuli used the momentum to launch herself against the cliff wall, scrabbling at the rock face to halt her descent. Kumi gave a roar of wrath and fury as the wind whistling in her ears faded into a sea of dust. She briefly caught a glimpse of Jeraha reaching down to pull Kivuli to safety, and then the darkness enveloped her.

[Author's Note]
I'm sorry.

For my readers who are familiar with the older versions of this book, Kumi was a mentioned-only character who had died before the events of the series. When I made the decision to bring her back this time, I knew immediately I had stumbled upon something special, and I feel vindicated in seeing the enthusiasm you've all expressed for her as a character. But after much deliberation, and believe me, I really wanted to find a reason to bring her into the next book... I could find none. As a writer I have to be honest about that, even though I've grown quite attached to Kumi as a character and will most definitely miss her in the subsequent stories. So I stuck to my guns, and uh... pulled the trigger. I know, it was hard for me too.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the final chapter regardless. Epilogue coming soon, assuming you lot aren't on your way to lynch me. Stay tuned.