A/N: A quick note about the timeline of this chapter: this chapter takes place over a large amount of time. This chapter spans several weeks. In addition, this fic will skip a few episodes of the actual show. This fic isn't necessarily a strict LG rewrite with the addition of an OC. There may or may not be a few episodes in the future that I'll skip over if I think it doesn't add much to the plot.

With that out of the way, happy reading :)

Book 1: Chapter 10

This isn't right. Not right at all.

The thought echoed through Dalia's mind as she lay awake in Kilio Valley. She groaned, turning to her side and attempting to block out Janja's snoring from the other side of the clearing. The pair wrapped up their discussion hours ago, and Janja was asleep shortly after. In fact, all of Scar's Army was sound asleep. All but Dalia, that was. She turned to her other side restlessly.

She just couldn't stop thinking about what Janja had told her. It gave her a different perception of things. It altered the way she views the Pridelanders versus Outlanders struggle. Granted, it hasn't completely changed her mind about the situation. No, she still detested Scar and was still willing to bring him down. She would never ever see eye-to-eye with a lion that so closely reminds her of... Kali.

The lion who killed her mother. The lion who had been keeping her on the run for this long. The lion who ruined her life. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes, she saw him. Him with his charming smile and smooth words. She was a fool to trust him.

No, Dalia. You were not a fool, you were a child.

It was Nirmala of the Tree of Life whose voice was echoing through her head. The patient and soft reminder Dalia stored in her mind for when those thoughts came up.

She shook her head, clearing her mind of the invasive thoughts. No, she'd never ever be able to understand a monster like Scar (or Kali for that matter), but she did understand Janja. And she felt bad for him. Like an ache in the back of her throat kinda of bad.

So before she could fully think through her actions, Dalia was up on her feet and slowly creeping out of Kilio Valley, careful not to wake anybody up.

She needed to talk to Kion. Now.

Kion was on his nightly patrol, biting back a yawn. It was a long day for the Guard. Long and tedious. A tired sigh escaped his lips. He liked helping other Pridelanders and enjoyed being the leader of the Lion Guard, but sometimes, he wished he could go back to the days he spent carefree and wild. When his only concern was whether or not Bunga was willing to play baobab ball with him.

Now, there seemed to be no end in sight for the young prince. Now he was stuck fighting a battle with his father's dead uncle, fixing a mess caused by lions before his time. It was hard enough leading the Lion Guard before Scar showed up. Now? It felt impossible.

He yawned as he tiredly trudged along the border of the Pridelands. One last loop and then he would go wake up Fuli for her shift, he decided.

As he walked, he vaguely heard someone approaching him from behind. Suddenly attentive, he slid his claws out and turned sharply on his heel.

"Relax," a tired voice said, "I mean no harm."

Kion tilted his head to the side and slid his claws back in. "Dalia?" He relaxed his position and watched as the lioness eyed him warily. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting you."

"It's okay," she said with a shrug, "I should've known better than to sneak up on a lion on patrol."

The prince snorted. "No kidding." After a beat, he cocked a brow. "So what's up? Did you want to tell me something or...?"

She made a face. "Yeah. A lot of things." She gestured with her head to the left. "C'mon, let's go find somewhere to sit and talk."

. . .

The two lions eventually found a good area, and Kion watched as Dalia made herself comfortable. He took note of the tiredness in her eyes. But beyond that, there's an undecipherable emotion lurking in those green-gray depths. And that's what worried him. He automatically expected the worst. Perhaps she accidentally blew her cover? Or maybe Imba got hurt?

Before his imagination could get too out of hand, Dalia started speaking.

"Look, Kion," she said with a sigh. "I think you're a good lion. And I am not blaming you for what I'm about to tell you, and it's not going to affect the way I view you. I still have a lot of respect for you. After all, you did save my life, so I am still indebted to you."

"Dalia, saving and protecting others is my job. You don't owe me anything." His voice was insistent.

The lioness tipped her head into a nod, though his words did little to change her mind. "Right. Well, like I was saying, I just have a few things I need to get off my chest."

Kion gave her a nod to continue.

"I... I had a chat with Janja earlier this evening. He was talking about how hyenas get the shorter end of the stick when it comes to their relationship with the Pridelanders. And I'm inclined to agree."

Kion knitted his brows together. "I don't understand."

She let out a sharp exhale. "Just think about it, Kion. You lions are in charge of everything here in the Pridelands. If you want something done, all you have to do is ask. Hyenas and other animals don't get that luxury." Dalia met his gaze. "And even if certain hyena clans follow the Circle of Life and listen to the Pridelanders, they were treated with contempt. Like they were less than. They get judged prematurely, and it's not fair."

Kion thought back to his first interaction with Jasiri. He was much younger back then and hardly had any interaction with hyenas, yet he was quick to judge her and mistreat her. If that was a cub's reaction to a good hyena, he imagined that the older Pridelanders treated hyenas in a similar manner.

"My best friend is a hyena, Kion. When nobody else was there for me, he was there. And now he was living in the Outlands with Jasiri's Clan. If this issue keeps up..." Dalia paused "I... I guess I'm having second thoughts about all this, Kion. I'm still willing to help take down Scar, but everything about this is just so... so hypocritical."

And this time, Kion can't help but narrow his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, for one thing, this whole dynamic between the Pridelanders and the hyenas. The Lion Guard is supposed to protect and defend other animals. Doesn't that extend to the Outlanders, as well?" Dalia questioned.

"How are we supposed to defend the ones threatening the Circle of Life?" Kion rebuffed.

"And the ones that don't threaten it?" Her tone was sharp. "You're familiar with Jasiri's Clan, aren't you?"

Kion paused, seemingly not sure of what answer to reply with. Finally, he settled on, "We have helped Jasiri's Clan when needed."

Dalia shrugged. She didn't know whether or not what he claimed was true in every instance, but she had no reason to doubt him. "Fine. I'll give you that one. But aside from that, I can't think of a good reason why you're keeping Scar a secret from the Pridelanders. Isn't the Lion Guard built on integrity and honesty?"

He met her gaze head-on. "I have reasons for that," he insisted.

"I know you do," Dalia said sincerely, "but I don't think your reasons are rational. I think you're scared. Scared that once the Pridelanders find out about the return of Scar, they are going to think poorly of you."

And as it had been for the entirety of their conversation, there was no anger or malice in Dalia's voice. Not even a hint of it. And somehow, that made it much, much worse for Kion.

Kion swallowed thickly. "I'm trying my best to keep the Pridelanders calm. To keep them from worrying."

"That's not up to you to decide, Kion," she argued, "They live here too. They have the right to know." She looked up at the sky once more. "Kion, I want you to know that even though I have a few concerns, I'm still on good terms with you. I'll respect whatever decision you make in this matter. You're the one who's gotta deal with the backlash of all this, after all."

Her eyes found his gaze once more. "But please keep in mind that all secrets come to light eventually; it's only a matter of time."

His conversation with Dalia from last night plagued Kion's mind. She was honest and earnest when she spoke, and even he had to admit that she was right. She was right in everything she told him, and that's what's bothering him. Reflecting bn his life, he realized that lions did have an unfair advantage.

His own father wasn't too happy about Kion's Guard consisting of only one lion. Even now, Kion sometimes wondered if his father would be more pleased if he had selected only lions to be part of his Guard. At the time, Kion and his dad made amends, but Kion's still doubtful of his father's view of non-lions.

And he realized today after reflecting on the situation, that if he ever wanted to make peace amongst the Outlanders and Pridelanders, he needed to start changing this mindset that lions were somehow superior. And this change needed to start with his father. If the King of the Pridelands accepted the Outlanders and was willing to make peace, perhaps the rest of the Pridelanders would too.

With the previous night's conversation still playing in his head, Kion began approaching his father from on top of Priderock.

"Dad?" Kion called, interrupting Zazu who had been conversing with Simba. Both Simba and Zazu turned to look at Kion expectantly. "Uh," the prince shuffled with his paws for a second, "Can I talk to you, Dad?" After taking a look at Zazu, he quickly added, "Alone."

Zazu and Simba exchanged glances for a beat. "Zazu, you are dismissed," said Simba. The bird gave a curt nod in Simba's direction before taking flight. Both father and son watched as the hornbill sailed through the evening sky. "Yes, Kion?" Simba asked once they were alone.

"I need to ask you something, Dad," Kion blurted. Simba gave him a nod to continue. "I... I want to know why you didn't approve of my Guard. Why you still don't necessarily approve of my Guard."

Simba stiffened noticeably. "Who said I don't approve of your Guard? I know you and I didn't exactly see eye-to-eye in the beginning, but I have no concerns regarding those you have selected to defend the Pridelands."

Kion gave a frustrated shake of the head. "No, but I feel like you'd be happier if I had selected lions to be part of the Guard."

"Well, of course, I would've been happier if you had selected a few more lions but—"

"And that's the problem, Dad," Kion insisted. "You have this notion that lions are somehow more responsible — somehow more capable of defending the Circle of Life. As if we lions value the Circle of Life more than the other Pridelanders. And the other Pridelanders share this notion, as well. For some reason, lions hold more respect than any other creature in the Pridelands."

Simba looked out across the Pridelands from his vantage poinon topop of Priderock. "Kion, for as long as I can remember, lions have always been the ones to defend the Circle of Life. When I reclaimed Priderock, it was us lions who had to take the initiative and bring the herds back. It may not feel right, but it had always fallen upon us lions to restore balance."

"But it's always been the lions to mess up the balance of things, as well," Kion shoots back, "Like Scar."

The older lion gave his son a stern look. "Kion, it wasn't solely Scar. The hyenas played a large role in Scar's rise to the top."

"Dad, the hyenas were tricked by Scar!" Kion said, the frustration in his voice palpable. "And when it came down to it, they betrayed him and helped you defeat him." He looked up at his father, his amber eyes trying to reason with the older lion. "I was recently informed that even after the hyenas did the right thing and betrayed Scar, the Pridelanders still didn't accept them. The hyenas were driven out of the Pridelands and treated horribly."

Kion let out a frustrated sigh. "How can we ever hope for peace between us and them, if we're not willing to give them a chance?"

His father's eye winced. "Kion, I am glad that the hyenas of the Outlands made the right choice in the end. But they did a lot of unforgivable things before that. Remember, Kion, they were also responsible for my father's death. They hunted in excess, to the point that herds were forced to flee the Pridelands. They terrorized my subjects, and attempted to take my life."

Kion immediately quieted, and whatever anger was building inside of him dissipated at the revelation. He had been so focused on one side of this struggle, that he had entirely forgotten about the other. Everything had two sides to it, he realized. Nothing was black and white. Ever.

Simba continued after a beat, "I know that you're eager to make peace, and you forgive easily. That's one of the things I love about you. But forgiveness for many is difficult. You have to understand, that many Pridelanders here today witnessed with their own eyes what the hyenas helped Scar accomplish. I can't expect them to be the most forgiving. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I've forgiven them."

Both father and son were silent for several moments. "So... so what're we going to do?" Kion finally croaked, weariness getting the best of him.

He can't imagine a lifetime of fighting with the Outlanders over this. He refused to envision a future in which he was carrying the burden of forever bickering with Janja and his crew. He was burnt out already as it was, he just can't live the rest of his life like this. There needed to be peace. He may have inherited the problems of the past generation, but there's no way he was going to stand by and accept it.

His father let out a sigh, "I don't know, son. There are some things in life we don't have the answer to."

Simba looked down at his son, and Kion suddenly noticed the bags underneath his father's eyes. The way his forehead wrinkled. The way a gray began to streak his mane. Being king had taken a greater toll on his father than Kion cared to admit. He was suddenly very glad that Kiara was next in line to the throne. If he can't picture a life bickering with Janja, he surely couldn't imagine a life as a king.

Before he could get too caught up in his worry, Kion felt his father lean over to give him a quick nuzzle.

"But I promise you, Kion, time heals all wounds," said Simba, "We just need to be patient."

oOoOo

The days stretched into weeks, leaving Dalia restless. Imba seemed to be anxious as well. Despite the uncertainty in the air, the spies eventually slipped into a routine of sorts. They woke up, lounged around in Kilio Valley for a little bit, occasionally pretended to terrorize the Pridelanders, sometimes met with Scar, and then went back to sleep. Dalia tried to limit her nightly meetings with Kion, but she enjoyed his company whether or not she was willing to admit it.

Imba told her not to sneak out as much, but Dalia largely ignored the advice.

In their time in Kilio Valley, they began to pick up on the dynamic between the packs that make up Scar's Army.

Starting with the crocs — Kiburi himself was something of a meathead, but his goons were far worse. They were strong, Dalia knew that much, but boy they were dumb.

Moving on to the jackals — Reirei was a royal pain in the butt. The jackal matriarch would always jump at the opportunity to make a snippy comment as soon as it arose. But she was also clever. Her mate, on the other hand? A lazy deadbeat. In Dalia's opinion, Reirei would be much better off without Goigoi or the little gremlins she was always running around after.

The vultures were a pain, and Imba in particular found them a nuisance. But if you were able to get used to their parliament stuff, they were actually not that bad.

And lastly, the hyenas. Where to start with the hyenas? Janja seemed to be smarter than he gave off, but Cheezi and Chungu were the probably biggest morons Dalia had ever come across. She actually didn't mind Janja. She understood him in a way, and she truly felt bad for him.

There were some days that Dalia even thought that maybe, in another life, they could be friends.

And today was not one of those days, Dalia thought with a silent groan.

The moment she saw Janja angrily stomping toward her, annoyance contorting his features, she knew that it was going to be a long day.

"Where were you last night?" Janja demanded angrily.

Dalia sighed, watching as the morning sun began to rise over the savannah. "And good morning to you too, Janja. What a lovely mood you are in."

The hyena locked his jaw. "Don't act coy with me, little lioness," he snapped, deliberately using Scar's nickname for her, "Where were you last night? Because when I woke up, you weren't there. Then I saw you sneaking back into Kilio Valley right before everyone else started waking up."

"The watering hole," she replied coolly. Her eyes flashed with amusement. "What? You gonna report me for drinking water?"

In reality, she had snuck out of Kilio Valley to meet with Kion again. Last night, Kion had given her an update on the situation. Apparently, after a talk with his father, Kion realized that the prejudice the Pridelanders hold against the Outlanders runs deep. The pair both quickly realized that change was going to be a slow and fickle process. It was not going to be easy to make peace.

Janja stared at her for a hard moment, trying to determine whether or not she was lying. Of course, Dalia, being the lioness she was, did not indicate that she was being deceitful.

After a beat, he rolled his eyes and gruffly said, "Fine. But next time, tell someone before you go."

"Sure," replied Dalia.

"Stick around camp today," Janja said, "Maybe go on patrol in the Outlands. Make yourself useful."

"Yeah," sneered a voice from behind them. Dalia turned around to find the owner of the voice smirking at her: Reirei. The jackal brushed past her and looked at Janja. "C'mon, Janja. Let's go attend the meeting that somebody wasn't invited to." The matriarch gave a pointed glare at Dalia.

Scar wanted to meet with basically all the pack leaders, which excluded Dalia and Imba. By extension, it also meant that the pair would be stuck in Kilio Valley with the weakest links of each pack. So essentially, a day stuck in Kilio Valley spent with the biggest idiots of Scar's Army. Sounds enthralling.

Dalia wanted to slap the silly smirk off the jackal's face, but before she could do anything, Janja let out a sigh. "Lay off her, Reirei," he muttered, to the surprise of both Reirei and Dalia.

The lioness suddenly felt Imba swooping down from her perch in a nearby tree. The eagle then rested evenly between the blades of Dalia's shoulders and gave a glare to Reirei.

"Yeah, leave her alone," Imba added.

The jackal scoffed and then started to move away from the group. Janja quickly followed the jackal into the Outlands, soon followed by Kiburi and Mzingo. Watching the pack leaders leave Kilio Valley and leave her behind only sparked more jealousy in the lioness. It wasn't so much that Dalia wanted to see Scar, but she did want to be valued as highly as the rest of the pack leaders.

"That was close," Imba murmured as soon as the Outlanders were out of sight.

Dalia cocked a brow. "What was?"

The eagle furrowed her brows together. "You know what I'm talking about, Dalia." She glanced around Kilio Valley to make sure the remaining Outlanders wouldn't hear their conversation. "You need to stop meeting with Kion. It's getting way too risky. Besides, now that we've got Kinyonga, you don't need to."

Kinyonga turned out to be quite the little spy. Dalia and Imba, over the past few weeks, had been utilizing her mightily. With her help, the Lion Guard can anticipate and prevent a lot of the attacks before it happens.

"There are some things that Kinyonga can't convey as well as I can," the lioness rebuffed. And to some extent, it was true.

Imba growled. "Don't let this little crush of yours blow our cover," she said.

Dalia immediately felt heat rising to her cheeks. "I do not have a crush!" she replied a bit too emphatically to be convincing.

She said it so loudly, that her proclamation attracted some attention from the other Outlanders. Goigoi in particular raised an eyebrow, assuming she was referring to him.

"Hey, paws off - I'm married," he drawled.

Dalia furiously blushed even harder at the insanity of Goigoi's implication. "I most certainly do not have a crush on you, you dense oaf," she spat, embarrassed. Goigoi simply shrugged off her insult and turned back to his side. Turning back to Imba, she whispered, "And I'm not going to blow our cover."

Her last three sentences were all true. She didn't have a crush on Kion, she most certainly didn't have a crush on Goigoi, and she wouldn't blow their cover. While she enjoyed his company. But she viewed him as she viewed Tombie— a friend.

"Right. Well, whatever it is, you better be careful, Dalia."

And with that, Imba took flight.

"Hey, Imba, wait!" she called after her. When the eagle didn't even pause her stride, Dalia let out a sigh.

Dalia had no clue where the eagle was heading off, but she knew that in a few hours, she'd reappear. Imba and Dalia had been butting heads more often recently, and the former had a little habit of just leaving in the heat of their spats. And after a few hours, Imba returned with a pleasant smile on her face. The lioness wished that her flighted friend would stick around to actually discuss their issues rather than just ignore them.

"Trouble in paradise?" Goigoi slurred from behind her.

She turned to see the lazy father peering at her from half-lidded, bleary eyes. From her short time of knowing Goigoi, Dalia's come to realize that the male jackal always looked like he had gotten zero sleep the night before and/or accidentally eaten fermented fruit.

"Tell me about it," Dalia said with a sigh.

The espionage job was not going exactly how she had planned. She thought it would've been easy. Sneak into Scar's Army, earn their trust, and learn their plans. In reality, she was spending her time bickering with Imba, learning that the conflict between the Outlanders and Pridelanders was not so one-sided, and dealing with some of the biggest dunces she had ever encountered.

It was almost laughable how things had played out.

. . .

"I've thought about what you said," Dalia said softly.

Imba's brows raised and a soft smile spread across her beak.

By now, several hours had passed and the Outlanders had all regrouped back at Kilio Valley. Nobody would tell Dalia what was discussed at the meeting, and that slightly annoyed her, but she decided to drop it. Around the time the Outlanders returned, Imba had too. And just as she had during their previous arguments, she didn't talk about it much after she left.

"Have you now?" Imba replied.

"I have. And I think you're right," the lioness added. "I'll limit my sneaking out."

Imba gave a pleasant smile. "Good." She tilted her head towards Goigoi and Cheezi, who were currently squabbling over which creature — hyena or jackal — was the most intelligent. "So, how did your day with them pan out?"

She made a face. "Lovely, thank you very much for asking."

The eagle let out a mighty chuckle but was quickly cut off by Mzingo clearing his throat.

Mzingo, perched on a nearby tree, coughs into his clenched wing, effectively getting everyone's attention. The setting sun behind him gave him an ominous effect, and Dalia wondered if that was the look he aiming for.

"Pardon the interruption, but I thought to utilize this time to reconvene and discuss the plans for tomorrow," Mzingo explained. When nobody protested, the vulture continued. "As I was saying, today we deliberated and concluded that we would be far more successful if we struck together as one. As a cohesive, well-organized—" he pounded one clenched wing against another flattened one "—force."

"Therefore," he continued, "Tomorrow, the hyenas and the crocs will attack the Pridelands from the western entrance. That will be the first of many attacks of the day, you see. The first attack will serve as a distraction. Later, when the Guard is tired and weak, we will formulate a three-sided attack between the crocs, jackals, and hyenas to invade Mizimu Grove." He cleared his throat once more. "Uh, that is all. You are dismissed."

Dalia and Imba both exchanged glances at the new piece of information. As soon as everyone was retiring for the night, Imba found Kinyonga hiding amongst the dirt and sent her straight away to warn Kion.

. . .

The next morning, by the time Goigoi had finally woken up, Janja and the crocs returned unsuccessfully. However, nobody seemed to be bothered by their lack of success as their loss was according to plan. According to the plan that Scar cultivated with the pack leaders yesterday, Janja and the crocs were to retreat from their attack. They hoped the Lion Guard would be tired after the distraction, thus allowing the next attack to run without a hitch.

Fortunately for the Lion Guard (and unfortunately for Scar), Imba and Dalia had made sure Kinyonga would go and warn Kion about both attacks.

And both Janja and Kiburi seemed to pick up on this, as well.

"The Lion Guard seemed... more prepared," Janja explained, his dark eyes darting about as if he thought there was a mole right under his nose. And, well, there were actually two. "As if they were expecting us."

"Yeah," Kiburi said with a nod.

Mzingo shrugged. "It's probably a mere coincidence, my dear compatriots," said the vulture. "After all, Scar did select the best entry point into the Pridelands."

Janja eyed the bird suspiciously but didn't say anything further.

Instead, Reirei took a step forward. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Even if the Lion Guard had anticipated the first attack, there was no way they would be able to anticipate the next one." The jackal matriarch took a look at Dalia. "Come on, kid. You can tag along with the jackals."

Dalia smirked and stood up. "Sounds fun," she said breezily.

A small part of her was glad as she followed Reirei and the jackals out of Kilio Valley. At least there was finally going to be some action around here. She had been so bored lately (spending most of her time hanging around camp), that she was eager for any change in scenery. This would be her first time "facing" the Lion Guard since she took on this espionage role.

It would be interesting to figure out how to make her fights with the members of the Lion Guard seem believable.

Very interesting, indeed.