Book 1: Chapter 18

After Kion and Dalia parted ways, the latter began quietly creeping towards the Lion Guard's Lair.

Dalia hoped, maybe an irrational kind of hope, that she'd be able to slip through the vines guarding the Lair before anyone else — particularly Makini and Imba — woke up and realized that she had been gone.

But when she pushed past the vines and saw a coyly smiling Imba perched near the entrance, she realized that she wouldn't be so lucky.

Fuli, who was arching her back into a stretch when Dalia entered, was now fixing her emerald eyes on the lioness. Beshte and Bunga were both behind her, wading in the shallow pool of water in the Lair, and Ono was snapping at Bunga for something Dalia couldn't quite catch due to the distance between them. Dalia, a little bit belatedly, suddenly remembered the Lion Guard's tendency to hang out in the Lair before starting their day.

Smirking Imba cocked a brow at her. "You've been gone a while," hummed the eagle with a knowing grin.

From looking at the smug grin on her face, Dalia realized that Imba definitely knew something she was not letting on. "So I was," she said carefully. Looking around the cave, she noticed that Makini was absent. "Where's Makini?"

"Out searching the Pridelands for you before Rafiki comes back," Fuli answered, her lips quirking upwards in amusement.

Imba, who looked like she suddenly remembered something, stood up and shook her wings out. "Speaking of which," she said rather hurriedly, "I better go find Makini and tell her she doesn't have to look for you anymore."

And with that, she made her way out of the cave and began searching for Makini, leaving Dalia alone with (most of) the Lion Guard.

A loud, wet-sounding splash sounded from the far side of the cave, and the source of the commotion — as to be expected — was Bunga. The honey badger had swung from a hanging vine and into the shallow pool of water, effectively splashing everyone in a ten-meter radius. Including the already disgruntled Ono. He grumpily shook the water from his wings before narrowing his eye into a glare at the honey badger.

"That's it," Ono snapped. Before Dalia could wonder what 'it' meant in this context, Ono suddenly backed up a few paces before diving straight at Bunga. "You want me to partake in this ridiculous tri-compete of yours?" At the mention of tri-compete, Fuli let out an amused snort as if she'd heard the term more times than she cared to admit.

"Fine!" Ono continued, swooping down once more at Bunga, "The first competition will be my pick, and I suggest 'peck at the honey badger'! Any objections? No? Then, it's settled!"

"I object, I object!" Bunga cried, narrowly dodging an attack from Ono, snickering while doing so. "That's not a real competition and ya know it!" Bunga called, quickly jumping out of the water and sprinting to exit the Lair.

"Get back here, you insolent, annoying, little—!" Ono shouted, flapping his wings furiously as he was hot on Bunga's tail.

Sighing, Beshte exited the pool as well, thick exasperation laced in his mellow voice. "Better go make sure those two don't kill each other before Kion gets here," he said by way of explanation as he waddles — still wet and slippery, mind you — out of the cave, effectively secluding Fuli and Dalia. As he was leaving, he was muttering under his breath: "Told Bunga to quit bothering him... told him Ono'd get mad... of course, he didn't listen..."

The two felines exchanged glances for a brief second, unsure what to make of the past few minutes. Figuring the conversation was over, Dalia began walking past Fuli and toward the nest that Makini and Rafiki had fashioned for her.

"You know," Fuli started, just as Dalia was about to walk past her, "It's interesting how you've sort of been the center of attention around here."

If it wasn't for the cheetah's light-hearted tone, Dalia might have thought that Fuli was being malicious or envious in her statement. But Fuli wasn't either of those things. Straightforward, yes. Malicious? Never.

Regardless, her bluntness left Dalia speechless. "Oh," she managed. "I... I didn't mean for that to happen..." She was suddenly very thankful that nobody else was around to witness this awkward exchange.

"Don't worry about it," Fuli said, shrugging, "Also, I don't think I ever had the chance to thank you for doing what you did for us. Spying, and all. Even though it was funny seeing you pretending to fight us that one time, you really were risking a lot in doing us that favor."

"I just wish you could've gotten more information out of it," Dalia said earnestly, "But I can tell you that this war isn't going to last too much longer. Before I left, Scar started calling more frequent meetings with us. Whenever he'd speak with us, his tone would be more final. As if, he has some master plan to win this war very soon. So just be alert."

Fuli nodded before taking on a strange sort of face. She eyed Dalia for a few lingering moments, and when Dalia moved to walk past her, Fuli blocked her path with her paw. She tilted her head to the side.

"Hey, Dalia, can I ask you a question?" When the lioness nodded, Fuli continued. "I've been wondering this for a while now, but never quite got the chance to ask anyone; why did you agree to help us in the first place? You don't have anything to gain, you weren't from around here, and you weren't exactly good friends with any of us before you volunteered yourself for this."

Realization dawned on Dalia very suddenly. It all made sense now. The unease in Fuli's eyes the other day when Dalia woke up in the Lion Guard's Lair. The way Fuli tended to stay away from the Lair whenever Dalia was in it. The comment Fuli made about her being the center of attention.

"You don't trust me, do you?" Dalia asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"In the beginning, I didn't. Not a hit. I'll admit to that," Fuli conceded, "But, lately, you've been sort of proving yourself. But I need to hear it from your mouth first before I change my mind. I need you to tell me why you'd agree to help us. It's nothing personal."

Dalia smiled despite the situation. "You and I have a lot in common," she said. "No, I understand why you'd be suspicious of me. To be honest, deciding to help you guys was sort of a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. But let's just say that Scar reminds me an awful lot of someone I used to know." Kali, she added internally. "And I wasn't able to stop that someone from doing something horrible." Like killing my mother. "But I want to be able to stop Scar from doing something horrible to someone else. To sort of make up for what I wasn't able to do back then."

Fuli was silent for a few moments, seeming to consider her words. "You wanted to — no, you want to right your wrongs," she stated — very distinctively a statement, not a question.

"I guess you could say that."

The cheetah's face softened. "Thank you," she repeated. She raised an eyebrow and the characteristic smirk of hers was back. She stepped away so that she was no longer blocking Dalia's path. "You know, I'm glad you turned up when you did." She snorted. "Nice to have another girl around here who isn't obsessed with sharpening her nails or worried over the state of her fur."

"Thanks," she responded, feeling Fuli brush past her and began walking over to the entrance.

"Oh, and Dalia?" Fuli called over her shoulder.

Dalia turned her head to look at the cheetah, who was now about to exit the cave. "Hm?"

"I don't know what happened to you, or who that someone was that you weren't able to stop, but don't beat yourself up about it," said the cheetah, "I appreciate it — believe me, I do. But I don't think it's healthy. At all."

The lioness managed a crooked, half-smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

oOoOo

"Kiara, this is ridiculous!" Zuri exclaimed, "You seriously cannot expect us to put up with her coming with us on our girl's day!"

Tiifu nodded sagely, a frown marring her face. "Yeah, she's mean!"

From inside Priderock, Kiara eyes her two best friends wearily. This morning, after Tiifu and Zuri set off a false alarm due to concerns over the humidity affecting their fur, it was decided that Tiifu, Zuri, and Kiara would spend the afternoon at the hot mud spots at the edge of the Pridelands for "rejuvenation purposes" or whatever Zuri had claimed. But her mother had felt that it wasn't safe, so Kion offered to tag along as well.

And when Nala had remarked how Dalia was pent up in the Lion Guard's Lair, Kiara couldn't help but feel bad for the lioness. Dalia is, after all, a foreign lioness who hadn't been treated with the best hospitality thus far. So she figured that she could invite Dalia to also come along to this "girl's day" so she wouldn't feel left out and Tiifu and Zuri could get what they want as well. She had thought that everyone else would be on board with the idea.

But as it turned out, Tiifu and Zuri weren't entirely thrilled with the prospect.

"First of all, Zuri, Dalia is a girl too - so I don't see any reason why she can't come," said Kiara, cocking a brow, "especially now that Kion is also coming on this 'girl's day with us."

"But — she's — mean!" repeated a scandalized-looking Tiifu.

Kiara had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "I think her mean-ness was justified considering she almost drowned," she said, "Besides, it's not like you two are unfamiliar with mean lionesses."

Zuri and Tiifu exchanged glances, and after a moment, they both decided that they had no fitting response to the princess' rebuttal.

"Fine, Dalia can come," said Zuri finally, rolling her eyes. "But I'm not going to like it."

Kiara smiled. "Not counting on it, Zuri," she said, "But it would be good if you two at least tried to be nice to her. You know, she did us all a pretty big favor in spying for the Lion Guard on—" she lowers her voice to a whisper to make sure nobody else overhears, "—Scar's Army."

Zuri and Tiifu both looked petulant but clearly gas no fitting response.

"Now that we agree," Kiara said, glancing at the both of them, "then I'll go ahead and invite her."

. . .

"Kion, you really don't think this is a bad idea?" questioned Dalia, glancing toward the male lion walking beside her. "I mean, the Prince and Princess of the Pridelands going right at the edge of the Outlands? Where, you know, Scar's Army is located? Not to mention that I'm sort of Scar's most wanted lioness at the moment."

"I think you worry too much," said Kion easily, glancing towards her. "You trust me to keep you safe, don't you?"

Dalia was suddenly fighting the urge to scowl.

The two were traveling alongside each other to the hot mud pots at the edge of the Pridelands at the request of Kiara's friends. Kion and Dalia were also accompanied by Kiara, Zuri, Tiifu, and Bunga, who were currently leading the way, effectively allowing Kion and Dalia to converse without being overheard.

When Kiara came into the Lion Guard's Lair inviting her to accompany them for a "Girl's Day Out", Dalia had at first wanted to decline on the premise of it alone. But, after some consideration, she quickly realized that spending the afternoon soaking in some mud with company was a much more interesting alternative to sitting around in the Lair for the rest of the day, getting interrogated by various members of the Lion Guard.

So, she accepted Kiara's offer. After asking Imba if she wanted to come along (the eagle declined because 'mud and feathers do not mix'), Dalia found the group and began towards the hot mud pots.

However, now that she was nearing the edge of the Pridelands — nearing the place where she was attacked by Janja — she felt much more apprehensive.

Dalia looked to Kion once more, deciding to repeat her question. "You think Scar's Army won't attack us when we're just sitting still in some mud?" Dalia questioned, cocking a brow. "Especially if we're so close to where their camp is?"

"Look," Kion said, pausing in his step, "I understand why you're concerned, but if there's one thing Pride Life taught me, it is that there is always—"

"Strength in numbers," Dalia finished, and he appeared surprised that a nomadic lioness knew one of the most common expressions of Pride Lions. "What?" She said, bristling. "My mother was a former Queen."

Kion laughed. "I wasn't doubting you," he replied. "My point was, if Scar's Army tries anything, they'll have two members of the Lion Guard, the Crown Princess of the Pridelands, the Princess' royal advisors, and a battle-savvy lioness to deal with."

Dalia smirked. "I appreciate the attempt at flattery, but it's not working."

Kion laughed, a warm sound that reminded Dalia of honey. "It was worth the try."

After a few more minutes of walking, the dry ground beneath their paws became cooler and slicker, eventually dissolving into pure mud. Dalia looked up to see several interconnected pools of steaming mud with flowers springing up around the bank of the pools.

Bunga backed up a few paces before springing forward and landing in the mud with a loud cry of Zuka Zama!

As a result of his cannonball, mud went flying every which way, splattering Tiifu and Zuri in the process.

"Ew!" Tiifu shrieked, shrinking back again to Zuri. "Don't get us muddy!"

Bunga lifted his head from the mud to shoot the girls a confounded look. "Why not?" he questioned, laying back in the mud, "I thought you wanted to get muddy."

Zuri sniffed disdainfully through her nose before explaining to the honey-badger that the purpose of Girl's Day Away was to relax in the mud, not splash in the mud — and that only the uncouth splash when the option of relaxing was perfectly available.

"Make sense?" she asked after her lengthy spiel.

"Nope," he replied, resurfacing and preparing to cannonball back into the mud. "Splashing is more fun," he stated as mud flies everywhere, "See?"

Kion sighed, approaching the edge of the mud pot, "Come on, Bunga, we're not here to have fun. We're here to keep watch."

Dalia nodded, looking around uncertainly, "Yeah, we aren't exactly in the safest location." As much as she hated to admit it, Dalia couldn't help but feel apprehensive about being so close to Kilio Valley after everything that had happened.

Bunga exhales through his nose, nodding reluctantly. "Fine, fine," he mumbled under his breath, feigning compliance. "I'll keep watch." He began moving towards the edge of the mud pool, when he suddenly turned around, pointing wildly to his left. "Is that Scar?" he shouted with a gasp.

A tense chill suddenly ran down the spine of everyone else, Dalia's heart pounding against her chest. Internally, she hated herself for being so fearful and paranoid, but she couldn't help it. Every time she thinks of Scar, all she can think of is Kali. And as much as she hated to admit it, that's one lion she knew she'd forever be scared of.

Kion's eyes narrowed as he turned in the direction Bunga's frantically pointing. "Where?" he demands.

A laugh suddenly broke through the tense silence. They all turned to see Bunga laughing, wiping at his eye with one mud-covered hand. "Gotcha," he wheezed, and Dalia was embarrassed by how relieved she was.

The cherry on top, though, was when Bunga flung a mud ball which landed right on Kion's face.

Kion looked angry for a brief moment, before smirking. "Oh, it's on," he threatened before leaping into the mud pool to pounce on Bunga. As soon as the two boys resurfaced, a mud-splashing fight soon ensued.

Beside Dalia, Tiifu's nose crinkled in disgust. "Why do boys have to be so messy?" she asked, frowning distastefully at the two.

Kiara shrugged. "Messy can be fun."

Zuri scoffed. "Mmm, I don't think so," she stated firmly. "Relaxing and pampering ourselves is fun." She gestured to the patch of wildflowers blooming. "C'mon Kiara, you'll see."

Dalia watched, feeling a little out of place, as Kiara and her friends began decorating themselves with brightly colored flowers. She inched closer to the edge of the pool, glancing towards Kion and Bunga who were currently in the middle of an all-out mud-flinging war.

Kion caught sight of Dalia, turning to her and inadvertently allowing himself to be slapped in the face with a well-aimed mudball (courtesy of Bunga). "You want to join us?" he called.

"Yeah!" added Bunga, flinging a mudball toward her. "It'll be fun!"

She smiled despite the mud sliding down her face, and after taking a furtive glance behind her, she decided to slink down into the mud pool with the two. Soon after, the girls joined them, relaxing in the mud while Bunga and Kion took turns cannonballing into the pool, splashing everyone within a one-mile radius. At one point, Kion and Bunga even went out of their way to dunk Dalia in the mud until she looked like some bizarre semi-aquatic monster.

(She of course got them back for it!)

After a while though, Dalia found herself content to just sit back and relax. After the past few hectic weeks, it was nice to take some time to unwind and relax with lions (and a honey-badger) of her age. But even though she was enjoying herself, she still couldn't shake the unnerved feeling she had. She was she was being paranoid, but it almost felt like someone, or something, was watching her...

Unbeknownst to her at the time, she was in fact being watched.

Watched by two brightly colored skinks who would soon be, no doubt, quick on their way to inform Scar.

"So Janja was telling the truth about Dalia and Imba..." murmured Shupavu, a flaming-red skink with distinctive yellow stripes underneath her eyes. Her pure black eyes were narrowed in disgust at the sight of Dalia mingling with Kion and his friends. "We've really been deceived, Njano."

Shupavu's accomplice, a golden-skinned skink with blue feet named Njano, shook his head in disgust. "Dirty spies," he grumbled. He strained his eyes to get a better look at the scene unfolding before them. "I only see the lioness, though. Where's the stinkin' bird?"

The red skink lashed her tail so that it whipped her fellow skink, effectively getting his attention. "C'mon, Njano," Shupavu barked, "We better go tell Scar."

. . .

"And you're sure of what you saw?" asked the cold and snarling voice of Scar, his temper nearly as hot as the lava around him.

The secret lair of Scar felt more torrid than normal as the undead once-king of the Pridelands learned of the confirmed treachery of two of his recruits. The two skinks charged with delivering the news appeared smaller than normal - as if trying to shrink away from the rage of the undead.

"We're sure, Scar," replied Shupavu firmly, narrowing her eyes against the rising heat of the volcano. "We didn't see the eagle, but we did see Dalia."

Njano spat. "She was all buddy-buddy with that cub, Kion, and that smelly raccoon—"

"Honey-badger," exasperated Shupavu, rolling her dark eyes, "but, yes, that's what we saw. Kiara and her friends were also there at the edge of the Pridelands... surrounded by dry grass."

Njano seemed to understand what his partner implied. "It sure would be a shame if the vultures sent the place up in flames..." he said, trailing off and looking up to Scar hopefully. "One spark would be enough to get rid of our little traitor."

A sinister grin crossed Scar's face. "Go to fetch Mzingo," he ordered, his eyes gleaming maliciously, "Let's deliver the little traitor and her friends a little gift of fire."

Shupavu and Njano exchanged a smirk as Scar's nefarious laugh echoed off the walls of the volcano before slithering off to fetch a certain vulture.

. . .

"Mzingo!" called Njano as she slithered into Kilio Valley.

Mzingo, who had been perched on a branch of a dead tree, turned at the sound of his name. "Skinks," he greeted, his tone exasperated, "What is it this time?"

"Oh, come now, Mzingo," cooed Shupavu, "That's no way to treat friends. Especially friends that have orders from Scar."

Janja, who was passing through and overheard bits of the conversation, interrupted. "Huh? What about orders from Scar?"

"Ooh, just the hyena I wanted to see," said Shupavu, smirking as she turned her attention to Janja, "You should feel proud, Janja. You were correct about Dalia and Imba being spies, and Scar thanks you for it. And today, you'll get your retribution for your cleverness."

Janja looked stricken. "Retribution?" he asked, gulping nervously.

"I thought you'd be happier about the news," Njano murmured suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

Janja made an effort to straighten his posture and puff out his chest. "Uh- I mean, yes! Retribution!" he declared in a faux-confident voice. "What did Scar have in mind?"

After a suspicious glance shared between Njano and Shupavu, Njano explained. "That's where Mzingo comes in," he said, turning to the vulture, "Kion, Kiara, and some of their friends are all at the mud pools at the edge of the Pridelands. Better yet, our little traitor Dalia is with them. Too bad Imba isn't there to make the revenge complete."

Shupavu turned so that she was staring at Mzingo. "Oh, Mzingo, isn't it such a shame that they're surrounded by tall, dry grass? It sure would be a shame if it happened to catch fire, wouldn't it, Mzingo?"

Mzingo cackled. "A terrible shame, my dear."

All the while, Janja was looking on with a horrible look of guilt plastered on his face.