Book 1: Chapter 20
From Priderock, the figure of a noble queen could be seen traveling to the Lion Guard's Lair. Typically, Nala walked with her head held high, as queens ought to do.
After all, Nala was a queen. She was the most powerful female in her kingdom. She was the embodiment of strength and regality and power.
But today, something was burdening her posture. Not a physical burden, but a mental one. One that was growing heavier by the day - especially with Dalia's presence becoming a constant at Priderock.
You see, the Queen knew something about the new lioness. Something nobody else knew - including, her husband the King. However, she had reason to suspect the Royal Majuzi may also know. And today, she was going to either confirm or deny those suspicions once and for all.
That was why Queen Nala was slinking into the Lion Guard's Lair in the early hours of sunrise - a time she knew the Guard and Makini would be away. She also knew that the King would also be away, training Kiara and her friends in handling disputes. Nala felt guilty. Of course, she didn't like hiding information from her husband, but this wasn't her secret to tell.
But, if her guess was correct, this wasn't anyone's secret to tell; after all, it belonged to someone unaware of its existence.
"Ah, Queen Nala," Rafiki greeted as soon as Nala brushed past the vine entrance. "I am glad you have dropped by to visit!"
Nala looked around the Lair. Empty. Good. "Hello, Rafiki," she greeted in turn, doing one last once-over across the Lair. "How are you, my friend?"
Rafiki smiled. "I am well, my dear," he said before pointing a gnarled index finger in her direction. "But I suppose, as the Royal Mjuzi, my question should be, how are you?"
The Queen smiled politely but didn't answer right away. Instead, she began inspecting the paintings on the wall. Her eyes paused on the painting in the corner - of a dark-furred lioness shrowded in bright light and stardust, her eyes a blinding white.
Rafiki followed the Queen's gaze, and let out a small ah. "I see you are intrigued by the legend of Nzuri," he said, walking over to the painting to tap on it. "Though I must tell you - the shroud of light around her, as well as her white eyes, were artistic details from a previous Royal Mjuzi. In actuality, Nzuri's appearance was that of any other lioness."
The Queen remained silent for several beats. "I think you and I both know," she said slowly and carefully, "that Nzuri's appearance and artistic portrayal are not what is interesting me about her."
Rafiki, if he knew what the Queen was implying, chose not to acknowledge it. "Perhaps then you are inquiring about her legend as the first divinator?"
Nala nodded, hoping he would catch on to what she was implying. "I was wondering if you could tell me exactly what that means." She paused before adding casually, "I had a curious thought a few months ago regarding divinators."
"Well," Rafiki continued, as if blind to the Queen's hints, "Divination is the art of prophecy, essentially. Or, in other words, divinators possess the ability to foretell some aspects of the future. It's exceptionally rare for a divinator to be born. In fact, the only living divinator that I know of is Queen Janna."
The Queen's question was answered, but she still wasn't satisfied. She made it a point to look back over at the painting. "You mentioned that the first divinator, Nzuri, wasn't actually shrowded in bright light nor had white eyes. Why did the Royal Mjuzi of her time decide to depict her like this?"
He tapped once again on the painting, and the shrowd of light and stardust twirled around the lioness. "The artistic depiction of the stardust around the lioness refers to the-"
"Aura, that divinators possess," Nala interrupted, her tone turning sharp. "The very specific, highly unusual aura that they possess. To the untrained, this aura can go unsensed. But once you're able to recognize it, perhaps after meeting a divinator - like, say, Queen Janna for example - then it becomes very easy to detect others, correct?"
Rafiki looked uncomfortable. "Yes, that is true."
Nala inched closer to the mandrill. "So then you know," Nala whispered softly, her voice lowering an octave. "You know what she is. And you also know that there exists truth for the legend of the curse. The curse that comes with divinators. You know that she is a curse - to all of us."
Rafiki inched back from her, sighing wearily. The mandrill often thought he was far too old for his own good. He had lived long enough to see horrid things happen and then lived even longer to see history repeat itself. Over and over and over again. And this time, it was repeating itself in the form of a scrawny, orphaned lioness who had only just left cubhood. He was tired of it. He wanted to break the cycle.
"The girl herself doesn't even know yet, Nala," he insisted, "Do not act rashly."
"I just want to hear it from your own mouth," pleaded Nala, knitting her brows in concern. "I have seen with my own eyes how destructive this curse is. I need to know if Dalia is or is not a threat. Not just to me and my family, but to all the Pridelands. Do you remember what happened last time we had a divinator in the Pridelands? You remember what happened when Nyla was here?" Nala paused at the mention of Nyla. She hadn't realized it until now... but the girl had Nyla's eyes.
This fact made the actions Nala would have to take even harder to swallow.
"Speaking of which," she continued slowly, "do you you think the girl resembles Nyla?"
Rafiki remained silent but sighed deeply.
"As your Queen, I am ordering you to do this," Nala insisted. "I need to hear what you believe before making my decision. But despite whatever you tell me, I give you my word that I will not act rashly. I swear."
Rafiki sighed. "Very well." He sucked in a breath through his teeth, pausing for a moment. "I have reason to believe," he said, "that Dalia possesses the gift of divination. And, yes, she does bear remarkable similarity to Nyla. I expect her to realize her powers shortly."
On the pinnacle of a grassy hill, a lone lioness stood proud against the outline of the sunrise. The dew drops were still fresh on the blades of green beneath her paws, and the air smelt of musky grass and dirt. She stood there, staring out into the border between the Pridelands and the Outlands - the border between life and death - and thought of all the decisions she had made that had carried her to this moment.
Dalia's life had never been predictable, but it had certainly taken an unexpected turn - even for her.
And now she's prepared to make another turn. For years, she had been at the strange halfway point of still considering someone a friend and losing touch. For years, she hadn't had contact with Tombie, but that didn't mean there weren't days she would wake up fiercely missing his presence. At the same time, that didn't mean there weren't days she would wake up so incredibly angry.
Angry with herself for leaving. Angry with him for driving her to leave. Angry with herself for being too stubborn. Angry with him for just allowing her to go without trying to stop her. And the more she thought about all the reasons she was angry, the angrier she inevitably became.
Still, now was the time to put all that anger behind her. Now was the time to stop missing him and have him back in her life again.
The only thing holding her back was Janja's threat of not being so merciful the next time he saw her in Scar's territory. The scar against her throat from where he dug his claws into her, as well as the smoke that seemed to still cling to her from last week's fire, served as a good reminder not to challenge someone so mentally unstable.
"Daydreaming, are we?" Imba's teasing voice carried through the morning air. "Thinking of a certain prince, perhaps?"
Dalia turned her head, smiling. "Three things. Number one: I don't daydream. Number two: I rarely think of certain princes. And, lastly, number three: must you always be so insufferable?"
"Three things. Number one: don't believe you. Number two: definitely don't believe you. And, lastly, number three," she trailed off, pausing for dramatic effect. "Ya know you love me," Imba sang, swooping down to perch near the lioness.
Dalia chuckled softly, rolling her eyes. "Good morning to you too, Imba."
Imba smiled and looked over at her friend, then the smile slowly slipped as her gaze grew concerned. "You're sure you're okay, right?" she asked, her tone growing serious, "After the fire and tunnels? I know you're not particularly fond of tunnels after what happened with Kijana, and the hallucination you had with your mom."
Dalia frowned. "I'm fine. Wish my fur would get under control, though," she said, glancing down at her fur.
What they don't tell you about fires is the amount of soot and ash that stains your fur afterward. Zuri and Tiifu can attest to this fact; they've been in near hysterics over the ever-persistent soot stains on their fur. Dalia can relate. It's been a week since the fire incident, and while she's thankful they were all able to get out safely, Dalia is growing weary of looking like she rolled around in elephant dung.
Imba peered at her appraisively, her eyes going to the patches of fur stained with soot and flickering up the scar on her throat. "You've had better days," she agreed, nodding.
That was one thing Imba was really good at. Passive insults. The kinds that don't really seem like insults at first, but then you think back on it and realize they totally were.
But Dalia found herself too distracted to get offended. She continued staring out into the distance, reflecting. This morning had been a morning of reflection - something she rarely does. She doesn't like thinking too much about her past. Not enough good things and far too many bad things. But today, she welcomed the reflection. Remembering all the good times she had with Tombie and Asra only made her want to make things right even more.
"What're you thinking about then, if not about certain princes?" Imba questioned carefully.
Dalia paused. "Have you ever had a fall-out with a really good friend of yours and don't know how to pick up the pieces?" she asked. "Because that's what I'm struggling with right now."
"Ah, I see," Imba said, realization dawning on her, "This is about Tombie, isn't it?" Dalia nodded mutely. "Well, you've always known where I stand on this matter. I think if you're that good of friends, then the friendship never really dies." She nudged Dalia playfully. "Kind like you and me. We weren't friends for that long, but I was willing to travel with you away from the Pridelands that one time, right? And I know, had the roles been reversed, you would do the same for me. That's just what friends do. They may fight, sure, but they also care about each other too much to throw away the friendship."
The lioness felt frustrated. "Yeah, but the thing is, I don't know if he'll take me wanting to make up as an invitation to act like my mother," Dalia protested. "I want him to know that he shouldn't feel like he needs to make every single decision for me."
Imba sighed. "Then you know what you have to do, right?" she asked, exasperated. "Here, I'll spell it out for you: com· mu· ni· cate!" She waved her wings to emphasize her point. "How is he supposed to understand your boundaries if the only time you tell him is by yelling, among Scar's Army, during the middle of the night? Dal, he can't read your mind. In his mind, he probably still sees you as his little sister that he needs to protect. And that's not his fault necessarily. You just need to communicate with him."
She smiled weakly. "You make it sound so easy. Honestly, I think the real reason I've been reluctant to talk to him is that I feel really, really bad about what happened. I said some really nasty things to him the last time we spoke, and I regret them a lot. I don't know how I can face him again."
Imba placed a wing on Dalia's shoulder comfortingly. "Look, I get that it's hard. But I'm sure you both will forgive each other and be best friends again by the end of this. The first step is always the hardest, after all. After taking that first step by approaching him, I'm sure you'll find that it's a lot easier than you think to face somebody you've wronged."
The eagle began pushing Dalia towards the border with her wing. "C'mon, Dal," she said, "Get your butt over in the Outlands. You'll feel much better after you talk to him - regardless of what happens. Okay?"
Imba's advice seemed to revitalize Dalia's resolve, which had been slowly shrinking over the past few days. "Okay," she said, nodding. "Are you coming with me?"
"I think this is one of those things you've got to do yourself," Imba pointed out, smiling gently.
Dalia nodded in reluctance. "Yeah, you're right," she agreed, "Thank you, Imba. That helped a lot. You're pretty good at advice."
Imba smirked. "Glad you finally realize it," she said smugly.
Dalia allowed herself a small smile as she walked down the sloping hill towards the border. "Make sure you tell Kion where I'm going, okay?" she called over her shoulder. Almost instantly, Dalia could tell that Imba's smirk had turned into a full-blown, victorious grin.
"Rarely think about him, eh?" Imba teased.
Dalia's groan echoed loud through the Pridelands as she made her way into the Outlands.
. . .
Dalia began walking into the Outlands, thinking of what to say when she saw Tombie. What do you say after you have a big fight with your friend? Dalia didn't know, but she suspected she would find out soon enough.
As she walked through the territory that belonged to Jasiri and her clan, Dalia heard the familiar noise of pebbles dashing sharply against rocks. After spending several months in the burned remains of Kilio Valley and the Outlands, Dalia knew that noise to be the sound of someone nearby. Panic filled her and the scar on her neck seemed to burn white-hot with pain as she spun around on her heel, sliding her claws out.
"Who's there?" she demanded. Her mind was filled with images of bleeding out under the hot savannah sun, blood oozing from her neck. And, frankly, the thought terrified her.
From the shadows, a figure emerged. "Why are you always making things difficult for me? Can't you just make my life a lil' easier and go back to wherever it is you came from?"
The sarcastic, drawling, and very familiar voice of Janja sent shivers down her spine. Fear mixed with a whole lot of anger. Dalia looked up and found Janja's very irritated face glaring back at her.
"Janja," she said tersely. "Here to give me another something to remember you by?" she asked, tilting her neck up for him to see. "Or perhaps try and burn me alive again? Yeah, don't think for a second that I don't know you and all your other stupid friends were behind that."
To her surprise, Janja neither withdrew his claws nor seemed in any stance to fight. Instead, he simply sat down from across from her. "I just wanted to talk," he muttered, "Believe it or not, I'm glad you made it out of the fire alright."
"Really?" Dalia snapped. "It seemed pretty clear to me the last time we spoke that you'd kill me the next time you saw me."
"Ya, and you should be thanking me that I'm not making good on that promise," Janja snapped, rolling his eyes.
Dalia growled in response. "What do you want from me, Janja?" she asked finally, her voice desperate. "You're the most confusing thing I've ever encountered! One day, you're trying to kill me. The next, you're sitting down peacefully, wanting to talk? I am so tired of playing this game of tug-of-war with you. Seriously, what do you want from me? "
Janja sighed. "I don't know, okay? Is that what you want to hear?" he said, exasperated. "I thought that being in Scar's Army was what I wanted. I thought that turning you in would clear up whatever confusion I was having about Scar, and Kion, and well... everything. But, it seems that after you left, everything became a whole lot more confusing. And all I know is that sometimes you, as annoying as you are, help make things less... murky for me."
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you serious? You expect me to sit here and counsel you after what you did to me?" She shrieked, her eyebrows furrowing. "I've done enough for you, Janja. I've talked to you about joining Kion and the Pridelanders. I even begged you to join them! And what did you do? You slashed my throat! I'm afraid of you!" She spat. "So, no, Janja - I will not help make things less murky for you, okay? You need to figure out for yourself that Scar doesn't care about you and that he's lying to you. And until then, leave me alone!"
Janja didn't answer. He just held her gaze, unyielding. And for the first time in her life, Dalia was the first to look away.
"HEY!"
The sudden yell sounded from a nearby ledge above both Dalia and Janja. They looked up to find an angry-looking Tombie glaring daggers at Janja.
"Get away from her, Janja!" Tombie shouted, hopping down from the ledge. He landed in between the both of them, positioning himself so that he was guarding Dalia. "I'm going to give you five seconds to get out of my territory. Got it?"
Janja gave a strangely dejected and somewhat remorseful glance at Dalia. "Alright, alright," he muttered. "I get it."
Then, without much of a fight at all, he just walked away - back into the shadows that emerged from.
"Good thing I was in the area and heard you yelling," Tombie said, his eyes still trained on the path Janja left on as if he was expecting him to show up again. After apparently deciding it was safe, he stepped away from her, and his eyes suddenly widened when he glanced over at her. "Holy-" he cut himself off, his jaw dropping, "What in the world happened to you? Did you spend a week in the mud or something?" If she thought his eyes couldn't get any bigger, she was wrong. They did. "And what happened to your neck?!"
On her walk into the Outlands - before Janja interrupted that, of course - Dalia's mind was consumed with thoughts on how she was going to make things right between the two of them. She wondered what she was going to say, and how she could apologize for what she said last time. She told him she hated him. Hated him after everything he had ever done for her.
And, now, even after they were still not on speaking terms, he had put himself in potential danger for her. He was the one fretting and concerned over Dalia's appearance and scar. Now that Dalia thought back on it, it seemed that Tombie had always been the one there. Always been the one looking out for her. Always had her best intentions at heart. Even in those few years they spent apart, he had only let her go because he didn't want her to be unhappy and stuck with him.
Of course, he would be worried if she was spying in the Outlands. Of course, he would be concerned. She was, after all, a sister to him - just like he was a brother to her.
Dalia, if anything, should've been at least grateful that he cared rather than angry about it.
The words that she told him rang once again in her head, and she was suddenly hit with such a strong wave of remorse and grief, that it felt like she was going to get knocked over. Before she could realize it, and before she could even try to stop it, she suddenly burst into sobs.
Tombie, for his part, looked really confused at the sudden burst of emotion. "I mean, the scar's not that noticeable," he said, quickly backpedaling, "Really, I mean it. It's not that bad at all. And your fur? Never looked better."
And despite everything, Dalia couldn't help but laugh at his attempt at comfort. "I'm not upset because of that, you idiot," she said, still sniffling, "I'm just really sorry about what I said last time we saw each other. I didn't mean what I said; I don't hate you. I hope you know that I love you a lot. You know that, right?"
Tombie, after getting over his initial shock, smiled. "Yea, I know. I love you too. Now c'mere, you dork."
He moved to nuzzle her, and she reciprocated it. "I'm sorry too," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "I know that sometimes I might get really controlling and bossy with you, but know it's only because I really care about you. Still, I shoulda realized that you aren't a little cub anymore, as much as I hate to admit it. I promise I'll work on giving you enough space. And I'm sorry I brought up your Mom. I know I have no right to talk about her-"
Dalia pulled away, meeting his gaze intensely. "No, don't say that," she insisted. "You've got every right to talk about her. My mother was as much a mother to you as she was to me. She loved you like her own son."
Tombie's eyes immediately watered, to which he looked away. "Great, now you've got me crying too," he said, chuckling weakly. "Gah, look at us. We look ridiculous!"
Dalia snorted. "It feels so good not to be fighting anymore," she said after a beat of silence. "Hate fighting with you."
"Yeah," he nodded a little distractedly, his eyes darting back to her neck. "So... are you gonna tell me what happened to your neck?"
"Oh, that." Dalia peered down at it, trying (without luck) to look at her own throat. "The night we fought, Janja found me out. You were right, by the way. He didn't exactly let me off with a slap on the wrist. More like a gash on the throat."
"He did that to you?" Tombie echoed in disbelief. His eyes sharpened in anger. "I'm gonna-"
Dalia sighed. "You're not gonna do anything, Tombie. Just leave Janja alone. I don't care about him anymore. As long as he leaves me alone from this point on, I think I should just give him space."
Tombie looked like he wanted to protest but, remembering his promise to work to respect her boundaries, swallowed his word. "Fine," he gritted out. "And, I'm afraid to ask, but what's up with your fur? You're about ten shades darker than the last time I saw you. And the last time I saw you was at night."
"Long story, but I got caught in a fire and had to wait it out in a tunnel that nearly caved in. The soot dyed my fur, apparently."
What was more surprising to Tombie was the fact he wasn't surprised. He rolled his eyes, muttering to himself, "The trouble you get yourself into..."
He looked ready for a lecture, but luckily for Dalia, it was cut short by a well-timed interruption from one of the hyenas in the Hyena Resistance.
"Tombie!" the new hyena called out, causing both Dalia and Tombie to look up at him. "Some of our hyenas spotted the several Pridelanders having a pretty nasty feud by Priderock. Stadi reported seeing Makuu present in the conflict, as well. It doesn't seem like anything dangerous, but Madoa suggested you go check with Kion and make sure everything's alright."
Tombie tipped his head into a nod. "Will do."
With a terse nod of his own, the new hyena also turned to leave, his job having been completed.
"Something's going on at Priderock?" Dalia questioned. She was at Priderock a few hours ago, and everything seemed fine when she left. She couldn't understand how that would've changed within the past few hours.
Tombie shrugged. "Not sure. But we better go check it out."
oOoOo
Kion was going to lose his mind.
He thought it would be a good idea to unite the Pridelanders. That way, they could have a fighting and well-oiled army to combat the one Scar has. So, this morning, the Lion Guard requested different herds and groups of animals to report to Priderock for training against the Outlanders. But unfortunately, there two significant problems quickly arose, compromising Kion's goal.
Firstly, none of the Pridelanders knew about Scar's return yet. Therefore, none of them were taking it as seriously as they would have if they had known. Secondly, his "well-oiled" army was more akin to some type of disorganized club.
Nobody seemed to understand that everyone else had different strengths and weaknesses, and the end result was rendered disastrous.
Between the war with an undead lion (who also, by the way, happened to be his great uncle) and Pridelanders who were apparently incapable of getting along, Kion was going to lose whatever sanity he had left. And he was only half-joking.
"YOU CALL THAT A TAIL WHIP?" Makuu's voice boomed.
The antelope Makkuu snapped at looked frightened. "I'm trying my best," she protested weakly, gesturing towards her much shorter tail.
"Your best is worse than my worst," Makuu yelled. "AGAIN!"
The antelope whimpered before performing the move once again.
"STOP!" Makuu yelled. "You're pathetic! Now get it right, or I'm gonna have you for lunch."
Kion's patience came to an end when he heard that last bit. That was crossing a line. This was when Kion knew he would have to step in because that was unacceptable. He was just about to de-escalate the situation, but someone had beaten him to the punch.
"Come now, Makuu. Is that any way to talk?"
Dalia's voice caught him by surprise. He turned to see Dalia, quickly followed by Tombie, making their way toward the group. He assumed Dalia's talk with him went over well.
Makuu groaned, irritated. "It's the crocodile way to talk," he snapped.
Dalia was about to respond, but she noticed something strange with the other Pridelanders. At the sight of Tombie, some of the other Prindelanders began to get antsy. They began shifting their weight from one side to the other and inching away from the hyena. One antelope in particular, Bupu, tilted his horns towards Tombie in a threatening manner.
"What's the hyena doing here?" Bupu spat hatefully.
Dalia's fur spiked in irritation. "Hey!" she scolded. "Don't talk to him that way!"
Tombie sighed. "It's okay, Dal," he said, assuringly.
Bupu looked genuinely surprised at Dalia's anger. He tilted his horns back, relaxing. "But... he's a hyena," the antelope said, sounding genuinely confused. "Right?"
"Not all hyenas are bad," Kion reminded, for possibly the tenth time this week, "Tombie is a friend."
"Oh. I see." Bupu dipped his head in a polite apology. "My apologies, Tombie."
"No worries," Tombie replied, but Kion could tell his smile was strained.
Makuu, annoyed from having been ignored, let out a loud groan. "You know what? I'm out," he announced, turning on his heel to waddle back to his watering hole. "Ya'll figure this out on your own."
Kion turned back to Makuu. "Wait, what? What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like, kid. You guys defend your territory your way, the crocodiles will defend our territory our way. Got it?" Makuu said, not even bothering to turn around to look Kion in the eye when he said it.
Kion's heart was dropping to his tail. Makuu was the best fighter, albeit not the best teacher, out of everyone here. He needed Makuu on board. "But Makuu," he pleaded, "The Pridelands belong to all of us."
"Ha!" he laughed, not missing a stride. He turned his head to take a mocking glance at Kion, "I'll take my chances."
Kion sighed as he watched Makuu walk off. The hope he had this morning had all but disappeared and was replaced with a sinking feeling of dread. He eventually moved his gaze to the other Pridelanders and found them looking back at him expectantly. Like they were waiting for him to tell them what to do next. It wasn't a feeling Kion wasn't used to. But it was one that he hated.
He gnawed at the inside of his cheek as he tried to think of what to tell them. "Don't worry, guys," he said, trying to sound positive, "We can do just fine without Makuu." Yeah, sure, he thought to himself. Fat chance. "Beshti, how about you work with the rhinos and elephants? Then Fuli and Ono can work with the antelopes. And, Bunga, you're with the Galagos. Let me go talk to Dalia and Tombie, and then I'll be back."
He watched as the rest of his Guard exchanged reluctant looks before starting their respective tasks. Once everything was somewhat situated after the commotion Makuu caused, Kion walked over to where Tombie and Dalia were standing.
He had to stifle a laugh when he noticed the lioness' stained coat, before realizing his fur also matched hers. Even though it had been a week since the fire, and despite them dunking themselves in water several times after the incident, everyone who was in that fire was still stained with soot and ash. Rafiki said that the soot actually dyed their fur, and to expect to have to wait a few more days before it completely faded away.
Apparently, Tombie was thinking about the same thing, because when he glanced over at him, he said, "You were in the fire too, I'm guessing?"
"Yeah," Kion answered, "We all got out safely, though. Thankfully."
He looked over at Dalia, and his eyes caught on the streaks of red in her eyes. He was surprised to see twinges of red surrounding her irises. She had been crying. With a twinge of concern, he wondered why.
He didn't realize that he was staring at her until Tombie cleared his throat, snapping him out of it. "Erm, you okay, Kion? Looks like you're zoning out there," Tombie said, smiling teasingly for some reason.
Dalia nodded her agreement. "Yeah. Do you have something on your mind?
"More like someone," Tombie muttered coyly under his breath, almost too quietly to catch. Thankfully, Dalia didn't seem to hear.
Kion, suddenly feeling his cheeks burn, cleared his throat loudly. "I was just wondering," he said pointedly, "what brings you two here? Did something happen to your clan, Tombie?"
"Nothing happened to my clan. Jasiri just sent me to check on things over here," Tombie answered, "A few of our hyenas reported conflict here at Priderock and just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
Kion made a face. "You can tell her that things aren't exactly going well," he said, frowning, "The day I can get this lot-" he gestured to the Pridelanders currently training, "-to get along will be the day Scar turns over a new leaf."
Tombie nodded, observing the situation briefly. He looked from Fuli trying to train the antelopes in stealth, to Bunga trying to teach the Galagos in hand-to-hand combat.
"I think your issue is that you're not playing to your Pridelander's strength," Tombie pointed out, "Just because antelopes are quick, doesn't mean they'd be good in stealth. They're better in combat because of their horns and hooves. And just because the Galagos are flexible and swift-footed, doesn't mean they'd be good in combat. In the hyena resistance, there are a lot of different hyenas with different fighting styles. It's Jasiri's job to figure out which role best suits their style."
Kion considered it for a moment. "That's actually a pretty good idea," he admitted. "Thank you, Tombie."
"You're welcome," Tombie replied. He was about to turn to leave but then paused to look at Dalia. "I'd better get going, Dal. You'll be alright here?"
"Yup," Dalia answered. "Say hi to Madoa for me."
He blushed briefly, quickly turning away. "I will," he promised, and then he was leaving back towards the Outlands.
Once Tombie had left, Kion turned to Dalia once more. Her eyes were still stained red, and for whatever reason, that bothered him. A lot. "You were crying," he blurted before he could stop himself.
"Oh." The comment seemed to take her by surprise, and she absentmindedly rubbed her eyes with the back of her paw. "Yeah. I guess I was."
"You want to talk about it...?"
Dalia sighed. "I decided to go apologize to Tombie today. It was stupid for me to wait so long. I guess I got a little choked up." Changing the subject, she gestured towards the Pridelanders. "So what's been going on with you? Something about an army?"
"Yeah. I thought that maybe if we had an army also, it would even the playing field a little bit," Kion said. He looked back at the assortment of Pridelanders. "Speaking of which, I'd better get back to helping them train-"
He didn't get the chance to say another word before a harsh eagle's screech cut through the air. Both lions looked up to see a very concerned-looking Imba diving towards them at full speed.
"Kion! Lion Guard!" Imba shouted as she dove towards them. "The crocs are attacking Makuu and his float. And from what I saw, it's not looking like Makuu's going to come out on the winning side."
Dalia instantly connected the dots. "And given their claim on Kilio Valley, if they gain access to Big Springs-"
"It's over for the Pridelands," Kion finished, a sense of dread filling him. "All they would have to do is capture Priderock, and then it would be game over."
Fuli, having overheard this information, stepped in. "Okay, then what are we waiting for? We need to go help Makuu now."
"Yeah, let's go kick some crocodililly butt!" Bunga cheered.
Imba interjected, "That's the thing, Bunga, it's not just the crocs. All of Scar's army is there. You're going to need all the Pridelanders you can find."
"Well, then it's a good thing we've got an army of them," said Beshte. "I think if we all go together, we can take them."
Kion shook his head. This rag-tag group of Pridelanders could never take on Scar's Army like this. "I don't think that's possible, Big B," said Kion. "They're just not ready."
From behind them, the herd leaders began voicing their disagreement.
"Don't be so sure," Bupu interjected.
"We have to be ready," said a rhino.
Ma Tembo nodded sagely. "After all, a threat to one Pridelander is a threat to all of us." She gestured to her herd. "The elephants are at your service, Kion."
"The rhinos are in as well."
"So are the galagoes."
"As are the antelopes."
"This should be obvious by now, but Dalia and I are also in," Imba spoke out.
Ono contemplated the situation for a moment before deciding, "Statistically, we have a better chance of winning if we bring all of them, no matter their skill."
Kion agreed, tipping his head into a nod. There was no time to waste. "Alright, then." He gestured to the Pridelanders, then turned in the direction of Big Springs. "Pridelanders, follow me!"
. . .
They could not have had better timing. They arrived just in time to witness Kiburi take Makuu down underwater, the rest of Scar's Army crowding around Big Springs. Makuu, struggling under the weight of Kiburi, only barely managed to get to his feet before Kiburi delivered a powerful blow to his head. Makuu let out a cry of pain, skidding a few feet away.
Dalia noticed Janja's face cringing at the sight, but he didn't make any attempt to help him. She scoffed. Coward.
"That's enough, Kiburi!" Kion yelled, drawing Kiburi's attention from Makuu to him. "Leave now, and there doesn't have to be any fighting."
Dalia watched as Scar's Army only laughed in response.
"If you haven't noticed Kion, we've got you outnumbered," Reirei boasted.
"By... a lot," added Goigoi unhelpfully.
As if on cue, the Pridelanders began marching in from all directions, surrounding Big Springs.
Dalia watched a smile spread on Kion's face. "I'll give you one last chance to leave without conflict," he repeated, slowly. "Or else."
Chungu laughed stupidly. "Or else what?" he challenged.
Cheezi giggled manically next to him. "Yeah, bring it, Kion! We can take the heat!"
Without warning, Kion gave the signal. "Pridelanders: now!"
As soon as he gave the cue, the Pridelanders began their counterattack. The elephants and rhinos charged the Outlanders and formed protected barriers for the other Pridelanders. Meanwhile, the antelopes immediately took defense. Working as a herd, they utilized their horns and hind legs to drive the attackers away. And, surprisingly, even the galagoes managed to find something useful to do.
They ran about the feet of Reirei and the jackals, tripping them up before they could attack the elephants.
The Lion Guard similarly separated. Fuli and Bunga went after Janja and his goons. Beshte chased away Kiburi's crocs, and Ono went after any vultures. Kion took Kiburi on head-on, he and Ma Tembo working together to defend an injured Makuu.
Eventually, though, the galago defense fell as Reirei swatted the last one of them away.
"C'mon kids," she called, giggling, "Grab the elephants by their trunks. That's the tastiest part!"
Dalia and Imba both lept into her path, cocking a brow defiantly. Dalia was blocking Reirei while Imba chased off her cubs.
"Not today, Reirei," Dalia challenged.
Reirei's eyes sharpened with anger. "You!" she spat. "How. dare. you?! I trusted you two, you know! And then ya'll had to go and be spies! I thought you two were different, I thought you were better!"
Imba scoffed. "Dramatic much, Reirei?" she snarked.
Dalia calmly dropped from an offensive position, relaxing her muscles. "You don't have to do this, you know," she stated. "King Simba has agreed to work with the jackals in the Outlands."
"Yeah," Imba added, "He wants to help unite you."
"Oh, I see," Reirei said sarcastically. "Ya'll want me to just blindly trust him to follow his word, right? Guess what, kids? Words mean nothing if there's no action to back it up." She growled. "You made that fact very clear to me, Dalia."
The lioness scowled. "Sorry to hear you feel that way," said Dalia. "But you're going to have to grow up and realize that this gig isn't going to last forever. You think you have to steal in order to provide for yourself and your kids? Do you think Scar's going to make you and your kids the rulers of the Pridelands? How can that happen if Scar destroys the entire Pridelands? There isn't going to be anything left for you to steal, much less rule."
Dalia and Imba could see Reirei's logic falter.
"That's not gonna happen," Reirei snapped after a moment. "Scar knows what he's doing. He was the only lion out of all of ya'll to ever give us Outlanders respect. He won't leave us high and dry."
Imba shrugged. "Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night. Or, you can realize that one day, you're going to have to start trusting Kion. Put aside any injustices his forefathers did, and remember him for what he has done. Have you ever known Kion to be untrustworthy? To be cruel or harsh or mean-spirited?" When Reirei didn't answer, Imba smirked. "That's what I thought."
Reirei growled and looked like she was about to pounce on either one of them, but before she could, Janja's voice rang out through the clearing.
"Outlanders, retreat!" he barked.
Dalia looked over at him and noted his neat fur and unmussed mane. It looked like he didn't fight at all. Janja met her glance on accident before looking away abruptly. He ordered the Outlanders to regroup once more, and immediately, his two goons detangled themselves from their spar with two antelopes and began running back to Kilio Valley.
Janja's order seemed to take everyone else by surprise, though.
"What? Why?" demanded Reirei, who was still snarling at Dalia.
Kiburi, who was still sparring with Kion, Ma Tembo, and Makuu snapped his jaws menacingly. "Yeah, why?"
"Because we're outnumbered, you nitwits," he snapped. "We're going. Now!"
His order apparently intimidated the other Outlanders, for they quickly began following Janja in his retreat. Their sudden retreat left the Pridelanders strangely confused.
"That was..." Kion trailed off, apparently at a loss for words.
"Anticlimactic?" Dalia filled in. She tipped her head into a nod, her eyes narrowing at Janja's retreating figure in the distance. "Yeah. Janja's been like that recently."
Dalia's relationship with Janja confused her. At first, she didn't like him. She thought he was cruel. Then, she felt bad for him. She thought he had been a victim, constantly bullied and pushed around by those above him. Now, she doesn't know how she feels. Sure, Janja and the other hyenas had been wronged. But there's a certain point where you have to start living for the future, not the past.
Dalia just hoped that Janja would reach that point soon. Because she wasn't sure for how much longer she could be patient with a loose cannon.