A/N: Hello friends, long time no see! I would give a reason for my long absence, but I find I don't quite have one. Life happens, you blink - and boom, two entire years have flown by. I hope these past couple of years have been good for all of you. As always, thank ya'll for your encouragement and support.

I also wanted to mention that this fic has undergone a lot of editing. My writing style has evolved greatly as I've gotten older and more experienced, and this evolution was made apparent in older chapters of this fic. So I've decided to update all the chapters to match my current style.

So, if ya'll want to go back and re-read - feel free :)

Book 1: Chapter 24

The morning sun was very slowly peeking above the horizon, bringing with it the promise of dawn although it was still mostly dark. Kion was stretching, chasing the last remnants of sleep away.

A few feet from him lay Dalia, who was still fast asleep. He glanced at her, noticing her brows were deeply furrowed even in sleep. Not wanting to wake her, he rose quietly and slowly started to slip away. He felt a little uneasy leaving her there alone, and he wished that she'd just start living in Priderock with the rest of the lions.

He could practically hear her voice in his head now, scolding him. "I'm not a Pride lioness!"

And he'd sigh, not sure how a lion could reject the comfort of a Pride, but he always accepted her beliefs nevertheless. Anyway, the spot she was sleeping in was relatively secluded and remote. Besides, as she had chastised him many times, she was fully capable of fending for herself.

Seeing her reminded him of their conversation from last night and how desperately he needed to talk to Mufasa.

So Kion began to venture towards the secluded hill he often came to when consulting his grandfather. A long time ago, when Kion was younger and less burdened, his grandfather appeared to him. At the time, Kion had just been granted the gift of the Roar and was tasked with the seemingly impossible task of selecting the best of the Pride Lands while also keeping his father happy. Mufasa had stepped in just in time to provide him counsel.

Since then, Kion reached out to Mufasa whenever he needed advice that only his grandfather could provide.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of his schedule, he hadn't had the chance to speak to his grandfather since the fall of Mzimu Grove.

And now, as he prepared to call upon Mufasa, he felt a twinge of nervousness.

He was coming to Mufasa for him to answer questions he had regarding Dalia. What if those answers were ones he wasn't ready to hear? What if Mufasa told him that Dalia did have to leave the Pridelands? How would Kion react then? What would he do? Could he look her in the eyes and tell her she had to leave?

He couldn't.

But still, he needed to speak to his Grandfather.

"Grandfather Mufasa?" He spoke into the night sky.

He watched as the clouds morphed and conjoined together to take the form of his Grandfather.

"Kion." Mufasa's voice was deep and comforting. The kind of regal voice that commanded respect. When Kion typically came to Mufasa for comfort, his Grandfather kept up his usual calm, collected exterior. Today, however, Mufasa's eyes bore sadness. "The Pridelands has suffered a mighty loss today, hasn't she?"

Kion nodded. "I just feel like I don't know where to go from here. I feel like I'm fighting a never-ending battle."

"There are some battles that feel infinite, Kion, but I promise peace will return to the Pride Lands," Mufasa spoke. "The question is when."

Kion looked pained. "Okay, so when?"

Mufasa looked at Kion sadly. "I'm afraid that answer relies on the actions you take from this moment on." He gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry to put this pressure on your young shoulders. But in truth, the fate of the Pride Lands is dependent on the actions of its Lion Guard."

Kion nodded. He was glad for his Grandfather's advice, but this was only confirmation of what he knew already. What he needed advice on was a certain lioness...

"But," Mufasa continued, "I suspect you're also here to ask me about something else."

Once again, Kion nodded. "It's about Dalia."

Mufasa nodded. "I see you've discovered the truth of her lineage. Her powers. Her curse."

The word curse felt like a dagger through his chest. "So it's true?" Kion said, sounding defeated.

"Truth is relative, Kion," Mufasa said. A gentle breeze swept through the Pridelands then, ruffling through Kion's fur. "In truth, I don't know enough about the nature of divination. What I can tell you is that I don't think Dalia's presence in the Pridelands has motivated Scar to be any crueler. Scar rose to power before Dalia arrived, and he'll continue wreaking havoc even after she leaves -" Kion must've made a face, for he quickly added, "-if she does decide to leave."

A little hope stirred in Kion's chest.

"Unfortunately, I don't know the definitive accuracy of the curse - I only have my speculations," continued Mufasa. "However, if it does ultimately come down to having to choose between Dalia and the good of the Pridelands, are you prepared to make that decision?"

Kion's chest tightened. "I... I don't know." His head was starting to feel a little foggy. "What do you think I should do?"

"There's no clear answer here, Kion." Mufasa's voice was comforting. "I would advise you to seek counsel in our Royal Mjuzi, for he is far wiser than I in these spiritual matters."

This wasn't as helpful to Kion as he had hoped this conversation would have been. He sat down, feeling slightly dejected. "I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, Grandfather."

A small chuckle emitted from Mufasa. "In time, you'll learn that feeling is inherent with being a leader. In my time, there were many incredibly hard decisions I had to make, and I imagine there will be even more hard decisions you must be prepared for. I want you to know, though, that the choices you make now will affect even your descendants, just as my choices have affected you."

Kion felt a twinge of anger with that last statement. "Speaking of which," he began, "I've been meaning to ask you something. How come you had a no-tolerance policy between the Out Lands and the Pride Lands?"

"That was something my father, Ahadi, put into place when times were different and less tolerant than today," Mufasa spoke with some remorse laced in his voice. "I regret not being a strong enough King to reverse the changes made before me. I'm especially sorry that my inaction has affected you in this way."

Kion exhaled deeply through his nose. He was sorry as well. Sorry that he was now faced with seemingly impossible decisions. Sorry that he had to choose between the safety of his Pride and the safety of his friend.

Still, he couldn't stay angry with his grandfather. After all, there were different times and different circumstances that drove the decisions that were made. Who was to say that in a different life, if Kion had been Mufasa and Mufasa had been Kion, the outcome wouldn't have been the same?

"I forgive you," he replied, and some of the pressure eased off his shoulders.

"I wish I could help you more, Kion. But I can offer you this." Kion's brows lifted in earnest. "Rafiki and Zazu are the wisest Pridelanders that you have access to. They were both members of my counsel, and they can offer you better guidance at this time than I."

A flicker of hope flashed through him. "Thank you, Grandfather. I'll do that right away."

"Of course, Kion. I'll always be here when you need me."

. . .

Kion knew the next creature he should talk to was Rafiki.

So, that was how he found himself entering the Lion Guard's Lair that morning. As he walked past the vines guarding the entrance, he was hit was a strong scent of medicinal herbs. Looking further into the cave, he the nest of a gravely injured Zuri was still occupied. She was sleeping, and by her side, also slept Tiifu. Tears from the previous night had stained her face, streaks running down her cheeks.

Tiifu herself had vine bandages over the side of her face which had been gashed.

Outside the nest, Makini was sleeping against the wall of the cave, appearing as if she had keeled over with exhaustion. And Imba, also asleep, was perched protectively by her side, her large wings spread out to encase the new Royal Mjuzi in a tight embrace.

The only other creature here who was not asleep was his sister, Kiara, who sat near the pool - eyes alert.

"Kion?" She called. "You're up early."

She was right, sunrise had only just started. "So are you," replied Kion, walking up to his sister. From the red around her eyes, he could tell that she didn't sleep that night.

Kiara leaned her forehead against Kion's arm as he stopped in front of her. "I'm tired." Her voice was quiet. "Zuri had nightmares throughout the night. Screaming and screaming nonstop." Her eyes scrunched together. "And when Zuri would scream, Tiifu would begin to wail. Rafiki had to give both of them sleeping herbs." She looked over at Makini, who was still sleeping partially against the wall and partially on Imba's wing. "Poor Makini didn't sleep all night. She ended up falling asleep still standing up, so Imba tried making her more comfortable."

Kion felt a pang of pity for Makini. It was supposed to have been the greatest night of her life.

"Where's Rafiki?"

She shrugged. "He left after Makini and Imba slept. He told me to keep a watch over this place. I think he's meditating in his tree?" Kiara eyed him. "Why aren't you on dawn patrol?"

He froze. With the event of last night, and him talking to his Grandfather, dawn patrol was something that entirely evaded his mind. He quickly calmed, though, when he remembered that it was Ono's turn to cover this patrol. And even if the whole world was falling apart, he knew the Ono was way too diligent to miss his shifts.

"Ono's got it covered."

"Ah." Kiara sighed through her nose sharply. "Oh, and did you hear about the Pride Meeting that Dad called?" Kion raised both brows to this. Dalia had told him that his mother was planning on calling one, but he didn't think it would have been so quickly. "Yeah, last night, Dad announced that there'd be one today. Didn't say what it was about. I don't think you were there though."

He shook his head. "No, I was..." He tried to think of what he should say. That he was too busy arguing with Dalia to have heard it? "I was checking up on friends," he managed.

She gave him a strange look. If she was going to inquire further, she didn't get the chance because Rafiki decided that right then was the time to make his entrance.

"Good morning, cubs," he called out.

Kion and Kiara responded with a quiet morning in turn.

Kion watched as he entered the cave, looking extremely tired, and walked past the sleeping Makini without bothering to wake her. He inspected Zuri's wounds, redressing them to prevent infection. He sat back, his hands flat against the stone supporting his weight, and gave out a loud sigh. Kiara stiffened before rising so that she was standing beside her brother.

"What's wrong?"

Rafiki shook his head. "This leg will never be of use to your friend again, Princess," said Rafiki. Kiara gave a gasp. "It has been completely burnt. Down to the nerves. It's a miracle that she has not lost it entirely, yet."

Kion was suddenly very glad that Tiifu was not yet awake. For if she had heard this, he knew that her wails would start again. And he had too much on his mind at the present to deal with that.

Kiara's voice was sharp. "Yet?"

The Mjuzi nodded. "Yet. A burn like this has such a great risk of infection. And I am a Mjuzi, yes," He said quickly, anticipating Kiara's remarks, "but I can not make miracles happen. I will do my very best to make sure infection doesn't start, but if it does..." His face grew grim.

"She'll lose her leg?" Kion asked.

"She'll lose her life."

Kiara gasped once more. His sister was shaking, and he could not tell if it was due to anger or fear, or both. He tried comforting her, leaning against her, but she moved away from him angrily.

"And you still expect me to give Scar's Army mercy after the war?" She spat. Kion's fur bristled, angry that she had directed her rage at him. "If Zuri dies because of this injury, I'll make sure my very first act as Queen is to wipe them out."

With that Kiara stomped out of the cave. Where she was going, Kion was unsure. But he let her go.

Rafiki gave a heavy sigh. "She's just angry. She'll come to her senses," said Rafiki as she left.

He was trying to solace Kion, but it was not working.

"I need to speak to you Rafiki," Kion said urgently. "It's about Dalia." He watched as the mandrill nodded, having already known that Kion would speak to him soon about this matter. "My Dad's called for a Pride Meeting today, and I don't have much time."

"Very well," said Rafiki. "Let's talk somewhere else."

Rafiki began walking towards the entrance of the cave once more, and Kion followed him. He stopped in his stride where Makini and Imba were fast asleep. He gently shook awake the girls, and Makini awoke with a start. Imba, startled by Makini's reaction, took flight out of reflex before calming and perching once more on a rock.

Makini began to blubber out apologies. "I'm so sorry, Rafiki, I didn't mean to sleep, I-"

"Ssh, child," he calmed. "I need you to watch over the cave while I'm gone. I must speak with the Prince."

Kion, who had always felt shy when Rafiki referred to him like that, felt the tips of his ears go red. The others, however, seemed to take no notice, and Imba directed her attention to him.

"Where's Dalia?" She asked, sounding worried when she realized that Dalia was not with Kion. "I assumed she was with you."

"She's fine," he assured her. Imba was only satisfied though when Kion told her where she could find the lioness. "She's asleep, though. Try not to wake her up." Imba raised a brow at him - not too different from the look his sister had given him earlier this morning. "I'm just saying that she's had a long night, is all."

Imba snorted. "I'm sure she had a very long night, with you being there."

Kion flushed, but couldn't say anything in return before Imba took off in search of her friend. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he followed Rafiki out of the cave.

The old mandrill led Kion out of the cave and around to the back of Priderock. After taking furtive glances around, he must've deemed it private enough to have this conversation.

"What do you know?" The Mjuzi asked.

Kion, like Dalia, had been last night, didn't know where to start. "My mother thinks Dalia's a divinator. And, well, I guess that means she's a curse? And as long as she's here, bad things will keep happening. And now my Mom wants to kick her out of the Pridelands, after everything she's done for us."

Rafiki sucked in a breath. "It's more complicated in nature than that. I don't want you to think that your mother is unjust." Kion's ears flattened, feeling a bit guilty. "You see, Dalia's mother was also a divinator, and your mother knew her very well. She also knew the pain Dalia's mother had to endure for the sake of her gifts, as well as the pain inflicted on everyone else. However, I do believe your mother is... acting rashly.

I've seen this happen before, Kion. Countless times in countless lands. Lions have always feared what they could not understand. I've seen even cubs like you, blessed with the gift of the Roar, be exiled and forced to live away from the Pride."

To this, Kion felt shock. "For the Roar?"

Rafiki eyed him warily. "Remember, not everyone has used the Roar for good," he said pointedly. "Or do you think that Dalia's divination is the only thing that could be considered evil?"

"Right," Kion replied, feeling hot with embarrassment. "So is she a curse, Rafiki?"

He watched as the mandril took in a deep breath. "Truthfully, I do not believe such a thing exists. I do not believe in curses. I do not believe that someone can be born with evil. Evil is not genetic, like the color of your eyes. Evil is born and raised in the absence of love. I do not think that Dalia, simply for her gifts, will cause disaster.

I believe that driving her away, leaving her no place to live or find her community, I feel as though that action can cause disaster. It will cause resentment and hatred to be born, and from there, it is entirely possible that evil will follow."

Kion felt hopeful. "So she can stay, then?"

"That is up to the Pride to decide. While I do not believe in curses, I also do not believe that I am correct in everything I believe. I am not all-knowing. I cannot know for sure whether or not Dalia's ability is a curse or not. I have seen evidence for both cases. I've seen divinators, like Nyla, bringing evil to every place they've touched.

I've also seen other divinators, like Queen Janna, who have managed to use their gifts to create a beautiful environment of peace - like the Tree of Life."

And just like that, the hope he had felt was eliminated and he only felt confusion. His head spun. "You're not making sense, Rafiki. You said you didn't think she was a curse, and now you're saying that she could be?"

"Exactly," Rafiki had his characteristic glint back in his eyes. "I don't think, but I don't know. Nobody can know for certain, Kion. It will come down to the Pride, and what they are comfortable with. If they are willing to take a chance on Dalia for what she has provided thus far, and not cast her aside for something out of her control." He placed a hand on his heart. "I am willing to take that chance because I am old and tired and I don't want to send away a young lion."

"And so am I," replied Kion firmly.

Rafiki looked at him sadly. "Well, unfortunately, this matter is not up to you or me to decide."

And that drew Kion back to reality. It didn't matter what he thought. What mattered was convincing everyone else of what he believed. And that would prove to be a daunting process. Especially with his mother being so adamant that Dalia needed to leave. Kion frowned. He didn't want it to come to this. But now he knew there was no other choice.

He needed to confront his mother.

oOoOo

Dalia, having woken up alone, was making her way back to Priderock. Each step she took brought in a myriad of emotions that, frankly, she was too tired to sift through. She mostly just felt sad to have to leave this place. Kion was right, yesterday. She had made friends here that she cared about. Kion, the rest of the Guard, Makini, and even Zuri and Tiifu.

And, with an ache in her chest, she thought about Imba.

Over the past several months, she had come to consider Imba as her dearest friend. She could always rely on her to provide her honest, unabashed advice and a wing to lean on. Fiercely loyal and unapologetically herself, Imba was a true friend. And while she had been eager to travel with her last time, this was different. Imba had found friends in the Lion Guard and in Makini.

She finally found her place in the Pridelands, and Dalia didn't want to make her leave now. Her eyes were pricking with tears.

She also would miss Kion, she realized.

He was her friend. She liked him. He made her happy. No matter how confusing Dalia found the boy, those facts were true. And it would hurt having to leave.

Also, she just found Tombie. After years of being apart from each other, she had just reunited with him. They had taken pains to mend their relationship and carve out something beautiful for them to share. He was settling down now with Madoa and the rest of the Clan. Maybe in a couple more years, there'd be little Tombie's running around.

The thought made her laugh.

She certainly could not ask her to leave with him. But she couldn't stay with him in the Outlands either. If Nala was correct about the curse, and the Pride voted for her to leave, simply crossing the border into the Outlands wasn't enough. She'd have to leave and leave far.

And for the first time since Dalia became a nomad, she resented having to wander. She wanted, for once, a place to stay. A place to forge friendships. But now she was having to leave, and she didn't know where she'd go. How long could she keep wandering? How long would the savannah extend? At what point will she reach the end of the rope and have to start over?

It wasn't fair that she had to keep moving. She wanted, for the first time, to stay.

She was nearing Priderock when saw Imba soaring through the sky.

A bittersweet feeling crossed Dalia as Imba dove down to meet her. "Dalia!" she shouted. And they embraced, her wings wrapped around the lioness.

"You missed me?"

Imba separated, a rather serious look crossing her face. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright? I heard about the Pride Meeting."

"How-"

"Makini told me." The eagle interrupted her, sounding serious.

As if on cue, Dalia spotted Makini exiting the cave. They were close enough now to Priderock so that the walk was not far. Makini must've seen Dalia and Imba and wanted to join in the conversation. Makini's shoulders sagged and the young mandrill looked more down than Dalia had ever seen her. With a start, she realized how odd it looked. Seeing the normally extremely bright and cheery mandrill reduced to this was so upsetting.

As Makini drew closer, Dalia could see the fat, wet tears brimming in her eyes.

"Oh boy," she whispered, to which Imba gave her a playful jab.

"Dalia!" Makini cried, running the rest of the way and throwing her arms around the lioness. "It's so unfair! I can't believe they're sending you away!"

Dalia swallowed a painful lump in the back of her throat. "Hey, nothing's decided yet. That's what the meeting's for."

Imba snorted derisively. "Some meeting it's gonna be. They're not even letting the other members of the Lion Guard vote! Only lions of the Pride are allowed to speak and vote, apparently."

"Not even Rafiki?" asked Dalia.

Makini shook her head no, and buried her face even deeper into Dalia's fur. "This is all so unfair!" She separated herself from the embrace, then. Gathering Dalia's shoulders between her hands, Makini began shaking the lioness in a manner that was very Makini-fashion. "Where are you going to go? What're you going to do?"

She separated herself from the shaking and tried not to look sad when she shrugged. "I, well, I don't know. I guess keep traveling." She tried her best a smile. "It's what I do best, remember? I work pretty well alone."

Imba peered at her curiously. "Who said anything about being alone? I'm coming with you, girl!"

"No," she stressed. "You've found friends here, Imba. You've made friends with the Guard-" To this, Imba let out a snort, but Dalia continued. "You've found your purpose here, protecting the Pridelands."

Imba's eyes flashed, her loyalty showing. "Yes, that's your purpose too! Being right here, beside us - besides me - fighting to protect the Pridelands."

"I can't stay where I'm not wanted, Imba," Dalia protested weakly. "Besides," she continued, gesturing at Makini, "Someone needs to be here for Makini."

Makini's brows furrowed. "Well, if you are both leaving, then I'm leaving too! It's unfair that they're kicking you out after everything you've done, and I won't be here either if they do!"

Her declaration left both Dalia and Imba reeling in shock. Both girls began voicing their disapproval, Imba's eyes flying wide at the notion. Imba spoke first. "Makini... you did your Mpando Mpaya yesterday." Makini's face fell at the reminder, remembering how terribly it had gone. "You're officially a Royal Mjuzi. You can't just leave."

Makini knew that it made sense but wasn't ready yet to admit it. "Rafiki's still here..."

"And Rafiki's getting old. Besides, with this war going on, there needs to be every helping hand here in the Pridelands." Dalia's face twisted, remembering Zuri in the cave, still suffering from her injuries. "Zuri's injury won't be the last and you need to be here to help out when things get ugly."

Makini's eyes watered anew, breaking into sobs. " I know, I know I have to stay and be a good Mjuzi. I just didn't think it'd be that hard!" Her hand found her forehead, furiously rubbing away the tension there. "Zuri was up all night and I couldn't help ease her pain. And even now, she's not out of danger yet. Rafiki said if an infection starts..."

She trailed off, not able to finish her sentence. Imba wrapped her in a fierce hug as Makini cried into her wings.

"And now, on top of everything else, you're leaving too!" More sobs bubbled out of her, and Dalia didn't know what to do. "I don't wanna do this anymore. It's so hard."

Imba gave Dalia a look that indicated that she needed to be the one to talk sense into her. "I know that it's hard," Dalia started unsurely. "But I can tell you that you're a great Mjuzi. You handled yourself so well yesterday. You gave care to so many before considering your own injuries. And I know that seeing Zuri like that and not being able to help makes you feel like giving up. Makes you feel like running away and leaving with me. But I'm telling you that's not your..."

She paused for a brief second. Makini clung on to the idea of fate and destiny so much, and while Dalia didn't believe in either, she knew that reminding the Mjuzi of her beliefs was the right thing to do. Being friends, after all, is also learning how to respect each other's beliefs and viewing them as beautifully unique.

"That's not your destiny," Dalia finished, to the surprise of Imba, who was well familiar with Dalia's opinions. "Your destiny is here in the Pridelands."

After a few moments, Makini lifted her head from Imba's wing and nodded glumly. "You're right," she whispered, wiping her tears. "I'm really gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too," said Dalia in an awfully quiet voice.

Makini turned to Imba, sniffling even louder. "And if you leave too, I'll miss you just as much."

Imba looked torn now, trying to decide which friend needed her more. Finally, she decided on, "I'm leaving with Dalia if she leaves. Dalia has nowhere else to go and nobody to go with her." Her tone was gentle yet assertive. "You have everyone here, Makini. Rafiki, The Guard, the Royal Family, the Pride."

"But it won't be the same."

And nobody tried arguing with Makini, for they knew she was right. Their world had changed so drastically within the last twenty-four hours. It wouldn't be the same for quite some time.

And if Dalia and Imba left, it certainly wouldn't make the situation any better for Makini.

And so the three friends sat there, on the grassy plain outside Priderock, enjoying each other's company for what may have been one of the last times. One thing was certain, no matter how this situation panned out, Dalia would deeply miss the friendship they enjoyed with each other before the threat of war loomed over their heads.

They sat there for a little while before hearing Simba's roar sound from on top of Priderock. Looking up, they saw him standing at the edge, beckoning the Pride for the meeting that would decide Dalia's immediate future.

Giving each other nervous glances, the trio rose unsteadily. Makini gave Dalia a long hug and they began their way towards the top of Priderock.

This was it.

oOoOo

Kion did not have to search long to find his mother, who was sitting at the base of Priderock, her head resting on her paws. She had a glum look on her face, one that he couldn't remember ever seeing.

"Mom?"

Nala raised her head to peer at him, offering him a weak smile. "Hello, Kion." She beckoned him to sit with her, and Kion took his place beside her. "It hasn't been a good day for the Pridelands, hm?"

"No," he said, laughing despite the situation. "Not at all. It's been a terrible year for the Pridelands."

She nodded. "I don't know when you grew up so much, Kion. It feels like just yesterday you discovered the Roar. And now..." She paused, taking in her son. "You look so much older."

He gave a humorless laugh. "War does that to you, Mom."

Her look hardened. "Oh, I know. Trust me."

A silence fell between the two. They were dancing around the topic they both knew was coming. Nala, sighed, opting to get the conversation over with.

"I know you're here to talk to me about Dalia."

"I just don't understand why you're doing this, Mom." Kion's brow furrowed. "You have no idea if she's a curse or not. I can't believe you'd just throw her out of the Pridelands because of a superstition."

"It's not just a superstition." Nala's voice was so tired. "I've seen it happen. I can't let history repeat itself when I have you and Kiara now to think about, as well."

"Well, couldn't that have just been a coincidence? The whole thing with Dalia's mom?"

"That when Nyla realized her abilities, Scar rose to power? That when she left, Scar fell? That when her daughter realized her abilities, Scar returned and delivered the worst disaster to the Pridelands we've seen? That was all a coincidence?" She huffed. "None of it was a coincidence, Kion. Mjuzis have known about the curse for ages, now."

"And Rafiki, with all his wisdom and everything he's seen, he even thinks the curse isn't real. You'd think that if the curse was true, wouldn't Rafiki be the first to understand it?"

"You cannot take just Rafiki's words and say that they're true. Just because he, for whatever reason, doesn't agree with me doesn't mean that he is correct."

Kion felt frustrated. "I don't understand how you can exile your best friend's daughter because you're scared. Scared of a superstition Dalia had no idea about until yesterday! Think of everything she's done for the Pridelands, Mom. How can you kick her out?"

"It's not an easy choice," she stressed. "A harder decision than you could ever understand. The bond between my mother and her ran very, very deep. I think about her every day. But I am a Queen. And there are certain things that I can't risk. I can't risk the safety of the Pridelands on the chance that this superstition, as you call it, is false."

"And what if it was me? Rafiki told me in other Prides, the Roar is considered a bad omen. What if it were me being on trial? Would you still not be able to risk it?"

Nala faltered. Her mouth pressed into a thin line. Finally, she spoke. "That's an unfair question."

"Well, this whole thing is unfair. It's unfair to her."

She bowed her head. "I know. I understand you're upset, Kion. I know you care about her." Kion was too upset to feel flushed at his mother's knowledge. "But, this is something we're going to have to agree to disagree on."

He was unsure of what else to say. His mother made it clear that her mind was made up. Kion knew what her vote would be.

"So now what?"

"Now, the Pride decides."

The same thing that Rafiki ended up telling him. This entire day had been chasing dead ends. He spoke to his Grandfather, thinking that he being a spirit would know something about this. That conversation convinced him he needed to speak to Rafiki, who had no solid answers for him other than to let the Pride decide. And now, speaking to his mother, essentially the same thing had been said.

Yet, despite his frustration, there was nothing else to be done.

And when he heard his father's roar from the top of Priderock, signaling that the Pride Meeting was starting soon, he was ready. He was ready to defend Dalia and convince the Pride that she was here to stay. She had done so much for him, for all of them.

Now it was his turn to return the favor.

This was it.