Book 2: Chapter 3

Dalia was furious.

Her evening had flipped upside down more than she thought was possible. Janja, of all creatures, had shown up to the lair where she and her friends were hanging out and started talking about changing over to their side. And with it, came a slew of apologies and nice words to try and win them over. He even used what Dalia had told him about the fire lily oath against her.

He convinced them so easily to go inside that Lair because he'd be more comfortable in there, and now they were all trapped with fire all around them.

What didn't make matters any better was the fact that Janja had left all his useless hyena goons behind for them to deal with! She snorted. Some type of leader Janja was.

"Oh, I'm going to kick his butt," said Imba angrily, and Dalia had never agreed more with her winged feather. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the hyena with the lopsided tongue whimper. "That miserable, good-for-nothing, snake! Ugh!"

Her sister beside her had a deadpan expression. "He's not a snake," she said factually.

Imba let out an exasperated groan. "Humor, Anga! Clearly not your forte!" She scowled. "Janja, he's just, ugh!"

"Okay, guys," said Kion in a calm voice. "Everyone needs to calm down and think rationally."

Dalia agreed.

While Dalia agreed with Imba and she'd be more than happy to rant about how much Janja infuriated them after they figured out how to escape the Lair, the fact still remained that they were trapped here. And the fire was growing all around the Lair, and Dalia could begin to feel its heat. She glanced over at the cave's opening and saw it was completely blocked by fire.

"Ya'll, there's an opening!" Fuli's voice rang from the other side of the cave.

When everyone glanced in her direction, they saw the opening in the ceiling of the cave that she was pointing to. It was narrow and impossible for any of them to climb up to. But, it was possible for someone to fly up to it. Almost immediately, Dalia whirled around to Imba and shot her a look. Imba nodded, seemingly reading the lioness' mind.

"I think we can fit up there," said Imba, flying up to test her theory. She squeezed her shoulders together in a steep swoop up the opening. She made her way up the opening before diving back in.

Kion nodded his head quickly. "Ono," he said, looking at the keenest of sight, "You take Anga and Imba and go rescue everyone on Priderock. I think my entire family is up there." Concern had filled his voice at the last part.

Ono tipped his head into a nod. "On it, Kion. C'mon girls," he said, looking at the sisters. The three quickly made their way into the opening on the ceiling.

"Don't worry about your family, Kion," Dalia said assertively. "I know that between the three of them, they'll be able to help everyone down to safety."

Kion nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. "But how do we get ourselves to safety?" He glanced over at the hyenas that Janja left behind. They were all cowered together against the far side of the cave wall, afraid of the flames that were steadily overtaking the Lair. "And," he said, slightly exasperated, "How do we get them to safety?"

Dalia narrowed her eyes. She hated the fact that Janja trapped them all in here, but she couldn't just turn a blind eye and let the rest of the hyenas burn. Especially not when they look so frightened. She made eye contact with Chungu, who looked at her with wild eyes. "Dally," he said, and she wrinkled her nose at the name, "You gotta trust us. Janja really did say that we're gonna join your side now."

Cheezi nodded his head fervently. "Yes, yes! We really thought that we betrayed Scar!"

"Well then, clearly, Janja betrayed you," Fuli said snippily.

Chungu whimpered. "Janja would never betray us! He just got lucky and got out at the right time."

Dalia snorted. "Awfully convenient."

She would've said more, but she was cut off by a splash of water from the other side of the Lair. Curious, she turned to see Bunga crouched over the small spring that was in the Lair. The honey badger was cupping his hands together, drawing water in between them, to hurl at the inching flames. His efforts didn't do much other than splashing everyone in his vicinity.

Fuli, the least fond of water, flattened her ears against her head sharply. "You serious, Bunga?"

Bunga threw his shoulders into a shrug. "What? I'm just trying to put out the fire! Unless you have any better ideas."

Fuli rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak when Besthe cut her off. He moved closer to the water, his face only inches away from the surface. A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Actually, I do have one idea," he said, quietly. Everyone turned to look at him expectantly. "I was thinking... this water has to come from somewhere right?"

Dalia considered this. "Yeah, he has a point."

Now that she thought about it, she had never questioned where the water came from. It couldn't be from rain, they were in a cave. The opening in the ceiling was barely big enough for Anga and Imba to fit through, much less big enough for the amount of rain necessary to fill a pool. This very well could be their only escape plan. But yet, when Dalia looked at the watery depths of the pool, her heart sank in fear.

Nobody seemed to pick up on Dalia's reluctance, and Fuli continued the conversation, cocking a brow. "You think it leads outside the Lair?"

"It could just lead deeper into the cave," pointed out Bunga.

Beshte shrugged. "I'm not sure. I know that the stream that leads to Lake Shangaze's not too far from here," said Beshte.

"Well, it seems like a good time to find out if it does," said Kion. "We might be able to swim out of here." Dalia bit her cheek at that.

Without another moment of hesitation, Besthe lept into the pool. "Be right back!" He called before disappearing under the surface.

And Dalia watched the bubbles drifting up to the surface of the water, popping loudly, and she felt her heart sink. She didn't know how to swim. She didn't want to know how to swim. Everyone who knew Dalia knew that she was deathly afraid of the water. She hadn't been in the water since that time Zuri had shoved her in. And she had needed Kion to rescue her then.

Makini stepped up behind her and patted her shoulder. "It's alright," she whispered, sensing Dalia's discomfort. "We'll be right here with you."

Dalia frowned and just hoped that there was any other way to get out of here.

oOoOo

Janja was running faster than he ever had in his entire life.

The last several moments had been an utter disaster. He had tried convincing the Lion Guard that he was different now. A changed hyena. That he finally grew up and realized what was glaringly obvious this entire time. That Scar didn't care about him, that he never would, and that the Circle of Life should be respected. Basically what everyone had tried telling him for years.

He made apologies - genuine apologies - explained himself, and tried his best to keep everyone safe.

But, like always, life had a way of pulling an unexpected joke on Janja. Scar had known about his treachery. He wasn't sure how, but somehow Scar found out that Janja was turning over a new leaf. So convinced Janja to lure them into the Lair, thinking that it would keep them safe, while he ordered the rest of his army to set the entire place on fire. Knowing that Janja and his hyenas would be trapped inside.

Somehow, Janja managed to escape before the opening of the cave was completely blocked off - something that did not make him look any better in the rest of the group's eyes.

All they saw was that Janja had tricked them into staying in the Lair, set the Lair on fire, and then deserted everyone - including his hyenas.

He frowned. He would have to clear everything up later. Right now, his only focus was finding Jasiri. Because for whatever reason, Jasiri had always been kind to Janja even when he had given her absolutely no reason to. And he knew that right now, she was the only one who could help him figure out what to do.

So here he was, sprinting madly into the Outlands and into Jasiri's territory.

He broke into a clearing finally and saw the sleeping forms of the members of the Hyena Resistance. They were sleeping together, pressed against each other to keep them warm against the chilly night air. On a nearby rock lay Jasiri. A sense of hope filled Janja's heart at the sight of it.

Jasiri wasn't asleep, and her ears picked up the noise of Janja's running. She perked up immediately, her eyes widening at the sight of Janja. Swiftly, she jumped down from the rock and flattened her ears against her head. "Janja! This isn't your territory," she said, her tone biting. She stepped in front of the group, sheiling her younger siblings who were asleep.

The commotion woke up some of the members of the Resistance. Most notably that annoying red-furred hyena, Tombie. He perked up, the grogginess leaving his eyes as they focused on Janja. His fur bristled and he stepped beside Jasiri. "You have five seconds to leave," he said in a low voice.

Janja, for the millionth time today, gave a sigh of exasperation. "For the love of Mufasa, I'm not here to attack."

Tombie narrowed his eyes. "Likely story."

Jasiri, though, gave him a chance. "What're you doing here then?" She asked.

Janja frowned. "I just... uh..." He coughed. He needed to make this fast. "Look, Jasiri, I've been thinking about what you told me a while ago. Sisi ni sawa, remember? We're the same? Well, I think I finally realized you're right."

Tombie snorted. "Right, and what made you come to that realization, hm?"

"It's just been on my mind for a long time now, and I finally realized-"

"-And why now of all times? Why not before you decided to attack us? Or light Mzimu Grove on fire?"

Janja was exasperated. This was the millionth time he was asked that question, and he was tired of giving the same answer. "I don't know, okay?" He finally said, stress lingering in his voice. "I really don't know. And I'm sorry it took so long, and I'm sorry I don't know why it did. But all I know is that I'm finally on the right side, and that I need your help now."

At that, Tombie quieted. Besides him, Jasiri's brow raised. "Help? What do you mean?"

"The Lion Guard and their friends are trapped in the Lair. So are the rest of my hyenas." He swallowed down guilt at leaving them behind. "Scar somehow found out about me turning traitor and tricked us. The whole place is on fire and I don't know how to get any of them out."

Tombie's mouth fell open. "Is Dalia in there?" He asked, his voice growing more concerned.

Janja nodded. "Everyone's caught in the fire. Simba's Pride too."

Jasiri's face grew determined. "Then we have to go. Now!" Without even another moment to spare, she darted off, jumping over a rock and sprinting towards the Pridelands. "There's no time to lose!"

Tombie quickly followed her, hot on her trail. Janja sucked in a deep breath, already exhausted from sprinting all the way over here, and also followed them. Over his shoulder, Tombie glared at Janja. "Dude, your timing sucks. Why didn't you start with that?"

Janja rolled his eyes. He just couldn't win, could he?

oOoOo

It had been several minutes since Besthe dove into the pool. He had not returned yet.

By now the smoke was so thick that it was becoming hard to see. Makini strictly instructed everyone to try and breathe in as little of the smoke as possible. Kion and Dalia were working on fire breaks without any success. The fire had grown too much. She just hoped that everyone in Priderock was able to escape with the help of their flighted friends.

"He's been gone too long," murmured Makini, worry plastered all over her face.

"And it's getting too hot in here," panted Bunga, flat on his back from exhaustion.

Dalia could see the worry in Kion's face. There was a very real chance that they wouldn't make it out. Not this time. Dalia's heart was slowly sinking down into her stomach.

Death was a very real possibility in war. She was reminded of it every day. She knew that every day that she woke up healthy was a day she should be grateful for. Because she never knew how many more healthy mornings she would have. She knew all of that. But that still didn't make her any more prepared or any less scared of this.

Death was looming in the air, looking them right in the face right now, and Dalia was terrified. She wasn't ready.

She wasn't the only one with these thoughts, because Fuli turned to the group. "Guys, I don't know if we're making it out this time."

Kion, the group's optimist, for once had nothing to say. He was tired, panting from the lack of oxygen in the air. "This might be it," he said, nodding.

Makini began to cry at this, large fat tears brimming in her eyes. She buried her face into Dalia's fur and cried. Dalia tried her best to comfort her, but she didn't know what to say. That everything would be alright? Well, she didn't know if everything would be. In fact, she highly doubted that it would. So she didn't say anything at all.

"You guys are my best friends," Bunga said, a bit delirious from the heat.

And it was true.

Over the last couple of years, these creatures had taken up so much of the space in her heart. They had become her closest friends. She knew which ones to go to for the best advice. She knew which ones to go to for the best laughs. And she knew which ones to go to for the best hugs. They had become her family in a way she didn't think was possible.

Imba had been with her from the beginning of her time in the Pridelands, and the two had grown together. More than once, Imba had been prepared to leave everything behind to follow Dalia - something that Dalia would be eternally grateful for. Makini had become good friends with both of them over the years, and their trio's relationship was something beautiful.

Then there was Tombie.

Tombie who was growing older and who she knew wanted to settle down and have kids. Tombie who had taken care of her and always had her back and protected her as if she was his sister. Tombie, brave and loyal, was her best friend in the entire world. And she wouldn't even get the chance to say goodbye. She hoped he knew how much she loved him.

And there was Kion.

The love she had for Kion was something she wasn't quite certain of. Her friends had been calling it for years, insisting that something was going on between her and the young prince. And she had denied it for years too. She loved Kion as a friend and a friend alone, she had insisted. But now, she wasn't so sure. She loved Kion, yes. But whether that was just as a friend, she was doubtful of.

She turned to the prince and gave him a look. She hoped that it expressed everything she wanted to say but couldn't. That she was grateful for him in so many ways. For saving her, for listening to her, for being there for her, for defending her, and for every other small thing he had done along that way. She hoped he understood.

And from the look that he gave her in return, she knew that he had.

They had all gone through so much together.

Fighting off Scar's Army, surviving the Mzimu Grove disaster, fighting to keep Dalia in the Pridelands, and finally, this. Being trapped in their once beloved Lair, unable to fight the flames that are inching toward them.

Whether or not this adventure would be their last, Dalia knew that she was grateful that she was at least facing it with the rest of her friends.

Dalia gave a wavering smile. "I love you guys," she whispered.

"Aw," said Makini with a laugh. "Look who's become a sap, hm?" Dalia wrinkled her nose at this.

"I really hope Beshte's okay," Fuli muttered from where she was standing, her voice thick with concern. Who knew where the pool led to? Beshte had bravely dove in, not concerned for a moment if following the pool would lead to a trap.

As if on cue, Beshte bursted through the surface of the pool with a gasp. There was an excited look on his face that brought everyone hope. "Guys! Come on!" He grinned madly. "This is our way out!"

Kion smiled. "Great work, Beshte."

"It's a bit of a swim," Beshte continued, giving a glance at Dalia. "But I'll help everyone get through it."

Fuli wrinkled her nose at the prospect of swimming but didn't protest. "Only if I can hold onto you, Beshte."

"Me too," said Makini, her eyes shining in concern. "I don't really know how to swim."

Beshte nodded. "Any time."

There was a whimper from behind them, one that came from one of the hyenas. "Guys," said Cheezi. "Can we come too?"

Kion gave them a look. "I still don't know whether I should believe that you guys have changed sides," he said hesitantly. "But even if you didn't, even if you're still on Scar's side, I couldn't turn my back on you guys. I still respect the Circle of Life. Even the lives of those who don't." He turned back to the pool. "Come on."

Across the clearing, everyone began to ready themselves for the dive.

Fuli clung onto Beshte, her ears pressed entirely flat against her head, and her claws digging into Beshte's sides. On the other side of Beshte was Makini, who was also gripping him in a tight manner. If he was uncomfortable, he didn't comment. Instead, he just lept into the pool with a cry of Twende Kiboko! Almost immediately after that, Bunga leaped in after him.

The hyenas exchanged glances before shrugging and joining them.

That just left Kion and Dalia.

"Dalia? You ready?"

Dalia's eyes were shining with fear as she looked into the water. She knew it was stupid. The only way to get out of here was to swim, or she'd be burned by the fire. She knew that she had to do this. But that didn't stop her from being absolutely paralyzed in fear. She was mentally kicking herself for not asking Beshte if she could hold onto him as well.

"I can't," she babbled, her paws frozen to the ground. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this."

Every time she looked at the water, she was instantly brought back to the memories of being thrashed around in the murderous currents - barely able to keep her head above the water. She remembered how her forearm had torn open, and how she was still left with the scar from that - even after all these years. Even after all these years, she was still the terrified little cub that she was when she was first caught in that horrible flash flood.

Tombie had rescued her back then, swooping her up from the currents. This time, there was no Tombie to save her. She had to do this on her own, and she didn't think that she could.

"You have to," said Kion, coughing on the smoke that was only increasing. "I'll be right there with you."

He took a step closer to her, nudging her towards the water, and she let out a cry. "No! No! I can't go in there," she cried, her voice shallow. She was embarrassed by how desperate she was, but she couldn't control the fear coursing through her. "Just go without me."

"There is no way that I'll leave you here."

And with that, Kion made a swift dart towards her. Before she could expect it, he grabbed her by her scruff and dove into the water - dragging her with him. She didn't have time to struggle before they dove in.

The water was icy cold despite the intolerable heat of the fire all around it. It shocked her to the bone and she was frozen, paralyzed in fear, as Kion swam hard enough for the both of them. She could tell that it was hard for him to swim while carrying her weight, but she could do nothing about it. Her eyes were squeezed shut as unwanted memories ran through her mind.

She wished that she wasn't so pathetic.

That she could ease Kion's burden and swim with him instead of making him swim for her.

But she couldn't.

After what felt like an eternity, Kion's swimming began to slow. He was getting tired. Her eyes were still closed, unwilling to open, so she couldn't tell what he was doing, but she could feel the current of the water beginning to fight against them. A horrible sense of guilt washed over her at that moment. She was dragging Kion down with her. If it weren't for her and her stupid fears, he'd be safe by now.

Kion let out a muffled grunt and with one final burst of energy, he powered through the current.

A few seconds later, the two of them resurfaced with loud gasps of air. Loud sighs of relief sounded at the same time from their friends who had already made it by then.

Kion released his hold on her and she, panting for air, clawed her way to the land. Once she arrived on the grass, she collapsed in a mixture of shuddered breaths and tears. He joined her a second later, coughing up water that had been trapped in his lungs. She hoped that nobody would be able to notice the tears from how soaked she was from the swim.

"Oh my goodness!" cried Makini. She crossed the distance in between them and checked to see if they were alright, her Royal Mjuzi instincts kicking in. "Are you okay? You scared us all to death when we realized you guys didn't come when we did!"

They both nodded, still catching their breaths.

Fuli snorted. "You guys sure took a long time to get here," she said, snickering.

Dalia expected Kion to make a comment about her being too afraid to get in the water, but Kion just shook his head. "What can I say? Guess I'm just a slow swimmer."

Beshte's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, I should've slowed down for you two."

Kion waved away his apology. "Don't worry about it, Big B. The important thing is that we all got out safely."

Bunga nodded. "That was fun. We should do this again sometime!"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Cheezi. "We should!"

Dalia let out a noise of disbelief. That had been one of the most terrifying experiences of her life, and Bunga wanted to try it again sometime. Well, that was classic Bunga for you. She had shakily risen to her paws by now, and Makini placed a hand of support on her back. The mandrill knew the real reason it had taken the two so long to swim the distance. She knew about Dalia's fear.

"You're okay," she whispered, quiet enough for only Dalia to hear. Discretely, Makini wiped away the tears that had streaked down her face and gave her a warm smile. "See, I told you we'd all get through it."

Dalia smiled gratefully to her friend.

"Oh no..."

The sound came from Kion, and when she turned to look at him, she saw that he had a look of horror plastered all over his face. He was away from the group slightly and looking towards Priderock. When she followed his line of sight, she saw that he was looking at Priderock, which was by now completely surrounded by fire. The only home Kion had ever known was being devoured.

"We better go make sure everyone's alright," said Fuli somberly.

oOoOo

It was only when Simba's paws touched the ground that he breathed a sigh of relief.

He had instructed Anga and Imba to take everyone else down from Priderock first - and then to come save him last. That was the duty of a King. He would always put his subjects before himself. They had taken Kiara first, then Zuri, then Tiifu, and then the rest of the Pride. Simba had tried convincing Nala to go sooner, but she refused.

Finally, when it was just the two of them left on top of a burning Priderock, Nala finally allowed the two eagles to take her to safety.

And lastly, just as the flames were inching closer to him, the eagles brought him to safety as well. "Thank you, Anga," he said to the older of the two sisters. Turning to Imba, he smiled. "And thank you once again, Imba."

"No problem, your Majesty," said Imba, giving him a smile in return.

Years ago, when Simba had made the mistake of only letting lions speak at the infamous Pride Meeting, Imba had been angry with him. Refused to acknowledge him when he spoke. Simba couldn't understand why. It wasn't like he made the rule. He was just following Pride Law - something that his ancestors had followed for generations upon generations.

It wasn't like he could just change the rule.

Or could he? He was King after all.

So, he made it a point after that to hear the counsel of non-lions. He specifically sought out Imba on multiple occasions to ask for her advice on how to deal with Scar's Army. Because, after all, she had also been part of the efforts to spy on Scar's Army. She knew better than most Pridelanders how the minds of the Scar's Army worked. What their weaknesses were.

And slowly but surely, the animosity that had formed between them had vanished, and Simba's mind had changed.

He never thought he was intolerant. He gave everyone respect as he saw fit. But he still held on to certain beliefs that were ingrained into him from childhood.

He had always thought that only lions were capable of defending the Circle of Life. Then, his son proved him wrong with the formation of his Lion Guard. Then, he thought that while other creatures were capable of defending the Circle of Life, lions did it best. They had the most skin in the game, to put it figuratively. Then again, Kion proved him wrong.

His son showed Simba how all the Pridelanders rallied together against Scar, losing many of their own in the process. Simba finally came to realize that anyone can protect these beloved lands, not just lions.

And today, he was grateful for the three birds that had brought him and his Pride to safety. Something that no lion could have done.

From across the clearing, he spotted his daughter's worried face. "Daddy!" Kiara's voice was full of relief and she darted towards him, nuzzling him. "I was so scared."

Simba had a soft spot for his little girl. He loved both of his children equally, don't get him wrong. But he also acknowledged their different strengths. Kion had the Roar to protect him, in addition to his father. Kiara only had him. So when he saw the fear shining in his little girl's eyes, he felt a part of him break. "It's alright," he whispered. "Everything's alright."

Kiara frowned. "Priderock isn't."

"It will survive," he assured. "There's been worse fires here before."

"Where's Kion?" asked Nala, a sudden concern overtaking her voice.

Simba glanced around the clearing and realized his Queen was right. Their son, the rest of the Guard, and Dalia were nowhere to be seen. And now that he looked close enough, he didn't see Makini either. Before he could get the chance to panic, there was a sudden loud whooshing noise from above. He turned to see a loud fire blooming at the top of Priderock.

From the flames emerged a familiar face: Scar's. His flaming head, made entirely of fire and smoke, appeared above Priderock with a maniacal laugh.

"Scar," Simba growled out.

His fight with Scar ran deeper than anyone else in the Pridelands. Scar murdered his father in cold blood. He watched it happen. He forced him out of the Pridelands, scaring him into running away. And then, when there was no other heir to the throne, Scar took power and terrorized his Pride. His mother. His friends. Nala. He fought him tooth and nail to take back his Pride, a battle that left him with nightmares to this day.

And now, he was prepared to do it all over again.

He needed to protect his lands and everyone who lived in it. To protect those closest to his heart. Nala. Kiara. Kion. Those three names were always playing through his mind. Nala, Kiara, Kion. They were Simba's entire life, and everything he ever did and everything he ever would do was to protect them. Always.

"Ah, Simba," said Scar in a slimy voice. "You managed to escape my little scheme." He continued with a nefarious laugh, his eyes darting to the Lion Guard's Lair. Oh no. Simba already knew what was coming. His heart dropped. "Too bad the same thing can't be said for the Lion Guard."

A sudden cry sounded, and it had come from Nala. Her voice was stricken with terror. "Kion!"

Kiara let out a sob. "Oh, no!"

Voices of panic sounded, but Simba could only hear his own thoughts raging against him. It's all your fault.

It was Scar's evil that had brought his precious son to his demise, yes. But it was also Simba's inaction.

Scar recruited the creatures that Simba had neglected in his time as King. Sure, he hadn't made any specific rules that discriminated against the Outlanders, but he hadn't done anything to stop the ones that existed. His grandfather, King Ahadi, had made a policy that closed the border between the Outlands and the Pridelands. With a growing Outlander population and no room to spread into, the Outlands became tense with territory disputes.

The territory disputes led to resentment against the Pridelands. Against the Royal Family. It was why the jackals joined Scar's Army.

Then there were the smaller things too. Simba had never made any specific offensive comments towards the Outlanders. He always made it a point to be welcoming towards Jasiri's Clan. But he never reprimanded anyone else who would make offensive comments about hyenas or other Outlanders. He kept his mouth shut.

He thought that he was doing the right thing simply because he wasn't doing anything actively wrong. But now he realized how wrong he was. He had stood by and let mistreatment happen, and that meant he was just as guilty as anybody else.

And now his poor son, who had done nothing wrong other than being kind-hearted and forgiving, had paid the price.

All the words that Simba thought of saying had dried in her throat, his voice completely failing him. Thankfully, he didn't need to.

"Guess again, Scar."

It was Kion's voice ringing out from behind them, and Simba was sure that everyone in the clearing could hear his sight of relief. He was standing on a ledge, close to whether the rest of them were standing. He was accompanied by his Guard, Makini, and Dalia - all of them completely soaked to the bone. Beside them stood Janja's hyenas, with Janja mysteriously missing.

Simba couldn't bring himself to care about the presence of the hyenas that did Scar's evil bidding, he was just relieved that his son was alright.

"You're okay!" Cried Ono, and he was joined by Imba and Anga. The three flew over to where the rest of their friends were, Imba wrapped Makini and Dalia in a hug.

Their moment of relief is very short-lived though, as another nefarious laugh escapes Scar. "Ah, Kion, I see you and your friends have made it out of the fire," he said in the same slimy voice. He glanced over at Dalia. "And you've kept my little divinator safe too." Kion scowled, defensively placing himself in front of Dalia - whose eyes were wide in fear. "Kion - little leader of the Lion Guard. I suppose it's time to lead your precious Pridelanders out of the Pridelands, while you still have a chance."

Kion's scowl deepened. "We will never surrender to you, Scar," he growled.

Scar scoffed. "Please, Kion, we both know that you don't have the power to defeat me. But, if you ever care to try," he paused, giving him a glare, "You know where to find me."

And with that, he disappeared into the flames, taking with him the fire. As soon as he disappeared, the fire that was once overtaking Priderock began to dissipate and fade back to normal. As soon as the flames disappeared, concerned murmurs began to fill the air.

"Perhaps we should call off the attack," said Bupu, voicing the doubts that everyone else had.

"No," Kion said, shaking his head. "Everyone listen. Scar's just trying to scare you. We need to attack. And soon."

Makuu scoffed. "If Scar can light Priderock on fire, then what chance do we have to defeat him?"

Other voices chimed in, agreeing with Makuu. Finally, Ma Tembo acted as the voice of reason. "Kion," she spoke in a controlled voice, stepping forward. "We do know how to defeat Scar, right?"

Kion faltered, looking towards Simba for encouragement. "No, not exactly," he finally said, sounding a little defeated.

"I think I can help with that," a familiar voice rang out.

Simba turned to see Janja, accompanied by Jasiri and Tombie, making their way towards them. At the sound of Janja's voice, everyone spun around - instantly uncomfortable. They had somewhat managed to tolerate the curious presence of the rest of his hyenas, but Janja - the ring leader - being here was deeply unnerving.

Immediately, Janja's hyenas cross the distance towards him. "Janja! We knew you'd be back!"

Tombie darted towards Dalia and the rest of her friends. "Oh, thank goodness you guys escaped," he said, panting from lack of breath. "You guys are awfully wet to have just escaped from a fire," he said, laughing.

Janja nodded. "I'm glad you guys are okay too."

"You have some nerve," snapped Imba, moving away from her friends. She turned to him, her eyes ablaze. "You come here, telling everyone that you changed, right? And then you just trap us all in Priderock while the rest of your friends try lighting us on fire?" A horrified murmur erupted.

"I didn't trap you guys there. I'm telling you, I did change sides. Scar just found out and double-crossed me. He trapped us all."

Tombie cleared his throat. "I actually think you guys should listen to what he has to say. He ran all the way to the Outlands to get me and Jasiri to help you guys. I think he's being genuine."

Simba's eyes narrowed. "And why should we trust him, a sworn enemy of the Pridelands?" Simba had grown to appreciate Jasiri and her hyenas. He had come to realize that not all hyenas are bad, and in fact, a lot of them are doing just as much if not more to protect the Pridelands than some Pridelanders. But he knew that Janja had not been one of those hyenas.

"I know it sounds odd, but please listen to him," pleaded Jasiri.

Kion glanced at Dalia and Imba. "You two know him best out of us. What do you think?"

Imba scowled. "Might as well hear him out," she said finally with a shrug.

Dalia nodded. "I agree. I think... I think I trust him." She paused, giving Janja a furious look. "For now."

"Same," said Jasiri.

Kion looked back at his Dad. "If they trust him, then so do I."

It was at this time that Makuu chimed in. "Your Majesty," he said, bowing towards Simba. "You once gave me a chance when you had no reason to. Nobody else trusted me, but you gave me the opportunity to speak. I think we should do the same for Janja now. Listen to what he has to say. If there's anything of value, then it'll be a blessing." He gave Janja a menacing glare. "And if not, we crocodiles would be happy to have him for a late-night snack."

Simba nodded, listening to the other leader's words. "Very well. Janja, please share with us what you have to say."

Janja gulped at that. "Well," he began. "I've apologized a lot lately, and I just want to say that I'm sorry again. To all of you." He looked around the clearing. "I know that you all have been in some way hurt by something I've done, and there's no excuse. I'm so, so sorry for what I've done, and even more sorry it took this long for me to figure it out."

Makuu grunted. "We appreciate the nice words, kid," he said, "But we want to know what information you have to defeat Scar."

Janja nodded, looking at Kion. "When I was still with Scar, I heard that there is a way for you to defeat him. It requires you to unleash your most powerful Roar ever. Right in the heart of the caldera."

"In the volcano?" Simba echoed, raising a brow.

"In the volcano," Janja repeated. "If your Roar is powerful enough, it will make him cease to exist." Murmurs of wow rippled through the clearing. Simba couldn't deny that he felt hope at this as well. "It's up to you, Kion. It has to be your most powerful Roar yet." Bunga let out a whoop at this.

"That makes sense," said Kion hesitantly. "If my Roar brought Scar back, I don't see why it shouldn't make him go away too."

"It's sure going to be hard getting to that volcano," mumbled Fuli, drawing her eyebrows together.

"Indeed," muttered Ono.

Simba nodded. "All the more reason why the attack on the Outlands needs to happen. Except, now instead of just attacking Scar's Army, we'll be attacking Scar as well." He glanced over at his son. "Kion, are you prepared to lead the Pridelanders into the Outlands tomorrow morning?"

Kion nodded. "Yes, I am. I think everyone's ready."

"And we hyenas will help too," said Tombie. He glanced over at Janja, giving him a begrudging look. "You're going to be in on this too right?"

"Of course," Janja said, gesturing to his hyenas. "We all will."

Kion smiled. "Everyone - get some rest," he said, addressing the crowd. "Tomorrow, we will go into the Outlands and defeat Scar and his forces once and for all!" A loud cry of triumph echoed through the group.

Simba stepped near his son in support. "Tomorrow, we will have peace in the Pridelands once more!"

And once again, everyone had been too preoccupied with their joy of the war almost being over, that they didn't notice the slithering skinks lying in wait. They eagerly drank in the information, noting Janja and his hyena's official betrayal. They exchanged a glance, just as they had countless times in the past, and quickly began slithering off to inform Scar. This would prove to be a problem later on.

But for now, Simba was content.

He was happy because his son and everyone he cared about were safe and healthy. And tomorrow, they'd finally defeat Scar - the lion who had been plaguing Simba for his entire life. And the Pridelands would finally be free of his terror, once and for all.

A/N: Finally getting some Simba POV! I hope this gives ya'll insight into why he made certain actions, and that he's realizing the error in his ways! As always, feedback and criticism is always welcomed!