‹•›
Just don't give up, I'm working it out.
Please don't give in, I won't let you down.
It messed me up, need a second to breathe,
Just keep coming around, hey.
Whataya want from me?
Whataya want from me?
—Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"

By the time the overcast morning dragged on into midday, the only thing Kopa could think about was getting out of the cloud they had been stumbling through. His fur was thoroughly drenched with his mane sticking to the side of his face, and an unpleasant chill had begun to settle into his bones. Every now and then he found himself looking around to make sure he hadn't wandered off from the rest of the group.

Directly behind him was Siri, who was guiding a slightly listless Chumvi along their unrelenting climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. They had begun the ascent shortly after sunrise, and seeing the older lion's flagging state reminded Kopa that they hadn't stopped to rest all night. Resolutely leading the group was Tumaini, whose pace Kopa worked to keep up with to avoid losing him amidst their hazy surroundings.

He hasn't said a word since he learned what happened. A pang of guilt manifested within Kopa, and he found he couldn't stop himself from quickening his pace so that he was at Tumaini's shoulder. "Are you... feeling alright?"

The black-maned lion grunted noncommittally in response. He did not slow down or even glance his way.

Kopa's heart sank a little, but he decided to try again. "No headaches, or...?"

"I'll live," said Tumaini shortly. "Been worse."

The silence stretched on between them before Kopa realized that was all he was going to get. Eyes darting about for something to keep the conversation going, he instantly regretted it when his gaze found the stretch of cliff alongside them. How long have we been walking next to a cliff? I didn't even see it in this fog. "Sure is high up here..." he stammered, uncertain if he was shivering from nerves or the cold. "I mean... I know it's the highest mountain in Africa, but it's not the same as... actually making the climb, right?"

"Right," Tumaini responded.

If there was any chance he was about to say more, Kopa never found out as he made out the sound of rushing water up ahead. A disconcerted look crossed Tumaini's face, but he shook his head and continued leading their ascent in stony silence. It wasn't long before a narrow divide appeared out of the fog, filled with a powerful stream of water spewing off the cliffside; it was so clear that Kopa could see the grassy surface making up the base of the divide, their blades pressed flat by the vigorous current.

"I'm guessing this is bad news," Siri chimed in, now having caught up to Tumaini's other side. "That's why you made that face just now, right?"

For a moment, Kopa thought he noticed Tumaini's mouth twitch with something like amusement. But he wasn't sure he had seen right, because when the black-maned lion spoke, his words were glum. "I hope I'm wrong, that's all I can say. Come on, we gotta follow it upstream."

"Very grassy for a stream," noted Chumvi, peering into the flowing water with fascination. "I guess it doesn't carry water year round."

"It's runoff from the peak," Kopa realized, thinking back on the sight of snow-tipped Mount Kilimanjaro from a distance. "It helps create the wet season around here, doesn't it?"

"Impressive," said Siri in surprise. "I didn't know you had an interest in studying nature, Kopa."

"Not so much studying, more like spiritually experiencing," he admitted. "Though I'm not so great at that either."

She grinned, slowing down a little and gesturing for him to do the same. As they resumed their pace just slightly behind Tumaini, a thoughtful look entered her expression. "Is that so? Well, I could share a bit about the Mtera Pride's history with you if you want. I have a feeling you'll like the story of our founder, the first Queen of Mount Tempest."

"Queen Sonara," muttered Tumaini quietly.

"That's right," affirmed Siri. "Seeing as she's your ancestor, let me know if I get any of it wrong." When he said nothing in response, she turned her attention back to Kopa. "So what do you say?"

Keen to think about anything besides their clammy surroundings, he immediately said, "Sure."

The knowing twinkle in Siri's astute grey eyes told Kopa that his uneasiness had not gone unnoticed, and he smiled at her in gratitude as she began recounting. "Our pride calls her Sonara the Sculptor because many lifetimes ago it was her who first envisioned Mount Tempest as it stands today. She was born in The Hollow, home of the Shira Pride, and those who knew her remembered her as a restless soul, often too much so for the elders' liking. I've also come upon many overlapping records describing Sonara as 'eccentric, but unfailingly earnest', which definitely doesn't remind me of anyone right now."

This time, Tumaini actually glanced over his shoulder to give Siri a surly look. Kopa had to hold back a snicker.

"Anyway, it wasn't just her own pride who considered her historically significant. The Viridian Pride painted extensive accounts of King Soma's stories about her, many of which I've seen in person. I'm guessing the same was true of Prince Askari from the Serengeti Pride."

"It was," piped up Chumvi from the back of the group. "I forgot until you mentioned it just now, but Rafiki once told me and the other cubs a story about Askari and how he met a brilliant architect named Sonara. I can't believe I didn't put it together sooner."

"You're lagging a little, Chumvi," Siri observed. "Sure you don't want my help?"

Chumvi shrugged nonchalantly in response. Kopa twitched his nose, sending a steady stream of water running down his whiskers. "So, the kingdoms have known each other for longer than I thought."

Siri's gaze hovered on Chumvi for a moment before she continued. "The three kingdoms that exist today are the only ones to have withstood the test of time in these lands. The Serengeti Pride had already been around for a while when Sonara and Soma started building their own kingdoms, but as the second-born, Askari had been tasked with the protection of his home. So the three of them undertook a pilgrimage to the Tree of Life, seeking understanding and perspective about their place in the world. They spoke only vaguely about their pilgrimage, but one thing everyone did learn was that they returned as lifelong friends – and had each been granted a gift from the Tree of Life. The Roar of the Elders for Askari, who would become the first leader of the Lion Guard; for Soma, the Breath of the Undying, so that even the murkiest depths of Viridian Falls would be part of his dominion; and Sonara received the Sight of the Spirits, with which her dream for Mount Tempest could be made into reality."

"That's putting it a bit romantically," grumbled Tumaini. "You weren't there, but the excavation was bitter work, and that was when it was almost completed."

"Well, the rest of the story isn't as rosy," Siri admitted, "especially once we get to the wild dogs."

His gaze snapped over to her once again. "Let's not talk about the wild dogs, okay?"

Kopa blinked, taken aback by the interjection. "Why?"

"They're a bunch of vicious back-biting warmongerers who couldn't accept the way things were and decided to make that everyone else's problem," responded Tumaini in a single breath. "Now drop it."

Kopa glanced at Siri, who looked similarly confounded. However, neither of them pressed the matter as the overbearing fog finally withdrew to reveal a well-lit if equally sodden area of the mountainside. He stopped to shake the water out of his fur with tremendous relief, as did Siri and Chumvi.

The moment was short-lived, however, as Tumaini came to a halt next to the slope before them; more precisely, the tall opening from which the runoff they were following gushed out aggressively. The black-maned lion groaned. "I knew it. When isn't this place filled with problems no one bothered to fix?"

"This is the way into The Hollow?" asked Kopa, petrified at the sight of the frothing torrent. It was well above head level, even if they were to brace themselves against its relentless push.

"One of them," Tumaini affirmed moodily. "Good news is there's another one. Bad news is we'll have to do a bit more climbing to reach it. The lower levels must be submerged if there's this much water coming out."

Chumvi panted vigorously, having only caught up to them. "Can we... can we take a quick breather? The air up here is getting thin, and I'm not as young as the rest of you."

"Fine," grunted Tumaini. He did not turn to look at the others as Chumvi settled next to the water with a placated sigh, and instead ambled off alone.

Kopa noticed Siri carefully lower her head over the stream to take a drink. He did the same and immediately reared back when the current splashed icy water all over his face, sending it flooding down his throat at the same time.

Siri laughed, but immediately stopped when she saw the fervent panic with which he began coughing water. She hurried to his side and patted him firmly on the back with one paw. "Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. That must've brought back some bad memories for you."

Still sputtering, Kopa managed to right himself, shaking the water from his eyes and snout. "It's fine, I'm okay. And the Zuberi wasn't this cold or I would've frozen to death." Trying not to dwell on the subject, he looked back to the opening. "If the water is collecting faster than it can drain, why didn't Sonara do something about it?"

"She did try," Siri replied with a wry smile, "and she was banished when the elders found out. Something about endangering the pride and tampering with their sacred home."

"Then I'm guessing they won't be too happy to see us," Kopa surmised.

The smile turned ever so slightly morbid at this. "Oh, we don't have to worry about that. The Shira Pride died out once the younger lions all left. Many of them ended up at Mount Tempest, both during and after Sonara's time."

Having had more than his fill of water for the time being, his gaze irrevocably turned to Tumaini, who was too far off to hear them over the current. Nonetheless, Kopa lowered his voice as he spoke. "This is the first time I've ever said this, but... I don't know how to talk to him. About what happened at the gorge."

"There's no easy way to talk about it," Siri sighed. "We left Kumi behind and I don't think any of us feel good about that."

"I didn't know family could be so complicated," murmured Kopa. "I'm starting to get why Tumaini didn't want to leave the forest."

"Kopa," she said pensively. "If there's one thing I've learned from drifting in and out of the places I've called home, it's that we need more than just comfort to be truly satisfied. You and Tumaini share a bond and now the strength of that bond is being tested. That's not a mistake on his part or yours."

"'Better they're alive to resent you than you wishing they were,'" he recited. "That's the last thing Kumi said to me."

Siri made a noise that was somewhere between annoyance and resignation. "She had no right to put that on you. Something you should know about Kumi is that she isn't very sensitive to the way her choices affect the people around her."

The conversation came to an end as Tumaini made his way back to them. Seeing this, Chumvi stood, and Siri gave Kopa a reassuring pat on the paw before rising as well. Tumaini jerked his head, indicating for them to follow. "We should keep moving. I found a fairly easy route to the upper entrance."

As the four of them resumed their upward trek, Kopa noticed that Siri had opted to walk next to Tumaini once more. She leaned in and murmured something in his ear that Kopa couldn't make out, but this time he was certain he hadn't imagined the slight smile that crept onto his friend's face.

I'll keep my distance for now, Kopa decided, now slowing his pace to match Chumvi's. Whatever Siri was doing, she was clearly doing it right.

•••

It was one of those days that felt like it would never end, something Kion didn't realize he had gotten so used to. Since sunrise, he had been digging out the gorge with his team – most of them, at least – and the other lions who had made the trip from Pride Rock. Given the sensitive nature of the excavation, Kion had decided against using the Roar, and so the entire morning was spent moving rocks the old-fashioned way.

Having dug out the last of the corpses around midday, Shabaha had led the Lion Guard out of the borders to track down Janga while everyone else returned to Pride Rock to catch up on some much-needed rest. Now late in the afternoon, Kion was gathered in the Cave of Ancestry with his parents and Sarabi, each of them looking more exhausted than the last. Still, they were listening attentively as he relayed what he had seen in the mountains.

"This was where those lions had Malka cornered," he explained, pointing to the map where the canyons were carved into the wall. "They put up a barricade right here to trap them in the ravine."

"You're certain it was Malka?" asked Simba.

"I didn't get a proper look," Kion admitted, "but I'm pretty sure he fit the description Fuli gave."

Nala frowned, peering at the map closely. "And the lions who cornered them?"

"They ran off even more quickly. I tracked some of them for a while before I realized the rest had headed for the gorge."

"Well, they're long gone now," Sarabi remarked. "But someone was digging through the rubble last night – wouldn't surprise me if it was them."

"I'm sure the Lion Guard will have answers for us," murmured Nala, her voice absentminded and pondering.

Simba also appeared rather preoccupied. "If it is them, then they definitely have Janga. Which means the Lion Guard will need backup, especially without Vitani or the Roar."

"I can go," Kion piped up.

"No, that's alright, Kion," said Sarabi immediately. "Simba, we can figure this out without creating a show of force."

"She already has, mom," Simba insisted. "If anyone else made it this close to our borders unnoticed, wouldn't you be suspicious?"

The line around Sarabi's mouth thinned and she closed her eyes. But her expression remained placid when they reopened. "Kion, you must be tired. You've been travelling all night and digging all day."

"Oh, um," Kion faltered, "I should actually get back to looking for Anga. We haven't heard from her since before we left."

"Your team is spent, son, and so are you," Nala reminded him gently. "As their leader, it's your responsibility to look out for their well-being."

He bit his lip. "But mom... Anga's part of the team too. What if she needs me now?"

"Then she'll need you at your best – all of you."

Kion's gaze drifted from her to Sarabi, who gave him a shrewd smile, before finally settling on Simba. His father let out a long breath. "Your mother's right, Kion, but it's your decision. We don't get to tell you what to do anymore, remember?"

When did dad become so... agreeable? I haven't been away that long, have I? All the same, Kion couldn't deny that he felt inexplicably lighter since entering the Pride Lands' borders. For the first time since leaving the Tree of Life, it was as if the weight upon his shoulders had lifted just a little. "Well, it would be nice to see everyone again. I'm sure the Night Pride would appreciate seeing their families too." He gave his parents and grandmother a tired smile before padding out of the cave.

Upon emerging out the side of Pride Rock, Kion spotted his friends gathered under the promontory. Bunga hopped up from his slumped position upon noticing his approach. "What's the word, Kion? We heading back out for Anga or what?"

Kion smiled a little as the rest of the team stood without complaint, despite how visibly worn they looked. "We'll find her, guys," he assured them. "But I think we could all do with some rest."

"And maybe we should give Fuli some time to catch up to us," added Ono.

Beshte's ears wiggled excitedly. "It has been a while since I've seen my dad. I'll head to Big Springs and see how he's doing."

"Mind dropping me off at Timon and Pumbaa's on the way, Big B?" Bunga requested.

"Anytime," the hippo said cheerfully. "Hop on, Little B."

"We should enjoy our time in the Pride Lands while we can," Kion told them. "I'll send word when it's time to go."

He watched his team wander away from Pride Rock, hoping that Ono was right about Fuli. She's the fastest out of all of us. I really thought she'd be here by now. As he made his way up the side of Pride Rock, the young king wondered whether resting would bring him reprieve or merely leave him to sit in his troubled thoughts.

Two lions stepped into view from the opposite side, and Kion gave a start when he saw that they were none other than Kiara and Kovu. They came to a halt as well, and surprise entered his sister's expression upon catching sight of him. "Kion? When did you get back?"

"Today," said Kion sheepishly. "Hey, Kovu."

"Hey," Kovu greeted in response.

"Sorry I didn't come say hi earlier. Mom and dad have been at the gorge with me since morning."

"So that's why they left in the middle of the night," noted Kiara. "Was anyone hurt?"

He grimaced. "Worse, but I'll spare you the details. Tamika's helping grandma Sarafina with the bodies right now if you're really curious."

"That's one thing I've seen too many of since the earthquake," she sighed. "Every day the animals cry out for help, and many of them I can't even get to in time."

"I know the feeling," Kion told her sympathetically. "What about you? I heard something happened to you."

Kiara blinked. "How'd you know?"

"I found Vitani on the way back. Well, more like she found me..."

"Vitani?" piped up Kovu. "Is she okay, how's she doing?"

"She's fine," assured Kion, frowning as he recalled their encounter. "Though now she's started looking into whatever's going on in the mountains. Not sure I approve of her methods, but..." Shaking his head, he turned back to Kiara. "So what happened? What'd I miss?"

"Oh, um, I fell through a fissure," she divulged. "Vitani caught me on the way down and walked me out of the caverns."

"Doesn't sound so bad," remarked Kovu.

"And then the walls started collapsing on us when the tunnel flooded," Kiara added.

Kion laughed upon catching Kovu's look of abject horror. "There it is. Guess this means I gotta catch your fall next time, Kovu."

"The Lion Guard really came through for me," his sister told him. "I wouldn't have made it out if not for them."

"Vitani never mentioned any of this," Kovu said incredulously.

A faint smile appeared on Kiara's face. "Probably for the same reason she didn't tell my dad."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded the brown-furred lion, confounded.

"She's just teasing you," Kion snickered. "Take it as a compliment."

Kovu gave Kiara an affronted look, to which she responded with a playful one. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Didn't you come back for something important?"

Her demeanour instantly became grave once more. "Yeah. The Zuberi is flooding into Gnu Plain. I gotta get dad to rally the elephants so they can stop the water from getting any further inland."

"My thing's not quite as urgent but it does concern the pride," Kovu explained. "Tama's been getting into it with my ex-Outlander buddies again, ever since the earthquake forced them into sharing the same space. I could use Nala's expertise cause everyone knows I wouldn't exactly be impartial."

Kion thought about their respective tasks, his mind instinctively shifting into king mode once again. "Mom and dad are figuring out something pretty serious right now, so I'd leave them alone to deal with that. But I can help with both your problems if you want."

"That would be amazing," affirmed Kiara without hesitation. "Thanks, Kion, really."

"Don't mention it." In truth, he felt every bit as relieved as she sounded. "So where to first?"

She glanced at Kovu. "We should head for the plain. Your friends are gonna have to survive Tama for a little longer."

"I guess they've been through worse," he replied.

"If you knew Tama, you might not be so sure," cautioned Kion. "Please tell me one of you had someone keep an eye on her."

"Um..." Kiara trailed off. This reaction already told him he wasn't going to like it. "Tiifu and Zuri. I didn't have anyone else with me when I saw what was happening."

Kion blanched as his sister winced at her own words. "Hevi kabisa."

"Yeah, we'd better move it," said Kovu decidedly.

The three of them sprinted back down Pride Rock in double time. Despite the unenviable tasks ahead of him, Kion found the afternoon breeze flowing through his growing mane comforting as he breathed in the cool air. This is nice. This is what I'm good at. And for a moment, it was as if the world made sense again.

•••

The warm smiles did not last as Kion departed the Cave of Ancestry. Taking Sarabi's expectant look as a nonverbal invitation, Simba wasted no time getting straight to the point. "Listen, mom. I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. Sorry I wasn't here when Scar forced himself on you, but–"

"What makes you think he did?" she asked unflinchingly.

He fell silent, hardly able to believe what she was inferring.

Sarabi knitted her brow with a heavy sigh. "Son, you carry guilt for the things no one should blame you for, least of all yourself. The lies Scar had you believe were no small burden for anyone to bear, especially when you were only a cub – but bear them you did, and my heart was granted a tremendous mercy when you returned to me. And since then I realized the past could no longer hurt me, but I know it still hurts you in ways I can't protect you from. Where others see healing, you only see..."

"Scars," Simba finished quietly. "So you... went to him willingly?"

"I did, but not for my own sake."

"Then why?"

Nala moved a little closer toward them. "To protect me," she disclosed quietly.

Simba's eyes widened. "He didn't."

"He tried, but I was able to get away," recalled the queen with a shudder. "Then Sarabi had a word with him and he never came after me again. I didn't understand why until the day I saw that she was pregnant."

His gaze returned to Sarabi, who nodded wordlessly in confirmation. Sickened, he stammered faintly, "Mom, I... I don't know what to say, I..."

"You don't have to say anything," she told him. "But to know the truth is to live with it. Can you do that, Simba?"

"I... I'll try," he muttered. "I just... every time I try to put Scar behind me, every time I believe there are no more awful secrets to uncover... I wish he would stop mattering to me."

"That's not up to you," Sarabi said wistfully. "This I know better than anyone. He was more complicated than you'll ever know."

Simba growled. "He was a liar and a murderer who didn't care about anyone except himself. Nothing complicated about it."

"He was certainly all those things," acknowledged Nala, "but that wasn't all he was. He was in pain, and even as king he had nothing to feel truly happy about."

"How can you even feel sorry for him?" he asked incredulously.

"Because I lived through his darkest days, Simba, I was there. I knew a king who got everything he wanted and realized he didn't know what to do with himself. I saw the way he could command attention but not respect, obedience but not loyalty. And some nights I'd hear him from the edge of the promontory, sobbing Mufasa's name in his sleep."

"Sounds like an act to me," Simba huffed.

"And that's how you'll always see him now," Sarabi conceded, "because you once trusted him wholeheartedly – loved him, even. You and Janga are very alike in that way."

He shifted, more than a little uncomfortable with the comparison. "What if you're wrong? What if she's not how you remember her?"

"Then that should be my responsibility as well," she responded staunchly. "Not yours, nor Nala's or anyone else's."

"Mom–"

"Just give her a chance, son, that's all I ask," Sarabi said sharply. "A wise king does not judge a person they've never met."

"Didn't you hear what Kion told us?" exclaimed Simba. "She attacked another kingdom and she's coming for this one, mom."

"She hasn't yet. There's still time to reason with her, I know it."

"I think she's right," asserted Nala.

Simba stopped to give her a searching look. "And why's that?"

"Because there was someone with her the night she fled the Pride Lands," she revealed. "Mheetu."

"Mheetu?" the king repeated.

Nala nodded. "My little brother. I left the Pride Lands not long after they did, hoping I'd find him. And then I found you."

Sarabi moved a little closer toward Simba, her demeanour now gentle and serene once again. "Whatever my daughter's intentions, we may be in a unique position to dissuade her without resorting to further violence. Will you take it, Simba?"

Simba thought of Kopa just then. What would I do if he were in Janga's place? He already knew the answer, and with that he finally relented. "Okay. If the Lion Guard brings good news, then we'll... we'll see."

A warm smile broke out onto his mother's face. "Thank you, son."

Just then their attention was drawn to the cave entrance, where a trio of hyenas dashed inside in single file. At the forefront stood Jasiri, panting a little while her companions were gasping for breath. "Sorry to barge in unannounced, Your Majesties, but there's something urgent I need to ask you about."

"Ask away, Jasiri," Simba sighed. "Though I should let you know I've already got two pressing matters right now."

"I hate to say it, but you might have to make that three," she said ruefully. "I caught a lion sneaking through the Outlands with some wild stories to tell. He gave me the slip and vanished into the mountains, but not before he ducked into the gorge and probably made the mess I found there while tracking him."

Nala stepped forward. "Wait. You're saying you know who started the rockslide?"

"Yeah, and bear with me because this is where it gets weird. He claimed to be your oldest son. Older than Kiara, even."

Simba froze, and a petrified glance at Nala told him she was equally stunned. He almost instinctively stifled the flutter of hope arising from his heart, not sure if he could let himself believe what he was hearing.

The overseer caught their looks and groaned in exasperation. "Don't tell me. I was certain he was lying when he broke and ran, but... there was a moment before where I started to believe him. He... he sounded so sincere..."

Nala managed to find her voice again. "Did he give you his name?"

Dark blue eyes darting to and fro between them, Jasiri nodded slowly. "Kopa."

A pronounced stillness fell over the air. Simba's mind whirled, thoughts whizzing and crashing against one another – and then he felt Sarabi's familiar touch upon his foreleg, and in her countenance he could see a focused clarity that wordlessly bid him to find the same centre within himself.

"Calm your heart, Simba," his mother told him somberly. "We'll have to think quickly if Janga knows about Kopa."

•••

"Stop right there," came an unfamiliar voice from above. "Identify yourself."

Kopa halted when he saw an orange-furred lioness emerge from behind a precariously positioned boulder atop the slope he was climbing. She had one paw on the boulder and was wearing a decidedly unfriendly smile.

"Or take another step and see what happens," she dared. "Go ahead, tempt me."

Kopa opened his mouth to respond when Tumaini caught up just then, having elected to keep an eye on everyone from the middle of the group. The black-maned lion blinked in surprise. "Kaidi?"

She reared back, startled. "I said identify yourself, that's my name. How'd you–" She frowned. "Hang on. Tumaini?"

"The one and only," he replied with a strained smile.

"What... are you doing here?"

"What do you think? I came as soon as I heard about the attack."

Siri joined them, once again supporting a drained and bleary Chumvi. Kaidi's shoulders slumped with visible relief and she took her paw off the boulder at last. "Oh, you're with them. Glad you made it, Chumvi. Tembea says you really stuck out your neck for her."

"Is she doing okay?" Chumvi asked breathlessly, concern slipping through his fatigue.

"She's recovering inside, yeah." Kaidi lightly punched Siri on the shoulder. "And speaking of taking risks, that was incredibly stupid, what you and Hamu pulled. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, but do yourself a favour next time and just run."

"There won't be a next time if we can help it, Kaidi," Siri responded firmly. "Hamu didn't get away. We gotta rescue her."

"Yeah, her and everyone else who got nabbed," muttered Kaidi. "We need our numbers back up. I'm itching to show Janga what I think of her invasion."

Tumaini chuckled unexpectedly at this, and her eyes snapped to him. He promptly stopped.

"What are you laughing at?" she demanded.

"Nothing," he told her, a little self-consciously. "You just haven't changed one bit, that's all."

Kaidi did not respond. Instead, her gaze shifted onto Kopa, who wasn't sure what had gotten into Tumaini.

Seeing this, the black-maned lion snapped out of the awkward silence. "Sorry, where are my manners? This is Kopa, my best friend. Kopa, this is Kaidi, my... err, well, we were trained together as cubs."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I seem to recall a lot more killing than training, but I guess that's not the worst introduction I've ever heard. By the way, your friend thinks you're being weird, Tumaini."

"He's always being weird," muttered Kopa.

This got a small laugh out of Kaidi. "True enough. Welcome to The Hollow, Kopa. Sorry about the death threats, alright?"

He glanced at the boulder. "Sure. No hard feelings."

To his surprise, she burst out cackling this time. "I like this one, Tumaini. He's funny. Come on, I'll take you guys inside."

Kopa followed Kaidi up atop the slope with the rest of the group, and as she led them toward what appeared to be an ordinary stone surface, he realized that it was actually a jutting outcrop concealing a smaller, unremarkable-looking tunnel. The dwindling afternoon light quickly gave way to darkness, albeit one that was even damper and chillier than outside, prompting him to shiver a little. "Your ancestral pride would use the lower entrance when they lived here, right?"

"Correct," Kaidi said. "A lot more effort went into that one, and it's more accessible for travellers since it's a shorter climb. Fortunately for us, most people think it's the only entrance, so our chances of being discovered here are slim."

"Unless Janga gets someone she captured to talk," muttered Tumaini darkly.

The others' heads turned his way, but once again he lapsed back into silence. Kaidi's gaze lingered on him, however, even after everyone else averted theirs. "So."

"So," echoed Tumaini.

"So, don't you think you've got some explaining to do, showing up out of the blue like this?"

"Right, yeah," he blustered. "I guess you'd want to know the truth."

Kaidi snorted impatiently. "Everyone thought you were dead, Tumaini, especially after the wild dogs ran off – you and Afua both. Why did you just vanish without saying a word?"

Tumaini sighed heavily. "That's a long story for later. I'm not sure I have it in me to tell it more than once."

"Hmm," she said. "Sounds foreboding, but okay."

A colourful splotch of light caught the corner of Kopa's eye from the bend in the tunnel ahead, and as he turned his gaze forward, his jaw dropped the moment he saw what laid beyond. A massive cavern stretched out in all directions before him, opening up into a seemingly bottomless chasm. A crisscrossing network of stone bridges encircled the interior, where a few lions could be seen navigating the intersecting points at various levels. At the very centre of the cavern ran a long cascade of water, threading silently in between the bridges and into the darkness below.

But what really enraptured Kopa was the plethora of pulsing colours bathing the massive interior in light. And now he could see where it was coming from – an all-encompassing sprawl of luminescent plants and fungi growing upon the walls and out of practically every crack and corner. He caught a glimpse of even more lions moving about below, their shadows flickering restlessly on the walls against the lights shifting and blending into one another. Even the waterfall danced and pulsed in graceful patterns, almost as if in tandem with the life growing around it, and in that moment Kopa felt as if he could just stare at it forever. It was oddly calming in a way he couldn't quite fathom.

"Why don't we have these in Mount Tempest?" whispered Siri, similarly captivated.

"There's too much warmth and not enough moisture," Kaidi responded. "I learned that the only other time I came here, when this one brought me."

She indicated Tumaini, whose eyes were filled with colour as he wistfully took in his surroundings. "It's almost exactly like I remember it," he murmured. "Except for all the lions, I'm used to this place being deserted."

"If all goes well, it'll go back to being that way," Kaidi said breezily. "The others aren't adjusting too well to the temperature, and some of them say they can hear a ghost wandering the lower levels near the waterline. No one really wants to go down and check though." She began marching away from the tunnel, and one by one the others followed.

Forcing himself to tear his gaze away, Kopa fell into step with the rest of the group once more. He hastily moved as far from the walkway's edge as he could, huddling closer to Tumaini as he did so. He peered around, listening to The Hollow's soundscape to distract himself from looking into the gaping chasm. "It's so quiet here. Even with all the water."

Kaidi nodded. "It's gotta be, this is a big space and sound carries really easily. Don't want to be too loud with all that snow above our heads."

"The Shira Pride was forbidden from roaring inside The Hollow, according to Sonara's records," Siri recalled. "It was one of the reasons she didn't like being here."

"Sonara just didn't like other people in general, at least not when it came to lions," Kaidi pointed out before stopping the group in front of a long stone bridge. "Anyway, I promised Tembea I'd let her know when you guys got here, so I'd better go do that now."

"Wait up," said Chumvi. "I'll come with you."

Giving Tumaini a nudge, Kaidi asked, "Think you can still find your way to the royal quarters?"

"Yeah, I remember where it is," he responded. "Is it just my dad up there?"

"He's got a guest, actually. Someone who Kumi apparently mistook for a spy – a cheetah from the Tree of Life."

"Mistook?" repeated Siri. "Oh, please tell me Kumi didn't attack her."

"Come on, Siri, you already know the answer to that," scoffed Kaidi. "Malka's been smoothing over the, uh, misunderstanding since we got here."

"Knowing dad, that could be going one of two ways," Tumaini grunted. "I'd better go take a look."

Kopa gave Kaidi a polite dip of the head. "It was nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Kopa," she replied, sauntering up onto the bridge with Chumvi close behind. "I know our pride looks a mess right now, but don't let it frighten you off. We'll turn this around, you'll see."