[Author's Note]
Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay on this chapter, I've been sitting on a good chunk of it for a while before finally hammering out the last couple scenes. I took a bit of an extended holiday break but now I hope to get the rest of book 2 done by the end of the month. Stay tuned for more.

Now it's time to say goodbye
To the things we loved and the innocence of youth.
How the time seemed to fly from our carefree lives
And the solitude and peace we always knew.
—Jeff Williams / Casey Lee Williams, "Time To Say Goodbye"

Although Vitani had made the journey down Jirokwa Mountain just a few days ago, its geography was not one she was familiar with. And with Nia slumped against her and moving increasingly sluggishly, the fact that Vitani couldn't even vaguely recognize her surroundings left her frustrated and worried. "Nia. Eyes up. Are we going the right way?"

Nia tilted her head up weakly. Her eyes were cloudy and unfocused. "Think so... camp... not far..."

"Okay, stay awake a little longer," Vitani urged. She hadn't slept all night, and with morning having broken some time ago, she could feel the fatigue starting to set into her muscles.

"Won't... help..." mumbled Nia, her head dropping once again. "You'll see..." Her legs gave from under her, and not for the first time, she flopped limply to the ground.

It was no good. Vitani could feel her reserves of strength flagging even as she tugged and pulled at Nia in an effort to get her up. "Hey. Hey, don't–!" Seeing Nia's eyes drooping shut, Vitani slapped her face a few times, a little harder than she had intended.

We're so close. If only we still had Bidi with us. But the injured lioness was in no condition to make the climb up to the camp, and when Vitani had found tracks belonging to several lions, Bidi identified one of the pawprints as her king's. She had decided to follow the tracks and parted ways with them just before sunrise.

Vitani fervently looked about in every direction, but the only sign of life she saw were the frosted pine trees sprawled along the mountainside. Desperate, she cast her gaze skyward and called, "Nuka. Nuka!"

A rolling tide of clouds materialized in the clear sunny sky, and a reluctant-looking Nuka manifested out from its centre. "Tani, you know I can't–"

"She's dying, Nuka," Vitani beseeched. "You're supposed to help me, so, help me. Please."

"I can't, honest," he told her, though he too sounded ill at ease. "This life-and-death stuff is not up to me."

Vitani checked Nia's heartbeat, shaking her unresponsive form. I can't be sure, but her pulse feels like it's slowing down. "The camp isn't far. Call the tribe, tell them we're here."

"You know I'm not allowed to do that," Nuka said crossly. "I'm your advisor, not some roaming spirit tethered to your world until I right my wrongs. I'm just... your brother."

"Then why don't you act like it for once?" roared Vitani, the last of her composure dashed away by panic. "You could try doing something! You're just as useless as when you were alive, the spirits must have felt really sorry for you if they overlooked that!"

"Tani..."

"I spent most of my life making up for your stupidity! What's your excuse now that you're right in the head again? Kion gets Mufasa, and by some sick joke I ended up stuck with you."

She instantly regretted her words upon seeing the hurt expression cross Nuka's face. He turned his gaze away and mumbled, "I'm sorry, sis. You're right, but I can't help you. I hope you can save her."

"Nuka, wait..." Vitani began, but he was already fading from view as the clouds evaporated. She slumped despondently over Nia's barely stirring form, waiting for the sound of her breathing to inevitably cease. Some protector I turned out to be. I'm not Kion, the only thing I'm good for is destroying my enemies – Zira made sure of that.

Vitani felt the warmth of a paw on her shoulder, and she blearily looked up. To her astonishment, standing over her was none other than Sarafina, who stared pensively down at Nia as she spoke. "Listen very closely, Vitani. Everything we need can be found on this mountain, but time is short and my old bones are too slow to gather it all. It's up to you now."

•••

"You mind if I ask you something, Simba?"

Simba glanced to his right as Tama strode up at his shoulder, just ahead of the other four lions making up the team. He sighed, taking in the seemingly endless mountains that had comprised their surroundings for the last few days. "No, but I get the feeling you'd ask even if I did mind."

"Good instincts," she conceded unapologetically. "Did you or Nala really think this through? Both of you taking off from the Pride Lands on such short notice?"

"As much as we could think anything through, I suppose," he responded, "considering how little time we have."

"Yes, but do you know how far it is to Viridian Falls? We'll be lucky if Nala makes it back in time – if she does at all."

"We can't delay if they really are in trouble, Tama," said Simba firmly. "She's got family out there."

Tama scoffed. "So I hear. The kingdoms are in trouble, and here we are rounding up missing family members."

On Simba's opposite side appeared Kula, who piped up, "I wouldn't have done anything less if it were one or both of my children." She indicated the two young adults at her tail, the brown-furred Boga and the red-brown Babu. "I don't think you would either."

Tama's gaze shifted briefly toward Tamika, who was listening in silence. "The difference is, we're not the ones running a kingdom, Kula."

"I have faith in Kiara to lead well in my absence," Simba stated with utmost confidence. "She's spent her whole life preparing for this."

"Yeah, well, it's not Kiara I'm worried about," muttered Tama.

Kula made a noise of resignation. "I knew it. Let me guess, this is about Kovu."

"Yes, it's about Kovu," snapped Tama. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because he never did anything to you," Kula said fiercely. "He's a good kid, and you'd know that if you weren't holding a grudge against anyone even passably associated with Zira."

"Except he's more than passably associated, isn't he? There wasn't anyone closer to Zira than him."

"There were two, actually," muttered Kula, "but you always acted like they didn't exist."

Sensing the tension between the two lionesses, Simba decided to interject. "Enough, both of you. Tama, you're right, this was a decision we had to make quickly. But we're not just here for Kopa – we need to find Malka's pride too." Seeing Tama open her mouth to respond, he pressed on, "As for Kovu, he has a lot to learn, but so did I when I first became king. I wouldn't know half the things I know now if it wasn't for Nala."

She fixed him with a searching look. "You realize you're giving Zira everything she wanted?"

"That seems more important to you, Tama, than it does to me," Simba responded softly.

Tama flushed. "Of course it is. You weren't here all those years when Scar was king."

"Mom..." Tamika began.

"It's alright, Tamika," assured Simba. To Tama, he said, "I understand how you feel. And if I'd known about Scar sooner, you bet I would've come back the first chance I had, no question. But I just couldn't do it at the time." His voice fell into a distant sadness. "I thought I killed my own father, Tama. Even after Nala told me about Scar, I thought he couldn't possibly be worse than I was."

At last, he could see misgiving enter Tama's austere orange eyes. She even looked a bit chastened, something he was not at all used to. "I... never realized, Simba. I didn't mean any–"

"It's alright," Simba told her with a slight smile. "What are friends for if we can't be honest with each other?"

Her shoulders eased up, as did Kula's. Simba caught Tamika smiling faintly to herself from over her mother's shoulder, which went unnoticed by Tama as she spoke. "Well, it's nice to know you listen, even if we don't see eye-to-eye on everything."

"We don't see eye-to-eye on nearly anything most of the time," affirmed Simba bluntly, albeit without accusation. "I know I'm taking a chance you'd rather I didn't. But I picked you for this expedition because you care about this pride as much as I do."

Tama scowled. "I hate that you sound like you mean every word, even though you're trying to be nice at the same time."

The king grinned. "Comes with the territory. I've been doing this for a long time."

The conversation came to a halt when he saw Babu raise his snout to the wind. Boga fixed her twin with a curious look. "What is it, Babu?"

"Fresh dirt," murmured Babu, sniffing closely at the air. "Recently disturbed leaves, and... lion blood? It's faint, I can't be sure..."

"Where?" asked Simba sharply.

"The jungle," Babu said, jerking his head toward the cluttered mass of foliage protruding from the dense-looking woods to the south. "Something's... off. It's not supposed to be this pungent."

Simba motioned for everyone to stay close and began sprinting with his team following close behind. His nose twitched as he too began to make out the scent of moisture and soil. It wasn't long before he noticed an eerily straight line of upheaval that seemed to have erupted from within the depths of the jungle. Cracked and splintered tree trunks were blown all over the grassy hills between the mountains, and although some of the surrounding trees had remained rooted, many of them sat barren with their leaves shredded and their branches snapped off.

Babu, who had caught up just then, was peering into the mess of vines and debris in stunned disbelief. "Okay, so that answers the why. But I'm stumped on the what."

"Couldn't be an earthquake," said Tama, frowning. "The ground is broken from the top down, not from below the surface."

"And an earthquake couldn't toss those trees that far into the hills," Kula observed.

Realization dawned on Tamika's face. "The Roar of the Elders."

"So that means either Kion or Vitani was here?" asked Boga.

"Vitani couldn't have done this, it's too precise," noted Tamika, staring intently into the uncannily straight line of destroyed jungle. "But what could've possibly incentivized Kion to leave the Pride Lands?"

The words gave Simba a sinking feeling he couldn't shake, and once more he broke into a dash, albeit with more difficulty this time as he and the other lions traversed the upheaval. His feeling of foreboding only heightened as the scent of blood tingled his nostrils, and indeed it smelled of lion. But amidst the dozen scents or so coming from the other end of the debris field, he briefly caught a hint of something familiar, one he couldn't quite place – and it blended nearly seamlessly into Kion's unmistakable scent.

Simba put on a tremendous burst of speed, frantic to chase down the scent even as the smell of blood grew bolder. He couldn't even tell if it belonged to his son, his mind whirling with the possibilities of what he would find. His heart rate accelerated frantically, and his breathing was beginning to overtake his capacity to draw air. And still Simba pressed on, shaking away the familiar sense of dread that had once precluded Mufasa's death. Not Kion. Please, he can't be–he's got the Roar, he's gotta be okay... please...

The wrecked pathway came to an end at the centre of a ravaged clearing. Simba staggered to a halt, his nose filled with the cloying scent of blood. It seemed to fill the clearing itself, as if his vision was swimming in it while the world ground to a halt beneath his paws. He dimly registered the sound of his own breathing as if from underwater, almost choking on the metallic tang in the air, and he sank to the ground before Sarabi's maimed and unmoving body.

Not for the first time, the dread gave way to despair. Simba numbly cradled his mother's face with one shaking paw. Her body was cold, but even in death her expression was untroubled, lifelike even. He thought he could even glimpse the slightest smile on her face, and seeing it was almost more than Simba could bear. Tears welling in his eyes, he let loose a roar of anguish that echoed into the eerie silence of the jungle.

From out of the foliage stepped a shocked Nala, accompanied by her expedition team just as Simba's lions reached the clearing as well. His mate's voice was a grief-stricken whisper when she saw Sarabi. "Simba... what happened?"

Simba shook his head despondently, unable to manage more than a few words at a time. "What was she... why would she..."

"She was looking for Janga," realized Tama quietly. "Guess she found her."

A snarl erupted from Simba's maw. His chest began to heave, the previous sparks of misgiving blossoming into a fiery rage.

"Look at me," Nala implored, still managing to maintain her composure in spite of her own visible sorrow. She waited for him to oblige before speaking again. "We're gonna figure this out. We'll know if she did it."

"If she did it, I'm gonna... I'm..." Simba seethed.

"Just breathe, Simba. Breathe." She placed one paw over his, and at last he relinquished his grip on Sarabi, throwing his face into her neck and sobbing uncontrollably. Her jaw trembled and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm so sorry."

"Not her too, Nala, why did it have to be her? I swore I'd never lose anyone else to Scar. I promised myself."

"You can't hold yourself to that," she told him gently. "None of us could've known this would happen."

Simba withdrew, teeth bared. "I did. But you and her both, you were just so convinced about Janga, and I went against every instinct telling me otherwise. No more."

"Simba..."

"Babu," Simba growled. "Track down Janga. I want to know which way she went."

"I'll find her, don't you fret," Babu responded, sniffing at the undergrowth as he slipped out of the clearing.

"Simba, wait," Nala tried again.

"Kula, you and Boga go with him," continued Simba, in no mood to discuss the matter. "Tama, Tamika, look for any sign of Kion or the Night Pride."

"Hold it," the queen barked, prompting the others to halt in their tracks. "Simba, now is not the time to split up your team. Let me go after Janga while you look for Kion."

Simba shook his head stubbornly. "No, you head for Viridian Falls like we discussed. We'll soon need their help as much as they need ours."

"I wasn't there when Mufasa was taken from you!" exclaimed Nala. "And now you think I'm gonna let you go through this without me?"

"I think you should go deal with your own family!" Simba roared back. He turned away, his voice becoming brittle and dour. "Leave me to sort things out with mine."

But to his surprise, she did not react in kind, instead her words coming out earnest and unflinching. "Maybe you are right about Janga. It wouldn't surprise me at this point. But we both know that you and I, we don't get to act on what we want to think and feel and believe. Not when the choice we're about to make could mean the difference between lives spared and lives lost."

Simba did not turn to face her, even as his head lowered ever so slightly. He said nothing.

"Janga thinks our power inevitably corrupts us," Nala said. "That sooner or later, every noble lineage loses sight of their duty to the Circle of Life. Is she right?"

"I guess I'll find out," muttered Simba darkly. "If she's here to start a war, then that's exactly what she'll get."

•••

After trekking through the jungle for so long, a swamp was not exactly the resting spot Kopa would have picked. But it kept them out of sight from the mountains, and the ever-present hum of insects gave him and the Night Pride a comfortable amount of leeway to make a bit of noise. And it was just as well, because after discovering he could not fall asleep, Kopa quickly grew tired of listening to Bunga's snoring and elected to join a similarly restless Kion for a late-night stroll.

"She liked to sleep by the mouth of the den whenever it rained," reflected Kion wistfully as they walked side by side. "Said it reminded her of Mufasa and the way he'd walk in dripping wet, and how not even bad weather could deter him from being where he was needed."

"Was she ever sad?" Kopa asked. "About him, or Janga?"

"If she was, I never saw it. You could go to her with any problem and nothing could make her flinch."

"I wish I got more time with her. I just hope I'll..." Kopa's throat tightened. "...I'll remember her eventually."

A deep-set sadness entered his brother's expression at the words. "Do you still remember the sunrise over Pride Rock? Waking dad early to see it?"

No matter how hard Kopa tried to conjure the image, the memory eluded him – if it ever existed. "I don't even know if he took me."

"Of course he would've!" Kion insisted. "He never once complained about getting up, said it was the most important part of his day. Mom says he only got to see it a few times with his dad."

"He did?"

"Yeah, before Scar... well, you know."

Kopa gave him a blank stare, not comprehending.

"Hevi kabisa, you really don't remember," uttered Kion in bemusement. "Scar killed Mufasa, and dad grew up in exile because of him. Any of that sound familiar?"

"Maybe," said Kopa, frowning. "I heard Scar was the king before dad overthrew him, but that's about it. I had no idea he murdered our grandfather though."

The younger lion hesitated. "Do you... want to talk to grandfather?"

Kopa blinked. "Talk to him?"

"Yeah, let me show you." Kion motioned for him to come to a stop as he turned his gaze upward. "Grandfather?"

The star-strewn sky was bathed in golden light, dark clouds rolling over them though Kopa could've sworn there hadn't been any a moment ago. A sturdy red-maned lion materialized from its depths, bathed in an ethereal glow like Sonara, and for a moment Kopa could hardly believe this was his grandfather. I didn't realize he died so young.

When Mufasa spoke, his deep voice seemed to encompass them. "Kion. Kopa. You have found one another at last."

"You know my name?" whispered Kopa, his eyes fixated upon the apparition.

"Of course I do," said Mufasa somberly. "I have been watching you for a long time."

Kopa's shoulders stiffened as his claws dug involuntarily into the moist dirt. "Really? Could've fooled me."

"I cannot interfere with the living, child. For years I had to do the same with my son while he was in exile."

"So what is this then?" Kopa demanded, gesturing to Kion indignantly. "He gets an audience with you whenever he wants, but you couldn't once be bothered to point me home?"

"Kopa, that's not–" his brother protested.

"Don't answer for him, I want to hear this for myself," growled Kopa. His gaze did not move.

"Your brother needed my guidance, Kopa, because he was burdened with leading the Lion Guard at an exceptionally young age," Mufasa divulged. "Beyond this, I am forbidden from speaking to my kin."

Kopa scowled, not impressed with this answer. "Yet here you are, and what do you know? The world hasn't ended."

"I do understand your frustration, child," his grandfather told him patiently. "You feel abandoned and rightly so, but as spirits we cannot judge how a life was lived if we meddled with that life ourselves. Even my brother was given every opportunity to choose redemption."

"So instead you let countless others suffer and die. And now look what we're up against – Scar's daughter who wants to change everything because none of you were gonna do it. Sonara was right, you really don't care what happens to us."

"Kopa, stop," implored Kion sharply. "This isn't about us and you know it."

"Easy for you to say," Kopa snarled. "When has it ever not been about you?"

The younger lion narrowed his eyes. "So that's what you're mad about? You know when I wanted it to be about me? Never!"

"Yes, that must have been awful for you." Returning his attention to Mufasa, Kopa said caustically, "You know what, grandfather, this has given me a lot of closure. I'm glad to know where you stand now."

A look of sympathy entered Mufasa's countenance. "If there was another way..."

"You don't have to justify anything, I got it the first time," snapped Kopa. "And if you're about to say you do care... well, save it because if you're gonna be unhelpful, then I'd rather we didn't make conversation about it."

With that, he turned and stomped off back the way he came, his pawsteps sinking a little into the soggy ground. He muscled his way through the disagreeable terrain, a newfound sense of frustration pulsing in his blood. It was soon smothered by crushing despair as the rest of Sonara's words echoed in his mind. "One side will have to eradicate the other." I don't want to believe it, but clearly neither did she.

The sound of squelching pawsteps prompted Kopa to look about. Kion had caught up to him, looking more than a little ill at ease. "That was not how I thought that would go."

"Neither did I," admitted Kopa. "I don't even know where it came from, this is the first time I've thought about a lot of this. Is he angry?"

Kion shook his head. "He'd do more if he could, you know. It's not his fault."

"I know. I didn't mean to take things out on you either. You didn't deserve that."

"Well, you didn't deserve to get blasted by the Roar, so call it even?"

Kopa suddenly burst out laughing, surprising even himself. He nudged Kion, already finding his brother's presence to be an endearing one. "Not even close. I'm gonna hold that one over you for a while."

"Yeah, you and Vitani both," muttered Kion.

"What's that?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Kopa opened his mouth to press the matter when a very familiar scent caught his attention. He picked up the pace instantly, noticing that they were nearing the spot where the Night Pride had made camp. The sound of steady conversation could be heard not far into the busily buzzing swamp.

"So then I whacked her on the paw before she could react," came Bunga's voice from up ahead. "And that's how we met."

"Go for the head next time, like Rafiki." That was definitely Afua, followed by what sounded like someone shoving him over. "Hey, use your words!"

"Between you and Kopa, I think we have enough cranial injuries to go around," retorted Siri. She noticed as he entered the camp. "Speaking of, there he is."

Relief washed over Kopa when he spotted Tumaini, who immediately rose upon catching sight of him. Their dismal surroundings felt a tad more inviting with five more lions intermingled amidst the now-awake Night Pride, sweeping away the heaviness of Kopa's thoughts. "How did... what are you all doing here?"

Tumaini nuzzled him with a heartened sigh. "I told you I'd find you, didn't I? And I see you've found someone yourself." His eyes turned to Kion, who had stepped out of the shrubbery just then.

Siri looked keenly between him and Kopa. "You weren't kidding, Fuli. Colour differences aside, they're peas in a pod."

"No one else is gonna answer the question?" grumbled Afua. "Fine. What we're doing, Kopa, is planning a rescue mission. Janga's taken almost half the pride to Mount Tempest."

Kopa's shoulders drooped a little. "I know. Your uncle says she's questioning them about me."

"Then we're going to get them out," declared Kion.

"Your conviction is admirable, but nonetheless you should know what you're getting into." Out of the swamp limped a bruised and bloodied Fujo, his mane and pelt looking even more unkempt since Kopa had last seen him. "If those scars are any indication, Your Majesty, then I don't need to tell you how unpleasant it is to be poisoned."

The sight of his extensive injuries sent a shiver through Kopa, as he recalled Jeraha's unrelenting furor back in the jungle. "Fujo," he murmured, the final image of Sarabi still fresh in his mind. "You made it away."

"By a close margin, but yes. I'm glad to see you're unharmed, Prince Kopa." An unusual mix of reservation and genuine regret passed over Fujo's features. "I am sorry about Sarabi."

Afua sat up in alarm. "Wait, what happened to Sarabi?"

"Jeraha killed her," Kopa said dully. "But it must have been a mistake."

"I don't see how it was," Fujo disagreed.

"He ran off when Janga appeared. And then I saw her, mourning. She couldn't have given the order."

The sympathetic expressions around him gave way to surprise and confoundment. Kion exhaled softly in disbelief. "So... she really did care about grandmother?"

"Yeah, not that it matters now," Kopa responded heavily. "If Janga wants me so badly, then I'll have to make sure she doesn't see me coming."

"We have that part figured out, actually," Siri told him. "You're not claustrophobic, are you, Kopa?"

Kopa shook his head. He noticed, however, that Beshte looked a bit uneasy.

Fujo's old confident smirk flickered into being at last. "Not to worry, Beshte. You and the Night Pride will not have to enter Mount Tempest if all goes well."

"You don't want my team with you?" Kion questioned, baffled.

Afua scoffed humourlessly. "The interior is a bit cramped for anything bigger than a lion, it's not straight enough to fly through or gain speed on, and of course, if you unleash the Roar of the Elders while you're inside... well, anything could happen. But it is filled with running water, so use your imagination."

The young king winced. "Point taken."

"As for us, we're going in through that underground tunnel Majonzi was looking for," Tumaini revealed. "It was dug out after the wild dogs were banished, but she came a lot closer to finding it than even she knew at the time. Since our scents will lead the wild dogs to the other end beneath Mount Tempest whether or not we make it out, this will only work once. But they won't be expecting it, and hopefully we'll find a few more surprises for them once we're inside."

"And that's the best plan we've got?" Kopa asked dubiously.

"It's the only plan we've got," grimaced Tumaini. "I don't have to tell you why Janga is doing this, right? You sure you want to take the bait?"

Kopa looked around at the team gathered around, each of them looking undaunted and ready to move forward with their perilous task. It felt alleviating to be able to do a bit of good in spite of his increasingly volatile feelings about the conflict growing before them. "Who else will suffer if I don't? It's an obvious choice, I know, but that's the only one I've got as well."

"Just because it's obvious doesn't make it the wrong choice," Fujo remarked, a glimmer of anticipation now in his eyes.

"We should leave now if we want to make it out of this swamp by first light," suggested Siri. "We have a lot of ground to cover before we'll reach the tunnel."

•••

Daylight was gone by the time Vitani noticed Sarafina finally slowing down from their laborious efforts to save Nia's life. With the ingredients Vitani had gathered, she had followed Sarafina's instructions closely as the two of them worked to create a medicine which Nia had been forced to ingest repeatedly, as it would draw the poison from her system before–

Nia gave a lurching groan, and Vitani immediately propped her up by the shoulders as the sickly lioness vomited the medicine back out, tinged with traces of poison. Sarafina picked up a leafy bundle of snow with her teeth and placed it next to Nia, who ate a few mouthfuls before slumping into a prone position once again. She was fast asleep within moments.

"That's it, now she just has to sleep off the last of the effects," said Sarafina, satisfied. "You did well, Vitani."

"That was thoroughly disgusting," Vitani grunted, checking her own pelt for any flecks of vomit.

"It was, wasn't it?" conceded Sarafina amicably. She nodded in Nia's direction. "You must really like her."

"Actually, I've only known her a few days. She's one of Ni's."

Sarafina peered more closely at Nia's sleeping form. "Yes, I see it now. I do wonder if Ni..." She shook her head, turning her attention back to Vitani. "Now Vitani, would you mind telling me why you're getting involved with the Nami tribe?"

"Nia's helping me look for Kopa," explained Vitani, her thoughts finally returning to their task now that Nia was out of danger. "I've talked to your sister, she's hoping I can keep the tribe out of this conflict I've been hearing about."

"Of course she is." Sarafina smiled wryly. "We'll see about that."

Vitani gave her a scrutinizing look. "I'm gonna be honest, you never struck me as the troublemaker type."

"I'm not. Why do you think I got out of here?"

"I haven't really had much time to ponder that, so I don't know."

Safina's voice cut in from behind them. "Well, I have been pondering it for a very long time. So let's hear it."

Vitani and Sarafina turned around to see the chief marching up with two of her warriors flanking her. Vitani silently opted to leave the talking to Sarafina, who curtly told her sister, "I'm not here to discuss the past, Safina. I'm here to make sure the tribe joins the fight while it's still a fight we can win."

"Then you're delusional – or desperate," scoffed Safina. "Either way, I will not allow you to march my people to their deaths just to forestall your own reckoning."

"You won't be spared from that reckoning," Sarafina warned, all traces of warmth now gone from her voice. "We must stand together or we will fall alone."

The chief narrowed her eyes. Her voice turned low with rage. "You hypocrite. How dare you come to me now and lecture me about standing together? After the way you left the tribe – left me – without a word?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Sarafina said plainly. "But I don't regret leaving. I never will."

"And why was it so easy for you? Did your ties to the tribe mean nothing?"

A look of sullen resentment crossed Sarafina's expression. "The tribe was my entire life, as it still is yours. But I was given a gift that I could not relinquish – a life that mattered more to me than my own."

"Nala," murmured Vitani in realization.

"I didn't want to give up a potential son," recalled Sarafina. "Or raise a potential daughter in the ways of the tribe. Just once, I wanted something that could be mine, a chance for my cubs to grow up the way I did not. Was that so unfathomable, Safina?"

"It was, believe it or not," Safina snapped. "Because after you left, I no longer had a life to call my own. My aspirations became fantasy, my wants made forfeit unless they were in service to the tribe. And you would have never had to carry this burden alone, because I would have never abandoned you the way you did me. I am not so selfish."

"Then prove it. I need you now, and whether or not I deserve your help won't matter one bit once Janga and her friends come for you."

"Really? Because one of the Duara Vunja is at my camp this very moment, telling me in no uncertain terms that they will keep their affairs out of ours. What reason would I have to take your word over theirs?"

"Because I know who you're dealing with, and I'm telling you that your mistake will cost you the lives of your people. So are you gonna keep being stubborn, or will you give us the chance to figure this out?"

The chief scoffed. "I think our years of mutual silence have answered that long ago, sister. You'll have to do more than manipulate me if you want to get your way."

Sarafina closed her eyes. Her look of weary resignation hardened into resolve. "Fine. Safina, ninakupa changamoto kwa mashindano uchifu wa kabila, kama ni haki yangu damu."

Vitani did not have to be fluent in lionspeak to understand; the reactions from the warriors to the word "mashindano" told her enough. Safina made a noise of blustering disbelief before responding in kila. "You are joking. Surely you can't think the tribe will want–"

"It doesn't matter what they want," interjected Sarafina boldly. "The tribe must abide once the challenge has been issued. Will you accept?"

Vitani hardly dared draw breath as she watched the two sisters glaring at one another. The mountainside was silent and still, save for the faintly howling wind and Nia's faint snores.

"I accept," Safina growled. "You're wrong, Sarafina, because we will put this to rest tonight. We fight to the death in the centre of the camp, with all the tribe as witnesses."

Sarafina nodded stiffly. "If your heart knows no language but force, then it's the language I will speak. After you, sister."

Vitani thrust out a paw in front of Sarafina as she made to follow the chief. "Are you crazy?" she hissed. "This is not the time to be getting yourself killed!"

"Stay with Nia," Sarafina told her. "I'll be back before sunrise."

"And if you're not? No offence, but you are the older sibling here."

The old lioness smiled morbidly. "Then tell Nala I love her. And to confront my sister if she must, as I did."

And with that, she briskly trotted off after the warriors, leaving Vitani beside the sleeping Nia. Who knew Sarafina was so full of secrets? I can count the conversations I've had with her on one paw, and not once would I have guessed she had such a complicated past. She certainly never acted like someone who did, and I would know.

I just hope she makes good on her word to come back. Judging from the things Vitani had learned recently about the old lioness, they would definitely need her in the days to come.

•••

Despite the pleasant surprise of making it to the edge of the swamp before first light, Tumaini had called for a stop to allow the others some time to sleep. Siri had estimated that they would need another full day or so before they would reach Lake Mtera, and with the lengthy trek ahead, there was no telling when they would find another relatively safe place to rest properly.

So now the others were slumbering not far off, obscured from the outside world by a swathe of damp trees and muddy vines. Tumaini, who had volunteered to take first watch, found himself trying without success to persuade a fretful Fika to get some sleep as well.

"I haven't seen Bidi since the wild dogs attacked," she stammered. "What if they got her? As in got her got her?"

"She'll be okay," Tumaini assured. "Siri tells me Bidi's the fastest runner in your hunting party."

"She was helping Fuli run the wild dogs in circles, give the others a chance to escape," recalled Fika grimly. "I should've gone with her, but she told me to run the first chance I had. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You made the right decision. She had one less thing to worry about after you ran, which means you didn't ruin her chances of getting away."

She slowly turned her gaze to him. "You mean that? You're not just saying it to make me feel better?"

"I am trying to make you feel better, but yes, that's the truth," Tumaini replied earnestly.

A slight smile appeared on Fika's mouth, and her posture eased just a tiny bit. "You're alright, Tumaini."

"I try."

"No, I appreciate it. You used to be kind of a jerk, and by 'kind of' I mean–"

"Alright, you can stop there," laughed Tumaini, doing his best to keep his voice down. "Think you can get some shut-eye?"

"I can now." Fika exhaled. "Thanks."

As she sauntered off to rejoin the others, Kaidi strode past her and fell into step with Tumaini as he resumed his patrol. She gave him a sidelong glance before speaking. "She does have a point. You've matured a lot since you left the pride."

"We were just kids, Kaidi," reminded Tumaini. "Are you really surprised that we've figured ourselves out by now?"

"A little," she deadpanned. "We did way too many dumb things for me not to be."

He couldn't repress a smirk. "That is true. But being with you was the only time I didn't feel like I hated... just – everything."

"That was always the difference between you and me," reflected Kaidi. "Because I never hated any of it. I felt like I was made for this."

"And now?" he prompted.

She scoffed. "Now? Now I'm glad our pride did what it did to us, because we still stand a chance – or we won't go down without a fight, at least. Guess I'm an optimist."

"Yeah, you're quite the ray of sunshine," chuckled Tumaini. His expression quickly became serious, however. "Listen, Kaidi, I'm sorry about the way I left. I've expressed that to my family already, but I can't leave you out either."

Kaidi shrugged. "Like you said, we were just kids. You were into me and I was definitely into you, but things got messed up for you and we moved on. You certainly have." She jerked her head past his shoulder.

Tumaini followed her gaze to see Siri through a weave of vines, fast asleep between Fujo and Fuli with Bunga laying against her side. "You noticed, huh?"

"Tumaini, everyone's noticed," she replied, faint amusement colouring her voice. "They just haven't said anything because it's that obvious."

"So you're... okay with that?"

Kaidi motioned for him to lean in a little closer, and as he did so, she lowered her voice. "I'm gonna clue you in on something since you haven't been around for a while – the entire pride loves Siri. Even the lions who don't like each other can agree on that. So you'd better not mess this up or you'll have a lot more to worry about than what I think, got it?"

"Got it," uttered Tumaini, blinking. "Um, thanks for the pep talk."

Kaidi smacked him lightly in the foreleg, snickering. "And stop making this weird. You and I would've never lasted, we both know that. No use getting dramatic about it."

He smiled, dwelling on the bittersweet thought that she really was the one that got away. "I do appreciate your candor, Kaidi. You always had a way of making my life easier."

"You clearly have a type," she responded pointedly. "Can't say you haven't got good taste though."

As the two of them continued to circle the perimeter, Tumaini fell quiet for a few moments before his voice became grave again. "Kaidi, I hate to ruin the mood, but I should be forward with you as well. There's a traitor in the pride and no one is sure who it is. How do I know it isn't you?"

Kaidi stopped to regard him closely. She did not look offended. "People can change a lot with time, so I get why you'd ask. I don't have any proof if that's what you're looking for, but... I can tell you how I felt when I was captured by the Duara Vunja. You can draw your own conclusions."

He nodded. It was as close as he was going to get. "Sounds good."

Kaidi let out an exhale through her nose, her brow furrowing as a heaviness seeped into her features. She began walking once more, and this time he followed her lead. "My first thought was that I wanted to kill them all. Shocker, I know, and entirely idiotic considering how many of them there were. But once the feeling passed, I began to wonder if that was it for me. If my life amounted to anything other than fighting wild dogs and trying not to see all the problems growing in the kingdom. I thought about what I'd have done differently if I had the chance." She drew another long, slow breath. "But I didn't believe I'd actually get it, not until I saw Siri, marching fearlessly up the ridge toward the Duara Vunja. And I vowed to myself that if by some miracle we both got away alive, that I'd be wherever she needed me – that I'd expect no less of myself than she has done every day since she joined the pride. So... here I am, about to attempt a rescue that will probably go horribly wrong. But I don't care. I'd rather be killed doing right by our pride than sit this one out."

Silence fell over them once more, save for their paws trudging across the moist, sludgy ground. Tumaini was momentarily speechless, taken aback by how moving he found Kaidi's words, and finally managed, "You've... really changed a lot too. Okay, maybe not that much, but I don't remember you being so... thoughtful."

Kaidi raised an eyebrow. "You should work on your compliments if you're looking to impress Siri. You never were good at those."

"Yeah, guess I'm not," he laughed ruefully. "Hey, Kaidi?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. I really needed this."

"I know," she grinned. "I figured you wouldn't have said anything if I didn't give you a nudge."

As the two of them neared the spot where the others had settled in for the night, Tumaini was surprised to see Kion up and about, padding over to them decisively. "You should get a bit more rest, Kion. The sun will be up soon."

The young king shook his head. "I can't sleep. Mind if I take the rest of your patrol?"

"Not at all," yawned Tumaini, having only realized how tired he felt all of a sudden. Nonetheless, he added, "Let me know if you change your mind."

Kion nodded curtly and trotted off alone. Tumaini found his gaze lingering on him as he disappeared from view, unable to help but notice that he always caught a glimpse of Kopa in his younger brother, if he had lived a different life.

Would he have been happier in the Serengeti than with me? Would he have wanted to become their king one day, even if he didn't have a choice? Did I... take that choice away from him by refusing to find out where he came from?

Shaking his head, Tumaini silently laid down between Kopa and Siri, trying to chase the familiar prickles of guilt from his mind. There would be time to untangle everything once they rescued the rest of the pride. Until then, we focus only on the mission. Just like mom used to teach us.