‹•›
If you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time.
If you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting!
Time after time... time after time.
—Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time"

Y280 / 2ND MOON, DAY 19
4 YEARS AGO

The lonely howl of a wolf could be heard from the far end of Ukuni Woods. From where Janga laid against the cold lifeless ground, its echo lingered in the desolation around her, and she listened intently for a response howl. Only silence followed.

Leave, she willed the wolf in the distance. There's nothing for you here. You'll join the others if you know what's good for you – wherever they are.

Lying beside her was the scrawny form of Mheetu, his rapt teal eyes affixed upon the night sky. Despite being a full four moons older than Janga, he had always been closer in size to her than Kivuli or Jeraha – a result of Sarafina's refusal to cozy up to Scar even in the face of increasing scarcity. "You ever wonder what they're thinking about?"

"Who?" asked Janga, her thoughts still dwelling on the wolf.

"The kings of the past. And queens, I guess, along with whoever else is up there."

She snorted. "Does it matter? We clearly don't, at least not to them."

He glanced her way with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not sure that's true. My mom says they're not allowed to meddle with the living. Not unless they did something really bad, then they can't enter the Great Kingdom until they make it right."

"Not allowed isn't the same thing as not able," responded Janga obstinately. "I doubt Scar's predecessors were 'allowed' to do half the things he's done. No, if the so-called 'Great Spirits' ignore us, it's because they're comfortable ignoring us."

A cold wind ruffled through Mheetu's budding mane, and he shifted a little closer against her. "Have you thought about going back to Scar? As his rightful heir, I mean."

She sat up with an incredulous look. "Why would I ever do that?"

"Isn't it obvious? You could do things your way. Bring life back to the Pride Lands."

"Yeah, me and the army of hyenas Scar put up around him," Janga said sarcastically. "They're not just going to leave if he gets struck by lightning tomorrow."

"The hyenas don't have all the power," Mheetu pointed out. "If you turn Scar's inner circle against him, the rest of the pride will take notice."

"They're already against him. They just know that backing him is the smart move – for now." She shook her head in resignation. "It wouldn't matter what I do. Shenzi's clan will rip us to shreds if anything happens to Scar. That's what's keeping him on the throne more than anything else."

He sat up as well, undeterred. "Then play the long game. Gain Shenzi's loyalty without Scar even knowing it."

"That's insane."

"No, listen. The hyenas are starting to go hungry again now that there's nothing left in the Pride Lands. It hasn't worked its way up to the leadership yet, but it's only a matter of time. That won't be pretty, and we both know Scar isn't going to see it coming."

Janga fell silent at this, momentarily disturbed by the nightmare scenario Mheetu was implying. "Make nice with Shenzi? We really are getting that desperate, huh?"

"The kingdom isn't going to last much longer like this," he sighed. "Something's gotta give or we're doomed. And it's not fair to put that all on your shoulders, I know. But Janga... the Keepers are gone, and the person who drove them out is intent on doing the same to you, or worse. Who else is there?"

"Maybe no one at all," she said quietly, now dwelling on the time she had first met the Keepers in the Outlands. "Look at us, Mheetu, who's gonna take a couple of adolescents with their big ideas seriously? Our own mothers wouldn't even approve."

Mheetu swiped at the ground in frustration. "So you're just giving up? Zira's newborn cub is about to open his eyes any day now, and if he's Scar's–"

"He's not," interjected Janga, unconcerned in the slightest. "Scar only sees what he wants to see. He believed Zira when she said Tojo forced himself on her, remember?"

"Honestly, she scares me more than Scar," he muttered.

"Well, I'm not afraid of her." She nudged against him lightly. "And you don't have to be either as long as you've got me watching your back."

He smiled faintly in response, though it soon faded into reluctance. He slowly got up. "We should probably head home."

"Ugh." Janga made a disgruntled face. "I'm so sick of Pride Rock. I'd rather spend as little time there as possible."

"Same, but my mom's going to worry if I stay out too late. So will Nala."

She grumbled in exasperation. "We're not any safer there than we are out here, but I get it." She bound to her paws, shivering a little as she led the two of them out of the silent woods. He fell into a brisk trot at her shoulder, and her voice became melancholy. "I never got to see the Pride Lands the way mother describes it to me. But every now and then, it comes to me in my dreams, and it would be full of colour. Warmth. Life. But you know who I could never picture in any of those dreams?"

"Scar?" Mheetu guessed without hesitation.

"Me," said Janga. "I don't see myself standing on Pride Rock, with you and Nala and Sarafina. My mother's there too, but not me. I'm always just... watching from a distance."

"They're just dreams," he reassured. "You'll be up there with us, when yours become reality. I promise."

The barren trees were thinning around them now, and Janga spotted the ungainly form of Nuka sprinting into the woods with wild abandon. He haphazardly stumbled to a halt upon catching sight of her, nearly tripping over his own paws as he did so. He panted heavily as she and Mheetu approached him, perplexed, and managed to gasp between breaths, "There... you are... you're... in bad... trouble..."

Janga rolled her eyes. "I didn't do it, Nuka. I don't care what story your mother made up about me now."

"No," he insisted, "it's... Kovu... eyes... opened..."

Her breath stopped in her throat. "Like Scar's?" she whispered.

Nuka nodded vigorously. "Mother sent... Shenzi... they're coming..."

Janga's gaze locked with Mheetu's as they both came to the same realization. The impossible had finally happened. Zira had won. And if Scar no longer needs me, then he now considers me a threat. Her mind was screaming at her to act, to do something, but her paws would not move.

In that moment, Mheetu's eyes hardened with a resolve she had never seen before. "We need to leave. Now."

•••

Y284 / 2ND MOON, DAY 1
PRESENT DAY

Janga awoke to a throbbing ache all over her body, and she curled against something warm with a dull groan of agony. That's right, focus on the pain. The pain means you're alive. She cracked open her eyes and blearily realized that she recognized her stony surroundings, the tall columns beneath the night sky. This is... the Keepers' former hideout. So I wasn't hallucinating, the others really did get me out of the gorge.

Raising her head with whatever energy she could muster, Janga noticed that her wounds had been bound and treated. The warm presence beside her turned out to be Kivuli, who had slumped over into an upright sleeping position. The grey-furred lioness roused herself with a vigorous shake as Jeraha stepped into the den.

The burly lion exhaled in relief. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Like my plans have been buried in rubble," grumbled Janga, easing onto her front with a wince.

"Forget the plans," Kivuli said impatiently. "Are you having trouble breathing? Does anything feel broken or ruptured?"

Janga shook her head, drawing a few deep breaths just to be sure. All four legs and paws were still working as she stood shakily, and she took a few cautious steps to test her weight. "How many of the others made it out?"

The question was met with prolonged silence. She already knew the answer even before Jeraha finally responded, "There was no one else."

"You know that for sure, before you dragged me out of there?"

Once again, neither of them spoke.

Janga straightened, her voice hard in spite of her already flagging strength. "Who made the call to leave the others behind?"

"I did," said Kivuli without hesitation.

Janga regarded her for a long moment. "Who else is outside?"

"Sajin's team, what's left of it," the other lioness answered. "The rest of my squad that I hadn't reassembled before the gorge. And a few others who made it through the mountains."

"Tell them no one is to come in until I say so," ordered Janga.

Kivuli nodded and made to leave. "Okay."

"And wait outside with them."

She stopped mid-step, taken aback. "Janga, I was–"

"Leave," intoned Janga.

Kivuli shut her mouth and cast a glance toward Jeraha, who wordlessly motioned with his head for her to obey. The grey-furred lioness slinked away through the tunnel and disappeared into the darkness. Janga closed her eyes and gave a defeated exhale.

"She cares more about you than the cause," Jeraha reminded her. "You know that's not about to change."

She whirled on him with a noise of aggravation, clenching her teeth as her injuries flared up in response. "Seven, Jeraha, there were seven others and some of them could have still been alive. You knew what I'd have expected of you, so why didn't you do it?"

"Because we were running out of time," he told her flatly. "You were running out of time. We had to cover our tracks and be gone before Simba got there."

Janga let herself flop to the ground, even as her body screamed in protest again. She buried her face in her forelegs. "We were out of time before we arrived. It was the only reason we did this, and now it's all been for nothing."

To her surprise, Jeraha pounded the ground with a clenched paw, sending a dull thump reverberating beneath her. "Stop. We're still here, aren't we? We can still do something about this."

"Do what?" she exclaimed in frustration. "The wild dogs will reach Mount Tempest in a few days, if they haven't already. The Keepers will soon follow, and all they'll find is this mess we've made. Simba knows we're not far from his borders so he'll be looking for us, and if he joins forces with Malka, then we have nothing to put between us and them."

"There is one thing." A hungry glimmer entered Jeraha's eyes. "One lion, I should say."

Janga immediately realized who he meant. "Kopa. The long-lost prince who put us in this predicament."

"Yeah, although some tribe warrior claimed she started the rockslide. Almost took Kivuli off the cliff with her."

"I'll have Kivuli look into that tribe," said Janga decidedly. "But as for Prince Kopa... how would I find him?"

"He couldn't have entered the Pride Lands, at least not near the gorge," Jeraha recalled. "My guess is he's somewhere nearby, like us, no more than a day's journey from the border. All we have to do is lure him out."

"Then you'll lead whoever's with us and do that. Capture the remainder of Malka's pride, whoever still hasn't made it to wherever the rest are holed up. Question every single one you find and find out what they know about Kopa."

"Even if they don't know anything?" He raised an eyebrow.

She nodded. "Let a few of them escape. Word will reach Kopa that I'm rounding up these lions because of him. If I'm right about him, then he'll want to get personally involved."

A grin of anticipation broke onto Jeraha's face. "I like the way you think. Where am I taking the captives?"

"Mount Tempest. I'll meet you there, since I suspect Bane will arrive before long. If all goes well, one of us will cross paths with Kopa sooner or later."

The grin wavered a little but did not fully recede. "'Sooner or later', huh? Not one of your most confident-sounding plans."

Janga gave a short laugh. "We've survived worse, Jeraha. But I'll find a way to pull us through this. I always do."

"There's the Janga I know," he said, heartened.

Both their gazes turned toward the tunnel again as Kivuli reappeared in a hurry, looking uncharacteristically flustered. Janga scowled at her. "I said I was not to be disturbed, Kivuli."

The grey-furred lioness cast a quick glance over her shoulder. "I think you should make an exception just this once."

Stepping into the den from behind her were four lionesses of varying sizes and ages. The younger ones among them looked unfamiliar to Janga, but one thing they all had in common was the lion's head marking on their shoulders. The Lion Guard? I thought they were led by Prince Kion, not...

Jeraha was glaring at the oldest of the bunch, a brown-grey lioness who was clearly in charge. As she locked gazes with him, he bared his teeth in a snarl. "Get out."

The lioness, who Janga recognized as Shabaha, smiled thinly at him. "I've spent many days here in exile, you know. Contemplating if I would ever see you again." Her dark cyan eyes did not leave his for a heartbeat. "I'm not going anywhere, son."

•••

Kopa wondered if the interlocking bridges would ever end as he followed Tumaini and Siri up yet another level of dens and alcoves. There was definitely too much space for a single pride of lions with only half their numbers present, as evidenced by the fact that most of the others had chosen to congregate near the exit. Which left the royal quarters conspicuously isolated, as was the lengthy trek up the interior of The Hollow.

The upper levels, however, were no less resplendent than the rest. A luminescent wash of colour pulsed and ebbed along the sides of the bridges, keeping their steps well-lit. The light emanating from below was beginning to blend together, some almost smothered entirely by the darkness. Kopa quite liked the softness of its glow, although it wasn't very bright from a distance. "Who planted all these?" he asked, trying without success to make out a ceiling above them.

"My mother," Tumaini replied.

"Oh."

"She'd come here whenever she needed to get away from dad, which was pretty much all the time." Tumaini's steps became a touch lighter as he reminisced. "Mom loved the mountains, and she'd bring me here when I was little. She had only grown a few patches back then, and seeing it for the first time..." He trailed off.

"So it wasn't all bad then?" Siri prompted. "You and Kumi?"

He smiled to himself. "When it was good, we could almost pass for pretty much okay. She found it easier to deal with me cause I had her temperament, as opposed to my brother who would constantly wind her up with his rambling."

A snicker escaped Kopa's mouth before he could stop himself, eliciting stares from the others. "I can only remember a few things about Afua, but he was the chattiest anti-social lion I've ever met."

"That's my brother," chuckled Tumaini ruefully. "He was always my uncle's favourite, not that I minded. Okay, maybe a little."

To Kopa's relief, the three of them finally stopped before a spacious landing where the bridges came to an end. He could hear voices coming from the den before them, its walls carefully carved along the wall of The Hollow. He took a moment to admire the view of the interior afforded to them on the walkway, before following Tumaini inside the den.

Siri, who was bringing up the rear, stopped to briefly nuzzle the two lionesses guarding the exit; Kopa recalled their names as Fika and Bidi, her friends from her hunting party. At the other end of the chamber was Malka, who was sitting across from a young cheetah he was speaking to. "...And if you need an escort down Mount Kilimanjaro, I could send someone with you as early as tomorrow."

The cheetah shook her head. "That might be too long. It's already taken me two days just to use my back paws again, thanks to your queen. I'll leave tonight and recover on the way."

"Take it from someone who did just that – don't," Siri told her. "Give yourself an extra day of not having to look over your shoulder."

Malka turned to her, his face lighting up when he spotted Kopa by her side. "You found him! Well done, both of you."

Tumaini smiled wanly. "It was easier than you might think. Dad, can I talk to you alone?"

"Later, Tumaini, we should attend to our guest here first." The king indicated the cheetah, who gingerly rose to her paws.

"You're the ones Bunga ran into, huh?" she asked, peering at each of them in turn. Her gaze lingered on Kopa for a moment longer than the others, but she soon looked away again.

"If by 'ran into' you mean 'caught by', then yes," Siri replied. "Nice to meet you, I'm Siri."

"Fuli," the cheetah greeted. "Thanks for going easy on him."

A strange look crossed Siri's face just then, though Kopa did not have time to inquire about it before Tumaini responded, "Honestly, I wasn't about to fight a honey badger with only one lion to back me up. I'd sooner fight a hippo."

Fuli smirked. "That can be arranged."

Kopa laughed upon seeing Tumaini blanch, and chimed in, "I think I met the hippo you're talking about. He had that mark too." He indicated the sigil upon her shoulder.

"Guess I'm not the only one who couldn't stay hidden," muttered Fuli. Her brilliant green eyes drifted back to him once more. "Say, do I know you from somewhere?"

"No, but I can guess why you'd think that," Kopa said.

"Prince Kopa is Simba and Nala's oldest son," explained Malka. "He probably bears a close resemblance to your leader."

Fuli peered more closely at Kopa. "He sure does. Slick back the mane, add a little red, hunch down to make yourself a little smaller... you could pass for Kion in dim lighting."

"I think I did, back in the canyons," he divulged dryly. "Wasn't my idea though, I didn't even know about Kion at the time."

"Whose idea was it, Fujo's?" guessed Malka.

Tumaini scowled. "You even gotta ask? I'd say I can't believe my uncle did that, but I'd be lying."

"He was pretty confident Kumi would keep me safe," recalled Kopa. "Turns out there wasn't any need though."

A worried look crossed Malka's face. "That reminds me, did any of you come across Kumi on your way here? I expected to have heard from her by now."

The den went silent. Kopa's gaze fell, though he elected to speak up before the others did. "She decided to stay behind. At the gorge, after the... after I..."

"Dad," said Tumaini seriously. "I really think this is something we need to talk about. Just you and me."

Malka waved Fuli down as she made to leave the den, even as the concern deepened on his face. "No, you can use my quarters to rest, Fuli," he told her, a little shakily. "I can... I'll step out with my son for a moment."

Kopa found he could not meet Tumaini's eyes as his friend shuffled out of the den with Malka. The events of the previous day were starting to fill his thoughts again, and he could still picture Kumi's cold resolve as she painted herself in her tribal colours.

The silence was thankfully broken by Siri, who cleared her throat as she turned her attention to Fuli. "I don't expect you'll remember me, but we've actually met before. I was good friends with the cheetah who took you in when you were born."

"Took me in?" repeated Fuli curiously. "From where?"

Siri sighed. "A place I ended up calling home for a while, after the flash flood separated us – you, me, my parents, the other nomads we were travelling with. It's a complicated story made up of complicated decisions."

The cheetah regarded Kopa again as she settled back into a sitting position. "Seems like there are a few of those floating around right now," she remarked, giving Siri her full attention. "Tell me."

•••

"So what do we tell Kiara – and Kion?" asked Nala as she walked out from the Cave of Ancestry.

"Nothing," said Simba, having already thought this over earlier. "For now, at least."

"Simba..." Nala began disapprovingly.

"I know, I know, Kiara doesn't like me keeping things from her," Simba acknowledged. As Sarabi emerged from the cave exit, the three of them began making their way around toward the front of Pride Rock. "But think about it. If we told her not to run off looking for Kopa, what would she do?"

"Run off looking for Kopa," deadpanned Nala. "And Kion's a visitor to the Pride Lands now – he can be asked to leave, but not forced to stay against his will." She sighed. "I don't like it, but we can explain everything when we bring Kopa back ourselves. I guess."

Sarabi chuckled from behind them as they clambered up the promontory. "Such is the burden of parenting. You two are lucky to have such well-behaved kids."

Simba gave her an affronted look. "I wasn't well-behaved?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want honest answers to," Nala snickered. "I seem to recall a certain elephant graveyard where we..."

"Shh," he urged, nudging her lightly with his shoulder. They had reached the mouth of the royal den. "Zazu's coming, we don't talk about the elephant graveyard around Zazu."

The hornbill flapped down toward them, looking a bit rumpled as if he had flown a long way in a hurry. "Sire, we have a visitor who wishes to speak with you."

Nala raised an eyebrow. "An unusual time to be receiving visitors. Who is it?"

A lean black-maned lion stepped into view opposite them, and Simba thought he could see something oddly familiar in his features. Zazu flapped himself out of the way as he cleared his throat to respond. "Prince Fujo of the Mtera Pride, milady."

Fujo bowed politely with practiced grace. "Honoured to finally meet in person, Your Majesties. And you as well, Queen Mother."

Sarabi gave him a curt bow of the head, but otherwise said nothing. Her eyes did not leave him even as he turned his attention toward Simba, who said, "Alright, Prince Fujo, it's quite late and you wanted to speak. So speak."

"Privately, if you'd be so kind," requested Fujo pointedly.

Simba glanced at Nala, who gave a slight shrug. Her demeanour indicated that she was curious about their visitor at the very least. Suppressing a sigh of resignation, the king addressed him once again. "The Lair of the Lion Guard is not being used right now. The entrance is behind you and around the side of Pride Rock."

In one smooth flourish, Fujo stepped aside, wordlessly gesturing for Simba to lead the way.

"Zazu, you can retire for the night," the king said curtly.

"Yes, sire." Zazu flew off, soon vanishing into the night.

If only we could do the same. It's just one thing after another though. Simba led the others down the opposite side of the promontory and looked over his shoulder to see the black-maned lion casting Sarabi a furtive glance as she fell into step with them. I could be wrong, but does mom make him... nervous? Why?

Upon entering the Lair of the Lion Guard, Simba decided to forsake pretenses and wearily slumped into a sitting position next to the pool. He gestured for Fujo to do the same while Nala took a seat beside him. Sarabi, however, opted to settle in by the exit, her snout twitching in Fujo's direction.

The black-maned lion sat politely across from Simba, showing no sign of weariness despite having doubtlessly travelled a great distance. "I'll endeavour not to keep you up too late, so let's get straight to the point. I'm here for the body of Queen Kumi."

Simba frowned, leaning forward a little. "I'm sorry, Queen...?"

"Kumi, consort ruler of the Mtera Pride," explained Fujo. "I last tracked her scent to your gorge before following it into your territory."

Something seemed to have occurred to Nala. "Was she bearing the markings of the Nami tribe?"

"She was." He cocked his head, now regarding her instead. "How is it you know of the Nami tribe, Queen Nala?"

"Sarafina is my mother," she responded simply.

Comprehension dawned on Fujo's features. "I see. And who is your father?"

"His name is Ni." Now the queen's voice became quiet. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

He smiled shrewdly. "Understandable. Ruling an entire kingdom is a lot of work."

Nala blinked. "What?"

"As is being overthrown by an occupying force," added Fujo nonchalantly. "It must be hard to send word when you're hunted and on the run."

Sarabi spoke up from the mouth of the lair. "Sounds like you have information you'd like to share, Prince Fujo."

"Indeed, and if our kingdoms are to survive, then I will need your full and willing cooperation. In return, you will have any information you need in whatever capacity I can provide."

"Then let's start with that," Simba decided, seeing that Nala needed a moment to process this revelation. "What kind of occupying force are we looking at?"

"The kind that masquerades as peacekeepers when in truth they are something far more nefarious. I believe you came very close to making their acquaintance the previous night."

"You're saying Janga is with these 'peacekeepers'?" asked Sarabi sharply.

Now Fujo's gaze drifted to her. "Don't sound so surprised, Queen Mother. Their founding members called this place home during your reign."

The old lioness looked perturbed. "The mass exodus. I thought they had settled into more fertile lands."

"In a manner of speaking, they did. But to put it simply, they're not content to settle anymore."

"They're coming to reclaim the Pride Lands," murmured Nala. "But we're not the enemy. Scar was."

"If you want to tell them that, they will allow you to surrender your titles and authority," said Fujo wryly. "But I wouldn't be here if I thought you'd accept that option."

"And you're saying our best option is to fight?" Sarabi demanded.

"I don't see any suitable alternatives. If my informant is correct, then we may not be getting any help from the Viridian Pride." Without missing a breath, Fujo asked, "Something on your mind, King Simba?"

Though Simba's brow was furrowed, he had no idea how the black-maned lion could tell without looking at him. Pushing the thought aside, he spoke aloud the one thing nagging at him since their visitor first arrived. "Queen Kumi was married to your brother?"

"King Malka," affirmed Fujo, now looking at him again. "He tells me you've met. He was very fond of you, from the way he spoke."

This came as a surprise to Simba, who recalled with some embarrassment that he hadn't been very nice to Malka for most of his stay. I thought he was trying to impress Nala, though in hindsight I guess I was being kind of dense... Feeling a little warm around the face, the king continued, "Right, yeah. And they have a son?"

"Two sons, though they've both been absent for a long time. How would you know that?"

Over Fujo's shoulder, Simba noticed Sarabi narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. But before he could try and ascertain the cause of her reaction, into the lair came Afua, his expression a mix of fury and turmoil.

Slowly, calmly, Fujo got up to face him. "Hello, nephew. Are you ready to come home?"

"You had no right," seethed Afua, "to just come here and–and–"

"Don't be foolish, Afua, you know why I'm here," chided Fujo. "You saw her in the gorge, didn't you?"

Without a response, Afua whirled about and stomped out of the lair. Fujo promptly moved to follow, and Sarabi likewise stood and turned for the exit.

The old lioness held up one paw to halt Simba and Nala, who were rising to do the same. "Wait. I'll handle this." Without waiting for a response, she whisked off into the night after Fujo and Afua.

•••

Fujo slowed his pace as he emerged outside. Even just using his eyes, he could see Afua sprinting away from the rear-facing side of Pride Rock. The older lion made no effort to pursue or even raise his voice in the midst of the quiet night. "I'll always see you no matter how far you run. Why run when you know that?"

Afua stopped in the middle of the field he was cutting through. Though his back was turned to Fujo, his response could be heard through gritted teeth. "Call it instinct, I guess."

"And yet your instinct told you to stop the moment I spoke," observed Fujo.

"No, I fought what my instinct told me because I'm an idiot."

Fujo took a few strides toward him, disapproval entering his features as he drew nearer. "Afua, I've met far too many idiots in my life to listen to you slander yourself. Now let's figure this out like adults and talk."

Afua gave him a look of sullen, tired anger. "I didn't want them to know who I was. You knew that, you agreed not to say a word."

"And I'd have been happy to keep my word, had the circumstances allowed it," Fujo told him earnestly.

"It wasn't your choice to make!"

"I know, and I expected you'd be angry. So be angry, but right now I need you to be useful as well."

Afua scoffed. "There it is. I knew you'd drop the act sooner or later."

"There is no act," Fujo told him plainly. "I can't carry your mother's body on my own."

The younger lion fell quiet for a moment. "That's it, that's all you want me to do? Bring her body to Mount Tempest?"

"No. We lost Mount Tempest to the invaders."

"What?"

Fujo held up a paw. "Listen, nephew. We just need to take her into the mountains, and wait for the Nami tribe to come for her."

"You want them to know who did it," realized Afua. "So, what, you're hoping they'll retaliate?"

"She painted herself for a reason," Fujo insisted. "Even if she'd survived, it'd have looked like a declaration of war."

His nephew gave him an exasperated look. "Do you ever not take advantage of horrible things happening to other people? This is my mother we're talking about."

"I fail to see how we are disrespecting her in doing this," argued Fujo. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

Afua did not say anything in response, opting to settle for scowling at him instead.

Taking this as a sort of reluctant agreement, Fujo pressed on. "There's one other matter I'd like to ask you about. Did you know anyone by the name of Kopa during your time here?"

He had to repress a triumphant smile as Afua's expression broke into shock and disbelief. Now the younger lion was staring him dead in the face. "How did you–"

"Was he the crown prince, before he inexplicably vanished one day?" Seeing Afua's shaky nod, Fujo tilted his head, reading his features astutely. "You were close, weren't you?"

"He was..." Afua looked away again, numbness slipping into his voice. "He was the only person I could talk to. Really talk to. He never gave me weird looks because of my eye, or freaked out when my anxiety got bad. He didn't know where I came from and he didn't care. So now that you know all that, why are you asking me about my dead best friend?"

"Because he's not dead, is he?" came Sarabi's voice from behind.

Fujo realized he had been too singularly focused on Afua to notice her approach despite their open surroundings. Doing his best to hide his surprise, he responded, "No. I met him travelling with Kumi a few nights ago. You had your suspicions, I see."

"A trusted friend told us about an encounter with him before the rockslide," she disclosed. "It's starting to add up, but there are still a few things that don't."

"And what is it you want from me, Queen Mother?" he asked cautiously.

"Please, just call me Sarabi. I came for the truth, plain and simple."

"Very well, Sarabi."

"You were at the gorge last night, so why did you wait until now to come for Queen Kumi's body?"

This was the last question he had expected, but it all made sense now. The probing questions, her insistence on accompanying them, the way she watched him like a hawk the entire time – Fujo managed to maintain his composure even as he mentally berated himself. You just had to see her body for yourself, didn't you? Amateur mistake, and now you've underestimated Sarabi. She's two steps away from figuring out–

"You see, I thought there was something familiar in your scent when I first saw you," continued Sarabi, seemingly unbothered by his silence. "It took me a while to realize that it was the same scent I caught in the gorge this morning. My mind isn't as sharp as my nose at my age, but I'm quite certain of it now."

Managing to find his voice, Fujo wrested an impressed if slightly forced smile onto his face. "There's no fooling you, Sarabi, I commend you for that. You are correct, I wanted an audience with your son and his queen and I thought this was the best way to get it. I apologize for any perceived dishonesty on my part."

Afua scoffed. "There's nothing 'perceived' about it..."

"I see your reasoning, even if I don't approve of your conduct," said Sarabi austerely. "So as I understand it, you want my son to go to war against my daughter?"

"If it means saving my pride from the threat she poses, yes," conceded Fujo. "Should I do anything less in the interest of my people?"

She nodded stiffly. "You make a fair point. But I may have a way to get us both what we want."

"And what's that?"

"Peace. You are doubtlessly many things, but war doesn't seem like something you're very fond of."

"Very true," Fujo admitted. "I mostly relied on Kumi to that end, but..." His voice trembled, nervousness blending seamlessly into the anguish.

For the first time, sympathy entered Sarabi's expression. "My condolences. To both of you."

Afua shifted, looking as if something was troubling him. "Is Janga a threat to Kopa, now that she made it out of the gorge alive?"

"Yes," responded Fujo decisively. "If she wasn't before, then she certainly is now."

His nephew's demeanour tightened. He turned to Sarabi. "I'm going with my uncle. Could you take us to my mother's body, Sarabi?"

Sarabi nodded. As she began leading them farther through the grassland away from Pride Rock, Fujo broke into a light jog so that he was keeping pace beside her. "If I may, what exactly are you planning to do?"

"The Lion Guard is tracking down Janga as we speak," she informed him. "As soon as they report back, I'm going to find her."

"Simple but effective," he remarked. "I admire it, even if it's a tad risky."

"Not to me," said Sarabi with absolute certainty. "She's not a danger to me."

Fujo could feel a disquiet growing within him as he and Afua followed her through the Pride Lands. Sarabi will complicate matters. I can't have Janga telling her about my involvement, especially when she's already suspicious of me. Worse, she could stop a war between Janga and Simba from even starting.

I must reconsider my options, and quickly. He could already tell it would take a lot to stay ahead of Sarabi.

•••

Wandering around The Hollow's uppermost walkway, Tumaini found his mind inexplicably drawn to his memories of his time here with Kumi, admiring her work from every side of the interior. Something he didn't find particularly pleasant right now, especially given what he and his father were talking about.

Malka, who had listened to Tumaini's account of the gorge without a word, turned away from the chasm he was staring blankly into. "Do you think she's still alive?"

"I don't know," Tumaini admitted dully. "I've been trying not to think about it."

"Because you're afraid to hope?" ventured the king.

"Because this is what she does, dad," snapped Tumaini in vexation. "I'm done worrying about her. I won't give her the satisfaction."

Malka shook his head wistfully. "You say that as if caring is a choice."

The younger lion scoffed. "For your information, I've gotten by fine without any of you."

"But you came back, even though you didn't want to. What would you call that?"

"Maybe I just wanted to make the moral choice," Tumaini muttered, averting his gaze. "I like to think I'd have done the same for anyone."

Malka smiled. "You're all heart, Tumaini, and I could not be more proud because of it. We didn't ruin you, despite our best efforts."

"There's something different about you too," Tumaini murmured. "You never used to be so... present."

"Yes, well, it shouldn't have taken a crisis like this to serve as my wake-up call," said Malka ruefully. "I've got a lot to make up for."

"Then I'd better give you some advice for a change. Stop thinking about making up for the past. Let all that go and focus on whoever's counting on you now. Keep them at the forefront of every decision you make. After a while, you'll stop dwelling on yourself without even realizing it."

This time Malka's smile was broader and just a bit warmer. "You sound like you speak from experience."

Tumaini flushed, pawing at a nearby fungus and accidentally rubbing its gelatin coating onto himself. "Yeah, well, maybe." He rubbed his paw against the ground to wipe off the glowing gel.

"Good advice for you as well, I think. For when we see Afua again."

"I guess it is."

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Malka lowered his voice into a gentler tone. "If you're not ready to talk about what happened, I can understand. But I have to hear it from someone, and I'd rather it be you."

Tumaini could feel it now, the crippling panic that arose within him whenever he thought about that day. His breath quickened and he felt as if he would break apart if he even spoke the first word. No, I can't do this... I can't...

•••

The shadowy form of Pride Rock was but a slight silhouette against the starry sky by the time Afua reached the rocky cove with Sarabi and Fujo. The bodies of Kumi and the Duara Vunja were laid out in a neat row, and as he averted his gaze, he was surprised to see that Simba and Nala were already there, speaking with a dishevelled Tamika who was bent over one of the corpses.

"Sarafina's turned in for the night," the king told her. "You should too."

"I'm almost finished with the last autopsy, Your Majesty," Tamika insisted. "Trust me, I can't overstate the urgency of getting this part done before they deteriorate any further. I–" She glanced up upon noticing the new arrivals, as did Simba and Nala. "Afua? You shouldn't be here."

Afua swallowed, still doing his best to look anywhere but at Kumi. "I came to return her to her people," he murmured.

"I thought you might," said Nala. Her brow creased forlornly. "We never would've made you go back to your pride. You know that, right?"

"Then don't call it 'my' pride," he scowled. "I left that behind me years ago."

"So help us understand exactly what you left behind," she implored.

Afua shook his head vigorously. "Don't ask me to do that. It hurts too much to talk about."

"'The past can hurt,'" recited Simba. "'But you can either run from it or learn from it.' What'll it be, Afua?"

Fujo stepped closer to Afua, regarding him solemnly. "Nephew, you bitterly guard your heart to spare yourself further pain. But you're not afraid of pain, I know that much – you're afraid to trust."

"And that surprises you, after what you did to me?" growled Afua.

"No, I understand completely. But we do not stand a chance against Janga on our own, and your mother knew this when she journeyed here."

Simba smiled encouragingly. "You don't have to tell us all of it. Just how you ended up in the gorge that day."

As Afua stopped to contemplate this, Tamika stood up from the corpse she was squatting next to. "All done. I can leave if you want."

"No, it's fine, I..." Afua gave a flustered sigh, peering around at the other lions. "Don't tell anyone else, alright? I'm not looking for sympathy over something that happened years ago."

"This stays between us," Nala promised.

Closing his mismatched eyes, Afua let out a long exhale, taking a moment to still his mind before casting his memory back into the most terrifying day of his life. For the first time in a long time, he found himself wishing Kopa was with him right now.

•••

"I need to know," implored Malka, his voice calm but resolute, "before I look your brother in the eye and see all the ways I failed him. Can you understand that, son?"

Tumaini bit his lip hard, but nodded wordlessly. This isn't just my mistake to fix. I know that now. The sound of lions hopping up to the walkway was heard from behind him, and he turned to see Kopa and Siri clambering onto the stone surface from the connecting bridge nearby.

The brown-furred lioness brushed some dirt off her pelt before approaching with Kopa. "Fuli's getting some sleep, so we thought we'd leave her be," she explained. "Is everything alright?"

"We're fine, Siri," Malka told her. "Would you and Kopa mind giving me a bit more time with my son?"

"It's okay," said Tumaini quietly. "I think they should know about it as well."

"Know about what?" asked Kopa.

Tumaini was surprised to find himself more at peace than he had been mere moments ago. Maybe it was relief in knowing he would soon have no more secrets, but the words came easily this time. "The day I ran away from my pride. The day I thought I murdered my brother."