Chima, Lion City

Laval stood in silence on the city walls, gazing at the sunny horizon. He had to admit, the view of the plain and the Sanctuary Forest beyond it was rather beautiful. But it just wasn't the same without Li'Ella there with him. The past five years had been rather difficult for him to handle, knowing that when he woke up every day, Li'Ella wouldn't be there to say good morning to him, to engage in a playful tussling match every now and then, or to sit beside the Sacred Pool and reminisce on days gone by. Thinking of her now, Laval let out a long, sorrowful sigh of longing.

A sudden voice calling his name startled him. He whirled his head around and saw his father, Lagravis, standing just a few feet away from him. "Oh, Dad, it's you." Laval exclaimed. "I thought someone wanted me to discuss battle plans or something."

"My son," Lagravis replied, "I've noticed that you have been coming out here more and more often." He placed a paw around Laval and continued, "Tell me, is anything the matter?"

"Well, I…" Laval stammered, struggling to find the words to describe how he felt. Finally, he simply burst out with, "I can't seem to get Li'Ella out of my mind! It's been five years since I last saw her! Five years! And I, well, I…I don't know, I…" His voice trailed off as the secret he'd been trying to hide for so long finally made itself known.

"I believe I understand exactly what you're going through, Laval." Lagravis answered. "I too felt the same way when your mother died—as if the world had ended for me."

"You miss Mom, don't you?" Laval asked for the hundredth time.

"Every day, my son! Even after all these years, I still find myself remembering what it was like when she was alive by my side. I remember how wonderful it was to hear her laugh." The king's voice grew sorrowful as he said, " I remember the first, and last, time she held you in her arms. You had just been born, and already I knew that you were not just any cub—you were my cub. Mine…and Leona's." Lagravis brushed back a few tears as he finished, "I remember…the last words Leona, your mother, ever said to me. She said, 'Lagravis, our cub—our cub—will grow up to do great things. I know it in my heart.'"

"I…I guess she was right." Laval commented, starting to cheer up a little—not too much, but a little.

"Oh, my son," Lagravis stated, "I know she was right. Who else but you could have brought us back the Legend Beasts, stopped a civil war between the tribes, found and brought back Lavertus, led a team of eight heroes to trigger a Second Illumination, and discovered that the long-lost legendary CHI-wielder, Lupo, still lived?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't all me. I could never have done any of those things without my friends by my side." Laval exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment.

"You're right, and that is exactly why I am proud to call you my son." Lagravis then proceeded to hug Laval, who gladly returned the embrace. "Thanks, Dad." Laval whispered gratefully.

The moment was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Lavertus calling out, "Hate to break up the moment, but it seems that your friend Lupo has returned with a whole entourage of familiar faces. I believe some of them may be of the, um, canine variety."

Looking up in surprise, Laval gasped as he realized what his uncle meant. "Where? Where did you see them?" he asked excitedly.

Lavertus chuckled at his nephew's enthusiasm and answered, "I believe I spotted them entering the Citadel just a few minutes ago." He then grinned and added in his typical fashion, "Or did I?"

Laval wasted no time in bolting past Lavertus, down the stairs, and into the Lion Citadel, where the CHI was collected and prepared for distribution among the tribes. Sure enough, there was Lupo with several companions, three of which Laval recognized right off the bat—and who recognized him in return.

"Laval!" three pups cried out at once.

"Chase! Rex! Rubble! You came back!" the Lion Prince cried out in joy as he raced towards the group. The three pups he'd addressed dashed towards him and tackled him, nearly smothering him in happy licks.

"Okay! Okay! Stop it, please!" Laval cried out helplessly, throwing up his paws to shield his face. The pups gladly obliged, and Laval got back on his feet in a flash. Then he asked in wonder, "Who are your friends here?"

"These are Cole, Arin, Kirby, Kito, Hiccup, and Astrid." Chase explained, pointing each out in turn. Each one gave a slight wave, except for Hiccup, who stepped forward and held out his hand for Laval to shake. Laval gave a quick handshake and then turned to Lupo. "So, Lupo, did you and Mallik see anything while out on patrol?"

"Yeah, about that," the Golden Retriever pup said timidly, "We need to gather the army together for an emergency meeting. Two Elemental Hunters were spotted, and from what I heard, they're planning to attack the Lion City directly!"

"What?!" Laval cried out in shock. But before anyone could answer his outburst, Longtooth, one of the Lion Guards, came rushing into the Citadel as fast as his legs could carry him. "Laval, there's someone out front who's asked to see you. She says it's urgent."

"Is it Eris?" Laval asked. "I thought she just left for her patrol shift."

"Not…exactly." Longtooth stammered. "I think you might want to see this for yourself." Once again, Laval wasted no time in bolting out of there. As he approached the Lion Gate, he suddenly spotted a strangely clad figure running up the steps. A sudden gasp escaped his lips as he recognized who the figure was.

"Li'Ella?! Li'Ella!" he cried out in joy. "Laval!" Li'Ella cried in return as she rushed to meet him. The two shared a joyful embrace as the Land team came out to meet them.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Laval and Li'Ella exclaimed at the same time. Then both chuckled as they realized they'd spoken simultaneously. But Laval's spirits fell when Li'Ella pulled away and said, "Laval, I'm afraid I didn't come here just to see you. Something's happened, and I'm going to need as much help as I can get."

"What kind of something?" Laval asked, his worry returning.

Li'Ella answered by whistling, and a young Clouded Leopard came rushing up the stairs towards her. "Everyone," Li'Ella exclaimed, "this is Liam. I rescued him after his village was attacked—just a few hours ago."

"Attacked?" Lupo asked. "How? By whom?"

"Elemental Hunters." Liam answered. "They burned my village, looking for young Elementals to capture. Li'Ella rescued me just in time, but she couldn't save my friend, Lyla." His face fell with sorrow, and Lupo shuddered in fear. Clearly, those two Hunters he'd spotted weren't the only ones out there. They had an army, an army that could attack the Lion City at any moment.

"Does Lyla have powers?" Laval asked.

"Yes, she and I both have Elemental Powers." Liam answered. "But if those Hunters find out about us, they'll…"

"We won't let that happen." Kito spoke up.

"Yeah!" Arin exclaimed. "We may be small in numbers, but if we work together, we can beat back those Hunters and save this realm!"

"And Astrid and I have been in our share of battles, so we'll be glad to offer any help we can." Hiccup added.

"Really? You really would help us?" Liam asked.

"Of course!" Rubble declared. "That's what we do!"

"Then let's do this—together!" Laval exclaimed. He raised his sword into the air and cried, "FOR CHIMA!"

"FOR CHIMA!" everyone else echoed. Laval glowed with excitement. His friends had returned, Li'Ella was found, and as long as they worked together, nothing could stand in their way!