The Lion King: Dawn of the Nations

Episode 56: Enkindling

While Koca took Emba, Faeze and the rescued young animals to the Hakuna Matata Falls, Kion, Faeze and Ozel talked under the cover of Pride Rock, laying down on the fresh grass casually. "They better enjoy this rest you granted them." Ozel said. "Specially your son, my exercises are thought only for cheetahs. Nonetheless, he must train his speed just as Faeze. A fast warrior is always halfway to victory."

"I agree." Kion replied with a cold tone, rather subtly. "Koca is a fierce lion, he will empower Faeze's heart and lungs, make him fierce as our boldest warriors."

"Hm." Azaad expressed with subtle praise. "Balance, I like how this is going, despite all the doubt and fear that continue to invade me inside."

"Azaad, we are all feeling the same." Kion looked in the distance, sighing when thinking about his son. "The fear that one day, they could not return. I'm sure that my father had the same fear every day, so did my mother, my sister." He looked down briefly, just focusing on the grass between his paws, then Kion glared into Azaad's eyes. "This is our burden now."

Inside Pride Rock, Kovu was talking with his mate, accompanied by Zale, Keru and Ari, all laying down in the center of the cave. "I feel a bliss right now." Kovu nuzzled his cubs. "Everything is different."

"How so?" Kiara rested her head on his.

"Just…I know it is." A tear ran down Kovu's face. "I don't have the words to describe it."

Zale nuzzled him back and then looked into his eyes. "It's okay, dad, I've felt that too."

Kovu chuckled. "I love you all." He looked at his cubs, then at Kiara and Ari. "With all my heart."

Ari smirked at him. "We love you as well, uncle. You were always there for me in Ungari, when I felt lonely, sad."

Kovu smiled back. "You're my family, Ari, and as a family, we must take care of each other, all of us."

Keru nuzzled his father's chest lovingly. "Thanks for coming back."

Kovu licked his head with tenderness. "I will never leave you, my son." Kiara licked her mate's face, chuckling blissfully along with him. A few moments later, they fell deeply asleep along with the three cubs.

Kion, Azaad and Ozel walked together under the sun of midday. "How much time do you think it will take them to find the other guardians?" Azaad inquired. "The strongest, the bravest and the keenest of sight?"

Kion thought for a moment. "The necessary." They reached an area with many trees and bushes, covering them from the sun almost completely. "The Lion Guard can't have good warriors, or even excellent warriors. It can only be conformed by the best, I knew that from the beginning and I'm sure that Emba and Faeze know that as well."

Ozel's nose twitched, then he saw the silhouette of two animals approaching from afar. "Hm, it seems you have more visitors, your majesty."

Kion sniffed a bit for a moment, catching the scent of jackals. "Yes, it must be Dogo." Kion had guessed well, Dogo and Bedor approached them, Dogo's face reflected happiness and love. "Kion." He let out a sudden chuckle, then looked at Azaad and Ozel with a raised eyebrow. "And you must be…Azaad, king of Ferezan."

"Nice to meet you, king of the Outlands." Azaad bowed his head. "This is Oz…"

"Ozel, yes." Dogo smiled at the captain of Ferezan's legions. "Brave and bold warrior you are. Thank you for everything, fighting by your side was truly an honor."

Ozel nodded politely. "The honor was mine."

Dogo let out another brief chuckle before looking at Kion again. "Kion, you surely know why have I come here."

Kion smirked. "I might have an idea." He chuckled briefly and turned, gesturing towards the caves around Pride Rock.

Garia was laying down peacefully on her side, outside of her cave, taking the sun over the soft grass, breathing the sweet smell of the flowers around her, listening to the chirping birds and the running water of the river, feeling the peace of the new life that thrived in her womb. There was a smile on her face, as if she was anticipating the return of spring, the sun of the morning, the stars of the night. "Sweetheart." She smelled the scent of her mate, her smile got bigger, as she sighed with bliss as she felt the gentle and loving lick that Dogo gave her sweetly on her cheek. "H…how've you been?" Dogo's voice was broken, as he couldn't contain the happiness he felt in his heart.

Garia chuckled as she got onto her paws and nuzzled her mate, stroking his neck caringly as tears traveled down her face. "Dogo…" She could barely speak.

Kion smiled while contemplating the scene, he then looked at Nyumbani, who had guided them there. "Garia received the best attention in her stay with us. Nyumbani has a diligent and caring soul, your mate knows it well."

Nyumbani chuckled softly and silently, blushing as she gazed at Dogo. "It was a duty I took with great pleasure. Serving a mother and her offspring, still unrevealed to the world, it always brings joy and hope to the heart."

Dogo looked at her with gratefulness. "Thank you very much, Nyumbani." He switched his gaze to Kion. "Your majesty, thank you." He bowed his head. "With your permission, I would like to take my family back to the Outlands, now that danger no longer looms over us."

Garia and Dogo left the Pride Lands, with great hope in the future, a renewed love and a royal alliance that was strong as a rock. "We should go home now." Azaad told Kion as they walked by Pride Rock. "Until tomorrow's training, Kion, make sure they are both ready." Azaad said with a quick gaze at Kion, then he turned and started to head towards Ferezan along with Ozel.

"You have my word, Azaad." Kion spoke firmly while watching the two cheetahs leave.

Kion headed to the river near the caves, wandering in his thoughts as he stepped on the grass and felt the wind caressing his face softly. When he approached the edge of the river, he sat down before it and took a look at his reflection for a long moment, then he sighed and began to drink from it. When smelling the scent of Nyumbani, he looked at her over his shoulder, without saying a word. Nyumbani just walked towards Kion and sat down by him, drinking some water as well. She contemplated the blue sky in the distance. "King of mine."

Kion had his gaze locked in the thin clouds that floated over the mountains. "Yes, Nyumbani?"

Nyumbani delayed a bit to answer. "Is everything alright now? With your sister's mate?"

Kion maintained his gaze on the same spot. "Yes it is." He replied with certainty. "Everything is alright."

"I…I am glad to hear that." Nyumbani smiled at him. "But…there is something else." Nyumbani looked at him. "I can see it in your eyes."

Kion stood silent for a moment. "Yes."

Nyumbani kept looking deeply at him. "It is your son, am I right?"

"Emba…yes." Kion nodded, lowering his gaze a bit. "He's about to live the greatest test of his life, one that will bring courage and honor, but also pain and sadness." Kion got onto his paws. "I will try my best to let him become the lion he was born to be." He began to walk away, then he stopped his steps all of a sudden, looking at Nyumbani over his back. "And that's not the only thing in my thoughts right now." Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. "But Nyumbani, I'm afraid I can't reveal what keeps me restless in these times of peace." Kion continued glaring into her eyes for a long moment, then he turned and left with slow and heavy steps.

Koca, the cubs and the calves arrived at the Hakuna Matata Falls, they gasped in awe when contemplating the crystal clear water falling into the large pool, where the plants and the fish that lived there could be seen sharply through the water as if it was a showcase, tall rocks and trees surrounded the area, with long creepers swirling all over their surface. The sun reflected on the waterfalls as a bright and dazzling shine of light. "Hevi…Kabisa." Emba expressed with great wonder.

"This place is so cool!" Faeze said.

"Yes, it is." Koca said coldly. "Get yourselves cleaned and…have fun, I guess." Koca walked towards a high flat rock, climbing it with ease and sitting down on the top to watch over the little animals. "Go." He commanded.

The cubs and calves shared gazes of joy before rushing towards the edge of the pool. Suddenly, a meerkat got in their way, having jumped out of nowhere and getting before them with his arms extended. "Hey hey, what do you think you're doing?!" The meerkat was light brown furred, he had a long red tuft and some deep scars on his body, and one of his eyes was severely scratched, having a long mark there.

Koca sighed. "Just what I needed…" He mumbled and climbed down the rock rapidly.

"We…we just want to take a bath and, maybe have some fun?" Emba said, a bit unsettled by the meerkat's attitude.

"Well, bad news for ya, this is my home and I'm no planning to shar…" The meerkat got interrupted.

"Usu…" Koca approached the meerkat with authority, standing before him. "You know this is a public area."

"So? My place is there." Usu pointed at a set of leaves and sticks that formed a small refuge. "So, that makes this place mine, doesn't it?"

"No." Koca sentenced with a cold stare.

"What happened to your eye?" Faeze inquired randomly.

"That's not of your business." The meerkat crossed his arms and looked away, pretending indignation for a couple of seconds. "Well if you wanna know so badly, it's a very good story, an epic s…"

"Usu, you know that the royal family has a great respect for your grandfather." Koca took a step at the front, Usu didn't move a muscle, he maintained his upset gaze focused on Koca's. "The King himself ordered me to take these younglings here, and that means you must assume that order as well, as Kion's subject."

Usu stood silent for a moment, still frowning, then he looked at the cubs, just looking into their innocent eyes while also noticing their dirty fur, specially Emba's. Usu sighed and looked at Koca. "Alright, but make it brief, they bathe and they're gone. I have to take my power nap, you know?"

"Believe me, I want to leave as soon as possible." Koca replied.

Usu looked back at the cubs. "Alright guys, you may pass." He made a quick warning gesture. "But briefly! Briefly!" The cubs yelled with joy as they rushed towards the pool. "Wa wa wait g…!" With their quick and reckless steps, the young lions, cheetahs and rhinos pushed Usu and made him fall into the water along with them. Koca chuckled at the event and then just returned to his previous spot on the rock, keeping a vigilant eye on the cubs and calves. Usu got his head out of the water, spitting water and looking at the younglings with annoyance. "Couldn't you have waited until I got out of the way?!" He grunted.

"Hey, so… are you Timon's grandson?" Emba swum towards Usu.

Usu wiped some water off his face. "Mhm."

"Oh, that is cool. My father told me the story, how he and his friend Pumba took care of my grandfather." Emba just kept floating next to him, same as Faeze.

"Yeah…" Usu expressed nostalgically, looking in the distance "He was the bomb." He thought for a moment. "They were all…awesome, actually." He just stood silent after that.

"Uhm…Usu, I still wanna know what happened to your eye." Faeze said. "You said it is a good story, so…"

"Yeah I would like to hear it." Emba said.

"Uhm…maybe later, it's not that good now that I think about it." Usu scratched his nape while glaring into the water. "So…you are the son of the king, that must be very neat." He looked at Emba with a made up smirk, as there was still a lot of nostalgia in his heart.

"Yes, well…it's cool, I guess." Emba replied.

"My dad is a king as well." Faeze added. "King of Ferezan."

"Oh that new kingdom? Or is it like part of the Pride Lands?" Usu sighed. "Politics, I've never understood them, and I don't think I need to, Hakuna Matata, you know?" Usu laid his back on the surface of the water, just swimming casually around the two friends. "No worries, no problems…" He chuckled. "Definitely no politics." Usu wandered in his own thoughts for a moment, but the story that intrigued the two cubs was waiting on the tip of his tongue. Usu let out a sigh and straightened up, looking at the cubs again. "Okay, you really wanna know how 'this' happened, huh?" He pointed at his damaged eye.

"Yes!" Emba and Faeze adopted attentive ears and eyes as they floated in the fresh water.

"Hmm, okay. Where should I start?" Usu scratched his lower jaw. "Oh, I got it!"

The moon shined greatly over the Hakuna Matata Falls, the blissful sound of the water falling, the singing of the crickets and nocturnal birds, mixed with the dim light of the fireflies made a peaceful and timeless atmosphere. Usu laid between his parents, under the cover of the small cave that was their home. Usu groaned as he rubbed his belly. "Ungh…My stomach hurts."

Usu's mother let out a brief chuckle while embracing her son. "You ate too many insects, Usu."

"You're just like your grandpa." His father yawned. "His stomach was like a bottomless pit." He chuckled along with his mate and Usu. "'Bring me more of those beetles, Tunde!'. Just when I hoped it was the last bite, he asked for more." Tunde kept chuckling.

"Yeah…" Usu chuckled softly. "Oh, I miss him. And nana Asha." He rested his head on his mother's shoulder.

"You were her 'peanut'." Tunde smirked while looking at the creepers that covered the rocky ceiling. "And…she called you 'Flower', didn't she, Nia?"

Nia chuckled. "Mhm." She sighed with nostalgia while caressing her son's tuft. "They are with Mungu now, enjoying the unending fields that await us."

"You really think so?" Usu inquired with sadness.

"I know it, sweet." Nia kissed his forehead tenderly.

Usu yawned. "G…good night, mom. Dad." Usu embraced his mother as he was falling asleep.

"Have sweet dreams, Usu." Nia replied.

Tunde yawned. "Rest well." He turned to lay on his side.

The air was light, barely moving the smallest of leaves, the crickets had stopped singing, only the sound of the falling water was present, until the steps and heavy breathing of an intruder woke up the three meerkats. "Ahh!" Nia screamed when seeing the eyes of the famished jackal that was approaching them as he licked his flews, looking at the three meerkats with a smile while he grunted, his teeth standing out in the dark.

"Run, run!" Tunde exclaimed while embracing his son and jumping to the side just in time as the jackal had jumped towards them. The canid screeched after his snout hit the rocky wall.

Nia had also avoided the jackal's attack. "To the burrow! Now!" She ran towards the cave's exit along with Tunde and Usu, but the jackal approached them quickly with his agile paws, so Usu, knowing they really didn't stand a chance in a race against such a rival, stopped his steps and turned to face the intruder. "You want some? Get it then!" Usu jumped at the jackal's face and clung to it, punching the eyeball of the jackal aggressively. "Go!" He told his mother while holding from the canid's face.

"Usu!" Nia exclaimed with great fear and anguish.

The jackal screeched and grunted while shaking and jumping continuously to get him off his face. "Ngh… go! Just go!" Usu insisted as he squeezed the jackal's eye with his paw.

"No!" Tunde yelled and rushed towards the jackal, getting right behind his hind leg and clinging to it, biting it hard.

Nia was trembling with great worry and anguish. "Tunde! Usu!" She cried as she stood before the scene, too scared to go fight the canid as her mate and son were doing. The jackal shook his hind leg violently, forcing Tunde to let go off it and go all the way towards one of the rocky walls, hitting a pointy area with the back of his head and falling to the ground. "Tunde!"

"Dad!" Usu exclaimed with the same anguish and worry as his mother, the jackal then shook his head downwards aggressively, smashing Usu against the ground.

"Ngh! Gah!" Usu gasped and groaned as the hard rock hurt his back. The beast tried to bite Usu, but he dodged the attack, making the canid hurt his snout again. Usu approached the jackal as fast as he could, as his back ached tremendously. With a scream of battle, he jumped towards the jackal, who threw a strong blow at his face, scratching his eye, Usu screamed with great pain as he fell over the ground, covering his bleeding eye while trying to stand up. The jackal rushed towards him, everything he desired in that moment was ending with Usu's life, more than just filling his belly with him. With motherly tears and screams, full of pain and sorrow, but also with love and courage, Nia got between the jackal and her son, who was still struggling to get up. The jackal opened his jaws and then bit Nia strongly, she let out a brief scream that expressed pure pain and suffering as the sharp teeth of the jackal and his strong jaws crushed her body.

Usu had managed to get on one knee, what he saw with his now only working eye shook his heart and soul like an earthquake, his gaze flared like fire, thunderous and penetrating. He let out a loud scream of rage and sorrow, rushing towards the jackal with a renewed vigor. The jackal dropped Nia's body to confront Usu, then threw a strong blow at Usu's side, sending him to the rocky wall. The young meerkat hit the hard surface strongly, groaning and falling to the ground, bleeding from the scratches on his side and his eye, hearing the menacing and mocking growls of the approaching jackal. Usu panted and groaned constantly as he felt the ground around him, until he found a rock that was a bit bigger than his hand, which he grabbed, holding it with strength as he focused his gaze on the jackal's face, and right when the jackal was about to open his snout, Usu threw the rock strongly at him, hitting his forehead. The jackal screeched and backed away, stumbling and walking randomly, hurt and disoriented, bleeding from the deep wound caused by the sharp rock.

Usu walked slowly towards the jackal, breathing in and out rapidly, covering his wounded side as he observed how the disoriented jackal was getting close to the edge of the cave, which was over a tall cliff that led to the pool. Usu just kept taking cautious steps towards the jackal, watching him screeching and approaching the edge. The jackal's hind leg stepped on it, making a couple of loose rocks fall, causing him to stumble and let out a screech of fear. In that very moment, Usu screamed again, willing to end with the jackal's life already, rushing towards him despite of the great pain he felt on his eye, side and back.

Usu tackled the jackal's hind leg, making the canid fall down along with him, all the way down to the pool. They both dived in the water, Usu swam instinctively as he reached for the jackal's body inside of the water, the ferocious animal tried to throw erratic blows and kicks in the water, Usu held tightly onto his back, letting the canid take them both to the surface with his instinctive kicks, being able to reach the grassy side of the pool, struggling to climb it to get completely out of the water. Usu took advantage of this and just climbed the jackal's head to reach the green poolside. The hurt and bleeding meerkat got on his knees, exhausted, feeling his end coming, trembling by the pain, just looking at the struggling jackal, whose strength seemed to be diminishing by the second.

After several failed attempts, the eyes of the jackal lost all the light in them, and with a last breath, the jackal's paws let go off the muddy and grassy side of the pool, sinking slowly into the deep. Usu let out a gasp of astonishment and relief, then he dropped himself onto the ground, grasping the grass very tightly while clenching his teeth, starting to cry deeply, not because of the pain on his wounds or the sudden escape from his fatal destiny. Usu's heart and soul were severely more damaged than his body.

Usu stood silent for a moment, with a sad gaze, sitting on the poolside, playing with the water with his legs as he watched the waves form. The two cubs floated before him, looking at him with great pity. Usu looked at them, forcing a smirk and a chuckle. "And…that's how a meerkat kills a jackal." He winked at them.

Emba and Faeze weren't sure on what to reply. "Uhm…sorry for…for what happened to your parents." Faeze said.

"I'm sorry too." Emba added. "I lost my mom not too long ago. I still feel that…" He shook his head while trying to look away from them, trying to hide the tears that were forming on his eyes. "…that p…" He had a great lump in his throat. He decided to stop talking, closing his eyes while looking down. A tear managed to escape and travel down the fur of his face.

Usu locked his gaze on Emba's face of sadness. "Sorry."

There was a long silence between them, until Faeze spoke to Usu again. "You were very brave." He smirked at him. "Facing that jackal."

"Yeah, I was, right?" Usu chuckled with cockiness.

Emba had calmed down, his eyes widened when realizing who they had just found. He looked at Usu, swimming to get a bit closer to him. "Usu, I have a proposal for you." Emba smiled at him with an inviting and certain gaze.