The Lion King: Dawn of the Nations

Episode 58: Linked

As the crickets sung and the moonlight entered Pride Rock's cave shyly, Kovu, Kiara and Keru snuggled together in peace, Kiara had fallen asleep already while Kovu and his little son were still awake. "I didn't have the chance to meet them today, the new cubs." Keru said with disappointment. "Now that Zale and the others will be busy with, well, the Guard."

Kovu nuzzled his head. "I'll take you with them tomorrow, I'm sure they'll like you."

"You think so?" Keru inquired with doubt, yet with a noticeable excitement.

"Of course, Keru." Kovu licked his head, making him smirk and giggle. "You're kind and docile, playful."

Keru nuzzled his father's chest. "Thanks, daddy."

Kovu licked his head caringly. "I love you, son."

"I…" Keru yawned. "…love you too."

Kion walked pensively around Pride Rock, being closely followed by his daughter. His ears twitched as he heard her cautious steps over the grass behind him, having also detected her scent time ago. "You should be sleeping, Ari."

Ari sighed. "I can't." She walked through the tall grass and approached her father.

"Is there something troubling you?" Kion inquired.

"Yes." Ari looked into his anguished and uncertain eyes. "You."

Kion raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Me? I'm alright, don't lose your sleep because of me, Ari."

"You seem distracted." Ari and Kion walked down a sloping path with several sets of big rocks and trees on their way. "I…I don't know how to explain but…" She sighed. "Whatever it is, I really hope you figure it out." Ari nuzzled his front leg.

Kion stood silent for a long moment. "I've been…" He looked into the stars. "…I've been thinking about your mother."

The grass caressed Ari's little and delicate paws like a soft carpet as she and her father walked with the dazzling light of the moon right above them. "Me too, I think about her every day, I want to feel her next to me again, her…" Her voice began to break. "…her nuzzles, her caresses…" Ari started to cry. "…her advice."

"Oh, come here." Kion brought her closer to him with his paw, she rested her head on his chest as he stroked her head with his lower jaw. "I miss her too, so much." He sat down on the soft grass along with his daughter, she kept laying her head against the warm fur of Kion's chest. "Her departure is a wound in my heart that will never heal, neither in yours, my sweet Ari." She continued sobbing as her soul found comfort in the deep and fatherly voice of Kion. "I see her in you, every day you become more like her, as beautiful and smart like her." Kion licked her head tenderly. "You have her eyes, the color of her fur, her sweet and determined voice."

Ari's crying began to decrease. "She was a warrior and a queen, strong and wise just as you, but…how could I ever be like her, do what she did?"

Kion kept nuzzling her. "My sweet, I assure you that you will become a great lioness, honorable and worthy of respect."

Ari sobbed quietly. "I'm a bit worried, about tomorrow." She glared down as the warmth of her father's fur calmed her senses. "What if I mess up?"

"Your aunt is a great huntress, she will teach you everything that she knows, as well as Zuri and Tiifu." Kion patted her back.

Ari remained with doubtful thoughts in her mind, but she felt reassured and calm nonetheless, as the words and care of her father warmed up her heart and soul as the sun heats up the savannah every morning. "Thanks, dad."

Kion licked her cheek. "Anytime, my princess."

Zale, Faeze and Usu slept peacefully in their lair, laying on the fresh rock, close to each other. Emba was sitting on the edge of the pool under the hole that let the moonlight enter and illuminate the crystal clear water. Zale yawned and stretched, then he woke up by a sudden thirst he felt. After a couple of blinks and another yawn, Zale got onto his paws and walked towards Emba, wondering what was troubling him, as he could see the anguish and worry in his young face. "Hey." Zale approached him and sat down next to him, then began to drink water from the pool.

"Hey." Emba replied coldly.

Zale let out a sigh of relief as his thirst had been satiated. "Can't sleep?"

"It's hard." Emba shook his head, having his gaze lost on the subtle waves that the wind caused in the water. "What am I gonna do?"

"With what?" Zale looked at him with attentive ears and eyes.

Emba sighed. "This, the Guard." He lowered down his head. "I'm not my father, I'm not…Askari. How will I protect the Pride Lands? I'm…" He looked into Zale's eyes. "...I'm not worthy of this, I feel I'm fooling myself here." He looked at Faeze and Usu briefly, who were sleeping peacefully. "I don't want to disappoint them."

Zale thought for a moment, studying his hopeless look, full of fear and uncertainty. He placed a paw on his back and smirked at him, getting a doubtful look from his cousin. "Don't be afraid." He nuzzled his cheek caringly. "You're not alone, you will never be."

Emba felt a lump in his throat. "They are my responsibility, I don't wanna lose them, how will I overcome such th..?"

"I've told you…" Zale rested his head against his as he stroked his back with his paw. "Don't be afraid, Mungu has ordered the lions in the sky to keep a watchful eye on the Guard, and specially on you, their leader and bearer of the Roar."

Emba looked at Zale with doubt. "Mungu?" He sighed. "You keep mentioning him, as if you knew him. What if he's just…I don't know, a legend, a…myth."

Zale got thoughtful for a moment, then he began to walk away. "Come, I want you to see something.

"Zale?" Emba said, staying still.

"Come." Zale insisted, keeping walking towards one of the cave's tunnels.

Emba hesitated for a few moments, then he let out a sigh of resignation and started to follow Zale into the dark cave. "I can't see anyth…" Emba hit his forehead with a low part of the rocky ceiling. "Ouch!"

"Careful, the path is narrow here." Zale warned.

"And now you tell me?" Emba complained.

The two young lions finally arrived at an area that was also illuminated by the moonlight that entered through an aperture on the rocky ceiling. There was a big painting that covered the entirety of the rocky walls that surrounded them. Emba glared at the painting that depicted a white lion "I've looked at these before, Zale, I don't kn…"

"That white lion there, he is Mungu." Zale remained silent and deeply moved by the painting for a moment. "He created everything, the mountains, the…rivers, the lakes, trees…" Zale glared at Emba. "...us, and all of the animals we know…and the ones we don't."

"It is a good story for sure, but I…" Emba gasped with fright when spotting the painting of a lion with menacing red eyes, deep and hypnotic, surrounded by a crimson fire.

Zale raised an eyebrow while approaching his cousin. "What?"

"Wh…" Emba was trembling with fear, he tried his best to hide it but Zale could notice anyway. "Who is that?"

Zale stood next to him while contemplating the vivid painting. "Giza." He looked at Emba with a serious glare. "The traitor."

Emba was lost in the red eyes of the painting as if he had fallen in a lake of blood, he smelled it's metallic scent and tasted it's flavor as well. "Wh…who did he…betray?" He was losing his breath, as if he was getting choked.

Zale placed a paw on his shoulder, caressing his fur softly while looking into the painting along with him. "Mungu." Zale thought for a moment to remember. "He used to serve him, but one day he just…" He shrugged a bit. "…rebelled." Zale looked into Emba's eyes, who were tightly locked in the red eyes of Giza, which Emba began to see bleeding. "It's…it's all I know so far." He shook his head. "I still need to study the paintin…" He looked at Emba with concern. "Emba." His cousin didn't reply. "Emba, hey." Zale shivered as a cold wind passed through his body. "Emba!" He yelled loudly.

Emba gasped, falling to the ground, inhaling and exhaling as if he had been saved from drowning. He broke into tears after so, still laying on the ground. Zale got close to him and patted his face. "Emba, Emba you're safe, you are safe I'm here." Zale looked around briefly by the confusion he felt, then looked at Emba again. "Emba…"

Emba sobbed. "He w…" Zale helped him get onto his paws, letting his cousin cry on his shoulder. "He was in…in one of my dreams, it was him!"

Zale stroked his head with his lower jaw. "You saw Giza?"

"It was him, Zale." Emba kept crying. "Those red eyes, that darkness…that…feeling."

"He can't hurt you…" Zale nuzzled his face. "He can't, you have Mungu's protection, as I've told you."

"Are you sure?" Emba looked into Zale's eyes, with a vulnerable gaze.

"I am sure, I know it." Zale reassured. "He wanders…Giza, he wants to destroy the Circle of Life forever, he hates everything about it." Zale thought for a moment. "That's why he's targeting you."

"Why don't Mungu just kill him or…make him vanish?" Emba inquired with great doubt and confusion.

"I…I don't know. I still have a lot to learn about..." Zale looked around. "…this whole thing."

Emba looked down, breathing in and out between calmer sobs. "That dream happened last night, I thought I'd never seen him again, I thought it was just…a bad creation of my mind." He looked at Zale once again. "…but I was wrong."

Zale placed a paw on his face, smirking with a reassuring expression. "You'll all be alright, we'll be alright."

Emba nodded, feeling a great relief in his heart, letting out a sudden chuckle. "We will, right?"

"Mhm." Zale rested his forehead against his. "Mungu chose you for a reason, he wants you here, leading the Guard."

"Well, it was my dad, actually." Emba just said.

"I know I know, but, it's not a coincidence, Emba, nothing is." Zale said before yawning. "Now, why don't we get some sleep, huh?"

Emba yawned as well. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

When hearing the two lions returning to their sleeping place in the cave, Usu closed his eyes, pretending to had been sleeping all the time, because he had been awaken by Zale's scream for Emba back in the other area.