Getting Acquainted With The Locals

Leo thought he would've died from his wounds that he gained from fighting those anthropomorphic hyenas, yet, feeling some pain in his back and shoulder, it would seem that he didn't.

Of course, the pain was the first thing he sensed as he gained consciousness. The second thing he sensed was that he was laid on what he guessed was a bed.

This caused him to open his now heavy eyelids and was even more surprised to learn that he looked to be in a round hut made of mud and grass. He looked around and saw pots and bowls and then he looked down and saw that he was laying on a mattress made with straw.

Another thing he noticed was that his shirt was taken off and had, much to his confusion, leaves wrapped around him, clearly as some kind of bandage for his wounds.

Leo heard what sounded like people chatting and doing whatever it was they were doing in their village.

All of this made him remember that people had found him just before he blacked out. Those people from the village at that rock formation he saw must've saved him.

Wanting to thank them, he sat up, struggling through the pain from his wounds, and then he slowly got to his feet.

Each step he took to the tarp that acted as a door to outside caused more pain to shoot up from his wounds, but he pushed through it.

However, he only got halfway there when the tarp moved and in came another sight that shocked Leo, this time with utter fear.

In came an anthropomorphic lion. And this lion was not only tall, but he was also huge. His arms were like tree trunks and his chest was so large that it could be a wall on its own and broad shoulders. His pelt was a golden yellow while his muzzle, paws and underbelly were paler in comparison. He also had a truly impressive red mane, matching his eyes. And he wore extravagant tribal clothes.

The lion froze upon seeing Leo on his feet and before anything else happened, Leo's fear was too much and he fainted.

"He just fainted?"

"Yes. The moment he laid on me."

"He was probably afraid of you, Your Highness."

"Then I guess he'd be afraid of the rest of us."

"We'll just have to show that we don't mean to hurt him. We did bring him to Rafiki to heal him, after all."

"Not to mention, he's the one we've been waiting for. That mark on his arm proves it. So there isn't any need to hurt him at all."

"Though Scar would say otherwise."

"I've already talked to him and settled the matter."

All of these voices are what Leo first heard when he gained consciousness yet again. Almost all were female, except for one. The odd one out was male, as well as deep and measured. And there seemed to be four of them as a group.

And from what they were all saying, it seemed that they were the ones that saved him and that they apparently have been waiting for him, all because of that mark on his arm. But why? What's so special about it? Did it have to do with that roar that somehow came out of his mouth?

And who was this Scar? It seems that he and the male, a king since he's referred to as 'Your Highness', had an argument, since the male sounded frustrated.

Deciding that he had to let them know he was conscious, he shifted a bit and groaned.

"Your Highness, he's waking up." One of the females said, her voice sounding soft yet hardened, like she was a warrior of some kind.

"Good, the rest of you wait outside. It's best that he slowly gets used to us." The deep male voice replied and then Leo heard three sets of footsteps make their way out of the hut, the tarp moving as they did.

Preparing himself for the fact that he'll come face to face with a lion, Leo finally opened his eyes and looked to see the same male from earlier sitting by the mattress. Leo looked into his eyes and saw no ill intent towards him.

"Hello." Leo greeted him with a small bow with his head as he sat up.

"Hello, young man. I'm sorry if I gave you a fright earlier." The lion greeted back with an apology.

"It's alright. I'm just not used to seeing a lion up close. And one that didn't seem interested in eating me." Leo replied, which made the lion chuckle, which helped ease Leo's nerves.

"It's more than understandable. It's also not everyday for us to come across a new animal that we have never seen before." The lion reasoned, to which Leo realised he hadn't seen any other human since he woke up in the savannah. And based on what he was just told, he's the only one.

"If you don't mind my asking? Who are you? So far, I've only heard you being referred to as 'Your Highness. And how long have I been out for?" He then asked.

"Fair enough, my name is Mufasa, and as you've realised I am king of the Pride Lands." The lion, now Mufasa, introduced himself. "And you've been out for two days."

"The Pride Lands?" Leo repeated. "Two days?" Looks like those wounds Shenzi gave him were more severe than expected.

"The kingdom that I control and look over as its king. It's a duty passed down by many lions of the past." Mufasa explained. "Can you please tell me your name?"

"My name is Leo. In fact, my first name actually means 'lion'." Leo replied, making the connection just now.

"Is that so?" Mufasa said, a look of intrigue now present on his face. "Did your parents know that when they gave you that name?"

"I don't know." Leo said. "I never knew my parents. They died when I was only a baby. I was raised by others, guardians."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Mufasa said sympathetically. "You must miss them."

"Not really. They never treated me well. All they cared about was themselves. The only one that cared for me was a neighbour named Jabari."

"Jabari?" Mufasa repeated in surprise. "That's my father's name. Do you remember how you came to the Pride Lands?"

"I don't. Because the last thing I remember before I woke up in the Pride Lands was going to sleep in my bed. But I did hear a faint voice speak just before I dozed off."

"What did it say?" Mufasa asked. Leo noticed behind him that the tarp moved slightly and saw a curious eye peek through the gap. And based on how low to the ground it was, it must be a child.

"It only said 'it is time'. And I'm sure that it was Jabari." Leo replied, leaving Mufasa a bit more surprised than he was before.

"I guess you really are the one." He muttered.

"But what does that mean? What does it have to do with this mark?" Leo pointed to said mark on his arm. "And what about that roar? I shouldn't be able to do that, my kind doesn't do that."

"Don't worry. All will be explained." Mufasa assured him, patting his left shoulder gently before handing him an all white tribal shirt. "Come with me. And I'll show my pride."

As Mufasa got to his feet, Leo put the shirt on carefully to not be in more pain than he already is.

Once he was done, Mufasa helped him up on his feet and led him to the tarp, where the child no longer looked through.

Mufasa opened the tarp and sunlight beamed in, blinding Leo for a moment as he exited the hut.

Once his eyes adjusted, the sight he saw before him left him speechless.

What he saw was a thriving village, full of anthropomorphic lions, around twenty to fifty of them. From what he sees right now, there was a large hut where cute looking children come into and out of, like it was a school of some kind, there was a group of lions, all of whom had various different coloured manes, that looked like they just arrived from a hunt, since a couple of them carried zebras on their shoulders and he saw that there was some training nearby in a fenced circle with a young lion cub and their trainer.

"Unbelievable." Leo said aloud, just so transfixed until he saw that all these huts were in the shadow of the rock formation he saw when he first woke up in the Pride Lands.

It was even more impressive up close. There was a peak that looked out at the Pride Lands and above it was a tall summit and at its base was an extravagant tarp, which Leo guessed was where Mufasa lived, which made sense.

"What you are looking at is called Pride Rock, where us lions have lived for centuries." Mufasa explained with a grin, due to Leo's reaction of awe and shock.

"Truly impressive." Leo told him.

"I was wondering when he'd be back up on his feet."

Leo looked in the direction to where he heard that female voice and was even more shocked, practically stunned into silence.

In front of him and Mufasa were a group of six lionesses. And to say they were breathtaking would be an understatement. They would make human models and beauty figures look like nothing in comparison.

Most of the lionesses all wore minimal blue coloured clothes, fully displaying their bodies, which were athletic, well built and very feminine. And they all carried weapons, ranging from spears, bows and arrows and swords.

Of course, what caught Leo's attention was their bodies. All of them had the kinds of bodies that men, and women, would drool over. Their breasts were larger than the average human woman's and their hips and thighs were large, no doubt their butts were large as well.

"Mufasa, is our guest alright?" The one in the middle said with her gentle, maternal and lower pitched voice. Her main pelt looked like it was a creamy brown with her chest, muzzle, eye rims and paws being a tan colour. She also had dark ear rims and a brown nose, along with orange eyes.

She was the only one to wear a dress, starts right over her chest and goes all the way down except for a slit over her left leg. And she had the largest hips and thighs Leo had ever seen on a woman.

"I'd say he's more than alright, Sarabi." Mufasa chuckled at Leo's expression, knowing why he was speechless with his jaw dropped, which snapped Leo out of his shock.

"Sorry. I'm just… not used to seeing women this… striking before." Leo replied, hoping he didn't come off as creepy, which seemed to be the case as Sarabi chuckled along with some of the other lionesses.

"Well, young man, we lionesses are unashamed of our bodies. Might as well display them proudly." Sarabi said as she walked up to Leo and Mufasa, holding paws with the latter. "As my husband already said, I am Sarabi, making me queen of the Pride Lands."

"Well, you definitely look like a queen." Leo said, making Sarabi and Mufasa laugh.

"You're such a charming young man, aren't you?" Sarabi said with a grin, making Leo blush.

"Don't exclude us." One of the lionesses said, getting their attention.

"Oh, my apologies. Leo, these are some of the Mlezi, the royal guard. They serve and protect the royal family along with going on hunts. They are among the bravest and most skilled in all of our pride." Mufasa explained and all the guard bowed to Leo.

"What are your names?" Leo asked, curious enough that he wouldn't mind getting to know them.

"My name is Amana." The first of the five introduced herself with her rather stern and hardened voice. She had a darker pelt compared to Sarabi and had green eyes. She distinctly has muscular arms, much more than the other lionesses, and she was the tallest of them, also having a more masculine face. Leo definitely made sure that he was never going to get on her bad side.

"I am Aziza." The next lioness introduced herself with a soft and gentle voice. She looked to be the shortest and the most plump out of the five. Her pelt was more in line with Mufasa's and her eyes were blue. She looked like the kind of person that you just want to hug.

"Lela." The third lioness was a few inches shorter than Leo and her pelt was brown and her eyes were yellow. She seemed to be the most slim and plain with her feminine body parts being not as large as the others.

"Shani, Lela's twin sister." The fourth lioness in comparison was a few inches taller than Leo and her pelt was just as brown as Lela's but her eyes were red. She was slim like her twin, but with a more muscular frame.

"And I'm Nia." The fifth and final lioness introduced herself and Leo recognised her soft yet hardened voice. In fact, she was the voice he heard when he first blacked out from his wounds. He also noticed how, unlike the other four, Nia seemed to be the youngest of them, looking like she was around Leo's age of seventeen. She was also the most eye-catching, excluding Sarabi. Her body was nothing short of voluptuous with an hourglass figure. Her pelt was the same colour as Sarabi's with purple eyes, which Leo thought made her seem very exotic.

"Nice to meet you. I hope we'll get along." Leo said to all five of them, his eyes lingering on Nia longer than the rest.

"As long as you behave, we just might." Amana said sternly, making Leo gulp.

"Amana, there's no need to make our guest nervous, especially since he'll end up working alongside you." Sarabi told her off gently.

"Alongside them?" Leo repeated what she said, wondering what she meant.

"Come with us, Leo, we'll explain everything." Mufasa said and both he and Sarabi led Leo towards Pride Rock, the Mlezi following and surrounding them.

As they made their way through the village, a lot of the people would pause and stare at Leo. They'd point and whisper to each other and he'd hear what they were saying.

"It's him,"

"He made that roar a few days ago? He's not even a lion."

"Ade saw it with his own eyes. He said there were clouds in the shape of lion heads and hyenas were thrown in the air."

"I heard Queen Sarabi talking about a mark on his arm. It means the Lion Guard will be back to help protect the Pride Lands."

"The Guard hasn't been around since the incident with Scar."

More questions started forming in Leo's head. Who's Ade? What's the Lion Guard? And what does this Scar have to do with it?

Leo continued on until he and everyone else reached what looked like a curtain of vines by the side of the base of Pride Rock, looking very much like an entrance.

"Where does this lead to?" He asked Mufasa as Amana and Lela pulled the vines apart, revealing an entrance to a cave in a fissure and everyone started entering.

"The answers to the many questions you no doubt have." Mufasa replied as he led Leo in, being the last ones excluding Nia and Shani, who entered in after them.

Inside was a large cave, which had sunlight beaming in from a hole high up in the ceiling. There was a pool of water with a rock over it, similar to the peak of Pride Rock. Along a wall were cave paintings, which all looked faded and ancient. And nearby is a slab of rock, where Leo saw what looked like a mandrill mixing fruits and plants. Next to him, leaning against the slab, was a staff with some dried fruits attached to it.

The mandrill turned his attention to the group and instantly spotted Leo, laughing.

"I see our guest has finally awoken." The mandrill said, dropping what he was doing and grabbed his staff, making his way directly to Leo.

"Indeed he is, Rafiki. His name is Leo." Sarabi said as the mandrill, now identified, got right into Leo's personal space and felt where the leaves were wrapped around him, making him wince.

"How do you feel, young man?" Rafiki asked after he was finished.

"In pain, but fine." Leo replied.

"Good. With the ointments and medicines Rafiki gave you, your wounds should heal within a few days time." Rafiki said, referring to himself in third person, for whatever reason.

"Thanks, I guess." Leo, feeling unsure of what else to say, really. "What do you do exactly?"

"Rafiki is the Royal Mjuzi of the Pride Lands. He offers wisdom and aid to the royal family, preserving the Pride Lands' history and presiding over any and all royal ceremonies, like presenting our son, Simba, to all that live in the Pride Lands shortly after he was born." Mufasa explained.

"Ha, ha, plenty to do in the Pride Lands, including healing those that are sick and injured, like you." Rafiki said, bumping Leo's head with his staff, making Leo wave him off.

"Is he always this… quirky?" Leo asked Mufasa and Sarabi.

"All the time. But it's part of his charm." Sarabi replied.

"So, can someone please explain what the significance of this cave is?" Leo then asked, wanting answers.

"Of course." Mufasa said as he led Leo to the rock that edged over the pool. "This cave serves as the lair for a group known as the Lion Guard."

"And what is the Lion Guard?" Leo asked.

"They are a group of lions that not only protect the Pride Lands, but also defend the Circle of Life from those that want to upset and overthrow both." Mufasa replied.

"The Circle of Life?" Leo repeated, not understanding what that is.

"You will know what it is soon enough. Anyway, the Lion Guard functions with five members, each representing a different quality. There's the Fiercest, who is always the leader, the Bravest, the Fastest, the Strongest and the Keenest of Sight."

"And what does the mark on my arm and the roar have to do with the Lion Guard?" Leo then asked, rubbing where the mark is located on his arm.

"Well, that roar you made a few days ago is known as the Roar of the Elders. It is an intensely loud and powerful roar gifted to those that are worthy by the Great Lions of the Past, who roar along with whoever is granted such power." Mufasa explained. "However, it's usually gifted to the second born or youngest sibling of the current ruler of Pride Rock."

Leo noticed that Mufasa was frowning when he mentioned the last part, like he was recollecting. This made him remember the mention of Scar when escorted through the village.

"How does this Scar fit in?" Leo asked, feeling slightly nervous for asking such a question. Even more so when everyone frowned and looked down at the ground.

"Taka is his real name. And he's my younger brother." Mufasa replied, making Leo frown in confusion and surprise.

"I heard from someone in your pride mention an incident with him. What happened?" He asked, making Mufasa sigh with sadness and disappointment.

"He once had the Roar and was leader of the Lion Guard, but he had a falling out and used the Roar on them. Because he used it on them, he was stripped of using it and the Guard was disbanded." Mufasa explained. "You see, the Roar should only be used for good. If used for evil or selfish reasons, then the Roar is taken away.

"Well, well, I see our guest is now awake." A new voice said from the entrance to the cave. Everyone turned to see a brown furred lion with a black mane and green eyes. Unlike Mufasa, who was large and bulky, this lion was more lanky and skinny, but in a way that made him seem like he was underfed. And he had a prominent scar over his left eye.

Leo knew right away that this was Scar. And he looked at Leo with contempt and even disgust, which told the young human that things between them will never be well.

"Yes, Scar. And he's still healing from his wounds, so I'd be careful if I were you." Mufasa glared at Scar warningly.

"Oh, Mufasa, must you think that I'd hurt someone already healing their wounds?" Scar feigned innocence, Leo knowing he's just putting on an act, as he walked right up to him and stared him down.

"Have you forgotten that you wanted Leo to be fed to the crocodiles, Scar?" Sarabi frowned, making Leo's already low opinion of Scar sink to new levels.

"Oh, that was before I learned that dear Leo would become the leader for the Lion Guard. Wouldn't want to have the whole pride to hate me more than they already do, now, do I?" Scar replied, looking his way at Sarabi with what Leo could guess was longing, like Scar wanted Sarabi all for himself.

"Just go and scowl elsewhere, Scar. Leo is trying to learn what it means to be part of the Lion Guard." Nia said, having the nerve to stand up to Scar.

"Watch your tongue, girl! You're speaking to the king's brother!" Scar snarled, baring his teeth, at Nia, who didn't back down, instead she stood her ground and glared at Scar. She's already earned Leo's respect.

"And you're speaking to the Mlezi, Scar. So you should watch your tone." Sarabi pointed out as she joined Leo and Mufasa's side. All of the Mlezi clenched their hands around their weapons.

"Fine, I'll just go and 'scowl' elsewhere, as your precious Mlezi said." Scar spat before he turned and left the cave, the tense atmosphere still lingering.

"Has he always been like that, Mufasa?" Leo had to ask.

"Unfortunately not. He and I were very close when we were cubs. I don't know if our relationship could ever be fixed." Mufasa said with sadness, making both Leo and Sarabi place a hand, or paw in Sarabi's case, on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry about that, Mufasa." Leo said, sympathising with the king, who smiled gratefully at him and his wife.

"Thank you, Leo. Your kindness is appreciated." Mufasa replied.

When Leo removed his hand, he recollected what Scar.

"Hold on, Scar said I was to be leader of the Lion Guard. But why? I'm not even a lion."

"You may not be a lion, Leo, but your name would suggest that you have the heart and spirit of a lion. Especially if you took on hyenas on your own." Sarabi pointed out with a gentle smile. Leo heard Rafiki walking around the cave like he was looking for something.

Leo thought back to when he fought against those hyenas and remembered how he wasn't going to let them eat him, that he wanted them to leave him alone and punished them for not doing so.

"So, what quality do I fulfil in the Lion Guard?" Leo asked when he ultimately realised that he had to accept this responsibility.

"Well, since you have the Roar of the Elders, which is what also makes you the leader, you represent being the Fiercest."

"And being leader, you must wield this." Rafiki said, walking up to Leo, holding out a short sword in a scabbard.

"What is this?" Leo asked.

"The Lion Fang. A sword that every leader of the Lion Guard has wielded since it was formed centuries ago." Mufasa said as Rafiki unsheathed the sword, revealing that it is leaf shaped and double edged. Leo examined the blade, seeing etchings of lions and stars. It's such an exquisite sword. Though there was one thing he remembered.

"Thng is, even though I fought against those hyenas, I'm really trained to handle swords. I was only trained in hand to hand combat." He revealed.

"Not to worry, we'll have you trained by our swordmaster, Sefu. Once you're ready, you'll wield the sword." Mufasa assured him as Rafiki sheathed the sword.

Leo then looked over at the wall with the paintings.

"What's the significance of those paintings?" He pointed, making Rafiki laugh like he was hoping he'd ask.

"Come and Rafiki will show you." The mandrill led Leo over to the wall and Leo saw that the paintings showed various animals, mainly lions, and landmarks.

"What do these tell?" Leo asked.

"They tell the history of the Pride Lands. From its many leaders, disasters and events. Including the Lion Guard." Rafiki explained before he pressed his staff against what looked like a new painting depicting him against the hyenas. Then, much to his surprise, the painting moved, showing him fighting against the hyena before using the Roar on them.

"Wow." He said in awe before looking at all the other paintings, noticing one with five lions all together. "Is that a previous line up of the Lion Guard?"

"Indeed, young man. That one is actually the first Lion Guard. And now that you are here, Rafiki will remaster these paintings!" Rafiki grinned eagerly.

Leo looked at the painting of the original Lion Guard, reminding him of how it's been exclusively made up of lions, as the name suggests, but he pondered on a thought that he needed to bring up.

"Mufasa, Sarabi, there's something I need to go over."

"And what is that, Leo?" Sarabi asked.

"I understand that it's been tradition to have all the members of the Lion Guard be lions, but considering I'm not a lion myself, I think it would be wise if I had two different animals fill in for both the Fastest and Keenest of Sight."

Mufasa pondered on that idea and could understand the logic of his reasoning.

"So which animals did you have in mind, Leo?" He asked.

"Well, with the Fastest, a cheetah could easily fill in. I know that they are incredibly fast. And for the Keenest of Sight, a bird, like an eagle, would be best. Especially since their sight can be helpful high up in the sky." Leo suggested, which made Mufasa raise an eyebrow with a grin.

"Very smart choices, Leo. You already have the makings to be a leader." He said before he looked up at the hole where the sunlight came from and even Leo saw that it was a bit darker than it was when they entered. "We'll continue going over you being part of the Lion Guard tomorrow, right now, it's time for the feast."

"Feast?" Leo asked as everyone made their way to the entrance to the cave.

"Once a week, the whole pride joins together and has a great feast, where we celebrate the Circle of Life." Sarabi explained as she walked next to Leo. "I hope you like zebra meat."

"Actually, I never had zebra before. Where I'm from, we don't eat them. And we cook our meats." Leo explained.

"Oh, don't worry, we cook ours too. And you'll like it, trust me." Sarabi said, squeezing Leo's hand as they made it out of the cave and saw that the sun was closer to the horizon than it was earlier.

They made their way towards what looked like the village square, where several fires were cooking zebra meat and logs surrounded them, a couple of seats, where Mufasa and Sarabi will sit, amongst the logs.

"Mom! Dad!" A young cub, around the age of eleven, ran towards them. It was a male cub who had Mufasa's pelt and eyes.

"Simba!" Sarabi called out with a smile before kneeling down and picking him up. "How was school?"

"It was boring. The only good thing was Nala sitting next to me." Simba groaned like any child did about school, which Leo could relate to.

"Son, you know why you need to go to school." Mufasa playfully scolded him.

"I know, so that I can know how the Pride Lands work which will help me become king one day." Simba replied, like he said it before time and time again, before Sarabi ruffled the top of his head, which he fought against. He then noticed Leo. "Hello, my name's Simba. What's yours?"

"Hello, Simba. I'm Leo." Leo introduced himself, holding back the tears that tend to come out whenever he sees something cute. He then realised something that Jabari had taught him. "Do you know that both our names mean 'lion'?"

"Do they? Wow." Simba said, just as surprised as Mufasa and Sarabi. "So you're gonna be the leader of the Lion Guard?"

"Yeah. Looks like it." Leo shrugged as they all made their way to the square.

"So cool." Simba grinned just as Mufasa and Sarabi reached their seats and their son sat between them.

"Why don't you sit with us, Leo? Trust me, you'll love this feast." Sarabi said, gesturing to the spot next to her. Leo looked around and considering that he didn't know anyone else in the village, he may as well.

"Alright." He said with a small bow before sitting on the log, next to Sarabi.

That was when the sound of drums and other instruments filled the air among the chatter and fire crackling. There were cheers and a few roars from the pride as some lions and lionesses showed up with instruments and played music to liven up the mood.

Then a group of lionesses walked up to the royal family and Leo with plates of zebra meat and, much to Leo's surprise, fruit with cups of whatever drink they had.

"Here's your meal, leader of the Lion Guard." One of them said to Leo, handing him his plate and cup. She looked like a maternal and gentle lioness and even gave him a smile.

"Thank you." Leo said, giving her a smile in return, which made her actually blush and giggle before walking off to join the rest of the pride.

Leo looked at the cup first, seeing that it simply had water in it, which he didn't mind.

He felt the eyes of everyone on him, realising that they're probably wondering if he likes their cuisine. Feeling a bit self conscious, he pulled apart a bit of zebra meat, gave it a sniff, smelling some herbs and spices among the meat, and then finally put it in his mouth and chewed it before swallowing.

He was actually shocked to find that the meat was delicious. It reminded him of having beef steak with how tender it was and the spices emphasised the flavour of the meat itself.

"It's great." Leo told everyone, who all cheered for him and the music kept playing while he moved onto the fruits.

The fruits were also delicious, no doubt because they're fresh and well prepared. His favourite being the olives.

"So what are you, Leo? A monkey?" Simba asked as he and his parents started eating their meals.

"Simba, don't be rude." Sarabi scolded him.

"It's alright, Sarabi." Leo reassured her. "I'm not a monkey, Simba. I'm what's called a human. We just happen to look similar to monkeys and other apes."

"Human?" Simba repeated the word. "Huh."

The feast lasted until well into the night, where by that point, everyone ended up dancing and singing tribal music, all of which left Leo in awe, especially since some of the dances were rather exotic and sensual courtesy of the lionesses. Some even made suggestive looks towards Leo, which made him blush and avoid eye contact, which amused Mufasa and Sarabi.

Soon, Mufasa called that the feast was to end and everyone cleared the square before leaving for their huts to sleep. And Rafiki went off elsewhere beyond the village, to his home for sure.

"Leo, since you have yet to form your Lion Guard, you will be sleeping with the Mlezi in their quarters for the time being. If that's okay with you." Mufasa told Leo.

"Uh, sure." Leo said, somewhat hesitantly, considering Amana, who stared at him like a soldier.

"In fact, since you're new to all of this, we'll have Nia assigned to be your escort and bodyguard." Sarabi added. "In case anyone who doesn't like you wants to start trouble."

"Thanks." Leo said, looking over to Nia, who gave him a smile, letting him know he'll be alright. She also seemed to be carrying a bag for some reason.

"Follow us." She said as she and the Mlezi, there being a dozen of them, made their way towards Pride Rock.

Leo followed after them and they all made their way up the entryway and walked past the peak up a path that led somewhere high up in Pride Rock.

They soon entered through a doorway and Leo saw that there were bunks crafted right into the rock itself with mattresses, pillows and blankets. And there was a pathway that led deeper into the rock.

"That pathway leads into changing areas and where we store our weapons." Nia explained as all the Mlezi made their way towards said pathway.

"So you have a sense of privacy among yourselves?" Leo asked.

"Of course. We may be proud of our bodies, but we still have some decency. We're not brute savages." Nia nudged him playfully. She then handed him the bag she carried. "Both Their Majesties requested that you had some clothes of your own. So when everyone else has changed into their nightwear, you can change as well."

Nia then went along with her fellow lionesses and Leo looked inside the bag, seeing that there were more tribal clothes, all of which looked very similar to the kinds of clothes he wore when he lived among humans.

He then looked around the quarters, seeing personal belongings to the various members of the Mlezi. As he looked, he spotted a very plain and empty bunk, which he knew to be his.

After a short while, all the Mlezi showed back up and Leo went into the pathway and found handmade doors that lined up the hallway. He opened the closest one to his left and entered into a space that reminded him of the changing spaces in clothes stores.

The first thing he did was take the shirt off, which he did slowly as he was still in pain. He then took off his boots, jeans and his underwear.

Finally, he pulled out a robe, which he guessed to be nightwear and put it on.

Once he was done, he exited and got back to the bunks, seeing all the Mlezi resting. He also saw that Nia was sleeping in the bunk over his. With her back facing him, it gave him a look at her rear, which was heart shaped and large, as well as her flicking tail with a dark tuft at the end. Of course, he looked away, not wanting to come off as more of a creep than he already did, especially since she could easily kick his ass. He just knew it.

So he got to his bunk and got under the blanket and he instantly went to sleep, curious to see how his life as leader of the Lion Guard and in the Pride Lands will be from this point on.

The Mlezi are essentially the Dora Milaje from Marvel.

In terms of who voices Nia, it'll be Lupita Nyong'o. And Amana will be voiced by Florence Kasumba.

The animals will all age like humans, just so I can make things easier for myself when writing certain elements of the story.

And we won't get to the part of the film in the Elephant Graveyard soon. It will be a long while.