"Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge." ~
- The Prince, Chapter 3
The Lion Guard awoke early the next day, sticking to a worn game trail that paralleled the nearby river -the Ciso River, as the local animals called it- until the sparse forest fell away, first to foothills, then to a narrow, winding canyon that allowed passage through to the next mountain range. A moja kwa moja stone at the mouth of the canyon assured them of their path, and Ono promised that these mountains would be their last major obstacle before they would finally arrive at the Tree of Life.
Kion's thoughts remained muddled and chaotic as he attempted to suppress unfamiliar compulsions of anger and irritation while simultaneously remaining outwardly collected so as not to alarm his companions.
As they padded along next to the tranquil, slow-moving, and shallow Ciso River, Kion led the way without making any conversation. He kept his ears pricked as he padded ahead of the Guard, though not to listen for possible danger. Instead, increasing paranoia at how he was perceived stoked his desire to discern the hushed murmuring of his companions.
Bunga's conspiratorial tone, freshly emboldened by recent events, caught the edges of the young lion's earshot and a quick glance behind revealed that the honey badger had garnered the attention of most of the Lion Guard.
"...which is why, Makini, you should be the one to talk to him. He's barely said a word all morning. Plus, since you know medicine and stuff you can diagnose if he's crazy so that Fuli can take over again."
Makini's piercing, high-pitched voice was always loud enough to be heard as she retorted, "You think I wanna get snapped at? Look Bunga, he's been calm so far today. I'd rather not be the one to stir up anything, especially after I saw him spit out his tuliza this morning when he thought I wasn't watching. Let's just get through the next couple days and before you know it, we'll be at the Tree and he'll be back to normal."
Beshte at least attempted to be more mindful in case Kion was listening, which made the lion strain to hear his muted response. "I'm trying to be optimistic like you, Makini, but… what if the Tree of Life doesn't cure him?"
Kion nearly tripped and swallowed down a guttural snarl as his scar spiked with an agony akin to a scorpion's sting. Luckily, his reaction didn't catch anyone's attention.
He fixated on how eerily similar Beshte's question was to Scar's claim from his nightmare. The constant madness the tyrant endured from the poison lasted for many seasons, far longer than Kion, and yet the young prince was already desperate for any relief.
"We'll cross that river when we get to it." Fuli seemed confident the idiom would settle their nerves. "For now, we help him as best as we can."
Tilting her head up to the sky, the cheetah called out to the martial eagle gliding just above them, "Anga! Scout out ahead and let us know how far we are to the next valley."
"Yep." The one-word reply, a common one from the blunt young eagle, preceded a powerful flap of her wings as she ascended to soar well above the group.
The canyon's walls soon towered over Kion and his guard, higher than even Pride Rock. While each slope was abundantly forested with spiky conifers, the rough trail the guard padded along only had light foliage, with the glittering Ciso River at the bottom of a sheer cliff on one side.
As they wound around another bend, Kion swore he caught a whiff of an animal's scent marker, but it was fleeting and he quickly disregarded the notion of any encounter. They'd be out of the territory soon and it certainly wasn't as if any predator living at this high of an elevation could ever hope to challenge them-
Such assumptions were instantly proven wrong as a deep, gravelly, full-throated roar froze the Pridelanders in their tracks. All eyes immediately focused ahead of Kion as a huge, burly creature with small, rounded ears and a short, stubby tail lumbered out of the congested woods upslope to block the path ahead. With a dark-brown pelt of thick fur, long intimidating claws, and outsizing even Beshte, the massive creature let loose another bellowing snarl to show off gleaming white fangs.
"Hevi kabisa!" Kion gasped aloud.
Ono, ever more inquisitive rather than fearing for his life, squinted to try and discern what the creature was with his impaired vision as he inquired, "Uh, guys, I can't tell what species that is from the roar. Can anyone describe what he looks like?"
While his request was ignored, it did set the group in motion, as each got into a defensive posture. Kion fiercely stared down the stocky beast.
"We don't want any trouble… uhh, whatever you are! We're just passing through."
The creature let out an unexpected guffaw before he rumbled out in a bass-toned voice, "Well this is truly a sight for sore eyes. Not only a group of juveniles, but so many delicious choices, and you aren't even trying to run away! By the way, I'm an Atlas bear, kittycat. Our kind usually sticks to another set of mountains many horizons away, but when I heard poor little injured animals like to take this trail on their way to some stupid tree… well, let's just say I haven't gone a single day on an empty stomach."
His sentence ended with a menacing smirk while his small, beady brown eyes lingered on them with a glint of primal hunger.
A purple-hued martial eagle came swooping down from above, causing the bear to break into a puzzled expression, seemingly confused as to just how many different species were in their group.
Anga alighted gently on Beshte's back, next to where Ono was perched and chirped, "Kion, I was scouting the canyon ahead when I saw what you were facing off with. You got a plan to deal with this guy?"
"We'll find a way, right everyone? Till the Pride Lands' end-"
"Lion Guard defend!" Came the ensuing chorus from his companions, past leadership doubts long forgotten as they steadfastly rallied to their leader's yowl and charged toward the huge beast blocking their path.
Juba the Atlas bear could not believe his luck. He was utterly astounded that not only was his prey a group of adolescent animals who couldn't hope to challenge him, but that they were fearlessly and gleefully striding toward him instead of fleeing! He was already salivating at the sight of a veritable feast coming straight toward his paws.
The ursine's joyful musings instantly soured when a lightning-fast pair of sharp eagle's talons tore at his rounded ears and the crown of his head, while simultaneously, the smaller white bird attempted to peck at his eyes. He counterattacked in a way that also warded off the charging mammals by rearing up on his hind legs, snapping his jaws at the birds and raking his massive forepaws through the air.
"Ono, watch out!" cried the martial eagle as she flapped out of his range.
"Hapana!" the little bird squawked as he soared just over the bear's outstretched claws with a mighty wingbeat before retreating away.
Now more than twice the height of the hippo, the bear expected hesitation. Instead, the annoying little teens adapted, working together as a unit. The lion and cheetah clawed and nipped at his meaty hind legs while the puny honey badger flanked around, leapt on his back, and clung to his thick pelt like a troublesome insect. With both birds momentarily withdrawing, the Juba saw his opportunity as the hippo began to charge at him. Throwing his weight forward, surging forepaws came crashing down toward all three animals below, aiming to at least trap and dispatch one.
"Fuli, Beshte, move!" the red-maned lion cub ordered. He and the other two retreated from Juba's attack as his huge paws slammed back down to earth, bereft of any prey.
Thoroughly enraged, the Atlas bear rolled over before righting himself to his paws with surprising agility, crushing the air out of the honey badger previously on his back. Now sluggish and on the ground, he lunged for his dazed prey, going for the kill.
However, just as his jaws were about to tear into the honey badger's torso, a blur of purple suddenly swooped by, resulting in his teeth clacking together on nothing but air. That damned eagle rescued his meal!
Juba let loose another thunderous roar, absolutely furious at his inability to finish off even one of these puny juveniles. Maddened at his sloppiness, he blindly charged at the lion. He must be their leader, he then would be the first to die so that the others would lose cohesion.
He lumbered straight for the broad-shouldered feline, only vaguely cognizant of the notion that his prey was standing close to the edge of the trail, with a sheer drop-off on one side into the river below. His ear-piercing roars and the blood pumping in his ears lessened his senses to the point that he ignored the command from the lion.
"Beshte, now!" the young lion cried as he coiled his haunches, before springing off his hind legs in a mighty leap right over the enraged ursine's head.
"Twende kiboko!"
The hippo charged at the side of the humongous bear with all his might, hoping to knock him into the river below. Juba let out a surprised grunt as the hippo crashed into his side with unexpected strength. Even as he felt himself start to tip over the edge, the Atlas bear put up one last act of resistance and swiped a meaty paw at the soaring lion overhead.
Kion was at the apex of his leap, ecstatic at their success.
I didn't even have to use the Roar-!
Instantly, his confidence disintegrated into burning agony as three razor-sharp claws ripped through his pelt, reopening the wounds he received last night. With the path of his fall now altered, he fell with a panicked yowl toward the river, where the bear shared a similar fate. At the last moment, Kion shot out both forepaws toward the ledge. Protracted claws hooked into the crevices of the rock wall, halting the lion's descent as he let out a snarl of exertion. Kion's scar scorched just as his side now did, but adrenaline coursing through his veins aided the young lion in gathering the strength to pull himself back up and onto the path where the Guard was.
Makini, her olive-green eyes wide with alarm, sprang into action to help.
"Kion, come over here so that I can look at that wound! Anga, I need you to search for some herbs to stop potential infection. If you don't know what to look for, have Ono describe them to you. Fuli, help me by licking those claw marks clean."
But even as a drop of blood slid from his stained golden furred chest to blot the dirt at his forepaws, Kion remained frozen at the cliff's edge, focused intently on the river below.
Fuli sounded perplexed as she asked, "Kion, didn't you hear Makini? Let's deal with this away from the ledge."
"The river's too shallow." The prince's tone was grim and carried a low growl with each word.
"That bear is already standing back up, Fuli. He'll keep preying on animals traveling to the Tree of Life unless we do something."
Fuli and Makini shared a worried glance. The cheetah said with rising concern, "Well, he certainly wasn't very friendly, Kion. I'm not sure we can convince him otherwise."
The rest of the guard minus Anga, who had left to search for Makini's herbs, now gave the young lion their full attention.
He coldly agreed, "No, you're right. Talking will never get through to that beast. But I can teach him a lesson."
Within a couple heartbeats, Kion and his guard were suddenly cast in shadow. The sun had disappeared behind a rapidly appearing bank of foreboding storm clouds gathering just above the canyon.
"Kion, what are you doing?!"
Instead of answering Fuli's panicked yowl, Kion tilted his muzzle up toward the churning cloudbank, before opening his jaws wide, and unleashing a mighty Roar of the Elders.
The Roar never before sounded so deafening as the stormy-gray outlines of the Great Kings of the Past -signifying that it had been used in anger- echoed Kion's rage. He directed his efforts further up the canyon, causing the swirling mass of storm clouds to swell before soon pelting down an intense deluge of rainfall in a ridiculously short amount of time.
The Guard flinched away from his roar's earth-shaking intensity, before soon realizing what was happening upstream. Kion, still mid-Roar of the Elders, glanced down to see the dazed bear struggling to get to the shore of the river, noticeably injured from the fall. The prince redoubling his efforts.
"Kion, stop! This isn't what the Roar should be used for! You could kill him!"
Fuli's plea fell on deaf ears as the red-maned lion's glare narrowed. For a fleeting heartbeat he agreed with her, but such sentiments were swiftly swept away by a burning declaration that spread like a wildfire across his thoughts.
That bear deserves this.
His scar seemed to agree, as he felt it pulse with a strange feeling of exhilaration.
As the prince's roar finally died down, another, different roar steadily grew to a thunderous volume. A literal wall of water cascaded uncontrollably around the bend ahead of their position, only increasing in speed as it crashed its way downstream.
Even Ono could tell what was happening as he screeched, "Flash flood!"
The Guard began to move to higher ground, but as it rushed toward them, the approaching wave was just high enough to almost graze the edge of the trail. Utterly unafraid of his creation, Kion watched with a thrill of grim satisfaction as it bore down on the helpless and injured Atlas bear. The Guard gasped in horror as the huge wave rocketed toward the beast, who gave one final roar of defiance to the world before he vanished under the rampaging torrent.
A fitting end for that brute. I must say I'm quite impressed, Grandnephew.
Kion ignored Scar's sudden intrusion. Instead, he only wanted to revel in his display of authority, which firmly asserted his dominance over that monstrous cur. His paws trembled from a surge of fervent power, while his mind grappled with a heady buzz of prideful gratification.
In fact, my scar doesn't even hurt anymore….
"Why, Kion?"
Fuli's tone sounded hollow. It irritated the still adrenaline-high lion, along with her interruption of his reverie.
"Do I even need to waste any breath to justify it? I delivered justice to a monster who preyed on the weak and injured heading for the Tree of Life."
His last word ended in a snarl as the sting of his wounds reawakened. He sat back on his haunches to inspect himself. Three crimson ribbons gouged through his golden pelt, running diagonally across on his chest and underbelly from the inside of his right foreleg nearly to his left hind leg. Scar's scratches from the night before had also reopened. They were not deep, but still oozed blood, some of which was already starting to clot.
Makini approached cautiously from behind and said, "Anga should be back soon with the herbs I need. It'll heal, but we need to clean them to prevent any infection… is that okay with you, Kion?"
Kion's exertion from clawing his way back onto the trail also caught up with him, but Makini's question struck a nerve.
Why would she need to ask if that's okay with me? She was the healer, she knew what to do.
"Of course, Makini. Here, I'll lie on my side and help out." Sinking to the ground on his side, the teenage lion rasped his tongue along his wounds as Fuli stepped toward him, albeit timidly.
Anga soon returned with the herbs and the limp body of a hare. She was similarly wary around the red-maned lion after witnessing the aftermath of the flood. As Makini chewed on the leaves to make a poultice for his bloody claw marks, Fuli again tried to reason, "I just want you to think about if that was the best decision for the situation."
A prickle of doubt crept up in the back of his mind, but Kion quickly banished it and put on a strong facade. "It was the only outcome, not only for us but for every other animal who will want to use this path to the Tree of Life in the future." He tried to sound certain in his answer as her eyes searched his for any understanding of her position.
Anga spoke up, "Kion, I don't know if you want to hear this right now, but when I flew up to spot those herbs, I saw that you flooded not only the canyon downstream but even back into the forest where we met that clouded leopard."
Fuli gave a slight nod of thanks to the martial eagle before continuing, "See? A lot of animals were affected by what you did. All I'm saying is that you went too far this time." The cheetah chose her words carefully, endeavoring to appear non-confrontational so that the lion would not further isolate himself from his friends.
Instead, Kion's response was tainted by yet another jolt of irritation as his scar once again began to ache. He glared at her while laying on his flank, before sitting up to retort, "I chose to ensure that beast couldn't hurt anyone else." He raised his voice as he addressed the rest, "I made that choice because I lead the Lion Guard! Now, if any of you want to continue to question my judgment, then I will have to question your loyalty. Is that clear, Fuli?" He stared her down imperiously, almost daring her to challenge him.
Fuli's eyes widened in shock at his response, while the guard shared similarly owlish expressions. Makini whispered something to Bunga before carefully and slowly walking over to apply the poultice to Kion's wounds. Bunga, meanwhile, soon came over with the hare's corpse, which he gingerly placed in front of the irate lion.
"Here buddy, Anga caught a snack while she was fetching those herbs. Maybe eating something will help with the pain? Then we'll get moving again… especially since we're so close to the Tree of Life, right?"
The honey badger's optimism got to Kion, and he could not help his frown from brightening to a small smile at his best friend's cheeriness.
Almost too cheery if you ask me… don't worry, I know you didn't.
Again, Kion ignored his tiresome granduncle.
Yet, when the lion bent his muzzle down to tear at the plump hare's pelt, he swore he sniffed something extra lingering with the usual alluring prey scent. He tore off a hunk of the hare's torso with powerful jaws, only to find crushed lavender petals amongst the innards. He immediately spat out his meal, glaring first at Bunga, then toward the mandrill applying her poultice to the claw marks on his side.
Seems like Scar's suspicions weren't so crazy after all.
"Tell me why you had him do this, Makini."
The primate was so engrossed in her work that when she looked up to address her patient's severe tone and stifling glare, she froze in confusion until she saw what the prince discovered.
She sighed, before saying, "I just… I didn't want it to be a big deal, that's all. You already seemed angry, so I hoped some tuliza with your food would calm you down."
His glower dampened her tone to a timid response. Everyone knew they were treading on eggshells with Kion right now.
"I would have told you if I wanted some tuliza. As the apprentice of the Pride Lands' Royal Mjuzi, I thought you respected a patient's trust in you. Care to tell me why I'm wrong?" His tone was soft, belying the thick tension building between the lion prince and his mandrill healer.
Makini seemed to weigh her response, but in the end, chose deference as opposed to escalation. "No, you- you're right Kion. Trust and communication are very important between healer and patient. I'm sorry. I just want to make sure you know that I'm only trying to help." She searched his expression for understanding or any degree of amenability. Instead, Kion remained utterly impassive, as though calculating whether she was friend or foe.
Bunga meanwhile, had enough of the interrogation.
"C'mon Kion, it's just tuliza! I mean, hello? That flower's been the main reason why you're not totally crazy."
"Oh so it's 'totally crazy' now, is it?" Kion hissed, nearly shouldering Makini away and noticeably wincing in pain as he stood to address the honey badger. Bunga and the rest of the Guard backpedaled a few steps away in response.
"So tell me, my loyal best friend," the prince said with a sneer as he stalked forward, getting in Bunga's face, "what degree of crazy am I at? Maybe I'm not taking that tuliza because I just want to be totally crazy, right? Or perhaps the better reason is that those damned petals aren't working anymore because the pain is getting worse and worse! And that reminds me, we're wasting time. I'm not going to spend another heartbeat here defending my actions because soon enough we'll be at the Tree of Life and my guard will finally start acting loyal to their leader like they're supposed to."
With that, the lion stalked away, heading along the path up the canyon. The water level in the river below was already receding as the flooding was long gone by this point. The Guard shared a withering look as they realized just how antagonistic Kion had become before reluctantly falling in line to follow him.
Throughout their trek up the canyon paralleling the river upstream, an oppressive atmosphere surrounded the group as each reflected on their leader's behavior. For the red-maned prince, his gaze remained unfocused as he padded ahead of the Pridelanders at a uniform pace. Though a neutral expression remained plastered on his face, internally Kion's mind swirled unsteadily.
He used his all-mighty power, the Roar of Elders in anger. An infraction that he vowed never to do again.
Back in the Pride Lands, I nearly gave up using the Roar when it put Mom in danger…. Why did it feel so satisfying now?
He potentially murdered an animal with his Roar, which he swore never to even attempt unless his life or those he cared about were in immediate danger.
But that bear deserved retribution for all the vulnerable lives he took.
He undoubtedly caused untold destruction downstream throughout the canyon and the surrounding woodlands, as Anga attested.
Yet, that show of dominance was quite the sight to behold.
His thoughts felt all wrong. Where was the guilt, the shame, the regret at such an unnecessary use of the extraordinary power he was entrusted with? The troubled prince could no longer shake off the previously alien rationalization that his actions were reasonably justified. A killer who preyed on the weak with no regard for respecting his quarry finally faced consequences.
And the sight of that wall of water, the product of my roar, surging at and then swallowing up that monster felt so… intoxicating.
I see that my servant's venom has made quite the progress.
A deep, accented growl slithered through his psyche. Though his pace along the trail remained steady, Kion's ears splayed back as Scar's presence reasserted itself.
I was protecting the Guard, and-
On the defense so quickly, little one. Come now, Kion, be honest with me. Let's not act as if I ignored that conversation you just had with yourself.
Scar's tone curdled into a slimy, intimate hiss, Now, go on. Please continue about how absolutely enthralling it was to murder that bear in the river.
Again the prince scrambled to protest, I did it to protect everyone who takes this path to the Tree of Life, and there's no telling if he died….
Don't attempt to worm your way out of this, Kion. Let's just have a sincere conversation, killer to killer.
The young prince felt a spike of hot rage at the accusation.
I am and will never be anything like you! You killed your Lion Guard, murdered your own brother!
Scar's retort took on a mockingly somber tone, Oh yes, I was truly the most dreadful lion to ever exist and with every ghostly heartbeat, I regret my incredibly callous actions.
The tyrant shifted to a more sinister note. But humor me for a moment. A terrible misuse of the Roar of the Elders not only using it when enraged but while deliberately targeting a defenseless soul and creating lasting destruction throughout the surrounding landscape. Certainly sounds like something your evil granduncle would do.
Kion flinched, though still kept his pace steady. The malevolent presence inside his mind capitalized on his vulnerability.
And let's not forget that oh-so-unshakable defense. A preemptive and unprovoked attack to forever silence a possible threat to your guard and all who may come down this same path in the future. Wouldn't the world become so simple if we could use that poor attempt at justification? If you really believe that then kill Janja and his lackeys, murder Zira and her pride, and of course don't forget about little Jasiri's pack. After all, how can you know for sure that her hyenas wouldn't do the exact same thing if given the opportunity?
Enough, Scar! If you think your endless rambling will lead to me hurting others, you're wrong!
What started as a light chuckle morphed into a full cackle from the former tyrant. Finally bringing himself under control, he managed a taunting retort, No, no, you dolt! You really do take after your grandfather when it comes to intellect. Here, just because you're my favorite little grandnephew, I will make it all quite simple. This is my attempt to help you face the reality of your actions by stripping away your flimsy excuses. Now, the first step in these types of affairs is admitting you have a problem. So once again, what, pray tell happened in that canyon?
I protected everyone who takes this path from that bear.
Wrong! Scar's roar boomed and pounded through his mind. His ears remained splayed back and his tail-tip twitched madly as his granduncle continued, You most likely murdered an animal when given the opportunity for mercy. Ruthless and unyielding, you sent the power of the Great Kings of the Past raging down upon that creature, and everything downstream suffered as a consequence.
I never intended for the whole canyon to-!
Oh grow up you insolent cub and take some responsibility!
The venomous tone hissed through his psyche, furthering Kion's developing headache. His scar again began to pulse with familiar agony.
I don't even need to express your companions' disappointment, but just imagine what your father would say. If Kiara and Nala saw what you just did, would their image of responsible, innocent, and compassionate Kion shatter forevermore? And all of them pale in comparison to my brother.
Overwhelming dread and guilt sent the young lion's mind into a panic. Please, he despised the desperate lilt in his voice, please don't mention him.
Scar's vile assertions carried on, unabated by the prince's plea. He's been watching you, as I'm sure you desperately try to ignore. He saw his prized grandson, the stalwart defender of his kingdom, marred by a scar virtually identical to his killer's. He sat amongst the stars utterly helpless as nightmares, delusions, and the pain from that venom drove you to the point of attacking your own guard. Even now he's up there, bearing witness to this bastardization of the Roar of the Elders.
Kion's headache multiplied in intensity and the scar's venom stabbed with fresh pangs of torment. His side and underbelly still stung from the claws of the bear. But above all, Scar's torturous ranting rang harrowingly true. As though a claw pierced through his heart, a stab of shame left the prince feeling utterly helpless.
His response came out panicked as he stammered, I-I didn't mean to- I couldn't c-control my- H-he must know h-how much pain I-!
Look at the Fiercest in all the Pride Lands. The tyrant's tone rang with triumph, reverberating through Kion's mind and overpowering all other thoughts. Nothing more than a stuttering, petrified cub. A charlatan misusing the power bestowed upon him by the Great Kings of the Past.
The combination of his agonizing headache and Scar's ceaseless beratement became unbearable. Burning shame boiled into familiar rage at the malevolent voice slithering through his psyche.
And you are nothing but the shadow of a tyrant who murdered his own brother and Lion Guard!
"I've had enough! Shut up, and get out of my head!"
For the lion prince, what immediately followed could only be described as cathartic. Silence. Blessed silence was all that permeated his mind. His pounding headache finally abated, and the scar, for at least a few heartbeats, ceased its stabs of torment.
I guess roaring at that cur worked, for once.
And yet, still reveling in his brief respite, Kion noticed that he had come to a halt along the trail. He no longer heard the Guard's pawsteps behind him. Most curiously of all, the foliage along the trail ahead now appeared to have been thoroughly flattened, as if trampled by some large herd of wildebeest. Bushes and thickets previously obscuring vision through the undergrowth had been jarringly crushed. Surrounding pine trees now appeared disheveled, laden with many bent and broken branches, while quite a few littered the ground.
The silent atmosphere too extended from his mind to the world around the young lion. Faint birdsong was long gone, as well as the rustling of nearby prey. Just as curiosity and confusion bordered on concern, Kion heard a faint voice.
"K-Kion?"
The prince glanced back at his second-in-command before turning to fully regard the rest. It was as though a phantom windstorm had whipped through the band of animals. Every single one, aside from the gray-skinned hippo, had their fur or feathers in a state of absolute disarray. Makini was still picking herself up off the ground as if she'd been physically flung back. Anga dusted off her plumage a short distance away, now on the ground when moments before she had been gliding above the canopy. The others huddled close to Beshte, as if expecting to hide behind him in case of an attack.
Rising above every other piece of evidence, Fuli's expression of palpable, raw fear made everything click for the puzzled prince. There's no way I roared that last part out loud… by the Great Kings, what did I do?!
"Sooooo, did you get whatever it was out of your head?" Bunga's query sent the addled lion into a state of complete mortification.
"I, uhhhh-" He swallowed audibly, his throat suddenly as dry as a bone. "What… exactly did you all hear?"
"Really?!" To everyone's surprise, the piercing exclamation came from the usually quite composed martial eagle. "You think the most important thing to ask right now is what we heard?" She flew from the ground to perch upon Beshte's shoulder, still running her beak through her feathers in a futile effort to fix her bedraggled appearance. "How ߴbout we ask why your roar just created a shockwave that knocked us all back and sent me hurtling toward the ground!" The revelation of what he had done was only compounded by Anga's enraged screeches, a very uncharacteristic outburst for the usually level-headed raptor.
"Anga, I'm so sorry, I had no idea-!" Shrill with shock, Kion's apology was cut off by a cold rebuke from the martial eagle.
"That's not good enough! Tell us what's going on, Kion. Communicate with us like a real leader would do. Like our leader used to do."
Pained amber eyes shot straight to the ground as biting criticism struck right at his heart. For a few fleeting heartbeats that seemed to last for an eternity, the prince agonized over whether to confess.
He could tell them everything.
About his vivid nightmares, about how frightened he felt realizing his thoughts were changing for the worse, and most of all, about Scar's invasion of his mind.
What could I even hope to say? "Hey everyone, I think Scar's ghost is haunting me." They'd only assume I'm insane! Well, more insane than I'm already becoming….
Weighing his options, Kion surmised that explaining would only further isolate himself from the guard compared to keeping quiet.
"I… I can't." The lion hailed as the Fiercest in the Pride Lands hung his head in shame with ears splayed back and tail tucked cowardly between his hind legs.
"Will this happen again?" Fuli's mew was faint.
A bone-weary sigh came from the deflated lion. "I hope not. I don't know."
"Do you want to stop and get some prey? Maybe it'd help-"
"No!" Kion's sharp, barking exclamation echoed through the destroyed foliage. Fuli retreated toward the safety of the large hippo in case another roar soon followed. Instead, the red-maned cub flinched before elaborating, still unable to look any of his companions in the eye. "No, no, no, we have to keep moving! We need to keep moving. We must get to the Tree of Life." Desperation tinged his every word.
Kion turned away from his guard, putting his back to them and padding along the trail that would hopefully deliver them to their destination. Praying to the Great Kings, the prince felt massive relief wash over him upon hearing the hoof, foot, and paw steps of his guard move to follow him. Though trust between them understandably could not be any lower, his companions acquiesced to their sense of loyalty, perhaps despite their better judgment.
The trail followed the Ciso River further upstream until it gradually shrank to a small stream. As they climbed in elevation, thick forests became frequently interrupted by beautiful meadows and grassy clearings. Yet the traveling animals did not rest. The sun followed their progress, traveling with them across the sky before slowly, inexorably starting to sink toward the horizon. As the sun slipped lower, Kion's dread grew.
Everyone was exhausted. Having not stopped since midday, the group trudged along the trail in a silence borne from weariness and caution. Ono and Anga chose to simply ride atop Beshte's back while Bunga, Makini, and Fuli plodded alongside their leader in a dazed manner. None dared to ask to stop. It was not worth the possible consequences.
However, Kion knew the sun would set soon. They would need rest. The Tree of Life would have to wait. The pain would get worse. Scar's presence within his mind would soon return.
In a copse of sub-alpine woods surrounded by grassland meadows along the small, mountain stream, the lion prince finally halted. He sat on his haunches with pricked ears and a madly twitching tail, peering through the evergreen canopy at the reddening sky as the sun began to be swallowed up by the horizon. His guard wordlessly refreshed themselves with cold, thirst-quenching pristine stream water. Beshte even waded into it, although the hippo quickly let out a sigh of frustration upon discovering that the waterline barely reached halfway up his stubby legs. There would, to his consternation, not be many suitable bodies of water for such a large semi-aquatic mammal at this elevation.
The guard swiftly settled down in the nearby meadow upon beds of soft spring grass and lichen. Many slipped almost immediately into a deep, dreamless slumber. As the scarlet sky above darkened toward twilight, the young Lion Guard leader did not move from his post. Stoic and stone-faced, he glanced up between the trees at the twinkling stars above. Behind him, paw steps quietly approached.
"You should rest, Kion," Fuli mewed tiredly. Concern mixed with anxiety signaled to the lion that there was much more she wanted to discuss.
The prince retained his impassive scowl. "I'll take watch tonight."
Frustration edged the cheetah's reply as she came around from behind him to look him in the eye, "You need sleep so those claw marks can heal. Pushing yourself like this will only make future outbursts worse."
Kion stared at where the sun had just sunk beneath the horizon.
"I can't sleep, Fuli. It's better I take watch tonight since I can't sleep." The calm, docile demeanor failed to obscure the underlying intensity beneath his statement.
"Maybe if you just lie down for a bit, it'll come to you… or I could get you some prey, maybe after some food, you'll feel-"
"Fuli," he cut in with a tense mew, "you don't understand. I cannot fall asleep. I won't endanger any of you more than I already have."
"Please, Kion. Please tell me why you can't sleep, or why you couldn't tell us what happened back there. It seems like your symptoms get worse by the day. I need you to know that we can help you, but you have to let us know what's going on."
She peered deeply into his amber eyes for any response, any reaction. The cheetah caught a brief flash of guilt before they hardened back to their previous dispassionate veneer.
"I wish I could share what I'm dealing with right now, I really do, Fuli." A faint tinge of desperation cracked away at his otherwise emotionless tone. "But this is my fight alone. I know I haven't been myself. I realize the symptoms are getting worse. And yet, I feel like we're so close. I promise you and the rest that when we get to the Tree and I'm cured, I'll tell you what's going on."
"I'll hold you to that." Fuli's reply bordered on a whisper as she turned to leave. She paused to look over her shoulder and say, "I hope you have as good of a night as possible, Kion. Wake me if you need someone else to take watch in case you change your mind."
The only reply came in the form of a silent, terse nod as the prince shifted to scowl at the stars above.
Mollified that Kion at least showed some awareness of his behavior, even if she received no answers, the young cheetah tiredly padded over to a soft, springy patch of grass before circling once, twice, then laying down to curl up with her tail-tip just barely touching her nose.
As soft snores from a bone-tired Lion Guard finally receiving much needed rest added to the tranquil atmosphere of the meadow, the red-maned teen kept his stony gaze fixed upon the ethereal, glittering lands above where his ancestors prowled. Feeling powerless against his increasing insanity, he prayed to the Great Kings of the Past for strength, even as his scar pulsed with agony and his thoughts remained murky, swirling with strange, malevolent urges.
Earlier that evening, as Kion's band searched for a place to settle down for the night, two lion cubs observed the arrival of strangers to their territory.
Zuberi took a deep, invigorating breath of fresh mountain air as he set his gaze upon a familiar scene. Standing on a small outcropping along one side of the valley, the dark-brown furred and light-green-eyed cub felt complete serenity as the glorious orange-gold sunset gradually dimmed behind one of the countless mountain peaks that completely encompassed his home. His family's valley was perfect. The cub could never imagine wanting to leave, regardless of the magnificent places his grandfather often spoke of. Tales of grand, sweeping plains, gigantic herds of huge, exotic prey, and a regal pride of lions ruling over all to keep the Circle of Life in balance. Zuberi's grandfather made certain that he knew every part-
The male's ear flicked and served as his only warning before a similarly-sized feline deftly pounced on his back from behind, pinning him to the ground.
"I can't tell Zuberi, was I that sneaky, or were you just that zoned out?"
The lion let out a playful yowl, "Sis, get off of me!"
The moment he felt some of her weight lift off of him, Zuberi surged up off his back to pin the orange-brown furred lioness cub on her back. She rolled her bright auburn eyes, scoffing at his retaliation, "Well finally you want to play instead of doing boring stuff like staring at the sunset! Lately, you've been as lazy as Grandpa."
"Yeah right, Safia. Coming from the sleepy furball that I had to practically drag from the den to come out here."
Zuberi soon relented, letting his sister return to her paws as he stared toward the sinking golden beams that peaked just over the mountains.
"What do you think is just beyond the mountains?" Safia asked, now similarly entranced by the sunset at the end of the valley.
"Well there must be a whole lot more land, after all, where do all those traveling animals come from?"
Zuberi glanced over at her, happy that his normally overly-energetic sister finally settled down, at least for the moment. "When Grandpa talks to them, it sounds as if from all over the world. It seems like every time another group passes by there's a new species."
"Do you think we'll ever see the Tree someday?"
"Hmm… I don't know Safia. Seems like whenever we bring it up, Mom and Dad want to, but Grandpa always makes up some excuse to stay here."
She whispered a reply, longing heavy in her voice, "I'll go see it someday."
Zuberi shared her sentiment. "And I'll be right next to you, don't let me miss out on that adventure, Sis."
The shorter cub suddenly came back to her gleeful self. "Well, duh! I'd never leave without my lazy lump of fur for a brother…. Hey wait, look!"
Pausing just as he was about to cuff his sister over the ear, Zuberi followed her gaze back way down the valley, away from the setting sun. A peculiar group of animals in the distance followed the stream, their destination no doubt being the Tree of Life. As the cubs watched, they noticed the group stop near a cluster of trees, likely settling down for the night. A large bird came down from high above to join the rest.
"We've gotta go tell Grandpa! He'd love to meet them."
"They won't be going anywhere tonight. Come on Safia, let's head back, it's getting late."
The sinking sun's rays were quickly swallowed up into a sky of twinkling stars scattered amongst an inky black void.
As they headed back, Safia continued to rave about the sighting, "And did you see that they were all different species? It looked like predators and prey on the journey together."
"They certainly looked very different from the usual groups passing by. He was far away, but that lion didn't seem grown up either. Strange if they're all that young coming to the Tree of Life. I'm sure Grandpa will figure it out."
Safia responded mischievously, "You know, we could get a closer look in the morning. Wake up right around dawn, before Mom and Dad just to see what that group is like. If we time it right I'm sure they'd never know."
Her brother pouted for a moment at the prospect. "You know we'll probably get in trouble right?" Then a playful grin crept along his muzzle. "But it does sound exciting…."
With a wink and a responding nod to finalize their plan, the two carefree lion cubs trotted up the moonlit slope toward their family's cave.
AN:
The Atlas bear of North Africa, famous for going extinct in part because of demand from the Romans using them for entertainment in gladiator fights, though they would last until roughly the 1870s. As the Lion Guard is heading to the Tree of Life, home of the rare and exotic, I figured why not use a few extinct species.
I hope that the reasons for why Kion didn't open up to the Guard made sense. And what's this, a pair of cubs want to sneak up on an increasingly crazy, exhausted lion prince?
Surely nothing to worry about ;)
Any feedback is much appreciated, and trust me, this story is just getting started and I have every intention of seeing it through as much as I am able to.