Eye of the Beholder
Hyenas were cackling, wildebeests were bellowing, and various grunts of frustration filled the air as a herd of wildebeests stampeded and kicked up dust in the air while the Lion Guard was having some trouble calming them down and locating the hyenas.
"Kion!" Kufu and Fuli yelled in unison as they ran up to their leader.
"How are we supposed to chase off the hyenas?" Fuli asked
"Yeah we can't even see anything through all of this dust," Kufu agreed.
"I'm sure it's all part of Janja's plan, guys," Kion guessed.
"Kion, Kufu, Fuli!" Ono called out from above the three felines, "look out!"
A wildebeest came charging towards the cubs. Kion ran in one direction, Fuli ran in the other, and Kufu jumped out of the way, landing beside Kion.
Kufu sighed in relief, "Phew! That was too close."
"You guys alright?" Ono swooped down to check on them.
"Yeah we are, Ono," Kion reassured the egret, "now keep your eyes peeled for Janja and his clan."
"Peeled eyes ew!" Ono recoiled before he flew above the dust cloud, and then he spotted two hyenas sneaking up towards a baby wildebeest, "Bunga, Beshte, I see Cheezi and Chungu. They're behind that bush!"
"Let's get'em, Beshte!" Bunga said, jumping on Beshte's back as the hippo charged towards the bush where the two hyenas were located.
"Twende Kiboko!" Beshte yelled just as the pair jumped out of the bush and ran away screaming as Beshte chased them.
"Zuka Zama!" Bunga cheered, grinning.
Ono chuckled, "Well that takes care of those two," he continued flying over the dust cloud, trying to locate his friends.
"Ono, look out for Janja!" Kion called out, "if we chase him off, the rest of the hyenas will go too."
"Affirmative!" Ono nodded before flying off and searching for Janja.
But what they didn't know was that Janja was slowly creeping up behind Kion ready to attack him.
"Gotcha now, lion cub!" Janja snickered.
Ono spotted Janja sneaking up on his leader, "Kion, look out!" he called out, "behind you!"
Janja let out a snarl before pouncing on Kion who turned around just in time to see him. The hyena pinned the lion cub down and was about to bite his shoulder, but the prince moved away at the last second.
"I thought I told you to stay out of the Pride Lands," Kion reminded, rolling over and pinning Janja.
"Did ya?" The hyena chuckled, "I must have forgotten," he pushed Kion off him and pinned him a second time.
"Kion, incoming!" Ono called out as he saw a wildebeest heading towards them.
A smirk plastered on the lion cub's face, "See ya, hyena," Kion said as he pushed Janja off him and got out of the way.
The wildebeest sent Janja flying a few feet away from the dust cloud.
"I've had enough," Janja said as he got up and started leaving, "come on, fellas, let's go."
"But, Janja, what about the plan?" Cheezi questioned.
"Yeah, the dust is still making things harder to see," Chungu chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah, dust don't matter when the Lion Guard has eyes in the sky," Janja said, rolling his eyes, "now move it!" He ordered as the hyenas started following him.
"That's right, get outta here!" Fuli said as she ran towards them.
"I'm going, I'm going," Chungu said, frightened.
The rest of the Guard regrouped and watched the hyenas retreat back into the Outlands.
"Keep going, Janja!" Kion yelled at the hyenas.
"All the way back to the Outlands!" Kufu added as his tail swung back and forth.
"And stay out!" Bunga followed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Nice job, everybody," Kion praised, glancing at each member of the Guard, "follow them, Ono," he added, glancing at Ono, "make sure they leave the Pride Lands."
"You got it, Kion," Ono saluted, taking off after the hyenas, "you heard him keep going," he followed the hyenas up the cavern trail, and then a few small rocks fell over the edge and hit the egret in the eye, "Ow! My eye, I'm hit," Ono winced as he started to fall backward.
"Oh-no!" Fuli, Beshte, and Bunga gasped.
"Ono!" Kion and Kufu yelled in unison.
Fuli used her speed and rushed to catch the bird before he hit the ground, diving forward and sliding on her stomach, grunting as Ono fell on her back.
"Bird down," Ono half-grunted and half-whined, "bird down."
Fuli carefully got to her feet as the rest of the Guard joined her and Kion looked down at Ono as his left eye was shut.
"Don't worry, Ono," Kion reassured the egret, "we'll take you to Rafiki. He'll know what to do."
The Guard headed back to the lair, but what they didn't see was another male egret with short, orange feathers on his head and gray tips on his tail who saw them pass by and was concerned about what happened.
When the Lion Guard returned to the lair, they saw the mandrill they were looking for and he was adding a new painting to the wall.
"Rafiki!" The mandrill turned to see the Guard heading towards him, "we need your help. Ono's hurt," Kufu informed.
"Easy, Ono," Fuli told the egret on her back.
"Ow! My eye," Ono groaned.
Rafiki walked over and looked at the injured egret on the cheetah's back, "Hmm, yes," the mandrill muttered, "I can see that you can not see," Rafiki lightly chuckled, "Dirt in the eye not as bad as it looks," he hopped over to a pile of rocks and scooped up some leaves and made a bed out of it, "Now, bring him down here."
Fuli went over to the rocks and lowered her body so Rafiki could easily lift Ono off her back and place him on the bed of leaves. The egret groaned as he was moved and the rest of the Guard watched as Rafiki was crushing some plants together and placed them in a bowl made out of a gourd.
"Lion Guard," the Guard looked towards the entrance of the lair and saw the egret that spotted them flying into the lair, "sorry for intruding, but I saw that Ono was hurt. Is he okay?" He asked in concern.
"He's doing OK, Kipo," Kion answered, "He just got some dirt in his eye."
Kipo sighed in relief, "Oh, thank Mufasa, I thought he was badly hurt."
"Ah-ha!" Rafiki exclaimed, "Yes, there, all done."
Ono sat up from the leaf bed with an eye patch made out of leaves and gulped, "So, how does it look?" He asked his friends. Bunga tapped his chin and looked away and Fuli was looking anywhere but at Ono, "Oh, is it that bad?" Ono asked, now worried.
"Not at all," Kufu assured with a smile.
"I like it," Beshte chimed, "Green is your color."
"Yeah, yeah!" Bunga agreed, "It totally brings out your eyes."
"Bunga," Fuli whispered, harshly, casting a narrow-eyed glare at the honey badger.
"Did I say your eyes? I mean it brings out your one eye," Bunga rambled on, "the one you got left I mean. I know the other one is still there but you can't see it I mean, uh..."
"Oh, forget it!" Ono sighed, lowering his head.
"Well, I think it's Poa," Beshte smiled, "And if I ever get dirt in my eye, I want one just like it."
"Me too," Kion agreed.
Kipo flew over towards Ono and put his wing on his back, "Don't be so insecure, Ono. I think you're still yourself even with an eye patch."
"Thanks, Kipo," Ono smiled.
"So is Ono gonna be OK?" Kufu asked the wise mandrill.
"Yes," Rafiki answered, patting the cub's head, "Ono's eye will be fine. He just needs to wear this eye patch for three days and no craziness."
"Three days!?" Ono exclaimed.
"No craziness!?" Bunga exclaimed, earning an eye roll from Fuli.
Kion stepped forward towards Ono, "Don't worry, Ono, the Guard can get by a couple of days without you," he told the bird, "You need to rest and get better."
"Kion's got a point, Ono," Kufu agreed.
"But I can still help the Guard," Ono defended, getting on his feet, "Besides, I can see just fine," he turned and walked right into a wall with a grunt, "Is that wall new?"
"No, but those paintings are," Fuli noted, looking at the paintings around the Guard's lair.
"Yes, yes, every Lion Guard appears on the walls of the lair," Rafiki informed the young animals, "and today I must add all of you to the story of the Lion Guard."
The Guard found their painting which was easy to spot since it's the only one that had two lions and four other animals.
"Poa," Beshte sighed, "so that's Kion and Kufu," he saw the two lions, "and there's Fuli," the hippo spotted the cheetah by Kion's other side.
"And that's me!" Bunga exclaimed, pointing at his painting, "That's me! That's me! That's me! That's me!"
"Amazing!" Kion exclaimed.
"Amazing to you," Rafiki noted, "to me not so much," he shook his head, "but they say that art is in the eye of the beholder."
"You got what in your eye?" Bunga questioned.
"Eye of the beholder," Kipo repeated.
"It means that everyone has their own opinion on what is good," Ono explained.
"The Keenest of Sight speaks the truth," Rafiki agreed with a smile, "but this painting, it does not have the spirit of your Lion Guard," he said, tapping his chin.
"Well, why am I not surprised that you put Kion and his cheetah princess right beside him?" Kufu teased, causing everyone to laugh though Bunga was confused by what he said.
Kion and Fuli blushed at that and both of them pushed Kufu into the pond that was in the lair, then he emerged, coughing up some water and shaking himself dry.
"Seriously?" Kufu said, glancing at Kion and Fuli.
Kipo stopped laughing and looked at Ono, "So what do you think about the painting, Ono?"
"Kipo," Bunga whispered, standing beside him, "Ono can't see."
"Yes I can," Ono defended, flapping his wings, "and I'm still the Keenest of Sight. Come on I'll prove it," he then took off out of the lair as the Guard chased after him.
Rafiki turned back towards the painting, "Hmm, in my eye, it is not yet right."
"Ono!" Kion yelled at Ono as he and the Guard chased after him, "you shouldn't be doing this."
"Kion's got a point, Ono," Kufu agreed with his leader, "you need to take it easy."
"Flying is easy. I hurt my eye not my wings," Ono rebuked, "just watch. You'll see I can still help the Guard," he flew higher and got a better view of the savannah, "See I can see everything from here."
Just then, a vulture with dark grey feathers with light grey tips and a few black hairs on his head flew into Ono's view from his blind spot, causing the two birds to collide with each other.
"Oi! Watch where you're going," the vulture said.
Ono fell towards the ground and almost dive-bombed his friends, but luckily they all got out of the way when he came tumbling to a halt. Fuli rushed after him once again and caught him on her back.
"Ono, are you OK?" Beshte asked as he, Kipo, and the Guard ran towards him.
"I'm good," Ono groaned, raising his wing.
"Maybe you shouldn't be flying around with just one eye," Fuli noted.
"Ono, I really think you should take a break," Kion advised.
"But doesn't the Guard need me?" Ono questioned, weakly, "I'm the Keenest of Sight."
"You were the Keenest of Sight," Bunga muttered.
"Easy, Bunga," Kufu whispered in a serious tone.
"Kion?" Ono looked at the Guard's leader.
"You'll get better, Ono," the Fiercest said, "you'll be back on duty in no time. For now, let's get you back to the lair."
"OK, I'll rest," Ono said, looking down at his talons in sadness.
Kipo flew towards him, "Kion's right, Ono, you need to rest," he agreed, "your health is more important right now."
Ono smiled at the egret and then Kufu picked him up, putting him on his back as the Guard returned to the lair, but what they didn't know was that the vulture saw the whole thing and flew back towards the Outlands.
In the Outlands, Mzingo was standing on a rotten tree branch with other vultures and they were having a meeting.
"And so on the question as to whether impala or reedbuck tastes better the parliament finds more deliberation is necessary," Mzingo informed.
The vulture who was watching the Guard flew towards the tree.
"Sorry I'm late," the vulture apologized.
Mzingo sighed and shook his head, "Mwoga, Mwoga, motion to allow Mwoga to join the parliamentary procedure already in progress," all but one vulture ayed, "the ayes have it. Mwoga, you may rejoin the Parliament," Mwoga landed on a tree branch and shoved a vulture out of the way, "I trust you have a compelling reason for being late."
"Indeed I do. it seems that Ono of the Lion Guard is no longer able to see out of one eye," Mwoga informed.
"The Keenest of Sight can no longer see!" Mzingo exclaimed, "hmm, that is interesting."
"I say we form a subcommittee to study the situation," Mwoga suggested.
"Capital idea, do I hear a second?" Mzingo asked and Mwoga glared at the vulture beside him and made him raise his wing, "very well then, the meeting to nominate subcommittee members to study the severity of Ono's loss of eyesight will go to the planning committee for a vote during the next session."
As Mzingo continued the parliamentary meeting, below the tree, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu were listening in on their meeting.
"Can we go now? I'm hungry," Chungu asked.
"Shush! The vultures always know what's going on in the Pride Lands," Janja told and then he smirked, "and it seems like Ono can't see."
"Ono can't see? That's great," Cheezi laughed, "uh why is that great?"
Janja rolled his eyes and groaned, "Because, fur-brains, Ono is the Guards eyes in the sky," he reminded, "and everytime I come up with a brilliant plan, Ono spots it and the Guard ruins it, but if he can't see anymore..." the hyena laughed and turned away from the tree, "come on, fellas, I got an idea and before you ask, yes, it involves food," Janja headed towards the Pride Lands.
"How did he know we were thinking about food?" Chungu asked.
"We're always thinking about food," Cheezi laughed.
"Oh yeah!" Chungu laughed as well, and then he and Cheezi followed Janja.
The next day,
"Hold still, Kion," Rafiki told Kion as he worked on revising the earlier painting of the Lion Guard.
The fiercest leader stood on the largest rock in the lair, standing in a pose with a plastered grin on his face while Kufu, Bunga, Beshte, and Fuli were watching from below.
"How does it look?" Kion asked through his teeth.
Rafiki let out another groan, "It is still not right," he said, shaking his head.
"Try painting him in action," Bunga suggested, "like this," he made a somewhat scary expression, and tried to make a growl which caused Kufu and Fuli to roll their eyes, "now you try, Kion."
Kion imitated the growl and face Bunga made which made Kufu and Fuli laugh, and Kufu fell on his stomach and tried to catch his breath.
"Oh man that sounds ridiculous, Kion," Kufu chuckled, "that sounds like that weird dream that I had."
"What weird dream?" Fuli asked.
"Some dream about four monkey looking creatures without fur, wearing something weird on their bodies, and one of them was really fat and had a mouth on him and was very mean to the others and there are also some other animals called Dig-a-man with them," Kufu answered and he shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know it was a weird dream."
"Kion, you need to look more like a lion," Bunga interjected, jumping on the rock beside Kion.
"How can you make Kion look more like a lion, Little B?" Beshte questioned.
"Like this," the Guard's Bravest pushed the prince's paws onto a small stone and moved the others in the air. He then pushed his left leg back and proceeded to push Kion up as if he was in mid-pounce, "now put your chin up like you mean it," Bunga held his hand under Kion's chin.
"Bunga, stop, that tickles," Kion chuckled.
"Kion, you're not looking very lion-y," Bunga noted as he observed the pose.
Bunga moved Kion's leg further back and readjusted his paws before stepping back, and then Kion wobbled and fell face-first onto the rock.
Fuli couldn't contain herself and started laughing, "Was that action enough for you, Rafiki?"
"Thank you for the help. Now please no more help," Rafiki said while rolling his eyes, "I need to think in peace," he sat down in his traditional meditation pose.
Kufu stopped chuckling and glanced at Fuli, "I bet you found Kion attractive while he was doing those poses."
Fuli stopped chuckling and glared at Kufu with a blush on her face, "Do you want to get pushed into the pond again?" she threatened, and then Kufu stopped chuckling, staying silent as she smirked, "that's what I thought."
"Hey, Lion Guard!" The Guard turned to the entrance and saw Mzuri walking towards them, "I'm glad to see you guys. I have something to tell you."
Rafiki, now out of his meditation, sighed and shook his head, "Well looks like no peace here."
"What's the Kurbubble, Mzuri," Beshte asked his crush.
"I was just down at the watering hole and my friend - Kulu - Her cousin overheard some buffalo talking about something his sister saw earlier today near the canyons at the Chakula Plains," Mzuri informed.
"And what was it?" Kion asked.
"She saw Janja and his hyenas on the ledge overlooking the plains," Mzuri told the Guard.
"Janja back in the Pride Lands?" Kufu repeated, his brow raised as he glanced at Kion, "he wouldn't come back unless he's planning something."
"Did I forget to mention that there was a herd of zebras grazing there as well?" Mzuri questioned.
The realization came across the two lion cubs' faces, "That's it!" they both shouted in unison.
"Janja's planning on attacking the zebras," Kufu added.
"Thanks for the info, Mzuri," Kion thanked.
Mzuri smiled and nodded, "No problem, now, I gotta get going. My dads would probably get worried about me," she said as she left the lair.
"Come on we need to get to Chakula Plains," Kion ordered, running out of the lair, "till the Pride Lands end..."
"Lion Guard defend!" The rest of the Guard followed.
"Most of the Lion Guard defend," Ono corrected from his nest, feeling helpless as he watched his friends leave and Kipo tried to comfort him.
Rafiki looked at the paintings, "Why? Why?" He sighed, covering his eyes with his hands, "why is it still not right?"
Kipo and Ono flew off the nest and looked at the paintings.
"It looks fine to us, Rafiki," Ono told the Mjuzi.
"Ono's right," Kipo agreed with his best friend, "it's like all of the other Lion Guard paintings sorta."
The paintings all over the wall depicted all of the past Lion Guards with the leaders slightly bigger than the other five members.
"That is the problem: The new Lion Guard, it is not like the others," Rafiki stated, "yet it should be simple: the leader and those he leads," he looked at the painting, and then he remembered all of the fun they had before they became the Lion Guard, "ah-ha!" The mandrill realized with a grin, "Kion, he does not just lead you, you're all friends," he laughed, "yes you all belong together."
"Rafiki has a point, Ono," Kipo agreed with the Mjuzi, "you all do belong together - all of you - and even without your sight, you still helped them."
Ono thought about what he said and stood tall, "You're right, Kipo, eye or no eye, my place is with the Guard. Thanks, Kipo, thanks, Rafiki," he smiled at the mandrill and his best friend and took to the air, flying out of the hole above the lair, "I gotta get going if I'm gonna catch up with them."
"Now that's the Ono I know and love," Kipo smiled.
At the narrow of the Chakula Plains, Janja was looking out for the Guard while Cheezi and Chungu were pushing some rocks and made a pile near the edge of the canyon.
"Why are we doing this, Janja?" Cheezi asked, "we can't eat rocks."
They turned and saw Chungu with a rock in his mouth, trying to eat it and he saw Janja and Cheezi looking at him, making him drop the rock from his mouth.
"What?" Chungu asked.
Janja shook his head, "It's all part of my plan."
"To eat zebras?" Cheezi asked.
"The zebras are just the bait," Janja answered.
"To catch bigger zebras?" Chungu asked.
"No, fur-brain," Janja groaned, "the bait to trap the Lion Guard."
"We're gonna eat the Lion Guard?" Chungu asked.
"No!" Janja snapped, "look we're going to-"
"Hurry this way!" Janja heard Kion from the distance.
"Shh! Here they come," Janja said as he saw the Lion Guard running through the narrow path through the canyons.
"This is the fastest way to the zebras," Kion informed.
The hyenas pushed the first rock pile off the cliff, causing the rocks to make a wall blocking the Guard's path.
"Looks like we're taking the long way around," Kufu noted as they all turned back the way they came.
"That's what you think, lion cub," Janja said as he pushed the big rock at the other side of the cliff, causing another rockslide.
"Not again!" Bunga exclaimed as more rocks came down.
"Everyone, take cover!" Kion ordered, dodging another falling rock.
A large slab fell towards them which Beshte caught on his back, now blocking him from other falling rocks and Fuli ran under the stone.
"Kion! Kufu! Bunga!" The cheetah called out.
The two cubs and honey badger ran towards her and the hippo, seeking shelter from falling debris and once the dust settled, Beshte put the rock down.
"Is everyone okay?" Kion asked.
"We're fine, Kion," Kufu replied, shaking dirt off his fur.
"What are the chances of two rockslides making two walls in one day?" Fuli asked, noticing two barriers blocking their paths, "with us in the middle?"
"No chance," Kufu answered.
"I think this is Janja's doing," Kion added.
"You got that right, Kion!" The Guard looked up and saw Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu looking down at them, "you're trapped and I win!" Janja laughed, "looks like we're dining on zebra today," he glanced between Cheezi and Chungu before glaring at the Lion Guard, "and you can't do anything to stop me."
"That's what you think, Janja!" Kufu growled, hunching his claws, "and in case you forgot, I know how to climb."
Kufu ran towards the canyon wall and jumped, digging his claws into the stones as he pulled himself up and his back paw found a small foothold, and when he put his weight on it, he fell flat on his back.
"You can climb, huh, but it looks like you're still down there," Janja taunted as he and his hyenas let out another shrieking laugh, "Aww poor little Lion Guard," he mocked, "protectors of the Pride Lands stuck behind a big ol' wall," the hyena laughed again, "you fell right into my trap or, more specifically, my trap fell onto you."
All three hyenas continued to laugh as they walked down the trail leading towards the zebra and began to sing, "Outta the way! Outta the way! Now we can feast on bird and beast now they're out of the way! Now they're out of the way!"
From the canyon, the Guard faintly heard their singing.
"Huh and I thought they couldn't carry a tune," Fuli muttered.
"What are you waiting for, Kion?" Bunga asked their leader, "use the Roar and blast those rocks."
"I can't, Bunga," Kion rebuked, "the zebras are right on the other side, and the rocks could fly out and hurt them."
"Oh right" the honey badger realized, "then blast this wall," he pointed at the wall behind them, "we can go the long way to the zebras and then..."
"It'll be too late," the cheetah finished.
"Dang there's gotta be something we can do to get these rocks out of our way without hurting the zebras," Kufu muttered, examining the rock pile in front of them.
"I think I can move this rock," Beshte pointed at the big rock at the bottom of the pile, "maybe it'll make an opening big enough for us to squeeze through," the Strongest suggested.
"Worth a shot," Kion agreed.
Beshte tried pushing against the large boulder in the middle of the wall. He grunted as he put all his weight into the wall as a few rocks became loose and started to fall. Luckily Beshte moved out of the way just in time before getting hurt.
"Are you OK, Beshte?" Kion asked.
"I'm OK," the hippo answered, "sorry that didn't work."
"It's OK, Beshte" Kufu reassured, "we just need to come up with something."
"Guys! Guys!" The squawking voice of the Keenest of Sight got their attention. Ono landed on a boulder with his friends standing in front of him, "I don't know if I can help, but I'm here," he said, reassuringly.
"You flew all the way here?" The Guard's Strongest questioned, "you must be feeling better."
"Well I still can't see very well," the egret shrugged.
"It doesn't matter," Kion shook his head, "you flew here and that gives me an idea," he stepped forward and met eyes with the bird, "Ono, I'm gonna use the Roar to blast those rocks. Fly over to the zebras and get them to move away from the canyon."
"Easy enough," Ono smiled, "you got it, Kion," he took to the skies and flew over the rock barrier.
Fuli went towards her leader, "Do you think this plan would work, Ki?"
"I hope it does, Fuli," Kion answered.
On the other side of the rock barrier, Ono flew towards the zebra and got their attention.
"Um if you would please follow me away from the canyon," Ono chuckled, nervously, "now hurry up this way don't push," Ono led, but the zebra ignored him and continued eating. The egret doubled back and landed in front of Thurston, "perhaps I've failed to emphasize the importance of 'follow me'," he said, sternly.
"We're eating here," Thurston stated, "can't you see that?"
"I can see," Ono said, defensively, "but, what you can't see is that the hyenas are coming," he flapped his wings.
"Hyenas?" Thurston repeated as he lifted his head and stared down at the egret, "you guys chased them out of the Pride Lands yesterday."
"That's what we thought," Ono exclaimed, "except when we were chasing them, I got sand in my eye it made it hard to fly and I tried, but I accidentally dive-bombed my friends, and they..." Ono cut himself off and realized what to do to get the zebra to move.
He flew away from the zebra and quickly turned back and dive-bombed Thurston, which spooked him and the zebra did what they always do when they were spooked: They panicked and ran which Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu saw and they rushed towards them before they could escape.
Bunga tried to peek through the cracks of the wall.
"Do you see anything, Little B?" Beshte asked.
"Yeah," Bunga replied.
"Really? Did Ono get the zebras to move?" Fuli questioned.
"Oh, I don't know," Bunga shrugged, "all I see are rocks."
Fuli and Kufu rolled their eyes.
"Of course he would say that," Kufu groaned.
"Don't worry, guys," Kion reassured, "I'm sure Ono can do it."
Ono flew back to the Guard, "Kion, Kion," he panted, "the zebras are on the move. You're all clear to roar," the egret perched himself on Beshte's back to catch his breath.
"Everyone, get behind me," Kion warned, the others doing exactly that.
Kion let out a huge roar as the clouds behind them formed into four roaring lions. The winds generated by the Roar were enough to destroy the wall and send the three hyenas to the center of the plains.
"How's the plan working now, Janja?" Kion chuckled as he and the Guard ran towards the three hyenas.
"I've got plenty of plans, Kion," Janja replied, narrowing his eyes and then he glanced at his subordinates, "new plan, fellas: Run!" He ordered, running towards the Outlands. Cheezi and Chungu followed their leader, "you haven't seen the last of me," the hyena vowed.
"Great job, Ono," Kufu praised, glancing at the egret on Beshte's back, "we couldn't have done it without you."
"Just glad to be back on the team," Ono said, shyly.
"You were always on the team, Ono," Kion nudged his wing with his paw.
"Kion's right. Even without your eyesight, you're also the smartest of the team," Kufu said, making the egret smile.
A few days later,
"There now it is right!" Rafiki exclaimed as he finished the painting, "the leader of the Lion Guard and his friends."
"It's perfect, Rafiki," Kion smiled with Fuli and Kufu by his side.
"Totally," Fuli agreed.
"What do you think, Ono?" Kufu asked the egret standing on the rock beside him.
"I think it's the best painting I've ever seen," Ono answered, smiling.
"And that means a great deal to me," Rafiki spoke, "coming from the Keenest of Sight."
"He's right, Ono," Kipo agreed, "nothing can doubt your amazing eyesight," he complimented, making Ono blush.
Rafiki tapped the painting with his Bakora Staff and it started to move. The Guard in a straight line changed to form a pyramid-like structure with Kion and Fuli's image at the base, Bunga and Kufu's above them, and Beshte's in the space between them with Ono's image at the top. The Guard stared in awe.
"Fascinating," Ono said.
"Poa," Beshte said, wiggling his ears.
"Un-Bunga-livable!" Bunga exclaimed.
"Amazing," Kion smiled.
"Yeah, it is," Fuli nodded.
"Again I'm not surprised that Kion and Fuli's image are beside each other," Kufu teased, causing Kion and Fuli to glare at him.
"This Lion Guard is best together," Rafiki stated, staring at the painting on the wall of the lair.
A/N: And that's the Eye of the Beholder. This took a while and it'll probably be a while for the next chapter, but I'm glad for the support this story is getting. I hope you like Ono's love interest, Kipo, and the dream Kufu had is a shoutout to my partner DemonGirl123 for her South Park/Digimon crossover: The Dark Vortex. Leave a review and let us know what you think.
Next up: The Lion Guard celebrate Kupatana while also dealing with a new enemy
Here's the cast list:
Max Charles as Kion, Caleel Harris as Kufu, Joshua Rush as Bunga, Diamond White as Fuli, Atticus Shaffer as Ono, Dusan Brown as Beshte, Jace Norman as Kipo, Skai Jackson as Mzuri, Khary Payton as Rafiki, Andrew Kishino as Janja, Kevin Schon as Chungu and Thurston, Vargus Mason as Cheezi, Greg Ellis as Mzingo, Cam Clarke as Mwoga.
This chapter was written by marvelomac1010 and beta-read/edited by DemonGirl123.