A/N: Following up on the Sly Lion and the Legendary Roar, we see Kufu and his friends fitting into their new lives. In this season, we will also meet some new friends, see some familiar faces, and discover new enemies!
Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots
It had been a sunny day in the Pride Lands. Everywhere you looked, all you could see were rolling hills of green. Life sparkled everywhere — even in the very dewdrops resting on the blades of grass. Antelopes grazed silently and peacefully, the young calves happily galloping behind their mothers. Unfortunately, good things never lasted too long when Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu were around.
The trio of hyenas narrowed their eyes at the herd of afore-mentioned antelopes, and the leader of the trio's tongue swiped his upper lip in anticipation. Their leader was Janja, a menacing hyena who had made it his life goal to terrorize the Pride Lands and the creatures living in it. The other two, Cheezi and Chungu, didn't really understand many of their leader's ideas but stuck along for the ride.
"Come on fellas it's lunchtime and I'm starving," Janja said, a snarl present on his muzzle.
"I'm always starving," Chungu said and Cheezi let out an insane-sounding, wheezy laugh at the former's joke.
Janja stifled an eye-roll and signaled the other two to stalk forward towards the gazelles. Soon the trio caused a stampede, which only further pleased Janja because chaos always caused weakness, and they continued running after the antelopes. Janja let out a loud snicker and at the smell of fear in the air. He'd be fully content to spend the rest of the day causing terror, had it not been for Kion's voice ringing out across the field.
"Hyenas!" Kion's sharp voice shouted. Janja turned, only to see Kion and the rest of the Guard glaring down at him. "I thought I told you to stay out of the Pride Lands."
"Did ya' now?" Janja drawled before grinning madly. "My stomach keeps forgetting."
"His stomach forgets," Chungu repeated with a laugh, "That's a good one."
"GO!" Kion yelled.
Janja could see the clouds beginning to form lions behind the cub, and even he didn't want to stick around to see what was going to happen. "Oh no," he muttered before turning tail and taking off with the rest of the trio.
Beside him, Cheezi giggles. "That cubs got no sense of humor," Cheezi said, his eyes not exactly focusing quite right.
Kion them turned to Kufu. "Kufu, take the Guard and calm the herd. I'll deal with these guys."
"You got it Kion," Kufu said with a nod as he watched Kion dart after the hyenas. Huwezi Kuniona!" Kufu and the others quickly ran after the antelopes. "Fuli, you run to the front and try to calm the herd down."
"No problem," Fuli huffed. "Huwezi!"
As Fuli ran off, Kufu turned to the rest of them. '"Beshte, Ono — try to take care of the back of the herds," Kufu ordered, " And Bunga — you're with me. We'll deal with the ones in the middle."
"You got it Kufu," Bunga said. He quickly leaped into the air and roughly landed on the back of a stampeding antelope with a, "Zuka Zama!"
...
Back with Kion...
Kion was chasing after the hyenas, making sure they got back to the Outlands. Soon, both the hyenas and Kion reached the border between the Pride Lands and the Outlands. A swift and coursing river raged past in the canyon separating the two territories, and the only bridge was a hollow old tree trunk laid out across the river.
"We're leaving?" Chungu asked. "What about lunch?"
"All of the sudden I'm not so hungry," Janja said.
At this, Cheezi cocked an uneven, bushy brow. "But Janja, you said you were starving!"
"Just run, fur brains!" Janja shouted.
They quickly crossed the hollowed trunk. As Janja ran across, he felt a small crack beneath his toes. He quickly sped up his tempo, not wanting the log to break under him. Even he was smart enough to avoid being caught in the river.
Kion, however, didn't feel the crack as he sped across the log to make sure they were going into the Outlands. He stopped about halfway across and shot Janja a deadly glare. "That's right. Back to the Outlands now!" Kion said.
As he watched the hyenas disappear into the gorge, Kion was about to turn back and make sure the rest of his Guard was taking care of the stampede. He was pretty confident that they could handle it, but he just wanted to make sure. But before he could do so, the trunk gave a loud creak. Feeling his heart plummet, Kion quickly attempted to cross the trunk before it broke, but the log splintered and snapped in half under his weight.
He fell into the water with a splash and resurfaced immediately, taking hold of a piece of driftwood. He coughed and spluttered as the quick river water whisked him away. He managed to lift his head just enough to see the edge of a waterfall getting closer and closer...
...
Back with the others...
They had successfully calmed down the antelopes, and Beshte was walking right beside the now-calmed herd.
"That's right. Easy there," Beshte said soothingly. "You're all okay now."
"Yeah, Kion chased those hyenas back into the Outlands," Bunga said.
"Bunga's right," Kufu said. His eyes widened slightly as he realized that Kion wasn't back yet. "And he should be back by now. Wonder what's taking him so long."
Fuli started to look worried about her best friend and leader. "Hey, Ono? Can you check on Kion?"
"I'm on it," Ono said with a nod before flying up. He scanned the ground for a few moments before spotting a flash of gold and auburn amongst the deep blue of the river separating the Pride Lands and the Outlands. He swiftly flew back to the others. "Everyone!" he shouted, panic rising in his voice, "Kion's in trouble we need to help him now!"
Kufu and Fuli exchanged worried glances, and both quickly dashed off to follow Ono. Bunga and Beshte were both just behind the felines, and Ono's wings flapped frantically as he raced against time to reach Kion. He knew that there was a waterfall at the end of the current and if they don't get to Kion in time...
Finally, they reach the edge of the river, running along the side of it to reach Kion in time.
"Kion!" Bunga shouted with a gasp. The fiercest clearly heard them, but couldn't respond as he was too busy navigating the rocky river. "Hang on, Kion! We're coming!"
With that, the honey badger dived into the water after his friend. Beshte's eyes went wide, "Little B, don't! The current is too strong!"
So Beshte jumped in and quickly pulled a thrashing Bunga out of the current. "Thanks, Big B," Bunga murmured, gasping for air.
Fuli knitted her brows together as she raced alongside the current. "Ono, keep pace with Kion!" she called.
"Affirmative," Ono said before flying to Kion who was still clinging on the log. "Hold on, Kion. We're coming to help." He looked up to see a maze of sharp and pointy rocks jutting out from the water. "Oh no! Kion, look out! Rocks dead ahead!"
Kion narrowed his eyes to see that there were in fact sharp, pointy rocks in his path. He let out a gasp and a shout as he rammed into a rock, which caused him to lose grip of the log and go underwater. He quickly resurfaced and began swimming as fast as he could to the closest piece of land he could find, which he later discovered to be right on the Outland's territory.
Finally, he pulled himself to safety in the Outlands.
The Guard stopped running at the sight of Kion in the Outlands, but safe.
"Kion, you okay?" Bunga asked from the other side of the river.
Kion coughed and shook the water off of him. "A little wet, but I'm okay."
Ono flew from the Pride Land's side to the side Kion was on. "But Kion, you're all the way out here in the Outlands," Ono said, raising both eyebrows in worry.
"I can see that Ono," Kion said. His eyes followed a rocky trail in the middle of the gorge, and an idea struck him. "And it looks like I can take that trail upriver. Don't worry about me, Ono. Besides, I don't have much of a choice. I definitely can't cross the river here." He then looked to the other lion on the Guard. "Hey, Kufu!"
The lion in question raised his brows. "Yeah?"
"Remember that place that you, me, and Dalia used to play in near the border of the Outlands?" Kion asked.
Kufu nodded. "Yeah. Flat Ridge Rock, right?"
"Meet me at Flat Ridge Rock. I can cross the river there," Kion said.
Kufu looked unsure but nodded once more. "You got it," Kufu said before adding, "even though I don't know how to get to there from here."
The others looked confused as well. "Flat Ridge Rock," Fuli repeated doubtfully.
"Oh yeah, I know that place," Bunga said with a wave of the hand. "Come on." He took off, and Beshte and Kufu quickly ran after him.
Fuli looked back at Kion. "Be careful, Kion," she said before running after Bunga.
Kion then looked to the egret by his side. "Ono, you better go with them and make sure Bunga really does know where Flat Ridge Rock is," Kion said with a small chuckle.
"Affirmative." He took flight and began sailing towards the sprinting honey badge. "Guys, wait up!"
As soon as Ono was gone, Kion hopped over a small ledge and started walking up the rocky trail, hopping up on every rock. Unbeknownst to him, however, a pair of eyes were watching him from the shadows.
Back with the Guard...
The Guard had been walking through the forest, trying to find Flat Ridge Rock. As it turned out, Bunga was exactly the best path-finder, and everyone was starting to get on each other's nerves. Bunga was taking the lead, walking backward as he spoke with the rest of the Guard. Seeing their slow pace, he began waving his arms around in a beckoning manner.
"Come on guys! We don't want Kion waiting at Flat Ridge Rock, wondering where we are," Bunga said impatiently. He turned around, raising his brows with giddy. "Ah-hah!" he exclaimed before his face fell again. "Ughh..."
Beshte skidded to a halt. "What's wrong, Little B?"
"Uh nothing," replied Bunga, fiddling with his thumbs nervously.
At that, Fuli quirked a brow. "Bunga are you sure you know how to get to Flat Ridge Rock?"
Bunga scoffed, "Of course I know..." Bunga said, trailing off. His eyes darted around for a moment before he proclaimed, "Uh it's this way!"
The rest of the Guard exchanged wary, doubtful glances but followed the honey-badger nevertheless. After all, Kion did seem to trust him. And for the next few minutes, Bunga began leading them in a completely different direction. However, that was very short-lived as a big rock blocked their path from the distance. Fuli looked to Bunga with disbelief.
"No, no, no," Bunga protested, waving his arms, "It's this way."
He took a sharp right turn, leading the Guard onto another, slightly-less-used path. As they were walking, Bunga barely managed to stop himself from crashing into a red serpent lying in the grass, Ushari. The cobra had been asleep, evident by his still-bleary eyes. When he saw Bunga, he twisted his face into a scowl and began glaring daggers at the honey-badger.
"Going somewhere, Bunga?" he had sneered.
Bunga slowly stepped away from the grumpy reptile. "Nooope," he said, drawing out the 'o' and gestured to the right, "It's gotta be this way." He stopped when he realized that he was pointing to a dead-end. "Uh, well it's gotta be one of these ways."
"Bunga, do you even know where we're going?" Kufu asked doubtfully.
Bunga nodded. "Sure!" he said looking down at his feet awkwardly, "Um, we're lost..."
To this everyone groaned. Fuli sighed and shook her head. 'Kion, please be okay,' she thought silently.
Back with Kion...
Kion had been walking through the Outlands, keeping his eyes peeled. He's had a strange feeling about this place from the very beginning. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it felt like something or someone was watching him. As if on cue, some pebbles fell from a higher ledge. Kion jumped slightly at the noise. If he wasn't alert before, he definitely was now.
A feminine, cocky-sounding voice sounded from above. "Helll-lo," the voice drawled, extending the vowels.
Kion tracked the source of the voice to find a young female hyena with purple-tinted fur and a collage of spots and stripes adorning her body. Her mane was mainly purple with deep stripes running through it. Her deep blue eyes were narrowed into a glare and her lips were twisted up into a malicious smile.
"Surprise!" she said suddenly, jerking her head out towards him.
Kion gasped, to which the hyena let out a deep cackle.
"Didn't know I was up here, did ya?" she taunted.
He shook his head fervently. "No, I..." he trailed off, the shocked look quickly replaced with a fierce snarl, "I knew you were up there the whole time." With a small growl, he added, "Hyena."
"Yep, I'm a hyena alright. You lions are so clever!" the hyena teased, "Especially you Kion — Leader of the Lion Guard."
Kion shot her a puzzled glance. "You know me?" he demanded.
"Just by reputation, but the mark on your shoulder is a giveaway," she said with a laugh.
"So you're not in Janja's clan?" Kion asked suspiciously.
"Janja?" she echoed in disbelief, "Ha! That's a good one!" the hyena rolled her eyes before jumping in front of Kion, "Now, what are you doing in the Outlands? It's not exactly your territory."
"I'm going to Flat Ridge Rock so I can get back to the Pride Lands," Kion answered, his tone still strangely defiant, "If that's ok with you, hyena."
Jasiri's fur bristled at the way Kion spat out hyena like that. "The names Jasiri, and if you are heading to Flat Ridge Rock, then you're going the wrong way," Jasiri said, cocking a brow in defiance.
Kion rolled his eyes. "And I should trust a hyena because...?"
"Because I want you out of my territory," Jasiri said fiercely, glaring daggers at him.
"Good," Kion spat, "I want out of your territory."
Jasiri could only grin at him. "Well, you're going the wrong way then."
Kion, however, paid no heed to her and continued walking.
Back with the others...
Ono flew the others out of the forest, using his keen sense of sight to lead the way. Why he hadn't thought of that in the first place is a mystery to him. Note to self: never believe Bunga if he says, 'I know the way.' He definitely does not 'know the way.'
Ono wasn't the only one grateful for the change in tour-guide. "Thanks for getting us out of the woods, Ono," Beshte said.
"No prob," Ono said, "though I don't know where to go from here since I've never been to Flat Ridge Rock."
"Neither have I," Beshte said.
"Me neither," Fuli said.
Then they all looked at Bunga, who was looking suddenly very sheepish. "Well, it's gotta be around here somewhere," Bunga said, causing everyone to roll their eyes in sync.
"All I see are grass trees and zebras," Beshte said, spotting the zebra herd that was close by.
"Kufu, don't you know where Flat Ridge Rock is? Kion mentioned that you used to go there all the time," Ono pointed out.
"Yeah," Kufu agreed, "but we haven't been there since the one time when Bunga got us into trouble with the crocodiles." Kufu gave a pointed look at Bunga, who was no laughing nervously and fiddling with his thumbs once more."If anything looks familiar, I'll let you know, but there's nothing so far."
Fuli groaned when she heard that. "I can't believe that we don't know where to go. We're the Lion Guard," Fuli said, annoyed. "this never happened when Kion was around."
Kufu smirked in amusement. "It's been, what, fifteen minutes and you already miss your boyfriend?" Kufu questioned, coaxing laughs out of Beshte and Ono.
Fuli then blushed. "He is not my boyfriend, Kufu," Fuli growled, her face still red.
Bunga raised a confused eyebrow. "But Fuli — Kion is a boy and he is your friend."
Fuli spun around to look at Bunga not. "Bunga, shut up."
"Easy Fuli," Beshte said haltingly, "look, we just need to ask someone for directions."
"Hello, Lion Guard," said a voice they all recognized to belong to a zebra named Thurston, "I couldn't help but overhear you need directions."
They all turned around to see Thurston emerging from the woods they had just left, his eyebrow cocked towards them in a curious manner. Before they could ask questions as to how Thurston just appeared like that, Bunga rushed forward.
"We do!" he admitted rather unabashedly, "Do you know where Flat Ridge Rock is?"
"Flat Ridge Rock, eh?" Thurston said, mulling it over, "is that near Ukuni Woods or Big Springs?"
"We don't know where it is, that's why we're asking you," Fuli said, annoyed.
"I see... well that's too bad because I'm not sure where it is," Thurston said. Kufu and Fuli looked at each other with a 'are you kidding me' face. Thurston, if he noticed, paid no mind to the looks they were exchanging. "Now," he continued, turning his head to the side, "where was I going?"
"Maybe back to your herd," Kufu said, still bearing the 'are you kidding me' face.
"Oh yes, of course! Thank you," Thurston said before walking back to his herd.
"Zebras," Ono said, sighing, "they never know where they're going."
"Actually," said Kufu, "it's not all zebras. It's just Thurston."
"And we still don't know where Flat Ridge Rock is," Fuli said with her ears pinned down.
A new idea suddenly crossed Beshte's mind, which is characterized by his tell-tale eyebrow raise. "Hey, we can go ask Mbeya the rhino. He knows the Pride Lands like the back of his horn."
Fuli then perked up. "Great! Any idea where we can find Mbeya?"
"Well this time of the day, Mbeya usually hangs out at the watering hole," Beshte said.
"Yes!" Bunga said with a small fist pump in the air. "Watering hole here we come!" With that, he began walking in the direction that Thurston had just wandered away in, until Kufu halted him.
Kufu eyed Bunga warily. "Ono, why don't you lead the way?"
Ono seemed to have followed Kufu's line of thought, for the egret tipped his head into a nod. "Affirmative. Follow me."
The Guard started following Ono, except for Bunga who went back the wrong way. Once again, Kufu held him back. "This way, you idiot," Kufu snapped.
"I was taking a shortcut," Bunga said sheepishly.
"Yeah," Kufu scoffed, rolling his eyes, "sure you were. Bunga, your shortcuts are far more trouble than they are worth."
Back with Kion...
The young prince was still climbing a large rock deep within the heart of the Outlands. Feeling a certain hyena's gaze still on him, he looked back and saw a coyly smiling Jasiri. "Ugh, you've gotta be kidding me," he bemoaned rather dramatically, "You're still following me?"
Jasiri shrugged, still smiling. "And you're still ignoring my advice."
"About going the wrong way?" Kion asked, rolling his eyes, "Yeah right." He took a few more paces forward so that he was almost at the top of the rock. "I'm pretty sure that I'm almost at Flat Ridge Rock."
"Maybe so," Jasiri conceded, shrugging once more, "but you can't get there on this trail." She hopped precariously on a series of jutting boulders, much more gracefully than Kion had managed.
Kion rolled his eyes more, turning his lips down into a scowl. "Oh yeah? And why's that?"
Jasiri smirked as Kion only walked forward onto the cliff's edge. She knew something that he didn't and she wouldn't feel bad at all about what was going to happen next. "Because," she said, and she grinned before leaping out of harm's way. "The trail ends — here."
Absentmindedly, Kion climbed up only to find the edge of the cliff. Trying to no avail to stop his fall, he slipped and fell in a thorn bush, effectively getting stuck. With ever move, thorns were prickling into his pelt. To his dismay, he looked up to find Jasiri staring down at him nefariously, her eyes glinting in the sun. She laughed cruelly and began climbing carefully down the slope towards Kion.
"Hevi kabisa," Kion murmured worriedly.
Back with the guard...
The Guard, minus Beshte, was waiting by the river bank. Fuli was particularly annoyed and kept swatting the river bugs with her bushy tail, to which Bunga greedily caught them like they were playing a game of baobab ball. The Guard was waiting for Beshte to ask Mbeya for directions.
"Ugh," Fuli groaned, "how long does it take to ask for directions?"
Kufu, beside her, rolled over on his side. "I agree with you on that part, Fuli," said Kufu, "We've been waiting here forever for him."
"Beshte does like to talk," Bunga pointed out, shoving a handful of river bugs into his mouth.
"Perhaps I better go talk to him," Ono said before flying to Beshte and Mbeya who were both deep in a conversation.
Ono flew in at the butt-end of the conversation. "...you know, when you get to be my age... you never know what it's like, youngster..." Mbeya was saying.
Beshte looked like he was going to respond, but Ono interrupted. "Sorry to interrupt, Beshte, but we have to meet Kion at Flat Ridge Rock."
The hippo's brows raised in understanding. "Oh, right!" he said, "Alright, Mbeya, I'll talk to you later."
"Later Beshte," Mbeya said tiredly.
When Beshte waded through the water, he was met by the other members of the Guard.
"So," Fuli said eagerly, "What did Mbeya say?"
Beshte laughed, remembering the conversation. "You won't believe it," he said, chortling, "Remember that heatwave we had yesterday?"
"Yeah, I remember," said Fuli flatly, "It was hot. Now, what did he say?"
"He forgot to cover himself in mud," Beshte said, laughing.
"Why would Mbeya cover himself in mud Big B?" Bunga asked.
"That's how rhinos avoid sunburn," said Ono knowledgeably, "Common knowledge, really."
"Not just rhinos," added Kufu, oblivious to Fuli's rising annoyance, "hippos do it as well."
Fuli's fur began bristling. "I meant, what did Mbeya say about directions?"
Beshte laughed. "Fuli, you don't need directions to cover yourself in mud," said Beshte, as if it was common knowledge, "You just find a nice puddle and roll in it!"
Fuli groaned and felt a twitch in her eye. "Not directions for mud bathing," snapped Fuli, "directions on how to get to Flat Ridge Rock! You know, so we can meet up with Kion?"
The hippo's ears fell in embarrassment. "Oh yeah...the directions to Flat Ridge Rock," Beshte said before looking embarrassed, "I, uh, forgot to ask."
Everyone let out a synchronous groan. Bunga sighed, "Kion would never forget something like that."
"There must be someone around here who knows where Flat Ridge Rock is," Kufu said, looking up as he thought. Turning his head, he saw in the distance Thurston's herd of zebras standing next to a group of a few lions. Thurston, in particular, seemed to be upset with one of the lions. Squinting his eyes, he realized something: "wait a minute... that's Dalia and her family."
Fuli's eyes lit. "Do you think she'd know where Flat Ridge Rock is?" she asked, remembering what Kion had said.
"Yup," Kufu said, "Dal' always had the sharpest memory as cubs." Smiling at his childhood friend, Kufu began walking towards the herd. As he neared, it definitely looked like Dalia's family and Thurston were in some sort of argument. "Dalia!" he called.
Dalia stepped away from Thurston when she saw the Guard walking up to her and her family. "Hey guys," Dalia greeted in a friendly tone, though she seemed slightly annoyed with something else. "Nice to see you." Before Kufu could return the greeting, she turned her head back to her mother who was discussing something with Thurston. "Kopa is such a moron," she groaned, "He just had to go pick a fight with the stubbornest creature in the Pridelands, didn't he?"
Kufu snorted in amusement, and he quickly put two and two together as to why Thurston was arguing with Nyla. Obviously, Kopa had done something to upset Thurston and Nyla now had to step in and apologize on her son's behalf. Actually, now that he got a closer look at Thurston, it looked like the zebra had slipped into mud...
"Well hello to you too, Dalia," he said, before turning to her mother who was in the middle of a conversation with Thurston, "And good afternoon to you too, Miss Nyla."
Nyla was Dalia and Kopa's mother, and her daughter is the spitting image of her. Down to the fur color, green-gray eyes, and that smile. Her son, however, seemed to take after Nyla's mate in terms of appearance. Though his temperament, however, was something neither of his parents gave him. Kufu always wondered how two decent lions produced such a vile-mannered cub.
At the sound of the greeting, Nyla turned her head away from Thurston. "Hello Kufu," she said before looking back at Thurston. "Like I was saying..."
Kufu then turned his head, no longer paying attention to what Thurston and Nyla were talking about, and he spotted Kopa. And he wasn't exactly excited to see him. "Kopa," he spat out forcefully.
"Kufu," Kopa forcefully greeted as well.
Nyla suddenly cleared her throat, moving in front of her son to prevent a conflict. "Like I was saying," she said more forcefully to Thurston. "I'm really sorry for what my son said. And did." She shot a glare at Kopa. "He's just a—"
"A mouse-brain," Dalia interrupted, glowering at her brother. "A royal mouse-brain."
Nyla then turned her glare to Dalia. "I was going to say that he's just a cub," Nyla gritted out forcefully to Dalia before turning back to Thurston. "But either way, I'm really sorry, and this won't happen again."
Thurston sniffed in the air pretentiously. "It better not!" he exclaimed before walking back to the rest of his herd. In doing so, he revealed to everyone his rear — which made it clear that he had, uh, fallen in mud.
Once he was gone, Nyla turned on her son with a dangerous look in her eyes. "What were you thinking, Kopa?" she demanded, "You know our Pride doesn't abuse our power or strength against other creatures in the Circle of Life!"
Kopa frowned. "I wasn't abusing anything! First of all, he started it. All I did was call him a few names..."
"And you pushed him into mud," Dalia finished. "And from what I recall, you started the argument in the first place."
It looked like Kopa and Dalia were going to argue, so Nyla interjected. "It doesn't matter who started it," she said angrily, "I've raised you two to treat everyone with respect, no matter who they are or if they were rude to you first. Kopa, even if Thurston started the argument with you, you should've taken the high road."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," said Kopa, who didn't look sorry whatsoever.
Nyla looked like she would've scolded him more, but suddenly remembered that there were other creatures there. Putting on a hospitable smile, she turned to the Lion Guard. "Sorry you had to see that," she said, smiling politely, "It'd lovely to see all of you."
"Hey..." said Dalia slowly, tilting her head around slightly. "Where's Kion?"
"That's the thing: Kion is trapped in the Outlands," Kufu explained.
Dalia's eyes went wide. "What?"
Nyla looked worried. "Oh no," she murmured, "that isn't good at all. I should probably let his mother know."
Kopa, who was still standing behind Nyla, snickered. "Hurray," he sneered, "looks like Scar Jr. is finally back where he belongs — in the Outlands."
It took Kufu all but a second to understand that he was referring to Kion as "Scar Jr." Kion and Kopa were never the best of friends, but Kopa's dislike only amplified when Kion received the gift of the Roar. Since then, Kopa became convinced that Kion was nothing but the reincarnation of Scar, and him becoming the leader of the Lion Guard would only causing history to repeat itself. Nyla looked livid at her son's comment.
"Kopa, you watch your mouth," scolded Nyla.
Fuli then stepped forward. "You call him Scar Jr. one more time, and I'll give you a scar!"
Kufu shot Kopa a dirty look before sighing. "Ignore him, guys. He's just looking to get a reaction out of us." He then turned to Dalia. "Look, Dalia, we need your help. We were supposed to meet with Kion at Flat Ridge Rock, but we don't know where it is. You think you can help us out?"
"Of course I can," she said before turning to her mother. "Mom, I can go with them, right?"
Nyla smiled. "Of course," she said, "Kion needs help, and us Pride lions stick together."
"I'm going too," Kopa said, stepping forward. "There is no way that I'm letting my little sister go with them—" he shot the members of the Guard a nasty look "—alone."
Dalia rolled her eyes. "You may be my older brother but I am far more capable of taking care of myself than you are," Dalia snapped, which caused a growl to escape from Kopa.
Nyla looked between her two cubs in exasperation. "I'm heading back to Pride Rock to tell Nala what's going on," she said, "Kids, make sure you stay out of trouble. And I mean it, Kopa."
"See ya later, Mom," Dalia said.
Bunga pumped up his fists in excitement. "Okay, Dalia, lead the way!" exclaimed the honey-badger.
Back with Kion...
Kion was flat on his back in a thornbush, helpless as Jasiri neared him with a nefarious grin on her face. He didn't know whether he should beg or fight back or both.
"Hold still," Jasiri said a mocking tone, "this won't hurt at all..."
Kion closed his eyes shut, fearing the worst. But when nothing happened, he slowly slid his eyes open. "What... what are you doing?" Kion asked, confused as he saw Jasiri start moving the branches away from him.
Jasiri paused to shoot him a look of disbelief before continuing to move the branches away from him. "Getting you out of this thorn bush, that's what," said Jasiri, "And if you just hold still..." She bent her head to bite away another branch.
Kion looked at her with wide eyes. "What?" he gaped, "W-why are you helping me? You're a hyena."
"You lions really do think all hyenas are bad, don't you?" Jasiri asked, shaking her head as if she thought lions were the stupidest creatures to walk the earth.
"All the ones I met are," Kion said defensively.
Jasiri snorted. "And the ones you've met are who? Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu?" Jasiri questioned. Kion slowly tipped his head into a nod. "Well, then there you go. Obviously, I'm not like them." Kion shot her an oh, really? kind of look, so she snorted once more. "For one thing, they're males, which means that they're foolish. No offense," she added the last part rather hurriedly after noting the look of indignation on Kion's face.
"Not all males are foolish," Kion said, cocking a brow as if daring her to say otherwise.
Jasiri snickered. "Says the male lion, flat on his back and stuck in a bush," Jasiri fired back and laughed. Kion looked at her with a raised eyebrow and finally, a smile pushed its way onto his face as she continued trying to get him free.
Back with the Guard...
They were crossing through a forest that Dalia had insisted lead straight to Flat Ridge Rock. She had been very insistent on the matter, so they followed her, even though none of them were too thrilled about going through a forest after all the shenanigans that Bunga pulled.
"Er, Dalia, you sure this leads to Flat Ridge Rock, right?" Fuli questioned warily.
"Yes," she replied a little testily, "I've been there before, you know that, right?"
Kopa rolled his eyes. "So how did the little cowardly prince get trapped in the Outlands anyway?" asked Kopa. He yelped when Dalia bit his tail harshly.
Kufu glared at Kopa. "One, he's not a coward. Two, he was chasing Jana, Cheezi, and Chungu back into the Outlands and that log bridge snapped. He managed to swim across to the other side, but now he's trapped there."
"Don't worry, Kufu," said Dalia, "Kion'll be alright. You remember all the trouble we used to get into when we were little? If Kion managed to survive Bunga convincing us to play leap-frog with crocodiles—"
"That was one time," Bunga interrupted.
"—then, I'm sure he'll be fine."
"Maybe he teamed up with Janja by now," said Kopa, causing Dalia to bite his tail once more, "Ow! Again with the tail?"
Fuli rolled her eyes at Kopa before looking up at Ono. "Hey, Ono? You think you can see Flat Ridge Rock from here?"
"I'm looking right now," Ono said before flying above the canopy of the forest. He narrowed his eyes and spotted something in the distance. "Everyone!" he called, "There's a ridge ahead with a flat rock on top of it! It's gotta be Flat Ridge Rock!"
Bunga let out a whoop. "Zuka Zama, here we come, Kion!" he hollered wildly, before leaping in the air, using Fuli's back as a springboard.
Fuli groaned sharply. "This time," she said, glancing around, "I'm leading the way."
And with that, she sped off, kicking up a storm of dust in her wake. The rest of the group stared dumbly at the cheetah's quickly vanishing figure until she was no more than a speck of yellow in the distance.
"Fuli, wait!" Bunga called, running after her. "How're you supposed to lead the way when none of us can keep up?"
"We better go after her," sighed Ono before flapping his wings fervently to keep up with Fuli's speed. Beshte also sped up.
Dalia looked to her brother before following suit. "Fuli certainly seems... eager to get to Kion."
Kopa looked confused as he ran after his sister. "I knew Kion had it bad for the cheetah," he said, "But I didn't know she had it bad for him."
"I can't believe I'm saying this," said Kufu, who was now running as well, "But for once, Kopa, I actually agree with you."
Back with Kion...
With one last tug, Jasiri finally managed to free Kion from the thornbush. She made a noise of satisfaction before tossing aside the branch she had just peeled from his coat.
Kion, who was still shaken from the entire incident, didn't appear particularly grateful. "Thank you, I guess," he said quickly, as if the words had stung his tongue and he was eager to get them out.
"You guess," Jasiri echoed, cocking a brow — challenging him.
"Well, you could've told me the trail ended instead of letting me fall," he argued.
Jasiri could only smirk. "Then I wouldn't have got the opportunity to see the leader of the Lion Guard rolling down a hill," said Jasiri, laughing.
Kion rolled his eyes. "Okay," he said, sighing, "You had your laugh. Now I'm lost, so can you tell me how to get to Flat Ridge Rock?"
The hyena gestured with her head before pointing out a trail in the distance. "Follow that trail, and it should take you to Flat Ridge Rock, and back to your beloved Pride Lands."
"Thanks," Kion said, tipping his head into a nod in her direction before walking towards the trail she had directed him. However, the second his paw hit the ground, he let out a wince and a small gasp of pain. A sharp jolt of pain shot up his paw upon every contact it made with the ground.
Jasiri noticed, and commented on it almost immediately. "Your limping," announced Jasiri, her tone slightly worried.
"I'm fine," Kion said quickly, "just a little sore from the fall, but I'll be fine."
Jasiri looked suddenly very guilty. "Okay, I'll tell you what," she said before Kion could hobble away too far, "Since it's kinda my fault your hurt, I'll stick with you until you can see Flat Ridge Rock."
Kion hesitated, looking very doubtful for a moment, before conceding. "If you want to."
"What I want," challenged Jasiri with laugh, "is you out of my territory."
"Yeah?" Kion shot back, "well me too."
Jasiri could only snicker as she began leading him in the path she knew would lead out of the Outlands.
Back with the Guard...
Bunga, Beshte, and Ono — who were followed by Dalia and Kopa respectfully — finally managed to catch up with the incredibly swift and, honestly, a little annoying cheetah. Bunga and Beshte looked like they were going to pass out by the time they made it to the top of the hill, and even Ono seemed a little winded. Dalia made it to the top of the hill right after Bunga and Beshte, and she was panting and emitting a wheeze the sounded eerily similar to an elephant with a bad cold.
Kopa, the last one to finally make it to the top of the hill, was by far in the worst shape of all of them. When he finally reached Flat Ridge Rock, his legs had given out from underneath him and he flopped rather unceremoniously onto the grass beneath him.
All in all, the lot — except for Fuli, of course — were incredibly exhausted.
What made everything even more frustrating for the weary travelers was the fact that Fuli appeared to be just fine and not the least bit winded. In fact, she had the gall to be casually licking her front paw and cleaning herself by the time they arrived.
When Fuli saw them, she smirked. "What took you guys so long?" she asked teasingly, "I even had time to clean up."
Kopa, who was still face-down flopped onto the ground, lifted his head for a moment to glare at her. "I hate cheetahs," he muttered before dropping his head back down.
Beshte winced. "Fuli, usually Kion wouldn't go so far ahead of us that we'd have trouble keeping up," he said kindly.
Fuli blinked, apparently only just realizing her mistake. "Oh," she said, "Sorry, guys."
Kufu, who had somewhat managed to recover his breath smirked at her. "Hevi Kabisa, Fuli," he teased, "I knew you had it bad for Kion, but I didn't know you had it so bad that you'd leave us all in the dust so you could see your prince again."
At this, everyone laughed. Kufu's comment even coaxed a laugh out of the irritable Kopa.
Fuli then glared at Kufu, blushing furiously. "You are on thin ice, Kufu," snapped Fuli.
Before Kufu could say something cheeky in return, Bunga interrupted. "Wait, this is Flat Ridge Rock?" he asked.
"Well, this rock is pretty flat," said Ono.
"And it's on a ridge," added Fuli.
Bunga nodded very confidently. "Oh yeah, yeah," he said, "I know this place — I've been here hundreds of times. You know there's a great shortcut we could have used."
"Bunga," groaned everyone in unison.
Bunga looked at everyone innocently. "What?"
Kufu rolled his eyes before looking around. "Looks like we beat Kion here," he said before a thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Oh wait! I think I remember something about this place." He approached the ridge and moved aside a few rocks, revealing an old but well-done painting that seemed to display three lion cubs and a honey-badger playing. Kufu smiled at it. "Hey Dalia," he looked to the lioness who was by now also gazing at the painting with fondness, "You remember when Rafiki painted this?"
Dalia tilted her head as she took in the painting and a smile crossed her face. "Yeah," she said, "I remember Kion was being such a nuisance to Rafiki that day."
Kufu chuckled. "Oh, yes! I remember he went to Rafiki and kept pestering him for the painting of us three. Finally, Rafiki came down to Flat Ridge Rock and painted us, and I swear, Kion never looked happier."
"Actually," said Dalia, who now had a mischievous grin on her face. "I think Kion looks happiest when he's with a certain cheetah." She shot a pointed look at Fuli.
"Yeah," replied Kufu, laughing, "You're right. How could I have forgotten?"
Fuli went red once more. "I - you - ugh!" she babbled, evidentially flustered, before turning her head away sharply.
"Seeing this really makes me wonder where all those times went," Dalia said, looking at the painting once more, "It feels like just yesterday, Bunga was convincing us all to play baobab ball with a bee-hive."
"That — was — one — time," Bunga protested, "And besides, how was I supposed to know that a lion's fur wasn't as strong as mine?"
Kopa sniggered at the mention of the incident. "I remember you, Dalia, coming home with bee-stings from head to toe. I don't think I've ever seen Mom so mad."
Bunga sighed happily as he leaned back against the rock. "It feels like the old days again," he said, grinning, "Dalia and Kufu are still telling stories and teasing, Kopa is still being a jerk—" Kopa interjected with some protest, "— and I'm still kicking back and re-lax-ing. All we need is Kion to start making bad jokes and inventing new games to play, and then it'll be just like the old days again."
"Yeah," said Kufu, placing the rock back in its place and covering up the painting. "Just like the old days." He looked over at the Outlands and felt a painful tug at his heart out of concern for his friend.
Where are you, Kion?
Back with Kion...
Deep in the Outlands, an unlikely duo was wandering a path that leads from the Outlands and into the very edge of the Pride Lands. A lion walking alongside a hyena. Specifically, the leader of the Lion Guard and prince of the Pridelands walking alongside a mischievous hyena with a raucous laugh that was somehow potent enough to coax laughs from other creatures as well.
The duo was passing by an insect who sat chirping on a nearby rock when, suddenly, a chameleon leaped out and swiped it.
"You see that?" Kion asked pointedly, gesturing towards the chameleon who was now munching on its lunch, "That's the Circle of Life for you."
Jasiri then looked at Kion in a manner of disbelief. "Wait. You seriously think I don't know about the Circle of Life?" she questioned, her eyes wide and questioning.
Kion shrugged off-handedly. "Well, you are a hyena." Once again, he spat out the word hyena as if it were toxic.
Jasiri then glared at Kion with an uncharacteristic fury in her eyes. "Look," she said in a cold tone, "I know Janja's Clan is greedy and eats far more than their share, but most hyenas respect the Circle of Life. After all, we're the clean-up crew, picking up after all the sloppy eaters. We hyenas eat what you lions leave behind."
Kion looked at her in surprise. "I guess I never really thought about it like that," said Kion.
Jasiri laughed. "Of course not," she said, "You think hyenas and lions are so different. We're actually more alike than you might think. Sisi ni sawa, Kion."
"You're saying we're the same?" Kion asked with a raised eyebrow, "Yeah, no — no way. We are not the same."
Kion:
you think that life is one big game
You joke you laugh you take no blame
I'm telling you there's just no way that we're the same
Jasiri could only smile before hopping off the rock she had been seated on.
Jasiri:
you've got to look past what you see
Try not to judge so easily
She walked up to Kion, nudging him slightly with her shoulder.
Believe it or not your a lot like me
Say believe it or not your a lot like me
With that, she made a dramatic leap towards a ledge jutting out from the rock wall.
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same
She lept back down from the ledge and hopped over Kion before continuing to follow the trail. Kion, who looked confused, slowly followed her.
Kion:
I hear what you're saying
But you need to explain
Jasiri:
at the end of the day, we're like water and rain
Sisi ni sawa we are the same
Maybe I laugh
Maybe you put
But take a look under the fur
Deep in our hearts, it's what matters for sure
Since we both know a higher call
Like every creature big and small
The circle of life should be what's guiding us all
The circle of life will guide us all
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same
Kion:
though you got your spots
And I have a mane
Jasiri:
at the end of the day, we're like water and rain
Sisi ni sawa we are the same
Both:
Sisi ni sawa we are the same
Kion:
never thought that we see eye to eye
Jasiri:
I can't imagine why
It's very easy if you try
Kion:
still to me there brand new thoughts
Not to judge hyenas by their spots
Jasiri:
sisi ni sawa
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same
Kion:
forget about the past
When there's nothing to gain
Both:
at the end of the day, we're like water and rain
Sisi ni sawa we are the same
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same
Forget about the past
When there's nothing to gain
At the end of the day, we're like water and rain
Sisi ni sawa we are the same
Sisi ni sawa we are the same
Jasiri:
Sisi ni sawa we are the same
...
They had been still traveling the trail, and they were now close enough so that they could see Flat Ridge Rock in the distance. Jasiri suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and bent her head down low to sniff at the ground, her expression quickly becoming grim.
Kion raised a brow at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"We're in Janja's territory now, and believe it or not, we don't exactly get along," she said grimly, "There's Flat Ridge Rock — it's just a little further. You're almost home."
Kion smiled. "Asante, Jasiri," he said, "Thank you."
Jasiri did a similar smile. "No problem," she said. She turned on her heel slightly to return from the way she had come. "Bye, Kion," she called as she began walking away.
Kion also began walking away, before stopping to look back at Jasiri. "Hey, Jasiri, if you ever need help —"
"Help from a lion," Jasiri interrupted, laughing, "that's a good one." She snickered once more before going back on her own path. Kion sort of shook his head and went on his own way as well.
Jasiri continued walking back through Janja's territory, hoping to get to her own fairly quickly. If Janja caught her, she knew he'd be wanting nothing but trouble. Sure enough, Jasiri was walking when she heard rustling from behind her. Swiftly turning around on her heel, she was soon face-to-face with a very familiar hyena. He looked in a foul mood, his eyes narrowed in hatred.
"Janja," gasped Jasiri, shocked.
Janja sniggered. "Well, well, if it isn't Jasiri," said Janja smugly, "thought I told you to stay off our turf."
Jasiri then glared at Janja viciously. "Just passing through," she said, stepping away, "So please move. Or do I have to move you myself?"
As if the situation couldn't get any worse, Cheezi and Chungu suddenly showed up from behind Janja. Janja, who was now reinforced, looked sinister. "Big talk coming from someone who's all alone," he snarled.
"Fine," conceded Jasiri, taking a few steps back, "I'll just take another path." But when she turned around, she saw more hyenas behind her. Ignoring the fear coursing through her veins, she forced a smirk onto her face before turning around to face Janja once more. "So you finally figured out that the three of you didn't stand a chance again me," she noted smugly.
"Come on, fellas — let's remind Jasiri what happens to someone who wanders into our part of the Outlands," Janja said as he and his hyenas surrounded the female hyena.
"Are these all the hyenas you've got, Janja?" Jasiri asked, trying desperately to stall the fight. Even with her being severely outnumbered, she knew that she could still get out of this victorious. But at what cost... If only she had some reinforcements.
Unbeknownst to her, a certain ally had overheard Janja and Jasiri arguing and was now on his way to help her. Just as she had helped him.
The hyenas have cornered Jasiri, their faces twisting malevolently. "Me first," said Cheezi before attempting to tackle Jasiri. Unfortunately for him, the female hyena only head-butted him hard, making him barrel into a few other hyenas.
Jasiri laughed confidentially. Maybe her chances weren't so bad after all. "Who's next?" she taunted.
Growling, Janja ordered Chungu to attack. Chungu rushed her like a bull, but she only had to side-step and nip him hard before he went squealing and running back to his friends. A few other hyena's attempted to try their hand at capturing Jasiri, but each was less successful than the last. Finally, however, Janja managed to take her by surprise. While she was trying to defend herself from Chungu and Cheezi tag-teaming her, Janja — like a coward — jumped her from behind.
She grunted as he tackled her to the ground, effectively pinning her to the ground.
"Enough playing around," Janja growled. But before he could deliver the final blow, a shadow settled over him. Feeling a sense of dread, he turned his head up to see Kion on top of the cliff, glaring down at Janja with a snarl. Out of surprise, Janja nearly got off Jasiri. "Kion?" Janja called, confused.
Without warning, Kion lept down from the cliff in one fluid motion and kicked Janja off of Jasiri.
"What are you doing?" Jasiri asked, and they quickly went back-to-back, ready to defend each other and themselves from Janja's Clan.
"I'm here to help," Kion said.
Momentarily shocked by Kion's presence, the hyenas quickly recovered and started to surround Kion and Jasiri.
"If you say so," said Jasiri, shrugging, "but I've got them right where I want them!" With that, she leaped out and pounced on Cheezi with fury. He tried in vain to gain the upper hand but eventually retreated back to Janja's side, whining all the while.
"Yeah I can see that," Kion said as he attacked a hyena that was trying to tackle him to the ground.
Jasiri was in the middle of a vicious struggle with Chungu, who was still not over the fact that Jasiri had nipped him, when she saw two hyenas sneaking up on Kion was, at that time, dealing with another.
"Kion!" she called, "Watch out!" She kicked Chungu out of the way, sending him flying into a wall, and immediately pounced on the two hyenas sneaking up on Kion.
"Nice moves, Jasiri," Kion complimented.
Before either of them could get too carried away, however, he saw another hyena appear behind Jasiri. Swiftly, he moved her out of harm's way and delivered a powerful head-butt to the hyena. The hyena went flying back while Kion shook his head, suddenly dizzy.
"Your not so bad yourself for a lion," Jasiri complimented back.
Once again, before either of them could get carried away, Janja's Clan seemed to have regained control of the situation. Angry and snarling, they began surrounding Jasiri and Kion once more, pushing them back against the wall.
"Uh oh, it looks like we're cornered," said Kion worriedly. Thinking for a minute, he realized what he would have to do. He looked back at Jasiri. "You need to get behind me. Now."
Jasiri, who had her claws out and ready to fight, looked confused. "What?" she demanded. "Why?"
"Trust me," Kion said.
Jasiri looked at him blankly for a moment before sighing. "I can't believe that I'm trusting a lion," Jasiri said as moved so she was standing behind Kion.
"Don't know why you are in the Outlands helping a hyena, Kion," snarled Janja with a nefarious-sounding laugh, "but it's the last thing you're gonna do." He gestured with his paw at his Clan. "Get 'em, boys."
Before the hyenas could attack them, however, they felt the tell-tale pick up of wind around them. Looking up, suddenly fearful, they saw Kion's eyes flash dangerously. Opening his muzzle wide, he unleashed the roar. Soon, four figures of roaring, cloudy lions appeared in the sky, roaring with Kion. Jasiri looked at the scene with amazement in her eyes.
Incredibly, Kion's roar was powerful enough to send Janja's Clan flying away. Janja, who was picking himself off the ground, groggily stood and glared daggers at Kion.
"Ugh," he groaned, "I hate that Roar." He looked to the few remaining members of his Clan. "C'mon, fellas," he said, "Let's go."
Jasiri and Kion watched as Janja and his Clan dashed through the Outlands rather quickly. Jasiri then laughed a rich, booming laugh.
"Look at them go," she said, chuckling, "That is the funniest thing I've ever seen!" After a few moments of laughter shared between the two of them, Jasiri turned to Kion. "Okay, that 'roar' thing that is definitely something we don't have in common."
Kion smiled good-naturedly. "I've seen you in action, and you don't need a roar."
Jasiri grinned back before bumping his shoulder. "You know, I never thought a lion would help a hyena."
"Well not all hyenas are the same," Kion said.
The hyena looked like she was going to respond, but she was interrupted by a sudden influx of voices sounding from the distance.
"Kion's over here!" one voice called.
Cocking a brow in confusion, Jasiri turned her head to look for the source of the noise, and she saw the Lion Guard — along with two other lions — racing towards her. And none of them looked too pleased to see her. She turned back to Kion and gave him a confused glance.
Before he could explain the situation, however, Fuli skidded to a stop a few feet away from Jasiri. When she saw that Kion was with a hyena, she couldn't help but growl at her.
"Back off, hyena," Fuli threatened.
Jasiri soon recovered from her initial shock and dropped into a similar stance, ready to fight if need be.
Before the situation could escalate any further, Kion interceded and stood in the middle of the two girls. "Woah, woah, take it easy, Fuli," he said, looking at her reassuringly, "She's a friend."
"She is?" Fuli asked, dumbfounded. Though she was confused, she quickly straightened her posture, no longer looking for a fight.
"I am?" Jasiri asked.
Kion smiled. "Definitely."
Bunga, who looked thoroughly confused, approached Kion. "But she's a hyena," Bunga whispered into Kion's ear.
"I know, but not all hyenas are like Janja," Kion said, "Some of them are good, and Jasiri is one of them."
Kopa, who was glaring at Jasiri like was garbage, let out a snort of disbelief at Kion's words. "Sure she is," he muttered under his breath. His sister took the opportunity to deliver a nip to his tail, to which he yelped.
"Really?" Fuli asked, ignoring Kopa for the time being.
Kion tipped his head into a nod. "She got me through the Outlands."
Jasiri smiled at Kion. "And he saved me from Janja and his clan."
The Guard took a moment to consider this for a few moments. It was hard for them to believe that a hyena would help a lion, or that a lion would help a hyena. But at the same time, if Kion trusted Jasiri, then they should too. Finally, Beshte shrugged.
"Well any friend of Kion's is a friend of ours," Beshte said.
Kion looked pleased. "You should've seen her take on Cheezi and Chungu," said Kion, "She was fierce."
Fuli tilted her head, as if appraising Jasiri. "I like her already," Fuli said.
Kufu then walked up to Jasiri, more apprehensively than he cared to admit. "Did you really help him?" Kufu asked bluntly.
"If wasn't for her I'd still be stuck in a thorn bush," Kion said, bumping Kufu's shoulder lightly.
Jasiri chortled at the mention. "Flat on his back, if I may add," Jasiri said, grinning.
Kufu stared at her blankly for a minute, as if shocked, before letting out a laugh at the thought of his best friend stuck in a thornbush. "Oh, man," he wheezed through laughs, "I wish I could have seen that."
Kufu's laughter seemed to coax chuckles out of everyone else. Well, everyone except for Kopa, that is. He was still glaring at Jasiri, then at Kion, then back at Jasiri. Finally, his glare settled on his sister, who was also chuckling lightly.
"Are you seriously laughing?" Kopa snapped at his sister. "Don't you see what's going on?"
Dalia bristled almost immediately, her face growing hot. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said sarcastically, "Is it a crime now to laugh?"
"Are you kidding me?" he hissed, "He's already friends with a hyena! Kion's becoming more and more like Scar with every passing day." He turned his gaze to Kion. "You may think you've got everyone else fooled, but trust me, buddy, I know exactly what you're planning."
Dalia's mouth dropped in shock for a second. After her initial shock subsided, her brows knitted together and her eyes narrowed in disdain. She was about to give him a piece of her mind, but Jasiri beat her to it.
"Listen here," she said in a cold voice, "Kion is not like Scar. Just because he's friends with a hyena doesn't mean he'll turn out to be anything like Scar. Now you better shut your mouth or else."
"Or else what?" asked Kopa in a challenging manner.
"Or else I'll rip your eyes out of your socket, and shove them down your throat, so you can see my claws tear you open."
Kopa stared at her in horror before shrinking behind his sister, as if using her as a shield.
Dalia let out a laugh as Kopa shrunk behind her as a child would behind his mother. "I think you're going to get along with us just fine," said Dalia to Jasiri.
Back in the Pride Lands...
The group was just glad that everything was back to normal. Dalia and Kopa had to leave for Pride Rock first, while the Lion Guard and Jasiri decided to hang out at Flat Ridge Rock for a little bit. After a few minutes, some members of the Lion Guard began walking back to Pride Rock as well, leaving Kion, Kufu, and Jasiri still at Flat Ridge Rock.
"Sure is glad to have Kion back to lead us again," said Bunga, who was walking several yards ahead of Kion, "even if he is behind us."
"Well I better get back home," said Jasiri, glancing back, "I'm sure your Roar won't scar off Janja forever."
Kufu scoffed, "If only."
Jasiri smiled, her eyes crinkling. She turned to start walking back to her territory. "Bye, Kion," she said, "It's been really fun meeting you. And you as well, Kufu."
"Nice to meet you too, Jasiri," said Kufu, "And thanks for helping Kion. Our team is a mess without him."
Kion laughed. "So will we see you again sometime?" he asked Jasiri.
Jasiri quirked her lips into a smirk. "Not if I see you first!" she teased, her tone ringing with laughter. Without another word, she turned tail and began making her way back to her home.
"I think it would be good to have someone like her in the Outlands," said Kufu.
"Me too, Kufu," agreed Kion, "Me too." He looked back to where the rest of the Guard was walking several yards ahead of him. "Hey, guys!" he called after them, taking strides to catch up with them. Kufu quickly followed suit. "Wait up!"
A/N: Finally, here's the first chapter of the Sly Lion series! And it looks like there is a new hyena ally in the Outlands. Also, the threat that Jasiri made to Kopa was a reference to Alpha and Omega, where the mom makes the same threat. In this chapter, we were also introduced to a new OC: Nyla (the mother of Dalia and Kopa.) Nyla is actually an OC created by FirePheonix11 from her fic, The Restless Wanderer. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and we would love to hear your feedback!
And, lastly, here's the cast list for this episode:
Max Charles as Kion, Caleel Harris as Kufu, Joshua Rush as Bunga, Diamond White as Fuli, Dusan Brown as Beshte, Atticus Shaffer as Ono, Maia Mitchell as Jasiri, Rider Strong as Kopa, Isabela Moner as Dalia, Evan Rachel Wood as Nyla, Christian Slater as Ushari, Andrew Kishino as Janja, Kevin Schon as Chungu and Thurston, Vargus Mason as Cheezi, and Howy Parkins as Mbeya.
Next on the Sly Lion and the Pride Lands Adventures: Kufu and his friends are going to have to deal with some crocodile trouble...
...
This chapter was written by marvelomac1010 and beta-read/edited by FirePheonix11.