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Chapter Text

Volume 1

Pilot Chapter - Introduction

*Hodari is a leucistic cub, 14 (Human Equivalent), that is the son (and youngest child) of Queen Kiara of the Pridelands and her mate the Prince Kovu. He is the younger brother of Isibindi, the Crown Princess of the Pridelands. His name means "Brave"

Hodari is the secondborn of Kiara and Kovu, and thus the future leader of the Lion Guard. Vitani has been Hodari's mentor from cubhood to train him in order to later become the future leader of the Guard and have the Roar. Hodari does not immediately have the Roar by the start, but receives it in later chapters and creates his own Lion Guard. Hodari has both external and internal conflicts in his story, as he struggles agaisnt both physical adversaries but also internal Issues

The main villains of the story are the Leopard Leap, led by a Leopard named Movi. They live in the backlands, and for some reason that i wont spoiler yall, become Hodari's main source of insecurities and issues

The rest of Hodari's friends:

Hodari's best friend is Fahari, 14 (Human Equivalent), he is a tigon and the adoptive son of Tiifu & Zuri. His name means "Pride", "Proud" or "Splendor"

Kamani is a lion friend of Hodari, 15 (Human Equivalent), gender Male

Hadiya is a lioness friend of Hodari, 14 (Human Equivalent), gender Female. Name means "Gift/Gift from God"

Kipekee is an eagle friend of Hodari. He is albino, so he relates with Hodari. 13 (Human Equivalent), name means "Unique"

Panthera, 15 (Human Equivalent), name comes from the Panthera genus and the fact that she is a black panther/melanistic leopard

Avana is a maned lioness and a friend of Hodari, 13 (Human Equivalent), gender Female, name means "Flower"*

Character drawings

Isibindi

Hodari

Jasiri

Varisu

Fahari

Kion

Movi

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 1 - Are you okay?

It's currently Morning in the Pridelands. Hodari, the second child of Queen Kiara and Prince Kovu, is currently outside the Royal Den just chilling and relaxing while grooming himself

Meanwhile, Isibindi, Hodari's sister and the first child of Kiara and Kovu, is playing with 2 other lions by the name of Kamani and Hadiya

Seeing that her younger brother is standing alone, Isibindi asks him:

"Hodari, are you sure you don't wanna come playing?"

Hodari then replies: "Yeah, i'm fine"

"Okay, tell me if you change your mind" says Isibindi

Isibindi goes back to play after Hodari refuses to participate. Hodari keeps standing there watching them play

Then Simba, the former King of the Pridelands, sees his grandson all alone and asks him

"Is there anything bothering you, Hodari?"

To which Hodari replies: "Nah, i'm fine Grandpa Simba"

Simba is still a bit skeptical and asks him again:

"You are sure? Nothing wrong today?"

Hodari hesitates for a moment and then says: "Well i guess that i'm just a bit nervous, you know, waiting to lead the Lion Guard and stuff"

Simba then smiles and says: "Well, it's understandable"

Simba then hesitates and continues: "But don't go too harsh on yourself, i'm sure you will be a great leader. My father once told me that a King's reign raises and falls like the sun, same goes for the Lion Guard, one day you will replace your Aunt Vitani as the Leader of the Lion Guard"

Hodari then smiles and says: "Thank you Grandpa Simba"

Hodari continues: "I have been trained since when i was a cub for this moment. I...i just hope to be as good as all the past Leaders"

Simba pats his head and says: "I'm sure you are gonna do a great job!"

He continues: "It's your role in the great Circle of Life, afterall. Just like how your mother was destined to become Queen and took the role after my abdication and how your sister is also gonna become the Future Queen one day"

Hodari replies: "Yeah, i guess that you are right"

Simba then proceeds to walk away

After a few hours, Isibindi returns to the den as it's lunch time. She tells Hodari:

"Hodari, come in the den, we have to eat Lunch"

"Okay, wait for me" replies Hodari

Hodari then enters the den, and they all start eating the Zebra that was recently hunted by Kiara

Kiara and Kovu have noticed that Hodari has been acting strange lately, so Kiara calls out for Kovu and asks him:

"Kovu, have you noticed how Hodari has been acting recently?"

Kovu replies "Yeah, he is acting kind of lonely"

They keep chewing on the Zebra carcass, but Simba overheard them and joins the discussion:

"He is fine, i just had a talk with him"

Kovu and Kiara stop eating for a second and blink

Simba gets the meaning and annoyingly replies: "...Not 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙆!!!" he then continues "But anyways, he confessed that he is kind of anxious about leading the Guard"

Kiara then says: "Oh, he has never told us about that"

Kovu follows and says: "But we will tell Vitani to talk with him too later about this, thank you"

Hodari meanwhile has finished eating, and he goes back outside chilling as he sees the night rise

A few minutes later, Vitani sees Hodari and asks him: "is everything okay? Your grandfather told me about your anxiety"

Hodari then replies: "Yeah, Auntie Tani, i'm kind of anxious but now i believe that i can be a good leader

Vitani then smiles, lays down and says: "Yeah, as we know, it won't be much time until the Great Kings gift you the Roar"

Hodari: "Yeah, i know"

Hodari then hesitates and says: "I will go visit my friend Fahari now, see you later!"

Vitani smiles and says: "See you later"

𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 2 - Fahari

Hodari started walking away from the Royal Den and goes a bit down from Pride Rock. Here, he enters the common Pride dens zone where the other lions and lionesses, including Fahari...well, Fahari isn't a lion, but we will get to that later. Hodari keeps looking for his den until he finally finds it

Here he sees Fahari. Fahari isn't a lion, he is a tigon (Lioness and Tiger hybrid) that was adopted into the pride. Here, he is with his 2 mothers Tiifu and Zuri

Hodari enters the den and says "Hi Fahari!"

Fahari notices Hodari and says "Hi!"

"Wanna go play outside?" says Hodari

Fahari smiles and nods, and then asks Tiifu and Zuri: "Moms, can i go with Hodari?"

Tiifu smiles and replies: "Sure, just don't stay out too late!"

Both Hodari and Fahari smile and start walking down from Pride Rock. Hodari is happy to get to play with his best friend to ignore all of his anxiety about leading the Guard. Vitani and Simba have helped him a lot on his self esteem and he is starting to think better of himself as the future leader of the Guard

Fahari is also very happy and excited about playing with his best friend. He and Hodari have known eachother since they were little cubs, and they get along amazingly

Finally, Hodari and Fahari leave Pride Rock to go play to the place they always go to. Here, the moon shines bright in the sky and birds fly in the sky in perfect harmony

"Wow, what a beatiful sky tonight" says Fahari while looking up

Hodari then replies: "I know, right?"

Hodari and Fahari lay down and watch the sky for some minutes. Then, Hodari gets bored and decides to mess with him

Out of a sudden, Hodari stands up and touches Fahari's arm and says "Tag! You have to catch me now!"

Hodari then proceeds to start running. Fahari chuckles and says: "Say no more!"

Fahari starts running to catch Hodari and they both laugh as they play. Then Fahari finally catches Hodari

"Not fair, i want a rematch!" says Hodari

Fahari chuckles and replies: "No way! You lost and i won!"

Hodari mocks annoyingness and replies "Fine..." before rolling his eyes

Hodari then lays down and Fahari proceeds to aswell. a few minutes pass and then Fahari notices Hodari is looking a bit down. Worried for his friend, Fahari asks him: "Hey, buddy, are you okay? You look a bit...off"

Hodari hears him, hesitates and a bit but then replies "Well...i guess that i am bit anxious...you know, i will soon have to lead the Lion Guard. My aunt and grandpa encouraged me but...i still don't know if i can do this"

Fahari empathizes a bit with him and hesitates before saying: "Hey...you will be a fine leader, i'm sure. You are the most fitting person for this role i know"

Hodari smiles and says: "Thank you. My Grandpa and i and then my Aunt talked earlier as i already said. Thank you all for your support"

Fahari smiles back and replies: "You are welcome"

Fahari and Hodari stay there for about an hour under the bright Moon and the Night sky playing small games and having fun. Then Hodari notices that it got significantly late and says: "Fahari, i have to go. See you later!

Fahari smiles and replies: "Now that i think about it, i have to go too. See you later!"

Hodari starts walking away but hesitates and says: "Hey, still thanks!"

Fahari smiles before walking away, and Hodari starts to walk away to Pride Rock too

After a few minutes, Hodari reaches the Royal Den very tired from playing with Fahari. Here, Kiara and Kovu stand as they were waiting for him

"Nice to see you, night owl" teases Kiara

"Yeah, sorry if i'm late mom" replies Hodari while yawning

Kovu chuckles and says: "You must be very sleepy, time to go to sleep"

Hodari follows his parents into the den and lays down in the Royal spot. He sees that his sister Isibindi is already asleep, and sets off to sleep aswell

𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 3 - Indunasiku

Hodari is still sleeping in his den. Kiara, Kovu and Isibindi are all already awake
Kovu and Kiara see their cub still sleeping and chuckle before going to wake up Hodari
"Wake up, sleepyhead" says Kiara
Hodari proceeds to yawn as he starts waking up, very tired
"Hi mom, hi dad!" says Hodari
Kiara chuckles and says: "Haven't you forgotten something?"
Hodari thinks for a minute and then replies "I...what have i forgotten?"
Kiara then says: "Today's an indunasiku!"
Kovu joins and says: "Happy Indunasiku Hodari!"
Hodari then thinks for a moment and remembers: "Oh yeah! i did forget about it. Happy Indunasiku to you both too, mom and dad!"
Hodari then gets up and starts to yawn more. He then says: "Where is Isibindi"
"She is with Grandpa Simba and Grandma Nala" says Kovu
"You wanna go see them too?" asks Kiara
Hodari then replies: "Nah, i'm fine, i was just asking"
Hodari then proceeds to leave the den and says: "I'm gonna go play outside. See you later dad, see you later mom!"
"See you later" says Kovu
"And don't come late again!" says Kiara
Hodari then proceeds to walk away from the den and starts walking down from Pride Rock into the Pridelands
Hodari is amazed after he comes down from Pride Rock. He sees Elephants, Giraffes, Antelopes, Hippos, all celebrating today's Indunasiku
He then starts walking somewhere, still amazed by seeing all these Indunasiku celebrations

Isibindi meanwhile is with Simba and Nala at Pride Rock
"The view looks amazing from here, doesn't it Isibindi?" says Nala
"Yeah, it's amazing to see the Indunasiku from this high" says Isibindi while smiling
Simba then says: "I remember when i saw my first Indunasiku, i was younger than you but i also was very excited about it" he then continues "My father would always take me out from Pride Rock to see it. It was a magical experience, one that only happens once every 5 years"
Nala then says: "Don't you also wanna go see it, Isibindi?"
"Nah, i'm fine watching from here" replies Isibindi, she then continues: "Maybe i will go later"
"Fine, if you wanna go see it later" replies Nala

While walking, Hodari sees his friend Kipekee, an albino Eagle
"Hi Kipekee! Happy Indunasiku!" says Hodari
"Hi Hodari! Happy Indunasiku to you too!" says Kipekee, he then continues: "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to Rafiki's Tree" says Hodari
Kipekee then replies: "Oh, okay. See you later!"
"See you later!" says Hodari
Hodari then keeps walking to Rafiki's Tree, and sometimes stops to see the Indunasiku celebrations
He helps himself navigate by looking at the big Urembo river that is behind Rafiki's Tree and that can be seen from almost any near distance
On the way, Hodari encounters another one of his friends: Panthera, a Melanistic Leopard/Black Panther
"Hi Panthera! Also, Happy Indunasiku!" says Hodari
"Happy Indunasiku to you too! How are you?" asks Panthera
"I'm good" says Hodari, he then continues: "What about you?"
"I'm good too" replies Panthera "Where are you going?
"I'm going to Rafiki's Tree" replies Hodari
"See you later then!" says Panthera
"See you later!" replies Hodari while he keeps walking to Rafiki's Tree
After some minutes, Hodari reachees Rafiki's Tree
"Rafiki! Are you here?" asks Hodari while calling for Rafiki
Rafiki hears Hodari calling for him, and starts walking down from the Tree
"i'm here! Happy Indunasiku Hodari!" says Rafiki
"Happy Indunasiku too, Rafiki!" says Hodari
Hodari stops for a moment and then says "I came here because i want to know more about the Indunasiku, you know, the day we celebrate today"
"Sure!" says Rafiki while sitting down

"Grandpa Simba" says Isibindi
"Yes, Isibindi?" asks Simba
"But what do we celebrate Indunasiku for?" asks Isibindi
"Oh, you want to know what we celebrate today" he continues "Fine, so, it starts when:"

Rafiki says: "So, it starts when, a long time ago, the ruler of the Pridelands was King Sefu, alongside his mate the Queen Buhle, had 2 children: The Crown Heir Amahle, and his brother Askari. During that time, the first Lion-Hyena war started between lions, hyenas and some other hyena-alligned animal groups. Askari fought in the war and was injured, he thus had to travel to the Tree of Life to get healed. During his time at the Tree of Life, Askari was gifted with the powerful Roar of the Elders by the Great Kings of the Past. With this power, he formed a group of 5 lions including himself who were the fiercest, the fastest, the strongest and the keenest of sight of the Pridelands known as the Lion Guard"

Simba then continues: "Askari then returned in the battlefield and fought agaisnt the Hyenas alongside the Lions. His most famous involvment is the Battle for the Kilio Valley, where he freed the Elephants from Hyena occupation. And then, he chased the Hyenas and other alligned groups out of the Pride Lands, in a territory that would then become the Outlands. Today, Indunasiku, is the day we celebrate Askari founding the Lion Guard and saving us"
"Wow" says Isibindi

"Wow" says Hodari
Rafiki then continues: "Would you like to know something more about the past leaders?"
"Well, yeah, i'd love to! I will have to lead my own guard one day, afterall"
"Good. Let's head to Pride Rock, then, you need to see something" says Rafiki

Noticing that the night began to rise, Isibindi asked: "Grandma, Grandpa, i'd really like to go see the Indunasiku now"
Simba then smiles and says: "Sure, let's go see it then"
Isibindi, Simba and Nala began walking down from Pride Rock into the Pridelands to see the Indunasiku celebration. Once they arrive, Isibindi is amazed just like how Hodari was at seeing every animal celebrate this special day. The story of Askari and his fights intrigued her and made this day feel more special to her, even if she will not lead the Lion Guard

Rafiki and Hodari begin walking again to Pride Rock, still stopping sometimes to see the celebrations. Just like Isibindi, the knowledge of what Askari did made this day feel more special for Hodari and he is excited to see every animal celebrate the day the Lion Guard was founded. He also feels some pride as he will also have to lead the Lion Guard one day
"What will you show me at Pride Rock, exactly?" asks Hodari
"Easier to see than to explain" replies Rafiki
Hodari is kind of confused and intrigued at the same time, he is also kind of excited to see what Rafiki has to show him

Simba sees that Isibindi is looking at the stars, and lays down next to her. Then he says: "The stars look marvelous, don't they?"
"Yeah, they look amazing" replies Isibindi
Simba then says: "Let me tell you something my father told me, and his father before him: see the stars? The Great Kings of the Past watch us from these stars"
Isibindi thinks for a bit and says: "Only Kings?"
Simba chuckles and corrects himself: "I meant: all the Great Rulers of the Past watch us from these stars"
Isibindi keeps looking at the stars and then says: "So one day you will also be watching me from these stars?"
Simba replies: "After i abdicated, your mother became the Queen. And one day, you will also become the Queen of the Pridelands, and yes, i will be watching you from far high guiding you through your journey in the great Circle of Life"
Isibindi smiles while she keeps looking at the stars, reflecting on what her grandfather just said

Rafiki and Hodari reach Pride Rock
"There!" says Rafiki
Hodari then realizes where they are going: "Are we going to the den of the Lion Guard? I have seen it with Auntie Tani before"
"Exactly" replies Rafiki "The Guard is on a night patrol, so we can enter the den"
Hodari and Rafiki proceed to enter the den. Then Rafiki makes him walk to another zone of the den, full of paintings
Rafiki then says: "I can't show you all of the past leaders, or we would take the entire day. I can tell you about some, thought"
Hodari smiles and says: "Yeah, i'd like that"
Rafiki then starts to narrate: "As you know, your Aunt Vitani currently leads the Lion Guard. Before Vitani, the Guard was led your Uncle Kion. Before him, the Guard was led and then destroyed by Scar. And before Scar, the Lion Guard was led by his Uncle Obasi."
Hodari is intrigued by the new knowledge and replies: "Really interesting"
Hodari hesitates a bit and then says "Well, i guess i should go home now, i don't want to be late"
"Yeah, you should" says Rafiki

Isibindi starts yawning and says: "Grandpa, Grandma, i'm really tired...can we go back to Pride Rock?
Nala and Simba nod, then Nala says: "Of course, Isibindi. Let's get back to the den"

Isibindi and Hodari both walk back to Pride Rock, where Kiara and Kovu wait for them. Then they enter the den and they all fall asleep, kind of tired from today's Indunasiku

𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 4 - Memories of the Past

Hodari is with Rafiki on his tree, discussing about the Lion Guard

"So...when will i receive the Roar?" asks Hodari

To which Rafiki replies: "According to all the signs the Great Kings have given us, it should take a year or less" Rafiki then continues: "But in the meanwhile, you need to be prepared when the time comes"

"Yeah" replies Hodari

There is a moment of silence before Rafiki and Hodari hear someone calling for him

Hodari then looks closely as he goes down from the Tree. He sees that Isibindi is here, and proceeds to ask her: "Hi Isibindi! Whats up?"

"Mom and Dad told me to call you. They apparently have to show us something or whatever" says Isibindi

"Okay, thank you" replies Hodari. He then tells Rafiki: "See you later Rafiki!"

"See you later Hodari!" replies Rafiki

Hodari and Isibindi start walking away from Rafiki's tree and back to Pride Rock. After a while, they reach it and go to their parents

"Mom, Dad" says Hodari, calling for them

"What did you want to show us" asks Isibindi?

Kiara then chuckles and says "Well, we don't really need to show something"

"We will be going on a meeting with Queen Jasiri of the Outlands to discuss about how to keep peace between us" says Kovu

There is a moment of silence before Hodari asks: "And we will be going with you?"

Kiara nods and replies: "Yes. Auntie Tani will come too"

Isibindi smiles and says: "Sounds cool"

Kovu then says: "C'mon, let's go now. Auntie Tani is already waiting near the border"

Hodari, Isibindi, Kiara and Kovu then begin walking down from Pride Rock to reach the Outlands-Pridelands border. They reach the waterhole and take a break here to drink a bit since Hodari and Isibindi didn't have the opportunity before continuing to walk to the border

After reaching the border, they see Vitani there waiting for them

"Where were y'all??? I waited like an HOUR! I was there staring at the sundial like an IDIOT!" says Vitani, while showing them how late they were according to the sundial

Kovu chuckles and says: "Sorry sis, the cubs had to stop to drink"

Vitani jokingly rolls her eyes and says: "Fine. Let's go now!"

Vitani and the rest start walking to the Outlander border. Hodari is happy to go on a "trip" with his family and Aunt, but is kind of unsure about the idea of visiting the *Outlands*. He remembers that now the Hyenas and other Outlanders arent inherently evil like they were at his Grandpa and Uncle's times, and quickly calms down

Isibindi meanwhile is curious to see the Outlands, who are a place she barely has been in before. As the Future Queen of the Pridelands, she is interested in seeing which allied subjects she will have to collaboratd with in the future

Vitani, Kiara and Kovu are happy that they will meet again with Queen Jasiri and her mate the King Janja to establish a more lasting peace between the 2 Kingdoms. It's been years and they still casually organize meetings to make sure everything is alright between the 2 factions. Kovu and Vitani are especially happy and kind of nostalgic because they remember of their old home, Uhuru, that is basically in a middle ground between Pridelands and Outlands

As the Queen of the Pridelands, Kiara is happy to know that with this meeting, the 2 factions will make sure to stay pacific to eachother

They start crossing the border and walking to the Mwako Volcano

First, they cross in the Elephant Graveyard, where the Hyenas used to live before they abandoned it for the Mwako

"So...this is the place where Grandpa and Grandma got in trouble that day?" asks Hodari

"Yeah, your Grandpa talked to me a lot about that day" replies Kiara

Hodari was amazed. He was ACTUALLY in the Elephant Graveyard, stepping in the same steps his Grandfather and Grandmother did. The Elephant Graveyard was a bit terrifying yes, but also kind of charming to know this is the place his Grandpa and Grandma talked about

Isibindi is also curious about this place as she also spent much time with her grandparents and heard stories about this place

Vitani had some strange memories of this place and she feels kind of uncomfortable there. It reminds her of when she and Nuka went there to cause a fire to distract Kiara and help Zira execute her plan. She is trying to distance herself as much as possible from what she was before she turned agaisnt her mother. The only memory of that event gives a strange feeling to her, but didn't want to say it

Kovu also feels kind of akward walking in the Outlands, as it reminds him of his old home and how Zira used to manipulate him here. He still feels disgusted from his past and wants to absolutely distance himself from it

Kiara notices her mate's emotions. She moves closer and says: "Anything bothering you, Mpenzi?"

Kovu then hesitates for a second before replying: "Yeahhh...i- i just feel kind of weird being here. You know? This kind of is the place where i grew up under Zira and i..." Kovu stops himself as he cant find the right words

Kiara then proceeds to smile and nuzzle her mate: "Don't worry about that" she continues "You are a better person now"

Kovu then smiles and replies: "Yeah, maybe you are right"

Finally, they leave the Elephant Graveyard and start walking towards a new direction to the Mwako Volcano. Kovu is more relieved now by Kiara's words and Vitani is happy that they left the Graveyard. Hodari and Isibindi keep following their Parents and their Aunt

Later, they manage to walk more and are getting closer to the Mwako. But Hodari and Isibindi get thirsty again

"Mom, i'm really thirsty right now" says Hodari

"Yeah, me too" says Isibindi

Kiara then wonders for a second and replies: "Oh yeah, i know of a watering hole near"

They stop at the Outlander watering hole to drink and regain energy to keep on with the Journey

Kovu and Vitani remember that day when Zira stole the waterhole from Jasiri and refused to share it, and when they fought agaisnt Kion. They still feel something inside about revisiting the Outlands but manage to brush it off

After they all finish drinking, they get back on the way to the Mwako

As soon as they keep walking they...notice something. Bones everywhere, the land looks abandoned. The...the termites

Kovu then looks around and says: "Are we..."

Vitani then continues: "In Uhuru?"

"Uhuru?" asks Hodari confused

"Yeah, Uhuru. The territory me and your Aunt used to live in under Zira" says Kovu

Kiara then blinks for a second and says jokingly: "Wow, your old home is still there and you never showed me"

Kovu chuckles and says: "Well, i would have... if it wasn't full of Termites"

Kiara laughs and continues: "Well, we must get back to our journey. We will have time later to joke around"

They walk around Uhuru. Hodari and Isibindi take some looks at the abandoned territory without entering in, but still kind of fascinated by the fact that it was the old place their Father and their Aunt lived in

Isibindi then asks her father: "Dad, but why couldn't you all find another place?"

Kovu then hesitates for a moment and replies: "When your grandfather, Simba, has exiled the Outsiders for trying to attack him...we were forced to come back here, our old territory before we joined the Pridelands"

"Oh..." replies Isibindi

Eventually, they get around Uhuru and keep walking to the Mwako. Kovu and Vitani felt no nostalgia seeing their old home, as the living condition there...wasnt the best, let's put it like that

Hodari then asks his father: "Dad, but how was it like living in Uhuru?"

Kovu then thinks for a bit and replies: "Well....not the best experience, let's put it like that. We were basically invaded by termites and barely had any food or water"

"Wow...it must have been bad" says Hodari

"Yeah, it was" says Kovu "But i'm happy that i'm now here with you, Isibindi and Kiara"

The 5 then keep going on to reach the Mwako Volcano. After some time, they finally arrive infront of the Volcano. They start walking up on it

After a while, the 5 manage to get on top of it. Here, they see Queen Jasiri, alongside her mate Janja

"Welcome to my Kingdom" says Jasiri

"It's a pleasure for us to negotiate with you" says Kiara as she bows

Then Kovu faces Vitani and tells her: "Could you check on the cubs for a bit until we finish our meeting?"

"Yeah, sure thing" replies Vitani

Vitani then goes to Hodari and Isibindi and says "Alright, lets go somewhere while mom and dad discuss with Jasiri" she then takes them in another place in Mwako still near the 3 discussing

"Auntie Tani" says Hodari "Could i ask some questions about the Guard if you don't mind?"

"Yeah, sure!" replies Vitani

"So, how would the..." Hodari starts asking Vitani some questions

Meanwhile Isibindi is listening while literally not knowing what they are talking about. She doesn't want to be rude so she just stays silent even thought she's wondering when they will stop yapping...she doesn't bring herself to comment on it, thought, she's still happy to spend time with her Brother and Aunt

Vitani then finishes: "So yes, in case the Leader is missing for some reason a trusted second in comand can take controll temponarily"

"Okay, got it" says Hodari

Meanwhile Kiara and Kovu are discussing with Jasiri and Janja about their plans to keep peace between the 2 realms

"So, as we were saying" says Kiara, she then continues: "Hyenas and other Outlanders will be allowed to hunt only around 2-3 preys each time they run out in the Pridelands. Then Pridelander scavengers will eat what they leave behind"

Jasiri nods and says: "That will work. Thanks for your contribution"

"It's always a pleasure to collaborate with you" replied Kiara

After a few minutes, Kiara and Kovu return to Vitani, Isibindi and Hodari. "We have finished discussing, we can go back home now" says Kovu

The 5 then proceed to go back to the Pridelands, after having established another deal with the Outlands

𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 5 - Cousins from Far

The Pridelands are currently in peace and harmony under the rule of Queen Kiara. But a thought comes to mind: What is happening to the Queen's brother? What is happening to Kion? What is happening at the Tree of Life?

At the Tree of Life, Kion and Rani are with their 2 twin children Varisu and Deva
"So" says Kion "Today we are gonna visit Auntie Kiara and your cousins" tells Kion to his kids
Kion then turns to Rani: "We should be back in around a day"
Rani then smiles and nods
Varisu and Deva meanwhile are happy about going to visit Auntie Kiara and their cousins as they rarely visit them due to the distance between the 2 kingdoms
"I can't wait to see the Pridelands again" says Deva, the younger twin, excited about seeing the Pridelands alongside her Aunt and Cousins
"Yeah, me too" says Varisu, the older twin, also happy about visiting the Pridelands
"Alright" says Kion, while exiting the Tree "Let's go, cubs" Kion then proceeds to walk while Deva and Varisu follow him
Deva and Varisu proceed to follow their father as they prepare to take the "Cheetah Way" to the Pridelands

Meanwhile, in the Pridelands, Hodari is playing with his friend Fahari
"You can't catch me" says Hodari, as he proceeds to speed
"Oh yeah?" says Fahari, as he runs to catch Hodari
Hodari keeps running. But, eventually, Fahari manages to catch him and pins him down by his back, using the fact that Hodari was distracted looking at some birds on a tree while he was running
"Beat you!" says Fahari as he then gets up
"Not fair! I was distracted!" says Hodari, slightly annoyed
But then, Kiara and Kovu come. "Hodari, come here for a minute" says Kovu
Hodari reaches his parents and asks: "What did you want to tell me?" says Hodari, seeing that Isibindi is also standing near their parents
"Your uncle Kion and your cousins are gonna come visit us" replies Kiara
Hodari is immediately excited at the idea. His uncle Kion used to lead the Lion Guard before his Aunt Vitani, so he could also ask him for some more informations. He is also happy to know Varisu and Deva are also coming. "Really???"
"Yep" replies his father Kovu "They will pass near the Outlands, we should wait at the border"
Isibindi then says: "Happy to hear they are coming over!"
"Okay, just one minute" says Hodari, as he starts walking to Fahari again
Fahari sees that his friend is back and asks him: "So? What did your parents have to tell you?"
"My uncle and my cousins are visiting us" says Hodari "We will have to wait at the Outlands border. See you later, Fahari!"
Fahari then smiles and says: "Alright, see ya later!"
Hodari then returns to his parents. Isibindi, Kiara, Kovu and Hodari then start walking to the Outlands Border

After some hours, Kion and his children managed to reach a territory very close to the Acacia Grove, from which they will be able to enter the Pridelands
"Dad!" shouts Varisu "When will we reach the Pridelands??"
"I know, Varisu. Just have a little bit more patience" replies Kion
"We are dying of thirst!" says Deva
"There should be a watering hole near the Acacia Grove, we are almost there" says Kion, trying to convince the cubs to keep walking for a bit
"Fine..." replies Varisu "But when we reach that watering hole we can drink, right?"
"Yes yes, as soon as we reach the waterhole you can drink there. Just keep walking" replies Kion
They start walking again and eventually reach the Acacia Grove, home of the Giraffes
"Hello, Juhudi" says Kion, referring to Juhudi, the leader of the Giraffes "We would like to drink from your watering hole. We are very thirsty"
To which she replies: "Kion, nice to see you. Yes, of course, you can drink from our waterhole"
"Thank you" replies Kion "Come on cubs, there is a waterhole where we can drink"
Varisu and Deva are happy that they will finally be able to drink. They follow Kion as he walks to the Giraffe Waterhole
As soon as they reach the Giraffe Waterhole, Varisu and Deva start drinking from it, along with their father

Hodari, Isibindi and their parents reach the Outlands Border. Here, they start waiting for Kion, Varisu and Deva to come near a sundial
They keep waiting...and waiting...and waiting...and wa- and at some point they start wondering when they will come
"Damn, now i understand how Vitani felt like" says Kovu
"Yeah...they are taking a lot of time" says Isibindi
"Just be patient everyone, they probably paused somewhere out of tiredness, let's just wait a little more" says Kiara

Varisu and Deva have finished drinking from the Giraffe Waterhole
"Alright, let's continue now" says Kion
"Okay dad" say the twins in unison
They keep walking from the Giraffe Waterhole to the Outlands border, which is where they usually meet with Kiara, Kovu and their cubs
In the distance, Kion can see the Urembo River. "We are almost there, cubs, we just need to get around the river"
Varisu and Deva nod. "Okay dad" says Deva
As they keep walking, they get closer to a branch of the river and manage to walk around it. They can see the Waterhole (Not the Giraffe Waterhole, Waterhole as in the one Simba and Nala were going in the first movie) at their left, meaning they are on the right path. Finally, they keep walking and see the other branch of the river infront of them, and a shadowed land that can be seen in the distance, meaning they are near the Outlands. "Alright cubs...this path we chose this time is a little bit more complicated. Follow my instructions" says Kion
"Okay dad" say the twins in unison again. "What do we need to do?" asks Varisu
"See the river?" says Kion "In the river, tree trunks regularly pass. These will allow us to pass to the other side and meet with the others"
He then continues: "Varisu will go first, then Deva, and then I will find another way"
"Okay" says Deva
"Got it" says Varisu
As soon as a trunk appears in the river, Varisu jumps on it
"Okay, son. Don't ever move a little, just wait until the current brings you to the other side" says Kion
Varisu follows his father's instructions and waits for the current to bring him to the other side. As soon as he gets there, he jumps on land. "I did it, dad!" says Varisu
"Good job, Varisu!" says Kion "Deva, it's your turn now!"
Deva nods. She then waits for a trunk to pass aswell. As soon as she sees one, she also jumps on it
"Good. Now do the same as your brother, wait for the current to bring you to the other side" says Kion
The younger twin nods and waits until the current brings her to the other side. She then jumps on land aswell. "I did it too, dad!"
"So...what about you, dad?" asks Varisu
"I already have an idea" says Kion. He then proceeds to walk not too far but on another face of the river where it's less deep. He then proceeds to swim to the other side. The red-maned lion then gets up on land
Deva and Varisu chuckle a bit after they saw their father swimming
Kion then proceeds to shake a bit and then says "Well...i am all wet now. Better than nothing, let's keep walking"
The red-maned lion and his twins then proceed to keep walking to reach the others, as they are """slightly""' late

After a while, they arrive at the place of meeting
"About time!" jokingly says Kiara
"Yeah yeah, we took a while, i'm sorry. The twins just took a break to drink" says Kion
Meanwhile, Hodari sees that his cousins are there. "Varisu, Deva! Welcome back!"
"Yeah, welcome back!" repeats Isibindi
"Thank you" says the older male twin
"We are happy to be here too" says Deva
"So" says Kovu "I guess we should go back to Pride Rock now"
"Yeah" replies Kiara
"Alright" says the Queen's red-maned brother
Hodari, Isibindi and the Twins follow their parents back to Pride Rock, sometimes talking a bit on the way
"Favorite Antelope?" asks Varisu to the rest, just to kill time
"Gazelles" replies Hodari
"Impala!" replies Isibindi
"Blackbuck, easy" replies the younger twin
"Gotta agree with Deva here" says Varisu "Blackbucks are damn good"
"Never heard of them" says Hodari, a little confused
"They only live in Asia, that's why" replies the older twin
The cubs soon fall silent again, but they are very close to Pride Rock
After a few more minutes, they finally reach Pride Rock. "Alright, we are here" says Kiara, while looking at the giant rock home of the Royal Pride
The 3 adult lions and their children start walking up to it. After a while, they manage to get on Pride Rock
Varisu, Hodari, Isibindi and Deva then proceed to walk to a specific spot to keep talking
The 2 twins see the Kingdom high from Pride Rock. They don't get to visit their cousins much, so they are always amazed by the view
"Wow, the view here is really marvelous" says Deva
"Agreed" says the older twin
"Yeah" says Isibindi "Almost the entire Kingdom is visible by Pride Rock"
Varisu chuckles a bit and says: "I wish we had a view like that of the Tree of Life too"
Hodari meanwhile is just laying down while looking down from Pride Rock
"What's up, Hodari?" asks the older twin
"Well," says Hodari "sometimes when I'm bored, I look down from Pride Rock and see where the herds are moving. Once when I was a cub, the lionesses followed my instructions for a hunt because I had the best view of the nearest herds!"
"Yeah yeah, like i believe you" teases Varisu
"It's true!" repeats Hodari "Ask Isibindi!"
"Well, yeah, he did" confirms Isibindi
Minutes pass, and they are getting kind of bored
"Hey, wanna play outside Pride Rock?" asks Isibindi
The other cubs nod, and they proceed to walk down from Pride Rock to Isibindi and Hodari's hangout place where they go with friends.

END OF CHAPTER 5

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 6 - Very Funny

Isibindi, Hodari and the twins start walking to Isibindi and Hodari's hangout place, looking to distract themselves from boredom. As soon as they reach it, Hodari sees that Fahari is already there
"Hi!" says Fahari "I see your cousins are there too"
"Yeah" replies Hodari "These are Varisu and Deva" Hodari says as he turns his head to them "You have only met them a few times"
Fahari then replies: "Yeah, i remember"
"Hi!" says Varisu "Nice to see you again!"
"Nice to see you both again too!" says Fahari
Isibindi, Hodari, Fahari and the 2 other twins then begin playing together
They are currently playing Hide and Seek. Varisu is counting. "Ekah, dvau, tryah-"
"Not fair! You can't use our numbers! They don't know them!" says Deva, as she was about to go hide somewhere
"Fine..." says Varisu, as he closes his eyes again "One, two, three"
Deva, Hodari, Isibindi and Fahari then begin hiding
Isibindi hides behind a rock near them. Hodari hides in a small cave-like structure that he found near the playing place. Deva sees some tall grass near the area and hides there.
Fahari doesnt know where to hide. "Five, Six" keeps to count Varisu
Fahari then sees the cave-like structure and decides to hide here
"Hey! This is my hiding spot!" whispers Hodari
"Shhh, i don't have any other spot, the time is almost up, come on!"
Fahari then enters in that structure and before Hodari could object more: "Ten! I will come to find you all!" says Varisu
Varisu then comes to try to find everyone. He founds Isibindi's hiding near the rock "Found you!"
"Haha, fine, you got this one" says Isibindi
Deva keeps staying under the grass, waiting for the moment to touch the Tree Varisu was counting at to win
Varisu had an idea. He knew his sister had a short temper and could use this as an advantage to make her reveal herself. "Hey, Isibindi, have i told you of that time where Deva got her tail stuck on a chipped tree? That was SO hilarious to see!"
Deva just rolls her eyes while still under the grass and lets out some quiet angry noises, which Varisu then overhears
"Got you too!" says Varisu as he sees his sister in the grass
"Cheater!" says the younger twin
Isibindi and the twins then keep looking for Hodari and Fahari. As soon as they lose their guard a bit, Hodari leaves the cave-like structure and touches the tree with his paw. "I won!"
"Ugh, fine, you got this one" says the older twin

"When are they coming back?" starts to ask Kion
"I dunno" replies Kiara "We should send someone to tell them to come back"
Then, Zazu starts to speak. "I will go to tell them, Kiara"
"Okay, thank you!"

As Deva, Isibindi and Fahari talk, Varisu approaches Hodari. "Wow, two lions in the same cave and i didn't manage to catch y'all?"
Hodari and Varisu then both start laughing
"You two are so close, is he your boyfriend or something?" teases Varisu
"Ha ha ha, very funny" says Hodari while jokingly rolling his eyes
But then, a few minutes later, Isibindi, Hodari and the 2 twins see Zazu approaching
"Hi Zazu!" says Isibindi
"Why are you here?" asks Hodari
"Time's up, the night is starting to rise. Time to go back to Pride Rock" says Zazu
Isibindi, Hodari and the 2 twins then follow Zazu back to Pride Rock
Isibindi, Hodari and the twins then stay at Pride Rock. Hodari, getting bored once again, then walks to his uncle Kion to ask him some questions
"Uncle Kion!" Hodari called for him
"What's up, Hodari?" replies Kion
"So, uh, you know that i'm gonna lead the Lion Guard very soon" says Hodari
"Yeah, so?"
"I wondered if i could...maybe ask you something about leading the guard" says Hodari
"Yeah, sure!"
"So" says Hodari "When you led the guard, how did you choose your members?"
"Well" says Kion "I just had amazing friends that could cover all the roles. The strongests, the fastests, the bravests and the keenests of sight. I'm sure you will also find some members for your own Lion Guard!"
Hodari then reflects a bit on what his uncle told him, now feeling more secure "And you still have the roar too, right?" asks Hodari
"Yep. Me and your aunt Vitani share the roar, but we both only have half of its power. The Roar gets weaker by the amount of people using it" says Kion
A few hours later, time came for Kion and the twins to return to the Tree of Life
"Bye Varisu! Bye Deva!" say Hodari and Isibindi in unison
"Bye!" say both of the twins in unison aswell, as them and Kion prepare to leave Pride Rock to go back to the Tree of Life
Hodari and Isibindi then enter the royal den with their parents and start sleeping, the other lions do the same in their dens
END OF CHAPTER 6

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 7 - Grandmother Story

It's currently daytime in the Pridelands, Queen Kiara and her mate the Prince Kovu are preparing to deal with neighboring territories. They are running out of herbivores to hunt and they hope they can help them by letting them use Pridelander lands to hunt until there are enough in their territories

"Me and your father will be going to deal with some neighboring lands" says Kiara

"You will be staying with Grandpa Simba and Grandma Nala" says Kovu

"Okay dad, okay mom" says Isibindi

"Happy to be with our grandparents!" says Hodari

Kiara and Kovu go off to deal with those foreign territories, while Isibindi and Hodari go to their grandparents

"Hi Hodari, hi Isibindi" says Simba as he sees them walking to them

"You two will be staying with us until your parents return, right?" asks Nala

"Yeah" confirms Hodari

Isibindi and Hodari stay there with their grandparents. Then, Nala chuckles and says: "Doing my first hunt was easier than dealing with you both"

"Wait...first hunt? Oh yeah, you had a first hunt like mom too, right?" says Isibindi "Tell us more!"

Hodari also nods as he also wants to hear more about his grandmother's first hunt

"Okay" says Nala "So, a long time ago, during Scar's reign:"

Nala is currently in her den, preparing to go on her first hunt. It's a tradition for every lion who desires to be an hunter to go on their first hunt shortly after their 20th birthday

"I'm sure you will do an incredible job, Nala" says Sarafina, Nala's mother

"Thank you mom!" says Nala with a smile on her face

"Yeah, i'm sure it will go pretty good, remember everything your mother taught you" says Ambesa, Nala's father

"Yeah dad"

Mheetu, Nala's little brother, also wishes her a good first hunt. "I hope you do an amazing job!" to which Nala smiles again and thanks Mheetu

Nala then exits her den and goes to the rest of the lionesses. Sarabi, the oldest lioness, former Queen of the Pridelands and mate of Mufasa before his death, wishes Nala good luck "You will do a great job, Nala, i know it! You have been trained so well by your mother" to which Nala thanks her. Sarabi's 3 sisters Dwala, Diku and Naanda also encourage Nala telling her she will do a great job. All the lionesses are there...well, except for Zira's lionesses, and they all wish Nala a good hunt

Nala then begins to walk down from Pride Rock in order to finally begin her hunt

Meanwhile, from the very top of Pride Rock, a cub named Nuka, Scar's son, sees Nala walking down all alone. "Dad, who is that lioness?"

"Oh, Nala?" says Scar "She is out going on her first hunt today"

"First hunt?" asks Nuka "But where is she going? What is she hunting? Why is she-"

Scar then grows irritated and rises his voice: "Oh, SHUT UP NUKA! i don't have time to waste listening to your NONSENSE!"

"...Okay dad" says Nuka while looking down

Meanwhile Nala walks away from Pride Rock to find an herd to hunt. She finds a herd of gazelles and stays in the grass waiting for the perfect time to strike

She sees a gazelle that is alone and has apparently no kids with them. She is getting ready to attack and make it as less painful as possible

She is ready, she was about to jump at her prey...but then she hears a familiar voice. Hearing the voice, the herd runs away

"NO!" shouts Nala. She then runs to the other side, where she heard those voices. Here she sees them: Nafasi and Kipawa

Nafasi and Kipawa are 2 twin brothers, cubs around Mheetu's age. They are the sons of Dwala, one of Sarabi's sisters. They were born a month before Mufasa's death and were Simba's cousins. Nafasi is the older twin and has a golden-colored fur while Kipawa has a cream-colored one

"What are you two doing here!?" says Nala angrily

"Well" says Kipawa

"We were playing here and heard you were going on your first hunt. We were just going here to see it" says Nafasi

"Well, thanks to you two geniuses, the herd ran away!" says Nala

There is a moment of silence before Nala sighs and says "Fine...i forgive you" she then continues "I will search for another herd. You can keep watching, but don't make a noise!"

"Understood!" they say in unison

Nala then finds another herd of Gazelles, Nafasi and Kipawa staying far but close enough to witness the hunt. Then Nala goes at it, she attacks a lonely gazelle. "Yes!" she shouts, as she is proud that she finally managed to complete her first hunt. She then proceeded to grab the carcass with her mouth to drag it close enough to Pride Rock so she can inform the lionesses. But then, another figure appears

"What are you doing in my lands!?" says the new lion. His name is Kizuizi, he is a duke of the Pridelands

"It's the day of my first hunt, i just found a gazelle here"

"You know that you need to ask before you hunt!" says the Duke Kizuizi "These lands have been given to me by the King, so i can do whatever i want!"

"Yeah...i know. Just let me bring this to Pride Rock, please! I will bring you another hunt later to pay up!"

"No" says Kizuizi, as he forcefully takes the carcass away from Nala with his jaws and then releases it on the ground "This is mine now. And you, go away!"

Nala was 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮, she almost wanted to jump at him. But she quickly contained herself, and backed away. She started walking back to Pride Rock

Meanwhile Nafasi and Kipawa saw everything. "What happened?" asks Kipawa

Nala takes a moment to calm down and starts to explain: "These lands were under property of Duke Kizuizi. He took the prey. My first hunt is ruined...again"

Nafasi and Kipawa don't know what to say, so they just silently follow her to Pride Rock

They walk up to Pride Rock after reaching it. Nafasi and Kipawa walk first, then a few minutes later Nala comes too

Sarafina walks to Nala smiling: "So? did the hunt go well?"

"No..." says Nala while looking down

Sarafina's mood then goes down. Hearing that, Nala's father Ambesa also reaches Nala and stands near to Sarafina. "What happened, Nala?" asks Sarafina

Nala then begins to tell her mother and her father everything that happened. "I'm so sorry to hear, Nala" says Sarafina

"Perhaps we could organize another hunt in a place where we are allowed to" says Ambesa

"That wouldn't be the same" says Nala "This was the day, this should have been my chance..."

Sarafina and Ambesa try to comfort Nala for losing her chance at going on her first hunt. Nala starts feeling a little better but still angry about losing her chance at hunting for the first time

That night, Nala goes to take a nap in her den to recover a bit. As she falls asleep, Ambesa decides to take the matter in his own hands:

Ambesa decides to try to walk to the Royal Den to talk with Scar, only for Hyenas to investigate him

"What are you doing here!?" says Shenzi "Nobody can go near the King's den without permission!"

"I have come here to talk with the King" says Ambesa

"You can't talk with-" Shenzi was interrupted by Scar who exited the den

"Ambesa..." says Scar "What do you want?"

"Could we talk...somewhere?"

"I guess, better be something important"

Ambesa and Scar go on top of Pride Rock to discuss:

"So...what do you want?" asks Scar

"You know that today was my daughter's first hunt" says Ambesa

"Yes...it went successfully, no?"

"No." says Ambesa "It didn't. She was chased out of the herd lands she found by Kizuizi for 'using his property'. That's what i wanted to talk about"

"Sorry, could you repeat what you just said?" asks Scar

"That's what i wanted to talk abou-"

"No, before that." says Scar

"She was chased out of the herd lands she found by Kizuizi for using his lands" says Ambesa

"Oh, so you get the problem" says Scar "Kizuizi is right, those lands were given to him by me, he can do just whatever he wants as along as i like it"

"But...how is this fair? She was going on her first hunt...you know how important it is!"

"It's not supposed to be fair" says the King "You have to cope with that, i'm not going to do anything just for your daughter"

"But-"

"SILENCE!" says Scar, with irritation growing " 𝙄 AM THE KING! You will do what 𝙄 𝙎𝘼𝙔!"

A part of Ambesa is furious at Scar for that. But he knows he can't do anything agaisn't the King, so he just walks away to his den

Days go on, and the lionesses are refusing to hunt. At the 10th day, the Hyenas come to complain to Scar:

"Hey Boss!" says Banzai

"Ugh, what is it this time?" asks Scar

"We got a bone to pick with you!" says Banzai

"I'll handle this" says Shenzi "Scar, there's no food, no water..."

"Yeah. It's dinnertime, and we ain't got no stinkin' entrées!"

"It's the lionesses' job to do the hunting..." says Scar in an annoyed tone

"Yeah, but they won't go hunt!" says Banzai

"Oh...eat Zazu!" says Scar while gesturing at Zazu

"Oh, you wouldn't want me! I'd be so tough and gamey and ewww!" says Zazu trying to not get himself eaten

"Oh, Zazu, don't be ridiculous. All you need is a little garlic" says Scar while chuckling

"I thought things were bad under Mufasa..." says Banzai

"... 𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝘿𝙄𝘿 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙎𝘼𝙔!?"

"I said Muf-" Banzai stops halfway through the sentence as Shenzi nudges at him "I said...uh...Qué Pasa?"

"Good, now get out!"

"Yeah, but we are still hungry-"

" 𝙊𝙐𝙏!!!"

The Hyenas proceed to flee

"But sire...they are right" says Zazu "You should look into fixing this problem before we starve!"

"Oh fine, fine...i will have a talk with the pride" says Scar

Scar proceeds to walk outside of the Royal Den and on top of Pride Rock to talk with the lionesses

Scar, standing at the top of Pride Rock: "What are y'all doing!? Zira's lionesses are hunting with no problems, why do only you make problems!?"

"Scar" says Sarabi "We can't keep living like this, you need to remove holding of lands and make them free for everyone again!"

"Or what?"

"Or we will starve" continues Sarabi "The nobles who own these lands take too much of what we hunt, and they all only use it for feasts and parties"

"It's a sacrifice you will make" says Scar "Go hunt, now!"

There is a silence

"Didn't you hear me??" says Scar

"No." says Sarabi

"Go hunt!"

There is another moment of silence

"I am the king!"

Yet more silence from the lionesses

" 𝙄 𝘼𝙈 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂!"

...

" 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝘿𝙊 𝘼𝙎 𝙄 𝙎𝘼𝙔!!"

Scar is indecided right now. If he gives freedom to the lioness to hunt with no tributes of meat to pay, there won't be great feasts between him and the nobles anymore. But the lionesses are refusing to hunt, so action must be taken. And eventually...

"...Fine" says Scar "From now on, ownership of herd lands is abolished. You are free to hunt anywhere in the Pridelands"

The next day, Nala went hunting again, happy that she can now have her first hunt

Nala stands still in the grass, and when there's the perfect moment...she strikes! She then proceeds to drag the Gazelle corpse she just hunted and presents it to the lionesses, having finally completed her first hunt

"...And that's how my first, or well, third hunt went" says Nala

"Wow" say the siblings in unison

Then, a few minutes later, Kiara and Kovu return from business with other territories

"Hi mom! hi dad!" says Hodari

"How did it go?" asks Isibindi

"It went...well" says Kiara, with a hint of hiding something in her voice

"Are you sure, mom?" asks Hodari, seeing that her mother looks a bit down

"Yeah, it went good" repeats Kiara. Kiara and Kovu then stay with their kids for the rest of the day

END OF CHAPTER 7

Chapter Text

Volume 1

Chapter 8 - Deals and Anger

Kiara and Kovu starting walking away from Pride Rock. They are currently going to find a deal with a neighboring territory who is running out of Herbivores to hunt: the Backlands

They keep walking until they eventually reach the Pridelands-Backlands border, ready to deal with the Backlanders

They enter the Kuingia Grove, a middle-sized area full of trees. They keep walking here to reach the first group that they will deal with: the Painted Dogs

"So" says Kovu as they keep walking together "What do you have in mind currently for the deal?"

"2-3 preys in the Pridelands for Predators who need it and maybe only 1-2 for those who already have sustainable amounts of Preys" says Kiara

"Sounds good" says Kovu with a smile

Minutes pass as they keep walking in the Kuingia Grove, and someone notices them:

"Queen Kiara, Prince Kovu!" he then continues "Welcome to our territory!". It was Ongoza, the leader of a troop of Chimpanzees in the Backlands

"Oh, hi Ongoza!" says Kiara

"Nice to see you again!" says Kovu

"Is there anything me and my troop can do to help you in any way?" asks Ongoza

"Well" says Kiara "Could you help us go to the Painted Dogs?"

"Of course! Follow us!"

Ongoza and his troop guide Kiara and Kovu to the place where the Painted Dogs live: the Bonakala Grassfield

They keep following the chimpanzees. Minutes starts to pass

Eventually, they manage to reach the Bonakala Grassfield:

"Asante, Ongoza" says Kiara

"You're welcome" replies Ongoza, as him and the chimpanzees then proceed to go back to the Kuingia Grove

"Alright" says Kovu "Time to scratch one off the list"

Kiara and Kovu have told Queen Dhahabu some days prior to tell all the predator leaders to present themselves alone away from their group to make themselves more recognizable

They spot Nepisa, the leader of the Painted Dogs

"Nepisa! We are here!" says Kiara as she and Kovu get closer to him

"Oh, welcome!" says Nepisa "We are ready to hear your conditions, Queen Kiara"

"Sure" says Kiara "So, since you have somewhat enough herbivores, we thought we could let you hunt up to 1-2 animals in the pridelands daily"

"That sounds fair" says Nepisa

Nepisa, Kiara and Kovu then proceed to discuss more about this deal, and they reach an agreement

"So, it's a deal?" asks Kovu

"Yes" replies Nepisa "Always a pleasure to deal with you"

Nepisa then proceeds to return to the rest of the Painted Dog Pack in the Bonakala Grassfield

"Alright" says Kovu "We have got one off the list, who's next?"

"The Brown Hyenas" replies Kiara "They live in the Bukhali Bushland"

Kiara and Kovu then proceed to walk away from the Bonakala Grassfield, and start walking to the Bukhali Bushland

As they keep walking, someone else notices them: A hooded vulture

"Queen Kiara, Prince Kovu" says the vulture as she bows

"Asante" replies Kiara

"I heard you are both going to deal with the Backlander Predators"

"Yes" replies Kovu "We are going to the Bukhali Bushland right now"

"Oh, let me guide you!" says the Vulture

"Very kind of you, but there is no need, we can go alone" says Kiara

"No no, don't worry" says the Vulture as she starts to fly "I don't have anything else to do, i'll be very happy to guide you both"

"Well...if you offer yourself..." says Kovu

Kiara and Kovu then proceed to follow the Vulture as she brings them to the Bukhali Bushland, the home of the Brown Hyenas

As minutes go on, they reach the Bukhali Bushland

"Asante" says Kiara to the Vulture

"It will be always a pleasure" replies the vulture before she flies away

"Alright" says Kiara "Time to deal with the Brown Hyenas"

Kiara and Kovu spot the leader of the Brown Hyenas: Moremi

"Moremi!" says Kiara

"We are here for the deal" says Kovu

"Oh" says Moremi as she smiles "Queen Kiara, Prince Kovu, welcome!"

"Thank you" says Kovu

"So" says Moremi "What are your conditions for the deal?"

"You are one of the predator species here in the Backlands that are running out more of preys in its territories" says Kiara "So we could let you hunt up to maybe 2-3 preys daily in the Pridelands"

"Yeah, i think that sounds good" replies Moremi

After keeping discussing for a bit, they agree to this deal. Moremi proceeds to walk back to her clan in the Bukhali Bushland

Kiara and Kovu leave the Bushland. "Alright" says Kiara "Only two left"

"Where are we going next?" asks Kovu

"The Mbala Prideland, territory of the Lions of the Mbala Pride" says Kiara

Kiara and Kovu then start walking to the Mbala Prideland. They keep walking and eventually reach it

They start looking for the leader of the Mbala Pride. Eventually, they see Brond, the leader of the Mbala Pride

"Queen Kiara, Prince Kovu, welcome to our Prideland!" says Brond as he walks closer to them "I am ready to hear you out on your deal"

"So" says Kiara "The Mbala Prideland seems to have enough to somewhat satisfy your mininum needs for food, we could let your pride hunt maybe 1-2 preys daily in our Pridelands"

"Yeah" replies Brond with a smile "That sounds pretty good. So only up to 2 preys daily?"

"Yup" replies Kiara

"Sure, that will be good. It's a deal" says Brond

Kiara and Kovu smile before leaving the Mbala Prideland to go to their final destination

"So...what's next?" asks Kovu

"It's...Movi's leopards, in the Mirihi Forest..." says Kiara, with a hint of something they both already know

"Oh, yeah..." replies Kovu, knowing very well why Kiara is using this tone

Kovu and Kiara keep walking to the Mirihi Forest, even thought they are hesitant to go there for...unknown reasons

Kiara and Kovu see Movi, the leader of the Leopards, they both sigh and then approach him. Kovu stays behind Kiara, as they both think it's better for her to talk with him

Movi notices them approaching. "Brother, it was about time for you to arrive, Queen Kiara"

"Movi..." says Kiara, in an annoyed tone

"Anyways...Is letting us hunt a bit in the Pridelands what you wanted to offer us?"

"Yes" says Kiara

"Dragging here your mate too, I see." says Movi as he notices Kovu

"Yes...do we want to start this deal?" says Kiara with a hint of annoyingness again

"Geez, give me some time, it's been a while since we last saw eachother" says Movi while chuckling

"Yeah...it has been..." says Kiara

"Usual Kiara, always wants to do things immediately" says Movi

Kiara is starting to get angrier each second "Oh, will you-" she stops herself "Well...since you Leopards are the ones less in need of other hunting lands, i thought i could let your leap hunt 1-2 preys in the Pridelands daily"

There is a moment of silence, but then:

"...You want to give us a 'limit' on how much we can hunt? You think we can't moderate how much we hunt?" says Movi "Let us hunt as much as we want, we know how to moderate our hunting!"

"And you expect me to trust you!?" says Kiara "After what you did...last time!?"

Movi then rests near a rock and puts a paw closer to his face. He looks at his claws to avoid eye contact with Kiara. "Talking as if i commited a war crime"

"...You know what you did!!!" almost shouts Kiara

"Oh, i do" says Movi as he chuckles

"I will never agree to let you hunt as much as you want!" says Kiara "You can't be trusted. This is my condition, and if you don't wanna agree...then bye!"

"Bye? I literally don't care about you" says Movi

Kiara almost wanted to jump on Movi, but Kovu managed to calm her down

Kiara and Kovu walk away from the Mirihi Forest, and starting walking back to the Pridelands

Movi walks back to his leap. "She will pay..." he whispers to himself

Meanwhile, Kiara and Kovu keep walking back to the Pridelands

"I can't believe Movi wanted me to trust him...he knows what he did last time..." says Kiara as she and Kovu keep walking

"That would have never happened under any past ruler..." says Kiara as she is now looking down with her head

Kovu then nuzzles her. "Don't be so hard on yourself, it wasn't your fault, we...we couldn't know"

"Yeah...i guess..." says Kiara as she also nuzzles in Kovu's mane

The two keep walking together back to the Pridelands

𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍

Chapter Text

Volume 2

Volume 2 Introduction chapter

Chapter 8 was the last chapter of Volume 1. Volume 1 served to introduce characters and some worldbuilding, but it gets more serious by Volume 2!

What to expect by Volume 2:
- Hodari starts leading the Lion Guard
- Actual foes for Hodari
- More information about him

Character ages

Hodari: 14/15
Varisu and Deva: 15/16
Isibindi: 16/17
Kiara: 41/42
Kovu: 43/44
Fahari: 14/15
Kamani: 17/18
Hadiya: 16/17
Rafiki: 96/97
Zazu: 90/91

I hope y'all will enjoy Volume 2! :D

Character drawings

I will put here any drawing of a new character that's introduced, and notify it in the Chapter where i introduce them

Chapter Text

Volume 2

Chapter 1 - Perspective (Part 1)

Hodari wakes up from the Royal Den. This day was Hodari's birthday and he...had forgotten about it himself. Nobody was in the den except for him

Hodari then stretched, and started heading out of the den...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Everyone exclaimed as Hodari left the den. Every single member of his family in the Pridelands was there

Hodari lets out a big smile as he sees that everyone is there. Obviously his parents and his sister are there, but his aunt and the whole Lion Guard, too! Vitani, the fiercest of the Guard and its leader, Imara, the strongest, Kasi, the fastest, Shabaha, the bravest and Tazama, the keenest of sight. Ever since he was a little cub, Hodari admired his aunt and her lion guard, he wished one day to lead a guard just as good. He thought about catching away pridelander criminals, protecting pridelander landmarks and fight agaisn't invaders from other places like the... Hodari just then reminded himself of what happened last time, something horrible, last time he encountered strangers. He couldn't lie to himself that he was still scared of making mistakes, and a bit anxious about leading. But he pushed those thoughts away, since it was his 15th birthday today

He saw Fahari, alongside his two mothers Tiifu and Zuri. Fahari has always been Hodari's best friend since when they were cubs. They were both unique, different from the Pride, which is one of the things that made their bond stronger. Fahari was a tigon that was found and adopted by Tiifu and Zuri, meanwhile Hodari was the Queen's secondborn who had leucism, causing his fur to be more white/grey-ish. He was very happy that Fahari came to his birthday, as good of a friend he has been all these years

Kipekee was also present. Kipekee was an eagle that was affected by Albinism, a condition similiar to Hodari's leucism, that caused Kipekee to be white-skinned like Hodari. Him and Hodari have also been friends, even if not as close as Hodari and Fahari's bond, for a long time since they were little. They related with eachother due to their albinism and leucism. When Hodari was little, he thought he was the only different one in the Pridelands, the only one to have a different coloration. But then he met Kipekee, and realized that maybe he was just unique, not different.

His gaze meets Panthera next. Panthera was a melanistic leopard, also called a 'Black Panther'. She and Hodari were also friends by a while. Panthera is affected by melanism, a condition that causes her to have a more dark-black fur. Panthera has been raised by her older brothers for most of her life, as their parents died when they were pretty young and her brothers never bothered to tell her what had happened... they used to live in the Mirihi forest, home of the Leopards in the Backlands, but moved to the Pridelands after their parents' death, her brothers were only like 7

His gaze then meets Avana. Avana is a maned lioness, Fahari's cousin and daughter of Zuri's sister Kuaminika. She and Hodari have been friends since cubhood too, as she was introduced to him by Fahari. Avana is the only maned lioness in the entire pride

Hodari is extremely happy that all of his friends came. He also sees his grandparents Simba and Nala, alongside Nafasi and Kipawa. Nafasi and Kipawa are Simba's maternal cousins, but are...kind of younger, they were born some days before Mufasa's death. They are twins, Nafasi being the older twin and Kipawa being the younger

He notices Kamani and Hadiya, Isibindi's friends. Kamani and Hadiya are siblings, Kamani is slightly older than Isibindi by one year while Hadiya is younger than Isibindi by one year

Next, he notices Rafiki and Fumana. Everyone knows who Rafiki is, the Royal Mjuzi of the Pridelands with the role of a shaman. Fumana is Rafiki's adopted son and apprentice. Fumana was only a small baboon when he was chosen by the Great Kings to become the next Royal Mjuzi, but unfortunately his mother suffered from an illness which caused her death, and with no recognizable father, Fumana was adopted by Rafiki as they had promised Fumana's mother that they'd take care of him if anything happened to her. Fumana had his 23rd birthday a few months ago, and he was ready to succeed Rafiki when their journey in the Circle of Life will end

And now — Hodari headed towards his friends

"Happy birthday!" said Fahari

"Thank you!" replied Hodari

"Are you up to go play somewhere?" said Avana

"Before that" said Rafiki as they came closer to Hodari "I'd like to have a word with the young prince for a second"

"Uhm, sure!" said Hodari "See you later, everyone!"

Rafiki, Fumana and Hodari then began to walk to the Lion Guard den — the Nyumbani kwa Askari, literally "Home of Askari", in reference to the first leader of the Lion Guard. Hodari had no real idea of what they wanted to show him, but he kept following them

"Here!" said Rafiki as they entered in the den

"Sooo....what do y'all want to show me?"

"So, as you know" says Rafiki "Soon you will lead the Lion Guard, and that means that it's time to learn from past leaders"

"Learn from past leaders??? But they are dead" says Hodari, a little confused by what Rafiki said

"They don't need to be with us in order to teach you" says Fumana "Look at these paintings:"

"Before your aunt, the Guard was led by Kion, and before him, by Scar. As you know, Scar had abused of his power...leading to his guard being separated" says Rafiki

"Oh, yeah...Scar had used the Roar to send his entire Guard flying away, and then they told Mufasa about everything, i remember" says Hodari

"But, on the opposite side of a leaf: your uncle Kion was one of the greatest guard leaders to have ever existed, and unlike Scar, knew to not let his rage and shame take over his soul" says Fumana "Even after being poisoned by Ushari, he had stood still and not let the venom corrupt him like Scar"

"Yeah, yeah, i know the story, Scar had been bitten by a cobra, the cause of his downfall" says Hodari

"And that's where you are wrong!" says Rafiki "The bite had only clouded his mind causing the last raindrop of good in him to fall, but it wasn't the cause. Scar had already been jealous of his brother and his throne, and the venom only made these feelings stronger, but it wasn't the cause. Scars don't make us, we make and heal from them"

Hodari just kind of stood there a bit from embarrassment. He was the future leader of the Lion Guard, he should have known this already. "But why would Scar do that with a clear mind? You know...go agaisnt his own brother"

"Sometimes..." says Rafiki as both them and Fumana look at a painting of Scar "When you have an ability, you start using it for your own personal purposes, and only sorround yourself with who is with you, leaving behind everybody and everything"

"Oh..." says Hodari

"Meanwhile" says Fumana "Your uncle did his best to bring order into the Pridelands, and he deeply respected the Circle of Life, not letting any negative emotion get over him and caring deeply about the Pridelands staying in harmony"

"So...what you are saying is" says Hodari "That i should do the same, not letting any negativity consume me, and enforce the Circle of Life"

"Exactly!" said Rafiki "I'm sure you will do a great job, Hodari. Mwongozo mzuri lazima awajali watu wake (A good leader must care about their subjects)"

Hodari started reflecting on what Rafiki and Fumana just told him. He had never knew of Scar's actual downfall cause before this and, well, he was still embarrassed at himself for not knowing or thinking about this before. But what Rafiki and Fumana just said is right, he must be a strong leader like how his aunt Vitani trained him to be, and not let bad thoughts get ahead of him. He wanted to live up to his predecessors, to Vitani, to Kion and any past leader

As they finished talking, Rafiki, Hodari and Fumana left the den. Hodari got back to Pride Rock where his friends awaited for him

"Welcome back, 'future guard'" said Fahari ironically and teasingly

"Very funny" replied Hodari jokingly

"Sooo...you are up to play?" asks Kipekee as he flied to the ground

Hodari thought to himself: Hey, it's my birthday, i shouldn't be worrying about guard stuff now! I will just enjoy this day

"Sure!" replied Hodari

𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍