Not far from Mbali fields, the Guard continued their morning patrol. They had now arrived at Rocky Ridge, nearly the final stop before Simba would take over in patrolling the rest of the Pridelands. The day had been strangely quiet. Not a single problem or fault had occurred. With the state of the team, this was good news indeed. "Are we there yet?" Bunga slowly shuffled down the ridge, nearly tripping with every step. In front of him, Beshte was also struggling to stay awake. "Nearly Bunga." Kion panted, struggling to keep his pace. The boiling savannah sun laid high above the sky, scorching the fur, skin and feathers of the guard. Standing beside him, the young cheetah uttered a short, tiresome sigh. Her paws found it extremely difficult to gain traction on the dry, gravel-rich ridge. As the Guard reached the bottom, the four grounded members nearly tumbled. The mixture of intense heat and restless exhaustion crippled them one by one. "Can't we rest at all?" Bunga sighed. "Well, I guess we can, as soon as we check up on Mbali fields." Kion turned around to face his straggling friends; even though the heat had battered his fur, the sense of responsibility for the security of the Pridelands kept him motivated and centred. The microscopic shadow of Ono zoomed across the floor, locking in place on the ground as he landed. "Ono, can you scout Mbali Fields? See how it's looking over there?" "Affirmative, Kion." The young egret raised his wing to the side of his head in an honourable salute style. "On my way!" He flew off beneath the great, fireball sky. The remaining Guard members struggled up to their leader, awaiting their next move. Kion scanned the canyon ahead, searching for shelter from the sun. On the edge of the canyon, a small, boulder blocked cave rested out of the sun's gaze. Its darkened shadow slightly illuminated the lion adolescent cub's eye. A glimmer of hope in this unbearable heat. "Over there!" He used his muzzle to point towards the shade. "We can rest until Ono gets back." "Finally!" Bunga leapt to his feet, dragging his body towards the shade. Following closely behind him, Beshte and Fuli darted to the blocked cave; their bodies instantly flopping to the ground as the shadow consumed their skin and fur. "Well, I guess some of us were tired." Kion thought to himself, slowly trotting to the shade. Not much room remained. There layed only a slight, lion-sized gap between the light and shadow. Kion rested towards a now rock-solid napping cheetah. As he scrunched up into the shadowed gap, his back brushed against hers. The burning heat in her coat made him jump at first, but the heat soon died down, providing a quite comfy rest for his back. "Hmm, at least nothing bad's happening." Kion allowed a relaxed smile to form across his muzzle, as he felt his fluffy, short mane ruffled by Fuli's soft breathing.. ... Not that far away, Ono continued to survey Mbali Fields and the nearby area. His focused eyes searched for any signs of trouble below. This eyesight would not be the giveaway, however, as the cry of laughter erupting over the fields gave away the only threat the Guard would see that day. "Ahaaahaaahaaaaa!" The distinctive laugh of a certain, slightly crazed hyena bounced off the rocky hillsides surrounding the fields. The flapping egret scanned in the direction of the familiar laughter. As his sight turned to the canyon opening, a bellow of dust and dirt erupted, heading towards it. Within the dust storm, the occasional black and white markings of a zebra herd flashed, mixed with a bulky, horned figure of..." "Wildebeest!" The egret exclaimed." Hapana, I need to tell Kion!" His wings soared through the sky as fast as possible. Even though the heat was starting to wear the egret out, a sudden shallow, northern breeze brought a cooler, refreshing airflow, cooling him down as he fervorously flapped towards his fellow guard members. ... Kwaheri struggled to keep up with his muscular, and fitter, lion friend. "Hey, slow down!" None of his pleas convinced the lion to heel. His mind was concentrated on the dust storm ahead, especially the speckles of grey galloping at its front. "Do they really think they'll get away with this?" The lion's darkened brown eyes focused further as his strong hind legs galloped onwards. He picked up a slight boost to his running speed as thoughts of revenge scathed his mind. As the pair approached the dust storm, the black and white stripes of zebras broke through the cloud, followed behind with an occasional wildebeest's horn within the dust. Flashes of old, worn paintings scathed the lion's mind., Fragmented and mumbled they came to him: An adult lion falling off into the stampede, disintegrating back into reality as the body landed in the herd. The sight seemed to only make him run faster. His soft, controlled pants now boiled into full-on, boulder-strength heaves. As he ran, two more dust storms appeared on both sides of him, heading to clash into the hyena-led stampede ahead. "Kopa! Kopa!" A familiar squawk beckoned across the savannah. Looking upwards, Kopa laid eyes on the soft, yet fear-striking shadow of a single eagle swooping across the sky. It manoeuvred to perform a fly-by past the lion, before matching his speed. "Jicho?" Kopa gave a sudden gasp as the eagle locked onto his speed, flying directly next to him. "Glad you could drop in." "Kopa, another two stampedes are being led by two groups of jackals." The eagle continued, barely swerving out the way of a single acacia tree blocking her path. "And they seem to be moving towards this one." "Just like back home?" "Indeed, my lord." "Damn it!" Kopa shouted. By now, the three stampedes had converged, all heading towards the short, narrow canyon leading towards the dry, unstable Rocky Ridge. The only known 'safe' route to the rest of the Pridelands. "Jicho, scout ahead, look for any weakness in the Canyon up ahead." "Okay, Kopa." The eagle began a sharp incline, her wings spread out fully as a blast of air pushed her up to the sky. "Good luck!" Kwaheri, nearly completely knackered, gave one final leap towards Kopa's hindquarters, landing perfectly on the lion's back with a soft puff. "Come on big guy. Just like the old days!" He turned to the lion's face, streamlining his body to provide the least amount of drag possible for his friend. "Hebu tuende!" Both lion and monkey panted. A new rush of energy pumped through their veins. It had been a while since they last had a run-in with hyenas. They had forgotten what it felt like to chase bad guys like this. Kopa practically couldn't stop grinning through his rapid breathing. It was as if he was a young adolescent once more, chasing the many horrors that had posed a risk to him and his pride, all those years ago. ... "Kion! Kion!" Ono dived towards his friends, only levelling his body at the last minute before landing with a soft thud to the ground. The young egret's panting intensified like a strong, thunderous storm billowing through the canyon's rugged facing. Kion's ears flickered at the call of his name, even though his body appeared still in slumber. The comforting, almost heavenly cushioning of fur hypnotised him into place. A hidden heat rushed through his heart, spreading to every corner of his body. "Kion?!" It took this second, louder screech from his egret friend to fully awaken Kion. Brushing his back away from Fuli's, Kion rolled over onto his belly, his front paws stretching out in front of him. "Ono? What's wrong?" He asked with his eyes still slightly closed, fused together by a single strand of gunk forming in the corner of his eyes. His eyesight turned to the knackered, breathless bird nested in front of him. "It's..." Ono gulped a beak full of air, trying to regain his breath enough to speak clearly. "It's Janja and his clan." A sudden flick of short, draft-inducing fur blasted cooler air towards Kion and Ono. Whilst a stony creek muttered closer to the side of the canyon, a single, bulky shadow seemed to expand, providing more shade for the rest of the Guard to rest in. "Hyenas?" A soft, purring moan came from Fuli's lips as she stretched her hind legs out.. "Again?" "UnBungalievable!" Bunga moaned, picking himself up from the dusty, dry ground. "That's not all." Ono continued. "Two packs of jackals are herding two other pairs of herds towards us too. " "Hevi Kabisa!" Kion exclaimed, arising up to all fours. "We've got to get around the herds before they enter the canyon." He sprinted off, closely followed by the rest of the Guard. "Till the Pridelands end!" "Lion Guard Defend!" All shouted in unison, galloping off down the dust-filled horizon beyond. ... As the conjoined stampede bellowed towards the entrance of the canyon, Kopa and Kwaheri were not far behind. Between them, however, a pack of hyenas and jackals had positioned themselves evenly behind the herds, preventing any form of escape from their soon-to-be sprung trap. "Cut through the centre!" Kopa yelled, sprinting off within striking distance of the straggling hyenas. Their foul, musky scent choked him as he approached. Kwaheri, closely following him, leapt at the back of a small pack of jackals, landing on the one closest to him. As Kopa reached striking distance, he noticed something about the hyena seemingly leading the attack. The dark grey spots across its back, mixed with the uniquely breeze-tailored, jagged patches of dark fur protruding from his head and upper back, seemed all too familiar to the adult lion. "Janja!" ... Not far ahead, the Guard was reaching the end of the canyon, directly towards the rapidly stampeding herds which now had also reached the canyon's opening. The clouds of dust kicked up from their hooves hid both them and their pursuers from the majority of the Guard, except for one. "Hapana!" Ono, flying above the dust storm, spotted the now crowded, narrow opening. "Everyone! Look Out!" The rest of the guard noticed the shimmer of the wildebeest's horns brushing through the dust, galloping towards them with the strength of a rapid, thunderous storm blasting through the canyon. Kion, who had been leading, stopped in his tracks, his heart beating with much strength. His ears automatically pinned down as a slight, chilling breeze brushed his fur, lowering his auburn-brown patch of mane. Behind him, Fuli, Bunga and Beshte had also stopped. Fuli flickered her sight around the canyon, looking for any way to gain upper ground, hoping to pounce on the alleged packs of jackals and hyenas hidden behind the dust. Bunga, fearless as always, continued to sprint ahead, leaping at the wildebeests with an enthusiastic cry of "Zuka Zama!" Beshte, on the other hand, had stopped in his tracks too. Instead of dodging and evading the incoming stampede, he simply lowered his body, curling up to mimic an unmovable, impenetrable boulder. "Twende Kiboko!" He shouted. The first wave of wildebeest galloped towards the trenched hippo, quickly dashing around him in one swift movement. Two hyenas, within the first wave of predators, crashed into him. They fell to their bellies as the lights in their eyes seemed to dissipate. Kion continued to dodge the wildebeests, his mind completely focused on the sounds of their galloping hooves compacting the dusty ground beneath them. Out of nowhere, a single, silently treading adult zebra, the first to enter the canyon, galloped into him. It knocked Kion backwards near the rear legs of a wildebeest: one of the very last from the herd. It was at this stage that Fuli, who had successfully sprinted up onto a ledge surrounding the canyon, turned to see her best friend fall to the ground. Kion's body cloaked in the continuous, expanding cloud of dust blasting down the canyon. "KION!" The cheetah leapt from her ledge, landing with a sudden, bulky crash on top of a hyena and jackal before dodging and flexing her way towards her injured lion friend. As she did, a trio of zebras crashed into her, sending her flying backwards, landing softly against Kion. As his Cheetah friend landed next to him, Kion awoke. His body ached all over, especially on his chest and back. Seeing her next to him, Kion noticed a pained, gnashing expression painted on her face which seemed to alleviate the physical pain. His heart was taking the full brunt of the force now. He was her leader. Ther leader. His team was injured. How could he stand for this? He tried to rise to his feet, noticing Beshte being bombarded with the vast number of zebras rushing into the canyon. Two unconscious hyenas, the dumbest of the clan (Cheezi and Chungu) rested in front of him. Mustering up the slightest amount of strength left, Kion moved his body in front of Fuli, shielding her from the incoming zebras. As they galloped towards them, Beshte leapt in front of them.It was too late. A duo of zebras kicked Kion in the head, knocking him unconscious with one hit. Fuli looked up, seeing Beshte had moved to cover her. As he looked down, however, her heart stopped as Kion's head softly rested against her chest, unmoving and unresponsive to her cries. From the corner of her eye, a large, regal figure rushed across the canyon's edge above, leaping down the edge of the canyon with a single, fur shaking thud. ... Not long before these events, Simba had decided to awake from his morning nap. He remembered the deal he had made with Kion, and whilst Zazu, his royal advisor, had arrived earlier with the morning report. He thought that it would be best to start early. As he left Pride Rock, Simba stared out to the horizon. The clouds from the stampede grew quickly across Mbali Fields on the horizon. They formed a thin, over-stretched line of dust, now blasting towards Pride rock. "Oh no!" The king sprinted off, knowing that his only son was most likely right in the middle of the chaos. As he did so, Simba noticed Zazu swooping down from the sky, "Sire, A stampede!" The elderly hornbill yelled, trying to keep up with the king. "I know Zazu!" Simba cried. The occasional pant beckoned from Simba's lips as he continued to sprint. "Tell Nala what's happening. If Kion is out there..." "Of course, sire!" The hornbill swooped away, disappearing in the blue, clear skies above heading eastward. Simba, however, continued towards Mbali Plains. His heart and mind focused on the worst-case scenario. "Don't worry son, I'm on my way." ... As Simba arrived at the canyon, his parental fears were all but solidified in front of him. Through the dust and dirt flung into the air, he could just make out a patch of yellow, dusty fur resting on the floor. Only the slight breeze caused from the galloping zebra forced the debris to dissipate. "Kion?" Simba uttered. His mind slowed. A dark, empty void seemed to converge on his chest, filling it with a cold, dark, tickling sensation. This feeling burned the back of his neck, raising his heartbeat as he rushed into the oncoming stampede. Flashes of his own youth came back to him: watching his own father gallop through the stampede of which would lead to his demise. As he approached his son, Simba noticed Fuli resting next to him. Her green emerald eyes peered in front of his son's motionless body. Beshte had moved in front of them both, giving some protection from the galloping herd that had only now started to disperse. Ahead of them, Bunga continued to fight a pack of jackals on his own, easily tricking the gullible creatures into crashing into each other. What intrigued him most, however, was the appearance of a stranger: a monkey It leapt between a group of six hyenas, leading them to tackle each other, with the occasional one crashing into the nearby rocks, knocking them out instantly. His mind returned to his son. Kion rested on his side, bruises and bumps covering his body, visible through his fur. Not a single drop of blood was visible however, calming the king. Grasping him by his scruff, Simba raised his son to the air. He peered at the side of the canyon, hoping to move his unconscious son out of harm's way. Fuli, who had also been hit pretty badly, looked back at the king as he picked up her friend. She gave a look of remorse, steadily adorning her soft, youthful face with a life-threatened, fearful frown. By now, the herds had dissipated from where the guard stood and rested. Fuli arose to all fours, limping as she did so. Beshte, although bruised slightly, was apparently okay. Bunga leapt up, who was as hyped and excited as ever. Further down, however, a large, earth-shattering crash rumbled through the canyon. A pile of rocks, teetering on the edge, crumbled inwards. They blocked the canyon's exit and the majority of the zebra and wildebeest herds in their path. A small group of hyenas and jackals, who had been able to survive the noble, defensive strikes of the Guard, cornered them. As this was occurring, Simba leapt up the side of the canyon in one, powerful stride, nearing the opening of the canyon. However, his grip was not enough, and he slowly slid down the canyon. Regaining his grip, the king struggled to hold it together. He was holding too much weight, both physically and emotionally, to focus his strength. In a last-ditch attempt to save his son, he flung his body into the air, over the side of the canyon above, forcing him to land on the grassy canyon's edge with a soft thud. Now that Simba wasn't weighted down, he could get a better grip on the rocks. He clambered up to the edge to the canyon itself. However, a single pebble brushed his claw, causing him, and the canyon's edge, to crumble downwards. His entire body weight was now resting on three paws, and rapidly crumbling like the rocky surface beneath. His mind flashed back to his father's death and the nightmares that he had witnessed for years prior to this. Now though, he was in his father's place. Even though Kion was not conscious to see this, Simba knew the effect this would have on him. He tried his best. But it was not enough... ... A few moments prior... "Ahaaa-haaa-haaaaa!" Janja chortled, leading the stampede below. "We've got 'em boys! Come on!" He cried as he glanced to his sides. His hyena brethren galloped in formation as a pair of jackals coned off the edges, forming a large, fur-coated barrier behind the herds. The predators forced them into the unstable canyon ahead. The plan was working perfectly. Well, that was until... Thud! A multitude of aggressive, tumbling groans boomed behind Janja. Turning around, he only got a millisecond look at the band of hyenas before him. Each planted face first in the dust when a single, yellow blur of fur scathed the side of his face, knocking Janja forwards. As he arose to his feet, Janja turned back to see a mature, thick maned lion pinning him down. Slight claw and teeth marks became visible though his short, orange-yellow fur. His mane, a shallow, bright brown complexion, blew softly in the dusty breeze, only intensified by the continuing galloping of hyenas and jackals rushing past them. A snarling expression crossed both of their muzzles. "What the...?" The adult hyena muttered, lowering his head. He arched his back skyward as he did so. His head mane jolted up as he stared into the lion's brown, deep blackening eyes. A surprising feeling of familiarity overcame him. This only intensified as the lion spoke... "Long time no see, hyena!" The lion's voice dropped as he snarled at the hyena beneath him. Janja pulled his head back, confused as to how the lion knew him, but the eyes, the brownish mane, the death stare which ripped through his fur... "You?" He replied. His eyebrow burst upwards, practically ripping his upper facial fur off of his head. The hyena immediately lost all of his confidence, cowering in the lion's presence. Treading backwards slightly, Janja's mind resumed once more, regaining his place in the present moment. In the distance, Bunga had just breached the first hyena-jackal wave. Meanwhile, Kwaheri rushed past the patch of now dusty plains where the lion and Janja had stopped, swinging his stick through the hyena onslaught. The pair lunged at each other. Janja was the first to strike, brushing his muscular body against the lion's destabilising him slightly to the left. Sharply tuning, Janja was surprised when the lion, regaining balance, kicked the hyena backwards. He sent the hyena flying back into an incoming jackal. As Janja arose back to his feet, the lion pounced on him once more. "Halt your attack!" The hyena shouted, struggling against his aggressor's muscular weight to no avail. "NOW!" "Kopa, Kopa, No need to get your tail in a spin." Janja said. A confused, slightly nervous look shot across the lion's muzzle. How could this hyena know who he was? Janja unleashed a crazed laugh. "What? Didn't think I'd hear the legends?" Janja sneered. Kopa pulled his head back, pulling some of his weight away from Janja's chest. This gave Janja his chance. Pushing his paws upwards, Janja kicked Kopa backwards, forcing the lion into a small boulder. As both arose to their paws, they started to circle each other, analysing each other for the first time in a year. "So, the Royal Mlinzi returns." Janja smiled towards Kopa, his eyes darkening in the bright, constant sunlight. "How's your princess, tough guy?" Kopa, using every fibre of energy within his body, crushed Janja to the ground. He placed his teeth at the hyena's throat, softly biting into his neck as he growled. "Kopa!" A sharp cry brushed through the air. "Look out!" Retracting his muzzle from Janja's shivering body, Kopa turned around to the oncoming dust cloud. A pair of wildebeests charged towards them. Seeing an opportunity, he turned back to Janja beneath him. "Have a nice 'trip', hyena!" Kopa let go, lunging himself backwards just as the wildebeests galloped into the hyena, sending him flying further into the canyon ahead. As Kopa regained his footing and breath, a sharp, echoing cry erupted through the air. "KION!" The lion looked over at the canyon. High above, Jicho eagerly scanned the carnage ahead, trying to see what was wrong. As she stared through the dust, she noticed a young cheetah clinging to the unconscious body of an adolescent lion cub. In the distance, a single, concerned-looking adult lion stormed across the savannah, moving towards the edge of the canyon ahead. Using a small, stable path,, Kopa galloped up the side of the canyon.. As he reached the top, the adult lion started his ascent up the inner walls, his adolescent cub resting unmoving in his mouth. His grip seemed to fail under both his and his adolescent cub's weight. Kopa sprinted to where the lion was trying to clamber up to. By now, the adolescent cub had been flung over the edge, resting precariously on the edge of the canyon. The male lion clambered up higher, but unfortunately, fatigue had caught up with him. The lion's claws dug in as far as possible, but now, they were failing.However, a sharp, sift padding of two paws brushed on top of his, giving the slightest amount of traction for the adult lion. But this was still not enough. Kopa had no other option. He dug his claws into the lion's paws, causing a mighty, earth-shattering roar to echo across the Pridelands. The action below the two lions seemed to ease as everyone turned, in horror or shock at their king's painful cry. However, Kopa was able to pull him up, reuniting the lion with his adolescent cub. With not a word spoken, Kopa continued down the canyon's edge. Janja and his clan had moved inward, cornering the remaining herds of zebra and wildebeest into the now blocked canyon's unstable, pebbly exit. The clan had them surrounded. No way out. As Kopa leapt down in front of the frightened, knee-shaking herd, Kwaheri and Jicho joined him. ... By this time, the Guard had finally regrouped. Beshte carried the tired, injured Fuli on his back, her back right leg seemingly unable to move. Bunga and Ono had already arrived at the canyon's edge where Simba had been rescued.His sight turned to his unconscious son, nudging him softly with his muzzle. "Your majesty? Are you okay?" Ono squawked, landing softly next to the tearful lion. Small rivers of tears brushed through his large, red mane, glistening in the sunlight. At the egret's word, the king regained composure, especially as he saw Beshte and Fuli arrive at the scene. "I'm... alright, Ono." Simba responded. As Beshte approached, a fire lit in the king's mind. "But we need to get Kion and Fuli back to Pride Rock." He picked Kion up by the scruff of his neck, raising him onto the hippo's back. "You need to go." Simba said. Kion's unconscious paw brushed Fuli's as Beshte regained balance of the pair on his back. "What about you, bro?" Bunga ran towards the king, flicking his right clawed hand in need of a response. Simba looked down at him, slightly annoyed at the honey badger. "Erm, king bro?" "I'll stop Janja and his clan." He turned his head, staring down to where the herds were trapped, waiting for their inevitable fate. "They're not getting away with this." As the king tried to sprint away, a sharp agonising pain shot through his paws. A tail of short, minuscule levels of blood adorned them. "Hapana!" Ono jumped into the air. "You're hurt!" "I'm okay, Ono. You need to move n- " A single, almighty roar screeched through the canyon, blasting Janja and his hyenas into the air. The ground beneath them seemed to ripple. The very earth cracked and crumbled in a multitude of crystalised waves, blasting down the canyon. It hit each hyena, one by one, sending them flying back over the Pridelands and into the Outlands with ease. By now, the Guard had fled, leaving Simba to watch the magnificent show of power before him. Looking down at the origin point of the blast, he saw the very same lion who had saved his life earlier. A monkey and eagle accompanied him as he seemed to approach the herds. the lion's mane seemed to... glow? Slowly dimming with a powerful, spiritual energy. ... "Whoa! Whoa!" Kwaheri raised his primate hands, calming the herd as Kopa ceased his attack. The ground stopped shaking. The roar's echo quited.. Turning around, he attempted to reassure the herds. "It's okay, zebras, wildebeests... You're safe now." The lion sat down, his tail kicking dirt up into his mane. "You can all head back home." As the herds disbanded, heading back down the canyon, Simba arrived towards Kopa and his friends. The king took slow, confident steps. "Hey!" Simba shouted. He slowly approached, trying not to show any signs of pain or weakness. Kopa leapt upwards. The shock of who was standing before him sent shivers through his fur. "It can't be... could it?" Kopa asked himself. "I'd know you if you were from the Pridelands." The king crept closer, soon sitting in the dirt. "Where are you from?" Kopa refused to answer, remaining silent as his monkey friend approached the king. "We're from the Uasilands to the north." "Uasilands?" Simba looked down; his mind fraught with thought. The name seemed very familiar indeed. "I've never heard of it?" "Really?" Kopa finally joined the conversation, silencing Kwaheri just as he was about to reveal more to the king. "We're here to find someone." The king analysed the group. The lion standing before him seemed malnourished, the monkey seemed healthy enough and the eagle seemed somewhere in between. "Well, you did save me and my son." He started to parade forth and back, his mind ticking as he did so before finally deciding... "Come." Simba arose, flicking his mane towards the canyon's newly formed opening. "We can talk more at my home, atPride Rock." Simba, Kopa, Kwaheri and Jicho left towards the formation in the valley's horizon. It was a day of troubling times for the Pridelands. Half of the Lion Guard's members were injured. A group of new, unknown animals had arrived, their motives mysterious.. Janja and his hyenas had caused the largest attack on the Pridelands since Scar's reign. But things would not stay like this forever. And, unbeknownst to them, this was a day of change. A day of illuminating change. This was the day the Royal Mlinzi, the first in centuries, returned to the Pridelands... ...