"Bravery needs no reason!"

It was already evening by the time they made it back to Pride Rock. It always seemed to be, somehow, no matter how fast or slow he travelled. There was something about that grim, foreboding rock that heralded in the night as if by magic. One day he would try approaching it from the rear, just to see if the lush greenery on its gentler slope would herald in the day instead.

"There you are, young master, safe and sound. You might have taken a bit more of a circuitous route, but your mission has been accomplished all the same. I dare say His Majesty shouldn't have any cause for complaint… assuming I can convince him to see things that way."

Kion turned to his avian companion. "Aren't you coming inside with me, Zazu?"

"I'll be reporting to the king directly," Zazu said. "He'll, ah, be wanting to know the details of what happened now that you have returned. You may do the same once you've checked on your companions."

"Right," said Kion, unsure if he had just been given an order or not. As he watched Zazu fly off he hesitated, before deciding to head towards the main entrance. He found three figures waiting for him at the top of the entryway.

"Hi Kion, welcome back!" The lead of the young lionesses grinned at him. "You got us pretty worried there for a second, little brother. What happened to your forehead?"

"Hi Kiara." The two girls beside here giggled at the sight of him. Did he really look that bedraggled? "I'm fine; I just got hit by some rocks, that's all. Where's Ono and Fuli?"

"Ono just got back, he's reporting to father right now. Fuli's down in your 'secret lair', waiting for you. She looked like you got her really worried."

More giggling.

"…right. Thanks." Kion shook his head and headed towards the entrance of his lair, ignoring the decidedly un-princesslike chortles that grew ever louder behind him. Girls.

He found Fuli where they had said she would be, lying on top of her favourite overhanging rock in the den, her tail beating the ground with nervous energy. She jumped up at the sight of him. "Kion. Where have you been? What happened to you?" Her eyes widened. "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine, it's just a little cut: Head wounds always look worse than they really are." He realized she was limping as she walked up to him. "Fuli, your paw…"

"Never mind that! Kion, where did you go? When you roared there was a whirlwind that blew the rocks and the hyenas away, and then, then you just weren't there anymore. Me and Ono looked everywhere before Zazu showed up and sent me back here. I never should have listened to that bloody bird…"

He held up a paw. "Fuli, it's fine. I encountered some friends in the desert, and uh… actually, I should probably clear it with my father before I tell you anything else. It's pretty secret stuff."

"Friends in the desert." She eyed him suspiciously. "Kion, you got blown away by a hurricane. You can't just… oh, never mind. Have you eaten at least? You look like you haven't had a decent meal in years."

"I ate some insects on the way here," he protested. "Plus, Jasiri offered me some bones to chew on." Which he had not accepted. His stomach growled in anger.

"Insects? Bones? Kion, you're a lion! You can't survive on such things. You need meat." She jumped up and dragged something from behind the rock she had been lying on, pulling it across the ground with her teeth. It was a small flat stone filled with slices of red meat. "Here. I minced it for you so it should be unrecognizable. Eat."

Kion stared at the dish, his mouth watering even as his stomach rebelled against him. It must have taken her ages to slice the meat in such tiny pieces with her claws. "Fuli, I don't-"

"Eat."

He bent over the meal, the sweet smell of it making his eyes water even as his brain flashed images of dead wildebeests before his eyes. These were not wildebeests however. This was no longer any animal. This was just meat.

He took a bite, and then another, and another. The raw flesh tasted like succulent murder. Sweet innocence ran from his teeth and dripped onto his fur, staining it crimson.

He lifted his head, the meat having vanished in what seemed like far too short a time. She leaned towards him, and licked his fur where the blood had marred him.

"Thank you," he murmured. He felt strange.

She turned away, abashed. "You worried me."

"Sorry."

She glanced at him, more furtively than before. "What happened out there, Kion?"

He sighed. "I… I found Jasiri, in the desert. She was blown away by the wind I guess, but not too far from me, and she wasn't badly hurt either." They had been pretty lucky, all things considered. Then again, luck might not have played a role in it at all. "We talked and I guess we got into an argument after a while. She said…" He hesitated, remembering their discussion. "Fuli, do you think I'm spoiled?"

"What?"

"That's what she said. Well, not literally, but it's pretty clear what she meant. Anyway, she's not the only one to say that. She and Kiara and, uh, some other people I met, they all say I talk too much about being a prince and being Captain of the Guard, and I guess it makes me sound arrogant or something."

"Kion, you are a prince. And you're the most humble person I know."

"Thanks," he mumbled, though he avoided her gaze. "But, I guess maybe even if you are a prince it's still possible to make it sound like you think you're special or something. And maybe there's a way in which acting too humble can also seem like a kind of arrogance, somehow."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Kion, you are special. You were literally chosen from birth to wield the power of the gods! Who cares what some backwards primitive has to say about it? Do you think that if it were the other way around, she would hesitate for even one second to lord it over you?"

"Maybe not," he said. "It's just… what if I don't really deserve any of it? I mean, I didn't choose to be the king's son. I never chose to learn the power of the Roar. All of that is just stuff that… happened."

"What's it matter what you choose? What's that got to do with anything? I never chose to be a cheetah but here I am, and I wouldn't wish it any other way! Are you telling me I should feel guilty just because I am strong and fast, while snakes are born without limbs? That's utter nonsense: You can't be born as anyone but as yourself, by definition! You are who you are and that's all there is to it."

"Yeah," he said, uncertainly. "Yeah, you're right, Fuli. Thanks."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't mention it. Now get going: You worried your family just as much as me."

"Right," he said. "I'm going then, I guess." He hurried up the tunnel leading towards the royal den, leaving before he could say anything that would make her any more annoyed with him than she already was.

Girls…

He entered the great cavern, and found his family lying in wait for him on the royal dais. His mother smiled warmly at him, despite the concern that lined her face. "I'm glad to see you're back home safely, Kion. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine mum, thanks. Don't worry about my forehead, it's just a scratch."

His grandmother arched an eyebrow at him. "You look in dire need of a bath."

"I got blown away by a hurricane," he protested. "And I'm too old to be given baths, grandmother."

Kiara and the other girls giggled. "I think Fuli already took care of that one, grandmother. He seems much cleaner than before."

Kion felt himself flush crimson under his family's stares. Girls! A pox on them and all they cherish!

Simba scraped his throat, seeming just as embarrassed. "Son, it's indeed good that you're home. Zazu told us what happened. Could I… could I speak with you alone, for a moment?"

Kion nodded, eager for any excuse to depart from the female realm. He followed his father to a dark alcove in a corner of the cave, out of hearing range of the others – though the girls' incessant giggling probably would have prevented them from making anything out anyway.

"Son, you ah…" Simba stopped. "I realize this issue is not of the most immediate importance, all things considered, but you do know that lions and cheetahs are not compatible, don't you?"

Kion felt himself flush once more. "Dad, that's not… I mean, we're not… Kiara's just…"

The king held up his paw. "Look son, I try to be understanding, I really do. You wanted animals other than lions in the lion guard, and I relented because the times are changing and we all have to adapt. But I have to draw the line here: Lions and cheetahs cannot have cubs! That's just a fact of nature."

"Well, what if I don't want cubs?" The words spilled out before he knew what he was saying. Somehow, his father telling him he was not allowed to do something seemed incredibly effective at achieving the opposite. "Who cares if I have cubs, anyway? I'm just the second child! Kiara is going to be the queen and her cubs will be next in line after that, so I should be allowed to do whatever I want!"

"It's unnatural! Lions can only be with other lions – that's just the way of things!"

"Actually," said Ono, "Lions can have cubs with tigers and leopards, if they so choose. Common knowledge, really."

Kion jumped on the spot. "Ono? What are you doing here?"

Ono shrank back within his spot between the stalactites, becoming almost invisible. "I uh, I was just about to give my report to the king, about finding Janja's hideout? But then I saw you enter and I thought, hey, I might as well just take a quick nap while you guys catch up, and uh, then you came over here and it seemed awkward to say anything…"

"But – why are you even giving reports to my father in the first place? Ono, you work for me. I'm your captain!"

Simba raised his paw placatingly. "Son, I needed to know what was going on while you were missing. You can't fault Ono for following his king's command."

Kion rounded on him. "You needed to know? You ordered Zazu to spy on me! And you – you were in contact with Scar this entire time, weren't you?" He spun back to face Ono, who shrank back even further. "And you knew it too. You've been giving reports to Zazu the whole time, at my father's behest!"

Ono opened his beak to speak, but no words came out.

Simba stepped in. "Son, I just wanted to make sure you were safe! These are major secrets we're discussing, which almost nobody else knows about. I banished Scar myself after all, at your grandmother's behest!" His voice dropped to a whisper. "If she were to find out that I'm still in touch with him…"

Kion laughed bitterly. "You know, all this time, I actually thought you trusted me; that you took me a little bit more seriously than you do Kiara. Fuli even said how crazy it was that you let us go to the Outlands all by ourselves. I guess that was the moment when I should have realized something was up."

Simba frowned. "Kiara? You think I won't let your sister go anywhere alone because I don't trust her? Kion, she's the heir to the throne! I already afford you far more freedom than her for just that reason."

Ono raised a wing. "Can I just say…"

"What are you still doing here? Get out!"

The egret gave Simba a pleading look, and the king sighed in reply. "You're excused, Ono."

The bird flew off as though his life depended on it, which it very well might have, as Kion was sorely tempted to give him a swipe in passing. He would have called a few choice words after him, except he was afraid it would have come out as a roar instead, and doing so might have devastated his own home.

The king scraped his throat once more. "Let's continue this discussion outside. We're drawing looks."

"Oh yes," said Kion. "We wouldn't want grandma to find out about your schemes. That would be terrible."

As he followed his father outside, the fresh evening wind helped a little to cool his temper. That, as well as the general air of solitude around the place, which filled him almost with a sense of reverence. Pride Rock had that effect on people.

"Dad, Ono said he scouted Janja's hideout. You're planning to send a force against him, aren't you?" The king nodded. "Who?"

"I was planning to send Zazu to lead the expedition," Simba said carefully. "He would take Scar's students with him – they're familiar with the Outlands, and they're the most powerful fighters we have. Plus, it would give them the chance to display their abilities in the field."

Kion nodded. "Dad, listen. I get what you're saying, I really do. I mean, of course you want to make sure I'm safe. I'm your son. The fact that you even let me go to the Outlands at all shows that you do trust me. And I've always loved you for that."

"Kion…"

"I just wish that you would have told me. You could have made it clear from the start that Zazu would be following us in case anything went wrong, and maybe I wouldn't have liked it, but I would have respected it. And you could have just asked me to give you reports, instead of going behind my back and using my own friends against me. That just makes it look like you don't trust me at all."

"I do trust you," Simba said. "It's just…"

"Good. Then you'll be glad to hear that I'm joining the expedition." He continued before his father could object. "You said you wanted to use your strongest fighters, right? Well, I'm your strongest fighter. Plus I've been to the Outlands, and I've faced Janja before. Dad, if it turns out they don't need me, then I won't be in any danger either. But if something does go wrong, then you'll want someone you trust to be there with them." He paused. "Unless of course you trust Zazu to do what's right no matter what?"

Simba smiled wryly. "I suppose I couldn't make that claim with a straight face." He walked up to the tip of the overhanging rock that was used for ceremonies, allowing the presenter to overlook the crowd below. Simba did not look down however, but stared up, gazing at the stars. "What do you think, Mufasa? Should I trust my son to join tomorrow's expedition? Will a greater calamity befall us if I do, or if I don't?" He sighed. "Do you even know, or are you just as blind up there as I am down here?"

He laughed softly. It was a sad and painful sound.

Kion looked up at the sky along with his father, staring as though he could will the stars to answer. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine seeing the Constellation of the Lion move around, dancing and laughing and swiping at the other stars as though they were fireflies.

Grandfather? I know my father trusts me, but he needs someone he can look up to. Granduncle Scar doesn't dare come back here after what he did, and grandmother is still angry with him even though it was so long ago. I guess what I'm saying is, it would be nice if you could say something to him in reply…

There was a tug in Kion's chest, and he felt the faintest connection fall into place. He opened his eyes, and as he looked up at the stars he felt a sense of vertigo. The lands around him vanished as the scars streamed down like rain, and in the centre of it all the constellation of the lion shone brightly.

"Simba," a voice intoned. "My son. I cannot… there is so much I want to say, but my power is waning. I must hold him back. I cannot… I cannot hold on any longer. He is coming."

Kion froze. His imagination was becoming reality before his eyes: He was listening in on his father's vision, and what was more, it sounded like a warning of sorts. His heart pounded in his chest as the stars shimmered and shifted, fading and circling around him like a swirling sea that was pulling him under.

"Simba, my son… you have forgotten me. Remember…" The stars flickered, and Kion strained to hold on to the faint pull in his chest. "Remember… he is coming. I cannot hold on. Remember… who you are…"

Kion blinked, and the vision was gone. The stars were back in their rightful place, and the land around him was solid once more. The evening wind blew softly.

"That… that was unbelievable. Dad, you got a vision! An actual vision from Mufasa! I mean, it was really confusing, but dad, you finally did it! You finally got grandpa to talk to you! Aren't you happy?"

"Kion?" Simba looked at him, the clear surprise doing little to hide the deep lines of sadness etched onto his features. "You're saying you got a vision from Mufasa? What… what did he say?"