Everyone, I've published this story in its own novel, so I'll be adding updates there. Please if you enjoyed this chapter of the One-shot book, check out the novel on my account and don't forget to vote on those chapters too! 

The story is titled, "Kion's Legacy" just like this chapter's name. Love y'all <3

Chapter One: The Hunt

I shifted my weight and groaned.

It's amazing how hot you can get from sitting and waiting for something.

My back, neck, feet, and even my tail ached from staying completely still for so long. My golden-yellow legs were so tired and starting to get numb. The African sun beat down hard on my poor, aching back. The savanna grasses lapped against my still body, making me itch.

I hated staying motionless for so long. The humidity was killing me. My mouth felt drier than the desert. My breath had turned to short, quick chops. It seemed like everything was against me.

What is taking her so long? I thought. I can't stand this much longer!

But then I thought about the look on Asha's face. And, suddenly it was worth it again. So worth it.

I took in a deep breath, and I glanced to my left. My best friend, Tian was laying low in the grass.

His oat colored fur camouflaged him almost perfectly in the grasses. I watched his jet black tail tuft swish from right to left, as he focused on a cub in the distance.

Tian had to be careful and hide in thick areas of the grass because his jet black tail tuft and his beginning of a mane were dead giveaways in thin grasses.

Tian's neon violet eyes scanned the savanna for the signal, as did my amber brown ones, but no matter what color eyes if there's no signal to see, you won't see it. So we hunkered down low and kept our positions, even if they were making us wish we'd stayed home with the adults to nap in the shade.

I sighed loudly. Tian glanced my way, and then returned his gaze toward our target. The look he gave me stung a little, but I knew I deserved it.

Tian and I are the best cub hunters in the business. But today, I wasn't anywhere near my best. That's because my focus was on other things. Like, my dad's birthday was today.

My dad used to be the leader of the Lion Guard "back in the day", as my uncle Kovu says. But one morning, long ago, he left my mother and I. It was at the crack of dawn, seven months ago.

Seven months ago:

"Hey, Kito!" a quiet whisper drifted through the dim den.

I awoke from my peaceful sleep and slowly lifted my head to search the darkness for the owner of the voice.

A lion stepped out of the shadows into the small beam of dim light from the sunrise. His strong paws slowly stepped across the floor over to me. I lay on the ground and looked up at the lion with a smile.

"Hi, daddy!" I greeted him, rubbing my eyes. "Why are you up so early?"

I saw his vibrant red mane almost light up the cave. His tail tuft swished from side to side in an anxious tick, but I didn't notice. A light brown roaring lion decorated his left shoulder. His golden yellow fur glowed in the morning light. I glanced down briefly at my tail tuft. It also glowed like my father's mane.

"Well, I have to leave for a little while. I'm sorry I woke you, but I had to say goodbye." He said in a strong voice. But there were tears in his eyes and a slight strain in his voice. His face was pained, but I was oblivious.

"Oh!" I said, "Goodbye, Daddy!" I said. I stretched and settled back down on the warm cave floor. I shut my eyes.

"Bye. . . .feisty," he said, frowning. That was his special nickname for me, feisty. "Tell mommy I will be back."

He stepped by my side and nuzzled into my back. He hung his head over me for awhile. Then, he slowly lifted it and looked over at me. Then he smiled and licked me on the head. He left my side and walked to the mouth of the cave.

I cracked my eyes open to see him stop at the cave mouth. He looked back at me and smiled sadly. The mouth of the cave framed him in and the sleepy pride-lands gave a nice background. The silhouettes of trees and the purplish, slightly starred sky were absolutely stunning.

I smiled back to him. He mouthed "See you soon, feisty." then left.

My name is Kito, and yes, I am the daughter of the formal fiercest Pride-lander. And I am proud of it. My father was respected in the Pride-lands and feared in the outlands. On calm days, I would hang out with the Lion Guard at their lair. Beshte was the strongest, and he taught me how to swim. He's a hippo. Ono, the keenest of sight, gave me dreams to fly. He's an egret. Bunga, the bravest, helped me learn to face every day with courage, and to be brave, no matter what. He's a honey badger. Fuli, the fastest, helped me learn to run and hunt. She's a cheetah and a great hunter. Some of my best memories are with the Lion Guard. I haven't seen the guard in a long time.

I miss them. Of course, they all split up after my dad left. It's kinda sad.

I heard the grasses to my left crunch. I lifted my head, I had been daydreaming again. I pushed the thoughts out of my mind and got to a stalking position. I started to follow Tian.

Tian led the way toward my cousin, Asha. We silently navigated our way through the swaying golden grass. Tian came to a stop, and then he nodded at me. I took the left side of the clearing, he took the right. I came to a spot where I could see an amber colored lion cub. It was my cousin, Asha. She was facing the other direction and was examining the surrounding grasses. All was quiet. Until..."Snap!", a twig broke.

Asha lifted her ears and looked to the left of her to locate the source of the noise. Tian and I knew who it was. It was the leader of our hunting group, Amira. She was not the best hunter, in fact, she was quite bad at it. We only chose her because she asked to be the leader. Well, she more of demanded it. I rolled my eyes and went to plan B.

Tian and I leaped out of the grasses, growling and barring our teeth at Asha. She made a break for it. But Tian wasn't about to lose. He took off after her, going faster and faster. I followed. Behind us, a white lion cub stumbled out of the grasses. I rolled my eyes.

We kept after Asha. Tian was getting closer, and could almost jump on her. I picked up my speed. Tian and I came up beside Asha. She was tiring out. Tian made his move. He jumped onto Asha, paws first. The two tumbled around in the dirt. I stopped running and stepped back to see who would come out on top. They wrestled for less than a minute when the dust cleared. Tian was on top of Asha. I smirked.

"Asha?" Tian said.

"What?" Asha asked with a scowl from the ground, spitting out dirt.

"Learn how to fight." He said, walking over to some shade.

Asha scoffed.

Amira came huffing and puffing over, stopping when she reached us. She sat down to catch her breath. "Sorry about that," Amira said referring to when she snapped the twig.

"Did I lose?" A dark lion cub asked as he jumped into the clearing.

It was my cousin aka Asha's little brother. His name was Koda. Koda had dark brown fur and a tuft of fur the same color on his head. His tail tuft was a darker brown, and his underbelly and snout were the color of sugar cookies. He had an outlander nose like his father, Kovu, and dark green eyes. Even though they were siblings, Asha and Koda looked completely different. Asha had a caramel colored pelt, with a beige underbelly, paws, and snout. Her eyes were an emerald green, and her tail tuft was pecan color.

"Yup," I said. "We almost did too," I muttered to him.

"Amira?" he asked.

"Mmmhmm..." I replied. Then I turned my attention to Amira.

"What took you so long, Amira?" I asked as I sat down and scratched behind my ear.

"Well...um..." she said looking at the sky, and then the ground. "I kinda forgot to-"

"Forget it," I said as I walked over to Tian.

"Sorry!" she called in a mean, not-so-sorry tone.

Tian and I shared an eye roll and an annoyed sigh. We sat there for a minute, watching Amira and Asha gab to each other about how lame it was to play with us.

"What's up with you today?" Tian asked suddenly.

I stood up to walk to the watering hole, trying to ignore the question. I really didn't want to answer.

"Yeah! You're all messed up!" Koda said as he trotted up next to me.

So much for ignoring.

"What are you talking about?" I muttered, trying to dodge a bullet.

"Kito," Tian said, raising a brow.

"She ain't not gonna talk about it," Koda said.

Tian just sighed.

We reached the watering hole, hot and thirsty.

We each took huge gulps of the fresh, cool water, and gasped for breath. I sighed with content.

"Kito, what's wrong?" Tian asked once more after minutes of silence.

"Nothing! Tian, lighten up, and forget about it." I said, in a sharp tone.

He looked shocked.

"I'm sorry, Tian. I didn't mean to snap at you." I apologized.

"That's alright." He said, but I could tell he was still a little hurt.

I jumped into the water, sending a wave rippling through the watering hole. Tian and Koda just stared from the shore.

I dived under the water, letting the cool, refreshing liquid engulf me. I was hoping it would wash away the questions I didn't have the answers to. I dived, swam, and twirled, and almost passed out from holding my breath for so long. But nothing helped.

Suddenly, after diving under for a fourth time, something from below pushed me up. The next thing I knew, I was on Tian's back, riding him as he swam, gracefully through the water. I laughed out loud. Even though he was only a month older than me, he was extremely strong. I felt something brush my left leg, as he swam. I searched the clear water. Splash! Next to me popped up my cousin, Koda. His dark fur was soaked, and his smile was brighter than the sun. I giggled. Tian lurched forward, and I fell off into the water. I swam back up to the surface. Tian shook his head in an attempt to get the water off. I smiled; my friends were trying to help me. On the shore, Asha and Amira were shaking their heads, but they were smiling. And laughing?

I turned to float on my back, and I pushed my legs back and forth hard, splashing my friends.

"Hey!" Tian laughed.

"Kito!" Koda called.

"Ha-ha!!" I said. I dived back under and swam to the shore. I jumped onto the muddy banks, surprising Asha and Amira. A splash of water soaked their fur, drawing squeals from them. I shook hard. Drops of water left my bright golden pelt and sprayed on the coats of my screaming friends.

"Kito!!" Asha squealed.

I dived back into the water, swimming back to the boys. I resurfaced. They were glancing at me and then behind me, with weird grins painted on their faces.

"What?" I said smiling.

Koda laughed.

I heard something behind me. It was very quiet but it sounded like swimming. Kinda. I looked behind me smiling, with a questioning look on my face. Then I saw Asha. She was swimming toward me fast.

"Oh no!" I said. I dived back under swimming to the bottom, once I got there; I scratched the bottom, bringing up muck and mud, giving me cover. I searched the foggy water for Asha. I didn't see her, and I had to contain a laugh. But then, I felt something tickle my tail. I turned around and there she was! I swam as fast as I could toward the surface.

"Ya gotta help me!!" I said to Tian, between gulps of air.

"You're on your own, feisty." He said with a smirk.

I whined, and then swam toward the shore, I swam and swam. I reached the shore and yelled "Meet you at lunch!" to my friends. I took off at top speed, still soaking wet. I brushed past Amira, who was laughing at the whole scene.

Darn girls, always stirring up trouble. I thought playfully, as I galloped toward Pride-rock. I laughed out loud, shaking my head.

I really hope you liked it! I worked super hard on this chapter. FYI, Kito has the abilities of a twelve-year-old person.

Chapter Two: Just like Him

*flashback*

"Okay, okay. Who am I?" Kiara asked. "'Roar' 'Roar' 'Hevi Kabisa'!" She mocked, imitating Kion.

She was playing charades with the Lion Guard, and her friends, Zuri and Tiifu. Everyone was on their backs laughing hysterically. Everyone except Kion.

"Kiara!" Kion exclaimed. "You're not supposed to talk!!"

"Oh, Kion!" Zuri said. "You're just mad because Kiara's making fun of you!"

Kion scoffed.

"You're Kion!" Tiifu called after she finally gained control of her laughter.

"Yes!" Kiara said with a giggle.

"My turn!!" Bunga yelled.

Everybody stopped laughing.

"Ooh-ooh-aha-aha!" he cried. "'It is time!' Come, Simba, so I can hit you with my stick!" Bunga said, swinging an imaginary stick around the air.

This sent the group into laughing fits, again.

"You're Rafiki!" Fuli called.

But Bunga didn't stop! He kept "Ooh-ooh-aha-aha"ing and jumping around like a monkey.

*third person view*

"Kiara." Kiara heard. "Kiara!"

She groaned.

"Hey Mom!" she heard Kion say.

Kiara woke up with a start. Her amber colored eyes searched the rock platform, her face full of hope. But she didn't see Kion. Instead, she saw her friend Savanna, and Savanna's daughter, Kito. They were staring at her. Her face fell as her eyes landed on Kito. She was sure she heard Kion, but it was just her brother's cub.

"Hi, Kito." She said dully.

"Hello, Aunt Kiara," Kito said, her face showing her confusion.

*Kito point of view*

That was weird. I thought.

"What do you need, Kito?" mom asked me.

"I just came to get away from an angry Asha," I replied.

"Ahh!" My mom said in understanding.

She pulled me over to her and licked my head. We smiled. I shook the savanna dust off my pelt, and I gently sat down beside her. Then my aunt cleared her throat.

"Hey, Kito," My aunt Kiara breathed. Her voice sounded shaky, and her eyes were glassy. "Could you come here?"

"Uhh..." I hummed.

"I'll be at the watering hole." My mother said.

"O-okay," I said slowly.

My aunt nodded her head slightly.

Oh great! I thought. My aunt acts weird, calls me over, and my mother just leaves! Fantastic! I sighed. But I knew my mother wasn't one for drama, and this talk would most likely involve tears. My mother never stopped to cry over things, even when my father left, she stayed strong and got over it.

We watched her leave us. She walked down the ramp, and slowly disappeared on in the golden grasses. Aunt Kiara and I just sat there for a while. I was a little uncomfortable but mostly curious.

"Uhh..." I finally said. "Aunt Kiara, did you need something?"

She smiled sadly and sighed.

"You look so much like your father." She said.

She was right. I did indeed look like my father.

My fur was the color of yellow butterscotch. My eyes were caramel-brown, and I had light brown spots on the back of my legs. My tail tuft was a bright red, and I acted a lot like my dad. But it was weird that was all she wanted to say.

She sighed deeply, and her body shook slightly.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. This was not normal behavior for a new queen.

There were tears of pain in her usually kind, joyful eyes. She swallowed hard.

"Yeah. Well, not really." She said. Then she bit her tongue, holding back tears. "It's just-" she cleared her throat and looked away, trying to hide the tears that slid down her buttermilk colored muzzle.

I sighed. I knew what the problem was, but I didn't know how to help her. I thought about how I helped myself when I had her problem, but, the more I thought, the more I realized, I didn't get over it.

"It's my father, isn't it?" I asked quietly.

She nodded, tears still steadily streaming down her face.

"Oh, Aunt Kiara!" I breathed. It was then I let out the hot tears I was trying to hold back. I walked over to her and lifted her head with my paw. I brought her eyes to my level. I smiled, and I nuzzled into her soft forehead.

"Also" she sniffed "I've noticed you have been struggling as well."

I stepped back and blinked hard. "Yeah," I muttered.

"Come here." she said softly.

I walked over to her side and laid down. I snuggled into her sepia pelt and cried. After the hot sun, my morning full of endless playing, and now crying, I was exhausted. As I cried I became more and more fatigued, and eventually fell into a light sleep. I had slept for about forty-five minutes when I was nudged awake. I slowly opened my tired eyes to see my aunt still by my side. She was gently nudging me with her snout. I shook my head, trying to wake myself up more.

I groaned and stretched. "What is it, Aunt Kiara?"

"I just had a great idea!" She whispered, aware that I had just woken up and was trying to be quiet.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yep!" she exclaimed. "I was trying to figure out ways to relieve you from your pain! And then I thought about the Lion Guard!"

I sighed, thinking my Aunt was just having another one of her childish dreams.

"Aunt Kiara, there is no Lion Guard anymore." I moaned, resting my drowsy head back on my paws. I lazily shut my eyes.

"Oh, Kito! You know what I mean!" she exclaimed, losing her soft, soothing voice to a loud excited one. "Your father's Lion Guard!"

"Alright, what about them?" I asked, losing my patience.

"Well, I thought, maybe if you visit them, then you could, I don't know! Maybe you could talk about your father! Maybe figure out how they coped with it! That could help you!" She said almost yelling.

I winced because she was practically screaming in my ear. I sighed. She was lucky she was the queen and my aunt, otherwise, I'd be screaming at her, telling her to quiet down.

"Well? Kito, what do you think?!" she asked, standing up, and almost jumping around.

I rolled my eyes, my aunt got way too excited when she had any ideas. I slowly rose to a sitting position.

"Oh Aunt Kiara," I started. "I really don't know."

She cocked her head and furrowed her brow.

"I-I just need to think about it," I said. "I'm sorry. I just don't know about seeing them all again. Especially not to talk about my father-" I bit my tongue hard. I've cried enough! I told myself.

"I understand." She breathed. She looked at the ground. I put my ears back, ashamed that I had hurt her.

"I'm sorry." I breathed. She lifted her head and smiled.

"It alright, Kito. I really do understand. It was a long shot. I just really wanted to help you." she said, smiling.

I rushed over to her, and we rubbed heads. "Thanks for understanding!"

"Hakuna Matata!" she replied with a sweet smile, from both her eyes and her mouth.

We shared a moment of happy silence.

Then we heard loud panting. I glanced over to the ramp leading up to the rock platform. Tian, Asha, Amira, and Koda were huffing and puffing their way up the ramp. When they reached us, they all collapsed at our feet.

"You guys look beat!" my aunt said, as she walked over to her previous laying spot. She sat down, facing the group of cubs.

"We are!" Asha said, smiling. She walked over to her mother and nuzzled into her pelt. She then turned her gaze to me and gave a look that cut through me like a dagger.

I cocked my head at her, with a hurt look on my face.

"Well, take a break from your hard playing!" Kiara said, chuckling.

"Don't worry!" Tian assured his aunt. "We will!"

He stretched than collapsed in the welcoming shade, next to her. Then he shot an ugly look my way. Now that hurt. I didn't understand why they all decided to hate me at once. I looked at Amira, and she gave me the same look. But when I glanced Koda's way, he looked ashamed, like he was betraying me. I was so hurt and confused! I wanted to scream and holler! I wanted to ask them what I did! But instead, I kept myself together, and calmly excused myself.

"I gotta go," I mumbled to Kiara.

She smiled. Sometimes she was so unobservant.

I sighed and jumped off, trotted to the grasses, then used my sneaking skills to sneak away from Pride-rock. I just wandered around the pride-lands, heading nowhere specifically.

As I walked, I thought about the day. What did I do wrong? How could I have hurt them? I thought and thought until my brain hurt. But nothing came to me.

I can think of nothing! I thought. I was about to go hit my head against a rock. Then I stopped. I looked up to see a rock wall, with green vines covering part of the wall.

When my mind didn't know where to go, my heart took over, and my heart definitely took over here.

"After all this time," I lamented "Why here?"

I slowly walked to the vines. I put my paw on the rock wall and slowly dragged the vines to reveal a dark passageway. I sighed. My paws dragged along the rock floor, bringing up dust and dirt that had collected over the long period of time. Vines had overgrown the entire room. It was dark and gloomy. But this isn't how I remembered it and sometimes memories triumph sight. I still saw the faint glow from the skylight and the sparkle on the water. I sighed.

"It's sad, isn't it?" I heard someone say.

I gasped and turned around.

"No need to worry," the voice said.

A mandrill came out of the darkness. He held a tall stick with fruits hanging from the top.

"It's just me." He said with a cough.

I sighed in relief.

"Rafiki!" I whispered.

I didn't greet him, and he didn't greet me. The wise mandrill was getting quite old, but even though he was old, he understood what everyone needed, no matter how young or old they were. Rafiki was a close friend of my entire family, so no greeting was required. We looked around the cave. I sighed. I looked Rafiki in the eyes. He coughed again. We didn't talk, just thought. I slowly walked over to a wall. I pushed back a curtain of vines to reveal old drawings. On the wall were drawings of lions in groups of five. But there was one at eye level. It was different. I sighed. Instead of one lion with four under it, there were five animals in a line, a Hippo, an egret, a cheetah, a lion, and a honey badger. I smiled.

"Here," Rafiki said. He came to stand next to me.

He reached out his stick and tapped the painting. It came to life. The lion moved up to the middle, the hippo came up behind him, the egret flew to the top of the hippo's head, and the honey badger and cheetah each took a side of the lion.

"Wow," I said, nodding.

Rafiki used to show me this picture all the time, and make it come to life. The picture was of my dad and his Lion Guard. This cave was the Lion Guard's lair.

I walked over to a rock overlooking the lair. There was a spot with red paint on the floor. It was from when I found one of Rafiki's fruits filled with fresh paint. I decided I wanted to paint like Rafiki! The memories here were endless. Everywhere I looked I saw a familiar rock or scratch.

Rafiki sighed. I turned to face him. He coughed again.

"Go." He said simply.

I cocked my head.

"Go. See them." He said, pointing at the drawing.

I looked at the Guard. A smile slowly spread across my face. I nodded.

"I think," I narrowed my eyes at the painting. "I think I will."

I turned around to thank him, but he was already gone.

"Thanks." I sighed anyway. I took one last look around. Then I darted out of the cave, not looking back.

*time skip*

I neared a grassy area of the savanna. There was no sign of any animals anywhere.

"That's what I get for trusting birds," I said as I looked around where a bird had given me directions to come.

Everywhere I looked there was grass, grass, and you guessed it, more grass. I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. I searched the plains for any animal who could possibly point me in the right direction. But there was nobody. Then, all the sudden, my feet slipped out from under me, and I was rolled forcefully on my back.

"Ouch! Hey!" I called.

Dirt was all over me, and the sun blared in my face. Out of the grass had jumped a feline figure. It had jumped on me, it's paws pinning me to the ground. I squirmed. All I could see was a silhouette. The sun blazed behind its head.

"Grrr!" the cat growled.

"Wh-who are you?" I asked. "Wh-what do you want?"

"I could ask you the same!" she growled, pushing on my shoulders harder.

I gasped.

No. It just couldn't be this easy! Could it?

"Fu-Fuli?" I stuttered.

She raised her head. I could see her face now.

"How'd you know my name?" she growled.

"It is you!" I said.

"How'd you know my name?!" She growled again, even louder, pushing my shoulders down still harder.

"Ow!" I cried. "It's me, Kito! Ouch!"

She narrowed her eyes and studied me. Her yellow spotted fur was a pattern I hadn't seen in a long time. On her forehead, there was a spot in the shape of a heart.

While she took her sweet time looking me over very carefully, the heat was intense and her dainty paws pushed my aching shoulders deeper in the dirt. It was beginning to become too much! Finally, she released some of the pressure off and smiled.

"Oh, Kito!" she backed up off me. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright," I said, slowly getting up. My shoulders and back were aching, and I opened my mouth and starting panting violently. I cracked my neck. I sighed.

"You look hot! Do you want to come to my den with me?" she asked, the smile on her face was bright.

Well, I was definitely hot, and I would welcome any amount of shade. But even though I really wanted it, all I could manage was a nod.

"Okay, well, this way!" she chirped. Fuli slowly started off. She seemed relaxed, like dragging our feet over the dry, dusty ground with this blazing ball of fire pouring it's almost unbearable heat on our sore, tired backs, was no more than a pleasurable stroll. I was about to pass out from the heat and walking when we stopped at a large hole in the ground that served as Fuli's den. I walked in and collapsed, panting like a maniac.

It was just then that I noticed a little cheetah cub, sleeping soundly at the other end of the den. I looked at the cub then at Fuli.

"Isn't he cute?" she asked softly, as she padded across the den and laid next to the cub. "His name is Doa."

She smiled, obviously very proud of her son.

"He is adorable." I smiled, still lying down, panting between words. She snuggled up next to the sweet cub.

He raised his head and sneezed. Fuli smiled a genuine, wide smile. She chuckled, then raised her head and looked at me.

"So, Kito, it's been a long time. You really have grown up." She said.

I looked at the ground, embarrassed.

"You also look just like your father. The resemblances are amazing!" she exclaimed. "And, I imagine if I hang around you, you'll act just like him too!"

I smiled, and raised my eyes to stare into her eyes. Her pear green eyes sparkled with joy and pleasure, and smiled almost as much as her mouth.

"Well, obviously you didn't come here to talk about how much you're like your father." she chuckled.

"No Ma'am," I said.

"What did you come here for?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"Well, my aunt, uh Kiara, suggested I come and visit. Then, Rafiki told me to come when I was at the lair." I said.

"You were at the lair?" she asked.

I smiled and nodded.

"So, is there something Kiara-uh I mean, Queen Kiara, said?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yes, she told me to figure out how everyone coped with my father's disappearance."

"Oh." she said.

I sighed. "So, Fuli, how did you cope with my father's disappearance?" I asked.

"Well, I, as you probably know, am a lot like your mother. So, I imagine, I coped with it the same way your mother did." she explained.

"Did you state the facts, keep yourself emotionless until you where alone, then calmly talked to the great kings of the past about it?" I asked her.

She slowly nodded.

"Then you're right, you did cope with it like my mother did," I told her.

"Then there you have it." she said.

We chatted for awhile longer before I left the mother and cub to silently nap in their den. When I left, I aimlessly wandered around the Pride-lands, thinking about how much Fuli had changed, about the way she coped, and wondering when I would see her again. I was staring at the evening clouds when I heard someone approach me. I took my eyes off the fluffy clouds to see a lioness walking toward me. I smiled.

"Why, hello 'Tani!" I said as she walked over to me.

"Good evening, Kito," Vitani replied.

Vitani was the sister of King Kovu, and the mother of my best friend, Tian. Tian's father had died before Tian was born, so I never knew him. Vitani insisted us cubs call her by her nickname, 'Tani.

"What brings you out here?" I inquired.

"Well, you mother told me to keep an eye out for you, and I had nothing better to do, so I went searching." she explained.

I nodded my head.

"So, what are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Well, I was talking to Fuli," I said.

Vitani scoffed. I looked at her. I was surprised, Vitani didn't usually do rude things like that.

"Well, let's go home." she suggested.

I agreed and trailed behind her.

Chapter Three: The Not-So-Good Reason

We reached Pride-rock, and went directly to the den. Inside, we saw Nala, Kiara, my mother, Tian, Asha, Koda, Amira, and some of the other lionesses. They were all sitting in a circle around a deceased zebra that would be our dinner.

"Hey mom!" I said as I trotted up to her. I licked her cheek.

"Hello, sweetie." she replied, with a nuzzle.

Vitani sat down next to Aunt Kiara. I sighed, and smiled u pat my mother.

"Go ahead and join the cubs, dear." My mother said.

"Okay." I said slowly, remembering their reactions earlier.

I slowly dragged my paws across the cave floor, over to my cousins and friends. I sat down between Tian and Koda.

"Hi!" I said, testing them.

Tian grunted, and Koda squeaked "Hi". I turned my gaze to the zebra. I stared at the unique stripes that zigged and zagged on the zebra's white fur. I noticed this one had a cut on his leg.

He was injured. I thought. From a young age, us pridelanders learned about the circle of life. The animals in the pride-lands all respect the circle of life, carnivores only kill old or injured animals so the healthy ones can live.

"Are we waiting for something?" I asked. I wished my mother was paying attention, but she was chatting with Vitani and Kiara.

Tian grunted again.

"Uh-huh," Koda replied.

"What are we waiting for?" I inquired. I looked to my right, trying to get Tian to answer. But he didn't lift his gaze from the zebra's striped pattern.

"We're waiting for daddy, and grandpa." Koda said.

Simba and Kovu must be on patrol. I thought.

But "Oh," was all I said.

After about another ten minutes, King Kovu and Simba walked into the den, looking happy as ever.

"Daddy!" Koda called, leaving his place to jump on top of his father. Kovu stumbled, but regained his balance.

"Hi, son!" he greeted.

"Hello, father." Asha chirped, prancing up to him to rub against his leg.

"Hey, sweetheart." he replied, reaching his head down and pulling his chin over her back.

Simba just silently pawed over to is mate, Nala, with a smile on his face. They rubbed heads. Simba wasn't really old, he was just about the right age for a young grandfather.

"Who is ready for lunch?" Kiara asked.

The group of cubs erupted with "yes"es and "I am"s.

"Let's eat then!" she called.

I noticed the other cubs, walking back to their places around the zebra. I slipped out of my place, and padded to the tail end of the zebra. I plopped down and sighed. I looked up to see the lions digging into their meal. Then, I heard someone behind me. I turned around. My grandfather, Simba, was standing behind me, smiling.

"It looks like someone is eating alone." he said.

I nodded.

"Well, I guess It's up to me to fix that." he said. He gently picked me up by the scruff, and walked over to his place. He sat me down in between himself and Nala. They smiled. I did too.

We bit pieces off of the zebra and swallowed it until it was gone. I followed other lions to the rock platform to have our "Pride time", which is just a time for the pride members to mingle and watch the sun set. We only watch on certain days, not everyday. Anyway, I walked behind Nala and Simba as we made our way to the larger platform. I was about to prance over to where the cubs were visiting, when my aunt motioned for me to come over to her. I cocked my head and trotted over to an area where no one was. She followed me.

"So? Where were you?" Kiara asked, uncontrollable excitement seeping from her voice.

"You mean, earlier?" I asked, knowing what she meant, and toying with her patience.

"Yeah!" she exclamied.

"Oh, you know, I went over to-" I stopped and looked up and pretended to see something interesting on the horizon.

"Kito! You're just playing with me! Get on with it!!" she said, her excited voice now angry.

"Whoa! Whoa! Chill out! I was just lookin'!" I replied.

She scowled at me.

"Sheesh!" I said. "I went to the lair, and then I visited Fuli!"

A smile quickly replaced the scowl.

"Really?" she said.

I nodded with a smile.

"Did it work?" she asked.

I sighed. "I think it helped little, but need to talk to the others first."

"I see." she nodded. "Let's join the others, shall we?"

"We shall." I answered.

We walked over to the others, and watched the light fade from the sky. Then we walked back to the den. Now that I was older, I was aloud to stay up later, and talk. But, none of the cubs would even look at me, so instead I walked out to the rock that jutted out in front of the den.

It was where all the important things happened, like exiles and presentations.

I sat down, and stared at the stars. I have always been told that the great kings of the past watch us from the stars. But that seems a little far fetched for me, it always has. I sighed and cast my eyes on the sleeping Pride-lands in front of me. This was a great home, it was fun, exciting and full of caring animals. Why would my father want to leave? It didn't make sence.

I heard quiet paw steps behind me. I turned around. Tian was slowly pawing his way out of the den full of resting lions. I narrowed my eyes and turned my head away from him.

"Kito," he whispered.

"What do you want?" I asked angrily.

"Aww, now Kito. That's not fair!" he whispered.

I sighed.

"After all, I'm not the one who's at fault here." he said.

I whipped my head around, and stared him in the eyes.

"What do you mean you're not at fault!" I whispered furiously.

He exhaled sharply. "Kito, you're the one who ditched me, twice! I couldn't believe it." he said.

I was astonished. Me!? This was getting ridiculous.

"What?" I snapped.

"Well, you just left us at the watering hole, and then you left us again when we came back. And, on top of it all, you didn't even bother to come talk with us at Pride time, or just now!" he said, anger seeping into his previously calm voice.

I just gaped at him.

"I came out here, thinking I could convince you to stop being such a jerk, but I guess you're just too stubborn!" he hissed. He turned around attempting to reenter the den, but I wasn't about to let that happen.

I lunged at his tail, and tried to bite it. I clenched his tail tightly in my jaw, and pulled.

"Hey!" he howled.

He attempted to hit my jaw but I ducked out of the way. I snarled and lunged at him. I pinned him to the rock ground.

"Now you listen to me!" I barked. "I am no jerk, and you are at fault! I've been trying to figure out all day what on earth you prissy cubs were giving me the cold-shoulder for! Now I figure out it was because you think I ditched you!?"

I snorted.

"You did ditch us!" he accused. He maneuvered out of my grasp. I thrust my body at him, knocking him on the ground. Then, I repinned him. I extended my front claw and quickly dragged it across his face, giving him a nasty scratch.

"Stop this nonsense!" Simba called as he sprinted toward us. He stood, scowling at us. I reluctantly backed off of Tian. He slowly got up and cast an anrgy look at me. I growled back.

"What is all this about?" Kovu asked sternly as he walked over to us.

"She scratched me." Tian hissed quietly. He snarled.

"Kito!" Kovu said. "Did you do that to him?"

He was probably surprised because I was usually pretty good, and had never gotten in a physical fight before.

"Yes!" I hissed, almost pridefully.

Vitani came trotting out of the den, right over to Tian. She gasped.
Then my concience caught up with my body, and the realization of what I had just done dawned on me. Gasped too, and started to walk up to my former best friend. But when I came up to him, Vitani stepped in front of me, and snarled. I quickly backed up, shaking my head and muttering: "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!".

"Kito!" Kovu yelled as he walked over to me. I winced.

"Kovu!!" Kiara barked. Kovu turned around. "Let me deal with Kito."

He backed away from me, glaring. Relief flooded over me. At least I get someone relatble to discipline me. Discipline. I sighed. That was a cub's least favorite word.

She motioned for me to follow her. We walked up to the top of Pride-rock. I'm going to spare you, and skip the boring conversation that took place that night. I'll just say I lost Tian as a friend, and I was grounded for a lifetime.
Several nights later, I went inside the cave to sleep. I approached the cubs, but Amira and Asha looked terrified, so I went to sleep alone. I sighed as I lied down in the dark corner. Around the den there were whispers and quiet chatting. I closed my eyes, and started to fall asleep.

"Ki-Kito?" I heard someone whisper. I lifted my head. Koda was slowly making his way toward me. I cocked my head.

"Yes," I said. He scuffed over to me and sat down in front of me.

"You look like you need a friend." He smiled meekly.

I sighed. "Uh-huh."

Koda slowly got to a lying position, and rested his head on his paws. I smiled, then did the same. That night was the first night since the incident that I actually slept well. I was upset the past few days, because I wasn't going to get to see the Lion Guard anytime soon.

I pranced out of the cave the next morning (with mom's permission) and started off toward the most beautiful part of the Pride-lands I knew: The Pachypodium Grove! Pachypodiums or as we call them, bottle trees, have some of the most magnificent blossoms in the world! The blossoms are white, with hot pink outlining the elegant flower. I asked Koda to come along with me, since I would need help bringing all the flowers back. He slowly emerged from the den, giving a shake.

"C'mon, Koda!" I called, excited to start.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he groaned.

He moseyed over to were I was standing, breathing in the fresh, morning air.

"Ready?" I called.

"Yup,"

"Let's go!" I jumped off of Pride-rock, running ahead of my younger cousin.

"Wait up!" He yelled.

I sighed, and rolled my eyes playfully. He huffed his way through the swaying foliage.

(Koda's point of view)

I watched my cousin's bright eyes as she located me in the lush, breeze ruffled grasses. This was the first time in days I had seen Kito's eyes light up like that. I knew this morning when she asked me to come with her to the Grove, that it was a chance for her to get out, and become happy again. At least a little while.

You see, my cousin has always been my role model. She's kind, fun, normal, tom-boyish, and caring. She's what every cubs wants to be (except for the future ruler.) I tried my hardest to keep up with her because I wanted her to maintain her happiness. This morning was going great, until the cubs heard who I was going with.

The sun rose steadily over the horizon, shining it's warm, cheery rays into the den full of resting lions and cubs. As it rose higher, and higher, the den became filled with soft yawns, and moans. My jaw opened wide in a full fledged yawn. I rolled onto my stomach, and glanced around the dimly lighted cave. I glanced toward the mouth of the cave. I saw my Aunt Savanna having a conversation with my older cousin (her daughter), Kito. I gingerly laid my head on my paws, looking to my left. To the left, my sister and her friend were snoozing away the morning. To their right, was an almost teenage cub. His name was Tian. Tian had an ugly scrape that reached from the base of his left ear, to the bottom right of his face. My cousin had given it too him about a week ago. It looked better now that Rafiki had put some gooey stuff on it, but he said there would always be a scar there. I felt sorry for Tian. I kind of wanted to call him Scar Face, but he probably wouldn't like that. He was also sleeping soundly. Other lions and lioness were scattered around the den. My mother and father, King Kovu and Queen Kiara, where resting on a raised part of the rock floor. This spot was for the royals. I glanced back over to the cave mouth, to see my aunt staring my way, and Kito trotting over to me.

I raised my head and smiled.

"Hey Kito." I greeted.

"Hiya, cuz!" she replied.

I was shocked. Yesterday she wasn't near as cheery. Her mom must've said somthing exceptional!

"What's up?" I inquired, tilting my head in a interested way.

"Well, I just got some great news!!" she almost jumped and squealed at "great".

"What could be that great?" I asked with a chuckle.

"I asked mother if I could go to the bottle tree grove, and she said yes!!" she exclaimed.

I furrowed my brow. Kito was grounded for about two months, and I understand she was excited to get out, but the bottle tree grove caused her this much excitement? She saw my look of confusion.

"You get to come too!!" she said. "That is, if you want to."

I quickly nodded my head. "Yeah, I'll go!"

"Sweet!!" she squealed quietly. "I'll go get ready!"

I sighed and smiled. She scurried off. I slowly stood up and stretched. I saw Tian stand up and approach me.

"Where are you goin' in such a hurry?" He asked, smiling playfully.

"Oh, I'm just going to the bottle tree grove." I replied.

He cocked his head. "Why there?"

I didn't think about what Tian's reaction would be when I told him what I was doing.

"Oh, you know." I said, turning away from him, walking toward the entrance.

"No, actually, I don't know." he said, losing his patience.

I walked faster toward the door. He ran in front of me, and blocked the doorway. He lowered his ears, and narrowed his purple eyes.

"Koda, where are you going?" he said, almost growling.

I lowered my gaze to the floor.

"C'mon, Koda!" Kito called from outside.

Tian slowly raised his head.

"You're going with her!" he hissed.

I didn't raise my eyes.

"Traitor," he said under his breath.

He walked away from the door, his tail twitching in rage. But, he walked all the way back to his resting spot, and lied down without any other signs of anger. He faced the wall.

I sighed, and walked out of the cave.

That's how the morning went down. I'm worried what Tian will say when I get back, but I have awhile until then, so I'm determined to enjoy my time with my cousin.

Chapter Four: Flowers and Apologies

"The young cubs pulled their blistered paws across the sun beaten land. The evil, scorching sun poured it's broiling rays onto the cub's poor, weather beaten backs!" Koda said dramatically.

"Oh, Koda!" I chided. "You don't have to be so dramatic!"

He just moaned.

"We've only been walking for about....ten minutes!" I figured.

He sighed. "I know! But it's so hot!!"

I stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. He just whined. At least I think he was whining. It sounded more like a dying whale then a lion cub. We continued walking toward the thicket.

"Are you gonna make it?" I said sarcastically over my shoulder.

"I'm not sure..." he replied. It sounded like he didn't think he could make it. "Of course the humidity is not helping."

"It never does." I said.

We reached the thicket.

Koda plopped on the ground under a nearby tree. I just rolled my eyes, and started seeking out the best flowers. I reached down to one of the dainty pink blossoms. I brought it up to my nose and closed my eyes, inhaling it's sweet fragrance. A smile spread across my face. I glanced over to Koda, who was now sitting up. He slowly stood up and strolled over to me.

"I knew you weren't that weak." I said with a smirk.

He pretended to be hurt. "Weak? You think I'm weak?"

I playfully shoved him. We shared a smile. Then I walked over and picked some flowers.

"So, tell me again, why are we out here picking flowers?" Koda asked.

I turned to him and handed him some flowers. "I am trying to apologize to Tian! And, flowers help a lot!"

He furrowed his brow. "Aren't guys supposed to get girls flowers?"

I piled more onto his stack. Then I stopped. I furrowed my brow too. I thought for a minute. He had a good point. I slowly raised my eyes from the flowers too his face. "I guess you're right."

"Oh well, never mind. It's the thought that counts!" He said.

He walked back over to the tree and sat down his load of flowers, then trotted back beside me. He stood patiently, awaiting another bunch of flowers. I slowly pulled each flower off it's stem.

What am I actually gonna say to Tian? I asked my self silently. I mean "Hey Tian! Sorry I almost scratched your face off! Let's be bffs again" isn't exactly going to solve this problem.

Maybe more like: Tian, I'm am really truly upset about what I did. Here is a peace offering. I know no matter how many flowers I bring, that they don't make it alright. Tian, I really don't know if what I did can be forgiven. I wanted to ask you anyway. Just in case. I wanna say-

"Kito? Are you alright?" Koda asked suddenly, startling me out of my thinking state.

"Yeah," I replied.

"I think these are enough flowers for now." He said, a concerned look on his face.

I nodded. We went back to the pile of flowers under the tree. I evenly divided them into two separate groups. Koda picked up his pile, and I slowly picked up mine. We started off toward Pride-rock. I walked behind Koda, taking in the amazing sights.

To my right, there was the hippo's pond. The hippos were lazily snoozing in the morning sun. On my left, a herd of gazelles peacefully grazed on the lush, swaying grass. A younger female gazelle swiftly and gracefully raised her head from the ground.

"Good morning, cubs." she greeted. Her voice was a little squeaky, and she glanced nervously at the surrounding grasses.

"Hello, Neema." I replied. Neema was almost always worried. She was always afraid something would jump out of the grasses and devour her. That's why she was so nervous.

We moved on. The morning was so beautiful, and I hoped Tian would think so too. Maybe he would be in a more forgiving mood if he was happy. Koda must've sensed I was worried.

"Don't worry, I'll be there to back you up!" Koda said softly as he went to walk beside me.

I looked up at him with a small smile. He smiled back. We reached Pride-rock, and suddenly I was afraid. I was afraid what Tian's reaction would be. I was afraid the flowers and the apology wouldn't change his mind. I was afraid Tian would not forgive me. Worst of all, I was afraid he would never forgive me, and that we would remain hateful the rest of our lives. That would be terrible.

I stopped. The great shadow of Pride-rock darkened the land around me. I raised my eyes to look at the group of rocks before me. Even though some might call it a bunch of rocks, to me, it was majestic. In this light it looked grey, sometimes it was more purple, or tan. I studied the massive landmark in front of me. It gave me courage. Yes, that big bunch of rocks gave me the courage to do the right thing, to finish what I had started. I lifted my head with a new determination. I was ready to apologize.

Koda and I climbed the path leading to the den. We looked around there, but not one lion, lioness, or cub was in the den. So, we moved on to the rock platform. It was also deserted.

Huh. I thought. Isn't it early for everyone to be out already?

"That's strange." Koda said. "Where is everybody?"

"I'm not sure..." I replied. "Stay here just in case they come back. I'll go to the top."

I Jogged up the steep path that led to the very top of Pride-rock. Once I got there, I glanced around. I saw someone napping in the sun. I walked over to them.

"'Tani?" I said to the sleeping figure.

She opened her eyes and raised her head. She grunted.

"Yes?" she said with a sigh. She lowered her head back down.

"I can't find anybody. Do you know where they went?" I asked her.

"No. Nobody's said anything to me for the past two hours." She said, already falling back asleep.

I sighed. Where was everybody?

"Don't you think that's a little strange?" I asked.

"Huh?" She said. She raised her head again. "Oh, uh-huh, strange."

"Well, I better go figure out what's going on." I said, turning away and heading back down the path. "See you later!"

"Hey!" She called, standing up. "Wait for me!"

She ran over to where I was.

"What's up with the flowers?" she gestered to the flowers on my back.

"Oh, those are for Tian, as soon as I find him." I said.

She looked a little confused, but then just shrugged and followed me down the pathway. I smiled.

"Did you find anything?" Koda asked when I reached the bottom.

"Just 'Tani." I replied.

Vitani came slowly and lazily down the path, and finally reached us.

"Hey, 'Tani." Koda called.

"Hi." she said, glancing up to him from the ground.

"Do you want to go search for them?" Koda asked me.

"Yeah, I guess so." I sighed "Let's put the flowers in the den."

He nodded and followed me into the cave. We gently sat the flowers down in the corner, and walked back out to 'Tani.

"Where should we search first?" I asked.

"Well," Koda started. "Let's split up, and than in an hour we should all come back here and meet up again."

"Is that alright with you?" I asked 'Tani.

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Great!! Let's go!!" I said, then we all headed in different directions.

I went toward the Zebra grazing grounds. I searched every where around the grazing grounds, but all I found were zebras. After we had been searching for about half an hour, I heard someone.

"Kito!" someone called. "Kito!" I looked around. Koda was running toward me at top speed. He reached me.

"What is it?" I asked him. He sat there, out of breath.

"I...found everybody......including...." he took a gasp.

"Including what Koda?" I asked.

"Including your....father."

Chapter Five: Not Abandoned

In three seconds flat I was running at full speed through the grasses, towards where Koda had come. My cousin scurried to catch up with me. When he was by my side, he turned his head to look into my eyes and said, "He's at Diamond peak!"

With a hopeful smile on my face and an excitement building inside me, I picked up my pace and ran full speed toward the bluff known as Diamond peak.

"Good luck!" Koda yelled as he watched me run farther ahead of him.

I ran as fast as I could towards the peak, racing past critters and swerving past herds. Everyone I brushed by scooted out of the way quickly and said "Hello, Kito!" Buy I didn't have time to respond. I had to see if my father was really at the peak.

Suddenly, a terrible feeling of doubt washed over me. A frown befell my face and I slowed down my gallop. When I thought that Koda could've seen someone else, not my father, I panicked.

Then I shook it off. No, it has to be him. It just has to. I thought to myself.

I resumed my running pace and continued going towards Diamond peak. As I neared the hippo pond (also know as "Big Springd"), I saw the peak in the distance. With a deep breath and a hard gulp, I pushed forward and ran right over the pond on top of the rocks. I could hear loud arguing and shouting from the peak, but one of them was definitely my father.

"Dad?" I inquired to no one.

I ran around the bluff to the base. I picked up my paws and ran over the lush green grass that covered the hillside. The soft grass felt good on my tired paws. As the top of the ridge came into my view, I saw a group of animals gathered. When my eyes landed on the candy red color of my father's large mane, I gasped.

"Daddy?" I said in a tearful whisper.

He turned around and the shouting ceased. He looked at me and tears started welling up in his amber brown eyes.

"Feisty!" He laughed softly when he saw me.

He smiled broadly and started walking over to me. I smiled too. I ran over to him and slid into his arms. His large form embraced me tenderly. I clutched his mane with my paws and dug my face into it, breathing in his scent, a scent I hadn't realized how much I'd missed. Until now.

"Oh, feisty!" He breathed gently.

"I missed you, daddy," I said.

"I know," Kion replied. "I missed you too, my feisty Kito."

He stood up and let me go. We both wore full smiles on our faces as we looked at each other. It was then that I noticed mom, Aunt Kiara, Uncle Kovu, grandpa, grandma, Asha, Tian, Amira, and all of the other lioness surrounding us on the large bluff.

"Mom," I said, joyful tears streaming down my face. "Dad's home!"

"Yes," my mother replied with a small smile.

I cocked my head and looked at everyone's expressions. No one except grandma and Aunt Kiara had tears in their eyes. Uncle Kovu wore a sour face, and Grandpa Simba looked worried. The others just looked mad.

"What's going on?" I asked, starting to worry.

But before anyone could answer me, Koda and 'Tani came galloping onto the bluff. They stopped before they got to us.

"Kion, it is you." 'Tani said, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Hello, Vitani," Dad greeted.

"Cubs," King Kovu said. "Why don't you go and play at the Big Springs,"

All of the cubs stared at him sadly and stood up. They knew it wasn't a suggestion, but a command.

"But, mom-" I started, looking at her in confusion.

"Go, Kito." She demanded, her smile was gone.

I stared for another moment, then turned to dad.

"Go on," he said with a wink.

All of us cubs left the bluff and slowly went down to the bottom of the cliff. We walked somberly to the pond. On our way, I asked the cubs what I had missed.

"Uncle Kion came up out of the blue and walked up to us," Asha said. "He said something odd, like trouble, was coming. He had had an issue with some other pride that he owed something too. He said they were searching for him, and that he couldn't take them on alone. That he needed our pride's help to defeat them. Your mother and my father got mad at him, and they started yelling and arguing. Mom scream 'Stop!' then asked why they couldn't just be happy that Kion had come home. But Grandpa Simba insisted that this was an urgent matter. They 'discussed' it a little more, then you came. Everyone stopped yelling when you ran up. So far, that's all we know."

"So. . .you guys aren't scared or mad at me anymore?" I asked sheepishly.

"No," Tian stepped up and said. "It was a petty fight, and I'm sorry. I realized how ridiculous I was being when Koda said you were picking flowers to apologize."

"Oh," I said, a smile growing on my face. I saw the ugly scar that stretched across his face. "I did. . .that?" I asked, horrified at the damage I'd done to my friend.

Tian raised his paw up to his face and touched the scar. "Yeah, but. . .it's not. . .that bad." He replied unconvincingly.

"Oh, man! I-I'm so sorry!" I said to him.

We walked the rest of the way to the pond and all stopped at the edge. The girls went off to the shade of a couple of trees. Tian, Koda and I stopped and glanced back at the bluff in the distance. Then, I remembered where we were.

"Big Springs," I mused quietly.

"Huh?" Koda asked, tilting his head.

"Oh-uh, nothing, just talking to myself," I replied. I looked at the pond where the hippos were all lazing. "I have to do something, would you forgive me if I left?"

"Of course," Koda said.

"Go ahead," Tian replied.

"Thanks, guys," I said with a smile.

I trotted over to the muddy banks of the river where a couple hippos were resting in the water. I took a deep breath and walked a little farther.

"Hello, there," I said to them. "Would you be so kind as to point me to Beshte?"

One of the hippos lifted her head and looked at me.

"Certainly," she said. "Beshte is right over there,"

"Thanks a ton!" I called to her, already sprinting towards where she had pointed.

With haste, I made my way over to were the kind hippo had told me where Beshte was. I slowed my speed when I saw a young adult male hippo splashing in the water along with several hippo calves. I saw the faded mark of The Guard on his shoulder.

"Beshte?" I asked quietly. Surprisingly the hippo heard me through all the ruckus. He turned around and looked me in the eye.

His bright blue eyes went wide and his jaw dropped when he saw me. The noise and movement around us faded, and everyone watched to see what would happen next. A smile spread across my face.

"Kito?" Beshte asked with a wide smile swiping across his face.

"It is me, Beshte!" I cried. I leaped into the water, letting a wave of water splash the other hippos nearby. "Oh! It's been so long! How are you?"

"Just grand, as always!" Beshte happily replied, his eyes glimmered with excitement.