Salama's P.O.V.

"Rouges? That's impossible." I shake my head. There was so logical explanation for rouges in the Pride Lands. Was there?

"I need you to guide your cousins and sister back to Pride Rock while we deal with this. Tell your father we need him here as soon as he can be." My mother directs and I again shake my head.

"I'm not leaving you here." I protest. "If it's males there's no chance of you beating them." She arches a brow with a smirk.

"Okay maybe you can," I blush and realize just who my mother was before my father. "But, the odds of us winning would be better with all of us here."

"No. Your aunts and I will stay. You and the rest will go get your father. Now." She steps forward with a growl. I cower and she instantly recoils. Her harsh eyes changing back to the almost violet softness she always had when she looked at us. The dark purple and slit pupils re-dilating and her ears fluffing back up.

She had snapped a few times at me and my siblings growing up. Even raised a paw. But, she would always stop herself and remind herself that she was Vitani and not Zira.

"Please." She sighs and looks off into the distance. I follow her gaze and notice the figures have come closer and there's many of them.

"Go on, cubs." Aunt Shanni encourages with a soft smile. I shake my head but begin to rally up my cousins when a bellow was heard.

"Quickly!" Aunt Shyra growls and she and my mother take off.

"Adya, go warn father! And tell the bats to come as well!" I order and I take off after Shanni is far enough.

"Salama!" I hear my sister call but I continue my race to them.

Tanabi's P.O.V

The Pride Lands were getting drier with each passing day and it panicked my aging soul. The dry season had never lasted this long before and I feared it would never end. But I had hope, the clouds will darken in time and will bring the color back to my lands.

My lands. How strange to say even twenty years later. I chuckled to myself remembering how much of a mess I was the first few years of this King deal. I hadn't the slightest idea how to do anything and I am still learning. Jama had helped so much over the years and age had done her so well, her mane was graying now but she was still beautiful and kind like Rafiki.

I missed that crazy mandrill. I missed everyone that had gone. My mother's soft voice, my father's kind eyes. I wanted more time with them. I begged for it to the stars every night, but they remained silent and I carried on.

The air whipped through me and I allowed it to caress me and cuddle me. The spirits of my ancestors coddling me and reassuring me all will be well. The older I got the more connected I felt to them, I felt an inner peace I didn't know I could ever achieve. My family, both living and dead, were to thank for that. The living reassured me in my wake and the dead in my dreams.

"Damn, did you get bigger?" I swiveled my ears and then my head at the sound of a familiar voice. My eyes follow my movements and I feel a huge smile overtake my face. It had been too long.

"Mheetu?" I tear up and remove myself from the tip of Pride Rock and trot over to my uncle...brother. He would always be my brother. It was comforting to know that we were family the entire time. I suppose there would always be a connection between us. It could be because we died and then came back. However that worked or happened.

"It's been so long!" He laughs and wraps a pale arm around me and pulls me into a hug. My head rests on top of his and we purr lightly before we pull away. His scar was more prominent now and it fit his face more now with age. His mane was still the same pitch black it had shifted to all those years ago, however now, there was a small strand of grey in it in his hair tuft.

"My King." He bows jokingly and I swat at his bent, spotted leg. He stumbles but quickly recovers and paws at my face a few times like a cub. How I missed our youth in this moment. To be young and free again--I was grateful for the land I was given and being King is something I would never take for granted. But this responsibility had aged me and I felt my once playful demeanor fade. Not completely, but it wasn't the same as it once was.

"Where's Shanni?" I question and his beams at the sound of his golden mate. I knew it took some time for them to be okay again after so much happened, but the gleam was back and I knew all was well between them again.

"She's with Shyra and Vitani now." He smiles and from behind him walks Siwatu.

"I didn't want to break your little...moment." He raises a brow and bows lightly. "They should be meeting now in the fields."

"Let's see if we can find them." I smile and wag my tail like some dog. They follow behind me to the top of Pride Rock and we laugh seeing Salama find her cousins. It was a nice sight to see them all together again.

However, Mheetu's smile dropped and he inclined himself further.

"What is it?" I ask taking notice, Siwatu silent and confused at his twins side.

"Are you expecting guests?" He asks and I quickly leaned in as much as I could and searched the lands and in the far off plains, silhouettes of lions appeared. Too many lions.

"Where are M.K. and Ayodele?" He asks in a panic.

"They went off with the other bats in migration. Abeni, their daughter, stayed behind but she's with Jama learning." I mumble and watch Salama dart towards the lions. My heart drops and my blood runs cold. My wife and sister in laws and nieces and nephews trailing behind her.

"Mheetu, I need you to hurry and assemble the Lion Guard. Kellan is there, don't let Imara follow he has to stay here. They're in Scar's den!" I order and quickly make my way down and follow the path to my family.

My claws dug into the earth beneath me, hitting every pebble and insect in its way. I didn't have time to stop and greet the animals that surrounded me, I bellowed and excused myself and hurried to my family. 

Is this the beginning of the war Rafiki warned me of before his death? I didn't have enough lions at my disposal--if it was a war they wanted we would be beat. I would lose my mate, my daughters--my life. I wouldn't see my daughters marry and have children, see my son Imara become King, Kellan the leader of the Lion Guard--I'd never see my son Maalum again. 

This war would end with blood shed but not from my side. I would obliterate them. 

"Vitani!" I bellow when I see her image growing closer. She is just standing there, stiff and still. What has happened? Had the bloodshed already begun? Was one of our daughters- I hesitate and don't finish my thought. I couldn't. 

I roar and jump over my mate, my vision red and ready for the vision to be dripping from my jaw. But, I hesitate to attack when I realize the group of lions in front of me. 

"Kiara?" I pant and watch her red-brown orbs fill with new tears. 

"Brother." She whispers and pads over to me. "Still protective as ever." She giggles and engulfs herself into my thick mane. I stifle a confused laugh but I rest my head on hers. 

"You-But-Egypt?" I struggle and look behind her, my mouth falls. Kovu was there, looking older and his scar slightly healed since the last time I saw him. What really shocks me are my niece and nephews and the lionesses and cub that accompanied my sister and brother in law. 

"We come bearing news." Kovu says with a crooked smile and he lightly bows and taps his paw against my own. Vitani was standing a few feet from me now and by the tears in her eyes I knew they already had said their long awaited "hellos." 

"That can wait. What we really want to know is who little lion is." I dismiss and lower myself to take a look at the round cub hiding between Nafari's paws. 

"Uncle." Nafari says and his teal eyes light up with tears. He was so grown. So much more peaceful than his bratty attitude as a cub. His pelt was no longer a pale tawn, but a light brown, reminding me of Grandmother Sarabi, his paws still colorless, his nose a darker rounded pink. His figure was lean but athletic and fit. His mane is what mislead me. His tail tuft was still black but his mane...was a striking blond. It suited him along with the strip of black that colored half of his hair tuft, it was longer than the rest of his mane. A grown lion with a matching cub at his side and a golden mate at his side. 

"Nafari-" I stumble and grab him in my arms. 

"It's Nizsm now, Uncle. A lot of changed since our last meeting." He smiles and then introduces his mate Rehema. I had never seen an Egyptian lioness before. She was stunning and golden with bright golden eyes. 

"An honor to meet you, my King." She bows and then smiles down at her small cub. "Go on and bow little one." She directs and the small thing bows softly, blushing, before she hid behind Nafa-Nizsm's paw. She had her mother's eyes. 

"And what is your name?" I ask, gently. She giggles and pokes her head out briefly before hiding it again. 

"Sekhmet." She blushes and hides even more behind her father. "Met." She corrects and giggles softly. 

"Like the goddess. A fitting name." I say, too formally to the child but she laughs all the same and runs to her mother. 

"Uncle you haven't forgotten us have you?" I hear Zuri say and my eyes finally allow tears to fall. Though I would never admit it to my other nieces and nephews, he was my favorite of the group. Does that make me a bad person? 

"Zuri." I mumble and allow him to wrap both his arms around me, I bury my face in his dark mane and cuddle into my nephew. He was no longer thin and weak. He was massive. Perhaps just as bulky as I was in my youth. If not more. 

"It's Zuberi now. We got to change our names when we joined their Pride." He sniffles and rests his forehead against mine for a moment. His fur was very similar to Kovu's now in his adulthood, maybe more golden because of Kiara, his eyes the same vibrant green. They weren't like Kovu's or mine, they were his and they fit his face. His nose was the same black angular nose from his cubhood. His ears were lightly rimmed with brown, like his grandfather Chumvi. "This is Laban, my mate." He introduces with such love in his eyes. 

"My King." She bows and she is just as lovely as Nizsm's mate. She was golden as well with a small hair tuft and eyes a lovely aquamarine. I notice her belly was slightly swollen and I raise a brow at the pair. "They won't be due for another month." She beams. 

"Don't tell me you changed your name too." I joked looking at sweet Kopa curled beside Kiara. 

"And dishonor you, Uncle. Never." She laughs and trots over to me with a soft smile. 

"You could never do that. None of you cubs ever could." I rectify and watch her small face small before she perked back up. Her pelt had darkened with age and it disturbed me knowing who's pelt her's resembled the most. Scar's coloration was eerily the same on Kopa, very funny Great Kings. Her eyes were also almost a tease from them, they were orange-brown like Kiara's but her left eye was half green. Very funny. 

"You've grown." I sob and look at her belly in case she too had her own child on the way. 

"Not that much." She jokes and we all laugh at her uncomfortable shudder. 

"Am I interrupting something?" I suddenly hear and my heart sinks and races all at the same time. I knew that voice better than any. I slowly turn my head and see the lion standing, his dark red mane flowing as the wind cracked through him, his fur identical to mine, claws extended, his green eyes glistening in the sunrise, his body heavily scarred, nose angular and a dark pink like my own, freckles on his muzzle like his mother's, my clone.

"Maalum." I whisper and he smirks. 

"Hello, Tanabi." I slump in my stance at the sound of my given name, and not Father. 

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Here it is!! I am so sorry for taking so long to update. I was trying to get into a nursing school (I SUCCEEDED!!!) and I will be starting on April 6 online because of this Corona Virus madness. 

I hope everyone is being safe and taking care of yourself. Scary times...

I wanted to get this up and ready even though it feels so weird writing when things are so crazy and slightly different right now. 

I am hoping for better days and for a vaccine to be made soon. 

Please wash your hands and stay inside unless you absolutely have to leave (work, grocery shopping). 

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to get the next chapter up before I start school again!

~ DMG.