New Angles

Return To The Pridelands pt. 2

~Episode twenty: Return To The Pridelands~

~Part Two~

(AU; no Lion Guard competition; continued)

"We're almost there.." Kion remarked after a while. "Anga? Ono? See anything?"

The two birds flew up a bit higher and focused for a better view, one's eyes reaching further than the other's for obvious reasoning.

"Yup." Anga replied. "And you're not gonna believe it.."

A grunt finally reached their ears making them all stop in confusion. But when another blow shook a tree, followed by another grunt. It only took about another couple of repeats to this cycle to decipher the situation in a matter of moments.

"Kifaru?.." Beshte vocalized.

"Oof.. Beshte? Ahf!!" The rhino's horn caught the trunk of a tree and he tried to yank it free.

"Well that explains a lot." Fuli mentioned with a knowing smile to Kion, who returned one.

"Ok Galagos.. It's ok.." Kion told the frightened creatures still clinging to their hides. "We'll just find Mwenzi and escort Kifaru back to where he belongs."

"Oh.. thank you,.. thank you!" Laini praised, hugging Kion's head tight enough to make him wince from her pulling a few hairs of his mane.

"Anga,.. Ono.. mind taking a look for Mwenzi for us?" Kion went on, peering up at them with one eye.

"Yup."

"Affirmative!" The two birds responded, then took off into the sky.

"Beshte, Fuli,.. Let's get him outta there.." The young leader continued. "Then we can start heading back to Kifaru's real home."

"You got it!" Fuli nodded.

"Good idea!" Beshte agreed. Fuli, Beshte, and Kion made their way around the rhino to face him shoulder to shoulder, each preparing themselves for the strain ahead.

"Twende Kiboko!" Beshte called, beginning to push. Kion and Fuli joined in with him and they all groaned as they pushed together. Kifaru pulled with all his might, then Bunga hopped up onto his smaller horn.

"Come on.. rhino,.. pull!!" He said, yanking on the horn he was hanging on. Wood began to creak and splinters flicked at their hides, but finally they all fell forward when Kifaru's horn released. And even he had to stumble backwards, making the Galagos scatter.

Bunga finally opened his eyes as he now lay flat on Kifaru's nose. And when the rhino opened his eyes, he was almost surprised with how clearly he could see the honey badger.

"Oh,.. you finally came back!" Kifaru breathed, smiling.

"We sure did." Beshte smiled. "How' you been?"

Kifaru finally stood as Bunga hopped down off his face.

"Pretty good," he said. "Quiet, now that we're not fighting the Outlanders anymore."

"Oh I bet!" The hippo smiled.

"So how'd you get all the way over here in the Galagos' territory?" Kion asked, all of them smiling up at him.

"I gav-.."

"Let me guess.." Fuli interjected. "You gave Mwenzi the day off?"

"Well yeah, actually." Kifaru answered back, surprised that she'd guessed.

"Word of advice?.." the cheetah ventured. "Don't give him the day off without finding a replacement."

"Hmm.. I might actually do that." The old rhino decided, after a moment of thought. "Thank you!" Though when he intended to walk away, he hit another tree with the side of his head and his horns caught in the branches. So that when he tried to yank them free, he would shake the tree,.. with the Galagos in it!