The Lion Guard Season 5

Chapter 11: The Bravest

{Saka's POV}
I spent the rest of the day wondering who should be the Bravest and I couldn't figure it out. I decided to ask that strange lion at Chika Escarpment because, well I didn't really know. I didn't know if I would get in trouble for going there but I needed answers. I went back to that ledge where I met him and the mark on my shoulder started glowing again. It had disappeared after I finished roaring at those crocodiles, but now it's back and I could help but wonder why. I called out to the sky and a light shot through the clouds and the same lion showed up. He looked at me and smiled "Prince Saka, welcome back." He greeted "Are you ready?"
He asked that same question the first time I met him. I had no idea what the question meant, but I thought he meant if I was ready to lead the Night Pride.
"No, I'm not." I said. He raised an eyebrow "I need help, I have most of the members of my Night Pride but I don't know who should be the Bravest. I've spent the entire day racking my brain, trying to figure out who should be the Bravest. I feel like it should be an easy choice, there are many brave animals here who I could ask but my cousin told me I had to think my actions throughly and now I don't know what to do."
"Well, have you considered that maybe the answer is right under your nose, or in your case, deep in the Marshes?"
"What does that mean?" I asked. I was still confused and that didn't help a lot. He just smiled, that 'You will learn' smile and vanished. The Mark on my shoulder also disappeared but I didn't think about that. I stood there and thought about what he said. The animals in the marshes are very brave, and Uncle Bunga is the bravest one there. Other than him, the others mostly keep to themselves so I don't know who would be the best choice. So I left and went to find my father. He and his Guard were patrolling near the marshes so maybe the lion at Chika Escarpment was talking about him helping me.
"Dad?" I asked, drawing his attention away from his conversation
"Yes Saka?" Dad responded, as calm as ever "What is it?"
"I have mostly everyone for my team but I don't know who should be the Bravest."
"Well son," Dad said "Have you considered your friend Hofu?"
"Dad? I don't mean to be rude but, isn't the Bravest supposed to actually be brave?" I asked "In Duma's words, he's too scared to take a couple steps without thinking something's going to kill us."
"He's a lot braver than you realize." Dad responded "I've seen him jump of a waterfall into a lake without a care in the world, just like his father."
"But he's always so scared around us."
"To the point where you cubs make fun of it." Dad finished "Have you perhaps thought he maybe is scared of you instead of everything else?"
I want to say something but my mouth wouldn't let me move it. But I realized that the things Dad said, about Hofu being scared of us, is true. When I first met him, he hid behind a rock and was stealing glances at us. Like he wanted to talk to us but was not ready to. I just approached him without thinking and asked him to join us. And he did, but he's always been a little bit scared around us. And we must've made it worse by teasing him. He was always brave, he was just shy. Dad, as if able to read my thoughts said "He just needs the opportunity to show how brave he can be."
"Yeah maybe," I replied, but even though I knew now he could be brave, I couldn't let him in my team unless I saw it. Dad again must've read my thoughts because he told me "For today and today only, you and your friends can play outside the Mountain Pass. That should give Hofu the opportunity to show how brave he is."
"Okay," I said "Thanks Dad!"
I walked off and heard what Dad's Guard were saying
"Honestly, I don't know why Hofu has to be so shy around people." Uncle Bunga said, as if he heard my conversation with Dad "At home, he's more than happy to join me in whatever fun I'm having, much to Binga's chagrin."
"Chagrin?" Uncle Ono asked "I didn't realize you knew that word. Seems too long for you."
"Yeah." Aunt Fuli laughed
"Hey," Uncle Bunga yelled "Things changed, and I'm all grown up now. Maybe before I would've never said that but now I have a cub."
"Having a cub toned Bunga down that much?" Aunt Fuli asked "Wow."
"But," Uncle Bunga said "Hofu isn't as hard to handle as you said he would be, Ono."
"That's because Hofu inherited so much from his mother that make him so much easier to handle than you were." Uncle Ono responded
"Maybe."
I went into the marshes, and to Hofu's den. I saw him talking to his mom and decided to watch for a little bit. I didn't want to scare Hofu like I scared him before.
"Mooooom," Hofu complained "When is Dad coming back? I wanna play with him."
"Hofu," Aunt Binga responded "You ask this everyday and everyday I say the same thing. Your father is on patrol now, he can't just stop and come play with you. He has responsibilities that extend beyond playing with you."
"Well in that case, I'm jumping off the waterfall!" He yelled. He sounded like Uncle Bunga
"No Hofu wait-" Aunt Binga yelled. Her screams fell on deaf ears because Hofu was already at the top of the waterfall somehow.
"Cannonballlllllll!" Hofu screamed. He jumped off the edge and landed perfectly in the water without making a sound.
"Hofu," She said "How many times do I have to tell you? It's dangerous to just jump off the cliff like that! I know it's fun, but please, for my sake, don't do it every chance you get. There are other and much more fun things to do than that."
I decided that now was a good time to come out and asked Hofu to come play with me
"Hey Hofu," I said
He jumped and turned around to face me "S-s-Saka! Um, hi! I wasn't expecting you h-here now."
"Don't start with me now, I just saw you jump off the cliff with reckless abandon." I said "You've known me for so long, why are you still shy around me?"
"Y-you saw that?"
I nodded
"Well, to answer your question, I could never expect you to come and whatever plan you guys had." He answered "I just- I never had a chance to prepare for when you come."
"I'm sorry Hofu, I didn't realize you felt like that around us." I said "I'm also sorry for teasing you about your constant fear."
"It's okay Saka, really. The teasing thing, I have to admit, was actually funny. Though I also have to admit it was starting to get old."
"Anyways, I was planning something fun with everyone, you wanna come?" I told Hofu
"You kidding me?" He asked "Of course I wanna come! If you saw everything, then you heard I was complaining about it being boring around here."
"I know," I said "It's just, you said you could never prepare so I thought I'd ask."
"Thanks man," He smiled "So what's the plan? I won't spoil it, I promise."
"You promise?" I asked, a bit skeptical
Hofu raised his paw in the air and exclaimed "Honeybadger's honor."
"Well, my dad is letting us go outside the Mountain Pass today," I explained
"So you wanna do something daring this time?" He guessed "Are you sure you want to do that? It could be dangerous."
"I'm sure, besides, I got something cool to show the guys."
"Sure, I'm in."
"Also I'm inviting one more animal."
"Who?"
"You know Shani?"
"The scarred lioness who always stares at us?" Hofu asked "Why?"
"Because she's my cousin and I think she needs some friends."
We walked out of the marshes and to the trees where the birds like to perch to get Dekha, Duma and Moto's den to collect them and the Tree of Life to get Amani and Shani. I told them my plan and Duma said she was "so proud of you for finally being daring." and Shani looked at me a bit shocked but she accepted. Moto started yelling because this wasn't on his schedule and Duma told him to shut up. Everyone was surprised when Hofu didn't say anything and just agreed. We went outside the Mountain Pass and Ullu tried to stop us until I said we were allowed to go. We walked outside and Hofu jumped into the lake without hesitation which shocked everyone. Duma asked if we brought the right honey badger and I said we did, just now acts more confident. Amani touched the water and it was too cold so she wondered how Hofu could just jump in. Hofu jumped out and explained it was because honey badgers have very thick skin. I said there was something I wanted to show them and just when I did, I was attacked by a leopard, one that looked like he came from the savanna. Another leopard came out and attacked Shani and an animal that looked like he was half lizard and half crocodile came out and smacked everyone with his huge tail.
I growled "Hey! What are you doing?!" Out of the corner of me eye I saw Ullu flying off, probably to warn Dad about this
"Tell me cub," the leopard said menacingly "How's the Tree of Life this time of year?"
"Who are you?!" I yelled, paying no attention to the confusing question he had asked
"I am Makucha," The leopard said "And I'm a friend of Kion's."
"You mean my dad?"
"He's your father?" Makucha smiled "Good."
"That means dealing with him would hurt him the worst." The snow white leopard said before Shani smacked her into the rock wall
I growled and kicked Makucha off me. The lizard/crocodile was still terrorizing my friends until Hofu jumped on his back and distracted him long enough so that Duma could come and kick him. Duma remarked that Hofu was finally acting like his father and Moto reminded her to focus on the situation. A binturong jump out of the trees and attacked Hofu yelled "Finally, the honey badger is mine! You will pay for all of my precious tuliza!"
"Tuliza? Are you-?" Hofu asked with a glint of terror in his voice
"I am Mama Binturong." The binturong exclaimed proudly. She was distracted long enough that Amani was able to push her off of Hofu. That's when it finally clicked for me, these were the animals that followed my dad and his friends to the Tree of Life some time ago. That was the binturong who was dead set on killing Uncle Bunga. That means that lizard/crocodile is neither a lizard nor a crocodile, he's a Komodo dragon. And one bite from him was enough to incapacitate Shani. The Komodo Dragon bit Shani's right hind leg and she fell, saying she was unable to move. Her hind leg was bleeding from the marks he left. Hofu, after being paralyzed with fear, arched his eyebrows, got up, and attacked Mama Binturong, making her climb up a tree in a desperate attempt to escape but Hofu just climbed up the tree after her. A big green cloud came out of the tree and Mama Binturong ran away in fear and disgust. Hofu let out the "stink cloud" that his father loves to use, though I know Hofu doesn't like doing it a lot. Makucha came after me again and I started fighting him. Duma and Moto were trying to fight the snow leopard who yelled that her name was Chuluun with Dekha above them trying to give them directions. Amani was scrambling around the Komodo dragon, trying not to get bit and Shani could just lay there. While I was fighting Makucha, I felt that same surge of power I felt when those crocodiles in the Outlands cornered me. I told everyone to get behind me and Amani led everyone behind me much to their confusion. She also dragged Shani behind me. I widened my forepaws and felt the power of the Roar surge through me. The winds started to pick up and Makucha and Chuluun had to dig their claws into the ground to avoid getting blown away. My left shoulder started glowing again, and I bared my jaw and roared. The sound was deafening and the most I could hear was their muffled screams that were getting farther and farther away. When I opened my eyes again, they were gone and so was some of the snow that was on the ground. Everyone except Amani and Shani looked at me in shock.
"So this is what you wanted to show us..." Hofu just stared into the distance. When I looked back to answer him, I saw the Lion Guard just standing there, their mouths wide open. Dad looked at me and smiled, they all saw my roar. I looked on my shoulder, and that mark was still there and it was still glowing. Last time, it disappeared the moment I looked at it, this time, it's staying on my shoulder. Dad walked up to me and said "This is the moment you choose who will be a part of your Night Pride."
I walked towards my friends and as if on instinct, touched Duma's shoulder "Duma, you are the Fastest." Her shoulder glowed and the Mark of the Night Pride appeared where I touched. I went to Shani, who could finally stand and touched her shoulder "Shani, you are the Strongest." The same thing happened, the Mark appeared on her shoulder. I went to Moto, who was just staring at me with his mouth wide open. I touched his shoulder "Moto, you are the Smartest." The Mark appeared on his shoulder. I went to Dekha, who was standing on Moto's other shoulder. I touched the top of her left wing "Dekha, you are the Keenest of Sight." The Mark appeared exactly where I touched. Finally I went to Hofu, finally convinced he was the bravest and touched his shoulder "Hofu, you are the Bravest." The Mark of the Night Pride appeared on his shoulder. Dad walked up to me and placed his paw on my shoulder, where my Mark is "Saka, you are the Fiercest, and the leader of the New Night Pride." My Mark glowed, along with the rest of the Marks. We all stared at them, and I turned to my friends and they looked back at me "With strength and respect," I started with the same phrase Mom always started with before her patrol
"Night Pride protect!" The rest ended in unison