TLG: happy ever after

Chapter 13: Enjoy the piece and quiet

Author's note:

Hi! I don't think I have any more ideas about the Lion guard's first days at the Tree of life. I've covered all the characters whose lives I planned to have described by now, so I've decided to make a timeskip. This chapter is short, but it's necessary to make it clear where the story is in terms of the given timeline and to summarize everything written so far. Enjoy!

Three months have passed since The Roar's destined return to The Tree of Life, and the kingdom has been thriving. Ever since the army of poachers was defeated and sent far away, the lands have faced no threats from either the outside or the inside. Despite all the big changes and the initial challenges, the newcomers have mostly settled in nicely.

His Majesty Kion The Fiercest has been taking his time getting used to his new role. Even though he is still relatively young and rather inexperienced, the natural-born leader possessed all the right qualities one needs to rule. Without doubt, the son of Simba and Nala has shown great potential for becoming a fine and fair king some day. Moreover, Mufasa's wisdom is there to guide Kion whenever he feels worried or uncertain about his place in The Circle of Life. However, the topic of most of their recent conversations has been the adolescent lion's significant other.

Queen Rani, the reigning monarch of The Tree of Life, has never felt happier in her entire life. Her home has been safer than ever, and she has a truly wonderful and caring mate by her side. The royal couple's relationship has only been strengthening day by day. Although both of them like to assume control and command and sometimes have different opinions, the two lovebirds work fantastically as a team, which has helped them to overcome their stubbornness. They've learnt to trust each other completely and make all the important decisions together, which has become the driving force of the kingdom's current success.

Baliyo, the prince with the most stylish mane of all the felines near and far, has lead The Night Pride for a couple of months now. The guardian hasn't had a chance to prove himself in action yet, but he doesn't mind that. There's still quite a lot the dark-furred teenager needs to learn about leadership from his new royal friend. The young lion has grown in size, though noticeably less than the king. The impact of Kion's grandfather's genes' has become more apparent, making it a bit difficult for the two sparring partners to keep exercising with one another.

Surak, the queen and the prince's uncle, occasionally joins their training to keep himself in shape. The older Night Pride member prefers spending most of his free time with his mate, though. Nirmala and he have no longer been dating in secret since they decided they were on the same page about their relationship and opened up to the rest of the group about being together. The news came as a surprise to everyone except Rani and Bunga. The queen had accidentally found out about it shortly after Kion's return. The healer, being the kind heart as she always was, could never hold a grudge against the younger lioness. Neither could Surak, who was grateful that his niece kept her promise and never exposed them. Bunga, on the other hand, had been convinced the two were married since the moment he met The Night Pride, so he didn't share his friend's astonishment after the announcement. "These two are the only old lions at The Tree of Life, so it always made sense to me.", as the honey badger put it, once again completely disregarding all the social norms.

Speaking of the stinky nephew of Timon and Pumbaa, he and Binga have become practically inseparable. The only time the two aren't together is when The Bravest is on duty, and even then he rarely shuts up about his bincredible friend.

The Lion guard has been doing just fine. Its leader, Fuli The Fastest, is now very confident in her role and takes her duties more seriously than before. Without Kion on the team it's been up to the cheetah to make decisions during their patrols, but she's shown that she's up for the task and is ready to be a permanent leader of the guardian team.

Having reconciled with Azaad, Fuli has been happily dating him ever since. The male cheetah has made it up to her for his mistake in the past by being nothing but a perfect boyfriend. He regularly visits her according to their arranged schedule, brings her flowers, and the two spend time together walking along the border of The Tree of Life. Unlike Surak and Nirmala, the spotted couple have never kept their relationship a secret. However, they've made it perfectly clear that no one is allowed to intervene, or else there would be consequences.

Anga has been doing whatever she normally does. Nobody really knows about the eagle's private life. However, The Keenest of Sight claims that "everything's good", which is enough for the rest of The Lion Guard to not worry about her.

Beshte the hippo, whose level of friendliness can only be matched by Baliyo's, has made a bunch of buddies among The Tree of Life's inhabitants. Due to his easy-going nature, The Strongest's goal has been to meet and get acquainted with as many of them as possible.

Ono, on the other hand, has been more interested in the knowledge that the kingdom has to offer rather than the locals' personalities. The egret spends a lot of time with Makini at the Tree learning the lands' history. Rani joins them too whenever she seeks the wisdom of her predecessors, the rulers of the past like her grandmother Janna. After getting to know The Smartest a little better, the queen now understands where his nickname comes from and sometimes even listens to his advice.

Fortunately, there's been no complaints about Makucha. It seems like the troublemaker doesn't risk terrorizing his neighbours anymore and has calmed down since his attempt to mess with the new king. Because of the wolf's exemplary behaviour during his punishment, Kion and Rani have decided to give him another chance. They let him know, though, that it would be his last one, given his previous record. The scarred canine hated being bossed around, yet the danger of being exiled put him against the wall. Left with no choice but to comply, he agreed to the terms of his future at The Tree of Life. The king and queen made sure to put "obedience" on the list of the set rules that Makucha would have to follow to avoid being kicked out of the kingdom.