Son of a Legend

Part 2: Coming of Age

Mkali unleashed his roar on the hyena gang and sent them flying. He is panting from the fight and from roaring.
"What was that!?" Koda asks his cousin.
Mkali feels a tingle on his shoulder, so he lifts up his sleeve and sees the mark of the guard. "I think that was the Roar of the Elders." Mkali says as he shows the mark to the rest of the lions.
"Woah! So you're going to be the leader of the guard like your dad?" Misuli asks.
"Yeah, can I be on it? I've beaten Fuli and Azaad's kid in a race before." Kasi appeals.
"I can see really well." Kushona adds.
Mkali smiles. "I'm glad that you guys are all excited, but we should get back to Priderock and see if and how I am going to do this."
"And if it works out?" Koda asks.
"Then this is the new Lion Guard." Mkali says. Everyone celebrates for a second. "Come on guys, let's go." Mkali says, leading the group back to Priderock.
Koda runs alongside his cousin. "So, you are the Pridelands fiercest, huh? What does that make me, then?"
"Obviously, you're the bravest. Kasi is the fastest, Misuli is strongest, and Kushona is the Keenest of Sight."
Koda nods. "Not a bad squad."
"Not bad at all from what I saw them do back there." Mkali agrees.
They get back to Priderock, and Mkali finds his parents talking with his old Lion Guard, Kiara and Kovu, and Simba and Nala.
"Hey, there's something I need to talk to you about, dad." Mkali says to his father.
They walk away from the group. "What's up, bud?" Kion asks his second-born child. Mkali lifts his sleeve and shows his father the mark of the guard on his shoulder.
A huge grin spreads across Kion's face. He messes up his son's mane.
"I knew it! I knew you'd be the next leader of the Lion Guard!" Kion exclaims.
Mkali smiles, too, but Kion can sense doubt on his son's face. "Do you not want to?" Kion asks his son.
"No, I do. I'm just not sure if I'm ready. And everyone knows I won't be able to live up to the precedent that you've set." Mkali explained to his father.
Kion puts a hand on his shoulder. "You're more than ready, son. You're more ready than I was when I became the leader of the guard." Kion tells his son. "You'll do great. Now, let's go tell everyone else."
The royal family gathers on Priderock because Koda told everyone that Mkali had something super important to tell them.
"Hey, everyone. I'm sure that Koda told you all that I have something important to tell all of you regarding my future." Mkali addresses to everyone. He looks at his father, and Kion nods at his son. "I will be following in my father's footsteps and become leader of the Lion Guard." Everyone hesitates for a second before they all applaud.
"How much time do you need to assemble your Lion Guard?" Kovu asks his nephew.
Mkali shakes his head. "I've decided who I want to be in my guard already." Koda, Misuli, Kasi, and Kushona all line up behind Mkali and stand at attention. Mkali approaches them one by one to announce their role on the guard and give them the mark of the guard. "Kushona, you are the keenest of sight." Mkali pats his left shoulder, and then the mark of the guard appears. "Misuli, you are the strongest. Kasi, you are the fastest. And finally, Koda. You are the bravest." He looks at his new Lion Guard, and he chuckles to himself when he sees how much they are checking out their new marks on their left shoulders. Everyone runs to their parents and hugs them. Mkali does this, too, but he walks over.
"You're ready, Mkali. You'll do great!" Vitani tells her son.
"Does this mean that he's going to have to stay here in the Pridelands?" Laika asks her parents.
"Yeah, but Kovu and Kiara will make sure he is alright." Kion reassures his firstborn child.
"How did you even find out that you had the roar?" Vitani asks.
"Oh, umm..." Mkali doesn't want to tell his parents because he thinks he will get in trouble. "We were at the South border..." Mkali finally tells his mother. He expected his parents to get mad, but Vitani was surprisingly calm, and Kion was trying not to laugh.
"You're not the first one to discover the roar after messing around with your friends where you shouldn't be, and you won't be the last." Kion tells his son. Mkali looks at his father with a shocked expression. "I know you have questions, but go on and get you, and your team moved into the lair."
Mkali nods and gets his team to move into the lair.
"Dibs!" Koda shouts when he sees the biggest bed.
Kasi runs past Koda and jumps onto the bed. "Too slow!" Kasi laughs.
"Hey! Get off! I called dibs!" Koda shouts.
"Make me!" Kasi teases.
"I'll make you!" Misuli shouts and jumps on the bed and tries to push Kasi off of it. Koda joins the dog pile.
"Should I stop this?" Mkali asks Kushona as he enjoys the chaos.
"At some point." Kushona responds.
Mkali sees a punch get thrown, and he yells, "HEY! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mkali yells. Everyone freezes, then jumps off the bed and stands in front of Mkali like 5 years old, which ruined a cave painting. "None of us are going to use this bed." Mkali tells them.
"Why's that?" Kushona asks.
"I doubt any of you want to sleep on the same bed that my sister and I were birthed on."
Koda, Kasi, and Misuli all look at it, make a gross face, and then back away from it slowly.
"I don't even know why you guys are fighting over it. You're the prince for crying out loud Koda, just ask Kovu and Kiara if we can all get beds like this, minus the history." Mkali tells his crew. Like Mkali thought, Koda could arrange for everyone to have a big bed. They all gather by the pool with drinks in their hand.
"Cheers to us! The new Lion Guard!" Koda says to the team.
"Cheers!" Everyone says.
Koda sits down by his cousin. "You gonna do this just like your dad?"
Mkali shakes his head. "I'm not my dad. This isn't my dad's team. I'm going to do this my way, and we'll make our own legacy."
Koda nods his head and has an impressed expression on his face. "Those are wise words that I'll drink to." Koda raises his glass. Mkali taps Koda's glass with his own. Koda then yawns.
"You guys can go get some sleep. I have a feeling this isn't the last time we're going to see that hyena." Mkali tells his team.
"Are you sure you're only 14?" Koda asks his cousin, half joking half serious. Mkali pats his cousin on the back.
"Get some sleep." Mkali says to his cousin again. Mkali gets into his bed after he sees everyone else do so. He looks up to the stars. "Thank you, elder lions, for granting me this opportunity." He then proceeds to go to sleep.