Akito and the Lion Guard

chapter 10

Back at Pride Rock, Rafiki came and gathered Simba and Nala after Kion's roar was the talk of the Pridelands.

"That was Kion's roar?" Nala asked.

"Yes, Nala, yes!" Rafiki laughed. "He is ready! It is time!"

"Eh, no, Rafiki," Simba disagreed after a forced chuckle. "He can't possibly be ready. He's still a cub."

"You heard him, Simba." Rafiki said.

"What's going on?" Cherry came with Forte, Atticus, and Mo.

"Rafiki thinks it's time for Kion." Nala replied.

"Time for what?" Mo asked.

"Did you all hear the Roar?" Rafiki prompted before answering their questions.

"Yeah, who was that?" Forte asked. "It sounded as powerful as Mufasa's roar, but that seems impossible."

"That Roar is very important in lion culture." Rafiki smiled.

"Wait, do you mean that roar was that special roar you told us about?" Atticus asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is." Rafiki nodded.

"It's just... It's a big responsibility. I need more time to prepare him." Simba sounded uneasy about Kion's destiny.

"I think you've just run out of time, Simba," Nala replied. "You need to tell him."

"She's right, Simba." Atticus said.

"But, guys..." Simba still wasn't so sure.

"Listen to Rafiki, Simba..." Cherry advised.

"Kion is ready," Rafiki repeated with emphasis. "It is time."

"Time for what?" Kion asked as he, Bunga, and the others came back to Pride Rock. "Dad? Rafiki? Aunt Cherry, Aunt Mo, Uncle Atticus, Uncle Forte, what's going on?"

Mo began to urge Simba to tell Kion that it was time. Rafiki even nudged the adult male lion.

Simba glanced at them, but then looked back to his youngest cub. "Son, we need to talk..."

Kion backed up and shook his head. "Oh, no Dad, we already had that talk," he replied, misunderstanding the situation. "'Can you feel the love tonight'...? I know all about that mushy stuff!"

"Um, that's not what your father wants to talk to you about, Kion." Atticus said.

"Erm... Yeah..." Simba said after a small laugh at his son's overreaction.

"No, no, most definitely not that,"Rafiki added in. "We have heard your Roar! Yes, yes!"

"Yeah, it was, it was, uh, different today." Kion replied.

"Yeah, it was really loud." Akito smiled.

"I almost felt an earthquake." Felicity commented.

"I haven't heard a strong roar from a lion, usually tigers have stronger roars than lions do." Vincent added in.

"Different?" Rafiki questioned. "Different, you say?" he then chuckled. "It is more than different. It is the Roar of the Elders! When you use it, the Great Lions of the Pridelands' past roar with you."

"Roar of the Elders?" Estelle asked.

"What?" Kion added, also very confused, despite being born a lion.

"Are you saying that is what happened to his roar?" Felicity asked.

"Yeah, lions in the sky!" Bunga spoke up. "I saw that!"