You Better Know What You're Fighting For

Chapter Three - Time To Take A Shot

Kion padded after Bunga silently, whiskers quivering as he listened to the honey badger ramble on and on about different subjects, the current one being his favorite grubs. The golden cub could easily say he matched his best friend's energy right then. Though he'd stayed up late through the night, he took the time to think over a few things. He'd decided he may as well tell his family everything. After all, even though he didn't want them dragged into the war, they had a right to know and prepare themselves. Kion himself didn't know if there was a chance they could be attacked in their home, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. He'd managed to fall asleep after the decision was made, and while the rest hadn't been very long, it was enough to give him just the right amount of energy for the morning patrol.

"Kion?"

"Mm?" Kion snapped back to attention immediately, amber gaze flickering down to his best friend. Bunga gave his usual cheeky grin, teal eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You're not paying attention to me." The honey badger teased lightly, poking the cub's nose briefly before falling into step with him once more. "What's up?"

"The sky." Kion retorted, lightly hitting the honey badger over the head with his tail. Bunga laughed, shaking his head, all thoughts of Kion zoning out seeming to disappear immediately. "Seems peaceful here." The golden cub went on, glancing around the fields and giving a grin.

"Yeah," Bunga smirked, crossing his arms. "Nobody's in trouble, Janja's not attacking... Hey, you think maybe we could have a day off?" He asked hopefully, looking up at Kion.

"That depends on if the others haven't found anything wrong." Kion teased, changing direction to head off to the location the Guard had agreed to meet up at after patrol. "But, I mean, it seems relatively peaceful, so I think there's a pretty good chance."

"Thank Mufasa," Bunga laughed, dropping down onto all fours in order to bound after the cub, rising up again once he was at his side. "Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I need a vacation every once in a while." He lightly elbowed Kion's shoulder. "You got one!"

Kion chuckled slightly at Bunga's words, only seeming amused at the comment. "That wasn't exactly a vacation, Bunga."

"No?" Bunga frowned slightly as he considered that, but it turned into a smile again almost instantly, looking curious. "Well, what was it, then? What's the big secret you refuse to tell everyone?"

Kion paused, glancing over at Bunga, who was staring back at him eagerly. He'd planned to explain it all to his family first, but the subject had come up rather unexpectedly. He knew he could get Bunga to drop it, for now at least, but he had promised himself he would give them an explanation. After a moment, the golden cub shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. "Actually, I was thinking about that." He admitted, turning his gaze ahead briefly. "I guess it's time to spill, huh?"

"Well, you don't have to," Bunga replied easily, giving his best friend a warm smile. "But I mean, it'd be nice to know."

Kion nodded a little bit, clicking his teeth together thoughtfully. "You know you're my best friend, Bunga."

"Of course, I know."

"I was going to tell you. You, the Guard, my mom and dad, Kiara, Kila, Kopa..." Kion trailed off for a moment. "I just - I don't know how, you know? It's kind of hard to explain. And besides that, I don't want to drag you guys into it all."

Bunga now looked confused, all traces of a smile gone as he fought to understand. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Kion took a deep breath, raising his gaze to the sky briefly before glancing at his best friend. "It's nothing you're used to. Nothing any of you are used to, and I wanted to keep it that way. But something big is coming, Bunga. And as much as I'd hate for you to be in the middle of it, it's better to.... Be prepared. That said," he allowed his eyes to soften, a small smile appearing. "I'm going to tell all of you, alright? Together. So, can explanations wait a little bit longer?"