Never Judge a Hyena by Its Spots

*'Words appearing like this indicate thoughts.'

*"Words appearing like this indicate Jasiri's vocals"

*"Words appearing like this indicate Kion's vocals."

*"Words appearing like this indicate Jasiri/Kion vocals."

It had been about a month since the new Lion Guard was brought together under the Prince of the Pride Lands. With each passing day, the team became closer and stronger. To them, it became their new normal every day routine. Today was no different...

Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu were up to their old antics, this time chasing a herd of Oryxs through the plains. "Hyenas!" came the voice of the lion cub they knew all to well. Once the dust from the Oryx stampeded settled, it revealed the Lion Guard blocking the hyenas' path. The trio skidded to a halt with a yelp. "I thought I told you to stay out of the Pride Lands!" Kion reminded in a stern voice.

"Did ya now?" Janja questioned. "My stomach keeps forgettin'."

"His stomach forgets." laughed Chungu. "That's a good one."

"Go!" shouted the young lion.

The hyenas took in Kion's stance, which usually what followed was his Roar. The trio turn-tail and ran away. "That cub's got no sense of humor." Cheezi chuckled to his two companions.

Kion looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Nyota's, "Nya take the rest of the Lion Guard and calm the herd." he ordered, "I'll take care of these guys." he ran after the three hyenas.

Nyota gave a nod and looked at the rest of the Guard, "You heard him!" She turned and ran after the Oryx herd, "Hebu Nuruke!". The rest of the Guard followed the lioness after the herd. "Fuli, go around to the other side, make sure they don't veer off!"

"You got it!" replied the cheetah, "Huwezi!" She sped off around the other side of the Oryxs.

"Ono, fly up to the front and tell them to slow down!" Nyota called up to the egret, who gave a nod and flew off. The lioness looked back behind her, "Beshte and Bunga, start calming down the ones in the middle and rear!"

"Got it, Nya!" Bunga gave a nod and jumped on Beshte's back.

Nyota ran up to the front, talking in a soft, soothing voice so as not to spook the large bovids.

After a while, the Guard's plan appeared to have worked as the herd began to slow until it eventually stopped. "That's right. Easy there." Beshte spoke as the herd came to a halt, with the Lion Guard standing before them. "You're all okay now."

"Yeah!" agreed Bunga. "Kion's chased those hyenas back into the Outlands."

"He should be back by now." Nyota muttered, looking around. Her eyes then went up, "Ono, check on Kion."

"Affirmative!" Ono nodded, flying off in the direction Kion went. He scoured below, and spotted a mass of gold and red clinging to part of a log that was floating down the river. "Hapana!" Ono gasped, turning around to warn the others. "Everyone, everyone!" called the egret, "Kion's in trouble! Come on!"

The rest of the Guard wasted no time and ran towards the riverbank. They soon caught sight of Kion and tried to keep pace, but the current was too fast.

"Hang on, Kion, we're coming!" Bunga called, jumping into the river.

"Little B, don't!" Beshte warned, a second before the badger dove in. "The current's too strong!" He dove in after the honey badger.

"It's too fast for me to keep up." Fuli noted, running beside Nyota.

"Ono, keep pace with Kion!" Nyota called up to the keenest of sight, who gave a nod and flew ahead.

Beshte resurfaced, clutching some of Bunga's white fur in his mouth. Bunga coughed up some water he had swallowed, "Thanks, Big B." he panted, the two back on solid ground.

Ono flew down towards Kion, hovering just above him, "Hang in there, Kion. The others are right behind us." he informed. Ono looked ahead and noticed some obstacles, "Kion, look out! Rocks!" he warned, "Straight ahead!"

Kion's eyes widened and he gripped tighter onto the log. The current became rougher and the log shattered upon impact with a rock, submerging the lion cub for a short period. Kion resurfaced and swam for the nearest shore, coughing and panting. He managed to pull himself out of the water and collapsed with a sigh.

"Kion!" Nyota called from the opposite shore. "Are you all right?"

"A little wet." Kion replied, coughing up more water. "But I'm okay."

Ono landed in front of Kion, "But Kion, look." he pointed out, "You're over here. In the Outlands."

"I can see that, Ono." Kion agreed, spotting a trail nearby, "And it looks like I can take that trail upriver. Don't worry, Ono. I'll be fine. Besides, I don't have much of a choice." he looked back at the rushing river, "I definitely can't cross the river here. The water's way too rough." Kion glanced back at the trail, an idea coming to mind. "Nyota, remember that one place where we used play alot when we were little? Near the border?" he asked the lioness on the opposite shore.

Nyota nodded, "Yeah. Flat Ridge Rock, right?"

"Take the others and meet me there!" Kion called, "I can get back into the Pride Lands from there!"

"Okay!" Nyota called back, "Although I don't know how to get there from here." she muttered under her breath.

"Flat Ridge Rock?" Fuli repeated with a quirked brow.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I know exactly where that is!" Bunga exclaimed, "Follow me!" The honey badger took off.

"See ya there, Kion!" Beshte said before following Fuli and Bunga.

"Be careful!" Nyota took one last look at Kion before following the others, her ears lowered to the sides of her head.

Kion nodded back to the lioness, before facing the egret standing in front of him, "Ono, better go with them." he advised. "Make sure Bunga really does know where Flat Ridge Rock is."

"Affirmative!" Ono saluted, before flying off to the rest of the Guard, "Guys, wait up!" Kion shook out his fur, drying off before climbing the trail that headed upriver. What the young Prince didn't realize was that a figure in the shadows was following him.

Bunga led the rest of the Lion Guard through the forest. "C'mon! C'mon!" he urged. "We don't want Kion waitin' up at Flat Ridge Rock, wondering where we are." He stopped suddnely, looking around.

"What's wrong, Little B?" Beshte questioned.

"Uh, nothing." the badger defended, albeit not very sure of himself.

"Bunga." Fuli said, her brow quirked, "Are you sure you know how to get to Flat Ridge Rock?"

"Pfft! Of course, I know. It's this way!" Bunga directed them to another path, that led to a dead end. "Wait, no, no, no, no. It's this way!" he backtracked and turned down another path, only for it to be blocked by Ushari the Cobra. He hissed a warning, making the group turn down another path. "Well, it's one of these ways." Bunga chuckled dryly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Too bad Kion's not here to lead us." Beshte noted.

"Do you even know where we are?" Ono asked Bunga.

"Sure!" the honey badger quickly answered. "Uh...We're lost."

Everyone sighed heavily. Nyota looked up at the sky, 'I sure hope Kion's alright.' she thought, her ears laying flat against her head.

Meanwhile in the Outlands...

Kion continued down the trail, his eyes constantly surveying the area around him. Small pebbles fell from above, alerting the young Prince to the presence of something following him. "Hello!" called a bright, feminine voice. Kion jumped around to face the direction said voice was coming from. "Surprise!" the voice giggled.

Out of the shadows stepped a female hyena, fairly small with slim spots. Her was gray, bearing a slight purplish tint, and her underbelly a dull pinkish-orange. Her lower legs and paws are were very dark shade of purple, and her tail was short and bicolored; the same as her fur and underbelly. She had large, deep blue, borderline purple eyes, encircled by darker fur, and a long, dark purple mane that was striped with brighter purple. She laughed at the wide-eyed cub below her, "Didn't know I was up here. Did ya?"

"No, I...I knew you were there the whole time..." Kion stammered, "Hyena." His amber-brown eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth.

"Yep, I'm a hyena all right." she giggled. "You lions are so clever." she laughed and rolled her eyes. "Especially you, Kion. Leader of the Lion Guard."

"You know me?" Kion questioned, a bit surprised.

"Just by reputation." the hyena clarified. "The mark on your shoulder's a giveaway, though."

"So, you're not in Janja's clan?" Kion kept on the offensive, his brow raised slightly.

"Janja? Yeah, that's a good one." the hyena rolled her eyes, jumping down from the rock ledge. Now she was standing opposite the Prince. "What are you doing in the Outlands? Not exactly your territory."

"I'm going to Flat Ridge Rock,so I can get back to the Pride Lands." Kion informed, "If that's okay with you, hyena."

"The name's Jasiri." she corrected, "And if you are headed back to the Pride Lands, you're going the wrong way."

"Uh-huh." Kion nodded his head, "And I should trust a hyena because..."

"Because I want you out of my territory." Jasiri finished.

"Good." Kion scoffed, "I want out of your territory." he turned and continued down the path.

"Then you're going the wrong way!" Jasiri called, following after him.

Back in the Pride Lands...

"Thanks for getting us outta the woods, Ono." Nyota thanked the egret as they exited the forest.

"No problem." replied the bird, who landed in front of the lioness. "But I don't know which way to go from here. I've never been to Flat Ridge Rock."

"Neither have I." Beshte voiced.

"Me neither." Fuli echoed.

"Well, it's probably around here somewhere." Bunga scratched his head, looking around.

"All I see are grass, trees and zebras." Beshte stated.

"Nyota, you know where Flat Ridge Rock is, right?" Ono asked, flying in front of the lioness' face before perching himself on her shoulder. "Kion said you two played there."

"Yeah. We did." Nyota confirmed. "But, it has been a while. And we were way younger back then." she sighed as she looked around. "If I can just spot something familiar to jog my memory, I can get us there. But, nothing looks familiar."

"Ugh! I can't believe we don't know where to go!" Fuli exclaimed. "We're the Lion Guard!"

"Easy, Fuli." the hippo said calmly, "We just need to ask somebody for directions."

"Hello, Lion Guard." greeted Thurston, the leader of the nearby zebra herd, trotting up to the five animals. "I couldn't help but overhear. You need directions?"

"Yeah, we do!" Bunga answered "Do you know where Flat Ridge Rock is?"

"Flat Ridge Rock?" repeated the zebra. "Oh! Is that near Ukuni Woods? Or Big Springs?"

"We don't know where it is." Fuli deadpanned. "That's why we're asking you!"

"I see." the zebra mused, "Well, that's too bad. I'm not sure where it is." his statement earned a narrowed-eye glare from the two felines of the Guard. "Now, where was I going?"

"Back to your herd?" the lioness said stoically, with a deadpanned expression matching the cheetah's.

"Oh yes, of course!" Thurston agreed, trotting off back to his herd.

"Zebras." Ono sighed, shaking his head. "They never know where they're going."

"And we still don't know where to go." Nyota closed her eyes and let out a breath.

"Hey! We could ask Mbeya the Rhino!" Beshte suggested. "He knows the Pride Lands like the back of his horn."

"Great. Any idea where we can find Mbeya?" Fuli asked.

"This time of day, Mbeya usually hangs out at the Watering Hole." answered the strongest of the Guard.

"Watering Hole, here we come!" Bunga cheered, heading off. Fuli ran and caught Bunga by his scruff, halting him.

"Ono, you lead this time." Nyota told the bird perched on her shoulder.

"Affirmative!" the keenest of sight took to the sky, "Follow me!"

Nyota smiled and followed Ono, with Beshte and Fuli close behind. Bunga instead went in the direction he was previously going. "This way, Bunga." Fuli beckoned the badger.

The bravest member chuckled dryly, "I was taking a shortcut." he defended.

"You and your shortcuts Bunga." the wisest rolled her eyes. "The last time you led us on a shortcut, Kion and I ended up trapped in Maumuivu Thorn Patch for hours."

In the Outlands...

Kion continued up the trail towards Flat Ridge Rock, and Jasiri the hyena continued to follow him, much to his annoyance. "Still following me?" he questioned, glaring at the female hyena.

"You're still ignoring my advice." Jasiri noted.

"About going the wrong way?" the Prince scoffed, "I'm pretty sure I'm heading towards Flat Ridge Rock." Kion jumped from rock to rock, going up the cliffside.

"Maybe so." agreed Jasiri, "But you can't get there on this trail." She calmly walked up the trail.

"Oh, yeah?" Kion grunted, pulling himself up. "Why's that?"

Jasiri jumped up and landed on the rock beside him, "The trail ends. Here!"

Kion gave her a questioning look before loosing his footing and fell over the side. He landed on his back in a thorn bush. Jasiri cackled as she carefully slid down the cliff, landing on the roack near the bush, her fangs bared. "Heyvi kabisa!" gasped the Prince.

In the Pride Lands...

Beshte stood in the middle of the Watering Hole, conversing with the large rhino. Fuli, Bunga, Nyota, and Ono sat on the shore, waiting. Fuli tapped her tail on the ground impatiently, "How long can it possibly take to ask for directions to Flat Ridge Rock?" she asked through gritted teeth. "They've been talking forever!"

"Beshte does like to talk." Bunga reminded.

Ono nodded in agreement, "Yes. But perhaps I'd better go talk to him." He flew off towards Beshte and Mbeya, hovering between the two. "Sorry to interrupt." he apologized, "But Beshte, we have to meet Kion. At Flat Ridge Rock."

"Oh yeah!" Beshte remembered. "Guess I better be going. See you later, Mbeya."

"Later, Beshte." replied the older rhino.

Beshte and Ono joined their friends at the shore, "So? What did he say?" Fuli pressed.

"You won't believe it." Beshte chuckled. "Remember that heatwave we had yesterday?"

"Yeah, I remember. It was hot." Fuli replied, her words running together. "Now what did Mbeya say?"

"He forgot to cover himself in mud!" Beshte laughed.

"Why would Mbeya want to cover himself in mud?" Bunga questioned.

"That's how rhinos avoid sunburn." Nyota answered.

"Common knowledge, really." added Ono, who perched himself on the lioness' shoulder.

Fuli let out an impatient sigh. "I meant, what did Mbeya say about the directions?"

"Fuli, you don't need directions to cover yourself in mud." Beshte informed, between laughs. "Just find a nice mud puddle and roll in it."

The cheetah rolled her eyes and grit her teeth, "Not directions for mud bathing!" she bit down the words, her eyebrow twitching, "Directions for getting to Flat Ridge Rock!"

"Oh, yeah! The directions to Flat Ridge Rock!" Beshte thought for a moment, "I forgot to ask." he admitted.

Everyone sighed heavily. "Yeah. Kion would never forget something like that." Bunga sighed.

Nyota got to her feet, "There's got to be someone here who knows how to get to Flat Ridge Rock." she looked around and her ears perked up. Not too far from where the Guard stood, was an older male cub with copper fur and a rust-red mane. "That's it!" She ran towards him, the sudden movement causing Ono to fall off her shoulder, and called out his name, "Shaba!"

The male lion in question looked up and saw his surrogate sister coming towards him. "Oh, hey Nya." he greeted. "What's up?"

Nyota stopped in front of her brother, "I need your help." she admitted.

Back in the Outlands...

Kion struggled, trying to free himself, but with no luck. He braced himself for an attack from the female predator, but when nothing happened, he opened his eyes seeing that she was instead helping him by biting away some of the branches. "Hey, what are you doing?" the Prince questioned.

"Getting you out of this thorn bush." Jasiri replied dryly. "If you'd just hold still!" She bit down on another branch and pulled it away, spitting it out on the ground.

"Why would you help me?" he raised a brow, "You're a hyena."

"You lions really do think all hyenas are bad." Jasiri sighed.

"All the ones I've met are." Kion defended.

"Like Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu?" Jasiri rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously, I'm not like them." she yanked off another branch. "For one thing, they're males, which means they're foolish." she chuckled. Kion gave her a look that spoke between 'really' and 'seriously'. "No offense." Jasiri smiled.

"Not all males are foolish." Kion noted.

Jasiri smirked, "Says the male lion flat on his back, stuck in a bush." she laughed, earning a half-smile from the lion cub.

Meanwhile in the Pride Lands...

Shaba led the rest of the Lion Guard towards Flat Ridge Rock. The path took them through a dense forest near a stream. "So what exactly happened that caused you guys to split up?" Shaba asked.

"Kion chased after Janja, Chungu, and Cheezi while the rest of us tried to calm the Oryx herd." Nyota informed. "Apparently, the tree bridge over the river collapsed and Kion fell in. The river swept him away and he climbed ashore in the Outlands." her ears fell flat against her head as she wondered how her best friend was faring all alone.

"C'mon Nya, I'm sure Kion's fine." Bunga assured, patting the lioness' side.

"The honey badger has a point." Shaba agreed, nuzzling his sister's head.

"Yeah, I know." Nyota sighed. "I still worry though." She shook the negative thoughts from her mind, glancing back at the young egret on the hippo's back. "Ono, can you fly ahead and see if you can spot Flat Ridge Rock?"

"Sure thing." Ono flew off ahead of the rest. Shaba glanced down at the young lioness beside him, his eyebrow raised slightly. He knew she was close with the Prince, and this had to be the longest they were apart.

"Everyone!" Ono alerted, getting their attention. "There's a ridge up ahead with a flat rock on top of it! It's gotta be Flat Ridge Rock!"

"Zuka Zama!" Bunga cheered. "Kion, here we come!" He jumped up and landed in a mud puddle, splashing Fuli in the process.

The cheetah rolled her eyes and shook out her fur, "This time, I'll lead the way." she volunteered, "Comin' through." she sped past the rest of the group.

Everyone exchanged a glance, "Fuli, slow down!" Bunga called after the cheetah. "How can you lead us when we can't keep up?" They all took off after the fastest member.

Fuli, obviously, beat the rest of the group to their destination. When the others finally caught up to her, they were out of breath.

"Hi, guys." Fuli greeted after she finished cleaning her paw. "What kept you? I even had time to clean up."

Shaba collapsed on his stomach, catching his breath, "I hate cheetahs." he mumbled.

"Fuli." Nyota addressed the other female feline, "Kion wouldn't get so far ahead that the rest of us would have trouble keeping up."

Fuli blinked, "Oh. Sorry." she apologized.

Bunga leaned against the large stone, "Wait! This is Flat Ridge Rock?" he questioned, looking around.

"Well, this rock is pretty flat. And it's on a ridge." Ono observed, perching himself on the stone.

"Oh, yeah, yeah! I know this place!" the badger grinned, "I've been here hundreds of times! You know, there's a great shortcut we could have used!"

The rest of the guard shot him a glare, "Bunga!"

"What?" he questioned.

Nyota rolled her eyes and sniffed the air, "Looks like we beat Kion here." she noted, "His scent's not anywhere nearby." She nudged a small rock away from the base, revealing a painting of two young cubs in the midst of wrestling. One cub was painted in creamy colors while the other was painted in gold, with a small splotch of red on his head and end of his tail.

"Is that supposed to be you and Kion?" Beshte asked, looking at the painting from behind Nyota.

The wisest nodded, "Yeah. Papa Rafiki painted it." She moved the smaller rock back in place before jumping onto the flat surface, looking over the Outlands. 'Please be alright, Kion.'

In the Outlands...

After helping him from the thorn bush, Kion began to think that maybe Jasiri wasn't all bad. She offered to lead him to Flat Ridge Rock, since she felt guilty that he injured himself from the fall over the cliffside. The pair walked down the path, seeing a chameleon eat a fly. "That's the Circle of Life for you." Kion glanced at Jasiri.

"Wait. You think I don't know about the Circle of Life?" the female hyena remarked, sounding offended.

"Well, you are a hyena." noted the Prince.

Jasiri glowered down at the Prince, "Look. I know Janja's clan is greedy and eats more than their share." she stated, "But most hyenas respect the Circle of Life! We're the clean-up crews- picking up after all the sloppy eaters." she walked ahead before turning back to face Kion. "We hyenas eat what you lions leave behind."

Kion pondered that for a moment, "I guess I never really thought about it like that." he admitted.

Jasiri just laughed, "Of course not. You think hyenas and lions are so different. But we're not!" she sat on a rock, looking down at the cub. "We're more similar than you think, Kion. Sisi ni sawa."

"You're saying we're the same?" Kion raised a brow, "No, I don't think so."

"You think that life is one big game

You joke, you laugh, you take no blame

I'm telling you, there's just no way that we're the same."

Kion walked around the small stone the hyena perched on, his brow raised and eyes slightly narrowed.

"You've got to look past what you see

Try not to judge so easily

Believe it or not, you're a lot like me

Say, believe it or not, you're a lot like me!

Sisi ni sawa means we're the same."

Jasiri sang with a smile, jumping around the young lion cub.

"I hear what you're saying, but you need to explain."

"At the end of the day it's like water and rain

Sisi ni sawa

We are the same!"

Jasiri looked over her reflection in a small pool of water, while Kion did the same with a raised brow. He glanced over at the hyena, who did a small dance by moving her feet quickly.

"Maybe I laugh, maybe you purr

But take a look under the fur

Deep in our heart is what matters for sure!

'Cause we both know a higher call

Like every creature big and small

The Circle of Life should be what's guiding us all!

The Circle of Life will guide us all!"

The duo continued through the Outlands, beginning to understand that they weren't all that different.

"Sisi ni sawa means we're the same."

"Though you've got your spots

and I have a mane!"

"At the end of the day, it's like water and rain

Sisi ni sawa

We are the same."

"Sisi ni sawa

We are the same."

This time Kion joined Jasiri in her quick-footed dance step.

"Never thought that we'd see eye to eye!"

"I can't imagine why

It's very easy if you try!"

"Still to me they're brand new thoughts

Not to judge hyenas by their spots!"

"Sisi ni sawa!"

Kion and Jasiri continued through the Outlands, coming across a steep sloap. They slid down one after the other and stopped in front of another puddle, looking at their reflections.

"Sisi ni sawa means we're the same."

"Forget about the past when there's nothing to gain."

"At the end of the day, it's like water and rain

Sisi ni sawa

We are the same.

Sisi na sawa means we're the same

Forget about the past when there's nothing to gain.

At the end of the day, it's like water and rain

Sisi ni sawa

We are the same.

Sisi ni sawa

We are the same."

"Sisi ni sawa

We are the same."

Jasiri sniffed the air. "We're in Janja's territory." she alerted the Lion Guard leader. "And, believe it or not, we don't get along!" She let out a laugh, before turning back towards the ridge behind her, "Flat Ridge Rock is right over there. You're almost home."

"Asante, Jasiri." Kion thanked, standing beside her. "Thanks for your help." He jumped onto one of the large boulders, before turning back to her, "If you ever need my help-"

"Help? From a lion?" she laughed again, "That's a good one!" On that note, she turned and padded off, back to her own territory.

As Kion climbed up the side of the ridge, he faintly heard Jasiri's voice say, "These all the hyenas you got, Janja?" Shortly followed by growls from numerous male hyenas.

Jasiri fared well against the hyenas, fighting off a few at a time. Janja managed to get the drop on her and pin her to the ground. "Enough playing around." he snarled. A shadow came over him and he looked up. only to be knocked back by Kion.

"What are you doing here?" Jasiri asked, getting back up on her feet.

"I'm here to help." Kion answered with a friendly smile.

"If you say so." Jasiri returned the smile. "But I got 'em right where I want 'em." She kicked up some dirt and blew it towards two of Janja's hyenas coming towards her. The dust provided some cover for her to knock them out, causing them to yelp in pain.

"Yeah, I can tell." Kion agreed, swatting at one hyena that got in his face. He knocked a few more out of the way, not seeing the one sneaking up behind him.

"Kion! Behind you!" Jasiri warned, tackling the hyena to the ground.

"Nice move, Jasiri." Kion praised. He saw one of the hyenas get back up and charge for the lone female, but Kion pushed her out of the way and headbutted him. The hyena went down, while the Prince just shook it off.

"You're not so bad yourself." Jasiri complemented. "For a lion."

The hyenas got back to their feet and advanced on the pair snarling. Both Jasiri's and Kion's ears fell flat behind their heads. "Looks like we're cornered." Kion noted as the hyenas continued to advance, laughing hysterically. The Prince only saw one way out, "Jasiri, get behind me! Now!" he ordered, holding his paw out to block her.

"Why?" Jasiri questioned, sparing a glance at the lion cub.

Kion met her glance with a hard stare, "Trust me."

After a minute, Jasiri caved, "Can't believe I'm trusting a lion." she sighed with a roll of her eyes.

Janja stood at the head of his pack, grinning, "Don't know why you're in the Outlands helpin' a hyena, Kion, but it's the last thing you're gonna do." he laughed, "Get 'em, boys!"

As they advanced on the two a strong wind whooshed around them...

Up on Flat Ridge Rock, Nyota felt the wind whoosh through her fur. She jumped to her feet, tilting her head up towards the sky, noticing a large cloud over a wide canyon not too far from them.

"What's the kerbubble Nyota?" Beshte asked, noticing how still the lioness was standing.

Just then a loud roar echoed through the gorge below, and everyone perked up.

"Zuka Zama!" Bunga gasped.

"Was that-" Fuli began to say.

"Kion!" Nyota exclaimed, already leaping down the rocks below.

"Wait for us Nya!" Bunga called after her, following suit. Shaba kept pace with Bunga, while the rest of the Lion Guard followed close behind.

Nyota jumped onto a large boulder, spotting the familiar golden fur of her best friend. She sighed in relief that he was okay and jumped down to the gorge floor. "Kion!" she called, rushing over to him. She stopped suddenly when she noticed a hyena beside him, and hunched into a defensive position, a growl escaping her muzzle as her eyes narrowed.

Seeing the growling lioness, Jasiri instantly went on the defensive as well, baring her fangs and letting out a growl of her own.

"Back off, hyena!" Nyota snarled, charging forward.

"Whoa!" Kion exclaimed, jumping between the two females. "Easy Nyota." He stopped the lioness with a headbutt, knocking her back on her rear end.

"Ow." whimpered said lioness, rubbing her head. "What was that for?" She got to her feet and shook herself off.

"She's a friend." Kion explained, motioning to Jasiri.

"She is?" Nyota questioned, quirking her brow.

"I am?" Jasiri repeated, her expression mirroring the lioness'.

"Definitely." Kion clarified.

Bunga ran up to the three, "But she's a hyena." he pointed out.

"I know. But not all hyenas are like Janja." the Prince explained. "Some of them are good. She's one of them."

"Really?" Fuli asked.

"She got me through the Outlands." Kion further explained.

"And he saved me from Janja and his clan." Jasiri added, stepping up beside Kion. "It could've been the end of me if he hadn't shown up when he did."

"Well, any friend of Kion is a friend of ours." Beshte stated. Perched on his back was Ono, who nodded in agreement.

Kion chuckled, "You should have seen her take on Cheezi and Chungu. She was fierce."

Fuli cracked a smile, "I like her already."

Nyota looked from Kion to Jasiri, "You really helped him?" she asked, still not completely convinced.

Kion bumped his shoulder to Nyota's, "If it wasn't for her, I'd still be stuck in a thorn bush." he chuckled, glancing from the female hyena to his lioness best friend.

"Flat on his back I might add." Jasiri laughed.

Nyota chuckled at the thought, stepping forward. She met Kion's eyes, which showed truth to the hyena's statement. "Then I guess-" Nyota met Jasiri's eyes, "Asante. Thanks for helping my friend."

Jasiri smiled at the lioness, "Of course."

Jasiri walked with the Lion Guard back to the border between the Outlands and the Pride Lands. "Well, I better get back to my territory." she said. Shaba and the rest of the Guard were ahead, leaving only Nyota and Kion with Jasiri, "I'm sure your roar doesn't scare off Janja forever."

Nyota chuckled, "If only!" she nudged her best friend.

"Bye, Kion. It's been fun." Jasiri smiled, "Nice meeting you, Nyota."

"You too Jasiri." Nyota replied with a smile. "Thanks again for helping him." She rubbed her cheek against Kion's shoulder. In turn, he laid his chin on her forehead.

Jasiri smiled at the sight, thinking to herself that there was something more between the two young lions. "Bye you too. I'll see you around." She giggled, jumping back down into the gorge.

"Maybe it's good we have a friend like her out there." Nyota commented, her and Kion watching Jasiri until she disappeared from their sight.

"Yeah, maybe." Kion agreed, him and Nyota jumping down onto the grass. The two caught up with the rest of the Guard and walked side-by-side.

A/N: Yay! The first chapter of Little Star and the Lion Guard Adventures! I hope you guys enjoy this series as much as The Roar's Return. Again, I only own my original characters Nyota and Shaba. Reviews are appreciated. If ya'll have any questions or comments, leave them in a review and I'll answer back. Thanks, and Happy 4th of July!

XOXO~Cyber