AN: I know that some fans of the Lion King franchise, perhaps most, don't like The Lion Guard show. And I don't blame you. The show is fundamentally flawed on many different levels.

Still, I wouldn't go as far as some, and say that it's not canon just because I don't like it. Controversial opinion, I get it. Still, the show's purpose is to fill in the gap between both movies, and though it does so badly, it finally manages to achieve that goal in the third season (and let's not forget that there have always been inconsistencies even between TLK 1 and 2, as well!).

With regard to that, this story, unlike my previous ones, is based on the movies and the show alone, ignoring the books (which do not align with what was presented in TLG). But there's a twist- what if this storyline was actually good? My idea is, let's ignore whatever's bad about TLG, throw in a little spice, and see what happens.

So how do I do this? Well, first off, by moving on to the time period after the events of the second movie. The Lion Guard has been disbanded, but its members, as long as they're still around, are already adults. So none of that infantilism which is so glaring in the show. Our main protagonist will be, for the most part, Kovu, who is among my favorite TLK characters. But Kion will show up soon, too.

To be honest, I didn't even watch 'The Lion Guard' in its totality. It's just too cringy. But I did research it for the lore, and to that I'll try to stick. There are some interesting threads which were introduced, after all. With that said, let's fire away.

Chapter 1 – The Return of Kion

Simba had vanished.

After Zira's death, and after the Outlanders were allowed to return to Pride Rock, Mufasa's son played a crucial role in maintaining peace within the kingdom. It was him who mediated between the two parts of the reunited pride, eventually helping them learn how to coexist in spite of their many differences. It was him who guided and instructed the new Lion Guard in the law of his land, effectively contributing to its many successes under the leadership of the sometimes impulsive young lioness Vitani. It was him who, by means of much sacrifice on his own behalf, granted limited hunting privileges to the hyenas from the Outlands in the times of the harshest drought, cementing an alliance between the two species who had once been mortal enemies.

He had become a spitting image of his father. A wise, noble ruler, a protector of the ancient laws, and a pillar of his family.

And now he was gone.

Every member of Vitani's Lion Guard, with their leader being the most fervent of them all, avowed themselves to finding the ruler to whom they had all sworn their allegiance not so long ago. For days, they worked tirelessly, scouring the land and interrogating everyone from the greatest elephant to the smallest shrew. All to no avail. There was no trace, no clue. Evening after evening, Vitani would return to Pride Rock along with her lionesses, empty handed. Her shame aroused her anger. And her anger began to show.

Hunts were almost suspended, as the whole pride volunteered to join the search. To everyone's even greater dismay, columns of smoke began to rise from the ancient volcano in the horizon, as an ominous sign of a tragedy. Yet the body of the king was never found, and as the old sage Rafiki reassured everyone, until that happened, there was still hope.

One lion on Pride Rock did not share the shaman's optimism, however. It was the young Kovu, who not a long time ago had thought that he had finally found peace. The nightmare of his hellish upbringing under Zira's ruthless regimen was cut short with his mother's death, and once he had settled in his new home along with Kiara, his beautiful mate, he was inclined to believe that all his dreams had come true. Not many days had passed before Kiara announced that she was pregnant.

But when Simba vanished, Kovu found himself burdened with the terrible grief of his mate, which he desperately wished he could spare her somehow in her delicate state. Furthermore, queen Nala, having fallen into a state of despair, also relied on his help, having become incapable of as much as leaving Pride Rock. After Kiara pleaded with him on behalf of her mother, her heart visibly broken, Kovu agreed to take both lionesses under his care as the others searched for the king. It was a test he had never thought he would have to undergo. A new pain, perhaps deeper than all those he had ever felt before, now invaded his heart. Nala had become the shadow of her old regal self. Kiara, once so happy in her expectation for the birth of their cubs, was now completely sapped of all joy. He could hardly recognize both of them. And he could do nothing about it.

That day, at the break of dawn, the pride gathered to experience yet another sad event. Timon and Pumbaa, Simba's oldest friends, bade farewell to the lions who had become like a family to them in a most unlikely way. With teary eyes, they announced that, until the king is found, they decided to relocate to their old home in the jungle. And though the pride understood their motives and promised they would send word to them as soon as Simba returned, as the meercat and warthog went on their way, many began to fear that they would probably never see them again. There was just no place for them among lions now that Simba was gone.

Disgruntled, the lionesses then resumed their daily routine, setting out into the savanna. Kovu, however, had other duties, and that was to provide his family with sustenance. Looking back at the sorrowful queen and his pregnant mate as they lay in the shade of their den apathetically, the lone male sat at the edge of the rock, gazing into the dancing hot air in the sun-scorched horizon.

Beside him sat Zazu, the missing king's majordomo, who had been surveying the Pridelands for days and felt just as miserable as everyone else. Yet, carrying out his duty, he still found enough hope in him to try to console the young lion.

Kovu felt the remiges of Zazu's wing on his shoulder, and lowered his sad eyes at him.

-Our predicament is dire… yet, we must not despair – said the bird, looking back at him with compassion.

Without a word, Kovu lifted himself from the ground, slowly walking toward the hunting grounds.

He was distracted and sloppy, much more than ever before. It took him some time before he was able to return to Pride Rock with even a meager catch. His mind was clouded by thoughts of failure and helplessness.

When he put Kiara's morsel before her, his mate forced a smile. And though he did the same in return, he still could not bring back the feeling of joy in himself. With concern, he observed how much weight his mate had lost… Not mentioning it, he lay down beside her as she ate.

Gazing at the small mound in Kiara's stomach, he failed to notice when she suspended her meal. The lioness fixed her concerned eyes at the heap of fur in the dark corner, and her heart was instantly seized with so much pain she could not take another bite.

-How is she? – Kiara asked with a broken voice.

Kovu redirected his eyes at her, realizing she spoke about her mother. He could feel her sorrow as if it were his own.

-She still won't eat… - the lion responded reluctantly. – She hardly even drinks anymore.

-Can you blame her? – his mate asked, surprising him.

Kovu hesitated for a while, realizing that Nala loved Simba just as much as he loved Kiara.

-No – he said.

Kiara then tried to convince him to finish her meal for her, but he responded that he wasn't hungry, and that perhaps Nala would want to eat something eventually. The two remained in one another's embrace, observing the setting sun.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere changed from one of mellow resignation to that of total alert. In the corner of his eye, Kovu saw that even Nala, the instinct of the old huntress still alive in her, lifted her head instantly and pricked up her ears when she heard the same sound as him.

It was a roar. A summoning call in the distance, one belonging to a lioness.

-Vitani – Nala gasped, unsure if she should be hopeful, or scared.

She and her mate shared a look of astonishment.

-Go. See what happened! – breathed the young lioness, and before she finished her sentence, Kovu was already up on his feet.

Yet there was someone who ran even faster than him. It was Nala, darting from her den as if in pursuit, she sprinted like the wind. And Kovu knew that what she chased was the bleak dream of a possibility that she could perhaps see her beloved Simba again. Not wasting any time, Kovu ran after the queen.

The two rejoined, and now moved side by side as they neared the Pridelands' eastern border. Though they did not exchange any words, their hearts were filled with the same uncertainty.

The lions halted at the foot of a hill, noticing a pack of lionesses standing on its top. It was Vitani along with the other members of her Guard. This could signify either a major discovery… or serious danger.

The lionesses were standing there as if observing someone closely, and it only took Kovu and Nala one gaze to know that they should join them as soon as possible. Running up the hill, they stood by the Lion Guard's leader, looking toward the same thing at which she and her companions were fixing their eyes intently.

The distant shape of a male lion.

-Who is that? – Kovu whispered, directing the question at his sister.

A slight grin arched the edge of Vitani's mouth.

-Take a closer look – she said.

Following her advice, Kovu strained his eyes, observing the image of the slowly approaching lion, distorted by the blazing sun… He saw his golden coat, a ruddy, almost ginger mane… Hope began to shyly appear within him, yet something was still wrong. Drawing air into his lungs, he did not feel the scent of king Simba. It was a different one, yet still oddly familiar.

All of a sudden, Nala broke the silence. Instead of waiting cautiously, what common sense seemed to dictate, she raced down the hill headlong, faster than even during a hunt.

-Follow the queen – Vitani gave the order, and the other lionesses obeyed before the startled Kovu knew what was going on.

Starting off from his spot, he followed the others, heading toward the strange alien lion. And as he got closer, he began to realize more and more that he was facing an almost exact copy of Simba… with the exception of the scar on his face.

-Kiongozi! – exclaimed the queen, throwing herself on the mysterious guest's neck, tears in her eyes, completely overcome with joy.

The lion embraced her also, laughing as he did so. The members of the Lion Guard sat around them, creating a circle. Kovu also stood nearby, smiling as he finally recognized his brother-in-law.

Kion had grown much since they saw each other last. Now fully adult, he carried his father's full mane, the hairs of which were slicked neatly to the back. He had a strong jaw, muscular paws, and a few new scars which indicated that he did not remain idle in his new home... Yet none of them were as distinct as the one which disfigured his left eye.

-Hevi kabisa! – exclaimed Kion, turning toward the others. - You know you're in trouble when your mom calls you by your full name!

-Welcome back… your majesty – Kovu greeted the returning lion, bowing his head before the one who bore the mark of the king of the Night Pride.

Vitani and her Lion Guard also performed the same gesture of honor, yet that only made Kion burst out in laughter. Approaching her and her brother, with Nala still clinging to the side of her beloved son, he put a paw on Kovu's shoulder in an expression of friendship, inviting him to look him in the eyes.

-C'mon, enough of that! I'm still the same guy.

And when Kovu saw the glare in Kion's orange-brown irises, so similar to the one of his father, he realized that the Pridelands may not have regained their king, but they definitely regained his spirit.

Kovu returned his friend's smile, sincerely happy to see him again after such a long time of constant sorrow. Yet that also reminded him of the seriousness of the situation.

-Your father… - started the lion slowly, his cheerfulness replaced by a graver expression. – He… has vanished.

Kovu was not happy to be the one to reveal the terrible news to the the king's son, who was returning to his home after such a long time. Still, somehow, that did not caused the smile to vanish from Kion's face. On the contrary, it remained there, bright and reassuring.

-I know – he said. – That's why I'm here.

AN: I have not written anything within the Lion King franchise for quite a while. Mostly because of being so disappointed in the Lion Guard… Still, the sketch of this story has been lying in my drawer for almost a year, and I am inspired by the fact that people actually still continue to read my old stuff. So who knows, maybe we can make this go somewhere?

Don't hesitate to tell me what you think!