The Lion Guard: A Morning Walk

Author's Note: This fanfic was updated on September 12th, 2024, nine years after publication.
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It was a beautiful day in the Pridelands. At Pride Rock, Kion had woken up, fully aware that it wasn't yet time for the sun to rise. The young cub was very excited for the day ahead, as his father had promised to take him on a walk around the kingdom, a tradition that had been established by his great-grandfather, Ahadi, when his grandfather and great-uncle were cubs, his grandfather had continued the tradition when his father had been a cub, as had his father during Kiara's cubhood, and now it was Kion's turn to experience the tradition.
Glancing around him, Kion's brown gaze took in the members of the pride, who were all asleep in their nests. He stood up, carefully moving past his sister and Kovu, heading towards his parents' nests. Kion made his way over to his father, pushing his muzzle against Simba's cheek.
"Wake up, Dad! We gotta go! You promised to take me around the kingdom today." Kion said enthusiastically.
Beside Simba, Nala's eyes opened, a purr rising in her chest as she listened to Kion's enthusiasm.
"Your son is awake, my love." she said amusedly, gently nudging her mate.
Without opening his eyes, Simba responded to Nala's words, already aware of his son's excitement.
"I believe he's your son before sunrise, my love." he said, a note of exhaustion in his tone.
By this point, Kion had climbed on top of his father, impatiently tugging on his ear.
"Dad, come on. You promised." he said insistently.
At Kion's words, Simba's eyes opened and he raised his head, gently nudging Kion off of him. Simba yawned loudly, his reddish-brown eyes softening as his gaze rested on Kion.
"All right, son. I'm awake." he said. 
"Yes! Let's do this!" Kion said excitedly.
Simba chuckled, a purr rising in his throat as he listened to Kion's enthusiastic words.
"Let's do this." Simba agreed fondly.
The three of them made their way out of the den, Kion quickly moving to say goodbye to his mother. Nala bent her head to nuzzle her son, her eyes shining with affection.
"Have a good time with your father." Nala said warmly.
Kion nodded.
"I love you, Mama." he said.
"I love you too, my precious." Nala responded.
Her expression softened as she watched Simba gently brush his tail across Kion's back.
"Follow me, son." Simba told Kion. 
"Okay, Dad." Kion said.
Simba and Nala exchanged a glance before Nala turned to head back inside the den.
Kion followed Simba up the pathway that led to the summit, the highest point of Pride Rock.
"I thought I wasn't allowed up here, Dad." he said confusedly as he followed his father's pawsteps, his own paws stumbling on the rocky path.
"It's all right, Kion. Come sit with me." Simba invited, gesturing with his tail for Kion to settle beside him. Kion eagerly came over to him, his eyes wide with amazement as he gazed out at the view of the Pridelands below them, having never seen it from the top of Pride Rock before.
"Kion, everything that the light touches is our home, our kingdom. Ruling it is part of our heritage. Someday, you will be responsible for protecting the animals who rely on us and keeping the Circle of Life in balance." Simba began.
"All of this belongs to our pride, Dad?" Kion asked curiously.
"It belongs to no one, but it is ours to protect, a very important responsibility." Simba explained.
Kion's attention was drawn to the border, where he could see a dense territory, encased in shadows.
"What about that shadowy place?" Kion questioned.
"That is beyond our territory. You must never go there, Kion." Simba stated firmly.
"Okay, Dad." Kion said.
Simba's expression softened and he reached over to ruffle Kion's head tuft.
"Come on, son. Let's go." he said.
The two of them stood up, beginning to make their way down the pathway. Kion walked close beside his father, excited by what he would see next.
As they headed away from Pride Rock, Simba drew Kion's attention to a herd of antelope that were grazing nearby.
"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. When you rule, you'll need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope." Simba said as they walked close beside each other.
"Don't we hunt the antelope, Dad?" Kion questioned.
"We do, son, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, which is eaten by antelope. So, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life." Simba explained.
Just then, Zazu flew up to them, having also awoken early in order to provide Simba with the morning report.
"Good morning, Zazu." Simba greeted.
"Good morning, Simba. I'm checking in with the morning report." Zazu said.
His expression softened as he caught sight of Kion, who had begun practicing his pouncing.
"Good morning, Kion." Zazu said fondly.
"Morning, Zazu." Kion said, without looking up from the beetle he was stalking.
Simba cleared his throat.
"The morning report, Zazu?" he prompted. 
"Of course. There's been minimal activity along the borders, all appears calm from Ndefu Grove to Hapuna Valley. There hasn't been a hyena sighting in a half-moon. The elephants have claimed to always listen to the news of the baboons, who have gone ape on the notion of being spied on, I blame their big ears, sire. They do appear to hear quite a lot." Zazu began, hardly pausing to take a breath as he relayed his report.
Simba chuckled, his eyes shining with amusement as he listened to Zazu's words.
"Is that all, Zazu?" he questioned.
"Not quite, Simba. There's also been reports of a startling increase in the hare population, which will need to be monitored closely." Zazu told him.
As he listened to the hornbill, Simba's attention was suddenly drawn to Kion, who had abandoned the beetle he'd been stalking in favor of a butterfly.
"What are you up to, son?" Simba asked him.
"Pouncing." Kion replied, leaping forward to catch the butterfly, only for it to fly away.
Simba felt a purr rise in his chest, amused by his son's attempts to catch the butterfly.
"Would you like to try your tactics on a larger target?" he asked, beckoning with his tail for Kion to come closer to him. Kion immediately bounded over to him, his eyes bright with excitement. 
Simba raised his voice to address Zazu, who was still prattling on with his report.
"Would you turn around please, Zazu?" he asked.
"Of course, sire." Zazu said, turning his back on the two of them. 
Simba suppressed a chuckle at the naivety of his majordomo, before turning to help adjust Kion's stance. As he gently placed a paw on Kion's back, he became aware of the hesitation in his son's eyes.
"You sure this is a good idea, Dad? Didn't you used to do this to him when you were a cub?" Kion questioned.
"It'll be fun, Kion. Trust me." Simba assured him.
At his father's assurance, the hesitation left Kion's eyes and he nodded, eager to listen to Simba's instructions.
"Stay low to the ground, so your scent won't alert him. Check the position of the wind and the shadows, wait for the perfect moment to pounce." Simba instructed, lowering his voice in order to not raise Zazu's suspicions.
Unaware of Simba's plan, Zazu continued with his report, eager to share the latest news of the kingdom.
"I must tell you of a race between the cheetahs, sire. There were allegations of cheating made, which haven't made them prosper." Zazu said.
"That's very interesting, Zazu." Simba said, indicating for Kion to move forward slowly.
Kion's brown eyes shone with determination and excitement as he slowly crept forward, his gaze focused on Zazu.
"Ready, son?" Simba asked quietly.
Kion nodded. 
He moved forward, keeping his eyes focused on Zazu. When he was close enough, Kion leapt forward, throwing Zazu backwards from the force of his charge. Zazu let out a shout of surprise as he was knocked off of the rock that he had perched on to give his report.
"Not again!" Zazu said exasperatedly. 
Simba laughed loudly as Kion stepped off of Zazu, who huffed indigently as he spread his wings and took to the sky, flying above the two of them.
"I suppose I should've known better than to fall for this again." Zazu said, his annoyance softened by the look of warmth in his eyes as he watched Kion.
"I'm going to take Kion home now, I'll see you later today, Zazu." Simba told him.
He and Kion began to make their way towards Pride Rock.
When the two of them arrived, they saw Nala, Kiara, and Kovu waiting for them outside the den.
Nala's expression brightened as Simba and Kion approached. 
"Mama!" Kion called excitedly, rushing towards her.
"Did you have a good time with your father?" Nala asked once Kion reached her, ruffling his head tuft affectionately.
"Yeah. We had a lot of fun." Kion replied.
"That's wonderful, my precious." Nala said.
Kiara stepped forward, her eyes shining with affection as her gaze rested on her brother.
"Do you want some fresh-kill, Kion? We caught a carp today on the hunt." Kiara told him.
Kion's expression brightened and he nodded. 
He turned to Simba, pressing his muzzle against his father's foreleg. Simba bent down to nuzzle him affectionately.
"I had a great time today, Dad." Kion said.
Simba's expression softened.
"I did too, son." he said warmly.
He watched as Kiara and Kovu led Kion into the den, Nala following behind them.
My cubs truly are the greatest legacy I could ever ask for. I'm proud to have the honor of being their father. I hope to guide their pawsteps well on their journeys in the Circle of Life.
Category:Fanfiction
Category:Ginnyharry4ever
Category:Ginny's Fanfics