//------------------------------// // Episode 20: Beware of Zimwi // Story: The Pony Guard (Season 2) // by MXCDarkHorse2020 //------------------------------// Episode 20: Beware of the Zimwi It was late at night and full moon shone in the sky as the Pony Guard, Lion Guard, their young admirers, and a pair of little porcupines sat around the base of Rafiki's Tree, listening to a spooky tale of a terrifying creature. "And then, out of the darkness came a bone-chilling noise." Rafiki spoke, his tone eerie as he grinned down at the young animals. Cheka, who was sitting in front of Kion, gulped, "What was it?" she asked, her ears falling flat against her head. Rafiki leaned against his staff, "Are young ones like you ready?" he questioned. "It is a story that will make your fur stand up straight." "Oh, we are, we are!" Kwato answered, nodding his head. "Tell us the story, Rafiki." Mtoto begged. "Yeah Rafiki, please?" Gumba pleaded. "Yeah!" Kambuni and Cheka added with wide grins. "We wanna hear it!" Shauku followed. "We all want to hear the story, Rafiki." Kion agreed, sitting behind the younger mongoose. "Very well." the old mandrill nodded. "Where was I? Ah, yes." he cleared his throat. "They heard a bone-chilling noise...the call of the Zimwi." Kambuni gulped, "What's a Zimwi?" she questioned, blinking her big, green eyes. "The Zimwi is a terrifying beast!" Rafiki exclaimed, eliciting a loud, collective shriek out of the younger Guard admirers, who all immediately curled against the respective member they idolized. "But it only comes into the Pride Lands on the night of the full moon." Bunga looked up at the sky, "Hey, tonight's a full moon." he pointed out, making the younger animals gasp. A cloud rolled by, revealing the full moon, it's light shining down on the group. "So it is." Rafiki noted, caressing his white beard and facing the group of animals. "Then, it is on a night like tonight that you might hear the Zimwi's call." Suddenly, a loud bellow echoed in the distance, making everyone gasp and look in every direction. "What was that?" Gumba asked, his voice shaking as he gripped onto Bunga's arm. Kwato gulped, "Was that..." "The Zimwi?" Kambuni squeaked. The bellowing grew louder, meaning it was getting closer. Twilight and Kion got up and faced the bushes where the sounds were coming from, with Twilight have her magic ready as her horn flared it's violet-red aura, "Whoever you are, come out and show yourself!" Kion growled, taking a step forward. Another bellow was heard, and Shauku hid behind the lion's hind leg. "You heard me!" Twilight yelled. "Come out!" "Kion? Twilight?" Beshte questioned, poking his head out of the bushes. "Uh, hey, everybody." the Guard's strongest chuckled dryly, seeing more animals than just his friends. "I thought I recognized that bellow." Bunga chuckled, folding his arms across his chest, while Gumba did the same. "But why are you bellowing so late?" Rainbow asked, landing beside Kion. "I need to practice." Beshte answered. "Tomorrow I'll be bellowing for the Bellow Fellows." Fuli quirked her brow. "Bellow Fellows?" she repeated. “What are they?” Fluttershy added. "That sounds...nice." Ono stammered, with Kambuni sitting beside him. "It's poa!" Beshte exclaimed, joining the group in front of Rafiki's Tree. "If they like me, I'll get to bellow all the time with them! It's gonna be so much fun!" the hippo grinned. "But, uh, I'm kinda nervous to bellow in front of 'em." his ears fell to the sides out of slight embarrassment. Rafiki leaned against his staff, "Yes. I suppose this is much more interesting than the Zimwi." the old mandrill rolled his eyes, and went to climb his tree. "Wait, Rafiki!" Gumba halted. "Don't go!" "We wanna hear about the Zimwi!" Mtoto added, now standing next to Beshte. Rafiki swiftly turned around. "Is that so?" he questioned. "And you are sure you're not too frightened?" Cheka shook her head and scurried forward, "I'm not scared." "Me neither." echoed Shauku, who sat next to Cheka. "Please, tell us Rafiki!" Kambuni squeaked. "Yeah!" agreed Kwato. "Very well!" Rafiki laughed before he broke into a song about the Zimwi. Beware of the Zimwi The young animals gasped while the Lion Guard's fiercest let out a chuckle, "Relax. It's just a story." he reminded, sharing a look with his best friend, who simply rolled her eyes and tapped her tail on the grass. "It is just a story, right, Rafiki?" Fuli asked, with a dry laugh. "Who is to say?" the Mjuzi shrugged. "Now, off to bed you go!" he shooed away the younger animals, knowing it was past their bedtimes. "Thanks for the story, Rafiki!" the smaller Guard said in unison, tipping their heads to the old mandrill. Rafiki leaned against his tree as he watched the Lion Guard say their good-nights to their young admirers. "The Zimwi can't be real, uh, can it?" Mtoto asked with a gulp. "Eight legs? Each one bigger than the last?" Kion questioned. "Does that sound real, guys?" he looked to the rest of his team. “Absolutely not.” Twilight immediately said. “No way.” Applejack and Rainbow stated in agreement. “Perish the thought.” Rarity added. “Noperoony!” Pinkie Pie smiled. “No….” Fluttershy whispered rather frightened herself. "No way." Ono shook his head, perching on Besthe’s back. "Nope." agreed Beshte. "Just a story." Fuli repeated. "I hope so." Kwato gulped, his ears falling to the sides. "That's too bad." Bunga shrugged his shoulders. "I'd kinda like to meet the Zimwi." A breeze blew past them, creating an ominous sound as it wove through the Acacia trees nearby. "Oh, no." Cheka gasped, her and Kambuni huddling together. "Huh?" Shauku and Gumba jumped on Kwato's back as they scanned the area. Fuli, Beshte, and Ono all let out a shriek, while Bunga grinned as he yelled, "Zimwi?" "Bunga, it's only the wind." Twilight rebuked. "Are you sure?" Kwato gulped. "If you guys are that worried, maybe you should all stay together tonight." Kion advised, smiling at the younger animals. "You'll feel safer." They all exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement, saying their good-nights to the Guard and walking off. "Maybe we can do that, too." Beshte voted. "It sounds like fun!" "Yeah." Bunga agreed. "We can all spend the night at Hakuna Matata Falls." he suggested. "I'm sure my uncles won't mind." Kion shrugged his shoulders, "Sure." "Fine by me." Ono nodded. "I'm in." Fuli grinned. “Sure.” Twilight smiled and the girls agreed. An owl hooted in the distance as the Guard slept soundly near the lake of Hakuna Matata Falls. A twig snapping caused both cubs to pull back and look in the direction leading into the falls. The next instant, six young animals came running up to them, screaming "Zimwi!" Each young animal ran to the Guard member they looked up to, startling the rest that were still asleep. "Easy Cheka, what's the matter?" Kion asked as he lightly ran his paw over the shivering cape fox. "It's the Zimwi." she squeaked. "It's in the Pride Lands." "We just saw it." Shauku added, latching on to Kion's left foreleg. "The Zimwi?" the two cubs repeated. "Impossible." Rainbow yawned, which was followed by a startled gasp as Kwato jumped over her to hide behind her. "No, it's really true." Mtoto rebuffed, standing close to Beshte. "The Zimwi doesn't exist. It's just a story." Twilight reminded, looking to each of the younger animals. "You really saw it?" Bunga asked Gumba, who as currently latched onto his neck. The baboon nodded, "In the woodlands." he answered. "It was as tall as two giraffes!" "Just like Rafiki said." Kambuni shrieked, cowering in Ono's nest. "And its teeth were sharper than a crocodile's!" Kwato gulped, ducking behind the Guard's fastest. Kion rolled his eyes, "For the last time, there's no such thing as a Zimwi." he repeated. A scratching noise in the distance made everyone jump. "I'm scared!" Mtoto screamed, huddling closer to Beshte. Kwato and Gumba did the same to Fuli and Bunga. "What if it eats all of us?" Kambuni shrieked, hiding behind Ono. Shauku and Cheka clung tighter to the two lion cubs. "Maybe it is real." Ono gulped. The scratching continued, which ended up being caused by Timon raking a sharp stick down the side of the rocks. "Now that I have your attention." the meerkat cleared his throat he and his warthog best friend approached the group of animals. "Let an expert tell you all about the Zimwi." "You know about the Zimwi, Uncle Timon?" Bunga questioned, still holding on to a shaking Gumba. "Know about it?" Pumbaa repeated. "Timon's the only animal in the Pride Lands to survive an encounter with..." "The Zimwi!" both males said in unison. "So, it's not just a story!" Ono confirmed. "You've both seen the Zimwi?" Kion asked, not really believing the pair. “For real?” Twilight added with a raised eyebrow also not buying it. "Oh, Timon has!" Pumbaa answered. "Right, Timon?" "You better believe it!" Timon chuckled. "More or less." The meerkat chuckled dryly. "Well, not exactly me." he clarified. "See, my Ma's cousin's friend knows an ox who told him he ran into the Zimwi and..." Timon paused for dramatic effect. "...it ate him!" "Oh, the horror!" the warthog sobbed. The six young animals gasped in horror. Twilight just blinked still not convinced, "If the ox got eaten, how did he tell anyone else the story?" she asked with a raised brow. "Uh, you'd have to ask the ox." Timon answered the young unicorn, tapping her purple nose. "The point is, nothing can stop the Zimwi!" "What are we gonna do?" Gumba asked, looking at Bunga. "Nothing you can do, kids." Timon answered. "Maybe there's nothing he can do..." Kion rebuked, glancing to Timon before looking back at the six young animals, who were now huddled together. "...but we're the Pony and Lion Guard. We'll find whatever you saw." the prince promised. "And if it really is the Zimwi, we'll run it out of the Pride Lands!" "Yeah!" Bunga agreed. "Or get eaten trying!" The six kids gasped. "Oh! Why does our little Bunga have to be so brave?" Pumbaa cried out. Kion rolled his eyes. "Let's go." he ordered, looking to the rest of the Lion Guard. "Till Equestria and the Pride Lands end... "...Pony and Lion Guard defend!" the other five finished, following Kion out of the falls. As the Guard patrolled the woodlands, which is where their young friends said they first saw the Zimwi, all appeared to be quiet, except for Bunga who kept calling out, "Here, Zimwi, Zimwi, Zimwi." The Guard's leader rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Come on, Bunga. You really think there's a creature out here that's as tall as two giraffes with big spikes, and teeth sharper than a crocodile?" "Yeah!" agreed the Guard's bravest. "Don't forget the eight legs." he added. "You believe it too, don't ya, Big B?" "I don't know, Bunga. I've never seen anything like that." the Guard's strongest admitted. "But there's probably lots of things I've never seen." "I see a lot more than you guys do." added the Guard's keenest of sight. "And I still haven't seen everything. So, who knows?" "Still, isn't it possible?" questioned the Guard's fastest, who glanced to the lioness to the right of their leader. "No." the Guard's wisest answered flatly. "We'll find whatever it is the little ones saw, and then you'll see it's not a Zimwi." “Something like sounds more like a creature from Equestria rather than the Pridelands.” Twilight smirked. “You should see a hydra. Four necks, four heads and about 20 feet tall.” “Woah…” Kion and his friends gasped. “Yep and something like that existing here is far fetched.” Twilight added. “It’s just everyone's imagination taking hold.” The Guard came across the forest, which appeared creepy in the darkness. Three shadows ran past a few trees, letting out a chittering noise. "Come on!" Bunga urged. "We can't let this thing get away." "Actually, would that be so bad?" Ono gulped. The Guard ran towards the forest's entrance and stopped, the chittering noise growing louder. One of the shadowed figures ran right between Ono's feet, spooking him. "Hapana!" he yelled. But what came out were three little genets. "Oh, excuse us." a female genet pardoned, her and two males poking their heads out from the tall grass. "Did we scare you?" "Me? Why, uh, no." Ono stammered, looking away from the animal trio. "Hey, little genets." Beshte greeted. "Where are you guys off to?" "Just heading home." one of the male genets answered. "Good thinkin'." Bunga praised. "Get home before the Zimwi gets ya." The three genets exchanged a confused glance. "Zimwi?" the younger male repeated. "What's a Zimwi?" the female asked. Bunga gaped, "You've never heard of the Zimwi? It's..." "Nothing." Kion cut him off. Bunga popped back up not knowing when to stop, "Pfft, yeah." scoffed the honey badger as he continued. "If something as tall as two giraffes is nothing." The three genetes let out low frightened whimpers. "If nothing has teeth bigger than a crocodile's. Then yeah, sure, the Zimwi's nothing." Bunga continued, despite protests from his friends, and the frightened whimpers of the genets "Bunga, enough!" Kion warned him to stop but he still wouldn't listen. "Speaking of enough..." Bunga went on. "...you'd think four legs is enough, but not for the Zimwi! He's got eight!" The genets let out loud whimpers, their ears falling flat against their heads. "Don't worry." Kion assured, knocking Bunga back with his paw. "We're not even sure the Zimwi's real." "Yeah." Bunga scoffed, shoving past the lion so he could look the genets in the eyes. "For all we know it could be some other eight-legged, super tall, sharp-toothed thing stalking through the Pride Lands tonight." The female genet took a backwards step, her ears still flat against her head. "We really have to get back home." she informed, her body visibly shaking. "Good idea! The Lion Guard's on duty!" the honey badger said with pride. "So, go on home and get a good night's sleep." "I don't see that happening." the youngest genet gulped. "Let's go!" urged the female as they ran into the tall grass. "Wait!" the Guard's bravest halted, getting the genets to look back at him. "If you do see the Zimwi, try to keep it where it is till we get there, okay?" he asked. "Then leave the rest to us." The genets ducked back into the grass without an answer. "Think they'll do it?" Bunga asked as he turned back to the rest of the Guard. "I doubt it." Ono dryly answered. "Bunga, why did you scare them like that?" Fuli hissed as she scolded him. "Yeah, Little B." Beshte added finding it completely unneccesary. "You really got 'em on the run." “Yeah, you scared them really badly.” Rainbow also scolded. Bunga shrugged his shoulders still not understanding what he did was wrong, "I was tryin' to make 'em feel safe." he defended. “You made them feel anything other than safe sugarcube.” Applejack rolled her eyes in annoyance. "And they hadn't even heard of the Zimwi til you told them about it." Twilight sternly informed. "How was I supposed to know?" Bunga asked, scratching the back of his head. The lion prince sighed heavily. "Okay, Bunga, but the next animal we run into, try not to mention the Zimwi." he warned with a small grin. The honey badger nodded in agreement. The Guard entered the forest, carefully scanning their surroundings for any signs of the mysterious 'Zimwi'. "I have to admit, hearing Bunga describe the Zimwi has me a little on edge, too." Ono admitted. "It's just a story Ono." Kion assured. "The Zimwi isn't real." "Yeah, I mean just listen." Applejack agreed. "Everything's peaceful and quiet." Ono swallowed the lump in his throat. "A little too quiet." he muttered. A branch snapped further into the woods, followed by the sound of a loud whinny and approaching hoofsteps. "I take it back." the egret recanted, digging his talons into Kion's fur. "Quiet's fine! Quiet's fine!" "Easy Ono." Kion winched. Then out of the bushes came Kyoga, “Oh hey you guys.” “Kyoga? What are you doing out here at night?” Kion asked the lioness cub. “Just tracking something…” Kyoga muttered. “Tracking what?”Besthe asked. “The Zimwi?” Bunga inquired with excitement. “Pfft. A mythical creature. No way! That doesn’t exist.” Kyoga retorted. “Thank you!” Kion and Twilight exclaimed happily. “I’m tracking something familiar…” Kyoga said. “I know this scent from before but I can’t quite place it…” “Well maybe we can help you find it while we’re on patrol.” Kion offered. Kyoga sighed, “If I just say ‘No’ you’re still gonna insist on going with me, so I guess I have no choice..” “......Okay…..” Twilight smiled half-heartedly. The twelve friends and Kyoga continued through the forest, which grew eerily quiet. When an owl hooted, seemingly out of nowhere, four of the Guard member's gasped. "Just an owl, guys." Kion sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Is it?" Bunga questioned. "Or is it the Zimwi, laughing right before it eats some unsuspecting animal?" Kion rolled his eyes, "Bunga." A distant bellowing startled everyone. "Hapana!" Ono cried. "Zimwi!" Bunga hoped, a wide grin on his face. Beshte stepped out of a patch of grass, "Sorry." he apologized. "I was practicing my bellows. You know, for the Bellow Fellows?" Twilight shook her head, "See? Just Beshte." she pointed out. "No Zimwi." The Guard's strongest brought up the rear of the group and continued to practice his bellows. "I'm not sure which is spookier, Beshte or The Zimwi." Ono chuckled. After patrolling through the forest, the Guard came across a canyon. Bunga let out a heavy sigh, "Still no sign of the Zimwi." he groaned. "Or whatever it is." Fuli added with a dry chuckle and swish of her tail. On instinct, Applejack glanced over her shoulder and saw two animals encased in shadows. "Huh?" "Applejack?" Kion questioned, looking back at her. "Hmmm.. anypony else feel.." "Really scared?" Ono quickly finished. "Not me." he shook his head. "No." Applejack rebuked. "Like we're being watched." "By the Zimwi?" Bunga hoped, grinning. Ono gulped, "Usually I do the watching." he hesitantly looked around. “W-What is it..?” Fluttershy shivered in fear. "Who'd watch us?" Beshte asked. "And from where?" Fuli added, looking around. Twilight pointed back to where she saw the shadowy figures. There were two sets of glowing eyes. "Ooh." Bunga's grin got wider. "How many eyes does the Zimwi have?" "Too many." Fuli shuddered. "All right, team, let's move in." Kion ordered, "Ono and Rainbow, keep an eye out overhead." "Uh, affirmative." the egret agreed, his voice shaky, as he and Rainbow took off into the sky. Kion and Fuli stalked forward, keeping themselves low to the ground with the girls, Bunga and Beshte behind them. A branch cracked under Kion's paws, halting the Guard for only a second, before they moved in and surrounded the animal hiding in the bushes. Kion looked to his right and saw Twilight, the girls and Fuli ready to pounce, and down his left saw Bunga and Beshte ready too. "Now!" the Guard's fiercest ordered. "We got you, Zimwi!" Bunga yelled, as five gazelles leaped out of the bushes. "The Zimwi can fly?" "Don't hurt us." begged one of the gazelles. "Please!" spoke the male at the front. "We were just hiding." Fuli raised her brow as she glanced at Kion and Twilight, "So this is what we've been chasing?" she blinked her emerald colored eyes. "What were you hiding from?" Kion asked. "What else?" gulped the male gazelle. "The Zimwi!" all five shouted. “Ugh… this nonsense again?” Kyoga groaned. "Listen. I don't think the Zimwi's really real." Twilight assured in a calm voice. “It’s just your imagination.” "But we saw it, right before we jumped into the bushes." the male gazelle defended. "It had giant teeth! On the outside of its head!" "Hapana!" gulped Ono, who was perched on a tree branch above the rest of the Guard. "We've heard those teeth are as sharp as a crocodile's." "We heard it can fly." a female gazelle whined. Bunga perked up, "You heard that, too?" "They heard it from you!" Kion scolded, his eyes narrowed down at the badger. "Relax." Kion breathed, facing the gazelles. "The Zimwi's just a story." "Oh, yeah?" challenged another female gazelle. "So, what's that?" Everyone looked down the canyon and saw the shadow of what appeared to be the Zimwi, just as Rafiki described it. “What in Equestria?” Twilight breathed trying to make sense of what she is seeing. "Maybe this thing really is as tall as two giraffes." Fuli wondered. "Those sure look like big teeth." Beshte noted, hunching low. "Pretty sharp too." Fuli added, her ears flat against her head. "Anyone else see two heads?" Bunga questioned. Kion took a couple steps forward. "Uh, maybe?" he agreed with the badger, as the creature's shadow disappeared from view. "Whatever it is, it's on the move." A low rumble of thunder echoed as the Guard stood at the entrance to the canyon. "I hope that's you practicing again, Beshte." Ono shuddered. The hippo shook his head. "I don't think so." he rebuked. "Come on, Lion Guard." the fierce leader ordered. "Let's go." He took a step forward and led the group into the canyon. "This canyon's a dead end so it's got nowhere to run." "And that's a good thing?" Ono asked, flying above the rest. More thunder clasped overhead, adding more to the ominous feel of everything. Dark clouds rolled in, covering up the moon, leaving no visible light. The Guard and Kyoga came to the canyon's end, just as two bolts of lightning struck, illuminating the creature before them. "Zimwi!" the Guard shouted. "I knew it." Bunga grinned, taking a step forward while the rest of the Guard spun around and ran away. "All right, Zimwi, it's just you and me." the honey badger challenged. However, Besthe came and got him, "Let's go Little B!" Kyoga, however, stayed behind and sniffed the ground. The scent she had been smelling before was coming from the so called ‘Zimwi’. “Hmm….Hello..?" she called. “Whose there?” The figure moved and leaped down into the shadows before it said... "Kyoga...sister?" "Is that you, Kyoga?" “How do you know my name?” Kyoga asked with her heart fluttering at the sounds of the two familiar voices. Kyoga watched as the figure came into the moonlight... revealing two teenage lions! The first one was a teenage female lioness who is purple-grey with green eyes and grey underbelly, paws, and muzzle. She has blue swirls underneath her eyes along with her tufted, pointy ears. This lioness had two canines that showed from her mouth that looked to be as long as a sabertooth tigers, 11 inches! Giving her an intimidating look at first glance, along with a pair of wings that had yellow shading on the edges. The second one was a teenage male lion who is fur looked similar in color to Nala's but he had a golden mane that shaded into black near the edges that reached down towards his chest. He has a darker shaded orange tip on his tail, as well as having a paler muzzle, eyelids, paws, and belly along with his brown eyes. This male lion also had a pair of wings that were the same shade as his body but they had white shading on the edges. Kyoga’s eyes widened in shock and awe at the two lions in front of her. Meanwhile, Kion, Twilight and the Guard came bursting out of the canyon screaming in terror, scaring the gazelle herd as they scattered away from the Guard, luckily the guard gave them a clearing by flattening some bushes and they ran out into the savannah. “They should wear themselves out in a little bit.” Kion said “Gazelles, right? One little scare and before you know it, they're just jumping all over the place.” Rainbow scoffed. “Because we scared them.” Kion sighed. “While we were running away.” “Sorry, Kion.” Twilight said, lowering her ears. “Nothing to be sorry about. I ran away, too.” Kion said sadly. “And you said the Zimwi wasn't real!” Bunga bragged making Kion sigh again, ”I know. All this time, I wasn't afraid of the Zimwi because I thought it wasn't real. But as soon as I thought it was, I ran away.” “Um…. where’s Kyoga?” Fluttershy peeped and the Guard noticed that they were one lion cub short! “Oh no! She must still be in their with the Zimwi!” Besthe said with worry. “Oh horseapples!” Applejack winced. “Come on then, let’s go save her!” Rainbow exclaimed before she bolted back into the canyon with the rest of the Guard following her. When they came to the clearing in the canyon they saw Kyoga…. And two lions..? “Huh? What’s with the lions?” Pinkie Pie asked before Twilight hushed her hearing something. Kyoga, oblivious to the Guards presence just stared for a moment at the two lions in front of her and the two lions stared back. “K-Karabi…..L-Lite….. Is… it really you….?” Kyoga breathed with her heart beating fast. Karabi and Lite slowly smiled at Kyoga with tears in their eyes, “K-Kyoga…. It is you….!” Karabi sobbed before the three of them ran towards each other and nuzzled each other deeply, showing their friendship with each other much to the Guards’ shock. “So… we ran away from two lions?!” Fuli complained. “Kyoga said ‘Karabi’ and ‘Lite’..... So…. you think those two could be… her friends….?” Ono inquired. “From the way she’s nuzzling them, I’d say yes.” Twilight smiled. Kyoga, Karabi and Lite separated. “W-We’ve been searching for you ever since he came and destroyed everything. W-We thought you were dead…” Lite cried. “I-I didn’t know what happened to you…. After you told me to run away…” Kyoga smiled, wiping her face. “I-I thought you didn’t make it…” “I-I’m just glad to see your alright… but your leg and eye…” Karabi cooed, touching Kyoga’s disabled leg and scarred eye. “I’m alright. They don’t hurt as much anymore..” Kyoga smiled. Karabi and Lite smiled “So wait...these two lions are the Zimwi?" Bunga asked, catching Karabi and Lite’s attention. The two teenage lions growled at the Guard, extending their claws before they came in front of Kyoga. “Woah woah woah, we’re not enemies here!” Kion quickly tried to reason. “Yeah right, lion…” Karabi snarled before she lunged at the young cub, but Twilight blasted her with her magic, sending her skidding back. “Huwezi!” Fuli exclaimed as she and Rainbow bolted towards Lite, ready to attack but Lite lunged forth and knocked Rainbow out of the sky and sent her crashing into Fuli. “Hapana!” Ono exclaimed. Twilight growled and blasted her magic at Karabi once more but Karabi’s eyes glowed white and a white shield appeared in front and she deflected the beam!” “What? She does magic too?!” Twilight exclaimed in shock. She never guessed that a lion could even use magic! “Hevi Kabisa!” Kion added. “Stop, why are you attacking us, we won’t hurt you!” Bunga exclaimed. “But you will harm Kyoga and we both vowed to protect her after he destroyed everything we loved.” Karabi snarled. “Destroyed everything you love?” Kion echoed, pausing the battle. “What do you mean?” “We do not wish to discuss this with you, lion.” Lite snarled. “For all we know you could be part of Eclipse Pride….” “What? No way! I’ve never heard of the Eclipse Pride.” Kion defended. “And I would never harm Kyoga. Neither of us would.” “It’s the truth you two…. I’ve been hanging around these knuckleheads for a while.” Kyoga admitted. “They’re cool so you can stop…” “Hmmm…. Fine… only for you, Kyoga.” Karabi said and she and Lite calmed down and retracted their claws. “So you’re Karabi and Lite?” Twilight asked, earning nods from the two. “Well, I’m Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends; Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Kion, Ono, Besthe, Bunga and Fuli.” “So… how exactly do you know Kyoga?” Kion questioned. “They’re my…. Bestest friends… some may even say… they’re my sister and brother with the way they care for me…” Kyoga explained. “So….. you did have friends…!” Bunga exclaimed in realization. “Then why are you such a buzzkill now?” That earned him a hard smack by Applejack, “Quiet sugarcube, just be glad that she found her kin.” She scolded. “Yeah, Applejack’s right Bunga.” Kion also scolded. “How they got here is not important now all that matter now is that Kyoga has her friends back…” “So….. can they please stay….?” Kyoga asked Kion and Twilight who smiled at each other. “Let’s go see my Mom and Dad.” “And Princess Celestia.” Kion and Twilight each said and smiled. At Pride Rock, Karabi and Lite were before Celestia, Luna, Simba and Nala. “Princess, Karabi and Lite came to the Pridelands searching for Kyoga after a terrible incident.” “And they mean a lot and they wish to stay with Kyoga, if they have your blessing.” Twilight and Kion asked of the four royal rulers. Celestia, Luna, Simba and Nala replied immediately. “Of course my faithful student.” "Of course they can stay here. This family had been torn apart for long enough." Celestia and Simba accepted. "They can stay in the Pridelands and Equestria for as long as they like." Nala added. "And you both have our blessing." Luna also added assuringly. “Thank you.” Karabi and Lite bowed to their majesties as Kyoga nuzzled the two of them and they smiled placing their heads on her, showing their deep friendship with each other. Kion, Twilight and the Guard smiled at the three of them. Now Kyoga has part of her past back and this time…. they were here to stay.