One Lion Guard
By Inubashiri
Summary: AU. Simba has some opinions about the animals Kion has selected for the guard. No smut, no violence, speciesism themes.
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Kion was absolutely teeming with confidence with his newly assembled Lion Guard. As his father approached he proudly stood alongside them as the king examined the new protectors of the Pride Lands. The cub was expecting his father’s praise or at least approval but as the lion’s eyes slowly moved over each animal the cold look on his face only grew harder. Finally they rested back on Kion who immediately lowered his ears, already knowing he had disappointed the king.
Simba opened his mouth and then hesitated, glancing back over the others and back before standing up. “Kion,” Simba spoke, turning around and peering back over his shoulder, “a word”.
The lion cub nodded and after sharing an awkward look with his friends followed after his dad. Simba walked in silence away from the clearing and towards a small group of acacia trees, smoothly greeting a pair of giraffes and politely asking them to move on. Finally the king sat down, watching them leave until those cold eyes once again landed on Kion. The lion cub gulped.
“I ordered you this morning to assemble the Lion Guard, Kion,” Simba began, “I would have hoped you would take these new responsibilities seriously like your sister.”
“What?! But I-“ Kion immediately argued but it only took a look from his father to silence that.
“It is called the Lion Guard not because you are leading it, Kion, but because it is a guard of lions,” the king explained, “this isn’t some little group for you and your friends”.
Kion immediately bristled at that. “But Fuli is the fastest, dad! And Beshte really is the strongest!” he argued.
“And Bunga almost got eaten by hyena this morning,” Simba interjected coolly.
Kion grumbled and looked down at the ground, idly pawing at a root that was sticking out at a tall angle. It’s not like those hyena were a real threat when he was around.
Simba sighed and looked down at his son, upset the cub couldn’t even see the fault with his poor assembly. “The leopard can’t join the guard, Kion. She is already a hunter and has a role to play,” he said.
Kion sullenly pawed at the root some more.
“I don’t imagine you have asked Basi whether you can recruit his son either considering he is the leader of his pod. Kion, you do realise in the summer days you will either have to operate without the strongest member of your guard or risk his life every time you step onto an open plane?” the king explained.
Kion felt exceptionally foolish; he hadn’t even thought about Beshte getting sunburnt.
“The egret might be acceptable as your own messenger bird. I will have a word with Zazu to see if he’s up to scratch but he can’t be an actual member of the Lion Guard.”
“But why not, dad? Ono is the keenest of sight! Just like how Fuli is the fastest and Bunga is the-“ Kion shouted, getting to his feet to challenge his father.
Simba responded with a mocking laugh, batting the top of his son’s head with a paw. “I see you’ve never watched your mother hunt,” Simba grinned smugly, “these titles can only be used by lions, not inferior creatures like your friends”.
Kion was taken aback by that comment; he’d heard similar musings from plenty of the lions at Pride Rock but never from his father.
“I don’t imagine your peers will respond well if you return to Pride Rock and inform them you invited a honey badger into the Lion Guard and not them,” Simba continued, raising an eyebrow.
Kion gulped and nodded, beginning to see his father’s point. “All right, dad. I’ll create a new guard – properly this time,” the young lion replied and the way the king beamed did help dissolve the cold feeling of disappointing him.
“I think it would be best if you pretend you were only playing,” Simba advised, standing up and walking back towards the clearing.
Kion could immediately tell Fuli already knew what they had been talking about. The other boys had been animatedly chatting to one another while she lay back on a large boulder. “Hey guys,” Kion started with an awkward toothy grin. “I’m sorry I got you all excited about the guard but I was only playing this morning and… I got carried away,” the lion apologised, explaining that the Lion Guard wasn’t new but instead an ancient tradition of their land.
Simba explained the guard was for defending the Pride Lands and in a rather sweet way said they would all be holding Kion back. Only lions could demonstrate the strengths required.
Fuli got up and scoffed, giving Kion one last look before hopping off the rock and strolling off back to her plains. The other three were nodding sheepishly, afraid to say anything with Kion’s very large and very important father standing right behind him. “That’s okay, Kion. We understand right guys? It was a fun game,” Beshte smiled reassuringly, turning to Bunga who was glaring back at Simba clearly upset. “Little B?” the hippo prompted, shuffling awkwardly as the pair continued to stare at one another.
“But Kion! Just because your dad-“ the honey badger argued but Simba immediately spoke over him.
“Why don’t you take your friend back to the watering hole with you, hippo. I think he could do with cooling off,” Simba growled out, waiting for Beshte to nod before abruptly turning to Ono who squawked in fear. “You can stay, egret,” Simba nodded, making Bunga seethe even harder as Beshte pushed him away with his nose. “I have grown accustomed to Zazu’s services and know that if my son believes in your abilities you will make a fine asset for the future guard.”
Kion already knew Ono respected Zazu quite a lot for his role but both being addressed by the king and offered an important position had the egret speechless.
“Dad, his name is Ono,” Kion whispered, usually his father knew everyone’s names.
Still it didn’t matter to Ono. The bird was already giving the king an exceptionally low bow, “affirmative, your highness!” he chirped.
Simba nodded and got up, giving Kion’s head an affectionate rub. “Very well then, Ono report to Pride Rock at noon tomorrow. Kion and I shall retire for the day,” he said.
As they walked home together through the plains, Kion noticed the reception his father received from all the animals in their path. Without fail they would bow to his father and then the king would acknowledge it with a nod, only pausing to greet the other animal leaders. Usually Kion would be busy talking to his sister or playing with one of his friends to even notice it – that whole royal business was more Kiara’s speciality.
“So tell me Kion,” Simba began suddenly, turning to face his son as they began to climb up to Pride Rock, “why didn’t you invite anyone from the pride?”
Kion pouted and looked away from his father. “Because none of them will play with me - and Kiara said she couldn’t,” the cub eventually replied as he stopped in his tracks. “Every time I play with the other cubs Zazu always gets involved and turns it into a lesson.”
Simba laughed at that and said, “Zazu was like that when I was a cub too.”
Kion immediately began to wonder just how old the hornbill was.
Kion continued. “Plus they all treat me differently, just because I’m a prince. All the older lions just ignore me and sleep all day.”
“Well, that was the problem with your decision today,” Simba replied. “The guard will not be playing, Kion. You will be protecting the Pride Lands and expanding our reign - hardly the calling of those lowly animals you’ve been hanging out with.”
Kion nodded, understanding his father’s argument. It would hardly be intimidating to anyone in the Outlands if they tried to snatch some gazelle and were faced with the guard Kion had organised.
“I believe this is partly my fault as well,” the king continued, petting Kion’s head. “Your damned great uncle had already disbanded the guard when I was your age so I failed to teach you properly what your new responsibilities entailed,” the lion said, leaning down and rubbing his nose into the cub’s cheek, “I’m sorry Kion”.
The lion cub rubbed back against his father’s nose just like his mother would when Simba was apologising for something. “It’s okay dad,” he said bashfully.
“Zazu tells me that in the Guard’s Lair beneath Pride Rock there are many paintings from our ancestors. How about we summon the Royal Mijuzi tomorrow and explore them thoroughly before you make any more decisions about the guard?” Simba offered, smiling when Kion nodded back eagerly, “excellent.”
When they finally reached Pride Rock, quite a few of the other males were up and waiting for them. Kion found himself surrounded in an instant. The rest of the pride was worried they hadn’t even been able to ask Kion for a spot, asking him about whether the bravest or keenest of sight had been taken yet. Some had their claws out and Kion thought they were probably looking for Bunga. “Is that old bird senile or have you already assembled your ‘one Lion Guard’?” one growled, looming over the smaller lion.
Kion panicked a little, looking to his father who was only watching him calmly. “I have not made any decisions yet… but I would never defile the Guard’s Lair with… uhm, lesser species,” Kion replied.
That seemed to mollify the crowd for a moment but then Kion found himself inundated with brave battle stories and impressive tales of out racing leopards as every lion tried to get an invitation. Some of them were very interesting and soon the group had settled down a bit and the lion cub was sat down surrounded by his peers listening to them – even if it meant he was forced to endure the more dry arguments about who could see the furthest.
Meanwhile Simba had taken his place at Pride Rock, soon joined by Zazu who perched on his shoulder as usual. “I see you managed to talk him out of it then?” the hornbill asked as they both watched his flustered son deal with his sudden popularity.
The lion let out a long sigh. “Yes, thanks to you there wasn’t a bloodbath here today,” he said.
“Oh hardly sire, it wouldn’t have come to that” Zazu scoffed, tucking back his feathers. “You should visit Basi tomorrow and thank him. He was the one who informed me, sensible boy, always has been” the hornbill continued, Simba nodded and after a few pecks from his ever patient majordodo went over his plans for tomorrow.
‘Maybe I should get Kiara on the throne early and join the guard tomorrow’ Simba began to muse as the hornbill waffled on about some dumb gazelle with a birds nest stuck in his antlers.
