Lion Guard: Neema the Leopard

Chapter 8 (2-21-2017)

(i stopped naming the chapters because it's challenging and i feel like it spoils too much of the plot.)

Kion and the rest of the lion guard run towards the outlands. "Ono. Did you see which way she went?" Kion asks.

"I did." Ono calls. "it was right into Janja's territory."

"what?!" Kion yells. "why would she do that!?"

"I think she did it on accident." Ono replies. "she was carrying a dead impala with her, so she probably couldn't smell the hyenas."

"I hope we aren't too late." Kion speeds up. "Ono go ahead of us and see if you can find her. see if she's ok."

"affirmative." Ono glides down into a dive and speeds towards the outlands.

"I should go with Ono." Fuli calls. "we're both fast."

"your right fuli." Kion nods. "go on ahead."

"right." Fuli kicks up dust as she blows past Kion and disappears.

"you don't think she's really in danger?" Beshte asks.

"I don't know Beshte." Kion frowns. "I don't think Janja would hurt her but she barely managed to take on three hyenas at once. If Janja's pack does attack her she won't be able to hold out against them."

-Outlands-

"anything yet Ono?!" Fuli calls.

"not yet Fuli." He looks around and stops surprised. "we've got company!!"

Fuli slides to a stop as Hyenas start coming out from behind rocks. "Ono..."

Ono looks around. "There's a lot of them Fuli."

"Lion guard?" Janja smirks taking a few steps out from the pack of on looking hyenas. "careful you're not in the pridelands anymore."

"where is neema!?" Fuli growls.

"neema?" Janja smirks. "why do you care? You all drove her out."

"we didn't mean too." Fuli's ears fold back.

"Janja!" Kion growls as he slides up next to Fuli. "what did you do with Neema!?"

"do with her?" Janja laughs and looks over his shoulder. "what did we do with the leopard?" he turns half way back to Kion and smirks. "She came here after being driven out by you. Turns out we have a lot in common."

"Neema belongs in the pridel..." Kion starts but he's interrupted by a loud growl that echo's through the canyon. "hu?"

The Hyenas step aside and Neema pads up the center.

"Neema!" Ono says happily. "you're ok!"

"yes I am..." Neema replies coldly glaring at Kion. "no thanks to you five."

Kion's ears fold back. "it was just a misunderstanding."

"we came here to get you." Fuli insists.

"I don't care." Neema growls. "You only care when it's convenient for you. You never trusted me from day one and if I go back now nothing will change." Her claws slide out and glisten against the moonlight. "You pridelanders should go back home before somebody gets hurt."

Janja laughs as do a few other hyenas.

"Neema..." Ono frowns.

"I said leave." Neema growls showing her teeth. "now!"

"Lion guard... move." Kion calls out his order. His friends all turn and leave but he stays behind. "Neema... I'm sorry." He folds his ears back. "I should have trusted you more."

"OUT!" Neema growls.

Kion nods and leaves following his friends.

Janja laughs as he watches the lion guard turn tail and flee. "look at them run! haha!!!!" He turns to Neema with a smirk "you sure told them."

"yeah." Neema turns and looks at the territory deeper into the outlands. "what kind of animals live deeper into the outlands."

"deeper?" Janja shurgs. "well there are other hyena packs, jackals, a group of lions that was banished from the pridelands. None of which are too friendly."

"any reason to believe they might try to take this territory?" Neema asks.

Janja frowns. "I would hope not. we've out here for years and nobody has tried to take our territory."

"good." Neema nods and leaps up onto a low rock. "and what about food?"

"um..." Janja looks around. "most prey animals moved to the pride lands a while ago. Sometimes we get mice or possums. Occasionally some animals get lost and wonder into the outlands but it isn't enough ta rely on."

"I see." Neema frowns. She looks up at a taller rock judging the distance between that rock another rock and a ledge. "then you all are hunting in the pridelands for food?"

"yes." Janja nods.

"and cuz it's fun!" Cheezi laughs.

"can it fur brain." Janja growls.

"you shouldn't stifle your pack Janja." Neema glances over at Janja. "everyone likes to be heard sometimes. Even if they have bad ideas."

Janja seems a bit surprised. "I hadn't thought about that..."

Neema makes the jump onto the next rock until she's on the flat ledge. She looks towards the pridelands. "those pride landers won't know what hit them when I'm finished." She grins. "for now act as if nothing has changed. When the time comes be ready." She leaps from the ledge over the canyon onto another flat rock. "I'm going out but I'll be back."

Janja watches Neema leap around the rocks before disappearing.

"is she on our side?" Cheezi questions.

"I don't know." Janja frowns. "I don't know anything about leopards... or anything about reading minds." He looks at Chungu. "she seemed a bit too friendly towards us though. You think she's going to end up like scar?"

"I don't know." Chungu shrugs. "I don't think she wants to be king of the pridelands."

"not that stupid!" Janja growls. then he pauses. "what I mean is do you think she's trying to use us."

"oh I don't know." Chungu shrugs. "but it would be easier for us to get food with her help."

"because she's powerful." Cheezi laughs.

Janja nods. "that's right. Because if she's on our side the lion guard can't stop us. Mzingo said this leopard cub took on three full grown hyenas by herself and won." He laughs. "There's no way the lion guard could possibly beat her."

"but what about the roar?" Cheezi frowns.

"I don't think Kion would use the roar on Neema..." Janja smirks. "not while his friends were in the way. I think we should train her to fight the lion guard."

"that could be fun." Chungu nods.

"but how do you know if she can fight them herself when we can't?" another hyena says.

"because she's got a lot of power she just needs to learn how to use it." Janja looks at the rocks that Neema had jumped on. "I don't know if she's realized just how strong she is, but we can use that to our advantage."

"and how do you expect to get her to listen to us?" the other hyena replies.

"time fur brain... just give me time." Janja walks down the canyon towards the way Neema went. "you idiots stay here and hold the fort I'm going to follow her."