lot to help me and keep me in good stead, and this is my return favour. Until it is the right time to cut the speed down by half or stop sharpening those claws as hard, or even bite just a little more gently, I am more than happy to keep going with this unique team.

Besthe: When you are working with a fine bunch of individuals in one team who are also your good friends, and when you have many more outside of that, it really makes the job more enjoyable. I love what I am doing and and I will only stop until my eventual successor out-powers me in shifting those big rocks!

Bunga: I was born for this sort of stuff! Work and danger is exactly what I live for and there is no way that I am giving up on this anytime soon. As long as I remain fearless, nothing is going to stop me even as I grow older. Until my last breath, I am sticking to my duty as the Bravest in the Pride Lands.

Kion: When you are working together in a healthy, fit and friendly team environment that is very committed and builds and reveals character, you really have to enjoy what you are doing. If you did not enjoy your job, then perhaps you do not belong there. Alternatively, by showing a willingness to learn and giving it a chance, the time that you spend within the working environment allows you to adapt to it and therefore a chance to enjoy it.

We all have plenty of years left in us and we could possibly break the record one of these days for being the longest reigning Lion Guard in the history of the Pride Lands. We already have broken it for being the youngest ever and the first of its kind to not feature all lions, so to have that third record would be  a nice achievement. But I am not interested in that. I am more concerned about continuing our duty for however long it takes. When the times comes when we are physically or mentally incapable of further performing our work, that is when we will call it quits. In the meantime, nothing and nobody is going to stop us and nothing and nobody ever will. We are the Lion Guard, and we are here to serve and protect.

What facets do you believe you have gained working in the Lion Guard?

Ono: I think it has definitely helped to build a sense of trust between both predator and prey. We have two predators and three pray in our team, and the two races combined and working together allow other animals to see how this connection works and bring out the true meaning of the delicate balance of life.

Fuli: A chance to go beyond your level of expectation when others think negatively about you or do not think that you can be better than who you are. It includes getting smarter, stronger, faster, and even wiser. Staying composed under pressure and defying the critics feels very good, and you can gain further respect that way, too.

Besthe: A chance to really get around the Pride Lands and meet and befriend new animals, especially newcomers or rare species that you would not find in most other places, such as Okapi's and Black Rhino's. You can also assist them in thriving so that their numbers can be preserved.

Bunga: More opportunities for adventure and chances to challenge yourself against all the things that nature throws your way so that you can gain greater appreciation of the world you are living in and enjoy life a lot more.

Kion: Above most, I would say the coming-of-age experience in being smarter and wiser. You always start out innocent, playful and adventurous, but once you reach a certain age, things start to change and you have to become a little more responsible to benefit the lives of others as well as your own. If you want to keep enjoying life, you have to earn it. You have to go out into the great world, love everyone and try to make everyone happy, and this requires solid work, compassion and integrity. You must aid in bringing peace everywhere you go and never backing down from anything in times of great need to maintain that peace. Your help to the world will bring a return favour and therefore a sense of unity, which makes life more enjoyable for what it is. That is what the Circle of Life is all about.

So remember, 'till the Pride Lands' end...

ALL: LION GUARD DEFEND!!!

END

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© October 2016

BlackJack16.