I am absolutely in love with The Lion Guard and I can't help but find the link between Janja and Kion to be immensely interesting and intriguing. And I find it difficult to put into exact words what I think about it but consider this an attempt of sorts.

Remember: I own nothing! ...I wish I owned Lion Guard plushies though...

"Sometimes I think the Lion Guard doesn't really like us." Chungu had said. Janja didn't agree with that. Not really.

Well maybe they didn't like them but they most certainly didn't hate them either. Not really anyway. Otherwise, Janja was pretty sure they wouldn't be able to get away as unscathed as they usually did. Usually that is. That time the Guard had just left them in their volcano floating around on lava was the exception. Or that time they let the crocodiles chase them away. Or when they hadn't warned them Kion was going to use his roar and throw boulders everywhere…

Okay, maybe the Guard didn't really like them.

Still, they weren't mortal enemies either. At least Kion didn't consider him – them, them- as such. After all, Janja knew that the leader of the Lion Guard was far from stupid. In fact he was rather intelligent and dominant and had good leadership qualities. Not that Janja would ever admit to that out loud. Ever. He'd sooner eat his own tail. And he loved to eat but not even Chungu would do THAT. Probably. Whatever, point is that Kion is more than capable of getting rid of a threat for good. And Janja knew he himself was more than capable to take out the Guard for good as well. If they had wanted to either one of them could've easily taken out the other.

If they had really wanted to, that is.

Janja could've snuck into the Pridelands at night and taken care of Kion then, for example. Or he could've made that rockslide land on the Guard instead of just trapping them. It would've actually taken less effort to that. But he hadn't. And he wasn't really planning on eating that cheetah or that insane honey badger. He couldn't vouch for Chungu and Cheezi though.

It hadn't been like this at the start though. When he'd heard that the Lion Guard would be created, he had actually thought of them as a threat to their food source and had every intention of disrupting them. That time, when they had attacked the herd, had been one of the few rare times Kion had used the roar on them in earnest. He'd even permanently banished them from the Pridelands. But now? Now he didn't even bother to chase hem all the way back to the Outlands. And that right there was proof enough that on some level Kion wanted him –them- around. What Kion really thought and why was a mystery to Janja though. His best guess was that Kion thought their… tacit understanding… was somehow part of the Circle of Life. So foolish.

Still, it hadn't taken long for them –his clan and Kion's Guard- to fall into a sort of pattern. A pattern that was both repetitive yet also different every time. It was familiar yet new but above all else it was exciting- no exhilarating. And that was why Janja kept going back to the Pridelands. That's why sometimes he didn't even bother hiding his presence or why he didn't even care if they returned from their endeavour with nothing to show for it. Because it was fun.
It had stopped being about food a long time ago (again, he couldn't vouch for Chungu and Cheezi). Of course he still loved to eat. Of course he made sure his clan had plenty to survive. Unlike what those lions liked to think he did take care of his clan. And the clan took care of each other. While Kion had his Guard on the lookout for him, Janja had his clanmates hunt elsewhere in the Pridelands for food. The Guard was only five animals after all. So even if they caught nothing at all, there was still something to eat back at their cave. But more food was always better of course. Why shouldn't they eat more if they can catch more? Really, if you asked him the Circle of Life was just an excuse to hide behind for incompetent hunters.

Nobody ever asked him though.

It was all rather hypocrite too. It was easy for Kion to preach about the Circle of Life day in and out. He was just a cub, a male lion cub at that. There wasn't a doubt in Janja's mind that Kion had never hunted for himself before. He'd never made a kill. Perhaps if he had he wouldn't feel so secure about his ideals. Janja didn't believe in going to such lengths to save your own dinner when you could just let it die and have a meal. Unless it was saving food for later… Okay, Janja didn't actually believe in that either. If they wouldn't get chased out immediately he wouldn't even bother taking his prey to the Outlands first. He'd just eat it where he'd killed it. Alone or together with his clan. But then again, if they didn't get chased out that would mean there was no Lion Guard. Things would be much easier for his clan and the vultures alike. No Kion to show up just when they were in the middle of the hunt, ordering his guard to take care of Chungu and Cheezi and any other hyenas he might've brought while Kion would take on Janja. Kion always took on Janja personally. He found this very amusing. Yes, it would be easier, but where's the fun in that?

"Hyenas!" And here they were again. Kion, with his Guard, facing them, a challenge in his eyes. As if he was daring Janja to stay and resist. And himself, grinning and laughing, mere moments away from initiating a tactical retreat.

"Why hiya Kion!"

Or should he take Kion up on that offer and stick around just a little while longer?

"Janja! Stay away from the herd!"

Either way they both knew that before long they would meet like this again. They always did.

"Now why would I do that, little lion cub?"

And honestly?

"Lion Guard, spread out! Leave Janja to me."

He wouldn't want it any other way.

This was Janja's side. Next is Kion's!

Hope you enjoyed!