The Lake of Reflection

The Lake of Reflection is the seventeenth episode of Season 3 of The Lion Guard.

Synopsis
When Kion's confidence as a leader is lacking, the Lake of Reflection flashes back to a young Lion Guard, helping Kion remember his past and embrace his role as a leader.

Summary
Inside the mountain pass, Makucha's Army is once again confronted by the Night Pride, though Baliyo's yawning reveals them to be tired from their night patrol. Seeing this, the Army move in to attack, only for the well-rested Lion Guard to join the fight. When Bunga suggests using the Roar of the Elders, Kion hesitates when his scar pain him,  fearing he will lose control of it. The ensuing fight against the Army turns sour as Kion and Rani's orders overlap, causing both teams to crash into each other. Frustrated, Rani  reminds Kion that she in charge. Listening to her, Kion asks Rani how can they help.

Rani instructs the Lion Guard to handle Ora while the Night Pride fights the leopards,  leaving Mama Binturong to Ono and Anga. Under Rani's command, the Army is beaten and kicked out of the pass. After this, Kion apologizes for making things worse. While  Rani assures Kion of his help, she does advise him to follow her lead from now on, doubting his capacity as leader. Angered, Fuli yells that Kion is a great leader, though  Kion doubts this, pointing he became leader of the Guard when he got the Roar, but now he can't control it. Discouraged, Kion feels he shouldn't lead until he heals his scar.

Seeing Baliyo yawning, Kion notes the Night Pride could use some rest. Rani, though, makes it clear they've can't since they're patrolling around the clock keeping the Army at bay. Wanting to help, Kion offers to have the Lion Guard patrol during the day while the Night Pride rests, allowing them to return to patrolling only at night. Rani agrees to the plan, saying she needs all the help she can get now that she's both Queen and leader of the Night Pride. Thorughout all this, Mama Binturong is seen spying on the group. On learning of Kion and Rani's weaknesses, Mama leaves as she begins to form a plan.

As the Lion Guard prepares for the daytime patrol, Kion goes to continue his healing wth Nirmala, leaving Fuli in charge of the Guard. Fuli, though, tells the others to go on without her, saying she'll catch up. Approaching Rani, Fuli takes her aside to tell her Kion doesn't seem to be getting better. In fact, Fuli notes, Kion is even worse than when he first got to the Tree of Life, having now lost his confidence. Rani encourages Fuli to trust Nirmala, just like Janna did before she died. After Fuli leaves, Rani returns to the rest of the Night Pride, where she admits to agreeing with Fuli about Kion.

Nirmala takes Kion to Pratibimba, the Lake of Reflection, and tells him to look into it. Seeing his reflection, Kion can only focus on his scar and, angered, bats the water away, saying he can't wait for it to be gone. When Nirmala says his scar may never heal, Kion starts to panic, since the whole reason he came to the Tree of Life was to heal his scar so he can be his old self again. Nirmala assures Kion his scar doesn't define him, saying it's just a flesh wound, and there's so much more to him. Tired from her patrol, she starts to leave to get some rest, telling Kion she has done everything she can for him.

Nirmala tells Kion that, to complete his healing, he must look inside himself and reflect on "what he has done" and on "what he has yet to do". Outside, Mama Binturong tells the Army what she has learned, claiming they have the perfect opportunity to attack. Noting the Night Pride patrols at night while the Lion Guard does so at daytime, Mama proposes attacking at sunset, when the latter is tired and before the former's turn. At this point, the rest of the Guard is seen walking through a bamboo forest before coming  across a group of lemurs led by Kely fighting a giant panda named Heng Heng.

Stopping the fight, the Guard listens to both groups argue over eating rights to the same  bamboo stand, with Heng Heng explaining that pandas have specific eating schedules. Not willing to let them fight it out, Fuli suggests taking them to Queen Rani, saying she will know what to do. Meanwhile, Rani finds Kion by the Lake of Reflection, who explains he's been reflecting. Taking a break, Kion tells Rani he's been thinking about his scar, and how Nirmala said it may never heal. And if it doesn't heal, Kion fears he may never be able to use the Roar and, by extension, never lead the Lion Guard as well.

Rani asks him if he really needs the Roar, recalling Janna saying it was fated to return to the Tree of Life, thinking this means the Roar should stay even if Kion doesn't. As Kion asks her if he should give up the Roar, though, the rest of the Guard come at the Lake with Keli's troop and Heng Heng, who then start presenting their case to Rani. Inspired by Kion's patrolling idea from earlier, Rani suggests they take shifts during the day, allowing them to share the bamboo stand. After both groups leave satisfied, Rani and the rest of the Guard let Kion return to reflecting, feeling they are interrupting him.

As they make their way back, Rani tells Fuli that Kion is as healed as he's ever going to get, just like Ono's eyesight: healed, but not like it used to be. When Fuli starts making plans for the Guard to return to the Pride Lands, Rani also reveals Kion's fear that he  can't lead without the Roar, much to their shock. Realizing Kion needs their support, the rest of the Guard go to him while a tired Rani leaves to get some rest. The rest of the Guard arrives at the Lake, surprising Kion, who knows they're supposed to be on patrol. Fuli says they are, and they're here to deal with an emergency: Kion himself.

Fuli assures Kion that, even if he doubts himself, she and the others don't. When Kion  starts to say he can't lead without the Roar, Anga tells him that he's always been a great leader, even before he got the Roar. When Bunga asks her how could she know this, given Anga met them all after Kion got the Roar, Anga explains she remembers seeing them all around the Pride Lands before that. Agreeing with Anga, Fuli tells Kion he needs to remember too, he needs to "Remember what makes you you". Approaching  Kion, Anga begins telling him a story, of a time when they were all much younger.

Flashing back to the past, Anga remembers seeing Kion and Bunga in the middle of a race to the watering hole, with Bunga saying the winner is a rotten egg. Though Bunga wins the race, Beshte emerges from the water, saying he got there first, thereby making him the rotten egg. Bunga is okay with this, noting he still smells lie one. Suddenly, Fuli runs up to Kion, saying a hyena is in the Pride Lands stealing an egg. Besthe suggests getting Simba for help, but Kion says they don't have time to get his dad. Realizing it's up to them to save the egg, the group starts running while Anga follows.

The hyena is then revealed to be Janja, who is seen rolling the egg back to the Outlands when Fuli stops him. Janja brings out Cheezi and Chungu while the others rejoin Fuli, making it three against four. Kion demands that Janja hand over the egg, though this only results in Cheezi and Chungu to reveal their names. Kion says he doesn't care who they are, telling them they're not allowed to take the egg. Laughing, Janja asks him who is going to stop them. Standing together as one, Kion declares they will as the four friends face the hyenas: a ghost of the future Lion Guard they will become.

Janja tells Cheezi and Chungu to distract the group while he steals the egg, calling them fur brains for the first time in the process. Springing into action, Kion orders Besthe and Fuli to take on Cheezi and Chungu while Bunga gets the egg, leaving Janja to him. Under Kion's command, the hyenas are defeated and sent running back to the Outlands. At that point, the four friends see the egg cracking and realize it's hatching. The egg hatches to reveal a newborn Ono, who chirps Hapana at the group. Watching from above, an impressed Anga compliments the Guard before flying on, ending the story.

In the present, the Lion Guard (save Ono) realize they remember that day, with Fuli telling Kion it was the day he showed them how to be a team. Fuli and Anga tell Kion that, even if the Roar made him the leader of the Lion Guard, it wasn't make him a leader: he's always been one. Kion realizes they are right, noting he didn't know about the Lion Guard or the Roar back then. Bunga then asks him if is ready to lead them on patrol. Seeing the sunset, Kion realizes it's almost time for the Night Pride to take over. Suddenly, Ullu arrives, informing the Lion Guard that the Army is moving up the pass.

Turning to his friends, Kion regains his confidence to lead and tells them to follow him. Having cleared the pass, the Army spots the Guard coming and move to fight them as Kion quickly realizes their battle strategy. As both groups engage each other, a tired Beshte is bitten by Ora, leaving him paralyzed. Anga spots the Night Pride (save Rani) approaching, with Kion quickly giving them instructions to fight the Army. As this is happening, Rani emerges from the Tree of Life to join her team. However, seeing Kion in charge, an impressed Rani stays behind to watch the fight, realizing Kion can lead.

Kion's leadership helps both groups triump over the predators, sending them running back to the pass. After the fight, Nirmala checks Beshte's bite and says he will be fine, noting the venom is wearing off. At this point, Rani approaches them, noting that Kion handled everything even without her. Realizing Fuli was right, Rani calls Kion a great leader, cheering him up. Admitting he had forgotten that, Kion now realizes he just needed a little reflection. When Bunga asks if this means he will use the Roar again, though, a tired Kion admits he isn't sure yet, saying he will reflect on it tomorrow.

At sunrise, Kion calls on Mufasa saying that, for the first time since getting his scar, he  finally feels like himself again. Although he knows his scar will never leave, Kion has come to realize that neither his scar nor the Roar define him. Recalling Janna had said the Roar was meant to return to the Tree of Life, Kion tells Mufasa he is ready to give up the Roar, feeling he can be a great leader without it. While proud of his grandson  and understanding of his decision, Mufasa tells Kion he can't take the roar from him, saying that the Roar didn't come from him since he never led the Lion Guard.

Mufasa points Kion to the nearby Cikha Escparment, the birthplace of the Roar, telling him he must go there. At the top of the escarpment, Kion meets Askari, leader of the first Lion Guard. Kion tells Askari he used to think the Roar was what made him leader of the Lion Guard. However, he now realizes he's always been a leader even without the Roar, knowing it's who he is. Doubting he can control the Roar anymore, Kion has come to give it back, feeling he doesn't need it. Approving, Askari tells him that this means he is ready: it's time for Kion to learn everything that the Roar can do.