Hobbling next to the Mayor as he began to walk, Nuka’s ears turned to listen to him attentively. The sort of hero that Damien was explaining slowly reminded Nuka of a group of animals back home.
“Sounds like the Lion Guard…” he scoffed, looking down at his paws. He remembered hearing about their deeds long after they’d swept them out of the less barren part of the Outlands. They’d rescue creatures trapped in ravines, calm down herds of wild Zebra and even tried to put out fires; or, at least, those were the stories he’d heard. “So…humans have people like that, too?”
It seemed a strange concept to Nuka. Did humans have their own version of the Lion Guard? What would that be, the Human Guard? It sounded funny when he thought of it, prompting a small smile against his muzzle as he watched his paws.
Nuka looked up as Damien spoke again, head twitching to the side as he listened. “I’m not sure that’s heroic, though…” he admitted. “That just sounds…nice.” His tail twitched behind him, red eyes meeting Damien’s gaze. “Do you do things like that? I thought a Mayor was a Leader, right? Leader’s try to help out, don’t they?”
What almost sounded like disbelief made Damien chuckle. Maybe he had been rather fortunate in his explanation after all if something sounded familiar to the lion.
“The small acts are often the ones overlooked and taken for granted, but they can make quite an impact over time. Mayhaps they are simple good deeds, or possibly even good manners; but mayhaps they can be the start of something better - encourage someone to look beyond their own needs and see how to help another.” When the lion began to ‘speak’, Damien slowed to a brief halt. It was too much of a response to be a simple ‘yes/no’ question, which meant that the topic might be shifted entirely. With the myriad of options, how would he know which train of thought was the right one?
“Sometimes… All it takes is the right inspiration. A ‘role model’, so to speak. It’s what I try to do while working here or where I am from. I hope that trying to do good encourages others to do the same.”
Nuka lowered his head and thought about that concept for a moment. It was as if a rock had been pushed aside in his mind, opening up into a cave of ideas he’d never considered before. Good deeds leading to a greater impact over time, like dropping a stone into the water and watching the surface ripple. It made sense, but it felt like a strange thing to think about. Perhaps, if he’d been less obsessed with proving himself to his mother, he may have been able to help end the feud between the Pride Lands and the Outlands, leading his pride back to where they wished to be. Though, he felt it was probably better not to dwell on that for now.
Sensing he’d confused Damien, his ears shrunk back. “Oh right, sorry...should’ve slowed down, huh?” Yet, at his answer he felt a small weight be lifted from his shoulders. At least he seemed to understand a small portion of his ramblings.
“So, you are kind of a hero, then?” he decided with a firm nod of his head. “You think I could be a leader? Always thought I could but I never had the chance.”
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