Chapter 11

Kion and his Lion Guard arrived at the border of the Tree of Life.  Kukimb had come along with them, wanting to see his mother again.  He had recovered from his time with Harako fairly quickly, proving his worth as Strongest of Heart.  As they walked through the mountain pass, Bunga spotted a beehive.  When he started to run up to it, the whole Guard except Kukimb looked at each other.


"Bunga!"  Kion called.  "Don't!"


Bunga was already on the wall, climbing up.


"Hakuna matat-" Bunga started before falling, rocks coming down.


"Bunga!"  Fuli groaned.


"Beshte?"  Kion asked.  "Can you free Bunga?  I can use the Roar if there's nobody on the other side."


"On it, Kion," Beshte moved towards Bunga.


As Beshte was helping to free Bunga, Ullu flew above them and landed in front of Kion.


"Is it possible for you to make an entrance here without causing a rockslide?"  she asked.  "That's the second time."


"Bees are tasty!"  Bunga protested, running up to the owl.


"We're sorry about that,"  Kion said.  "Can you make sure nobody's on the other side of the rocks so we can clear them?"


"On it," Ullu flew up and over the rocks, seeing the Night Pride.  "Night Pride!  Get on the other side."


"Can Kion and his friends come here without causing a rockslide?"  Rani asked.  "I swear, they're going to make these mountains not exist anymore."


Rani turned to her Night Pride.


"Let's go, then," she said.  They walked over the rocks.


"Rani!  Night Pride!"  Kion greeted.


"Kion!  Lion Guard!"  Rani returned.


"Where's Nirmala?"  Kion asked.


"She's unable to be on the Night Pride," Surak explained.  "She's expecting cubs."


"Cubs?"  Bunga asked.  "I can't wait!"


Surak chuckled.


"Who's that lion there?"  Kion asked, seeing Sira next to Rani.


"I'm Sira," Sira said.


"He's a great lion," Rani said.  She stopped herself from saying anything else.


Kion smiled and made eye contact with Rani.  He was happy that she had finally moved on and found another mate.


"Okay," Kion said.  "Night Pride, get behind me."


The Night Pride got behind Kion, knowing what he was going to do.  Kion closed his eyes, the wind picking up.


Sira looked at Rani.


"What's going on?"  he asked.


"You haven't heard about the Roar of the Elders?"  Rani asked.


"No," Sira said.


"Watch," Rani said.


Kion Roared, shattering the rocks.  He stumbled back in surprise.  His Roar had never done that before.  He put a paw up to his scar.  That was why.


"Kion!"  Fuli exclaimed.  She ran up to the lion.  "Are you okay?"


Kion flicked his tail, a gesture for Fuli to follow him.  They both walked away.


"That was unbungalievable!"  Bunga exclaimed.  "Let's head to the Tree now."


"No," Rani said.  "Let's wait for Kion and Fuli to come back.  I don't want them to miss Sira's coronation."


On top of not wanting either of them to miss Sira's coronation, Rani was worried about Kion.  Fuli must've run up to him for a reason, but Rani couldn't figure out why.




Kion was walking near a forest with Fuli.


"Are you okay?"  Fuli asked again; she had saw Kion put his paw to his scar.


"I don't know," Kion admitted.  "My scar started to hurt right before I Roared, causing me to lose control."


"Didn't we beat Scar twice?"  Fuli asked.


"What happens twice will happen thrice," Kion said gravely.  "I just hope that three times is the charm."


"We're all here for you, Kion," Fuli said.  "I can take over the Guard if you need."


"It should be fine," Kion said.  "But if my scar starts acting up again, we should really tell the Guar-Night Pride."


"You worried that you might snap, aren't you?"  Fuli asked.


"Yeah," Kion said.  "Tuliza doesn't work anymore."


"You won't snap," Fuli said.


"Fuuls," Kion said.  "Every time my scar hurts, I feel like I'm going to snap.  I know one day I will.  If, no, once I do, make sure I don't hurt anybody.  You take my place."


Fuli almost stumbled back at the tone in her mate's voice.  He had never used it before, and she knew he was serious.


"You're not going to snap!"  she snapped.  "We're all here for you!"


Fuli's voice softened.


"I'm here for you, most of all," she said.  "You're my mate, Kai.  I couldn't bear to be without you."


Kion licked Fuli's cheek.


"Asante, Fuli," he said.  "I needed that.  You're the only one I know who could be comforting, yet harsh."


"Yeah," Fuli said.  "I don't know what came over me."


"No," Kion said.  "If you said it calmly, it wouldn't have the same effect.  I needed you to be harsh."


"Ah," Scar's voice said in Kion's head, causing him to put a paw to his scar.  "So I see how you've been able to resist me so well.  You 'have your friends'.  Very generic, but it works."


"Get out of my head!"  Kion commanded.  "You should be dead!"


Kion growled, closing his eyes and putting his paw down.  Taking deep breaths, he remembered how he defeated Scar after the Great Battle.  The feeling of the water on his fur, the sizzle as Scar's spirit disappeared, the feeling of pride he had gotten, the scent of his friends around him.


Kion shook his head.


"I'm good now," he said.  "I don't want to ruin anything between Rani and Sira.  If Sira's going to get coronated soon, they deserve to just be happy."


"I'm telling them if your scar acts up, no matter what you say," Fuli said.


"Yeah," Kion agreed.  "I was going to tell them after it does again."




Sira looked at Rani.


"Didn't you say Kion would come with his mate?"  he asked quietly.  "He's the only lion here."


"Exactly," Rani matched Sira's volume.  "Which one seemed to care the most about him?"


"The cheetah?"  Sira guessed.


"You're right," Rani said.  "But once you get to know Fuli, she's a great cheetah."


"She can't be as great as you," Sira said.


"We all have our likes, Sira," Rani responded.  "I can see why Kion likes her.  She's-"


Rani cut herself off as she saw Kion and Fuli come walking up to them.


"Oh, Kion!"  Rani called.  "Are you okay?"


"Yeah," Kion said.  "Thanks for asking.  And thanks for waiting for us."


"Sira's getting coronated soon," Rani explained.  "I didn't want you to miss it."


"You didn't have to wait for us," Kion said.  "But let's get on with it."


"I was hoping you could sing for it," Rani said.  "Instead of that weird disembodied voice.  It'll feel more comfortable."


"I'll try," Kion said.  "And yeah, those disembodied voices are weird."


The Night Pride walked to the Tree of Life.  It was around sunset, so time for the coronation.




[Kion]


Long live the king


Him and the queen side-by-side


The Circle of Life keeps movin' on


And the stars are all aligned




[Tree of Life Inhabitants]


Our hearts and voices sing


(Hearts and voices sing)


All praise and glory bring


(Praise and glory bring)


Goodwill and joy in everything


(In everything)




Long live, long live the queen!


(Long live the queen)


Long live, long live the king!


(Long live the king!)


Long live, long live the queen!


(Long live the queen)


Long live, long live the king!




Sira nudged Rani happily inside the Tree of Life.  The coronation was over; they had eaten their share at the feast.  He had talked to Kion and Fuli (albeit, it was Rani who had nudged him towards them), and immediately saw why Rani liked them.  Fuli had a strong aura around her, and so did Kion.  They were easy to get along with, but Sira noticed they were hiding something.  When the topic of scars came up, they both seemed to get a little uncomfortable.  When Sira asked Rani about it, she told him not to worry.


"That was fun," he said.


"Yeah," Rani agreed.  She licked Sira's cheek.  "I'm glad you're here."


"I'm glad you're here, too," Sira rested his head against Rani's.  "You wanna go out and look at the stars?"


"Sure," Rani said.




After the coronation, Fuli had met up with her brother.  She was meeting Kion later on to go starwatching, but she wanted Kukimb to meet Duma.  He probably hadn't seen her in forever.  They walked up to where Duma had made her den, and Fuli looked inside.


"Mom?"  she called.  "Are you awake?"


"I am," Duma came walking out and immediately saw her son.  "Kukimb!"


Her eyes teared up as she brushed herself against Kukimb's side.


"Harako told me you were dead," she sobbed.  "I can't believe you're alive!"


Duma's sobs turned into a purr as she pulled away from Kukimb.


"Both my cubs are alive," she wiped tears from her eyes.  "I can't believe it.  How'd you survive?"


"Harako told me both of you were dead," Kukimb said.  "I don't know how I survived his abuse."


Fuli looked up at the sky.  It was almost time for her to meet Kion.


"I'm meeting Kion soon," she said.  "Can I go?"


"Come back here at sunrise or when you two wake up," Duma said.  "I also want to get to know Kion more."


Duma saw the look on Fuli's face.


"Don't worry, Fuuls," she said.  "I'm not going to make you stop being mates with Kion.  You love him.  And besides, if the queen thought he was good enough for her, he can't be bad."


"Alright," Fuli said.  She walked off.


"Harako really damaged her," Duma observed.  "Back when she was a little cub, she would talk to everyone she saw.  But now, she's so withdrawn."


"What was she like when she was little?"  Kukimb asked.  He didn't think Harako had damaged him that badly emotionally, but physically was completely different.  Harako had given him a scar across his muzzle and the bottom of both ears.  There were plenty of other scars, but his fur had grown over them, hiding them.


"She would talk to most animals she saw," Duma said.  "She was so full of energy.  And so open to the world.  Before I left for here, she had gotten more closed off, but there was this glimpse of her old self once she told us she was on the Lion Guard.  It made her so happy.  But now she's like this.  I wonder which Fuli Kion fell in love with."


"He knew her since she was young, right?"  Kukimb asked, and Duma nodded.  "He probably loves both Fulis.  He's mates with her, but-"


"He fell in love with her when she was a cub," Duma said.  "And they're mates now."




Fuli ran up to Kion, nudging him in the shoulder.


"I hope I'm not late," she said.


"You're not," Kion said.  "Come on.  Let's lie down.'


They both lied down and turned their focus to the stars.  It made Fuli feel so good.  Like she was a cub again, not caring about anything in the world.  It always brought up this feeling inside her that she hadn't felt since Harako's abuse had gotten worse.


Fuli opened her eyes.  She was cuddled with Kion in the middle of the field they had been watching stars in.  They must've fallen asleep during it.  The sun was halfway to noon.  She nudged Kion awake.


"My mom wanted to get to know you," she said once he was awake.


"Is that the best idea with how I am right now?"  Kion asked.  "I had the worst dream last night."


"Do you want to tell me about it?"  Fuli asked.


"Scar was back, but not as a spirit this time," Kion responded.  "He was how he actually looked before he died.  And he was standing on Pride Rock.  Under him were bodies.  Not just any bodies, but ones I recognized."


Kion's voice got softer.


"Mufasa, my mom, my dad, Rani, Bunga," he sobbed.  "Everyone I ever cared about was dead.  Except for you.  You were beside me.  We were resting against each other until Scar came down.  He scratched you right through the heart and didn't stop there.  He sliced your whole stomach open.


'Cubs can only be born on my terms,' he growled.  'You have been a very bad cat, Kion.  I warned you to not get her expecting.'


I didn't respond.  I was too focused on your body.  Blood was pouring out of your stomach.  The worst part was, you were already dead.  I saw your flank slowly stop moving.  There was nothing I could do.  I think you saved me from seeing Scar do something worse to you.  Asante."


"You know that's not going to happen, Kion," Fuli assured.  "We can defeat Scar before it comes to that.  And I'm not going to be expecting anytime soon."


"You're right," Kion said.  "I really think I'd be a complete mess without you."


"You're still a mess," Fuli teased.  "But you're my mess."


"Kion!  Fuli!"  Ullu called.  "We have two foxes and two cougars coming up the mountain pass!  The Night Pride's already on their way."


"We'll be right there!"  Kion called back.  He looked at Fuli and nodded.  They ran up to the mountain pass.


"Kion!"  Rani called.  "Fuli!  You're both here!"


"Ullu told us what was happening," Kion said.


"You know that these four animals are bad news," Scar's voice said in Kion's head.


Kion winced and put a paw to his scar.


"I'll be back," he said.  As he left, he gave Fuli a nod.  Permission to tell the Night Pride about what was happening.


"That dream is more realistic than you think, Kion," Scar continued.  "Everyone you love will be dead sooner than you think.  I already have almost enough power to be fully revived.  Thanks to all your anger.  You've been a good host.  I'll see you around."


Kion winced as Scar's spirit left his body.  He knew his scar was still there - it was a physical injury.  But it didn't hurt anymore.  He breathed a sigh of relief as he just focused on him feeling much better.  The feeling didn't last long.


[Kion,] Fuli's voice said in his head.  [Rani's scar is starting to hurt.]


[On my way,] Kion responded, walking towards the mountain pass.  It's a good thing Rani doesn't have the Roar of the Elders.


Kion arrived at the mountain pass and saw Rani growling at the rest of the Night Pride.  As he ran down to them, Sira came up to him.


"What's going on?"  he asked.  "This isn't Rani."


"It isn't," Kion said.  He turned to Fuli.  "Can you go run to Makini and see if she has some tuliza?"


"On it, Kion," Fuli ran off.


"Sira," Kion said.  "Try to snap Rani out of it.  You're probably going to do the best out of all of us."


"Why me?"  Sira asked.  "I can't do anything."


"I've been in her position," Kion said.  "Fuli was the only one who could snap me out of it."



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