Journey To Kin

Chapter Two

Fuli ran after Kion who dashed out of the Lair's entrance. Skidding to a stop under the blue sky, they looked to the right and saw Nala's tail-tip vanish to the right of the outside of the Lair. Kion bounded ahead and veered right, Fuli following behind.

Suddenly, Kion's paws kicked out from under him and he tumbled downwards!

Fuli wasn't able to stop in time and collided into him, rolling over into a tangle of paws and tails. Under her, Kion pressed his paw into the left side of his face, groaning. Getting off of him and looking back, she saw the rest of the Lion Guard, Makini, Simba, and Kiara running up to them, stopping behind them. She looked down at Kion, who had one orange-brown eye open, then back at where Nala had been in view— now she was long gone.

Kion finally lifted his head, stumbling uneasily to his feet. "Mom!" Fuli quickly circled in front of him, blocking him from going any further. It wouldn't be smart in his current state to go running.

She opened her mouth, tasting the air; Nala's scent seemed to go in a straight line. "Anga, fly up and see if you can spot her!"

The martial eagle took off, flying higher and higher. "Got her!" she called. "She's heading towards Ukuni Woods!"

Before anyone could say anything else, Fuli took off, the grassy green plains tearing up behind her. Behind her, she heard "Let us help!" countered by Simba's kingly "Thank you, but I think this is a family matter."

But Fuli was too far ahead to stop now, and besides, why would she when she was straight on Nala's trail? She thought of venom-poisoned Kion— dizzy, confused, and worried about his mother. Faint pawsteps thrummed far behind her. Opening her mouth, she tasted the air. Nala's scent filled her nostrils. Got her! The plains, previously only lightly dotted with acacia trees, began to grow thicker. A line of trees just in Fuli's vision caught her eye. "Huwezi!" She bounded faster and faster, dashing past the line of trees and into the woods. Bounding ahead, she zigzagged through the path of trees, tasting the air. Nala's scent seemed to zigzag too.

"It was your fault!"

Fuli slowed, stopping as Nala's voice cried again from the bushes to her forward-right, "How could you?"

Fuli crept closer, flattening herself lower. Was the queen being attacked?! By who?! Stepping forward slowly —if Nala was being attacked, it'd be best to take the attacker by surprise—, the green leaves in her vision gave way to an opening just big enough for Fuli to see that the queen was actually alone, pacing back and forth in a grassy clearing. "You promised! You PROMISED!" she shouted to herself, tears streaming down her face. "Nirmala asked you to take good care of Kion! And you did! But you..." A wallowing sob cut her off. "You broke it."

A mixture of concern and confusion swarmed Fuli's heart. What was Nala talking about? And what should the cheetah do?

"Nirm... the Outlander... the Outsider gave him to you to give him a better life! How would she feel knowing her son's done nothing but suffer! All of that just to lie to everyone about Kion being my cub!"

WHAT?! Fuli stepped out of the bushes and Nala whipped around to face her. I didn't hear that right!

"Fuli?!" Nala stuttered, shocked. "W..what are you doing here?!"

"Looking for you." What was she saying?! A promise about Kion... an Outsider... 'her son'?! An Outsider?! "What are you talking about?!"

Nala stared at Fuli, wide eyed, a thousand emotions mixing together in her face. "Have you...been listening?" Fuli was only halfway through a nod when the cream colored lioness rushed closer. Fuli backed away a little as she pleaded, "You can't say. Please, Fuli." Nala's words went faster than Fuli's mind could process what was happening. "It's for the best..."