~𝒯𝒽ℯ ℒ𝒾ℴ𝓃 𝒦𝒾𝓃ℊ: ℳ𝓎 𝒮𝓉ℴ𝓇𝓎~

~Chapter 23~ Christmas Pt. 4

Movie

As we walked through the Snow Empire, I was shocked. "Crystal... I thought the Snow Empire was the most beautiful place on Earth..." I said, still jaw-dropped. "It was... until the storm knocked everything over and took out everything and everyone." Crystal said lowering her ears. "Well right now we need to worry about getting Crystal home AND getting back to the Southlands for the holidays." Asha said. "Right. Crystal, where's your family?" I asked. "Follow me," Crystal said walking off further into the Snow Empire.

~A few moments later~

It seemed the further we went into the empire, the colder it got. I looked back shivering at the Lion Guard and they were all down. "GUYS!!" I yelled as I ran over to them. I nudged Asha's nose and said sadly as I lowered my ears, "You okay, guys?" "It's too cold. We can't go any further. None of us can." Kesi said. "Then that's where Bakari comes in." I said smirking at Bakari. He was too busy sharpening his claws on a tree to pay any attention. "BAKARI! I screamed. "What!!?" Bakari said. "Ahem...?" I said raising my eyebrow. "Ugh, come on, Crystal," Bakari said. "Wait... I'm following him?" Crystal asked. "Yes, you can trust him. I think." I smiled. Crystal lowered her ears and followed Bakari.

~A few minutes later~

"Here we are," Crystal said looking around. "Woah, this is your home? It looks like a icy version of South Rock." Bakari said as he looked at the icy version of my home only it was made out of a huge glacier. His mouth was totally dropped. "Are you kidding? It looks... exactly the same." Bakari said looking around. "This is my home. The Crystal Glacier." Crystal said. "Named after you?" Bakari asked. "Named after my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother." Crystal smiled. "Woah, that's a lot of greats," Bakari said surprised. Crystal chuckled and said, "Yeah, it is," Bakari noticed that Crystal had a scared expression on her face. "You good?" He wondered. "Yes! Never better, why?" Crystal said fake smiling. "Lowering your ears gave you away," Bakari smirked raising his eyebrow. Crystal sighed and said, "The truth is... I've never been a useful member of my leap. Maybe they don't even want me back..." Crystal said looking down. Bakari didn't care for a minute then he finally sighed annoyed and said, "Hey, I don't usually participate in my mother's dirty trick and attacks but at the end of the day, my pride still loves me." Crystal looked up at Bakari and smiled. She took a deep breath and walked up to the edge of Crystal Glacier.

On Crystal Glacier

Crystal gulped then looked around. "Mom..! Fida?" Crystal called out. She lowered her ears and said, "Hmm," "Crystal?" A voice said. Crystal gasped and then turned around and saw her mother, Adimu. "Mom!" Crystal exclaimed excitedly as she ran over to her mother and hugged her tightly. "Crystal, what are you doing here?" Adimu asked. "Well a lion helped me get here. But what about you? You sound surprised I'm here and a little... disappointed..?" Crystal said as she got off of her mom. "Crystal... I just think it's time for you to..." Adimu started and then looked at her daughter who was perplexed. Adimu looked at her oldest daughter, Fida and then looked back at Crystal. "Time to... leave!" Adimu said. "What?! Why!?" Crystal asked trying to hold back her tears. "Because... um..." Adimu started. She was trying to come up with a lie. "Because once leopards turn at least a year old into a teenager like you, they leave the leap." Adimu told her. Bakari noticed the tone in her voice though and knew she was lying. "But African leopards stay in their leaps now matter what age they are." Crystal said. "Well snow leopards dont." Adimu said. "What? But what if something happens to Fida? The leap will need someone else to take over." Crystal said. "If something happens to Fida we'll be sure to come get you, now bye-bye." Adimu said rushing her daughter away. "Bye, little sis," Fida said smiling. "Uh... ok?" Crystal said shrugging away sadly as she looked back at them.

"Are you kidding? You're really gonna take that?" Bakari asked. "You heard my mother. When snow leopards become teenagers they leave the leap. Those are the rules." Crystal told him. "You believed that?!? Your mom was clearly just trying to come up with an excuse to kick you out!" Bakari said. Crystal looked back at Crystal Glacier and then looked down sadly. "Now go back over there and DEMAND to get welcomed back into your leap!" Bakari said using his head to scoot Crystal back over to Crystal Glacier. Crystal unleashed her claws and dug them into the ice so that Bakari couldn't move her any further. "I can't go back!! If what you say is true then my leap isn't gonna want me back. My mom probably lied for a reason. Because I'm the weak one, OK?! Let's just go back to Kia and her friends so we can tell her what happened." Crystal said storming off.

On the borders of the Snow Empire, I saw Bakari and Crystal walking back to us. "There's Bakari!" Asha said excitedly. "And there's Crystal..." I said confused. Once Crystal and Bakari were all the way out of the Snow Empire I said, "Crystal, why aren't you back home?" "Um, seems leopards have rules-" Crystal started then Bakari interrupted, "Her leap kicked her out. Her mother to be exact." Crystal snarled at Bakari. "Woah! Your own mother kicked you out of the only home you ever knew?! Epic! What kind of drama happened!?" Asha asked. Kesi hit Asha's head and glared at her. "Wait, your mom kicked you out? A leopard shouldn't even be able to do that." I said. "Well I'm the weakest one in the leap so..." Crystal said looking down. "Now what?" Kesi asked. "Yeah, we cant just leave her here." Asha said. "But we also can't let her stay in the Southlands." Naju said. I gasped and pinned Naju down and said, "Naju, you are a genius! Come on, guys, I've got an idea!" I ran off to the Southlands and Naju said, "Uh... that just happened," Then the Lion Guard rushed off to the Southlands with Crystal. Bakari sat down and called to me, "Remember, Kia! You owe me now!"

Thanks for reading!