Kion's Demise

Chapter 6

Kion rested against Fuli's form. He ached with boredom and longing. Fuli's soft touch to his shoulder did nothing to comfort him. He longed to see again and longed to hear again

Everyone knows I can't though.

He felt soft licks on his pelt. He knew Fuli was grooming it - due to his blindness and deafness... he couldn't.

He remembered the fateful day he turned deaf. It was horrible.

"Fuli! I can't hear you! Why can't I hear?! Fuli, help me!"

He felt her nuzzle him passionately. She seemed sad.

"What's going on?! Help me, please!"

She pressed her pelt against his. It calmed him a bit, but he was still shaking. He felt her put her paw on his scar and then rest it near his ears, then repeated.

Kion seemed to get the message and his ears dropped low. He felt hot tears began to fall from his blind eyes. "No! Please no!" He thought he said.

Fuli nuzzled him once more, then used her tail-tip to guide him into the den.

"Fuli! Help me!" Kion cried. He broke away from her touch and dashed around. Then suddenly, he knocked his head against something hard and yelped in pain. He fell to the ground, pressing his paws against his head.

"Fuli," he whimpered. "Please, help me."

He felt her comforting touch as she licked his forehead and tears streamed down his cheeks.

**

Pity overwhelmed Ono. 

His friend was blind too. And deaf. And helpless.

He knew what it was like. He had hated it. And now his best friend was going through this as well.

Ono noticed that Kion didn't move a muscle. "Kion?" He asked again. He noticed Fuli rested her tail-tip on his shoulder, then he followed her out of the small den to meet Ono again.

"Hi Kion!" He exclaimed excitedly. "I got my sight back!" Kion still didn't respond. Ono looked over at Fuli.

"What happened?" Ono asked curiously. "Why isn't Kion responding?"

Fuli trembled and she rested her tail-tip on Kion's shoulders. "Kion... his scar caused him to... go blind and deaf."

"What?! Hapana, how could this happen?!"

Fuli took a deep breath and sighed. "The venom was too much." It looked like every word pained her. "His body couldn't handle it."

She then nudged Kion's paw to touch Ono's wing. Kion looked shocked, but then his lips formed a small smile. "Ono?" The words came out not much more than a whisper. "It's great to see you again-" Kion abruptly cut himself off. "Did you get your sight back?"

"Kion..." Was the only word that came out of his mouth. He gently rested his wings on the lion's ears and near his eyes.

He didn't respond.

And how would this all end? Ono wondered. With death? A sorrowful and sad death? Or would some miracle happen to save the lion?

Only time would ever tell.