The Lion Guard: Desire of the Soul (KionxFuli)

Chapter 7: The Daylight Guardians Reborn

I think I'll do 2 (or 3) chapters a day from now on.

Kion, the former Lion Guard, and Tai finally approached the Tree of Life. They all slipped in through the entrance and padded down to the Tree's underground hollow. Chills went down Fuli's spine as she looked around the dark hollow, clusters and trails of bioluminescent fungi glowed an eerie green as they clung to the sides of the Tree, lighting up the Guard's path as they continued down. They finally came across the Royal Chamber, a large, flat rock about Beshte's length laid right in the middle. That was reserved for the healer, who uses the stone to channel the Tree of Life's healing powers. The Tree's roots entwining the base while some dangled from the ceiling. The Queen's presence was nowhere to be seen.

"Rani?" Kion called out for his mate. "Rani, are you there?"

"Kion?" a voice sounded from the darkness.

Footsteps followed by a series of hollow clattering sounded from the chamber where the monarchs slept in, which was then revealed to be Makini. Fuli noticed that she still had her bakora staff, which had belonged to the former Royal Majuzi. The one that Sahvan murdered...

"Makini, where's Rani?" Kion asked.

"She's in there," Makini said, pointing towards the Monarch's Chamber, the entrance blocked by a curtain of moss-covered roots. "She actually wanted to see you all."

"Really?" Kion said. What does Rani want? He turned around and nodded to his friends. "Okay, we'll see her."

"I'll wait here," Tai said.

"Are you sure?" Anga asked.

"Oh yes, you guys go on," he replied, waving his wing dismissively.

"Alright, then. Lets go," Kion said.

Makini led him and the rest of the former Lion Guard away while Tai stayed where he is. Makini, Kion, Fuli, Beshte, Bunga, and Ono slipped through the roots and they found Rani. The Queen was sitting on a flat rock much larger than the Healing Stone with a nest made from moss and soft leaves sprawled across the top side, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws as she stared up at the paintings that covered this part of the Tree of Life. Her ears twitched and she turned around.

"Oh, there you are," she said. She got up and leapt off the Monarch's Rock, she padded towards the group. She and Kion greeted each other with a nuzzle and she gave Makini a nod. "Come with us. I have something to show you all."

Rani and Makini then led the Guard deeper into the Monarch's Chamber, which eventually led out to a hallway. The walls of the space was completely covered with paintings skillfully made by the many Royal Majuzis from different generations.

"This is the History Hall," Rani spoke as she and her friends continued on, "This is where the Royal Majuzis record all of our pride and kingdom's events."

Fuli gazed at all the different paintings with awe, it reminded her much of the Lair of the Lion Guard. Each painting told a different part of the Night Pride and Tree of Life's history, and Fuli was eager to know what each painting stood for. She then stopped to look at one, it was a painting of her and the Lion Guard first arriving at the Tree of Life. She remembered how the Night Pride first greeted them with hostility, even going as far as telling them to never come near their home ever again. Now they were friends, they were one team.

Who knew that one big journey would change our lives forever?

She gazed at the painting thoughtfully for a few more heartbeats before continuing along. Finally, Rani motioned everyone to stop. They were now looking at one section of the wall, covered with different paintings of lions.