New day, new chores. It wasn't easy to take on the duties and responsibilities of the Royal Mjuzi, especially given that Rafiki had been killed during the chaos emanating from the warring prides. But King Simba had given her the role with faith in her abilities. Makini smiled as she recalled the ceremony, and how Simba had even pointed out that error was nature's own way of teaching. A lesson that Rafiki himself had taught him once, perhaps. She'd have to ask about that.

As the sun begun to set, Makini returned to the Mjuzi tree, satisfied. Today she'd healed a rash, hid a baby zebra from a naughty hyena(a leftover from Janja's days) and even managed to settle a deal between the notoriously demanding crocodiles and hippos for watering hole rights. Inside the cooling tree, hidden from the burning sun, Makini washed herself and then committed to some final tasks such as preparing her tools and potions for tomorrow and of course... checking on the patient.

Kion, now known amongst the Pridelanders as the Son of Scar, was hidden in a secret cave under the Mjuzi tree formed naturally out of the gigantic roots. There, what was left of him was tightly tied from various places, keeping his body immobile and preventing him from literally falling apart until he heals... though Makini knew that even if he did, he'd never move again on his own. His body was a wreck. Whether he'd even think again was in question, since the former prince had been in a coma since the terrible fall.

Nevertheless, Makini was proud of her ability to patch him up again, a true medical feat that would have made even Rafiki himself smile. Or that's what she thought anyway. And to be honest, him being permanently asleep was probably for the best anyway, given what a volatile person he'd been.

As for Vitani herself, she had made herself an invaluable member of Simba's new, stronger pride and took a particular delight in mentoring the younger huntresses and keeping a strict discipline over the pride. Not quite the fanatical level that Zira had once demanded, but enough that the pride developed a more fearsome reputation, which Simba had decided to encourage, to ensure the pride's future was secure when Prince Kovu and Princess Kiara take over.

At her request, Makini had told no one of Kion's continued survival, as he would likely be killed immediately. Since one of the most important things her mentor had taught her was respect for all life, Makini had relented and kept her patient a secret from the world. She had no idea how long this was going to go on for, but as months had passed and nothing had changed, she grew used to the routine of taking care of him.

Every day, including today and now, she'd jump out of the tree, move the bushes and fall through a hole into the little room under the tree, where the sack containing Kion was tethered to various roots. She checked everything - his temperature, blood, she tapped on an unbroken bone... all normal. But he was still asleep. Still waiting for something. Who knows, what.

"Makiiiniiiii!" A hoarse, feminine voice cried from the tree. Fast as lightning, Makini dashed out of the cave. So fast that she broke her Mjuzi staff against the cave entrance.

"Argh! Not again." Makini muttered and climbed up the tree to see who was there. To her surprise, it was Vitani, unusually agitated even for her and shivering.
"Vitani? What's the matter?"

Vitani growled in frustration, standing up only through force of will. "Some kind of illness. You better wear a mask."
Deciding to take her advice, Makini picked up Rafiki's old mask(made of bark) and carefully approached to poke around Vitani's body. "Lay down now. That's an order. Okay... what's the symptoms?"

"Uh... general terrible-ness." Vitani said.

Makini stroked her chin in thought. "So, nausea?"

"If that means sick, then yeah." The lioness snapped. Her patience was normally... well, non-existent and by this point, she felt ready to snap Makini's neck if she irritated her enough.

"Dizzy?"

Vitani scoffed. "My head's spinning like a kicked cub."

"Open your mouth... no coughing? No snot?" Makini twitched, becoming actively concerned now as the answer began revealing itself. "Well, it could just be a stomach virus..."

Vitani interrupted her with a simple order: "Cure it."

"I'm not curing anything until I'm sure of what I'm curing." She held up a finger right as Vitani unsheathed her claws. "And if you want to be cured at all, you'll do as I say. Now, hold still."

She remained motionless as Makini stuck a small thorn into her paw and then squeezed a few drops of blood into a bowl, which she then filled with some other liquids and blooms from an unknown flower. The baboon began to swirl the bowl around until it gave her the answer she was looking for. All color drained from her face.

"What is it?" Vitani asked, seeing her expression drop. "What?! Don't keep me in suspense, am I dropping dead today or tomorrow? What?!"

Makini gulped. "Um... well, this isn't an exact science, but um... I'd say you're pregnant."

Thanks to the airiness of the old tree and the many gaps between the roots and holes, the voices easily drifted down below to the room beneath the tree.

"I'd say you're pregnant."

In the shadows, just one yellow, glowing eye snapped open and swiveled around in its eyesocket until focusing on the ceiling where the voice had come from.

Pregnant.