(A/N: this is my fiftieth story! Thank you to everyone who has read my work, and especially to everyone who has favourited and followed me and my work. I really appreciate the support, and I feel like it has helped me to grow as a person and a writer. I love the community that this site provides, and I hope to see it grow. Thank you again, and enjoy!)

The dry season was in full swing, and animals all over the Pride Lands were feeling the effects. The sun was glaring down from above, the clear sky providing neither clouds to give shade, or rain to give water. The only animals that were particularly taking the heat in stride were the elephants, led by Ma Tembo. The elephants were highly respected among the Pride Lands, in particular for having found a watering hole in order for the other animals to survive the dry season, while the elephants themselves had a storage of water in their patch of Takiti melons. As the day rolled on, Ma Tembo watched over her herd, a proud smile on her face.

'It is good to see that everyone is staying strong,' she thought to herself, watching her followers chat amongst themselves. 'The dry season can be tough for anyone with the lack of water. We may need to resort to the Takiti melons within a week, but hopefully, we can pull through.'

"Ma Tembo!" she heard one of the other elephants call out.

"Yes, Johari!" She replied, turning towards the male elephant. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The Lion Guard are approaching us!"

'Now, why would that be?' she pondered. "Alright. I shall handle this." As the other elephants followed her, Ma Tembo approached the Lion Guard as they headed in her direction, accompanied by Rafiki's apprentice, Makini. What was more interesting, however, was the fact that they had the Takiti melons with them. This was of concern to her, as the melons were the primary source of water for the elephant herd during the dry season, so if they were with the Lion Guard, she could only assume something had happened. "Prince Kion! Lion Guard!" she greeted. "This is a surprise, and while I am normally pleased to see you, I assume this must be important. If I may ask, why are our Takiti melons with you?"

"Forgive us for our sudden appearance, Ma Tembo," Kion began to explain, "but we don't think the melons will be safe where they were before anymore."

"I see. Has something caused this to be the case?"

"I'm afraid so," Fuli told her. "You see, the hyenas attempted to steal the melons. While we sent them back to the Outlands at first, they came back, and they weren't alone this time."

"They were joined by a really mean monitor lizard called Kenge," Beshte added, "and the poison in his bite temporarily immobilised myself, Kion, Ono and Fuli. We were lucky that Bunga was immune to the venom, or they would have stolen the melons."

"Eh, it was nothing," Bunga bragged, glancing at his claws, "those hyenas are easy to beat. But, I can't take all the credit. After all, it was Makini Who was able to find a cure for the venom, and she helped me to fend off the hyenas while these guys worked off the venom."

"Oh, it was nothing, really," Makini replied, waving her hands, "I was just trying to help."

"Are you kidding? You were un-Bunga-lievable!" Makini blushed at the complimented, but Bunga remembered something else, so he didn't notice. "Oh, before I forget," he turned to Ma Tembo, "we may have accidentally broken a couple of melons in the process."

"Broken the melons?!" Zito shouted, creating a murmur among the other melons. "Those melons are our water reserve! With out them, we won't survive the dry season! You think that-"

"That's enough, Zito!" Ma Tembo commanded, silencing both Zito and the rest of the herd, before turning back towards the Lion Guard with a smile. "As far as I can tell, there are still more than enough Takiti melons for us to outlast the dry season. Thank you, Lion Guard and Makini. Without you, we wouldn't have any left."

"No problem, Ma Tembo," Kion told her, "it's all part of our role in the Circle of Life. You should find somewhere safe to keep the melons until you need them."

"We will right away." She turned to her herd. "Everyone! Grab a melon and carry them with me! We need to find a new location to keep the Takiti melons, away from the hyenas!"

"Do you need our help in moving the melons, Ma Tembo?" Beshte asked.

"I appreciate the offer, but we will manage. We won't keep you from your duties any longer."

"Alright, then," Kion turned to the Guard. "Lion Guard, let's go. We need to finish our patrol."

"I'd better be heading back to the tree, so I can learn more about remedies," Makini told them, then smiled sheepishly, "and find a new staff."

"Okay, then. Thanks again for the help."

"Karibu, Kion. I'll see you later, guys!"

"See ya, Makini!" Bunga shouted, smiling and waving as she went on her way.

From there on, the Lion Guard resumed their patrol. The Pride Lands were at peace once more, and everything seemed normal… well, almost everything.

"Psst! Ono!" Fuli called to her avian friend in a hushed voice, slowing down to walk next to Beshte.

"What is it, Fuli?" he replied, also hushed, though he didn't know why they were speaking that way.

"Is it just me, or does Bunga seem like he's acting… differently?"

Fuli, Ono And Beshte all looked towards the honey badger as he walked ahead of all of them. Unlike earlier, he appeared to have an extra spring in his step, and while it was normal for Bunga to be optimistic and carefree, it was as if he was in his own world.

"Now that you mention it," Beshte pondered, "he does seem even more upbeat than usual."

"But what could be bringing this on? Unless I missed something while I was recovering from Kenge's bite, it's been a pretty average day so far."

"Actually, I didn't notice anything different while we were protecting the Takiti melons," Ono told them. "It's rather unusual."

"Maybe, but it doesn't seem to be a bad thing," Beshte pointed out. "I mean, if Bunga's happy, then that's good, right?"

"I suppose."

"But what could be causing it?" Fuli asked, to which no one had an answer.

As he turned his head to look behind him, Kion noticed that his friends were a fair distance behind him by this point, so he walked up to them. "What's going on, you guys?" he asked them.

"We were just talking about Bunga's… peppiness," Ono explained, failing to think of a better word.

"Peppiness? What do you mean?"

"Kion, haven't you noticed how Bunga's acting a bit… giddy?" Fuli tried to explain.

"Isn't he always giddy, though? It's Bunga, he was raised by Timon and Pumbaa."

"More so, I mean."

He glanced over at the honey badger. "Not really. He seems about the same to me."

"I'm not so certain… but, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"HELLOOOO?!" Bunga called to them, tapping his foot against the ground. "I'm waiting!"

They all looked at each other, rolling their eyes, before returning to their patrol. While Fuli, Ono and Beshte were still keeping an eye on Bunga as they patrolled, truly perplexed by the subtle change in his behaviour, Kion thought nothing of it. It didn't take long for them to continue with their patrol and reach their final destination for the day, that being the Watering Hole. They took a moment to drink some water and refresh themselves after a hectic day.

"Alright, guys," Kion spoke up, "we did well today. We may have experienced an obstacle, but like always, we found a way to overcome it."

"You mean, I did," Bunga boasted, much to his team's chagrin.

"Yeah, but you also broke some of the melons," Fuli mumbled to herself, but Bunga was blissfully ignorant to it.

"Anyway," Kion stressed, "everything is as it should be, so we can relax. We don't have any further patrols, so head home and relax. You all deserve it."

They all agreed, getting up and preparing to leave, when Bunga spotted something- a bush, filled with familiar red flowers. "Hey, look!" the honey badger called out, walking towards the bush. "Aren't these the flowers that Makini used to heal your bites?"

Ono looked and gave a nod. "Yep. I didn't realise Ponya flowers grew so close to water, though. I thought they grew on drier soil."

"Hey, it's not like they're actually in the water," Bunga pointed out, prompting Ono to roll his eyes. Bunga just turned back to face the flowers, leaned forward and took a deep breath in, followed by a peaceful sigh. "Hey, they smell pretty good! I bet Makini would love some of these."

As Bunga began to gather some of the Ponya flowers, he was oblivious to the shock on the faces of the other Guard members. They all looked at each other, wide eyed and open mouthed.

"Did… d-did he just…" Fuli tried to speak, but it came out as barely a whisper.

"There we go!" Bunga spoke as he finished collecting his bouquet. "Better not take the whole bush, so they can grow back." He turned to face his friends, and was confused by their shocked expressions. "What? What is it, do I have something on me?"

While Bunga started to check himself, Fuli shook his head. "Uh, um, no, you're fine, Bunga."

Bunga still didn't understand what was with his friends, but he shrugged it off. "Eh, okay. See you later, guys!"

"See you, Bunga!" they all responded. Once the honey badger was out of earshot, they all turned back towards each other.

"Okay, I did hear that right, didn't I?" Fuli spoke first. "He said that Makini would love them?"

"What do you think he meant by that?" Beshte asked.

"Well, maybe he thinks she'd love them, because she can use them to learn more about remedies," Kion suggested. "She did say she was starting to learn about them."

Fuli gave him a serious look. "Kion, I think we know what this really means, and it does explain why he's been so upbeat lately."

"I don't know. It seems a bit… sudden, don't you think?"

Fuli opened her mouth to argue, but she had to see his point. "I guess you're right about that, but… maybe we could find out."

Kion raised an eyebrow when he saw the smirk on her face. "What are you suggesting?"

Bunga continued to walk towards the tree that was home to Rafiki and Makini, humming with a smile on his face and the bouquet in his hand. He felt like he was in his own world, until he heard a voice shout, "Bunga! Wait up!"

Turning around, he saw Kion running towards him. "Hey, Kion!" He called out.

"Hey, Bunga!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't really have anything to do, so I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out, just us."

"Yeah, that sounds great! I just need to go take these to Makini. You wanna come with?" Kion nodded, and the two continued to walk towards the large tree. "Hey, Kion?"

"Yeah, Bunga?"

"Do you think Makini is gonna like these?"

Although Kion started to understand what Fuli has suggested earlier, it was still surprising to hear this from the usually confident honey badger. "Of course she will, Bunga. Why do you ask? You seemed pretty confident earlier that she would."

"Yeah, I know, and I still do. I just wanted to make sure, you know? I want her to like them."

"And she will, Bunga. Relax. You know why?" Bunga looked at him, waiting for a response. "Because it's from you." Bunga raised an eyebrow, which made Kion smirk- he was certain now that he knew how Bunga felt. "It's kinda clear that you like Makini."

"Well, yeah, she's my friend. Why wouldn't I?"

Kion chuckled. "That's not exactly what I meant. What I meant was-"

"Hey, we're here!"

Bunga started to run ahead, Kion walking after him. When they went inside the large tree, Bunga saw Makini was working on remedies. She was stirring an amber fluid in a bowl, and was so focused on her work that she didn't seem to notice Bunga enter. The honey badger, even though he knew why he was there, felt uncertain about how to speak to her. He found it odd, since he had spoken to her earlier that same day, yet he couldn't find the words. He was starting to feel a bit disheartened. 'Maybe this isn't such a good idea,' he thought, frowning as he looked at the Ponya flowers in his hand.

Kion, when he entered, noticed the look on his friend, and gently nudged him with his paw. Looking at Kion, Bunga saw an assuring smile on the lion cub's face. "What are you waiting for?" Kion whispered, gesturing to Makini who, somehow, still hadn't noticed. "Go for it, Bunga!"

He felt a bit more confident over hearing this, so he took a deep breath then cleared his throat. Makini, hearing this, turned around and smiled. She put down the bowl and wiped the residue from the fluid from her hand. "Hey, guys!" She greeted them.

"Hey, Makini!" He responded, a little too eagerly. He noticed and cleared his throat again, his cheeks flushing as he smiled meekly. "I mean, hey."

She giggled at his nervousness, before turning to Kion. "Hey, Kion."

"Hey, Makini."

"What brings you guys here? Is something happening?"

"No, everything's fine. Bunga just wanted to say something."

He gently pushed Bunga forward. Looking back, the honey badger saw a slight smirk on his leader's face, but ignored it as he focused on the mandrill in front of him. "Uh, Yeah. Well, you see, we were on patrol, and… well… I saw these."

He revealed the bouquet of Ponya flowers and she gasped. "Are those Ponya flowers?"

"Yeah. I remembered that these were what you used to help cure the monitor lizard bites the others got, and that you were starting to learn about remedies, so I figured you might like some to work with."

She cupped her hands against her chest, smiling in awe of the gesture. "Oh, Bunga! That is so sweet of you!" He handed her the flowers and she smiled at them in her hands, before she threw her arms around him, much to his surprise. "Thank you so much, Bunga! This is really thoughtful, I love them!"

While he was shocked at first, he quickly found himself enjoying the embrace and engaged in it, hugging her back with a warm smile. "No problem, Makini."

Kion stood there as the two hugged each other. He remembered when he was speaking to Bunga about him finding someone, and let out a gentle chuckle. 'I knew there was someone for him,' he thought. 'Gotta admit, though. I never thought it would be so soon.'

Eventually, the two broke the hug. "I'm really glad you like them, Makini," Bunga told her.

"I really do, Bunga," she replied, letting out a gentle giggle that he couldn't help but smile at. "The fact that they're from you makes them even better."

"R-really?!" She nodded, and he gently laughed, scratching the back of his head while his cheeks flushed even more. "T-thanks." He then frowned. "Ah, man."

"What is it?"

"I just remembered, I need to get back before Timon and Pumbaa wonder where I'm at."

"Oh, okay." Though it wasn't clear in her voice or her expression, she was disappointed to hear this.

"I think I'll come with you," Kion told Bunga, "say hi."

"Okay." He turned to Makini. "I'll see you later, Makini!"

"Sure thing, Bunga, and thanks for the flowers."

He smiled back. "No worries."

Without another word, Kion and Bunga began to leave. Makini sighed after he left, still smiling. She pressed her palm against her cheek, and when she did, she felt it was warm, dropping her smile. "Huh?"

Rafiki hummed as he made his way towards his tree. It had been a couple of days since he went away, and while he had enjoyed the chance to relax and see old friends, it felt good to return to the Pride Lands. As his tree came into sight, he stopped, feeling a familiar breeze flow through his fur, causing him to smile. "Hello to you too, Mufasa!" he spoke to the king of the past. "Yes, it is good to be back. I trust everything is as it was before?" When he heard the response Mufasa had, however, he raised an eyebrow. "Makini? Is something wrong with her?" He was initially worried, but the tone in which Mufasa replied made him think it might not be quite so serious. "Well, okay, I will speak with her." He continued to make his way towards the tree, muttering, "you know, it would be a lot easier if you would just tell me these things." A sudden breeze threatened to knock him over, so he braced himself. "Hey, hey, hey! I am an old mandrill, do not do that! You know, you can be very pushy at times, Mufasa!" As the breeze quickly faded, he regained his stance. "Thank you."

He soon reached the tree and made his way inside. Once he was, he instantly saw his apprentice, who was looking downcast. 'Hmm… she seems distressed,' the wise elder thought, scratching his chin. 'Why would that be?'

Makini noticed the sudden entrance and realised that Rafiki had returned, so she smiled widely. "Oh, Rafiki! You're back!" She eagerly spoke. "How was your trip?"

He smiled back. "Oh, it was fine. It was good to see King Sokwe and his sons again. I think you would enjoy meeting them one day, you and the two princes might have a lot in common."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

Rafiki noticed an uncertainty in his voice. "Makini, you seem a bit off today. Is something the matter?"

She quickly traded her smile for a frown. "That obvious, huh?" She sighed, sitting back down. "I think I might be sick, Rafiki."

His worries returned. "Sick, you say?" She nodded. "How do you know?"

"Well, for the past couple of days, I've been feeling really warm at random moments, particular in my cheeks, and my thoughts tend to get lost, out the point where it becomes hard to refocus. Sometimes I'm full of energy and really happy, and at others I'm just… not, you know? I think it might be an allergy to the Ponya flowers."

"Ponya flowers? When did you get Ponya flowers?"

"Bunga gave me them a couple of days ago."

'Hmm,' he thought, scratching his chin, 'I do not recall anyone ever being allergic to Ponya flowers. It might be possible, but...' He sat down. "Perhaps you better start from the beginning. What has happened since I left, Makini?"

So, she explained what had happened with the Lion Guard and how she helped them to defend the Takiti melons against the hyenas and the monitor lizard, before talking about how Bunga brought her the flowers and how she started feeling weird not long after. "And every time I look at the flowers, I can't help but feel bad, because Bunga went to all that trouble to get me them, but then I feel the allergy coming back, and-" She noticed that Rafiki was starting to chuckle. "What? What is it?" The elder mandrill looked back at Makini, realising that she truly didn't understand what it was about, and his laughter grew. "What is it?" She asked, nervously. "Is there a cure?"

He was quick to leap to his feet. "Don't you worry, Makini!" He exclaimed, grabbing his staff. "You follow Rafiki! He knows the cure!"

He suddenly burst his way out of the tree, laughing madly, with a confused Makini grabbing her staff and following after him. They ran for what felt like an hour, Rafiki constantly yelling for her to keep up. Eventually, the pair made their way to a jungle. Rafiki made his way through the dense shrubbery with ease, but due to her size, she was a bit slower in her passage.

"Rafiki?" She called out, using her staff to shift the shrubbery and get through. "Why are we here?"

"You will soon see, Makini!" He called.

She followed the direction of his voice, before she reached an opening and saw her mentor. "There you are. Now, what are we… doing…" She stopped, staring in shock at the beautiful landscape before her. The skies were clear, and the sun shone down, causing the water of a magnificent waterfall to glimmer. The wide varieties of trees and plants provided a beautiful mesh of colours. The more she stared, the more she admired it. Gently, she bent down and dipped her hand into the water, feeling the cool liquid flow through her fingers. "Wow… Rafiki, where are we?"

Rather than answer, he chuckled. "Tell me, my apprentice, when did you first start to feel like you were ill?"

"Well… I guess it was after Bunga had given me the Ponya flowers."

"And yet, you did not feel that way prior, even after using them to cure Kion, Fuli, Beshte and Ono?" She had to admit, that had not crossed her mind before. "And tell me, how did you feel when he gave you those flowers?"

She didn't even have to think as she answered him. "I felt really happy, and… special. He went to all that trouble, to do something so considerate, just for me." She placed her palm against her cheek again, and felt it was warm once again. She looked back to her mentor. "Rafiki, what are you saying?" He reaches into a bush and grabbed a pink leaf, handing it to her. She looked at it, noticing how it was shaped like a heart, before looking back to Rafiki. "Is this the cure?"

He laughed again. "No, Makini! There is no cure, because you are not sick at all!"

"But… but if I'm not sick, then… why do I feel this way?"

"Because, Makini, you… are in Upendi."

THE END