Kion stayed on the tip of his paws, crouched in the cover of high grass, and kept his nose pointed to the wind. The birds were not singing their songs; that is never a good sign.
Crawling with poise, he maneuvered to a nearby boulder and felt his fur stand on end. He readied himself, getting closer to the ground and tensing his muscles.
He was sure he had the element of surprise. He was wrong.
A paw came swooping down from atop the boulder. It was fast, at a speed that could be missed if one blinked.
He was off guard and vulnerable to an attack. He had no time to react, no time to defend himself or evade the paw. He was completely at its mercy.
Jasiri lightly touched his nose.
"Gotcha, Kion."
Kion groaned and rubbed his nose, "You know, when this game is played, the seeker is the one who normally does all the work. They don't lay on top of a rock."
"Who said I was being lazy," Jasiri giggled, rolling off and landing on top of Kion, with her paws wrapped around his neck, "Or you were the first one I found."
"Kion's been caught! Game over, guys," the voice of Bunga was followed by its owner swinging down from the cover of a tree.
Ono and Fuli were behind him, jumping out from shrubs that surrounded the trunk.
"I must admit, though," Jasiri patted the rock she rolled off of, "Took me a while to realize this was Beshte. Though, not as long to figure out I could use his scent to mask my own."
The stationary object suddenly sprung to life as Beshte pulled himself out of the mud pile he used to conceal his head and legs, "What happen? Did Kion get found?"
"Yeah, guess we all did," Kion chuckled, allowing Jasiri to climb off of him.
"Unbungalevable! That was the shortest game we've ever had," Bunga was in amazement for the skill to search Jasiri possessed.
Jasiri let out a hearty laugh, "I'm a scavenger, Bunga. Finding things is my specialty."
"That was pretty impressive, Jasiri. I'd say you even beat Fuli's record," Ono commented on her success in the Lion Guard's game of hide-and-seek, something they occasionally play to train their patience and wits.
"No way," Fuli retorted, "I'm a way better seeker than she is!"
"Whoa, easy there, Fuli," Bunga said, "We're just having fun here."
Jasiri added on with a playful remark, "Yeah. I didn't mean to find you first, Fuli. I guess it's just not your lucky day."
Fuli was displeased by Jasiri's innocent teasing. Fuli turned away from the others and proceeded to pick out leaves that got caught in her fur, not saying a word.
Jasiri found the silent treatment odd and looked to Kion for answers, "What's wrong with Fuli?"
"She sometimes needs her space," Kion said, "Especially after losing out to one of us. She's a pretty competitive animal. Trust me, it's not something you said. Just let her cool off."
"I guess this is something that happens often?"
"Only when she is frustrated with us."
Bunga let out a small chortle before his own joke, "So yeah, often."
Jasiri could not help but laugh with the rest of the guys. However, in the back of her mind, she sympathized with Fuli, Jasiri understood how important time alone can be.
Still, the way Fuli acted was not jealousy of a victor. Jasiri felt she and her fellow cheetah peer shared some similar qualities: bold, competitive, and independent; thus, Jasiri and Fuli shared the same quirks, and the body language Fuli was presenting is not frustration, at least, not from losing.
Jasiri wanted to help, but, since she has spent her own share of alone time away from her clan, she heeded Kion's advise and gave Fuli her space.
"Oh, my clan," Jasiri put her thoughts on hold and turn to Kion, "You promised Madoa, the twins, and me a tour around the Pridelands."
"I remember," Kion replied, "In fact, we can go right now."
"Uh, Kion," Ono said, "We still have afternoon patrol."
"We can do both. Showing Jasiri and her clan around the Pridelands can double as a patrol."
"I like it, two birds with one stone," Bunga grinned before he lost it when he quickly turned to Ono, "Uh, sorry Ono. No offense."
"None taken," Ono accepted the apology, though his rolling eyes were suggesting he sees the idiom as annoying.
"Jasiri and I will go pick up Madoa and the twins," Kion began to turn to head off with Jasiri, "It wouldn't hurt to put patrol off just for a little bit. We'll be right back."
After saying farewell, Kion and Jasiri left the group behind them and out into the grassland, where many animals were grazing.
Word spreads faster than wildfire among the gossiping herbivores. By the time Simba had finally agreed to allow Jasiri and her clan a home in the Pridelands, talk of the newcomers had been passed from one creature to the next. Even before the friendly hyenas established an area for themselves-farthest from Priderock to stay out of the king's way-all of Pridelands knew the hyenas were arriving, and the Pridelanders were not pleased.
Very few days have passed since Jasiri and her clan settled in, and already they feel the worst effect of the change: harsh judgment. A conviction for deeds they have never committed.
Kion thought back to Rafiki's wisdom and knew this must have been what Rafiki tried to warn about. Secretly, Kion had hoped that maybe Rafiki would be wrong.
With the low murmur from a herd of chatting gazelles and zebras, his wish was drowned away.
Jasiri's ears folded back in a hopeless attempt to block out the whispers.
"There she is. The hyena."
"Simba must be out of his mind for letting her in the Pridelands"
"And not to mention his son is falling for that wild child? Talk about distasteful."
"Don't forget about her clan. How are we suppose to tell the difference between them and Janja's? They all look the same, if you ask me."
"Honestly, they should be sent back to the Outlands."
Kion had to physically bite his tongue for it had almost slipped. Instead, he moved between Jasiri and the naysayers to protect her from the despicable noise. The two walked a little faster to get out of earshot.
"Don't listen to them, Jasiri," Kion said, "You deserve to be here just like them. Even more, in my opinion."
Jasiri did not reply or react to his assurance. Her silence made Kion sigh, but he did not press the matter further.
Soon, the two arrived at the new den of her clan. Madoa had her attention on the twins as they hopped around in the tall grass.
The twins were ecstatic about their new home. The tall grass provided endless hours of hide-and-seek fun, as well as a cozy place to hunker down in. Madoa had a big smile on her face too. Despite some setbacks they have, the Pridelands felt secure to her, and she was delighted to see the twins have so much fun.
Madoa noticed Kion and Jasiri upon their approach, "Hey, good to see you two."
"Kion! Jasiri," the twins stopped their games to meet up with the others.
Jasiri's smile returned as her mind forgot about the earlier unpleasantness, giving the twins a hug each.
Wema then jumped onto Kion's back, embracing him as well, "Are you going to give us that tour now?"
Tunu spun around in excitement in front of Kion, "Yeah! Yeah! You promised us! Are we going now?"
"Yea, we sure are," Kion nodded as Wema slid down Kion and joined her brother's enthusiasm, "Madoa. Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Madoa happily joined the tour group as their guide led them back to the other members of the Lion guard.
Though, Kion did not stay true to their last path, taking a wider swing around the grazing rumormongers. He did not want the innocent twins to fall victim to the aimless blame.
Ono spotted their arrival, "Hey, Kion, what took so long?"
"Took a little detour, but we got plenty of daylight," Kion said, then addressed both groups as a whole, "I don't believe you all have formally met. Madoa, Tunu, Wema, this is Beshte, Fuli, Bunga, and Ono, the Lion Guard. They'll be with joining us as we show you around the Pridelands."
Tunu and Wema stared up at the Guard with eyes that could not have been any wider, "It's the Lion Guard! We get to hang out with the Lion Guard!"
Before Madoa could stop them, the two were already all over the Guard, sniffing each one and letting out giggles of joy.
"Tunu! Wema! It's rude to jump on animals like that," Madoa went over to wrangle the two out of the way.
"Ah, don't worry about it, Madoa," Bunga laughed, "We're use to it."
"It happens more often then you'd think," Beshte gave his friendliest smile to the twins, "If it's alright with Madoa, you two can ride on my back, if you want."
"Can we, please, Madoa," Tunu said.
"Please, Please, Please," Wema added to their plead.
"It's fine by me," Madoa smiled, letting go of the twins and allowing them to climb up onto Beshte.
"Wow! This is so awesome," Tunu stared out in amazement, standing on top of the strongest in the Pridelands.
"Kion," Fuli finally spoke up, "We better get moving if we want to stick to routine."
"You're right," Kion replied, giving her a teasing grin, "Glad to see you're speaking to us again."
Fuli did not remark, only disdained Kion's comment and joined up with the others as the group began to take off on their walk
Kion raised an eyebrow, confused by her action. Fuli normally only needed a bit of time to reclaim her spunky personality, but an unfriendly atmosphere still hung around her.
Jasiri walked up beside Kion as he explained the situation, "I don't understand what is upsetting her."
Jasiri snickered at him, a response he did not expect, "That's because you're a male, Kion. It takes a female to understand one."
Sarcasm entered Kion's voice, "Oh, is that all? If that's true, why don't you tell me what is wrong with Fuli."
"She needs somebody to talk to," Jasiri thumped Kion on his forehead, "Not somebody to tease her."
Though it did not hurt, the thump annoyed him, "It would be easier to talk to her if she'd talk back."
"And it would easier for her to talk if you let her," Jasiri shot back, "Why don't I talk her, it might help."
"Go on. Be my guest," Kion said.
"Again, Kion, you males have know idea," Jasiri shook her head, "She needs her space first. For now, you are taking Madoa and me on a tour, just like you promised."
Kion opened his mouth, but a comeback failed to arrive. The smug look from Jasiri did not help either. He did agree that he and the other guys sometimes make matter worse when they try to comfort Fuli. They were like a family to her, and sometimes that family got onto each others' nerves.
With a defeated sigh, he finally decided to let the matter go and lead the Guard on patrol, as well as explain the places they past to Jasiri and Madoa.
Hakuna Matata Falls, Floodplains, even Priderock-though Kion was sure to stay out of his father's sight-and everything in between. It was even better for the Guard as no troubles arose, enabling them to enjoy a peaceful stroll.
Tunu and Wema were overjoyed with all the new areas to one day explore. Madoa was awestruck by the beautiful landscape, almost not believing that they now live there.
Jasiri was simply happy to see her sister and friends have a good time, and, though she would never admit it to him, was glad to be able to spend time with Kion without secrecy.
Eventually, with the sun closing in on the horizon, the tour came to an end at a large body of water with shady trees around the edges.
"This is the watering hole," Kion said, "Where all Pridelanders are welcome to enjoy and share the water it holds. We can rest here for a bit, it's a good place to relax"
"And also an awesome place for cannonballs," Bunga climbed up one of the many trees, his intention being to use an overhanging branch as a diving board, "Zuka Zama!"
The group cracked up in amusement, watching the fearless honey badger create a huge splash, especially for one such his size.
The commotion caught the attention of the other animals present at the watering hole. Some laughed at Bunga as well, some even waved to the Lion Guard and the hyenas, a friendly gesture to their neighbors.
However, most were appalled by the presence of Jasiri and Madoa. Once again, hushed words were passed between the onlookers.
Luckily for the twins, they were too distracted by Bunga to hear them, even if they did understand the situation. Jasiri and Madoa, however, were not as fortunate. They knew the selfish mumbles were about them, but they kept their mouths close to not spark the oily unsteady waters.
Instead, the group tried to spend a pleasant time with each other and pretend the noise was not there. It was ineffective.
"Oh great, now the Lion Guard is chauffeuring the hyenas around."
"Yeah, we never get any special treatment like that, so those hyenas especially don't deserve such a luxury."
"It's all because that pesky, female hyena Simba's son is hanging around with."
"I can't imagine how Simba must feel, having such an impure creature in his pride."
Jasiri could not take the sounds anymore. She got up from her spot next to Kion and tried to escape the insensible chatter.
Kion frowned, feeling a bit guilty as if he was the cause of her dismay, "Jasiri, where are you going?"
"I don't want to deal with this, right now," Jasiri said, not turning to look back at him.
"Please don't go, Jasiri. We're all just trying to have a good time…. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Kion, but I don't want to be around it," the ends of Jasiri's words were tainted with anger, her rage is a rolling stone and was fueling her paws to carry her farther away from the group.
"Then we can just go somewhere else. You don't have to-"
"Kion!"
Kion quickly recoiled away from Jasiri's deterrent scowl. To an outsider, her behavior would seem that of an indignant kind, but Kion understood the meaning of her snappy mood. Though he was reluctant, Kion gave her the space she needed.
Once Jasiri knew Kion was not going to continue, she walked away, ignoring the stares of her companions and the never-ceasing, scorn of the other animals.
"I suppose we'll head home," Madoa told Kion, "Thank you, for showing us the Pridelands."
The twins were downhearted when they tried to latch onto Kion, "Aw, please Madoa, can't we play with the Lion Guard a little bit longer?"
"It is going to be dark soon, we need to head home," Madoa said.
Kion's smile did come back around for the adorable antics of the twins, "I can walk you guys home, if you'd like."
"Yes! We can play follow the leader," Wema said.
"Please, Madoa! Please," Tunu was begging by tucking in his tail and folding back his ears.
"Oh, alright," Madoa laughed, "If it really is not too much trouble, Kion."
"It isn't," Kion turned to his Lion Guard team, "I'll meet you guys back at the lair."
Bunga hopped up onto Beshte's back before he gave Kion the claw version of a thumbs up, "Sure thing, Kion."
The groups said their farewells and parted ways, but, before they traveled far, Fuli stopped her walk, "Hey, guys, I need to go take care of something."
"Do you need help," Beshte asked.
"No… No, I need to do this on my own," Fuli said.
"Alright then," Bunga waved off, "We'll see you later."
"Be safe," Beshte added as he, Bunga, and Ono continued on their way.
Fuli took a deep breath and waited for the last sight of the guys, then headed back the way she came and followed the last path she saw Jasiri take.
Jasiri was in the center of a circle of bushes without a single soul in sight. The shade from a covering tree was helping her cool off both physically and mentally. Silence never seemed more golden until that moment, not even the wind whispered in her ear.
She replayed the day's events in her head, which ended with the picture of Kion's hurt face, stung by Jasiri's yell. It tugged at Jasiri's heart and she felt bad for the way she acted to him.
Rustling from the bushes, however, sent a moment of hope to her, "Kion?"
A feline did hop out of the plants, but it was not the one Jasiri expected, "No, it's Fuli."
"Oh," Jasiri was disappointed, but she did not want to show it in fear of embarrassment, "Hey, Fuli. Why are you here?"
"I just wanted to… well, can I sit with you," Fuli seemed uncertain about which question she was going to say.
Jasiri was quick to catch onto something more, but she decided to continue on, "Uh, sure. I don't mind."
Fuli nodded a thank you instead of a spoken one. She sat down next to Jasiri, but Fuli left quite a bit of space between themselves.
Jasiri found it odd and concluded it to be a sign of insecurity, "Is something the matter, Fuli?"
Fuli flicked her tail multiple times before answering, "I just wanted to say something, or, well, rather more apologize."
"Apologize for what? I see no reason to be sorry," Jasiri was thoroughly confused to the point where she momentarily forgot about her troubles.
"There is. I'm sorry for the way I gave you the silent treatment earlier today," Fuli was now a bit red in the face. She never has spoken to anyone like this before, and it was clearly uncomfortable for her.
"You're sorry for that? There's no need to be," Jasiri did smile, only a tiny pull on the corner of her mouth, "A girl just needs her space sometimes."
"It's more the reason why I gave you the silent treatment," Fuli awkwardly rubbed the side of her foreleg with her opposite paw, "It was… well… I was… I'm jealous of you."
"Jealous? Of me? Why would you…," Jasiri's voice trailed and within moments she was able to pull two facts together, "Is it because Kion and me?"
Fuli was flushed, but she lived up to her title and was fast to correct her, "Yes, and no. I might have entertained the idea a couple of times, but that really was a long time ago. It's not so much I like Kion, it's that he's family to me. All of my team members are family to me. Seeing Kion spend more and more time with you, however, it kind of feels like I'm losing my family."
Jasiri was more surprised at Fuli's confession, but Jasiri's sympathetic ways were not any less, "I can see what you mean. I'd hate to lose my sister, she's the only family I really have left."
Fuli started to feel better and even opened up to Jasiri a little more, "Yea, I guess that's a down side for caring about someone so much. When one loses the other, they never are the same."
"I know if I lost Madoa or Kion, I'd never be the same," Jasiri laughed softly, but quickly retracted the statement when she mention Kion, "Oh, sorry."
"There's no need to be," Fuli assured with a secure grin, "I know Kion would never be the same without you either. I really just needed to get my thoughts off my chest."
Jasiri grinned back, but remembered her promise to Kion, "Not to say I don't feel glad to be someone you can confide in, but how come you never talk to your friends about your problems?"
"Mainly because we've known each other for a long time," Fuli rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment, "I'm the tough one in the group. It feels awkward to admit my feelings to them, plus, us female cheetahs like to keep to ourselves. I guess I never really had any girl friends because of it."
"Well, you got one now," Jasiri wrapped a paw around Fuli, giving her a side hug, "You're the coolest girl I know. So that already puts you up there on my friends list."
Fuli laughed and accepted the embrace, "Is that so? Well, I got an idea then."
"I'm all ears," Jasiri chuckled as well.
"Kion showed you almost all of the Pridelands, but I know of this perfect hunting spot near the Big Ravine."
"Thanks, but I don't think I really should be chasing anything. The animals are already frighten of me as it is."
"Oh, I like to hunt alone," Fuli smirked, "It wasn't a hunting offer. You said you're a scavenger, right. There are leftovers all around the place. It's a feast for your clan."
"Really? I suppose I should bring a meal back tonight. Alright, Fuli, lead the way."
The two dashed off together, Fuli glad to finally have a friend that understood her, and Jasiri happy to make friends with one of Kion's. It was a small step for her transition into the Pridelands, but it was still a step along the great journey ahead.
(To Be Continued…)
