Kubwa trotted alongside Mtoto, the pain in his paw almost gone now. Open savanna surrounded them. They were almost at Ruka's den near Hakuna Matata Falls. Over the next minute, they went from open savanna to being surrounded by trees with lush, green leaves. It was the wet season after all, and every plant was very well off at the moment. They soon came upon Ruka and his family's den inside of a hollow tree's roots. Kubwa leaned down. The den was slightly lower and in the ground intertwined with the trees roots. "Ruka, you home?"
"Back here!" Kubwa turned around to see Ruka standing behind him. "I've been waiting!"
"Let's go get Haraka," Kubwa led the way towards Haraka and her family's nest. Ruka and Mtoto followed. They trotted back out into the open plains once more, then after a few minutes came upon the acacia tree in which she lived. It had a gray trunk with, again, lush and green leaves. Kubwa looked up at the tree to the bottom of her nest. "Haraka! You home?"
A familiar peregrine falcon jumped out from the nest, flapping her wings as fast as she could, and drastically slowed her descent to the ground. "I'm getting better at it!" she cheered.
"Awesome!" Ruka cheered.
"Good job, Haraka." Kubwa was proud of his friend. He knew how she adored flying, and couldn't wait until she could fly through the air as one with the wind.
"You'll be flying through the sky in no time," Mtoto added.
"Thanks! I can't wait for that to happen." Haraka was always so happy whenever she made progress on flying. She adored it. She longed for the time when she would be one with the wind, flying effortlessly through the sky. "Anyway, wanna go play by the watering hole?"
"Yeah," Kubwa and Ruka both said in unison. As they began to walk to the watering hole, two hornbills suddenly flew in front of them. It was Zazu and his son Kasu.
"Kasu, report the news," Zazu ordered. Kasu was his son, hatched not long before Kubwa and his littermates were born. He was training him to be the rulers of the Pridelands' majordomo whenever Zazu completed his journey through the Circle of Life.
Kasu rolled his eyes. "King Kion, Queen Rani, Prince Nyota, and all their friends are coming."
"What?! Really?!" Kubwa squealed. He had never met Kion before. Kiara had told him that Kion was there when he, Mufa, and Imani were born, but Kubwa obviously couldn't remember that.
"Really?!" Mtoto's voice was filled with excitement.
Kion was Kubwa's uncle. He used to live in the Pridelands, but after being bitten by a venomous cobra he, with his friends by his side, was forced to journey to a mystical land called the Tree of Life, the only place he could be healed from the venom. While he was there he fell in love with the Tree of Life's queen, Rani. Eventually he had to return to the Pridelands, but discovered there was a new Lion Guard that had took their place led by a young lioness named Vitani. They had a competition to see who was the Lion Guard worthy of the role, but Kion's Kion Guard lost, and then he and his friends decided to return to the Tree of Life permanently. Kion was reunited with Rani, got betrothed to her, and they lived happily after after as king and queen of the Tree of Life.
"They intended it as a surprise." Zazu turned back to Kasu. "And you are supposed to list the names of everyone, not just generalize them."
"Fine," Kasu grumbled, still flapping his wings. "Bunga, Binga, Bonga, Fuli, Beshte, Ono. Am I done now?"
"You're missing someone."
Kasu looked like he was thinking. Then he said; "And Makini." Then they both flew off in the direction of Pride Rock.
"So I'll get to meet Kion?" Kubwa had technically already met him once when he was a newborn, but obviously he didn't remember that, so this would be the first time meeting him that he could remember.
"Can we meet him too?" Ruka asked.
"Of course. Let's go!" Mtoto started jogging in the direction of Pride Rock.
"Hop on, Haraka, since you can't fly fast yet," Kubwa offered. Haraka hopped onto Kubwa's back and he took off after Mtoto. Ruka followed.
"Me and Beshte go way back. It'll be poa to see him again!" Mtoto said.
"And I can't wait to meet Kion!" Kubwa was so excited. It seemed to take forever to get back to Pride Rock. Kubwa scanned his entire surroundings as he ran. When will we get there already?
Finally, Kion, Rani, and their friends came into sight. Rafiki, Kiara, Imani, Simba, and Nala were there too. They all stood on the grassy ground right next to Pride Rock. His excitement spiked as he got closer and closer, then finally!
We're here!
"Uncle Kion!" he exclaimed and barreled right over to him. Although he never remembered seeing him, he knew from Rafiki's paintings that he was a golden lion with a red mane and a scar over his eye. The lion in front of him fit that description.
"This couldn't be the Kubwa I remember! Look how much bigger you are." Kion smiled warmly at him.
A brown lioness with a beige underbelly and dark brown eyes stepped closer. "Hello Kubwa. I'm Rani, Kion's mate."
"I know! I've heard a lot about you. It's so great to finally meet you both!" Kubwa brushed up against Kion then Rani. He looked around. "Where's Mufa?"
"I sent Zazu and Kasu to get you and him," Kiara explained.
"I can't wait to see him. And it's so great to see you too, sis." He gazed at Kiara affectionately before throwing his paws around her in an embrace.
Kiara was taken by surprise but leaned into it. "Same old Kion."
"And same old Bunga too!" a honey badger squealed. He had blue fur and a white stripe along his back, with black claws and a darker patch of fur along his belly. Bunga.
Ruka rushed over to him. "Hi! You're Bunga, right? I'm Ruka! I've heard a lot about you and everyone says I'm a lot like you!"
"You're like me, huh? Have you ever dived off Hakuna Matata Falls before?"
"Of course I have!" Ruka exclaimed. "Hasn't everyone?"
"Then you'll be thrilled to meet my daughter, Bonga!"
A honey badger that looked just like Bunga but younger rushed over to Ruka, grabbed his paw, and shook it eagerly. "Hi! I'm Bonga, daughter of Bunga and Binga, the bravest honey badger you've ever seen!"
A cheetah with green eyes and very unique looking spots, some of which looked like rosettes and blotches, a rare variation among cheetahs, rolled her eyes. Fuli.
A hippo with blue eyes wiggled his ears. Beshte.
Mtoto rushed over to the hippo, a very joyful expression on his face. "Beshte!"
An absolutely thrilled look spread across Beshte's face. "Mtoto! It's so great to see you!" They shared a friendly nuzzle. "You've grown."
A white egret with orange crest feathers and an orange, pointy beak briefly flapped his wings. Ono.
"Hi, I'm Makini. I was here when you were born! Do you remember me?!" a mandrill asked Kubwa and Imani excitedly. She had gray fur, thick brown fur on her head, blue eyes, and blue markings along her cheeks along with a red nose.
Obviously Makini, at least the one I've heard of.
"No, but it's great to meet you," Kubwa told her happily. He saw a tuft of brown fur behind Kion. He leaned over to get a better view. It was a golden furred lion cub about Kubwa's age with a tiny brownish red tuft of mane. He couldn't see his eyes however because he was hiding most of his face behind Kion. "Who's that?" Kubwa asked. All eyes fell onto the little cub hiding behind Kion.
"This is Nyota," Rani introduced, nudging him. "Come on out, Nyota. Say hello."
The cub didn't budge.
Kion looked back at him with both encouragement and patience in his gaze. "It's okay, Nyota. No need to hide. Your cousins wanna meet you."
Slowly, Nyota inched out from behind his parents. His head was low, his gaze not meeting Kubwa's.
"Hello Nyota." Kubwa stepped closer. "I'm Kubwa."
Nyota was speechless.
"Come on Nyota. Say hello. Your cousins want to meet you." This time Rani's voice was more strained. However Kion didn't push anymore. Kubwa figured Kion wanted Nyota to take his own time.
Nyota raised his head so his gaze could meet Kubwa's. He had blue eyes the same color of their grandmother Nala's.
"Nyota, introduce yourself," Rani encouraged.
Nyota closed his eyes and his mouth began to move. "H-hello." He looked back at his mother, Rani, who gave him a look Kubwa couldn't read. Nyota then turned back to Kubwa and added, "I'm Nyota." His voice was very quiet.
"Great to meet you." Kubwa gave him a friendly smile.
Nyota looked to his side. Imani was there. He looked back to Rani. "Wh-who's that?" he asked.
"Why don't you ask her?" Rani suggested.
Nyota turned his head back to Kubwa and Imani. "That's my sister, Imani," Kubwa told him.
"Say hello," Rani told him.
Nyota stepped closer. "H-hello Imani."
"Hello," Imani replied back. She took a few steps closer, likely figuring she was a little far away, but bumped into Nyota. "Sorry!" Her face was painted with guilt. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm f-fine," Nyota stuttered quietly after a few moments. It was clear to Kubwa by now that Nyota was shy.
"Please excuse her. She can't see," Kovu told Nyota.
Kubwa saw Imani's facial expression change. Kiara and Kovu constantly brought up the fact that Imami was blind. She was constantly reminded of it. When she was barely a couple of weeks old, she had contracted a serious illness called saratani. Against all odds she survived, but the sickness had taken her sight, and some of her spirit with it. And every time she tried to find her way around it and tried to get around on her own, her mother and father always discouraged her from doing so. She had just memorized her way around the entirety of Pride Rock by using her whiskers and mind. Maybe their parents would let that slide, but there no way they'd let her go out of Pride Rock by herself. Kubwa was sorry for her.
"Poor Imani. I remember when I lost my keen eyesight. It devastated me. Imagine being completely blind..." Ono's voice was thick with pity. He had once been on the Lion Guard; the Keenest of Sight. But one day, Bunga the former Bravest on the Lion Guard while saving Kion from a venomous cobra and pushing it away from him, fell with it into the volcano. Ono had quickly flown in after him, got to him in time, and mustered up the strength to pull him back up, but while doing so, he had breathed in too much smoke and ash, causing his eyesight to be nearly destroyed. Luckily, he, along with all Kion's friends, had gone to the Tree of Life with him to be healed and the elderly Queen Janna, the queen and healer before Rani became queen, managed to give him his eyesight back. But it didn't heal all the way. It was never to return to what it once was.
"Uncle King Kion!" Suddenly, Mufa came bounding over to them and came to a stop right in front of Kion. "Hello, Your Majesty!" The look on Mufa's face was one of pure excitement mixed with what looked like honor and gratitude.
"Is this my dear nephew Mufa?" Kion asked.
"Prince Mufa!" he declared eagerly, beaming with joy. "Future king!"
"Is that so?" Kion chuckled. "Well, it's wonderful to see you, Prince Mufa."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Mufa replied, this time composed, as if practicing for when he would become king.
"Wanna play by the watering hole?" Kubwa asked Nyota.
Nyota was quiet for a few moments, then said; "O-okay." There was a pause before he turned back to his mother. "Mother, can I ago with K-Kubwa and I-Imani?"
"Of course," Rani replied.
"Can we go too?" Bonga and Ruka asked in unison.
"And me?" Haraka chirped.
"Sure!" Kubwa rested the tip of his tail on Imani's shoulders to guide her. They all started walking, Mtoto with them too because his duty was to watch over them. There was a silence for a couple minutes. It was so quiet he heard the sound of their steps as they continued to walk. Nyota clearly wasn't talkative.
"So... what do you wanna talk about till we get there?" Kubwa asked. Nyota slowly raised his head. His gaze met Kubwa's. Blue eyes, strange for a lion who's parents had brown and orange-brown eyes. "You have Grandma Nala's eyes," Kubwa commented.
It was a few moments before Nyota could muster up a response; "I-I do?"
"Yeah. They're really nice," Kubwa replied.
"R-really?" Nyota sounded uncertain.
"Yeah!"
"If I could see them, I'd think they're nice too," Imani added.
"Th-thank you." But Nyota still didn't smile. There was another silence. It wasn't long before they got to the watering hole.
"We're here, so what do you wanna do?" Kubwa asked. "Tag, hide and seek, truth or dare..?" After Nyota didn't respond, Kubwa I surely added, "You know what those are...right?"
Nyota slowly nodded. "H-how do you play again?"
"You don't know how to play?!" Ruka exclaimed.
Bonga gave the serval a look. "I taught him before. He remembers. Right Nyota?"
Nyota's gaze held uncertainty. "I... I think so."
"Then let's play!" Ruka cheered.
Bonga nodded. "What game though? I vote hide and seek!"
"Me too!" Ruka agreed.
"Yeah!" Kubwa added.
"Okay!" Imani added.
Nyota was silent for a few moments before saying; "O-okay."
"Who's gonna be it?" Bonga asked.
"Not it!"
"Not it!"
"Not it!" was what Ruka, Bonga, Haraka, and Kubwa all called.
"Not it..?" Imani said hesitantly after a few moments, likely figuring she couldn't be it anyway due to her lack of sight. And in all that time, Nyota didn't shout 'not it.'
"Guess Nyota's it. Okay Nyota, turn around, close your eyes, and count to twenty-five." Bonga was the first one to take off running, searching for a place to hide even before Nyota closed his eyes.
Nyota turned around and closed his eyes. "One...two...three...four..."
Everyone else took off in every direction except for Mtoto, the one who was supposed to watch them. Kubwa, his tail resting in Imani's shoulders to guide her, trotted quickly to his right, searching for a place to hide. He scanned the area around the watering hole. There was the watering hole itself and a bunch of different animals gathering around it. His gazed rested on the bushes that were near some of the sides. He dashed for them and slowly creeped into them, closing his eyes, staying still, and hoping the bushes would hide him from Nyota's seeking eyes.
Imani followed. "Am I in?" she asked in a whisper.
Kubwa opened his eyes. "Yeah," he whispered back. He closed his eyes once more. A few minutes passed. No sign of Nyota. Kubwa peeked his head out from the bush and saw Nyota sitting there, staring right at him. "You saw us?"
Nyota seemed uncertain. "Yes..?"
"Nyota, for the last time... you're supposed to tell animals when you find them." They turned and saw Bonga walking up to them, followed by Ruka and Haraka.
"I... I am? Wait...oh..." Izwi's voice was still quiet and uncertain.
"I can be it for the next round," Kubwa offered. "I'll count to twenty-five." He turned around and closed his eyes. "One, two, three, four, five..." And he counted and counted all the way up to twenty-five. Then he opened his eyes. He turned back around to go look for his friends. He scanned the area. Where can they be hiding...? He spotted a golden tail with a brownish red tuft at the end sticking out from behind a bush. He walked up to it and around it. He saw Nyota laying behind the bush, covering his eyes with his paws. He also saw Bonga with him. "Found ya!"
Nyota uncovered his eyes and got to his paws.
Bonga stood up too. "Good game, Kubwa! Now ya just gotta find Imani and Ruka and Haraka."
Kubwa scanned the area once more, but Ruka, Haraka, and Imani were nowhere in sight. They've gotta be around here somewhere. He scanned the crowd of animals that were gathered around the water, strangely all crowded in the same place, not really spread out. Maybe they're there and I just can't see them. He trotted towards the crowd. Bonga was the first to follow, then stopped, turned around, and motioned with her paw for Nyota to follow. Nyota slowly and uncertainly did. Kubwa turned his head back to the front of him as he walked into the crowd. As he got to the center, he saw a black bird with green eyes talking. "Hello, how are you?" the bird said. The animals around him started laughing. Kubwa didn't know why.
"I'm doing fabulous!" replied a zebra.
"Fabulous!" The bird sounded exactly the same as the zebra!
"Who is that?" Kubwa asked the closest other animal to him - a wildebeest.
"That's Tamaa the drongo."
"Huh?"
"Drongos can make their voice sound just like other animals, and Tamaa loves doing it to make us laugh," the wildebeest explained.
Kubwa looked back at the drongo. "Cool!" Then upon further inspection, he noticed a familiar serval hiding behind a giraffe opposite the side of him. Ruka! He walked around the remaining crowd and towards the giraffe. "Found ya."
"Aww. But, you gotta admit, it was a great hiding place!"
There was a rhinoceros standing next to them that decided to walk away. As it did, Imani and Haraka were revealed, Haraka sitting up top Imani's back.
"Found ya."
"And Kubwa didn't even have to try!" Bonga chuckled. "The rhino just moved and your hiding place was... well... done!"
A tiny giggle escaped Haraka. "We'll do better next time. Right Imani?"
"C-can we..." Everyone turned their heads to look at Nyota, who froze under so many curious gazes. He looked down.
"Can we what?" Bonga asked.
It took a few moments before Nyota replied; "G-go b-ba-back to Pride Rock?"
"Sure!" It was beginning to get clearer and clearer to Kubwa that Nyota wasn't having a good time. He walked up to Mtoto, who had been watching them from not far the whole time. "Mtoto, can you take us back to Pride Rock?"
"Okay," Mtoto replied. "C'mon everyone." He began to lead the way in the direction of Pride Rock. Everyone followed. Nyota trailed behind. Kubwa noticed how Nyota walked - unconfidently, his head low, his tail tuft dragging in the dirt and getting all tangled.
Kubwa slowed down so he could be next to Nyota. Imani followed since he was the one guiding her way. "Hey Nyota, why are you so down?" Kubwa asked in a whisper. "You can tell me what's wrong."
Nyota looked up at him, his blue eyes filled with raw emotion. If eyes were the window to the soul, Nyota soul had a lot to say. "I..." For a moment, it looked like he was going to reveal what was troubling him, but then he stopped. "Never mind." Nyota's voice was hollow like a cave and broken like a tree branch that couldn't withstand the last storm. He looked away from him and towards the ground again. Kubwa didn't know what to say. They continued walking to Pride Rock. Before Kubwa knew it, they were walking up the rocks and into the main den area.
"Hiya kids. Welcome back!" said Bunga cheerily. He, Kion, Rani, their friends, Kiara, Kovu, Rafiki, Simba, Nala, and the rest of the pride were chatting. Mufa sat next to Kion and Rani, listening intently to whatever they were saying.
Nyota immediately trotted over to his parents. They looked at him. "Did you have fun?" Rani asked. Nyota nodded and a smile slowly spread across his face. But something wasn't right about that smile. It didn't look true. Kubwa knew it wasn't true. But Rani was fooled. "Good."
Kubwa and Ruka shared a glance. "Something's wrong," they both whispered in unison.
Ruka walked over to Kion and Rani. "Something's going on and I know it. What's wrong with Nyota?"
You're gonna ask them outright? Then again, did I have a better idea?
"What do you mean, 'something's wrong'?" Rani asked, the tone of her voice changing.
"I dunno, but something is wrong. I can practically smell it!" Ruka insisted.
"Don't worry. He's always been a little shy. That's just who he is," Kion explained gently.
"There's something else!" Ruka clearly wasn't satisfied with this answer. Kubwa wasn't either.
"It's just who Nyota is. You wouldn't want to change that, would you?" Rani's voice was a little harsher than Kion's.
Kubwa looked back at Nyota who was peeking out from behind his father. His gaze was clouded with what looked like a combination of sadness and worry.
Kion looked down at Nyota, his gaze clouded too, but with an emotion Kubwa could not comprehend. It looked like guilt, maybe a pinch of sadness, a hint of fear, worry... but could Kubwa be sure it was that? Maybe he was overthinking things. Maybe it was all just nothing.
"He's sad," Imani whispered. Kubwa had forgotten for a minute that Imani was still next to him.
"Yeah, I can see that," Kubwa whispered back.
"We should do something about it. We should help him feel better," Imani quietly suggested.
"I agree, but what are we gonna do if we don't know what's wrong?" Kubwa asked.
"Kubwa, Imani." They both looked up to meet Rani's piercing gaze. "Nothing is wrong. Accept Nyota for who he is."
Kubwa felt a little guilty. What if nothing is wrong? We can't change Izwi because he's shy. Rani's probably right - it's just who he is.
Nyota looked at Rani. She was still looking at Kubwa and Imani. "H-hey g-guys, do you w-want to go to th-the L-Lion Guard L-Lair?" The words appeared forced.
"Yeah," Kubwa agreed.
"Okay," Imani agreed.
Nyota slowly inched towards them and towards the exit of the den. Kubwa and Imani followed. Ruka and Haraka trailed behind.
Kion started to follow. "It'll be nice to see the Lair after all this time."
Rani, Bunga, Binga, Bonga, Fuli, and Beshte followed on foot. Ono flapped his wings and flew lowly alongside them. Then Kiara and Kovu followed. Trailing behind was the aging Simba and Nala. They all stepped down the rocks of Pride Rock and towards the Lion Guard Lair. They walked through the opening, the very top of it still covered with vines. Once they were inside, they saw a cave with brown rocky walls, a pool of water, a rock overhanging above it, a lot of high rocks in the lair to rest on and painting after painting of Rafiki's work along the walls.
"It's so nice to see this place again," Kion breathed. He looked down at Kubwa. "Someday this'll be yours. Yours and the rest of your Lion Guard's."
Kubwa looked around. He wasn't ever keen on being the Lion Guard leader one day. He couldn't see himself with the Mark of the Guard on his shoulder. Kubwa's idea of his future was to live a normal and happy life with his friends. The hakuna matata lifestyle was what Kubwa imagined for himself and his friends.
"He'll take after you." Kiara smiled. Kion looked at her.
How do you know?
"He doesn't need to." Kion looked back at Kubwa. "Kubwa, just be yourself, no one else. Lead how you want to and do what you think you should. That's how you'll figure out how to become a great leader."
Kubwa looked at the paintings that decorated the rock walls of the Lion Guard Lair. His eyes swerved from one image to another until his gaze finally rested upon the painting of Vitani's Lion Guard plummeting down a high cliff towards their doom. He shuddered.
"What are you looking at, Kubwa?" Kion asked.
Kubwa turned around to look back at his uncle, who's gaze wavered to the painting that was directly ahead of where Kubwa had been looking. His expression changed into one that contained sadness. Everyone noticed, then turned their gazes to the painting too.
"Poor Vitani." Kovu's voice was filled with grief and he blinked, trying to prevent tears from escaping his eyes.
"Her time in the world was much too short." Sadness was clear in Kiara's voice.
"Vitani, Shabaha, Kasi, Imara, and Tazama served the Pridelands well during their short time as the Lion Guard." Rafiki shook his head and sighed.
Vitani and her Lion Guard were the new Lion Guard assigned to protect the Pridelands after Kion and his former Lion Guard left for the Tree of Life. According to Kiara and Kovu, they did well serving the Pridelands. But one day, Kovu and a heavily pregnant Kiara were taking a walk through a ravine. All of a sudden, wildebeest came stampeding through. There was nowhere to escape, but Vitani's Guard happened to be nearby patrolling near the top of the ravine, and Tazama had spotted them. They scurried down the steep rocks of the ravine and got to them. They all worked together to haul Kiara up the very steep rocks, higher and higher until they had almost gotten her up to the top. But then, at the last minute, the last rock collapsed under Vitani's paws and she began to plummet, knocking into the rest of her Lion Guard behind her, then the rocks beneath their feet came loose and they all plummeted to their doom.
One day, you'll lead the Lion Guard, was the thought that echoed in Kubwa's head. It was the words Kiara would constantly repeat to him. He looked at the painting again. He didn't want that to happen to him. He didn't want to have a dark fate, along with anyone else he would choose to be on the Lion Guard.
There was a silence that lasted about a minute until Bunga declared; "Enough of this sadness! What's something happy to talk about?"
Everyone shifted uncomfortably. Awkward...
"Queen Kiara! King Kovu!" Suddenly, Zazu came flying as fast as he could into the Lair. "There was a rockslide in the gorge! Kasu's trapped!"
"Oh no!" Kiara exclaimed.
"Take us there!" Kovu ordered. Zazu quickly flew out of the Lair, Kiara and Kovu following behind.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kion ordered and took off after them. Rani, Bunga, Binga, Fuli, Beshte, Makini, and Rafiki followed behind. Ono flew after them. Then Simba and Nala. Even Nyota took off after them. I guess we're going with them, Kubwa thought and followed Nyota. Bonga, Ruka, and Haraka followed. Mtoto trailed behind. Mufa was the last to run after them. They all ran out of the Lair and through the plains. Kubwa's paws thumped on the grassy earth. He never took Kion or Nyota out of his sight.
It wasn't long before the ground began to dip. They all had to slow down to avoid falling. They walked gingerly down a steep hill and the grass slowly faded into dirt. They had entered the beginning of the gorge. The entrance. This -and the exit way far on the other side- was the only safe way to get to the bottom of the gorge. All the other sides were much too high and steep. As soon as they reached the bottom, they broke into a run once more. It wasn't long before Kubwa saw a large pile of rocks with the far side stretching halfway up the gorge. A little closer, and he saw a small bird with its wing caught below a large rock ten times his size. Kasu!
"Kasu!" Kiara exclaimed in distress. "Are you alright?!"
"Clearly not!" the hornbill snapped. His voice was stressed. He was in pain.
Kion didn't hesitate a moment before he pushed his head and shoulders against the rock. "C'mon everyone, help me push."
Bunga, Fuli, and Beshte were quick to assist. It was barely a second before the rock rolled off of Kasu's wing. The rock wasn't that big after all, but there was no way Zazu could have moved it on his own, given his size.
Kasu's wing was bent and visible bruises were noticeable. Rafiki gently picked Kasu up. "Let us take you back to the Lair. I have remedies there that will help your wing."
Kasu groaned. "Whatever."
It was a slow walk back to the Lair, everyone looking at Kasu often out of concern. Rafiki was careful to go slow, so to not jostle Kasu and potentially worsen his injury. Once they made their way to the Lair's entrance they saw Imani sitting there, waiting. "Makini, do you remember where I keep the leaf bandages?" Rafiki asked.
"Yeah!" Makini quickly skipped to a crevice in the Lair's walls near a large rock where large leaves along with a few vines were stashed. She reached her arm inside and pulled out a handful of the leaves. She then tore three in half, put the rest back, and skipped back to where Rafiki laid Kasu down on a large rocky platform. Makini placed her hands gently over Kasu and held his wing out while Rafiki took the leaves and a couple of vines in his hands and wrapped them gently but firmly around Kasu's wing.
"Wear this and rest for three days, and you will be fine," Rafiki told him.
"Three days?!" Zazu exclaimed, horror in his voice. "We have duties! We have responsibilities! We have-"
"And Kasu must take a break from them," Rafiki told him gently.
A look of joy spread across Kasu's face. "Best three days of my life."
Zazu gave his son a scolding look.
"Now, everyone, out. Kasu needs to rest." Rafiki waved his hands and everyone slowly filed one by one out of the Lair. Except Kubwa. He walked towards Imani, rested the tip of his tail on her shoulder, and led her towards the exit. As everyone exited they all called:
"Bye Kasu!"
"I hope you feel better!"
"Get better soon!"
"Rest up!"
I hope Kasu feels better soon. That rock falling on his wing must've really hurt. Kubwa soon felt cool, soft grass beneath his paws once more. He felt the sun warm his pelt, unlike in the Lair, where sunshine could not reach except for one small hole in the roof where sunlight penetrated and managed to light the whole area.
Kubwa walked faster to catch up to where Kiara, Kovu, Kion, and Rani were walking at the front. Once he was walking alongside them, he slowed back down. Nyota was right there too. He was walking as close as he could to his father, Kion. Kubwa tried to make eye contact with his cousin. For a moment, Nyota turned his head and looked directly at Kubwa. His gaze held emotions Kubwa was not familiar with. He knew they were emotions though, he just didn't know what. It was mysterious. There was a lot hiding behind those blue eyes. Then Nyota looked away and looked straight on ahead.
Kiara noticed Kubwa and looked at him. Then she looked at Kion. "I hope he takes after you," she said. They both looked down at Kubwa. Kubwa looked into Kiara's eyes, so full of hope and anticipation for Kubwa to be just like her brother was. But what if I can't be? he asked himself. Will Mom be disappointed?
"He'll be who he is, not who I am." There was an emotion that flashed in Kion's eyes. Kubwa immediately knew what it was: understanding. "You do you, Kubwa."
Kubwa was glad Kion understood, although it was the lion he least expected to understand. But a question still lingered in his mind: would Kiara?