It wouldn't be long before the Guard got back to their sleeping spot. Kion was still on Beshte, moaning weakly in pain.
"St-stop..." He moaned.
"Kion?" Fuli perked her ears. "What is it? Are you alright?"
Kion stared ahead of her, barely even acknowledging her. "St-stop..."
"Kion?" Fuli asked in a firmer voice. "Are you okay?"
"St-stop...! P-please stop..! H-how are you doing this?!"
"Kion," Fuli said firmly, trying to bring him to reality. "Kion!"
"Kion?" Beshte asked the lion on his back. "What's going on?"
"St-stop..." He quickly scrambled off of Beshte and gagged. His stomach jerked in the motion of multiple spasms.
A few moments later, blood was everywhere.
Kion collapsed on his side, gazing in front of him with clouded eyes.
"Kion!" Fuli gasped. She rushed over to him, the Guard closely behind her. "Kion!"
"Fuli?" He said drowsily, shaking his head. He then gagged more.
More blood.
"Zuka Zama, what's going on?!" Bunga asked fearfully.
He moaned in pain and put his paws on his stomach. Fuli gasped - it was so swollen. Not the 'you need to lay off the gazelles' type of swollen. It was the ill and sick type of swollen. His stomach was very red and inflamed. How did she not notice this before?!
Makini gasped and rushed over to her. She ran her hands down Kion's stomach. "Oh no..."
"What?"
"This is something that Rafiki told me about." Makini looked at Fuli, seeming to ponder her next words. "It was probably caused by the scar."
Fuli gasped. She closed her eyes as she lowered her head and touched her muzzle to Kion's forehead, hoping to comfort him.
A bolt of pain suddenly shot through her. Something was stabbing into her stomach. All her insides screamed for relief as she tried not to faint.
Something lurked just below her throat. She tried to stay as still as she could to prevent it from coming up. She swallowed, all the while hurting her throat. Her stomach suddenly decided to jerk. Spasms rippled through her body as the lurking thing below her throat started to rise...
She snapped her eyes back open and retracted her muzzle from Kion's forehead. He was starting to gag and turned his head away from her.
Fuli shook her head. The powers. She recalled that she could feel how Kion was feeling back when they were trapped in Swift's Clan. She didn't know how she could, but she could. But how did she forget about that?! She didn't know.
"Uhh, Fuli?" Bunga's voice cut through her thoughts. "What happened there?"
Fuli quickly turned to face him. "Nothing," she replied, trying to sound convincing.
Bunga shrugged. "Ok-" He suddenly gasped and pointed. "Oh my Great Kings and Queens!"
The whole Guard gasped. There Kion laid, blood pooling from his mouth. His cloudy eyes stared blankly ahead of them. He blinked and inhaled a shaky breath.
"Kion!" Fuli stared at him with a horrified expression.
Kion coughed. "It's..." He inhaled a breath, "burning."
"Anga, get the Night Pride! Maybe Nirmala can help!" Fuli ordered.
"On it." The eagle flew up into the air, sky blue eyes scanning the night in search of the group of lions.
"Found 'em!" Anga flew back down. "They're near the Pass, as expected."
"Okay-"
"Wait-!" Kion coughed multiple times before continuing. "I don't want the Night Pride to know."
Fuli turned back to him. "Why?"
"I... well... it's...-" He flinched and cut himself off. "Just, don't tell them."
"I should. It's for your safety and well-being."
"Besides, Nirmala is much more experienced on healing than I am," Makini added. "She'll be able to help a lot more than me."
"No! You can't-" Kion was cut off by gagging. He moaned and was obviously trying not to screech.
Blood trickled out of his mouth and pooled onto the ground.
"I have to!" Fuli rushed off. "Night Pride! Night Pride!"
XX
"You hyena-brained fool," Jua snarled. "Now the Night Pride will know about this.. devastating sickness." Jua glared at him. He met her gaze, hoping he didn't flinch. She snarled; "You deserve this as punishment."
Pain stabbed Kion deep in the stomach. All of his insides screamed for relief as he tried not to faint.
Something lurked just below his throat. He tried to stay as still as she could to prevent it from coming up. He swallowed, all the while hurting his throat. His stomach suddenly decided to jerk. A spasm rippled through his body. Then another. And another. The lurking thing below his throat started to rise.
Dizziness wavered through him. Why me...? He couldn't hold it back any longer and regurgitated more. Burning pain shot through his throat and gut.
He wailed in agony.
"Shwari, Kion!" Makini encouraged, obviously trying not to panic herself. "Stay calm, okay? Please stay calm."
But for some reason Makini's voice didn't have the same calming effect that Fuli's had.
A shrill voice cut through the air. "Back!"
Fuli was rushing over to them with Nirmala behind her.
"Thank the Bright Stars Above the Savanna," Beshte sighed in relief.
"I came as soon as I could," the healer told them. She looked at Kion and gasped at the sight.
"Yeah I know!" Bunga shouted in response to her gasp. "It's bad!"
Nirmala rushed over to Kion and paced around him, observing him. "Can you stand?" She asked.
Kion tucked his legs back under him and pushed up. But immediately after, a searing pain shot through his gut and made him collapse back onto the ground.
"Apparently not," Nirmala commented. She sat down and gently grabbed his upper half in her front paws and made him sit up. "AGH!" Kion squeezed his eyes shut. Even simply moving made his stomach burn with pain. It felt like flames were being lit inside him, beginning to burn like a raging wildfire.
He tensed his muscles, trying to bear the pain. Nirmala paced around him, looking for anything that might have caused this. She then gasped.
"We need to get this scar healed, and fast."
XXXX
Fuli looked at the brightening sky. The others were near her, all keeping a close eye on Kion incase something happens.
Nirmala had given Kion some sort of herbal treatment to help keep the swelling down and to help stop the blood. She had also told Kion to rest for a day or two due to that sudden ordeal. They would continue the healing sessions after.
Kion looked at her and quickly looked away. His ears twitched as if he was listening to something.
He then slowly walked over to her and sat beside her, not saying a word.
Fuli broke the silence; "Feeling better?"
"A lot better, thanks Fuli," he replied.
They sat in silence, leaning against each other. They stared in awe at the rising sun.
Fuli broke the silence once more; "Kion, what do you think the sun is?"
Kion looked shocked by this question, but answered anyway; "My dad always said that the sun was the Circle of Life."
Fuli looked at him confused. Kion turned to look at her and began to explain; "He always said that.. that..." Kion looked away, eyes clouded with sorrow.
"You miss him, don't you?"
Kion didn't meet her gaze. "I do."
"I know how you feel." They continued to look at the beautiful sunrise. "From what I remembered... Mwepesi was the nicest cheetah ever. So was Endenesha. I... I don't know what happened.. but... but.." Her voice cracked as she fought the urge to cry.
She was taken by surprise when he nuzzled her. "It's okay, Fuli. It's all okay..."
"How do you know it be okay?"
Kion didn't reply and took in a breath. His eyes seemed to say; I don't.
However, he turned to look at her. "I know it'll be okay because no matter how bad it gets, I'll be on your side. Always."
Fuli smiled, she was touched by his words. "Thank you." Guilt pushed deep inside of her at his words too as she remembered something - the secret. He promised to be on her side always. Yet here she was, keeping a horrible secret from him. It's for the best, she told herself. Wouldn't you rather let him be happy living a lie, then make him feel pain by living the truth?
She was abruptly brought back to reality when Kion suddenly sneezed. She noticed he had a paw on his stomach and looked slightly uncomfortable.
She entertained an idea in her mind. The powers. She extended a paw to touch Kion's forehead.
Kion looked surprised. A jolt suddenly shot through her. She didn't feel too bad, but her stomach was giving her aching pain. She felt tired and drowsy, she was looking forward to the next sleep.
Fuli removed her paw. "Kion you should rest more," she told him. "You're feeling tired and your stomach is aching."
Kion sighed. "It's about time I asked you how you always seem to know exactly what I'm feeling."
Fuli shuffled her paws. "I don't know."
Kion looked confused. "You sure?"
"Y-yeah."
He didn't press anymore. He seemed to tired for that. He yawned and went back to his sleeping spot. Fuli laid down beside him. "I'll be here," she told him. "Till you're feeling better."
"Thanks a lot Fuli." Kion smiled at her. "For everything." He looked her in the eyes. "I promise that someday I'll find a way to pay you back."
"No need for that," Fuli chuckled. "I'm just doing what friends do."
"Yeah but it means a lot to me to know you're by my side. I want you to know that I'm by your side too."
Fuli playfully butted his shoulder. "I already knew that."
They looked back at the sun. They quickly turned away - it wasn't sunrise anymore. The sky was beginning to be all blue.
They laid there in silence, until Kion spoke; "It was great when we were young cubs... wasn't it?
"Yeah," Fuli purred. "We'd all go on adventures together... Heck, sometimes I even miss fighting Janja."
"I know right?" Kion replied. He chuckled. "All those times... happy.. sad.. sometimes embarrassing...
Fuli smirked at his last word. "Do you remember when we were younger and you had gotten your claws stuck in a tree?"
[FLASHBACK]
"Yeah, you too." Fuli smiled at him as he walked over to her and the Guard to join the group hug.
"You were right, Little B. She really is soft," Beshte said.
"Told ya so," Bunga said in reply, still hugging Fuli.
Kion then pulled away from the hug. His ears flattened. "Also.. Fuli, I'm sorry that I told the Guard to not leave you alone."
"Eh, don't worry about it," Fuli said smirking. The others backed away from the hug slightly. She reached out a paw and pulled Kion closer, ruffling his mane with her other paw. Kion smiled bashfully. "Fuli, stop it," he muttered, his cheeks growing warm.
"Awww. That's sweet," Beshte cooed. Bunga smiled in agreement. Fuli let go of Kion. "Now do you all wanna go to the Watering Hole?"
"Yeah!" Bunga agreed enthusiastically.
"Poa."
"Affirmative."
"Okay." Her gaze turned to Kion. "What about you?" Her gaze held warmth and kindness, unusual for Fuli when they were in public.
Kion opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. His pelt grew warm under Fuli's stare. He shuffled his paws, for some reason growing anxious as he did so.
"Uh, Kion, you okay?" Fuli asked, breaking the silence that Kion unintentionally created.
Kion felt suddenly embarrassed and nervous. "Y-yeah I'm fine," he stammered. Fuli looked confused for a moment before he finally answered her: "And yeah, I'd also like to go to the Watering Hole."
"Okay." With Fuli leading the way, the Lion Guard made their way to the Watering Hole.
When they got there, everyone relaxed, lounging on the shore. Bunga slowly approached Kion. He had a meshevious look on his face. Bunga... what are you doing?
Bunga suddenly ran up to Kion. "Tag!" He then ran away quickly. Kion raced after him.
"Hah, ya can't catch me!" Bunga taunted while running ahead of Kion.
"That's what you think!" Kion shot back as he gained on Bunga. Almost there... He ran faster, pushing himself harder. Just a little further...
Suddenly, Bunga jumped down a big rock, quite more than a few pawsteps high. Kion was about to follow, but then he suddenly caught sight of Fuli sitting below the rock. He jumped before he could stop himself. Oh no...!
He quickly lifted his gaze and saw a tree's branch hanging over. On impulse, he reached out with his forepaws and unsheathed his claws. He caught himself on the branch. Phew... At least no one's hurt.
Kion tried to pull up one of his forepaws to attempt to climb down the tree, but he couldn't. He was confused for a few moments until he hit a bad and embarrassing realization. My claws are stuck in the tree... ugh...
"Uh, Kion?" Came Fuli's voice from below him. "Are you alright?"
Kion's pelt grew hot with embarrassment. He grunted as he made effort to pull his claws free of the tree, but failed.
His pelt then burned with embarrassment as he spoke; "Umm... Erm... Guys, a little help?"
He heard the thumping of Fuli's paws as she ran in the directions of where the rest of the Guard were relaxing. Soon, he heard voices below him.
"So... how are we gonna get him down?" He heard Beshte ask.
"I dunno," Bunga replied.
"Wait, wait, everyone! I've got an idea," Bunga said, calling their attention. "Okay, so Beshte can't climb, Fuli can't climb trees, but I can and Ono can fly up there. Ono can help loosen his claws while I climb up there and help guide him back down."
"Huh, that is surprisingly astute of you, Bunga," Ono said impressed. "That plan would actually work."
"Thanks-" He cut himself off. Kion guessed was was glaring at Ono. "Hey, you sayin' I'm not smart?" Bunga put his paws on his hips.
"Well," Ono began. "Sometimes you can be a little..."
"Dumb," Fuli finished.
Bunga glared at them. "Remember, Rafiki said I'm the smartest animal in the whole Pride Lands! Which also means that if I'm the smartest animal, I'm smarter than you!"
"Wh-what?!" Ono snapped and likely turned his back on Bunga.
"Yeah, it's true. Now let's follow through with my plan," Bunga finished off, obviously smirking.
"What?! But-?!"
"Ono. Are we going through with the plan. Or not?"
"Fine!" Ono pouted in annoyance.
Kion couldn't help but silently chuckle at what he heard.
Ono obviously flew up to Kion. Soon, he saw him. Kion was still embarrassed. Ono gingerly landed on the branch that Kion was clinging onto.
He gently slid under Kion's paw with his beak. He pulled upward. "Kion, sheath your claws, now!" Ono mumbled. Kion obeyed and sheathed the claws of the paw Ono was struggling to hold up. He then gripped back on the branch with his forepaw.
The egret gently slid under Kion's other paw with his beak. He pulled upward once more. "Kion, sheath your claws," Ono mumbled. Kion obeyed again and sheathed the claws of the paw Ono was struggling to hold up. He then gripped back on the branch with his forepaw.
He then saw Bunga wearing an encouraging smile. "Hey Kion! I'm gonna get you down from here! Follow me!" Bunga helped pull Kion up the branch and he helped guide him down.
Then, he was finally down. His pelt pricked with embarrassment and he didn't meet the amused gazes of his teammates. "Thanks guys."
He heard the quiet chuckles of his teammates at him for getting into that mess. Fuli walked up to him. Knowing Fuli, he thought he was going to get laughed at or teased, but he was wrong.
She leaned close to his ear. "I've been there too, y'know. You're not the only one who's gotten stuck in a tree."
[END OF FLASHBACK]
"I still think it was kinda funny."
"Easy for you to say," Kion playfully shot back. "You're not the one who got their claws stuck in a tree."
"I already told you before that I have. Why do you think I don't climb trees?"
Kion chuckled. He and Fuli sat in silence, both instead of the already gone sunrise, observing the clouds floating by.
"That one looks like you, Fuli."
"And that one looks like you."