Sorry for the long wait. But since it's here now, enjoy!~~~
"Oh look, look! I think it's a vulture,"
"Vulture? Looks more like Zazu than anything in my opinion,"
"Hm, you're right,"
"What else do you see?"
Jasiri turned from Kion to the sky above, looking anything that looked akin to something. A few moments in looking, she realized they had named all the possible shapes the twinkling stars could take. She turned again to her best friend beside her, smirking.
"A whiny, sensitive, mommy's boy lion cub," She chuckled in her childish voice. "Who's also the one who risked his life to save me. Asante. For everything," She gave a smile that he responded with a grin of his own. It did not take long before they started stargazing again.
Kion tried counting the stars by pointing his paw to each of them, starting from the far left. "So, found a new den yet?" He gave up on counting since he kept forgetting.
"No. Every place I went to just doesn't feel... right,"
"You can always stay here in the Priderock. It's where you've been staying at anyway since you got here,"
"I don't want to trouble your parents,"
"You make it sound like they don't like you here. I mean, we're both cubs. Dad may look like he doesn't care at all, but he's worried about you. You did just almost break your back after all,"
Jasiri just laughed. "So, how has it been with your father? Dad now, I suppose,"
"You can't change the subject, Jasiri. I know you. That won't work anymore,"
"Are you really that shy cub I met in the Outlands?" she turned to see Kion looking straight into her eyes. She chuckled a little before it died down. Soon, only wind accompanied the silence. "It's just... Your family has done so much for me. You brought me here, healed me, then made me a Pridelander. I'm grateful. I think you've done enough for me,"
"Well, that's udugu. Mom told me that earlier. Though she won't tell me what it means..."
"Thank you, Kion. I'm sure I can look after myself. I need a place to be alone. All that happened these past days, they're just a lot to take in,"
"If you say so," They both looked at the sky just in time to see a shooting star. "I just hope mom won't ground me for sneaking out like this,"
"Well, hoping won't get you anywhere. I'll back you up,"
"Thanks!"
Up above, a lone star twinkled brighter than the rest.
~~~
Raindrops falling on her muzzle. Jasiri always found it hard for herself to contain her enjoyment at even the sight of them, more so having herself directly under the grey sky once it began to rain. Her fur soaked wet all over, yet she would still find pleasure in having the drops of water touching and sliding down her body. She would hop around in the slopes and fall once in a while, smiling all along. It was a time of peace when she could set aside all her worries; a time to truly be herself.
A time like that was a one time chance amongst thousand however.
Like all natural weathers, rainstorm made part of the Circle of Life. Like them also, it was mostly unwelcomed by the residents of the Pridelands due to its disastrous nature. On the aftermath of each one, the Lion Guard could just forget their desire to laze around in the lair relaxing so they could help those in need of them. Currently, none of the guard had had their fair share of rest, so they were quite on the edge at the moment, literally and figuratively.
As was known of rainstorm, it always brought strong winds along, one that had the potential to pull any tree unfortunate enough to be in its path out of the ground. One of the trees was one that belonged to a baboon troop. It was dangerously leaning closer to the cliff. With the baboons still holding on to it and making movement they shouldn't, the tree only had so much time before it would finally lose to their weight and fall.
"Please, You have to come down! The tree can't hold it much longer," Jasiri shouted, only for it to fall on deaf ear like all her previous attempt. A young baboon in particular had the most of her attention. Up above the tree, he clung tightly to his mother. "Gumba!" Jasiri tried calling again but failed.
By now, the presence of thunders cracking at every second was nothing more than the creaking of crickets at night. If anything, they were the indicator of the time they still had to rescue the baboons.
"Baboons!" Kion's loud voice rang in one of her eardrum. He, like the rest of the guard, was drenched in the freezing water. She ignored the shivering she felt every time a breeze blew by. Her attention was primarily on the baboons. As she did, they too ignored the lion's call for them.
Compared to their usual and less risky rescuing, this one might really end with any, if not most, of them getting hurt. It was for a reason that was the case for this one.
The troop's leader clung to the tree with his life depending on it. "We're dry up here!" he either told the guard that they were fine or was assuring himself that they indeed were. "We'll come down when the rain stops!"
"These guy's unbungalievable!"
For the first time in many moons, Bunga and Fuli agreed on the same thing. "Oh, baboons!"
Time was getting shorter. It was clear that the tree could not keep holding itself against the baboons' constant movements. The one keeping it in its place, Beshte, was not faring well also. "Kion, the tree's gonna go! And I don't wanna go with it," Fear was evident in the hippo's voice. He groaned, fighting against the tree's weight.
A thunder flashed before Jasiri's eyes. Her head felt light for a moment. She lost her footing, but was quick enough to prevent herself from falling. Upon opening her eyes and shifting her gaze, she saw Kion giving her a worried look. She only responded by shaking her head, then returned to the tree.
Beshte once again pushed against it. Two of its remaining roots, the ones aiding the hippo even after being forced out of the ground, broke off. With all the burden on him, he could only groan as the baboons continued to double his effort. They moved further towards the part that went past the cliff, slightly crushing him.
A pair of baboons held each other in a hug, trembling. "Calm down!" the leader turned to them.
"As long as we stay dry"--he made some sound--"We'll be fine,"
Ono flew in front of him. "No it won't! Your tree's about to fall off a cliff!" Hearing that, Gumba's mother quickly jumped onto the leader's head, further adding to the weight. The little baboon hung on her back tightly.
"He's right! Look," she pointed. The leader only responded with a squint, looking below. The giant log let out a creak, convincing her to move further towards the cliff.
"No, stay on this side of the tree!" Kion shouted through the rainstorm. Ono flew a safe distance to watch from above.
"Can't... much..."
Jasiri's world spun and shifted. Her vision was blurry, and everything she heard became distorted. Her feet staggered. It was when Kion shouted that she regained her senses.
"Beshte, think you can handle a little more weight?" Her dizziness became her least concern once Jasiri realized the full meaning of her leader's words.
"Sure! But whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!"
"Bunga, climb up there and scare those baboons down!"
"With pleasure," Bunga readily followed his order. Jasiri didn't wait to stop him.
"No, Bunga, you're-" Her world shifted into an unknown yet familiar surrounding.
Her body had never felt so heavy in her life. Had she been able to move, she would push her feet and seek for shelter against the rain. Walls and walls of cold water shielded her sight, yet more punctured into her from above. She could only lay still drenched in rain water from the sky and the one flowing beneath her belly. It was slow and painful, but every drop of water seeping into her wounds and cuts left a lasting sting, a feeling that would have made her cry for help. But she didn't make a sound. Only the loud growls and white flashes, and a blurry figure she saw in front of...
The world spun once again as Jasiri broke out of her sudden daze. The ground as always became her lying spot for whenever she fell. She moaned. "I feel like throwing up," She covered her mouth, feeling sick.
She heard Fuli expressing her displeasure from behind, whatever the reason. "You can come down now!"
"We'll come down--whoo whoo--when the rain stops!"
She groaned. "Baboons,"
Jasiri took a deep breath to clear her mind. Her forelegs gave her little trouble, so slowly, she rose into a sitting position, taking in her surrounding.
Beshte was relaxing himself, Bunga with him, chatting. On the side, Gumba was hugging his mother. Fuli and Ono both had matters if their own. Everyone was safe. The tree too had finished its part in the Circle of Life, nowhere to be seen anymore.
A few drop of water falling on her muzzle made her look up. Though she had always been fond of them, a thought, of the more undesired outcome had something went wrong, stopped her from drawing any line of smile or letting out her usual cheery laugh. The image of her hippo and honey badger friends, along with one little baboon, lying unconscious beside the fallen tree would take some time to be removed from her mind.
One particular lion walked directly into her sight. His face was full of nothing but unneeded concern completely directed at her. Once her eyes connected with his, an unfamiliar feeling welled deep inside her. It felt like anger, but was more toned down. Upset, perhaps. It might be of that feeling, but whatever it was, Jasiri couldn't find in herself to look away. For the first time she could remember, she glared at her leader.
~~~
Kion heaved a relieved sigh. The rainstorm had finally stopped. The guards didn't object his order to rest for a while after their hard work. After all, there was bound to be another rainstorm on the way. Taking a short break wouldn't hurt anybody.
While the rest enjoyed their nap, Kion went somewhere else by himself to settle a matter.
Usually after any rainstorm, animals all appeared to always need the guards' help, one way or another. He gladly helped anyone who seriously needed the guards' help. With the ones just making his work hard for him though, he felt like clawing at some close tree nearby. It was all Jasiri's effort to remind him that trees were part of the Circle of Life too, and that they were not there for letting out his emotion. Thinking about Jasiri slowed down his steps until he was barely moving at all.
His eyes absentmindedly went to the gray clouds above, aimlessly looking at each passing one, before slowly going down to the grass beneath his feet. "Sisi ni sawa, isn't it?" he said in a dejected tone that never belonged to him. In his half-aware state, the next step he took ended up in his paw getting soaked in a puddle, a souvenir from the last rainstorm. "Huh? Must have been the seventh one since I left the guard,"
He took his step back, now fully conscious of the bigger surrounding. One of the thing he noticed was the struggle an animal would face just to be set free to fly, and he wasn't talking about Kiara.
Not far from him, a butterfly was caught in one puddle amongst many other. Kion made his way towards the poor creature and lifted it carefully to his face. It circled happily around him. He smiled in response.
"There you go little guy," It wanted to stick around longer, though, and landed on his muzzle, making him chuckle. "You're welcome," When the butterfly finally flew away, he moved to another matter that didn't fail to catch his attention, namely another souvenir from the rainstorm.
On his side, he could see trees pulled out of their home, all lying around and abandoned. Some even had their trunks split into two. It was a sight he had never paid any attention to before being appointed as the Fiercest. Now that he was part of the Lion Guard, he knew it was not a pretty sight.
"Hevi Kabisa. Storm's caused so much destruction," Up above, clouds gathered into one big wall of grey, blocking further view of the sky. Kion went up onto the highest boulder in the area and looked past the clouds. "Grandfather?" Bright light broke through them along with the wind slightly changing its course. An adult lion's face appeared.
"Yes, Kion. I'm here," the once king Mufasa greeted him, smiling down at him.
Kion stepped forward and gathered his thought. "I was thinking. The rains cause so many problems for the Pridelands. What if I use the roar, to blow the big rainstorms away?" He beamed, not expecting the laugh coming from his grandfather.
"The rains are part of the Circle of Life, Kion. The Pridelands will need that water for the dry season," his grandfather pointed to him the obvious flaw in his plan, a flaw that he had forgotten due to him not thinking it through.
"I guess," the lion cub swiped at the boulder he was on, defeated. "But it'd be a lot easier-"
"Kion, the easy solution is not always the best solution,"
Kion was reminded of the baboons' rescue earlier, where there could be a lot of consequences had his premature plan failed. "Yes, grandfather," He was about to leave when something occured to him. "Um... grandfather Mufasa?" he called before the lion had the chance to disappear.
"Yes, Kion?"
"I-" Something held him back from saying what he intended to. Looking at the lion expecting his reply, and considering the time he had spent away from the guards, Kion made the decision to continue the conversation for another day. "Never mind. I can always find you right?"
His grandfather nodded. "I am always here whenever you need me," With his voice fading, he faded as well, leaving the clouds dominating the sky once again. Kion sighed.
His paw absentmindedly went to his chest, watching the clouds separate and leave one by one. In loud, clear, definitely audible female voice, a yelling pulled him out of his daze, prompting him to look for the source. Kion sighed again, exasperation at the tip of his breath. He weighed down his options but found no reasonable excuse--a mature excuse at least--to not intervene.
"Well, might as well see what's wrong," he walked towards two very familiar arguing baboons.
~~~
Jasiri shifted, rolled, anything, so the grass beneath her become more comfortable and not as rough as it was. It seemed even her body hated her. Every time she lay still it shouted to her to just move. Sighing, Jasiri stood from her position, no longer feeling exhausted as before. It was a lie to herself of course, but moving like a stick shoved around in no particular direction wouldn't do any good to her already sore body. Kion was serious when he joked they wouldn't get any rest, at least until now.
The rest of the Lion Guard took liberty of their leader's words, wherever he was, and for the lack of better term slept like cubs under their mother's hold. She restrained the urge to pinch their cheek by giggling. A good natured giggle of course.
Fuli for one didn't force a smile to her face. It naturally came by itself, making her look all the more her inner self. The same could be said for the others. They all held the same kind look she had seen times and times again. Before 'Day of the Lion Guard', she would have doubted it, that a group of animals would accept her as part of them, more so swear to be her friends. That one line of thought almost made her tear. Almost.
"Asante..." Jasiri had made sure to 'whisper' her voice as low and quiet as possible. She clearly didn't when Ono blinked his eyes, waking up right after. "Oh hey, Ono. Good dream?" she pressed a paw to her muzzle and gestured to the others who were still sleeping. He looked at them first before flying to her side.
"Kion still didn't return?"
Jasiri shook her head. "It hasn't been that long yet. Sorry if I woke you up,"
"Nah it's fine. I'm not that tired," The irony of his claim didn't escape Jasiri when a yawn escaped him. A long one. "Okay, I may be a little tired, but that's okay. I needed to talk to you anyway," Jasiri's ears perked at that.
"What about? You never really wanted to just 'talk' to me before,"
"I always talk to you, Jasiri. In fact, I still recall the first time we did. But let's not stray off the point," Ono flapped his wings a little so he be directly facing her. "This may sound like I'm poking my beak into other's business,"
"Yet you'll ask anyway,"
"Hmm... True that. Anyway, all the evidences I found point me to only one conclusion,"
"And that is..."
"You're sick right, Jasiri?"
Said hyena stared at his silently shaking figure, despite his faked calm demeanor. "Come again," Jasiri made sure to really soften her voice this time so as not to scare him.
"W-well, all the hiding, your reluctance to work with the guards before yesterday, you staying with Rafiki, all that. You're trying to find the cure to your sickness. At the same time, you couldn't bear to face us. Am I wrong? You're afraid we would find out and worry about you," By the end of that sentence, only half of Ono's face was visible to her as he kept turning it, nervousness shaping his very gestures.
That look of nervousness was reflected in Jasiri in the form of nervous glance, not knowing how exactly to reply. Thankfully, or rather unfortunately, both of them were distracted by the sound of rushing water. They turned in time to see a wave of the cold monster coming for them. 'Hevi kabisa' was what Kion would have said if he were here, but neither of them was up to being him, so they opted for an alternative instead. They gasped.
"Guys, guys! Wake up!" Ono flew over to the others. Jasiri bounded after him, noticing how Fuli barely acknowledging him, unlike Beshte.
"What's the kerbubble, Ono?"
Jasiri claimed the honour of answering. "Only cold water trying to kill us," She figured the hippo's figure was huge enough to function as a shield. She settled by him just in time when the wave hit. She looked over her shoulder. "I hope you don't mind, Beshte,"
"No biggie, Jasiri," he flapped his ears.
There was a series of coughing, followed by a half soaked Fuli walking her way to them, shivering. Jasiri was sure she heard Ono stifling a laugh, but didn't bother. Jasiri offered her paws and pulled the cheetah close, almost cooing at touching her soft fur. With Bunga joining them afterwards, their collected body heat was enough to protect them from the cold, Beshte being the biggest source.
Fuli was conscious enough to voice everyone's thought. "There's never been a river here before. What's happening?"
Like her, she and the rest were puzzled, frustrated too, as to why they had to endure one more session exposed to the now-undoubtedly their sworn enemy. What the guards did to irk it, Jasiri couldn't recall, because she didn't think it was frowned upon asking for longer non-wet time. Since grumbling promised only more grumbling and making herself look cubbish--not that she minded--she made use of her mind instead to solve their current problem.
"I'll take a guess and say it's the last rainstorm's doing," Jasiri fought from shivering, but she did sneeze. She rubbed her nose a little, pointing at Fuli with the use of another paw. "You're in charge,"
The cheetah rolled her eyes. "Alright. Ono, see where's the water coming from. Look for Kion too while you're on it, will you,"
"Affirmative!" The egret took off. Whatever he saw up there, it wasn't good news. Ono's voice was clear in the air, so was the panicky feel to it. "Lake Kiziwa! It's too full, the water's pouring out,"
Jasiri's hearing confirmed his words. The rushing sound got louder, which she guessed why her paw pads were wet now. The water current had quickened, bringing along more water to be licked and wiggled out of her fur once all this was over. If it ever ends, that is.
"It's getting worse, Fuli!" Ono's panicked voice rose ever-so slightly.
By now, Bunga and the cheetah had taken the higher ground by Beshte's back, the latter due to her resentment towards water. Jasiri was left standing beside Beshte below, finding no use in mimicking her two friends. As she began getting comfortable having the cold substance moving about beneath her paws, she spotted a grazing group of oryxes just below. Fuli with her wider range of view atop Beshte saw them as well.
Jasiri turned to face the rest. "Any idea how to stop the water before it floods the whole place?"
To her and everyone else's surprise, one very confident honey badger answered that. "I've got one," Jasiri was sure he would be too distracted to even notice their stare on him had he been facing them.
Bunga's plan was simple; push a giant boulder so that it fall to block any further water from flowing, of which she, Fuli, and Beshte was chosen to do. Executing the plan the other paw, not so much.
Come on, move! Jasiri begged as she forced her body and head against the boulder. It wouldn't do so much of a budge and stayed like that, as if humiliating the combined effort of hers and her friends.
She hoped the Strongest wasn't at his limit. His groan was the only indication he was there aside from his scent, since Jasiri found comfort in just closing her eye. She anticipated the moment other smaller boulders atop the one they were pushing now crushing them, not questioning how the structure even came to be.
"Push, Beshte! We've gotta block it up," Bunga shouted from below. Ono had gone to look for Kion, leaving the honey badger, somehow, in charge. Fuli so far hadn't voiced her opinion, but her effort did seem to carry an air of exasperation, more than before. Beshte decided to end all this.
"Twende Kiboko!"
That was the magic word. In about three breaths, the structure lost its balance, tumbling down and blocked the water flow. They had succeeded.
"Huf!" Jasiri allowed finally herself and her muscles to relax. She saw a tired Beshte beside her flashing a grin. She would have responded with one hadn't she noticed it wasn't her it was aimed at. Her eyes went to Fuli, who was admiring their work.
"Nice!" she commented, beginning to walk her way down.
Jasiri wondered where all that cheetah's energy was coming from. Even watching her speeding on her feet to reach the ground made her own feet wobble.
"You alright, Jasiri?" Beshte followed her slow pace from behind.
Jasiri nodded tiredly. "I missed my daily naps two days in a row, hadn't had morning meal, yet still able to throw a stack of boulders onto the earth. Taking all that into account, I think I'm perfectly alright," She momentarily forgot to add that she hadn't been following her napping routine for quite some time.
The two of them reached Fuli standing in a close tree's shade, joining her watching a zebra and a giraffe engaging in a conversation with Bunga. She immediately recognized the zebra as the leader of his herd who she once saw talking with King Simba. They were, as it seemed, praising him. Jasiri couldn't hold her mirth and covered her laugh by coughing at the scene.
"And you know what made this a great idea? It was so simple to do! Quick and easy. That's the way to do it," Bunga was proud to announce his philosophy.
As amusing as it was to watch, Jasiri decided they couldn't waste much more time than they already did. Kion and Ono were still nowhere to be seen, and a lot of animals were probably in need of their help right now. Taking into account the earlier flood, another kind of problems, hopefully less serious, probably had taken place already, waiting to be solved.
Jasiri regarded her two friends, having rid of her laugh. "I'll tell him," She walked toward the honey badger, which in turn brought her toward the pair of animals. She bowed to them, a courtesy instilled into her from shared cubhood with Kion, a prince. "It is an honour to see you in person, my lord, sir,"
The two tensed, Jasiri noticed.
"I-it's an honour to meet you as well," Both the zebra and the girrafe bowed as well after a short period of silence. She pretended not to notice their reluctance to do so.
"I'm sorry for interrupting," She raised her head. "but the Lion Guard needs to be moving. We're currently missing two of our members. Remember, Bunga?" she adressed said honey badger beside her.
"Oh, yeah... Sorry. I forgot about Kion. And Ono too." He sheepishly grinned.
They were interrupted by a small rock falling off from the new-made wall, where two tiny river of the dam water flowed freely.
Their expression, especially the wary ones from the zebra and the giraffe, turned into one of horror. For Jasiri and Bunga, they remained calm, having gone through this kind of things on a daily basis.
"Oh no, we're gonna drown! Panic and run, panic and run," The zebra was halfway through his gallop but was stopped by Bunga.
"Hey, no sweat! I've got this," he said, looking for anything to solve the leak. He got his answer in the form of a stick. "We just put a stick in it! That's my advice," It seemed to work too.
"Hey, it works! What a good idea," the zebra said with a relieved and amazed smile, followed by the giraffe.
"He gives great advice,"
It was by then Fuli thought to interrupt. "Good idea? Great advice? You know you're talking about Bunga, right?"
"Don't be so surprised!" a gentle, old voice said. Jasiri turned her head toward the tree where the familiar voice came from.
Rafiki was dangling from a branch, carrying a pair of baobab fruits. He then jumped and landed safely, his staff that he let go while making the jump returning to his grip. "Honey badgers, they are the Pridelands' smartest animal when--Oh-" whatever wise saying he intended to say ended there when the baobab fruits fell and rolled away.
Judging by his relaxed movement and the depleting number of food they have left at their tree, Jasiri assumed he was here to refill his stock. After all, he had to share them with her ever since he allowed her to stay with him. Even more of them since her curious condition came about, she thought guiltily.
Rafiki bent down to catch them from rolling any more. The scene of an old mandrill chasing his food brought an amused smile to Jasiri's muzzle. She went to help him out.
Bunga had another idea(and another kind of thinking pattern as well). "You hear that, everybody? I'm the Pridelands' smartest animal! Rafiki said so. Say... Wait till my uncles hear about this," Anything Jasiri was and was about to do had to stop after she registered those words.
Jasiri changed her course toward the honey badger. She tried calling after him, "Wait, Bunga. You misunderstood-" but he was already moving and way too distracted to even respond to, let alone hear, her voice. She too couldn't chase him, as somebody else's voice took her attention away.
"Lion Guard!" Kion's voice resounded in the distance.
She was already far behind by the time she got back to look at Bunga.
"I'll go after him," Fuli said faintly, but loud enough for her hyena ears. Sound of grass ruffling followed and the cheetah was gone.
About a few seconds later, Kion himself emerged from below the valley. "Is everyone alright? I heard from Ono. Where's the water?" He eyed around, likely expecting to see water flowing about.
Jasiri assured him everything was fine. "Everything's taken care of. Nobody got hurt, but Bunga went somewhere and Fuli is after him," She noticed the lack of an egret's presence. "Where's Ono?"
"Here! Along with guests," Ono answered as he landed, an obvious desperation in his voice. She raised her brow. Her curiousity got its answer after seeing two familiar baboons approaching them.
"Gumba?"
"And his mother," Beshte added.
"Hi, Jasiri!" Gumba smiled at him.
Jasiri looked at Kion for futher explanation.
At that moment also, they were again interrupted, this time by Rafiki.
"Yes, yes. Honey badgers are the smartest, when they think before they speak. If not--Hee--total disaster!" The implication of his words drowned the mandrill's amused laugh from both Jasiri and Beshte, leaving their face almost void of colour. "Oh, Kion, Ono, even you young baboon and his mother. What did I miss?"
The hippo looked at the hyena. "Should we..."
Jasiri shook her head, almost whining. "No, we still have works to do. We can trust Fuli to keep Bunga in check,"
"Um... not that I don't trust Fuli or anything like that, but care to fill us in?" Kion stepped forward.
Beshte nodded as he gladly took that role, simplifying it as much as he could. "Lake Kiziwa poured out after you left, then Bunga came up with a plan that worked. Then Rafiki comes and a misunderstanding happened. Bunga's probably with his uncles, and troubles are about to happen. And now here we are," he summed the important events that had transpired during the lion and egret's absence. "Oh, and Fuli is after him,"
Jasiri nodded.
"What about you? Why are they here? Not that I mind," she asked while approaching the pair of mother and son. She half expected the mother to run away or something along the line, but found herself wide eyed when the baboon wrapped her arms around her neck, a smile on her face. She was hugging her. "Um, thank you?" Jasiri drew a smile, albeit confused.
"I should be the one thanking you! You're the Kindest, right? I heard of you from my baby how you tried to sacrifice yourself to save his friend! Can my baby and I please move in with you?"
Jasiri glanced at the Lion Guard leader, a question implied by her expression only.
Kion grinned nervously, watching awkwardly at the scene before him. And awkward it was, Jasiri thought. Gumba thought the same too, as he tugged at his mother's fur.
"Mom, you're embarassing yourself,"
Finally, the baboon let go of her, though not before locking her expectant eyes to Jasiri's nervous ones. The hyena's eyes went to Ono, who sighed, whatever for.
Ono explained to her how the baboon troop they rescued earlier got into an 'argument that involved fighting' in his words. Mama Gumba--she didn't mind being called that--thought their leader was too stubborn and that it was lucky she didn't lose her son along with the fallen tree. Now, they had nowhere to go to, which led them to the Lion Guard. They had tried asking Kion to see if they can stay at Priderock, and Ono if he knew any place they could stay at. In the end, it all came to asking Jasiri. Rafiki thankfully was there to answer for her.
"It would be my pleasure to have more company at my tree-" There were hopes in both baboons' eyes when he said that. "-but I cannot approve of it," the hopes dimmed out before disappearing completely.
Before anyone could retort or agree with anything, Rafiki pointed his staff and gently poked at the adult baboon's chest with it. She just responded by backing away and raising her arms as if surrendering. "You. I will accompany you to your former family and see for myself how irresponsible the leader is. If he is what you described him as, I won't deny you the right to live in my tree. It is big after all," The hopes sparked alive once more in their eyes. "Now, do you agree to my requirements?" they quickly nodded.
"Very well,"
Jasiri thought the situation through. "I would like to go as well, if it's okay with you. All of you," She turned to Kion and the two remaining guards. She thought she saw the lion's expression change a little, but found nothing to prove so once she looked directly. She added that to the row of questions to be asked later. "Somebody needs to go just in case something goes wrong. Rafiki is old, and I'm not sure his staff is enough to help if a fight broke out. I also happen to know some of the baboons in Gumba's troop. If anything happened, I can at least calm things down," She doubt Rafiki being old merited being an excuse considering how healthy and active he was despite his age, but mentioned it anyway.
From their looks, the guards didn't seem to have any problem with that, and neither do Rafiki, Gumba, or his mother. Though Kion did have that contemplating look for awhile before nodding.
"I guess," Kion agreed. "But be careful, and join us once you're done. Me and Ono ran into a few animals asking for help on our way here. There must be many more,"
Jasiri nodded, smiling. "Will do," she joined Rafiki and the pair of baboons, the former raising a brow in her direction.
"Old, am I?" Jasiri responded with a thin line of smile made of little guilt and a lot of mischievousness.
Kion turned to the rest. "Come on, Lion Guard. There are turtles waiting to be flipped," he paused before sighing softly. "and a day worth of works need to be done before Bunga accidentally destroys the whole Pridelands, as impossible as it is. Hopefully Fuli can handle him till then," Jasiri nodded in silent agreement, hearing that statement.
"Let's go. Take care," Kion said and left together with Beshte and Ono, leaving an odd group of three primates and one feline(part-feline anyway) for their own matter to resolve.
~~~
So, give your thoughts. Contructive critism is welcomed.
yingyangmaster: Thank you for your nice words. I'll try my best. And thanks too for the welcome
Gracekim1:Honestly, if Janja really has a secret sister, I think I might make her my fourth favourite Lion Guard character, ust next to Fuli. It would depend though.DragoonSensei: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it reaches your expectation.