The Lion Guard: A Dark Secret

Chapter 48

"No... no... Kion...!" Fuli gasped in horror. She and Nirmala ran to his body. Nirmala crouched down and let Fuli side off her. The cheetah scrambled closer to Kion's body. Pain shot through her leg but she didn't care. She reached out a paw, stroking the lion's face that was covered in dust. "No.. no... Kion, come back... you can't be dead... you can't be..."

She recalled all their adventures together... all the times they laughed... all the times they cried... Her gaze drifted over to his stomach. The sight alone made her feel sick. It was completely torn open and you could see where the organ got ripped apart. She then saw his foreleg and gasped. It was bleeding, bruised, and twisted in a direction it definitely shouldn't have been.

She then looked at his scar. She could tell it had been bleeding. Dried blood caked his eye. His eyes were open but glazed over. She started into his empty and hollow gaze. There was a hint of sadness and longing in it.

"No, Kion..." She stroked his cheek, damp with what looked like tears. She lightly brushed the dust off of it. "Come back to me... Please, Ki-Ki... my little Ki-Ki..." She looked into his eyes once more, hoping to find any trace of the familiar warmth and light. But the eyes of the lion she knew were no longer joyful and bright like they used to be before they started their journey. They were cloudy, miserable... dead.

Regret and guilt washed over her as she once again recalled the secret. "And I never got to tell you... sweet Ki-Ki..." She nuzzled him. "I wish I could've told you..." 

"Tell him what?" Nirmala gently asked.

"Nothing!" Fuli answered a little too quickly.

Nirmala nodded. "It's personal, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." She gently cradled Kion's head in her paws. "It's something that I don't wanna talk about... it's something that was lost.. that he lost..."

Nirmala nodded, a look of sadness in her eyes. "I know how you feel," the lioness told her. "I once..." She trailed off and looked away.

"Once what?" Fuli asked, though her mind could already guess the answer.

"I once fell in love," Nirmala said shakily. "I was forced to leave my lover, but not before I was pregnant with a cub. I had to leave my cub... he couldn't stay with me. A close friend took him in, and for that I am forever grateful." Tears pricked Nirmala's eyes. "And wherever my lost cub is, I hope he's safe..."

A pang of guilt struck Fuli. Nirmala didn't know... didn't know that the dead lion lying before them was her son. The lioness was still clinging onto that one strand of hope that her cub was okay.

"I loved him with all my heart," Fuli murmured. Nirmala didn't know that who Fuli was talking about was her son. "I tried my best to help him... he was loved by a lot of animals..." Fuli looked at Nirmala. "He was sweet, kind, caring, fun, helpful, smart, strong, brave..."

"He was very special to you," Nirmala acknowledged. "He seemed like he could have been a bright spirit before he was broken..."

"He wasn't broken...!" Fuli protested but trailed off. Nirmala was right. "Fine... You're right, he was broken... and I'd do anything to mend that break in his spirit."

"It was clear you two would have had a bright future together." It was obvious Nirmala's words were meant to comfort Fuli, but it only reminded Fuli of what could have happened had he not went through what he did. Suddenly Nirmala gasped. "Fuli!" Fuli looked up and saw the lioness pressing her ear to Kion's chest. She then got up and motioned with her paws to his chest. "He's not breathing, but I can feel a faint heartbeat."

Fuli's heart skipped a beat. "He's still..."

"Hear for yourself."

Fuli leaned down placed her ear to Kion's chest. Sure enough, no breathing. She sighed and was about to lift her head back up. But suddenly...

She heard it. Nirmala was right! There was a faint heartbeat!

"We have to get him back to the Tree of Life as soon as possible," Nirmala told her. "If we don't get him back now he'll die."

"Okay, let's go."

Nirmala used all her strength to lift Kion and Fuli on her back. She started walking to the Tree. The journey was fairly short compared to some other places, but it felt like forever due to the amount of stress. Fuli was constantly asking how long it would take to get there, with Nirmala trying to reassure her it wouldn't be long.

"Guys we're almost there, don't worry," Nirmala tried to reassure the cheetah once more after she had asked again how long it would take.

"Hurry, please!" Fuli begged.

"I'm tryin- There it is! The Tree's over there!" Nirmala's gaze drifted to a giant tree barely a few dozen pawsteps away.

"Thank the Bright Stars," Fuli breathed a sigh of relief.

When they got inside, Nirmala set Kion down. "We have to stay with him. I don't have all the nessecary things to treat him at the moment. But right now we have to get him breathing again."

"Okay." Fuli nodded. "Who's gonna-?"

"I'll do it," Nirmala told her. "Then I'll get the herbs."

Fuli looked at Kion. She knew that her embarrassment didn't matter at that point. "No, you need to get the herbs as fast as you can. I'll do it."

"Okay." Without arguing, Nirmala nodded and dashed out of the Tree. She would have used the herbs she gathered before but they were all out.

Fuli quickly used her front paws to tilt his head back a little, then did the 'mouth to mouth' procedure, originally taught to her by Rafiki.

Still not breathing on his own... Fuli thought worriedly as she continued with the procedure. C'mon Kion, start breathing, she silently encouraged. Suddenly, she saw his chest rise and fall without her assistance. Thank the Bright Stars Above the Savanna!

"I'm back!" Said a muffled voice. It was Nirmala bursting through the entrance with herbs and other things in her jaws.

"Thank the Bright Stars Above the Savanna," Fuli sighed in relief.

While Nirmala tried to treat Kion, Fuli couldn't take her gaze off him. It broke her seeing him like this. It was painful seeing him like this. It hurt seeing him like this.

"Fuli... he has some real damage done to the brain and stomach... I don't know if he'll be able to function right in day to day life if he survives," Nirmala told her, not taking her eyes off Kion.

For a moment Fuli tried to cut out the sadness and pity that swamped her heart. But she couldn't help feeling very concerned for him. Damage to his brain? That could be trouble... Fuli was already imagining all the worst things that could happen. She began thinking out loud. "Will he be able to think right? Or... will he even remember? What if he gets amnesia or other memory problems? Will he be able to still do things he would need to do in day-to-day life? Will he be able to take care of himself or will he always need someone to guide him?  What if the damage is too much for him to handle? Will he be able to walk with that leg?" Or will he be like me... and never walk again. Even though she tried to stop it, self pity swept over her. I won't walk again...

"Sadly, those are all possible. Nirmala confirmed. "His stomach is another problem however. Most of the organ is ripped out and destroyed and I don't know if, even if he survives, if he'll be able to eat or drink."

Oh no, Fuli thought worriedly. Another big problem.

She laid down by his side. She knew it was unlikely he'd survive, as he was very injured and his body was damaged. But she'd still be there for him.

But don't worry, Ki. I'll be here if- no, not if, WHEN you wake up...

That is... if you even want me here...