The Lion Guard: A Dark Secret

Chapter 3

The Lion Guard were still on their way to the Tree of Life. Fuli walked alongside Kion and the rest of the Guard. The next Mojo Kwa Mojo Stone they had to find was a mountain with two peaks. They had already found two Mojo Kwa Mojo stones, one on the Back Lands waterfall and one on an iroko tree. Luckily, Anga had spotted the mountain with two peaks and they were currently walking there.

'Let's go find the Tree of Life!' Kion had said enthusiastically a few moments before. Makini seemed to have a worried look on her face the moment he said that, but she shook it off. Weird. Fuli thought. What was wrong with being enthusiastic? What is going on with everybody lately? She wondered to herself. Fuli shook it off and matched her pace with the rest of the Guard. She saw Kion pawing at his scar and quietly wincing a few pawsteps ahead of her. It must hurt, she thought in pity for the young lion. She decided to check on him.

"Kion, are you okay?" She asked him, even though she knew the answer. No, he isn't okay. Fuli expected him to respond calmly and say something like; 'I'm alright, don't worry,' or 'I'm fine, don't worry about me.' Instead he replied harshly.

"I'm fine Fuli!" He snapped in irritation. Fuli flinched. As far as she could remember at the moment, Kion never snapped at anyone like that, especially at his friends. Kion, obviously realizing what he just said, shook his head and apologized.

"Sorry, Fuli. I didn't mean to-" Fuli cut him off. "It's alright Kion," she replied. She didn't want to make a big deal out of his small outburst. Kion gave her a grateful glance and slowly walked towards the head of the group.

"Uh, guys." Fuli heard Anga say. "We have a problem."

"What is it Anga?" Fuli asked her.

"Well," Anga replied. "You see the mountain with two peaks that we need to climb, it's covered in loose rocks. There aren't any strong grip holds. And it's not like I can just carry all of you up a mountain." Anga added the last part with sarcasm. Great, just great, Fuli thought sarcastically.

"Well, let's go." Kion told the Guard. "We'll figure out what we do when we get there." That's not like Kion to not come up with a plan first. Fuli thought to herself. Maybe he's just in a hurry to get to the Tree of Life?

When they got there they saw Anga was right. The mountain side was covered in loose rocks without a strong grip hold. "Why not just try to climb it?" Kion said. "No! Wait Kion don't-" But it was too late. Kion jumped up onto the loose rocks, and he climbed a good thirty paw-jumps up until he stumbled on a loose rock and fell to the ground with a yelp and a thud.

"Kion! Are you alright?!" She asked him. She looked down at his front paw. It was swollen. His leg was scabbed and bruised from the fall. Kion's eyes glittered with pain. "I'm-" He winced. "Fine." Fuli knew he wasn't fine. He tried to get up, but his leg wouldn't allow him and he fell back down. 

"Oh no!" Makini exclaimed. "Kion let me help you." She walked over to him and tried to examine his leg, but he pulled it away and growled. 

"I don't need help! I'm fine!"

Fuli tried to intervene. "Kion," she said calmly. "Makini is just trying to help you." His scar is bugging him again, isn't it?

"Oh," Kion shook his head. Fuli thought he was trying to clear his mind. "Sorry Makini." 

"It's alright Kion, but I really think you should let me help you." Kion held out his front leg for Makini to examine. Fuli guessed he was reluctant to do so.

Makini ran her fingers down his front leg. Apparently she came upon a tender spot, because Kion yelped and pulled away. "Sorry." Makini apologized. She then continued examining his leg. When she was done, she came over to Fuli.

"I think he's broken his leg. He should stay off of it for a while." Makini whispered in Fuli's ear. Just great. Now we just need to keep him off of his leg, that totally won't be near impossible, Fuli thought sarcastically.  She went over to inform Kion of the news.

"Kion, you've broken your leg, Makini says you should stay off of it for a while" She told him. I'm probably not going to get a really polite answer, am I?

"Broken my leg?!" Kion exclaimed. "There's no way I'm staying off of it for that long! I'll probably have my mane by the time it heals!" I saw that response coming a hundred pawsteps away.

Fuli rolled her eyes. "You're over exaggerating," she responded. "But you won't be if you try to walk on it too early," Fuli warned him.

Kion rolled his eyes. "Fine," he responded. "Doesn't mean I have to like it though." He said, annoyed.

"Wouldn't expect you to," Fuli said. She then looked back at the Guard. "Anga, Ono, Bunga, we'll try to figure out a way to get up the mountain and to the next Moja Kwa Moja stone." She ordered them. "Beshte and Makini, you two take Kion to that den over there" -she motioned towards an abandoned den about twenty pawsteps away from them-  "and make sure he doesn't try to walk on his broken leg. I'll load him on you, Beshte." Fuli grabbed Kion by his scruff and, though struggling, lifted him onto Beshte. Kion grunted in protest but Fuli ignored him. Beshte, now carrying Kion, made his way to the abandoned den with Makini.

Fuli rushed back over to Anga, Ono, and Bunga to help find a way to get up the mountain. 

"Fuli!" Anga exclaimed. 

"Yes?" Fuli replied. 

"I found a path up the mountain without many loose rocks. You can climb up that way." 

"Great! Thanks Anga!" Well it's satisfying to know that Kion broke his leg for no reason, Fuli thought to herself sarcastically. If he actually looked before he leaped he would be alright.

"Beshte, Makini! Anga found a path up the mountain without many loose rocks! We can climb up that way!" She shouted. Beshte and Makini emerged from the den with Kion on Beshte's back. Kion had something on his leg but Fuli couldn't tell what it was. 

Makini seemed to read her mind as she started to explain. "That's a makeshift splint I made for Kion." Makini told her. Can all mandrills read minds? Fuli asked herself jokingly. The Guard and Makini then walked up the path of the mountain.

When they got to the top, Fuli saw the next Moja Kwa Moja stone. It had a painting of the mountain with two peaks on it. Makini walked over to it and touched the tip of her bakora staff to the stone. The painting of the mountain disappeared and was replaced with a painting of the Tree of Life. "There's the Tree of Life!" Said Makini while looking at the painting.

"Where to next Ono?" Fuli asked the egret. 

"Nowasa..." She heard him mutter. He was thinking. Finally, he replied. "Next we go to another mountain, this time with snow all over it." 

"Okay, thanks Ono." Fuli replied. "Let's go!" She said.

"We will find the Tree of Life," Fuli told herself. And when Kion is ready, I will tell him, tell him the truth.