The Lion Guard: A Dark Secret

Chapter 23

A young animal felt something lifting him up. A light breeze blew through his fur. He saw a bright light on the edge of his vision. Where am I...? A realization hit him faster than lightning. I... died? A cold weight seemed to drop in him. No! No, I can't be dead! I can't be! His body shook with fear and shock. He saw a face glare at him from above, growling. Suddenly, he stopped rising and fell, his stomach churning as he dropped from the high height. What's happening?!?  Then all went dark.

"Fuli, please move on... please. Do it for me."

Fuli snapped back to reality. She heard that voice again. For the love of the Bright Stars, not you again, she said to the voice in her mind. It had been pestering her for longer than she could count. Although sometimes she could have sworn the voice sounded a lot like Kion.

"Fuli, you okay?" Gozi asked from the head of the group. 

"I'm fine," Fuli replied. She tried not to sound harsh or rude, because she realized that she couldn't take her anger and grief out on others. "Okay..." Gozi replied then walked back to the head of the group.

[FLASHBACK]

Fuli crouched down, stalking her prey. A fat, tasty gazelle, just waiting to be caught. She checked the wind and shadows before advancing closer. Three... two...  She heard a huge crashing sound coming from the bushes. The gazelle's head shot up in alarm before it dashed off. Hyena-scraps! She silently cursed. I almost had it!

She whipped around to face whatever scared her prey away. "Come out, whoever you are!" She hissed. "Show yourself!" Out of the bushes stepped a lion with golden fur and a bright red tuft of mane at the top of his head. "Kion?" She asked in confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought you were gonna spend the rest of the day at Pride Rock."

"I was, but I decided to leave because my mom... kind of.. needed some alone time," He said, shuffling his paws. Fuli knew there was more to the story. "What happened?" She asked curiously.

"It's just... my mom's been acting strange recently. I even heard her talking to herself, saying strange things."

Fuli was curious. What was wrong with his mother, Nala? She shrugged it off. Fuli was sad sometimes too, but she always got over it soon. 

"Those things she said don't make any sense," Kion said. 

"A lot of animals don't make sense when they're sad or sorrowful," Fuli told him. Kion seemed doubtful. "I guess...?"

"Don't worry," she tried to reassure him. "Nala will get over whatever's making her gloomy. You're mom will be fine."

"I hope so," Kion replied. Kion had been very protective of his mother ever since he lost control of the Roar for one of the first times and almost ended up harming her. Only a quarter moon had passed since the senario happened. Fuli could understand his reasons for being very protective - if she was in his situation, she'd be protective of her mother too.

"Now what..?" Fuli asked. An awkward silence followed. She suddenly felt slightly embarrassed. Ugh, why'd you have to suddenly change the subject and make things awkward?! She asked herself with a hint of anger.

"Well..." Kion began to answer. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure," Fuli replied. So they walked through the savanna, a cool, refreshing breeze blowing through their fur. Fuli could almost feel a warm aura coming off of all the animals they walked past. All of them were very joyful.