Gone, But Not Alone (A KionxRani AU)

Oh Where, Oh Where Can My Baby Be?

"Where is she? Where is she? Where is she? Where is sh-"

"Kion, buddy, please calm down."

Kion, who was sitting with his eyes glued to the entrance of the Tree, looked over at his girlfriend's brother, who was somehow not freaking out. He shook his head and let out a sigh.

"How are you calm?"

"I'm not, but I have a duty to keep my cool for the sake of you and Nirmala," Baliyo said as he glanced over at Nirmala, who had joined them, and then back to Kion. "At least if you are going to keep saying the same thing, pace around some. It doesn't fit when you don't."

Kion looked down at his paw, then back up to Baliyo. "I would, but I would go at incredibly low speeds; after all, the reason for them getting the flower was to help my paw."

"They will be fine, Kion," Nirmala assured in a calming tone to the freaked out Kion. "It's not easy, but I don't think they will have to climb all the way to the top. Even if they do, they know how to protect themselves."

"Unless Rani falls into a sinkhole," Kion joked, although he knew the others wouldn't get it, for they left that part out in the backstory.

Baliyo looked at Kion as if he just saw pigs fly in the background. "Huh?"

"Nothing."

~~~~~

"I still don't get why we did that," admitted a porcupine.

Another shook his head in agreement. "Yeah! I mean, why did we help the Night Pride?"

"You idiots," groaned a binturong, "I've told you thousands upon thousands of times."

The porcupine rolled his eyes. "I still don't get it. We climb up the mountain, putting ourselves in harms way may I add, in order to help them get the flower?"

"Exactly. Those fools will be so preoccupied with trying to heal that new lion, they won't notice us sneak in."

"But how come we hadn't attack when they was on the mountain?"

The binturong rolled her eyes. "You absolute and complete fool. If they are outside, they're certain to spot us. They seem to care about this lion very much, especially the daughter. Remember, our goal is not to take over the Tree, but to sneak in and get sweet, sweet tuliza."

"If you say so..."

~~~~~

"Where is she? Where is sh-"

"Kion? Baliyo?" they heard a voice called to them; both knowing immediately who.

Kion, for the first time, stopped and turned toward the entrance. "Rani?!"

When Rani made her entrance into the Tree, Kion immediately tackled her into a hug.

Surak chuckled. "Good thing she gave me the flower beforehand."

Surak nodded at both Baliyo and Nirmala as a way of saying hello. He placed the flower in front of Nirmala. "Here it is."

"Were you able to get it okay?" Nirmala asked.

Surak nodded. "Surprisingly."

"Rani!" the trio heard Kion say to Rani, now out of the hug. "What were you thinking?! I mean, if what Baliyo told me is true, that was way to dangerous! I mean, like...like..."

Kion was too flustered to continued, and much to his dismay, Rani giggled. "It's okay, Kion. I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Yes, but that was very dangerous for only little o' me."

"It wasn't actually as dangerous as we thought; it was very easy, in fact. Right, Surak?" Rani looked toward Surak, who nodded.

"Still," Kion attempted to persist, but then his smiled erupted into a huge grin, "it's the thought. You knew it could be dangerous, yet you still went. You're a very good girlfriend, ya know that?"

Rani felt her cheeks become warm, and her heart different, a good different. "After all you've done for me? Anytime."

"Okay," Baliyo announced, "now that the romantic moment is over: Rani, Surak, good job."

The two smiled at the compliment, proud of their work.

"Okay, I'm going to take this to one of the mandrills and have them grind it up and add water to it in a bowl," Nirmala told her friends before making her exit.

"You should've seen this clown, Rani. He was going crazy while you were gone," Baliyo joked, and Kion rolled his eyes.

"Only because I didn't want Rani to get hurt," Kion defended himself with blushing cheeks.

Surak wore a fake hurt expression. "Ohh, it's all about Rani now, ain't it?"

Baliyo, Rani, Kion, and Surak shared a heartfelt laugh when they noticed a new presence come into the Tree.

"Hello?" the voice announced its presence.

Wait a minute, that sounds like-

"Hello there," Baliyo replied,  his smile on his face turning into a serious expression, "who are you?"

"Ekon. I come here in peace; a lion directed me here."

"Well, Ekon, what is your buis-"

"Ekon!" shouted Kion and Rani at the same time.

Baliyo gave the lovers a look that read "you know this person?"

"Kion? Rani?" Ekon asked, and he was correct.

"Yep, it's us," Kion affirmed.

"And this is the Tree of Life!" Rani exclaimed.

"Well ain't that a coincidence? Ya know, I've never been here before, and the first time I come here, I meet you two!"

Baliyo cleared his throat as a way to remind Kion and Rani to introduce him. Surak followed soon after by shifting his sitting position by a little.

"Oh, of course," Rani said before continuing, "Ekon, this is Baliyo and Surak. Baliyo and Surak, this is Ekon."

"Nice to meet you," greeted everyone at the same time.

"So," Baliyo began, "what brings you here?"

"Danger."