Kion and Kiara: Forever Together

Chapter 3

*** Kion's POV ***

Two days have passed and I need to see Rafiki again. I'm not really looking forward to it, especially since I'm physically completely healed. But I know I need to get better mentally. Then I can get rid of my nightmares. I hope.

After greeting Rafiki, I climbed into the tree.

"Good to see you again, Kion. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright. I don't feel any pain, so that's a good thing." I responded, not exactly with a happy tone.

"Is there something wrong, young one?"

"Well, it's just... I still have those nightmares. Last night was the worst I've experienced yet. It lasted so long. I was just laying on the ground in my blood, and I couldn't move. It was horrifying." I explained. I still get shivers even thinking about it.

"That is indeed a scary nightmare. Do you think the stories Simba tells you, aren't helping?"

"My dad's stories make me relax and sleep fast, but the nightmares are still there."

"I see." Rafiki started to think and was humming to himself as he put his hand under his chin. This got me a bit scared. Does this mean he can't help me? I wondered.

"Is this bad?" I asked.

"It is a problem, indeed. I was hoping your nightmares would have been gone by now, but they seem to get worse." Rafiki responded. "How are things now that you're back in the Lion Guard?"

"Pretty good! I even managed to handle Janja's clan with my team."

"So there are no troubles going on?"

I thought for a bit. I promised Kiara to tell Rafiki what happened after I saw Janja's clan running into the Outlands. I sighed. "Well, there is one thing. Once I was at the border of the Outlands and looked down to the lower ground, I got a flashback of the day of the accident. I saw myself and Kiara falling. I didn't realize I was staring at the lower ground until Ono called my name."

"Hmm. That sounds concerning. Lower grounds might be a trigger for you to get flashbacks of the accident. Are you pushing your thoughts about that day away?"

"Well yeah, obviously I don't want to have those thoughts. As long as I don't go near any cliffs or something, I should be fine, right?"

"It is not that simple, young Kion. Especially if you're in the Lion Guard, there are times that you have no choice but to go to those places. Having these triggers might be the reason your nightmares are getting worse."

"So what should I do?"

"For now, I'd recommend you to take a break from the Lion Guard to deal with your triggers."

"Another break? But I just got back in!" I protested.

"I know it's hard, but your mental health needs a lot of attention. We should focus on that now."

"How?"

"You should reflect on the day of the accident. Try to think about what happened and try to accept the fact that it happened."

"What? No! Please Rafiki, I want to forget what happened that day. I really don't want to reflect on it."

"Don't worry, Kion. You're not alone. Me, your friends and family are here to help you get through this. But you need to reflect on what happened, not push your thoughts away. Otherwise you can't get rid of your triggers, nor your nightmares."

I let out another sigh. I really didn't want to do this. But if this is the only way to heal... "Okay then."

"Very good. We'll start slow. Lay down and close your eyes."