Lion Guard: Healing Heart

Chapter 13: Danger in the Air!

"Did you see that Rani? That was so cool!" Baliyo told her excitedly, amazed at Neha's impressive flying skills. "Sure is!" Rani said, intrigued as they slowed down, getting tired. "I can't wait for Ullu to start flying. Then we can play together, and one day she be the next majordomo just like Neha and we'll together to defend our home!" Rani said excited, looking forward to being like her parents and uncle once she was old enough.

"Well that is if we aren't scared" Baliyo said, glancing down as Rani looked at her brother, confused. He still harbored some guilt from what happened yesterday. He nearly lost his sister to that bear and Nirmala nearly got in trouble for it. "You got hurt. And it wouldn't have happened if I didn't get scared and froze like that" he told her upset as his ears went down.

Rani looked at her brother, seeing how it upset him greatly. She walked up to him and nudged his head up to look at her. The young future queen gave him an warm smile. "Come on Baliyo. It wasn't your fault I got hurt. Besides, I was the one who got reckless and thought I can take on a bear head on. Plus, it was my idea to go into the bear's territory without even checking. The faults on me, not you" she explained to him, hoping to cheer her brother up.

He looked at her, listening as he pondered her words. "Look everyone gets scared right? Besides, mama once said that fear is the first step to bravery. You have to be scared of something in order to face the fear and to find the bravery in your heart. Remember that ok little brother?" She advised him, rubbing his little furry head.

Baliyo looked at her surprised, finding her words to be exactly something their parents would say. He chuckled at her. "What?" She asked him puzzled, tilting her head. "You're starting to sound like our parents. No wonder you're gonna be queen" he told her and made them both laugh at that. "But thanks anyway sis. Really" he told her gratefully as Rani nuzzled him. Despite the two being different, the royal siblings would be there for eachother regardless.

Meanwhile, Neha was still flying as her little chicken, Ullu giggled and laughed, enjoying the feeling of the air through her feathers. Neha smiled at seeing her daughter happy. But when she glanced down, her eyes caught something that alarmed her. There was danger present in the Tree of Life  Her eyes moved ahead to see the royal siblings were right close to it.

"Rani! Baliyo! Get out of there! Now!" She yelled down to them, swooping down torwards them. Her voice caught their attention, but also Surak and Nirmala. The lioness woke up alert, glancing up at the owl. Surak was just patrolling around when his attention was caught by Neha. He noticed how urgent her voice sounded and how her wings flapped hard to reach his niece and nephew. Something was wrong.

"Neha?" Rani said confused as she and her brother looked at the owl. Nirmala got up to her feet and a shadow loomed over her. "Huh?" She looked up and saw in the sky a Himalayan vulture. Her eyes widen as she never saw a bird like that before. Whatever it was, it started making a turn and was moving to the royal cubs!

"Rani! Baliyo! Come to me! Now!" She called out to them, running straight to the cubs to protect them. Surak saw from afar and ran to their direction, sensing the danger present in the Tree of Life. The cubs spotted the vulture and quickly ran torwards Nirmala for protection.

Neha was watching them as she kept going. "Behind you! Behind you!" She called out to them frantically. The siblings reached Nirmala as they got under her and she turned around to face the vulture. It stopped in front of her, flapping to stay in the air.  "Go away! Go away! I won't let you hurt them!" She shouted at it, trying to stay brave. She couldn't believe how big it was up close. It looked like it could easily grab one of the cubs. She couldn't let that happened.

Surak started to get closer to them, heading to Nirmala's direction. Rani and Baliyo stuck close to their babysitter, their ears down in fear. Meanwhile, Neha was starting to get close enough to them but something, a white blur, in the bushes, suddenly struck her wings, causing her to lose balance and control in her flight.