Love At First Sight

Discovered and Then Gone

Nilly was flying back to Kion when she heard laughter. She looked down and saw Kion, Gertrude, and her friends. Sighing with relief, she swooped down and landed on Kion’s back. “Hi Nilly. We won!” said Bertrude. “I didn’t know where you guys were. I thought something happened to you guys.” said Nilly. “I don’t think anything happened to us. Did something happen to us guys?”

“No, I don’t think so, Bertrude. All I know is that we won.” said one of her friends. Nilly just shocked her head with disappointment. “Hey guys, where’s your house?” asked Kion. “Keep walking straight. We’ll be there soon.” said Nilly. “Got it, thanks.” 

Kion didn’t mind the birds being on him. They felt so light. The rest of the way there, Bertrude and her friends were chatting and laughing. Kion started thinking about his friends, Pride Rock, his family, and…. his home. 

When they got back, Bertrude and her friends flew off of Kion’s back. “Thanks for letting us ride on your back.” said Bertrude. “No problem. I’m glad you enjoyed the ride.” said Kion
“We sure did.” said the girls nodding their heads in approval. “Bye Kion.” said Bertrude. “Thanks for playing with us.” with that, the girls flew away. 

“Thanks Kion. How do you feel now? I mean, walking around a lot.”
“I feel fine. I mean, a bit stiff and have some pains here and there, but I’m really not paying attention to the pain. As my Grandfather once told me, “Don’t let pain distract you from the things that are in front of you.” said Kion. Nilly nodded. “Hey Nilly, can I ask you something important?” asked Kion. “Of course, what is it?”
“I really miss my family, my friends, my home. I’m going to start my journey back to the Pridelands.” said Kion. “I understand Kion. Just, be safe. I don’t want you to get injured. You still should take it a little easy. Not a lot, but still, keep it easy. Don’t push yourself.” said Nilly.
“Ha, you sound like something my mom would say.”
“Yeah, I guess I got that trait because of Bertrude. She really changed me.” said Nilly as she paused her sentence. Then, she finished. “In a very good way. I don’t want to take your time away. So, I’ll give you the directions to follow. You head that way. There’s a huge river, so you’re going to have to cross it. If you decide to go around it, that would add extra days to the journey. So, I’d recommend you to cross it to save a lot of time. But then again, it also depends on how you feel. If you don’t think you can make the crossing, don’t do it. It’s better to take the longer and more harder step than to take the easier and shorter way of life.”
“Thanks Nilly. I’ll make sure to follow the instructions you said.” Of course. Now, It might take a three to four day journey. Are you up for that task?” asked Nilly. “Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks again Nilly.” said Kion. “It’s been my pleasure to serve you. Please come soon.”
“I will, and I will keep my promise to Bertrude. I’ll gather the Lion Guard and we’ll vacation here for a day or two.”
“Sounds good to me.” said Nilly. “Hey, can you say goodbye to Bertrdue for me?” asked Kion. “Sure, I’ll tell her.” With that, Nilly flew into her home, leaving Kion alone again. Kion then started in the direction he was instructed to go.