The Lion Guard Season 5

Chapter 17: Mother

{Nguvu's POV}
Even if camping the night was a good idea, it didn't stop us from getting attacked from a group of animals for, I assume, trespassing. They never told us why they attacked, we just immediately beat them. Not without a couple scratches but nothing too severe. The Nest wasn't too far away and it was beautiful. I felt like at this point, I should expect the Kingdoms to be breathtaking, but I am always amazed by the grandeur. There were trees all over the place, from oak to cherry blossoms. Birds fly everywhere and the tallest tree has the biggest nest. Firi led us in, the stares we got were unavoidable. And of course they were staring at us, we walk on the ground and they swim through the air. We stopped at the largest tree and entered the hollow. For some reason, there are stairs on the walls of the trunk. We climbed up to the massive nest where we found many families of birds. Nishan said that the different types of birds all have their own monarchs. The surrounding birds cleared the way and we made our way closer. I thought Nishan or Firi were going to talk but they didn't. I guess they want me to ask since this is the last kingdom we are visiting. I asked each monarch the same thing I asked the last four, and they said neither they nor any of their scouts saw anyone who looks like what I described. We left the Nest with no direction now. She never came to the Nest, probably because she had nothing to gain from them. But what did she have to gain from the other Kingdoms? We've followed a trail that had gone dry, so now all we could do was go straight and hope for the best.
"This search is taking too long." Nishan growled "For one lioness we had to trek all over the world."
I wanted to be upset but he wasn't wrong. It is taking too long and now there is no trail, a dead end.
"I have to agree." Firi said "We are at a dead end. There's no more trail to follow."
"Meaning what?" I asked like I was unsure but I knew what he would say
"This quest is a bust." Firi explained "We have failed."
"INCOMING!!!" Someone screamed from above. We looked up and saw an eagle nose-diving towards us. We ducked and he just barely missed us. When we looked up at him, it was clear he was young. Barely older than I was when I left the Tree of Life.
"Kid." Nishan growled "Watch where you are going."
"Sorry Sir!" The eagle exclaimed "I'm still getting a handle on landing."
"Kid, you clearly aren't an eaglet." Firi said "You are older than that. I would assume you should already know how to fly."
"I do!" The eagle exclaimed "But I'm not allowed pto fly beyond the big tree so landing is a bit tricky for me."
"You reside in the large tree?" Nishan asked "The tree that houses the Royal Family?"
"Yeah! That's my home!"
"That's your home?" I asked "Are you the Prince?"
"Yeah! My name's Vhid!"
"Prince Vhid of the Eagles?" Nishan asked
"Your Highness," Firi bowed "Your parents must be worried. We must get you back home!"
"No!" Prince Vhid exclaimed "Mom and Dad never let me do anything fun with anyone other than the birds that live in the top nest!"
" With good reason." Nishan replied "The world is a dangerous place with animals who would stop at nothing to use you and hurt your family."
"Your highness," I said "You should return home. What we are doing isn't safe for you."
"I'm already here and I can help you!" He exclaimed "You're looking for a lioness right?. I can help you!"
"You can...?"
"Yeah! It's easier to see others in the sky! I'll show you!"
He flew over to me, grabbed me and started lifting me up.
"Wait no! Put me down!" I yelled
He didn't listen and flew me higher. Eventually, we were high enough to see the top of the tallest tree.
"See?" He asked "You can see everything!"
"Great. Now put me down." I growled. I was getting impatient. Suddenly, I saw what looked like a brown-furred lioness. I was too high up to tell if it was my mother but I knew she was there. I couldn't explain it but I know it's her.
"Hey your highness, you can put me down now, I got what I needed." Prince Vhid quickly and softly put me back on the ground and I started running towards the lioness. The others ran after me and I told them what I saw. Firi and Vhid decided to go ahead and keep her there long enough for me to reach her. I couldn't stop stop my mind from racing. After all these years, could I finally see my mom again? Father tried to break me, even using my mother to do so. Perhaps a small part of me held out hope that she was still out there, even after I had accepted her death. While my father may yet live, I can find solace that mother lives too. We finally caught up to them, and this lioness looks exactly like my mother.
"Huh?" She asked "Who are all of you? And
What do you want with me?"
She then stares led at me, her ears flattened and she growled, staring into my red eyes.
"You!" She screamed "What do you want with me?! It wasn't enough you hurt my son and banned me from ever seeing him, now you want to finish what you started??"
"What?" I asked, cowering back. My ears also flattened.
"Don't act dumb Cheka!" She yelled at me "What do you want with me?!"
"I'm n-not Cheka," I told her "My name is Nguvu."
"Nguvu?" She stares into my eyes for longer, then shifts her gaze slightly to my scar. Her eyes go wide and begin to fill with tears "Nguvu? My son?"
"Mom," I say "It's me."
"Nguvu!" Tears begin to fall from her eyes and she runs to hug me.
"Mom! I missed you!" I also begin to cry. I made sure I didn't bawl my eyes out because 3 animals I didn't know too well were watching. I told her everything that happened at the Tree of Life.
"Mom, I promised King Kion that I would come back to the Tree of Life. I want to take you there."
"Okay, but who are these animals with you?" Mom asked
"These animals helped me find you." I told her "I'll let the introduce themselves."
"Hello ma'am, my name is Nishan." Nishan said "Loyal follower of the King of Tigers."
"My name is Firi, I'm a messenger of the Kingdom of Cheetahs."
"And my names Vhid!"
"Prince Vhid of the Eagles?" Mom asked
"Yeah! How'd you know?"
"Lucky guess I suppose."
"Mom," I said "Let's go to the Tree of Life."
"Before we leave son," Mother said
"Yeah Mother?"
"What are these scars on your body?"
"Father's less harsh punishments." I explained, as bluntly as I could so I didn't have to say more.
"What?" She asked her concern staining through
"Mother?"
"He promised me if I left, you wouldn't be hurt."
"What?"
"Cheka kicked me out, far away from everyone.  But I managed to make him promise not to hurt you anymore than he did. And he broke his promise."
"So, Father went back on his word?"
"He must have, otherwise, the only scar you would have would be the one on your face."
If it wasn't possible to be angrier at Father, I managed to become angrier "Father's a hypocrite." I growled "And he's not even dead."
"What?" Mother asked
"He lost his war for the Tree of Life and King Kion used the full extent of his mystical roar on him and just him. Father should be dead. But I saw him some time ago, alive. Alive and building a new pride."
"Then he still is committed to his mission then." She lamented "I had hope by now he would have given up, but I know him better than that."
"He better hope I never see this again, or I will kill him myself." I growled
"Woah man," Firi interjected "Calm down."
"We must first complete our mission before you begin another." Nishan said
"Fine." I growled "Let's go to the Tree of Life."