The Lion Guard Season 5

Chapter 20: A New Friend

{Amani's POV}
Saka let newcomers in, of course he did. The great Saka. Nirmala is training me and Uzuri on the Tree's healing power so I'm waiting at the Tree.
"Amani!" Uzuri yelled
"Uzuri."
"That sounds someone who doesn't want the answers."
"Seriously?"
"What?" She asked "I won't apologize for using my... advantageous position against you."
I rolled my eyes at her "Oh yes. Very Victorian."
"I will not apologize."
"Well," Nirmala said "I'm glad we are energetic."
"What else would we be?" Uzuri asked
"Asleep in a warm and cozy hollow." I answered sarcastically
"Uh huh," Nirmala chuckled "Well in that case, follow me girls."
Nirmala led us to the River of Patience, which is notorious for taking forever to cross - even when you swim across it.
"Uh Nirmala?" Uzuri asked "Why did you lead us to the River of Patience?"
"Dirisha." Nirmala said "To be a healer, you must be patient, because some animals do not wish to. Some want to be gone and leave in the same day they arrived and won't listen to reason. So I bring them here."
"And you want us to do what here?" I asked
"I'm glad you asked Princess," Nirmala chuckled "I want you cross the river and go up that path and grab that flower up there and bring it to me."
"Is this a contest?" Uzuri asked
"If you wish it to be." Nirmala answered "However you cannot touch the water."
"How are we supposed to cross the river without touching water? I asked
"You wait for the logs." Nirmala answered while motioning to the log "Watch me first."
Nirmala jumped on the log and let it carry her to the path. She ran up the path to the top of the wall.
"That's it?" I asked
"Yes."
"That's easy!"
"Well it will be hard before it is easy." Nirmala said "You will have to wait for a log so you can pass."
I sighed "Of course we do."
Nirmala jumped off and came back on a log that passed by.
"Good luck." She said while walking away.
"Isn't this the first thing your dad did while he visited to heal his scar?" Uzuri asked
"Yes," I sighed "And if I remember correctly, he hated it."
"Well, this is the start of the saga." Uzuri said
I rolled my eyes and laid down.
"Should we make it a race?" She asked
"Races are Duma and Moto's thing, you know this."
"Sure," She agreed "But that doesn't mean we can't race!"
I chuckled and got up "Fine. But I hope you know I'm going to win."
"Don't count on it." She laughed
We prepared to jump on the logs but no logs came. We started at mid-morning and now it's noon and still no logs showed up. So me and Uzuri decided to gossip to each other.
"Did you hear about the new animals that your dad let in?"
"You mean the animals Saka let in?"
"Sure."
"The lion is suspicious," I said "Have you seen how he walks around? Like he owns the place!"
"Don't your parents own the place?" Uzuri asked
"Yes!" I said "And the Tiger is just annoying."
"I know right!" She laughed "He's all like 'I'm in charge of these guys!'"
I laughed "He is lording over the newcomers, isn't he?"
Uzuri laughed back "He is!"
"Also, about Shani,"
"Yeah!" She interrupted "She changed! A lot happier, I think love struck."
"You don't get to talk about that, miss 'I am also in love'." I teased
"Hey!" She yelled "That's different!"
"How so?" I laughed
"Saka saved my mom!"
"So you repaid him by becoming his girlfriend?"
Uzuri stumbled around her words, trying to come up with a comeback, but she had to admit I won that one.
"Fine, I relent. Can we go back to talking about Shani?"
Just as she said that, a log came by and I started running towards it. We were in a race after all. Uzuri was stunned "YOU TRICKED ME!" She yelled
"You have no one else to blame but yourself!" I yelled back while floating across the river. Another log floated by and Uzuri tried to jump on it, but she jumped too early and she fell into the river. At that time, I jumped off onto the beginning of the path up and Nirmala came back. She chuckled and helped Uzuri out of the water. She had it wait even longer for the log now. Nirmala told me I had to go up the path even though it seemed long and just climbing the wall was most likely faster.
"Your father thought the same way," Nirmala explained "And it took him much longer to get the flower. Because he slipped off and fell into the river."
I laughed "Seriously? My dad fell into this river?"
"It was when he first came here to heal his scar. Remember when I said some animals want to be done in a day? Your father wanted his healing to be done soon so he could return home."
"Seriously?" I asked "Why? The Pridelands are nothing special."
"Perhaps not to you, but your father grew up there." Nirmala explained "It was his home and he wanted to go back. You would feel the same if you were away from the Tree."
"I doubt that." I muttered under my breath
"What was that?" Nirmala asked
"Nothing." I said "So just go up this path?"
"Yes, and get the flower."
"Okay."
I went up the path and reached the flower. I yelled to Uzuri that I won. She just rolled her eyes. I went to pick up the flower when a bird landed in front of me. But he looked different, was he a different kind of bird?
"Hello Princess," The bird said "Do not be afraid. I wish to talk to you."
"Who are you?" I asked "You don't look like you are from the Tree of Life."
"I am not from the Tree," He said "I am from the Nest. My name is Eguru."
"The Nest?"
"Another kingdom outside of the Tree and Pridelands." Eguru explained "It would take quite long to explain."
"What are you doing here Eguru?"
"To talk to you Princess." He said "Are you important here?"
"Excuse me?"
"Are you important here?" He repeated
"I assume so, I am the princess."
"Really?" He asked "Because I haven't heard much about you."
I raised an eyebrow "Well, you don't need to know everything about my life."
"That is true, however, your brother is renowned among the 7 Kingdoms and I would have thought you would be too."
"What?" I asked, confused. Either this bird was toying with me or he was being purposely vague. "What do you mean? How do you know about my brother?"
"Are you kidding? Your brother is the Leader of the Night Pride, the Fiercest of the Tree of Life. He bears the great Roar of the Elders, and he is the son of Kion, the champion of the Pridelands and King of the Tree of Life."
"The way you talk of him makes him sound legendary." I huffed
"Perhaps not legendary but everyone knows about Prince Saka." Eguru said "So I ask you, knowing all that your brother is, are you important?"
"I am Kion's daughter, Princess of the Tree of Life and the future healer. Of course I am important." I responded
"All true," He said "But your brother is also the future king."
"So what?" I asked, getting annoyed by this bird.
"So where do you belong?" Eguru asked "It seems to me that you are in your brother's shadow."
"I am not in my brother's shadow." I said, though slightly unconvinced. Because this bird was right, Saka is something I am not. He is important. The world couldn't care less if I died because I'm not the future Queen. I'm not the Tree's defender and I'm not the future healer. If I died, Uzuri would just take my place. I am not important in the grand scheme of things.
"Are you sure?" He asked. I didn't respond to that. "It seems to me that you are highly replaceable."
"What do you want?" I growled at him. I was getting angry.
"I want to know why you aren't also destined for greatness."
"Huh?"
"Why aren't you the future queen?"
"Because Saka is the firstborn. He is the future king."
"Shouldn't the leadership of your kingdom fall to the most capable, not just the firstborn?"
"I mean, maybe, but it has always fallen to the firstborn."
"You realize your father was the second son of Simba? He was the third born child. Your Aunt Kiara is the second born, and she's the Queen of the Pridelands. If it always fell to the firstborn, shouldn't your uncle Kopa be king?"
"I-" I didn't have anything to say to that. It was true. My life had been unfair. Saka got everything while I had the scraps. If Saka got to be the leader of the Night Pride, then I should be queen. It's only fair.
"Think about it, then meet me and my friends beyond this wall later." Eguru said "And don't tell anyone about our conversation. You cannot trust them."
I nodded and he flew off. I grabbed the flower and came back down. Nirmala and Uzuri asked what took me so long,
"And who were you talking to?" Uzuri asked
"No one." I said "Just an animal looking for directions to the Pridelands."
"And what were you doing up there?" Uzuri asked
"Just... admiring the view." I said "It's not every day you get a view like that."
Uzuri looked unconvinced but she dropped it. I gave the flower to Nirmala and went back to the Tree. They weren't worth my time right now.