Lion Guard: Neema the Leopard

Chapter 5

That night neema has a nightmare of being run out of the north region's grasslands.

Neema wakes up panting, both from running in the dream and squirming while she was asleep. "Rafiki?" she mumbles looking around the tree.

"I am here." Rafiki replies.

Neema climbs the tree carefully and then walks over to where Rafiki is meditating. "I'm sorry to bother you..." she frowns.

"had a nightmare?" Rafiki replies opening one eye. "yes, I could tell."

"I don't understand." Neema replies sitting in front of Rafiki with her ears down. "why don't the other leopards want me around? I never hurt anybody."

Rafiki opens both eyes and puts his hand on his chin. "yes, it tis curious. Why you would be driven so far from the place you were born." Rafiki stands up and looks at the sky through the top of the tree. "pridelanders do not know much about leopards, but I do know they don't really like to share their territory. Unless they meet that special somebody."

"I know that..." Neema frowns. "but I'm not hurting anything."

"your too young to understand such things." Rafiki chuckles. "You may understand when you are older."

"Neema?" Kion calls from the ground under the tree. "Rafiki is Neema up there?"

"go and make friends. That is something nobody would expect you to do." Rafiki replies. 'it is true. Certainly nobody is expecting a leopard to be a friend around here.'

Neema leaves the tree to speak with Kion. "Kion?"

"I came to see if you felt better today." Kion says. "we were thinking since we didn't get to finish showing you around that if you felt up to it..."

"alright." Neema nods. "yes, actually I do feel much better." She looks at her shoulder. It's still stained with dry blood but for the most part the injury has healed into a small scab. "Rafiki's herbs work wonders. I can't even feel it anymore."

"that's great news Neema." Kion smiles. "alright come on then." He leads her over to the rest of the lion guard. "alright let's go everyone."

They walk the patrol route.

"this is the watering hole." Kion smiles as he introduces Neema to the few animals that had come for a drink. "everyone this is Neema."

The animals around the pond exchange glances and whispers.

"I know it is a bit strange." Kion nods placing one foot forward. "but I promise she isn't here to harm anyone. My dad said she was ok to stay. everyone should try their best to get along."

High in the nearby tree the vulture Mzingo is watching and listening. "leopard in the pridelands hm?" he smirks as he watches Kion try to explain that Neema is just lost and might only stay temporarily. "another word for new friend... is weakness." He chuckles to himself. "Janja will surely want to hear about this." He looks to the left and frowns. 'of course he's already here. i suppose i shall wait till after he gets driven off.'

"KION! HYENAS!" Ono shouts pointing at Janja.

"lion guard move!" Kion yells leaping over a zebra who had just leaned down to get a drink. "to the pridelands end!"

"lion guard defend!" they all shout as they speed away.

Neema watches them leave unsure if she should follow them. She decided on staying to try to make friends as Rafiki had suggested.

Mzingo takes this time to watch how the animals around the watering hole react to the leopard. If he played his cards right he could make her believe anything he wanted.