Clouded Mind part 2 #8

Meanwhile...

Hi everyone! So sorry for updating kinda late. I've been very busy getting used to school (it was my first week back today) and making digital art of the characters for an upcoming story about my new lion cub OC's. Hope you enjoy the chapter

Meanwhile, somewhere far away, a lion cub had been travelling across the Savannah. It felt like he was walking in circles (which he was). He wasn't used to this new life style but what choice did he have? Go home and end up like Scar or keep going? Kion didn't eat as much as he used to. Using the skills that his family and Fuli had taught him, Kion could only catch small game like mice and rabbits. He wasn't big enough or strong enough to take down a gazelle or zebra but he did what he did for survival. The first week or so was tough. He didn't have anyone to help him hunt or keep him warm at night and he missed that but not much as his friends and family.

3 weeks had gone by and Kion still wasn't having any luck of finding a home. For 4 days, Kion has journeyed across a desert. He was hungry, thirsty and tired. Kion collapses to the ground, unable to move.

'I'm gonna die out here.' He thought.

His ears twitch to the sound of vultures squawking above him. Kion tries to stand up again but his muscles ached from all the walking.

"VULTURE BOWLING!" Cheers a voice. "WAHOO!"

A ball of blue fur zooms over Kion's head and crashes into the vultures. The vultures scramble to their feet and fly as fast as their wings could take them.

"Oh yeah! 10 out of 10! New high score! Whoop! Whoop!" Cheers the ball of fur behind Kion. "Now what were those pesky vultures pecking at?"

The hair ball that saved Kion jumps over him to take a better look at him. Kion could now see it was a honey badger.

"HOLY CRICKET JUMPS! ITS A LION!" She screams.

Kion blinks in confusion.

"AND ITS ALIVE!" Panics the honey badger.

"Do I look like I have the strength to eat you?" Snaps Kion.

"Well, you did just cross the desert so no, you don't." She replies. "The name's Asali."

"Kion."

Asali smiles. "It's nice to meet you Kion, unless you try to eat me that is. So what brings you to the oasis?"

"I ran away from home and I don't know if I'll ever go back. I don't know how long now but I've been on my own and I'm looking for a place to stay." Kion answers.

Asali gently punches Kion's shoulder. "Why on earth would you want to run away from home?"

"Uhh...um...well..." He stutters.

Asali gasps and smiles and her eyes widen so much that they looked like they could hold the entire desert. "Oh. My. Gah! Slap my rear and call me a hyena! It's a girl problem isn't it?"

That wasn't the whole truth but that was part of the reason.

"Maybe a bit." Kion answers.

Asali leans in so close to Kion's face he could smell her breath. "What's her name? Is she a lion? Is she pretty? How long have you been going out?"

"Why do you want to know all this?"

"You're right. It's not my business to know but I like details. WAIT! You're a lion, right? A predator?"

Kion didn't know what Asali was getting at but he couldn't just say no to those questions. He is a lion and lions eat meat.

"Yeah" he answers cautiously.

"And you're looking for a place to stay?" She asks.

Kion nods.

"PERFECT!" Cheers Asali. "You can live with me in the Oasis, as long as you don't eat me that is."

"I'm not going to eat you! How many times do I have to say it?" Snaps Kion.

"I have a problem. There aren't enough predators in the oasis and the rabbits and other animals are growing in large numbers. Too many for me to deal with by myself anyway. But if YOU live in the Oasis, you can hunt to your hearts desire and keep the populations down." Says Asali. "What do you say?"

This may be the only place that Kion could live in without being sent away so he accepts.

"Deal."

Asali smiles and jumps around. "Yay! A new friend! It's been a long time since I've had proper company, not since Bananas the monkey. That idiot wanted an adventure but he didn't make it past those sand dunes and of course, the vultures got him."

"I'm so sorry about your friend." Says Kion sympathetically.

Asali shakes her head. "Don't be. It was a long time ago...and he was a pain anyway. Why are we standing around around here? It's getting pretty hot and you need to come and see your new home. Follow me."

Kion was happy to meet someone accepting and he forgot how tired, hungry and thirsty he was so he stands and follows the honey badger. He didn't notice the Oasis by a tall sandy ridge until he started walking. The Oasis looked so much like Hakuna Matata Falls but it was a little smaller, a few areas were grassland and there were not many waterfalls.

"Come on slow poke! Let's go see your new home." Ushers Asali.

Kion quickens his pace and catches up to her. Asali leads him to a tree that had many branches to jump onto to get to the top.

"Lions can't climb trees, Asali." Says Kion.

"Can you reach these low branches?" She asks.

Kion jumps onto the first and the second.

"I don't know what you're talking about. It's obvious that you can climb trees." Says Asali.

She jumps from branch to branch and makes it to the top. It took Kion a little longer to do so as well but he made it.

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know. Bananas and I liked to hang out here." Replies Asali.

"Was this his home?" Asks Kion.

"No. It was just a hang out place. You can live here if you want. There's plenty of space up here, the waterfall is just over there and-"

"I'll take it."

"Great. I'll let you get settled in and I can show you around. See ya."

Asali jumps out of the tree and runs off. Kion looks at the tree. It reminded him so much of Rafiki's tree back home. In a corner of the tree, a branch curved up and outwards to reach the sun. The curve it made held fresh water. Kion remembers how thirsty he was and drinks some. The water was cool and refreshing. He looks again around the tree and sees many gourds hanging from the branches. One falls and a yellowish liquid flows out. He looks at his lion guard mark and gets an idea.

"No going back. I need to try and forget." Kion tells himself.

Kion mixes some dirt with the yellow liquid and dips his paw in. He pushes his liquid covered paw against his mark to cover up the symbol.

Fun fact: According to google translate, asali means honey. This may be wrong but I like the name Asali so I'm gonna keep it.