Clouded Mind part 2 #8

A chance

It hasn't been very long since the birth of Zuri's cubs. As promised, Roho left Zuri and the Cubs for his safety. He didn't want to leave his new family but Zuri begged him to.

A new day has almost come to an end and Fuli had finished hunting for the day. After an exhausting hunt, Fuli lies down on her rock and closes her eyes but her peaceful rest didn't last long. She overheard Makini telling Bunga, Beshte and Ono about a dark day approaching and that it could be their chance to escape.

"What's this about a day dark as night?" Asks Fuli.

Makini jumps at Fuli's sudden question. "Oh Fuli. I thought you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you up."

Fuli shrugs. "Well, I'm awake now."

"I had a vision. It was day but the moon moved across the sky and blocked out the sun. It's a day when all evil is at its strongest." Explains Makini.

"That's doesn't sound good." Fuli replies.

"I overheard some hyenas and they said that EVERY Outlander must attend this ceremony thing. That could be our chance to escape."

The word 'escape' echoes through Fuli's mind. This could be their chance to find help. Get an army to take back the Pridelands. Maybe even find...Kion. Fuli's heart, once full of hope dims. There's no way that everyone would make it out alive. The eclipse only lasts a few minutes. That's not nearly enough time to get everyone and run.

"I say that when the dark day comes, we make a break for it!" Says Bunga.

"Me too." Agrees Ono.

"That makes three of us." Replies Beshte.

The four of them look at Fuli. She looks down at her paws, sadly.

"Guys..." She begins. "We can't."

Their faces turn from rebellious smiles to shocked frowns.

"Even if we can sneak away from the Outlanders, they will hunt us down and with a big group, it would be easy for them to find us. Also, we have mothers with Cubs that will slow us down. We can't leave. We have to stay for everyone's sake." Says Fuli.

"That's way only you guys are going." Says Kiara joining the conversation.

"Wait what?" Replies Fuli staring at her.

"We all can't go but a small group should get by undetected." Explains the princess.

"But Kiara, we can't leave. Especially now."

"Fuli! I'm due any day now. The cubs will be here before the eclipse."

Fuli shakes her head. "We are NOT leaving. And that's final!"

Fuli walks to the back of the lair towards the paintings of their adventures that Rafiki had painted. The others watch her leave and they shrug at each other, unsure what their next move will be.

Fuli looks at each of the paintings from their adventures and reimagines them. She remembers the time when Kion asked her to join the lion guard. She thought he was crazy. After reliving each adventure, Fuli moves some of the vines away to see that Rafiki had even painted some of their romantic moments like them sleeping side by side and nuzzling each other. As much as Fuli would've loved to kill Rafiki for painting these, she couldn't help but feel tears roll down her cheeks. She places her paw beside a picture of Kion. She wondered what he looked like as an adult. Handsome? Full grown mane? Fuli shakes the images from her mind and tells herself that he's gone or probably dead and that she's never going to see him again. Fuli stares at the paintings for what felt like hours until she drifts off to sleep against the wall.