The Lion Guard: Without Him ✔️

six

"Guys, wait up!" Fuli yelled, racing towards her friends.'
The Pride Guard turned and smiled as their leader stopped beside them.

"Fuli!" The large hippo exclaimed, "How did the search with the lionesses go?"

"Not well," She sighed. "We found nothing-no scent, no tracks, no trace of this lion ever existing! But he can't just disappear!"

"What if this strange lion really doesn't exist and someone just had a bad dream or something?" Hatari questioned with a shrug.

Everyone glared at him.

"Don't be stupid, Hatari. We know what we saw." Bunga snapped and Hatari rolled his eyes, continuing to walk down the path.

"So," Fuli continued. "What about you guys? Found anything?"

"Unfortunatly not," Ono replied. "We could really use Anga in the sky right about now- my eye sight is not what it used to be."

"Yeah, well, we can't help that she's on egg leave." Beshte said and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Wouldn't it be cool if Kion was here and then when we find this lion he just blasts-"

"Hatari!" The boys snapped angrily while Fuli stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?!" Hatari complained. "I was just saying that if Ki-"

"Shut up!" Fuli snapped. "Just... don't say his name!"

She began walking on, her eyes locked onto the distance. She heard Hatari let out a puff of air, following her in silence.

After a while, Hatari's annoying voice filled the air again. "Why don't you guys ever say his name? It's as if you hate him or something."

Fuli clenched her eyes shut, having stopped mid-step once again. Bunga, not focusing either after his latest comment walked straight into her leg, falling down to the floor. Beshte and Ono exchanged looks, knowing that soon both Fuli and Bunga would snap. The two were angry with Hatari as well, but they could better control their emotions.

"Leave." Fuli said quietly, looking away from the leopard.

"Excuse me?" Hatari asked.

"I said LEAVE!" Fuli shouted.

Hatari looked to Bunga, Beshte and Ono for help, but found agreement instead.

"Fuli-" He began, stepping closer, only to be cut off by the honey badger.

"She told you to leave, Hatari." He said sternly. The leopard growled before turning to go home.

After a few paces he turned again, "What did he ever do to you all?"

Fuli whirled around and stormed up to him, leaving no time for Hatari to take even one step back.

"You listen to me!" She roared. "I did not hate Kion, none of us ever did! I loved him! And then he died!"

"If you loved him so much, why do you refuse to acknowledge him?!"

"Hatari!" Bunga yelled angrily. "Leave. Now. And don't bother joining us for patrol tomorrow, or ever again."

"Excuse me?!" The leopard snapped. "Who gave you the authority to order me around?!"

Everyone looked to Fuli who said nothing, merely nodding in response.

Hatari had a look of shock on his face which soon turned to anger and envy. "Even in death Kion gets chosen over me," He mumbled under his breath. "You know what?! Fine! I'll leave! But when you're all in desperate need of me to save your butts, don't count on me to be there!"

And with that, he ran off.

"Fuli?" Bunga asked softly. "You okay?"

The cheetah just ignored him, walking away.

***

Fuli ran ahead of the rest of the guard, trying desperatly to make the tears go away before anyone else saw.

She paced around under a tree, thinking of what Hatari said.

It's as if you hate him

You refuse to acknowledge him

Does she really do that?

"Stupid leopard." She mumbled angrily. "He's known us all for twelve years, yet now he decides to talk about him?! Didn't he realise that we don't talk about him because it's too sad! We feel too guilty!?"

"Why do you feel guilty, young cheetah?"

Fuli looked up, startled.

"Who said that?" She asked, looking through the tree's branches.

An old animal slowly made her way out of the cover of the leaves into the moonlight. Very slowly.

"My name is Mwepesi." The creature smiled.

"You're a... sloth?" Fuli questioned curiously.

Mwepesi slowly nodded. "Indeed I am. I am one of the last of my kind in this region."

Fuli nodded.

"Come now, Fuli the cheetah, Pride Guard leader, why do you feel so guilty?" The sloth pressed.

"How do you know me?"

The sloth chuckled, "Everyone knows you, Fuli. You are the great cheetah protector of the Pride Lands. Even those outside our borders know who you are."

Fuli blushed a bit. "I didn't know that."

"And now you do."

"Yeah, so, you must remember the prince, the previous leader of the guard."

Mwespesi nodded, "Yes."

"Well, during the battle where he... died... if it wasn't for us -wasn't for me- maybe he would still be alive, here with me."

"You loved him?"

Fuli looked up at her slowly and nodded. The sloth laughed.

"What's so funny?" Fuli asked with annoyance.

As her laughter died down, the sloth spoke. "Not long after Prince Kion's death, I came across a prophecy stating that one day, the good prince shall return by the passage of Hekalu La Uzima, the Temple of Life."

"What?" Was all Fuli could say.

The sloth smiled, "When I was young, there was a tale of a forbidden monument at the far south of the snowy mountains. Inside was a round step that, with the power of two who love them most, could bring back a fallen leader. But beware, for if this story is true and the demons hear of it, the worst nemesies could be brought back to the living world."

"Is-is it true?" Fuli asked shakily, unsure whether she should begin to have hope or not.

Mwepesi shrugged. "That is for you to find out, young Fuli."

Are the stories true? Is there really a place that can bring back the dead?

Is it worth hoping?

Let's say it is true... would Kion be the same lion he was when he... died?

And who would be there? A lot of people loved him...

Would anyone even believe this?

"Fuli?"

Fuli looked up at a concerned guard.

"Guys..." She took a breath. "Do you believe in myth?"