The Lion Guard: Without Him ✔️

seven

"Believe in myth?" Beshte questioned. "I guess so... why?"

"I.... I was talking to Mwepesi ... she said somethings that have given me hope."

"Who?" Bunga questioned. "And hope for what?" Bunga asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hope for Kion's return."

"What? That's impossible." Ono stated. "Whatever it is, it's against the laws of nature and physically unreal. Resurrection has never been done before."

"It has. With Scar." Fuli said.

"That's different. He wasn't in his full body, didn't have flesh... didn't have a soul."

"He never had a soul, Ono." Bunga said. "But I have to agree with you; it is different and there is no real way of resurrecting someone from the dead."

Fuli huffed. "We'll never know until we try! Isn't it worth going on a short voyage to the mountains-"

"The snowy mountains?!" Ono interrupted. "That journey takes days! Besides, we have a new threat here in the Pride Lands anyway. We can't just go off adventuring on a pointless journey."

"We don't know if it's pointless or not!" Fuli defended.

"Fuli." Beshte said calmly. "Maybe once this is all over, we can spare a week and then go, but until then isn't it safer to stay here? The Pride Lands need us."

Fuli screamed innerly. "Fine! Why don't you just ask Mwepesi?!"

"Who is that?!" Bunga repeated.

"The sloth who told me about these things! She's right up-"

Fuli turned and looked up at the tree, her face falling.

"Fuli... there's no one there." Beshte stated. Fuli let her head fall as she looked down.

"Fuli! Where are you going?!" Bunga called as she began to run off.

"Carry on with the patrol!" She ordered from the distance. "I need to talk to someone!"

Ono sighed, "Let's just hope she doesn't do anything too reckless."

***

"Kiara?!" Fuli whisper-yelled, entering the cavern. "Kiara!"

The princess poked her head up from the back of the cave, looking sleepy and dazed.

"Fuli?" She asked, standing up. "What are you doing here?"

"I have to talk to you. Now."

"Okay..."

They walked outside and sat on the ledge of Pride Rock, looking out over the dark lands.

"What is it? Have you found anything on Uchafu?"

"No..." Fuli started. "But, I did find something else though. Or technically, I found someone."

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"Okay, so, I was walking ahead of the guard and then this sloth appeared and she told me of some 'prophecy' she heard of."

"Which says...?"

"Which says that one day Kion will come back to life."

Kiara took a step back, her face silky white as if she'd just seen a ghost.

"H-how?"

"She called it Hekalu La Uzima, the Temple of Life. Somehow, the love from two who do love him can bring him back."

"Are-are you sure?"

"No, she said we had to find out. The others think its ridiculous but-"

"It's the only possibility we have." Kiara finished and Fuli nodded.

The princess swallowed deeply, looking back at the cavern where her husband, friends and parents slept soundly.

She glanced back at Fuli. "What about the pride, the guard? What about Uchafu's threats?"

"Kiara, if we can bring Kion back, then we can defeat Uchafu." Fuli explained. "Maybe this is our only chance at defeating him?"

Kiara looked back at the cavern again before deciding. "When do we leave?"

"Right now."

"Then let's go."

***

Hatari listened closely to Fuli and Kiara's conversation, sitting in a tall tree a few feet away.

"One day Kion will come back to life." Fuli said and his eyes almost popped out of his head. It's impossible...

"Hekalu La Uzima, the Temple of Life."

"The Temple of Life..." Hatari repeated under his breath.

"If we can bring Kion back, then we can defeat Uchafu."

An idea popped into the leopard's head and he smiled ambitiously, waiting for Kiara and Fuli to leave before making his own way down the tree.

He glanced left and right, then disappeared into the night.