Gone, But Not Alone (A KionxRani AU)

A Chance Meeting In A Chance Situation

Eventually, Kion woke up from his unconscious slumber. However, he was not on the log, but on land, right next to a body of water.

"Ouch! My head, why does it-?" Kion groaned until he remembered what happened.

"Fuli? Bunga? Guard? Is there anywhere here?" Kion called out, but got no response.

He decided to walk along the body of water while he tried to figure out where he washed up. He looked around and noticed he wound up in a grass field, but not grass that was too tall.

Rani, at the same time, was asleep on her log. Her log had ended up on land; her feet were still in the water though. She heard a voice that awoke her.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed she was alongside a huge body of water. She immediately remembered what happened and got ready to figure out how to get back to her home, but then she heard the voice again.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" called out the voice. Based on the sound, Rani could tell it was a male.

Not knowing who the male could be, she assumed the worst. She hid behind her log and watched as the lion walked around the shore of the lake. When he came only a couple of feet away from her log, she jumped over the log and landed right in front of him.

"Who are you?!" She growled at the lion in front of her. She took a quick moment to study him. He looked to be the same age as her. She noticed the way he was walking around the lake; it seemed like he wasn't familiar with these lands also. Also a little cute, but she wouldn't admit that though.

"Woah! Don't attack; I come in peace! I got washed up here by a storm!" stated the lion. The lion seemed innocent enough, but Rani didn't let her guard down.

Meanwhile, in the eyes of Kion, the female lion standing viciously in front of him appeared to live by the lake, judging how defensive she was about him being there.

"What's your name?" Rani asked the lion. It wouldn't do any good for her safety, but at least she would have a name for the face.

"Kion. What's yours?" The lion, whose name she learned was Kion, asked her.

Rani hesitated for a moment, but told him, "Rani."

"Okay, Rani. As I said, I don't mean harm to you or your lands. I just washed up here after a storm," Kion told her. He was being very careful in choosing his words. It seemed to Rani that he wasn't looking for a fight, but she still didn't fully trust the lion, as she just met him.

"Well, that makes two of us who were washed up here. I'm not familiar with these lands; I don't live here. I don't even have the slightest clue where we are. Where are you from, Kion?" Rani asked Kion, easing up to the new lion, but still not letting her guard down.

"I'm from the Pridelands. I'm the leader of a Guard that protects animals there. Then a...situation arose there. Long story short, I got knocked out and wound up here," he told her. "What about you, Rani?"

"I'm from the Tree of Life. Similar to you, I am part of a team there that defends my home," Rani responded to Kion out of politeness.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Kion," Rani said, also out of politeness, as she started to walk off.

"Woah! Where do you think you're going?" Kion called before Rani got too far away.

"Ummm...home? As I said my pride and I protect my home, and protect my home I will, which requires getting home," Rani said, stating the obvious.

"By no means am I a genius, but I'm thinking we should stick together," Kion replied.

"Why? I don't even know you," Rani said, a bit harsh, but it was true.