The Lion Guard: Friends to the End AU

Chapter 2: Fears Coming True

"So Makini, are there friendly animals at the Tree of Life?" Beshte asked as he and the rest of the Guard continued their way through a canyon.

"Oh yes!" Makini replied eagerly. "All the animals I remember were super friendly."

"Oh, I can't wait to meet 'em," Beshte said, his ears wiggled excitedly. "Nothin' I like more than makin' new friends."

"Everyone, look!" Anga's voice interrupted. Everyone stopped and followed Anga's gaze to a large nest on the edge of a cliff. "On the cliff! Baby goose!" Fuli squinted and sure enough, there was a fuzzy goose hatchling peeping as he stumbled along the side of his nest. Then, he missed his step and fell. Everyone gasped.

"Oh no! It... It fell off from its nest!" Beshte cried. Fuli flinched as she watched the poor baby goose tumble downward, his wings flapped helplessly as it bumped into some of the canyon's rocks. Besthe then lumbered forward. "We gotta save it!"

"Beshte?" Kion called out uncertainly

"Right!" Fuli agreed, running after the hippo.

"Zuka zama!" Bunga exclaimed as he and Makini followed them.

Guys? Hey!" Kion shouted, though everyone ignored him.

"I gotcha! I gotcha!" Beshte said, skidding to a halt right under the falling goose. The baby goose bumped into another rock and continued falling until his landed on top of Beshte's muzzle. "Gotcha."

"Nice catch, Beshte," Fuli praised. The little gosling shook his tiny head, a little dizzy from its fall, then peeped excitedly when he saw Beshte and the others.

"Aww," cooed Makini. "It's so cute!" Fuli had to admit, the little gosling was pretty adorable with his tiny beak and fuzzy feathers.

Beshte slowly lowered his head and the gosling slid off of the hippo's muzzle and onto the ground.

"You okay, little guy?" he asked as the baby got back onto his feet. Fuli then noticed Kion approaching them, his tail twitched impatiently.

"Okay, he's safe now," Kion said in a hasty tone. "So, let's-"

"Shouldn't we put him back in his nest?" Behste asked. "His mom might be worried."

Kion glared at Beshte then sighed impatiently. "Ugh, fine. Anga?"

"Yup. Come on, little guy," Anga said, gently carrying the baby goose with her talons. Fuli turned her gaze back to Kion, something about the tone of his voice was now bugging her.

"Then," Kion went on. "We've really gotta get-"

"Heads up!" Anga's voice rang. "We got another one!" Everyone looked up and gasped when they saw another baby goose fall from the nest and hit a rock. Where's their mother when you need them!? Fuli thought. She should really watch her hatchlings better!

"Oh no!" Makini cried.

"I gotcha," Anga assured, trying to grab the other gosling with one of her talons. But strangely, the baby slipped right through! "I missed?" the martial eagle gasped to herself in disbelief. "Beshte!"

"I got her, I got her!" Beshte said. The goose bumped onto Beshte's back but then bounced right off. "Uh-oh."

"Zuka zama!" Bunga cried. He leapt towards the good and grabbed her just in time. "Ta da!"

"What are you doing?!" an irritated honk sounded from behind the Guard. Everyone turned around and saw an angry adult female goose running towards them with her wings spread wide. "Unhand my child!"

"Uh, okay, okay," Bunga said, placing the gosling down. "Here, she's fine." The baby goose hopped towards her mother and the mother goose drew her closer with her wing.