Lion Guard: Healing Heart

Chapter 5: Neha's Chick and Blueberries

Nirmala followed the cubs as they showed her around excitedly, the siblings jumping up and laughing excited. 'On the bright side, I'll know my way around more' Nirmala thought. A shadow then flew past her and she looked up.

It was that white owl Neha again and Nirmala recognized her as the owl with Surak last night. "It's that owl again" she said and the cubs looked up. "Oh that's Neha! Come on!" Bailyo said as the cubs chased after the owl. Nirmala followed them and the owl landed in a tree with a nest.

"Hi Neha! Namaste!" Rani called out excited. Neha was getting comfortable in her nest and she spotted the cubs and smiled at them. "Namaste prince and princess" Neha greeted them happily as the lions approached her. Neha noticed Nirmala.

"Hi there. I'm Nirmala" Nirmala introduced herself to the owl. "Nice to meet to you Nirmala. I am Neha" Neha introduced herself. Rani turned around to look at Nirmala "Neha is the royal messenger for mom and dad. She lets us know about everything" Rani explained.

"Yes. And soon Ullu will be a royal messenger too" Neha mentioned and Nirmala grew more puzzled, tilting her head. Neha opened up her wings and Nirmala saw inside was a small owl chick snuggled in her mom's snowy white feathers. Nirmala's eyes widen in curiosity at the chick.

"Namaste Ullu" Rani said excitedly and Neha let the chick waddle close enough for Rani to nuzzle and Bailyo too. Nirmala chuckled. "Neha can Ullu come play with us?" Bailyo asked looking at the mama owl. "Please?" Both siblings said at the same time with the baby lion eyes and big smiles. Neha chuckled at their cute attempt.

"Oh I know how much you want to play with her. Ullu wants to play with you too. But she's still too small to leave nest. And she still has to learn to fly. So be a little more patient" Neha explained as her wings wrapped around her chick and Ullu happily snuggled in her mom's warmth and purred.

The cubs groaned annoyed and upset. But then they turned and looked at Nirmala with an idea and the lioness stared at them. She had a feeling that whatever idea they had, it involved her.

"Nirmala can you play with us?" Rani asked as the cubs ran to her. "Please?" Bailyo asked, pulling on her paw. Nirmala looked at them surprised that they wanted her, a stranger, to play with them. "Well....ok" Nirmala said and the cubs jumped up excited. "Come on! We know a great spot to play!" Rani told her as the cubs ran off and lead the way while Nirmala followed.

While Nirmala and the cubs walked off, Surak had been watching them from on top of a rock. He watched them walked down to a path that led to the forest. "Hmmm" Surak said serious. He understood that Nirmala was new around here and didn't know the cubs well enough. But Rani and Bailyo had forgotten that Nirmala doesn't know her way around...or the dangers that might lurk around. Worried about any potential harm that could happen to his niece and nephew plus Nirmala, Surak left the rock and followed them.

The cubs and Nirmala went deep in a forest. Nirmala's ears twitched at the sound of birds chirping and she smiled, feeling so relaxed from feeling the warm sunlight hit her fur. She looked back in front of her.

"Huh?" Nirmala said surprised when suddenly the siblings disappeared. "Rani? Bailyo? Where did you two go?" Nirmala asked worried and nervous. Even though she barely knew them, Nirmala still cared about those cubs.

Her ears twitched at some rustling from above and she noticed some leaves falling. She looked up and "BOO!" both the siblings yelled boo and hanged upside down with their paws out.

"Ah!" Nirmala scream spooked. The siblings got down and laughed "You should've seen the look on your face" Bailyo said between laughs. Nirmala relaxed and she too laughed. She was relieved to have found the cubs.

"Anyway, we saw a bush full of berries not far from here. Come on!" Rani told her and the cubs ran off again with Nirmala follwing them.

They arrived at a ton of bushes full of bright blue berries all over. "Wow!" Rani said amazed at how many blueberries there were. "Yum!" Bailyo said excited as he and his siblings started munching on the blueberries happily, their paws eagerly swiping at the berries.

Nirmala chuckled at seeing the blue juice smeared on their paws and mouths. She walked over and started munching on the berries.

Nirmala couldn't help but think about what happen earlier with Janna's healing. She had never seen anything like it and it amazed her. The glowing from those buds. The feeling of energy of the healing going inside her. It was amazing to Nirmala.

"Nirmala? You ok?" Bailyo asked her, noticing that she was thinking and he approached her. Nirmala shook her head to snap out of it and she smiled at the cub. "Oh yeah Bailyo. I'm...!" Nirmala said but at the corner of her eye, she spotted something that made her snap her head to that direction with wide eyes, her blue eyes full of alarm and alert...danger was near.