Kion and Bunga continued their walk through a dense grove, now far away from the waterhole. Bunga trotted along on all four feet, wiggling his head free of tickling stems as they passed under shaded trees. With a loud gasp, he stood and swiped at a bundle of dry grass, spotting a familiar dirt trail of hoofprints, leading all the way back to Pride Rock.
Not since his first meeting with Kion did the honey badger feel so excited to see it, sitting firmly onto the lush, green savanna. For Bunga, as his uncle Timon would question, Kion’s home renewed his spirits. A place that always helped him remember...
He had a family.
“Mapema Rock is really close. Beshte musta helped the ante-antelopes get back by now. Hey Kion, do you think you’re up for a race home? Huh?! I know I am, he, he!” Bunga pranced up a row of boulders, with a waddle in his step. Upon silence, Bunga turned back over his shoulder.
“Kion?”
He spotted Kion, staring at the ground. His paws still, his neck hunched.
‘Looks like he’s already lost...’ Bunga thought
The chirps of curious bokmakieries surrounded the friends from branches above. Bunga smiled to the flock, begun to hum and approached Kion, sneaking up through dense branches to pop up and meet his friend’s eyes.
“Ha, got ya! Hello? Come on buddy, you can’t be that tired.” Bunga giggled. Kion’s eyes stared through the honey badger’s gaze, slowly noticing his friend had even spoken.
"Oh..." Bunga replied. He backed away. The badger grew puzzled. He leaned in as Kion turned away.
"Still thinking?" Bunga asked. Kion kept still, his slight mane flowing on occasion by the gentle wind.
"I should have done something." Kion replied. He broke his stare towards hanging leaves and marched away from Pride Rock’s view beyond the thicket. Bunga lifted a brow, followed by a small frown. He had known Kion to hesitate in games on occasion, leaping across from high places, chasing porcupines and even rolling down hills.
However, this felt different to the honey badger. He sensed a strong pull, to give the cub his full attention.
"Kion, you heard Rafiki, every crocodile follows the rules of Mashindano. Maybe Pua just needed some time alone. The Exile of the Marshes is, uh, tradition?" Bunga replied.
"Yeah...I just....” Kion shook his head, then facing Bunga.
"What good are we anyways? I didn’t even think about Pua after what happened. He’s on his own now… maybe forever. How can I go home knowing that?" Kion retorted, still averting his trickled gaze away from Bunga. The badger fidgeted with his claws together, soon attempting to pat his friend’s shoulder.
"Come on Kion, you do all sorts of good things. You rescued the antelopes with me today!” Bunga exclaimed.
“And… and then the crocodiles don’t eat.”
“What?”
“Bunga, my own family hunts. What about all the antelopes that lions eat? I don’t… I…” Kion stuttered. Bunga sensed his own fur stand on end. He rushed to embrace his friend, first laying a paw upon his tense shoulder.
“Well, we try to help where we can, Kion." Bunga said.
"I don't feel I'm helping anyone. The antelopes may come back to drink at Makuu’s lake. It's like some are just supposed to…to...," He paused, facing away. "Bunga, it’s like the guard's a distraction, that every animal’s actually alone... like Pua.” Kion growled, stomping the dirt, “Maybe dad just wants me to feel like I matter.” At this, Bunga’s breath quickened. He hadn’t seen the lion cub like this before.
"Kion, you do..." Bunga began, reaching a paw to his shoulder again.
"No Bunga!" Kion snapped back at his friend, baring his teeth. Bunga retracted his arm, widening his brows and crouching back, slumped on all fours. As he stared across, Kion's glare softened, his ears low.
"Maybe... I need to be alone too." Kion gasped, giving one last glance at the badger before walking towards the savanna.
Bunga looked on.
**
Thank you everyone for your support.
Keywords
male
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cub
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the lion king
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Published:
3 years ago
06 Nov 2021 16:30 CET
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