Fuli woke up to a sound in the middle of the night. She looked around the cave. She heard Kion whimpering in his sleep. His claws were out and scraping the ground. His breaths were labored, deep and shaky. Fuli quickly rushed over to him. He heard him muttering in his sleep. "We're not the same! I'll never be like you Scar!" It became clear to Fuli he was reliving the events that happened when he got bit by Ushari. "Ushari!" She heard Kion mutter in his sleep. His breaths got shakier. His claws dug in to the ground. His whimpering got louder. Suddenly, he slashed his claws on his scar, creating a likely painful wound. Then all of a sudden, it stopped. Fuli was alarmed.

"Kion?" She asked firmly. No reply came. "Kion?!" She asked again, louder. She then started shaking him repeatedly. Kion's breathing suddenly resumed. "No!" He woke up screaming. His head then shot up in alarm. Half of Fuli was relived, but the other half of her knew she'd have to keep a close eye on Kion incase anything happens again. And the other half of her was very worried for Kion, this was the second time he woke up alarmed and screaming. He saw the blood on his claws from when he slashed his scar in his sleep. He started freaking out.

"No! No!" He screamed. Then suddenly one of the lions of the Sun Pride walked in the cave growling. He started to yell at Kion. "Shut up you little-" Fuli tried not to hear the rest, but she did. She walked over to the lion and growled.

"Don't you ever talk to Kion like that," she snarled. The lion rolled his eyes. "And why should I listen to you?" He asked mockingly. "I am the Sun Pride leader's mate, and therefore I'm King of the Sun Pride. And you. You are a pathetic creature lower than any living thing." Fuli let out a low growl.

"Enough of this," the lion said. "You're a waste of time. I need to get back to my pride duties. Things that are actually important." The lion then walked out of the cave and continued doing whatever it was that he was doing before he came over to the cave and yelled at Kion. Fuli looked back at Kion. She could tell he was trying not to wail in terror again. Fuli could see his claws digging into the ground. She saw his head frantically peering left and right. Fuli tried to approach him, but he backed away.

"S-stay away from me!" Kion shouted frantically. He then wailed in terror again. "Get out of my head! Stay away!" It was clear that this time he wasn't talking to Fuli. He dropped to the ground and put his paws over his head. Fuli approached him.

"Kion, listen to me," she said firmly. She then put her paw over his. "Look at me Kion." He then raised his gaze to meet hers. "It's okay, everything's okay. You're going to get through this," Fuli said, trying to calm him down. But it didn't work. Kion rushed out of the cave. Fuli ran after him. The Sun Pride lions heard it and rushed after them to get them back.

The Sun Pride lions chased Kion and Fuli. Kion looked back and saw Fuli and the Sun Pride lions. He looked shocked. Wait, he didn't know he was being chased? Kion kept running and running and running. Even Fuli was starting to get tired by now. She then looked behind her.

"Kion!" She called. "Slow down! We're not being chased anymore!" Kion then slowed down. Fuli knew he was embarrassed. He looked back at her. Fuli then hit a realization.

"Kion! We outran the Sun Pride lions! Let's escape their territory once and for all!" Fuli saw that Kion brightened up.

XXXX

Kion and Fuli crossed what appeared to be the edge of the Sun Pride's territory. They were relived that the Sun Pride wouldn't be able to find them anymore, hopefully. Fuli then saw something in the shadows. She moved protectively in front of Kion. Then, a young cheetah pounced out. Gozi!

"Fuli!" Gozi exclaimed. He then glanced at Kion. "It's great to see you! And is that Kion that you were talking about?" Gozi asked. Fuli nodded. "Yes." Gozi then walked up to Kion.

"Hi," Gozi said. "Hello," Kion replied, his voice still shaky. "Nice to meet you," Gozi said. "You too," Kion replied. Gozi smiled. During her time in Swift's Clan she had learned Gozi enjoyed meeting new friends. Kion then tried to hide a yawn. Tired... again?

"Kion, you should rest," she told him. She saw that Kion was about to protest but he was interrupted by another yawn. She guided him over to a nearby abandoned den. Kion laid down in a soft, grassy spot in the den. Fuli walked out of the den with Gozi following her.

"I don't know what to do," she confided in Gozi. "I don't know how I can help him. He can't sleep because his scar is too painful. He can't eat much because the venom in his scar makes him nauseous. He also can't think clearly because of the venom." Fuli sighed. Gozi looked sympathetic.

"Fuli, a wise cheetah once told me, 'Have faith.'" Fuli looked at Gozi. She was uncertain that faith would help now. They then heard a wail from the den. They rushed over. They saw Kion laying still on the ground. Fuli panicked. She rushed over to Kion and put her ear to his chest. No movement.

"What do we do?!" Fuli panicked. Gozi looked uncertain.

"Mouth to mouth?" He suggested. "Ew no!" Fuli exclaimed. Then, Fuli remembered something.

[FLASHBACK]
Fuli ran through the fields of the Pride Lands. She saw Makini with Rafiki, they were talking about something. Fuli decided to go check it out.

"Hey Makini! Hi Rafiki. What's going on?" Fuli asked. Rafiki was surprisingly the first to reply. "I am teaching Makini what to do when someone has a mshtuko wa moyo. It is very important she knows this." Fuli was curious.

"Can I stay and listen?" Fuli asked. She didn't know why she asked that, as she wasn't normally one for sitting and listening, but she had a feeling in her gut that she should stay.

"Only if you are quiet," Rafiki replied. Fuli nodded. "Very well then," he responded. "Now listen close..."

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"Gozi! Do you know where any dharura flowers are?" Gozi nodded. "They grow all around here," he told her. "Great! Can you go get some?" He nodded and bolted out the den. Fuli looked back at Kion. His eyes were now wide open and frightened. Fuli tried to calm him down but she knew it would be useless.

"Kion, look at me. You're going to be okay." Kion looked up at her, his eyes wide and fearful. Fuli wanted to help him, but she couldn't. She felt powerless.

Fuli put her paw over his. "Kion, listen to me," Fuli spoke in a gentle yet firm voice. "Relax. Whatever you do, don't panic. Panicking will make it a lot worse." She saw that he was having a very hard time calming down, and she couldn't blame him.

"Calm down. Think about something else," she told him. "Think about the Pride Lands, the times you and Kiara raced each other, the times you and Bunga would play Baobab Ball all day..." Fuli then remembered something else, something that was sure to take Kion's mind off of the mshtuko wa moyo. "Or that one time when Bunga crashed into you and you crashed into me sending us all sliding off of a rock into the lake." Kion's eyes sparkled at the memory. Fuli knew that if Kion could have laughed, he would have.

Fuli saw Kion dig his claws into the ground once more, grinding his teeth. Fuli couldn't even imagine the pain he was going through. "Remember Kion, stay calm." Kion nodded, well at least he tried to nod. Kion looked up at her, his eyes filled with pain. She anxiously looked towards the entrance to the den. Gozi please come back with some dharura flowers soon. She pleaded silently. Apparently Kion saw that she was beginning to worry, because he started to panic again, trying to move around and silently wailing. His eyes became round and frightened once more. Fuli held his paw tighter.

"Kion," she began. "You will be okay. Gozi will come back with some dharura flowers soon," she tried to reassure him. But she was also worried that Gozi might not make it back to the den with the dharura flowers in time. Oh Kion... I can't lose you. I won't lose you. She then saw his eyelids begin to close. No!

Gozi then rushed in carrying some dharura flowers in his teeth. He dropped them in front of Fuli. "I've got the dharura flowers!" He exclaimed. Fuli then pawed the flowers next to Kion's mouth. "Eat these," she told him. She noticed that Kion struggled to chew and swallow the flowers, but all that mattered was that he did.

Fuli sighed in relief. "The dharura flowers will take effect in a minute or two," Fuli told them. Even that soon might be too late. Fuli thought to herself, anxious for Kion. After a minute or so Kion's heartbeat returned. He tried to get up but Fuli stopped him.

"There's absolutely no way I'm letting you go anywhere right now because of what just happened," Fuli declared. Gozi nodded in agreement. "She's right," he said. Fuli saw that Kion was shaking from the ordeal he just went through. "But," she continued. "We need a way to get the blood flowing again."

She then thought of something. "Kion, stretch and flex all of your legs, one at a time." Kion obeyed and started flexing his front leg. Fuli then used her front paws to massage the leg to help get the blood flowing again. She then did the same for all of Kion's legs as he stretched and flexed them. When he was done flexing his legs, Fuli got back to her paws.

"And I will be keeping a very close eye on him," she whispered to Gozi. "You should," he agreed. "What just happened.... if we weren't there he would have..." died. Fuli finished in her thoughts. Both she and Gozi knew what he was going to say, but neither dared speak it out loud. Fuli turned back to look at Kion. She laid down next to him. Gozi squeezed in between them.

"There's room for me, right?" The young cub asked playfully. Fuli tried her best not to laugh. "Of course," she told him. Kion nodded, he hadn't spoke since the mshtuko wa moyo he had gotten. "Guys," Kion said. "Can I... can I tell you..." Fuli interrupted. "Tell us what?"

"Everything," Kion responded. I think he means a heart to heart. Fuli nodded. "What if it happens again?" Kion asked, fear in his eyes. Fuli was puzzled for a moment but then she realized he must be talking about the mshtuko wa moyo. "Kion, if it ever happens again, I will help you, just like I did today. I promise," Fuli told him, passion burning in her voice.

"But what if you're not here when it happens? What if you don't get here in time? What if I-I..." die. Fuli knew what he was going to say.

"Kion," she picked his head up with her paw. "I won't let anything happen to you." "Neither will I!" Gozi piped up. "We're friends, right? And friends always have each other's backs." "Gozi is right," Fuli agreed. Kion looked unsure. He laid his head down. Fuli laid her head down too and drifted off to sleep.

XXXX

A couple of hours later, Fuli woke up to a noise. It was Kion wincing and pawing at his scar. She knew he was trying to stay quiet to not wake up her and Gozi, but he failed miserably. Fuli carefully got up, trying not to wake up Gozi, and tip toed her way around to Kion. She then saw that his scar was bleeding from a few hours ago when he clawed his scar in his sleep.

"Kion," she began. "We have to solve this, it's becoming a big problem for you. We have to continue our journey to the Tree of Life." She then saw that Gozi was actually awake. He looked up at her.

"Can I come too?" He asked. Fuli thought for a moment. "Gozi, there will be many dangers on the way to the Tree of Life, are you sure you can handle it?" Gozi nodded as fast as he could. "I can handle anything!" He declared. "Alright Gozi, you can come with us to the Tree of Life," Fuli told him. Her attention then turned back to Kion.

"Until we get there, how are we going to get Kion to sleep?" She asked Gozi. Gozi shrugged. "I heard somewhere that lions are very touch sensitive," he told her. He then walked over to Kion and started massaging the area in between his shoulder blades. Kion tensed up for a moment, then settled back down. He laid his head down and let out a relaxed sigh. Brilliant idea Gozi! Not long after, Kion fell asleep. Gozi then walked back over to Fuli.

"Brilliant idea Gozi," she told him. "Thanks," Gozi replied. He then looked back at the sleeping lion. "Fuli," he said. "Kion won't make it if we don't get to the Tree of Life in time." "I know," Fuli replied solemnly.

"Fuli? Can I ask you something?" Gozi asked. Fuli nodded. "Sure."

"And you won't be offended?" He asked. Fuli didn't know what he was going to say, but she nodded.

"Do you..." Gozi began. "Do you like Kion?" Fuli was blown away by this question. She never thought anybody would suspect she liked him. And he was a different species too!

"I... I do," Fuli replied. "But he's a different species, it would never work. Besides, I don't want to make things hard for him." Gozi looked surprised she had answered this question truthfully.

Fuli continued speaking. "One day he'll find a lioness he loves, and he'll be happy. And if he's happy, I'll be happy, because that's true love." Fuli explained. "If you love someone, you learn to let them go." Gozi looked confused at this.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "I love Kion," Fuli began. "And true love means that if someone you care about heads off on their own path, you let them follow it. They choose their own destiny, and it's your duty to support them on their way."

Gozi nodded. "I think I understand," he told her. "Good," she replied. "Now let's get some sleep while we can." They both settled down next to Kion, who was in a blissful sleep. Soon, Gozi was asleep. Fuli then looked at Kion.

Kion, I love you. And I promise you will be healed at the Tree of Life. I will make sure of that.