Kion walked and walked and walked. He was so tired he thought his paws would fall off. Gotta find them. Gotta find them. Gotta find them.

Gotta find her.

He kept pushing on and on. He was almost still to tired to keep his eyes open. He slumped down on the ground. I guess a little rest wouldn't hurt...

The moment he laid down, he was on the verge of falling asleep. When he did fall asleep, he was again reminded of the reason why he tried to avoid getting rest as much as possible.

Zira, Jua, and the Dark Shadows Below the Savanna.

"Tired, Snake-scar?" A familiar voice asked him.

"Ugh! Stop calling me that! You do that every night now!" Kion growled in annoyance,

"And what power do you have to stop me?" She asked tauntingly.

Kion sighed heavily. I don't.

"Would you prefer for me to call you... hmm... Evil-Roar? Scar-clone? Or maybe... Snake-heart. Y'know, it fits you. After all, you were such a snake-heart to your friends on your pathetic journey."

A piercing pain stabbed deep into Kion's heart. Jua knew about the whole Ushari incident and she used it to taunt him and manipulate him. He didn't know how she knew, but she did.

"Wait! I think cobra-heart would fit better," Jua cackled.

Kion slumped down on the barren ground beneath him. He wanted to let it all out, but he couldn't. He had to keep his emotions within him and nowhere else.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to curl up on the ground and scream. But he couldn't. He had to hide it. He couldn't open up to anyone again - just look where that got him. The warm and safe feeling he had would always be quickly replaced by coldness and harshness.

"I can't believe that pathetic cheetah took pity on you. You're nothing but a piece of work," Jua mocked. "I mean, she'd even take the time out of her night to sing you to sleep!"

A memory flashed before him. It was when Fuli comforted him when he had a nightmare. She had sang him to sleep when he was frightened and his scar was hurting.

[FLASHBACK]

The Lion Guard were still on the journey to the Tree of Life. Now, they had to find a Moja Kwa Moja stone that was a rock with a painting of the sunrise on it. Kion walked ahead of the group. We gotta keep going. We gotta find the Tree of Life.

Kion heard pawsteps walking towards him. "Kion, are you okay?" He heard a voice ask. He then felt an immense pain in his scar. He was determined not to show weakness so he didn't tell her that his scar was hurting. "I'm fine, Fuli." Kion replied, his voice raspy. He then turned to look up at Fuli, his vision blurry. Why can't I see normally...?

Fuli's voice interrupted his blurry, unfocused thoughts. "We can rest here if you like," the cheetah said, motioning to an empty cave nearby. Kion shook his head.

"N-no I-I'm fine. I c-can keep going," Kion stuttered.

"Rephrase: You will rest here," Fuli told him dominantly. Kion then got hit with another pain in his scar. Wait, what? She thinks she can boss me around?!

"No!" Kion protested. "I already told you I'm fine!" He then tried to stand up tall to prove it, but when he did his paws started shaking. Ugh, really? He thought to himself embarrassingly. "Let's keep going," Kion said firmly. He then walked to the head of the group.

He heard one of the animals in the Guard mutter something, but he couldn't hear it.

He turned his head and saw Fuli heading towards him. A frown was visible on her face.

A huge wave of dizziness swept over Kion. He suddenly stopped. He suddenly felt himself becoming nauseous. Oh.. no, no, no! Please no... Not in front of the others..! He swayed for a moment, then shook his head and pawed at his hurting scar. He heard pawsteps walking near him. He took deep breaths, trying to steady himself while also trying to prevent himself from regurgitating in front of his friends.

He heard a voice next to him. The voice was muffled, but he guessed it was Fuli.

Huh? What's she saying? Wait, why can't I hear her?!

She made her voice louder. He could figure out one word: "Kion."

The thought then hit him. She was probably trying to ask if he was okay. It would make sense, seeing as that was what she had been doing recently."I—I'm f-fine," he replied through a breath, not wanting her to be any more worried or concerned. He then continued walking. "Let's just get to the next Moja Kwa Moja stone." They then continued on, Kion wishing that Fuli wouldn't keep pestering him with questions about if he was feeling alright.

He looked at his team. "Anga-" Kion spoke through deep, labored breaths. "Do you see the-... next.. Moja Kwa Moja-... stone..?" His lungs seemed to burn as he spoke, the metaphorical smoke being his breath.

Anga flew up to get a better view. "Yep," the eagle replied. "Just past those hills over there." She motioned with her claw to some steep hills nearby.

"Okay-" He paused for a breath, his lungs were aching and his heart felt like someone stabbed a sharp rock into it. He looked back at Anga, realizing that she was waiting for him to finish his sentence. "Great." They then followed Anga to the steep hills and began to climb them.

Kion climbed ahead of the group, not wanting to waste time. He heard the group talking about something but he didn't know what it was. The voices were all muffled and Kion was disoriented.

He then heard pawsteps approaching him. He turned his head to see a slightly blurry Fuli walking up to him.

"Kion?" She asked.

"Huh?" Kion replied, confused and still disoriented.

"Ono said we should pace ourselves," Fuli told him. "Because climbing such a steep and tall mountain will use a lot of our energy." Kion listened. "Especially you Kion, 'cause of your scar," Fuli added. Kion didn't listen anymore and instead let out a low growl. 'Cause of your scar'. Puh! I can climb this mountain just as well as any of the others! Besides, I'm fine! "I'm fine Fuli. I don't need you all to fuss over me just because of a small cut on my eye!"

"Kion, you and I both know it's more than just a cut. It's hurting you. It's clouding your mind and impacting both your physical and mental health. That cut is breaking you."

Kion was disoriented again. But... I don't get it. How can a cut break me?

Kion then continued climbing the mountain, paying no mind to his friends.

"It's already sunset," one of them said. "Yeah, I'm beat," another agreed. "Me too Little B," a third one agreed.

The group continued talking thought Kion didn't know what they were saying. Though he could pick up one word: rest.

"That'd be poa, Fuli," Kion could pick up what another agreed. Beshte? He guessed. He's the only one in the Guard who says 'poa'. 

The others except Kion nodded in agreement to Beshte.

"No," Kion protested. "We gotta keep going." Though he didn't quite know what was going on, he knew that they would try to catch a break.

"Kion, everyone's been walking all day. We're tired and it's sunset. We could use a break," Fuli told him. A bolt of pain shot through Kion. His scar started to hurt again. Kion started to paw at it again. "We all could," Fuli added.

Kion started at her for a few moments, hesitant. He then sighed. "Fine, we can rest."

Fuli sighed in relief. "Okay guys, let's go to that cave I mentioned before." She started to lead the Guard in another direction. 

Huh? What cave she mentioned before? She never mentioned a cave.

"What cave you mentioned before?" He asked her. "You don't remember?-" Fuli began but cut herself off. No, I don't.

"Just... follow me," she told him. Kion stared at her confused for a few moments before following her. She led him and the rest of the Lion Guard to the cave she mentioned earlier. She paced around in it, checking for any scents.

"No new scents," she informed the group. "No one's been here for a long while."

The Guard then settled in the cave, each choosing sleeping spots in it. Kion eyed the cave with wariness in his eyes before stepping inside and choosing a sleeping spot away from the others. He and the rest of the group soon drifted off to sleep.

**

Kion walked at the head of the group. The Lion Guard now needed to find another Moja Kwa Moja stone, this time it was one that had a crystal clear lake. He turned back to face the Guard. Apparently Anga couldn't find it from the air, as there were too many trees and plants.

"Okay guys, let's split up," Kion told them. "Ono with Makini, Fuli with Anga, and Bunga with Beshte. I'll go alone."

"Yep." "Got it!" "Affirmative." "Okay." "Yeah." "Okay!" Came their replies. Kion though they would find the Moja Kwa Moja stone faster if they split up.

"If you find the Moja Kwa Moja stone, go back here and call for the rest of us." Kion told them. "Got it!" Bunga said enthusiastically. Then the rest of the Guard walked away in their assigned pairs to find the Moja Kwa Moja stone. Kion walked along a stone path, a warm breeze blowing at his fur despite the area being covered thickly with trees. Then suddenly he saw something glowing in the distance. He decided to go see what it was. He ran over to the glowing thing he saw.

When he got there, he saw that the glowing thing he saw wasn't what he thought it was at all. It was fire. Kion was alarmed. He started to run - in a forest like this one, thickly planted with trees, then a fire would spread very quickly. He looked behind him. He saw the fire wasn't spreading uncontrollably, in fact the only direction it was going in was in his direction. Kion was alarmed. He started running a different direction, but the fire followed him. He then heard a voice.

"You can't run, you can't run from me," the voice echoed in his ears. "You can't run from your greatest fear." Kion panicked. He started running as fast as he could. But the fire caught up to him. It was so close it could practically burn his tail.

The fire surrounded him. Kion was scared. "Guys! Help!" He called for the Guard, but nobody answered. "Help! Guys help me!" He called again. Still no reply.

"Your 'friends' won't come for you, they know who you are inside, they are smart to stay away from you." The voice told him. Then, a figure appeared in the fire. It was Scar. Kion was terrified now.

"Kion... Poor poor Kion, alone and scared." Scar mocked him. "And defenseless without the Guard." Kion tried to use the Roar, but it came out as no more than a squeak. Scar cackled with an amused look on his face. Kion tried again, but the same thing happened.

"Little, little Kion. So helpless without his Roar," Scar said menacingly. "Too bad you'll end up killing everyone you love with it." No! Scar suddenly detached from the fire, and Kion saw what he actually looked like before he died. Kion tried to run, but Scar slashed him across the face. Kion felt his scar give him more pain than he's ever felt before.

"Let me show you something..." Scar told him. Kion no longer saw the forest or the raging fire anymore, but he was back in the Pride Lands standing on Pride Rock. He saw everything was barren, dead bodies lying everywhere. But worst of all, he saw his family. He ran down to them.

They were lying in pools of their own blood. His father growled at him. "You're just like Scar," he snarled. "You never should have been born." Kion was horrified at his father's words.

Nala was sobbing. "My son... I can't believe it."

"Why did you do this?" Kiara asked him through tears. "You're my brother!" She shouted. "I loved you! And I thought you loved me back." Kion was once again horrified. I-I did this?! He took a step back. He then saw the Guard, lying in pools of their own blood just like his family.

When he rushed over to them, Fuli growled. "Stay away from us! You monster!" Fuli and the rest of the Guard narrowed their eyes. Bunga was crying as Beshte tried his best to comfort him. "My best friend..." Bunga said through tears. "Why..."

Fuli managed to stand up on all four paws. She began to speak again. "Don't you get it? I loved you! I believed in you! I never thought you would turn evil, no matter what Rafiki said." Kion took a couple steps back. "And he was right," Fuli finished. She then lowered her voice.

"If I could turn back time, I would have let myself take Ushari's hit instead of you, Kion." Fuli told him sincerely. Kion felt a huge amount of guilt sweep over him. He felt hot tears rolling down his face.

"I-I'm sorry Fuli," Kion said to her then ran away from the Guard as fast as he could. He then tripped over something. When he got back up, he saw what it was, and he was horrified. It was Makini splayed out on the ground, dead. She had a deep gash in her throat. No! "M-Makini?" He asked, hoping for an answer even though he knew she was dead.

"This is all truth, Kion." Scar told him. "You cannot escape it." "No Scar! This isn't true! It can't be true!"

"Oh but it can, and it is," Scar replied slyly. "Just you wait. You have the Mark of Evil just like me Kion." Suddenly Kion felt a burning pain in his scar, worse than any he had ever felt before. Scar then started running towards Kion, claws unsheathed. Kion tried to run, but Scar was too fast. Scar pinned him down. Kion heart was pounding out of his chest.

Scar started slashing Kion. It was worse than when Kion was tortured by the wolves. Scar slashed him on his face, back, underbelly, legs, paws, everywhere. Kion screamed in pain. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Blood poured onto the ground. Kion tried to defend himself, but he couldn't move.

"Make it stop!" He screamed. "Make it stop!" Scar grinned evilly, he was clearly enjoying this. Kion dug his claws into the ground. Scar put his claws on Kion's throat.

"Time to end this slowly and painfully."

**

"NO!" Kion woke up screaming. Kion didn't know where he was. He tried to run, but stumbled. He ran into something, though he didn't know what it was. He shook his head, trying to clear it. The Lion Guard and Makini were all safe, sleeping in the cave Fuli decided they should rest in earlier that day. He looked down at where he had been sleeping. Claw marks and torn up grass littered that spot. He realized he had pieces of grass in between his claws. Did I do that? He wondered to himself, nervous. He then saw Fuli approach him.

"Kion, what happened?" She asked softly. "You woke up screaming and you're crying." Kion realized he had tears streaming down his face. "Kion, you can tell me," she reassured him. "N-n-no I-I'm f-f-fine," Kion told her, though he could barely get those words out through his tears. Fuli must have seen that, because she asked again, firmer this time.

"Kion, you can tell me what's wrong." Kion looked at his paws, still crying. He was embarrassed about what he was about to tell Fuli. What would she think of him being so frightened about a little nightmare?

"I... had a nightmare," he admitted. To his surprise, Fuli didn't laugh or tease him. Instead she looked calm.

"Kion, do you want to talk about it?" Fuli asked him. Kion nodded. Fuli sat down, ready to listen. Kion shivered at the very thought of the nightmare.

"There was a big fire and Scar appeared. The fire surrounded me and the Guard wouldn't come to help me. Scar told me that my friends wouldn't come for me, they know who I am inside and they are smart to stay away from me. Then I was standing on Pride Rock and my family were dying, you and the Guard too." He shivered at the memory of what they all said to him.

"You all were lying in pools of your own blood. My dad told me I was like Scar and that I... never should have been born. My mom said she couldn't believe what I had done. My sister.... she said... 'You're my brother, I loved you! And I thought you loved me back.'" Kion said while sobbing. Fuli looked sympathetic. "And..." Kion continued. "You told me I was a monster. You said Rafiki was right about me turning evil if I didn't get to the Tree of Life in time." Fuli looked shocked as Kion sobbed. "Then Scar approached me. He told me everything was true and that I had the Mark of Evil just like him. He started slashing and clawing me everywhere. He put his claws up to my throat and he, he..." Kion started sobbing uncontrollably. Then, he felt Fuli pull him into another hug.

"Shh, it's okay. Everything's okay." Fuli soothed him like a mother would to her cub. "It's all over now. Let's go back to sleep." Kion looked up at her, eyes filled with tears. "O-okay." He then walked back to his sleeping spot in the den and laid down. To his surprise, Fuli laid down next to him.

"I'll sleep with you," she told him. "Just in case you have any more nightmares." They both were about to fall asleep, but then Kion remembered something he wanted to ask someone, but never had the chance to do so.

"Fuli?" He asked.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you... do you think I'll turn evil?"

"Never, not in a million years."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Kion. I believe in you."

"W-why?" He asked, his voice shaking. "And how do you know I won't turn evil? How do you know I won't be like Scar?" He braced himself for her answer.

"I know because I know you. I know that you will never be like Scar. Ever," Fuli told him, her voice strong. "And I'll always be here for you, no matter what challenges your scar might bring."

(Fuli)

When you walk into the unknown

I can assure you, you won't be alone

When you are sad or scared

Know that I'll always be there

For you (for you)

When you think you're alone in the dark (in the dark)

Know I'll always be here in your heart

When you feel you are lost

I'll always be by your side, no matter what the cost

When you feel in pain

Like you're standing out alone in the rain

Now and forever

We'll always stick together

When you're sad or blue

Know I'll always be here for you

Every step of the way

Starting today

No matter where we are

No matter how far

We are

Away from home

Wherever we might roam

I'll always be here

And I know you will too

You should know I'll always be here

For you

When the rain pours down

And you're standing out alone

When the lightning flashes

And you're out on you're own

When you're walking through a blizzard

And you're cold to the bone (Oh oh)

You won't be alone

We all have our scars

And we all went through pain

But I know by far

We all recover again

And know what I'm saying is true

I'll always be here for you (for you)

With every step you take

Know I'm walking with you

With every choice you make

I'll help you stay true

To you

When you feel alone

When you feel sad

When you feel lonely

When you feel bad

When you feel sorrow

When you feel pain

Know that you'll recover again

And I know that this is true

I say this from my heart to you

Believe me this is true

No matter what your scar might do

I'll always be here for you

While Fuli was singing to him, Kion began to slowly fall asleep. After not long, Kion was on the very verge of falling asleep. Thank you Fuli... Those were his last thoughts before he slipped into sleep, his sleep undisturbed by any worries.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

That memory was painful. That memory hurt. It hurt him. He opened up to Fuli, and now she was gone. No one to turn to. No one to laugh with or cry with or share all your worries with. Kion looked Jua in the eyes. He held back his tears at her mockery and threats. I've gotta stay strong, he kept reminding himself. Or I'll die.

Jua continued to mock him. "Wouldn't even stand up for yourself when that Swift's Clan cheetah threatened you. Some lion you are, not fighting back!"

I can't let her words get to me... That -though determined- thought was pointless. Her words were getting to him anyway.

"Well, I guess it's daytime now," Jua said out of the blue. Kion wondered how she knew that. "Bye bye, sweet prince," she told him in a mocking sweet tone. "See you tonight!"

**

Kion blinked open his eyes. Relief washed over him when the night was over. It's over... thank goodness. But his relief was short lived. He realized that she along with Zira would be back in his dreams the next night. 

"Why," he whined out loud. "Why me?"

He blinked away his tears and reminded himself why he was going all this way.

For Fuli.

I've gotta stay strong for Fuli.