"No."

"Kion, you have to. No more questions. Let's go." Fuli nudged him in the direction of the Tree of Life.

"Oh dear... That isn't what we want, is it?" Scar said. "Better not let her know..."

"Kion."

Kion looked at Fuli, different emotions of worry and fear bubbling up inside him. "Fine-" 

"NO YOU IDIOT!" Jua snarled and slid her claws across his side. This came as a slight shock to him."You can't. Unless... you want more torture.... or want Fuli to end up like Gozi..."

Kion squeezed his eyes shut and tried to bear the pain. "No. I won't go."

"You will," Fuli told him dominantly. She nudged him again. "You will go see Nirmala even if I have to drag you there by the tail."

"Well if she does..." Zira's voice rang in his ears, "something might happen. Something... dreadful."

"No I won't," Kion told Fuli sharply.

"You will." Fuli started nudging him in the direction of the Tree of Life. 

Kion backed away from her.  "I said I won't." He tried his best to glare at her, trying to get the point across that he wouldn't go no matter what.

"Well I said you will." Fuli returned the glare. But the glare wasn't of anger. It was a glare that held care.

She gazed at him. Her gaze held emotion. Kion studied it. It held sorrow, fear, regret...

Kion could feel his own mind and body longing to go. He wanted to be somewhere safe. Somewhere with someone near him.

He sighed. He stepped forward. "Okay Fuli-"

"SHUT THE FRICK UP CHEETAH!" Jua shouted though Fuli couldn't hear her. Fuli stepped forward but suddenly stumbled. She rolled down the hill that they were on. 

Kion's eyes widened. Fuli!

She soon came to a stop when she bashed into something, though Kion couldn't tell what it was due to the darkness of the night. However, he heard Fuli yelp in pain and that alone was enough to alarm him.

"Fuli!" Kion gasped. He quickly rushed to the direction that he heard her fall, not caring the pain that would cause him with his wounds. Is she okay?! 

Soon, he got close enough to just barely see her. "Fuli-"

"My paw..." Fuli grumbled, wincing. 

Jua snickered. "Take that as a warning. Next time I won't be so kind."

Kion glared at Jua before looking back at Fuli. "Fuli..." He trailed off. Guilt welled up inside him as he stared at her battered paw. Fury built up inside him at Jua, but was then replaced by more guilt. This was my fault. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't almost given in... "Let me help you."

Fuli looked up at him, eyes glimmering with pain. Kion stood beside her. "You can lean on me," he told her. "I'll help you back to the Guard's sleeping spot."

Fuli eyed him with what looked like mixed emotions. She nodded. "Th- argh...thanks." She grunted as she rose to her paws and leaned on Kion.

Kion winced as pain ruptured through him at her touch. The wounds he created were beginning to worsen and he knew it. It began to burn as she leaned on him. More pain swelled through him as he tried to breathe in and out to provide relief.

Fuli must've noticed because she asked; "It hurts doesn't it?"

Kion gazed at her. His eyes found their way down to the bruised paw that she was favoring. Guilt welled up inside him along with a new feeling of admiration for the cheetah. She's so selfless. Even when she's hurt she's still worried about me...

"I'm fine," he said, trying to sound casual. He forced a smile, though that was hard to do when pain was burning through him. "Don't worry."

Fuli gazed at his wounds and sighed. "Ki'..."

"It's fine," he tried his best to assure her through the pain. They both limped -Fuli leaning on Kion- to their and the Guard's chosen sleeping spot.

"Augh... urgh.. agh.." Fuli groaned whenever she had to put weight on her paw.

"It's okay Fuli," Kion gently reassured her. "We'll be back at our sleeping spot soon."

"Ugh... agh... it hurts," Fuli groaned.

"It's okay, we'll be back soon," Kion gently reassured her once more.

Sure enough, soon familiar terrain appeared under their paws. It was that of the terrain near the sleeping spot.

Fuli sighed in relief.

"See? Told ya we'd be there soon!" Kion gently flashed Fuli a reassuring smile.

"Heh, yeah... agh..." Fuli winced. Kion could tell she was trying her best to keep a smile on. He frowned in dismay when she winced again. It must hurt...

"Just a little further," he encouraged. "The sleeping spot is right over there." He quickly motioned with his forepaw in the direction of the sleeping spot that he guessed was a couple dozen pawsteps away.

"Agh..." Fuli grunted in pain. She limped faster - Kion knew that she was very eager to get to the sleeping spot to lay down and rest. Kion went faster to keep up with her so she could lean on him.

"Almost... there..." Fuli picked up the pace once more.

Soon, they could actually see it. It was only a few pawsteps away!

They both breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the sleeping spot. They saw the Guard was already asleep on the other side. They flopped down in it. Pain ruptured through Kion when he did. Forgot about the wounds...

Apparently Fuli did too, because it seemed she hit her paw when she flopped down. "Ugh..."

"Do you want some help?" Kion asked when he heard her painful groan. "You know.. with the paw."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Fuli said drowsily, resting her head on her other uninjured foreleg.

Kion then bent down to the paw. He gently grazed his tongue over it, hoping to relive the painful wound. He then repeated the process more.

It seemed to relax Fuli a bit. She let out a relaxed sigh. "Thanks Kion," she breathed.

"No problem." He smiled then continued the lick the injured paw.

Once he was done, he laid his head down in his paws and sighed, trying to ignore the pain. His own wounds were beginning to hurt more. And a slight pain in his left eye was noticeable too, but not as bad as his other wounds.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle tongue delicately brush against the wounds that he gave himself.

"Fuli?" Kion whispered drowsily and slightly in surprise. "I thought you were asleep by now."

"You wounds are hurting and I know they are," Fuli told him. "And I thought I'd help you like you helped me." She continued to gently lick the wounds. 

Kion sighed in relaxation. Gratitude swept through him at her kindness. "Thanks." He knew that a simple 'thanks' was not enough. He'd do something for her later, he had to. But right then, he was too tired to do anything but a simple 'thank you'.

"Your welcome," Fuli murmured. She then licked a particular spot on his face, near his eye. She licked it multiple times. It started to feel better due to her licking.

"Is your scar still hurting?" She asked.

Kion shook his head. He knew that Fuli could tell he meant it this time.

"Good," she murmured then began licking his other wounds.

*

Fuli's heart swelled with pity as she licked Kion's wounds. The lion was finally starting to fall asleep, a thing he, for some reason, never wanted to do. Her attention was then brought back to his wounds when she cleaned them. He did this to himself... why...? Fuli asked herself. Poor Kion... I want him to know that I'm here for him... we all are...

Not being able to stop herself, she nuzzled Kion passionately. "Don't worry, I'm here," she murmured gently.

Though on the verge of sleep, a small smile spread across Kion's face as she repeated once more; "I'm here..."

A soft murmur escaped the sleeping Kion; "I'm here for you too, Fuli..."

Fuli smiled softly and nuzzled Kion. "Thank you..."

**

"Kion, run! Keep running! Don't look back!"

Kion ran as fast as his paws could take him. Gotta keep running! Gotta keep running! He closed his eyes as yowls of fury and grief filled the air. Smoke filled his lungs, practically burning them as he ran. The blazing fire along with the lions who set it were chasing them.

"AHHH!" A yowl of agony split the air. Kion froze. He tried to keep running, but he froze. He looked back. What he saw... horrified him. NO!

He saw his mother and father splayed out on the ground, dead. A familiar lion and lioness stood over them, licking their lips of blood.

"N-no," Kion stuttered. He looked the lions in the eye. "HOW COULD YOU?!" He screeched. "YOU KILLED THEM! YOU KILLED MY MOM AND DAD!"

The lioness named Jua snickered. "Don't worry, little lion cub. You'll be with them again soon." The lioness snickered. Her crazy laughs filled the air.

No... No! No! This CAN'T be happening! This must be some bad dream that he'd wake up from!

A searing pain sent him back to reality. The lioness clawed him across the cheek. An evil grin was plastered across her face and she watched the blood run down his face along with tears of pain.

"Now, take this as a lesson," Jua began evilly. "Power is life. You must hold power, it's a fact of survival. If you don't... let's say you'll end up like them." The lioness motioned with her paw to Kion's lifeless parents.

"No.." Kion muttered then looked up, meeting Jua's gaze. "That isn't true! Power causes nothing but harm!"

"Harm to who? The one who is in power, or the one who isn't?"

"The one who isn't!"

"So?" Jua asked. "In this world, you care about yourself, not others. That is the mistake that you made, and which will lead to your downfall."

"No," Kion told her, his voice somehow finding strength in the midst of it all. "I might die today... They might die today, but I can assure you something."

"And what is that?" Jua asked menacingly.

"You will never win." Quicker than lightning, Kion launched himself onto Jua's face and bit down hard on her ear, ripping it open. Jua screeched in pain and threw him off of her.

She approached him with an evil grin despite the severe bleeding he had caused on her ear. "Say goodnight, sweet cub."

No... I can't let this happen! I can't die! Kion swiftly got to his paws and ran as fast as he could.., without daring to look back this time.

**

Kion's eyes snapped open. His head swerved around him. He blinked and cleared his vision, blurry from sleep. He saw the Guard sleeping next to him along with Fuli.

Phew... I'm safe, Fuli's safe, we're all safe, he reassured himself. But then, one more negative thought entered his brain. But for how long... It's only a matter of time before Jua will make me do something I'll regret... and if I don't... Fuli will be in danger....

He let out a worried and scared sigh. What do I do?