"We both will."

Fuli and Kion both winced in pain. They shifted closer to one another for comfort and security. They both put their forelegs over one another, wincing in pain.

Kion started to sway. Pain ruptured through Fuli's hind leg more than any other part of her body. "Agh..." She grinded her teeth, trying not to make a scene.

"Are you okay?" Kion asked, his ears flattening.

She winced and felt more pain swell in her leg. "It's my hind leg," she replied through her teeth.

Kion slowly directed his gaze towards her leg. His eyes widened.

This alerted Fuli. "What is it?" She asked. She tried to crane her neck around to see, but it brought too much pain.

Kion looked back at her, swaying and wincing. Regret lingered in his eyes. "It's..." He began to sway even more. "It's... well..."

"It is bad?" She asked, fear rising. She made more effort to crane her neck around and look, but the pain that came from doing so wouldn't let her.

"Arama karo, Fuli. Don't worry, we'll make sure you'll be okay," Nirmala tried to assure her.

Kion looked at her and fidgeted with his paws. "Y-yeah, don't worr-" His sentence was cut off as he started to sway even more. "Ahh... ohhh... uhhhh..." He swayed for a more few moments and rested his head on his paws.

More fear rose inside Fuli, this time for Kion. "Kion?" She asked. 

"Uh huh..?" He drowsily replied.

"We need to hurry up!" Nirmala commanded, her voice cutting through the air. "Kion's losing too much blood!"

Beshte started to pick up the pace and broke into a run, unintentionally shaking Fuli. More pain shot through her leg to the point of it becoming unbearable. "Ah! Agh! Please...! Oh...! No..!"

"No wait! Slow down!" Nirmala commanded. Beshte immediately obeyed and slowed to a walk after hearing Fuli's cries of pain. "We don't want to shake either of them unless we have to, but if we go too fast we could jostle Fuli's leg way too much!"

"Well if we don't go fast then Kion will lose too much blood!" Anga told them. Was that... fear in the stoic eagle's voice?

"Well pick one!" Rani told them, frustration showing in the heat of the moment. "Kion or Fuli?"

"Pick one?!" Nirmala echoed, even more frustration clear in her voice. "We can't just pick one!"

"Well what else will we-?!" Rani cut herself off. "I'm sorry but what else can we do?" Her voice softened and her eyes showed sympathy.

"Pick her." A voice cut through their exchange.

"Wh-what?" Fuli asked surprised, turning her head to the lion who spoke. "Kion you can't. What about you?"

"Don't worry, I'll be fii.. fine." Kion shook his head and tried to lift it. "If we go too fast, we could risk... risk..."

"Risk what?" Fuli asked softly.

"Just... I don't want to make it worse."

"But Kion, you're in danger."

"And so are you," he told her, not raising his voice. His voice was calm and caring. Listening to his voice, one would think that he was the calmest lion in the world. However, his frightened gaze betrayed the fear and dread that resided inside him.

He then looked away. "Go slow," he told the others.

"Are you sure?" Nirmala asked. Fuli flattened her ears in worry.

Kion nodded.

The Lion Guard and Night Pride all sighed and obeyed.

"Kion," Fuli said after a short while. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Huh... Y-ye....ah... I..m.. fiii-fine..." He mumbled as he swayed. Fuli could tell he was near the borderline of being unconscious. Oh no... he's losing too much blood...! She looked at his stomach and the areas around it. They were coated with blood. 

He suddenly coughed. No wait, he wasn't coughing, he was gagging. 

"Oh no, no, no, no, no Kion. Not now!" She pleaded. He whipped his head to the right to avoid Fuli and gagged. Blood flew out of his jaws and onto the ground.

Nirmala seemed to pay no mind while all the rest of the Lion Guard and Night Pride's attention was directed towards Kion.

"Aren't we going to stop?" Fuli asked her.

"No time, we have to get you two back as fast as we can," Nirmala replied over her shoulder. She picked up the pace, encouraging the others to do so as well.

"No, no," Kion coughed after a few more moments, raising his head. He had stopped gagging blood. "It's fine, I'm fine now."

"Are you sure?" Fuli asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Kion replied, laying his head back on his paws and closing his eyes. 

Fuli was immediately alarmed. "We have to hurry! Go faster!"

"But your leg-"

"I don't care!" She snapped. "Kion's losing too much blood!"

"Alright then," Nirmala said. "Beshte, go even faster."

"You got it Nirmala. Twende kiboko!" The hippo broke into a run, jostling both of the near-helpless felines on his back.

"Ah.. woah... uh... argh.. ow... aogh..." Both felines mumbled as they were jostled, especially Fuli. Pain ruptured through her injured leg as she was shaken. She grounded her teeth, trying to bite through the pain.

"Not too far now," Anga reassured them, obviously catching onto their distress.

"G-g-great," Fuli said relieved. Kion -who seemed too weak and dizzy to talk- just laid there.

"Don't worry Ki-Ki. We'll be there soon."

Kion's ears perked up. "Ki-Ki?" He mumbled weakly. "I thought I already had a nickname." Fuli could hear amusement in his raspy voice.

Fuli could feel herself blushing, though she knew it was covered by her fur. The nickname 'Ki-Ki' had slipped out unintentionally. "Well.. do you mind?"

Kion managed a weak chuckle. "No."

"Okay then, Ki-Ki." Despite the pain they were both in, they managed a small chuckle.

"We're here!" Nirmala's voice suddenly interrupted their exchange. Kion and Fuli both snapped out of their thoughts and looked up at the Tree of Life. They both shared a sigh of relief.

"Let's go." Nirmala led the way inside the cavern-like space, Beshte following, then the rest of the Guard and Night Pride. They started to make their way inside the cavern-like space. The light from the sun left and they were momentarily left in darkness. But soon, the area lit up with green, glowing mushrooms. The further they walked into the space, the brighter it glowed. Soon, they could see a lioness laying peacefully on a rock, eyes closed.

"Queen Janna," Nirmala murmured. Janna opened her eyes right away. Apparently she wasn't asleep. "Kion and Fuli are injured."

Janna let out a gasp when she laid eyes on Fuli. "Bring Fuli here," the queen ordered. Beshte obeyed and walked as close as he could to Janna.

Janna observed Fuli. She grazed her paws against the cheetah's injured leg. 

"AGHHHH!" Fuli groaned in pain. Even the slightest touch set off pain.

Janna shook her head. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Fuli."

"No, no, it's fi- OW!" The cheetah tried her best to keep from screeching.

"Not for that, but yes I am sorry for that too," Janna told her.

"Then what are you sorry for?" Fuli asked.

Janna's expression turned solemn. "Fuli... you will never run again. I'm sorry but your wounded leg is too broken to fix. You will forever walk with a limp."

"WHAT?!" Fuli screamed, surprise and shock overwhelming her. She can't be serious! This must be some joke! "You can't be serious!"

"I am sorry, young one."

"But Janna," Nirmala reasoned. "All you've done is-" She was silenced by a glare from the queen.

Fuli's thoughts and feeling were soon overlapping and confusing each other. What?! No, no, no this CAN'T be happening! I have to run! I'm the FASTEST! I can't be not-the-Fastest! I can't live my life without running! That's what I was born to do and I love it too! And what about the Guard? Will the Lion Guard just... replace me if I can't run?

Would Kion replace me if I can't run?

"F-Fuli," Kion's voice sounded from next to her. She looked next to her and saw Kion with a guilty and sorrowful expression on his face. "I'm so, so sorry."

As much as Fuli loved to value her own pride on some occasions, she couldn't hold back now. She couldn't bring herself to say 'It's okay, I'll be alright' or 'It's alright, I'll be fine'. Instead she buried his muzzle into Kion's fur and began sobbing.

"It's not fair!" She mumbled through Kion's fur. "Nothing's ever fair!"

"I know Fuli..." Kion murmured, giving her comforting licks between the ears. "I know..."

"Excuse me Fuli, but we have to help Kion now," said Nirmala. Fuli nodded and backed ever-so-slightly away. Nirmala and Makini eased Kion off of Beshte and onto the ground. They sat down and eased Kion to sit up with their paws and hands. They and everyone else gasped at the sight that appeared before them.

The state of Kion's underbelly was like that of a nightmare. His stomach was almost completely ripped open. Kion must've caught on to all of their horrified expressions because he asked; "Is it bad?"

The Lion Guard and Night Pride responded with murmurs of uncertainty. "Uhhhh..."

"Well..."

"Ehhh..."

"Ummm..."

"Heck yeah it's bad!"

Everyone -except Kion- glared at Bunga for that sudden outburst.

"Whaaaaat? It is," the honey badger defended himself innocently.

"Makini, go gather some yarrow," Nirmala quickly ordered, turning to the mandrill. "It's in the wide field near the Tree."

"Got it."

"And you know what yarrow looks like, correct?" Nirmala checked.

"Yep, don't worry," Makini reassured her. The mandrill started running out of the Tree. "I'll be back in a flash!" She called out over her shoulder.

Fuli heard a sudden yelp of pain. She looked down and saw that Kion was trying and failing to stop the bleeding by pressing his paws against the wound.

She then gasped - she realized that he wasn't simply pressing his paws against the wound, he was making it deeper. His claws were unsheathed and digging deeper into his own flesh.

"Janna!" Fuli called out. "Nirmala! Look! Kion!"

They turned their heads to Kion once more and cocked their heads sideways in confusion. "What?" Nirmala asked.

Fuli lowered her gaze to look at Kion and saw that he had retracted his claws and was then simply pressing his paws lightly against the wound. She saw that the young lion looked past her. His eyes widened. "No..." He mumbled. "I can't."

What just happened? Fuli wondered. "Can't what?" She asked.

Kion let out a gasp and flinched. He quickly got to his paws faster than he realistically could in that state. He suddenly started running as fast as he could, his eyes wild. Fuli and the others gasped in alarm.

"Kion!" Fuli called out. "Come back!" 

She would have gotten up to go after him herself, but she was too weak at that point. "Come on, we gotta go after him," she pleaded, staring in the direction where Kion ran off.

"Yeah!" Nirmala agreed. "Let's go!"

They rushed out of the Tree, Fuli on Beshte's back. More pain ruptured through her leg, but at the moment she didn't care.

"Let's spread out," Rani told them. "That way we'll be able to find him faster. Anga, you and Ono search the air. Bunga and Makini, you guys search right of the Tree. Surak and Baliyo, you search left. Beshte and Fuli, you go south. Me and Nirmala will go north."

"You got it." "Yes, Rani." "Yep." "Affirmative," came some of the many replies from the Lion Guard and Night Pride.

"Wait," Nirmala protested. "I should stay with Fuli. What if something happens while-"

"I'll be fine," Fuli assured her, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. "Don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." She flashed Nirmala a reassuring smile.

"Okay then..."

Everyone started walking. Fuli sighed when everyone -except Beshte- was out of earshot. "I hope he's okay..."

"Don't worry Fuli," Beshte tried to reassure her. "He's Kion, leader of the Lion Guard. Of course he'll be okay."

"Yeah. Of course he'll be okay Beshte." Fuli only said that so Beshte would know she appreciated his efforts to cheer her up.

Things fell silent once more. Only the singing of a few birds here and there was audible. There was a breeze that chilled them, not to an uncomfortable degree, but still chilling them all the same. A butterfly flew over to her, landing on her nose. She sneezed and it flew away. They soon came upon a forest that was thickly planted with trees. The area was shady and cool due to the trees blocking out the sun.

A squirrel swiftly scuttled across their path, Beshte stopping to let it go by. When he continued walking, Fuli noticed something on the ground.

"Beshte, look!" She motioned with her forepaw to the ground. "Paw-prints!"

Beshte turned around and looked to what she pointed at. 

"Do you think they're Kion's?" She asked. Beshte could see them much better than she did from up on the hippo's back, so it would probably be better to ask him instead of judge the prints by herself.

"Well they're certainly the right size to be Kion's... I think."

Fuli looked at the paw prints. She slowly but surely turned around and reached the uninjured hind leg down towards the ground. Then she let herself drop to the ground, catching herself with her forepaws.

"But Fuli you're injur-"

Fuli crouched down to the paw-prints. She sniffed around them, hoping to catch a scent. There was none.

"Ugh," she sighed frustratedly. "The breeze blowing upwind blew the scent away." She looked to the ground in defeat when she suddenly saw something - a small patch of red liquid on the ground.  "Beshte, look over here," she said. She limped closer to it. When she bent down and looked closer she saw a tuft of golden fur in the blood.

She sniffed it. Her eyes widened in alarm as a familiar scent drifted up her nose. "Kion!"

"What is it Fuli?" Beshte asked.

"This is Kion's fur," Fuli informed him. "He must be in trouble!"

"Oh no! We have to find him!" Beshte exclaimed.

Fuli nodded her head in agreement. "And judging by how far apart the paw-prints are, I'd say he was running."

"Do you think he was running from something?" Beshte suggested.

"We won't know until we find him," Fuli told him. "Now let's follow these paw-prints." She started limping, Beshte following.

"I can carry you if you want," Beshte offered. She must've been limping heavily. "Your leg must be hurting real bad right now." The hippo spoke the clear truth.

Fuli was about to gratefully accept his offer, but then she felt her paws touch grass. Tall grass, tall enough to tickle her belly fur.  "Agh, he ran into the tall grass! Now we can't follow his paw-prints."

"Then what do we do?"

"We split up. From here, Kion could have only gone two directions." Fuli motioned with her head to the thickly planted forest, the trees leaving only two useable paths.

"But what if something happens to you? You're severely injured. And you shouldn't even be walking!" Beshte pointed out.

"I'll be fine. Besides, this is the Tree of Life. What could possibly happen to me here?"

"Point taken."

"So let's go. I'll take the right path, you take the left." Beshte nodded and Fuli set off on her path.

The forest seemed dark and creepy now that Fuli was alone. The trees with drooping branches seemed like they were going to try to grab her at any moment. The vines hung off of the trees in an errie way made her feel like they were about to tie her up.

Suddenly, she saw a cave. A wail echoed off it's walls. A familiar wail. "Kion?" She called out.

Another wail came.

Fuli's worry and fear grew by the second. She quickened her pace as much as she could without hurting herself more as she tried to reach the cave sooner.

When she reached the enterance to the cave, she gasped in horror.

There Kion was, lying on the cold stone floor. He was rapidly shivering and was covered with cuts and bruises. He was bleeding out onto the ground, trembling.

"Kion," she gasped, limping over to him.

"H-help," he whimpered through teary eyes. His eyes suddenly flickered and he raised his claws. He raked them down his side, cutting himself. His eyes flickered again and he screeched in pain.

It was obvious that Kion wasn't willingly doing this.

"Kion, what's going on?" Fuli asked him in the calmest and most soothing voice that could possibly speak in that moment.

Kion trembled and tears rolled down his face. "F-Fuli... I... I... she... ca... I... why..." He started stuttering and mumbling. Hot tears still rolled down his cheeks. His eyes suddenly flickered and he sliced his claws on his scar, digging deep. His eyes flickered again and he started to scream in agony as his face bled.

"Kion!" Fuli shouted, shaking him. "Talk to me!"

Kion didn't reply, just fell on the stone floor, shaking. "F-F-Fuli... I-I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry."

"Sorry?" Fuli asked, trying to appear calm. "For what?"

"I-it's m-my fault... y-you'll never run again... I-I'm so sorry..." Those words hit her hard. She blinked back tears at the thought. Fuli the Fastest of the Pride Lands... wouldn't be the Fastest anymore.

But she knew it wasn't his fault. "It isn't your fault..."

"Yes it is! It's all my fault!" Kion cried. His eyes then flickered and he sliced his claws on his belly. He screeched in pain. 

"Kion, snap out of it!"

His eyes flickered again. "I can't! Make it stop! Please!"

"Make what stop?!"

His eyes flickered. "Thi- AHH!" He clawed his stomach and dug deeply.

"KION!" 

"Kion, please answer me! What's going on?!"

*

"Kion, please answer me. What's going on?!"

Kion shook his head and looked up at Fuli. He couldn't explain what was happening to him He shuddered as more tears of pain rolled down his cheeks.

Fuli rested her paw on his shoulder. "Talk to me." Her calm, soothing voice somehow broke through his defense, just a little bit.

"F-Fuli... I can't..."

"Why?" She asked calmly.

"It's just... I... I don't want anything to happen to you."

"What do you mean?" Fuli asked, the calmness never leaving her voice.

"F-Fuli... I... she..." Kion turned away and sniffed. A paw gingerly touched his cheek, brushing away the tears and lifting his face to meet the cheetah's.

"And I don't want anything to happen to you," she told him. "So please let me help you."

Kion looked into her eyes, so gentle and calming. "B-but Fuli," he sniffled, "you'll... you'll d-die if you do..."

"What do you mean?" Fuli asked, her voice still calm and soothing. Even when he mentioned death she didn't seem to be alarmed.

"Th-they threatened." Kion shivered. "I-if I tell anyone th-they'll k-kill you..."

"What?" Fuli let out a small gasp, only audible if one listened closely.

"Exactly," Kion told her, still shaking. "I-I can't say anything. I.. I don't want anything to happen to you." His voice broke and he tried to wipe away the tears with his paw.

"Kion.. you've been going through a lot... you have to tell someone." She caressed his cheek with her paw. "You can tell me."

"Don't even THINK about it..." Voices whispered in his ear. "Unless you want something to happen to that little cheetah friend of yours..."

Those whispers almost made him freeze as he looked at Fuli. "B-but Fuli.. I.. I don't want you to.. you to..." He couldn't finish his sentence. His breathing increased as he sniffled.

"I'm not afraid of that," she told him, her voice sure. "I'm ready to take on the world. I'm ready to take on the largest clan of hyenas, or the meanest crocodile... But what I know I can't take on is seeing you like this."

"But-"

Fuli cut him off. "No, I mean it. It hurts me so much seeing you like this. It hurts me so much waking up every day and seeing you crying, seeing you hurting. You have no idea how painful it was to watch that upbeat and fun loving cub turn into a shell of his former self. Do you think I didn't notice all of the blame you were putting on yourself? All the nights you went without sleep? You used to be so.. so happy. And now.. now you're so sorrowful and miserable."

Kion was hit hard by her words, but still... "Someone told me it was my destiny... and I guess they're right," he murmured, wiping his teary eyes with his paw.

"No, Kion," Fuli told him, her voice gaining strength. "No one is born to suffer."

"How do you know?" He asked.

Fuli sighed sadly. It looked like she didn't have an answer. Yet she took a breath and spoke; "You can choose your own path."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Kion asked. "I'm trapped. There's no way out."

"There's always a way out, Kion. Let us help you. There's no way you can take this on alone."

"But Fuli..." Kion began to trail off but forced himself to continue; "I care about you. A lot. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I care about you just as much. Let me help you."

"But I can't let you get hurt," Kion protested shakily.

"Well actually you are," she told him, shocking the lion.

"H-how?" Kion asked, his voice barely a whisper. "What's hurting you?"

"Your suffering. Your suffering hurts more than anyone could ever hurt me physically," Fuli told him, her voice sure and strong. "Just please... let me help."

"Fuli... I can't..." Kion told her, his voice breaking as he trailed off. "I'm scared."

Voices whispered in his ear. "Ha... scared coward."

"Scared of what?" Fuli asked.

"Seeing you get hurt," he answered honestly as he held back more tears.

"I feel the same about you. Please let me help you," Fuli pleaded. Great emotion could be seen in the depths of her emerald gaze.

"Wh-why?" Kion asked, his voice cracking. "Why do you care so much to put yourself in danger.. for me?"

"Kion," Fuli's voice was soft, caring, and soothing. Her emerald gaze rested on his. A new emotion spread around the two of them. "It's because I love you."

Time seemed to freeze as that moment. Kion tried his best to process her words. She... loves me? He asked himself. Why?...

"Y-you love me?" He asked, trying not to stutter. "Wh-why?..."

"I love you because... because..." Fuli looked slightly frustrated. "It's hard to explain. It's just... whenever I was with you all of my problems disappeared. You made me laugh even when times were dark and hopeless. When I was with you.. the world was perfect. You always made my heart smile." It was very clear that those words were sincere, that they came from the bottom of her heart.

Kion was then confused. I don't even remember what love is anymore. "Fuli, I.. I don't know what to say..."

"I know..." Her ears folded down and she looked away momentarily. "It was.. stupid."

"No, no, it's not stupid," Kion tried to assure her. "It's just... just..." Kion went silent for a few moments, which was likely what caused Fuli to finally speak; "What?"

"I.. I feel a connection between us too, Fuli," he told her honestly. "But it's just... all of my thoughts and feelings are just mixed up right now. I don't know what to think, what to do, I just..." He trailed off.

"Don't know your path?" Fuli finished for him. Kion nodded, shocked at how well she could read him.

"I've been there lots of times. I know you'll figure it out eventually, I promise."

Kion shifted his paws. He grew anxious about Fuli's feelings and what it would mean for both of them.

"And I won't pressure you, I promise," Fuli added in a reassuring manner. Kion breathed a subtle sigh of relief. "But," she continued, "let's not forget why we're here in the first place."

Kion's ears folded. "I can't," he told her. 

"Kion." Her voice cut through all his confused thoughts and feelings. Her eyes found his. Their gazes locked and something silently sparked between them. She put her paw on his. She looked deep into his eyes, as if she was looking at his soul itself. "Do you trust me?"

Kion didn't know what to think. Do I trust her? Yet looking into her emerald eyes made him feel like he should. He then looked away. But Jua and Zira and Scar... they'll hurt her... they'll kill her... If I love her.. shouldn't I do what's best for her?

Her words rang in his ears; 'Do you trust me?'

But what about her?

A couple of minutes of silence must have passed while Kion was thinking. A voice cut through his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking. I'm willing to help you Kion, no matter what the risk is for me."

Fuli nuzzled him comfortingly as a couple of stray tears made it's way down both of their cheeks. She pulled him into a hug and they stayed like that for who knows how long. Love sparked between the two as they held each other close.

Kion and Fuli both leaned into each other's warm embrace, eyes closed. Kion felt himself relax in Fuli's embrace. After a while, Kion opened his eyes and looked up at her. She seemed so certain. So calm. So wise. Kion knew he could trust her with his life.

And that was when he knew he could trust her. He had made a decision. "I trust you."

Fuli seemed slightly shocked, but let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she breathed, her breath fanning his fur. The cheetah rested her tail-tip on his shoulder. "Now let's go."

"G-go where?" Kion stuttered, nervousness returning.

"Back to Queen Janna and Nirmala. They'll be able to help."

Kion tensed up for a moment out of nervousness. Fuli kept her tail-tip on his shoulder for comfort. "Don't worry. I'll be there the whole time."

Kion managed a soft smile. "Thanks."

They started walking. Suddenly pain shot through Fuli's leg. Oh... Her ears folded flat. Forgot about the injury...

"You can lean on me," Kion offered. Fuli flashed him a grateful smile right before Kion began to sway.

"We can both lean on each other," Fuli added. Kion managed a small smile as he leaned on her. She did the same.

They both walked out of the forest and met Beshte at the exit. 

"Fuli, you're back. And you found Kion!" 

"Yeah. We have to get back to Janna right away."

The three walked out of the forest and back to the Tree of Life, Beshte agreeing to carry them as they were both very injured. The rest of the Lion Guard and Night Pride all breathed sighs of relief when they arrived.

"They're back!" Bunga cheered. Fuli nodded and Beshte walked into the cavern-like area of the Tree of Life. Once again they were momentarily welcomed by darkness, then by green, glowing mushrooms, and finally Queen Janna.

"Thank goodness you are back." A calm and relieved smile spread across Janna's lips.

"Yes, but Kion has something to say." Fuli nudged Kion encouragingly. He shivered and shared. What could the consequences be of telling Janna...? What if... what if...

"Go on," Fuli said encouragingly. "I'll be right here."

"Okay.. it's.. it's Jua," Kion mumbled.

"Jua?" Nirmala asked and flinched.

"Who's Jua?" Surak asked.

Kion sighed. He had a lot of explaining to do... that of which could lead to serious consequences.