"I'm sorry."

Kion laid there, trembling, barely able to get the words out of his mouth as he blinked open his eyes weakly. 

"I'm sorry that you're going through this. I'm sorry Jua is hurting you like this. I'm sorry you are so upset that you can't control yourself. I'm sorry for all of this."

Fuli stood there next to him, her expression unreadable. She narrowed her eyes, anger visibly rising inside of her as her emerald green eyes turned yellow once more. "Go," she spat. "Go. Never come back."

"But you need me here right now! To fight Jua!" Was the only protest Kion could think of or speak out loud.

Fuli shook her head sharply. "I think you're the one who needs me." 

Her tone bit down on Kion's heart. His gaze wavered away from her. He was speechless. It was true. He did need her. And he felt so guilty for it. For no one ever saw him for who he was before his trauma and dependence on others so recently. All they saw was the him that they had to deal with. His story was only told from his despair, not any light and hope that was before.

He noticed Fuli's eyes begin to get more green. "Kion..." Her gaze wavered to his injuries and she let out a small gasp. "I...I..."

"I'm so sorry!" Kion blurted out. "I'm so so sorry! I...I...it's my fault... I'm so sorry Fuli! I'm so sorry for everything I did!" His thoughts and emotions started to collide and confuse him like they always did since the trauma started.

Lion blood pooled out onto the rocks and into the small stream. The red substance mixed into the water as it rushed down with the water, making it's way along the current of the stream.

But Kion didn't care. Not about his pain. Not anymore. He knew it would never cease. He was forever cursed...because of his real parents' decisions.

Though for some reason, even though he was almost used to all the pain, the images flashing through his head of his best friend hurting him made him want to wail like a newborn cub.

But he knew it wasn't his best friend. It was Jua.

More blood trickled from his wounds. The blood almost seemed like his pain, trickling from him non-stop until there was no energy left in him to go on.

"You don't need to be sorry." It was Fuli's voice that snapped him out of his thoughts. The real Fuli.

He turned his head around to face her. "I.." Before he could speak anymore, Fuli beat him to it.

"I knew you before all this happened. I knew you before your trauma, before your anger, before your...unstableness. I'm sorry no one else knew that you, but I do."

"Fuli... stop. Stop doing this. You might be able to escape...I just can't. Can't keep going. Can't..." He groaned as he strained his tired legs, but ended up falling back down into a pool of water and his own blood. "...get up."

Fuli looked at the pool of blood he lay in. She walked a step closer and grabbed him by the scruff, trying to help him to his paws. "You will get up."

Kion nodded reluctantly and leaned into her support, blood trickling from his underbelly into the pool below. "What now?"

The question Fuli seemed to dread because she likely didn't have an answer for it came tumbling out of Kion's mouth. She sighed, seeming to think for a few moments. "We'll find the rest of the Lion Guard, the Night Pride, and the royal family and stop Mwepesi."

"The royal 'family'? And the Night Pride?" He said through narrowed eyes. "Do we have to?"

"Yes," came the firm reply. "Now let's go."

But Kion shifted away from her and let himself fall to the ground. Then shook his head and tried to lift himself back up.

But I....Why....How could I...They won't want me...

[FLASHBACK]

Kion roared up into the stormy sky, trying to look happy as the onlooking crowd chanted; "Long live the king!"

Rani was by his side. Tears of misery pooled down his cheeks, though he knew the crowd watching wouldn't notice because of the rain.

He was replaced on the Lion Guard... just like he wanted, but he felt miserable nevertheless. It wasn't the fact that there was a new Lion Guard, it was the fact that his father and mother just replaced him... just like that. If he had actually told them before they replaced him, maybe he wouldn't feel as empty inside.

More tears raced down his face. I'll never be with the love of my life... We'll never have a day like this, getting married, the two of us... We'll never get to raise cubs... never grow old together... Oh, it was hopeless anyway. He sniffled at the thought. A lion and a cheetah could never be together... We could never be...

"EVERYONE! STOP THE CEREMONY!" A furious roar echoed throughout the area. Everyone turned their heads to see Nala tearing towards the Tree of Life, roaring in fury.

Mom?! What are you doing?! Kion noticed Fuli running alongside her. Fuli?!

Nala rushed towards Royal's Rock and lunged for Rani, pinning her down and cursing furiously.

"Nala! What on earth are you doing?!" Simba rushed towards his mate, trying to break up the fight between her and Rani. Fuli followed.

"Everyone, I'm back! There was no injured tiger. I don't know what-" A voice cut itself off. Nirmala ran towards the front of the Tree of Life and halted, gasping in surprise when she came upon Nala and Simba.

"Nala?!" Nirmala screeched in surprise.

Nala looked up, holding Rani's head to the ground. Her eyes widened in shock. "Nirmala?!"

"You two know each other? Mom, what's going on?!" Kion looked at his mother, his eyes pleading for answers.

Nirmala gasped and stared at Kion, then staggered back. "No... no..! It can't be...! The curse was true..."

A curse?! What curse?!

"Oh no..." Kion heard Nala murmur.

"What curse?!" Kion asked, more confused than a newborn zebra.

"Kion! Look at me!" Fuli shouted, standing in front of him. "It's time you know the truth."

"The truth? Truth about what?"

Fuli took a deep breath. "Nala and Simba are not your parents."

Kion stared at her for a long moment. "What...?" His voice shook in disbelief and he staggered backwards.

"Fuli, what are you saying?" Simba walked closer to the cheetah, a puzzled expression on his face. "That's outrageous. Kion is our son. Right Nala?"

Nala approached him with shaking paws. "I-I'm sorry Simba. But remember you weren't there when Kion and Kiara were born?"

Simba nodded slowly.

"Well.. Kiara is ours... but Kion is Nirmala's cub with Roho. I sneaked out of Pride Rock in the middle of the night after Kiara was born and retrieved Kion from Nirmala."

Kion looked back at Nirmala. "Wh-what...?"

Simba's eyes widened. He growled. "NIRMALA's CUB WITH ROHO?! DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT KION IS THE SON OF SARABI'S MURDERER?!"

I'm the son of my grandmother's murderer?! WHAT?!?!

Simba whipped around to glare at Kion, advancing towards him. "Did you know about this?!" He hissed.

Kion backed up, shaking. "I'm so sorry Dad.. I didn't know."

"Don't. Call. Me. Dad."

Those words pierced through Kion's heart and made it shatter inside his chest. He looked up at the larger lion that towered above him. "But Dad I-"

"I SAID DON'T CALL ME DAD!" Simba shouted at the top of his lungs, hot tears racing down his fur.

Kion flinched and backed up, tears of his own falling as well. He ran towards Fuli. "How long did you know?" His voice broke as he said those words, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Ever since we left for the Tree of Life," Fuli said guiltily. "I'm so sorry Kion." She lifted her paw and rested it on his shoulder. "I only wanted to protect you. I wanted to tell you at first but than I saw all you were going through.. and I was so afraid of your reaction that overtime... I became dedicated to keeping it a secret. I know you're upset.. and I know you're mad at me.. and I understand."

Kion looked down and took a deep breath, then looked back up at her, his eyes still teary. "I'm not mad at you, Fuli. All you've ever done was try to protect me and I'm grateful for that."

"You're not mad?" Nirmala interrupted.

"Not at her." Kion whipped around to glare at Nirmala. "Why was I adopted, Nirmala?"

"I... I'm sorry... I couldn't keep you. It'd be too dangerous to raise a cub as a rogue anyway. And you look exactly like Roho, your father. I couldn't keep you... you only reminded me of him."

"SO YOU ABANDONED ME JUST BECAUSE I LOOK LIKE MY REAL DAD?!" Kion screamed.

Nirmala quickly leapt to her own defense. "Look, Kion, I had a reason. And Jua would have harmed you anyway because of the curse she granted."

"WHAT CURSE?!" Kion screamed, hot tears rolling down his cheeks.

Nirmala started breaking down into tears. "Roho's relationship with me was forbidden. She said that love made one of her strongest pride members weak. So using the Power of the Spirits -which you all obviously know about- she put a curse on our cub when I became pregnant. The cursed said that the cub was destined to suffer and go through the worst pain imaginable... and one day, she would use the Power of the Spirits to make sure it suffers it's whole life, and the curse can only be lifted by one thing that she has never told us."

Kion stared at her in disbelief and staggered backwards. "So you're saying that YOU CAUSED ME TO SUFFER THIS WHOLE TIME?!"

"No-"

"THIS WHOLE TIME IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID ROMANCE THAT I SUFFERED MY WHOLE LIFE! AND NOW I'LL CONTINUE TO SUFFER MY WHOLE LIFE UNLESS YOU CAN FIND THE WAY TO GET RID OF IT!"

Nirmala flinched back, but quickly recovered. "Kion, if it weren't for our 'stupid romance' you wouldn't have been born," Nirmala hissed.

"I hate that about it too," Kion growled lowly. "You gave me life and then made me destined to suffer. I'd rather not have life in the first place."

Nala ran in front of him. "Son..."

"DON'T CALL ME 'SON', NALA!" He screamed and started running as fast as he could away from everyone. He didn't look back - he didn't care if they were following. He had been living a lie his whole life.

I'm not the prince of the Pride Lands. Instead I'm just some random orphaned cub that Mo- Nala rescued. I never should've been leader of the Lion Guard. And they all LIED to me. Even Fuli.

I shouldn't be mad... she was just trying to protect me, he kept telling himself. But still...

Fuli lied to me.

All his thoughts and emotions collided. Where am I gonna go?! I can't go back there. I can't face them. Not Nala. Not Nirmala. Not Simba.

I can't even face Fuli.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

I can't....I can't...or could I? I promised I would stick by Fuli....I've gotta keep my promise...Oh, but all this...Can I handle it? I have to! I've gotta! I—

"Look, I understand if not. I can't even imagine the pain you're going through right now. But will you come?" Fuli's voice cut through his thoughts. She rested her paw on his shoulder that once had the Mark of the Guard on it. "I completely understand and respect your decision if not."

'Will you come?'

"Will I come?" Kion repeated out loud to no one in particular. "Will I be willing to risk it all? Will I be willing to fall? For them all? You ask 'will I come' but I don't know. Am I truly brave enough to save everyone from their fall?"

"I don't truly know, because I don't know you as well as you do. I only know for sure that your heart is true," came the reply. Fuli gently pressed her paw on his chest and stared onto his eyes.

"My entire story is bad! My entire story is sad! My entire story is blue...My entire story is one filled with love and filled with hate and it's not too great." Kion choked on a sob as he said this last part; "And now I have to face this truth..." He looked her in the eyes. "...I can't continue on this suffering I was cursed upon! I can't continue my pain standing out alone in the rain..."

"I understand you feel that way, but you won't be standing alone," Fuli told him honestly, removing her paw from his heart.

"But I'd still be lost and far from home! Filled with confusion and delusion!"

"I know and I understand if you say no. But just know you wouldn't be alone. Now I'll go, but before I do, I want to ask you...will you come?"

Emerald orbs met amber. Lion and cheetah held each other's gaze, each seeming to plead for something they couldn't quite put into words.

Then, suddenly memories came rushing back. Memories of Fuli helping him whenever he e needed it...and his false promise of staying by her side.

But he had to stay with her now. He rose taller to his paws and looked at her confidently, giving the first smile he's smiled in a long, long time.

"I'll come."

Author's Note: Omg imagine updating my book :p