"We are almost there," Fuli whispered to herself. It didn't feel like they were close, it felt cold. The guard had been pushing through a snowstorm for the past hour, and she was feeling it. They hadn't passed any caves, they didn't see any at least. Even if they did see one, Fuli wasn't sure she would stop and take shelter.
They were so close to the Tree of Life, and at the same time, she could tell Kion was close to losing himself. Sometimes she thought she saw his flicker a shade of green a few times, but she wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not. Regardless, she knew what kind of condition he was in, they had to push on.
She looked to her right to see the Kion right be beside her. He had admitted that he didn't trust himself and that she was the only one he trusted to keep him in line, that's why he was always near her.
"How much further?" She called out to Kaka and Kike.
"I don't know, I can't tell in this snowstorm," Kaka yelled back. Fuli sighed out of frustation as she continued on through the blizzard.
She wondered what the Tree of Life was like. Rafiki has said it was a mystical place with a tree that had the power to heal almost any injury. At first, she thought it was impossible, but then she remembered when she thought the Roar of the elders was impossible, she couldn't have been more wrong.
"Hey guys, I think I see someone up ahead," Anga called out. As she finished, a yellow animal became visible only a few yards in front of them.
"Who are you?" Fuli yelled at the animal.
"I'm friendly, please don't hurt me," a male voice called back in a funny accent. As the figure came closer, Fuli was able to make our yellow fur with...black dots...could it be?
"It looks like a cheetah," Anga informed the group. Fuli couldn't believe her eyes when another cheetah appeared in front of them. She noticed that this cheetah wasn't a King Cheetah like herself, his fur was a darker shade of yellow, his spots were a bit lackluster when compared to hers, and his accent was like nothing she's ever heard. It appears he had the same thought, it was clear on his face, but it was quickly replaced by a serious look.
"What are you doing in this storm," the cheetah asked.
"We are trying to get the Tree of Life," Fuli replied.
The male cheetah shook his head in disapproval. "It's dangerous to travel during a snowstorm, there is a pass up ahead that often has avalanches during these storms," he warned. "But I, Azaad, know of a nearby cave that we can use to go around it, follow me."
The guard hesitated at first, but he seemed friendly enough, they didn't have a reason not to trust him. They followed him for a few minutes, everyone greeting him except Kion for some reason. They eventually stumbled upon a cave, how Azaad found it in the blizzard she'll never know. As soon as they entered the cave, Fuli realized just how cold she actually was, she was quickly shivering back and forth. She figured she just hadn't noticed how cold she was because she was too focused on reaching the tree. She was still learning the ins and outs of being a leader, and without someone to mentor her in the minute details, it was somewhat of a struggle.
"So, what brings you all to the Tree of Life,"'Azaad asked, breaking the silence.
"We need to get our friends to the Tree to be healed. Ono needs his eye to be healed and Kion needs help with his Scar," Fuli replied while motioning to her friends. "And these two cubs can find their mother, and said that if they get lost they should go to the Tree of Life, so we are taking them there."
Azaad smiled. "Then maybe I can help, under one condition, you have to race me some time."
"That's it?" Fuli asked. Azaad just simply nodded and smiled. She was surprised at the simplicity of the request, just a race. Then it dawned on her that she hadn't raced another cheetah since...well it's been a while. Nobody in the Pride Lands could even come close to challenging her speed, and chances where he had the same problem. This could be her chance to find out truly how fast she was. "You're on!"
"Enthusiastic I see, you may not be so after our race," he replied confidently. "Follow me, I know the cave well."
As the guard followed him deeper in the cave, it didn't seem to get any darker, because it wasn't. The cave was littered with gems that illuminated the way, it was like nothing they've ever seen before. It reminded Fuli of a starry night sky almost, she used to look at the stars every night when she was younger, she missed those days.
She and Azaad were talking non stop as they maneuvered through the cave. He was an interesting cheetah, he talked about the Tree of Life and how it saved his life once when he took a wrong turn and ended up running off a cliff.
As Fuli listens and replies to Azaad, she can't help but feel like someone is glaring thorns into her, but every time she turned around, no one was looking at her. It was a very unsettling feeling that she did her best to ignore, but couldn't shake the feeling.
"So, you are the leader of this..." Azaad trailed off.
"Lion Guard, and only temporarily, Kion normally leads us but he hasn't been himself recently," Fuli replied while motioning to Kion on her right.
"Is he sick?" Azaad asked.
"You could say that. He got bitten by a snake when he was defending our home, the Pride Lands. The snake's venom has been affecting his mind and we need the Tree of Life to help him," Fuli replied.
"You and Kion are close, no?"
"Friends from the start, and till the end. I've known him for as long as I can remember."
"How did you two meet?"
Her mind froze for a moment, all the memories of the day Kion and her met her, memories she had pushed done and forgot about, until now. Everyone who knew her knew not to talk about it, even Kion never mentioned it, but she could blame Azaad for asking and she wasn't about to lie to him.
"When I was young, I lived with my parents somewhere near the Pride Lands. Every day we went on run so I could build up my speed. One day while we were on a run we were attacked by lions. My parents...didn't make it, but somehow I slipped away. The lions continued to chase me until they cornered me. I thought it was over until I heard a roar, a roar louder than I've ever heard before. The lions panicked thinking it was an adult lion and they ran, turns out it was just Kion. It took me a while to trust him, and other lions, but he eventually grew on me and well we are best friends now."
"I'm sorry about your parents, Fuli," was all he replied with.
"Thanks, Azaad, though I prefer not to talk about it."
"Understood...and look at that, we are here," he said as the group exited the cave. It was still snowing but nowhere near the blizzard they were in before. "We just go across the frozen lake and through that ravine and you will be at the Tree of Life."
"Hear that Kion? We are finally here, we can get your scar healed and we can...Kion?" She noticed that Kion was nowhere to be seen. The group frantically looked around but couldn't find him. "Do any of you know where he is?"
The guard shook their head no, now they really had a problem.
"Well he has to be somewhere in the cave," Ono deduced.
"He could get lost in those caves, some of them even lead to sharp drops," Azaad informed.
"Then we have to find him, and fast. Till the Pride Lands Ends."
"LION GUARD DEFEND."
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The guard decided to split up and search the caverns. Ono was confident he could remember every turn they made, so he, Bunga, and Beshte all went searching together while Fuli and Azaad went and searched a different area. They decided to send Anga with the cubs straight to the Tree of Life so they wouldn't have to worry about losing them in the caves as well.
"We have to be careful, these caves are endless and you can get lost," Azaad remained.
"Then how do you know them so well?" Fuli asked.
"Because I like to use them a lot, I've marked certain paths I use. They help me become faster, you should race with me down here sometime."
"You might regret that," she replied confidently.
"You truly have the heart of a cheetah," he chuckled. They walked a little longer before the cave split into two separate pathways.
"These two pathways meet up again, but not for a while. You go that way and I'll go this way," Azaad instructs.
"Be you there, Huwezi," Fuli hell's as she takes off down her designated path.
"In your dreams, Fuli, Mibinamet," he yelled as he took off down his. Fuli had a huge smile on her face, she never had someone who could actually challenge her speed. It was a little weird that she was racing to find her lost friend in the cave system, but she didn't mind.
Speaking of her friend, it wasn't like Kion to wander off without saying anything, unless he didn't want someone to know.
She slowed her pace as her mind began to look at the circumstances.
He hadn't been himself recently, had he? If Scar was telling him to go down a random cave, he had a reason..but what? He seemed fine earlier.
She came to a stop as she continued to recall the previous events.
He wasn't fine earlier, he was the only one who never spoke to Azaad, and when they were in the cave she felt like someone was glaring at her, she never checked her right to see if Kion was the one glaring at her. He seemed to be ok before Azaad showed up, but after he changed...Azaad could be in trouble.
Not knowing far up ahead the paths merge, she turned around and sprinted back, eventually finding where the path split and heading down Azaad's tunnel. She eventually slowed to a trot, she was feeling the effects of not running while making her way towards the tree and didn't want to be tired in case she had to became confrontational..
As she trotted through the cave, she began to hear voices echo off the cave walls. They were faint, but she could still pick on a few words here and there.
"....you were lost..."
"...was...you found me...."
"...head back..."
"....you won't...."
There was a brief moment of silence as she heard a quick struggle between the two voices before someone spoke again.
"...what are you doing..."
"...making sure...I want...."
"...don't understand...."
She was extremely close to the voices now and she could make Azaad's voice. The other voice sounded almost like Kion's, but it had a dark, almost sinister twist to it. She feared Scar might be winning, or already won.
"You don't need to understand," Kion stated. "I can't have you in the way, that's all you need to understand."
She could hear the sounds of claws extending and instantly heard Azaad begin to panic, she had to stop him.
"Kion!" She yelled as she rounded a corner, coming face to face with him and Azaad. "What are you doing?"
"I wish hadn't seen this, Fuli. It makes things...
complicated," he replied with an unsettling grin.
"What are you talking about?"
He chuckled. "Don't worry about it, just let me deal with Azaad here and you and I can...talk things out."
"Kion, let him go," she stated firmly. His smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of impatience and annoyance.
"Why?"
"If you don't, you'll leave me no choice, Kion. I'll have to tell the others."
"Don't, Fuli!" he barked.
"Then let him go."
Fuli took a moment to examine his eyes, they weren't his anymore. They were greener than normal, this time she was sure it wasn't her imagination. Scar was heavily influencing him, if not controlling him but what reason would he have to kill Azaad? It didn't make sense.
She saw his eyes narrow like they did whenever he used the roar...he wasn't going to...
"Kion, don't!"
Too late.
He unleashed the roar, its immense and uncontrolled power began boucing off the walls. For some reason, he didn't hit her or Azaad, just the rocky walls of the cave. Azaad used the moments while Kion was roaring to push him off, sending towards Fuli while simultaneously cutting off Kion's roar.
Kion landed between Azaad and Fuli as the cave continued to violently shake. The roof of the cave began to crumble under the roar's sheer power. As Fuli was about to escape the cave-in, the ground under her collapsed.
She tumbled down onto a sloped surface and began sliding down it. She eventually landed on an outcropping that hung over a deep gorge. She heard a second body land next to her with loud thumps and a grunt. She looked over to see Kion had joined her on the edge of the cliff, a few cuts and scraped like she had, but he seemed to be ok. He laid there motionless for a few moments before beginning to stir and push himself up. He wasn't facing her, she didn't know if it was Kion, or Scar.
"Kion?"
(So this is where to story splits, there's going to a good ending, and a bad ending. The good ending will be coming first. I hope you've enjoyed so far!)