Peace for the Soul ~ A Lion King Fanfiction

Chapter 10: The Teacher

A mixture of Fuli's subtle sniffling and the fear of my nightmares returning kept me up the whole night. I'm still not sure if she slept as much as I did, or she could just cry in her sleep. 'I don't want to hurt you' 'You already have.' What does that mean? I rise to my paws and make my way out of the cave, turning back, only to see her still sniffling. 'One day I'll understand what you meant...'

I start to make my way to the river Heshima told me to go to. Feeling the weight of a thousand stares baring me down as I walk, as if I am an unwelcome stranger. It's an odd feeling, knowing the status of myself back home being treated like the hero of pride rock, versus here where I am the singled out figure in a crowed of like minded animals.

I can't help but let my thoughts drift off to back home. Wondering how the peace has been maintained, how my sister was holding up. How my Father... no, I shouldn't have been as hard on him as I was. Should I?...

My thoughts wonder until I realize that I am getting close to the river. Spotting a lone Cheetah standing tall, stoic, just like my Father... no, I can't think about that right now.

"I see you have been familiarizing yourself with my village, Kion." He doesn't turn his head, continuing to stand tall. "It seems they are trying to do the same to me too." I sit next to him. "Tell me Kion, what is the Pridelands like?" I turn away quickly, 'How does he know?' "W-how do you know where I'm from?" He chuckles, "The mark on your shoulder, the mark of the guard. The protectors of the Pridelands, how could I not know?"

"How do you know this much about my home?" He finally turns to face me, "Because my coalition once resided in the Pridelands. You would know that had you understood the hieroglyphs in my den." He said with a subtle smirk, "You know it's kinda funny? History is in the eyes of the beholder, without one true interpretation, everyone fabricates it until it is unrecognizable." I stood still, not knowing what to say, "Your... how...?" He ushers new to walk along the river with him, "Many years ago, my coalitions lived peacefully in the Pridelands, under the rule of the Great Kings over the course of many generations. Though Cheetahs naturally struggle to prosper, it was a good life...

It wasn't until the rule of Scar that my coalitions started to rebel against his abominable rule." His eyes show faint signs of fog, as if he is staring a demon in the face.

"What did he do?" I ask, "My coalitions started rebelling against him. We would keep food to ourselves and fight of hyenas to protect our own. It wasn't long before scar found out, and spread lies about us to the hyenas and some of the lionesses to try to extinguish us for good, corrupting the minds of those easily influenced to serve his vision. He sent the prides and packs to exterminate us and... he almost did." He is clearly flustered, but persists on finishing, "Me, my Mate, and a few others were the only ones who escaped. But... Scars hauntings were, too much for my Mate, she had been infected by his vision for the land, she lived long enough to bare the birth of our daughter, but she was spiritually collapsing, until..." by this point I nodded my head to show I knew what he meant.

"The Pridelands was in peace when I left, although I disagree with some of the methods in which we attained it, my home had known peace for the first time since I was assigned this Mark." He looks back to me, "Disagreeing with methods, wasn't peace achieved?" I shake my head, "Having peace of mind is harder than fighting a never ending war." He tilts his head, "You have nightmares, Fuli has told me about them." I quickly try to respond, only exposing myself further, "Even cubs can have nightmares." He puts his paw on my shoulder, "Only those that have been pierced by the sting of regrets and the burden of failure." I couldn't hide it any longer.

"The screams of the past haunt me every night." I say, my head hung low. "Every night I am haunted by the events of what I did or didn't do that cost someone I love their life. You can't just restore that, it's like a circle of hell your trapped in forever.

"Walk with me." He says, I turn to follow him. He walks me through the town, showing me everything I hadn't seen, and explaining everything I had. Telling me how cheetahs had quietly stayed in the dark for many years to keep peace. Peace.

"Heshima?" He craned his head towards me, "If I am to compete in the game of tears, why am I treated in such a well regard? Forgive me if I am being too curious, but I figured being forced to compete in an unknown game, I would have been treated worse." He turns to face me again.

"Young Kion, the games are more than just a yearly trial for challengers, they help us cheetahs decide who we would want to initiate into the coalition, a champion of body and soul if you will..." I give a confused look. "The games aren't all about, stamina and strength," he points to my heart, "you will be examined spiritually as well as physically. Those deemed the best by the judges will be offered the chance to stay."

"Judges? Examined?" His face remains gritty, "I cannot answer every question before you go, that would ruin the games!" I sigh in disappointment, "Your time will come Kion, and when it does, you will have to face your greatest demons. Having your troubled past will make this difficult for you, but I have faith."

"When trapped in a dark cave, how to you escape?"

My head snapped to the question, "What?" He chuckles, "Kion, though I wish to teach you much right now, I cannot help you face whatever is troubling you. You must face it yourself."

He turns and walks away, I trot up to follow him, but... "I cannot aid you any further in this journey Kion. You and the other contenders must find that strength in each other." Other contenders? Whoever that could be.

Hey everyone! Before y'all ask, yes I'm trying my hardest to get the chapters both OUT and LONGER (Just frustrating when I have to go back and extend some chapters without bloating them and making it make sense for the story. Not gonna let this one slide for the sake of my convenience. It's just gonna take some time to be releasing consistently again once the next few are published.

Stay frosty y'all 🤞