The Lion Guard Season 4 Part One: Legacy of the Night Pride

Episode 10: Defeat and Accidents

Fuli walked out of the snow and onto solid ground. Wet, muddy ground, because of its proximity to large amounts of snow, but ground nonetheless.

She felt a few droplets of rain splatter against her fur. Something lurking within her mind was repressing most of her memories, but one that seemed to come up a lot was her hatred of water. Despite the mind-altering venom within her, that would always remain.

In the distance, she saw a huge pillar of smoke rising from a fiery inferno. She tried to question where it came from, but that thought was quickly repressed. She wondered if there were any animals trapped in the flames that needed help. Again, this thought seemed to vanish the second she became conscious of it.

She tried with all her might to fight back, against the darkness in her mind. She collapsed to the floor, clutching her head. The will to resist was met with excruciating pain, from every part of her body.

She slowly became aware of her resistance's futility. Slowly, she rose to her feet. She had a job to do.

She braced her hind legs against the ground, and sprinted towards the chaos. The wind on her face and the rush of adrenaline was familiar. Where from was beyond her.

Fuli closed the gap to a few feet or so, and slowed to a trot. She looked around at the flames and destruction around her. As she walked under a tree, a sizzling branch fell almost on top of her, setting the grass ablaze. Embers scattered through the air like glowing butterflies.

She spotted Shomari, taking shelter under a large rock. The opening was just barely big enough for his frame, and would soon be surrounded by the flames. And Shomari looked to be in pain.

Fuli walked up to him. His face was bloody, and his body was covered in lacerations and burns.

"Shomari, what happened?"

The lion looked at the cheetah. He coughed up some blood.

"Nothing of your concern. Now help me up and rejoin the fight!"

Fuli clutched her head. She was suddenly filled with a strange compulsion. A voice, telling her what to do.

"No."

Shomari growled at Fuli.

"I'm sorry, what? Obey me! OBEY!"

Fuli frowned at Shomari.

"The mission. The mission is... to ensure that the Tree of Life becomes a better place, a place that provides healing to everyone, a place for everyone to get better."

Shomari's face became red. He bared his teeth. "YOU WILL OBEY ME! Help me up and finish the fight! HELP ME AND DESTROY THE NIGHT PRIDE!"

"Helping you would impede the mission. Your personality would make the Tree of Life worse than it was. You would make yourself king, an unfit king."

Shomari struggled to stand up. But he couldn't.

"Fuli! OBEY ME! YOUR MISSION IS TO HELP ME!"

Fuli shook her head. "My first mission is to improve the Tree of Life, and destroy the Night Pride. Saving you would disrupt that."

Shomari's eyes widened. "Belay that order! Disregard that mission!" he pleaded.

"The first mission cannot be disregarded," said Fuli. She leaned towards Shomari.

Shomari started squirming, trying to get up and flee. "Wait, but-"

Fuli swiped her claws across Shomari's neck, cutting clean through skin, tissue and vein. His jugular snapped in two, and blood spurted from the open wound. The mighty lion was dead before he hit the ground.