The Lion Guard: A Dark Secret

Chapter 26

Kion walked and walked and walked. He was so tired he thought his paws would fall off. Gotta find them. Gotta find them. Gotta find them.

Gotta find her.

He kept pushing on and on. He was almost still to tired to keep his eyes open. He slumped down on the ground. I guess a little rest wouldn't hurt...

The moment he laid down, he was on the verge of falling asleep. When he did fall asleep, he was again reminded of the reason why he tried to avoid getting rest as much as possible.

Zira, Jua, and the Dark Shadows Below the Savanna.

"Tired, Snake-scar?" A familiar voice asked him.

"Ugh! Stop calling me that! You do that every night now!" Kion growled in annoyance,

"And what power do you have to stop me?" She asked tauntingly.

Kion sighed heavily. I don't.

"Would you prefer for me to call you... hmm... Evil-Roar? Scar-clone? Or maybe... Snake-heart. Y'know, it fits you. After all, you were such a snake-heart to your friends on your pathetic journey."

A piercing pain stabbed deep into Kion's heart. Jua knew about the whole Ushari incident and she used it to taunt him and manipulate him. He didn't know how she knew, but she did.

"Wait! I think cobra-heart would fit better," Jua cackled.

Kion slumped down on the barren ground beneath him. He wanted to let it all out, but he couldn't. He had to keep his emotions within him and nowhere else.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to curl up on the ground and scream. But he couldn't. He had to hide it. He couldn't open up to anyone again - just look where that got him. The warm and safe feeling he had would always be quickly replaced by coldness and harshness.

"I can't believe that pathetic cheetah took pity on you. You're nothing but a piece of work," Jua mocked. "I mean, she'd even take the time out of her night to sing you to sleep!"

A memory flashed before him. It was when Fuli comforted him when he had a nightmare. She had sang him to sleep when he was frightened and his scar was hurting.

[FLASHBACK]

The Lion Guard were still on the journey to the Tree of Life. Now, they had to find a Moja Kwa Moja stone that was a rock with a painting of the sunrise on it. Kion walked ahead of the group. We gotta keep going. We gotta find the Tree of Life.

Kion heard pawsteps walking towards him. "Kion, are you okay?" He heard a voice ask. He then felt an immense pain in his scar. He was determined not to show weakness so he didn't tell her that his scar was hurting. "I'm fine, Fuli." Kion replied, his voice raspy. He then turned to look up at Fuli, his vision blurry. Why can't I see normally...?

Fuli's voice interrupted his blurry, unfocused thoughts. "We can rest here if you like," the cheetah said, motioning to an empty cave nearby. Kion shook his head.

"N-no I-I'm fine. I c-can keep going," Kion stuttered.

"Rephrase: You will rest here," Fuli told him dominantly. Kion then got hit with another pain in his scar. Wait, what? She thinks she can boss me around?!

"No!" Kion protested. "I already told you I'm fine!" He then tried to stand up tall to prove it, but when he did his paws started shaking. Ugh, really? He thought to himself embarrassingly. "Let's keep going," Kion said firmly. He then walked to the head of the group.

He heard one of the animals in the Guard mutter something, but he couldn't hear it.

He turned his head and saw Fuli heading towards him. A frown was visible on her face.