An art-trade story for my great friend  Marcushunter, about how during their journey to the tree of life Kion and Fuli ends up having a Private Discussion" about certain hard times that the Lion Guard leader has been feeling, that ends up becoming something so much more!

This story is based partly with Episode 10 of Season 3 of the show ("Friends to the end"), but I'm sure you will be able to still enjoy it no matter what.

The Lion Guard belongs to Disney.

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During hard times one needs to have a very solid leader to listen to, but after recent events Kion was sadly no longer at his best.

After having become bitten by venomus Cobra Ushari the teen Lion had not only been having terrible headaches from the snake poison, but the attack had even left him with a visible scar around his left eye from where the bite happens.

This had all happen just shortly after being told the lesson of how the legendary evil Lion Scar got his own mark, and when watching his own reflection in the water he was horrified to see just how uncanny of a similar mark he was now sporting!

It all felt like an insane family curse that had hit the Lion Guard leader, as Kion himself feared that the venom was going to make him turn out just like that evil ruler from the past!

Calling for his family and friends to help the Pride Land's ancient knower of all things medicine Rafiki had one way of solving Kion's problem, but it would be a very long process.

What the Mandrill was telling them all was that in a kingdom very far away from their own existed something called "The Tree of Life", and that it has the power of curing any sort of injuries and deceases one has become infected with.

It felt like a long shot but Kion and his friends were all prepared to go through with it, as they all soon headed out to find the tree of life and save their leader and friend!

---

Rafiki hadn't been kidding when he said it would be a journey like no other to them, as literal days passed by while the Guard made their way through all kinds of strange and foreign environments.

Up over snowy mountains, across vast deserts, through sticky swamps, and even witnessing the great sea for the first time was just some of the many places the group got to experience during their travels.

Along the way Kion kept having these "moments" when the venom inside of him would start to make him act a lot more hostile, and his decision making could not be as reliable as it usually was.

Thankfully by eating regular doses of Tuliza flowers Kion was able to relieve himself whenever he was to have another attack, but even then there were times when it didn't even seem like that was enough to make him able to think straight.

The longer their journey kept on going the worse Kion's anger issues started to get, along with the increasing paranoia that soon he might end up losing himself to the evil side, and not be able to go back ever again!

---

It was when reaching a small waterhole when things really reached its boiling point, as Kion started to get easily upset over a lot of little things.

When the gang asked to take a small break and get some water the Lion Guard leader just let out a huge sigh and rolled his eyes. When Bunga took and made a big jump into the pool and made some water splash onto Kion, it made the young adult Lion growing at him very hostile. And when he spotted Beshte starting to talk to a random Clouded Leopard that had just been passing by, he threatens the new guy to leave before he would become violent towards him!

This could all be seen as Kion simply feeling tired and stressed up over the long journey for the tree of life, but what happened next really crossed all lines for how Kion usually behaved.

After seeing how angry he made Kion, the big Hippo guy tried to apologize as best as he could. (Explaining to him that he "Just wanted to be nice" to the Leopard.)

But the Lion leader was having none of that as he told Beshte that he should "Stop being nice!", making the gold-hearted Hippo feel like he didn't even recognize his friend anymore.

Sensing the danger about to happen the young Mjuzi apprentice Makini tried to calm Kion down by giving him a handful of Tuliza flowers, that he in return violently smacked out of her hand! (Almost drawing his claws at her even.)

That's when Fuli (called "The Fastest" in the group) went in-between and told Kion to stop it, making it look like she was ready to fight him if she had to!

Seeing one of his best friends actually being ready to go head to head with him (Along with the rest looking either scared or very concerned) made Kion finally snap out of his little "episode", as the young Lion looked really shocked over what he had just said and done.

"Kion?" Fuli asked worryingly as the Lion just backed away from the rest of the group, telling them that "I-I need some time for myself!", before then running away!

Feeling that she couldn't abandon him during such a hard time Fuli immediately took off, as she told the rest of the gang to stay back and wait for them both to return.

---

When finally catching up to Kion the Cheetah girl took and ran past him, before then stopping right ahead of him.

Seeing his path forward suddenly being blocked Kion had to stop himself, before then yelling at Fuli to "Move it, before I will have to use the roar at you!"

But Fuli wasn't going to let herself get scared by him as she let out a warning growl before saying, "Just listen to what you are saying! Would you really do something like that to me, or any of your other friends?"

This made Kion finally snap right out of his anger, as instead a look of guilt and fear could be seen on the young Lion.

"You're right! How...how could I even let myself say that?" Kion asked as it all started to feel like it was already too late. That maybe the effects of the scar was finally starting to win out over him?

"I understand that you have been in a lot of pain for a long time now, but you need to be strong! We are almost at the end of our journey, and then you can get the help you really need." Fuli told Kion as she tried to get closer to him, as Kion himself looked like he wasn't so sure anymore if he was going to be able to make it.

"Maybe Bunga is right in what he said? That I am actually "turning evil"..." Kion said to himself as Fuli was heard yelling at him, "Kion! Never ever take anything Bunga says for serious, cause you know he will often say things without fully thinking it through!"

Kion was surprised to see just how determined Fuli was as she said that, despite it being an issue he had she was acting as if this was affecting her just as much.

Curious about the Cheetah's action Kion took a step closer and asked, "Fuli, is there a reason to why you are being so protective over me? I get that you are worried like everyone else, but you almost seemed to have "another reason" for it."

Suddenly Fuli looked like she had something really heavy on her heart, as she couldn't bear to look Kion in the eyes for a moment. (And did he notice TEARS in her eyes there?)

"Fuli?! Are you okay?" Kion asked as he got a lot closer to her. "What's the matter?"

And that's when the teary Cheetah looked him in the eyes once more as she said, "You. You are what matters to me!"

---

It was not something that Kion had been expecting to hear as he saw the sadden Fuli starring back at him, and for some strange reason he could feel his own heart starting to hurt a bit to see her being in such a sad state.

"M-Me? I'm the most important there is to you?" Kion asked still slightly confused, as Fuli started to wipe her tears while saying "Yes. I...I've always liked you, Kion."

Kion was about to respond "Well, I like you too Fuli." to her, before then realizing what she actually meant!

Once that got fully clear to him Kion started to get a little bit of sensitive himself, as he asked Fuli why she suddenly tells him this now?

"Cause if there is actually any truth to what Bunga keeps saying about you, then I knew that I had to get it all out and tell you my true feelings about you before it might be... too late." Fuli said, really shivering over saying those last words as she just didn't want to imagine there being any real possibility over Kion becoming like Scar.

"Fuli I..." Kion said as he suddenly got a surprise kiss from the Cheetah girl, and instead of backing off he kept it going until Fuli wanted to quit it.

Neither of them really knew how to react over this sudden moment until Fuli randomly asked "Do you want to maybe, play around a little bit?", and all Kion could really say was "Sure."

So for the next few hours the two of them just forgot all about the tree of life and Kion's scar as they just played around chasing, wrestling, and just acting like any two best friends would.

At one point when trying to pin her down Kion and Fuli ended up tumbling down a small hill, and it ended with the Lion laying on top of the Cheetah.

Both of them at first felt a bit awkward over being so close to each other like this, but then Fuli couldn't help but laugh over it all, as she even gave Kion a bit of a "flirty look" with her eyes. (Making Kion wonder if what he was feeling right now for he was what his dad had been feeling about Nala?)

Once they both felt worn out from all the playing they noticed that the sun was setting, and figured that it would probably be best to reunite with the rest of the gang and then spend the night resting by the waterhole.

"Kion. I have to ask you something." Fuli said before then asking, "Have you been feeling anything from your scar?"

Kion had to actually put one paw on top of it to remind himself over it still being there as he answered "I actually forgot that I even had it until you mentioned it now.", before then letting out a bit of a chuckle.

"I guess that means that despite still having those pains it is possible to forget they are even there when you focus on something fun instead." Fuli suggested, which Kion had to be bound to agree on.

"I'm not sure if I will ever really get rid of this thing, Fuli. But no matter what it makes me a lot less worried about what will happen to me when I know I have the support of you, and the rest of my friends." The Lion Guard leader said as the two of them wandered back to the rest of the group, feeling like Kion was a lot stronger of a Lion now then he had ever been before.