"Well done, everyone!" Kion said to his team, as they neared Pride Rock. "You've all done well today, so go and rest up for tomorrow."

It had been just another day in the Pride Lands, and the Guard had just returned from patrol. There had been an attack from the hyenas, which was easily thwarted, and a squabble between the zebras and the gazelles, but the Guard was able to defuse the situation and help both parties reach an agreement, just like they had been able to for the past couple of months. Other than that, it was peaceful. Now, as the day was reaching its end, they were all ready to relax.

"Okay! See you later, Kion!" Bunga replied, before heading off home.

"See you at the meeting place tomorrow, guys," Beshte told his friends.

"Yeah, I should get back to my flock too," Ono added.

"Guess I better find somewhere to sleep tonight," Fuli sighed, stretching her hind leg.

"Do you want to rest at Pride Rock tonight?" Kion offered. "I can go and ask, if you'd like."

"Nah. I'd rather just find somewhere to be by myself."

"Well, okay. See you tomorrow, guys."

With that, Kion, Beshte and Ono headed their separate ways. Fuli stood there for a moment, chuckling to herself, before she started to walk away.

"I cannot believe her!" she heard a voice say. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't think who it was. Her ears raised up as she tried to hear what was being said. "I mean, she seriously thinks that she can get close to Kion like that?"

"I know," another voice added, almost spiteful, "she thinks that because she's on his team, that she can have him all to herself!" Fuli gasped, as she realised that the voices were talking about her. She could tell the voice was coming from the other side of a large rock, so she walked up to it, determined to figure out who it was. "She isn't even pretty. Those spots, or marks, or whatever they are just look weird."

"Plus, she's a loner! Does she honestly expect Kion to like her when she won't spend time with him?" As Fuli got past the rock, she saw that the voices belonged to two of Kiara's close friends, Tiifu and Zuri. As soon as Fuli saw them, Tiifu looked right at her. "Oh, look who it is!"

"Do you two have an issue with me?" Fuli challenged, staring down the two lionesses. "If so, then go ahead. Say it to my face."

"Fine," Zuri fought back, her glare matching Fuli's. "I know what you're trying to do. You think that you can get close to Kion and trick him into liking you, which will get you closer to Kiara. You think you can steal him away for yourself, and that will make you more important. However, me and Tiifu both know the truth."

"Exactly," Tiifu said, deciding to join in, "Kion sees through your plot. He only has eyes for a real girl- a lioness with beauty, like me and Zuri. He doesn't have any interest in you, so you can keep to yourself, and keep your paws off of him."

Fuli was hurt by what she had been told- these two barely knew her, yet they felt they had the right to bully her like this- but she held her ground, determined not to give them the satisfaction of seeing her hurt. "You know what? If you think I have any care for what you have to say about me, then you obviously don't know me too well. You don't seem to realise that I joined Kion as a member of the Lion Guard, because he rightly knew that I was the fastest animal in all of the Pride Lands, and I joined him because it meant I could do something to contribute to protecting order and harmony in my home. And as for whether or not Kion likes you or me or anyone else, that is his choice." She looked at Tiifu. "If he wants to go after you, so be it." She then looked at Zuri. "The same goes for you. And if he decides he likes me, then you cannot do anything about it, because it won't be about you. But don't you ever think about shaming me just because of your own insecurities, especially over a boy!" She began to walk away, but felt her tears begin to leak down her face, so she ran as fast as she could instead, not looking back.

"Good riddance," Zuri spat.

"What did you just do?!" They heard someone shout at them. Looking behind them, they saw Kiara running towards them, angry. "Why were you insulting Fuli like that?!"

"Relax, Kiara," Tiifu suggested, placing a paw on her shoulder, "it's not good on your pores to stress like that."

Kiara swiped the paw away. "Don't tell me to relax! You've just attempted to ruin her self esteem, to her face, and all because you think she'll stop you from getting my brother!"

"Well, that IS what she's trying," Zuri argued. "Besides, she's just a cheetah."

"I can't believe you two!" Kiara began to run in the direction Fuli had gone.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Tiifu asked.

"To make sure she's okay!"

Kiara kept running, ignoring Tiifu's pleas for her to come back. She looked at Zuri, uncertain. "Were we wrong to do that?"

"No, of course not." Zuri then felt herself falter a bit. "I mean, probably not."

Fuli didn't stop running until she found a familiar location- while Fuli did move around, and didn't rest in just one spot, this little patch of grass was a regular resting place for the cheetah, because a hill hung over it, which gave her shade, so if she fancied sleeping in, she could. She lied down in the grass, and allowed herself to cry, her heavy heart beating fast.

'Why would they say all of that?' she asked herself. 'Were they right? Does Kion just see me as a cheetah, as just part of the Lion Guard? I thought he was my friend, but… maybe I just thought too much of myself…'

"Hey, Fuli!" She heard a voice call out. Looking up, the upset cheetah saw Kiara heading towards her. "Thank goodness I found you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, though her shaky voice and still tear eyes disagreed, and Kiara easily picked up on it.

"Fuli, you suck at lying. I can tell you've been crying, and I know why." Fuli tilted her head, wondering what Kiara meant. "I overheard what Tiifu and Zuri said. I can't believe they would do that, I'm so sorry you had to go through that!"

"Kiara, you didn't say anything, you don't have to apologise." Fuli then lowered her head, her ears folding down. "Besides, they're probably right. I don't know why I thought he'd ever like me. He won't want to settle down with a cheetah, when a lioness can give him a family-"

"Fuli, stop! Stop putting yourself down this instant!" Fuli quickly looked up, and saw the stern expression on Kiara's face. "So, you're a cheetah, and he's a lion. So what?! The Lion Guard was supposed to be made of just lions, but he decided to have a cheetah, hippo, egret and honey badger join him! He doesn't see anyone based on what species they are, but based on who they are," she placed a paw against her chest, "right here. And it doesn't matter what you see, what I see, or what they see. It's his perspective that determines who he falls in love with, and one day, he will make that decision, so don't put yourself down based on what someone else says."

Fuli couldn't believe how simple it sounded coming from Kiara. She herself had said the same things to Tiifu and Zuri, but she didn't truly believe it, but she believed everything Kiara said. This allowed Fuli to smile slightly. "Thanks, Kiara. I needed that."

"No problem. If you need me, just come and find me. I don't think I'll be speaking to those two for a little while, unless they apologise to you." As Fuli nodded and began to clear her tears away, Kiara raised an eyebrow as she smiled. "You know, I have a little theory about you, Fuli."

"You do?"

"Uh huh. I think that you choose to spend so much time alone, staying all the way out here by yourself, because you're waiting for the right guy to tell you that they don't want you to be alone anymore, and that they would feel alone without you. It's not simply that you prefer to be alone, is it? You just need the right guy, don't you?"

Fuli blushed a little, seeing that Kiara had figured her out so easily. "W-well, isn't everyone?"

Kiara laughed. "I'll take that as a yes." Looking up, she saw it was getting dark. "I better get back before mom and dad wonder where I am. I'll see you later, Fuli." She began to walk away, but stopped, looking back towards the cheetah. Realising what the future queen was thinking, Fuli smiled.

"It's okay, Kiara," she told her. "I'll be okay by myself. You know that." Kiara smiled back, before heading home. Fuli chuckled a little, before lying back. 'Thanks, Kiara,' she thought, 'although, if things work out, I might have to call you 'sis'.'

THE END