EDITED 6/24/2010

Author's Comments: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, its characters, or its story lines (as noted with an *). I own Imani and Aden.

Something nudges me in the side. "Imani? Are you okay?"

My skin crawls with sweat and dirt. The dry air smells of earth and animals, making my nose wrinkle. The memory of Demyx's wide eyes and the audible crack and Maxiin's threats won't leave me.

"You should get up. The pride wants to meet you. Everybody's waiting."

I slowly open my eyes and look over the lion cub sitting next to me...particularly the crown chain around his neck. "Sora?"

"Yup." He bares a grin, his fangs gleaming in the light. "We're at Pride Rock now."

I sit up on my haunches and studying my fuzzy reddish—shaking—paw. "Why'd we leave Wonderland?"

"The queen was still hunting you down. Plus, Riku figured that the more often we move, the less of a chance there is of meeting Heartless."

Your friends are fools, too. Birds of a feather flock together, I suppose.

"Come on!" he calls as he runs off.

Slowly, I follow after him, carefully placing my paws down one in front of the other and wavering precariously. Those lions make moving look easier than it is...

"Imani!"

Once I chance a look up at the group of waiting animals, I trip over my feet and smash my face into the tough ground. "Ow..."

"Nice," Riku laughs, pushing me back up with his shoulder. "I'd have thought you'd already get the hang of it. You've seen Sora in lion form before, haven't you?"

"He's not exactly the best example to follow," I mutter. "He was always running and leaping everywhere."

"This is Simba, Imani." Sora moves to the side to reveal a strong-looking lion with soft yellow eyes and a flowing mane.

"Sora tells me that you need a place to rest," Simba says after I bow my head to him. "You're welcome to stay for as long as you need."

I bow again stiffly, the dread in my stomach thickening. "Thank you. I have a feeling that won't be too long. I'll try to be out of here as quickly as possible."

"Our pride will provide you with protection," Simba reassures, throwing his head over his shoulder briefly to gesture to the lionesses standing on the side. "I hear you are quite strong already, but strength in numbers will help, right?"

Warning bells sound off in my head. "I appreciate the offer but I don't want to endanger everyone. I think I should—"

"You remember everything, don't you?" the lion king cuts me off patiently. "I'm sure you remember the last time the Heartless came here."

The vast expanse of land quakes under the enormous feet of the Groundshaker. Two smaller figures dart and dash between the Heartless' legs, both a hairsbreadth away from getting squashed into the dirt.

"Together!"

With final slashes, the figures—both lions—slay the beast. Shrill cries fill the air as it spazzes and fades into nothing.

"I do remember," I admit with a nod.

"Then you know well enough that we are capable of handling whatever Heartless come our way if we work together as one." He tilts his head, almost as if challenging me to protest otherwise. "There is a reason we lions stick together as a pride: we can accomplish nothing without each other."

"I'm lucky to have friends who will stand by my side."*

"I learned my lesson not too long ago. Perhaps now it's my turn to teach that lesson to you." He smiles and rests a heavy paw on my head in an almost fatherly way. "You will stay with us here for as long as you need."

He meant it.

I sigh, resting my head on my paws. Worry gnaws at my brain relentlessly. I can't lie here around these unsuspecting lions without thinking about the possibility of Maxiin taking over me to cause trouble. Every time I try to get away from the pride, one of the lionesses moves to stand in my way with a warning look. "The king wants you to stay here," she says. "If you need something like food or water, one of us will get it for you."

It's too much of an effort to be sneaky. I still can't get the hang of walking, and I think I still have some dirt wedged between my fangs. Every time I'd tumble while trying to escape, a lioness or even Simba himself would pick me up by the mouth and set me back down where I started. I think I'm up to attempt number twenty-two.

"Just take it easy, Imani," Riku mumbles, shoving his paw into my face without looking up. "Get your rest while you can."

I wave away his paw. "How can you be so calm? I'm a Heartless magnet and I've got an uncontrollable darkness seizing my body whenever it wants to. If something bad happens—"

"Then we'll fix it. After we fix it, we'll move to a different world. Obviously."

"It's not that simple..."

"We've been doing that for the past few weeks. There isn't much else we can do, is there?"

"What if Maxiin makes me absorb a Heartless again?"

"Then we'll beat it out of you like Sora did last time."

"What if it's more powerful than last time?"

He finally lifts his head to stare at me groggily. "Are you calling us weak?"

Yes.

I flinch. "No, of course not!"

"Do you not trust us anymore after seeing how long it took for us to figure out how to solve that last mess?"

I never trusted you. You never did anything worthy of my trust.

"I trust you!" I exclaim, sitting up indignantly. "I always did and I still do, Riku."

"Then have a little faith in us when we tell you to stay here." He slumps back down lazily. "You're the one who kept pleading for us to trust you, right? You have to trust us in return otherwise there's no point."

Weapon.

My heart jumps. What?

Weapon, fool. Bring out Éclair.

But why?

Is it not obvious? The reason is lying next to you.

Riku stretches his limbs with a yawn.

You need not electrocute him. Just a well-aimed stab will do.

But I—

Did you forget my warning so quickly?

I swallow thickly. Of course I didn't. How could I?

Then do as I say or else.

Against my will, cold, sharp metal materializes beneath my paw. I can't—

You will.

Clumsily, I pick up the knife between my paws. My lungs rise and fall rapidly. I don't want to do this.

Aim.

My upper body twists almost mechanically to position the knife above Riku. I don't want to do this.

Kill.

"Imani?" a voice asks. "What are you doing?"

Kill.

My arms shake and my stomach churns.

Kill.

Riku glances up lazily. His eyes widen as they land on the dagger. "What the—"

Kill!

Author's Afterthought: Thank you for reading! Please review!