"No..." Kion could barely get the word out of his mouth. "Fuli!"
"Kion!" Fuli was holding onto the edge as tightly as she could. Her claws dug into the edge as deep as they could and her eyes were wild. "Help me!"
Kion's world froze. Jua's chanting echoed through his ears. "Do what I told you to do... or she will die."
He turned back. "Jua, please stop! She doesn't deserve this! I-I'll do anything!"
"Then do what I say. NOW!"
"I CAN'T!"
"KION!"
Fuli's terrified scream cut through the air. "I'M SLIPPING!"
Kion rushed back to her. "Fuli!"
"Don't you DARE," Jua snarled, making Kion freeze in his place. "I'm warning you..."
Kion's pelt bristled with fury at Jua. No matter what she says, I can't just leave Fuli! I have to help her! I HAVE to! "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY JUA!" Kion screamed at the top of his lungs. He rushed over to Fuli and reached out a paw.
Scar glared at him. "Be prepared for an endless amount of torture."
Kion looked back at them and glared. "I don't care WHAT you do to me. I can't let anything happen to her."
"Then... something will happen to her."
He heard Fuli shout from behind him; "Look out!" He quickly whipped back around to see a giant branch flying towards him.
He tensed and his heart skipped a beat as he realized what the impact could-
Bang!
Pain shot through his head and he collapsed onto the ground with a thud. Everything was black, but that might've been because he didn't dare to open his eyes. The pounding of his brain was more than enough to make him groan. He pressed his paws to his head to try to ease the throbbing, but to no avail.
He could hear the murmuring of Nirmala behind him. Fear scent came off of her in waves.
After what was probably not much more than a few heartbeats, while the pounding in his head didn't lessen, a terrified shout cut through his thoughts; "Help!"
It made his head pound even more, though Kion didn't care one bit about his head at the moment once his racking brain realized who the scream belonged to.
"Fuli...!" He could barely any more than mumble. He reached out a paw towards what he guessed was the edge. He still had his eyes closed. He dared open them, letting light inside. It brought more pounding to his aching head but he didn't care. He had to save Fuli. He could hear her claws scrabbling on the edge to keep hold. She could fall at any moment!
He tried to stand. I gotta help! But he tensed as the strong thumping in his head worsened and made him collapse back onto the ground. He tensed even more in a natural reaction to the pain, however this only made it worse - he could feel tears of pain, though he tried to keep them back.
He tried to stand once more, but his world spun with dizziness along with the constant pounding and he dropped back down again, much harder that time.
Seeing no other option, he reached out his forepaws and tried to drag himself towards the cliff. He grunted and panted in effort. "Fuli..."
"Kion!..."
He dragged on, unsheathing got his claws to help grip onto the earth. His shoulder aching from the impact of the branch. If felt like it was writhing him open.
"KION!" Fuli called out. Her piercing cry pressed him to go on.
Finally, one of his forepaws didn't feel solid ground. The sound of Fuli's claws scrabbling for a grip was much louder. He opened his eyes even more, trying to get a proper view of what was going on around him. If he didn't, he risked falling as well. He reached down. "Grab on."
"You better not," Jua snarled, bearing her teeth.
"I will," Kion muttered back, just as surely. He could feel a paw grab onto his. He backed up, trying to pull Fuli back up the cliff.
He could hear her rapid breathing. Fear dominated her emerald gaze. "It's okay Fuli," he tried to reassure her. "I've got you."
He felt a tall shadow fall upon him. He had no time to see what it was - he had to get Fuli back on solid ground.
Fuli looked up past him. Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp.
"DON'T. YOU. DARE!"
Kion whipped his head around and saw Jua towering over him, her amber eyes gleaming. She unsheathed her claws and landed a strong blow at Fuli's head.
The poor cheetah screamed in agony before letting go from the impact.
"FULI!" Kion screamed in horror as he helplessly watched her fall down what seemed like a pit of endless blackness in the early morning.
"KION!"
Her ear piercing scream was suddenly cut off, leaving Kion to gasp and stare off the edge of the cliff in horror. Fuli...!
"Get the rest of the Night Pride!" Kion shouted, not taking his eyes off the cliff.
XXXX
Fuli groggily opened her eyes. Her head pounded like crazy and her world spun around her. Everything hurt. It hurt to move, to breathe, to be awake.
She looked around -or she tried- and realized she was at the bottom of the ravine. I-I'm not dead...?
Trying to get a better idea of her surrounding, she tried to look around more, trying to raise her head. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a lioness beside her. Fuli gasped, but then felt pain rupture through her at the tiny movement. She recognized the lioness. Jua?! From the Sun Pride?! B-but how is she here?!
"Hello, cheetah."
Fuli looked at her, shocked. "H-how are you...?"
"None of your concern," the lioness snapped. "What matters is that pathetic piece of hyena-scraps that you call your friend will now truly be broken."
"What do you mean?" Fuli asked weakly.
"Doesn't matter," the lioness hissed. "Now let me take care of one little problem..."
"Wh-what is that?" Fuli could so much as whisper in both fear and shock.
"You."
Fuli's heart skipped another beat.
"Leave her alone," growled a voice.
Fuli looked behind her and saw Kion walking up to them. His eyes gleamed with fury in the light of the new sunrise.
"Who's going to make me?" The lioness taunted as she stepped closer to Fuli.
Kion froze in place as the lioness glared at him. There's nothing I can do...
Jua smiled crookedly as she rested unsheathed claws on Fuli. Fuli twisted her head to looked up at the lioness, only for her to get a blow to the head. Not enough to knock her unconscious, but still hurt her all the same.
"No...!" Kion shouted in horror. "You can't... you can't hurt her!"
"I will. Besides," Jua chuckled menacingly, "who's gonna do anything about it?"
Different feelings bubbled up inside him. Fear, pain, horror, love...
He was frozen in place. He was unable to move - his mind would barely let him.
Jua dug her claws in deeper, causing blood to leak from her skin. She smiled crookedly as she dug deeper, making Fuli obviously try not to screech in pain. Jua dug deeper and raked her claws down Fuli's side. She writhed in agony and tried to fight back.
But she couldn't. She was too injured.
N-no! She can't do this to Fuli! She doesn't deserve this!
"Well," Jua snickered as more blood poured out of Fuli's skin, much to Kion's horror, "I guess it's bye-bye to Fuli."
No, she can't... This can't happen.
"Say your goodbyes," Jua chuckled menacingly.
No. I can't let this happen.
Determination and fury lit inside him like a wildfire when he looked at Fuli struggling under Jua's grip. It gave him new courage, new bravery.
I won't let this happen.
He narrowed his eyes at the lioness and unsheathed his claws. "Stop."
"Oh pardon," Jua mocked. "Did you say something, Scar-eye?"
"I said stop," Kion growled, trying to sound fierce.
"Who's going to make me?"
Kion took in a deep breath. "I will."
"Pfft!" Jua scoffed, obviously holding back a laugh. "I'd like to see you try!"
"I will!" Kion repeated and sprang forward, tackling Jua. He sunk his claws deep into her flesh.
She fought back very well, raking her claws across his belly. He screeched in pain but didn't let that stop him.
He bit into her ear, tearing it open. Blood spilled from the wound and onto the ground. Jua screeched in fury. She shook her head, sending blood flying everywhere. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"
She lunged forward and bit down hard on his stomach, sinking her razor sharp teeth inside. Pain ruptured through Kion as he tried not to scream. Blood gushed out from his stomach and covered Jua's face, though she didn't seem to care.
"Surrender. Now." Jua's order came out as nothing more than a mumble as she continued to bite down on Kion's stomach, but that didn't take away the fierceness of it.
"Never!" He snarled through the wrenching pain of having his stomach being cruelly ripped open by force.
He reached forward and clawed her neck. He pulled it closer and bit down hard. Jua hissed in fury and swung him off.
He crashed into the earth right next to Fuli. Jua advanced closer to them.
Kion forced himself to try to get up. He squeezed his eyes shut as pain ruptured through him.
"Give up," Jua snickered as she walked closer. She acted as if she didn't fight at all, completely ignoring the crazy bleeding of her left ear, neck and side. She had no limp in her stride, as if nothing hurt at all. "You're no match for me."
Her blood covered claws glimmered. Blood covered her jaws - Kion's blood.
Kion dragged himself over to Fuli, all of his muscles aching and his stomach practically killing him.
He put himself between her and Jua.
"If you want to hurt her" -he broke off panting heavily, trying to catch his breath- "you'll have to go through me," he warned, trying his best not to screech in pain.
"I won't have a problem with that," Jua told him, a twisted smile on her face.
Kion snarled and stood -or trying to stand- over Fuli. He bared his teeth and unsheathed his claws, ready to fight Jua.
"I won't let you hurt her."
Fuli looked up at Kion, gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you," she murmured, though too quiet for Jua to hear.
"Then I guess I'll have to do it by force," Jua remarked in reply to Kion.
"No. You. Won't!" Kion forced himself to stand and bent down to Fuli, easing her into his back. He grimaced at the pain shooting through his body, mostly his bleeding stomach.
He forced himself to get up once more and started running.
Pain ruptured through him but he pressed on, continuing to run towards what he knew what the way out of the ravine.
Dizziness made his world spin due to the blood loss. His head hurt so bad, he felt he could regurgitate any moment.
He then tripped, sending both he and Fuli to the ground. A loose stone! He tried and struggled to lift himself up again, sending pain shooting through his injured body.
He then heard pawsteps coming his way. Pawsteps of multiple animals all rushing towards them.
He began to panic, starting to think of all the worst things possible. Who could it be?! Will they hurt us?! What will they do? What if-?!
After a few moments that lasted way too long, his aching mind hit a realization. The rest of the Lion Guard and the Night Pride!
He breathed a sigh of relief and let himself collapse onto the ground.
He saw the Lion Guard and Night Pride approaching. "Guys," he said weakly.
"Kion!" Beshte gasped.
"Fuli!" Makini shrieked.
"No, no, I'm okay.. it's okay," Fuli told her weakly, trying and failing to assure Makini. It was obvious that the mandrill knew she wasn't.
"We have to get them back to the Tree!" Nirmala ordered, then her gaze drifted past Kion. Kion looked behind and gasped.
About twenty pawsteps away was Jua, her fur glowing slightly. Even from all the way over there Kion knew that she was smiling wickedly.
He looked around. Did anyone else notice?
They all didn't seem like it. Whenever they looked in that direction there wouldn't be any particular reaction.
Nirmala shook her head. "Let's go! Beshte, you have to carry them to the Tree," she told the hippo. He nodded.
"Me and Surak will get Kion, Rani and Makini get Fuli," Nirmala told them as if she were the leader of the Night Pride.
Surak, Rani, and Makini nodded. Nirmala and Surak leaned down. Kion felt Nirmala gently ease him into Surak's back. Once he was on, Surak carried him over to Beshte. Same process with Fuli, Makini, and Rani.
He was eased onto Beshte's back along with Fuli. She smiled weakly at him. "Thank you," she murmured, a grateful smile on her face.
He smiled back at her weakly. He then saw that she turned away, a look of fear in her eyes.
"Don't worry," Kion tried to reassure her. "You'll be okay."
He saw that Fuli's gaze made it's way to his cut's and bruises. "We both will."
Though deep down, a voice told him that they wouldn't be...
Aight, I'm hungry for some theories about what y'all think is gonna happen. GIVE ME THE THEORIES!? ﾟﾘﾃ?