The Lion Guard: Desire of the Soul (KionxFuli)

Chapter 6: Tai

Fuli finally came to a halt. Panting steadily, she looked back to make sure no one, especially Azaad, wasn't following her. She sighed heavily, looking down at her paws, feeling disappointment take over her anger. She still couldn't understand why Azaad was suddenly acting so paranoid about lions. This whole time he had been faking his friendliness with them? Not only that, he felt the need to protect  her from them! Fuli growled to herself as she angrily swatted a pebble away. I don't need protecting! And I certainly don't need protecting from lions. Why can't Azaad let the past go? Why is he still holding a grudge against them? Azaad even accused me of not forgiving Simba's Pride, how dare he? I forgave them! Even the ones who I didn't like! I forgave them all! But, if I did forgive them, then why did I still leave...?

Fuli shook her head. "I chose to leave, I felt like I had no place there," she told herself. "I was happy being alone..." Was I? Yes, of course! I'm a cheetah, we're born naturally independent. She tried to push away Azaad's words, but she couldn't help but feel that she had purposely left the Pride. I had friends there, yet still I left them. Why did I do that? Did I leave because I wanted to or did I leave because I still hate the Pride...? She needed to clear her mind from all this. Fuli then came across the watering hole, she padded towards it and began to lap up some water. 

"Fuli!" a voice called out to her, causing the cheetah to almost choke on the water. Fuli swallowed and looked up, she saw Ono flying towards her.

"Ono, what's wrong?" Fuli asked, now alert. 

"I couldn't find Anga!" Ono replied. 

"What?"

"I looked for her almost the whole night, but I couldn't find her! I'm worried something might've happened to her!"

"Don't worry, we'll find her." Fuli then turned around and raced back to the Tree of Life, Ono flying close by. There, Kion was chatting with Bunga and Beshte.

"Hey, guys," Kion greeted as Fuli and Ono approached him. He then noticed the latter's deeply concerned expression. "Whoa, you okay, Ono?"

"She's missing! Anga's missing!" Ono blurted out. "I looked for her for almost the whole night!"

"Wait, you looked for Anga the whole night?" Bunga asked. "Why?" 

Now Ono looked nervous, he ducked his head and he anxiously pawed the ground with his feet.

"That's not important," Fuli said. Ono sighed and gazed at her gratefully. "The important thing is that we need to find her."

"Right," Kion agreed. "Let's go to the last place we saw her."

"She was by Dirisha, the River of Patience," Ono cried. 

"Then that's where we'll go," Kion said. "Till the Pride Lands end-" 

Kion then froze, biting his lip and mentally scolding himself for that slip up. He slowly turned to look at his friends, Fuli, Beshte, Bunga, and Ono now looked down with a solemn and even sad look. Each member seemed to glance over at their left shoulders, where their Mark of the Guard used to be. Kion looked down at his paws and let out a deep, regretful sigh. 

"Right... Um, let's just go."

Fuli looked up and nodded slowly, Beshte, Bunga, and Ono did the same. The former Lion Guard then silently headed towards the River of Patience. Along the way, Fuli was beginning to feel downhearted. 

I'm really going to miss using the Lion Guard battle cry... If I did agree to go with Kasi, I could still say it... She shook her head. No, this is my home now. I chose to stay here with my friends and that's what I'm doing.