I know, I know. This thing is way overdue. But it's here now! Get ready for a heart-pounding story!
ThatPersonYouMightKnow: Thank you very much!
Greg M 94: That's the thing about the baddies. As smart as they are, they never do seem to learn that...
the-mysterious-other: Scar is indeed one very lucky lion. And yes, he does love Vitani very much, as evil as he is.
snheetah: No question he's still evil on the inside. No question at all.
DarthRushy: You may recall that in the very first story in this series, Simba's first thought upon seeing Tama is that she reminds him of Vitani. However, you might get to see them interact in this story...
Pachyderm Problem
Chapter One: Tembo
It was not a pleasant night out in the savannah, not in the slightest. Black thunderclouds covered every inch of the sky, and not one star could even faintly be seen. Rain was pouring down in torrents, creating large puddles of water and mud. Lightning cracked across the sky, splintering one or two trees completely in half.
So what was the one creature out in the storm thinking as it sprinted through the rain? The one slim, powerful cheetah racing its way through the inclement weather?
This cheetah was attempting to get back to the den that it called home. The lithe mammal sped along the wet, sloppy ground in an attempt to reach shelter.
A booming sound echoed across the plains. The cheetah perked up, scanning the scene. Was it thunder, or something else?
As the sound increased in volume, the cheetah soon realized that this was not thunder at all.
It was footsteps.
Big, thunderous footsteps being made by an enormous creature. The cheetah realized how dire the situation was, and it began to bound away at top speed.
The footsteps began rapidly approaching, and the cheetah could immediately tell that whatever it was, it was after him. He continued to run, for running was all he could do.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The footsteps advanced further, and the frightened cheetah was beginning to wonder if he would ever see sunshine again…
Without warning, something slammed into the cheetah from behind, sending him flying ten feet into the air before crashing back onto the ground, his leg broken.
The injured feline struggled to get up, and he looked up to the sky in dread. His eyes widened in horror upon beholding his attacker.
The sky was blocked by a dark silhouette; one broad enough to fill almost all of the space for the cheetah's vision. The sinister beast had two enormous flapping ears, glowing yellow eyes, a long trunk, and two incredibly sharp tusks. There was no question this beast was an elephant, albeit one much more malicious than normal…
"Who-who-who are you?" the cheetah asked weakly.
"Who am I?" the shadowed elephant asked back in a deep and arrogant voice. "I am… Tembo."
The cheetah trembled in fear. Tembo had acquired something of a reputation for himself over the years. He had spent whole decades of his life roaming the continent, killing any and all carnivores he could find. The frightened animal knew what this meant for him.
Death.
"I suppose you have heard of me before," Tembo smiled. "Then in that case, I would suspect you know why I am here."
"To kill every carnivore you can find," the cheetah spat. He knew it would be useless to fight…
"That's right!" Tembo chuckled. "And I suppose you know where I am headed?"
"The Pride Lands," the cheetah responded. "The most lush and peaceful kingdom on Earth."
"Good boy," the elephant grinned. "The Pride Lands are home to all the pure-hearted souls on the planet. King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, their little brat Simba, and his friend… Nala. Even she has gained a reputation."
"She pulled a thorn from my brother's paw," the cheetah smiled.
"Such altruism sickens me," Tembo frowned as he shook his mighty head. "She'll be the first to go…after you, of course."
The cheetah slowly raises a paw. "May I say one thing first?" he asked his soon-to-be-killer.
"If you wish," Tembo answered.
"You won't succeed," the cheetah declared. "The Pridelanders will stop you. You probably don't believe me now, but they will."
"Oh they will, will they?" Tembo smiled.
Without another word, Tembo reared up on his hind legs before bringing his front feet down to the cheetah's body. The animal was still, and broken. He would never rise again.
Tembo trumpeting to the night sky in victory, a dramatic clap of lightning adding to it. He then vowed, "I'm ready for your challenge, Pride Landers! I will destroy you all!"