Team Legacy: Shadows of the Past
Created by: Rhonda Petrie
Author's Notes: Well, here's one of my old stories! Finally! This is something that I started writing about two years ago and I worked on it for over a year until I stopped working on it last summer for some reason. Okay, this is considered to be one of the Team Legacy epic stories because it has a very complicated plot and some adult themes. I have to warn you that there are some serious issues dealt with, such as rape, some instances of pedophilia and there is also an example of a cult that deals with some elements of the New Age movement. And there is a character who will commit suicide in this story and how another character deals with it but I will not say who yet. This story is about the team heading out to Washington, D.C. once more on a secret epic mission while trying to stop Rhonda's former employer from making sexual advances on their leader. In the meantime, once they arrive in the capital of the country, they end up meeting one of Zira's childhood enemies who is much more than she seems and who not only has some sociopathic tendencies but also has a twisted, sick mind with ambitious plans to take over the United States and has sexual interest in children. They also meet up with the young son of Rhonda's former employer with a troubled and difficult past and must now protect him from everything that seeks to hurt him.
As Team Legacy gets tangled up with the sex and intrigue that dominates the big city, they find themselves immersed with a whole new level of evil and must stop Zira's adversary from moving on to accomplish her grand scheme and must safeguard their new ward from the evils of this world.
The subtitle "Shadows of the Past" is very appropriate because it not only deals with Zira facing her past life with Zalira and her memories of the torment and suffering she put her through, but it also deals with other characters who must cope with the emotional scars of their past and try to make something of themselves even as the shadows hang over them like an ominous reminder of what they have become... It also deals with the legacies that people leave behind and the events that change people's lives forever.
I hope you enjoy this story and even though some of the content might be hard to swallow I assure you it's one of the best that I've written so far. I'm just sorry that I have not worked on it for so long. I hope you like it and if you have any concerns or questions regarding this story you can always pm me.
The following prologue, (probably my very first), gives an insight into Zira's past and it describes an encounter she had with Zalira that meant the difference between life and death. Now this is my take on Zira's life and I know there are plenty of other versions about her life since we really don't know much about her childhood so if you don't like my interpretation then I'm sorry to tell you what can I do?
Rate and Review!
Prologue:
Zira was once again in her homeland, the Outlands, fighting with her opponent. It was with another member of her pride. She and her enemy were both fighting over Scar, who was still around at that time. This was long before Vitani, Nuka, and Kovu were ever born. This lion was dark purple with a blue underbelly. She had blue, dilated, piercing, glaring, glassy eyes that sparkled of sapphire and her tail was squiggly as a result of a birth defect. There was also blue fur sticking out of her ears. The tips of her tail were in flames and lit up brightly while at the same time blinding anyone who dared look at it close up. They crackled, sparkled, burned and blazed defiantly. Whenever the lioness would swing her tail, it seemed to fly straight at you like a demon. One of the lionesses decided to take a close look at the blazing tail and got burned and scarred for it.
If her apple-shaped ears weren't strange enough, then her jackal-shaped face would do the trick. Her nose was straightened out; her eyes widened and glared at you, and she had a triangle-shaped, blue, pudgy nose. Another disturbing feature about her was that her mouth seemed to produce blood; her teeth were stained red as if she had just made a kill. This lioness also had a scrawny, skinny build and her psyche seemed fragile, for she was nearly skin and bones. However, she was very crafty and clever, and very handy with charms and sorceries, especially voodoo magic. Her fur was ruddy, messy, silky, and easily tangled. She even had three legs, another consequence of a birth defect. Her name was also Zalira.
The battle had been going on for two hours. A couple of lionesses charged at Zalira and two of them even lunged at her. Zalira sunk her claws into their throats and slit them mercilessly. Zira also flung herself at Zalira but she received a powerful kickback swift kick in the face and skidded to the ground. So far Zira was losing. Blood had tainted her light brown fur and masked her countenance and body and dark, purple-blue bruises decorated her neck, shoulders, face, back, and chest. But she wasn't going to give up. No… she was going to win! Zira spat on the floor determinedly and then approached Zalira menacingly. At last, she has found her equal, the only lioness in her pride that can counter her moves so effectively and efficiently. This battle has been going on for too long. It must end now, she thought.
She looked around, her breathing labored and raspy. Zira felt every single eye staring at her, waiting for the next move. She saw a nearby cliff and then felt a plan emerging in her mind. If it backfired, it was her life that she would lose. No time to waste. Zira then raced to the cliff and then surveyed the area. She quickly spotted Zalira and suddenly knew what to do. Zira took three steps backwards, and then charged on the cliff before leaping 20 feet high in midair and then descended upon her adversary.
Unfortunately, Zalira also spotted another opportunity to frustrate her rival's attempt to defeat her and claim her right to court Scar. Her eyes glowed blue and then a clump of vines sprouted out of the ground and then lashed out at Zira. One vine wrapped around her leg and another one clasped her neck. Suddenly, Zira found herself tumbling to the ground with the vines clinging onto her. "Blackscar summonos," incanted Zalira and then a 30-feet black hole appeared on the ground. The background suddenly deafened Zira's ears as she screamed at the top of her lungs. This was one of Zalira's most notorious voodoo magic tricks, and just last year Zira even witnessed a young lion cub from an outside pride disappear into one of those ominous black holes. The deep and ugly scars and scratch marks on her body were beginning to sting. Zira knew that she had only 5 minutes to get out, or she'll never see the light of day again…