And now I present to you all, the third part of this saga. I have to admit, back when I first started writing 'The Master Plan' I never thought I would end up turning this thing into a series. But that's what it is now so, yeah, here it is. Now this time around I'm doing something a bit different. First of all this story is going to be told in the first person of a few different characters. You'll know when the character point of view is switching because the characters' name will be underlined at the beginning of a new section. Secondly this story is shorter than the last two, about half as long in fact. And thirdly, this is kind of experimental for me and I'm not entirely certain what people will think of it. So we'll see how it goes as the story goes on. Chapter 1 picks up straight after the end of 'Ashes Of Paradise'.

Chapter 1

Kiara

It's quiet all around me. I can't hear anything. Maybe it's night time. Where's Kovu as well?

I open my eyes.

It's close to dusk. There's nobody around, just like I thought. Where is everybody? I'm on the ledge of Pride rock, with a clear view of the land below. There's not a single living thing around. Why is that?

The last thing I remember was falling into a chasm in the Skylands and being caught by the heat that was chasing me. Then... Nothing. If I've made it back home then where is everyone?

I stand up and look around me, staying where I am at first.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I shout.

I get no response from anywhere. I start to panic. I'm alone! And I have no idea what's happened! I run into Pride rock, but even the familiar sight of my home isn't enough to calm me down.

Yet again I find no one inside the cave. It's just dark and cold, with no signs of life. It looks like it's been dead for ages. Is everyone I once knew and loved dead? Dear god I hope not.

"Kovu!" I try again. "Kion! Vitani!"

Still no replies.

Think, think, think.

I'll try at Rafiki's tree. Maybe he's still there? I hope he's still there.

I dart out of the cave and down Pride rock, running out into the savannah as I head for my destination. On my way there I'm horrified to discover that the entire Pridelands is empty. Where the hell is everyone!?

I arrive at the tree where Rafiki lives and shout up to him.

"Rafiki! Are you there? Please, be there!"

But to my own dismay he doesn't answer. Even Rafiki has vanished.

I'm trying to narrow down the possibilities of what has happened in my head. Could the hyenas have killed everyone? No, because there's no way in hell that they'd be able to kill every animal in the Pridelands. Actually that's the only idea I can come up with, and it's entirely implausible. I start to cry. What if I can't find them? What do I do then?

I'm going to head back to Pride rock and try to rest while I think about what to do next.

I'm crying the whole way back and as I reach Pride rock I decide to check the lower cave before I return to the main one. As I approach the lower cave entrance I see that it's unguarded and as far as I can tell from here there's no one inside. But I still check inside anyway and no surprise, it's empty. That's it. I've checked everywhere I can think of and nothing! I'm well and truly alone here.

I'll head back up to the cave and do what I planned to do. Rest and think.

This place feels so empty now. I hate it! I just want Kovu back! I thought my life was going to return to normal after destroying the Skylands, but for some reason this has happened. And where's Maisha? Oh, I'm so worried right now! I can't take it! I need to rest. Maybe I'll try and get some sleep inside. It'll be so lonely though, that's the problem. In the morning I'll try and find someone. Anyone. But for now I'm very tired so I enter the cave, looking back as I do, looking back at my empty kingdom.

"Kovu..." I whimper.

That's pretty much one of the worst things that can happen to someone I think. I know I wouldn't want to wake up to an empty world, (no matter how much I hate people). And I should probably mention that a lot of the chapters are quite short for this one, although there are a couple of longer ones (in the 1000 word range). Anyway, stranger things are still come. Chapter 2 will be up in a few days.