: Chapter 3:
A Dark King
Kion heard a bunch of different voices calling out to him, he slowly opened his eyes in an attempt to take in his surroundings. He couldn't fully make everything out, he could still hear them, but they seemed so distant, so far away. Kion looked around and noticed the rest of the guard was out as well. What had happened, he couldn't remember his head was so foggy but he knew he was missing something. Kion tried to pull his thoughts back together and then it began to come back to him, The battle, The Entity and most importantly of all being defeated by his own roar of the elders. He remembered it now and he could feel the rest of his senses returning as well, mostly. Kion finally opened his eyes fully to see who was calling out to him. He looked up and saw Rafiki, and his parents.
"Kion, Kion are alright!?" Simba called out to him.
"Simba give him some space" Nala said.
"Stand back give them proper air." Rafiki stated.
Kion began to stir he looked up at his parents and tried to stand only to realize his body functions didn't quite work as well as he thought, he collapsed to the ground again.
"Gather them carefully" Rafiki said.
"What happened to them?" Nala asked worried.
"I'm not sure but earlier today I sensed an unknown presence" Rafiki answered.
"Why didn't you mention it, what was it?" Simba asked angered.
"I'm not sure by the time I detected it I only had time to inform you two no one else" Rafiki stated.
Simba understood, he and Nala grabbed Kion Fuli, Bunga and Ono while Rafiki and a group of lionesses grabbed Beshte. They began moving back towards Pride Rock. Simba and Nala were both confused, Rafiki was acting shockingly serious what had he sensed what on Earth could've caused this change in his demeanor was it connected to what hurt Kion and if so what was it?
Zira watched as Kovu beat his paw against a dead tree branch again and again. He seemed to be tiring but that was unacceptable, the more he held back the longer they would be here. Zira needed Kovu to be at his absolute best it was the only way they would ever leave this place. She glanced to the side and saw Nuka lounging around he didn't seem to be paying attention to anything. Zira growled in anger perhaps she should remind him that she expects results from her pride and especially family. Zira prepared to approach Nuka but then remembered her last encounter with Vitani, she still felt regret for what she did and had no desire to do it again.
She looked away and turned back to Kovu, he looked exhausted like he was moments away from collapsing in exhaustion. Zira listened to Vitani's words hearing them echo in her mind, she then dismissed it. She was wrong to hit Vitani but that didn't mean she should be weak in general, her family needed to be strong in order to prevail still Kovu didn't look like he had much left and he was of no use if he could not train the following day, it was time to stop for the day.
"That's enough, go rest and be ready for tomorrow" Zira commanded.
"Of course mother" Kovu said before wandering to his bed.
Zira watched him depart she considered walking him to his bed but then discarded the idea.
"Termites already tired I see" Nuka insulted.
"I don't see you doing anything" Zira replied.
"I'm not the chosen one so it doesn't matter" Nuka countered.
"You could still try to help your family" Zira said angered.
"You don't want my help, you've made that very clear" Nuka argued.
Zira didn't know what to say there, he wasn't wrong she had all but told him to stay out of the way, she didn't make it sound like she needed him.
"Maybe but you're still capable of insuring Kovu stays out of danger, that's what I've always tasked you with" Zira explained.
"Yeah and what makes you think I would?" Nuka asked.
Zira growled at him and raised her paw she then stopped and came up with a different idea.
"If you want to please me simply do your part" Zira said rather softly.
"Yes mother" Nuka said defeated, Zira smiled in satisfaction.
She then turned to the boarders Vitani wasn't back yet what was keeping her? She usually wasn't gone this long. Zira wondered if Nuka knew Vitani sometimes kept him informed about what she did, she didn't tell Zira anything anymore not that Zira entirely blamed her, still she was getting a little concerned, maybe Nuka had an answer.
"Have you seen Vitani she wandered off this morning and hasn't been seen since?" Zira asked him though it sounded more like an order.
"No she hasn't come back yet?" Nuka told her.
"Did she inform about where she was heading?" Zira said.
"No, nothing she's been getting kind of distant from me as well" Nuka answered.
That was problematic Zira was well aware that Vitani was becoming more distant from her family and Pride she didn't seem to care about either, this was concerning considering she had no one else, she didn't have the same regard for her life as she use to, which raised the question if she was even alright at this moment.
"Get up we're going to find her, and bring her back here" Zira commanded.
A mysterious sound echoed around her and Nuka she had no clue what it was then she heard a voice behind her, it was low with a bit of a rasp and quite sophisticated.
"I think it is in Vitani's best interest that she is not here at this moment." The voice said.
Zira turned to see a rather creepy lion standing in front of her, he had purplish fur and a black mane, there were literally spikes coming out his elbows and shoulders his irises were black, his green pupils were the only thing that didn't look like they came straight out of the inferno.
Is that a threat?" Zira said menacingly.
"No, I don't make threats" The Entity said bluntly.
"What are you?" Nuka asked with a hint of fear.
"What am I, I'm sin, come to seek retribution" The Entity said.
"Retribution?" Nuka said.
"Or vengeance, which ever you prefer" The Entity stated.
"You think I fear you, I've killed so many, you will make no difference among those deaths." Zira stated.
"Oh I know, I know the blood on your paws, you spill so much of it except your own" The Entity said and for the first time he sounded truly angry, it was not a comforting sound.
"I'm here to rectify that" The Entity finished.
Zira growled and sliced The Entity around the chest then the face he didn't budge and there was little hint he felt her blows at all.
"You see always the blood of other but never yours" The Entity said in a dark whisper.
"What do you say we change that?" The Entity stated
Zira felt a thing of fear grip her, what was he? How did he shrug those off so quickly what was that dark aura surrounding him. In truth he didn't even seem human, where did he come from and what did he want with her she didn't ever see him not that she knew of. Zira swung her claws again and The Entity caught them pulling her closer and dangling her in the air. Zira couldn't deny it she was afraid, this monster wanted her and she didn't know why. He pulled her closer and smashed his paw into her chest causing her to vomit a thing of blood.
"There it is, but I'm not done yet, I swear like never before you are going to bleed" The Entity declared, it wasn't a threat like he said he never made threats.
Kion opened his eyes only to find himself back at Pride Rock, he saw Simba and Nala staring down at him, he also noticed that the other members of the guard were already awake. He was glad to see they were alright but also felt a sense of anger mostly towards himself. He led them to the defeat, what happened to them was his fault. He should've been better prepared for his unexpected enemy, he told them to use their cunning and intelligence yet he himself failed to. He could not allow that to happen again.
"You're all alright" Kion said in a weak whisper.
"Yeah of course we are, We're the Lion Guard" Bunga replied before helping Kion up.
"A little of an arrogant statement considering what happened." Ono said.
"And what exactly happened?" Nala asked.
"We got our tails kicked, that's what happened" Fuli answered and she didn't sound at all happy with the statement, she hated losing.
"It wasn't entirely our fault how were we supposed to be prepared for that?" Beshte replied.
There is no excuse, we are meant to be prepared for any threat no matter what it is." Kion stated.
"You're joking Kion, he hit us with your own roar!" Bunga countered.
"What! He hit you with the roar of the elders how!?" Simba asked in disbelief.
"That shouldn't be possible, what on Earth did you go up against!?" Nala shouted in shock.
"Something beyond anything I could imagine" Rafiki said appearing beside them.
"Rafiki their enemy hit them with the roar of the elders!?" Simba told him still trying to accept the sheer impossibility of it all.
"I know that's what I sensed, the roar only it wasn't Kion" Rafiki said.
"How is that possible?" Nala asked.
"I don't know, only the kings could possibly know" Rafiki answered.
"But the roar was given only to me is it possible a former lion guard somehow survived all this time?" Kion asked.
Another voice answered him this one was might powerful booming and very deep.
"While that is a possibility, that's not what happened, this Entity is not of our Royal blood." Mufasa stated from the heavens above.
"Father, I did not expect to hear from you for some time." Simba said shocked.
"This is bad Simba very bad, Whoever your enemy is he is mystical in nature like the great kings" Mufasa explained.
"Is he a king, you said the kings didn't recognize him maybe he's from ancient times" Kion said.
"No, it's not that he has to have royal blood or he wouldn't have the roar but we don't recognize him, he's not an ancestor yet he's a king." Mufasa said and even more terrifying he sounded genuinely scared.
"What, how on Earth does that even work?" Fuli asked.
"I'm not sure, the kings are trying to understand but you need to be very careful, something strange happened during the last few days, a surge of energy beyond anything this world ever endured far more powerful than the roar." Mufasa explained.
"Yes, I sensed a surge of energy during Kion's ceremony, there were others shortly after." Rafiki replied.
"What does that mean?" Nala asked.
"It means this Entity, this Dark King may not be the only threat we face." Simba answered.
"You're kidding right, that thing crushed us and now you're saying there could be more!?" Bunga said panicked.
"Kion I think this is out of our league" Ono stated.
"No, we don't just give up" Kion declared.
"Then what do we do Kion?" Fuli asked.
We get help, this thing is a threat to us all, if we don't have enough allies then we seek out our enemies." Kion stated.
"You mean the hyenas" Beshte said.
More than that we seek out Zira and the outsiders." Kion replied.
Simba wasn't certain that was a good idea few enemies had come closer to killing them than Zira and it would only be a matter of time before she turned on them, that one moment could make all the difference between life and death.
"Kion that's crazy, she can't be trusted!" Simba argued.
"True, but she wants to kill us, she won't let anyone else, so she'll help us if only to insure she kills us later" Kion reasoned.
"That's pretty smart actually" Fuli said.
"Kion's right for now we have to rely on whoever we can." Mufasa stated.
Simba and Nala reluctantly agreed nodding their head yes.
"Okay we'll gather everyone, you and mom get ready for whatever his next move will be, protectors of the pride Lands with me." Kion commanded.
The guard assembled alongside Kion before running off towards the boarders of the pride lands and to the outlands.