Author: Daggermouth

Lion King 4
Chapter: VII – The Forest That Time Forgot.

"Nala, Kivuli, Sarafina, Kovu, Kopa and Zira, all victims of a circle of events which could never have being stopped. But one cub escaped the circle of events when he was attacked by the dark king Scar. His name is Mheetu and he is still alive. Mheetu wonders the savannah as a lost rouge lion far away from that despicable monument they call Priderock. If our plan is going to succeed we must find Mheetu, and kill him." Joka the snake hisses evilly under his slippery red snake tongue to his two assistants Bhat the fox and Solta the dark lioness in the heart of the Shadowland. Purple lightning rages in the dark clouds above the three figures lighting up the cloud with a purple tint and shaking the sky with thunderous roars.

"I only had the displeasure of watching him flee to the Elephant Graveyard once, the lioness named Nala wouldn't trust me that he still lives, but it is true, Hisss!" Joka gives a merciless high-pitched laugh while hissing at the same time.
"I know that name master; I also have formerly met Mheetu but he was in the Forest That Time Forget." Solta explains reminiscing about a time she was a cub living in the forest with her father Uzuri and her mother Kari. Joka smiles deviously as listen attentively as his pawn talks about her meeting with the little cub—'

'—This tale goes back in a time to when Scar was king and the Pridelands was wiped of greenery completely and everyone including the many hyenas are all gathered at Priderock. Nala was stuck by her brothers side but it was because of Mheetu everyone was gathered. It was a dark day at Priderock, everyone was hugging Mheetu and the little scared cub was clueless as to why. Until Nala herself hugs her brother a few tears stream down her face...

"I don't understand where am I going?" Mheetu was told he was going away, for a very long time.
"Oh Mheetu, my lovely brave Mheetu; this is goodbye..." Nala didn't want to let Mheetu go, but she was dragged away by Zira when Mheetu was lead up Priderock by Scar. The lionesses were kept in place the hyenas in rage, each one angry and upset. Nala run to cuddle with her mother Sarafina. On the highest cave of Priderock, Mheetu stood scared as Scar evilly clawed a large boulder as to sharpen them a loud high-pitched squeaking echo's through the cave as Scar drags his claws down the rock. Scar then pounces on Mheetu and slowly took him apart. In these moments Mheetu's teary eyes squint on the horizon, for the little cub see's a faded ghost on the horizon, a spirit of a black fox, the spirit ghost was staring right at Mheetu, watching him about to die. But the dark king Scar saw the black phantom fox as well and froze when he saw, he was frightened, the black spirits had being haunting him since he became king, as if they waiting for him to die. Mheetu saw the fear in Scar's eyes and took his moment to escape, he quickly shot upwards scared but not badly wounded, he rushes upwards tripping as he does and falls down the side of Priderock from t he terrace where Scar was. Not looking back the pale cub Mheetu rushes out towards the black spirit fox, which mysteriously turns to lead Mheetu out into the savannah.

The premature lost cub with white flaky fur runs across the Savannah in tears and covered in dry blood, the poor cub Mheetu had just escape sudden death when running from the dark king Scar. The small cub follows behind a strange shadow spirit in the shape of a fox, in the distance the purple snake with red stripes Joka was watching with a smile, the mysterious snake witnesses Mheetu running through the Elephant Graveyard and to a forest far to the south past the borders of the Pridelands. Mheetu ran, father than he had ever gone before, past lands which were not even named, out of the Pridelands before reaching a thick lush forest filled with an assortment of trees and wildlife, the frightening phantom fox disappears into thin air the moment the cub steps a paw into the forest. The small cubs first thoughts on the forest was that it was stunning, its beauty matches that of the Pridelands, it seemed peaceful, all the animals here were tame and well-mannered which made Mheetu less afraid, but when the cub looked behind him, Priderock could not be seen and everything he knew was so far away left behind him when fleeing, there was no going back now. While wondering the many different paths through the forest somehow the cub knew the forest was magical, the pale cub approaches an opening in the trees, the woodland itself was circular in shape and Mheetu enters the direct centre of the forest, and there rested a strange haphazard stone altar. On the top of the stone altar was a peculiar white stone perched on the top. The stone was glowing ominously; Mheetu innocently pads over to the mysterious altar, there was nobody around the place cub reaches out to touch the strange stone—

"Stop!" the voice a quirky young lioness shouts and quickly enough a dark furred lioness appears infront of the younger cub blocking him from the altar, the lioness only being a few years older than the little cub before her but yet she seems wiser.
"Turn back. The answers you seek here will only bring you the pain you hope to hide." The lioness says, she seems to be giving friendly advice while at the same time reinforcing a warning to the cub before her. Mheetu stutters slightly, he seemed to be incised by the shiny stone as if it was drawing him in, he clears his thoughts before replying,
"Who're you?" Mheetu says bravely standing up proud,
"I am just a visitor, my name is Sola. And if you value your life you must turn back." Solta says enforcing the warning again. But then extraordinarily, Mheetu unexpectedly nuzzles Solta's leg in affection while whimpering softly,
"Err, oh boy, go on little cub, go back to your mom" Solta sighs before backing off as the little Mheetu starts to snivel,
"I don't even know where my mommy is any more." Mheetu weeps and sits down looking depressed curling his tail around his body for comfort. It's only at that moment Solta sees the dried blood and dirt over the little cubs fur, she realises the cub must of being attacked mercilessly. Sighing again deeper this time Solta realises she can't just leave the cub unaccompanied.
"C'mon little one lets go get you cleaned up," The dark lioness leads the way through the forest toward its smallest watering hole protecting by a circle of trees. Mheetu quickly cheered up and dived straight into the pool much to Solta's astonishment,
"That's not what I had in mind! Ah geez, your filth is floating in water...Urg. Say kid what's your name?" Solta complains but she has to respect the cub's optimism as he splashes around in the shallow water. For some reason when Mheetu is around this older lioness he felt comfortable and happy. Solta just grimly frowns and heads back to the stone altar to guard it. As Mheetu plays in the water a small flock of blue coloured birds fly past tweeting happily as they do but this makes the little cub glance around to see Solta was gone he jogs back to the altar with his clean fur to talk to his new 'friend'. Giggling Mheetu playfully rolls on his back and paws at the altar, he wanted the white stone out of curiosity, Solta's ears prick up as she hears the annoying cubs playing scratches against the altar, she snarls and walks to him with a sombre look on her face.

"Mheetu, please listen to me this is important, more important than anything else. That stone is of great importance to me and it is on there for a reason. Mheetu, if you move that stone, we all will die." Solta spoke with grave seriousness, "If you're going to stay here, you must promise me you will never take that stone," Solta puts much emphasis on her words making sure she looks dead into the cubs eyes so he gets the message. And from that moment onwards Mheetu had his new home...

The years passed quickly rolling ever onwards as time stopped for none...

The lush forest was as peaceful as ever, the tall trees were healthy and the little critters chirped happily. Creeping in the undergrowth was the black furred lioness Solta; she was deadly silent, making no sound as she creeps across the ground. Suddenly a pale adolescent lion pounces upon her and playfully paws at her,

"Ha, pinned ya!" Mheetu laughs pinning down the unsuspecting lioness.
"But how did you see me?" Solta protests pushing the older lion off her,
"You're tail was poking up above the grass the entire time," Mheetu smirks with little cheeky purr. Solta manages to give a slight smile on her maw, the little cub Mheetu wasn't so little any more, he had grown into a proud lion and he was learning to hunt rather quite well, his progress amazed the older lioness.
"Well I'd better get back to protecting the stone altar," Solta says while stretching her body outwards before leaving.
"Awww, already? Can't we practice some more, why do you protect that altar so much anyway?" Mheetu groans following his friend to the altar in centre of the forest.
"Mheetu you know what happens if that stone ever gets moved, I just can't risk letting it out of my sight, and besides my parents protected this altar." Solta plants herself firmly between Mheetu and her prized white stone, Mheetu lies down implying he wasn't going to leave until he got a better answer from his best friend.
"Tell me about them, your parents I mean..." Mheetu smiles ready to listen. At first Solta was hesitant to trust him, but now...
"There names were Uzuri and Kari, and they lived in this very forest with me, they raised me happily and without worry. But the time came that I had to depart my home, but outside this forest I never truly found love or a new home to call my own. Eventually I got word that my parents got in a fight and my sister got swept down the nearby riverbank. My parents were later killed, someone had poisoned them. Their bodies were found hugging together and then they were taken to the Great Beyond. I never got to meet my sister, or even know her name." Solta sobs looking down to the ground,
"I'm sorry." Mheetu gets up and walks up to her placing his own head underneath hers for comfort, Solta gets a feeling inside her she has never felt before, it was a warm feeling brought on by Mheetu caring about her. Somehow feeling the younger lions fur against her own made her feel comforted. But before long the lioness pulls away and clears her throat before standing guard at the mysterious stone altar.

Three days later...

Mheetu was sat alone deep in the forest which has served as his home for the past three years, the lion had grown well, his fur was still pale his semi-green and brown eyes were more mature; he was rather goofy and wanted to hang around most of the time. He cared for Solta more than anyone in his short life, but even Mheetu knew if he really wanted to get her he needed to take that white stone out of the picture. So he waited, and waited, and waited until finally Solta had to leave her post to get a drink in the nearby watering hole. Using the skills she taught him the lion sneaks up to the altar, he gets up to look at the haphazard stone, it had strange writing all along it, and placed on top of the altar was the bright white stone. It gleamed in the reflection of his eyes; the more he looked at it the more he seemed to want it for his own, tilting his head slightly he was drawn by its beauty, Mheetu slowly raises a paw to take it he slowly took it in his paw, the stone felt warm on his fur, he takes it from the altar and looks at it longingly before stepping back. But the more he moved away from the altar the more the air grew cold, Mheetu himself didn't notice he was too stricken by the white stones beauty. From the centre of the altar from where the stone was a thick black haze starts to emanate and creeps down the four sides of the altar almost as if it was alive. Suddenly there's a huge flash of dark light from the altar and a beam of light shines upward into the sky. From the nearby watering hole Solta suddenly turns her head to see the beam of dark light, in shock she curses under her breath before rushing to the scene.

"Nooooo, don't move the stone!" Solta shouts snapping Mheetu out of his trance, he looks to see strange lights emanate from the altars core, the light would dance around the forest, suddenly cracks start appearing near the alter rippling outwards snapping the land around it followed by the land itself quaking violently around them.
"Mheetu put it back! Put it back or we're all going to die!" Solta shouts before she knocked back as the land cracks around her exploding dust in all directions. The black mist creeps along the undergrowth of the forest towards Mheetu stands now in shock. The dancing lights zoom across the forest and whatever the lights touched instantly withered and died. Solta gets up and tries to make her way towards Mheetu through the destruction, a light flies past her burning her fur clean off where it touched her. Solta was terrified, and then she heard them, all around her, whispers, whispers all around them.

"Oh no, they're coming," Solta worries turning her head to see them. Black coloured phantom foxes dance across the land whispering as they do, the entire forest around them starts to die from the centre outwards, the lush trees died instantly the life seemed to be sucked completely from them. Solta had no chance of getting to the younger Mheetu on the other side, the mist was spreading fast the whispering phantoms were getting closer as if they were called by the altar, there was only one thing she could do,
"Mheetu, I know I didn't say it before but I love you, I love you and I don't want to lose you! Just please, put the stone back!" Solta screams, tears streaming down her face for everything was instantly dying around her, Mheetu avoid the black haze emanating from the magical altar and bravely with the white stone he quickly slams it back on the altar with tremendous force! Suddenly there's a huge flash of white light and the slowly phantoms faded with distraught screams, the mist dissipates into the air and the dancing lights fly off into the sky never to be seen again. Mheetu breathes heavily, and then turns his head only to see Solta lay defeated on a patch of dead grass, her fur was burned off, her eyes had somehow changed to a deep red colour, and she was gravely wounded. Mheetu rushes to her aid, holding her tightly in his own paws, realising the full extent of his mistake. Mheetu carries Solta on his back and out into the open, where it took several hours for her to awake again. Even when she awake she appeared very weak, but he never left her side,

"Solta I'm so, so sorry!" Mheetu nuzzles the black furred lioness lovingly already regretting what he did and feeling foolish for even contemplating going against the promise he made. Eventually Solta gained the strength to get up, she was wary of her surroundings, but her vision was hazy, she turns to Mheetu with a remorseful smile.
"Now you know why I slave over protecting that stone. It's what it does; it entices you, draws you in and traps you by its beauty. Kari, my own mother was obsessed with this stone; she defended it until her dying breath, when I was told my parents were killed in cold blood I took my mother's place and I've remained here ever since." Solta sighs, before turning her head to clean the patches where her fur had being burned off.
"What is that rock? It seemed so alive, that black mist killed all it touched, those strange spirit foxes, I saw one only once before, I followed it to this forest and it leaded me here..." Mheetu remembers his past and the spirit he saw watching him, starting deep into his soul even those the spirit had no physical eyes.
"The fox spirits, I still don't know their true purpose, but whatever they appear it can't mean anything good." Solta says weakly whimpering in pain before her vision finally focuses and the black furred lioness gets a good look around.
"What have you done Mheetu? The forest, my home, all the trees, all the animals which lived there, they're all dead." Solta weeps and she was right the forest was now nothing more than a barren wasteland, the trees were mere stumps and skeletons no leaves remained on them, there was a strange red sandy haze all around them and the magic of the forest had faded away, nothing remained living in this place now accept for the two of them.
"What do we call this place now?" Mheetu says knowing full well the mysteriously dancing lights and black mist had killed everything around them. Solta steps forward to name the dead land for all of time...
"We should call it: The Outland, in other words, keep out." As soon as the feelings of despair fleeted from Solta then the feelings of rage started to creep in and she begins to slowly back away from Mheetu, knowing full well he apologized a hundred times, it but somehow they both knew it wasn't going to be enough for forgiveness.
"I love you Mheetu more than I've ever loved another lion, but you hurt me, and worse, you destroyed my home and everything I know... I think it's time you left. And please, don't come back." Solta said painfully turning her back on her younger friend, it hurt her to say but she just couldn't forgive and forget, for his own safety she had to let him go and he had to do the same. Mheetu clenches his paws and turns away from his love before walking away and quickly disappearing into the reddish mist of the newly formed Outland—'

'—"That was the last time I ever saw him." Solta concludes telling her narrative of Mheetu to the dark snake Joka who snarls slightly he never cared about love or any sapping feelings which made others weak, he paces coiling his snake tail before replying to the now grey furred lioness, "How touching, but do not let your personal feelings get in the way of my plan Solta," the snake hisses aggressively before uncoiling his tail. Solta growls under her breathe, remembering the pain she felt when Mheetu betrayed her, her red eyes fraught with rage but then at the same time remembering the good many years they spent together in the Forest That Time Forget which became the dead Outlands.

"Based on what you know, Mheetu doesn't seem to be a problem now. My army is ready to strike so we move onto the very final phase of my plan, to kill the blood relations of the king and the rightful successors to the throne: Kopa and Kiara."

End of Episode VII.