Hello. I hope that you find this chapter acceptable. I really do. Here you go. Not long has gone by since the last chapter. BTW, the f-word is used in this chapter. I know, I don't usually like using it in my writing, but I made an acception. Jin is my character, and is not to be used without my permission. Please read, review, and enjoy. I mean it. Enjoy.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Pangs of the Past

The sun beat down on the Pride Lands, forcing Komo to squint as he trudged to wards the old baobab tree. He was worried about Kamari, who had been acting strangely ever since their meeting with Kivuli. As always, Komo wished that he could say speak comfort to his friend. And as always, the white elephant knew that he could not. That is why he was heading to wards the baobab tree. the white elephant needed help. Komo reached his destination and paused for a moment, before shaking one of the branches of Rafiki's tree. Rafiki's poked his head from behind a group of leaves and peered down at the albino elephant.

"Komo?" Rafiki asked in confusion, "Wat ah you doing here by yourself? Where's Kamari?"

Komo looked to wards the ground, before looking up at Rafiki and letting out a series of quiet trumpets. Rafiki scratched his head and placed a hand to his chin, trying to comprehend Komo's speech.

"I have no ideah wat you ah trying to tell me," Rafiki stated, "Is it someting about Kamari?"

Komo nodded and flapped his ears. Rafiki grasped his walking stick and swung forward to another in order to be closer to Komo.

"Well?" Rafiki asked, "Wat is it? Is dare a problem?"

Komo nodded and let out another series of trumpets to explain the situation to Rafiki. Rafiki cocked his head and frowned, not able to understand Komo's words. Komo paused and thought to himself, trying to form an idea of how to get Rafiki to understand him. Thw white elephant let out a heavy sigh, before grabbing Rafiki with his trunk and tossing the baboon on his back.

"Whoa!" Rafiki called to Komo, "Wat ah you doing?"

Komo glanced over his shoulder and swung his trunk back and forth, before running off with Rafiki on his back. Rafiki clung tightly to Komo's left ear as the elephant charged forward. He knew not where Komo was taking him, but he did not question the elephant's motives. Komo slowed down gradually, eventually coming to a complete stop. Rafiki climbed down the albino elephant's trunk and stared up at him. Komo looked down at Rafiki and pointed forward with his trunk. Rafiki looked over to where Komo was pointing to see Kamari pacing in circles. Rafiki stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded.

"Ah, I see," Rafiki stated, "He must still be tinkin' about wat Kivuli said."

Komo nodded and took a few steps closer to Kamari and trumpetted. Kamari stopped pacing and turned to Komo and Rafiki, whose expressions were filled withy concern.

"Oh, good morning," Kamari nodded, staring at Rafiki and Komo strangely, "You two look worried. Is something wrong?"

Rafiki smiled and walked over to Kamari, placing a hand on the white lion's shoulder.

"I tink we should be askin' you dat question!" Rafiki chuckled, "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Kamari's eyes widened. The white lion took a few steps backward and stared at his paws.

"Ghost, huh?" Kamari mumbled to himself, smiling slightly, "Not quite. More like a phantom!"

Rafiki and Komo glanced at each other, their heads cocked in confusion.

"Wat did you say?" Rafiki asked the white lion.

Kamari quickly shook his head and put on a fake smile.

"Oh, nothing," Kamari stated, scratching his neck with his left paw, "Nothing at all!"

Komo's pink eyes narrowed as he cocked his head. Rafiki smiled and shook his head slowly.

"Look at dat, Komo!" Rafiki chuckled, "It seems dat Kamari is getting anuddah visit from his friend denial!"

Komo smiled and nodded. Kamari glared at his two friends, before smiling, himself.

"Alright, you caught me," Kamari sighed with a smile, "Now what?"

Rafiki smiled and leaped forward pushing a finger against Kamari's nose.

"Now you tell us wat is bothering you!" Rafiki grinned, "Trust Rafiki. It troubles me that something is troubling you. And I'm sure that it troubles Komo, as well. Dat is about three too many troubles!"

Kamari pulled his head backward and paused for a moment, digging at the ground with his left paw. Komo stepped closer to Kamari and lifted the white lion's head up with his trunk. Kamari lookked up at his friends smiling face. Komo nodded and released Kamari's head. Kamari let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the sky.

"Very well," Kamari nodded, "If you're that interested in what's bothering me, than I'll tell you."

"We ah very intahrested," Rafiki stated, leaning on his walking stick, "For you ah a very kind and caring creature. The fact dat bother would even show its face around you is fascinating in itself. We want tah help you, Kamari. You do not deserve to be in such distress."

Kamari smiled at Rafiki, before frowning and shaking his head.

"I'm not sure how true that is," Kamari sighed gravely, tears forming in his eyes, "I have done terrible things. There is a lot of things things that I don't deserve, and distress is not one of them. To live? That's on the list. Friendship? That's another. Forgiveness? Well...that tops the list."

Rafiki crossed his arms and stared up at Komo. Komo let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. Rafiki turned his attention back to Kamari and placed a hand on the white lion's head, before wiping the tears from Kamari's eyes.

"Y'know," Rafiki smiled calmly, "Evah since I met you, I could tell dat you were a troubled soul. You ah imprisoned within your own mind. I could nevah quite understand why. But I tink I do now. Dez tings that you did long ago. You say dat you were a horrible monstah. But if dat was really true, than why ah you now helping so many creatures? Whatevah you did, it was not bad enough to make you lose your soul."

Kamari froze, before lowering his head sadly.

"That's just the thing," Kamari breathed, "I did lose my soul. And I was fortunate enough to find a new one. But...what Kivuli said...he's right, Rafiki. I've just been pretending to be something that I'm not. My path has already been set in stone. I'm no good Samaritan. I'm a bloodthirsty killer. I...I can't deny it any longer. It's who I am."

Rafiki's eyes widened with shock, as did Komo's.

"Is dis de path dat you have chosen?" Rafiki asked in disbelief.

Kamari turned away from Rafiki and let out a heavy sigh.

"It's a path that I once walked," Kamari explained, "It is a path that I never want to travel again. But it seems like every other path that I've found for myself leads into it...I'm sorry. I can no longer help you to stop the invasion. I know how bloody the war is going to be...I can't be involved. I can't risk releasing the demon within me. I'm going to save everybody from the horror...I'm going to save myself from the horror...The horror that is the Phantom of the Eastern Sands."

Kamari began to walk off, before Rafiki leaped in front of him. Rafiki shook his head sadly and placed his hand on Kamari's shoulder. Komo came up from behind Kamari and draped the tip of his trunk over Kamari's other shoulder.

"Kamari," Rafiki sighed sadly, "I am sorry dat you feel dis way. But please...Don't give up. Whatevah demons you have inside you...You can beat them, Kamari. You must stop focusing on the horrible tings dat you did in de past, and start focusing on the benign tings dat you ken do in de fucha."

Kamari's eyes widened. Rafiki nodded and cleared his throat before continuing.

"I am sure dat I am not telling you anything dat you do not already know," Rafiki continued, "I am telling you something dat you have forgotten. You've beaten dis demon once before, haven't you? I know dat you have, since you've since devoted your life to protecting others. I have faith in you. You can do it again. You must do it again. Only dis time, you must vanquish did demon, once and for all! I know why you feah fighting. You ah worried that your thirst for blood will once again take you ovah. But it won't, Kamari. You are a different lion than you were in your past. Dis time, you won't be fighting to destroy lives. No. Dis time, you will be fighting to save lives."

Kamari raised his head slightly, glancing up at Komo. Komo smiled and nodded, patting Kamari on the back.

"I...I need some time to think," Kamari breathed.

Kamari took a few stepps forward, before running off. Komo began to follow him, but was blocked by Rafiki.

"Let him be," Rafiki sighed sadly as he leaped in front of Komo, "We cannot expect him to help us succeed in our battle until he has succeeded in his own. An unfortunately, it is not a battle dat we ken assist him in. For his enemy is himself. And he must face dat foe on his own."

Komo stared at Kamari as he disappeared in the distance, before looking down at Rafiki and nodding sadly. Komo knew what Rafiki said to be true. Kamari had beaten his inner demons without any help before. He could do it again. Rafiki smiled and patted Komo on his trunk.

"He'll be fine," Rafiki smiled reassuringly, "Trust me."

Komo nodded once more and turned around, walking off to find something that would take his mind off of his troubled friend. Rafiki watched as Komo walked away and sighed to himself. The baboon grasped his walking stick tightly and stroked his chin.

Great Spirits willing, Rafiki thought to himself, Kamari will prevail in his struggle. And I pray dat de Pride Lands will prevail in their struggle, as well...But as long as Kivuli is here...Dare is nothing I can do to stop him...He's too powerful. He seeks to make this land his, by any means neccessary. If I am to have any chance of ridding the Pride Lands of this threat, I will need help. And not just any help. I will need de help of the Spirits, themselves!

Rafiki nodded and ran off. Time was running out. The baboon needed to act fast, or risk the complete demise of the Pride Lands.

0000000000000000000000000000000000

"Where are we going, again?" Kalab asked his skull-clad acquaintance.

Nakama paused and turned around to face Kalab.

"Where are we going?" Nakama smiled, "Isn't it obvious? We are going to the one place where we can find an ally who shares our hatred of my father."

Kalab cocked his head in confusion. Nakama sniffed the air, before pointing forward with his paw.

"There," Nakama stated, "That's where we are going. Home, sweet home!"

Kalab's eyes widened as he looked in the direction that Nakama had indicated. Even from a fog-covered distance, the great mountain surrounded by jungle could be seen clearly. Kalab suddenly realized where Nakama was leading him. The Bloody Shadows.

"Nakama, are you crazy?" Kalab gasped, "We can't go there!"

"We can, and we will," Nakama replied, cracking his wrists, "It's the only place where we can find someone who can truly make my father suffer."

Kalab leaped in front of Nakama and glared at him, his teeth bared.

"Are you saying that I am not capable of handling Kivuli myself?" Kalab questioned with a growl.

Nakama shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I am confident that you could unleash a great wrath upon my father," Nakama shrugged, "But why should I god like you have to soil your paws with such impure flesh? My father isn't even worthy enough to die by your claws!"

Kalab sat down and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I see your point," Kalab nodded, "However, I fail to see how going to the Bloody Shadows will help us in anyway. The heathens of the Bloody Shadows are misguided. They hold your father in very high regard. Why would they possibly help us to bring about the death of their hero?"

Nakama looked over his shoulder and stretched.

"While it is true that the majority of the Shadows respect my father more than anyone else in the world, that does not mean that he is without enemies around there," Nakama yawned, "There are actually quite a few creatures in the Bloody Shadows who hate my father, and would like nothing more than to see his demise. And I know just who to start with!"

Kalab once again cocked his head in confusion.

"And who would that be?" Kalab asked.

Nakama opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as sixteen wild dogs surrounded them and snarled. Nakama and Kalab stood back-to-back and stared at their new threat.

"Kalab!" one of the wild dogs snarled, "You have some nerve showing your face around here after all this time! I thought that Kivuli would have killed you by now."

Kalab glared at the surrounding wild dogs and crouched low, preparing to strike. Nakama sighed and turned his attention to the wild dog that had spoken.

"Look," Nakama groaned, "We don't want any trouble. My friend and I are just here to see Jinamizi. So could you do us a favor, and just fuck off?"

The wild dogs crouched low and snarled, their large ears pulled backward in rage. After a few moments, one of the wild dogs stepped forward and cocked his head.

"I thought you looked familiar!" the wild dog growled, "You're the son of Kivuli. The one who betrayed our lands, and tried to assassinate your own father."

Nakama sat down and shrugged.

"Yeah, that's me," Nakama smirked, "What of it?"

The wild dogs nodded at each other, before advancing to ward Kalab and Nakama.

"Looks like it's our lucky day!" one of the wild dogs cackled, "The two greatest enemies of the Bloody Shadows in one place!"

Kalab cocked his head and sneered.

"Oh, I think we're are the lucky ones," Kalab stated, turning to the son of Kivuli, "Whada ya say, Nakama? Shall I show these sinners the hammer of the gods?"

Nakama smiled at his friend and nodded.

"Sounds like fun," Nakama stated, cracking his neck, "I'm looking forward to seeing just how powerful you are, God of Nature!"

Kalab cackled and leaped forward, teeth snapping and claws extended. The wild dog rolled out of the way and prepared to attack. One by one, they jumped on Kalab and sank there teeth into his skin. Kalab quickly shook each of them off and grabbed one of the wild dogs by her leg, tossing her into two of her friends. The tumbled backward and fell on top of each other. As the wild dogs continued their battle with Kalab, Nakama smiled to himself. The black hyena watched in awe as Kalab threw them around like ragdolls. He was indeed impressed with the burn-covered hyena's skill. Nevertheless, Nakama refused to let himself be outdone, and joined the fight. As one of the wild dogs leaped at Nakama, the black hyena caught her by the neck and slammed her on the ground, before dealing her a finishing blow to her neck with the back of his paw. The wild dog's painful cries were silenced as her neck was snapped backward. A few more wild dogs charged to ward Nakama, and they all met the same fate. Kalab was busy dealing with his own opponents, who all leaped at him at the same time. Kalab rolled out of the way and reeled backward, before leaping on the wild dogs and running across their backs, snapping each of their necks as he went along. Kalab and Nakama looked over the pile of dead wild dogs and cackled triumphantly. They had vanquished each of their sixteen opponents.

"That was easy!" Kalab laughed, "Boy, they don't make 'em like they used to!"

"You got that right," Nakama nodded, "I sometimes forget how pitiful these creatures are in comparison to me. It's a bit sad, really…..But I suppose they should have known better than to challenge us. They deserved their fate."

Kalab nodded at his friend and turned his attention to the Bloody Shadows.

"There's a lot more where they came from," Kalab sighed, "I mean, there were sixteen assassins out here, and we're not even in the Bloody Shadows, yet! Getting in there without another fight won't be easy. Not even for a god, like myself. Not that I fear them, of course. It's just that it will be kind of annoying if we have to slaughter a group from the Bloody Shadows every five minutes!"

Nakama placed a paw on his black chin and nodded thoughtfully.

"I your point," Nakama stated, "We'll need an escort. Someone who is a resident of the Bloody Shadows. Someone who is willing to take us to Jinamizi with no problems. Hmmm, we're in luck. As it so happens. There's someone like that right behind us!"

Kalab stared at Nakama strangely, before looking over his shoulder. The burn covered hyena's eyes widened at what he saw. There, behind Kalab and Nakama, stood a large wild dog with a missing back leg. Kalab immediately whirled around and crouched low, baring his teeth at the wild dog. The wild dog took a step backward and sat down, rolling his eyes. Kalab began to advance to wards the three-legged wild dog, before Nakama held him back with his paw.

"He's no threat, God of Nature," Nakama explained, "He's Jinamizi's father. He'll take us to Jinamizi with no trouble. Won't you, Jin?"

The wild dog hobbled forward and smiled, placing a paw on Nakama's shoulder.

"My apologies for sneaking up on you like that, Kivuli!" Jin chuckled, "I didn't recognize you with that skull on your face!"

Nakama pushed the wild dog's paw off of his shoulder and stepped backward.

"I go by Nakama, these days," Nakama stated, before pointing to Kalab, "This is my friend, Kalab. The one and only God of Nature!"

Jin looked over at Kalab, who nodded formally. A smile slowly made its way across the wild dog's face.

"Like I don't know who he is," Jin smiled, rolling his eyes, "The greatest assassin ever to emerge from the Bloody Shadows. Heh. Barely recognizable, these days. But I suppose that we have my cousin to thank for that."

Kalab placed a paw over his face, rubbing the large burn-covered area.

"Soga!" Kalab snarled to himself, before smiling and addressing Jin, "Well, I cleansed the earth of that scum long ago."

Jin nodded and bowed.

"I never got to thank you for that!" Jin cackled, "But enough talk of the past. What brings you two here? Planning an invasion on my lands?"

Nakama shook his head and stepped closer to Jin, his yellow eyes lighting up.

"We've come to speak with the Jasisi Sheikh," Nakama explained, "Jinamizi. Your son. I trust you'll take us to him?"

Jin paused for a moment, before shaking his head.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Jin sighed, "My son has changed ever since your father disappeared from the Bloody Shadows. It's not because he's worried, or anything. See, there's no doubt in Jinamizi's mind that Kivuli is still alive. He feels that Kivuli has betrayed him. My son is under the suspicion that your father has accepted another job, maybe a whole series of jobs without his permission. Needless to say, Jinamizi isn't happy."

Nakama stood still for a few seconds, before shifting his body's position to lean on his right legs.

"Is that so?" Nakama smirked, "Well, your son is absolutely right! My father is indeed still alive. And I have some information about what he's been up to that Jinamizi might be quite interested in hearing!"

Jin's eyes widened. The wild dog let out a heavy and scratched his left paw.

"Very well," Jin nodded slowly, "I'll take you to my son. Follow me."

Jin turned to wards the Bloody Shadows and hobbled forward. Kalab and Nakama glanced at each other and exchanged smirks, before following the three-legged wild dog.

000000000000000000000000000000000000

Uru and Ahadi walked side by side through the Pride Lands. The king and queen were making great progress in building an army to counter the Falme's attack. Already, they had convinced the hippos, rhinos, elephants, cheetahs, leopards, and water buffalos to aid them in their war. However, Ahadi was focusing on something other than the Pride Landers who had agreed to fight in the war. Uru looked over at her mate's annoyed expression and smiled.

"Why the long face?" Uru asked with a smile, "You should be happy. Our plans if building an army are going swimmingly! We've already convinced so many to join the fight."

Ahadi glanced at Uru, before looking to wards the ground and letting out a heavy sigh.

"We should not have had to convince anybody," Ahadi groaned, "They should jump at the chance to defend their lands! And still, so many have refused to help us."

Uru took a step closer to her mate and sighed.

"You cannot expect everybody to participate in the war," Uru shrugged, "I mean honestly. Do you really think that the Falme's army is going to include zebras and giraffes?"

"...No," Ahadi admitted, "But ours could have been, if those cowards were not so selfish! The gall of them, refusing to fight for their land!"

Uru let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes.

"So, now who shall we talk to?" Uru asked her mate, "I mean, who haven't we talked to, already?"

Ahadi sat down and placed a paw to his chin, thinking of an answer to Uru's question. The king could come up with nothing, for it seemed that they had questioned every group of creatures in the Pride Lands about joining the war. However, they had not.

"Queen Uru. King Ahadi." came a voice from behind the king and queen.

Ahadi and Uru turned around to see two hyenas standing before them. The first hyena was missing an ear. The second hyena had silver eyes. Ahadi groaned and shook his head. Uru walked over to the hyenas and smiled.

"Hello Jozi. Issa," Uru nodded, "Is there something that I can do for you?"

"Indeed there is," Jozi replied, "You can add me and my clan to your army."

Uru's widened, surprised that Jozi would voluteer to join the war without even being asked. Ahadi stepped in front of his mate and glared at the two hyenas.

"What makes you think that we need your help?" Ahadi growled.

Jozi tooked a step backward and cocked his head.

"We actually don't think that you need our help," Jozi explained, "But we offer it, regardless. This is our home. We are willing to fight for it, and make up for all the times when we had fought against it."

Ahadi examined the two hyenas and shook his head.

"I don't trust you," Ahadi stated, "Why are you so willing to fight for the Pride Lands? You're planning something."

Issa stepped forward and shook his head.

"With all due respect, Sire," Issa sighed, "Your logic is off. The only thing that we are planning on doing is protecting our lands."

Ahadi glared at Issa and bared his teeth. Issa quickly ran behind Jozi and covered his head with his paws. Jozi looked back at his seer strangely, before turning his attention back to Ahadi.

"Look," Jozi sighed, "Whether you accept our help does not matter to us. We will fight for the safety of the Pride Lands either way. We simply came to you to because we would not want to get in the way of your army. We need to know what your strategy is."

Ahadi's eyes widened with anger.

"How dare you?" Ahadi growled, "Our plans are of no concern to you! Now, leave!"

Jozi glared at Ahadi, before sighing and turning around and walking away. Issa followed close behind.

"Wait!" Uru called after the two hyenas.

Issa and Jozi turned back to Uru and cocked their heads, as did Ahadi.

"We accept your offer," Uru stated, "We need all the help that we can get."

Ahadi's jaw dropped with shock. Jozi smiled and bowed to the queen.

"Thank you, Queen Uru," Jozi nodded, "We won't let you down. We promise."

With that, Jozi and Issa ran off. Ahadi glared at his mate and opened his mouth to speak, before being cut-off.

"Don't bother, Ahadi," Uru smiled, rolling her eyes, "I've won every argument that we've had, and this will be no exception!"

Ahadi closed his eyes and looked away from his mate, grumbling to himself. Suddenly, five lion cubs ran past the king and queen. Uru smiled and leaped in front of them, baring their way,

"Whoa, where are you of to in such a hurry?" Uru asked the cubs.

"Oh, hi Mother," Taka smiled, "We were just going to go for a swim."

"Yeah," Mufasa nodded, "Y'know, so that we won't have to take a bath, later."

Uru smiled and shook her head.

"Alright then," Uru sighed, "Go ahead. Just be careful, alright?"

"We will," Zira smiled, before running off.

"Bye, Queen Uru!" Sarabi and Sarafina called in unison as they ran after Zira.

Mufasa and Taka brushed against their mother, before following their friends. Uru smiled and watched the cubs disappear in the distance, before turning back to Ahadi and sighing.

"Well," Uru stated, "Our army is almost complete. All we need now is the help of the visiting lions."

Ahadi looked up at the sky.

"They should be arriving any day, now," Ahadi nodded, "Hopefully they'll assist us in our war."

Uru nodded. All of a sudden, a small, blue horn-bill flew behind Uru and landed in front of Ahadi.

"Sire," Kumi bowed, "I've just come to tell you that I talked with Zuzu, and we agreed that she will will be performing the duty of majordomo tomorrow. I've been working very hard, lately. I need some time to just relax, and be with my chicks."

Ahadi stared at Kumi in confusion.

"Does Zuzu know what you're planning on doing?" Ahadi asked.

Kumi stared at the king strangely. Uru smacked her head with her paw.

"He was talking about the hatchlings!" Uru smiled, rolling her eyes.

Ahadi's eyes widened with embarrassment.

"Oh, right, of course," Ahadi quickly corrected himself, turning to Kumi, "So all the hatchlings are alright then?"

"Very healthy," Kumi nodded, "However, there has been a bit of a problem with Zazu lately. He's been teething."

"That's perfectly normal," Ahadi shrugged.

Kumi sighed and shook his head.

"If you say so, Sire," Kumi breathed, "Anyway, just thought I'd let you know. Do you require a service from me, Sire?"

Ahadi shook his head.

"Very well," Kumi smiled with a bow, "Then I shall take my leave!"

Kumi flew off to wards Pride Rock. Ahadi and Uru glanced at each other, before shrugging and walking off to find more recruits for their army.

0000000000000000000000000000000000

The lion cubs played around in a large pool of water, swimming and splashing each other. Except for Zira, who sat at the edge of the pool and watched them. Mufasa dived underwater and examined the fish below, before coming up for air. The future king noticed Sarabi, who was floating on her back. Mufasa smiled mischievously and swam over to her. He then submerged in the water and pushed off the pool's floor to leap on top of Sarabi and pull her underwater.

"Hey, quit it! Gulup!" Sarabi cried of Mufasa pushed her head under the water.

Mufasa released Sarabi and laughed, backstroking around the pool. Sarafina breathed heavily and turned to face Mufasa, a smirk slowly spreading across her face.

"I get you for that!" Sarabi growled playfully.

Mufasa stopped backstroking and winked at Sarabi, before swimming away. Sarabi laughed and swam after him. Sarafina and Taka splashed water at each other, laughing as they did so. Zira let out a sigh, secretly wanting to join the fun. Unfortunately, Zira knew that she couldn't Taka and Sarafina stopped splashing each other and looked over at Zira. The two cubs cocked their heads, before nodding at each other and swimming over to Zira.

"Come on in, Zira!" Taka smiled, "The water is great!"

Zira took a step backward and shook her head.

"Why not?" Sarafina asked in confusion, "Can't you swim?"

Zira shook her head and looked to wards the ground shamefully. Sarafina's eyes widened with surprise.

"Oh," Sarafina stated regretfully, lowering her ears "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine," Zira stated, putting on a fake smile, "I'm fine just watching."

Taka stared at Zira skeptically, placing a paw to his chin.

"We could teach you," Taka suggested.

Zira looked down at the water, before taking another step backward.

"No, I'm fine, thanks," Zira shook her head, "...Really."

Taka cocked his head, before smiling and nodding. He then whispered something to Sarafina. Sarafina smirked and gave a quick nod, before climbing out of the pool and walking over to Zira.

"I don't want you to feel left out, Zira," Sarafina stated, "So I'll stay with you, up here."

Zira stared at Sarafina strangely, before turning back to the pool.

"Do whatever you want," Zira shrugged.

Sarafina nodded and sat beside Zira, whistling to herself as quickly pushed Zira into the pool. Zira fell into the pool face-first and splashed around wildly.

"Help! Gulup..gulup...Help me!" Zira cried as she splashed the water around her.

Taka smiled and dove underwater and swam beneath Zira, emerging from below the water with Zira on his back. Zira breathed heavily and clung to Taka tightly.

"Taka!" Zira exclaimed, "You saved me!"

Taka smiled and swam backward a bit.

"Yeah," Taka smirked, "Sorry we had to do that to you, but we couldn't let you miss out on all the fun! You okay?"

Zira thought for a minute, before getting an idea.

"Actually, I swallowed a lot of water," Zira stated, "Could you give me mouth-to-mouth?"

Taka replied by diving underwater, taking Zira down with him. The lion cub lingered for a minute, before smiling as he swam back to the surface. Zira breathed heavily, her heart pounding. Taka snickered, before looking to the shore to see Sarafina backing up. The lion cub's eyes widened, knowing what was coming next.

"Cannonball!" Sarafina exclaimed, rushing forward and leaping into the pool.

Taka managed to avoid him and Zira being splashed by swimming backwards. Sarafina looked over at the two and laughed. Zira growled at Sarafina quietly. Taka laughed. The five cubs continued to play in the pool for what seemed like hours, before realizing how late it was and climbing out.

"That was great!" Mufasa laughed, shaking the water from his fur.

"Yeah!" Taka nodded, "We should do that more often."

The lioness cubs smiled and nodded, until a voice came from behind them.

"I expected better from you two," the voice stated, "You call yourself princes?"

The five cubs turned to see Haini sitting behind them, Rai by his side.

"Oh, hi," Sarabi nodded, "You're..a...Tojo, right?"

Haini glared at Sarabi and bared his teeth.

"Don't speak to me, lioness!" Haini growled.

Sarabi took at step backward and gasped. Mufasa stepped in front of Sarabi and growled back at Haini.

"Hey!" Mufasa growled, "Don't talk to my friend like that!"

Haina's ears twitched as he smiled and stepped forward, circling the five cubs.

"Rai," Haini addressed his 'friend,' "Leave. I'll come for you later."

Rai paused for a moment, before running off. Haini watched her leave and turned his attention back to the five cubs. Haini stooped in front of Mufasa and pointed to the direction in which Rai had exited.

"You see that?" Haini smirked, "She knows her place as a lioness. All they're good for is obeying our every command."

The three lioness cubs froze, not believing what they were hearing.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Taka snarled at Haini.

Haini glanced at Taka and shook his head, before turning back to Mufasa.

"I wouldn't expect your brother to understand," Haini shrugged, "He's just like a lioness, himself. A pathetic waste of flesh."

Taka's eyes widened with shock. Mufasa immediately roared in Haini's face.

"Don't you ever call my brother that!" Mufasa roared, "Or my friends, for that matter! Now beat it, before I'm forced to teach you a painful lesson!"

Haini sat still and smirked, sticking his tongue out at Mufasa. Mufasa snarled and swatted at Haini with his paw. Haini avoided Mufasa's attack by backing away. Haini then sat down and shook his head.

"It's not to late, Mufasa," Haini smiled, extending his paw, "There's still hope for you. Forget your brother and these lionesses. They aren't worth your time. Come with me. You should be among creatures who actually have some potential!"

Mufasa crouched low and snarled at Haini, as did the four other cubs. Haini shrugged and began to walk away.

"Fine," Haini smiled at Mufasa as he backed away, "Be that way. Just remember that I gave you a chance to be among you own kind."

The five cubs glared at Haini as he disappeared in the distance.

"What the hell is his problem?" Sarafina growled, "I otta teach him just what a lioness can really do!"

Taka loked over at Sarfina and smiled, rubbing his chest.

"Yeah," Taka nodded, "You sure showed me!"

Sarafina looked over at Taka and extended her claws.

"That's right!" Sarafina smirked, "And if you ever need a refresher course, you know where to find me!"

Taka laughed, before turning to where Haini had disappeared. Taka thought of what Haini had siad and frowned Mufasa looked over at his brother and shook his head.

"Just forget about him," Mufasa snorted, "He's not worth our time!"

"Right," Zira nodded, "He's worse than those hyenas!"

Taka chuckled and nodded.

"We should go home," Taka stated, "It's getting late."

The other four cubs nodded and followed Taka as he walked to wards Pride Rock. As she walked, Sarafina looked over at Sarabi, noticing her friend's distressed expression.

"Come on," Sarafina smiled at her friend, "Don't let what Tojo said get to you."

Sarabi looked over at Sarafina and shook her head.

"It's not that," Sarabi stated, "It's just...the other cub, the one who's always with Tojo. She's a lioness...um...Rai, that's it."

"What about her?" Sarafina asked in confusion.

Sarabi paused for a moment, before continuing.

"I just find it a bit strange that she's always hanging around him, considering his view of lionesses," Sarabi breathed, "Why do you think that is?"

Sarafina shrugged and continued forward, not able to come up with an answer to Sarabi's question. The truth was, Rai wouldn't even have been able ot answer Sarabi's question.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Rai sat below a tree branch and waited for Haini to come for her. As she waited, Rai thought of how great Haini was. Haini was strong, smart, confident...everything that Rai wished that she was. Rai let out a heavy sigh. She wanted to shine so badly. She hoped that Haini would help her to do this, but part of her knew that Haini would never want her to shine. Haini wanted her to stay in the darkness. And even in knowing that fact, Rai respected Haini more than anyone else in the world.

"Hey there," came a voice from in front of Rai.

Rai looked forward to see a black hyena standing before her. A large brown bat swooped down fromt the sky and landed beside him. Rai coocked her head.

"Hello," Rai nodded, still staring at the hyena strangley.

Kivuli smiled and walked over to Rai, sitting down in front of her. Katili followed his master, flying forward and hanging from the branch above Rai.

"I just came to see how you were doing," Kivuli stated casually.

"Oh, I'm fine," Rai smiled, "Much better than last time. I never did get to thank you."

Kivuli cocked his head and stared at Rai strangely.

"Thank me?" Kivuli asked in confusion, "For what?"

Rai stepped forward and looked up at Kivuli.

"Thank you for helping me feel better," Rai shrugged, "It's because of you that I decided something. I'm goign to shine."

Kivuli lied down to be at Rai's eyes level.

"Are you, now?" Kivuli smiled warmly, "And just how do you plan on doing that? Are you going to stop letting Haini treat you like dirt?"

Rai stared at Kivuli strangely.

"What are you talking about?" Rai asked, "Haini doesn't treat me like dirt. He's my friend."

Kivuli rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

"And besides," Rai stated, "I have a lot of respect for Haini. He's the most wonderful lion that I know. I'm lucky that he even lets me tag along with him."

Kivuli gave Rai a perplexed look. Suddenly, a voice called for Rai.

"Rai!" Haini's voice called, "Where are you, you stupid lioness?"

Rai looked over he shoulder, before smiling at Kivuli and nodding.

"I gotta go," Rai told Kivuli, "Haini needs me. Thanks again for cheering me up. I'll shine, one day!"

Kivuli watched as Rai ran off in search of Haini. Katili swooped down from the branch to his master's side and shook his head.

"Unbelievable," Katili breathed, "Simply unbelievable. Even after you talked with her, she hasn't learned anything. Do you think that she'll ever learn?"

Kivuli turned to his majordomo and nodded with a slight smile.

"The best thing you learn for yourself," Kivuli shrugged, "And if she doesn't learn by the time Haini leaves, she'll learn by the time we have him roasting on a spit!"

Kivuli cackled wildly. Katili joined his in master's laugh. All of a sudden, a third voiice joined the laugh. Kivuli turned around to see Ed standing behind him, his entire body covered in dirt. The black hyena let out a heavy sigh and walked over to his son.

"Oh, Ed!" Kivuli groaned, "Look at you! You're filthy! What have you been up to?"

Ed lowered his ears and gave his father a guilty look. Kivuli smiled and nuzzled Ed affectionately.

"Aw, it's alright, Ed," Kivuli chuckled, "I suppose cubs will be cubs. Now come on. I'm giving you a bath, this instant."

Ed's eyes widened. Upon hearing the word "bath" Ed turned around and ran. Kivuli smiled to himself and shook his head, before running after his son.

"You're just delaying the inevitable, Ed!" Kivuli laughed, "No one has ever escaped the Great Kivuli of the Bloody Shadows!"

Ed looked back at his father and stuck his tongue out defiantly, before continuing to run away. Katili smiled and shook his head as Kivuli chased after his son. The idea of Kivuli having a good relationship with one of his cubs was still strange to him. Katili shrugged and flew back to the tree branch, hanging upside-down from it and folding his wings.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Although it had taken hours, Jin had lead Kalab and Nakama through the Bloody Shadows without much trouble. While most of the residents of the land stared in shock, none of them were brave enough to speak up against the father of their Jasisi Sheikh. Jin, Kalab, and Nakama now stood before the entrance to the Hall of the Mountain King, which was located on the southern side of the Bloody Shadows' great mountain. Two gorillas stepped forward and bared their teeth. Jin took a deep breath and addressed the two guards as they neared him.

"I've brought these two to see my son," Jin explained, "They have some important information for him. Let us pass."

The gorillas paused for a moment and glanced at each other, before stepping aside and returning to either side of the great cave. Jin looked back at the two hyenas and turned his head, signaling for them to follow him. Kalab and Nakama obliged, following Jin as he walked into the Hall of the Mountain King. The entire cave smelled of a mixture of blood and ashes. The explanation for this was clear, as there were several blood-paintings decorating the sides of the caves. The depicted the greatest triumphs of the Bloody Shadows. As for the smell of ashes, that came from the many fire-filled geysers that bubbled on the ground. Jin and his companions avoided these carefully, for fear of being burned. Kalab seemed especially fearful. Jin came to a sudden stop and sat down. The two hyenas stared at him strangely, before realizing why the wild dog had stopped. They had reached back part of the cave. The sound of breathing filled the cave. Kalab and Nakama looked around for the source, but saw nothing. Jin tapped them both on their shoulders and pointed to the back of the cave. The two hyenas squinted and looked over in the direction that Jin had indicated, still seeing nothing. Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared from the back of the cave and examined the two hyenas.

"Who dares to enter my chambers?" a voice snarled.

Jin stepped forward and cleared his thoat.

"Lord Jinamizi," Jin bowed, "I have brought with me Kalab and Nakama, formerly Kivuli the second. They have information on the whereabouts of Kivuli and..."

"SILENCE!" Jinamizi boomed, "YOU ARE NEVER TO MENTION THAT NAME IN MY PRESENCE!"

Jin cowered and backed away.

"I...my apologies, Lord Jinamizi," Jin stammered fearfully, "I meant no disrespect. I merely..."

"SHUT YOUR DIGUSTING MOUTH, YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT!" Jinamizi howled.

Jin cowered, covering his head with his paws. Jinamizi closed his eyes and let out as heavy sigh.

"Leave me, Jin," Jinamizi ordered, "I want to speak to our visitors in privacy."

Jin's jaw dropped as he looked up at the pair of glowing eyes.

"But I..." Jin tried to say.

"LEAVE!" Jinamizi roared.

Jin turned around and hobbled away as fast as his three legs could carry him. Kalab and Nakama watched him disappear down the dark tunnel, before turning their attention to the pair of scarlet eyes. They could tell by the shape of his eyes that the Jasisi Sheikh was smiling.

"Well, well, well," Jinamizi smirked, "If it isn't my old friend Kivuli the Second. And you've brought the Great Kalab with you. This is a surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Kalab stared at the glowing eyes strangely, surprised by the Jasisi Sheikh's sudden mood-swing. Nakama stepped forward and smiled.

"If you don't mind, my lord," Nakama stated formally, "I am no longer Kivuli the second. I have freed myself of any connection with my father. I've even got a new look, as I'm sure you've noticed by now! My name is now Nakama."

The scarlet eyes blinked twice before Jinamizi spoke.

"Of course, old friend," Jinamizi nodded, "Whatever you desire. Which brings us back to the question of what you are doing here."

Nakama smiled and shook his head.

"Please forgive me, old friend," Nakama sighed with a smile, "I should have explained myself the moment I entered your chambers. As your father had told you, my friend and I have some information on a certain black hyena. We know where he is, as well as what he's been up to."

Jinamizi's red eyes widened with surprise, before returning to normal form.

"Is that so?" Jinamizi asked calmly, "Well then, you were right to come to me. Continue."

This time Kalab stepped forward to speak.

"The black demon has been staying in around the Pride Lands for some time now," Kalab explained, "He's planning something. Something big."

Jinamizi blinked once more.

"I see," Jinamizi nodded, "So that's where that bastard has been. He shall be punished when he returns. Severely punished."

Nakama and Kalab glanced at each other, before looking to wards the ground and rubbing the backs of their necks.

"Actually," Kalab breathed, "We do not believe that he shall return here. It is our understanding that he's going to stay in the Pride Lands. Which could only mean one thing. He's going to set up a colony."

"WHAT?" Jinamizi howled, his scarlet eyes widened with rage, "ARE YOU SURE?"

Kalab and Nakama shook their heads.

"Well...no," Nakama admitted, "We have no proof against him. But what other reason could he have for staying there so long? My father has always been disloyal to wards and the Bloody Shadows, Lord Jinamizi. He's never respected the laws of this land. At least when me and Kalab broke the law, action was taken. But he always gets off scratch-free! Think about it. We all suspect him of being a member of the Vivuli, and yet no one in your lands has done a damn thing about it! And why? Because he is respected? That's should not excuse him from obeying the law! He must suffer for his crimes!"

The scarlet eyes shook, before becoming still as stone.

"And so he shall," Jinamizi nodded calmly, "He shall suffer horrors beyond his wildest nightmares, once I get a hold of him!"

Kalab and Nakama smiled and nodded, liking what they were hearing. Kalab stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"I'm glad to hear that!" Kalab cackled, "Now, me and Nakama have a proposition for you!"

Jinamizi's eyes widned with delight as Kalab explained his plan. The Jasisi Sheikh smiled, as did the two hyenas. A powerful alliance had now become more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Their moment would come. Soon, they would have Kivuli right where they wanted him.

0000000000000000000000000000000

Kamari stood over a pool of water and began to lap it up, all the while thinking of what Rafiki had told him.

Could he have known? I mean, he told me the same thing that the strange lion from my dreams told me many years ago. 'I must stop focusing on the horrible tings that I did in the past, and start focusing on the benign things that I can do in the future.' Those were his exact words! Is it just a popular saying? No. There's more to it than that. Much more.

Kamari lifted his head from the pool and licked his lips, now thinking of the lion from his dream.

That lion... the one who visited me after I was exiled, He seemed so powerful...and yet...so kind. How is it possible? Could it be true? Could I really learn to keep this demon within me in check? I..I must speak with him once more. I must know.

Kamari examined the land around him. It was full of beauty. The white lion smiled to himself and hung his head.

These lands need my help, And I need to offer my help. Once again I've lied to myself. There is no way that I could ever just watch as a kingdom is torn apart. But I can't allow myself to fight. Not the kind of fighting that this war requires of me, anyway. The only kind of battle that I offer is striking someone with my paw-pads. There's no way that I could use my claws. I cannot kill another. I will never resort to murder again. That's not the kind of lion that I want to be.

"But it's the kind of lion that you are!" came a voice of seemingly no origin.

Kamari's eyes widened. He had heard this voice before. In truth, he never expected to hear it again.

"It can't be!" Kamari gasped in shock, looking around wildly to find the source of the voice.

"Down here, genius," the voice snickered.

Kamari froze, before slowly looking down at his reflection in the pool of water. His reflection slowly shifted shape in the water. Within moments, the full-grown white lion disappeared from the pool and was replaced by a younger albino lion. This lion's mane had barely begun to come in, and his muzzle was crimson red. Kamari's eyes widened, for he found himself staring into the eyes of the Phantom of the Eastern Sands. The Phantom smiled in a sadistic manor, as usual. Kamari closed his eyes and quickly shook his head, hoping for the image to fade. However, when Kamari opened his eyes, he found that the Phantom still served as his reflection.

"Don't bother," the Phantom stated calmly, "You can't expect to get rid of me that easily."

Kamari's eyes widened with horror.

"Wha...Who are you?" Kamari stammered.

The reflection's eyes narrowed as he yawned.

"You mean you don't remember?" The Phantom laughed quietly, "I am Kamari. Or, as I prefer to be called, The Phantom of the Eastern Sands!"

Kamari glared at his reflection, his ears pulled backward in anger.

"I am Kamari!" Kamari growled.

The Phantom smiled and twirled his right paw casually.

"As am I," the reflection stated with a smile, "We are both Kamari. We are both the Phantom of the Eastern Sands. We are one!"

Kamari lowered his head to the water and snorted.

"No," Kamari breathed, "You are just a reflection. Nothing more than an illusion."

"Is that so?" the Phantom asked.

Kamari glared at the Phantom and nodded swiftly. The Phantom cocked his head and smiled.

"What makes you so sure?" the reflection quieried.

"Because I am not the Phantom of the Eastern Sands!" Kamari snarled, "I'll give you this much. I was once the Phantom, but I gve that all up. I no longer desire the blood of the innocent. Not anymore! So as far as me being the Phantom of the Eastern Sands goes, I was, I'm not, and I never will be again!"

A smile slowly spread across the blood-stained muzzle of the Phantom.

"Well," the Phantom smirked, "You seem quite confident of that. But that is obviously not the case!"

Kamari stared at his reflection strangely, before turning away.

"What would you know, anyway?" Kamari snorted, "Your nothing but a face in the waters."

"I know more than you think I do," the Phantom shrugged, "For example, I know that you're afraid of killing another in the name of violence. You're afraid that you might like the sensation of ripping your opponents flesh to bits. You're afraid that once you start, you won't be able to stop. Basically, you're afraid of me!"

Kamari tooked a few steps, his eyes widened with shock. The Phantom smirked and held up his right paw.

"But you should not fear me," The Phantom stated, "You should embrace me! Let us truly become one again, Kamari. It will be like old times!"

Kamari paced back and forth, keeping his gaze on his reflection. The Phantom merely stared at him with his paw held up.

"Well?" the Phantom snickered, "How 'bout it? Let me into your heart once more!"

Kamari stared at his reflection, his eyelids lowering.

"Never," Kamari growled, "Now, leave!"

The Phantom rolled his eyes and let out a disappointed sigh.

"You're no fun!" The Phantom groaned, "Not anymore, anyway. Not since you went all soft. Come on, Kamari! I'm begging you! I need the feeling of blood on my paws once more! You need the feeling, I mean. Don't deny it. Part of you misses being the Phantom of the Easten Sands!"

Kamari's eyes widened. Somewhere deep, in the darkest crevices of his soul, Kamari longed for his days as the Phantom. The thrill of killing those who he saw unfit to live had brought him so much job. Kamari's head was suddenly filled with theses memories. He almost smiled. Almost. Kamari shook his head quickly and bared his teeth at his reflection. The Phantom blew upward and rolled his eyes.

"Teeth, huh?" the Phantom yawned, "Man, you've changed. I remember the days when you used something far more deadly to strike fear into the hearts of your victims! Remember these?"

The Phantom showed his right paw to Kamari and extended his claws. Each one of them was longer and sharper than the claws of most lions, and seemed to large to be retracted. Kamari stared at the Phantom's claws in shock, before covering his right paw with his left paw. The Phantom smirked.

"Oh, I see you do!" the reflection cackled, "Hmm. I'd imagine that they must have grown quite large by now. It must be murder for you, keeping them in all the time. Why not let them out, for old time's sake?"

Kamari massaged his right paw and shook his head. The Phantom cocked his head in confusion.

"What's this?" The Phantom smiled, "You'd rather suffer? Very well. But you won't suffer for much longer. Sooner or later, you'll have to accept your destiny, and reclaim the title of the Phantom of the Easten Sands! You'll see! You cannot escape me! You cannot defeat me! You cannot win!"

With that, Kamari's reflection returned to normal. The white lion stared down at his right paw and examined it fondly. It had been years since he'd extended the claws in his right paw. He almost missed seeing their power. Almost. Kamari quickly shook the thoughts from his head and looked up at the sky, thinking over everything that had happened that day. Kamari let out a heavy breath and collapsed on the ground. The white lion decided on one thing. He would make his own destiny, just as he had planned to before. He would continue to help those in need. But it wouldn't be easy. Not only would he need to rid himself of his guilt, but he would need to rid himself of his bloodlust. Tears began to form in the white lions eyes. Within moments, he was sobbing uncontrollably. It was too much for Kamari to bare. The white lion rolled onto his stomach and thought of how to rid himself of the demon within him/ He came up with one answer. Kamari looked up at the sky and prayed.

"Great Spirits," Kamari pleaded, "Hear me...Please, I can't do this on my own...I know that I'm the last creature who deserves your mercy, but...I can't do this on my own. I'm losing my mind! I want to be pure...I want to be a good creature...I want to find my place in the world. But I can't do that with these memories haunting me! Please...please...I need help!"

Kamari then burried his head in his paws, crying himself to sleep. His prayer did not fall upon deaf ears. The brightest star in the sky shone even brighter. Kamari would soon receive council from one of the greatest kings to ever live. However, this king would not appear to Kamari right away, for he needed to be sure that the albino lion was sincere about walking the path of righteousness, and gaining control of his emotions. To do that, the king would need to observe how much Kamari would be able to figure out on his own.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000

Rafiki climbed down his tree with a bundle of sticks in his arms. Rafiki placed a pile of sticks on the ground and sat down, crossing his legs. The baboon sighed and picked up two of the sticks, rubbing them together over the others. Rafiki let out a heavy sigh. He had hoped to find a solution without the Spirits' help. He wanted to be a great shaman one day, and hated to admit when he needed help with handling matters. But Rafiki knew that Kivuli had to be stopped. The baboon's cause was worth swallowing his pride for. A small spark shot out from the sticks, falling onto the pile and igniting it. Rafiki let out a heavy sigh as the flame raised in front of his, before picking up some dirt and sprinkling it on the fire. The flame flickered a bit, eventually regaining it's form. Rafiki grasped his walking stick, holding it close to his chest.

"Great Spirits," Rafiki breathed, "I no not what to do. Kivuli...Dare is no stopping him. He's like de rest of de Bloody Shadows; he won't stop until he recieves what he wants. He thrives on pain and suffering. It is all dat he lives for. It is hopeless. Dare is nothing I ken do. Dare is nothing dat anyone ken do. He will not listen to reason. He nothing but is a selfish monster!"

Suddenly, a harsh wind blew, causing three gords from Rafiki's tree to fall on his head. Rafiki fell over and rubbed his head, before leaping to his feet and glaring at the stars.

"Hey!" Rafiki yelled at the stars, "What was dat for?"

Many of the stars in the sky seemed to dull. However, three stars remained shining and began to twinkle wildly. Rafiki's eyes widened.

"I'm wrong?" Rafiki asked in confusion, "What do you mean I'm wrong?"

The three stars twinkled wildly again. Rafiki turned away and crossed his arms.

"Dat is impossible!" Rafiki stated, "What makes you three tink dat you'll be able to talk some sense into him?"

The three star's faded, before continuing to twinkle. Rafiki stared at them in confusion.

"No way!" Rafiki snorted, "You ah crazy! I already told you dat he wouldn't listen! Who ah you three, anyway?"

A fiece wind struck Rafiki, causing the baboon to stumble backward and drop his walking stick. The stick rolled several feet away, landing in a pile of leaves. Rafiki glared at the stars, before walking over to his walking stick and picking it up. Three leaves shot up from the pile and twirled in front of Rafiki's face. The first of the leaves was black with a purple tinge. The second was grey with a pink tinge. The third leaf was grey with a black tinge. Rafiki stared at the leaves, before nodding.

"So dis is who you three ah?" Rafiki asked, turning to the stars.

The stars twinkled once. Rafiki turned back to the floating leaves and examined them carefully. The first of the leaves twirled in the air, as if dancing gracefully. It then landed among a bunch of bright leaves. Although the leaves it landed in where more brightly colored than it, the black and purple leaf was clearly more beautiful than the others.

"I see," Rafiki nodded, "A dark beauty."

It was the second leaf's turn to move. This leaf moved differently than the other, slowly drifting back and forth, before brushing against Rafiki's cheek. The leaf then brushed against the grass, before landing on the ground, its movement ceasing. Rafiki rubbed his cheek and smiled.

"A flirt!" Rafiki smiled.

The third leaf lowered, before drifting strait into the fire that Rafiki had made. The leaf burst into flames, it's ashes raising to wards the sky. Rafiki grimaced, before nodding.

"And a sacrifice?" Rafiki said in a surprised tone, "But what does dis all mean?"

The rest of the stars in the sky reappeared, allowing the three stars to hide amongst them. A sudden wind extinguished Rafiki's fire. Rafiki let out a heavy sigh and shook his head sadly as he grasped his walking stick and climbed back into his tree. He had successfully contacted three Spirits who were willing to offer their help. However, he doubted that they could do anything to stop Kivuli. The black hyena did not care about anyone else's opinion. As Rafiki climbed into his tree, he took one final look at the stars and shook his head.

"Whoevah you three ah, I hope dat you three know what you ah doing," Rafiki breathed, "I really do!"

000000000000000000000000000000000

Thank you for reading(Wow. This is gonna be a long story.) Please review. Thing that may or may not happen in the next chapter: Kamari learns a dark secret, Kivuli has a change-of-heart, and Haini gets what he deserves. Maybe. Haven't quite decided, yet.