Into The Dark
Chapter 1:
Prologue
I am not Walter Disney, nor am I related to Disney in any way, except for being a fan of his work. 'Into the Dark', chapter 1: 'Prologue' is property of Troy Wong, a.k.a. Chookooblash, and is not to be resold or posted on any other site without my permission.
I hope you enjoy reading my stories. Long live the king!
Author's Notes: Okay everyone, I know that I've been very harsh on people who have prologues as their first chapters, and here I am doing just that. So, to make up for that, all of you out there who I've been harsh towards, because they did what I'm doing now can flame. Go ahead, flame all you want! I don't care. Take out your anger. Rarrgh.
The lands beyond the borders of King Mufasa's kingdom have grown dark, and evil. The Pridelands are the only places in all of Africa that are truly prospering, or so it seems… But even then, there are those who seek to destroy it. Vile hyenas will not stop in their attacks from past the northern border, and slowly, right in front of the king's eyes, the health of his people is draining away. Food supplies are slowly diminishing, as the days grow shorter and hotter, while the nights stretch longer and dryer.
An unseen evil lurks when the sun is down. I see it with my own eyes, every night. I can smell it. The entity may be lurking at the mighty trunk of my very own Tree of Life one second, but the next, it could be anywhere. Bright lights roam the ground… Dark figures in strange rags step on the borderline of the Palace Above, the Fires Below, and the Pridelands, like a lion walks down the side of Pride Rock.
The holy land of our ancestors is no longer so holy. Things… Things not from this world have broken loose. They come from above, they come from below, and most of all, they come from all sides. They take the creatures of the Pridelands as if stripping leaves from trees.
Over time, countless thousands have been taken. The numbers are terrifying. What are they taken by, you ask? Few of us know… None of us want to. We know, that one day, they will take over, and in the end, there will be none of us left. In our fear, we have given them a name. They are "the Evil Ones".
I knew five of the people who were taken by them. They were my closest friends. Through the magic of the Dream Pool, I have seen what they went through… It was a long, long time ago. The horror, the pain, the damage sustained by their spiritual, physical and mental well-being- I saw it all, and I would never wish it upon anyone; even the most treacherous, cowardly, dishonorable creature to ever set foot on this world.
One was a lion; the worst huntress ever to live in Pride Rock. She could not stalk… She could not hide. That is what lead her to her downfall. The next to be taken was a rogue Rhinoceros. He was the strongest beast you would ever see, but even that could not save him. Third… Some may have said that creature may have deserved death, but I certainly do not, because I see things from his point of view… He received death, nonetheless, not deserving the terror that came with it. He was a hyena. To see the fourth of them leave hurt me most. He was a baboon, like me; my very own apprentice.
But the last of them was definitely the most amazing. The last of them was a young wildebeest… I remember her childhood well. I would visit her herd once every month. She would be so happy to see me, and in the night, we would sit down together, and I would tell her the many stories I have picked up in my time… She experienced the full terror of it all, and no matter what the Evil Ones did to her, she would not break. Most incredible of all, is that she came back to tell the tale.
You are interested now. I can see it in your eyes. I will tell you the stories of my dear friends, as you wish, but listen at your own risk, and be careful. The Evil Ones have many agents in this land. Do not become one of them.