Song: Friends on the other side

From: Princes and the Frog

Start song at (1)

Kovu talked with Corena for a while after the Monster Mash. They mostly stuck to topics related to her and her life but every so often would chat about hunting and such. At one point Corena excused herself to go get a snack from the food vendors and Kovu hummed to the music in the background.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't scenes the person coming up on him as soon as he should have. That's not to say that he was anywhere close when Kovu called out; "Stop right where you are!"

"Hm, Hm, Hm. I should have known you would be hard to sneak up on."

Kovu looked over his shoulder and saw a human. He was tall and lanky, in a purple suit and black top hat. He leaned casually on a long cane and smiled at the cub.

"Let me introduce myself. Dr. Facilier at your service."

Kovu kept his face neutral.

"I can see your a cautious lion, that's good! I just wanted to offer my congratulations."

"What for?" Asked the lion cub.

"Why the future you are to bring into reality."

Kovu's ears went back, confused and even more on guard. "What are you talking about?"

"I am a Witch Doctor, I use my powers to see into the future among other things."

Kovu scoffed. "Yeah rig-"

(1) Facilier got mad in the blink of an eye. "Don't you disrespect me little man!" He looked behind Kovu and straightened up, taking on a calmer more smooth tone of voice. "Don't you derogate or deride."

The lion cub looked behind him and happy relaxed a bit at the sight of Jokul.

However Facilier wasn't done. He waved his cane and the three of them were suddenly in a black void. "Your in my world now, not your world." With a snap of his fingers a door with a skull panted on it flashed into existence. "And I got friends on the other side."

"The other side" was echoed from unseen singers, sending goosebumps up Kovu's spine.

Facilier put a hand on Jokul's shoulder and Kovu's back. Smiling he ushered them through the door, since there was no were else to go and Jokul remained calm Kovu went along with it. Inside was a small room full of various objects that the lion cub could not put a name to. Right across from them along the far wall was a table with a purple cloth covering it, surrounded by three chairs.

"Sit down at my table and put your mind at ease." The witch Doctor said. "If you relax it will enable me to do anything I please."

The three sat down and Facilier pointed at Kovu. "I can read your future, I can change it round some to." He took a handful of powder and tossed it above the cub's head. The silhouette of a Manticore taking shape. "Make your wildest dreams come true." Kovu quickly swiped at the powder till the image disappeared.

Laughing Facilier took dolls, a dead chicken, and a small red wood box out and placed them on the table. Behind him his shadow moved of its own accord and completely separate from the witch doctor's actions. Lastly the man produced a large deck of over-sized cards. "The cards, the cards, the cards will tell." with ease he shuffled the cards and then with a flick of his thumb sent three cards to flutter face down on the table top. "The past, present, and the future as well." More shuffling then he held the hole deck out to the frost and lion spirits. "The cards, the cards, just take three. Then we'll take a little trip into your future with me."

Kovu looked to Jokul. The frost spirit placed a calming hand on the cubs head then took three at random. Kovu pointed out three of his own and the cards floated to land in front of him. Jokul placed his cards on the table as well and the witch Doctor waved his hands over the sets of three.

He pointed to Jokul first. "You young man are from across the sea, you come from two long lines of royalty." Jokul's first card showed an ice prince living in a palace with many people bowing to him in fear. "You use to live high," The second card was turned over showing the same prince falling from his throne and into a weak heap. "but you've fallen so low. So you've taken a deal with a spirit of snow." The bottom of the second card showed the prince and another winter being with a staff in hand. "So you want a way to be free, right! Go where you want without the Snow brat tying you down. The key to that is what he will be, And when I look into the further it's your freedom I see." The third card showed the prince back on the throne with an adult lion by his side.

Kovu looked at Jokul, the spirit was still calm and collected, but the look in his eyes said something else.

Facilier then turned to Kovu. "On you little one I don't want to waste much time. You've been pushed around all your life." The first card showed Kovu in his old pride. "You've been pushed around by your mother and your sister and your brother." At each family member mentioned an image appeared as the witch doctor swirled the card this way and that. "Now you find yourself free form their strife." The second card showed Kovu at the festival. "And in your future, the you I see is exactly the lion you always wanted to be!" The third card showed Kovu all grown up with Corena by his side. Zera's pride were redeemed and working for the good guys, and all the bad that the pride had afflicted was repaired. Kovu had to admit, he was really hoping that this was for real!

Facilier appeared behind them, his shadow however was still behind the chair he had been in a moment before. Smiling he held out his hands to the two of them. "Shake my hand. Come on boys, won't you shake a poor sinner's hand?" Kovu started to reach for the offered appendage, and Facilier grab his paw, snatching Joku's hand as well.

"Bum, Bum, Bum, Bum, Bum, Bum, Bum!" The sound of voices coming up behind them revealed that 11 masks were moving on their own. Kovu leapt into Jokul's lap as Facilier started casting magic and the masks spun around them. The dolls and chicken joined the frenzy and Kovu cowered in Jokul's arms.

"Can you feel it!" Facilier asked. "I hope you're satisfied! But if you ain't don't blame me! You can blame my friends on the other side!" Facilier blew a puff of air like he was blowing out a candle and everything went dark as they were returned to the void.

Finaly got more of a story going and on top of that a longer chapter! Thank you for reading, please review and/or PM.