I smell dirt. It's a little suffocating to breathe in.
Lounging in the lion den was Scar who has assumed the kingship of the Pride Lands. Zazu the red-billed hornbill was imprisoned in a skeleton rib cage.
"Oh, stop it, Zazu. You're bringing the mood down." Scar told the bird, examining his claws idly.
"Hah... Mufasa would never allow—"
Scar seethes at the mention of his deceased brother. "What! What did you say! I am the king!"
Banzai enters along with the other two of the hyena trio. "Hey, Boss, we gotta bone to pick with you."
"There's no food, no water! And we're starving!" Shenzi complained.
Scar sits upright. "I don't care. Eat Zazu."
"Things were better under Mufasa." Banzai grumbles.
Scar scowled. "Hmph, is that so. You're an eyesore! Get lost!"
The hyenas leave, Ed giggling and making incomprehensible sounds like the odd hyena of the group he was.
The sequence fades.
If he's gonna get mad about getting compared, he should do his job better. Being a king is not all about luxury, after all.
I open my eyes to find myself laid on a flat stone inside the vacant lion's den. It's cold in here. I sit up before leaving the den.
There I was, standing on Pride Rock where I have the perfect view of the Pride Lands. Unfortunately, the scenery is not delightful in the slightest.
Vegetation had died, the skies are perpetually murky of clouds that will never part open for the once beautiful blue sky, and wildlife is severely scarce. The circle of life was ruined by the corrupt king's seat on the throne.
I swerve to behold a prowling lion cloaked in black. Could that be Scar?
The black silhouette bearing a resemblance to Scar creeps towards me. I was being pushed back inside the den.
I step back until I made a mad dash for the path beyond the den leading to the top of Pride Rock. As long as I can get away from him and delay as much time, it didn't matter where I go.
It was a game of cat and mouse for the faceless Scar. He was deliberately slowing down to fill me with a sense of hope, only so he could watch it crumble to no recovery at the very end. I could almost hear villainous laughter ringing in my ears.
I arrived at the top. There was nowhere to run.
The Scar shadow strode towards me confidently, arrogantly.
My vain attempt in running away finally came to an end once I was pounced on by the edge of the cliff.
I grit my teeth and desperately wrestled against the lion. A sandstorm stirs.
From beneath the lion's paw, cracks form. My breath hitched.
I'm being turned to sand...?!
I stared back into the sneering eyes. This is just a dream. You've experienced worse than this. I'm not scared of Scar, sand or the darkness.
"We'd been prepared for you, Scar! We'll knock you off your high pedestal and teach you your place!" Was what I vowed before my conscience reeled towards reality.
...
Jack was taking his morning run around Night Raven College grounds when his sharp sense of smell detected something vaguely sweet. The scent led him to the run-down dorm that is Ramshackle.
"Isn't this where that woman lives?" He should check in to make sure she hasn't forgotten about the Magical Shift Tournament that is today. The dorm doesn't look like it's awake.
Jack passes through the gate and climbed up the stairs directing him to the dorm entrance. He opens the door. Though the dorm had been abandoned, it seems there has been efforts to clean the area to doable conditions by its only two residents.
He steps into the foyer.
"Oi, Strix! Where are you going?"
Jack's long white wolf ears twitched. That voice belonged to that talking furball always accompanying Ramshackle's prefect.
He follows the source to the base of the stairs in the hallway when his gold eyes widen. From the top of the stairs, Strix was about to fall down to where he stood!
Jack swiftly moves to catch the girl safely in his arms. A wave of the alluring sweet aroma fills his sensitive nostrils. His breath hitched. Suddenly his mind went numb. Whatever is the equivalent of catnip to canines, he feels a mild high invading his senses.
Unsuspecting of this, Grim was surprised to see the student from Savanaclaw here in Ramshackle. The gray monster climbs down the stair railing to meet at Jack's level and peers into Strix's unconscious face. "Strix!"
Jack snaps out of his reverie and looks down to examine her condition. From the rise and fall of her chest and her peaceful expression, she was...sleeping?
"Oi, wake up."
Long lashes quivered before slowly opening to reveal hazy yet stunning blue eyes.
Her brows slightly scrunched at the ceiling. "What...?" Her gaze then meets Jack's as she blinked. "Jack...?" Her confused expression said it all.
Grim released a sigh of relief. "You weren't kidding when you said this happens often. You were sleepwalking, y'know?"
Jack was surprised to learn this information. Had she tripped down the stairs in the past to not be fazed by it?
"That's dangerous." He almost raised his voice as he chided her. However, he refrains sparing any more words than that. He is definitely not worried about her. What if she got injured on this very day of the tournament when their plan is about to commence? They can't have that.
"I'm sorry." She looks to Jack. "Did you save me? Thank you..." Her hand lifts to settle on top of his silver white hair and ruffle it lazily. She must still be drowsy to comprehend her actions.
Jack stood rigid. Even so, how bold is this woman? She ought to have more self-awareness when she wakes up. Thank goodness she never got selected into Savanaclaw. She'd be devoured like prey on the spot.
Strix lets her hand fall limp and leans against Jack's chest and closed her eyes. A smile lifts her lips. "So warm..." She feels safe and secure in his strong arms. It's almost nostalgic. Reminds her of her big brother who would often carry her child self in his arms.
Jack's hold on the human tighten but not to the point of making her uncomfortable. She's small, and light as a feather. He's almost practically cradling her. The distinct scent she carries is not helping, either. To think it would be this intoxicating...
Jack internally shook his head vigorously. Keep it together, he repeated in a mantra. "H-Hey, don't go back to sleep. Today's the Magical Shift Tournament."
Grim gasped. "Ah! That's right! We gotta catch the culprit so Ramshackle Dorm can get our prize entry into the tournament."
Strix rubs her eyes. "Oh yeah. I have to get ready... You can put me down now, Jack. I'm awake enough to walk on my own."
Said boy just realized he's been holding her close to him the whole time. "R...Right. Sorry."
He settles the girl on the stairs and reexamines her from head to toe. Strix yawns, wearing a black T-shirt and khaki shorts that hides her feminine lines (which is honestly a relief as she's surrounded by men in this school). He still doubts she can move around without stumbling off to the side, since her eyes are barely open.
Strix assures, "Don't worry. I'll have my coffee and I'll be wide awake in an instant."
The wolf stared. She's full of openings. She must not be a morning person. "...See you at the coliseum, then. Don't you dare go back to sleep."
Strix bobbed her head and smiled drowsily. "I won't. Thanks for coming all the way here, Jack. Let's do our best."
She sees him out of the foyer. Once she closed the door, Jack climbed down the stairs and stepped out of the gate. Before he would leave through the forest, he had stopped in place and covered the lower half of his face with his hand that still failed to hide the warm color flooding his tanned cheeks. The memory of the sweet scent still lingers, sending his tail wagging. He'd hate to admit that he'd wish to bathe in her scent that he can't get enough of. Bad thoughts, bad!
Scratch Savanaclaw being dangerous. Strix herself is the danger.
...
The Side Street is branched from the Main Street where it leads to the coliseum at the far west of Night Raven College. As it is a special event today, the Side Street had transformed into a festival. A long line of shop booths and food stalls are on either side.
"Ah~!! Look at it all! There's so many things to eat!" Grim's aqua blue eyes shimmered with delight at the endless variety of food available to serve. "Churros, fried cake, and there's smoked chicken, too!"
I admire the spirit of the festivity while I snapped a few photos with the ghost camera. It's interesting to see a fair share of both human and animal-human hybrids mingling in the same area.
Meanwhile A-Deuce were slumped.
"Tch~ In the end I didn't get picked..." The former said dejectedly.
"Same..." The latter trailed after.
"There's always next year." I assure them.
"But we've got an important job to do today. Let's be alert." Deuce said, standing straighter dutifully.
"You're right. Let's do our best on that, I guess." Ace perks up.
However, Grim's thoughts are filled with food, unsurprisingly. "What's that takoyaki thing? I wanna try some!"
"Later! Come on, let's go!" Ace lifts Grim by the scruff of his collar and drags him along with us as we head to our destination.
When the tournament officially commenced and called on Diasomnia, a crowd of people suddenly rushed in like a stampede of wildebeests and overwhelmed the dorm.
Afterwards, Savanaclaw received news that Diasomnia has fallen to the point of being unable to participate.
The Magift stadium full of the residents cheered "Long live the king" for Leona like the pack of hyenas they mimicked from The Lion King movie.
That was when we made ourselves present.
I snapped a picture of the pre-celebratory scene before Riddle announced , "We have heard everything there is to know."
Ruggie and Leona were shocked upon seeing us. They quickly regain their composure at our seemingly not-so imposing threat of a presence.
"Well now, if it isn't Heartslabyul, all together. I see you've got our first year with you." Leona's green eyes glanced to Jack. "Did you transfer into Heartslabyul?"
Jack evenly returned his dorm leader's gaze and said firmly, "Right now I just can't stand being on your side."
Leona scowled. "You damn traitor!"
"An act that tarnished one of our traditions. As the dorm head of Heartslabyul that values 'strictness', I cannot turn a blind eye." Riddle crossed his arms and narrows his gray eyes.
"Hey, little master. Can you play your hero of justice game over there?" Leona snides.
"Intentionally coming into our territory with such a small number of people, you must be outta your minds!" Ruggie said.
"Leona, should we take them out?" A resident asked.
"Hmph. Go have some fun. However. Hands off the woman." Leona then sternly said, casting a quick glance of acknowledgement my way, much to my rising suspicion.
I stick close to the sides. True to Leona's word, not one Savanaclaw student tried to lay a finger on me. It might be because I don't pose much of a threat, though there was something else to it that I can't pinpoint on.
"Off With Your Head!"
"Grr... He's strong."
"The dorm head class is crazy..."
"Hmph. You're nothing worth mentioning. Ace, Deuce, can you continue?" Riddle asked.
"Good to go."
"Of course!"
Leona watched as Savanaclaw was instantly rendered magic-less by the magic collars. "Tch... These guys don't stand a chance against Riddle."
"Shishishi! But even if you beat us here, you're too late to help Diasomnia!" Ruggie said.
"Hoho? What a fascinating conversation." A petite seemingly young boy in an oversized Diasomnia uniform coat remarked.
"Who is too late?" A tall boy boomed with a firm stance.
"It's true, there is not a single injury among the Diasomnia players. Thanks to all of them." A silver-haired boy glanced to our group.
Ruggie's stormy gray eyes dilated. "Eh?! How?! I saw you caught in the stampede..."
Cater appears and chirped, "Too bad! That was a bunch of 'me's in disguise thanks to my unique magic Split Card."
Leona frowned. "What did you say?"
"I've always admired Diasomnia's dorm uniform~ I guess I got pretty lucky. I've got to put it on Magicam." Cater said.
"Well now. If that's the case I would have lent you my uniform any time." The petite boy offered amicably.
Cater's expression pulls back slightly. "Hmm, Lilia, your uniform would be a little tight on me..."
Leona puts an end to their side banter. "Hey, what is this farce?"
"We heard about it from Riddle. So we put on a little performance for you." Lilia replied.
Ruggie pales. "Th-Then... Malleus is?"
"Naturally, he is in good health!" The tall boy answered. "And he safely guided the panicked crowd to the coliseum without injury using magic. Be grateful!" In a way, Savanaclaw's scheme made Diasomnia's dorm leader look better.
"I-Is that even possible?!"
Leona was quiet until he slumped his shoulders. "Ah, whatever."
Ruggie shot a surprised look at the werelion. Did he misheard him? "Eh?"
"It's over. Over." He shrugs in resignation.
"Wait, Leona? What are you saying..."
"Idiot. If Malleus is going to play at top form, there's no way we can win. There's no meaning in that kind of game. I'm dropping out."
"N-No way... Malleus stuff aside, we took out all the other star players from the other dorms. But if you're not going to play, I don't know if we can make the top three... What's gonna happen to our dream?"
"No matter how much the world watches, we're just some students playing around. Going along with your daydreaming was something that amused me." Leona said nonchalantly with a smirk.
"Why...? Weren't we going to flip this world on its head?!" Ruggie cried.
Leona scowls. "Your nagging is annoying... Let me give you a dose of reality. You are a hyena raised in the trashy slums and I'm the loathed second prince who will never be king! No matter what, that will never be overturned!"
Ruggie's fists shook. "Don't... Don't screw with me! What the hell is that! Giving up after we've come this far..."
The rest of Savanaclaw's residents side with Ruggie.
"Don't do that to us, Leona!"
"We're gonna make you play even if you fight!"
Leona's patience reached its limit. "Ugh... Pain in the ass. Shut up you bottom feeders!"
I hear the sound of ink dripping. Where did that come from?
A flurry of sand permeates the air. Ruggie was grabbed by the forearm. The grip must be tightening as he sank to his knees and also gagged in the process. The residents' sensitive senses were affected by the sand nicking at them and screamed.
"Wh-What's going on? My nose feels dry...and my eyes hurt!" Grim rubs his irritated eyes.
"Everything that Leona-senpai touched is turning into sand...?!" Jack exclaimed.
Leona said, "This is my unique magic... King's Roar. Ironic, isn't it? For a prince of the savannah, that hates droughts above all, to be born with this... Magic that dries out all and turns it into sand!"
Ruggie struggles to resist the dorm leader's grip on his arm. "Leo...na... I can't...!"
My breath hitched against the arid air. On Ruggie's arm, fissures can be seen. This is like that dream...
"Ruggie's arm is starting to crack!" Deuce pointed out.
Ace's eyes widen. "He can do that to people, too?!"
Riddle pales dreadfully at the sight. "Leona, stop this immediately! Off With Your Head!!"
However, the collar failed to latch around Leona's neck.
Grim gasped. "Riddle's collar was repelled!"
"You have talent but don't underestimate your seniors. Unfortunately for you, I have good marks in defensive magic." Leona told the redhead.
Riddle grits his teeth.
This is bad. If not even Riddle can stop Leona, then Ruggie's life is in mortal danger.
Fear grips hold of my heart. I had a vision of a person crumbling to sand. I saw myself fading with the wind in my dream. Is that what the dream was trying to tell me?
"Let go of him!"
A lion's roar reverberated across the Magift stadium.
Leona's eyes dilated. Before he could do anything, he was pounced on by a rainbow lion. Ruggie collapsed to the floor free from his vice grip and wheezes from the dry cloudy air.
Though surprised by the spirit's appearance, Riddle took the chance when Leona's guard was down to use his unique magic. A pained cry escapes him upon the magic collar clicking around his neck. Riddle managed to stop his magic!
The sand stirring around the field disappears.
"Quick, bring Ruggie here!" I ordered Aura Lion. The spirit removes himself from pinning Leona to pick up the hyena by the collar and swinging him over to his back before running to where we stood. Meanwhile Diasomnia goes to bring the injured out of the field.
Aura Lion returns to my side with the limp hyena boy. My heart almost sank to the pit of my stomach as I took in the sight of Ruggie's arm. Despite the once arid air, I was sweating nervously. "Ruggie-senpai, stay with us! Aura Lion, can you heal him?"
The lion spirit solemnly shook his head. Is there a Dream Eater who can?
Meanwhile Leona stood back to his feet now sporting the collar. "Damn you! A collar, and on a lion like me...?!" Leona was livid as his pride was wounded severely. Emerald green surrounding thin black pupils zeroed on me. "Oi, woman! You have guts for summoning a lion familiar against me."
While hovering over Ruggie, I shot a glare at the lion prince, unwilling to back down. Aura Lion growls at him and stands in front of me protectively.
"Leona-senpai..." Jack stepped forward. "I...I...! I wanted to get into this school because I looked up to you! Where did the guy I looked up to go?!"
Leona grows irritable. "Don't just shove your dreams onto me... So annoying..."
Riddle stands before his fellow dorm leader. "I may not have the right to say anything, but I can't stand to look at you right now. Confine yourself to your room and cool your head for a bit!"
"...What do any of you know? Don't order me around like my older brother..." Leona mumbles.
Lilia had remained with us in the stadium and was watching until he said, "Hmph. Men like you are much more suited for that collar than a crown. Listening to a royal lion of the savannah talk like this is appalling."
Leona swerved to the petite student and flashed his fangs. "...Huh?!"
"You appear to be lamenting how you'll never be king due to natural skills and order of birth but... You live slothfully if you aren't rewarded, if things don't go according to your expectations you become petty and find fault in your retainers. To become a king as you are... The thought of you becoming a competitor to our Lord Malleus makes me laugh. Even if you are able to defeat him, as long as you hold that rotten grudge in your heart... You will never become a true king!"
I was internally screaming. He's not saying anything wrong, no I fully attest what he said, but he's driving Leona to the edge by verbally laying down all of his insecurities and source of depression. Wouldn't negative emotions and overusing magic lead to Overblot?
Leona laughs wryly. "Ah, you're right. You're precisely right. It's like you said..." I think he might have lost it once he laughed again. "I can never become king... No matter how hard I work...!"
The air stirs again.
"What's going on?! All my fur is standing on end!" Grim whimpers.
"Leona's magic is increasing rapidly..." Riddle visibly struggles as he said, "I can't keep the seal on...!!!"
"No. This isn't magic at all. The amount of evil, negative energy..." Lilia's blood red eyes dilated. "He can't be!"
"Everyone, get back!" Cater cried.
We braced ourselves. Leona's collar snaps in half, allowing his magic to permeate the atmosphere and obscure the once blue skies to murky black.
Cater's green eyes widen. "He blew off Riddle's magic sealing collar?!"
"I've been loathed since I was born, no place to belong and no future in sight. That will never change, even if I try. This agony, this despair... How could any of you possibly understand!" Leona screams.
A lion's roar not belonging to my Dream Eater emerged from behind the man. Opaque black ink rises to swallow Leona whole. A shadow monster resembling Scar, but with a bottle of ink for a face, manifests from the newly transformed Leona.
He certainly looks wilder than before, for a lack of eloquent remark. His hair was flowing, skin grayer, and he wore a thick black fur collar over his chest and a corset. Though Overblot transformation makes people ominous, you can't deny the cool getup. This is me being optimistic.
"Wh-What the hell?! A giant shadow just came out of Leona's body!" Jack said.
"That's a...blot incarnation!" Deuce said, referring to the Scar shadow.
"He's going 'evil berserker mode' just like Riddle did?!" Exclaimed Grim.
Riddle clenched his teeth. He commands, "Retreat on your own if you can stand! Ace, Deuce, carry the injured outside. Lilia-senpai, please go get the teachers for assistance!"
"Yes!"
"Understood. Hang in there until I return." Lilia nodded before disappearing in sparkles.
Overblot Leona's roars sent tremors across the stadium. I suppressed a shiver. It's as if a real lion is about to hunt us and tear our flesh apart.
Cater made a reluctant, resigned sound. "Why do we always get involved in scary things? I'm not made for this kind of stuff!"
"I won't mind if you run away in fear." Riddle told the ginger, unbudging as he was faced with the imposing threat of Savanaclaw.
"Trey would have my head if I left you here all alone. I've got your back, Dorm Head." Cater said.
"I don't really get what's going on, but we just have to knock Leona back to his senses, right?" Jack asked.
It was then Ruggie regains the strength to stand. He slipped from Aura Lion's back and weakly began, "I...I'll help too..." He coughed and almost tripped over his feet if it wasn't for the lion spirit to help hoist him up. The hyena continued, "I can't just lay here after all he said..."
"A lowly hyena is going to defy me?" Leona laughs one of distortion. "What a dumb joke. None of you will see the morning sun!"
"If we catch him, we're gonna be in the Magical Shift Tournament! No holding back!" Grim said.
I squinted through the sand screen. "Here he comes! Aura Lion, I'm counting on you." I told the spirit.
Said Dream Eater enters the battlefield and assumes his fighting stance, bright rainbow palette easily identifiable through the dirt and darkness.
"If I can't overturn the world, I'll turn it all into sand! All this meaningless... Everything!" Leona roared.
I frowned. Did Leona really wanted to become king like Scar when their older brothers were crowned as the first heir to the throne? Did he too simply wish to claim the title for power? There has to be more than that. This is real life, not a questionable script with plot holes. Leona can't be that shallow.
Aura Lion runs in a zigzag and leaps for the blog incarnation. He swipes his claws at its ink jar. The Scar shadow flailed in pain, swinging its paw blindly to smack the spirit away. Aura Lion was slapped to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt obscuring him from sight.
I gasped. "Aura Lion!"
The ground quaked from the blot monster's weight bouncing from place to place. I stumbled to my knees. Seeing my kneeling form vulnerable and open for the take, Leona lifted his arm, the Scar shadow mimicking him.
Multiple cries shouting for me to run settled in my ears a second too late.
Jack foresaw this late reaction and knew he had to take matters in his own hands.
"Strix! 'Unleash Beast'!" The howling of a wolf pierced the Magift stadium. Replacing Jack was a giant white wolf. No one could register this bizarre transformation with the little time there is. The beast runs with his strong hind legs for me, a white blur.
"Transformation magic? That's your unique magic? So you can turn into an actual dog..." Leona darkly chuckles.
I was dreadfully watching as the massive paw was about to hammer me to the ground. The time for me to scramble to my feet and run from its hit range is too many seconds. I couldn't escape.
Just when I feared the worst, I spot Jack running to me with my 2.0 vision. I quickly got up on my two feet and squatted just in time to leap on his broad back. The paw nearly had me in its clutches for if I had stayed for another second.
I clung to the wolf's hide until we reeled to a stop that I look up to see we had safely evaded the attack. We were back with the boys' side facing off Leona. Aura Lion had risen to his legs and shook off the dirt and debris from his red mane before growling at Leona.
I would have ogled at Jack's wolf form if death wasn't rampaging right now. "Thanks, Jack. You saved me, again." He caught me from face planting to the bottom of the stairs this morning, and now I've avoided being flattened into a pancake. He's actually a really good boy, and I mean that in two ways.
Jack reverts to his human form after I dismounted. Ruggie, Riddle, and Cater continue casting offensive elemental magic spells Leona. He proves to be very strong, yet this is the same man who gave up in a heartbeat.
My eyes dart everywhere searching for anything that could help take down Leona before he goes utterly berserk. However I can't see without shielding my eyes from the ongoing sand...
Upon landing on Aura Lion, a plan suddenly clicked.
Having telepathically read my mind, Aura Lion nods affirmatively. He abruptly changes course and runs to the spectator seats.
I shout, "Everyone! On my signal, aim your strongest fire magic at Aura Lion!"
"Sounds like Supervisor's got a plan up her sleeve. You got it!" Cater winked.
Ruggie was quiet, wondering what I was scheming.
The lion Dream Eater climbs up the pillar of the spectator seats before bouncing to the black lion shadow.
"Now!"
Everyone delivers their fire magic at Aura Lion. Fireballs surround the spirit in a ring of inferno. A mighty roar is unleashed. An aura as bright and sweltering as the sun itself courses across the stadium, and a curtain of fire fell.
Everyone covered their eyes from the intense light.
Being right beneath the lion, Leona took the direct hit and hissed. He feels his skin being nipped continuously. Sparkle particles rain upon the field.
Riddle's gray eyes widen. "This is...!"
I smirked. "When you mix sand and fire, you get glass!" I then command, "Use Fire Windmill!"
Aura Lion swoops for the final blow, a spiral of flames forming in front of him until he head butts into the Scar incarnation.
The linked monster silently screams along with Leona and throw their head back recoiling from the attack.
"King... I'll...be..."
Just like with Riddle, I snapped a photo just before Leona's Overblot transformation leaves him. I then lose my consciousness to the experience I dubbed "Dream Drop Dive".
~~~~~~~
Sand Dream
~~~~~~~
Here I was in the middle of the black and white cinema again, this time starring Leona Kingscholar under the title "Royal Brother Miserable".
Leona's voice narrates, ["Since I was born, it's felt like there's an immovable stone atop my head."]
The scenery takes place at a savannah, presumably where Leona's castle is situated.
Black silhouettes of humans with animal ears protruding appear.
A man sighed. "His Highness Farena is so bright and cheerful but... Why is his younger brother so hard to please..."
"On top of that, he can use magic that can change anything to sand. So terrifying.." A female servant's voice trembled at the potential of disaster the second prince may bring.
"Could the two of you keep your mouths shut? What if someone heard you?" A third servant hushes them severely.
["Had I been born first, I'm sure they'd sing a different tune. 'His Highness Leona is so thoughtful and an extremely formidable wizard. Completely different from his carefree brother.' But because I was born second instead, everything I do gets nitpicked, they extol the first born at the expense of the second."]
["No matter what I do, I'll never be first."]
The background switches to a bedroom. A tall silhouette of long hair and rounded cat ears appears.
"Leona! Why were you not present at the ceremony today?" Farena asked in an upset tone.
"Ceremony? Aah, that doting-parent-party you threw to show off your son to the people? My apologies. It seems I fell back to sleep." There was ingenuity behind Leona's voice.
Is this a parallel to when Scar didn't show up to the inspiring opening scene in the beginning of the movie? Mufasa had a little talk with him, too. I kind of want to see what Farena looks like. And his son, too.
"It's an important day to show the people the face of their future king." Farena explained.
"It truly is an auspicious day. It's the day the loathed second prince forever lost his claim to the throne." Leona flatly stated.
"Don't talk like that!"
"The first born really has it easy. Even if all you do is laze about sleeping or singing all day, you can become king."
"Leona..." Farena heaved a sigh. "You are intelligent. Certainly there are things you can do for this country even though you can't become king."
"If becoming king was something achieved with intelligence I would have no shortage of motivation." Leona shot back and walks past his brother and out of the room.
"Leona. Stop right there, Leona!" Farena's protests fell on deaf ears.
["Why is that just because I was born a few years later I have to go through all of this? I can study everything, learn all the magic there is in this world... From the moment I was born until the day I die, I will never be seen as greater than my brother and I will never be king."]
["Why was I born as the second prince? Why will I forever be barred from being number one? Why? Why? Why?"]
["Life is unfair."]
The memory ends.
My lips had formed a thin line. To be overlooked simply because you're not born first is something you can't change. I sympathize that fact from the bottom of my heart. Although I may not have inferiority complex to a sibling, I do admit to be trapped in self-loathing and in my own insecurities like Leona.
Why was I born to kill my mother? Will I ever be free from the scornful eyes haunting me as I breathe? Why did I deserve the disdain and hatred? I think those things to myself almost everyday, even in another world.
"Life is unfair" indeed. Then again, when was life ever fair?
The cinema dissipates into sand. I was falling again, this time through the azure blue skies. The wind roars in my ears.
From below lies the famous Pride Rock. When I arrived, I was softly floating to land gently upon the reclining stone platform. Despite the vibrant world of nature surrounding me, my skin was white and my clothes are flat and bold in color akin to an animated character. Again, this same experience with Riddle struck me as peculiar.
Thunder strikes. My dislike of thunder since I was little was still engraved in me. I instinctively sank to the ground and hunched over to block the noise I hated out of my head.
Once the thunderclaps ceased, I slowly look up.
My breath hitched. Right before me was Overblot Leona sitting on his throne made of stones. He was looking down on me, a blot-coated fist to his cheek. There's a brightness in his dull green eyes, orange flame burning in his left, mocking me.
"This kingdom is under my rule." Is what Leona stated. I did not need to look to see the savannah had been covered in a blanket of dark, foul miasma influenced by the corrupt king on the throne. The once beautiful nature of the wilderness was tainted.
Despite being within arm reach, I glared fiercely. "Are you really satisfied now that you're king?"
He sniffed. "Foolish question. Of course I am. I've yearned for this day. A king undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder I am (1)."
I stared with unwavering azure blue eyes. "But you don't really want the position, do you? You just want the title so that everyone can look at you the way they did to your brother." I say in a calm, even tone that meant no harm.
His lion ears twitched once. Emerald green eyes narrowed. His lips had pulled into a scowl at the mention of his brother,
A sharp yelp escaped me upon the weight slamming me into the cold stone surface. Large callous hands dyed in pitch black were slick and cold to the touch around my wrists.
His looming shadow hovers over me.
"Be prepared to get gobbled up, little birdie." White fangs glinted as they come for my neck.
He was an inch away from tearing my flesh until he came to a pause. The brunet pulled back to peer into my face. Clear blue pools were still as the calm waters.
I found myself strangely composed despite being pinned by the intimidating beastman. I was literally trapped. There was no way I could ever win through raw strength against a lion. I would normally cower in fear. Yet I wasn't.
Leona's cold grip on my wrists tighten. I couldn't feel them at this point. Resisting was futile.
The fire burning in his gaze clashed with his touch. "Is that pity I see?"
"No," I softly replied. "It's empathy."
Doubt swims inside his dull eyes.
I continued, "You were born only to be overshadowed by your brother. I was born only to have killed my mother in exchange. In a way, we were held contempt for simply existing into the world."
Leona detected no lie behind my words. He frowns slightly, though there was something stirring inside his eyes.
"We were unloved. I had lost all hope to live at age five. Until I met someone who gave me a reason to live."
The first person to come to mind was my brother Caelum. My great grandfather Sidney was the first to let me start over. Caelum was the one who taught me how to emote, something my grandparents and estranged father never once believed I could do. How I act and behave is derived from what I learned from him.
If only Leona had someone who supported him like Sidney and Caelum did for me. He wouldn't have drowned himself in sloth. Perhaps his animosity towards his brother wouldn't have caused an obvious strain in their relationship and instead would have been healthy sibling rivalry.
"You don't have to be king to make your life meaningful, to make yourself meaningful. Why do you let others judge you? Lions are supposed to be proud of who they are."
"When you gave up with your scheme once we caught you in the act, I was pissed. You risked people's safety for your gain and threw all of that aside in a heartbeat. You can't half-ass it and get away with it. I won't let you." I slipped my hands out of his grip to hold his head. Leona flinched.
"That's why I won't be sorry once I do this." I lean forward, closing in our already close proximity. The brunet held his breath.
Until I clashed my forehead against his with a resounding thud.
Now we were hunched over the ground holding our throbbing foreheads. Even in the dream realm the pain hurts like in reality. Ow...
"That's for almost killing Ruggie-senpai..." I said, biting back the tears from swelling. I wouldn't have done this to the real Leona since we're still strangers, so instead I took it out on the Leona in the dreams. It's easier since it's only in the mind, and he likely won't remember it assuming he ends up having Riddle's unawareness of the dream sequence after this.
Leona's tail lashed side to side to convey irritation. I could almost hear him holding his tongue from the mention of Ruggie, though. "You're one bold herbivore..."
"I'm no herbivore," I refuted coolly. I face Leona and boasted a proud smile as the pain subsided. "I'm a night owl. At the very least, I'm an omnivore."
Leona stared. What I didn't expect was for him to burst into hearty laughter free from distorted darkness. I may have gotten ahead of myself, but I didn't regret head butting him.
A wide grin was plastered. "Interesting. You have nerves of steel. I don't dislike that."
The murky smog green sky clears. Rays of sunlight sheds onto the Pride Lands.
As the golden white light washed over the lion beastman, the darkness leaves him.
"Good luck surviving in a den of wolves. You won't last long." There was a healthy challenging tone in the original Leona's voice.
I am a non-magic human girl in a world of wizards. That fact will never be let up as long as I remain in Twisted Wonderland as a reminder. However, despite the hurdles, I never let myself be held back simply because I possess no magic.
My expression solidified in determination. I myself was entertained by the prospect of reigning supreme without the need of magic. "We'll see about that."
Haughty emerald green eyes never leave me as Leona disappears in soft light from the imaginary world.
My shoulders finally relaxed from the tension I hadn't registered until now. I plopped my back on the Pride Rock as the world slowly dissipates in the same manner as Leona. The blue skies are stunning. The warmth and light they bring reminds me of my brother.
I lifted my hand to the sky.
"Caelum..."
The blinding white light curtain drapes my vision.
...
(1) - I took this line from Scar's "Be Prepared" song. I was actually a little proud of sneaking that in lol