Gummi Ship
The Gummi ship flew its' way to the next world, Simba's World. They flew above the world, looking down upon it. "The Pride Lands still look dead from here." Asuna pointed out, seeing the world down below.
"I hope Simba is doing alright." Sora pondered.
"I just can't wait to become a wildcat again." Kirito stated, walking up to the transporter, "That was a lot of fun."
"Let's figure this all out once we go down to Pride Rock." Asuna stated as she and Sora led the others to Kirito. Yui set in the coordinates, and they went down to the surface.
When they arrived, they've turned into animals again. They easily got the feel of moving around as animals again as they walked through the vast, empty plains of the Pride Lands. They were walking their way to Pride Rock when Donald spotted something from a distance. It was those same three hyena, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, running towards their group. Both parties stopped as they drew in close.
"Oh, it's you guys." Shenzi moaned, seeing them, "Man, we were hoping you were a meal."
"Glad to know your limits, huh?" Kirito asked them in an amused tone.
"Hiya!" Sora greeted cheerfully.
"Don't gimme any of that 'hiya' stuff!" barked Banzai, triggering the team's preparation for battle, "Thanks to you clowns, we're back to scavenging scraps for a living." Ed chuckled for no apparent reason.
"C'mon, it's not that bad." Shenzi stated, walking away, "I enjoyed that week-old elephant we had yesterday."
"Hey, how's Simba doing?" Kirito asked Shenzi. For some unknown reason, she stopped and started to laugh ominously at this.
"We gotta laugh every time we hear that dude's name." Banzai stated amusingly.
"Ooh. Say it again!" Shenzi asked, turning to Banzai.
"Simba." Banzai said longingly. Shenzi laughed again as she walked closer to him.
"One more time!" she told him.
"Simba." Banzai said again, making Shenzai laugh even harder. He said Simba's name again, and now all three hyenas were whooping with laughter, unable to control themselves. The six heroes stared at each other, confused and angered at their taunting.
"That's enough!" Sora growled, causing them to stop laughing.
"Why're you guys making fun of Simba?" Asuna said sternly, "Is there something you guys aren't telling us?"
"Why don't you go on then, and see for yourself." Shenzi told them as the hyenas walked away, "Simba is one wishy-washy king."
"Yeah, I bet about now, even some of those high and mighty lionesses were wishin' they'd gotten themselves a different king." agreed Banzai.
The team looked to each other as the hyena's left, wondering. "Gawrsh, whaddaya think coulda happened?" Goofy asked.
"I'm not sure." Kirito answered, "But they wouldn't taunt Simba unless there is a good reason."
"Well, let's go find Simba and see." Sora stated, turning to Pride Rock. The team dashed they're way over to the large landscape in the distance.
The team wandered their way towards Pride Rock. As they drew in close, Asuna looked up to see a swarm of black energy flying down in front of them. The team watched as the energy morphed together, forming a dark character which they knew too well. "Scar?!" Sora and Kirito said in unison. They dashed at the evil lion together. As they were about to pounce onto him, Scar vanished along with the dark energy. The two boys looked around, confused.
"W-What was that?" Asuna asked, frightened slightly at what they saw.
"It looked...sort of like a ghost." Yui stated.
"A ghost?" questioned Donald.
"We'd better tell Simba about this." Goofy suggested, looking towards the caves of Pride Rock, "Wonder if he's up there..."
"Let's go talk to him." Kirito told the group, and he led them to the top of Pride Rock.
When they got up there, they noticed Nala coming out of the lion's den, and she turned to see them come close. "Have you come to see Simba?" she asked them.
"That, and to inform him of something." Asuna stated.
"We saw Scar's ghost!" Sora added.
"An omen like that could only be foretelling the end of our pride." Nala replied, "Yet… King Simba won't do a thing. I guess just being the son of the great King Mufasa doesn't necessarily mean he's ready to rule the kingdom himself."
"Why? Shouldn't he get some special training before becoming king?" Kirito asked.
"I know he'll be fine being the king." Sora told him.
"How do you know?" Kirito asked, bewildered by Sora's carefree answer.
"Trust me, Simba will think of something." Sora replied.
"But I think the time for thinking is not now." Kirito retorted, "It's time for him to take action."
"His father would've done the same." Nala agreed, "He ruled with courage and pride. I remember it like it was yesterday… The mighty Mufasa."
"Sounded like a great leader." Asuna guessed.
"Simba'll do all that, too. You'll see!" Sora exclaimed.
"I'm not so sure." Nala muttered, walking past the group.
"Well, just wait here for a moment. We'll go talk to Simba." Kirito told her. She looked back and nodded. The group entered the den, with Sora in the lead.
"You sure we can help Simba?" Asuna asked. "It's better than nothing." Kirito replied as they went into the darkness of the den.
The team entered to see Simba laying on a stone slab with a depressed look on his face. He turned to see them enter in. "You came back…" he said, giving them a half-hearted smile.
"Are you okay?" Donald asked.
"You don't look so good." Goofy noticed.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Yui asked him. Simba merely laid his head back down to rest.
"Hey, Simba. Why don't we team up and do something about that Scar ghost?" Sora suggested, "Seems like everybody's worried about it."
"I think now's the time to show off some of that lion's pride of yours to everyone. Show 'em what you're made of." Kirito added.
This attempt to rally up Simba did not work as it should. He growled angrily as he stood up and glared at them. "That doesn't concern you!" He roared at them, startling them all. The team all looked nervously at Simba, with the exception of Kirito.
"Hey! You don't have to lash out at us like that." he barked back.
There was a pause as the two glared at each other, then Simba sighed, "Sorry..."
"It's okay." replied Sora.
Simba turned to one side. "I just wish I knew what my father would do." he muttered.
"But he's not here anymore, Simba." Asuna told him, "Now's the time for you to step up. And that means you have to decide what're you gonna do now that you are the king. Not what your father would have done." Everyone nodded in agreement at Asuna's words.
"So you're saying...it's all up to me..." Simba summed up.
"See, there ya go!" Sora acknowledged.
"Exactly!" "Yup, yup!" agreed two other voices. The group turned to see Timon and Pumbaa standing right next to Sora. "We know your dad was a great king, and all. But now it's your turn." Timon stated, walking up in front of Simba, "Remember what I taught ya; 'You gotta put the past behind you.' It's time to go out there and show everybody things are gonna be just fine."
"That's exactly the point we're trying to get across!" Kirito stated.
"Yeah, you can do it!" cheered Sora.
"You gotta live for today!" Timon quoted.
"And find your own path!" Pumbaa added as he strutted.
Simba contemplated these words. "Live for today..." he echoed, "And find my own path, not my father's..."
"That's it!" Sora stated.
"You finally got it!" Asuna sighed in relief.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Simba." Nala added, who just walked in.
"Nala!" squawked Donald as she got next to Simba. She stood right next to him, looking to the group.
"Promise me you'll help Simba any way you can." she asked them.
"As long as Sora, Kirito and Asuna handles the dangerous parts!" Timon added. The trio nodded.
Nala and Simba turned to each other. "I'm counting on you, Simba...and so is our baby." she added as they nuzzled one another.
"You mean...you're pregnant?!" Asuna gasped happily, "Oh, congratulations!"
Just how long have we been away? Kirito thought to himself. The others happily looked at the couple.
"Great! Now we're going to have to babysit!" Timon moaned. Everyone laughed at this statement.
"Let's go see Rafiki first." Simba suggested, "I'm sure he'll be able to tell us something about that ghost."
"Sounds great to me." Sora answered, and with that, they moved out.
As Simba led the six out of the cave, Kirito asked him how to properly attack someone if they are dashing. Outside, Simba demonstrated a running tackle for them to learn. The three young wildcats got the feeling of it after a few tries. Once they figured it out, they walked out to Rafiki's tree.
The team walked into the tree to see Rafiki, who notice the team walk in, especially Simba. "Oh ho ho!" he chuckled, "The king, he is ready to be king?"
"I think so." Simba replied.
"Can you tell us about Scar's ghost?" Sora asked the baboon.
"Oh yeah...the ghost." he remembered, "A being with no body. It is created when the evil heart of Scar meets the hesitating heart of Simba."
Everyone looked from Rafiki to Simba. "Hesitating?" He asked.
"Ohhhh... You thought you were not?" questioned Rafiki.
"Though that ghost does seem to sound like a Heartless." Kirito muttered.
"Hmm, I don't know." Sora replied.
"You're right, you don't." Rafiki agreed, "But you do know it is upsetting. And it is upsetting the hearts of everyone in the Pride Lands. You may not know what it is, but it still IS."
"Gah, now I'm even more confused." sighed Asuna, "One thing's for sure; we need to take care of this ghost, and find the source of it, or else it will keep attacking everyone in this world."
"This world, it is full of such things." Rafiki stated, "And these things, a king must face. It is the test that has been set for you, Simba."
"That's all? Come on." Simba moaned, "You have to tell us more about the ghost..."
"No, not today!" Rafiki retorted, "But the hyenas in the elephant graveyard may know more."
I think he is trying to say he has no clue. Kirito thought to himself.
"Does not matter, though." Rafiki continued, "There is little the Simba of late can do."
"Aw, don't say that!" Sora retorted, "Not when he's ready to try!"
"In the head, perhaps, but what about his heart?" questioned the monkey.
"I'm sure it is ready, too!" cried Yui.
"Forget it, guys." Simba told them, "Let's head for the elephant graveyard." With that, the team left the tree and went for the graveyard.
When they started to cross the savannah, they met up with Scar's ghost again. It startled Simba and Asuna, but the moment the boys got close, it disappeared. Kirito looked at Simba after the ghost disappeared. Was Rafiki right about Simba's heart not ready to take this fight on? Kirito was concern about this. As for Asuna, her fear of ghosts was obvious. The team ran through the barren lands, fighting all the Heartless that appeared around them. From Shadows, to Living Bones and Bolt Towers, there were tons of difficult enemies that impeded their path. Eventually, the team made it to the elephant graveyard. The place was just as gloomy as before, except for a few dimly lit torches. Sora gasped at the size of this place as they walked. Finally, they noticed the trio of hyenas just standing around.
"Hey you!" squawked Donald, drawing the hyenas' attention.
"Aw, c'mon, can't you guys just leave us alone?" Banzai moaned.
"We'll leave once we ask you some questions." Asuna replied as Simba stepped forward.
"Do you three know anything about Scar's ghost?" he asked them.
"Huh? Scar's ghost?" echoed Shenzi with a fake confused manner. Ed started to do his usual demented laugh as he and Shenzi took off.
"Maaaybe." Banzai answered as he turn and ran.
"You DO know!" barked Sora.
"After them!" declared Kirito.
The team started their chase after the three hyenas. They split into groups: Asuna went after Shenzi alone, Kirito and Simba raced after Banzai, and Sora, Donald and Goofy ran after Ed. The hyenas' only plan was to flee from them, or at least not be caught. Asuna was easily doing well chasing after Shenzi, for her speed was more than enough to give her the upper hand. "Where do you think you're going?" she taunted as she sped up to meet her, She then slashed and jabbed repetitively at her, but it wasn't fully enough to take her down.
Meanwhile, Kirito and Simba were having trouble catching up with Banzai, who was evasive whenever they got close. As they pursued, there was a cross-path, and Banzai turned left. "Simba, go right!" Kirito shouted, and Simba went the other direction while Kirito kept in pursuit of Banzai. They chased along the boney path, rounded the corner, and Banzai realized that Simba was coming at him. Simba furiously went into a series of slashes, followed by Kirito, who knocked Banzai into the air with a strong uppercut. Banzai fell to the floor, but still had enough stamina to continue on.
"Get back here!" Simba shouted, and the boys pursued once more.
Sora, Donald and Goofy were having trouble with Ed as well. As demented as the hyena was, it was that unpredictability that threw them off. The trio had a few swings at it every once and a while, but it was still pretty evasive. "Stay put!" Donald squawked angrily as Ed ran off, laughing maniacally.
"Form a triangle around him!" Sora suggested, and the trio did just that. Ed attempted to slip between Sora and Goofy, but they quickly knocked him strongly with a barrage of attacks, ending with Donald conjuring Thunder. Ed managed to stay on its' feet, and continue running, with the others chasing after him.
The hyenas got together again and started running as a trio away from the team, who were starting to get worn from all the running. "We gotta find a way to end this!" Sora moaned as he ran.
"Then let's out maneuver them with a few tricks of our own." Asuna suggested, "Let's use the environment to our advantage!"
"Sounds like a plan to me." Kirito agreed, and the group split up back into their teams again. Asuna leapt up onto the ledge and ran along side Shenzi from above. She then took one leap, and pounced down onto the female hyena. Shenzi howled as she was knocked down, and Asuna unleashed a flurry of jabs from her Lambent Light, officially knocking Shenzi down for good.
Meanwhile, Donald was playing bait for Ed, who was starting to pursue him. Goofy and Sora were above them, with a pile of bones at the ready. As soon as Donald passed the spot, Sora and Goofy shoved the massive pile down to the ground. Ed was able to avoid them by running around in a circle, but he got cornered within the walls of the pile. The trio dove right into the pile, and made sure that Ed was gonna stay down.
Simba and Kirito were getting right next to Banzai. Simba made a pounce, but Banzai avoided it, and he fell behind. Kirito looked back only for a second to Simba tumble around on the ground. He then looked ahead and saw the elephant skeleton in front of him, which went down the upcoming hill. Kirito moved himself towards the skeleton, and he slid down the bones, which was a lot faster than running. He got to the ground and cut in front of Banzai, who was startled at how he was able to get in front. Kirito pounced at him, and pinned him down, making sure he wasn't going anywhere. All three hyenas were being dragged over into a corner, and the team confronted the group. The three looked beaten, but they still kept their sassy nature.
"Oh no… I guess you caught us ALL." Banzai said in a dramatic tone, but then chuckled after.
"What're we gonna do?" Shenzi questioned. Ed started to laugh as well.
"What's with them?" Kirito asked under his breath, "Why are they so confident?"
"Tell me about Scar's ghost!" Simba demanded.
"Sorrrry. We don't know nothin'." Banzai answered.
"Ooh, wait!" Shenzi said abruptly, "It's coming back to me! That's the one that only hangs out around fraidy cat. Right, Banzai?"
"Enough!" growled Simba as Ed laughed some more.
Suddenly, from behind, darkness seem to form Scar's ghost once again. The team turned to see it appear. "And there it is!" exclaimed Shenzi as the ghost formed, "Heh, heh, heh. Must be a fraidy cat around here somewhere!"
Everyone glared at the dark ghost in front of them. Kirito did notice Asuna shuttering, so he placed a paw on her's. Asuna looked to Kirito, and she started to calm down a bit. "Simba! Do something!" Sora told Simba, who was looking a bit anxious himself.
"How does it feel to be king, hmm?" questioned Scar's ghost, getting everyone's attention, "Why, you must be a truly inspiring ruler by now. After all, you ARE the son of the great Mufasa." Simba was backing away from the ghost, scared of its' words. Finally, he couldn't handle it anymore, and he ran off.
"Where're you going?" Sora asked, seeing Simba run off.
"Come back, Simba!" Yui cried out, but to no reply.
"Ah, Simba…running away as always." said Scar's ghost in an amused tone. Simba rounded the corner, and disappeared from view.
"Simba!" Kirito shouted. Scar's ghost vanished in a withering of darkness.
The three hyenas started walking away, laughing their hearts out at the cowardice of Simba. "Shut it!" Asuna shouted to the hyenas, now getting back her courage.
"Gawrsh, Rafiki was right." Goofy mumbled in a sad tone.
"You mean, Simba's still unsure?" Sora asked.
"Does seem to be the case." Kirito replied, "Simba may talk tough, but he wasn't truly prepared for this."
After a pause, Goofy asked, "Do ya think there's some way we can help?"
"Hmm… We should start by talking to Simba some more." Sora suggested.
"But we already tried that." Asuna pointed out, "Do you think talking to him more will do the trick?"
"Let's start by finding Simba." Kirito suggested, "We should head back to Pride Rock." The others agreed on that, and they walked out of the graveyard.
They wandered through the Pride Lands, meeting up with Timon and Pumbaa along the way. The team explained to the duo what happened, and recommended that they should head back to Pride Rock, believing Simba to be there. When the team got there however, they noticed only Nala and Rafiki waiting for them.
"Where's Simba?" Nala asked as the team drew in close.
"Well, uh…" Sora mumbled.
"Simba wasn't prepared for the ghost, just as you said, Rafiki." Asuna answered.
"Oh ho ho! He ran away!" Rafiki replied, "I knew it would not be easy for him. To face his fears, he must go somewhere where the only thing to think of is what to do, not what others think of him."
"Oh, that makes more sense." Kirito realized, seeing that he used that technique plenty of times in the two years in SAO, "But why didn't you just say so?"
"But where's Simba now?" Donald asked.
"Hey, I know!" Timon answered, "He's at the oasis. It's our favorite hangout!"
"Got it! Let's check it out." Sora stated.
"I'll lead the way!" Pumbaa told them.
"Oh, no you won't." Timon retorted, "Simba'll smell you coming a mile away. And if he's smart, he'll run for the hills!"
"Oh…right" Pumbaa realized.
"It's ok. We know our way to get there." Asuna told them.
"Come on, everyone. Let's find Simba!" Sora stated, and the team rushed out to the oasis.
Getting to their destination was long, not to mention the tons of Heartless intruded their path. Scar's ghost also intruded in their path; once as they crossed the plains of the Pride Lands, once at the Wildbeast Valley, and once through the Wastelands. Asuna always stepped back until the boys eliminated the ghost. Fighting the Heartless? No problem for her. It took some time, but they managed to cross the land, finally making it to the jungle. There were Heartless in there, too. But with one sweep of Kirito, Asuna, and Sora's Trinity Limit Break, they quickly extinguished all the Heartless before making their way to the oasis.
When they got there, they found Simba being confronted by Scar's ghost. The scared lion was being backed away by the ghost, drawing closer to the edge of the oasis. "Simba!" Sora and Kirito shouted, and they led the group to help their friend. As they drew near, Scar's ghost vanished once again, leaving Simba there, scared and saddened.
"It's no use." sighed Simba, bowing his head, "I'll never be the king my father was."
"But Simba… That's not what you're supposed to be." Asuna retorted as the team walked forward, "You can't be Mufasa. You can only be you."
"Asuna's right." Sora agreed, "Everybody believes in you as a king. They just want to see what you'll do. And if anyone's saying they liked your father better, it's because you haven't done much yet. That's all."
"I know that." Simba answered.
"Then stop your whining and DO something!" Kirito demanded.
"I can't!" Simba yelled back. He turned his head from the team as they stared.
There was a long pause, ending with Kirito saying, "Fine…" He turned and walked away, infuriated with Simba's attitude. Asuna and Yui both followed him a second later. Yui only looked back for a second at Simba before catching up.
"Let's go, Sora." Donald suggested.
"Yeah. Why stick around if he's not even gonna try?" Sora questioned as he and Donald walked away. Goofy just stood there, looking at Simba. "C'mon, Goofy!" Sora shouted back, and Goofy followed them.
As they walked away, Yui flew right next to Kirito. "Papa, we have to do something." she suggested, "There's gotta be something we can do…"
"We tried talking to him, but it didn't work." Kirito replied as Sora's group caught up.
"But there's gotta be somethin' we can do to help Simba." moaned Goofy. The six paused to think about any ideas. Asuna looked up and noticed some dark waves starting to draw near. Another one of Scar's ghosts was about to make an appearance. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she told the group what it was.
Simba stood there, looking out beyond the cliff. He sighed, then he detected something; Scar's ghost appeared from behind. "The hesitant king will one day lose all his friends." Sora said in a deep voice. Simba looked to Scar's ghost, whose mouth didn't move as he said this. From behind a large log, the team hid there, with Asuna and Yui right behind the boys.
"King Simba the doubtful…" Donald said in a monotonous voice.
"Worried by a silly ol' ghost…" Goofy added in a shaky, ghostly voice.
"Simba is an absolute disgrace to the Pride Lands, his fear drowning him in doubt, listening to all, but not acting!" Kirito said in a loud tone.
"Ooh, Simba the do-nothing king…" Sora stated.
Simba was no longer scared, but angry now. "No!" he growled.
"Try and stop me!" Donald squawked.
"You are nothing but a cowardly lion, unable to fight a ghost." Kirito finished, "You are weak! You can't act because you are stuck thinking you need to be your father! Are you so USELESS, that you can't act on your own?! Fight, Simba, unless you are afraid!"
"Laying it a little too thick and harsh, Kirito." Asuna told him.
Regardless, these words seriously aggravated Simba a lot. With one bound, he pounced at Scar's ghost, making it vanish. He then realized what he had done, looking around to see that he just defeated Scar's ghost.
The team came out of hiding, and ran up to meet Simba. "You did it! The ghost is gone!" Sora cheered.
"I knew you had it in you." Asuna stated.
"We knew you could do it!" Donald cheered.
"Hooray for Simba!" Goofy added. Yui yelled for joy as she flew around. Kirito smirked at Simba, proud of his accomplishment.
Simba looked at all of them. He knew it was them that got him to fight, but still... "You know, I'm really lucky to have friends who'll stand by me and help me see clearly." he said to them, "My father…wasn't so fortunate."
"There you go again." Sora stated.
"You just needed a little tough love from your friends, that's all." Kirito added.
"I mean…" Simba explained, "Everyone here, and in the Pride Lands, wants me to succeed. Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Donald, Goofy, and Yui. Pumbaa, Timon, Rafiki…Nala." He turned to the cliff as he continued, "You all want what's best for me. But my father always had Scar lurking behind his back, trying to cut him down. I've got to make the most of my blessings, and rebuild this kingdom."
"Are you gonna say it, or do it?" Sora asked.
"Wait and see." Simba replied.
"Simba!" shouted someone from behind. They turned to see Timon hurriedly race out of the jungle, with a panic looked on his face. "Simba! Come quick!" he cried, "There's a bazillion ghosts of Scar haunting the Pride Lands!"
"Seriously?!" Asuna asked, now also panicked by this.
"Everybody but Nala high-tailed it outta there. And she needs your help." Timon explained. Simba showed a sign of seriousness on his face as he took off into the jungle, heading towards the Pride Lands. The rest of the crew dashed up to Timon's side as he sighed, "Our little Simba…all grown up and finding his place in the world…"
"We wish you the best of luck!" Asuna shouted.
"Nice try. You're coming, too!" Simba shouted back. Timon and Asuna groaned.
"Don't worry, Asuna." Kirito assured her, "Something tells me there's more to those ghosts than we think." All the guys charged on ahead into the jungle, leaving Asuna there. Asuna paused, took a deep breath, then followed in pursuit of the boys.
They ran back through the jungle, back to the Pride Lands once more. There weren't many Heartless like before, but there were more ghosts of Scar around the place, just as Timon said. Simba was no longer worried, and took each of them on without a doubt in his heart. Asuna also started to fight them, scared but stable. In fact, her cheetah speed became much faster than before, and her attacks were much swifter now.
The team finally made it to Pride Rock, where they noticed that the lionesses were no longer there. At the edge of Pride Rock, Nala and a shuddering Pumbaa stood there, confronted by one of Scar's ghosts. The team ran up to meet them. "We're here!" Sora shouted as the team drew in close.
"Where's Simba?" Nala asked.
Simba walked from behind, confidently. The team bowed to him as he passed. Nala looked pleased to see him. "I've come back, Nala." Simba stated. Scar's ghost turned to Simba, and started walking towards him. Everyone watched as the ghost and Simba were face to face. Simba glared at the ghost for a few seconds, then growled, "Get out!" Scar's ghost was taken aback at Simba's courage, and it disappeared in a puff of dark vapor.
"Way to go, Simba!" Sora cheered.
"That's how a king does it!" Kirito stated in a pleased tone. Pumbaa and Nala went up to meet them. Nala and Simba head butted one another and circled each other, glad to see the other. Pumbaa and Timon were glad to see one another as well. The team had one good pleasing moment, then they looked out into the Pride Lands, and noticed something was up. More dark energy started to form in the savannah, only this time they were forming together to form something fierce.
The team watched as the energy formed together. Simba turned to the others. "Are you with me?" he asked them.
"Now and forever, Your Majesty!" Sora replied with confidence.
"You bet your mane we're ready to go!" Kirito stated.
"Let's finish this fight once and for all!" Asuna declared. The team bowed to Simba once more, then they looked to the savannah.
"Donald, Goofy. Stay here with Nala and the others!" Kirito told their friends, "Let us wildcats show this monster who's boss!" Donald and Goofy acknowledged, and they stayed behind while the trio took off into the Savannah.
The four wildcats and Yui arrived in the middle of the savannah to see the black cloud of dark energy morphing together. The team charged in just as it finally turned into the monster, or rather Heartless. It was massive, and it looked like a Living Bone Heartless. It was three times the size of the Storm Rider back in Mulan's world. It was a four legged beast with big horns and leg armor. The face looked double sided, one red face, and one black, depending on how he flipped it. It was red, but it was also covered in grass. On the back of the Heartless was another Heartless that looked like a Shaman, but much larger, and much more menacing. It too looked two-faced, or rather it had two witch doctor-like masks.
"What the hell is this?!" shouted Kirito, looking up at the massive creature whose eyes were bigger than their bodies.
"It's a Groundshaker!" Yui explained.
"Name says it all…" Asuna stated.
"We have to stop it before it destroys the Pride Lands." Simba told the group.
"You got it!" Sora replied.
The team watched as the Shaman-like Heartless on the back dove into the massive Heartless's body. The head then started started to burn as it swayed it's head on the ground. The team dodged the attack by running away, but barely. They waited for the right moment until his head stopped swaying, then they turned around and started darting around the Groundshaker's feet. As his name went, his footsteps caused shockwaves, which were avoidable by jumping over them. Sora, Kirito and Asuna darted around it, doing just that. Sora got out in front of the Heartless, dodge-rolling it's flaming head. It raised one of its' front feet and attempted to squash Sora. Sora leapt at the foot and started drilling into it. The two opposing forces struggled until Asuna came around and aided Sora in his struggle. With the two combined, they knocked it off balance as they flew into the air. At the peak, they reverted downward, and flew down to the ground as the Groundshaker went unconscious.
"How do we deal with this one?" Sora asked Asuna, who didn't know either.
"Aim for the eyes!" Kirito shouted from a distance. The two turned to see Simba and Kirito rush at the face of the Groundshaker. They took one gigantic leap, and they jumped at the eye, and simultaneously did a series of slashes and cuts with their claws and Keyblade. It did seem do deal some damage, so Asuna and Sora took the other side, and did just what they were doing. Together, they did a decent amount of damage to the beast. The Groundshaker came around, and it jumped high into the air. The team chased after it, but made sure they didn't get completely underneath it. It landed on the other end of the savannah, seeing the approaching team. It flipped it's head so the red part was on top, and its' horns became tusks. Not only that, the Shaman on its' back came out of it, ready to attack.
"Disperse!" Kirito shouted, and while Asuna and Kirito moved to each side, Simba and Sora both leapt up onto the head, then onto the back, where they began facing the Shaman on top. Sora immediately spiraled into the head before it had a chance to even strike them. The attack knocked the masks off of the Heartless, who flustered because of it.
"Now, Sora!" Simba shouted, and the two entered their Limit Break. They began by having leaping up and slamming their paws into the ground, causing rocks to erupt around them and damaging the Shaman. Afterwards, Sora and Simba started to dash towards the enemy, slashing furiously, and spin in the air towards the enemy very quickly. They finished by standing beside each other and roaring loudly, creating an energy field around them that damaged the Shaman immensely.
The Shaman was still up, and it got its' masks on again. It then started sending beams of lightning at them. The two dodged them as best as they could, but once the Groundshaker reared itself, it threw the two off of its' back. Kirito and Asuna had to move away to avoid the shockwaves it created. It then leapt up into the air and landed aways away from them. As the team charged at the behemoth, pillars of fire started to move on the ground from the sides of the Groundshaker to them. The Shaman was casting them, and these pillars of fire seem to track them. The team dodged left and right to avoid them, but Asuna was smart enough to put up a Reflega to block them. Kirito was somehow able to avoid the pillars, but Simba and Sora were the ones who couldn't avoid them. Kirito and Asuna noticed that the red side of the head was on the bottom half now, and the eyes were in range for an attack. Kirito and Asuna went to either side, attacking the eyes while avoiding the pillars of fire. Kirito got hit, but regained his mobility. Sora and Simba caught up with the duo, and Sora helped out Kirito whiled Simba helped out Asuna. The two sides kept fighting as the Groundshaker kept moving around the savannah, and while pillars of fire continued at them.
After a while of doing this, the Groundshaker moved leapt away from them, and the Shaman dove into the big body once more. It now started a fiery rage as it pursued the team. The team dispersed once more, and started avoiding the head swings and shockwaves the Heartless produced. Simba got hit, but Asuna healed him while running. This time, Kirito got up in front of the head, dodged its' swing, and waited for his chance. The Groundshaker raised its' front claw and was about to slam it down onto Kirito.
"No chance!" Kirito shouted as he leaped up and instead of doing a blade drill like Sora, he spun like a buzz saw at the foot. The two struggled for a few seconds, but a spirt of strength came to Kirito, and he knocked it off balance. Kirito soared high into the air, and flew back down onto the Heartless. The Groundshaker went unconscious as Kirito landed, and he started waylaying at it, with Asuna, Sora and Simba all joining him in the battle. It was obvious that the Heartless was growing weak, but it still wasn't destroyed, even after all the attacks they dealt to it. The Groundshaker got to its' feet as the team backed off, and it leapt away from them.
"How are we suppose to defeat it?!" Sora asked as they ran after it.
"The Shaman on top!" Yui replied, "He's the key on defeating it!"
"Then let's get up top." Kirito stated, and the team dashed forward. The Groundshaker flipped its' head again, now its' red side right side up. The Shaman came out of the body, and started delivering lightning attacks onto the ground. Asuna and Simba got hit hard by them, but Sora and Kirito managed to leap above the lightning, and onto the Heartless' back. Kirito and Sora stood there, ready for their final conflict.
The Shaman looked at them, and suddenly, turned invisible. Kirito and Sora were surprised, and they looked left and right to see where it went. They felt that it was moving in a circle around them, but they couldn't pinpoint it. Suddenly, the two were hit by a barrage of punches that came out of nowhere. The two couldn't escape the attack, and the Shaman reappeared, slamming down on top of them. He leapt back as the two struggled to get up. It then shot a series of lightning beams at them, and they got shocked by the incredible attack. After the attack was over, the Shaman hooted as it saw the two boys sprawled out, heavily damaged, unable to move. Asuna, Simba and Yui looked up at where the boys were at.
"Kirito!" Asuna shouted.
"Sora!" yelled Simba.
"Papa! Sora!" Yui cried. Kirito and Sora couldn't respond. They were hurt so much, that they could barely move. The Shaman looked as if it was ready to strike again when more voices called out to them.
"Sora! Get up!" Donald cried.
"Kirito, keep fightin'!" Goofy called out.
"Show them your pride, you guys!" Nala's voice rang.
"No giving up yet!" Rafiki hooted.
"Don't stop now!" Pumbaa cried.
"Put those past attacks behind ya and keep going!" Timon shouted.
Then two more voices rang in the boys heads. Sora, I know you can do it. Kairi's voice echoed.
Keep going, Kazuto. GO! Leafa's voice screamed.
There was a pause, then Kirito and Sora's paws twitched. Suddenly, they started moving again, getting to their feet. They struggled hard, and each of them grabbed a hi-potion they were carrying and drunk it down. They panted deeply as they felt their stamina return to them. The Shaman looked down at the two wildcats.
"You caused…so much pain and conflict to this world…" Sora moaned.
"These animals…who never deserved this much…" Kirito panted, "Simba and everyone else struggled hard to bring a new beginning to this world, and that's gonna happen."
"So if you think you have won this battle…and you think you darkened this world…" The two raised their heads, which were full of fury. "YOU ARE DEAD WRONG ABOUT THAT!" they shouted in unison.
The two charged at the Shaman, who produced more lightning beams. "Reflega!" Kirito shouted, and he produced a barrier for him and Sora. The two were protected from the attack, but the recoil damage was too far away from the Shaman. The were about to get close when the Groundshaker reared itself again. Kirito and Sora were flung high into the air. They struggled to hang on as Simba, Asuna and Yui gasped in fear. The two got to the peak of their height, then started to fall down. They shook off their fears and guided themselves in the air towards the Shaman, who was watching their descent. Kirito and Sora prepared their Keyblades, and with one swipe, they simultaneously cross-slashed across the mask of the Shaman, ending the final blow. The two got off the back of the Groundshaker and watched as the Heartless struggled to keep going, but it was hopeless. The Shaman was flung off the back of the giant Heartless, and as it fell, the parts of the mask in which Kirito and Sora stuck made it crack, splitting into pieces. The Heartless fell to the floor, defeated. The Groundshaker and Shaman disappeared as a large heart flew into the sky and disappeared, going to where the Organization was creating Kingdom Hearts.
When the Heartless disappeared, three more magic orbs appeared before the Keyblade wielders. "Those are the Thunder Elements." Yui explained. "That means we finally have Thundaga!" cheered Sora as he and the other two took the orbs.
"Kirito, Sora." Asuna addressed them, "You two are totally reckless." The boys looked to Asuna, and they giggled nervously.
"Thank you, everyone." Simba thanked them, "You really helped me save the Pride Lands once again." Donald and Goofy raced out to meet the group, congratulating them for their victory. Kirito and Sora looked to each other, and clashed their Keyblades together as a sign of victory. This battle was there's.
The team arrived back to be greeted and congratulated by the remaining characters at Pride Rock. They all walked up onto Pride Rock. Nala and Simba walked towards the edge and looked out to the vast savannah before them, with everyone watching them. "Simba seems fine now." Sora noticed.
"He's finally starting to become a true king, isn't he?" Kirito asked Asuna, who smiled and nodded in response.
"Ha! The king has returned!" Rafiki stated, "The Pride Lands will not forget King Simba's courage. Or the courage of those who fought beside him."
"We'll take that as a compliment." Asuna told the monkey.
Simba and Nala walked back to the team again. "Do you think your quest will ever be over?" Simba asked.
"I'm not too sure…" Asuna sighed.
"Neither do I…" Kirito answered, "All I know is that we are getting closer. What do you think, Sora?"
"I don't know…" Sora replied, "But I think, as long as the Keyblade stays with us, we'll have to keep fighting."
"Seems like all gains come at a price after all." Kirito moaned, "But if its' for a better tomorrow, I don't mind that we keep on fighting. I guess you could say it's our duty."
"Ah… The struggle never ends." Rafiki told them, "That is the great Circle of Life."
"Never ever?" Sora moaned.
"As long as there is light, there is always the shadows it brings." Kirito stated, "I just wish there was a secret to ending this."
Everyone looked to Rafiki, who pawed his fringe. "The secret to victory…" he started, "…is a strong heart." He pointed to the sky as he said this. Everyone looked up into the sky, wondering where he was pointing at. All the while, the words rang in their heads. A strong heart will prevail against the Organization? What was this monkey talking about? "Go on, go on, go-go then!" Rafiki shouted and laughed, "Go on, get out! Yes, yes! It is time! Your fight continues…"
The team stared at the baboon. Kirito smirked and nodded. "Fine then, let's continue the fight." he replied.
The team looked to Simba and Nala. "Till we meet again, Your Majesty." Sora told them.
"I hope that's soon." Simba replied.
"You two take care now." Asuna told them, "And I hope your child has got as strong of a heart as you do, Simba." Even through the fur, it was easily noticed that Simba blushed a bit at this.
"So long, everyone!" said Kirito, and with that the team raced off down Pride Rock, and back towards where they could get to their ship, ready for whatever comes their way.