In a flash, the dopey feeling clouding Kion's brain disappeared and he nearly gagged at the foul stench that threatened to overwhelm his sensitive nostrils. Waving a paw in front of his nose and fighting the feeling of nausea churning in his gut, Kion nervously peered around his surroundings. He was in what appeared to be some sort of underground cave, except it was right underneath the volcano. The ominous glow flickered from an opening near the cave's entrance. What really freaked Kion out though, was when the glow inexplicably began to speak.

"Kion," it said. "Kion."

"Who are you?" Kion shouted, trying to conceal the fear in his voice. "How do you know my name?"

A malicious chuckle erupted from the depths of the volcano. "I know many things about you, Kion. I know you were wrongfully expelled from the Lion Guard, for circumstances outside of your control. Oh, believe me - I know how that feels, I've been there myself. However, hard as it may seem to believe, you are far better off without the burden of responsibility with no credit for your hard work."

"What do you mean?" Kion asked. He knew he had no reason to trust this stranger, but it was comforting to hear words that he longed to hear - that his expulsion from the Lion Guard was not his fault.

"I mean I can help you prove yourself, both as a leader and as a grown lion, no longer being perceived as a stupid cub without a voice. Join me, and we can rise together, more powerful than ever before."

"Who are you?" Kion repeated, realising that the apparition had never revealed his name. Good manipulation tactic, discreetly changing the topic in the hopes of remaining anonymous - Janja would be proud.

"Why Kion, we are family. I would say flesh and blood - except that after my rather unfortunate death, I have neither left on me."

"You're a ghost?"

"Very good deduction," the apparition said sarcastically. "Clearly my cursed brother's genes have forever polluted the family gene pool, although it didn't have much hope of surviving anyway, as I was left without any means of siring heirs myself. Yes, I am no longer living."

"I didn't know of any ghosts living in the Outlands," Kion retorted, suspicious. He wouldn't put it past a more sinister Outlander to use this as some sort of trick to distract him while they planned to attack him from behind. "In fact, Grandfather Mufasa is the only ghost I've ever heard of being anywhere near our domain -"

"My brother," the apparition spat, "is not the only spirit afforded the privilege of speaking with mortals. I have been residing in the Outlands since my demise, waiting for an opportunity to make my move. Of course, without a body, that proved to be rather difficult. The downsides of being a ghost, I suppose."

Grandfather Mufasa's brother - "Scar!" Kion gasped. "It's you!"

Another malevolent chuckle. "So it is. I have been dying to see you, great-nephew, especially now, that it is apparent that the similarities between the two of us could not be greater."

"We are nothing alike!" Kion shouted.

"Just because you wish it were so doesn't make it so," Scar continued, smirking. "Why, we are both second-borns, denied of the throne only by having been born too late - why, for me it was by mere seconds - given a responsibility far beyond realistic expectations, and taken for granted even when we do fulfil said responsibilities, only to be stripped of what little power we did have for things that we had no wa to control."

Kion frowned. On one hand, he knew Scar was complete and utter evil. The lion had murdered his peers for not following with his murder attempt, then carried out said murder attempt on his brother, manipulated his own nephew into believing it was all his own fault, then assumed the throne and allowed the Pride Lands to fall into ruin. Nobody had shed a tear at the overlord's demise.

But - Scar was vocalising Kion's exact inner thoughts. And while part of him screamed that this was just another manipulation by Scar, another part wondered if there was some truth to the lion's words.

However, Kion was unable to think too hard on this, for soon he screamed in excruciating pain as the green glow swarmed towards him and was absorbed inside his body. His nerves were on fire as his body attempted weakly to fight off the intruder. "Get off me!" Kion shouted in vain, clawing and scratching at himself. His claws made gashes on his back and stomach as he tried to rid himself of the cause of the burning sensation. He was sure Scar was deliberately making this as painful as possible as well, because when it felt like there was a chance of him fighting his great-uncle off, the pain would increase tenfold.

Eventually, an overwhelmed Kion collapsed onto the ground, no longer possessing the strength to fight any more.