As Daren grew older, he soon approached the age when his father would take him through the entire Pride Lands for the first time. As the sunlight streamed into the cave at Pride Rock, Azmera gently nudged her son.
"Wake up Daren," she said softly. Yawning, Daren opened his eyes to look into his mother's face. "Good morning, sleepy head," she said, smiling. Daren yawned again, and then got up and stretched. "Your father is taking you for a very special walk today," Azmera told her son.
"What sort of walk?" asked Daren, yawning once more.
"He's going to show you all of the Pride Lands," said Azmera, pulling her son close and giving his head a few licks.
"Oh boy!" exclaimed Daren, scrambling out of the queen's grasp. Then he looked over to the other side of the cave, where Kianga lay sleeping beside her mother. "But what about Kianga?" he asked, his face falling.
"I'm sure she'll understand," said Azmera. "Now hurry up, your father is waiting."
Daren rubbed himself against her leg, and then ran out of the cave. "Bye mom!" he called back to her.
Once outside, Daren looked around for his father. Seeing him sitting near the edge of Pride Rock, Daren bounded over to join him.
"Good morning Daren," rumbled Kimoni.
"Hey Daddy!" exclaimed Daren. "Mom said you are going to show me all the Pride Lands today!" Kimoni chuckled.
"Oh, she did, did she?" He looked down at his son's excited face and remembered when his own father had taken his the first time. "Alright, let's go."
Together they made their way through the tall grass. They walked along the South border, watched the grazing herds and walked along the top of the gorge. Finally, when Kimoni and Daren were walking towards the waterhole, the king stopped. "Daren," he said, "I want to tell you a story. But it is a very sad one."
Daren turned to his father, and listened in silence. Kimoni started walking again, not really noticing where they were going.
"It began when Simba passed on, and Kovu and Kiara were in rule of the Pride Lands. My father, Kovu, was once an outsider, but everyone considered him one of the greatest Pride Landers of all. He and his mate Kiara became the King and Queen. Kovu was strong and brave, and Kiara wise and beautiful. Together they made the perfect pair. A few months into their reign, they had a small cub."
"You, right?" asked Daren.
"Yes," replied Kimoni.
"Months went by, and all was well. But then destruction hit the Pride Lands. A wandering lioness was passing through the lands, and begged my father to let her stay for a while. Being the compassionate lions they were, Kovu and Kiara allowed her to stay. Little did they know that she was sick with a terrible disease. Many of the lions fell ill, and my parents began to despair. Then, one terrible day, they also caught the illness. I spoke to my father, Kovu, when he still had strength, and he told me that he was leaving the pride in my care. I was only an adolescent when my parents passed on, and became one with the stars."
Daren sat down and looked at his father in dismay. "Daddy, what did you do?"
Kimoni looked down, remembering the fear and pain he had felt. "I asked your mother to be my mate, and together we lead the pride. It was difficult at first, as many of the herds left for fear that I would not be a strong enough king to protect them. However, after a while, I was able to earn the respect of the animals and prove that I would follow in my father's path. Since then, the Pride Lands have been beautiful, but I will never forget the terrible things that happened when I was young."
Daren snuggled close against his father. "Oh Daddy, I'm so sorry. But you don't have to worry about me. One day I will be a great king, and I will take very good care of the Pride Lands." Kimoni looked over at his son and smiled.
"I know you will."
The father and son sat together, thinking about what they had said. As they rested, a strange thing began to happen to the sky. The sun grew dimmer, and the moon slowly moved closer to the sun.
Nearby in the Outlands, Blacksoul looked up at the sky, and then turned to face Redeye.
"That's it my love," she said. "It's starting. Hurry and get the pride. I'll wait by the border."
Redeye turned and trotted off, and Blacksoul began to slink towards the Pride Lands. Suddenly, a noise caught her attention, and her ears flicked forwards. She stopped, and looked cautiously ahead of her. There, just beyond the border sat the king and the prince. Blacksoul chuckled softly. Then she turned as she heard Redeye come up beside her.
"Look," said Blacksoul softly, "we have a welcoming party." Redeye crouched down, and Blacksoul glared at him. "Not yet," she said. Then, turning to the black lionesses behind her, she whispered, "When I give the word, we attack. Then we go straight through the Pride Lands to Pride Rock, and catch any one who tries to escape."
The lionesses snarled, their fur bristling. "But remember this," said the evil lioness. "You are only to kill the king. We send the prince back to Pride Rock first, so he can be a warning to them all. You do not harm him until we reach Pride Rock. Understood?" The lionesses nodded, their eyes glowing with anticipation for their coming attack.
Suddenly, the moon slid completely across the sun, and the whole sky went black. Blacksoul narrowed her eyes, and nodded. The pride snuck forwards, invisible in the darkness.
Daren looked up, and his eyes widened. "Daddy, I'm scared," he said. Then he began to tremble. Something was coming. He could hear it.
Kimoni looked with worry up at the dark sky. He had never seen anything like this before. Then, his ears twitched. He could hear the grass being trod on, and the sound of many animals breathing. Sniffing the air, he realized that they were closer to the Outland border than he had intended for them to go.
"Come on Daren," he said, trying to look through the gloom. "We're going home."
"What? Leaving so soon?" A chilling voice came out of the darkness. Kimoni looked around him. His voice rang out deep and clear.
"Show yourself."
The voice turned into laughter, and then out of the darkness came pure black lionesses, surrounding Kimoni and Daren on all sides. Daren squeezed as close to his father as he could.
"What do you want here?" asked Kimoni, baring his teeth.
The lion with the red eye stepped forward. "Death and pain," he spat. "It is our gift to you." A black lioness stepped up beside him, and looked down at the trembling Daren.
"Ah, the young prince," she said, her face breaking into an evil smile. "I need you to deliver a message for me."
"He will do nothing of the sort," said Kimoni, his voice vibrating with a commanding tone.
The black lioness laughed again. "Oh he will," she said, "if he wants to see you live."
Daren looked from the black lions to his father, and then back to the lions. Shaking uncontrollably, he stepped forward.
"No!" shouted Kimoni, but four of the lionesses rushed forwards and snarled at him, surrounding the king on all sides. Daren stood his ground and looked up with fear into the lion's face. He shrank as he looked at the blood red eye.
"What is the message?" he asked, his voice shaking.
"That the Black Pride is here to take over the Pride Lands and that there is no point trying to fight us. And to prove that we are serious" – the lioness leapt forwards and dug her claws into Daren's hindquarters, making three deep scars. Daren screamed in pain and fury, and two lionesses chased him away. Kimoni roared with anger.
"My son!" he roared, turning on the lionesses around him. "You will pay for this!" Kimoni fought valiantly, but he was no match for a whole pride, and soon fell under the vicious attack.
When a blow struck the Kimoni to the ground and he did no longer try to get up, Blacksoul turned to her pride.
"Well done," she said, while looking down at the dying king. "Now we move on to Pride Rock, where we will end this." The pride of black lions split up into smaller groups and silently made their way through the Pride Lands.
Back at Pride Rock, Azmera paced back and forth in the cave. It was so dark out in the middle of the day, and she didn't understand why. She looked up from her worried thoughts when one of her closest friends, Vitani's daughter Marjani, stepped up to her.
"I will go out and search for your son and the king," she said.
"Thank you," replied Azmera. As Marjani left the cave, Rafiki hurried in.
"Azmera," he said; his voice full of concern. "There are evil things at work here."
Azmera sank down, worried and frightened. Where were her son and her mate? What could be happening out in that dark and terrible land?
Marjani ran through the darkness, calling for Daren. A few times, she thought she heard someone near her, but the sounds faded away. Finally, she came to the waterhole, and in the dim light, she could see something lying near the edge of it. She hurried over, and looked in shock at the bleeding form of Daren.
"Daren," she whispered, "please be alright." Nudging him gently, Marjani prayed that he would wake up. Finally, after what seemed forever, Daren opened his eyes.
"Oh Daren, what happened?" asked Marjani. "Where is Kimoni?"
Daren's eyes filled with tears. "We were attacked. They gave me this marking and chased me away to warn the others." His voice shook. "Marjani, they killed my father. I just know they did."
Marjani hung her head. "Come Daren, we must hurry and get you to Pride Rock. The future of everyone depends on it."