Two years went by and the once beautiful Pride Lands became a barren wasteland, where the trees were dead, the ground was dry and cracked, and there were bones everywhere. Basically it all looked like the elephant graveyard. In the lion's den Slade was laying down listening to Garth, who was locked up inside a ribcage in between two rocks, as he sang.

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen. Nobody knows my sorrow..." he sang in a bored tone.

"Garth, lighten up a little." Slade tossed a bone at Garth's cage. "Sing something that's less... depressing" Garth sighed then started to sing sarcastically,

"It's a small world after all..."

"No! No. Never sing that song!" snapped Slade. Garth started thinking,

'I can't believe that I went from advisor to songbird!' he thought, then a little more upbeat sang,

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts
There they are a-standing in a row...
Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head...

Slade started to hum along to the tune. The lion was so into song that Garth took this time to mumble under his breath " I wish Marcus was here." There was a roar of rage and the next thing the hornbill knew Slade was right by his cage.

"What? What did you say?" Slade said in a low angry voice.

"Nothing Sire!" Garth gave him a nervous smile. Slade growled.

"I told you never to mention that name. I. Am. The. King." Garth gulped.

"Note taken. I shall never mention 'M-m-m' again."

"Hey Boss" Slade turned around and saw Mammoth, Jinx and Gizmo coming into the den, Slade sighed.

"What is it this time?"

"We got a bone to pick with you."Mammoth said gruffly. Jinx stopped him and whispered,

"Better let me do this." She looked at the dark king. "Slade there's no food, or water-"

Gizmo piped up, "Yeah. It's dinnertime, and there isn't no stinkin' entres!" Slade, with a stone face, answered,

"It's the lionesses' job to do the hunting." Mammoth looked upset.

"Yeah, but they won't go hunt." Gizmo walked towards Garth, drooling.

"Can we eat him?" Garth backed away from the short hungry hyena.

"You don't want to eat me, I'm very salty. Not so good for the heart." Gizmo grinned evilly.

"That could be fixed with a good ol' barbecue." He licked his chops. Slade watched with great amusement as the hornbill trembled in fear. Mammoth then whispered to Jinx,

"I thought things were bad with Marcus around." Slade heard this and growled.

"What was that Mammoth?" The big hyena was about to repeat himself till Jinx hit him the ribs.

"I said what's up?" Mammoth quickly lied. Slade grabbed Gizmo by the scuff.

"Get out," growled the orange lion as he tossed the hyena to the others, as the trio started to leave Mammoth said,

"But we're still hungry."

"OUT!" roared Slade, and with that the hyenas ran. "Even in death, his shadow still looms over me." Slade started pacing. "Garth, what did my brother have that I don't?" The hornbill rolled his eyes and answered sarcastically,

"Do you want the short list or the long?" Slade glared at him, Garth cleared his throat. "Well, he had adoring subjects..." Slade motioned for him to continue. "A loving family..." The orange lion scoffed on that one. "A devoted queen..." Slade brightened with an idea.

"Maybe I should have a queen too." The more he thought about it, the more he wanted it.

"A what?" Garth asked rubbing a feather into his ear to check and see if he had heard right.

"A queen. Garth, without a queen, then what am I?" Garth gave an 'I-don't-know' shrug.

"I'd be a dead end, I have no descendants to claim my legacy, nobody to follow my paw prints. Don't you see Garth, with a queen, I'll have... cubs." Slade smirked.

"Children of my own image, heirs to my legacy. I will live on through them." Slade went back to his rock and lied down. "My queen must be strong, smart, and beautiful," he continued to ponder as Garth started to feel extremely sorry for the unlucky lioness who he chose.

"Slade," came a monotone female voice. Slade got up and saw Raven standing at the entrance. "We need to talk."

"Ah, Raven..." Slade started with a sly and devious smirk. "Your timing couldn't have been more perfect." Slade stopped to look at her from top to bottom. "My how you've grown," he whispered thoughtfully.

"Slade, you have got to do something. We're being forced to overhunt." She looked determined. But Slade wasn't listening to what she had to say.

'She is a strong hunter,' he thought.

Raven continued "You're the king. Control the hyenas-"

'Smart and clever.'

"You're destroying the Pride Lands-"

'And she is beautiful.'

"If we don't stop now... Don't you see...?"

'She has to be my queen.'

"...there's still a chance for things to be all right again." Slade walked up to Raven and nuzzled her, causing the light gray lioness to tense.

"What are you doing?... Are you even listening to me?" she hissed as Slade whispered seductively into her ear.

"Come, sweet Raven. It's written in the stars." Raven backed away.

"What are you talking about?" Slade stared at her.

"You make a perfect queen Raven, our cubs will be strong and clever." The dark king moved toward Raven and the lioness instantly wanted to puke at his statement.

"Get away from me!" She warned him, her voice was low and threatening, but Slade didn't listen. Raven clawed his right cheek knocking him back.

"Raven, one way or another, you will be mine," Slade said coldly, regaining his composure.

"Not on your life, Slade!" Raven ran out of the den.

*** A moment later, Raven found her mother, Marie, and the other lionesses, and she told them what happened. "I can't stay here, I have to go and try to find help!" Raven said as Arella rubbed her daughter's back.

"Then I'm coming with you." Raven shook her head.

"No, mother I think it'd be better if I went alone." Arella stared at her daughter for a second holding back a few small tears that sprang to her eyes. Raven noticed this.

"Mother, please don't cry," she said trying to comfort her mother. Marie stepped up.

"We'll escort you," the old queen said. "The hyenas will think we're going hunting. Then we'll go to Kori's tree, you can start your journey from there, Raven." The light gray lioness looked at her.

"Thank you, Marie." The lionesses traveled at night, as they made it to the giant tree and Kori came out to greet them.

"Hello friends." Rich appeared next to her and yawned.

"Isn't it a little late for a visit?" Raven looked at her only friends. After Logan died Raven had gone into a somewhat depressed state but luckily Kori and Rich had been there to help her through it and became her best friends.

"I'm here to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Kori and Rich said in unison.

"Slade wants me to be... his queen," Raven said with a disgusted look. Rich punched the tree and started to curse Slade's name, as Kori hugged Raven. "I'm going to find help to save what's left of the Pride Lands, and stop Slade," she said determined.

"Friend Raven, before you go I would like to bless you for a safe journey," the red monkey offered. Raven was about to say no but seeing the sad look on her friend's face decided against it.

"Alright." Kori looked at Rich.

"Please go and get my pouch for me Rich," the black monkey went back up the tree. Raven looked out towards the lands that she had once called home.

Shadowland
The leaves have fallen
This shadowed land
This was our home
The river's dry
The ground has broken
So I must go
Now I must go

Raven looked back at her mother, and nuzzled her, then Marie and the other lionesses.

And where the journey may lead me
Let your prayers be my guide
I cannot stay here, my family
But I'll remember my pride

The lionesses look at Raven with tears in their eyes.

And where the journey may lead you
Let this prayer be your guide
Though it may take you so far away
Always remember your pride

Rich came back and gave Kori her pouch, the baboon went to Raven and started chanting words in a different language and threw some type of powder around her from the pouch. Once Kori was done Raven turned to the unknown horizon and started to leave.

And where the journey may lead you
Let this prayer be your guide

"I will return, I will return," Raven assured.

Though it may take you so far away

'I will return'

Always remember your pride

Raven looked back at her family and friends one last time then ran off into the night.

********* "Whoa, nice one man! I think we actually got some stick off that!" Wally laughed after Logan's biggest burp yet. All three were under the canopy of trees in the oasis.

"Thanks dude," the now fully grown green lion replied, a huge toothy grin plastered on his face. "I am so stuffed."

"Me too. I ate like a pig," Vic agreed.

"Vic, you are a pig," both Logan and Wally stated.

"And your point is…?" Wally and Logan just chuckled as all three shared a collective sigh. There was a comfortable silence between the three friends and Logan started to think. It had been two years since he had run away from home, from Raven, Arella and his mother. It had been two years since his father's death. From time to time he would wonder if anyone even remembered him, or if they had perhaps forgotten that he caused Marcus's death. Logan shook his head then stood up and started to walk away from Vic and Wally who stared at their buddy confused.

"Hey, where you going?" Wally asked. Logan simply kept walking until he reached a clearing's ledge and just collapsed and watched the stars, making dust and grass rise and start to shift through the air.

***** Kori stood on a branch of her tree and watched the horizon as leaves and grass started to float toward her. She grabbed some out of the air and examined the debris, sniffing with curiosity. She swung down through the branches, debris in hand and put it in a turtle shell and started to shake it while humming.

"What are you doing Kori?" Rich asked watching his friend. Kori didn't answer but picked a fruit from a limb, split it in half, and started to chew thoughtfully. She stared hard at the contents of the turtle shell then with a look of awe said, barely audible,

"Logan?" Rich was alert at the sound of that name. Kori then looked over at the painting she had long ago smudged. "He's alive!" Kori started to laugh with such joy. "Friend Rich, he is alive!"

"But Kori, how is that possible?" Kori just shrugged and hopped over to the painting and smeared a red paint substance around the head making it look like a mane.

"I do not know, but I do know there is a chance to make things right again!" She smiled brightly at Rich. "It is time."