Author: Daggermouth
Message From the Author: This is the penultimate chapter of book three.

Lion King 4
Chapter: X – The Daughter Of A King.

Solta runs aimlessly out of the Pridelands with the blood of Kivuli on her paws, nobody had followed her as she used the complex tunnels underneath all the Pridelands to sneak into the dark world of the Shadowland; back to her master. Joka waits with the small bat-eared fox Bhat in the heart of the darkness, as the purple lightning storms rage above. Bhat had just burned down the Oasis and killed hundreds of innocent meerkats in the process while Solta had just gone to destroy Vulcan Rock. Joka had stolen the cold crystals from Vulcan Rock and placed them in the lakes of the Dry Forest causing the forest to freeze and turn to ice. Joka had also trapped Kopa in the cavern after getting the information he needed from him before leaving the prince no chance of escape. Solta out of breath finally joins them, her eyes were discoloured and she seemed anxious and regretful of the terrible act she had just committed. The moment she arrives the snake smiles somehow the devious dark snake just knew by reading her facial expression that she had completed her duty. Joka grins, he snake was proud for his plan was finally reaching completion. The Shadowlands were never quiet, it constantly stirred with whispers of phantoms or lightning raging or even the twisters which spun from the clouds above to cause devastation below, but just for this one moment it was deadly silent as this was the final time the three of them would meet. Joka finally breaks the silence:

"One who has been touched by the Great Spirit herself has returned as the prophecy explained... but he is late, far too late to stop the end. You have done well my pawns, the Pridelands are burning all around us as we speak and two of them have died, their names were Sarafina and Kivuli. Hisss! And now Kopa is out of the picture and that princess Vitani is trapped in the cavern, with Kivuli dead his son Kovu will fall to darkness. So, all we need to do now is kill Kiara. I shall complete this task personally and both of you, Bhat and Solta, shall prepare my army. Priderock will fall tonight!" Joka words echo evilly throughout the Shadowland for the final time...

Another cold night had passed and rising in the sapphire sky the circular sun danced it way upward lighting up the Prideland, Kiara had spent the whole night looking for her mate Kovu, she was deeply worried about him, she had just left Five Stones travelling in the opposite direction to her father and his friend Tojo, there was so much about her father's past which Kiara never understood. She looks over her shoulder; the sun was rising behind her casting ominously long shadows across the Pridelands. She was determined, she had optimism like no other lioness, her brother had returned to her and before these events Kiara never even knew she had a brother, there was so many thoughts running through the princesses thoughts and all of them distracted her. She stops to rest for awhile bending her neck down to take a long drink from the nearby watering hole. Unknown to the princess there a snake following her, it had an evil hiss on its tongue, silently the creature slivers before her and suddenly takes a strike, its fangs digging in the princesses neck, causing her to whimper and gag, she was too tired and weak to cry for help, before the snake disappears, it looks right into her eyes, the snake had red eyes. Suddenly Kiara collapses at the edge of the watering hole, she felt dizzy and weaker than ever, she could barely move now her entire body was numb and she has been poisoned. Kiara looks up weakly as Joka the snake leans his snake body down to Kiara,

"You know all those stories you were told you about the darkness? They are all real." Joka hisses heartlessly before slivering away leaving Kiara to rot in pain on the edge of the watering hole as the poison slowly flows through her bloodstream.

Rafiki paces up and down his Baobab tree, the painting of the cub was still painting on the tree trunk, the painting was of the cub Kopa and Rafiki had many visions, for some reason his visions were becoming more elaborate, the painting of the cub on his tree was of one such visualization, Rafiki was becoming gifted with the power of second sight: the ability to see into the future, not only that, he was blessed with speaking to the Great Spirit and he had to tell the king what he knew. Rafiki goes to pick up his staff and clings it tightly, he sorrowfully glances around his tree house knowing this could be the last time he will ever see it and he walks around looking at all his Baobab fruits and all his paints and finally the painting of the cub on his wall, Rafiki had seen much in his elderly life, taking his staff Rafiki sighs before climbing down his tree, the storm above his tree beams up with electricity and lightning, Rafiki used to get help from Mufasa who guided the mandrill through, but the heavens have gone quiet and the storm gets darker, the morning sun was no longer shining and a black shadow casts it way across the Pridelands. Rafiki sighs knowing his darkest secret must be revealed tonight,

"It is time,"

Simba roars powerfully atop the terrace of Priderock, his mightiest roar yet, his old friend Tojo was stood next to him and he watches as the lionesses among others arrive at Priderock, together his pride congregate at Priderock including Rafiki and the loving queen Nala, but Simba is surprised to notice that mall of his successors are missing: Kopa, Vitani, Kovu and Kiara. Everyone gather around confused and worrying as a massive bolt of thunder strikes the Pridelands nearby, sending sparks of electricity in all directions causing everyone to panic and look over. Simba address his subjects,

"Today, we all face a threat none before this night, for this reason the first law is forfeit, The Knights will protect us from the darkness which is surely to ride on the fury of this storm. Not all of us may survive, Kivuli is gone, his life was taking by those willingly to hurt us, but our Pride shall remain strong!" Suddenly they're gasps in the crowd below as Kovu is rushing forward with Kiara on his back, she looked limb and almost lifeless. Brushing past the other lionesses Kovu almost barges them out of way before dropping Kiara down slowly on the ground at the foot of Priderock. Simba finishes his speech and runs down he nuzzles his daughter she looked pale and sickly.

"What happened?" Simba stomps his paw down,
"I found her near the watering hole," Kovu replies his eyes were scowling at Simba as if he hated the king for some reason,
"She's being poisoned," Rafiki talks over everyone else addressing everyone who react in their own ways,
"Oh Kiara," Nala says sadly nuzzling her daughter who mumbles her mother's name while laid on the ground, Simba is worried, his daughter was dying, he paces up and down infront of all the lionesses while Rafiki checks on his daughter as he was the shaman and the healer; he places his hand on young Kiara's head,
"What is it?" Simba asks confused noticing Rafiki's suddenly shocked expression and looking down at his daughter, suddenly everyone stops speaking over eachother as Kiara herself mumbles something, she stutters at first before speaking,
"I... I'm pregnant..." Kiara mumbles admitting to her family and everyone around her before passing out and shutting her eyes to rest. Kovu is shocked by the sudden news as well; he had no idea himself. Suddenly Simba and Kovu standoff together, Simba scowled, the new prince had got his daughter pregnant and he was clearly mad and still protective of her.
"There's no time to fight, there is only one cure a poison this strong, an extremely rare herb which only grew in the Shadowland." Rafiki says stepping between the two lions just as another bolt of lightning strikes the Pridelands.
"I'll do whatever it takes to save her," Kovu says and turns to his mate lying still on the ground and licks Kiara's cheek.
"Then it's sorted, Kovu, Rafiki, we must go to the Shadowland, Tojo, Ni, you and the lionesses must all guard and protect Priderock when we are away, make sure no one enters the kingdom without my authority, the Pridelands are closed." Simba orders to everybody and is ready to save his daughter until he is stopped by his loving wife,
"Simba, you know anyone who walks willingly into the Shadowland ever comes out alive..." Nala parts her advice, nuzzling Simba warmly, wondering if this is the last time she'll ever see him, Simba looks into her dazzling blue eyes before replying,
"I promise we shall return," Simba says parting ways, there was no time to waste, Rafiki leads the way as Kovu and Simba follow behind, leaving Tojo and Ni to comfort Nala and the other lionesses as the storm rages threateningly above Priderock.

Without a moment to lose the three brothers Simba, Kovu and Rafiki marched bravely across to the Elephant Graveyard, as he walks Simba gazes up at the dark storm clouds above and for the first time he felt alone. Before there was always a connect between him and his father in the Great Beyond, but now, the dark storm clouds were like anything he'd ever seen, the lightning raging in the Pridelands was purple in colour and struck the savannah with such and force and anger than the land itself shook on impact and these storm clouds made it impossible to see any stars, the connection to the great kings of the past was gone, the Great Beyond had gone silent. Kovu was determined to find this herb in the Shadowland, he did not care for the tales of that dark place but Kovu had another motive for joining the king; revenge, he vowed to Tojo to kill whomever ended his father's life and the hate in Kovu's eyes was clear. Rafiki knew much more than his two lion friends, he was wise but the dark clouds severed his connection and his visions with the Great Spirit and yet the mandrill baboon hybrid had told none, the sun was blocked from the sky and it was clearly midday now, today was the day, his secret will be told today, he communicated with the Great Spirit, but now was not the time to tell as Rafiki leaded his two friends into the Elephant Graveyard and surely into dangerous territory. The Elephant Graveyard was vastly empty the hyenas had surely fled into lands unknown their numbers scattered across the land, there was only one small path leading from the Elephant Graveyard to the Shadowland, a long passageway through the skull of a large elephant. Simba enters first followed by Kovu into the giant skull there was a hidden passage, Rafiki jumps up into the passage and looks back at the still and silent Elephant Graveyard and remembers its history. It used to be named The Mog Forest until a great raging fire bigger than any fire in Pridelands history burned through this place. Sadly a heard of elephant and mammoths migrating to the forest at the time got trapped inside, it was a sad tale which happened when Mufasa was just a cub. This brave elephant stayed behind and died covering the only passageway into the Shadowland the skull used to be the home of three hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, but when they took their path and decided to leave it became empty. The passage itself was dull and dark, it had no light at all and the three friends had to walk blind through it, only the slow dripping sound of water was heard, Rafiki took the lead once more as the exit to the passage came in sight. The three of them walked out on a large terrace high up in a mountain.

"Behold, the Shadowland," Rafiki says pointing his staff as they gaze upon the Shadowland for the first time. The ground of the Shadowland was covered entirely in grey ash and dust, but they were occasional dark spiky structures which protruded out of the ground, these structures were struck by purple lightning which constantly struck the earth from the black clouds above. The purple lightning sounded more like dim explosions. The clouds in the sky spun around in a spiral a centre point of the spiral was at the very heart of the Shadowland, and also from the cloud were large deadly twisters and tornadoes which twisted down from the sky and touched the ground spinning up and churning rocks and ash and flinging it in all directions. They were little trees in the Shadowland but any trees were tainted grey and were broken or rotting badly.

"How anyone could live here is beyond me," Kovu speaks grimly looking down, the Shadowland seemed to stretch onwards forever, coming from below in the Shadowland they could hear crows and dark owls this hooted, but no animals could be seen as the entire place was covered with a thick black and grey coloured foggy haze.
"Turn back..." the female childlike whisper echoes around them; they were many whispers which seemed to be all around them, whispering their names among other indecipherable things. 'What have you done?' Another whisper mysteriously echoes around them they seemed to be getting louder the longer the three of them stayed looking down at the endless Shadowlands.

"C'mon guys, let us start our search, and be careful, there is no telling what matter of creatures live in this place." Simba orders before finding a walkable slope which leads downward into the dull haze below. The Shadowland shocked even Rafiki never before had he seen such darkness, huge lightning bolts of purple lightning strike around them as the three friends finally reach the ground, Simba leads as the ground was covered in that grey ash, he places his paw down into the ash, it was like walking on thin air, the ground was so soft but the ash tainted Simba's paws grey and the ash wouldn't brush off. They stayed together, closely following one another in a line, Rafiki used his staff to help guide himself through the ash and haze.

"We are looking for a white coloured herb and it should shine clearly in this darkness," Rafiki speaks looking around, the dark clouds swirl above them and large twisters and tornadoes spin from the clouds in the distance and churn around on the ground hurling ash and rocks in all directions. Luckily the numerous twisters were far away, but the Shadowland was so open, the only structures were those spiky monuments which poked out of the ground which lit up with electricity when struck by the lightning.

The hours passed and the herb was still oblivious to them, the Shadowland went on forever, beyond the mountains and even beyond that, the dark land had no end, but together the three friends travelled to the centre, the centre of all the darkness, this is where the swirling clouds stopped in the middle, but Simba was losing hope fast, he could only imagine Kiara's suffering back home and he wanted to keep going, but somehow the Shadowland was so dark it made him more miserable with every step. Then they could hear it again, the whispering, it surrounded them, the whispers made Simba stop in his tracks as Kovu and Rafiki walked onwards without knowing the king had stopped. Simba was quickly alone when his friends walked off into the haze and out of sight. Simba looks around scared for his life and then without warning there it was, it was like nothing he'd ever seen before, it had no skin or mouth, it was just an outline shadow of a fox, the black phantom, it whispered even though it had no mouth as if the whispers came from within the spirit, it moved like any ghost would, quickly hovering above the ground and dancing creepily,

"They are coming... They are coming..." The black phantom fox quickly turns its head around to look right at the lion king it tilted its head sideways the very presence of the fox made Simba shutter, his fur stood up on end and he took a few steps back there was clearly something supernatural at work here, The creature spoke again its words came didn't come from a mouth but from deep inside the spirit, but this time the voice spoke differently the tone of the voice was different, the phantom spokes with the words of Simba's father Mufasa, the deep tone of the voice matched that of his father's perfectly,

"Siimmmbbbaaa, heellp meee..." Mufasa's voice came from the black spirit. Simba was suddenly overcome with fear, he shook with it as the fear was so intense it burned him, the kings eyes widened, he didn't understand...
"It's your fault," it voice speaks again with the dissapointed voice of his father, with the voice of the dead speaking to him made Simba himself shake in fear, he was stuck in place, staring at the phantom which seemed so proverbial,
Simba quickly shouts as a paw grasps his shoulder is pulled back by and pulled out of his strange encounter.
"Calm down, its only me," It was Kovu who watched as the king waves his paws around in fear against the air before finally coming to his senses, Kovu was baffled, he had no idea as to what had got Simba so scared, but Kovu could see the fear in Simba's eyes,
"Did you see it? Did you see it? It was right over... there." Simba points his paw was trembling,
"Simba, there's nothing there," Kovu looks to where his friends points but there was nothing there but empty land and more haze, Simba's eyes widen, the ghost was gone. Somehow that ghost fox knew everything about Simba's past, present and future, the king suddenly overcomes with regret, it had the voice of Mufasa but it sounded like his father blamed him for everything and that scared Simba more than anything.

"We should be extra careful from now on." Simba made sure he stayed with the group after that encounter, nobody else saw the spirit and that made Kovu question the king as they walked the prince thought his friend was going mad, because of the dark Shadowland, it was impossible to distinguish between day and night here due to the darkness, time was irrelevant here in the Shadowland and that was enough to send anyone insane.

Meanwhile back at Priderock...

Back at Priderock the lionesses along with Tojo and Ni patrol Priderock; Tojo's hawks patrol in the skies above circling around and getting a birds eye views of the area. Everyone was looking around with their claws drawn ready to face any threat which comes to them they were protecting the throne at all costs. While exploring the outskirts of Priderock Ni with his dirtied fur which he never really washed finds an entrance to a strange cave. The cave was previously covered with foliage and the curious Ni heads down inside, the minute he enters the rouge lion could hear something, the faint cries of a lioness, he rushes down quicker down the dark tunnel and into the cavern room, here there was a dried lake which used to have a waterfall and a family tree on the wall but in the centre of the cavern was Vitani trapped underneath a large boulder, he back paw was badly damaged and she was crying out.

"Hold on," Ni shouts and runs over before trying to push the boulder off the princesses' leg, the rock was so heavy and it only moved slightly, Vitani looks up at her hero with rouge lion Ni and tries to remember him from before,
"Wait... I know you, you were here before, you're Nala's friend," Vitani mumbles she remembers seeing Ni only once when Kopa returned and he and Kovu were fighting down Priderock before they were both princes, inadvertently Ni and Nala met again during those events. her eyes were squeezed tightly in pain as the boulder rolls off her and Ni rushes to her aid.
"But you have to listen, he took Kopa, a snake took Kopa and set a trap for me!" Vitani tries to get up but stumbles on her broken back paw, she was panic-stricken her true love had being taken from her once again and this time by a deadly snake, she was screaming in pain and anguish, but the passage was blocked by huge immovable boulders, Vitani suddenly passes out, the stress and pain was too much for her, even the strongest and fearless lioness' fall. The brave Ni takes her up on his back and begins carrying her out of the cave he walks slowly being careful of the her damages paw and then goes to warn those back at Priderock.

Hours passed and it seemed as if the herb was not in the Shadowland...

Simba wanted to save his daughter more than anything, but the Shadowland was slowly sending them all insane, the darkness made them forget what daylight looked like, the haze constantly made them all feel claustrophobic and the ash was dragging them down as it stuck to their fur. Now Kovu understands why his real father Kivuli's fur was all tainted grey after living here for so long, the ash was inescapable, but thinking of his now dead father Kovu remembers his anger for those responsible, he got a good look at Solta, she had dark fur and red eyes easily recognisable and if he ever saw her again he would kill her, he wanted revenge and he was ready to deal it mercilessly,

"We should head back," Simba speaks; there was a clear trail in the ash where they had walked so heading back to the passageway should be easily marked out to them. As his thoughts swirl around in his head Kovu gets angry when he speaks,
"I'm not giving up. First Nuka died, then Zira, Sarafina and even Kivuli; my own father. I've had enough of losing those I love! I'm not giving up on Kiara. My father told me in his last words that I had to travel someplace... He meant travel here."
Kovu says standing firm as Simba and Rafiki look at eachother and then the prince, but as he places his paw forward he accidently kicks something, looking down and using his front paws to brush away the ash he jumps back in fright.

"It's... Zira." Simba says looking down at the dead lioness covered in dirt and ash. Kovu rushes up to his mother and checks her but somehow he knew the moment he saw her underneath the ash that she was gone. Rafiki waves his staff over the previous queen's body the fruits on his staff giggle over her. Closing his eyes as the three of them gather around Zira, Rafiki decides to tell his story just as a huge lightning bolt strikes the Shadowland nearby. Rafiki speaks slowly and calmly,

"I spoke to Kopa when he returned, he said that he was told a prophecy that four of us would die." Rafiki looks down,
"Three of us already have, Sarafina the beautiful and Kivuli the brave, and Zira." Rafiki knew this prophecy would come to be true when he saw Sarafina struck down by the Hyenas during the war and fighting. The prophecy states one more will die, Rafiki himself believes it to be Kopa whom the mandrill saw the prince got that Black Scarab not long ago, but it could also be Kiara who will surely die without the special herb, the only plant which grew in the Shadowland. As Kovu mourns hanging his head in shame and regret Simba explores the area to find a strange pool of venom nearby. The king thinks aloud:

"I've seen venom like this before, when a fire started in the Pridelands I followed a trail and it leaded to right here in the Shadowland" Simba says to himself raising his head and looking around and there it was, gleaming with a white light, it was the herb they had being looking for standing up through the ash and glowing brightly. Simba shouts loudly in success as Rafiki runs on all fours limping towards the king who holds the white herb upwards into the air. Simba cheers and huffs panting when Rafiki the shaman takes the herb and pulls one of his fruits from his staff, he snaps the fruit in half and uses one half as a bowl while he eats the other half. He then begins to mash the herb into a paste like substance in the Baobab fruit and carries it with him nodding at Simba to declare it was time to head back. Kovu sobs over his mother, she was really gone this time there was no chance of her coming back at all, Kovu was miserable and for good reason, he had lost so many whom he loved with all his heart, the fighting for the throne of Priderock had taken them all accept for Vitani and Kiara. He was never going to give up on his sister and his mate, after mourning he sadly bids his mother a final farewell.

"Goodbye mom," He smiles under his tears, he had never cried before, his mother had taught him to be strong and to hide his true feelings but now she was gone. He had lost too much to care about hiding his feelings anymore. Wiping his tears now Kovu walks away to join his friends and promised to protect those he loved from now on, whatever the cost. When reunited the three friends head back to Priderock and decide to discuss things accept for Rafiki who keeps his secret tightly locked inside knowing full well today was the day it would be revealed. Simba, Kovu and Rafiki bravely transverse across the unforgiving Shadowland while heading home to Priderock.

Meanwhile...

Inside Priderock Kiara coughs weakly she was laid inside the lion's den while the storm rages in the darkened sky above,
"Kovu..." the young Kiara murmurs the voice of her true love under her breath in a feeble attempt to call him, Kiara had no idea of her surroundings now as the princess could barely do anything, the golden complexion she normally had had faded away as she grew weaker and weaker with each passing moment. Nala hadn't left her daughters side, she cuddled her daughter to keep her warm and safe, her daughter was dying. Nala looks down at her daughter worrying, Kiara was laid still and silent, her breathing was weak. Kiara had her mother's optimism but this time even Nala feared the worst, as Tojo quietly enters the den with upmost respect Nala turns to her old friend,

"Tojo, who did this to my daughter? Who keeps hurting us?" Nala says with tears swelling up in her eyes, Tojo sighs gently as he sits on the rocky ground, his thoughtful answer echoes across the Pridelands as he explains everything to the queen and her daughter,
"Surely the poison means one thing. The pinnacle of everything what has happened comes from one source, a creature which is beyond the realm of the living, a creature with power immeasurable, his voice is filled with the darkness, you met him once before, but he is more than just a snake, he is Joka, the devourer of worlds."

End of Episode X.