*I don't own ANY of the Kingdom Hearts characters or Lion King II: Simba's Pride characters. I only own Katie.
"They can't be serious!" Katie growled as soon the Keyblade Wielders were out of ear-shot of Simba. "We can't get involved in a civil war! Isn't it against the rules?"
Riku nodded. "Yeah, but if we are asked personally to get involved or help then we can break the rules and help them." After a chuckle, he added, "And you are worried about rules? You've broke them at least three times already."
Katie looked baffled. "Whaaaat?" She made a nervous laugh, "No I haven't!"
"Uh-huh, sure." Riku turned to Lea. "Can you go get Kiara? Simba wants to know where she is before we leave for the Pride Lands."
"Sure, be back in a sec." Lea said with a short nod. He stalked into the cave.
Repliku nudged Katie after Lea walked into the cave. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked her.
Katie looked down at him with puzzled look. The glow of her gold eyes sent chills down Repliku's spine. "Sure." She followed Repliku away from the group and down to Pride Rock's base. "What's up?" she asked the replica.
"Are you feeling okay?"
Katie raised an eyebrow at the question. "Uh…yeah…why…?"
"Well, you haven't been acting like…" Repliku searched for the right word. "You lately. Are you sure you're okay?" Repliku pressed.
"Yes, I'm fine." Katie growled. "I'm just tired…why do you say I'm acting different?"
Repliku looked at the ground and sighed. "Ever since Riku and Kairi found you in the Outlands, you've acting different. Especially yesterday after we were chased by those rhinos."
Katie glared at Repliku. "I said that I'm fine…" she started to turn away. "I'm done with this."
"Don't you dare turn your back on me, Katie!" Repliku yelled.
"Watch me!" Katie snapped. With a flick of her tail, she started to walk up Pride Rock.
With a frustrated roar, Repliku jumped in front of Katie. "Stop acting like this!" he commanded.
"I'll stop it when you stop treating me like a helpless toddler! Now get out of my way!" Katie yelled. She shoved Repliku to the side, almost making him fall of Pride Rock.
Repliku grunted in frustration as he pulled himself up the edge. Back on four paws, he ran towards Katie. With a hiss, he pounced on her. Katie yowled in anger and rolled him off, she slashed at his muzzle with her claws unsheathed. Repliku gasped in pain and stumbled backwards, staring at Katie in fear. Before Repliku could even think, Katie pounced him. They wrestled fiercely down the stone slab of Pride Rock, they fell off the ledge, landing heavily on their backs on the dirt floor. Katie got up to her paws and lashed at Repliku before he could get up. Repliku let out a pain filled grunt and tried to make Katie stop, but failed. Katie picked Repliku up by his neck and thrashed him around in her grip. She tossed him to the side, making Repliku hit a stone wall hardly. Repliku landed back on the ground with a loud 'thud'. Katie stalked up to him and pressed her front paw on his neck, choking him.
"K-Katie…! St-stop it! P-please…!" Repliku pleaded with a hoarse voice. "You're hurting me!"
"Look who is the helpless toddler now!" Katie hissed. "I'm tired of your constant babying of me! I am one year away to reaching adulthood, you however still have two years left! So who do you think should tell the other one to do?! The youngest?!" She pressed down on Repliku's neck harder.
"L-let me go, Katie…!" Repliku wheezed.
"So that you can baby me some more?! I don't think so!" Katie screamed. Darkness started to swirl off of her body. "I get it now…you're holding me back! I bet I would have found Terra by now if you didn't step into my life!"
Repliku's eyes widened at the Darkness radiating off of Katie. "Katie…stop! You're letting Xehanort in!" Katie pressed down on his neck even harder.
Katie didn't even notice the rest of gang rushed down to them. "Let Repliku go, Katie!" Kairi yelped.
Katie slowly turned her head to Kairi, her eyes wild and her pupils' slits. "Or what?" she sneered. She dug her claws into Repliku's neck, making Repliku scream in agony.
"Katie, stop! You're hurting him!" Sora exclaimed. He rushed at Katie and wielded his Keyblade. He slashed it at Katie head, making her let Repliku go and skid across the dirt floor. "This isn't you!"
Katie slowly got up to her paws and shook head hard. Her eyes were back to normal. She froze and looked at Repliku, who was being helped up by Lea and Riku then at her paws. They were clouded with dark smoke. Her eyes widened in fear and then scanned the faces of her friends. They all had fear and shock written on their faces.
Kairi slowly approached Katie. "Katie…?"
"I—I…!" Katie took a few steps back and shot off like a bullet, away from the group.
"Katie, wait!" Riku yelled. But it was too late, the troubled teen was gone.
Katie kept on running and running, not looking back to Pride Rock. She ran until her paws hurt and still kept running. She ran into the canyon she and Repliku ran away from the rhinos with Kiara and Kovu. Katie sniffed as she ran, holding back tears. 'What have I done? I can't believe I just did that! What's wrong with me?' Katie skidded to a halt and looked over her shoulder. Pride Rock was no longer in sight. Panting hard, Katie sat down in the shade. The Darkness was still swirling off of her pelt. "Why won't this go away?" she growled.
"It is a sign, Ms. Heart…" a voice echoed in the canyon.
Katie froze and slowly got up to her paws, she slowly walked into the open. "W-who's there?" she jumped when a dark portal formed in front of her.
A dark lion walked out of the portal. His eyes glowed gold and was empty of any emotions. Somewhat spiky silver hair rested on the top of head. "Like I said to you before, Katelynn Heart…your heart is etched on a Dark path. You failed to accept my offer and now the Darkness in your heart is consuming you." The lion continued.
"Wha—wait, you're the Xehanort carnation I met in Kohona!" Katie hissed. "I still have the same answer; I'm not joining you, the Darkness, or that old coot Xehanort."
The lion chuckled, "So naïve…I guess I was wrong. You are not as smart as I first intended. Don't you get it? The Darkness inside you will only grow over time…there is no turning back now, Katelynn Heart. The more you resist, the more the Darkness will consume you…" Before the lion returned to its portal he added, "But I will give you a piece of advice…"
"And that is?" Katie urged bitterly.
"You can put that Darkness inside you to good use."
Katie narrowed her eyes at the lion. "…How so?"
The lion smirked. "Use it."
"I just told you-!"
"It will slow down the process, Ms. Heart. It will help you with these…random takeovers reduce to a smaller number…" As the lion slowly backed up into the portal, he said, "Oh, and one more thing. We will get you one day…I've seen your destiny…you can't escape us now…" He laughed menacingly and disappeared with his dark portal.
Katie blinked at where the dark portal once was. She jumped when thunder boomed above her head. "The battle! It's starting!" Katie paced around in a circle. "I won't make it to the border in time…"
The lion's words echoed in her head, "Use the Darkness…"
Katie let in a deep sigh and closed her eyes. She thought about the border and channeled her inner Darkness into one spot. She heard a whoosh. Opening her eyes, she found a dark portal swirling in front of her. Katie looked at her paws and gasped. The Darkness was gone. Taking in a deep breath, Katie jumped into the portal.