Two worlds collide
Chapter 7 the queen of mean
In the dark forest a pair of amber eyes watched the pridelands through a hole. She had been watching the pridelands and the clan cats for a while. A tortoiseshell she-cat looked at the vision in the hole showing Simba, Nala, Kiara and Kovu walking in the evening.
Mapleshade glared at the happy pridelanders in jealousy. She had heard the story between Kiara and Kovu. A lion who was the son of an evil lion tried to kill the king and ended up falling in love with his daughter and was going to become the next king!
She was jealous at how the son of a villain was going to get a happily ever after and she didn't.
A piano music filled the air
Mapleshade; I'm so tired of pretending. Where's my happy ending? (the vision in the hole changes into a vision of her warrior ceremony) I followed all the rules, I drew inside the lines (vision shows her and her kits) I never asked for anything that wasn't mine. (vision shows her and Appledusk) I waited patiently for my time but it when it finally came, (vision changes to Appledusk with Reedshine) he called her name!
And now I feel this overwhelming pain, I mean it's in my veins, I mean it's in my brains. I'm like a perfect picture with a broken frame. I know exactly who to blame.
I never thought of myself as mean. I always thought that I'd be the queen. And there no in between. Cause if I can't have that, then I will be a leader of the dark and bad. Now there's a devil on my shoulder where the angel's used to be and he's calling me the queen.
Mapleshade walked on through the dark forest, she looked into a hole showing another vision of her playing with her kits.
Being nice was my past time, (she waved her paw making the vision disappear) but I've hurt for the last time.
And I won't ever let another person take advantage of me. The anger burns my skin, third degree. And my blood's boiling like a fiery sea, there's nobody getting close to me. They're gonna bow to the evil queen. You're nightmare's my dreams, (smirks) Just wait until they fall to my wicked schemes.
I never thought of myself as mean. I always thought that I'd be the queen. And there no in between. Cause if I can't have that, then I will be a leader of the dark and bad. Now there's a devil on my shoulder where the angel's used to be and he's calling me the queen.
The queen of mean.
The queen of mean.
Mapleshade then saw standing planted in the ground. It was a staff made of twisted branches and had a green jewel at the top. It seemed mesmerizing as Mapleshade walked towards it.
Something's pulling me it's magnetic. My body is pulling me unsure where I'm heading. All of my senses have left me defenceless. The darkness around me has promised me vengeance. The price that I'm willing to pay is expensive. There's nothing to lose when you're lonely and friendless. So my only interest is showing this princess that I am the queen and my reign will be endless!
She grabbed hold of the staff and there was a flash of light. And when it cleared Mapleshade wasn't in the dark forest anymore, she was in the pridelands at night. She had transformed into a lioness. She looked a lot like Kiara, only with a more orange pelt and her muzzle, paws and underbelly where white instead of the creamy shades.
I want what I deserve! I wanna rule the world. Sit back and watch them learn, it's finally my turn. If they wanna villain for a king, I'm gonna be one that they've never seen. Show them what it means. Now that I am back, I will be the ruler of the dark and the bad. Cause the devil's on my shoulder where the angel's used to be and he's calling me the queen of mean.
The queen of mean!
I want what I deserve! (She stomped her staff on the ground and the scene fades to black.)
…
The next morning Kiara and Kovu were sitting by the waterhole talking about their experience in Starclan.
"I'm glad Bramblestar was able to get past the legacy of Tigerstar," said Kovu. "And made an achieving life for himself. I've noticed he has a natural gift for leadership, just like Kion. I'm not entirely sure about the confidence of being king."
"I know it sounds hard," said Kiara leaning against her mate's neck. "But as you've said you and Bramblestar are quite alike, you've both had rough upbringings being judged by your appearances."
"Yeah," chuckled Kovu. "Except Bramblestar grew up in a more loving environment. He had a mother who loved him and a nice forest which didn't force you to fight for survival."
"You and Bramblestar both have kind and caring hearts," said Kiara softly. "You'll be a great leader one day. My daddy's been looking after you since you joined the pride and has been teaching you how to run a kingdom."
Kovu smiled at the orangey-gold lioness and the two started to play tag.
…
Meanwhile Vitani's guard was patrolling through the pridelands. Kovu had told them about their dream in Starclan and were talking about it.
"I can't believe dark forest cats can walk in the dreams of living cats like Starclan," said Tazama. "Freaky much."
"I know right," said Kasi. "The fact that you still have the injuries you've received for real when you're awake or even die. It sounds even worse then all that brutal training in the Outlands."
"I'm glad the lions of the past can't do that," agreed Vitani gravely. "Especially the bad ones."
"Those dark forest cats don't scare me," huffed Shabaha. "I'd take them on without any problem."
"I think you spend to much time with Bunga, Shabaha" retorted Kasi.
"Come on," said Shabaha. "Those cats are smaller than us, we'd be able to beat them easily. It's hard for them to fight foxes."
"Foxes are bigger than cats," Vitani pointed out. "And the cats can put up a fight with them."
The five friends then stopped to notice on the ground, the body of an oryx. It looked like it had been savaged to death.
"Who did this?" exclaimed Imara.
I don't know," said Vitani. "But whatever it was we'd better find out before it harms any of the other herds."
"Whoever did it certainly wasn't hunting for food," said Tazama observing the remains all scattered around. "It did it for fun."
"It's even worse than Zira," muttered Shabaha. "Even she wouldn't waste prey like this."
"We should Kion and Simba about this," declared Vitani. "We could have Ono look around for any more bodies or any suspicious animals."
Imara and Tazama sniffed around the oryx.
"Hey guys," Imara spoke up. "We caught this scent."
Vitani and the others started sniffing around. It didn't smell recognizable; they weren't entirely sure what kind of animal it was.
Kasi led the group forward. She then stopped in her tracks to see an orange furred lioness in front of her.
"Oh, hey Kiara" she said cheerfully.
But her smile soon turned into shock as the lioness faced her.
The others heard Kasi scream.
"Other there!" cried Tazama.
The ran up and saw this lioness on top of Kasi. Kasi was screaming and swiped at the lioness trying to get it off her, she was able to get a few defensive swipes at her but the other lioness was biting and scratching at her.
"Bila hofu!" cried Shabaha.
The lioness turned and saw Imara and Shabaha pouncing on her.
Tazama checked on Kasi while the other two lionesses fought the rouge lioness. Shabaha and Imara swatted the lioness with their paws. Imara headbumped the lioness in the chest. And Shabaha kicked her with her back legs.
The lioness rolled and flopped on the ground, she got up growling and ran off.
Imara then put Kasi on her back and they raced back to pride rock.
…
That afternoon, Kiara and Kovu returned to pride rock talking and laughing. They're happy faces soon turned to shock as they entered the den and saw the sight.
Rafiki and Makini were kneeling around Kasi. Kasi's dull tan fur was covered in scratches and bites. Simba, Nala, Tiifu, Zuri and Vitani's guard were gathered around concernedly.
"What happened?" asked Kovu worriedly as he and Kiara walked.
"Kasi got attacked on patrol," explained Vitani. "Some lioness attacked us."
"Who was it, Kasi?" asked Simba. "You don't have to be afraid to tell?"
Kasi looked up as Rafiki and Makini were putting medicine on her wounds.
"It.." she said unsurely. "It looked like… Kiara."
Everyone stood in silence, Kiara's amber eyes widened in surprise in Kasi's claims.
"But," said Kovu softly. "Kiara would never do that. Besides she's been with me all morning."
"Well," Kasi said admittingly. "I said it looked like Kiara. It had more regular orange fur then Kiara and the fur on her muzzle and stomach was white instead of the rich creamy color."
"I don't know why you would think Kiara would attack you," huffed Tiifu. "She's the future queen. She wouldn't attack anyone."
Just then Kion and his guard returned and were shocked to find the scene. Simba told them about what happened to Kasi and the rouge lioness.
"So, you're saying a rouge lioness is on the lose and it looks like Kiara?" exclaimed Bunga in disbelief.
"That wasn't all," said Vitani. "We found the body of an oryx and it's remains were scattered all over. This lioness is very savage as she killed for pleasure, not for hunting."
"We've got to find this rouge before she harms someone else" declared Kion.
Simba nodded.
"Ono," instructed Simba. "Go and search for the rouge lioness and have some of the other birds in the pridelands keep a look out too. The rest of you go warn the herds and ask them if they've seen anything suspicious."
The lion guard nodded.
"Did you notice anything else about the lioness?" Kion asked his sister-in-law.
Vitani and her friends all exchanged unsure looks.
"I did see this staff," Tazama spoke up. "She had her tail wrapped around it."
Everyone looked at each other in surprise.
"That sounds weird" said Makini feeling frightened.
"It didn't look like your staffs," said Kasi.
"What did it look like?" asked Rafiki with interest.
"It was tall, and made out of twisted branches," explained Vitani. "And it had a green gem on it."
Rafiki thought for a moment.
"I will look into it" he said thoughtfully.
Kion's guard headed back out.
"You know Kiara," said Zuri. "It might be best you didn't go out on your own for a while."
"Yeah," said Tiifu. "If this lioness looks like you, it's possible anyone witnessing it attacking another animal might jump to the conclusion it's you. You'd need us to confirm that you weren't there when it happened."
"They might be right," agreed Simba. "We know you'd never do anything like that, but it probably won't stop rumors from going around."
Kiara had to admit her friends and family were right.
…
That night Bramblestar was sleeping in his den. He opened his eyes to find himself in Starclan. He looked up to see Firestar and Cinderpelt standing in front of him.
"Firestar?" gasped Bramblestar. "Is something wrong?"
"We came because we have a prophecy for you" replied Cinderpelt.
"Two worlds must collide to defeat the rising darkness," said Firestar.
Bramblestar crocked his eyebrows as he listened. Mist then started to appear around them and formed into the shape of a lion and then the mist turned into a cat standing beside the lion.
After a moment the lion and the cat disappeared and Firestar and Cinderpelt walked away.
Bramblestar stared in silence, he wondered if dark forces were going to come to both the pridelands and the clans.
…
Outside the pridelands, Mapleshade sat staring up at the pridelands. She admired her new form as a lioness. She felt more stronger and powerful. Especially how she killed larger prey. She loved how she killed that oryx, and she felt as though she hadn't killed enough.
"Who are you?" said a voice.
Mapleshade turned around in surprise to see a lioness with beige fur and red eyes. But she didn't have any fear. Mapleshade smirked at her.
"Who are you?" she asked back.
"Zira," replied the lioness.
"So, you're Zira," said Mapleshade. "I've heard of you."
"How do you know?" asked Zira dumbfounded.
"I'm Mapleshade," said Mapleshade cunningly. "And I've been watching the pridelands. I've heard you have a score to settle with the king. And I think we have a lot in common."
Zira was still puzzled.
"I have some unfinished business too," explained Mapleshade. "And I think we're a lot alike as we share the same enemies."
Zira smirked, now getting interested in this new lioness.
Author's note; I put the song the queen of mean in this story because I think it suits Mapleshade. I changed the line from "a villain for a queen" to king because of her jealousy to how Kovu was treated as a villain and is now going to be king of the pridelands.
