Peace for the Soul ~ A Lion King Fanfiction

Chapter 13: Let it Burn

I ran, ran and ran and ran. Much faster than I ever thought I could, taking refuge in the jungle. I could hear a lot of fighting near where I woke up, but I couldn't look back. I eventually get tired and settle in a thick brush. Not long after, I find a stream fast flowing with fresh water.

It's the most refreshing feeling I have felt in a while, giving that the humidity was taking a fast toll on me.

"Just. Like. Me."

The satisfied feeling was replaced with terror when I saw my reflection in the water was half me, and half of scars mangled face. I jump back, swiping my paws through the water, realizing it was just a hallucination. 'I need to keep moving...' I think to myself as I start running to higher ground.

I hear this subtle whisper, I can't identify who it is, but it's coming from this cave in the side of a hill, and I slowly creep in. As I get deeper into the cave, hot magma begins to light my way through, until I hear it...

"Welcome Kion, I have been expecting you for some time now."

That dreaded voice, "The lions of the past sentenced you to a spiritual death Scar!" That sick laughter echoed in my ears once again, sending a cold feeling through my whole body. 'This can't be true!' I scream in my head, "Oh but it is true, Kion, and I have something very special in store for you."

'No, he's inside my head?!' I think to myself,

The sounds of screams filled my ears, so loud that I collapsed to the ground. It sounded like the worst possible torture was being put upon them. I first didn't recognize the voice as it had been so long, but soon recognized it as my Moms cries of pain,

"Kion, please! Save yourself! Leave this place!"

I pick myself up and start to race through the tunnels underground looking but find no sign of my mom. I begin to panick, 'How is this even real?!' Then his raspy voice tainted me again,

"It is real because you made it real. It's because of YOU that they suffer, remember Kion? We are the same!" My eyes begin to swell, not knowing how much of this I can take.

The terrified voice of my mother is all it takes for my eyes and heart to begin stinging, she was the first real person I failed to save, and unfortunately wouldn't be the last. That's when I heard it, and it damn near tore me in half to here her screams again. "Umeme! Where are you?!" Her agonistic screams could probably be heard by the other contenders. "Kion, Please! Help me! I don't want to lose you again!" I take a sharp turn and bump into something that knocks me to the ground, and I look up to see Scars mangled body.

"Hello there, Kion..." I stand to face him, realizing quickly that while he was the cause of all of my loved ones suffering, he was a coward who waited until now to face me. Scar at this point is the only thing that will kill me, and thus I only see a desire for my suffering to end,

in one of two ways...

He walks up to me and traces his claws down my neck, leaving a nasty streak of scratches. "There there, Kion. I would never hurt you," Even I could tell in his facial expression that my face looked emotionless. "I only ever wanted to show you, your future." I look at him, and he just chuckles.

"Pardon me, our future, little lion." That's when the world around us began warping, like water ran down from every surface. The Cheetah valley, all of it was burning. A horrified expression plastered itself on my face as I scampered around looking for anyone to help. "The Pridelands Fate was not enough, as you have seen Kion, you were born to watch people suffer, I will corrupt every mind and every valley until it all burns. I must finish what I have started, and you are going to help me, by enforcing my biding."

"Why would I do that?" I nearly shout back in defiance, that's when Scar summons a lion to drag over a body, I quickly identify who it is, her body is beaten, visible scratches and bruising all up her Side and onto her terrified face, had it not been for the, "H-How?" Scar then rakes his claws up her side, causing Umeme to shriek in agony. "You cannot win Kion, accept your destiny, or all who you still try to protect will suffer a slow and painful death just like she did!"

I slowly back away, horrified and confused. 'Like she did? She died long ago, 'I will corrupt every mind' what does that mean?! What if he is trying to corrupt my mind right now, or what if this is a dream?

I close my eyes and breathe deeply, feeling the wind blow through my mane, and the earth beneath my paws.

'You know better than I you can't fight fire with flame.'

'Imagine you are in a dark tunnel, how do you escape?'

Everything became so clear to me in that moment, I rose my paws and swiped at scar knocking him to the ground. "You pathetic prince, I'll deal with you like I have dealt with your father!" And then our fight broke out.

Scar indeed was a skilled fighter, but I managed to match near every swipe or pounce he had for me. His frustrated grunts only got louder when I landed a hit after hit on him, ultimately pinning him underneath my weight, leaving him at my mercy.

"How did you do this?! I am the most powerful lion that the physical and underworlds have ever known! I have conquered lands and beasts vast beyond imagining!" I look down to him, the storm in my heart finally calming down, "Because Scar, all my life I have been scared of you, and after taking the lives of those I held so dear, it's time I opened my eyes and learned to walk away from this darkness. You are nothing but a coward, rather than taking me, you played with my mind and my soul, and you failed! You tried to turn me on myself and against my own! Your horrible have left a horrible mark on me, my family and on my father! I do not fear you anymore, nor do I believe it is truly you standing before me."

He pushes me off and gets up, and furiously lunges towards me, but I don't move, he just melts right through me, turning back, his eyes lit like a fire, "You will see Kion! Others are not as strong minded as you! I will find them, and poison them from the inside out to make sure you suffer!" He lunges to me one more time, fades though me again and crashing into a stone wall, his body fading into sand, returning his body to their earth.

"Thank you, Rafiki."

Suddenly the ground where he melted starts to glow. I walk over to it, carefully watching to see what happens. A silver ring appears from the ground, not unlike the one Heshima gave me. I pick it up and put it in my paw, and begin climbing my way out of this cave. Ascending from the darkness below, into the night above.