A Dark Secret

Chapter 2

"I'll never be like you Scar!"

"Ooh! Ooh! Use the Roar, Kion. Blast that guy back to where he came from," Bunga encouraged eagerly.

The fiery ghost of Scar leaned menacingly forward. "You don't have the power to destroy me, Kion."

"Don't listen to him!" Fuli shouted.

"We believe in you," Beshte said.

Kion started to walk forward, but suddenly stopped at the sharp pain in his face. "Mm?"

"Finding it difficult to think?" Ushari lifted his head and tried to squirm out of Bunga's grasp. "My venom has a tendency to do that."

Bunga quickly shoved Ushari's head back down with his foot. "Use the Roar, Kion. He's asking for it!"

"You have the mark of evil. Just like me, Kion." More pain rushed through Kion's system as Scar's words distortedly echoed inside his ringing ears. "Accept your destiny. There is no other choice! At the end of the day, we all are fire and flame. Sisi ni sawa! We are the same!" Scar laughed evilly as he sung a twisted version of a song Kion's friend sang to him a long while ago.

Then one lyric made Kion think. "Fire and flame?"

His grandfather's words rang in his ear. "Stay true to who you are. Don't fight fire with fire."

"Of course!" he gasped as a realization took him over. "I do have another choice, Scar." Kion walked forward until he was standing at the very edge of the prepice that overlooked the lava. Something only one Lion Guard leader can do to another."

Scar laughed mockingly. "And? What's that?" Clearly he didn't expect something all too powerful from the newly scarred lion in front of him.

"I forgive you."

There was a silence that no one knew how long lasted before Scar finally exclaimed, stuttering, "You... You WHAT!?"

"But I can't judge you for everything you've done. The Lions of the Past need to do that." And a dark realization spread across Scar's face as Kion blew gently, as opposed to using his Roar full blast. Thunder rumbled from the sky as lions appeared in the clouds above the volcano, their faces not highly detailed, but anyone could tell they were disappointed. They all glared down at Scar's fiery form before all growling and blowing in unison. Then they were gone, and rain started to fall.

Scar's spirit started to face as the rain soaked his fiery form. "No! Noooooooo!"

Ushari was finally able to look up from Bunga's pin. "What? Scar's plan failed?"

"The Roar is a curse, Kion. You'll see!" he screamed as his form became paler and paler.
"Sisi ni sawa!"

And with those final three words his spirit disappeared forever to who knows where, if it even still existed at all.

"Stop! You can't destroy him!" No longer pinned by Bunga, Ushari lunged at Kion while the lion was still standing so close to the edge, and leaped.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Bunga ran forward with all his might and tackled Ushari while Kion ducked and they both flew off the edge, screaming.

Faster than anyone had ever seen him, Ono flew off of Beshte and dived down into the smoke towards the lava. "I've got you, Bunga!"
There was a splash, then a silence as everyone shared the same thought. Was one, maybe even two of their friends...

Then they heard Ono straining.

"You can do it, Ono!" Bunga cheered.

"Almost there..." Ono finally rose above the land, Bunga holding onto his thin, black and orange legs as he flew upwards. "There!" Ono finally dropped Bunga onto solid land and tiredly flew to Beshte's back and collapsed, coughing.