Pride - My Story

Chapter 8 - Darkness Consumes Him

  Leo found himself back in the Kenyan Guardship. He was warned as a cub to never go near this place.

  But Leo was no longer a cub or a pride lion. He was an outcast.

  Leo had two options. Make the hardest journey of his life or join Scar's Pride and be with Nairobi forever.

  Leo heard rustling in the bush. It was a lioness. She jumped on top of him and clawed him multiple times.

  Leo broke free of the lioness' grasp and tried to run.

  He fell over on his head. The lioness halted as she saw Leo on the ground.

  Leo woke up in an empty den. He saw the lioness pad towards him.

  "Thank the spirts you're okay" She said. Leo recognized that voice.

  It was Nairobi. She saved him from suffering. Leo stood up but froze in shock as he saw a male lion with a black mane stand before him.

  It was Scar. The king of Scar's Pride. Leo thought he was going to be done for. Scar growled at him.

  "What are you doing in my pride?" He asked and then turned to Nairobi.

  "He was in pain" Nairobi said. "I had to help him"

  "But this is an outsider" Scar said. "Kovu wants to see you at the river, outsider" He hoped Leo would buy it.

  "I'm not following it" Leo said. "I have been told to story of you and how you lied to Kovu about Tokimuri being at the river. He was killed by a crocodile"

  "He's worthy" Nairobi said. "Accept him into the pride!"

  "I'm not going to let any of Kimba's members into my pride" Scar growled. "This will send in more of Kimba's lions and we're all going to have a bad time like a lion bullied by hyenas"

  "I was a lion of Kimba's Pride" Leo said. "Mufasa exiled me for almost killing my brother Tanner. He said I have some of your insticts"

  "There is no way in the history of genetics that you are related to me!" Scar bellowed.

  "I know that" Leo said. "My father was Suda. The current king is Kimba"

  "Suda?" The words echoed in Scar's head. Those words appeared when Scar served under Suda's rule.

  "I regret what I have done" Scar said. "But now it is too late to change it"

  "What did you do?" Leo asked. "Oh nothing" Scar replied. "I regret threatening Mufasa that's all"

"You don't seem to be as mean and manipulating as other lions said you were" Leo said.

  "Of course not their liars!" Scar bellowed. "Every cub fears me for no reason! They blame me for the death of Kovu! They blame and the crocodile for the death of Tokimuri!"

  "Scar has been through a lot" Nairobi said. "But now is the time that you must go and settle somewhere else. This pride is fine without more fighters. You can visit another time"

  "Yes please take him away" Scar said. "If you need me I will be in my den recovering Nairobi"

  "I will leave then" Leo said. "I promise to not kill you or frame you of anything again. I despise the feeling I felt when I first heard of your stories"

  Leo padded away and continued his long and harsh journey.

  During his trail he saw a huge forest. The sign said Welcome To the Forest Of India. Continue swimming this way and you will find the majestic Indian forest.

  Leo was alarmed. He never learned how to swim when it came to problems like this.

  That was probably the reason why Tokimuri and Kovu died.

  They never learned how to swim. Leo went another route but he was sure it would take him back to Kimba's Pride or Scar's Pride.

  Leo laid there by the ocean. There was no hope for him.

  Leo was exiled from Kimba's Pride. Scar wouldn't let him stay in his pride.

  Leo can't swim. He decided to think happy thoughts. Maybe Scar will let Leo be part of his pride.

  But that would send him to the Ethiopian Dungeon because he would be forced to be a bad lion.

  Leo had the spirit of Suda inside of him. He can't just attack Kimba's Pride.

  Leo was given life to that pride. And now he is exiled.

  Leo understood that Mufasa was just checking the safety of Kimba's Pride.

  But Mufasa viewed him as a threat. A danger to prides.

  Leo never wanted Mufasa or any other lion of Kimba's Pride to see him the same again.

  There would be no Star's Pride. No nothing. Just himself and misery.

  Leo wished that he never threatened to attack Tanner.

  He wished that he could become a better lion. Suda would not be impressed with Leo as his spirit watched from Star's Pride.

  Lions were called the king of the jungle. And he never felt that he belonged as a king.

  Leo wanted to kill himself by drowning in that water or letting a large animal take his life. Or if he could swim properly, letting a jungle animal kill him.

  Leo laid next to the water and took a sip of it before turning away and trying not to worry about anybody finding him.

  He knew that nobody would come for him anyway. Leo would ignore the call of anyone calling his name.

Leo.

Leo.

Leo.

Leo!