revenge.”

As he spoke she felt the confusion in her head clear. Her confidence returned and she felt oddly peaceful.

“ You don’t want revenge. Your just like Scar, my father, your son. Your just evil.”

He snarled, his face contorted in rage barring his black teeth. With one leap he made contact with her. His shoulder slamming into her chest followed by his paw hitting the side of her head sending her flying into a boulder.

“ Scar was a little bitch you stupid whore!”

He roared as he pounced on her and began to pummel her.

“ My pathetic son spent his life crying because nobody liked him, and dreamt of being the king of one little kingdom. Oh your right I am evil but you have never seen evil the equal of me. You think I want to be king of this pride, Spending my time raping your young females that they might fear me? You think you’ve seen nightmares? I’ve seen hell bitch and when I’m done everything on this planet shall be haunted by nightmare the like of which you cant even imagine and those hellish visions will be comforting compared to the horrors of their waking life!.”

He screamed at her his voice become louder as he spoke, raining blow after blow upon her. She curled herself into a ball trying to protect her head and chest fighting desperately not to be crushed to death by the bone jarring blows. Finally he stopped his brutal beating, leaving her bloody and with massive bruises.

“ You could have been a queen of the pride of the storm, and yet you come and insult me? Choosing instead loyalty to this pride of the sun. A pride which obliterated our people. A pride which will never accept you as one of them. Fine then take what pleasure you can from joining in their suffering.”

He turned once again to the ledge gesturing out at the storm.

“ Allow me to show you something. Tell me what did they teach you of the tigers. Did you know that they once lived in these same plains like lions in great prides. However like our people they too are the victims of being on the losing side of a war. They where driven from the pride lands and forced into the mountains and forests. Lacking the abundant hunting of the plains they where no longer able to support themselves as one people and where forced to become solitary wanders. They have been watching their race slowly die until now they are few. Never have they been able to unite themselves to and challenge the lions rule of the plains. Not until now, The pride of the storm and the tigers have made a bargain. We will unite against the lions of the sun. When we are done they will have the plains to rebuild their race and I will draw power from its inhabitants drinking the lands souls like water from a spring and lay waste to all the rest of this world. Taka failed at even being king, when I’m done I’ll be a god.”

He laughed to himself walking back over to the ledge. Using Nala’s blood still on his black claws to finish a symbol he had been drawing on the stone.

“ I spent much of my previous life wandering among them, preparing them with dreams of returned glory and slowly gathering them into small bands under leaders with sufficient strength to hold them together. The next step is to unite those warlords into one great army. They wait eagerly for a sign to prove that I truly have the power to bring them victory, and they shall rally unto me.”

Nala struggled to her feet. One of her eyes was begging to swell shut and she could taste blood in mouth. Her whole body felt like it was broken. She watched as he completed the odd symbol with her own blood. It suddenly became alit as though on fire and a horrendous sound cracked overhead and echoed across the lands. The storm over the plains suddenly shifted and began to pull together as if some great force was pulling the black clouds towards the center. The dark clouds directly in front of pride rock began to spin and a massive funnel cloud descended from the sky and struck the ground with enough force Nala could feel the ground tremble through her paws. The huge tornado formed into a perfect pillar, and then seemed to become solid like a titanic spinning pillar of onyx. Its color the pure black of the white lions claws. A dark defilement of the sky. A chill went through her body. It was as though it symbolized her every fear. An image she had seen before, haunting her dreams, but had never let her self realize while awake. What little hope she hadn’t even realized she had been clinging to left her. She felt despair overcome her. She turned and slowly began her way down in silence. Mortal beings could never defy such power.

Part six ( The black Sunrise)

Nala walked slowly down the path the storm raging even harder then before. With each step she made on the hard stone her bruised body ached. Her fur was completely soaked the water mixing with her blood still coming from her nose and mouth. Reaching the bottom she found the tigers standing out on the ledge looking out over the plains. The lionesses huddled in the cave growing ever more dark. Both staring in awe at the black pillar. She caught a quick glance from the tiger Null, and a cruel smile pleased to see her injured, but he said nothing. The lionesses didn’t look up as she entered the cave, they sat motionless captivated by the horrific sign of the white lion’s power. Her strength all but gone she let herself collapse next to her beloved Simba. Only Sarabi noticed her enter. The elder lionesses came over and sat down beside her and began to gently examine her wounds.

“ I owe you an apology Sarabi”

Nala whispered. Sarabi smiled a sad look in her eyes.

“ No Nala you don’t owe me anything. I’ve been hard on you and I shouldn’t have been. I have ghosts that haunt me too, and I wanted the best for my son. If it means anything I didn’t mean to blame you. I can only pray I am judged by my intentions.”

Nala felt tears form in her eyes

“ I pray that to Sarabi.”

In the caves far corner Yalee stirred, and Sarabi went to check on her.

Nala lay looking out at the growing dark of night and the great black pillar. The lionesses murmuring about the sign, the occasional cry of a cub, and Yalee’s tortured moans. Exhaustion began to overtake her and she felt very distant. She could feel the power of the storm pulsating across the land. She could hear the commands of the white lion soft on the wind talking to his beast. The evil origin of her blood, the paleness of her fur, the vibrant green of her eyes. She fought with the last of her weakening will against that which she didn’t want to believe. The horrible image of her dreams she had never let herself acknowledge while awake. A black sunrise, the last sun rise. The end of the war. Nothing could defeat him, not Sarabi, not Simba. Nothing of the light could stop him now. Day would never dawn again and she would be alone in the dark forever. Slowly all seemed to fade and an unpleasant sleep took her.

The lionesses where awoken by the tigers at dawn still exhausted and forced out onto the ledge in the rain to hear the white lion. He stood on a large rock where the gathered lionesses could easily see him.

“Pride of pride rock. I will not lie to you. I have no reason to. Your world is at its end. I wanted you quite until I had finished due to the concentration required, but now I am done and I have no further use for you. The tigers will be coming. They will rule your lands now. You will spend the rest of your lives in their servitude or you will die shortly after your cubs are tortured to death. Slavery or death for you and your children are your only options I would suggest you consider the matter and do not choose emotionally.”

Sarabi stepped out from the pride

“ No Rohad, you cant blackmail me with our cubs lives. This is beyond our pride now. You have to be stopped.”

She spoke with an utter absence of fear. She appeared like she had in her youth. The brave and strong warrior hunter who had defied Scar so many times.

“ You cant stop me Sarabi. Do you think I would return from the dead to be beaten by a whore.”

He said his voice calm and cold

“ Your tigers aren’t here yet and you talk to much.”

As smooth as water she took two steps and leaped. She locked every one of her senses on the beasts throat all the rest of the world faded away. She had made up her mind. He had to die and that was all that mattered. Sarabi moved as fast as she ever had in her youth. But the tiger called Void was faster. A blow of his giant paw caught her. His strike reversing her direction. He reared up on his back paws and with all his weight coming down, drove her head first into the ground. Her back broke with a noise like thunder and the great Sarabi was still. Every lioness stood in shock staring dumbfounded at her lying in the rain, just moments before so strong and powerful. The tiger standing over her triumphantly. Sarabi their queen for two kings, mightiest of all the lionesses had fallen. Nala had never imagined a sight so horrible. It suddenly occurred to her how much she had respected the elder lioness, and what her death would mean. The morbid silence was broken by the Rohad cruel voice

“ Well, would anyone else like to challenge me?

He asked looking out over them. No one made a sound. What could kill Sarabi none of them could defeat.

“I will fight you!”

A voice echoed from behind them. The startled lionesses parted to reveal Simba standing in the entrance of the cave.

“ The king awakes at last!”

One of the tigers laughed.

“ I’ve been dreaming. I’ve spoken to my father and my father’s father. I know who you are and I will stop