Shujaa and Mafuta charged ever onward, slicing and swiping their way through the corrupted hordes. They had watched as the Outlands fell, the screams of those trapped silenced by the eternal depths of the forgotten realm below. Neither lion nor primate submitted, refusing to believe that Scar had truly defeated them.
They were still breathing after all...
"If we fall..." Shujaa's concerned tone was cut off by a pouncing jackal Giza. The primate chieftain quickly rushed to his aid, swinging her staff with righteous fury, slicing through the corrupted, decaying form that strangled her friend.
"We will not fall, friend!" A burst of energy pulsed from her staff as she stabbed a Giza in the chest with its tip. "As long as we stand together!" They stood back to back, holding off the swarm whilst their combined forces fought on. Everywhere they glanced, death and destruction spread. The land burnt with an unholy flicker of flames, backlit by the sickly green glow that was once the Outlands.
A single roar bellowed from nearby. Shujaa and Mfutua immediately swirled to its origin, their hearts stopped beating for just a moment. Mere seconds later, another roar blasted across the land, tinted with a feminine tone.
"The Pridelanders?!" Shujaa glanced down to his primate friend, who simply nodded. Swirling her staff through her fingers, she flung an attacking Giza to the ground, crushing its throat with the staff it so desperately tried to grab. Shujaa, freed of all interference, rushed off through the horde, leading a charge to clear the way to their assembled Pridelanders nearby.
Many fell in his wake. Both Giza and living alike, but as the dust settled ahead, the Uasian King's advisor beheld a ferocious sight. The shadow of Pride Rock, Nala and Simba stood their ground. Many of their Pridelander brethren had fallen to the Giza, their souls dissipating into the ground, corrupted by Scar to be used for his nefarious desires. He charged forth once more, unaware of the changing tides.
High above, the darkened clouds shattered. A series of humming fractures spread across the sky, splintering with a holy glam of light. The Giza scurried from the beams that shone not far from where Shujaa stood. The creatures panicked. The royal advisor rushed to the Pridelanders' aid, kicking up dust as he slowed.
"Simba!" Shujaa trotted towards the Pridelander royalty, whose ears darted up upon hearing his voice. Nala arose to her feet, shaking the soot and dirt from her fur. Simba stood strong, only relaxing as Shujaa approached.
"Glad you could finally make it!" The Prideland's king smiled before turning his attention to the illuminated land around them. The Giza remained frightened, held back by the light whilst the clouds continued to break apart. In their place, a heavenly gleam of light blinded any survivor that stared upward for too long. Simba, Nala and Shujaa kept their eyes focused on the Giza. They were surprised when the ground began to shake violently beneath their feet.
Before anyone could do anything, the Giza gave off a sudden, synchronised roar. Each of them moved into a defensive stance, awaiting the oncoming swarm as their foes bubbled with courage. Shujaa closed his eyes, taking a deep, concentrated breath.
This might be the end...
As the Giza charged, the light grew in intensity. The ground began to break and crumble before the surviving Pridelanders. Not far away, Rafiki and Makini sprinted towards their held-down friends, only to be forced to halt as an almighty power crackled into the earth. The Giza halted their attack, turning their attention to the beam of light smashing into the dying life.
From the beam of light, a pair of elephant Giza fell to their knees. Their eyes remained locked open in fear. Trying to fight to their feet, the pair kicked dust and dirt into the air, illuminated by the reality-shattering beam that cascaded behind them.
The source of their fear quickly followed. With a flash of light, two staves, one rock, one wood, burnt with the hue of purity. With one pass, they sliced straight through the demonic creatures, forcing their bodies to crumble into a pile of rock and embers. The Pridelanders, not to mention the rest of the Giza, remained frozen in fear as two upright figures strolled through the beam. Both stood firm, their bodies barely moved as the light faded.
Shujaa, Nala and Simba could only watch in disbelief as the two primate figures raised their arms, calling their staves back to them. The Giza charged once more, their eyes burning with a blood lust for death and annihilation. Not far away, Mtafuta held her ground, twirling her staff at a horde of Giza that swarmed the remains of the Kitropiki Clan. Despite her training and aptitude for combat, she was losing ground quickly. Every second, the demonic creatures marched closer, an endless wave of soul fire and rock battering her staff. The primate chieftain tried her best but eventually fell to a pouncing Giza. Its teeth chewed at her fur, desperately trying to rip her throat from its emplacement.
A shadow loomed above her, not of darkness, but of shadow. Lunging from the heavens, the figure struck, whacking the corrupted soul off her. As the savage creature's body rolled off her, Mtafuta gasped for breath. The holy beams of light lingering the skies above shadowed her saviour. The glow of his wooden staff illuminated his light brown fur, highlighting his firm, concentrated eyes.
She recognised him instantly.
"Mtawa?" Her heart thumped deep in her chest as she glanced up at her son. As the Giza arose, the young male primate swung his staff around his head, whacking the creature directly in the jaw, forcing its body to crumble into dust and ash. Its remains flew through the air, landing beside the other primate figure, whose body had once been fur; now replaced with rock.
Standing strong and proud, Mwana held his ground. "Don't you dare attack my mum!" Just as he uttered his command, Mwana spotted another Giza swooping up from behind. Unfortunately for the soul-bound monstrosity, Mtafuta found her footing, piercing its heart with her reignited staff.
Mother and son stood strong, fighting off the remaining Giza wave charging them. As the final creature fell, Mtafuta stabbed her staff into its throat, resting as she panted. Her son held a defensive stance as the all too familiar rocky entity he'd entered this realm with. His mum's eyes widened, her heart racing as she realised who stood before them.
"Kw...Kwaheri!" As the rocky form of her mate approached, the acting chieftain raised her staff, terrified of the prospect he'd been corrupted too. And yet, his eyes hummed with their original brown hue. The cracks and crevices in his uneven body gleamed with Uasian blue pulses, reverberating his love into her mind and heart. "I... I can't believe..."
It's okay, 'Futi." The deceased primate smiled, resting his staff at his side. "This is our fight." His mate froze before him, a small salty tear rolled down her cheek as the realisation hit her. She had known all this time that he wasn't truly gone, but to see him like this!
Without thinking, she lunged towards him, wrapping her arms around his craggy form. Her heart resonated with his, orchestrating their love through their bodies. Mwana stood guard, watching as a new wave of Giza marched on through the crumbling ruins of the Pridelands.
"Mum...Dad..." The young primate stuttered, letting his uneasiness swell through his fur as the salivating horde approached. Not far away, the raging roars and howls of the Pridelanders, aided by their Uasian comrades, echoed through the land as the battle ensued around them. Finally departing from their hug, Kwaheri and Mtafuta stared out at the horizon.
With a single nod, the deceased monkey raised his staff, taking a defensive stance beside his mate and son as the Giza approached from the south. The corruption of the Outlands had spread, crumbling into the Pridelands, much to Kwaheri's dismay. He remembered the plan, the words he had given him.
"No more..." He slammed his staff into the ground, channeling its spiritual power into the earth. Mtafuta and Mtawa quickly realised what he was doing, joining their fellow primate in slamming their staves into the crumbling Prideland's soil. As the energies resonated the ground gave way in front of them, shifting and swirling to form a barrier lit with the depths of the void. They stood at the edge of eternity, the past, present and future leaders of the Kitropiki clan. Father, mother and son.
They joined hands, using each other's heartbeats to fuel their barricade. The Giza tried to clamber through, to pierce the veil of their paracausal will.
The wall stood...
...
Kopa and Karimu collapsed to the ground, their fur brushed with paracausal resonance from their arrival in this strange realm. Kopa raised his head, glancing around the all too familiar landscape. He had hoped he'd never find him here ever again. But to end this conflict...
"Kopa?" Karimu's sweet voice stole his attention. Her hazel eyes met his, shaken with concern as they both familiarised themselves with their surroundings. He placed a paw on hers, resting his muzzle just before hers.
"We're almost there, Karimu." His tone barely lifted from its concern fuelled depths. She nuzzled up to his side, their combined warmth providing just enough comfort to stand this horrid realm. A small glimmer of light caught the king's tension. A beacon resting at the peak of a nearby fragment of land.
"Kopa... Whatever happens..." Karimu placed her paw on Kopa's. A cloud of concern cocooned her face, lifting her rapidly building heart rate as the realisation dawned on her. "No matter what happens...We'll get through this...Together..." In response, Kopa gave her his attention, followed closely by a loving lick across the cheek.
"I know we will. I promise." He turned his attention back to the crumbling realm before them, his eyes catching the same fragment of land that had piqued his curiosity. With a sudden inhale, he stepped forward. "We'd better split up, try and gain a footing here."
"Are you sure that's wise?" The lioness' head slouched to the side, curiosity bubbling in her eyes whilst her mate stood strong before her. "She glanced around the broken realm, struggling to fathom the horrors out there. "We don't know if it's safe."
"True, but we need to find a path to that shard!" Kopa turned his attention to the large, foreboding crystal looming on the deep dark horizon. He sensed the seething squaller lurking deep in its walls, desperately trying to cling to the ropes of this pathetic excuse of a realm. His head spun. A fire stoked in his chest flickered as a familiar washing sensation ruffled his heart.
"True..." Karimu replied, surveying the rotten scurry of islands before them. She could feel their heartbeats, even through the twisted screams woven through the ground. Her cheek wettened as a promise was planted in her brain.
"We're coming little ones..."
"Very well." She stood bravely, coating her deep trepidation in her heart. Kopa knew of course, but they had no choice. She placed a paw forward, towards a series of small islands surrounding a canyon illuminated by a flurry of fungi. "I guess I'll check over there, might be a way through to the other side?"
"Maybe." Kopa strolled to her, his eyes analysing the path leading to the carved passage. She had learned much over the years, even if it hadn't been too obvious. With a hesitant sigh, Kopa nodded, placing his paw on hers. "Very well, but please... tread carefully."
"I will." The Uasian Queen smiled; a gentle surprise that rekindled the flame in Kopa's heart. As she passed, Karimu gave her mate a loving lick, her tail swooping under his chin as the lioness began to stroll away. "It's not my first rodeo with you." A playful smirk spread across her muzzle, slowly shallowing as she strolled away, roaring a path ahead into the void. The ground shook, ever hungry for the sustenance her paracausal dominance gave it. Kopa couldn't help but smirk back, admiring his queen as she slowly made her way into the deep decaying depths of Scar's Realm.
His fur froze.
The sound of Karimu's roar muffled through the air, slicing through the choking corruption like a claw through flesh. All that remained was the land and himself. Despite the nibbling feeling in his heart, the lion couldn't let his worry for Karimu to flourish. Glancing back up at the small fragment of land that caught his attention earlier, he saw that the light had returned.
His body hummed.
"Come... We have much to converse..." A familiar voice called from within. Before he could comprehend its origins, he found his feet stepping forward, his subconscious guiding him towards the belt of small islands. He remembered his training, his breathing. The feeling grew in his chest, gleaming from the depths of his soul as the world began to conform around him.
With a single focussed breath, he roared.
A path of Uasian crystal manifested across the void, seeping his will into the near emptiness. Fractures of light began to rupture through into Scar's realm, cascading glimpses of a perfect lush land beyond.
Upon reaching the decrepit island, the Uasian King ascended its narrow slope. His chest was weighed down by the growing sensation slivering from his very soul. As he reached the peak, his legs gave way, forcing his body to kneel before the peak.
His body chilled. Surprisingly, he felt lighter, as if a vast mountain of stress had been lifted from his back. Returning to a comfortable standing stance, the young adult lion was met with a paradoxical sight. Before him, a strong, majestic version of himself stood, overlooking the corrupted land with familiarity.
"You've made it!" The lion god before him spoke, his tone flavored with predetermined surprise. The present king, in awe of his future self, strolled forward, standing beside the majestic form mere meters apart. They both rested at the peak, staring out at the corrupted crystallised structure on the horizon.
A moment of silence fell. The younger Kopa's fur ruffled with questions. What was his future self doing, guiding him to this place? The ground beneath them twisted and concaved, flickering between dead and fruitful, barren and lush.
"Such a waste... To see our realm tarnished with such spite." The older Kopa tutted, his eyes sharp with disgust. The realm before them roared with energetic vibrations, crumbling and smoldering from a lack of control. The earth at their paws continued to flicker, bending to their combined will.
"Our realm?" The younger Kopa curiously queried, his mane swaying gently to the side as his head tilted. His older, godlike self refused to make eye contact, choosing to remain focussed on the crystal tower at the center of this realm.
"Indeed, our true seat of power." His eyesight slowly lowered. "The first true realm to exist." The old lion god smiled, his eyes sparkling in the corrupted light. A shallow shade of reminiscence adorned his brow, burnt away as his younger self placed a paw closer.
"So... How do we defeat him?" The Uasian King prodded his future self's mind, hoping to get a straightforward answer or at least a battle plan. Instead, the lion god simply chuckled, keeping his eyes focussed on the land beyond them.
"We outplay them." Finally, The elder lion's muzzle turned to his younger self, a knowledgeable smile spreading across his muzzle. "There is a maleficent force at work here Kopa..." Just as the lion god concluded, a reality-shattering roar bellowed from a small canyon not far from their position. Both Kopas locked on its position, watching as shards of Uasian Crystal manifested in the roar's wake.
"Karimu?!" The Uasian King arose, his muzzle agape with concern. Not long after, another feminine roar reverberated across the dead land, hinted with a soulful fire he hadn't felt since- "Potea!" He turned to his older self, who simply sat, patiently waiting for his younger self to question once more. He remembered the day well, and what he had to say.
"Indeed. By now they'd have found the young male." His voice remained calm, almost as if this was routine. He met the Uasian King's eyesight once more, an enlightened hue enveloping his irises. "Listen, Scar had a secret mate, a male that he was... close to..." The younger Kopa simply nodded, piecing the dots within the god's encrypted phrasing. "They were both consumed by a paracausal entity that controls this realm, the one you know as Scar." Another series of roars bellowed through the skies, infused with the occasional growl of pain. Both Kopa's felt their hearts miss a beat, even if the older one didn't respond to its presence.
"We're running out of time!" The god sighed, arising to all fours to match his younger counterpart. The Uasian King, fuelled by the thought of his mate's endangerment, stood at the edge, preparing his mind and body to will a way to the distant island. The ground beneath them trembled, crackling and crumbling as short strands of grass protruded from the dead earth.
"We need to get down there!" The Uasian King clawed at the ground, kicking small pebbles off the edge into the ever-hungry abyss below. His older self strolled up beside him, kicking a single pebble into the void.
"Not we... You!" The Uasian King shuddered in surprise. His eyes darted to the god, who refused to return his attention to his lesser self. With a shallow intake of air, he continued. "I must prepare the others for the upcoming confrontation." He turned away, preparing to leave the Uasian King to his concerned preparations.
The younger Kopa frowned, curiosity shifting through his elder's words, trying to understand. The god acknowledged this, halting his march as he reached the peak of the hill. "I wouldn't worry about that, fair king." He smiled, raising his paw to the horizon. "Go and have your queen! Be the spark of rebellion you were always meant to be!"
Kopa turned his attention to the distant canyon. Watching the Uasian crystal rot in a greenish hue.
He roared...
The realm obeyed...
