The Final Tale Ch. 6

The flames of terror lit the entire kingdom ablaze. This was not like the first time the Outlanders had raised the Backlands. It was worse. This time, the element of Dry lightning was on the enemies side. Animals of all kinds that lived there ran for their lives. Leopards, Hyenas, Zebras, and, of course, Komodos. Each one trying to escape the evils of the Outlanders attack.

Jasiri kept her head below the smoke as she led her clan on. "Stay with me, everyone! And stay together!"

"That may be rather diffucult."

Jasiri knew that voice all too well. She looked around for the villainous Lioness who had plagued her for so long. Her laughter echoed through the crackling of the burning land.

Soon enough, she made herself known.

Allied with several of her Lionesses, Zira unsheathed her claws, ready to tear some Hyena skin. "None of your are going anywhere, I'm afraid."

Jasiri growled. "Zira...." She then looked around. "Where's your little golden child?"

"Oh, you mean Kovu?" Zira faked acting innocent with an evil smirk. "He's going for the main prize."

"Main prize?" The Hyena asked as her clan was surrounded by the evil Lionesses.

"Yes." Zira nodded. "Under Scar's orders, he is to rid us of the main obstacle to make up for his little blunder."

It did not take Jasiri long, but she caught wind of Zira's point.

Kovu was going after Scar Snout!

As she was about to lead her clan to Scar Snout's location, she felt the paw of Zira strike her, sending her flying backwards. The mate of Scar bared her fangs as she was joined by Reirei and her pack.

"Uh uh uh." Reirei shook her head. "Your king's got his own business to attend to." The Jackal lowered her head in defense as she circled around the female Hyena. "And this time, there's no Lion Guard to save you."

--

The lumbering reptile sped through the flames as he looked for any stragglers. His kingdom seemed as if it were beyond help right now, but that mattered very little now. Right now, he had to make sure his subjects were safe from this attack. He spotted Haraka and Giza, two of Katali and Norok's cubs, under a fallen tree. He rushed over and lifted the tree, granting them safe passage out.

"Go! Find your parents!" He commanded the Leopardenas, who did as they were told.

But he did not spot the three Outlander Cubs not far from him.

--

With his green eyes aglow, Kovu glared down at the one thing that stood between them and the Backlands' destruction. He turned to his worthless older siblings. "Alright you two, it's time to make yourselves useful. Scar wants us to end that giant handbag once and for all, so start breaking the roots on that tree!" He commanded."

Vitani gave a grunt. "Whatever you say, Kovu." She then turned to cut the roots of the large tree they were next to along with her older brother. The both of them did not like doing all the work their golden child brother was told to do, but their mother would never believe them. She hated them both. Worse still, Scar would accuse them of stealing Kovu's thunder.

The tree began to lean in the direction that it would fall. Kovu grinned maliciously as 'his' work was about to pay off. After his latest failure, he hoped that by ridding themselves of the Komodo King, he would get himself back into Scar's good graces.

Finally, the tree fell over.

And with a loud, injured yell, Kovu knew it had hit its mark.

--

Tombie stayed by his mates side as he guided her and his clan through the safest passage through the wildfire. Madoa tried to keep up with her love, succeeding on keeping close to him.

Why did there have to be a fire?

Especially while she was pregnant?

Their tracks were soon stopped by the arrival of Kiburi and his crocs, who blocked their way.

"You ain't goin' nowhere." Kiburi snarled at the red hyena. "I shoulda got rid of you in the Outlands."

"Yeah, you wish!" Tombie grinned. "Now do yourself a favor and back off. Things don't have to get ugly."

"You're a Hyena, things are already ugly." As Kiburi laughed at his own joke, a shape ran towards the group in the smoke.

And that shape was now recognizable.

Ever since the affair with Scar wanting to kill him, Janja had to hide himself from Scar's gaze. But when the Outlanders were threatening his brother, sister-in-law, and his unborn nieces and nephews, that's when it gets personal. He leapt into Kiburi's back, but his tail, and uses all his strength to fling him away.

Soon enough, His own clan arrived to see Kiburi's float off.

Tombie watched as his big brother stood victorious. "Thanks Janjy."

"Don't thank me yet." Janja huffed as he motioned for his clan to help the others. The spotted and striped Hyenas raced through the passage, knowing they had to abandon the land.

--

Scar Snout felt the weight of the tree crushing his bones, wincing widely in pain. He did not know who in particular knocked it over, but he could hear sinister laughter echoing throughout the clearing. His blurry vision could see shapes of three Lions paced around him.

He could also smell a Hyena.

A Hyena silhouette made itself known as it attacked the three of them, knocking the bigger one down, swatting the second largest away, and then setting the bottom of the smallest one of fire.

The Hyena was joined by others as they began to dig him up and lift the tree off of him.

They all began to bring him to where the other Backlanders were regrouping.

To safety.

--

A long silence rang through the Outskirts of the ruined land. Leaders of all types looked out in sorrow as they watched the smoldering kingdom they once called home. Luckily, no one was killed. But the loss of the Backlands was a blow to each and everyone.

And nothing hurt them more than knowing their king was very hurt.

Scar Snout was surrounded by Leopards and Hyenas, who tended to his burns and broken bones.

"How are you feeling, your majesty?" Jasiri asked the Komodo King.

"Alive." Scar Snout replied to her. He looked gravely out over the ledge along with his circle of leaders.

Badili's betrayal not only came as a shock to the Backlanders, but it also felt like a warning that they should have acknowledged. But now it was too late. The Backlands had been burnt to the ground, and the Outlanders had defeated them.

Queen Dhahabu spoke up with worry in her tone. "What'll we do for water now?"

"Where do we go from here?" Makucha asked the king.

"What do we do now?" Rookus asked as well.

"We will find a place to stay in until further notice." Scar Snout concluded. "There may be a watering hole in the outskirts of the Pridelands. Outlanders never go there, neither do any of the Pridelanders. We will be safe there until the Backlands has been returned to its former glory."

He then stood up and began walking north. "If there is ever a time to get going, it is now."

--

The Lioness walked along the ashes of the once prosperous land. Zira eyed her mates heir with delight in her eyes, having heard the news of the success of 'his' work. "And you're sure it crushed him?"

"As sure as a stand before you." Kovu nodded with pride.

Before anymore question could be asked, a low hiss caught their ears. Ushari made his presence known as he looked Zira in the eye. "He had better be telling the truth for your ssssake, Zira." He threatened.

Zira glared down at the snake and pinned him down with only a minor press. "I would watch what I say if I were you, snake. Remember who your superior is."

Whether Ushari was scared of Zira's threat or not was unclear, but he did seem to stand his ground. "Ssscar wantssss to know if Kovu got hisss commandsss right thisss time." He coldly glared at the cub. "Unlessss he wantsssss a remind of what happensss when you make ssscar mad."

Suddenly, with no warning, a leftover flame from the big fire exploded before their eyes, signaling the entrance of their master. The demonic laughter echoed through the ruined landscape. Clearly, Scar was delighted about something.

"Well done, Kovu!" The ghost of evil said to the brown cub. "My faith in you has been restored."

"U-um, yessss, o-of coursssse." Ushari stuttered as he pulled Kovu over with his tail, nervously hugging him.

Kovu batted Ushari away, clearly annoyed as he looked back up at Scar with a smirk. "It was the greatest of pleasure to play my part, father."

"But, why would you just want Kovu to crush that big lizard instead of ki-"

Nuka's question was cut off by a hard smack by his mother.

"You hold your tone!" Zira yelled. "You do not question Scar!"

Scar ignored his mate and eldest son and addressed his Army instead. "With the injuries that the Komodo king has sustained, it is only a matter of time until he is out of the way forever."

With his new dark scheme explained, Scar let out a dark laugh that echoed through his Army's new domain. With the gain of the Backlands, it was another score for them.

Only time would tell how this would play out for the Pridelands.