Sun Rise Ch. 19

[I do not own the character Camazotz, he is owned by Chatu
aminoapps.com/p/4br4pp
Jasiri and Janja were dragged by two vines, and escorted by crocs. They tied her around the neck with a leash made out of vine, and it completely humiliated her. She pulled and kicked, but nothing seemed to work. She looked over to see Janja was suffering the same fate. Both their mouths were tied shut, leaving only the sound of grunting in place of screaming and yelling. The crocs and rhinos dragged the two hyenas through the hot rock caves, the villains laughing and giggling the whole way at Janja, and Jasiri's vain attempts to escape.
They both were brought further and further down into the depths of Hades. The jaws of fire opened up and swallowed them whole as they descended under the Backlands Volcano. Eventually they were brought before a massive entrance leading into the crater, a massive Coliseum-like palace of fire. Spires of flames and patterns danced around and waltzed with the powers of Camazotz. His mere presence had an effect on the volcano, twisting it into a fortress of brimstone and ash, crowned with bones.
Janja and Jasiri were brought before Camazotz. The massive bat stood upon the largest pile of bones, his wings covering his disturbing form. Kiburi waddled before the broken altar, head held high.
"Camazotz! The great Daemon Sultan! The Dark Bat of the East! I bring before you Jasiri, a friend of Prince Kion!"
After a short moment of silence, of fear and tension, the area began to shake. The rumbling fire painted the scene as alien and foreign. Plumbs of smoke and ash blotted out the crater hole, sealing away any connection with the outside world. The wings slowly moved out of the way but only slightly, vaguely revealing the monster inside. Camazotz's slender head slowly leaned forward, his snake-like tongue hanging low out of his mouth.
"Wlecome home, Jasiri. Come forward my child..."
A brown hyena came and pushed Jasiri further in front of Camazotz.
"I want to hear her voice." The Dark King of bats spoke. The brown hyena ripped the bandages around Jasiri's mouth so she could finally talk.
"Let me go you filthy creature!"
Kiburi bared his fangs.
"Do not speak to your new master in that manner girl!"
"He is not my master!"
Camzotz smiled.
"Fall"
That single word echoed acros the entire volcano, and across the entire Backlands. Jasiri suddenly felt herself fall to the ground, unable to get up. It was as if some invisible force was holding her down, draining the energy from her legs and body. Jasiri experienced the most spiteful and hateful feelings she ever had. Jamal had betrayed her, taken advantage of her needs, and brought her to the lake of fire. Janja could not even begin to describe the fury and undying rage he felt. It swelled up inside him and attempted to erupt out like the volcano around him. He could not show this anger though, pinned down and gagged. He lay on the ground, silent, hating.
Camazotz spoke again.
"This is your new home. You better learn to accept change young hyena, because you're homeland is about to experience much of it. Now little one, you will call me, Master."
She didn't want too. She refused to even speak. Suddenly, once again she felt herself being pulled back down to the ground, even harder this time. Jasiri felt her body begin to hurt with all the pressure. She tried to yell for him to stop, but her words only came out as, "Y-y yess... m- ma"
She shut herself up at what she said. That was impossible, there was no way she even said that. Jasiri couldn't linger on what happened for much longer though, because she felt the pain spiking deep within her. She would surely be crushed if she didn't say anything.
"Y-yes ma-aster!"
Jasiri was finally let up by him. She was panting heavily, sore all over her body.
"Yes Master..." she mouthed.
Another brown hyena came back up and gagged her again, sealing her mouth shut and tied up.
The villainous fiends were all cackling and howling. Cmazotz slowly tilted his head to look at Janja.
"And who might this be?"
Kiburi looked over to the hyena, lying defeated on the ground. Ushari pitied the grey hyena, Janja never was the brightest. Failure after failure for that man, he shook his head at the sad sight. Kiburi on the other hand was on the verge of greatness.
"He'ssssss just Janja. A pathetic little henchman of the late Scar. Nothing more."
"Let him speak. It seems as though he has something he wishes to tell us."
Janja had his gag removed. He sat up, and stared at Camazotz in the eyes. Camazotz was somewhat taken back by this. There were only few who dared to look him dead in the eyes, and even fewer who came out of it with their sanity. Janja's blind rage clouded his vision though, and the burning fires around his heart shielded him from Camazotz's harmful presence. Janja spoke in a garbled voice. Camazotz loved the raw passion that Janja spilled into his emotions.
"If you, or any of you here so much as touch Jasiri, when we see each other in hell, I will personally drag you through its deepest and most vile pits, and bargain your soul to the lowest filth down there."
The others all laughed at Janja's words. They quickly put the gag back on him, then smacked him in the back of the head again to knock him to the ground.
Jasiri tried to wiggle her way over to him, but he was dragged away before she could get to him. Jasiri felt the vine around her neck being tugged like a leash, pulling her away. Jamal had the other end, his sickeningly sweet smile meant nothing anymore now that she knew his true nature.
She heard some other animals all around laughing at her and yelling at her like animals. She kicked again to try and free herself, but again to no success.
Camazotz spoke up again.
"These two are not to be treated like the others. They are valuable to us, so don't hurt them, or you will be next on the menu."
He licked his lips.
Jamal tugged harder on the leash.
"Oh come on lovely, spending the rest of your life with us isn't gonna be so bad."
He finally pulled her over and dragged her away.
"You're going love me darling~<3"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Lion Guard was in a frenzy. Jasiri had been kidnapped, and there was not much they could do about it. Some zebra from the Backlands herd had come to the Lion Guard and revealed that it was Jamal who was behind all the kidnappings, and now they had Jasiri and Janja. Kion didn't quite care about Janja, but it was the news about Jasiri that had heartbroken him.
Thimba announced he would be arranging a meeting with Kion about the whole ordeal, and it ended horribly.
"You give me back my friend you big blue idiot!" Kion yelled at him.
Fuli yelled at him, "and release the Pridelanders you kidnapped as well!"
Thimba only laughed in response. His powerful laugh felt like it sent shockwaves through everyone's bodies.
"What will you do against me tiny little lion? Kill me? It has been proven to you that you can not do that, yet you still try."
Kion growled, his razor sharp teeth showing. His eyes began to glow a bright orange, the roar building up inside him. Thimba only laughed some more.
"I would not use that if I were you little kitty. I am your only chance to get your hyena friend back. You blow me away and we will keep them, forever."
Kion still growled, but the roar died back down. Kion tried his best to play it smart.
"Alright Thimba, what is you want?"
"You, little cat. come with me in exchange for hyena. You come alone, and we keep you as we keep her."
That was what Kion didn't want to here. Fuli was confident though, Kion was the most selfless person she knew, he would definitely be willing t-
"W-what? No! No way!"
The rest of the Guard gasped, especially Fuli. Kion had to be joking. Either that or he had something else planned. She waited for the Lion Guard Leader to continue.
"I... I can't make that choice. Not yet."
Thimba starred at him for a couple seconds.
"That is fine, the offer is still on the table."
"Ok... give me about a-"
"However, if you do not come to a decision by the end of this week, we will not protect your friends. We will do what we wish with them, and you will never see them again."
Kion gulped, his eyes wide open.
"Ok, understood. In a week we'll meet up here again and my division will be made."
Thimba laughed again.
"You are a compliant lion. Let's see for real this time if lions truly believe themselves on top."
Kion chuckled nervously.
"Remember lion. I, am inevitable."
Thimba turned around and stomped off with his rhino guards.
Kion was left speechless. Either the Pridelands shining protector or Jasiri. His head hung down low, and the rest of the Guard was dumbfounded. Did Kion really just do that?
"Kion are you insane?!" Fuli blurted out.
"Our friend needs your help and you forsake her like this?"
"Ok listen here Fuli! I did not 'forsake' her! She will be perfectly fine! Give me about a week and I will make my final decision!"
"Kion the answer should be obvious to you!"
"You're saying I should just give up the Pridelands best defense for Jasiri? She's strong, she can fend for herself!"
"Kion what if she gets hurt? What if they kill her? What if they beat her or something? What if they use her for something evil or, what if the even-"
"Fuli shut up!"
The rest of the Guard gasped.
"Kion... what, did you just say to me?" Fuli said.
"I said be quiet! Do you remember what Rafiki told me? Do your best for the Pridelands!"
"He also said to remember who you are."
Kion raised an eyebrow.
"This isn't like you Kion. This isn't like you at all. I don't know who this lion is, but I want my friend back. The one who was always so hopeful and cheerful. The one who would be willing to lay down his life for so many others."
"That lion is gone Fuli! I can't take those risks anymore, it's too dangerous. It's just too dangerous."
Kion turned back around and walked off.
Fuli perked her head up.
"Gang... let's take a different route back home. Kion needs some time to himself."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kovu did not expect a meeting that day. It had been about a couple days after the kidnapping of Jasiri, and word had finally spread to the Pridelands about the kidnapping of famous former Resistance leader. That devolved into a mess in the Pridelands until rumors surfaced that Camazotz never attacked the Outlands because of all the security it had. Kiara and Kovu stood on top of Priderock, looking over the newly formed crowd of herd leaders that had formed.
All kinds of animals were there. A representative from just about every group was below them. Kovu looked over at Kiara and said, "Do we really have to go down there?"
"Yes we do, sadly."
They both reluctantly made their way down the side path, and met up with the crowd down below.
The elephant from earlier was there again.
"Ah Prince Kovu and Princess Kiara. So glad to see you. You still have not yet done anything."
Kion was sitting up on a rock levee, watching the scene from the background.
Kovu looked at the elephant and replied, "We haven't come to a decision yet on what to do. We're kind of caught at a crossroads here."
"And what might that be?" A gazelle piped up.
Kiara looked back at her brother and said,  "Some people aren't wanting to handle the situation properly!"
Kion's head poked up.
"Hey! Don't you dare drag me into this Kiara!"
"Oh I'm sorry, mister 'I need more time to think about if I should help my friend'."
Kovu growled and said, "No fighting! Now calm down and let's get something worked out here! I'd like to finally make some progress!"
Kiara cleared her throat.
"Thimba has given us two choices. Either we give up Kion to free all of the prisoners, or we keep Kion and they keep their trophies."
A zebra spoke up.
"I think the answer is clear! Who cares about some stupid hyena!"
Another female voice was heard.
"Oh come now, us hyenas surely aren't all that bad?"
They all turned around to see Nabii being escorted by the Maalum Guards. One of them ran forward and said, "All make way for Queen Nabii of the Outlands!"
Kiara started laughing. Kovu looked at her funny and said, "Queen? When did you get that title?"
"I got a title change, what's the big deal?"
Kiara couldn't stop laughing, not until Kion let out a loud roar. She instantly stopped and faced her brother again.
"Alright Kiara. Nabii is a Queen, and you need to treat her with respect. Calling her a queen doesn't change a thing."
Nabii smiled and said, "You always were a help to me Kion."
It was then that Kiara had a sudden realization. She starred at Nabii, a dead expression on her face. What had this hyena done with her brother?
Kovu broke the silence.
"My apologies, I forgot our meeting was today. I'm kinda busy at the moment, so um..."
"Oh that's quite alright Comrade, I understand. I'll wait right over here and speak with my friend."
Nabii and her guards had walked over by Kion and sat down to observe Kovu and Kiara.
The two lion leaders turned back to the still angry crowd.
"Alright, what is it that you need fro-"
"We want you to do something! My herd is jumping at their own shadows they're so afraid of Camazotz!" The elephant yelled.
The rest of the crowd began an uproar about how scared they all were. Kovu and Kiara were frantically trying to quiet the crowd.
"You two need to stop being lazy!" One yelled.
"We're doing everything we can, bu-"
"Do something about Camazotz already!" Another yelled.
"What do you think we've  been-"
"Why won't you just increase security already?" Another yelled.
The two lions didn't even get a chance to answer that one before being pelted with more and more questions.
"When is the war going to end?"
"Are you guys even doing anything?"
"Do you even listen to us?"
Kovu had enough. He roared at the top of his lungs, and that finally got everyone to stop.
"Alright! Quiet down! We're trying to do everything we can! Things are a little bit hectic at the moment and we need some time to concentrate, but we can't do it like this!"
The elephant looked at him and said, "You are the next king, you should be able to do anything!"
Kiara teared up. She yelled, "My father is dying for crying out loud! Can't you all just wait for one moment!?"
Nabii stood up, a massive smile on her face. She walked over to the scene. Kion's head perked up again, what was she going to do?
"Comrades, might I suggest a game?"
"A game... what in Simba's name are you talking about hyena?" The elephant scoffed.
"I'm simply suggesting something to help calm your nerves Comrade. I understand that stress is high, so, do something to take you mind off of all this."
"What do you mean hyena?" The elephant leader asked.
"Go, have fun! Laugh and joke with your herd! Play a game with them! Have a drinking contest, do a silly play or a funny skit! I find that keeping your mind away from all the pain and suffering does wonders."
"That... sounds like a good idea." A zebra noted.
Another unknown animal from the crowd responded with, "Yeah, who says we need to be so focused on the war?"
Nabii smiled even more with glee.
"That's the spirits! Go out have have fun with each other, sing songs, draw pictures. Go Comrades! Good ol' Nabii up here has everything under control! Leave the stress to me!"
The crowd had disbanded. The elephant leader was the last to leave, ending off with saying, "I think I like the Queen over here better than our own Prince."
She left, leaving the lions speechless. It was that easy to get rid of them all?
Kiara spoke up.
"Um... I don't know what to say... thanks Nabii."
"No problem Comrades. Now, let's get this hostage situation wrapped up!"
Kovu felt like a failure. Him and Kiara couldn't even accomplish what Simba could have done. Then there was Nabii who made complete fools out of them. Maybe he wasn't quite cut out for king after all.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was well into the night now, and Nabii had already worked out a plan to get Jasiri back... and Janja too I guess. There was a hyena who approached Nabii after the incident occurred, in fact he was the reason Nabii found out quicker than Kion did. This hyena claimed to be related to Jasiri and Madoa, and had been off exploring the Backlands for years now. He volunteered to lead the rescue missions, knowing a lot about the Backlands layout.
He was a fierce hyena, stocky and bulky in build, with a massive burn scar on his left side. He carried with him carved supplies on a saddle that he fashioned and threw over his back. He even made a mask out of the skull of an enemy hyena from his past. His name was Wazimu.
The plan was settled. Wazimu would lead the rescue party and also infiltrate Camazotz's headquarters. He would attempt to bring back with him as much knowledge about the place as possible, and help determine if Camazotz had a weakness he was hiding.
Kovu and Kiara was satisfied with that plan, and Nabii was beginning to depart back to the Outlands to spread the news. There was still one thing that was bugging Kion however. The scene from earlier had still puzzled him, Nabii had so quickly calmed down the Pridelanders and ended conflict. For so long she has kept the Outlands tame, which originally had seemed impossible due to how vicious and unforgiving it was. Queen Nabii had accomplished what everyone believed couldn't be done, and he needed to know how. Kion needed to know her secret, he needed to figure out her methods. The Pridelands was in desperate need of help, he was in desperate need of help.
Kion caught Nabii before she could leave.
"Nabii! Nabii wait!"
She stopped and turned to face him, smile still on her face.
"Yes comrade?"
"I want to talk with you."
Nabii thought about it. She looked over at one of her six guards and said, "Hold on for a moment."
She walked over to Kion and placed a paw around the back of his neck.
"Follow me."
She guided him to the side of Priderock and sat him down. She sat in front of him.
"What is it you need Prince Kion?"
"Well... I need your help."
"I'm always happy to help comrade. You can tell me anything."
"Well... it's about the war, and it's about earlier..."
"Yes?"
Kion thought about what he was going to say, and how he was going to say it. Once he was happy with how the question was worded, he spoke to her again.
"It seems as though we've been at war all my life! How do you do it? How did you end the fighting? How do you keep everyone so calm? Tell me how to stop all this forever."
Nabii looked away for a moment. She sat there and thought for a moment.
"Kion... let me tell you a bit of a story. Now, I bet you're wondering how all of this started. How did we get here? Well, our history is filled with dismay and dissatisfaction. Picture this, millions of years ago the Earth was nothing but fire and brimstone, the skies were raining ash and smoke, temperatures would literally melt the toughest of metals into liquids. Eventually though, things cooled down. The Earth settled and calmed itself, and life finally arrived. The tiniest signs of life began to peer its head out of the dark abyss, and climb into the warm light of the sun. And thus, a Golden Age had occured."
She turned back to face Kion.
"All was right with the world. Life thrived and the Circle of Life took it's first breath. It was the true birth of the world and life as we know it. Eventually though, that ended very quickly. The dinosaurs, massive reptiles that ruled the Earth, stomped around and grew greedy. They took and destroyed everything they wanted too, and completely abandoned the Circle of Life. They left it in the dust, and challanged the Earth. Nothing could stop them. It was chaos and anarchy. Everything would have surely died off, if not for the powers that be."
"What do you mean by that?"
"God threw a rock at the Earth. He destroyed the dinosaurs who dare destroy perfecrion! The mammals and smaller reptiles survived, along with insects and ocean creatures. The world began anew, and once the fires of hell had cleansed the Earth of those big tyrants, the survivors rose form the ash and started over. The Circle of Life had fixed itself, hurrah!"
"That's good."
"It is! I personally think it is a really inspiring story. It speaks volumes, and I think everyone could learn something from it. If the enemy simply doesn't understand the right way to do things, just get rid of them. Throw a rock at them and cast them in to the fiery pit from where they came. Villains beware, if you don't stop now, the Circle of Life will correct itself. It will completely wipe you from history and bury your bones deep underground where only a select few can find them, and it did! God does it, and who are you to question the All-Mighty?"
"Yeah, people don't understand that bad guys are bad guys for a reason. They can't be reasoned with, so just destroy them." Kion agreed.
"Smart boy Kion. Good on ya! Seeing a strong willed fiery spirit like that gives me a lot of hope for the future! If the darkness wants to shove you around, you push the darkness so far down that no one will remember it even existed. If the challenge is too overbearing, if the mountain is too high to climb, just forget about the mountain and go home. Who said you ever had to climb that mountain in the first place? Anyways, so the story continues. Life starts up again after the Earth was purged and new kingdoms rise and fall. Mighty and prosperous nations make their mark on history, either good or bad, and then are swept away by that same darkness that had befallen the dinosaurs. More and more creatures grow smart and educate themselves, then go off and believe they're God just because they might know something someone else doesn't. You see it all the time Kion, remember Scar?"
Of course Kion remembered Scar. He shook his head in response.
"He is a shining example. There have always been villains like him throughout history, he wasn't the first of his kind. Beware Kion, beware the well read man. Scar and many others grew to smart for their own good, so their ego took hold and their common sense took a backseat. Here, take the wheel, drive me through life and I will become God. We all know where that ended up for him. Once again the arm of Justice takes hold and damns the wicked. Hurrah! Once again though, evil rises again and again. So there's your chain of events for the past couple millions of years or so. We've been stuck in a loop Kion, have you ever noticed that?"
"Yeah... that's why I've come to you."
"Well, first we need to determine the problem. Evil is always cunning and swift, slow to strike, but quick to run away. It retreats to the darkness and blankets itself in shadows to watch its prey slowly bleed out and die. It hunts not out of necessity, but out of sport. It is always attracted to the same type of host for form, the intellectual. I bash on Janja all I want, but I will give credit where credit is due, he is cunning. The intelligent man is the dangerous man, and I'll take that to my grave. Education is the problem. Same thing is happening with humans right now as we speak. They educated themselves and spat in the face of nature. They left the wild and built their own world of metal and artificial light. Now they're paying the price for it. They may think they're safe from Mother Nature and that she can't touch them, they think tthey're dominant species. Nature finds a way though, and surely any human won't deny that their own worst enemy, is themselves."
Kion never thought much about humans, and he couldn't help but nod along with her. Her speech was captivating to him.
"Kion? Why do you think bees are so successful? Have you ever looked at a beehive and wonder, 'how do they work together like that?'. Well, have you Kion?"
"Mhmm."
"That's because they have no education. The uneducated man, the worker, is the builder of society. They don't need all the soul crushing questions about philosophy or sociology or politics, they just know to not kill each other and give their lives to a bigger purpose. Their queen represents their unity and guides the hive along like a light in the dark. When a bad queen comes along, they get rid of her. I look you to bees, not down on them. They represent a perfect society to me. Same thing with ants, pure partnership and comradeship at work there, and none of the intellectual muck and junk to get in the way."
Kion never thought about it that way before.
"But we aren't bees, and we aren't ants, so how do we follow in their footsteps? What is the answer to this cycle of fighting and misery? I'll tell you! Lock up your typewriters! But up your books and wash away your art! Truly ask yourself Kion, what is the one thing people always want in life? What is it that everyone, including the well-read man, always wants?"
"What is it?"
"Happiness Kion. Don't you hear it all your life? 'I wanna be happy!' People say. Well gosh darnit, don't we give them happiness?! Don't we give them fun?! I'll tell you how you fix the problem! You whirl man's mind around so much that he doesn't have time to think about anything. When my workers begin complaining that it's too hot or too cold, I send Mshale down to do a little stunt or skit, and the will take their minds off how badly they feel. If they feel depressed, liven them up with instant satisfaction and don't worry yourself about the complexity of depression and all of its horrors. If a scientist is feeling small in comparison to the grand universe and vastness of space, bring him to a party and give him some games to play. If citizens are complaining about the government and are scared about its power abusing ways, just don't teach them politics. Don't give them two sides to choose from, better yet, don't even teach them that they have a choice. Problem solved! There is no need to for the common man to worry themselves into a state of fear, just go off and find some happiness, forget about all the horrors and existential nightmares that come packaged with intelligence, and just live without living!"
Kion asked, "Then what of us? What of you and Sevaga?"
Nabii smiled.
"I was about to get to that. You and me we're the happiness crew. Think of us as a... Big Brother per say. While the commoner laughs and plays with their comrades, us stronger willed will make sure that they're safe. We are the official censors and executioners. To hell with your books and your telescopes, your microscopes, and your chalkboards with equations written out on them. Bring us all more of your games and your plays, your skits, and your magic tricks! More of the drugs and romance, more of the funny looking drawings and jokes! Once everyone's attention is away from problems, and people forget that there is such a thing as evil, we get our time to go and clean up the place! We have our freedom to show those despicable scum bags who want to ruin our fun what for! Then, all is right with the world. Peace Kion, serenity Kion."
Kion's mind was blown. He didn't know what to say. He agreed with everything Nabii said.
"You're a smart boy Kion, and I trust that you'll make the right decision."
She patted him on the back.
"Remember, we're the happiness crew. We clean up the filth, and make everyone forget that there is such a thing as filth."
She stood up and whistled for her Guards.
"Happiness is the key Kion. We bring happiness to the world, and dispose of those who dare threaten that happiness. I fear that your sister and her mate doesn't understand that. Hopefully you will be able to get the message across. I will see you again my dear friend."
"Yes... of course!"
Nabii walked off with the Maalum Guards, and returned to the Outlands for the night. Kion went back to his den, Nabii's words still buzzing around in his head.
Category:Jack Krueger
Category:Fanfiction
Category:Chapters
Category:Sun Rise