Chapter 5: A lion’s pride and the Black Volcano

 Simba stopped right in front of Roxanne who, in awe from the lion’s presence, lowered her head.

“There’s no reason for kneeling.” the lion spoke with deep, gentle voice.

“It just came to me; besides the Pride Rock looks even more magnificent from close.”

“Come, you should rest and after that we can talk.” Simba said and the rest of the lions guided Roxanne into the insides of the Pride Rock.

The inside looked more like a cave, with an opening on the ceiling, from where the night sky could be easily seen. One part of the cave’s floor was taller and that’s where Simba took his position, indicating his power as the pack’s leader.

Roxanne and Timon sat close to Simba and she opened her bag, taking out some of her food; roasted meat, fruits and even a bottle of rum were inside. The lions looked with pleasure the meat and Roxanne gave it to them, keeping the fruits for herself.

“You don’t have any bugs by any chance inside there, right?” Timon asked but before the girl could answer he had already searched inside the bag but with no result.

“I don’t eat bugs Timon.” Roxanne stated with a tone of disgust.

“Then you don’t know the meaning of 'hakuna matata'.”

“I do know about that!” she protested and smiled at him, patting his head.

Simba came down from his position and sat near them, while his mane moved slightly as he did so. Roxanne couldn’t help but wonder how a lion could be so beautiful, yet so proud. She streched her hand and slowly she touched his soft mane. Simba at first was startled upon her move, but he quickly calm and started to growl deeply as Roxanne was caressing his red mane.

“Simba…Mickey told me that you have been in the Castle of the Shadows…” she begun.

His eyes became darker for a moment and he turned his head to her.

“That’s true; I went there in order to find some clues about how to free the others. But the Shadows spotted me and tried to capture me but I managed to escape. Dragen sent out his troops and the result was…”

“Pumbaa and Nala…” Roxanne completed his phrase, while the lion lowered his head in defeat.

“Did you see the Castle Simba?”

“It’s a strange and dark like the starless sky building, with towers on its left and right, with flying Shadows all around but what worried me was the volcano.”

“The volcano?” Roxanne looked at him with question.

“The Black Volcano is the center of this world but it is occupied from Dragen’s Shadows. They are doing something in there, but I never learned what.”

Simba looked at Roxanne; she was thinking about his description. Quickly she took out her sketch book and asked him if he could describe her again the Castle and the Volcano. After almost an hour Roxanne was holding in her hands the drawing of the Castle; it was located in the bottom of the Volcano with two towers on the right and the left, covered by a wall in the front.

“Is that it Simba?”

“Yes, it looks just like I saw it! You are really good Roxanne!” the lion commented surprised.

“Then it’s settled.” And she got up.

“What do you mean?”

“If i have the drawing of the Castle, i can have a general idea of what to expect. And i must hurry; but befire that, Simba, will you take me to see Rafiki? There is something I need to ask him.”

“No problem, I will tell the lionesses to get ready.” And with a jump he got out from the cave.

Roxanne followed him from behind, passing through the small opening which was leading to the top of the Pride Rock. She stopped for a moment and gazed at it. Timon looked at her puzzled but he came to understand that girls were really hard to deal with.

“You can go if you want.” Simba’s voice was heard behind her.

“Simba? Is that ok?”

“Go on.” His voice was confident.

Roxanne took a step and slowly she started to walk, climbing the uphill Rock. Her heart was pounding faster and faster as she was reaching the top of the Rock. She stopped and gazed around her; the savannah was spreading under her feet vast and dry, with no sign of life.

Altough the scenery was empty, the majestic lans was spreading under her feet, making the girl feel that she indeed had power over her kingdom. She thought that this must be the feeling every lion king had over his domain for all these years but her blue eyes continued looking at the dead land.

“The circle of life…has stopped.” She murmured and the wind blew to her side, pushing back her cape, making her body shiver a little.

The necklace glimmered and she caught it with her heart, pressing it on her chest. Her mind became calm; her blue eyes looked at the scenery and her thought travel to the pair of green eyes that looked at her with compassion.

“The pride of a lion…” she said smiling and turned back, heading down to Simba’s and Timon’s side.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her horse’s hooves were hitting hard on the dry land as she, together with Simba, Timon (who was sitting on her horse’s head) and two more lions from his pack were running into the cool, now savannah as the night had already fallen. The sky was dark, there were no stars, and Roxanne remembered that the previous lion kings were watching them from above.

Rafiki’s giant tree appeared after a while and Simba soared. They stopped running when they reached the bottom of the tree and Roxanne looked up. The tree was huge with its branches heading to the sky and the thick trunks had merged together, creating the view of one tree.

“Rafiki is up there.” Timon said to her and she got down from her horse.

“Let us come with you.” Simba said.

“No, you should go back Simba, Timon. You will be safer into the Pride Rocks. I will take it from here.”

Her hand slipped in her bag and took out a small pouch; she opened it and the pixie-dust shined. Tinkerbell had given to her some of her dust, just in case she needed it. She took a pinch in her fingers and applied it on her hair. Her feet quickly left the ground and she started to float in the air.

“Roxanne!” Simba shouted surprised at her.

“It’s all right Simba! Go back for now! And thank you for everything!” she shouted at them and waved her hand greteful for their help.

She flew around the tree, following it higher and higher until she found an opening and slipped inside. Her feet touched the soft floor of branches, leaves and the hanged parts of broken fruits moved slowly as she passed under them.

Roxanne walked in the inner tree, touching the trunk and looking around her. Her sight fell on the wide opening in front of her and walked inside; Rafiki’s main residence was in here and the girl looked amazed his painting’s on the trunk’s surface. The drawings of a lion cub, the stars and something that looked like the Pride Rock fascinated her.

“Rafiki? Rafiki are you here?” she asked looking around her, waiting for an answer.

Laughter was heard and the baboon appeared, hanging on the branches above her.

“The two-leg was quite wise to come here!” he said with delight and came down holding his wooden staff on his arm.

“My name is Roxanne. Mickey said to visit you.”

Rafiki’s staff moved quickly and hit her on her head. Roxanne shouted from pain and held her head with her hand.

“Correction; you came here because you have questions, not because you were told to come here.”

Roxanne sat on the ground and watched the bamboo moving his arms widely, painting on the trunk once again.

“I have questions but I don’t know from where I can get the answers…I hoped that maybe you could answer them.” she spoke with low voice, full of expectation.

“The answers come from the most unexpected circumstances and creatures.” Rafiki said and asked her to look at his, completed now, painting.

She saw two lines stretched, creating two figures that looked human. The one was holding a blue dot on his unshaped “hand”, giving it to the other figure. Above them, more blue dots were spreading creating a circle around the two figures.

“Is that the Blue Rose?” Roxanne asked Rafiki pointing at the dot on the one figure’s hand.

“That’s only what the kings have showed me, you must find out what they mean in here.” And he pointed on her heart.

“I am not sure if I am strong enough for what is going to come.” She admitted and lowered her head.

Rafiki hit her once more and she shouted at him angrily.

“Those faces of yours can make the sky dark; make the circle of life move once more! When you achieve that then you will get your answers.”

Roxanne looked at him confused, still holding her hurting head. Rafiki smiled at her and with his staff he pointed at the opening in front of them. The sun was rising and its first rays were slipping inside the tree, as they were lighting up slowly the sky, coloring it with red and orange.

"Light is returning once again and it will always be after the end of the darkness." Rafiki spoke as he stodd near her, gazing at the rising sun.

Roxanne looked enchanted at the sun rising and again at Rafiki. She held the necklace and looked again at his painting. She had to free them; all of them. Perhaps the Guardian knew the answers she wanted to know.

“Thank you Rafiki for everything.” She said and the baboon laughed loudly.

“But be careful of the dark; don’t let it fill you, like it did on Scar.” He advised her.

“I will.”

She moved fast and rushing near Rafiki she headed out from the tree jumping in the air. The pixie-dust was still on her head and she flew down landing on her horse’s back. She hit the bridles and she took the direction to the Black Volcano.

She knew her questions and now she was heading to her answers.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Any sign of them?”

“No, my Lord. We have yet to find their location.” Servus said, having his head bowed in his Lord’s presence.

Dragen was restless; not only there was no sign of the Camp’s location but also the girl was nowhere to be found. That was making him furious and thus, he had to proceed with his plan faster that he was expecting.

“Take more troops to the prisoners and change the guards on his cell. I don’t wish for any unexpected visitors.”

“Yes, my Lord!” and he got outside, closing the gates behind him.

Servus was furious; he had lost to a simple existence and not only that, but from a girl of all things! His rage was overwhelming and the Shadows around him were stepping back afraid.

And now this silence! It’s irritating! He thought and stepped out from the main building heading to the dungeons.

"But all good things come to those who wait. I am sure that she will come." he reassured himself and continued walking.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How long I still have to climb!? It never ends!” Roxanne said annoyed and she reached the huge black rock.

She stretched her hands and climbed on it, until her body was on the rock. She lied down and tried to catch her breath.

After she left Rafiki she headed to the center, following the map, until the peak of the Black Volcano appeared. Afraid of not being discovered, she released her horse and started to climb from the bottom of the volcano, heading to the top. Roxanne climbed for hours and at some point, she used the pixie dust, in order to speed her climbing, always careful not to be discovered.

I am really stupid. And after I reach the top what will I do? She asked herself and she took out her water bottle. The heat had become more unbearable as she was climbing closer to the mountain. Mickey and the rest had told her that the Volcano was inactive so there was no danger from the lava.

But there are the Shadows. And with that thought she started again, climbing on the sharp rocks. With each step she was making the sky was becoming darker and darker, despite the fact that the sun had already risen. Her hands started to bleed at one point but the blue light from her necklace healed the scratches quickly, before she even manages to feel the pain.

Suddenly, cries were heard from above and Roxanne quickly took cover, covering with her cape her body and staying still, until the flying Shadows pass.

Strange, that’s the third time those two had passed. And she took off her hood.

The Shadows, in the form of eagles, were flying around the Volcano scouting the area from above. Roxanne continued for a while until she realized that the edge of the Volcano had started to appear.

She moved a little more and looked down. The crater of the Volcano was gigantic and in the inside an army of Shadows were working nonstop. They were pouring endless carts into a huge pool; inside the pool was a dark liquid that looked more like tar than water. The Shadows which were working down there had the form of bears, which were pulling the carts and using their heads they were pouring the liquid into the pool.

With every cart thrown, the tar was moving slowly as if something below the black surface was feasting upon the fallen liquid. Roxanne looked with horror the black pool and averted her eyes, trying to look around her for an opening.

There were guards everywhere, armored with heavy swords and longbows. It was impossible for anyone to pass from here and taking a detour around the Volcano was not an option. Roxanne carefully opened her bag and took out the potions Donald and Merlin had given her.

She took the one which had a pink color and drunk it in one sip. Merlin had told her that this one could grand her invisibility for two hours but she had to be careful not to stand close to smoke or fire. She saw her hands disappearing and quickly got up, pouring some more of Tink’s pixie-dust, on her head.

“Now’s the time!” and she quickly took off.

She flew above the volcano’s crater and headed to the north side, where the Castle of the Shadows could be spotted. A bad copy of the castle from Cinderella’s story; that’s what Roxanne thought when she saw it. The only difference was the two towers, which were covering the left and the right side and the wall which was surrounding the Castle in the front, completely protecting it.   

Roxanne came across with some of the flying eagle-like Shadows but they passed right near her, without realizing her presence. She tried to look for any possible entrance into the Castle until she saw some of the Shadows passing through a dark hole and the hole disappeared when they got lost into the darkness.

Perhaps… and she flew to the ground, away from the peak of the Black Volcano. She stepped in front of the black wall and waited until someone, anyone could enter. After a while a pack of dog-like Shadows passed near her and the same black hole appeared again.

She jumped inside, following the pack of the Shadows, and the darkness covered her completely