Lethal by Eva

(A continuation of Visions in the Night)

"Ah yes! Lakarni!" said Msajah. "You^Òre here."

Lakarni looked around at Msajah^Òs den. It looked like Rafiki^Òs tree!
There were paintings all around the walls and there were bird feathers
"dressed" on the wall.

"This is your den?" she asked.

"Well, kinda." said Msajah. "I don^Òt really live here, I just.....
experiment here!"

"Experiment?" she said sarcastically.

"Yes well let me explain," Msajah started. "I^Òve been studying my
psychic powers for awhile now, and I^Òve discovered a lot about them."

Lakarni didn^Òt notice it ^Ñcause she was looking at something, but while
Msajah was talking, he had walked over to the cave entrance and pushed
rocks in the way.

"And I discovered that I can control other lions minds!"

Lakarni paused and looked over at him.

"You can control other lions minds?!"

"Absolutely!" Msajah said excitedly.

Lakarni thought for a second.

"How do you know that you can control their minds?"

Msajah stopped and grinned.

"I thought you^Òd never ask."

He turned around and walked over to her.

"You see," he started. "I can^Òt control them as in: make them do what I
want right away. It^Òs more like, doing a mind trick to get them to do
what I want...... not right away, but......"

He paused, then whispered in Lakarni^Òs ear.

"It takes oh say,..... a year."

Lakarni gasped and jumped to the side.

"No!" she said quietly. "It....it was.... it was you?!"

"Yes."

"But why?"

"Come with me, I^Òll show you why I chose you."

He walked into another den in the back of the first one. Lakarni
cautiously followed and walked into the den. She saw only a rock in the
middle of the room and a big hole in the ceiling.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"It^Òs my little experiment room."

"Why do you need that?"

"Just come and I^Òll show you."

He lead Lakarni over to the rock and had her sit on the rock.

"Now, just be patient." he said as he got ready to experiment. "Stay calm
and I^Òll show you why I chose you."

At this time, Taya had been wondering why Lakarni wasn^Òt back yet. He
set off to the jungle to find her. He was walking when he saw it was
gonna rain.

"Darn it!" he said. "Where the heck is his den?!"

It was hidden well in the jungle and it was driving Taya mad! And now, he
was really ticked, ^Ñcaused it started to rain and thunder and it was
dark outside. Taya looked around until he saw it. Just barely did he see
some rocks piled up in front of an entrance to what looked like a cave.
He tried to shove the rocks aside, but it wasn^Òt working. So he went to
see if there was a back way. He walked around back and gasped.

"Lakarni?!" he said.

He could see Lakarni inside of an underground cave with a hole in the
top. Neither Lakarni or Msajah could see Taya. So Taya tried to jump down
into the cave when all of a sudden, lightning flashed down into the cave,
filling it with electricity. Taya was thrown back, but Lakarni stayed on
the rock, still and silent.

"Now, you wanted to know why I chose you, right?" said Msajah. "Well,
just sit still and watch."

He started using his powers and lightning flashed all around the room and
Lakarni watched as her life from cub-hood passed before her eyes. Taya
had snuck back to the top of the cave and watched in shock as Lakarni saw
her life before herself.

"No..... NO!!!!" Lakarni started shouting.

She was seeing when she had killed her parents when she was only a
teenager. She looked over at Msajah. His eyes were glowing white.

"If you could kill your own parents...." he started. "... then you can do
anything."

"It was an accident!!!!" shouted Lakarni. "I didn^Òt mean to!!!"

"But still," said Msajah. "You have the powers to help me make my weapon!
A weapon that can do anything..... not fearful..... not emotional,......
just the way I need it."

Taya was confused and started to climb down into the cave without being
noticed. Msajah then made all the lightning stop. Taya froze then hid in
the shadows to watch. Msajah made the lightning come straight down onto
Lakarni and then it spread everywhere. Lakarni wasn^Òt hurt, just
shocked. Then, Msajah used his powers and made an evil spirit come out of
Lakarni. Taya^Òs eyes were as wide as he could get them.

The evil spirit came out and sat down next to Lakarni. Her (evil spirit)
eyes glowed bright red all over. Msajah looked over at the twins and
smiled. Lakarni looked over and gasped out loud.

"Who is that?" she asked. "Is that me?"

"No no silly," said Msajah. "I^Òm gonna call her Njozi."

Taya came out of the shadows and stood in between Msajah and Lakarni.

"What have you done to her?!" yelled Taya.

"I only used her as an experiment." said Msajah. "I would never corrupt
the real Lakarni...... I especially wouldn^Òt want her to loose her
beauty sleep!"

Lakarni gasped again. Taya seized the opportunity and told Lakarni to run
and they made it out the top of the cave.

"Oh sure, run away!" shouted Msajah. "This is only beginning!!! You
can^Òt hide from me!!!"

Lakarni and Taya ran as fast as they could into the African savannah.
They made their way to Pride Rock and ran to the very back to hide.
Niablah was confused.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked.

Lakarni was too scared to say anything.

"Msajah created an evil spirit of Lakarni and he^Òs gonna find us soon."
Taya answered.

Niablah didn^Òt believe them and laughed.

"Are you having those dreams too?" he asked sarcastically.

"Dad," said Taya. "I^Òm serious! If you don^Òt believe me, go out there
and see for youself!"

Niablah walked to the edge of the cave and looked around. He saw Lakarni
walk up to him.... but wait.... this wasn^Òt Lakarni! Or was it? He
wasn^Òt sure.

Lightning suddenly flashed and as it did, "Lakarni" slashed her claws at
Niablah and sent him to the ground. Taya gasped. Njozi walked to the
entrance and stood, waiting. Lakarni looked into Njozi^Òs eyes and stood
up straight.

"Taya," she said. "You stay here.... this is my fault.... I^Òll deal with
it..."

"But Lakarni...."

"Just stay.."

"But..."

Lakarni looked into his green eyes. Taya closed his mouth and Lakarni
walked to Njozi.

"Let^Òs take this outside." she said with a look.

The two lionesses walked outside to the water-hole. Lakarni bent over to
drink. Njozi sat and watched.

"Don^Òt you wanna drink before we fight?" asked Lakarni.

"Just remember," said Njozi. "... I^Òm a spirit, not a mortal...."

Lakarni glared at her and looked at her reflection. She didn^Òt see Njozi
in the reflection. Lightning flashed again and Lakarni looked to Njozi.
She was grinning. Lakarni thought for a minute and her eyes widened. She
looked to Njozi again and ran the other way. She looked back to see if
Njozi would become angry. Sure enough, she was angry! Lakarni realized
that her dreams were, in fact, visions. She ran till she was trapped in a
corner by a wall of rocks. She turned and saw Njozi coming.

She remembered that she woke up at this part. Lakarni jumped on the wall
of rock and jumped over Njozi. She ran and didn^Òt look back. She made
her way back to the water-hole. She looked around but didn^Òt see Njozi
anywhere. She sighed.

"Hey," a voice said.

Lakarni jumped and fell in the water. Taya was behind her.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn^Òt know your fur was sensitive right now."

Lakarni got out of the water and shook off the water onto Taya. He
laughed and raised a paw to protect himself. Lakarni remembered her other
dream.... she and Taya were at the water-hole and Njozi.....

There she was!

Lakarni saw Njozi trying her charms again. Lakarni pressed her eyebrows
together and told Taya to follow her, cuz Njozi was gonna attack. They
walked off and sure enough, Njozi was ticked. The sky was black and
lightning was flashing endlessly. Njozi started a chase. Lakarni and Taya
ran to a dead end. She immediately started climbing up the cliff. Taya
followed.

"Why are we climbing this cliff?" asked Taya.

"Cuz I know what^Òs gonna happen next." said Lakarni.

After they reached the top, Lakarni had Taya look and see if Njozi was
following them. Taya didn^Òt see her. Lakarni looked over the edge and
didn^Òt see her either. They both turned around and there was Njozi!
Lakarni told Taya to duck, but it was too late. Taya was struck and he
fell over the edge of the cliff. Lakarni was ticked! She lunged at Njozi
and they began to fight a physical fight. (It would be unfair for Lakarni
to hafta lose so easily to a spirit)

Msajah walked close to where the fight was taking place. He sat and
watched. Lakarni saw him watching. She rolled to the side and crouched
for a minute, thinking. If I can destroy Msajah, then I can destroy
Njozi! She looked at Njozi and then to Msajah then back to Njozi. She
pressed her eyebrows closer together. She bared her teeth and acted as if
she were to lunge at Njozi.

Right as Njozi lunged forward, Lakarni jumped to the side and pounced on
Msajah. He was quite shocked and didn^Òt know what to do; it happened all
too fast: Lakarni jumped at Msajah and bit his throat as hard as she
could. Right as his neck snapped, the lightning flashed crazily. Lakarni
rolled to the side and hit a rock. Msajah^Òs dead body lay still. Njozi
suddenly screamed and disappeared into thin air. The lightning flashed
all around Msajah^Òs body and suddenly disappeared into his body, as he
lay dead.

Lakarni managed to stand up. She had a small limp to her left forearm.
She gingerly made her way down the other side of the cliff. She walked
around the side to where the only person she cares about right now, was.
As she walked around a corner, she could see the body of her best friend,
Taya. She had tears in her eyes. She realized she had put him in
danger.... and now, he had to suffer. She walked to his motionless body.
She tried to wake him, but there was no response. She thought her friend
was dead, so she walked back to Pride Rock.

Niablah had recovered and greeted Lakarni. He had Rafiki tend to her
limp.

"What happened to Taya?" asked Niablah.

Lakarni started crying. "I think he^Òs dead.... he didn^Òt respond when I
tried to wake him."

"I^Òll go see his body so I can bury him..." said Niablah.

He left and Lakarni walked to the water-hole. She looked at the stars.
She cried until her face was soaked.

Niablah found Taya^Òs body. He walked to Taya and listened to his chest.
There was a heart-beat!

"Taya!" said Niablah. "Taya! Wake up!"

"Huh?..." mumbled Taya.

"Taya!" cried Niablah. "Lakarni told me you were dead!"

Taya smiled, "Well, I^Òm not.... where is Lakarni anyway?"

"I don^Òt know..."

Taya jumped up and ran towards the water-hole. Lakarni looked to the
stars.

"I^Òm sorry I couldn^Òt save you in time Taya.... please forgive me...."

She walked past the water-hole, over to a different cliff. She sniffled
and closed her eyes as she jumped off the cliff. Taya ran up to see her
jump.

"NO!!!!" he screamed. "LAKARNI!!!!"

He stopped before he reached the cliff. He fell to the earth and cried
his soul out. Niablah came up and saw that she had jumped. He closed his
eyes and tried to comfort Taya.

"She thought I was dead.... and she killed herself...." Taya said
quietly.

"Come on Taya," said Niablah. "Let^Òs go home."

Taya started to follow, but stopped. Niablah turned around.

"Taya?...."

Taya looked at his father , "I^Òm sorry..."

"NO!!" said Niablah.

Taya rushed to the cliff and jumped over the edge to be with Lakarni in
paradise. That^Òs all he wanted.... to be with his best friend....
forever....