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"The Madness Of King Kim"

Months passed. Kim grew fast (TOO fast, in Nala's opinion) and so did Kiara's stomach, in a faraway place. Kim was now the king, and he wasn't one of the best ones. He did listen to his subjects when they came to him to complain about food, water or other things, but the answer was always the same: "Don't worry, I'll do something about it." And he never did. The only thing he did was enjoying the fact that he could now rule everything and everyone. He ordered the lionesses to hunt when there was no need, just to show his power over them. Most of the food went straight to him, the leftovers were for the others. The lionesses secretly hated him, but no-one dared to raise against Kim, because he was so changed. He reminded them of another cruel king, a long time ago, but no-one was brave enough to say it out loud.
But even the changed Kim had his weakness: Shani. She had grown too, and was now as beautiful as ever. She had sparkling but shy green eyes, a golden fur like Nala's and her body was flexible and smooth. She was the only one Kim didn't order to hunt with others, although usually she still went with the others. She was glad that the others weren't rejecting her because she was Kim's favourite. Nala was actually pleased Shani was so close to Kim, though she didn't care for him that much after he had become a king. One day Nala came to her and asked if she could talk to Kim and try to find out what was wrong with him.
"But-- I-I don't know...What do I say to him?" Shani asked a litle scared. "Don't worry, you'll be fine," Nala calmed her down. "Just, please ask him if he could try and give us a rest sometimes. We're tired, we can't hunt all day just for his own good! Sooner or later we'll run out of food!" "Why do I have to do it?!" Shani groaned. "Because he likes you, he always has. And he trusts you, you can get close to him," Nala convinced. Shani looked at her unsure, then shyly lowered her head. "Okay, I'll try." Nala smiled. Shani padded carefully to the cave of Pride Rock.
"Uhh...Kim?" she asked, voice trembling. She was still as shy as a cub. A shadow in the corner lifted his head. "Shani," it pronounced softly. Shani was so scared. Kim even had a strange accent in his voice these days. "Umm, Kim, I need...to talk to you."
The shadow got up on his feet, stretched and walked to the light. Shani gulped. There was something so scary about Kim's form nowadays. He didn't look like himself, he had small, green eyes, dark fur, slick and neat-looking black mane and his voice had a creepy low tone in it. "So tell me, Shani? What's on your mind?" "Well..." Shani cleared her throat and tried to sound as convincing as possible. "Kim, you can't continue this anymore." "Continue what?" "This, umm...You, you can't...you shouldn't force us to hunt all the time." "I'm not forcing you to do anything, Shani," Kim replied in awe. "No..." Shani grinned uncomfortably. "...but, the others..." "Ahh, so you had a little talk with Nala, eh?" Kim grinned.
Shani panicked. She didn't know what to say. "No, I...I wanted this myself," she said. "Really? Nala didn't push you at all?" "No," Shani said, voice trembling a little. Kim walked closer. "Not...at all?" Shani gulped. "No." "At ALL?" Kim seemed to be looking right through her with those mean eyes. Shani gathered her strength and finally got herself to sound convincing. "No, how many times do I have to tell you?!"
Kim watched her for a while but she didn't give up. Finally Kim turned away and said: "Fine." Nothing more. As if he didn't care at all anymore. "Don't worry, I'll do something about it," he said and sat down. Of course, Shani thought frustrated. "Kim, what's happened to you? You're so...different. You're just not the same Kim you used to be. Not after..." she paused and thought wether or not she should go on. "...Mali's death."
She looked carefylly at Kim to see if he was hurt or angry in any way, ready to apologize, but to her surprise, he didn't react at all. "Change is good sometimes, Shani. Kings need to change, flow with the mass, if you know what I mean." "But you're not mass, Kim. You're changed. I used to like you, now I don't anymore. You're not the Kim I knew!"
She turned her back on Kim and took a few steps to leave when Kim suddenly pounced on her way and looked pleadingly at her. "Oh please, Shani, don't leave, I-I didn't mean to be rude! Please don't go yet!" Shani looked at him slightly disgusted. He was just so DIFFERENT. If it was the real Kim asking her to stay, she probably would have stayed with joy. Now it was only out of pity that she changed her mind. "Okay," she sighed. "But promise that you'll do something about the hunting thing, okay? I don't want to disappoint..." she swallowed "Nala". "...everyone." "I promise, Shani, I'll keep my word." Kim smiled relieved. "But..." he continued. "But what?" Shani's shyness was starting to make a comeback. "First, I think it's time to talk about you and me." "Y-you and me, Kim?" Shani took a few steps back.
Kim smiled. "You are so beautiful, Shani." He stepped forward and Shani stepped backwards. "Your eyes..." "W-what about my eyes?" "They're so pretty, so green...Like a deep sea. An ocean. One could drown in them, Shani." Shani stared at Kim while he spoke. Could this really be Kim? Talking like this? Of course it was beautiful but it wasn't his style. "And your body," Kim continued, sliding his eyes down Shani's face to her legs. "So perfect, just perfect..." "Perfect?" Shani said examining her own body which she thought wasn't near perfect at all. "What do you mean perfect?" Kim looked her in the eyes. "Perfect for having cubs, of course."
Shani backed up a few steps just for the amazement for what she just heard. Then her anger grew, and she forgot her shyness and stroke Kim in the face with her paw.
"How dare you even suggest something like that to me, you sleezy freak?! I would never have cubs with you, NEVER! If you were yourself, the REAL Kim that I used to know, I could maybe love you, but you're not him! You're not my Kim!!!" After she had said this, something amazing happened. Kim pulled back a bit, obviously in pain. "Kim?" Shani asked and now she was scared again. "Kim? A-are you okay?" "Ahh, this...headache...it...it hurts...." "Kim?!"
Kim lifted his head up and Shani gasped.
His eyes weren't green anymore. They were red, like when he was a cub. Kim looked at Shani and after a long time, Shani felt something warm inside her when she saw those familiar eyes. "Kim...a-are you, are you alright?" she asked shivering. "Shani! You gotta help me! There's--there's something inside me, I, I can't explain it, it's so strange. It's making me do things I wouldn't do and things I wouldn't say. Shani, please help me!" Kim whispered in a voice that was his own, with no strange tone and no accent. "What are you talking about? Kim, you'ree scaring me!" "Please, I can't get it out, I can't resist it, it's taking me over, please help me, please...Aaahhh!!!"
Kim shook his head in pain, he had a terrible headache. "Kim?! Kim, talk to me! Are you alright?!" Shani yelled. Kim lifted his head up and the green eyes were back. "I am perfectly fine, Shani. Why wouldn't I be?"
He smiled devilishly to Shani and Shani felt her legs shaking. She rushed out of the cave as fast as she could and didn't turn to look back.
"You can't run from it, Shani! YOU BELONG TO ME!!!"