Prologue: Revenge of the Slith

Kovu's heart-rate skyrocketed as fear fueled his sprint through the Outlands. He knew he wasn't getting much closer to home but the lion cub knew that his family would be made into a meal if he was tracked. His ears picked up on hissing that sent shivers down his spine but he didn't dare look back and risk his own free will. The frantic feline had heard every harrowing stories and each one of them raced about in his mind. Odds were that he wouldn't be telling his very own.

Kovu darted around a sharp bend in the crevasse before spotting a large boulder dead ahead and stopping just as he hid behind it. His chest heaved heavily as he panted both out of exhaustion and pure fear. The lion cub tried his utmost to keep himself from making a sound and hope that his pursuer would pass him by. He held his breath and let most of the air out of his nose while keeping his ears open for any approaching noises just as his mother had drilled into him.

A few seconds pasted as Kovu paced his breathing the best he could and soon realized the strange silence that had settled in. He couldn't hear a hiss nor any slithering period. The lion cub looked toward his right in expecting some sort of sneak attack yet couldn't detect any movement. Part of himself wanted to just believe he was overreacting and panicked over what he thought he saw. The fearful feline was hoping for the best too much to look behind him quick enough.

"Life'ssss never fair, issssn't it?" a voice hissed right behind Kovu, shifting his frantic fear to pure despair. He slowly turned himself around while praying under his breath to any and all deities up there who'd take pity on him. "My good mood'ssss been ruined by a rather naughty kitten biting my tail for lunch," the voice went on as the petrified lion cub saw his pursuer slithering around the boulder almost silently. "Assssss for you... well, I'm ccccertain you're aware of your folly."

Kovu couldn't take his eyes off of the large python that was glaring down at his very soul and inching closer to his prey. "P-p-p-please," he started to stammer out of sheer desperation. "I-I-I didn't..." However, the constant thought of his imminent demise consumed any ability to coherently communicate. The lion cub began to tear up as his head craned up to witness the very legend that every animal in the Pride Lands or Outlands had nightmares over: Kaa the Rock Python.

"Oh, let me guesssss," Kaa wearily sighed, his glare seeming more disgruntled than angry. "You're about to bawl how you didn't mean to mistake my tail for a the lizards you usually eat." He kept his eye on Kovu, relishing the terror he was instilling within him. "Afterwards, you'll grovel pathetically and beg me to spare your life as if I'm known for such mercy." The python kept an eye on his tail slithering up from behind the lion cub. "Any other cliches you'd like to bore me with?"

"Y-y-y-you can't be him," Kovu managed to stammer, his mind in the stage of denial. "H-h-h-he's just a nighttime story t-t-to scare cubs." His eyes were way too fixated on Kaa's glare for him to notice the tail beginning to loop around his torso slowly and stealthily, not even brushing his fur. "A-a-a-any second now, m-my mom'll be here to help me." Sure enough, it slithered around his neck within seconds unbeknownst to him. "S-she'll send you packing and prove you are- URK!"

Kaa finally showed his smile as he tightened the coils around Kovu's body in a fraction of a second, steadily yet eagerly ensnaring his prey's body. The best part for the sinister serpent was how the helpless kitten's eyes widened in direct response to the tightening squeeze around his neck. His mouth remained agape, expressing both confusion and fear seamlessly. Only all four of the lion cub's legs remained outside the scaly cocoon but he was hardly able to move either one.

Kovu's wheezing was barely audible to himself as he felt the strong grip slowly crushing his body and his windpipe. Any attempts at breathing period were next to impossible as the lion cub felt the stranglehold intensify. He desperately wanted to just scream for help at the top of his lungs but they were both currently in pain from his inability to inhale and exhale. He could only twitch his legs in trying to reach up and claw the coils off. It was a horror beyond his worst nightmare.

Kaa savored the sight of Kovu's strangulated state as his slowly lifted his prey off the ground and moved his head in closer. "Feel my coilssss grip your entirety," he hissed, looking into the lion cub's pleading eyes. "Feel the air begging to be let out of your lungs." He flicked his tongue to get a taste of the helpless kitten's succulent scent. "Now tell me again if I'm just a nighttime story," the python spat back with a sneer, enjoying the cruelty of his demand. "Go ahead and say it..."

Kovu was dead silent even with his strangled wheezing and miraculously clung onto dear life if only out of desperate hope. The excruciating experience almost didn't feel real despite the pain he was being put through. The lion cub could only look directly at Kaa's sadistic smirk and felt his heart sinking down to a new level of despair. As of that very moment, he had been reduced to a toy for the python to torture with his coils and felt his pride being grounded down to the dirt.

"The funny thing issss," Kaa began, eager to rub salt in Kovu's wounds, "I only intended to give your a good look in the eye and make you forget all about me." The look of fleeting hope in Kovu's pupil was always his favorite part of the process. "Alasssss you jussssst had to make a run for it and make me work up an mean appetite." He almost wanted to loosen the coils around the lion cub's neck just to hear his blubbering. "Esssentially, you've jusssst committed ssssuicide."

Kaa couldn't help imagining young Simba in Kovu's place, an overgrown kitten being punished for his transgressions. "I have planssss for the Pride Landsss and their king that require me to be more in the sssshadowssss than usual." He could only wish he did that the first chance he had gotten. "I can't even allow the Outlands know assss word tendssss to travel fasssst even acrosssss the Sssahara." His maw began to widen. "I'm afraid that thisss hasss not been your day."

Kovu's pupil shrunk in pure horror as he could only look at Kaa's mouth opening wide and displaying his gullet before lowering it down towards his face. The lion cub could barely even get his legs to twitch between the constricting coils. He had to do something. Anything. However, what little fire in his spirit remained was doused when his head was fully engulfed by the python's massive maw. All he could see was pure darkness without even the faintest of light. His resting place.

Kaa savored the flavor as he began to unravel the coils around Kovu's body and swallow his prey with the strength of his throat muscles alone. The lion cub's torso was pulled into the snake's gullet with his arms pinned down by his lower jaw alone. The powerful python soon lifted his head up with the helpless kitty's hind legs hanging out along with his tail. Kicking back, he gave a big gulp so his meal's lower half could slide down and disappear into his esophagus with ease.

Closing his mouth, Kaa relished the feeling of Kovu traveling down his throat and even more so when he began to wriggle about despite being exhausted. He loved the way his victims would try to kick up a fuss after having the squeeze put on them. The fact that part of them believe they still had a chance was just priceless. It was something that he couldn't wait for the Pride Land's Princess to experience. Her suffering would be but the prelude to his ultimate vengeance.

"Sssssee you ssssoon, Ssssimba..."