Shenzi scuttled through the bones in the Elephant Graveyard. Dark clouds hung over the graveyard. She ran as fast as she could, crawling over bones and dodging other hyenas. She was going to find Banzai and Ed, even if it meant going into the Pridelands.
"Shenzi!" A voice shouted. Shenzi turned around to see her mother. She was smiling. "What are you doing?"
"Me, Banzai and Ed are playing hide-and-seek," the pup replied. "Do you know where they are?" Her mom shook her head.
"Even if I did know where they were, why would I tell you? It wouldn't be fair for them." Her mom replied. Shenzi swayed from side to side.
"I know," she giggled. Suddenly, a large male hyena walked up to her mother. Shenzi jumped with glee. "Hi, daddy!"
"Hello, Shenzi, and hello, Asali." He said. Asali, her mother, licked her father.
"Did you find any food, Khalfani?" Asali asked. Khalfani gazed at his paws and shook hid head, ashamed.
"No," he whispered. "Everything here is dead. All the prey is in the Pridelands." Asali stared at him. Her expression was worried and she shuffled her paws.
"Khalfani, if you don't find food soon, then every hyena in the clan will starve!" Asali whimpered. Khalfani stared into her honey-colored eyes. Shenzi blinked. Why did lions always have to be so mean to hyenas? Hyenas were just as good as lions, if not better. Shenzi hated lions. Her stomach growled. They had caused hyenas so much pain in the past, and they had forced the hyenas to live in the Elephant Graveyard with no food while they lived in their precious Pridelands, eating until they were too fat to move.
"I know. That's why I sent a couple of hyenas to hunt there." Khalfani told her. Asali gasped. Shenzi watched as her mother shook with fear.
"Khalfani, you couldn't have! The lions will kill them, you know that!" Asali growled. He clawed the earth below him, swatting bones away and growling angrily.
"You know I had too. It was for the sake of the clan!" Khalfani's voice grew louder. When he noticed Shenzi, he sighed. "Go play with Banzai and Ed." Khalfani commanded. Shenzi obeyed and scurried away. Asali and Khalfani were the leaders of the clan. They told everyone what to do, but they were fair about it. Whenever someone got food, they would share it equally with all the hyenas. Asali and Khalfani ate first, then the pups, then the elders, then pregnant mothers, than the rest of the hyenas.
As Shenzi crept though the massive pile of bones, she saw a small tail sticking out of a large clump of bones. She stepped on it and heard insane laughter.
"I found you, Ed!" Shenzi called. Ed backed out of his hiding place. To her surprise, there was a loud thud then the sound of bones hitting the ground. "And I found you, Banzai."
Banzai stomped up to Ed.
"Why did you have to laugh?" Banzai snapped. Ed laughed and shrugged, his tongue lolling. Shenzi got between them before it could get any worse. Banzai always blamed Ed for everything, and sometimes his anger would control him and he would fight Ed. He was almost always nice to Shenzi, because she was the daughter of the leaders of the clan.
"If he didn't laugh I would have found him anyway," Shenzi smirked. "I'm not giving up so easily." Banzai ruffled his fur.
"Whatever. Anyway, Ed, you're it." Banzai said. Ed covered his eyes and laughed. Shenzi and Banzai knew that was his counting so they sped away.
Shenzi found a large pile of bones with a tiny hole in the bottom, so she crawled inside it and made herself comfortable. She saw Banzai climb into an elephant skull across from her. She rolled her eyes. If he didn't want to be found, why did he hide near everyone else?
"Shenzi! Shenzi!"
Shenzi stood up as she heard Asali calling for her, but the bones fell on top of her. Coughing, she crawled out of the pile where she saw Ed pointing at her and laughing. Shenzi furiously kicked the bones away from her.
"Hey, that doesn't count! My mom is calling for me!" Shenzi snapped. Ed shook his head and she heard Banzai chuckle. "Banzai, you're in the elephant skull!" Banzai gasped and Ed went to check. Finally, Ed pranced out, Banzai following him.
"Shenzi, no fair! You can't tell him where I was hiding!" Banzai spat. Shenzi heard her mother call her again and turned to leave.
"It doesn't matter now, I can't play anymore." Shenzi walked away as she heard Banzai saying goodbye and Ed laughing.
Shenzi reached her mother. Asali licked her head. Shenzi fixed her hair and smiled.
"One day, Shenzi, once your father and I have passed away, you will rule the Elephant Graveyard." Asali told her. Shenzi stared at the massive bones and all the hyenas. She would rule it all? That would be awesome! Maybe she could rule it with Banzai and Ed too! "Follow me."
Shenzi and Asali walked to the top of the largest elephant skull. It looked over the whole graveyard. She could see everything! Most of the hyenas were near the center. Some of the hyenas were either leaving or entering the Pridelands. She could even see Banzai and Ed. She waved, and they waved back.
"So, I'll rule this all one day?" Shenzi queried, staring at her mom. She nodded.
"Everything the shadow touches, my dear," Asali answered. Shenzi took a second look.
"It's so big!" She breathed. "What about the Pridelands?" Asali sighed and a sorrowful look clouded her eyes.
"You must never go there, it's very dangerous." Asali commanded. Shenzi nodded, but maybe she would take Banzai and Ed sometime to go hunting. That would be fun. Besides, if she was the leader of the clan, the lions had to do what she said, right? Then why didn't they listen to Asali and Khalfani?
Asali led Shenzi off the large skull. By now, the sky was dark. The clouds parted a little bit to reveal the stars. Shenzi had always wondered what they were.
"What are stars?" Shenzi asked. Asali stared at her. She didn't want to answer the question.
"Stars are the kings of the past," Asali's voice trailed off. "Lion kings."
Shenzi felt confused. Were hyenas up there too?
"But mommy, don't hyenas deserve a place among the stars?" Shenzi questioned. Asali stared at her paws but didn't answer. Shenzi figured it was a no.
After a few minutes, Asali stared to lead Shenzi to her sleeping place. "It's time to go to sleep."
Khalfani lay down next to Asali. Shenzi snuggled up next to them, but sleep refused to take her. She kept thinking about lions and the Pridelands. A great anger surged through her. She was going to give the lions a piece of her mind! But she knew she couldn't do it alone. She would need Banzai and Ed's help.
Once her parents were asleep, she walked over to where Banzai and Ed were sleeping. She was going to leave now.