I don't own the Lion King
Sarabi and Nalia remained silent as they walked back to the group. The queen had the urge to scold Nalia for running away from the group but she couldn't force herself. She understood why Nalia had the urge to meet up with this rogue named Tobi. The way her eyes lit up when she described him to the others showed how much they were in love and Sarabi couldn't be more than happy with her. She halted in her tracks turned her head to look at the moping Nalia.
Nalia noticed the queen's paws in front of her and she slowly lifted her eyes and looked at her. She swallowed before she spoke, "I-I know what I did was uncalled for, but after being trapped in that cave for a day I felt like I was never going to see another day."
Sarabi gave her a serious but sympathetic smile. Every day that passed, the lionesses clung onto every string of life that they had left. A good number of the pride had passed away from lack of food and water. If only there was a way to escape from these lands and go to a different location things would be a little better. However, she had spoke to Scar about this situation every time they were in contact with one another but Scar would just ignore her pleas and remain at Pride Rock. Sarabi walked up to Nalia and fondly rubbed her head with hers. "I understand," she said and looked at Nalia with a smile on her face. "This was my first encounter with him and he looked like a true gentleman."
Nalia flushed at her words and nodded her head in agreement. "He is," she giggled. The two lionesses commenced their walk towards their group but they made sure to walk as quietly as possible to not alert any of the hyenas that were patrolling the lands. Nalia's excitement was increasing each second with each step that they took. She wanted to be prepared to kill any hyena that stood in their way.
The grass rustled in the distance and Sarabi's ears perked in the air. She held her front paw in front of Nalia and waited for the culprit to show itself. The grass near them rustled and Shenzi's head popped out from within the grass. "There you guys are," she gruffly said and walked up to them. "I have to get you guys back at Pride Rock now!"
Nalia and Sarabi looked at one another in concern. Had any of the hyenas woken up and found out that they were missing? Was Scar the one that found them missing? "We haven't a moment to lose," Sarabi spoke, "did you gather the others?"
Shenzi nodded her head. "Yeah they're already heading back to Pride Rock. They told me that you went after this one," she said, referring to Nalia. "Now I have to get ya two back at Pride Rock."
"Well then lead the way," Nalia said.
"I would if it was easy," Shenzi snapped at her, "there are hyenas in the borders of Pride Rock and I have to be very careful. If anyone of them found out that I was helping you, they would go and tell Scar."
Nalia knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "But aren't you the matriarch of your clan?" she asked, "if they got rid of you then wouldn't the whole clan fall apart?"
Shenzi nodded her head in exasperation. The more time they wasted talking, the difficult it was going to be to safely get back at Pride Rock. "Yes, yes, yes," she quickly answered in an annoyed tone of voice, "but Scar has his suspicions and he would be the one to kill me, not my clan. He doesn't care what happens to any of us!"
Nalia cocked her head to the side, "so much for being a king," she mumbled.
"So let's just get there as safely as possible," Shenzi said and the lionesses followed her into the depths of the Pride Lands. Shenzi was cautious with every step that she took to avoid stepping on pebbles, withered sticks, and bones. "Wait a second," she whispered and lowered herself into whatever patch of grass she was in front of.
Sarabi and Nalia halted and lowered themselves into the grass as well. Shenzi scowled when she noticed the same hyena that she had encountered before. He was proudly marching back and forth with his nose in the air as he sniffed the air to pick up a lion scent. His ears perked in the air and he scrunched his eyes as he picked up that familiar lion scent mixed with a hyena.
"What's happening?" Sarabi whispered.
"He's coming towards us," Shenzi answered in a mild whisper, "we can't run away, he will suspect something." She straightened her body and waited for the hyena to make his appearance in front of her.
Just as she suspected, the hyena's head popped in front of her and he gave her a sly but malicious smile. "Well, well, well Shenzi," he said and approached her. His eyes bounced behind her and his lips grew into a wide grin. "Now what might you be doing with the former queen and her lackey?" he asked.
Nalia growled under her throat but Sarabi gave her a soft foot with her paw.
Shenzi furrowed her eyebrows. "That would be none of your concern," she spoke through gritted teeth.
The male hyena laughed. "My looks like I have struck a nerve," he teased and walked around Shenzi, surveying every single detail of her. "I do admire your fiery temper," he whispered into her ear and pushed his body towards her.
Shenzi let out a scoff and placed her paw on his snout and gave him a push. Not liking that, the hyena growled and wrapped his paws around Shenzi's neck. The two hyenas yelped as they fell to the ground and began to scratch and bite one another. Nalia immediately sprang towards the hyenas but the male hyena lifted his hind paws and gave Nalia a strong kick in the jaw.
Sarabi ran over to Nalia and helped here off the ground. She ran over to the two hyenas, grabbed the male from the neck and pulled him off Shenzi. The hyena thrashed as he twisted his body and firmly planted his jaws onto Sarabi's nose. Sarabi roared and released the hyena but before she could react, the hyena sprang towards her and nailed her to the ground.
The male hyena opened his jaws and aimed for Sarabi's throat but was sent hurtling into the grass when Nalia tackled him. Lifting himself off the ground, the hyena sprinted towards the lioness and clamped his jaws on her paw. Nalia tried to shake him off but the more she moved her paw, the deeper his teeth sank in her flesh. Nalia bent her neck and grabbed a part of the hyena's ear into her teeth. She heard a small whimper escape the hyena's throat but he wouldn't release her paw.
Suddenly the hyena quickly turned his head to the side, completely ignoring the fact that part of his ear had been torn off, and bumped his head into Nalia's. Her paw was released from his jaws but before she could recover from the attack, the hyena sprang forward and tackled her to the ground. Not wanting to ruin his chance, he growled and bought his jaws towards her throat.
Nalia shut her eyes at the incoming attack. A sudden breeze blew through her fur and sensing that she was still alive, she opened. A roar was followed by a whimper as she turned her head to the side and noticed golden color fur intermingling with charcoal gray fur. "Tobi?" she whispered and lifted herself off the ground.
The lion gave a loud roar as he lifted himself on his hind paws and delivered a clawed paw towards the hyena. A scratch was heard when those black claws tore through the hyena's fur. The hyena let out a yelp but before it had a chance to attack, Tobi slashed his claws towards the hyena's throat. The hyena rolled to the ground and lay there motionless.
Sarabi and Shenzi stared in awe at the lion's rescue. Shenzi slowly shook her head in disbelief when that hyena was finally dead. Not one of the hyenas from her clan had to ability to fight with this hyena that was suddenly killed, not even Banzai. Well good! Shenzi thought he is finally gone! The creep. The lion turned his head and looked straight at Shenzi.
"Want to end this one too?" he asked and got into a fighting stance.
"Ha ya wish!" Shenzi gruffly answered.
"No," Nalia said, "she is helping us."
Tobi blinked in disbelief. A hyena helping two lionesses? "There's something you don't hear everyday," he said and turned his head to Nalia. "Are you alright?" he whispered and gave her lick on her cheek.
Nalia held her paw from the ground and looked at it. Then she looked up at Tobi and smiled, "I guess I will be." He gave her a gentle smile and licked the blood off her paw.
Shenzi rolled her eyes at the sight. "Come on," she urged the two lionesses, "we have to go now!"
Tobi walked away from Nalia and approached the female hyena. He gently scrunched his eyes and looked down at her, "you make sure that they get back home safely," he harshly whispered, "she is the only hope for the Pride Lands," he motioned to Sarabi with his head, "and she is the love of my life," he motioned to Nalia.
Shenzi wanted to smack her forehead with her paw. Didn't he see that the reason why she was not attacking Sarabi or Nalia was because she wanted to help them get back safely. "Yes," she answered in an exasperated tone, "that is the point!"
Tobi straightened himself and let out a soft growl. "Good," he finished and turned his back on the hyena. He walked over to Nalia and fondly nuzzled her. "You get back safely." He gave her a last lick on her ear and spoke in a sultry tone of voice, "I will be waiting for you dear." Nalia giggled and watched him walk away from them.
Shenzi took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. "Now let's move it before anything else happens," she mumbled and the two lionesses followed her.
