Chapter 7 - Aetas:
Author's Note:
This chapter was fun to write. I'm not even going to hide that; this is swiftly becoming my favorite chapter. This is where shit hits the fan, are you all ready for that? Now… let's begin. Please, enjoy!
XXX
Shenzi stood on the border of the Pridelands and the graveyard. It had been a week since she had left the graveyard and it was time once again for the clan to get their weekly drink. But she hesitated before crossing the border, she actually hadn't been in the graveyard at all the past week. She had left food on the border, knowing Banzai and Ed would be near enough to alert the clan to their food.
But now she would actually have to go and collect her clan. So why am I hesitating? she hissed to herself. She had come alone, though she knew that there was a group of lionesses hunting nearby. Surely she wasn't afraid of her clan. Would they be resentful? Would she arrive only to find that she had been replaced?
She steeled herself against those possibilities, no. She was their matriarch. Still, even now. She stepped confidently over the border and made her way into the graveyard, head held high. It was something that she had learned from Mufasa. He always kept his head held high, no matter who he was talking to. And she would do the same.
The three days she had spent as Mufasa's advisor had been enjoyable. She was by his side constantly, listening to him debate and consider different options for his kingdom. She had no idea that his job was that difficult. It was a constant balancing act, settling disputes between species, and even quelling insurgencies within his own ranks.
And she helped him make decisions. In a sense, she had more power now than she ever had before. But it wasn't her power that made her happy, it was the respect she now held. She was second only to Mufasa himself, and his queen, but she now had something to lord over that stupid bird. And she held real authority now, she could actually gather her own hunting parties whenever she wished, she could plan and strategize to her heart's content. She was… content.
She stepped into the gorge where her clan resided. She waited in the very center as word spread of her arrival. She said nothing as dozens of hyenas emerged from their dens and crowded the area, but giving her a small area to call her own. The greeted her surprisingly respectfully, though she could hear the strain in some of their voices. It seemed as if she had not lost power yet.
"Shenzi? Shenzi!" one voice rang out above the others. Banzai rushed to her side, followed closely by Ed. They were both looking much better. Their pelts had darkened a bit and she could no longer see their ribs. In fact, everyone in the clan was looking better, even though it had only been a week. "You're back! Were you banished again?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes, though she could tell that he was hopeful that she had indeed been banished.
"Of course not," Shenzi scoffed at the idea. She was actually doing quite well. Banzai looked downtrodden, not even bothering to hide it. "I am here to lead you all for your weekly drink."
Banzai nodded. Excited yips and barks raced through the clan as they formed a huge line behind their still matriarch. She led them through the graveyard and into the Pridelands. She led them passed the hunting group of lionesses, whom did not spare her and her clan a single glance. She led them to the massive watering hole and allowed them time to drink.
They lapped gratefully at the water as Shenzi watched them carefully. She doubted any would make a break for it, but it was better to be careful than unprepared. As she noticed the clan finishing up, she began to journey back to the graveyard. It was a surprisingly peaceful excursion. No one hesitated, no one looked back as they crossed the border. Except for Banzai.
He turned, but did not stop, and shot her a pleading look. Then he walked away. Shenzi ground her teeth together, considering rushing into the graveyard after them. Recondemning herself along with her clan. But she held strong, she was happy. She was alive and her clan will endure all of this.
She turned her back to the graveyard and walked back to Pride Rock. She took her time, but didn't dally, she didn't want to seem as if she was taking too long. The sun hung high in the sky, signaling it was noon. Though Shenzi's internal clock was highly accurate, she was getting used to relying on the sun to tell her the time. Something that she was becoming more and more grateful for, especially after being back in the graveyard.
She made her way up Pride Rock, ignoring the glares of lionesses, as she walked to the king's chamber. She had grown more and more accustom to their glares as the days passed, so much so that she hardly even registered them anymore. Mufasa was awaiting her return, Sarabi on his left, Simba on his right.
Sarabi was the one lioness who did not immediately despise her. Shenzi could tell that it was difficult for the queen to feel much of anything, her features were always relaxed and she had a perpetual look of boredom on her face, only to be rectified in the heat of the hunt. She even hardly showed emotion towards her cub, Shenzi could tell it was strained at times. But Shenzi was thankful that at least one lion other than Mufasa didn't hate her guts.
Sarabi, as the queen, was master of the hunt. She made all of the hunting decisions and decided when, where, and what to hunt… most of the time. Shenzi had found that her new authority meant that she could gather her own forces outside of Sarabi's control, though Sarabi was usually the one to come with her on her hunts.
Shenzi had spent little time with Simba over the past week. He would occasionally approach her to ask questions or play chess, but he spent most of his time with Nala and Timon. Timon, Shenzi thought to herself. It seemed as if Timon had taken over for Zazu as Simba's babysitter, now accompanying the young prince wherever he goes. Though Timon wasn't here at the moment. With Shenzi spending all of her time with Mufasa and Timon always watching over Simba, the two hardly had the time to speak to one another. It was the thing Shenzi missed the most, but she vowed to make time… eventually.
She touched her nose to the ground, as she was accustomed to, and Mufasa dipped his head ever so slightly. It was the closest he ever came to bowing to anyone, and Shenzi took what she could get. "What is my task for today, my liege?" Shenzi said. It still sounded strange upon her tongue, but she was getting used to being underneath someone. Not that she enjoyed it… it was a pain that was slowly numbing.
Mufasa frowned and said, "You are to accompany me to visit my brother. I have been having terrible visions as of late, my son's account on his… trip to the graveyard has only made these visions worse."
Shenzi visibly darkened, she knew what this was about. Scar had been the one to convince Simba to go to the graveyard, where he was supposed to be ambushed and killed by hyenas. If Simba had told Mufasa who sent him to the graveyard… of course Mufasa would be suspicious. She wondered briefly if she should give up Scar. Would that damn me? Shenzi wondered.
She followed Mufasa out of his chamber and they walked quite a distance away from Pride Rock. Apparently, Scar liked to spend his time as far away from his brother as possible. If I give up Scar, that would reveal that I had been in on slaying his son… that it was a plan. That would not only damn Scar, it would damn me and my clan as well… I cannot give him up, Shenzi rationed.
A foul mood sunk in as she saw Scar resting leisurely in a tree. His eyes were closed, he looked so peaceful. "Bastard," Shenzi couldn't help but growl under her breath, hoping Mufasa didn't hear. The king made no attempt to show he had heard her, he just kept walking towards the resting lion.
"Scar," Mufasa said loudly, but not shouting. His tone was stern, but not angry. He wasn't assuming anything, and had clearly brought Shenzi along so she could help him get to the bottom of this mystery. If only it really was a mystery to me, she wished.
Scar's eyes opened slowly and he regarded his brother with a bored look. "What do you want?" he sighed, rolling over as to not look at his brother in the face. Shenzi was immediately suspicious, was this how he always behaved to his brother and king?
Mufasa didn't seem concerned, however. "You haven't met the Pridelands' newest inhabitant and my newest advisor yet, have you, Scar?" Mufasa said.
Shenzi glared at Scar as he turned back around to see her standing next to Mufasa. His eyes widened in surprise, she would've smirked in any other situation, but she held her glare. "Shenzi?" he said, voice rising a few pitches.
Mufasa's eyes narrowed, sending Shenzi's mind into a frenzied panic. She had to think of something to defuse this. "You know her?" the king asked.
That's it, Shenzi realized. "Taka?" Shenzi said, pretending if she hadn't seen Scar in years. She grimaced using that name, the bittersweet pain rising to the front of her mind. But it was the only way to keep Mufasa from the truth.
Scar seemed to catch on immediately and replied with, "Scar now, my dear Shenzi." Mufasa's eyes narrowed as he wordlessly stared at his brother, expecting an explanation. "We were friends when I was a cub… when I was still Taka," Scar explained, flinching slightly when using that name as well.
If there was one thing Shenzi could count on, it was Scar wanting to save his own skin. He wouldn't throw himself overboard to damage her, he only cared for himself. Mufasa nodded slowly, "So that's where you were all that time? With her?"
Scar jumped out of the tree, landing gracefully, and began to stretch, yawning as he did. He spent an inordinate amount of time stretching, causing Mufasa to growl and Shenzi to roll her eyes. Just because he wouldn't throw her under the bus didn't mean he wouldn't annoy the hell out of her. "My dear brother, I thought you knew," Scar recovered quickly from the shock and his voice returned to that of a smooth, silky baritone.
Mufasa let out a sigh, it was in the past. He had to focus on the present. "I had been talking with my son-"
"Why is she here?" Scar interrupted. He figured out what was going on and was doing his best to prevent the conversation from happening, though he did not doubt Shenzi was going to cover him. If there was one thing he knew, Shenzi would not sacrifice herself and her clan just to damage him. Not if what he thought was going on was actually going on.
"Shut your damn mouth and listen to your king," Shenzi hissed, desperate to end this conversation so she could go back to pretending Scar didn't exist. If he was content to stay away from his pride and she was to stay with the pride, they should never run into each other.
"My dear, I didn't think you would deign to call another being your king," Scar said smoothly. Shenzi growled but Scar continued, "When we were young you already treated yourself as queen. You had those two males wrapped around your finger, even then… what were their names again?" he grinned.
"Scar," Mufasa warned, knowing that he was likely to upset Shenzi. And he didn't want his advisor to be upset. But Shenzi was stronger than that, she already had a retort.
"That's funny, you think one would remember their best friends. We were your best friends because you had no one else… isn't that right, Taaakaaaa?" Shenzi sang, grinning viciously.
Scar snarled and opened his mouth to retort, but Mufasa roared, "Enough!" Silencing both of them. He turned to Shenzi, "If I had known this would happen, I would've left you behind."
Shenzi breathed out slowly, calming down, "In all fairness, my liege, you don't need my help in the first place. But if you wish to send me away…" she trailed off, realizing that she would be suggesting Mufasa send her away. She had to be here, to prevent Scar from somehow twisting the story against her.
"As I was saying," Mufasa glared at Scar before continuing, "My son told me a curious story. He said that you were the one to tell him about the graveyard, despite my specific instructions to never go there."
"Curious indeed," Scar said. "You know how young minds are, Mufasa. They only want to explore, telling them not to is like telling them that they should."
"Like you," Mufasa said. Scar growled but nodded his head reluctantly. He had indeed broken his own father's law against spending time with hyenas. "Are you saying that my son placed the blame for his…" Mufasa trailed off as he tried to think of the proper word to use.
"Wanderlust," Shenzi and Scar said at the same time.
"Wanderlust, yes. You are saying he blamed his desire to explore on you?" Mufasa said, not believing his son would do such a thing.
"Whatever it takes to be free from one's own responsibility, I suppose," Scar smirked.
Mufasa's eyes narrowed, but he eventually let out a sigh and said, "Very well. I shall take this as a coincidence then. Come now, Shenzi." Shenzi didn't immediately follow him, however, prompting Mufasa to turn around with a questioning raise of the eyebrow.
"I think I'm going to stay and catch up with Taka… Scar. It's been a while, ya know?" she said. Mufasa seemed to think about it for a moment, remembering the argument he had broken up. Eventually, he conceded and walked away, leaving Scar and Shenzi alone.
Scar rounded on Shenzi, "You feel safe enough to be alone with me?" Shenzi said nothing, knowing that Scar wouldn't dare damn himself. He eventually sighed and said, "Why'd you let me go?"
"I'm not like you Scar. I care about something other than myself," she answered.
"Perhaps," Scar said silkily, "So you're the king's new servant? I never thought I'd see the day, truly you've changed, Shenzi."
"Like I said, I care about something. And this is a warning, Scar. Just because I'm not with my clan doesn't mean you can be. I will find out. And don't think that if you threaten my clan I'd be willing to save either of us," Shenzi snarled and started to walk away.
"Whatever you say, my dear. Whatever you say," Scar smirked as she walked away. He began to chuckle when she was just out of sight. A few minutes after he could no longer see her he burst out into full blown laughter. "Whatever you say."
XXX
Three days passed since her conversation with Scar. Thankfully, she had not seen him since. She had not seen her clan since either. She had delved into her work with Mufasa, doing everything from acting as a proxy in ordering a zebra to stay away from an antelope, to quelling a complaint about the number of times one of the lionesses had been sent out to hunt. It was strange, she was becoming… bored.
It was as if Scar had ruined her perfect life by reminding her of his existence. Of evil's existence. But it had been three days and Scar had not made a move, so she assumed that he had given up. A vain hope at best, but it was all she could do to preserve what was left of her happiness.
Feeling the depression welling within, she had managed to find time to get away. She had been clever, however, and managed to convince Mufasa to spend some time with his son. Which freed Timon, so the two of them could go on a walk and catch up. Timon had spent lots of time exploring the entirety of the Pridelands, while Shenzi had spent her times hunting on the plains. She had yet to see the great canyon of her new home, so she let Timon lead the way.
Once there, Shenzi found herself captivated by the magnificent view that she decided she did not need to walk all the way down into the canyon. So she plopped down on a ledge overlooking the great gorge, Timon sitting next to her. The skies were blue and the sun was bright, illuminating the canyon such that not a shadow could hide.
As Shenzi took in the beauty of the canyon, they talked. She told him of all the work she had been doing over the past week. She avoided the subject of Scar and her clan, not wanting to anger herself. She told him instead of her hunting trips. Although he cringed when she went into bloody detail, he understood that she was a hunter above all else, and she loved the thrill of the chase.
He told her of the time he had spent with Simba. The many shenanigans the young cub could get into, though he admitted that cub tended to think more when Timon was around. Though that didn't stop the cub from climbing up a giraffe and throwing himself down its long neck like a slide. Shenzi rolled her eyes, that couldn't have ended well for anyone.
Timon told her about Nala and how she was always close behind Simba. Shenzi snickered, they were already practically mates… a luxury I do not have, she chuckled softly to herself. Timon explained how he had taught the young lioness how to play chess, and that she was much better than Simba. Shenzi only chuckled, already planning to show the little cub who was boss. I'm the master, the grandest master… the grandmaster. Grandmaster Shenzi, I like that, she smirked.
It was silent for some time after that, the two of them just enjoying the other's presence. Something that they had sorely missed over the past week. Shenzi could feel the cloud lifting from her mind, once again she was in paradise. Scar was dealt with, she got to see her clan weekly, and if she could just work in time with Timon, everything would be perfect.
As she was picturing this perfect life, she almost missed Timon standing and walking closer to the edge. Concerned, she snapped out of her fantasy and said, "What's up?"
Timon squinted before pointing down into the valley, "Is that Mufasa?" he asked.
Shenzi stood and walked as close as she dared to the edge before peering down. Sure enough, Mufasa's bright mane could be seen even from a distance. And a small yellow ball stood next to him, "And Simba too…" Shenzi trailed off, mind thrown into overdrive. Why were they down there?
"Do you feel that?" Timon said just as the ground began to shake. It started off soft, but quickly began to shudder as if someone was shaking water off of themselves. Timon was thrown off balance, but Shenzi managed to keep her footing as she watched hundreds upon hundreds of wildebeests rush down the hillside… right into Mufasa's and Simba's path.
Shenzi's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a soundless scream as the rumbling of the earth drowned out her cry. She nearly fell over the edge from all the excitement. She watched as Mufasa and Simba struggled to free themselves from the stampede. She watched as Mufasa managed to throw Simba from the crowd up onto a nearby ledge.
He then slipped back into the herd, drowning in it. Shenzi tensed and she considered throwing herself from the cliff if only to help Mufasa. But she stayed put, for she knew that she could not help her king. Her heart leapt with joy as she watched him pull himself free from the stampede. She watched as he climbed the edge of the canyon and Simba continued to climb higher. He's fine, they're fine, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She turned her sight back to the stampede, still a few hundred wildebeests long. Why did they run? There must've been a catalyst. As she searched the herd for signs of predators, immediately thinking Scar, she nearly missed the earth-shattering cry of, "AHH!" along with a cry of, "NO!"
Mufasa landed hard on his back, the stampede covering his form. Shenzi grit her teeth so hard her jaws became numb. The moment the last few wildebeests passed the prone form of the king by, Shenzi slid down the side of the gorge, running up to Mufasa. Simba reached him first, Shenzi stopping short… not able to go any further. What happened? the thought reverberated within her.
Mufasa… was dead. Gone. For good. And Simba was crying over his still warm body. There were no last words, no hope for saving him. He was dead. Shenzi froze up, unsure of what to do. Should she comfort Simba? What was going to happen now? Timon walked up next to her, hand covering his mouth. He was equally unsure of what to do.
She was so frozen, she didn't notice Scar walk up behind the vulnerable cub and whisper something to him. The dust that the wildebeests had kicked up formed a cloud over the canyon, blocking out the sun and dampening vision. Shenzi could feel herself sink, the light goes out with the king. Once again I am in the dark.
She barely registered Simba running past her, though she did notice Timon running after him. So she followed, ignoring Scar. Almost if she refused to see him. She had no proof. But she didn't need proof. She knew that Scar had been the one to slay Mufasa. She wasn't sure how, and she knew no one would believe her without concrete proof. So she followed Timon and Simba, hoping the cub would be able to shine some light upon the situation. She didn't notice that she was being followed.
Eventually, Simba and Timon stopped at a drop-off point, where the ground suddenly ended and met the sky. They turned to see Shenzi catching up to them. She breathed and opened her mouth to call out to him, but then she heard the excited barks and yips of hyenas behind her. She turned around slowly, only to be met by four hyenas, all growling, waiting to kill Simba.
Shenzi saw red, unable to identify the hyenas. She didn't care. They had killed Mufasa, the one who had given them so much despite hating them, and she would not let them kill Simba. So she lowered her body to the ground and let out a fearsome growl. The hyenas gave pause, as if considering whether or not to fight. Two of them seemed most hesitant, but when the other two began growling again, they prepared to fight.
They whispered something to each other, but Shenzi couldn't hear. She didn't need to hear. She was going to kill them. They rushed at her, hoping to overwhelm her with sheer numbers. It did not work as they thought it would.
She lashed out with her entire body, slamming into the leading hyena, tripping two others. As one of them rushed at Simba, she leapt over the staggered foes and tackled her former clanmate. She snapped into the hyena, tearing flesh from bone and covering the ground in blood.
The other three gathered themselves and prepared to attack again, only to be met by Shenzi head-on. She forced them back, grabbing and throwing one. She snapped at them as they surrounded and pounced on her, bringing her down to the ground. She kept biting and kicking, throwing them off only for them to pin her again. The bleeding hyena got up off of the ground and started to crawl towards Simba and Timon.
"RUN!" Shenzi cried out before screaming in pain when one of them bit down on her neck. She twisted around, grabbing the hyena by its ears and pulled hard, tearing the ear free. The hyena screamed and let go, giving Shenzi time to throw the other two off.
She didn't see, but Timon had grabbed a hold of Simba and they threw themselves off of the drop-off point. The bleeding hyena yelled something after them, but Shenzi wasn't paying attention. She had pinned one of her foes beneath her as she fought off the other. The bleeding hyena turned around to pull her off of his comrade, only for him to be kicked hard in the face.
Shenzi leaned down and gripped the hyena's neck she had pinned beneath her. She slowly increased pressure, savoring the flavor of her former comrade's blood in her maw, before violently snapping his neck. She let loose her hollow laugh as she observed her cowering opponents.
One was holding his head and howling loudly, completely missing his ear. She grinned when she saw her foe's ear lying on the ground near her, her teeth forming a feral smile. There was one behind her, but he was rubbing his jaw and bleeding heavily. He would not last much longer. Only one of her foes was unharmed. He looked extremely unhappy with what had happened, but Shenzi didn't care.
He held up his paws in surrender, but the red haze called for blood. She tackled him, despite his apparent surrender. She easily got a grip on his neck and he began shouting something. She ignored him and bashed him against a rock, momentarily silencing him. She slowly increased pressure…
"Shenzi! SHENIZI!" the male cried out, momentarily throwing her off out of her blood rage. She looked down, the red haze diminishing… it was Banzai. She had Banzai trapped in her jaws, she was about to kill him.
Realization dawned on her. The bleeding male behind her was Ed, how did she not notice that? The one she had torn the ear off of was Zuri. And the dead one was Mwashi. She had killed one of the few alpha females left in her clan… and yet she was still holding onto Banzai. Should I kill him? the thought ran rampant in her mind before she eventually let him go, throwing him slightly against a rock.
He sat up quickly, breathing heavily. She glared at him, then at Ed, then at Zuri, "What the fuck were you doing?" she all but roared.
"Helping," Banzai said. "Scar came by the other day. He said…" he hissed when he realized her tackling him had broken one of his legs. It was painful to even stand.
"He said what?!" Shenzi snarled, glaring at Banzai.
"He said to chase the wildebeests, he would do the rest. When Mufasa and Simba were dead he would let us back into the Pridelands. We're tired of waiting for you to broker a new deal, Shenzi," Zuri hissed in pain. She continued to grip her head, blood leaking onto the ground, getting in her own eyes.
"There was no other deal!" Shenzi growled.
Zuri hissed again, "That's why we helped him, ah, it hurts! You bitch! All we wanted was the Pridelands, and you couldn't even deliver."
Shenzi saw red again and she considered killing Zuri as well, but she managed to restrain herself, "You fools… you… fools. You don't even realize what you've done."
"We saved you, Shenzi," Banzai said. "You're back where you belong, with us. Scar had said that you lost your way, that we should help get you back on track." Ed giggled in agreement, though he choked slightly on his own blood. But he did not collapse.
Shenzi's eyes widened, Scar! she mentally screamed. She threw her head back and screamed as loud as she could. No real words. No real meaning. Not even a declaration of vengeance. She was just in immense pain.
Several hundred meters away, Scar sat looking at the dead body of his brother. Not a single drop of pity remained in his soul. He had planned this from the moment Mufasa had been chosen by their father. He had spent years loathing his brother, biding his time, waiting to strike. And finally… he was king. And Shenzi's screams sounded so good to his ears.
XXX
Told you shit would hit the fan. I said from the beginning that the events would change, but I never said that the story would be completely different. I'm sure you all realized what was happening when Shenzi went to the canyon. Scar reigns victorious, but Simba and Timon got away. And Shenzi's left to suffer. So what happens next chapter? Obviously she's not happy, at all. Stay tuned to find out!
