Ch. 8: Round Two
Oh, not again! Sena dashed down the path and arrived in front of the den as the injured lionesses flopped down as their injuries took their toll. "What happened?" Sena shouted as he ran up.
Vitani walked over to him, bleeding from a cut on her right foreleg. Sena looked at her, concerned. She rolled her eyes and said, "It's nothing."
Simba and Kovu arrived. Simba's eyes narrowed. He looked at Sena. "Those hyenas again?"
Sena nodded. "This has gone on long enough," Simba said. "We must fight them head on now."
Sena said, "Simba, may I say something?" Simba nodded. Sena strode in front of the pride and addressed them.
"For those here who have fought hyenas before, these are the same. Quick, sort of strong, but not too bright." There was a small breakout of laughter. Sena continued. "But there is one, one who is different from the others. He has deep black fur, and piercing silver eyes. That is Zara. I want all of you to stay away from him, for two reasons. One, he is fast and deadly. See that rock over there?"
The pride turned to the rock as two claw marks appeared in it. They turned back to see Sena standing there, looking at his claws. "You didn't even see that, did you? I can do that, so can he."
Sena set his paw down. "The other reason is more personal." Sena's eyes turned to steel. "I want to be the one to kill him. He took everything from me. He will pay."
There was a moment of hesitation, then the pride members nodded.
The pride of lions strode onto the savannah to face the hyenas. Simba glanced at Sena, then quickly turned away. The young lion had pure hatred written in his scarlet eyes.
"Well, Sena, I knew you'd oppose me, but I never expected backup," a voice rang out.
Sena shouted back. "Enough with this! Zara, show yourself!"
"As you wish."
Hyenas seemed to rise spontaneously from the tall savannah grass. They clustered into a group; about seventy-five all told. Sena showed no emotion, but inside he was concerned. The group got bigger.
"Well, shall we dispense with the pleasantries and get started?" the voice said.
"With pleasure," Sena replied. He strode to the left of the pride and saw his hated enemy emerge from his horde.
The hyena was a fearsome sight. His fur was as black as a moonless night, and his eyes were the color of the purest silver. He had a smug grin on his face.
When they were a good distance from the two groups, Zara turned and shouted, "Kill them."
The hyena group charged and engaged the pride in bloody combat. Zara turned to Sena.
"I must admit, you seem stronger than you were the last time. And I never expected you to have an entire pride backing you up," he said smugly.
Sena shot back, "Those lions are the greatest I've ever met. I won't allow you to hurt them any more!"
An pained scream came from the melee. Zara chuckled, "Oops, looks like I just did."
With an enraged roar Sena charged, pinning the hyena to the ground. Zara kicked Sena off and lashed rolled, coming up on all four paws. He lunged at Sena and slashed him across the face. Sena shouted in pain and swung his paw, dealing the hyena a hefty blow to the face. He recovered, but Zara had disappeared.
Sena concentrated, and heard a slight disturbance in the air to his left. He ducked and lashed upward, and was rewarded with the feeling of his claws slashing tissue. The hyena fell to the ground. He staggered slowly to his feet.
"You have improved. But I know, that when it comes to you, to have a backup plan." Zara threw back his head and let out three bark-like sounds.
Sena was tackled by nine solid looking hyenas, who pinned him to the ground. He tried throwing them off, but couldn't. Zara slowly approached, laughing. "You may be a lion, but your all brawn. I have brains. I..."
All this gloating was lost on Sena. He sighed inwardly. This is it. That was cheap, but he's won.
He turned his head. I just want to see her. One last-
He managed to catch a glimpse of Vitani...pinned by a hyena that was leaning towards her throat!
NO!!
Vitani stared into the murderous eyes of the hyena. "What a shame," he said. "You're a pretty one."
Vitani watched as he leaned down to rip out her throat...and disappeared. She got up and looked around. All around her hyenas were disappearing as a blue-brown blur struck them. Hyenas that were about to kill Simba, Nala, Kovu, Kiara, and others just vanished. Vitani caught Kovu's eye. "What's going on?" she asked. Kovu shrugged. A hyena leaped and Vitani shouted, "Kovu, look out!"
Kovu turned and saw the hyena...explode. The hyena burst into a reddish cloud in the blink of an eye, misting Kovu's fur. Kovu gaped. "What the-" A figure landed beside him. Vitani brightened as she saw Sena. But she recoiled as he turned.
Sena looked completely different. His normally scarlet eyes had turned a bright silver. He had an evil grin on his face. He was covered in blood. But the most startling change was the left side of his body. Extending from his heart were several blue lines that wrapped around the left side of his body. (AN: Think a Naruto curse mark.)
Vitani gasped. It came back to her. What Sena had said that night...
"I have a dark power in me. One I hope you nor the pride ever has to see..."
Sena turned to her and grinned evilly. "Revenge is sweet," he said. Vitani stared as the lines receded back into Sena's heart. He blinked and the silver eyes were replaced with the scarlet ones she loved. Sena shook his head. "What the..." Sena gazed at his forelegs, covered in blood, and gazed around at the broken hyena corpses that littered the ground. His eyes went wide.
"Oh no...NO!!"
