Chapter 10 - Passio:
Author's Note:
Well, here we go. The last real chapter. I know, I know, it's sad. And this will be a long one because we have a lot of ground to cover. But don't worry, there will be an epilogue (and maybe a final author's note, if I feel like it). So please, sit back and enjoy the final chapter!
XXX
Shenzi stepped out of Scar's cave just in time to see him snarl, "I'm ten times the king Mufasa was!" and slap Sarabi to the ground. Here we go, Shenzi said to herself. Time to put her plan into action.
And, on cue, Simba appeared near the top of Pride Rock, growling deeply. A flash of lightning heralded his arrival as he leapt down from his post. The sky had turned completely black as the storm clouds covered what was left of the sun. Simba made his way towards his mother as Scar stared at him in disbelief, "Mufasa, no you're dead!"
Simba looked down at his mother, who too was in disbelief. He then turned to Scar and said, "No, Scar." Shenzi smirked, Simba had managed to replicate his father's voice. He looked identical to his father, and now he sounded like him too. They would use this to destroy Scar, or at the very least make him make a mistake.
Scar cowered in fear from his nephew mumbling, "No, no, no, you're dead… how can you be alive?" Simba began to approach his uncle, forcing the black-maned lion against a rock.
"You tried to kill me," Simba growled. Shenzi's grin widened further, she figured Scar might have an ace up his sleeve in case Simba ever did return. And that ace was convincing the young cub that he had been the cause of Mufasa's death. But Shenzi had flipped it on Scar, who was now stuck between a literal rock and an angry lion.
Scar opened his mouth to respond, but Simba, in a very Mufasa-like fashion, shouted, "Silence!" Scar immediately shut his mouth and dropped lower to the ground, using his body language to suggest he was surrendering. "And you killed my son as well. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Shenzi knew that Scar would likely find a way to deflect suspicion off himself, and she was exactly right. Scar pointed upwards, "See them up there?" he said, pointing to the entire clan sitting high on the rock, looking down at Simba and Scar, snarling as they did. "They think I'm king."
"Oh? What are you now, Scar? If you don't step down, I will be forced to kill you," Simba threatened. Shenzi could practically see the gears in Scar's head turning as he stepped around Simba.
"Must this all end in violence?" Scar asked sarcastically. He approached the lionesses, smirk clearly on his face. No… he couldn't have figured a way around this, could he have? Shenzi realized too late to stop him. "And what will become of me when I do step down? Will you exile me to the graveyard along with all the hyenas? Do you really think they'd stand for that?"
"Then will you fight?" Simba said hesitantly. It wasn't a part of the plan… he was supposed to shock Scar into surrendering, they weren't supposed to fight. But Scar did have the numbers advantage, if he wanted to fight… it might not end well. He threw a glance at Shenzi, which Scar noticed, but she was too busy calculating a different approach. Is there something I missed? the thought made her nervous. She couldn't have missed anything…
"Like I said, they think I'm king. And a better king to them than you ever were!" Scar rounded on Simba, circling him. He could taste his nephew's panic and saw fear flash in his eyes. "The graveyard is a dreadful place, Mufasa, and I would never exile anyone there. Why should I step down when I'm better than you?"
Simba hesitated in his response, prompting Scar to continue. "Tell us, Mufasa, if you are truly the rightful king, then where were you these last five years? Surely you weren't cowering, were you? I did try to kill you, and for very good reason!" Scar paused and turned back to the lionesses. "Mufasa is not worthy enough to be king! Look at how he treats his subjects! Look at how he let you all remain thinking he was dead for five years!"
He turned back to Simba and, with hyenas streaming behind him, began to back him against the edge of Pride Rock. Scar turned and gave a passing smirk to Shenzi, the only hyena not ganging up on Simba. He knows, she realized. She let out a snarl, but did not move, it was up to Simba to save himself. Simba kept being pushed further and further against the edge, there was nothing she could do. "You are not worthy! I am the rightful king!" Scar snarled, causing Simba to trip over the edge.
He managed to save himself by grabbing onto the edge. His claws scraped against the cold stone as lightning flashed, striking the dry ground. The dried-out brush caught fire, which quickly consumed the land around Pride Rock for nearly half a kilometer, in just a few minutes. Simba struggled to right himself, but Scar didn't let him gain a footing.
"Isn't that right, Simba?" Scar smirked, pausing to allow the struggling lion to come to the realization that the jig was up. "You ran from your fate for five years, and now you come back, trying to take the throne from me?" He grabbed Simba by the paws, causing the dangling lion to roar out in pain.
"This is just how your father looked before he died," the still grinning lion said smoothly. Simba writhed in pain, still trying to pull himself up. But Scar had him firmly pinned. Scar leaned down to whisper in his nephew's ear, "And when you're gone, I'm going to kill Nala and your mother… as well as Shenzi. This was no doubt her idea."
Simba's eyes widened as he roared in righteous fury, throwing himself upwards, slamming into and surprising Scar, before pinning the confused lion against the ground. "No! Bastard!" he cried out in his normal voice, dropping the mask of Mufasa.
"Simba…" Scar choked out as his nephew placed his paw against his throat, beginning to choke him out. The pinned lion hissed in pain as Simba's claws jammed into his throat.
"It's over, Scar! Surrender or I'll kill you," Simba growled. The lionesses, who were confused about what was going on, quickly figured out that Simba had tried to force Scar to leave peacefully. They would need an explanation, but that would come later. They knew now that all they needed to do was protect their true king.
Hyenas reacted to the threat quickly, swarming over Simba and pulling him off their king. Simba didn't have enough time to kill his uncle as he was forced on the defensive, batting at hyenas and swatting them aside. The lionesses were quick to rush into battle as the fire raged around Pride Rock, starting to creep up the side.
Shenzi hesitated only a moment before she too threw herself into the fray. She had watched Scar slink away, but it was not her job to fight him. She would help free Simba, who would go on to fight Scar, while she and the lionesses kept the sea of hyenas at bay. The lionesses in question saw her fighting her own clanmates and realized the former matriarch was on their side. It surprised them, but they fought on nonetheless, not caring as long as she was an ally.
The lionesses used their strength and claws to fight the sea of hyenas, tossing them aside with large gashes on their sides, or throwing them off of the Rock. The hyenas that encountered a lioness mostly survived, as they would run off when wounded, or had a chance to escape the fire… but Shenzi was merciless. She would grab the surprised hyenas by the back of the neck, most of them hadn't realized she was an enemy in the heat of battle, before breaking them. She killed each one she encountered, not wanting them to live on.
And they didn't deserve to live on. The swarm of hyenas began to break apart and try to overwhelm the lionesses by isolating them and fighting in groups of four or five, but they were still outmatched. Simba managed to get away, and Shenzi followed him, making sure to keep hyenas off his back. Eventually, the two of them spotted Scar trying to get to higher ground unseen.
As they did, loud snickering could be heard as a large group of hyenas approached them from the rear. Shenzi turning around and shouted to Simba, "Go! I will deal with them!" Simba placed a paw on her shoulder, a silent cry to stay alive, before running after Scar. If he could kill the traitorous lion, the entire battle would end.
The hyenas were clearly apprehensive about fighting her, as they knew she was still a force to be reckoned with, and she was without mercy. They only wanted to kill Simba. She growled at them, a reminder that she stood in their path, so they charged at her. But she was ready.
She felt the red haze descend over her vision and she could no longer tell who these hyenas were. Which meant she wouldn't feel their deaths as she met them head-on. She kicked one off the ledge, smirking at his scream as the fire devoured him. Or, she would've smirked if she hadn't grabbed one of them in her jaws and tore flesh from bone. He too screamed as she tossed him aside, knowing that he was falling to his doom.
The other five were a bit more defensive, but she didn't hesitate to attack them. They formed a simple defense pattern, but she barreled through their line, pinning one of them, batting one aside with her paw, latching onto another's neck and tearing his throat out. She pivoted on the body beneath her, lashing out at the remaining hyenas, tearing into their skins, blood leaking from their wounds. She remained unharmed.
Then she began killing them, grabbing one and tossing him into another, throwing both from the cliff to their fiery fates. She finally let the pinned hyena up, only to grab him by the throat and use him as a shield against the only remaining hyena. Crack. And she dropped her makeshift shield.
"Shenzi, Shenzi… please," the remaining hyena begged, but she did not hear him. She refused to hear him. She backed him against the ledge, he continued to plead for his life, but she was not in a forgiving mood.
"You lost the right to live when you killed this land," she hissed, shoving him off the ledge. He screamed the entire way until there was an audible crunching sound as his body splattered against the hard ground. The fire quickly consumed what was left of him. Shenzi turned away from the ledge, intent on hunting down more of her former clanmates. Where is Zuri?
"That's enough Shenzi," the voice did not bring her out of her blood-rage, but it did give her pause. It was Banzai. The one voice she could recognize. The one hyena she could still see, even when she was blinded by rage. The one hyena she didn't want to kill.
She didn't say anything to him. She didn't want to say anything to him. She had decided. She would not kill him, and if he managed to survive the battle… she would let Simba do the job. She was much too weak to kill him. She hated herself for it. "Please stop… Shenzi. You have to stop!" Banzai cried out, trying to pierce the veil. But he didn't even make a dent.
She didn't pay any attention to his words, instead, she focused on the fighting around her, wondering where she was needed. The lionesses were still fighting strong; none had fallen yet and the clan had clearly taken heavy losses. There was even a monkey, one that she recognized as Rafiki, fighting. She snorted at that, but figured the more the better chance they had at victory.
But, at that moment, she saw Timon, of all creatures, run into the king's chambers, three hyenas chasing him. Panic welled up inside of her, Timon stood no chance against the hyenas. What is he doing here?! I thought I told him to stay out of this! she mentally screamed. The haze vanished, she could see once more.
She took a step forward, but paused when she heard loud snickering. She looked up to see the source of the snickering. She was met with the smirking face of the one-eared matriarch, Zuri. Her wound had healed poorly, as part of her scalp was still an angry red and showing for all the world to see. Behind her sat twenty of her best soldiers. Shenzi growled, feeling the blood-rage rising again.
But they didn't attack, rather they turned and walked away. Shenzi grew confused, wondering why they wouldn't… Simba! she realized. They were heading off to where Scar and Simba were fighting. Alone, Simba was likely to best his weaker uncle, but with over twenty hyenas to tip the balance… it would be a very quick fight.
But Timon… she wanted to save her friend, but she also needed to stop those hyenas. If she managed to kill Zuri… she might be able to wrest control back and order her former clan to stand down. It would give Simba the victory he needed. Her mind pulled at her to go and fight Zuri and her lackeys… but her heart tugged her towards saving Timon. She wasn't sure what to do… she couldn't…
She was so close to breaking apart. Her heart, which she thought she had lost so many years ago, and her mind, which she thought had decayed long ago. Just as she was about to scream out in agony, she felt someone nudge her. It was Banzai.
He had seen her struggle and realized what he had to do. "Go… stop Zuri. I'll save Timon," he said softly. In that moment, she felt her soul soar. She saw Banzai… truly saw him once more. And she couldn't help but feel a tear streak down her cheek. He was on her side… even after all of this.
She ran towards Simba and Scar and Zuri, knowing that she only had to hold on long enough for Simba to win. But Banzai's voice gave her pause, causing her to turn to see him looking up at her, "Don't die on me!" he cried out as he rushed towards Timon.
She knew he was just being selfish, a being such as him was incapable of doing anything even remotely altruistic. And yet… she so desperately wanted to believe he was helping her because he knew she was right. Not because he wanted her to look at him in a good light once more. She ground her teeth and finally, when he was almost out of earshot, she called to him. The first time in five years she had spoken to him, "I love you!"
It was all Banzai needed to run faster. His heart pounded faster and faster as he rushed to Timon's rescue. He burst through the entrance and, before the other hyenas could even question why he was present, he barreled into them, tearing them to shreds. Sure, he was just selfish, but he was selfish for Shenzi. And he promised himself that he wouldn't make her regret her words. He would survive… and so would she, no matter who won.
"Zuri!" Shenzi growled, causing the large group to pause. The turned, seemingly as one, and the matriarch made her way to the front. She smirked at the former matriarch, knowing that, even for all her strength and intelligence, even Shenzi couldn't stand against such numbers.
"Shenzi, we were beginning to wonder if you had gone mute. Tell me, what do you plan to do? Surely you can't be so foolish to think you can fight all of us," she grinned, stepping forward, her lackeys surrounding her.
"No, but I wondered if you were brave enough to fight me alone," Shenzi said, head held high, "Like a real matriarch." She smirked at the grimace that passed Zuri's face. Shenzi had figured that the "matriarch" was sensitive to being compared to Shenzi herself. As she couldn't compare to the real deal in any way, shape, or form.
Zuri ground her teeth, but eventually sighed, "That would be suicide, Shenzi. I know I cannot match you, I don't need you to prove that to me. I much prefer a fair fight, twenty to one sounds about right, don't you think?"
Shenzi growled, her threat not enticing Zuri to fight alone, but stood her ground. Time seemed to slow down as the swarm of hyenas bared down on her. Her mind was thrown into overdrive as she picked out weaknesses, deficiencies, and angles of attack. Where her strength failed, her mind would succeed.
She threw herself at one of the leaping hyenas, latching onto his neck and throwing him off the ledge before swinging around and swatting a different attacker. The momentum she had gathered caused the blow to be audible as the hyena stumbled and accidentally fell off the edge as well. Shenzi didn't take the time to grin as she rolled to the side, dodging the swarm.
She continued her attack, pivoting around the mass of hyenas, tossing them into each other and off the ledge, slowly whittling down Zuri's numbers. Zuri herself stayed back from the fight, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Shenzi kept fighting, even as she was surrounded by the hyenas. It seemed as if for each one she killed, another took his place. Which means others are coming as reinforcements… have the lionesses failed? she wondered as she grabbed a hyena with her claws and ran them through his skin, leaving large gashes in their wake.
Eventually, she was completely surrounded and losing hope. Just as she snapped yet another neck, something hit her from above, sending her tumbling down to a ledge below. Zuri had climbed higher on the Rock so she could attack from above. And Shenzi didn't see her as she was busy with the hyenas in front of her.
She cursed as she righted herself, she was still alive. The ledge seemed to be only a few feet below the part of the Rock she had just been fighting on. She had gotten lucky that Zuri hadn't thrown her off the Rock, as she had done to so many of her former clanmates. She turned and realized that there was a rock, and fire, blocking her path. She had nowhere to go except forward, but the mass of hyenas swiftly blocked the exit.
"Shenzi!" two voices cried out as three shapes slid down the rock next to her. The voices belonged to Banzai and Timon, and the third shape took the form of the pig Timon had not introduced to her. Not that she cared, as long as he planned to help her out of their current predicament.
"Stooge, Banzai, pig," she greeted gruffly, never looking away at the wall of hyenas, Zuri in front of the mass. She could feel Timon grimace beside her. "What's the plan?" she hissed quietly as the mass started approaching. There was no room to get past them.
"Man, I definitely did not miss the nickname, Shenzi Marie," Timon complained, walking forward. "But I do have a plan." The hyenas stopped when he was only a few meters away, staring at him hungrily.
He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together, "Please don't eat us!" he begged. Shenzi immediately slapped a paw to her head, This was your plan? she sighed. The hyenas turned to each other, giving each other looks, silently asking if the meerkat before them really believed that they would spare any of them.
Shenzi pricked her ears as a strange sound hit them. Something, or someone, was scraping against the ground beneath them. It only took a few seconds before she realized that it was something digging beneath them. Her eyes widened when she understood what Timon was doing… he was stalling.
"That ain't gonna happen, morsel," Zuri laughed, the hyenas behind her echoing her laughter. They began their approach once more, Timon leaping up from his kneeling position just in time for a pair of jaws to snap where he once was. He backed away towards Shenzi and the others.
"Well that didn't work… a little help, please?" Timon hissed to Shenzi. She took a quick look behind her to see the pig and Banzai shrugging together. Although the pig seemed to know what was going on, Banzai was completely lost.
"I've got nothing Stooge," she hissed back at him. The blaze was starting to become unbearable. If she had thought the sun was bad… the fire was so much worse. The fire burned the air, devouring the oxygen and making it difficult to breath. She could feel the fire with each breath, as it seemed to burn her from the inside out.
"I've got an idea, but you aren't gonna like it," he whispered as Zuri made it to just a few meters away from them. Shenzi looked down at him, finally breaking her line of sight away from the approaching swarm, and shot him a look that said, I'm up for anything.
So, he got down on one knee and took Shenzi's paw in his smallish hands. Oh, god, here we go, she realized what he was doing. The action gave Zuri and her clan pause as they stopped mere meters from Timon and Shenzi. "Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena, I don't want to die without at least saying this. I love you Shenzi, will you marry me?"
The effect was immediate, all their jaws dropped to the ground. Banzai nearly passed out and even the pig was confused beyond belief. Zuri and the hyenas knew Timon, they had seen him around and had known that Shenzi had taken the poor soul in… but they hadn't suspected that they duo harbored feelings for each other. They were taken completely by surprise, stunned speechless.
I'm never going to live this down, Shenzi sighed to herself, but played along nonetheless. "Timon Stooge Berkowitz," Shenzi said, not knowing his middle name was, so she made it up. She watched him flinch slightly, but noted that she had indeed referred to him as Timon. "Truth be told, I've been lying to myself as of late. You've always been so open, and I had always shot you down."
I hate myself, she growled internally, but kept the act up. It was the only thing keeping the swarm from overcoming them. "So in our last moments, of course I'll marry you!" She allowed her voice to raise a few pitches in faux excitement.
Timon, trying his best to suppress a snicker at her position, said, "That's great! So… uh… when do you want the wedding?" Truthfully, he didn't expect her to actually go along with him. He had always been more willing to poke fun at her in this regard, but she had always vehemently refused to play along, even for the sake of a joke. But that's what made it funny, her refusals. Now that she was actually going along with him… it was even more hilarious than he could've ever imagined.
Shenzi risked a glance at Zuri and her former clanmates, their jaws were still hanging limply from their faces, still stunned. She just had to bring this home, buying them the rest of the time they needed. "How about now?" she said, gesturing to Timon's pig companion, who had managed to shake himself out of his stupor. She was unable to say the same about Banzai, who was clearly struggling not to fall over.
"Pumbaa, my dear friend, will you preside over this marriage?" Timon asked, ordaining his friend as their chosen minister.
The pig stepped forward, tears welling in his eyes, "I'd be honored to be the one to marry you off. Can I be your best man as well?"
"Sure, whatever you want, buddy," Timon said, false tears flowing as well. Only Shenzi managed to stay composed, though she did have to repress a snicker, perhaps that would make Banzai a bridesmaid.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" the pig started. It was at that moment that the hyenas started to come to. Few of them understood what was going on, but among those few was Zuri.
One of the male hyenas leaned over and whispered to his friend, "Hey, should we really be just standing here and letting this happen?"
The friend in question wiped a tear from his eye and said, "Why would we interrupt something this beautiful, man?"
Zuri rolled her eyes, "Alright, that's more than enough of this charade. Time to dine, boys!" She began moving forward again, but a few of the hyenas stayed behind, still confused about what was happening.
At that moment, a head popped out of the ground, drawing Shenzi's and Timon's attention. "Now?" the female meerkat asked.
"Sure, whenever you like," Timon said calmly, despite his internal panic. Perhaps he was having a bit too much fun… The meerkat disappeared from view and muffled shouting could be heard before a huge crack opened up in the ground.
The advancing hyenas immediately began to back away from the cracking. Shenzi wrenched her paws free from his grip and let out a sigh, "What did you do?" she asked.
He smirked at her, "We dug a tunnel." She rolled her eyes, knowing what it meant for him to concede digging was the best way to solve their problems. But, the cracking stopped short of trapping the hyenas.
The female meerkat popped back up, with an elderly male by her side, "It's stuck!" the male shouted, clearly thinking he was doomed. The group of hyenas began to advance yet again, prompting Timon into action. Shenzi's eyes widened when she saw that fire in his eyes as he charged forward.
He's going to die, was the only thought running through her head when she leapt forward with him. She met the swarm head-on, colliding with Zuri and several other hyenas as Timon dove under their paws and into the collapsing tunnel. Shenzi fought with all her might for a few precious seconds until she was overwhelmed and pinned to the ground. "I'm going to enjoy killing you," Zuri hissed just as Timon rammed his body into the one support beam that refused to budge.
His valiance allowed the tunnel to finish its collapse, opening up a huge hole that swallowed the hyenas. "I'll see you in hell," Shenzi growled out as she too was consumed. The tunnel was long and winding, but it eventually spat them up at the base of Pride Rock, just in time to see Scar tumble down the side of the Rock.
He landed hard, but managed to right himself. He wasn't dead yet. Shenzi immediately rounded on him, "You've lost, Scar! How does defeat feel?" Zuri managed to wedge herself between Shenzi and Scar, protecting him. "Move, Zuri. I'm going to kill him."
"No, Shenzi. I won't let you. He may have lost Pride Rock, but he can lead us to new heights," she said. Scar instantly affirmed what she had just said, desperate to retain his army.
"Don't you see that he'll just destroy everywhere you settle? Don't you see that it is his fault you lost the Pridelands?" Shenzi snarled, lowering herself, preparing to fight.
"So what? Why should we care if he destroys everything? As long as we have a place to live and have food to survive… I don't mind moving every few years. I care about the clan, Shenzi, and I'm willing to do anything to protect it!" Zuri said, standing tall, thinking that Shenzi would surrender.
Shenzi reared back in surprise, "Then you are damned just like him! You are more than just gluttonous now, Zuri… you're doomed." She let out a loud cry as she leapt at her, red haze setting in. She tackled Zuri before she, or any of the other hyenas could intervene.
Shenzi slapped her opponent down and latched onto her neck, tossing her around. The other hyenas watched in shock as their matriarch was man-handled like a naughty cub. Finally, Shenzi slammed her against the ground and began to crush the life from her.
Zuri coughed and sputtered, but eventually laid still. Just long enough for Shenzi to give a sickening crunch to her neck, ending her life for good. She glared at Scar, blood staining her muzzle. "It's over, Scar. Checkmate," she growled. She then turned to her former clan, "I am the matriarch!" she declared, "And I order you to stand down!"
And they did, immediately backing away. "It's just you and me now, Scar," Shenzi growled. She heard something tumble to the ground and roll for a few feet. She didn't look behind her, but she knew it was Banzai that had gone down the hole to find her. To make sure she was fine.
"Is that what you really want, Shenzi? To fight me alone?" Scar hissed, lowering himself. He was bruised but not beaten, and she had taken his army from him. By killing her, he would regain control.
Scar pounced on Shenzi, hoping to pin her, only for her to slip through his claws like water. She easily found his weak underbelly, clawing and biting him. She rolled to the side, avoiding a clumsy counter attack. "Simba may be just a learner, but I have been fighting all my life, Scar. And I am more than capable of taking on a weakling such as yourself!" she growled as she latched onto his leg and easily snapped it.
He limped away from her, hoping to gain some distance between them. She continued her advance, not letting him get more than a few seconds' rest. "Shenzi, please! We're friends, remember? I… never… meant… I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" he begged.
Shenzi shook her head, "No Scar, you're not capable of regret, sorrow, or forgiveness. Thus, you deserve no mercy, just as you would do to me. What you intended to do to me!" But, just as she had finished speaking, he swiped his paw through some still burning embers, flinging them in her face. She screamed and flinched, giving him the time he needed to gain the advantage.
He turned the tide of battle quickly, pinning her to the ground, his claws against her throat. "Funny thing is, you might have a point there," he snickered, "But I'm afraid that I'm doing what I have to. Taking your life and my clan back!"
Shenzi snarled as his claws cut deep into her throat, but they never got to anything vital. "No!" the cry rang out throughout the burning battleground as Banzai leapt on Scar's back, biting into the back of his neck. Scar roared in pain and bucked, trying to throw Banzai off of his back.
The other hyenas realized what Banzai was doing and they quickly joined in. Scar had lost. Zuri had lost. But Shenzi had won, and she needed their help. Matriarch or not. They easily pulled the weak lion off Shenzi, allowing her to stand. They brought him down as they devoured him while he still breathed. Banzai limped over to her, hurt from being thrown from Scar's back. "It's over," he sighed as the light finally left Scar's eyes and the fires consumed Pride Rock.
XXX
Then the rain came, suffocating the fires and washing the bones and death from the Pridelands, revitalizing it. Rebirth, Shenzi sighed in relief as she heard Simba roar. The roar of a king, so much different than that pathetic sound he made as a cub. The lionesses echoed that roar, but the hyenas remained silent. They did not deserve to celebrate.
Shenzi led the clan around the rock as the sky cleared and light once more shone down on the Pridelands. And once again, it burned her, just as it did the clan. She waited, head hung low, for Simba to address the clan. The lionesses swarmed the area, blocking off escape routes and surrounding Simba. Shenzi turned her head slightly and did a quick headcount. Excluding her and Banzai, there were only twenty hyenas left.
"Shenzi!" Simba called down from Pride Rock. He didn't need to say anything more as she started the climb back onto the rock. Banzai and the clan watched her go, knowing that they were likely facing banishment once more.
Shenzi made it up to Simba's position near his chambers and touched her nose to the ground. To her surprise, Simba copied that movement, bringing himself to the ground. The lionesses around Simba, seeing what their king was doing, did the same. "No, Shenzi. You bow to no one. Without you, this could've never happened."
"Without me, none of this would've never had to happen. I failed on too many levels to deserve praise, Simba," she said softly. "Not just the failure of my plan, but my failure to recognize when I had lost the clan, when Scar was going to take over, and my five-year failure to take back the Pridelands."
She vaguely noted Timon and the pig walking up next to Simba and sitting beside him. Simba, recognizing their presence, said, "Timon told me what you have done for us today. Not only have you fought your own kind, killed your own people, but without you, the hyenas would've tipped the balance in Scar's favor, killing me."
"Then I can die knowing I did some good in the world. That I righted all my wrongs," Shenzi said somberly.
Simba raised an eyebrow, confused by her pessimism, "What do you think is going to happen to you?"
"Death… or banishment," Shenzi answered immediately. "And whichever you chose, must apply to me as well. I am equally as guilty as them."
Simba seemed to think for a moment, "No, Shenzi. You aren't, even if you believe you are. You never made a mistake and you did your best, despite it all. And you've suffered enough, I would think. Five years in hell and then the slaughtering of your own clanmates, surely that is enough?"
Is my past suffering enough to pay for my sin? the thought ran rampant in Shenzi's mind as she tried to decide if Simba was right or not. Eventually… she bowed her head, unable to say a word. She didn't know, she didn't know. So, she stayed silent.
But she felt a paw on her shoulder once more, drawing her out of her inner loathing to see Simba smiling down at her, "I would never condemn a creature to death, Shenzi. I want you to know that your clan can stay in the Pridelands. There are few enough of them and I believe they are willing to listen to their matriarch."
"No, they aren't. They can't deserve this, they can't be allowed to stay… they will never learn otherwise," Shenzi said softly. Even if she couldn't bring herself to damn herself… she could at least remain strong enough to punish the clan.
"I heard what they did for you, Shenzi. I heard that Scar had you pinned and they turned on him, overwhelming him, and killing him," Simba said, trying desperately to change her mind. How can she believe her own clan deserves death? he wondered.
"They only turned on him because it suited them. They are traitors, and cannot be trusted. If I am to stay… then they must leave," Shenzi finished. Simba nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of her situation. She so desperately wanted to be punished with them, she knew that she deserved to be punished with them. And yet, Simba would not allow it.
Banzai and the clan watched as Shenzi and Simba walked to the ledge of Pride Rock, the huge outcrop the overlooked the entire gathering of hyenas. Shenzi stepped forward and yelled out, "By decree of the king of the Pridelands, you are all hereby banished for eternity! Leave and never return!"
Banzai's eyes widened in fear, she was getting rid of them. All of them. The hyenas turned to each other and began muttering among themselves. There was not a single female among them; left alone in the graveyard… they would perish. One of the hyenas growled and yelled out, "Damn you, Shenzi! You've sentenced this clan to extinction!"
A few of the other hyenas echoed that cry, but Banzai remained silent, Ed sitting surprisingly quietly beside him. They were doomed. "You have sentenced yourselves!" Shenzi snarled loudly, silencing the angry hyenas. "You betrayed me! And for what? A few years of the good life? You deserve to perish."
The hyenas, realizing that they had nothing left to say, turned and walked towards the graveyard. None of the lionesses followed, knowing that they did not need to force the hyenas to leave. They had been beaten. Only Banzai and Ed remained, stunned by Shenzi's decree. They didn't want to believe that after all they had been through, Shenzi would just abandon them.
But Banzai had figured this was coming. He had just though she would be coming with them. And now they would be separate again. Banzai gulped and sent one last pleading glance up at Shenzi before he and Ed turned to walked away.
Banzai's glance struck Shenzi to her core. She clenched her jaws together tightly, fighting to remain strong. To go through with her internal promise. If Simba would not let her die, then she could at least atone for her sins by continuing to live in suffering. Does it really matter? she wondered briefly.
Go ahead, break. No matter what you do… you can never be happy.
XXX
Ha, I'm an ass. Well there you have it, the final chapter of My Sin. But don't go too far… there's still an epilogue. Will Shenzi break, or will she remain strong? Of course, you all want her to break, but she doesn't want that. Don't you see that it's for the best if they remain apart? Well… this was a long chapter. I think the longest one of this entire story. That fight scene took a lot of work too, by the way. And I couldn't help but poke fun at the Lion King one and a half scene… don't worry, though, that was just a joke. So, whether Shenzi breaks or stays strong is yet to be seen, so stay tuned to find out!