Chapter eight, hope it's great! Enjoy!
SEQ. 5 (HYENA CHASE)
EXT. TOP OF A RIDGE - DAY
Simba and Nala run in LAUGHING at their success. They are jubilant.
SIMBA:
All-right! It worked!
"That was an..interesting plan." Zuri commented.
NALA:
We lost him!
They "High Five" each other.
SIMBA:
I am a genius!
NALA:
Hey, genius - it was my idea!
SIMBA:
Yeah, but I pulled it off!
NALA:
With me.
"Reminds me of us when we were cubs." Sarafina smiled. "Simba especially acts like his father." Sarabi said. "Hey, we never did anything like that!" Mufasa huffed."Yes, but both of us still gave Dad plenty of grey mane hairs before his time." Scar smirked. "Point made." he grumbled.
SIMBA:
Oh yeah?!
Simba playfully leaps for Nala and they tussle. She flips him. He lands with a THUD! on his back and tries to get up, but Nala holds him there a beat.
NALA:
Pinned ya!
"Nice." Nirmala complimented. "Thank you." Nala replied.
SIMBA:
Hey, let me up!
She does. He tries to flip her. She flips him again and they tumble down the hill until -
EXT. ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD - CONTINUOUS
Nala lands on top of Simba.
NALA:
Pinned ya again!
They are suddenly interrupted by GEOTHERMIC STEAM PLUMES.
Dogo, Kijana, and Goigoi yipped in fright and hid behind Reirei, who rolled her eyes.
BOTH:
Gasp!
The steam clears, revealing:
AN ELEPHANT SKULL huge, terrifying. Simba and Nala both let out GASPS of joy.
BOTH:
Whoooa!
"Creepy." Makini shuddered. "Gotta agree with you there." Anga added.
SIMBA:
This is it! We made it!
NALA:
impressed
Wow! It's really creepy.
"No shit." Spirit coughed.
SIMBA:
Yeah. Isn't it great?!
NALA:
conspiratorial
We could get in big trouble.
"Of course you would." Nuka pointed out. "Thank you, king of the obvious." Vitani deadpanned.
SIMBA:
gleeful
I know.
NALA:
I wonder if its brains are still in there.
"Eww!" everybody grimaced. "I did not need that mental image in my head." Azaad groaned.
SIMBA:
C'mon, let's go check it out.
Simba is about to climb in one of the eye sockets. Zazu swoops in to chide:
ZAZU:
Wrong! The only checking-out you will do will be to check out of here.
SIMBA:
Oh, man -
ZAZU:
We're way beyond the boundary of the Pride Lands.
SIMBA:
Look. Banana-Beak is scared!
Everyone couldn't help snickering, except Zazu. "Banana beak." Chungu laughed.
ZAZU:
It's Mister Banana-Beak to you, Fuzzy.
sternly
And right now we are all in very real danger.
SIMBA:
bravado
Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger.
"Now we know where that line came from." Kiara stated.
swagger
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
From inside the skull (and much louder), hideous HYENA LAUGHING follows rapid-fire:
HYENA VOICES:
HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!
Simba, Nala and Zazu react to the sound then the sight of THREE HYENAS slinking oozily out of the skull's eyes: BANZAI, a male hyena; SHENZI, a female hyena; and a third hyena, ED — who doesn't speak but just LAUGHS. (He's the Harpo of hyenas) They are three punks who get tripped up in their own laughs. They slink around the cubs.
"Hey look Ed, it's us!" Banzai cheered. Ed laughed happily. Uncle Max, however, climbed on top of Pumbaa for safety.
SHENZI:
Well, well, well, Banzai. What have we got here?
BANZAI:
Hmmm - I don't know, Shenzi. What do you think, Ed?
Ed LAUGHS his signature laugh.
ED:
Hee-hee-hee.
"Why doesn't he talk?" Beshte asked. "We don't know. He's always been like that." Shenzi replied.
BANZAI:
Just what I was thinkin'. A trio of trespassers.
ZAZU:
And quite by accident, let mе assure you. A simple navigational error.
Zazu starts to fly, to lead the cubs to safety, but Shenzi slaps at Zazu's tail feathers, pinning him to the ground.
"Ouch." Ushari winced.
SHENZI:
Whoa-whoa - Wait, wait, wait. I know you, you're Mufasa's little stooge!
Freeing his tail feathers:
ZAZU:
proudly
I, madam, am the king's majordomo.
BANZAI:
circling Simba
And that would make you -
SIMBA:
puffed up
The future king.
SHENZI:
Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdom?
SIMBA:
Puh. You can't do anything to me.
ZAZU:
Er - technically, they can. We are on their land.
SIMBA:
to Zazu
But Zazu, you told me they're nothing but slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers!
"Hey!' All the hyenas present(minus Ed) yelled. "Sorry." Zazu apologized.
ZAZU:
whispering
Ix-nay on the oopid-stay.
BANZAI:
Hey! Who you callin' "oopid-stay"?
"You." Spirit smirked.
ZAZU:
Oh, my-my-my. Look at the sun. Time to go.
The hyenas block Zazu, Nala and Simba, then circle, licking their chops.
SHENZI:
suddenly folksy
What's the hurry? We'd love you to stick around for dinner.
BANZAI:
Yeah. We could have whatever's "lion" around.
All the lions rolled their eyes.
Amused
SHENZI:
Wait, wait, wait, I got one, I got one. Make mine a "cub" sandwich, whatcha think?
All three laugh.
Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.
Ed notices them exit and frantically tries to get Banzai and Shenzi's attention.
ED:
Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-
SHENZI:
to Ed
What, Ed?!
Banzai sees the fleeing trio.
BANZAI:
Hey! Did we order this dinner to go?
SHENZI:
No. Why?
BANZAI:
'Cause there it goes!
Sure enough, our three are some distance away, beating a hasty retreat.
SHENZI:
Get 'em!
The hyenas chase their dinner.
WITH THE CUBS racing from their pursuers. Simba notices Zazu isn't with them.
NALA:
Did we lose 'em?
SIMBA:
Where's Zazu?
"Uh-Oh." Makini said worriedly.
WITH THE HYENAS:
LAUGHING, holding Zazu by his wings, like he's a puppet marching toward a thermal vent:
BANZAI:
So the little majordomo bird hippity-hopped all the way to the birdie boiler.
"Hapana! Birdie boiler?!" Ono yelped.
ZAZU:
panicked
Oh, no! Not the birdie boiler!
ZOOM! A plume of steam LAUNCHES Zazu out of frame. He screams:
ZAZU:
Aaaaaaa!
"Bye-bye, birdie!" Chuluun whooped.
HYENAS:
Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!
Simba calls to them:
SIMBA:
Why don't you pick on somebody your own size!
SHENZI:
Like you?
SIMBA:
Oops.
Several animals face-pawed/winged/etc.
WITH SIMBA AND NALA
Running.
A THERMAL VENT:
shoots up like a curtain. The cubs put on the brakes. Then the hyena trio appears.
SHENZI/BANZAI/ED (TOGETHER)
Boo!
Makini and a few others couldn't help shrieking in fright.
The cubs scramble away, running toward:
A HUGE ELEPHANT SKULL
They scale it. It is very slippery. They can't get footing. The cubs fall off and slide, down in a long, long, long spine that hangs down a steep incline.
SIMBA/NALA
screaming
Aaaaaaaa!
"That actually looks fun! Well, except for the hyenas part." Binga exclaimed.
THE CUBS land in a bone pile. They dash up a hill covered in bones.
TOP OF HILL:
Nala slips. She can't gain her footing. She panics.
NALA:
Simba! Aahh!
SIMBA runs and SWIPES SHENZI. She sees red and YOWLS:
SHENZI:
Owww!
"Always gotta save the damsel in distress, am I right?'" Dusty joked.
She chases after Simba.
THE CUBS race along. Their path is blocked:
ANGLE - A DEAD END
The cubs' only option is to climb an elephant carcass. As they do, the dry bones give way. Simba and Nala fall. The rib cage SNAPS DOWN, imprisoning them behind bone bars.
The Hyenas menace toward them, LAUGHING. Simba and Nala tremble in fear.
"Oh no." Ullu chirped, scared for the cubs.
BANZAI:
wild laugh
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-
then;coldly
Here, kitty-kitty-kitty -
Simba musters all his courage and tries to roar. All that comes out is a pathetic squeak.
SIMBA:
Rr-rr-?
"Not a bad try." Askari commented.
SHENZI:
mocking
That was it?
laughing
Ah-ha-ha-ha. Do it again! Come on.
The hyenas LAUGH menacingly. Simba tries desperately to roar again, but all that comes out is:
SIMBA:
rrr -
His meek little 'rrr" suddenly EXPLODES in an O.S.:
A LION'S VOICE (O.S.)
ROAR!
"Either Simba's voice cracked or that was someone else." Nuka's eyes widened.
The Hyenas freeze.
SHENZI & BANZAI
Huh?
WHAM! A huge lion paw sweeps INTO FRAME, sending the hyenas flying. Reveal Mufasa. The hyenas cower.
"Mufasa to the rescue!" Bunga cheered.
SHENZI:
Ow! Hey! Ouch!
BANZAI:
Hey! Ow! Oh! Ouch! Stop! Please!
MUFASA:
Silence!
a beat
If you ever come near my son again -
SHENZI:
Son? Son? This is your son? man, we didn't know.
SHENZI:
to Banzai
Did you know that?
BANZAI:
Me? No. Did you?
SHENZI:
exasperated
No. Of course not.
They both turn to Ed:
BANZAI/SHENZI (TOGETHER)
Ed?
Ed nods "yes" and WE HEAR:
"Wait, how did he know?" Ma wondered. Shenzi and Banzai shrugged.
SFX:
THE RATTLE OF ED'S BRAINS. He is interrupted by Mufasa.
MUFASA:
ROAR!
BANZAI:
Toodles!
The Hyenas run off, YIP-YIP-YIP-YIPPING.
"Cowards." Ora hissed.
SIMBA:
Dad - I -
MUFASA:
You deliberately disobeyed me!
SIMBA:
Dad, I'm - I'm sorry.
MUFASA:
fuming
Let's go home.
"Someone's in trouble." Mama Binturong smiled evilly.
Mufasa leads the way, Zazu flapping behind him. PAN TO REVEAL: Simba following, hangdog. Nala is with him and shoots him an "It's okay" look, adding:
NALA:
whispered
I thought you were very brave.
He just continues on, his head drooped.
ANGLE - A ROCKY LEDGE ABOVE THEM
Reveal Scar's shadow. He's taking this all in. It turns away and slinks out of frame.
"He was there…" Simba growled. Everyone gave Scar stink-eyes.
Hope you enjoyed it! Join us next time for the mystery character's reveal!