TITLE: On First Acquaintance
SUMMARY: The hyenas find an ally
RATING: G
FEEDBACK: It would be rather nice.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine. *pouts*
NOTES: A friend suggested 'The Lion King' fic. Who was I to disagree with such a suggestion?
DEDICATION: Cala – you is a nutta!
Gnawing on a bone that had been fleshless for longer than she cared to imagine, Shenzi flashed a glare at the only one of the group who had eaten in days. Ed caught the glare and immediately burst into hysterical laughter.
"Shut up already." Banzai mumble, opening one eye. His head was resting on his paws, his bushy tail sweeping back and forth in impatient motions on the gravelly floor of the cavern. The stones rattled, the sound echoing off the high dome roof.
"Look at Mister Cranky." Nudging Ed with her paw, Shenzi incited another bout of hysterical laughter from their insane counterpart. Leaving him rolling around the floor, tongue lolling out amid the laughter, she stalked towards the dozing Banzai. "So, wassup?"
Her brother looked up at her, yawned. "Just wonderin' when we get to eat again."
"Not until goofy there quits laughing, at least." She glanced at the drooling figure of Ed and sighed. It seemed stupid that only the lunatic was willing to go out and steal the carcasses from the lions, but it was the only way they could be guaranteed food without the beating that was usually generously given by Mufasa.
Abruptly, the sound of bone bouncing off stone reached the ears of the triad. Pivoting, hackles rising, they looked for the sign of any intruder, be it hyena or any other species.
"Oops." A lazy voice drawled from high above them, a lean figure silhouetted against the ghastly green glow of the steam blasts. "So much for the stealthy entrance." From his posture, however, it was clear that he had been sitting there for some time, watching them.
Squinting up at the blurred figure, Banzai frowned. "Who the hell are you, huh? Whatcha think you're doin', comin' into our territory?"
The intruder laughed, a dangerous sound. "I have a proposition for you." Rising, he seemed to melt into the shadows, only to emerge from the cracked rockface behind the triad of hyenas on soundless paws, making them start with surprise.
"You're a lion!" Shenzi exclaimed lamely, backing away. Her last run-in with a lion hadn't been a pleasant experience, but this one didn't look any lion she could remember seeing before. With almost brown fur, his mane was wiry and black, eyes dark and shrewd.
"And they say hyenas aren't observant." He commented dryly, settling on his haunches, seeming oblivious to the two male hyenas circling him. "Are you going to listen to me, or do my brother a favour and kill me?"
Now, this was intriguing. Waving her brothers away from the bored-looking lion, Shenzi took a step closer, eyeing him. "Your brother, huh? Anyone we know?"
"You might." He shrugged. "He's rather big, imposing and, oh yes, King."
"And he wants you dead?"
The lion's smile sent a chill down her spine. "He would if he knew what I had planned." He replied, curling his tail around him, away from Ed's curious jaws. "Why else would I be fraternizing with his enemies?"
"Frata-whating?"
"Talkin' to us, stupid." Flashing a glare at Banzai, Shenzi grinned at the lion. "So, you want to do somethin' against your brother and you need help from us?"
Impassively gazing at her, the lion's expression was neutral. "I didn't say I needed help." He remarked, turning over one forepaw and unsheathing his claws in unspoken threat. "What I have planed will mutually benefit all of us."
"Right." Taking a cautious back-step away from the deadly claws, Shenzi caught Banzai's eye, recognising the curiosity he was concealing. "So, what's the deal? You want us to cause more problems than we already do? Then what?"
Tutting, the dark lion rose, started pacing slowly across the ground. "That's what I admire about your species." He spoke quietly. "Harbouring such limited ambition, it seems almost a pity. Living for your next meal and nothing more."
Banzai's ears pricked up. "You mention food?"
"I'm coming to that, dear boy." The lion paused, smirked, patted the young hyena's cheek patronisingly. "What I have in mind will leave you with enough food to last a lifetime and no Mufasa to cause problems for you."
Shenzi nodded slowly, took a step towards the lion. "We're listenin', pal."
"Good." The lazy smirk screamed pure evil genius, the dark lion climbing up and settling on one of the rocky outcroppings, green eyes reduced to narrow slits. "I suppose you've heard the 'wonderful' news about dear old Mufasa."
"Uh...?"
Leaning on his left paw, he unsheathed each claw of his right paw one at a time, examining the gleaming black curves. "Big brother and company have finally been blessed with the arrival of a cub, a lovely bundle of sickeningly cute tawny fur." He smiled slightly, chillingly. "I'm not exactly the family type and this brat." He spat the final word, bitterness in his voice. "Has taken my position as Heir to Pride Rock."
Two pairs of hyena eyes glanced at one another, the dramatic pause shattered by a hysterical shriek of laughter from Ed. A swift kick in the face from his brother silenced him, the other two focusing on the intriguing lion.
"As you can imagine, I don't want this cub to replace dear old dad. He'll probably big, strong and stupid like his father. We don't need that now."
"So what you want us to do?"
The lion's teeth glinted eerily in the green mist, his grin ominous. "I'm going to arrange a little surprise for our favourite little ball of fuzz." He replied casually. "After all, what cub can resist an exciting place like...say, an elephant's graveyard?"
"You're sendin' him here?" A nod. "Then what?"
Shenzi had long since convinced herself that no one could terrify her just by smiling, but looking at this lion, she felt a whimper rise in her throat, started to back instinctively behind little brother, hackles rising.
Green eyes turned to Banzai. "You seem to think about food a lot...what would you say to at least one juicy, fresh young piece of flesh?" The hyena cackled at the thought, grinned and nodded. "Well," The lion smiled nonchalantly. "All you'll have to do is catch him. This is your territory after all and he would be trespassing."
"What about enough food to last a lifetime?" The female of the triad asked, arching her brow suspiciously. "When do we get that?"
Again, the evil leer turned her way. "All in good time, my dear." He rose, shook the dust off his fur. "Patience is a virtue, after all." Glancing upwards from the canyon floor, squinting at the sky, he started walking away. "The cub will come your way as soon as I can arrange it."
"Why should we trust you?"
Glancing back, green eyes gleaming in the darkness, he paused. "There's the carcass of an antelope on the ledge where I was waiting." He replied. "Take that as a down payment."
Banzai was on the ledge within a heartbeat and whooped in delight, staring down at the bloody carcass hungrily. "Hey," Around a mouthful of entrails, he leaned over and called to the stationary lion. "Buddy, what do we call you?"
Starting forward, merging into the swelling shadows, the lion's voice drifted back to the feeding trio. "Scar."