DarkEcoOttsel: Here's chapter eleven. Good news: the next chapter is the last! Huzzah! Read on!
Untainted Souls
By: DarkEcoOttsel
Chapter Eleven
That night when all the Pridelanders were asleep, Banzai, Shenzi, Ed, who had been informed of their plan, and Nala snuck out and crept quietly towards the west.
Ed started laughing for some unknown reason.
"Would you shut up?" Shenzi snapped angrily as she led them through the tall yet dead grass.
Banzai slapped Ed and muttered, "If Scar finds out about this, we're all gonna be skinned alive."
"Not if Simba gets here," Nala said determinedly. "He'll save us."
"You're so optimistic," Shenzi said to her. "And you mean he'll save you and kill us."
"You need to look at the bright side," Nala told her.
"We learned long ago that there was no bright side to look at," Banzai said quietly.
"There's gotta be something you look forward to," Nala said.
"You mean besides killing Scar?" Banzai smirked. "Yeah, there is something."
"What is it?" Nala asked quietly.
All three hyenas looked up at her, sincerity visible in their eyes. Finally, Shenzi said:
"Our freedom."
Nala was taken aback at this and a look of surprise appeared on her face.
Suddenly a loud, angry roar rang out over the Pride Lands, causing the four animals to freeze.
"Oh crap," Banzai's got large with horror.
"Nala, get movin'!" Shenzi turned to the lioness. "Go find Simba and tell him to get his ass back here ASAP!"
"But what about—"
"We'll cover for ya!" Banzai said quickly. "But you owe us!"
"Will you be okay?" Nala asked, backing away.
"We can take care of ourselves!" Shenzi replied. "Get going before I snap your legs off!"
Nala turned and started running like hell, but not before stealing one last glance at the trio.
Another roar rang out, this time even louder and nearer.
"Scar's coming," Banzai muttered, his eyes still wide.
"He can't kill us, he needs us," Shenzi said quickly, although she was scared. There's no where they could run. Now they'd have to face Scar's wrath.
"Yeah, but he can beat the crap outta us," Banzai gulped.
Ed let out a long whine of panic as Scar came into view followed by some hyenas.
"Where have you three been?" Scar hissed at them, causing them to invisibly shiver.
"Nowhere, we're not even out," Banzai said quickly.
"Oh, good," Scar muttered. "Then I guess you wouldn't mind helping me look for a certain lioness who's run off. Seen her?"
"And who is the her that we should have seen?" Shenzi muttered nervously.
"Nala."
"Uh, nope," Banzai and Shenzi said together. "Right, Ed?"
Ed nodded rapidly, much to the invisible relief of his friends.
"So, we'll just be going," Shenzi said as the trio began to walk around Scar. Scar's paw shot out and wrapped around Ed's neck. The hyena let out a startled yipe as he tried to breathe.
Scar, fed up with their games, snarled, "You were seen with Nala earlier today. Where is she?!" He spoke slowly, his claws drawing small, crimson droplets of blood to seep out of Ed's neck.
"You wanna know the full story? Fine!" Shenzi snapped. "Yeah, we talked with Nala. So what?"
"She told us she wanted to kill herself and we told her we wanted to watch," Banzai said. "That's why we followed her out here but instead of killing herself, she ran off."
"And you didn't bother to catch her?!"
"We were caught off guard," Shenzi said.
Scar growled and released Ed and turned with the other hyenas that came with him. He started back towards Pride Rock, but not before kicking poor Ed harshly.
"Nala and Simba better get back here soon," Banzai muttered as he and Shenzi helped Ed up. "I don't think we're gonna last much longer."