Deprived -- Chapter 2

Author's Notes :: Here's chapter two, thank you for the reviews! Oh, and thank you maggeh and emlythekool for reviewing both Deprived and The Pain of Death! I'd like to let some people know...

maggeh: No, I don't think anyone will die. It depends... no, I'm just teasin' you. Thanks for teaching me how to post chapters...

emlythekool: Thanks for reviewing, I was happy to find out that you reviewed this one too! Oh... and yes, Shenzi is a girl. You... didn't know that? Heh, I'm (hint hint: you might think of reading The Lion Who Became King With Help from a Hyena!)

(Other reviewers... I'd get to you but maggeh is urging me to post this, NOW)

Disclaimer :: I own nothing, no one. Except the one Banzai seeks help from that will appear in the next chapter...

What could Banzai do? It hadn't been -- quite -- so bad when only Ed was diseased, but now Shenzi too? Ed had never been able to talk to him. He hadn't understood most of Banzai's conversations. Ed was to Banzai as a dog is to an owner. Almost -- a pet. And Ed had been very low rank in the pack. Shenzi was the only he could talk to when even Ed didn't satisfy his want to talk something over. When Ed had fallen this way, Shenzi had been the first to comfort Banzai. The one who licked his face, telling him it would be okay. Worse still, Shenzi was matriarch. And now Shenzi too had fallen. What was Banzai to do without them?

Many of the hyenas wrestled or faught for a bone that day. Banzai on the other hand lingered the outskirts, head down, eyes wet. His eyes were closed though, and every so often a tear would escape them. For Banzai had never been so depressed in his life. His two favorite hyenas were... dying. As he wandered the outskirts, he saw many hyenas with a similar predicament to his own, and he smiled weakly at them and gave them a quick, "Good luck with that."

"Banzai," Shenzi whispered, motioning Banzai near her.

Banzai hurried to greet his friend, and listened intently. "Banzai," Shenzi repeated.

"Yes?"

"I want you to take over the pack."

"What?" Asked Banzai.

"That's right," Shenzi said. "You. The leader. Tell them Shenzi Marie--"

"Predatora Veldetta Jaquelina Hyena," Banzai finished. Shenzi nodded.

"Sent you."

Shouldn't Banzai be happy? His best friend had given him the job of secondary pack leader. Wouldn't that make him happy, Banzai wondered? But it didn't make him feel happy. In fact, he felt worse than ever before. For could this mean that Shenzi knew in her mind that she was to leave the world? What was Banzai to do to help her and Ed? He knew how -- as Scar would have said -- stchewpid he was acting, but he knew that there were people who would understand his predicament and -- hopefully -- be able to help him. And so he set off to find one who would always help him no matter the case or cause; the one who had always meant so much to him; although dead, he knew he could count on her.