Chapter Eight:
Not Getting Along
A week has past since Shenzi was captured and Shentana didn't show any progress of coming out of her depression.
"My mom hates me, doesn't she" Shenzen asked
"Why would she hate you? sure you lost your only sister, her only daughter" Zacuru asked
"You know what, you're not really helping" Shenzen said then lower his head
"Ok, why do you think she hates you"
"Because for the past week, she won't talk to me, come near me or even make eye contact with me even though it was your fault"
"If it makes you feel better she hates both of us" Zacuru said
"Yeah, I hate you too" Shenzen said "after what you told me"
"You're just still mad because what I told you last week"
"Which I still don't believe you"
"Fine, don't believe me, but why don't you ask your mom and see for yourself"
"Fine, let's just say I do believe you, you really don't mind at all what they're making you do"
"You're really making a big deal out of nothing"
"Nothing" Shenzen shouted "YOU'RE BETROTHED TO MY SISTER!"
"Keep it down, your mom trying to sleep, and so what if I'm betrothed to your sister, it's not like she's here. She's probably dead or even worse she's probably making someone else's life miserable as we speak."
"You're right, she's gone and never coming back" Shenzen said calming himself down
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"Shentana, please eat something, you're too tough to die this way" Nuacka said
"Leave me alone, Nuacka, it's not like she's been gone for years it only been a week"
"That's just it she's gone and she's never coming back"
"That's where you're wrong because I know her and she will come back"
"If you think that way, will you please get up, eat something and continue our search on Pride Rock. I know she was you're daughter but you still have a clan to look after. I can't do this alone, they need their matriarch"
Shentana wipe her tears, got up and sighed "you're right, I need to get the clan to their new home"
"That's the spirit Shentana," Nuacka said, trying to cheer her up
"Let's get going" Shentana said even though she was smiling deep down she was still torn to shreds.
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Shenzi spent most of her days gnawing of her cast; the damn thing was so itchy. Again the room was full of nosie as she watches Banzai chasing Ed around in circles. For the past week, Shenzi found herself getting a little more acquainted with Ed, even though he was a drooling freak with a short attention span and the brain power of a rock. He was quite funny in his own idiotic way, but when it comes to Banzai that was another story.
"Andrew, Andrew, Andrew" Ed shouted and laughing as he tried to run away from Banzai.
"That is not my name, you idiot, stop calling me that" he shouted
Banzai noticed they were running in circles for the past ten minutes so he stop, letting Ed crash into him. Ed fell back and Banzai tackle him to the ground and they started fighting. All the nosie was giving Shenzi a headache not to mention jealousy. Fighting was always her favorite game but with the cast on her arm she couldn't do anything for another.
"Andrew, Andrew" Ed said laughing, he thought Banzai and him were only playing. His laugher stops when Banzai bit Ed's leg hard. Ed shouted in pain and tried to escape but Banzai had a tight grip on him. Ed snorted and hacks a loogie into Banzai's face.
"Yuck, what did you do" Banzai shouted trying to wipe the thick slime off his face.
Ed crawled toward Shenzi and hid behind her for protection. Banzai manage to whip off the spit then growl. He charges toward Ed, who begin to panic.
"Shenzi, make him stop" Ed cried burying his head under his arms and began to shake.
"Banzai stop it, you're scaring him" she shouted
Banzai stop an inch away from crashing into her "tell him to stop calling me that name that is not my name, I've been telling him that for days now but he too damn stupid to remember" he hollers
Ed begins to cry again making Shenzi's headache worse. "Calm down, both of you" she said
Ed stopped crying and look at her as she pushes Banzai away from him.
"Banzai, for the sake of Me, my wrist and sanity, will you stop trying to kill him, it's driving me nuts" She holler
"He's the one who keeps starting them, always staring at me, laughing at me, waking me up early in the morning and calling me Andrew." He shouted
"The reason why he's calling you Andrew because that little girl gave you a collar with the word "Andrew" on it" she pointed to his collar.
"So you're new name is Marie, and he still calls you Shenzi" he said
"Because I told him that's not my name without threatening him" Shenzi said, calmly
"Ok, that means he hates me, which I don't care, I hate him too"
"I think we got off the wrong start" Shenzi said
"What do you mean" he asked
"Face it Banzai, I hate to say this, we might be here for awhile and you need to get along him because we're all stuck in the same cage day in and day out" She begin to growl.
Banzai sighed "I guess, I'm not always like this, I've just been really frustrated living here"
"I know" she said
Shenzi pulled Banzai back where Ed was waiting with his usual blank face.
"Now Ed, this is Banzai not Andrew, he's my best friend and he wants to be your friend if you stop calling him Andrew, ok" Shenzi explains as if she was talking to a pup younger then her.
Ed didn't response, he kept looking at Banzai "are those eyebrows real, they look so funny" he laughs
Banzai literally reach over and tried to strangle the pup til Shenzi blocked him "leave it alone Banzai, he's just playing with you" she said
Banzai growl in frustration and walk off to the other side a the cage and sat there facing away from them.
"He's no fun" Ed said
"Ed, stop calling him Andrew, I'm not going to be here all the time to protect you" she said
Ed smile as he nodded "I like you, Shenzi"
She couldn't help, but smile "you're not that bad either"
Banzai, who heard Ed saying those words, didn't know that jealousy was growing inside him.
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It was the next day and both Banzai and Shenzi begin to feel ill. Shenzi wasn't use to being lock up in a small room. She misses the fresh air and the open plains and what's worse was Banzai losing his sanity and Ed was actually enjoying it.
"Shenzi have you noticed that the week we've been here, those humans come by, take an animal, and leave" Banzai said
"Yes, Banzai, they've been doing that everyday"
"I know that, but the animals who were taken away never comes back"
She has noticed that lately, the cheetah who she met on the van never came back in a week.
"I think they're eating them" Banzai begin to panic.
"Don't be stupid, humans don't eat animals, that's just crazy talk"
"How do you know? we might be next"
"Just go get drink of water, you'll feel better."
Banzai turned around to see Ed drinking up the water in his bowl "No thanks, I haven't drank out of there ever since we got here, I don't know if that's water or drool"
Shenzi chuckled "you're such a moron"
Molly came by to check on here new pets "hey there, my little puppies" she smiled but then took a closer look at them "you guys don't look so well, how about we go outside and see Ed's mom"
"Mom?" both Shenzi and Banzai said a bit stunned
"Mommy" Ed shouted jumping up and down
The next thing they knew, Molly was dragging their cage out of the room, through the hallway then to a door that has the word "EXIT"on it. A bright light hit the pups right in the eyes and Shenzi could suddenly feel and smell the fresh air. The cage was place down and the door begin to open.
"Go on little ones, it's a beautiful day to be inside" Molly said
Shenzi opened her eyes and couldn't believe what she saw. "Are we really outside"
"We are" Banzai smiled.
Ed had already ran out of the cage calling to his mother. They heard a loud hyena cry as they begin to exit the cage to look around. Molly picked up the cage and went back inside the house.
"Look at this place, it's huge" Banzai said.
A large wire fence surrounded them and dozens of other animals, who had their own little piece land to live in. There were cheetah, elephants, monkeys, birds, zebras, wildebeest and other animals out here. Banzai fell into a small patch of grass and smile "I missed the grass" he said
"You're losing it" Shenzi said
"There's plenty of room for you to lie down next to me" he said.
"That's like only thing I can do with this cast on" she said sarcastically
"Well, I'm sacrificing my free time to beat up Ed so you wouldn't be lonely" He said
Shenzi smiles and was about to lie down when she heard Ed coming by.
"Come on, Shenzi, I want you to meet my mom" He said, grabbing her by her broken wrist and pulling on her to move. A huge pain went up her spine again but she holds it back as she follows Ed leaving Banzai alone. He growled but just ignored it, but he was to tire and comfortable to start a fight. Shenzi spotted a female hyena talking to the same cheetah she saw in the van through a wire fence.
"Mommy, mommy! I'm back" Ed said who finally let go of Shenzi's broken wrist
Ed's mom smiled, Shenzi noticed she was covered in bandages, bruises and scars. Even though she looks beat up, she was recovering.
"Mommy, this is Shenzi, she's from the wild" Ed said
"Nice to meet you, Shenzi" his mom said "my name is Baylou"
"And I can finally tell you my name" the cheetah said "it's Chinchin"
"Hi, Ed's mom and nice to meet you too, Chinchin" she said, nervously
"It's ok you can call me Baylou, but I thought there was another hyena here"
Shenzi saw Ed growing pale, she knew Ed was afraid of the older pup, but always like to take risk by trying pissed him off and getting away with it out any harm.
"I can go get him" Shenzi said
"Don't worry, I'm sure Ed can beside you need to stay off that broken arm of yours" Baylou said. Ed nodded and ran off to go get Banzai.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Baylou, my friend and Ed don't exactly get along with each other. I literally have to come in between them before the fighting could get violent" Shenzi said
"I'm not worry, Ed know how to get out of trouble, I remember when he turned six weeks old he learned how to stop his brain"
"That can't happen" Chinchin said
"Well, he did it, but can only hold it for two minutes, if you say play dead that's gives him the signal to do his trick" she said "I have no idea what goes on in that head of his"
"But I'm serious, my friend, Banzai, has a bad temper and I'm not there to protect your son"
"At least you can protect him, I'm useless right now with my injuries" Baylou said.
"You shouldn't worry, once you're all healed up, the humans are going to let you go from what I've heard them telling their kids" Chinchin said
"You mean they're gonna let us go when we're all better" Shenzi said "Because I still have a week in this cast and Banzai trying to get back to his normal weight"
"It's a lie" Baylou said calmly
"What do you mean, I heard them loud and clear when they were wrapping up my leg"
"That's what the parents said to their children so they won't get upset but the truth is they fix us up and then they sell us for money"
"That can't be true why would want to sell pups" Shenzi said
"You're lucky, the little girl Molly adopted you for her pet like my son so you'll be staying here for the rest of your life. Me, on the other hand, I'll be gone in less than two weeks along with the other animals." She said "and Molly won't let Ed go with me"
"My leg should be healed up in two weeks does that mean I'll be going too" Chinchin said
Baylou nodded "trucks will come by and they will load us up and ship us out across the ocean to a place call America and we'll never return ever again" she said
"That's awful" Shenzi said feeling there was no hope in returning to her clan
"How long have you been here, Baylou" Chinchin asked
"Nine weeks, Ed was born here"
"He was" Shenzi was stunned (that explains a lot)
"Yeah, my husband and I were attack by lions, I was badly injured and so was my husband. He was able to walk and tried to help me to hide when the humans drove by. I told him to leave without me but he wouldn't. Finally I yelled at him to go and he managed to escape when the humans came by to pick me up. The next day I've given birth to Ed and I've been here ever since" she said sadly
"Is that Ed's real name" Shenzi had to ask
"Molly named him, I figure since they saved my life I'll let them name him, but that doesn't mean she should keep him from me"
"And there's nothing we can do to stop them from taking us" Chinchin said
"Nope, the deal is seal from what I heard, we're going to some place call San Diego Zoo" Baylou Siad
"Dose Ed know about this" Shenzi asked
"No, I don't want to frighten him, at least I know he won't be left alone" she said "I wish he grew up in the wild not in the human world"
"He will Baylou, I should know once my wrist heals up I'll be leaving this place and I don't mind taking him with me"
The two adults laugh "how little ones can dream" Chinchin said
"I'm not dreaming, I've been in worse situation than this and I still managed to get out" Shenzi said
"But you're only a pup" Baylou said
"You'll see, I'll be out of here soon, real soon"
"Where is Ed anyway, he's gone for awhile" Chinchin said
"Dammit Ed, how many times did I tell you not to bother me when I'm sleeping!" They heard Banzai shouting. They watch as Banzai was chasing Ed, who was laughing and kept calling him Andrew, around.
Baylou sighs "did I mention Ed got most of his father's intelligence" she said
"They're never going to get along, they usually do this three times a day" Shenzi said
The pups spent the whole day enjoying the outside. Shenzi on the other hand begins making up plans on how to escape cause there was no way she going to spend her life in this place . . . as a pet!