-The Elephant Graveyard-

Link and Zelda ran along the Savannah, hiding behind a rock and looking back the way they came to make sure they weren't followed. Behind them was an edge that led down to the pit where the shadow was cast They saw no one behind them and smiled to each other, Zelda said, "Good, we lost her."

"Thanks to my plan," Link said with a proud smile. Zelda nudged him playfully, "Oh be quiet."

"Make me," Link challenged with a smile. Zelda replied, "Very well."

She then playfully tackled her friend, accidently sending them over the edge and rolling down the hill towards the bottom of the pit. She pinned Link down and smiled as he struggled, bragging, "Pinned ya."

The two were distracted by a gust of wind blowing from the canyon. The two looked over and saw another edge beside a giant skull of an elephant. The walked to the edge and saw miles of bones, some massing in hills, sprawled out over the canyon. Amazed by the site, the two let out, "Wow…."

They turned back to the elephant skull as Zelda asked Link, "I wander if it's brains are still in there."

"Let's check it out and find out," Link said, moving towards it only to find a blue fairy dart in front of him, saying lecturing, "The only checking out you'll be doing is out of here!"

"Why?" Link asked as Navi added, fearfully, "We are all in grave danger here…."

"Danger?" Link scoffed moving behind her, his back to the skull as he added, "Ha, I'm a Lion Prince. I laugh in the face of danger, ha ha ha!"

Link laughed a proud laugh but was cut short when he heard more laughter, coming from inside the skull. He turned around, backing away towards Navi and Zelda as he saw three hyenas emerge. They had pirate sabers at their sides as well as various daggers. One of them was an extremely pale male with yellow eyeballs and black irises. Another was a blue-skinned woman with a sly smile. The third was another pale man with black eyes and white hair showing through the opening in his fur. They laughed as they approached the trio before them.

"Well, well, what do we have here Zant?" The blue woman asked the male with yellow eyes.

"Looks like a couple trespassers Veran," Zant replied as the three started circling around Link Navi and Zelda. The other two asked the third together, "Ghirahim?"

Ghirahim smiled dumbly and nodded. Navi spoke up weakly, trying to explain, "Well this was great, but we just took a slight wrong turn in direction so we'll be on our way."

She sped up the last part as she tried to motion for the cubs to follow her out but Veran stood in front of them, saying, "Wait, I know you. You're Mario's little stooge."

"I am the King's prime servant," Navi said proudly as Zant said to Link, "And that would make you-"

"Future king," Link said proudly. Veran turned to him asking, "Do you know what we do to kings that step outside their boundaries?"

Link scoffed and said defiantly, "You can't do anything to me."

"Technically they can, we are on their land," Navi said nervously, trying to keep the hyenas at bay as Link asked, "But Navi, you said they're just a bunch of lowly, scheming vultures."

"Oh did he now?" Zant asked, eying the fairy as she spoke at a mile a minute, "Well look at the time we really must be going!"

Once again she tried to guide the cubs towards the hill and up but Veran cut her off again asking, "What's the hurry? Why don't you all stay for dinner?"

Zelda backed away from her fearfully, bumping into Zant. The hyena laughed as she turned to the side, backing away from the now advancing hyena. Link went to draw his dagger, shouting, "Stay away from her!"

However, Veran caught him by the arms, holding him as Zelda tripped over something falling flat on her back. She looked and saw that it was a rock. As Zant laughed uncontrollably from her pathetic fall, she picked up the rock, throwing it at his head. The projectile made contact, hitting him square in the forehead and sending him stumbling back, wincing in pain. Seeing an opportunity, Link kicked backward, hitting Veran in the shin, causing her to loosen her grip enough for Link to struggle free. He noticed that Ghirahim was too stupid to comprehend what to do next on his own. Link sprinted towards Zelda as she got up and grabbed her hand, running down the hill, Navi close behind them. As they reached the bottom of the hill, they heard Zant shout, "Don't just stand there, get them!"

The cubs sprinted down the path now available to them, passing between several piles of large bones, eventually reaching a massive pile of them. They began to ascend up the hill as they heard Navi shout, "Hurry, I can see them!"

Link sprinted up as fast as he could, but as he neared the top, he heard from behind him a cry, "Link!"

He turned and saw Zelda slipping down the pile, the hyenas making their way up to her. He sprinted down the hill towards his friend as Veran neared her, pulling out her saber. He pulled out his dagger as he reached Zelda and Veran raised her blade. He slashed at her in semi-blind fury, scratching her cheek. As she stumbled back, knocking back the other hyenas, Link and Zelda got up sprinting up the hill. As she felt the scratch on her cheek sting dreadfully, Veran growled up towards the cub. She and the others got up, now more determined than ever, and made their way to the top in pursuit.

The cubs ran down the hill on the other side, slipping and falling, sending them tumbling down the rest of the way. They got up running as fast as they could as they saw the hyenas get to the bottom of the hill, closing in on them. They turned and stopped just in time to avoid hitting the wall. They turned in either direction but saw walls blocking them. They turned back the way they came and saw the hyenas blocking the way, blades drawn. They had run right into a trap they could not get out of.

Link grabbed Zelda by the arm, putting his friend behind him as he held up his dagger defiantly, commanding, "Stay back!"

The hyenas simply chuckled and inched closer towards the cubs, their sabers pointed at them ready to strike. Link took a deep breath and roared as loud as he could. Unfortunately, being a cub, it lacked the power or intensity of a full grown lion and sounded rather pathetic to the hyenas, who simply laughed more as Veran commented condescendingly, "Awww look the cub thinks he's Mario."

"Yeah, why don't you try again, mighty lion?" Zant mocked. Link took his challenge and roared again. This time, however, a loud and mighty roar was heard that echoed all throughout the canyon and made everyone freeze in their spots. They all looked up and saw Mario falling towards the ground, landing in between the cubs and the hyenas. His mighty golden-hilted sword was drawn and the ground shacked hard as he landed with the intensity of an earthquake, causing the cubs to fall down. Mario charged towards the hyenas as they stood, frozen in fear for a moment, barely raising their sabers in time to block his attack. From his right to left stood Ghirahim, Veran and Zant, and it was in that order he swung at them. He sliced clean through Ghirahim's saber, severing it as the powerful strike continued, knocking Veran's saber out of her hands and to her right as the swing continued still, striking Zant's saber, letting out a large PING as they collided. He pushed his blade forward, as Zant bent over backwards trying to hold off the mighty strength of the lion, who forced the hyena's own blade closer and closer towards his own neck. He sensed Veran retrieving her saber and, having to act quickly, picked up Zant with one hand and threw him against the wall and kicked his saber away, turning around to parry Veran's attack. He swung at her head from his right, swung around swinging at her right side, and swung at her head from the top. She barely managed to block the first two, but the third sent her blade crashing to the ground as the king picked her up as he did Zant throwing her at him. He was just getting up but the female hyena fell on him, sending them to the ground. He saw Ghirahim rushing at him with a dagger and didn't even have to raise his sword, instead grabbing the hyena by the wrist that held the dagger, spinning him around and throwing him at the others. He then leaped towards them, graceful even with the massive weight his blade must have carried, and landed in front of the hyenas as they scrambled to get up. But upon looking up and seeing the mighty lion towering over them, they did not dare move, instead lying there submissively. Veran and Zant immediately started rambling, trying to make up excuses for their actions. This continued for a moment before Mario roared, "SILENCE!"

The two did as they were told. Mario looked down at them, his eyes glaring at them with furious fire that burned into their souls and rendered them paralyzed as he said to them, "If you ever come near my son again…"

"Oh that was your son?" Veran said, terrified and playing dumb, "We didn't know he was your son did we Zant?"

"No, no idea," Zant said, playing along equally terrified as Veran added, "No of course not?"

Together, the hyenas asked, "Ghirahim?"

Not getting the idea, the third hyena nodded dumbly as Mario roared once more as the hyenas cowered in fear, before getting up and running away as fast as they could. Mario allowed them to escape as he stood there, breathing intensely. Navi flew over to him, saying proudly, "Impeccable timing as always your majesty, I really must-"

Mario turned to the fairy, glaring at her with the same intensely, rendering her mute. He then turned away from the three he had just saved and began walking away as he sheathed his sword. Navi turned to the cubs and motioned for them to follow. In shock from what they had just witnessed, the cubs shook as they stood up but nonetheless began to follow the king and fairy out of the canyon, still taking in all that had just happened. They had simply gone on an adventure to a mysterious land; it was all just supposed to be good fun. But they had no idea that this was the lair of those hyenas… those hyenas that had tried to kill them… that was such a bone-chilling thought. Those hyenas had actually tried to kill them. They were not playing around or playing a prank, they had attacked them with intent of making them their dinner, and they almost succeeded… They would have succeeded had it not been for Link's father. Had he shown up a moment later, there would have been nothing left to save… As they climbed out of the pit, the sun was beginning to set over the distance and the cubs knew it was going to be a long walk home, with plenty of time to mull over thoughts of the day's events.

Longest chapter so far :) Hope you all enjoyed it and as always please review.