Chapter 13
Disclaimer: Same as the last few chapters...
Be Prepared For The Dark Masters!
*Banzai's POV*
"Damn that Mufasa! I am not gonna be able to bend right for a week. Not to mention my rear burns from those flaming claws of his."
Me, my mate and Ed had all just returned from our second fight with Mufasa for the day. It was worse than the first and I have the lion paw print burn to prove it. All of a sudden a flame hit my tail and I yelped in pain before snuffing it out with my bending. I looked back and saw Ed with flames on both of his paws and with that same stupid smile on his face.
"Watch where you aim Ed! You nearly burned my tail off." As I said that, Ed must have caught a glimpse of the smoking bit of my tail and started laughing with the sense I know he doesn't have.
"It's not funny, Ed!" He tried to cover his muzzle to stop the laughs, but failed and laughed even harder. "Hey Shut up!" As the chuckles continued, I growled and donned my fire claws and began biting and clawing him with ferocity. We barked and snapped at each other for only a few minutes before an authoritative and yet angelic voice reached our ears. We immediately split apart and made ourselves halfway decent.
"Will you two knock it off?" My mate, Shenzi obviously looks pissed. She does not like it when we miss our chance at a meal, especially twice in today's case. We missed that Zebra that we tried to fry before Mufasa caught us and just recently we missed our chance at those cubs.
"No wonder we are dangling at the bottom of the food chain!" She is right. As long as us hyenas keep fighting like that, we will end up like the bodies that we call home. I pictured Shenzi and me lying next to each other as remains in this place.
"Yeah if it weren't for those damn prejudiced benders, we would be running this joint! Especially above those lions!" I hissed as I said the word 'lions' and pictured me being the one pinning down Mufasa and burning off his mane bit by furry bit. I like it!
"Yeah those lions are so dumb! " I agreed with Shenzi once again. I pictured how shocked Mufasa was when he saw us actually in his lands again.
"Not to mention they have all that useless fur and those weird markings. Did you see what that cub had on his head? A downwards arrow! Is he saying he is down or that he wants to go down?" My jab at the prince made my mate erupt into a fit of laughter as I joined her and also thought Maybe his arrow is a sign of the lions' reign ending. I looked at my lovely mate and caught her look and knew what to say last.
"And man are they UGLY!" We said this in unison and then laughed so hard that flames came out of our paws and I saw the floor get light burns as we laughed.
"Oh I'm sure we lions aren't all that bad!" Oh Shit! When did he get here? I thought he left after seeing us fail earlier. Scar was laying down on a cliff surrounded by a ring of wisps of his mysterious emerald green flames and was looking down at us with his identical green eyes. Even though he was high up, I could see the annoyance in his eyes and could hear the tone of disappointment in his voice that reminded me of my mom when I failed to pin someone on my first try.
"Oh Scar! We weren't talking about you, after all you're one of us, our pal!" My mate was obviously trying to be charming in this situation, knowing as well as me that Scar does not like failure.
"Charmed!" He did not seem too enthusiastic about my mate's statement as he rolled his eyes at us. If we aren't his friends, then what are we, his lackeys? I was about to tell him off for that when a scent caught my attention. The scent of zebra. Maybe that was supposed to be our reward.
"Yeah unlike that Mufasa!" My mate got a chuckle on her face as I said the name of that lion and I got in a teasing mood. "Now that's power!"
"Every time I hear that name I shudder." I decided to really milk this.
"Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa!" I saw her shudder a bit longer each time and eventually Ed started laughing his butt off as we did this.
"I'm surrounded by idiots!" Scar's flames got bigger with his annoyance and the dark black flames of death began circling with his green ones. He is obviously annoyed with us because he does not hold back with his statements about us.
"Hey did you bring us any food? Huh? Scar old buddy, old pal? Huh?" I saw him roll his eyes and the flames stopped spinning. but did not disappear as he lifted up a zebra leg that looked fresh.
"I am not sure if you deserve this. I practically handed those lion cubs to you, and you could not even dispose of them." He was about to throw it to us when we heard a new voice that sounded deeper, and yet as dark as Scar's.
"Mind offering that to an old friend Scar? I am famished." I looked over and saw a large orange lion with a mane as black as Scar's, but his eyes were yellow and the scars along his body denoted he was much older than he appeared and was a fierce warrior.
"Hey that is ours!" I moved to take the leg from Scar when all of a sudden I felt my claws come out of their sheathes on their own and dig deep into the rock. If that was all, I would have just gone with it, but my fire powers was active and the heat mixed with my claws caused me to sink into the ground and get stuck. " I saw the new lion chuckle at my mishap and I glared at him as I got myself free. "How the hell did you do that?"
"That is none of your concern." He had begun making crushing motions with his paws and it felt like someone was putting a vice grip on the bones in my legs. It was excruciating, but at the same time confusing. How could this lion do this?
"Leave him alone!" Shenzi had her furious face on and was moving to attack the lion when all of a sudden she collapsed on the ground. At first, I thought she had just tripped but then I saw her writhing and biting like a flea covered pup.
"SHENZI!" I cried out. Then a venomous feminine cackle reached my ears and I with some difficulty looked up and saw a very familiar lioness standing next to Scar and the other lion. It was Haja (desire), the master water lioness from Mohatu's time. The elder lioness had her paw toes moving like a spider crawling on its web and she was facing Shenzi.
"You truly do have pathetic help, Scar. How do you deal with it?" That's it, she's kibble. Just as I was about to attack, I recalled her reputation. The last thing I needed was my tail frozen and then bitten off.
"They have their uses Haja. Their viciousness and sheer numbers will be useful in our plans. It will be invaluable as long as I make sure they get into the Pride Lands, they will do whatever I say." We do have a lot of hyenas in our pack and that was indeed the deal we made with Scar a long time ago when we were just pups. If he can get us accepted into the vast and luscious Pride Lands, we'd be his faithful subjects and warriors.
"We still say you could have gotten better help than them." The hold on me released and I noticed the same was true for Shenzi as she got up and came to my side with Ed close behind. I looked up and saw two new figures had joined Haja and the mysterious lion, a huge eagle with a malicious look in his eyes and a black leopardess. My eyes widened with what happened next. The bird shot a blast of air from his wings, the lion chucked a rock, the leopard breathed a flame and Haja manifested water somehow and all four elements collided in the middle of the four. Matriarchs Above!
"My dear friends," Scar spoke and me and my pack mates looked up to hear his words, "may I introduce our allies: The Dark Benders." I raised my eyebrows in confusion as he said that. Dark Benders?
"Which means what?"
"You will see in time!" I hate it when I am kept out of things, but I dare not question Scar's judgment, lest I feel his wrath.
"Scar, can you tell us exactly why you enlisted these canine faced felines?" I snarled at Haja's little insult about us being dogs which always ticks off any hyena, but eyed Scar and waited for his answer.
*Scar's POV* (SHOWTIME!)
I was carefully pondering my thoughts as I thought of Haja's question. It would take too long to explain this normally, maybe I can mimic my nephew and try a musical explanation.
"I never thought hyenas were essential. They're crude and unspeakably plain. But maybe they have a glimmer of potential. If allied to my vision, flames and brain." I saw Haja scoff and I already knew the old water bender was about to question me.
"What potential could they possibly have? They couldn't even kill a couple of cubs from what we heard." I hate when others remind me of my failures. It gets me agitated and then I start going wild with my green flames and I did not need to lose my allies because of that.
"They will prove themselves to you just as you will to them. As I was saying…" I was about to start my musical plan when I was once again interrupted.
"Hey, it is not like they were alone! What were we supposed to do? Kill Mufasa?" Oh how I hate hyenas sometimes! Especially when I am about to wow everyone here with my musical style and suave looks! But then again, maybe Banzai just set me up for a good starting line for my little bit.
I manifested a large green flame in my paw and then looked down at the hyenas. "Precisely!" I threw down the flame and then thrust my paws apart and sent the twin flames into two dormant geysers. As they went down, I made my green flames coat my claws and began hopping down, leaving flaming claw marks on the stone until I hit the bottom and made the hyenas scatter. Oh yes how I love to see them scatter in fear! But what I love even more is the fiery pillars that just came out as I landed and then a wall of flame appeared before and I walked through it in a way that even Death himself would fear. The chanting sounds nice too! Wait! Chanting? Where is that chanting coming from?
"I know that your powers of retention, Are as wet as a warthog's backside." I noticed Ed chewing on a bone and got irritated. How dare he not pay attention to me? So I walked up to him like a snake would if snakes had feet and then smacked the bone away from him and charred the bone to ashes as it flew. I pictured doing that to Simba's skeleton and it brought a wide smirk to my face.
"But thick as you are, pay attention, My words are a matter of pride." He immediately got into a sloppy form of attention with his paw across his head and I decided to check how attentive he was and circled behind him with another flaming paw.
"It's clear from your vacant expressions, That the lights are not all on upstairs." I put my flaming paw in front of his face and was impressed to say the least that the burning threat did not even make him flinch. Whether from courage or stupidity or both I don't know, but he impresses me. I heard chuckling behind me and knew it was Shenzi and Banzai laughing. I backed up and shot two green flames into two more geysers.
"But we're talking kings and successions." I backed up a little closer to Shenzi and Banzai who were still unaware of my presence. Not for long! I pounced up the rock.
"Even you can't be caught unawares." I chuckled inwardly as they landed on two more geysers and were launched sky high. As they landed in a pile of weak benders bodies, I fire launched myself up to another ledge and continued my sinister symphonic.
"So prepare for a chance of a lifetime. Be prepared for sensational news." I rounded a corner as I sang the last part and pulled my head back again just to make myself look cool for no one in particular. What? Everyone does it; if you don't like it, sue me!
"A shining new era is tiptoeing nearer." I got on the tips of my claws and began walking forward until I was interrupted again by a hyena.
"And where do we feature?" Is she serious? Where do they feature?! Well let me tell her just the thing. I grabbed her cheek and pinched it like she was a cub.
"Just listen to teacher." I let go of her cheek and began to walk off, this time coating the pads of my paws with my green flames to leave a trail of said flames in my wake.
"I know it sounds sordid, but you'll be rewarded. When at last I am given my dues," I jumped up on another ledge where Ed was chewing on another bone. No No No that won't do. I launched myself with flames again and landed behind Ed.
"And injustice deliciously squared," I gave Ed a nice kick in the rear which sent him flying into Banzai and Shenzi who landed in another pile of bones, "Be prepared!" Like the echo and multiple tones of that line?
I stopped singing to let the hyenas get back up and chuckled again to see them all wearing skulls of different animals like helmets.
"Yeah, Be prepared. Yeah-heh... we'll be prepared, heh...For what?" Really?! Did Banzai really not get anything I just said? Sometimes I just want to push him into a gorge filled with stampeding wildebeest. Hmm, that is not such a bad idea but not better than what I have planned.
"You were right Scar! They did prove themselves. Prove they are even dumber than I thought!" Haja really likes to push my buttons. Normally I would not tolerate such a knock at my pride but right now I needed to in the case of her specialties.
"As I was saying, Be Prepared: For the death of the king." I said this from a high peak that made me picture myself standing on the promontory and looking out at 'my' kingdom. I Just Can't Wait To Be King!
"Why? Is he sick?" This hyena must have shot his own flames into his ear onto his brain, fried it and out the other ear cause I am sure no hyena is this oblivious.
"No, coal for brains- we're going to kill him. Kopa and Simba too." I dropped him and then made a sinister pose, once again to no one. I did it just for the sake of doing it and I like it!
"Great idea! Who needs a king?" I saw the hyenas begin dancing around Ed who merely clapped his paws. "No king! No king! la-la-la-la-laa-laa!" What a bunch of…
"Idiots! There will be a king!" I got crouched on all fours and looked down on them with a fiery green flame aura which made them visibly cringe with fear and confusion in Banzai's case. Oh how I love fear! But how I hate stupidity!
"Hey, but you said, uh..." Kings, even Mufasa isn't this dumb! Sure he has not caught onto my deepest levels of hatred for him and my desire, but even he wouldn't miss the suggestions I have made in this amazing song. Yes, I know that sounds snooty but it is true!
"I will be king! ...Stick with me, and you'll never go hungry again!" This was a tiresome promise and one I intended to keep. I may be the most powerful fire bender I know, but even I can't beat an army of fire bending hyenas! One thing did bother and impress me though at the same time. How can there be a spotlight in this place when I am just renting this place? And man does my shadow look cool with those flame shadows!
"Yaay! All right! Long live the king!" That's right cheer for the era of King Scar in all its villainous shadowy light.
"Long live the king! Long live the king!" What the hell? This is supposed to be a dark setting.
"It's great that we'll soon be connected with a king who'll be all-time adored." They were marching like a perfect army under this unusual spotlight. I kinda like it now that I can see my vast army in it.
"Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected to take certain duties on board." I made a slashing gesture with my claw across my throat and delivered the point that some blood needed to be spilt to get this done.
"The future is littered with prizes and though I'm the main addressee" I noticed some hyenas fall out of attention and chuckle with each other and became annoyed. Time to get my full point across. I jumped down as I sang my next verse.
"The point that I must emphasize is, you won't get a sniff without me!" Somehow my rage and fire bending managed to break the ground and now hyenas are falling in like the one before me. Deep fried Hyena, disgusting!
"So prepare for the coup of the century" I jumped up and saw a pillar rise where I was going to land. I looked and saw my lion friend had managed to earth bend my very own ivory tower of stone for me to stand on and look glorious.
(Oooh!) They must really think they are good singers, when all they are doing is making me look better.
"Be prepared for the murkiest scam." I felt the pillar shake and knew that my friend was making my pillar rise and saw it was heading towards the moon. How convenient that the moon is out and full tonight.
"Meticulous planning"
"Tenacity spanning"
"Decades of denial" I have denied myself to do what must be done for too long. Well in a few years, after a few incidents, I will finally do the one thing on my mind. KILL MUFASA!
"Is simply why I'll" Again with the meat. I swear I might just go back on my word with these hyenas if things don't pan out once I become king.
"Be king undisputed" (Aaaaaaah...) "Respected, saluted" I pictured myself with every other lion in the pride looking up to me and of course my beloved Sarabi who I picture pregnant with my future cub. Oh how I long for that that mating and cub.
"And seen for the wonder I am" (...aaaaaaah!) I basked in the light of the moon and released a ring of green flames that circled around me in the moon's outline. I am the green flame of the night. Bask in my glory.
"Yes, Our teeth and ambitions are bared"(Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo)
"Be prepared!" I see a bunch of hyenas playing on bones in a way that makes a musical tune and I am baffled.
"Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared." I let them join in and I see Banzai his two friends lean forward in a grin for no apparent reason like I did. Are they mocking me?
"Be prepared!" I laughed a laugh that would scare even the most terrifying of nightmares and felt quite pleased with myself.
"Say Scar!" I looked down at Haja and my other allies and I already knew what was their minds but decided to play with them and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you Prepared to keep your promise to us when you succeed?" Was that a knock at my awesome song that Haja just made? Anger coursing through my veins, I was about to throw a green flame at Haja when I remembered the full moon was out. Now was not the time to fight her, but next time, if she crosses me during the day, it is on!
"I am prepared. When I take Pride Rock after we kill Mufasa and his brats, I will make you four the leaders of the four bender lands." I saw them all gain a smile on their faces. This will totally work. And with these four making sure the four bending lands surrounding don't rebel, I will be king for sure. I eyed a clawed in drawing of a cub with an arrow on his head and shot a black flame at it and smiled widely when I saw the image and the rock behind it disappear. Soon Mufasa, and your brats will never see the light of day.
Merry Christmas My dear readers!
1) DO you believe Scar should have picked some other kind of ally in Africa when plotting his coup?
2) Does the Be Prepared scene remind you of any scene in Avatar? Please describe it