Yahoooo! I'm back at this fanfic deal. Man, I love writing these! Anyhow, this is technically a sequel to one of my other stories, called One Last Try. A lot of you wanted a sequel for it so here it is. But I can assure you, if you never read that, you don't need it to be able to understand what's going on here. I'm not going to lean too heavily on this story's predecessor.
If you see this: ()()()()()()()() it means the POV is changing. Don't worry, I'll say to whose POV it's changing to. Fun facts: Shenzi's name means pagan or uncouth, Banzai's name means brash, Ed's name means…. Well…. Ed, and Macho's name (pronounced Maco, don't pronounce the ch sound) means vigilant or loyal. All these are in swahilli.
Well, on with the fanfic! And please, do leave this humble author a review.
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Banzai's POV
"And group C will head across the river. I will be taking group D further down the river. Now, is everyone clear on their instructions?"
"Yes ma'am!" Came the chorusing reply.
"Good. Those on scouting groups, you are now dismissed. Go where you were assigned to go." Said Shenzi, as she finished up giving orders. The assembled hyenas dispersed, and Banzai watched them go.
"So Shenzi…. You're part of group D?" He asked.
"Yeah. And don't think I'm not up for the task either." She replied, getting indignant.
"No, I'm not questioning your ability to lead a search group! Trust me that's not it at all….. But… *ahem* who exactly is part of group D?" He asked, as innocently as he could.
"You, Me, Ed, and Fahama." She said.
"Really? Oh, uh… That's good, that's good." He replied, breaking out into a smile. He was glad Shenzi couldn't see him grinning like a fool.
"Well, I guess you're excited about that arrangement. Now come on, take me to to Ed and Fahama. Obviously we're going to leave right away. And I want to get as much land covered as possible before the three weeks are up." Banzai nodded, and the two of them made their way down from the pile of rocks they had been standing on for Shenzi to give her speech. They walked down to the beach, where Fahama and Ed stood watching the river water swish by.
"Hey guys! We're part of a search group!" Announced Banzai, as he and Shenzi approached them.
"Really? With whom?" Replied Fahama. Ed let out another giggle at the news.
"It's us four. Macho said he'd stay behind and watch over those who are staying. Most likely nothing's going to happen, but I'm leaving a few warriors here just in case they're threatened." Added Shenzi.
"Us four huh? Is it smart to put two of the council and the Matriarch onto one search party?" Asked Fahama.
"It makes perfect sense, in ways you haven't yet considered. Also, I'm willing to bet that the best land is going to be further down the river, where the land keeps hydrated year round. So the council is coming along just so I can be sure that the spot really is worth it." Replied Shenzi.
"Huh. I guess that's why you're the Matriarch." Responded Fahama.
"Yeah. It's called superior intelligence. But between you and me Fahama, you've certainly got more than Banzai." Said Shenzi slyly.
"Hey!…." Banzai stuttered. He wasn't that stupid!
"Anyways, if everyone's ready, let's go. Banzai, come here." Said Shenzi. Banzai, muttering things underneath his breath, hurried to comply. He leaned back up against Shenzi, providing the support and guidance she needed to get around. They turned downriver, with Ed and Fahama following behind them.
"Let's go." Said Fahama.
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Shenzi's POV
They didn't cover very much ground that day.
Or at least she thought they didn't cover very much ground, because to be honest she couldn't really tell. But it didn't really feel as if they had spent too much time walking.
Currently, the others were asleep, curled up on the ground and probably dreaming. Ed and Banzai was snoring something terrible. Although with Ed, his snores were more like demented giggles. Ed spent way too much time laughing if he also did it in his sleep. Oh well, that was part of his personality she supposed.
Shenzi didn't feel like sleeping just yet. She was still wide awake, sitting and staring at whatever was in front of her. She didn't know what was in front of her because she hadn't thought to check. Maybe just more sand.
But in any case, it didn't matter what was in front of her. She didn't need to know.
Shenzi scowled. Since there wasn't a day that went by when she wasn't forcefully reminded of her lack of sight, and she was really getting tired of it. In fact, the loss of her sight was probably one of the worst things that had happened to her.
Of course, barring the day when her mother died, the day when two thirds of her clan perished in the fire at Pride Rock, and having her left back leg crushed to the point where using it was impossible. She was on three legs, literally.
But she kept going, because she had a clan to protect. As long as she could, she would do her best to provide for her clan, and try to give them the best life possible.
Because so far, she had ruined her own life in pursuit of that goal. She couldn't exactly quit whenever she wanted, not having sacrificed so much for it. Shenzi pawed at the ground, feeling the sand in between her claws. She had learned to appreciate the other senses available to her, especially sound and smell.
She shifted the sand in front of her left and right, enjoying the feeling of control it gave her. Sure, it was just control over some sand, but even so, it was more than what she normally had. What with having to rely on Banzai or another hyena if she simply wanted to move somewhere else. Shenzi piled the sand into a little mound, gathering the grains into a pile. Then, she brought her paw down onto the pile, smashing it and dispersing the sand. She chuckled, and began to gather the sand back into a pile.
As she was reassembling her sand mound, she flicked her ears. The sound of her little chuckle had sounded…. weird, somehow. She clicked her tongue, waiting to see if it sounded the same.
When she heard the sound of the click, she could almost feel that a certain part of the sound came back to her sooner than others. She clicked again, and yet again, it felt as if there was a part of the sound that was echoing back stronger and sooner than the echoes around her. Why was that? She wondered.
Again, she clicked. When the small echo reached her ears, she found that perhaps it was the sound in front of her that came back stronger. Shenzi didn't know very much about echoes, but she figured that if an echo came back sooner than other echoes, that meant it was hitting something sooner than the rest of the sound. So, what did that mean here?
Maybe there was something in front of her, something causing a bit of the sound to echo back sooner than the rest. She clicked her tongue, and she adjusted her ears accordingly. As she suspected, the area in front of her echoed just a little bit stronger than the areas around her.
She got up onto her three legs, and limped forward a few feet. She stretched out her forepaw, and to her surprise, made contact with a large rock that was sitting on the beach. She smiled, and turned around. She clicked, and to her surprise, felt the echoes come back in a pattern. After a few more clicks she determined that there were three lumps a few feet in front of her. Was it possibly Banzai, Ed, and Fahama?
She limped towards the supposed lumps, clicking as she did so. When she got close to when, she reached out her forepaw, trying to determine if there really was something there. It took a few tries, but after a few seconds of feeling around she felt her paw touch fur. Immediately, she heard Ed snort, and felt him roll over. Grinning, Shenzi walked back a little bit, and lied down.
She might have lost her sight, but now, she had a way of determining where things were.
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Scar's POV
Scar was dreaming.
Dreams were usually bearable, but since they almost always showed something from the past, the results varied. It depended on what the dreams decided to show him. If the event he was reliving was a sour one, he couldn't enjoy it. But if the memories were sweet, he would savor every moment.
But at this particular junction, he wasn't even sure what memory he was going to relive. He was sitting in his old den next to Pride Rock, and it was still early morning. He could see out across the savannah, and there were quite a lot of animals on the move.
Then, a tiny mouse ran across his paw. Scar stared down at the little creature, a slight sneer across his face. Oh well, at least he would have a light snack before the event started. He nabbed the mouse, and dangled it by the tail in front of his muzzle.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Came a pompous voice from the mouth of the cave. It started Scar, and the little mouse slipped away from his grasp and ran away, it's little feet clattering against the stone floor. Scar sighed. So it was this memory. Well, time to get things over with.
"Oh come on Zazu, you made me lose my lunch." He replied, without much vigor.
"You'll have worse when the king gets here. He's as mad as a hippo with a hernia." Replied the blue bird.
"Oh, I quiver with fear. Now if you don't mind Zazu, how about you just let the king get here and let him do the talking. I really don't care to discuss things with the feeble minded." Scoffed Scar.
"I'm Mufasa's Majordomo! What I say is his own word!" Said Zazu, a bit miffed.
"Yes, yes it is." Said Mufasa, as he rounded the corner and entered Scar's den. As always, Mufasa was big and brutish, and imposing figure only enhanced by his large bright mane.
"Hello dear brother." Said Scar, as he rolled his eyes.
"Well, hello to you too. Now Zazu, could you please leave us?" Asked Mufasa, gesturing towards the bird. This made Scar turn his head towards Mufasa. That wasn't what had happened in real life. In reality, Mufasa hadn't asked Zazu to leave. And dreams always followed the way the memory happened. So what was going on?
"Of course sire." Said Zazu, as he gave a little bow and flew off. Then, Mufasa turned back towards Scar.
"So what is it you want? If it's about your son's presentation, I didn't mean to miss it. It was only my… slippery mind. A simple case of forgetfulness." Scar said mockingly.
"No Scar, that's not it." Said Mufasa.
"It's not? Then what?" Demanded Scar. This dream wasn't happening at all as it had happened in reality.
"Wondering why I'm deviating from reality's course? It's simple Scar, this isn't being derived from your memories. This time, it's happening the way I want it to." Said Mufasa, his face calm and impassive, of a little bit amused.
"What…. What do you mean?!" Gasped Scar, as his eyes widened and he took a step back from his brother. What the hell was going on?
"There is an afterlife, after all. I'm just visiting you from the stars, to tell you something. A rather useful skill, to be able to communicate with the living." Replied Mufasa, his eyebrow cocked.
"You…. You can't be him! You're dead! Go away!" Yelled Scar, suddenly seized by panic. This couldn't be the Mufasa!
"I'm afraid I am him, the one you so coldly threw into into that pack of wildebeests. But let bygones be bygones, I say. Especially since you've changed."
"No….no, that's not how it works, lions don't forgive that easily, not after what I've done, the crimes I've committed….. What the hell are you playing at!" Yelled Scar, snarling.
"Well, I've been watching you for a while now Scar. You're no longer that bitter twisted lion I once knew. You and Nafasi get along quite well too."
"Shut up! Shut up, will you! What the hell are you doing?!" Scar screamed, as he backed further into the cave.
"Scar, listen to me. There's nothing to fear! I'm not going to hurt you, or punish you. Let's treat this like old times! When you were still Taka and we were just cubs! Come on brother, listen to reason." Suggested Mufasa.
"I am listening to reason, but it's my reason. And my reason tells me that lions don't forgive that easily." Said Scar, shaking his head slowly.
"Well, being amongst the Great Kings of the Past has made me a little more than a lion. Although, I suppose you do have a point. The reason I'm here is because I have to tell you something, and it's got to do with the deeds you committed." Said Mufasa.
"Hah. And what exactly is this message you have to tell me? Why is it so important that you descend from your pompous home in the stars?" Accused Scar, calming himself down.
"Well, it's obvious enough that you've changed. However, you still haven't said that you regret what you've done. You can feel that you hate what you did, but you can't bring yourself to say it. All I need you to do is say that you regret your past actions." Said Mufasa.
"And why must I say that?" Demanded Scar.
"Because if you don't say it now, there are two tests you're going to have to endure. Neither of the tests were set up by me, but they simply presented themselves at the right moment. Right now, one of the tests is one its way to your den now. And the other is a few days away." Explained Mufasa.
"What are the tests?" Asked Scar, suspicious of his brother's plans.
"Keep in mind, these tests aren't my design. But I can help you pass them, if you tell me you regret what you did. Also, the Great Kings of the Past won't exactly be lenient upon you without a verbal apology. That's also not my idea." Replied Mufasa.
"And why should I appease those bastards up in the stars?" Snarled Scar.
"Then do it for me, your brother. And if you won't do it for me, you'll most certainly do it to pass the tests. Believe me, you're going to need my help. Now then, we've discussed that enough. Goodbye Scar, and stay strong. But before I go, perhaps you'd like to see something you've been missing for a long time." Mufasa then waved his paw, and next to him, three little cubs appeared, all of them playing happily together.
Scar could almost feel his heart stop.
"Are those… My cubs?" He whispered.
"The ones that died. Whatever happens when you die Scar, just know that they will be waiting for you, consequences or not. Now then, goodbye." Mufasa waved his paw again, and suddenly the dream began to fade.
"No! Wait! Not yet! Not yet!" Yelled Scar, as he ran towards the fading cubs. He had to get to them, to touch them, to talk to them, to comfort them! To tell them he was sorry that they died!
Then, he woke back up.
Empty pawed.
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Okay, for the record, when it comes to Shenzi's 'echolocation' I did some research on this, and humans can do some form of rudimentary form of echolocation. So I figured, why not hyenas? Don't worry, Shenzi's still pretty much the same way she was, and she'll still require help to get around. But now she'll be able to keep herself from running into walls or something similar.
And as for Scar, I wonder what the tests are?
It's a fanfiction crime to be following a story but not review! Constructive criticism accepted. No flaming!