I'm back at this fanfic deal! Man, I love writing these! Anyhow, this a sequel to two of my stories, 'Scars of Redemption, and 'One Last Try.' The events of both shall be explored further here. But if you didn't read any of them, it doesn't matter, because anything relevant shall be explained here.
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, Macho's name (pronounced Maco, don't pronounce the ch sound) means vigilant or loyal, and Nafasi's name means chance. All these are in swahili.
Well, on with the fanfic! And please, do leave this humble author a review.
Also, you know how the previous chapter was pretty dark? What with Shenzi dying and all? Well, this chapter will be the exact opposite of that.
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Shenzi's POV
Many, many miles away, further than any earthbound creature could have ever conceived of as possible, stood a hyena, gawking in surprise and horror.
"Mom….. What did you just do?" Asked Shenzi, almost fearfully.
"I've ended all of your suffering, all of your pain! You needn't worry about any of that anymore Shenzi, because it's all over. There is no more worrying, there is no more torture, no more deaths, no more difficulties, no more pain!" Replied Hatari, smiling happily.
"And that means….?" She asked.
"Shenzi…. You're dead."
Shenzi stared at her mother, her eyes wide.
"You mind running that statement by me again?" She said shakily.
"Sure. You're dead. You're here in heaven, up in the stars! And it's great here Shenzi, here, there exists nothing but love and happiness!" Said Hatari.
"That sounds…. Incredibly cliché." Said Shenzi, as she examined her paws, trying to see if they were transparent.
"Maybe to you, you're a new arrival. But Shenzi, doesn't it feel great?"
"No! Why would it feel good at all?! You…. You killed me!" Exclaimed Shenzi, starting to panic.
"Shenzi, why are you overreacting? There's nothing bad here, this is the best thing that's ever happened to you!" Asked Hatari, confused at Shenzi's reaction.
"Mom, that's just it! You killed me! I wasn't done yet, I still had things to do! You…. You yourself told me that there was something more, that Banzai had yet something to show me. But how am I supposed to do any of those things… If I'm dead?!" Yelled Shenzi, starting to get angry.
"Well… You said you couldn't do it… So I figured I would end it for you." Replied Hatari.
"I said I needed your help to get through it! Jeez mom, what does it take to interpret your own daughter's words correctly? This is… This is a fucking disaster!" Said Shenzi.
"You'll be happy here Shenzi, isn't that all you need?" Asked Hatari.
"No! You had something I haven't yet experienced, otherwise I wouldn't have been conceived. And I'm fairly certain that's what you meant when you mentioned Banzai…. I'm also fairly certain he would be more than willing to cooperate. And also….. I might have felt it too." Shenzi dropped off on a whisper.
"Well, Shenzi…"
"But you took that chance from me! Why mom… Why?" She asked.
"Shenzi…. I simply couldn't see you under so much pain! It hurt me as well, to see you like that." Explained Hatari.
"Really? Well I think this place has made you weak. Where's the Matriarch I knew, the one that forged ahead under any cost? Where's the Matriarch that put the best of the clan ahead of her own? You… You said you couldn't see me under such suffering, but the clan needs their Matriarch! I am the only one with the training to be the leader, training I received from you! You should know better! I would have survived! It would have sucked, yes, but I would have survived!" Said Shenzi, exasperated. Hatari scratched the back of her neck, looking guilty.
"Well, I was just trying to help you…" Said Hatari.
"Mom, you're different than what I remember. I bet it's this place. If there is no conflict up here, you let yourself get soft. Well, I can assure you, I'm not going to let that happen to me." Shenzi turned around, and started to walk away. "But I still love you, nothing's going to change that." She called back in a whisper.
Shenzi looked around taking in the scenery around her for the first time. It was a wide, open savannah, with trees dotting the landscape. There were herds of animals of in the distance, but Shenzi doubted they had to fear being hunted. She didn't feel hungry right now, and she doubted she ever would.
If she really was stuck here.
"Shenzi, wait for me!" Called Hatari, as she ran up next to her daughter. Shenzi scowled.
"Stay away from me, all right? I'm going to figure out how to get out of this place." Muttered Shenzi, not looking at Hatari.
"Shenzi, there is no way out. This is heaven! This is the stars! Enjoy yourself, because here, you can!" Urged Hatari.
"I don't need your help mom! I've had enough of it!" Barked Shenzi irritably, as she sped up to a trot. Suddenly, a new voice entered their conversation.
"Shenzi? Is that you?" Said a surprised voice. Shenzi turned to look, and to her own surprise, saw Sarabi.
"Sarabi!" Snarled Shenzi, as she unsheathed her claws. Sarabi backed up, her expression one of confusion. Shenzi narrowed her eyes, growling. She had completely forgotten that there would be other lions here as well. How the hell did anyone get along if these two species were living next to each other in the afterlife?
"What's the problem?" Asked Sarabi, as she stared at Shenzi.
"What do you mean? Stay back, you filthy lioness." Growled Shenzi, baring her teeth.
"What for?" Asked Sarabi.
"Well…. Because I frankly don't feel like getting injured again." Replied Shenzi, also getting confused by Sarabi's reaction.
"What do you mean by injured? You can't get injured here, and I certainly wouldn't be the one to do it." Replied Sarabi.
"You wouldn't fight me!? But…. We hate each other!" Exclaimed Shenzi.
"We used to hate each other. Past tense. There's no need for hate if we're both already dead." Said Sarabi, smiling.
"That's not… No, you're insane." Stuttered Shenzi, feeling caught completely off guard.
"Nope. Just logical. We can't hurt each other, and there's nothing at stake. So fighting is completely pointless. And come on Shenzi…. Don't you feel at peace?" Asked Sarabi.
"At peace!? Why would I feel at peace? I just died! Why would that ever make me feel at peace?" Snorted Shenzi.
"What kind of question is that?" Said Sarabi, looking confused again. Shenzi glanced at Hatari, who seemed to share Sarabi's befuddlement.
Everyone was acting so weird.
"Wait, Shenzi, you mean you didn't feel calm or anything like that when you died?" Asked Hatari, suddenly joining their conversation.
"How about hell no?" Replied Shenzi.
"That's….. Strange." Reacted Sarabi.
"What, is every creature supposed to feel calm or something after they die? Cause I don't know about you, but I think it would be quite the opposite." She remarked.
"No, it really is strange. Everybody experiences a feeling of peace when they die, and being here allows us to utilize it. It's mostly why no one fights here. No one has their hate anymore." Explained Sarabi.
"Well maybe it's simply because I didn't want to die." Said Shenzi, as she rolled her eyes impatiently.
"No, even if you wanted to live, you still have it. It should be unavoidable…." Said Hatari.
"I guess I'm special." She remaked sarcastically, as she went on. "But in any case, is everybody here then peaceful? You can throw insults at them, and they won't insult you back?" She asked.
"No one here insults another." Replied Sarabi.
"I just did. I called you a filthy lioness. And you didn't fight back. Well, I guess I answered my own question. I have a few lions to talk to." Said Shenzi, finding herself grinning.
"What would you say to them?" Asked Hatari, as she surveyed her daughter.
"Just some things I've been waiting to say ever since they stuck me in a rotten decaying Graveyard." She replied, as she turned around and walked away.
"Hey… Wait, don't do that!" Cried Hatari, and Shenzi immediately sped up to a sprint. She easily kept up the pace, feeling none of the fatigue that would normally beset her. Letting put a little laugh, enjoying the exhilaration of speed without and sort of hampering. It felt incredibly good.
As she bounded over a hill, she saw a group of male lions sitting in a half circle, discussing whoever the hell knew what. But it didn't matter, she needed information from them. And if Sarabi's behavior was any indication, they would be more than willing to give it.
Skidding to a stop in front of the lions, she turned towards them.
"Hello my unkempt feline friends, I ain't sorry to bother you, but do any of you know where I might find the lion known as Mohatu?" She asked innocently. One of the lions perked up.
"If you're reffering to the former king, I am he." Replied a lion with a bright yellowish mane, a lot lighter than the red manes she was used to. He looked a bit different than she had imagined, but it didn't change what he had done.
"Oh! So you're The cockbiting douchebag who threw the hyenas out of the pridelands! I'm glad I've finally met you! Well now, here's a statement on behalf of all the pups you killed through starvation. Fuck you! And cya later!" And with that, Shenzi turned around and and continued to run full tilt through the open plain.
She glanced back, grinning, in time to see Hatari mouth a quick 'sorry' to the confused lions. She looked ahead, and saw many more lions clustered around a watering hole, with dense clumps of trees surrounding it. And to her mild surprise, there were a lot of hyenas too. She saw no prey animals.
"Shenzi, come back!" Called Hatari, but Shenzi continued on.
This time, she would try to find Ahadi.
Ahadi was a bastard, through and through. He had only ever had love for Mufasa, and had neglected Taka to the point of abuse. And more importantly he hated, absolutely hated hyenas. Now, Shenzi would have the advantage for the first time.
She arrived at the water hole, and disappeared amongst the trees. Hatari wouldn't be able to find her now. Making her way through the foliage, she stumbled upon a clearing, with two lionessess in it.
"Hello there." Said one, as she saw Shenzi approach them.
"Yeah, hi. Have either of you seen a lion called Ahadi? He's got a black mane, and he looks like a brute?" She said describing him brusquely.
"Ahadi? You're lucky, today's one of his few off days. He's at this watering hole actually. He likes to hang out by himself, for whatever reason. He's over that way." Said one of the lionesses, as she pointed in a direction.
"Okay then." Replied Shenzi, as she went off the way the lioness pointed.
"You're welcome!" They called after her, as she pushed her back out of the clearing.
"Airheads." She muttered.
She exited the mini forest, and walked over to another one, exactly where she had been directed. She entered another clump of trees, and found herself in yet another clearing. Only this time, it contained the lion she was lookin for.
"Ahadi!" She exclaimed with over exaggerated exuberance. The dark lion turned to look at her.
"Hello hyena. What's your name?" He asked, an eyebrow cocked.
"My name? Oh, that's thoroughly unimportant." She replied, grinning. It seemed Ahadi was just as docile as everyone else. Perfect. This would be revenge for all those times she had to poach just to survive, and for all those pups that had died. This here was something she had been waiting to do forever.
But since they couldn't hurt one another, she would have to do this differently. Fortunately for her, she figured discomfort would work perfectly.
"Is it?" He replied.
"Oh….. Yes. And besides, my name would mean nothing such as you. You were once a king, weren't you?" She said, smiling innocently.
"Well, yes. King of Pride Rock." He said, with just a little hint of pride in his voice.
"Really? That's very interesting, was it hard being king?" Asked Shenzi.
"There were duties that had to be performed." He answered.
"What type of duties?" She inquired.
"Maintaining the Pridelands. Making sure herds were kept safe. Hunting for food. Offering advice to the animals that needed needed help." He replied.
"And I'm sure that lots of animals came to you for help! I mean, you're probably rather wise, what you had to say was important!" She said. Of course, in reality Ahadi hadn't handled the Pride Lands rather well. Shenzi had hated Mufasa, but he certainly did do his duties better than Ahadi. And as for Ahadi's advice? Shenzi had heard some of it from Taka, and she was sure it was all Uru's doing, whispering answers into his ear.
"I suppose it was, yes." He said, with a little smile on his face.
"Anyways… So how has the afterlife been treating a king like you?" She said, drawing closer to him.
"It's been fine. What everybody else gets, anyways." He said.
"And how do you feel about losing most of your emotions? I mean, it seems everybody here is pretty docile. They're simply happy, no one is…. Passionate." Grinned Shenzi, as she drew up right next to him. He looked at her with confusion.
"Well, I suppose not, but like you said, everyone here is happy. It certainly is a good way to spend the rest of eternity, after the cruel harshness of life." He responded. Huh. It seemed he still had no clue as to what she was alluding to. Oh well, he was going to get it. Real soon.
"That's all well and good, but surely you miss some things from life. Certain… Desires." She said, her voice unnecessarily rich.
"Like what?" He asked.
"Oh come on… Every male has these desires. And only females can settle them, unless I'm wrong. Surely, after all these years in the afterlife, you feel them to some extent!" She said her eyes glinting.
"Oh. So you're reffering to mating." He said, a bit matter of factly.
"Hell yeah big boy. Now, I'm certain you would like that sort of thing settled soon…. Very soon." Shenzi then jumped up onto Ahadi's back, gripping onto his fur. She leaned forward to whisper something into his ear. "In fact, how about now?" She said mischievously.
"Wait…. You're not!"
"Yes." She said, as she jumped off his back to look him in the eyes. And she wasn't disappointed. He was actually turning green. Getting nauseous! Well, at least that was possible in heaven.
"If you'll excuse me." He said shortly, as he walked out of the clearing away from Shenzi. She grinned wider than ever, as she followed him from a short distance back.
She poked her head out of the trees to see Ahadi throwing up into the watering hole, with other animals giving him rather strange looks.
"What a sucker!" She whispered to herself, as she chuckled. It had worked! She started to laugh harder, retreating back into the forest to keep from drawing attention to herself. She let out full on barks of laughter, laughing harder than she had ever thought possible.
"Hey Banzai! Did ya see that? Did you see how green he looked when he…" Suddenly Shenzi faltered. Banzai wasn't here.
Oh.
She had…...forgotten that.
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Well, that was, in fact, a chapter.
And please, nobody leave a review questioning the behavior of the creatures in the afterlife. Because I realize there are some discrepancies.
Anyways, leave a review if you liked this chapter. Guest reviews work too. Constructive criticism accepted. No flaming!