I got this idea from a story called 'A Light for everyone' by Alex Draco. The beginning of this story is similar to the beginning of his. However, my story goes in a bit of a different direction. But it was inspired by that story! You should go check it out, it's very well written in my opinion. One more thing. I am using some of Tearthgrrl OC's, just because they really add to the story. Tearthgrrl hasn't added anything to her profile for three years now, so I figured it would be okay to use some of her OC's. But credit where it's due!
Tearthgrrl OC's:
Maumbu- Ed's big brother, a healer, sort of like Rafiki.
Hasina- Maumbu's mate
By the way, whenever you see : ()()()()()()(()(())(), it means the point of view is changing. Also, I did some research and it turns out that even if a person is totally blind, they will still be able to see random lights and colors, those lights and colors just don't correspond to what is actually in front of them. But for the purpose of this story, total blindness will mean that all the person will be able to see is darkness. No lights or colors, just a black void. To clear things up, 'Macho' means 'vigilant' in swahili. And the name is pronounced 'maco' don't pronounce the ch sound.
Anyways, on with the fanfic!
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Kovu's POV
Kovu grabbed the shore and hauled himself onto dry land, taking the drowned hyena with him. He'd never held his breath for that long before, it was unnatural! Gasping and wheezing, Kovu greedily inhaled the fresh clean air. How long had he been underwater? Was it two minutes? Three? Either way, Kovu never wanted to go swimming ever again.
After he shook himself off, he turned his attention back to the hyena. It was clearly a female, and had been trapped inside a cave that had been filling up with water. Luckily for it, Kovu had seen it enter the cave in the river's current, floundering in the water. He had followed it in, and dragged it's unconscious body back down and out.
Kovu inspected the female hyena, trying to see if it was still breathing. To his surprise, he saw the hyena's chest rise and fall, ever so slightly. It was alive, but barely. What did you do with an animal that had inhaled water?
If a creature had inhaled water, Kovu reasoned water was probably in its lungs. But how to get it out? Maybe if he pushed on the lungs, the water would exit out the throat. Kovu turned the hyena on its back, and hesitantly took his right paw and placed it on the center of the chest. Then, he pushed down with all his might.
The hyena gave a cough, and spat out some of the liquid. Kovu pushed again, and more water came out of its mouth. After a few more tries, a very large amount of water was coughed up. Kovu sat back down, now confident it was all out. All that could be done now was wait.
As the minutes trickled by, the water that perforated Kovu's mane began to dry out. Good thing too, manes took forever to dry, they were thick and held dampness well. As Kovu thought about mane upkeep, the hyena gave another cough and rolled over. Kovu got up, and walked over to the hyena, who was in the process of retching out more liquid.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kovu asked. The hyena, instead of answering, clutched its stomach and continued to throw up the excess water. When it had finished, it wiped its mouth and turned towards Kovu.
"Who are you?" It asked.
"I'm Kovu, the lion who rescued you. You nearly drowned in that cave, but I dragged you out here." Responded Kovu, wanting to make clear that he was not a threat to the hyena.
"You're Kovu? Kiara's mate?" Asked the hyena, who had turned back around and was staring at the river as it rushed by.
"Yeah. That's me." Kovu replied. Then he added, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up in the cave? Why didn't you just swim out, like I did?". At his question, the hyena's expression soured.
"Why didn't I just swim out? For starters, I couldn't see the exits. And If I can't see the exits, I can't find them either. You see, I'm blind. Which makes these sorts of situations infinitely harder." Said the hyena, clearly upset about her disability, since she was scowling as she said it.
"Oh. Your name isn't Shenzi, by any chance, is it?" Said Kovu. Was this the hyena Kiara had rescued a few days ago?
"Yeah, it's Shenzi. The one you clawed just for taking a nap." Shenzi replied scathily.
"Sorry bout that." Said Kovu, unsure about how else he could respond.
"Yeah, I'm sure you are." Murmured Shenzi. They sat in silence for a few seconds, listening to the water rush by.
"Well, no use in standing around here forever." Said Shenzi abruptly, as she turned back in Kovu's direction. "You help me find the other hyenas. The other members of my clan. If there's anyone left that is…." Her voice cracked suddenly, she was clearly worried about what had happened to her friends.
"Right then." Kovu got up and walked over to Shenzi. "So, how does this work, are you supposed to lean on me, or something like that?"
"No. Just start whistling, and I'll follow the sound." Said Shenzi.
"Okay….. I don't know how to whistle though."
"Humming works too. Just create a constant sound." Said Shenzi, clearly impatient. Kovu started to hum, and set off back in the direction of the Pridelands. He looked behind him, and Shenzi was following him.
Despite slipping quite a few times, the hyena didn't do a very bad job of traversing the rocks. She collected some bruises on her neck and skull from falling, but nothing major. Every time she fell, she got back up as quickly as she could, and demanded that Kovu move faster.
As they walked over the black rocks, Kovu saw that the water had begun to calm. There was still a river flowing past them, but it had slowed down significantly, and was pooling. Pretty soon, the Elephant Graveyard would become one big series of lakes. The hyena's home was certainly gone, only fish could ever hope to live here anymore.
Then, ahead of him, he saw Kiara and three other hyenas running toward them, with looks of concern on their faces.
"Kovu! There you are!" Shouted Kiara, as she drew closer.
"Hey Kiara! Where were you all this time?" Asked Kovu, smiling.
"I was helping the hyenas search for more flood survivors. Although I see you've found one." Replied Kiara, gesturing at Shenzi.
"Matriarch Shenzi! You're all right!" Interjected another hyena, as she approached her Matriarch.
"Hi Fahama. Yeah, I'm all right. Sopping wet perhaps, but nothing harmful." Replied Shenzi, as she stared in Fahama's direction.
"What happened Shenzi?" Asked Fahama, as Kovu and Kiara looked on.
"Well, me and Banzai heard from Macho that the river was flooding in, so we went to a hilltop, in hopes of avoiding the waters. Unfortunately, the hill wasn't tall enough. A wave washed over us, and me and Banzai were swept off it. I was rescued from drowning by Kovu over here… Kovu, say something." Ordered Shenzi.
"Oh, uh, like what?" Asked Kovu.
"That works. I was rescued by Kovu over there." Shenzi gestured in Kovu's direction. It seemed Shenzi just had to affirm where Kovu was so she could point to him.
"Anyways, Fahama, tell me, what happened to the rest of the clan, did everyone make it out?" Asked Shenzi, her voice thick with concern. Fahama's eyes fell, and she pawed at the ground, as if she was trying to think of how exactly she would word her next sentence.
"Well?" Repeated Shenzi.
"No, some of us were too far deep in the caves to be notified in time. We can only assume they were drowned when the water flooded the caves." Replied Fahama.
"How many Fahama? How many?"
Fahama gulped before answering. "Twenty two. We haven't found twenty two hyenas yet." Said Fahama. Silence paraded through their group as the exaxt number came out. Then, Shenzi broke up the quietness.
"And Banzai? Have you found Banzai yet?" Asked Shenzi. The way she asked the question made it clear she was asking something she wasn't sure she wanted answered.
"Actually, yes, we have him. He's unconscious, but as we all know, he's got a pretty thick skull. He'll probably be all right." Responded Fahama.
"Oh…. Well, I hope he wakes up soon! Cause I'm going to knock him back out for choosing such a small hill!" Said Shenzi. Kovu noticed how quickly she changed her behavior. First, she was worried about this Banzai, now, she wanted to hit him. Clearly, she had feelings she didn't want revealed. Oh well, none of his business.
"So, should we head back to camp then?" Suggested Kovu. He was eager to get his paws on some soft dirt, where there were no sharp rocks to cut through the pads on his paws.
"Yeah. There isn't much left to do here, we might as well go back." Said Fahama, as she surveyed the assembled animals.
"Alright then. Which way is the camp?" Asked Kovu, talking to Fahama.
"It's on the edge of the river, right on the border. It won't take long to get there." Replied Fahama.
"It had better not. I've had enough of tripping on these blasted stones." Muttered Shenzi.
"Follow me." Said Kiara, who had already turned around and was heading back toward the Pridelands. With that, they all five hyenas and two lions began to make their way back over the rocks. This time, Shenzi was leaning on Fahama, who guided her across the stones and away from holes and other hazards.
Eventually, the camp with the hyenas came into view. Kovu trotted up to it, following Kiara. When the hyena's Matriarch entered the camp, there were a lot of sighs of relief, and many hyenas were happy that their Matriarch made it through. They clearly depended on her for a lot of things.
Shenzi, still guided by Fahama, made her way to a rock that slightly overlooked the assembled hyenas. She climbed on top of it, and once correctly oriented, cleared her throat.
"Okay everyone! Listen up, cause I'm not repeating myself!" She shouted. Pausing for a few seconds, as if to make sure everyone was listening.
"Now, I realize that today, we lost quite a few hyenas. Good, loyal hyenas, who never deserved to die. This flood came without warning, and without remorse. Most of who we lost were our strongest, the ones capable of hunting and fighting. None of the hunting parties survived, for it was too late to warn them. But we still have our clan's future, the pups. Our pups are all still here, miraculously, the weakest of us all made it through. They can still grow up, and become the strongest, to replace those who were swept away mercilessly. But I never wanted them to have to live in the horrible conditions of the Graveyard. And now, this flood has given us no choice. The waters won't recede soon enough for us to move back in. Truthfully, our only option is to treaty with the lions. If we play our cards right, maybe, after all these years of exile, the hyenas will be able to live in the Pridelands again. Maybe, after all these years, we will be able to raise our pups without fear of starvation! In safety! The lions won't be easily persuaded, but we have here, among us, the king's daughter! We have a chance, a real chance now, and I intend to take it. We hyena's don't have to starve, we too can live where the herds are plentiful, alongside the lions, in peace. So take heart, remember those we have lost, and always, always strive for to build our pups a better tommorow."
Shenzi then elbowed Fahama, and then Fahama showed Shenzi back down off the rock. Shenzi was a good speaker, thought Kovu, she made even this horrible situation seem not as bad as it was. No wonder the clan was loyal to her.
Kiara came up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around to greet her.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Come on Kovu, Shenzi wants us to meet with her, to discuss what we have to do next." She replied, as she retracted her paw.
"Oh. What does she want to do next then?" Said Kovu, as he gave a yawn.
"You heard her up there." Responded Kiara, as she flicked her ears at the rock Shenzi was just on. "Obviously, she's going to need us if she's going to secure the remaining hyenas safe harbor in the Pridelands."
"You know, I don't think Simba will ever agree to let hyenas back in." Said Kovu, as he and Kiara walked around the bulk of the hyenas.
"Why not? I know he hates them, but I bet I can convince him. I mean, now that I know hyenas aren't as bad as everyone thinks they are, I can probably give some good arguments." Suggested Kiara optimisticically.
"Well yeah, but sometimes he talked to me about experiences he had with them as a kid. Did you know that Shenzi, the Matriarch, tried to kill him two different times?" Said Kovu.
"Kovu, that was a long time ago. Shenzi isn't like that anymore. She's putting her clan first, and that means she needs to talk to Simba." Replied Kiara
"She's going to have a job of that. I hope Simba isn't in a bad mood." Responded Kovu jokingly.
He and Kiara walked up to Shenzi, who was standing next to a hyena that was rubbing his head.
"Ugh… I'm going to have a headache for months." Complained the hyena.
"That's just the thing about head wounds Banzai. Get used to it." Replied Shenzi.
"Well yeah… but, it still hurts! And Maumbu just shoved a gross tasting plant in my mouth and walked away! What kind of healer is he?" Said Banzai.
"Just shut up will you? I've got more important problems than your comfort." Said Shenzi sarcastically.
"I don't seem to recall you ever considering that a problem. Also, you got visitors." Added Banzai, when he saw the two lions standing next to them.
"Hi Shenzi! We're here, like you asked." Interjected Kiara.
"Oh yeah, well, since you're here, we might as well get the rest of us. Banzai, could you retrieve Fahama, Macho and Ed? I need us all for this decision." Said the Matriarch.
"Right away Shenzi….." Grumbled Banzai, as he trotted of to carry out his order. When he returned, three hyenas were following him. Kovu figured the female was Fahama, and the male was Macho. And Ed was probably the one with his tongue hanging out. The name just seemed to fit.
"Are we all here?" Asked Shenzi, once Banzai reported back in. A chorus of responses quickly echoed throughout their small group. "Good. Well, assuming you all heard me at that rock, you know our next move is treaty with Simba. Unfortunately, he probably won't listen to me. And we don't exactly have anything to offer him. Heck, we just lost a third of our entire group. So we're really in the deep end. With that being said, any suggestions?" Spoke Shenzi.
"Well, I am the king's daughter… And Kovu is the heir, so if we ask Simba politely, and show just how much you've suffered, he'll probably let you guys back in." Said Kiara.
"That wouldn't work. Simba has a deep seated mistrust of you guys. We need to come up with a convincing argument as to why he would let hyenas into the Pridelands." Said Kovu, rejecting Kiara's idea.
"Well, we can't go anyplace else. The desert still surrounds most of the Pridelands, and if Simba doesn't want us in the Pridelands, thirty-six hyenas would be easy picking for a group of lions. Especially half starved ones. The hunting parties never returned, and you lions didn't come with the shipment in time. Our only choice is to hunt right here, but if we hunt in the Pridelands without consent, it would be a death sentence." Added Macho darkly.
"So basically, we have only a few hours to come up with a decision. We're all hungrier than normal, so going without food only further weakens us. We have to find a way to convince Simba real soon." Said Fahama.
Shenzi rubbed her forehead, looking real tired.
"The situation gets worse and worse with every second….. Did we really lose twenty eight hyenas?" Asked Shenzi.
"I'm afraid so. That's the final count." Replied Fahama. Ed let out a whimper.
"Sigh…. We have to act, now. I think Kiara had the best idea. Maybe, if she and Kovu ask, and we appeal to Simba's good side by showing how much we hyenas have lost and have suffered…. We could have a chance." Said Shenzi.
"Wait, are we sure about this?" Said Kovu.
"We can't wait. Shenzi is right that we have to do it now." Replied Macho.
"It's settled then. Tell everyone we're moving out in a few minutes." Ordered Shenzi. Macho, Fahama, Ed, and Banzai turned around to execute the order.
"Now, we hope we catch Simba in a good mood." Said Shenzi.
Kovu turned his gaze away from Shenzi to Pride Rock. Oh, he hoped Simba wouldn't be too angry about this!
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Welp, sorry about the wait, and the short chapter, and only one point of view, but I still hope you enjoyed! It seems the hyenas need to appeal to Simba if they are going to survive. Like Kovu, I hope he isn't too angry when he finds out about this! The next chapter will be the climax, so,,,, Be Prepared! Well then, leave a review if you liked it! It's a fanfiction crime to be following a story but not leave reviews you know. And if you think you spotted some mistakes in the writing, tell me where I messed up! I'm talking more about sentence structure blunders, and not petty grammar and spelling mistakes, but those work too. Remember, I want to improve my writing, and the best way to do it is by correcting things like run-on sentences! So leave a review if you liked it. Constructive criticism accepted. No Flaming!