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.
The point of view is going to be jumping around a lot this chapter, I felt it necessary for this chapter.
Anyways, on with the fanfic!
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Simba's POV
Simba stood on the precipice of Pride Rock, gazing out at the Savannah. The rain had stopped a few hours ago, and he was enjoying the sunset. It really was a beautiful sunset, casting bright rays of sunlight across the sparkling grass. All he was missing was someone to enjoy it with.
As if on cue, Nala came up from behind him and sat down.
"Hey Nala." Said Simba, as he stared at the sun.
"Hi Simba." Replied Nala. On an unspoken agreement, they both sat in silence to watch the sun go down. It felt wonderful to Simba, just him and Nala, and no distractions. The breeze blew through his mane, ruffling it slightly. It was a perfect end to the day, and Simba was happy.
Nothing would interrupt this.
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Kiara's POV
Kiara was suddenly nervous. She had felt so sure of herself a few hours ago, now, as she was about to talk to Simba, she felt her stomach tie itself in knots.
What if he didn't listen to her? What if he refused to help the hyenas? She hoped he would listen to reason, but she knew he sometimes let his emotions get in the way. When Kovu tried to join the pride, he initially was very distrustful, without much reason. Kovu did become friends with Simba eventually, but that took time. Now, they didn't have any time. Either Simba would say yes or no.
Shenzi, Banzai, and the clan healer, Maumbu, followed behind her. The rest of the hyenas were encamped in a grove of trees, to avoid detection. They didn't want to seem threatening, so they only sent a small group ahead to speak with Simba.
Kovu walked next to her, also clearly nervous. He had voiced his anxiety earlier, but now he was showing it with his silence, and hesitant expression. Shenzi also looked worried. She probably knew that if Simba reject their proposal, the hyenas were doomed.
In an attempt to lighten the subdued atmosphere, Banzai and Macho were exchanging wisecracks about lions.
"Hey Maumbu, how do lions pass the time?" Asked Banzai.
"I don't know. How?" Replied Maumbu.
"By lion around!" Said Banzai, with a wide grin on his face.
"Wait, wait, I got one. Okay Banzai, why wasn't the lion honest?" Said Maumbu , with a cocked eyebrow.
"Beats me." Responded Banzai.
"Because then he wouldn't be a lion anymore!" Both Maumbu and Banzai broke out in laughter, chuckling to themselves.
"Man, that one never gets old." Said Banzai, smirking.
"Yeah. Cause I haven't heard it at least a thousand times!" Replied an agitated Kovu.
"Oh come on, don't you lions have a sense of humor?" Said Maumbu.
"Even I am tired of it at this point Banzai." Interjected Shenzi. Currently, she was leaning on Banzai, with one paw over his shoulder. They had discovered it was the best way for Shenzi to travel, since this way, she couldn't trip on rocks.
"Well, someone doesn't like the classics." Retorted Banzai, still grinning.
"Just keep quiet for the rest of this trip okay? We don't need extra aggravation." Replied Shenzi, scowling.
"No need to get angry Shenzi, we'll be there in a few minutes." Said Maumbu, suddenly acting more concerned.
"You're not my therapist Maumbu, I'm fine." Snarled Shenzi.
"No, you're not Shenzi. Listen, just relax. Pretty soon, this will all be over, one way or the other." Replied Maumbu.
"What I'm worried about is it will end the worst way possible." Said Shenzi pessimistically
"You needn't worry Shenzi, I'm his daughter. If anyone can convince him, I sure can." Said Kiara, doing her best to sound confident. Shenzi just gave a noncommittal grunt in reply. Kiara turned back to face Pride Rock. It loomed above, almost oppressively, as the huge shadow spread itself across the Pridelands. The sun would be down pretty soon.
Finally, they reached the base of Pride Rock. Kiara looked up, staring at the ramp that would take them to the dens. Now she felt really nervous. Well, there was no going back now. Taking a quick look back at her companions, she hopped onto the first rock.
Before they reached the main dens, Kiara quickly turned around to speak with their group.
"Okay. I'm going to go get Simba. Just wait here, I'll be right back." She said. They all nodded in agreement. Kiara then hopped up to the den, and looked inside. All the lionesses were inside, not yet asleep, but settling down for the night. But she didn't see Simba anywhere.
She glanced back at the setting sun for a moment. Then, she saw Simba and Nala sitting out on the edge of Pride Rock, watching the sunset. Kiara walked over to them, and tapped Simba on the shoulder.
"Oh hey Kiara! You're back!" Said Simba, as he smiled at his daughter.
"Yeah, uh,,,, hi dad. Hi mom." Replied Kiara nervously.
"Hello sweetie" responded Nala.
"I need you for something dad." Blurted out Kiara.
"Well sure honey, what is it?" Asked Simba, still beaming at Kiara.
"Well, some animals need to meet with you." Said Kiara. Suddenly, her mouth was dry. They were approaching the subject.
"Which animals? Is it the cheetahs? I already solved their problem this morning." Replied Simba.
"No, not the cheetahs. It's…. Someone else." Kiara had begun to sweat. What would Simba say?
"Who is it then?" Repeated Simba.
"I'll just…. I'll just show you." Kiara put on a fake smile. "Follow me!" With that, she turned around, and made her way back down Pride Rock's precipice. She glanced back, and saw Simba was a bit confused, but was following her back.
"What's that peculiar smell on you Kiara?" Simba suddenly asked. Kiara gulped and turned to face her father.
"Well, I might've been rolling around in something earlier, and I haven't yet washed myself off…."
"Well, be sure to make a quick run to the watering hole before you go to sleep. I don't think I can sleep with that scent in the same den." Added Simba, looking serious.
Nala came up to her and sniffed Kiara again, with a suspicious look on her face. Then, Kiara saw a look of comprehension dawn on Nala's face. Kiara quickly flashed her best 'please don't say anything' look at her mom, then gestured to Simba to continue.
They walked back to the den, and Kiara turned right to walk back off Pride Rock. Then, she jumped down, and her parents did the same.
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Banzai's POV
Banzai, Kovu, Shenzi, and Maumbu were waiting patiently for Kiara to return, albeit a bit anxiously. Everything depended on Simba's goodwill, so if he rejected them, the situation would be grim indeed.
"I see her! She's coming this way with Simba." Said Kovu, as he nervously tapped his claws on the rocks. Banzai looked up, and he saw that Kovu was right. When Kiara and Simba jumped down here, he would see them.
Kiara hopped down, with her father just behind her. Simba landed, shook himself off, then looked over at the group.
His smile immediately melted off, replaced with a snarl.
"You! Hyenas, what are you doing here!" He thundered. Kiara jumped in front of her father to explain.
"Wait dad! Wait, they're just here to talk, all the they want is to talk to you." She said.
"Kiara, you're helping them! Hyenas? Why?" Asked Simba, confused.
"Listen kingy, Kiara's right. As much as you may hate us, we really need to talk to you." Interrupted Shenzi.
"Talk? About what?" Glared Simba.
"We need your help Simba, so we've come to ask you for it. Don't worry, we're not planning another coup." Said Shenzi.
"Help? You need my help?" Spat Simba angrily.
"Just hear us out, that's all we ask." Said Shenzi, pleading.
"Come on daddy, just hear them out." Added Kiara. Simba looked conflicted. On one paw, he looked like he wanted to tear out their throats. One the other, his duties as a king and the askance of his daughter made him want to listen to Shenzi.
"Fine. Fine. I'll hear you out. But if any of you three do anything even slightly suspicious, my lionesses will be on you in a flash." Growled Simba, as he gestured at the hyenas and dig his claws into the ground. Note to self, thought Banzai, don't make Simba angry.
"Come up here. We're going to do this in the cave." Added Simba, as he climbed back up to the den. Nala did the same, and after a few minutes of hesitation, they followed.
When they got up, Banzai saw Simba roar into the den, waking up the lionesses. He marched in, and sat down on the rock Scar always sat on. Banzai supposed all the kings sat there regularly.
At Simba's command, the lionesses lined up at the edges of the den, making way for the hyenas to enter. The three of them went in, with Shenzi still leaning on Banzai. He felt her muscles tense. They weren't in friendly territory.
"Okay then. You requested an audience, now you've got one. What exactly do you want from me?" Asked Simba, who scowled at them. Banzai looked nudged Shenzi, and she cleared her throat. Hopefully she would know what to say. Banzai didn't doubt her intelligence, but these lions made him nervous.
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Shenzi's POV
Shenzi cleared her throat, preparing to speak. Simba didn't sound very accommodating at the moment, so she wouldn't waste time.
"Well, your majesty, put simply, we, the hyenas, need your help." She started. "Early this morning, the river that marks the western boundary of your Pridelands swelled to the breaking point, due to all the rain we've been having recently. The ridge at our border was broken through, and the Graveyard was flooded. It is now completely inhospitable, with no chance of hyenas being able to live there again. We lost a good many clanmates during the flood, and now our numbers are as thin as ever. All we ask is a small portion of the Pridelands, where we may hunt, and support ourselves."
"You want permission to hunt on the Pridelands? Why would I ever grant you permission?" Sneered Simba.
"Because we're starving! The food in the Graveyard was few and far between, but at least there was a little! We only lost the weakest to starvation. Now, we're going to lose everyone without food. And your Pridelands is the only provider for miles upon miles around." Said Shenzi.
"You hyenas denied yourselves that right when you over hunted during Scar's reign." Retorted Simba.
"That was due to the drought! Not our doing!" Replied Shenzi. Surely he didn't think the Pridelands were in such bad conditions during that time because of them!
"You supported Scar. And that is enough to keep you out of the Pridelands forever." Leered Simba.
"We only helped him because he promised us food! We were starving even back then, so when a lion tells us all we have to do for some meat is to start a stampede, we took it!" Yelled Shenzi. She waited for his response, hoping to convince Simba once and for all that the hyenas weren't as bad as he thought they were.
"Uh oh." Banzai muttered next to her. Uh oh? Uh oh about what?
"Wait, that was you?" Came Simba's voice. Shenzi gulped. She made a mistake. Simba didn't know it was them that had caused the stampede. And she had just told him it was the hyenas who were standing in his very throne room.
"You started the stampede? You were the ones who made the wildebeest run through that gorge?" Snarled Simba, sounding very, very angry.
"Oh… Well, sort of… I mean… Scar told us too, and, well, we scared the wildebeest into a gorge,,,, and well.." But she never finished her sentence. For at that moment, she felt something slam into her, and pin her onto her back.
"Gah!" She yelled in surprise. Next to her, she heard Banzai give an 'oof' of surprise, as if the wind had been knocked out of him. And of course, right above her, she heard the snarling of a lion. Just perfect.
"Get off of me!" She yelped, when Simba's claws dug into her shoulders, pinning her forelegs to her sides.
"No. I've had enough of you hyenas. You're going to get out of here, and leave. Or I will chase you all out myself." Threatened Simba.
"What! No, you can't do that!" Cried Shenzi. "We can't survive outside of the Pridelands! There's no food in the outlands!"
"Well, that's just too bad for you then." Growled Simba menacingly.
"No, you stinking lions! Just because you're bigger and stronger, you think you can push us around! You know, I think it was your grandfather who exiled us to the Graveyard, and do you know why? Mohatu messed up in a decision, and he needed a scapegoat to blame the mistake on! And he chose us! And ever since then, you lions wonder why we hate you! Why we always fought you every step of the way! When we joined Scar, it was because we were starving, but also because we finally had a chance at revenge. So when we started that stampede, we did it with zeal. And when we found your father's dead body, you'd better believe we spat on it!" Shenzi yelled. All her anger and confusion throughout her life was in that statement. It was unfair that the lions could live in paradise, while the hyenas in hell. And when she was blinded, things only got worse. So it felt good to finally yell her frustrations at what was causing it.
Shenzi then heard Simba's growls pause, and she knew she had gone too far. She felt one of his claws retract out of her shoulder, and his weight redistributed onto his left side. It wasn't a mystery as to what he was preparing to do.
"Say goodbye Shenzi." Simba snarled.
Well, it looked like this was it. At least she met her end while insulting a lion. There weren't many better ways to go. She braced herself for whatever it felt like to have your own throat torn out.
Suddenly, Simba's weight vanished, as if he was thrown off her.
"Time to go! Said Banzai, as she felt him grab her from behind, and quickly drag her backwards. She got back up to her feet quickly, and felt both Banzai and Maumbu press up against her from either side, growling. From all around her, she heard lionesses snarl, and the snarls were coming closer.
"Stay back!" Came Banzai's voice, probably yelling at the lionesses encircling them.
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Kiara's POV
Kiara got up, and looked over at her father, who shook himself off and looked back at her with an expression of vast disappointment. She had just lunged at him to knock him off Shenzi to stop him from killing her. Clearly, he did not approve.
"We'll talk about this later Kiara." Said Simba, now looking angry, as he walked out to chase the hyenas. Kiara watched him leave, now afraid. He was still going to kill Shenzi!
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Banzai's POV
They were surrounded! The lionesses had them on every side! Out of the frying pan, and into the fire!
"Banzai listen. I'm going to distract the lionesses best I can. You take Shenzi and run!" Whispered Maumbu, as they stood in the center of the circle.
"Do it Maumbu! But nothing too stupid! Ordered Shenzi. Maumbu then suddenly ran at one of the lions as fast as he could, and made to jump at it. The lioness reared up, preparing to intercept. At the last moment, Maumbu slid, and clawed the underbelly of the lion, leaving a long gash on it's chest and stomach.
Banzai took his chance right then, and directed Shenzi toward the fallen lioness. They ran around Maumbu, and made for ramp that lead down Pride Rock. Behind them, Maumbu leaped to the side to avoid the claws of a vengeful lion.
They had almost made it when Simba leaped out from the cave, baring his teeth at the fleeing hyenas.
"Darnit!" Cried Banzai. He shoved Shenzi to the side, and followed suit just in time to avoid Simba's claws. Catching the lion off-balance, Banzai then lunged at Simba, and pushed him over.
"Hurry up Banzai!" Called Shenzi. Banzai ran back to Shenzi, intent on making a run for it with her, when he realized where they were. They were backed against a wall! Turning back around, he saw Simba get up, and he still blocked the ramp.
"Okay Shenzi, we've got to climb, that's all we gotta do." He said, doing his best to reassure himself. The wall was at an angle, so it should be possible for them to scramble up it.
"Climb? Climb where?" Asked Shenzi.
"Here!" Banzai grabbed Shenzi by the scruff of her neck, and hoisted her against the cliff face. She dug her claws into the rocks, then Banzai followed suit. Guiding her, they made it up the first few feet in a few seconds. Good thing too, because Simba was right below them.
Simba was snarling at them, unable to follow, because the paw holds they were using were too small for the big paws of a lion.
"You Hyenas! I'll tear your throats right out of your necks!
"Quickly, quickly." Muttered Banzai, as He fearfully glanced back down. He saw Maumbu had made a break for it, with gashes on his rump and on his back. He ran down the rocks bleeding, with lionesses on his tail.
"Banzai, I am hurrying! It's you that's too slow!" Retorted Shenzi. Below them, Simba saw where they were going, and had rushed of to use an alternate route to beat them to it.
"We got to beat Simba to the first edge! If we make it up to a cliff edge first, we can make a run for it! But if Simba gets there first, we'll be pulling a second Mufasa!" Said Banzai.
"Well then hurry!" Repeated Shenzi. Banzai looked up past the rocks he was clawing at. A cliff edge was only a few feet above them! They were almost there!
Banzai hauled himself over the side, and then helped Shenzi up as well. They had made it!
"We're up! Let's go!" Said Banzai. Suddenly, off to the side, Simba appeared, and roared at them in anger.
"Oh come on!" Shouted Banzai. He grabbed Shenzi again and pulled her along as he ran the other way on the cliff. Behind them, Simba ran at them, and he was gaining fast.
"Oh crap… Well, let's try this!" Said Banzai, as he suddenly stopped and slashed at a pile of rocks that were precariously balanced on the edge. The rock pile fell over, causing a small avalanche on the side of Pride Rock. He and Shenzi jumped out of the way, but Simba had to stop to let the rocks tumble through before he could proceed.
"Yes! Come on Shenzi!" Cried Banzai, as they continued on their way along the cliff.
Eventually, they reached an area where the cliffside ended.
"Dead end! What!" Said Banzai, complaining to no one in particular.
"Did you say dead end? Banzai, you had better not have picked a path with a dead end." Said Shenzi.
"I'm working on it, no need to get frustrated." Retorted Banzai. He looked at the area where the cliff ended. A few feet out, maybe within jumping distance, it started again. If they leaped over there, they could continue on their way.
"Well, just let me try something. If it works, I'll come get you." Said Banzai. He left Shenzi's side, and prepared to make the leap. He backed up slightly, then ran forward and pushed off with his back legs as hard as he could. He made the jump easily, even Shenzi could probably do it while blind.
Then, he turned around to call back to Shenzi, and what he saw nearly gave him a heart attack. There, standing in front of Shenzi, was Simba, with one of his paws raised.
And Shenzi didn't see it.
"Shenzi!" He cried desperately.
Shenzi turned toward his voice and asked as if nothing was wrong.
"What?"
But that was the last thing she said before before Simba brought his paw down, and hit her hard on the side. She gave a yip of surprise, then tumbled over the edge.
Right over the edge of Pride Rock.
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Welp, cliffhanger! Almost literally, except no one is hanging onto anything. Just falling.
And you want to know the best part? I won't even be updating this over the weekend, because I'm going to a cabin with no internet. And you want to know what makes this even better? I myself haven't yet actually decided if I'm going to have Shenzi live through this, or die in the fall. Don't get me wrong, Shenzi is my favorite character, but what an ending if she gets killed here! Anyways, don't hate me for it if she does die. In fact, I've got an idea! How about you guys vote in the reviews which fate you want to befall her. If you want her to live, leave a review telling me that! If you want her to die, do the same.
Also, just so y'all know, I'm not trying to demonize Simba. Kindness is part of his character, it's just that for this story, he really hates the hyenas, and tries to get them to leave. But when Shenzi accidentally tells him they started the Stampede, his anger gets the best of him.
It's a fanfiction crime to be following a story but not review you know! If you spotted some grammatical errors, tell me where they were, and I'll correct it. The only way for my writing to improve is like this!
Cya in the next chapter!