The long awaited chapter 5! I'm sorry to keep this waiting, because of life and other projects. But I hope you like it!
Demona was sitting in the sun with the other lionesses later that afternoon for she over time eventually began to be a bit more social around them, though she still wouldn't mention her past.
Serafina was busy giving her cub Nala a bath when Simba arrived, an eager look on his face. Demona tilted her head. "What's gotten you so excited young one?" She asked tiredly for the heat of the day made her feel sleepy.
"I heard about this great place!" Simba told his friend. Nala glared. "Simba! I'm kind of in the middle of a bath!" Sarabi then grabbed Simba togive him his. Demona smiled as Simba complained she was messing up his mane. He pulled himself free then.
"Ok, ok I'm clean. Can we go now?"
"So where are we going? It better not be anyplace dumb," Nala said irritatedly. Simba grinned. "No, it is very cool." Demona raised her brow. "And where I might ask?" Sarabi nodded to Simba who flinched, then grinned innocently. "Around the water hole," he said nervously. Nala looked rather disgusted. "The water hole? What's so great about it?" She huffed. Demona herself enjoyed the water hole where she sometimes found her own private place to relax in.
"You might enjoy it this time of day," she told Nala. Simba nodded with a smile before whispering to Nala quietly. Nala then looked interested. "Uh, Mom, can I go with Simba?" She asked. Serafina looked at Sarabi. "What do you think, Sarabi?" Sarabi didn't know at first. But Demona had to smile at the cub's Bambi eyes and pleas that it was enough to win the old lioness over.
"As long as Zazu and Demona go with you," she said, looking at Demona with a questioning look. Demona nodded to her.
"I'll keep an eye on them," she said softly, going with the cubs who were complaining about Zazu.
….
The bird joined with them while going out and the four of them made their way to the watering hole. Demona though didn't know what Simba actually had planned after learning of it from Scar.
But she was curious. Making sure the bird was out of earshot Demona spoke to the cubs.
"Are we really going to the watering hole?" Demona questioned in suspicion. Simba looked at his aunt before lowering his head.
"Uh, we're actually headed to an Elephant Graveyard," he said sheepishly. Nala looked excited.
"Wow!" Demona quieted her. "Don't let Zazu hear you." She hissed. "Sorry," Nala whispered.
"How come you didn't tell me right away?" Demona demanded. "And who told you?"
"Er, Uncle Scar…" Simba said, now feeling guilty. Demona's eyes flashed. That Scar was always up to no good.
"You shouldn't listen to him, he tried to get at me many times before you were born," Demona growled softly. Simba looked a little shocked, but his face then looked pleading again.
"But Demona maybe this could be my chance to prove to dad how brave I am," he said. "And we're only going for a quick look. Promise," he added. Demona sighed a bit, she herself hadn't seen the place and perhaps it couldn't hurt as long as they were careful and ditched Zazu, for he wouldn't approve. She nodded.
"Alright, but you two stay with me. Do you have a plan to get rid of Zazu?" Simba smirked. "Follow my lead," he said.
What led on was allowing Zazu at first to talk to Nala and Simba about their arranged marriage. But then Demona led the two cubs away while he kept talking through the animal herds along with Simba saying 'well, singing' about how he can't wait to be king; ending with a finale of animals forming a tower for Nala and Simba standing on it while Demona watched, but not joining in, for she wasn't much of a singer.
But then out of the corner of her eye she saw a small meerkat looking irritated. "Knock it off!" He shouted, hitting an elephant's foot with a stick. This caused the animal tower to fall down. Fortunately the cubs jumped then and Demona made sure they didn't break anything, catching them then racing away as a rhino landed on Zazu.
"I beg your pardon, Madam. But… get… off! Simba? Demona? Nala!" He called in a muffled voice.
….
After running as far as the trio could they slowed down. Demona grinned a little. "That was pretty clever," she said to Simba. She kind of liked sometimes how sly he was like her. Simba grinned, too. "I am a genius." Nala glared. "Hey, genius, it was my idea." "Yeah, but I pulled it off!"
The two of them then began a play fight, Nala pinning Simba each time. But they eventually rolled down a steep hill. Demona rushed after them. "Are you alright?" She asked. Simba nodded until a geyser erupted next to them; revealing the Elephant Graveyard.
Demona's mouth fell open a bit; she never saw anyplace like it before. Skeletons everywhere, geysers, and such. Plus it was drier than any other part of the savannah.
They explored a bit, until coming across a giant skull of an elephant, though more like a mammoth from Demona's POV.
"I wonder if it's brains are still in there," Nala asked. Demona shook her head. The brains would have withered away overtime. But Simba looked too curious about what was inside. "There's only one way to know. C'mon, let's go check it out."
Before Demona made a move something got there first; Zazu. Just great, she thought, rolling her eyes.
"The only checking out you'll do would be to check out of here! We're way beyond the boundaries of the Pridelands!" Simba smirked. "Look, Banana Beak is scared," he teased. Zazu huffed. "It's Mr. Banana Beak to you, Fuzzy. And Demona, I thought you knew better!" Zazu scolded them. Demona went to a defense.
"I was making sure they wouldn't get hurt," she snapped back. Zazu folded his wings.
"But that's no reason to parade into a place like this! We could all be in great danger!" They lost sight of Simba as he snuck around them to the mouth of the elephant skull.
"Danger? Huh! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger, ha ha!" He laughed. Demona had a small prick of dread now.
"Simba, get back here!" She called, right as familiar laughter echoed everywhere. Simba did, mostly from the laughs, hiding behind Demona and Zazu. Three familiar hyenas showed from the skull, laughing madly, excited at seeing a free meal being presented.
Demona growled, but didn't attack right away because she knew one lone lioness couldn't take on three alone, even with her fighting moves taught to her by Mufasa. She didn't want the hyenas to wound her and leave the cubs helpless.
Shenzi smirked. "Well, well, Banzai. What have we got here?" Banzai grinned too. "Hmm, I don't know Shenzi. What do you think, Ed?" All Ed did was laugh as usual, as they came closer.
"It looks like a group of trespassers to me, and you, the little thief who stole our food," hissed Shenzi. Demona's fur bristled from the accusation.
"We just made a wrong turn, I was going to bring them home," Demona stated, shooing the cubs in the other direction. Zazu nodded. "Yeah, a simple navigational error—." Shenzi stepped on his tail feathers.
"Wait, wait. I know you; you're Mufasa's little stooge," she sneered. Zazu glared at her, pulling his feathers free.
"I, Madam, am the king's major-domo," Zazu snapped back.
Banzai sneered at Demona. "Oh, we'll have much fun with you. And Mufasa won't be here to save you." Demona just gladed back. Simba growled. "Don't threaten my aunt!" He snarled. Banzai then turned to look at Simba. "And that will make you?" He asked, circling them.
"The future king," Simba said back, baring his teeth. Shenzi just smirked. "Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdom?"
Demona just growled, keeping Simba near her. "You won't scare him," she snarled. Zazu chuckled nervously. "Uh, technically they can, we are on their land." Simba was confused. "But Zazu, you told me they're nothing but slobbering mangy stupid poachers," Demona nudged the cub. "Not in front of them," she hissed, though they could hear. Zazu's eyes darted back and forth. "Exnay on the upidstay," he said. Banzai snarled.
"Who are you calling upidstay?" He demanded. Demona used this distraction to shoo the cubs away, only to be blocked by Shenzi.
"What's the hurry? We'd love for you to stick around for dinner…" she purred. Demona bared her teeth at her in response. "Yeah! We can have whatever's lion around!" Banzai chuckled at his joke. Shenzi then did her own lame pun while Zazu helped the lion trio find an escape path away from the predators.
Banzai then noted something wrong when seeing the lions and bird weren't present. "Hey, did you order this dinner to go?" He asked Shenzi. The female raised a brow. "No, why?" Banzai rolled his eyes. "'Cause there they go!" He growled. The three turned for the chase, the lions running for it and Zazu who was unfortunate to get caught.
They ran a good distance until they couldn't smell them anymore. Demona panted. "I think we lost them," She said. But then Simba looked worried. "But Aunt Demona, where's Zazu?" Demona felt her worry then grow too; for he must've been taken down.
"Come on, let's get him," she said to the cubs who followed behind her. The hyenas meanwhile were threatening to boil Zazu alive.
They put him into what they called the Birdie Boiler. Zazu whimpered. "Oh no, not the Birdie Boiler!" He screamed, as the hot water steam blasted him away, making the hyenas laugh.
"Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Simba snapped. Demona couldn't help but admire Simba's bravery. Shenzi suddenly grinned evilly. "Like you?"
His ears flattened. "Oops." "RUN!" Demona yelled, nudging her cubs to run, the hyenas on their tail. But then they nearly ran into them by a geyser, scaring them in running the other way, scrambling over elephant bones.
The trio struggled over a huge pile of bones. But then Demona felt someone was missing.
"Simba! Demona!" Screamed Nala. Aunt and Nephew turned around, gasping in horror at the sight of their friend falling towards the hyenas. Demona and Simba charged to save her. Before Demona could do a move Simba beat her by scratching Shenzi's cheek. She snarled in response. Demona grabbed Simba and Nala by their scruffs and pulled them away from danger.
They kept running until hitting a dead end. Nala and Simba tried climbing but fell, caught by Demona. She ushered them behind her, fur bristling and seeing the hyenas closing in, snarling.
"Here, kitty, kitty…" Banzai leered. But then to Demona's surprise Simba tried to roar, but it was just a weak mew, making them laugh.
"Was that it? Do it again, come on…" Shenzi taunted. Demona snarled loudly, ready to defend while Simba did another, but instead a huge roar came. Demona blinked.
"Simba?" She gasped. Simba shook his head, eyes round, until another someone jumped the hyenas; Mufasa.
Demona felt her ears fall, tail drooping in shame; since she had been the one to get them here besides Simba and just watched while Mufasa bit and clawed the hyenas until they were pinned. He snarled at them to stay away from his son, making them run for it.
Zazu landed next to Mufasa, smiling, but Mufasa just glared. He turned and glared at Demona too, making her flush a little, looking away. Simba approached.
"Dad, I…"
"You deliberately disobeyed me," Mufasa said angrily. Simba looked sad. "But dad… I'm sorry—."
"Let's go home." He simply said, leading them out. Demona stayed behind the cubs. She never felt so ashamed before, she didn't enjoy it. It must've been how Goliath felt when she betrayed him. Demona had betrayed Mufasa's trust and now was afraid of the punishment she might get. She vaguely heard Nala say softly to Simba she thought he was very brave, but didn't pay mind, too lost in her own feelings.
They didn't even notice a certain scarred lion watching from above, eyes narrowed at his failed mission but kept a lustful watch on that pretty lioness with them, one day, she will be his for good after he got the throne for himself. His next plan should prove it!
Had to cut this short because of time. But hoping to have the stampede come soon!
Oh, and Happy New Year for 2022! New Years Eve tomorrow! How time flies! :)