*Chapter 8: The Elephant Graveyard*
Simba, Nala, and Ajani ran with joy as they had just succeeded in escaping from Zazu and were about to head to the Elephant Graveyard. Nia caught up with them and tried to catch her breath.
"Alright! It worked!" Simba said with joy.
"We lost him!" Nala said.
"That was a fun experience." Ajani said with a chuckle.
"I am a genius." Simba said with pride. Nala looked to him with a glare.
"Hey, genius! It was my idea."
"Hey, you guys-" Nia started to speak but got cut off by Simba's bragging.
"Yeah, but I pulled it off."
"With me!" Nala argued.
"Oh yeah?" And the young prince pounced at his friend, but Nala managed to flip him over and shove him down, pinning him to the ground.
"Pinned ya!" Nala said with a giggle.
"Hey! Let me up!" Simba groaned as he lightly pushed the cub off him. Ajani laughed at the scene as Nala was about to walk away with a prideful look on her face. That was until Simba pounced at her once more and the two rolled down a hill, causing Nia to gasp and follow after them. Ajani followed after the cubs by sliding down the steep ledge. Both Nia and Ajani made it down to see Nala flip Simba over on his back, pinning him down once more.
"Pinned ya again!"
"Guys, you really can't be in this place-" Nia was about to finish until suddenly however, the trio gasped in shock and looked to see smoke shooting out of a geyser. Once the smoke cleared up, they realized they had finally reached the Elephant Graveyard! The two lion cubs and the boy walked up a small hill which held a massive elephant skull. Nia's ears lowered as she had no choice but to follow them.
"This is it. We made it." Simba said. He and Nala got onto one of the elephant's tusks and Ajani knelt down beside them as the two cubs exclaimed in amazement at the sight of all the elephant bones and skeletons. Nia stood behind with worry on her face. She looked around for anything that could be watching them.
"Nia, you've been here before?" Simba asked the young hyena.
"It's not a fun place to be." Nia replied. "You three need to leave right now." Ajani turned back to her as the cubs continued to watch the view.
"What're you doing back there anyway? You spooked some animals." He asked.
"Ajani, please listen to me. You really can't be here with Simba and his friend. Something bad is going to happen in any minute." Nia said. She leaned up towards Ajani in a whisper. "Hyenas live here. And I can't let them, or Scar see me."
"Scar?" Ajani asked. "What does he have to do with this?" Nia was about to answer until the lion cubs where about to enter the skull.
"I wonder if its brains are still in there." Nala asked.
"There's only one way to know. Come on, let's go check it out!" Simba was about to go inside until Zazu came out of nowhere and got in their faces. Nia knew there is no point in hiding now. If only she is allowed to speak to any Pride Lander other than Simba, Nala, Ajani, to understand she is nothing like those hyenas.
"Wrong! The only checking out you will do will be to check out of here! We're way beyond the boundary of the Pride Lands!"
"Look! Banana Beak is scared!" Simba chuckled.
"That's Mr. Banana Beak to you, fuzzy! And right now, we are all in very real danger!" Zazu said as he poked Simba's nose and looked on worryingly. He saw Nia and let out a yelp. "Ack! A hyena! Shoo! Shoo! Get!" He ushered her away, but she remains in her spot.
"Zazu, wait! She's a friend! This is Nia." Ajani said. "Look, we were just leaving. Nia was warning us to go."
"A friend? But hyenas are our enemies." Zazu said.
"But not all of them are." Nia spoke. "I promise you. I mean no harm to you or your pride. And Simba, you and everyone else must leave before danger comes!"
"Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side." Simba laughed as he walked in front of the skull. "I laugh in the face of danger. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Suddenly, everyone heard cackling laughter come from inside of the skull, causing Simba to gasp in alarm and run back to hide behind the group. Taking quick action, Ajani grabbed his spear from behind him, stood in front of the cubs and Zazu. But soon enough, fear and shock started to overtake the boy as he saw the very same hyenas that tried to attack Sarabi and him laughing and walking out of the elephant's skull. Nia had a fear all over her face, knowing she will be getting it from running away when she was very small.
"Well, well, well, Banzai. What have we got here?" The female hyena spoke.
"Hmm, I don't know, Shenzi. What do you think, Ed?" The male hyena replied while turning to the third hyena. Ed replied with a weird laugh and his tongue sticking out. Banzai sneered as the three of them came close to Simba, Nala, Ajani, Nia, and Zazu. "Yeah, just what I was thinking. A group of trespassers!"
"And quite by accident, let me assure you. A simple navigational error." Zazu said with a nervous laugh and tried to leave. He was stopped however as Shenzi placed her paw down on Zazu's tail feathers, saying while peering close to him.
"Woah, woah, wait, wait, wait... I know you. Your Mufasa's little stooge!"
"I, madam, am the king's majordomo!" Zazu replied, pulling his tail feathers away. Banzai and Ed circled around Simba, Nala, Nia, and Ajani.
"And that'll make you..." Banzai said.
"The future king!" Simba said bravely.
"Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdom?" Shenzi asked as she joined in with the hyenas.
"Don't touch us or else!" Ajani said, gripping on his spear. Banzai stopped and growled at the boy.
"Hey! It's the one who could understand us! And you stopped us from killing-" A paw went over his mouth to shut him up as Shenzi gave the boy a smirk.
"So, it's been a while, huh human cub?" She asked with a chuckle. "I was hoping we'd meet again. And I like to thank you for...bringing this cub back here." She looked down at Nia who backed away from the hyenas. "Welcome back, Nia. We really missed you."
"I didn't come back. This is not my home." Nia told her. "The Pride Lands is my home!"
"Does Mufasa know about that? Did he welcome you?" Banzai asked. Nia looked away in silent. Ed giggled a bit. "Now that you are back, why don't you stay for dinner?"
"No way!" Nia argued.
"Nia is our friend! As long as I am here, you all have to face me!" Ajani said.
"Yeah! You can't do anything to us!" Simba said with a look, being brave.
"Uhh…technically they can. We are on their land." Zazu said with a nervous grin.
"But Zazu, you told me and Ajani that they're nothing but slobbery mangy stupid poachers." Simba argued as Zazu gestured for him to be quiet.
"Ix-nay on the oopid-stay..."
"Who you callin' oopid-stay?!" Banzai asked with a glare.
"My, my, my. Look at the sun! It's time to go!" Zazu said as he and the others tried to make a run for it. But Shenzi stopped them and said as Nia glared up at her.
"What's the hurry? We'd love for you to stick around for dinner."
"Yeah! We could have whatever's...'lion' around! Get it? Lion around?" Banzai added, laughing at his own pun. Nia shook her head at the puns.
"Oh wait! Wait! Wait! I got one, I got one. Make mine a 'cub' sandwich. Whatcha think?" Shenzi laughed at her own joke. Nia gestured everyone silently to make a run for it as the hyenas are laughing at the puns. Ajani nodded and led the cubs and the hornbill away from them. Then, Ed jumped up and started gesticulating and jabbering, pointing into the left direction. "What, Ed? What is it?" Shenzi asked as she ceased her laughter. Banzai looked into the direction that Ed was pointing at.
"Hey, did we order this dinner to go?" He asked.
"No. Why?" Shenzi asked.
"CAUSE THERE IT GOES!" Banzai shouted as he watched Simba, Nala, Zazu, and Ajani running away from them. Nia smiled a bit as her friends were about to leave this place but frowned when the hyenas started to chase after them. The two cubs, the boy, and the hornbill ran as fast as they could, passing by skeletons to get away from the hyenas. During midflight, Zazu squawked in alarm after being caught by one of the hyenas. After running for a while, Simba, Nala, and Ajani stopped in an open space to catch their breathes.
"Did we lose 'em?" Nala asked.
"I think so." Simba replied, catching his breath. Ajani looked around and see Zazu is nowhere around them.
"Wait...where's Zazu?" He asked.
The trio ran around to find the hyenas tormenting Zazu near one of the boilers. Banzai taunted as he grabbed Zazu by the wings, walked him over, and shoved him into one of the boilers, plugging it up. And the boiler erupted, causing the poor hornbill to scream as he shot off like a rocket, sending him far away from the elephant graveyard. The hyenas laughed hysterically at the scene until Simba shouted to them, standing above them alongside Nala and Ajani.
"Hey! Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?"
"Like...you?" Shenzi retorted with a glare.
"Oops." Simba said, regretting his actions.
"Run for it!" Ajani shouted as he blocked Shenzi's attacked with his spear. The cubs started running as Ajani followed them. They were stopped however as the hyenas poked their heads in front of them through another boiler shouting.
"BOO!" They all gasped in alarm as the hyenas laughed at them and tried to take a bite at Simba, but failed as he, Nala, and Ajani continued to run away from the mangy group. The trio ran up and over a skull with Nala barely escaping a bite from Banzai as they proceeded to slide down the spine of an elephant skeleton. Towards the end, they all screamed as they were all sent flying into a hillside of bones and began hastily running and climbing up the hill as the hyenas began gaining on them. Nia is on top of the pile of bones to help them escape but she noticed Nala is falling behind.
"Simba!" Nia called out and point with her paw to see Nala scream as she was slipping back down the pile towards the hyenas. "Hurry!"
"Nala, hang on!" Ajani said as he and Simba went back down. Once they reached Nala, Ajani quickly pulled her away and began climbing back up as Shenzi attempted to take a bite at them. But Simba quickly scratched her across the face, drawing blood and causing Shenzi to growl angrily in response. After they climbed back up to the top, they ran into what appeared to be a dark cave. Nia is looking around to find an exit for them, but no avail. They are trapped. Trying to find a way out, the cubs climbed up another elephant skeleton that was already decomposing. Ajani and Nia remain on the ground to keep watch for the three hyenas. But the old elephant's skin tore beneath the lion cubs, causing them to fall to the ground. Looking up, they gasped in alarm to see the hyenas lurking towards them, growling as Benzai taunted with a sinister grin.
"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." Ajani stood in front of Simba, Nala, and Nia and pointed the spear at the hyenas. Standing in front of Nala, Simba attempted to roar at them, but only for it to come out as a yowl.
"That was it? Ha! Do it again... Come on." Shenzi said as the hyenas laughed.
"Guys, stay back. I'll handle these idiots." Ajani said. He let out a yell as he ran towards the hyenas. He used his spear to swing at them, nearly hitting them. Shenzi growled and pounced on him. But Ajani used his strength to push her off. Simba, Nala, and Nia watched the boy fight the hyenas with his spear and with his fists. But Ed managed to pin the boy down and his spear slides away.
"Oh no!" Nala gasped.
"Let's kill the human first!" Banzai said as he walked close to Ajani.
"No!" Simba shouted. As Banzai attempted to bite at Ajani's face, everyone heard a powerful roar. And they all looked up to see Mufasa come to the rescue as he knocked Banzai away from Ajani and began battling it out with the hyenas. Getting back up, Ajani went to go aid Mufasa with him taking on Shenzi and the lion king taking on the other two, while Zazu flew to Simba and Nala's sides as they watched the battle take place. Mufasa took a few swipes at Banzai and Ed while Ajani used his spear as a martial art stick to combat Shenzi. The battle ended quickly however with both the mighty lion and the boy powerfully standing above them as Ajani had his spear pointed directly at the hyenas with a glare. The hyenas started to plead for mercy and complain.
"SILENCE!" Mufasa roared at them.
"Oh, we're gonna shut up right now!" Banzai said nervously.
"Calm down! We're really sorry!" Shenzi added.
"If you ever come near my son and this human again..." Mufasa said with anger.
"Oh, this is... This is your son?! And your human?!" Shenzi asked.
"Yours?" Banzai asked with a nervous chuckle.
"Did you know that?" Shenzi asked Banzai.
"No... Me? I-I-I didn't know it. No. Did you?" Banzai stammered.
"No! of course not."
"No."
"Ed?" They asked nervous to the third hyena. Ed stupidly nodded in response, causing Mufasa to roar angrily. Ajani raised his spear, ready to strike at them.
"Toodles!" Banzai said with a wave. The three hyenas took off running, whimpering fearfully in the process. Once they were gone, Zazu flew over to Mufasa's side and looked up at him with a prideful grin, only for Mufasa to look back down at him with a hard glare, causing the hornbill to shrink back down. Ajani placed his weapon behind his back and looked to the king nervously as both Simba and Nala came up to him. Nia remained behind in the shadows, not wanting to face Mufasa at this time.
"Dad, I..." Simba started.
"You both deliberately disobeyed me." Mufasa said to both Simba and Ajani. The boy lowered his head in shame, holding his arm. He knew this is going to happen. He and Simba are in big trouble now.
"Dad, we're...we're sorry." Simba said.
"Let's go home." Mufasa ordered and walked away. Both the cubs and Zazu started following behind him, with Ajani following behind. He turned his head back to check on Nia who only nodded at him with a frown. Nia will be okay for now. Ajani sighed a bit as he continued to follow the group in silent.
"I thought you were very brave." Nala muttered to Simba. They all walked out of the cave while unknown to the group, Scar stood on one of the ledges, staring down at them with a silent glare, knowing that his plan to be rid of the cubs and the human had failed. His green eyes are now on the hyena cub and he formed a sinister smirk.