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Hyena Love, By Loa

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Chapter 7 - What Happens When You Stop Being Afraid...

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What are you, stupid or something? I don’t own The Lion King, ok? If I did, do you really think I’d be sitting here writing fanfics? How many bloody times have I told you?!

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The Elephant Graveyard - Cur’s Flat

Cur was smiling, pacing back and forth in front of Shenzi, who was staring at nothing, with an empty look in her eyes and a blank smile on her face. There were seven other soldiers in the room.

"So, not much fight in you now, Shenzi," Cur laughed, "What are you thinking about? All the lovely things I’m going to do to you?"

Shenzi didn’t answer. Banzai realised that he was shaking. What was happening here? What was there to smile about?

"All you have to do is give in to me and kneel to me, and nothing too bad will happen to you."

Shenzi still didn’t move.

Cur continued pacing. Shenzi’s smile was starting to creep him out, "Thinking about what I’m going to do to you, are you?" he repeated. Shenzi still didn’t answer. Cur stared at her, then roared, "Look at me when I’m talking to you!" He hit Shenzi so hard she was knocked to the floor. She didn’t try to get up. Cur grabbed her and dragged her to her feet, "Do you think you can keep this up all day? I know I can!" He slapped her hard.

"Stop it, Cur!" cried out Banzai, "You don’t need to..."

Sergeant Grind spun around and punched Banzai in the face, "Speak when you’re spoken to, filth!" she hissed. Shenzi cringed slightly, and Cur saw it.

"So, you don’t like it when your friends get hurt, do you? Now, kneel to me or I’ll..." Cur drew a gun and held it to Banzai’s head. Banzai gulped.

Simba turned to Rafiki, "What’s going on here? All she has to do is kneel..."

"If Shenzi kneels, she will be at Cur’s mercy," answered Rafiki, "This is a battle of wills. I have never seen one before. The hyenas call it ‘A Matter Of Pack’ .But as I understand, Shenzi has already won. Cur is cheating by bringing another person into it."

Shenzi finally spoke, but her voice was dull and flat, with no emotion in it what so ever, "Put that gun away, Cur. I’m not afraid of you any more, and you know it." She sneered, You know I wouldn’t date you if you were the last male in Africa."

"Why the hell not?"

Shenzi’s face depicted false puzzlement, "Well, let me think... You’re ugly, you’re stupid, you smell funny, you’ve got all the charm of a squashed cockroach, you’re completely insane, you’re damned bad-tempered and you’re downright anti-social."

Zazu spoke up, "Well, if you think about it, if you’re ugly, stupid, smell funny, have the charm of a squashed cockroach, are completely insane and are bad-tempered, being anti-social is your ideal choice of career."

"Gah!!" Cur threw down the gun he had picked up.

"Cut me free, and we can fight over the matriarchy like civilised people." Cur glared at Shenzi, "Or are you

scared of me?" She continued in the same, dull tone, "You’re scared of me, aren’t you." It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

Cur approached Shenzi, growling. Shenzi’s words were having just the right effect. She still wasn’t smiling, but instead was watching his every move, "I’m not scared of you," Cur snarled, "I’m twice as strong as you, and twice as mean. You’re weak, Shenzi, and you don’t deserve to lead." He drew a knife and cut the bonds that bound Shenzi’s wrists, but at the same time making a small slash down her back. Shenzi gritted her teeth with the sudden, sharp pain, "You’re angry, aren’t you?"

Nala was surprised at Cur’s words. She could not read Shenzi’s face; nor were her eyes showing any emotion.

"Oh no, Cur," said Shenzi, her voice still flat, "You’re wrong about all of that. Except one thing." Shenzi paused and moistened her lips, "I’m angry!!!" She screamed and leapt at Cur, punching him in the face and bit him on the arm before he could react, closing her teeth until she could taste his blood. The familiar shock of pain came into her shoulder, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. Cur struggled for a moment, then kicked Shenzi in the stomach, forcing her back a little. Shenzi leapt again, but this time not directly at Cur, but at a place a little to the right of him. Then, spinning around, she tackled him from the side. All eyes were on the fighting pair. Except for one person, who had appeared in his usual, silent way.

Nala felt her bonds loosen, "What?.." she asked the air, turning. Ed was right behind her, giggling a little. He held up the rope that had tied her hands together. He then untied Simba, and giggled a bit more. There was an unconscious soldier behind him.

Simba also was amazed that Ed was untying them before Banzai. He looked at Shenzi and Cur. They had separated for a moment and were now circling each other.

"Give up now, Shenzi, and I’ll go easy on you and your friends," said Cur. Shenzi looked at him for a few seconds. Then the angry look left her face, only to be replaced by one of pure hatred.

"NEVER!!!!" she screamed. She threw herself at Cur, this time knocking him down to the floor, "You think you’re mean?" she hissed through gritted teeth, the hatred in her eyes shining bright like the full moon, "You think you’re strong? I’ve been the matriarch of this Graveyard all my adult days, and you think you can just take over from me without a decent fight? You’re as bad as Ed. No, you’re worse than Ed. Ed’s just stupid. You are an idiot." Shenzi picked up the gun that Cur had thrown down to the floor and pointed it at his head, "King Cur," she added, contemptuously. Suddenly there was a scream behind her. She dropped the gun and spun around.

~~~

Scar looked at the Cur and Shenzi fighting and almost sighed. Cur was still useful to him. He would have to help the little fool. He tensed himself to leap at Shenzi, ready to kill her. But before he could do so, Simba jumped in front of him.

"S-Simba?" But before Scar could say another word, Simba had knocked him to the floor.

"You are pure evil, Scar," Simba hissed, "Why shouldn’t I kill you now?"

"Because you are good," sneered Scar.

"There are 200 soldiers out there who aren’t ‘good’ though. Why shouldn’t I just hand you over to them? Do they even know that you are in charge here?" Out of the corner of his eye, Simba could see Ed untying Banzai, who was shifting into a position so that, if necessary he could help Shenzi fight Cur, "Shenzi, Banzai and Ed aren’t too ‘good’, either." Suddenly without warning, there was a horrifying pain in Simba’s shoulder. He screamed and slumped to the floor, but he still managed to turn, and he saw Sergeant Grind standing behind him, holding a knife in her hands. It was dripping blood. Simba’s blood. She raised the knife. But before she could plunge it into him for the second time, Shenzi barrelled into her.

Cur raised himself up off the floor. Then he picked up the gun that Shenzi had dropped and aimed it at the two fighting girls. It didn’t matter that he might hit Grind. The only thing that mattered was that he would hit Shenzi in such a way in that she would still be alive. But before he could pull the trigger, someone punched him in the back of his head. He turned around to see Banzai standing behind him. Banzai hit him again, this time knocking him to the floor. Then he dragged Cur to his feet. Cur looked into Banzai’s eyes. Normally there was nothing but all-round general anger in them. But now there was something else in there that scared him more.

"B-Banzai..." he began, "You’re not evil like I am… You’ll let me go..?" he begged, hopefully.

Banzai sneered, "You’re right, I’m not evil. I’m just doing what needs to be done."

"Please don’t..." started Cur.

Banzai didn’t even let him finish the sentence. He just pulled the trigger. No one can survive a bullet through the brain.

~~~

Ed hit a soldier over the head with the barrel of their own gun. That was his second soldier out. Rafiki had laid out three others. Zazu knocked out a soldier from behind them. The two of them turned to face Shenzi and Grind. The pair had stopped fighting and Grind was on the floor under Shenzi, whimpering and begging for her life.

"Please oh please oh please oh please don’t kill me!" she wailed.

"Let her go," said Rafiki, "She’s not dangerous any more." Shenzi got up off Grind reluctantly, who instantly threw herself to the ground and began grovelling to the lot of them. Shenzi smirked and Banzai laughed. Then Shenzi turned to Ed.

"Ed, you’ve saved us all! I never thought you could be capable of doing anything less that stupid." She kissed him on the cheek lightly, smiling. Ed laughed and blushed slightly.

Nala helped Simba to his feet, "Shenzi, you saved my life. Why?" Simba was puzzled.

"Hey, you saved mine. Well, Simba," she said, and it was the first time she had used his name rather than insulting him, "Shall we go back to being mortal enemies?" She raised a single eyebrow.

Simba smiled and extended a hand, "Just because we’re mortal enemies doesn’t mean we can’t be friends." They shook. It was the first time in the history of the Pride that a Pride Lander had shaken hands with a Graveyarder. It certainly meant something.

"Hang on a minute," said Zazu, "Where’s Scar?"

~~~

Scar looked behind him.

"I’ll be back, my friends," he said, "And next time it won’t be so easy to defeat me..."

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(Much) Later That Night, At Shenzi’s Flat…

Banzai knocked on Shenzi’s door. After waiting for about a minute, he was about to knock again when Shenzi opened the door cautiously.

"Oh !Hi, Banzai. I wasn’t expecting you." Shenzi opened the door fully and Banzai came in. He was surprised to see tear stains on her cheeks.

"Have you been crying, Shenzi?"

"Of course not! I never cry! It’s a sign of weakness!" Shenzi snapped. Banzai raised an eyebrow, "I mean, maybe?" she hazarded, "Why did you come over, anyway?"

"Shenzi, I came over to tell you… I mean, ask you… I mean, everything’s been so hectic these past few weeks…

the change and everything… I mean, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why everything. You, me… everything." Shenzi didn’t answer. She just sat down on her bed. The bedsprings went glink. "I came to say..." Banzai’s throat suddenly felt far too narrow, but he managed to continue, "I love you. And you haven’t told me whether you love me or not. And I have to know soon. I’m going crazy just looking at you and not knowing."

"It’s just, I’ve had man trouble before. You know that, Banzai." She almost choked on the words. Tears were starting to roll down her cheeks, "How do I know you won’t turn out to be like Scar? Or Cur? They were… nice. And they changed!" Shenzi stood up again. The bedsprings went glink, "How… how do I know you won’t change?"

Banzai looked straight at Shenzi, "I only know one thing: That I could never, ever do anything to hurt you. I - I want you, Shenzi. I love you. And if you can’t love me back… I don’t think I could live every day seeing you and not having you. I’d have to leave. The Joshua N’Clement Block, the Graveyard, the Pride Lands..." He hung his head, "Sorry .That’s just the way I feel. About you."

"You mean that?" Banzai nodded, "If I told you I didn’t love you, you’d leave? And you wouldn’t come back?" Banzai couldn’t tell whether Shenzi’s voice was hopeful or frightened. He nodded again. Shenzi sat down on the bed. The bedsprings went ‘glink’, "When I left Cur, I told myself - no, I promised myself that I’d never fall in love again. I told myself that I’d have to be insane to fall in love again." Shenzi stood up and sighed. The bedsprings went glink, "Banzai, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you’ve fallen in love with a madwoman."

Banzai looked up, "What?"

"I was scared. Scared of love and everything that might have come with it. But I’m not scared any more. Not when I’m with you."

"What do you mean?"

Shenzi leant forward and kissed him gently, and that was answer enough.

"Oh." Banzai returned her kiss, gently at first, then deeply, passionately.

After a while, the bedsprings went glink. And then, just for Banzai, the world moved. And didn’t even stop to cancel the papers.

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The End