Defying Ancient Rivalry
By V'lil


Prologue

	The young meerkat flitted nervously up the path, glancing about with worried
eyes. He was looking for help on an important matter, but he wasn't quite sure
whether or not to trust the ones to give him that help.
	"Don't worry, young un. I won't hurt ya."
	The meerkat turned sharply at the sound of the voice. He looked, and saw an
old female hyena, moving stiffly with age. Her fur had turned from dusty brown
to gray, and she squinted to see. At her side was a lioness, of equal age. 
	"Why, we couldn't harm a fly, much less a quick little thing like you, could
we, Furaha?" the hyena asked. The lioness nodded slowly. 
	"That's right, Fisi, he could escape easily. 'Sides, I wager he needs help
with some problem, right?" Furaha said. The meerkat nodded.
	"Yes. I've heard a story about why caracals and meerkats are natural enemies.
I was wondering if you knew some way to reverse it." A twinkle showed in the
old hyena's eyes.
	"We can't promise entire species reversal, but it's possible between a few
groups," she answered, "Listen well, young un, we have a tale to tell you,
that might give you the answer to your troubles." The meerkat settled down as
the hyena began the story.


One: The New Heir 

	Kiara watched as the herd animals and birds left Pride Rock. They had all
been there for the viewing of the new heir, Furaha, daughter of Kiara and
Kovu. Simba and Nala had gone to their well deserved rest awhile ago, and she
and Kovu now ruled the Pride Lands. Furaha stumbled awkwardly across the rock
towards her mother, who picked her up by the scruff of the neck and carried
her inside. 

	Amidst elephant bones and other such skeletons, Banzai the hyena kept a close
watch on Fisi. The little hyena cub didn't have much sense not to wander off,
and he had to watch out for her. He stretched slightly. He wasn't getting any
younger, but Shenzi seemed to still be full of life and energetic. That was
good, for she still had her cub to care for, until Fisi could take her place
as queen of the hyena clan.

	A few days later, Furaha was already running around the cave where the lions
of Pride Rock slept and top speed. Many lionesses complained to Kovu before he
finally tried to stop his daughter, but with no success.
	It was Vitani who got her at last. The scrawny lioness pounced upon her,
baring her teeth.
	"Stay where ya are, princess," Vitani hissed, "Behave yerself in here."
Another former lioness of Zira's nodded.
	"Aye, Furaha, no one's ever gonna be able to get to sleep with you like that.
And if we can't sleep, we can't hunt. Go run around outside, or something,"
she said. Furaha looked up at Kovu with bright eyes.
	"Oh, could I?" she asked. Kovu shrugged, turning to Kiara.
	"What do you think?" he asked. Kiara grinned.
	"As long as she takes someone with her," she said, "Vitani?" The lioness
yawned, stretched, and nodded. 
	"C'mon, princess," she said, "Out for a little romp!" After they had left,
Kovu turned to Kiara.
	"Like mother like daughter, eh?" he said. She nodded.
	"And daughter like father. Nala told me I was."

	Vitani soon regretted agreeing to take Furaha out. The cub was trouble with a
capital T.
	"Come back here, you wretch!" she called, as Furaha ran ahead. The cub darted
behind some bushes, and the immediate anguished yowls brought Vitani running. 
	A pair of hyenas, an adult and a pup, both female, were in the bushes. The
adult hyena had pinned Furaha to the ground, and her teeth were a little to
close to the cub's head for Vitani's comfort. The lioness blew the hair tuft
out of her eyes and advanced, growling, on the hyena.
	"Back off, lion," the hyena snapped, spitting out the final word. Vitani
hissed.
	"Who are you to talk to me like that?" she snarled.
	"I am Shenzi, queen of the hyena clan. What is your rank, miserable cat?" the
hyena responded. Vitani didn't want to admit that queen was a higher rank than
advisor, which was hers, but she did.
	"I am Vitani, advisor to the lion king," she said. Shenzi regarded her with
suspicion. 
	"What happened to that blue bird?" she asked, "Zuza, or whatever he called
himself."
	"Zazu," Vitani replied truthfully, "was nabbed by a caracal." 

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--

	"I know why they do that," the young meerkat put in, "The original hornbill
tricked the original caracal into attacking her friend Meerkat." 
	"That's nice," Fisi replied, "But please let us continue."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

	Without warning, Shenzi lunged at Vitani and bit into the lion's leg with a
bone-snapping crunch. Vitani yowled with pain, then was silent. As quickly as
she could, the lioness hobbled over to shield Furaha with her body.
"You're better than I thought, Vitani," Shenzi remarked, "Kiara or Simba or
any of that empty-headed bunch would have limped away after that. You thought
first of the cub." Vitani winced, wishing bravery didn't have to hurt so much.
"We of Outlander blood are tough," she answered. The hyena's eyes narrowed.
"Outlander?"
"Yes, until Kiara fell in love with Kovu and led us back to Pride Rock,"
Vitani answered. Shenzi studied Vitani more closely.
"You wouldn't know Scar, by any chance, would you?" the hyena asked. The
lion's tone was bitter as she replied.
"I didn't know Scar, but if he was anything like Zira, I don't want to,"
Vitani said curtly. The hyena queen nodded.
"Scar was evil. My clan put paid to him. Kovu, he was the Chosen One, wasn't
he?" she asked. Vitani nodded.
"Aye, and it set off a whole chain of events, leading to Zira's death. None of
us mourned her," she said, "By your tone, Shenzi, I sense there is something
you seek."
"Perhaps it had best be put into the words of a song I heard Zira sing,"
Shenzi said. The hyena began singing softly.

"Payback time is nearing
And then our flag will fly
Against a blood-red sky
That's my lullaby!"

	"What do you mean by that?" Vitani asked nervously. Shenzi picked her cub up
by the scruff of the neck and trotted off. The nervous lioness did the same
with Furaha and limped towards Pride Rock. 


Two: Cries of Oppression

	Kari, one of the hyena clan, was on guard when Shenzi approached her.
	"O Queen, where have you been? The clan has gathered, but we have been
waiting for you! You are the one to lead us through this time!" 
	"Be quiet," Shenzi said, "I was busy with a lioness. It was one of Simba's
bunch, but it didn't seem half so dimwitted as the others." Kari shrugged.
	"What was her name?" she asked.
	"Vitani," Shenzi answered. Kari yawned, a hyena's way of saying 'So what?'.
With a growl, Shenzi entered the cavern.
	It was jam-packed with hyenas, occupying every available space.  Shenzi made
her way to the front of the cavern, which was empty by hyena law.  Shenzi gave
a loud bay to get the clan's attention. When all was quiet, she began.
	"Fellow hyenas!" she started, "You are all aware of how the lions have kept
us here against our will. We have done nothing, we even killed Scar, but do
they thank us? No! Therefore, I have come up with a plan.
	"We will all go through training, except the ones physically incapable, to
make both our minds and bodies fit and agile. When all is ready, we will
attack Pride Rock! Are all agreed?" she asked. An agreeing bay ripped from the
throat of every hyena present.
	"Good," Shenzi barked, "We start at dawn!"

	The training was set up. There were obstacle courses and races, to test
physical agility, and the older hyenas set up challenges to test cunning.
Every hyena who could went through them, including Shenzi, who sometimes
supervised. Every hyena did this for themselves, for they all had grudges
against lions.

	Meanwhile, at Pride Rock, Vitani lay slumped moodily in a corner. Because of
her leg, there wasn't a lot she could do. All the other lionesses were out
hunting, and Kovu and Kiara were giving Furaha the "we are one" lesson.
	"Is that some requirement for being ruler of the Pride Lands?" Vitani asked
herself. With a shrug, she turned over and fell asleep.

	Underneath an acacia tree, Kovu sat with Kiara and Furaha. Kiara was mainly
doing the teaching.
	"But mom," Furaha said, "What do you mean? We aren't one, we're different."
Kiara chuckled. 
	"I thought the same as you did at your age," she explained, "But I finally
understood it.
	"We are all connected in the Circle of Life," she went on, "We are all one
and the same inside, though outside we do not look alike. You see, we are
connected to all the other animals as well."
	"What kind of other animals?" Furaha asked. Kovu stepped in to explain that.
	"Antelopes, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, all that stuff," he explained.
Furaha was confused.
	"What about that scruffy dog thing I saw in the bushes?" she asked.
	"We are connected, but NEVER to hyenas! They are evil scum, and plunder just
for their own benefit, no one else's!" Kovu shrieked. Furaha crouched low.
Kiara laughed.
	"He didn't mean to scare you, Furaha. He just means that hyena land is not a
good place to go," she said. 
	"Oh," said Furaha, "I think I understand about the Circle of Life now."
	"Good," Kiara answered, "Let me know if you have any more questions." With a
nod, Furaha loped back to Pride Rock, followed by Kiara and Kovu.
	The hyena who had been listening in the bushes scoffed.
	"We'll show you who's evil scum!" the hyena snarled.



Three: Furaha's First Hunt
About a year later.........

	Furaha stepped down Pride Rock to where her mother and father were waiting.
She had grown into a young lioness, still a bit clumsy, but she had grown. It
was time for her first hunt. 
	"Now, Furaha," Kiara said, "Unlike my father, I'm willing to let you do this
alone. You okay with that?" Furaha nodded eagerly, wanting to go. Without
waiting for them to say anything else, she loped easily across the plains,
looking for some game.

	Fisi the hyena lapped up water from a waterhole. She was about Furaha's age,
just the young hyena was more graceful and agile, due to the training she went
through. Fisi was lean and fit, and her mind was incredibly nimble. She saw a
herd of antelope go streaking across the plains, and she crouched down and
began moving forward, wanting to see what had disturbed them.
	Unlike Kiara, Furaha had no problem with the sneaking up part of hunting, but
she didn't have a killing bite. The animal she tried to attack usually bucked
and knocked her to the ground, then ran off. With a sigh, she headed into the
bushes to think up a new plan. She bumped right into a hyena. 	
	"Waddaya want, lion?" Fisi growled, her back bristling. Furaha tensed, her
tail waving irritably.
	"None of your beeswax, hyena!" she hissed, "I'm doing fine!" Fisi laughed.
	"Yeah right. Don't even have a killer's bite, doing fine, whatever," the
hyena chuckled, "Let me show you how it's done." Furaha curled her lip
scornfully, sure a hyena couldn't hunt. All they did was scavenge. Fisi knew
what Furaha was thinking, and went to prove her wrong.
	Fisi went streaking across the plains at an incredible speed, and knocked
into an antelope. Her powerful, bone-crunching jaws clenched onto her prey's
neck, killing it instantly. Furaha came out of the bushes to join the hyena.
	"Wow," she said, impressed, "How did you do that?"
	"Every hyena can do that," Fisi scoffed.
	"I'm sorry I taunted you," Furaha apologized, "I'm Furaha. Who're you?" 
	"I'm Fisi."
	"So, Fisi, wanna see if we can pin a few together?" With a grin, Fisi nodded.
	"You're on!" The pair spent the rest of the afternoon hunting, making a
successful pair. 

	When Furaha returned, dragging an antelope, Kiara rushed out to her.
	"Oh, you caught something!"
	"With some help," Furaha corrected. Kiara was puzzled.
	"What kind of help?" she asked. 
	"A hyena named Fisi," Furaha explained, "She was real nice." Kiara put a paw
on Furaha's brow worriedly. Furaha swatted it off.
	"MOM, I'M NOT SICK!" she growled, "I can't help it if I'm understanding the
Circle of Life better then any of you!" With a hiss, Furaha raced into Pride
Rock, leaving Kiara standing puzzled outside.


Four: A Day of Tragedy

	Fisi returned late that night, but no one really noticed, because everyone
was too caught up in training to care. Since she was on a break day, when she
didn't have to train, Fisi stretched out on a ledge for a nap.
	
	"Wake up," Banzai muttered, prodding Fisi in the side. He withdrew his paw
swiftly, for her snapping jaws came awake before the rest of her.
"What is it?" she asked sleepily.
"We're havin' a big hunt today," Banzai said excitedly, "Everyone's gonna
come, and we're gonna stock up on meat." Fisi leaped off the ledge.
"Great! When do we start?" Fisi bounded off to find her mother, and Banzai
stood watching her.

When Shenzi had the entire hyena clan assembled, she gave a loud bay, and the
hunt was on. The vast hyena group was incredibly stealthy, and they slunk
around, searching for prey.
The first animal they found was a large waterbuck, which Fisi sprang at. She
broke one of his legs with a crunch of her jaws, and the other hyenas moved in
to help. Finally, they brought it down. Shenzi barked out orders.
"All right, we need three hyenas to carry it back to the base. When they're
done with that, they come back. Got it?" she ordered. Three hyenas gripped the
waterbuck in their jaws and started lugging it back to the hyena's
headquarters. 

Everything was going perfectly. Many other animals had been caught, and Shenzi
had finally spotted a big water buffalo. 
"I'll go and attack first," she announced, "Then, ya follow me." She crouched
low against the grass, steadily inching forward. When she was finally close
enough, she was about to spring, when a lioness gave a roar and attacked the
same buffalo. Shenzi was unable to anything, for she was wondering where the
lion had come from, and the water buffalo began bellowing madly in an attempt
to get away. It raced off, its hooves thundering. Shenzi tried to escape, but
it was too late. The huge buffalo's hooves crushed her. 
Leaving the lion to go after the buffalo, Fisi and the other hyenas crowded
around Shenzi, who was breathing her last.
"Fisi," she croaked hoarsely, "You are the new queen of the hyena clan. Don't
argue, just accept. Lead the clan against the lions, and do it well."
"I will, Mother," Fisi promised, tears flowing from her eyes. Shenzi nodded
once, then rolled over limp. Fisi stood up resolutely.
"We'll go back to the base to get the hyenas there, and then, we'll attack!"
she growled.


Five: The Battle

	Fisi loped out ahead of the vast hyena army, intent on destroying the lions,
for it was one of their species who had killed Shenzi. She gave a loud cry of
hate when she saw Pride Rock looming large in the distance.
	"We'll take it as our own," she promised, "And leave none alive!"

	Furaha was mad. No one except herself could understand her friendship with a
hyena. This was part of the Circle of Life, wasn't it? She couldn't understand
it. She saw a large cloud of dust rising in the distance, and she went inside
to tell Kovu.

	Fisi had hidden the hyenas around Pride Rock, and at her call, they were to
jump out and begin the fight. She stepped boldly up towards Pride Rock, then
called out.
	"LION KING!" she growled, "THIS TREATMENT ENDS NOW!" Kovu stepped downwards
towards Fisi, curling his lip.
	"What do you want, hyena?" he hissed.
	"I want revenge on my mother, and revenge against all lions for the wrongs
they have done us," she answered. Kovu growled. He bounded over to her and
swatted her across the face with his claws. She yelled aloud.
	"ATTACK!"
	The hyena army began creeping forward. Kovu roared, sending the lionesses
running out. When they saw the hyenas skulking all over Pride Rock, they
leaped at them with shrieks of rage. Fisi leaned closer to Kovu. 
	"So, will you give me what I want?" she asked, her voice hollow, "Or need I
take it myself?" Kovu's eyes narrowed.
	"Never, hyena. Never," he said flatly. She shrugged.
	"Very well. Have it your way," she answered. She and Kovu began circling each
other like hungry vultures.
	"STOP!" All action ground to a halt as Furaha appeared on a rock ledge. The
young lioness approached Fisi and Kovu, staring hard at the hyena.
	"Fisi?" she asked in disbelief. Fisi stared hard at the lion before
answering.
	"Furaha," she responded. 
	"Fisi, why are you here?" Furaha asked. With all of Pride Rock and the hyena
clan watching, Fisi spoke the words her mother had always wanted to.
	"We are tired of the lions' treatment of us," Fisi began, "We are excluded in
all rights of peace and protection from the lions. If you don't want to
include us because of treachery and tricks, why not exclude jackals?  We are
creatures like the rest of you.
	"We want you to know we're strong enough to get what we want," Fisi went on,
"And we'll fight to the last breath to get our rights. We have come for them."
Furaha took advantage at the pause and began her own speech.
	"Mother, you told me you stopped a war by convincing both sides they were the
same, no matter what they looked like on the outside. Well, I do the same.
These hyenas have every right to do what they're doing. We have treated them
like dirt, and I think it's high time we respected them," Furaha proclaimed.
Vitani hobbled out and placed a paw on Furaha's shoulder.
	"She's right, Kiara," Vitani said, "You did stop a war that way, and the
hyenas did rid us of Scar. I'd even say we owe them one."
	"Even if you didn't," Fisi interceded, "You still owe us courtesy. We wish to
be welcomed back to the Pride Lands. No more treachery on either side.
Agreed?" Kovu was silent.
	"Father," Furaha said firmly, "We can make speeches until our tongues fall
out.  Only you, ruler of the Pride Lands, can agree. If you don't, we may find
ourselves warring for eternity." Kovu nodded.
	"All right. I welcome the hyenas back to the Pride Lands!" Amidst the happy
bays and roars, Furaha walked up and nuzzled Fisi. 
	"Shenzi wanted me to destroy the lions," Fisi said, "But I think I did
something better."


Six: Ending the Tale

	The young meerkat blinked.
	"Is that all?" he asked in dismay. Fisi chuckled, shaking a stiff leg.
	"It's all you need to hear to reunite your species," she answered, "By the
way, what's yer name, young un?" The meerkat laughed.
	"After that story, it's Paver!" he proclaimed. Furaha smiled.
	"Paver, eh. It's a good name. Do your job well, young Paver." The meerkat
nodded and trotted off.
	"Oh, Fisi," Furaha said, watching him go, "He was so like us. Do you think
he'll succeed?"
	"If he's anything like us, he will," Fisi said firmly, "I have faith in him. 

Epilogue

	The stars shone down on two figures, one larger than the other, laying
happily together on a sand dune, looking up at the sky.
	"D'you really think we can do it, Paver?" 
	"Of course we can, Oteo."
	"But how?"
	The meerkat Paver smiled at the caracal Oteo lying next to him.
	"It's pretty simple, really."
	"What?!" Oteo asked in disbelief. Paver spread his paws wide. 
	"I have a story to tell you. It's about how a hyena and a lion brought two
warring groups back together again."




The End