DarkEcoOttsel: Yayness, last chapter! Azul-the-Kitsune, you had two questions and here are the answers: 1) yes, Banzai and Shenzi are related, but so are Simba and Nala (I think). 2) Simba's still there, don't worry. Thank you so much for your reviews! I really appreciate them!

Untainted Souls 2: Confessions with A Bloody Paw

By: DarkEcoOttsel

Chapter Eleven

The first thing he noticed was the pain, but Banzai also discovered that he was lying in Shenzi's embrace. He listened as she began to talk to him, yet she was unaware that he was awake or even alive for that matter.

"Banzai, ever since I was born, you were there for me. Nothing except death could have separated us. We made a promise to always stick together...but it was promise that we couldn't keep. I know you can't hear me where you are now. Not everybody knows that you go to a better place when you die. I always thought it would hurt when you die, but I found out that its those who're left behind who suffer the most."

Banzai listened to Shenzi's quivering voice. He knew she was saying everything from her heart.

"Before you died, I started feeling weird around you. It was like I swallowed a bunch of butterflies and they were flying around inside me. I didn't know what I was feeling and I wasn't sure how to take it. When you told me you loved me, I realized what that emotion was."

Banzai waited patiently for her to continue; though he was pretty anxious.

"I love you, too, Banzai."

Banzai didn't even realize his eyes were shut until they shot open. He was overjoyed. Ignoring the pain, he slowly raised his forepaws up to return Shenzi's hug.

Shenzi gasped and opened her eyes to find herself staring into Banzai's. She could only stare at him, not sure if she was hallucinating or not.

Banzai licked away Shenzi's tears and whispered, "Don't cry anymore, Shenzi."

"Banzai!!" Shenzi cried, nuzzling him fiercely.

The whole clan burst into smiles and Ed began laughing happily.

"What?!" Zira cried in disbelief. "How can he even be sitting up?!"

"There's something called 'love', Zira," Simba turned and glared at her. He had been holding her back the whole time. "It's a bond that cannot be destroyed. It's one of the strongest things in the world. It's something you'll never understand."

Zira growled.

"Get out. You and your lionesses are exiled to the Outlands."

Zira snarled but she signaled her lionesses and they walked out. She turned as well, but not before saying to Simba, "This isn't over yet." She walked out.

Simba looked back at the hyenas. They looked so happy to have one of their leaders back. The lion was trying not to smile but it was very hard. Seeing others happy usually made one happy as well.

"God, I thought you were gone," Shenzi sobbed to Banzai.

"So did I, but I'm back now and here to stay," Banzai tried to comfort her.

"Good ta have ya back, Banzai," one hyena said.

A series of 'yeahs' and cheers went up from the clan.

Ed ran at his friend but ended up tripping over his own feet and crashing into a rock.

"Uh, yeah, nice to see ya too, Ed," Banzai smiled a little. He sat back and groaned. "Ouch...man, I'm gonna be sore tomorrow."

Shenzi looked up and noticed that all the lions were gone. "Hey, where'd...?"

"Simba didn't tell us to leave," one hyena said.

"That means we can stay!" another shouted followed by cheers.

"No, we can't," Shenzi said loudly.

"What?"

"Why not?"

"Zira's still alive," Banzai said, agreeing with Shenzi. "If we stay here, she could come back and kill us all."

"Oh..."

"East is the only other direction to go in," Shenzi stated. "We'll settle at the mountains for a while."

The clan nodded as they began to walk out of the caves. Banzai and Shenzi turned to Ed, who was still lying face down.

"Ed? We gotta go," Shenzi said, helping Banzai stand.

Ed sat up and laughed hysterically. With his tongue hanging out of his mouth and the stupid grin on his face, he and his friends walked out of the caves.

Looking up at the sky, the trio watched as the last of the stars disappeared.

"Well, it looks like we survived the battle," Banzai sighed with a smile.

"Yeah," Shenzi aid quietly, nuzzling Banzai. She grinned up at him and said, "Say it again."

"Say what?"

"That you love me."

"Alright, but only if you say that you love me."

Ed let out a whine and his ears drooped. Shenzi smiled and Banzai gently punched him in the arm.

"Aw, Ed, how could we forget about you?" Banzai chuckled.

"We'll always be friends," Shenzi stated. "Nothing can change that fact."

Banzai and Shenzi put their paws on top of each other's and waited for Ed to do the same. Grinning widely, Ed put his paw on top of theirs and spat out the word:

"Friends."

END

DarkEcoOttsel: Huzzah! Finished at last! Okay, here comes the big list of thankies:

I wanna give my thanks to: OttseloftheAges, Azul-the-Kitsune, Dory's human replica, Katibu, SunRise19, BeeKay84, ClearGreenWater, jla2snoopy, xoticlightning, fangsire, Frostbite-obsessive idiot and anyone else who just plain read the story! It's so nice to know that your work is appreciated. THANK YOU!!!!

Until the next story, TTFN!