Nakala

Chapter 58

"I need to take Kiara to the Pride Lands before Zira figures out what happened," Nakala called to the rest, ushering Kiara behind him. He was soon gone down the volcano's slope, leaving the rest alone to let what happened sink in.

Amana managed to collect herself but didn't dare make a sound, fearing she would fall apart just as easily. It was made all the harder to keep it together hearing her brother grieving for their lost friend. Bunga stood near the edge of the volcano, thinking to himself. There was so much for him to process all at once, but his mind was fuzzy... So he made himself think of something else... The thought of Nakala, waiting for him to come back. And when he did the honey badger would be there for him.

Janja paced back and forth across the cavern floor. His mind was fuzzy as well... But they were clouded with questions. How did he not notice all of this? The whole time the enemy was right under his nose, telling Zira all their secrets and putting them in danger... The leopard attacks, those came from her! "I can't believe this! This whole time.... He betrayed us! He used us!"

"Janja....." Amana dared to speak out. "He did what he could.."

"What he could? What he could?! Working for Zira and throwing his life away was the best he could!?" Janja snarled.

"No! He only wanted to help! He risked his life with Zira! Cheezi protected us, all of us! You're just gonna call him a traitor?" Chungu argued, his eyes red and his nose sniffling. "All he did was for us. And we couldn't save him..." He turned to Janja, seeing past the clan leader's fury. He could see the pain behind it.

"It all happened so fast... I just can't understand it..." Amana shook her head, looking down at her paws. "Why did he never tell us?"

"He looked so sad...He knew that we would hate him for it...B-but I can't. He was brave and went behind our backs to protect us. Can you hate him after that, Janja?" Chungu whimpered, stepping away from the edge and closer to the clan leader.

Janja saw the larger hyena's gaze and turned away from it, lowering his head. "We should get out of here..."

Chungu's eyes widened, feeling his guts wrench even more. "Wha-? Y-you can't be serious! We can't just leave. W-we have to do something we have to honor him....Right, Amana." he pleaded, looking over at his older sister.

Amana didn't know what to think. The only thing her mind told her was that everything was happening too fast. "H-hey, Amana! Answer me!"

"That's enough, Chungu!!" Janja snapped. "We're leaving this place and we're not looking back."

Chungu turned to Janja, more tears spilling from his eyes. "What are you saying, Janja? Cheezi just gave up his own life for you, me, Nakala... All of us! And you're just gonna leave. You're not even gonna say anything about him?" the large hyena's voice breaking only made Janja feel worse.

"...We should go, Chungu. Like Janja said, there's nothing left here..." Amana forced herself to say those words. She turned away from her brother, not being able to bear the look on his muzzle.

"Wha-?" Chungu turned around to see Janja already stepping away towards the downwards slope. "Hey!" in a matter of seconds Chungu ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards Janja. The clan leader had hardly anytime to react, being tackled to the ground.

Chungu overpowered his leader, pinning him down. "Have you forgot all we've been through? Did you forget he was our friend? Everything we've all been together? Doesn't mean anything?!" He was ripped off of Janja by his sister.

"Chungu, that's enough..." she demanded, holding him by the scruff. Janja rose to his paws, looking back at the distraught hyena. Chungu couldn't take it anymore... He felt broken... All that he could see was Cheezi tumbling down... And he was all alone. He was the only one who cared...

The large hyena went limp, sinking down on the stone floor. His body shuddered and he fought for his own breath, sobbing right there. "Why did he have to do it, Janja?! Why didn't let me help him.. It w-wasn't supposed to be this way... He wasn't s-supposed to die alone!"

Amana held her breath, she wanted to cover her ears. It was becoming too much for her, too. "Cheezi was a good friend and a member of our clan! Are you just gonna leave him behind, Janja..? Even if he was working for Zira we all know that everything he did was for the good of the clan. You know that Janja, you know it!!" She fought for her breath to remain steady despite the streams flowing down her muzzle and her legs threatening to give out at any moment.

Janja finally turned back towards Chungu and Amana. His own muzzle was wet with his tears. As much as he wanted to be mad at Cheezi, to blame him for everything that had happened. As much as he wanted to write his friend off as a traitor who threw his life away at the last moment he knew it wasn't true. He knew that wasn't Cheezi. Janja knew who Cheezi was. A friend. A loyal one, someone he could depend on and who was always there good or bad. No matter how bad things got or how many times they were kicked down Cheezi was always there. Always smiling and trying to bring out the smile in others as well. He was curious even if it got him in trouble. But the best thing about Cheezi was his heart. It was big and pure. The small hyena held no hate in his heart for anyone, even his foes. That was what made Janja trust him so much. And in the end it was Cheezi's big heart that made him do what he did. He cared about each and every one of them, so much that he made a deal with the devil just to protect the rest of them...

Pain wracked Janja's body. Pain that he was never gonna see that furbrain again. Not when they get home, not the next morning....Not ever again. And he wasn't okay with that. How could he be?

Bunga watched from a distance, emotion welling up inside of him watching the hyenas mourn for the loss of their own. He kept quiet, aware that the situation had nothing to do with him, but he felt for them. The sight earlier shook him to his core and despite the high heat brought a chill to his bones. But for them, it was the loss of one of their own...

Some time later the group managed best they could to keep themselves together. They were still deeply saddened but the time for tears was past.

"Janja?" Chungu asked in a soft voice. "What are we gonna tell the clan? Are we gonna hold Cheezi a vigil?"

"We have to, Chungu. We gotta tell the clan that we lost one of our own," Janja sighed.

"But we can't tell them what really happened. No one else can know the truth," Amana told them.

"What are we gonna say then? We don't even have a body to bring back..." Chungu whimpered.

"What we're gonna tell them is... That Cheezi died saving me. I'll tell them we were in the cliffs and he fell off saving me. That way the clan will honor him as he's supposed to be. As a hero," Janja told them solemnly. The other two hyenas looked at one another and nodded, not having a better explanation to give. It was decided, the clan would mourn Cheezi as a hyena of heroism.