All Bark and No Bite (The Hyenas, OPEN)

[poseidon]

A dark portal opened between the ribs of an elephant's skeleton, giving it an eerie purple-ish glow to anyone who may have been looking. Zexion prepared to step out of it, but as soon as he was all the way out, his perspective shifted- way lower. Looking back, he saw that the dark portal was about the size of a building. Or rather...

Looking down at himself, Zexion gasped when he saw tan fur rather than his normal black Organization cloak, and his feet were elongated, and he was standing on the front ends. The sudden change in body type made him stumble forward, and it took him a moment to balance once more. He practiced walking, and as soon as he was able to without falling over again, he examined his environment.

Being so small, he realized that the huge skeleton struck fear into his heart. Which was odd, since he had no heart and thus could feel no emotion, much less fear. In the logic part of his brain, he figured it was a side effect of the transformation he went through. It must've been the creature itself- being so small, it's instincts told it to run and hide from any sign of danger. Well, he'd resist it.

Zexion heard some rocks shifting, and felt an impulse to run far and hide underground. Though, he was barely able to fight it, so, as a precaution, he turned and scurried up the side of one of the large ribs of the elephant, and stood very straight and still at the tip, looking around to see what he could see.

[yanagi]

The hyenas had tired of wandering around on the savannah for the time being. Shenzi decided they should go back to a more comfortable setting; One with homey touches and mood lighting. So, they went back to their old stomping grounds the Elephant Graveyard.

Only among so much bone did the hyenas feel truly at home. Shenzi and Ed had been born there and they felt a wave of nostalgia wash over them with the sulfurous smell from the vents that caused the surroundings to glow. Ed demonstrated this by laughing.

Shenzi stared around. “It’s good to be home. Well, not home anymore but it’s good to visit.” She thought she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye and had a flash back to chasing those damn lion cubs. She scowled. They even had to go and ruin her good mood now.

Banzai sniffed around. “Hey guys. Do you smell what I smell? The hungry gleam was back in his eyes; if it had ever left. Shenzi lifted her head and sniffed the air speculatively. She smiled. “Well now, I do believe I smell something delicious.”

" Meerkat!" They yelled before bolting off towards the scent. And there it was, a male meerkat perched atop a bleached bone, looking nervously out at the elephant graveyard.

They surrounded The elephant carcus. “Oh, now you do delivery too. I love you little guys,” said Shenzi. “You’re only good for a couple a bites. But boy are you tasty.” Banzai and Ed nodded, Ed’s tongue slapping his nose. “Meerkat nuggets, yummmmm!” said Banzai. “Boss, he asked pleadingly. “Can I have the head?”

“NO! said Shenzi. This meerkat seemed different in some way. Sort of the same way the lion cub they tried to eat earlier had. Damn lions, always trying to make a fool of them!

“But first, said Shenzi, "before we eat. Let’s have a little entertainment."

She advanced until she was staring straight up at the meerkat.

“Talk little man. What are you doing here in my-this territory? "Meerkats aren’t that stupid. She thought of the one who hung out with the stinky side of bacon. “Usually.”
(dialogue should improve once I don’t have to think about it so much.)
(I modified because I realized that I had made a mistake about his location.)

[poseidon]

Zexion examined these newcomers. They were canine, for sure. But, from this viewpoint, he couldn't exactly tell what. Given the environment he'd guess wolves, perhaps, but their ears were rounded. Hyenas, then? Considering their loud and annoying voices, he'd bet on it. Though, the fact that he was thinking didn't mean he didn't want to run in fear. If this was what emotion felt like, he wasn't fond of it.

Looking at the three predators, he drew himself up, shakily. "I-I'd like to in-inform you that I'm n-not an actual-- well, rodent of some sort. I'm not actually..." he trailed off. He figured that these creatures didn't really care what he was. They were probably more interested in what he tasted like. Which, naturally, he had no intention of letting them know.

Sensing the inevitability of having to defend himself, he summoned his Lexicon into his right arm. Though, rather than his standard volume, he was holding instead something made of more organic material. The covers, rather than their usual material, were made of some sort of animal hide. They were tan-ish in color, with a roughly scratched version of the usual symbols. Dreading what he was about to see, Zexion flipped the cover to find that the pages were now a thin bark, as though from a birch tree, with the writing somewhat tribal, and hard to read, even for Zexion.

Rather than dwell on what he considered downright vandalism (and done by the very magic that he was used to, no less), he looked at the creatures. I'll give you a single warning that you will not like what can happen if you try to consume me." Then, he closed his book, turned, and gave in to the fear. He scurried like... well, a mouse from a cat, down the spine of the elephant and jumped off of the end. From there, he focused on one thing- get as far as he could.

[yanagi]

The hyenas watched as the little creature drew himself up shakily. Well, Shenzi watched. Banzai and Ed mostly salivated with a minor in watching.

The meerkat spoke "I-I'd like to in-inform you that I'm n-not an actual-- well, rodent of some sort. I'm not actually..." Shenzi blew out a mouthful of air. “I know that. What are you?” she really got tired of the stupidity of the animals around her. Couldn’t even answer a question. If this little not-meerkat continued like this, she was gonna let Banzai and Ed have him.

He was kinda cute with his little bangs flopping in his eyes. Oooh, meerkat eyeballs were the best. Her gaze returned to the little morsel and her eyes widened as he suddenly had something in his hands. He looked inside it. “whosawhata?!” exclaimed Shenzi. what the hell was this?

The meerkat looked down at them. "I'll give you a single warning that you will not like what can happen if you try to consume me." He spoke like Zazu. “What you got a big bad lion on your side too? asked Banzai, sneering. Ed echoed him with a quiet laugh.

“You the new kings attendant? You sound like it and Zazu’s got to be dead by now,” asked Shenzi, wondering if the role made sense for this little creature. If he was smart he wasn’t coming down from his perch anytime soon and she might as well see what was going on in the pride lands. She didn’t want anything to do with the lions anymore but they were bound to run into some sometime.

Instead of answering, the meerkat bolted. “Damn it, no one has the manners to answer questions anymore! said Shenzi as they gave chase. She smiled, the meerkat woulda had a chance if he had stayed up high, but now he was on the ground and they knew this land.

[poseidon]

Obviously, Zexion wasn't quite thinking rationally at this point; all he wanted to do was survive. His small eyes scanned every nook and cranny he could see, only to find that it was too shallow, too brittle, easily found, or some other nonsense. Honestly, he should've opened a dark portal and been done with the place. But, alas, the idea didn't even cross his mind.

Zexion kept going, ending up at a pile of large rocks. They were piled, but hopefully loosely enough. He let his instincts guide him as he quickly dug into the dry ground, trying to get under the rocks. Hopefully, he'd be able to get in so that those hyenas couldn't follow him.

He heard them fast approaching behind, so he quickened his digging, and was just able to get under. He burrowed as far as he could, trying to estimate where the middle of the rocks were. As soon as he was settled, he held his breath as though it would help him. While he waited for something to happen, he tried to come up with ways to use his power of illusions to help him out.

[yanagi]

Shenzi stopped at a pile of rocks. Darn! She’d seen the little furball just a second ago. She glanced quickly around and sniffed the air. Definitely close. “Boss! said Banzai, barreling around a corner and nearly running into her.

He looked banged up. He’d lost his grip on the ground and run into three different skeletons. “Where is he? Where is he, huh?!” asked Banzai bouncing up and down, up and down. “Shut up! hissed Shenzi clamping a paw over Banzai’s muzzle. She paced, sniffing. “He’s gotta be around here somewhere.” There, she’d given the little creature hope. This was gonna be fun.

Shenzi turned towards the rock pile and jerked her head from Banzai to it. “There,” she hissed. “What?” “There. There! There!”
“O-oh!” said Banzai he grinned and together they approached the rocks.

Just then Ed came around the corner sliding on his ass. He bowled over the two hyenas and send them all three into the pile and rocks flew everywhere.

“Edddd!" They both yelled.

“I’m gonna be sore for days,” groaned Shenzi where she had fallen on her back. She rubbed her aching spine and stretched her neck out backwards.

Her eyes focused on a hole. “He-llo.” She grinned and flipped over on her belly with only a slight wince. She stared down into it. "
Hi, little appetizer. Her smile spread from ear to pointed ear. “Did you know, we hyenas live in burrows?"

She looked at Ed who was letting his head bob as he watched and Banzai who seemed to have both legs behind his ears.
” Come on boys, let’s dig!”

[poseidon]

Zexion had a look of horror on his face when he learned that the Hyenas discovered his hiding place, and it became more intense when the rocks broke apart above him and he was looking straight into the eyes of the female one. He rapidly thought, trying to figure out what to do as they started to dig. Finally remembering his favorite use of the Lexicon, he summoned it, and, with a smile, drew the three hyenas into it.

Within the three would normally be on a dark pillar of sorts, but (perhaps because of the magical adaptation again) instead, the three of them were on a large, sand-smoothed, flat stone platform, with the sky around them a dull grey, darkening to black as it descended around the pillar. The Hyenas would be in the middle, and Zexion on a smaller, higher platform near the edge, facing them. "I warned you, did I not? Now you must face the consequences. I heard you don't like lions?"

Seemingly coming from below the platform were two gigantic lions, the size of your average room, who landed and made the ground shake. They looked angrily at the hyenas, and they roared with a force that should have thrown them off of the platform. That was if the roars were real. Neither they or the lions were any more real than a child's imaginary friend, but for the fact that Zexion made them visible and audible through illusions. But there wasn't any risk that the hyenas would attempt to find out, since they had no knowledge of Zexion's powers of illusions.

After roaring for a minute or so, he lions stepped back to be on either side of Zexion, who smiled. "Now that we're aware of the influence of eachother, I expect you'll listen." He paused before continuing. "I am, obviously, stronger than you three... things. Thus I expect you'll take the side of the stronger being, to avoid more pain. Now, I want you to tell me everything you can about this world."


((EDIT: If you consider this to be god modding/powerplaying, please let me know. I personally considered this to be within Zexion's abilities and thus within reason, but if you can give me a reason for it not to be, feel free to.))

[yanagi]

(They never said out loud that they hated lions.)

They were digging, digging. Dirt flew everywhere, even in Shenzi’s face because of Ed’s unique style. But there was no time to yell at him for it. They almost had him.

And then they were standing on a platform. The sky was gray and the little meerkat that had only seconds ago been cowering in a hole was standing on a pedestal above them with the object spread in his hand(hands?)

The hyenas glanced wildly around and then stared at the meerkat. “Stop it Banzai! said Shenzi as the second hyena looked about to leap towards the platform.

They watched as the meerkat spoke.
"I warned you, did I not? Now you must face the consequences. I heard you don't like lions?"

And suddenly there were lions. Gigantic lions they came from, well, Shenzi didn’t know where they came from. The three hyenas cowered together expressions of shock on their faces as the lions roared loud enough to shake the ground. But the ground stayed still and Shenzi closed her mouth and looked around as the lions stepped back to flank the meerkat. She stood up sending Banzai and Ed tumbling. “Get off me!” “But, but, said Banzai. L-lions!” Shenzie sighed. “What good is being a hyena if you don’t use your nose. The lions aren’t really there,” she whispered. This was magic and the hyenas had their own brand of it.
"Now that we're aware of the influence of eachother, I expect you'll listen, said the little meerkat. "I am, obviously, stronger than you three... things. Shenzi swallowed a laugh. Thus I expect you'll take the side of the stronger being, to avoid more pain. Now, I want you to tell me everything you can about this world."

“Oh, really, said Shenzi, Stronger than us?” You know nothing about this world but you know you’re stronger than us?” Banzai and Ed went to examine the lions carefully.

Shenzi paced forward and stared from one lion to another and then with a tiny gulp, up at the meerkat. “Are you sure?” "

Yeah, are you really sure?” asked Banzai from right behind the meerkat. He grabbed the creature by the nape of its neck and threw it down onto the lower platform in front of Shenzi. Banzai jumped down and he and Ed got on either side behind the creature. "If you really are stronger than us you're going to have to prove it." The hyenas tightened the perimeter. "Please?" said Shenzi,tilting her head to one side as she smiled widely, showing off every single one of her bone crushing teeth.

(No idea if you still have the book or not. If this does not satisfy you as plausible then I can change it.)

[poseidon]

((“'What you got a big bad lion on your side too?' asked Banzai, sneering." As said in the fourth post after Zexion's second bit of speech. Besides, lions are the biggest and most fearful predator on the Savannah, so it's sort of given.

I thought that he would have it when he spoke, but he may have dismissed it when threatened.

But I'm sort of iffy how they figured it out. I know that they are good at scents and whatnot, but the three hyenas are known to be easily scared as it is. Besides, you didn't give me a chance to react to the approaching hyenas. Though, I'll try to take all this in stride.))

Zexion was worried about this ever since that Riku saw through his illusion. Was he losing his touch with illusions? Well, that would be played out and proven soon. In the meantime, Zexion enacted plan two.

He jumped up, summoning his Lexicon once more. It expanded to be larger than normal- the size of Zexion himself, in the form of the creature he was. It floated behind Zexion, and with it came four more Lexicons. In theory, that would throw them off. Even more, Zexion jumped back into an open one, and all of the Lexicons floated up and around the hyenas. Never too close, though, and Zexion tried to make them fast enough so he wouldn't have to worry about the Hyenas smelling it again. Though, in theory, they should've been to scared to act. This time, though, he was going for confusion, which he had hope in.

[yanagi]

Shenzi was getting bored, so was Banzai and Ed’s head was beginning to list far to one side. The swirling gray scenery was reminding them off nap time so when the meerkat stood up and summoned the object they didn’t try to stop him. They watched as the object became the meerkat and four more of the objects appeared, all open. The meerkat jumped into one of these things and the objects floated around the hyenas like the vultures that they often stole a kill from, though the pace was faster than that. Ed watched the things fearfully, his head swinging along with them. Shenzi was curious at first.

“Damn it! I’m getting…dizzy?” said Banzai he stood and began to wobble before falling down.

Shenzi would have thrown her paws up in the air if they worked that way. “Is this it? I ask you to prove you’re more badass than us and you do this? This is what we chased you for, spinning vulture things?” She had been patient, she had been kind and this little furball had been uncooperative. Shenzi scowled. No more pulling her punches. This little meerkat was gonna die. Unless, she amended. He became entertaining again. She yawned. After being scared by those lions she really wanted a nap.

Banzai shook his head rigorously to stop the spinning. He looked around and whined. “I’m hungry!” He didn’t like that this place didn’t have anything to snack on except the meerkat who wouldn't make a meal. He wanted to eat.
Ed continued to stare up at the circling things and jumped up to grab one by a corner.

[poseidon]

The damaged volume was torn by the attack and it disappeared, leaving four left. Zexion was starting to get worried. Unfortunately, these creatures have shown more intelligence than the average canine. Not much more, but enough to learn. Of course, nature just had to be against Zexion.

This reminded him of a bad place- one he hated to remember. Back when Marluxia and Larxene were traitors, and when Axel appeared to be a spy on Zexion and company's side. Just after Riku had done in Lexaeus, Zexion had tried to trick Riku, which didn't actually work due to the other Nobody girl- Naminé. He was then forced to fight Riku and lost, forcing him near Axel, who used the Organization's replica of Riku to finish him off. In the end, his own clever scheme finished him off.

So, was he losing his touch? He needed much practice, if he couldn't overcome three measly hyenas with his superior intelligence. He had to think, and fast, else he would be finished off. He really didn't feel like taking the hearts of these creatures, as it wasn't really his style, but if he had to...

[yanagi]

(They most certainly are not dogs, but I suppose he wouldn’t know that.)

The things continued to circle like awkward flapping birds. The hyenas had waited more than long enough for them to make a move and Ed had shown that they could be destroyed quite easily. He had fallen to the ground, his tongue flopping out the other side of his mouth and a look of disappointment on his glassy eyes when the thing disappeared. He wanted to hang off the thing and fly around!

Shenzi banged her paw against her bowed head. “Alright, I’m tired of this.” She didn’t care where the little meerkat was anymore, t he flapping sound was getting to her and the sky had gone from making her feel sleepy to queasy. She wanted this over. She stared up at the objects as they passed by and at the right time jumped up on top of one and ripped it apart.

Banzai jumped up to the second one, muttering “This isn’t food. Why’ve we gotta attack something that’s got no taste?” he ripped the thing apart with a jerk of his head. Wasn’t even hard to tear apart. Damn, this was boring.

Ed jumped up like he had the last one and grabbed a corner. The third thing disappeared just as disappointingly as the one before had. He felt a little sad though one couldn’t tell it. One eyelid did droop a little but that was about it.

All three hyenas watched the last thing as it flapped through the air, waiting, waiting to jump and tear it apart. One, two, three jump!

[poseidon]

Zexion was afraid this would happen. These hyenas were more than they seemed. So, in retaliation of their attempted assault on the final and real Lexicon, he flipped it backwards, out of range, simultaneously transporting the four of them back into the Elephant Graveyard and also exiting the book.

Dismissing the book, he ran again, to another large spine and rib cage of some unfortunate elephant. One side of the ribs was simply broken off by some ciromstances, and the other was barely standing up. This gave him a plan. He scurried up to the side of one of the ribs, finding that they moved easily with his weight. Luckily, the open side was facing the direction of the hyenas, so if he could jump and fall hard enough...

[yanagi]

The three of them jumped at the same time and the thing flipped out of range. Suddenly they were back in the elephant graveyard and the meerkat was back. He ran up another elephant skeleton and Shenzi glanced to the left and to the right at Banzai and Ed and they back at her. Her eyebrows were raised. Did they really want to continue going after this little creature?

They all three shook their heads. Naaah. They were out of that irritating place and didn’t want to deal with the meerkat anymore. “I’m hungry! whined Banzai as they walked away, their shoulders sticking up past their heads as they stepped. “So? go catch a Zebra, said Shenzi unsympathetically. “I’m gonna take a nap.”

They glanced back just before loping off to find something to eat that wasn’t such a hassle. They would remember that little not-meerkat and his smell. They might even retaliate but he hadn’t actually done anything so the possibility of that was remote.

His magic had given Shenzi an idea. It was trickster magic and she wondered if she could do something like that. She had a feeling that it would be easier to practice in the place the not-meerkat and the not-lion cub and the not-vulture had come from. The hyenas were on vacation. They should pay a little visit to that world. But, first, to tear a zebra apart and take a nice long nap in the shade.

[sarox]

(Can I join? I'm A BIG fan of KH!)