by ScarsLove » October 11th, 2012, 3:42 pm
Chapter 2 - The boy king
The following morning brought many surprises for not only the pride, but for the king and queen. The last weeks that had followed were slow and strenuous, especially for Zira. For as evil and malicious she might've been before, none of that even dared to rear it's ugly head. Only the nurturing and mothering side showed anymore. Though it was a nice change of pace, it was quite disturbing to seem someone such as Zira acting like a compassionate care giver for her new cub. He'd been born prematurely and the night was surely ready to spirit his little soul away. However the great kings of the past had another thing in mind and showed mercy for the cub.
For nights the tiny cub cried, his mewls heard through out the cave. Making sleep nearly impossible to achieve. While others didn't appreciate the depravity of rest, such as Nala, who was growing into a pretty little thing. It did give other lionesses more time to grow closer and soothe the pain of one another. Sarabi was not the only mother dealing with heart ache. Akila, mother of Tama, had lost her daughter to the hyenas. Pili, mother of Kula, left immediately after Scar's reign, rejoining her pride to the south where Malka was located. Chumvi and Tojo were forced by the hand of Scar to leave. As both of them were possible threats and needed to be taken care of. It seemed to be a common thing anymore to lose some sort of family member. Many lionesses held a bitter jealousy towards Sarafina. She had the thing that was most precious to her. Nala was the diamond in the rough and everyone around her was envious.
The sun had barely risen above the horizon line. In the lioness cave, Sarabi fought to ignore the errant sunray, wishing to return to her dreams, but the moment had hurriedly passed. Her crown lifted slowly off the hard ground to rest on her soft paws. The rays of the sun slowly grazed across Sarabi's pelt, the sun kissed warmth enclosing itself around her like an invisible blanket. For the first time in a long time, she felt content and composed. Nothing in the world could ruin this moment, except for one tiny thing.
Into the cave came swooping Scars majordomo, Zazu. He gently landed in front of the old queen and gracefully bowed down. Still showing her the same respect as before, like nothing had ever happened. "Good morning Zazu." said Sarabi, giving him a quick nod of acknowledgement.
"If only it were a 'good' morning, your majesty. Quite the opposite, I fear...," Zazu replied, nervously looking around with shifty eyes. ",King Scar is on his way."
Sarabi cringed to herself and repeated the name to herself 'King Scar'. He was no King, he was just a pretender, a fool, a cub. The very words rolled out of her mouth like poison off a snakes teeth.
"Scar..? What could he possibly need?"
"You weren't accounted for at the presentation of Nuka. King Scar is furious."
"Why did no one bother to wake me?!"
"Sarafina and the others said you deserved rest. They insisted on it."
"Sarafina..." Sarabi shook her head, both thankful for her caring friend but resentful of her actions.
"But I wouldn't feel to bad, your Majesty. It's not like Scar ever-"
"You're dismissed Zazu" Lurking behind Zazu was Scar, he spoke coolly. Sarabi climbed to her feet and guarded herself. Hesitantly, Zazu flew away in the direction of pride rock.
"Yes, Scar?"
"Zira and I didn't see you at the presentation of Nuka..,"Scar said. ",Why?"
"That was today? I feel simply terrible for missing such an opportunity."
"Your mordancy does you no credit.," Said Scar. ",What means do you think is most appropriate for your actions?" The king drew a paw up his chin, quizzically scratching at it.
"You were so shamelessly opposed to the birth of my son.," Sarabi growled before Scar could continue, drawing her auds back. ",Mufasa always abided with your shallowness, he-"
The moment that name passed Sarabi's lips and through Scar's ears. He could feel every nerve inside his body twinge. He was always undermined by his brother, even after time had progressed since the stampede. He was the second rate son, the little brother, the boy king, an underling, second in line. He drew his lips back into a fearsome snarl, taking Sarabi by surprise. "What did you say!?"
"Mufasa!" Retorted the lioness, her mahogany eyes clashing with his acidic green. Like a spark to a pile of gunpowder, Scar exploded with fury. He lunged forward and forced himself on top of Sarabi, pinning her to the ground with all his strength. He dug his fore paws into her neck, pressing, closing. Her mouth fell open, a desperate gasp for air escaped instead of a cry. His ebony razors dug deeper into her throat. She could feel the life slipping away from her, the weight of her chest felt as if her very rib cage was going to collapse.
Sarabi could feel the life slipping from her body. Her heart, once quickly beating, was now slowing in tempo. The lack of air causing her vision to haze and the world to spin, she slowly lost conscious. The last glimpse of her world was to be nothing more than the infuriated look of Scar. His normally placid, charismatic demeanor had violently changed and contorted - consuming anger. His jaws quivering and salivating, slurring words that were unintelligible, so much unlike himself.
Silently, he looked Sarabi deep in her eyes. Just as though he were looking through a window into her soul. Heartache was apparent and death would be an easy, but satisfying end to a life time of sorrow filled memories. But even deeper lied a sort of desperation that was too prideful to speak up, clouded by hatred and revenge; quietly pleading Scar to spare her life. But no thought of mercy could cross his disturbed mind. There was much more than just spiteful revenge, darker secrets hid themselves away in Scar. In parts of him that he'd forgotten were there. Covered by dust and literally gone after years of mental anguish. Emulous, competitiveness, invidious.. all words to describe one thing: Jealousy.
Fragmented memories came together like the finishing pieces of a puzzle. But not just a normal puzzle, but a puzzle that pictured two innocent lovers. One destined to follow a dark path, twisted with lies from those closest to him. The other, destined for greatness. The two that could never be, that could never have what they wanted dearly- each other.
"I'm with you, Taka."
"I won't give up on us..."
"Keep holding on, Taka."
...
Without warning a powerful siege of lionesses forced themselves onto Scar. Four of them countered his attacks and threw him to the ground, leaving him bruised and breathless. They swarmed around him, claws unsheathed and teeth threatening to tear into his flesh. While the others had cornered Scar in the back of the sleeping cave, Sarafina nervously approached Sarabi who lay on the ground. Unmoving, unconscious, possibly dead..
"Sarabi..," Sarafina whispered, the darkness of the world closing in on her. She tensed her muscles and fought to keep the beading tears from falling. Her lip quivered and her eyes became bloodshot. ",It can't be..." To much death had consumed the pridelands of late. First Mufasa, then Simba, and now Sarabi. It seemed to be the inevitable fate of the royal family to end up dead. But why Sarabi? She was regal, serene and graceful. Simply selfless and kind in every way possible. She seemed to be the only luminous thing in her life that held the pride together like glue. And now that was gone from this world.. But in the end it wasn't all bad. Sarabi could become once again reunited with her long lost mate and cub. It had been silently killing her ever since that day Scar returned with the tragic news. Maybe this was the way fate wanted things to go.
"Mom?..," Chirped Nala, silently padding over to her mother, tail tucked between her legs. ",Why isn't Sarabi getting up?" The lioness brought her daughter closer in a tight hug. She leaned her head now and rubbed her cheek against Nalas. Wet tears staining her soft cheek fur. "She won't be.. coming back."
"So you mean she's...-" The cub raced to Sarabi's body and snuggled close in her cold embrace. Nala looked at her peaceful form as it lay on the floor, pausing to studying her frame closely. Lightly the brown flank of the queen gradually began to rise and fall in tune with her breath. She turned around and looked at her mother, a weak smile growing on her face. Sarafina stared at her cub who was.. smiling. No, that couldn't be it. She was just seeing distorted images through her foggy vision. Though once she blinked away the last of the tears she began to see in clarity and it was true, Nala was smiling. How could she possibly be smiling at a time like this. Was her innocent daughter getting some kind of morbid delight out of her death? That couldn't possibly be it.. but what could it be. Carefully she approached Nala and gazed at her crossly. Looking from her cub to her dead friend, trying to find something to smile about.
In the quiet moment, when the earth stood still there was a rustle of life in Sarabi. Her crown softly lifted from the stony floor, fluttering her eyes open. Sarafina brushed herself against Sarabi and caressed her face against her own. She had come home to breath again and start again. Nala found herself embracing the lioness tightly in her little grasp. The other members of the pride, blinded by bliss, came over to rejoice in the queens return. This allowed Scar a moment to get out of the cave and into the open. But as soon as the moment had come, it slipped through his paws and far away from his grasp. Sarafina pounced in front of Scar, followed by Akila. Sarabi climbed to her feet with the assistance of a few younger lionesses and made their way over to Scar. Circling him, staring at him hungrily, craving to finish the final blow.
"What should we do girls?" Called Akila, tail flicking.
"Kill him!" A lioness in the back suggested, ducking her head away from his view.
"That's to easy!" Called another.
"I agree. But he should pay.." Sarafina said.
"But what's a pride without a King?" Nala peered out between her mother's legs. Her words were true. Without a king, a pride wasn't what it should be. Still, Nala was to young to see how cruel their so called 'King' was. Just as them, she would understand that they would be better off without him. This put a few of the lionesses at a pause as they threw each other hesitant glances.
"What King?!," Roared Sarabi. ",The rightful king, 'Mufasa'. Has departed from us, joining the great kings of the past. Leaving us with this imposter, who claims the title of king for himself. This opportunist is no king, he is but a boy. He can not lead us! He would sooner lead us to our deaths than become anything such as Mufasa."
The pride roared in agreement, swayed by Sarabi's words.
"We'd be better to lead ourselves." Sarafina joined Sarabi's rally, putting a paw on her friends. She looked her in the eye as they locked together. "I'm with you."
"Insubordination! Mutiny! Traitors!" The mad king shouted in his defense. A mixture of dread and anger seemingly taking over him. Although the feeling was short lived, the hyenas had found their way to the cave. Scar walked forward and came face to face with Sarabi, smiling at her devilishly.
"So, this is how you pay me back.. Eh? I came back to pick up the pieces of a crumbling kingdom, to replace and put them back together in my design. Can't you appreciate what I've done so far, Sarabi?"
"You've put us in disarray. Look before you, Scar! Is this really the path you have chosen for us!"
"I don't need your criticism. I don't need your respect. The only thing that I require is your.. obedience. And I think the best one's to teach you that would be.. the King's executive staff." With that he carelessly sauntered away, flicking Sarabi on the nose with his tail. Tossing her a smirk before the hyenas came pouring into the cave like a river.
...
Through out the night the lionesses quietly sat vigil. Mourning the loss of two of their pride sisters, Akili and Niya, mother of Tojo. Others had gotten so badly hurt in the battle that they may not make it, Sarabi and Sarafina were sadly counted amongst the numbers. Truly, the tyrannical reign of Scar had begun, and only time would tell before any good would come from it.