Scar looked out over the dry and barren Pridelands, thin brows furrowing.
I don't understand .. why the lands are so. What has happened? He thought, green eyes wide in fear.
The other lionesses, even his mate, Zira, had been constantly complaining of the lack of food -- and just recently, water. He himself had experienced many a dry season, but this was unlike any he had ever seen.
As he continued to gaze over the dry lands, a strange feeling of tension came over him. Ever since that mandrill had left -- it hadn't been just the same. He'd never really cared for the colorfully faced, and seemingly crazy baboon, but now that he was gone, he worried. Where would he have gone? This, and other questions, like, where had Nala gone, aswell, constantly haunted his mind.
A gathering storm in the distance flashed lightning, and a few seconds later, thunder. At least it meant water, he thought, shaking briefly his black, scraggly mane, and smacking his dry lips together. He turned and slowly made his way into the main cavern of pride rock.
Inside, lay the lionesses, also alerted by some strange tension they could not explain. He looked around briefly through the many tawny faces, until finding one that greeted him, surprisingly, with a smile. " Hello Zira.." he purred, face melting from his constant disgruntled expression to a sweet, kind one of love. " How are you?"
Zira nuzzled back up against his matted black mane, purring. " I am fine, love." She stood up to rub alongside the dark lion, pausing to give him a lick that messed up his goatee.
Scar chuckled, and flicked his tail, walking alongside Zira towards the exit of the rock, towards the promontory.
" So, love, how have you been? Has the pride been treating you well?" his voice was laced with a strange tone, an uplifted one that had never before been heard by many ears.
" I am ..its.. they're fine." She stammered,not being entirely truthful, yet keeping in step. " I just worry for the pride, sometimes. I'm not the only one heavy with cub, and, the land must be more fruitful if we wish the cubs' survival."
Scar looked to his mate, perking his ears slightly. That same sense of fear, one that he could not control, swept over him. He just did not understand what he had failed to do -- or had done, that had made the lands so much more desolate, than usual, during the dry season. But, he hid away that emotion from her, and said, in response, " Do not worry, my dear. Soon the rains will come, and the land will flourish again. It always does."
Zira nodded briefly, and they both stepped out onto the base of the promontory.
That same air of tension hit Scar again. Something seemed dreadfully imminent, but he passed it off only as the coming storm. He looked up to the mass of dark clouds. " See, love?" he purred. " Here comes the rains now, on their ways to bring you some water." He batted cubbishly at her nose, and she chuckled, doing so back. " Perhaps you are right.." she purred. " But I'm hungry. Do you suppose I could get a bite to eat? Picking've been rather scarce, lately."
Scar nodded, regretfully. "Don't worry, the herds will come back with the rains. But, I'll see what I can do, love."
Zira nodded. She turned, and loped back inside, casting a grin and a purr back in the dark lion's direction. He returned the purr, watched her enter the cavern, and then turned, stepping out onto the promontory, hopping to one of the nearby rocks.
" SARAAAAABI!" He called, voice raspy, yet ragged in its tone, echoing eerily off the rocks that formed the giant Monolith of Pride Rock. The many hyenas below parted, as Sarabi stalked through them. They all snapped and growled at her, yellowish eyes glowering in silent fury.
She stepped up the rocks, coming face to face with Scar. She narrowed her reddish eyes, wrinkled her muzzle, and stopped, looking to him.
" Yes, Scar?"
" Where is your hunting party? They're not doing their JOB!" " Scar, there is no food. The herds have moved on."
Scar shook his head, in disbelief. There had to be something left. " No! You're just no looking hard enough!"
Sarabi shook her head, and stepped forwards. " It's over. There is NOTHING left. We have only one choice -- we must leave Pride Rock."
Scar paused. Leaving Pride Rock meant that he'd have to move into others' territories -- he was too old to challenge, or be challenged for a new territory. Pride Rock was his -- it was the prize he had worked so long for. " We're not going anywhere."
Sarabi's expression became grim. " Then you have sentenced us to death!" There were silent gaspings as the lionesses, behind them, in Pride Rock, eavesdropped and heard those words cross her lips. Scar growled, furrowing his brows at the female's words. " Then so be it."
Sarabi gasped. " ... you .. can't DO that!"
From Pride Rock, Zira watched. Why was he being so obstinate? She could understand why he wouldn't want to leave -- but to sentence the pride to death? She shivered and pinned her ears back.
Scar shook his head, brows wrinkling. " I am the king. I can do whatever I want."
" If you were half the king Mufasa was---"
" I'M TEN TIMES THE KING MUFASA WAS!"
Scar struck Sarabi with his paw, sending her to the ground. She wailed in pain, and looked up to the angered form of the dark lion. Lightning flashed, shadowing another lion's form above on the rocks. The shadow lion roared, and started a run down the rocks, towards Sarabi.
" Mufasa?! No -- you're dead.." Scar whimpered, stepping backwards. The lion bent down, over Sarabi, nuzzling her.
" Mufasa?" She said, voice weak, but clearly questioning.
" No," The lion said, raising his from the shadows, looking to Scar. "It's me."
" Simba? You're... alive? But how could that be..?" Sarabi whispered.
" It doesn't matter now. I'm home." he purred.
Scar's eyes widened, and he looked to the hyenas, briefly, before regaining his stature. "Simba? Simba..." He began, ropelike tail twitching behind him. "I'm a little.. surprised to see you.." he paused, dirtily looking to the hyenas , " -- alive."
Simba wrinkled his muzzle, stepping over Sarabi and towards Scar. he cast a brief glance around the desolate landscape, and hissed, " Give me one good reason I shouldn't rip you apart."
Scar paused for a moment eyes wide as he looked to Sarabi, where lionesses; but not Zira, had begun to gather. he squinted slightly, wondering where she may be, before answering Simba. Backing up towards a wall, he stopped and said, " Oh.. Simba.... you .. must understand. The pressures...of ruling a kingdom.."
Simba growled, face remaining stern. " Are NO longer yours. Step down, Scar."

Zira watched, perched on some rocks above, as Simba approached Scar. Who was this lion? Perhaps the 'Simba' that had been so infrequently mentioned by her mate? She wondered, watching as Scar pointed to the hyenas, illustrating their presence to the other lion. She also watched as Nala appeared over the rise of rocks, with her, coming around Sarabi, the rest of the unloyal pride. Gods, curse them! Couldn't they see that Scar was King? If it was Simba, then Simba had left. Why was he bothering him now? She watched, as the tawny, younger male approached Scar. She could barely make out their words, and strained to see exactly what went on. But she dared venture no closer.
Lightning crashed as Scar started to circle around Simba, and occasionally she could hear their elevated voices on the wind. She watched as Scar forced the younger lion towards the edge of the promontory -- and as lighting set the ground ablaze. Gods! Fire. She watched, almost delighted as she saw the younger lion lose his footing on the edge of the promontory. She felt sure that her love had sealed the fate of the challenging lion, and delightedly ran from above, down the side of the rock on the path. As she ran, however, a single, screamed statement most clearly reached her ears -----

"MURDERER!" Simba screamed, leaping up from the edge of the promontory, pinning Scar beneath his bulk. Scar gasped, and mrowrled, " No, Simba -- please.."
" Tell them the TRUTH!"
Scar hesitated. He cast a glance towards Pride Rock, wondering where Zira may be. He prayed to the gods that she would be safe, and looked back to Simba. " Simba, now.... truth -- is in the eye -- of -- the beholdehhckk!--" His words were cut short by a tawny, constricting paw placed to his throat. Simba narrowed his eyes, and leaned closer.
" Alright ---- ALRIGHT!" he gasped, green eyes wide. " I did it..." He mumbled, glancing behind him to the rest of the lionesses, whose faces twisted into angry grimaces.
" So they can HEAR YOU!" Simba hissed, jabbing a clawed paw further into the old lion's throat.
Scar yelled, gagging at the constriction, " I KILLED MUFASA!" The rest of the lionesses emerged, and charged, towards the hyenas. One mumbled to another as they did so, " I knew it! Gods, and all this time we've --" her sentence was cut short 1000 as she delved into combat with the hyenas.
The fight raged on, through fire and ash. Scar managed to leap away from Simba, and charged away , up the side of Pride Rock. Peering from one of the crevices, was Zira, looking wide-eyedly to him.
" What is happening?" She gasped, looking towards the raging battle. " Who is that lion?!"
Scar shook his head, and gasped, panting wildy from his exertions, already. " Do you remember Simba?"
She nodded.
" Well, that's him. Those moronic creatures failed to kill him." his words were almost hissed, as he kept glancing over his shoulder towards the fight. Zira nervously looked in that direction too. " What am I to do?" She cried, sensing Scar's stress. " Listen!" Scar said sternly, trying to cal down his mate, "Act with the rest of the pride. Do not stand out, do you hear me! Don't claim anything to me. If anything happens.." His sentence was cut short as Zira disappeared back into the crevice, and he turned around, seeing why. Simba had just spotted him, and he turned, running the rest of the way back up the rock. A flash of lighting blinded him for a second, but he trudged on, leaping through a rising wall of flames in desperation. Simba leaped through after. Scar was trapped.
" Murderer." Simba growled, tail lashing behind him.
" Simba, Simba, please -- have mercy. I .. I beg of you.." He curled his ropy tail around his hindquarters, peering over the edge to the promontory's platform, far below. The ash stung his eyes, so he looked back.
" You don't deserve to live."
" But.. Simba. I am.....family!" He paused, and looked back over the ledge. " It's .. the hyenas.. who are the real enemy. It was their fault -- their idea!"
Low growls drifted across the wind, the sound a mix between anger, hurt, and betrayal.

Below, with the rest of the lionesses, now chasing off the last remainders of the hyenas, whom had begun to pull out and congregate elsewhere, Zira looked up, seeing the two forms through the fire on the top of pride Rock. She closed her eyes and murmured softly to the gods to protect her mate.
She watched in horror as the two lions engaged in combat, above. She saw Scar leap at the Simba , on the ground, and her heart jumped in twisted joy. But no -- wait!
A quick jab to her mate's ribs sent him flying over the edge, and crashing over the rocks to the promontory below. Gods, no! The hyenas were there -- she could see.
As the other lionesses watched, she climbed up to a point on some rocks, looking to Scar.
" Takaaaaaaaa!" She screamed.
He didn't hear -- nor heed. What appeared to be hundreds of hyenas fell upon the old lion, and through the fire, wind, and now falling rain, no one heard his gut wrenching scream, nor Zira's.

A few minutes later, Simba limped down the side of Pride Rock. The lionesses greeted him warmly, and nuzzled against his side. He smiled. Rafiki walked over to Simba, and said something -- but Zira did not hear. Away , atop a rock, soaking wet and alone, she laid, watching as the new king ascended the throne, and roared unto the heavens. The other lionesses roared in joyous response, as the rain beat down upon their pelts.
No one noticed the sobbing lioness as the others rejoiced the return of the rightful king.

The hyenas, watched as well, almost gratefully as the true king ascended the throne. They turned and walked back towards their home, the shadowlands, the leading hyenas' bellies full.

Months later, the Pridelands were flourishing once again. Nala's cub had been born that morning, and Zazu had been sent about the PrideLands to summon the animals for the ceremony.
No one noticed the dark lioness, slinking her way through the grasses, looking to the other lionesses, carrying by the scruff her week old cub. It was a boy, and carried the mark; dark coloring; of Taka, the auburn fur and black cub-spots. She tried to stay away from the pride, but found herself dependent on its kills. She still grieved deeply 1000 the loss of her mate, and never was social.
One morning, not long after Nala's cub had been born, Simba arrived in Zira's cave -- Scar's old dwelling. The lioness looked hatefully up to him.
" What do you want?" She mrwored angrily.
" Zira.." Simba said, having learned her name form the other lionesses.." It has come to my attention that your loyalty to me is in doubt." He cocked a brow. " Is this true?"
" I am allied to no one. I merely live in your pride."
Simba chuffed. " I've been told you were mate to Scar...." He paused, looking over her, to see the dark cub. He gasped. " Gods.." his red eyes widened. " Zira, why did you not inform the pride of your cub?"
Zira stood defensively over her son. She did not say anything, but her eyes narrowed, thin brows reminiscent of Scar's. " Get out." She hissed, lashing her tail angrily.
Simba shook his head. " Zira, if you were Scar's mate.." he looked to the cub again, " and indeed you were, you are hereby banished from the Pridelands! I will have none of this disloyalty, treachery, or deaths any longer!"
Zira gaped. " But .. bu-- you can't do that! Kovu is still so .. so .. young! I have nowhere to go!"
Simba furrowed his brows. " You can go to the outlands, on the border of the PrideLands. Go! We do not respect treachery or disloyalty here."
" But surely you can see..." She stepped over, revealing in full the tiny body of the cub.
" I don't care. I will have no more of it. Out. And take the other ones loyal to Scar with you."
" But. ..."
" OUT! Or the son of Scar DIES!"
Zira picked up Kovu by his scruff fearfully, and loped out of the cave, bursting into tears only after out of Simba's hearing range.
" I'll .. I'll show him!"