Title: Keep It Together

Genre: Drama/suspense

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to the Disney Co.

Author's note: I wrote this for a Lion King challenge. I came in third! Woohoo! The topics ranged but I chose to focus on the "Lionesses rebelling against Scar before they get help" prompt. I originally posted it under 2100 words but this is the extended and FULL version. Please enjoy!

The adjustments were painful but they had to be done. They were about as welcoming as a sting from a porcupine's quill. In their case, the barb would be preferable to the psychological sting that they were enduring now. At least with a quill, you could pull it out and though it would throb and smart, the twinge would dull down and die. It was ephemeral, it was transitory. Most important of all, it was not permanent.

Unfortunately, death could not be as easily erased from their minds. Emotional scars were the hardest ones to erase.

The pang of the King's death was still acute. Queen Sarabi who was the finest example of dignity and grace had shut down mentally. She was not one to openly express her emotions or opinions. Instead, she preferred to keep them to herself. It was important for a female, especially of a lioness of her social standing, to maintain poise but that had proven to be an especially taxing task. Her sisters could not help but empathize for she had practically lost a part of herself. To add salt to the wounds, her only son was gone too. What was once seen as a promising and prosperous future had gone the way of water during an especially bad drought. Still, just as the seasons must change and a snake must shed its skin; the transition of power was honored. Tears were shed, words of honor spoken and the last goodbyes were said.

Scar had granted Sarabi extra 'personal' time to cope with her loss. King Mufasa would have given anyone time to heal and recuperate. Coming from Scar, it seemed more like a request or a transaction. It was cool and impersonal with just a tiny hint of time constraint attached to it. Still, they chose not to say or do anything because he was the King's brother and his position oversaw theirs. At least that is how some of them saw it.

On the outside, their faces were outlined with dignity and selflessness. On the inside however, their pain was as well hidden as a leopard underneath heavy underbrush. For many of them, it was like learning how to walk again. King Mufasa was the only lion within miles who would offer a nomadic lioness shelter. Nomads were not seen as particularly desirable. In fact, some were seen as a threat. The good and gracious King saw beyond the superficial and would grant anyone food or shelter. In turn, she would have to offer her allegiance. This was a rare occurrence amongst lions. Some of them counted their blessings and were grateful for their opportunity to find a home under his rule.

He was tender and welcoming. He listened to his court's concerns with care.

King Mufasa was strong, proud, and regal. He was a fine example of what a leader should be. His rule was fair and he was firm when he needed to be. Most important of all, he was the perfect gentleman. He never failed to take the time to compliment a lioness on her unique skills and make her feel welcome. He firmly subscribed to the philosophy that a happy pride was a strong pride.

He also never failed to her extra 'attention' should she need it. He was never crude or brutish and honored his wife as an equal and not as a subordinate.

In contrast, Scar did not possess any of those traits. Scar was not exactly sociable. Much like before his reign, he generally kept to himself. He was seen as aloof and preferred his privacy to contact with the rest of them. Now, they could not help but wonder what was it about Scar that made them feel uncomfortable. They knew there was something off, perhaps evil about him but they were not sure what. Another possibility was that they did not want to acknowledge the little secret that permeated in the back of their minds. How could someone who could allow bad things to happen be related to someone so pure?

When he took the time to make his address, he did not exude the warmth and welcoming vibe that his brother had, which made the lionesses weary. Though he was of their kind, there was this mood in the air about Scar. It was not exactly a positive one either. For one thing, Scar's cohorts were not exactly dinner guests one wanted to have conversations with as they rude, crude, and filthy. Although they knew that Scar kept to himself, it took them by surprise to find out that he had an entire army of the mangy hyenas at his disposal and he was not above enforcing his rule if he had to.

There had been rumors that this had been from the stars, a vague form of communication. Scar brushed it off as superstitious nonsense.

Bathing had to be done away from the Pride Lands and their muscles were taxed from overhunting. The climate was unusually hot and water had become scarce.

It was not unusual for a third or fourth attempt at a kill before they would finally have something for themselves. Meat was a precious commodity that had to be carefully rationed out and kept at a certain temperature before it would turn rancid. It was during times like this that they shifted their attention to the one positive in their lives.

Nala.

Sarafina and the others did not want her daughter growing up in such a dismal environment. To be robbed of her playmate and the only father figure in her life, she needed a balance to tip her into the right direction so that she may one day become a fine hunter. They channeled their attention and love to the cream toned cub. The fallen Queen had adopted her as a 'daughter' for although she became widowed and childless, she still offered a lot of love. Nala would grow to be a promising huntress. With a keen sense of smell and the speed and grace of a gazelle, she would become an asset to their hunts. Sometimes, there would be two hunting parties. One led by Sarabi, the other led by Nala. While this had proven fruitful to Scar and his starving hoard of filthy followers, his appeasement was only temporary. It did not mean that once you got on his good side or that he would see you as 'special'. To please Scar meant you could live another day and that was it.

Before long, civil war had threatened to tear the lionesses apart.

Every fortnight, the lionesses would meet at a watering hole just over the eastern border, far from Scar or his followers. They needed a space to gather since the invaders had taken their private quarters. They would meet at night and only at night as it assumed that this was prime time for hunting.

They would meet and discuss the current events, seasons, births within herds and any other news that would be to their benefit. It was here too that they would discuss what Sarabi would say to the King. If the news was something like drought or herds depleting, they would minimize the negative aspects to buy more time but they all knew the truth when they saw it.

The Pride Lands were reduced to squalor.

What was once considered the envy of other lion kingdoms had become a skeleton of her former self. Filthy and rotten like the remains of an animal after it had been stripped of its meat and sinews.

At first, these meetings were sacred spaces where they could vent and air their frustrations in a judgment free zone. It was almost therapeutic. It was here that they reminisced about better times and made plans. However, in recent days, the tone within the group would take on angry and defensive tones in which Sarabi would be the de facto moderator. At first, it was about the lack of herds. Then that led to the rainy season being late or the zebra migration being off time. Lately, the topics had taken on a more central topic and although the consensus was practically universal, everyone still had an opinion.

To them, Scar may have been the King's brother and second in command but that did not mean that he possessed kingly traits. For instance, Scar thought hunting was below him. In fact, he saw it as a dirty job that only they, females, had to do. The nerve! If he wanted buffalo which was a prized meal in lion circles then as a male of the household he would have to do his share. In fact, the King and or his male relatives participating on a hunt was not seen as unusual but necessary if he wanted to keep his belly fat for days.

"Men! We do all the hard work and they expect you to wait on them paw and foot!" A dark toned lioness hissed.

"He probably isn't that much of a good hunter anyway," Siri, another lioness with aqua blue eyes observed.

"He's too concerned about those nails of his. He probably doesn't want to break them," Naanda, Sarabi's sister replied sourly. The three lionesses shared a generous laugh. Sarabi had shushed them. Although they were a few miles away from Pride Rock, she was still concerned that Scar might hear of their talks.

"Please, enough of that," she warned.

"Oh, come off it, sister! You know it! I don't understand this obsessive need to defend that monster!" Naanda hissed. Although the pride had possessed a united front, there were cracks. Naanda, Sarabi's outspoken sister, had often clashed about what had to be done. Though she respected and tolerated her sister's wishes, there were times when they could be more proactive about their present circumstances. To her, when you complain about feeling thirsty when you are in the desert, you go and find water. You don't just wait for the rains. The way she saw it, they were waiting for a flood during the middle of the dry season.

"Enough, Naanda!" Sarabi warned. Her body language was firm but her tone was warning her sister that the quips had to stop. Sarafina and a few other lionesses offered Naanda pleading looks to stop for the last thing they wanted was to lose another sister to Scar's wrath. Under King Mufasa, there had been more than ten of them easily. Since Scar took over, the number had dwindled considerably which left Sarabi, Sarafina, Naanda, Zira, Nala, and the three lounging by the trees and rocks. The others had 'disappeared' while they went for a drink.

They wanted to believe that whoever left had escaped unscathed but the telling and taunting looks of the hyenas combined with rumors that Scar was not above offering them a free meal when it presented itself, it was agreed that it was best to stay together and to self censor themselves against Scar's transgressions. It was better to suffer silently and hold your tongue than to speak out and increase your chances of becoming a meal for his henchmen. On top of that, there were outside threats. A lone lioness had no chance against a lone male, much less another pride. Nomadic lionesses were looked down upon as filthy, dirty, and unwanted. Who wanted that kind of attention?

"I don't understand why you have this need to protect that brute, sister. He has done nothing for you. He does not respect you, consult with you…" Naanda began.

"Scar has his way of doing things. If he does not need my word on things then so be it." Sarabi said calmly.

"No truer words were ever spoken." A raspy voice spoke up from behind. The rest of them looked at the source with an air of disgust. A low chuckled emerged from the emaciated lioness' throat. "Listen to your sister, Naanda, for she is wise and most certainly right."

Sarafina and Naanda scrunched up their noses in an offended tone. Sarabi looked straight ahead and tried to ignore Zira's jab.

"You think you can do a better job, Zira?" Sarafina spoke up and tried her very best to maintain poise and control. It was no big secret amongst them that Zira wanted to be Scar's Queen and bear him cubs. Any attention he gave her she would lap it up like a thirsty animal onto a damp piece of land. It was a sad and pathetic sight.

"Oh, he's just biding his time. Let him sample from the platter before he makes his final decision." Zira said offhandedly as she settled herself to have a drink from the small watering hole. She returned their glares with a toothy grin.

"He rejected Nuka, Zira. What makes you think you stand a chance again?" Siri queried.

"Maybe it was that sickly wildebeest you brought down that affected him a few days before he spent time with me. Dear Sarafina, Are we losing our touch?" The tawny lioness hissed. Sarafina's claws sprang forward and just as she was about to sink her teeth into Zira, she was blocked by Siri and Saidia.

"You will pay for that!" Sarafina growled.

"Keep it together, sisters." Sarabi said warmly.

"Yes, listen to teacher, girls," Zira sighed before walking into the darkness. She was power hungry, she was ruthless. She was Scar's match in every way. The only problem was that Scar was a bonafide narcissist. He would appear to treat her as an equal but he would never see her as such. She would be a means to an end, a tool, an object, an extension of him. He had already done that once. In that sense, Sarabi could not help but feel partially sorry for her.

"Filthy wannabe groupie!" Naanda growled.

"Don't push her away! She is swift and that is necessary if we wish to catch jackals and gazelles," Sarabi said calmly.

The other lionesses took Sarabi's words to heart. They knew she was wise, resourceful, and objective. Still, a part of them could not help but wonder if the lights were not all on upstairs. It was rumored amongst them that the only reason Sarabi tolerated Scar's abuse was because he was her only connection to the family she once had. It was not outside the realm of possibility that she saw Scar as the only physical connection to Mufasa and Simba and that maybe, just maybe, her emotional well being was compromised and that did not allow for her to see what was plain to everyone else.

The lionesses nodded at Sarabi's orders. She may not have been at Scar's side as co-ruler but she was still Queen Dowager in their eyes. She was the glue that held them together, the sense of peace in an era of uncertainty.

"Where's Nala?" Sarafina asked.

Sarabi turned to see a trail in the brush not too far off from where they were. From the look of it, whoever made it made a turn in their direction but turned away not back to the Pride Lands but outside the savanna limits. Sarabi understood.

"She will be fine."

Under the cover of darkness, a young female sunk down lowly and quietly. Her creamy toned pelt barely meshed with the tall, green grass. She was about to take the biggest gamble of her life and she swore that she would not return empty. Blue green eyes scanned the horizons. It was going to be a lonely trip. She looked up at a tree and saw something, no, someone, looking down at her.

The voice in the tree gave her reassurance. It was calm, soothing, and full of wisdom.

"It is time."