AN: Greetings, Scar fanatics! We move a little in time, with him still being in charge of the Pride Lands, and getting quite lonely… I recommend reading Part 1 ("The widow") first, but it's not necessary. Once again, sorry if there are any errors.

CHAPTER 1 – The Madness of King Scar

'When my name is whispered through the pride, is this talk of love or regicide?'

Scar entered the cave panting deeply. Sometimes he cursed fate for giving him a black mane. Especially during dry season.

-Huff… - he wheezed, lying in the cold shade of the rock. From the corner of his layer sounds were coming up to him, that were straining his exhausted nerves even more.

'Give me, give me. Give just a little smile. That's all I ask of you. Give me, give me. Give just a little smile. I've got a message for you. Sunshine, sunshine reggae! Don't worry, don't hurry… take it easy!'

– sung Zazu, locked up in his ribcage. He obviously wasn't bothered by the heat.

-Oh Zazu, please, shut your beak. Stop singing that or else I'm going to have to eat you finally.

-But Scar, are you in a bad mood? Do lighten up, after all, the dry season is showering us with it's charms.

The king rolled to his back, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and growled.

-Right, the dry season that last for two months too long…

-Oh it can't be that bad!

-What, do you want to find out? It's a drought, you idiot! Inside that cage your brain has slowed to the pace of a dying elephant…

Zazu became sad hearing this.

-Drought…? Really?

-Really!

Again, Scar gave a deep sigh, and rolled over in order to fall asleep. But this time he didn't have the opportunity. A moment later he heard hyena sounds, closing by. The loudest amongst them was Ed's rampageous laughter.

-OH no… what to THEY want again?

After a minute, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed entered the cave.

-Hey Scar! We got a bone to pick with you! – yelled one of the males, the one who could talk. The lion didn't even move.

-Scaaar! What's up, you got a sunstroke or somethin'?

Ed giggled. The concerned Zazu came up to the bars of his boney prison.

-Sire, royal courtesy requires petitioners to be heard out.

-Enough of this! – irritated to the limit, Scar lifted from the ground and approached the cage, baring his fangs. Zazu covered himself with his wings.

-Out! Parole! – roared the lion, smashing the ribcage with his paw, throwing it aside. The hornbill looked around, hardly able to believe that he was finally free.

-Do you hear me? Get out of here before I change my mind! Go look around and admire how the drought is destroying my land. Only be sure to come back before sundown, or I'll have the hyenas hunt you down even if you run to the top of Kilimanjaro!

Zazu immediately took off and flew away, barely omitting the flapping jaws of the hyenas, who jumped simultaneously to catch him in air.

-Allright, speak! - growled Scar. - And if you want to complain about your rumbling stomachs again…

-No no, that's not what we're here for! – answered Shenzi. – We got other business.

-Yeah, it's 'bout the lionesses, your subjects – Banzai interrupted her.

-Oh, what about them? Won't they hunt?

-Nah, not that either.

-Let me speak, Banzai! Scar, we want to inform you 'bout what we've overheard. We're wonderin' if you got any idea that the lionesses, well, don't actually like you that much.

The king's eyes widened with amazement.

-What?

-You know, they're slanderin' you behind your back. We all heard it, right, Banzai?

-Yeah boss, Shenzi's right! They're backbitin' at you all the time. Ed heard that too, right, Ed?

The third hyena didn't answer. He was too busy chewing on the dry bones of Zazu's ribcage.

-Who says that? I want names!

-Oh they're all guilty. All of the lionesses. – said Shenzi.

-Almost all of 'em. – Banzai corrected her.

-Well, at least most of 'em. They keep on whinin' 'bout you bein' a poor leader…

-And that you're lazy…

-And that you're screwin' around all the time…

-And that you ain't doin' nothin' with the drought…

-And that you ain't caring 'bout the pride none…

Scar was becoming highly concerned about the way Shenzi and Banzai tried to outshout one another, laughing at the insults, which his subjects were throwing at him.

-Hey Scar, somethin' wrong? – asked Shenzi, startled.

The king wasn't angry this time. He was rather deeply grievous. He knew how the lionesses talked about him. He kept silent for a while, and afterwards slowly, in a gloomy tone, he said:

-My own pride… Why do they hate me so much? It seems that you are the only ones left beside me…

The hyenas observed their ruler with astonishment. His eyes were completely hollow.

-I… I've never been respected. They never liked me, never appreciated who I was. Well, if so…

He growled. He roared. Then he leaped towards the petrified hyenas, knocking them to the ground.

-They SHALL respect me yet, do you understand? One way or the other! If none of them can learn to love their king, I will teach them to FEAR me!

The lion growled and bared his teeth just in front of the frightened Shenzi and Banzai's noses. Watching the whole thing from aside, Ed couldn't resist. He burst out laughing, catching the attention of the king, who jumped towards him in a flash and slapped him on the head with his paw so hard, that the hyena collapsed to the ground, losing his consciousness.

-You imbecile! – roared Scar. Behind his back, the other two hyenas stood in shock.

-Ed! Boss, what the hell? You lost your mind?

-Scar, stay cool! We're not the enemy, remember?

The lion was breathing deeply, but he was slowly settling down. In the meantime Ed, with his tongue stretched out, started to whimper and roll on the ground, immersed in deep slumber.

-You're beginning to lose it, boss… - commented Banzai.

-Wait a sec, I think I know what the problem is… - Shenzi came closer to the king. -Listen, we've known each other for quite some time now… You really need somethin' you don't have, am I right?

-Of course! I need the respect of my pride, which I do not have!

-No no no… - the hyenas' leader grinned. – I'm talkin' about somethin'… personal. A guy in your age is troubled by certain instincts, right?

Scar turned around, eyeing her closely.

-What are you saying?

-Ha! Don't tell me you don't know. It's simple, king- what you need is a queen. A female!

-A female?

-Yeah, that's right!

-Oh man, this is a good one! – laughed Banzai.

Scar turned away, resentful. He started to walk to and thro inside the cave.

-What can you know? You don't even have a mate yourself!

Banzai chortled even louder. He was laughing his head off. Also Shenzi was baring her teeth in a mysterious smile.

-Are ya absolutely sure of that, boss?

Scar felt confused.

-What? Who might that be?

-You know Jamal?

-Uh… your cousin?

-Yeah. – Shenzi and Banzai looked at each other. – So? – they said simultaneously.

The king flinched with disgust.

-And I suppose you also have someone already? – he said to Banzai.

-Uh, boss… not just me. – the hyena pointed at Ed, who laid snoring in the corner.

-Not him too? – Scar was overwhelmed with shock.

-Of course! As if it was even his first… Ed's kinda popular with the females in our pack, huh, Shenzi?

-Right you are, Banzai!

The lion always thought hyenas were revolting, and he dealt with them only as a sad necessity, but situations like these would totally knock him off his feet.

-Disgusting species! – he whispered to himself.

-So tell me, am I right or am I right? You're feelin' lonely, I can tell that just lookin' at you, boss. – Shenzi continued her speculation.

The king snorted, but there was indeed something true about what she said.

-Perhaps…

-Hey, I ain't thinkin' perhaps! I'm thinkin' definitely! – Banzai supported his sister. – You need yourself a female, end o' story! Just look around, there's so many lionesses you can have. You just need to make a choice!

-Of course, it all seems so easy for you, now doesn't it? We are lions, we do not just choose anyone for our mates.

Shenzi came close to the proudly erect Scar.

-Then go look for someone appropriate, but do it quick! You can see for yourself how your loneliness is driving you crazy. It's gonna be hard for you to carry the weight o' being a king alone, ya know…

-I might soon lose my patience carrying the weight of your nonsense! – the king gave the hyena an angry look, but she did not move back.

-Hmf! I think we've already had enough of that 'patience-losin' today. C'mon, Banzai! Wake Ed up, we're outa here!

Her brother obediently ran up to the still-sleeping third hyena, and then bit his tail. Ed whimpered and bounced up in pain.

-C'mon!

The odd one shook his head and drooling, strolled out of the cave with a weary step. Scar, exhausted, threw himself on the ground.

-Oh… I can not believe that even these idiots have found mates for themselves…

AN: This is mostly based on the 'Madness of King Scar' scene from the Broadway musical. Sorry for the crude humor, but I just had to make a joke on how Disney desperately tries to omit accusations of inbreeding in TLK. The hyenas just don't care about such details XD.

So, ol' king Scar is no monk at all and loneliness is driving him crazy. He blew it with Sarabi, so what's he going to do now? Keep reading, you'll find out. And be sure to write me how you enjoy the story!