Special Story Note: Hello. I apologize for any confusion to my old followers, but I recently chose to make some adjustments to this fanfic, as I felt creatively limited by the original content I published for the story.

I did entirely replace Ch. 4 (the original was a vague scene between Nala and Sarafina, which may resurface in some form later on), though I only updated Ch. 3 for some minor editing/content. I also deleted the old Chapter/Author Notes, as they no longer apply - but that is all.

My Intro: Hello, this is my second fanfiction story. All and any reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Chapter Note: This chapter was published as a replacement for the deleted original on 10/31/16.

Disclaimer: All rights to Disney!

Nala: The Lion Queen

Chapter Four

Early the next morning, the sun began to rise upon the great Serengeti as beautiful and brilliant as ever. The colorful sky was still painted with the violet-orange shades of dawn, but far away on the western horizon, a golden circle slowly emerged, as if it arose from the very ends of the earth.

With a long, drawn-out yawn, Scar leisurely stepped outside his spacious den and carefully glanced around the main quarters of Priderock. Visibly appeased, the lion could not resist but smile to himself, in a wicked sort of way.

The King. Your Majesty. My Sire.

After many years of impatiently waiting and lurking secretly in the shadows, all of these prestigious titles now at last belonged to Scar – and he loved it.

A month had passed since the new king finally staked his claim on the throne, after he dramatically usurped it from his older brother and young nephew, by the most diabolical of means.

After the wildebeest stampede and a hyena-led execution, Scar got exactly what he wanted at last. And now each day when he awoke, the Pridelands' new ruler arrogantly reveled in his newfound glory.

'King at last, king at last', the dark-maned lion thought proudly, with a devilish smirk upon his face.

He then casually strode away from the den and towards the high peak that overlooked the vast savanna. At the moment, Scar noticed the royal homestead still seemed fairly empty and quiet, for not all of it's residents had awoken just yet.

The king now stood upon the end of the ledge, and pretentiously gazed over the magnificent Pridelands.

As far as Scar was concerned, no one else could ever take the throne away from him – not until the day he died.

And of course, he thought this would only happen many years in the future, when he became old and sick. Though by then, he intended to have a male heir survive him, like any successful king at the end of his reign.

However, Scar had not given this idea too much consideration - at least not yet.

But for now, he was merely satisfied that the hyenas and lionesses – as well as their cubs - were all under his iron-pawed rule. Whether they remained loyal out of fear or respect was debatable, but Scar simply did not care, as long as they obeyed him.

'Things are going superb... well for me, that is. Ha-ha.', the king considered, with a sense of dark humor and a nonchalant shrug.

Scar let out a contented sigh and gave the lovely scenery a final look, then turned away and headed back off the ledge, and swiftly made his way down the domain's stone entry steps.

Now, it was time for a morning walk.

This had been a habit of Scar's for many years now, not just once he had became king. The long walks were the male lion's way to reflect on life and clear his mind.

Most of the time, this worked out just fine. Although every once in a while, it actually had the opposite effect on him, when he unintentionally let his mind wander wild.

But unfortunately for the predator, this behavior simply could not be predicated, as to when nor why it may suddenly occur.

As he left Priderock behind, Scar found himself on a dirt-trodden path that led deeper into the expansive, grassy plains. There was a small waterhole located nearby, but he instead chose a longer route to a more scenic pond, in a different area of the territory.

Yet now as the ruler traveled on his way, Scar's troubled mind began to steadily brew with unrest. He could not help but ponder over another phase in his life, back to a time when it was believed he would never become king – nor deserved to.

'But at least now, life is fair...isn't it?', he asked himself aloud, rhetorically. There was clear uncertainty in the lion's tone.

For some time now, many in the Pridelands considered Scar to be a loner, an outcast. But this had not always been the case. Though still in his prime, when the lion was much younger, he had a rather different character.

He was courteous with family, cordial with friends and even deeply committed to a beautiful, mysterious lioness.

Then unfortunately, it all changed:

Scar had been fooled, shamed and then essentially ostracized by those around him. It totally blindsided him in the worst kind of way, and consequently changed the trajectory of his life forever.

In short, he had been betrayed.

And even to this day, when Scar reminisced over the dramatic betrayal, it made the lion feel weak and vulnerable – a way he absolutely hated to feel.

All of a sudden, he stopped in his tracks.

And now unexpectedly, from deep within the male lion, a rush of hot anger erupted. Scar tried to breath deep and slow, but it did not ease his mind at all. His vibrant, emerald-colored eyes quickly became bloodshot and his claws dug sharply into the earth.

Abruptly, he looked down at the ground.

Before him, there was a large, clunky rock on his pathway. In a fit of rage, Scar growled loudly and swiped deftly at it with his left paw, and sent the rock ricocheting away.

"It was all her fault!", he shouted, in disturbed recollection.

In midst of the intermittent anger episode, Scar's body heaved with intense ferocity and his heart beat rapidly against his chest. But after some time, the lion at last precariously peered towards his right side, off to where the rock had landed.

And now ever so slowly, Scar's breathing started to stabilize, as he began to regain composure.

Several yards into the distance, was the location the king had come over to visit in the very first place.

It was a tranquil and scenic pond, surrounded by dense greenery and decorated with colorful flora – a slice of exotic jungle within the familiar savanna.

'Well, at least I'm here now.', Scar thought dryly. He cleared his throat and arched his shoulders up, then intently walked towards the miniature oasis.

The beautiful location – referred by the locals as "The Sapphire Pond" - was actually a rarely visited site by Pridelanders, as it was hidden rather far and out of the way.

Which is exactly why the dark-maned lion liked it so much.

Now with an alleviated expression on his face, Scar casually made his way further into the vibrant oasis. For the newly bestowed ruler, it was not just a place of nostalgia – it was a world of his own.

Scar may have been king of the Pridelands now, but every once in a while, when the lion's mind reverted back to his troubled youth, he chose to find solace in the private sanctuary.

'Here, there is no one to betray me.'

Author's Note: I hope the vague descriptions of mental illness/emotional instability in Scar's character make sense to you as readers. It's the first time I've really published a work that tries to illustrate such a plot device, so I'm not sure how it comes off to others.

Also, it is truly not my intention to make light of any such conditions. I just think creative writing with fictional characters is a good medium to explore such a real-world issue.