A/N: Well, this is the quickest update I've made in a while. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

In the Evening Calm

Sarabi lifted her head from the waterhole and stood up, licking a few stray drops of liquid off her chin as she did so. If she hurried back, she could make it to Pride Rock before nightfall. It wasn't safe to wander the Pridelands alone anymore, not since the hyenas had been granted access to the kingdom. Though they hadn't attacked anyone yet, the former queen felt sure it was only a matter of time. Everything about their presence unnerved her, from their shadowy forms and glowing yellow eyes to their eerie laughter that haunted her dreams. It wouldn't be like this if-- She pushed the thought from her mind almost as soon as it had entered; dwelling on the past wouldn't accomplish anything.

She set off in the direction of her home at a brisk walk, pausing occasionally to glance about her. Though Sarabi was a strong, muscular lioness, she knew that she stood no chance if the hyenas came on her in a group. She normally would have asked Sarafina to accompany her, but she had seen less and less of the lioness since Nala's training had begun. The queen had even stopped going out with the hunting party, spending most of the day with her daughter and her nights in Scar's den, out of sight from the rest of the pride. Though her friend seemed perfectly happy with this arrangement, she couldn't help but wonder how Nala was taking it.

The sun was just beginning to drop toward the western horizon as she neared the stone structure ahead, and she slowed to a moderate pace, no longer on her guard. Most of the pride seemed to have retired to their den for the night, and a peaceful atmosphere hung over everything. As she began to ascend the slope that led up Pride Rock, however, a sudden noise to her left caused her to turn around. Nala was lying at the base of the rock, pushing some pebbles off the stone on which she lay and watching them bounce to the ground below. Sarabi hadn't even noticed her in the fading light. "Hello, Nala," she said, causing the cub to look up in surprise.

"Oh-- hi, Sarabi," she said, quickly getting to her paws. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." She turned around and walked back down to Nala's level, looking her in the eye. Though the cub had put on a smile upon seeing her, something about the way she held herself made Sarabi suspect that something was wrong. "But what about you? You seem upset."

"No, I'm all right. Really," she replied, shaking her head. Her response was too quick, seeming more than anything like she was only trying to sound convincing. Now Sarabi was certain that something was bothering her, but decided not to press the subject any further. "I guess I'm just tired. Mom took me out for hunting practice again today."

"Did you catch anything?"

"No," Nala answered, her eyes drifting momentarily to her paws. "We did something different this time-- she wanted me to try and catch a bird. But every time I got close enough to pounce on one, it would just fly away. It didn't matter how careful I was; they knew I was coming no matter what I did."

"That's nothing to worry about," Sarabi said, smiling reassuringly. "It was the same for me when I was your age. Hunting is a skill that takes time. There's always tomorrow."

She sighed. "Mom said the same thing, but still.... I let her down. I let everyone down."

Sarabi tilted her head, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter. You wouldn't understand." Nala leapt from the rock she was perched on, tilting her head in the direction of Pride Rock's main den. "I should go now. Mom said she'd be back soon."

"Nala," Sarabi said, her tone gentle but firm, "there's no weakness in admitting how you really feel. If there's something on your mind--"

"I told you, I'm fine. You shouldn't worry yourself about me." There was an awkward silence for several moments before Nala pointed with a claw to where Sarafina was emerging from the den. "Look, my mom's back now. I need to get home."

"All right," Sarabi conceded. "But if you ever need to talk about anything, just come to me. I'm always ready to listen." Nala nodded, then turned and made her way up Pride Rock's slope.

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow!" she called over her shoulder. Sarabi stayed where she was, watching as Nala caught up to Sarafina. As cub and mother made their way toward Scar's den, she turned away. Despite what Nala had said, she couldn't help worrying about the young lioness. She was all that remained in the Pridelands of Simba's generation, her only link to the past. What could have caused her to act like this?

Nala seemed to believe that she'd failed the rest of the pride by not excelling at her training; that much, at least, was apparent. Why she thought this, though, Sarabi couldn't figure out. She briefly considered the idea that Sarafina had planted this notion in her daughter's head, only to mentally rebuke herself for having such a thought. Her friend was far too gentle; just the suggestion of Nala being hurt was enough to fill her with dread. No, the queen would never do something like that, but her mate....

For Sarabi, the news that Scar had taken Nala in as his heir had come as a complete shock. She had never seen him interact with her before that day; in fact, he had professed more than once that watching over cubs was an activity beneath him. The possibility that he had placed too much pressure on her to live up to his expectations seemed more than likely. A sudden impulse to confront him flashed across her mind, though she managed to suppress it almost as soon as it arose. It was too late to be having thoughts like this; she needed to get some rest if she expected to lead the hunting party. She climbed the slope to the communal den in silence, unable to keep her gaze from wandering to the back of the rock.

A pang of sorrow hit her as she reached the entrance to the cave, as it had so many times since Scar's reign began. During the day, it was easy for her to play the role of the strong, confident leader, but at night, nothing could prevent her true feelings from resurfacing. Sarabi sighed as she negotiated around the sleeping lionesses, making her way to the stone platform in the den's center. She used to sleep with Mufasa and Simba on either side of her, safe and content. But now, as she lay on the cold, empty platform, surrounded by a pride oblivious to her suffering, she felt vulnerable and alone. The thought she had pushed away earlier returned, unbidden-- It wouldn't be like this if my family hadn't died. The former queen closed her eyes, preparing herself for another sleepless night.

Sarafina couldn't help but smile as she gazed at the cub nestled against her side, sound asleep. The day's training had so exhausted Nala that she had drifted off with scarcely a word. "Goodnight, my princess," she whispered, bending over to gently lick her daughter on the cheek. She cast a lingering glance over the cub's sleeping form, before carefully getting to her paws and padding over to where Scar reclined at the front of the den. He ignored her presence even as she lay down beside him, continuing to stare out at the border of the Pridelands. Sarafina turned to look as well, quickly becoming captivated by the display.

Vivid streaks of crimson and vermillion stretched across the western horizon, where the sun had been only minutes before. From the ledge where the two lions lay, these last remains of the sunset seemed like the flames of a distant wildfire, reaching into the deep cerulean of the sky above. If one looked upward, it was possible to follow the gradual transition from blue to velvety blackness, where several scattered stars cast their twinkling light to the lands below. "It's beautiful," Sarafina said, her voice hushed. "I know it happens every night, but I've never really stopped to look."

Scar said nothing in response, looking out at the darkening sky as calmly as if he were alone in the den. Sarafina was used to this behavior by now, but something about tonight felt different. She couldn't endure his treatment of her any longer. "Why do you hate me so much?" she asked, turning away from the den's entrance to speak to him directly. "I thought I meant at least something to you. I thought you cared about me."

Scar's eyes glowed with amusement in the fading light. "I never said I hated you. It's really more like indifference."

"This is exactly what I mean," she said, unable to keep the irritation from entering her voice. "I know what you think of me. To you I'm just a stupid, selfish waste of your time. But what did I ever do to you?"

"You haven't done anything," Scar replied, already seeming bored with their conversation as he idly examined a claw. Sarafina moved her foreleg toward one of his.

"Then why does it have to be like this, Scar? Why can't we go back to how we were?"

Scar shook his head. "You're living in the past. Things were simpler then-- neither of us had any of the obligations we do now." He turned once more to look out over the Pridelands. "I have a kingdom to rule, and you have a cub to raise. You should accept your responsibility instead of wondering what could have been."

"That's no excuse," Sarafina said, her temper rising again. "Nala is our cub, but you haven't done a thing to help--"

"If you remember," Scar growled, "I was the one who spared her life. I named her as my heir. Or is that not enough for you?" He pushed her foreleg away. "This is the reason I didn't want you as my mate. You ask for far more than you deserve, and you give nothing in return. You may need me in your life, Sarafina, but I don't need you."

For several moments, Sarafina could only stare, hurt. She had already known he'd felt this way about her, but hearing him say it out loud was far worse. "But how do you think Nala feels?" She tentatively reached out to him again, placing her foreleg on top of his. This time he didn't move away. "She doesn't know what to think of you. You barely speak to me, you completely ignore her-- I don't think she'd believe me if I said that you were her father. Please, couldn't you do something more for her?" She turned to where Nala slept, peacefully unaware of the conversation taking place. "I'm not asking this for myself."

"Fine," Scar responded wearily. "I suppose I could take her with me on my patrol tomorrow. I was going to wait until she was older, but she'll have no trouble understanding if she's as intelligent as you claim." Sarafina knew he was appeasing her simply to bring their discussion to an end, but the knowledge that he was willing to look after Nala was enough to bring a grateful smile to her face.

"If I had to thank you for everything you've given me, I wouldn't know where to begin," she said, leaning her head against his mane. "You don't know what this means to me."

"I could guess," he said coldly, unmoved by her show of affection. Sarafina said nothing in response; he could easily change his mind about the patrol if she pushed him too far. That was something she couldn't risk, especially now that things were beginning to look up. Though her mate still seemed to hold her in contempt, she felt that the two of them had made some progress. They had actually spoken: not in a false conversation carried out under the pretense of civility, but about things that really mattered. Scar was even beginning to acknowledge his daughter, including Nala in his life rather than treating her as simply a burden. To Sarafina, it seemed things could only get better from here. Maybe one day they'd be a real family-- just like she'd always dreamed.

Kaidi impatiently tapped her claws against the floor of the cave, turning her gaze to the entrance for what felt like the thousandth time. Lia had agreed to meet her at sunset, but it was now so dark that it was difficult to tell where the cave ended and the grass of the savanna began. Though she felt restless staying in such a cramped space for an extended period of time, she remained where she was; it was imperative that their nighttime discussions remained an absolute secret. As the two lionesses had discovered over the last few days, however, the Pridelands seemed almost unsuited for secrecy. The sweeping plains and gently rising slopes provided little cover from the eyes of observers, leaving this small hollow in the side of a hill the best shelter they could find.

She sat up as the faint rustle of grass reached her ears, instantly alert. Lia entered a moment later, her dark pelt blending into the shadows of the cave so completely that at first all Kaidi could clearly see were her shining blue eyes. "Took you long enough," she muttered.

"Blame Sarafina," Lia replied irritably, rolling onto her side. "She came into the den right when I was about to leave and asked me about my day. And after that, she started telling me about hers. You'd think she'd realize when she isn't wanted." She paused, eyes narrowing in thought. "It was actually pretty strange. She usually never goes to the den that early in the evening."

"That couldn't have taken longer than a few minutes," Kaidi said, staring skeptically. "Do you know how long I've been waiting here?"

"I'm not done yet. Sarabi came in only a few minutes after she left, and I had to wait for her to fall asleep before I could finally leave the den." Lia shook her head. "She's seen me leave too many times, you know. That 'going to the waterhole' excuse isn't going to work forever."

"So none of the lionesses saw you, then?"

"Right."

"What about Scar?"

Lia rolled her eyes. "When I left, he was at the back of Pride Rock with Sarafina practically draped around his neck. It doesn't look like he'll be coming over here anytime soon."

Kaidi nodded. "I've been thinking all day about the simplest way to carry out the plan, and I may have found a solution. If we're lucky, all of this should be over by tomorrow." The other lioness leaned forward, her interest piqued. "If you find some more of that malpitte and accidentally get it in Scar's portion of the kill, he'll be dead before he knows what hit him."

"You've got to be kidding me," Lia said, clearly unimpressed. "Maybe you've never come across poisonous plants in your desert utopia, but they taste horrible. Nature's warning label, as I call it. There's no way he wouldn't notice. Any other ideas?"

"Only the most obvious," Kaidi said. "Ambushing him on one of his patrols. We have the advantage of outnumbering him, but only if we're nowhere near his hyena friends at the borders. But if you want to do this, we'll need more time to plan. After all, we'll only have one chance to do it right."

"I guess that'd be the safest thing to do," Lia said. "I thought of something else while I was out hunting, though. It's kind of risky, but in the long run, it might be easier than fighting him directly. You know that canyon to the south?"

"I think so.... Is it close to the Elephant Graveyard?"

"That's it. There used to be a river there, apparently, but it dried up a long time ago. It's not as deep as the gorge where Mufasa and Simba died, but you'd be lucky to survive a fall from the top."

Kaidi smiled. "I like the way this is going. Tell me more."

"Sooner or later, one of Scar's patrols will bring him to this canyon," Lia said. "If we take him by surprise, we might be able to knock him over the edge. But we have to be careful-- there's too much that could go wrong." She sighed, her expression no longer so confident. "There's a chance he could survive, or that one of us could fall off instead. I think we should save it as a last resort."

"You're right," Kaidi admitted, slightly disappointed. "Did you think of anything else?"

"Unfortunately not." Lia got to her paws, her expression unreadable. "But tell me just one thing. Even if we manage to kill him--"

"We will."

"Even if we do, then what happens next? Huh?" she asked, staring accusingly at the lioness before her. "Do you think the hyenas'll just leave quietly when they find out their leader's dead? Do you think no one will notice we were gone the same time he died? We can't just stay in the Pridelands. This isn't going to work."

Kaidi returned Lia's stare, unfazed. She'd known that her ally had been harboring doubts about their plan from the beginning, but she now felt confident that she could put those worries at ease. Though she'd never spoken it aloud, this part of the plan had been finalized since the day she swore vengeance on Scar. "Of course we won't stay in the Pridelands," she said. "After we kill him, we'll go to the Elephant Graveyard."

"What?"

"Just think about it," Kaidi said calmly. "From what I hear, that place is almost completely unlivable. The hyenas haven't left the Pridelands since Scar became king. Once they find out what we did, they'd search around here first, or maybe see if we ran off to the Machwa Pride. It may sound ironic, but the Elephant Graveyard is the last place they'd look."

Lia nodded slowly. "But how long are we supposed to stay there?"

"Just until the coast is clear. Once the hyenas are far enough away, we could make it across one of the borders without being seen. Then we can go our separate ways-- and finally put all this behind us," she concluded. "Do you have family anywhere else?"

"My brother went off as a rogue a few days before you came here," Lia said. "I don't know exactly where he is now, but I'm pretty sure it's somewhere to the north. I think I could find him on my own."

"Good," Kaidi said, making her way to the exit. "Then I think we've got this settled. We'll go with the ambush strategy. I'll start following Scar on his patrols again, and we'll meet here in a few days and see if we've made any progress. How does that sound?"

"Not good at all," Lia snapped, coming up beside her. "I've been coming here night after night, and we still haven't done a damn thing about Scar. I can't wait much longer, Kaidi. If we don't do something soon, then I'm out." She moved in front of Kaidi, shaking her head. "You know, maybe it's my own fault. When you first asked me to help you, I actually thought you were serious."

Kaidi snarled in fury and struck at Lia, claws fully extended. The other lioness just managed to dodge the blow, ducking low and taking several quick steps backward. "Never say that again," she growled, her voice low and threatening. She moved closer to Lia as she spoke, her red eyes blazing with anger. "I would have thought that you, out of every lioness in this barbaric pride, knew how I felt. Every day I'm reminded of what Scar did to me-- and every day, the only thing that keeps me from attacking is the fact that no one will avenge Tama if I'm killed. This means more to me than you could ever comprehend-- so if you feel I'm moving too slowly for you, then I'll be happy to work alone." The other lioness said nothing in response as Kaidi exited the cave and set off toward Pride Rock.

To some extent, she could understand why Lia had acted the way she did. After weeks of endless observation and making plans that had yet to come to fruition, she too sought an easy solution to her problem, a way to deal with Scar once and for all. Still, she hoped that the lioness would understand the risks of acting hastily and would continue to work with her; neither of their proposed plans would be likely to succeed if carried out alone. She had no fear that Lia would inform the king of their meetings; if she revealed their plans, she would only end up incriminating herself. It doesn't matter what she does, Kaidi thought. I'll always be there for you, Tama. I promise.

"... so I said to her, 'That's too bad, 'cause you already did!'" Shenzi exclaimed, as her friends Banzai and Ed broke into uproarious laughter. "Wait, and that's not even the best part. So she's just standing there, starin' at me with that cross-eyed look on her face, and I--" Before she could finish her sentence, Ed clamped his paw over her mouth. She wrenched it off almost immediately, glowering. "Hey, what's the idea?"

"Yeah, she was just getting to the good part!" Banzai growled. Ed simply chuckled in response and pointed ahead with a paw. The other two hyenas followed his lead and peered forward. Through the darkness, they could faintly make out the approaching figure of a lioness.

"Haven't we seen her before?" Shenzi asked, squinting as she leaned in closer.

Banzai nodded. "Yeah, it's what's-her-face... Laini or Katili or something."

"Kaidi, ain't it?" Shenzi shrugged. "Doesn't really matter; she's a snob either way." Her eyes lit up. "Ed, get me that ribcage. I'm feeling up for some target practice." Banzai raised an eyebrow as Ed scrambled to get what remained of their meal.

"So what happened to being the 'dignified, responsible matriarch'?"

"That's only during the day," Shenzi said, tossing her head back so that her long tufts of black fur fell away from her eyes. "Besides, what the rest of the clan don't know won't hurt 'em." She bent down to the ribcage Ed had retrieved and broke off one of the looser ribs with her teeth. Banzai and Ed quickly followed suit. The three hyenas sat back up, each one with a rib held tightly between their jaws.

"Now?" Banzai asked.

"Not yet," Shenzi whispered. "We have to let her get in range." They watched as Kaidi neared the rock structure, now so close that it seemed remarkable she didn't see them. Shenzi nodded slowly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Okay-- on your mark, get set, throw!" The hyenas whipped their heads around, releasing their hold on the bones as they did so. Two of the ribs sailed over the lioness's body, but one struck her in the center of the forehead. The hyenas fell to the ground laughing.

In a matter of seconds, Kaidi stood over them, growling. "If you try that with me again, I'll--"

"You'll what?" Banzai challenged. "Maybe you just haven't noticed, but we run the show around here." Ed laughed, his tongue hanging from his mouth.

"Yeah," Shenzi said. "You mess with us, you mess with the whole clan. Now what're you doing out so late?"

"That's none of your concern," Kaidi replied in a clipped voice.

"Then you'd better run along back to your den before we make it our concern, now, shouldn't you?" Kaidi rolled her eyes and stalked away, evidently deciding that arguing with hyenas was a waste of her time. As she started up the main slope of Pride Rock, Shenzi tossed another rib bone at her back. The lioness turned and fixed them with a chilling glare, but continued up to the den silently.

"What's her problem, anyway?"

"I don't know, Banzai, but soon she'll have a lot more on her tail," Shenzi replied, her eyes lighting up with that mischievous spark that her friends knew well. "Why, she threatened us for no reason, and wouldn't even tell us what she was doing out so late at night. Seems awfully suspicious to me."

"Well, yeah... but what're you getting at?" Banzai asked. Ed nodded, cocking his head to the side.

"Don't you think Scar wants to know about what's going on in his kingdom? I don't think he'd like hearing about this at all. But he'd be so grateful we told him-- you guys aren't following, are you?" she asked, dropping the charade. The two males shook their heads. "It's simple: if we tell Scar what we saw, he'll think we're really committed to our jobs, and he'll probably give us a reward!"

"Oh, I getcha," Banzai said. "But what do we do after we tell him?"

"Nothing," Shenzi said. "If we're lucky, Kaidi will dig her grave herself."

A/N: You might've noticed that Lia acted a bit... unusual in her scene with Kaidi. It's not just you; I'll explain why next chapter. Special thanks to Aramisa, whose review inspired me to write the scene between Sarafina and Scar. I know it wasn't the romantic scene you'd have liked, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.

I hope you liked this chapter, and that you'll tell me what you think in a review. I'm not sure when I'll update next, but I hope to see you soon!