A/N- Ok, I'm really, really sorry but I lied, this is NOT the last chapter. It was getting too long and I thought of a wonderful way to conclude it that would make it even longer so I split it up. It should be worth it though, so please hang in there for one more chapter please. Thanks for reading and please review!
Chapter 9: Chain of Events
"Miehka!" Sarabi called out to the elderly lioness as she trotted over. "You haven't seen Zazu have you? I have an errand for him to run."
"I saw him heading toward the den earlier," Miehka replied, "I'm assuming Scar had something for him to do."
"Could you please go and ask where the king sent Zazu? I need to find Sarafina." Miehka grimaced with the thought of conversing with the lion king, but nodded and headed towards Pride Rock. Sarabi continued her search, trotting between the small groups of lionesses lounging around to see if anyone had seen their pride sister lately. After several minutes the old queen spotted the familiar shape of her best friend approaching through the dry savannah grass.
"'Fina!" she called out eagerly, smiling as she jogged over to greet the other lioness. "Where have you been all afternoon? I wanted to ask if…." Sarabi's voice trailed off as she saw the narrowed eyes and felt the angry vibe emanating from her best friend. "What's wrong?"
"Do you know what he tried to do?!" Sarafina burst out, completely taking the other lioness by surprise.
"'Fina!" she gasped in shock, "What in the world happened?" In alarm the tan lioness watched her angry pride member begin to pace furiously, teeth revealed in an angry snarl.
"I WON'T LET HIM NEAR MY DAUGHTER!" Sarafina growled out, firing an ice-cold stare toward Pride Rock. But before Sarabi could deduce what she was talking about Miehka raced up, panting, her eyes open in concern.
"Queen Sarabi, queen Sarabi!" she wheezed, skidding to a stop with a small puff of dust. "Scar's locked Zazu in the cave! And the king says that he's not coming out either!"
"What?" Sarabi exclaimed, and then shook herself out of the shock. In a tone well practiced from her time as queen the lioness took charge. Sarabi ordered Miehka to explain what had happened when she spoke with the king, while she forced Sarafina to sit and calm down before reporting her own crisis.
A cold fear crept into her heart as Miehka recounted the scene for her. Scar had locked Zazu in a cage of bones, and had told the lioness that he was no longer going to patrolling the land and expected all his meals to be brought to him. The queen concentrated on keeping her nervousness in check as Miehka added more and more details to the report.
What caused this madness? Sarabi thought to herself. He seemed quite all right this morning when I told him about Tasa…Earlier the king had calmly asked her where the half grown was and with some hesitation Sarabi had told him the truth about where she had sent her son—and why. Scar had been shocked and looked almost…ashamed of himself. The red king had immediately set off for the Shadowlands to speak with Tasa but she hadn't seen either lion since.
Pushing her thoughts away from worry for her son Sarabi turned her attention to Sarafina, gently persuading the lioness to reveal her own trouble. Her friends' tale did not help to calm the queens' own fears though. Sarabi found herself breathing deeply to keep from roaring in anger and rushing up to attack Scar. Apparently that morning Nala had gone to speak with him about the problem with the herds. However, instead of listening to her the king had apparently started babbling on about cubs and immortality. When he had advanced toward her with a strange leer Nala had panicked and struck at him before running off and hiding on the savannah until her mother had discovered her not long ago. Steady, Sarabi commanded herself, closing her eyes and concentrating on breathing deeply.
"Miehka," she said when she regained her composure. "I need you to help me gather the lionesses together on the sunning rocks. But don't be too obvious!" she added hastily as the older lioness turned to leave. "Tell them to just wander over as though it were their own idea, we don't want to attract attention. I'll meet you all there in just a minute." With a nod Miehka took off with a determined stride, her face set in a hardened expression of distaste.
"Sarafina," the queen spoke again, holding the other lioness' gaze firmly. "No matter how angry you are you cannot face Scar right now." The other lioness growled a little, obviously still furious with what the king had tried to do to her daughter, but she held back. "Go out to Nala again, but take a small hunting party with you so the hyenas don't think something is up. Tell her to get out of here." Sarafina raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Sarabi nodded to reaffirm the order. "This kingdom is falling apart," she said, heaving a sigh as she added, "and I'm about to make it even worse." Sarafina hesitated a moment, finally reminded that it was not only her beloved daughter who was in trouble.
"Are you sure you don't need me here?" she inquired. Sarabi shook her head,
"Go and say goodbye to your daughter. I will take care of things here." With a nod of understanding Sarafina bounded off, leaving the queen alone in her private thoughts. Forgive me great kings, Sarafina prayed as she stared up at the bright blue sky, forgive me for what I am about to do to this kingdom.
"But I don't want to leave!" Cali whined loudly, looking pleadingly up at her mother, who quickly shushed her.
"It's best if we get all the cubs out of here…" Sarabi continued, looking over the gathered members of the pride.
"But I'm not a cub!" Cali protested before Kryptek cut her off.
"Well you're sure acting like one!" the young male shot at her, staring at the young lioness with his good eye. The other was still swelled shut and covered by some green-brown paste concocted by Rafiki to help heal the cut. Cali scowled at the orange-red cub but she sat silently as Sarabi continued.
"Jezza," the old queen addressed Krypteks mother. "Take your son to Rafiki's tree and hide there until he's healed enough to travel. Hiika," she turned to another one of the mothers, "you and Cali should be have no trouble escaping over the southern border. As soon as I can I'll send Tasa to find you." The tan lioness nodded, her daughter still sulking at her side.
"What about the little cubs?" Miehka asked, looking down at Sarafina's twins that she was babysitting.
"We wanna go somewhere new too!" Kala piped up, her brother nodding energetically in agreement. Sarabi felt a twinge of guilt as she looked at their eager faces. As with her own son the pride had kept Scars history a secret from the twins and they didn't truly grasp the severity of the situation. Instead they merely thought the older cubs were being treated to a special trip away from Pride Rock.
"The border is still a long way for you two and Nuka to travel, perhaps later." Sarabi spoke, choosing her words carefully to keep from alarming the twins. Then she turned to the adults and added, "Right now I think it's best merely to remain alert. Remember our youngest cubs are Scars' children."
"What does that have to do with going on a trip?" Kala whispered to Kiveh, but her brother just shrugged.
"Where are Nuka and Zira?" one of the lionesses asked, looking around at the gathered pride.
"Zira's out with a hunting party," Sarabi answered. "I'm not sure about Nuka though…"
"He's hanging out with dad," Kiveh interjected, and Sarabi smiled her thanks at the cub who looked so much like her Simba had.
"Does everyone know what to do now?" she asked, sparing one last glance around the circle of lionesses. Solemnly they nodded, a few shooting nervous glances in the direction of Pride Rock where they knew Scar rested. "Tonight we'll move into the lower cave. That way it will take longer for the king to notice that anyone is missing." Sarabi paused, swallowing her nervousness and taking a deep breath. "Ok, let's go." The group of lionesses began to disperse, but Miehka padded over to whisper in their leaders ear.
"Will this really work? Can we rise against the king?" She asked Sarabi, the quaver in her normally steady voice betraying her nervousness. The former queen hung her head as she answered quietly,
"I don't know…but if he's beginning to lose control we might be able to regain it for ourselves."
"He's dead." Scar said simply, looking at the lioness with blank eyes.
"Wha? What?" Sarabi choked out, struggling to stay on her feet as the shock hit her. Tasa can't be dead! Her mind screamed, eyes staring unblinking at the stone floor of the cave. After dispersing the lionesses, the queen had gathered her courage and come to ask the king about the location of her son.
"Is he really daddy?" Kala's worried whimper echoed strangely strange in the stone cavern. The three youngest members of the pride, Kala, Kiveh and Nuka were all huddled near the entrance where they had been playing when Sarabi entered.
"Kids, why don't you go outside and play," Sarabi heard her own voice bounce off the walls though she couldn't remember telling her mouth to form the words.
"But what about Tasa?" Nuka questioned, eyes open big as he shifted his gaze from one adult to another.
"Come on," Kiveh murmured to the others, "we better listen." Quietly the trio padded away, stealing glances backward with a mixture of curiosity and worry.
"Please tell me that you're joking Scar," Sarabi managed to choke out once the cubs were out of sight. Silently the male lion met her eyes, his green eyes filled with despair. With a hurt cry Sarabi spun around and raced from the cavern, paws pounding on the tan-orange stone of Pride Rock. Tasa, Tasa her mind kept saying the name of her son over and over again. Memories of his face swirled in her mind as she ran across the savannah, blinded by a rush of tears.
That's why Scar finally lost it, she finally grasped as her mind recovered enough to form a complete thought. The last person he really cared about is gone…now he's alone again. With shaky breaths the lioness kept pushing herself towards the elephant graveyard, mind reeling. Zira and some of the others may worship Scar but he doesn't feel any connection to them besides as faithful subjects…Tasa was the closest thing to a friend that he had. Suddenly Sarabi found herself on the shadowed border; cautiously she began to pick her way down the dusty slope, careful not to slip on the loose bones.
"It can't be true," the queen whispered as she reached level ground and paced forward in search of Siika.
"Sarabi!" Skadow yelped from nearby, and the young hyena suddenly appeared at her side. "Come on, mom's been waiting for you!" The female nudged the lioness into a trot, guiding her with nudges to the darkened cavern entrance then racing ahead and yelling for her mother. Sarabi shut her eyes as she emerged into the bright cavern, and a split second later a familiar voice made her heart miss a beat.
"Mom!" Still slightly blinded by the change in light Sarabi could just make out her son as he stood on teetering legs, grinning impishly at her.
"Tasa!" the lioness cried out, rushing to his side and purring loudly as she rubbed heads with her son. "You're ok, you're ok," she cried, tears forming dark lines as they ran down her cheeks.
"Sorry to worry you mom," Tasa said sincerely, pulling back a little to keep from being smothered by the embrace. Sarabi, shamelessly wiped away a few tears with her paw, staring lovingly at her son.
"It's ok," she replied, stepping forward to embrace him once more. "But never, ever, ever do that again!"
