Act IV Scene 1
(Scar's old den at dusk, the Lionesses sit gathered together, speaking emotionally until Sarafina stands in their midst)
Sarafina (passionately):
Calm, my sisters! Hush!
I know your restlessness as I myself am restless
And thus I implore you to listen!
The days of our slavery are near to end!
Lionesses (in chorus, angrily):
Down with the king!
Down with the king!
Sarafina:
Hush, I beseech you!
Truly, our liberation is at hand!
No longer shall we be forced
To exhaust the meager game and ourselves
To fill the bellies of that lamentable, tyrannous shadow of a lion
Along with his stinking, wretched army of scavengers!
Lionesses:
Away with Scar!
Away with hyenas!
Sarafina:
Yes, my sisters, the time is right.
Now must we become united.
Now must we be strong and confident!
Sarabi's stubbornness is a pain to all of us
But we may not sacrifice the good of this pride
For the pleasures and likes of one deceived female!
No more famine!
Lionesses:
No more!
Sarafina:
No more slavery!
Lionesses:
No more!
Sarafina:
No more Scar!
Lionesses (passionately):
No more! No more!
Down with the king!
(they chant until Sarafina again orders them to calm down)
Sarafina:
I admire your zeal, sisters. It's fire will help us in our way to victory.
And let us not consider this to be just words!
Words had been spoken for years, at first silently in fear of punishment
And nowadays more openly, taking the punishment without fear,
But still they were only words. Now is a time when the stars send to us a sign
That you might have already heard of. We had been upholding
The noble memory of the one righteous king Mufasa
Whose very name has been banned by the tyrant
Under the threat of banishment. But right we were to uphold that memory
As now he himself imposes a blessing from the stars
Sending to us his son.
(Lionesses become thrown into confusion and raise a loud uproar)
Sarafina:
Order! These are the happiest news of course!
Simba's alive and has been seen at Pride Rock.
Though no one has talked to him we may assume
That without a doubt he will support our cause
And lead us to victory, to afterwards
Become king himself- a rightful heir of his father.
Lionesses:
Hail Mufasa!
Hail Simba!
Long live the rightful king!
Sarafina:
May his reign last long indeed!
(looking up towards the sky)
O righteous kings, noble ancestors!
Here the cry of a pride in need.
Give us the courage, give us the power
So needful in this most testing hour.
Lead forth the one who returns from death
To make the impostor breathe his last breath.
Lead forth our pride as we here stand
Pledging to bring back peace to the land.
Hail Mufasa!
Hail Simba!
Victory's at hand!
Lionesses:
Hail Mufasa!
Hail Simba!
Long live the rightful king!
Sarafina:
Yes, my sisters. Go now and rest
And let not your dreams be distorted
With any form of doubt.
The stars encourage us.
(the Lionesses begin to dismiss)
Sarafina (to her daughter):
You wait, Nala. We need to speak in private.
(when they are alone, Nala confronts her)
Nala:
I wanted to speak to you myself.
What is this you say about Simba?
Sarafina:
Do you not trust your mother?
Nala:
No, by my soul, not at all! I am fully for you and our cause, as you know I always had!
But Simba has died a long time ago…
Sarafina:
Yet I am reproached of lying!
Listen, Nala. I may be old
But my mind is still swift and accurate as an eagle
That descends from the height in an eye-blink
To grab a tiny mouse. I know who I saw!
It was the same son of Sarabi and the late king
Who's birth we've all celebrated along with all the animals.
The same one I myself had taken care of and groomed at times.
If I am wrong, then damned be my eyes, nose and tongue altogether.
Nala:
But how can that be?
Sarafina:
I know not how it can be, but I know it is.
And I want you to search for him, Nala.
Simba had been your friend… and even more.
Now he bares features different than before
But I assure you- when you feel his scent and see his face
You'll know that the king has returned to his place.
And then we will rejoice.
Nala:
I trust your word, mother.
Sarafina:
And I trust you will find him.
Good night to you.
(they embrace and then leave, after a while Zira enters the scene emerging from the shadows)
Zira:
That plotting, treacherous, sly, ungrateful wench!
Who is she to scheme against our good ruler?
Using the naive, weak minds of the lionesses…
Using her own daughter to bend Simba to her will…
That will not happen! Not while I'm around!
Stars, bare whiteness to my pledge-
I will never let this regicide happen
Even if I have to kill… or die myself!
Fear not Scar, my beloved!
Readily I'll stop this assassination
Maybe thus earning your appreciation.
(she leaves as the curtain falls)
AN: There is nothing like a plotting bunch of females to make the story a little more emotional XD So king Scar isn't quite the favorite ruler in the history of the Pridelands, and it seems that he has only two supporters- his lawful mate Sarabi and his obsessed groupie Zira. On the other hand, Sarafina, a combination of Laertes and Lady Macbeth, is dreaming of a coup d'etat with the help of Simba and her daughter Nala, the prince's cubhood friend. So is there no chance of forgiveness for Scar and will his regicide backfire on him? This decision is placed in Simba's paws. Who is he going to listen to? Sarafina? Nala? Zira? The Ghost? Or maybe just himself?
Until the curtain rises again!