Author's Note: Ick. This isn't my best chapter yet, but, I hope you all don't mind it not being as great as the others. Oh, and thanks for the reviews. And Flower4444, I'm not sure what you mean by 'love part.' I haven't tried to start any affectionate feelings yet between any lions, but I guess it looks like I may have. Oh yeah, if anyone is confused about there being any other prides, if you read some other fanfics, you'd see that there are other prides beyond the Pridelands. So I took my artistic license and enabled that for me too. heh :) -Alexa
Chapter X: Sarabi Dethroned
Weeks were rolling past. Nothing in the Pride Lands was improving. All lions were disheartened about all of Scar's decisions, but they all realized that they couldn't change anything, as long as Scar, the most stubborn king as all, was in charge. Everything had to be his way, just lying around in his den all day taunting Zazu, who had been shoved away in a small cage made of bones.
Nala was disgusted. The hyenas were pigs. They would hunt and kill more than they could eat, and so there were scattered uneaten carcasses rotting. Those hyenas, almost as greedy as Scar was, except food was their prized possession, not a title. Nala realized how unconcerned Scar was about anything, and that Sarabi was the one that had to carry out important matters.
Sarabi was still queen, but she was living in a separate world than Scar. Their quarrels could be heard often, and Scar was never hesitant to strike her across the face. But Sarabi lifted their hopes. Nala knew that her mother praised and admired Sarabi much. Nala realized that she did, as well. As long as Sarabi was queen, things would be somewhat alright. Scar had no intentions of caring about anything that mattered.
It hadn't rained at the Pridelands for what seemed forever. The trees didn't have enough water to thrive, and one by one the leaves would fall from them and rest on the ground, only to be blown away by weak breezes. The grass was no longer a rich emerald green, it was brown and ugly. There was nothing left for the sun to smile at, except for the hope that only few lionesses obtained.
Nala climbed to the tip of Pride Rock. It wasn't the view she had once remembered. The clans were moving out, one by one, because they all knew it was unsafe to live there anymore. The hyenas were a big threat. It saddened her.
Nala squinted. Moving among all of the dead, there was a single lioness making her way toward Pride Rock. She was then and lean, and there was a smirk on her face. Even from afar, the lioness sent an eerie feeling to Nala. She rose and slowly walked back to her mother and Sarabi at the mouth of Pride Rock. The lioness gave them sly looks, but Nala returned them with a glare.
She had narrow, fiery ruby eyes and a dark brown strip down the center of her forehead. She approached the three lionesses.
"I'm looking for King Scar," she requested sincerely.
Nala wanted to growl, yet chuckle, at her for addressing Scar as a king.
Sarabi nodded. "Follow me," she said, leading the stranger up into Scar's den.
Nala stared at her mother with concerned eyes. "Who do you think she is?" Nala asked.
"I don't know," Sarafina whispered.
Nala turned her head and saw Lisani walking over to them. "Hey," he greeted. The females nodded back in a greeting.
"What's going on?" he asked. "I saw a stranger walk past."
"I have no idea," Nala said. "She's strange. She requested to see Scar, so Sarabi took her to him. Funny, isn't it? I think that she's up to no good."
Lisani nodded in agreement. "We'll just have to see what happens."
It was only a few minutes when the silence was interrupted by a furious shout.
"You can't do this!" a lioness shouted from inside Scar's den.
"I can do whatever I want, I am king!" Scar yelled back.
"You will never amount to a king," she growled. Scar roared and struck her right across the face, and she skidded out of the den. It was Sarabi. The trio, shocked, ran up to Sarabi, who rose her head and then rested on her arms and haunches, to give hurtful glares at Scar who was sneering.
"Sarabi," Sarafina said. "What happened?"
Sarabi's head hung low. "Let Scar tell you himself," she murmured.
The four made their way as Scar and the strange lioness emerged from the cave. They all scowled, except for Scar and his accompaniment, who both bore conceited smiles.
Scar summoned the pride, and one by one, they all curiously emerged from their hiding spots.
"My pride," Scar began, the lioness by his side, "I'm happy to announce that there will be a new queen in the Pridelands." Mouths dropped and Sarabi glowered. "This here is Zira. She will be replacing your former queen, Sarabi."
"Why would you do this?" Nala blurted out.
"Zira and I met a long time ago, and there, I promised her that one day, she would be my queen." Scar grinned and Zira smirked. "That is, when Mufasa would step down. I was unable to grant the wish when Simba was born," he explained unhappily. "But now I am able to fulfill it."
The lionesses sighed of disappointment. Sarabi- the light of the pride- was no longer queen. Now all decisions were completely dealt with by Scar, but there was only one worse thing.
Scar and Zira could have a heir to the throne.