Chapter Nine: Midnight Attack

Scar shook rain from his fur occasionally. He stopped short of Pride Rock, looking ahead of him. The hyenas were gathered near the base of it, waiting for him to approach. He walked slowly toward them, breathings slowly.

He had a strange feeling that nothing would come out of this. The hyenas were too excited at the mention of killing. They hardly had the sense to have strategy. Perhaps it was best if he just held back and waited to see the outcome. Mufasa could wait, if necessary. But his father . . . He growled to himself at the thought. One way or another, he was to meet his fate tonight. He looked to the awaiting hyenas.

"No matter what you do," Scar commanded, "make sure the old king is lured out here. Get him as far away from Pride Rock as you can and I'll take care of him from there."

"What about Mufasa, boss?" one hyena asked. "Do we get him?"

"Take care of the king first. After that, do as you wish."

"All right, we ready?" Anza called.

The hyenas cheered in unison.

"That's what I like to hear! Remember, get the old lion out here as soon as you can! Now . . . CHARGE!"

The hyenas raced off up the walkway and toward the cave, laughing maniacally. Scar stayed back and ducked behind some brush, waiting for them to push his father out.

"Mufasa, wake up," Sarabi whispered.

Mufasa grunted, not waking.

"Mufasa, listen. Someone's laughing."

"Probably the cubs playing around," Mufasa sighed.

"No, I know the sound of cubs laughing. It's not that."

He sat up and yawned heavily. He listened momentarily, then shook his head at Sarabi.

"It's nothing, Sarabi," he said gently. "You must've been dreaming. Go back to sleep."

The two jumped as Anza's charge call broke through the sound of rain. Mufasa raced to the cave entrance, roaring. The rest of the pride woke up, dazed. In seconds, hyenas plowed through Mufasa and into the cave.

They laughed as they circled around the lionesses and their cubs.

"Well, well," Anza laughed. "Look at the small fries, boys."

"Great appetizers, huh, Anza?" a hyena laughed, licking his chops.

"You won't touch them," Mufasa growled, moving to stand in front of the cowering cubs. "Get out of here."

"Oh, and what is the great, big Daddy's cub gonna do?" another female, Shenzi, asked.

"You don't want to know. Get out."

"Oh, don't worry," Anza sighed. "There's no need for any dramatic action. We're just here for the old one."

"Old one?"

"Your father."

Mufasa's eyes widened. "What!"

Anza shrugged. "Hey, we're just following orders. We get your dad, no one gets hurt. No guarantees for him, of course."

"No, now get out!"

"Don't make it hard on yourself, Mufasa. Or your little wife will be in trouble. Boys."

Six hyenas made a semi-circle around Sarabi, her back to the wall. They growled and laughed loudly. The other lionesses gasped and cowered away from the others. Mufasa looked to his father, who was still sitting on the highest rock. The old lion's eyes never left the hyenas threatening Sarabi.

"Leave her alone," Mufasa ordered, his voice shaking.

"What's the matter?" Anza asked. "Little nervous now, Mufasa? You sure you're ready to be a king? I think you're too weak, just like Daddy over there. He was always weak."

Mufasa roared angrily and lunged at Anza. He began to fight her and some other hyenas leapt on top of him, trying to rip him away from her. The younger lionesses attacked the hyenas pinning Sarabi while the older ones held the cubs back. Soon the cave was filled with struggling bodies and cries of pain.

Anza managed to get away from the fury-driven Mufasa. She limped badly, bloody paw prints following her as she walked. She stopped in front of the rock where the old king still sat.

"You're too afraid . . . to fight," she observed, panting heavily. "You don't deserve . . . to be in charge . . . of anyone."

"And what do you call yourself?" he demanded over the din. "Do you believe you're strong because you attacked a sleeping cave?"

"At least . . . I fight . . . for what I believe in. What . . . do you do, old lion? Sit and wait . . . for someone to do . . . your dirty work. Look at them."

The older lion looked around and saw all of his pride trying to fight off the hyenas, roaring and slashing. He looked at the hyenas, who fought just as hard. Anza was right. They were fighting with passion. Even if they were fighting for the wrong reasons, they still fought.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"Nothing," Anza answered. "I want nothing. Just . . . follow me."

"Call them off and I will."

"Deal . . . old lion."

There was a loud bark and the hyenas stopped fighting and ran off into the storm. Mufasa sat up slowly, his wounds oozing blood. The lionesses around him tended to each other, nearly all of them hurt and bleeding. Sarabi walked up to him, her leg cut deeply.

"Are you all right?" Mufasa asked.

"What was all of that about?" Sarabi asked. "They attacked us for no reason."

"Oh, no."

He looked over at the rock where he last saw his father. No creature was there.

"No. Father!"

The pride members looked at him and shook their heads. None of them saw him there . . . Mufasa ran out into the pouring rain. He stopped at the tip of the ledge.

"Father!" he shouted. "No!"

He continued calling for his father until Zazu came to his side.

"There is nothing we can do, your Highness," he said. "I'm afraid . . . he is gone."

"No, I have to find him," Mufasa said determinedly, starting toward the walkway.

"Mufasa," Sarabi sighed as she walked out of the cave. "Zazu's right. There's nothing we can do for him."

He shook his head. "I have to try."

He ran off into the night, hoping desperately that he wasn't too late . . .

A/N: Sorry if this chapter's kinda stinky. I've been having difficulties all weekend and I couldn't focus on my work. I'll try to get some better chapters up as soon as I can. The next chapter's going to be pretty fun, at least for me. See you all later and thanks for reading!