preface: oh no, it's courtroom-episode...


The trial

"Ahem - Sire?"

The dark-maned lion stirred, without waking up. Zazu hopped about nervously, a worried look in his eyes. They were alone in a small cave at the back of Priderock. King of the Pridelands he might be, but Scar still preferred to sleep in solitude much as he had before. In fact, as he saw it, his isolation was even more apt now that he was the king; did the power and responsibilities of his office not put him apart from the other lions - above them, to be more precise? Yes, that it did, in his mind.

"Sire, please, I must insist!"

"Zazu," the lion suddenly grumbled, eyes still closed as if asleep, "You know these things better than I do - is it a capital offense to rouse the king from his sleep?"

He opened his eyes, casting a piercing stare at his majordomo, who immediately prostrated himself.

"Because if it is not, it should be."

"Your Highness, I beg your forgiveness; I was merely trying to fulfill the duties of my office!"

"Get a hold of yourself, 't was merely a jest," Scar yawned nonchalantly, "No doubt there is a very good reason for you coming here and disturbing your monarch. Go on then, what is it now?"

Zazu ventured a glance up at his king, and saw that he was now fully awake, and even relatively attentive. Cautiously, the hornbill righted himself.

"So you do not remem... Okay. Sire, some time ago you decreed that today, this very afternoon, you would sit in court so that all animals who so wished could bring their disputes before you for judgment..."

"Ah yes, how could I forget that most supreme of all the day-to-day drudgery that comes with kingship: court day." The king rolled his eyes, before stretching his body out and scraping his claws against the rock. Zazu winced. "All right then, it is a tedious job, but someone has to do it, I suppose. Tell me, Zazu, what is on the docket today?"

"Well, Sire, it's promising to be a truly busy day. For starters, the baboons have accused a leopard of..."

The majordomo started rattling off a list of animals who were all in disagreement over something or other. Scar listened with growing disinterest, the corners of his mouth dropping ever lower. It were always the same mundane issues to come before the court, routine and unremarkable, not the kinds of grand dilemmas that would be a more suitable use of his kingly time. Water rights, grazing, gratuitous predation, and sometimes, on a good day, a lovers' quarrel gone awry... He'd seen and heard it all so many times before.

Scar had attended many a court day when his father Ahadi was still the king, and even a few where Mufasa presided. He remembered how his father's judgments had, without fail, been predictable, strict, unbending, and unchanging. Because of that, justice was delivered quickly and curtly, and all cases dealt with in no time at all. Rigorous justice. Mufasa, on the other hand, liked to listen to whatever the animals had to tell him, take in all the details of their sob-stories, and then weigh the arguments endlessly while explaining the reasoning behind his decision, and why it differed slightly or even greatly from a different decision in a similar previous context. Court day would stretch into the evening, only to be suspended until the next day.

How he had hated court days with Mufasa.

"... That last case, by the way, is leftover from Muf... I mean, from the former king's last sitting - he had heard the parties' arguments, but had to suspend the session when daylight ran out."

"Lovely," Scar sneered, zoning back in as soon as he heard mention of his brother, "How like him to leave me with that doozie of a dispute. Between the elephants and the rhinoceroses, was it? Right. What else?"

"Well, there is one more issue to be dealt with, the first and most important one for this afternoon in fact, seeing as how it involves not merely a dispute, but a breach of sacred law. You highness will determine the fate of the hyenas responsible for breaching the King's Peace on the day of your coronation."

"Oh, I most certainly remember that."

Any other day, and Scar would have grinned gleefully at the prospect of punishing those that had done him wrong. The prospect of vengeance should have felt good. Only today, the elated feeling did not come. He felt nothing, couldn't help his mind from drifting in a very diffrent direction.

"Say, Zazu, doesn't that strike you as a little odd?"

"I'm sorry Sire, but I don't follow..."

"Don't you see an issue with this, that I, as the king, would judge in this particular case?"

"I don't see why not," Zazu replied defensively, confused at his monarch's suddenly pensive tone, "You are the king after all, it is your duty to sit in judgment..."

"Oh, I most certainly am the king," Scar agreed, "And as the king, I can be expected to stand above all others, above all their petty personal squabbles, and render a verdict in perfect equity that takes into account the good of all, and the principles of justice and fairness.

"But this mater of the hyenas breaching the King's Peace is different, is it not? In braking the sacred laws, they violated my Peace, after all, and ruined my coronation. Where otherwise I would weight the claims of the elephant against the defense of the rhino, in this instance I, the king himself, am the aggrieved party. Yet at the same time, I am also called to determine if I my law was in fact broken, who was responsible, and what the appropriate punishment should be.

"Zazu, I command you to be honest with me: does this strike you as a fair arrangement?"

"Your highness!" the majordomo squirmed uncomfortably. Mufasa would never have doubted his duties like this, or questioned the kingship - he had simply been the king, and that was the end of it! None of this skeptical musing. And no doubt there would now follow an inappropriately cynical conclusion, also very much unlike Mufasa.

"So you do not want to answer? Or maybe you just don't like the answer, and you would rather not think about these things. Don't worry, I forgive you. I'll answer for you: no, it isn't fair, not in the least. But then again, life isn't fair, is it?

"Life isn't fair, and I... I am the king." That last phrase Scar uttered almost as a sigh.

Before, way before, before he had actually started plotting to become the king, Scar - then still called Taka - had thought that in being the king, in the pure experience of being king, someone could move beyond such notions as fairness, grasp at something... higher. When he looked at the self-assuredness with which his father and brother carried themselves, that was the only logical conclusion.

Yet now that he was king, these thoughts of fairness and right nagged in the back of his mind just as they had before, only with even more urgency now that one of his supposed duties was to ensure fairness and justice for his subjects. He was the king, but nothing seemed to have changed; there had been no epiphany, no revelation. There was just him, Scar, now as the king.

Glumness writ on his face, he started to exit the cave, motioning his majordomo to follow along. The sun was still high up in the sky outside, casting everything in shadowless heat. Zazu reasoned they had better start early, keeping in mind Mufasa's time consuming habits in these matters. Scar had already determined, however, that in this too he would not follow his brother. He would clear every single case before evenfall, regardless the circumstances or complexity; time to return some majesty to his office, lest the animals came to see him as some hapless, mild-mannered arbiter simply there for their convenience.

As he rounded the corner towards the front of Priderock, Scar could see the crowd already assembled on the plaza at the base of the promontory. A myriad of different beasts: all the various plaintiffs, and the defendants - although, as so often happens, a good number of the complaints were brought against parties unknown, or against animals who did not bother to show up. The latter group would then appear at the next court day to object to the judgment rendered in their absence. And so a king keeps himself busy. Also present were a good number of curious onlookers, most of them lionesses - and, in a first, also a large number of hyenas. They seemed to be perfectly able to put their fear of the lionesses behind them long as they could boast superior numbers, and even dared snarl boldly at anyone that looked at them sideways.

"Another sweltering day, perfect for rendering fiery justice," Scar grumbled, squinting at the bright sunlight, "Lets move this show to the throneroom, it won't do to be out all afternoon in this heat."

"My apologies, Sire, but I don't think that will be possible today..."

"Who are you to tell the king what is and isn't possible?" Just as he finished speaking, however, Scar almost bumped into a great, gray leathery mass in front of him. He looked up. A rhinoceros looked down placidly. At some distance from them, even more massive, two elephants. Neither party would fit any cave in the Priderock complex.

"Right. An open-air court it is."

Finally recognizing the lion who was his king, the rhino moved out of the way, as did the other animals as Scar passed through the crowd. They spontaneously formed up into a half-circle in front of the king, who hopped on a large, flat boulder at the edge of the open space. It would serve as his seat of authority for the day. Zazu took up position halfway between his king and the crowd.

"Ahem - to all those gathered here today, on this first court-day in the reign of King Scar, I would ask that you bow for your monarch."

The animals complied. Last to bow were Sarabi and Sarafina, who attended as spectators. After a while, Zazu inconspicuously turned around and tried, as unobtrusively and respectfully as possible, to indicate to Scar that they would only get up as soon as he gave the signal. A moment of confusion ensued as the majordomo gestured wildly but to no effect, until the king finally relayed his understanding with a nod.

"Rise!" Scar carried on as soon as everyone had gotten back up. "Zazu, if you would kindly proclaim for everyone to hear the first case I will deal with today?"

"As you wish, your Highness. On the day of his majesty's coronation there was declared, in accordance with the sacred laws, the King's Peace. On that day, throughout the Pridelands, all forms of hunting were absolutely and unequivocally forbidden. Yet, in full view of the kingdom, at the height of the ceremony, there did occur a hunt - a hunt that, incidentally, caused a stampede among the onlookers, resulting in some loss of life. As his first act at this court day, the king will now judge those responsible... Sire?"

"Right," Scar nodded, "First things first. I'm going to ask all of you that aren't hyenas to take a few steps back. Careful now, don't step on anyone; we don't want this to turn into another bloodbath.

"There, that's better. I do hope no-one is feeling prejudged in any way, of course. Zazu, as the stampede occurred, I ordered you to investigate what had caused it. What did your investigation find?"

The majordomo formally related how he had taken various eyewitness testimonies, and concluded based on those testimonies that the stampede had been caused by a hunt. The instigators of the hunt were thought to be hyenas, though at that point still unidentified. These were all known facts to the king, but he went through the motions for the benefit of the onlookers - justice has to be seen to be done, after all. Scar than progressed to the next step of the investigation.

"Thank you, Zazu. Given that everything pointed towards the culprits being hyenas, I then assigned Shenzi, well placed as matriarch of the clan, the task of identifying those members of her clan responsible for breaching the sacred laws. Shenzi, step forward!"

Throughout the proceedings, Shenzi had kept a low profile; silent, and surrounded by her clanmates. As per usual, there were Ed and Banzai, but also others, most of them tall, thick and grizzled - the high-ranking females of the clan, all clustered near their matriarch. The rest of the hyenas present all sat more spread out along the semicircle, boxed in on both ends by the attending lionesses. Now, head held low and eyes on Scar, Shenzi cautiously slunk forward. Ed made an attempt to follow her, but Banzai just barely managed to grab hold of on of his backpaws, dragging him back into the crowd.

"Now then, tell us: what did you find out?"

"Scar... your Majesty." Shenzi quickly corrected herself, nervously licking her lips. It was an unbearable feeling, sitting there, surrounded by her clanmates, knowing that she would have to essentially betray some of them. But if that was the price she had to pay for getting to stay in the Pridelands, so be it. She looked up, almost defiantly.

"Your majesty, I did look into the whole hunting-on-your-coronation thing. Can't say anyone was especially thrilled about that, and no-one came forward to confess immediately. But you know how it is - a threat here, some cajoling there, and plenty of snitches. A few names came up - narrowed it down to three. And they confessed, eventually. That's what you wanted, right? A few of my people you can make an example of. Wouldn't be much of a king if you couldn't punish someone every once in a while, now woud ya?"

For a moment there, Scar seriously considered lashing out at Shenzi. He did not like her tone one bit. But then, what's the point? She was just putting on a bit of a show - all of it would still end with her, in her own words, handing her people over. That was the real measure of where power lay between them, not mere words - those were just an afterthought. And that power was, in turn, best expressed in a calm and measured response.

"Just the names will suffice, Shenzi," he demanded dryly. More than anything else, that seemed to get at her. The matriarch winced, painfully aware of her own powerlessness. The whole trial was just as much about her as it was about the supposed crime: all those present had to see her subordinated to Scar, especially the other had to see who was boss around here, and truly realize what it meant to have Scar as their king.

And they saw, they saw how their matriarch could only submit to the king's demands. Not a few of them were aghast, having been brought up to think of the matriarch as the be-all and end-all of hyena society - and now she just groveled before Scar. One of the hyenas in particular looked at the scene in disgust, a fierce female with a dark, squat muzzle and brown manes, blind in one eye.

This is supposed to be our matriarch? she thought. Pathetic! She's just that lion's plaything.

"All right, your highness," Shenzi eventually managed through gritted teeth, "Those responsible are Toka, Mbili, and Tatu."

There was some murmur among the hyenas; half of them were shocked at what they heard, and the other half hadn't quite heard and were now asking their neighbors what they missed. The volume quickly picked up.

"Silence!" Scar roared. And there was silence. "Now, Shenzi, you say these three hyenas have confessed? I of course presume you brought them here with you. Accused! Step forward!"

Shenzi's only acknowledgment was a grunt, and she nodded towards the crowd. Thee figures gingerly stepped forward, cowering at the look in Scar's cold, green eyes. Two males, one quite young, with a thick light fur and wavy straw colored manes, the other old and grizzled, recognizable by a terrible scar running all around his thick neck. The third one, taking the lead, was a female, dark furred with a pointed snout. All across her back were fresh scabs and bitemarks.

So this motley bunch was all it took to ruin my coronation, Scar thought, frowning. They don't look like much.

"So you three had the gall to break the sacred laws and defile my coronation with bloodshed. I look forward to condemning the lot of you - ah, but I forget myself; there are still a few formalities we'll have to work through. I am to serve the cause of justice after all... objective and disinterested justice, in keeping with the example set by the great kings of the past."

The accused milled around uncomfortably, staring at their paws. Everyone else looked on with bated breath, hyenas as well as the other animals. Everyone likes a good court-day scene. They needn't be so anxious; the outcome was never in doubt.

"Now then... On the day of my coronation, there was in force the King's Peace. Someone violated that sacred truce by hunting. Shenzi tells me you three have confessed to being the culprits - I will assume, for convenience's sake that you confessed willingly..."

The fresh wounds on the female's back gave Scar pause, though. Had Shenzi forced the confession on an innocent scapegoat? Or was she guilty, simply needing some convincing to get her to attend the court-day? It didn't really matter, though. What counted was that all the animals saw someone being punished for the crime committed, saw the king's authority confirmed. If the actual guilty party was punished, that would of course be nice, but not necessary. It wasn't fair - but then, life isn't fair, and he was the king.

"... yet I would still like to hear it straight from the hyena's mouth, so to speak. So, what do you have to say for yourselves?"

Scar sat up, careening over the edge of the rock he was sitting on and looking down on the accused. None of which encouraged them to speak in any way. Yet, after a while, with the spectators all holding their breath and Scar's gaze boring into them, the trio mumbled among themselves for a little bit, and the male with the hideous scar took a step forward, eyes fixed on the ground beneath the king.

"Sorry, your, eh, Highness," he began in a low, rasping voice, "I'm not used to speaking to lion kings like this..."

Frightened, the hyena looked up, momentarily meeting Scar's cold, unmoved gaze. He quickly looked back down again."

"I... I mean, we, we did hunt, it's the truth, on the day of your coronation, we did." Murmur started to rise up among the crowd again, but was silenced with a single glance of the king's. The hyena continued: "We knew you had your thing going on, with the animals all on the move and all, but we thought that was all just lion's business and didn't involve us. We tried to stay far away from the whole thing. I don't know about no sacred laws..."

Scar sank down, putting his head between his outstretched forepaws. Not this again!

"... but you are the king, so you can decide these things, I guess. Anyway, we was hungry, and everyone was busy elsewhere, so we figured it as good a time as any to go hunting, the three of us. We never imagined it would get out of hand like it did - can't tell prey where to run, I think you can well 'preciate."

"No, I cannot appreciate," Scar interjected venomously, "Lionesses do most of my my hunting for me, you see. So you confess, then - all three of you did go hunting, and violated the Peace?"

None of the accused dared deny, or even look at the king. Scar sighed disappointedly - not even a hint of dissent!

"Well then, it is settled. What were your names again? Okay. Toka, Mbili, and Tatu, I herby find you guilty of violating the King's Peace. For breaking of one of our most sacred laws, I hereby..."

"Wait, Sire, please!" the dark-furred female suddenly interjected, "I - I can't say I didn't do the thing you said - but if you'll just allow me to say a few words before this is over..."

Scar glared at her through squinted eyes, irritated at being interrupted. On the other hand, he could appreciate the attempt to bring some life to this dull affair.

"Speak."

The hyena had been thinking of saying something throughout, but hadn't worked up the courage - only to realize that the opportunity had almost passed. And as soon as she asked to speak, she nearly forgot what she wanted to say again.

"T-thank you," she stuttered, "Ehm... I - I know I was in the wrong - Shenzi had told us we weren't allowed to mess up your, your thing, the coronation. I just figured it couldn't hurt to do some hunting if only we did it a bit out of the way - and I was wrong. I didn't mean for it to go all haywire like that, but it did. But... what I'm trying to say is... It was all my idea."

"Toka, don't..." the scarred male tried to interrupt his female accomplice, but snapped at him to be silent.

"I proposed to go hunting that day, I came up with the idea to do it - it should be on me. These two idiots... well, they'll do whatever I tell them. I do things, and they just follow along. I... I don't think they should be punished for something I put them up to..."

"You presume to tell me what I should or should not do?" Scar interrupted seemingly absent-mindedly. He was looking at the claws of his left paw, holding it up for inspection while he spoke.

"Forgive me, sire, I..."

"Ah yes, and now the groveling, afterwards. Maybe you should think before you speak - and think before you break our sacred laws. Is that something you hyenas are capable of? I would like to think so, but you all keep giving me reason to doubt... Now, those two idiots - by your own admission - that follow you around, and do your bidding, what's their deal? You tell me they only did what you put them up to - I ask you: why?"

"Mbili is my mate."

The female indicated the scarred one, oldest of the two males.

"And Tatu... I suppose he would like to be the same," she shrugged, nodding towards the younger, blonde hyena.

"My my, two mates!" Scar let out a sarcastic whistle, "And... what is it again, Mbili? You are okay wait that arrangement?"

"That's not up to me," the older male replied deadpan, "If that's what the lady wants, that's what the lady does."

Rumor erupted among the onlookers once more, except for the other hyenas, who remained entirely unmoved. Murmurs of disapproval, disdainful guffaws, the occasional "Well I'd never!". Some lionesses made disgusted or unbelieving faces, although there were also a few amused smiles among those who had not before considered such an arrangement, but wouldn't mind to try it out either. Imagine that, two lions all there for them, in stead of an entire pride of lionesses to one lion!

Scar did not share in the other animals' surprise; he was familiar enough with the hyenas' ways, having known Shenzi, Banzai and Ed since childhood. But he has teased out this confession all the same, if only to remind the hyenas of their precarious position: you are all strangers in this land, with strange ways, and nobody likes you. If you want anything, anything at all, even just being allowed to remain here, it will have to come though me, king Scar. I own you.

Scar motioned the crowd to silence.

"So - two dimwited, girl-crazy fools led astray by their impetuous lover. Not a bad way to spin it, I admit. So you ask that I be merciful to your boyfriends? Very well; let it not be said that I am a heartless king. Mbili, Tatu, for your complicity in violating the Peace and breaking the sacred laws, from now on until the third new moon, you shall bring to this very spot every six days one fresh kill the size of a small zebra, or equivalent."

The two males blinked in surprise for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. Then Toka hissed: "Thank him, you idiots!", and they promptly dropped down on their stomachs, profusely thanking the king for the mercy shown to them.

"As for you, Toka..." Scar hesitated. In a way, he admired the creature's courage, taking all the blame on herself like she had done. At the same time, he thought her even more the fool for doing so: display virtue, only to suffer because of it, and see others walk away. Foolish - and also quite unfair. He raised his voice to a shout. "For committing the crime mentioned, and inciting others to do so, I sentence you to a life of exile, and declare you an outlaw..."

"Mom!"

A cry went up among the hyenas, and one of them darted forward towards Toka. She was rather smallish, and from her dark coloration Scar knew her to be somehowwhat younger - Toka's daughter most like. The youngster, now in tears, almost ran into Toka, before burying her snout in her mother's furry chest. Toka hugged her daughter, but remained silent, only looking down ruefully.

Scar rolled his eyes and carried on: "... As such, your life is forfeit, and it is incumbent on any animal that encounters you in these lands to see you driven off, or kill you in the attempt. Sarabi?"

The former queen had followed the proceedings with quiet, dignified attention. Not that she approved of Scar's doings; quite to the contrary. She doubted Mufasa would have simply accepted Shenzi's appraisal of the facts, ignored the obvious and fresh wounds on the female, or would have inquired as to the details of her relationship with the others purely with the aim of humiliating her. And he most certainly would not have announced that he looked forward to punishing them, nor would he have condemned even one of them to exile and outlawry for what was - and Sarabi was pained to to admit this about a hyena - a crime borne not of malice but ignorance.

But she was the former queen, and it was not her place to criticize the king, not in this. She stepped forward.

"Yes, Scar?" She did not bother with honorifics. Scar noticed and growled softly, but they both knew he would look foolish correcting the well respected queen-dowager in public.

"Have the lionesses see to it that this outlaw is driven from my kingdom."

"Very well." Sarabi looked around. Closest at paw was Sarafina, and she looked positively eager for the task. Nala's mother had never had much love for hyenas, and after they had tried to kill her daughter in the Elephant Graveyard, that loathing turned to unrelenting hatred. She would not hesitate to kill the outlaw if she as much as slowed her pace on the way out of the Pridelands.

Sarabi turned her attention back to the newly minted outlaw. Toka saw the former queen looking at her, and prepared to run for it. But there was no need - not quite yet.

"You have time to say your goodbyes, outlaw," Sarabi reassured her - not because she pitied the mangy poacher, but because it was proper.

Toka nodded gratefully. She looked down at her daughter, who still pushed up against her, sobbing and unable to get a word out. She kissed her daughter on the neck, but then pushed her away forcefully, and made her look her mother in the eyes.

"Nyeusi, daughter... Be strong." She then mentioned at her two partners sitting nearby. "And keep an eye on these two knuckleheads for me."

Nyeusi just nodded, snorting. Neither mother nor daughter were of many words.

"And you guys, keep out of trouble," was her only advice for her mates. The rest of the clan had to settle for a curt nod. Without further ado, Toka then broke into a run, through the assembled crowd that parted as she ran past, away from Priderock. Sarafina soon followed.

"Truly heartbreaking," Scar commented flatly as soon as she disappeared from sight, "It's all left me feeling a bit empty. I'm going to take a quick break. Zazu, be a dear and hear what the parties in the next few cases have to say. You can give me the summary when I get back, and I'll judge on that."

Zazu as well as some of the assembled animals made to protest - they had come here for the king, not his majordomo! Scar ignored them all, and lazily made his way towards his cave at the back of Priderock. With a contented sigh, he plopped down in the cool dampness of the cave. Court day, what a bother! The king closed his eyes, intent on taking a short nap - or a long one, because right now, he truly did not care what happened to the animals still awaiting judgment - when he heard a sound behind him. Someone had followed him into the cave.

"Away with you," he growled without looking, "Whatever it is, you can take it up with Zazu."

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be now, huh?"

Scar didn't even have to look to recognize the owner of that impudent contralto.

"If you're here to try and change my mind, or just complain about me banishing your clanmate, you're wasting your time, Shenzi."

He slowly turned around. The hyena matriarch was sitting in front of him, scowling, with no intention of going anywhere.

"You might as well have killed her, you know," she said, uncharacteristically quiet, "A hyena is nothing without her clan."

"It's been done. If you don't have anything else to say, leave!"

"All right, all right, no need to get all worked up, Scar. Or is it your Highness? Seems pointless when no-one else is listening." Shenzi grinned. Scar did not reciprocate. "You know, I'm getting the feeling like you don't got a lot of time for your old friends now that you're the king, Scar. We help you get what you want, and next thing you know, it's like you never knew us."

Any other time, and Scar would have racked her across the face for speaking of that-which should-never-be-spoken-of. But now, he felt strangely apathetic, and he couldn't be bothered to even mention his concern, contented to observe that no-one else was listening. He'd had that feeling disturbingly often since becoming king, that emptiness.

"I don't think the lionesses would appreciate it if I spent more time with you than I do with them. We might have been friends a long time, but they don't know that, and it's better for the both of us if it stayed that way. Besides, you talk as if you decided to help me out of the goodness of your heart. You and your clan live in the Pridelands now, show some gratitude."

Shenzi opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, looking away abashed. "Sorry. When you're right, you're right. I am grateful for what you did, Scar. We all are... even if we don't always show it."

"Yeah. You got what you wanted. Is it everything you always dreamed it would be?"

"What?"

Scar rolled over on his back, staring at the cave-ceiling with unfocused eyes. "You got what you wanted, and now what do you feel? I wanted to be king. It was all I ever wanted. It was what I willed, it had to be thus, and I had to do everything I could to make it so. And I did. Now I am the king. I wake up, and I'm still the king. It's what I wanted, it's what I willed - and I got it. That's good, isn't it?"

Shenzi rolled her eyes. Scar was having one of his melancholy moods again. He could never shut up about how was always the smartest lion around, but what good did that do him when his mind turned inward and started eating itself like this? She thought about leaving, but then considered her own words. Weren't they still friends? And don't friends talk to each other, even if the other one is feeling contagiously blue?

"Depends on what you do with it, dontcha think? Being king ain't all that much, it's what the king can do that counts - he gets to do a lot more than everyone else..."

"Oh yes, and what grand things the king can do indeed. I've been at my kingly duties all day, in fact - and a lot of good I've done, no doubt."

"Maybe not the best example," Shenzi agreed, getting a bad taste in her mouth thinking of Toka's fate, "I meant more like when you allowed us into the Pridelands. That was a good thing you did, can't argue 'bout that."

"Was it? Oh, it's sure been good for you. A lot of hassle for me, though - and I can't imagine, say, the zebra being too thrilled either. In the grand scheme, is it still a good thing, then?"

Shenzi sighed. He was having it a lot worse than usual.

"You know Scar, I don't think I've ever told you this, but it might be something to think about. I haven't been a matriarch all that long, but I did spend a lot of time looking and listening back when 't was still my mom. And one thing that happens when you're the matriarch, is that whenever someone has a live cub, they come present it to you. So I'd be there with my mom, and new mothers would come showing off their cubs.

"And cubs that age, they're tiny, dark fur all over, and they have these teeny tiny bitey teeth - they're really cute. And I would want to go up to them to nuzzle them and tickle them, and I'd ask what their name was, and all that. But my mom would always stop me - you know why? Well, she'd say to me: you don't want to grow too attached, Shenzi. Half of them will starve before the year is out anyway. Because of those stinking lions.

"But now, only a few days ago, there's a new cub that's born. And now I'm the matriarch, so the mom comes to me, bringing a healthy little boy. And you know what I did? I nuzzled the little fellow, I ticked him, and I licked his little snout. Wanna know why, why I can do that now? It's because we live in the Pridelands, and there is no cubs starving anymore. And that's all thank to you, Scar, that's thanks to what you did. Because of you, my clan's cubs aren't starving anymore.

"If that doesn't count as good, I don't know what to tell you."

But Shenzi left Scar unmoved, with the lion king still somberly staring at the cave-ceiling.