Avana and Zira walked through the foggy terrain of the Elephant Graveyard. Avoiding rapidly erupting geysers and not tripping over the numerous amount of bones.

"I hate this place as much as I hate hyenas." Zira growled in disgust as she avoid stepping in area with maggots.

Avana rolled her orange eyes. "I'm sure the hyenas are pretty found of you too. Especially that bright personality of yours."

The dark tan lioness sneered as she narrowed her dark red eyes. "Mock me all you want! But my father always said Lions Over All, that you can't depend on any other species but our own kind."

"And look where that gotten him?" Avana snarled in annoyance. "Killed because he wouldn't see the bigger picture."

Zira for a moment felt some grief before shaking it off. "My father was brilliant, smart and strong. He was never defeated.."

"Until Mufasa killed him," Avana reminded the dark tan lioness with a satisfied smirk.

"I was getting there before you interrupted me!" Zira growled before getting back to her simping. "But with all that, Mufasa was better. How could I not support him? Even with the knowledge that he killed my father."

Avana wanted to say something but four familiar voices caught her attention. The lionesses entered a area with a dim, green surrounding. Up on a high ledge was Mufasa looking at the three hyenas with disappointment in his orange eyes.

"Hey, Muffy! Ole pal, did you bring us something to eat?" a hyena that the two lionesses knew as Banzai grinned up at the gold lion.

Mufasa growled before dangling a zebra leg over the starving hyenas. "I really don't think you deserve this. lI practically gift wrapped those cubs for you and you couldn't even dispose them.."

Avana and Zira watched as Mufasa dropped the leg and the hyenas began eating, smacking and just over all very poor eloquent dinning behavior. To Zira watching the hyenas eat made her brother's manners when it came to eating more dignified.

"It wasn't like they were alone, Mufasa." Shenzi informed after swallowing the meat she viscously tore into.

Banzai impolitely started speaking with his mouth full of food. "Yeah! What are we supposed to do-" he swallows his mouth full. "Kill Taka?"

It didn't bother them but Avana and Zira felt a chill as they glanced from the hyenas who were looking at them questionably to Mufasa who only maliciously grinned.

"Precisely.."

Zira and Avana shared a equally confused glance before looking back at the large gold lion.

"Go! Tell the clan, to Be Prepared! Our time of taking what's ours is now!"

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed nodded before running off further into the misty graveyard laughing.

"Are you going to say something?" Zira sat with a bewildered expression. "After all, you are his mate."

Avana growled, "Watch your self, Zira." before turning to Mufasa. "Dear, honey.." the dark brown lioness purred before roaring. "Have you lost your damn mind!"

Mufasa growled as he narrowed his eyes at his mate. "Tone down your voice, Avana! And frankly I don't appreciate your doubt. Do you not think I know what I'm doing? Huh?"

Zira purred as moved over and rubbed her body against Mufasa's. "Of course I do, my king. Always,"

Avana growled at the dark tan lioness. "You bitch," earning a satisfied smirk from Zira.

"Enough!" Mufasa roared causing the lionesses to bow in submission. He pushed back some his red mane that fell in his orange eyes before sighing. "Killing Sarabi would not benefit me."

"But how is keeping her alive does?" Zira questioned to immediately regret it as a large paw struck her across the face, sending the dark tan lioness to the ground.

"Do not interrupt me!" after taking calming breaths, Mufasa went on. "Taka is a threat. He must die, as for my sister.. well our spy has told me that she's pregnant again."

Avana grinned as her eyes shined when she realized her mate's plan. "You will force Sarabi to give up the throne to let her cubs live?"

"Right you are, mi amor." Mufasa smiled nuzzling Avana. "Now, we must be ready. As in a few days, the Pridelands will finally be ours!"

The three crackled under the full moon as dozens of eyes glowed from the surrounding mist and darkness.

~TLK~

In The Gorge(A Couple Days Later)

Princess Eshe looked around, with a confused expression. "Why are we here Uncle Mufasa? Mommy says that we're not suppose to be down here."

"Don't worry, princess. We're here because your father has a marvelous surprise for you."

Mufasa and Eshe stopped near a slab of rock, underneath a small tree.

Eshe grinned now interested. "Oooh. What is it?"

Mufasa shook his head. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

Eshe smiled innocently. "If you tell me, I'll still act surprised."

Mufasa gave a mocking stern look. "You are such a naughty girl."

Eshe stood on her pale colored back paws and put her small forepaws on her uncle's red mane covered chest. "Come on, Uncle Muffy."

Mufasa's eye twitched, he shook his head before stepping back. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no. This is just for you and your daddy. You know, a sort of... father and cub... thing."

Through Eshe's expression, Mufasa saw that his niece resents his dismissive attitude, but quickly shrugs it off.

"Well! I'd better go get him."

The light brown cub went to follow. "I'll go with you."

The large gold lion turned with a loud snapping tone. "No!" he took a deep breath before regaining composure. "Heh heh heh. No. Just stay on this rock. You wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with the hyenas..."

Eshe looked surprised. The graveyard accident happened days ago and she was sure no one else knew aside her parents, Grandma Sanaa, Malene and Sarafina. "You know about that?"

Mufasa nodded with a pout. "Oh dear Eshe, everybody knows about that."

Eshe lowers her head in embrassment. "Really?"

"Oh, yes. Lucky daddy was there to save you, eh?" Mufasa was clearly enjoying himself; he puts a paw on Eshe's shoulder. "Oh... and just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours. Hmm?"

"Oh, okay."

Mufasa pats Eshe roughly on the head, then moves off.

Eshe looked up with wondering green eyes. "Hey, Uncle Mufasa, will I like the surprise?"

Mufasa stops and looks over his shoulder with a smile. "Princess, it's to 'die' for."

...

"Taka, stamped in the gorge! Eshe's down there!"

The Prince-Consort's heart nearly stopped at his brother-in-law's words. Without a second thought the brown lion ran off with Mufasa and Arella following.

When they got to the gorge they saw Eshe on a dead tree hanging on for her life.

"Hold on Eshe!" Taka roared out, cornern for his daughter clear in his green eyes.

A wildebeest rammed into the tree, sending the light brown princess soaring through the air. Taka quickly acted, he jumped from ledge to ledge and caught his daughter just in time.

Just then another widebeast rammed into the Prince-Consort, making the brown lion toss the princess causing Eshe to slide across the gorge floor.

Eshe looked around for her father fear in her green eyes. Before the princess knew it she was pick up and placed on a ledge.

Father and daughter stared into each other's eyes, that mirror one another before Taka was thrown back in the stampede.

"Daddy!" Eshe cried.

With a thunderous roar Taka leapt up and landed on a nearby cliff-face. Eshe smiled and went to climb to the top.

But out of the princess' sight was a scene only born from nightmares.

"Mufasa, help me!"

Mufasa looked at his brother-in-law before latching onto the younger lion's paws with his sharp black claws. Taka roared in pain before looking in his mate's brother's cold orange eyes.

Mufasa smiled tripumly before whispering in Taka's ear, "Long Live The True King,"

Taka's green eyes went wide before he was thrown off the cliff.

"Noooo!" Eshe cried as she watched her father fall into the stampede rushing below.

After the stampede cleared Eshe made her way down to the gorge bottom. The light brown cub quickly stepped back as an stray wildebeest ran past. The wildebeest curves around a fallen tree further down the valley.

Under the same dead tree that she was on not too long ago on laid a motionless Taka, laying on his side.

Eshe hesitates before she slowly approaches the body.of her father.

"Papa? Daddy, come on." Eshe had hope in his voice before she rubs up against Taka's cheek. The head merely rolls back in place after the rub. "You gotta get up!" she places both pale colored forepaws on her father's cheek and pushes. "Papa! We gotta go home!"

Eshe tugs at Taka's ear. Again the head limply moves back in place.

Eshe runs off a bit, obviously very scared. "HEEEEELP! Somebody!" Her small voice reverberates hollowly off the sides of the gorge. "Anybody... help..."

Tears freely fell from Eshe's eyes before she turned back to her father's dusty body. She nuzzled up under the limp paw so that seemed like her father was embracing her.

"Princess,"

The light brown cub looked over her small shoulder and seen her uncle. "There were wildebeest. He was trying to save me, I didn't mean for this to happen."

Eshe cried on her uncle's leg. "Of course you didn't. No one... ever means..." Mufasa pulls his niece closer; Eshe hides her tear streaked face on the gold lion's foreleg, "..for these things to happen. ...But the Prince-Consort is dead!" looking with mock regret at the crying cub, "And if it weren't for you, he'd still be alive."

Eshe is completely crushed, believing her guilt and her uncle's words. Another thought suddenly 'occurs' to the gold prince.

"Oh! What will your mother think?"

Sniffing up some tears, Eshe looked up with tears and confusion in her green eyes, "What am I gonna do?"

Mufasa grinned as this was all too easy and perhaps he took joy in it as well. "Run away, Eshe. Run... Run away and never return!"

Eshe gasped, she took one last glace at her father's body before running off blindly, obviously broken and filled with guilt.

Shenzi along with Banzai and Ed appered out of the gathered dust behind Mufasa.

Without looking, the gold, red mane lion ordered without emotion, "Kill her."