"Actually, I was just about to leave. I have to get my day started. We'll talk later." But her tone made it seem like she didn't take what the lion was saying too seriously. And the ' We'll take later' really meant never.
"Yes, my queen." He frowned. As the lion began to turn, she called for her brother in law once more.
"Scar, could you please find cubs. They ran off early this morning, and I want them home while the pride is out."
"will do Sarabi."
"Thank you." She nodded and turned with Zazu on her shoulder to leave with the rest of hunting party. The majordomo, keeping an eye on the brown lion was he felt.
Shortly after Zazu had left the lionesses to scan the pridelands to learn of any new news to give back to his queen. Meanwhile, as the lionesses walked along their territory to find their morning meal. Sarabi found herself extremely distracted about what Scar said just a few moments earlier. Ruling alongside her in Mufasa stead…the possible threat of outsiders wanting to marry her and steal her lands and her pride away from her. Pride rock was her family blood right…
"Sarabi? Is everything okay?" a lighter colored lioness, with concerned blur eyes looked at her good friend. Sarabi did not even notice sarafina was walking next to her.
"what?"
"Is everything okay?" she asked again. "You look worried. What's wrong?"
"I had a conversation with Scar earlier today. he- he was wondering on what I planned to do next."
"Meaning?"
"He wanted to rule alongside me."
"And…be king?" hearing from another lioness mouth it made much more sense.
"Yes." Sarafina face grew concerned.
" what do you think about that? After all Ahadi did chose Mufasa over this older brother for a reason. Scar wasn't fit to rule…and he didn't seem to have to best intention for the pride either."
"I Know, and I remember that day so clearly, when Ahadi said that to everyone in the pride. But he was saying…if others hear of Mufasa death, surely other will be eager to take a claim at the pride, and me, I can't defend the pride by myself."
"You won't, you know we will help you." Voiced sarafina.
"I know, but what if rouges hear of this…and come in numbers to take priderock. How could we defend our cubs Sarafina…they'd be killed." It was a hard pill for the lioness to swallow but this was true, and an unspoken law of the land when it came to lion prides. If there would be a male take over, then the new male could and would kill the cubs of the past king. And not even the best mother could truly protect her cub from the claws of an ambitious male.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"I don't know. I want to keep this pride safe. But in doing so…I feel like I would have turned by back on Mufasa…and there's just this part of me that still wary of him, I don't know what to do."
"Think about it first, you're in no rush. You know I and the other are all on your side, with whatever you choose." And that was exactly what the queen intended to do. But for now, she had to put that future plan on the back burner. She had her job for now, and that was to lead the lionesses. She shook the thought out of her mind for that moment, taking a breath she cleared her mind, and went about the rest of her morning.
Meanwhile, somewhere on the opposite side to where his mother was, Simba and Nala were finding themselves in a tricky situation. They were lost. "Simba are you sure this is the right way?"
"Positive, I've seen my uncle here lots of times."
"Like when?"
"like…huh…yesterday." He lied.
"No you didn't, I was with you all day yesterday!" she retorted catching him in his lie.
"Well fine! I don't know where he is okay!"
"So where have you been taking us?" Nala's walking came to a halt.
"um…someone else who can marry us." He answered.
"Like who?" he didn't answer the question. "If its not your uncle, then it's Zazu?"
"not exactly- but someone who was really close to my dad-" not wanting to give away the animal.
"NO!" knowing the animal and coming to the realization, Simba didn't even have to even speak his name. "I'm not doing to the monkey Simba!"
"C'mon Nala, he's all we have!" the orange cub, turned to his friend. She wore a pouting face, with furrowed brows.
"He scares me Simba! With his…his weird face, and creepy laugh…oh and that super pointy stick! No way!"
"Nala Please! You have to do this, you're my best friend and it's for my mom remember! Pleassssssse." She couldn't resist his stupid smile and annoying voice. And that fact that it was for Sarabi. She slowly rolled her eyes. She guessed being a day older than he, makes her automatically more mature.
"Ugh fine!"
"Yes!" he gave her the biggest hug. And she pushed his away, he fell to the ground laughing. "I promise, he's right down here and then we'll be home before anyone even notices!" chimed the cub, again with an eager in his young voice. Nala and Simba aimless walked down the direction of the path, that Simba was sure would lead them to Rafiki. Little did that know, they were not the only ones heading that was as well.
It was just mid noon. The great circle was high in the sky, it's heat radiating vastly. The African heat was now reaching its highest, and with each step the cubs took, the more tried and drained they felt. It had seemed like Simba was leading the two to an endless destination. ".I…I can't move anymore!" said Nala plopping to the ground. "it's too hot and I'm tried."
"But we're almost there-"
"You keep saying that."
"It's true, he's right up there."
" No he's not! You have us going in circle!"
"No I'm not!"
"Yes you are!" the two soon found themselves in a heated face to face screaming match. " You don't know where you're going and you're leading us in circles! We've been walking for hours and I'm hungry!"
"Ugh! Raifki just pass the tall grass!"
"There is no end to the tall grass Simba! Ugh…this never would have happened if you just stopped and ask for directions…" pouted the blue eyes, hungry cub. Simba eye grew wide, he knew where he was going. And for Nala to question him, angered him. Soon the two cubs found themselves in there first couple argument.
"I don't need direction Nala, this IS my kingdom! I know here I'm going!"
"Well apparently, not!"
"Ugh! You get on my nerves!"
"You get on my nerves!" retorted the lioness back.
"I can't believe I wanted you marry you! Girls complain too much!"
"And I can't believe I wanted to marry a lion who won't ask for direction when he needs them!"
"I don't need them!"
"Whatever Simba, I don't care…I don't want to marry you anymore!"
"Good!" the prince stuttered he couldn't let her beat him to the punch. If anyone was calling the marriage off, it would be him. " Because I don't want to marry YOU first!"
"No I don't want to marry you first!"
"No me!"
"No me!"
"No me-"
"Where is the food, when it's time for dinner and a show?" an added voice joined into the mix. It's sudden appearance scared the cubs silent. "AW young love, ain't it cute boys?" soon three spotted hyenas came into view. Sliding their bodies between the tall grass stalks. The cubs backed up and tried to scatter, but soon found themselves surrounded by the three, like last time.
"Wow, well doesn't this seem familiar?" Banzai added. Sticking his teeth out at Nala, he had a liking for the lighter furred female, which needless to say terrified the young cub.
"Yep, but it looks like old Mufasa not here to spoil the fun, huh?" Ed crops his death, and Nala let out a high startled cry. Simba, finding it deep inside his heart to be brave, like his father always was… he challenged the trio of hyenas.
"You can't be here on these lands!"
"Oh, says who?"
"The king."
"King? What king the king is dead…haha bye bye!"
"Me! I'm the new king of priderock and you hyenas are not allowed on my lands!" hysteria filled the air and the lungs of the trio. They tried desperately not to choke on the air, as they rolled all over the floor. One hyena even hitting Simba on the back for the good laugh and it sent the cub stumbling forward. Nala ran over to her fallen friend, with a terrified look on her face, but it was so funny, just too funny for the wild dogs. That this little cub, this little no one, had the nerve to speak to them- when they could just easily scoop him up for dinner. It was a scene to say the least. After the wiping the tears away from their eyes they decided to save they messing with the cubs for another day. They had done their job.
"Ah kid you're hilarious! Keep up the good work for dinner-" the dog patting simba so hard on his back, he flew forward with the hair running right out of him.
"Yea yea! We'll be coming back REAL soon, right Ed?" nodding favorably, the dumb hyena shook his head. "See ya around…Simba." The hyenas left the traumatize cubs, still laughing to themselves all the while. Their chatting and cackling could be hear leaving in the distance, but still leaving a bitter ringing in the cubs hears. Simba and Nala watched on, frozen.
"Why there you two are!-"
"Ahhhhh!" both cubs jumped from the ground, turning quickly in the direction of the new voice. They were met with a very puzzled looking hornbill.
"I've been looking all over for you!" Zazu When cub saw his familiar face, their heart began to slow down. "what...did I miss something here?" questioned the blue feathered majordomo. "You two look like you've seen a ghost." No but something just as terrifying. "what? What is it? tell me Simba." The prince stammered for a moment. Trying to figure out what to say "Well?!"
" We need to get back home Zazu, I have to tell my mom something and fast…" voiced the orange cub, with a serious expression.
As soon as the queen and her pride returned the lionesses were hit with a mouthful of questions, and fears of the returning hyenas. "Wait…what happened?" asked the mother one more time, as she held the two cubs.
" The…the hyenas know dads gone!…and they said they're coming back for dinner! And- and…"
"Shhh calm down Simba, it's okay" chimed Sarabi. Then turning to her majordomo," Zazu did you see any sign of the hyenas?"
"No you highness I did not, I must have spotted the cubs a few moments after." the queen nodded.
" Where was this?" she asked
"Near the tall grasses." Confirmed Nala. The tall grasses, it took the queen a moment to place where the tall grasses were in her mental map of the pridelands, but when she did, the shocked expression could be seen on her and all the other lionesses faces.
"Why on earth were you cubs near the tall grasses?!" and now the moment the of being sorry for the scared cubs was over. Now was time to be mad, they were far from priderock. The tall grasses are no place for tiny cubs to be walking though. They could easily get lost- as Simba did. or they could get stepped on by larger animals who eat there, or even get picked up from sneaky predators! It was no place for unsupervised cubs. "Simba?" she questioned knowing her knuckled headed son had to be the main cause for this. The two cubs looked to each other slowly, should they tell her? It was supposed to be a surprise…
"well…Nala and I were trying to find Rafiki so we could get married." He confessed, all the lionesses plus on small bird wore a confused expression.
"Married?, son why would you do that, you two are only cubs."
"Because Simba is king of pride rock now that Mufasa's gone. And he said he couldn't rule without a queen, but it couldn't be you. So… we agreed I'd be queen, snice I'm his best friend and then you would just tell us what to do…" explained Nala "Plus it would make you really happy… and we want to help you Sarabi" she soon added. Well you couldn't say the cubs weren't being thoughtful, and this did bring a small smile onto the queens face.
"My kings, you two don't have to get married…" she nuzzled both Simba and Nala. "and Simba you don't have to worry about ruling yet. I'm taking care of priderock till then."
"Oh good…because I was second guessing myself. Getting married seemed so hard and NALA was getting on my nerves already!" the female cub mouth dropped.
"ME?! you were getting on my nerves because you wouldn't ask for directions and had us walking in circle!" could you say these two sounded married already?
" I told you Nala, I'm future king I don't need direction in my known kingdom-"
" I don't need direction in my own kingdom…" mocked the cream colored cub, and before the two could continue anymore, Sarabi put a quick stop to it.
"That's enough you two, get washed up and ready to eat." The cubs bite their tongues. "Okay?" she eyed the two trouble makers.
"…okay." Both side in unions. The mother let the cubs go, and watched as they made their way down priderock steps. Sarafina, followed both cubs out of the royal den. As soon as the cubs left, Sarabi wore her true facial expression, worry. Zazu stepped forward to care for his queen. "Zazu.."
"Yes, Sarabi?"
"Find Scar, we need to talk."
"Yes." He turned tail fast, flapping his wings, he took off into the bright light to find the uncle. Sarabi got up and walked towards her lionesses.
"Is everything okay my queen?"
"No, but they will be. Actually I have to tell you all something, and I want your honest opinion." The red orb lioness then went about telling the lioness of the earlier conversation she and Scar had. Sarabi made sure to go into great detail on how she felt about the matter, with her more or less odd, brother in law. Sarabi wanted to know what her pride sisters thought on the matter as well, because this was their home as well. The reviews she got were mixed to say the least. But the queen listen to every lioness, and took to heart what she had to say. She was just about finished talking to the last pride sister when the blue hornbill came flapping in.
"My queen Scar is here." Sarabi nodded to her sisters to dismiss them, as she walked forward to Zazu. "He's outside."
"Prefect." As Sarabi rounded the corner of the rock staircase, scar came into view. He was looking outward at priderock, he didn't even seem to notice her as she approached him. "Scar?"
"Oh, Yes, Sarabi, you called for me?"