A/N::

Iknow, I know! As ya'll live and breathe, I have returned! I am so INCREDIBLY sorry for my absence. My computer died about a week after my last update on here, and I've had to scrimp and save for a new one. Meaning, I lost everything. All my fanfics, and then the book I had finished and was about to publish. Imagine my surprise when the file I backed up the majority of my documents on, was labeled "curopted" and so I've had to rebuild from scratch. It's a long and painful process... and so I begin to rebuild with fanfics. I am working steadily on Frozen Phantom and Master's Son... does anybody want a say in what I update first? This is an old, old piece that was over on my DA account... so I fleshed it out and will go farther with it, probably ending at Kiara's Reign. Who knows?

Enjoy you guys, and I am sorry for my absence!

The heat was suffocating, and the cub blinked as his vision blurred, and he tried to dodge the burning branches and spots of grass. Letting out a squeal, he saw his father at the base of Pride Rock, and he tunneled over his father's stilled arm.

"Daddy! Come on, get up! The…the fire is getting closer; we must go! Daddy, come on!" When his father didn't rise, the cub stepped back and prepared to shove into his father's side; that always woke him up. However, although his father's fur was notoriously orange, even the flames could not have made it this shade, and the young boy stopped and his jaw trembled as he saw the blood on his father. Screaming, he dug into his father's armpit and screamed wordlessly, tears pouring down. The heat was dying down, and as rain began pouring and an unusually loud thunderclap sounded just overhead, the boy choked another cry. As he rose his head, a large orange figure towered over him, and he jerked as he tried to make out who it was. However, the few remaining flames of the fire licked away the features of the other lion from view, leaving only eerie red and black shadows dancing on the face.

"Help him! You gotta help my daddy, please! Somebody! Anybody…?" The child craned his neck to see other lionesses behind the lion, and they all looked away and became mists of the night.

The older lion sighed, flinching away from the cub. "Your father will not rise, little one. The… the King is dead."

A strangled scream tore from the cub, and without thinking, he buried his face in the stranger's paw, clutching at it with his dull claw tips, wishing he had heard wrong. The lion shifted, sitting and slowly stroking the cub's back. "Shh, Cub. Shh. I…I know how it feels. I am so sorry… if it could have been any other way… oh, little cub. I am sorry." The lion was crying too, and the cub glanced up, biting his lip.

"Did you know Daddy? Is that why you sad?"

The lion paused, seeming to roll an answer around in his head, and he then smiled thinly, nodding finally. "Yes, I knew him. A long time ago, when I was a child. Your father was a good lion." At this, one of the lionesses stepped forward and hissed quietly, but her words were naught but rushing water as the cub, who was emotionally spent, quickly fell asleep.

"How can you say such a thing, Simba? After all that monster has done, and you call him good? In what world?!"

Simba watched as the cub's erratic breathing slowed to even pants and softly replied. "I won't have any child think his father was anything but the very best, Nala. A cub's got to have somebody to look up to…even if it is Scar, this cub should be proud of what, to him, was a very good living and a full belly. No harm done in letting a small soul think his father was the best thing to walk the earth." Simba's words caused nods of approval, and warmth to spread to each lioness. "Now…who can direct me to this child's mother? And what is his name?"

Sarabi stepped forward, a look of sadness on her face. "His name is Nuka… I believe I saw his mother go out to hunt with Scar's elder son before you came… if I were you, Simba, I would prepare for them. When they return, it won't be pretty. Honestly, I think it best to get Nuka far away from anything Zira might say." Sarabi sighed, and slowly she bent down to pick up the child, who slept on.

By and by, most of the pride went to bed, knowing whatever peace they had wouldn't last long, not with Zira and her lot coming back to the pride sooner rather than later. Simba, however, stared at Scar's body, and as the moon began to shine high in the sky, Nala and Sarabi approached him quietly. "Son, come on. You need rest."

"No, Mom. I don't remember much about the few teachings Dad gave me, but wasn't there a ritual for dead kings?"

Sarabi looked surprised, then hesitant, and her orange orbs slid to Nala in confusion. "Well, yes. You're supposed to sit vigil for a past king, as the new king of the land…and especially since you're his kin. As I am, for I was his brother's wife and widow."

At this, Nala quickly added her thoughts in, stepping forward and wrapping herself around Simba.
"But…he wasn't a worthy king, Simba. The Great Kings would not judge you for this… after all he has done to your father's land."

"Nala, he might have been a horrible king… if nothing else, he killed my father to get to the throne. But he was still a king. And if…" Simba paused and turned away, shame and guilt written all over his face. "If what happened in the gorge had truly been an accident, had been nobody's fault but for a startled herd, then…he would have become king until I could rule. And the likelihood is, had that happened, he'd have twisted me around so I would follow in his paw steps. If he had to become king, I have to believe there was a reason, and that my banishment was purposeful. He was still a king, and I intend to honor that. He will also be buried with my father and the other kings, in the Royal Burial Grounds. Scar betrayed me, but as a child… I loved him. I honor him not for who he died as, but as who I knew him to be. So sit vigil, or do not, but tonight my place is beside my uncle."

Nala grumbled, turning away and heading into the dens inside Pride Rock, but Sarabi blinked away tears as she heard how wise and thoughtful her son was, and she sat down beside him, lowering her head to the dead lion who had killed the love of her life, and stolen her best years from her to be lived in misery and constant pain and hunger. Lifting her head, tears ran down her cheeks and she clutched her son, letting her voice break as she thought of the lion who now lay dead before them, a product of his greed and selfishness.

"When your father and I first married, we argued constantly. Night and day, day and night. Your father was still but a prince then, and Scar was a reserved lion who always could see both my and Mufasa's sides in our arguments. Scar was who I went to as a distraught newlywed, and it was he who gave me advice on handling Mufasa. He was unhappy with most of his brother's ways, but he wouldn't ever hurt him, or so I thought… oh, but that was so long ago. Thirty years I've stood by this pride, by this land. Thirty years I have paid my dues and watched this land go through now four kings. And thirty years can change a lot. It changed Scar, for sure. He was so good to me, when I was expecting you. It took your father and I ten long years to get pregnant…and finally we did, and we rejoiced for nearly a week. And while Mufasa would go and do king things, and converse with other prides, Scar would sit by me, and he would fetch whatever I craved. It was he who dealt with my temper and discomfort, and he who fetched Mufasa when it was time. Only minutes after you were born, he came in and looked to Mufasa, who was busy talking to Rafiki about your presentation, and then he saw me, and the cub, and I saw it on his face. Awe and love, mixed with what I learned later was envy. He said a few congratulatory words, but before I could offer to let him hold you, he fled and Mufasa seemed shocked he had even shown up.

I remember Mufasa settling beside me that night and telling me that Scar avoided children as much as possible. Although I had noticed this in the ten years prior, I hadn't paid it much mind, but his refusal to stay long enough to see my long-sought after child made my hackles stand. Turns out, three years before I had come to the pride, he had been wed to a lioness whose pride had promised to make him a king if he took to their princess. Scar and the princess married, and within a year, they had a son. When this reached the word of her kingdom, however, her father the king refused to give up his throne to Scar, saying that he could not possibly give the throne to a child such as Scar. Although Scar was but seventeen, he had held up his end of the deal, going into a loveless marriage to profit his pride and the other pride as well. Before Scar and Mufasa's father Ahadi could strike up another deal with the king of that land, one of our majordomos reported the land completely empty. The entire pride had just moved, to avoid anything the Pridelands could rightfully curse them with. Only days later, both Scar's wife and their little son perished in a cave in. For days, Scar and the pride worked to dig the two out, but by the time we cleared the rubble, it was far too late. Scar was beyond devastated, and he avoided children at all costs afterwards, because they only reminded him of everything he had lost. He had gained a kingdom and wife and child, only to lose them all within a few moons of acquiring them."

Sarabi paused, ears going back and a tear slid down her face. "A few days after your birth, he came to me and apologized, asking to hold you. He didn't stay long, and I saw how it tormented him to see you so beautiful and perfect…and when I asked him of his child, I remember how he just seemed to shut down. He left quickly, and avoided your presentation the next morning. I tried to plead with Mufasa for some understanding, but your father…" Sarabi shook her head and sighed, looking both upset and agitated. "He never understood Scar, I think. Scar could have his emotions, and as king, that was something Mufasa was forbidden. I hate to say it, but that day, holding you… I think that is when Scar began going bad. After all, he was always so kind and good to me. But after that day, he became distant. I think, seeing everything he wanted that Mufasa had… I think that turned him rotten on the inside."

Simba was silent, trying to absorb all he had learned. "If that's true, I guess I can understand being jealous. I mean, if I had a brother and he had everything while I pretty much had nothing… I can see being mad at the world. But the circle of life doesn't work that way! You have to move on and realize they're still doing good, for the animals their bodies feed. Though I guess that would be hard. I don't know what I would do if something happened to Nala. I'd probably pine for her all my life… but I would never harm another! Whoever his mate was during this reign of his… do you think he moved on from the girl? He had a kid with her, after all."

Sarabi sighed and shook her head, turning from her son to look at Scar some more. "That, I could not say. Zira came into the pride about a year after you disappeared, and within a month she and Scar were wed. Their eldest son, Kebehi, was born four years later. He's fifteen now. Nuka… Nuka is four. The same age you were when your father…when Scar took over. Zira…Zira is pregnant again now, but there were rumors…rumors that are improper for a Queen. It was said she cheated on Scar, but I don't think I believe it. Zira looked at Scar like he was the most amazing lion on earth. She worshipped him, although she would always call him out when he was being too harsh…but any could see how she adored him. No, if those unborn aren't Scar's, it wasn't by choice. She idolized him too much to seek another's company."

Simba groaned, shaking his head and trying to wrap his head around this new extended family. "So, Kebehi is the crown prince, then. Will I have to fight him? I don't wish to fight a mere child."

"No. He is not the heir. Scar had no heir. When Kebehi was born, although a very healthy child, Scar told Zira that he would wait… to see if they could do better the next time. She was crushed, but respected his decision, and so Nuka came eleven years later. But Nuka came early, and we all believed he would die before the dawn came. He pulled through, but Scar again saw another heir unfit and said they would wait. Then finally these children were conceived…so he never had an heir."

"Thanks be to Spirits… I would hate to have this turn nasty."

"It will turn nasty no matter what you do. Zira has a terrible temper, and finding her beloved like this… it would snap even the kindest lioness. She will be furious… it will take both she and her eldest son time to understand and learn of you. Your name was forbidden after your disappearance… she nor her son knows of you, nor much about your father. They know I am the Old King's widow, but their knowledge of this land prior to Scar stops there. Zira and I are very close… perhaps it is best I tell her of Scar myself."