Hey ladies and gentlemen. I recently got into the spirit of writing. So I'll be doing my best to update some of my recent stories.

I was going through the new stories on the Lion King Fanfiction site when this idea came to me.

WARNING; UNWANTED INCEST in later chapters.

Now without further ado here's the first chapter of Beyond The Scars.

'Long Live The King,'

The former outcast, the screw-up, the lesser wanted son was now king. Did he regret killing his brother? No, his half-brother? No.

His grandfather and uncle made him never live it down that he's the outcome of a terrible day in his mother's reign.

As the rich brown lion sat on the peak of his throne, priderock his leafy green eyes scanned the land he so rightfully owned.

"Scar?" came a all too familiar voice.

Scar turned to see a pale tan lioness with dark red eyes. "Yes, Zira. What is it?"

Zira took a deep breath before responding. "I'm pregnant."

Scar didn't know how to take that so he just closed his eyes where he immediately was brought to a memory, one he had with his birth-father.

"Always remember, son. Lionesses are for hunting and making cubs. They're useless for anything else. That's why you make sure you have a male heir..."

"Scar?" Scar shook his head to exit the memory. "Scar, did you hear what I say? I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father,"

Scar growled before brushing past his mate. "Fine. But it better be a male."

Zira didn't know how to respond to that. But witnessing her mate's recent behavior, she just prayed she gave birth to a male.

-O-

A Few Weeks Later

A teenage tawny peach lioness was crouched low in the withering grass. She moved her greenish eyes from the herd of buffalo to her left side where an older creamy tan lioness was crouched down, then to her right. Where a teenage dull gold lioness was crouched down, waiting on the tawny peach teen's instructions. Behind the tawny peach teen was a aged but skilled dark beige lioness.

Meanwhile on the other side of the clearing, two month old Mheetu was hunkered down in the tall grass, not daring to breathe as he watched his sister slink forward on silent paws.

His black rimmed nears flicked back and forth as he concentrated on each lionesses' every move. He was determined not to make a sound after having ruined two hunts already that same day. Due to his clumsy paw-steps, he had made too much noise, alerting the prey to the hunting party's presence.

In the pride, most cubs were taught to hunt in private sessions with their mother. However, due to the loss of the former king and the inclusion of the hyenas in the Pridelands, Mheetu did not have the luxury of one on one training with his mother, Sarafina.

Scar had recently decreed that every cub old enough to eat meat must take part in the hunt. At the current moment, Mheetu and a few others were the only cubs that weren't still suckling milk. The only other cub was a young male, a bit younger than himself.

To which Scar had wasted no time in eliminating as a possible threat. The king would of killed him too but his mother and Sarabi as most of the pride stood up in his defense so Scar let him live.

His sister Nala and her friends; Melissa, Tama and Kula were old enough to be apart of the hunting party. With Tojo, Chumvi and Malka being teenage males, they were forced to protect the Pridelands with the hyenas.

It had been only two and half years since Scar assumed the throne, and already, the lionesses were struggling to bring home enough meat to sate the appetite of him and his cronies. It was becoming ever more common for the hunters to not even have enough meat for the cubs and their mothers back at the den. With no one able to challenge Scar's tyranny, the pride members had no option but to obey.

From his hiding place, Mheetu admired his sister's litheness and intensity. Her strong muscles moved smoothly under her smooth coat, its tawny peach colour melting into the dry brush through which she padded.

Although Sarabi customarily lead the hunting party, her grief at the loss of her husband and son had her running left flank, with Nala leading instead. Mheetu trembled as the group paused, readying for the attack. Giving an almost invisible signal to the others, Nala charged in toward the injured buffalo the group had targeted.

This time, the hunt was a success. Wearily, the hunting party returned to priderock with their kill, relieved in the knowledge that Scar would be appeased this evening but distressed by the fact that it would all happen again tomorrow.

"Stay behind me, Mheetu", Nala whispered quietly as Sarabi presented the day's spoils to Scar.

Mheetu cowered behind his sister's strong hindquarters, wanting nothing more than to disappear. Since the pale cream cub was introduced to the king, he had found Scar quite intimidating. He tried his best to blend in with his sister's fur as the former queen addressed their alpha male.

"We were met with difficulties in our hunting attempts earlier in the day, but have brought you the prize from our most recent hunt. We hope it is to your liking." Sarabi bowed her head in respect.

Scar looked skeptically at the lioness before him. His jaded eyes lingering on Nala. With little expression, he gave a signal to the hyenas to take the kill away and wait for him. The cackling animals threw themselves upon the food in a disorganized shuffle, paying no mind to Sarabi, who was shoved aside in the fray. Once calm again took the rock, Scar stepped lazily forward.

"What difficulties?" Scar asked, a smirk on his face.

"We.. the prey.. it…" Sarabi sighed, obviously trying not to rat out the young cub who fumbled during the first two hunting trips.

With lightening quick speed, Scar strode to Sarabi and struck her across the face, claws outstretched.

"Spit it out! What happened?" His angry eyes flashed in Mheetu and the other cubs' directions and the cubs felt their stomach drop. Slowly, the king slinked up to them as Sarabi held a paw against her wound. After glaring at Nala and Sarabi. Scar came to stand directly in front of the cubs, his eyes boring into the frightened cubs.

"Tell me children, did you enjoy your first hunt?" Scar's voice was sweet as honey, but his eyes showed an unpredictable rage. Mheetu cowered beneath his leafy green eyed gaze, too afraid to speak. "SPEAK UP! Do not dare remain silent when I address you!" he roared.

Nala instinctively moved between her brother and the other two and the angry king, tensing herself for a blow. To everyone's surprise, however, Scar merely chuckled.

"These whelps will learn, or they will die. See to it that you teach them well. We would hate for our lovely cubs to be killed, now wouldn't we?" Scar strode away without giving Mheetu and the other cubs a second glance. "The kill will suffice for tonight. Tomorrow, I expect twice as much. Perhaps then you will be given a share of it." The scrawny lion retreated, heading toward the hyenas and meat that awaited him.

"He can't do this!" Melissa roared as the rest of the hunting party surrounded Sarabi to check her wound.

But they all knew he could. They didn't like it but Scar was king and what he say goes.

...

While the other lionesses filed toward either the small or hunter's den, Mheetu slowly approached his mother and sister. He was still shaken from his encounter with Scar. After being reassured by a gentle nuzzle from his mother, the young cub started toward the small den that had been his home since he was born. After some time, the den was filled with snores from all of the inhabitants.

As the night sky darkened and the Kings of the Past began to shine, Mheetu laid his head on his sore forepaws. Although he had always been an active cub, he was not accustomed to walking as far as the hunting party traveled in a day, and his body was paying for it.

Mheetu sighed, snuggling close to the sleeping form of his mother and allowing hisself to succumb to the turmoil of the day. Mheetu lay quietly, listening to the sound of snores and also the sound of quiet sobs from where Sarabi laid.

As the night wore on with no sleep, Mheetu wandered outside of the familiar den.

Looking out across the Pridelands, he could see the forms of hyenas roaming in the night. Watching them and hearing their faint laughter, Mheetu felt his heart fill with hate. He hated the hyenas, but more than anything, he hated Scar.

Mheetu's small jaw set and his salty tears stopped, the young cub thought about what poor Sarabi had said. In that moment, with wisdom well beyond his short time, Mheetu realized there under the stars that his cubhood was over.