The Lion Prince, a lion king fanfic

From the moment I was born, I knew that I was destined for great things. My mother—although I knew perfectly well—had always told me that someday I would stop being a prince. I was going to be king and not my simpleton of a brother. Don't get me wrong. I love my brother dearly—snort, cough—sorry, I had to swallow the laugh that threatened to come out. As I was saying, I love my brother dearly, but from the first time we sparred against one another, I knew that he had the mind capacity of a gnat. I'm sure that he did not have a thought running through his head as he ran towards me with snarl on his face. I find myself rolling my eyes at the very memory. My brother was such a melodramatic cub.

I am sure that I am not known to my audience, so let me enlighten. I am called Taka. It literally means 'dirt' or 'trash'. Yes, my father had much faith in me as one could clearly tell. Despite my sarcasm, I rather liked the name. It would be all the better when I overcome all of the fools who view me as such. But then, all of a sudden, I get the nickname 'Scar'. It was because I had confidence that my brother would not push me into the waterhole. But because I did, he pushed me into the waterhole while I had been drinking. As it turns out, there was a buffalo also drinking. Because of the fall, I had caused a minor wave, which splashed onto the buffalo and it was not in the least bit happy to see my—gorgeous—face. It was my dear, sweet brother who had decided to start calling me Scar. The scratch on my face never fully healed, so the name stuck. The one who gave me this atrocious name should fall into a stampede. Oops…! That would be my brother, wouldn't it? But I digress…

Today is the day that my nephew is inaugurated as the next heir to the throne. He, not me, will be the next ruler of Pride Rock. Jealous…? Me? No…! Why would I be jealous of my own cute, little nephew, who has just seen the light of his first day into the world? Never would I start plotting the demise of him and his father so soon. Never, I say! Dear me, I believe that I am getting off point again.

As I was saying, my nephew is having to big ceremony to celebrate his extraordinary birth. I would have gone myself, but hearing countless animals express their feelings through interpretive singing is not my idea of a fun time. Trust me; they would do it without a second thought. I'm not sure why, though. I guess it's all very enjoyable to them. I find it rather boring to see prey try to sing their hearts out. Circle of Life, my furry brown as—ah, is that a mouse?

I quickly slammed my pawn down, successfully capturing my small snack. I gave the small creature my best sympathetic look. "Life's not fair, is it?" I asked. The small mouse only thrashed about, trying to escape my grasp. It was all futile, of course. "You see, I will never be king… and you-" the mouse tried to jump off my paw. I grabbed it in mid air. "And you shall never see the light of another day." I chuckled at my humor. I could be a funny person, really. Just as I was about to drop the creature into my mouth, an annoying voice interrupted.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food?" he asked. It was Zazu, of course. The bird was always there to ruin my fun. I rolled my eyes as I trapped the mouse under my paw so that it would not get away.

"What do you want?" I asked, even though I did not want to know. The quicker he left, the quicker I could go back to brooding and plotting.

"I'm here to announce that King Mufasa is on his way," Zazu proclaimed, proudly. "So you'd better have a good excuse for missing the ceremony this morning."

As he talked, my snack managed to escape me. I watched dispassionately as the creature scurried back into its little hole. By this time, I decided not to pay attention to Zazu's words. I wanted to… eat him. He was such a scrawny bird, yet I found him to be so annoying. How satisfying would it be to devour him? However, before I could chew or swallow, my dear older brother decided to make an entrance. He ordered that I release Zazu immediately. I complied, although begrudgingly.

Mufasa scolded me for missing the ceremony for my 'future king'. Getting quite tired of his voice—my brother did not have the same brain power I did, after all—I walked away. I suppose that he did not like the obvious sign of disrespect because he growled and me and told me that I should not 'dare turn' my back on him. "Oh no, Mufasa… Perhaps it is you that shouldn't turn your back on me." It was a threat, and yet I'm sure that my older brother could not seize the concept behind my words. Small brain cells and whatnot.

But he would find out soon enough…

My nephew is such a foolish cub just like his idiotic father. In my youth, I would have never listened to my clearly malevolent uncle and gone off to the Elephant Graveyard. But poor Simba had inherited his small brain from his father. The poor cub had no idea that he was going to be eaten by those three hyenas. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed would take care of the little one for me. At least, that is what I hope. I sighed heavily. Those three idiots were sure to mess something up. If possible they were more moronic than my older brother. This is why I needed a back-up plan.

"Hello, Scar…" a sultry voice got my attention. It was Zira. She, for an unexplained reason, found it quite endearing to annoy me with her wit and charisma. She was the only lioness in the pride that was smart enough to hold conversations with me. That is the reason why she is valuable to my cause. I believe that her hatred towards my brother rivals my own. That wild look in those red eyes whenever Mufasa is mentioned is truly admirable. That is very rare, in my opinion. She has her own little plans for killing off Mufasa. It seems as though she believes that I will make her my queen when I am king of Pride Rock. Such foolishness… "It is rare that you have come to me."

Zira circled around me, never losing the eye contact. "Stop that, Zira. I am not your prey," I told her. Already, I was getting annoyed. She stopped orbiting me. Her face was mere inches away from my own. She gave me a grin that would put my inner demons to shame.

"Is that what you think, Scar?" she asked, and then laughed. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "What is it that you want?"

"I am simply aimlessly walking around. It was not my intention to seek you out," I answered. She snorted at my response. "But since I am here, how many of them have become loyal to me?" Yes, it was Zira's job to make sure about more than half the lions were on my side when war came. If it came, that is. It might not ever come to war if my upcoming plans worked. Oh, yes! It was quite easy to come up with a plan in the presence of Zira. I suppose that it was another reason I tolerate her.

"All in all, ten other lions have sworn loyalty to you," Zira said.

"Ten…? Zira, don't tell me you're losing your touch," I feigned surprise. She growled at me. "Yesterday, it was nine. Are you telling me you've managed to convert only one lion today?" Zira hissed at me through clenched teeth. I chuckled, mirthlessly as I turned away from her. "See to it that the number doubles by tomorrow night. If not, Zira, my dear, you won't be by my side when I gain the throne." With that last lie, I walked away from the snarling lioness. Oh, how fun it was to manipulate others.

What do you know? Doing musical numbers actually makes me feel better. It's amazing what could come from one's mouth when they sing what's on their minds or in their hearts. My heart is very dark, so one could imagine what I sang about. Death, destruction, forbidden alliances, regicide—things like that. I watched as my nephew danced around my feet. He was as gullible as ever. After the last incident, I would think he would not trust me again. But alas, he is as dumb and trusting as his father.

It had been one day since I had gathered my hyena army. It gave my body shivers as they obeyed my every command. This is how I know that I am meant to be king. I am meant to lead my fellow lions. They and everyone in the 'Circle of Life'—forgive me for rolling my eyes—are meant to be governed by me and only me. Imagining every creature bowing down, I allowed myself to laugh out loud.

"What's so funny, Uncle Scar?" my nephew, the imprudent cub, asked. I shook my head, meaning I wasn't going to really tell him what I had been thinking. We neared the designated area of where my master plan would soon come to pass. I am bloody brilliant, if I do say so myself.

"Your father has a marvelous surprise for you," I told the gullible cub. His face lit up in excitement as he sat on the rock—the exact rock that would prove to be the ticket to my kingdom. He asked what the surprise was. "If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it?"

"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised," the devious little cub smirked. How nostalgic… That's exactly how I started out—pretending. It brings back fond memories. I replied as if I were scolding him. Simba, however, was persistent. The little tyke was getting annoying, not to mention ruining my plans. If I didn't get out of here quick, I could be on the receiving end of a stampede. But then again, I'm the signal, aren't I? I suppressed the need to chuckle.

To speed things up, I decided to go the guilt-trip. The guilt-trip worked wonders for getting me out of trouble when I was a mere cub. Ah, sweet memories… Anyway, by the time I was finished giving the guilt-trip, Simba's ears were flat against his head. He stared dejectedly down at the ground. I glad to see that it still works like a charm. Before I left, I decided to leave him with some final advice. After all, it would be the last time we would ever see one another. "Oh, and just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours, hm?" Simba dolefully agreed. I began to walk away, but my nephew's question made me stop. He asked me if he would like the surprise. I mentally chuckled. I really could not resist my next sentence. "Simba, it's to die for!"

Smirking, I left the defenseless cub to his doom. Just above him, on top of a cliff, there was an entire herd of wildebeest, just waiting to be scared into a mad dash. Oh, what fun it would be to watch it all begin. I lazily walked towards the cliff where the three hyenas were supposed to see me. I took my sweet time, reaching the top. I wanted to drink in the rewards of my plot a little while longer before they actually come to me. At this point, I really did not care for the 'counting your chickens before they hatch' thing.

…

Okay, that's enough waiting. I quickly reached the top of the cliff. I stared down at the careless wildebeest. I did not bother to seek out the three hyenas that were ordered to start the stampede. There was really no need for such a thing. I stayed in that position for a few more moments, and then took off running towards where I knew Mufasa was making his rounds. It had to look as if I was scared for my dear nephew's life. And what better way to do that than to appear—actually, I will be—out of breath? My plan was simply superb.

It did not take long for me to find my brother. He was with his advisor, Zazu. Good, maybe the little bird would die in the confusion, too. "Mufasa… quick… stampede… in the gorge…" I took my time, mentioning the most important factor. "Simba's down there!" The look of alarm on my brother's face almost caused me to laugh. Luckily for me, he quickly ran towards the gorge. I allowed myself a quick smirk before I sprinted after my brother and his bird. I had to remain as if I were the worried uncle if even Mufasa wasn't looking. There were eyes everywhere, after all.

Zazu flew ahead as if he could do anything to save Simba. The skinny bird couldn't carry a twig, let never mind a cub of Simba's weight. My brother and I slid down the gorge. I pretended to look frantically around for my nephew. It was Zazu that had pointed him out. There he was, dangling on a dead tree. That was real smart, Simba. One of the wildebeest crashed into the base of the tree, causing it to crack. Mufasa raced towards his son. I sighed inwardly. It is a wonder how I am related to this imbeciles.

Meanwhile, Zazu starts freaking out like it was a big deal the king and his son were about to die. As one could guess, I got annoyed. It was when he suggested that he'd go back for help that I smacked him. His body slammed against a boulder and he fell, unconscious, on the ground. I turned back towards the scene that played before my very eyes. So far, Mufasa had managed to get Simba away from danger. I moved my body closer to them. My brother placed his cub on a ledge. I narrowed my eyes, thinking they would both escape and my plans were once again foiled. But then the stampede carried Mufasa away. "What luck…!" I thought as I heard Simba cry out to his father.

I rushed towards a certain spot. My brother almost scared me as he jumped from the stampede. He was badly hurt and it would seem that he did not have the strength to pull himself completely out of the gorge. What a pity this is. I wonder who would pull him out. It seems as though my brother wants me to pull him out. "With these 'skinny limbs' of mine…? I don't believe I could," I shot back. It was something Mufasa always made fun of me for. It was not my fault I had inherited mother's body.

"I… I was just kidding around…! Like you said, you're—you're stylishly thin!" Musafa tried to worm his way out of his predicament.

"And you're absolutely right!" I declared.

Slipping, my brother called out for me to save him again. "Scar…! Brother… help me!" he pleaded. His request only fueled the manically laughing inner Taka. I sank my claws into his flesh, causing Mufasa to roar out in pain. I eased my head towards his mane.

"Long live the king," I spoke in a soft—yet menacing—voice. I saw his eyes grow wide before I flung him from the cliff. He actually sounded surprised and hurt as he fell. I shrugged, and then walked away, hearing my nephew screaming. Melodramatic, just like his father is—I mean was.

Seconds later, the stampede was over. I am glad I didn't waste another minute gloating or I would have missed my chance and possibly be killed for treason. Lucky for me, right? After spotting my brother's—hopefully dead—body, I slowly descended. By the time I reached Mufasa, Simba was there, trying to 'wake up' his father. Oh, the poor cub… It brings tears—of joy—to my eyes. "Simba, what have you done?" I sounded as if I witnessed a most grotesque crime.

The poor cub scampered from under his father's massive paw. Tears streamed out of his eyes as if they were rain. He began to blubber out nonsense, saying that it wasn't his fault. I mentally sighed. He was still a child. I tried to console him, but I just ended up telling him to run away and never return. Those were my exact words! El oh el…! I watched his retreating back for a moment. Hearing the three behind me, I dropped the look of lament and despondency. "Kill him," I ordered up my three troops. They bounded off after Simba without a moment's hesitation.

Indifferently, I began the long walk home. It would be so troublesome to tell the others that their king and heir were dead. Pride Rock would be melancholy when told the members what had happened to their beloved past and future kings. It was there that I would announce that I would be king. Also, I would announce the dawning of a new age where hyena and lion would live together harmoniously. It would be perfect because when I deliver this speech, the sun will rise. Oh, it would be so great! Nothing could ruin the good feeling that I have.

I see many years of ruling in my future.

How the heck did this happen to me? I know that I've made mistakes in the past, but this was just ridiculous! First off, as soon as I take the throne—which rightfully belonged to me to begin with—the kingdom goes bankrupt! There was a terrible storm and since then it hasn't rained at all. Water and food had become scarce and depleted. The animals departed, leaving the lions and hyenas without an abundance of food to eat. And a few years later, I found out that my nephew is not dead and he had come back for retribution.

WHAT THE FRENCH, TOAST?!

This is so unbelievable! I should have killed the little snot myself, instead of leaving it in the paws of simpletons. Now, here I am, pleading for my own life. Who holds my life in their paws…? Oh, that would be Simba, all grown up. The resemblance to his father is quite uncanny. But this is no time to be freaked out over seeing my brother in the form of his son.

I tried to be manipulative again, but it did not work out this time. This is such a drag. I have failed. I have turned this kingdom into chaos and yet I was too stubborn to realize it. That was one and only thing that I inherited from my father. I cursed his name in my head as Simba towered over me, eyes narrowed in a heated glare. Yeah, it was a very bad idea to tell him that it was I who killed Mufasa. He went completely ballistic as if it was a big deal. "It was the hyenas! It was their fault! All of it was their idea!" I was getting desperate. Talk about a fall from grace, eh?

"Why should I believe you?" Simba questioned, getting extremely close to me. His breathed was a bit rancid, so who could blame me for trying to get as far away as possible? And that was hard to do, seeing as how I'm currently on the edge of a cliff. "Everything you ever told me was a lie." It's not my fault that you believed me, I wanted to say, but I didn't find it wise to say at the moment.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, trying to sound pathetic. Maybe I could talk my way out of this? "You wouldn't kill your own uncle…" Right… right?!

"No, Scar, I'm not like you," Simba answered as if the very notion was above him. Okay, so I'm the bad guy now? That makes a lot of sense! Yes, that was complete sarcasm. I am quite cynical even in the face of danger. That, I got from my mother.

"Oh, Simba, thank you…!" I think my voice is permanently sarcastic. "You truly are noble. I will definitely make this us to you! Whatever is that you want, I'll do it!"

"Run…" he began. Oh, no he is not about to- "Runaway, Scar, and never return." Oh, yes he did!

It took a moment for his words to sink in. He used my own words against me… Ain't this a trip…! I can not believe my little nephew has told me this. "Yes…" I drawled out, slowly moving around him. Simba is so dead! "Of course… Whatever you wish… your majesty!" I kicked some embers in his eyes, and he, of course, got all dramatic about it as if it burned him, or something. And thus our fight began. What can I say? I'm just one spiteful lion.

As we fought, I could not help but notice that my nephew had gotten so much stronger. I almost couldn't believe how many times he had struck me down. But it was over. Simba was now on his back and I was in mid air, coming down for the last attack. I was in for a shock when he kicked me up and over a cliff. It was not fun having my head collide with rocks as I went down. I shook the pretty stars from my eyes and looked around me. There was fire, and then there was them—the hyenas. "Oh, my friends…!" I exclaimed, standing. Ugh…! I wanted to get rid of the nasty taste in my mouth.

"Friends…?" Shenzi chuckled out. "I thought he said we were the enemy!" So… They heard that, did they?

"Yeah, that's what I heard," Banzai agreed, unknowingly answering my unasked question. The two both looked towards the third one of the group. "Ed…?" they asked in unison. He started laughing, sinisterly.

I am in elephant crap, now, aren't I?

I tried to explain, but the hyenas were not giving me a chance to explain. More of them came and pushed me into a corner. There was no way I was going to survive this. I was more of a brain type of lion, not a brawn one. The real messed up thing about my situation—no, it wasn't the hyenas attacking me. I don't really mind their claws and teeth at the moment. No, the real messed up thing about it was… It had started to rain as soon as I gave up the fight. Oh well, at least mother was right. I was not forever a prince.

I was king, for a fleeting moment, but…

I was king.

END