Nobody loved him.
It was true. It sounds like the problems of an angsty teenager, but it was so true.
Everyone in the Pride looked at him differently. He was… different. He kept to himself. He didn't have any friends. He wasn't close with his family. He spent most of his days lying on the edge of the cliff, staring out over the edge.
His parents hated him. That was a fact. They adored his older brother, Mufasa. He was perfect in every way. He was strong. He was brave. He got to be king.
And what about little Scar? No one bothered to think about him. He wasn't strong. He wasn't brave. He wasn't destined to be king. He just sat where he always sat, staring over the cliff side, contemplating thoughts nobody could even begin to guess at.
Right now, his mother was off somewhere with the prodigal son. Scar didn't care. He had gotten used it.
"Scar!" a voice called out from behind him. "What are you doing?"
Scar knew who it was without even having to turn around. It was his father. The man who didn't give a damn about his second son.
"Does it matter?" Scar said, not moving. "It's not like I have any responsibilities. After all, I'm just poor, useless Scar."
"Scar, get up." his father said harshly. "You may not become king of the Pridelands, but you are my son. If people start seeing you moping around, they'll think it has something to do with your parents. We can't have people doubting us now, Scar. Not when the hyenas are preparing to attack."
Scar rolled his eyes. "The hyenas can't beat us. They're just scavengers. There's no way they'll be able to have enough strength to defeat us. They'll put up a bit of fight, but eventually they'll realize there's no way they can win and run off their little home in the shadows."
"Listen, Scar." his father growled. "Just because you're smart doesn't mean that you can't lounge around and do nothing. Go be with the cubs."
Scar sighed and got up. "Of course. What a great idea! While Mufasa is off with his loving mother, I get to be shoved into a group of mangy unkempt flea ridden cubs."
"Scar. Do not use that tone with me."
"Or what?" Scar asked, finally turning to face him. "You'll stop loving me? You did that when I was born. Don't pretend like I'm important to you. I'm just a problem. Something that needs to be gotten rid of."
"Scar…"
"Don't." Scar said, turning away and walking down the mountainside. "Just don't."
Yes, maybe Scar overreacted a little. But he had the right to. Everyone loved Mufasa. What about him? Nobody cared about Scar. Even in that buffalo attack where he got his nickname, he wasn't spared much attention. Everyone was worried about Mufasa. Did Mufasa have a bleeding eye? No. But he was the heir, after all. He was important. He was perfect.
Scar was nothing.
He walked past the small cluster of rocks the lionesses lay on when they weren't out hunting. Apparently Mufasa's hunt was over, as Uru was now struggling to hold him down while she bathed him.
Scar paused, staring at Mufasa. He seemed so… happy. Happiness was an alien concept to Scar. He didn't understand how someone could be so content. Couldn't he see the awful things around him? His hateful parents? The hyenas at the edge of the Pridelands? How could anyone be happy?
Uru glanced up, noticing Scar. She paused, but quickly resumed Simba's bath, not giving Scar another thought.
Scar sprang off from the ground, his paws almost flying off the ground. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. Why did his mother hate him so much? When he was littler, he had tried so hard to gain her affections. But all she could think about was Mufasa. Didn't she realize what she was doing to him? Didn't she realize she was destroying every bit of good in him?
Scar slowed down, out of breath. He collapsed to the dry desert ground, gasping for air. He rarely exercised; he knew his forte was his mind. Mufasa was the strong one.
Mufasa. It always came down to Mufasa, didn't it? He did everything right. He was perfect. But why? He wasn't a good leader. Sure, he was strong, but he wasn't anywhere near smart as Scar was. Mufasa would make a great soldier, but Scar… Scar was the true leader.
"Hey, Shen, look what it is?" a voice said.
"Yeah, Banz, it looks great. What do you think, Ed?"
Maniacal laughter answered her question.
Scar opened his eyes and stood up. He was surround by three hyenas; two of them looked as normal as a hyena could look, but the third… his tongue lolled out, and his eyes were rolling around like they weren't attached to anything.
"Man, did we hit the jackpot today!" the hyena that had been referred to as Banz said. Scar knew it was probably a nickname, but now was not the time to try to figure out the hyena's names.
"Yeah, this lion looks like it could feed us for at least a week." Shen said, grinning.
"Or, we could just eat it all today." Banz said, also grinning.
This statement was once again greeted by the third hyena's maniacal laughter.
"Oh, you said it, Ed." Shen said.
Ed? What kind of name was Ed? No, Scar couldn't be distracted. He had to focus. How could he get out of this?
"You won't be able to beat Ahadi." Scar found himself saying.
The two normal hyenas froze in place. The third, Ed, continued to circle around him, completely oblivious to the fact that he continued to run into Shen and Banz.
"I'm sorry, did this kid just question our strength?" Shen asked.
"No." Scar said. He found it amazing he could still talk- his body felt like it might collapse out of fear. "It's a fact. You can't beat Ahadi. You're scavengers; you'll never have enough strength to even pose a threat to him. At least…" He paused. Was he really about to say what he thought he was going to say?
"At least not without me."
"And why would we need the help of a mangy little cub?" Shen asked. "We're hyenas! We eat cubs like you for breakfast!"
"Yeah! And for lunch, and for dinner!" Banz added, laughing. "And, if we're feeling especially hungry, desert."
"Shut up, Banzai!" So that was his name. Banzai.
"Oh, please, Shenzi." Banzai said. "You just think that you should be our leader, even though I could kick your-"
"Hey!" Scar said, annoyed. "I did have something to say!"
"Oh right, the little cub has something to say." Shenzi
There was a long pause as the hyenas took in what Scar had just said. Scar immediately regretted what he had just said. What if the hyenas decide that he was valuable to him? After all, he was Ahadis son. He was the son of the leader of the Pridelands- the place they were about to attack. And of course, he had to tell them this right after he insulted them.
Idiot.
"Hey… you're the kings son?" Banzai asked.
Act submissive. Don't make them mad. Make them think you aren't a threat. Make them ignore you. Maybe the threat of your father will make them let you go.
"Guys… maybe we could use him!" Shenzi said excitedly.
Scar breathed an inward sigh of relief. Looked like his initial plan worked. He just had to convince them he would help them.
"And why would he want to work for us?" Banzai asked. "He's Ahadis son, Shen. He probably worships the ground at his feet."
"I hate him." Scar whispered.
"What?" Banzai said, whipping around to face him. "What did you say?"
"I hate him." Scar said, forcing himself to be louder. "He doesn't love me. He never did. He only ever cared about Mufasa." He glanced down. "I mean, what does my brother have that I don't have? I could be such a better leader! I am such a better leader! But Mufasa gets everything."
Where were these words coming from?
"I mean, what did I expect? My parents named me Taka. Do you know what that means? It means trash. It means dirt. What kind of parent names their kid Dirt? And then they started calling me Scar. As if the bleeding cut on my face wasn't enough to humiliate me! They had to name me after my greatest failure."
The words just poured out of him. Every single thing he had ever wanted to say suddenly just… came out.
"And then there's the fact that I haven't had a real conversation with my dad in months, if not years. I mean, how much effort does it take to just talk to your son?" Scar laughed bitterly. "And don't even get me started on my mom. Uru hates me. She can't even look at me. She's my mother, and she can't even look at me. How is that fair? How is any of this fair?"
He turned towards Banzai. "So yeah, I don't worship my father. I hate him. He's not perfect. And I would do anything to show everyone else that."
And, Scar realized… he meant every word.
"Well, Taka… We're going to be having a serious talk when we get home."
Scar spun around, instantly recognizing the voice. "Dad? What are you doing here?"
"Coming after you." Ahadi said, turning towards the hyenas. "And what are you three doing in the Pridelands?"
"Uh… we were just…" Banzai paused. "Why don't you tell him, Shenzi?"
"Why me? Ed was the one who told us to come here!" Shezi said. "Ed, you tell them!"
Ed's maniacal laughter was the only answer she got.
"Get. Out." Ahadi growled.
"Uh… yes sir!" Shenzi said before immediately turning around and bounding away, closely followed by Banzai. Ed release one more cackle before turning tail and running after his two friends.
Ed's laugher echoed throughout the desert long after he was gone.
"What were you thinking?" Ahadi asked, turning on Scar. "You could've been hurt! You could've been killed!"
"Like you care." Scar muttered.
"What was that?" Ahadi asked, his tone dangerously low.
"Nothing." Scar said, looking down.
"No, Scar, it's become obvious that we need to talk." Ahadi walked in front of Scar and stopped, blocking Scar. "Why did you say those things?"
"What things?" Scar asked, still looking down.
"Those things you said to the hyenas about me. Were they true?"
Scar sighed and looked up. "Well, Dad, I could say that it was all just a lie so the hyenas wouldn't kill me. And part of me did it so that they wouldn't eat me. But you know what, Dad? I'm done lying. I'm done avoiding the problem. I meant every single word I said. You don't love me!"
"Of course I love you." Ahadi said. "You're my son."
"No I'm not!" Scar said. "Mufasa's your son! I am just some cub that neither you nor Uru even care about! Mufasa gets everything! After all, he's the heir to the Pridelands! And what do I get? Nothing. I get nothing!"
"Scar…"
"Oh, and then there's the fact that you call me Scar." Scar said in disgust. "Well, I have to say it's better than trash. I mean, what kind of parent names their kid trash?"
"Scar, will you just give me a chance to talk?"
"No, Dad. This is my turn now." Scar paused, looking down. "You know, I spend every day staring down into a canyon. Do you really think that's normal for a kid?"
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Ahadi asked. "I thought you just wanted to be alone! I thought you didn't want to talk to anyone!"
"I didn't want to talk to most people, Dad. I did want to talk to you." Scar sighed and started to walk away. "But you didn't care enough to notice, so I guess… I guess this is my life."
"Scar?" Ahadi called after him. "Scar, come back here right now!"
Scar didn't answer him.
Ahadi sighed and looked down.
"Where did I go wrong?"
Night came, and Scar was back to where he normally sat, lying next to the canyon, staring over the edge. His face was completely blank, but one thought continued to return to his mind. The one thought he always had every time he sat near the canyon.
What if he just… jumped?
He doubted anyone would miss him. After all, who cared about little useless Scar? He was weak. He was a coward.
He was nothing.
Thinking about this, he sat there, staring into the seemingly endless canyon throughout the endless night. Eventually, the starlight was lost to the night, and he was swallowed up by the darkness.
"…Scar?" a voice called out.
Scar blinked, jolted out of his stupor. "Who's there?"
"…It's your father." the voice replied.
"Oh." Scar said. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, at first I thought that I should let you cool down before I talked to you… but then I realized that that was the complete opposite of what you wanted me to do." He looked down, not sure of how to continue.
"And?" Scar asked, prompting him to continue.
"Well… there's something I wanted to show you." Ahadi said.
"What is it?" Scar asked.
There was a pause. Ahadi uttered one word; "Come." He started to walk away.
"Dad?" Scar said, hoping to get Ahadi to come back and explain what he was doing. But Scar got no response, so he decided to blindly follow the sound of his dad's pawsteps.
Eventually, he was standing next to his father at the tip of what he believed to be Pride Rock.
"Dad… what's going on?" Scar asked.
"Most leaders of the Pridelands do this only with their heirs." Ahadi said, not answering Scar's question. "However, I think that it's high time that tradition was changed."
"What are you doing?" Scar asked.
Suddenly, the first rays of morning appeared, bringing light to the land. Scar realized that, from where he was standing, he could see…
Everything.
"Look, Scar. Everything the light touches is our kingdom." He paused, and looked at Scar. "A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Scar, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with Mufasa's. However, when the sun sets on his time, and if he doesn't have an heir… the sun will rise on a glorious new age. The age of Taka."
Scar looked down. "Why did you name me that, anyways?"
Ahadi smiled. "Scar, Taka doesn't just mean trash. We chose it because it means future." He knelt down so that he was eye level with Scar. "We chose Taka because we believe that you could have the greatest future a lion has ever had." He paused, but forced himself to continue. "Your mother and I… aren't the best at expressing our emotions. Both of our parents were distant to us, so we tried to not make the same mistakes they did with you and Mufasa. However… Mufasa is not a good leader. In time, I am sure he will become a great one. But for now… he needs all the help I can give him. And Scar, I promise you that one day, your time will come. You will become ruler, and you will be the greatest ruler this Pride has ever known. You just have to remember to do one thing."
"What?" Scar asked.
"Always make sure that your teeth and ambitions are bared." Ahadi said, smiling.
Scar grinned and glanced out towards the Pridelands. "Hey, Dad? What's that shadowy part over there?"
"That is an elephant's graveyard." Ahadi said. "It's in the hyenas territory. If you go there, it would mean almost certain death. Promise me you'll never go there."
"Of course, Dad." Scar said, grinning. "Of course."
"HYENAS!"
"What was that?" Ahadi asked, turning back towards the mountain.
A hornbill was flapping his way up to the edge of Pride Rock. "Hyenas!" he said, panting from exhaustion. "They were just spotted advancing towards Pride Mountain! They want to take control of the Pridelands!"
Ahadi growled. "All right. What's your name?"
"Zazu, sir."
"Well, Zazu, wake up the lions and lionesses. We're going to war."
"Why are you here?" Ahadi demanded. "We had peace!"
Scar sat at the edge of Pride Rock. From his position, he could see and hear everything. He knew he should be with the other cubs, but his dad was in danger. He couldn't just hide in a cave and wait this out.
"Do you have any idea how little food we get?" Shenzi demanded. "We're starving! Our 'peace' is destroying the hyenas."
"We can find you more food." Ahadi said. "You don't have to resort to violence."
"Oh, but we do." Banzai said. "Have you ever tasted lion? Because it tastes really good. Tell them how good it is, Ed."
Ed's only response was his now familiar maniacal laughter.
"You said it, Ed." Shenzi said.
"Taka!" Zazu said, indignantly flying towards him. "You should not be here! It's not safe!"
"It's not safe for my dad." Scar said. "So why should I be kept safe while he risks his life?"
"I am sure that your dad would not approve." Zazu said disdainfully.
"Well then, why don't you go ask him?" Scar asked.
"Well, he does seem to be a bit preoccupied at the moment." Zazu said.
"Well, I guess he never said that I couldn't stay up here." Scar said, looking down at the two armies.
"Oh, fine." Zazu said, flying down to Ahadi. They muttered to each other for a few moments until Zazu flew back up to Scar, looking very sour.
"He said that you could stay where you are. He just wanted you to…" he paused. "Be prepared."
"Be prepared for what?" Scar asked.
"Attack!" Ahadi roared, launching himself at the hyenas. The lions and lionesses followed his suit, launching themselves at the hyenas. In all of the commotion, Scar lost track of Ahadi.
"Where is he?" Scar wondered out loud.
"I have absolutely no idea." Zazu said, worry creeping into his normally officious British tone. "I'm going to go try to get a better view." He leaped off the ledge and flew towards the battle, trying to catch a glimpse of Ahadi.
"Please be okay." Scar muttered to himself. "I will be prepared. I am prepared. I will do whatever it takes, just don't be dead."
Scar sat there for over an hour, praying that his dad would be okay. He had finally gotten him, and he couldn't give him up. Zazu continued to circle above the battlefield, but neither of them could see him. Eventually, the hyenas finally called a retreat. As soon as they turned around, Scar bound down the mountain, looking for his father.
"Dad?" he called out, pushing past the mass of weary lions and lionesses. "Dad, where are you?"
Zazu fluttered towards the ground and perched on a nearby rock. "Taka… I found him."
"Where?" Scar asked. "Where is he? Why hasn't he come out yet?"
"Taka…" Zazu said gently.
"No." Scar said, walking up to Zazu. "Tell me where he is."
Zazu sighed and pointed behind him. Scar ran around him to see a body lying on the ground.
It wasn't moving.
"…dad?" Scar said, trying to comprehend what was happening. That couldn't be his dad. His dad couldn't die. It just wouldn't happen.
"Dad, why aren't you saying anything?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"
There was no response.
"Dad, this isn't funny." Scar said, growing angry. "You- you told me to be prepared. But I'm not! How could I have been prepared for this! I'm not ready for you to go! It's too soon! It's not fair! It's not fair!" He tried to push them back, but the tears came out anyways.
"Well… we should leave them." Zazu said quietly. "Come along now." Zazu flew away, followed by the rest of the pride. A few glanced back at Scar, but they all knew it was better to leave him alone.
Or, at least, they thought they knew.
For the first time in years, Scar didn't spend the night wondering what would happen if he died. He could never put anyone through the pain he was feeling now. He knew at that moment that he would never think about killing himself again.
He didn't move for hours. He buried his face in his father's fur and wept. How was any of this fair? His dad had finally opened up to him, and a few hours later, he was… gone. Everyone talked about the circle of life, but in reality, when people die, they stay dead. They don't go on to live in anything else. They just die.
Ed's laughter echoed throughout the desert long after the sun set.
Years passed. Although he struggled at first, Mufasa grew into a great leader. To thank Zazu for his warning that saved the Pride, Mufasa gave him the position of head advisor. He was a wise and beloved king.
Scar, however, grew old alone. After his father's death, people mostly avoided him. They really didn't know what to say, so they just stayed away. Rejected and alone, with the one person he knew who cared about him dead, he grew into an old, cynical man.
The first time he visited the hyenas after his father's death was purely for manipulation purposes, or so he told himself. However, he kept finding himself going back to those forlorn caves filled with bloodthirsty hyenas.
The truth was… the hyenas listened to him. They weren't scared of him. They didn't think he was weird, or creepy, or evil. They adored him. They almost worshipped him. Eventually, he realized that he was their leader. At first, he convinced himself to remain in this position so he could prevent them from ever attacking the Pride. However, he found himself thinking more and more about how he could get rid of Mufasa. It took a while, but he eventually realized that he wouldn't care if his brother died. Because if Mufasa died… he could show his father he was right.
He could lead the Pridelands into a new golden age.
This was why he didn't attend Simba's presentation. That little rat… he stole everything Scar could've had. He stole everything Scar should've had.
Now he stood where he used to sit all those years ago, contemplating suicide. He was planning a death, but this time, it wasn't his.
"Well, boss?" Shenzi asked. "What do you want to do?"
Scar smiled.
"Start the stampede."