Author's notes: Good day all, it's been a while since I have written so I thought what brilliant story has left us with unanswered questions. And it hit me that Scar's story was never officially told. The Lion Guard did not give me satisfying answers, in fact I find it excessively hard to harmonise the show with the movies, so while I might take some elements from the Lion Guard as well as other sources, please do not expect this story to agree with anything but the first two movies. (The third movie is completely irrelevant to this story). This story will be a two-parter, and as the movies both parts will be based on a Shakespeare tragedy. Part 1 will focus on how Scar's youth turned him into the lion that decided to kill his brother and nephew, while part two will focus on his reign. I hope you'll enjoy it!
The first chapter is a bit of historical introduction rather than a prologue. In fact the next chapter is supposed to be the prologue, even though it actually has become quite a long chapter. But you'll have to wait for it. For now, enjoy this chapter, and please leave a review!
A generation ago
The combination of particularly long and hard dry seasons and below-average wet seasons the last few years had changed the pridelands beyond recognition. Grass had become an unusual sight, and water had become a rare commodity, especially now that the dry season was nearing its end. King Mohatu sighed, he had managed to stabilise the herbivore population and at last a decent rainy season appeared to be at hand. But it had not been a sigh of relief, far from it. Cub mortality had been enormous in the past few years and his pride had never been so small. From what he heard the woodland pride had now outgrown his, or rather his had outshrunk the woodland pride, and considering their smaller territory and their ruthless king Mkali it was only a matter of time before the herds started growing again and Mkali's troops would be strong enough to try and take over pride rock. He had to act now.
"Uru! Could you come here for a while lass?"
From the shadows, a stunning young lioness appeared. Her hair was just dark, just as her father's, but her eyes were a stunning sapphire blue. "Yes father"
"Lass, have I ever told you how different ruling is from what the animals think it is"
He had, but truth be told, even if he hadn't, she would have known, for she was born in the great drought and had never known anything else. She knew what it meant to rule, and she knew how hard it was. "You mean how it is actually us who serve them, rather than the other way around", she replied.
"Exactly", Mohatu was reluctant to continue, but he knew he had no other choice, "in the end it is difficult for us to do what we would like, as the responsibility over an entire kingdom will always outweigh our personal wishes." He sighed again. "Unfortunately the day has come to ask you to set aside some of your desires and serve your subjects."
"What do you mean, father?" The way she asked her father could almost create the illusion that she didn't know, but she knew all too well. She was however full of doubt, as was to be expected in a situation like this. What would it be like? Would she still be her own lion?"
"You know what I mean, child", Mohatu replied with a great deal of uncertainty, "Will you join me to the border with the woodlands?"
"I will gladly make the sacrifice for our homeland, father", Uru replied firmly. The crown princess had been trained well, for not even the king realised the doubts that filled her head.
Though clouds had started to become more and more common, the first drop of rain was yet to fall. Even grass had become rare. Uru could not help but think how much more of this drought the land could take, even if it was her own future that preoccupied her at this moment. As they kept walking the density of trees started to increase, and they stopped.
"We shouldn't enter their land without their consent", Mohatu said and let out a roar. "Mkali is fair, but ruthless. Let's wait for them to come to us."
They did not have to wait long. After all a foreign lion, especially a male, near your turf always gets the highest priority and soon they found themselves surrounded by a group of yellow and beige lionesses. A big lion entered the circle, though he looked fairly skinny, it was obvious he used to be massive, and despite his slightly underfed look, not even Mohatu would enter a fight with him. His golden fur, even if it lost its shine contrasted wonderfully with his manes that were as black as volcanic ash. A pair of venomous green eyes stared right at the pridelands' king. "Well, well", the pack leader growled, "if it isn't Mohatu of the pridelands, and who might this lovely creature be, surely a princess."
"A crown princess actually", Mohatu replied, "I'd like you to meet my daughter Uru, Mkali"
"Crown princess? And here I was thinking this would be some kind of boring meeting again" Mkali let out an amused laugh, "at ease, ladies, these are our honoured guests. Prepare the den for a royal meeting, and make sure Ahadi is there. Follow me Mohatu, Princess!"
Uru didn't feel completely at ease, as Mkali did have a reputation to be ruthless. Nevertheless, her father always assured her that he was honourable. "Your lands are very different from the pridelands, your majesty", she shyly opened the conversation.
"They most certainly are, princess", Mkali replied, "game in the woodlands is a lot smaller than in the pridelands, though on the bright side, they do have better resistance against drought."
"Your pride must have done relatively well these last few years then?"
"I guess we did shrink less than the other prides, but even we have suffered", the great lion who had been nothing short of majestic until now, had to take a breath. He could only utter the following reluctantly though still with a degree of inner strength most animals could only dream of, "Among the losses was my beloved queen."
"I'm sorry to hear that", Uru empathically replied.
"You see your father is the king of diplomacy, and I really envy him for that skill, but sometimes you have to be resolute!", Mkali's tone turned more melancholic, "if only I'd been more resolute back then."
"Perhaps our successors will combine the best of both of us", Mohatu interrupted as he noticed the conversation was turning awkward.
"I'm sure they will", the woodlands' king regained his composure as the party finally reached his lair, "speaking of which, let me make sure Ahadi is ready for the meeting. Wait here for us, we shouldn't be long." With this Mkali left his guests alone with his hunting party, as he disappeared into the cave.
"Daddy", Uru reluctantly asked, "What happened to the queen?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but Mkali's words kept resonating in her head.
"It's not a pretty story, princess, nor do I know all the details, are you sure you want to hear it?", the visiting king asked.
Uru nodded: "if we are to understand our allies, we need to know what drives them"
"Very well, her name was Sarabi if I'm not mistaking, during the previous dry season she came across a clan of hyenas in the woodlands, and decided to chase them off. It didn't go as she planned."
Uru looked in shock: "They killed her? I thought hyenas never faced adult lions, even if it's only one."
"It is true that they prefer running away alive and unharmed, but there is one case where they will face any foe, even lions. This clan of hyenas must have had cubs. I wish I could say it would have been over quickly but hyenas lack the strength to subdue a lion... Well you know how hyenas kill." Mohatu could only imagine how gruesome the site must have been, and he had no desire painting that image in his daughter's head.
Uru was obviously taken aback, but she couldn't believe this was all of the story, especially after what Mkali had said about being resolute. "What happened to the hyenas?"
"I couldn't tell you for sure. All I know is that…"
"Hyenas have never been sighted in the woodlands since", Mkali's return startled them, and Uru downed her posture in an apologetic way. "Don't worry, my dear", the inviting king continued, "you were bound to find out eventually, and perhaps it's better to find out from someone who doesn't carry the emotional ballast from the event."
The princess relaxed. Soon she noticed the presence of another lion, he looked almost exactly like Mkali must have looked a few years ago. He had the same golden fur and a black mane, that despite only starting to grow already looked magnificent. His eyes were deep brown, and the look on his face could make any lion feel at ease, but she saw his presence could just as easily terrify them. Nevertheless it couldn't be denied that he was truly handsome. "I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance your majesty, princess", the young lion introduced himself, "My name is Ahadi, crown prince of the Woodlands, I see the stories about your beauty don't do you justice at all."
Uru chuckled. This lion did indeed have a silver tongue, but she would not be swayed that easily. "I'm curious", she replied in a flirtatious tone, "which stories are you referring to?"
"Well, my fair lady", he replied as Uru rolled her eyes at the obvious exaggeration, "the stories I made up once my father told me the crown princess of the pridelands was here, and that I should be at my best behaviour if I were to have a chance of pleasing you."
The reply made the brown lioness laugh. "Honest, I like that."
"It's great to see you two get along", Mkali interrupted, "now let's get to business, to what do we owe this pleasure, Mohatu."
"I would like to propose a guaranteed peace treaty between our two prides"
"I'm all ears"
"As you know, my daughter Uru is not yet betrothed, which means I don't have a successor yet. I would like to offer Ahadi both, so after our deaths he will rule the Pridelands and the Woodlands as one with my daughter as his queen."
Ahadi already started wandering off in dreams. He would be king of the Pridelands, the largest lion turf he knew off and the beautiful Uru would be his queen, how lucky could he get in one day. His father was however more reserved, or perhaps realistic. "As much as my son would like it", Mkali replied, "where does this leave my pride?"
"At this moment the pridelands need some time to recuperate from the massive drought we just suffered. We would take in Ahadi, if that is okay with you, to teach him about the Pridelands he will once rule, but the balance is too delicate at the time to allow another pride in."
"So what exactly is our benefit? My son would enjoy a life of plenty in the pridelands, once the wet season starts, but here in the Woodlands very little will change, I do have a pride to think about."
"You raise a valid point, Mkali", Mohatu replied as he thought of a solution, "I will grant your pride hunting access in the area between the woodlands and the Mbao river once per moon."
"Make it twice and we have a deal"
Mohatu thought it over. "Fine, you will get hunting access during full moon and new moon. You are allowed to take one animal only. If you do not succeed, that's on you."
A faint smile appeared on Mkali's snout. "Agreed! My shaman lioness can officialise the betrothal, and afterwards Ahadi will join you to the Pridelands. Teach him everything you know and he might indeed turn out to combine the best in both of us."
And thus it happened, a peace treaty between two great prides, a peace that withheld until the prides were eventually merged five lush years later.