AN: This is another one of my single-chapter stories that I have written lately. I suppose I'll just publish all of them soon. This one is about Simba talking to Mufasa and asking him questions concerning his uncle Scar. The kid just had to become curious about why that strange relative of his was so weird, didn't he? So this a bit long story contains my twisted theory on the subject. Enjoy.
Dad… Dad! Wake up, c'mon!
Mufasa opened his eyes drowsily, forced to do that by his son's persistent cries. He'd spent the whole morning together with Simba, walking all around the kingdom and teaching him everything he might need to know, just like he usually did when he had a few hours to spare. Close to midday, the father and son decided to lie down in the shade of a tree to sleep through the worse heat and then be on their way back home for lunch, but since Simba was so eager to wake him, Mufasa feared that he might have overslept.
-Uh, how long have I been sleeping? – he asked after a wide yawn, trying to estimate the time by looking at the sun.
-Well… - Simba answered awkwardly. – I don't know. About… ten minutes?
True, Mufasa still felt as tired as before he closed his eyes, and the sun was still high up in the sky… The lion king sighed, gazing at his son with a clear message that Simba woke him up much earlier than they had agreed.
-What is so important? We were supposed to rest, remember?
-Oh, yeah, but you see dad… I couldn't sleep and I got bored, and then I thought- maybe it would be better to wake you up, and… and… - stammered the cub, sounding a bit embarrassed.
But Mufasa didn't want to act as if he was mad. He knew his son's explosive character and he could have predicted such a situation. This was why he just shook his head and smiled.
-So what do you wanna do? I guess it's a bit too hot for pouncing…
Well, it wasn't too hot for Simba, as the cub immediately jumped on the king's chest, making him roll over to the back.
-Hey! Heh-heh, you little stalker… Okay, enough. Your daddy's tired so you better think of something to do fast or I might fall asleep again.
Mufasa closed his eyes and started to imitate snoring, but Simba started pulling the fur of his mane, pleading with him to wake up.
-No, dad! Don't go back to sleep! Please, there's something I wanted to ask you…
The king opened one eye and gazed at his son.
-Do you want to hear a story? Now this is something I might help you with… - he grabbed Simba by the nape with his giant paw making him laugh, and then put him on the ground and rose to sit. – So what do you want to hear?
-Listen dad, I've been wondering about uncle Scar. He doesn't come to Pride Rock very often, does he? Do you know why he usually stays away from the rest of the pride?
Somehow, Mufasa stopped smiling when he heard what his son wanted to ask him.
-Oh, you wanted to talk about my brother… - he sighed. At once Simba became concerned with the change of his father's mood.
-What's wrong, dad?
-Nothing. I guess you should know things like these and somebody from the family would have told it to you, anyway. Maybe even your uncle. In this case, I suppose I rather tell you myself. So listen carefully, Simba- this really is an interesting story, especially that it happened for real…
The cub was visibly enthusiastic, sitting on the ground and fixing his eyes at the tall figure before him. Simba loved his father's tales of old times, about the former rulers of Pride Rock and the history of his ancestors. Now he was especially interested, because the story he was about to hear was about his ever-mysterious uncle Scar…
-Hrm… - Mufasa cleared his throat. – Now where do I start… It all took place many years ago, during the reign of my father. You do remember his name, don't you, son?
-Yeah! It was grandpa Ahadi, the great Lion King!
-Exactly. So imagine that once my father announced that he wanted the pride to organize a big buffalo hunt. We do that from time to time because it's a good exercise of teamwork. Buffalo are big and a successful hunt needs the best effort to be put in by all members of the pride, both female and male alike. So when everyone was ready, we all went to the hunting grounds where our targets grazed…
-We? Do you mean to tell me that you were there?
-Heh-heh… Yes, son. I observed that hunt, but didn't take part in it. I was still just a juvenile in those days and since hunting buffalo is way too dangerous, my father advised me to just play the role of a spectator and to watch over my younger brother. I can assure you that we were both just as disappointed as you are now! But please, keep listening. In the end you'll see that he was right, just as we did. So the lionesses prepared the ambush and everything was ready. The buffaloes were trapped between a wide field of tall grass where the pride was hidden and the bank of a river, too deep for them to cross. The most experienced huntress was to choose a target. Of course, it was my mother, that is…
-Grandma Uru!
-Correct again! Glad to see you've been paying attention. So the queen chose a single buffalo for us to attack, large enough to feed the whole pride yet smaller than it's herd's leader. Moving as silently as they could, the other lionesses positioned themselves in the dense grass, creating an ambush. Remember what I taught you about our hunting tactics? Two females were only there to scare the buffaloes. Two others, positioned a bit farther, were to separate the target. The rest would then move into action, attempting to bring the animal down and suffocate it as fast as possible so it wouldn't have to feel pain needlessly. With this hunt, everything was going quite well from the very beginning. I still remember the tension when we waited for the lionesses to carry out their first attack… I had to constantly make sure that Scar didn't move or make any sounds that could ruin everything, and that was quite hard since we were both extremely excited…
Simba listened with an open mouth. He loved stories about hunting, and now his father was heading towards the climax, changing his voice and making gestures to picture the whole situation as best he could.
-My father gave the signal and two of the fastest lionesses, I believe one of them was my aunt, rushed out of the thicket and charged at the buffalo herd. All we could hear were the sound of their feet hitting the ground, and then a loud, desperate cry of the animals with which they informed themselves about the incoming danger. But the hunt was prepared too well to fail. The animals started to escape, but since they only had one way to run, they went straight into the range of the other two lionesses, with the first ones still at their tail. Those huntresses also carried out their assignment commendably well- they didn't pay attention to none of the fleeing animals but the targeted one. And so, soon the buffalo found itself trapped between two groups of lions…
-Wow! That must have been soo cool!
-Yes, it actually was! My brother and I started to cheer, seeing that now our parents were moving into action. You know that male lions hunt far less often than the females, only on specifically tough occasions. So it made me feel very proud to see my father aiding his pride in this difficult hunt.
-Are we gonna have a buffalo hunt anytime soon? Pleease, I wanna see that too…
-Heh-heh, we actually did have a buffalo hunt not very long ago… But then again, I suppose it was as soon as Sarabi recovered from giving birth. I thought that the extra meat would do her well. But you were still much too small to see it.
-Well can we have another one? Now I'm big enough to at least watch!
-I'll think about it, okay? First, let me finish my story. I suppose you remember how large buffalo are, so you should understand that bringing one down really requires the strength of a whole pride. So when everyone knew that our target was trapped, all the other lions rushed to surround it and attempt to finish the job. The adults had to be really careful- buffalo have extremely dangerous giant hors and sharp hooves that can shatter a lion's scull with a single blow.
-Whoa! Really?
-Yes, Simba. Really. So for some time my brother and I observed a sort of a deadly dance- the lions were circling around the buffalo, trying to find a place where they could grab it with their fangs or claws. After a few failed attempts when a huntress just got shaken off, the animal started to become tired, and two or three lionesses managed to pierce it's skin with their claws and burden it with their weight. This is when my father went into action. You see, this is the whole idea of teamwork- the other huntresses have already used their strength, while the king, the largest and strongest one of them, was saving it for this very moment. Being very agile, he jumped high enough to land at the buffalo's back, making it's knees bend. It was only a question of time before it collapsed to the ground.
-And then, dinner was served!
-Hmhm, well not quite yet. You see, Simba, the prey was still alive. Remember that lions are not hyenas. It's not noble to eat your meal while it's still breathing. So now we needed someone skilled in the art of swift ending of another one's life…
Mufasa's voice became much more serious. Until now, the story wasn't much different from the ones he'd usually tell to his son, but now came the really hard part of it and it was quite difficult for the king to express it…
-Tell me, Simba… Have I ever told you about a lioness called… Swala?
The cub looked concerned about the tone of his father's voice.
-Swala? No, I can't remember you talking about anyone like that. Who was she?
The king gulped, questioning his former idea of revealing this part of the Pridelands' story to his son right now…
-Well, you see… - he started, smiling a bit awkwardly. – Uh, the interesting thing is that Swala was actually… your uncle Scar's… mom.
Simba was just as startled as Mufasa predicted.
-Huh? His mom? I don't get it. Isn't uncle Scar your brother?
-Why yes, he is… Uhm, let me explain. Scar is someone who's called a half-brother to me. Do you understand?
-Uh… No?
-It means that we share the same father, only that my mother is queen Uru and your uncle Scar's mother is this lioness Swala that I have just mentioned.
An expression of intensive thinking appeared upon the cub's face.
-Wait a sec, dad. Something's not right here. Are you telling me that when grandpa Ahadi was king, there were… two queens that ruled with him?
Mufasa sighed, feeling the burden of the child's questions…
-No. No, it's not like that. My mother Uru was the queen. Swala was just a… I mean, someone who's called a… secondary mate of the king.
For a second, Mufasa thought that Simba finally understood, which was why the cub didn't speak. But the next question he asked later, looking at his father suspiciously, was even worse than the former ones.
-Do you have a secondary mate as well, dad?
The king almost lost his nerve.
-What? What kind of a question… Of course I don't! You better not mention such things in front of your mother or she might think otherwise… Let's just say that the story I'm telling you proves to me that it's better to have just one mate, okay?
But, unfortunately for the king, his son was still curious about the matter.
-When I'm king, will I get to have secondary mates?
-Enough, Simba! Are you paying attention to what I'm saying to you? You see, this is exactly why I had you betrothed to Nala. The story I'm telling you proves that it's far better to have just one mate, understand?
-Okay, okay dad. I didn't wanna upset you…
-In that case, let me continue – Mufasa breathed deeply, relieved by getting out of a tight spot. – I was saying that someone had to strangle the buffalo we caught. My mother knew her fellow huntresses and understood perfectly who would be best to carry out the job. This is why she asked Swala to do it. As well as I can remember, Scar's mother was always… kind of an outcast, preferring rather to spend time with her son than with the rest of the pride, and I guess this is what Scar inherited from her. But nonetheless, during a hunt she always acted responsibly. She was kind of a brutal character, never feeling any remorse about the animals she killed, and very skilled in that art, too.
-I don't think uncle Scar's very brutal himself…
-Oh really? Hm, maybe he doesn't show it that much, but he's far from being someone you'd like to live with. Believe me, I've known him all his life.
-Is that why he lives alone all the time?
-Yes, partially that, and partially by his own choice.
-Uncle Scar doesn't have cubs of his own, does he? And I also can't remember you saying that he had a mate.
Mufasa was surprised with this discovery himself, but he really didn't know if his brother had a mate. Actually, throughout the years, they almost became strangers to each other, and now the king didn't even know where his brother spent most of his time.
-No, I don't think he does. But then again, he doesn't hunt with us, so who knows what other things occupy so much of his time?
-I mostly find him being asleep…
-Yes, that was always his favorite exercise. But let's get back to his mother and the hunt. Obviously, Swala was proud and happy to have been chosen to finish off the buffalo. She always liked to be admired, being the king's mate and giving birth to his second son was something she would always boast about. Now she had the chance to prove her value in front of the whole pride… and that was her mistake. You see Simba, there's nothing good about showing off in front of others. This way someone is so concerned with himself that he sometimes forgets about everything else that's important. Swala didn't listen when the other lionesses told her to suffocate the buffalo holding it by the snout. In her stubbornness, she decided to do that by grabbing the animal's throat. It was much harder that way. She wanted to show off. Unfortunately, she forgot that no one was holding the buffalo's head, and in that dangerous moment when our target was desperate, she came close to the most deadly place she could approach- his horns…
Hearing his father's serious and sorrowful tone, Simba sat in amazement. Hardly ever did he see his father sad or concerned, but now it seemed that the ending of his story was extremely bad. Lowering his head, attempting to underline the warning he intended to deliver to his son, Mufasa continued.
-It happened very suddenly. The pride was shocked to see how much strength the buffalo still had left in him. But then again… Swala was very careless when she tried to bite into the animal's throat. Using the opportunity, the giant quickly raised his head, piercing her ribcage and sending her flying high through the air and straight to the ground… It looked awful. The rest was so shocked that the buffalo managed to shake my father off his back, stand up to his feet, and run away.
-What? They lost their prey?
-I'm afraid so.
-And what happened to Swala?
Mufasa sighed.
-Ehhh… When we saw what happened, Scar and I ran out of our hiding spot. The whole pride creatied a circle around the injured lioness and we had to push our way through them to see anything at all. Swala was badly injured… For a few moments we waited for her to regain her consciousness. I just can't describe how Scar looked during those few seconds… He'd loved his mother. As a cub, he would let himself be separated from her only when she had to go hunt, and even then he would complain and hate me for not letting him go back to her. And now he was seeing her dying. Simba… What's the matter? Are you crying?
Actually, as depressing as this story was, the cub did put himself in the position of his uncle. And since his imagination was quite strong, the emotions became too much for him.
-Sorry dad, I just… I just don't know what I'd do if I lost mom or you in one of the hunts! – he sobbed, hiding among Mufasa's consoling embrace.
-Shh, don't worry. It's okay. Situations like these teach us how we shouldn't act, so that they could be prevented in the future. Nothing like that is ever going to happen, not while I'm king of Pride Rock…
After a few moments, Simba calmed down as curiosity took the best of him.
-So what happened then?
-Well, we could see that Swala was in a lot of pain. Scar came to her crying, but she only had enough strength left to lift up her paw and hold him. And then she called for the king. My father later told me that he sensed immediately that she wanted to deliver her last will to him. But he had no idea about what his mate wanted to ask for…
-What did she say?
-You see Simba, Swala used her relationship with my father as a way to maintain the high position of her son within the pride. And even though she knew that it was against the rules, she wanted to convince Ahadi to make Scar his successor to the throne instead of me. And this is what she asked of him before she died.
-But… but grandpa said no, right?
-Yes, he did. With a heavy heart he had to refuse. Scar was his younger child and he wasn't born of the rightful queen. Making him an heir to the throne would have been directly opposite to the ancient law of our ancestors. My father tried to explain this to Swala and promised to make my brother an important member of the pride, but that wasn't enough for her. When she realized that her plan had failed, she just told the king to leave and that she didn't want to see him anymore. Feeling sad and greatly insulted, my father observed as she grasped her little son and said her last words to him. I'm not sure if I can remember this exactly as it were, but I thinks she said: "Be brave, my dear. I always wanted you to become the king. Remember that, despite all, you are still first in line". After saying that, she passed away.
Simba hung his head. The story seemed really sad to him. Now he kind of understood why his uncle was in a bad mood so often and didn't want to stick together with the rest of the royal family.
-So uncle Scar still remembers what his mom told him before she died, right? – asked the cub.
Mufasa waved his head.
-Unfortunately. You see, my brother is jealous. Since that tragic day he bears a deep conviction that he's the one who should have become king. He does not understand that it wasn't his mother's choice. My father took care of him after her death, ordering queen Uru to raise him as her own child along with me, but still Scar always felt left out and neglected. I was being trained to become a king, while Ahadi wanted Scar to be a real prince, somebody who would provide help for the pride… but he just didn't want to.
-But… can't you, like, make him king for a while? I don't know, maybe for a week or so?
To Simba, that was a good idea. But Mufasa opposed with surprisingly strong emphasis.
-That's out of the question! A kingdom can have just one ruler. You can't lend or borrow the crown just like you can't lent your mate to any other lion!
-So that means… uncle Scar's never gonna be the king?
-No, he's not. He really was first in line until you were born, but now you are my heir and you will inherit the throne after I'm gone.
Mufasa looked at his son in a way in which he usually did when he was asking Simba if he understood the given lesson. The cub waved his head, but still felt a bit bad.
-It just kinda makes me feel sorry for uncle Scar. I mean, he didn't chose where he was born, right?
-He was born a prince. He should be satisfied with what he has, and he isn't.
Simba sensed that asking more questions irritated his father, so he decided to stop. After all, he didn't care much about the old laws, so he considered that when he'd finally be king, he might bend one of them slightly and lend the crown to his uncle for a while, maybe as a birthday present. This way his uncle would have what he always dreamed of, and Simba himself would have a few days off to spend with Nala. But he didn't want to tell that to his father. It would be one of his many little secrets.
-Listen Simba – Mufasa spoke to him after a few moments of silence. - I'd like to ask you not to talk to Scar about his past. He doesn't like that and I would hate to see him get mad again. Can you promise me that?
-Sure dad. I won't say a thing.
-Somehow I doubt it… Okay, no matter. This story occurred a bit longer than I have intended. We better start moving or we'll miss lunch!
Hearing his father speaking about food, Simba sprung up to his feet.
-Yeah, right! Let's go! What're we having today?
-Hm, let me think. What day is it?
-Monday.
-That's zebra day. Then I guess it's zebra!
-Oh cool! I love zebra! Let's run, dad. C'mon, I'll race you to the hunting grounds!
THE END
AN: So what do you think? Isn't this probable? I mean, just look at Mufasa and Scar- they don't look in the least bit similar! I believe someone even made a whole comic about this theory on DeviantArt.
Anyways, I also thought about an extension to this story. What if Simba does tell Scar about his idea to let him be king for a while? Maybe the old lion would then find new sympathy towards him and change his plan to only killing Mufasa and then converting Simba to his side before he becomes an adult… That's just an idea for another story. I won't write it since I have too little time, but you're welcome to borrow the idea XD.