Ariel laughed as she chased after Alana, following the purple tail as she weaved between reefs and rocks. Today was the second Sunday of the month, which meant she got to spend time with her family and the other merpeople all day.
The princess had woken up before dawn, leaving a sleeping Eric in bed. She had rushed outside the castle doors after leaving a note for Eric, eager to see her sea family. Once meeting her waiting father at the shoreline, her feet were traded for fins as she jumped into the waves, swimming underwater and laughing as her sisters began to swim away.
Now, the redhead was just closing in on her older sister, reached out to grab her fins and win the game. However, she noticed they had gone quite far from Atlantica; in fact, Ariel didn't remember ever being in this area of the sea. It was warmer than Atlantica, she noted.
Scar had just arrived to the water hole, a stop on his way to see the hyenas. Next he had to hunt and take whatever he didn't want to eat to the hyenas as a bribe. He had a drink quickly before Zazu spotted him when visiting the animals for the morning reports.
Just as he was about to leave he spotted something, a green and red blur moving under the water. What was that? Seconds later scar spotted a second blur moving, seeming to be fleeing from the green and red one. Scar walked along the edge of the water hole, studying the creatures. Surely they must have come from the ocean, that was the only place the water hole lead to.
Reaching her petite hand towards her sister and swimming as fast as she could, Ariel sucked in her breath and tried to grab Alana's tail. Suddenly, as soon as she was about to grab the purple fins, a large school of fish crashed into her, carrying her with them and away from Alana. She struggled to escape the massive group. Living on land for most of the time now had resulted in Ariel losing some of her mermaid skills, such as freeing herself from strong schools such as this.
Tumbling and bumping against the fish, the redhead finally broke free, holding out her hands to stop herself as she went hurdling into a sea boulder. She exhaled and pushed her hair back from her face, floating as she tried to regain her composure.
Looking around, though, Ariel knew for sure she was very far from where she should be. Not a single sea creature was in sight. She looked behind her, below her, to the left and right, nothing. Glancing up into the warm sunlight, though, she noticed a dark figure, seeming to be watching her, though she couldn't make out its face.
Her naive curiosity creeping back into her, Ariel slowly began to swim to the surface, trying to get a better look at the creature watching her.
As Scar watched the two creatures one of them disappeared completely. It must have gone back up the river to the ocean… But the green and red creature seemed to have noticed him and started to come closer. It definitely wasn't anything he'd seen in the Pride Lands before.
Scar lowered his body to the ground, mostly hidden in the tall grass whilst he stealthily crept as close as possible to the edge of the water hole. When faced with new creatures his predatory instinct took over and he became very wary.
Scar remained crouched in the grass, anticipating the creatures next move. There were a million possibilities as to what this creature could be, if it was some type of reptile it may be able to live on land… He couldn't decide whether that would be a threat or not. It didn't look dangerous yet the ripples in the water were making it difficult to make a definite evaluation of the creature and the possible threat it may pose.
Slowly, Ariel lifted her head out of the water, wiping her red bangs from her forehead. She glanced around and, at first, couldn't see anything. But then, just as she was about to dive under the water again, she spotted a large, dark animal hiding in the grass. Looking at it closely, Ariel came to the conclusion that it must be a.. Oh, what was it called? A lion, she thought. A land animal which Eric had mentioned to her, but which she never encountered before.
Swimming to the shoreline, Ariel pulled herself onto the sand, studying the lion. "Hello there," she said quietly, reaching her hand out.
Scar studied the creature as it approached, pulling itself up on to the sand and greeting him. It seemed to speak the same language, how that was possible didn't matter. At least they could communicate.
The creature kept its paw outstretched, as if waiting for something. Scar rose slowly, carefully approaching the creature. He sat down a few feet away from the creature, being cautious as usual.
"Hello. Who are you?" He asked in a curious tone, still unsure as to why it was offering its paw out.
When the lion spoke and approached her, Ariel quickly and awkwardly pulled her hand back. It could talk!? But how.. Then again, she talked to birds and fish and crabs, so being able to talk to land animals shouldn't have really surprised her.
"Um, I'm Ariel," she said slowly, analyzing the lion. "I didn't mean to intrude on your, um, territory.. I was just swimming with my sister-" she looked behind her, scanning the water for any signs of a purple tail, "-and a school of fish kinda just.. took me here," she explained.
Scar laughed, "My territory? You sound about as sure as that as you should. I do reside here, but I am no king. That… honor is bestowed upon my brother." He growled as a reflex, just mentioning the crown angered him.
Scar cleared his throat, "If I may ask Ariel, what are you? You speak about the school of fish as if you aren't one of them, yet you live in the waters do you not?" As he spoke, Scar stretched his forelegs then lowered himself to the floor getting comfortable.
Ariel instinctively swam a few inches back as the lion lowered himself. "Well, right now I'm a mermaid," she explained, "But most of the time, I'm a princess. Er, that is, a human." She knew there was no possible way the lion would understand the way she lived.
"A.. mermaid?" Scar had never heard of a mermaid before. "Do all mermaids change in to humans as well?" The only time Scar had ever met a human was when meeting Ursula in her human form. She had risen from the waters also, perhaps Ariel knew her…
"Well.. No. You see, my father, King Triton of Atlantica, has a trident which he can use to do whatever he pleases. With just a point in my direction, it can trade my tail for feet and vice versa. I'm very blessed that I have that opportunity, actually." She thought about her father for a moment, and all the benefits as well as setbacks the trident has caused for him and the rest of their family.
"However, he only does that for me and my sisters, since we're his daughters," she continued. "Besides, none of the other mermaids seem to be too interested in coming on land anyway." She shrugged.
"Whatever he pleases?" Now wouldn't THAT be handy… If only I could harness such a power…"So if you live in the waters, does that mean you know many of the sea creatures?" Scar asked, unsure as to whether it would be wise to mention Ursula. He remembered Ursula wanting to overthrow King Triton so as to get this trident Ariel spoke of. Now he could see why she desired this power, to think, if Scar had this trident he could take over and rule the pride lands himself.
"Oh sure!" Ariel replied cheerfully, unaware of the lion's hesitation. "Being a princess and all, I pretty much know every creature under the sea.. At least near Atlantica," she added. "But some creatures.. Well, some creatures I wish I didn't know." She rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply, blowing her red bangs from her eyes.
She must know Ursula… I wonder what she thinks of her, Scar thought to himself, hiding a cruel smile. How to bring her up without seeming to be a friend, well more of an acquaintance, of Ursula would be the problem. Scar didn't know any other sea creatures so he couldn't just rattle off a few names.
"I've met another creature that resides in the waters before you… Well sometimes she resides in the waters. She tends to change forms as you do, I'm sure you'll know her. She goes by Vanessa on land, but her true name is Ursula…" Scar trailed off, watching intently for Ariel's reaction to his mentioning the Sea Witch.
Upon hearing the lion mention Ursula, Ariel swam back again and lowered herself, so only her shoulders and head were above the water. "How do you know her," she demanded with widened eyes. If he knew Ursula and wasn't dead, then he must be with her.
Scar chuckled to himself as the mermaid darted backwards. He did love causing others discomfort. "She has walked this land before. I've seen her on many occasions. Actually one was just a few weeks ago I'm sure… She never does stay for long though." Scar answered in an innocent tone.
"She's been here?" Ariel asked in shock. The sea witch knew this place. She's been here. And now Ariel was here, seemingly on accident. "She planned this," she whispered, mostly to herself, looking down into the water as her tail caught the sunlight, causing the water to glow.
The redhead looked up at the lion again, the sinking feeling that he was not to be trusted coming over her.
Scar smiled to himself as Ariel lowered her head, murmuring about Ursula. As she looked up, Scar composed himself and prepared for the performance of his life.
"Excuse me? I hate to break it to you my dear Ariel, but I'm just a humble lion…" Scar dipped his muzzle, bowing slightly as the redhead watched in confusion. He slowly raised his eyes to meet her now curious gaze, "Ursula is known as the great witch of the sea, is she not? What would I, a lion that has no such magic, be able to accomplish here that she could not do herself? Plus, if I may point out, you said you were swimming with your sister. Surely your own blood relative would not plot against you…?" Scar trailed off, plastering on his most innocent facial expression possible for a lion. As he waited for a reply his mind drifted slightly, thinking of his own plots against his brother.
Ariel stiffened at the mention of her sister, suddenly feeling anxious. Her throat felt dry and she felt her heart begin to beat. The lion's expression was fake; she could see that. But she knew that her sister didn't have anything to do with him. She couldn't have.
The princess attempted to clear her throat. "Who are you?" she said simply, avoiding the lion's questions.
No more on that subject then huh? Must have hit a nerve… Excellent. Scar thought to himself trying not to chuckle aloud. "I, my dear, am Scar. I suppose you could say I'm a prince, my older brother being the king and all…" Trailing off Scar forced himself to smile, not showing any signs of resentment towards his brother. Ariel was already suspicious of Scar, he had to be careful now.
Scar walked to the edge of the water, taking a drink before lying down on the bank. He rolled on to his side and got comfortable, usually when speaking with someone he'd just met, Scar would not do this. However, he thought it may help make Ariel feel less threatened by him, it would take him longer to attack, that is if he decided to do so.
"Do you wish to ask any more questions of me? I sense that you are feeling uncomfortable" Scar said casually, making eye contact with the mermaid as she bobbed up and down in the water.
"Well, I guess so.. Scar," the redhead responded, eyeing him as he moved. "What exactly did Ursula want with you? As you probably know, she isn't the most likable sea creature." That certainly was an understatement, but Ariel wasn't about to reveal so much to a lion she just met, especially considering he might have an alliance of sorts with her.
Scar lifted his head slightly as he spoke, "What did she want with me?" He paused to chuckle at the mermaid, "If you know Ursula, you should know she doesn't want anything to do with anyone Ariel! Unless she's up to something of course. As regards to me, she usually asks for directions and nothing more… Has that eased your discomfort any?" Scar lowered his head again, watching the mermaid.
He knew what she was doing, checking for a friendship of any kind between the lion and the sea witch. Ariel would fail at finding such a connection, Scar was the only creature in the Pride Lands she spoke to. Go across the deserts to the jungle and you'd have another story however, the creatures there were gullible and easy to make "deals" with as Ursula called them. Scar, however much preferred the word scam.
"Not really," she muttered under her breath, exhaling sharply so her bangs flew away from her eyes. She cleared her throat, her body tense. She scoffed. "Well, all Ursula wants to do is make deals, so I'm expecting nothing different from her in your case." She folded her arms across her seashells defensively.
Scar chuckled, "Guess here isn't the only place she tried to make her deals then." Scar didn't even bother lifting his head to speak to the mermaid this time, he had tired of making a major effort. One could only keep up a high standard pretense for so long after all. Scar watched the mermaid, who was clearly uncomfortable, waiting to see if she had any more questions to ask of him.
She eyed him suspiciously. "What did she want with you?" she stated. "Any mention of a little mermaid, perhaps?" Her tone was sarcastic. She hated how Ursula was always trying to ruin her life, doing absolutely anything to try to ruin her happy ending.
Scar rolled his eyes at the mermaid as she looked away for a moment, he was beginning to grow tired of this questioning. "As I've previously mentioned, she didn't want anything to do with me. I am but a humble lion, I am of no use to her. I am also sure she has never mentioned a little mermaid, though I assume that is referring to you is it not?" Scar rolled so that he was lay on his belly, now facing the mermaid. He watched her carefully, positive that she didn't trust him. Of course she was right, but still he didn't deserve so little faith now did he… He was just an innocent lion after all.
Feeling more confident, Ariel swam closer to the lion, her lips set in a straight line. "Listen, I know you know more that you aren't telling me. Ursula doesn't just casually meet with people without wanting to make a deal of some sort." She crossed her arms, straightening up in the water. "So you might as well just 'fess up."
Scar watched the mermaid as she asked him a question, clearly faking her smile and innocent tone. He could sense her mood, and it definitely didn't match the sweet smile she was giving him. "Well, of course there are lions here. However some of them can be a bit… Unwelcoming to new creatures here, and with a lion that can be a great risk my dear." Scar explained, thinking as to how they would react to Ursula. Of course Ariel was nothing like Ursula so she would certainly be welcome, but that wasn't the point. If she met his brother and nephew she would tell them about Ursula, and that was a complication no one needed.
"Well, I'm willing to take a risk," Ariel said simply, her tone nonchalant. "However," she looked at her scaly emerald fins, "I would need you to bring them to me, considering how I'm not in the right, er, state, to be walking through the savannah." She gave him a nervous smile.
Scar looked at the mermaid in disbelief, she didn't trust him so he himself had to go and get one of the other lions to settle her discomfort! The cheek of it, so impolite. Of course, she had a good reason to be unsure about all this, but that wasn't the point…
"Bring them to you? I can sense your fear, Ariel." As Scar spoke he rose to his feet, he didn't realize he'd moved but he was offended and his polite charade was wearing off, the hunter coming out. "I can tell you don't trust me, your unease hasn't left the air during this conversation once. You're searching for something that likely cannot be found. Either ask me straight or I am leaving, I'm hungry and need to go hunt before sundown." Scar watched the mermaid, eyes never leaving hers. His hunger was beginning to take over as he sensed the mermaid's fear, enjoying every moment of it, feeding off of it.
Ariel instinctively backed away from Scar again as he stood up. "I've already asked you about Ursula. That's what I want to know about, don't you understand?" The mermaid's temper was rising. "But you don't seem to know or don't want to tell me anything, though I know you're hiding something."
She folded her arms and turned away. "But likewise, I will leave as well, unless there is anything about Ursula you want to tell me." She turned away again and sank lower into the water, rolling her eyes annoyingly.
The mermaid backed away, keeping her distance as she retorted. Scar could feel the heat from her body as she became angry at the lion, he chuckled slightly at the mermaid but she didn't notice.
Scar listened to the mermaid as she turned away, slowly lowering herself in to the water as if waiting for more information. Scar couldn't resist a quick, "be careful you don't see Ursula" as she continued to sink slightly. Of course he had no information for the mermaid, except the fact that she was now bobbing in the very waters from which Ursula rose when entering the Pride Lands.
Scar turned to walk away, smirking as his back was turned, thoughts shifting to animals that would be around to hunt at this hour. As he walked away a small part of him was still listening, waiting for Ariel to take the bait and ask for more information about Ursula.
Ariel whipped her head back around, glaring at Scar's figure. "There's no place I've been where Ursula hasn't," she said matter-of-factly. "So thank you, for that wonderful warning," she puffed before diving under the waves.
Scar chuckled at the mermaid as she snapped at him, then retreated beneath the surface. He turned and walked towards the water again, mind set on having a drink before heading out to hunt. As he approached the water however, he noticed Ariel's green and red form under the water. Ignoring her, he quenched his thirst and then watched the mermaid wandering whether she was actually leaving or not. Probably waiting for another creature to ask about Ursula and check up on me…Scar thought as he turned to walk away, having lost interest in the mermaid for now.
Slightly annoyed at the mysterious lion, Ariel decided it was best to just leave. If necessary, she would deal with Scar at some other point. If he really did know something, she would find out with time. But for now, Ariel had a game of tag to finish with her sister.
Flipping her fins furiously, Ariel began to swim back to Atlantica, looking for that bright purple tail that had brought her to Scar.