The Diamond of Savannah
Preface
All right, here we go, after a long break. TDOS is kind of new experience for me, as I tried to write a romance. If I succeeded, find out yourselves, the story will be fully displayed in incoming days. But for now few remarks.
TDOS is a complementary story to my general plotline. It explains backgrounds of few characters, including Uru and Ahadi. It's not 100 compatible with my saga (I've made one change, making Uru Mohatu's daughter and Ahadi become a king only by marriage, what match many popular TLK Extended Universe theories and many fanfics), but You may treat it as a part of my storyline, because the backgrounds of characters fit it well (I guess…).
Reading TSH is not necessary, although very, very helpful in understanding the plot. Prologue is placed during 12th TSH chapter (Answers), but then comes back to old times, even before Mufasa's birth.
I should rate the story with PG13 and that is actual PG13 due to rather troubling plot issues and few indirect, although certainly existing sexual references.
2nd chapter is just slightly extended version of stand-off short story "All the nice girls are already taken". If read that one, you could skip it, although I still suggest rereading.
Prologue: I Need This
It was late rainy season, but weather was perfect. Rains and humidity in the air made it easier to breathe, sun was shining for most of days, but saving the Earth from scorching heat. One could say that natural conditions were beautiful, so comforting and easy. But in fact only thing that lion cared those days was how it would affect's mother's state. Uru was dying – even her younger son realized that – but technically every creature is dying since the vary day it was born, so prince was doing everything to prolong that process. He just hoped that good weather would reduce his mother's pains.
But on the other paw – he was sure that trips like that would act in opposite way.
"Taka, let's make a stop." Ordered queen-mother, when they reached eastern brink of savannah. From that point hummock and hills started, going far beyond Pridelands. Some called these parts "Windy Hills" but for Scar it was just "Bloody Far Hills", much too remote for his sick mother. He put his parent on the grass, using careful Sarafina's and Onya's assitance.
"Thanks Star!" Gasped blackmaned prince to Uru's ear. "Are you done with exploring?"
"Son." Replied old lioness with seemingly calm voice. "I used to go here on my own, countless times in the past." Scar failed to hear a dreamy tone in her voice, he just thought he offended her, by reminding about her disability and weakness.
"Mom…" He said with shivering voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't…"
"Of course, you didn't." Interrupted him queen-mother. "I just noticed that I loved to go here and that bloody tumour might kill me, but it's helpless against my liking and disliking."
After tumour was mentioned, they both looked down to hind-leg thigh of Uru. A nasty oedema, most likely kind of cancer overgrew the living tissue, making a dreary view for any creature that had any kind of medical knowledge. Lioness was dying and there was nothing to do with that. Tumour had been growing for years, hidden on the bone, under layer of muscles. When Rafiki finally discovered the nature of queen-mother's pains, it was much too late to start any kind of treatment. Herbs – mostly painkillers – could slow down the process, but couldn't cancel the sentence.
"All right." Said Uru, a bit embarrassed. "I'm not going to die today, right?"
"Every movement makes your condition worse…" Started Scar.
"Stop it!" Gasped lioness. "Send girls back to the Pride Rock. You will take me further."
Blackmaned would do anything to stop her from giving that order. But it was already said and lion – maybe mature price of the pride, but still son of Uru – had to obey. He stood up and looked on two assisting lionesses.
"Queen is fine… You may go back to your duties." Then he added with quieter voice. "Be ready that I will ask you for help about the dusk. It's much better if few of us carry her."
"Scar…" Said Sarafina, looking in prince's eyes. As usually – she found there just a wall of cold indifference, what hurt her deeply. But she wanted to do anything to help Taka. "Maybe I will stay with you…"
"No." Replied Scar, maybe a tone harsher than he intended. "Mom wants to be alone. I bet she will send me off as well."
"As you wish, Scar." Replied lioness and turned to queen-mother. "If you need us, call."
Then she and Onya set off to march back. Mother and son waited few minutes as they disappear behind the hill. Meanwhile sun was covered by one of clouds, but no rain came. Just weather wanted to ease old queen in her trip. Finally blackamned came back to lioness.
"So… what's now?" He asked, barely hiding irritation in his voice.
"You will take me to up the Windy Hills and leave there." Said Uru.
"Sure." Snorted lion with irony. "What else?"
"I think you may be back about the dusk, but I will give you a sign. Maybe you will take me back on the morning."
"MOM!" Yelled shocked blackmaned. "What has possessed you? I can't leave you alone, while are you in this state! I even should have carry you myself, as it means serious danger to damage your tumour. Damn! We should carry you at all, as it…"
"Son, I'm dying." She interrupted him with perfectly calm voice.
Lion came to her and without a word laid down, nestling to her side. Of course – carefully, not to touch her aching hind-leg. They stayed motionlessly for long minutes. Lion was hearing calm breathing of his mother, hardly believing that sound would cease forever in just few months. Then she continued.
"I'm dying. My time is coming, as it has come for your father…" Saying that her voice shivered, as late king Ahadi was not a person that Scar would recall with pleasure. "Taka, I love you and I'm so glad you are here with me, supporting me and caring over me. But you can't change the round of the Circle of Life. There is a path we are all going and for each one that path ends somewhere. For me, it would ends soon. Please, I want to live my last days in happy way."
"I'm killing you, allowing for such ridicules…" Started prince.
"No! Not ridicules." Interrupted Uru. "Son, I'm so glad that you help me. Mufasa…" She Sighed, spelling that name. „As a king has no time for me and I understand that. But I need this! I can't just die in the den, I want to life, if not forever, at least as long as I can in the way I want."
"Mother, I understand that." Said Scar. "And I don't object your orders, in spite how stupid they are…"
He put her on his back and stated to climb on hill's slope. It took few minutes before they reached the top, where lion carefully put queen-mother on the grass.
"I'm still your mother." Noticed lioness with smile. "And you were always a good cub."
"And I will do anything…" Continued Scar. "But after you make me sure that's not a sophisticated form of suicide. So, will he take care of you?"
These words freeze the air around, or at least Uru thought that. She looked on her son with scared stare and asked, putting all her might to sound calm.
"What do you mean?"
"Want to be sure that he will be careful." Said prince. "That he won't let you get cold on evening, he will prevent you from any sunstroke, avoid any irritation of the tumour and…" Lion was clearly embarrassed, having a great difficulty to put his thought in elegant words. "…and if he's aware that your limited ability to move and extreme vulnerability in backside, due to ill hind-leg, would make any… contact very dangerous without special care."
"Taka, I don't know what are you talking about!" She lied nervously. "I came to here to rest and admire the landscape."
"The landscape usually doesn't make pawprints of mature male lion." Said blackmaned, pointing a mark on the grass. Seeing his mother almost crying nervously, added quickly. "Mom, it's all right! Don't tell me anything! I don't need to know and I'm very sorry to mention that issue… Just I want to know if he is careful and don't hurt you."
"How could he? He knows and will take care of me." Replied lioness with dreamy voice. Then added instantly. "I meant: I will be careful, watching landscape here."
"That's all I need to know." Said Scar. "So… take your time. I will be in some den there." He pointed foot of hill. "When you roar, I will come."
"Go back to Priderock…"
"No, I will stay there… a week, if it's necessary. We all love you." Assured, and they both knew to whom he was referring as one among those 'all'. "I promise, I won't look for him. But I want to be close, just in case."
"Thank you, my son." Said Uru smiling. "I don't deserve for all good I experienced in my life… I made many mistakes and paid for them, but others paid for me as well."
"Mom, if you want to talk, pick a merrier subject." Snorted Scar.
"Never mind… we will see later." Said queen-mother. She licked Scar and watched him leave, going down to savannah.
Her statement about mistakes and paying about them was generally true, however the whole story was very, very complex. Or at least I think so – judge yourselves.
