1) If Only

He could've had it all. A wife, a child, the throne, and a brother and father but he didn't. Scar was outside that day, he had to get away from his horrible evil brother, Mufasa. Everything Mufasa had, Scar wanted. He even took his girlfriend. She was unfairly betrothed to Mufasa.

Scar never had anything in his life. He lost it all thanks to his father and brother. They hated to see him happy like they didn't want him to exist at all. The only lions Scar loved were his mother and Sarabi. It was a mystery to him how his mother died though. She told him everything about the Great Kings and the Circle of Life. Sarabi was still around but he couldn't see her that often. The only thing he had left now was to put up with Mufasa's dangerous wrath and his love for the pride.

Things were miserable for many years. Scar's father, Ahadi, was not the best king for the Pride Lands that he lent it all to Mufasa on how to become a "great king". Scar could easily tell their errors because only lions were allowed on Pride Rock, if other lions appeared on the Lands they would be dead instantly including cubs, animals of all kinds were separated from one side of the Lands, every animal was constantly yelled by the king and obey his strict rules and the pride was forbidden to leave. Things were terrible for everybody.

No animal, including Scar, knew that there were humans in the Lands though. Since the hyenas were hungry, they followed the humans. The woman left something behind in order to protect. It was a bundle. Before she put it down, she gave the bundle a soft kiss and hid it in the grass. She and her husband were able to lead the hyenas away from their precious treasure that cost them their lives. Fate would have to know what was inside the bundle that she had to give up for her life.

It was later at sunset that Scar had to get away from Mufasa that he and two lionesses were walking around the darkening savannah. Their sister, Sarabi, had to stay at Pride Rock with another lioness he knew as a friend, since they both had cubs of their own to care for.

He just passed a tree when Scar heard a crying sound that he thought was a cub. But it sounded different as if something was screaming. Scar ran around the savannah searching for the source but no matter where he went, the sound was becoming distant. The sound continued so he took a right, then left, then straight. Now the sound was getting closer. He headed further down and came to a patch of grass where he found the source.

At first Scar thought it was some lump on the dirt but instead it was moving and was making the sound. Since he couldn't make it out, Scar sniffed it first. That was when the crying stopped.

The bundle wiggled that two eyes opened. Scar backed away when he was close to the eyes, startled. Whatever this was, Scar noticed a face. It was a pale face with brown eyes but it was surrounded by a brown fabric that matched the dirt. What was this thing? To Scar it seemed like some sort of child or maybe a cub. He didn't know what it was but something about it made him smile, as if it was a cub. Then it hit him, it's one of those hunters: humans. This is a human cub; a man-cub.

The baby wriggled in the bundle and squeaked and cooed while it looked up to the dark male lion. It was confused at first but then cried in joy and laughed. Scar stretched out his paw and gently touched the bundle. The baby laughed while it rolled slightly.

This man-cub was not at all disturbed by Scar nor did it matter to him that it was different. This man-cub liked him. It was odd that Scar felt somewhat comfortable with the baby that he kept his eyes on it and again touched it.

The baby flopped out of the bundle and onto the dirt. Now Scar could tell the species of this baby. It had the arms and legs of the humans but it was covered by a diaper and had brown hair.

The baby was able to turn itself around and looked up. Because of the many sounds of birds in the skies, the baby looked around amazed by its sightings. Scar didn't leave while the baby looked around. He felt that since the baby was all alone, it needed company and especially a mother. But there must be more humans around here if this man-cub was left alone.

There were rustlings in the grass that Scar and the baby looked. There were two lionesses who gasped when they saw the baby.

"What is that?" a lioness thought.

Scar knew these two but he instantly commanded them, "Naanda, Diku, I want you to search the Lands. There must be more humans."

"But what is that?" the lioness repeated.

"A man-cub." Scar looked back to the baby. "But go look. There must be more."

Because they knew to trust Scar and wanted to know about the man-cub's future, the lionesses ran beginning their search. The baby was about to follow them but Scar stopped the baby. He and the little baby, who crawled to him and smiled adoringly, stared each other in the eye.

Why this was baby giving him attention; to the dark lion that lived hardened by his past? Why was it that the baby was looking to him as if Scar were the father? But the baby must have parents somewhere.

Hours passed by Scar kept the baby near him knowing about the many predators out here in the Lands. The hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, pythons, hippos, rhinos, and other lions would easily kill this infant. Scar has to protect this man-cub. But why was he having these fatherly moods? Would he be able to care for a child?

The baby stayed near him when a rock python came near.

"Don't come closer," Scar told the snake. "Leave."

"Why musssst I lissssten to you?" hissed the snake. "The brother of the king? The king who destroyed everybody."

"My brother may have issues but you mustn't mess with me while I have this infant."

"But it looksssss pleassssssent to eat."

Scar snarled, "Leave!"

The snake was about to strike onto the baby but Scar swiped the python away. He saw it slither away while Scar went back to the baby. It smiled again back to him and hugged his arm as he sat next to it. Because of the man-cub's adoration, realizing it was a female, Scar had to smile and nuzzle its forehead. Maybe he could have a chance being a father.

The two lionesses, Diku and Naanda, returned with terrible news though.

"We found two humans," said the lioness Naanda, Scar's sister-in-law. "But they were attacked."

"From whom?" Scar asked.

"Hyenas. They were eating them."

"But what are you doing with this infant Scar?" the lioness Diku asked.

Scar was lost for thought though. The baby lost her mother, all thanks to the hyenas. It was now alone in the world and had no place to live. Perhaps he could raise the child but Mufasa, for sure, would kill the baby without a moment's hesitation but Scar can't let that happen. He'll take the baby girl. He'll finally be a father, better than Ahadi.

"I'll raise her myself," he stated.

"Her?" Naanda thought confused.

"The infant is a girl and I'm taking her as my own."

The lionesses were shocked. Scar knew they would.

"But…Mufasa," said Diku. "Don't you have any idea what Mufasa will do if he saw the man-cub?"

"I know my brother very much Diku but he won't know. I won't let him kill this girl."

"But why are you taking it?" Naanda asked him. "You're a lion and this is a human! They're not our species!"

"I know that! This infant will die if we don't do anything. So I'm taking her. I'll raise her to be a lioness and give her a father. And her name will be Arana."

"I hope you know what you're doing Taka. I really hope so."

Scar knew that the lionesses were forced to call him Scar but they only said his true name in secret, whenever Mufasa was out of earshot. He was used to it.

Scar picked up the baby by gently holding onto the diaper and took her into a different cave, away from Pride Rock.