Last part of this story. We're finishing off with Simba confronting Scar and the rest on from there.
I own nothing. The Lion King and all its content belongs to Disney. This includes the Hula scene music. I do not own the cover image either.
Simba's POV
Nala lead us to the path towards Pride Rock, the same one she used to run away from here to the jungle where she found me. We duck under some rocks and start to survey our surroundings, a dark cloud covering above us giving us better camouflage. There, lasting for many yards, is the entire hyena clan. Entire hordes of them. Nala did not lie in the least bit when she said Scar had let in the hyenas during his rule. There are many of them, far too many for the pride to support. The barren and lifeless landscape only further proves there death and destruction put onto this land.
A small group of five are laying down on the other side of the rocks, blocking out direct pathway to Scar without being scene. They'll need to leave is we're ever going to get past them undetected. Timon and Pumbaa pop up from my right side and look at the sight before them.
"Hyenas. I hate hyenas," Timon says. He sounds fearful, I can relate, being that at one point they scared me too.
"So what's your plan for getting past those guys" he whispers to me. I'd actually had come up with a plan for that, but he;s not going to like it.
"Live bait," I reply.
"Good idea," he's states, not yet understanding the meaning behind it yet. A second later, he says, "Hey."
"Come on Timon," I banter. "You guys need to create a diversion." He stares at me incredulously.
"What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?"
The plan worked perfectly. Distracted by their own hunger and the appetizing two right before them, we make it by unseen.
"Nala, you find my mother and rally the lionesses. I'll look for Scar," I say determinedly and begin heading towards Pride Rock. She nods and goes off.
I walk silently yet quickly, trying to make myself unseen. The ground underneath my paws is hard and dusty, so I barely make any noise as I walk past the rocks and dead branches.
"Sarabi!"
I look past a stone wall to see Scar on a rock outcrop, calling across the land. The hyenas seemed to all gathered at the foot of Pride Rock. I then see some part away, making room for something to pass through.
I then see her. My mother.
The hyenas bark and snap at her feet as she walks regally past them, making her way to where Scar is. I watch in concern and in sadness as the hyenas chomp and flash there sharp, canine teeth at her, yet she doesn't even flinch as she glares disdainfully at them and moves past them to where my uncle is. I see them clearly from where I am. Now is the perfect chance to revel myself to the both of them. I climb down the steep rock path as the two talk, well not so much as talk, more like arguing.
The clouds up above have grown darker, making it easier for me to hide if necessary. I climb up some ways, trying to get a direct path to them.
As soon as I clear the hill, I look down just to see him turn around and hits her with his paw in her jaw, sending her back a few feet and lying down unmoving. I feel a surge of rage course through me. No one hurts my mother. I growl down at Scar and a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder illuminates my form from behind me while the wind blows.
Scar looks up shocked and fearful at me. I run down the hill to where they are and he backs away afraid. I'll deal with him later.
I walk over to my mother's still form and I nudge her head. She opens her eyes dazed and groans, but no real harm appears to been put on her. I look over and give Scar a glare before turning back to her. She turns her head up to look at me. Her eyebrows furrow as she gives a confused expression.
"Mufasa?" I shake my head.
"No. It's me," I reply, giving a small smile to her. She stares up confused, but then a glimmer of recognition glimmers in her eyes.
"Simba? You're alive? How can that be," she asks.
"It doesn't matter. I'm home," I say and I nuzzle my mother, reassuring the both of us.
"Simba," I hear Scar asks. "Simba. I'm a little surprised to see you," he glares up on top of a ridge to some hyenas, "alive."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart," I say threateningly. I step over my mother and start advancing towards him slowly. He starts backing away until he hits a the rock wall behind him. He turns to the side and presses himself against it.
"Oh, Simba, you must understand" he says. "The pressures of ruling a kingdom-"
"-are no longer yours" I finish for him. "Step down Scar."
"Oh, oh, yes-" he stutters out. "Well, I would, heh, naturally, heh- however, there is one little problem. You see them?" He points up above us, and there upon the ridge are hordes of hyenas, staring down and showing off their teeth down on us. A crash of thunder illuminates them, making the tens of them clearly shown. I stare up at them for a second before looking back and glaring at Scar again.
"They think I'm king."
"Well we don't," a voice from behind argues. We both look to see Nala standing proudly on a small rock with the rest of the lionesses around her. Two lioness help my mother up while the others surround her and Nala, standing with her and against Scar. "Simba is the rightful king."
"The choice is yours, Scar. Either step down or fight."
"Oh, must this all end in violence," he asks and starts moving past me, towards the lionesses, and looks back at me. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Simba?"
A brief flashback of what happened in the gorge flashes through my brain. Scar has rubbed a raw wound. I see now what's doing, I can't let him take me down that easily. I fix my glare on him.
"That's not gonna work, Scar. I've put it behind me," I tell him, hoping he'll back down. Yet, by now, I should know how crafty my uncle is.
"Eh, but what about your faithful subjects? Have they put it behind them," he asks, looking towards them. My words catch in my throat, but luckily, and thankfully, Nala has my back in this conversation.
"It wasn't his fault Scar," she says and fixes her best glare at him. "It was no one's fault. From what he told me, Mufasa's death was of no consequences of being related to him being there at that time." Scar looks taken aback and he stares fearfully at Nala while the other lioness stare shocked at her too.
"Simba, what is this all about," my mother asks and she starts walking past Scar towards me. Scar gets over his shock and steps in between us and growls.
"Ah, so you have told someone, Simba, but what what about the rest of them? You've told her your little secret," he points at Nala and snarls, "But have you've told anyone else of what happened on that day," he asks. "Well, Simba, now's your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Mufasa's death!"
The lionesses stop glaring at him to look at me. They're waiting for an answer. I feel the fear inside me rising, but I force it down. They need to hear the truth from my side. I close my eyes and draw in a deep breath, calming the rest of me down. I open my eyes again and lock them with Scar's, red meeting electric green.
"Not mine," I say simply.
"What?" He wasn't expecting this answer. I move my head closer to stare at him deeper.
"My father's death was not my fault." He starts shrinking down and backing away nervously. My mother moves past him and to me, intercepting between us.
"Simba, how do you know this," she asks. She takes my face into her paw and moves it to look at her. "She's my mother. She should know," I think. I close my eyes again and take another deep breath before replying.
"I was in the gorge when my father's death happened. I saw the entire thing. The canyon, the stampede," I pause for a moment, "my father's death." I hear her gasp along with the other lionesses. I open my eyes to look at her, I see her eyes, they are filled with sadness.
"My poor baby," she whispers and leans in to wrap her forelegs around my neck. Shock fills me, but lessens when I hear jagged breathing and feel warm liquid splashing in droplets on the back of my neck spilling down and soaking my mane. She's crying. I unconsciously put my forelegs around her, holding onto her in a hug. I hear Scar scoff at the sight of us, but he can take a hike.
Nala and the rest of the pride now came over to comfort and mourn with mother and I. Each of them had tears falling from their eyes. Scar was in shock as he saw the pride moving past him to comfort his me,
"What do you think you're doing," he screamed. "Showing sympathy for a lion who witnessed his father's death and never told anyone about it is what I see."
A lioness cried out, "Simba is innocent. He isn't responsible for Mufasa's death. It wasn't his fault!" Then the other lionesses added their voices to the cry.
"I wasn't responsible for it, Scar. As I recall, you were there to witness it to, and... and," a sudden memory comes up, "and-"
I suddenly remember how it went. He had told me to run away and never come back. He made me feel responsible for my father's death. I glared at him and a growl erupted from my throat. "You told me to run away and never return. You told me to leave, that it was all my fault," I yelled at him.
The pride glared at Scar and began growling and snarling at him. None were as angry at him as my mom though. She turned to Scar, with a fiery glare in her eyes.
"You told my son to run away and to never return!? He was just a cub, you sick, sick excuse for the king," mom roared. She was about to leap at him and probably pound him and them rip him to shreds before a group of hyenas stood in front of him.
"N-now now now Sarabi. I-It was not my fault. H-he...," Scar stuttered out from behind his hyena barricade, but he never finished what he was going to say.
"Shut up you pathetic excuse for a lion," mom screamed and she barreled through the hyenas and onto Scar and she pinned him to the ground with her paws around his neck in a choke-hold. Scar started to gasp for breath and a few hyenas tried to pull mom off, but she had Scar held tightly. I finally came in between the two, pushing away the hyenas back to get my mother to let go.
"Mother. Mother! Please, let go. I can handle this," I say.
"He told you to leave the Pridelands for a crime you didn't even commit my son," she replies.
"I know mom, I know, but please. Let him and I talk," I beg. Mother glares at Scar one last time before getting off him, but not before growling at him one last time before moving behind me. We then faced each other.
"Simba, please I beg you. I... am... ah... family," Scar tried.
"You don't deserve to live," I retorted. I felt no sympathy for him now.
"But it wasn't my fault. I-I was overcome with grief at the time," Scar started.
"Why should I believe you? Everything you've ever told me was a lie," I asked.
"Simba please. What are you going to do? You wouldn't kill your own uncle, would you," he asked. I pause for a moment, allowing the suspense to seep in.
"No Scar. I am not like you," I replied.
He looked deeply relieved. "Oh thank you Simba. You truly are noble. I'll make it up to you. I-I promise. How can I, ah, prove myself to you? Tell me. I mean anything."
"Run away Scar. Run away and never return," I replied gravely, with deep anger, mimicking the voice that he had used on me, all those years ago.
He appeared shocked, but then grew calm. "Of course," he said as he started passing me towards the exit of Pride Rock "I understand, my lord. My liege. Your majesty!" He suddenly swept a pile of rocks and dust at my face.
Then without warning, Scar leapt at me, claws unsheathed, anger in his eyes, but I was blinded so I could not see the attack. He tackled me, causing us both to fall off the edge of Pride Rock. I heard pride screamed as they watched our descent off the side of Pride Rock. I heard Simba and my mother scream my name as Scar and I bounced off several boulders and land on a rock a few feet off the ground.
Everyone watched as the two lions, uncle and nephew, tumble down the rocky path to land on a boulder still high above the ground. Scar had landed on Simba and was now trying to claw at him. The shock soon wore off as the hyenas suddenly turned and began to run down towards the two, trying to aid their king. The lionesses also sprung into action ad they started fighting against them.
A sudden lightning struck, ignited the dead trees surrounding Pride Rock. Simba's eyes glazed over as he remembered the day his father died. His father's screams merged with his own as he watched him fall off the cliff side. Scar had not tried to help Mufasa up. He threw Mufasa down into the stampede and killed him! Simba then leaped up and pinned Scar under him.
"Murderer!" he roared at him.
Scar tried to get out from underneath Simba, but could not. Simba had also put his paw over his throat. "Simba, you have got..." he was caught off as he started pressing his paw down over his throat. "Okay, I did it," he confessed.
Simba growled. "So they can hear you."
Scar's face grew to an expression filled with hatred. "I killed Mufasa!"
Some of the hyenas had gotten past the lionesses and started to attack Simba off of Scar, but the lioness had begun to fight them back. The fire made it look like it was hell at Pride Rock. A hyena had tried to get Simba from behind, but a sudden hit from a stick had knocked him out. Simba looked up to see Rafiki with his stick, yelling a mandrill battle cry. He hopped down from his ledge and into the midst of hyenas. He then attacked them by asserting a bunch of kung fu moves on them with his stick as a bo staff.
Simba had fought off most of the hyenas, most of them fleeing from Pride Rock. He leapt up to a ridge above them and soon located Scar, who had slinked away after the hyenas had released him from his grasp and was now fleeing up of Pride Rock. Scar noticed Simba as a lightning flash illuminated him and he immediately ran up the rocky pathway. Simba roared and ran after him.
Branches on fire and the narrow pathway made it hard for Scar to get away from his nephew, but he did and he leapt across a crack to the other side that soon was surrounded in high flames. He ran until he reached the edge, the very top of Pride Rock, stopping quickly before he fell down. Some rocks got knocked down and he saw them fall below. He looked down to see flames rising all around Pride Rock. He would either fall down and be crushed by the height of Pride Rock or he could turn around and either be burned by the fire or killed by his nephew.
Simba jumped through the wall of fire with a loud roar. He searched around till he saw him. The two lions then faced each other on the top of Pride Rock, flames and smoke circling all around them.
"Murderer," Simba growled as he advanced slowly closer to him.
"Simba, Simba, please. I beg you. Please have mercy. Let me live," Scar begged.
"Let you live? When you didn't even help my father up the cliff? He trusted you! Why? Tell me why you did it. Why did you kill my father," Simba asked him.
Scar was shocked at this, but it soon melted into a deceiving face. "He had everything I wanted. I wanted it, he was in the way, I got rid of him. I had gotten what I had wanted until you showed up," he said with no shame in his voice.
Simba was disgusted at how the way his uncle treated his family. He could not believe how someone could be so heartless and cruel. To his own blood even. He had only one thing to say to him.
"I'll give you one last chance Scar. Run away. Run away and never return," Simba repeated.
Scar bowed his head down and began to move past Simba. "Yes. Of course... your majesty," he said as he suddenly threw a pile of sparks and embers at Simba's face.
"Aaagh," Simba yelled, as he was temporarily blinded again, this time by a painful heat in his face.
Scar took it as his opportunity to attack him, this time to finish him once and for all. He leapt at Simba, trying to bite through his neck before Simba wrestled him off. Scar pushed him down and tried to push him off the edge, but Simba batted him away and got up. Through the flames, sparks and intense drafts of heat they fought. Both were evenly matched. If one hit the other, the other one hit right back. Simba jabbed his paws into Scar's shoulders, pushing him back before hitting his face. Scar stood on his hind legs and managed to scrape him twice in the mane with his claws.
Before he could land him a third time, he missed, and Simba retaliated and smacked Scar across the face, sending him down. Scar then got up again and copied the hit. He did it again and Simba was thrown back, through a wall of flames and near the edge of Pride Rock. He saw Scar leaping at him to finish him off, the flames making him seem like a figment of evil coming straight out of death itself. Simba, however, was quick to think and used his hind legs to push Scar off of him and off of Pride Rock, a move taught to him by Nala all those years ago.
Scar fell, tumbling down the rocky sides a great height and landed motionlessly on the ground. Simba looked over the edge, trying to see if Scar was finished. He couldn't see Scar, just the fire was raging all around him. A sudden figure appeared from out of the flames on the ground. Several more figures appeared around it. It was the hyenas. Scar opened his eyes to see them coming towards him and tried to get up. "Aah, my friends," he feigned.
Shenzi stepped forward. "Friends? I don't think so. You betrayed us. You promised us food and you gave us nothing. Because of you, my pack has starved and even some have died because of you. You lied to us and made us work for nothing. All you have done has left death and destruction. We're just here to return the favor." She motioned to the other hyenas circling him and licking their chops. Ed began laughing evilly as he started to close in.
"No, wait, what are you doing? Stop! I swear it was an accident. No! No," Scar's yells were cut off by the roar of flames and the barks of the hyenas attacking who soon devoured him.
The great sea and waves of fire raging around Pride Rock started to die down as a rainstorm started to pour down on the flames, replacing it with steam. It was truly a miracle, the first rainstorm in years since the start of Scar's reign. Its cool waters rinsed the pride of its grim and dirt and cleansed the ground of the footsteps and claw marks of where the battle took place. The rain poured down heavily and all those caught under it welcomed it like an old friend returning.
The lionesses looked up to see that Simba had appeared from the steam, bruised and covered in ash and soot, but alive. Zazu bowed to him as he walked past. The lionesses had gathered around, coming to celebrate his victory. He climbed down and rushed over to the spot his mother and new wife stood while being drenched with water. He nuzzled his mother before Nala came over and nuzzled him.
He then stopped as he heard a rattle shaking and he looked up to see Rafiki, shaking his staff and then pointing it towards the tip of Pride Rock. Simba stared up at it and remembered what his father did when he still lived. He knew what he had to do. The lionesses watched as Simba came up and over to Rafiki. Rafiki smiled and bowed at him and Simba extended an arm and hugged the old mandrill.
Rafiki then put both of his hands on Simba's shoulders and looked at him. "It is time," he said. Simba now knew what it was.
He turned and started the climb to the top of Pride Rock. The pride and Zazu below watched him slowly ascend. Simba looked below to see the rain washing away a dead antelope skull. He kept climbing to the top and looked up into the sky. He saw a few of the clouds had part to show the night sky with the stars and he could have sworn that he heard his father's voice saying, "Remember."
Simba then knew what he had to do now. He roared, his voice being heard all over Pride Rock. The lioness roared with him in the rain. Sarabi and Nala both roared as loud as they could to glorify their new king. Their voices spread across the land, breaking the death and silence that had plagued it for so long. A new king and era had come.
The rains continued to pour and it was just a matter of months when the Pridelands were flourishing again. Once again lush, rich, green and verdant, the herds had come back and were now gathered at Pride Rock to celebrate their new king and queen.
Elephants lifted their trunks and trumpeted. Zebras, gazelles and many other hoofed-animals raised their hooves in excitement. Monkeys jumped and birds lifted their wings onto the sky. All creatures cried out to honor their new rulers. The presentation has left them each with hope for a bright future.
Simba and Nala were standing on top on Pride Rock in front of the animals, as their new king and queen. Pumbaa and Timon also stood by them, Timon shaking his arms in a classic victory sign. Zazu flew around them on the point. Rafiki had brought out their new cub, a girl they named Kiara, to show to the inhabitants of the Pridelands. He lifted her up and the Pridelands inhabitants cheer for their future ruler and bow to her.
Simba nuzzled Nala as they looked over the Pridelands. Simba felt a breeze from on high and he looked up to see light pouring down from the sky, just as bright as the sun. He squinted to see a familiar form and soon realized it was Mufasa.
"Father," he asked as he lifted his head higher to better make him out. Mufasa smiled down on him.
"Well done, my son."
Simba gazed up and smiled at his father, knowing that he was at peace in heaven and was always there for him, even while in heaven. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath of the air swirling around him, bringing up many plant materials symbolizing this great land.
The Circle was complete at last.
Hope you all enjoyed this, I had fun writing it for all you guys. Please review and tell me how I did. Sincerely, v.t.7