A/N: I'm really excited for this story. I hope you don't mind if it gets a bit fast paced towards the end. Also, thank you to who all favorite-d, followed, and reviewed. Anyway, enjoy. Also, ignore any spelling or punctuation errors.
Once Scar finally was done climbing up the gorge, he saw Simba digging his claws into the ground mumbling something to himself, clearly worry was etched across his face. He heard mumble words such as, "It won't be too bad" or "…Maybe they'll go easy on me, it was an accident after all."
A smile stretched across the dark lion's face, as he padded closer to his distraught nephew. He cleared his throat, causing the cub to jump and look at him with widen, dilated eyes. He inwardly chuckled at how helpless the cub looked, but he kept a worrisome look on his face. He informed, "You know, Simba, it's not too late to turn back. I mean, look at you," he pointed a claw a Simba's shivering form, "you're scared to death."
Simba didn't answer him, instead, he averted his gaze to the ground, thinking to himself. Uncle Scar has a point, I am a mess, He thought sullenly to himself. He was trembling with fear with every thought that passed through his mind, the thought of being cast out the pride terrified him. Who knows what they would do to him? Who knows what other predators would do to him? Aheiu knows that there are tons of carnivores that wouldn't mind ripping him apart. But, the pride isn't that cruel, right.
Simba stammered, "S-Scar, you d-don't think that the pride would p-penalize harshly, r-right?"
Scar hummed in thought, putting a claw up to his chin. He actually wondered what the pride would do, if they knew about his crime. Of course, he was hoping for something gruesome, but at the same time he knew Simba would want so comfort. So, he decided to keep up the charade and reassured, "Don't worry, dear nephew. I'll try my best to protect you."
Scar pulled a quivering Simba into a-reluctant-hug and comforted, "Now, now. Calm down."
Simba took a deep breath and laid his head down on Scar's foreleg, trying to calm down. He's right, I should calm down. I can't think too much about this. I might as well get it over with, Simba thought, trying anyway to bring back his confidence. He started feeling Scar's foreleg twitch, as if he wanted to get a move on or he was trying to shake the cub off. Simba shook his to forget the latter and got off of his foreleg.
The two were silent for a few seconds, until Scar spoke up, "Well, the sooner we get there the better, hmm?"
Simba nodded and murmured, "Yeah, sure."
And with that, the two started walking off towards Pride Rock both feeling a bit curious as to what will happen.
Once they got closer to Pride Rock, they saw the lionesses all gathered in a circle, as if they were discussing something. Scar shot Simba a quick look, noticing his eyes had dilated again and his ears flattened against his head. He cackled silently to himself, antsy knowing what fate would befall that young prince. An orange-eyed, dark pelted lioness turned her head and shouted, "Scar? …Simba!"
Feeling a bit excited, Simba ran up to the lioness and shouted, "Mom!"
The two ran up to each other purring and nuzzling. Simba pulled back a bit and noticed his mom's teary eyes, which got him wondering why she was crying. D-Does she already know? Simba thought sullenly and asked, "Wh-What's wrong, mom?"
The lioness backed away from her son, breathing hard and trying to calm herself. Scar walked closer and seeing the lioness's behavior, he asked toneless, "What's wrong, Sarabi?"
Sarabi took a deep breath and answered, "Zazu told us what happened in the gorge," she turned her head up to Pride Rock, in the middle of the lionesses was a morose hornbill. She went on, "We all thought you all had died. Simba, where's Mufasa?"
Simba whimpered a bit, causing Sarabi's worriment to resurface. Simba didn't say anything, he just slowly walked up the rocky edifice. The first lioness to notice him was a friend of his with a creamy pelt and had teal green eyes. She shouted in shock, "Simba!"
She was about to run towards him, but she noticed how guilty he looked; in addition, all the lioness put their attention on him. Simba didn't bother raising his head to look at them, too ashamed of what they would think. He heard a few flaps and knew it was Zazu. The hornbill asked, "Sire, I apologized for what happened in the gorge. I was about to go get help, but I'm afraid something had me unconscious."
Simba looked at the majordomo and sighed, "It's…fine."
"Simba…are you okay?' Zazu worriedly asked the depressed prince. Simba simply shook his head and mumbled something inaudible underneath his breath, starting to quiver. Zazu placed a wing on the prince's back and comforted, "It's alright, Simba. Whatever happened in the gorge, just remember, it's not your-"
"But it is!" Simba shouted, causing everyone in the pride to jump. He sat down in front of all them, breathing heavily and tears falling down his face. The teal-green eyed lioness asked shocked, "Wha-What do you mean?"
Simba looked up at her, at all of them and spastically explained, "I-I was p-practicing my roar…I didn't think…I didn't know the wildebeest w-were," he took a deep breath and continued, "Th-they were everywhere. I jumped on a branch, b-but it broke and then dad…I'm sorry. N-No one was supposed to get hurt."
"Hurt?" A voice asked behind him. He turned around and saw his mother with a morbid stare, and Scar looking at the cub with a bit of pity…and something else. Simba breathed in and finished, "D-Dad h-he…I-I killed…him. He's d-dead."
A deafening silence fell amongst the pride that no one dare to break. Everyone stared at the young prince, shocked and confused by what he said. How can a small cub kill their own father? That was a questioned that loomed over their heads, but no one voiced it because they knew how badly the cub wanted to be king. …Could it be possible that- "No!" A voice shouted, breaching the silence. Simba looked up and croaked, "N-Nala."
The young lioness padded up to her friend and smacked his face. A few lionesses gasped at her action and one scolded, "Nala!"
Nala ignored the lioness and repeated, "No! No, there's no way you killed your father. You loved him just as much as anyone in the pride, probably even more."
"B-But, Nala. A fact is a fact. I-I killed," Simba winced when he felt another swat on his head. He groaned, "Ow! Nala- Grah!"
Simba got cut off when Nala grabbed on to his ear with her teeth and started dragging him towards the den. Before they went in, Nala turned around and shouted, "You all should be ashamed of yourself for thinking he would do such a thing! Do you honestly think he would kill his own father?"
With that, she walked inside the den with Simba right behind her. She comforted, "Don't worry, Simba; I know you're-"
She stopped when she heard sobbing and hard breathing behind her. She looked at her friend sympathetically, walked over to him, and pulled him into a hug. Nala whispered, "I'm sorry about your father."
Everyone outside the den just stood in shock at hearing what Nala had said, however, they never thought that she was wrong. Murmuring went amongst the pride:
"Maybe Simba didn't do it."
"He is only a cub after all."
"It probably was just the stampede."
"But, he did cause the stampede."
The only lions not participating in the arguments was Sarabi, who was stunned by the news, and Scar, who was less surprised. He padded towards Sarabi and put a paw on her shoulder, getting her out of her trance. He calmed, "I'm very sorry that you had to hear that, Sarabi. I can only imagine how you must be feeling."
She sighed heavily, "Thank you, Scar."
"But, there is a question that must be addressed," Sarabi looked at him quizzically. He continued, "What will you do with him?"
"I-I hadn't thought about that," Sarabi answered feeling as if the whole world had fell upon her shoulders. She didn't even want to think about the consequences that may befall her son. She didn't even want to believe that he killed his father. There has to be something she's missing. But what is it? She thought frantically. Seeing the panic on her face, a light tan lioness came up to her and asked, "Are you all right, Sarabi?"
Sarabi groaned, putting a paw to her head, "No, I'm not. If Simba, did…you know, then I don't want him to be punished, at least not harshly. I don't know what to do."
The lioness glanced at Scar, hoping he would have an answer, but he seemed like he didn't care about Sarabi's comfort, only her answer. The lioness snarled quietly at the dark lion and said, "Look, you don't have to worry about that at the moment. Right now, and I know you don't want to think about this, but we need a new king."
Unknowingly, the lioness didn't see Scar's ears perk up when he heard "new king". He smirked a bit at the thought of taking the throne and waited for her response. Sarabi sighed, "I know, I know."
She walked up to the chattering lionesses and cleared her throat to gain their attention. They all looked at her expectantly. She clarified, "Despite what we have recently discovered, we must put the past behind us and focus on a new king. And since there is only one lion who can take the place, I hereby announce that…" C'mon Sarabi! There's has to be way to get Simba away from the punishment. Think!
The lioness behind her was about to ask her what was wrong, but Scar went in front of her and said, "Ah ah. We'd rather not mess someone has distressed as her. She clearly is just in thought. Don't mess with her, Sarafina."
He snarled the last sentence, making Sarafina glare and growl back, but she didn't pursue. The two heard Sarabi gasp, as she quickly finished, "I hereby announce that…Simba is the new king!"
"What!?" Sarafina and Scar shouted.
"What!?" echoed the pride.
"What!?" Simba exclaimed, looking back at all the shocked face. An excited Nala bounced up and down beside him. She whooped, "Alright, Simba! You're king! High-"
She stopped when she saw Simba glare at her. She winced and apologized, "Right, too soon. Sorry."
Yeah, bad time, Nala. I really like how this chapter came out, and again the humor will start picking up. I swear. I just don't want to start right after Mufasa has just died. Unless the humor already started for you, then good. Anyway, if you want me to continue, then please leave a review.
Disclaimer: ...Yeah.
