Since I didn't have an introduction in the first chapter, here is the delayed introduction!
Well howdy there. :3 This is my first Lion King fanfiction. I'm excited. Are you? Yes, yes you are.
I rated it teen because there is the possibility of gore later on in the story. It's overall just a grim story, so it's better for older audiences.
Scar is a little more emotional in this series. I don't believe that he was always so bitter. Somewhere deep inside he's hurt, and he's getting exposed to more of his repressed emotions, which is why he's so reactive.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyways. Enjoy! And yes I am very productive. Two chapters in one day? Ludicrous, I know. It's just how I roll.
Lightning seared through the kingdom in brilliant flashes. Cold, drenching rain drizzled from the bleeding skies. The dark rocks of pride rock were lit up by the thunder as it rolled through the land. A host of lions flanked the family of three who sat, staring down at the dead body of Mufasa. Animals of all kinds gathered underneath Pride Rock, silent with grief.
His blood was washed away from the rain, washed away down the rocks and into the grass, where it sunk into the ground. His eyes were shut peacefully, there was not a worry on his face. His face was twisted into a sort of smile that could also be seen as a frown. Even in death, his body was limber and strong. Youthful.
A young Rafiki stepped in the middle of the family, putting a hand on Ahadi's shoulder. He sat down next to Mufasa, cracking open a nut, the contents spilling out. Uru bit back a sob, her red eyes swollen and pink. Rafiki muttered a few words underneath his breath, concocting a mixture of leaves, berries and nuts. He spread it on the sopping fur of Mufasa. It quickly washed down into the rain, vanishing into the night. Rafiki stood up, shaking his head. He looked up at the dark night sky, blinking away the rain from his eyes.
"Mufasa...go and join the Great Kings in the sky, so that you may become a king in one of these lives," Rafiki said solemnly. Uru burst into tears at his words, tearing away from Ahadi and running back into the cave. Scar watched her leave, feeling something inside his heart that he couldn't understand. He slowly turned away and looked once more at the lifeless body of his brother.
Any pain that he felt was muted and far away, coming from another time. Right now, the present Scar did not feel anything, only the sweet nectar of success. The sky may have rained out of sorrow for Mufasa's death, but Scar felt as though it was raining for him. He was starting over now, no longer the younger sibling of the great king Mufasa, but the great king himself. Now his brother became his shadow, always following but never able to come to life. Scar let out a smile as his father stepped to the top of Pride Rock.
"Mufasa, my son, as you know, has died. It is a great loss for me as well as for all of the kingdom. I know that he had already become a strong, wise leader, and if he had not been taken from us, he could have become a noble king. Mufasa was not selfish. He was kind and caring. I was proud to have him as my son. Yet even in all this sadness, let us rejoice. He has been taken away to experience something bigger then life: death. Remember that even now, he is watching over us from the stars, and he always will be."
Ahadi hesitated, as if to say something more, then bowed his head and turned back around. He nodded at the lionesses as he walked away. Scar followed in his path. The lionesses gently heaved Mufasas body onto their shoulders, carrying him down off Pride Rock. Scar glanced at Sarabi as she left. She looked unusually weak and vulnerable, her red eyes torn with agony and her shoulder slumped. She looked at Scar, her lip trembling. He gave her a sympathetic look, and she let out a little fake smile before bursting once again into tears. He watched them leave until he could see them no longer, and he slowly walked towards the cave where his parents had disappeared.
Peeking around the corner, he saw Uru curled into a fetal position. She had stopped crying, and had been muted. She was whispering something to Ahadi and he saw him nod. Scar moved away, feeling uncomfortable. Ahadi saw him turn, and whispered something to Uru, leaving her with another lioness and walking over to Scar.
"We need to talk," he nodded, motioning with his head down the path that Mufasa had been taken down. Both of them slowly walked down, being careful not to slip down on the rocks. The scent of heavy rain was in the air, the cold grass gently ticking their flanks. It was a crescent moon, the night full of the sound of chirping, happy oblivious insects. There was only silence between the two lions until they were a ways away from the rest of the pride.
"How are you?" Ahadi finally asked, glancing over at Scar.
"...Numb," Scar replied with a sarcastic sneer that was impossible to see in the darkness.
Ahadi nodded, taking him seriously, gazing up at the stars.
"It's hard. Death. But it's necessary, you know."
"Yes, the grand circle of life," Scar muttered, playing with a strand of grass.
"I'm serious, Taka. Without it, we would never learn to cope with loss. No one can live forever. One day, I too will join the kings in the sky." Ahadi paused there, and Scar curiously looked over at him.
"Was he in pain? Mufasa...when he died?" Ahadi quietly asked with a slight hint of emotion in his voice.
Scar said nothing, taken aback by the question. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly swallowed to regain his calm.
"No...no, I think it was quick...although when I left, he was still alive, so I don't know how much he suffered..."
Ahadi nodded, not facing Scar. There was a moment of awkward silence in which neither of them knew what to say. The air grew stifling, and Ahadi coughed, getting to his feet.
"Come. We should go back, it's getting cold out," he murmured, smiling at Scar.
Scar bit back a smile himself, nodding at his father who walked close to him. The sudden compassion he felt reminded him of his childhood, the last time he had really felt close to anyone. Back when there was no pressure of which cub would be a king, only learning the ways of the world. Back when his father and mother both loved him. When Mufasa loved him, and he loved Mufasa.
Scar glanced in the darkness, suddenly catching the sight of dark amber eyes in the darkness peeking around a corner. Heart racing, he looked at his father. He hadn't noticed. He knew what would happen to the hyenas if his father caught sight of them.
"Fa-" Scar started, stopping himself short. "Ahadi, I'm going to go take a walk," Scar let out a fake smile.
Ahadi glanced at his son and then smiled.
"I understand," he said, walking back up pride rock.
"Oh, and Taka?...Come sleep in the cave tonight," he said without turning around.
Scar just looked at his father, eyes glued on his figure. Letting out a deep sigh, he turned to see the hyenas. He could faintly hear their giggles, and he let out a dark growl, which caused them to laugh even louder. He bounded over to them, and left with them, headed for the depths of the Outlands.