Chapter 11

Standing on the fringes of the mass of hyenas gathered around Molly, Scar watched, completely at a loss of what to say. They'd never acted like this before, and certainly not around a lion. They didn't even greet him like this.

"Hello, Shenzi," Molly was saying after the female hyena introduced herself, "I'm sorry for growling at you guys earlier."

A few pups ran past Scar, one ran right over his paw. Scar retreated another step from the growing horde around Molly.

"Ooh!" she squealed as the pups reached her, "Aren't you cute!" Catching his eye again, Molly beamed at Scar, "They're great!"

Nodding absently, Scar took a deep breath. Is this what it would be like if she stayed? The hyenas seemed to be accepting her as family right away. If she stayed...what kind of queen would she make? Shaking himself from his reverie, Scar scoffed at himself. Queen of the Hyenas indeed. Molly deserved better than that. The realization hit him in the heart and gut simultaneously, she deserved better than all of this, even him.

A human can never love a lion

Blocking out his brothers voice, Scar started forward through the crowd of hyenas to Molly's side. The hyenas separated quickly when they realized who was moving through their ranks. Molly was bending to the ground to roll a pup over playfully. Yipping and squirming, he made her laugh loudly.

"Your hyena family is wonderful, Scar," she said as he reached her.

An awkward silence fell over the pack, and Scar felt out of place in his own home. Noticing, Molly raised her head and twitched her ears, opening her mouth to say something, but obviously not knowing what.

"I'll show you around," Scar interjected.

Saying goodbye to the hyenas as they dispersed, Molly fell into step next to Scar, "I'm sorry if I said something wrong."

"It's just that I and the hyenas both know that our relationship is not that of a family, exactly," he admitted.

Silent for a moment as they went deeper into the graveyard, Molly asked, "Do you rule over them?"

"In a way," he shrugged, "They do as they please most of the time, but listen to me when I tell them where to find food. The three you saw before, they follow me into the Pridelands often. If I were to have friends, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed would be them."

Molly stopped, "IF you were to have friends? Scar," she didn't ask the question he knew she wanted to, so he did it for her.

"Why am I such an outcast?"

"I didn't-"

"But you wanted to," he smiled and shook his head, "It's alright, Molly. There's probably too many reasons to count. Suffice it to say, I don't get along well with most living things. The closest things I've ever had to friends would be the hyenas," he didn't look at her when he admitted, "And more recently, you."

"You can definitely count me as a full-fledged friend, Scar. No more of this if bullshit," Molly licked the side of his face and he relaxed. A little.

...

Following Scar deeper into the graveyard, Molly couldn't help but notice how the hyenas looked at him when he passed. They were afraid. From what she knew of lions and hyenas, this was perfectly normal, but if they were so scared of him, why did they let him stay here? And what if he had earned that fear? So far, none of the animals they had run into had particularly liked Scar. Bapoto and Masika had even had that underlying fear that the hyenas had, and Rafiki had shared Sarabi's disdain for the big lion. Had she somehow gotten herself tangled up with the resident 'bad boy' of the Pridelands?

"You must promise me that you won't ever wander away from here on your own," Scar told her as they started up an incline.

"Why?"

Green eyes flashed at her, but he answered, "It's too dangerous. There are male lions out there that do not have a pride and don't have to answer to my brother. If one was to catch you..." he didn't finish his thought, but Molly understood his meaning. The thought hadn't occurred to her that with the body of a lioness, came the lioness' heat cycles.

"I'm not..."

"Not what?" he turned to her, confused.

"I'm not...in heat right now, am I?"

Eyes widening, for a moment he was completely silent, then Scar threw back his head and laughed.

Sighing, red fur getting redder, Molly looked on and said, "I didn't think it was that funny of a question..."

Laughing a little longer, Scar continued to grin long after, "Trust me, Molly. You'll KNOW when you're in heat."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Scar moved on, still laughing as she tried to get him to explain his last comment to her. Shaking his head, he refused and instead nodded towards a huge cliff face that jutted from the center of the graveyard. Rising like a tower, it gave the already eery graveyard an even more ominous look.

"Whoa, what's that?"

"I'll show you," Scar started toward the tower of rock, picking out a narrow path once they reached it that Molly would have completely looked over. The whole thing looked unscaleable to her. Once they were climbing, however, she saw the path along the rocky crags and picked her way along behind Scar easily.

"Watch the next few steps," he warned towards the top, watching her intently as she followed him; making sure she didn't slip or miss her footing.

Making it to the very top, Molly gasped when she saw the view. The elephant graveyard was behind her, and in front of her stretched the green of the Pridelands. The sky was clear above them and the stars shone brightly, looking so close. Far off in the distance she could see a large cliff with a slab of rock jutting almost perpendicular from it.

Noticing where her gaze fell, Scar said, "Pride Rock, my brother's home."

Glancing up at the moon, Molly said, "Are we going soon?"

Nodding Scar audibly ground his teeth, "Yes, my brother has 'summoned' me. And I'm not stupid enough to think it's for any other reason than to ogle the mad lioness that's following his brother around."

"So I'm mad am I?"

"They're sure to think you are."

"Pfft," Molly went to him and tucked herself close to his body, rubbing her head under his chin and purring, "Let them think whatever they want."

...

Warmth shot through Scar as Molly pressed her body against his. Damned lioness wasn't even in heat yet. Staring out over the Pridelands, Scar's eyes wandered back to Pride Rock. He wasn't happy about having to take time away from his few moments with Molly just to parade around for his brother's court. They all sickened him. He couldn't stand them before, what made them think he'd be able to stomach them now? The sooner they got it over with, the better, but Scar knew Molly was tired of being dragged around and wanted a place to rest for a bit.

"We'll stay here a few nights," he told her, "Then we'll leave."

She only nodded and snuggled further into his fur. Heart beating against his ribcage, he was sure she heard it, but she didn't say anything. Looking up at the stars, Scar prayed to the Kings that they would let him keep her.

...

The next day, Scar woke late in the day (early for a lion) to find Molly already gone from his side. Her laugh came from outside his cave and he poked his head out to find her running across the open area of the graveyard, a pack of hyena pups bolting after her, giggling and falling all over themselves. Sitting at the edge of the cave to watch, Scar smiled in the shadows. Molly whirled on the pups and crouched. Skidding to a halt, the pups fell into a pile, then turned and bolted, laughing their little heads off as she chased them back.

The thought occurred to him that she'd make a good mother and he scratched at the dirt, trying to scratch the thought out. He couldn't be thinking...

Moving out into the sun and stretching, Scar shook his mane and yawned wide.

"Morning sunshine."

Molly grinned up at him, then licked the side of his face.

"Hello Molly," he was confused by her greeting but let it go.

"Wanna play?" she asked, looking back to the wrestling pups.

Raising an eyebrow, Scar scoffed a little, "I don't think the poor things could handle ME playing, Molly."

Grinning, Molly rolled her eyes, "You're not that scary."

Implying that he was, in fact, a little scary to her. Frowning, Scar looked back at the pups who were now nervously huddled together watching the two lions. The last time he remembered really playing was with Mufasa as a cub. Scar hadn't played anything but mind games in years.

"Scar?" Molly tugged on his mane with her teeth, "om on" her voice came out muffled around the fur.

Sighing, Scar shook himself free of her, "Alright, alright, but you explain to them. I'm not about to have one start crying if I speak to them."

"Jesus," Molly said under her breath as she smiled triumphantly. Another word where he had no idea what it meant. It was infuriating. Huffing as she turned to address the hyena pups, Scar tried to lick the part of his mane back into place where she'd mussed it.

...

"Alright little ones," Molly smiled reassuringly to the cowering pups, "Scar's gonna come and play hide-and-seek with us."

Molly hadn't thought it possible for them to look more scared, but they froze completely still and their eyes got as big as saucers. Finally, Zip, one of the bigger females asked, "S-Scar, is going to play? But...he scares us..."

Hearing another huff from behind her, Molly ignored Scar and continued smiling to the pups. She knew it was a big step for them to play with a lion like herself let alone Scar, the one their parents feared. "It's alright, Zip, he's really not all that bad," she dropped her voice to a whisper and they crowded closer, "It's really just an act, he's really a big squishy teddy bear."

"Teddy bear?" the pups faces scrunched up in confusion as they looked at each other.

"Er..."

"What are you telling them about me?" Scar's voice from her shoulder made her jump, and the pups scattered like dandelion seeds in the wind.

"You scared the crap out of me," she accused.

"I see your playmates have vanished. And I was so looking forward to hide-and-seek," he gave her a sly, 'I-told-you-so' look.

Sticking her tongue out at him, Molly said, "I didn't tell them anything, just that you're a lot nicer than you seem. But by the looks of things, they didn't buy it."

Surprisingly, a few of the pups did come back, Zip among them, tails tucked between their legs and sticking close to Molly.

"Molly, are you sure we can play?" Zip peeked around one of Molly's legs to look at Scar.

Showing his teeth, Scar grinned down at the young pup, "That's up to you. Are you all just going to run off every time I make a sudden move?"

Exchanging looks, the pups shook their heads.

"Then get going," Scar closed his eyes and began to count.

Looking up to Molly still, the pups waited for her to nod them along before running in all directions in search of hiding places. Molly knew she'd have to hide quite a bit harder than she'd ever had to before in her human body. Lion bodies were big...

...

Scar waited to fifty, then opened his eyes and stretched. Eyes were no good in this game, so he sniffed around for the trails of the four pups and Molly. He debated going right after her, but he knew the point of this was for him to play with the hyena pups. It seemed it would make Molly happy for some reason. Zoning in on the scent of one of the males, Scar trotted off towards the edge of the graveyard. Little pawprints led him to the skull of a long dead elephant, half-collapsed in. Peeking in, Scar found the pup huddled, looking terrified, in the corner of the skull.

Sighing, Scar sat back, "Come on out."

Obeying immediately, the pup hung his head as if about to be scolded as he came to sit in front of Scar.

"What's your name?"

"Dakarai."

"Why do you fear me, Dakarai?"

Swallowing, the pup answered, "You're the King's brother."

Scar couldn't help but laugh, "You're afraid of me because of who I'm related to?"

Peeking up at the laughing lion, Dakarai replied, "Well, that and..." he didn't continue.

"Yes?"

"You're...the scariest looking lion I've ever seen."

Shoulders shaking as he chuckled, Scar shook his head, "And how many lions have you seen pup?"

"Well," Dakarai traced a paw across the dirt, "I guess you and Molly are the only ones."

"I suppose against that sort of comparison I would be considered the scariest lion you've ever seen, hmm?"

Smiling a little, Dakarai nodded.

"Alright, get along with you, you've been found," Scar nodded back towards the starting point and continued on.

The scents and prints of two pups ran along each other for a long way before splitting at a cliff's edge. One seemed to disappear right over, and Scar chuckled as he back-tracked over the pawprint trail paying more attention to his nose. The pup had stepped in her own tracks and leapt off into a pile of bones a little way's back from the cliff. Raising up on his hind paws, Scar propped himself over the pile and peered in. A clattering from a little above him caught his attention and he saw a little dark paw retreat into a hole higher up in the pile. Careful of where he stepped, Scar made his way up the pile to find the big talkative female from earlier.

"Found you," he called to her.

Pouting a little, she slithered out from the bones to stand face to face with him, "I thought I had you when you walked past the first time."

"You forget lions have a nose?"

Annoyed, the pup sniffed and made as if to go down the pile, "No," placing her foot on a loose leg bone, the pup slipped and fell into open space.

Lunging out, Scar caught her in his mouth, but the movement had compromised his own footing and he toppled down the big pile of bones, head over heels, to the ground. Landing hard, Scar released the pup from his mouth before his teeth snapped down on her. Rolling away from him, she slammed against a rock with a soft yelp. Shaking his head to clear it, Scar went to the pup and nudged her with his nose.

Whining, she looked up at him pleadingly, "My leg hurts."

"Let me see," Scar licked at the leg and didn't taste any blood, "Try to stand on it."

Getting to her feet, she managed to put a little weight on it, but she still favored her paw.

"I think you'll be alright, but I'll carry you back."

Nodding, the pup allowed him to pick her back up gently with his mouth and take her back to her mother, who was beside herself howling when she saw Scar with her baby in his mouth. When he placed the pup down in front of her, safe and sound for the most part, she calmed.

"Thank you, Scar," she said, surprising him, "You saved my baby."

The commotion had brought back the other two pups and Molly, and the lionness smiled at him as the sun finally set and night took over, "Well that wasn't exactly what I had in mind as far as spending quality time with the pack, but it's a start.

...

Hi guys, I'm finally uploading chapter 11! *dodges sharp sticks, rocks, and rotten vegetables* Again, I'm SO sorry, and again, there isn't a good enough excuse. I sort of wrote myself into a corner on the last chapter and it took me a bit to figure out where I wanted to go, so hopefully this wasn't terrible... It's a lot of sappy bonding time, I know. Anyways, since I'm three chapters behind on answering you guys, I hope you guys don't mind if I only answer questions that have been asked. I'll try to keep up on it from now on so I don't have to skip anyone anymore. Love you all and thank you for being such great readers! Your guys' comments are always so awesome and a lot are really touching. Your comments mean the world to me!

Starting with the furthest back question:

sarahthepirate98: I vaguely described her, but I sure took my sweet time about it and I didn't realize until your questions! *blushes* I know I don't mention she's a redhead until chapter 6, and I didn't bother to mention her eye color until AFTER your question (and after she's a lion) in chapter 9 *slams head against desk* I'm a terrible author... Not even describing my main character... Her fur as a lion is the same color as her human hair, which i think I skimmed over somewhere in there too, but like I said, late in the chapters and probably pretty vaguely. So she's a reddish colored lion.

DovieDM-1991-Promised Wings: I have thought the Mufasa death scene/ending out several ways, actually, lol! And I'm still not sure on how I'm gonna address it. I still haven't 100% decided whether this story is an AU or not... I have pieces of the story laid out in my head, but it changes itself as I write it, so sometimes the pieces don't fit. I have a strong feeling this story is going to pull into AU and I might not get to the point of Scar killing Mufasa at all. I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better answer. *hangs head*

shadowoftheblackdeat: Big YES to the lemon question, I should put that in the description... But I'm trying to have them form a relationship before jumping into that, hehe. We'll see how that goes. I've had to rewrite several chapters already since I've jumped the gun more than twice. ;) Currently it's before the movies. It might leak over into during the movies, though I haven't 100% decided yet.

Xiaahandrus: Yes, it does indeed take place before prego Sarabi, hehe!

I solemnly swear to finish the story guys. Even if it takes me decades (God forbid, God forbid) I WILL complete it, so you don't have to worry about that. ^^ I just hope you all don't lynch and beat the ending out of me before then...