A/N: Here we are, once again. Chapter was done a bit earlier than I though, which is good. I'm about 1/3 of the way through the 15th one. Things are starting to get very interesting now, and a lot will be coming together soon.

Instead of replying to my reviewers in the notes, and bloating up the chapter length needlessly, I'm going to respond via PM as in my other story.

Seems more professional to do it that way.

Expect the next chapter sometime between the 30th of this month and the 5th of August.

Time to R&R, as they say.

Night came and went. Exactly as it always did. Sometime in the predawn hours, Scar found himself awake and quite restless.

Perhaps it was everything that had been going on. As always, he slept in his own cave. Simba didn't quite trust him yet and the rest of the pride would never tolerate the idea of him sleeping in the common den. Which suited him perfectly.

Slowly he stepped outside, shivering slightly at the temperature. Black mane glistening in the moonlight, he began pacing back and forth. Despite the time that had passed and all that they had gone through Scar didn't quite trust himself around his nephew. At least not when the latter was sleeping.

Not even a week ago he had stumbled into the den thinking he had heard something. As he saw Simba sleeping peacefully next to Nala, a vile urge began bubbling up within him. The urge to rip. To tear and maim. Dare he even think it, to kill.

Very vividly he could remember the feeling of standing at a crossroads. His whole life out in front of him along with the promise of a fresh start. Or he could go back to how he once was. Scar the murderer. Killer of kith and betrayer of kin. A single sound broke his focus. It was the sound of his newest family members. He didn't know if they ever awoke, because he bolted from the den at that instant. Disgust welled up within him, as it was now recalling the incident.

"How the past always rears it's despicable little head, never ceasing to haunt us." he hissed to himself.

Mercifully those feelings were getting less common as time passed.

Simba was a pain. Insufferably so. No thanks to Scar's actions, there would always be a wedge of sorts between them. Maybe not open hostility, but always a stiff awkwardness prevailing.

Motion caught his eye, and he whirled around. As it turned out, nothing more than the newest addition to the pride.

A smirk. "Well, well, aren't we a naughty girl? A bit past your bed time if I recall."

She whimpered slightly from the wound on her side. Seeing it was enough to make his body start to ache.

"Well...I really can't sleep. Too many nightmares." there was fear in her voice. Not of Scar, but of the things she was beginning to remember.

"That I suppose, makes two of us." a quick glance to the sky, then Scar looked back to the cub. "I'd rather not talk about mine, bit of a family affair." he gave an awkward laugh.

"But please, do feel free to talk about the ones disturbing you. Might give a bit of an insight as to what happened. If you don't mind that is." he smiled in an uncharacteristically gentle fashion.

Ani began breathing a bit faster. "I see things. Shapes at least. Dozens of them, but I don't know what. Roaring and laughter." There was a brief pause in her words, as her body shuddered involuntarily. "...then there was something else. It came well after the attack. My brother and I were separated then."

Pity. No, empathy. "Do you know what manner of creature it was?"

Her head shook. "No. It was big though, at least the size of a lioness. All I saw was a single glimpse, and then I ran. The sounds it made...horrible and unlike any I've heard from either Lions or Leopards."

Scar patted her gently on the head. "Perhaps it was all merely a dream. We can only hope as much. Still, if this has been persisting then it likely is something far more. Much as I despise the notion, perhaps that crazy monkey should be brought out here. Rafiki always has had a knack for that sort of inane thing."

"Maybe." a yawn escaped her lips. "Talking about it actually has made me feel a bit better. Come to think of it too, I am kinda tired."

He ran his paw through his mane thoughtfully. "Yes. Probably a good idea. Now, off you go." Scar gave a nudge with his snout.

As she scampered off to join the rest of the pride, he allowed himself to flop down on the hard ground. Try as he might, he couldn't help but mull over what she had said. If what she saw in those nightmares of hers held any meaning...then it would not bode well. As Scar drifted off to sleep himself, he made a mental note to talk with Simba about it on the morning patrol.

For the first time in weeks, he managed to have a peaceful uninterrupted sleep. No random intrusions, and no nightmares involving anyone from his past. Right as the first rays of sunlight began peaking over the lands did his eyes open. Inches away was his nephew. Scar jumped up, growling softly.

"Some nerve you have, spying on me while I slept." Scar responded, obviously very miffed.

Simba's only reply was to chuckle. "Relax, I was only going to ask-"

"That I hold your paw like always?" his uncle interrupted with a wry laugh. "Much as would love to avoid you and that charming personality of yours, I do have something of importance to discuss. So, shall we head out?"

...

The young king closed his eyes in silent contemplation. "That probably would be for the best. Rafiki knows what he is talking about. Always friendly too, except for that one time that he hit me over the head with his stick." Simba rubbed the back of his head with a paw.

"Well, I suppose someone had to knock some sense into that thick skull." Scar replied dryly.

Simba let out a low growl. His elder looked at him, making note in some of the ways he had changed. He had definitely grown, slightly. And the underside of his mane had taken on a near black color at the tips. Not that it stopped Scar from poking and prodding at his nephew from time to time. His reactions tended to amuse the elder.

"Funny you should say that. Because that was what finally motivated me into challenging you, and taking my place as king." was the red maned lions response. He felt a bit of satisfaction at his uncles sour expression. The two resumed the slow walk back to Pride Rock, with not a dozen words passing between them for several minutes.

Finally Simba decided that he had spent enough time wondering. There were things that needed to be clarified, now. Without stopping to think of the consequences he darted ahead, blocking Scar's path.

"There is something I need to know. You killed my father...tried to kill me. What I don't understand is why...did he really do that, is that why you murdered him!"

His eyes widened, as he was taken aback by the suddenness of the question. Not what he had been expecting.

But how his nephew phrased that question was odd. As if he knew something he should not have. So Scar decided to lead him in, with a question of his own. "So you know of the little lie he told me, and the pride?"

Simba nodded.

At the fringes, his lips curled. "Let me guess, did daddy actually own up to his...mistake?"

When Simba hesitated, Scar knew he had him.

"Uh, no he didn't. I just happened to overhear you talking to someone...I forget who, about it." came his response. Far to quickly for his own good. Simba was not a good liar, or at least not when taken by surprise.

"Really now...do tell me this then," the older lion said as he put his nephew on the spot. "What else have you 'overheard' about by sordid past?"

A quick glance at the ground, before looking up to face Scar. "Well...I know Scar isn't your real name. Taka is-" his uncle roaring right in his face silenced him.

"So it was you, eavesdropping little whelp!" Scar raised a paw, but decided against it. This didn't have to turn into a fight. "Listening in on mine and Nuka's conversation...that was a father son type of thing!" he said, trying to think of the best way to word it. Something about it felt very nostalgic.

"Look-" Simba exclaimed defensively. "I never meant to do that. It's just that I happened to be around, and...I was a bit curious. Especially when my father was brought up. This...this has been driving me crazy for months. I know my timing was bad, but it was something I had to know!"

Former king and current stared at each other intently. Scar could understand where Simba was coming from, but that didn't make him any less irritated that he had heard something so private. There wasn't a thing he could think of to say, when suddenly a voice was heard. Someone whom he greatly detested, but was forced to tolerate.

"Simba...there you are!"-"Down by gorge...somethings happened. An attack!"

Zazu. How he loathed the pompous flying rat. That wasn't the issue at hand though. "Well then, spill it you worthless sack of feathers. What happened!"

The bird puffed up. "If I recall, I was talking to the king, not you." Extra venom was put into the word king. Enough that Scar knew what he was getting at.

"Zazu!" With that tone, he could almost pass for Mufasa. Both the majordomo and former king could agree on that. "If it's that important, we need to go now."

Oh how he hated it when his nephew was right.

"Of course sire...but does he really need to be present, why you put up with him after all-" Simba roared.

"Enough. Just...show us the way already!" he said grumpily.

They followed, running across the Savannah. When Zazu came to a stop near the edge of the canyon both Simba and Scar could hear the roaring. It was coming from behind a small rock formation overlooking the walls. It had to be the strangest noise either had ever heard. As they rounded the corner, they saw two distinct shapes.

One was big, Scar observed. Much more so than the other. The latter was on the ground, barely even moving. When the cat heard Simba's roar, he or she bolted off. Since the creature managed to stay in the shadows, they were unable to see close enough to identify the larger intruder.

"Yeah that's right. And never come back!" Simba growled, in an attempt to sound menacing. That was forgotten right away when he and Scar saw the mangled state of the other feline.

"I'm getting a terrible sense of deja vu right about now." Scar mumbled. "You, Zazu...don't just stand with that beak of yours agape, go get Rafiki."

He took to the air, but not before shooting the smaller male a hateful glare. "With all due respect, you really have no business ordering me around."

"Just go now Zazu, and make sure to alert the pride, in case whatever that was ends up coming back." the king said, trying to keep his voice level. Turning to the wounded creature, he saw to his relief that the lion was still breathing. Or at least, Simba thought he was a lion. The sheer amount of blood made telling species impossible, but the amount of muscle gave away that it was definitely male.

"Simba, you do know that even with that crazy old baboon's healing medicines that he still might not survive. Those wounds are nasty, and if they grow infected he is as good as dead." Simba's elder said gravely.

"Still though, we have to try to save him...I couldn't live with myself if I knew that we left someone out here to die like that." Scar agreed, but refrained from speaking. His nephew's choice of wounds bothered him for some reason.

Doing the best he could, Simba attempted to clean the wounds. Anything to try and help. Within ten minutes Zazu returned, with several of the lionesses. Flicking his eyes through the crowd he instantly spotted his mate, his mother and Sarafina.

When his uncle leaned down, sniffing near the wounded adolescent, Simba thought nothing of it. When he caught sight of Scar's expression, it became very clear that something was terribly wrong.

Time seemed to slow down as the wind gently blew through his dark mane. "That scent, I remember it from somewhere..." Scar's lips curled into a snarl, and he felt as if he were slipping into a trance. No doubt it his mind, it was the same scent as long ago.

"Filthy rogue!" came the booming roar. He took off, only to have Simba leap in front of him. "When I get my paws on that wretch, I'll gut him like the murdering sack of refuse he is. Out of my way!" running solely on instinct he batted Simba roughly over the side of his head, then kept on running.

Several of the prides females gasped, but were stopped by their monarchs roar. "No, I'll get him. Hopefully before he hurts himself..." Simba rubbed the side of his head, wincing at the pain. Then he promptly took off, trying desperately to keep up with his older relative. A whirlwind of thoughts were bombarding him, and he knew he had every right to be angry. Yet he also felt concerned for his uncles sake. Something that could cause him to lose control so bad could never be good.

Try as he might, his body just wasn't built for speed. Already slowing, he could see the faint outline of the other lion, growing smaller with each passing step. Letting out a frustrated growl, he pushed his body harder. Even if he couldn't catch him, he couldn't allow him to go out of sight.

Several hundred feet ahead, the older lion raced across the Savannah. It was faint, but he was locked onto the scent. Very faintly he could feel his limbs throbbing with each step. Later he would really be hurting, but that didn't concern him. Jumping over a log, he managed to see something slink into some taller grass.

Snarling, Scar followed. Only a few dozens steps in and he was forced to come to a halt. A drop off, fairly steep at that. "Blast!' he spat in anger. "Lucky fool, if only I'd caught you..."

"And what would you have done if you did, Taka?" whispered a menacing voice. Scar turned, teeth bared, but was blindsided by a swipe to the face. Head spinning, he barely caught himself in time, as his back half slid over the edge.

Claws dug deep into his front feet, the only thing keeping him from sliding further down. Then came the voice. "I take it you know I'm the one. Don't worry, it'll be over much quicker for you than it was for him." a laugh, then Scar felt himself being flung down. After rolling several times, he felt his head smash into a rock. Then his whole world went black.

...

"Dammit Scar, what's gotten into you!?" Simba's mind was racing, nearly as fast as his own heart was pounding. No longer being able to keep track of his uncle by sight, instead he employed his sense of smell. Up ahead, he saw a patch of tall grass. A warning went off in his head, something on an instinctual level told him that if he went in he would be heading right into a trap.

Instead he veered off, heading down a gentle sloping portion of the hill. Reaching he bottom, he heard a loud noise from up top. Then, to his horror he saw Scar slip over the side. To his relief he saw his uncle catch himself, but that good feeling didn't last. Somehow or another, he saw Scar go flying over backwards, smashing over rock as he fell. To Simba, it was a horribly familiar situation.

Then he head the final dull thud.

"Noooooo!" roaring louder than he ever had, the young male raced towards his uncles fallen form.

...

A single well placed jump, and he managed to pull himself up into the branches of a large Acacia tree. A thorn snagged the edge of his tail, but he hardly paid it any mind.

Today he had taken a big risk, one that should never have happened. Not that death scared him, but he had so much to accomplish before it came. Admitingly he had allowed himself to get too absorbed in the thrill of a chase, though he knew that it wasn't wise to leave any lose ends. Especially not ones that contained that kind of information.

What it had done was nearly put him into the predicament of facing down two male lions. One, he figured he could handle...two was out of the question. The first one should have died, but he detested the fact that he had been interrupted before making sure it was done.

Not that it mattered. From his perch, he could barely even see the edge of the Pridelands, so he knew that there was no chance of anyone pursuing him.

Besides, he was expecting a report from one of his most trusted subordinates. And with the way things had played out, he was in a very good mood, enough so that he might even spare the other's life even if what it brought wasn't up to his standard.

A high pitched cackle prompted him to look down. Lips curled into a twisted smile, he couldn't help but be in awe of all the injuries his pet sported. So many wounds, some old and long since scarred over, others far more fresh.

Grunting, he landed right next to his 'ally'.

...