Taka's Guard - Chapter 14

Scar was awoken by a cold dawn. That was uncomfortable. The den, whether it be the main den, or the lair of the Lion Guard, part of the comfort of the den, aside from warmth retention during the long hours of the night, was the avoidance of being awoken rudely by the glaring sun. He guessed it was earlier than he'd have arisen without the suns harsh glare. Still, he awoke, bleary eyed, and nudged the other lions around him awake.

It wasn't just his vision being assaulted by the very terrain around him. The stink of Skeleton Canyon assailed their nostrils, carrion, filth, mixed with methane and charred flesh from bones fallen into searing crevices and ditches. The arid dry clung to their lungs. Scar doubted it was healthy for the creatures who lived in the Shadowlands, but he'd leave such things to healers and shaman. It was not his concern.

"Scar." Tojo asked him. The young adolescent male asked him nervously, looking decidedly small and vulnerable compared to the rest of the Guard. Jicho was lean, but Nguvu was built like a rhino. And at the moment, was passed out like one. Jicho was waking him, and Scar turned to Tojo in answer.

"Have you ever been this far north of the Pridelands?" Tojo asked him.

"A couple of times. Mostly whilst ranging on my father's behalf when you were a cub. Mufasa likes to keep us much closer to the Pridelands. Our father favoured a more… aggressive relationship with the Shadowlands and its inhabitancy. Why?"

Tojo shivered.

"I've never really been out of the Pridelands before, let alone spent the night." He admitted. "It's eerie. Feels weird." He said.

"We've not ranged this far out, or for this long before. But desperate times call for desperate measures. We must all sacrifice for what is right. Including your beauty sleep." Scar said, smirking, he looked to his mate, but Zira wasn't laughing.

"I did. A long time ago. I was born in the Outlands, remember?" Zira reminded them. Tojo cocked his head.

"I didn't know that." He said in surprise. Zira made a snort, and moved away, leaving Tojo bemused. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked aloud. Jicho clapped a paw on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it kid. She gets touchy when talking about her past. Neither Zira nor Kasi liked talking about their cubhoods much. I get the impression she sees it as something of an embarrassment. Or something." Jicho said. "Trust me. She actually seems to like you."

"How can you tell?"

"My sister doesn't mince her words. She'd make it very obvious if you annoyed her. Like you just did. She'd tell you if she didn't like you."

"Hang on, I didn't bring it up! She did!" Tojo protested. Jicho laughed.

"That's Zira for you. Lionesses." Jicho said with a shrug. Then ducked his head when Zira sent a disgusted expression back his way.

The keenest of sight made his way to the front of the party, and picked up his pace into a jog. Then, moved ahead, leaping onto an outcrop of rock, and slinking away.

"Where's he going?" Tojo asked Nguvu, who had moved up beside him.

"He's going to scout ahead of us. This territory is being fought over by at least two different factions of hyena. Maybe even three of them if those striped hyenas were fighting independently. We assumed they'd been fighting for one of the two warring spotted hyenas but you never can tell with hyenas… They're treasonous by nature." Nguvu reminded them.

The real Scar watched their history unfold about them with a dour expression. Kivuli was watching the Lion Guard with interest.

"At least you were starting to come back out of your shell after your grief." He noted sounding please. Behind him, Ammit gave a chuckle that sounded like claws unsheathing and sent shivers down Scar's spine.

"Oh come on Kivuli, even you are not that Naive. It's painfully obvious why he brought the brat along, isn't it? To stop him tattling on them and running to Mufasa. Don't confuse competence for compassion." Ammit said. "Isn't that right?"

"I… No. Not quite. I valued Tojo and his contribution." He said.

"Oh really? What does he bring to the group then, hmm? He doesn't have Kasi's Speed, or Nguvu's Strength or Jicho's eyes, did he?"

"The boy had spirit. I liked that about him. Besides. He was… Brave."

"Ah… So it was Imani he reminded you of. Imani who died helping you kill Caliban, and got his throat ripped out for his troubles. Was that your plan here too? Bring someone nice and expendable in case someone needed to die this time too? I can't be the only one who sees history repeating itself here, can I?" Ammit asked him.

"If I wanted disposable minions, I'd have brought the hyenas along with me." Scar snapped in annoyance. And Ammit grinned, his eyes glinting.

"How very noble of you." He said, as Scar realised what he'd just said, and glanced guiltily to Kivuli, knowing such a thing would reflect poorly on his eventual judgement. Truth be told though, Kivuli seemed focused on Zira, the lioness who was bringing up the rear of their illicit team of killers. Her face was filled with grim determination.

"You brought Zira with you too… You never brought your mate into danger with you in the past."

"Zira could take care herself. She wasn't an ornament." Scar said.

"Oh I was not accusing you of chauvinism Scar… I just thought it was… interesting… that after losing so much you seemed unafraid of losing her too."

"Interesting how?" He asked him.

"I… wonder… Was Mufasa right?" He asked him, looking up at him with a curious expression of pity and concern.

"About what?" Scar asked, for the moment confused.

"Never mind." Kivuli decided. "Let us see what the past holds for you. I must admit, I find myself curious. You went so far to take your revenge on Bane. He hurt you more than anyone. More than Mufasa did."

"I hated my brother." Scar admitted. "I murdered him for the crown. But if he had done to me what Bane had… If he had killed my child with his own paws…"

"Then the Kingdom would still be aflame." Kivuli finished for him.

"That didn't stop you blaming him though, did it?" Ammit asked. Scar was silent. He looked away. Instead, they looked at the shade of Scar in the past Younger. Leaner. At the prime of his young adult life. And focused on the singular task at hand. This wasn't an assassination, or a careful cunning scheme or trap. This was a lion at war. Every step he took was filled with purpose, his eyes glinted with murderous intent.

"They follow you." He noted. "Nguvu and Jicho. Zira and Tojo. There must be a part of them that knows that what they are doing is incredibly risky. If they were caught, they risked igniting open conflict with the hyena clans. It was a direct violation of the King's orders. There was every chance they would be caught and killed. Even a severe injury, this far from Pride Rock, would kill them before they made it halfway home. They were absolutely without resources, without allies, bar a few sympathetic hyenas. Yet they follow you even still. Through the fire."

"Zira lost her brother. And Jicho might have been a naive, kind hearted lion, but he lost a brother that day too. He didn't care that Kasi wasn't his brother by blood, I think he wept for Kasi as much as Sauda did."

"There is no shame in grief, Scar. Never that. What is grief, but the pain of love cut away by the veil?"

"No. But I find fury preferable to tears. It is more… useful." Scar said.

"We'd noticed. Hence your murderous rampage into the Shadowlands, risking life, limb and the political stability of the Serengeti." Ammit noted, with an arrogant smirk. Kivuli rolled his eyes.

"Zira and Jicho might be there for revenge, but what of the others? They were there for you. Scar."

"Tojo just leapt at the chance to live out his cubhood fantasies of heroism and –"

"And who did you think made him want to be a hero?"

"Oh please-" Ammit made retching noises behind him, as Scar paused, stunned. It was true, he knew that Tojo admired the Lion Guard, he'd made use of that loyalty more than once, as evidenced by his manipulating Tojo into joining the Guard and thus evading Mufasa's interference.

"He came because you called. And what about Nguvu? Was he a Lion who needed revenge? No, he just needed to help his friends."

"You keep calling it revenge –"

"You assassinated the first stable leader the spotted hyenas had for a generation, started a Civil War, and framed your own friend for treason which, by the way, resulting in her exile. Then you used the chaos to penetrate the Shadowlands defences, ambushed and murdered a party of hyenas, tortured them for information, all in an act of open rebellion against your brother's authority, which, by the way, you didn't undermine, so much as deny its very existence. One can't help but think that just perhaps you may have allowed your grief to overwhelm your sense of proportionality. Explain to me how this isn't revenge?" Kivuli said, suddenly annoyed at Scar's evasion and excuse making.

Scar looked at him. Then nodded.

"Alright. It was revenge. But if you want me to express some regret for what happened to Bane… then we'll be awaiting here for a long time." Scar told him.

The party of lions continued through skeleton canyon, with Tojo taking the opportunity to speak to each of the Lion Guard in turn. He even spoke quickly to Zira who, perhaps regretting her earlier terseness, answered his questions easily. He had always been an inquisitive cub, though he had grown less blunt and more sensitive. He avoided any mention of Zira's recent tragedies, and focused on earlier, happier times.

To Scar's surprise, he didn't mind the young lion's questions too much, though it was Nguvu who seemed to take him under his wing, and to whom he directed most of his queries. He kept his curiosity sated, learning all he could about the Pridelands. When Nguvu answered, it reminded him eerily of Ahadi's long lectures on the Kingdoms and Dominions of the Serengeti. When Scar held up a paw though, they fell silent, and crouched to the ground. Scar inhaled briefly, and looked to Zira, who nodded. She smelt it too.

"Jicho isn't back yet…" Nguvu commented. If there were patrols a head…" His thought evaporated when Jicho moved out of a pile of bones nearby, and behind him, came a familiar trio of hyenas.

"Look who I found?" Jicho said as they arrived. Tojo was curious as he recognised Shenzi along with the two males he'd seen the day prior.

"Shenzi?" Zira asked in surprise as she saw her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were recovering in the Pridelands?"

"The crazy monkey shaman. He works quickly, let me tell you." She said. Scar raised an eyebrow. Even Rafiki wasn't that good, and, sure enough, he could see her favouring one side. He doubted she be of much use in a fight. Even running she'd been a liability. He wondered how she had made it out this far so quickly. She must have known a pass or route through some of the more inhospitable parts of the Shadowlands. "Besides, I wasn't going to let you guys wander around the Shadowlands with just these two bozo's for guides." She said, nodding to Banzai and Ed. One of whom scowled at her, whilst the other gave a crazed laugh.

"You came back!" Scar said in surprise.

"Yeah, well, we decided that stopping you getting killed by Uchawi or Mbaya is in everyone's best interest. If the Lions entered the war… well… things would go well for our kind." Banzai admitted. Scar nodded, but looked at Shenzi, carefully. "I thought I instructed you to remain in the Pridelands." Scar said, shocked.

"Yeah, you did. But you're not the boss of me." Shenzi snapped with uncharacteristic viciousness. Nguvu looked between Shenzi and Scar in surprise.

"Um… Is something going on here?" He asked, sensing the tension between the two. Even at this point in time, long before Scar's cruelty and violent temperament had manifested against his own allies and friends, Shenzi wasn't brave enough to stand up to Scar, especially when he glared at her with such coldness. Nguvu caught his expression, and looked worried. Shenzi didn't look unafraid, but she did look defiant. Something must have really upset her for her to act in such a manner.

"Later." Scar told Nguvu. Then turned to Shenzi. "Why did you come out here?"

"Until a few days ago, this was my home. I know these places and ruins better than anyone." Shenzi said confidently. Banzai nodded begrudgingly. "Her family was from round these parts, yeah." He said.

"The better question is: what are you doing here?!" Shenzi told him. "I thought you said you weren't getting involved in the civil war here." She said accusingly. Zira paused.

"What are you talking about?" She asked her. Shenzi grit her teeth.

"As if you don't know… Skeleton Canyon was Uchawi's territory, but now it's Mbaya's base of operations. She fled here after Uchawi's coup! Over that ridge are just about four dozen hyenas, all of whom would happily grind your bones to dust between their teeth." Shenzi said. The hyena gave him a crazed look. "Do you have a death wish?" She asked him. Scar snorted.
"I am not afraid of hyenas. I am not here for you or your kind. Why the hell are you even out here anyway, each of those hyenas thinks you killed the matriarch."

"And whose fault is that?" Shenzi said acidly.

You could see the fire in both of their eyes now.

"So why are you here, Shenzi?" Scar asked her. Shenzi grimaced.

"Banzai, Ed and I are having no part in this… this insanity. You're going to get yourselves killed, and we ain't going down with you. I came to fish Banzai and Ed out of your grasp before you got them killed." Shenzi said.

"Whoa. Time out." Jicho said, suddenly alarmed. "Shenzi, I know you're scared."

"Scared? Too right I am scared." She lifted a paw, and they could make out the lines of injuries recently healed from where she had been attacked by Mbaya's pack.

"Very well, Shenzi. If it will set your mind at ease… let me assure you that I have no intention of fighting two dozen hyenas at once. I am not leading an attack on Mbaya or Uchawi for that matter and we are not here to fight your blasted war for you." Scar told her. His voice becoming oily, smooth and oh so reasonable. Shenzi looked at him.

"Do you promise?" She asked him suddenly.

Scar's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Give me your word, Scar. You've never lied to me, so give it. Then I'll believe it." She told him.

Scar sighed, and suddenly he sounded weary. The cold, angry fire that filled him seemed to evaporate.

"Shenzi… I promise you, I am not going to let you, Banzai, or Ed or anyone here get killed. I am not here for Mbaya." And suddenly, he sounded tired. Like the broken, grieving father he was. Shenzi was quiet for a moment.

"Then, why Scar, why would you come this spirit blasted place of all places. What is there for you here?" She asked, trying to understand.

"Bane." Scar said simply.

Shenzi was aghast.

"You think… You think that he is in there." She nodded over her shoulder to where she knew the seething mass of hyenas lay in wait. Spotted hyenas, and sellclaws of other clans, selling their fighting prowess for meat. It was like hunting were the kill was always certain. Of course, neither was one's own safety, but that was part of the thrill.

"No." Zira said, answering for him. "We think Mbaya knows where he is though." She said.

"Her mother practically admitted as much when we spoke with her. She openly told us that many in her clan were sympathetic to his cause, that they'd celebrated Kasi's death. We know that he's not in the Outlands, else we'd have found him by now. Ergo, he must be here. And if he's here, then the reigning Matriarch will know where he is." Scar explained. Shenzi ground her teeth in frustration.

"You'll never get close to her. She'll have surrounded herself with her toughest warriors. You'd need to kill dozens of hyenas."

"I have a hunch we'll be able to find her alone." Scar said smoothly. "If not… I am prepared to fight as many as it takes." Shenzi shook her head, shocked.

"Are you with us or not, Shenzi?" Zira asked her sharply sensing her hesitation. Shenzi winced, her previous defiance evaporating under her withering gaze.

"I… But…"

"Are you with us or not?" Scar asked her again. Shenzi ground her teeth, clearly unfinished and agitated with what she and her pack were signing up for. Nevertheless, she nodded silently.

"Very good." Scar said, sounding pleased.

He turned to Jicho.

"What did you see?" He asked him, and Jicho immediately began to tell him of all he had seen in skeleton canyon, the positions of the fighters, and the scout. Hyenas were lazy, and ignorant, but not so foolish as to leave their borders open to attack when in the grip of civil war, which, for the Shadowlands, was most of the time. The hyenas regularly patrolled the edges of the temporary dens that had formed as Mbaya gathered her forces, keeping a watchful gaze for Uchawi and any of her forces who would use their disorganisation whilst they gathered to mount an attack. He gave a grim nod as Jicho gave more details. Nguvu paced about, and sounded agitated. They were a Lion Guard, not an army. Even with the hyenas backing them, there were far too many hyenas to fight. If they were caught, they would be killed. Scar however, seemed unconcerned with the risk, or the inordinate amount of danger they were in.

When they had finished, they looked to Scar for instructions. The dark maned prince was determined, and his eyes already gleamed with the look of one who possessed an idea.

"So what do we do now boss?" Banzai asked him. The Lion Guard, and the hyena trio turned to him expectantly. Scar grinned.

"Nothing." He said. "Now we wait."

"Wait?" Shenzi asked him, warily. "Wait for what?"

"Patience, Shenzi. All shall become clear, soon enough."

And so that was what they did. For what felt like hours, they Lion Guard and the hyenas waited, in different states of agitation and nervousness. Tojo seemed the only one not to realise that this was not standard behaviour for the Lion Guard, being so inexperienced. Nguvu and Jicho however were nervous. Jicho kept them on alert, and warned them of any approaching hyenas, but should the wind change suddenly, there was little they could do about their own scents, and the longer they stayed in one place, the greater the chances of some particularly talented tracker among Mbaya's fighters picking up their scent and alerting the rest of the Shadowlands to their presence.

"Is it always like this?" Tojo asked Shenzi, suddenly. The matriarch looked surprised at being addressed by the young lion.

"Is what?"

"Being in the Lion Guard?" Tojo asked her.

Shenzi snorted.

"I ain't in the Lion Guard brat. Don't go spreading that around… me getting chummy with Scar and his crew helped start all this mess in the first place." She said.

Bless the young lion's naivety, he actually seemed surprised by that.

"Why?" He asked.

"Are you kidding me? For a start, Carrocscir is the heart of the Shadowlands. It's like Pride Rock, but with hyenas. And burning jets of steam. And rotting skulls." Shenzi said. Tojo blanched.
"I've never seen the Ivory Tower before…"

"Hope you never do. It's not a very nice place. And it's filled with not-very-nice people." Shenzi told him.

"What does it have to do with you and Scar?" Tojo asked him.

"I… told Scar what I knew about the routes through the geyserfields. To get through to the tower you need to get past blistering jets of gas, and through a labyrinth of tunnels of razor sharp rocks. Not only that, the groundquakes and shifts through the area mean it can change on a regular basis. Trying to get a large number of fighters through there is like herding gazelle through a ravine. A death-trap. The clan that controls Carrocscir can retreat there in times of war."

"And you showed Scar how to get past it."

"Yeah… So far as I know, Scar's the only lion in the history of the Shadowlands to be able to come and go as he pleases through the Shadowlands. That didn't go down well with my… superiors." She said, gritting her teeth in anger.

"I… wow… You risked a lot." Tojo said, sounding impressed.

"Yeah, well, we all make mistakes." Shenzi said with a hint of bitterness.

"But you helped the Guard, you –"

"What's your name, kid?" She asked him, interrupting whatever it was he was about to say.

"Tojo". He replied. Shenzi nodded.

"Remember this then, Tojo. I'm not one of your lions. I'm not one of your heroes. I ain't a member of your precious Lion Guard. I just do what I need to do to survive."

Tojo opened his mouth to say something to that pronouncement, but Shenzi stood up and walked away. Tojo watched her leave, and almost called out to here when Jicho gave a gasp.

"Guys…" He called out. "We have movement." He said.

The others leapt to their feet instantly, giving small cries of alarm. All except for Scar. Scar just gave a grim smile.

"It's… Spirits Scar… Is that who I think it is?"

Jicho breathed as he saw the single hyena move away from the vast multitude, keeping to the edges of the pack. Her manner was unmistakably that of someone trying to slip away quietly, and not be noticed as they did so. Shenzi's eyes narrowed as she watched.

"Yeah. That's her alright." She said, almost in disbelief, and Scar didn't need to look to know he had guessed correctly.

"That's Mbaya." Shenzi said, recognising her.

"Good." Scar said. "Let's go then."

They followed the furtive matriarch from a distance. It seemed odd to Jicho that one of the most powerful hyenas in the Shadowlands would sneak away from her gathered pack, though Scar could think of a few occasions when he had sought solitude from his own Pride. He'd never done so when the Pride was at war however… when enemies could lie around every corner.

Mbaya slipped away through one of the tunnels and the Lion Guard gave her a head start before following. Scar wasn't interested in catching her after all, he wanted to know where she was going.

Sure enough, the tunnels that weaved into the side of the ravine led through a passage and into the side of the canyon itself. The Guard followed their hyena guides through Skelton Canyon, though a twisting labyrinth of rock and rubble, and at their urging, entered the tunnel after Mbaya. Scar was glad of Shenzi's help, because they swiftly lost sight of the hyena matriarch, and would have ended up lost – or worse – without her aid. It was near pitch black, and only Jicho had any real vision of their surroundings. Nevertheless, they continued onwards, and when they approached the ending of the tunnel, it opened out into a cavernous area. As they did so, they became away of raised voices.

"I don't care what you've said in the past, little Matriarch. I have held up my end of our bargain, have I not?"

A deplorably familiar voice echoed. Scar stiffened, recognising it immediately.

"I am aware of that, Bane." Mbaya said, the young matriarch insisted, sounding nervous without her pack of hyenas backing her up. "The situation has changed." She tried to explain.

"Has it really?" Bane ask. The wilddog leaned in. Hyenas tended to grow larger than wilddogs, but Mbaya was still a young hyena. Bane was tall and he leaned forward, towering over her. His golden eyes glowed.

"You better not be having second thought, Mbaya." He said. "We made an arrangement in good faith. I'd hate to think you were untrustworthy…" He said. Around him, Scar could see other shapes as his eyes adjusted to the gloom. The glowing outline of other wilddogs eyes appeared, some he recognised from Bane's previous attack on the Pridelands. There was no sign of the Cheetah who had been present at Kasi's execution, though.

"Things are different now! I was happy to help you to begin with, you and your crew have the right idea when it comes to Mufasa and his meddling Lion Guard. But my Clan is at War with itself! Mother's death sent some of the pack leaders into open rebellion!"

"Perhaps your mother didn't have as tight a grip on power as she suspected then." Bane said. Mbaya growled in anger.

"Shut up!"

"No, I don't think so, Mbaya. We have an accord. You provide my followers and me with a secure location from which to prepare our next strike against the Lion Guard. And In return, I help you win this blasted civil war. If it weren't for me, you and your followers would have fallen as soon as Uchawi and her rebels took the tower from you, and you'd be breakfast for buzzards!" Bane growled.

"I appreciate your advice, Bane." Mbaya said, nervously. "I just-"

"But nothing, Mbaya. I have come too far to stop now. I shall finish this, no matter what it costs me. You aren't going to weasel out of this now because things are getting to hot for you."

Scar couldn't control his anger any more. He let out a roar, and moved into the cavern with a shout of pain and anger, his eyes wild with fury.

"Scar no!" Jicho shouted in alarm, as Scar pushed past him.

Mbaya and Bane turned to him in shock, as soon as he announced his presence, and gave a cry of rage.

"BANE!" He spat the word with such hatred, such soul destroying venom, that some of the wilddogs nearest leapt back. Mbaya looked terrified.

Bane's expression twisted into fury.

"You snivelling traitor! You've led him right here!" He shouted. Mbaya gave a cry of protest, of desperate denial, but it made no difference as Bane lashed forward and seized the smaller hyena by the neck. She struggled only briefly as his teeth sank into her neck and she gave a shriek of pain that suddenly fell silent as Bane twisted in a horrific motion. In one movement, Mbaya's neck made a noise as it snapped and Bane hurled her broken body to one side. And then he was staring at Scar, ready, and waiting for another fight, all thoughts of Mbaya immediately discarded. It was so sudden and so brutal that even Scar was, however briefly, shocked into stillness.

Just like that, Mbaya was dead.

It didn't matter to him. It had only saved him the effort of killing her himself.

"So this is where you've been hiding. Under the ground with the worms!" Scar seethed as he approached the wilddog. Bane cocked his head.

"Well, it's important to have friends, Scar. I see you've brought some of your own." Bane said, looking past Scar, at the rest of the Guard, who leapt into the cavern after Scar, hoping to back him up.

Bane's grin twisted as he saw Zira.

"You even brought your mate with you. I heard she's an Outlander. It makes sense." He said.

"You killed my Son." Scar said, with a note of pure and single-minded wrath. Bane was expressionless. He did not deny the accusation, or ask for further details. He simply nodded. "If he had lived, would he have inherited your position, Scar? Would he have led the Lion Guard for Mufasa's offspring?" he asked him.

"He'd have been greater than either of his parents! And you stole that from him!" Zira said, her expression a twist of inconceivable pain, and unrelenting anger. Murderous rage filled every one of her features. Bane nodded.

"Then let me tell you something, Scar. If he was to grow up like you, then I am glad that he is dead. Glad that he never had the chance to become you." Bane said, with certainty. Even the hyenas drew breath at that pronouncement. Even Nguvu appeared capable of calculated murder.

"You are a monster." Jicho said. "You killed my brother… You hurt my sister so bad that it killed my nephew. Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused us?" He asked him. Bane looked to him, recognising him instantly. He knew all of the Lion Guard by sight. Knew their skills, their strengths, their weaknesses. He had left Jicho to be killed by a number of allies, only to learn that Jicho had allies of his own. Now though, he was alone, and he looked at Jicho with an appraising expression.

"Do I have any idea? Jicho… You may be keenest of sight, but not keenest of mind, I see. I know exactly how much pain I have caused you. That's the whole point." Bane said. His expression became as calm as a pool of water, a stark contrast to Zira and Scar and even Jicho's burning rage. "You didn't think it was an accident, did you? That Zira miscarried? After what Scar became, did you think I would have allowed another of his kind to enter this world?" Bane said.

Scar's face was like a storm, as Jicho gasped. He had naively believed till now that Bane had targeted Zira because of her relationship to Scar, and that the death of her son was an unintended side effect. But Bane had known. Bane had known Zira was pregnant, and hadn't just targeted her anyway. Her condition had only emphasised his hatred. It was a hatred to intense that it revolted them. Jicho roared in anger, but it was Scar that spoke.

"I am going to kill you for this. But not before I've made you endure as much pain as your body can endure." Scar promised him. Bane cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't think so." He said, wholly unconcerned. He looked at Mbaya's body and kicked it away from him, freeing his claws. "Kill them." Bane commanded. And retreated. His remaining reavers, till now awaiting in the shadows, visible, but silent, stationary, and standing at the ready, charged towards the Lion Guard at their allies. Banzai have a panicked yell, and the rest of the Lion Guard snarled in fury, as the pack of wilddog descended on them.

"Oh no you don't!" Scar roared as Bane backed away, back into the tunnels.

"Wait, Scar!" Nguvu warned him, but Scar thundered past the rest of the lion guard as the pack of wilddogs and hyenas descended on the rest of them. Tojo gave a shout as a wilddog snapped at him, pulling backwards. Nguvu, his great bulk pushing past him, was suddenly there, swatting the wilddog out of the air like a fly with his great strength as Tojo recovered.

"Well, let's see how you do in a real fight." Banzai laughed at Tojo's sudden shock, and bared his teeth. He was promptly knocked out of the way by Zira, who pushed passed him and reared on her hind legs, slashing out with both paws and dragging them through wilddog and hyena with a murderous scream of rage. It sent chills through Tojo's spine to see the quiet lioness give such a primal cry of rage. Shenzi however, gave a cackle of appreciation.

"That's the spirit Zira!" And Jicho too gave a shout.

The tempest of claws and fur that erupted then was a garbled mess of confusion, and the noise was deafening. It echoed around them, and the scream of pain and war cries were punctuated by the snap hiss of erupting geysers and the occasional echoing laughter of hyena – though, whether they fought for Bane and his reavers, or for the Lion Guard, it was impossible to tell by ear alone. The dismal lighting and the quick movement made shadows dance across the floor and ceiling of the cavern.

Ammit, Kivuli and Scar watched the fight with interest. At the time, Scar had been too focused on his own fury and his pursuit of Scar to pay much attention to the fighting of his allies. Ammit displayed his by now familiar pleasure at every drop of blood split, and Kivuli seemed intrigued by the actions of his fellows, watching as Tojo ducked under a wilddog's violent leap at his throat, and then giving a grimace as Zira moved like a blur to where the unfortunate canine landed. She gripped onto his neck viciously and bite at his throat with as much savagery as she could muster. After a few moments, she dropped the now deceased dog to the ground.

The fights were short. Much shorter than they usually were. The lion Guard fought with skill and power – they were the mightiest fighters in the Pridelands. But the wilddogs fought with a reckless abandonment of thought. They pushed forwards with little thought, seeking to overwhelm with pure numbers. There was a manic look in their eyes as they did so, and didn't seem to feel it as they were cut down. Kivuli noticed Scar's expression and guessed what he had noticed.

"They're zealots." Kivuli explained. "Each and every one of these creatures has abandoned their pack, their clan, and their families, to fight with Bane. Each and every one of them hates the Lion Guard with an absolute passion." He sounded almost sad. His expression almost piteous as he watched them throw their lives away in a desperate attempt to kill as many of them as possible. Scar – who had barely been able to conceal the relish with which he saw each of their death's, looked outraged.

"You feel sorry for them!" He accused him.

Kivuli shrugged.

"Of course I do."

"After what they did?! After what they tried to do?! How can you feel sorry for them? They is nothing in them but hatred! Look at them! They're not frightened by the deaths of their allies, they're fighting all the harder for it." That was true. If anything, the deaths of their fellows seemed to throw them into ecstasy.

"Exactly. How could I not feel sorry for them?" Kivuli asked him in genuine confusion.

"They deserved to die."

"Probably. All the more reason to pity them. If they had reason to live, perhaps I would pity them less. But all they have is their hatred."

Scar shook his head.

"I don't understand you. I can't tell if that's compassion or mercy or naivety or what." He said, sounding sincere.

"I wonder if that is the problem. Justice must be tempered with mercy. Or at least pity. Lest it be tainted with vengeance." Kivuli asked him.

Scar growled in anger. "I will never pity them. They chose who they followed. They made their choices. They don't deserve my mercy or compassion. They deserved a bloody and violent death, and that is what they got. That is justice. The fact most died right away is all the mercy they were owed." He said firmly.

"Amen to that." Ammit said, grinning, his expression right.

Zira gave a cry of pain as a striped hyena clawed onto her back.

"Zira!" Jicho was there, dragging the hyena from her, and slamming it into the ground.

They moved quickly, past the slaughter, through the tunnel through which Bane, and then Scar had ran through at the beginning of the fight. Scar wasn't interesting in killing Bane's minions, not whilst Bane was still alive.

"Face me!" Scar seethed. "Stop running and fight me!"

"Don't want to." Bane's voice echoed back around him, as Scar continued to push forwards. Scar growled in frustration as Bane's voice echoed back to him. "Did you think I'd face you in a fair fight? I know better than to try and to fight the fiercest in the Pridelands. Those who do end up dead!" Bane taunted him.

"You can't run for ever! I will hunt you to the ends of the earth! You think if you keep running then I'll give up? Because that won't happen!" Scar bellowed, and the ground shook.

"Oh I know it won't. I know you better than that, Scar! I know the rage that runs through you, the anger, and the pain at someone you lost. I felt it when you murdered my mate, remember? We are alike, you and I." It echoed back.

"Don't talk like you know anything about me!" Scar shouted

"But I do know you Scar! I know you better than anyone. I've had to. I learnt all I could about you. How else could I beat you?"

"Stop talking and fight me!" Scar shouted. He felt the roar of the elders surge within him, responding to his anger, to his righteous fury.

"I knew it would be… difficult… to beat you. I was frankly amazed you fought so poorly the last time, though I'll admit, I had you outnumbered then. I expected so much more from you. I knew how to fight you, I knew to keep you from using the roar, I knew not to face you alone and I knew I would need allies to match the greatest of the Guard. I knew I couldn't beat you in a fight. But I could defeat you, Scar. I could end what the Lion Guard was. And that's exactly what I've done!" Bane cried, his voice echoing around him.

"You're mad." Scar spat.

"You only think that because you can't conceive of me being right. I'm not as big or as strong as a lion, Scar. I'm not savage like the hyenas, or fast like the cheetahs. But I am smart. And where, on your precious Lion Guard, is there a Lion who can match that? What use is Kasi's speed, or Jicho's sight, or Nguvu's strength?"

"You talk too much!"

"I know. But please indulge me, Scar, it's important to me that you know, that you understand, how I beat you." The wilddog's voice was insidious and mocking.

"Why don't you come out of hiding and face me!" Scar howled in anger. He was here. He was right here, somewhere. He'd found him, he'd hunted him down and found him, and right now, right here, when his revenge was so close, when Bane was just a whisper from him, not he vanished and became just whispers on the wind himself. Taunting him. Laughing at him. But never around the next corner, never in the next tunnel. The walls of the tunnel grew oppressive and hard.

"I cannot match the roar, I can't fight that blasphemous power you wield. But I could kill your friends. I could kill your allies. It was I who manipulated Msalti and her clan into turning against Shenzi and her hyenas, long before I attacked you and the Guard. I blinded you in the Shadowlands, so that we could make our plans without your interference. Does Mufasa know how much you've depended on your little birds to keep tabs on the rest of the hyenas?"

"How'd you know –"

"I told you. I know all about you, Scar. I know your secrets, your way of living, your way of fighting, your way of thinking. And I know only one person who ever beat you, Scar." He grinned. "Caliban. He broke you. You might have put the pieces back together, but you were never the same, were you? He didn't just kill Imani, he killed Taka. He killed the Lion you were. On the inside. I knew that if I wanted to finish you off, I needed to do the same. And I have." Bane grinned. "I beat you. I killed Kasi, the fastest in the Lion Guard. I can kill Jicho and Nguvu too. I will kill your mate, like I killed your child, and I will kill your friends, and if that isn't enough, I'll kill more and more people you know until I leave you a broken, wretched ruin who will beg for death! Even if I can't kill you, I can break you. And that's almost as good. I'll settle for that." He sneered.

Scar growled in anger and grounded the corner of the twisting tunnel, and Bane was there.

The wilddog crashed into his side, seizing his leg in his jaws, and jerking it to the side. His bone crushing bite severed tendon, and muscle, and Scar crashed to the ground. His mouth filled with blood, and he coughed. Bane jumped back nimbly, and glared down at him. His muscles screamed in anger, and he couldn't put any weight on the leg. He felt the Roar of the Elders soar within him, and growling, let it loose. The roar crashed through the air, almost tangible in the smoky, dismally lit cavern, rippling towards him, and hurling Bane away from him. The ground split, and walls shuddered with the impact. Scar advanced towards Bane, but immediately, the air filled with searing hot steam, as a geyser that wasn't there before erupted into being in front of him, singeing his fur. He pulled back, jerking his head away and shielding his eyes from the boiling mess, as Bane crawled to his feet.

"What's the matter Scar? Cat got your tongue? Come on. Roar at me! Give me your best shot!" Bane grinned. The wilddog smirked, standing in the open.

Scar snarled in pain, but the pain fuelled his cry. He roared again, heedless of the destruction, and the roar of the elders lashed at Bane. The wilddog danced backwards, as the cavern shuddered with the impact. Ahead of them, rocks began to tremble and break apart. Another geyser, and another ripped into being, filling the tunnel with more heat. It was uncomfortable now, swelteringly hot. It also added to the dismal lighting, casting shadows around them, as the thundering chaos of shifting rocks, echoing sounds of battle, and the reverberating echoing tremors of the roar melded into one cacophony of violence and fear. Scar hesitated as the ground shifted.

Bane laughed.

"You see! You can't use it! Not without bringing this cavern down on top of us, and killing us all!" He laughed as Scar drew his claws, eyes filled with hatred. Bane grinned. "You wanted a fair fight. You've got it. Let's hope you remember how to fight fairly." Bane said.

Then, the much smaller wilddog danced over Scar's vicious swipe, and bit into Scar's flank. The lion flailed, and tried to throw him clear, but the wilddog held on fast with his jaws, and grinned as blood filled his mouth, spilling out between his teeth.

He released his hold, and rolled away, using his smaller size to flip between Scar's attacks, and return viciously. Scar was not a poor fighter, but he was already injured, and fighting in the dark in unfamiliar terrain. Bane didn't fight with the same zealotry with which his underlings had fought. His was a cold, calculated, intelligent fighting style, always keeping on Scar's injured side, and always staying on the move. He retreated, dancing away from Scar's aggression instead of meeting it head on. A far cry from hyenas and their barbaric back-and-forth.

It was rare for a wilddog to fight alone, true, but Bane wasn't a fool. He made up for his disadvantages in other ways. Scar swiped at him, and Bane pulled back too slow. Scar's claws raked into his chest, drawing blood. Bane gave a hiss of pain, but continued to fight. His jaws were powerful enough to ruin any limb they managed to latch onto, and his fought with a mechanical polished quality that Scar knew was born of practice. It wasn't a natural thing, it was a skill he had taught himself to wield. It was clear that Bane wasn't a naturally gifted fighter. He had become one through effort, and skill. And that made him extraordinarily dangerous.

Try as Scar might, he simply couldn't get close enough to Bane, without the wilddog slipping away, retreating, and always having somewhere to run to.

"Without your roar, do you know what you are Scar? Nothing. A lesser scion of another lion's dynasty. A broken, lonely prince. You're not a hero, or a warrior or a fighter. You're just Mufasa's puppet, doing his bidding till you die." Bane said.

"I am better than you." Scar retorted.

"No. I don't think so. I am almost prepared to leave you alive. Alive in your own misery and despair. I can see it. Etched on your soul. Msalti. Caliban. Hyenas. They don't understand you at all, not how I did. Even if you beat me, even if you kill me, even if you get up and live the rest of your life in peace, I have still won. I have broken you in a way you can never heal from. You will never get over this. Never be rid of me. That I can promise you. I will be your bane until you die." He promised him. He rocked his head considering. "But I think I'd still rather kill you. Those pathetic cowards have it wrong you know. About the roar. About what it makes you. I am not afraid of that. You're mortal. You can bleed. So you can die." He said.

Bane stepped forwards, moving towards Scar.

"With you dies the Lion Guard. And I shall be remembered as the one who killed it. My legacy will be the destruction of the Lion Guard, and the end of our enslavement to Mufasa's thrice cursed spiritualism." Bane said, his eyes wide.

Scar growled in anger.

"No. No they won't. No one will remember you. No one will even remember your name." Scar spat, anger searing through him at how easily Bane had played with his emotions, manipulated him, and then brought him crashing to the ground. "You're an extremely clever animal, Bane. But you don't know me at all, Bane. You think this cavern will keep you safe?"

"I know it. You can't use the roar without killing yourself and you are too injured to beat me without it." Bane said smugly. Then, Scar began to laugh.

"Look me in the eye, Bane." Scar commanded. Bane couldn't help but obey him. He looked right into his eyes, blazing with emerald fire, and into the one that was scarred, scarred by his fight with his own father. "My name is Scar. I am alive. And Caliban is dead. You shouldn't have studied from the one person you know already lost to me."

"If you kill me, and you'll never leave this place alive. You'd be throwing away your own life!" Bane warned him.

Scar smirked.

"Do you know what 'Taka' means? Mother used to say it meant 'Darkening', and she chose it in reference to my mane…" He said. "But by some dialects, it also means 'dirt'. A thing thrown away." He said.

"What's your point?"

"My point Bane, is that you have made a huge, crucial mistake." His eye gleamed. "Your plan worked too well, Bane. I am broken. I am a ruin. So ask yourself this: When did I say that I still valued my own life? Congratulations. You win." Scar said. And his eyes gleamed with malice.

Then he roared, standing up suddenly.

In an instant, Bane realised that Scar had been exaggerating his injury. The pain may have been real, but Scar could power through pain as if it were water and he a hippo. What was more, the injury that had kept Scar down was clearly much lighter than he'd been letting on. He had been luring Bane into a false sense of security. And now Bane had nowhere to run. Nothing to hide behind. And no shield as the roar struck Bane like a tsunami.

And into that roar Scar poured all of his pain, all of his hatred, all of his anger. He poured in his malice and his ruthlessness and his viciousness and his hurt. The cacophony of roars that answered him were more of a scream of anguish than a roar of defiance and righteous fury. The mark of the lion Guard glowed on his shoulder so that it seemed to bleed. The roared echoed around him and struck Bane at full force. Sorrow pummelled into his stomach, throwing him across the tunnel and striking the wall with a resounding crack. He continued to roar, unrelenting. Misery slammed into him, and Bane gave a cry, jerking with the force of it. Loss pulsed through his roar, he felt it, and thundered towards Bane. He jerked, as bones crack. He bludgeoned Bane with his anguish. He drowned him with his despair. He struck at Bane with grief, pain, and fury. Anger and agony swelled within him, waves and waves of wrath and hatred. They surged out of him like black waters in a maelstrom.

More anger. More pain.

His mother's death. Her broken body lying on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. Scar threw that at Bane too, as the walls of the cavern began to shake, and the loud hiss of geysers erupting around him.

His father's betrayal, and the day Ahadi maimed him, scarring him. That too he hurled at Bane. Sarafina leaving them. Imani's death. Kasi's death. Kira's death. They ripped themselves free of him and slammed into Bane of their own accord, shattering rock and slamming into Bane's, who screamed. His eyes were wide with hate and fear, a fierce growl splitting his maw open, but he could do no more than incoherently cry in rage as the roar, the assembled might of Scar's misery crashed into him. Bones fractured into fragments, muscle tore apart like bits of gristle. The roar stripped flesh from him like a sandstorm, each grain a fragment of Scar's hatred.

It was wondrous and terrible to behold.

Bane screamed. The sound sent a thrill through him. He'd hate for Bane's death to be painless. And it wasn't. Not by a longshot. The elation he felt in that moment flooded through him, and the roar pulsed responding to his bloodlust and unleashing its vengeful retribution. His roar hurt him, inside. It screamed, as if there was fire in his lungs. But he didn't care. More rocks around him shattered, between them, a new geyser burst as the ground shook and fell apart, sending jets of boiling steam all around them. It was sweltering now, and brighter too as more and more geysers ripped through the ground and flooded the cavern with its sickening eerie light, turning the underground into a hellscape. But Scar wasn't finished. He continued, his howl of loss and rage echoed around them as the roar continued for an unnaturally long time, focusing his hatred into a weapon that shredded through Bane as if he were nothing more than a petal in a hurricane.

The noise didn't stop when the roar ended. In fact, the ringing in his gave him another reason never to use the roar in close quarters again.

The husk that used to be Bane dropped to the ground, with a wet sound that made his skin crawl. That… thing… wasn't a person anymore. It had been reduced to something else. It seemed appropriate.

Around him, the roar may have ended, but the walls continued to shudder with increasing volatility. Steam erupted around him, burning his paws, and singing fur. There was an ethereal light to them as the cavern began to disintegrate as thoroughly as Bane had.

Scar let his head drop, exhausted. He had never used the roar like that before. Never felt power like that before either. It was intoxicating.

Bane was dead. He had kept his promise. And it felt good. He smiled, and sank to the ground, taking the weight off his legs for the moment.

"Scar!" He heard a voice cry out in fear.

What? Who… Who was calling him?

"Scar!" He heard it again. Scar turned, and peered through the smoke, that clung to his fur. Green eyes stared towards him through the smoke.

"I see him! I see him, he's there! Scar! Scar come to me!" Jicho. It was Jicho. The keenest of sight was fighting through the smoke towards him. Scar dragged himself towards the sound of Jicho's voice, the fugue and relief leaving him as he did so. Behind Jicho, he saw Tojo, and Zira and Nguvu.

"Guys we need to go NOW!" Banzai practically shrieked. And the hyenas fled, disappearing through the tunnel back the way they came, away from the searing ground, and the burning fog of the gyserfields.

"Scar, this place is falling apart, come on!" Nguvu told him, and Scar limped towards him, leaning on his friend as he did so.

"Scar! What happened?"

"Bane is dead." Scar managed to tell her, thinking briefly on the mess that had remained of Bane's body after being subjected to what could only have been the power of every ounce of hate in Africa. Zira didn't have the time to celebrate. Behind her there was an almighty crash and a rock the size of Tojo smashed to the ground with a boom, and cut the size of the tunnel in half. If they didn't move quickly they would be buried alive. The thought of Zira and the others being trapped in the burning hell sent a spasm of fear through his body and flooded him with grim determination once more.

"Come on!" Scar said quickly. Jicho took the lead, moving through the tunnel which shook and creaked as if in the grip of an earthquake. It wasn't an earthquake. The structure was simply collapsing under its own weight, its foundations destroyed by Bane and Scar's fight.

More steam blasted around them, so hot now that he felt his skin prickle where his fur was short. With the heat, real feeling and real fear began to return to him. Bane had thought he'd been so clever, hiding in the one place where he knew Scar couldn't use the roar safely. He knew that was Scar's preferred weapon, and knew that he had come to rely on it.

Zira gave a shout as more rocks fell like knives from above, bludgeoning her. Jicho rushed ahead.

"Come on!" He called back. "I can see the exit! It's not far – AAAARHHH!"

A jet of boiling methane gas erupted in front of Jicho as he turned to look away. It seared at him, as he screamed, falling away blindly, clutching at his face, thrashing around.

"JICHO!" Zira shouted in alarm, rushing over to her brother, shrugging off boulders and rocks, leaping over the geysers as one, two, three more erupted into being in front of them and around them, some widening so much that the seemed to meld seamlessly into one. The belched their toxic air, emitting boiling gas and flooding the tunnel with heat and greying light, giving the gaping maw of the tunnels around skeleton canyon a dim glow. Jicho writhed in agony on the floor, and Zira tried to haul him with her.

"Just go!" Jicho protested, his words a strangled choke between gasps of pain.

"Not without you! Not without any of us! Come on!" Zira cried.

For a second, for a treacherous frightening second, Scar wanted to urge her to go, to leave him, to just run for it. It was pointless for them all to die here. But no. Not after Jicho had done so much for them, risking everything for them. They would not abandon him.

"No." Scar said. "Not him. You've taken so much, Bane, you shall not have him too!"

He gave a shout, and he too leaned down, pained and hurt though he was, and added his own strength to Zira. Tojo, without needing to be told, or wasting a moment, immediately knelt down. A deep cut ran down from his face that bled profusely, but he seemed otherwise unhurt from the fighting. Together, they half dragged, half carried, Jicho, hauling him through the last few parts of the tunnels, and coming to a rest outside of the elaborate network of caves that ran like veins throughout the ravine.

Around them, but in more obvious locations, other geysers erupted around them in a frenzy of seismic activity, and they saw the maw of the save fold in on itself, collapsing under its own weight as rocks shifted. To Scar's blessed relief, Mbaya's pack appeared to have fled the area as soon as the instability began. He doubted it had been in an orderly fashion. He liked to think they had ran screaming in panic as the ground opened up beneath them, though he doubted it had been anything so dramatic on the surface.

"Is everyone alright?" Scar asked, looking around.

Tojo nodded. He was pale, and hurt, one side of his head streaked in blood. Nguvu gave a growl of the affirmative. He looked exhausted. The hyenas were nowhere to be seen, but seeing as they were ahead of them when they had fled the caverns, he suspected they would turn up again soon enough, after licking their own wounds. He owed them an entire Zebra for their trouble.

"Zira?" He asked his mate, looking over to where she was kneeling over her brother.

"I'm fine Scar." She murmured, her voice strangely quiet. "You killed Bane. Didn't you?" She asked him.

"I… yes. Yes I did." Scar said, a feeling of cold dread washing over him.

"Good." Zira said. She turned to Scar, with tears in her eyes. "Did he suffer? Did you make him hurt, the way he hurt us?" She asked, desperately seeking reassurance. For a single moment, Scar's mind was flooded with memories of Bane, and how his physical form had been roared into pieces. He swallowed.

"Yes." He promised her. He would give her the details later.

"Good. Thank you…" She said, nodding, sounding relieved.

"Zira… is Jicho alright?" Scar asked her, feeling cold. Zira opened her mouth to reply, and closed it again silently.

"Zira…"

"Relax Scar… I'm still here." Jicho told him, shuddering. He stood up, hunched over, cradling his wounds. He was badly hurt by the falling rocks, and the searing gasses that erupted around him. His front pads were burnt and every step was a pain to walk, and would be for a while.

"Thank the Spirits… I thought we'd lost you for a minute there." Nguvu said, sighing in relief. "I can't believe we actually did it… Bane's dead… It doesn't feel real." He said.

Scar sighed. He thought back to how close it had been, thought back to that moment, and immediately buried it. He buried the feelings of pain and anger and rage and loss he'd wielded against Bane, he buried the hopelessness he'd felt he'd done so, he buried the driving, grim determination he'd had to pay any price, pay any cost to make damned sure that Bane met his end there and then in the cavern that had become his tomb.

Buried how close he'd come to just… letting go… of everything. From the look on Zira's face, she felt the same. Now though, now there was chance to heal. A chance to move forwards.

"You're all idiots, you know…" Scar observed, looking around at his friends. "You shouldn't have come back for me. You should have just got out." He said, smiling slightly.

Nguvu arched his eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, as if any of us have ever obeyed that order about any of us." He said, faintly annoyed, but returning Scar's gesture. "Besides, Jicho was the only one with eyes good enough to see the way out. He's the damned fool… I had no choice but to stick around. I half think he'd have gone back in for the hyenas." He said, jabbing a claw at Jicho's direction. Scar laughed at that. That he could believe.

"Well done, Jicho. You came through for us there… You came back for me we'd be lost without our Keenest of Sight. Quite literally at times." Scar said.

Jicho turned around, and looked at him, and Scar stared back. He stared back at Jicho's grey eyes that were rimmed with flesh that was pink and twisted and burnt. He stared back at him, sightlessly. Scar's felt the world shift under him.

"Yeah… we… uh… might have a bit of a problem with that… Sorry…" Jicho said.