So, another chapter. I'm trying to find a balance between this one and the Spanish one... Anyway, hope you like it. And thanks for all the support.
Things will start to be more serious, but the humour will still be there... It's like a comedy... drama... fic? Does that exist...? Whatever, enjoy XD

Between brothers pt. 1

He had to growl of frustration for the third time that day. That stupid baboon wasn't cooperating at all! Not only that, he acted as if he had total control of the situation… Ha! He? In control? With a guy like him? No way! That monkey was crazy… He looked at him again, seeing him now sat down, eyes closed, meditating in peace. He bared his teeth and buried his claws in the ground.

"Your trying my patience" he warned with his dark and deep voice.

No answer. Infuriated, he stepped closer to him, teeth bared dangerously.

"Your time is running out, old monkey" he said in a whisper. "Either you give me what I want or…"

"What will you do?" interrupted the shaman, now looking at him. "You and I know you need me alive as I'm the only one who knows what you need; killing me will be stupid, don't you think?"

The bigger one tightened his chin, knowing he was right. He roared and got separated from him. How much he hated when he was right.

"I thought time would give you a clearer vision" said Rafiki with a frown.

"And it did, shaman" he said without looking at him. "Now I know what I want, and I know that the stupidest thing I can do is renounce to what is mine again"

"But you will still be empty" said Rafiki getting up. "You still have time" he added getting closer to him. With a sigh, he put a hand on his shoulder. "Please, G…"

But he was silenced when a paw hit him, throwing him to the ground. Rafiki didn't show any signs of being hurt and he just got up, looking at him seriously. The lion got closer to him, his dark mane falling in front of his eyes, which were burning with rage.

"Time is over" he said under his breath. "Especially for your friends"

Right after, he turned around, seeing that his minions were seeing the whole scene. Jackals, always snooping around, he thought angry. Rolling his eyes, he let it go.

"Batili, Nyeti, I need you and your pack to go to the Outlands" he said, looking at the couple.

"But… We jackals are banished…" tried to say Nyeti, worried.

"I am not asking you for opinion" he said, approaching them threating. "I'm giving you an order, and you have to follow it"

"Y-Yes, sir…" said the couple, afraid.

"Besides, I'm sure the King knows already you have been visiting him and his family…" he added with a smile. "Isn't it true, Uhari?"

From the shadows, a jackal a bit more brawny than Batili appeared. With a body and snout full of scratches he got closer to his family, laughing a bit.

"Yes… That cheetah truly was easy to scare" and he started to laugh, enjoying the memory of the other's pain.

"What are you talking about, Uhari?" asked Batili, angry. "We decided we would just hunt what we needed to feed us; it was forbidden to hurt any other animal" he reminded him, being now nose to nose with the laughing jackal.

"Temper, temper" said the jackal, rolling his eyes in amusement. "It was only a warning, Batili… Besides, thinking it this way: now the King wouldn't be that surprised that we enter his lands" he explained, looking at the lion with a smile.

"That is why you were always my favourite, Uhari… Always so… clever" he commented with a sinister smile. "Brutal…"

"You have nothing to do against Mufasa" commented Rafiki, now on his feet and supporting himself with a hand on the wall. "He'll do whatever it takes to protect the ones he loves"

A rapid glare to the Batili and Nyeti; he knew they were against the lion's will, but they had nothing to say, they just received orders, and their pack were demanding them solutions to their exile. The lion laughed with arrogance.

"Will you ever get tired of talk nonsense?" he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"The day you realise my nonsense is just a good advice, the one you should follow for your own good" he said upset.

The lion rolled his eyes and looked at the three jackals: "Gather a few of your pack and go"

"But, sire…" tried to say Nyeti.

"GO!" roared the lion, making them run afraid. Then, he turned around, facing the baboon once again. "Now, let's see how great is that adored King of yours…" he commented with a scary smile.

Mufasa stepped out the cave coughing a bit. The night before Mkali explained what happened to her mate's friends, and she let him know how worried she and Jelani, her mate, were. Mufasa couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with the information, especially if he thought Rafiki wasn't there to give him advises. That morning, Sarabi said they could always have the help of his cousin, Zito. At first, he refused, knowing he was very clumsy, but then he thought: he had been helping Leo and his pride all these years, and nothing bad happened… So maybe he could give him a shot and try. Besides, Rafiki would have to return someday… He started to cough once again, and complained when he felt a headache.

"Are you feeling alright, Mufasa?" asked Sarabi, who had been watching her mate with a worried look.

"Yes, yes, it's just a headache" he said, shaking his head. "I'm going to the cheetah's lands, maybe I can figure something out" he explained.

"Mufasa, are you sure you'll be fine?" she asked, now being by his side. "I can go with you if you want" she offered with a smile.

"No, someone has to be here to watch the kingdom" he shook his head.

"Well, then some other lioness could…"

"And the cubs need to be watched as well" said the King, then he nuzzled his mate. "Sarabi, I'm fine…"

The Queen took a few seconds before answering: "Alright, alright…" then, she got separated from him. "But, please, be careful"

"Sarabi, you're worrying over nothing…" said Mufasa, trying to comfort her. "This is not the first time hyenas try to break the circle of life…"

"…But it's the first time they hurt someone for fun" said Sarabi. She laughed when she saw the surprised expression in her mate's face. "Mufasa, I can see through you easily, we've known since cubhood" she said caressing him affectional. A frown adorned her face.

Mufasa got separated from her and cleared his throat: "Yes… I know, but… It's still not comfortable when you do it" he commented laughing a bit.

"That's what mates and mothers do" she said, and then she giggled: "We females have this… sixth sense" she explained. Again, she nuzzled him: "I love you"

"I love you too" said the King, with a serene smile. Then, he turned around: "See you"

"Don't force yourself more than you are able! And be back before the sun sets!" she screamed as he walked away. With a worried expression, she entered the cave. "I hope Zazu come back with Zito" she said under her breath.

Mufasa was starting to feel more tired as he walked. He looked at his paws all the way, trying to convince himself it was only because he couldn't sleep well due to the facts Mkali explained to him, that and the fact that his son played a joke on all of them… A familiar essence reached his snout, but it took him more time than usually to realise it was his brother, drinking at the watering hole.

A frown adorned his expression. Mufasa knew his brother was friend of the hyenas, something he didn't accept totally but he saw himself forced to let it pass because, some way or another, he felt he owned him that. He never liked hyenas; his father taught him they were mean and they liked to break the Circle of Life, living under their own rules and not caring about the others; they were disloyal in all the senses… And still, his brother always preferred to be with them before his own family. And that was a thing that made his blood boil. He sped up his steps to be by Scar's side faster, and he cleared his throat, calling his attention.

Scar's eyes looked up, without stopping drinking water. Mufasa then felt a strong smell of death. The Elephant Graveyard… Why I am not surprised? he thought, rolling his eyes, but he had to complain when that act made his headache grow. Slowly, Scar lifted his head when he finished drinking, and looked at him, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes?" he said, frowning slightly.

Ignoring his annoying gaze, he said: "Scar, I need to talk to you"

"Save it, Mufasa, it wasn't them…" answered the dark lion rapidly.

"How do you know it?" asked the King frowning.

"I went to talk to them when I heard Mkali news" he explained. Then, with a cocky smile, he added: "I'm sure you know it as well as you can smell"

"Yes, that essence is really difficult to ignore" he said, disgusted.

"You get used with time" replied Scar. "Well, if you don't need anything more…" he said, as he started to pass him by.

"Do you really expect me to believe it?" asked Mufasa raising an eyebrow. "Why would they tell you if they did, Scar? They're hyenas" he said emphasizing the last word in a pejorative way.

"Mufasa, do we need to go through this again?" asked Scar under his breath.

"Yes, we do" said the King, now being in front of him. "You always spent more time with them than with us. We are your family" his voice cracking a bit at the end.

Scar couldn't help but laugh sarcastically: "My family?" he repeated, a shine of fury in his eyes. "They aren't any family of mine" he said, confronting his brother. "In fact, not even you are my family" he added.

And Mufasa had to control himself for not roar him in the face: "Scar, we're family. We're brothers" he reminded him, feeling his throat hurting.

"Half brothers…" he emphasised.

"Why is that important for you? It isn't for me" said Mufasa, having to cough a bit at the end.

Scar laughed once again and muttered: "Hypocrite"

"What did you just say?" asked the King, baring his teeth.

"Hypocrite" repeated the dark lion, now aloud. "Do you need me to explain the meaning of it as well, brother?" he said the last word mockingly.

Mufasa couldn't take that taunt anymore and he roared. However, Scar noticed it wasn't as powerful as usual, and he had to narrow his eyes once again. Something was strange in Mufasa's acting.

"I can't go on like this, Scar" he said, shaking his head. Scar thought it was because of disapproval, but the King knew it was in an attempt to erase the pain in his forehead. "I've tried it all with you, but you're not cooperating. You keep stuck in the past and you are unable to let it go, and you're only hurting yourself and the ones who try to help you" he said, using the same tone of voice he used with Simba when he did something wrong.

"Your little help is a bit delayed, don't you think?" asked Scar, now feeling the anger through all his body. "Why do you think you have the right to ask me for things you never gave me when I needed it the more, Mufasa?"

"I did…" tried to say the King, but he was interrupted.

"You keep complaining about my sins, but you ignore yours" said the dark lion, infuriated.

Mufasa looked at him for a moment, and then sighed: "I miss the cub I was raised with, Scar…" he admitted.

"That cub no longer exists, Mufasa, and you know who's fault is…" said Scar, reducing the volume of his voice. "You say you miss him, but you keep calling me that; you say I should let go of the past, but keep reminding it to me by calling me that again…" he said, burying his claws on the ground.

"Scar…" said Mufasa, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"And again" said the darker one. "You're too coward to break that stupid rule your father made" a pause in which he took a look at his brother. "I am the one who can't take it anymore" he said, frowning angry.

"Then, leave" was the rapid answer Mufasa said, feeling stressed.

However, when he realised what he had said, he opened his eyes, feeling horrible. He look at his brother, who was staring at him with wide eyes, an expression of surprise which was so foreign in Scar's features nowadays… Mufasa tried to articulate word, but for a mere second he found himself dizzy, and had to focus on maintain composure in front of his brother, especially in this situation. When finally the horrible sensation faded away, Scar was now walking the opposite direction; before he could say anything more, Scar turned around one last time.

"Do you want to know what is our really problem? I came here looking out for a brother, and I just found a king" he explained, looking at him accusatory.

Then, he turned around and walked away. Mufasa didn't find enough strengths to stop him.

Mufasa arrived at the place where Mkali said her friend was attacked. The gorge. A few kilometres ahead there was a field where the wildebeests and a few more animals used to eat. He knew sometimes the hyenas trespassed the limits of his kingdom to go there and kill, the most of the time without real needs. He felt infuriated because of that. They were just mongrels without moral… He couldn't understand why his brother defended them that much…

His brother, he let his anger go for a moment. He was still feeling bad for the argue they had before leaving Pride Rock. It was true they had fought millions of time since he came back, but none of the fights affected him as this one. Mufasa really thought he was doing it fine, he thought his brother didn't hate him that much, that was only a bit of rancour for what happened but that they could solve it. Now all his hopes disappeared. The look Scar dedicated him only denoted hatred, pure hatred towards him. The fraternal love both felt in their cubhood was gone, and Mufasa felt more lost than ever.

But what affected him the more was the fact that Scar really thought he hated him as much as he did. Mufasa still loved his brother, they were family, no matter if they shared the same father or not; they were raised together, they played together, fought together, laughed together… Some time ago, before everything happened, before Taka died and Scar was born, his brother was the shoulder he could cry on, the voice of the reason, the one who he trusted the most, the one who gave him great advises. Now, Mufasa didn't know if he should trust him or if his advices were sincere. There was so much mystery in his brother's behaviour that Mufasa felt like an ignorant. He wanted to know what he had to do, he wanted to be capable of tell his brother that he was important and that he didn't hate him, that this was his home as well.

Sometimes, Mufasa thought Scar loved the hyenas more than him, and each day that idea grew more real. And he found himself feeling jealous. And he laughed at himself, thinking he was being a fool for being jealous of a few vile. But what happened today just corroborated his doubts. Scar saw the hyenas as his family, more than himself, more than his son, more than his mate, more than any other lioness in the pride. The reason? Mufasa thought he knew it, but he didn't want to admit it. As he didn't want to admit his brother was right when he called him a coward. Yes, everybody in the pride thought he was a brave king, his son let him know a few times, but reality was all the contrary; even if Mufasa could owned a few hyenas and never doubted in sacrifice his life for his family and friends, he was like a terrified cub when his brother was in the middle. His father's words came to his mind, making him doubt Scar, and the story he didn't know. He wanted to know more about it, but Scar never felt comfortable with the subject, and he always avoided it. That only made him doubt more, and Mufasa some days wanted to forget about everything and go on with his life. He thought he knew his brother, he thought he didn't have to doubt of him and his actions. But his behaviour made him rethink all the things Ahadi told him.

Ahadi… Mufasa loved his father, denying was lying, but there were some thing he saw with time that made him reconsider things around him. When Scar left… When he was obligated to leave, Ahadi changed towards him, everything went downhill and Mufasa was too young to understand a story he wasn't told completely. The day his brother was exiled, the day their mother died, he discovered the truth: his brother wasn't Ahadi's son. His world collapses that day. He wanted to scream, to ask more questions, but his father's eyes told him he had to be silenced.

Mufasa groaned, feeling both mental and physical pain. The memories hurt him, more than anyone could imagine… But as the seconds went by, he realised it wasn't just the memory. His whole body has hurting: he felt shattered. Each step was like a torture, and he saw himself forced to stop to recover some air. For some reason, he felt hot. Gasping for air, he cursed under his breath, thinking he should have listened to his mate and come accompanied. Asking for help is for the weak. If you ask for help, they would think you're weak, and they would feel bad and irritated. The voice of his father sounded in his head, making him almost collapse.

Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. Turning around rapidly wasn't a good idea, as he felt the dizziness come over him once again. He tried to stay straight and searched for the someone else. His vision was a bit blurred, and he had to shake his head to clear it a bit.

"Who's there?" he asked, with a raspy voice. He cleared his throat a bit, feeling it sore. "Come out" he ordered.

He tried to sniff the air, but he couldn't catch anything. He could only see who was it when he saw a pack of four jackals getting closer to him. The one who took his attention the most was the one who was all covered with injures, reminding him to his brother and his mark on his left eye. The memory made him falter a bit. The other three seemed to be more hesitant to be near him and less prepared to attack if it was necessary.

"Well, well, well" said the scarred jackal. "What a surprise seeing the great and famous King Mufasa around here…" he said laughing a bit at the end.

"What are you doing in the Pridelands?" asked Mufasa angry. "You and your kind are not welcome here; your home is in the Outlands" he said baring his teeth. The jackal laughed once again. His laughter is more annoying than a hyena's he thought, feeling his headache increasing.

"So vain for being all alone" said the jackal, throwing a rapid glare to his two companions.

"Even if I'm alone, you still don't have a chance against an adult lion" Mufasa reminded them. Maybe you have if you know I'm sick… he thought to himself, praying in his mind he could scare them by words.

"You're more fool than I thought if you really think it's only us" said the jackal smiling.

Suddenly, Mufasa heard grunting behind him. Turning around slowly, he saw five more jackals approaching him, this one sharing the ferocity of the scarred jackal. Mufasa gritted his teeth in frustration.

"We thought the King would be more careful knowing we've been frequenting his lands… but I think that famous lion's pride is stronger than reason" commented the jackal, laughing once again.

And Mufasa had to growl, admitting in his mind he was right.

When Scar arrived at the Elephant Graveyard, nothing was new: Banzai and Ed were fighting over the rests of the food he brought them before. Shaking his head in annoyance, he decided he wasn't in the mood for more fights between brothers.

"You two, stop it!" he said.

"Oh, hey, Scar!" said Banzai.

Ed took advantage of it and took the bone away from him, breaking it with his teeth.

"Ed! That wasn't fair!" complained the hyena, launching on the top of him.

"Where's Shenzi?" asked Scar frustrated. "She is the one who should be taking care of you…"

"Scar!" a female voice called.

"Speaking of the devil…" muttered the lion.

"Scar, it's a good thing you're here!" said the female hyena, running towards him with another one of her kind. "Scar, Ukaidi and I have seen something at the gorge!" she explained.

"The gorge?" repeated Scar. "How many times…?"

"Yes, yes, we know" Ukaidi, Shenzi's cousin, interrupted him. "We shouldn't go there but… we were still hungry…" she excused themselves. "Well, that is not the important part… Do you remember you mentioned to us what Mkali told your brother?"

At the mention of his brother, Scar had to suppress a growl: "Yes…" he answered, annoyed.

"Well, now we know who was it" continued Shenzi. "The jackals"

"Jackals?" repeated Scar with a frown. "But… they were banished from the kingdom long ago, they didn't want to know anything more about lions" he said a bit confused.

"It seems that changed" commented Ukaidi, shrugging.

"Scar, we haven't finished yet" said Shenzi.

"Then, go on…" said the lion with a cocked eyebrow.

"We saw your brother as well down there, and we heard them talking about an ambush" she explained.

"And what does have to do with me?" asked Scar, seeing where they were going with all that.

"Mufasa was all alone, and they were… I don't know… Eight, nine jackals?" commented Ukaidi.

"That's his problem. This is his kingdom, let him fight for it" answered Scar, angry, and he passed both of them by.

"Scar, he could be killed" said Shenzi, frowning a bit.

Scar stopped in his tracks. He knew Mufasa was strong. But he also knew his brother wasn't at his best moment. That morning, his actions showed him. He was ill, that was a fact. Very ill? He didn't know, and he didn't care, to be completely honest. That could be a great chance for him: his brother finally was going to be killed, he was defenceless, he didn't have to move a paw to make it happen… Yet… he didn't feel completely satisfied. It took a moment, but finally, he growled angry.

"I'm losing my mind!" he said, running to the exit of the graveyard.

And his hyenas friends followed him immediately.