Chapter 25: The Answer II
Day 200
Mufasa was listening to Anya's story carefully, happiness and emotion growing in his heart with every word. By the end of her discourse he had already ceased to hide his tears of joy. It was futile since he felt as if he'd regained his whole life- its light, its point and its purpose. His family was alive. The ones he loved were doing just fine, and now they knew what had happened and that he was alive as well. The lion just couldn't express how happy he was to hear that Simba was preparing to become king… and, naturally, that Sarabi decided not to take another mate in spite of being considered a widow for quite some time. He was proud of both of them, and was waiting in highest anticipation to hear what kind of an answer did his family send him.
Standing in front of her audience of three eager lions, Anya the stork rearranged a few loose feathers of her wing with her long red beak. Then she smiled.
-"Oh Your Majesty, I'm sure you know exactly what your family wanted me to announce to you! First of all, each and every one of your pridemembers is inexpressively happy to know that you are alive. Queen Sarabi called for a general assembly of all the animals of the Pridelands at Pride Rock in order to spread the good news, and so that everyone could celebrate along with the lions.
As for the Queen herself… well, first of all she heartily thanks you for sending her this message. She also ensures you of her unbroken fidelity and her everlasting love. I remember the shine in her brown eyes when she was speaking this pledge, Your Highness… As a female, I can assure you- what she said was nothing but the truth. She also swore to take good care of the Pridelands and to rule them according to the law of the Old Kings until Simba becomes big enough for his coronation. With a smile on her face she beseeched me to tell you not to worry- that the Prince is now more responsible and not as mischievous as he used to be when he was a little cub. While Simba himself sends nothing but this- dad, you're great. I love you. And we will be palls forever, no matter where you are.
Your subjects also bring you words of praise and respect, especially the mandrill shaman Rafiki, and also your former hornbill majordomo. His name was Zazu, wasn't it? Yes. Yes, I hoped I memorized everything as well as I was able. Sarabi also promised to look at the stars every night and asked you to do the same- this way you can feel the connection between you, that has not been severed despite your abduction. Sisi ni moja- she said. And she is also looking forward to hearing from you next rain season. On my own behalf, I just wanted to say that me, my mate, and both of my sons are at your service, king Mufasa."
The bird bowed before the lion who was lying on the ground unspeakably happy, with his eyes red and the fur on his face wet from the tears of pure joy. The plan worked perfectly. Anya had done her job commendably well and now, looking at her, Mufasa was trying to think of a way in which he could ever repay her. Because, as a member of royalty, he felt obliged to pay the debt he now had incurred with her. Breaking away from his overwhelming happiness, he sniffed, but as soon as he opened his mouth to talk, he saw someone standing by his side. It was Scar.
-"Wait a minute, bird" – said the younger lion through clenched fangs.
Only now did Mufasa notice that Anya had been speaking solely to him, not even mentioning his brother's name from the moment she greeted them. That was the stork's grave mistake, and it made Scar extremely angry.
Anya shuddered and ruffled her feathers. Even though the Prince of the Pridelands seemed calm, she could recognize the kind of glow he had in his poisonous green eyes.
-"Yes, I know you also have questions for me" – she attempted to hold her undisturbed demeanor, even though a strong shiver went down her spine.
-"Well, why don't you start talking, then? Isn't that your duty here?"
Anya gulped. And then spoke with a voice more silent and much less cheerful than when she was delivering her message to Mufasa.
-"I have not forgotten about your request as well, Prince Scar. As soon as we finished talking to Sarabi, I took a look around and observed the other lionesses. It wasn't hard for me to find her- she was the only one with that pretty, azure color of her eyes. She was quite surprised when I asked her to come closer. Then I said to her what you wanted me to say. Sarafina, Scar sends you his greeting. That was all."
A deaf silence fell as the two lions waited for Scar's reaction. A silence that wasn't disturbed by anything except the silent sound of him gnashing his teeth.
-"What was… her answer?" – he stammered, breathing deeply and shivering with emotion. Anya sighed, lowering her head.
-"I'm sorry. There was no answer."
-"WHAT?" – the lion groaned with despair.
-"I'm just telling you what happened, that's all. After I told Sarafina that you wanted me to greet her, she burst out crying and ran away, pushing through her pridesisters, looking totally devastated."
Scar laughed at those words. But it was not one of his regular laughs of malice or mockery- no, it was more like a laugh of someone who realized just how foolish he'd been. Someone whose hopes have been shattered.
-"The lioness had a cub, didn't she?" – he uttered, piercing the frightened stork with his broken stare.
-"Y-yes… I believe her name was… Nala? S-she's betrothed to the Prince, am I right? When Sarafina ran away, t-the cub just followed her mother…"
At this point Scar charged at Anya with a growl, halting right in front of her beak, almost making her fly away in terror.
-"What color are Nala's eyes?" – he screamed.
-"Brother, what are you doing?" – Mufasa said, trying to restrain him from behind. Laila gasped with shock.
-"This is one of Moses' lies! And you lie as well, stork- I don't believe a word you are saying! You might have made all of this up- you may know that I was once known as Taka, you might have even overheard my daughter's name, but there is no way you could ever know this. Now tell me! WHAT COLOR ARE NALA'S EYES?"
The jaws of the black-maned lion clasped inches from Anya's face as she was holding her back against a tree.
-"Uh, it was… blue! Azure, bright blue, just like her mother's!" – she yelped without hesitating, trying to cover herself with a wing out of fear.
-"No… No! I don't believe it!" – Scar lamented, turning his head in distrust and sorrow. The ground was watered with his tears. – "Once again, I am forbidden to be consoled! Damn this unfair world… DAMN YOU, SARAFINAAA!"
He lead out a loud, crazed howl that could be heard in every cage at the ZOO. The animals shivered, thinking that some strange, new animal has been brought there- one that sounded like a whole pack of hungry dogs, screaming frighteningly in the darkness of the night…
Mufasa was seriously worried. He tried to touch his brother, to comfort him somehow. But all he got was a paw to the face.
-"Get out of my sight!" – panted the younger feline in his rage. – "You got your reward. Go and enjoy it, but leave me alone."
In silence and sadness, Mufasa and Laila observed Scar straggle back into the den. Today they realized that for six months he'd indeed been waiting for a better answer from his former mate.
Also Anya gazed at them compassionately, and then just flew away without a single word.
It was already late at night, but Mufasa wasn't sleeping. He couldn't. Not only because he still felt too affected by what had happened earlier that day to even be able to rest. No, there was something else- he'd made a promise to his beloved mate, Sarabi, queen of the Pridelands, to watch the stars every night, feeling the bond, unbreakable despite the distance, that connected him to the one who was also somewhere out there, watching the same stars. And so he intended to do tonight- until the sunrise would overshadow their light.
-"Asante sana, baba… asante…"
His silent prayer expressed what the lions believed- that every king of their kind, after living his life ruling over whatever walked the earth, was relocated to the astral kingdom to take control of that what was out of this world.
Fate.
The council of Old Kings observed the acts of others from above, especially their successor in reign. If he was a good and righteous monarch, they would send him their blessing. Mufasa had been asking his request for the past six months, not sure if he had been a good and righteous monarch.
Of that he still wasn't sure. But he was sure that he has been rewarded.
-"Asante sana, baba… asante…"
His joyful thanksgiving was directed towards one specific ancestor- one specific king from the past. Ahadi. His father. Now, feeling his presence as never before since his death, he felt like a cub after being rewarded by his parent.
He summoned those scenes in his mind, making them flash colorfully and vividly amongst the darkness. Ahadi the Great. Ahadi the Kind. Playing with him, tutoring him, teaching every bit of his vast wisdom in order for his son to become a good, strong and respected ruler…
But there was an element missing in the puzzle- one character did not appear in the scene, even though he was a part of it. Mufasa saw himself playing with the large, golden furred lion with an ebony mane… But king Ahadi had been the father of two sons.
-"Baba."
Mufasa shivered suddenly hearing the trembling, scornful whisper right behind his back. Somebody has been listening to his prayer… And now was doing something he hadn't done in years- praying himself.
-„Baba... Napenda kuua dunia nzima kama wewe tu… alinipenda!"
The lion recognized his brother's voice. But that wasn't the thing that filled him with the most sorrow and fear. For years Mufasa thought that Scar was blinded by pure, damnable jealousy. This night proved to him that it was really something much deeper- something that drastically changed his vision of king Ahadi the Kind and his younger son, prince Taka the Scarred.
Scar's words meant- 'Father… I would kill the whole world if only you would… love me!'
All his life, Scar had felt that fate was against him. That he was hopelessly forsaken even by the very stars.
But Ahadi had been a kind and righteous ruler… hadn't he?
-"Alifanya nakupenda, Scar... He does love you, brother!"
His words did not comfort. All that Mufasa saw among the night was the glow of emerald-green eyes with a blazing scar disfiguring one of them, and all that he heard was a vicious growl that came from an ever-neglected, unjustly mistreated creature.
-"Hakuna! Yeye tu alikupenda, Mufasa! Tu wewe!"
And then he left, dreaming that maybe this time he would be able to sleep even despite the injustice that always burdened him, but sometimes became simply unbearable. Mufasa, on the other hand, was left robbed of his joy- left with nothing but the echo of his brother's words.
'No... He only loved you... Only you...'
AN: Aww, this is so sad! I mean, as long as you are as compassionate towards the 'villains' as I am. I even felt sorry when they lynched Gaddafi!
But back to the story- Anya accomplished her mission and hooray for her indeed. I think she should get some kind of reward, tho it's kind of hard since animals do not own any material possessions. The answer she brings is… well, predictable, at least as far as Muffy is concerned. He is a hero for the Pridelanders, so obviously they send him words of gratitude and love. Sarabi stayed faithful to him despite nearly crying her eyes out, probably (a monogamous lioness is something very unnatural, but I said it once and I will say it again- Disney lies). She's the queen and soon, when Simba becomes big enough, he's going to take the throne from his mom. All fine and dandy, one might say.
NOT. Now try to put yourself in Scar's position- all his life he felt like a fifth wheel, his plans of taking over Pride Rock were reduced to naught when he was forced to spend a lifetime in a cage with his annoying brother. He had cut his connection with his mate after their son died, but let's remember that in my story he never had the chance to meet Zira, whom I believe to really be his beloved. So even though he didn't show it, he was waiting in anticipation for Sarafina's response to his simple 'hi'. That 'hi', coming from someone as cold as Scar, was a gesture of apology and a sign of good will… And what did Fina do with it? Yes, she rejected it. At first Scar couldn't believe she really did it, but Anya was proved to be telling the truth- his former mate had had enough of him.
Once again the older brother got everything while the younger got nothing. But for Mufasa it's hard to see that Scar isn't just downright jealous. He just longs to get what everybody deserves- a little happiness. Mufasa had been treated like a king all his life, but when he sees his brother's sorrow, such a contrast to his own joy, he is starting to doubt that king Ahadi should really be considered as 'Great' and 'Kind'.
So this is the end of a certain part of my story. I do have an idea on how to develop it further, but it might take some time for me to write it down. I suppose you all are wondering on how this tale ends, so you will forgive me if I let you wait a little longer, won't you? I do have other important duties, you know. And I bet you do, too.
Review me, tell me what you think. Is this situation a shock or was it predictable? I know many authors try to show Scar's emotional side as well. And how do you think he'll react now? Will he manage to put Fina behind him and regain his peace? Or will he let his envy possess him like a dark fate leading him to kill Mufasa after all? And what about the older lion, and Laila, too? Stay tuned for more news 'From behind Bars' XD