Chapter 26 – Hakuna lakini Matata
By an official royal decree of king Ahadi, for disturbing the Circle of Life through a blameworthy excess in gluttony during the drought, which caused many animals to suffer, all hyenas were to be banished from anywhere within the borders of the Pridelands.
Scar didn't know if that was his father's own idea, or if it had been suggested by Mufasa or Rafiki, who has now become some sort of an official advisor to the king. What he did know was that, after what he said to the mandrill the night after the buffalo incident, he at least kept silent about the prince's connections with the exiled creatures. Making use of that knowledge, the lion had just enough time to travel to Five Stones and stop Shenzi's clan from starting an open rebellion. Shocked by his injuries and new name, his trio of minions asked Scar what they should do in their present situation. Not finding a better solution, he suggested that the clan ought to, for the time being, relocate to the Elephant Graveyard- a place outside of the kingdom, where the hyenas sometimes scavenged for food. Although very reluctantly, the pack agreed, forced to submission by their matriarch.
Still not feeling well, suffering from a large dose of pain in his eye and back, Scar made it to Pride Rock… just in time for his mother's arrival. And then, even her happy announcement of finding a lake at the western edge of the Pridelands, which would undoubtedly end the crisis associated with the drought, was quickly replaced by the sound of a mother lamenting as she beheld the disfigured face of her son.
Also the members of the Lion Guard, who have returned along with the queen, started showing him their support… until Ahadi revealed to everyone the circumstances of Taka's scarring, that is. Then even Uru became mad with her younger son for putting the life of the older one, as well as his own, in danger. Even the prince's self-imposed penance, in the form of assuming the name of Scar to remind him of his mistake, could not change the fact that everyone at Pride Rock started looking at him no longer with compassion, but with an unbearable sense of disappointment.
Finally, Scar couldn't take it anymore. Announcing to the pride that he needed to rest and heal, he completely left his home, as well as the Lair of the Lion Guard, instead setting his new abode at a nearby formation of rocks. There he finally found relative peace, wrestling with his thoughts alone for a few days.
Until he heard her voice again, that is.
She came one cloudy morning from the direction of Pride Rock, undoubtedly having looked for him there earlier. His pride must have told her where she could find him. At first, he wanted to hide, but he was still too achy to do that fast enough.
As soon as the lioness noticed him stretched out on the rocks, she began expressing her anger.
-"There you are!" – she almost screamed, approaching the lion with sparks of fury in her brown eyes. – "I've been looking all over for you. Do you know what that wretch, what that miserable, pathetic, flea-infested imbecile did? I still can't believe that he… Oh Great King, your face!"
Zira's angry expression instantly vanished as soon as she noticed the fresh scar that blemished her friend's appearance, and was replaced by one of sheer terror. She stood there, mouth agape, as the injured lion looked at her with both his good eye and the wounded one, whipping the ground with his tail.
-"Greetings, Zira" – he mumbled sarcastically. – "I apologize that you have to see me in such a state. But I suppose you're going to have to get used this new look of mine."
She attempted to stretch out her paw and touch the scar… but then she hesitated.
-"Taka… are you in pain? What… what happened?" – her voice shook as if she was feeling his injuries herself.
The prince snorted angrily.
-"Taka is gone. I have decided not to use that name, which I've always hated, anymore… I made a mistake, Zira. I tried to humiliate my brother, and all I got as a result was being humiliated myself. I am scarred for life by my error… You may as well just call me Scar. I told the same thing to everyone else."
Zira narrowed her eyes and sat down, looking perplexed and confused.
-"I… I don't understand… What exactly happened to you?"
-"I got attacked by a bloody water buffalo!" – he yelled back, suddenly. – "Haven't you heard the rumors? To answer your question, yes, I am in a lot of pain. And I would enjoy very much if you did not bother me even more."
Feeling terribly sorry, the young lioness hung her head. But when Scar's sudden outburst was over, he realized he had no reason to be mad with her. That made him regret his harsh words.
-"And what about you?" – he continued, unable to stand her staring at the ground like that. – "Why did you come? I thought my father paid your pride a huge service by getting rid of the hyenas."
Looking back at him, Zira rolled her eyes. Her irritation reappeared with a new strength.
-"Your father's service is nothing compared to his injustice!" – she whined.
Now that was interesting. Ignoring his aching back, Scar lifted himself up a bit.
-"I'm listening" – he said calmly.
Then the lioness released the rant she'd been repeating in her mind for days.
-"Well, first of all, I need to tell you what my father announced just the other day. He came to me right after sunrise and said that today there wouldn't be any training. At first I was happy, but then he took me to this other pride, over in the Marshlands. Father introduced me to the leader, his mate, his son… And then… Then that bastard told me that they've come to an agreement, and that, from that day on, I was betrothed to that Marshlander's son! My father prearranged a marriage for me! That brute! That rotten skunk…!"
Seeing that his friend's fury has reached a truly alarming level, and that she seemed to be about to burst our crying at the same time, Scar decided the moment had come for him to interfere.
-"Zira, I seriously think that you ought to calm down…"
-"Calm down?! Calm down?!" – she fixed her blood-shot eyes at him and bared her fangs in a way that actually caused the prince to shudder. – "How the hell can I calm down after what he did to me?! Can you even begin to imagine what it means to be forced to marry someone you don't even know?! No, you don't! You're Ahadi's son, you can do whatever you like! And as for Ahadi… I have no idea how someone as incompetent as him can be king! Do you know he agreed of my betrothal without even asking me? All my father had to do was to go to him, and the whole damn thing was arranged in a single day…!"
Scar let Zira take a moment to catch some air after she lost her breath. Then he himself said:
-"Do you really think I can do whatever I like because I am Ahadi's son? Quite the contrary, actually! My father is a fool. And what the hell do you want me to say to you right now? Hakuna matata?"
-"Puh!" – snorted the young female. – "More like hakuna lakini matata…"
Sighing sadly, she hung her head yet again, looking away.
-"I wish my mother would just divorce him" – she mumbled.
-"Yes, well, under the present monarch, that may be a bit problematic" – Scar stated dryly.
Zira lifted her eyes at him. Then she frowned as if she noticed the wound on his face for the very first time.
-"Scar…" – she repeated the alias he chose for himself. – "A fierce-sounding name for the fiercest in the Pridelands. And that scar actually makes you look even fiercer!"
For some reason, the head guardian remembered Upesi, his predecessor, and his own vast collection of scars that his uncle had acquired during the long years of his service…
-"Like the notch in your ear made you look fierce?" – he responded more calmly, glad with the change of the topic.
Unintentionally, Zira smiled.
-"Why yes, I believe so…" – she examined the injury more closely. – "So it was a buffalo, right? It's very brave of you to fight with such big animals."
-"I still wear the lionhead mark apart from this scar, after all" – he responded dismissively, not wishing to mention or even to remember the true circumstances of his encounter with Boma.
-"Does it hurt? Can you see?" – Zira continued to ask with concern.
-"It still stings a bit. The sight in my left eye is rather blurred… but it's gotten better."
Then the young lioness let out another deep breath.
-"Scar" – she addressed him again after a moment of silence. – "I think my father wants to keep me away from you. I fear that was the reason why he had me betrothed to this Marshlander…"
That was a very unusual thought.
-"I wouldn't think so" – answered the lion. – "I'd rather say that Nguvu just wants you to give him an heir who will continue to lead your pride after he's gone, since he hasn't got any sons."
A grimace of utter disgust appeared on Zira's face. Then the prince risked asking another question.
-"Did you even like the one you've been betrothed to when you saw him in the Marshlands?"
To that she did not respond, however. Looking at the horizon, she let her thoughts engulf her for a while. And then, so silently that Scar was barely able to hear, she whispered something as if speaking to herself.
-"I want to kill my father."
That confession made the astonished lion stand up from the ground and approach her, ignoring the pain. Yes, he had saved her life… but he never suspected that Zira would give him so much of her trust as to reveal such a thing to him.
Feeling his presence by her side, she looked at him with tears in her eyes.
-"That's not right, is it?" – the pain in her voice was very clear. – "I shouldn't want this. Am I… does that make me… a beast?"
Then, in spite of his injuries and his own dark thoughts, Scar smiled.
-"My dear little fox… You're not the beast here. Right or wrong has nothing to do with what you've said. It's just normal. Normal that, when we come to a certain age, we begin to desire for one thing- to be free to do whatever we will, without others forcing us to act as they tell us to."
Astounded at first, Zira returned the smile.
-"Do you really think so, Scar?" – she said with that same admiration he first saw in her after he pulled her out of the fox's den.
-"Yes, I do" – answered the prince, patting her on the head with his clawed paw. – "Everything's not lost yet, Zira. Remember that we are lions- supreme beings, exalted far above others. We're at the top of the food chain, and we never give up. As a lion, you can always make your own choices. Also, if you ever feel like it, you can always come here to talk to me."
Overjoyed by his consoling words, grinning widely, she gave him another one of her surprise hugs… and in spite of his intensive backache, Scar returned the young lioness' caress.
AN: Hakuna matata means 'no worries'. Hakuna lakini matata means 'nothing but worries'. However, in the midst of their difficult situations, Scar and Zira still have each other… in spite of the bad influence they might have on one another. Actually, their troubles are only bringing them closer together. Kinda reminds me of Julia Michaels' song 'Issues', you know what I mean?
No, you don't judge me / 'Cause if you did, baby, I would judge you too
'Cause I got issues, but you got 'em too / So give 'em all to me and I'll give mine to you
The lyrics of that song are basically about the two of them. Still, Scar was not Kovu's father. Obviously, Zira had to have had another mate. Well, we've just found out how that happened… Uhh, those arranged marriages!