Chapter 9 Doubt

Scar and Chipo met secretly several times. They would have long walks in the moonlight. Share stories. Talk about the future. Scar knew Chipo could not be gone very long, as her pride was much farther away. He took to sleeping in the lower den with the Lion Guard so it wouldn't be noticed that he was sneaking off. But King Mohatu was no fool. He knew what Scar was doing from the very first moment it happened. Another talk was in order.

"Taka, let me accompany you on your patrols today," Mohatu stated.

"Are you sure grandfather?" Scar asked. "You tend to get very stiff after walking so far."

"I'm sure. It will be a slow walk, but I can manage it…"

Scar had a feeling he was going to get another lecture. He knows… He always knows…

With Pride Rock a good distance behind them Mohatu stated his intended conversation.

"Taka, I want to talk to you about Chipo…" he began.

"Okay," Scar sighed. "What is it this time?"

"I'm sorry I was so blunt about her before. It was improper for me to just spring that on you without warning at such a public event. But I just worry about so many things. I am not getting any younger. I don't think I will see the next wet season. I want you to be happy, but I realize that you are still in your youth, that everything is new and exciting. I had hoped to see you settled by the next wet season. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but you are a Prince. You have this prestigious new Lion Guard to look after. You need to set a good example for the kingdom and for them, of what the ideal family is. I know Chipo is fun, and that's okay to have fun. So I encourage you, go on, have fun. Sow your wild oats. But remember that untimely you must choose someone else…"

"I care for Chipo deeply," Scar stated. "If being a part of the royal family means I cannot be with her then fine! I will abdicate. I am not the heir apparent, I can serve the pride as a commoner…"

"What makes you think you'd be allowed to stay in the pride if you abdicated?" Mohatu growled. "What contribution could you alone bring to the pride?"

"I am the founder of the Lion Guard!" Scar roared. "Is that not enough!"

"No!" Mohatu shouted. "You are not the strongest, the keenest of sight, the fastest, or the bravest! You may think you are the smartest, but your weakness for Chipo has clearly ruled that out. Think Taka. You cannot be with her, because you are a Prince. If you are not a Prince, then what are you? A rogue. Alone. Do you really think you alone could protect her?"

Scar's heart sank. He knew what his grandfather had said was true. He could not go out on his own with Chipo, some stronger rogue would just challenge him for her. Maybe he could join her pride? Start a Lion Guard there? But that too would seem unlikely. Even if her King wanted to start a Lion Guard, Scar would not be a rogue worthy of being selected for such a role. He had thought that possibly abdicating the crown would solve that, but apparently not. Maybe he could just wait until Mohatu died? No, Ahadi was just as stringent as his father, and Mufasa would not likely be any different. He thought of the rogue lioness he had seen at the Great Lake. Even if Chipo left her pride, and refused to accept any challengers Scar might have, she would ultimately end up alone. He could not bring that fate upon her…

"Don't you see?" Mohatu continued. "It was simply not meant to be…"

"No," Scar resigned. "I guess it is not…"

"I don't want you to linger on this," Mohatu continued. "Which brings me to my next topic of discussion. I want to send you and Bitrus out to his old pride lands. I've asked for news from the region and I'm not getting back anything very clear about the current situation there. I want to know if the rogues that overthrew his pride are still in control of that area. I also want to know if the surrounding prides have had similar fates…"

"Bitrus has said his pride was very far away," Scar stated. "It would take several months to get there and back. And in the dry season, with scarce food, that would be a hard task…"

"I know, which is why I'm sending out the two of you. I know that you can overcome any hardship you might encounter. You two have had a couple months' worth of good meals in you. I think this is the best time to go. I will need you both back here for the start of the next wet season. So you can manage your Guard with the lionesses in heat…"

"Very well," Scar groaned.

"I will occasionally send out Zuzu if I think there is anything important that you need to know while you are away. She is currently training her son, Zazu, to be the next majordomo. He might be sent out to you as well…"

"Why not just send one of them to inquire about Bitrus' old pride then?"

"They are far too busy here to fly all the way there and back to give a solid report. Besides they cannot infer conclusively the state of those lands. If they could then the words from the migrating birds would have been sufficient, and it is clearly not. You will leave next week…"

Scar sighed. He was being sent off on a distraction. He might have only known Chipo a few months but he was surely not going to be able to forget about her that quickly. But what he was going to do he was not sure. There were no good answers. Perhaps this would be for the best. He could use the time to clearly think out all the options and try to find any loop holes he hadn't thought of yet.

The night before Scar and Stone were to set off Scar snuck out once again to see Chipo. He had told her of his upcoming deployment. She was understanding. But he could see the sadness in her eyes, there had been sadness in his as well. As the time had come closer and closer, he had been able to think of little else. He needed to see her again. He didn't care that he would be half asleep setting out the next day, he had lost too much sleep already worrying about Chipo. She smiled when she saw him approach their meeting spot. They kissed and he held her close.

"Taka," she whispered to him.

"Yes, Chipo?" Scar replied.

"I want to give you something before you go."

"What is it?"

"I want to give you myself…" Chipo whispered in his ear, kissing him gently.

"Are you sure?" Scar asked hesitantly. "I do not want you to regret..."

"No regrets this time," Chipo assured him. "I did not feel this way before. I have such deep feelings for you. I need to show you how I feel…"

Chipo began kissing and licking Scar's face. He began kissing and licking her face. Then he gradually began to work his way down her body, her chest, stomach, and finally to her sensitive place between her legs. She let out an irresistible sound. Was is a groan, a roar, a growl? It did not matter. Scar wanted her to keep making that noise, it was like a song fueling his passion. She writhed with pleasure, kneading at his chest with her legs, Scar's desires became almost painful. But he cared not, he was perfectly content to make himself suffer to insure her happiness.

"Oh, Taka!" she moaned. "I need more!"

She reached down, grabbing his mane with her teeth, pulling his head closer to hers. Scar kissed her, gently inserting his engorged organ into her. He roared as his aching need was finally satisfied. She roared in response to his delight. Their passion was exquisite. Their panting hot breaths sent calls out into the night, so that the Great Kings who looked down might witness their union. When Scar's efforts had been extinguished he lay beside Chipo, holding her. He never wanted this moment to end. He never wanted to leave her. But as the sun began to rise he knew he had already stayed too long.

"I have to go…" Scar whispered.

"Don't leave me…" Chipo begged. Say it Taka, she thought. Say 'I love you.' And it won't matter, none of it will. I will bring down the whole world for your love. But you must say it. So that I know it will be worth it…

Scar so desperately wanted to tell her that he loved her. But he thought of what Mohatu had told him. My love will only destroy her. I will never let that happen to her. Does she truly love me? Can she be trusted? Or is my grandfather right to condemn her? I need to think, I need to have a plan. Only then will it be safe to love her…

"Goodbye Chipo," Scar said reluctantly. He gave her one last passionate kiss, then ran off towards Pride Rock.

Chipo watched as her beloved ran off. Tears flowed from her eyes and she began to softy sob. I am not worthy of him! Her thoughts raced in her mind. He cannot choose me over them! His family, his whole world… I was stupid to think that he would…

So many hot dry endless days blurred together as Scar and Stone walked on their quest to find Stone's old home. Stone had noticed Scar's sadness. He had a good idea of what was the cause.

"Thinking about Chipo?" Stone asked.

"Yes," Scar replied. "I cannot stop thinking about her…"

Scar shared his frustrations with Stone on why he and Chipo could not be together.

"Do you really love her that much?" Stone asked.

"Would I be such a wreck if I didn't?" Scar asked. "There must be something I can do! Can you think of anything?"

"No," Stone said honestly. "I was also expected to marry a virgin princess… That's just the way it is! To insure loyalty to the royals. So everyone would know that their cubs were legitimate. In my opinion, anyone can cheat. But what do I know? I've never asked, but I've probably deflowered a few lionesses. But no one cares about a lioness of low status. So why should have Chipo cared about it prior to meeting you? It's just some stupid rule the Great Kings made up! The non-circle prides don't follow it, otherwise there would be none left! And they are much more likely to cheat than a Great Pride lioness. They are all but ignored by their kings unless they're in heat! But even then, it's not like they ever have a choice. Some lionesses deliberately cheat because they want that choice for once in their lives. And there is nothing the king can do about it. He'll run off the offender sure, but once the cubs are born, no one can tell, and he would never risk killing his own cubs…"

Scar sighed. He thought this journey would help him resolve this issue. But all it was doing was exacerbating his anxiety. The weeks past and they eventually came to the lands they were seeking. It was the dry season but even so, Scar had never seen lands that looked like this. Completely barren of all life. No plant or animal to be seen. It was a wasteland…

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Scar asked Stone.

"Yes," Stone assured him. "See those cliffs over there? We were known as the White Cliff Pride…"

"It looks uninhabitable… There are no scent markings. Lions have not been here in some time…"

"That's right!" a voice laughed. From behind a rock emerged two hyenas. "This is hyena land!"

"Great…" Scar said sarcastically.

"My name is Banzai, and this is Ed!" the hyena continued. "The lions that used to be here left years ago…"

"How many years?" Stone inquired. "Last I heard was my mother's death two years ago…"

"Ya, I'd say that's about when they left," Banzai replied. "All the lionesses ganged up on their kings and killed them. We hyenas took the opportunity to drive them out! It was great! But recently things have been kind of bad…"

"That's because hyenas overhunt everything to death," Stone snapped. "Do you have any idea where the lionesses went?"

"No! And why should I care? Who are you guys anyways?!"

"I'm Scar and this is Stone," Scar replied. The hyenas laughed hysterically.

"Looks like we have a couple of rogues!" Banzai howled. "We're rogues too! Well, kind of. We were about to leave this place and find a new clan!"

"And leave all this?" Stone huffed. "I can't imagine why…"

"You don't know of any hyena clans that could use some new young males do ya?"

"No. Get lost!" Scar roared, charging at the hyenas. They were far too quick for him though and they just trotted off a short distance away.

"Don't do that," Stone groaned. "They're just a bunch of cowards. They're too fast to catch. Don't waste your time…"

Stone and Scar thoroughly explored the area. They came across the hyena clan, which they avoided, but little else. They then went to check in with the other prides in the area. They informed the rogues that the lionesses had all split up. A few going to each of the neighboring prides. The kings who had controlled that land had let the hyenas take it over, ruining it. Scar also noticed these Great Prides had devised a similar solution to dealing with usurpers to his Lion Guard. The royal family was massive. Lots of sons to protect the pride. In turn each grandson was assured a place in another pride, the husband of a princess, assuming that he was competent. Few were forced out to become rogues. Stone learned that his sisters had died in the fight to overthrow the kings. Satisfied in what they had learned they started the long walk home.

Scar noticed the two hyenas continued to follow them.

"I think they like you," Stone teased.

"They're just after our scraps," Scar moaned. "I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do about Chipo…"

"Chipo!? Who's Chipo?" Banzai called out.

"The love of his life!" Stone yelled back.

"Awww, how cute. The rogue has a crush! You're not going to win her over being all lanky and scrawny though! Unless she's a hyena! Hyena girls love a guy they can just beat the crap out of…"

"Don't encourage them!" Scar complained. "Now I'm going to have this to listen to…"

"Where are we going?!" Banzai asked.

"Somewhere far, far away…" Stone replied.

"Sounds like lots of walking. And lots of hunting! Right Ed?!"

"Ugh," Scar groaned. "How much more time before we are home?"

"I'd say about two, three weeks tops," Stone answered.

A young hornbill started to circle overhead.

"Young master Taka?! Bitrus?!" he called out.

"Yes?" Scar replied. The hornbill descended and landed before him.

"News from Pride Rock!"

"You must be Zazu…"

"Yes! Now, King Mohatu has told me to inform you that the south river still has water. So travel along that way you'll still be able to find food. Everyone is doing well, but the King does tire more easily than ever…"

"Anything important?" Stone asked. "We really don't need to know what we already know…"

"Let's see," Zazu contemplated. "River, water, food, all is well. I think that's about it!"

"Thankfully…" Stone muttered. "Nothing chattier than a hornbill…"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Zazu remembered. "Word for you in particular, master Taka…"

"Okay what is it?" Scar groaned. "We still have endless walking to do…"

"News from your friend Chipo!" Zazu announced.

Scar perked up. "What does she say?!"

"She wants me to inform you that she is engaged!"

"Engaged?!" Scar said bewildered. "To whom?"

"To Dejen, the Keenest of Sight. She is set to be married next week… Well that was a few days ago now. It took me a while to fly all the way out here and find you…"

"So she's going to be married to Dejen?" Scar asked again just to make sure he had heard it correctly.

"Yes!" Zazu exclaimed. "Isn't that exciting?! Should I send word of your congratulations?"

Scar sat frozen, staring at Zazu. There was so much he wanted to say to Chipo, so much he wanted to ask her. But not through Zazu! He was at a loss. What could he say to her? She had so easily moved on from him… His heart was broken…

"Yes, of course Zazu," Scar stammered.

"Great!" Zazu replied. "Now if there is nothing else, I shall be off!"

"No…"

Zazu flew off. Scar hung his head.

"You idiot!" Stone yelled. "Why didn't you say something? Didn't you tell her that you loved her before you left?!"

"No," Scar admitted. "I didn't know if she felt the same way about me. And I didn't want to hurt her if I couldn't figure out a way for us to be together! What am I going to do now Stone?! I have no one to go home to…"