Chapter 10 Choices

Returning home this time was one of the hardest things Scar had ever had to face. He had lost his love, his best friend, and it was all his fault… But there had been no clear choices! How could they have possibly been together? Maybe what Chipo had done was for the best, but Scar felt in his heart that it was wrong…

Upon reporting in to Pride Rock, Scar and Stone learned that Enu and Ifa had also gotten engaged while they were away. Their weddings would be soon. Dejen had requested to the King that he be allowed to have a private residence on the Pride Lands to be with his new wife. Mohatu had agreed and had set up Dejen and Chipo with a small den near the waterhole. Close enough to be able to go back and forth to the pride with ease, but far enough away for privacy. Enu and Ifa were beside themselves with happiness. Once married they would be able to live in the main den with the rest of the pride. It was all they could talk about.

Scar did not want to have to face Dejen and Chipo, but he would see them eventually, so it was best to just get it out of the way. He and Stone went to visit them at their new den. Stone went over to Dejen, taking him aside to talk so that Scar might have a few moments to speak with Chipo…

"Welcome back Taka!" she said happily. She ran over to him and gave him a nice head bump. "How was your trip…?"

"Why Chipo?" was all Scar could muster the strength to say. But it was enough. Chipo's happy expression faded and she sighed. "I thought you had no regrets…?"

"I don't have any regrets Taka," she said sadly. "I really did love you but…"

"Then why didn't you say it?!" Scar said bewilderedly. "I love you too… I never want to be without you…"

"I didn't say it Taka for the same reason you didn't." Her amber eyes had tears forming in them. "You and I both know that we could never be together…"

Scar's heart fell once again into the pit of his stomach. He lowered his head and stared at the ground. "I know…" he admitted. He looked back up into her tearing eyes.

"You know I don't have anyone, I'm all alone in this world. I have no family. I never thought that I would. But when Dejen proposed, I thought that this was my opportunity to have that. That I could have a mate of my own and cubs in the pride that wouldn't just be turned out as rogues. For me, that was all I've ever wanted… Was to belong. And now I have that. I'm the mate of the Keenest of Sight…"

"But do you love him?" Scar asked.

"No… Not like I loved you…"

"Then how can you be happy?"

"I have to try Taka," Chipo said as firmly as she could. "That's all we can do in this world is try…"

"Does Dejen know about us?" Scar asked quietly.

"Yes I told him," Chipo replied. "He's okay with it. He understands that he wasn't my first choice. But he is okay with that. I think he really does love me. So I can learn to love him too…"

"Scar! It's great to have you back!" Dejen exclaimed running over to Scar. "Stone told about all your fun adventures! It sounds like you had a very boring trip…"

"Indeed it was," Scar agreed. Chipo forced a smile for her mate.

"Did Chipo get a chance to fill you in on our marriage?" Dejen asked awkwardly.

"Yes she did," Scar said reluctantly.

"Good. I hope there's no hard feelings, Scar. I just really love Chipo and I wanted to be with her."

"No of course not. I'm sure the two of you will be just great together…"

"Yes, I'll take excellent care of Chipo, don't worry," Dejen said beaming. He then gave Chipo a kiss on the cheek. Chipo smiled and gave him a reply kiss.

"Well we should probably get going Scar," Stone chimed in. "Evening patrols will be soon. We just wanted to check in with you guys and say hi before starting with those…"

"Yep," Dejen agreed. "I'll be on the southern boarder tonight…"

"Excellent! Well it was nice seeing you guys, take care now!"

Scar muttered a word of thanks to Stone as they walked away.

"I thought you held it together quite well," Stone stated.

"Just barely…" Scar growled.

"Well at least now you have some closure," Stone tried to reason. "That way you can begin to move on…"

There will be no moving on from Chipo, Scar thought. My heart is dead knowing she is not truly happy. I will never truly be happy either…

As Chipo watched Scar walk away her heart ached. It had been so much harder to see him than she had imagined. She could no longer contain her tears as they ran down her face. Dejen kissed her gently.

"Are you going to be okay Chipo?" he asked her sincerely.

"Yes," Chipo lied. "I'll be fine. I'll get over it. I just need some time…"

"Okay," Dejen replied. He kissed her again. "I'm going to go start my patrol. When I get back, let's do something fun! Okay?"

Chipo nodded in agreement. Dejen smiled, then took off. Once he was gone Chipo began to sob. Did I make the right choice? She thought. He loves me… I still love him… And now I'm miserable… And he… He will be miserable too…

Scar could not sleep that night. All he did was toss and turn. He was not tried at all, and all he wanted to do was to stop thinking of Chipo, but it was the one thing he could not do. He decided to get up and go for a walk. The night was clam and clear. The stars staring down at him. All those Great Kings… Where they all happy? Or were they unhappy because they were forced to be great?

Scar tried to avoid the waterhole but after walking in a big circle he found himself near there. Maybe if I just steal a glance at her I will stop thinking about her… he tried to reason. Seeing her happily asleep will put my fears to rest…

He quietly came up to Dejen and Chipo's small den: a thicket in the tall grasses. He saw Dejen snoring soundly but not Chipo. Perhaps she was on the other side of Dejen, out of sight? Scar felt even guiltier for going there. Sadness filled him. I just need to go…

He turned to head back to the waterhole for a quick drink when suddenly he ran into Chipo. She was completely drenched in water…

"Chipo?!" Scar exclaimed. Both excited and surprised. "Why are you soaking wet?"

"Oh…" Chipo gasped. "I thought I'd take a swim…"

"This late in the night?" Scar asked.

"Ya, well I couldn't sleep. What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep either and I walked in a big circle and ended up here," Scar rambled. "I'm sorry, I need… I just wanted to see you… Sleeping happily…"

"I…" Chipo stammered. "Just wanted to cool off… The air is so dry and warm… And I couldn't stop thinking about you…"

The two stared intently into each other's eyes. There was pain, sadness, longing, and desire. Scar could not help himself, he reached over and kissed Chipo and she returned his kiss. And in that moment, the world was perfect. Nothing mattered because they were together. The world was just the two of them… A calming peace took over their minds. Everything became so clear: they belonged together. They needed to be together. Scar kissed her again and again. Chipo let out a soft moan. She looked up at the stars. Her desire was replaced by fear…

"Taka, no! We can't," she told him. "This isn't right! Dejen is just over there he will know! He will hear us!"

Scar stopped. He was panting, she was too. He was aroused. Chipo was too. She had become so wet with desire for her true love that it was almost unbearable, seeing Scar's erection longing for her just made it worse. Scar saw her longing gaze for him…

"Do you trust me?" he asked Chipo.

"Yes…" she replied. "But I do not trust myself…"

"Follow me…"

Scar quickly walked through the tall grasses and Chipo followed him. Slowly, the grass turned into dirt and then into piles of bones… They had crossed over into the hyena's lands: the Elephant Graveyard… Chipo looked cautiously at their new surroundings, not knowing what to think. There were bubbling pools, endless bones, and a foreboding feeling...

"Do not be frightened," Scar assured her. "This section of the boarder is rarely used. The hyenas never come this close…"

Scar nuzzled Chipo's neck. She closed her eyes and her fear went away. There were no stars here to judge them, no one too close to hear them… She relaxed and started kissing and licking Scar's face. She could feel him probing, seeking her place of hot desire… She arched up to meet him. Their intensity heightened. Their calls of ecstasy muffled by the steam vents.

When it was over, they sat, with interlocking paws, kissing each other. They were hopeless for one another, their hearts fused together. But in such a cruel world, their love was not spared its pain. Chipo had to go back to her mate, and Scar had to return to being a Prince.

"Meet me here tomorrow?" Chipo begged.

"Yes," Scar replied. "I will come for you…"

Chipo went back to her den, but Scar sat for a moment. It was a moment too long…

"Ooooohhhh, what have we here?!" a sadistic female voice asked.

"Hay!" Another voice replied. "It's that rogue we followed here Ed! I wonder if that was his Chipo girl…."

Scar turned and snarled at the hyenas. But they just laughed at him.

"That's not a rogue, stupid boy," the female hyena stated. "That's a Prince…"

"A Prince!?" Banzai exclaimed. "He's acting like a rogue… Stealing that lion's girl…"

"I did not steal her!" Scar growled. "She was stolen from me!"

"Why don't we go over and ask that lion over there for his opinion?" the female snickered.

"Shenzi," Banzai reasoned. "If that's a Prince. Then couldn't he have whoever he wanted?"

"That's not how these lion prides work Banzai," Shenzi replied. "Those two over there are a married pair. They are supposed to be exclusive with one another…"

"Oh?" Banzai laughed. "Scar didn't seem like he was adhering to that exclusivity…"

"He certainly was not…"

Scar growled louder at the hyenas.

"Adultery!" Shenzi accused. "And on our lands none the less! Imagine if word go to the King about this…"

"What do you want?" Scar growled.

"Oh, it's not about what I want," Shenzi cooed. "It's about what you want… You want this little fantasy of yours to continue… Don't you Scar?"

Scar's mind raced. Never before on patrols had he seen the hyenas come so close to the boarder with the Pride Lands. They must only be so bold at night… he reasoned. And they never leave their scent… And now they have him blackmailed…

"Think Scar…" Shenzi continued. "What could you give us, to keep us quite?"

"I'm not giving you a damned thing!" Scar growled. "The King is not going to take the word of hyenas over his grandson!"

Shenzi laughed. "If you weren't worried about it, you'd be gone already… Yet here you are… And here you'll be again tomorrow…"

"Ooooo," Banzai laughed. "We could set a trap for them…"

"Yes…" Shenzi sneered. "I wonder what our Matriarch would think of lions mating on our lands…"

Banzai was just a tad too close to the enraged lion. Scar pounced, pinning him down, his claws at his throat. Shenzi and Ed ran off a ways. Ed started whimpering.

"I'll kill him if you don't promise to keep quite!" Scar roared.

"Go ahead!" Shenzi dared as Ed protested.

"Shenzi!?" Banzai pleaded. "I thought you liked me…"

"He's just a new male scrub that joined our clan! What do I care for him?"

Ed continued to whimper and whine for the plight of his friend.

"Oh shut up Ed!" Shenzi groaned. "Even if this Scar kills him, think, at least we'll get something to eat!"

Scar let go of Banzai and he ran over to the other two hyenas quickly.

"You disgusting beasts," Scar growled. "All you ever care about is food… I should have known your silence would be easy to come by. Say nothing of this and tomorrow I'll bring you a kill…"

"Food?!" Banzai asked excitedly. "Oh boy! This is going to be great!"

"You better bring it quickly," Shenzi warned. "If our stomachs get too empty we have a habit of forgetting the rules…"

"Say something and you'll get nothing!" Scar snapped. He then turned and ran off the hyena lands. He was so full of emotions: love, fear, hate…. They all blurred together in a rage. What he would do for his beloved Chipo… He would do anything…