Chapter 1

A brown coated lion with bright emerald green eyes walked up to Pride Rock. The plan was simple, lure his golden coat and amber eyes brother, Mufasa, firstborn and only cub, to the gorge, and his half-minded hyenas' allies will startle the wildebeest heard and they will stampede upon the cub. And both Simba and Mufasa will die in the stampede.

After years of loss and betrayal, Scar shall have his vengeance and shall usurp dear ol' Muffy of his role. He had to endure his self-righteousness for years and what others call his wisdom and he had hated it.

When Scar was a cub, he was called Taka. He loved to play and go on adventures, while Mufasa was kind of more careful. When Taka was little he didn't really care about the fact that Mufasa was going to be king instead of him. Mufasa wasn't so excited about it either, but back when Mufasa was a better brother, went on adventures with Taka, and their friends, Sarabi, Sarafina, and Zira. But one day when they were playing near the outlands, Mufasa and Sarabi refused to enter forbidden territory but Taka, Sarafina, and Zira had been persistent. There, they met three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, and Scar befriended them, despite Sarafina and Zira's distrusting them, and eventually, Ahadi sent Mufasa to spy on his younger brother when he'd continued to disappear from Pride Rock for some odd reason.

Mufasa had found out what he was doing and reported it back to their father, causing Ahadi to banned Taka from going to the Outlands and chasing his hyena friends away, so when Taka found out what his father did, he'd blamed Mufasa and had started to become jealous.

Taka found out that his father had chased them only to the barred lands known as the shadowlands, or better known as the elephant graveyard. The Elephant Graveyard is located beyond a rise that marks the northern border of the Pride Lands. It is a dry, barren, rocky wasteland, perpetually covered in fog that casts a shadow over the area even in the daytime. Bones of dead elephants litter the landscape. The area is geothermally active, containing many natural steam vents. The graveyard is named after the various elephant skeletons that litter the area. It is also known for the numerous geysers that were located there. The graveyard is visible from Pride Rock as a shadowy area. It has been speculated that part of the reason the elephant graveyard is such a terrible place is that the hyenas live there, especially considering what they did to the Pride Lands during their residence there. The graveyard has two "districts": the graveyard district where most of the bones of dead elephants lie with only a few boilers, which is where Simba and Nala visit; and the geyser district, which has geysers, boilers, and suffers from earth tremors and explosions of lava.

Scar had witnessed those failures of hunters not succeeding in his plot and was vastly annoyed.

After having arranged with a trio of hyenas, who inhabit the graveyard, to kill Simba once he induces him to go there, he plays upon Simba's curiosity about the "shadowy place" and desire to prove his bravery by "accidentally" revealing that it is an Elephant Graveyard. Impressed, Simba is determined to go there, despite his father's instruction. He invites his friend, a female cub named Nala, along. The two cubs trick their mothers into letting them leave Pride Rock, ostensibly to go and see something interesting by the watering hole. Simba's mother, Queen Sarabi, insists that Zazu chaperone them. The cubs, however, manage to lose the hornbill. In their glee, they playfully tackle each other. However they do not notice how close they have come to the graveyard and, while playing, both of them fall down a slope, into the area.

Looking around amidst the elephant bones, they approach an elephant skull. Nala comments to Simba about the trouble they could get into by coming to the graveyard, but Simba is unconcerned. They move to investigate the skull. A very nervous Zazu catches up to them and urgently tells them they all have to leave immediately, as they are in very serious danger. Simba airily brushes him off, responding that he laughs at danger. Then, however, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, the three hyenas Scar commissioned to kill Simba once he entered the graveyard, appear, slinking towards the two cubs and the hornbill, making no secret about their intention to devour them.

The cubs try to escape and the hyenas chase them through the graveyard, managing to catch up to Zazu. They take him to one of the geysers and explode him out of the graveyard. After catching back up with the cubs, the hyenas resume the chase. Simba and Nala were riding down an elephant spine and climbing up a massive hill of bones. They are later cornered against a giant rock wall. But just as the hyenas are about to swoop in for the kill, Mufasa rescues them. After the hyenas run away in fear, Mufasa orders Zazu to take Nala home. Mufasa angrily scolds his son for deliberately disobeying him, and expresses disappointment in Simba for getting himself nearly killed and putting Nala in great danger. As Simba tells his father that he was attempting to show bravery, Mufasa reminds him that being brave does not mean that one should go looking for trouble. He then admits to being scared himself because he almost lost his son, and he and Simba eventually reconcile.

In his early life, when he had found his friends, they had arranged the death of Ahadi, and despite being angry at Mufasa, he had still fooled himself into loving that self-righteous fool, and they had tried to send a few attacks that were failures. But their plan worked. Scar became an evil lion and killed his own father, Ahadi. Soon, Mufasa would gloat about him being king and he had decided to start taking his job seriously, being granted king immediately which spiked Scar's annoyance greatly. And that wasn't the final straw; the final straw was when Sarabi rejected him and left him for Mufasa, becoming his queen.

After the latest plan to lure Simba to the elephant graveyard failed, his Uncle, Scar, had to think of a new plan and he'd thought of a perfect one. Scar wanted to be king and he had wanted to have Sarabi. Mufasa had taken his love, was their father's favorite, and he shall have his revenge.

It wasn't long before Scar began actively planning the cub's death another way.

As he arrived at Pride Rock, he saw two cubs playing, Simba, and his best friend, Nala. 'Damn it, with her around, it will be harder to get Simba to come with me.' Scar thought as he approached them with a trademark fake smirk.

Harder but not hard. Scar had to try anyway. He wasn't going to give up on his plan because of a female spoiled brat.

"Come, Simba, I have remembered, your father has something for you at the gorge." Scar declared, walking up to his nephew, noticing how similar he and Mufasa was as cubs. His urges to kill the brat intensified.

Simba grinned and Nala stared at Scar in a suspicious manner. Simba finds Scar an interesting lion, but Nala... Nala never really liked Scar because something about him was always off, and she can see what she had defined as evil green glee in his eyes.

However, Simba liked the creepy lion for some reason, although Nala would never truly understand why.

"Oh, can Nala come?" Simba asked, peaking up in interest.

"It's just a two-lion surprised," Scar replied quickly yet his voice was slowly becoming annoyed, slowly losing his patience but he couldn't allow Nala to come to the gorge as she was an... interesting and fascinating lioness in the making. Yes, she would be fun to betrothed to him when she's older.

"Fine, see you later, Nala," Simba replied begrudgingly before turning around and begins following his uncle, however, his disappointment at his uncle not allowing Nala to come does not last long since he had begun jumping up and down from behind his uncle.

A short time later, Scar and Simba finally arrived to the gorge, and it was so complicated for Scar not to kill the brat as Simba was making life difficult and the oh so urge to kill him was becoming all the more painful than ever before. The spoiled brat was jumping after a butterfly on the way to the gorge, intentionally slowing their way down, and had made the brown-coated lion remembered he and Mufasa's younger days.

The days when he was a weaker cub and was pushed around by all of the lions' cubs in the Pride.

Truthfully, if only the spoiled brat wasn't around or if Sarabi had a miscarriage as his own mother did, Scar wouldn't have been deadset on killing his brother's son, but now he shall accelerate his rise to power. Simba was his father's son. Since Mufasa was king, that makes Simba a Prince. So long as the Prince still lives, he is heir to the throne. Scar would only be the successor to the throne if the prince were out of the way. Simba was the rightful heir to the throne, hence he stood in the way of Scar taking power.

Now, the brat is begging Scar for the surprise to be revealed which had spiked his annoyance even greatly.

"Now you wait here. Your father has a marvelous surprise for you," Scar said, leading the spoiled brat up a rock.

"Cool, what is it?" Simba asked, getting on top of the rock.

"Oh, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Scar replied, forcing a smile. He had all the reasons to be prideful today as soon Mufasa and Simba would be dead, and he shall have his own cubs.

"If you tell me, I'll still act surprise," Simba replied sheepishly, attempting to outsmart his uncle.

It took all Scar had not to roll his eyes, instead, he responded. "Oh, you're such a naughty boy," Scar stated.

"Come on, Uncle Scar," Simba pressed, leaning both paws on Scar's black mane by his stomach.

"No. No. No. No. No. No. This is just for you and your daddy, I guess a father-son thing," Scar said, looking like he didn't know what that was. In all reality, he didn't, his father, Ahadi spoiled Mufasa, but didn't spoiled Taka. The only one who had loved him out of his parents were his mom, Uru. "Well, I better go get him," Scar brightened up, hoping he can finally get rid of this cub who was just as annoying as his father.

"I'll come with you," Simba offered, running down the rock.

"No!" Scar snarled, stopping the cub in his trail. "Hehehe, no. Just stay on this rock." Scar tried to speak sheepishly and calmly, walking forward, making the cub walk back to the rock as he did so. "You wouldn't want to get in another mess as you did with the hyenas?" He had known that the cub wouldn't remain on the rock as the native cub was easily gullible.

"You know about that?" Simba asked, looking down as he remembered his father's lecture and disappointment.

"Oh, Simba, everybody knows about that." Scar said, looking bad as well, but inside he was leaping for joy. He'd always love humiliating his spoiled nephew.

"Really?" Simba asked, humiliated, having to resist the urge to cringe as he remembered his father's lecture.

This is what Scar had wanted and he smiled darkly. "Oh yes, lucky daddy was there to save you, eh?" Instantly, Scar had thought up of more ways to humiliate Simba. "And just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours, um?" Scar says, leaning a paw over Simba.

"Oh, okay, hey Uncle Scar, will I like the surprise?" Simba questioned from behind him, still trying to get his uncle to give some information.

'Remain calm, Scar, remain calm. He will be dead soon anyway.'

"Oh, Simba, it's to DIE for," Scar said, placing emphases on the die part. In seconds, his plans would come to pass, and that spoiled brat shall be dead.

Then, he went off to display out his plan.

With Mufasa and Simba dead, Scar shall have the Pride Lands; he shall be King, he shall have all the power, he shall have his retaliation against those traitors and all who had wronged him. The victory was already climbing up his soul.

Three dark hyenas figures were waiting for their leader, as they watch the wildebeests herd. It was complicated for them not to chase after the wildebeest who was admittedly appeared delicious but they could find out ways to hunt them down later once Scar becomes king and once they have their own way.

The hyenas, secretly under the orders of Scar, chase the cubs in an attempt to kill them. While in pursuit, Shenzi catches up with the female cub and is about to attack her when she is scratched by Simba, which results in three visible blood-like claw marks on her cheek. The hyenas manage to capture Zazu and push him into a 'birdie boiler' and corner the cubs but are thwarted by the arrival of Simba's father, Mufasa. They try to flee but Mufasa quickly subdued them and pinned them to the ground warning them not to come near his son again. The hyenas are then scared off by a frightening roar by Mufasa.

Now, they shall have their revenge and have a full meal in the Pride Lands. The Pride Lands is a large kingdom inhabited by numerous species of animals, epitomizing the abundance of life that originally existed in Africa. Lions are the highest-ranking animals in the kingdom—hence its name. Pride Rock, a colossal rock formation, serves as the residence of the king and his pride.

"I'm so hungry," one of the hyenas named Banzai complained, not able to take their scent anymore. It was just so tempting, and he had hated that they have to be so patient. "I got to have a wildebeest."

"Quiet," the other hyena, Shenzi, hissed.

Banzai still was hungry and he knew he has to eat sooner or later. "Can I just have the little sick ones?" They weren't too important anyway and thus one or two wildebeest being excluded from their plan won't ruin their plan.

"No, we wait for the signal from Scar," Shenzi hissed, her annoyance increasing. Just then, Scar went before Shenzi, Banzai, and Shenzi's brother, Ed, from the top of the cliff. The hyenas smiled at the signal and Shenzi made an entertaining face. "There he is, let's go," Shenzi commanded. With that; they carried out the command, and begin to run to the wildebeests, who instantly begin to freak out - and run down the gorge to "escape" from the Scavengers.

A large, golden mane and amber-eyed lion, King of the Pride Lands, Mufasa, was doing his rounds and having a talk to his Majordomo, Zazu, about losing the cubs yesterday before they went to the Elephant Graveyard.

King Mufasa may be stern - but still respects those who serve him. Zazu only feared Mufasa's mate, Queen Sarabi, since he hasn't seen her since she discreetly ordered him to watch the cubs and also ordered that no mistakes were to be made yesterday. He'd known that Sarabi would give him quite a lecture and probably would want him removed from his position as Majoedomo, however, Sarabi is merciful and was known to give other chances so hopefully she won't be too angry with him.

"Look sire," Zazu noted as he and Mufasa were heading back to Pride Rock; and looking at the gorge in a distance. "The herd is on a move on." Zazu pointed out.

"Odd," Mufasa stated, not sure why they'll be urgent. Earlier, he has done his rounds and they seem perfectly fine, but Mufasa stops thinking when he heard his name being called, followed by a brown blur.

Mufasa's eyes were set on Scar, knowing something urgent is happening and he'll have to stop or help his brother in whatever it is.

"Mufasa! Stampede in the gorge! Simba! Down there!"

That was all Mufasa needed to hear, for he started running, Scar followed closely behind with a evil and malicious grin plastered on his face; along with Zazu, who started flapping his wings and begin flying in the air urgently. "Zazu! Fly ahead! Find him!"

Not needed to be told twice, Zazu did just that and begin to fly ahead, hoping to find the cub, and after moments of scanning, hoping that the prince wasn't dead, he had spotted the cub clinging onto a tree. The cub was desperately digging his claws into it, trying to clutched for dear life - and search for some help.

He saw Zazu floating in the air over the stampede and up to him. "Zazu! Help me!" he cried, almost falling when he clutched on the tree.

"Your father's on the way! Hold on!" Zazu demanded, beginning to fly back.

"Hurry!" Simba cried, not wanting to die this day. He should have listened to his father to not go to these types of places but now he was probably going to die before he even gets the chance to become king.

Mufasa and Scar descended and begin looking for the cub. Zazu flew up to the two males and alerted them where the cub is at, the cub who desperately was clinging onto the tree.

"There! There! On that tree!" Zazu screamed.

Mufasa saw it and so did Scar. He wanted to let him know he was coming.

"Hang on, Simba!" Mufasa yelled, praying to the great Kings they don't let this cub perish. He had lost his father and his mother, and he can't lose his son nor do the Pride Lands need to lose the future king of Pride Rock.

The branch was almost snapped by a blind wildebeest, making the cub shout out for help, and Mufasa jumped in - being the hero he was and begin to run around the stampede. He made his way past a few wildebeests and begin running up to the tree; where the cub hanged on tightly, but the King fallen before he can reach his son.

Looking up at him with shock, surprised, and bewilderment, he watched in horror as the tree launch into the air. Mufasa caught Simba with his muzzle and begin running back, vowing to have a talk with this herd.

Mufasa slammed and crashed into a wildebeest, sending the cub away. Simba was send so hard to the ground the cub nearly was surprised he hadn't passed out when his father ran through the wildebeests' stampede and grabbed the lion cub by his tuff and lifting him up just as a wildebeest slammed onto the ground, and Mufasa ran up to the ledge and planted his cub on it.

Mufasa noted with his right eye that wildebeests was dashing at him and would soon have him among them, and although he was slightly tired and slow, the king felt adrenaline dashing through him.

Quickly, Mufasa jumped up onto the top of the ledge just in time, though he did feel some pain on his rump which would hurt in the morning, and landed on top of the ledge, breathing with adrenaline.

Now, it is time to talk with his cub and think of a punishment.

Mufasa walked up with angry eyes and glared at the cub, and the cub stared back fearfully, trying to place a smile on his muzzle, but the king wasn't amused as he glared down at the cub.

"Simba, what were you doing?" Mufasa scolded furiously. "You could have been killed today."

"Dad, I-" Simba sputtered for an answer, knowing that his father was going to be disappointed.

"I'm saying this because I love you. I thought we had a talk about you not going into dangerous territories and yet you continue to defy me. Why are you always placing your life at risk? You continue to deliberately disobey me. Do I have to give you physical punishments so you can stop disobeying me like my father gave me when I was a boy?" Mufasa demanded, a low sigh coming on his lips as he stares down at the cub.

"Dad, Scar told me you had a surprise for me in the gorge!" Simba blurted out, not wanting to receive another lashing from his mother or another lecture from his father.

"WHAT-"

Arthur's note: I just had to end it there. For the first time in the year, I have finally thought of a Lion King story. The Lion King community has apparently gone down after I left so I want to help a little. I'm going to try to do this trilogy weekly or for two weeks as I would have to write down drafts and think of ideas. I'm going to try to keep this strictly Lion King, meaning that the Lion Guard probably won't be added, and if they do, it would be different.

The writing format is going to be completely different. It's been a year so that means that everything is going to be different. This is going to be thought out and I'm going to try my hardest as my other Lion King stories have a lot of grammatical errors.

I hope you all have a good day or night and please be careful from Covid 19 and this now cruel world. I hope you all are safe.