Dark Times In The Spotlight
SUMMARY: When humans enter the Pride Lands, Mufasa remembers the time when humans entered the Pride Lands during his youth. Young Mufasa, how he became king, and how Taka became Scar and got his namesake. 9 really short chapters.
RATED: PG-13 for some violence, death, and limited maltreatment of our favorite lions.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I own none of the following characters. They remain the property of Disney. I'm just a fan girl that loves The Lion King and wanted to experiment with writing my first ever fan fiction for it. So please don't sue me. No copyright infringement was intended, I just needed a release for some of the creative ideas that have been causing me to daydream between classes lately. Also, for those of you wondering - "Zuri" as I found on an online translator means "beautiful" in Swahili. Yes, I do realize that the chapter entitled "The Morning Report" is a Disney song. I merely used the title because I felt it was an appropriate chapter title/summary. Again, no copyright infringement intended.
CHAPTER 1 - Zazu and the News
The sun sets over another spring day in the Savannah. The sky is painted with a dazzling array of oranges and reds. I lay in the soft grass at the base of Pride Rock, watching as my son Simba chases a grasshopper. I smile to myself. The grasshopper is winning, eluding every move and pounce that he makes. Ah! He almost caught it that time.
"SIRE!" comes the panicked voice of Zazu, as in lands in a fury of feathers before me.
"What is it Zazu?"
"Humans! In the Pride Lands!"
I spring to my feet. Simba looks over to me at the commotion.
"Where?" I demand.
"Their camp is right by the water hole."
"Simba, get up to the cave," I direct, meaning the cave on Pride Rock where we lions live.
"Aww, but dad, can't I come?" he pleads.
I shake my head no. "It's too dangerous."
He sighs and turns away, climbing up to his waiting mother. I sigh a bit myself as I watch him go, then turn back to Zazu. He takes to the air, leading the way, straight to the trespassing humans. Together we race towards the water hole, my mind reeling. Neither of us speak, remembering the last time humans came into the Pride Lands.
We arrive at the water hole shortly after the sun dips below the horizon. Zazu perches atop my shoulder, and I slow down to a stealthy crawl. Silently, we pass through some of the higher patches of grass. I can see the glow of a fire in the near distance. I can smell the burning wood.
There they are! I am close enough to see the bodies moving about the ring of tents, the campfire crackling in the center. The night is deepening quickly, and the humans are preparing themselves for sleeping. One man still lingers by the fire, eating something out of a shiny canister. I can see a woman too, focused on a large flat panel in front of her. I creep in closer to get a better look. It looks like an image of a giraffe is on it. The woman holds a stick in her hand, the ends bristled and she dips it every now and again into one of several wooden bowls. Then she drags it over the panel, and before my very eyes, colors appear on the surface, making the image come almost alive.
I sneak a look at Zazu. He looks intrigued by the activity. Then I survey the campsite once more. Another man and woman come into view – they stand talking to the one at the panel. Each of the two new humans has one of their cubs clinging to their hands – a male and a female by my eyes. The man picks up each child and the younger woman at the panel gives them both a kiss, and ruffles their hair. Now the adults lead the youngsters into one of the tents. I notice that the man by the fire has finished his meal and has gone back into his own tent. The young woman that created the image of the giraffe is putting away her things and tending to the fire before heading off to get some sleep herself.
The campsite is quite, but I lay in watch for quite some time before I notice how late the evening has gotten. The campsite is silent – not a single thing is stirring within the circle of tents. Poor Zazu is trying so hard to stay awake, but I can see how sleep is taking hold of him. I stand up, and the tired hornbill stirs at my movement.
"Go to sleep," I tell him. "The humans aren't going anywhere tonight. We might as well return to Pride Rock. Our night creatures will keep watch until day comes."
"Very good sire," he replies and after a few moments I hear his light snores coming from the place on my back that he has been sitting on.
Silently I make my way to the water hole, and bend my neck to drink some of the cool water. My throat has been burning since the run over here, but monitoring the humans took precedence over my comfort. The safety of my kingdom, subjects, and most of all my family comes first. I've seen the evils that mankind can bring to our home.
I start back home at a fair pace, enjoying the cool breeze that plays around me and rakes through my mane. The hour is getting later. By the time I reach Pride Rock, the moon is nearing its' peak in the sky. Zazu awakens and flys off to his nest as I ascend the ledge towards my family's home.
"Mufasa?" It's Sarabi that calls me as she hears me enter the cave. "Is everything alright?"
"For now," I whisper back, nuzzling her head with my own.
"Dad?"
"Go back to sleep Simba. Everything's alright."
"That's not it. I was wondering why having humans in the Pride Lands is so bad. Are they part of the Circle of Life too?"
I smile crosses my face at my son's curiosity. "Simba, mankind is a strange creature. Yes, humans are a part of the Circle of Life, but they don't always respect it."
The chirps of distant crickets fill the pause before Simba answers.
"Oh. Why not
Dad?"
"I don't know Simba. Just go back to sleep. These humans may yet prove to be of a gentler breed of man. We'll have to see what happens in the morning."
"But dad, I don't understand…"
"Some day you will Simba. But for now, just go back to sleep."
"Okay, okay, I'm going back to sleep. Goodnight Dad." He yawns and lays his head back down on the cool stone floor.
"Goodnight Simba."
I stretch out on the ground and close my eyes, but no sleep comes to me. Long after my wife and son fall asleep, I lay awake, until I finally get up and leave. I sit midway on the ledge of Pride Rock, the ledge that lets me survey the lands of my kingdom. I can still see the faint dot of the human's campfire in the distance. But it is not the land that occupies my thoughts now. The stars have it. I glance back to the dark, silent opening of the cave and then back at the stars and I sigh in sadness.
If only Simba knew what dangers, what evils humans are capable of, I think to myself.
I lay down and allow my mind to drift back to the years of my cubhood.