I'm glad you liked the last, a bit short chapter... I finally came up with something new, and I hope you like this one too. Scar IIhas the same name but that doesn't mean he is like Scar I. That Scar is not even his father... not even his grandfather - he is his great-grandfather's brother (sounds like Scar I was very old, hehe) so they're not that closely related. But we'll see what happens:)

Please do Read and Review - Atrice

Part 4 – Meeting the Hyenas

As he ran across the savannah, he thought about where he was heading. It had been a quick decision, that he would run away to find a queen. One moment he had been about to have fun with Kaya – a lioness he liked to make out with, but nothing more - the next moment he was on his way away from Pride Rock, not sure when he would return. He felt a little bad for Kiara, who expected him to come home… and also Kiana and especially Zarafa, they would both miss him. But Kiara had also interrupted him – he had been going towards his private cave with Kaya, when his mother called about the job. She felt he should have more duties, now he was officially an adult. Scar stopped running, thinking about what to do. First things first, he had a job that needed to be done – then he would leave. Kiara had sent him out to check on the hyenas, make sure they weren't up to anything; and that had been the perfect excuse to run away. Scar changed direction to find the hyenas.

It didn't take long – the sound of the cackling hyenas was a sound you couldn't miss. He hid behind a large rock to observe the repulsive animals. He actually never met a hyena like that, he had been told they were disgusting and somewhat dangerous beasts, whom you shouldn't get too close with. It wasn't a large pack though, Scar knew most of them still kept to the Shadowlands, from where the Outlanders had come. The place his namesake had chosen as a hideout, with the hyenas – he did know that much about the old king. Only few hyenas actually lived in the Pridelands. Scar pulled himself together and jumped quickly onto the rock, so it would seem he had been standing there all along. Of course, all the heads turned towards him, and Scar kind of liked this; having them look up to him. He was superior, he was better, they were below him…

"Uh, a lion?" a young female hyena said, but didn't sound half as frightened as she tried to sound. "Looks like someone, who doesn't belong… at least not here! Who are you?" a male said from behind – he looked a lot older than her. Scar jumped down from the rock and kept his head high, he had to show them who was the leader.

"I am Scar – here to make sure, that you're not doing anything you shouldn't." he explained, and the elder hyena stepped forward.

"Scar? We heard the new prince had been named just that…" the hyena took a closer look on the large, but still young, lion. "You know… my father knew the original Scar." And with that, the young version of Scar became much more curious.

"I see… I know he used to mingle a lot with your kind – not a thing the pride ever approved. When I look at you, I see why." He said, and all the hyenas eyes were suddenly again fixed upon the young prince. They had what was left of some corpses, and most of them were eating. They did look very filthy, not clean at all. And the smell of them…

"You lions, think you're so good! Just because you've got the power! But who removes rotten cadavers from the savannah, to make it looks pretty to you? Who moves around in the back, looked down upon, but really just helping? Who do you think? I don't get how you deserve that name!" the male hyena said, walking towards Scar – who moved backwards towards the rock. And what did he say to his mother? 'Hyenas, they're nothing, I can handle them." He regretted that for now.

"My mother chose my name, she actually cared about Scar! But you never knew, did you? That any lion would actually care about him? I'm done here, it seems you're doing what I'm always told hyenas are doing; looking ugly and smelling." Scar turned his back to them, to leave, but several hyenas ran in front of him, blocking his way. A bit bewildered he looked around, he was trapped. This wasn't much fun anymore, suddenly – and they knew how he felt.

"That does it! Come, and see where we belong… then you'll perhaps understand more!" the old hyena nodded to the rest, who left their meal and encircled Scar, then followed him towards the Shadowlands… 'where I was born', he thought to himself. He never actually saw the place.

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It was a long walk to the cliffs and rocks, the border between the Pridelands and the Shadowlands. But soon they got there, and the eldest hyena entered… Scar had a few thoughts about entering the place, since it had always been a little sacred to him. That he was born there, but never returned before now. He wondered why, didn't he have the right to know what happened? Perhaps these beasts would tell him more? They entered a dark tunnel, but soon everything lightened up in red and green colors, small craters were filled with some strange, bubbling fluid, and the whole place was warm; the smell of smoke and sulphur could not be ignored either. The hyenas kept walking, until they reached a huge hall within the Shadowlands. Up high in this hall, against one of the walls, were a high platform – to Scar, it almost seemed like a throne. The hall was lit by the strange, vulcanic fires that were seen everywhere, mostly green here though. This place seemed to be the main home for the hyenas living here; there were many of them, most of them resting or gnawing already dry bones; but they stood up and looked after the little pack, who came walking into the hall. A lion hadn't entered this hall, since very long ago. And once again, the lion entering, had a bronzed pelt and an almost black mane.