Morpheus... and the relationship becomes more fascinating, I'm glad it doesn't seem too weird. At least I hope it won't ;)

kahllynn, thanks for the review - maybe I'll take a look at your story soon ;)

Sunrise19, reminds you of Pocahontas? That's very interesting, hehe... but glad you still like it :)

So... next chapter is already around! And things begin to mix up now, but I hope you think they mix up in a good way. Please, as always, review and tell me what you think. Atrice

Part 9 – Strange feelings

Scar woke up to another day of watching over hyenas. Who did nothing but eat, cackle and talk with their annoying high voices. He looked around, but didn't spot Duchess on the pedestal. She probably went out to find something to eat. Scar left the pedestal and walked around in the dark corridors until he found the chamber he had chosen as his private one. Green steam lighted up the chamber, and he liked the look of it. Here he laid down with a sigh again. But something was lurking just outside the entrance to this chamber… something light, maybe even white? He had felt like someone was watching him the last few days, and didn't know what to believe. His dead namesake wouldn't appear like that, would he?

"Who's there?" Scar called, and saw the white figure move closer to the chamber.

"Hey boss!" someone called from out there, and the figure disappeared without a sound. What could it be? He became more and more curious. "Hey… boss!" a pack of 4 hyenas entered his chamber, and he sat up.

"Oh, what is it?" he asked, annoyed, and they looked at each other.

"We've got a bone to pick with you!" a female named Brize spoke, and Scar tried to look interested, but it didn't really work. But at least he knew a few of these hyenas now.

"So… what is it?" he asked again.

"Al said he met a lioness on the savannah yesterday – asking for you! They want you back, your socalled royal family." A male said, who often followed Brize, but Scar didn't know his name yet. And he also failed to get the point of what the male hyena said, since he had no plans about going back to the Pridelands just yet.

"And your problem is?" Scar said after a silence too long.

"You're not going back, right? Having a lion as the leader is actually… not that bad." Brize said, winking to him with one eye, and Scar smiled to her.

"Thanks for the compliment… I don't feel like going back, so I still don't see the problem. You may leave." Scar said and waved arrogantly with his paw against the entrance; they understood a hint, left him alone in the chamber. So his family wanted him back? That meant someone had told them he was here… well, if they wanted him, they could come and get him! He had been here in two weeks now, and had found that ruling hyenas weren't such a bad thing to do. Boring, perhaps, but it wasn't bad to be their superior. Especially not when your fellow leader had become your best frined… it wasn't bad to be a king at all…

x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x

Scar decided to go out and find Duchess, he felt like spending time with her. But he also used the walkabout in the corridors for something else; he was now completely sure, that someone followed him. But when he turned around, that someone disappeared, went into hiding. Finally, by a red stream of lava, he found Duchess – who had found a leg of some animal, gnawing on it. He smiled when he saw her familiar face, which he had come to care about.

"Ah, Scar! Come and join me…" she looked up with a smile, and he laid down next to her. "How's your leadership going?" Duchess asked while he took a bite of the meat.

"Fine, they actually like me… and I like being here." Scar said to her, looking happy,andshe beamed that right back at him. But then he suddenly looked thoughtful again.

"Is something wrong?" Duchess asked after awhile, and he wasn't sure how to reply. He then took a deep breath and looked into her eyes.

"I like being here, as it's fun to rule. And… it's a little bit funny… but another reason why I like being here, is because you are here." Scar explained, and seemed like the words had been hard to find. What would she say to that? He was sure she understood what he meant. Duchess was quick to reply.

"Don't worry, I like having you around too. We make a great couple, don't we? The hyena leader and the crown prince of lions." She said with a grin, and he laughed back and nodded.

"We sure do…" Scar said and stood up again. It had been enough for now, he felt like being alone again, thinking all this over. He sent a smile to Duchess, who smiled back as he left. She had strange feelings about this too, and was glad that he had chosen to tell her how he felt. At least that meant she wasn't alone with this.

x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x

Scar walked back to his private chamber, but something was wrong… there was a different scent in here; Scar looked at the rocks and bones in the corner of the chamber. That was the only possible place to hide, and he decided to take action.

"I know you're there! Show yourself!" he called and silence replied. "You can't hide forever!" Scar tried again, and now he saw someone slowly appear from behind the rocks. And he was both surprised and disturbed, when he saw the most beautiful lioness he had ever laid his eyes upon. She really was white, or very close to being white, and her eyes were golden. She looked like… he had no idea what to call it, but something beautiful coming from Heaven. For a moment he almost forgot about the strange feelings he shared with Duchess.