Dear readers, I am very sorry for the long time it took me to update! Christmas and a stupid exam took up all my time and mind, so I haven't really been able to concentrate on fanfiction. But here is the next chapter, finally. Things are beginning to tighten up, and still there are things that need to be solved... hope you like it; please do review - Atrice
Part 18 – Truths
"So you want to bargain? And what could you possibly have to bargain with?" Kofi asked the young lioness in front of him.
"I have what every lioness have to bargain with…" Zarafa said with a strange smile, which the white lion didn't quite understand. He understood the meaning of her words, but not her smile. What did she want from him, since she were willing to give up herself to him?
"Interesting, but why would I want you? You… you're dark." Kofi turned around and walked a bit back and forwards in the cave – there was something about this lioness. "What do you want in return?" he finally asked, and she looked out in the corridor, then turned her eyes back on him.
"To leave Scar, Duchess and the hyenas alone – and Blanché too." She explained, and he stopped his pacing back and forwards, looked at her. Since Zarafa didn't hear an answer, she continued: "What is so bad about being different? I'm dark, you're white - we're still lions, both of us."
"But we're not alike! It would never work!" Kofi tried, feeling for the first time, that he didn't have a good answer.
"Who then, is Blanchés mother? Your pride will die, if you don't let new blood in every now and again. If every lion thought like you, there wouldn't be a sane one left…" she jumped a few steps back, as she saw him move fast towards her. Maybe she chose the wrong words – but it was the truth. He stopped again, watching her. She seemed like a strong and firm lioness, one you couldn't just leave behind. She could handle things herself, yet she didn't like him acting so superiorly towards her. Somewhere inside, she was afraid of him. Kofi smiled.
"Alright, I will think about it." He said and with a paw he waved towards the entrance; asking her to leave. Slowly she left the cave, but just before she was gone, she turned around to look at him. Something told her, that he actually told the truth; he would think about it.
x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x
Meanwhile, in the Pridelands, on Pride Rock… Nalathari had returned, breaking whatever news she had to Kovu and Kiara. She had told them, that Scar would return, but he wasn't done with what he set out to do yet. She told them, that Zarafa would never return.
"Why did you let her leave!" Kovu said, pacing back and forwards in the royal cave.
"Because Rafiki…" Nalathari tried, but he didn't let her finish.
"The old monkey is dead, and won't need to guide anyone anymore! Especially not my cubs – I want them all to be here. Also Zarafa!" the king looked at his queen, who sat on the small pedestal where they usually slept. She didn't say anything.
"So, you want her to live here forever – what if she wants cubs? She could never have them, if she stayed. She has a destiny away from the Pridelands! And don't you speak bad about Rafiki, Kovu! He gave you and Kiara Upendi – without that, your cubs wouldn't even be here…" Nalathari stopped, catching her breath. She suddenly felt tired… old. Kovu looked down, his face showing guilt. Firstly, she was aged and had gotten wisdom with that. He also knew she was telling the truth, but didn't like it. They had lived so happily in so many years, and now all this.
"Kovu?" Kiara suddenly said into the profound silence that had appeared. He looked at his queen. "If Zarafa won't return, so be it. You know the Shadowlands better than me – please go, and find our son; with or without a queen, as long as he returns. Scar must be king…" she said, thinking about his namesake. Scar would be king, honouring his family and the late king he was named after.
x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x
Scar woke up below the clear blue sky, and a warm sun heating him up. In fact, it swiftly heated him up a little bit too much and too fast, so he quickly moved down to the shadow. While Scar walked towards the great hall – not in any hurry though – he thought about the idea he got yesterday. Hyenas and lions could be together, he was sure of that. They hadn't turned their back on him, he had treated them with respect, and got just that in return. If only he could find Duchess, and Blanché for that matter. Could they even speak against his idea? They shouldn't speak against it, for he was the king here and the future king of the Pridelands. He was the king! And the king found the pedestal in the great hall empty. Scar was just about to leave the place again, when a hyena down there stood up.
"Hey, Scar!" the hyena called, and he turned around again.
"Yes?" the king in him promptly returned on request from a follower.
"What is going on? What is going to happen to us?" the hyena asked, and Scar nodded. They had the right to know it, and he ventured down from the pedestal to stand among them.
"Everything will be fine – it may not seem like it right now, but I am sure we can deal with the… white lion problem." Scar tried, but the hyena called Al stepped forward.
"That's not just it! What about Duchess? We hardly ever see her anymore either! And you'll leave too!" Al said and the rest of the hyenas mumbled something similar afterwards. Scar nodded.
"I am sure it will work out… I can't leave this life behind, it's mine too now. Somehow I see the dawning of a new era… where…where lions and hyenas come together!" Scar noticed himself raising his voice as he said it, and the hyenas went calm as they listened. He noticed how the entire great hall went quiet, a strange stilness settled down upon them all. Scar looked up and saw light shine through a hole up there, and followed the light to where it hit the wall. He thought he saw the light form two eyes… two green eyes now, smiling at him. Scar bowed to the eyes with respect, then looked up again. "I am your king – for good!" he promised the hyenas, and left the great hall to find a female hyena and a very light pelted lioness.