It was both a sad and great day in the land of Pride Rock. The lush lands flowed gracefully in the breeze, matching the full mood coursing through the lion pride. King Ahadi smiled proudly towards his two nearly-grown sons. The first near him, Taka, shared his dark mane, but had a nearly equally dark pelt. The second, Mufasa, shared the strong built and but held a red mane proudly around his neck.
The two sons were eager for their father to finish the ceremony. A young Rafiki rattled his cane over the brother's heads and bowed. Following the baboon's actions, the rest of the pride, including Ahadi, fell to their knees. The brothers roared proudly, unable to contain their dignity they also grinned. Rafiki then motioned towards two females, Sarabi and Sarafina, to join the two new kings. He cracked open one of his many fruits and painted their foreheads in red and then in sand. The females bowed graciously to Rafiki and turned to their mates. The pride roared together, proud of their new reign.
Ahadi, though, knowing his soon fate, began downward off of Pride rock. Mufasa and Taka exchanged unsure glances then turned to their sapian mentor, "It is what must be done." Rafiki said, guiding all but Sarafina and Sarabi to the den so they wouldn't see the goulish horror about to unfold.
"I'm fast enough to chase him down. You though, my brother, must sink the kill." Taka hissed lowly, not wanting to rid their father. Mufasa only nodded, the same unwillingness in his eyes and they began. Ahadi glanced back and began his sprint for the eastern border. Taka easly caught up to his aged father and roared before leaping on his back and pulling him to the ground in a pin. He clawed and bit as much as Ahadi's body as he could before Mufasa moved in for the kill. Placing his jaws around Ahadi's neck made the young lion quiver for only a moment before his instincts completly kicked in and he drew back, his muzzle stained in blood.
Taka rose from the dead body and helped groom Mufasa clean and Mufasa did likewise. They tredded back to Pride rock in silence. Taka stepped in front of his brother as they climbed up the slope and he ran his body under Sarabi's nose, "Hello, dear sweet Sarabi." His lips were in a smirk but he turned to Sarafina and nuzzled her neck soothingly.
Mufasa let a growl escape from his throat when he saw Taka near Sarabi and he placed himself between Sarabi and Taka, "Stay away from her, Taka. Both of them for now."
The skinnier lion raised an eyebrow of interest, "Both of them you say, now?"
"Our father entitled me to be the true leader and you are the support. Stay away from the lionesses for the time being." Mufasa growled, lifting his head above Taka's. The younger lion spat and growled, glaring at Mufasa, but going silently down Pride Rock to his favorite hide-away. Mufasa smiled and glanced at the queens and they went off in their seperate direction, both of the females nervous of what Mufasa had in store for them.
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"Your brother is quite the character." Sarabi's wise voice always caught Mufasa's attention and he nodded in agreement. "He seems to play games in his mind and isn't able to contain himself. How dark he is to take after your mother so greatly."
Mufasa nodded again, placing his paw back to the ground from a cleaning, "That is why our father made him the lesser king. He knows something about Taka that none of us do. I just want to know what that is."
Sarafina smirked under her mock sleep before rising, tiredly, hearing the two talk about Taka, "I don't see what's so bad about him. He's a nice guy to me. I don't know why you won't all me to him."
She smirked, playing on Mufasa's guard a little, "It is what my father ordered and I plan on keeping things in order until I pass on to my son which, I am hoping, one of you will bare for me." Mufasa smiled glancing at both of the lionesses. Sarabi smiled back, but Sarafina kept her composure, knowing she wouldn't bare his child.
"I'm going out for a while." Sarafina huffed and glided out of the den towards an old playing ground where she hoped to find a certain someone. "Taka. . ." she stepped gently on the old elephant skin, "Taka, I know you are here. Come out of those skulls, you don't know where they've been."
"Sick of my goodie brother already?" He smirked and let himself roll out of the eyesocket of the great elephant skull. "Oh, Sarafina, you look so tired."
"I'm greatly exhausted, thank you very much. But not for the reason I know you're thinking." Sarafina shook her head, "He's got such a fondness for Sarabi, why do I even bother. He doesn't even know that I love him more than her."
Taka thought for a moment before starting, "So you came to your best friend for some guidance?" He paused and looked at her unchanging expression, "That's what I though. ...You should know I can't help you when it comes to Mufasa, but. . ." Taka purred to Sarafina, entrancing her and guiding her out into the moonlight and whispering into her ear, ". . .I can make you feel like a true queen."
Sarafina gasped as she snapped out of the trance, but it was too late and Taka's claws already had a lock on her and he had already began. She screamed in pain as Taka continued his violent movements.
In Pride Rock, the only ones to pick up the sound of Sarafina's screams were Mufasa and Sarabi. Mufasa was at the scene in minutes to see Taka finishing his act, leaving Sarafina sobbing in shame. Taka and Mufasa's eyes met in a sinister rage and before he could move, Taka was pinned to the gound. Mufasa choked his brother with one paw and slashes his other down his face, hitting Taka's left eye deeply. Taka yelled and pulled away, glaring at Mufasa through his good eye.
"Leave here and never return, you are an exile! You are Scar." Mufasa spat at Taka and began to tend to Sarafina tenderly. The lion now named Scar roared and turned away, knowing his exile was his kingship and that he could still tred the Pridelands, but he still fled to the elephant graveyard to seek the comfort of his canine friends.
