Brother

The man sitting at a desk in the dark room was slumped over an array of weapons and it was hard to tell whether he was sleeping or thinking. Zazu entered the room as slowly and carefully as possible (the man at the desk did not stir) and turned on the main light switch which illuminated the entire room. The room was fairly large, with one king-sized bed and animal heads on the walls (the cold, dead eyes of the heads never made Zazu feel comfortable and was one of the reasons he attempted to stay as far away from this room as possible). Zazu slowly approached the man and was about to touch his shoulder the man grabbed Zazu's hand and brought a pistol to his face (the man never lifted his head off the table) and said in a low voice, "You're still here, are you?"

"Yes," replied Zazu, "And would you let go."

The man let go of Zazu's colorful clothes, slowly raised his head (he had a long scar down the right side of his face, which, Zazu remembered, he had gotten from hunting a particularly large tiger) and said, "So, I don't suppose you've come to tell me that there's been a tragic accident?"

"What do you mean 'accident'?" asked Zazu, smoothing his clothes.

"You know," said the man, "the occasional elder brother and his son falling off a balcony and dying a slow, horrible death."

"No," said Zazu, in a tone that suggested the man often made these kinds of remarks.

"Pity," said the man, "Still, hope spring's eternal."

"Can I continue?" asked Zazu.

"You're going to continue anyway," said the man.

"I am here to announce," said Zazu, "That King…"

"If my brother is on his way, just say so," said the man.

"I wouldn't use that tone if I were you," said Zazu, "He's expecting you to have a very good explanation as to why you missed the ceremony of the future king's birth."

At the words 'future king', the man grabbed Zazu again and pinned him to a wall, with the pistol pointing to Zazu's face, "Let's get one thing straight," said the man in a menacing tone, "As long as I have something to say about it, it will be me on that throne instead of that…"

"That what?" said a voice at the door.

The man turned to the door and saw Mufasa standing in the doorway,

"Drop him, Rama," said Mufasa, and Rama dropped Zazu.

"You know I hate that name, I told you to call me…" started Rama.

"I know what you told me to call you, 'Scar', but Father gave you the name Rama, after our grand-father."

Rama (or Scar) put the pistol onto the table and said, with a smile, "So my big brother has come to mingle with a commoner like me, what an honor," and he gave a sarcastic bow.

"Sarabi and I didn't see you at Simba's birth ceremony," said Mufasa.

"I am sorry," said Scar, "But that would have gotten in the way of my doing-nothing-time."

"Yes," said Zazu, "But as lazy as you are, as the King's brother, it was your duty to be first in line."

"Oh, I was first in line to the throne, but in one fatal moment, it was snatched away from me," said Scar.

"It was 'snatched' by my son," said Mufasa, "And, need I remind you, he is your future king, whether you like it or not."

"Oh, I will have to practice my groveling," said Scar, and sat down at the table.

"Don't speak that way to me, Scar," said Mufasa.

"Oh no, Mufasa," said Scar, "Perhaps you shouldn't speak that way to me."

Mufasa lifted Scar out of his chair and pinned him to a wall, "Is that a challenge?"

"Whoa," said Scar, "Please, you know I detest violence and anyway we both know I am the brains…and you are pure brawn."

Scar released himself from Mufasa's grip and left the room, "What am I going to do with him?" Mufasa asked himself.

"He'd be very good for target practice," said Zazu.

Mufasa laughed along with Zazu as they left the room.