I've said it tons of times before... sorry for the long update time! I actually wrote this awhile ago, I just never got the chance to upload it. Next part is coming soon too. I hope you like this one, we're closing in on the end and the events we all know. Please do read and review. Atrice
Part 17 – Return of the dead
Less than a week later, really dark clouds assembled just above Pride Rock. Tomorrow, Scar thought… tomorrow I will introduce them all to Kovu, and everything will be alright again. But the day isn't over until the sun has set; and today, there was no sun to see. It was a dark and gloomy day, it didn't fit Scars mood at all. He was just on his way to the hidden cave, to visit Teira and the cub, when the hyena Banzai had sneaked up on him.
"Hey, king Scar!" he said.
"What is it now? Can I never…" Scar tried, but knew what this was about.
"We're hungry, all of us… really hungry! It won't be long before we kill a lioness!" Banzai explained, while the king wondered where the faithful hyena friends were. Banzai was alone.
"You do not harm them!" Scar growled while the hyena backed a bit away.
"Then you should do something about it – you're the king, right?" the hyena was terrifyingly brave today, was it because Shenzi wasn't near to lead the word? Banzai could stand alone, Scar thought with a smile to himself; maybe he should get a better post?
"I am indeed the king – I shall talk to them." Scar sent a regretful look towards the cave he had been heading to, then went back to the place where he usually spoke to his pride and pack. Scar stood here a few of years ago – telling them all how Mufasa and Simba died… he called for Sarabi, who today seemed more cold and distant than ever before. Was she still mad about Nalas disappearance? He didn't care much now, he just wanted to get this over and done with, but she was annoying today. And when she spoke those words, she said the name he preferred to be forgotten…
"If you were half the king Mufasa was…" she began, when Scar jumped towards her. A paw with stretched claws slapped her face, made her fall a few feet away.
"I am TEN times the king Mufasa was!" Scar roared, so everybody could hear it. Sarabi had never cared about him, although he had been the first to really welcome her. But his perfect brother had made her fall for him, and their father didn't stop it. Scar wished things had gone differently, so he wouldn't have to act this way now. But they didn't – everything that could go wrong for him, had gone wrong. Only now things seemed to brighten up; perhaps he should present Kovu today? But that thought only had time to just linger in the back of Scars head, because when Sarabi landed, the past caught up with king Scar.
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He was frightened when he saw a huge lion with a sparkling red mane stand in a lightning, growling at the king with an anger he hadn't seen in ages. At first he thought it was a ghost…
"Mufasa?" Scar whispered to himself; "No, you're dead!" for a second he thought he was loosing his mind, when the lion then ran down to Sarabi and made sure she was okay – after the slap the king gave her. They spoke together with a low voices, while Scar looked more closely at the lion. It wasn't his dead brother… it was another one, who shouldn't live… "Simba?" he said to himself, then pulled his conceit back. "Simba! I'm surprised to see you… alive…" he remembered who he sent out to kill the cub. Something that didn't happen – his old hyena friends quickly made sure they weren't seen again. Simba then looked up at his uncle.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart!" the adult Simba continued to growl at Scar, who slowly backed away again.
"But Simba, you must understand… the pressure of ruling a kingdom…" Scar tried to explain.
"…are no longer yours. Step down, Scar." Simba seemed so determined, so… no, he shouldn't have the pleasure of making Scar step down!
"Oh, yes - Well, I would, naturally - however, there is one little problem. You see them?" with a smile Scar pointed to the hyenas, who were everywhere on the rocks above him. "They think I'm king!" he then saw the missing lioness Nala appear, together with the other lionesses.
"Well, we don't! Simba is the rightful king!" she said – Scar wanted to say something to her, but they didn't let him speak.
"The choice is yours, Scar - either step down or fight…" Simba explained to his uncle, the king. Finally Scar remembered what he told Simba after the stampede… something he could use now!
"Oh, must it all end in violence I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Simba?" Scar smiled within himself. What a great idea!
"That's not gonna work, Scar; I've put it behind me." Simba tried, but it was clear that Scar finally hit a tense spot.
"But what about your faithful subjects? Have they put it behind them?" he looked at the lionesses. Nala also looked curious, and worried.
"Simba, what is he talking about?" she asked on behalf of all the lionesses present. So he hadn't even told Nala it – for it was clearly that very lioness, who had brought Simba back from the dead!
"Well, Simba, now's your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Mufasa's death!" Scar was back where he belonged; being the one with the good facts in his mind! And his words sure did their thing, for all the lionesses now starred at Simba; stunned. Simba looked nervous now, but Scar had to admit to himself; he was brave, the young lion.
"I am…" Simba said as he stepped forward, looking at them all; admitting his socalled crime.