Chapter 9 – Of Debts and Deceit

I awoke the next morning to a horrible sound. My eyes sprang open as a great, high pitched yipping emitted from the cave. I stood up, and stared around. I had fallen asleep in the same spot I had wept last night. Apparently, I had passed out whilst I wept.

I ran up to the cave as the sound grew louder. Fear flooded me as I remembered Scar's final words from the night before, and my thoughts instantly fell on Nala. When I entered the cave and turned the corner, an awful scene met my eyes.

Scar was standing in the center of the cave where Mufasa and Sarabi used to sleep. Lying around him, carelessly tossed aside, were the bodies of the cubs of the pride, their blood pooling around them.

I staggered backwards out of the cave and leaned against the wall for fear of losing my balance. The horridness of this act was beyond my imagination. Never had I even once considered that Scar could do something so evil as to kill an innocent child, yet here it was in clear sight. Scar was now at the point for which I feared. He had traveled too far down the path of pain and anger, and was now far beyond the point of no return.

My breath grew quick as I tried to regain it. My eyes felt like they were about to tear up again, but the pain of doing so kept them at bay. Still leaning against the wall, I glanced up to see what was happening around me. Around the mouth of the cave lay several lionesses, weeping for the deaths of their children. Sarabi, who was standing near them, slowly padded her way to me. She had already seen the barbaric sight in the cave, for its horror was reflected in her eyes. As I gazed into them, I saw my mother reflected them again. There was still somebody left in the world that cared for me. And I cared for her in the same way.

Scar had appeared around the corner and was careless licking the blood off of his paws. He was so calm; you would have thought he did this every day. Sarabi's ears lowered at the sight of him.

"You monster…" she hissed angrily.

Scar furrowed his brow. He started to circle both Sarabi and I. "You should know better than to talk to your king that way. You know, Sarabi, that I am bound by the law as much as any lion in the pride would be," he said, his voice rising, still stalking menacingly around us. "You, as a former Queen, should understand how it cannot be avoided."

I glared at him as he rounded my left side. Finding my voice, I spoke up angrily. "During my teachings, Mufasa told me that the law to do away with the young of a previous king was banned by King Mohatu. He decreed that it was too barbaric of a law."

Scar scowled at me, and he snarled as he answered, "And it is a just law that I, as king, have restored. The threat of mutiny is too great with young ones born under my brother. As a king, my line should be fresh. Cubs born into this pride should know only me as king."

Both Sarabi and I opened our mouths simultaneously to speak, but we were cut off by a soft, sad voice next to us.

"Please, both of you, don't push the matter further."

It was a lioness named Kala. She was lying on her stomach, and she had looked up at us, her eyes swimming with tears.

She spoke again. "Perhaps the law is unjust, but let my son be at peace now, as the deed has been done."

Both of us closed our mouths, and stared at Scar. Hate for this lion was building inside of me, a hate that I had never felt for any creature. It consumed and burned every fiber of my being, and suddenly I felt the urge to attack Scar. In my pocket, I felt the lump of the knife resting against my leg.

I sighed and looked down. I could not attempt such a dangerous attack. The odds were against me.

Yetunde, who was sitting next to Kala, looked up.

"Ayden, did you say that Mufasa trained you in the ways of the king?"

Scar, who was absentmindedly examining his paws for traces of blood, suddenly looked up, clearly wanting to know where she was going with this.

"Yes," I replied slowly. I began to understand what she was getting at.

"And you were adopted by Mufasa during his kingship. So that makes you…"

"...the next in line?" finished Scar. He looked over at me, a smile spread across his face. His eyes narrowed. "Well boy, unfortunately for you, I have ascended the throne. Whether or not you were next in line, I got there first."

All of the lionesses looked up. Their eyes were fixated on me and Scar. I felt uneasy. Was this true? Did my adoption make ME next in line for the kingship?

"If you wish to take the throne," he whispered, a growl present in his voice, "the law states that you have to force me from it, by way of battle."

My stomach bottomed out. There was no way that I could take on a full grown lion. I may have despised Scar immensely, and the thought of killing him and taking over was overwhelming appealing, but I knew the odds were too much against me. I glanced around at the lionesses, who all had a hopeful look on their faces. They expected me to do battle with Scar, and they expected me to win.

Scar lowered himself to the ground and began to circle me. "It is your move, young prince."

I looked down at Sarabi, dread filling me. Her eyes shone with fear and concern. My mother was, again, watching over me through the kind lioness. I closed my eyes, wishing I could see her face one more time, and to my complete surprise, there it was.

Through the blackness in my mind, I saw her face as clearly as if she was standing right in front of me. Her beautiful black hair was flowing gracefully around her face without a single breath of wind to move it. Her kind smile warmed my aching heart, but the fear of my present situation kept me from losing myself in the bliss that tugged at me from the sight of my mother. I was unsure if my mind was playing tricks on me, but all the same, simply seeing her face again was beyond wonderful.

"Mom…" I whispered, praying I was not imagining this.

"Ayden," she said softly. Her voice felt soothing to my pained soul. "There is much that you have yet to learn. You are not yet ready to take on such a great responsibility. There are other ways to deal with these situations. Search your mind. The answers will present themselves to you when the time is right. The night is always the darkest before the dawn"

Her face faded, and my eyes sprang open. There she was again, but now, staring back at me through Sarabi. I looked back up at Scar, a new feeling of hope growing in my grief-laden heart.

I sighed, and calmly said, "I am not ready to try to assume the throne, Scar. You are the king."

Scar stopped circling, and straightened up in front of me. His smile remained unmoved.

A spark of bravery flashed through me, and I spoke one last time. "But I assure you Scar; the time will come when you shall step down. Your reign over the Pride Lands will not last, so long as I remain here."

His smile faltered for a moment, but it was instantly back. He replied calmly, "We shall see, young Ayden."

He turned his head to glance around at the pride, and his eyes fell on Sarafina and Nala.

"Oh yes! Dear Nala!" he exclaimed happily as he turned and walked towards them. Both of their faces filled with fear, and Sarafina shielded Nala with her paws. The hate I felt for Scar overcame me, and I felt my hand shoot into my pocket and grab the knife. I unswitched it, and held it up. I would not let the fates of the cubs in the cave be the same fate for Nala.

I was ready to run at Scar and slash away at his skin. I wanted to spill his blood, to protect Nala from this monster, but something in my mind told me to stay put. It was my mother's voice again. She was telling me to wait, to remain here, that what was to happen was meant to be.

With all of my effort, I stayed still. I did not lower my knife, but I did not make a move to attack Scar. I simply watched helplessly as Scar approached Sarafina, who was sobbing uncontrollably. She was shielding Nala in her paws, who was also crying fearfully.

"Please Scar, have mercy! She's done no harm!" Sarafina cried out in anguish.

Scar's smirk stayed unmoving on his face. "I cannot break my own law my dear," He replied. "It is an ancient law set down by our ancestors. And it must be carried out."

Sarafina was screaming through her tears. "Please, Scar, PLEASE!!"

Viciously, Scar struck her across the face, and she was knocked aside, exposing Nala. Sarafina shook violently as she sobbed into the ground where she landed.

My knife remained in my hand, which was shaking incredibly. Why was I simply standing here, allowing this to happen? One toss to the neck: that's all it would take to bring Scar down. I could end his reign right now.

My determination broke through the force that held me back. I could not allow it anymore. With the skills I received from my many hunting trips, my eyes searched for a spot on Scar's neck to throw my knife at. I found one, and as Scar raised his paw, claws unsheathed, to deliver the killing blow to Nala, I in turn, raised my hand, poised to let my knife fly. Every lioness, except for Sarafina and Nala, turned their eyes towards me, and some of their mouths fell open. Their faces filled with a sudden mixture of fear and encouragement, silently telling me to do the deed.

But Scar stopped suddenly. His eyes were fixed on Nala, who was shaking with absolute fear. His smile faded completely, and his eyes went unfocused. My hand still poised, I stared at the tyrant. What was he doing?

Unexpectedly, he lowered his paw to his face, and I quickly lowered my hand before he could see me. He ran his paw over his left eye, over his scar, and was deep in thought.

And I suddenly understood. He had remembered the incident when he received his scar…the day his best friend Kito, the father of Nala, had sacrificed himself to save his best friend's life.

This was not Scar. This was Taka. In that instant, I knew he held no intention to harm Nala. I knew that Taka would do the noble thing.

He stared down at her, a fierce sadness reflected in those green orbs. He sighed and placed his paw on the ground. Nala had stopped shaking, and was staring at Scar. Her eyes were fearful still, but her face showed curiosity.

"Do you know about your father?" he asked her calmly. The voice was his own, but there was something different about it. Something in his voice seemed almost kind. It held a feeling that resembled…compassion. Taka was, indeed, shining through the dark shroud of Scar now. I pocketed my knife, knowing that, for now, there was nothing to fear. My feelings were not shared with some of the other lionesses though. Some of their faces fell, looking dejected and even betrayed.

I looked back at Taka whose gaze was fixated on Nala. Quietly, she replied back to him, "Just his name…Kito." She glanced back at her mother, who nodded silently.

Taka nodded too, andspoke again. "He loved you very much. He wanted me to tell you that."

Nala stared up at him, a weak smile flashing across her face.

"He saved my life Nala. It was indeed noble of him, for he gave his to save mine. I am still indebted to him." Taka paused momentarily. Then he spoke again. "Because of his valor and sacrifice, your life shall be spared."

A collective sigh of relief swept over the group of lionesses. The tension had lifted completely. Sarafina smiled with relief, as tears of joy trickled down her muzzle. Sarabi went to help her stand. When she managed to get to her feet, Sarafina rushed forward to Nala, and hugged her, sobbing happily.

I looked back at Taka, and I saw the compassion in his eyes was gone. He was Scar again. His gaze met mine, and he grimaced at me. He turned away and sauntered back into the cave. Zira was standing at the opening, waiting for her mate. When Scar entered, she turned her head to me. Her face was full of malice and hatred as she stared. I returned the look, and turned back to sit with Sarabi, Sarafina, and Nala.

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That evening, a ceremony was held in the Royal Graveyard for Mufasa and Simba. The body of Mufasa remained unmoved, as he had requested years ago when he attained his kingship. Simba's body was nowhere to be found.

During one of our lessons, Mufasa had told me that while it was a somewhat barbaric practice, we eat the antelope. Then he told me when lions die, their bodies became the grass. In turn, the antelope consume the grass. He called it the circle of life. Mufasa did not want this cycle to be disrupted, so upon his coronation as king, he had declared that wherever the king shall fall, there he shall remain so the circle of life could take its course.

The ceremony was short and mournful. All of the pride came to pay their final respects to their fallen king and prince. Only Scar and Zira were not present. Anger coursed through me when I saw this. Scar was so great a king he did not require to pay respects to his brother, the king who had preceded him?

In the graveyard, a large rock was placed near those of my family, and an etching of Mufasa's symbol was set into the stone. Next to that, a smaller stone was placed and etched with Simba's symbol of a lion cub with a line drawn over his head.

The ceremony began with the lionesses humming a mournful hymn that I had never heard before. Rafiki then delivered the sermon in memory of Mufasa and Simba. I paid attention to it intently, listening to the story of their lives and how they lived them to their fullest.

At the end of the ceremony, the lionesses all, one by one, walked up to the graves, and kneeled to them, paying their final respects to Mufasa and Simba. I was the final one to do so. I walked to the graves, and stared down at them. Memories of both of my fathers and brothers flooded my mind, and I let them. Silently, I kneeled down on one knee, and lowered my head in a respectful bow.

After the ceremony, I found myself wandering northward to my stream. As I did, I felt more alone than I had ever felt in my life. I had only traveled this way by myself one other time. That had been the first day I went to the stream. Every morning afterward, Simba had always accompanied me. It felt strange going alone, like I had forgotten something important, and needed to go back and get it. But I knew I could not retrieve Simba from where he had gone.

I looked around at the Pride Lands. Their beauty had somehow diminished. The trees and grass were still green, and grew enthusiastically, but somehow, they seemed darker. I looked up, and saw that gray clouds were covering parts of the sky, and had completely covered the sun.

I finally reached my stream, and released a sigh of relieved, for the hyenas had yet to reach this far into the Pride Lands. Already, they had covered the entire southern and eastern lands, and were progressing westward. More and more hyenas came from the Elephant Graveyard with every passing minute. I knew it was only a matter of time before they reached the northern area.

I removed my shoes and socks and dangled my feet over the bank into the water's edge. I stared into the rippling water, and memories swam in and out of focus in my subconscious. I saw Simba swimming up and down the stream. I remembered him asking me questions about the customs of humans. I remembered all the times that Mufasa, Simba, and I would roughhouse. And then, the memory of Mufasa's broken body swam into focus, before being replaced with another image of a steep cliff that led into a large patch of thorns.

Something clicked in my mind, and I snapped my focus away from the rippling water. Simba had fallen from this cliff to his death. His footprints were clearly heading over the edge of that cliff. Yet Scar had told us that Simba had been trampled to death.

Slowly, my mind began to work the situation. Realization slowly came to my mind. Scar had told us something completely different than what had really happened.

One thing became very clear to me; the pride did not know what really happened that day in the gorge. Scar had lied. Why was unclear, but Scar was definitely hiding something. As my mind worked faster and faster, trying to unravel the mystery of it, an eerily possible idea presented itself to me. Was it at all possible, that Scar had played a hand in the deaths of Simba and Mufasa?

My mind was racing now. It made sense. Scar deliberately took Simba to the gorge, and refused to have me accompany them. Why? He did not want the chance of another person witnessing the event, and possibly surviving. He knew I did not trust him, and he knew it would be harder to remove me from the picture. Eliminating two family members who, to an extent, trusted him was easier. I knew that Scar had held a role in the accident that occurred in the gorge. I was unsure of what that role was and of the job it consisted, but Scar definitely played a hand. Now I was sure that what had occurred was no accident.

Scar certainly had motive enough to commit such acts. All his life, he was in the mindset that after Mufasa stepped down, that he could take over. That was, of course, until Simba came along and pushed Scar aside as next in line. It all made sense. Scar needed to eliminate the obstacles in his way in order to attain what he had desired for so long.

But I had no proof to base my theory on other than my claims that Scar had lied. Surely by now, the paw prints I had seen had been blown away or covered up, so there was no way to show that Simba had fallen to his death.

And another matter was nagging at me. What would happen if I revealed this to the lionesses? Word of me telling rumors of Scar's deceit would surely reach him, and then what? If my theory was anywhere close to the actual happenings, and Scar DID have something to hide, he would surely kill me to silence me. He was more than capable of it, as shown by his barbarity and cruelty this morning when he murdered all the cubs.

The excitement of my discovery had faded away, and I knew that I could not reveal my idea to anybody, no matter how probable it seemed. If what I found had been true, then I would surely be silenced, one way or another. And if I started to tell the pride what I thought was true, and it turned out to be false...

I shuddered at the thought of what Scar would do to me. Death would be too easy of a punishment for crimes against a king's credibility, no matter how credible he was.

It was decided for me. I had to keep my mouth shut, at least until I found something more concrete to base my theory on. I decided that I would eventually go back to the gorge when I could to see if I could find such evidence.

As I thought this, my mother's words echoed in my head.

The answers will present themselves to you when the time is right. The night is always darkest before the dawn.

I looked back down to the water, unsure of what was to come next. If this was the beginning of the 'night' my mother was refering to, then I knew that I had much to fear of the night to come.

So much had changed in such a short amount of time. Only yesterday the Pride Lands were completely unspoiled, and were ruled with a fair paw. Now, not even twenty-four hours later, they were beginning to be rent apart by vicious, selfish monsters.

From a distance behind me, I heard the devilish laughter of a pack of hyenas. I glanced around to see a large group of them heading towards me. Part of me wanted to go and attack them, to defend my small piece of privacy, but I knew it would be pointless. Whatever amount I could kill, they would only be replaced by the hundreds of others that now resided in the Pride lands.

I sighed, knowing my place of solitude was no longer mine. I stood up and took one last look at the stream, its water flowing gently to the north. Then I set off back to Pride Rock, avoiding the hyenas that were heading in my direction.

Okeydokey...this took me a while to come up with... I needed a way for him to discover the truth without ACTUALLY discovering the truth...well, he's only discovered PARTS of it. lol. he still doesn't know exactly WHAT happened in the gorge. Like i said, i had to find a way to make him know what happened without really knowing what happened. And it took me FOREVER to decide WHY he would keep it from the rest of the pride.

I wanted a scene like the one between Simba and Mufasa's Ghost for Ayden, so i figured i could give him a vision of his mother when his feeling for her, and Sarabi's for him were at a VERY strong and needed point. I'm not sure how it would look to the readers, but i personally liked it and felt it was a good direction to go.

OK, on to chapter 10...when i finish writing it. lol.