Sleep did not come easily that night for Scar. In his dreams he constantly relived the moment when he glared into his brother's eyes and let him fall. The moment he had seen Simba run away.

Only it was worse, because now, he tried to stop it. In the years since, he had found that all he wanted was to be cared for, and now he had that, but the past refused to die.

He rose, grumbling, and left the cave silently, taking care not to wake his pride. He made his way to the fallen tree and sat upon its highest point, watching the pride lands.

He glanced around, to make certain none were listening, then lowered his head. "If it helps at all, I'm… I'm sorry."

"Ah, well, bein sorry, dat can make all de difference in de world."

Scar's eyes leapt open to the sight of that mad old monkey Rafiki standing in front of him. "You?! What are you doing here? These are OUR lands." He growled, only to receive a whack on the nose.

Rafiki sniggered, "Now den, Taka, you wus sayin you be sorry? Fer whot? Dere's a lot dats your fault."

Scar growled, so, it was going to be one of those nights. "You know exactly what it is, you crazy old baboon, there's no point me repeating it. What matters is I'm sorry."

Rafiki giggled, hanging upside-down from a thinner tree branch. "Ahh, no, whot matters is dat you apologise to de right person, and dat's not me."
Scar rolled his eyes, "If I set foot in the pride lands Simba will have me made into a rug."

"Not Simba, Taka. Noo, tis your brother who ye need to apologise to."

Scar raised an eyebrow. He was never told about the great kings of the past as a cub, nor of what convinced Simba to return. "Mufasa's dead and I don't trust that voodoo magic you do."

Rafiki shook his head, laughing, "Nope! Mufasa be alive! You look up dere at dem stars!"

Scar sighed and decided to humour the old creature, turning his gaze upwards.

The sky was full of shooting stars, thousands of them, and they seemed to be moving in the sky. There were some clouds gathering and forming the shape of a lion's face…

Scar stood bolt upright, eyes wide and mouth open in a most undignified manner. "Mufasa?"

The face laughed, "So astonished, little brother?"

"…You're dead."

Mufasa's image shook. "I live, I live in the spirit of my son and granddaughter, in the hearts and minds of all who remember me, and even in your own dark spirit, little brother."

Scar growled, "Just as always, when you were king, you talked like you ruled the earth, and now you're dead, you talk like god."

"Gods judge. I don't." Mufasa replied. "Taka, why did you never say anything?"
"You wouldn't have cared." Scar snarled. "And my name is Scar!"

"Do you forget so soon how we leant on one another at mother's funeral? The times we played together as cubs? All the times I protected you?"
"You mocked me for wanting to be king!" Scar snarled, trying to force down the memories of happier days. Days spent as a cub with his brother, playing with the other cubs of the pride without a care in the world, long before he even began to understand that he would be cast aside in favour of his brother.

Mufasa's eyes closed. "And for that I am sorry. Father and I both played a part in making you what you were, perhaps I even got what was coming to me, but my son was an innocent."

Scar sighed, feeling something lift. Mufasa had said sorry. He understood that Scar wasn't just born wicked. Somehow that made it easier. "…I know. And I'll make my apologies to him too, in time." He swallowed, trying to think of how best to say it. He often liked to make dignified and long speeches, but for once, he was lost for words, and found only the truth would do. "…I'm sorry too. For everything."

Mufasa smiled, "And I forgive you, little brother. Now take your pride to where they belong. I will have words with my son, and you will have to as well. At dawn's light, gather your mate and cubs and lionesses, and return to pride rock. Good luck, Taka."

Scar watched the image fade away, then turned and walked slowly back to his cave.

Simba tossed and turned, his mind full of disturbing images, his uncle dropping his father onto the endless stream of wildebeest, and then him too, the terror and anguish, it all surrounded him in a hellish vortex until he couldn't take it and woke with a start.

He left the cave in silence, to sit on the end of pride rock, sleep would not come easily tonight, and he felt he might as well watch the sunrise when it came.

"Simba."

He looked up at the sky automatically, "Father?"

His father's image appeared in the cloudy skies. "My son, I have something to ask of you." He paused, "What do you feel for your uncle?"

Simba's face was blank, then he thought. "…I…I don't know. I feel as though I could kill him, and yet still feel misery at his funeral."

"In other words, you still care." Mufasa replied. "It is understandable, he was and is your uncle. Simba, do you know how he got his scar?"
Simba shook his head.

"Our father, your grandfather, gave it to him when he asked to come with us to see the kings of the past."

Simba's mouth dropped open, "Your father gave him… but… you told me Ahadi was a great king!"

"He was. I did not say he was a stellar father." Mufasa sighed, "And do you know what father named him?"

Simba frowned, "His name's Scar…"

Mufasa shook his head, "No, Simba, our father named him Taka, to mean 'Trash'. Do you start to see what I'm trying to explain?"

Simba lowered his head, "That no-one is born wicked, you have to be made that way, and maybe Scar had valid reasons for what he did…"

"He apologised."

"What?!" Simba gasped, looking up so suddenly he felt certain he'd injured his neck.

"I visited him in the outlands, and he apologised. He has done wrong, Simba, but the fact that he has said sorry and means it makes all the difference. It's your decision, of course, weather or not to let him back into the pride, but do consider it. He will come at dawn with his lionesses to hear your judgement. Simba, it is time to let go of the past."

Simba nodded. "I'll think about it." And he turned, heading back to his cave, "Goodnight father."

"Goodnight, my son."

The pride land animals spoke in hushed whispers as they stood around Pride Rock, Rafki had called them for a grand judgement by the king, but none knew whom he was judging. The lionesses stood as council on the end of Pride rock with their king, but they looked as confused as anyone did.

And then Simba let out a roar, and all fell silent. From the back of the crowd there was a shriek and the animals parted like the red sea.

Walking towards Pride rock, with no fear in his mismatched eyes, was Scar. Flanking him was his mate, their youngest cub in her jaws, and his eldest son on the other side, scraggly as he was, it was clear Scar trusted him, he was carrying a little lioness in his jaws, Scar's daughter. And behind this, there were a dozen other lionesses, thin and pale from lack of food and good sunlight, acting the part of a royal procession.

Animals began to mutter, "What's he doing here? It's Scar! How dare he show his face?" several looked as though they might attack, but they held back.

Scar halted in front of pride rock and sat down, a look of ill-deserved calm on his face. His lionesses and family also sat. They were waiting.

"Simba, what's going on?" Nala hissed to her mate.

Simba didn't remove his gaze from his uncle, "I'm making a choice." He stepped to the edge of pride rock. "Scar, you and your pride come here to receive judgement regarding rejoining the pride lands. Until recently, I would not have even listened to you plead your case, but… new information has reached me, and I will listen."

Scar nodded, "Very good, Simba, Mufasa couldn't have said it better himself." He cleared his throat, knowing that now he had to convince not only Simba, but all the creatures of the pride lands that he and his pride deserved to return. "There is no defence for what I have done, but I argue that my own father drove me to jealousy, and something in me craved the life my brother had. I always thought that meant I must be king, but what it meant is that I wanted a family. I have that now, and I realise that what I did is unforgivable." He bowed his head, "But for whatever it may mean to those who cared for my brother, I am deeply sorry."

Animals began to mutter again, some suspicious, some confused.

There was a long silence among the lions, and eventually that silence spread to the other animals, until not a sound was heard over the pride lands.

Simba rose to his feet. "…I pass my judgement upon you and your pride now." He took a deep breath...