Disclaimer: I DO NOT take credit for The Lion King characters or their respective storyline. They are owned by Walt Disney. This story is just a depiction of said story with the characters turned human, as an appreciation for the tale. Some original characters and ideas will appear, and I will take credit for them as they do. I hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you think of the idea :). Note: this is rated T for possible language and possible slight violence.

If you're actually reading this right now, kudos for sticking around this long. P.S. if you missed chapter 7, which I also uploaded today, make sure you check it out!

The (Human) Lion King—the Retelling of a Classic Tale

Chapter Eight: To Die For

"Uncle Scar, this is boring. Can't we go somewhere else?"

Scar resisted the urge to roll his eyes in front of his annoying nephew. He had taken the boy to the stables located in the valley just a short walk behind the palace. The lush, green grasses of the rolling hills shone brightly in the heat of the afternoon sun, and the air was filled with the musk scent of wildlife. The royal horses whinnied and shook their heads restlessly as Scar and Samuel walked through them.

"My dear young Samuel, your mother and father are both very busy today and have asked me to keep you in my company."

"I could have stayed in the castle with Nina." Samuel pouted.

Scar chuckled. "I suppose you could have, but what would be the fun in that? You spend most of your life in that dusty old castle. It's about time you explored the kingdom, got some fresh air."

Samuel crossed his arms in a huff. "I've been to the stables tons of times before. It isn't that interesting."

"Ah, but this is the best part: today, your father has a marvelous surprise for you there."

"Really?" Samuel perked up. "What is it?"

"Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

Samuel clasped his hands behind his back and smiled that signature catfish grin of his. "If you tell me, I will still act surprised."

Scar laughed. "Oh, you are such a naughty boy!" he teased. The words were sickening to his own ears. Samuel frowned and pouted again.

"C'mon Uncle Scar, please?" he begged.

"I can't Samuel, this is just for you and your dad…you know…a sort of father-son…thing." He paused. "Well, I guess I better go and get him."

Samuel jumped at the chance. "I can go with you—."

"No!" Scar interrupted loudly, startling the boy. "I mean, uh, no. Please, just….just stay on this seat." He led his nephew to a bench sitting inside the stable barn and sat him down. "Besides, you wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with those Turncoats, would you?"

Samuel's eyes widened. "You know about that?"

Scar chuckled again. "Samuel, half the royal guard was in a frenzy looking for you. Everybody knows about that."

"Really?" Samuel blushed, embarrassed.

"Oh yes. Lucky daddy was there to save you, eh? Oh, and just between us," Scar leaned down and wrapped a lanky arm around his shoulder. "You might want to work on that aim of yours, hmm?"

"Oh," Samuel said dejectedly. "Okay."

Scar smiled tightly and began the walk up the winding path back to the palace. "Hey Uncle Scar!" Samuel called just before he could leave. Scar groaned quietly, put on a fake smile, and turned around.

"Yes?"

"Will I like the surprise?" Samuel asked eagerly.

Scar smiled, inwardly laughing to himself. "Samuel, my dear Nephew, it's…to die for."

That seemed to satisfy the boy, who plopped back down on the bench. "Cool."

Scar continued on his way up the path as fast as he could without attracting extra attention to himself. They were already behind schedule on the plan and if they didn't hurry, they would miss their window of opportunity.

Once out of sight from his nephew, he turned off the path and headed in the opposite direction of the palace, toward a large field that was home to hundreds of wild stallions. There, many of his now devoted followers were waiting for his signal to set the plan in motion. As he walked the valley inconspicuously, one of the Turncoats on lookout spotted him.

"There he is!" he whispered back to the others. "That's the signal!"

"Alright, this is the last chance for any of you morons to back out," Shay, who had been put in charge, raised a hand to calm the restless mass behind her. There could be no mistakes with what they were about to do, otherwise Scar would have her head. If anyone wanted out, she would rather they did so now, and not when it would matter most. When no one gave any indication of leaving, Shay continued, "Remember the plan: stick together and push them forward, not back. We need to get them straight to the valley."

There were nods and grunts of understanding all around. Shay took a deep breath as a surge of adrenaline pumped through her. Whip in hand, she shouted, "Fall out!"

They moved as a unit, slowly approaching the unsuspecting stallions, ready to start a riot.

Meanwhile, Samuel had been sitting on the bench all by himself for almost ten minutes and was starting to get very, very bored. He decided to walk back through the stables, just so he could do something. The horses grew agitated as he passed by, bucking and kicking in their stalls. That's odd, Samuel thought. The horses were usually very calm. He shrugged it off, and kept going, kicking a pebble with his foot while mindlessly playing with the latches on the stable doors.

A low rumbling began vibrating through the ground. Samuel paused, puzzled, as he looked down to his feet. The pebble he had been kicking was shaking, like an earthquake or something. The rumbling was growing louder and clouds of dust were filling the air. He looked up as the rumbling became almost deafening. To his horror, he saw a stampede of wild horses spilling over the steep hill into the valley.

And they were headed straight toward him.

Samuel panicked, eyes wide and frozen in fear. The only way out of the valley was up the path, but that would mean running head on into the stampede. That was definitely not an option. The horses were running at an incredible speed, he could never make it up in time. His only option was to run deeper through the valley and hope to find a suitable footing to climb up and out before they got to him.

If he could run that fast.

Samuel took off as quickly as his little legs could carry him, his heart pounding with terror. His legs already burned from the exertion as he glanced over his shoulder to see the stampede approaching dangerously fast. What was he going to do!?

As if his prayer had been answered, he saw a loan, possibly dead tree standing a ways ahead. He silently thanked God as he pushed himself harder, determined to climb that tree to safety. He frantically reached for the lowest branch which was just slightly too tall for him. The first horse barreled by, the gust of power almost knocking him over. Barely, his fingers grasped the branch as he jumped and he pulled himself up, his feet grazing the backs of the stallions that now trampled all around him.

With shaky breath, Samuel gripped the small trembling tree for dear life as the worst realization dawned on him: he was trapped.

o-o-o-o-o-o

After he gave Sheila and her Turncoat followers the signal to begin, Scar went to fulfill his part of the plan: finding his brother. If he was lucky, Michael would just be leaving the palace on the way to the stables to fetch his horse for his morning patrol, along with his ever faithful advisor, Ezekiel. Scar spotted them heading his way and he smiled. Right on time.

He put on his best frightened face and ran to his brother. "Michael!" he shouted, sounding upset and panicked. "We must hurry! There's a stampede in Stables Valley. Samuel is down there!"

A look of stricken horror crossed the King's face. "Samuel?!" his worst nightmare had come true once again. "Brother, take me to him at once!"

"This way!" the brothers ran to the edge of the hill that lead down into the steep gorge to see a blur of wild horses tearing through the stables and into the valley. Michael's eyes widened as he frantically searched for his son.

"There!" Ezekiel, who had run farther up the face of the face of the hill, was pointing wildly down into the valley. "There on that tree!" Michael followed to where he was pointing and finally saw through the dust. Poor Samuel was desperately trying to stay upright in a tree that looked like it would fall over at any moment.

"Hold on, Samuel!" Michael shouted in vain. He saw the branch split and crack beneath his son as he screamed in terror, almost slipping. Michael took a deep breath and shed the long coat he wore and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

"Your majesty, are you INSANE?!" Ezekiel practically screeched, knowing what the King was planning on doing.

"He's right, brother!" Scar encouraged, grabbing Michael by the shoulder and pulling his brother to face him, faking as much concern as he could muster. "Go down there, and you will get yourself killed!"

Michael frowned, the most serious expression Scar had ever seen upon his face as he replied, "If I don't go, then my son will die, and I will NOT let that happen, not ever. I have to save Samuel."

And that will be your downfall, Scar thought as he resisted the urge to smile. Ezekiel, on the other hand, still protested.

"Sire, please!" the King did not answer, instead focused on his descent straight into the path of the raging stampede. Ezekiel became frantic. "Oh this is awful! What do we do, Scar? What do we do!? I have to back for help. That's it! I'll go back for—"

His rant grew silent as he was hit on the back of the head with a rock by Scar, knocked-out cold. There, Scar thought. Silence. He hadn't worked so hard to get this close only to have it all ruined by the annoying little twit. He turned his attention back to his brother in the gorge, who was feverously running through the stampede. He had to give him credit; Michael was constantly being beaten between rows and rows of rampaging wild animals, yet he still persevered to reach his spoiled brat of a son. It was impressive.

Still, Scar wished he would just fall behind already and get it over with. Samuel would plummet from the tree, the heard would move on, and that would be that. Everything would finally be over.

But of course, that's not what happened. Michael reached the tree, bloody, battered and bruised, and caught Samuel in his arms just as the case of the tree snapped. He kept running, slower now with the boy in his arms. Scar watched on with impatient anticipation. Minutes felt like hours as he viewed father with son dodge blow after blow, and he silently cursed his brother for being so agile and quick. He followed along the edge of the gorge restlessly.

Michael reached a small outcrop jutting out the side of the hill. Hurriedly, he lifted Samuel out to reach for it. The boy had only just wrapped his small hands around a stray root when Michael was pulled into the raging sea of bodies and hooves. Samuel screamed for his father as he hoisted himself up onto the small ledge. His back was to Scar, but he could see his nephew frantically moving his head back and forth looking for Michael. He was just about to give up hope when through some miracle, Michael had once again made it to the cliff face and began climbing the steep wall.

Damn.

This is getting ridiculous, Scar thought. I'll finish this myself.

Michael was about ten or so feet from where Samuel was, but the boy could still see him. Once he saw his father climbing, he immediately followed his example. Scar silently prayed the boy would simply lose his grip and be done with it.

"Scar!" Michael's weak and tired voice arose from the cliff face below. Scar ran to him, his face void of sympathy. "Brother, help me!"

His feet were slipping off the rocks and his hands were bloodied from the climb. His brother, for the first time in his perfect, pampered life, looked completely haggard. The sight filled Scar with a twisted sense of accomplishment.

He lowered himself to the ground until he was almost face-to-face with his brother. Scar ruthlessly grabbed Michael by the wrists and pulled, loosening his grip on the rocks. Michael roared in pain as Scar leaned in close with a murderous glow in his eyes. Something was not right.

"Brother?" Michael said desperately.

Michael could feel the heat from his brother's breath on his ear as he hissed, "Long. Live. The. King."

Michael's heart sank as he realized all too late what Scar was doing. He felt abused, abandoned. Betrayed. He could not believe what was happening. He loved his brother and though he had his faults, he never imagined him capable of something like this.

"Thomas," Michael pleaded desperately. "Please…"

"My name…" Scar growled. "Is SCAR!"

He released Michael's wrists with fervor and without remorse. Michael screamed as he fell backward into the depths of the gorge below. There was no way he could survive that.

"Nooo!" he heard Samuel howl. The kid must have seen Michael fall perhaps he had even seen what Scar had done. It wouldn't matter soon enough. He would be dead, just like his father, and then everything would be Scar's.

"Too late for begging now, brother."

For character references, here is who has been introduced from the movie so far:

Michael- Mufasa

Ezekiel- Zazu

Sarah- Sarabi

Samuel- Simba

Thomas- Scar

Renée- Rafiki

Nina- Nala

Elizabeth- Sarafina

Shay- Shenzi

Benny- Banzai

Ed- Ed :)