This is chapter two of my first TLK story so I hope you guys like it. Enjoy and don't forget to review! I'd also like to thank everyone who bothered to read this story. I know I'm not as good a writer as others out there.
-X-
"Kopa? As in Vitani's friend?" asked Kiara.
"Kiara, where did you hear that name?" asked Nala.
"From Vitani"
"She told you?" said Simba in surprise.
"Well…yes and no" said Vitani.
"Whoa wait, who's Kopa?" asked Kovu.
"Just someone we don't usually talk about" answered Simba as he turned back to Rafiki. "Why does my father want us to tell them about Kopa? And who is Taka?"
"Taka is Scar's given name. The one he was given when he was born" answered Zazu.
"Now hold on, doesn't Taka mean dirt?" asked Kiara.
Rafiki nodded solemnly. "Yes, a rather unfortunate name"
"So, look at Pumbaa, his name means stupid or careless and he isn't bothered by it" pointed out Timon.
"It does?" said Pumbaa questioningly.
"You mean you didn't know?" asked Kovu.
"Well no, I don't remember anything from my childhood. So I've forgotten my real name. The parts I do remember involve hyenas. And they always called me Pumbaa when they chased me. So I just took on that name since I had nothing else to go by" explained Pumbaa.
"Wow, that's quite a story old buddy. Now I feel bad for always picking on ya" said Timon.
"No big deal, the hyena memories are way worse. Your teasing is like a breath of fresh air compared to their bloodthirsty growls" smiled Pumbaa.
"Back to the reason why we're here. I still don't understand why father wants us to hear these stories" said Simba.
"Hm…Well with Kiara's pregnancy, he believes that it is best for the future parents to know the proper way of taking care of their cub or cubs" said Rafiki.
"That sounds like a good idea" agreed Nala.
"But-"
"Simba, I think it's time Kiara knows the truth for your behavior towards her safety. And Kovu deserves to know the reason for the Outsiders' banishment. We both knew that we were going to have to tell them anyway" said Nala.
Samba sighed in defeat knowing that his mate was right. "You're right as usual. Fine but Nala and I should tell them about Kopa"
"That's what I expected" nodded Rafiki in understanding. "This story is for all of you to hear. Zazu you may put any input you have since you should already know of Taka's story"
"That sounds doable" mumbled Zazu as Rafiki turned to the other animals.
All of them, even Timon and Pumbaa watched in anticipation as Rafiki began to tell the story. "Taka or Scar as you all know him, was not as corrupted as you came to know him…"
-X-
King Ahadi walked into the den and shook off the excess water from the storm. He walked deeper into the den to find his mate, Uru, and the Pride Lands' current shaman, a lion named Hondari. The two seem to be laughing and getting along rather comfortably.
"You seem a lot better. I hope you two weren't doing anything more than this level of getting along" joked Ahadi.
"King Ahadi, you should trust your best friend and your mate a little more" laughed Hondari.
"I can't really help it, every other lioness fawns over you" Ahadi chuckled.
"Oh hush, don't you want to know why I'm in a better mood than I was earlier?" asked Uru.
"That's right, I have good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?" asked Hondari.
"Bad" said Ahadi.
"Okay, get ready for many sleepless nights" said Hondari.
Ahadi's eyes narrowed with a slightly confused expression. "You know I hate your riddles"
Uru rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you two are grown lions yet you still behave like the young cubs I first met"
"Excuse me; I'm a lot older than the both of you. If I recall, you two were just born after I became an adolescent" pointed out Hondari.
"Anyway, back to the good news, Ahadi I'm pregnant" said Uru.
Ahadi choked surprising the other two lions. Once he had recovered he smiled and nuzzled Uru. "That's fantastic! It just came as a surprise"
"Really? All the nights you two spend together and it comes as a surprise?" joked Hondari.
"Hondari…"
Just then they heard someone clear his throat near the entrance. They all turned to see Hondari's pupil, Rafiki, standing there without his staff (Rafiki was a lot younger back then, but still an adult).
"Master Hondari, one of the lionesses from the hunting party came to the tree. She has an injured leg and I'm afraid it might already be infected" said Rafiki worriedly.
"I'll be right there. It'll be the perfect time for me to teach you how to treat it too" said Hondari as he followed his pupil out. "I'll see you two later"
Months Later…
"I can see his head!" shouted Hondari over Uru's screams.
"Don't worry, it's almost over dear" soothed Uru's mother, the previous queen.
After a few more pushes, the den was soon filled with the cries of a newborn cub. "It's here, Ahadi, he's here!" shouted Hondari.
Ahadi immediately ran into the den and over to the cub. The newborn cub's eyes were squeezed shut but he saw from the piece of fur on his tail, the royal red color.
"He's beautiful" said Uru's mother.
"What's his name?" asked Rafiki.
"Mufasa" whispered Ahadi.
"It fits him perfectly" said Hondari.
Suddenly, Uru screamed again, catching all of their attention. They had been too distracted by the cub that they hadn't noticing Uru breathing heavily in pain.
"Uru! What's wrong?" asked Ahadi in panic.
"I think she's having more contractions!" shouted Uru's mother.
"There's another one! I can feel him!" screamed Uru.
Hondari's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this. His predictions were usually accurate and he had told the royal couple that they would only have one cub. He wasn't expecting a second one.
After a minute or two, there was the sound of a second cub crying. His fur was much darker than his brother's and the fur at the end of his tail was black. It was clear his looks came from Ahadi's family.
"A second cub…" Ahadi whispered.
"What an unexpected surprise! They're both adorable!" cooed Uru's mother.
Uru plopped herself down on her stomach as she breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled at the sight of her two cubs. She brought them closer to her and began to cleanse them from blood. After Ahadi recovered from his initial shock, he smiled and knelt down towards his sons.
"They are awfully cute" agreed Ahadi.
"So what are we going to name the second one?" asked Uru.
"I'm not sure; we only had one name prepared"
Rafiki was smiling too until he noticed his teacher's ominous silence. "Master, is something wrong?"
Hondari snapped out of his silent stare and looked over at his pupil. He turned back to the lions and noticed them all staring at him.
Hondari cleared his throat as he walked over to the new parents. "I'm not sure how to word this so I'm just going to tell you. Your second son is a bit different. I can see in his heart that he is pure but something about his aura reminds me of Imani"
The other three lions and Rafiki all gasped in surprise and shock. Imani was Uru's younger brother and a very ambitious lion. He always had a dark aura about him, he played with his prey, he tormented the herds, and he had wanted to be king of the Pride Lands even though he knew that title belonged to his older sister's betrothed, Ahadi. So as a way to gain the throne, he kidnapped Ahadi's younger sister and threatened to kill her if he wasn't given the throne. Ahadi tried to stop him but when he did; Imani killed the adolescent with his jaws after abusing her, physically and sexually. It was terrible, in the end, Uru's father, King Mohatu had to kill his own son.
"But how can that be?" asked Uru's mother as she shuddered at the memories of her own son.
"I sense greed emanating from him. Not just greed either, lust for blood and power too. I believe you can feel it too Rafiki" said Hondari.
"Yes, it's faint, but it's there" replied Rafiki.
Ahadi remained silent as the memories of his little sister came to mind. She used to be so full of energy and joy until her last moments on this world. He looked down at his second son and for a moment a flash of Imani's face appeared. Ahadi jumped back upon seeing that evil smile he only saw in his nightmares.
"Ahadi, are you okay?" asked Uru.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, I just need to think about this for a moment" said Ahadi as he began to walk out of the den.
"But wait, what about his name?" asked Uru.
Ahadi stopped and turned his head briefly. "He will remain unnamed…For now"
Half a Year Later…
"Hey, Taka, you in here?" asked Mufasa as he entered the den.
"Stop calling me that. I don't even like that name" muttered a dark cub as he stepped out of the shadows.
"Well if I had anything else to call you I would" said Mufasa.
"It's not fair! Just because I look like uncle Imani, everyone started calling me that. And then it just sticks. No one even likes me…Not even dad"
"Come on, that's not true. Sure dad can be a little harsh on you but you just have trouble learning the king stuff"
"I don't even know why he's even bothering to teach me. I mean, you were born first so only you're going to be king"
"True, but what if something happens to me. Or what if I need someone to take care of the Pride Lands if I go away sometime"
Taka huffed as he walked back inside the den. Mufasa rolled his eyes and hopped over to his brother's face.
"Stop being such a downer. Come on; let's go to the water hole together! Sarabi and Sarafina are waiting for us there" urged Mufasa.
Taka sighed exasperatedly. "Fine. Whatever…"
Taka followed Mufasa outside the den. Before they reached the bottom of the steps though, a blue bird flew down in front of them. She was rather small but something about her just commanded attention.
"Where do you two think you're going? Don't you know how dangerous it is out there? You need an escort" said the hornbill.
Both of the young princes groaned.
"Come on Zuzu, we're totally capable of going off on our own" said Mufasa.
"Yeah, and we're not going to be alone. Sarabi and Sarafina are going to be there. And I'm sure a few other lions would be resting near the water hole" added Taka.
"But it is my job to look after you two while your father is out on patrols" said Zuzu.
"What about mom? I saw her earlier" said Mufasa.
"The queen is very tired after yesterdays long hunt and needs her rest. Therefore, I am in charge" said Zuzu.
"What about Zazu? Shouldn't you be taking care of him?" asked Taka.
"He, unlike you two, is old enough to be on his own. He is with his father rebuilding the nest after it got destroyed in last night's storm" said Zuzu.
"Whoa, that rhino just attacked that lioness!" shouted Mufasa suddenly.
"Ew, I can see her guts! They spilled out everywhere!" shouted Taka.
"What!?" screeched Zuzu in panic as she turned around.
There was nothing there. And when she turned back, the two princes were gone.
"I cannot believe I fell for that" grumbled Zuzu. "I can only hope Zazu won't have to deal with a prince or princess like them"
She took flight towards the water hole. Although, knowing them, they'd probably go somewhere else to avoid her.
Elsewhere…
Mufasa, Taka, and two lioness cubs were near the river. They were watching the fish swim by and they were trying to catch some.
"Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought" said Sarabi as she got out of the water and shook herself dry.
"Yeah, I know, and here I thought it'd be easy since the fish swim against the current" said Sarafina.
"Well, we just have to try harder" said Mufasa.
"Or do what your brother's doing" giggled Sarafina as Taka caught another fish to add to his pile of three.
"Whoa, nice catch Taka!" praised Sarabi.
"Thanks, but the compliment doesn't work so well when you add Taka. Can't you guys be more like Sarafina and not call me that?" asked Taka.
"No, they can't because they don't have the same sensitive mind that I do" said Sarafina with pride.
"Well I'm sorry I don't have the same girly mind as you" said Sarabi.
Mufasa let out an amused chuckle as he turned to his brother. "You see. You've got a lot a talent. And at least our friends like you too"
Taka looked at the two lioness cubs as they pretended to be arguing. He smiled and turned back to Mufasa. "Yeah, I guess so. Even if their parents don't approve of me, I know they do"
"Exactly…Wait, I know!" exclaimed Mufasa, grabbing the attention of the other cubs.
"You know something?" gasped Sarabi dramatically.
Sarafina giggled as Mufasa ignored her comment. "Maybe we can rule together!"
"Huh?" questioned the other three.
"You know like co-kings. When I become king I'll let you rule with me" explained Mufasa.
"That's not a bad idea. Two kings could probably do their jobs twice as fast" said Sarabi.
"Yeah, then they'll have more time for their mates. Right Sarabi?" hinted Sarafina towards Sarabi and Mufasa since they were betrothed.
"What!?" blushed the both of them under their fur.
Both Taka and Sarafina began laughing at their behavior. The four of them spent the rest of the day doing whatever. It was fun and soon enough Taka had forgotten about his troubles.
The Next Day…
"Don't you think we should ask dad about this whole co-king idea?" asked Taka in a whisper.
"No, besides when I'm king, I'll be able to do whatever I want. I can just say you are to be my co-king" replied Mufasa also in a whisper.
They were both following their father through the Pride Lands. They were on a tour so that they could get to know the land their father ruled.
"What are you two whispering about?" asked Ahadi with a stern look.
"Nothing!" they both said simultaneously.
Ahadi sighed. "You two have been really secretive lately. Is there something I should know?"
"No-"
"Actually!" interrupted Mufasa. "We've been wondering…Why don't you treat Taka the same as you treat me?"
Both Ahadi and Taka were surprised. But Ahadi sighed and looked at them both.
"Well…You both know of your uncle Imani. He was a terrible lion who had killed your aunt Siri" started Ahadi.
"Yeah, we know, but you can't just treat your own son badly just because he looks like someone evil" argued Mufasa.
"Yes, I know. It's just difficult. Ever since Hondari mentioned all that bad stuff about Taka…I just can't look at him without seeing Imani" said Ahadi.
"I'm sorry I look like him dad. I can just hide my face or something so you don't have to see it" said Taka quietly.
"No, I'm sorry Taka. I just have to get used to the fact that you look like Imani. It's not your fault, it's my own for neglecting you" said Ahadi giving him a fatherly nuzzle.
"Thanks…But I don't blame you for having a hard time speaking to me directly" said Taka.
"Wait, I have another question. Can we change Taka's name? He's uncomfortable with it" said Mufasa.
Ahadi shrugged. "Sure why not?"
"Actually, that's fine. It's sort of grown on me. And I'm sure when people start to call me that with less scorn then I'll start to like it" said Taka.
"That's my boy" said Ahadi with a chuckle. "Now come on, I still have to show you two Zulu Falls and the gorge"
"The gorge creeps me out, I have a bad feeling about it" said Mufasa.
"Stop being paranoid. Let's go!" laughed Taka as he took off towards the waterfall.
The lighter lions laughed along with him as they chased after him. Things were certainly looking up for Taka right now.
-X-
That was chapter two of my story. I just want to start with the story of Taka. It's not necessarily important but I just want to show people my version of his story. Plus there are a few references to the past and I need people to know how Taka/Scar became the way he was. Don't worry, I'll introduce Kopa later. Don't forget to review! I love reviews! And the more I get, the sooner I update!