The Wrong Parent
Author's Note: I'm back, TLK community! If you haven't done so already, check out my stories "Saving the Pride Lands" and "Ends of the Earth."
Summary: What happens if Sarabi caught wind of Scar's evil plan and she was also in the gorge trying to save Simba?
Sarabi couldn't explain it, but she felt in her gut that something bad was going to happen.
She didn't have a reason for why she felt this way. It could have had something to do with Mufasa informing her that Simba had lied to her and nearly got himself and Nala killed at the Elephant Graveyard the day before. But from what her mate told her, Mufasa and Simba had a discussion and things between the father and son were better than ever.
So why was Sarabi filled with this sense of dread?
"Are you okay, Sarabi? You seem distracted," Sarafina said, shaking Sarabi from her thoughts as they were doing their patrols through the Pride Lands. Sarabi forced a smile and shook her head.
"Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about our cubs going to that Elephant Graveyard last night, what could have possibly been going through their heads," Sarabi said as Sarafina groaned.
"The trouble they get into! I hope Nala listens to me and stays put at Pride Rock," Sarafina said, instinctively looking around the savannah for Nala.
"I hope the same for Simba," Sarabi added.
"Oh, I thought I saw Scar take Simba for a walk," Sarafina noted. This stopped Sarabi in her tracks.
Sarabi didn't like Scar. It wasn't a secret. Sarabi tolerated him because he was Mufasa's brother, but she didn't trust him. She always felt like Scar was plotting something sinister that would disrupt the circle of life. Sarabi kept her distance, and disliked it when Mufasa would go to speak with Scar alone. She especially didn't trust Scar to be alone with Simba.
"What do you mean?" Sarabi asked. Sarafina looked at Sarabi, confused at her concern.
"Well, he came by and said he needed to fetch Simba, I assumed Mufasa knew," Sarafina said.
This raised questions for Sarabi. Scar never spent time with Simba on his own accord. Simba always approached Scar first, and the older lion begrudgingly spent time with his nephew. Why would Scar suddenly want to be with Simba?
"Right. Sarafina, do you mind leading the patrols with the other lionesses? I have something I want to check," Sarabi said. Sarafina nodded, knowing exactly what her best friend was going to do.
"Of course. I will see you back at Pride Rock," Sarafina said before running off to lead the hunting party.
Sarabi ran into the savannah, not entirely sure where she was going. She tried to track Scar or Simba's scent, but Sarabi wasn't catching either one. Instead, she caught a whiff of someone awful. When she placed the scent, Sarabi gasped.
Hyenas.
Instinctively, Sarabi followed the scent. The hyenas shouldn't be in the Pride Lands. Sarabi found herself at the edge of the gorge, a flock of wildebeest grazing in the grass. The queen kept low to the ground, searching for the hyenas. She spotted them lingering back, away from the herd. She could hear them bickering about being hungry, wanting to take a bite of one of the little wildebeests.
Sarabi was ready to pounce when she suddenly heard Shenzi say, "we have to wait for the signal from Scar!"
Sarabi froze. Scar was conspiring with the hyenas on something. But what? Sarabi snuck towards the edge of the gorge and she could see Simba alone, waiting. Sarabi gasped.
Scar, the gorge, the wildebeests, Simba. Sarabi quickly realized that Scar was setting up Simba and possibly Mufasa to be killed.
Acting on her maternal instincts, Sarabi leapt down into the gorge. She had to save her son.
When he heard someone approaching, Simba turned and smiled when he saw his mother. This must be part of Mufasa's surprise.
"Mom, what's this surprise dad has for me?" Simba asked, abandoning the lizard he was practicing roaring at.
"Simba, there's no time to explain, we have to get out of here," Sarabi urged, desperately trying to usher Simba out of the gorge. Simba looked confused.
"What? But Uncle Scar said dad has a surprise for me," Simba protested.
"Simba, please, it's not safe here," Sarabi pleaded, pulling her son along. The young cub tilted his head in confusion.
"What do you mean it's not safe? Mom, what's going on?" Simba asked, sensing his mother's apprehension.
"I don't know, Simba! But we have to go. Now!" Sarabi said, her voice echoing throughout the gorge.
When Sarabi felt the rumbling beneath her feet, she knew it was too late.
Simba's ears fell when he saw the wildebeests running towards him and Sarabi. The young cub's mouth was dry, and he was frozen. He needed to will himself to move.
"Simba, run!" Sarabi screamed, shaking Simba from his thoughts.
Without giving it a second thought, Simba ran as fast as he could alongside his mother, desperately trying to outrun the wildebeests stampeding behind them.
Sarabi had to think fast. She couldn't lose her son, not like this. When she spotted a tree in the middle of the gorge, Sarabi guided Simba to climb it. When he was on the branch, Sarabi held on to the trunk for dear life, using her body to block any wildebeests from hitting her son.
"Mom, it's Zazu!" Simba cried out. The major-domo flew as close to the queen and prince as he could.
"Zazu, help us!" Simba desperately pleaded.
"Mufasa is on the way, just hold on," Zazu tried to reassure Simba and Sarabi. The queen yelped when she got knocked into by a wildebeest.
"Hurry, please!" Sarabi hollered. Zazu flew away as fast as he could.
It had been so easy for Scar to feign concern over his nephew. Mufasa always wanted to believe that Scar was a good lion, and would show love and concern for Simba. Scar decided to play on that naivety of his brother's. Scar even held up the act as he raced alongside his brother to the gorge.
Sliding down to a level of the gorge, the brother's observed the wildebeests stampeding wildly. Mufasa searched fearfully, while Scar just hoped Simba didn't die ahead of schedule.
Zazu flew over to them, his eyes desperate.
"There, there on that tree! Sarabi is trapped, too!" Zazu hollered, pointing at the tree in the middle of the stampede. Simba and Sarabi clung on for dear life.
Scar gasped. He hadn't meant for Sarabi to get caught in the stampede. He didn't have anything against Sarabi. Actually, Scar liked Sarabi the most of any lion in the Pride Lands. If she died instead of Mufasa, Scar couldn't live with himself.
"Simba, Sarabi, hold on!" Mufasa called out to them, just as a wildebeest knocked into Sarabi with enough force that the tree began to break, making Simba scream. Mufasa leapt into the stampede to save them.
Knocking a blabbering Zazu away, Scar watched Mufasa galloping through the gorge, praying that the wrong parent wouldn't die today.
When Sarabi saw the red of Mufasa's mane through the chaos of the stampede, she felt the briefest bit of relief. Mufasa was strong and could make everything better. Sarabi felt her heart skip when she saw Mufasa getting closer to them, running against the direction of the wildebeests.
"Simba, listen to me. When I tell you tp, I need you to jump to your father," Sarabi shouted to Simba. The young cub shook his head, fear in his eyes.
"No, mom, I can't, I'm scared," Simba cried, his voice shaking.
"Simba, you must! This tree is about to break, your father won't let you fall. Simba, you have to do this," Sarabi desperately pleaded with her son.
Even though he was scared, Simba was going to be brave. Taking a deep breath, Simba turned to the direction of his father. Though he was trembling, Simba was ready.
"Simba, now!" Sarabi hollered. At the sound of his mother's voice, Simba leapt off the tree. The young lion screamed as he was free falling, scared that his father wouldn't reach him in time. Those fears dissipated when Mufasa jumped off the ground and caught Simba.
Seeing her mate take hold of their son, Sarabi leapt off the tree, just in time before a stray wildebeest knocked into it, breaking it in two. Though she was in pain from the blows she took before, Sarabi's adrenaline ran as fast as she could to Mufasa and Simba. A wildebeest had knocked Simba out of Mufasa's grip, sending him flying a few rows away. Sarabi's eyes widened.
"Mufasa! I've got Simba!" Sarabi yelled over to her mate, leaping over to grab Simba and darting over to the closest ledge she could find. Mufasa followed after Sarabi, noticing she was limping.
Using whatever strength she had left, Sarabi jumped up on the ledge and gently placed Simba down. Sarabi tried to pull herself up, but her hind leg throbbed. Sarabi wasn't sure she was going to make it. But then she felt Mufasa lift her up, and she, too, was safe on the ledge with Simba.
Before Sarabi could pull him up, Mufasa was knocked off and away from the ledge by a flock of wildebeests.
"Dad!" Simba cried out.
"Mufasa! Mufasa, where are you?" Sarabi yelled out, nervous when she lost her mate in the stampede.
Incredibly, Mufasa jumped from the stampede, desperately clinging to the wall of the gorge. He was too far from the ledge, and he began to climb up. As Sarabi and Simba watched Mufasa climb the gorge, Sarabi caught sight of Scar waiting at the top, an evil smirk on his face.
Scar was going to kill Mufasa. Sarabi couldn't let that happen.
"Simba, stay here. I am going to save your father," Sarabi explained quickly, ignoring the pain shooting up her body as she ran to the top of the gorge.
Simba's ears perked up. His father needed saving. He had to help. Simba followed after his mother.
Scar had been dreaming of this moment his whole life. Mufasa looking up at him, fear in his eyes, looking nothing like the brave and powerful king everyone had thought him to be. Scar would be triumphant.
He had seen Sarabi and Simba survive, but Scar would deal with them after.
"Scar! Brother, help me," Mufasa pleaded, his claws losing grip and fear in his eyes.
Relishing in the sight a moment longer, Scar lunged forward and he painfully grabbed Mufasa's paws. The king roared in great pain, his eyes widening in realization as Scar got close to his face with a menacing smirk.
"Long live the…" Scar began to say, before he was suddenly knocked away.
It was Sarabi. She bared her teeth.
"You planned this, Scar! How could you?" Sarabi yelled, heaving from rage. Mufasa was trying to pull himself up, but it was no use. Scar growled, ready to fight.
"Back down, Sarabi. I would just hate to leave your son an orphan," Scar threatened.
At the mention of Simba, Sarabi roared and lunged at Scar. She was not going to go down without a fight. Sarabi clawed at his face vengefully.
Suddenly, Sarabi was knocked down by Scar and he pressed his paws down onto her neck, choking her. Sarabi fought back, but her injuries made it harder for her to put up a fight.
Mufasa watched helplessly, begging Scar to let Sarabi live, while trying to hoist himself up from the ledge, but it was no use. He kept slipping.
Just as Sarabi felt her life slipping away, Simba emerged and lunged at his uncle, knocking him off of Sarabi. The young cub was swatting at his uncle's face, scratching the scar about his eye.
"Don't touch my mom!" Simba shouted.
This was distraction enough for Sarabi to pull Mufasa up. She grabbed her mate's paw and pulled him to safety, her strength and energy spent. Mufasa quickly nuzzled Sarabi to express his gratitude.
The king and queen looked up and they saw Scar dangling Simba over the edge of the gorge, trying to wiggle his way out of his uncle's paws. Mufasa and Sarabi froze.
"If you do not give the throne to me, I will throw this little hairball and leave you to clean up the mess," Scar threatened as he teased dropping Simba to the stampede below.
"Let him go, Scar! Please, don't hurt our son," Mufasa begged.
"You know what you have to do then, brother. Your life for his!"
Seeing his father contemplate this offer, Simba whirled around and he scratched Scar directly in the eyes, in an effort to blind him.
As Scar writhed in pain, Sarabi lunged forward and she grabbed Simba. Mufasa hurdled forward and pushed his brother over the edge. Scar screamed the entirety of his fall until there was silence.
The royal family looked over the ledge and they saw Scar's dead body being trampled by a few remaining wildebeests. The family was now safe.
Mufasa turned to his mate and he nuzzled her desperately. He didn't think that he would have to face the prospect of losing his entire family today, and was so thankful for her strength and tenacity to get them all through.
"Oh Sarabi, my love. Thank you," Mufasa whispered as he licked the top of her head lovingly. Sarabi licked Mufasa's cheek, trying to erase the image of him dangling over the ledge out of her memory.
"We're the best team. I love you," Sarabi whispered back to Mufasa.
Sarabi and Mufasa then paid attention to the cub between their paws, shaking from fear and leftover adrenaline. The king and queen each nuzzled their son.
"Simba, you were so brave. You saved the Pride Lands," Sarabi comforted Simba, licking his cheek. Mufasa nuzzled him, too.
"You are going to be a great king one day, Simba. You protected your mother and I. I am so proud of you," Mufasa said, seeing his son smile proudly. The cub snuggled his parents.
"I wouldn't have survived without either of you. Thank you," Simba said gratefully. Sarabi smiled at her two boys and she leaned on Mufasa, who was going to help her walk back to Pride Rock.
"Let's go home. All of us."
The End
This is me forever coming up with scenarios where Mufasa lived. Please review, I am open to suggestions!