Two lionesses lazily lay out in the sun on a few slabs of rock and absorbed the heat. They were idly chatting with one another on the outskirts of the Outlands.

Two jackals turned away from the lionesses inside a thicket of tall grass… and faced each other.

"Alright," Mauti murmured. "Now, you remember what you are to do?"

Faraa inhaled, quoting her sister. "'Stay quiet… and don't open my pie hole.'"

"Good," Mauti said. "Wait for my signal… sit by my side… and just look pretty."

"Right," Faraa said.

"Now if you somehow manage to mess this one up," Mauti snapped. "I'm not bluffing this time… I will get you in your sleep, and I'll make it look like an accident."

As the two lionesses talked with each other, they heard a rustle of grass blades from off to the side. They turned their heads in the direction of the noise, and Mauti walked out from within them, whistling carelessly.

"Zip-i-dee do da… zip-i-dee*… oh," Mauti then looked although she had just noticed the two lionesses.

"Well, hello, ladies," she said. "What would you two be doing here lying around on such a beautiful morning?"

The two lionesses glanced at each other, exchanging looks. One of them looked back at Mauti.

"What's it to you?" one of them asked.

"We just came back from our morning hunt," the other lioness explained. "Now it's time for us to take a break. Who are you?"

"Oh," Mauti rolled her eyes. "I'm so rude. My apologies. My name is Mauti… and you are…?"

"I'm Aina…" she darkly said. Then nodded at her friend on her left, who simply lifted a black brow suspiciously. She had darker fur than Aina. "…And this is Siri."

"Pleasure to meet you," Mauti said. "I have a business proposition for the both of you."

"A proposition?" Siri asked. "What about?"

"Hunting," Mauti told her. "Isn't it a hassle? It's so laborious!" she theatrically exaggerated the word. Mauti then sighed dreamily.

"…Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to do that?"

"Perhaps," Aina replied.

"It feeds our pride," Siri said. "I don't mind a full, rewarding day of hard work..."

Mauti then clenched her teeth. She really hoped they'd both agree. Mauti darted her eyes around, quickly trying to think of something else to say.

"-Why is this a jackals' concern anyway?" Aina asked her bitterly. "Why are you talking to us?"

"Well…" Mauti started. "I have a way… to feed your pride without all the sweat and work to do it."

Mauti then nonchalantly held her paw before her nose… peering down at her claws.

"But only if you're willing to exert sweat and work into a different manner."

Both lionesses curiously looked at each other. Mauti pretended not to notice. She put on no expression, as if she found her claws all too fascinating.

The lionesses turned their glances to Mauti once more.

"What do you mean, 'into a different manner?'" Aina asked.

Mauti glanced up, her ears perking up.

"Hm? Oh. Well, we've engaged in a fight for our commander. You see, my younger sister and I…"

Mauti trailed off, although waiting for something to happen. Aina and Siri leaned in, waiting for her to continue.

Irritated, Mauti turned her head back at the grass blades behind her.

"…My younger sister and I…" she said, much louder.

The grass behind Mauti shifted.

Faraa came out, smiling friendly at the two lioness. She then sat down at Mauti's right side.

Mauti composed herself and continued.

"…Have agreed to help our commander for a reward." Mauti continued. "She promised whoever joins her side, to supply them with a feast fit enough for a king."

"She really said this?" Siri asked.

"Affirmative. However… our commander needs a large assembly of lionesses, and you two seem fit enough for the job. She'll reward you with said meal."

Aina and Siri took a moment to exchange glances, then look at Mauti again.

"Well…" Aina said. "…I don't know if-"

"-Might I point out that this is a once in a lifetime offer?" Mauti interrupted. "You won't have to hunt for your pride… and you'll be provided with plenty of food for your loyalty with our commander."

"Who is…?" Siri began to ask.

Mauti waved a paw dismissively.

"…Does it really matter who it is?"

"…I would like to know a little bit more about who sent you two before we make any rash decisions," Siri explained.

"-She is not insanely driven with vengeance, if that's what you're thinking!" Faraa speedily defended.

Mauti angrily shot her sister a glare. Faraa anxiously smiled back at her.

Aina and Siri sighed, watching the ground from on top of their slabs of rock. Aina looked at Siri, nodding.

Siri glanced at Mauti.

"I suppose we could work something out," she told her. "One of my legs has recently been collapsing when we hunt for food, anyway."

Mauti's face lit up. "A wise decision you have made, ladies. Thank you for your time."


They were just swirls of noise. But after several minutes, they began to form into one word at a time.

"…Gorge… lots of blood… rocks… Hamu…"

Shapes and colors were forming before Scar's eyes. Along with the faint twitter of wild birds.

The quiet world around Scar was slanted... off on an axis. He came to realize he was lying beside the shade of a shrub… like a hibiscus plant. The warm ground was a dry, crackling soil, and thin rays of light stretched across his ribcage through a couple of tropical treetops... somewhere on the outskirts of the desert.

Scar's body remained still while his eyes slunk around… probing the area. He cautiously made an effort to raise his head. But only just lifting it an inch or so suddenly caused horrific throbbing to wash through it.

"-Agh!"

Scar clenched his jaw and tightly shut his eyes. The colors before him split his mind open with cutting pain. Scar now regretted even moving at all. The insides of his eyelids flashed a brilliant succession of lights. Scar moaned and threw his head over his side, only having it roll to the other side again.

Someone then took note of him stirring.

"Hey, guys! He's waking up!" a female voice said. There was a parade of pattering on the ground. Several, blurry shades of gold-brown slowly came up to him.

"-Good gracious…! The poor lion…"

"-Just what did you whippersnappers do to him?"

"-Nuthin', Grampa…!"

"-Hogwash…! Can't you see he's obviously hurt?"

"-Is that white stuff his skull?"

"-Sweet."

Scar was clamping his eyes shut so hard… just to keep the light out. His eyelids dampened as he did just so. He could hear his own breathing in his ears. A lake of vivid hues swam painfully across the blackness of his eyelids.

It passed over.

Scar strained to gently open his eyes... and keep them open. He was glancing straight up. His line of view included a clean, gem-cut turquoise sky… surrounded by bases of palm trees… and bright, hot sunlight shining down upon him.

The light suddenly dimmed slightly.

Scar rolled onto his shoulder… onto to his back to observe what happened. A figure of an old lioness stepped into Scar's line of view… standing over him… inspecting him. Her fur was radiating with gold… emitting an aura from the sun.

Scar exhaled. The lionesses' eyes were both as green as the life held inside lily pads. They gleamed back in warm concern.

"…Sir, are you alright?" she said, low and rosy.

Scar couldn't answer. He almost didn't hear her through the loud throbbing in his ears. He couldn't communicate, and all he could do was stare.

The golden lioness patiently waited on an answer. Scar's head was heavy, and all he could do was heave a groan and let his head drop to the ground.

But a paw quickly slid underneath his mane to catch his head, and then nicely lifted it back up into a cradle.

The situation was confusing. But Scar was too tired to look around and study what was happening. He just let the lioness above him touch him. She brought her other paw underneath his chin… and gently turned his head towards her. Their eyes met- and Scar could gaze up to her from below on the ground.

She smiled.

Scar opened his eyes a little, making an effort to watch her.

Another blur came up to them. It was a short, gold ball. It eyed Scar with a disgusted expression, raising it's upper lip. It was a boy lion cub.

"-That is his skull!" the figure declared, scrambling backwards in horror.

His words were like a sharp stab to Scar's ears, and he tensed in pain. A flash of red fled like lightning across the inside of his eyelids.

He was breathing in stiff, rigid pants. But it all went away when something nice came to his face and stroked it. Scar's expression eased up… along with his breathing.

"Hush Hamu," the old lioness above him then whispered.

But the boy cub fell onto his bottom as he scampered backwards. He just held onto his stomach. A simple, round lump.

"I'm gonna…" the little lion began. "I have to…"

The cub then got up on all fours and scampered to a secluded corner nearby.

A straining hurl could be heard moments later.

The younger, teenage lioness shook her head, sighing to the sky.

"…You are such a chicken."

The fat boy cub sniffled and turned his head, wiping the back of his paw across his wet mouth.

"…What's a chicken?" he glumly asked.

"-It's what you are," she replied smartly.

"-Now, now, there's no need for that, Thamani," an old voice spoke up. He was mumbling his words through his white-maned mustache. "Let's all put on a spiffy good example for the nice lion, shall we now?"

These words were barley passing clearly through Scar's ears. Everything might as well be underwater. Scar glanced up.

The owners of the four voices around him were clearly coming into focus. There was the fat boy cub, of course. His front and back paws looked rather pudgy. Big and padded. His wide, baby blue eyes were gleaming with curiosity.

Then there was the elderly male lion sitting a few feet away from Scar. All of his fur was gray. But his mane was long and stringy, and flowed to the ground like a scraggily beard and mustache. It was a fading, white color that dangled like a limp rope underneath his chin. He looked around at uninteresting objects.

There was also a young lioness sitting next to the old lion. She sat quite casually and tilted her head at Scar, inspecting his head. Her fur was a flourishing yellow. She no doubt had to be an adolescent.

And then there was the older lioness, blazing in all gold, who was still propping up Scar's head with her paw in a gentle hold.

She hopefully gazed down at him.

"…Who are you, sir?" she asked.

Scar still looked up at her. Unable to take his eyes away because there wasn't much else he could look. Scar's green irises slunk about… and he had to really, sincerely think about that question. Scar's eyes stayed to one side.

Odd.

It shouldn't have taken him so long to give her such a simple answer. He almost had to ask him that question himself. Wait… just who was he again?

He was frankly a little high-strung and uneasy. These were strangers… and Scar had no idea who these people were.

Apparently the old senior lion sensed this. He was struck with enough pity to sympathetically open his mouth.

"…There there, now, it's alright, sir," he said. Scar moved his glance over to him. The silver-haired lion gave him a nice smile.

"We won't hurt you…" he said. His puffy white mustache bounced up and down as he spoke.

Scar let his eyelids fall closed. He calmed down just a teensy bit… and found enough air in his lungs to talk.

"Madam, I…" he began to rasp. The lioness sitting over him watched him make an effort. She then moved a black strand of mane out of Scar's eyes to encourage him to speak.

"…I don't… what happened?" Scar finished.

The boy cub then turned his head at Scar's words.

"Hey… he talks funny!" he said. The boy then trotted towards him in newfound interest, quick to forget all about his vomit heap.

The tubby cub stood at Scar's side.

"Say more words…!" he urged.

"Why Hamu," the aging lioness said to him. "That's not polite. "Now apologize please." Her voice was full of grace and poise.

The cub shrank in shamefully.

"…Sorry, mom."

"…Apologize to the lion, not to me."

"…Sorry, sir."

"It's an accent, you ding-dong," the young lioness spoke up from behind. "Probably English."

The old lioness gave a single stare at the teenager. Then, almost pushing aside the matter, she gazed back down to Scar.

"…My name is Subira," she explained. Then raised her head to nod at the other members of her family.

"…And this is my father… and my children, Hamu and Thamani."

"…Pleasure to meet you, sir," Thamani- the young lioness said. She was walking closer towards him.

"We found that you were caught in a rockslide down in the gorge a few miles away," she went on.

Scar's eyes were shut, weakly lying there as this lioness's paw was running through his fur. His whole body hurt. He had no prior knowledge of this.

"…Rockslide," Scar muttered listlessly.

Thamani nodded. "Yeah."

"-I found you!" Hamu exclaimed, smug and proud… then slowly glanced disapprovingly to his sister.

"…But Thamani thought you were totally gross."

The teenager, Thamani, said not a word at this comment.

Subira gently returned a look to Scar. "Sir, just what were you doing down in that gorge?" she asked.

Scar lifted his eyes upward again. The lioness simply waited for reply… but it wasn't coming. Scar was lost to provide a satisfying answer for her.

He was in a gorge? What gorge? When? Why?

Scar's glance fell down… went back up.

"I…" Scar tried to say. It was useless. Scar's eyes never left Subira's… and he slowly shook his head in her paw.

"I… can't remember," he confessed.

Subira blinked… and sort of stared at him. Thamani then spoke up behind her.

"…Where's your family, sir?" she said. "We should contact them and let them know you're alright right away."

Scar went silent once again.

"My family…"

Scar searched his mind for any idea if he had any… he assumed by the fact that nothing came to mind- no such thing existed.

Scar closed his eyes.

"I, uh…"

He shut his eyes firmly. Scar slowly shook his head as it rested in Subira's paw… trying to recall.

Subira observed this struggle in trying to remember. Her eyes were still projected mercifully down upon Scar. She saw how hard it was for him to give them all this personal information. The old lioness then took a second look at the injury upon Scar's head to piece together cluse. Ribbons of crisp blood had rolled sideways down Scar's forehead, down to his nose.

This gentleman looked so… oblivious to who he was.

Subira's inspecting eyes then loosened… showing a sudden mixture of shock and pity… realizing the problem.

He was found by the rockslide.

Now this made sense.

Subira just stared down at Scar… now with a tinge of dread in her expression. She then brought forth her paw to Scar's face and she wiped clean a streak of blood gathering at his eyebrow.

All of the sudden, Subira raised up her eyes, and then turned around to her son.

"Hamu," she said. "I want you to run off and find any spare food we may have. Anything we have will do."

Hamu suddenly widened his bright blue eyes. A smile flashed on his face.

"Yeah…!" he said eagerly. And the little cub spun around and pranced off into a small thicket, happy to obey.

Once he was gone, Subira then turned to her daughter standing nearby.

"Thamani, would you mind staying and keeping this lion company while we clean him up?"

For the first time in seven whole minutes… Scar's eyes finally snapped all the way open.

Wait- what were they going to do?

Scar still had no comprehension of what was going on. He had no idea who these individuals were… where they came from… or what their relations with him were.

Thamani sat… blinking about a little.

"Er… no, I wouldn't mind," she said and shrugged.

Scar… ever so slightly… lifted his head off the ground and tilted his head in vague interest. Subira gave her daughter a pleased smile.

"All right, then," she said.

Thamani moved her mouth meekly to smile. Then made her way over to her mother.

Subira and the grandfather lion then turned around to face Scar. The aging lioness reclined on the ground next to him.

Scar finally propped his shoulder into the dirt to hold himself up. The idea of a clean up was not comforting. His head hurt bad enough, and he wouldn't appreciate it if anyone made it ten times worse…

"Very good, sir…" Subira began. "Now first thing is first, we ought to clean all the blood from your injury… and prevent an infection."

This is exactly what he had feared.

Suddenly, Scar jerked up… slithering away from the lions.

Subira blinked.

Scar stared back apprehensively, a frantic mess. He held up a paw on defense.

"…Don't… touch it," Scar firmly ordered. This did not make the grandfather lion happy. He tilted his head back and sighed at his stubbornness.

"Oh boy," the lion muttered. "We're going to be here awhile."

Subira carefully made her way forward towards Scar.

"-I'm not going to touch it," she explained. "I'm just going to-"

Scar took off backwards.

"-NO, just… stay away!" he protested… jerkily backing off. "Please! It's already-"

Subira shook her head.

"Sir, sir, sir," she cut in.

Scar immediately yielded his talking… and quickly glanced back and forth at the lions around him.

Thamani and grandfather lion exchanged glances. Subira gently bowed her head came forward.

"...I wouldn't try to hurt you," she said.

There was nothing much else he could do. Scar continued to breathe, watching each lion tentatively… wary of every move they were making. They seemed like they wanted to help him, not hurt him.

Subira came a little closer- testing his comfort zone a little further. This time, Scar sat there… however kept the cautious expression. He had no other option. He let Subira's eyes wander up over his head to examine the damage upon it.

When she saw how serious it was, the lioness's green eyes gradually wilted. But she remained somewhat optimistic and looked at Scar, encouraging him with a warm smile.

"Why I'll make sure you never even feel a thing," she reassured him.


*Reference to Disney's, "Song of the South." No copyright infringement intended.