*Chapter 21: Battle of Pride Rock*

"Simba? Ajani?" Scar asked as he looked at Simba and Ajani. The two looked up at him while Scar is giving them a fake smile. "Simba! Ajani! I'm a little surprised to see you both... Alive!" Scar said getting back into his true form as he briefly glared at Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. The three gulped nervously and sink back into the shadows.

"Missed us, Scar?" Ajani asked with a look in his eyes, bringing his spear out. "Because I missed you."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart." Simba said with anger while he and Ajani started lurking towards the dark lion.

"Oh, Simba, you must understand. The pressures of ruling a kingdom..." Scar tried to explain as he backed into a wall.

"...Are no longer yours. Step down, Scar." Simba interrupted as he demanded his uncle.

"Yeah." Ajani said as he aimed his weapon towards the dark lion.

"Oh, oh. Yes...I would, heh! Naturally, heh... However, there is one little problem." Scar stammered. "You see them?" The dark lion pointing upwards, Simba and Ajani both looked up to see the horde of hyenas standing on the rocks above them. "They think I'm king." Scar said.

"Well, we don't!" Nala's voice says as she stood alongside with the rest of the lionesses while two of them helped Sarabi up. "Simba is the rightful king." Nala said. Along with the lionesses are Zuri, Nia, and Iris who glared at Scar. The dark lion growled a bit as he caught the sight of Zuri.

"Another human!" He said.

"The choice is yours, Scar! Either step down or fight!" Simba said.

"Oh, must it all end in violence?" Scar asked, walking past Simba and Ajani. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Simba?"

"That's not gonna work, Scar. I've put it behind me." Simba told him.

"Eh, but what about your faithful subjects? Have they put it behind them?" Scar asked as he came towards the lionesses.

"Simba? What is he talking about?" Nala asked in confusion. Delighted, Scar goes on to say as he pressures the lion to admit to what happened to Mufasa all of those years ago.

"Ahh, so you haven't told them your little secret. Well, Simba, now's your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Mufasa's death!" He asked. Ajani knew what the evil lion was trying to do. Before the man could speak, Simba took a step forward.

"I am." He said sorrowfully. Sarabi and Nala looked to the lion in shock. Even Ajani stood there in shock, shaking his head at what he had just heard. Even after explaining to Simba that Mufasa's death wasn't truly his fault, the lion still believed that it was.

"No..." Nia whispered, shaking her head. Sarabi walked towards Simba and Ajani.

"It's not true. Tell me it's not true." She spoke.

"It's true." Simba said.

"Simba, no!" Ajani spoke as he turned to the lion in shock. "Sarabi, it's not-" But Scar immediately cut him off and snapped as lightning crashed behind his head.

"You see! He admits it! Murderer!"

"No! It was an accident!" Simba said as he shook his head. Scar began to circle around Simba and Ajani, accusing them.

"If it weren't for you, Mufasa would still be alive! It's your fault that he's dead! Do you deny it?"

"No." Simba answered.

"Ajani, you were there too, were you not? You were with Simba when it happened!" Scar asked the man.

"I was there, but-"

"Then... You're both...guilty!" Scar interrupted.

"No! I'm not a murderer!" Simba said.

"Stop lying, Scar! Don't listen to him!" Ajani shouted as the lionesses, Nia, Zuri, and Iris continued to watch and listen to Scar. But they are not sure who to believe at this point. Nia tried to confront Scar, but Sarabi blocked her by placing her paw down in front of her. Scar and the hyenas began lurking towards Simba and Ajani, causing them to back away as the man kept his spear pointed at the dark lion.

"Oh, Simba and Ajani... You're both in trouble again. But this time, your father isn't here to save you. And now EVERYONE...KNOWS...WHY!" Scar said. Backing up towards the ledge, Simba yelped as they both slipped over the edge! Ajani tried to help him up, but Scar roared and swung his paw at him, scratching his chest. Ajani let out a cry of agony, holding his chest while lines of blood appeared. Ajani is near the edge, trying to ignore the pain.

"Simba!" Nala shouted with worry.

"Ajani, no!" Zuri shouted. Suddenly, lightning struck below the lion. Causing a fire to initiate all over Pride Rock! Watching as Ajani fearfully and helplessly watched Simba while the lion desperately hung onto the edge with his forepaws.

"Now this looks familiar..." Scar said. "Hmm, where have I seen this before? Let me think. Hmm... Hmm. Oh yes! I remember. This is just how your father looked before he died." Scar then turned to Ajani. "And you, that same look of terror in your eyes... I saw fear in the eyes of your father."

"...What?" Ajani asked with his eyes widen in shock. Ajani started to remember the day when the rogue lion attacked the village and the people years ago. That lion was Scar! He killed Ajani's father! Scar slammed his claws onto Simba's paws, and he callously whispered into the ears of his nephew.

"And here's my little secret: I killed Mufasa and the human chief." With their minds flashing back to the traumatic moments of their parents' deaths, their voices blended with their younger selves. Taking a giant leap, Simba lunged himself off of the ledge and onto Scar, pinning the dark lion down on his back as he snaps in a rage.

"NOOOOOOOOO! MURDERER!" The lionesses gasped in shock.

"MONSTER!" Ajani shouted as he got on his feet, pointing his spear at Scar's face.

"No, Simba. Please." Scar pleaded.

"Tell them the truth!" Simba demanded angrily.

"Truth? But truth is in the eye of the behold-!" The dark lion was suddenly cut off and choked as Ajani held his spear to his neck. "Alright! Alright! I did it." Scar said in a low voice.

"Louder!" Ajani said in a low voice.

"I killed Mufasa and the human chief!" Scar admitted. Enraged that Scar was truly the one responsible for the deaths of the former king and tribal leader, Nala began to charge towards Scar as the hyenas began to attack both Simba and Ajani. Following Nala's example, the rest of the lionesses joined the fight as Zuri, Nia, and Iris do the same. Zuri got out her dagger and let out a yell. As the hyenas began to close in on both Simba and Ajani, Nala and Zuri suddenly came in. With the lioness taking a swipe at one of them while Iris took a few bites and use her coils to constrict the hyenas. Nia fought one of the hyenas by biting his neck, making him cry out. Timon and Pumbaa soon joined in, as they both shouted through a battle cry.

"Heeeyyyy-yaaaaah!" Timon exclaimed as both he and Pumbaa made their way through the crowd, with some of the hyenas starting to fly everywhere. "'Scuse me! Pardon me! Comin' through! Hot stuff! Whoo!" Timon spoke. With Pumbaa kicking away an oncoming hyena, the warthog and the meerkat took charge and split up in two different directions. Ajani fought off two hyenas with his spear. He kicked one of them away and knocked the other down with his spear. The man grunted as the scratches on his chest are getting to him, but he can't let his guard down.
Simba continued to fight off the hyenas as one jumped down from a ledge above them and onto him! Biting into the lion's neck, Simba let out a roar. Suddenly, Rafiki wacked the hyenas off of Simba as he let out a battle cry. The old mandrill battled the hyenas in a Kung Fu style, taking various hyenas out one by one.
Four hyenas ran towards Zuri and Iris. The python got in front of the girl with a menacing look in her eyes.

"Cover your earssss." Iris told Zuri.

"Why?" Zuri wondered.

"Jussst do it!" Iris said, turning back to the hyenas that are closing in on them. Zuri covered both of her ears. Iris inhaled deeply...and then let out a loud scream! The hyenas stopped running and let out howls of pain as they covered their ears, being blown away by Iris's special ability. Zuri watched in awe. Iris stopped her power and turned back to Zuri with a smirk.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Zuri said.

"I'm full of surprisssesss!" Iris said with a chuckle.
While both the lions and humans joined together to fight off the hyena clan, a frightened Timon began running from Shenzi and Banzai as the male hyena attempted to take a bite at him. Chasing the meerkat into a cave, he soon came across an imprisoned Zazu.

"Let me out! Let me out!" The hornbill shouted frantically.

"Let me in! Let me in!" Timon shouted frantically as he took refuge in Zazu's cage. As the two hyenas began to close in on them, Timon and Zazu briefly held each other close.

"Please don't eat me!" Timon pleaded.

"Stay away from them!" Nia shouted as she entered the cave.

"Nia! You against us now?" Banzai asked.

"Scar is using you!" Nia said to the hyenas. "You have no idea what else he has done in the past!"

"Drop 'em!" Pumbaa shouted as he appeared next to her with a look. The two hyenas turned their attention to the warthog.

"Hey, who's the pig?" Banzai asked, raising his brow.

"Are you talking to me?" Pumbaa challenged.

"Uh oh! They called him a pig." Timon said to both Shenzi and Zazu.

"Are you talking to me?!" Pumbaa challenged again.

"Shouldn't have done that." Timon warned.

"ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?!" Pumbaa challenged once more.

"Now they're in for it." Timon rolled his eyes as he said with regret.

"THEY CALL ME... MISTER PIG!" Letting out a battle cry of his own, the offended warthog charged at the group, attacking the hyenas! Walking by the cave, Ed observed as he and Nia watched both Shenzi and Banzai being attacked by Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu. Ed and Nia both cringed at the scene as the two hyenas are getting the beating. Soon enough, Shenzi and Banzai bump into Ed as they all ran far away from the cave as Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu emerged. Empowered by their victory over the three hyenas, all three of them began chanting.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!"

"Wow. Remind me not to offend you, Pumbaa." Nia said with a chuckle.

"Just call me mister pig!" Pumbaa told her.
Ajani and Zuri got reunited as the lionesses and the hyenas fought. Zuri touched the scratch marks on Ajani's chest, worried about him. The man told her he is fine but needs to look for Scar. Zuri pointed upwards to where she saw him last.

"I have to go after him." Ajani said. "Zuri, be safe. Stay with Iris and the others."

"Ajani, please be careful." Zuri said, placing her hand on the side of his face. Ajani kissed the palm of her hand. Ajani took off to look for Scar. The battle at Pride Rock continued on.