Chapter 15

The hyenas led the way back to the graveyard, Banzai still carrying his prized femur while the other two bounced back and forth between trying to tug it away from him and running circles round Scar and Molly. Sensing Scar's growing irritation, Molly slowed and called ahead, "Hey guys, you go on ahead, we'll catch up!"

Nodding and yipping, the trio continued their loud playing as Scar came to a halt next to Molly, watching her expectantly.

"I figured you needed a break," she smiled, "We've been having a lot of hyena time lately. Besides," she rubbed her cheek against his, "I wanted you to myself for a bit."

Scar let out a heavy sigh, "I fear we won't have much of that left, Molly."

"What? I've been a lion less than a week, and Rafiki said I had a month. We've got plenty of time."

Shaking his head, Scar turned and walked parallel to the graveyard, keeping it on their right, "No, our time together isn't over yet, but...soon we'll have to go to Pride Rock, and there won't be much time for...us."

Molly giggled, "You sound like a guy from a chick flick, Scar-oh, sorry...uh... I don't know how to explain that one. As long as I'm with you, I don't care who else is around. We'll find time."

"I want to make sure we have that luxury," Scar turned to her, legs stiff and head held high, "I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself, Molly."

Worried, Molly furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head, "Defend myself? Scar, does this have anything to do with what Rafiki came to tell you?"

Hesitating, Scar shook his head, "Sarabi and her females are more of a concern at this point."

"But I met her already. She was kind of bossy and rude, but I didn't feel like she was going to attack me, Scar."

"Lioness' are unpredictable," he eyed her sideways, "Even when they're not inhabited by a human. You may get too close to a cub for a mother's liking. They may challenge your status in the hierarchy when it comes time to eat. There's any number of reasons you'll need the skills to put up a fight."

"I have you," Molly was getting nervous. The thought of fighting a lion made her insides turn to water. What the hell was he expecting of her?

Scar shook his head, "I'm a male, and an outcast myself. My defending you or outright attacking one of them that's bullying you would just cause more problems. You'll HAVE to know these things."

Molly was beginning to think maybe their going to Pride Rock could just be skipped. Did they really HAVE to answer Mufasa's summons? Licking her lips and swallowing nervously, she felt like she might be having a minor panic attack. The world swirled around her and she had to shake her head to focus.

"Molly?"

Snapping her head back up to look in Scar's green eyes, Molly saw he was just as scared as she felt.

"I don't want anything to happen to you. You...mean too much to me."

Warmth filled up her insides, calming the turmoil that was triggering her fight or flight response. She had told him she trusted him, and that still held true. If he said she needed to learn to fight, she believed him.

"Okay Scar, teach me."

...

Pinning Molly for the hundredth time, Scar was quickly losing patience. They'd been at it for hours, and she didn't seem to be getting any better.

"Sorry," she said from below him.

Sighing in exasperation, Scar pulled away from her and paced, tail lashing back and forth, "How many times do we have to do this, Molly?! I'm even going easy on you!"

Wincing, Molly hung her head and didn't reply.

"Do you think Sarabi and the others will sheath their claws and hit you with soft paws? Do you think they won't bite at any vulnerable place they can find on your body? They're going to gut you, Molly."

"I'm trying!"

"Hmph, are you now? I get the feeling you're still relying on the thought of me saving you at the last minute. I won't be able to Molly. I'll have to watch you die!" The thought brought him up short. Staring at her, he couldn't help but feel the fear take over his heart again, causing bile to rise in his throat. Turning away from her, he headed back towards the graveyard, "We're done for tonight."

Trailing behind him, Molly entered the graveyard, head low, paws dragging. The hyenas moved to greet her, then thought better of it after one look at the two lions. Falling back, they whimpered or skittered back into their caves.

Entering their own cave, Scar slumped to the ground, back facing the entrance as Molly slowly followed. He heard her lay down, but didn't feel her press against him like she had the previous nights. Then he heard a soft, heart-wrenching sound. She was crying. Cursing himself, Scar lifted his head and turned to her, about to comfort her when he thought better of it. She had to know how important it was that she get it right. He couldn't be there to coddle her every step of the way. She had to know how things worked HERE in HIS world. Turning away was the hardest thing he'd ever done and he laid his head back down, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the soft sobbing behind him.

...

Crying herself to sleep, Molly woke the next afternoon while the sun was still up. Scar slept soundly behind her. Getting to her feet, she remembered what he'd said last night, how angry he'd been with her. She couldn't think what she'd been doing wrong. He'd gone through everything slowly with her; moving at a speed she knew even a cub could probably counter; and yet, she'd failed miserably to make any progress. Maybe she didn't belong here. If she couldn't cut it as a lioness, what was the point of staying? Heart clenching in her chest, she knew she didn't want that. Scar was the only creature she'd ever met that made her feel this way, like she had a place in this world. Still...what kind of place was it really?

Exiting the cave and blinking at the sun, Molly stared at the big blue, cloudless sky above. The sun was still halfway between the horizon and noon. She could only guess at the time, she wasn't exactly an expert at reading the sun, but she knew it was much too early for a lion to be up and about. Going back to sleep in the cave with Scar didn't sound too great either. Besides, she didn't really feel tired. Picking her way carefully along the path up the rock, Molly reached the top easily and laid down on the hot rock to sun herself. It felt good to be out in the day again, after so many nights spent under the stars.

Far away, Pride Rock rose out of the plains, almost tauntingly. Glaring at it, Molly felt herself hating the lions that lived there, and the thought shocked her. She hadn't even been there yet, and yet Scar's malice towards his brother and his kingdom had seeped over into her thoughts and made her bias already.

"What did you do to him?" she asked the silent rock face, "Why does he hate you all so much?"

Thinking of what little information she had gleaned from Scar and the hyenas, Molly couldn't come up with a solid answer. It was all guess work. Shenzi had claimed it was Scar's father who made Scar leave Pride Rock. He must have died too, though, because Scar had referred to the Pride consistently as his brother, Mufasa's pride. And his mother? She'd died too, before Scar had left. Was THAT why he was so adamant about her learning to fight? Had something happened to his mother that he was unable to stop?

Then there was the new danger that Rafiki had brought word of. THAT seemed to be what was truly triggering Scar. He tried to hide his fear, but she could read it in his body language. He hadn't shown fear when Sarabi and her hunting party had come to them at the watering hole. Annoyance, yes, but never fear. So they couldn't really be what he was worried about her having to face...could they?

Mind reeling, Molly turned her gaze out further towards the horizon of the setting sun. Whatever or whoever had arrived had Scar twisted up so bad she feared that even if he taught her everything he knew; and she actually learned some of it; that it wouldn't do any good. Laying her head on her paws, she felt the sun's rays making her drowsy. Eyes slowly drifting shut, her last thought was that maybe she wasn't worth all this worry. Maybe it would be best for both of them if she left.

...

Waking to find Molly gone from the cave, Scar panicked. Bolting out of the cave, he roared at the first hyena he saw, "WHERE IS SHE?!"

Cowering, the hyena stammered, "W-where's who, b-boss?"

"You idiot! MOLLY!"

"I-I don't know."

Shenzi emerged from one of the caves, moving to stand next to the other hyena, "She couldn't have gone far, Scar," she said calmly, "Maybe she's out playing with the pups again?"

Whirling, Scar inhaled deeply, her scent was all over the place. Which way was the most recent? Taking another deep breath, his nose led him to the path up the rock. Snarling, he bounded up the rock face faster and more carelessly than he normally would have. Claws grinding against the stone, he slipped more than once, but it didn't deter his headlong ascent. Reaching the top, he leapt onto it with a forceful push of his hind legs to find Molly lounging there, fast asleep.

Suppressing the urge to roar at her, Scar felt waves of relief wash over him as he sat, panting. She was still here, she was safe. Exhaling heavily, he saw her stir; ears twitching backwards to listen to him. Slowly raising her head and giving a huge yawn, Molly swiveled her head back to look at him.

"Oh," she got to her feet, "Scar."

"What are you doing up here?" he growled despite trying to keep himself calm.

"I was just...I couldn't sleep."

"Looked to me you were sleeping just fine."

Shooting him a bitter glance, Molly shook her body, "Yeah, guess I was."

Growling low in his throat, Scar again tried to regain control of his temper, "When you weren't next to me, I worried you'd run away."

Molly's silence unnerved him.

"Molly?"

"I was thinking," she looked away, far away, "Maybe it would be better..."

"What?"

"Nothing, never mind."

He wasn't used to this attitude from her. She'd been so open with him the past few days...why was she closing up now? He knew why. His words from last night rang in his ears and he felt shame replace his anger. Of course she was questioning her decision to stay with him. He hadn't exactly been patient with her.

"Molly, I'm sorry for last night. I...I'm not very good at teaching. I haven't exactly had a lot of practice."

Body still stiff, Molly finally turned to watch him, "I just...don't know if I can do this, Scar. I don't want to leave you, but at the same time, I don't know if I can learn how to live like a true lion. All these stupid hang-ups... I've never even been in a fight as a human. I wouldn't even know how to defend myself in my REAL body."

Shocked, Scar was speechless. What in the world did humans DO all day?

"It's all just, so normal for you, but for me... I don't know. I just don't know how to change myself."

Feeling that he should go to her, Scar moved closer and hesitantly rubbed his cheek against hers, "I understand, Molly. Well...I do, and I don't," he smiled reassuringly, "But I think I understand how hard it is for you at least." Sighing heavily, he rested his head on top of hers, "My temper's gotten the best of me again, hasn't it? I'm so...used to just snarling and sulking. You make me want to stop being that way."

Molly jerked her head away to look at him, her big blue eyes shining in the light of the setting sun. Behind her, the sky was a burning orange, the big red sun halfway past the horizon, giving way to the night and its countless stars.

"Scar?"

"Yes?"

"I...I think..."

A loud roar echoed across the plains and Scar raised his head, ears turning towards Pride Rock, but the sound hadn't come from there. Turning, he followed the sound of a voice he'd never expected to hear again. Far in the distance, where the darkness of night crept across the plains, Pacha's roar warned that he had truly arrived.

I seriously can't thank you all enough for the kind reviews! It's really given me so much inspiration to keep working hard on this! I know Scar can seem a little too nice at times, but this is pretty much an AU, if you hadn't figured that out by now, lol! ;) I'm trying to stick as close as possible to the movie universe, and am pretty much ignoring anything mentioned in the Broadway or any of the children's books that apparently have gone into the back story of Scar and Mufasa. Never read them, and I don't necessarily consider them canon. Hope you guys continue to enjoy! Your reviews give me LIFE! Lol!

Omg, Pacha's coming! :O