Simba was soon met by three lions, rather than the one he was expecting. They stood side by side, all looking back at him as he entered. Suspending his shock for a moment, Simba was able to take a look at the trio before him. All three lions had dark fur, but there were distinct differences between them. And one was clearly much older than the other two. The lion that stood in the center, Simba was sure that it was his uncle.
“Uncle Scar?” Simba asked, facing the oldest of the three lions. He was met with a smile and a nod, making him smile as well.
“How did you know?” Scar asked as he stepped forward to properly meet with his nephew. He had changed so much from the small cub he had seen so many years ago…
The golden lion glanced at the other two lions and chuckled. “I just assumed.” He tried to lighten the mood with some light laughter but the look of regret was clear on his uncle’s face.
“Yes, I cannot blame you for not recognizing me,” Scar went on. “We only met once before, and that was soon after you were born, much too early for you to even remember me. But Mufasa did not like the idea of us spending time together so I stayed away…”
Simba said nothing but he wasn’t entirely surprised. It was common knowledge that his father wanted nothing to do with Scar. And he extended that to many, forbidding them from associating with the other lion. That left Simba with hardly a bond with his own family; he never got to know his uncle and the relationship with his father was strained.
“Anyways…” Scar said, pushing his own emotions to the back of his mind. “You must be wondering who these two behind me are.”
Simba nodded and looked beyond his uncle to see the two dark lions now standing side by side, whispering as they glanced at him and back at each other.
“These two are my own sons. Some years ago, I found them wandering through the land’s outskirts. They were thin and in desperate need of food.”
Simba listened as Scar revealed the past of the other two lions. When they were just cubs, Scar took them in. He quickly took a liking to the pair and took them in as his children. Under his watch and tutelage they were brought up to eventually take his place.
Once he heard that, Simba was instantly thrilled to know that he had even more family that he wasn’t aware of. They both looked to be the same age as him and when he approached, they both wore a smile on their muzzles.
“So, you’re our cousin Simba,” the first lion spoke. He was about the same size as the golden lion. His mane was full and dark brown. Much like Scar, the lion’s eyes were a shade of green and held a certain ‘spark’ about them. This lion would introduce himself as Kovu, expressing just how much he wanted to meet his cousin.
“Hmm…” the other lion, known as Nuka, first looked the other lion up and down before he smiled as well. His fur was a much lighter shade of brown than either Scar or Kovu, his mane was bit unkempt, carrying a more ‘wild’ flair. His eyes were a shade of red, much like Simba’s own.
Scar watched as the younger lions were soon talking back and forth, telling each other about themselves and what they liked to do. From afar it looked as if they were lifelong friends, finally able to see each other again after so long. It made the dark lion happy that even after so long, a bond was still able to form between the newly acquainted lions.
After getting to know each other, Simba excused himself from Kovu and Nuka so he could finally talk to his uncle for a moment. There were many things he wanted to ask, but this was the perfect chance to take care of the most immediate issue.
Once they were alone, Scar sat down and asked Simba what was wrong, clearly seeing that there was something bothering his nephew.
“Uncle Scar, I need you to tell me how to run a kingdom,” Simba said, his voice suddenly filled with worry and urgency.
Scar was taken aback but he dared to ask a question of his own. “Surely I cannot teach you anything more than your father has already taught you.”
Simba shuffled awkwardly and looked down at his paws. “Actually, my father hasn’t taught me a lot. I honestly have no idea what I’m actually supposed to do...”
“What?” Scar asked, the fur along his spine bristling. He knew that his brother was much too focused on ruling, but he couldn’t fathom that it had gone this far.
All those deep seated feelings that Scar felt towards his father were resurfacing, but they were now aimed at his brother. He had hoped that with Ahadi gone the cycle of abuse and neglect would be ended. But it seemed that it was continued through Mufasa, who had left his son to practically fend for himself despite knowing an entire kingdom would rest on his shoulders.
The more he inquired with Simba the more Scar felt old resentment resurface. A tinge of guilt also emerged, if he had but known this he could have done something, but instead he had simply assumed his brother wouldn’t follow in their father’s neglectful footsteps.
Simba told Scar all the details of his upbringing. He started from as far back as he could remember. His father would abandon him to hear the latest event within the Outlands. It became all the more frequent until his mother took him away to live among the lionesses. Sarabi and the others raised him in his father’s place, doing the best they all could.
This hit Scar with another tinge of guilt. By leaving the Pride Lands and building up the Outlands, he had unknowingly been part of all of this. Mufasa became consumed with their ‘contest’ to the point that his own son was cast aside. Though he was not the one to directly put Simba in this situation, the dark lion felt some responsibility on his part. In their own separate ways, both he and Mufasa had both failed his nephew.
Scar could now see a lot of himself within Simba. Though there were no signs of abuse, the dark lion knew all too well what it was like to be ignored by one’s own father.
And now the young lion had the role of king thrust upon him with so much responsibility he didn’t know how to handle. Before his uncle, Simba finally admitted that he was afraid. Everyone back home was depending on him but he had no idea how to even maintain what they already had.
Scar carefully consoled his nephew and assured him that things would be okay, but inwardly he was utterly seething. It was clear that the cause of this all was his own brother. It had been a long time since Scar had seen him, but it was better late than never to pay the other lion a visit.
Once Simba was feeling better, Scar suggested the idea of Simba spending a bit more time with his cousins, which Simba all too happily accepted.
The older lion knew he could depend on his sons to make his nephew feel better. And as they were talking amongst each other, Scar took the chance to slip away unnoticed.
It was strange to be running towards the Pride Lands, and with the goal to see his brother again, no less. There was a part of Scar that had been sure he would never step foot into the neighboring kingdom again. Why would he when he had everything he needed in the Outlands?
But now he had a reason: he was doing it for Simba’s sake. At least, that was what the dark lion told himself as he ran. But as he neared the other kingdom, Scar was thinking of the true nature of their father and how Mufasa praised his name, adored him, and treated him nearly as a god among mortals. Every time his brother spoke of their father, Scar had to pretend that he felt the same. He had to lie through his fangs for years about how much he loved the late king despite all the pain and torment that he had put him through.
Mufasa knew nothing about that side of their father, but perhaps it was time his brother knew the truth about Ahadi…
Mufasa was preparing to retire for the night within his own private cave. With him no longer being king, the lion was looking forward to spending the rest of his days in comfort. He had left Pride Rock behind and finally let go of his obsession for the most part. Now, he was currently lying in a cave all to himself, ready to drift off to sleep on a bed of comfortable leaves.
But the peace was soon disturbed by the arrival of someone calling his name. At first Mufasa was sure it was his imagination due to the voice that called for him. Surely there was no way that he had returned after all these years, and at this time of night no less? But before the former king could close his eyes there was the heavy sound of paw steps, getting closer and closer.
“Mufasa!” The golden lion could recognize the voice without a doubt now, but he had never heard so much anger in his brother’s voice before.
He rose to his own paws the moment Scar was before him. If Ahadi had been there, he would have seen the roles of his sons reversed; Now Scar was the one leering down on a cowering Mufasa.
“Taka… Scar? What are you doing here?” Mufasa asked, his voice uncharacteristically shaky and low. The way that his brother loomed over him and those glaring eyes, they left him frozen with an unfamiliar sensation.
“W-why are you angry at me? We haven't talked in years, what could I have done to make you so?”
“Oooh...I am not just angry...I am immensely disappointed in you!“ Mufasa flinched, that was a sentiment he never thought he would hear from the dark lion.
“Simba.” Scar simply said, leaving his brother confused for a moment.
“We met not long ago and he told me a few things. I learned from him that you truly managed to follow in our father's footsteps.”
Any other time, such words would have felt like a compliment, but Scar’s tone and intensified glare said otherwise.
“Did you raise Simba to be the proper king the Pride Lands needs?” Scar asked.
“Of course, it was my duty as king and as a father-”
“Lies!” Scar snarled. “So you lie as well as naturally as our father did as well?”
Mufasa was immensely confused.
“Your son came to me Mufasa, distressed and asked me embarrassed how to run a kingdom. Telling me he knew nothing!”
The former king’s heart sank. Surely that couldn’t be true, he had taught Simba about...but hit a deadend in his memories when he tried to think of anything.
Scar watched as Mufasa became increasingly distressed, trying to recall something that had never happened. But instead as he combed through his own memories, he saw himself abandoning Simba, from cubhood up to adulthood, time and time again.
“I had hoped that with the death of our father, such things would have ceased.”
Mufasa was yet again confused as to why Scar was bringing up Ahadi. What did their father have to do with any of this? He was a great lion who raised both his sons to do great things.
“Allow me to disagree with the thought you no doubt just had. He wasn’t a great lion, not when he was out of sight from all others. Especially his golden son.”
“Wh-what are you talking about? You praised him just as much as I did.” Mufasa said, perplexed.
“I hate to be the bearer of this harsh truth, dear brother. But my entire cubhood, I had to lie just to survive. To you he was a true father; loving and caring no doubt. But to me…”
Scar traced a digit down his hallmark scar, “torment and pain was all he gave me.”
“I think it is time I told you the real story of how I became ‘Scar.’ It was not of some ‘accident.’ No, father saw the two of us simply sleeping side by side and he saw fit to drag me away. I was trapped in a deep cavern where he would berate me for hours while I barely had energy to stand. And when, in my one chance to stand up for myself, I finally spoke back to him… Ahadi left a permanent punishment for all to see.” Scar imitated a slash by dragging his own paw down his face and Mufasa began feeling immensely sick.
No...no! That couldn’t be true!
He wanted to claim that his brother was lying, sullying the name of their great father. But Mufasa knew Scar well enough to know that he was telling the truth. From the slight emotion in the dark lion’s voice, to the look in his eyes. It reminded the older sibling of when they were close and Taka would confess to a prank gone wrong.
Kings above… What happened to those days? Were they truly destroyed by my own father? He pushed us apart? Why?!
Mufasa’s mind was reeling from the revelation. Scar watched but he took no pleasure in watching his brother’s breakdown. He never wanted to reveal the truth, especially in this fashion, but Scar was even more determined to save what little family he had left.
Mufasa suddenly felt weight wrapping around him. It was soft and warm, something with dark fur.
Scar held onto his brother, doing the only thing he could think to do. In truth, Scar had always hoped that he could mend his bond with Mufasa. And simply talking about his past brought those bottled emotions to the surface.
Inside the golden lion suddenly exploded a geyser of bitterness, “Scar...leave me!” The dark lion was so surprised by Mufasa’s dark tone he stepped back. It sounded eerily similar to their father’s.
The two locked eyes and to his dismay he could see only resentment. It hurt but he could understand; he had destroyed all that Mufasa thought to be true, but he had hoped that perhaps they could reconcile, but now that appeared it would not be the case.
“I said leave!” With immense regret, Scar turned and left, hoping that Mufasa just needed to process all these many truths on his own. Even if the dark lion knew better, perhaps it was his own fault for being too harsh with his reveals.
It had been a long time since Scar felt sadness towards his brother. It only grew more as he forced himself to walk away, leaving the other lion to his devices.
Left alone in his cavern, the words of his brother repeated in Mufasa’s mind. He began to think about his own cubhood. There were many times when Scar’s -then Taka’s- behavior was strange and unexplainable. Despite being the more careful of the two, somehow Taka was often covered in wounds or was limping slightly.
And the explanations that were given seemed plausible at the time, but now that Mufasa truly thought about them, it was obvious they were rushed excuses to protect him from further abuse.
And there were all the times that Adahi had directly told him to not associate with Taka. How did he not pick up on those? They were so blatant and damning...
Alongside the shattered reality of his past, Mufasa was overcome with heavy guilt. His own brother had been abused for years while he idly sat by, not even taking a moment to ask Taka if he was okay. Just lapping up all their father’s lies about his brother being a klutz or a trouble-magnet.
He now understood why Taka left, but that made him feel even worse. That meant that Taka had not only fled his past, but he had fled from Mufasa as well. How could he stay when his own brother was starting to treat him as his horrid father had?
And there was Scar’s comparison of them both. Had he truly become as despicable as Ahadi had been in secret? He had not only allowed his brother to be harmed for years, but his own son had been left neglected for years as well… Sure, he may not have directly harmed either of them, but that made him no less guilty.
As he laid there and contemplated it was like a whisper came into his ear, he started feeling angry and bitter again. As it kept whispering his guilt towards his brother became pure anger. Why should he feel like this?! He had been the king! How dare his brother try to make him feel inadequate!
The past changed nothing; he was still the oldest, the biggest, and the strongest. All Scar had were empty words and accusations.
Scar must have thought he was better than him. And now he was roping Simba into his lies and trickery...He would make him pay…
