Scar x Zira: The Lost Heir

Chapter Nine

Mufasa began to climb the rocks leading to the top of Pride Rock. Suddenly he looked to the bright sky, his gold fur gleaming and his mane flowing in the gentle breeze.
"Great Kings of the Past, please help my brother. He needs your wisdom and guidance to protect him from the darkness, now more than ever."
Then he continued his ascent up Pride Rock until he was at the familiar peak.
Sarabi stood at the edge, her eyes scanning the savannah below her. Her back was stiff and he could tell she was angry just by the way her muscles clenched and relaxed repeatedly.
"Sarabi." he whispered as he padded up beside her.
She turned her head to look at him... as if she knew that he had been there the entire time.
"Mufasa... I don't know about this. Usually I trust your judgement completely but now... I just don't know."
Her voice was slightly pained and the anger in her eyes seemed to fade for a moment.
Mufasa nuzzled her and she rested her head against his great red mane.
"I know this is difficult Sarabi, but he is my brother after all. I can't just keep his mate away from him... especially when she's going to have his cub."
"Or cubs," Sarabi muttered.
He closed his eyes and felt the breeze blow around them.
"I can't abandon him. He's always had a difficult time and I can't make things worse for him."
Sarabi growled and pulled away.
"He wasn't meant to be king, and he should just accept that. He shouldn't hate you just because you are king."
Mufasa sighed and looked at the grassy plains below Pride Rock.
"I know, Sarabi. I also know that you don't think he's good to have around in the Pridelands. But I hope you realize that I'm doing this for the right reasons."
Sarabi sighed and looked away.
"Are you sure that they are the right reasons?"
Mufasa looked back at her, a little shocked and hurt.
"How can you question my reasons for keeping my brother in his homelands?"
"You exiled Zira from Pride Rock, which were her homelands at one point."
Mufasa shifted and growled.
"That is completely different. She isn't... she's never been..."
"Family."
Sarabi's voice was so blunt that Mufasa flinched slightly.
"That's not what I was going to say."
"But it is the truth."
He closed his eyes and let the breeze run through his fur. He stood like that for a few moments and Sarabi waited patiently for some sort of reply.
Mufasa opened his eyes and looked calmly at her.
"And what if it is? I don't want to fight with you, Sarabi. Especially not over something as trivial as my brother and his mate."
Sarabi gazed back at him, her eyes silently searching his.
"I don't want to fight with you, either. I just want to make sure that you're making the right decisions, and that's because I love you and I care about you."
She nuzzled against him and he released a soft growl.
"I will make the right decisions for our family. I swear I will never let you down, no matter how challenging things get."
She grinned and turned her head to look up at him.
"I know. I just had to hear you say it."
He grinned back at her and licked the top of her head.
A strong breeze suddenly blew around them and Sarabi laughed.
"I guess the Kings of the Past are happy with our choice to let things be as they are."
Mufasa nodded and chuckled.
"They know what they're doing. They are kings, after all."
Sarabi looked to the sky and her grin widened.
"I wonder what they're thinking now," she mused.
Mufasa followed her gaze until they were both looking at the sky.
"I wouldn't know, Sarabi. I've never been a King of the Past."