TLK: What if Scar wasn't the bad guy?

Pity

"What's wrong with you?" Mufasa mumbled.

"What do you mean." Shauri said, hiding glare.

"I mean your hostility towards Uncle Askari. Isn't he your mentor?"

Shauri rolled his eyes. Barely a mentor. All he wanted was to flirt with his mother. He hated watching them, knowing Ahadi was oblivious to their affair. As he watched his "mentor", he knew he had to watch his words. 

"Askari has a thing for Mother." The prince stated, keeping his tone low. 

Mufasa seemed to lose words to say. He what...?

"I misheard you...repeat yourself..."

"I know you heard me properly. I speak the truth. But that's not important. We're almost home" 

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"Sahau. Be useful and get down here baboon." Askari grumbled.

"Didn't I tell you to leave my baobab tree alone..." Sahau grunted. 

Although he was older in age, probably a relic being older than most pridelanders, he was strong. He was kind to those that were kind to him. Askari however wasn't that.

"Hello Sahau! My big cousin over here means to say we have a guest in need of healing." Ni intervened.

"Hm. That lion over there. With the cub?" 

Ni nodded nervously. 

"He can stay with his cub. But Askari gets away from my tree. You anger the spirits with your behavior..."

"You and your superstitions...old baboon." Askari muttered.

Mufasa looked over at the dad and daughter. He had indirectly caused this. If he hadn't ran off his uncle, his selfish, arrogant uncle, wouldn't have attacked. He had talked to Sarabi a bit. She understood having sibling problems. She also mentioned her two baby sisters, born from a different mother than her and her older sibling. 

"Quit brooding it ages you." 

"Why are you so nice to me Shauri? I almost paralyzed your back legs! Quit giving me pity!"

"I don't pity you. And I won't hate you over that. Something tells me you didn't intend on that. I hope..." he said, muttering the last part.

Mufasa noticed one gash on his side. 

"We're gonna be here all night aren't we..." Mufasa absently said.

"You can go home. Dad was worried anyway."

Mufasa thought about his choices. He sat next to Shauri, licking the side wound clean of blood.

"I teared it walking back. Don't tell Sahau?" 

"Maybe. Need you alive to rule after all."

Shauri didn't say anything after that.

———————————————————

Mzembe groaned at his bruises. His daughter laid at his side, clutching to him. The room around him stunk of herbs used for healing. Not a pleasant smell. He feared with the guard outside he would be killed in his slumber, but Sahau seemed to be wide awake messing with plants. He worried for his other daughters.

"They won't come in. Askari wishes he had the guts to challenge my authority. Regardless Ni would stop him." He said in a gruff voice.

"Ni?"

"His cousin. He vouched for you earlier. Much kinder soul than Askari." 

Sahau's thoughts couldn't help but travel to when he first met the group of travelers.