Scar x Zira: The Lost Heir

Chapter Nineteen

Scar had lied to Mufasa earlier, saying that he would be in his cave. Instead he was walking across the Pridelands with Simba hot on his heels.
"Where are we going? What are we doing? Please tell me, Uncle Scar!"
Scar growled and flicked his tail at the young cub.
"You'll see when we get there."
"But I wanna know now!"
Scar rolled his eyes and walked faster. Simba trotted up beside him with boundless energy.
"Uncle Scar? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he grumbled.
Simba smiled as he continued trotting beside the skinny lion.
"Okay."

Soon they were at the edge of the gorge, its walls steep and treacherous before them.
Scar started to lead the young lion down the dangerous crags and ledges, stopping and turning his head every so often to see if Simba was still behind him. The young cub was doing fairly well, but his paws would slip every so often and Scar would have to block him with his back legs.
Once they were at the bottom Scar led him to a boulder with a small tree hanging gently over it.
Simba climbed up onto the rock and Scar grinned.
"Now, you wait here. Your father has a marvelous surprise for you."
Simba leaned forward, his eyes wide with anticipation.
"Ooooh. What is it?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" Scar said.
Simba smirked in the way only a devilish young cub could.
"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised."
Scar chuckled and leaned towards his nephew.
"You are such a naughty boy!" he teased.
Simba put his paws on Scar's mane and Scar fought the urge to flinch.
"Come on, Uncle Scar."
His bright eyes pleaded with Scar, but he remained firm in his decision.
"No-no-no-no-no-no-no. This is just for you and your daddy."
Scar looked back at Simba before looking away and raising his paw in a dismissive manner.
"You know, a sort of... father-son... thing."
He lowered his paw and Simba looked down at the rock, disappointment clear on his face.
Scar looked down at him with pity for a second before perking up.
"Well! I'd better go get him."
He started to walk away when he heard Simba speak up behind him.
"I'll go with you."
Scar couldn't control it. He turned to see Simba climbing off the rock and he snapped.
"No!" he snarled.
He quickly tried to regain his composure as he saw Simba's look of surprise.
He chuckled in a much lighter tone.
"Heh, heh, heh. No. Just... stay on this rock."
He took a step forwards and Simba climbed back onto the rock.
"You wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with the hyenas..."
Simba's eyes widened in shock.
"You know about that?" he said.
Scar puffed out his lips and looked down at the young cub before him.
"Simba, everybody knows about that."
The young lion suddenly looked embarrassed.
"Really?"
Scar nodded.
"Oh, yes. Lucky daddy was there to save you, eh?"
He grinned and put a paw on Simba's shoulder.
"Oh... and just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours," he whispered.
Scar pulled his paw back and Simba looked timid and shy.
"Oh... ok."
Scar continued to grin and patted Simba on the head.
Then he started to walk back to the wall of the gorge.
He heard Simba call out to him and he stopped, impatient and annoyed.
"Hey, Uncle Scar! Will I like the surprise?"
Scar grinned wickedly, turning his head to call back over his shoulder,
"Simba, it's to DIE for."
Then he continued walking towards the canyon wall.

He clambered up onto a ledge and leapt across the treacherous paths, many of which were high off the ground and not easy to access. His muscles ached by the time he got up to the top. He climbed yet another rock until he could see the wildebeest herd sweeping out across the grasslands. He looked out even further and saw the hyenas waiting impatiently for his signal.
Shenzi caught his eye and he knew that the plan was in motion.
I can't turn back now.
He quickly skirted the wildebeest herd before they could trample him.
Sure enough, as soon as he had made his way around it the hyenas started to chase them into the gorge.
Scar watched as the deadly mass of fur and hooves disappeared into the yawning canyon. Then he turned and ran along the edge of the canyon, knowing that Mufasa would be patrolling nearby.

He saw Mufasa and Zazu standing on a large rock near the gorge and he bolted over to them with a look of sheer panic. He put his paws up on the rock, his bright green eyes wide with fear.
"Mufasa... Quick... Stampede... In the gorge... Simba's down there!"
He panted as he delivered the message. Mufasa's face suddenly contorted into a look of shock, concern, and confusion.
"Simba?"
Scar nodded and started to run towards the gorge wall, Mufasa and Zazu following closely behind. Suddenly Zazu dove forward in front of Scar into the canyon below.
The two lions bolted down the ledges until they were both on one closer to the ground.

Mufasa looked around desperately for Simba, but in the chaos of the stampede all he could see was dust and the panicked looks of the wildebeest as they passed by him.
He's dead. No, no, he can't be!
Zazu appeared in front of him, fluttering in a spastic sort of way. Then he started pointing desperately.
"There! There! On that tree!"
Mufasa looked over and sure enough he saw his son dangling helplessly from a branch.
"Hold on, Simba!"
Suddenly a wildebeest rammed into the tree, nearly breaking it.
Simba cried out and Mufasa leapt down into the fearful, treacherous midst of the stampede.

Scar watched his brother put his life on the line, and he wasn't sorry to say that he felt next to nothing for him.
Zazu suddenly fluttered in front of him, his eyes larger than Scar ever thought they could be.
"Oh, Scar, this is awful. What will we do? What will we do?! Hah... I'll go back for help, that's what I'll do, I'll go back for he-"
Zazu kept squawking until Scar backhanded him into a wall. Then he fell onto the ledge and lay there, completely unconscious.
No help is necessary, Scar thought to himself.
Then he started to walk slowly along the ledge, watching Mufasa the entire time.
He had to admit, his brother was strong and noble... but those were horrible traits to have. Cunning was a far better trait to cultivate than anything else.
He watched as a wildebeest hit Mufasa when he wheeled back to grab Simba.
He watched as Simba flew through the air when another wildebeest rammed into the tree.
He watched in hidden astonishment as Mufasa leapt into the air to grab his son with his powerful jaws.
Make one error. One critical mistake. That's all it will take for me to become King.
Suddenly a wildebeest crashed into Mufasa again. Simba went flying into the stampede. Scar silently hoped that this would be that one fatal error.
Somehow Simba dodged the furious hooves of the herd and Mufasa snatched him up yet again.
Scar tried to hold in his rage as he searched for a higher ledge to get a better view. He climbed and turned just in time to see Mufasa drop Simba onto a higher ledge... safe from the stampede.
He growled to himself. Then he smirked as he saw the wildebeest carry Mufasa back into their midst with their sharp, unforgiving horns.
"DAD!" Simba cried.
Scar couldn't see Mufasa anymore and he grinned wickedly to himself.
It's done.
Then Mufasa jumped out from the swirling mass of bodies and landed heavily on the rock wall.
His claws dug into the harsh rock and he slowly began to make his way up the wall. His hind legs slipped numerous times and his teeth were gritted in his final act of desperation.
Then he looked up and saw Scar standing there.
"Scar! Broth-"
He slipped and barely managed to get a grip again.
"Brother! Help me!"
Scar looked down at him disdainfully. Mufasa's eyes pleaded with him in a wild, frantic sort of way.
Then he fully unsheathed his claws and latched onto his brother's front paws.
Mufasa roared in pain as his claws ripped mercilessly through his flesh.
Scar leaned in close, his eyes bright and merciless.
Mufasa's expression slowly turned to one of sheer horror as Scar spoke the last words he would ever hear.
"Long live the King."
Then he flung his brother, his only brother, off the cliff.
He watched as Mufasa fell into the massive herd below, crying out the entire time.
He didn't hear a thud, he didn't even see him hit the ground, but deep down he knew he had done the unthinkable.
I killed Mufasa.