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For those who obviously don't read my journals or artists descriptions XD I have some questions to answer for you before getting back to the story.
Is this going to be done in comic format?
- No. I am not continuing the comic any time in the near future.
Are you continuing your comic?
- No, see above.
Is the comic over then?
- The comic is over, but the story is not. I will write these until it ends. I can actually write these in about a half an hour, and fit way more content in than I could in a comic page. So so long as this remains tolerable I will continue these stores until the end at Simba's Reign, and perhaps even do some more back stories.
Why is the comic over?
- I'm trying new things artistically and don't want to be known for drawing Lion King my entire life.
Will these be drawn?
- I am considering making an illustration for each page I upload, but right now don't have time to do that.
Anyway, onto the story! Wrote this one quickly without my contact lenses in so sorry for any spelling or punctuation mistakes.
___
As the day of dark events slowly accepted the dark night that reflected the feel of the land, the Pride Landers laid to rest a brilliant King. An underdog from the beginning who rose from being a scruffy ill-tempered youth into the wonderful mate, father and king he had been when he died. Ahadi's death was greatly mourned by the Pride, the herds, and especially his family. However, as the Pride attended his funeral Taka, now Scar, spoke to the hyena clan.
Speaking from a high outcrop of rock near the largest elephant skull, using the same manipulative tactics he had learned from the very hyena who betrayed him, he spoke false tails of Viccha's death. She was old, he told them, and her death had been an oncoming inevitability. He told them she had died just in the early hours of sunset, at peace with her plans and the way the clans future was heading. Her death was a pleasant one, with no regrets, and nothing but pleasure at awaiting the next adventure of life, and the only negative thought she had was that she would no longer be around to make sure her clan got to where they deserved to be. Scar assured them all that in those final moments, he had assured their matriarch that he would make sure her desires were met, and her clan was taken care of.
Of course, it was all a pile of garbage cooked up by Scar's brain to ensure that his hand in killing Viccha was not discovered by the majority of the hyena clan, and that he could use her death to boost his own power in the eyes of the hyena clan. While he spoke to the clan, Shenzi. Banzai and Ed hid her body, shoving it down one of the boiling craters of volcanically active water so that her body would be masked by the steam and smell of burning sulfur; Scar told the clan that he has personally dug a grave for her in the Pride Lands, and gingerly covered her body so that she may rest where she had always wanted to return.
But the biggest part of his tale of lies, the grand finale of his speech, was when he spoke of Viccha's last words, and her dieing wishes. He said that in her final moments, Viccha had told him that she wanted him to be the leader of the hyena clan from that point forward. He would replace her, not as a matriarch obviously, but as a king.
At first, understandably, there were outcries. The notion went completely against what the clan stood for. For once, it had always been a female who ruled over the clan, and Scar was a male... Could he stand up to the ferocity the hyena females were known to have? And the other part of their dislike for the idea was that he was a lion. Sure, the clan had put up with Scar under Viccha's orders, but their attitude about lions hadn't changed in the slightest and they weren't very fond of the idea of a lion ruling over their clan.
But Scar, with his smooth, silky words of manipulation managed to placate them almost instantly.. He assured them that the only reason he was in power was so that he could get them all where they properly deserved, back in the luscious grasses of the Pride Lands and out of the cold, damp Grave Yard where they would eventually certainly starve. He told them that, over all, they would look to Shenzi as their Matriarch of sorts as far as clan-tradition went, so that it was more natural to them, and that he would only rule a step over her to make sure everything went according to plan. He promised that under his rule he would get them into the Pride Lands, just like how Viccha wanted, and they would finally live with full bellies and with the respect they deserved, having more power over the Pride Lander lionesses, and only falling in rank behind him as King.
The Hyenas cheered at this news. Viccha had only talked about getting back into the Pride Lands by getting Scar to be king. But this idea of them actually having power over the lands and the lionesses soon had them forgetting their worries and jumping for joy. And as the hyenas cheered, Scar sat before them, the pain and anger in his mind warping into something much darker. He heard the drumps of war in their cheers, felt a surge of self worth and pride in his chest, and felt the hate in the heat of his scar. And as the final path to turn back into the light was blown over by bone-dust, Taka was no more.
Later in the evening, looking out over the Pride Land from the point of Pride Rock, were a group of pride. Mufasa was standing, his head slightly lifted as he peered over the Pride Lands, squinting to make out any movement in the darkness. Between his paws was Zira, sighing and looking around bored. Around Mufasa were Sarabi, Sarafina, Diku, and Dwala, and they were all looking for something... Or someone.
Mufasa had been angry at first when Taka hadn't come to the funeral, but now he was worried. It had gotten so late, he was sure that it was almost the middle of the night, and his brother had not returned. Had he gotten himself into trouble? Had he run away from the land out of grief and anger? Or worse?! Had he done something to deliberately harm himself, or gotten himself in a situation that caused him harm?! All these thoughts ran through Mufasa's head like a hard of bad dreams and thats how he had found himself staring out over the Pride Lands, with his friends, mate, and niece beside him.ly, fi
Zira wasn't worried, she was just there to pass the time until her father came home and relieved her from her boredom; Ahadi's death had not effected her in the slightest... Sure, she had a bit of a soft spot for her Grandmother, but she had never really cared for Ahadi. Anyway, she knew Taka was fine... Her dad was too smart and clever for any of Mufasa's worries to effect him! But still, Zira sat there between her uncles large paws, waiting.
Eventually, figuring she would give up and just see Taka in the morning, she stood and turned to leave back to the den. She was getting tired and the air was becoming cold. But as she turned her head up to look towards the mouth of the cave a movement in the shadows caught her eye. She froze for a moment, then realized it was Taka, climbing back up the side of Pride Rock and returning home.
“Taka!” Zira called out in glee, kicking up her paws and bounding giddily towards the father that didn't show event he slightly ounce of emotion at seeing his daughter.
Mufasa and the others turned around quickly at Zira's cry, and a collective sigh of relieve escaped the group. Rising to his feet, Mufasa hurried to his brother, the lionesses close behind him.
“Surrounded by your pity party?” Scar asked, looking at the group that was coming to welcome him with disdain. “Things haven't changed much, I see.”
“Taka, where have you been?!” Mufasa asked sharply, his voice rising mostly out of worry, rather than anger. “You missed our father's funeral, and when you weren't at home I became worried.”
“It doesn't matter where I've been...” Taka said, his eyes narrowing as he turned slightly to walk past his brother to head to the den. “And I didn't want to go to that blasted funeral.”
“But Taka...” The soft voice of Sarafina said, stepping forward and looking into the eyes of the lion that used to be her best friend. “He was your dad. Didn't you want to be there to help guide him to the stars?”
“He was my father, and I watched him die.” Scar said, feeling his voice rising a bit. He had to clear his throat before speaking again in a more measured tone. “I had no desire to see his body in that condition. And as for the stars... They're just glorified lights in the sky, fables and fairy tales. There aren't any kings up in that sky tonight.”
Sarafina looked shocked and Sarabi came up beside her to speak in a firm but worried tone “How can you say that Taka? If not the stars then where would your father go?”
“No where.” Taka said emotionlessly, his eyes trailing up to look at the stars briefly, before snapping them back down to look at the group. “There is nothing but our pathetic lives and then we die. That is it, there is nothing else... I know that now.”
“Taka!” Snapped Mufasa, a truly pained look on his face as he studied his brother. “How can you wish that upon our father? Upon all the others we know who have died?”
Taka rolled his eyes as if he was talking to a child. “I do not wish it upon anyone, Brother, I just know it to be true. There is no one watching over us.” He said, his voice trailing off, feeling an odd prickle of sadness at his own words. To distract himself, he stared his brother directly in the eye and said “And I wont answer to that name anymore.”
“What name?” Asked Diku, stepping forward and looking perplexed.
“Taka?” Asked Dwala, following her sister, glancing at her with confusion.
“But that's your name.” Said Sarafina, her eyebrows furrowing.
“Not anymore.” Scar said, holding his head high and looking down at them like the subjects he knew they would eventually become. “From now on I'll only answer to Scar.”
“Oh for goodness sake.” Mufasa said, his eyes rolling this time as he gave Taka and exasperated look. “Taka, that's ridiculous.”
“It is my wish, in honor of the scar father gave me as I begged him to live.” Scar said, allowing a bit of a growl to escape his maw as he spoke. “And a reminder to those who didn't try hard enough... A reminder to ALL the sacrifices I have always made in life, and the horrible hand life has dealt me!”
Mufasa took a wounded step back from his brother, and hung his head at the mention of him not being able to pull them both up, saying no more. Scar seemed satisfied by this and walked past them all, heading into the darkness of the cave with an unsure Zira following cautiously behind him.
“He can't be serious... ” Sarafina said in a whisper, looking at Mufasa.
“He's walked right off the deep end.” Diku said with a sigh, shaking her head.
Dwala looked at her twin, then at everyone else. “He can't honestly expect that name to catch on, can he?”
“Don't worry, Mufasa.” Sarabi said with a sigh, choosing words of comfort for her mate, rather than scorn towards Taka. “I'm sure that Taka will come around. Ahadi's death has been hard on everyone, especially you and Taka. Just give it some time.”
Mufasa looked at her mate with a sad smile, knowing in his heart of hearts that she was wrong. She had comforted him like this many times, and every time he had loved her for it, as he loved her now for it. But he couldn't help but feel that things were actually going to go terribly wrong now, and they were past the point of soft-spoken words of comfort and facing something much darker than before.
But Mufasa nodded, allowing himself to hope for the best even though his brain was leaning towards the worst. He nuzzled his mate softly, her soft fur gliding along his nose like a comforting kiss. “I hope you are right.”