This story is based on 'The Madness of King Scar' & 'A Tale of Two Brothers.'
A dark era has reached the Pride Lands, with Scar as its king. With his chaotic mind, the mad king has his eyes drawn to Nala. While Scar is preoccupied with his future a...
Updated: September, '23. The second chapter's content has now joined chapter 1 (previously called Haunted by the Past).
"It's to die for!"
"No, fool! We're going to kill him! And Simba too."
"Long live the King!"
"Go away and never return!" Such a little helpless cub... Perhaps I should've shown more empathy towards him, because I certainly stood on those trembling paws myself once... My father... I distinctly remember one day when he actually paid attention to me and commented that my name should've been 'trash'—in the most literal sense... It's the story of my life! The little pathetic, helpless cub had a name; his name was Taka...
Once again, my father stands in front of me. His manes are dark, yet his resemblance to Mufasa is striking. I blink. "You're dead!" Father's death... an event I'd never shed even one tear for. I just couldn't muster them up. Mother understood, yet it caused her a lot of pain. Ahadi never accepted me, his own kin, so why should I care to mourn him?
"Taka, you're a disgrace!" Flames lit his eyes. I have prohibited others from ever using that name again, and now I recall the reason behind it... One simple sound from the past, passing my eardrums, bringing out all weaknesses I hoped had left the system by now.
Don't—don't listen to it, Scar... He's not there! "You're not there! You're not real!"
"Scum! Worthless king!" he calls out to me. His words fade and so does he, at last. A dark, oppressive figure—disappearing back inside the thick mist it came from.
"It's a lie!" With a hard blast, Scar arose from his nightmare. This, by far, was not his initial one. Occasionally, these nightmares concerning his past came disturbing him at night, keeping him from having a peaceful sleep. Strangely, these nightmares have been manifesting more and more frequently for him. Inhaling deep, Scar softly dropped himself from his rock. "Death is a world I don't intend to reach yet..."
"Another nightmare? Welcome to my reality!" Zazu commented while Scar walked past the boned cage he had locked the bird inside. The lion, however, either didn't hear him, or elected to ignore him.
Exhausted, Scar strolled outside. He felt as if the nightmares had sucked all his energy out of him. Fear had made his mane rose, yet for his black locks that wouldn't have been such a terrible start of the day if it hadn't been his siesta he had just aggressively awoken from. Scar planned to return to sleep in only a couple of hours. Outside the cave, the lion noticed his reflection in a puddle of rain. Well, they look great... Yet Scar knew he needed to make a change, as he couldn't continue living like this for much longer. However, the change that needed to be made could not include himself. Definitely not! You can't change perfection, as Scar still believed described him.
Scar stood on the Pride Rock, overthinking and gazing down at what life had granted him. He had lost the overwhelming feeling of ruling the kingdom a long time ago. I need to find that back... Scar sighed. He figured only then the nightmares would permanently disappear. His desperate situation lingered in his mind, and he sought a distraction to ease the burden. If only I could gain more control again. Perhaps then I'll gain appreciation from my subjects... In all phases of his life, Scar claimed never to have received much appreciation. "What to do first? Give the hyenas some management? A waste of time! What else..." Ah...
The evening breeze carried the sounds of distant hyenas as Nala walked over the barren Pride Lands. The lioness shook her head, taking in the sight of the sparse vegetation and the smell of dust and decay. During this time of the day, Nala often found herself lost in memories of her childhood and the good times she spent with Simba. Nala was captured in a moment of sadness. As far as she was aware, Simba had been dead for several years. Now the water hole doesn't sound boring at all!"I just can't wait to be king!" Times changed drastically, yet she could still picture her happy little friend singing. Images of Simba singing in eternity now crossed her mind, a faint smile adorning her face. "One day, you two are going to be married!" Zazu... Strangely, now she wished the funny bird was right. Back in the days, both of them thought of it as a disgusting idea. Yet at present, she had undoubtedly forsaken her present life for it.
Nala gazed upward, fixating intently on the luminous night sky. She wondered if Simba possibly could be one of the molten-silver shining stars present above her head. Perhaps the one that shone the brightest light. It certainly drew her attention. In her mind, Nala envisioned herself ascending near this bright star that lightened this dark era. "I still miss you, Simba," Nala whispered. "I know you must hear me..." As a matter of course, Simba was neither the shining star nor capable of hearing her. However, another lion heard her. This other lion heard her loud and clear. Someone, from above, observed Nala as she dreamily lost herself in the open night...
The king himself, Scar, gazed down at the sad lioness. He had sensed Nala's presence, and he knew she wandered around a lot during this time of the day. Why must she tempt them like this? Softly, Scar growled. "The hairball has been dead for years, yet still... Unbelievable!" he mumbled. By all means, Scar wasn't aware the hyenas hadn't pursued his little nephew when he had ordered them to kill him. Nala, now fully grown into a beautiful, highly attractive lioness, had caught Scar's attention. Well, all distraction is distraction, right? He thought he could at least try to perform his charms on her as he thought it was time to provide the kingdom with a suitable heir. After all, it is a task the king must carry!Who will carry on after me? Without a suitable heir, I'm nothing!
It was evident that Scar ignored most of the responsibilities that accompany the role of a king. Even now, when the lionesses and even the hyenas could hardly find any food, he was too lazy to do something about it himself. Or perhaps he just didn't know how? With the passage of time, it became obvious that Scar was anything but a righteous king. At present, even in the midst of famine and death, he was evidently prioritising tasks of lesser importance. The black-maned lion had reached a mental state where he was completely unresponsive and unable to make sense of anything. He was uncertain about what the future had in store for him, and clearly, that had left quite a few marks on him. It's just that... I cannot change the past... Scar pondered once more, attempting to lay his focus on guiding his future towards a more positive continuation in the benefits of, obviously, himself. Scar glimpsed Nala once again. This is nonsense! I'm not— "No, I'm not that desperate!" Was this the reason why he occasionally thought aloud without even... realising it?
"Scar?"
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