Mufasa was left with a lot to think about after all the events that had taken place the day his son went missing. Had he really been neglecting his brother to such a degree? He could remember a time when they were close, close as brothers could ever be.
His mother wanted them to remain close, even despite their father, her own mate’s wishes, and at first Mufasa was able to keep such a promise. But as years passed by the two of them started to drift apart. It was equal parts due to the impending duty to become king and the influence of Ahadi ensuring the two were hardly near each other. Citing that his “duties” as king were far more important than wasting time with such things.
“Things.” Was that really what the dark lion had been reduced to? Just a thing that might distract the king from his precious duties?
But that couldn’t have been all. Something had happened, but he could never get an answer out of Scar. He distracted or confused him with words until he got frustrated or led him on a tangent until he forgot what he wanted to talk with him about. It was clearly amusing on the dark lion’s end. How he was able to talk him in circles.
Just thinking of that made Mufasa dread asking his brother about the rumors and claims of his latest wrongdoings. He hoped that his brother would give him a straight answer, but he knew it was never that simple. But he had resolved that this time he would not let him off the hook. The case was pretty solid and he wanted answers why he was causing chaos still and he would weather whatever verbal tricks Scar sent his way even if he had to use some less than honorable tactics to do so.
Luckily for the king, Scar was just ahead of him, even better, the dark lion was alone. It was the perfect chance to finally talk to and question him. Perhaps he could even apologize for all the years of neglect, it was the least he could do in remembrance of hi- err...their mother’s wishes.
“Scar!” Mufasa called as he approached his sibling.
Scar himself was deep in thought but the sudden call from his brother made him jump. Even worse, the other lion had now forgotten what he was ruminating over, already making him annoyed with the older lion.
“What is it now, Mufasa?” Scar asked with a sigh, not even attempting to hide his annoyance.
“There’s been some serious accusations levied against you. Rumors are already spreading through the land.” It was clear that Mufasa was taking this much more seriously than the other lion. This was just another in a long string of fake accusations to Scar.
“But first…” The lion remembered his promise and took a deep breath. “I want to apologize to you.”
Whatever thought process was on Scar’s mind derailed utterly hearing that. ‘Mufasa never apologizes...not to me at least...so what is his angle?’ Scar immediately thought suspiciously.
The dark lion now paid his brother attention, wanting to see where this was going. Mufasa continued and brought up what had happened a few days ago.
“I just want to say I am sorry for neglecting to thank you for finding my son.” Despite coming from a genuine place, the words came out a bit strained from the king’s mouth. It made the apology sound a bit half-hearted on Scar’s end. But he figured that it was best to take what he could get.
The dark lion excused himself but Mufasa stepped in front of him. There was more he wanted to say to his brother; the accusations needed to be addressed and he needed some answers from his brother.
“There was also the incident among the wildebeest.”
“What incident?” Scar had no idea what he was talking about. Surely he was not talking about the involvement they would have in his plan?
“Many witnesses stated that you were the direct cause of it,” Mufasa stated.
“Preposterous. If they are so sure then why aren’t you questioning them?” Scar asked, subtly deflecting the focus from himself. Usually Mufasa’s mind would have shifted focus but the golden lion wasn’t swayed. His gaze was firmly focused on his brother and he continued to block the way.
“They will be questioned, but you are my current priority.”
Scar huffed through his nose. Since when did his brother establish priorities? He was usually as fickle as savanna winds themselves. It was now clear that simple deflections weren’t going to appease his questioning brother…
Scar dared to try and step around his brother but Mufasa again stopped him. Now, the king was wearing a serious look.
“I want answers, why are you doing this?”
“Brother… Mufasa. I am not doing anything. How many times do I have to say this?” Once more however this didn’t seem to work.
“Gah! I don’t even know what you are accusing me of!” Why did Mufasa seem so insistent that he was the perpetrator?
Despite his show of anger, Mufasa still held firm. He didn’t want to, but the king was prepared to use underpawed tactics to get the truth.
“Withholding crucial information from the king is a serious offense, brother.”
“So you’re threatening me now?” Scar glared.
“It is not a threat, it is a warning.” Mufasa ended his words with a low growl. “And I will drag you to the holding cave if I have to.”
The golden lion flexed the muscles in his shoulders, letting his brother know he wasn’t simply talking with empty words.
But rather than coerce his brother it rather made him dig his heels in. “Oh...like I am not already intimately familiar with that place? Sure you can take me there, but will I stay? That is a question I have for you.”
Losing patience, Mufasa snarled and reached forwards but Scar was quick to dodge the paw. “I wonder, Mufasa. What would Simba say if he saw you trying to bully your way into getting what you want? Against your own brother no less?”
In his anger Mufasa then said some words he normally never would have uttered otherwise “I could ask you the same thing Scar. What would my son say if he heard his uncle was commiting countless crimes?” No sooner had the words left Mufasa’s mouth did he regret them
The atmosphere turned cold. How dare he?! Both lions stared each other down. Mufasa’s expression was already softening, but Scar’s glare intensified with actual hate, outraged at his brother’s threat. He had done nothing, but Mufasa threatened to tell Simba that he was responsible… That would be actual slander, done just to turn the cub against him as some form of punishment!? He had come to grow a soft spot for the cub and he wasn’t going to let his meddling brother ruin yet another thing in his life.
Before Mufasa could apologize, Scar pushed with just enough strength to move his brother aside. This time the golden lion didn’t stop him, the guilt wouldn’t allow him to say or do anything more towards his brother… but then he heard some very unexpected words from him.
"Fine...let us go see your..."witnesses" then." Before, Scar couldn’t have cared less, but now he wanted to see and hear for himself what had his brother gripped to the point that he would stoop to such low tactics.
Mufasa was surprised, but gathered himself. Wasn’t this exactly what he wanted? Sure, he was getting his way, but it was a hollow victory…once more he had forced his way to a result and this time he had passed a terrible line in his anger. At the very least he was grateful such an outburst was only witnessed between the two of them.
He said nothing as he led the way to the witnesses that were claiming his brother’s presence in the crime.
For his part, Scar wasn't entirely sure why Mufasa's implied threat had infuriated him so much, but if the king wanted to play dirty, then he would gladly tear apart the testimony of these "witnesses'' that supposedly saw him and leave the king looking like a fool. That and he could take his anger out on them rather than the lion that caused it. He was minutes from blowing a bloodvessel.
The rest of the next hour was wasted with the tracking down of the witnesses, who were scattered to, of course, the farthest reaches of the Pride Lands. After they were gathered, they were finally questioned…
Mufasa steadied himself, now with the witnesses in front of him his brother would no longer be able to deny what he had done.
But just before he could ask them if they could confirm what they had told his lionesses one of them asked him “Sire...who is this lion beside you?”
“huh?” Wh-what was going on? Did they not recognize him?
“Hmm...he looks a bit like that troublemaker Scar, but he is too big and his mane is less spikey” Another said, further confusing the king.
“Who is this lion Mufasa?” Yet another questioned.
“Th-this is my brother...Scar” the animals became just as confused as the king.
To the side Scar had witnessed this exchange and finally he could no longer hold it back, he started in a low chuckle, but soon burst out in full blown laughter.
This? THESE were Mufasa’s “ironclad” witnesses!?
The sheer absurdity of it all coupled with the dark lion’s own prior tension simply burst forth as laughter.
These were the ones who the king himself put so much faith in? The accusation had already been utterly decimated. But now surely he had to stay, just to see how this would play out.
Scar stood there as his brother questioned these witnesses. He asked them if they could identify the lion as the same to commit the crimes they had witnessed. But to the king’s shock and Scar’s glee, they couldn’t even do that. Even the most oblivious of creatures could identify him, but it seemed the king managed to find the few who somehow could not…
The questioning went nowhere, they were going in circles. But unlike his previous questioning with Scar, these animals weren’t dodging or avoiding anything; They were truly as just confused as Mufasa was, leaving the king with no answers but instead even more questions and a headache. It didn’t help the king that his brother seemed to find his situation endlessly amusing, at times having to steady himself on something so he couldn’t fall over laughing.
Indeed, Scar was reveling in his brother’s distress. It seemed that fate or maybe even another force was punishing the king for his earlier actions. Though it wasn’t by his own paw, Scar took it and savored his sibling’s endless chasing of his own tail.
To end it all off, Scar took it upon himself to dismiss the witness one by one from whence they came. Personally, he briefly thanked each of them, even if they had no idea why they were being praised and congratulated…
Mufasa was left behind, his head full of questions and a good chunk of the day wasted. He had other duties to perform and all the free time he had to investigate had been eaten up for now.
Chuckling Scar approached his brother “So…?” he asked amused.
“This is not over, there still was a lion causing distress. One nearly matching your description.”
“It is a mystery, brother. And I’d love to help. But…” Scar paused. He suddenly realized something. The animals had thought “Scar” was causing trouble. That meant...someone was posing as him?!
Oh...that he could not let stand.
“Then again.” Scar said, facing his brother. “We both said...some rather horrid things back there. I suppose it is fair that I lend a bit of aid in this matter.” Scar smirked, “You clearly need it.”
Scar wasn’t entirely being dishonest when he offered his help but his goals were different than what the king desired. He simply wanted to know who was bold and foolish enough to pose as him. Just how long did they think they were going to get away with it?
But then Scar was reminded just what a blockhead his brother was.
“As much as I appreciate that brother...you are still a suspect and I cannot have you interfere. This has become a full investigation now.”
Scar gritted his teeth “You do realize that it is very likely there is someone out there posing as me...and you want me to...just stand by!?”
Mufasa very subtly gulped, but stood his ground . “I am sorry...but there are rules that need to be followed.”
“Ah, so now we are being civil figures again?” Scar rolled his eyes and turned tail. “Fine...I will stay out of…”
“And you will need to stay at Pride Rock while the investigation is going on…” Scar’s paws skid against the earth as he came to a hard halt. Oh...for the love of all the kings in the sky!
“And what am I to actually do while I am there?”
Mufasa was the one to smirk now. “Well, it seems that my son and you have become somewhat close recently. He has been dying to spend more time with his uncle.”
One the surface it sounded innocent enough but in Scar’s eyes it sounded almost like community service.
“The lionesses have gotten tired of keeping an eye on him haven’t they?” Scar groaned, but then sighed. “Very well, if it makes everyone happy…”
“Thank you, Scar.” Mufasa was once again thanking his brother with genuinity. “Knowing that Simba will be watched over at a time like this. It will give me a bit of ease.”
And who says I’ll be doing it for you? Scar said, but only to himself. Then again...spending some time with his nephew would perhaps not be the worst thing… Even before this development, they had indeed started to bond. And Simba would no doubt be ecstatic to know his uncle would be around more often than before.
The agreement was made and Scar was stationed in Pride Rock for both the sake of the investigation and to watch over Simba just in case. Scar wasn’t thrilled to be there and the other lionesses weren’t happy to have him there either.
The only saving grace for the dark lion was Simba, who was genuinely happy to have his uncle around. Scar couldn’t bring himself to act sour around the cub. And as the days went by, Scar found himself enjoying his nephew’s presence more and more.
The cavern he had passed on was nearly restored to its former glory and Simba was excited to add his own personal touches…
“Scar!”
Both lions, young and older groaned. This had been the fourth time this day alone that the king had interrupted their bonding.
“Oh...I will go see what the oaf needs.” Simba chuckled a little hearing his uncle call his dad that. Scar did his best to ease the disappointment the cub would experience when he was made to be alone.
“Is there something else you needed?”
“Argh! W-where do you keep hiding?” Mufasa jumped when Scar seemingly appeared out of thin air again.
“That’s the point of a secret location.” The dark lion’s smile faded quickly as he recognized the serious expression on his brother’s face.
“We’ve hit another dead end,” the king admitted. “I need you to come with me to the crime-scene.” Mufasa would admit to himself it was quite embarrassing to have to rely on his brother after he had basically put him under cave arrest.
But as the king tried to tackle the mystery on his own, he quickly realized that he was not as skilled as his brother when it came to complexities, such as what this case turned out to be. The pieces were there but he just couldn’t put them together the way he knew his brother likely could…
The first few times Scar was flattered but this was happening way too often. At this point, it was embarrassing for the both of them. The royal family was looking rather foolish as of late from the incidents themselves, and the calling of those “witnesses”, and now this…
“Mufasa…”
“Y-yes…?”
“I told you so.” If that oaf had just taken his help from the darn start! Okay...okay, calm breaths…
While Scar was more than happy to show off his intellect before Mufasa and the clueless lioness tasked with assisting in the investigation, that also meant leaving Simba behind for longer than intended.
The cub said that he understood and that it didn’t bother him, but the look on his face was clear, even more so when it was soon time to return to Pride Rock.
“Wh-what is the haste brother?” Mufasa asked as Scar went around the crime-scene rather speedily, only taking a short time to sweep his eyes over the location. He only took mental note of the things that caught his attention.
Things like claw-marks were ignored, as often as the lioness returned, there was no telling if they were old or fresh. No, the clever lion was looking for something out of the ordinary that might give him an actual clue.
But whatever this impostor’s goal was, it hadn’t left many clues behind. At least, not any obvious ones. Whoever they were dealing with, they were aware enough to step light and leave as little trace as possible...
Finally, Scar managed to find something that aided him. Hidden among some shrubs were some strange black leaves on the ground that didn’t match with the rest in the area. It was certainly suspicious but it wasn’t enough to make any sort of conclusion. Nevertheless, the lion made sure to keep it in the back of his mind. It felt like a vital clue.
“I am done Mufasa.” Scar called out. Of course the king and lioness were stunned. Already?
“You know who it might be?” The dark lion rolled his eyes, even the lioness were hopeless. “Not yet, I need to think about the clues I’ve found.” It was clear to everyone not biased that not only was Scar now the backbone of the investigation, but he was the sole reason they made any progress.
None of them had any idea where or even what to look for. They lacked that sense for secrecy that Scar was a master of. Perhaps they were sure that if they lingered around long enough the criminal would suddenly re-appear? This wasn’t some petty squabble or any other of their usual issues that they dealt with.
What they had roaming in the Pride Lands was a full on imposter, someone who could be dangerous and had clearly thought this through a bit more thoroughly than the usual two-bit troublemaker. And it was clear that only he contained the knowledge needed to push the investigation along even if it was at a snail’s pace. Despite all those who searched with him, he was practically alone.
Mufasa claimed that he would compromise the scene, but if anything all these lions wandering around aimlessly were making it all the harder to find something.
“Yes, that is enough for today.” Scar said, doing his best to keep a steady tone. The various clues were already bouncing around in his head, but nothing quite clicked together yet.
Mufasa didn’t know it, but this whole thing had delayed his own demise. But as soon as it was over and he got a chance he was going to enact his plan. It seemed that things were going to have to take place one at a time though.
First...he had an impostor to catch, then he could worry about his scheme.
However, for the time being, Scar wanted to at least give Simba a day’s worth of attention. He was being very patient and that behavior had to be rewarded. He returned to their secret space but he couldn’t find the cub at first.
There was a bit of sadness that crept within Scar at the thought of his nephew giving up and going home…
But there was a sudden noise and from the growth next to him, Simba burst into sight.
“Rawr!” Simba squeaked, pretending he was already fully grown. “Hehe. What do you think?”
Scar took a closer look and saw that Simba had decorated his scruff with large leaves, making his own makeshift mane.
It took a few seconds, but then that vital clue that hadn’t made sense suddenly fell into place.
Scar smiled “Simba...you little genius…”
The cub giggled at the compliment despite not even knowing what ‘genius’ meant. He was glad that he could make his uncle happy.
Scar spent the rest of the day with his nephew but his mind was working at the same time. Slowly going over suspects.
They had been clever, but now he was onto the impostor. The others, even he himself before now, had all assumed it had been another lion, but no...those black leaves now posed the strong possibility of a female...a lioness. One who had done precisely what Simba had done, just to a larger, more professional degree.
Scar took Simba to the cave as he would when the night came. But rather than joining him, the lion made an excuse to slip away. He needed to do some thinking alone.
The answer he was looking for was on the tip of his tongue. He could even see the figure of a lioness in his mind, so close yet so far....
Think, Scar. If it is a lioness rather than a lion they would also somehow have to fake a scar? But how? Was that even possible? Sure, one could get help from the monkeys to create false aesthetics with their paints. But that seemed unlikely… No, if the witnesses said they saw a prominent scar from a distance, then it must be the real thing. Something that carved and shone through fur, rather than being painted on.
The dark lion looked up as some clouds began covering the moon.
Wait...was he...perhaps thinking the wrong way around?
Instead of faking a scar, perhaps they had somehow been hiding it? With that in mind, one particular lioness sprung out quite glaringly.
Not only was her fur tone much darker than the usual color of the pride, but she just so happened to be the only lioness to wear her fur down in bang style, conveniently concealing one of her eyes. And not just any eye...the left...the same as where his own scar was.
It was all so clear now the dark lion. All that was left to do now was prove his idea. It was late and his brother was likely asleep by now. It would have to wait, but tomorrow Scar would use the bit of power he had as prince to confront who he was sure was their imposter even if Mufasa tried to prevent him as he likely would.
He would certainly act immensely protective when he accused one of the pride’s lionesses, but Scar knew he was almost certainly right and dared to bet on it.
It turned out he was quite right in his assumption that his brother would act protective.
“Y-you cannot be serious, brother!” Scar had woken up early in the morning, telling his brother exactly what his theory was. Mufasa sounded mildly distressed, surely one of the pride’s lionesses couldn’t have been responsible!
But there was a look of determination on his brother’s face. And Scar went further to remind Mufasa that as prince, he had a right of his own to voice his suspicions.
“Very well...but if you are wrong, I fully expect you to apologize immensely for wasting precious time and causing distress.”
The words would have usually stung but Scar was so sure that he marched right into the cavern and woke the lioness from their sleep. They were gathered, albeit they only listened to Scar when Mufasa was seen backing him up.
“Alright, Scar. Let’s hope you really have some evidence to back up your claims.”
“Oh, no worries. There is a very easy way to check if I am wrong or not.”
Amidst all the grumpy lions, Scar was light on his feet and he wasted no time standing before them all, dead center within the cavern. He cleared his throat and finally addressed the waking lionesses.
“Sumu...would you kindly show us what lies behind that hair of yours?” Everyone was confused by Scar’s request.
But even more so when the lioness visibly froze. Her single, visible eye went wide.
“I-I don’t need to, what does that even have to do with anything?” The tone of her voice was panicked and she was now shaking.
The other lioness were beginning to whisper among each other. It was clear enough to see, it was a simple question but Sumu looked as if she was about to faint… Something was clearly up.
Now the pride was actually listening to and watching Scar as he approached the trembling lioness. It was clear that he indeed knew something they didn’t. The dark lion stepped into front of the similarly colored lioness and asked again for her to show her concealed eye.
“No...I-I refuse!” Sumu denied his request with a sudden outburst.
Now, even Mufasa, as protective of his pride members as he was, had become suspicious of the immense resistance that Sumu was putting up. Between Scar’s confidence and Sumu’s panic, it was clear enough for even him to see that his brother had found the one responsible. He still was unsure as to how Sumu lifting her hair would reveal her as the impostor, but he supposed he would simply have to see it for himself. For once, he put his full faith into his brother and stood by his side, joining in the command for her to lift her hair.
More and more voices joined in and when Sumu tried to back away, the multitude of other lioness barred her way, leaving her with no escape.
Trembling she slowly did as was ordered, she had no choice left. Her heart was pounding in her chest as he lifted her bang, showing off what Scar had suspected all along. There was a shocked gasp among all in the cavern, now Scar’s claims were irrefutable. Alongside the shock was a feeling of shame for casting the dark lion off before he even spoke.
There on the lioness’s face was a scar. One that mirrored the prince’s. Alongside his discovery of the black leaves and suggestion of a fake mane. The evidence was all there for him and everyone else to see.
As soon as the truth was made known and Mufasa had shaken off the shock, the king was asking the lioness why she was posing as her brother, using his visage to commit crimes no less.
Having already been found out, the lioness released her rage. "Because of him!" She motions to Scar "I had to do it, so you would get rid of that...monster!" She snarls.
Scar was not impressed. "Yes...so much of a monster am I that you had to commit crimes just so you could pin them on me." Pointing out the absurdity that apparently the “monster” wasn’t commiting enough crimes on his own.
Before the pride, Sumu finally admitted that she did impersonate Scar, but she insists it was for everyone's sake.
Mufasa was ready to take those words as a confession, but Scar notices quite a hole; she is clearly omitting something glaring. The story wasn’t quite adding up,
"You weren't working alone were you?" She stiffens. "I did it all myself" Her words came out shaky and rushed, a clear sign that she was making it up as it came from his mouth.
The dark lion shakes his head "No...you had accomplices."
While Scar was steadily piecing the puzzle together, Mufasa was clearly confused. He didn’t expect this all to go so deep. The king was used to simple crimes that were easy to prove; that resulted in swift punishment. This whole thing was making his head spin.
Scar turned to the confused king. "Mufasa...when "my" crimes were reported to you, would it happen to be done by the same lionesses often?"
As those words are spoken, Scar notices two lionesses that just so happened to be standing next to each other. They grimaced, only for a moment. But the dark lion was able to catch it. He said nothing for now, but it seemed he had already found the last pieces of this whole puzzle.
The dark lion figured that to complete the illusion, Sumu would have needed to control what information reached Mufasa and that could only be done if she wasn't working alone.
So if anyone caught sight of anything they shouldn't have, it could be omitted when reported.
In order to maintain and control the information, a team would be needed. One to commit the crime, one to tidy up the crime scene, and one to report said crime.
Mufasa did recall two lionesses who pretty much did all the reports of "Scar's" crimes.
He never questioned how they always seemed to be at the scene of the crime right after it happened. Even stranger, they knew all the details of the recent crime, as if they were either there themselves when it took place or they had come up with the report beforehand.
Mufasa had very good reasons to be suspicious of those two lionesses, but unlike Sumu he had no concrete proof.
Sumu was being backed up against a figurative wall, she dared to look back at the lioness she worked with for help but they were avoiding their gaze. Sumu’s heart sank as she realized they were leaving her to face punishment all alone.
With all eyes on her, the threat of punishment looming over her, and her own friend’s leaving her for dead, Sumu figured she had nothing to lose. She was now waiting for an opportunity to try and attack Scar. It was the only chance that she had left…
Scar didn’t forget about the two lionesses that helped Sumu. They would need to be called out as well. He turned around to face them, recognizing them as Azima and Huseina. Once the dark lion turned around to point them out, Sumu saw her chance.
Outstretching her claws, Sumu jumped into the air. Amidst the shock from everyone else, Sumu successfully pounced on Scar. But before she could really attack him, there was a sound that even she wasn’t expecting. Unbeknownst to many Simba had snuck his way into the questioning-turned-trial, using his small size to stay just out of sight.
Seeing his uncle being attacked by the bad lioness, Simba made his presence known by crying out for Sumu to not hurt his uncle. Everyone was surprised by the sudden voice, even Sumu herself. Her paws slipped as she landed on Scar and her claws failed to properly latch in.
The only one who managed to act during all the commotion was Mufasa. The king was quick to lunge at Sumu, tackling her from his brother’s body. She was pinned by the king before she could recover from being distracted, and to make matters even worse, the lionesses were upon her as well soon after, assisting their king in holding the guilty lioness down.
During all the commotion, Sumu’s co-conspirators were able to slip away without being seen, even by Scar himself, who was still trying to figure out what had happened. He was expecting pain from being pounced on but instead Simba and Mufasa actually aided him, keeping him from getting more than just the graze from the initial pounce.
"Well..." Scar panted, feeling his heart thunder against his chest. "I think that is enough excitement for today." That had been far too close for comfort. He watched as Sumu was struggling uselessly against the many paws holding her down.
Soon, Mufasa and some of the stronger lionesses took the guilty lioness away. Scar was left to look around the cavern. It was then that he saw Simba standing there with wide eyes and a shaking body. Had everyone just forgotten him?
Without even realizing it, Scar went over and began comforting the scared and trembling cub, holding him close and gently stroking his fur.
Sure, it was just a minor distraction Simba had provided, but his nephew had saved him nonetheless and he was certainly grateful for that.
Simba expressed how scared he was that Scar could have been hurt. But the dark lion, with a surprising amount of care, assured the cub that it was thanks to him that he was still fine. The other lionesses still present would witness this interaction, utterly baffled by the sight.
It was a widely believed rumor that Scar hated his nephew, he was the only one in the entire Pride Lands that didn’t attend the celebration of his birth.
But now that very lion was holding and consoling the cub as if he was Simba’s own father…
Such a sight left them second-guessing such a rumor. Some more astute wondering who had started the rumor in the first place.
Scar stayed by his nephew’s side for the rest of the day, making sure he was not too shaken by what he saw. And when night fell, he was the one to bring the cub back to Pride Rock. He even wished the young lion a good night before he departed.
Later that night after Simba had fallen asleep, Mufasa approached his brother.
“Scar, I am glad to see that you are not hurt.”
Those words came as a shock to the other lion. The tone of his brother’s voice was soft and caring...
“Heh...as good as that is...Sumu has wounded me another way....she has further damaged my reputation, perhaps even permanently.”
Mufasa's silence spoke volumes, it would be easy for him to denounce the rumors and let all know about what really happened, but if the truth of this whole incident got out it would only lead to another embarrassment, though this one would be entirely on the lions alone.
Scar knew his brother would not change his mind so he changed the subject. “And speaking of reputations, brother, where has Sarabi been these last few days? Surely this hasn’t all happened under her watchful eye.”
The dark lion had plenty of grievances because of Sarabi so he continued, “Now I am not accusing her or anything, but either she knew about this and let it happen...or she has been incompetent in her role as lead lioness, not discovering that such a plot was being enacted by her own lionesses…” Scar let the words simply hang in the air as he left Mufasa with an unusually thoughtful expression on his face.
With the incident finally over, Scar was given clearance to leave the reach of Pride Rock, meaning he could finally see his friends again after so many days. And while he walked, Scar thought of those two lionesses that aided Sumu. They were still out there and were likely plotting something, even without the presence of their leader.
Since it was clear that Mufasa and Sarabi could not even control their own lionesses, Scar saw fit to take matters into his own paws. And he knew just the hyenas that could help him resolve this issue.
It didn't take long for him to find a vulture resting within a withered tree. He was lucky that this vulture knew it. He gave him a message to pass along and promised to pay him when it was done.
Angry lionesses were nothing to sneeze at and the dark prince had a feeling that this conflict was far from over. He’d rather not leave them as a loose end that might end up screwing up his plans anyways.
His thoughts once more drifted further than just himself and his plans. Those lionesses had been there to witness his closeness with Simba… They likely heard the words exchanged between them as he had cared for him these last days...
What if they stooped low enough to go after the cub to get to him? That could not be allowed!
Mufasa would know nothing about this; it was now between Scar, Azima and Huseina. Their “friend” had impersonated him and now they would possibly put his nephew in danger. They had made it personal.
“Scar!”
There came that familiar tone and voice that made the other lion huff.
“What is it now, brother? I thought we had already said our goodbyes.”
“Actually,” Mufasa said. “I was hoping that you could stay at Pride Rock for the night.”
The king wanted to make sure that his brother was alright after the attempted attack. And there was also the issue of two missing lionesses, he had suspicions they were the accomplices that Scar had talked about, who had run off when their leader was caught.
Scar himself had more than his fill of Pride Rock and the lionesses. And the offer only made him irritated, perhaps some years ago when he still had sought his brother’s approval he might have appreciated the offer...
What made the situation even worse was that the vulture had returned to the tree. It was about to open its beak but Scar flashed it a glare and drifted his eyes towards the king, signaling it to act natural for just a few more moments.
Mufasa was disappointed by his brother’s refusal but he made himself busy with the realization that he and Sarabi needed to get a better hold on the lioness so something like this never happened again.
“Y-yes, I should return to Sarabi anyway. We need to discuss her...lack of insight on the lionesses’ affairs.”
With that, the king left his brother alone with the vulture.
“Was the message sent?”
The bird nodded and Scar went out to find something small to hunt. His catch was given as payment for fulfilling his wish.
Just as he was about to move on Mufasa came back yet again. To his credit he had a sheepish expression.
Scar sighed, “What is it now?”
Mufasa squirmed a little. “Well...you see...because of this whole incident I am left utterly unsure of which crime was carried out by the impostor and which ones you might have committed.”
A fair point, the dark lion conceded.
“I will certainly not get an honest answer out of Sumu…” The king looked at his brother. “So...you are the only one who might give me an honest answer...”
It took a moment for Scar to realize what he meant.
“Me…? You want...me to tell you what I did and what I didn’t do?” Had Mufasa utterly lost his mind?
Scar buried his face in one of his paws. “You do realize I could simply just lie right?” he pointed out the obvious flaw in Mufasa’s plan.
The king nodded “I do. And that is why I have no choice but to trust that you won’t.”
The dark lion wasn’t expecting his brother to suddenly trust him so blindly. It left Scar himself stunned for a moment.
It would be easy to lie to his brother’s face, he had done it countless times before...but...for once, Scar felt some guilt just from the idea.
There was a small voice in the back of his mind that reminded him that his brother would fall victim to his plan soon, so did the truth really matter?
"After you became king, in a state of jealousy, I committed a small wave of trouble" Scar allowed himself to bend the truth, juuust a little, to ease his brother’s suspicions.
If he told him why he had actually done them Mufasa would not believe him.
Mufasa remembered, they had been the least serious of all of the incidents, more akin to tricks than actual crimes.
"And...the hippo incident, that was me as well. Though it was done utterly unintentionally, I wasn't even aware I had caused it until a few days later..."
The simple act of roaring in frustration in a place where he thought he was alone had set off a series of escalating events...
Mufasa flinched. Ah yes...the hippo incident...it was best not to talk about it.
Even to this day it was considered the Pride Lands’ greatest embarrassment, especially for those involved, not just for the lions, but many a creature that populated the land. The large-scale incident caused many species to swear to NEVER speak of what happened that day.
Even Rafiki was forbidden to document the goings of that day, as if it never happened, much to his disappointment. He thought it would be an “excellent example of what NOT to do” kind of story to tell to the next generations.
Being away from the actual event, he found the whole thing rather amusing from afar. Nevertheless, he did as his king wished, mostly due to Zazu being tasked to literally proofread each and every one of his new writings for the next couple of weeks.
Mufasa was surprised at the admission twofold; one was because he sort of expected his brother to simply deny any responsibility of any sort of wrongdoing. And secondly, the admittance was quite counter to the perpetual troublemaker image he had of him. Though, knowing the incident was an accident only made it all the more painfully shameful...
"I see..." he drew out.
If that was indeed true, then Sumu had been active for much longer than previously thought.
As Mufasa thought about it, a wave of guilt and inadequacy set in. As reigning king, this should not have been allowed under his watch, and yet it had been so.
Mufasa was a very proud and confident lion, maybe even a bit too much so. It was the first time in a long while that he had to come to terms with being wrong.
"So...will that be all?" Scar asked. As much as he would have loved to revel in his brother’s misery, he had places to be and time was of the essence.
Mufasa sighed and promised to give his brother peace for the remainder of the day. He still had a lot of work to do himself; Sumu’s little display had left the lionesses in a state of disorder that would prove bad if left unchecked… Not to mention the further damage that would occur if word spread...
Both lions realized that they had somewhere they needed to be and the day was slowly burning away still. For once, both Mufasa and Scar exchanged a brief goodbye before they left in opposite directions. Mufasa was soon racing back to Pride Rock while Scar was venturing off into the savanna.
As soon as he was out of sight from his brother and anyone else that could report him, the dark lion raced through the Pride Lands, heading straight for the hyena den. He needed a safe place to calm down after all that mess. Even more so he needed to actually talk to someone and get all that happened off his chest, the thoughts and emotions felt like they were about to crush him.
Just as he was running towards the Outlands, Ed, Shenzi, and Banzai were also racing into the Pride Lands itself. They were eager to answer the call that Scar had left them via a rather blunt vulture.
The words coming from the callous bird left them more than worried for their friend. He told them about the lion being held within the Pride Lands and even the supposed attack against him. As soon as the vulture departed, the trio were already running towards the border, as fast as their paws could carry them.
When they all reunited, Scar had to assure them that he was fine. They then asked him about the plan and he told them that Mufasa, despite all his various prying, had no idea the plan existed, he was still, if not more than usual, just as oblivious as always.
Once he finished talking, Scar was able to take a good look at his friends. He noticed that all three of them looked a little more spry than usual, so he did some prying for once.
It seemed that in the time the lions were busy chasing after Sumu, the hyenas were given several days to hunt and actually build up a food storage. He had been worried about not seeing them for several days, but it seemed the hyenas were getting on just fine, more than fine in their case.
"Well...at least something good came of this..." For him, the last few days had been draining; constant irritation and annoyance. Simba had been the only thing keeping him sane in all the chaos.
"Thanks for sticking your head out for us, boss-man." Banzai joked. But a moment later he was put into a headlock for his trouble. Shenzi hardly found anything funny about the situation, especially the way the vulture bluntly explained it all.
Shezi felt terrible that her friend had been cooped up like that, eyes constantly on him looking for faults for several days no less. If she’d had known she would have forgone the rules of the land and raced to the lion’s aid even if that meant putting her own life at risk.
And while Banzai joked, he felt the same way deep down. Humor was just a way to ease the fear that still lingered with him. Even Ed was oddly quiet. He subtly got closer to the lion until he was sitting right next to him. He could see the faint lines of claw marks just barely pressing into the lion. He whimpered at the sight and looked up at the lion with a look never given before. Shenzi and Banzai were soon looking the lion over as well despite his mild protests. In the end he just gave in and let them.
While Scar had already put the failed attack behind him, he was once again reminded why these hyenas were his dear friends. Yes...Mufasa had asked him if he was okay, but they were the ones who looked him over regardless, just to be sure. For a moment the lion could feel a rush of emotion welling up within him. But he pushed it down and took a steady breath; there was a reason he called them here; an urgent one. He would have to express his feelings at a later time...
“Sumu, the lioness that impersonated and attacked me, has been caught. But her two accomplices are still roaming about. They managed to slip away in the confusion as she attacked me. Their names are Azima and Huseina. I don’t expect you to, but would you happen to know anything about them?”
“Don’t know about the other two but Husiena sounds familiar,” Banzai said.
It was rare but every once in a while there was a pride lands’ animal that sought out the hyenas. There was an underground ‘mercenary market’ for services of all sorts. And they weren’t the only ones who offered services; other animals such as leopards and painted dogs also participated in such practices, especially if they lived in harsher parts of the pridelands and beyond where food was hard to come by.
In exchange for food the hyenas would be commissioned to do tasks or gather information covertly. Even lionesses, though very rarely, had things they wanted done in secrecy. And they always paid the best…
Ed mumbled something and after a moment or two Banzai’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah. She had these weird requests for some black leaves. A whole bunch of them. Last one was a whole full moon ago though. Haven't seen her since though…”
Both Ed and Banzai could now clearly remember a certain lioness returning to them, always asking for the same thing. In exchange they were given huge chunks of fresh meat.
Hearing that put yet another piece in place for the dark lion. Although, hearing that his friends assisted those three was disheartening, Scar knew that they were foolish to turn down the offer of food, especially to a regular customer, a lioness no less…it might have caused trouble if one of them tattled to Mufasa about their business...
It was an unspoken rule that the ‘market’ wasn’t to be discussed openly, especially within the Pride Lands. If Mufasa found out he would no doubt try to abolish such practices and crack down on the hyenas first and foremost…
Shenzi knew that Banzai and Ed were employed by some lionesses, but she didn’t know they were those lionesses. The leader of the three snarled as she turned to Banzai and Ed. “You mean you actually helped them? Multiple times?!”
“Wha- How was I supposed to know what they needed those leaves for?” Banzai asked. To him it had just seemed like an easy job with good pay, but in retrospect that should actually have made him question it. The Outlands was full of dead plants, gathering the leaves of them was a task anyone could have done for free the moment they crossed the border. To ask someone else to do it meant they couldn’t be seen doing it themselves.
“Argh..darn it...why was I such an idiot!?” In hindsight it was kind of obvious something scummy was going down, but the fresh meat she offered was too good to turn down at the time. He and Ed were thinking with their stomachs rather than their brains. His only defense was they had been really hungry at the time.
Scar was already thinking but Shenzi beat him to it. “You furbrains! If they would have gotten caught, who do you think they would have thrown under the rhino?”
The dark lion was thinking the same thing. If Sumu and her little friends had been caught earlier they could easily rope his friends into their punishment, taking them down with her.
The two hyenas looked immensely ashamed. Not only had they been so easily fooled, but with each job they had been digging a grave for themselves, steadily making it deeper and deeper.
Shenzi looked like she wanted to say more, but Scar put a paw on her shoulder. It was clear to see the two felt more than bad for what they did. And while it would be amusing to see her rip them apart...verbally of course...time was of the essence.
Sure, Sumu was likely the one who came up with the plans, but clearly Azima and Husiena were the ones that made them happen. That meant they were potentially even more dangerous than Sumu herself. And with no leader to guide them, they were loose cannons just waiting to go off.
Like usual, his brother, the great ‘king’ was useless to do anything. He hadn’t even noticed the threat right in front of his muzzle until it literally tried to kill his brother. So now, it was up to himself and his friends to clear the mess before it made itself known. It was his duty after all, as prince he had the right to cast judgement on those who attempted to impersonate and even harm him.
And those two were up for the chopping block, not only for what they did to him; but the plan to pin the blame on the hyenas and even the future danger they might prove to be for his nephew. If they succeeded in taking him out, there was no guarantee their plan would end there. Simba was defenseless as he is now and that would make him the next major target.
In every facet of Scar’s life, they were a major threat that needed to be eliminated immediately.
However he was not as merciful as Mufasa and those two were going to wish they had gone quietly with their leader. Scar knew that rather than actually punishing Sumu, his brother was most likely just asking her pointless questions that she wouldn’t answer. Despite the rules being clearly stated, Mufasa never had the heart for executions. That meant Sumu would likely stay where she was being held until he exiled her quietly, so as to not damage the pride’s reputation...
But the others wouldn’t receive such mercy, their punishments would be swift and decisive. But first, the four of them had to form a plan to lure those two in. It was clear that they were smarter than they appeared to be, smart enough to abandon their leader the moment things went south.
If they were to catch them, they would need something that they could not ignore. Hmm, Scar thought of using himself as the lure, but there were also his friends, they could be a target as well for having crucial evidence. Perhaps if they all worked together…
They discussed the idea and it was then that Ed actually had an idea. There was a cave he knew of that was well secluded. Banzai and Shenzi also knew of other animals that might know something about the lionesses as well...
“Are you positive this information is right?” The lioness known as Azima asked. There was a vulture nearby that had tempted her with some “juicy” information in exchange for some food. She had to ask her partner as the information they received just sounded too good to be true.
Scar and the hyenas they needed to make disappear to cover their own tracks were all gathered in the same place for them to pounce on. Apparently they were away from everyone else, in that secluded location, to plan something in secret.
“Huseina?” She turned to her partner in crime who smirked, “It’s perfect.” she agreed.
From the fact that they were all together too added to the ease of them being in a secluded location. Once they had taken care of them, it would be as simple as leaving them where they lay. No one would be able to find them easily. And if they ever did, they would have had enough time to break Sumu out and flee the lands.
It was time to finish the work of their mothers, they hadn’t been able to fully rid the pridelands of the dark parasite that infected the royal family while the dark lion grew up, Ahadi’s mate had managed to catch them in the act, she had lost her life interfering, but their mothers had been foiled, however where their mothers had failed they would now succeed.
The lionesses prowled towards the location the vulture gave them, talking quietly as they did so.
“We’ll make it quick, do what Sumu couldn’t do and then get the hell out of these lands,” Azima hissed. She had hated Sumu’s approach, it was foolish and risky. Azima had always wanted to involve herself directly. Rather than properly working together, Sumu sent her and Huseina to act on her plans, not even double checking between her ‘friends.’
The only reason Sumu had been “the leader” was because her mother had been the leader in the group of their mothers. The torch passed via bloodline rather than merit. In Sumu’s case she had the bare minimum needed for a leader. Sure, she made a plan but it was flimsy from the start.
It was only because of Azima suggesting she disguise her appearance and Huseina employing some desperate hyenas that it even got this far. And yet it all came tumbling down earlier that very day...all because Scar had actually taken the time to involve himself in what they were doing.
Sumu was compromised from the start; their mothers had told them to keep a distance but she had gotten attached to the pride. When it was all over Sumu wanted to make sure she still was a part of it rather than have to make any sort of sacrifice.
Azima and Huseina weren’t kidding themselves, they knew exactly what really needed to be done. They had to kill the prince, the very brother of the king. There is no looking back after that, no matter how despised Scar was universally. Even if he wasn’t embraced by everyone, there would no doubt be a party of lionesses sent out to find those responsible They would have to run away and never look back, anything else was suicide.
Sumu had fooled herself into thinking she could get him banished if she stirred up enough trouble. It might have worked, if Mufasa had actually paid attention for any extended periods of time. Ironically they had been in a position similar to Scar, able to see the king’s actions through a non-tinted lens. They quickly discovered that the king was rather dense and struggled to comprehend what wasn’t clearly stated or obvious.
Unlike the two of them, she was afraid to get her paws dirty. It would have been so much easier to lure Scar somewhere alone and strike him down all together as one. But Sumu wanted something elaborate because she wanted to have her meat and eat it too. She wanted to simultaneously get rid of Scar while also remaining loyal to the pride which he came from.
“Forget about her. We’re gonna finish this. All the loose ends are right where we need them to be.”
Azima nodded and she paused for a moment, “And what about Simba? He and Scar were looking real chummy back there. You know how much that cub wailed for his precious uncle? When we kill him, eventually the brat’s gonna make a fuss when “Uncle Scar” doesn’t pay him a visit.”
At first Huseina just rolled her eyes. Who cared about that? He was just some cub who would eventually forget about the dark lion. But then again… If Simba and Scar were close, then perhaps the dark lion’s influence had already rubbed off on the future king. If there was even a slight chance of that, then they would have to get rid of Simba so Scar’s corruption didn’t spread any further. It was all for the good of the pride even if they might never see it.
“So, what are we gonna do about it?” The second lioness asked. But she already had a good idea of what her friend’s answer was going to be. Smirks spread on their muzzles as they drew closer to their location.
“And Sumu?”
“Forget about her. She’s a lost cause. How many times have we bailed her out with not even a ‘thank you?’ Leave the weakling behind. Besides...Mufasa is too kindhearted to really do anything serious to her. And we’re gonna need someone to pin all this on.”’
And with that their plan was complete, take out the corrupted one by one, and leave Sumu to take the blame. It was foolproof. And while she would be pleading for her innocence, they would already be long gone.
Up ahead was the cave the vulture said their targets were hiding in. As the two stalked into the darkness of the cavern they were so focused on their target they didn’t notice something was askew.
The two wanted to see the shocked face of Scar before they ended him. They both wanted to savor it and let the dark one finally feel fear.
Both of them strode into the innermost room, it had an opening above that let in moonlight.
“Scar! It’s time to pay!”
Scar was lying comfortably as he talked to the hyenas. When he spotted the two, instead of fear, he grew a rather wicked smirk.
“Ah...Huseina, Azima...I have been expecting you.”
Immediately the two’s sense of danger went off, something was terribly, terribly wrong!
“And so have…” Scar continued, “All of these guests that we’ve invited on your behalf.”
From behind them and from all the dark corners of the room came out very familiar faces. They were predators they cheated and even blackmailed into doing their dirty deeds.
Leopards, hyenas, painted dogs and more. And a cackle from above made them look up and see the vulture they had gotten information out of.
“And they would sooo like to “have a discussion” with the two of you again.”
Indeed, they hadn’t just employed the service of hyenas, but many of the land’s creatures. But the hyenas had been the easiest to pay. For the others, the two lionesses had often broken their promises and agreements or used blackmail.
Scar had learned this as he further investigated those two with his friends. Turns out, Huseina was one to brag about her many great cheats and lies. And Azima had racked up an enormous amount of debt with so many dangerous animals it wasn’t even funny. Word of warning had spread through the outlands’ mercenary circles and the two were heavily wanted.
Using a bit of his royal power, some cunning words, and his own underground status, Scar was able to convince all these ‘fine creatures’ to this very location. Promising those two on a platter and more. Though the first part was more than enticing enough for most.
The cave was filled with the sounds of angry growls, snarls, and squawks from all directions.
“Indeed Azima...it is time to pay.” Scar echoed her own words tauntingly back to her, the opportunity was just too tempting not to.
The two lionesses stood there, visibility shaking as the ones they owed or hurt closed in. If their despair wasn’t enough of a treat, in an act of desperation, Azima was quick to actually trip up Huseina. As the other lioness fell, she tried to make her own escape amidst the distraction. But she ran at the only open space available. That led to her bumping right into Scar. She looked up and her body shook even more against his own. With no way forward or back she desperately began pleading for her life with the very lion they had wanted to kill.
The dark lion made a slightly disgusted face at having her so close. “No offense...but I don’t fancy lionesses like you.” Scar planted his paw on Azima’s face and shoved her, leading to her falling backwards into the crowd of angry waiting animals.
Scar ignored her pleading words, and that at the very last moment she even offered to be his mate. They were all ignored as nothing more than the empty words of someone who was already marked for death. He and his friends watched as she was pounced on by animal after animal who, some quite literally, wanted their pound of flesh from her, all that could be seen was a single paw that reached out from the tight crowd. But it eventually fell limp against the cave floor, signaling her ascension or more likely descent into the afterlife.
Even before they were on Azima, Huseina had been covered by the many hyenas and painted dogs that acted as a joined pack. She hadn’t even managed to scream in terror before she was utterly overwhelmed by fangs and claws. It was the way of the Outlands to be brutal and ruthless, and the lionesses were given no exception…
In the outlands you got as good as you gave, and reputation was everything, so it was crucial not to make too many enemies. These two had thought they were untouchable as they were part of the pride, perhaps that is what made Sumu cling so hard to the Pride Lands? If her deeds had ever caught up to her, she could rely on the lionesses to protect her from the consequences of her actions…
It was very late when the lionesses were cleared out and Scar finished giving the last of what he promised to those who helped him. He had just enough power and resources to be able to pay them all what the lying lioness originally promised. Some might have seen it as a loss, but in truth it had been quite the bargain for him, he’d gotten a lot of good connections out of the deal. Word would no doubt spread throughout the Outlands and Backlands of what he had done, and getting his reputation bolstered would be something Scar could use at a later time. He even had a few new names that he could call upon...
He knew very well to not play with deals made in the other lands, something the dragged away lionesses had learned the hard way…
Shenzi and Banzai had been there to witness the brutality but Ed hung back, Scar allowed it as he didn’t want his friend to witness anything that might mentally scar him. He knew very well that not every Outlander was like the stereotypes said they were. Ed was an example of a hyena who took no pleasure in violence or watching even his enemies die in front of his eyes. Instead, Ed was a shining example of a hyena that was kind and helpful. To his allies at least...
When pushed, Ed would do what needed to be done...and he was frankly scary once he was pushed like that. As kind as he could be, the seemingly dopey hyena was possibly the most cunning and resourceful of them all.
So when it was all set and done, Ed returned to friend’s side. In his own way he asked how it went and Scar spared the more grim details, leaving the hyena at the very least glad that his friend was satisfied and safe now. He was also glad that his clanmates were able to help.
“And you were most helpful in providing the location of this cave, Ed, it was perfect.” Scar assured him. The hyena was happy to receive a little extra praise, and he certainly deserved it. How in the world he had found it in the first place was a mystery, but it couldn’t have been easy. This certainly wasn’t the first time the crazed-looking hyena had a trick up his pelt. It made Scar glad he was an ally rather than an enemy, he frankly wouldn’t be able to plan around Ed, he was just far too unpredictable.
Scar was surprised as Ed got close to him, giving the lion a small hug. Banzai and Shenzi joined it, embracing the lion in a hold of pure affection and care. Right on schedule those bottled up emotions released themselves inside the lion. What have I done to deserve them? He couldn’t help but ask himself as he surprised the three by widening his paws out and pulling all three close.
“Whoa? Heheh...getting a little affectionate there huh?” Shenzi chuckled, not that she or the others minded one bit. Scar merely rolled his eyes a little at the comment.
The hyena pack already had special consideration before, but now Scar was already making plans to pay them back in full when he became king. The Pride Lands was massive and he could sanction off a chunk of it for the hyenas alone. He didn’t reveal this to them, it would be a surprise when all was set and done. A token of his immense gratitude.
That reminded him...of his brother. Seeing the demise of the two lionesses reminded him of the plan he had yet to set in motion. But as much as he hated his brother he didn’t quite like the thought of him receiving a similar grim end like those two. They had earned it from being downright despicable. He had heard the plans they had for him and his nephew from the vultures, knowing that only made their ends all the more satisfying to watch.
But Mufasa’s death would have a lot more ‘finesse’ and drama to it than this frankly blunt approach. It was a true plan with moons upon moons worth of planning behind it.
Scar thought back to how unusually kind Mufasa had been to him these last few days. He figured that perhaps once it was all done he would give his brother a proper, honorable burial.
A last nice gesture between brothers. He could only hope that Simba would understand when he grew older and he revealed the truth. The dark lion had truly come to care about the cub, and he could only hope that Simba wouldn’t truly hate him for what he had to do, that might honestly break his heart if he did. At that point would have lived a full life, and would be prepared to welcome whatever it was that his nephew judged his punishment to be.
However...that time...that sorrow; it was rather far off too. Right now he had a trio of very affectionate hyenas to try and slip out of the embrace of...or maybe he could stay in it...just a little longer...
