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The Quiet Before the Storm part 19

Masilahi was in a good mood. After twelve years as Queen of the Pride Lands, she was confident in her abilities, and she and Ahadi had gone beyond repairing the damage of Nyeusi's reign and had brought the Pride Lands to their full strength. Just yesterday, she had negotiated with the Low Lands to let them use their watering holes because of the drought. All in all, a very good day.

She had slept overnight in a cave on the edges of the Pride Lands and had traveled part of a day to reach Pride Rock, so it was not yet sunset by the time she got there. She was surprised to see Ahadi and a few lionesses gathered near the cave, but surprise faded to worry as she took in their expressions. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Ahadi turned to her with guilt and horror in his green eyes, causing Masilahi's blood to go cold. She hadn't seen such a look in his eyes since Manufaa had died. In a low tone, he admitted, "Taka's been hurt. He's in the cave."

Heart in her throat, Masilahi hurried past her mate into the cave. When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she could see a huddled shape. Her heart froze. "Taka?"

Several moments passed before her son finally turned to look at her. Relief that he wasn't too badly hurt soon turned to horror. There was blood all around his eye, but what really hit her was the look in his eyes. Those green eyes, once so like Manufaa's, were now cold as ice and full of loathing. She's never seen so dark a look in any lion's eyes, not even in Hodari's.

Taka glared unblinkingly at his mother. "Hello, Mother."

Masilahi finally found her voice again. "Taka, what happened? Oh, your poor eye!" She moved to lick away the blood, but Taka stepped back, a slight growl rumbling in his throat.

The queen was once again struck by the look in Taka's eyes. Before she could ask what was wrong, the prince spoke in a cold tone, "I expect Father told you what happened?"

Masilahi shook her head. Taka chuckled without mirth. "Ah, them you'll just have to ask him, won't you?"

"Taka - "

"That is not my name." The words were spoken in a fierce growl, so unlike his normal tone. The prince lifted his head proudly, the blood still running from the scratch by his eye. "I am Scar now."

Masilahi's eyes widened in shock. “Scar?” she whispered. Then she shook her head. “Taka, what are you talking about?”

Her son's lips quirked into a small, cruel smile. “I said that I'm Scar now.”

The queen tried to control her rising panic. “Don't be ridiculous. You're not Scar, you're my little Taka.”

The prince froze, smile fading. “Am I? Have I ever been Taka to you, Mother?” Every muscle tensed, he began to stalk around his mother, his green gaze never moving from her face as he circled her. “You never saw me for who I am. You tried to fit me into this picture you had in your head, a picture I just don't fit. You wanted me to be the cub you had in your head, but you never wanted me to be me.” He let out a fierce snarl, eyes flashing. “Well I'm not Taka anymore. Taka waited for his parents to see him for who he was. But they never did. Father tries to ignore me every chance he can, but you, you see me as something I'm not. So now I'm Scar, and Scar doesn't wait for his parents to see him.” He thrust his muzzle in Masilahi's face, his expression suddenly full of malice. Despite her best efforts, Masilahi felt a thrill of fear. “I will make you see me, and trust me, you won't like what you see.”

With that, he turned and stormed out of the den. Masilahi watched him go in shock, still trembling from what she'd seen. The lion she'd just spoken to wasn't her Taka, not anymore. And it was her fault. Scar was right, she hadn't been there for her son any more than Ahadi. She'd just been fooling herself into thinking that.

The queen didn't look up as she heard pawsteps coming into the den. She felt a side brush against hers, and a head rest on top of hers. “Oh, Masilahi,” the King whispered, “What have we done?”

Masilahi felt tears burning in the back of her eyes. “He hates us, 'Hadi,” she whispered.

The queen turned to burrow her face in her mate's mane. She could feel the king trembling, and she knew he blamed himself just as much as she did.

They had ruined their son.

SCENEBREAK

Ahadi waited until a few days after the incident with the water buffalo to try and approach Taka. The prince glared at him coldly when he walked up to him at the watering hole early in the morning, green eyes cool and emotionless. “What do you want?” he growled.

The king felt guilt clenching at his heart, but forced himself to say, “We need to talk, son.”

Taka let out a cold, mirthless laugh. “Oh, so now he wants to talk, does he?”

Ignoring his son's reply, Ahadi pushed on. “I'm sorry about what happened with Mufasa. I... I'm sorry I was never there for you. I truly am. But you could've gotten your brother killed.”

The prince blinked back at him, unconcerned. “So?” he asked coolly.

Ahadi felt a chill at the words. He felt Taka didn't mean them in that way, but the sentiment was still there. “Listen. I know that things between us have never been good, but Mufasa hasn't done anything to you. I don't want your relationship to be ruined because of me and your mother.”

Taka rolled his eyes. “Hasn't done anything? That about sums it up. He's never done anything for me. He could be a passing rogue for all he cares about me.” He lifted his head, a growl rumbling in his throat. “I have no reason to care for him as a brother, just as I have no reason to care for you. You had a chance to be my family, and you lost it.”

Taka turned and stormed off, leaving King Ahadi stewing in his guilt, knowing he had done this to his son, and that it was far too late to fix.

------------------------------

So, Taka becomes Scar, though his parents still kinda call him Taka, though they occasionally think of him as Scar. Sorry for the delay in getting this up, I had the picture done, I was just a little blocked on the story. In fact, I've got all the pictures done for the last three chapters of this story. That's right, there's only three parts left to this story.

Oh, and I'm going with the Six New Adventures canon on how Taka got his scar.

Description
Prologue: [link]
Previous: [link]
Next: [link]

The Quiet Before the Storm part 19

Masilahi was in a good mood. After twelve years as Queen of the Pride Lands, she was confident in her abilities, and she and Ahadi had gone beyond repairing the damage of Nyeusi's reign and had brought the Pride Lands to their full strength. Just yesterday, she had negotiated with the Low Lands to let them use their watering holes because of the drought. All in all, a very good day.

She had slept overnight in a cave on the edges of the Pride Lands and had traveled part of a day to reach Pride Rock, so it was not yet sunset by the time she got there. She was surprised to see Ahadi and a few lionesses gathered near the cave, but surprise faded to worry as she took in their expressions. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Ahadi turned to her with guilt and horror in his green eyes, causing Masilahi's blood to go cold. She hadn't seen such a look in his eyes since Manufaa had died. In a low tone, he admitted, "Taka's been hurt. He's in the cave."

Heart in her throat, Masilahi hurried past her mate into the cave. When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she could see a huddled shape. Her heart froze. "Taka?"

Several moments passed before her son finally turned to look at her. Relief that he wasn't too badly hurt soon turned to horror. There was blood all around his eye, but what really hit her was the look in his eyes. Those green eyes, once so like Manufaa's, were now cold as ice and full of loathing. She's never seen so dark a look in any lion's eyes, not even in Hodari's.

Taka glared unblinkingly at his mother. "Hello, Mother."

Masilahi finally found her voice again. "Taka, what happened? Oh, your poor eye!" She moved to lick away the blood, but Taka stepped back, a slight growl rumbling in his throat.

The queen was once again struck by the look in Taka's eyes. Before she could ask what was wrong, the prince spoke in a cold tone, "I expect Father told you what happened?"

Masilahi shook her head. Taka chuckled without mirth. "Ah, them you'll just have to ask him, won't you?"

"Taka - "

"That is not my name." The words were spoken in a fierce growl, so unlike his normal tone. The prince lifted his head proudly, the blood still running from the scratch by his eye. "I am Scar now."

Masilahi's eyes widened in shock. “Scar?” she whispered. Then she shook her head. “Taka, what are you talking about?”

Her son's lips quirked into a small, cruel smile. “I said that I'm Scar now.”

The queen tried to control her rising panic. “Don't be ridiculous. You're not Scar, you're my little Taka.”

The prince froze, smile fading. “Am I? Have I ever been Taka to you, Mother?” Every muscle tensed, he began to stalk around his mother, his green gaze never moving from her face as he circled her. “You never saw me for who I am. You tried to fit me into this picture you had in your head, a picture I just don't fit. You wanted me to be the cub you had in your head, but you never wanted me to be me.” He let out a fierce snarl, eyes flashing. “Well I'm not Taka anymore. Taka waited for his parents to see him for who he was. But they never did. Father tries to ignore me every chance he can, but you, you see me as something I'm not. So now I'm Scar, and Scar doesn't wait for his parents to see him.” He thrust his muzzle in Masilahi's face, his expression suddenly full of malice. Despite her best efforts, Masilahi felt a thrill of fear. “I will make you see me, and trust me, you won't like what you see.”

With that, he turned and stormed out of the den. Masilahi watched him go in shock, still trembling from what she'd seen. The lion she'd just spoken to wasn't her Taka, not anymore. And it was her fault. Scar was right, she hadn't been there for her son any more than Ahadi. She'd just been fooling herself into thinking that.

The queen didn't look up as she heard pawsteps coming into the den. She felt a side brush against hers, and a head rest on top of hers. “Oh, Masilahi,” the King whispered, “What have we done?”

Masilahi felt tears burning in the back of her eyes. “He hates us, 'Hadi,” she whispered.

The queen turned to burrow her face in her mate's mane. She could feel the king trembling, and she knew he blamed himself just as much as she did.

They had ruined their son.

SCENEBREAK

Ahadi waited until a few days after the incident with the water buffalo to try and approach Taka. The prince glared at him coldly when he walked up to him at the watering hole early in the morning, green eyes cool and emotionless. “What do you want?” he growled.

The king felt guilt clenching at his heart, but forced himself to say, “We need to talk, son.”

Taka let out a cold, mirthless laugh. “Oh, so now he wants to talk, does he?”

Ignoring his son's reply, Ahadi pushed on. “I'm sorry about what happened with Mufasa. I... I'm sorry I was never there for you. I truly am. But you could've gotten your brother killed.”

The prince blinked back at him, unconcerned. “So?” he asked coolly.

Ahadi felt a chill at the words. He felt Taka didn't mean them in that way, but the sentiment was still there. “Listen. I know that things between us have never been good, but Mufasa hasn't done anything to you. I don't want your relationship to be ruined because of me and your mother.”

Taka rolled his eyes. “Hasn't done anything? That about sums it up. He's never done anything for me. He could be a passing rogue for all he cares about me.” He lifted his head, a growl rumbling in his throat. “I have no reason to care for him as a brother, just as I have no reason to care for you. You had a chance to be my family, and you lost it.”

Taka turned and stormed off, leaving King Ahadi stewing in his guilt, knowing he had done this to his son, and that it was far too late to fix.

------------------------------

So, Taka becomes Scar, though his parents still kinda call him Taka, though they occasionally think of him as Scar. Sorry for the delay in getting this up, I had the picture done, I was just a little blocked on the story. In fact, I've got all the pictures done for the last three chapters of this story. That's right, there's only three parts left to this story.

Oh, and I'm going with the Six New Adventures canon on how Taka got his scar.