A Father / Son Moment

Life had never seemed fair to Scar. He was on patrol that day, making the daily rounds himself to see if anyone new had arrived in his kingdom. Lately, rogue lionesses had been wandering into the Pridelands, and the dark king liked to be the first to greet them. But after the birth of Heshima's cubs, the king had been sullen. He was not known for his mental stability, but in the time that had passed since the four cubs' arrival, his moods had proven to be even more unpredictable.

The dark king had avoided the new mother since the arrival of their litter, unable to look the lioness in the eye after the great disappointment. In fact, Scar had made an effort to avoid nearly everyone in the Pridelands since the births. His vision for the future had been marred by the large litter consisting of only females and one runt of a male. The very sight of the cubs annoyed Scar. So many mouths to feed, and for what? Not a single one was the stuff kings were made of. As he neared the waterhole, he thought vaguely of Mufasa. His older brother had always been the lucky one. He had a devoted queen, a strong son, but he lacked the common sense to banish his scarred brother when he still had the opportunity. Now the old king was gone, but Scar's fortunes seemed impossible to change.

The aging male sat beside the waterhole for a moment's rest before he continued on his way. Then, he heard the sound of grassing rustling behind him, and a brow arched as he turned to scan the area for the intrusion. Few of the lionesses dared approach the dark king, so he sensed it was someone else. "Who's there?" He called out to the unseen.

Oh this did NOT look good, not one single bit. With a small gulp forming in his throat, the young prince called out. "It's me...Kifu." he replied as he padded into the male's line of vision, sitting down next to him in the dirt. "Whatcha doing Daddy?" he questioned as he stared at the male before looking at his reflection in the water, letting out a small growl thinking it was another lion cub. "Go away!" he hissed at it before raising his paw, slamming it against the water making it ripple. "I made it leave!" he beamed as the water broke. "Did ya see that Daddy? Did ya?"

As the small brown cub made his appearance, Scar did not look pleased. "The better question is, what are you doing? Where is your mother?" It was Heshima's responsibility to watch over the cubs. This was one of the first times Scar had been alone with one of his offspring, and he seemed rather uncomfortable. He glanced around to see if any of the cub's sisters had joined him on his adventure away from the safety of the den, but saw that he was alone. It wasn't safe for the boy to be out on his own, though the hyenas all knew better than to make a snack of one of Scar's children.

Kifu was a silly cub, and Scar watched bemusedly as he battled his own reflection on the water's surface. "Don't be foolish, Kifu. You're looking at yourself when you look into the water. See?" To demonstrate his point, the older lion leaned over the edge of the watering hole so that his own image appeared beside his son's in the rippling liquid. He wondered what the cub would think once he realized the scrawny creature before him was indeed Kifu.

"Mom? Mom's at home...I was tired of staying there..so I came to find you." he replied as he smirked slightly as he sent a small stream of water headed Scar's way with a paw. "I got you!" he giggled while smiling at the fact that he had hit his own father with the water which amused him greatly for one so young. "Hey Daddy?" he asked as he stared at the water, "Can we play now?" Crouching down, Kifu flicked his small tail back and forth rapidly awaiting his father to play. "Come on!" he chided as he prodded him with a paw while running around him.

"You must stay with your mother at all times, Kifu. You should know it isn't safe to leave Pride Rock." But as he spoke, the cub had decided to splash Scar, and the older lion bristled as the liquid touched his russet pelt. Scar made a mental note to speak to Heshima once he returned Kifu to her care. It was clear she was not doing her job properly, if one of her cubs was able to escape her sight for even a moment. But there was no use sending the cub home now, for Scar would have to accompany him back, and he had no desire to see the lionesses yet.

Kifu didn't seem contemplative in the slightest, his father noticed, only interested in goofing around. His youth was no excuse, Scar reasoned. The king sat, making no attempts to move even an inch when Kifu asked him to play. The child had plenty of siblings to play with, why did he feel the need to bother an adult with his childishness? A low sigh escaped as he simply watched the cub run loops around him. "We're royal lions. We don't play," he remarked, irritation obvious in his voice. "When you get stronger, you may begin training. Or more accurately, if you get stronger." The cub's father had his doubts.

Stay? At Pride Rock with all those females? No thanks. "I like being with you. You're more fun." Woah wait a second...what did he mean by IF? Kifu stopped running and skidded to a halt. "But..I am strong Daddy..I really am." he answered as his little emerald irises peered up at his father. "All they do is pick on me..." he muttered as he raked his small black claws into the dirt in anger. "Did you ever get picked on?" he questioned as he blew his small hair tuft out of his eyes.

A half-hearted chuckle escaped as Kifu claimed his father was fun. Scar considered himself to be many things, but fun was certainly not one of them. Finally, his cruel comment seemed to hit the young cub, the suggestion that he would not grow up to be a strong lion surprising in spit of his small stature. "You're not strong," he corrected, voice serious. "Perhaps one day, if you work very hard, you will be strong." It was the best Scar could do to encourage his scrawny son. There was a chance that the boy would surprise them all one day, but if his play brawls with his older sisters were any indication, he simply didn't have the build to be a fight.

Then again, neither did his father. Scar had never been the strong sibling either, and Kifu's inquiry about being picked on seemed to soften his expression slightly. "I had an older sibling, as well. I know that they're not much fun." Looking down into his son's jade eyes, Scar couldn't help but see a bit of himself in the cub, but it wasn't the side of himself that he cared to acknowledge. "He picked on me, yes. Now, he's dead." It was very rare that the king spoke of his fallen brother, and once again, his demeanor clouded with the dark thoughts that crept into his mind.

The cub's eyes widened as his jaw dropped in surprise. "So I can kill Ari, Giza and Tasa for picking on me?" The very thought of revenge, though he didn't know it, made him smile on the inside for some bizarre reason. A small smirk crossed his maw. "When I get big, I'm gonna get back at them...somehow."

Kifu smiled as he padded towards his father and laid down next to him before rolling in the dirt to cool off from the high noonday sun. "Daddy? Can we go do King stuffs now? Like fighting and killing and all that? I wanna get strong right now, like you!"

The young prince wished with all his little heart to grow as strong, no, stronger than his older sisters, and possibly his father even so he could be the one to boss them around, except Scar, and he definitely wanted to start soon in that area to gain an advantage.

"Now, now. You're putting words in my mouth. My brother is dead because of a terrible accident." Scar could not reveal the truth, not even to his own flesh and blood. If his little secret were to get out, there was no telling how the pride would react. If Scar were to lose a daughter or two, it would be no skin off his back, since Kifu had so many female litter mates, but he didn't want to give his son any ideas. The smile that appeared on Kifu's face at the idea brought a similar one to Scar's sharp features, regardless. Life father, like son: the two lions had dark thoughts from the very start, and now the king could see a bit of himself in his boy.

Perhaps a little healthy competition would do the runt good. The girls would never be king, while Kifu had at least the faintest glimmer of hope for ascending the throne someday. But even Scar felt the faintest bit of paternal instinct towards his three daughters. They were his property, just like the adult lionesses, and they could be useful down the line. "There's more to being king than fighting and killing, son. It's the duty of a king to protect his lionesses, even annoying sisters."

It was good to see the cub had some interest in royal activities and growing stronger, and Scar felt the slightest twinge of pride as he looked down on his tiny son. In many ways, Kifu was just like his father. Who among the pride would have guessed that little Taka would eventually be king instead of Mufasa? Scar knew first hand that it was wise, by his standards, to give the cub some hope that he too could lead someday, in spite of his diminutive stature. Just then, Scar detected faint movement in the tall grass nearby, and he turned his attention towards the sound. "Look." A small gray mouse darted out from a hole in the ground, dashing by the two lions in a panic. "Now, catch it. Do whatever it takes."

Jade eyes widened at the sight of the mouse's presence. Oh was this ever a perfect opportunity! Crouching low to the ground, Kifu moved slowly towards his intended target. Stopped. Then moved again. The mouse's ears perked up in surprise as it spied the the cub moving towards him. With a lunge Kifu flew through the air causing the mouse to skitter away in surprise once the little prince landed.

Extremely frustrated and slightly embarrassed, the dark cub swept his little paw in the dirt sending dust flying while letting out a growl. ”Where’d it go? I’ll tear it in half!” Kifu yelled at the top of his lungs as his jade irises darted right and left in search of his prey.
He wasn't about to make a fool in front of his father, and especially let himself down.

Father watched son with vague amusement. He hadn't expected Kifu to succeed on his first try, but the young cub failed rather miserably, and the mouse disappeared into another safe hole beneath the roots of a shrub. Scar's ears folded back in distaste when the brown cub yelled in frustration. Well, at least the boy had the instinct to destroy his prey once it was caught, but it seemed doubtful he had the natural talent to be a skillful hunter. Had his mother taught the boy nothing so far? Well, there was time enough for a quick lesson. "Quiet, now. You'll only scare away your prey by carrying on like a hyena."

He slipped to the side of his offspring, dark nostrils flaring for the scent of the rodent. "Use all of your senses when stalking prey. Smell for it. Listen." Here, Scar fell silent, to prove his point. The grasslands were nearly silent that day, save distant birds squawking amongst one another in a nearby grove of acacia trees. He waited to see if the cub could find the mouse now, and what he would do once he found its hiding place.

Kifu closed, or rather squinted them shut and perked his ears up. "I don't hear anything.." he answered as he opened one eye while turning his head to stare at his father next to him.

How was he supposed to catch it if he couldn't hear his prey moving around in the first place? He tried sniffing as well, but only let out a small sneeze as he did so. "I..I'm sorry." he replied as he looked away from Scar, his dark rimmed ears dropping slightly in shame, his small eyes beginning to be on the verge of filling with tears. What good was he to his father, or heck even the whole pride itself? "I'm no good at anything.." he said quietly, his voice breaking as he spoke. Kifu quickly found himself clutching to his father's leg for comfort and reassurance from the hunting ordeal.

An irritated sigh escaped as Scar watched the cub become emotional. The scene reminded him of how Simba had reacted after Mufasa's death, the hopeless, helpless look in his eyes as he sought comfort from the unsympathetic Scar. Kifu was only a cub, yet his childish antics seemed only to annoy his father once again. The larger lion shook his paw free of the cub, only to pat him on the head in a feeble attempt at comfort, leaving his growing bud of a mane dusty. "There, there. It takes practice and patience."

Scar's relationship with his own father had been strained from the start. Mufasa had always been his favorite, though the younger son of Ahadi could never see why. At this point, Scar himself had no favorites. His trio of daughters were a disappointment he had not yet faced, and Kifu... Well, at least he was a boy. Gesturing in the direction of the mouse's hiding place beneath the roots. "It's under there. Get it out, whatever it takes, and don't let it escape." He'd give the cub another chance to prove himself. Maybe what Kifu lacked in muscle and strength, he made up for in cunning, like his father.

His father had actually touched him! Actual contact! Kifu's little heart overflowed with joy as he patted his head. "I'll get it Daddy!" Having indicated where the mouse was, Kifu nonchalantly walked past the bush then quickly turned and seized the mouse. Picking it up by its tail, he trotted back over to Scar. "I got it!" he beamed as he sat down in front of the king.

"Watch this!" Placing it down under his small paw by the tail, Kifu extended his claws and smirked at the rodent while watching try to escape, then with a single clawed digit, the cub slowly raked it deep down the mouse's back causing blood to seep from its small body. Squeals of protest came from the mouse but still the little prince continued until it was no more.

The russet lion observed in silence as the cub attempted again to catch the mouse. Now, he was more successful. Kifu didn't hesitate to destroy the doomed rodent. Not only that, but he had inflicted terrible pain upon the helpless creature before it was dead. The sight brought a smile to Scar's face. Was it actual pride he felt for his son? The dark king wasn't entirely certain, but it was progress. "Well done. It just takes a bit of practice. Keep it up and you will get bigger." Who knows? Perhaps extra rodents or lizards would fatten the boy up, give him some muscle. It was impossible for a runt to be anything but, Scar knew it deep down, but at least Kifu would have a reason to work hard.

"Has your mother taught you anything about hunting?" Scar would be surprised to learn that Heshima did much of anything, since she had failed that day to keep an eye on her son. He took no responsibility for the raising of his own cubs, leaving it all up to their mothers instead, but it never seemed to be enough for the king. If the cubs weren't perfect, he would blame the mothers rather than himself, naturally. He glanced up, half expecting to see the cream colored lioness he had cast aside coming to fetch their son, but the pair seemed to be alone still.

Kifu shuffled as he was about to ask his next question. "Daddy? Can..well..can we wrestle? Tasa keeps picking on me and I wanna fight back." Truth was he didn't want this quality time with his father to end, he absolutely loved every second of it, since the king didn't really pay all that much attention to their family so Kifu figured he'd have to make a way to spend time together. "I wanna be able to beat Tasa in a fight."

With a small smirk upon his maw, the cub crouched down and flicked his tail back and forth awaiting for his father to give him some lessons on how to fight properly. After all, he was a prince, and princes should always learn to fight well to defend their lands from invasions of other prides and the like.

Even as a cub, Scar (then Taka) was not the most active, playful creature. He was more the type to hang around in the shade while the other cubs pranced around like fools, getting themselves into sticky situations. His son's request to wrestle was met with an eyebrow arched high over his bright green eyes, as if he didn't understand what Kifu wanted. "Wrestle? Do you mean, you want to be trained to fight?"

Now, any sane, normal parent would likely encourage their offspring to talk out their problems rather than resorting to violence. But the idea of his little son being picked on, even beat up by a sister was too much for Scar's pride. A son ought to be strong, able to keep female siblings in line, but Kifu was simply too small to have a chance against his litter mates. Scar had never had a sister, but he imagined they could be very trying. "Is Tasa a troublemaker?" He thought back to the female cubs, trying to recall which was which. Tasa was the one that looked like her mother, the only cub of the litter to inherit her creamy coat. "As I said, it will take a good deal of practice in order to succeed."

Finally, with some reluctance, the older lion lowered his dark maned head to his son's level. "You must promise you will work hard to improve yourself. With effort, you will best all of your sisters, easily. That's how it should be, Kifu." A slow smile spread across his sharp features at the thought that Kifu could someday make himself into something he wasn't. It would take a miracle, but at least it would give the boy something to do. He didn't realize that his challenge might mean the cub would drive him crazy, trying to get his attention and training.

Kifu sat up drinking in all the words his father had to say on the subject. "Well..n..no. I guess.." he shrugged. "She's always bugging me though by calling me Fufu..." his expression became that of a pout at the mere mention of the nickname he was bestowed. Lying down in a huff while turning away from Scar, he muttered, "But I want her to stop calling me that nickname..I hate it."

The young prince quirked a brow in interest."I could? Can we fight now Daddy? I wanna see if I can beat you...with practice of course." he smirked as he rolled onto his back and began to bat at Scar's nose quite hard to imply that he was ready.

A cruel nickname was certainly something old Scar could identify with. It had been Mufasa who had first used the name that eventually stuck. Kifu didn't want to be trained, or at least, he didn't think he wanted to. But Scar thought otherwise. "You're giving me your word, as a prince, that you will work hard. Is that right?"

He would oblige his son's request to fight the best way he knew. His face was still level with Kifu's. Then, without warning, a large paw swiped out beneath the cub to sweep him off his feet. "Lesson one: Pay attention." Unconsciously, a smile widened at the sight, feeling no guilt for roughing the cub up. It was what he had asked for, after all. The Great Spirit only knows what the boy's mother would say if she saw his father treating him so. Heshima was timid, and now Scar suspected her weak nature was rubbing off on her cubs -- no, on his cubs. Perhaps his influence on the litter was necessary, after all.

His body still pressed flat to the ground, he looked to see how Kifu would react to the unexpected abuse before pushing up into a sitting position. "Now, it's your turn. Attack me. Go on." His voice goaded the young cub onward, certain the scrawny thing would fail miserably at his first attempt.

"Oh yes Daddy! I'll work very hard!" he beamed as he laid on his back. "Pay wha?" Before he knew it, his little body was off the ground and held in the air. "Ahh! Daddy!" the cub shrieked half in surprise, the other half in happiness. Kicking his small back legs against the air to at least try and get some sense of grounding, the cub began to squirm while trying his absolute best to paw at his father before slipping from his grip and landing with a thud upon the ground. "Oof!"

It was now his turn to attack. Rolling over and shaking the dust off himself, Kifu furrowed his brow and unsheathed his claws and let out a yell as he ran towards Scar intending to swipe him as he ran past.

Scar was now standing on all four paws as Kifu collected himself. He seemed to handle the pain well enough, but so far, the lion was going on easy on the cub. He didn't necessarily want to hurt the boy, but then, how else would he learn? His lip curled back in a growl, and though it was intended to be playful, it wasn't his fine point, and the look in his green eyes was menacing.

In spite of his larger size, it was easy for Scar to sidestep Kifu's attempt at charging. A cruel laugh erupted as the cub was sent hurling past his father, in the direction of the water's edge behind Scar. "Lesson two!" He called out, amusement in his voice. "Be stealthy. Be... sneaky. How can you attack someone head-on and expect to win? They will see you coming and you're done for."

With a growl emitting from his throat, Kifu charged once more, this time running underneath Scar and jumping up trying his best to cut Scar on his nose, or at least his muzzle. "Get down here you..you coward!" he shouted as he shut his eyes and jumped up into the air repeatedly.

This was getting him nowhere, but the young prince was determined to prove that his way of "fighting" was guaranteed to help him win in their competition. Opening his eyes his ran underneath Scar and hid in his shadow. "Can't get me now Daddy!" he giggled.

With Kifu's words, Scar's demeanor changed instantly. Any hint of playful was washed away, and his eyes narrowed at the cub. "Don't call me that, do you hear me?" A flash of anger appeared in his emerald eyes, and Kifu's continued attempts to play only seemed to enrage him further. He giggled like a child, and Scar turned towards him now, eyes blazing. His paw rose again, coming down hard on Kifu's skinny tail. He had no concern for the cub's well-being now, and pressed down hard to make his point. "Who do you think you are, calling me that word?"

Coward was something he had been called before, years ago, it was something the lionesses whispered amongst themselves. Had the cub heard it from them? Scar could only guess what was said behind his back, among the pride when he was away from Pride Rock. He lifted his paw again, releasing Kifu's tail, and turned sharply away from the cub, padding away from the water hole. Lessons were over for the day, as far as he was concerned. His own son had wounded his pride.

His giggles were suddenly interrupted by pain in his tail. "Ow! Stop you're hurting me!" he cried as he was practically nose to nose with the enraged male. "I...what?"

The young prince sat there in utter confusion before trotting off after his father. "Daddy? What's wrong Daddy?" the cub pestered as he stared up at his father, twitching his tail while running on ahead of him and sitting down. "Hey! I asked what's wrong!" he shouted as his jade eyes narrowed while he watched his father closely.

Kifu didn't understand why Scar was acting like this towards him. One moment the two were having a great time together and the next, it was all destroyed by something that he said by mistake. If Scar were to try and move anywhere, Kifu would try to block his way as best as he could or just get up and continue following him around until he was provided with an answer.

The sound of Kifu's shouting was like nails on a chalk board to Scar, and he wished the cub would just disappear. No explanation was offered as Scar stopped in his tracks, looking down at the cub that sat down before him. He shot Kifu a nasty look before stepping around him to continue on his way. If the cub were to step in front of his paws, he would easily be stepped on, or kicked aside. Now Scar's focus was on Pride Rock, looming in the distance.

"Your mother will punish you for leaving the den by yourself, as well she should," he guessed idly, not bothering to look down at Kifu again as he walked on, brooding and unhappy. "I'll have to speak to her about teaching all of you manners. That's what you're lacking, each and every one of you." He was muttering under his breath, more to himself than to Kifu, voice low and rumbling, like thunder.