Scar worked hard alongside the hyenas to make his dream a reality. It certainly wasn’t easy and it required much sacrifice in the form of time and effort. But steadily the land they tended to grew life again for the first time in years. There was much celebrating when the first signs of nature sprouted from the previously barren land. But even then, they continued to nurture the land, and in return more and more plant life grew forth. Alongside their own work, nature itself was naturally spreading across the open land, making the process easier and quicker than expected. “Well, Scar. We managed to do it and this place actually looks pretty good now.”  Scar stood alongside his friends as they were now taking in the sight of the newly reformed Outlands. It had taken a lot of time and effort, much more than any of them could recall, but they had managed to restore a balance of nature to the land.  “And that means,” Shenzi said before she bowed before the lion, “You’re the new king of the Outlands.”  There was no qualms with the decree and many others were showing their respect to the lion who led the efforts. Scar was gracious in his acceptance of the role but there was something that bothered him about the title.  “I am happy that you all trust me, but I am not looking to actually rule over you all.”  The words were met with murmurs and looks of confusion between the hyenas. But they were silenced by a simple raise of Scar’s paw.  “Rather, I will be establishing a kingdom where all creatures, even lions and hyenas alike, can have their say.” Thanks to his upbringing, Scar had seen what the power of a king could do to a lion. He wanted to avoid the corruption that engulfed his father. Instead, Scar aimed to be the leader he wished his own father truly was. Via his new kingdom, he would be giving others what he could never have.  And within the coming months, Scar indeed became a leader for the common creature. He was empathetic to those who were cast out and deemed unworthy for their own homes. Once they stumbled into the Outlands, they were welcomed as someone of value as a living being at the very least.  Scar made it clear to the kingdom’s inhabitants, both new and old, that he valued those who populated the land rather than any long standing traditions. And he backed up those words with his actions; he listened to the grievances of others and acted accordingly to ease their distress. Every animal was on an equal level, making all of their conflicts valid in his eyes.  And with the inhabitants having their words heard and seeing action being made accordingly, they were soon praising Scar’s name. Some were even spreading it to the neighboring land, prompting word to spread rather quickly within the Pride Lands.  The Pride Lands itself was doing rather well without the threat of hyena invasions. There were nary eyes or hair of them for a tremendous amount of time. Many were questioning why that was the case, even the king himself. But it was not long at all that word soon reached the king himself.  “It would seem, sire, that the lion formerly known as Taka has taken on the position of the Outlands’ new ruler. Word has been spreading about the new state of our neighboring kingdom. Quite a few cross over to see for themselves and I’m afraid that most of them do not come back…”  Mufasa wouldn’t have believed the words if they had not come from Zazu himself. It was the most shocking report he had ever been given; one that finally answered a lot of questions that were ruminating within his mind. It simultaneously explained why his brother had not returned and where the hyenas were doing if they were not trying to invade.  But the last part of Zazu’s report is what really had the king upset. His own inhabitants were being taken by his brother? How could something like that even be?  Days went by and Mufasa was hearing more and more of the goings in the new kingdom next to his own. The news came not only from Zazu but many within the Pride Lands. He could hear some saying that they paid the Outlands a visit and that it was a nice place. Knowing that they still returned regardless eased some of Mufasa’s worries.  Scar was made aware that his brother knew of the many changes in his life, but he couldn’t have been bothered to dwell on it. Instead, the lion was busy with the many animals that were joining the Outlands each day.  The lion didn’t keep the animals confined to a strict set of rules. He was aware that each animal was different and had different needs. In the spirit of that, Scar let them do as they desired but he stepped in when major problems started to arise. He and some hyenas that he had appointed acted as the peacekeepers.  When conflicts arose between major groups, Scar was able to come up with a compromise between the two rather than putting one side down. He made sure that everyone had what they needed to prosper in their own right.  It was hard work but the dark lion was left feeling satisfied knowing that everyone he helped walked away much happier. And as the days went on, the conflicts were getting fewer and fewer. Quite a few were solved by the inhabitants themselves before Scar could even arrive on the scene.  That gave Scar more time to actually enjoy the product of all his hard work. Rather than secluding himself within a cave high above, the dark furred lion very much preferred getting to know those within the Outlands. He could be seen often just strolling through the plains, stopping to talk to those nearby.  But a majority of Scar’s free time was spent with the creatures who helped him achieve his goal in the first place. He paid them frequent visits, often again thanking them for the umpteenth time.  “We should be thanking you, boss,” Banzai said, getting close to the lion. “We’re all living the good life because of you.”  “Well, that was what I always wanted.” Scar chuckled as he followed Banzai in the major chamber of the hyena den. There were a lot of ways to show his friend’s gratitude, but a certain way was a lot more fun than the others... “So, how are they progressing over there, Zazu?” The hornbill touched down with a sorry look on his face. “I’m sorry, sire. But the Outlands is growing everyday and they are already on route to rivaling the Pride Lands itself.”  Ever since the king of the Pride Lands heard those words, he put even more effort into running his own kingdom. After listening to the improvements made to the Outlands, Mufasa was determined to do something even better.  At first the inhabitants of the land were confused as to why so many changes were happening so rapidly, but those who had a paw in both Pride Lands and Outlands soon spread the word of this ‘rivalry between kingdoms.’ Once they understood, this race between the two lands was met with praise within the Pride Lands. Changes were coming faster than ever before and a majority of them were for the better. For many, it was difficult to choose which land they wanted to stay in for the long term.  While Mufasa was racking his brain for new ways to one up his brother, Scar himself was simply enacting the proper changes to ensure future prosperity. He had heard of this little game of back and forth that his brother was playing, but Scar himself couldn’t have cared less. For him, enacting change was about more than some race to stay on top, he wanted to see the land he called home become an even better place.  A major blow came when Zazu reported that a fair number of the Pride Lands’ own lionesses had defected to join the Outlanders. There had been no news of them since they had crossed over. The hornbill found it safe to assume they were not returning anytime soon, much to Mufasa’s own dismay and frustration.  Now, the king of the Pride Lands was starting to doubt himself. As far as he knew, he was the superior leader. So why were so many leaving all of a sudden? What did his little brother have that he did not? At first he was sure that Scar’s kingdom was doomed to fail. But word had spread that the hyenas were somehow rehabilitated. They no longer had a desire to steal from the Pride Lands or anything else of the sorts. Most of them kept to the Outlands itself now, but there were a few that paid the Pride Lands a visit, showing just how well behaved they were now.  For some reason, having the hyenas have no interest in the Outlands actually bothered him. For years the hyenas wanted to get into the Pride Lands but now it’s suddenly not good enough for them anymore? Even worse for Mufasa, word was spreading about Scar’s new solidified order of equality. It was now openly stated that all creatures, be they big or small, predator or even prey, would be represented and heard within the Outlands. All they had to do in exchange was do their part by maintaining the land and participating in their part of the true circle of life.  There were whispers among the Pridelanders. Scar’s offer proposed questions they had never asked about their own lands until now. Suddenly, entrusting their freedoms and lives to a lion, one who was on the top of the food chain, was starting to feel like a detraction on their end. These ideas were aided by some hyenas and vultures who paid a visit to the Pride Lands, looking to spread the word about their homeland and even pick up some new members. They even had slogans and a rehearsed advertisement that they would recite to those nearby:  “Tired of being tied down by tradition? Want to do something that your kind is not ‘supposed’ to do? Want more freedom to just be yourself? Come to the Outlands...where new opportunities await everyone. There you can be heard, regardless of what species you are, predator or prey. And you are free to do as you please. But such freedom does come at a cost: You must contribute and be responsible with how you use said freedom.” Mufasa continued to keep pace with the Outlands, but he was forced to settle down a bit by the arrival of his cub, Simba. Just as it was the day of his own birth, a celebration was held to honor the continuation of the royal lineage.  For a small while, the king of the Pride Lands was distracted by the new arrival. But he couldn’t neglect the duties he had for long. So he entrusted Sarabi and the other lioness to care for Simba when he simply could not.  Even though the birth of a successor was a huge victory on his part, Mufasa wasn’t able to shake the success of his brother’s kingdom. And when he was told all that happened while he was away, the golden lion all the more focused on proving himself and his kingdom better.  His brother being able to lead a kingdom well and for this long, it went against everything he was told his entire childhood. Ahadi himself had even told his son in secret that Taka was doomed to fail from the moment he was born. And without him, the weaker lion would be nothing. But that wasn’t the case, it was the complete opposite.  Instead, Scar was thriving and his kingdom was as well. Just as Zazu had predicted, the Outlands was already on the same level as the Pride Lands in terms of both size and power. It all happened so fast, leaving Mufasa to wonder how. And with the many animals that were crossing over, the Pride Lands’ king feared Scar’s influence would spread further until he was the one left with nothing.  That mix of fear and unspoken jealousy drove Mufasa to focus solely on the building of his own kingdom. It took priority over everything else, his friends, his mate, and even his own young son, Simba. What started as a friendly and healthy rivalry became an obsession for Mufasa. He was eager to hear the daily happenings of his brother’s kingdom. He would revel in the bad news and seethe upon hearing good things taking place. It was clear to Zazu that his king was becoming too focused on the matters of another kingdom, more than his own at this point, but he had to obey the king’s wishes. So the hornbill continued to deliver the daily news from the Outlands, further feeding the king’s obsession.  Even time with his own son was interrupted when there was talk of something new happening in the Outlands, be it bad or good. This happened more often than the king realized and it was noticed by more and more of the Pridelanders.  The lionesses hadn’t caught onto his obsession until it was too late to correct it. At first they actively encouraged it as things were improving rapidly at first, but now it was clear to see the product of their mistake. Simba was hardly attended to by his own father. The problem evolved further into him neglecting Sarabi as well, prompting the lioness to leave him.  Sarabi and the other lioness took it upon themselves to raise the young cub. They did the best they could and did well in bringing the young lion up. But they sorely lacked the knowledge of what it took to rule an entire kingdom. Nevertheless, they tutored Simba and they watched as the lion grew into a strong and king young adult.  But the problem of his lack of ruling knowledge was glaring. Sarabi suggested that Scar could teach Simba about ruling while there was still time, but Mufasa forbade such a thing as soon as he caught wind of her idea. He wouldn’t allow his brother to corrupt his son, no matter what Sarabi or even Zazu said.  The time did eventually come when Simba was to assume the throne. The process was expedited thanks to Mufasa’s obsessive behavior and his son’s own desire to properly run the kingdom. The arrangements were made and to the shock of many, Mufasa actually agreed. He was tired of running himself ragged with what his brother was doing. He knew he needed to take a step back and let someone else take over.  Just as the ceremony of every newly crowned king, Simba’s was met with much praise and cheers. But there was a wariness and unspoken fear for the future of the kingdom. By now, word of Mufasa’s obsessive behavior was common knowledge, and so was the fact that Simba wasn’t as suited to rule as he ought to be.  Nevertheless, there was hope that things would turn out alright if Simba simply maintained all that the previous kings laid before him.  That night, Simba was walking away from Pride Rock, looking to get a break from all the ‘congratulations’ and praises. He was still unsure of his reign as he was aware of not knowing exactly what to do. Asking his father was an option, but the father and son were a bit distant. Simba understood why his father wasn’t there a lot in his life, but there was a bit of animosity towards the older lion that lied underneath the surface.  “What am I going to do now?” Simba asked himself as he looked out towards the horizon.  “I might be able to help you with that.”  The new king looked up to see a hyena looking back at him. It was a surprise, even more so when the foreign creature strolled right up to him.  “I got a message from you, straight from Scar himself.” The hyena tilted his head and shook it. “Well, actually, Scar wants to see you. And I’m gonna take you to him.”  A smile spread on Simba’s muzzle. He was glad that his uncle wanted to see him. Now that he was king, there was nothing stopping the young adult lion from going to see Scar himself.  “Please, lead the way then.” The hyena nodded and the king of the Pride Lands followed close behind. As they walked, Simba wondered what his uncle was like. He had heard a lot from many of the Pride Landers and even the lioness. Of course, the lion was said to be the cause of his father’s earlier retirement, but what he heard didn’t exactly match such an outcome.  He also hoped that the leader of the Outlands could give him some guidance and advice as to what he should do. Under the cover of night, Simba slipped away from the Pride Lands for the first time. He was exposed to the Outlands as a whole and to his surprise, it hardly looked any different from his own home. The land was green and full of life, the plains ahead were expansive and there were many animals of all kinds that were still roaming during the early night. He had heard from his mother that the very land was nothing more than a barren wasteland before Scar took control. If that was true then his uncle was an incredible lion and it made him all the more eager to finally meet the dark lion.  The hyena led him a little further until they were in front of a cavern. The hyena stepped to the side and gave the golden lion a smile. “You’ll find him waiting inside for you.”  Simba nodded and thanked the hyena, making the smaller creature smile as he passed by. Doing as the hyena said, the king of the Pride Lands walked into the cave. He was at first met with nothing but an empty space but he could hear what sounded like voices coming from a chamber just up ahead.  With some bravery, Simba delved deeper within the cave. The voices were louder and he could make out the distinctions between them, letting the king know that it was more than one that awaited him.