He is the rightful King of the Pride Lands.

It was a special day for the Pride Lands. Animals wandered near and far to arrive at Pride Rock to view the new heirs. The Queen, Kirauni laid with her children, while the King, Kiburi stood beside her, pride surrounding them both. The first twins born in the royal Pride Land Family. Rafiki came and he seemed to be hesitant with me, everyone did. I was a little in the scrawny side when I was born.

I was lean, orange/brown fur with a black tipped tail and black fluff on my head.

Many didn't think I was suited enough to take Pride Rick and protect everyone. Being first born, I was the first to be seen by my subjects. I was raised in the air and everyone cheered. Well, they should've. No screams and cheers were heard, just silence. Then it was his turn. Before he was even raised everyone was cheering and stomping. Everyone was rejoicing. He was thicker, sandy coat and a red tipped tail. But of course, we were too young to understand any of this.

As we grew, I had trouble fitting in. That wasn't a good start for a soon-to-be-King. Mufasa was loved by everybody, while I was nothing but a second glance. I was old enough to know what my feelings were, and what I felt towards Mufasa was more than jealousy. It was pure envy. Father thought of me as a mistake, as well as all the others. Even Mother never believed me to be king, just like everyone else. They would want me overthrown, even though it was my birthright. I would show them. One afternoon while we were on our patrol, I told Mufasa we should go to the watering hole. From there I set my plan and attacked. I don't know what I was thinking. I was scrawny compared to his brawn. I wanted to show my power. I needed to show them who the boss was. He shouted at me, telling me to stop and that there was no reason for any of it. I didn't listen. I kept trying to fight, trying to prove that I was strong enough to play my role. He got tired of it and struck me in the face.

I just remember lying on the ground, weak. I exerted so much energy, and then I was wounded. Well, my body was working a lot. I got up and closed my eyelids shut tightly as the blood stung my eye. Mufasa came up to me and told me it would leave a scar, and I guess it sounded like a good name to him? From that day on, that was how I was known. That was another reason why the others didn't want me as King. A scar? A scar meant you were weak. That is exactly how they thought of me, weak. If you were weak, how could you protect the Pride? Father stripped my birthright, for the safety of the Pride Lands, he said. I ran. I was furious, saddened. It was his fault, everything was Mufasa's fault. I ran and stopped as I almost ran into a pile of bones. I looked around, frightened. It was like all light was killed here.

It was dusty and damp, the air was thick and heavy. The Shadowlands. I heard laughing in the distance. I turned looking around slightly trembling, but I protrayed my best confident facade. Nothing lived out here, it was a barren wasteland. Out of the empty eye socket of the elephant skeleton, 3 hyenas emerged. I stood straight up, asserting power. They circled me, laughing. I growled, mostly angered of their head-pounding cackling.

"This is no way to treat a King!"

I boomed.

"A King?"

They kept circling me, laughing.

"It is no laughing matter!"

"We need a King", one said

"We're dying off", another said.

"We don't have proper leadership", the other said.

"Did you get in a fight?"

"Scars are trophies. Trophies of bravery."

I thought of how it could all work out.

"I'll help you."

They cheered and laughed. Oh, when they cheered for me it felt so good. I felt so powerful.

I kept going back to that place, secretly. They knew I was smart, cunning, strategic. This is what they wanted, what they needed. And the more I went to those Shadowlands, the more powerful I became. Father and Mother were on their deathbeds. This is when I planned out all the different possibilities to overthrow Mufasa. After all, I had my own army now. A few short days later, the reining Queen and King passed away, leaving Mufasa as the new King. We went to their grave, as Mufasa wept I stood behind him as a grin danced across my face.

Oh, I just can't wait to be King!