The lion had the same green eye color as Leona and a long scar down his dark yellow fur. A slick man of black pride around his neck as he played an wide smile on his face at the sight of the three, "Well, hello. Whatever could it be that brought three young ones to these lands?"
Realizing something was amiss, Leona raised a brow and sneered in a similar fashion, "Nothing much, I just came to pick up my nephew."
"Your nephew?" The King of Beast looked up feigning a surprise and chuckled, "So you have a nephew too! What a coincidence! I have a nephew as well somewhere in these parts... He must've gotten lost, the poor thing..."
The king of beast acted bemoaningly. Every word leaving his mouth was like a knife to Leona's back. How could he not know the lion before him was acting? Could this really be the king of beasts?
Leona sneered, "Ah yes. Would you happen to know where this is?"
"You don't know where you are?" The lion looked up in surprise, "Well, this is the Elephant's Graveyard."
"Elephant's Graveyard?" Leona raised a brow.
"That's right." The lion sighed pitifully, "My precious little nephew had naively forgo my warning when I told him about the graveyard was no place for a cub and gone into the place. If I don't find him soon, I would not be able to show my face around my dear older brother... Oh dear, where could he have run off to...?"
Leona was stunned to hear this from him and smirked, "I see..."
He folded his arms and puffed his chest, "How about we help you find him? I could imagine my nephew should've come across him by now."
Scar looked to him in surprise before he smirked, "Well, it'll be rather difficult to bring some children around, but if you're brave enough..."
"Hmph!" Jack huffed and stated bluntly, "Finding two children in here wouldn't be a problem, King of Beast."
Hearing this, Leona grumbled before bothering to nod much to Ruggie's surprise. Leona stated with a smirk, "Let's find the two kids, shall we?"
"That'd be a relief!" The Lion responded with a sigh, "That nephew of mine is always running around too and the hyenas are also at their wits end with him. Now, follow me."
Leona and the others obediently followed at the lion as Ruggie couldn't help but snicker from excitement, "Shishishi! We're actually getting help from ghost of the King of Beast!"
"Ruggie..." Leona growled, "Stay with Jack and don't stand out..."
"Eh?"
Leona whispered, "Stay on your toes..."
Jack was bewildered by Leona's change of attitude despite the fact that the king of beast was right before them. Jack didn't think twice to follow Leona's words, however as he did so, he realized that the hair on his neck had yet to settle. He could feel that something wasn't right.
.....
They've been walking for a while now into the Elephant Graveyard to which Leona lightly brought up curiously, "You are the King of Beast, right? But, they never mentioned your name."
"Why, yes..." Scar paused and sneered, "Yes, I am... The Kingdom all refer to me as Scar."
Leona smiled, "I've heard that you deeply treasure your nephew. Why did you mention to him about the Elephants Graveyard? Is there something special here?"
"Not really." Scar responded with a sigh, "My dear older brother had just discussed with his son of his inheritance and the pride lands, however, he forgot to mention and warn him not to go to the Elephant Graveyard... The outlands."
Scar continued, "I know my precious nephew would be adventurous and explore the place, so I thought to tell him and warn him that it wasn't a place for cubs."
Leona raised a brow, "We learned in school that you would rather use your knowledge over strength. However, is there a reason for that?"
Scar paused in his steps and turned around with a sigh, "Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion's share. But, when it comes to brute strength..."
Scar paused before continuing, "...I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool."
Leona hummed in thought, "So, that's why... Then you don't participate in battles a lot? But, what about your scar?"
Ruggie jolted in surprise with excitement in his eyes.
"My scar?" Scar raised a brow having already noticed the excited little hyena, "It was during a battle with my brother. As I was weaker, I couldn't claim the throne, but that was fine with me. Later on, I had a cute little nephew, but I was mistakened the day of his ceremony and slept through it."
Leona hummed in deep thought before responding, "History said that your name was Scar, but who would name their child Scar?"
"Oh, it was a lot better than what I was called before." Scar grumbled with a sigh, "They used to call me Taka when I was younger. It was so... Childish..."
"Taka..." Leona muttered in deep thought with piercing eyes and smiled, "You were the second born son of the pride, but history only said that you were able to overthrow your brother, but they never said anything about your child inheriting the throne. Why was it your nephew?"
Scar paused for a bit before continuing, "It was nothing of the sort. I sought to have my child inherit it, but a silly baboon wouldn't stop spreading word that my nephew would be next to inherit the throne. My son is certainly only a cub, but I'm still the king, you see. My word should be final. If not, I'd have to be the witness of my son and nephew fight for Pride Rock. Simba is much older than my son and is forced to live in the outlands, but he has no will to be king. He told me that himself. He was simply too scared to take on the responsibilities."
"Hu-?!"
Ruggie's voice was drowned out as Leona continued in sneer, "But... I thought your nephew died in a stampede with his father when he was young..."
Scar froze this time as the air began to grow colder. This time, Scar stopped completely in his tracks...
"Wh-What's going on?" Jack looked up in bewilderment and bared his wolf fangs.
"I see..." A loud growl echoed in the area, "So, you knew the truth... We can't have that..."
Leona sneered, "Do you know how many loop holes you put in your story and you think you can fool me?"
Scar turned around as the miasma began to close in on them. A crooked and wide sneer displayed on his lion face as well as his eyes pierced through them, "And, here I thought I'd get to guide you along the path of a king... Don't you want to be a king? To be respected and admired."
Leona sighed, "If everything was right, everything went well for you for a while before another drought hit the pride lands, right? It was said that it was after you passed, but that wasn't the case."
"W-What's going on?" Ruggie looked to Leona in bewilderment, "Leona?"
Scar cackled, "Hahaha! But, you're also a second born prince as well. Doesn't it annoy you that you aren't respected by others? That everyone only continues to compliment your brother who became king and your little nephew? If you follow what I tell you, I can help you become king."
Leona sighed and pressed his fingers to his head in irritation, "Look. All you keep saying is king this, king that. I personally don't care how you became king or what you did towards the end of your life. You can go find someone dumber to follow your little demands. Why should I follow you or how would you know what I want?"
Leona sneered, "You said that we're alike? That's obvious. But, what makes you think I really want to be king? I have no interest in becoming king the way you do."
"Wh-What?" Scar stared at him in confusion as he slowly backed away, "B-but, the stampede... Your brother!"
Leona huffed in annoyance, "Hmph. My personal matters have nothing to do with outsiders like you, does it? Listen to me if you want to hear what I really think. I won't repeat this again. I want to be better than my brother and his title. What made you think I was going to be you? You're a lion, aren't you? What makes you think I'll listen to you from the beginning?"
Lazily, Leona yawned and continued condescendingly, "You confirmed it yourself that your nephew became king after you, but your son didn't get the throne. Rather couldn't it be that you were overthrown before you could pass the crown to your son? Besides, it was your adopted son that inherited the throne after your nephew. Don't you think that's a little weird? I've gone through the history of magic for so long, it's enough to put me to sleep..."
"That can't be..." Scar scowled and hissed at Leona.
"You mean..." Jack's eyes widen in shock, "The King of Beast killed his nephew! But, I thought he loved his nephew..."
With the show pulled off, Scar roared at Jack, "Love him? That little furball?! Because of his birth, I lost my position to be king and to listen to him reminding me over and over again with that little naive voice of his?! It was all well if it was just his father, but him too?! All had been well until he came back from banishment! I wish he and his father never existed!"
However, Leona was unfazed in the least as he sighed, "It looks like the little girl was right on some parts, after all..."
"A little girl?" Ruggie looked to Leona in bewilderment, "Wh-What's going on?"
"Since I admired your tenacity to become king, I'll avoid directly erasing your ghost for the moment. Let me ask you this." Leona ordered with his stick in his hand as he glared down upon the lion king, "Do you have anything to do with my nephew's disappearance? If you don't speak, I'll have to do a little exorcism..."
Scar's eyes widen as he cowered realizing he had definitely underestimated the three of them and it'd only be a matter of time till he'd be exorcised. He smirked and realized that they were trying to interrogate him to which he decidedly respond, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
If he was going down, he may as well make them suffer!
"You either answer his question or I'll make you tell him the truth."
Leona raised a brow and looked up to find a tall and small shadow trudge through the mist which eventually parted to reveal a small and slim figure of a girl in a black ancient oriental dress with a short skirt, fiery red hair laced with gold strands and black stocking on her legs just before her ankles. However, Leona's eyes wasn't on her but more on the yellow bundle in her arms, "Cheka!"
Leona glared at her, "Who are you?"
Ruggie gasped in surprise, "It's a girl?! Could it be... Shishishi!"
"Knock it off!" Leona glared at Ruggie with irritation.
Lotus smirked and walked over to them with a giggle, "I have no interest in ham, you know."