Re: History in Motion, part 4/4
anonymous
April 1 2013, 00:37:11 UTC
"You think I'd be wasting my time, if I tried to reach out to him?" Kovu asked.
"No. But I don't know if he can change," Simba said, then added, "and I don't want you to get hurt any more than you have to, or wear yourself out trying to make peace with a stubborn old schemer." He dug his great claws into the ground, preparing to say something that still sat wrong with him. "But you know your feelings. I can't tell you what you need to do."
Kovu started walking, wanting to pace, knowing that Simba would understand his inability to hold still. They left the stripped skeleton behind for the ants. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he commented.
Simba chuckled. "No, just a hard thing. I like you. And you don't owe him anything. If you want to spend time with him, though, that's your choice. I'll take a happy Kovu over an unhappy Kovu any day, but only you can tell how important this is to you."
Kovu padded along casually on three paws, using his left to clean the antelope blood off his muzzle, with the help of his tongue. By habit, his paw brushed a little higher when he'd finished, over the scar Zira had given him. It still didn't feel like it belonged there. "I have everything Scar wanted," Kovu said, "a mate, a kingdom, this pride ... it's almost like, if we could switch pelts, he wouldn't have to be Scar." For all values of 'being Scar' that were synonymous with 'resenting everything'.
Simba walked with him, knowing that Kovu hadn't forgotten about the fact that Scar had ruled the pride for a time, and it had been a disaster. He knew the longing in Kovu's voice belonged to a deeper wish - that Scar wasn't beyond help. His heart sank a little, not knowing which of the two lions was more stubborn, but knowing that Kovu was choosing a hard path. "Scar would need to be different on the inside, before anyone would trust him with what you have." He said.
Kovu paused to sharpen his claws against a spindly fever tree that shook as he savaged it. "It's not about that stuff," he said, "it's about ... Scar spends his whole life being angry, lonely, and tired. I just want that to change. And maybe it's too tough for me. Maybe it's not what he wants. I know it's better than a killer like him deserves. But he's still my father." His face twisted in a crooked smile, like half his muscles actually wanted to be frowning. "Even if I have to pull him off my in-laws."
Simba laughed.
Kovu's expression sort of crumpled and he covered it with both paws. "I can't believe he actually did that!"
Simba laughed harder.
Kovu peered at him from under his paws. "It's not funny," he complained, sounding like the teenager he was. "Once I got past thinking you were going to die, or kill him, or accuse me of something I didn't do, I was really embarr -hey!"
Simba had just pulled him up by his scruff, like a cub. "C'mere, you."
"No. But I don't know if he can change," Simba said, then added, "and I don't want you to get hurt any more than you have to, or wear yourself out trying to make peace with a stubborn old schemer." He dug his great claws into the ground, preparing to say something that still sat wrong with him. "But you know your feelings. I can't tell you what you need to do."
Kovu started walking, wanting to pace, knowing that Simba would understand his inability to hold still. They left the stripped skeleton behind for the ants. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he commented.
Simba chuckled. "No, just a hard thing. I like you. And you don't owe him anything. If you want to spend time with him, though, that's your choice. I'll take a happy Kovu over an unhappy Kovu any day, but only you can tell how important this is to you."
Kovu padded along casually on three paws, using his left to clean the antelope blood off his muzzle, with the help of his tongue. By habit, his paw brushed a little higher when he'd finished, over the scar Zira had given him. It still didn't feel like it belonged there. "I have everything Scar wanted," Kovu said, "a mate, a kingdom, this pride ... it's almost like, if we could switch pelts, he wouldn't have to be Scar." For all values of 'being Scar' that were synonymous with 'resenting everything'.
Simba walked with him, knowing that Kovu hadn't forgotten about the fact that Scar had ruled the pride for a time, and it had been a disaster. He knew the longing in Kovu's voice belonged to a deeper wish - that Scar wasn't beyond help. His heart sank a little, not knowing which of the two lions was more stubborn, but knowing that Kovu was choosing a hard path. "Scar would need to be different on the inside, before anyone would trust him with what you have." He said.
Kovu paused to sharpen his claws against a spindly fever tree that shook as he savaged it. "It's not about that stuff," he said, "it's about ... Scar spends his whole life being angry, lonely, and tired. I just want that to change. And maybe it's too tough for me. Maybe it's not what he wants. I know it's better than a killer like him deserves. But he's still my father." His face twisted in a crooked smile, like half his muscles actually wanted to be frowning. "Even if I have to pull him off my in-laws."
Simba laughed.
Kovu's expression sort of crumpled and he covered it with both paws. "I can't believe he actually did that!"
Simba laughed harder.
Kovu peered at him from under his paws. "It's not funny," he complained, sounding like the teenager he was. "Once I got past thinking you were going to die, or kill him, or accuse me of something I didn't do, I was really embarr -hey!"
Simba had just pulled him up by his scruff, like a cub. "C'mere, you."
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