Saved

Author's Note: I think we all deserve a world where Mufasa survived. Please read and review, and please check out my other story "Saving the Pride Lands" if you want more to read!

Summary: Mufasa saves both himself and Simba from the stampede, but when he discovers why his son was in the gorge in the first place, Mufasa decides to confront Scar.

Mufasa's heart beat hard against his chest as he fought through hoards of wildebeests to get to Simba. He was searching for his father with petrified eyes.

Please let me save him, Mufasa thought obsessively, fighting his way through the stampede.

Simba had his back turned to Mufasa by the time he reached him. He grabbed his son with his teeth and wasted no time running towards the nearest ledge.

Mufasa leapt forward, and gently placed Simba down, relief washing over him that his son was now safe at last. Before Mufasa could pull himself up on the ledge, a wildebeest knocked him off. He roared in great pain.

"Dad!" A terrified Simba screamed through the chaos.

Mufasa had hit the ground with a hard thud. It didn't feel like he had broken any bones. He needed to act fast. He needed to use whatever strength he had left to leap onto that ledge where Simba was.

He was not going to die. He was not going to leave his son without a father.

With a mighty roar, Mufasa leapt with all his strength, landing roughly on the stone path behind Simba.

Groaning from his injuries in the gorge and from landing, Mufasa barely sat up before Simba was on top of him, nuzzling and licking him, tears pouring from his eyes.

"Oh dad, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Simba repeated over and over, hiccupping from his tears.

Mufasa grabbed his son and held him close to his chest, where his heart was pounding to the beat of the stampede. Had his son not learned from the incident at the elephant graveyard that Mufasa was most afraid of losing him?

"What were you thinking?" Mufasa exasperated.

"I'm sorry," Simba blubbered, his fur matted with hot tears. Mufasa clung to his son, desperately, like there was a chance he could lose Simba again.

"You know you're not supposed to be in the gorge without me or your mother, why would you disobey me again?" Mufasa was yelling, but his eyes were filled with tears and his voice was shaking from undoubted fear.

Simba was choking on his tears, nuzzling harder and harder into his father. How could he have failed his father yet again?

"I was just doing what you told me to," Simba cried, afraid to look at the disappointment in his father's eyes again.

The fire Mufasa felt within him died out and confusion washed over him. What was Simba talking about? He pulled the cub off of him and held him so that they were at eye level.

"What do you mean? I didn't tell you to come here," Mufasa said, as calmly as he could. Simba shook his head, trying to stay composed but it was no use. He continued to cry.

"Uncle Scar told me that you had a surprise for me and to wait in the gorge," Simba cried.

Confusion was written all over Mufasa's face. Scar told Simba to go to the gorge? And that he had a surprise for him? Could Simba have misunderstood Scar? Mufasa straightened himself up.

"I didn't have a surprise for you, are you sure you heard your uncle correctly?" Simba was nodding incessantly.

"He brought me down himself. He said that you had a big surprise for me and that I should work on my roar until you arrived," Simba said, pawing at his face that was now completely soaked.

"That isn't possible, Simba. The last time I saw Scar was two days ago. I only saw him today when told me that you were in the gorge," Mufasa said, slowly coming to a horrifying realization.

Scar orchestrated this stampede.

It was all a big ploy to kill him and his son. With them gone, Scar would take his place as king and ruin the Pride Lands, no doubt. Mufasa thought he was going to be sick just thinking about it.

Simba noticed the expression change in his father's eyes. Was he not supposed to tell his dad that he knew about the surprise? Scar didn't tell him what exactly he should do once his father arrived in the gorge. Simba looked away from his father, ashamed. Once again, he proved to be a very lousy son.

"I'm sorry dad. I shouldn't have roared and started all of this and…" Simba began to ramble, but Mufasa pulling him in to an embrace silenced him. This time, Mufasa was much more gentle and he was quietly hushing him, like he did when Simba was a newborn. Simba felt himself relax.

"This wasn't your fault, Simba. You were set up," Mufasa said bluntly. Simba pulled back from his father so that they were looking at each other again.

"What do you mean, dad?"

Silently, Mufasa stood up, ignoring the pain that was shooting up through his body. Everything made sense to him now, and he was going to put an end to his brother's evil and conniving ways once and for all. The safety of his son depended on it. Mufasa looked down at Simba and he gave him a nuzzle.

"Come Simba. You will understand shortly," Mufasa said, slowly making his way up the stone path that led to the top of the gorge.

Confused, but curious, Simba followed after his father.

Scar peered over the edge as far as he could without falling over. He had lost sight of Mufasa and Simba, those splotches of red and golden yellow. Could the wildebeest have trampled them and he didn't even get to watch it happen?

Picturing his brother and nephew's trampled bodies made Scar grin. He couldn't wait to make his way back to Pride Rock and make the official announcement to the lionesses and bring the hyenas into the Pride Lands. After he would take his place as king, he would take Sarabi as his queen—the lioness who broke his heart by choosing his brother instead. And in time, Sarabi would give him cubs, and immortality would be his.

Nothing could ruin Scar's shining moment.

"Hello brother," a deep voice bellowed from behind Scar. He froze. He knew that voice anywhere. He glanced over his shoulder.

It was Mufasa. Injured, but still standing tall and mighty. And behind his leg cowered little Simba.

It couldn't be.

"Mufasa…Oh, I was so worried, thank god you both made it out of that stampede," Scar said, trying to keep up the façade of the concerned brother and uncle. Mufasa snarled.

"You must take me for a fool, Scar! I know what you were trying to do," Mufasa hollered over the stampede beneath them. Scar's mouth twitched, while Simba continued to hide behind his father.

"I don't know what you mean," Scar said, before Mufasa roared and pounced Scar, pinning him to the ground.

"Dad!" Simba cried out.

"You tried to kill me and my son!" Mufasa yelled into his brother's face, who tried to squirm his way out from his hold. Simba quietly gasped.

"Get off of me, or else…" Scar threatened, but was smacked in the face by Mufasa. It was one of Mufasa's weaker hits, but Scar still flinched in pain.

"You are in no position to make threats! You were going to kill my son and I for the throne. In any other case, a punishment for such a crime would be death, but I will grant you clemency and simply banish you from the Pride Lands. Run away and never return," Mufasa said, calmly getting off of his brother.

As he turned to take Simba back home to heal, Mufasa was suddenly taken down by Scar pouncing on him from behind and biting into his mane. Mufasa fought back, but his injuries made it harder for him to put up a fight.

"I deserve to be king! The Pride Lands and Sarabi will be mine!" Scar screamed as he continued to fight his brother, trying to push him towards the edge of the gorge so he could push him to his death.

Quickly realizing what his brother was trying to do, Mufasa swatted at Scar's face, tried to do anything to keep Scar from killing him. If he died, who would protect Simba?

Just as Mufasa was being pushed dangerously close to the edge of the gorge, Scar suddenly reared on his hind legs, roaring in great pain. Mufasa looked up, trying to see what happened.

Simba, in an effort to save his father, pounced onto Scar's back and scratched Scar's eyes, temporarily taking him away from Mufasa. Scar thrashed, trying to get Simba off of him, but Simba clung on and continued to scratch at his uncle.

"Leave my dad alone!" Simba yelled, his brave and courageous spirit shining through. He wasn't going to lose his father, not like this.

Scar thrashed with enough force that Simba was knocked off his back. Simba landed with a thud on the ground and Scar was quick to pounce on him. Simba looked into his uncle's eyes. His scar was bleeding from Simba scratching at him, but he saw more than just that.

Simba saw hatred and pure evil in Scar's. And for all of his adventurous spirit, Simba found himself submitting to Scar. Scar clamped his paw down on Simba's throat, choking him.

"I should've killed you when I had the chance," Scar hissed into Simba's face, tightening his hold on Simba's neck.

Simba thrashed around, frantically clawing at Scar's paws to try and get him to let go, but it was no use. Scar wouldn't budge, and Simba felt himself letting go.

Just as things were about to go dark, Simba saw Mufasa jump up from the ground and grab Scar by the scruff of his neck with his teeth and fling him off of Simba. While Scar was on the ground, Mufasa stood over Simba, protecting him.

"Don't you ever touch my son again," Mufasa threatened in a low menacing voice that sent shivers down Simba's spine.

Pulling himself up from the ground, Scar bared his teeth. He had enough with the games.

"I'll kill you both!" Scar yelled, charging towards them.

Mufasa hit Scar in the jaw with whatever strength he had left. Scar went flying towards the opening of the gorge.

The black haired lion screamed as he fell into the chaos of the stampede of the gorge, until he disappeared and silence fell.

When it sounded like the last of the wildebeest had run through the gorge, Mufasa went over to the ledge and peered over. At the bottom of the gorge, Mufasa saw his brother sprawled out, blood all around him. It didn't take long for Mufasa to figure out that his brother was dead.

Shutting his eyes tight, Mufasa sighed.

"Goodbye, brother," Mufasa whispered before he turned away.

Limping, Mufasa walked over to Simba, who sat down and stared at his father. He was in shock at all of the events that had transpired that day. He tried to say something, but everything came up empty.

Mufasa nuzzled his son, and pulled him close. More than ever, he was proud to have this little cub as his son.

"We're alright, son. Let's both get home," Mufasa whispered to his son, licking his cheek when he saw that his son was still in shock. Simba cuddled into his father and he looked up at him. In Simba's eyes, Mufasa only saw himself.

"Dad, you saved my life," Simba said, his eyes wide and his voice incredulous, as if he needed another reason to idolize his father.

Staring at the golden cub, Mufasa offered a weak smile. He nuzzled Simba and licked his cheek once more.

"No Simba…you saved mine."

The End

Every time I watch The Lion King, I always wish that Mufasa lived. Please read and review!