An Alternate Story; 'The Second Son'
(note this is just a little dribble/idea that came to mind)

It was early morning. Uru, the queen, had returned to the pride after her time alone in pregnancy and birth. Ahadi had returned late from his patrol, unable to greet her as she arrived. However, an excitement filled his body none-the-less as he approached the safety of the royal den.

"Uru." He called fondly to his mate, looking upon her with all the love in his normally stoic heart, eyes searching expectantly for his heir.

A cub, fat, light and plump, a coat reminiscent of his own, stumbled out from the safety of mother's paws. He crawled towards the massive male with wide-eyed wonder. Once to his goal, the cub rolled over one of his father's large paws. "A son!" Ahadi rejoiced in a roar. "A strong, cub, my first son!"

Uru's loving and protective gaze shifted from all-loving to a heartbroken sorrow. Her eyes that he so loved looked as though they might fill the dry rivers in the season of no rain if they were to fall. Her eyes closed. "Ahadi, my love." She spoke with a calm. The safety of her paws shifted, opening her hold to reveal a much smaller, thinner, darker cub. "This... is your first born."

Brow furrowed, overcome with mixed joy and disbelief, Ahadi pulled away, pacing back and forth. His quick temper got the better of him. Although a great leader known for his fairness, personal things seemed to pick at him more. "No, this can't be. The cub, he's too weak. He might not even survive." Uru shot him a hurt look, pulling the small cub to her chest. Ahadi stopped his pacing, shaking his head to bring his better senses back to him. He paused then, speaking in but a whisper, calm and low. "Does... anyone know?"

---
Thus Mufasa became 'first born' and Taka deprived of his throne. Perhaps Ahadi, with his guilt, avoided shunned Taka 'the weak' and absorbed himself in teaching Mufasa with a strict hand. Most of the time, however, he left on patrol, becoming a scarce ruler. Taka's eagerness to please, wanting to join his father in one of the training sessions/patrols that Mufasa was only supposed to go on earned him a short-tempered smack to the face from Ahadi, resulting in his scar.

Taka ran off to the graveyard and struck an unlikely friendship with hyenas (aka emo teen period lol).
His mother always gave him extra love and tried to teach him what she knew about hunting so that he could survive on his own.

Perhaps Taka found out about his true birth but it was too late to confront his father about being first born as Mufasa had been 'crowned' so to speak and had taken to courting, finding a future mate in Sarabi. (Taka might have overheard Ahadi and Uru arguing about announcing a solid heir and Mufasa's arranged engagement). Taka may have taken on the shunned name Scar after acting out about having his own mate and trying to dule-rule the kingdom.

He had loved his brother and father dearly and simply couldn't understand until he was much older what had been done to him and how futile it was then to try and take back his throne. Of course, when Simba came along, he had to take action. However, without knowing the lessons of balance Ahadi taught Mufasa, and his obligation and dual lack of control over the hyenas, the Pridelands went to ruin.


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The background is a muddled-up screencap 'overpainted' from 'Circle of Life' wherein Mufasa greets Sarabi. This just might be just before Ahadi and Uru's cub presentation. The figures are 100% drawn/colored by me.

I was going to cell shade more than flat color but it didn't look right.

(designs based on djcoulzanimalsonly (da) 's takes on Ahadi + Uru)