//------------------------------//
// Part 2 
// Story: To Choose the Light 
// by tursi 
//------------------------------//

Rafiki could only watch from a distance. By and large he was not inclined to meddle in the affairs of lions, even his friends, unless the balance of life was critically off center. But things now were far beyond anything he knew how to deal with.

With the failure of the sun to rise, it began to grow colder on the Pridelands. Plants began to wilt and die, and the herds attempted to move on, only to find that there was nowhere to move on to. He did not know how this was possible, but he had watched Nightmare Moon cast the spell and knew that she was somehow responsible.

Worse, Nightmare Moon began to disappear for long periods of time, reappearing only to make pronouncements or to punish those she considered to be openly against her. She demonstrated more of her powers in these punishments, including the ability to control weather and particularly lightning. Results ranged from painful to devastating. Her mood was darkening and he couldn't see why. Did she not have everything she wanted?

The atmosphere of fear, anger, and pain was overwhelming to Rafiki's psychically tuned mind. His own grief multiplied these feelings - he had lost his friends, and the lands themselves were being killed. He collected his seeing shell and gourds, and worked tirelessly mixing, pouring, and concentrating on his strongest visions yet, begging the Great Kings to see his efforts through.

He heard only the wind in response, meditating for hours, until at last, he sensed a figure forming in front of him. At last, one of the Great Kings of the Past? He waited a moment longer, until he was certain, then opened his eyes.

"I wondered how long you were going to pretend to ignore me," commented Scar, sitting not five feet away.

Rafiki was outraged! This was not a Great King of the Past, he was not even a Great King! He was one of the instigators of this destruction, and he had just sauntered into the baboon’s home without even announcing himself.

"You!?" he cried out. "You dare to come HERE??" Shaking with rage, Rafiki picked up his walking staff and shook it angrily at the lion.

Scar pushed the stick aside with a forepaw and remained oddly calm. "I'm here to ask for your assistance," he said plainly. "Nightmare Moon is out of cont..." But Rafiki was hearing none of it.

"NEVER!" he cried. "I do not know what demons you have made deals with, Scar, but I will never help you bring the darkness! I will fight you until there is not a breath left in my body!" With that, he swung the stick, cracking it across Scar's angular jaw.

Scar roared with pain and surprise and countered with a backhand at the baboon. Although Scar was small for a lion, he still managed sufficient power behind his swing. Rafiki flew backwards into his mix of magical powders and juices, smashing many of the gourds as Scar yelled at him, already on his feet and stalking angrily. "I CAME HERE TO GET YOUR HELP TO STOP HER, IDIOT!"

The already dark tree darkened substantially as a cloud of dust rose from Rafiki's hard landing, and a deep roar echoed through the tree, sounding both to Scar and Rafiki as though it came from inside their own heads. Rafiki's expression lit for a moment in recognition, but Scar's reaction told the whole story. His ears folded flat to his head, and his eyes went wide as he crouched down, making himself smaller. "Father?" he asked, his voice as small as his body. And then he fell into the darkness.

...

Scar didn't know how long he was unconscious, but every muscle in his body told him that he was now awake, and with every movement pain shot along his limbs. He looked around himself.

He was in a forest very unfamiliar to him. It was cool, damp, and dark, although he could see hints of daylight through the leaves above. As he stood, rustling sounds all around him let him know that he was being watched, by both creatures smaller than himself, and some larger.

Despite the pain he started moving, to avoid being too tempting a target. His natural movement was almost silent from years of stalking the shadows, and so when he heard a voice singing a strange song a short distance in front of him he was able to slink off into the thicker brush without being noticed.

A zebra came into view on the path as he hid and watched, and his stomach rumbled. He'd barely been able to eat since Nightmare Moon took over, so much did she hate his carnivorous habits. But this zebra was so strange... shorter than he was accustomed to, and wearing so many accessories. The brass rings around her neck reminded him of Nightmare Moon's armor, she wore various other things he was not familiar with in her ears, and some form of containers on her back.

She was strange, but he was hungry, and she was prey. He crouched, waiting for her to come closer.

She stopped, abruptly, just outside of pouncing range, and looked around herself suspiciously.

"/Malai/, creature of EverFree. You do not wish to tangle with me."

Scar held still, keeping his breathing silent, his claws digging into the earth. The zebra held a moment longer, then took a step forward.

Scar leapt with a roar of desperation, only to have the zebra sidestep his pounce. She turned rapidly, and somehow produced a cloud of dust that got into his eyes and nostrils, instantly burning and stinging. He hit the ground hard, blinded, and rolled into a ball, pawing at his face and crying in anguish, trying to end the pain. "What did you DO to me??"

"If a threat you do not pose, I can stop the stinging in your nose," the zebra sang. "Easy now, just stay calm, and I will apply a soothing balm."

Scar struggled with himself, forcing his paws down, taking deep breaths a little too rapidly. "All right! I'm calm! Do something!"

It seemed like an eternity before he heard the zebra moving, and she seemed to be digging for something. He held as still as he could, the pain burning deeper all the while, convinced he would be blinded. But a moment later a splash of mud came down across his face, and the burn immediately faded.

...

Scar looked around the room he was in. His vision was still slightly blurred, but the sting was long behind him. He was in a hollowed out tree surrounded by potions, powders, and artifacts. He felt it was not so different from the tree he had just left.

"The last thing I remember," he commented, slowly, "is being in Rafiki's tree. I went to ask for his help."

Zecora the zebra nodded slowly, and pushed a small cup of steaming liquid towards Scar. "I do not know your Rafiki friend, but you may stay here while you mend. I know not from whence you roam, but it seems Equestria is not your home."

"Equestria...?" Scar mused. The home of Princess Luna, also known as Nightmare Moon. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to mention this, and so for the moment, he did not. "I've... heard of it. I'm not sure how I got here." He eyed the drink suspiciously.

"Tomorrow Twilight Sparkle is due to visit, I'm certain she can help with it. She can send a message to Celestia our Princess, who can put an end to any distress." Zecora sipped her drink with a smile, watching Scar. Scar looked back at his cup, realizing that he had no idea how to hold it as she did.

"Princess?" he asked. "What of your King?"

Zecora chuckled, "A common misconception, but in this land, it is a Princess with the ruling hand. We need no Queen and have no King, to these ponies it is a normal thing."

Scar's mind spun again, Nightmare Moon had also said the name 'Celestia' several times, usually whilst cursing the sun. 'Well,' he thought to himself, 'if any pony can help, it must be this one.'

"Thank you, Zecora," he responded, and leaned down, awkwardly lapping a bit from his cup. The tea was not entirely to his liking, but he forced a smile whilst the zebra concealed a giggle.

...

Scar finished the tea, and found to his surprise that it eased his hunger substantially. When Twilight Sparkle arrived in the morning, he was both rested and feeling rejuvenated for the first time in weeks - enough to be in a relatively good mood.

"So, you were just in this baboon's house, and all of a sudden you woke up in the EverFree Forest?" Twilight cocked at eyebrow at Scar, her tone full of doubt.

Scar had omitted the fight and the sound of his father's roar, but he nodded all the same. "There was a wind, and then things went black and it felt like I was falling. I woke up here."

Zecora chuckled, "Our meeting exhibited quite a mood, for he thought he was hunting me for food."

Scar folded his ears, looking suitably cowed. "It is lucky for me that you have such good reflexes, Zecora." He looked back to the purple unicorn. "Can you help me get home, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight frowned, her eyes meeting Zecora's for a moment as she mused over the holes in Scar's story. But, after a moment she shrugged. “It’s not a spell I know, but I will do my best," she said back to Scar. "We'll have to take you back to the library, though. I need Spike to send the message to the Princess, and, if you're really not from Equestria, EverFree Forest is far too dangerous for you to be staying here."

Scar chuckled this time, "If everyone here is as well equipped as Zecora, I would be inclined to agree with you."

...

Scar simply watched in amazement as the small lizard-like creature belched green flame, which engulfed the scroll Twilight had written, sending ashes swirling into the ether.

"It's on its way!" announced Spike the dragon.

The trip back from EverFree had been uneventful, and Twilight had taken to asking a few very guarded questions about his origin, to which Scar had given very guarded answers. He had no trouble keeping up with the unicorn, and took the time to study her as she was studying him. 

She was much smaller than Nightmare Moon, and lacked wings, but she did have a horn. She seemed to use it far more often than Nightmare Moon used hers, and it glowed constantly during the trip as she moved things about in her saddlebags, took notes on anything that caught her eye, and even once tugged Scar's ear when he had begun to glaze over during a brief explanation of the history of tea.

Arriving in town, few ponies seemed to be about to notice them, but Scar was amazed. He had never seen a town before, and the large square structures elicited a stream of questions which Twilight was happy to answer (often in detail). They finally arrived at the Oak Tree Library, which was literally yet another hollowed out tree - this one Twilight's home. Scar had felt slightly more comfortable inside, until Spike the Dragon had waddled up and asked who he was. Spike was only half Twilight's height, very round for a lizard, and did not seem to be much of a threat. Still, Scar was reluctant to repeat his version of the story too many times. To his relief, Twilight offered a simple response.

"He's a guest who needs to see Princess Celestia."

Just a few seconds after the first scroll had been sent, the little dragon belched flame again, causing Scar to wince at the impropriety of it. To his amazement, the little curl of smoke swirled and then condensed into a scroll, which the dragon caught out of the air, opened and read.

"Ahem! Dear Twilight! Thank you for taking charge of this situation, um, blah blah blah... ah! I will not be able to come to Ponyville for at least three days, as I am working to repair some issues caused by Nightmare Moon's return."

Scar's ears perked up at the mention of Nightmare Moon. There was no mistake now. This was the right pony.

"Please see to it that your visitor is kept comfortable and safe, and I will be there as soon as I can to help sort this out. Signed, Princess Celestia."

Spike hesitated, then motioned Twilight over. "Um," he whispered, "you better read this part yourself."

Twilight scanned the page. 'Be careful of him, if he's not telling the whole truth.' She nodded briefly. "Of course. You can dispose of that note now, Spike."

Scar peered curiously as the dragon puffed another spark at the scroll, causing it to burn up in a flash. He shrugged. Whatever the secret part of the message was, he wouldn't have been able to read it anyway.

...

Scar rested the remainder of the afternoon next to Twilight's bed. She had offered him the use of the bed itself, but the soft springy mattress and extra thick blankets were uncomfortable for him, and the hardwood floor was a surprisingly nice compromise compared to the stone he normally slept on.

As night came, and the lights in the library went out, his eyes slowly opened. The rhythmic breathing of the unicorn and louder snoring of the dragon told him that all were sleeping soundly, and he lifted his head.

He considered it such a strange life, surrounded by all these unknowable objects, in an artificial cave, closed in from the night air. He was uncomfortable, and would not need to sleep again for several hours. So he crept silently downstairs, worked the door latch as he had watched the dragon do, and stepped out into the night.

The town was completely empty and that suited Scar fine. Apparently ponies slept through the night, and occasionally he heard a snore that confirmed it. He still was not especially hungry, but curiosity had taken him, and he crept around the buildings stealthily, observing all he could.

When he had finished exploring the town he settled down in a small field, watching the progression of the stars. It had been a long time since he had looked at the night sky.

"f..father?" he asked, hesitantly. It was barely a whisper, and he repeated himself, tilting his head upwards further. "Father?"

There was no response but the gentle breeze, but after a moment he spoke again.

"Father... I... I know I've done wrong. But I really need someone now... If the Great Kings of the Past really watch over us, then please be there."

"Who are you talking to?" The voice was gentle and kind, but Scar was startled and ashamed as he whipped his head towards it.

"Nobody!"

Twilight stepped into the field from the path, a gentle glow of light from her horn illuminating the area. "I'm sorry," she said gently. "I don't want to intrude, but... I had a spell guarding the door and it woke me when you left. If you need me to leave, I will, but, I have to stay nearby and watch you. Do you want me to leave?"

Scar hung his head, "No," he responded, finally.

Twilight waited a moment, then stepped closer, sitting down in the field next to Scar. "I heard you mention something about Great Kings. Can I ask what you meant?"

Scar lifted his head just enough to eye Twilight, to look for signs of sarcasm or ridicule. Seeing none, he spoke quietly, looking towards the horizon. "When I was a cub," he began, "I was told that the Great Kings of the Past are up amongst the stars, and that if ever we feel alone..." he paused at that, continuing more quietly. "Those Kings will always be there to guide us."

Twilight gently placed her hoof over Scar's paw. "I'd like to hear more about that," she told him.

...

They spoke until dawn, this pony and this lion, and barely noticed the light creeping across the field. Scar was slow to speak at first, but seeing only honest interest in Twilight's eyes he grew more and more comfortable. He told her about leonine star lore, told her stories from when he was a cub, and told her about games that he and Mufasa had played. He avoided more recent questions, but there was so much to talk about anyway.

For her part, Twilight was amazed, she was learning the customs and beliefs of an entirely new world, and was already mentally planning the reports she was going to write about them. Scar was genuinely touched and impressed by her earnestness, this little pony who seemed impressed by the smallest things he had to say. When he finally started to ask his own questions about Equestria and Twilight, he found her long, detailed answers much to his satisfaction. He began to wonder if this was what friendship started out like.

A loud, drawn-out, startled gasp interrupted that train of thought, and a pink blur suddenly obscured his line of sight. He heard a giggle from Twilight even as he cried out, startled as the blur bowled him over.

"Omigosh! Omigosh! Who are you?! WHAT are you? I've never seen you before! If I've never seen you before then you must be new! Are you Twilight's friend? oooooh wow, it's so good to meet new friends of friends! But then you HAVE to be new, because if you weren't new, I'd have seen you before, and then you wouldn't be new! New to me! You're probably not new-new! In fact you look kind of old! And you have a scar on your eye! Are you a pirate? That would be cool! Then you could wear an eyepatch and say ARRR!"

Even as he was trying to process the nonstop stream of questions, statements, observations and probable truths, a second voice, much more refined, spoke up.

"Pinkie Pie! Stop that at once! Give the poor creature a chance to breathe!"

It was a safe bet that the pink blur was Pinkie Pie, and she was up in a flash, standing nearby as Scar turned his head to thank his rescuer.

Rarity stood there, and he took a moment to study the unusually well-presented white unicorn. "Thank you," he said, finally regaining his feet.

Twilight smiled gently, and nodded towards Scar. "Pinkie Pie, Rarity, this is Scar. He's a lion visiting from another land, and he's waiting to see Princess Celestia so we can help him get home."

Rarity cooed. "The Princess herself is coming to help you? You must be quite important."

Scar puffed up his chest a bit. "I am a King, after all." It was technically true, he felt. Nightmare Moon hadn't defeated him in a formal challenge, so by law, he was the King.

Pinkie Pie was in his face again. "Oh my gosh! I hope you're a good King and not a meanie King! We met a King once and he was a REAL meanie. I mean, a MEAN MEANIE, and that's the worst kind of mean meanie pants there is!"

"Well... I..." Scar was interrupted by another excited stream of consciousness by the pink pony.

"If you're waiting, then that means we have time for a party! I'm Pinkie Pie! You knew that, right? Oh! Of course you did! Cause Twilight introduced us! That's what I do! I throw parties! I'm the Ponyville Party Pony! When I first met Twilight I was all "Gasppp!" cause I knew she was new, and then I threw her a BIG ‘Welcome to Ponyville' party, and she was SOOOO surprised, because I remember she thought a surprise party was supposed to be QUIET! How silly is that? But we'll throw you a big Welcome-to-Ponyville-King-Scar party! But it won't be quiet, and it won't be a surprise party, cause you already know about it! Omigosh I need to go get ready! See you at your party!!"

With a blur, she was gone, leaving Scar again trying to process what he'd just heard.

"Don't mind her, darling," advised Rarity. "She's just being Pinkie Pie."

...

Any hope Scar had of passing on his Welcome-to-Ponyville-King-Scar party was promptly dashed. Rather than the library, Twilight took him to another place which she said was called Sugar Cube Corner. Scar's nose twitched at the sweet scents inside, uncertain whether he liked them or hated them. Ponies were already milling about as they entered, and Pinkie Pie was at his side in an instant.

"Everypony listen up! I want you all to meet our very distinguished guest, a good friend of Twilight's and a KING - here to see Princess Celestia... everypony say a big HELLO to King Scar!"

There was a loud cheer of greeting, and most of the ponies stomped their hooves in approval. For a moment, Scar felt that this was the greeting he'd deserved his entire life. For a moment, he allowed himself to smile.

Her job done, Pinkie Pie bounded off, and Scar found himself actually sighing in relief, although the smile remained. Twilight nudged him. 

"Come on," she said, "Let me introduce you to my other friends."

Several ponies came by and said hello as they passed, with genuine smiles, and this was an experience Scar had never had before. He was frozen for a moment, and then nodded to Twilight.

Twilight first took Scar to a small yellow pegasus. "Scar, this is Fluttershy," she introduced.

The pegasus' eyes lit up as she saw Scar, and she definitely took a moment to look him over. But when they drew closer and Twilight introduced them, she looked away and scuffed the ground absently. Scar puffed up a little at the initial attention, only to blink and lean closer when she opened her mouth and barely a sound came out.

"I... I beg your pardon?" he asked.

Instead of replying, Fluttershy curled up on the spot and issued a little squeak.

"We'll... come back to her," noted Twilight. "Once she gets past that first little bit she's going to have a lot of questions for you."

Twilight then led Scar over to a corner of the room where two ponies were engaged in some form of physical competition, sitting across a table from each other and each attempting to press the other's foreleg down to the surface.

"Scar, I'd like you to meet my friends Applejack and Rainbow Dash."

The orange one, Applejack, looked up and smiled warmly. "Well, how-dee Mr Scar," she said warmly.

The blue one took advantage of the distraction and slammed Applejack's hoof to the table. "HAH!! I WIN!" she crowed.

"That don't count, Rainbow! Y'all know I was distracted!"

"Yeah, yeah," replied Rainbow Dash. "And YOU know it counts!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called sternly.

"Oh... right... sorry about that." Rainbow took to the air and swooped a rapid loop to face Scar. "Nice to meet'cha!" She turned her head and cast a wink at Applejack, which only seemed to annoy the mare.

"So, like, what brings you to Ponyville?"

...

The party continued without signs of abating for hours. Scar was not a social creature at the best of times, which admittedly so far this had been. But after the first hour, the smile had faded. After the second hour he was tired of nodding gracefully as pony after pony greeted him and wished him well.

Offers of bobbing for apples and "pin the tail on the pony" were gracefully declined again and again, until he was frankly tired of the whole thing and badly wanted to leave.

He began to creep towards the door, but just as he got there, Pinkie Pie was suddenly in front of him, for the fiftieth time that afternoon. "Hey Scar!" she cheered. "Do you want some cake? Or some pineapples? I have some fresh oats? Do lions eat hay? I eat hay. But not in an evil way. There used to be a pony who ate hay in an evvviiil way. Why can't I remember who that was? I'm sorry! What did you want again?"

Scar was done. His last reserves of social energy flowed into the ether during Pinkie's rambling, and when the last question hit his nerves, they were raw.

"Pinkie Pie," he growled. "I am tired of this! This noise and these ponies and the sickly sweet smell in the air and these childish games, enough! I'm leaving! I'm done! Just STAY OUT OF MY WAY."

With that he shoved Pinkie aside, and stormed out the door. Twilight came up in time to catch the end of it.

"Pinkie! Are you all right?"

Pinkie Pie giggled. "Oh, it's okay Twilight. He's just cranky because I ran out of cake. I'll take him a fresh slice later!" She bounced away as Twilight looked after the departing lion. After a moment, she followed him.

...

"Scar?" Twilight had to trot to catch up to the lion, who could slink remarkably quickly. 

Scar only growled, initially refusing to stop. He didn't even know for certain what direction to go, so he was merely walking 'away'.

"SCAR!" repeated Twilight. He sighed deeply, and stopped, refusing to look back.

“Scar,” repeated Twilight one more time, as she caught up to him, her tone stern. “That was NOT very nice.”

“Then I’m not very nice,” growled Scar in response.

“Scar! Pinkie Pie was just trying to do something for you. That was no way to thank her, and it CERTAINLY was no way for a King to act.”

Scar sighed heavily, and sat down slowly, curling his tail around his haunches. He did not turn his head, staring straight ahead at the foreign horizon. 

Twilight waited a moment, then continued, more gently. “I know it must be very hard for you, to be lost. I promise you the Princess will be able to help.”

Scar looked down at his feet again. The dust of the road reminded him of the Pridelands, and to his surprise, he found that he missed it greatly, even after just a couple of days.

Twilight came around in front of him, and looked up into his eyes. “I promise.”

Scar’s resolve broke, and he slumped a little bit. “I’m sorry,” he replied. “I don’t belong here.”

Twilight nodded, and again touched her hoof to Scar’s paw. “I know,” she responded. “You don’t have to come back to the party, if you don’t want to. You can go back to the library?”

Scar considered this, and then nodded. “Please give Pinkie Pie my apologies.”

...

“Scar? I’m back!” Twilight entered the library and looked around, finding Scar near one of the many shelves, studying the spines of the books.

“Hello Twilight,” replied Scar, tilting his head at one last book before turning to look at her.

“Oh, good, you’re here!” Twilight trotted up to him, and looked past him at the books he was studying.

“As promised,” he nodded, then followed Twilight’s gaze to the wall. “What are these?” he asked. “You have so many of them.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide as saucers. “You really don’t know?” she exclaimed. “How can you possibly not know?”

Scar tensed up, expecting some form of insult, but Twilight continued on with an excited gleam he hadn’t yet noticed in her eyes.

“Oh my gosh! They’re books! And they’re the most wonderful things ever created!”

Scar looked between Twilight, and the wall of books. “What do they do? Are they magic too?”

“They’re even better than magic!” Twilight exclaimed. “They contain records of history, instructions for, well, just about everything, stories and lore, oh my gosh, there’s just nothing you can’t learn from a book! And the best part is that anypony can enjoy them!”

She darted over to a corner of the library so quickly that Scar was not sure he had seen her move. “I have entire sets of all kinds of rare and important books, some on loan from Canterlot. These ones over here are technically where the filing system starts, and they cover everything from ...”

Scar watched with amazement as Twilight took him on a tour of nearly every shelf, pulling out books and speaking so rapidly and with such passion that for a moment, he half suspected that Pinkie Pie was talking. He followed her, patiently, but with growing interest. The markings inscribed on the pages were meaningless to him, but Twilight was more than happy to explain each and every cover he indicated.

After an hour or so, she settled down a little bit. “I’m sorry you didn’t have books in the Pridelands, I think you would have really enjoyed reading. If you’d like, I’d be happy to read you some. I have a story in mind, just a legend really, but I think you might like it.”

Scar nodded, and settled down. "Very well then," he commented. "Show me the magic of reading."