his family. I hope, I don’t have to explain you more.”

“But... Hawaa... We loved... we love you!” cried queen’s mother.

“Really?” replied lioness with ironical surprise. “But if I were child of Outlander, you would sentence me to death or to be exiled. That’s right?”

“No... We didn’t...”

“Tell it Yakta!” gasped Hawaa with burning anger. “Tell it aunt Shakisa! And tell it Nuka, Vitani and all others you did exile from Prideland.”

“Hawaa, it was necessary!” exclaimed Sarafina. Outlanderess once again laughed.

“Ow, aunt... I’ll tell you, what is necessary!” she replied with grim voice. “It’s necessary to restore justice and order. It’s necessary that rightful queen of this land will back on Priderock. It’s necessary to fight with all rebels and kill them, if they don’t beg for mercy...” Nuka saw, that Hawaa came closer to Sarafina and whispered her to ear. “But because once I loved you and considered as my caretaker, I’ll give you one advise. When battle start, you must bow to the ground and call: <Scar was truly king of Prideland and I will bow to his heir.> And then you will try our mercy. That mercy, you hadn’t for us!” and she added even quieter. “I will please for you.”

Old lioness looked shocked and amazed. She stepped few steps back.

“It can’t be... my child... Come to us!”

“No, Sarafina. I’ll never join Simba’s pride.” Replied she with pride. “But you can tell every single Pridelander, that would want to hear: we don’t look on your origin, colour of fur or mane. For us everyone is just who he or she is. If any lioness from Priderock will decide to bow before Zira and her children, she would be forgiven and welcomed as pridemember. Even you!” Hawaa narrowed her eyes. “Zira told me, about your and Sarabi’s plots against Scar. But you still have chance to atone it. Go back to Priderock and tell them real history of Scar’s reign.”

Sarafina was gazing silent on old charge. Some tears shown in her eyes. There were tears of truly regret. She felt guilty by lost of Hawaa and considering her as dead. She thought, that this kind of scars in hear is very hard to heal. She almost lost her hope to persuade Hawaa return.

“And so now?” she asked. “What is <necessary> now? Will you kill me?”

“If you start a fight, I will.” Replied young lioness. “But I hope, you won’t.” Sarafina sighed with relief but also with sorrow. “But don’t think, that I will save those sentiments for day of Zira’s return. I will demand from you the same, that from every single Pridelander. Repentance and obedience. Long live the queen!” finished lioness and turned back. In next second she was in river, swimming to Outlands.

“Stars!” she thought. “Because her, I’ve lost an hour of sleep. I’ll be exhausted tomorrow!” but somewhere, in her heart sprouted other feelings. It was pity for all Pridelanders, especially Sarafina. She thought, that they were not evil, but just manipulated. Blinded by pride and hatred. She hoped, that in day of queen’s return, not only Sarafina, but also other lionesses would give up... And... No, for Simba there were no forgiveness. He was the source of all that chaos and injustice and had to be... removed from the scene, once for all.

*

Nuka waited for several minutes and stood. Hawaa already climbed on Outland’s cliff and Sarafina went back with slowly steps. Lion was quite shocked by events of last night. First, he started to move his own plan of killing Simba. But second, and this was maybe more important thing, he saw his beloved in completely different perceptive that earlier. He was ashamed, that ever suspected her of even thinking about betrayal... But she was from Prideland! She could back there, every time she wanted. And she decided to stay on dry Outlands with her new pride... and with him. Nuka understood that he had underestimated Hawaa. She was even braver and stronger, that he had thought. Instead of feasting with Simba she was feeding with Nuka’s quails and rats. This was self-sacrifice of highest rank. In Nuka mind them, if they don’t beg for mercy...” Nuka saw, that Hawaa came closer to Sarafina and whispered her to ear. “But because once I loved you and considered as my caretaker, I’ll give you one advise. When battle start, you must bow to the ground and call: <Scar was truly king of Prideland and I will bow to his heir.> And then you will try our mercy. That mercy, you hadn’t for us!” and she added even quieter. “I will please for you.”

Old lioness looked shocked and amazed. She stepped few steps back.

“It can’t be... my child... Come to us!”

“No, Sarafina. I’ll never join Simba’s pride.” Replied she with pride. “But you can tell every single Pridelander, that would want to hear: we don’t look on your origin, colour of fur or mane. For us everyone is just who he or she is. If any lioness from Priderock will decide to bow before Zira and her children, she would be forgiven and welcomed as pridemember. Even you!” Hawaa narrowed her eyes. “Zira told me, about your and Sarabi’s plots against Scar. But you still have chance to atone it. Go back to Priderock and tell them real history of Scar’s reign.”

Sarafina was gazing silent on old charge. Some tears shown in her eyes. There were tears of truly regret. She felt guilty by lost of Hawaa and considering her as dead. She thought, that this kind of scars in hear is very hard to heal. She almost lost her hope to persuade Hawaa return.

“And so now?” she asked. “What is <necessary> now? Will you kill me?”

“If you start a fight, I will.” Replied young lioness. “But I hope, you won’t.” Sarafina sighed with relief but also with sorrow. “But don’t think, that I will save those sentiments for day of Zira’s return. I will demand from you the same, that from every single Pridelander. Repentance and obedience. Long live the queen!” finished lioness and turned back. In next second she was old decision grew even stronger.

“I will make you queen, Hawaa! I will reward you those years of starvation. You’ll get, what you deserved!”

His plan was difficult, but simple. To decoy Simba in Elephant Graveyard and kill him. Impossible for so weak lion?

“You will see, who’s mane-event here! Mother, Hawaa! I’ll make you proud!” whispered in nightly air, then went into river.

*

Sarafina was walking through savannah in Priderock’s direction. She wasn’t sleepy, because all sleepiness vaporized after recent meeting. So Hawaa was alive! They had left her and had forgotten about her for those years.

“What have we done?” asked lioness. “We let Zira to poison her heart. She is no longer Pridelander.”

But word of Hawaa was bothering her in some other way. Young lioness was speaking from heart with personal grudge against Simba’s pride. Sarafina wondered, what she could have done to hurt Hawaa. She felt fully responsible about this tragedy. Before Kilia died, she asked Sarafina for taking care about her daughter. Just in case... and that case had happened. Also, Hawaa told her about <battle> and Zira’s return. So Simba had right, it was coming. Finally, clash of prides was near. Sarafina wondered, if she would be able to ask for mercy for Hawaa. Once, they sentenced her, so maybe this time would they do the same.

*

Zira was sleeping well, until dawn. She was hungry, sore after trainings with her lionesses, but also so calm and peaceful, maybe even as never, since Scar’s death. She dreamed once again about Amini, then about Kovu’s birth. Strange, Amini was still alive when Kovu born, what was nonsense. But in this dream, he still was talking to Zira, about future and was warning her about something. And then Sparthi (Sparthi? What strange dream! Sparthi died three years before Kovu’s birth!) came and started to preaching, like older brothers always do. But Zira was so happy, to see him, that she pounced on him and started to lick him with cubbish joy. So Sparthi didn’t manage to tell her anything too. She awake with tears in her eyes but with peace in hear heart.

“Scar, Sparthi, Amini...” she whispered, just before he awoke other lionesses. “Soon I’ll restore yours glory and salute you with my revenge... or join you.”

The new day raised above Outlands.

*

“No, this definitely wasn’t, what I meant.” judged Scar.

Three ghost were looking on awaking day from their sky keep.

“Well, yes, she seemed to miss the main point.” Agreed Sparthi. “But we tried...”

“Yes, of course.” Nodded dead king. “But something is blocking you, as well as me. Maybe, it’s Mufasa’s done, maybe, problem lies in Zira herself. We must find another way.”

“And meanwhile...” added Amini. “Protect them in their present quest. Who knows, maybe they will success.”

Scar looked on second black-maned lion with uncertain stare.

“I hope for that... and I’m prepared for the worse.”

06 – River’s stream

Golden lionesses and rouge lions came to cub’s sanctuary about dusk. They had been washed by another rain during his route, also had to make a stop for hunt. Preys weren’t so great, just three adolescent zebras, but it tasted delicious, after days of strict fasting. This was first signal, that herds would return on Prideland. Also, Windy Pack proved, that not every lion is poor hunter. In fact, one from zebras was caught by males themselves.

“By me, in particular.” Said Daki.

“Zira and I beat it up for you.” Noticed Amini.

“Yes, yes, yes...” said lion. “But I got it, right?”

Few of lionesses nodded, gazing on lion with adoring stare. If Horen was afraid that females disrupted his pack, Zira could say the same about rouges. But neither queen nor pack leader said anything. They both understood, that they need themselves, at least, temporary. Also, Zira had something other in mind. Namely – Amini. Lion was chatting with her for all the way, disturbing lioness’s peace of mind. She hadn’t intended it, but she did tell him