licked his son’s face, then she licked Vitani’s too. And then she turned to savannah and started to speed through it. Although she was exhausted, she was running fast. Her cubs required meat, her cubs had to be strong in order to survive the escape. Zira was sure, that soon they all would have to run for their lives.

*

“And now, what?” asked Sarafina.

Lioness were lying in main King’s Cave, between other pride members. Dawn was coming and they were scared of it. Something had to be done.

“I don’t know, Sarafina!” replied Sarabi honest.

“Simba doesn’t know anything about Golden Ones... and they don’t know anything about Simba. What they would do, when they will return?”

In Sarafina’s voice was fear mixed with regret. Lionesses knew, that they started something... bigger, that they had expected. Death of Scar and exile of Shakisa was just a beginning. From now, prides became the mortal enemies.

“Nala should tell Simba, to find and... hm...” she stopped for a while, looking for proper word. “...neutralize strangers.”

“You should tell him.” Replied Sarafina. “Simba is your son...” noticed lioness.

“And he is king now.” Said Sarabi. “We can’t just order him. It must be his will.” Again, silence came to Priderock’s cave.

“So...” said Sarafina with uncertain voice. “We have to say Simba whole... truth?”

“What is the truth?” asked queen-mother, with serious doubt. “If we say Simba, there are at least ten lionesses, who want to avenge Scar, he might be quite confused.”

Yes. According to Nala’s tale, Simba had deposed not a king but a tyrant. In this story, Scar was mad and incompetent ruler and all lionesses, living in Prideland, was looking forward to get rid of him. But that was not true. Sarabi and Sarafina knew, that Golden Pride was ready to fight for dead king’s legacy... especially...

“Zira!” gasped Sarabi. “Zira will lead them to fight! We must do something.”

For few minutes in darkness of cave only breathing of lionesses was heard. No motion, just heavily thinking.

“We must speak with Nala.” Decided Sarafina. “She is our queen, now. She will decide.”

So both lionesses stood and slowly, carefully not to awake other pridemembers, started to walk in royal bed’s direction. After short time of silent cuffs, queen stood too and went after mother and friend outside.

Sakia was listening to all of that. She was awake all the time, that Sarabi and Sarafina was talking about theirs plot. But she was too scared to say anything... even too scared to move.

“King is dead.” She thought. “They all betrayed him... and I betrayed too! We are damned!” she burst in silent cry. “My lord... I’m so sorry! I was too weak!”

*

Scar was floating motionless in some dark place. He knew he was dead, but it didn’t ceased his pain and fear. Suffering from wounds finished, but suffering from his heart had just begun. He was tormenting by images of dying Zira and his cubs. He felt burden of responsibility for those, he had left on earth. He failed.

“No, you have not!” said some strange voice. Dead king heard it with his own ears but in the same time, he felt it in his head. He was about to ask this silent interlocutor, but voice sounded first.

“Don’t say anything... You are shocked by all of this. You are... on the other side. You are coming to the sky.”

“I?” surprised Scar. “I will be King on Firmament? I, who failed my pride and family?”

“Shut up!” growled mysterious voice. It had something from grown lion but also from young cub in the same time. But anyway, its power was overwhelming. “You died as a hero, who was trying to save his subjects. You will be bright star on the sky and your yelling won’t change it!”

“Zira...” whispered Scar and opened his eyes.

But there were no eyes.

He understood, that he was looking from his spirit’s body. He didn’t see anything, because there was dark. There was dark, because night had came. He was slowly ascending to the sky.

“Hush!” whispered...

...a cub? Next to dead king was flying tiny, green-eyed cub, with dark fur and well known face.

“Father?!” gasped Scar with amaze.

“What?!” surprised cub. “I’m not your father... I’m his brother and your uncle... I’m Tarki, son of Mohatu and Zauditu. I’m your patron here...” cub notices question in Scar’s eyes. “Don’t ask for too much, all knowledge will come in time. Now... trust me! I’ll take care for your mate and cubs. I wish to meet them personally, but it could wait...” he burst in sudden laughter. “Got it? Personally!” But he noticed, that dead king was too shocked to understand this yoke. “Sorry, just kidding. I will guard them from Simba’s Pride.”

“It’s my pride!” replied Scar automatically .

“Yes... but now it’s under your nephew’s authority.”

“Zira is the queen!” yelled Scar, trying to look on the ground. It was hard – all word was spinning and blinking around, that dead lion felt dizziness. “Could dizziness be felt by dead ones?” he asked himself and immediately felt something alike nausea.

“Close you eyes and think about... nothing!” ordered Tarki. “Now, I will depart and look for your mate, cubs and Golden Lionesses. I’ll be back as soon, as it’ll be sure, that they are safe. Deal?”

Scar didn’t respond. He just fell in some pitch-black hole, without any light, sound or even thought.

Being dead is not an easy task.

*

First day of new regime was strange.

Of course, it had to be different from recent past, just because change of season. Rain was hitting the ground with unbelievable rate, like the sky wanted to compensate for times of drought. Savannah turned to poll of mud, but lioness, who were living almost three years in constant thirst were overjo?”

“Shut up!” growled mysterious voice. It had something from grown lion but also from young cub in the same time. But anyway, its power was overwhelming. “You died as a hero, who was trying to save his subjects. You will be bright star on the sky and your yelling won’t change it!”

“Zira...” whispered Scar and opened his eyes.

But there were no eyes.

He understood, that he was looking from his spirit’s body. He didn’t see anything, because there was dark. There was dark, because night had came. He was slowly ascending to the sky.

“Hush!” whispered...

...a cub? Next to dead king was flying tiny, green-eyed cub, with dark fur and well known face.

“Father?!” gasped Scar with amaze.

“What?!” surprised cub. “I’m not your father... I’m his brother and your uncle... I’m Tarki, son of Mohatu and Zauditu. I’m your patron here...” cub notices question in Scar’s eyes. “Don’t ask for too much, all knowledge will come in time. Now... trust me! I’ll take care for your mate and cubs. I wish to meet them personally, but it could wait...” he burst in sudden laughter. “Got it? Personally!” But he noticed, that dead king was too shocked to understand this yoke. “Sorry, just kidding. I will guard them from Simba’s Pride.”

“It’s my pride!” replied Scar automatically .

“Yes... but now it’s under your nephew’s authority.”

“Zira is the queen!” yelled Scar, trying to look on the ground. It was hard – all word was spinning and blinking around, that dead lion felt dizziness. “Could dizziness be felt by dead ones?” he asked himself and immediately felt something alike nausea.

“Nala...” he whispered to his mate. “Is this... normal?”

New queen smiled and licked king in forehead.

“Of course, Simba... They are celebrating your return and the rain. You...” for second lioness seemed to fight with herself, but then she continued. “...saved us all.”

Lion was gazing on kingdom with fear in his heart. Drought and fire had devastated it seriously, so Simba had no idea, how bring life back to Prideland. He was about to share his anxiety with mate, but she started to talk first.

“Simba... there is something that you don’t know...” In Nala’s minds troubling pictures showed: she with Scar in old times, when all things were different and her king... “No!” she thought. “This is a past. There is no way back. I must tell him, what mother want me to tell.” So she continued. “Scar brought here a group of his... followers. I don’t mean hyenas... but other pride of lions.” Simba dropped his jaw in amaze. “Listen to me... They are called Golden Pride and are led by lioness called Zira. They most likely will try to aven... to retake Priderock.” She finished with breaking voice.

Lies, lies, lies. This was a circle, that once started, never would stop. It required to feed it with every single word. Alternative was... revealing hard truth.

“But... who? How?” muttered king.

“It doesn’t matter now.” Interrupted Nala. “We must do something as soon as possible. Please, order lionesses to search and intercept those strangers...”

King was heavily surprised, however, he tried to think logically.

“How much are they? If we split your forces, they would prevail us, one by one.”

“They are scattered.” Explained Nala. “They are on reconnaissance, far on west in two lionesses teams. Eight females, plus Zira and that one, we exiled yesterday.”

“Stars!” whispered Simba in mind. “We? I didn’t want to banish this poor creature... and her cub...” Meanwhile, Nala was continuing.

“But probably Zira is unable to fight now. She have two cubs, one is newborn. Eight exhausted lionesses, scattered and disoriented, against us... Twelve of us, under your leadership.”

“So... what have I do?” asked Simba.

Nala was thinking hard. King didn’t ask too much questions, so she felt great relief. Also, she noticed, that advantage of Pridelanders is really crushing. They have just one cub in pride (it was Hawaa, daughter of Kilia) and they were in far better condition. Hunting party got a antelope two days earlier, so it made a light meal for