and feeling together. After first two seconds of shock, ranks froze in silent wrestling. In real battle (at least, according to Zira’s predictions), the fight would be over just in moment of first contact. Numerous Pridelanders would prevailed Outlanders by brute strength, or better trained army of Zira would scatter enemy in small groups, causing panic. Weaker and light-built, due to almost constant starvation, lionesses from Outland had only one chance – to surprise and to fright Simba’s forces. Zira thought, that would be easy... if someone takes their leader out.

“It all depends on you, Kovu.” Whispered queen and in next second, second rank of practising lioness broke and team went scattered. Victory was in paws of Hawaa’s group.

“Well done!” exclaimed Zira. “Hawaa, Spotty, Dotty, Danthi and Ostasi... you were excellent!” she left her children on top and jumped down to her army. At first, she turned to team that lost. “I saw no errors in your charge... They were just... slightly better. But rules are rules... Swim through Border River ten times!” she ordered usual task for losers. Then she came to winners. “Good! I’m impressed.”

“Thank you, ma’am!” replied Hawaa with official voice.

“Dismiss!” said Zira. “It’s all today.” Kovu and Vitani left that mound and went in Golden Hall’s direction.

“Thank you, queen!” called choir of five lion’s throats and in next second all of them departed from battlefield. Only Hawaa stayed.

“And you... are waiting for Nuka, right?” asked Zira, with inquire in her voice.

“Yes ma’am...” replied young lioness uncertainly. “Is that problem to you, lady?”

Zira burst in laughter, then came closer to Hawaa and stroked her in head.

“No... of course not!” she smiled. “How could you thought about something like that?”

Younger lioness was silent for a while and turned her stare to the ground. She replied after almost minute.

“I thought... that you are angry, because I became close with your son.”

“What is wrong with that?” asked Zira.

“I... I’m the Pridelander!” whispered Hawaa.

“What!?” growled queen. She grabbed lioness’s muzzle and turned it to herself. She looked in scared eyes and gasped slowly. “Don’t you dare say that again!” she stopped, watching surprise in Hawaa’s eyes. “Unless you decide to leave us, you are Outlander, with your heart and mind!”

“But not in blood.” Said Hawaa with tensed voice.

“Who are you?” asked Zira solemn. “You are they?” she pointed in lionesses, returning into Golden Hall. “Who am I to you?” Lioness replied with no hesitate.

“I’m Outlander. They are my pride. You are my queen, Zira!”

Queen smiled and suddenly hugged younger lioness. She burst in laughter, seeing surprise in Hawaa’s face.

“And it’s all I need to know about you! You are one of us and I’m proud of you.” She stepped back and look again in subject’s eyes. “Don’t you ever say, that you don’t belong here. Do you want be with us?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Do you share our dreams?” inquired Zira.

“You know, I do!”

“Do you love us?”

“With all my heart!”

“So you are just like us... Don’t matter, where have you born.” She came to rock wall and jumped on ledge. From there she turned to lioness and said. “Do you remember, how you came here? I remember it very well...” she closed her eyes and recalled memories. “I never considered you as worse, because your origin. And when you denied Simba’s power, I knew, that we would be family... because we have so much in common. We all are alike... Maybe we look different, even think different, but we fell the same. Pride and joy of being free... pain and sorrow for those who died... We are Outlanders!” she called in empty gorge. “Our pride is your strength! And you have this strength inside!

[“Look on yourself” song. Music mysterious and profound. There are some drums in background.]

[Zira is standing on ledge, about two meters above surface of plateaux, that stands Hawaa. Younger lioness is looking on queen with awe and respect in her eyes. Zira points on Hawaa.]

Verse:

Look at you, my little child

Pretty flower on this rock

[She crouches down to see little flower on the rock. Zoom on plant and paw of queen. She stokes it.]

Feel the power from inside

That had made you grown so strong

[She tries to pull it out, but flower is strong. She leaves it...]

There're your rots where's your heart

So you know from where you sprouted

[...but she points to rock-gap lower, where rots of plant are.]

And you know, you'll never part

This sacred soil, where your tale started

[She jumps down to Hawaa and nudges her. Both come in rivers direction. They both look to distant Priderock on horizon.]

Chorus:

You understand what they failed

You're someone not of their kind

[Zira is on lead, Hawaa follows. They descending from rocks, still looking on Priderock’s direction.]

You are the one from other tale

Scorn, forgotten but still proud!

[At word “scorn”, Zira stops, at the word “forgotten” she turns to lioness, at the word “proud” she raises her paw and clutches fist.]

You're much stronger than could be they

 Cause you're living for just to prove

[She points on river gorge below and sing with pride.]

That you'll for sure never obey

To no one, except of your heart's truth

[They both jumps to water and joins lionesses, who are exercise walking in river’s stream.]

Verse:

Look at you and look at me

We're the sisters in this fight

[They are barely walking in fast stream with exhausted lioness. But all (Zira, Hawaa and second team from skirmish) don’t look angry but they’re proud of their progress.]

In every day of misery

We stand together, proud and right

[They comes on other bank of river and climb on cliff.]

Our hears so deeply are akin

Cause they beat with similar pulse

[Zira is pointing Priderock with paw of extended claws.]

We wish to win and we will win

Don't matter what say laws of those!

[She clutches fist, like she is grabbing something. She smiles deadly.]

Chorus, they sing together:

We understand what they failed

We're someone not of their kind

[Animals of Prideland run in panic, seeing Outlanders.]

We are the ones from other tale

Scorn, forgotten but still proud!

[At word “proud” five lionesses, that just has gone out from river, join the singing.]

We’re much stronger than could be they

That we'll for sure never obey

To no one, except of our heart's truth

[Song ends with “opera-like” ending, of high voices of lioness. Zira is holding her paw on chest.]

“Good work, girls!” said Zira, looking on exhausted but still full of spirit, lionesses. “Go home and rest.” Second team went to river and started to swim in Outlands direction. Queen was looking on it from cliff, with pride in her eyes. “My pride... Our pride!” she corrected “Scar would be proud... and probably he is, looking from stars!” she sighed and looked on Hawaa. “Go back... Nuka should be already in Golden Hall. I wonder, what he caught this time...” she smiled and added. “What a mess... lionesses are practicing combat and lion hunts. We are in fact, different from this arogants from there.” She pointEN-GB">[They are barely walking in fast stream with exhausted lioness. But all (Zira, Hawaa and second team from skirmish) don’t look angry but they’re proud of their progress.]

In every day of misery

We stand together, proud and right

[They comes on other bank of river and climb on cliff.]

Our hears so deeply are akin

Cause they beat with similar pulse

[Zira is pointing Priderock with paw of extended claws.]

We wish to win and we will win

Don't matter what say laws of those!

[She clutches fist, like she is grabbing something. She smiles deadly.]

Chorus, they sing together:

We understand what they failed

We're someone not of their kind

[Animals of Prideland run in panic, seeing Outlanders.]

We are the ones from other tale

“Zira...” said Hawaa with uncertain voice.

“Yes, my dear?”

“I... I love Nuka.” She said shyly. “And when his war will end...”

“...I’ll gain a daughter-in-law. I know that.” Finished Zira with smile. She entered river and started to swim.

“Do you accept that?” Hawaa wanted to have sure.

“Of course, I do!” replied swimming queen. “I’m very happy, that you and Nuka are so close. I’m sure, that Scar would be happy too.” They reached second bank and went out from water. “But I hope, you know, that according to Scar’s last will, Kovu is his heir.” Added with enigmatic voice.

“Yes, ma’am... I don’t care about throne...” and she added quiet. “...but Nuka wants to be a king.”

Zira stopped and turned to lioness. But in her eyes were no anger, just sorrow.

“I know... But I can’t help it. Nuka just can’t challenge Simba, he wouldn’t stand a chance...” she came closer to Hawaa and hugged her. “My dear... Nuka has lots of advantages, you probably found it out yourself, but brute strength is not one of them. Am I right?” she asked rhetorically. “Kovu will kill Simba and because of that, he will take a crown. But Nuka... as heir of my kinghood, a king of Golden Sand will be respected and saluted as royal descendant.”

“I know that.” Replied Hawaa. “If this satisfy Nuka, I’ll be satisfied.”

But this talk had also other auditor. Nuka, crouched on ledge of mound nearby, heard almost every word of his mother and his love. He look on them with sad face, but under this sorrow, grew determination.

“Hawaa, my dear!” he whispered. “You will be a queen! I’ll kill Simba and I’ll became heir of my father...” he looked on Zira, going in Golden Hall’s direction. “And I’ll show you, mother, who is the most loyal of your child. Just giclass="MsoNormal">We wish to win and we will win

Don't matter what say laws of those!

[She clutches fist, like she is grabbing