mane. Simba, feeling approaching death, shock in despair, throwing Hawaa from his back. Lioness’s claws stuck out from wounds, causing two fountains of blood. But arteries of Pridelander were intact.

Outlanderess landed on four paws and trampled from rock wall on Simba. Lion managed only think: “That this is impossible, no one fights like this!” and raise his paw to block coming blow. Hawaa only reached his mane and gripped his fur with fury. Simba yelled, after that painful drag, but he was able just too rid enemy, by shaking his head. Hawaa jumped to him in face to face wrest. Lion smiled, knowing that he was far to strong, to be prevailed by female. But in next second his world exploded with pain. He was kicked in groin with lethal precision. He panted and felt motionless on the ground. By dimmed sight, he noticed shadow of enemy, raising her paw to inflict fatal blow...

...and then Nala came.

His mate pounced on Hawaa and they both felt on the ground few meters away. Despite of surprise, Outlanderess’s quickly shock Pridelanderess out from back and stood up. Before Nala got up, Hawaa hit her in neck. Lioness have no mane to resist power of the blow, so Outlanderess’s claws plunged in Nala’s flesh, much easier that in Simba’s. Queen saved her life only by falling down and crouching. But she knew, that in next moment she would be stabbed for once more.

Simba came in last moment. Lion hobbled to fighting lionesses and slashed Hawaa in back. He dragged claws through enemy and until she turned to him, eight parallel, red cuts burst on grey fur.

“Grey... Just like ours...” wondered Simba and was hit by blind retaliation of Hawaa’s paw.

“Kill her!” screamed terrified voice of lion, but it wasn’t heard by anyone. Calling one was ghost... once king of Prideland, Ahadi.

Ancient One knew, that he had already broken the pact, by helping Mufasa in gorge. So what the difference would make another intervention? He ran to his grandson and blow on him his own might. Simba instantly recover initiative and blocked hit from Hawaa. Meanwhile, Nala was preparing to jump.

“Good...” smiled star lion, but in next second he was pinned down by other spectre.

“NO!” screamed Scar. “Tarki, help her!”

“Taka?!” amazed Ahadi, wrestling with his own son.

“Scar, I can’t! I’m arbiter!”

So blackmaned released Ahadi and jumped in living ones direction. But there was too late. Simba hit Hawaa in face and right in the same moment, Nala struck her with all her mass. Outlanderess was thrown away by this bolt of energy. Rolling uncontrollably, she moved to bank and felt into river.

“NO!” called both Scar and Nuka.

Ghost was watching this from bank, his son saw this from gorge. Nuka speeded up, but his pathetic hobbling was anyway slow as termite’s run. He was jumping on three legs, because fourth one was wounded and partially paralysed. With terror, he saw, that severely wounded Hawaa disappeared behind edge of bank and Simba with his mate departed to ford’s direction. Nuka was still hobbling, but he had grave consciousness, that it was useless.

“They are coming!” screamed Nala, noticing Nuka. She thought, that crippled lion is the vanguard of new wave of enemies. “Run, faster!” she hurried her mate.

Scar looked on his father with tears in his immaterial eyes.

“You did it again...” he whispered.

“No... Taka, I just wanted to...” yelled dead king with sudden wave of remorse.

“You had to really hate me, if that hatred hasn’t ceased with death.” Said Scar and disappeared.

“SON!” called Ahadi, but there was only Tarki from Ancient Ones.

“You broke our pact, brother.” gasped greeneyed cub. “You... just killed this girl.”

“Nuka was trying to kill Simba...”

“An eye for an eye, Ahadi?” asked Tarki with bitter voice. “Neither Scar nor I stated this. But we will end!” and starcub disappeared too.

*

Sarafina had been hearing sounds of fight and started in gorge’s direction. But before she got there, she heard also sound of slashing water. She ran to bank and...

“HAWAA!” screamed in fear, seeing motionless lioness, floating in fast stream of river. “We have killed her!” she thought and felt burning flame of pain in her heart. But then floating lioness opened her eyes and started to awkwardly trying to remain of surface. Blood was letting from her multiple wounds and she was drowning. Sarafina knew, that she could do only one thing.

“Hold on, my dear!” she called and jumped into raging water.

Shock for old lioness was great. Water abyss was cold and running fast, so Sarafina just surrender to overwhelming might of stream and was floating helplessly for few moments. Slowly, she recover senses and ability to move and took a look around, searching Hawaa. Her former charge was swimming, or better to say: floating right ahead, so lioness pushed water in several moves and got to drowning one. She instantly raised Hawaa’s head above water surface and heard heavy coughs of her. “Thanks Stars!” she thought. “She is still alive.”

“Nuka... Nuka...” was sobbing Outlanderess, giving in stream of river. After over minute, she noticed, that she is holding by former caretaker.

“Ow, look” she whispered with bitter smile. “They even don’t try to save us...” pointed Pridelanders, standing next to ford and formed in defensive rank against expected enemy. “If there is no Nuka, no one will come for us...” then she looked in Sarafina’s eyes with amaze. “Aunt... what happened to you?”

“Hawaa...” panted old lioness. “I won’t made it to the bank... You must help me...”

“Go yourself... I’m coming to my Nuka.” Replied Outlanderess with sleepy voice. But then Sarafina understood, that her voice wasn’t sleepy. It was symptom of major bleeding and fainting from it. After drowning lioness there was terrifying, red trace in the water. Sarafina’s fur was already pink because Hawaa’s blood. Wounds on armpit was lethal and nothing could changed it.

“No...” cried old lioness and hugger her charge.

“Simba killed Nuka... and killed me...” whispered Hawaa. “And the same Scar, Shakisa, Yakta... will it ever finish? One lion just can’t break so much... This is not fair...” She closed her eyes and asked with airy curiosity. “Is here really so cold here, or it just my bloodlet?”

“Hush.” Sobbed Sarafina. “I will try get us to the bank.”

But there was no use. With burden of wounded Hawaa, queen’s mother was almost immobile. Because of cold water her muscles became more and more weak, that she understood, that she probably wasn’t able to even save herself. High lever of water made stream unexpectedly fast – in not more in quarter they made half of way to Mighty Waterfall. Moon showed from behind the clouds and shone on river and two lionesses in it. Older one noticed, that there was no one on the bank, who might help them. And even if... Hawaa was slowly passing from bleeding, with wound impossible to heal.

“Aunt... it useless.” Whispered Hawaa. “Try to get on bank.”

Lioness laughed despite of tears.

“No... I can’t. I can’t, because I’m already too weak... and I can’t, because I mustn’t leave you.” Said with sad voice. “I did it once and regret it even today.” She cuddled in blood-spotted fur of Hawaa. “At least, in this last way, we will be together.”

For some time, they were floating in silence, listening just to growing sound of waterfall. Finally, Hawaa muttered with weary voice.

“Wake up... Don’t you die before I do.” And laughed silently. “I wonder...”

“Yes, my dear?” asked Sarafina.

“Why it came to this, aunt?” she whispered. “It all could go right... Simba would be dead right now... Sad, because of one dead... But this would be the only one. Both prides united under Zira’s and Nuka’s power... Memory of Scar would be restored... But for Pridelanders would be free to salute Simba and Mufasa... We would live too... Why it hasn’t happened?”

Sarafina had no reply to that. Only bitter sorrow was aching her heart. She knew, that death of Hawaa would burn last bridge between prides. There was only one way – war. And they nothing could do with it.

“I don’t know... my dear. Maybe, they will tell us there.” Answered uncertainly and pointed with paw on stars. “Please, try to forgive me and Pridelanders... we tried do our best.”

“I’m not the one that you should sorry.” Said Hawaa and looked on the sky. “Look on north. Somewhere there is Scar’s star. I hope he forgive me failure and that I haven’t guarded Nuka right.”

“Taka?” whispered Sarafina to the firmament. “I really regret, that all came this way... but it came.”

“Ready?” asked Hawaa. “I hear it near.” Yes, sound of waterfall was roaring in ears.

“Ready!” replied Sarafina. “Now, we will see, who has right.”

“Love and loyalty.” Whispered Hawaa. “On both sides... I hate water... Nuka, I’m coming for you.”

Hugging lionesses disappeared behind edge of waterfall. Another turn of the Circle of Life was complete.

*

“It was Sarafina!” were murmuring lionesses, looking on raging river. “They killed Sarafina!”

“Silence!” gasped Sarabi. “Hold formation... look for enemy...”

“Simba!” called Sorphi with relief. Yes, from west king was running with his mate. “We can go now.”

“Are you in hurry?” asked loud voice from cliff above them.

Lionesses turned theirs stares up, just to see vivid shadows on rock. Zira’s pride was there, just waiting to final attack. Nala and Simba joined defensive rank and all Pridelanderesses looked on theirs monarch.

“Retreat, sir?” asked Vinia.

“We can’t.” gasped king. “If we start, they will strike on us, when we are defenceless... And where is Sarafina?”

“Mom?” called Nala uncertainly. Murmur sounded between lionesses. “Where is my mother?” asked queen desperately.

“My lady... I’m so sorry...” whispered Sorphi. “That Outlanderess... got her...”

Nala froze and Simba felt, that they just couldn’t wait. Pride was on the edge of panic.

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