slashing Amini in chest, making some serious wounds. Blackmaned falls motionless, but when lionesses are about to finish him, from out the screen comes Scar’s ghost. He penetrate Amini’s body and seems to raise him and made him run to north.]

S:

So she will live by your love

Let we bless you from above

Let we reward all that she should do

 We thank you

[Amini is running to river, but we can see, that his wounds are sever and probably fatal. Blood is flowing from under his black mane. Scar’s ghost is still within him, but barely keeps in. With every step the spectre is outrunning living body.]

So she will go by you hand

Help she doesn’t even demand

But you give it anyway

Just to save

For her to save...

[Some lioness overtake Amini, he stops and suddenly hit her. She falls on the ground and lion starts to run again.]

S: Stand and fight

A: For her life [Cut to Zira, who enters the river, but with front paws in water she turns back to Amini.]

Z: Feel the might

That you live

And prevail with power from inside

[Scar exits Amini’s body and seems to hurry him with gesture. Lion is running fast, but his steps are uncertain and he is hobbling a little.]

S: Fight and win

A: Let me try [Zira is swimming. Water is splashing on her face, we don’t know, that drops on face are water or tears.]

Z: With this might you’ll never die

In my heart and in my mind, deep within

[Amini reaches bank too and stands on beach, surrounded by Simba and four lionesses. We see in background, that next five lionesses are on a way.]

A: So

This the end I will face

Hope I led you in right place

Hope I led you where you will never cry

[Persecutors jump on lion, and he run to water, despite of bleeding wounds.

Zira looks on him and sees bloody track in water. Amini is swimming with remnants of his might.]

Z: Thank

I am here, by your hand

And this story will not end

 It will burn in my mind till I die

[Zoom to Amini from front. He is waving his paws in water. Every move causes stronger bloodlet. Lions stare becomes more and more hollow. Music stops.]

*

Hawaa was running with full speed like in fewer. She wasn’t look aside, just ahead to the river. She noticed some silhouettes on other bank and she smiled despite tears. She ran to water even without slowing down and she started to swim naturally, like she was born swimmer. But just after few meters, strong stream took her.

“Nuka!” screamed in fear.

Nuka was standing on northern bank, holding by Anga. He was trying to escape her grasp and to his mother, still swimming in river. But Zira was going well, so cub sighed with relief calmed down. Then that scream sounded.

“Listen!” called Nuka. “Did you hear that?”

“Calm down, my dear...” replied Anga. “Your mom will be here any minute.

“But... It’s Hawaa!” amazed cub. “Help her!”

“Whom?” asked lioness, who was looking in Zira’s direction. “Wait here, I’m coming for your mother.” She let Nuka loose.

Cub was waiting for that opportunity. He jumped ahead, right to water. When exhausted Zira went on shore, her son hit the water and started to swim desperately in drowning Hawaa’s direction. Queen even didn’t notice it, because she fainted just on beach and all lioness ran to her. Only terrified Anga stayed in place, looking on swimming Nuka.

“Nuka! Back!” she called, but it was too late – cub was took by stream too. Anga crouched to jump to followed her, but she froze in last moment. She was poor swimmer and she would probably drown in few moments. She started to run on the bank to east. “Help me!” she called to pridesisters. Ndugu and Vii followed her instantly.

Nuka and Hawaa met in the middle of river. They hugged themselves tight and did it in last moment – Hawaa was about to drown. So both were helplessly floating with fast stream. Female cub looked in eyes of her saviour.

“And now what?” asked with breaking voice.

“Well... I haven’t it in my plan...” replied Nuka, chocking with water. “Try to swim... to my bank!”

Cubs doubled their efforts but there was no use. After few moves, they both started to drown. Only thing, that they were able to, to concentrate all strength to stay on surface.

“Nuka... I can’t!” cried Hawaa.

“Of course, you can!” replied Nuka and coughed with water. “We must do to bank! Help me!”

“Go yourself!”

“No way!” called Nuka male cub and took Hawaa on his back. He was pushed underwater and started to emerge just for one breath, to be submerged right after. But this allowed Hawaa to breathe normally, and to push water with her paws. Nuka helped her as he was able, but his primary goal was to hold her over surface and not to drown himself. They started to move to bank, but it was very slow moving. Too slow.

“I wish, that Amini was here.” Thought Nuka, who was slowly fainting from exhaustion and lack of oxygen. “I think, we won’t make it.” But then miracle happened.

Amini grabbed cubs and clasped them to his severed chest. With other paw he started to desperately push the water. He was swimming slowly, but much faster than cubs alone. He was almost exsaunged and he was moving with fading might.

“Bank! To the bank!” was screaming Scar, seeing that Amini was barely conscious and he was swimming at random. Ghost flew down and once again merged with dying lion. Nuka, although fainting, immediately felt this strange change in his saviour.

“Dad?” asked with weary voice.

But in that moment contact faded and Amini directed right to bank. Nuka fainted for good and when lion left him and Hawaa on beach, he was unconscious.

Bleeding lion was on the edge of consciousness too and when Anga came to him, he even didn’t recognize her. Amini thought that was Zira.

“My queen...” gasped. “I failed you... but your son is safe. I can’t do anymore. My service is complete.” His heart stopped.

Anga gentle touched dead body, then she carefully took cubs from his hug. Ndugu bowed with respect and pushed motionless Amini back into the water. Dead lion started to floating with stream.

Then Nuka coughed, opened his eyes and screamed.

“HAWAA!”

“Hush, my dear...” whispered Anga. “She is here...”

Female cub opened her eyes too and look on Nuka with weary stare.

“Ow, Nuka... My mother... she is... dead!” said with breaking voice and then burst in tears.

Cub went to her and hugged. He murmured with soothing, but then once again coughed with remnants of water from his gullet.

“Don’t fear... You are safe now... we will take care about you...” but he burst in tears too, finally understanding, why Amini had disappeared.

*

Lions ghosts surrounded Amini’s spirit in silence. Blackmaned was confused and lost, seeing his own body floating into waterfall direction. So he looked on two groups of lions: one with two fullgrown, brownmaned once and second, with one blackmaned and second sandymaned lion. Between them was standing tiny cub with green eyes.

“Welcome on the other side, Amini.” Said cub with mature voice. “As you probably know, you are dead.”

“Not surprising.” replied blackmaned. “But... too bad, it came now... Is Zira all right?”

One from the ghost, with black mane, just like Amini’s ran to newcomer and hugged him cordially.

“Yes!” called lion with scar on his face. “And only because of you!”

“You are... Scar!” whispered former rouge.

“How did you know?” asked greeneyed cub and burst in laughter.

“Tarki, this is not good time for jests!” gasped sandymaned.

“Yes, right...” agreed Tarki.

Scar let Amini loose and stepped back.

“Thank you for... guarding my mate...” he noticed bolt of pain on Amini’s face. “...and our common love. You proved worthy and brave, Amini. You saved her and all pride...” he turned angry stare to two lions, standing aside. “...from certain doom!”

“Scar, we wanted your good...”

“Save it, father!” interrupted blackmaned. “Don’t you dare say another word about her! And now...” he put paw on Amini’s shoulder. “You will take him on firmament. As high, as he deserved by his bravery and sacrifice.”

“They were against us?” guessed lion.

“Precisely.” Replied Scar. “You have destroyed plans of two Kings of Past: Ahadi and Mufasa. Not bad for just a rouge... Or we should call you <the Rouge King>?”

“But Scar... what with them...” asked Amini with confused voice.

“Amini...” said Scar and came closer to lion. “It came wrong, but thanks to your help, didn’t change into disaster... Zira is bearing your son... Kovu...”

“He will be your son.” Muttered Amini with sadness in his voice.

“He will be Zira’s in first place.” Said Scar. “And that why we will love him both.”

“Yes, you are right.” Nodded Amini.

“I’m terribly sorry, that you have died and Zira stayed there alone...” he looked with freezing stare on Ahadi and Mufasa. “And don’t know the future, I’m new here too. But I can promise you, that with every move, thought and word I will support Zira, cubs and pride in they live. I don’t want any revenge...” he looked on father and brother. “At least, not for my death... But I will try to take care of Golden Ones. Will you help me, Amini?”

Rouge King smiled, hearing that his service hadn’t finished.“Welcome on the other side, Amini.” Said cub with mature voice. “As you probably know, you are dead.”

“Not surprising.” replied blackmaned. “But... too bad, it came now... Is Zira all right?”

One from the ghost, with black mane, just like Amini’s ran to newcomer and hugged him cordially.

“Yes!” called lion with scar on his face. “And only because of you!”

“You are... Scar!” whispered former rouge.

>

“Why do you asking, Scar? You know I will!”

 

17 – Her lullaby

 

“You are ready!” whispered Zira, looking on her younger son. “Nice... very nice. You have the same blackness in your soul that Scar had. What is your destiny?”

Kovu answered as he was expected to. Payback was nearing from paws

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