Asked Nuka. “Were we doing enough?”

Dead king looked on him with sad and compassionating stare.

“Enough? You did much more that I had right to demand from you.” Said with breaking voice. “Son, soon we will talk... But now I must go with your mother...”

He raised paw and touched his forehead with extended claws. It was an ancient salute of warriors, giving only after victorious battle. Nuka wasn’t convinced, if that battle was won, but he returned salute. If his father recognise him as worthy to receive such a sign, he was sure that somehow, they already won. When dead king followed pride, going slowly in Priderock direction, Nuka turned to Hawaa.

“My love... I’m so glad we are finally together...” said with breaking voice. “But I’m so worried about mother and...”

“Nuka...” whispered lioness. “Your mission is over. Now is their turn and if they do it half the way you did... they cold be proud.”

“But I failed... I didn’t kill Simba today... I didn’t that day too...” said with sleepy voice. He felt like all world was slowing down and becoming more and more silent.

“You have never failed.” Replied Hawaa. “That day, someone disturbed you in unfair way. Today... Today is still now. We can’t see the future. Maybe, you mission will be accomplished soon.”

“Maybe...” whispered Nuka, almost sleeping.

“You must rest, now, to free from what is imprisoning you on this earth. Soon, we will meet again... and be one.”

“Sing me a lullaby...” asked Nuka and felt asleep.

*

“Last chance, Zira: Go home.” Called Simba through sound of heavy rain. Two ranks of lionesses were standing against other. And two leader between them.

“I am home!” replied Zira with emotion. “Attack!”

Outlanders started theirs charge. Queen, although dimmed by hunger, rage and grief after losing two sons – a hero and a traitor, still was commander and was thinking as a commander. Her mind registered moves of enemy. Pridelanders had no own tactic: they moved after Golden Ones had moved and speeded up, when they do this. Zira was standing on rock behind fighting line. She was in the same time, commander and only reinforcement. She was ready to jump where line would be broken. Meanwhile, she was encouraging her pride.

“Go for the eyes! Break his jaw! Hit him low! Get them! Do what you must!” she was calling loud with firm voice, but inside she was terrified.

Nine lioness against eleven plus Simba, no... eight against ten – Vitani went for Nala. Zira at first wanted to call her daughter back, to support main line, but then she thought, that killing a usurper’s mate would break morale of enemy. But then, all plan failed – Outlanderesses hadn’t managed to pierce Pridelander’s rank. So whole fight break to lost of minor duel and chaos won on battle field. Zira narrowed her eyes, but calmed down quickly – that was unavoidable. Her pride was trained to fight with Hawaa. No one could replace that element of puzzles. Zira roared and lighting crossed the sky. She jumped down to determine her fate once for all. She laughed with both relief and despair. So, after so many years, it showed to be so easy? Just paw-to-paw duel?

“Simba...” she called, going in usurper’s direction. “You're mine!”

“She’s going for Simba!” yelled terrified Amini.

“Indeed!” replied Scar and Sparthi at once. Desert lion added. “You have never seen her in duel... Simba is in serious trouble!”

So they were watching to battle, barely repressing emotions, just like two lion’s ghost on Priderock.

“Dad... could we...” asked Mufasa, but Ahadi interrupted.

“No, we broke pact once and they are watching... Come on!” called. “She is just a lioness! Simba will crush her!”

“Yes, you’re right.” Agreed Mufasa, but without conviction.

Zira slashed Simba hitting lion in shoulder. And then, happened something, that was unbelievable to everyone – usurper felt onto ground. One blow of older, lighter and tormented by hunger lioness knocked out giant, heavy and well-fed male. Almost instantly, all fights stopped. Enemies jumped away from themselves to watch on duel between the leaders. War was going to be determined in that way.

Surprised and little scared Simba was standing in place. Queen was slowly walking around him, watching his uncertain stare and preparing herself. Finally, Simba moved too, but for this moment was waiting Zira. She raised her paw in final attend and...

“Kiara?” whispered confused Simba, when pair of lions jumped between fighting ones.

“Kovu!” called amazed Zira. “Move!” added with anger and despair. Her son wasted a brilliant chance to get usurper.

“You're even weaker than I thought. Get out of the way!” gasped queen and realised with burning regret, what giant error she had made. If Kovu, all time loved and drawing her attention, well fed and trained with so much effort failed... and Nuka, whole live second, scorned and neglected, proved his loyalty for the price of death... she had been blind, all her live. Menace of failure hit her even before Kovu replied.

“You'll never hurt Kiara... or Simba. Not while I'm here.” Said traitor and was standing still on her way to usurper. She had truly lost both sons. “Both, because my stupidity!” called piercing scream in her soul. “Now, there is only one way to atone that error: win or die!”

“Vitani... now!” ordered last charge. But she heard in reply word coming from mouth of lioness... who looked like Vitani, but wasn’t her for sure.

“No, Mother!” said princess. “Kiara's right. Enough.”

Right, enough. Zira wasn’t able to take more. She understood that she lost all of her children. Her small Vitani gave up, thanks to promise of easier life and peace. So, was there any reason to fight still? “Yes!” thought queen. “Win or die! Nuka hasn’t died in vain!“

“If you will not fight... then you will die as well.” Gasped, hoping that words of disowning would wake daughter’s conscience. But they wouldn’t.

Rank of her pridesisters moved in uncertain move, then first lionesses started to walk in Vitani’s direction. Fear, betrayal and surrendering – that were three most dangerous pestilential illnesses were infecting faster than anything other and so was then. Vitani, daughter of queen and most loyal soldier of queen’s army, had surrendered. If Zira could demand from weak, hungry and feared lionesses to be braver than the princess?

“Wh-wha... Where are you going? Get back here!” she was freezing inside, watching all her subject going into Simba’ direction.

“Let it go, Zira. It's time to put the past behind us.” Said Simba with triumphal smile. “Great philosophy for murderers and thieves.” Whispered bitter voice in Zira’s mind. “To commit a crime and... to forget. Made all forget about sins and errors, just to have free way to repeat evil in future. Left past behind? Well... he just killed an ancient pride, by forcing it to disown itself.” No way back, only way ahead.

“I'll never let it go!” called Golden Queen. She was whom she was. Forgetting meant death. In own heart... and heart of all dear to her. She wasn’t able to betray Scar. Love had been showing her way since she met him. And she was ready to die for that! “This is for you, Scar!” whispered and pounced on Simba.

Life's not fair, is it? On way of deadly charge of Outland’s queen appeared Kiara. Lioness just pounced in the same time, to block attack on her father. She hit by pure coincidence, in awkwardly way, she even wasn’t trying to slash Zira. She just hit her with all mass, significantly greater than mass of skinny Outlanderess. They both flew aside and rolled to the edge of gorge. As I said: life's not fair, is it? – Genius warrior-queen was stopped by clumsy child that had luck. Or, had something more.

“NO!” screamed Scar, seeing Mufasa driving Kiara’s charge. He jumped to stop that, but it was already too late.

Both lionesses felt out, beyond edge. They were falling from the slope down, where Ahadi was waiting. Dead king pushed his great-granddaughter to rock-wall and helped her to get basin. Before Scar, Amini or Sparthi managed even to get to the edge, queen was already hanging on paws above the abyss of gorge.

“Stop!” ordered Mufasa and pounced on his brother.

Ahadi instantly jumped from valley and attacked Sparthi and Amini. Although, he had two enemies, but he easily knocked down Amini in one blow. Power of older king was much greater. Surprised Sparthi wanted to avoid Ahadi, but was caught too. So, five lions started their fight and Zira was slowly sliding down.

“Zira! Give me your paw!” Called Kiara from safe ledge above queen. She lowered her hand to help her. Zira was looking on her with rage.

“What?!” she thought. “She want to save me? For what? For another humiliation?” she hit with paw at random. “I don’t want anything from murderer’s heir!”

“Zira, come on... I'll help you...” assured Kiara.

Queen looked in her eyes and froze. Lioness was convinced, she was talking truth. She was really trying to save Zira, like she didn’t know, what it means. “So, the murderer raised his cubs in sympathy, that he hadn’t had for Scar and us... In luxury, although he sentenced us for starve to death. Maybe, she even don’t know, what her father did.”

And sudden wave of sorrow deluged her heart. She failed Scar, her children and her pride. She allowed that her mate was unavenged, allowed her children to die or to be swayed by enemy, ancient pride of her ancestors to be destroyed. “I was... too weak!” cried in mind. “I failed the trial. I’m not Scar, who won with the Circle of Life itself... I’m just...” She was desperately thinking about Vitani and Kovu. “They made their choice... they betrayed me and Scar... but they are my children, anyway! How will they manage to live with Simba? He will be always hate them because of me... If I be with them too. If I survive, I’ll made their future hard as my life was. Let this be my last gift for

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