last gift for them... They left me... but I can’t left them... That why I have to be gone... Simba, you won’t get you satisfaction. You won this time... but you’ll be never half a lion that Scar was!”

“No... Never!” she whispered and let loose her grab. Desert Queen started falling down, to meet with water.

*

Pain was burst and faded in the same moment. She hit some log, and even didn’t feel, just heard a sound of breaking bones. She went under surface felling nothing except paralysing weakness in all body. She wasn’t able to move her crushed limbs and she didn’t try to. This chapter was over.

She opened eyes underwater and saw dark abyss below her and shining brightness above. But that wasn’t just light of sun. It burns with light of thousands of stars. Suddenly, Zira felt that she can move again. Her body stopped to limit her and she made strong move with paws.

She noticed, then she lost her own body beneath her and her spirit was quickly ascending to the surface. And in this light, she saw face of her beloved Scar, waiting just for her. She made another move and then she reached the shining surface of death.

*

She found herself elsewhere.

Floating in free space, surrounded by dark sky, lighted only by stars above her. But those stars were much closer than she had ever seen. And tiny world below her was shrinking and disappearing under her feet. She was ascending to firmament.

“Zira!” called blackmaned lion with scar on his face.

“Scar!” whispered queen and they joined in tight hug.

Lioness burst in tears, that she had been repressing for many years.

“Scar, forgive me!” called with breaking voice. “All I wanted...”

“I love you!” interrupted Scar. “And I hope you forgive me, that I demanded so much from you. But now, we are one, my queen.”

From shade came out others silhouettes: Hawaa, Amini, Sparthi, some strange and greeneyed cub and started to newcomer.

“Is this all...” asked Zira.

“Our family here.” Answered Scar. “Nuka will be here soon. Then we will be together!”

“Brother?” whispered lioness. “Amini!” she looked on Scar with uncertain stare. “Scar, I...”

Dead king smiled and licked her face.

“I know it all. I saw it and my friend, Amini, told me. Well, I never hoped, that I would be your only subject.”

“And what with me?” asked starcub. “I won’t get a hug? This is size discrimination!”

And all ghost, even confused Zira, burst in laugher. She came to small one and licked him on forehead.

“I have no idea, who are you, but as Scar friend, you are friend of mine.” She said.

“Friend?” amazed he. “I’m Tarki and I’m Scar’s uncle!” Zira narrowed her eyes in amaze. “Yes.” Added Tarki. “I think, that his family is messed up, too.”

But then queen froze in wave of fear and sorrow. She turned to her mate with silent question on face. Scar replied with serious voice.

“My dear... It came all wrong. And not because of me, our you, but because my old argument with my father and brother. We failed, because we allowed Nuka and you to die... But we don’t cry. You know why?” Zira shocked her head. “Because thanks to this, we are together now...” he turned his stare somewhere else and added, looking in darkness. “And our enemies... whom I love but still I fight them, made theirs move. Now... we will undone the errors in the Circle of Life! We will restore glory of our names and revive the Golden Pride!” he went to Zira and hugged her again. “And then our flag will fly...”

Tarki came to them, jumped on Zira’s shoulder and whispered.

“By the way... your lullaby... You have nice voice!”

 

18 – The Golden Queen

Dawn on the Outlands.
Dawn of failure and shame.

Zira, on lead of her pride, reached Golden Hall just after sunrise. She was hobbling, just like Vii, Thela and Doria – lionesses who survived expedition to Prideland. They were wounded. But that cuts on fur weren’t even half that painfully, like the scars inside. They had lost. Maybe because of betrayal, but that didn’t change anything – they failed, hadn’t avenge Scar and had got known, that Shakisa was probably dead.

Sun was shining on four exhausted lioness, followed by five pridesisters, wounded earlier, but now, far in better condition. Anga was carrying in her jaw Hawaa, as well as Ndugu was carrying Vitani and on the end of that procession was walking Nuka. He was silent, but only because all tears had been exhausted. Inside, he was crying still, grieving Rama and Amini. He just had discovered, how he was loving old and wise lioness, he had used to call aunt. And Amini... In Nuka’s life, Amini’s star shone like supernova and faded just few days later. It wasn’t fair! He already had lost his father then he lost aunt and new friend. Also, he understood, that his mother was still in grave danger and they would live with Simba’s menace over.

“Come on, Nuka!” called Asana. “I can take you on back...”

“You are hurt on back.” Noticed cub dismally.

“It’s almost healed.” Spurred him Golden One. “I hope, you won’t squirm there...”

“I won’t risk, aunt.” Replied Nuka. “We must rest... all of us.”

But he speeded up and went to Anga and Hawaa. Female cub was sleeping after that terrified night.

“Never mind...” said Scar’s son. “I just wanted to see if all is all right...” he found, that those words were sounding rather... improper. “At least, in our situation.” Added.

So they came inside Golden Hall and almost instantly laid to sleep. Zira only made sure that Vitani was laid in golden throne and she felt on the ground, right in place where she had stopped. For the first time in his life, that Nuka went to his mother and licked her on <goodnight>. Earlier was rather opposite. But queen even didn’t feel that caress, because, when her son hugged her, she was already asleep.

So, Nuka came to Anga, who was laying Hawaa to sleep.

“She is in shock.” Said lioness. “Someone should be with her all the time.”

Nuka answered with almost mature voice.

“Go rest, aunt. I will stay with her.”

So lioness went in some calmer place and Nuka laid down and cuddled cub. She was sleeping restlessly, time to time murmuring something with fear. But after few moments in Nuka’s hug she calmed down and felt in deeper slumber. Nuka felt easier too, hearing to breathing of his friend. He closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep as soon as possible and waking later, just to discover, that all recent events were just a nightmare.

*

They awoke almost at dusk, all surprised, barely believing, what had happened day before. Zira opened her eyes as the last one.

“Scar?” she called in silence of the mound. No one dared to say anything. “Scar, where are...” then curse of memory deluged queen she gasped with pain and whispered barely. “Amini...” but that call couldn’t be answered too.

Zira felt motionless on the ground and remained still for long minutes. Finally, she stood and looked on her pride. She was silently counting left sisters, not that she wasn’t sure, who many were them, but to believe, that this number is so small. And she said with unnatural voice.

“My pride... I failed you as a queen.” Murmur of amaze sounded between lionesses. “I allow us to lose and I know, that is my fault.” Murmur become louder. “That why I should step down!” all sounds spotted, cut in one second. “You will have to chose lioness, who will be a regent, until Nuka would came to proper age and...”

Pride exploded. All Golden Ones gave loud roar, who made mound trembling and scaring Hawaa in first second. But then even that small cub in impulse of the heart, joined that roar with her quiet try.  Golden Pride was loud, until Zira raised her paw.

“What do you mean?” asked with breaking voice. Then cubbish voice sounded. It was Hawaa.

“No, my lady.... Don’t give up! We need you!”

All lionesses looked on cub, born on Prideland, but not with anger or scorn but with respect.

“Yes!” called Vii. “You are our queen!”

“GOLDEN QUEEN! GOLDEN QUEEN!” started exclaiming whole pride. Zira slowly ascended on dirt mound inside of hall. When she stood on it’s top, silence came to chamber.

“Do you know, what I did?” asked her sisters.

“You proved valour in face of stronger enemy!” replied one of lioness. Zira didn’t notice which one, due to darkness inside.

“But I allow our friends to die!”

“They will guard us from the sky!” shouted some other one.

“With lord Scar!” added another.

There was no room for any hesitation. Golden Pride was sure – they wanted theirs queen where she belonged – on the throne. Zira saw it in eyes of her friends. No one blamed her for failure. No one even thought, she could had done it better. And they were still loyal to Scar.

“Pride!” she called. “Enemy, the usurper’s forces, have beaten us. But this was has just began!” roar sounded in Golden Hall. “We remember about what is ours and we will retake it!” another roar broke silence of chamber. “I will lead you to the victory... or die trying. But first, I’ll make sure our cause will win. Do you believe in that?”

“GOLDEN QUEEN! GOLDEN QUEEN!” replied pride, raising paw in salute to monarch. Under her leadership, they were one. She slowly went down, carefully not to damage stretched muscles and rotated joints and came closer to Hawaa. Cub was shaking, but from cold, definitely not because of fear. She was looking safely in queen’s eyes, especially, after Nuka came and put his paw on her shoulder.

“My child... why did you came with us.”

“I’m not a Pridelander!” replied with serious voice. “I have never been. I’m not like them and loathe their cruel deeds. Please, accept me in you pride.”

Zira looked on her with amaze, thought for some time and asked.

“Where is your mother?” in cub’s eyes appeared two tears.

“She is dead. Simba killed her, when he found, I had went to warn you...”

Roar of rage exploded in mound. Lionesses couldn’t believe in what they had

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Next page