trying to help Chanua, just making her last jump.

“Easy, my child.” Replied queen-mother, smoothly landing on sand next to daughter-in-law. “I’m not so old… It’s rather you who should be careful.”

“She didn’t mean it, mom.” Said Jino. “She is just worried about…”

“Look!” called Kwini, pointing ahead and a little up.

Both prided turned their stared there, to see two points in the air, performing a strange dance. One of objects was green and in general resembled Tiko, while the other… resembled Tiko too in every feature except of blue feathers. Spotty recognised Zazu in second bird.

“Are they fighting?” asked a bit confused Yakta.

“Some kind of family-disagreement.” Replied Spotty. “I guess now it’s common plague in this land.”

They ran closer to see nephew and uncle falling down, still in wrestle and letting themselves loose just above the ground. Then birds flew away, most likely to gain impetus for another charge.

“Stop!” called Yakta with decisive voice. “What the heck is happening here!?”

“It’s too late!” yelled Tiko. “Pride deposed lady Vitani.”

“Could we talk about that?” asked Zazu, already panting after that short skirmish. “My boy, you seriously misunderstood me and what…”

“Traitor!” screamed Tiko and rushed against uncle. Yakta – with one agile move – grabbed him in paws and pressed to the grass.

“Wait, Tiko.” He ordered. “Let him speak.”

“It’s all over.” Said Zazu with shivering voice. He landed on Chanua’s shoulder, most likely seeking a save place form rage of Tiko. “Lady Vitani stepped down, leaving all her powers to Simba. She moved to Outlands and…”

“He lies.” Murmured Kwini. “He is playing for time.”

“That is an insult, my lady.” Snorted blue hornbill, but his tone was very uncertain.

“…for our intelligence!” replied queen. “So if that is all already settled down, you most likely have nothing against we run to check it out?”

“That is not necessary, my…” started bird, but in the same time both prides set of to run. Only Chanua stayed with hornbill on her shoulder.

“Whatever it looks, I’m not so old.” Said queen-mother. “I will rush there too. You have ten seconds to take off.”

“That’s not good…” murmured mayordomo. “Simba will not be plea…” In that moment he fell down, overturned by inertia, while old lioness jumped ahead to catch her family.

*

Tanabi called Simba to stop and they both fell on grass. Ex-king was panting heavily. In spite he said nothing (maybe he said nothing due to be winded), he was glad that his effort was over. There was a huge difference between carrying Tanabi as a cub and as mature lion that weighted only slightly less than Simba himself. To ex-king’s mind came an absurdly sounding, however very rational thought. “If not that he is very fasted after his illness, I wouldn’t even lifted him!”

“Right, dad.” Said redmaned. “Now I will walk… run my own.” Hearing exhausted pants of father, added. “Stay here, I will deal with that.” Then he rushed to the river.

*

The battle cries drowned to sound of slashing water and general chaos. No one knew what was happening, because in rough river they didn’t see enemy. Crocodiles – almost totally submerged – were hidden threat. Lionesses of Nala’s party were hitting surface of water at random, hoping to hit any of foes. Meanwhile the duel of once and current queen was still far from to be settled.

Vitani was stronger and better in martial arts. But she also already had taken few heavy blows from her own subjects. Circle, or triangle, made by Kucha, Maitha and Umeme was far from tightness. From time to time one of Pridelandresses breached it and attack at random, sometimes hitting queen.

But Nala was far from perkiness. That fight was different from one year earlier. That year weakened lioness’s strength and abilities. After just few minutes of wrestling she was already on the edge of winding. She understood she had to break out free before it would be too late.

“Not so fast!” cried Vitani and grabbed Nala’s neck.

Nala did the same, in last second hugging enemy tight, preventing her from slashing her arteries. So lionesses started a wrestling, based on rear paws, trying to choke each other. It looked as if they were in intimate and tender hug. In that moment came king.

Tanabi wanted to think, but he understood he had no time. So without hesitation he pounced from cliff to the river. He estimated his jump badly, landing on crocodile’s tail. With incredible dose of luck he managed to maintain balance when Msaka backed his aching tail. Then king rushed ahead, knocking down three fighting lionesses – Bidii and Mto were holding Umeme, but after charge of king they all fell to water.

Tanabi bounced from bottom, flew into air and hit the surface just next to mate and mother. In first impulse he grabbed them both in his grasp. Then cried with all his might.

“PRIDE!”

“TANABI!” called in the same moment Nala and Vitani.

Umeme emerged from underwater, expecting fatal blow from one of her friends. But that hit haven’t come – two lionesses over her froze, looking in king who had returned.

“I’m so happy to see you…” shouted Tanabi, still hugging Nala and Vitani. His grasp was so tight that lionesses had to let each other loose. “…still alive.” Added king with angry murmur. But then called aloud again. “So you’ve done well while I was sick…”

Nala’s lionesses with clear shame on faces stepped back, out from Kucha, Maitha and Umeme. Three queen’s guardians stood up on paws, coughing due to effort. In that moment Tanabi felt that something was wrong. One of his paws was based much higher than the other, however it should be just opposite due to shape of river’s bed.

“Ow, I’m terribly sorry.” Said king, stepping down from head of crocodiless.

“It’s nothing, my lord.” Replied Msaka’s mate, fully emerging.

“So, I’m happy to see you in such a cordial terms!” called king. He was still bended to ears of Nala and Vitani, however he was screaming for whole pride to hear him. Maybe it was good for other lionesses, but once and current queen were on the edge of deafness. “I feared for some arguments during my indisposition, but I was very wrong.”

Meanwhile Simba got to the hill and noticed scene in front of him. He also saw Anasa and Dhahabu on the other side of river.

“Sir!” called kitty with laughter.

“Dad!” cried prince with relief.

“Yes, I’m here.” Replied Tanabi. “Dad!” he addressed Simba. “Come here and join your hearty team.”

“Make formation!” they heard Yakta’s orders. “We break to the king and draw back. Get him away from there.”

“Wait!” called Tanabi, turning his head east. However he was still holding his mother and Vitani, just in case one of them had some stupid idea to use his unawareness. “Nice to see you all, but what for is that rush?”

“Aren’t you dead?” asked Yakta with a little confused stare.

“Guess!” Replied king with broad smile. “Third time luck.”

“Sir!” sighed Spotty with replied, but she put in that much of formality, as if it was still her king. “I mean… Tanabi. Thank Stars you’re all right. But…”

“…what is the meaning of all this?” finished Jino, pointing on Prideland lionesses, standing in water, covered in mud and blood from few scratches.

“A…” started Nala. She quickly estimated strength of Vitani’s allies and started to think about some kind of treaty.

“A…” started Vitani. She understood that telling the truth then would put her reign on awful light.

“An old custom.” Said Tanabi. “A Ritual of Water. According to the old tradition of Golden Pride. Right, my dear?” he looked on Vitani.

“Yes. I mean…”

“You see.” Interrupted king. “I know it looks strange but that ceremony was designed on desert, where is no so many water. It could look weir in river…”

“I heard your queen was deposed, while you were sick.” Said Chanua carefully.

“Who said that?” asked Tanabi, laughing nervously. Greenlanders and Mighters looked on each other with uncertain stares. Then Tanabi let Nala and Vitani loose and stepped few steps to newcomers. However he was still carefully looking on mother and mate. “Ow, you took the official welcome of queen as some disagreement?”

“Welcome?” asked Nala with surprised voice.

“Yes.” Gasped Tanabi quietly that only his mother and Vitani heard him. “Or maybe you want explain it all yourself?”

“No, you’re doing fine.” Said ex-queen carefully.

“So there is no problem at all?” asked Chanua with suspicious voice. King shook his head.

“But Tanabi…” started Yakta. “Aren’t sir Simba and lady Nala were meant to stay in Green Den? I guess they broke the edict.” Vitani wanted to nod, but king instantly extended his tail and put it on mate’s chin. She froze.

“But it was an emergency situation. Let me explain.” Replied Tanabi. Then turned to mother and mate and hissed. “Wash away that dirt! Guests are watching.” After signs of leaders – Nala and Vitani, both groups – then already mixed – started to discreetly clean themselves from the mud. Meanwhile king went away from water. “So, as you most likely know, there was an accident on Priderock and I was knocked down for few days. But it’s not the point. My parents had to enter kingdom’s soil in order to get to Outlands.”

“I bet there is some roundabout way.” Murmured Spotty. She added louder. “For what the heck they want get into Outlands?”

“To salute memory of Zira and Nuka.” Said Tanabi with easy and certain voice. Nala and Vitani gasped in confusion, but king’s tail made another wag, gently hitting lips of both. “Yes, they were going to the Outlanders shrine, but they didn’t get on time, because they had to stay and keep watch over me.”

“No coup d’etat?” asked Yakta.

“Sir!” yelled both Zazu and Tiko in the same time.

“It was as I said.” Concluded king. “More or less.” Seeing surprise on faces of Mighters and Greenlanders added. “To make sure you haven’t come in vain,

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