Simba was staring at the sky. The noon day sun was warm and pleasant. A good
omen. Hoping to catch another glimpse of his father, Simba continued to gaze at the sky.
He was interrupted by a cry from Schala.
	“Sire,” the new lioness cried, Hyenas can be heard in the gorge!” Simba’s attention
was quickly diverted.	
	“What?” Regaining composure, Simba called out to the lionesses that were
present. “We are under siege by the murderous hyenas! In the name of my father and my
mother and all of the great spirits that guide us, we must defend our land. Who is with
me?” There was a general chorus of assents from the lionesses. “Excellent,” Simba said, “I
see that we are missing someone though.” Simba’s count of the lionesses had come up
short. “Zira is missing. Moraka, you are her friend. Do you know where she is?” Moraka
seemed torn. Her face was drawn and her eyes were full of tears. 
	“No, Sire,” Moraka answered, “I know not where Zira is. She has been missing
since daybreak.” Simba gazed at Moraka. Her breath was short. She was fidgety, and she
swallowed after every few words. Simba knew, in his heart, the truth.
	Moraka was lying to him. 
	Why? He did not know. What secret could Moraka be bearing? More importantly,
where was Zira? Simba decided that questioning Moraka now would be a waste of
valuable time. The hyenas were drawing inexorably closer by the moment. 
	“Fine then, Moraka, we will have to fight without Zira.” Simba climbed down from
pride rock. “I will meet the hyenas head on. We all will.” Sarafina raised a question.
	“But, Sire, we are seriously out numbered. Perhaps if half of the pride was to head
to the north end of the gorge and attack from there? Then, we could pin them down and
have a better chance at victory.” Simba considered, then listened to the war whoops of the
hyenas. 
	“No. It would take too long to send a party to the north end. We have to face the
now. We beat them here at Pride Rock, and we can beat them again.” The lionesses
nodded in assent with Simba. Even Sarafina nodded and bowed in submission. “We
move.” Simba said quietly. The pride was off to the gorge, but Schala had stayed behind.
“Schala,” Simba asked, “why are you lingering? We need to go now.” Schala bowed.
	“Begging his Majesty’s pardon, but I have to secure Kube, my cub,  I will only be
a moment, Sire.” Simba nodded.
	“Good then. But hurry, please!” Schala only bowed and moved off into the main
sleeping chamber. The rest of the pride moved onward into the gorge. Staring into its
sandy expanse, Simba could only hope and pray. “Please let us all come back alive.”
			*	*	*	*	*	*	*

	Schala found Kube in the back of the sleeping chamber. The young cub was
playing with an insect that had managed to attract the scrawny cub’s attention. Schala
looked at Kube with a mixture of disappointment and regret. Scar would have never
approved of this cub. It was weak and puny. It was also incredibly slow and stupid. 
	“Kube!” Schala commanded. Kube perked and looked up at his mother.  
	“Yes, mother?” Schala spoke like the harsh taskmaster that she was.
	“You are to remain here until I return. I go off to secure your place as king. I
sincerely hope you’re grateful.” Kube nodded. 
	“I love you, mommy.” Schala stared at the small lion.
	“That’s never enough! If you cannot perform for me, then you are not my son. I go
to secure your birthright. Do you understand?” Kube smiled a cute smile and nodded.
	“Yes. Mommy loves Kube. That why she fight.” Schala rolled her eyes. 
	“Whatever.” Schala stormed off to the gorge. 
	When she arrived at the gorge, Schala had seen that Simba had already descended
into the gorge and was nearly eye to eye with the hyenas. Behind her, the forms of seven
cats approached.
	“We live to serve, Empress Schala of the New Order, we await your command.”
Ebona had said in a very regal tone. Schala looked at Jezebel.
	“This attack wasn’t supposed to happen for another three days! Why now?”
Jezebel responded in her usual cool and collected tone.
	“Hecate has moved up the timetable for various reasons.” Schala growled.
	“Who is in charge here?” Schala hissed, “ The mandrill or myself?” 
	“You, of course, Empress.” Jezebel said. Schala cocked an eye.
	“Good. Now let’s go. When the attack in is full swing, we come in and crush
Simba. With him dead, the whole pride will fall into disorder, and I will reap all of the
benefits.” The other cats all nodded and bowed to their Empress. 

		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

	Simba and his lionesses were just reaching the bottom of the hill when Shenzi
called out.
	“Well, well, Banzai, what have we got here?” Banzai, playing the game, countered.
	“I don’t know, Shenzi. What do you think, Ed?” Ed just smiled ferally and giggled
that sick, perverse laugh of his.
	Shenzi looked hard at Simba. “It looks like a king fit for a meal.” Simba remained
unfazed.
	“Leave now, Shenzi. Surrender while you can.” Shenzi only grinned. 
	“Oh, I don’t think so, Simba. I hear you miss your daddy. Now, you can see him
again.” With snapping jaws, the hyenas charged. 
	The charge came quick. Using their sheer numbers, the hyenas simply tried to
overwhelm the lions. Leaping into the fray, Simba cracked a hyena across the face,
possibly breaking it’s jaw. He felt the nips and stings of hyena teeth as they tried to rip into
his hide. Looking around, Simba could find no sign of Schala. Where was she? Nala was
doing well, her fighting prowess was allowing her to pick off hyena opponents one by one.
But despite his and Nala’s abilities, the battle wasn’t going well. The lions were being
pushed farther and farther back in the gorge.  
	Suddenly, He heard the sounds of a war cry. The cry of a lioness. Looking back
the way he came, Simba saw Schala along with several other large cats descending the
gorge. What was going on? Before Simba could ask, Schala shrieked in delight. 
	“Well, my king, you seem to be in a bit of a bind! You’ve fallen right into my
cleverly planned trap. Now you are cornered, and you will die!” Schala’s cats  strode in
from behind. Simba felt a sickening twist in his stomach. 
	He had been duped. He was trapped between two attacking brigades with no way
out. No surrender. No retreat. Schala and her comrades attacked from the back. The
entire gorge was filled with the sound of growling, yelping, screaming, and cries of pain.
Lightning flashed from cloud to cloud. Simba steeled himself, and charged after the hyenas
while Nala and others turned on Schala. Armageddon had arrived.

		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

	Zira was returning from the outlands. While there, she noticed that the termite
problem had gotten worse and that her children, Nuka and Vitani, were looking mangier
every day. Returning to Pride Rock, Zira heard the commotion. A cacophony of noises
emanated from the gorge. From the sounds of things, hyenas, lions, and a few strange
growls which could easily be leopards or cheetahs were in the gorge. Very strange indeed.
Intrigued, Zira hurried over and peered down into the gorge. Inside, she saw the most
beautiful sight she had ever seen. 
	Simba’s pride was hopelessly outmatched between hyenas and what appeared to be
a ragtag group of other cats. The other cats were lead by... Schala? So, Zira thought with
contempt, that little wretch had fooled them all. How utterly disgraceful. But why? Why
would Schala attack the pride? Then it hit Zira like a mallet.
	Schala must have been with Scar. It was the only explanation. The cub and her
betrayal... all perfect. 
	“So, you little harlot, you think you can have an affair with my Scar and live? I
doubt it!” Zira hurried around to the edge of the gorge and began to slide down into it.
Zira saw, in the back of Schala’s ranks, a lone cheetah. Zira stalked forward, then pounced
on the cheetah. 
	The cheetah let out a yelp of surprise, but was able to wriggle away from Zira. The
cheetah looked at Zira with a mixture of shock and rage. 
	“You!” Zira cocked an eyebrow.
	“Yes, I am Zira, once queen of the Pridelands. And you are...?” The cheetah
turned so that Zira could see the scar on her back thigh. 
	“I am Tsidii, and I know who you are, butcher!” Zira curled a lip in a sneer.
	“That’s a harsh accusation for someone I’ve never met before. Now get out of my
way! I have a war to fight.” Tsidii’s eyes flashed with rage.
	“So do I.” The cheetah charged Zira in a blinding flash. Before Zira could react,
the cheetah had managed to slash a small red wound on Zira’s shoulder. Zira growled with
pain, and Tsidii came about for another pass. But Zira was waiting for her.
	As soon as the cheetah came near to Zira again, Zira sidestepped her charge and
pounced onto Tsidii’s back. With a satisfying crunch, Zira heard Tsidii’s spine snap. 
	Tsidii dropped like a rag and quivered. Zira heard the cheetah whisper a dying
breath.
	“I join my cubs in Elysium, Zira. You must suffer and live.” Zira was puzzled by
Tsidii’s statement, until it hit her. This was the same cheetah that she had defeated years
ago. Did she have cubs? 
	“Oh well,” Zira thought, “that’s life and death on the Pridelands.” 
	Kill or be killed.

		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

	Jezebel was having the time of her life. Never before had she enjoyed combat with
such vigor and ferverence. She had surprised the lionesses of Simba’s pride with her
strength and skill. Ebona was doing well too. The gray lioness had successfully knocked
out Nala’s mother, Sarafina, and injured the other one called Moraka. It was a glorious
battle. Jezebel was just about to consider joining her friend when she saw a target she
couldn’t resist. 
	Nala, Queen of the Pridelands, was being beaten back. She was being attacked by
a relentless assault of hyenas. An opportunity too difficult to pass up. With a nimble
bound, Jezebel landed right in front of the struggling queen.
	“Having trouble, your highness?” Jezebel said mockingly. With a swipe, Nala
smacked away a pair of advancing hyenas.
	“Nothing I can’t handle, now I will handle you!” Nala leapt into the air and tried to
pounce on Jezebel’s head. Jezebel rushed under Nala so that when the queen landed,
Jezebel was behind her. With a quick one-two slash of her forepaws, Jezebel opened three
little wounds in Nala’s backside. The queen gasped in pain. Before Nala could retaliate,
Jezebel had managed to pin her to the ground. With the wind knocked out of her, Nala
could only listen to Jezebel gloat. 
	“Pitiful. Really pitiful. Where is your king now, sweetie? Time to say goodnight.”
But before Jezebel could deliver a crushing blow to Nala’s neck, a tawny blur knocked
Jezebel against the wall of the gorge. 
	The blur was impressively strong. With an amazing strength, Jezebel felt her head
smack against the hard, rock wall of the gorge. Landing, Jezebel could make out the blur
through a dazed haze. 
	“Her king is right here.” Jezebel huffed, then collapsed. The last thought she had
before collapsing into unconsciousness was, “Shame we had to  get off on the wrong foot,
he is rather cute.”

		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	


	The cave was boring. Kube looked around the walls of the cave in Pride Rock.
Nothing. Nothing to do but to wait for mommy to come back. 
	Where’s the fun in that?
	Kube decided that he’d peek out of the cave mouth. Ma had said to not leave the
cave, so he’d only just peek out... a little. As soon as Kube reached the cave mouth, he
was hit with a gust of damp wind. His brown fur rustled in the storm. The clouds overhead
were now black and menacing. White forks of lightning shot from cloud to cloud as the
wind ripped across the savannah. Kube looked upward. Rain would come soon. Kube
knew that when the rain came, his mother would not be there to protect him. Where was
she? 
	Looking around, Kube saw a gorge in the distance. Even with the sound of wind in
his ears, the cub could still hear the sound of growls and roars echoing in the great fissure.
Was mama out there? He’d have to find out. With a series of hops and bounds, the sickly
cub Kube walked towards the gorge in search of his mother. 

			*	*	*	*	*	*	*

	Lions fighing Hyenas. Lions fighting lions. Leopards and Cheetahs fighting lions.
What a horrible sight, Rafiki thought as he arrived at the edge of the gorge. Timon stood
on Pumbaa’s back and peered down into the ravine.
	“Oh, man, this doesn’t look good. If we don’t do something, Simba’s pride is
gonna be known as Simba’s fur coats!” Zazu was near hysterics.
	“What do we do? What do we do? They are hopelessly outmatched, and are
unable to retreat! They will all be killed if we don’t help them! 
	Rafiki leaned on his staff. “You must help them, then. Do what you can to delay
the hyenas or the other pride. Now!” Timon and  Pumbaa turned and started to descend
slowly into the deep ravine. Zazu spread his wings and glided gently in a spiral towards his
king. Rafiki could only watch in despair. 
	“Oh, Mufasa,” he called to the spirits, “look at what is happening! Is all of our
work for nothing? Did your son return only to die a king?” Nothing. The winds that
responded were not those of the spirits, but those of a cataclysmic storm. The winds grew
colder. An otherworldly chill crept into his bones, and he saw. 
	On the other side of the gorge, one hundred yards away, was Hecate.
	She hobbled in his direction with the limp of old age. Her purple, staunchy face
was twisted in a sadistic insanity. In her hand was the mummified remnant of a lion’s paw 
-her staff. Her long, jointed fingers were clenched in a tight fist. Her eyes pulsated with a
supernatural gleam that suggested her feral mentality was coming into existence again. Her
teeth were like a row of mismatched, green tile, and her hair was streaked with dirt and
mud. Opening her mouth, she screeched.
	Rafiki covered his ears, Hecate’s scream seemed to not come from her lungs, but
from the bowels of the tainted spirit that had soiled her soul. Every creature in the gorge
stopped fighting. The hyenas, lions, and ragtag group of felines under the thrall of Schala,
all stopped to gaze in bewilderment at the howling monkey. Everything had quieted. Even
the thunder had ebbed at Hecate’s shriek. 
	Finally, after what had seemed an eternity, Shenzi grinned and spoke loud enough
for all to hear.
	“That’s the signal! We go!” To the shock and wonderment of the lions, the hyenas
turned and scampered away from the gorge. Schala was horror stricken. 
	“What? Where are you going? Stay here, you fools, we are on the shores of
victory!” 
	Shenzi looked back at Hecate, “Darlin’, you’re the fool. Did you really think that
me, or any of us hyenas, actually gave a zebra’s hindquarters about your little
‘revolution’? Like I said to your cronies before, ‘Been there, heard that same old sob
story. The hyenas ain’t anybody’s servants no more.” With an arrogant chuckle, Shenzi
turned and left. 
	To say the least, Schala was dumbfounded. Her mouth agape, she stared at the
pride of lions that now looked angrily at her. She started to stammer. “No, please, I didn’t
mean to.... that is to say I meant... Hecate! This is your fault!” Schala looked up at the
mandrill, “You betrayed me!” 
	Hecate only nodded, “You betrayed yourself, Schala. As your dear, departed
husband knew, ‘never hire help smarter than yourself!’. I now leave you at the mercy of
Simba’s pride.” Simba, worn and dirty, looked up at Hecate. Hecate only returned his
gaze. “You would be wise to note , your majesty, that Schala was.. well friends with
Scar.” Hecate winked at Schala. “Real good friends.” 
	Simba gritted his teeth. Anger welled up in him like a genie released  from a bottle
after a thousand millennia. He had been played for a fool. This lioness that he had trusted,
betrayed him. Betrayed. That word was beginning to become the foremost word of his
vocabulary. First Scar, now this Schala. Was there any one else out there still loyal to his
uncle? He’d have to find out. Schala turned her face on Simba, and spat out every word
that she spoke.
	“Yes.” Schala said, “I was Scar’s beloved. It was Hecate, and myself, that sent that
snake to destroy your mother. You are such a naive cub, Simba. These lionesses, despite
their years of experience senior to yours, stand loyal to your subordinating rule. While you
frolicked about in a jungle for years with a pig and a rat, others ruled in your place. You
claim to have liberated your people from Scar’s tyranny, but you only bring your own
tyranny in it’s stead! Scar was a wise ruler, and a very intelligent lion. He was just
unfortunate to have to rule during a drought. He did the pride a service by killing your
father.” Schala’s eyes grew wide in remembrance. “Scar was to ascend the throne, and I
was to be his queen! His queen! His beautiful one and only.” As angry as Simba was by
Schala’s speech, someone was angrier still. In a vicious, tawny flash, Zira struck.
	Zira tackled Schala to the ground in a single move. The two lionesses began
hissing and swiping at one another. Nala looked at Simba with pleading eyes, asking him
to intervene and stop the violence. But Simba only responded with a cold stare, almost as
if he was relishing this. Eventually, Zira pinned Schala up against the wall of the gorge.
Hissing, Zira shouted at Schala. 
	“Your Scar? You little, stupid, dried up, harlot! I was his queen! He loved me 
more and fathered three cubs- three! You were only a mistress. A pitiful toy to be
discarded when you had exhausted your usefulness. I, however, stayed on as his queen. I
loved him, and he loved me! You are nothing.” In a flash, Schala leapt at Zira’s throat and
forced her down. Schala leered in Zira’s face, foaming at the mouth. Schala was close to
either screaming or crying. Schala had begun to taunt Zira with all of the different ways
she could kill her, when she, and the rest of the lions present, heard a cry from the top of
the gorge. 
	“Mommy?” Schala looked up. Kube was standing on the ledge of the gorge,
gazing into it’s vast expanse. Schala looked up from Zira to cry out to Kube. 
	“Kube, no! Stay away from here! Get back from the edge!” Kube began to
apologize when lightning ripped across the sky like a white devil’s fork. Kube wailed, and
slipped. It happened so fast, and yet so slow. 
	Like a furry pinball, the small, precious cub bounced from rock to rock on the way
down. Landing, finally, in a cloud of dust, Kube crumpled on the floor of the gorge.
Schala cried out, tears welling in her eyes. “Kube!” Dashing over, Schala arrived at the
form of the cub. Lifting his tiny head, Kube whispered to Schala.
	“I’m sorry, mommy, I didn’t mean to disobey...” Kube put his head back down,
and shut his eyes. 
	Schala began to nuzzle Kube’s head, trying to rouse him. Schala spoke in hysterics
to her little cub. “No, Kube, it’s all right. Everything is fine. I’m here for you. I’m going to
conquer the Pridelands for you.. all of Africa will bow at your feet.... you’ll be a prince..
you’ll be a king... no- no- much more than the lions will worship you. A hundred prides
will know your name.. you’ll never be lonely or frightened again... Kube? You’re so
cold... let me put my paws around you. I’ll tell you about the future... our future
together... you won’t leave me.. you know I can change for you. I was only hard because I
loved you.  I can change, Kube.. I can change... I can win, Kube... your mother can win...
we’ll go live in the Outlands together... we’ll be safe there. You’ll live with me, mother
and son... everything will be fine... everything will be wonderful...”

		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

	Everyone was stone silent. The clouds above rumbled with thunder. Tiny drops of
rain fell onto the earth. Simba’s heart was torn. At first, he had hated this lioness for her
dishonesty. Schala would have killed him in a heartbeat, but now, as her cub Kube lie
crumpled and dead on the now cold earth, his enemy didn’t seem so heartless after all.
They weren’t so different, Schala and him, both only wanted the best for the next
generation of lions that would walk the savanna. But Schala had proven her love for Scar,
and that Simba couldn’t forgive. His uncle was the single most source of grief and tragedy
in his life, and anyone who could love him- after they saw through his lies- had to be evil
too. Simba steeled himself, and walked up to Schala. 
	“Schala. I gave you sanctuary in my pride because I thought you were in danger. I
now see that you are a liar.” Simba’s voice grew louder and more imperial, “Let it be
known that in my kingdom lying will not be tolerated. Such an act disrupts our harmony
with each other and the circle of life. So now, Schala, because of your acts I hereby...”
	“Don’t bother...” Schala mumbled. “My son is dead, and all of my hopes for
making the Pridelands a better place are dashed. You have won, Simba. I have lost. Don’t
exile me. You don’t have to do that. I leave under my own power.” Schala bent down, and
picked her dead cub up in her teeth. Turning around, Schala simply climbed out of the
gorge, and started walking toward parts unknown.  Simba watched Schala leave. Turning,
he saw Zira licking her paws complacently. A burning anger filled Simba’s heart. Glaring
into Zira’s eyes, Simba spoke two words. 
	“Get out.”
	Zira looked up bemusedly. Chuckling, she looked condescendingly at Simba. “I
expected as much. What’s the matter Simba, can’t face the fact that some of us preferred
your dear, departed uncle more?” Simba started growling. The lionesses of Simba’s pride
split into two groups. Some stood behind Zira, some behind Simba. 
	“Zira, get out. You are banished from the Pridelands for the rest of your days.”
Simba started shouting. “All of you!” Lightning ripped across the sky. Rain poured down
in torrents. “All of you the had allegiances to Scar, get out! Now!” The lionesses standing
with Zira all looked at each other, then turned and walked away into the mist of rain
toward the outlands. The rest of the pride only stood there in shock for a moment or two,
then the one called Moraka stood and started to walk away as well. Nala called after her. 
	“Moraka! Please, not you too?” Moraka turned and looked back at Nala. 
	“Begging her majesty’s pardon, but I never did love Scar as a king. But Zira has
been my friend since before you were born, Nala. If I must choose between My king and
my friend, then honor demands that I choose my friend. Goodbye Nala. May the circle of
life lead you to supreme happiness.” Then, Moraka vanished into the mist of rain. 

		
			*	*	*	*	*	*

	The rain fell in sheets. A torrential monsoon swept the Pridelands. Simba’s pride
(what was left of it) quietly returned to Pride Rock. Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa had
remained respectfully silent as they followed Simba back to the shelter of Pride Rock. The
only two left at the gorge were Rafiki and Hecate. Brother and Sister. 
	“What a day, huh Rafiki?” Hecate asked with an irreverent tone. “You know, they
really should see about having that gorge filled, Rafiki. Somebody’s always falling into it
or being thrown into it or something.” Hecate’s gray fur was plastered to her skin by the
waves of rain. Rafiki, equally soaked, just returned her gaze. 
	“You have lost, Hecate. Simba and his pride did not kill Schala as you thought,
and the hyenas have left the Pridelands. Go, Hecate, and never bother us again.”  Hecate
only snorted with laughter.
	“How typically you, Rafiki. You are just so four-dimensional lately. Lost? I don’t
think so. My pawn, Schala, may have lost her desire to fight, but there are others. Many
more others thanks to your king.” 
	“What did you expect him to do?” Rafiki countered, “Allow Zira and her
henchmen to remain at Pride Rock and endanger the lives of the entire pride?” 
	“Rafiki, Simba did what any traumatized child would have done in the same
situation.” Drawing herself up, Hecate spoke grimly to her brother. “A rift has opened,
brother. One so great that I doubt even you could heal it. Scar is dead, but his legacy lives
on quite well, I think. This Zira will prove quite a formidable enemy for Simba. Don’t you
agree? Well, Rafiki, the hour is late and I have business to attend to, but fear not, Rafiki,
we’ll meet again. We both have a lot of work ahead of us, so I suggest we both get
started.” With that, Hecate turned and vanished into the mist of rain. Rafiki only remained
where her stood.
	“Yes, Hecate, there is much work to do.” 



* EPILOUGE *

	The sun rose, ebbing the night away like a polisher with a cloth of solar brilliance.
Every animal of the Pridelands stood at attention around Pride Rock. This was the day.
	The heavy rains of late had spurned a great regowth of the savanna. Pride Rock sat
like an island in a sea of emerald grasses. Small acacia trees were full of a luscious, leafy
bounty for the herbivores to feast upon. The herds had all returned. Wildebeest, Impala,
Zebra, Antelope, all had filled the fields with their saffron hundreds- feasting on the grass.
But today, no animal was eating. They all stood at attention, and looked at the peak of
Pride Rock. Today was a joyous day. The princess had been born. 
	To the knowledge of all present, the young cub was to be named Kiara. Rafiki
walked out with the cub cradled in his hands and hoisted her for the beasts to see. The
uproar was tremendous. Beasts stomped their feet and hooves, screeched, cried, and
trumpeted in joy for the cub’s birth. The king, queen, majordomo, and royal caretakers
(new positions held by some strange meerkat and warthog few had seen before) all stood
with Rafiki. A flock of white birds flapped past the royal family, tweeting their songs of
praise. King Simba beamed with pride. he nuzzled his queen and smiled. Everyone present
was happy.
	Well, not everyone. 
	Hidden behind a rock, just to the west of Pride Rock, Sat two of the mangiest,
scrawniest lions the world had ever seen. The first was an adolescent male with a short,
mangy, black mane and brown fur. His whiskers were twisted and his eyes seemed to
bulge out of his head. When he smiled, he revealed a row of teeth like a fence of daggers.
But right now, he wasn’t smiling. He just grumbled.
	“I, like, so don’t see what the fuss is about. Some cub got born, big deal! When I
was born nobody held me over a ledge.” 
	“Yeah, well, maybe they should have. Then they could’ve dropped you.” The other
lion was a female cub with matty, tawny fur and surly expression. 
	“Put a cork in it, Vitani, I just wanna get outta here as soon as I can, OK?” Vitani
only exhaled disgustedly into her hair.
	“Fine, Nuka, we’ve seen enough. Let’s go report to mom.” The two young lions
then snuck away back to the Outlands.

			*	*	*	*	*	*

	The outlands. The most desolate, termite-ridden, disgusting, wretched place in
Africa. No lion or lioness in his or her right mind would want to live here, but Zira did,
and it was not her choice. She only sat and bathed baby Kovu. She’d lick him all over with
her sharp, leonine tongue. As she’d lick, she’d occasionally find a parasite or two, and pull
it out with her teeth. Disgusting. The weather in the Outlands was, thankfully, warm and
pleasant. But now, Zira noticed, it had grown considerably colder. Turning, she saw the
form of a familiar, old monkey hobbling her way over to Zira.
	“Good day, Zira, how are you?” Zira scowled. 
	“Go away, Hecate, I don’t want anything to do with you.” Hecate pretended to be
hurt.
	“Oh Zira, that really hurts. I can’t believe you’d not want anything to do with little
old me. Even after I could grant you a wish.” Zira’s eye cocked.
	“Wish? What kind of wish?” Hecate grinned her scum-covered grin.
	“Why, to talk to your beloved one last time. To let Scar’s voice ring in your ears
one last time.” Zira now gave Hecate her full attention.
	“Can it be done? You are bluffing, witch!” Hecate only chuckled. 
	“Fine then, a deal. If you are not satisfied with my ability to let you see Scar one
last time, you can eat me. Tear me to bits, I don’t care. Consider it a lifetime guarantee.
My lifetime that is.” Zira pondered, then spoke.	
	“All right, Hecate, you have a deal. Do it.” Hecate then opened her pouch and
threw a black dust on the ground. Chanting, Hecate sat in her lotus position and
communed with the underworld. The wind grew cold and the air seemed to become
electrified. In a blinding flash, a green flame rose up from a crack in the ground. The
flames danced, until, impossibly, they formed the shape of Scar’s face.
	“Zira...” The green flames spoke. Zira’s breathing came heavily and little Kovu
shuddered at Zira’s paws. 
	“Scar?” Zira asked with trepidation.
	“It is I,” said the flame, “I have come back from the dead to tell you of what must
be done.” Zira remained silent. The green flame pointed at Kovu. “It is his destiny to rule
the Pridelands. The fates have decreed it to be so. Kovu is the chosen one. He must fulfill
his destiny as my son, the one ,true king of Pride Rock.” Saying that, the flame then
dissipated into a green gas. Zira was awestruck. She couldn’t say anything until Hecate
spoke up. 
	“Your husband is right. Kovu will be king. I have seen it too.” Zira finally snapped
out of her daze. She took a moment, then laughed.
	“How utterly beautiful! My son, Kovu, destined to be a king! I always knew it but
to hear it from Scar’s everlasting voice confirms my greatest hope!” Zira began nuzzling
Kovu. “I will see that you grow strong and proud! You will be the king, and Simba, that
vile brute, will die.” Zira began laughing happily. Hecate only grinned.
	“Then I am to take it that I will be serving you now, Mistress Zira?” Zira
continued laughing happily.
	“Don’t be naive, Hecate. After what you did to Schala, I doubt anyone could trust
you. Be gone, witch, I’ll handle my own affairs.” 
	Hecate snorted. “Fine. As you wish.” Hecate then stormed off towards her cave.
Just then, Nuka and Vitani hurried up to Zira.
	“Mother! Mother!” They called in unison. Vitani started.
	“We saw (huff puff) Simba’s child. It’s a..” Nuka interrupted her.
	“It’s a girl Ma! A girl.” Zira smiled broadly. 
	“A girl? Ha ha! How impossibly wonderful! The fates have truly aligned with me!
Simba having a daughter and my Kovu destined to be king!” Nuka interrupted her.
	“Uh, mom, don’t you mean me? I mean, I am the oldest and...” 
	“Hush!” Zira commanded, “Kovu is the chosen one. Scar has declared it himself!”
What a joyous occasion!” The family then returned to their cave to feast upon field mice.
Hecate, however, was still listening. 
	“A girl?” Hecate thought with much less certainty than Zira. “Simba’s daughter the
queen and Zira’s son the king? Impossible! I think. This will be interesting.”
	Hecate hobbled off into the twilight.
	“Very interesting indeed.”

	

					*END*