Preliminary information

What follows is a fan fiction by my hand, which was based on a fan fiction by the author TakaPL, namely "Long Live the Queen". The fan fic can be found in TakaPL's stories list (I'd add a link, but ya simply can't do that on or so it seems - but he's in my favorites list; check there).

As understanding my fan fic is only possible if you are familiar with pretty much the entirety of TakaPL's TLK universe, I'll try and sum it up in short. Obviously, my summary doesn't do the original justice, so you'll likely go back and read the original version

!!!Spoiler Alert!!!

Here's what you need to know: in TakaPL's universe, Simba and Nala had another child, the lion Tanabi. He falls in love with Vitani, and they both (for reasons I can't sum up in short) end up deposing Nala and Simba, taking their place as rulers, while Nala and Simba spend the rest of their days in 'the Green Den', a cushy cave on the Prideland's border.
As for Kovu and Kiara, they ended up becoming the rulers of the Outlanders (now the Golden Pride), settling in the Outlander's ancestral home of the Golden Hall, beyond the desert. This, however, leaves Vitani in charge of the Pridelanders, who dislike her a lot. Nala, still upset over Vitani's takeover, decides to take advantage of this.
Other notable characters:
Tiko, Zazu's nephew who is aligned with Vitani.
Yakta: one of Zira's followers, who lived in exile (and was thus absent in the original TLK story-line). Now spends his time in the Jungle. Loyal to Vitani.
Jino: King of a faraway pride who has a former Outlander for a queen. Loyal to Vitani.

Foreword by the original author of Long Live the Queen, TakaPL
"Long Live the Queen - Beyond Redemption" is not a usual story (even for Cogitor, who writes rather unusual ones…). That is an alternative ending to "Long Live the Queen", fanfic authored by me and published on Animation Source few months back. To read it, You have to follow original story – at least to 8th chapter. However knowing the whole plot-line of my tales is very helpful. But because You are reading this, I assume that is not a problem for You. So take a look on that extremely original fanproject.
I guess that all fanfics are born thanks to surprise and insufficiency. Then We are reading book, watching film or comic, We are often crying: "No! not that way! I would have done it ten times better!" Doesn't matter if that bold statement is true or not, We often write down a story that seems better in our eyes. Even if We are creating sequel or prequel, We use our own vision of our favorite universe and that's why such a text is so frequently very inspiring and gripping. If You add to this good execution – the result could give us some real pleasure and amusement.
Cogitor started from the same point – he read my story and rated it with note lower than other of my tales. Some elements of that text irritated him so much, that I guess he said "I would have done it ten times better!" too. It's up to You to decide if his version is actual better one (I'm the last person to judge it), but You have to check the story first. The whole set is the same, up to VIII Chapter (beginning of third part on version). From that point Cogitor's vision starts to mix with original setting (my parts are marked with italic) and finally – his imagination takes over the scene. So You have here two snacks at once – my original idea, my basic plot-line and characters, but transformed according to Cogitor's conclusion "how it would be if…"
"If" is very interesting. Perhaps some straight-edged fans of my stylistics and "takaish" feeling (there are any? ;P ) would be shocked about what Cogitor did with original, but for me all changes are rewarded with stunning style of author, his extraordinary feeling of epic and plot keeping Reader in suspense until the end.
Story is simply skillfully written, wrapping up till the end and setting very high expectations about future writing of Author.
TakaPL
March 2008
VIII For old times' sake

It means no Ancient Ones would help him. Someone from down here could.

As the night crept on, Vitani found it increasingly harder to keep her eyes shut. With every breath she took, she felt like she was becoming more conscious of her surroundings, more aware of the tension building up in her lean body.
Not to mention she felt like she was being watched. Like some unknown specter's eyes stared at her from the cold distance. She wasn't to far off on that account, but all in all, it wasn't that which was keeping her from sleeping, nor was it the trouble of pregnancy. More than anything else, a dark shadow which lay beyond her sight kept her up. The shadow of Priderock.
Only when Umeme had arrived in the Outlands the previous day, Vitani had fully understood the dire situation she was in. She was, in effect, being deposed. Deposed in all silence and discretion, sure, but deposed nonetheless. And as things were looking now, there was not a damn thing she could do about that.
She couldn't just go back and demand to be put back on the throne as queen, even though that was what the law dictated. But laws are hollow when you lack the power to enforce them. That's the thing about laws: they're all about power. And let that be just the thing she lacked. She lacked both moral authority, as most Pridelanders loathed her, and muscle, only having a retinue of less than half a dozen lionesses.
That lack of lionesses also ruled out the possibility of just seizing power again by force; as much as Nala deserved a decent trashing, Vitani knew she wasn't in a position to hand it out.
And let's not forget, her beloved Tanabi still walked the thin line between life and death, which would alone be enough to worry Vitani sick.
No wonder she couldn't sleep.
But Vitani wouldn't be Vitani if she just laid there worrying. She needed to come up with a solution, and preferably fast; the longer she waited around, the longer the lionesses of Priderock would have to become accustomed to the idea of Vitani being 'just another Outlander'. And she'd be damned if she'd let that happen. She decided she'd start by finding a better place to think.
The lioness carefully got up, maneuvering around her sleeping companions. Everyone seemed accounted for, except for... Umeme! Vitani couldn't help but feel a rush of panic.
Where could that lioness have gone all of a sudden? Was she actually out to try and get Vitani, or had she secretly returned to her 'true' home? Was she a double-agent? With all these thoughts going through her mind, Vitani sneaked outside, as careful as possible since she feared Umeme could jump her at anytime. Call it paranoia.
To Vitani's relief, however, she noticed a shade sitting on a ledge in front of her as soon as she walked out of the Golden Hall. There sat Umeme, quietly gazing up, obviously lost in her own toughts, unable to catch her sleep as well.

"Already found what you were looking for?"

Umeme quickly turned around in utter surprise, unaware that her queen had been watching her.

"Your highness! I..."

"Don't worry, it's all right. You don't know what to think, so you need some time alone to get your things straight... I understand..."

"Apologies, ma'am. It's just all so confusing," Umeme conceded as Vitani came to sit beside her, "I just don't know what to do anymore..."

"You're not the only one, believe me..." Vitani sighed, then looked up at the stars. "You can sometimes learn a lot from just staring up there, you know..."

"I guess..." Umeme mumbled, "But I didn't get any answers yet."

"You shouldn't look for answers, you won't be getting them that way. Looking up helps you relax; you can find out a lot because it'll help you find out the answers on your own... Or so I think..."

Both lionesses just stared up for a moment, locked in silence. Not really a tense silence, but not a pleasant one either. After a while, Umeme decide to break the question.

"Ma'am, do you already know what you will do after tomorrow?"

"Oh, that's easy: I'll return home. Home to Priderock, that is..."

"But you can't do that!" Umeme seemed a bit shocked at Vitani's cold demeanor. "Lady Nala will never let you back in just like that..."

"That's the problem, isn't it?" sneered Vitani, "I just wished I had some more claws backing me..."

"More lionesses? Ma'am, you're not seriously considering starting a war over this?"

"What if I was?" Something dark spoke of the way Vitani stared at Umeme, a determined and vengeful look. It obviously scared Umeme. "And even if I wasn't, the best way to prevent a war would be more lionesses. The way I see it, Nala might not have to much qualms fighting a mere four lionesses. But if there were more of us, she'd certainly reconsider..."

"I suppose that makes sense..." nodded the other lioness, not at all convinced, "But we don't have those kinds of numbers, I'm afraid..."

"If only we could think of something..."

"We need help, don't we, ma'am?" asked Umeme, obviously concerned.

"If I only knew where to get it..."

Feeding Tanabi was main thing troubling Thamath. Unconsciousness ruler was unable to eat solid food. So shaman tried to give him blood of preys to drink. He felt very uncomfortable about that, because lionesses brought him caught game and he with Simba had to deliver blood to patient. So herbivore monkey became executioner of poor mongooses, fenecs and other creatures capable to become Tanabi's snacks.
Also that way of feeding monarch was not perfect. Shaman understood that lion had to eat some real meal, to regain lost proteins and vitamins that only solid meat could give. Condition of king was stable… for time being. Thamath prayed that Tanabi wake up in not long than three days.
"Any change?" asked Simba, who just opened his eyes. Strange, but male lion and male mandrill became nurses of king. Lionesses just hunted and guarder Priderock, leaving to bronwmaned and mandrill duties over Tanabi.
"No, sir." Monkey shook his head. "He is still asleep. Pulse is normal, temperature is normal… He just seems to wait for something."
"You may go sleep." Said Simba. "I'm on guard right now."
Shaman instantly stood up and left royal chamber, to find some place to sleep. Simba went closer to knocked down son and checked pulse himself. Right, nothing changed. But ex-king was also aware that time of his son was limited and every day in come weakened strength of lion.
"Tanabi!" thought Simba. "You just can't die! You are the king who will prepare our pride for the Second Drought. If you are gone… all will be wrong. And… of course I love you. I wish you rule your kingdom as king and my heir... but if you don't return to us soon, I must allow your mother to do her job."
Then, just as if she was summoned by too loud thoughts of her mate, Nala entered royal chamber and without a word came to Tanabi. She kneeled down next to him and for long minutes just laid next motionless ruler. She nuzzled his face with her cheek and Simba noticed a tear slowly coming down from her eye.
"He is strong." Said ex-king. "He will return to us."
"I'm doing what I'm doing only because I know it right and necessary." Replied Nala. Then she looked in eyes of Simba. "You don't believe me, right?" Brownmaned shook his head, but she continued. "You think I got back only to sting Vitani? To return match for my our exile? I can't say I have no anger in my mind. But tell me, what is reason of this all if not Tanabi's good? I'm just paying price he couldn't – cleaning that last remnant of Scar's reign. Our son couldn't stop Vitani from bringing those ghosts back to life. But now, doesn't matter what he decide when he will be awake – he will be also stronger. Our pride will be stronger. We no longer have to bow in front of murderer's shadow. I just stopped Scar from winning his war four years after his death."
"Vitani is not like Scar." Noticed Simba.
"But she wants to be, aren't she?" asked Nala. "And yesterday she proved that. I can't let her in, before she curse memory of Scar and Zira, enemies of your pride."
In short recollection Simba reminded that Vitani never ordered him to condemn Mufasa. Maybe she knew that was impossible… or maybe she didn't see any need of that. "After all she never said we are not of her family. But Nala is right, Scar started all misery in our pride and he can't be salute as a ruler."
"No, I think you are doing right." Simba came to Nala and nuzzled her cheek. "Just… I'm afraid how would Tanabi judge our actions."
"It doesn't matter." Replied Nala. "I'm taking all responsibility on me. I'm just doing what good mother should."
She tried to calm all anger in her heart, but it was too hard. When she recalled face of Vitani, in her eyes appeared also silhouette of Sarabi. Nala never found body of her mother. She also never asked Outlanders what happened near Elephant Fort. But when she imagined dead mother, sight of triumphal queen's stare also came to her mind.

When queen and her retinue woke up, it was already two hours after dawn. All were sleepy and tired after events of night, but Vitani seeing how late it was, cheered them to stand up.
"How are you doing, my lady?" asked Kucha.
"Better, much better." Replied blue-eyed. "I think I will no longer slow you down nor be the weak spot. However I must ask you to hunt for me. I have a lot to do today." Lioness nodded her head, then asked.
"But what?"
"Something you can't help me with." Queen replied. "To talk every dead Golden Pride left here. Today and only today I will act as Golden One once again. But tomorrow I will be back Pridelander and we will return where we belong." Unintentionally she raised her voice almost to shout. Even Anasa, still sleeping then opened her eyes. "That is not exactly your matter, so leave me here alone until dusk. At night we all will salute Zira, Queen of Prideland and tomorrow we will reclaim her land." Both Kucha and Maitha put much effort to hear it with calmness, but made no comments. Vitani noticed that and addressed to lionesses. "Girls, understand me – I'm not leaving tradition of Prideland's Line. I'm reviving it… in its all complexity."
"As I said – I step your every pawprint." Said Maitha. "But do not expect to praise each one."
"But if we leave you…" asked Kucha. "What will prince and Anasa do?"
"Just…" Vitani looked on cubs. "…play somewhere here."
"In the Outlands!?" called scarred Kucha and Maitha.
"I grew up here and I'm still alive." Snorted Outlandress. "They will be fine. Right, my dears?"
"I guess we have no choice." Smiled Dhahabu.
"But don't leave paths, don't climb on too sloppy walls, don't enter cracks…" Started to specify Vitani.
"…don't play with avalanches, don't wrestle on cliffs and don't talk with strangers if we somehow find any." Finished prince with laughter. "Mom, I know what you mean."
"So, now go." Ordered queen. "I need some time for myself and my old pride.

It was already well in the afternoon once Vitani reached her intended destination; the gleaming, red sun was already starting to set in the west. The Outland's terrain had never displayed a lot of variation, only barren and dull wastelands for as far as the eye could see, riddled with chasms and ridges, bones and termite-mounds. The place where Vitani stood now wasn't much different from any other place of the Oulands, really: just another huge, hollow mound.
But this former termite home was different; at least, to any decent Outlander it was. Only they could tell it from other termite-mounds, and only they knew what rested inside.
Vitani carefully entered through the rather small opening, into an equally small space. The Outlander's 'Mausoleum'. It wasn't a real mausoleum, of course, no bodies were kept there. The place was obviously to small for that. And besides, that wasn't the Outlander's way.
But that didn't mean the room couldn't serve as a place of remembrance, to the contrary: the Outlanders had their own rituals and customs for that, fitting the small room perfectly.
For each pridemember fallen, they kept in the small room a small token. A symbol, a reminder, a statement. The first token was just a piece of wood, taken from Border River. On the log, all living members of Pride had made their scratch to leave some sort of trace at least. It was a meant to recall Hawaa, the last one to have fallen before the Battle of the Reunion. Just next to that were the other 'shrines' – bones of an antelope, to recall Cheka, who died on the hunt. A few steps further: a bunch of dried Prideland grass, taken from place where Rama died, fighting Pridelanders. And another piece of wood, found in the river, to remind of Amini's death during the crossing of the border.
It was a sober, clean and efficient way to remember the fallen; just the way Outlanders liked it. Nothing fancy.
Nothing Pridelandish, Vitani smirked.
But there was still something missing, an almost tangible emptiness in the room. Vitani carefully revealed a small piece of rock. She'd kept it secret for a long, long time, her own little totem. But she knew it belonged here. It was a small shard of rock from the cliff of Gorge River. She'd taken it from around where Zira had made her last stand, where she'd lost her last battle – that against gravity. Vitani placed the small relic next to the others; finally, Zira had the shrine in the Outlands she deserved. She was, at least symbolically, among her sisters once more.
A single tear slid down Vitani's cheek as she lay down the stone

"Bye, mom. I hope Kovu has taken the time to remember you, as I did. I'm sure he has, he's a good kid. Almost everything he's done recently has been in an effort to find forgivingness. I hope he got it..."

The lioness sighed profoundly, kneeled down solemnly kissed the cold shard of stone, then got back up. She glanced at all the other totems.

"Are you all listening?"

She didn't wait for a response, nor would it have made any sense to do so.

"I know it's been long. I don't know if I've been here nearly as much as I should have... But I need your help. I stand here before you an Outlander again. And I stand alone, alone in the defense of all we Outlanders believe in. alone in the defense of my mother's name, alone in the defense of my father's reign. But even now, I won't even think about betraying my name, or my history. And I sure as hell won't allow Nala to defile it some more. That's why I need my throne back, and that's why I need help. But I don't know who to turn to... please, tell me!"

Vitani waited, but she knew no answers would come. After a while, she got back up, disappointed even though she hadn't really hoped for a solution to present itself.

"Well, thanks anyway. Sorry for your time..."

She looked at the shrine again. Somehow, it still felt as if something was missing. There was still some room left next to the rock-shard she had just placed there.

"Dad's token should be there," she mumbled, "But it can't. He never was a real Outlander... just a Pridelander with good tastes."

Vitani giggled at her own remark.

"Besides, what to put there? How did he die again...?"

Suddenly, Vitani felt as if she was thunderstruck. A lightning bolt of idea's had just hit her, and her mind was working at it's full capacity. A smile formed on her face.

"I couldn't... That'd just be too much. But imagine the look on Nala's pretty face..."

Vitani started laughing out loud. Not out of joy, not out of amusement. It wasn't a happy laugh, no, it sounded almost as if she had gone insane. But she soon calmed down, addressing the shrine again.

"Girls, I have to say, brilliant. Just brilliant! I don't know how to thank you. Haha, just think of the irony! Just think of all the dismayed faces!"

With that, she thanked every last one of the lionesses represented in the shrine, and with every name came a face. And with every face of a sister long lost increased her sense of loss, and her rage. With what she was about to do, she'd put all regrets behind her, burn all the bridges. She'd finally become Scar's only true heir.

The sun set over the Outlands, first turning the entire landscape fiery read, before finally engulfing it in darkness. Kucha and Maitha had just returned form scouring all over the Outlands to find the cubs, bringing them back to the Golden Hall.
All three lionesses and the two cubs where waiting inside, when Vitani suddenly entered the darkened room. She looked around checking out her retinue. Still only three lionesses. She sighed, then looked up. The faint image of a few stars could be perceived high up, through the chimneys of the Golden Hall's mounds. Vitani wondered whether anyone was watching from up there. She always liked to believe so.

"Mom, I'm home..." she mumbled, not loud enough for the other lions to hear. Of course, the stars offered little to no response. Vitani couldn't help but smirk, unmistakably bitter. This wasn't her home anymore; she now belonged on Priderock. But events had forced her back here, an exile again. But she wouldn't just accept that without a fight. That wasn't like her. She'd stand and fight for her rights, no matter what the odds. Even if that meant breaking all the rules of decency and defying history itself. At this point, she was more than willing to do so.

"I had become to soft... I had almost forgotten who it is I am. But not anymore. Now I remember who I owe. I am the daughter of Zira and Taka. I am Scar's heir, and I'm not about to betray their memory. I'll fight to preserve it. No matter what it takes," she thought, looking down on the few subjects she had left.

"Pride!" Vitani suddenly shouted. The tree lionesses and the cubs looked up at her with surprise and awe.

"I have spent my day alone, thinking, thinking and thinking some more. I've come to the point where there's only one thing I still need to know: are you with me?"

The lionesses seemed a bit baffled, and failed to respond.

"I asked, are you with me?"

Now, they all shouted they were indeed with their queen, nodding their head as they did.

"Swear it! Are you with me, no matter what, 'till the very end? Kucha?"

"I'm with you, my queen, I swear!"

"Maitha?"

"I'm behind you ma'am, no matter what."

"Umeme?"

The last lioness obviously found it harder than the others to unconditionally proclaim her loyalty to Vitani, which wasn't a big surprise. But eventually, after a few moments' silence, she too folded.

"My queen, I'm with you. I'm with you to the whatever end you'll lead us, I promise."

"All right, that's all the guarantees I need. Pride, I suggest you all get a good night's rest. We leave for the Pridelands at daybreak. As for me... I still have an account that needs settling. Umeme?"

"Ma'am?"

"You're coming with me. As for you, Kucha, Maitha, Dhahabu and Anasa, get some sleep. And be prepared for what tomorrow might bring. I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that, Vitani signaled Umeme to follow her, and they both set of in the dark night, leaving their remaining friends wondering what it was Vitani was up to. They'd find out soon enough.

"Ma'am, are you really doing what I think you're doing?"

"Yes." Vitani's answer to Umeme was as uncompromising as the wastes they were walking through. They'd been walking for quite some time now, westwards, and the surroundings had steadily gotten worse. Umeme knew where they were going, even though it was a dark and eerie place she'd never wanted to visit herself, and had subsequently never visited: The Elephant Graveyard. And Umeme knew darn well that place wasn't as empty now as it had once been, not at all...
They passed by the first elephant skeleton, descending into the valley that was the Boneyard. The place was even more scary during the night than it was during the day, as ghastly gas flares always burned in the distance, seemingly unreachable flickers of light in the darkness, illuminating the skeletons scattered all around. Umeme, who was obviously more than a little scared, tried to make herself as small as she could while following her queen. Vitani, however, did just the opposite, keeping her head up, her back straight and her pace tight. She couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness.
Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. Umeme turned around, apparently in panic. Vitani just snorted. Then, in front of them, something which sounded like a distorted giggle. Umeme started shaking. Vitani, however, who had been through this routine once before, decided she'd try and speed things up.

"All right, lets cut to the chase here!" she shouted out into the darkness, "We know you're here, and you know we're here. I command you to show yourself!"

A tense silence. Another short burst of giggling. Then, Vitani growled ostentatiously, which seemed to help. A single shape moved forward towards them, out of the night. The moonlight made it's spotted fur look even paler than it did during the day.

"Who's commanding, might I ask?" grunted the hyena, "Who's commanding me in my own home?"

"It is I, Vitani, Queen of the Lions, sovereign of all the Pridelands..."

"Pull the other one!"

"I am! And this is my trusted servant Umeme. We have walked for many miles, and wish to speak to your lord and master."

"You do, huh? Heavy..." grinned the animal, "But I've got a better idea: how 'bout you so called 'queen' and your servant make and scramble the hell outa here voluntarily, before we kick you out ourselves?"

"Hey, whatever makes your day. But I don't think your own queen Shenzi will be all that happy when she finds out about how you treated me..." Vitani noted.

"You lions are always such smartasses. Time someone taught you some manners, 'queen' Vitani!" growled the hyena menacingly, as he started advancing towards the lions. Out of the shadows stepped forth another six or so of his clanmates. But before Vitani even had the chance to think of a fancy reply, or unsheathe her claws, she was interrupted by the arrival of another hyena. The animal came running in, huffing and puffing, obviously tired from running rather fast.

"W-Wait up. S-stop, you- you numskull!" The animal obviously had trouble breathing and reproaching at the same time, "Phew, what's the matter with ya? You know you gotta wait 'till I'm here before you do anything. Next time, you'd better be asking permission to do anything, even breathe!"

The newly arrived hyena started giggling at his own remark. From the way his dark eyes flashed from one way to the other, no to mention his twitchy way of moving, Vitani thought she recognized him. He moved closer, to get a good look at the lions.

"Hehe, well hell's bells, she actually is Queen Vitani! You guys really ain't so stupid as to pick a fight with a queen, now are you?" The hyna asked his companions, after which he grinned at the lion duo, "But then again, you royalty didn't exactly come invited, now did ya?"

"Evening, Dakly," Vitani noted sec. She was pretty good at keeping her cool, unlike Umeme who couldn't even bring herself to open her mouth.

"Hehe, see, look at how polite she is! You fleabags could all actually learn something from her!"

"Hardy-har-har..." noted one of the other hyenas sarcastically.

"Well, yeah, ahem, so eh, whadaya here for?" continued Dakly, addressing Vitani, now more down to business.

"I need to speak to Shenzi. Now."

"Now? Well, gee I'd love to take you to her... but eh, I don't know if you noticed... it is kinda the middle of the night..."

"Just take me to her already Dakly, you'll be thankful you did..." sighed Vitani. She didn't have time she could waste on useless squabbling like this.

"You forgot the magic word..."

"What?" frowned the queen. This was getting ridiculous...

"I think he means 'please'..." whispered Umeme.

"I'm waiting..."

"All right, pretty please with sugar on top. Now take me to Shenzi already!" Vitani growled, now on the edge of insanity.

"All right, all right. Cool down. Yeez, you lions just can't take a yoke, can ya?"

"Let go of me already! I can walk, you know? Geez, I'm not that old..."

The two other hyenas backed of as Shenzi barked at them. Even though she sometimes needed it, she was still way too proud to allow any help when she got up from where she slept, or when she had trouble walking.

"Aunt..."

"Don't you 'aunt' me. It's still 'ma'am' to you," grumbled the old matriarch as she ventured forward towards her cave's exit. Shenzi's two nieces, who had already gotten quite accustomed to their aunt's occasional grumpiness, decided it'd be best to trail behind her a few steps. Far enough not to invoke annoyance, yet close enough to step in when needed.
Shenzi shivered as she exited her living quarters; she found it comparatively cold outside. Not that the African nights were that chill, but the geysers spread out all around the Elephant Graveyard always kept the caves there relatively warm, one of the very few luxuries the Boneyard had to offer. Being the senior that Shenzi by now was, she had grown accustomed to that.

"Another bone-chilling night out on the boneyard..." Shenzi sighed. Banzaï and Ed would have found that hilarious. But they were gone now. With each pun she made, she felt more alone; no wonder she'd lost her humorous attitude.
She approached Dakly, who was waiting outside.

"I guess you couldn't keep 'em on hold 'till the sun came up?"

"Hehe, ha, I would have," Dakly grinned, "If only the sun would ever shine in this dump."

She should have really told ham that 'this dump' was their home, the only one they had. But she just didn't bother any more. Deep down inside, she'd stopped caring.

"Yeah... All right then, let's go see the Queen, while we're still young..."

The animals walked on towards a small plaza nearby, where the lions were being kept. Even though it was the middle of the night, a small crowd of curious bystanders had already gathered, shocked at the lions appearing.

"Good evening, your majesty..." nodded the hyena, "It's been a while since I've had the honor of welcoming you to my home."

"Good evening, Shenzi. It's been a while indeed. I'm sorry I didn't pick a more appropriate time to come by, but I've had little choice in the matter..."

"Don't worry about it, I sleep more than enough during the day to make up for this late night out. By the way, I heard about what's happened to your partner, Tanabi. News like that eventually reaches even us... Anyway, I wish him all the best. If our clans had been on more cordial terms, I'd have even sent an official message of sympathy, but you know how it is..."

"I understand, there is the diplomacy to think about. But if you beg my pardon, I have little time, so I'd prefer getting straight to business. Do you have a place where we can talk more private?"

"Sure, if you wish," yawned Shenzi, "Just follow me."

The predators made their way up to Shenzi's cave. Dakly, Vitani, Umeme and Shenzi walked in, whilst Shenzi's two nieces waited outside, keeping anyone who was too curious out of hearing distance.

"All right, we can talk here. Now tell me, what brings you here, in the middle of the night?"

"It's a long story..." Vitani admitted.

"Shoot! I'm a sucker for stories..."

Vitani briefly summarized the mess she'd gotten into since Tanabi's accident. Shenzi listened attentively, getting more intrigued as Vitani's story went on. Each time Nala's name fell, Umeme couldn't help but notice a faint flicker in the old matriarch's eyes. By the time the story was finished, Shenzi sat up straight, her head up high and her eyes unusually full of life again.

"So that's where I stand now. I need my kingdom back, Shenzi."

The hyena smiled vividly, and the eagerness simply radiated from her otherwise dull eyes. But she tried keeping her cool, at least for the time being.

"Well, that's terrible of course. First you partner taken a way from you, thrown in limbo for who-knows-how-long, and now your legitimate rule snatched from you by that..." She paused, preventing herself for getting all too excited, "By Nala, partner of the Usurper. It obvious where she got her bad habits... Anyway, I feel your pain, I truly do. But where do I enter the picture?"

"Isn't it obvious?" smirked Vitani. She already knew what game Shenzi was playing. She had no choice but to go with it.

"Sweetie, we both know that's not how diplomacy works. Now, go on, what are ya here for?"

"I need help," Vitani admitted after a long and uncomfortable silence, "I need your help to get my throne back..."

Umeme gasped. She'd seen in coming from miles ahead, but she still found it shocking.

"Well... You have my sympathy, queen Vitani. But there is a yawning gap between sympathy and helping you fight your war, if it does indeed come to one..."

Vitani sighed, then nodded.

"All right, I get you. But, with all due respect, you owe me more than sympathy, Matriarch," Vitani's tone had suddenly gathered a whole lot more strength, at sounded almost booming, even commanding, "Last time I spoke to you, I still remember, you begged me. You begged me to forgive your betrayal of my father, Taka. I remember it word for word; you begged me to forgive you, and asked if there was anything you could to to make up for your horrendous betrayal."

Shenzi's eyes grew wider, while she herself seemed to get smaller. Vitani on the other hand, looked ever more imposing.

"You are in debt to my father, and through him you are in debt to me. Well, I offer you the chance to repay your debt. Now's your chance to make up for your past wrongs; now's your chance to make right your betrayal. If you stand by me now, if you help defend Taka's ideals and bloodline, you will have repayed your debt. You will have my forgiveness, and with that my father's."

A profound shiver ran over Shenzi's spine, and her mouth turned dry. Vitani was right; if there ever had been a time to try and make up for her betrayal, it had been now. Now was the time to make amends, to finally address one of her biggest fears: to have to face Taka in the afterlife without having tried to right her wrongs.

"So, what say you?"

Shenzi swallowed, her mouth felt too dry to speak.

"What say you?" thundered Vitani again.

"I..." Before the old hyena could finish her scentance, however, she was interrupted by her nephew.

"Queen Vitani, could you and your companion please wait outside?" Dakly simply asked, suddenly awfully articulate and cool, "I need a word with my aunt."

Being the guests that they were, Vitani and Umeme had no choice but to obey that request. Vitani was a bit disappointed as she walked out. She'd really hoped for a quick breakthrough, but it seemed things would bog down. But she needed an accord before sunrise, or she'd stand to face Nala alone, which wasn't an encouraging thought. After a few moments shared in silence, in which they heard little of the conversation that went on inside the cave between the hyenas, Dakly invited the lions back in. As soon as everyone was back in, Shenzi took off.

"Your majesty, me and my nephew have discussed your request for help. If it had been only me you needed help from, I'd be glad to assist you with no strings attached, to fulfill my duty to you. I have, however, a duty to fulfill to my clan as well. Dakly pointed out I cannot simply send them of to war to repay for my personal debt. So..." Shenzi obviously had some trouble uttering that, "It is with heavy heart I have to inform you we will need some guarantees before we put our lives on the line."

The big word was out. They wanted something in return for their help.

"State your demands," Vitani replied coldly. She didn't have time to be shocked, dismayed or insulted. Things had to move quickly.
Now Dakly stepped in again.

"All right, let me point this out clearly: my aunt is willing to help you without any obligations from your side, as she is fully aware of the sever debt she carries. These guarantees we demand are not for her's, but for the clan's help. You shouldn't blame my aunt for them."

"Okay, let's agree on that for starters," Vitani nodded, "What else?"

"Full and official recognition of our sovereignty over these lands. Entitlement to the same rights as any other predator in our relations to lions. The Outlands."

"What? The Outlands? Out of the question!" gasped Vitani, "Your expecting me to give up the place where I was raised? No way. Your other demands can be met, but you ain't getting the Outlands."

"Ma'am, I beg you to reconsider... Of your entire pride, only you still have a bond with the Outlands. The other lions barely acknowledge it's existence. We, however, could put those lands to good use..."

"No, I ain't buying it. I'm willing to give you the right to hunt in some parts of the Outlands, but they remain mine!"

"Then we have no deal, I'm afraid," Dakly concluded, "Good night..."

"No, wait!" Vitani quickly responded, "We can work this out... What if I gave you the right to hunt on almost all of the Outlands..."

"No, that still isn't quite far enough," yawned Dakly, "Okay, lets just get the record straight here: why is it you don't want us living in and owning the Outlands? Is it because you lived there?"

"You could say that..." Vitani kept thinking about the Outland's shrine, and the Golden Hall. She knew she was in a pickle, but she wasn't about to give those up. They just meant too much to her.

"Can that somehow be limited to certain area's?" questioned Dakly further.

"I suppose..."

"Ill tell you what: what if we designated certain 'sensitive areas' where hyenas would have to stay clear from, and which would remain under your de-facto control, while we got the rest of the lands?"

"I don't know," Vitani kept doubting, she still felt as if her weak position was being exploited too much, "No, I can't do this. You're taking too much advantage of me here."

"Well, what do you expect? You're asking quite a commitment of us, ma'am. If the last war cost you half your clan, you're not too eager to go at it again... The choice is your's; you take it or you leave it."

A long, tense silence ensued.

"Say, Dakly, what do you think would happen if Nala ousted me for good?" Vitani suddenly asked,

"I don't know about you, but... last time I checked, she wasn't on too friendly terms with your kind. Simba neither. I might have just let you be, letting you have your Boneyard. But Nala and Simba might consider a more... definite, a more final solution, don't you think?"

Dakly swallowed. He hadn't thought of it that way. Not yet anyhow. Vitani had a point, Nala toppling Vitani wasn't exactly in the clan's best interest. Not at all.

"Yeah..." he grumbled, "Okay, say, what if we... what if we expanded those sensitive area's a bit? To about a quarter of the Outlands; both your symbolic hot-spots and some areas near the border with the Pridelands?"

De facto expanding the Pridelands into the Outlands? That could work...

"I don't think I'm entirely convinced yet..."

"Okay, I'll throw in the right to freely visit your sensitive areas surrounded by our new territory. On condition that any lion who uses it notifies us first," Dakly finally conceded.
Nala thought about it for a while, in silence. She wasn't entirely pleased with the deal yet, but she had no margin left, both qua time and qua aces up her sleeve.

"All right, deal."

"Phew, all right!" sighed Dakly, obviously relieved, "So your committed to keeping your end of the bargain?"

"You have my word as Queen of the Pridelands."

"Right then; the Boneyard Clan is at your sevice, ma'am!" Dakly couldn't help but grin as he bowed before Vitani. Shenzi, however didn't grin. She smiled, contented, now full of life and energy again. She looked better than she had in ages.

"Time for those Simbast scoundrels to get their comeuppance!" flashed through her mind as she got up.