Author's Note: Sorry about the wait. I know I left you hanging at the end of the last chapter, but college got in the way of my writing. Anyway, here's Chapter Nine. I have to warn you, this chapter is the reason the story is rated T. It's rather violent and gory. Consider yourselves warned. Enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Rematch

Zira and her lionesses lunged at the same time. Njama went straight for Vitani, claws extended, and Vitani had to move fast to avoid being slashed. It was only when she felt a searing pain in her back that she realized that this would not be a fair fight; another lioness had latched herself onto her from behind, and another was coming at her from the side. Vitani ducked and rolled, and the one on her back let out a grunt of pain, relaxing her grip just enough for Vitani to escape. Njama struck, and Vitani felt a sharp stinging sensation in her belly. Blood began trickling down her side, and she cried out in pain, ducking to avoid another attack while lashing out at her foe at the same time.

Nearby, Kopa was also fighting three at once. Despite his size and strength, he was outnumbered and unable to do more than defend himself, and even this was proving to be difficult. No sooner did he use a thick foreleg to block one attack than he had to reach up and slash at another paw coming in his direction. There was no time for him to actually attack; all he could do was focus on defense and pray for a miracle.

Nala and Sarabi had teamed together to tackle most of the remaining lionesses. Only one was not fighting, and she was still holding Kiara by the scruff of her neck. "Mom! Daddy!" she screamed as she watched her family struggle. "Grandma! Kopa! NOOO!"

Nala slashed at an incoming lioness, who fell to the ground, blood pouring from her gaping neck. "One down!" she gasped as she blocked a strike from another attacker.

"Good one," Sarabi commented as she parried a low blow from her opponent. Remarkably, the retired queen was rather calm. She had experienced enough to know that they really didn't stand much of a chance and was facing death willingly. The thought chilled Nala deeply. No, we're gonna make it! she thought. We'll win, we have to!

But it wasn't looking too good, as she saw with a quick glance around. Vitani had managed to knock out one of her opponents, but she was still struggling with Njama and another lioness. She was showing telltale signs of wearing out; she was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Blood ran down her heaving sides in thin rivulets. Kopa was also having problems. His injuries didn't seem to be as bad as Vitani's, but he was also losing blood through numerous cuts and scratches, though none of them appeared to be too deep.

In the center of the fray, Simba was faced off with Zira. The evil lioness cackled maniacally as she lunged, and the king ducked to avoid the attack before spinning around to face her again. When one of Zira's followers attempted to join the fight, she yelled, "No! Simba is mine and mine alone!"

"How fitting," Simba growled. "I could say the same for you!"

He leapt forward, claws extended. He collided head-on with Zira, and the two old foes went rolling in the dirt, biting, slashing, and clawing every bit of flesh they could find. Simba let out a roar of pain as Zira's teeth latched onto his shoulder, ripping large tears in his skin. The king retaliated by slashing at the Outlander's face, and three long cuts appeared, moving in a series of sharp diagonal lines from her snout to her eyes. Zira screamed and struck again. Her attack was blocked by a heavy forepaw, and Simba drove his claws deep into her chest, forcing another bloodcurdling screech from her. She writhed and shoved Simba off of her with her hind legs, and the king staggered before ducking to avoid her next lunge.

Meanwhile, Sarabi used her front paws to defend herself from her opponent while simultaneously biting down hard on the scruff of the lioness' neck. Her foe was momentarily paralyzed, but Sarabi had no time to finish the job, as a paw with claws unsheathed came at her face at that precise moment and she was forced to release her enemy to avoid the blow. This move cost her dearly. The first lioness recovered quickly and drove her entire bodyweight into the former queen, knocking her off her feet and onto her back.

It's over, she thought calmly, looking up at the cloudy sky. I'll see you soon, my dear Mufasa.

She closed her eyes and waited for the final blow, but it didn't come. Instead, Nala, sensing Sarabi was in trouble, came to her aid. But now Nala was defending both herself and the severely weakened Sarabi from a horde of angry lionesses. She was showing signs of fatigue; she was breathing hard and sweating like Vitani, and blood was pouring in small rivers down her body. She wouldn't be able to remain standing for much longer.

Then, out of nowhere, a mighty roar sounded, and everyone stopped fighting to see who had made the sound. Coming towards them at full speed was a small group of lions, led by a dark-pelted male with a black mane. Kopa guessed that there were close to ten lionesses in the group, and his heart lifted with hope. They were saved!

It was Vitani who recognized the newcomer first. "Nuka!"

The lion didn't stop running nor did he acknowledge that he had heard his sister's voice, but there was no mistaking it. It was Nuka, Zira's oldest son, leading what looked like his entire family into the battle. With a growl of rage, he slashed his claws through the throat of one of the lionesses surrounding Nala and Sarabi before turning his attention to Zira, who was staring at him with a mixture of shock and rage.

"Hello, Mother," he said coldly. "I must say, it's been awhile. But not long enough, I'm afraid."

He made to attack her, but two of her lionesses got in the way, and he was forced to fight his way through them, biting one's throat and tearing at the other's underbelly.

With renewed sense of hope with the arrival of backup, the Pride Landers resumed fighting. Nuka stayed beside Nala and Sarabi, the latter of whom had regained her footing, and, along with a few of his family members, had soon taken out six of Zira's troops. Kopa was able to overpower his three opponents with the help of another lioness. Her belly was rounded in pregnancy, so Kopa assumed she was Nuka's mate. Vitani had soon taken out her unnamed enemy and was able to focus entirely on Njama.

Kopa, now free, turned to the lioness holding Kiara. He could clearly see the surprise and terror in her eyes as she surveyed the battle. He lunged and knocked her over. In her shock, her jaw slackened, and Kiara was able to slip from her grasp. "Kiara, run!" Kopa yelled as he ripped out the lioness' throat. "Get back to Pride Rock NOW!"

Kiara nodded and ran at full speed in the direction they'd come. Zira looked up from her battle with Simba to see her captive fleeing the scene and most of her pride lying in pools of blood all around them. Njama was still battling with Vitani, but all the other lionesses were dead. The tables had turned. It was now the Outlanders who were outnumbered. The Pride Landers and their friends were all still miraculously standing, some with rather serious injuries, but alive nonetheless.

"It's over, Zira," Simba said. "Surrender now and you shall be spared."

In spite of her predicament, Zira let out a laugh. "Spared? Merciful to the last, aren't you Simba? I'm not surrendering! I've come too far!" She tensed, preparing to pounce. Even Vitani and Njama stopped fighting to watch the Outlander's next move. "This is for you, Scar," she crooned, and she lunged.

Simba was unable to raise his paw fast enough and fell onto his back as Zira's body collided with his. She raised her paw, claws extended, prepared to deliver a fatal blow. Nuka was too far away to get there in time, but he charged toward her nonetheless. "SIMBA!" Nala and Sarabi screamed.

A golden blur rammed into Zira not a moment too soon, throwing her off-balance. Kopa, panting and bleeding, eyes full of rage, stood up and shouted, "I don't think so, Zira! You've done too much to my family! I will NOT let you kill my father. It's you and me now, Zira! Just you and me!"

Simba stood up and shouted, "Kopa! What are you doing? Get out of the…"

"No, Dad!" Kopa said, turning his head to look at his father. "This is something I have to do." He returned his gaze to the huntress of his nightmares. "You tried to kill me, Zira, and it's time for me to return the favor."

Zira stood up and grinned malevolently. "Oh, how wonderful," she crooned. "I will finally get the chance to do what I've dreamed of doing for years. I will finally destroy the cub that has been a thorn in my side since it was born, the entire reason for my exile, the source of all my troubles. This time, Prince, there is no one to save you. As you said, it's just you and me."

"You're not going to win this time," Kopa growled. "I was only a cub when you tried to kill me before, but I'm older now, and stronger. And I plan on killing you, Zira. You will not get away with your crimes this time around!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Zira breathed, and she tensed, waiting. "Your move, Prince."

For a long moment, the two lions stood facing each other, identical fires of hatred burning in their eyes. Neither moved, not even twitched. They didn't even seem to be breathing. Simba, the Pride Landers, and Nuka's pride all watched apprehensively, awaiting the moment they knew would come.

At the same moment, the two lions pounced.

Kopa immediately gained the upper hand by slashing at Zira's chest, drawing blood from four long, deep gashes. Zira screamed in fury and pain and retaliated by aiming a blow to Kopa's head, which he avoided with a swift duck. His paw struck her face with a heavy thud and another screech from Zira as his claws cut the skin around her eye. His teeth closed around her ear, the one with the hole in it, and tugged. With a sharp tearing sound, about two-thirds of her ear came was ripped from her head.

Zira howled in agony and swung wildly. This time, her claws struck Kopa in the shoulder, and he recoiled with a roar of pain. Sensing his momentary weakness, Zira slashed again, only to find her paw blocked by a heavy foreleg. Kopa lunged at her and drove his claws into the flesh of her neck, drawing blood but not enough to be considered lethal. Zira backpedaled quickly before he could slash her throat, and he lost his balance for a moment, stumbling. Zira's red eyes glowed with evil glee as she slashed at him, cutting four long gashes from his shoulder to the middle of his back. His roar of pain was blended with cries of terror and outrage from Simba, Nala, Vitani, and Sarabi.

He glanced at them once, only for a brief moment, and he saw their faces. He was suddenly filled with a new sense of determination and struck back, delivering a series of heavy blows that pushed Zira to the brink of the gorge. For a moment, it looked as though she would fall to the swift currents below, but she ducked out of the way of Kopa's next attack and sidestepped away from the cliff.

By now, Kopa was beginning to tire out. Amazingly, Zira seemed to be feeding off of his increasing weakness, for as his attacks slowed and became clumsier, she became more ferocious and lethal. After a series of blows to his face and chest, Kopa was beginning to fear he would lose this battle.

Then it happened. He lunged, and Zira sidestepped out of the way, and as Kopa fought to retain balance, she struck him on the back. His knees buckled, and he sank to the ground with a grunt of pain, looking up in fear at the lioness that had haunted his nightmares for so long. She was grinning malevolently. "Well, well, Kopa," she hissed. "So much for your wild dreams. Now you will pay for all you've done to me, and you will die."

Kopa closed his eyes, hoping only that his death would be quick. Zira raised her paw to deliver the final blow.

"NOOO!"

Kopa's eyes flew open to see a tan shape ram into Zira and knock her over. Vitani had charged her mother to defend the lion she loved, even though she knew what Zira would do to her.

The Outlander stood up, shaking with rage. "You insolent little BRAT!" she shrieked, and she slashed at Vitani, leaving two long cuts in her face. She cried out as she sank to her knees, and she glanced once at Kopa, blinking blood from her eyes.

In that one moment when their eyes connected, Kopa felt a curious sensation that had been foreign to him for quite some time now. A swooping sensation deep in the pit of his stomach, leaving him weak at the knees.

Zira lifted her paw again, and this time, her aim was to kill.

With speed such as Kopa didn't even know he had, he leapt up and bounded forward. Zira saw him coming but only had time to widen her eyes in surprise as the prince lunged at her and clamped his jaws around her throat. She managed to let out a small scream of shock and rage before Kopa's teeth sank into her skin, got a good grip, and yanked. There was a soft tearing sound, and a mixture of skin, tissue, and blood came free in his mouth. He spat it out and stared coldly at his foe as she collapsed, twitching on the ground, blood gushing and pumping from the gaping hole in her neck. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, and he registered with savage pleasure the agony of defeat in their red depths, before they became glassy and still, and he body ceased moving completely.

There was a long moment where everything seemed to stop, wind, breathing, the movement of time itself. The eyes of everyone around him were focused on the corpse of the leader of the Outlanders. The silence was so absolute that one could have heard the flutter of a butterfly's wings.

That silence was suddenly broken by a howl of rage. Kopa looked around in time to see Njama, her eyes livid with grief and fury, lunge at him. He had no time to defend himself, and the force of her attack drove him back. He suddenly became aware of the fact that the ground had vanished, and he was falling into the gorge, Njama along with him.

"Kopa, NO!" several lions shouted at once.

In a desperate move, Kopa drove his claws into the rocky wall of the gorge, which slowed and stopped his fall. Njama wasn't so lucky. She continued to fall, screaming in terror until, with a faint splash, she vanished into the swift currents below.

Kopa's claws slipped, and his hind legs scrabbled vainly at the canyon wall for something solid. "Help!" he yelled, slipping another inch.

"Kopa!"

He looked up to see Vitani's head peering fearfully over the cliff. One of her paws was extended down toward him. "Kopa, take my paw!" she said.

Kopa stared at her for a moment. Even in his predicament, he couldn't help but marvel at her beauty, and, in a small part of his mind, wonder if she would toss him into the gorge the moment he surrendered to her.

"Kopa…please trust me," Vitani said.

Kopa looked again into her eyes, and that strange swooping sensation overcame him again. He unlatched one of his paws from the wall of the canyon and accepted Vitani's help. Her claws contracted painfully into his skin, but he didn't complain as she pulled him back up to safety away from the swirling waters below.

Author's Note: There's only one more chapter, and I promise it will be up here by the end of the week. If I have my way, it'll be here by tomorrow. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the story, keep an eye out for the last chapter, and, as always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Oh yeah, my profile also has brief descriptions of my upcoming work, including the sequel to this story. Feel free to read my other stories as well.