13 – Baptism of fire
Of course, it could be a coincidence that Kovu was not there. He had been planning this trip to the mountains long before. And in fact, Zira ordered it, for prove his strength and endurance. But why he departed just that night? Well, the answer on this questions could be found on the sky.
"Right, my friend... You are going well." Was whispering evening wind, when Kovu was ascending on western slope of Dark Mountain. "Don't look back, just go ahead."
But winds don't talk. At least, not ordinary winds. However those caused by King of the Past could. Mufasa was blowing into lion's ears with gentle but decisive message: Up! Ahead! Not to look back! Zira's son was drawing away from his pride with success. Dead king, who couldn't show to living lion, was using long taught whisper of wind to direct Kovu. Thanks to this, Outlanders were weakened.
Kovu sat down to rest for a while and turned his eyes on home below him. Mufasa was prepared for that and pushed light clouds to dimmed view of southern area and blackmaned lion saw only his land, to the river. He didn't notice twelve silhouettes, slowly and silently entering the water. He just stood and started again, on east, away from his attacked pride.
Mufasa smiled and blow some whispering winds again. But then some shadow covered the sky. Kovu didn't notice this, because he cannot to. This was a shadow of lion's ghost – blackmaned just like young lion on the slope.
"You have broken the pact!" called Amini to Mufasa.
"Good! Ahead... WHAT?!" amazed dead king and turned his head to newcomer. "And who are you?" examined stranger with heavy stare. "You are not any of kings I know."
"That is not odd." Replied Amini with anger in his voice. "I hang in rather exclusive company."
Mufasa smiled, hearing hard reply of lion, but he was still thinking, on whom he was looking.
"I know you... I saw you..." muttered king.
"Think!" gasped Amini. "Whom I remind you?" he stepped closer to Mufasa. They both were floating just over marching Kovu.
"Kovu..." whispered king. "But it's... You are Kovu's father!"
"Point for you." Said Amini with cold voice. "Now, another question: Why did you send him here?"
Mufasa giggled with malicious laughter.
"This is question for you, I think." And he added with certain voice. "And I haven't broken the pact with Tarki and Scar. After what happened last time, I interfered, they dictated very hard conditions. They thought about all... almost all." He smiled again, proud of his plan. Maybe we was dead almost since six years, but for the first time he had chance to outwit his brother. That was delicious taste of victory and Mufasa wanted to show his clever. "We established that no Ancient could speak with living one and no Ancient could physically interfere in world below. But I'm not doing that. I just... blowing with the wind... I'm the spirit of the wind..." he finished with playful voice.
He knew, that his and his father's plan was going to be revealed, but it was meant to work that night. Zira should be killed, Golden Pride should surrender to Pridelanders and Kovu, who couldn't help his kins in fight, should returned to Outlands and find new order already established. He would soon accept his situation and being convince by Simba's pride. Then, his marriage with Kiara would end all war and hostility... So Mufasa and Ahadi would be free from guarding their pride. And Scar would be free too. Maybe, not in way he considered as right, but it wasn't matter. "I'm doing it for you, brother." Thought Mufasa. "Soon, all reasons of hatred between us will disappear."
"Tarki will get know about this." Gasped Amini. "O!" thought surprised Mufasa. „My uncle's friend? How..." But Amini continued. "Now, turn him back."
"Do it yourself... If you can." Smiled dead king. "You are neither Scar nor my uncle. You are free to speak with him. Just try..."
That was unfair. Amini had no skills to speak with living ones. He was strongly connected with his beloved son, but this kind of connection was to tight to allow normal contact. It was... just like Scar and Zira – too close to communicate.
"No, you do it!" yelled Amini. "He must return to Outlands. He must see with Kiara! It's last chance to stop the war..." he noticed smile on Mufasa's face. "...but you are waiting on the war! You wanted it all the time." Shouted with anger.
"No." Mufasa shook his head. "I must just correct, what Simba failed three years ago. To eliminate Zira. Only then my plan could..." dead king noticed expression of rage on Amini's face. "But... you are that lion, who saved Zira then..." whispered amazed.
And Amini ran down to rocky path and stood before Kovu.
"As your father, I command you go back!" said with wilful voice. "Your mother is in danger!"
Blackmaned lion stopped and turned back, with confused stare. He thought, he forgot about something. But what? He promised Vitani to practise wrestling? No, it was something more important. Hawaa... yes, Hawaa said something, that he had an eye on Nuka because...
"Just go!" growled Amini. "Don't think, just go! You mother is in danger!"
"Mommy!" whispered Kovu, although he had no idea why. He felt sudden fear in his heart, like Zira was calling him. He turned back and started to descend from the slope. But there was a long way before him.
"Goody!" gasped Mufasa. "But you can't help him there. And I know some ways to support my kins... without breaking the pact."
Amini looked on him with anger, but then he smiled, showing his teethes.
"Maybe, but you won't get there!"
He pounced on star body of dead king and pinned him to the ground. Ghost couldn't kill or even hurt ghost... but good hold of one dead could stop another dead one. Mufasa was laying immobilized by blackmaned lion.
"What are you doing?!" called dead king. "We are both dead! You can't kill me!"
"Probably I can't." agreed Amini. "But I was wondering thought whole my afterlife... does it hurt?" asked with curious voice and slashed Mufasa's face with extended claws.
Lion's ghosts started to fight bloodless fight, but Kovu was still descending from the slope in Outlands direction.
\/\/\/
Vitani was sleepy and bored. There was cold and wet, so she wished only to get back in Golden Hall and go to sleep. But Nuka was unbearable. He was insisting her so strong that she had agreed to follow him. She had had been to sleepy, to understood what she was accepting. But there was too late. They were laying on cliff above river bank, completely pointless. Her brother was obviously waiting for something.
"Nuka, how long?" asked with weary voice.
"Just a minute..." answered her brother. "I must be sure that are they."
"What 'they'?" asked Vitani with some surprise. Her brother was gazing on river with focused stare.
"Well... Simba and his sidekicks." Answered honestly. "I think, he will go with almost full pride, but on that kind of terrain he will be hopeless..."
Vitani burst in loud laughter. Yes, Nuka had unbelievable sense of humour. His jokes were unexpected and shocking, and always original...
"Hush!" gasped lion. "They would hear us!"
Lioness froze, seeing Nuka wasn't laughing. He was so serous, like he hadn't since long time.
"That is not a yoke?" whispered Vitani, feeling cold on her back. Nuka turned to her with proud expression on his face.
"Of course, not!" replied. "I made Simba believe that hyenas, who had settled on Elephant Graveyard, are stealing Pridelander's food. So he sent team to get rid them of... Oh, look!" he pointed on other bank. "There they are. They will go through Elephant Ford. On our bank will be so vulnerable on your attacks as never. Just leave Simba to me and..."
Vitani was listening to him with opened jaw and terrified stare. Her brother just created an opportunity to win this war in one battle... but it was so bold as risky.
"You are mad!" yelled.
"Don't say that about future king of Pridelands!" smiled Nuka. "And that is right time for you to go for mother and lionesses. Just don't attack before Simba enters Graveyard Gorge. And... if mommy is uncertain, don't attack at all. Just draw theirs attention, until I do my job..."
Vitani couldn't reply on this. She turned back and started with full speed in Golden Hall's direction.
"Hunt me down!" exclaimed Tarki, when Nuka ran towards Elephant Graveyard. "This boy is a genius! He really could kill Simba tonight!"
But Scar grabbed him in paws and raised up. He looked in his uncle's face and gasped with freezing voice.
"Stop it!"
"Put me down, Scar!" dead king calmed down put starcub on unseen floor. "You have messed my mane!" muttered Tarki, combing fur on head. For sure, it couldn't be called 'mane'. "Easy, we can't interfere."
"But I fell that someone do interfere in this... Now! Mufasa is behind this!" called dead king. "He broke our pact!"
"Maybe." Agreed greeneyed cub. "So we are waiting to get proof of this. And if we do, there will come our turn..."
"But they could die here!" yelled Scar. "I can't allow to that!"
He stood in place, uncertain, what to do. He wanted to follow Nuka... and to follow Vitani. And also, he wanted to stay in place, for observing attackers. But he was jus one.
"Help me!" begged his uncle.
"Scar, we can't do anything!" repeated Tarki. "And that would be best, just watch. Nuka has great chances to kill Simba... His trap is almost perfect..." he looked on nephew with playful stare. "Much better that your was once... And Outlands are safe, because Pridelanders won't decide on strike the unknown area. There all advantages of Golden Pride could be used. If Pridelanders attack, there would be suicide!"
"Nuka is in great danger!"
"I think, Simba is in greater." Replied starcub and laughed aloud. But then he stopped and took a look around. "Scar, I know, that you talked with Amini and Sparthi." Said and dead king turned his stare into the ground. "Don't worry that was smart turn. You haven't broken the pact... And I know, that they are helping you to guard your beloved. Good. But... I can see Sparthi's aura, he is watching sleep of Zira. But where is Amini?"
Scar sighed with relief, hearing that his plan wasn't banned by
uncle. He replied.
"With Kovu."
"But I can't see him... So if he is with Kovu, Kovu is not here. A coincidence?"
They looked on each other, knowing, that in skyworld coincidences doesn't exist. There only signs.
"You are right." Agreed Tarki. "We've got problem."
\/\/\/
Simba touched northern bank as one of the last. Stronger and heavier than females he was still a poor swimmer. Nala helped him to get on bank and he stood in centre of lionesses circle. He whispered carefully.
"Better be quick." He took a look on east. "Outlanders could be alarmed. We can't risk fight on their territory."
He started on west to outset of graveyard gorge. Lionesses aligned to tight formation after him and followed. In bright light of the full moon, path parallel to river was seen clearly, so Pridelanders were going fast. Right after Simba were going Sarafina and Sarabi. Older lionesses have bunted senses, because of age, so they are carefully looking on the ground.
"Sarabi..." whispered Sarafina. "Don't you think that is strange?"
"Huh?" surprised queen-mother.
"I mean this path." Explained queen's mother. "If whole clan of hyenas is dwelling here, shouldn't this track to be... used more often?"
On path beneath theirs paw there were almost no traces of any activity. Just few pawprints... clearly too big for hyena.
"Tanabi would know, whose are those." Muttered Sarabi. "But it's good that he and Kiara stayed under protection of Sakia."
They saw walls of Elephant Graveyard's gorge. It was dark, motionless and enlighten by moon and glare by yellow green light of small volcanic vents. This place seemed by creepy, but no hyena was seen nearby.
"So we are in place." Said Nala, taking a look around. "But I can't see any of this scavengers..."
"No tracks, no pawprints..." added Sarafina. "I don't like this."
Simba, although felt quite uncertain, laughed firmly (or, at least: trying to sound firmly) and stepped into gorge. He looked on remote place, looking for enemies. But when he found no one, he turned to his pride and said.
"Well... maybe we were wrong. I can't see any hyena here... and I doubt, that they could live here, don't leaving any mark of it. I will just... take a look around. Wait for me here."
Lioness looked on themselves uncertainly.
"Won't we all go with you?" asked Nala.
"I don't need any babysitting." Gasped king and added louder. "Stay here and watch my back. Some outlanders could come here." Then he entered cemetery's gorge.
\/\/\/
Way from Elephant Ford was much longer that from North one. Vitani was speeding with all her might, but she knew, that she would bring pride in hour, no less. That was a lot of time for Nuka, to do his plan... but lioness wasn't sure, if she wanted him to execute it. That was crazy! If mother considered, that decoying Pridelanders on north side was good idea, she would had done that. Vitani was full of worst predictions, mostly, because she knew, that Nuka was acting not in cold calculation, but in emotion. His envy for Kovu and his mission had blinded him, so he found ad hoc his own plan of defeating Simba. Such instant planes usually ended in two ways: with total victory or complete disaster.
"And this is my fault too." She thought. "I should have noticed it earlier and told mother..."
Then she noticed lion's silhouette, running on rock. In first motion, she extended her claws and prepared to attack, but then she understood, she didn't see Pridelander... But Hawaa, speeding in Elephant Graveyard's direction.
"Vitani!" panted terrified lioness. "I have overslept! I lost Nuka! He is in danger, we must find him!" Vitani stooped before exhausted friend and replied.
"He is on graveyard... Decoying Simba in..." then she understood, that Hawaa might know more than she. "Do you know, what is going on? Nuka bring here all Simba's pride! We are attacked."
"Damn!" yelled lioness. "We are too late... Just alarm Zira and I will go for Nuka..."
Scar's daughter wanted to ask her about hundred things, but time was short. She just started again to crazy run, leaving shocked friend behind. She was speeding on rocky track, slowly recovering her calmness. She understood, that Nuka's plan really could bring them victory in one, fatal blow. There were just two conditions – her brother would actually kill Simba and Outlanders would strike before Pridelanders retreat. Hard. But possible.
And Hawaa was running with screaming fear in her heart. In that moment she didn't care for fate of war, because she was only concerned with Nuka. Her bellowed was going to challenge mighty lion king. "Scar, your son is in danger!" whispered. "Give him your might!"
\/\/\/
"No way!" forbid Tarki. "Mufasa haven't done anything banned."
"So, what we should do?" asked Scar, thinking heavily. Situation got out of hand and dead king felt hopeless. Any kind of support for his mate, children or pride would caused reaction of his brother. And maybe that was exactly, what Mufasa was hoping for. He knew what was going on and he had clearly easier to help his kins.
"We should hope in wisdom of those down there." Judged starcub. "Just stay with your daughter and do nothing stupid and I will watch over Nuka, right?"
"Right!" agreed Scar and followed running Vitani.
\/\/\/
Nuka wasn't terrified anymore, although he should to. He was speeding on graveyard's valley cliff, watching Simba, walking beneath him. Strong lion was stepping carefully, with more and more clear fear. That view gave Scar's son strength.
"Are we scared, usurper?" smiled Nuka and pushed some small rock with paw. They fell into gorge, causing loud sound. Simba froze and gave quickly look around in nearly panic. "You are looking for enemy..." whispered Outlander. "You are your own enemy. Your pride makes you acting recklessly. Don't you mind, if I use that... and kill you?" he burst in loud laughter, that sounded with echo in valley. Simba jumped in place and ran to rock wall. He stood with back on rock and was looking for any danger. But after few seconds, he calmed down. This laughter sounded like hyena's.
"Just weak, stupid scavengers!" muttered king. "I will handle with them myself."
He slowly entered deeper part of gorge, where heavy clouds of yellow smoke were floating. Earth were uneasy, letting time to time some fiery breath. Simba felt that those miasmas were tweaking him in eyes. He rubbed his face with paw and found that he was crying from smoke-blindness. "How those hyenas could live here?" wondered and stepped further. And Nuka was already waiting.
"Time has come" song. Tune triumphal and march-like. Something between "Be prepared" and "My lullaby" with drum's military beat.
Nuka is descending into gorge, in clouds of yellow, volcanic smoke. He is running firmly and Simba is straying, blinded by smoke. King almost falls into lava went, but he stops in last moment.
What a strange, unusual view
Doesn't it make you remind?
I'm on top like king to you
And you're straying like a blind
Nuka is standing on ledge just above Simba and he is waiting for king to come closer in range of pounce.
Irony? I have on mind
That once you left a cub to die
Blind and hopeless and exiled
Do you remember? That was I!
On word 'I' he hits with paw in own chest. Then he lowers his head to Simba and extending paw of claws.
You have stolen me my shining life
Killed my father and hurt mother's soul
Sentenced my siblings to endless fight
And took out my king's title as own
He slashes king in head. On Simba's forehead we can see four cuts from Nuka's claws. King lays down in panic, blinded and disoriented. Nuka judges, he won't get him from his place, so he started to descending on rock cliff. His eyes, accustomed to smoke, see path clearly, but Simba is still straying with closed eyes. He goes in random direction, only by coincidence, avoiding falling to vents.
Chorus:
But it will end tonight! (echo: end tonight! end tonight!)
But it will come to past! (come to past! come to past!)
But it'll cease with this fight! (with this fight! with this fight!)
And get calm down at last! (down at last! down at last!)
Nuka stops in half way down and sing so loud, that echo responds to him. Simba seems to hear nothing, he is so shocked and confused by the smoke. He coughs and walk ahead.
And with your final breath (final breath, final breath)
All the harms be undone (be undone, be undone)
There's no other way left! (no way left, no way left)
'Cause simply now your time has come!
On words 'no other way left' Simba discovers that he is on ledge over lava and before him is only and burning abyss.
Second verse:
So atone all your crimes
Dying here, dying now
Leave the kingdom that once
You have stolen somehow
Nuka is closing to him with angry stare, surrounded by clouds of smoke. Just like Scar in beginning of Be prepared song.
Cause my days now begin
To be you in reverse
Fight old laws and to win
Break your murderer's curse!
He hits Simba with claws without any problem. Stronger lion doesn't block a blow, because he doesn't see anything and he is too scared of falling to make any dodge.
You have broken what was right and great
Now I'll show you what real king should be
Now I'll show you how love what you hate
Now I'll show you the monarch in me!
Nuka inflicts another hit and smoke cloud above him forms into shape of Priderock in flames, just like at end of Lion King. Nuka raises his paw to another blow and dispels part of this cloud. It looks, like he has extinguished the flames.
Chorus:
But it will start tonight! (echo: start tonight! start tonight!)
But it will bring new day! (bring new day! bring new day!)
But it'll rise with this fight! (with this fight! with this fight!)
With all words that I say. (that I say. that I say)
Simba unwillingly steps back on edge of ledge and rock beneath his paws starts to break.
And with my mighty roar (mighty roar, mighty roar)
All the changes are done (all are done, all are done)
There just one way for (one way for, one way for)
'Cause simply now my time has come!
Time has come!
Simba understands, what is happening, opens crying eyes and looks on Nuka, ready to inflict final blow. Face of the king becomes similar to terrified Mufasa, when he was throwing down by Scar.
Capture of breaking rock ledge with Simba's legs on it. Music is cut in half of timing-bar. Sudden cut to black.