"Here you go! Next chapter! I hope you enjoy it! But here are the responses! As ever, I endeavour to check fully for grammar mistakes and spellings, but some et through. And for that I apologize unreservedly.

Not as many reviews as last chapter… The story is coming to an end – don't let the reviews decline now!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Here is a more normal length Chapter. And with this, the length of this story now exceeds that of my debut story "Judgement" yay! Celebrations! This is a fantastic achievement.

Cheers: Haradion"

LoveNeverDies8: Well, you are right. Zira's chances are slim, but since the first part of this chapter is dedicated to showing what happens… I think you shall enjoy it. Sundar actually managed to escape - and is safely with the others, thanks to Yessen and Rafiki. Even so

Chapter 20: Aftermath

Zira screamed in anger, as the Gateway collapsed behind her. One particularly brave Wilddog tried to jump through it, but the ripped fabric of reality seemed to hum with power and as he crashed into it, the light pulsed.

The Gateway flickered and as it twisted, the superheated edges of the portal sliced through limbs, melting the flesh and bone. The Wilddog screamed, withdrawing its now mutilated paws from where they had been shredded, pulled apart by the cosmic forces.

Zira tore into Rish'ut's front. The lioness was enraged, her anger coursing through her veins. She and Rish'ut collided with the former oracle and his own anger was immense. He had failed. His slaves, the finely tuned engine through which he had maintained strict control over the Pridelands was broken. His stringent regulations and control over the Pridelands, formulated upon the system of fighters and hunters. Blood and Sweat. To directly serve the Shai'tan and so be given meat, or to earn the meat through fighting in the pits. To defy the Shai'tan, all knew, was death. The system was perfect. Yet… It had failed… It had been broken by Sara… Inti… Koron… Vitani and the Oracle. He didn't have time to think of the ramifications of such a collapse. He did not stop to think of what would follow now that his tight control had broken… Howling in rage, screaming in anger, he raged at the source of his misery. Claws arced and scythed, teeth gnashed and bit into soft flesh ripping away the tissue in a bloody red mist.

Each of the Shai'tan possessed a distinct fighting style. Sekmet had fought with pure undulated rage. Anger, tempered into a bloodlust, a bezerker rage. Asamode and Amun both fought like serpents, defensively, until an opening allowed for a single, decisive strike. Rish'ut fought like neither. His offense was deliberate, focused and powerful and unlike Sekmet, who focused on a single target and spent all energies upon destroying that target, Rish'ut shifted and span as he fought, targeting weak point and shifted as his opponent defended, striking fast and powerfully. Zira fought with the same cool skill she had always possessed, but her grace and elegant fighting style was augmented now with furious anger.

Years ago, she had fought to avenge her lover, to take back what she perceived to be hers… and yet now she fought with a nobler goal. Now she fought in order to protect, not to destroy. And it showed in how she fought. She was faster, smoother and stronger. And her eyes twitched and moved even as they fought. They analyzed every minuet detail that could be seen upon Rish'ut as they fought, searching, scanning, looking for an opening, for a pattern, for anything that could give her an advantage.

Now she struck again and withdrew as fast as she could, striking with the same precision her foe possessed. He was slow in his defense and her claws raked into his flesh. His eyes widened in sudden shock and pain, as they hooked under bone and she pulled herself closer ,and bit hard at his neck. Asamode did nothing, watching as his ally fought. The other Wilddogs watched uncertainly as their leader fought the last lioness. RIsh'ut bellowed and rolled along the ground. The pain incurred would have been excruciating, yet it broke Zira's grip upon him and ended with him atop her.

"You filthy lioness! You worthless piece of rot!" He hissed. "I am going to kill you slowly for this! I am going to rip you to shreds, piece by piece and devour your flesh!" He promised her. Zira didn't reply. She had seen something from her vantage beneath the Shai'tan. under his left forearm, a wound lay. Sealed, yet recent. A deep penetration into his flesh and Zira suddenly remembered their initial escape from Golgorath… Koron had returned, having the released the rest of the slaves whilst the Pridelanders were distracted… and ridden atop Ghareth, the rhinoceros… who had charged the Shai'tan and pierced its side with its horn. The injury was still fresh and caused Rish'ut to favor his right side… And yet, out of pride, had continued upon his nevertheless.

"You fool, Rish'ut! You think that by killing me you can make up for your many failures? The Pridelands will fight back against you! It has already begun and soon enough, the spark of rebellion will ignite into an inferno! It will devastate your-" Zira didn't finish, as Rish'ut, slashed at her, spraying her blood and forcing her to cough. Her head jerked in the pain, then she grinned. Fool.

She slashed at Rish'ut exposed belly. Like the liger's had fought, she had given up on presuming her own survival. Even if she defeated Rish'ut, there was no way she would leave her alive. So instead, she didn't try to avoid the blows sent at her, feeling the heat of its pain but no longer caring. Rafiki's healing had cured the wounds, but not the scars and even now her body betrayed the year long torture she had endured in Golgorath. Her bones broken, re-healed, then snapped again elsewere, injuries and lacerations, cuts and jagged wounds, all since healed – yet slowly, to allow her to feel the most pain. Now she endured more. It was easy really. The pain was constant… but she could refuse to feel it… it was no different to refusing to feel the anguish within her as she watched the Pridelands die under her lovers rule. Refusing to feel the pain she felt at hurting her children when she knew it would make them strong. Refusing to feel the shock and sadness at her children's betrayal. Only the anger remained. Only the anger was real. But now… now the anger had a new target. And the anger boar upon it a purpose. And now, with that same anger, the anger that had earned her the name Devilqueen, she stabbed upwards with both claws, carving into Rish'ut's belly. They went deep, down… but one of them slashed into the injury that Ghareth had already induced.

The pain of it went through Rish'ut like a bolt of lightning… He shouted, screamed, raged. He flinched away, falling from Zira's body in shock, landing on his back.

And then Zira was atop him.

She did not taunt. She did not make any great speech. She merely laughed, as her claws dug deeper, opening deep wounds in his chest and stomach. Rish'ut screamed and tried desperately to slash at his attacker, to force her from him. His claws were soon stained with blood, as is leaked around her, pooling around the two fighters. Zira smiled, ignorant of pain. Any thought of capturing the Oracle was gone. His only concern was killing her before his injuries became fatal.

Asamode was still watching coldly from where he had stood the whole time, merely watching the events unfolding. His dogs watched, unwilling to enter the fray. Rish'ut thrashed desperately, as more and more blood pooled around him. Zira gave a loud laughter.

"Die, Rish'ut! I may well be damned by the Kings for the things I have done, but I can promise you this: I shall be dragging you with me!"

"You… Bitch!" Rish'ut screamed, howling in agony as her claws raked bone. Then roaring, forced his way forwards. The motion moved her attack deeper in, but he was able to bite upwards, latching onto her neck with his teeth. They crushed down and blood sprayed. Zira now thrashed and withdrew her claws, only to slice at his neck, forcing him to release her.

Then, Zira's eyes widened.

She was ripped from Rish'ut by an unseen for force, thrown high into the air. No scent had betrayed her hidden attacker.

Her eyes widened, as blood dripped from her even as she fell... She was only able to register a sudden, desperate cold shock of surprise.

"YOU!" She gasped.

Then, death took her. Death came suddenly and instantly, like the rushing of a great wind.

She saw a sudden flash of light.

And Zira Devilqueen died.

Two weeks Later…

Damu sat quietly by herself. The general consensus among the survivors, was that they had achieved a miracle. That by rights, even saving a single life had been next to impossible and that they had managed to save over two thirds of all of the Slaves, Asiatic and Pridelanders, had been an impressive feat.

Despite that, there were no celebrations. No cheers. No feasting.

The atmosphere around the survivors was one of cold depression. All had known and were mourning at least of one person… many more. Though they had killed nearly twice their number of Wilddogs, the numbered dead and wounded were horrific.

Of the Asiatic Pride, which had numbered nine upon arriving in the Pridelands, they had lost a third of their number, including the lioness Harten, who was missed sorely. Lukaan, Helio and Sundar seemed especially depressed by their deaths. The escaped slaves had fared even worse. Gharaeth, the Rhinoceros, had fallen to the Shai'tan. A devastating four leopards had been killed – only two remained. Two leopards had also been killed, as had the only adolescent Panther, leaving only the three cubs.

The survivors were Forn, the only sympathetic Wilddog in Golgorath, two wildcats, despondent at Seba's treachery and an Ocelot. Ras, Rei and Sash, the three cub Panthers has also survived, though Ras has taken a serious blow to her head and it remained to be seen if her right eye would ever recover her sight. Karina and Darina, the two She-Jaguars, had also taken serious injuries, Karina now limped wherever she went and Darina had several cuts along her back which would scar. Calin had survived the brute of the fighting – though in truth the leopard cub had not taken part in any of the real vicious fighting and Koron – who had – had also been relatively unscathed, but for an injury to his side, which would heal. Inti and Sara both had minor cuts and bite marks along them, but were also otherwise unhurt. Damu and Almasi, empowered from their previous fighting against the Shai'tan, had survived without serious injury; though Lukaan had taken a severe beating, looked as though we would have several scars on his right flank. Fortunately, as Helio reminded him, his white coat meat most would be invisible.

Helio and Danyal had each taken severe cuts and gashes and their reckless fight with the Liger had left them scarred mentally rather than physically – Sundar's timely intervention preventing them being killed.

In all, the Pridelanders had lost eleven fighters and now had nearly twenty fighters, though of that, just over half were not yet out of adolescents. They had defeated (Vitani estimated) about twenty Wilddogs and about ten jackals.

Damu looked around at the remaining fighters and sighed. At least these had survived. She had been convinced that she would not live the day. And yet… Like all of the others she could take no joy in it.

She moved over to where Vitani lay, in a quiet, secluded part of the long grass where they now stayed. She remembered Vitani's reaction to being shoved through the Gateway.

"NOOOO!" She had screamed at the top of lungs and then there had been a flash of power as they crossed hundreds of miles in a single step. They had fallen about three feet; the gateway had opened not on the ground, but several feet above it and at an angle. Likely as a result of Sundar's inexperience. The survivors had been crawling to their feet, the injured screaming in pain or shock. Some were desperately looking for family or friends whom they had lost in the confusion, looking for some indication that he or she was still alive, asking around, trying to see if anyone had sighted their death or capture. It was a mess. Vitani had climbed to her feet instantly and tried to reach the Gateway, but it hung in the air out of reach.

"MOTHER!" She had shouted, desperately, even as the Gateway had sealed shut. Sundar had given a low moan where she lay, light streaming from her eyes and paw tips, still gripped around the two staffs she had held. Rafiki and Yessen looked up as Vitani rounded on her.

"Open it! Reopen the gateway!" She had demanded desperately, but Sundar had collapsed into a heap, drained of energy.

"Do you hear me!? Open it!" She had and made as if to shake Sundar, but Lukaan blocked her way.

"Vitani… It's too late… She doesn't have the strength. If she tried it now the effort could kill her!"

"NO! Please!" She begged, weeping. Damu had stared in shock as Vitani broke down and cried, shouting, weeping. Vitani who had always been so strong, so dependable, do… in control. She broke down and wept. She tried to move, to do… something… anything to comfort her friend. To her though, Vitani had whirled, her eyes ablaze and swiped at her friends outstretched paw.

"Don't touch me! You… You did this! Why! Why did you just leave her! Why didn't you let me help her! I will hate you for this forever!" She had shouted in rage at her friend. Almasi had stared in shock, as Vitani had left to be alone. The other survivors had done similarly.

Now Damu walked up to Vitani, hesitantly and with a little trepidation.

"Vitani?" She asked her, softly. Vitani turned and saw her.

"Damu…" She said, quietly. Damu stood there watching and waiting. Vitani gazed at her for a moment. Then gave a soft sigh. "I am sorry. I should not have blamed you. I was senseless and –"

"It's okay Vitani. You needn't apologise. I understand… She was your mother…" She said. Vitani gave another sigh.

"I just wish… we had just began…" She looked at her friend. "My mother was a cruel and evil lioness… for much of her life. Any shadow of the lioness who was friends with Mufasa and Sarabi was gone, leaving only this shell… Scar's Queen. She was evil and hateful and cruel. She delighted in the suffering of her enemies and apathetic to the suffering of her friends. But… She changed Damu. She changed herself… her suffering at the Hands of Shai'tan reawakened a part of her that was dead, a part of her that was thought lost… Zira, became herself again, I think. I just wish I could have… somehow…"

"You wish that you had been able to spend more time with the Mother who loved you as much as you loved her." Damu finished for her. Vitani nodded slowly. Damu sighed.

"You are right. Zira did many evils… I am not guiltless… You know as well as I do… My name means blood, Vitani, I did not come by it by siding with the Pridelanders… I sided with Zira and her rebellion against Simba and I saw Zira at her worse… But I also saw her when Nuka was killed and I can tell you that even at her worst, she always loved her children… Her love for you never faded…" Damu told her. Vitani seemed so vulnerable in that instant. Like a lost cub.

"Damu… Nuka died… The Shia'tan killed my brother… and now my mother… And now the very home I grew up in… How can I go on now? I have nothing Damu! There is nothing left for them to take! I only just got back my mother!" She said. Her anger would have been greater, were her exhaustion not already prevalent.

Damu looked at her friend and laid a comforting paw upon her shaking limbs.

"Vitani… Life isn't about what we gain or lose… Its about the decisions we make when we do… Our lives aren't decided by our actions, but by our choices… And Zira chose a path or darkness, true, but she also chose to defend her daughter from a fate she saw as worse than death… Many of choices she made, she came to regret, but in the end, she chose to do the right thing. I have lived under so many Kings and I can tell you that we can ask no more of our leaders, than to do what they judge to be right." She said sadly. Vitani nodded slowly. And then climbed to her feet.

"What do we do now then?" She asked. Damu blinked at being asked such a question.

"We need to make more choices. More decisions. Each day is a new decision, and new choice, and each new day is as much as living with our past as with making new ones. We cannot become consumed by regret… we need to move forward." She said.

Vitani smiled, and gave a soft chuckle.

"Oh Damu… You always know what just to say… If Zuri is as good a friend to Kiava as you are to me, I rest far easier knowing that he is in good paws…" She said. Then she straightened.

"You are right." She said. "More decisions. We face one now. Kiava. Have the Shaman had any luck sensing him out?" She asked. Damu shook her head.

"No such luck." She said. Vitani nodded as if expecting it.

"Well then… We have been forced to leave the place where we last had contact with Kiava… Our only way of regaining contact with Kiava and Zuri, is to make it safe for them, and the trust that they will return to us… Kings, it's been months… they'll be so big now…" She said. Damu winced, thinking about her beloved Zuri.

"Do you think… I mean… how can you be sure…"

"That Zuri and Kiava are alive? When Zira died, I felt it… deep in my heart. I would know if Kiava was dead. and I guarantee you that Kiava would give his life to defend Zuri, so we can infer from that, that Zuri is alive as well… Besides… If the Shai'tan had killed them, then they would be announcing it throughout the Imperium to mock us… Don't you agree?" She asked. DAmu nodded. It made sense.

"But… How can we make it safe for them to return to us?" She asked. Vitani smiled.

"Why… By striking at the Shai'tan… by becoming the Spark that will grow into a flame… and reclaim the Pridelands… We have already defeated one of them… When others learn of our survival… of the Pridelanders fighting back… then they will flock to our cause! The Shai'tan know that we are alive now… Let us teach them to fear us as well! Show them that not only do we live, but that we FIGHT!" She said.

"But what makes you think others will come to our cause?" Damu asked.

"Kiava. Give them a King, give them a leader and they will come… With Golgorath raised to the ground, fear is the only thing that Shai'tan have left to control their subjects! We shall break that! Break that, and others will fight!" Vitani said eagerly.

Damu smiled. The fire was returned to her. Her anger and despair had been channeled into… something. Now, Vitani had returned to them. Grim, bitter, but alive, and alight with passion and aggression against the Shai'tan. Damu smiled. They would not let the sacrifices of Zira, or of the others that had died, be in vain. And hopefully… One day soon… She would be reunited with her own daughter.

That night, Danyal Close by him, Sundar also lay. Their injuries had been seen to by Rafiki and Yessen, who hadn't needed their Shamanic powers to treat basic injuries, making do with leaves, plants and herbs. Sundar had collapsed immediately following the closure of the Gateway, and Helio and Danyal had immediately gone to her, to check that she was alright. Aside from her exhaustion, she had seemed healthy, yet two weeks on, she was still so tired, and she slept for hours each day, though Yessen assured them that she was healing well. Danyal had remained by her side until she woke up each time, and when she did, the first things she saw was his face… and his familiar emerald eyes. As soon as she saw him, she smiled and tried to rise, nuzzeling his face gently.

"You are alive!" She had gasped, smiling. She hadn't known how many had made it. Danyal, elated, had returned her affections, licking her face. Helio had stiffened, yet not made any comment other than to share in Danyal's joy. When she had recovered, she had told them both of what she had experienced. Yessen and Rafiki had listened intently, with a certain amount of professional curiosity. When she had finished telling her tale, Yessen nodded.

"It sounds like the sort of thing Margane experienced. She fought a Shade of each of us in turn. Marsade, myself, Halien, and Rafiki. She explained later that she believed them to be… Aspects… manifestations of her own thoughts and fears."

"Why did they look like my friends? Only one looked like me…" She asked. Yessen shrugged.

"In that situation, your fears really can come alive… You feared most of all, not being able to control your powers… As your soul fought for control over them, you could only hope to understand a fraction of what was really going on… it was too big to comprehend. So your mind, filtered it into a form you could understand. When you where fighting the Shade of yourself physically, you were really gaining some control of your powers mentally. You were never really in danger of being defeated by your inner darkness, just losing all control of your power." Yessen explained. Sundar nodded.

"You're other, lesser fears, were of failing and losing your friends and family – those fears manifested as Shades of your friends dieing, and then turning against you. Taunting you." Rafiki added.

"I see… That makes sense… But… who was that other voice? What was it?" Sundar asked. Rafiki shrugged.

"Well, as you said, it was your own heart there… The only thing it could have been was another aspect of yourself. Your drive to succeed? Your passion to protect your friends? Who knows? We experienced our Change differently… It's like puberty, but magnified by a billion times. And you break out into bursts of magical power, rather than… other things." He said. Sundar nodded. Yessen smiled.

"You did very well – though I suspect that you won't be able to conjure such a blast of power again, even when you are back at full strength. That blockage of selfdoubt and fear that you overcame botteled up all of that power from months ago. Much of the power you saw there was the shift in pressure of it being released. Like a damn bursting. Now that the river is flowing smoothly again, it will flow at much greater speed, but will not produce such a pure wave of force easily." He warned her. Sudnar shuddered.

"I am glad I won't have to… That nearly killed me." She said, shuddering to herself. Danyal nuzzeled her again.

"You saved us all!" He said aloud. "I love you so much…" He whispered. Sundar had smiled and purred.

Now, two weeks later, Danyal shifted over to where she lay, the dusk beginning to dim the day in a grey, blue night-time air. He purred, and rubbed his neck against her's.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Sore. Tired. But alive…" She replied, smiling. Danyal sat down, sighing, thinking about the Battle of the Glade.

"I thought back then that one or both of us were going to die…" He admitted. Sundar shifted.

"You know I would never let that happen… Are the others all okay? I haven't had much of a chance to speak too many of them yet, lying here under Yessen's orders…" She said, smiling. His eyes gleamed. Then he lowered his voice.

"The cubs all survived, unhurt, but you knew that, since Calin comes to you almost every day – I swear he looks upon you like a mother!" He said. She smirked.

"Only as much as he and the others look at you like a father! I swear, you are the only male influence on any of their lives… I feel so sorry for them!" She said. Danyal laughed, jabbing her with a paw, but knowing she spoke only in jest. More seriously, he continued.

"Vitani intends to start fighting against the Shai'tan. I do not know quite what she intends to do but…"

"But it must involve Ben-Kai-Ra's Jewel… Whatever it is." She said. Danyal nodded, then glancing around.

"I was thinking… When you are feeling strong again… well… We have three Shaman, enough to create a few gateways. I was thinking that, well, we could explore a little. A few hours here and there, all over the Imperium should turn something up. If we can figure out what it is… and where it is… then we might just have a chance. If we can arm Kiava with that knowledge…"

"Then he could use it strike out at the Emperor." Sundar finished. Then cocked her head to the side.

"You really intend to just go gallivanting off, looking for this thing? Are you mad?" She asked him. Danyal laughed.

"Completely. But no, Not gallivanting. Scouting. Investigating. Slowly and softly." He said. Sundar watched him carefully.

"Danyal… this could very easily go wrong… We need to plan this carefully. Make sure we know what we are doing…"

"I know that! But just think, Sundar, if we can do this…"

"I know… there is a huge opportunity…" She said, licking her lips. Then she shook her head. "But not today. We might be able to do this, but not like cubs, sneaking off to have an adventure. We'll do it carefully, involving my father, and Vitani and the other lionesses… We'll see what they think first, and we'll plan it properly." She warned him. Danyal laughed.

"See! There you go! I knew if I told you, you'd find some way to make a harebrained scheme seem reasonable!" He said.

"Scheme! Its barley an idea!" She smiled at him. "Let's go to sleep, now. I am tired." She said. Danyal nodded, and then stood up, but she grabbed his paw as he made to leave. "There is no need for you to go anywhere… Sleep here tonight. I'll… sleep easier knowing you are close by…" She told him. Danyal nodded, and lay down next to her. He could hear her breathing softly next to him, and he began to hum a tune from long ago. Now it seemed, at least, that despite everything, they were alive… And they were fighting.

Tomorrow would be a new day… and with the new day would come new choices, new tasks, new challenges, but with it new joys, new hopes and new dreams. The day would bring with it a new dawn. He thought for a moment of Vitani, thinking if he was wrong in not speaking to her so soon after her bereavement, but decided again that he had been right to leave that to Almasi, Damu and Lukaan… He knew from firsthand experience, that the death of a mother could only be consoled by a close friend, and had little hope of emulating his success with Calin with Vitani, the cool collected lioness. The Lady of the Night.

So many of them had died… but for the first time, Danyal could feel the confidence, that they had not died for nothing, that it did not mean that there was now nothing they could do to fight back.

AN:

The next chapter, and the Epilogue will show that time skip from a different point of view. You will know it, because you will see: 'Two Weeks Later' appear. It is the same two weeks. If you have any questions concerning the chronology, just ask in the review. In the mean time, I hope you all enjoy it. You haven't seen the last of the Shai'tan this book… There is a little something in the epilogue that I think you will all enjoy.

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, so stay tuned for the Final Chapter, and the Epiloge, hopefully this week! Enjoy!