I don't own any of the animals, apart from Mageuzi (Swahili for 'revolution'), Mwenzi (Swahili for 'colleague'), Haini (Swahili for 'informer'). I own all of the humans mentioned, including Uthisha (Zulu for teacher'), Umufi (Zulu for dead), Inkosi (Zulu for 'king'), Inzalo (Zulu for 'interest') and Inkosana (Zulu for 'prince').

"So" Kiara said in a conversational tone, as she and Vitani ran across the Pridelands, "who exactly are these unexpected allies that father's organised?"

"You aren't going to like the answer" Vitani replied.

"What" Kiara asked, "how can you be sure?"

"Call it an intelligent guess" Vitani replied, "I don't think many of the lionesses would like them, to be honest."

"So who are they" Kiara asked, slightly annoyed at Vitani's evasion of a straight answer.

"Think where we're headed" Vitani replied, "and guess."

Kiara thought for a moment, then stopped dead. "oh, no" she said, "not them, anything but them."

"I told you you wouldn't like it" Vitani said in reply, "but right now, we've got no choice."

"Why" Kiara asked, "why would my father ask for help from them?"

"You'll have to ask him when we return" Vitani replied, "but if you don't hurry up, he might not be alive when we get back."

This had the hoped for effect, as Kiara took off towards the elephant graveyard at a dead run. She was travelling so fast in fact, that Vitani had to work to keep up.

High overhead, unnoticed by the pair Haini circled, watching. As soon as she saw Kiara and Vitani resume progress towards the graveyard, she banked, and headed after them. When they made no further move to stop, she flew as fast as she could for the graveyard.

Shenzi was just relaxing in a small clearing used by some of the higher-ranking hyenas as an escape from the normal crush of daily leadership. Suddenly, Haini came in for a landing, and said, "there are two lionesses approaching from the direction of Pride Rock."

"What do they look like" Shenzi asked, getting to her paws. She wasn't a matriarch anymore, not that Ed and Banzai counted in any case, but Mageuzi hadn't passed over her completely, and she was now an adviser.

"One looks like a normal lioness" Haini replied, "but the other is thin and has a tuft on the top of her head."

"Sound familiar" Shenzi said to herself, then turned to Haini, "get back up there would you?"

"At once" Haini replied, and took off again, as Shenzi made her way towards the main clearing.

"Okay Matriarch" Shenzi said, when she found Mageuzi, "there's a couple of lionesses headed this way, and we've both met at least one of them."

"Well, lionesses headed this way can only mean one thing" Mageuzi said, "take your two and Mwenzi, I'll get this lot together and follow you up." Shenzi nodded and left.

"Okay you lot" Mageuzi yelled. When she was sure most of the hyenas were listening she continued, "I want every hunter here up on the plains in five minutes."

"Why" one of the hyenas asked, then cringed when Mageuzi glared at it.

"The lion king has promised us hunting in the Pridelands if we help him now."

"Scar promised us that once" one of the older females said, "and then he turned on us."

"This one won't" Mageuzi said.

"How do you know" another hyena asked, "aren't they all alike, those damned lions."

"This one won't" Mageuzi repeated, "he won't have the numbers to force us out this time."

There was a grumble of discontentment from the pack, but no-one else spoke up. "Okay then" Mageuzi said, "every hunter up on the plain, now."

"Hold it" Vitani said, as four shapes approached, "this looks like them, at least, some of them."

"I thought I recognised the description" Shenzi said, "thin and with a tuft."

"Yes" Vitani replied, "there aren't many like me."

"Hey" Banzai said, "where's, um, kings mate..."

"Nala" Shenzi asked.

"That's the one" Banzai said, "where is she?"

"Dead" Vitani replied her eyes tearing, "killed by the humans." Beside her, Kiara was quietly crying, tears rolling down her muzzle.

"Can't say I didn't suspect it" Shenzi said, then turned to look back, "where are they anyway?" Just as she spoke, the first few of the main pack emerged.

As the number of dark spots grew, Vitani asked, "how many are there anyway?"

"As far as I can tell" Shenzi replied, "almost a hundred."

"Let's get going then" Vitani said, and these started off for Pride Rock.

Just as they reached the base of Pride Rock, there was an ear-splitting roar. The group hesitated, then Kiara screamed "Nooooo, daaadeeee" and charged up the rock towards where the roar had originated.

The entire group was about to follow Kiara when there was a squeal from a different direction. "Banzai, Ed" Shenzi said, "sort that out." They took off with a small pack in tow.

The humans outnumbered both hyenas and lionesses, but they weren't prepared for an attack from behind. The battle was fierce, and losses were high on both sides.

Suddenly, Mageuzi cried out as she felt a spear penetrate the gap between her shoulder blade and ribs. She turned and tried to bite the human, but there was a splintering sound, she screamed, and then fell unconscious from a pain overload. The human had no chance to push his victory though, because a moment later, Mwenzi brought him down.

Shenzi, meanwhile, was pushing forward, biting any piece of human that came within her reach. She was well into the melee when someone cried out, "nooo." Just ahead, Kiara and Simba were standing side-by-side in the middle of a ring of humans.

The humans, it looked, had been about to kill the pair, but now they were looking at two more humans. The shout had, had gone unnoticed by the fighters at first, but now the humans and Simba and Kiara were in an ever widening circle of watchful, interested, eyes.

"What is it" Inkosi asked impatiently, "I am about to avenge Umufi."

"Please father" Inzalo said, "don't do it."

"Why not" Inkosi snapped, "he killed my son."

"And your son killed his queen" Uthisha said in replied, "so who is the worse?"

"What" Inkosi exclaimed, "that is an animal, they have no feelings."

"Quite on the contrary" Uthisha said, "they have them much as we do, we just don't interact often, so we don't learn of them."

"How in the name of the..." Inkosi began, then figured it out. "Traitor" he hissed, "you have betray me, you have betrayed us all."

"The job of the shaman is to balance all the spirits of the tribe and the land" Uthisha replied, "and the job of the chieftain is to balance the resources."

"I have known that for a long time" Inkosi said.

"But you have not always understood what it means" Uthisha replied, "and now you seek to upset that balance."

Inkosi stood still for a moment, then, in one movement, turned and charged Uthisha, with a shout of "traitor."

Uthisha raised his staff defensively, but when Inkosi's spear met resistance, it was Inzalo, not him, facing the chieftain.

"So" Inkosi spat, "you have even corrupted my own son, turned him against me."

"You had cast him out" Uthisha replied, "you had not given him love, so I am not entirely to blame."

Inkosi looked almost blank for a moment, then he brushed Inzalo aside, and was about to put his spear through Uthisha's chest, when he gasp, spasmed, and fell over.

Uthisha, danger forgotten, moved over to the chieftain and tried to examine him. Inzalo also moving to help, asked, "Is, is he going to live?"

Uthisha quickly examined the chieftain. His breathing was shallow, and his pulse was worryingly slight. "I do not think he can" he replied, to Inzalo, "his heart has failed, there is nothing I can do for him."

"What's going on" Inkosana asked, arriving a few moments later.

"You are now the chieftain" Uthisha replied, "we await your judgement."

"But I don't know what to do" Inkosana said, "I don't want the killing to go on, but if I..."

"There is no fault in a truce" Uthisha said, "especially one under these circumstances."

Inkosana nodded, rose, and said, "as now chieftain, I proclaim that this conflict will stop."

"So you're a coward" came a voice from the crowd.

"No" Uthisha said, rising, "look about you, what do you see?"

"An unfinished fight" replied another voice.

"And of Chief Inkosi" Uthisha asked, "after all, he led you on this attack, he led to this slaughter, to these bodies."

"But you're a traitor" the voice replied, a little angrily, "you helped the animals."

"I will not deny it" Uthisha replied, "but see for yourself, many have died who need not have, Inkosi's hatred has left us weak."

"So, what do we do" another voice asked.

Inkosana glanced around, then replied wearily, "remove the bodies, and do what you can for the wounded."

"So we're just leaving" another asked, "retreating?"

"No" Inkosana replied, "as the shaman said, look around, we've lost many already, how would losing more to this pointless conflict help?"

There was a mutter of agreement from the crowd. Slowly, they retrieved the bodies of the fallen, unhindered by more than the occasional soft growl. Inkosana moved to help Inzalo carry Inkosi's body.

"You did well" Uthisha said.

"Thank you" Inkosana said, then turned to Inzalo. "I know I cannot hope to understand you emotions" he said, "but I hope you will not be angry at me for expressing my condolences."

Inzalo raised his head. His face was tear-stained, but his expression was controlled. "No" he said, "I will not be, there was nothing you could do, nothing anyone could do."

"There is one thing we can do now" Inkosana said, "we can carry your father's body down and give it a proper burial." Inzalo nodded, and together they carried Inkosi's body down Pride Rock.