Vitani sat alone, on the edge of a steep cliff. The dark shadows of the night sky down casted their gloom upon her. The falling rain hit her exposed body like falling stones over and over again.
Looking down, her mind wondered; how far would the fall be? How long will the pain last? Would anyone even come looking for her?
Surely no one would, not now at least. Everyone in the pridelands was worried sick about the well being of princess Kiara.
"I….I can't believe you made this happen Vitani! Kings I'm so stupid!!" Her racing heart continued to pump inside her body like a cheetah running miles a second. She didn't mean if this is happen…at least not the way it did.
Vitani couldn't get the look on her little brothers face, as he stood beside his fallen mate, out of her head. It was enough to kill her own soul and stop her heart from beating.
She wouldn't have said anything to the Great Kings of the Past- if she knew they would have done this! All she every wanted was to be like Kiara… to have the loving home, family, mate. A purpose in her life. Was that really to much to ask for? To beg for?
The young blue eyed lioness knew the power of her words. She knew that when she spoke that night, they carried in the wind. The power of her spell could and would, effect her life forever. She just didn't know how…
How her scheming could have ended her up like this. Even more lost than she had been before.
She paced back and forth of the cliffs edge. Deciding on what to do with her fate. This was by far the only control she had ever had over anything in her life, and that was her life.
The only lioness Vitani could think of that did give a dam about her was Sarabi. She was the only lioness that could literally stop her from jumping over the edge. Sarabi was the only lioness who ever gave her words filled with loving encouragement. Or words filled with some much needed tough love.
She was her one saving grace in this world. And she wasn't here.
Sarabi wasn't the only lioness that knew Vitani real situation, however, she was the only lioness that accepted that Vitani had no control over it – over anything.
She should have been given a fair chance. The love of a mother and daughter can transcends any family turmoil. Their bond can never be broken.
However she was conceived by lust and and given away by hatred.The hopes of her having a happy life never seemed possible the moment she was born. A cruel and unforgiving world she was unknowing dropped off into, by her own grandmother.
Her blue orbs connected with the cliffs edge and the downward fall of the impending darkness. The unknown of it tempting her closer and closer. To something she knew was the only certain thing… death and with that, peace. At least that was what she hoped for.
Everything she had ever known was a lie, she own mother, father…and pride. Kept her completely in the dark.
It didn't matter now, did it? Once they found out the truth she would be over with. They would hate her more than they already do.
"Vitani! come down from there, now !"
The voice was familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. It was roaring just as loud as the rolling thunder. She had hoped someone would say those words to her, before it was too late. Before she could handle it no longer. Expect those words did not come from the lioness she was expecting.
"Vitani!"
"What are you doing here…" She didn't turn to face her queen, her mother. "What do you want from me!"
"I came to bring you back home!-"
"Go away!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. " I can't go back there anyways. It's not my home! it never felt that way to me and now I know why- Just go back and be with your daughter!"
"You are my daughter!… please come down." Nala dared to walk closer. Inching step by step to her devastating daughter. "Please! just come with me the storm in getting worse-"
"Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!" Vitani suddenly turned, her tears mixing in with the pouring rain. " Huh? Why did everyone leave me in the dark!" Her legs swayed back and forth from the wind.
Nala looked at a pair of blue eyes that perfectly matched her very own. " I'm sorry! … I didn't know!-"
"Lair ! You knew! you always knew!" The young lioness unknowing kept moving back towards the egde. She was too blinded by her emotions to realize what was happening. But Nala wasn't, every little step, slip of the paw was due to the slippery rain and mud.
The ground continued to soften under the weight of her own body with each passing second. Her stress grew with every passing second.
"Vitani please! Stop and come back with me… I'll tell you everything! Please before it's too late…" the distressed lioness shook her head.
"No! It's too late!"
"No it's not! Please, just listen to me…"
She would tell her everything… she would tell her the truth? Her truth. Vitani wouldn't be lost anymore-she could finally have some sort of understanding her crazy situation.That was enough to help her come off of the edge. Maybe there was something here for her? At least if she stayed and learned the truth. She could feel better about herself.
She lifted her paw to take a tentative step forward, down the hill.
"AH!" A missed step. A fallen rock from underneath the edge of the cliff went plummeting into the darkness. The cliff side itself went disappearing under her very paws.
"VITANI!!" There was no time to think. The only thing she could do was act. Within seconds Nala was at her daughter side, just barely grabbing her by the nap of her neck.
Air was the only thing separating Vitani from the great unknown. The darkness of the cliffs pit pulled that the two. Gravity was not on her side. Nala dug her claws into the the mushed earth as she used every bit of strength to pull Vitani back up.
Lighting flashed and thunder roared. Vitani front paws scrambled feverishly at the earth as they struggled to grab hold of any footing. She was going to die, she was doing to die. That was the only thought that ran though her mind. Panic consumed her. Her fate was surely sealed…it would have been sealed if it weren't for Nala. After a moment of intense hyperventilation, She lost sight of the dark abyss below her. she felt herself being pulled back to safety. Vitani felt the toughness of the ground against her body as Nala dragged.
"… you… you." Stammering to find the right words. "Saved…me?"
"Are you alright?" The lioness before her checked her for any bumps or bruises. Unable to use words anymore Vitani shook her head in response. " Let's get out of this storm, there's shelter in a den near by!" With out question Vitani did as she was told and followed. Nala did her best to shield Vitani from the storm.
The sounds were over bearing to her ears. She closed her eyes tight from the blinding wind and cutting water. When they finally made it inside insides of a small den, both lionesses collapsed into the floor.
As they caught their breaths, Vitani could not take her eyes off of the lioness before her.
"Why?" Her mother turned to her with a raised brow. "…Why did you come after me?" After catching her breath for a moment, Nala finally responded.
"Why…why wouldn't I?"
"Because…"
"Do you really think I'd let run off in this storm and not come after you? Vitani what were you thinking-"
"You could have died trying to help me…"
" and you would have died if I hadn't come to help you…. It's my job to protect you." Nala words were solemn. Vitani shook her head, in objection.
"You're… only saying that because you have to."
"No I'm not, Vitani if you would please just listen to me-"
" Listen to you?! Why…you lied to me…everyone lied to me! Everything I know is a lie… right?" Nala said nothing. Stepping back she allowed Vitani to release all the explosive feelings she had been holding "You being my mother! Are you kidding me….. what does that even mean-you're the queen of the pridelands!"
"I know I know, this is a lot for you to take in. I wish I was the first one to tell you-"
"Why were not you then!…. Why did I have to hear it from someone else! I mean, is this some kind of sick joke you royals play?! My life it already hard enough and I don't need things like this happening out of nowhere! Everyone knew this but me! And then You do just did this damn heroic motherly act out of nowhere…" Vitani got up to walk around she had to clam down. Her nerves were rioting on every inch of her body.
"Vit-"
"Don't! Just don't Okay…"
"…I'm sorry I truly am…tell me what I need to do to help you…what do I need to do so you can believe me."
"Nothing, you can do nothing because I will never believe you! This isn't happening."
"Vitani you are MY daughter, it's as clear as day."
"No I'm not! I'm an outsider, MY mother was Zira!" Nala bit her tongue she didn't know what to do or do say.
"I know you hate me and I understand that, but you must listen to me. You finally need to know the truth!"
"Hate is an understatement !" She walked and she walked, over and over again in an endless circle. She was moving so much she was making Nala dizzy.
"Vitani stop-"
"No!"
"I said STOP!" Even Vitanis strong stubbornness wasn't a match for Nala rising impatience. The two stared off at each other. "Look I know you may think I'm lying or that I'm trying to play a cruel joke on you, but I'm not. I'm telling you the truth! Do you think I would be out here if I didn't have to- when my other daughter is possibly dying!"
"..i…"
"Look …I was scared and just as confused as you are now." Vitani listened closely. " I don't know what Sarabi told you but you are not Zira's daughter. You never have been, you've always been mine."
"It just seems too impossible, you're a queen and-"
"I wasn't always the queen of pride rock. I was just like you, just a member of the pride. I only became queen because of Simba. Look… I had you when I was young, still a cub myself. I didn't know much if anything about you because you were taking away."
"Taken away?"
"Yes you were taken from me, by my mother."
"So then my…grandmother didn't want me is that it? Why!"
"The situation was very dangerous, she didn't know what to do herself. She was trying to best-"
"So her best was giving me away! And then to Zira no less?!"
"She was afraid Zira would come after me for having you."
"And she just trusted her? She felt no problem giving me away like that. What if she killed me, then what…"
" she wouldn't, she loved Scar too much. And you are part of him." As she heard his name, Vitani did not know how to feel? At first she knew her mother- Zira love Scar more than life itself. It was what she was used to, raised to. She thought that was love.
However now knowing the truth, Scar could not have been the lion Zira worship. Saying he could do no wrong. Apparently she was the one who was wrong…
"Hardly, if he was such a monster why did you have me?"
"I had no choice…" vitani hung her head low.
"Still Why now? Why tell me all of this now…" Nala didn't know the answer to that. " this would have been a while hell of a lot easier on me if you told me before all of this chaos happened!"
"How would you expect me to tell you?" Nala asked sensing the attitude change in Vitani. " would me coming up to you, out of blue, telling you worked? I doubt it."
"How would you know? You didn't even try."
"I did- I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't. Vitani your life was already set up by the time I realized the truth. I thought you were dead, my mother told me you were dead. It wasn't until Sarabi told me the truth did I actually know."
"Why would she tell you that? That makes no sense…"
"I don't know, probably to protect me from trying to find you. Even given my circumstances I still loved you. You had no control of anything. And even with all the pain I went though, almost dying having you I still wanted you."
"What, you almost died… having me?"
"Yes, after having you I passed out for three days. I lost too much blood and I wasn't strong enough."
"…oh."
"If I could have stopped my mother before she let her fear and hatred control her decision I would have. I would have stopped it in a heartbeat. I know your life was not easy and it wasn't fair.…." Vitani hung her head low. Realizing just how much of her burden she truly was to others now. It all made sense now, there was no way anyone could love her. Her own conception was forced. Her grandmother hated her." Vitani…" the young lioness slowly looked up. A small tear rolling down her cheek. She hadn't even realized she was crying. " You must know I don't hate, I never have. And I'm not ashamed of you. I desperately want to make things right by you. I owe you that."
The young lioness found herself wordless again. Her life was finally coming I'll circle and this was just so much to take in. She went from having a lioness who she thought was her mother, a mother who Constantly acted like she didn't give a damn about her. A mother who put her own Cubs life at risk just to fulfill her own goals…to now having a mother you looked to honestly care for her. When she hardly even knows her.
A mother, who she was trained from birth to hate. A mother she not ok long ago fought in a battle over pride rock.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Huh?" Her question caught Nala off guard.
"How did you know it was me? You didn't see me when I was born- in fact you never saw me. How could you possibly tell. I look just like the other outsiders…"
"You have my eyes…" Nala voice touching her ears ever so gently. "and it looks like my attitude as well." The queen wore a small smile as she looked to the young lioness that sat across from her. Her eyes reflecting the same emotion as her mothers.
"…. this is just a lot for me to take in right now." And could one really blame her?
"I understand." There was an awkward silence in between the two. Finally she had learned the truth, about who she really was. But then came the question of 'now what?' where did she go from here.
"So…what does these mean now. We can't just go walking back like we've been some happy mother and daughter pair this whole time. It'll just be weird…and beside does Simba know?"
"No, he doesn't."
"Was that another reason for not telling me sooner?"
"…yes, it's very complicated Vitani."
"Oh believe me I know, my life's been whole big complication apparently ." Although the words hurt Nala, it didn't seem to register to Vitani. "Ha, it's okay. It'll be better if he doesn't know anyway."
"No, you're my daughter everyone has the right to know."
"Yes, but even if they did. It wont change anything. I will always be looked at as Zira's daughter. I'll still be looked at as some outsider…and to be honest I am okay with that. It's what I know…. It's who I am.…I know my place, and it's not with you or the royal family.…especially for what I did to Kiara?"
"What do you mean?" Nalas ears perked to the telling information.
"I..i uh."
"Vitani tell me?" The lioness hesitated once more. " Vitani tell me, please… what did you do?"
"I wished it on her!" She confessed "…I told the Great Kings of the Past that I wanted to trade places with her!"
"Trade places?"
"… I was having roughy day probably the worst day of my life…I didn't have anyone to talk to. I was…mad and jealous- I just for a second wanted to know what it would be like to have an actual family that loved you. To have a dad, that tells crony jokes and to have an over protective mother who wishes nothing but the best for her daughter. Who…would teach her right from wrong, so she wouldn't end up making stupid mistakes and having her heart broken…" single droplets of tears freefalled from Vitani eyes." I wished hell upon her…and now looked what happened! It's was all my fault… I'm so sorry…"
A sudden weight over the young lioness drooping shoulders caught her off guard. Her words caught in her throat as she felt the warm radiating off from Nala's nuzzle. "It's not you're fault."
"H-how can you say that…I was the one who caused the herd accident…everything had been fine up until then!"
"No. You're wrong."
"…what? What do you mean?"
"Kiara accident happened because she passed out…it had nothing to do with you wishing ill on her." No that wouldn't be right? She had to have been the one to cause this accident. She talked about it, prayed for it! She had manifested it into happening!
"No that can't be right… I was the one who caused this… I had a dream about it and everything." Nala shook her head.
"No you didn't chase this Vitani. Kiara has dizzy spells. She's been having dizzy spells every since she was a cub."
"What…"
" We…we don't have why she has them. But it's made her life very difficult at times.That's why Simba and I are so over protective of her. It's not like we want to keep her hidden away from the world. That is no way to live…but she isn't strong. She's never been. Until I die, I know I will always be worried about her."
"I…I didn't know. I mean Kovu never told me this either…"
"She's learned to hide it well. But the older she got the worse the dizzy spells would be. And if anyone is going to take the blame for this happening to her it's me."
"You… but how? You didn't cause them."
" I only let her lead the lioness hunting party because it was a tradition, and the other lionesses or simba would not let me break it. But I knew better I shouldn't have listened. I should have done what best for her- despite what the others thought. My baby's in the situation because of me…" vitani watched on as Nala struggled to keep her clam composure together. This time and thought her life was rough, it looked like the royals life wasn't a walk at the waterhole either.
"She's stronger than you think."
"… she's not strong enough."
"Yes she is."
"How… how do you know?"
"Because she has you as a mother." Nala was speechless. " it'll be okay, I know it will.
"… thank you." The queen collected herself after a long moment "… I know I can't change the past, and the things you've went though. If I could go back I would."
"But you can't change the past."
"No I can't…but I can for the future."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I know the situation between us is…different. But I want to be there for you. I want you in my life and I can only hope you want me in yours. I know it will be difficult, but I will fight for you. Sarabi will too."
"Ha that granny's… she's always found a way to get into my business." A small smiles flashed across her face. As she thought of all of mischief she's gotten herself into with Sarabi.
"I know, and I'm grateful for it. She was brave for me when I couldn't be for you. I owe her everything."
"I'm guessing she talked to you about personal responsibility then huh?"
"Her words to me weren't as kind as I would have liked….but they were what I needed." Stillness over took the two again. The pouring rain that sounded to be hammered away in the background was starting to lighten up. "The storms in passing." Noticed Nala as she looked up.
"Yea."
" when we go back, we go back together."
"What if, they don't accept me when I get back…after learning the truth. I was already an outsider now I'm…I don't know a princess, you're estranged cub?"
"You will be whoever you want to be. And if something comes of your standing position, We'll cross that step when we get there."
"…everything going to be hard for me all over again."
"You will get though this…we both will." Her voice was firm and confident, from the look on her face Vitani knew she could finally put her trust in someone. Her mother. They both rose slowly and walked to the entrance of the small cave.
" you're right we will get though this. I now I know I can. I am my mother's daughter after all."
Hey! Hope you guys liked this short one shot! I know I haven't been posting a lot of Lion King lately so I wanted to give you all this! I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more little stories!
