Hi, this is my first story published on fan fiction page, although not the first LK story. Quite short, but here it is. It's of course based on Simba's Pride, but also on my another story, "The Outlands", which I'm translating into English now, I'll post it when I'll finish. Rated K+ because of Nuka's "strong language" :P Not VERY strong though. I'm not English so there might be some language errors, so I apologize. Please let me know what do you think about it :)
The title comes from the chorus of Hole song – Best Sunday Dress.
Watching you burn
Chapter 1
Shadowland
She sat on the cracked ground and watched as Scar was giving commands to hyenas. His voice was strong and sharp, yet annoyed. Something bad must have happened...Or nothing at all. Dad always sounded as if he was irritated.
Vitani weren't that surprised. She never liked hyenas very much, although they always were nice to her. They were hostile for the other lionesses, but they respected king's family. She was used to hyenas; their clan was just huge. They lived along with them, they were part of the herd. She knew that before Scar's reign the pride consisted only of Pridelanders, a small group of lionesses born and raised in the Pridelands. Later, there arrived mom's herd, who were called just Wanderers. Before her marriage with Scar, the herd was still looking for safe place to live in; members were just lonely, lost or exiled lionesses, every outsider could join this group. It ain't good to be alone.
Now, like dad once said, with Wanderers and hyenas' clan around they were the biggest, the strongest pride in whole Africa. It might be true but now it didn't really matter. The problem wasn't enemies - they didn't even had guests – but drought destroying the land. Wanderers joined the pride just during this big drought; she and Nuka were born in this season. Her father said that earlier the Pridelands were all green and beautiful and when the rain will come down, they'll soon have chance to see it green again. But now, when she was looking at dryed desert expanding around the Priderock, she couldn't believe it.
In the end, their 'power' became their problem. There wasn't enough food and water to feed over thirty lionesses, one lion, two cub lions and the whole clan, which contained about hundred of hyenas. There were days when they didn't eat anything. She knew well the feeling of being hungry, but she got used to it. It was a part of her every day life. So she didn't care that much about it.
The only thing that she was worried about was that her father didn't have enough time for her. She understood Scar was a king and he had his duties, but hell, why couldn't he took her on his missions, she could help him...
There came really weird times. Weird in itself, according to drought (which older lionesses from Pridelands called the greatest in the history of this place), but there were also problems in all of the herds. Scar did what he could, but it seemed he couldn't manage to solve all those problems. Vitani didn't understand everything, but she knew that Pridelanders evidently didn't like Wanderers nor Zira, and they definitely disliked hyenas. And also Scar. They were still rebelling against him – it weren't big revolts, but yet they tried to make him banish hyenas, 'for the good of the pride'. It wasn't said out loud, but they obviously wanted also to rid off the Wanderers. The worst was this big lioness called Sarabi, she almost tried to force Scar to change his decisions. She wanted all herd to leave the Pridelands and search for the better land. Vitani once heard her rather not so polite conversation with Scar...
- We MUST leave the Pridelands! Don't you understand what I'm saying?! – yelled the former queen.
- I understand well what you said – told her dad with really cold tone in his voice. – But I'm afraid I don't understand your point of view.
- We're gonna die here! We must look up for new territory, you must make the subjects go and...
- I MUST? – yelled dad. – Do you try to tell me what I MUST or I MUSTN'T, Sarabi?!
- I'm just trying to help you to make up some decisions... – answered the lioness.
- Great...if you REALLY know what is the best for us... – said sarcastically Scar. – Convence your lionesses. Now, you all will go and find new territories where you could hunt. And don't come back without preys.
- But...
- Did I put things clear? – he asked with irritation.
- Yes, Scar – said Sarabi and then she went away.
- It's senseless – said later Zira to one of her friends, while Vitani was 'taking bath'. – They try to blame him for the drought. As if he called the drought and it just came here... – then she laughed and added: - And Sarabi...I just can't be more amazed by her naiveness...She thinks that if we'd leave the Pridelands, we'd just find the paradise, as if the drought could come only to our little land...
Vitani was just a cub and she didn't understand very much of this conflict, but she didn't like Sarabi. And Nala, the young lioness that was very close friend to Sarabi...and the rest of the Pridelanders.
But there were also other problems: her older brother Nuka caught a weird disease, which made him really weak. Their parents were so worried about him, even though Rafiki, this strange shaman, tried to help him with his mixtures. Last time Zira and Scar also took care of Kovu – a little orphaned cub. She had nothing against him, she was happy to have new playmate, but she realised that Nuka wasn't happy at all. Scar choose Kovu to inherit the throne. She knew that Nuka always wanted to be king and was so disappointed about father's decision.
Suddenly, she realised that Scar walking into her. She stood up, but lion just passed her by. She ran after him, yelling:
- Dad! Dad! Where are you going now?
- Oh, Vitani – he finally stopped and took a look at her. – I...I have to talk with your mom and the rest of Wan...I meant, our herd...
- Our, right? You mean your and mom's? – she asked, having the Wanderers on mind.
- Yes... – answered lion. – But we're all one herd. I am the king. Don't you consider Pridelanders our herd?
- No...Yes, of course! But I don't like them – confessed Vitani. Scar just went quiet for a while, thinking about something. But he was still here, by her side. Vitani took it as a good sign, so she quickly said:
- Dad, you never have time for me.
- What? – asked Scar.
- You never have time to play with me...
- It's not like that. I'm just...a king. And last time, I had to speak to hyenas...we have some problems – said Scar. – And with our dear Sarabi... – he added sarcastically, more to himself than to Vitani. – Our princesses had just a little bit of new objections to present...
- I know... – replied Vitani with sad voice.
- Hey, what's wrong? – asked king. – You know, if you want, we could go for a little walk today. Night walk. Just you and me, or we could also take Nuka and Kovu with us...I could tell you all those idiotic stories of stars and the great kings of the past, which everybody loves... – she added ironically and laughed to his thoughts. – Oh, sorry, I'm speaking to myself again...So, what do you think?
- It's cool! – yelled Vitani. – Sure! I wanna go with you! But without Nuka and Kovu...just us two, ok, dad?
- Alright – said Scar with smile, what was rather uncommon for him. – But now I gotta go – he added, seeing coming Wanderers.
- I will wait – yelled once again orange lioness, watching as her dad goes away.
