A/N:
Hello to anyone who is reading this. x) I actually wrote this over Friday and Saturday since I had the idea on my mind, but here it is today... Sunday. Alright, so it's not technically Sunday, but since I am an impatient person, I will post it today in lieu of tomorrow. Funny... I just wrote my last one a few days ago. O.o Anyways, this is another One-hour One-shot-again a misnomer, since I actually took longer than an hour. Not like any of you really care, I think. XD But this one is a bit longer than some of my others.
In any case, I like Vitani and Zira, so they get a fic to themselves. Extreme AU here, but I just wanted to play around with SimbaxZira... simply because it's an unbelievably weird and almost impossible pairing. Reading over this, I suppose Zira is OOC, but there's not really much I can do at this point (other than re-writing the whole thing, which I'm not going to do). And she kind of has to be for this to work. This is rated T for mild themes, but nothing is explicit because I'm not a real lemons fan. :3
Without further ado, here is One-hour One-shot #6: A Plan Gone Wrong. ;)
It was a hot day, as always. But, of course, that didn't stop anyone from doing any of the usual day-to-day activities that typically took place in Vitani's home. Typical activities like sunbathing, playing, and mouse hunting. No, wait, that wasn't quite right. Typical activities like… oh yes, scrounging the mud puddles for any remainders of rainwater! What a fun way to spend an afternoon. Or perhaps termite scratching was more entertaining… none of this could exactly be said for sure.
Alright, so perhaps the Outlands wasn't the best place to grow up in. But that didn't stop the little lioness from looking towards the future with hope. Someday her mother would murder the king and then all would be well with them—they wouldn't even have to live here anymore. She looked towards the sky with her bright blue eyes, simply taking in the beautiful sunlight and the azure hue of the atmosphere…
"Ow!"
Well, so much for that. Vitani swung her head wildly, trying to rid those same eyes of whichever unlucky termite had accidently flown into them. Finally she looked down at the ground, blinking several times to make sure the creature had left, before spitting onto the hard, parched dirt in her usual tomboy fashion. Forget it. There was no way around it. Life here was practically unbearable.
But, with the exception of one particular termite, at least she was free of the little parasites. Indeed, it was unfortunate that the same could not be said of her brother…
"Hey, whaddya doin', ya little termite?"
Nuka's scraggly form half crawled and half scooted out from behind a boulder. His nails scrapped across the barren ground and he shifted about angrily, before finally settling down to claw at his fur with his hind foot.
"'Termite'? Puh, you're the 'termite', Nuka."
Vitani turned around, clearly irked, before sitting down. She set her head gently on her paws, and then silently shook it, with the intent of rearranging the little tuft of fur which served almost as a miniature mane.
"Heh, I've got more of a mane than you," the golden lioness cub pointed out scathingly, motioning towards the scraggly black patches of fur which had previously served as the older lion's hair. Before, of course, he rubbed it all out with his consistent scratching. Nuka sputtered in astonishment, though, as predicted, he was not able to think of a coherent response to her witty criticism.
"Whatever. Where's the little bra—uh, I mean, dear-adorable-little Kovu?" Nuka queried impatiently, hoping to find something to pin on his younger sister. Vitani rolled her eyes. His hatred of the little cub—Scar's heir and their adopted brother—was all too obvious. Then again, he barely even tried to hide it anymore. Except from Zira…
"He's with Mother. She's talking to him."
"About what?" he interjected, curiosity now piqued, as he quickly forgot about his silent rage and what they had been talking about. Until, of course, he added: "Probably about how great-uva king he's gonna be and all that stuff."
"Well, you can ask her. Heh, here she comes."
As always, Vitani's senses were sharper than her brother's, and she noticed the thin lioness approaching long before he did. Perhaps that's why she was in training to be a spy, while Nuka was in training to be… well, nothing.
"Nuka, you fool! What are you doing? I told you to…" she paused for a moment, trying to think of what exactly it was she had told him to do. If, that is, she had told him to do anything at all. Perhaps she hadn't after all. He was no use anywhere anyways…
"W-What Mother? I'm s-sorry!"
She contemplated his now cowering form for a moment, and dismissed it just as quickly.
"Nothing. Never mind. Just stay out of the way!"
Nuka retreated without another word towards his mother, though Vitani thought she heard him mutter several obscenities about Kovu under his breath. The small, dark cub by that name, despite having the scruff of his neck in Zira's jaws, couldn't make his words out completely. Perhaps Zira, with her sharp senses, could… though she paid no attention to her skulking firstborn. Neither did the small lioness cub, who was still sitting on the ground with her head resting on her paws.
"Mother, what were you talking with Kovu about?"
"Just about his father," she muttered half-heartedly, before catching herself, "I mean… Nuka's father. Scar."
Vitani recognized the name immediately. Indeed, he was usually considered the king of their pride—despite the fact that he was dead—and was the previous king of the coveted Pridelands. Before their greatest enemy, Simba, arrived and seized the throne for himself.
"Scar? You mean my father?" she smiled cheerfully, having much respect for said lion—and pride for being his only daughter. "You know, now that you mention it… s' kind of weird that me and Nuka are related. I mean, he looks totally different from me… And Father was a different color than I am—I remember. And his eyes were different. And… uh…" she paused, having never thought much about it before. But now that she was older, she noticed she had found it increasingly hard to believe that she could ever be related to Nuka. And perhaps Scar, for that matter.
Zira's response, however, both surprised her and made her suspicious. The adult lioness turned away, eyes closed, before setting Kovu down on the ground away from them. Her red eyes subsequently opened again, before darting back and forth surreptitiously…
"Mother, what's wrong?"
She only looked away, as if in shame.
"You… you are my mother, right?" Vitani blurted confusedly. Though, on second thought, she and Zira did have a lot in common… The lioness nodded her head, but still did not look her in the eye.
"Who is my father? I thought you were loyal to Scar, since he was your mate..."
Whoops. That comment certainly rubbed her in the wrong way, so to speak… in an instant she had whirled back around and taken several steps towards her daughter, her beady, blood-colored eyes narrowed dangerously as her lips twisted into an countenance of passion and bloodlust. Vitani backed up a step, perhaps regretting what she had insinuated because of her mother's rage. Or perhaps not regretting it because of the profound curiosity which was quickly being kindled within her.
"I was," she whispered dangerously, her teeth bared into an intense expression. She paused for several moments, seething, before finally walking in the opposite direction with her head hung shamefully. Vitani craned her neck around, trying to see what Zira was doing, but she again turned to face the younger lioness; this time ruefulness and sorrow were written into her features.
"I suppose you are old enough. I suppose I can tell you the truth…"
Vitani walked forwards eagerly, more than ready to listen as her mother prepared to tell her the true story behind her parentage…
"Zira, are you okay? You've been in that termite mound for days… What are you doing?"
A young lioness called to Zira with concern in her voice. Though they respected her leadership and admired her strength, sometimes they worried for her… notably, they worried for her sanity.
"I'm plotting," a weak voice came from inside the mound. It was Zira's, though it didn't quite sound like her. She didn't say what she was plotting for, but that needed no explanation. The lioness was planning to kill Simba—that's what she was always doing.
"Well, alright. Just come out soon… We are losing our patience…"
"I know. So am I…" Zira's voice echoed quietly—unbeknownst to the other lioness, a sinister grin was creeping across her face. She stopped for several moments, leaving the other to ruminate on those words, before continuing, "I don't want to wait and build an army. I'm going to bring Simba down right at home… I'll be out tonight, and if I succeed, I'll be queen at this time tom—"
"Wait, so where does my father come in? Was he a rogue? Was he hot? What did he look like? Did he look like me? Did he—"
"Enough with the questions, Vitani! If there's one thing I've learned out here in the Outlands, it's patience. This is a painful memory for me to recall. Now stay quiet and listen."
"Alright, alright, I'm just curious, Mother."
"I know. And that's why you'll make a great spy," the lioness cracked a rare half-smile at her daughter.
"Thanks," she responded bashfully.
"Well, as I was saying, after that happened…"
"There's no way this will work, Zira. It's… it's… crazy!" the young lioness followed, just a few steps behind her leader.
"Well, you know what, Nyota? Perhaps I am a little crazy. That lion took my love away from me. He took my home away from me. He took everything away from me. I will kill him by any means necessary," Zira continued, not slowing or stopping in her steady tread towards the Pridelands… alone.
"I know, that night affected us all, Zira… But… this is sick! He has a mate! And what happens if you get pre—"
"Enough, Nyota," Zira snapped dismissively, climbing towards the crest of a hill—a vista which overlooked the Pridelands and Pride Rock, the home of her enemy. "I've done this before." She paused.
"And Scar loved it," she muttered mildly, a sick smile spreading across her face. "Why do you think he wanted me to be his queen? Not just because I was loyal…"
Nyota contemplated this for a moment, clearly not understanding… Wait… Oh, so that's what she meant… The young lioness stopped in her tracks, face twisting into a horrible expression of child-like disgust. "Blechhhh!" Zira only laughed in reply.
But then the pair of them paused. Ahead of them was enemy territory…
"Well, best of luck, Zira. I only hope you succeed," Nyota smiled reassuringly.
"Simba, do you really think it's necessary to patrol the borders twice a day?"
Nala—Simba's mate and queen—called out after the large, golden lion as he walked down Pride Rock and towards the sea of savanna surrounding them. The king didn't stop or turn around; he merely plodded forwards resolutely, not answering her question.
"Well," she continued, "I suppose with a crazy nut like Zira around… things might get dangerous." She hung her head slightly in regret. It hadn't been long since Zira and her group were exiled—at first it was only her and Nyota, but then more and more lions started appearing beyond the borders, led by that one troubled lioness, Scar's mate…
Nala turned around and entered the den, looking closely after her only daughter—a small, golden cub named Kiara. She would grow up in dangerous times, and they, as her parents, would need to be careful.
Simba, however, did not stop. He took it upon himself to keep his family and pride safe, even if that meant tirelessly walking across the now possibly-dangerous borders of his home. As usual, it was a mostly uneventful job. The only creatures that appeared to pass by were the occasional gazelles, zebras, and wildebeests, who simply nodded respectfully towards their new king as he strolled past them.
The day began to draw to a close, with the vivid hues of sunset being splattered like paint across the vast, mostly flat horizon. Reds, oranges, and yellows mixed and spread across the canvas of the sky, and most of the savanna animals were settling down for the night. Stars began to appear as bright dots across the atmosphere, and the air itself was pleasant and still. Overall, it was a dazzling twilight, but Simba paid little attention to it. The animals he had seen gradually began to disappear, and he strode past the dry brush of the border with an intense look on his face.
A rustle of wind blew through his red mane, ruffling his golden coat as he stomped through the diminishing waves of grass. He continued focusing his attention in front of him, looking for danger, though there was no motion near him and everything seemed to have vanished…
There was a scent in the air. Mild, vaguely familiar, enticing in a strange sort of way. He moved towards it curiously—there wasn't anything else around, so why shouldn't he check it out?
He moved forwards, his large paws barely making a sound as he crept through the remaining grass and towards the boughs of several bushes. The scent was getting stronger and stronger as he approached the brush, and he began to scan the nearby terrain for any traces of another being. Simba searched for several seconds, probing through the thick, brambly branches for anything that would pinpoint the scent. Nothing.
The lion sighed, almost giving in then and there, but just as he was about to exit the uncomfortable underbrush, something flickered out of the corner of his eye.
He turned around just in time to see a long tail darting through the bushes. His first instinct, as a cat, was to chase after it and attempt to capture it with his paws. Yet the object he was chasing was too fast. Soon it had retreated deeper into the shrubbery… What should he do?
His eyes dilated as the darkness advanced all around him, and he prepared himself for the trek through the thick entanglement of greenery. At first his chase was somewhat halfhearted, as the object slowly dragged its way through a tunnel in the bushes, darting this way and that to keep his interest. Clearly, the tail led to something, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, as it kept fading in and out of the shadows… In any case, he didn't think about it, even as he began to chase it faster and faster…
All the time the scent was still there, a musky, thick odor which practically blinded all of his other senses. It was having a strange effect on him… He craved it, strangely enough, and the addiction was what was pulling his large body through the bushes. It practically consumed his mind, the instinct to chase burning brightly in his eyes. Finally, the scrub ended, and the tail stopped moving…
He jumped out of the brush, prepared to tackle whatever it was and be victorious. But just as he was about to grab it with his paw, he noticed it brush against him… Against his flank, against his face, just… against him. It stirred up something strange, and he was again surprised when he found a lioness standing by his side… always out of his line of sight, concealed by the thick masks of shadows. He couldn't identify her… The darkness was too complete.
"Hello, have we met?"
The voice was light and surreal, almost like something from a dream. It was scarcely more than a whisper, but still barely loud enough for him to make out the words…
There was another pause, and he stammered in nervousness. What was he doing here? He was in a shrub in the middle of the savanna. But the lioness still circled him, tail brushing against him, almost as if she was trying to encourage him.
"Don't think. Just do what feels… right," she purred seductively as she came to a stop behind him. A moment later he jumped in shock as she batted his tail out of the way. No, no, Nala and Kiara were at home… he had to get back.
He tried to get out of the bush, but a moment later he could feel her tug at him. It was a soft, gentle touch, but it still drew him backwards, back into the bush, back into the darkness…
"Come on. Don't think. They'll never know…" she whispered, somehow knowing what he was thinking about. It was strange, it was almost like this lioness knew him in a strange way… yet he still couldn't recognize her.
"Come here, love… just have fun…" she swatted at his tail again, and this time he didn't resist. She drew her way up close to him and began to pace around and around… Until she accidently bumped into him… or, at least, it seemed to him like an accident. But he still didn't resist. Even as she crept closer and began to nuzzle his mane, he didn't oppose her will. In fact, it became his will, his desire… and in a few moments he was nuzzling this lioness back. She licked him on the cheek, and finally lied across the ground on her back…
"Be my king, Simba. Be my king…"
"WAIT, WHAT? WHY? WHY? AUGHHH!"
Vitani's face was one of pure shock and horror, and she quickly hid her face in her paws, embarrassed, before rolling across the ground. Kovu, who was still sitting on the ground near them but didn't understand what they had been saying, laughed his little cub laugh as she continued burying her face in her fur. Her countenance would have been considered amusing if it weren't for the gravity of the situation.
After several moments, the lioness finally calmed down enough to peek out from in between her paws.
"Why didn't you kill him like you planned? That was the whole point! He was right! There!" The lioness cub motioned wildly to a nearby patch of grass, almost as if Simba really had been there.
"I'm sorry, Vitani, but it got out of hand. For one thing, he was a little… rough… I think I got knocked unconscious. Or perhaps I wasn't in my proper senses; I don't know… All I remember was waking up the next morning alone in the bush. He must have realized who I was and left before I could kill him."
"I can't believe it, Mother… can't believe it."
Zira patted her head solemnly, her expression still regretful. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you, but… you pressed me."
Kovu giggled at something again, though it completely contrasted with the actual mood that hung in the air. Especially for Vitani, whose face was still plastered into a look of utter disbelief. It took the lioness cub several seconds before she realized her mouth was hung open and she was glaring awkwardly into space.
"Well, I'm going to take Kovu home. We continue training tomorrow. Be up early… my little spy," Zira stalked off, clearly in one of her better humors despite what had just happened. She smirked at Vitani as she walked by—with Kovu in tow—and the lioness only sat there, still horrified that she was the daughter of both her leader and her greatest enemy…
"A-Alright Mother," she muttered quietly, clearly not herself as she curled up on the ground and looked away from the pair while they disappeared into the distance. The wind began to blow, and there was a pause that hung about in the air after Zira and Kovu left her alone.
"Well, now I know why they say 'curiosity killed the cat'," she snorted to herself, watching as the sun set and everything fell under shadow…
Well, admittedly, THAT was a little weird... mmkay... but anyways...
My usual spiel: review, reread, remember, remove... whatever the heck you want to do here. "R&R, leave a thought-don't care if it's flame or not".
Now... got to go work on Trampled. See ya later.
-Twin out (;