Thanks to TweakerWolf for editing this story!
Warning: references to canon character deaths.
Vitani was walking back from the waterhole, deep in thought. It was one of these mornings when she didn't want to be around the pride, no matter if these were Pridelanders or her former pridesisters. Weeks had passed since the prides had been united, but pictures from her life in the Outlands were still before her eyes. Her mother shouting commands, lionesses tugging things from each other, Nuka scratching his dirty mane and swearing at the termites under his breath…
She didn't miss the hunger, or the aching muscles from constant training, or the termite mounds. She mourned the strong leader she saw in her mother, always working to get her pride through the hardships, her voice powerful with determination rather than fanatism. She mourned her brothers that she had lost.
Nuka had known nothing but suffering throughout his life, and he perished in the war, perished because he wanted to know what it was like to be loved and appreciated. Kovu didn't die, but he was no longer the lion Vitani knew… Or only thought she knew, but never truly did.
Everyone praised Kovu for realizing 'what was right', standing up to Zira, protecting the royal family… Vitani had also gotten her share of praise from the Pridelanders for 'realizing where the truth lie', but it only made her sick. She had never switched sides; unlike Kovu, she was always on the side of her pride, of her family. She decided to join the Pridelands because that was the best for them, and they could do it without further fighting.
The Pridelanders were eager to give Kovu and Vitani their compassion, but no one ever mentioned Nuka since his funeral. Vitani wasn't even sure if Kiara knew about his existence; it didn't look like Kovu had told her anything. And it didn't look like he was the slightest bit upset. Vitani hadn't talked to anyone about Nuka yet, but she could sense what she would hear. That he was selfish, cowardly and overall despicable. Both Pridelanders and former Outsiders were likely to say these things.
And why? Because he was on the 'wrong' side? That seemed so unfair… Even though Nuka had always told her the same exact thing, that life wasn't fair, something he had learned since he was a cub – and she had always dismissed these words as another part of his annoying complaining. 'Shut up, useless loser of an older brother, I'm trying to get things done to fix what was done to us'… If only she would have listened, she could have probably helped him, he wouldn't have felt so… so…
She stopped. There were two singing voices coming from under the shadow of a tall tree.
Vitani had heard that song so many times that she thought she would throw up if she heard that tune once again. Kovu and Kiara sang it every day since the prides became united. They called it 'their song', and greatly enjoyed subjecting the unsuspecting inhabitants of the lands to this kind of performance. Despite her aversion, she came closer, and was finally able to hear the lyrics for the first time.
I was so afraid, now I realize
Love is never wrong, and so it never dies.
Vitani tensed up. Her whole body was filled with indignation. How dare he, out of anyone, say those words?
Furious, she stomped towards them, making as much noise as she could to make them stop their singing. They seemingly didn't notice her, until Kiara turned her head in her direction and touched Kovu's shoulder. A long awaited silence finally arrived, but Vitani no longer cared about the comfort of her ears. Kovu was going to answer for everything he'd done.
"Excuse me, Kiara. Can I borrow Kovu for a moment?" asked Vitani, still not close enough to them for it to sound polite.
"Uh, sure!" the Princess agreed, and Kovu got up with a confused expression.
Without a word, Vitani turned around and started walking away from Kiara, Kovu following her. Vitani was sure he felt her rage, so there was no point in making her expression look indifferent when she finally faced him.
"That's a neat idea you have – love is never wrong," she said through clenched teeth.
Kovu raised his eyebrows, clearly not understanding anything. "Is… Is there a problem, Vitani?" he asked.
"Problem? There isn't a problem. Of course, you're in the right," Vitani sneered. "There's nothing wrong in abandoning your family because you fell in love with a beautiful princess, after all."
Kovu looked stricken. "Vitani, I–" he mumbled in a hoarse voice, but she continued.
"You must think you're morally superior because things turned out great for you! But you're not any better than someone who thought that helping their starving pride – and mother, no matter how horrible she was – was the main priority. But oh, you're the good guy now, aren't you? Despite how much Mother had given you–"
Kovu shook his head and looked down. "Mother was… I don't want to talk bad about her, as she's not with us. But she used us. I will never forgive her for what she did to the three of us."
"We were all counting on you," said Vitani bitterly, although she felt the same about their mother now. "And you turned your back on us at the most important moment. If not for Kiara and a few lucky coincidences, we would still be in the Outlands… Or, more likely, a lot of us would have died during the battle, all because you didn't do the one thing you should have done for us."
"Just like you didn't want anyone from your pride to get hurt, I didn't want Kiara or her father to get hurt," said Kovu firmly.
"Oh, so they're just my pride now?" Vitani looked him in the eye, not even trying to hide her contempt.
"If you've loved someone, you would have done the same."
Vitani stretched out her claws, grabbing some of the ground. Did he really think she didn't love anyone? "You keep talking about love, but throughout all this, you haven't even mentioned Nuka. You didn't love him, am I right? You don't care that he died," she said quietly.
A fold appeared between Kovu's eyebrows, and he turned away.
"I see. You don't even want to talk about him."
"That's true. I don't want to talk about him. It's enough that I see nightmares about him every night. It's enough that I wake up every day with the thought that it was my fault," Kovu absently touched the healing scar over his left eye. "And I don't want Kiara to think that she was an indirect cause of someone's death – especially my brother's. I was afraid my love for her was the reason… But even if it's so, you can't make yourself stop loving someone, and you shouldn't."
"Oh, so it was his own fault, then? Even though he did it for our mother? To be loved and show how much he loved her – that was all he wanted his entire life! He tried to kill Simba and died – this is the love that's never wrong, isn't it?"
And only then did Kovu really look hurt. "I would never, ever blame Nuka for his death because he wanted some love in his life," he said in a vibrating voice. "He couldn't help it. This is what I learned. You can't help loving someone. And because of that, your love for them cannot be wrong."
For a moment, Vitani and Kovu stared at each other. And then, Vitani finally started to realize. Kovu wasn't trying to justify his betrayal by this statement; he was trying to say that no one should feel guilt for feeling love.
She glanced over her shoulder at Kiara for a moment. The Princess was patiently waiting for them under the tree.
"Okay, go back to your girlfriend," Vitani said with a sigh.
But Kovu was now silent, looking at the sky.
"Sometimes, at night, I look up there and wonder… Kiara says it's where the Great Kings of the Past are, but there must be a place for other lions as well," he whispered.
Vitani also lifted her head. Was Nuka looking down at them now? Had he heard their conversation?
"You know, I think he feels we love him from where he is now… Even if he had never felt it before," said Kovu softly.
"I'm sure he does." Vitani closed her eyes. For the first time during her life in the Pridelands, her anger at Kovu faded – as well as her anger at herself.
After all, you can't help loving someone; and even if things that you regret happened because of it, the love itself isn't something to be ashamed of.