So the other weekend I was hanging out with my little cousin and we watched the Lion King 2 which brought to mind all the Lion King fanfics I used to read a few years back and gave me the inspiration to write this story. It's my first Lion King fanfic, but I would love some constructive criticism as always. I hope you enjoy the story:)!

"Vitani!"

I wince as I heard mothers cruel, demanding voice calling me from my dreams. But today I didn't mind, I was having a nightmare anyways...about him. I sighed, stretched, and got up walking outside of our cave.

"Yes mother?" I ask obediently.

"Vitani, go with some of the other lioness into the pride lands to hunt for some food." She told me, looking me over harshly.

"But mother, are you sure I'm ready?" I asked, concerned. "It is a rather dangerous thing to do after all and I'm not entirely sure I can-"

"-You are ready, I have trained you and your siblings well, and I know you're an expectational huntress. Do you dare not agree with your mothers judgment?" Mother challenge, a few notes of anger in her voice. I winced.

"No mother, of course not. I'll go immediately."

"So you will." She replied smugly. "And I expect a lot from you. Tonight, for the first time in years we shall feast!" She roared.

I hurried off to find our best hunters. The other lionesses, some sleeping some whispering all watched my every movement, completely alert in case the child of Zira ordered them to do anything. I ignored most of them. I was still lost in my own thoughts. I knew, of course how mother got such outrageous ideas about me being a good hunter. I had been one of the only lioness to find a stray zebra in the outlands, but that was mere luck and stupidity on the zebras behalf. Now I was sacked in doing this incredibly risky task. The pride landers would be out on there hunt as well and if we dare cross paths...

I tried hard to erase any thoughts of failure from my mind as I found the three lioness I was looking for, some of the best hunters any pride of lions ever knew. Mango, Bentrice and Olapa. Mango was an older lion, she'd had only a few cubs, all of which died in an unknown incident, and she's always bitter. Her dark brown coat was matted and unkept, and while I didn't care for Mango, I couldn't denied she was an excellent hunter. Bentrice and Olapa were good friends of mine, we'd often played as children, and both were equally exceptional hunters. I explained the task and they all full heatedly agreed to come. One because my orders were from Zira, and whatever mother says goes, and two because nothing much happens here in this gloomy land, and going to the outskirts of the pride lands is like a breath of fresh air, and your really only suppose to go there when ordered.

We took off at a steady pace, Bentrice, Olapa and I saying little in the presence of Mango. I know they were wondering why I bothered bringing her, but I was far to determined to not displease mother so I took little notice or care. We continued on like this, even as we walked into the bright, sun filled, pride lands, acting as if nothing had changed. At around midday, we'd stayed close to the border, following it in case there was any trouble and we came upon something I'd only heard of and imagined, from a friend long ago. We had reached a jungle. I couldn't believe my luck, I stopped.

"It's your call Vitani, just tell us what you want to do." Olapa said to me, skidding to a stop, her tan and grayish coat glowing in the sun. The others did the same.

"We'll split into groups and meet back here at sunset." I decided, my mouth watering. That was not the most intelligent thing to do, as everyone knows you stick together as a pack, but we'd hit paradise, and would be able to invade in much better if we all went are own separate paths. Mango looked ready to say something, but instead kept quiet and followed my orders, taking off throws the jungle. The others took two other directions. I knew Bentrice and Olapa were just excited to be free and in a place with plentiful food. I felt the same, glad to be escaping the ever watchful eye of my mother.

I found myself running through the jungle, a grin on my face, overwhelmed by a feeling I hadn't felt in a long, long time. I sprinted around, enjoying my own leisure, stopping only to capture and eat small animals, something very forbidden, but this was my hunt. When I felt full, a feeling I had been a stranger to for as long as I could remember. The only other time I had felt this full, safe and at home, was so long ago I could hardly remember it.

I was drinking from a gorgeous waterfall when I first heard it. At first it was so faint, I doubted I had heard anything at all. But it got a bit louder, and continued, small little meows and yelps, as if something small, like a mouse or so, was around. Ready to pounce, I turned away from the water and started slowly throws the bushes near the falls from which the sound seemed to be coming from. The sounds got louder as if whatever it was sensed another creature. I launched forward into the bushes and instead of finding a squealing mouse, I found a yelping infant cub. A lion cub! All alone in the jungle! I could hardly believe it!

I stood staring down at the poor thing, wondering what to do. It was tiny, tinier than I remembered any cubs, even Kouv being. It had very light almost a off white colored coat, with a darker second coat and light spots. It's tiny eyes were brown, and I couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor thing, abandoned and left here all alone. It seemed to be begging me for help, but I knew better. No matter how gruesome the task might have been, I had to put it out of it's misery and kill it. I couldn't bring it home, mother would never allow it.

I picked it up gently, walking throws the pool of water the falls had emptied into. It only purred softly an act which almost brought tears to my eyes. I held it over the water, prepared to drop the poor thing, but I just couldn't do it, I couldn't let go of the cub. No matter what I tried, I just couldn't. Sighing I put it back down safely and lightly. It walked in steadily throws my paw, nuzzling it and purring. I realized I couldn't just leave it here, it must mistake me for its mother.

Knowing I was stuck with it now, I decided, hesitantly to bring it with me back home. I'd let mother decided what should be done about it, I'd let her be the one to kill it if she wanted, and I'd make sure that was far away from me. I picked the cub up again, before remembering that I couldn't hunt while with it, it's happy squeaks and purrs would be a dead give away, so I instead walked back outside of the jungle to wait for sunset and the others return, hoping they'd had better luck than me. Bored, I messed around with the cub a bit, played with it some, studied it some. I soon found out it was a little lioness, and while I wished to call her Kopa, a name so warming and beautiful to my heart, I decided with Sitarai, since the former saddened me when I thought of it.

I knew that once you name something you start to get attached to it, but I figured it needed a name. It certainly was cute and playful, and I found myself loving the young thing. And I found myself secretly hoping, begging, that mother would spare this one. This cub.

Olapa and Bentrice were the first to return, a animal I couldn't quiet recognize in the mouths. They dropped it in front of me and stared at the now sleeping cub.

"What is that?" Bentrice demanded glaring at me then to the cub, then back again to me.

"What does it look like." I shot back.

"Well then I guess the real question is what's it doing here." Pressed on Bentrice.

"Yah, were not going to eat it are we, cause I'm not resorting to that yet!" Olapa wondered concerned.

"Yah were going to eat it Olapa." I said sarcastic, rolling my eyes. "I found it."

"So why didn't you leave it?"

I looked at Bentrice, she was even harsher than I thought she'd be.

"Because I couldn't, look it'd have died if I left it there, I couldn't find it's parents or anything." I explained.

"So?" Bentrice didn't look impressed.

"So I'm not going to just let a cub die out here." I hollered, getting angry.

"Why not? I would." Olapa cut in.

"Well I guess that's why I found it, I'm the only one who still has a heart." I shot back.

After that it was quiet. Mango returned, with a small bird like creature, and asked no questions as I explained the cub, only grunted, not taking the animal from her mouth. We headed back, feeling successful in our earnings, and knowing we could come back here again. I carried Sitarai, thinking the whole time about what mother would say, and what to tell her. Eventually I stopped. Mother would do what mother wanted to do, it wouldn't matter what anyone else said. I couldn't change this cubs fate in the slightest, it would be submitted to whatever my mother deemed necessary.

We reached the outlands at dusk, and mother looked pleased at are return, but also displeased at the wait. But as we got closer I watched her eyes narrow and focus on me, she was wondering what I had in my mouth. By her displeased expression I could tell she'd figured it out. After congratulating and dismissing the others, she talked to me privately.

"Vitani! What have you done!?" She shouted at me, furious.

I winced expecting her to hit me as she'd done when I'd disappointed her as a child.

"I-I found a cub when we were out hunting-it-it was all alone and I couldn't-"

"And-and you didn't have the nerve to kill it!" Mother interrupted, mocking me in the beginning.

"You were weak! Too weak to kill even a little, useless, harmless cub!"

I simply glared at her with cold eyes. "Mother you don't understand do you? That's the reason why I couldn't kill it! It was too easy, too innocent! Kill it if you want but I'm not and I won't." I knew from experience this meant nothing to my mother, she'd killed a cub before, right before my eyes, but I figured it was worth a shot. Mother seemed to think it over a minute and a sly smile fell upon her face.

"Well Vitani, since you found it, and since you failed to kill it and brought it back here, it's yours and you'll take care of it."

"What!" I exclaimed, horrified. I certainly didn't want to look after a cub all the time. I was too young.

"What did you expect darling, you could always do away with it, but since you say you can't, you'll be it's mother, and you'll prove to me that your responsible enough to rule a kingdom someday, if ever the task falls upon you."

I could hardly believe what she was saying. I didn't know how to be a mother, or how to raise a child, and now I'd have better learned. To protest would be useless so instead I replied, "Yes mother." and carried Sitari, who was still sleeping to our den.

I gazed down at her, sleeping peacefully between my paws, both angry and happy with her at the same time. Hot tears ran from my eyes at the freedom I'd lost because of her, but warm tears fell also, for the beautiful being that was now mine. As she snuzzled closer to me in her sleep I smiled a bit and I thought to myself that maybe taking care of Sitarai, wasn't going to be so bad after all.

So how'd you all like it. It took a while to write, but that's it so far, I have lots of other ideas in my mind, but if I decided that this is stupid I might stop. I'm happy with the story so far though and would love to read your comments so please comment. Oh and thank you so much for reading.