Chapter 1

"Aunty Vitani, Aunty Vitani don't go so fast, come back!" Kosa panted out as he chased his aunt across the base of Pride Rock playing tag with her. Vitani took a quick look back at the small cub as he slowed down to a brisk walk trying his hardest to keep up with her the very sight caused a hearty laugh to burst out of her mouth. "Come on Vitani this isn't fair!"

"Hey, how do you suppose you will ever be a hunter if you can't even keep up with your prey?" Vitani teased with a triumphant smile across her face as she succeed in tiring out the troublesome cub before he had a chance to with the normal trade mark antics of small cubs.

"But, but Vitani this isn't a hunt it's a game of tag," Kosa whined as he collapsed onto the soft long grass around Pride Rock.

"If you want to play why didn't you go to Timon and Pumba?" Vitani asked as she walked towards the young cub and collapsed beside him. The young cub bunched up into a ball when he heard the names of his favorite playmates with clear anger.

This caused Vitani to sigh with a sad smile at the cub, knowing well what that gesture meant, Timon and Pumba must have went off yet another grand adventure without the curious cub. "You know they couldn't have taken you even they wanted to."

"I know the rules I just wish I had someone to play with Dad never has time, Giza is always with dad learning how to be king or with Cheza, and grandpa and grandma always tell boring stories."

"There's always Zazu," Vitani offered expecting the young cub to laugh at the very suggestion as she nudged the cub up onto his feet, but he didn't he was to far gone in what Vitani was guessing were sad thoughts. "What's the matter Kosa, I mean Timon and Pumba will be back soon so don't worry-"

"Vitani, why does Dad always play with Giza but not me?" Kosa asked in a whisper as he looked up at his Aunt with watter blue eyes that always made Vitani turn away from. She wasn't used to such facial expressions growing up in the Outlands and wasn't sure what to do in such a situation to prevent him from crying.

"Kosa, your father has a lot to do since your mother went up to be with the lions of the past-"

"Yeah I know that's what Zazu always says," Kosa said as he looked away from his aunt and started heading the direction of Pride Rock, where he was assured an entertaining view of watching other cubs play with each other near the watering hole. As Vitani watched the poor cub walking away in dejection she couldn't but feel sorry for him for the reason this wasn't the life Kiara wanted for the young cub, and she out of all the other lioness knew that all too well especially when Kiara would talk about the baby growing inside her to the other lioness that were tending to her at the time. During that time Vitani had grown very fond of her despite the fact she knew that Kiara was going to die. But it was oppotimsium and cheerful attitude that drew them into a friendship strong enough for Kiara to trust her with the duty of ensuring that her cub, who she was so sure was going to be a powerful warrior and the key to the Pride's future, always remained safe and happy without his mother. The keeping the cub safe part was easy for her; however, keeping the young trouble making the prince happy was more difficult than her late friend made it out to be.

"I won't fail you old friend," Vitani whispered under her breath as she bound off to Pride Rock to try to complete the promise that she had made to Kosa's mother, by fixing the only obstacle in the way between the cub's happiness and that was his broken relationship with his father, Kovu.

It wasn't long before the mighty lioness had bounded up towards the entrance to Pride Rock where she found both Simba and Nala peacefully sleeping in a corner of the cave. The very sight always amazed Vitani how time could take a toll on one's vitality, especially with lions that were mighty as the ones sleeping in front her. She soon put those thoughts out of her mind as she focused her gaze on a flying bird with blue feathers zoom into the cave and quickly maneuvered himself into a sub-passage where she knew her brother often went when he wanted a quiet place to think. Vitani followed the bird into a smaller clearing within the cave where she found her brother pacing around the small room.

"Careful sir you may ware a hole in the floor with all you pacing," Zazu teased only to be met with a glare and not a smile at the very least at his joke.

"What is it Zazu?" Kovu asked with exasperation and annoyance knowing clearly what Zazu's propose was in coming there. But like the other kings before him he humored him by sitting down and pretending he was interested in Zazu's morning reports.

"Well as you probably know I have come to give the morning report. Here it goes, 'Chimps are going ape, giraffe stay above it all, elephants remember just what it is I can't recall, crocodiles are snapping fresh gophers from the bank, showing interest in my nest I say no thanks, we haven't paid the hornbills, vultures have a hunch, not everyone invited will be coming back from lunch. This is the morning report! It's to the long and the short. Every grunt roar and snort; it's not a tale I distort on the mooorr…"

"I get it Zazu, geez, do we really need this morning report how about you only come and report to me when you see something that's worth my time like a fire or the hyenas coming back?"

"But, but sir this has always been tradition-"

"I have spoken Zazu, now leave me I have to figure out a plan for a new Pride that has moved closer to us so that we won't have to compete for food."

"Well I have a pressing morning report for you brother," Vitani broke in as she stepped into the clearing behind where Zazu stood still shocked at the very notion that Kovu wanted to break a hundred years of his ancestors giving the king the morning report.

"Now that throughly distracted I'll hear what you have to say."

"Thank you, not that I was looking for your permission little brother, anyway why don't you take a break from all this and go play with your youngest son you know the one you named Kosa, is he ringing any bells?" Vitani teased as she walked past Zazu to confront her brother face to face.

"Can't you see that I'm busy I'll see to him tomorrow-"

"That excuse isn't going to fly anymore Kovu. You always say that and then you change your mind at the last-minute and end up leading a hunting party or taking Giza out to learn how to be king. Plus by ignoring your son it makes it okay for everyone to treat him like bad luck. The other cubs won't even play with him."

"Vitani you should understand that I'm very busy trying to make sure that everyone's happy and safe within the Pridelands," Kovu replied with anger growing in his voice as he knew that when Vitani got like this it was going to take a long time for her to see the situation from his prespective.

"And you don't think that I'm not busy as well, right now I'm suppose to be leading a hunt for food, but I got Kula to switch with me, you know why because I saw that your son was lonely."

"You think that I can just as easily switch duties?!"

"No I do not but I know that both Simba and Mufusa were able to find time to play with their cubs during their reign, so Kovu tell me the real reason after five years you haven't once looked at your son."

"Both Simba and Mufus had their lioness to support them, but I don't have the fortune that they both had," Kovu roared out. The pain and suffering that Vitani saw in Kovu's eyes made her want to back off and continue to turn a blind eye in hopes that one day some sense was knocked into him. She would have done just that if she hadn't made that promise to Kiara.

"You have me to support you Simba and Nala as well, but you chose to do everything yourself. So I'm going to ask you one more time why do you have time to bond with Giza, but not Kosa?"

"Fine you really want to know why? I'll tell you, I thought I could handle it but I can't stand the very sight of him, he remains me too much of her...you wouldn't understand. Heck I don't even know why you even care so much about whether my son is happy or not."

"Why do I care?! I made a promise to Kiara that I would make sure both his safety and happiness that's why I care and standing infront of you to tell you to get over yourself it's not Kosa's fault that he looks like Kiara. This is not what she would've wanted for Kosa to group both mother and fatherless!"

"Don't say her name in front of me!" Kovu growled out as he lifted his paw to attack her out of rage for bring up his late wife. But before he could lay a paw on her Simba stepped into the small clearing producing a mighty roar upon entrance that made both Kovu and Vitani jump a little bit in fright before turning their attention towards the former King of the Pridelands.

"That's enough both of you, if you can't settle this argument I will. Vitani leave the parenting choices to Kovu, and Kovu you have to spend more time with Kosa, starting tomorrow do I make myself clear," Simba commanded the two young adult lions. Both them grudgingly agreed to Simba's terms. As Vitani left the passage way with Simba and Zazu to leave Kovu to his work she thanked Simba, who merely winked at her with a smile before walking over to Nala to continue their afternoon nap together. Vitani could hardly wait to tell the young cub the good news.