Rafiki waited outside the cave for Nala, Kiara, and Vitani to join him before he spoke in a hushed tone. "Nala, Kiara, where did dose cubs come from? Where did dey come from?" He listened and waited as Nala and Kiara told him the story of how they had found the cubs. Once they were done, Rafiki grew thoughtful and stared up at the clear blue sky. Finally, he looked back at the three lionesses and nodded. "Dey are very special cubs, each having a couple of unique markings on their pelt. Kiara, Nala, one day, dey are going to help save the pride and the Pridelands. I don't know how, but dey will. Dey has been gifted by de Kings of the Past wid being able to see de future in visions or dreams. Dey are very special and gifted, dey are."
Rafiki nodded his head, grinning as he looked up at the sky for a moment before looking back at the three stunned lionesses. "De Kings of the Past have big plans for dose two, dough I don't yet know what dose plans are. Dat is all I can tell you and I need to go back to my tree to consult wid de Kings of the Past again bout dis." The three lionesses bide him farewell and, once he was gone, turned and looked at eachother, mulling over his words. Finally, Nala spoke. "Vitani, Kiara and I were wondering if you would like to raise these two little ones up and act as a mother to them?"
Vitani looked stunned for a minute before she found her voice and nodded. "It would be a pleasure to raise the little ones up. I have always wanted to be a mother, but I've never found 'the one' who I wanted to be my mate and have cubs with." She closed her mouth before she said except one, Kopa. Her eyes filled with tears whenever she thought of him and this time was no different, though she quickly made them go away before Nala or Kiara could see them and ask about them. But she didn't need to fear when she saw that Nala's and Kiara's attention were on the two lions coming up the huge rocks 'steps'.
Nala and Kiara walked over to meet them, playfully butting heads with their mates and rubbing against them, purring. Simba and Kovu each licked their mate's cheek before all four turned their attention to Vitani, who was awkwardly standing there. The two lionesses quickly told Simba and Kovu everything that had gone on and as soon as they were done, Kovu and Simba looked at Vitani and nodded to her. "Congratulations, Tani. I'm glad that you have gotten those cubs that you've always wanted." Vitani's ears burned when Kovu said that, telling the King and Queen that she's always wanted cubs, but she forced a smile and nodded. "I also am glad that I now have cubs and that I'm now a mother."
Kovu bumped heads with Vitani, trying to silently say he was sorry. "I'm sorry, Tani. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Vitani smiled and bumped her head against Kovu's shoulder. "Your forgiven. And, I better get I inside to see my cubs." Her blue eyes sparkled in excitement as she dipped her head to Nala and Simba, then to her brother and Kiara, before heading inside the cave. She immediately went to where the two cubs lay with Sarabi, sleeping and curled up against the former queen's side. Vitani smiled down at her two new daughters and then dipped her head to Sarabi before gently lifting each one of her daughters and carrying them, one by one, to a far corner.
There, she lay down and situated them against her side and watched as they began to eat from her milk. She smiled down again at her daughters and watched as they drifted back off to sleep. She laid her head down between her forelegs and closed her eyes, thinking about her two new daughters. She knew that they would be a huge pawful, but she had already fallen in love with these two tiny innocent cubs who had lost their first mother in such a vicious way. And, she knew that she would protect her two daughters with her life. With that thought, she fell into a dreamless slumber, waking up again only when the two cubs needed to nurse.
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2 months later
Two cubs silently walked towards their sleeping mother, blue and green eyes on their target. They crouched down, waving their bottoms up in the air and was about to pounce when they were knocked over by two other cubs. Which quickly turned into a skirmish before the twins had pinned down the other two cubs, glaring at the other cubs before one of them spoke. "Tiershi, Jahara, what are you two doing here? Why did you just stop us? We were just having fun!" One of the twins hissed, her green eyes a livid mass of fire. The golden colored cub beneath her gulped before returning the other cub's glare with his own. "Meershia, you and Neeria were about to pounce on Aunt Tani and wake her up!" He exclaimed, which was soon followed by several sleeping lionesses around them open their eyes and glare at the four cubs.
All four cubs gulped and bolted for the cave entrance, not wanting to be caught by their parents. Once outside on Priderock, the twins whipped around to face the two males, glaring at them and letting their eyes speak of their anger than words. The two males cubs, Tiershi and Jahara, gulped again and looked at eachother before looking down and muttering, "Sorry." Smiles of victory appeared on the twins' face, smirking at the males. They sat down, facing the edge of Priderock, to watch the sun rise and illuminate all of the Pridelands.
One of the cubs was the same shade as Vitani, a tannish cream, except a slight shade darker, with blue eyes. Her form was still in it's cub stage, but she had the promise of turning out to be a beautiful lioness one day. The other cub was a chocolate color, almost the same exact shade as Kovu except lighter, a cream colored muzzle and underbelly, and green eyes. She, too, had the promise to turn out to be a beautiful lioness. The four cubs sat in silence as they watched the sun rise, not realizing that the king and Queen had come out of the cave and was sitting a few yards behind them.
Kovu cleared his throat, making the four cubs jump and whirl around to face the two matriarchs. The twins dipped their heads, in unison, to the King and Queen, who sat at his side, before looking behind them to see Vitani step out of the cave and scan the edge around them. The twins gulped and stood up to make their way towards their mother, heads bowed a little as she saw them and stood waiting for them. They sat down in front of her and looked up at her with hopeful expressions on their faces.
Vitani sighed and shook her head, though a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she studied them, then nodded. "Okay, you two, today, I will show you the Pridelands." The two cubs jumped to their feet and yelled. "Yay!", then quieted once again when they heard Vitani clear her throat. "The other cubs, which are old enough, will also be coming along, and so will Queen Kiara, Jiershia, Liania, and Kateara. You two must behave and stay with the group or we will all have to go back to Priderock early."
Meershia and Neeria both nodded their heads, then watched as four other cubs around their own age raced out of the cave and skidded to a halt in front of Vitani. Good morning, Miss Tani." All of the cubs chorused as three other lionesses joined the cubs. They quickly assembled the eight cubs, with Kiara and Vitani in the front of the cubs, Jiershia and Liania on either side, and Kateara bringing up the rear. The Queen and Vitani slowly led the cubs down the 'stairs' and into the grasslands, explaining about the Circle of Life and pointing to each animal that they passed, explaining what it was and gave facts on it. An hour later, they led the exhausted cubs back to Priderock and promised to take them to the watering hole the following day. Mothers awaited the cubs in front of the cave and led them inside to put them down for naps. Meershia and Neeria did last to go inside, clearly not wanting to go inside. Finally, Vitani herded them inside to their normal sleeping places and put them down for a nap before going out with the huntresses to bring back a meal.