: Chapter 7:
A simple prayer
Vitani and Kurongu walked to the pride lands until they arrived at a field.
"Great view of the night" Kurongu said.
"I watched it once the stars sparkling so brightly I remember the view" Vitani said remembering that beautiful night his arms wrapped around her, her paws caressing his chest his smile, she felt a tear in her eye.
Kurongu noticed the emotional change in Vitani's voice, "I see I've heard the stories I know" Kurongu told her.
"You can say his name I would never want it forgotten" Vitani told him.
"Kopa the light of the pride lands, I heard much about him but I never met him" Kurongu stated.
"I pity you he was, he was truly, words don't do him justice" Vitani replied smiling at the memory of her lover.
"He sounds like the kind of a soul this world could learn from" Kurongu said.
"We did, so much" Vitani said softly.
"I think of him everyday I come here because I believe he's here waiting, waiting to see me for but a moment" Vitani said almost romantically.
Kurongu listened to his daughters words most would find them absurd but not him, "go on my daughter" he said.
"This is going to sound crazy but one time he actually appeared and we kissed, I felt it" Vitani said happily.
"Not at all I too have kissed an angel was it perfection Vitani a pureness a light you could only describe as heavenly?" Kurongu asked.
"Yes, I thought for a moment I had entered the stars my soul had never felt so" Vitani struggled to find the proper word.
"Pure" Kurongu answered
"innocent" Vitani stated.
Kurongu heard Vitani's statement surely this lion cub had effected his daughter in a way he'd never imagine.
"I thank him for being there for you for loving you when I couldn't I'm sorry" Kurongu said regretfully.
"I've made mistakes too one I don't think I could ever make right" Vitani said.
"You'd be surprised, what is it?" Kurongu asked.
"The hyenas are dead because of me I asked my mom to wipe them out" Vitani said sorrowfully.
Kurongu wasn't too surprised to hear this he was well aware that Vitani had a violent upbringing, "That is a serious crime, an almost unforgivable one" Kurongu told her.
"almost" he finished.
"What do you mean?" Vitani asked.
"You regret it don't you that's always the first step and one of the most important" Kurongu stated.
"It won't bring Shauku and Uhuru's family back" Vitani said in pain.
"No we have to live with what we've done but we don't have to live with it alone, I'm here for you so is your family and Shauku" Kurongu stated.
"I can't tell her she can't even know my real name" Vitani said.
"All I do is lie to her" Vitani said in regret
"You want to help her and you can" Kurongu stated
"Do I tell her the truth" Vitani asked
"That's your choice" Kurongu said
"I can't make that choice I need to know what do I do?" Vitani questioned
"Why would I know?" Kurongu asked
"You know him what would he have me do" Vitani asked
"You can't just ask him to solve a problem for you it doesn't work that way" Kurongu said firmly.
"I need help my family they don't understand I need to make this right" Vitani said desperately.
"you can't" Kurongu said sadly
"Than how do I deal with this the knowledge that all of Shauku and Uhuru's pain is on my head" Vitani pleaded
"I'll pray for them as well as you" Kurongu told her.
Vitani thought about her situation she didn't think a simple prayer would help the kings certainly didn't answer them and it didn't seem like the Mungu did either.
"What will that do father, what good will a prayer do" Vitani demanded.
Kurongu was not angered by her comment he wondered that himself once.
"Many things can have great impact few more than a simple prayer, how can he help you if you don't ask?" Kurongu asked her.
"will he answer me will he help me" Vitani asked desperately
"yes but not always in the way you would expect he doesn't give us what we want but rather what we need" Kurongu told her.
"what does that mean?" Vitani replied.
"Vitani what we want and what we need are rarely the same, but what we need is always of greater importance" Kurongu stated.
"What do I need" Vitani asked in near whisper.
"We rarely know only he does he knows us better than anyone including ourselves that's why we must trust him" Kurongu said while placing a paw on his daughters shoulder.
Vitani listened to his words there was something hopeful in them the idea that even if you lost everything you were never alone it was something Kopa would say something to believe in, something to dream for hope for.
"Can I say a prayer, right now" Vitani asked.
"It's never too late for one" Kurongu said.
He then turned away, "where are you going?" Vitani asked.
"This is meant only for you and him it's not my place to hear it?" Kurongu said before leaving her to what ever company she allowed.
Vitani sat down crouching down on her knees she stared up at the stars, "I want to you to know that I will never stop believing what you taught me Kopa" Vitani said smiling warmly at the mention of his name a tear rolling down her cheek.
"But I can't deal with this I need something more something to believe in, something to hope for will you forgive me for turning away from your ways" Vitani told him.
She felt the wind against her gently and she could almost hear his voice, "always" she heard him for a moment as always his love unconditional.
Vitani closed her eyes she felt the world around her, "I don't know if you if can hear me or if you're even there, I'm sorry it's just difficult to believe all this, but I shouldn't ask anything of you after all I've done I deserve this but still I ask not for myself but for Shauku and Uhuru please let me make right what I have done someway somehow let me take the pain I have caused them let me right my sin" Vitani said.
"I can only imagine what you are thinking why should you help me what have I done to deserve your deliverance, nothing but for them please hear my prayer make this right not for me but for them, amen." Vitani finished.
Vitani opened her eyes she looked up wondering if he would answer.
"Did you get your answer" Kurongu asked
"I don't know" Vitani replied
"You won't know until the moment you see it that could take days or years"
Kurongu told her.
"I want to believe in something I'll hope it was answered because that is all I can do" Vitani stated.
"I don't expect you to have the same faith I do not after all you've been through" Kurongu said.
"Does that make me an infidel" Vitani asked smiling at her father.
"No just a semi one" Kurongu said with a chuckle.
Kurongu smiled at his daughter which she returned he wrapped his paw around her and hugged her closely.
"I love you Vitani know that" Kurongu told her.
"I love you too father" Vitani said hugging him back.
"Let's go home" Kurongu said.
"Where's mine?" Vitani asked.
"You have two" Kurongu told her smiling.
Vitani began heading back toward the church this would be her home she felt something she hadn't felt since before meeting Shauku hope the hope that she could make right all she did the fact that she could redeem her sins and the fact that she wasn't alone she looked to the sky feeling it all around her Kopa the Mungu it was all one thing the path to innocence she felt something during that prayer and she would embrace it, Vitani was a believer now.
Kurongu watched his daughter return to his home yes it was a home now he couldn't believe this he just wanted to get close to her he never expected her to embrace his faith and still didn't but she accepted him as her father he thought that time was long gone his efforts with Kovu were falling apart but now he had his daughter brought to him thanks to Shauku he regretted her sorrow but knew there was something great awaiting his daughter. He closed his eyes and crouched on his knees.
"guide her save her let her find her salvation" he prayed.
"thank you" he said almost in tears.
Well I'm afraid that's all for now I will upload more hopefully soon. I'm aware this is a little slower than Trials Of Chaos but I had quite a bit too set up though I assure things are about to get a lot more intense very soon. Vitani converting to the faith of Mungu was something I had planned since almost the beginning of Kurongu's introduction as I felt it fit, Vitani is torn she is uncertain and longs to atone for the sins she committed this idea of atonement and redemption really fit the whole faith angle also Vitani already was religionist in a way with Kopa, this combined with her desire for redemption and need for something to believe in it made her decision make a lot of sense to me it also shows how despite what Kiara thinks Kurongu's faith can help people as it has helped Vitani and is kind of helping Shauku. We've seen the good but there's a darker side to everything and that darker side will show itself soon. I hope you have enjoyed Clash Of Faiths up to this point.
