***Chapter 14***

***Trust***

Normal. What did it meant for things to return to normal?For Tanai it was relatively simple; resume his position as team leader and regain everyone's trust. It was a goal easier said than achieved. The bottom line was that few really trusted him anymore. Of course, there were a few people who just immediately accepted him back, but most of the pride avoided him as if he was diseased. He couldn't blame them of course, but it still hurt to know that he had burned some bridges with his 'Outlander mask.'

He sighed deeply as he looked over the golden savannah. Since he wasn't training every day as he was before, Tanai was pretty much bored out of his mind. He glanced over at the two lions that were 'supervising' him for the day. It was ironic to say the least; Tanai had trained both of the guards individually. To see them now as at a higher level of trust than him was… strange to say the least. It was clear that they felt similarly; whenever he looked to them, they looked away nervously, almost with embarrassment as if they felt bad for watching him.

Having time to himself wasn't all bad, though. It gave him the time he needed to think about his father. He had soon come to terms with the event; it was Zira's fault, not his. Though he wished that he could have done something different, the past was past. Now all he could do was try to stop Zira; as long as she was around, no one was safe.

"Oh come on, don't try to stop me here!"

Tanai turned to see Kiara arguing with one of the supervisors.

"Get out of the way!" she said, clearly annoyed as she pushed the larger lion to the side and walked towards Tanai.

The lion just stared with a slightly shocked expression. He didn't know what to do about this lioness.

Tanai just snickered as she came to sit next to him. "Are my guards annoying you?"

"Very much so." She replied with a grin. "So were the others that were watching your friends."

He blinked suprisedly. "You were talking with my team?"

"Yea, they seemed bored and I wanted to figure out what you were doing when you were out there."

"You could have just have asked me." He replied, almost as if he had been offended, though he didn't mean to be.

Kiara smiled. "You would have downplayed yourself too much."

"I don't downplay, I'm just fair."

"Whatever you say, Tanai." She said with a grin. "I just hope that you understand that the rest of us aren't as hard on you as you are."

Tanai snorted. "A few weeks ago I would have agreed with you, but not now. Everyone pretty much hates me."

"Don't worry so much about them. They'll see the real you soon enough."

Tanai was about to respond sarcastically, but was cut off by a surprise nuzzle from Kiara. He returned it affectionately and for a brief moment all his problems evaporated. "Thanks…" he whispered into her ear. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Try to get my dad to kill you again?"

Tanai chuckled a little despite the dark memory. "Maybe I would… I love you."

"I love you too, but please don't do that again." She said sternly. "If I die, I don't want you to die too!"

"No promises." He said with a smile.

Kiara closed her eyes irritably. "I hate you."

"No, you love me, remember?"

"Yea, but I still hate you."

Tanai smiled and leaned into her. "I think you love me." He said as he licked her cheek.

Kiara smiled and licked him back. She loved him and there was no hiding it.

"Kiara!" a voice boomed from behind.

The two turned quickly to see Simba standing there, somewhat irritated.

"What are you doing here, Kiara? Your mother has been looking for you."

Kiara sighed and turned to Tanai. "Sorry, I gotta go." Then she looked back to her father. "Where's Mom?"

"Down by the waterhole. I think she wants to teach you something about the herds."

Kiara nodded and trotted down a path towards the waterhole, soon disappearing from sight.

Tanai watched her go, but quickly realized that Simba was watching him watch his daughter. Tanai looked to the king and tried not to seem too guilty. "Hey, Simba…" he said nervously.

The king just stared at him. "What were you doing, Tanai?" he asked coolly.

"Nothing, just… hanging out."

Simba sighed and walked over to Tanai's side. "I've been watching the Outlanders that you brought with you, and I'm starting to feel a little better about them."

"They aren't all bad."

"No, they certainly aren't. I certainly didn't expect Vitani to turn on her mother so easily."

Tanai nodded. "Me neither… but she has good reasons."

Simba raised his eyebrows quizzically. "And they would be?"

The younger lion sighed, unsure if he should really tell Simba Vitani's secret. He decided that it was for her best interest. "Zira trained Vitani's brother too hard and accidently killed him."

"She killed her own son?"

"It was an accident, but it was her fault entirely. Vitani doesn't trust her mother because of that and everything else."

Simba shrugged. "I can't say that I blame her."

"They're just grateful to be here."

The two sat in silence for a few more moments before Tanaia managed to wind up the courage to aske the question that he had been burning to ask.

"Simba…" he began slowly. "How much longer are we going to have to have these 'supervisors' around? It's getting really annoying."

The king leaned back and close his eyes. "It's been a few days now… so probably not much longer for you. I trust you, Tanai, just don't do anything like that again."

Tanai nodded. "Again, I'm sorry for everything that I put you all through."

"Just be careful. You mean a lot to a lot of people"

Tanai blinked and looked up at Simba. Did he know about him and Kiara? It was impossible to tell from his expression. "Yea… thanks." He said slowly. "What about the others?"

"A while longer with the guards. Until I'm sure about them."

"They can't really prove themselves if you keep them cooped up like this. You aren't giving them much of a chance."

"In due time, Tanai, in due time."

"It's just that they want to help, and it's killing them to not be able to do anything."

Simba let a smile slip. "Are you sure that you aren't talking about yourself and not your friends, Tanai?"

"Maybe a little…"

The king sighed. "I know that you want to jump back into your old spot, but the troops just don't see you the way they used to. Some of them really took your 'betrayal' quite hard."

Tanai nodded sullenly. As much as he wanted to get back into the action, he knew that Simba was right. Everyone just needed time to readjust to it all, and things could go wrong if it was rushed. "Like you said, in due time."

Simba nodded, but seemed somewhat distracted. "Sorry, Tanai, but Hanta is coming. I need to speak with him."

"Mind if I come?"

He shrugged indecisively. "I suppose, I'm sure that Hanta has a few things to talk to you about."

Tanai nodded and rose from his sitting position to follow the king down a pathway. He passed the guards who looked at each other unsurely. They weren't sure what to do; should they follow them or stay put? Eventually they decided to follow the returned Pridelander, but at a distance.

"Sire." Hanta greeted Simba respectfully as he approached them. "And Tanai…" he added unsurely.

"Hello, Hanta. Any news from the borders?"

The Unit leader shook his head. "We've had sporadic skirmishes, but no real casualties and without any real indication as to what their plans are."

Simba sighed, clearly bothered by the whole thing. "I wish I knew what they were doing."

Tanai felt a twang of guilt as he remembered his involvement in the Outlanders' battle plan. "It's my fault…" Tanai said slowly, unsure as to what their reactions would be. "I accidently suggested this strategy…"

Hanta stared at him for a moment. "This was your idea?"

"Yes… Zira wanted a way to get better penetration into the Pridelands, and I answered without thinking."

The two others' faces just stared in shock.

"I'm sorry! It was stupid and I wish I could take it back, but I can't."

"What exactly was your strategy?"

"To attack from all directions so that we would spread out our defenses. Once we did that, they would attack with full force where we were weakest."

Simba groaned. "So she's going to attack somewhere, but we don't know where?"

Tanai shook his head. "I was never involved any deeper than the initial idea. But… I think I know someone who might have a better idea."

Hanta's ears perked up. "They know where Zira is going to attack?"

"Maybe." I'm not sure, but we can certainly ask her.

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Vitani was just as bored as everyone else. She looked over to Tanai's team who was lying down together. She was a loner by nature and preferred to stick to herself. Even in the outlands she was different from the others and secluded herself. Now it wasn't necessarily by choice, but more of habit. The 'supervisors' didn't really bother her that much; she knew how these things worked. It would have been surprising if Simba hadn't placed some restrictions on them; they were Outlanders, after all.

"Tanai!" Fila suddenly exclaimed as she leapt to her feet, startling Vitani.

"Hey everyone," Tanai greeted as he walked over to them. "Sorry again about the guards, but that's how it's gotta be for now."

Hatra nodded sullenly. "How much longer though?"

"I don't know; Simba isn't quite sure himself."

"Is there anything we can do in the meantime?" Vitani asked, not really expecting to be given any tasks.

"Actually, Vitani," began Tanai. "I don't know how much you were involved in your mother's plans, but Simba was hoping that you would be able to supply some information to him."

She grinned at the thought of turning on her mother. "I know a bit, does he want me to go to him?"

"I think so. Come with me and I'll show you where he is."

"What about the rest of us?" Mardok asked, clearly wanting something to do.

Tanai grinned. "I don't know… do your drills or something."

"We're still recovering from the fight!" he protested.

"Well then you should rest."

Mardok sighed exasperatedly and fell back onto the floor with a deep groan. "Tanai, I'm BORED!"

"I'm not your mother, entertain yourself!"

"But there's nothing to do!"

"Be patient." As soon as his back was turned, Tanai allowed himself to grin at Mardok's complaints. He looked over at Vitani to see her almost smiling as well.

They found Simba up on the lip of Priderock, looking over the Savannah as if searching for the unseen enemy.

"Sir?" Tanai asked for his attention.

Simba blinked from his trance and looked down at the arrivals. "Oh, thank you for coming, Vitani."

"My pleasure." She said in her usual raspy and neutral voice. "What exactly are you hoping that I can tell you?"

Simba glanced back at the horizon uneasily. "I need to know where Zira is planning to attack from; where she will take her main force."

"You know about her plan to stretch your defenses?"

Simba nodded. "Tanai said that you were part of planning the finer details of it."

She cringed slightly. "I wasn't that involved in it, but I can tell you that she was planning on either coming in from the north and using the hills as cover, or from the west using the dried riverbeds."

"Are you sure?"

Vitani nodded slowly. "Unless she changed her mind since I left, I would expect her to use the riverbeds; that's what she was leaning towards."

"How soon?"

"Soon." She answered darkly. "Shakra actually wanted to do it a few days ago, but Zira held him back."

Simba blinked suprisedly. "So it could be any day now?"

"Yes. I'd expect it sooner rather than later."

Simba closed his eyes for a moment to think. "Alright… thank you for your help, Vitani. I'm sure it wasn't easy to leave your mother."

The lioness snorted somewhat amusedly. "It was easier than you might think."

SImba nodded slowly, as if thinking of something else. "If and when they attack, would you be alright with accompanying us to the battle?"

Vitani blinked. "As a soldier?"

"More like an advisor… You know Zira better than anyone here, and it would help me to have your insight as to what you think she is doing."

She paused for a long moment, clearly taken aback by the offer.

"If you don't want to fight your family," Simba added. "I would understand."

"No, I just…" she stuttered. "I mean… I would be more than willing to go with you."

Tanai smiled, glad to see his adoptive father and friend getting along.

"I'm glad." Simba said with a smile. "Maybe we can get you and your friends away from the supervisors sooner than we thought."

Vitani chuckled, a rare sight. "I think they would appreciate that."

***Author's Note***

Moving right along, I guess. As I said before, the chaos of fall is setting in and I'm a bit strapped for time, but I'll keep updating as much as I can.

I while ago, (in a different story) I mentioned that my friend Pat was going off to Basic Training at Fort Knox. I just got a letter from him the other day; he's doing well and appreciated all the encouragement that I forwarded from you all, (Though I didn't tell him that it was from a Lion King Fanfiction site, haha.)

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