KawaiiCutie12: The cat's out the bag now (no pun intended). But seriously, now that they know what's going on, they're going to try and help her. But it won't be easy. Which brings me to my next statement...
I don't know much about trauma/recovery, so if some of what I write sounds cringey or wrong, please RESPECTFULLY (keyword: respectfully, since some of u suck at that) let me know in the comments or a PM.
+Vampiregal15: No I agree. I see why he was angry too, but it took a lot for Vitani to confide in her parents, so he should've lashed out when he was aloneš
Chapter 17:
That night, Kovu couldn't sleep. On one hand, he was happy his brother and sister were...alive, to say the least. But the other was concerned for them, especially for Nuka, who was still unresponsive.
Wake up soon, Nuka, Kovu prayed. I need to see you and 'Tani again and fix things with you guys.
Sighing, he rolled over to find that Kiara was already fast asleep. They, along with Beleco, had camped out in the royal den; while the two were a foot or two away, Simba and Beleco were cuddled up against each other by the king and queen.
She likes Simba, Kovu thought. I just know it. But do Simba and Nala know?
"Kovu."
He turned to see Kiara looking at him sleepily. "You okay?"
Kovu sighed. Turning completely, he sat up. "I'm just worried about my siblings."
Kiara felt bad for Kovu. She knew how important it was that he fixed things with his siblings, and now that they were here, they were barely themselves. Another thought resurfaced, and she sighed.
"Kovu...I have to tell you something," Kiara voiced.
Kovu looked at her, surprised by her sudden nervousness. "What is it, Ki'? You can tell me."
"Well, Kovu..." she sighed and looked him in the eye. "I saw them leave."
Kovu blinked. Of all the things he was thinking of...
"What?" he finally said.
Kiara slowly nodded. "That night, I snuck out to get a drink, and I saw them walking towards the borders. I was curious, so I followed them a bit. I saw them walking away, and I didn't think much because I thought they were just going for a walk. But now..."
She looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I should've followed them and asked where they were going. But I didn't know..."
Kovu's shock faded, and a sympathetic look came across his face. "It's okay, it's not your fault."
Kiara looked away. "Still..."
"Look, we can talk about this in the morning," Kovu said to her. "Let's just go back to sleep."
Nodding her head, the two snuggled closer to the others and fell back into their slumber.
Morning couldn't have came any sooner. As soon as Vitani was awake, the three headed to the mandrill's tree. While Zira stayed with Vitani, Scar chose to go to Nuka's side.
"So what do you guys need from Ol' Rafiki today?" the mandrill asked.
Zira sighed and looked down at Vitani, whose gaze was glued to the ground. She wasn't exactly in a talking mood, especially not about what happened.
"Well...Vitani here informed Scar and I on what happened when they fled from the Pride Lands, and...we, uh, need you to...examine her," she explained.
Rafiki caught onto her tone, and his eyes widened some. He then looked down to Vitani, then back up at Zira. Sensing his question, she slowly nodded.
"Bring de girl with me," Rafiki instructed before walking away.
Zira crouched down, and Vitani climbed onto her back. She walked over to where Rafiki waited, before setting her daughter onto the cot besides them.
"Vitani, I need you to roll on your side and lift your tail up," Rafiki softly instructed. "Can you do that for me?"
Slowly nodding her head, she slowly rolled to her side and moved her tail out of the way.
Rafiki bent down to inspect her lower area and froze. Whatever Vitani had told her parents was definitely true. While it seemed that she mostly healed due to her bruises now mostly, there was evident tearing and slight bruising still there; not to mention, there was a bit of swelling, and staring even longer, there appeared to be some trauma inside.
Looking back up at Zira, he could only nod his head, and Zira's head spun.
"I'm going to stitch her back up," Rafiki told her. "Dere's tearing there, and since I didn't think to check and treat her, it hasn't healed properly."
Zira nodded as Rafiki prepared his stuff. She nuzzled Vitani's small head to try and calm her nerves.
Rafiki came back, and looked fo Vitani.
"I'm going to numb you very quickly," the mandrill informed her. "Dis may feel like a little pinch."
Vitani squirmed a bit, but Zira was able to keep her still for the most part. There surprisingly (and thankfully) wasn't too much tearing, so the procedure didn't take that long.
"Dere we go," Rafiki concluded. "When you return home, don't have her move around so much; at least not for de day."
Zira nodded. "Thank you so much, Rafiki."
Rafiki offered a warm smile. "Anyting for de royal family."
At that moment, Scar walked out to where his mate and daughter were. Looking at all three of them, he asked what happened.
"De girl's vaginal area was still torn a bit," Rafiki explained quietly. "I had to stitch her up in order for it to heal properly."
Scar looked at their daughter and nodded, his heart twisting at the confirmation.
"On a lighter note..." Rafiki gestured to her fur. "De bruises are fading along well. De gel did its job."
Scar and Zira took a good look and realized he was right. While there were still some that were a bit blue still, most of her bruises were either gone or faded.
Zira turned to her mate. "Can you take Vitani home? I'd like to spend some time with our son."
Scar nodded, and Zira and Rafiki helped Vitani onto his back.
"Have de girl relax and not do too much moving today," Rafiki informed him.
"Duly noted," Scar voiced. "Thank you for checking her."
"It was no trouble," Rafiki waved a hand.
Scar climbed down the tree, and Zira walked into where her son lied. Tge two out of earshot, Rafiki let out a sigh; not out of irritation, but of sadness and pity.
Dings aren't going so great now, Rafiki thought. Howeva, I have no doubt dat de two will ovacome dis.
Giving the mother-son duo privacy, he walked over to his paintings and allowed his mind to flow.
Tisha smiled watching Tama play with Kula. After finding out everything that had happened, the lioness was initially disappointed. However, seeing as though the girls became very good friends, she slowly moved on.
"The girls sure love each other, huh?"
Tisha turned to see Adia with an amused smile.
"They sure do," Tisha chuckled. "It's ironic, considering they're polar opposites."
Tisha laughed, before patting the area next to her.
"I swear they can never get enough of each other," Adia voiced.
"Well, at least someone doesn't get enough of Tama," Tisha teased.
The lionesses laughed, before watching the girls again. For a moment, there was a calm silence between the two.
"Adia, may I ask you something?"
Adia turned to Tisha, who wore a serious look on her face.
"Of course," Adia answered. "Ask away."
Tisha looked down, almost as if she was contemplating asking. Finally, she sighed and looked up with a frown.
"Do you know why Nuka and 'Tani left?" Tisha asked.
This wasn't what Adia was expecting. But before she could say anything, Tisha continued.
"I just..." she let out a sigh. "I consider them and Kovu like my own cubs, so knowing they ran away truly breaks my heart. Not to mention, I know Tama and them weren't always the closest, but I can tell she misses them, especially 'Tani."
Adia sighed. Though she oddly hadn't said it out loud, she absolutely adored Scar and Zira's kids. Memories of Nuka, Dotty, and Spotty causing trouble as cubs, along with memories of Vitani playing with the other cubs raced through her head, and she couldn't help but sadly smile.
"Adia?"
Fading from memory lane, Adia turned to Tisha.
"I'm not sure," Adia began, "but apparently it had to do with a fight between them and their parents."
Tisha frowned, but remained silent.
"Mom!"
"Mama!"
The lionesses looked up to see the girls racing towards them.
"Can Tama and I play by the waterhole?" Kula asked
Tisha and Adia shared a look, before looking back at them and nodding.
"Just be safe you two," Adia stated.
"We will, Auntie," Tama reassured with a smile.
"Last one there's a rotten jackal!" Kula cried, darting over.
"Hey!" Tama cried, laughing as she raced after her.
"Cubs will be cubs huh, Tish'?" Adia asked.
Tisha laughed, puffing out her hair tuft. "Most definitely."
Trusting their kids, the lionesses remained on the rocks and continued talking.
Back in the main den, Dotty and Spotty sat there in silence. Dotty's mind was all over the place, and Spotty...well, what was there for her to say?
Dotty just...she just didn't know. Her cubhood friend, the lion that she'd grown up with, looked as if he'd been beaten by the Great Kings and Queens themselves. It seemed like just yesterday he was venting to her about his parents, and now here he was, fighting for his life.
Spotty didn't blame her. While she herself hadn't been too close to Nuka, he was still one of her good friends. And Vitani...she was like the little sister she secretly wished she had. While she wasn't exactly fighting for her life, she was nowhere near her usual, spunky self.
She turned to her twin. She hated seeing her so upset, but what could she possibly do?
"Dotty?" she whispered.
Dotty didn't answer. She kept her gaze to the ground, not even moving her eyes.
Spotty didn't bother try again. She settled for resting her head on her sister's, letting out a shaky sigh.
"So, how are my niece and nephew?"
While Scar stayed back at the den with their daughter, Sarabi took the opportunity to invite her sister-in-law for a walk. She hadn't heard from either of them, and she was worried about the state of Scar and Zira's kids.
"Nuka's still unconscious, but his scars look like they're starting to heal," Zira informed her. "Vitani...she's still been horrible."
Sarabi's eyes widened slightly. "Really?"
Zira nodded, rubbing her head. "Late last night, she started to feel sick randomly. She woke me up crying, saying that her stomach was hurting. I'd wake up, rub her back. She would just be gagging, dry heaving; sometimes she wouldn't throw up, sometimes she would, and it was every single hour and a half to every two hours."
She sighed and shook her head. "It's awful. The only thing that's healed on her were her scrapes and bruises."
Sarabi let out a broken sigh. "The poor girl...she didn't deserve what happened to her."
Zira looked up at her, and Sarabi realized Scar probably hadn't told her.
"Scar told us," Sarabi explained. "He was...I don't think there's any word to describe his rage. We calmed him and told him that Vitani needed him at the moment, especially after confessing that."
Zira's confusion melted, and she nodded. "I see."
A moment of silence passed, and Zira sighed. "This is all my fault."
Sarabi turned to her. "Zira, don't be ridiculous."
Zira whipped her head around. "How am I being ridiculous? If I had never said what I did, hell if I treated them better from the get-go, then they wwould've never left! I shouldn't have been so harsh with them, I shouldn't have belittled them the way I did, I shouldn't have treated their younger cousin like she was more my child. I..."
The tan lioness sighed, before placing her head in her forelegs. "I don't deserve to be a mother."
Sarabi sat up and stared down at her. "Zira, that's enough. Yes yours and Scar's actions were completely wrong, and yes you both did take things too far. However, you guys now have a chance to make things right. Like Rafiki said: 'the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it'."
Though not fully reassured, Zira halfheartedly nodded. Sarabi saw the uncertainty and sat back down.
"They need you," Sarabi voiced. "Especially 'Tani. She's going through something that no one should go through, especially not at her age, and while your guys's feelings are wholeheartedly justified, right now you need to focus on your kids."
Zira knew the queen was right. She just couldn't let go of the guilt. A thought hit Sarabi, and she turned back to Zira.
"How exactly did they get attacked?" Sarabi questioned. "Were they separated to begin with, or did Nuka tell Vitani to run?"
Zira thought back to it, before turning to the queen. "Nuka said they attacked, and that he wasn't fast enough. I'm assuming they weren't together at that point."
Sarabi nodded. Getting up, she looked down at the tan lioness.
"Care to join me for a walk?" Sarabi offered. "You can continue venting to me."
Still needing to get some things off her chest, she got up and walked alongside the queen.
Kula and Simba were walking around the grasslands. Beleco hadn't felt too good, so Malka, Chumvi, and Tojo were staying by her side.
"Hey, wamna head to our hideout?" Simba suddenly piped up.
Kula vigorously nodded, not giving it a second thought. Picking up their speed, they started their voyage.
On their way to their hideout, they saw Nala and Beleco laying on the rocks. Think they same thing, they both turned to each other and nodded, before racing towards them.
"Hey guys!" Kula cheerfully greeted them.
The two cream lioness cubs looked at her and smiled. "Hey."
"Mind if we join you guys?" Simba spoke up.
Beleco nudged Nala, and the two got off the rock and walked a few feet away, confusing the other two.
"What's that all about?" Kula asked, frowning.
"I don't know," Simba answered, sharing the facial expression.
A few seconds later they came back and looked at the two.
"Kula can, but you're a boy," Beleco smirked.
"No testosterone allowed!" Nala declared soon after.
Realizing their reason for leaving, Simba's mouth was agape, and Kula began to laugh.
Soon after, the cream duo began to laugh as well. "We're just teasing, of course you can" came Nala's voice soon after.
"No it's okay."
The lioness cubs stopped laughing, once they realized Simba was actually walking away.
"Simba, we were joking," Beleco repeated, fearing it was too early to start those kinds of jokes.
"It's fine, really." He turned to the trio, mock sadness on his face. "I'll just explore the jungle on my own."
Kula immediately jumped up after hearing that; he red eyes held a certain glint to them. "Oh no you won't."
The same glint in his eyes, he turned and ran. Kula quickly followed behind laughing, leaving a confused Nala.
"Should we follow them?" Nala asked, rubbing her head.
Beleco eagerly nodded, realizing where they were headed. "Sure, why not?"
They quickly got up and followed after Kula. Upon arriving, they were met with a cool entrance that showed all kinds of cool trees and in the distance they could here a waterfall...
And Simba and Kula.
They took a few more steps forward, then Nala held their paw out.
"Isn't this your guys's secret place?" she suddenly asked.
Beleco nodded with a smile. "Yeah! Pretty neat, isn't it?"
Nala sighed. "...I'm not sure I should be in here."
Beleco didn't have time to answer, because another voice soon emerged.
"Why not? It's perfectly safe!"
They turned to see a certain brown and golden cub in front of them.
"Well...this was your guys's place," Nala bashfully answered, "we didn't want to intrude..."
Simba and Kula rolled their eyes while grinning. Bumping their heads, they reassured them.
"You and Tama are welcome here," Kula sincerely stated.
The trio smiled when they saw that the cream lioness cub's blue eyes shine.
"Now stop moping and we'll give you guys a tour!" Simba exclaimed, trotting ahead with Kula.
Beleco walked a few feet ahead, before turning back at Nala. "Come on, or I'll leave you behind too!"
Laughing, she caught up to Beleco before following her deeper into the forest-like atmosphere.
She still couldn't believe it.
Someone had really done that to her cub; a cub in the first place, but her cub, her little girl, especially.
Zira thought this over and over as she walked back to her den. It had been almost an hour since she last saw Scar. As much as she didn't want to seem overbearing, she needed to talk about this with him.
She thought about how to explain to her daughter what happened. She'd given Vitani a bit of..."the talk", for a lack of a better word, but she still didn't know the incident that she was a victim of in its entirety.
And Zira had no idea on how to go about it.
"I see she's fallen back asleep."
Scar turned to see his mate and nodded, before letting out a forced chuckled. "The moment I set her down she was out like a light."
Zira hummed, and kept her eyes on the preteen cub for a moment. Finally, she broke her gaze away and looked at the black maned lion.
"We need to talk."
He understood the tone in her voice, and knew what was to come. They didn't know how, but they needed to discuss on how to explain to their daughter what took place.
Whispering something in her daughter's ear, she slowly rose, and followed her mate outside, to where they walked behind the den.
Upon arriving there, they sat in silence, not sure of how to start. After a moment of silence, Zira turned to Scar.
"We have to tell her soon."
Scar agreed, though was a bit hesitant. "I don't know...she turned a year not too long ago."
Zira turned to him. "She turned a year not too long ago. She may be young, but she's mature for her age."
"I don't think she should know what that is, she's still too young," Scar rephrased.
Something suddenly snapped inside Zira. "He raped her!"
An uncomfortable feeling was soon present, creating an awkward silence.
Scar narrowed his eyes. "And you think I don't know that?" he snapped.
"Scar, she may be young, but she needs to know," she argued, growing frustrated with her mate's attitude. "She's probably scared and confused; explaining it to her will most likely help."
"She doesn't need to know what that is at this time," Scar retorted.
Zira narrowed her eyes as well. "This isn't the way to go about it, Scar."
"Okay, Zira, how do you suppose we go about it?" Scar demanded, slowly getting enraged.
Zira didn't know, truthfully. How do you explain something like that to a year old cub? Technically, she'd be considered a mature cub by now, but that didn't change the fact that she was still so young.
"I...I don't know," she finally admitted.
Scar saw the distress on her face, and his stress was met with guilt. "I'm sorry, I just...this is all too much right now."
Zira nodded, and silence fell over them once more. Vitani was at one of her lowest points, and they didn't know how to talk to her without her feeling pressured or triggering an anxiety attack.
"Listen, I understand where you're coming from," Zira explained, "believe me, I do. She is still fairly young. But our daughter just went through probably the most traumatic experience of her life, and I saw in her eyes, she felt lost and scared..."
She lifted her gaze to meet Scar's. "If she understands just what exactly she went through, maybe it'll help her cope. I know if I was in her paws, I'd want my mother to do the same."
Scar just looked at her. What she said was true, and he knew it. He couldn't even begin to imagine how lost and scared Vitani was feeling. She was such an emotional mess, and there was no telling what was on her mind right now.
Probably wishing she wasn't here anymore.
"We'll tell her in a few days," Scar finally decided.
Zira nodded, and the two shared a loving, yet saddened nuzzle. It was a long day, and they needed to relax for a moment. Walking back to the den, they found their daughter still lying down.
They were so worn out, they hadn't even noticed she was in a different position.
Four young cubs were sitting in a hot spring in the jungle. They talked, swam, had splash wars, and were now talking yet again.
"This place is awesome!" Nala complimented.
Kula beamed. "Thanks, Nal. I found it."
Simba turned to her. "And I claimed it."
Kula playfully glared. "Did not."
Simba returned the look. "Did so."
"Did not."
"Did so."
"Did not."
"Did so."
"Did nooot."
"Did sooo."
"Guys!" Beleco suddenly exclaimed, laughing at the same time, "calm down."
They all began to laugh, to the point where they couldn't hold themselves up and accidentally inhaled some of the water. After their laughter died down, they began to socialize again. From their normal wackiness, to more serious topics.
"I'm glad we're all together," Kula stated, "one big, happy family."
They all nodded in agreement.
"Where's Tama?" Beleco wondered.
"She didn't feel too good earlier," Simba answered with a slight frown.
Now it was Beleco's turn to frown. "I hope she feels better later."
"Yeah, same here," Nala added in.
Simba and Kula nodded, and another silence took place.
"Hey, can I ask you guys something?"
Simba, Kula, and Beleco looked up at Nala and nodded. "Ask away."
"Have you guys seen Nuka and 'Tani lately? I haven't seen them, or even Kovu, lately."
An awkward silence came rolling in almost immediately. The promise they made to their uncle came playing back in their head.
"if anyone asks, you haven't heard a word yet"
They were torn. On one hand, they knew how much both Nala-and even Tama-wanted to make things right with them, especially Vitani. But at the same time, they couldn't betray Simba's uncle. As much as they didn't want to...
Someone had to say it.
"We haven't seen them," Kula smoothly lied.
Nala looked at the three; she wasn't buying Kula's act at all.
"Are you sure?" she eyed the trio, "I mean, you three would always spend time together."
"Well, maybe they're going through something and need some space," Simba half-lied.
The creamy, blue-eyed cub still didn't look convinced, but didn't push it. A moment passed, and Simba climbed out. Shaking his fur dry, he turned back to the lioness trio.
"We gonna keep exploring or what?" he teased.
Kula smiled and nodded, climbing out as well. She joined Simba on the shore, and turned back to the two still in the hot tub. "Come on, guys!"
The two climbed out, and followed behind the conversating Simba and Kula.
"Beleco," Nala whispered.
Beleco turned to her. "Yeah?"
Nala turned to her. "Do you know where Nuka and Vitani are? I mean, you're both joined at the hip."
Beleco sighed. Forcing her thoughts to simmer down, she turned to Nala.
"I really wish I knew, Nal'," Beleco voiced. "I miss her so much. But...I don't know...we should keep going, they're almost out of sight."
Not waiting for a response, Beleco walked ahead. Nala following a foot or two behind. A frown morphed onto Nala's face as she continued to move along.
What happened to you guys, 'Tani? What are they hiding?
KawaiiCutie12: Anddd here we GO fam! Not too long, but ya still got some info down. Simba and Kula now know, and awww their bond is SOOO CUTEšā¤ā¤Scar...I get where he's coming from, but she's gotta know. The gang's mostly back, and Nala and Tama suspect something...you think they'll find out?
As always, leave your opinions down below and follow and fave to keep up with the story. I'll see you guys next time!
KawaiiCutie12 signing off! ā