Gifted to Corderbollie.
"One of Simba's whores did this to our comrade, Amri," Zira gestured angrily to Amri's shoulder. It was chewed and torn, the exposed flesh under her fur a bright red patch against her mellow coat. It looked painful. But more than that, it wasn't an injury of self-defense, the damage had been inflicted intentionally. Whoever had attacked Amri had intended to hurt her. Zira began to pace. "Tell us, Amri," she snarled, "what were you doing in the Pride Lands?"
"I was hunting, Zira."
"What were you hunting, Amri?"
"I was hunting an injured zebra that had been separated from its herd, Zira."
"And why were you hunting in the Pride Lands, Amri?"
"To feed the pride, because the Outlands cannot sustain us."
"And why are we in the Outlands, Amri?"
"Because Simba banished you and your sisters from his pride."
"What was our crime?"
"Supporting Scar, a king who put lions before all other animals."
"That's right!" Zira slammed her paw into the dirt, sending a puff of dust billowing from the hard-packed earth. "Scar's arrogant little nephew punished us for our loyalty to our species, and now he's punishing us for our survival! Scar showed him mercy, and the thanks he got was death! Simba has no regard for our species, he's a coward and a traitor to his own kind. Lions are not equal to the stupid herd animals that we feed upon, lions are superior and deserve to take what we want! But," she began to pace again, "you can all plainly see the wound, this was not the typical petty scorn of a Pride Lands bitch. I'd expect such cruelty from Simba or his breeder bride, but from one of the others? They're all lazy, content to let Simba do all the intimidating, they've never attacked one of us without his almighty approval. They retreat, like cubs to tattle to their mother." Zira continued to pace, thinking aloud, blasting her thoughts for the gathered pride to hear. She didn't need to sort her thoughts, each was important and worth hearing. Nothing that crossed Zira's mind would be questioned.
"But now," she continued, frustrated by a question she didn't have an answer to, "something's different. Just last week, Simba banished an aardwolf. The trial was swift, so swift that my sources haven't even been able to determine what the creature's crime was. He's been patrolling the border with increasing frequency, he left his claw marks in a tree so aggressively that when I examined the mark, I smelled the faintest scent of blood, where he'd cut his paw against the splintering wood. It was the most delicious scent I've smelled in years. But it's not like the effeminate king to mark his borders so fervently that he harms himself. It was the mark of an angry animal, and while I didn't know Simba long, I could tell right away that his anger reeks of fear. Simba is afraid, and when he is afraid, he is dangerous. Vitani," Zira's head whirled around. Vitani's spine shot straight up as she stood at attention.
"Yes, Mother?"
"Find out what's gotten under Simba's skin. Whatever it is, it's put the entire pride on edge. I smell a new weakness."
"Whatever it is, I'll find it," Vitani affirmed. She was already plotting her infiltration, thinking of all the unguarded and sparsely populated regions near the border, all the large rocks and thick foliage that would provide cover from eyes in the sky as she made her way deeper into enemy territory. Avoiding detection would be difficult, especially if other animals were on alert as well. But she knew she could do it. Failure was not an option.
"You'd better. As for the rest of you," she looked to the pride. "Avoid the Pride Lands until we know more, hunt smaller game in the western regions."
"Perhaps I," Nuka stepped forward, "can be of service, Mother."
"Don't be stupid, Nuka," Zira scowled. "They'd spot you from a mile away. Vitani is a girl, the herds can't tell them apart. Has Kovu offered to help?" She gestured to Kovu, who sat silently, his dark mane shifting in the breeze. "He knows better." Though Kovu's mouth hadn't moved, his eyes grew smug.
"Kovu," Nuka made a disgusted face before turning back to Zira, "hasn't thought of the solution that I have."
"And what solution is that?"
"Why bother going to Simba when we can bring his son to us?"
"What use is that? Kion has that cursed Roar, and the wrath of Kion summons the wrath of Simba."
"Kion won't use the Roar against other lions unless he's afraid we'll hurt him or his friends," Nuka explained. "We'll cause juuust enough trouble to lead him to where we want him, then we'll trick him into telling us why his daddy's so pissed."
"Kion does possess his father's naïve nature," Zira pondered this, "but not his cowardly mistrust and paranoia, nor his treacherous temper. I'll think on this. Well done, Nuka."
"Thank you, Mother. I thought so, too."
"What's your plan?" Kovu asked as the two siblings padded through a dry riverbed under the starry sky.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"If you're planning on taking the path through the thickets south of the plains, those got burned down last dry season."
"I know that, Kovu," she rolled her eyes. "But how do you know that? You're not supposed to go into the Pride Lands."
"Says who?"
"Mother and, oh, I don't know, common sense?"
"Who's going to stop me? Simba?" Kovu snorted. "I've been training every day. Speed, reflexes, strength, jaw grip exercises, sharpening my claws, fasting for mental clarity. I dare him to try and stop me from going where I want to go."
Vitani looked at him. His gaze was forward, his jaw set. She'd noticed that his most recent growth spurt had pushed his frame out instead of up, widening his shoulders and thickening his chest. He looked less lanky, more sturdy, his muscles beginning to show under his fur. His mane too, had thickened, the strands were less fine, their coarseness added volume and protection. Kovu's strength had long surpassed her own. And yet, her concern for him was growing.
He was something he hadn't been before. Cocky. He had always been aware of his own limits until recently. He'd won every duel, excelled at every practice. It had been a long time since Vitani had seen the king, but Zira's pride felt certain that Kovu had an edge on him. The king had too many responsibilities to train as often as Kovu did. Logically, Kovu had an edge. Right? She chastised herself for having doubts, for doubting her brother's abilities. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
"Yeah," she responded quietly. "I know."
"You are not my king!" Zira snarled viciously. "You are not anyone's king!"
Vitani cowered against her mother's heels as Pride Rock smoldered around them, hiding from the strange male that stood before Zira. He was much younger and more brightly colored than Scar was. She had heard his roaring, they all had, and it had enraged Zira. Then there had been fire, and fighting. Vitani was scared, she didn't want to confront the male, and didn't understand why her mother had brought them out of hiding. She didn't understand why the lionesses, who had always kept them safe, were standing with the stranger. Beside her, Nuka bared his teeth at the male, who ignored him. The new baby Kovu lay helplessly between Zira's front paws.
"Scar is dead, Zira," Sarabi stepped forward. "The hyenas are gone. It's over."
"I know that Scar is dead!" Zira snapped. "I'm not stupid! Are you?"
"Watch it," the male bared his teeth. "That's my mother."
"I know that, you cowardly brat!" She shrieked. "But have you all forgotten my son? Scar chose my son, not yours! Kovu is your king!"
"When Mufasa died, my son became king. His survival makes Scar's reign null," Sarabi countered angrily. "You cannot change that, Zira."
"Where was your precious king all this time, then, hmm? Tell me, what king abandons his home? He is not fit to rule!"
The male opened his mouth to answer, but it was Nala who spoke.
"You are no longer the alpha female, Zira! Know your place or I will teach you."
"Well now I know why you came back!" She spat at Mufasa's son. "Scar's body isn't even cold and you've already found yourself a plaything!" Vitani, Nuka and Kovu flinched as the entire pride snarled in retaliation.
"Enough!" Sarabi shouted. "Zira, accept my son Simba as your king, or leave!" Her voice was hoarse. They all looked exhausted and dirty, their fur covered in sooty rainwater, some of them had open wounds. The male was covered in gashes and appeared weary.
"To go where?" Zira demanded. "You know that this is the only hospitable place for miles, I can't nurse three cubs for that long without water! Exiling us would kill us! You wouldn't kill children!"
"It sounds like you would," Simba shot back. "Every cub in the pride is protected, rejecting my pride would be your decision."
"How dare you?! I would die for my cubs!"
"Nobody has to die," Sarafina snapped. "Cut the theatrics, Zira. You're not fooling anyone. Mind your place, and this will be forgotten. Take the cubs back inside before they get sick."
"Well," Zira stepped back, exposing Kovu to the sprinkle of rain. The infant shivered. "Since you are the only female here who has managed to raise her child to adulthood, I suppose I should heed your experience."
Vitani slipped through the grass, keeping a careful watch for any of Simba's lionesses as she stepped over a large branch thrown to the ground by the recent storms. Zira had encouraged Nuka to carry out his plan of luring Kion to them, but had not specified that he was to wait until Vitani had returned safely. Zira had been encouraging competition between the siblings, even delighting when they resorted to sabotage and cheating. Zira thrived on conflict.
Determined to find out what was wrong in Simba's paradise before her brothers did (as Kovu had opted to help Nuka, a rare moment of cooperation between the two, likely unified by a desire to show up their sister as any chance to earn Zira's praise was fair game), Vitani had changed her plans. Originally, she had planned to observe from a distance, looking for patterns or any indication of what the issue might be before narrowing down her options and deciding which clues to pursue. Now, her time to act was cut down. She needed to be bolder. She was going to eavesdrop on Simba.
It wouldn't be easy. He was rarely alone, and though he didn't often hunt, any of his enemies knew that he kept his skills sharp. Getting close to him without being detected would be the hardest part. First, she had to find him.
This would be easier. Simba was rather ritualistic, and often traveled the same paths. She needed to catch him when he was patrolling the border, it was her only chance of tracking him when he was both alone and in an area with a low population density. Somewhere where nobody would see her, but also where Simba wouldn't see her. The landscape, local animal population, and the wind direction would all have to work in her favor.
Fortunately, the dark clouds above signaled impending rainfall. The rain would disguise her scent as well as the sound of her paws. Until then, she would take advantage of the high visibility before the storm arrived and move as deep into the Pride Lands as she could. It was dusk, and would be night soon.
As she walked, the distant but distinct sound of a male's challenging roar sounded about two miles from where she stood. It was frustratingly familiar.
"Nuka," she hissed. He was literally calling Kion to him by feigning as a foreign threat. Nuka had disguised his roar just enough that the Pride Lands pride might not recognize it and assume that he was common rogue instead of Zira's son. Within seconds, the roar that she and everyone in the Pride Lands recognized as the king's roar of dominance sounded about a mile in the opposite direction. Simba had already dropped whatever he was doing and was on his way to fight whoever had challenged him. What Nuka didn't realize was that not only might Simba reach Nuka before Kion did, but that Nuka had likely summoned most of his angry lionesses as well. He was going to get himself killed someday, she thought.
Vitani perked up as she realized that her brother's stunt had drawn the king and his pride towards the border and away from Pride Rock. Vitani wasn't stupid enough to attempt to go anywhere near Pride Rock, but she knew that Simba's strange friends, the meerkat and the warthog, resided by a small waterfall not far from Pride Rock. The vultures, whose alliance shifted with the winds, had told Zira's pride this much. Simba was known to spend time with them, and the area was sparsely populated and thickly vegetated. There were plenty of places to hide, and few potential prying eyes. Simba's guard would be down, and he might speak openly. It was perfect.
"Thank you, Nuka!" She grinned. "You poor, stupid idiot." Vitani broke into a run, determined to cover as much ground as possible while the pride was distracted. She hadn't even managed a thousand paces before she realized her mistake.
"Intruder!" a shrill voice above her shrieked. She scowled at the bird above her. While the herd animals might not be able to tell a local lioness from an outsider, the birds had better eyes and better memories. Her cover was blown, she had been stupid to run in the open between the trees before nightfall. Realizing the immediate danger she was in now that the bird had taken flight towards Pride Rock, Vitani skidded to a stop and assessed her options. She could try to hide somewhere in the Pride Lands, but she didn't know the terrain well enough to know where to go. The closest border was to her right, the desert. Spouting every swear word she knew, Vitani bolted towards the dunes in the distance, abandoning her mission. Before long, far behind her, an angry lioness roared. The flying rat had reached them, and the lioness wanted Vitani to know that they were aware of her presence.
Then, another lioness even further away roared. Then another, further still. A pause. Then, from miles away, came the king's unmistakable roar. This time, it was even angrier. Vitani pushed herself to run faster. Simba had been heading towards Nuka, but he was now focused on her. She, an intruder, was now his priority.
By the time she'd made it to the place where the earth met the sand, her legs felt as though they were about to give out. Still, she pushed herself a few more paces until all four of her paws felt the grains of sand shifting with subtle hisses beneath her weight. Frustrated at her failure, she swiped a pawful of sand as she panted. The wind blew the sand directly into her open mouth.
"Augh! Blegh!" She spat and wiped her muzzle. "Stupid! Fucking! Sand! Aargh!" The lioness slumped down in frustration, satisfied that she had made it out of the Pride Lands and would not be followed. "Stupid Nuka. Stupid Kovu."
Above her, a vulture began to circle.
"What the fuck do you want?" She shouted, her eyes still watering from irritation. The vulture swooped down and landed a few paces before her. It was Mzingo.
"You Outlanders have made the king quite angry." His voice dripped with amused pleasure. "That's his kill call. You'd better keep running."
"They won't chase me out here," she scowled. "Sorry to disappoint you."
"Oh, far from it, little Vitani. The show hasn't even started yet, I'm just looking for the best seat."
"No show here," she began to walk away. He began to hop beside her, his movements oddly swift, if not unnatural. "The border is a hundred paces back that way, the Pride Landers are too good to cross it."
"Oh, I hear good King Simba isn't 'too good' to do much of anything as of late. Just last week, he struck a deal with us vultures that your mother simply cannot match, and I must say, it might have secured our affections for him permanently."
"We don't need you or your flying mites, Mzingo. If you're such good friends with Simba, why are you wasting your time out here instead of picking at his leftovers?"
"Now now Vitani, I do have a heart. I came to warn you."
"Warn me about what, that Simba's angry? Big deal, he's always angry. He doesn't scare me."
"He should. In a conversation quite unbecoming for one who puts on such airs of superiority, he promised us vultures first pick at the next lion he kills. If you aren't careful, that will be you."
"Simba doesn't kill other lions, he doesn't have it in him."
"Oh, but that just isn't true, little one. Simba has quite a bit of fight in him. Some say he has a cruel streak."
"If you're trying to intimidate me, it's not working."
"I'm doing you a favor, you bullheaded feline. You must understand that in exchange for the promise of dining on such a delectable selection, I have made quite a lengthy and resolute vow to the king not to communicate certain affairs with his enemies. Affairs that your pride would be most interested in."
"What makes you think I need you to find out what's going on?"
"Another attempt might cost you your life. The king hasn't been himself as of late. The little angel on his shoulder has left home. The game has changed. You've been warned." With that, Mzingo took flight.