Before she even knew what was happening she was plunged into a body of water. Drowning, suffocating, she eventually reached the surface, but all she could see fire, lots of fire. The only thing visible thing other than that was lioness, it's fur similar in colour and it's eyes gold.
" Kuibiwa na kamwe kurudi." The lioness spouted.
" Eh?" Vitani said as she continued to drown in the water. The Lioness said it again and again and again. It didn't make any more sense to Vitani, but she didn't have the time to think about it as her legs gave in and she quickly sank into the river. Holding her breath for as long as she could all she could here was her name being called from above the surface until eventually.
She woke up. Hyperventilating and panicked as if she had actually been drowning in a river." Vita'! Your awake! Are you okay, you stopped breathing for a few seconds their." Kasi asked." Yeah, I'm- I'm." She paused.
" Fine, I'm fine."
" You sure? I'm pretty sure "fine" animals don't twitch and kick when they sleep."
"It's called dreaming."
" Looked more like a nightmare."
"Listen Kasi, I'm fine. It wasn't real, so there's nothing to worry about. Why are up this late anyway?"
" I never sleep at night."
Vitani shock her head. There was a short silence." Are you sure you're okay?" Kasi asked one last time." I don't know." Vita' replied before sleeping once again.
Sun rise came and went and the group could finally rest without any disturbance. As mid day set in the group collectively woke up." Thank Kiara for actually letting us sleep on time." Imara said." You don't knowhow to let something go, don't you?" Tazama commented." No I don't." Imara said with pride.
" Speaking of which, why aren't you talking?" Tazama asked Vitani.
"Huh, sorry I wasn't paying attention." Vitani said snapping out her train of thought." You okay?" Imara asked." Why is it everyone can tell when I'm not okay?" Vitani asked confused.
" It isn't really hard. The days that you don't talk as much end up being the days when something is wrong." Shabaha explained." Good to know, need to stop talking as much." Vitani replied." That'd be fine by me." Imara added jokingly.
After a few short laughs the cave fell into silence again." In all seriousness, what's wrong?" Tazama asked for the group.
" I just had a bad dream."
"Seems just alittle worse than that."
"Well, it happened last night and I'm fine now, just shaken."
"Well can at least tell us what happened in the dream."
" You're not going stop bugging me until I tell you, aren't you?"
"We're your friends. And as your friends it's our goal to help eachother. Even if it means annoying you until you submit."
After Tazama's words Vitani caved and told them about what was really going on." Well, that's concerning." Imara stated." That is an unbelievable understatement." Shabaha replied.
"So, you've had a dream like this before?" Tazama asked." I think I have. I feel like I have, but I haven't had for years." Vita' explained.
" Guess we know why you wake up so early now." Kasi commented. The rest of the Guard look at her." What? Am I wrong? She said it herself. She been doing it since before she could remember." Kasi elaborated." Yeah, but isn't what got my attention." Tazama said.
"What did?" Vitani asked.
"kuibiwa na kamwe kurudi"
" What about it?"
"It means stolen and never returned."
" Serious?"
" Yeah and I don't like the implications that brings with it."
The Guard stood silent." What implications?" Imara asked cautiously.
" Okay listen to me. Vita' over there has been having these dreams for as long as she can remember. They're the reason she wakes early. The dream has a lioness that looks suspiciously like her and says, stolen and never returned."
"What are you getting at?" Vitani asked." Did you ever have the thought that Zita isn't your birth mother?"
"No? Why would I have such a thought?" Vitani asked repulsed that her friend would ask such a question.
Of course Zira was her mom. Right? Vitani thought to herself." Hey, I'm just guessing. Your dream is oddly. Odd. What river related trauma do you remember? You were born in a cave like most lions. No one saw your birth other than Nuka." Tazama explained in defence.
"Why wouldn't Nuka tell me?"
"Why would he tell you? Why would he tell his real young at the sister that her mom isn't actually her mom?"
" I don't like that you're making some sense." Kasi commented." Okay. Say you're right. Nuka would tell someone. Yes he was older than me and Kovu, but he was still young. Who would he tell?" Vitani asked still trying to fit the puzzle pieces in her head together." I don't know, anyone. Someone he knew wouldn't tell or ask Zira about it." Tazama replied. Vitani thought for a few seconds." There is one lioness that comes to mind." Vita' said.
